The Grim Reapers: First Patrol OOC (SF/War) (Open)

[Pax Nerdvana]

The Grim Reapers
First Patrol

INTRODUCTION
The year is 3989. The United States of Terra are at war with an alien race from another galaxy. For the second time. The first time around, the United States of Terra, barely won, and managed to push the aliens back in the Fourth Battle of Deneb. That was 30 years ago. The aliens are a humanoid race from the Andromeda galaxy. They are almost identical to humans, except for having blue skin, six fingers, and black hair. Not much is known about them, only what could be gleaned from the wreckage of their ships, and the dead. They are known as the Skix, and tend to be much smarter than the average human. And now they're back.
BACKGROUND INFO
The humans and the Skix have similar levels of technology. They are both capable of traveling to other star systems relatively fast, in about 2 months or so, via hyperdrives. Laser and plasma cannons are commonly used, as are basic energy shields. Terran ships tend to be more angular than Skix vessels.

The United States of Terra:
The UST was founded in 2465 in the aftermath of several large, non nuclear wars. It was based off the UN Constitution, and eventually united the human race under one flag, after several decades. A hyperdrive was developed. Space exploration than flourished. Dozens of worlds were colonized. There were a handful of uprisings and insurgencies, or occasionally hostile aliens. Thus, the UST Interstellar Force was created. The USTIF is the largest military force in the history of humanity, due to the vast area that must be patrolled.

The USTIF:
The USTIF uses a multitude of vessel types, including fighters, carriers, gunboats, cruisers, transports, and shuttles, although you only need to know about the fighters and carriers. The standard fighter is the SF-28 Corsair III. The standard fleet carrier is the Essex II-Class.

The SF-28 Corsair III:
Dimensions: 60 ft long, 35 ft "wing"span, 16 ft tall
Crew: 1
Propulsion system: Mark I Fusion Drive
Life Support Systems: 8 hours of oxygen, ejection seat, survival gear
Range: .1 light year
Armament: 2 laser beam weapons, 2 20mm autocannons, 6-15 missiles/bombs, depending on type

UST Intrepid V:
Length: 2 miles
Beam: 1 mile
Crew: 4,235 (including all personnel)
Armament: 6 heavy twin laser turrets, 2 railguns, 24 missile silos, various lighter weapons
Squadrons on board:
4 fighter squadrons (12 each), 3 bomber squadrons (12 each), 1 recon/AWACS squadron (12), and 1 gunship squadron (12)
Sublight propulsion: Mark III Fusion Drive
FTL propulsion: Mark III Hyperdrive
Notes: The pilots have the middle decks and the hangar bays, and rarely leave there, because it has it's own facilities. These are Decks 22-25.

VF-10 "(The) Grim Reapers":
Pilots: 12
Fighter: SF-28 Corsair III
Squadron leader: Col. Matthew Jackson (NPC)
Flights:
Red Flight
Blue Flight
Green Flight
Insignia: crossed scythe and skull
Notes: Most pilots are Lieutenants, and have a permanent callsign in addition to their flight, because what flight they're in may vary from action to action.
Standard Equipment:
In flight equipment:
Vacuum suit, worn over a flight suit
Light armor
Space helmet
Flight suit
Life support pack, which hooks into the fighter's systems
Notes: All wearable flight gear is an olive green, this gear also functions as a spacesuit in an emergency.
Sidearm: M6 blaster pistol, carried in a belt holster
Uniform: gray jumpsuit

Skix ships:
Ships: Elegant and smooth, unlike Terran ships. They have more advanced tech than the Terrans, but not much more advanced.
Standard Fighter: F45 "Warlock" (actual classification unknown), basically a flying saucer with beam, projectile, and missile weaponry (2 of each).
Standard Carrier: Cyclone-Class(actual designation unknown),about the same size as the Intrepid V[/], but much more streamlined and curvy, with similar armament and fighter complement. Numerous other classes of ships exist, but these two are the ones you will most likely run into.

PLOT
You are a fighter pilot in squadron VF-10 "Grim Reapers", stationed on the UST [i]Intrepid V(CV-44) of the Essex III-Class. You are heading out on a six month long patrol to hunt the Skix, escorted by two cruisers, the UST Waterloo, and the UST Normandy, and four destroyers, the Coral Sea, the Guadalcanal , the Iwo Jima, and the Deneb.History has not been forgotten.
RULES

• No godmodding, metagaming, etc.
• Standard NS rules.
• One character per player.
• Have fun!

CODE: SELECT ALL
Application

Code: Select all

[b]CHARACTER NAME[/b]:
[b]SEX[/b]: Male/Female
[b]GENDER [/b]:
[b]PERSONALITY[/b]:
[b]AGE[/b]:
[b]LIKES/DISLIKES[/b]:
[b]APPEARANCE [/b]:
[b]RP SAMPLE[/b]:
[b]CALLSIGN[/b]:
[b]BIOGRAPHY[/b]:

Howard "Delta" Betelgeuse - Flying Ford Raptors
David "Mustang" Robinson - Manticorn Empire.

Notes:
Many thanks to Harbertia for the formatting code. I will be controlling any NPCs.

[The Manticoran Empire]

CHARACTER NAME: David Robinson
SEX: Male
GENDER : Male
PERSONALITY: A stereotypical fighter jock, he is supremely confident, cool under pressure, and maintains a cheerful attitude in even the worst situations.
AGE: 27
LIKES/DISLIKES: Likes: Starfighters, fast cars, anything hypersonic, his German Sheppard, strong drinks, Catherine. Dislikes: Skix, peaceniks, people who claim fighter pilots have no place in the Fleet.
APPEARANCE :
RP SAMPLE:

"Sacramento, California
1 January 2024
President's Mansion

Sheryl Hash, First President of the California Republic, sat behind her desk, listening yet again to the squabbling of her ministers. The budget was the topic for today, as it had been almost everyday for three years now. She didn't blame them. She'd spent the last three years pooling the funds of Washington, Oregon, and California together in order to create an almost 200 billion dollar budget and more than half of it she'd sunk into her military. She doubted the military need that much and, in fact, the Army consistently told her it didn't. The problem over the last few years had been that she and the new Congress just didn't have time. In fact, the last three years budgets had been made by executive order and she knew she couldn't keep doing that. What she knew was that California brought in $504 billion in taxes last year, Oregon brought in $40.1 billion, and Washington brought in $76.7 billion. That, of course, included the local taxes. The usable revenue she had was $42.8 billion from Washington, $27.4 billion from Oregon, and $287.7 billion from California. In total, her 2025 budget plan would ask for $357.9 billion. The main argument now was what would it be spent on? The military ate up almost $90 billion dollars, which left $267.9 billion for the remaining expenses of the nation. She had made sure to put in the California Constitution that the budget could not exceed the tax revenue, which left her with no wiggle room. That $267.9 billion would have to fund everything. A quarter of her budget was military. That would need to change. She pulled out a pencil and a calculator, completely ignoring her Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs as they mulled around, arguing over stacks of paperwork three feet high. She would use as her basis the 2017 budget. It would, hopefully, be the most satisfactory. 28% of her budget, or $100.212 billion, would be in healthcare spending. 33% or $118.107 billion would be in Social Security, Labor, and Unemployment programs. 15% of the budget, or $53.685 billion would be be in the military. 7% or $25.053 billion would go towards the debt interest payments. 4% or $14.316 billion would go into Veterans Benefits. 3% or $10.737 billion would go into Food and Agriculture and another $10.737 billion into transportation. 2% or $7.158 billion would be put into Housing and Community projects and an equal amount into Education. Energy and Environment, International Affairs, and Science would receive 1% of the budget or $3.57 billion each. Administration fees would take up the remaining $2.7 billion.

She looked up from her desk and saw that her Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs were silent, watching her. "Are you lot ready to get started?" she asked. Without even waiting for an answer, she rose to her feet and said, "I've come up with a budget proposal. At least a rough outline of what we'd like and where we'd like it to go. Most of our budget will be in Healthcare and Labor, followed by the military, which will receive an almost forty billion dollar spending cut." The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs opened her mouth to speak but Sheryl raised her hand. "Please be patient, Admiral." She turned back to the rest of her cabinet and cleared her throat before continuing, "6% will be spent on transportation, food, and agriculture. I would like a part of the Agriculture funds to go towards algae farms, as well as a portion of the energy request. With any luck, we can become wholly energy independent in a few years. Now you will notice that the government has a $2.7 billion dollar administration budget. That's mainly to serve as a rainy day fund. I don't intend to use most of it, since we don't have many staff and our utilities are rather limited. The extra funds will be invested into companies suggested by investment brokers, in an attempt to increase the strength of our economy."
"Madam President, I don't think you understand just how costly it is to operate the Military," Admiral Jeanne Barton said.
"Actually, Admiral, I am painfully aware of how costly it is. Our Army is barely a tenth the size of that the United States Army was and yet it received almost 20% of its pre-fracture budget. The military isn't operating overseas. The navy is relegated to maritime police duties. I am tempted to simply scrap all five of our carriers!"
"Madam President," a new voice said. Sheryl looked in its direction and her gaze fell upon a younger man. Gene Hammond was her National Security Advisor and a student of military and political strategy. "What is it, Gene?"
"Ma'am, chucking our Navy away like that is simply foolish. For one, it is almost half of our combat air power and secondly, it's the largest nuclear arsenal left in the country. We have eight Ohio-class nuclear missile submarines with full payloads. If we scrap them, without the necessary places to store the nuclear material, we could find ourselves being the biggest supplier of nuclear and radiological weapons of mass destruction in the world. Now we clearly don't need to be spending money that was originally appropriated for overseas operations, I agree. However, we must ensure that we can maintain the nuclear weapons and reactors as well as the defense of our borders and waters. Hawaii still has fleet force present, nine destroyers, a cruisers, and 16 nuclear attack submarines. Right now, our carriers are our best defense against such an attack. Additionally, we have some rather lawless areas of the country surrounding us and a refugee problem."
"REFUGEE PROBLEM? THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS FOR GOD'S SAKE!"
"That may be, but they are a collection of 15 million people who are not citizens of the Republic and who, quite frankly, may be causing problems. We are already experiencing housing difficulties and many businesses are protesting about the loss of business with their spaces full of penniless refugees. Quite frankly, we can't afford to keep paying their tab. Not unless we violate the Constitution of this Republic."
"Then we do that."
"No, Roger. We can't do that. The spending limit is present for a reason and that is to avoid the runaway spending train that got us into this mess in the first place."
"But, but, these people!"
"Worry about our people first, Roger. We are in office for the people of California, Washington, and Oregon, not the people of Minnesota, or Wisconsin, or Kentucky, or whatever states these people came from. At the earliest opportunity, we will be returning them to their home states."
Vice President Abraham Blumenthal spoke next, "Madam President, that could backfire."
"I know, Abraham. Unfortunately, I don't see much choice. We don't have the money to keep housing 15 million extra people."
"We don't have the money to send them elsewhere, either," Abraham replied.
"That is true."
Gene spoke up again, "Ma'am, we could endeavor to make them citizens. Please note, however, that this will not be for everyone. Only those who are willing and able to get employment should receive citizenship. We need more taxpayers, not more mouths to feed."
"Damn it, Gene. You act like they're just cattle," Roger pined.
"Like it or not, Roger, we live in a real world. Not some fantasy realm where we can help everyone. We simply do not have the money to continue spending it willy-nilly. That means that some tough decisions need to be made and I'll be damned if I sacrifice Californians for Ohioans."
"YOU SON OF A-"
"SIT DOWN!" Sheryl screamed. "YOU ARE NOT A CHILD, ROGER! ACT LIKE YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THIS CABINET OR I WILL FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN!"
Roger returned to his chair, still fuming.
"Now, we have a duty to the people of this country. And by God we will see it through or I will know the reason why. To that end, each of you needs to get with whatever subordinates you have and start figuring out what you don't need. If it is not ABSOLUTELY vital, cut it. I don't care if you think it's important. If it is too expensive, ditch it. Secretary Price," she said, speaking now to Defense Secretary Aaron Price, "I want you to get me the details on what it would take to build facilities to produce tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and trucks for our military."
"May I ask why?"
"You may. It is my opinion that we do not need a Marine Corps with 80,000 Marines. Rather, I MEF and III MEF will be reorganized to form two new Army Corps, II Corps at Pendleton and III Corps to be stationed in Oregon. I Corps will remain in Washington at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Since the majority of our Marines will be serving in the Army now, we need to equip them to be mechanized divisions. That means tanks and APCs. It means retraining them to be mechanized warriors rather than amphibious warriors. It means that Fort Irwin will be having a jolly good time over the next few years."
"Yes, ma'am. Are there any other changes that I should look into?"
"Yes, actually. We need to build aviation factories. I want to replace our F-15s, F-16s, and F-18s with F-22s and F-35s. IMPROVED and CHEAPER F-35s. We also need to increase the availability of training squadrons to permit the training of new pilots on new aircraft. Right now we have the most powerful air force in the region. Let's not squander it."
"Understood, Ma'am."
"Good. Now, I have a meeting with the Speaker of the House in an hour so I won't keep you any longer.""

CALLSIGN: Mustang
BIOGRAPHY: Mustang was born on Kepler 1638b, nearly 2,500 light years from Earth. To this day it is a planet that he hasn't seen. His parents, Jose and Marion Robinson, were school teachers. His father had served in the First War as starfighter mechanic. His elder brother, Phillip, received a scholarship to Cambridge University on Earth, something that was never an option for David. After graduating high school, David worked a variety of odd-jobs before finally joining the Terran Fleet Academy. After four years of grueling effort he made it to the Terran Fleet Fighter Weapons School and succeeded in becoming a fighter pilot. His first deployment was aboard the Carrier UST Essex before transferring to a orbital installation as part of a system defense squadron near Kepler 62f. It was here that he met Catherine and began a brief relationship, interrupted by a transfer to the Intrepid. His relationship with Catherine managed to survive the posting, though. His transfer to UST Intrepid V occurred just over a year ago and marked the beginning of his 3rd year in the service. Had it not been for the break out of hostilities, Mustang would have been headed for another SDS posting, which both he and Catherine were looking forward to. As it stands now, he may not see a friendly planet again.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Tag

Welcome! Thanks for tagging.

[Flying Ford Raptors]

Tag. A very interesting premise, and one I would like to join as my first RP not only on this site, but ever. I'll try to get my 'app' up soon, following what has already been posted on the OP. Forgive me for my noobiness.

[Flying Ford Raptors]

CHARACTER NAME: Howard Betelgeuse
SEX: Male
GENDER : Male
PERSONALITY: Son of an executive of a major homeworld company, but never felt comfortable wearing expensive clothes, using luxury products in a world of visible suffering, and was often unhappy with being showered in gifts. Believes in radical practicality, aka, will not celebrate the New Year with comrades, does not have a shower in the morning. Has lightning fast reaction times, spent weeks of his life honing them and is very proud of them. Capable with maths and short-term memory, but less so with literature or humanities. Has a tendency to zone out for extended periods of time. Normally quite reserved, and bad at arguments. Eats a lot but never changes shape. Very vulnerable to sleep and exhaustion.
AGE: 31
LIKES/DISLIKES: LIKES: Sleeping in (a rarity), the uncommon shower, casual cruises in a warship, drinking non-alcoholic drinks, proving superiority in Maths, being braver or more brash or more aggressive than everyone else, even if it costs him embarrassment.
APPEARANCE :
Brown hair, fringes turning gold at the end with years of Sun. Despite this, still relatively pale Germanic. A natural beige colour of someone who is not as pasty as a vampire, but not exactly tanned or mixed race tone. Moderate in height and weight, if anything, a little skinny but medium height. Brown eyes, heavy eyebrows. Yellowing teeth. Not exactly prime fitness either, but enough to pass any Tests the forces might throw at him.
RP SAMPLE:
Sincere apologies.
BIOGRAPHY:
Son of an executive of a major aerospace company. This meant that he was born with a silver spoon in an enormous industry. At first, he wanted to be a professional explorer, however, he became disillusioned with the cult following many received. Often felt he did not belong in privileged society, finding sanctuary only in asking for very little from his parents, who would gift him everything he could have possibly wanted and more, and rock and metal music. Spent many weekends with his parents and rather distant sister in luxury hotels and resorts around the world, but never felt comfortable living in such luxury, often complaining that he did not deserve such benefits when many even going to his school had never left the planet. Still carries fondness for rock music. Decided he would quit a perfect career in a high-end school for the ranks of the army, at first being derided for his upper class rank, but earning respect in his determination, regardless of how skinny, awkward, and introverted he was at school. Much of that hasn't left him, but at the same time, he is an enormous split from his parents, both of which write to him regularly from their company resort on the homeworld. The officers quickly picked up on his story. The sergeants got to yell at him, but when he screamed back at them, they would often pick up on his rather feminine posh accent. He had to sometimes remind his NCOs that he was here by chance and should not deserve any special treatment. He sometimes went against orders and did a couple more push ups and a couple more minutes of running with each exercise to prove it. By the time the training was done, he had proven that he was open to improvement and did not believe in the social hierarchy he had been built into. With an admittedly useless Economics degree in one hand and a laser rifle in the other, he had all the diplomas and signatures he could have ever dreamed up, but only felt comfortable when he was treated as an equal.

[Pax Nerdvana]

CHARACTER NAME: Howard Betelgeuse
SEX: Male
GENDER : Male
PERSONALITY: Son of an executive of a major homeworld company, but never felt comfortable wearing expensive clothes, using luxury products in a world of visible suffering, and was often unhappy with being showered in gifts. Believes in radical practicality, aka, will not celebrate the New Year with comrades, does not have a shower in the morning. Has lightning fast reaction times, spent weeks of his life honing them and is very proud of them. Capable with maths and short-term memory, but less so with literature or humanities. Has a tendency to zone out for extended periods of time. Normally quite reserved, and bad at arguments. Eats a lot but never changes shape. Very vulnerable to sleep and exhaustion.
AGE: 31
LIKES/DISLIKES: LIKES: Sleeping in (a rarity), the uncommon shower, casual cruises in a warship, drinking non-alcoholic drinks, proving superiority in Maths, being braver or more brash or more aggressive than everyone else, even if it costs him embarrassment.
APPEARANCE :
Brown hair, fringes turning gold at the end with years of Sun. Despite this, still relatively pale Germanic. A natural beige colour of someone who is not as pasty as a vampire, but not exactly tanned or mixed race tone. Moderate in height and weight, if anything, a little skinny but medium height. Brown eyes, heavy eyebrows. Yellowing teeth. Not exactly prime fitness either, but enough to pass any Tests the forces might throw at him.
RP SAMPLE:
Sincere apologies.
BIOGRAPHY:
Son of an executive of a major aerospace company. This meant that he was born with a silver spoon in an enormous industry. At first, he wanted to be a professional explorer, however, he became disillusioned with the cult following many received. Often felt he did not belong in privileged society, finding sanctuary only in asking for very little from his parents, who would gift him everything he could have possibly wanted and more, and rock and metal music. Still carries fondness for rock music. Decided he would quit a perfect career in a high-end school for the ranks of the army, at first being derided for his upper class rank, but earning respect in his determination, regardless of how skinny, awkward, and introverted he was at school. Much of that hasn't left him, but at the same time, he is an enormous split from his parents, both of which write to him regularly from their company resort on the homeworld.

Looks really good. I just realized I think I forgot to add callsign to the app, so can you come up with a callsign please? Accepted, by the way. I'm going to get an app up for the Colonel as well, so you guys know about him.

[Flying Ford Raptors]

Will a stock, Google Images picture of a 'this' I ripped off the Scout Movement and the City of New Orleans work well enough? Cool enough symbol, doesn't say much, not particularly edgy.

EDIT: IT'S ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least I know the spoiler function. Get ready to scroll down, big time.

[Pax Nerdvana]

(Image)

Will a stock, Google Images picture of a 'this' I ripped off the Scout Movement and the City of New Orleans work well enough? Cool enough symbol, doesn't say much, not particularly edgy.

EDIT: IT'S ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least I know the spoiler function. Get ready to scroll down, big time.

By callsign, I meant like a codename, not a logo. Sorry, I should have clarified.

[Flying Ford Raptors]

(Image)

Will a stock, Google Images picture of a 'this' I ripped off the Scout Movement and the City of New Orleans work well enough? Cool enough symbol, doesn't say much, not particularly edgy.

EDIT: IT'S ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least I know the spoiler function. Get ready to scroll down, big time.

By callsign, I meant like a codename, not a logo. Sorry, I should have clarified.

Oh, my bad, that's my fault. I'm not exactly a superhero, am I? I'll make my callsign 'Delta', just because that's the first one I thought of, and it sounds cool.

[Pax Nerdvana]

By callsign, I meant like a codename, not a logo. Sorry, I should have clarified.

Oh, my bad, that's my fault. I'm not exactly a superhero, am I? I'll make my callsign 'Delta', just because that's the first one I thought of, and it sounds cool.

Ok. That works.

[The Manticoran Empire]

Tag

Welcome! Thanks for tagging.

I'll put my app in that spot.

Also, a few points on the Air Wing. The Typical terrestrial carrier air wing (at least for the US Navy [only real carrier navy lol]) has 3-5 squadrons of fighters and attack aircraft. Typically 2 of those are Air Superiority Squadrons (VF) and 3 are Strike Fighter squadrons (VFA). There is also a Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW), an Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ), Fleet Logistics Squadron Detachment (VRC), Helicopter Combat Squadron (HSC), and Helicopter Strike Squadron (HSM). Since we don't have helicopters, the HSC and HSM could be replaced by other vehicles. Another fighter or attack squadron or they could be dedicated to Marine Boarding Parties.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Welcome! Thanks for tagging.

I'll put my app in that spot.

Also, a few points on the Air Wing. The Typical terrestrial carrier air wing (at least for the US Navy [only real carrier navy lol]) has 3-5 squadrons of fighters and attack aircraft. Typically 2 of those are Air Superiority Squadrons (VF) and 3 are Strike Fighter squadrons (VFA). There is also a Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW), an Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ), Fleet Logistics Squadron Detachment (VRC), Helicopter Combat Squadron (HSC), and Helicopter Strike Squadron (HSM). Since we don't have helicopters, the HSC and HSM could be replaced by other vehicles. Another fighter or attack squadron or they could be dedicated to Marine Boarding Parties.

I'll look into changing it. I'll have to see what I put in the OP.

[Pax Nerdvana]

CHARACTER NAME: David Robinson
SEX: Male
GENDER : Male
PERSONALITY: A stereotypical fighter jock, he is supremely confident, cool under pressure, and maintains a cheerful attitude in even the worst situations.
AGE: 27
LIKES/DISLIKES: Likes: Starfighters, fast cars, anything hypersonic, his German Sheppard, strong drinks, Catherine. Dislikes: Skix, peaceniks, people who claim fighter pilots have no place in the Fleet.
APPEARANCE : (Image)
RP SAMPLE:

"Sacramento, California
1 January 2024
President's Mansion

Sheryl Hash, First President of the California Republic, sat behind her desk, listening yet again to the squabbling of her ministers. The budget was the topic for today, as it had been almost everyday for three years now. She didn't blame them. She'd spent the last three years pooling the funds of Washington, Oregon, and California together in order to create an almost 200 billion dollar budget and more than half of it she'd sunk into her military. She doubted the military need that much and, in fact, the Army consistently told her it didn't. The problem over the last few years had been that she and the new Congress just didn't have time. In fact, the last three years budgets had been made by executive order and she knew she couldn't keep doing that. What she knew was that California brought in $504 billion in taxes last year, Oregon brought in $40.1 billion, and Washington brought in $76.7 billion. That, of course, included the local taxes. The usable revenue she had was $42.8 billion from Washington, $27.4 billion from Oregon, and $287.7 billion from California. In total, her 2025 budget plan would ask for $357.9 billion. The main argument now was what would it be spent on? The military ate up almost $90 billion dollars, which left $267.9 billion for the remaining expenses of the nation. She had made sure to put in the California Constitution that the budget could not exceed the tax revenue, which left her with no wiggle room. That $267.9 billion would have to fund everything. A quarter of her budget was military. That would need to change. She pulled out a pencil and a calculator, completely ignoring her Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs as they mulled around, arguing over stacks of paperwork three feet high. She would use as her basis the 2017 budget. It would, hopefully, be the most satisfactory. 28% of her budget, or $100.212 billion, would be in healthcare spending. 33% or $118.107 billion would be in Social Security, Labor, and Unemployment programs. 15% of the budget, or $53.685 billion would be be in the military. 7% or $25.053 billion would go towards the debt interest payments. 4% or $14.316 billion would go into Veterans Benefits. 3% or $10.737 billion would go into Food and Agriculture and another $10.737 billion into transportation. 2% or $7.158 billion would be put into Housing and Community projects and an equal amount into Education. Energy and Environment, International Affairs, and Science would receive 1% of the budget or $3.57 billion each. Administration fees would take up the remaining $2.7 billion.

She looked up from her desk and saw that her Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs were silent, watching her. "Are you lot ready to get started?" she asked. Without even waiting for an answer, she rose to her feet and said, "I've come up with a budget proposal. At least a rough outline of what we'd like and where we'd like it to go. Most of our budget will be in Healthcare and Labor, followed by the military, which will receive an almost forty billion dollar spending cut." The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs opened her mouth to speak but Sheryl raised her hand. "Please be patient, Admiral." She turned back to the rest of her cabinet and cleared her throat before continuing, "6% will be spent on transportation, food, and agriculture. I would like a part of the Agriculture funds to go towards algae farms, as well as a portion of the energy request. With any luck, we can become wholly energy independent in a few years. Now you will notice that the government has a $2.7 billion dollar administration budget. That's mainly to serve as a rainy day fund. I don't intend to use most of it, since we don't have many staff and our utilities are rather limited. The extra funds will be invested into companies suggested by investment brokers, in an attempt to increase the strength of our economy."
"Madam President, I don't think you understand just how costly it is to operate the Military," Admiral Jeanne Barton said.
"Actually, Admiral, I am painfully aware of how costly it is. Our Army is barely a tenth the size of that the United States Army was and yet it received almost 20% of its pre-fracture budget. The military isn't operating overseas. The navy is relegated to maritime police duties. I am tempted to simply scrap all five of our carriers!"
"Madam President," a new voice said. Sheryl looked in its direction and her gaze fell upon a younger man. Gene Hammond was her National Security Advisor and a student of military and political strategy. "What is it, Gene?"
"Ma'am, chucking our Navy away like that is simply foolish. For one, it is almost half of our combat air power and secondly, it's the largest nuclear arsenal left in the country. We have eight Ohio-class nuclear missile submarines with full payloads. If we scrap them, without the necessary places to store the nuclear material, we could find ourselves being the biggest supplier of nuclear and radiological weapons of mass destruction in the world. Now we clearly don't need to be spending money that was originally appropriated for overseas operations, I agree. However, we must ensure that we can maintain the nuclear weapons and reactors as well as the defense of our borders and waters. Hawaii still has fleet force present, nine destroyers, a cruisers, and 16 nuclear attack submarines. Right now, our carriers are our best defense against such an attack. Additionally, we have some rather lawless areas of the country surrounding us and a refugee problem."
"REFUGEE PROBLEM? THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS FOR GOD'S SAKE!"
"That may be, but they are a collection of 15 million people who are not citizens of the Republic and who, quite frankly, may be causing problems. We are already experiencing housing difficulties and many businesses are protesting about the loss of business with their spaces full of penniless refugees. Quite frankly, we can't afford to keep paying their tab. Not unless we violate the Constitution of this Republic."
"Then we do that."
"No, Roger. We can't do that. The spending limit is present for a reason and that is to avoid the runaway spending train that got us into this mess in the first place."
"But, but, these people!"
"Worry about our people first, Roger. We are in office for the people of California, Washington, and Oregon, not the people of Minnesota, or Wisconsin, or Kentucky, or whatever states these people came from. At the earliest opportunity, we will be returning them to their home states."
Vice President Abraham Blumenthal spoke next, "Madam President, that could backfire."
"I know, Abraham. Unfortunately, I don't see much choice. We don't have the money to keep housing 15 million extra people."
"We don't have the money to send them elsewhere, either," Abraham replied.
"That is true."
Gene spoke up again, "Ma'am, we could endeavor to make them citizens. Please note, however, that this will not be for everyone. Only those who are willing and able to get employment should receive citizenship. We need more taxpayers, not more mouths to feed."
"Damn it, Gene. You act like they're just cattle," Roger pined.
"Like it or not, Roger, we live in a real world. Not some fantasy realm where we can help everyone. We simply do not have the money to continue spending it willy-nilly. That means that some tough decisions need to be made and I'll be damned if I sacrifice Californians for Ohioans."
"YOU SON OF A-"
"SIT DOWN!" Sheryl screamed. "YOU ARE NOT A CHILD, ROGER! ACT LIKE YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THIS CABINET OR I WILL FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN!"
Roger returned to his chair, still fuming.
"Now, we have a duty to the people of this country. And by God we will see it through or I will know the reason why. To that end, each of you needs to get with whatever subordinates you have and start figuring out what you don't need. If it is not ABSOLUTELY vital, cut it. I don't care if you think it's important. If it is too expensive, ditch it. Secretary Price," she said, speaking now to Defense Secretary Aaron Price, "I want you to get me the details on what it would take to build facilities to produce tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and trucks for our military."
"May I ask why?"
"You may. It is my opinion that we do not need a Marine Corps with 80,000 Marines. Rather, I MEF and III MEF will be reorganized to form two new Army Corps, II Corps at Pendleton and III Corps to be stationed in Oregon. I Corps will remain in Washington at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Since the majority of our Marines will be serving in the Army now, we need to equip them to be mechanized divisions. That means tanks and APCs. It means retraining them to be mechanized warriors rather than amphibious warriors. It means that Fort Irwin will be having a jolly good time over the next few years."
"Yes, ma'am. Are there any other changes that I should look into?"
"Yes, actually. We need to build aviation factories. I want to replace our F-15s, F-16s, and F-18s with F-22s and F-35s. IMPROVED and CHEAPER F-35s. We also need to increase the availability of training squadrons to permit the training of new pilots on new aircraft. Right now we have the most powerful air force in the region. Let's not squander it."
"Understood, Ma'am."
"Good. Now, I have a meeting with the Speaker of the House in an hour so I won't keep you any longer.""

CALLSIGN: Mustang
BIOGRAPHY: Mustang was born on Kepler 1638b, nearly 2,500 light years from Earth. To this day it is a planet that he hasn't seen. His parents, Jose and Marion Robinson, were school teachers. His father had served in the First War as starfighter mechanic. His elder brother, Phillip, received a scholarship to Cambridge University on Earth, something that was never an option for David. After graduating high school, David worked a variety of odd-jobs before finally joining the Terran Fleet Academy. After four years of grueling effort he made it to the Terran Fleet Fighter Weapons School and succeeded in becoming a fighter pilot. His first deployment was aboard the Carrier UST Essex before transferring to a orbital installation as part of a system defense squadron near Kepler 62f. It was here that he met Catherine and began a brief relationship, interrupted by a transfer to the Intrepid. His relationship with Catherine managed to survive the posting, though. His transfer to UST Intrepid V occurred just over a year ago and marked the beginning of his 3rd year in the service. Had it not been for the break out of hostilities, Mustang would have been headed for another SDS posting, which both he and Catherine were looking forward to. As it stands now, he may not see a friendly planet again.

Accepted.

[The Manticoran Empire]

CHARACTER NAME: David Robinson
SEX: Male
GENDER : Male
PERSONALITY: A stereotypical fighter jock, he is supremely confident, cool under pressure, and maintains a cheerful attitude in even the worst situations.
AGE: 27
LIKES/DISLIKES: Likes: Starfighters, fast cars, anything hypersonic, his German Sheppard, strong drinks, Catherine. Dislikes: Skix, peaceniks, people who claim fighter pilots have no place in the Fleet.
APPEARANCE : (Image)
RP SAMPLE:

"Sacramento, California
1 January 2024
President's Mansion

Sheryl Hash, First President of the California Republic, sat behind her desk, listening yet again to the squabbling of her ministers. The budget was the topic for today, as it had been almost everyday for three years now. She didn't blame them. She'd spent the last three years pooling the funds of Washington, Oregon, and California together in order to create an almost 200 billion dollar budget and more than half of it she'd sunk into her military. She doubted the military need that much and, in fact, the Army consistently told her it didn't. The problem over the last few years had been that she and the new Congress just didn't have time. In fact, the last three years budgets had been made by executive order and she knew she couldn't keep doing that. What she knew was that California brought in $504 billion in taxes last year, Oregon brought in $40.1 billion, and Washington brought in $76.7 billion. That, of course, included the local taxes. The usable revenue she had was $42.8 billion from Washington, $27.4 billion from Oregon, and $287.7 billion from California. In total, her 2025 budget plan would ask for $357.9 billion. The main argument now was what would it be spent on? The military ate up almost $90 billion dollars, which left $267.9 billion for the remaining expenses of the nation. She had made sure to put in the California Constitution that the budget could not exceed the tax revenue, which left her with no wiggle room. That $267.9 billion would have to fund everything. A quarter of her budget was military. That would need to change. She pulled out a pencil and a calculator, completely ignoring her Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs as they mulled around, arguing over stacks of paperwork three feet high. She would use as her basis the 2017 budget. It would, hopefully, be the most satisfactory. 28% of her budget, or $100.212 billion, would be in healthcare spending. 33% or $118.107 billion would be in Social Security, Labor, and Unemployment programs. 15% of the budget, or $53.685 billion would be be in the military. 7% or $25.053 billion would go towards the debt interest payments. 4% or $14.316 billion would go into Veterans Benefits. 3% or $10.737 billion would go into Food and Agriculture and another $10.737 billion into transportation. 2% or $7.158 billion would be put into Housing and Community projects and an equal amount into Education. Energy and Environment, International Affairs, and Science would receive 1% of the budget or $3.57 billion each. Administration fees would take up the remaining $2.7 billion.

She looked up from her desk and saw that her Cabinet and the Joint Chiefs were silent, watching her. "Are you lot ready to get started?" she asked. Without even waiting for an answer, she rose to her feet and said, "I've come up with a budget proposal. At least a rough outline of what we'd like and where we'd like it to go. Most of our budget will be in Healthcare and Labor, followed by the military, which will receive an almost forty billion dollar spending cut." The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs opened her mouth to speak but Sheryl raised her hand. "Please be patient, Admiral." She turned back to the rest of her cabinet and cleared her throat before continuing, "6% will be spent on transportation, food, and agriculture. I would like a part of the Agriculture funds to go towards algae farms, as well as a portion of the energy request. With any luck, we can become wholly energy independent in a few years. Now you will notice that the government has a $2.7 billion dollar administration budget. That's mainly to serve as a rainy day fund. I don't intend to use most of it, since we don't have many staff and our utilities are rather limited. The extra funds will be invested into companies suggested by investment brokers, in an attempt to increase the strength of our economy."
"Madam President, I don't think you understand just how costly it is to operate the Military," Admiral Jeanne Barton said.
"Actually, Admiral, I am painfully aware of how costly it is. Our Army is barely a tenth the size of that the United States Army was and yet it received almost 20% of its pre-fracture budget. The military isn't operating overseas. The navy is relegated to maritime police duties. I am tempted to simply scrap all five of our carriers!"
"Madam President," a new voice said. Sheryl looked in its direction and her gaze fell upon a younger man. Gene Hammond was her National Security Advisor and a student of military and political strategy. "What is it, Gene?"
"Ma'am, chucking our Navy away like that is simply foolish. For one, it is almost half of our combat air power and secondly, it's the largest nuclear arsenal left in the country. We have eight Ohio-class nuclear missile submarines with full payloads. If we scrap them, without the necessary places to store the nuclear material, we could find ourselves being the biggest supplier of nuclear and radiological weapons of mass destruction in the world. Now we clearly don't need to be spending money that was originally appropriated for overseas operations, I agree. However, we must ensure that we can maintain the nuclear weapons and reactors as well as the defense of our borders and waters. Hawaii still has fleet force present, nine destroyers, a cruisers, and 16 nuclear attack submarines. Right now, our carriers are our best defense against such an attack. Additionally, we have some rather lawless areas of the country surrounding us and a refugee problem."
"REFUGEE PROBLEM? THESE ARE HUMAN BEINGS FOR GOD'S SAKE!"
"That may be, but they are a collection of 15 million people who are not citizens of the Republic and who, quite frankly, may be causing problems. We are already experiencing housing difficulties and many businesses are protesting about the loss of business with their spaces full of penniless refugees. Quite frankly, we can't afford to keep paying their tab. Not unless we violate the Constitution of this Republic."
"Then we do that."
"No, Roger. We can't do that. The spending limit is present for a reason and that is to avoid the runaway spending train that got us into this mess in the first place."
"But, but, these people!"
"Worry about our people first, Roger. We are in office for the people of California, Washington, and Oregon, not the people of Minnesota, or Wisconsin, or Kentucky, or whatever states these people came from. At the earliest opportunity, we will be returning them to their home states."
Vice President Abraham Blumenthal spoke next, "Madam President, that could backfire."
"I know, Abraham. Unfortunately, I don't see much choice. We don't have the money to keep housing 15 million extra people."
"We don't have the money to send them elsewhere, either," Abraham replied.
"That is true."
Gene spoke up again, "Ma'am, we could endeavor to make them citizens. Please note, however, that this will not be for everyone. Only those who are willing and able to get employment should receive citizenship. We need more taxpayers, not more mouths to feed."
"Damn it, Gene. You act like they're just cattle," Roger pined.
"Like it or not, Roger, we live in a real world. Not some fantasy realm where we can help everyone. We simply do not have the money to continue spending it willy-nilly. That means that some tough decisions need to be made and I'll be damned if I sacrifice Californians for Ohioans."
"YOU SON OF A-"
"SIT DOWN!" Sheryl screamed. "YOU ARE NOT A CHILD, ROGER! ACT LIKE YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THIS CABINET OR I WILL FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN!"
Roger returned to his chair, still fuming.
"Now, we have a duty to the people of this country. And by God we will see it through or I will know the reason why. To that end, each of you needs to get with whatever subordinates you have and start figuring out what you don't need. If it is not ABSOLUTELY vital, cut it. I don't care if you think it's important. If it is too expensive, ditch it. Secretary Price," she said, speaking now to Defense Secretary Aaron Price, "I want you to get me the details on what it would take to build facilities to produce tanks, armored fighting vehicles, and trucks for our military."
"May I ask why?"
"You may. It is my opinion that we do not need a Marine Corps with 80,000 Marines. Rather, I MEF and III MEF will be reorganized to form two new Army Corps, II Corps at Pendleton and III Corps to be stationed in Oregon. I Corps will remain in Washington at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Since the majority of our Marines will be serving in the Army now, we need to equip them to be mechanized divisions. That means tanks and APCs. It means retraining them to be mechanized warriors rather than amphibious warriors. It means that Fort Irwin will be having a jolly good time over the next few years."
"Yes, ma'am. Are there any other changes that I should look into?"
"Yes, actually. We need to build aviation factories. I want to replace our F-15s, F-16s, and F-18s with F-22s and F-35s. IMPROVED and CHEAPER F-35s. We also need to increase the availability of training squadrons to permit the training of new pilots on new aircraft. Right now we have the most powerful air force in the region. Let's not squander it."
"Understood, Ma'am."
"Good. Now, I have a meeting with the Speaker of the House in an hour so I won't keep you any longer.""

CALLSIGN: Mustang
BIOGRAPHY: Mustang was born on Kepler 1638b, nearly 2,500 light years from Earth. To this day it is a planet that he hasn't seen. His parents, Jose and Marion Robinson, were school teachers. His father had served in the First War as starfighter mechanic. His elder brother, Phillip, received a scholarship to Cambridge University on Earth, something that was never an option for David. After graduating high school, David worked a variety of odd-jobs before finally joining the Terran Fleet Academy. After four years of grueling effort he made it to the Terran Fleet Fighter Weapons School and succeeded in becoming a fighter pilot. His first deployment was aboard the Carrier UST Essex before transferring to a orbital installation as part of a system defense squadron near Kepler 62f. It was here that he met Catherine and began a brief relationship, interrupted by a transfer to the Intrepid. His relationship with Catherine managed to survive the posting, though. His transfer to UST Intrepid V occurred just over a year ago and marked the beginning of his 3rd year in the service. Had it not been for the break out of hostilities, Mustang would have been headed for another SDS posting, which both he and Catherine were looking forward to. As it stands now, he may not see a friendly planet again.

Accepted.

Consider this the warning that I will be making copious and often unnecessary references to Top Gun.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Accepted.

Consider this the warning that I will be making copious and often unnecessary references to Top Gun.

Fine by me. Feel free to reference anything. Yes, even that scene in Star Wars where everyone is checking in...

[The Manticoran Empire]

What kind of acceleration are we looking at for the various ships?

[Jackania yugo]

tag

also, are there mechs in this at some point? You said you wanted to do this like star fox.

[Pax Nerdvana]

What kind of acceleration are we looking at for the various ships?

Well, I'm no physicist, so I'm not sure. It is a six month patrol, with a hyperdrive, which is all I have figured out.

tag

also, are there mechs in this at some point? You said you wanted to do this like star fox.

No mechs, unfortunately. I feel like they wouldn't really fit this that well.

[Fesconia]

Tagged.

[The Manticoran Empire]

What kind of acceleration are we looking at for the various ships?

Well, I'm no physicist, so I'm not sure. It is a six month patrol, with a hyperdrive, which is all I have figured out.

tag

also, are there mechs in this at some point? You said you wanted to do this like star fox.

No mechs, unfortunately. I feel like they wouldn't really fit this that well.

Well I found some calculators for velocity, Sublight, FTL, and weapons.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Well, I'm no physicist, so I'm not sure. It is a six month patrol, with a hyperdrive, which is all I have figured out.
No mechs, unfortunately. I feel like they wouldn't really fit this that well.

Well I found some calculators for velocity, Sublight, FTL, and weapons.

Cool. Where did you find them? And thanks for digging those up.

[The Manticoran Empire]

Well I found some calculators for velocity, Sublight, FTL, and weapons.

Cool. Where did you find them? And thanks for digging those up.

Googling to find them after you mentioned this RP. I'll link them when I get off work.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Cool. Where did you find them? And thanks for digging those up.

Googling to find them after you mentioned this RP. I'll link them when I get off work.

Ok, thanks again for finding this.

[The Manticoran Empire]

Velocity Calculator
Standard Gravity to Meters per Second per Second
Speed Distance Time Calculator
FTL travel Calculator
Sub-light travel Calculator
Kinetic Close In Weapon System Calculator
Kinetic Energy Weapon Calculator
Laser Weapons Calculator
Missile Close In Weapon System Calculator
Nuclear Weapons Calculator

[Granluras]

TaggityTaggityTaggity