Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To provide another star destroyer option for the Silver Jedi
Image Source: Originally found here, modifications by yours truly
Canon Link: N/A
Restricted Missions: N/A
Primary Source: N/A
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: Achelous-class Star Destroyer
Affiliation: Silver Jedi, Closed Market
Production: Minor
Material: Argentum Matrix Armor, Link-steel / Plasteel secondary armor belt, Beskar Frame, Agrinicrete internal shielding, Biolux organoform circuitry, Calor series Bio-Computers, starship components
Classification: Heavy Star Destroyer
Length: 1800 meters
Width: 750 meters
Height: 350 meters
Armament: Moderate
2 Onager-class Plasma Rail Cannons
20 Long Range Solar Ionization Cannons
60 Iris Turbolaser Batteries
50 Harpoon-class General Purpose Warhead Launchers
10 Minelayers
2 Erebus Jamming Arrays
24 Plumbata Defense Batteries
12 Sentinel Point Defense Emplacements
12 Trudo Point Defense Turrets
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Defenses: Moderate
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Hangar: Low: 4 squadrons
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Maneuverability Rating: Average (Low with Nimble-5 Engines Engaged / Moderate with Gulfstream engaged)
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Speed Rating: Average ( Moderate with Nimble-5 Engines Engaged / Low with Gulfstream engaged)
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Hyperdrive Class: Average: 1.5
STANDARD FEATURES
- Biocomms (x2)
Encryption Network
Escape Pods
Electronic Security Systems (Pyrowalls, Rapid Repetition Defense Measure programming, EI-9 network security droids)
Internal Security Systems (Embedded Mantraps, Automated Stormfire Repeater Emplacements, Internal Force Field Generators)
Oracle-class Communications Package (x2)
Standard Detention Cells
Standard Life Support Systems
Standard Navigational Systems
Metis Sensor Array
Tractor Beam Projectors (x18)
- Aegis II Anticoncussion Field Generator
- Argentum Matrix Armor Plating
- Aspis-class Shield System (x2)
Biolux Organoform Circuitry
Calor series Bio-computers
Gravitic Amplitude Modulator
Gulfstream Maneuvering System
Hyperwave Inertial Momentum Sustainer
- Nimble-5 Ion Engines
Slugger: The Achelous has somewhat heavier weapons and defenses than the average star destroyer, making it well-suited to slugging matches.
Operations Center: The Achelous harkens back somewhat to the older Imperial Star Destroyers, carrying an extensive amount of troops and support craft in order to support dedicated ground operations. As part of this, the Achelous also sports a dedicated command complex derived from the Union-class Assault Carrier.
Small Starfighter Complement: The Achelous does carry as many starfighters as many of its counterparts, limiting its ability to project power and fight off enemy strikecraft.
High Sensor Signature: The Achelous has an usually high sensor signature, largely due to its increased defenses. The Beskar frame makes FST returns much more prominent, and the ship's layered shield technology produces a higher energy signature than normal.
Description: The Acheolous is a larger star destroyer based on expanded version of the Tempest's hull. Unlike that star destroyer, the Achelous is designed to engage specifically to slugging matches with heavier weaponry and defenses. Ideally, the Achelous will use its massive Onager-class Rail Cannons to cripple an opponent from range before sliding into a broadside position to finish off foes concentrated turbolaser fire and warhead salvos. The Achelous also houses a large number of troops, making it well-suited for launching extensive and prolonged ground operations. Unfortunately, all of these capabilities come at the loss of much of the ship's starfighter complement, which means that it is often accompanied by screening escorts or dedicated carriers.
Technical Descriptions
Crew & Automation: As a larger evolution of the Tempest-class Star Destroyer, the Acheolous is fairly similar in that it is designed to be run with a typical sized crew, but it continues to retain a network of Calor Bio-computers and Biolux Organoform Circuitry. This automation cannot only assist the crew in their tasks and automate some basic day to day functions, but it can also act as emergency back-up control for critical systems. This allows the systems of the ship to function even without a full crew, though at the cost of less efficiency and effectiveness. Because a large number of the Silver Jedi and ISAF forces are composed of droids, the Acheolous has a large number of droid power charging stations and maintenance facilities in order to effectively keep this mechanical force running. The Achelous has a typical Lucerne Labs CIC-style bridge located near the center of the ship, but it also has a pair of supplementary command stations dedicated to runing teams of smaller space and ground forces respectively: the SOC and POC.
The SOC, also known as the “wishing well”, is a tactical command post loosely based on the bridge of the old Inexpungnable-class. It is circular room with two levels, with the inner level being substantially lower than the outer ring. The outer ring holds typical computer consoles, comscans, and a handful of small scale holo-tanks. But the central portion is created with a transparisteel deck and walls through which embedded holo-projectors could recreate the space around them and the objects, both artificial and natural, on a large scale that is not only detailed and immersive, but also in real-time. Such a presentation affords the crew manning it perhaps the easiest method to observe and interpret on a large scale while avoiding being sucked into observing the battle through a handful of 'keyholes' viewpoints, such as the bridge viewport or an several electro-photoreceptors. Commanders and flight controllers often use it to help coordinate groups of ships, particularly starfighter squadrons and corvettes for quick, surgical strikes.
The Planetary Operations Center(POC) is located a short distance away from both the main bridge and the SOC. This is a rectangular room whose walls are mostly covered in LCD screens which frequently display live feeds from cameras and other visual sensors found on personal armors, droids, vehicles, and other like devices. Most of the room is occupied with neat rows of computer consoles and holographic tactical battlefield displays needed to interpret the vast amount of data flows through the center and coordinate the units present on the ground. Many of these consoles are equipped with CL-3 headsets to help control and coordinate droids and other automated units. This room also contains a CS-Mark 12 Holo-projector, used to plan large-scale movements, and a pair of CS-Mark 10 Command Combat Simulators, which are used to analyze terrain and simulate battle plans. Commanders typically use the POC as a mobile command post for a large variety of units and missions, from monitoring strike teams through helmet cams to directing armies thousands of individuals strong into battle.
Communications: The Achelous uses a pair Oracle-class Communications Packages supplemented by several dozen comm lasers and a pair of Biocomms. This provides the ship with a fairly typical communication's suite for a ship its size. It generally has enough bandwidth ability that it can act as the flagship for smaller combined arms task forces, much like the Imperial Star Destroyers before it. On a more technical level, the included Oracle Package and Biocomms make it fairly effective on battlefields which increasingly shown a renaissance of electronic warfare.
Hull: Given the Achelous' evolution from the Tempest, it unsurprising shares roughly the same fluid, aquatic lines that are endemic to Mon Calamari designs. A frame of mol-welded beskar forms the base of this hull's construction. This primary frame is then covered in secondary armor belt of link-steel laminated with plasteel to provide some flex in absorbing and dispersing physical impacts. This secondary belt also acts as a rudimentary farraday cage to help protect the vessel from electromagnetic radiation, whether it is naturally occurring or as part of an enemy attack. This armor belt is then in covered in a primary belt of Argentum Matrix Armor, which is designed to better mitigate the effects of heavier weapons that can pierce through the ship's double-layered shields. Some vital sections of the ship, such the bridge and engineering sections, are shielded with Agrinicrete to provide protection against unusually strong radiation that may get past the ship's shields and hull.
Hyperdrive: The Achelous is equipped with a x1.5 hyperdrive, giving it relatively average performance for its size. With the prevalence of interdictor technology, this hyperdrive has been hooked up to multiple hyperspace coils to form a HIMS device, allowing it to better penetrate extensive interdiction efforts.
Security: The Achelous incorporates conventional Lucerne Labs internal security systems, making extensive use of code cylinders and droid-specific passcodes to control sensitive access to the ship and its systems. Tripping or attempting to force one's way into the system can not only trigger silent alarms that inform the ship's security complement, but also trigger any number of automated traps. Forced access to most restricted rooms triggers man traps concealed underneath the deck's plate in an attempt to immobilize the intruder. Key rooms, corridors, and junction points are further guarded by automated Stormfire Repeater emplacements and force-field generators. In terms of electronic protection, the ship utilizes typical pyrowalls and Rapid Repetition Defense Measure programming supervised by a dedicated team of a dozen EI-9 network security droids spread throughout the ship.
Shields: The Achelous is equipped with a pair of low powered Aspis Shield Systems, using several layers of overlapping shields much like the earlier Mon Calamari cruisers before it. This provides a reasonable amount of protection for a ship its size, and allows the Achelous to take some local shield generators or projectors offline for repairs during combat while still allowing some shielding to remain online in those some areas. The Achelous also sports the new Aegis II Anti-Concussion Field Generator, though it only has a small amount of power fully dedicated to it at all times. In most instances, power has to diverted from other systems in order to provide the Aegis II with enough power to make it effective against most capital-grade kinetic weapons.
Sublight Drives: The Achelous sports banks of Nimble-5 Ion Engines, providing it with typical sublight speed for a vessel of its size during most operations. The engine's boost function can be triggered at times to improve the ship's speed at the loss of maneuverability and shield regeneration. This makes it useful for strategic bursts of speed on the battlefield. Similarly, with the Achelous typically only has average agility at sublight speeds, it can activate its Gulfstream Maneuvering System to increase its maneuverability at the cost of speed, making it relatively agile for its size. This is typically done when an Achelous is engaging an opponent in close quarters, allowing it to get in an optimum slugging match position with its opponent.
Armament: The Achelous is designed around a pair of massive Onager-class Plasma Rail Cannons, which can quickly dispatch giant slugs or vibrant bolts of sizzling plasma across entire battlefields. Each rail cannon by itself has the firepower of a typical heavy frigate, and when fired together, the Achelous's rail cannons can often make short work of many cruisers and smaller vessels. Unfortunately, because of their great size and the nature of their spinal mount, the rail cannons are primarily aimed by the entire ship maneuvering to point itself at its targets. These rail cannons are unsurprisingly backed by faster-tracking weapons in the forms of long range solar ionization cannons and Iris-class Turbolaser Batteries, which also allow the Achelous to effectively engage targets in typical broadside brawls. The Achelous also incorporates dozens of recessed Harpoon General Purpose Launchers covered by sliding armored doors and oriented at 45 degree angle from the ship's central axis. This unusual set-up allows the launchers to effectively be used fire in both the fore and side arcs with a little maneuvering by the missiles while the blast doors increase the chances that they will remain operational during extended slugging matches. The Achelous's last capital grade weapons are a handful of minelayers, which are typically used to provide some deterrence against rear attacks. Defensively, the Achelous has a pair of Erebus sensor jamming arrays backed by dozens of defensive missile launchers, fast-tracking autoblasters, and pressor field/particle shield projector turrets.
Carrying Capacity: Achelous's carry up to four squadrons of fighter craft, using almost identical hangars to those than found on the parent Tempest-class, though the hangars are fewer in number. Each hangar hosts a single starfighter squadron and includes several pressor catapults, a small tractor beam to help recover damaged craft, and a pair of blast doors constructed of thick Argentum Matrix Armor. Blast doors are shut when the hangars are not actively launching or recovering friendly starships. The other remaining two hangars found on the original Tempest now carry support craft to better enable the Achelous' mission profile of effectively deploying and supporting ground troops. Much of the lengthened hull and reduced internal engine volume have allowed expansive troop cabins and equipment storage sites to be installed within the ship. This typically allows the Achelous to carry the equivalent of an old Imperial Battlegroup, typically composed of four regiments used to working with each other as a single cohesive unit. However, some Achelous's assigned to backwater sectors within the Silver Jedi do not carry a full battlegroup, with the excess housing being used to transport more civilian passengers (such as aid groups, construction workers, etc), supplies, or thousands of extra L1 Marinus droids to supplement running the ship or any captured prizes.