And now, two profiles. One on one of our possible antagonists, another on a notable ship in the Coalition. Ships, mecha, colonies and alien races as well as characters can all be submitted.
Character bio:
Name: Captain April Genoway
Age: 42
Birthplace: Indiana, United States of America, North American continent, Earth
Physical Description: Small, severe looking woman with auburn hair and brown eyes. Hair is usually in a bun high atop her head, dress is usually a black United Space Nations of Sol Navy (USNSN) duty uniform. Off duty, a variety of wear appropriate for her station, though usually subdued and business-like.
Background: A Spacer brat, her father and grandfather were members of the USNSN, and per established family tradition entered the service. She majored in astrophysics and cosmology and upon completion of ROTC training and the gaining of her Master's in a record two years, was assigned to the USNSN Sciences Division. Her first starship posting was aboard the USNS
Frederick Douglas, a vessel tasked with studying J0108-1431, the nearest pulsar to the Local Group Coalition. At a distance of 108 lightyears, the
Frederick Douglas would be out of contact for over five years.
During this deep space expedition, Genoway was promoted to chief science officer after a catastrophic accident during a gravitational lensing experiment backfired. Genoway personally supervised all aspects of the continuing survey, ensuring one of the most complete and detailed scientific surveys of the space traveled by the
Frederick Douglas, as well as a comprehensive survey of J0108-1431. Genoway's performance was documented as "highly professional given the circumstances, but shows signs of obsessive-compulsive behavior and potential megalomania." Nevertheless, USNSN Command was impressed with Genoway's take-charge attitude and determination, and she was put through Command School upon the
Douglas's return. The Neelaa War began while she was still going through War College, and due to losses suffered among commanders Genoway was quickly given a field commission as executive officer aboard USNS
Socrates. This cruiser, like all Coalition starships, was nearly hopelessly outmatched by Neelaa starships, and during an engagement with a Neelaa battleship the captain was killed. Genoway assumed command and, while it cost her the lives of fifty of her crew, was able to lure the battleship into a trap and destroy it with nuclear weapons.
Similar tactics were employed with success by Coalition units, but the
Socrates kept up a record of beating the odds, though with severe casualties each time. There were allegations of Genoway pushing her crew far too hard, of her taking too many risks, even an allegation of her torturing a Neelaa prisoner for information and executing her XO when he questioned her orders. An official investigation cleared her of these charges, though given the desperate situation of the war effort rumors persisted of a coverup. Nor did it stop then-Commander Genoway from gaining, among other monikers, "Captain
Myway" or "Space Em Til They Freeze" Genoway as nicknames.
The
Socrates was among the first Earth ships refitted with an Otherspace drive and shielding system, and was used to good effect by now-Captain Genoway. She developed a record of solo operations and the use of highly risky plans and strange utilization of advanced physics. She was also described as "very self-centered, very egotistical and difficult to get along with: Has a bit of a god-complex". However, the ship achieved it's objectives and Genoway was touted as a war hero.
After the war's conclusion though, Genoway's personal and professional problems became much harder to justify. Her egotism and micromanaging and god-like view of herself almost came to a head tragically when Genoway almost waited too long to save a primitive civilization from a comet strike due to regulations and personal problems with her crew. She went on a voyage with her father and fiance in an experimental ship, which crashed on an ice moon in the Tau Ceti system. She was the only survivor and spent a year after the accident recovering. Returning from her leave of absence, she took command of a few cruisers, her nature tempered slightly but still with traces of her former egotism and micromanaging.
Eventually, Genoway was given a new assignment: Command of the purpose-built exploratory cruiser, USNS
Pioneer. She was assigned another survey mission of J0108-1431. Rumors that she was saddled with a lot of people other ships and bases wanted to get rid of are unconfirmed. Nevertheless, Genoway sets out on March 2nd, 2540. The
Pioneer vanished shortly after it's launch and has not been heard from since.
Additional Remarks:
Yes, she is based on Captain Kathryn Janeway from
Star Trek: Voyager. Though I've included some aspects of Admiral Helena Cain in her background to help explain some of her behavior. As for where
Pioneer is? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.
Now, on the USNS
Sojourner:
Name: USNS
Sojourner
Unit Number: SDGO-8568
Class: Avenger
Naval Designation: Upgraded Multi-role destroyer
Dimensions:
-Length: 180 meters
-Width: 96 meters
-Height: 25 meters (including tail fins)
Displacement (In one gee): 400,000 tonnes
Compliment:
-69 crew
-14 Espatiers
-Total Capacity: 300
Engines:
-Four Cochrane-Hyuuga FNE-900 Directed Fusion Drives, Two Fore and Aft
-Gremlins Mark 45 Anti-Gravity Drive
-Utopia Planitia Type V Otherspace Faster-than-Light Drive
Weapons:
-Two Raytheon-Proteus 150 TW laser cannons in robotic turrets
-One 155mm rail gun in belly turret x 500 rounds
-Four 340mm missile tubes x 60 missiles
Defenses:
-12cm polyceramic hull plating
-Otherspace Defensive Shield
Support Units:
-Two TSV-48 Shinigami multi-role gunships
-Two SLV-60 Mustang multi-role shuttles
Endurance:
-9 months
History:
A small, multi-role destroyer and survey class vessel, the
Avenger-class starships were built to run forever with a barely competent engineer. Not an easy task for an interstellar vessel designed to handle everything from escort duties and light evacuations, to covert operations and planetary survey missions. However, the designers delivered and the first
Avenger-class destroyer entered service in 2510.
Their four-engined design and wings allowed them fantastic maneuverability in and out of an atmosphere, and feeding off two reactors gave the destroyer a high degree of survivability. She was also well armed, able to engage targets on the ground or in space. Nearly 800 would be built between 2510 and 2530, and more than half of them would be destroyed during the Neelaa War. While certainly able starships, they could not stand up to superior Neelaa vessels except in large numbers.
Sojourner herself was the fifth
Avenger-class destroyer, and served with distinction until her mysterious disappearance in 2520. She reappeared twenty years later, with only a single survivor aboard and no hint as to what happened to her. Still, not an organization to waste starships, USNSN Command had
Sojourner refitted with an Otherspace drive and put back to work. Most of her sisters had either been retired or upgraded, and were put to work patrolling the interior of the Coalition or doing surveys on the frontier.
Sojourner was sent on one such mission... And the crew immediately brought her back, speaking of strange things happening. Over the following years, she gained a reputation as a "cursed" ship. It became an assignment for the small number of Spacers and Espatiers either brave or crazy enough to take her out (mostly crazy). She is currently under the command of freshly minted Captain Nuori, who may or may not have pissed off the wrong people to get this ship with her collection of misfits, insane geniuses, and outcasts.
The design of the
Sojourner is based on the layout of the
Lying Bastard from
Ringworld. However,
Sojourner is a slightly bigger ship, lacks a transparent hull and is a bit more clunky. The layout is still basically the same.
A Shinigami gunship. Equipped with anti-ship missiles it can pose a worthy threat to enemy capital ships, but is, strictly speaking, not an actual fighter. It's main duties are to support ground forces and support it's homeship in various ways. All ships carry at least a few Shinigami, though there are no dedicated carriers. Closest to a carrier would be spaceborne assault transports which carry several Shinigami and Mustangs, among other craft, for planetary assaults.
