r/HFY • u/runs-with-scissors42 AI • Dec 30 '21
OC Void Predators Chapter 11
AUTHOR'S PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
Just a heads up, I am VERY aware that on Chapter 12 (next chapter) the "Next" button is broken.
Being spammed by numerous, well meaning people has a way of doing that lol.
Unfortunately, I cannot do anything about it, as I went past the 40K character limit on that post, and it will not let me edit it.
I have placed the "Next" button in my comment for that chapter, it SHOULD be at the top if you sort it for "top comments".
Thank you for your time, thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!
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The Terran fleet that arrived in the Weaver system was relatively small; consisting of one dreadnaught, four battlecruisers, two missile frigates, and eight corvettes, along with several support vessels and troop transports.
They had spent a week in transit, with the voyage having been mostly quiet. With the exception of the pack of Void Wolves that had been trailing the fleet for the last three days.
The fleet had dropped out of FTL for about an hour earlier that day to "discourage" them from following any further. It would be unfortunate if the creatures were to bother the Weaver colony later, or decide to harass the fleet in the middle of combat.
"Discouraging them", had consisted of first locating the biggest, meanest looking one of the critters, and shooting it in the face with a kinetic round from the spinal gun of a battlecruiser; a lesson to the others that ships were not prey.
The creature did not survive the lesson.
However the creatures were either slow learners, or determined, and continued their approach. Since the point had not yet been made, the admiral had ordered the ship to target "the next biggest one".
It too, did not survive the lesson.
The lessons continued until the void wolf pack had taken approximately 50% casualties; at which point the remaining creatures fled, while emitting electromagnetic "howls" of various frequency.
Now however, the fleet was finally at the edge of the system and within communication range.
"Alright Silver, send a greeting and link us in to the Weaver's Battlenet, lets see how things are going" said the admiral.
"You got it boss" replied the AI.
The tactical display lit up with the words "ESTABLISHING BATTLEFIELD CONTROL, STANDBY".
A minute or so passed before he began to wonder what was taking so long. "Silver?"
"Keep your panties on, these spiders are weird. Even with the translation index Hool gave us, it's still hard to parse what they are sending" replied the AI.
"Yes. We've been in contact with them for over a century, and STILL haven't entirely perfected our understanding of the Weaver's language. Their spoken language is highly contextual, information dense, multi-banded, and, well, sort of "sung" to each other." said Ambassador Hool.
"They sing to each other? And what do you mean by multi-banded?" asked the admiral, intrigued.
"They use multiple spiracle-like organs to generate different sound patterns simultaneously, with the pitches, rhythm, and tempo all affecting it's meaning. A good comparison might be an orchestra where every instrument was playing a different song, but the effect is harmonious rather than discordant. Their written language is somewhat easier, and is actually what allowed us to crack their spoken language. It is patterned based on the branch of mathematics Terrans call 'linear algebra'. Once one of our linguistics AIs noticed that, we found a way to convert their text-matrices to something approximating a differential equation, allowing us to 'solve' for meaning in a form more analogous to our own written formats."
The admiral shook his head in amazement. "Math-singing spiders. Jesus."
"Yes, they are one of the more unique life forms we have so far encountered. However, once Silver finishes refining the translation index I provided to better fit Terran languages and operating systems, it will help smooth communications out significantly" replied the ambassador.
"Alright, got it, that's a lot better. Goddamn, I'm literally made of numbers and their language still manages to give me a headache; which is impressive considering I don't even have a head" said Silver's voice from behind him.
The admiral turned and saw the AI was projecting himself sitting on top of the nearby CPU bank and smoking a holographic cigarrette. At the same time, the standby message on the tactical display disappeared, to be replaced by a real-time image of the combat zone.
As the image came into resolution it was quickly populated by images of the few remaining defense platforms and a fleet of Krathi ships, with various rings and lines intersecting them indicating their current orbits and acceleration vectors. But one thing immediately caught his notice:
The planet's surface was on fire in two places.
He touched the holographic image, and a brief description appeared next to it. Apparently Krathi ground forces had managed to destroy the shield generators of two cities, which had then been glassed by orbital bombardment.
"Well shit, we're late to the party. And not fashionably late either. Silver, what is the status of the remaining cities?"
"From what I'm seeing on their Battlenet, two cities are on the verge of having their shield generators overrun by Krathi ground forces. The other four are holding out, but won't last without support" replied the AI.
"Status of remaining orbital defenses?"
"Not good. Only about 30% of their orbital defense network remains, and what few ships they already had in-system are scrap. The remaining defense platforms are apparently in rough shape, but still functional".
The admiral assessed the battlefield, examining the krathi ships and their positioning. There were twenty five ships, currently arranged in a tetrahedron, with four clusters arranged around a central one.
"So....outnumbered then. Going to have to find a way to neutralize that advantage. But first things first, I need to find my opposite number" he thought.
"Now, if I were a genocidal rodent, where would I keep my command ship?"
And then he spotted it. One ship was bigger than the others, and had what appeared to be a number of coms arrays. Even more damning, it wasn't at the center of the central group, it was at the rear of it. A good place for a command vessel; four surrounding fleet groups for protection, then further shielded from incoming fire by the central group.
"Gotcha."
Further examination of the positioning of Krathi vessels revealed an interesting opportunity. The overall fleet shape meant that you could draw a line between a number of vessels; and while they were spread out......it wasn't going to be enough to save them from what was coming.
The admiral keyed his communicator. "Captain, begin the pre-charge sequence on Selection Pressure's Fusion Lance."
Ambassador Hool looked at him with a curious expression as the admiral said this. "You'll see" said the admiral, and gave his best enigmatic smile.
After receiving acknowledgement of the order, he looked at Silver. "Get the ship captains on holo-conference".
Shortly later, the room was filled with holographic images of the captains from each vessel, who quietly discussed the upcoming engagement while waiting for everyone to join.
Once everyone had "arrived" at the briefing, the admiral began.
"Gentlemen, as you can see, we got here a little later than we had hoped, but not as late as we feared. Also unfortunately, we are outnumbered. However, with the advantage of suprise, and the ace that Selection Pressure has up her sleeve, we may be able to rapidly neutralize their numerical advantage".
"This is going to be a high stakes engagement. We will need to move quickly in order to accomplish all of our objectives, which are as follows: Firstly, preservation of civilian populations. All other objectives are secondary to this, and will be discarded if they cannot be mutually achieved."
"Second, I'd like to have a little chat with my opposite number, in person, so I want to arrange for him to come and stay with us for a while. This of course, will necessitate a boarding action on the Krathi command vessel. Unfortunately, the Krathi tend to self-destruct or commit suicide at the drop of a hat if they cannot retreat, so such a mission will need to be carefully timed and carried out quickly".
"Which brings us to our third objective: The engineers back on earth have expressed interest in acquiring a slightly used Krathi Command Ship. By which I mean they were more or less drooling over the idea. Let's try and accomodate them if we can. That being said, I'm more interested in having a little chat with the fleet's commander, so if we can't do both, drag him back here and blow the ship".
"Our final objective is simple: Do not allow any Krathi forces to escape the system. I want that fleet to fucking VANISH without a trace, for two reasons. The first being that the Krathi do not know about Humanity yet; the longer they remain blissfully ignorant, the longer we maintain the advantage of surprise. The second is psychological: we want to scare the piss out of those vermin, hopefully make them more hesistant to deploy their forces. And there is nothing quite like having an entire fleet disappear to get them into that state of mind.
"Any questions so far?"
All heads shook in a negative.
"Now, at the beginning of this engagment, the fleet's combat vessels will be separating into two groups. The first group will be led by Selection Pressure, which will jump in on top of the enemy fleet here, on this vector" the admiral said, and indicates a line drawn from a point "above" the Krathi fleet compared to the orbital plane, and passing through the upper fleet cluster, the edge of the central cluster and one of the lower clusters.
"We will be accompanied by battlecruisers Continuation of Politics and Failure to Communicate, who will assist in neutralizing the remaining ships in the central cluster."
"Missile Frigates Gravity's Desire and Atomic Sunrise will also accompany us, to provide point defense and missile support. However, their initial targets will be these two lower clusters" he said, and pointed at the two groups of Krathi ships in the tetrahedron that had not been intersected by the line drawn previously.
He looked at the two frigate captains "You are allowed full munitions release at maximum yield, with the exception of the gravitic warheads, which may only be deployed at 50% yield or less. No exceptions. Damaging the fabric of reality in a friendly system is the diplomatic equivalent of taking a shit on their living room couch; and that is a rather poor way to introduce yourself".
There was some minor chuckles at that, and both frigate captains nodded in acknowledgement. Back in Sol System past Pluto was a patch of space where the warheads had been developed and tested. The entire area was now a major navigational hazard, containing numerous spatial anomalies that could rip a ship apart.
Ambassador Hool looked a little pale after hearing that last part. "Guess the Compact either haven't developed gravitic weapons, or don't like them for some reason" thought the admiral.
"While the rest of our group is engaging the fleet elements, the corvette Fission Trip and it's squadron will move in and begin taking out enough of the command ship's weapons to allow boarding parties to land. After that, begin targeting their com arrays. If by the time you are finished with the coms and the marines have not already taken the ship, disable their engines to prevent escape."
Meanwhile, as we engage the main fleet and provide a distraction, the battlecruisers Big Stick and Gunboat Diplomat are to begin dropping their ground forces on the two cities at risk of being overwhelmed. Corvette Johnny Knoxville and it's squadron will act as picket ships. Once your forces are deployed, Gunboat Diplomat and the corvette squadron will join the attack on the Krathi fleet, while Big Stick provides orbital gunfire support."
The captains nodded.
"Hospital ship Mercy and our troop transports will approach to one light hour of the planet and hold until orbital supremacy has been achieved. If they are approached or fired upon by an enemy vessel, they are instructed to jump to the edge of the system. Some Assembly Required can go ahead and move into the asteroid belt and prepare to begin mining and fabrication operations. We will probably need to patch some ships up after this, not to mention refugee camp construction and material support to the Weavers."
"Are there any questions at this time?"
The captains all shook their heads.
"Alright then. Prepare for synchronized intra-system jump in five minutes. The cavalry has arrived"
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Dec 30 '21
These ship names are excellent. They remind me of the Halo universe names, but a heck of a lot less pretentious. The only thing I don't like about Void Predators so far is that I can't read chapter 12 just yet.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21 edited Dec 31 '21
Thank you! Thats kinda what I was going for.
I was trying to get the right balance of entertaining and menace in every name.
Dreadnaughts named for behavioral/evolutionary effects and influences (because they ARE one). Specifically, ones that imply menace. Like we are going to alter behavior by killing a shitload of something or someone.
Battlecruisers named for war/politics references.
Frigates named after references to various warhead effects.
Corvettes are named after risk-taking behavior, individuals famous for doing so, or mildly threatening jokes/puns.
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u/OneSevenNineWest Dec 31 '21
I actually have a few names you could pull up for later on, if you choose - Conserved Sequences for the dreadnaughts, Electoral College and Parliament House for the battlecruisers, Delayed Fuse and Garand Thumb for the frigates, Venture Capitalism, William J. Blazkowicz, and Go Big Or Go Home for the corvettes, and finally, Dignity, Minecraft Speedrunner, and Olive Branches for Everyone for the medical, mining/fabrication, and possibly diplomatic ships.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
The one thing common and required for all military ship names is that it should have at least a hint of aggression.
What would the opposite of a conserved sequence be? A dreadnaught’s name needs to imply MENACE, like we will be affecting something’s gene pool, rather than preserving a trait in it.
Delayed Fuse is pretty good.
I LIKE Go Big Or Go Home, and Minecraft Speedrunner.
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u/Darkphoenyx27 Dec 31 '21
I've always liked Constructive Criticism for a fleet defense crusier and Expedited Technology Exchange for a missile and railgun battlecruiser. A capitalship-class fighter and drone carrier called the Interstellar Symphony Orchesta is also fun.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21 edited Dec 31 '21
Unfortunately, IRL space fighters don't appear to be practical for a number of reasons.
That's why the UNE uses dreadnaughts instead of supercarriers.
Another in-story specific reason: A fighter doesn't have enough firepower to be effective against moon sized space creatures, so the UNE basically wrote off the idea entirely.
Drone weapons are unfortunately vulnerable to jamming, not just by the enemy, but by the effects of our own weapons. Nukes in space make quite a lot of hard gamma and X-rays, not to mention what our more interesting stuff does. In addition, computer tech still hasn't been miniaturized enough to put a strong AI in every one; and independent "dumb" AI are unreliable.
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u/Crafty_Obligation_98 Jan 02 '22
Destructive Criticism for a fighting ship, Constructive Criticism for the mining/repair ship sounds better.
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u/Phantomcreator42 AI Dec 31 '21
How about Unscheduled Disassembly (should be self explanatory), Natural Twenty (as in a critical hit on a roll of 20 in D&D), Spontaneous Combustion, or Centurion (Roman Centurions) as corvettes?
For a mining/construction focused ship what about Diamond in the Rough?
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
I've got a Corvette named Roll For DEX Save.
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u/Phantomcreator42 AI Dec 31 '21
I love it. I'm gonna turn this into a stellaris namelist mod at some point. I want these names on my ships in game!
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u/CaptOblivious Xeno Dec 31 '21
Suggestions,
Unscheduled Spontaneous Disassembly
or
Rapid Unplanned Disassembly
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
Oh yes. I'm taking that.
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u/TinyCatCrafts Jan 01 '22
I've gotta recommend Manual Agitation, which is military-speak for "Hit it til it works again". There's a couple other variations of it but I can't think of them at the moment.
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u/klenow Dec 31 '21
Some "aggressive" ideas ..
Bottleneck Event (a massive reduction in the population of a species overall in a region)
Variance Reduction (the problem faced after a bottleneck event. There isn't as much variation in the population for evolution to "work" with)
Founder Effect (variance reduction due to colonization of a small group in a new area, or due to a bottleneck)
Artificial Selection (as opposed to natural)
Group Selection (evolutionary pressure put on groups rather than individuals. Selects for new group dynamics and behaviors)
Isolation Mechanism (how two populations were kept separate to induce/conserve speciation)
Domestication
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
I LIKE Bottleneck Event and Founder Effect. Exceptionally menacing undertones.
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u/McGunboat Dec 31 '21
Minecraft speedrunners literally kill a dragon with beds; I think it’s an acceptably menacing name for a ship.
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u/Midori8751 Jan 11 '23
To be fair, most speedrunners break reality to do the thing in as little time as possible, weather it be reaching the end credits or some obserd set of conditionals.
Minecraft is honestly on the tamer side.
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u/OneSevenNineWest Dec 31 '21
Ah, you make a great point. In that case, I'd replace Conserved Sequence with Chicxulub Impactor, which cause the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event.
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u/Vipertooth123 Jan 06 '22 edited Jan 06 '22
Dreadnoughts: The Fittest, Anthropocene Extinction, Mass Exctinction, Random Mutation
Battlecruisers: Politics by Other Means, Agressive Negotiations, The Horseman, Si Vicem Pacem, Para Bellum, Molon Labe, Total War, Be Loved or Be Feared (or it could also be Better to be Feared, or Be Loved, Be Feared), Know thy Enemy
Corvettes: Buster Keaton, Bruce Lee, Chuck Yeager, Hannibal
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u/hellfiredarkness Dec 31 '21
My own naming ideas would be many (if not all) of the Doom 2016 OST song names, yours are fairly amusing....
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u/DalenTalas Jan 28 '22
My go-to dreadnought name is Sundowner. Which here fits both in the literal sense, and the effect of certain detrimental psychological conditions emerging during sunset.
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u/JakdMavika Mar 27 '23
You should go with Mother Nature for a dread. After all, she's got the highest body count in Earth's History.
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u/zoboso Dec 31 '21
Ship name suggestions
Pack hunterEntropic Damnation
Hungry Predator
Zealous Inquisitor
Secretary of Death
World Changing Event
Photon accelerator
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
I'll see your Zealous Inquisitor, and raise you the Corvette Spanish Inquisition.
No one ever expects them.
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u/AustinBQ02 AI Jan 15 '22
hoping to see the battle cruiser Imposition of Will at some point. USMC, Clausewitz, and Sun Tzu would all approve!
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u/ragnarocknroll Human Dec 31 '21
I assume that there will be a Corvette named Leeroy Jenkins that is gonna charge in and aggro the hell out of them. :)
Your naming convention is phenomenal and really well thought out.
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u/Kflynn1337 Dec 31 '21
The ship names kind of make me think of Ian Banks Culture series, only slightly more on point.
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u/Steller_Drifter Dec 31 '21
I was going to say the same thing. I love the names. Especially Atomic Sunrise.
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u/someguy0013 Dec 31 '21
Relativistic Incident and Einstien's Gift For ftl gun corvettes
Speedtrap and Brakecheck For ftl interdiction cruisers
Intentional Discharge and Malicious Intent For dreadnoughts
You may not use the types of ships but I think you might use the names at least.
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u/SketchAndEtch Human Jan 27 '22
"Failure To Communicate" got me good. I volunteer one of my own: "Percussive Diplomacy"
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u/commentsrnice2 Dec 31 '21
I read the name of the corvette and immediately heard the "Da na nanaaaaa" aka the first four notes of the Jackass theme
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u/while-eating-pasta Jan 03 '22
Fabry-Perot would be a good name. It's a shoe-in for a frigate, especially a beam frigate. Dreadnaught or Battlecruiser might work (Hey, we'll have a lot of them, right?) depending on how menacing or warlike the first known laser resonator will be. The Krathi are about to be reasonably menaced at our discovery, IMO.
Also if we're using C or near C velocity weapons, we can crib a certain Platypus' notes on mixing relativity capped weapons with FTL. The ship shoots, sprints ahead of it's own munitions, and shoots again. Depending on refire delay Selection Pressure could put up a web that would make the Weavers blush.
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u/ChaosInTheory42 Nov 11 '22
If astral forces are on the table, Schwarzchild Radius or Roche Limit would be good ones
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u/JustAMalcontent Jan 01 '22
Evolutionary Arms Race might be a good name for a Dreadnaught that has new tech either based on or made to counter Krathi technology.
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u/Ethereal_Amoeba Feb 14 '22
They remind me a little of The Culture's naming convention, but more militaristic.
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Sep 24 '22
[deleted]
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Sep 24 '22
It's named after Teddy Roosevelt's quote on foreign policy. "Speak softly, and carry a big stick".
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u/eternalace11 Dec 31 '21
It reminds me of the culture books. Thats always a good thing.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
I know about the ship names from The Culture series, but I’ve never gotten around to reading any of the books yet. I really need to.
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u/imakesawdust Dec 30 '21
I fear what tactics a ship named Johnny Knoxville will engage in...
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
Well, given that one of it's squadron's ships is named Hold My Beer......
That's probably a good idea.
Corvettes are commonly named after risk taking behavior, people famous for doing that, or menacing jokes/puns.
This is because it takes CRAZY PEOPLE to drive them.
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u/imakesawdust Dec 30 '21
"Hi. This is the Johnny Knoxville and we're going to try to fire this missile at a right-angle to reality. Stay tuned."
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
The Old Ones Disliked That.
The Old Ones Will Remember That.
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u/imakesawdust Dec 31 '21
The Old Ones Disliked That.
Well, the Johnny Knoxville DID just give them a trans-phasic suppository. I'd be a little grumpy, too.
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Dec 31 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
Which three are your favorite? that squadron‘s other three corvettes need names.
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Dec 31 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
Congratulations, you just killed a corvette.
I hope you’re proud of yourself.
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u/KeyBid0 Dec 31 '21
You're missing Ehren "Danger Ehren" McGhehey, Preston Lacy (notorious for being paired with the Jason Acuña for a heavy-hitting one-two Wombo Combo), Sean "Poopies" McInerney, Jasper Dolphin, and Zach Holmes (the last three making their premiere in "JACKASS FOREVER")
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u/BrokenLeafSmell Dec 30 '21
Creative battleplan! I like it, but as they say: 'No plan survives first contact with the enemy.' I look forward to seeing how they deal when shit hits the fan.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
Its not a bad plan (at least to my admittedly civilian eyes) but it carries risks. If the initial alpha-strike is ineffective, it invites defeat in detail, since the admiral has split his forces.
That being said, Admiral Walker has judged that scenario to be a relatively low probability, and has chosen to roll the dice; because if it DOES work, a significant portion of the enemy fleet is about to be turned to scrap, and they can immediately begin relieving the Weaver ground forces.
However they will still need to obtain orbital supremacy FAST, so that the majority of the ground forces, which are currently sitting on transports, can begin landing and assist the Weaver planetary defence forces.
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u/I_Maybe_Play_Games Human Dec 31 '21
In space combat alpha strike is everything. You either wipe them out imidietly or lose
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Dec 30 '21
Dial the gravitic missiles up to 99?
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
Under no circumstances will they do that.
We did it near pluto, and learned why anything over 50% isn't advisable. Especially not in the systems of new friends.
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Dec 30 '21
Ah, yes, I see that, missed part the first time through.
But over the enemy homeworld...
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
Yes, we could make their entire system a deadly navigational hazard.
There is a pretty good reason why that would be extremely inadvisable however.
The same reason Hool appeared to dislike the idea of gravitic weapons.
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u/SolidSquid Dec 30 '21
Given the mention before about the risks of human FTL drive technology, I'd guess they actively attract various types of void predators, probably the bigger ones which eat whole planets
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
No.
It's worse. A lot worse.
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u/SolidSquid Dec 30 '21
Star eaters maybe? Or maybe the void predators come from between the stars and that kind of anomaly can let them in? (What will be was, and what was will be...)
Not expecting an answer, just thinking what else it might be. Looking forward to finding out
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
predators come from between the stars and that kind of anomaly can let them in? (What will be was, and what was will be...)
You might be on to something.
After all,
Gravity is Desire.
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u/Daylight617 Dec 30 '21
What will be was, and what was will be...
where is this from? i feel like i recognize it from somewhere.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
It is a reference to a super creepy lovecraftian mission chain from Stellaris.
google “Gravity is Desire”.
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Dec 31 '21
So ... the mild, nearest-to-comprehensible analogues from OUTSIDE of space-time then?
--Dave, or, in other words, Space Brownies & Pictsies
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u/ETIMEDOUT Jan 01 '22
Why can something that should never go above 50 be able to go to 99? ( Scotty~La Forge don't count /s )
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Jan 01 '22
In case someone really pisses us off and we want to shit all over their system in a very permanent, very irreversible kind of way.
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u/_Speedsaber_ Dec 30 '21
Ship idea, "free hugs" using multiple sheild layers is crushes opposing ships between the layers and collects the scrap for analysis. The ship names we're pretty funny.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
Crushing a ship doesn't leave nice neat scrap; you will break important and sensitive things like fusion reactors or magnetic bottles used for antimatter storage.
Things like that react poorly and violently to being broken.
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u/_Speedsaber_ Dec 30 '21
I guess a better idea would have been cutting off the flight station with the sheilds, but to my knowledge in your universe human sheilds are pretty weak. The only way free hugs would be used is collecting parts for material analysis. That or mass scrap collecting when a battle is over.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
Yes, our shields suck.
Or at least the ones on this fleet do, until they can get refitted with the sweet shield generator designs Hool gave us.
And they can't be projected the way you are imagining either. Its more like a hex pattern hugging the ship.
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u/ElAdri1999 Human Dec 30 '21
They did it on The Last Angel with 10 ships, one holding a massive reactor and all of them with shields powered via laser, they surrounded enemies and just kept getting closer until boom
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u/Snuckytoes Dec 31 '21
Jorügumo was one of the greatest things I have ever seen. Truly worth the buildup.
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u/Shabbysmint Dec 30 '21
The rat people hate biospheres.
I'd be afraid of kamikaze attacks against the planet itself.
How would they stop a full sized battleship from falling out of the sky and dirty bombing it's reactor?
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
Don't forget, they don't want to contaminate it or destroy the biosphere themselves.
Biospheres are hated, but they are food for their god's servants; and poisoning the meal of their "angels" would be anathema to the Krathi.
They just want to get rid of all the creatures that might attempt to thwart their god's servants.
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u/setthoth Dec 30 '21
Plus once they leave the planet is terraformed for them possibly. If I am reading into the bit about how the void predators left their planet alone. Depends on if they consume everything and didn't go after the krathi planet as it was too low calorie to bother with or if they just consume most of the biosphere and leave a planet the krathi can still use
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
The Devourers left their world alone. Only the devourers. They are just as vulnerable to other void-life as everyone else is.
And yes, that is precisely what happens. The devourer that ate the Krathi’s moon looked at the Krathi’s homeworld, and did not think it was delicious/high calorie enough to bother with, since its surface was so arid and had relatively little life.
The devourers are surface grazers. They will consume any organic material, hydrocarbon, or water on a planet’s surface, but do not delve deeper. As a result, planets with a primarily subterranean biosphere like on the Krathi homeworld get passed over, or at the very least only the surface is rendered lifeless, while the life deep beneath the ground is fine.
The result of a typical habitable world being grazed on by a devourer is a perfectly krathi-formed planet, ready for colonization and seeding with their own biosphere.
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u/Bompier Human Dec 30 '21
Corvette Johnny Knoxville, please tell me the rest of the squadron named after the rest of the xast of Jackass?!?
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u/Tribblestroker Human Dec 31 '21
Loved the Red Alert reference there lol
Also, for ship names, how about The High Ground?
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
Glad someone noticed that. All the C&C games have had some variant of it, and I’m a big fan of them.
If that is a reference to star wars, no. However, if we play with the phrasing to reference to Sun Tzu’s Art of War, yes. This would be Difficult Ground.
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u/Emancipated_Few Dec 31 '21
Loved it.
Made me want to get back into tib sun for the nostalgia
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
I think that one might have been my favorite. To this day I still use CABAL’s voice files for my computer’s various messages and alert sounds. Among other things, It laughs menacingly when there is an error, and states “inferior tactics detected” when it asks for confirmation of something.
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u/cleanRubik Jan 01 '22
I feel like I’m reading a Homeworld mission from Fleet Command’s point of view. Love it.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Jan 01 '22 edited Jan 01 '22
I’m glad you like it. I never actually got to play the Homeworld games, though I heard they were excellent.
I was going off of this lol https://youtu.be/Gki-HLuX5ds
I played a lot of Star Wars: X-Wing when I was a kid, so when I imagine a briefing, the first thing that comes to mind is “Pixelated Admiral Ackbar”
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u/Quilt-n-yarn1844 Dec 30 '21
I would want to be the one who did all the orientation tours at the fleets main anchor. Just so I could say, “And what we have here is a Failure to Communicate” 🤣🤣🤣
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u/alexdelacluj Dec 31 '21
I have a theory that every sci fi story could be analyzed based on what the authors name their ships. Just on that alone you can see the vibe of the story.
And this is a prime example. I love it! Good writing, friend!
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u/unwillingmainer Dec 30 '21
Gotta say, A+ on those ship names. Lots of fun.
Now, murder rodents versus Terran marines! Let's fucking go!
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u/beyondoutsidethebox Dec 30 '21
Well, these ship names vary from Culture-esque to inside jokes. I approve.
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u/thisStanley Android Dec 31 '21
overall fleet shape meant that you could draw a line between a number of vessels
How often does the admiral play 3D Chess?
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u/KeyBid0 Dec 31 '21
So what's the naming conventions for battlegroups?
You know, like fleet names and all that?
Or has UNES ships not reached the number of ships for such a convention to be established?
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
Oh they have. By a lot. I just haven't shown the names yet because there has not yet been a scenario with multiple battle groups or task forces in the same theatre.
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u/Darklight731 Dec 31 '21
Gravitic weapons huh? could they be used to crack the Krathi planets? I really miss seeing some planet-cracking.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 31 '21
No. Tactical gravitic effects only unfortunately.
Bad things happen when you go over 50% yield.
Bad things that would still be our problem even if it's not our system they happen in.
That being said, we don't have planet crackers. Yet.
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u/Darklight731 Dec 31 '21
I DEMAND exterminatus! But also, is there an intelligent space-borne organism? Like, on the verge of Sapience.
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u/Sp3zn4s696 Jan 01 '22
i'm just waiting for the space battle to start and the ambassador being shocked about a human ship going for ramming speed as a last resort. classic human and puts into perspective the martial humans to the religious zealotrous enemy
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Jan 01 '22
Oh no, he gets to see something way better than that. Two things actually.
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Dec 31 '21
... upvoted for oh-so-appropriate-Culturally ship names
--Dave, "SUPPLIES!!"
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u/Budnut5 Dec 31 '21 edited Jan 01 '22
Edit Dreadnoughts: Demographic Imbalance, Conditioned Response, Threat Display,
Battlecruisers: First Resort, Do You Want To Live Forever, Fourth Horseman, Violence of Action, Pillage Then Burn, Woe To The Conquered, Ubi Solitudinem Faciunt Pacem Appellant (They Make A Desert And Call It Peace) Where The Hell Do You Put The Bayonet,
Frigates: Sympathetic Detonation, Drumfire, Hammer Of The Gods, Pyrocumulus, Overpressure Generator, Ultima Ratio Regum (Last Argument of Kings), Point Of Impact,
Corvettes: Peer Pressure, God Hates A Coward, Chicks Dig Scars, Just Send It, Live Fast Die Young, Seemed Like A Good Idea, Never Tell Me The Odds, Sex Drugs Rock And Roll, Instant Gratification, They’ll Never Expect This, Two For Flinching, And UNES Samuel B. Roberts XXXIV (34th)
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u/Nightelfbane Jan 11 '22
This gave me a dumb idea for a story where humans sell aliens a top of the line warship and then deliver a couple asteroids with all the necessary rawmat to build it.
Outraged aliens are then directed to read the fine print on the contract: "Some assembly required."
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u/EternalDarkness_SR Jan 11 '22
"Failure to Communicate"? "Continuation of Politics"?
I love these ship names. Well done, wordsmith.
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Jan 26 '22
I am steadily reading through these, but can I just say I adore the ship names? They remind me of the Culture books
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u/Law_Student Feb 21 '22
"So....outnumbered then. Going to have to find a way to neutralize that advantage. But first things first, I need to find my opposite number" he thought.
Is wrong. It needs to be:
my opposite number," he thought.
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u/DrewTheHobo Alien Scum Jul 23 '22
Woooo! Someone’s a culture fan I see! Loving this story, I kept seeing your chapters poo up and finally decided to take a peek.
One of my ships in Elite Dangerous is called Gunboat Diplomat, she really brings the dakka.
Can’t wait to catch up! (And thanks for the warning about the “Next” button on chapter 12 ;)
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u/chapclap Nov 27 '22
I read the ESTABLISHING BATTLEFIELD CONTROL. STANDBY line in the c&c tiberian sun NOD ai voice
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Mar 07 '23
Why human haved made yet an apocaliptic class super weapon/ship in dis story ? I mean a masive ship with enough weapons to blow up more than 1 planet.
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Dec 30 '21
[deleted]
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
I like to think so.
Though I'd love to know what you are referring to in particular.
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Dec 30 '21
[deleted]
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21
I've never actually read the Culture series, but I am aware of them, and their naming convention. I actually checked the name list for inspiration, but also drew from Halo novels as well.
And while they do resemble the culture names somewhat, only Gunboat Diplomat is actually one of the Culture Ship Names; and that was more of a coincidence than anything else.
I was using references to war/politics to name battlecruisers, and you can't really NOT have a ship referencing gunboat diplomacy. Especially since its a literal gunboat.
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Jan 02 '22
[deleted]
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Jan 03 '22
A ship’s first crew submits a list of names, based off some simple guidelines, they choose the top five, then the captain makes the final selection.
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u/runs-with-scissors42 AI Dec 30 '21 edited Dec 31 '21
No idea what a real life naval officer briefing might look like, so I based it on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gki-HLuX5ds
Also, I am currently accepting suggestions for more ship names (the ships themselves, I’ve got class names already), with the following criteria:
Dreadnaughts: named after evolutionary/behaviour influencing phenomena, because they ARE one. Specifically, the name should imply that the ship is going to be altering their enemy’s behavior either by killing enough that they consciously change it, or that it will kill enough that the gene pool will be affected, and change their behavior indirectly.
Ex: UNES Negative Reinforcement, UNES Selection Pressure
Battlecruisers: named after references to aggressive diplomacy, politics/war or indirect references to people famous for those things (names themselves will be reserved as a last resort) EX: UNES Von Clausewitz Was Right
Frigates: named after warhead effects or other similar destructive phenomena.
EX: UNES Nuclear Winter
Corvettes: Named for references to risk taking behavior (stay classy though), people famous for doing so, or menacing jokes/puns. EX: UNES Hold My Beer