Nightward
10/02/03 07:31 AM
211.26.64.205
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Draconis Elite Strike Teams: Marine Strike Corps
After Tai-Sa Michael Ryan returned from Clan space with his handful of surviving DEST warriors, he was placed in command of training and recruitment efforts for a new arm of the DEST, creating the new Marine Strike Corps. The new DEST MSC are intended to operate both as standard DEST units and to fully integrate themselves with WarShip and DropShip support- including undertaking boarding actions and calling down Naval support fire.
In late 3067, Coordinator Theodore Kurita authorised a bold experiment; contacting Dante Enterprises and Midway Shipyards and ordering them to collaborate, he signed over three Buccaneer-Class DropShips and an Invader-Class JumpShip. Rebuilt with schematics from Dante Enterprises of Loysville by the Midway Shipyards, the ageing designs became the nucleus of the new Marine Strike Corps; the powerful new Shadow Blade-Class DropShips and the Night’s Wind command vessel.
Type: Shadow Blade-Class DropShip
Technology Base: Inner Sphere, Draconis Combine 3067
Mass: 3,500 Tons
Chassis: Rebuilt Buccaneer Airframe (Shadow Blade Superstructure-X on new vessels)
Power Plant: Midway NovaStar
Cruising Speed: 4 Gravities
Maximum Speed: 6 Gravities
Armour: Midway Shadow Blade Ferro-Carbide
Armament:
14 Lord’s Light 2 ER PPCs
12 Shigunga LRM-20s
8 Shigunga MRM-40s
12 Victory Heartbeat Medium Pulse Lasers
Communications System: Dragon’s Roar-12 Command Version
Targeting and Tracking System: dragon’s Eye with Integrated Artemis IV FCS
Primary Manufacturer: Dante Enterprises/Midway Shipyards
Primary Factory: Midway
OVERVIEW
As the Dragon does not have the time, nor the facilities, to evolve a new, custom-built DropShip, the only choice was to modify an existing design. After examining several available options, Dante Enterprises elected to use an Aerodyne design, maximising the new DropShips flexibility in both space and atmosphere. After narrowing the field down, Dante Enterprises investigated the current crop of available designs.
Somewhat surprisingly, at this point, the Dante CEO himself stepped in, contacting Tai-Sa Michael Ryan directly and involving him in the choice of base design. Impressed with a partner willing to pay attention to what his team wanted, Michael Ryan came to the table with his own list of design features.
After discussing the situation, Dante and the DEST came to an agreement; the new Shadow Blade would be based around the old Buccaneer.
Originally designed as a 'Mech carrier to compete with the Leopard, the Buccaneer failed to win the contract and was changed over to a civilian design. However, the original military nature of the design was there with the efficient layout and rugged systems.
After rebuilding the airframe and replacing the armour with cunningly built panels which completely conceal the new weapons systems, the Dante and Midway engineers completed the modifications by adding a new power plant that produces almost three times as much thrust and a powerful grappling system to negate the need for more vulnerable Battle Taxis; the Shadow Blade is capable of directly delivering its DEST Marines.
CAPABILITIES
Visually indistinguishable from a standard, merchantman Buccaneer, the Shadow Blade quickly becomes a dazzling surprise. Capable of moving as fast as an Achilles, yet more heavily armed and armoured, the Shadow Blade will certainly open the eyes of the unwary.
The Shadow Blade’s primary armament revolves around the pride of the Combine; the legendary Lord’s Light 2 ER PPC. With 14 of them in pop-up turrets scattered across the hull, the Shadow Blade is capable of protecting itself from any angle of attack. These formidable particle cannon are backed up by Artemis-equipped Shigunga LRM-20s, intended for use against enemy aircraft. Overlapping these missiles with more Shigunga-manufactured MRM-40s, the Shadow Blade is capable of generating a veritable wall of missiles. Finally, fourteen Victory Heartbeat Medium Pulse Lasers provide for a bare minimum of anti-fighter defence should enemy aircraft manage to maneuver in close.
The Black Wind is protected by almost 70 tons of Ferro-Carbide armour, granting it some of the heaviest plating of any Inner Sphere DropShip. This was a vital consideration; the Shadow Blade is intended to go up against enemy WarShips. The Black Wind is capable of surviving hits from heavy Naval-Class PPCs and AutoCannon, though its best defence is probably its blinding speed.
Unusually, the Shadow Blade incorporates towing equipment. Placed underneath the aerodyne’s wings, these grapple lines and docking clamps allow the Shadow Blade itself to lock onto its enemies, pulling in close before opening the Kage bays to allow the DEST troopers direct access to the hull.
However, the vessel was not designed solely to fight in space. The Shadow Blade is equipped with dual maneuvering drives, allowing it to operate unhindered in atmosphere. This single feature alone has rendered the Shadow Blade-Class vastly superior (at least in the eyes of the DEST) to the other designs it uses for DEST deployment (the Intruder, Seeker, or Nagumo-Class vessels).
The significance of the grapple lines and Battle Armour has not been lost on the DCA; the DCA has requested some mock-rescue exercises. The Shadow Blade’s incredible speed, heavy armour, and grappling/Battle Armour capabilities have proven highly effective in “rescuing” the crew from badly damaged vessels in training exercises. The DCA is considering contracting some stripped-down Black Winds to serve the role of a dedicated rescue vessel.
DEPLOYMENT
Currently, just four Shadow Blade-Class vessels exist; the Kaga-no-Ken (Shadow Blade), Kuroi-no-Kaze (Black Wind), and Shinobi-Gata (Assassin’s Blade) modified from existing Buccaneer vessels, and the new Arashi-no-Kaze (Storm Wind), which is undergoing its final fitting and testing before being presented to the Dragon to serve as his new flag vessel.
The Midway Shipyards production line devoted to producing Buccaneers is being refitted to produce Shadow Blades at the rate of one every year. This rate is not considered low, as it takes approximately that long to train a crew to pilot it and operate the Kage armour, even when selected from DCA and DEST veterans.
NOTABLE VESSELS
The Black Wind (Kuroi-no-Kaze) was the first refitted vessel of the series, and it is home to all survivors of the Huntress campaign. Tai-Sa Michael Ryan commands its corps of 24 Kage warriors, and the vessel is commanded by Captain Maeda Ge.
COST ANALYSIS
A newly-built Black Wind costs 759,500,000 C-Bills.
MY BLURB
*Shrugs shoulders*
What can I say? The Draconis Combine is cool, the DEST is even cooler. And then there’s Michael Ryan. Any way, the plan was to produce a fluff-compatible DropShip designed specifically for delivering DEST troops into battle, be it a covert strike or a boarding action.
MASS BREAKDOWNS
Engine: 1,820
SI: 263
Ferro-Aluminium: 68
Control Gear: 25
Fuel: 100
Pumps: 2
6 Kage Squads: 24
49 Crew Quarters: 343
Cargo: 87
Heat Sinks: 116
Weapons: 962
9 Escape Pods: 63
Grapple Gear: 125
GAME STATISTICS
Safe Thrust: 8
Maximum Thrust: 12
Total Heat Sinks: 207 (414) Double Heat Sinks
Bay 1: 2 Kage Squads. 2 Doors.
Bay 2: 2 Kage Squads. 2 Doors.
Bay 3: Cargo. 2 Doors.
Notes: Totally heat-efficient. Equipped with Ferro-Carbide Armour and Grappling Gear.
ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION
SI: 15
Nose: 310 (31/3)
Wings: 304 (30/3)
Aft: 301 (30/3)
BVs
21,992
LOCATIONS
Nose
2 ER PPCs (1 Bay of 2)
2 LRM-20s with Artemis IV and 7 tons Ammo Each (1 Bay of 2)
4 RMR-40s with 8 tons Ammo Each (2 Bays of 2)
4 Medium Pulse Lasers (2 Bays of 2)
Each Wing
4 ER PPCs (2 Bays of 2)
4 LRM-20s with Artemis IV and 7 tons Ammo Each (2 Bays of 2)
2 MRM-40s with 8 tons Ammo each (1 Bay of 2)
2 Medium Pulse Lasers (1 Bay of 2)
Aft
4 ER PPCs (2 Bays of 2)
2 Medium Pulse Lasers (2 Bays of 2)
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Type: Night’s Wind-Class WarShip
Technology Base: Inner Sphere, Draconis Combine, 3067
Mass: 152,000 Tons
Chassis: Modified Invader
Power Plant: Midway Night’s Wind with Lithium-Fusion Batteries
Cruising Speed: 2.5 Gravities
Maximum Speed: 4 Gravities
Armour: Night’s Wind Lamellor Ferro-Carbide
Armament:
4 Lord’s Light Naval Series Heavy PPCs
16 Lord’s Light 2 ER PPCs
40 Shigunga MRM-40s
24 Dragon’s Guard AMS
Communications System: Stellar Howl Command
Targeting and Tracking System: Dark Hunter 12M
Primary Manufacturer: Dante Enterprises/Midway Shipyards
Primary Factory: Midway
OVERVIEW
The Night’s Wind-Class is intended to be the standard combat-deployment vessel for the Marine Strike Corps. Based on the Invader-the most common JumpShip in space- the Night’s Wind has been equipped with a Light Kearny-Fuchida Drive and Lithium-Fusion batteries, freeing up considerable amounts of mass.
The Night’s Wind was equipped with massive maneuvering drives that allow the unlikely-looking vessel to attain speeds of up to 4 Gravities in short bursts. It is anticipated that the sight of what appears to be an Invader suddenly engaging maneuvering engines and then discharging Naval-Class weapons will shock enemy forces for long enough that the Shadow Blades assigned to the ship will be able to complete their attacking run.
CAPABILITIES
Armed primarily with Broadside Heavy Naval PPCs, the Night’s Wind is capable of providing ground-bound DEST units with Naval support fire. These weapons can also be used against enemy vessels, but as the Night’s Wind is so lightly armoured and armed otherwise, it is doubtful the vessel could even successfully engage a Corvette-Class ship with any degree of success. However, the Night’s Wind can easily clear away enemy figtercraft and, with its secondary weapons, is a terror to enemy DropShips.
16 ER PPCs and an incredible 40 MRM-40s allow the Night’s Wind to lay down a formidable barrage of firepower. At close ranges, such a barrage can inflict severe damage to an enemy WarShip, and will easily shred enemy DropShips and AeroSpace Fighters.
The Night’s Wind is equipped with 152 tons of Lamellor Ferro-Carbide Armour, providing maximum protection for minimum mass. Unfortunately, however, the Night’s Wind’s small size means that it is one of the most lightly-armoured WarShips in existence. In an attempt to compensate, 24 Anti-Missile Systems were added in dual turrets across the Night’s Wind’s hull.
DEPLOYMENT
So far, only one Night’s Wind-Class JumpShip exists. They will be modified at Midway at the rate of one Night’s Wind per three Shadow Blades built.
COST ANALYSIS
Were the Night’s Wind custom-built, it would cost 5,094,032,000 C-Bills.
MY BLURB
Built expressly to support the Shadow Blade.
MASS BREAKDOWNS
K-F Drive: 78,780
Engines: 45,600
SI: 7,600
Ferro-Carbide: 152
Control: 380
Fuel: 6,000
Pumps: 120
Jump Sail: 38
46 Crew Quarters: 322
Cargo: 4,574
Heat Sinks: 594
8 Escape Pods: 56
Weapons: 13,164
3 DropShip Collars: 3,000
Lithium-Fusion Batteries: 1,520
2 50-Metre Grav Decks: 100
GAME STATISTICS
Safe Thrust: 5
Maximum Thrust: 8
DropShip Capacity: 3
Bay 1: Cargo. 6 Doors.
Total Heat Sinks: 942 (1,884) Double Heat Sinks
Notes: Completely Heat-efficient. Armour is Lamellor Ferro-Carbide. Equipped with Lithium-Fusion Batteries.
ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION
SI: 50
Nose: 26
Fore-Sides: 25
Aft-Sides: 23
Aft: 24
BVs
24,428
LOCATIONS
Nose
4 ER PPCs (2 Bays of 2)
8 MRM-40s with 8 tons Ammo Each (4 Bays of 2)
4 AMS with 10 tons Ammo Each
Fore-Sides/Aft-Sides
2 ER PPCs
8 MRM-40s with 8 tons Ammo Each
4 AMS with 10 tons Ammo Each
Broadsides
2 Heavy Naval PPCs
Aft
4 ER PPCs (2 Bays of 2)
4 AMS with 10 tons Ammo Each
I dunno. Seemed like a good idea at the time 
Yea, verily. Let it be known far and wide that Nightward loathes MW: DA. Indeed, it is with the BURNING ANIMUS OF A THOUSAND SUNS that he doth rage against it with.
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