The following proposal is for Fast Motherships and Fast Destroyers for the Andromedans.

The definition for 'fast' in this case, being faster off the RTN network. Where normal Andro Motherships travel about warp-4 off the RTN, allowing galactic ships to catch them if detected early enough by special sensors, these ships would go approximately warp-5.5 off the RTN, allowing the galactic defenders less time to react to their presence when detected. Of course they are harder to build, harder to maintain, and limited production ships. They were usually used when time was of the essense in their mission, ie a mission to attack a planet that was close enough to a nearby starbase that would definately send ships to intercept the Andromedans before they could get to their intended target. These ships weren't INTENDED to be involved in huge fleet brawls, but surgical strikes, even more so than their normal ships. The existance of these ships played a pivotal role in ensuring that all targets had to be guarded, thinning out the available ships at the more vital locations. Only with the wide-spread production of X-ships by the Galactic race did it allow them to begin to adequately react to sightings of these ships and engage them in protracted battles. Once that occured the Andromedans seemed to not rebuild these specialty ships as they were destroyed and let the numbers slowly deminish over time, being replaced with normal combat ships which did not sacrifice weapons for speed.

The Andromedans unlike the Galactics, they persued many ways in creating "fast" ships. Their is no record of when this was first introduced, but the first successful recording of it was in Y182 of an Punisher Fast Cruiser by the Gorns, while the Gorns lost an armed convoy to the encounter a Security Skiff was able to get away by sublight evasion with the combat footage and tactical intelligence recorded by the Gorn combatants. This knowledge was then shared with the Federation other information was gathered by the other Galactic races.

Over the years, with the expanding sightings of the ships, it was determined that the Andromedans created the ships much differently than the Galactics did. While the Galactics did either:
A) The Fast Cruiser/Fast War Cruiser/Fast New Cruiser way of cramming in higher performance engines on the ships (ie more warp) and sacrificing a few heavy weapons.
B) Decreasing the dead weight of the ship itself, the Light Dreadnough method.

The Andromedans resorted to a 3rd way in building some these Fast ships,
C) Combination of the two methods

This allowed the Andromedans to have 2 versions of each Fast ship sometimes and allowed them to send different fast ships depending upon the mission. The Andromedan Fast ships end up being, the:
1) Assaulter Fast Battlecruiser
2) Punisher Fast Cruiser
3) Gargoyle Light Dreadnought
4) Infiltrator Fast Light Cruiser
5) Albino Python (Python-A) Fast Destroyer
6) Albino Mamba (Mamba-A) Fast War Destroyer
7) Executor Fast Light Cruiser

(As a note all with all of these ideas, the hull is reshaped a little to make it more streamlined, like an arrow-head)

1) The Assaulter Fast Battlecruiser (ASL) starts with the base-hull of the Imposer Battlecruiser. It keeps 1 1/2 satellite ship spaces. It removes the FH TRH and replaces it with 2xFH-P2s (so it still has 4xTRHs, 2LS/2RS, and 10xP2s, 4LS/4RS/2FH). In increases the warp engines by +6 boxes. This is similar to other Galactic development of Fast Cruisers in high-performance engines and reducing the hvy weapons a little.

2) The Punisher Fast Cruiser (PNS) starts with the base-hull of the Intruder Heavy Cruiser. It removes 1 hanger space (leaving it with 2 spaces worth). It reduces the FH-TRH to a FH-TRL. It removes 1xFH PA panel, 1xRH PA panel, 2xLab, 1xAux, 1xEmer, 2xChull. Engines stay the same. MC=0.75. PA Cost=9/5. This is similar to the Galactic development of Light Dreadnoughts, reducing weight and keeping the engines the same, but applied to a Cruiser hull. [Designer's note: I'd think that a MC=4/5 or 7/8 would fit better, but I think SPP's head would explode if someone suggested more ships with odd-ball MCs, like the Probr CA w/o wings is 7/8]

3) The Gargoyle Light Dreadnought (GAR) starts with the base-hull of the Dominator Dreadnought. It removes 2xHanger spaces and 2xTransporters, the APR+4xTransporters are rearanged to be 2x3 APR, and 2x2 Trans aligned vertically, this is to narrow the SSD by a 1/2 box if possible. The following other boxes are removed: 2-FH PA panels, 1-RH PA panel, 6xC hull, 3xP2 (1FH, 1LS, 1RS), 1 excess. This follows the model of the Galactic Light Dreadnought, but instead of removing weapons, removing the massive weight from the Hanger area. MC=1.25 now. PA Cost=15/8

4) The Infiltrator Fast Light Cruiser (IFL) starts with the base-hull of the Missionary Light Cruiser. It replaces it's two special sensors with 2xFH-TRLs, keeps the 3 hanger spaces, and increases the warp engines to 2x15box engines. This is similar to other fast war cruisers in increasing the warp engine output to allow the greater speed. It depends more upon it's satellite group to inflict damage then it dealing the damage itself. This might be thought of as an armed-PFT (as some were observed w/ 12 MWPs aboard) instead of a full-combat mothership like the Conquistador.

5) The White Python (also known as the Albino Python, or Python-A) is a fast Destroyer for the Andromedans, mirroring the development of Fast War Crusiers. It was sighted often from Y178 to Y182 and was never engaged by the Galactics because of it's high speed. It was determined later that it was doing reconnisance/observation of targets prior to an Andromedan assault. It has 2x15 box engines. It removes the 2xFH P2s following other Fast War Cruiser development in removing weapons, leaving it w/ 2xFH-TRLs, 3xLS-P2s, 3xRS-P2s, and the 1xDisDev. While an Albino/White Anaconda (Fast Scout) was theorized by the Galactic races, it was never observed.

6) The White Mamba (also known as the Albino Mamba, or Mamba-A) is a fast War Destroyer for the Andromedans, mirroring the development of the Albino Python. It was seen only rarely as it did not have it's own Displacement Device to travel on the RTN by itself. It was usually seen at Andromedan attacks where their were two close targets which they engaged simultaneously, the Mothership+slower sat ships engaging one target and one or two Albino Mambas engaging the other target (usually a relief force). It mirrored the development of other Fast Destroyers, sacrificing weight and installing additional engines. It also has 2x15 box engines like the White Python, it replaces 1xFH-TRL w/ a single FH-P2, leaving it w/ 2xFH-TRLs, 3xLS-P2s, 3xRS-P2s, 1xFH-P2.

7) Executor Fast Light Cruiser, starts with the base hull of the Exploiter, and replaces the 2xFH-TRHs with 2xFH-TRLs, and doubles the 2FH-P2s to 4xP2s. It increases the warp engines to 2x15box engines. This follows the pattern of cutting down heavy weapons and beefing up the engines like a fast cruiser/fast war cruiser.

The smaller, 'fast' destroyers (Python/Mamba) would cost more to beam in and out of the hanger because of their unique/non-standard engines. So their transportation cost would be +2 over any other large sat-ship costs.

Being "Fast" ships, they had the other abilities of fast ships with regards to acceleration limits.

All of the Motherships would be limited production, fast ships, meaning they have "Fast", and "LPW" on the MSC, so you it would be hard to allow 2 of them in the same battle. The Fast Destroyers were extremely rare, and while they would be a LPW on the MSC, for battles they would be considered a 'Unique', to not allow a single Dominator to take 3xWhite Mambas.

P.S. 8) A Fast Cobra, would seem to be rather worthless w/ 1xTRL, 5xP2 (2LS/2RS), and 2x10pt engines, as the Recon Cobra should fit that role, but just wouldn't be "fast".

P.P.S. Just a brain-storm while we were discussing all of the X1R stuff.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, May 06, 2010 - 02:44 pm: Edit

Seems like C3A threat file stuff to me.