The Babylon Project: The Peace Maker Chronicles Chapter 2
Note: LAC - Light Attack Craft
Response: Oh Pitiable Creature, thank you for being the first to flame my new story. Do you honestly believe that you are doing me a favor by berating me because I am writing a B5 story. If this is the case then please get some professional help. In response to your comment about my reading habits let me give you a list in return. Robert Heinlein, Eric Nylund, E.E. "Doc" Smith-One of Straczynski's favorites, David Weber, John Ringo, Robert Jordan, Robert Asprin, Terry Pratchet, Isaac Asimov, ect. I enjoy authors that have at least plausible plot lines, unlike that of a time traveling anthropoligist that is stupid enough, not only, to get sexually involved with someone from the past, but also to let himself be noticed in the first place. Hope this helps clear up the difference in our views. In closing let me say that humanity has never known peace in all of recorded history. There have been periods of war and periods of rearmerment. Even in the modern day, most of the 'war' has simply chanded areanas, now being played out on the corperate battlefield. Cooperation within large groups of people is impossible, eventually leading to social collapse. Cooperation between smaller groups of people has been and remains the only means of survival and advancement.
Now, on with the show.
"So gentlemen," The President of the Earth alliance began,"Where do we stand?"
The head scientist, Joshua Isaacs, stood and keyed on the holographic projector. An intricate wire-frame of a complicated device appeared above the table."We have been able to determine how the hyperspace drive of the Centauri ship works. With that information, we can begin production of the drives as soon as we can procure enough Quantium-40."
He triggered another projection."The Centauri gravetic drive is another matter. Without more data, we are unable to produce the variable dimension field that allows them to be so efficient." Isaacs pressed another button and the holo changed again."Our version will only be able to project a spherical area of propulsive force. This will cause certain design limitations that can be worked within."
A lieutenant to the doctor's right stood as the speaker sat. He advanced the holo again, this time causing the image of the gravetic drive to shrink as another wire-frame image surrounded it."Madam President. Lieutenant Alvarez of designs and planning. May I present the Man'O'War class Light Attack Craft Carrier."
Harmon looked at the obviously huge plan for humanities first starship. It was perfectly spherical, with four hanger bays arranged in the center of huge cargo holds. The holds were in turn surrounded by smaller storage and living compartments. This took up almost half of the ships total depth, with fuel bunkerage just under that. The truly vital parts of the ship were contained behind another layer of armor. This included the fuel, engine room, command, and medical. She liked the deadly grace of the vessel; as little waste as possible."Continue Lieutenant."
"The Man'O'War class is twelve-hundred meters in diameter, designed to carry two full squadrons of hundred meter long LACs. Due to the power requirements of the grav drive the LACs use a fusion torch drive. This gives them an exceptional delta-v, but eats through fuel pretty fast. We expect up to two hours of cruising acceleration of around fifteen g's. This should be more than enough time for any given battle, then they can simply return and refuel."
He hit another command and the view zoomed in on one of the hangers, rotating to show one of the smaller combat ships."The Troll class LAC is armed with three high power, high frequency masers. Judging from the Centauri database, this should be able to punch through most forms of armor used by the races around our area of space."
The rounded dagger shape of the attack ship was impressive, looking like it was meant to ounce through a hull on it's own. The President could imagine having a squadron of twelve of these things screaming through space, coming down on an opponent to cut them apart. Even in passing they would still be dangerous, their engine plume melting anything that got too close."You've done well, gentlemen. How long to get them built?"
"The Man'O'War and her sister ship, the Peacemaker, should be finished within three months. The Legion and the Phalanx should be done two months later. Unfortunately we are projecting a problem with the latter two. We have only so much Q-40 to go around, so the second set is going to have to wait for us to find some more. As the hyperdrive is such an integral part of the ship, we can't even get past about the ten percent mark before we will have to stop to make sure the drive is installed."
"I see,"Harmon said."What else is Q-40 being used for?"
"The current construction schedule calls for multiple gates to be built throughout the system to facilitate the expanding mining and colonizing ventures needed to support the increased need for military building." Isaacs said."Frankly ma'am, we need to explore other systems and see about getting better supplies of Q-40. Our system just doesn't have high enough concentrations in the areas we've explored."
"Very well. I'd like you to draw up a schedule for exploring systems around Sol that are least likely to cause us to run into other species. As of right now we are an unknown to everyone, even the Centauri. I would like to keep it that way until we have enough defenses to meet any offense."
"I should have it for you by tomorrow night ma'am." Isaacs said.
"In that case, I think the design is as close to perfect as humans can make it. With the Father of All on our side, we should be able to survive what is coming. Proceed." Harmon stood and walked out. She really did like the design, but something her grandfather had said still nagged at her. "Experience is just as much of a force multiplier as is technological superiority" The old fart had said. The Centauri had a great deal of experience with space combat, having conquered many worlds in their expansion phases. Earth would have to learn fast if they were to stand a chance.
As the President of the Earth Alliance climbed into her air car she knew that trying to stay away from other minor races would rob them of that much needed experience. At the same time it would give them enough time to build up a sufficient fighting force to take the war to the Centauri. Her grandfather had another favorite saying,"Quantity has a quality all it's own." She hoped he was right, because with a foe who had better weapons and refined strategies, all one can really do is swarm them and hope the multipliers don't count for much.
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Earth Force had undergone a massive rearrangement due to humanities first contact with an alien species. Huge chunks of the usual space defense force was now undergoing retraining to handle the new classes of ships. Other groups were being taught how to build the new ships at breakneck speed, as they were being put on the various projects once they were passed on their final exams. Those exams were enough to wash out a full quarter of the construction crews because the brass didn't want one of the new ships coming apart at the seems. Especially not when a 'Troll' could pull thirty g's without much trouble.
The construction was actually going well by the end of the first month of the post-Centauri era. Hundreds of Trolls were constructed, along with the defensive stations to house them and their crews. Six of these stations were built around Earth, as well as a massive Lunar base and shipyard. Dozens of defense satellites were built around the third planet and it's natural satellite, to ensure that any assault was met with force until the LACs could show up.
Humanity was preparing for war against an opponent that had the high ground, both technologically and spatially. They could drag chunks out of the oort cloud and send them on ballistic trajectories for Earth. The ships could get out of the way, but a planet moves along a predictable path, unable to maneuver. While a smaller chunk might be destroyed by fire from a fleet, some of these chunks of ice and rock are the size of small moons, and a fleet can be only so many places at once.
In an attempt to alleviate several problems, by using one to solve the other, Earth Force built even more stations throughout the asteroid belt. Not only did they need more materials for ship building, but having the additional sensor coverage should alert them to any threats with plenty of time.
Fortunately, the leadership of Earth had experience with no plan surviving contact with the enemy. The best option was to expand as quickly as possible. The real limiter was Q-40. Enough of the rare mineral used in hyperspace technology had been found by the time the first two carriers were finished for the construction of a vast gate network in humanities cradle system. But this left two more ships sitting in their building slips, unable to continue their gestation due to it's lack.
ooo000OOO000ooo
The President appeared before humanity a few days after the Man'O'War and Peacemaker finished their shakedown cruises. Due to technical problems, the title ship of the class was actually the second one finished. This actually played to public opinion, showing the sheep that Earth Gov was really interested in peace. But what the faceless, and in many cases mindless, masses didn't get was exactly how powerful these ships were. The first generation LAC carriers bristled with defensive weapons that could be used to intercept both incoming fire as well as fighters. They didn't really stand a chance at knife fighting range against a warship, but that was the Troll's job. Initial estimates put the three lasers on the small craft as being able to punch through a Centauri battleship on a short angle. While not as good as holing them through the thicker parts of the ship, it would still take large chunks out of their enemies.
ooo000OOO000ooo
Even with the defensive needs of Sol, Earth Force still had the mission of finding more materials for the expansion of their race. To this end the Peacemaker was tasked with escorting a colonizing fleet to Proxima Centauri, Sol's closest neighbor.
Due to the radiance spectrum of the star, it was unlikely that they would find any habitable planets. Most of the theories about the system suggested that most of the planets in the system would be either gas giants, or cold, rocky pebbles. With this in mind, the fleet consisted of enough materials to build either a small orbital colony, a mid-range asteroid colony, or a much larger planetary colony.
But the fleet would not begin deployment unless signs of sizable quantities of Q-40 were detected.
ooo000OOO000ooo
The blue funnel of a jump point formed toward the outer edge of the Proxima System. It disgorged three rounded dagger shaped Troll class LACs and a half dozen probes. The LACs veered off with their designated group of unmanned craft and began the process of scanning the system.
The most notable features were the three gas giants and the triple asteroid belts. The huge planets ranged in size from barely bigger than Saturn to several dozen times the size Jupiter. Each had at least half a dozen moons that were visible from the original approach angle of the scout teams.
The asteroid belts were spaced one each between the giants and one bordering the inner system. Initial scans revealed that they were made up of the usual sizes and proportions of metals and rock.
All this data was relayed back to the carrier waiting with the rest of the fleet still in hyperspace. The analysis as each of the probes took up a stationary position relative to the local star uncovered promising signs of small rocky planets in the inner system. This was in turn relayed back to Earth via a tachyon beacon that was being anchored at that end of the journey.
Unfortunately none of the planets appeared to be in the habitability zone of the star. This meant that any colony would have to be domed to protect it's inhabitants from the bitter cold of the planets not too hot to even consider.
The fleet commander, Captain Jessica Tanner, was about to write the whole system off when one of the sensor feeds started reading high concentrations of diridium in the atmospheres of two of the planets and half a dozen of the gas giant moons. This suddenly changed the system from doubtful to vital. Diridium is a byproduct of Q-40 formation on a planet, and judging by the levels in the atmospheres of these planets, this system was rich with the stuff.
Tanner signaled the fleet to follow as the Peacemaker open a jump point and entered the system that would become the first extra-solar colony of humanity.
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I realize that the building rates for ships and structures may seem high, but this a humanity preparing to defend itself against a possibly devistating foe.
Thanks to my wife and Birga for reviewing this for me.