Hogsweat
28-07-2005, 12:11
UKSC York, 6:35 PM, 26th July
For the first time in history the first combatant fleet made entirely from Hogsweatian parts (and any other for that matter) was to be launched into space, hopefully successfully. Already trillions of pounds had been invested into making systems that could launch a 376 metre craft into space along with crew inside and neccessary stores. Not to mention the incredulous amount of time, money, and personnel invested into the United Kingdom Space Command. The technology used wasn't exactly lightyears away, however, as railguns and missiles still completely dominated how the ships would engage other craft. Neither, had shields been developed, as the UKSC was concentrating on speed rather than armour. At a great cost, the UKH was willing to bring the battlecruiser idea into space. The largest ship in the fleet was the UKSC Formidable (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v685/SME/ARSC/CARRIER.jpg), a 376 metre carrier carrying four wings of 24 interceptors (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v685/SME/ARSC/SCREENIE0015.jpg) and two wings of 24 torpedo bombers. It's armament was entirely self defence except two batteries, A and B, of archer missiles. The second largest, at 345 metres, was the UKCS Hood, a heavy cruiser. It's huge armament consisted of three super MAC's, guns A, B, and X. The Super MACannon, that is, magnetically assisted cannon, launches a 1450mm tungsten rod straight at the target, magnetically powered causing supreme structural damage and occasionally ripping holes through targets. The Indefatigable is heavily armoured, with three metres of titanium B alloy with nylon and steel composites bordering the outside of the ship. Eight fourty eight slot archer missile batteries, F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N line the ship. There are hundreds of 40mm autocannons controlled by the ships AI. Shipboard AI, a magnificent development, is essentially a huge supercomputer packed into one small AI that does the thinking and the calculations for the ship's Captain. The three destroyers accompanying the fleet, UKCS Manchester, UKCS York, and UKCS Liverpool, are armed with two regular 750mm MACannons and four fourty eight slot archer missile batteries. The destroyers lie at 185 metres long.
"This is UKCS Formidable, all systems are checked in and we are ready to launch on your order, over."
Admiral Beatty bit his lip as the Formidable rumbled, the huge engines taking off finally. The Formidable would need about fifty thousand pounds of thrust to take off the first hundred metres into the sky, as it accelerated that would decrease and it would use about twenty five thousand in orbit as it cruised at 45 knots. Ten spaceships, all civilian in design, mostly freighters, were attached to the side of the Formidable, each one also carrying two C5 Galaxys to help push the Formidable[/i] up. Beatty's face started to pull backwards and the heat in the Formidable's bridge rose and rose and rose, pushing all the well trained crew to their limits as the heat rose above the levels of the Sahara desert and the G forces began to take effect.
People from below watched in astoundment on national television as a video cam from a C5 Galaxy looked down in all directiosn on the Earth, and at the carrier itself, bristling with point defense. below people waved flags, sung Rule Hogsweatia so very loudly, and generally patriotism was at an all time high when these vessels were launched. Hats were thrown in the air, flags flew proudly at full mast, and the national anthem blasted out of every street when the news was heard that UKCS Formidable had pushed out of the Ozone layer and was now cruising in geosyncrhonous orbit at 38 knots. Even more cries filled the air, as the UKCS Hood, the Heavy Cruiser, and the flagship of the UKCS Fleet was lifted into the air by the same method, and a grueling nine hours of waiting later was propelled into the air and through out into the ozone layer.
It was again, in eight hours, that the destroyers were all pushed out together at the same time, and were now circling the side by side Hood and Formidable.
On Board the HMS Hood, Bridge
Supreme Star Fleet Admiral Peter "Panther" Rayes sat back and marvelled at what they had just done. With no foreign assistance, they had launch five spaceships, two of them rather large, out of the atmosphere and into orbit. The fleet was now cruising at 28 knots. He flicked on the overhead, making sure all decks could hear his announcement. He opened a comm channel to all the other ships and requested they did the same. Then, he switched on the data banks and selected I Vow to Thee, My Country the National Anthem of the United Kingdom. It was strictly disallowed in the navy to use priority one broadcasting channels to do anything except broadcast priority one messages, but after all, who was going to be reprimanded? He was the Star Admiral, after all. The music flared to life, down the electronics so everyone in the Star Fleet, all 18,000 personnel, could hear
I VOW to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.
For the first time in history the first combatant fleet made entirely from Hogsweatian parts (and any other for that matter) was to be launched into space, hopefully successfully. Already trillions of pounds had been invested into making systems that could launch a 376 metre craft into space along with crew inside and neccessary stores. Not to mention the incredulous amount of time, money, and personnel invested into the United Kingdom Space Command. The technology used wasn't exactly lightyears away, however, as railguns and missiles still completely dominated how the ships would engage other craft. Neither, had shields been developed, as the UKSC was concentrating on speed rather than armour. At a great cost, the UKH was willing to bring the battlecruiser idea into space. The largest ship in the fleet was the UKSC Formidable (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v685/SME/ARSC/CARRIER.jpg), a 376 metre carrier carrying four wings of 24 interceptors (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v685/SME/ARSC/SCREENIE0015.jpg) and two wings of 24 torpedo bombers. It's armament was entirely self defence except two batteries, A and B, of archer missiles. The second largest, at 345 metres, was the UKCS Hood, a heavy cruiser. It's huge armament consisted of three super MAC's, guns A, B, and X. The Super MACannon, that is, magnetically assisted cannon, launches a 1450mm tungsten rod straight at the target, magnetically powered causing supreme structural damage and occasionally ripping holes through targets. The Indefatigable is heavily armoured, with three metres of titanium B alloy with nylon and steel composites bordering the outside of the ship. Eight fourty eight slot archer missile batteries, F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N line the ship. There are hundreds of 40mm autocannons controlled by the ships AI. Shipboard AI, a magnificent development, is essentially a huge supercomputer packed into one small AI that does the thinking and the calculations for the ship's Captain. The three destroyers accompanying the fleet, UKCS Manchester, UKCS York, and UKCS Liverpool, are armed with two regular 750mm MACannons and four fourty eight slot archer missile batteries. The destroyers lie at 185 metres long.
"This is UKCS Formidable, all systems are checked in and we are ready to launch on your order, over."
Admiral Beatty bit his lip as the Formidable rumbled, the huge engines taking off finally. The Formidable would need about fifty thousand pounds of thrust to take off the first hundred metres into the sky, as it accelerated that would decrease and it would use about twenty five thousand in orbit as it cruised at 45 knots. Ten spaceships, all civilian in design, mostly freighters, were attached to the side of the Formidable, each one also carrying two C5 Galaxys to help push the Formidable[/i] up. Beatty's face started to pull backwards and the heat in the Formidable's bridge rose and rose and rose, pushing all the well trained crew to their limits as the heat rose above the levels of the Sahara desert and the G forces began to take effect.
People from below watched in astoundment on national television as a video cam from a C5 Galaxy looked down in all directiosn on the Earth, and at the carrier itself, bristling with point defense. below people waved flags, sung Rule Hogsweatia so very loudly, and generally patriotism was at an all time high when these vessels were launched. Hats were thrown in the air, flags flew proudly at full mast, and the national anthem blasted out of every street when the news was heard that UKCS Formidable had pushed out of the Ozone layer and was now cruising in geosyncrhonous orbit at 38 knots. Even more cries filled the air, as the UKCS Hood, the Heavy Cruiser, and the flagship of the UKCS Fleet was lifted into the air by the same method, and a grueling nine hours of waiting later was propelled into the air and through out into the ozone layer.
It was again, in eight hours, that the destroyers were all pushed out together at the same time, and were now circling the side by side Hood and Formidable.
On Board the HMS Hood, Bridge
Supreme Star Fleet Admiral Peter "Panther" Rayes sat back and marvelled at what they had just done. With no foreign assistance, they had launch five spaceships, two of them rather large, out of the atmosphere and into orbit. The fleet was now cruising at 28 knots. He flicked on the overhead, making sure all decks could hear his announcement. He opened a comm channel to all the other ships and requested they did the same. Then, he switched on the data banks and selected I Vow to Thee, My Country the National Anthem of the United Kingdom. It was strictly disallowed in the navy to use priority one broadcasting channels to do anything except broadcast priority one messages, but after all, who was going to be reprimanded? He was the Star Admiral, after all. The music flared to life, down the electronics so everyone in the Star Fleet, all 18,000 personnel, could hear
I VOW to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love:
the love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
that lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
the love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
the love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
we may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,
and her ways are ways of gentleness and all her paths are peace.