"How the HELL did they do that, Captain? I want an explanation as to why you had failed to destroy that convoy this instant!"
In much of Humanity's history in this galaxy, they had pioneered many concepts that had revolutionized our concepts of warfare - even during the Imperial Era, when the Antarean Empire had stretched far and wide.
In the 2100s alone, humanity had pioneered many things which would become commonplace among navies today, such as the all-big-gun arrangement (Prior to this, battleships and cruisers were built with four main guns, lots of secondaries, and lots of tertiaries), and the first carriers which could project airpower across worlds - which would evolve to become the great Ark Royal and Saratoga-class supercarriers, which project power across the Orion Arm.
For your view, dear reader, I've itemized the list of things that the humans have created or innovated regarding naval prowess below.
- Admrial Akran Ikani, Antarean Republican Navy
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Uniform Main Caliber lineups - essentially the practice of having a uniform main caliber, unlike previous ships which tended to have mixed-caliber armament due to effective engagement ranges being closer thanks to a combination of inadequate radar and slower projectile velocity. This arrangement was pioneered during the antebellum period to the Chfrsian War of Independence, with the battleship Delhi, armed with eight 70-inch railguns and a lot of what we would call tertiary guns, which had soundly destroyed many of our own vessels during that time. Today, it is impossible to see any capital ship without a uniform main caliber.
Battlecruisers - cruiser-sized warships with battleship-caliber guns, was also a human invention, although the T'Chak and their love for "Armored Ships" essentially monopolized the class - T'Chak heavy cruisers use battleship-caliber main guns and lots of secondaries, unlike the rest of the galaxy.
Carriers - while Antares would be one of the first nations to build and produce carriers, the United Nations would pioneer much of the tactics in their use, and the Wright-class carriers of the early 2150s would be instrumental in beating the Antarean Empire back during the Chfrsian War of Independence. The United Nations would also go to pioneer the concept of a supercarrier, large and expensive vessels designed to carry simply immense amounts of spacecraft, and use these to great effect during the UN-Antarean War in the late 2280s.
Torpedo Cruisers - light cruisers armed with simply immense amounts of torpedoes, enough to saturate nearly any enemy. The United Nations would be one of the first nations to design a torpedo cruiser, using captured Type 89 torpedoes - ours, and arguably one of the best torpedoes of it's time. However, the UN saw no merit in their design compared to heavy cruisers, and we picked up the slack, retrofitting older Imperial Era cruisers to create a relatively cheap way to go toe-to-toe to enemy capital ships.
_____
While the humans did not pioneer everything - after all, the Antarean Empire did build the first battleship, and the T'Chak did pioneer the gunboat destroyer with cruiser-caliber main guns, it is simply foolish to deny their capability to innovate new methods of warfare, and I am glad that Antares - or at least the reasonable parts of Antares, see humanity as an ally.
And I am glad that the feeling is mutual.
“That’s just a radio.”
“Not just any radio. This one allows any officer to call in NGFS, or Naval Gunfire Support. Essentially, you’re one message away from fucking up any enemy position from orbit.”
“Just make sure to get the grid coordinates right…”
"...If you wanted more, human, you could have ASKED and I would have bought it for you!"
“Sacrificed most of them in exchange for torpedoes. This warship here’s got a broadside of hundreds of the damn things. Anything that doesn’t die within the first salvo will be picked off by allies…”
*some shenanigans as promised*
How to use the Auxiliary Mafia
Guide written by UNS Vestal (AR-41)
As you know, much like the E-4 Mafia, the United Nations Navy and many other Navies of the Orion Treaty Organization have what is known as an "Auxiliary Mafia" - essentially, you help an auxiliary, and an auxiliary helps you in return.
But first, some questions that many new ships and captains frequently ask.
1 - "How do I buy and sell favors and items?"
Firstly, we use a special sort of currency - the Universal Favor Exchange Chip, essentially a digital currency for efficiency (Because we don't have an Orionuro or some other universal currency, also Command would shut the whole thing down if we used anything other than this)
Essentially, do a favor attached to the boards in each station's lounge, like delivering a package, helping with loading/offloading materials, getting someone reassigned somewhere, and you'll be allocated a certain number of chips by the ship/captain/admiral which requested said favor.
These chips can be spent on various favors related to the allocation of materials, men, and services, or to post favors of your own - nearly anything one's heart and mind desires can be bought as long as Command gives the greenlight, so no funny business!
2 - "But I don't have any chips to use!"
You gain 100 chips a month as a baseline, and can gain more by fulfilling favors pinned to the boards.
3 - "What about actually important items like fuel, basic rations, munitions, and the like?"
You can still use the mafia to obtain these resources, but the prices will be lowered as they're integral to keeping a ship and her crew in top shape.
If you have deficiencies in any of these, make sure to barter with other ships - but do this SPARINGLY - do NOT barter ANY munitions unless your ship is staying at port for an extended period of time (more than 21 days).
4: "How can I tell if a chip is real or fake?"
It's a digital currency, you don't have to. That's the beauty of it all, isn't it?
5: "How expensive are favors?"
Depends on the favor. Requisitioning a cake from Earth costs less than transferring an air wing.
6: "Can alien species use this system?"
This is a Treaty-wide service. Yes, they can.
7: "How do y'all even get things where they need to be?"
Does it really matter? Ask the E-4s.
And finally...
8: "Why? What's the point of the Auxiliary Mafia?"
Well, the reason why we're here is because sometimes, logistics does some colossal fuckups, and we're here as a way to increase the efficiency of each ship which participates, with more "green requisitioning" instead of constant red tape and long wait times.
Every auxiliary, from replenishment oilers to repair ships like myself take part in it, and are dedicated to ensuring that things get done even when command or logistics fail...
“You did NOT just call that perfect piece of American engineering “an old fighter plane”! For your information, that is the LAST airworthy Grumman F-14D Tomcat in existence!“
"SIR YES SIR!"
April 3rd, 2330
Ananteria, Republic of Antares ANTAREAN NATIONAL RECLAMATION GOVERNMENT
Antares has fallen.
All Orion Treaty divisions which remain live on borrowed time, clustered near the Antarean capital of Ananteria.
The Arch of Unification, a massive arch built when Antares was unified under the Emperor Kaniae centuries ago has collapsed amidst the fighting, as brother fights against brother for the legacy of the Antarean Empire.
Much like the allied Antarean divisions loyal to humanity’s cause, and Chfrsian expeditionary forces sent to aid the Treaty in it’s fight, the humans are also trapped - their 84th Mechanized Infantry and 77th Mechanized Infantry Divisions have been encircled, their IFVs and tanks dug into what soil remains.
Outnumbered by a factor of seven, including the battle-tested and Order of Reclamation-awarded 4th Armored Division, and the bloodthirsty 41st Infantry - which even the Canadians would struggle to beat in a warcrime contest.
It isn't a matter of if the humans and their allies will fall.
It's only a matter of when.
With only token orbital support from one carrier and a few destroyers, that of which will be lost within the week if they do not leave, the besieged troops are doomed to fall.
However, the ANRG underestimates one thing.
A cornered animal is almost as deadly as a wounded one.
And the humans have been backed into a corner that they have no hope of escaping...
AU: Rodinia’s Rage Virus…
MARCH 18 2356
TO HUMANITY AND THEIR ALLIES.
DESTROY ALL KHALIA SHIPS THAT ATTEMPT TO ATTACK YOUR FORCES OR CROSS THE BORDER.
THEY ARE NOT OURS AND ALL NON INFECTED KHALIA MARIS SHIPS ARE WITHIN OUR BORDERS.
THEY ARE INFECTIOUS VECTORS THAT HAVE GONE BERSERK MUCH LIKE YOUR RABIES VIRUS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH.
ALL TRAFFIC TO AND FROM THE KHALIA EMPIRE WILL BE SUSPENDED INDEFINITELY UNTIL THE SITUATION IS UNDER CONTROL - ALL VESSELS WHICH VIOLATE THIS WILL BE DESTROYED WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
ALL RODENTS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS POTENTIAL VECTORS AND ALL RODENTS ON STATIONS MUST BE EXTERMINATED WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
SYMPTOMS INCLUDE VIOLENT FITS OF RAGE AND ATTEMPTING TO SPREAD THE DISEASE BY ANY MEANS AVAILABLE TO THEM (IE SHIPS SAILING TOWARDS UNINFECTED SYSTEMS)
A CURE AND VACCINE IS BEING WORKED ON AT THIS VERY MOMENT - THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH ESTIMATES IT WILL TAKE ROUGHLY A YEAR AND A HALF TO COMPLETE.
DO YOUR PART AND WE WILL DO OURS.
-KHALIA EMPIRE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Maybe giving them proper names has something to do with it...?
Perhaps a few could actually put some effort in naming their ships... *cough* T'Chak S-boats and Antarean Kaidakar* *cough*
*cheap destroyer escorts (DE) employed by both the Republic of Antares and the Antarean National Reclamation Government. Usually only referred to by their hull number (KD-___). Same as with the T'Chak, except the T'Chak have different hull numbers. (S-___)
"Convoys are now facing the threat of more and more enemy capital ships as commerce raiders, being guided to their targets by enemy S-boats. Simply allocating destroyers as escorts has become a near-hopeless measure against a dreadnought, and our hunter-killer groups aren't equipped to fight battleships."
"What are our options?"
"Well, if you would be inclined to listen, I believe we have a few ideas from across the Navy..."
_____
June 10th, 2330
With the advent of the Lusitania Order, essentially declaring open season upon all Orion-Treaty flagged vessels, civilian or otherwise, the T'Chak have now begun to play on the same level as the Antarean National Reclamation Government.
Consequently, Antarean commerce raiders - mainly auxiliary cruisers, outdated battleships, and multiple other vessels have been integrated into the "Wolfpack" structure of the T'Chak's S-boat command.
That means that if an S-boat radios the position of an enemy convoy, they could easily unleash hell upon it, even if they themselves don't attack the convoy.
Now, a simple radio message could spell doom for a convoy, and enough could spell doom for the whole war effort.
If Humanity and their allies want to win the War Beneath the Stars, they must ensure that these convoys reach their destinations, no matter what...
(Human or alien, whatever works will become canon)
TLDR:
I've been looking to expand the amount of civilian vessels present in my universe (Especially Victory Ships!), but I don't have that many good names for them.
Feel free to choose either human or alien names, and I'll throw whatever works into canon (and maybe include them in a future story)
Prompt below!
_____
From the smallest freighters to the largest liners, human ships can be seen everywhere, their names as varied as the men and women who sail aboard them...
Aboard skiffs and dreadnoughts, they strike fear into the hearts of the galaxy's freighters, while fleeing/fighting those who hunt them only for the sake of the paycheck.
Amidst them all, freighters huddle in convoys protected by the "Sheepdogs", the informal nickname for any Navy vessel escorting a convoy, just as a sheepdog protects it's flock from the wolves that hunt.
Either way, be it lawful or less so, human ships are a foregone conclusion in this galaxy.
But that begs the question.
What name will you give your ship? What legacy will she leave on this galaxy?
Will it be of the Red Ribands, of being the fastest liner to ever grace the stars?
Will it be of tonnage records shattered, of elaborate operations to ransack the asteroids of any material they may even dare to contain?
Will it be of a bounty of hundreds of millions collected, of immense effort and strife to bag her prey?
Will it even be of a desperate last stand against the S-boat menace which plagues the trade routes?
The possibilities are endless, and yet only one question remains,
What legacy will your ship leave, captain?
Whether it's by sheer bravery, brute force, or cunning intelligence, the humans come out on top against the elite forces of their allies in a friendly military exercise, despite all the odds being stacked against them...
Feel free to use any of the ships listed below, especially those from Destroyer Squadron 24, and remember - nothing's off the table, short of live munitions!
July 10th, 2316
ARS Aukahi (F21)
Even though my times of fighting the humans are now over, a little friendly rivalry goes a long way in keeping the guns on target and the tactics refreshed.
Ever since the fledgling Orion Treaty had held it's first naval exercises, many have become envious of the iron grip that the prestigious Destroyer Division 14 holds over the throne.
While the title of "Best Orion Treaty Unit" is controversial and changes from year to year, from division to division, and squadron to squadron, one title and one category stands firm against the tide of competition.
Destroyer Division 14, one that I am proud to be the flagship of, reigns supreme over every other destroyer division/squadron each and every exercise, and perhaps will remain that way for much of this century.
And to be fair, we've all done our fair share of gloating.
So, it's not surprising, to say the least, that they wouldn't at least try and dethrone our lead.
And while most aren't a problem, there's one squadron that I worry about going up against in the upcoming Sol Exercises (SOLEX).
Destroyer Squadron 24.
Burke. Ausburne. Thatcher. Aulick.
Four cutting-edge Cushing-class destroyers, with improved radar, gun turrets, and torpedoes compared to the previous Halsey-class.
Their squadron, nicknamed the Little Beavers for their busyness and competence, is very storied, unlike the ships themselves.
While they may be new and inexperienced, their squadron's illustrious legacy keeps me on edge, for the apple does not fall far from the tree, just as a student does not differ much from their teacher.
Either way, I hope they give it their all in the coming exercises, just as we will...
To attack humanity's fleets at port, and destroy their depots and shipyards before they can pose a threat...
____
Just a story bit/lorepost I wanted to put out.
December 26th, 2287
0630 HOURS
Orion, United Nations
AIS Asgtia (R73)
"Grand Admiral Ankassar, this is an all-or-nothing gamble. Are you sure that you're willing to conduct this operation?"
The plan is set in stone - it's too late to retreat now.
"Affirmative, Asgtia. Admiral Okani's task group is already in position, and I am not one to disregard any order from the Imperial Senate."
Six supercarriers set sail for Orion, alongside numerous battleships to pummel Orion Naval Space Station's drydocks, fuel storage, and destroy every human warship at the station.
"Affirmative, Admiral. I'll radio Aranai and tell her to launch the birds."
And yet, I already have doubts, even as the Makanh flies proudly over the bridge, and thousands of fighters and bombers ready for takeoff.
"Asgtia...?" Another supercarrier, my sister ship Skorpii, radios.
Just as Admiral Ankassar has his apprehensions, I have mine.
"Yes, sister?"
The UN's Navy is inexperienced in contemporary warfare, but what they do have is the industrial capacity to out-produce Antares.
"Just know I'll be there until the very end, okay?"
However, if we can focus on attacking smaller fleets, we can eventually whittle down the enemy to the point where we can engage in one large fleet action - one that we must win.
"Understood, Skorpii. Let's launch the planes, shall we?"
But until then, we must fight with all of our eggs in one basket.
"Affirmative! We're all waiting on you, sister! You're the flagship, remember?"
No risk is too great, no cost too much.
"All air wings, prepare for launch." I announce over the intercom, drawing my bow and arrow - the physical representation of my ability to fight, nocking an orange-fletched arrow, and letting it fly into the void...
For the future of Antares depends on this victory.
"All of my strike wings have been launched!" Skorpii radios. "Sister, I suggest you ready the next wave!"
One of many, soon to come...
______________________________
Antarean Imperial Navy Order of Battle (December 2287)
Feel free to destroy use any of these ships in your stories!
Anything that is spoilered are their canonical fates...
Carrier Division One
AIS Asgtia (R73) (CVN) (Asgtia) >!(Fate: Defected to the Antarean National Reclamation Government when Antares capitulated in 2294)!<
AIS Skorpii (R74) (CVN) (Asgtia) >!(Fate: Destroyed by strike craft from the supercarrier Enterprise, July 2289)!<
4x Aukani-class Destroyers (Destroyer Division 17)
Carrier Division Two
AIS Aranai (R69) (CVN) (Ananteria) >!(Fate: Destroyed by direct gunfire from the battleships Washington and Texas, August 2291)!<
AIS Barakan (R66) (CVN) (Ananteria) >!(Fate: Defected to Republic of Antares January 2293, Destroyed by Antarean Loyalists August 2293)!<
4x Aukani-class Destroyers (Destroyer Division 12)
Carrier Division Five
AIS Ananteria (R61) (Ananteria) >!(Fate: Destroyed by spacecraft from the fleet carrier Illustrious, July 2289)!<
AIS Ori'ana (R67) (Ananteria) >!(Fate: Destroyed by spacecraft from the supercarrier Akagi, July 2289)!<
4x Aukani-class Destroyers (Destroyer Division 14)
Battleships (BB)
Battleship Division Two
AIS Omikron (46) (Omikron) >!(Fate: Defected to Republic of Antares 2292)!<
AIS Ananteria (48) (Omikron) >!(Fate: Destroyed by a torpedo spread from destroyers Yukikaze, Laffey, Johnston, and Ayanami, June 2294)!<
4x Aukani-class Destroyers (Destroyer Division 28)
Battleship Division Four
AIS Ikania (33) (Ikania) >!(Fate: Destroyed by railgun fire from battleships Alaska, Texas, Bismarck, Prince of Wales, and multiple others, February 2293)!<
AIS Mailani (35) (Ikania) >!(Fate: Destroyed by railgun fire from battleships Alaska, Texas, Bismarck, Prince of Wales, and multiple others, February 2293)!<
4x Aukani-class Destroyers (Destroyer Division 33)
They have so many holidays and various excuses to light up the night sky with a firework dubbed the “Neighborhood Destroyer”, and they just make it impossible for any normal sapient being to sleep!
"Then explain why half of their newest pilots are humans!"
"That's the exact reason why I'm dragging your ass to the evac zone!" The human medic responds. "YOU AIN'T DYING ON ME YET!"
Humans, however, take that hatred to a whole new level, having introduced the concept of "road rage" to the galaxy...
And they're laughing, singing songs of glory and hopes that the war that would ensue would result in a quick victory.
>!Oh, how wrong they would be...!<
From HMGs to ice cream machines, nothing is safe from the humans...