schnarre
Commander
Joined: 08 Oct 2007
Posts: 333
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 Posted: Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:48 pm Post subject: Dagger-class Star Destroyer |
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Dagger-class Star Destroyer
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f350/odami/dagger2.gif
Type=Rothana Heavy Engineering Dagger-class Star Destroyer
Scale=Capital
Length=900m
Skill=Capital Ship Piloting:Dagger-class Star Destroyer
Crew= 4,250 + 320 Gunners; Skeleton Crew: 1,500/+10
Crew Skill= Astrogation:3D+2, Sensors: 4D, Piloting: 5D, Gunnery: 5D, Shields: 3D+2
Passengers=1,200 (Troops)
Cargo Capacity=11,000 Tons
Consumables=1 Year
Cost= N/A
Hyperdrive Multiplier= x2
Nav Computer= Yes
Hyperdrive Backup=Yes (x10)
Sublight Speed= 6 (3D First Ed.)
Atmospheric Speed= 330; 950 kph
Maneuverability= 2D
Hull= 4D+2 (Production models expected to have 5D+1)
Shields= 2D
Sensors:
Passive=40/1D
Scan=70/2D
Search=150/3D
Focus=4/3D+2
:Weapons:
( 8 ) Heavy Turbolasers (Front)
FC:1D Damage:7D
Crew=3
Range: Space=3-15/35/75 Atmospheric=6-30/70/150 km
(10) Ion Cannons (4 Front, 2 Left, 2 Right, 2 Back)
FC:4D Damage:4D
Crew=2
Range: Space=1-10/25/50 Atmospheric=2-20/50/100 km
(10) Tractor Beam Projectors (4 Front, 2 Left, 2 Right, 2 Back)
FC:4D Strength:5D
Crew=2
Range: Space=1-5/15/30 Atmospheric=2-10/30/60 km
(768) Blaster Cannons (mounted in "bays" of 24 each) (4 Front, 12 Left, 12 Right, 4 Back)
FC:1D Damage:1D (Starfighter) (*) (Individual, rather than a "bay" load)
Crew=1 (*) (Due to new link technologies, a gunner can fire single or up to 24)
Range: Space=1-3/12/25 Atmospheric=100-300/1.2/2.5 km
Craft:
The Dagger-class carries 4 fighter squadrons, 2 Gamma-class Assault Shuttles, & several support craft.
In theory, it's one of the best anti-starfighter designs in the known galaxy. In practice, it's still only a prototype--an untried, largely untested prototype. Designed just prior to the Clone Wars, after the crisis on Naboo, the design team looked for a design that could swat swarms of fighters out of space & yet still pack an armament substantial enough to damage heavier craft. After more than 40 years of delays, corporate intrigues, fluctuating funds, problems with the Law, & other such foibles the first Dagger-class Star Destroyer was completed.
At first glance the ship resembles an Acclamator; this is no surprise since they were both designed by the same company & shared a number of design elements. While the Acclamator was a troop transport with combat capability, the Dagger was a close-quarters combat vessel from the onset. The parent company, Kuat Drive Yards, had little or no interest in the Dagger so initially there were few interruptions in the design process. However, this also meant funds were going to be harder to come by--just how much harder had yet to be seen.
With a more slender streamlined hull than the Acclamator, the Dagger was able to operate in an atmosphere with very little, if any, drop in performance. For its anti-ship weaponry, Ion Cannons, Turbolasers, & Tractor Beams gave it a noticeable though not very heavy punch. The real controversy began over its main armament: Blaster Cannons, & LOTS of them. Manpower requirements became an immediate concern, & the numbers began to look prohibitive. Also the weapon's relatively weak damage, by comparison to other weapons looked like it was going to work against it. With so much manpower needed for the ship's operation, operating range was looking to be sorely deficient.
The design team validated much of their initial design simply enough: Logistics. With a great deal of the same systems used on the Acclamator, service skills & spare parts were already available. Further, with not many of the "latest" systems, it offered relatively low cost & potential for quick deployment. As to the choice of Blaster Cannons: one was almost laughable, but against a Trade Federation Droid Fighter it was quite sufficient, & a barrage of say 50+ could make short work of even a Bulk Freighter. What is more, Blaster Cannons were cheap & could be ordered in bulk to save funds--& with so many on the ship, a number could be demounted & assigned to ground forces for extra firepower. One member of the team, a Jennet named Berrordi Ar'kh'gan, had just finished assembling a droid labor crew with the ship's schematics already loaded in, thereby insuring production could begin at a moment's notice once the "go ahead" had been given. Despite initial reservations, the Old Republic Navy placed an order for one of the craft.
The outbreak of the Clone Wars accelerated technological development, & with lessons learned from ship designs used on both sides of the conflict, the Dagger's design became more refined & efficient. When Walex Blissex's Victory-class Star Destroyer began production, the Dagger was an obvious craft to partner with it: both were the same length, both had some of the same systems & weaponry, the Victory could make short work of heavy opposition & the Dagger could screen it from swarms of enemy fighters. Simulations showed the pairing of the two was ideal, as each covered the weaknesses of the other; however, this would not come to be after the end of hostilities.
The peace that followed saw the Dagger suddenly struggling to find a place in the inventory of the Imperial Navy. With no fighter swarms to deal with, the design was of questionable value--it was way too large for simply anti-pirate activity, & didn't really offer anything that couldn't be given with a newer design. With the bias against non-humans now rampant in the Empire, Berrordi Ar'kh'gan left the industry ,after some minor sabotage efforts against Kuat Drive Yards, & became a highly successful supplier of droids to the underworld. Though the prototype was over 50% completed, funds were increasingly cut--so much so that Rothana Heavy Engineering had to draw upon charitable donations & the occasional fundraiser to keep the design going.
Despite these ills, all was not lost. Rothana solved part of the manpower needs by mounting the Blaster Cannons in housings roughly the size of a standard hangar bay--the term "weapon bay" was coined here--& synchronizing the firing of several weapons from the same targeting system. This alone dropped the load of gunners at least 6-fold, & allowed for greater ease of installation at lower cost. Also the occasional CSA benefactors would contribute to the craft's construction; though mainly ceremonial, such patronage provided the clout needed to keep the design from being shelved. The design had a certain aesthetic appeal, as it actually resembled a dagger & was lethal at close-range. Finally, the loss of the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin brought back the need for anti-starfighter designs.
The design was largely completed, & with the prototype under construction, the company touted the Dagger. Though the Lancer-class frigate was selected instead, the Dagger had no small number of proponents among those who had studied Rebel fighter tactics. In comparison, the Dagger largely came out ahead of the Lancer: The Dagger was more heavily armed, faster, had greater durability, carried fighter squadrons of its own, was more maneuverable & had drawn upon previous experience in anti-starfighter operations of the Clone Wars. The Lancer was more modern, especially with the avante-garde mindset of the Imperial High Command & much of its new officer corps. It also offered lower cost per unit. Also the sway Kuat Drive Yards held after the release of the Imperial-class Star Destroyer, pretty well assured the Dagger would not win the competition. Nonetheless, extra funding was made available & work proceeded apace.
The Empire's defeat at the Battle of Endor threatened to shelve the Dagger yet again. The New Republic wanted nothing to do with the design, Corporate Sector began to shift funds toward the New Republic's infrastructure, & the shipyard where the prototype was being built was becoming a virtual no-man's land as both the New Republic & the remnants of the Empire began trading shots in the vicinity on a regular basis. Rothana was able to acquire a second-hand shipyard from a defunct shipping firm, & made preparation to move the Dagger there. Despite the frequent clashes, the DSD Dagger made its first official hyperspace trek without any difficulties.
With the arrival of Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Dagger got another infusion of energy. He ordered the DSD Dagger finished at best possible speed, & requested 3 more be put in production. The man who would later command the ship browsed Thrawn's recommended Tactics & Order of Battle for the Dagger-class ships, & became an advocate for the design himself. The advent of Slave-Rigging technology, following the discovery of the Dark Force Fleet, gave the Dagger a new lease on life. With slave-rigging manpower requirements were cut to the lowest expectations yet, & made the craft a practical design at last. The death of Grand Admiral Thrawn was yet another blow to the team, but Rothana was beginning to gain enough clout to stand on its own, out of KDY's massive shadow. Though Captain Pellaeon did not cancel the order for the other 3 ships, he recommended an evacuation of the shipyard to avoid the oncoming New Republic forces. The incidents in the Corellian System delayed this planned exodus, & New Republic incursions into that area of space essentially ceased. The DSD Dagger came off the assembly line, & began shakedown tests soon after.
The design proved sound, though its newer systems were not always giving the desired performance. A technical crew at Theodoric Station offered to assist with the matter, & arrangements were made in short order. The DSD Dagger is berthed at Theodoric Station, awaiting maintenance & potential upgrades, when the Yuuzhan Vong invasion begins.
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(OOC: A design from my original campaign, with background highly-modified to accommodate, reluctantly, the Prequels.)
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