Fleet Conference 20322-2239

Terran Stellar Navy Forums Command Centre Fleet Conference 20322-2239

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  • #33523
    Garion
    Participant

    Garion watches as various officers enter the meeting room

    Hello everyone, as you are all aware we are facing a combatant for whom our normal tactics have been less effective. Mezzomorto and his ship the Crooked Star has managed to inflict heavy damage on both the TSN Stalker and Horizon in our first meeting, and then again the TSN Stalker during the second meeting. His ship also seems to have incorporated various technologies, such as Teleback, warp, and high energy turn, he also has use a jump drives that does not show up on our scans.

    As Lieutenant Commander Avirson noted during our scouting operation in Sumri, Mezzomorto seems to target ships that are by themselves, he captures them in a tractor, inflicts heavy damage and then boards the ships, so far our Marine teams have managed to repel all boarding parties. We have however had casualties, so far we have lost seven Marines, with six more sustaining injuries that mean they are unable to perform their duties.

    Another thing we have noted is that it’s not just the Crooked Star that sports these new technologies, various pirate ships have been showing new technologies as well. One of the pirate ships, specifically the Axe class that inflicted major damage to the Lancer, had a nacelle from a TSN ship.

    I’d like to open the floor to all officers to discuss the tactics Mezzomorto has employed, and also suggestions for tactics we ourselves can use against him.

    • This topic was modified 1 year, 12 months ago by Garion.
    #33525
    Xiph
    Participant

    Well presumably we need to attach the vessel together. Perhaps a sim practising close manoeuvres is needed, considering we are out of practice.

    #33526
    Yooey
    Participant

    Several potential options are available, and it will likely take a combination of these tactics to bring our quarry to heel. Success rate of any of these options could be improved by way of landing an electronic warfare tag on the Crooked Star; however, this could tip our hand as it would almost certainly require all of the same tactics just to get the tag in place.

    – Induce target to doubleback on ordnance in flight.
    Horizon attempted two separate close-quarters launches of heavy ordnance in our last engagement. On both occasions, the target narrowly escaped by means of jump drive or warp burst. The less effective means at the Crooked Star’s disposal seems to be the warp drive: at warp speeds it is only marginally faster than heavy ordnance. It is possible that a ship, perhaps in concert with another vessel, could lure the Crooked Star on such a flight path at warp speeds that our target doubles-back on the flight path of our ordnance.

    – Through coordination, catch them with Teleback systems cooling down.
    Coordinated action between multiple vessels could also result in a successful delivery of heavy ordnance. The goal here is to take advantage of the target’s inability to jump repeatedly in rapid succession. This maneuver would involve one vessel confronting the target and inducing it to Teleback, where a second vessel would be waiting to deploy their own ordnance at close range.

    – Extreme risk, point-blank firing of ordnance.
    Imagine an Echo-2, but instead firing Omega-3 at a range of less than 100 in order to all-but-eliminate target’s opportunity to react. The potential pitfalls of this option, even performed at warp speeds, are obvious. Risk is substantially reduced if deploying more conventional torpedoes, though if our target has a tractor emitter getting locked down could still have a deadly result.

    – E-War Tag
    Tagging the target should reduce the Crooked Star’s jump range, and possibly its warp duration, preventing it from fleeing out of ordnance range quite so readily, but it still has a good chance to escape incoming torpedoes through a combination of its jump and warp modules.

    – Cluster Mine
    Even after we’ve landed an EMP, our target’s shield grid is extremely resilient. Bringing it down would require several successful impacts from heavy ordnance, and it’s abundantly clear that self-propelled projectiles are hit-or-miss. The ability to make our own miniature minefield in a desired location on-demand could provide the necessary impact and deliverability.

    Our safest, most effective option is probably a point-blank delivery of an EMP and E-War Tag, followed up by luring our target over a cluster mine. Should the safe method fail, greater risks may become necessary.

    #33527
    Sketch
    Participant

    Having conducted video review of last shift, Sketch is ready to present.

    The Crooked Star is not going to be easy to crack. Her heavy shields make her tough to damage, much less destroy, her speed and maneuverability make her hard to engage on, and her combination of jump drive and tractor beam make her near impossible to evade when she decides she wants to push an attack. If captain Mezzomorto is dead set on destroying something, he has all the tools he needs to do it. We’ve only been spared catastrophe by the grace that he seems to enjoy toying with us.

    After analyzing his attack on Stalker last shift, I’ve determined that with our shields boosted, he was able to strip about a third of our maximum shield power with each shot, at a rate of 1.5 seconds between shots. With a bit of recharge, that allowed us to sustain 4 shots before our hull was exposed, about six seconds of shield effectiveness. The majority of our hull damage came from the support ships with their much faster fire rate. The Star hit our bow, while the others hit our stern, and as a result our bow only sustained minor damage before the Star jumped away, and in that time, his support ships put in enough attacks in to cripple our propulsion. Between jump in and jump out, the Crooked Star was directly engaged for 16 seconds.

    There are two vulnerabilities that I can identify in the Crooked Star. For one, she is not equipped with anti-mine or anti-torp systems. She usually does not need them due to her mobility advantage, but there is a window where it can be exploited. This brings me to her second, and most glaring vulnerability: Because of her narrow beam arcs and the limited range of her tractor beam, she has to become nearly stationary when she engages a target, and this may present an opportunity for us to strike.

    My idea is as follows: When the Crooked Star is in the area, our ships would have to remain in close proximity to be ready to react at a moment’s notice. When she makes her move and tractors a ship, the tractored captain gives the signal for a coordinated ordinance strike with a single EMP as an many P-Shocks as we can manage. With Horizon, Stalker, and Sabre, we have seven torpedo tubes between us. Osiris would be another two, or one if we have Lancer, if we can manage to crew four ships.

    Timing would be critical. The ship with the EMP would fire first. The tractored ship will unavoidably be in range of the detonation, but its shields will probably be stripped below the EMP’s effective threshold before it hits anyway. The tractored ship should make every effort to make their shields hold as long as possible, but even then, it won’t take long before they start taking hull damage. The EMP should be closely followed by all the P-Shocks we can throw at the Star, timed to impact shortly after the EMP goes off. The less delay, the better, so they would have to be launched before the EMP detonates, due to how slow P-Shocks travel. We don’t want her to have time to see what is coming and jump away.

    Last scans of the Star showed its shield capacity at 1300. The EMP would strip about half of that, leaving us with 650. Each P-Shock will deal 70 damage to shields, so assuming only three ships, that would give us 6 hits for 420 shield damage, 490 if we have Lancer as a fourth ship, or 560 if we have Osiris instead, if we can land them all on the same shield face. This would leave us between 90 and 230 shields left to take out with beams, ideally. Taking the time to finish her with beams, however, gives her time to jump away.

    If the ship firing the EMP fires their P-shock(s) at the same time, the timing should work out due to the difference in travel speed. After the first volley of shocks, if all tubes are reloaded with maximum boost, and all available ships close their distance and fire a second volley of shocks. This will minimize the time between the first and second impact, and if we hit the same shield face with enough of them, one will hit an unshielded hull and secure the kill.

    The ideal target would be the Star’s forward shield so that the tractored ship can remain effective. There will likely be other pirates in the area, but if this is executed well, they won’t have the time they would need to be a threat. This plan is aimed at destroying the Crooked Star in a matter of seconds, when it is at its most deadly, and its most vulnerable.

    I am open to feedback, suggestions, or any flaws that anyone might see.

    #33528
    Sketch
    Participant
    #33529
    Tuor Elanesse
    Participant

    First, we need to damage his capability to jump or at least weaken the ability.

    We made some close encounters with Mezzomorto, CIC may analyze the data we have collected so far and figure out a way to weaken her ability to jump.

    According to those analyzes we may spam her with EMP attacks maybe hoping it would damage its jump engine.

    In every situation we need a bait (planet, ship etc…) to lure him out of his comfort zone. We might give Mezzomorto an easy target to get his attention.

    Another point that is open for exploits is his ego. It seems that Mezzomorto feels untouchable with his ship and fleet. We can exploit that as well, because while we are taunting and lurng him into trap he wont be looking around to see whats going on behind the curtain.

    We need to keep Captain Jinx on sight as well. She is a total wild card. Her ship may not be as strong as Crooked Star yet she has proven herself to be dangerous in the last mission.

    #33530
    Garion
    Participant

    Garion listened to each officer’s suggestions, each brought a different perspective and suggestion, filling him with optimism that the division would defeat this new foe.

    He looked to Xiph,
    I think a simulation is a great idea, Sir, perhaps we can combine it with some of the tactics that have been suggested here. Lieutenant Commander Sketch raises an interesting point, he can’t shoot down our torpedos or mines and with Lieutenant Yooey’s EMP, and teleback cool down options we have the start of a good plan. With the likelihood of a ship being tractored, unless we can disrupt it, I am nervous at the prospect of using heavy ordnance. However, it may become necessary.

    We can simulate Mezzomorto on our systems, we have enough data to get a good approximation of his ship. I suggest we use the simulation to try the ideas that have been suggested. I’ll also suggest that if they wish to, the officer that has suggested the plan would take tactical command during the simulation. Assuming the division commander is happy with that.

    – Lieutenant Commander Sketch’s coordinated EMP, PShock, Beams attack
    – Lieutenant Yooey’s teleback suggestion and potentially use of cluster mines.

    In the meantime, I will ask the appropriate departments to investigate whether we can use a tag to disrupt the systems on the Crooked Star, the TSN does have some electronic warfare options available. I’ll also ask the engineers with a specialism in jump drives whether Commander Tuors suggestion of continual EMPs will impact his jump capability.

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