Ruizong

    • Overview:
    • Rlaan capital vessels are much less specialized than their Human or Aeran counterparts and more closely resemble scaled versions of each other. While the Ruizong does engage smaller vessels than it's larger relatives, this often seems as much a function of the sort of weaponry that can be fit in this hull as any intent to correspond to more traditional capital escort roles.
    • ship size:
    • ~1.5 km long
    • basic shape & rhythm:
      • Approximately golden ratio (1.6) ratio between length and average girth
      • Four main sections, each a curved ovoid overlapped and merged with the adjacent ones, the front and rear larger than the middle two, which are similar in size
      • The top and bottom are slightly flatter than the sides, given a subtly squashed appearance
      • Each section is subtly asymmetric in overall shape
      • The surface features many smaller bubble shapes that emerge like blisters or buboes pushing out from within the surface of the hull, and these blisters are asymmetrically present
      • Docking spines or sensor clusters often erupt from these blisters, but some are unadorned, and other sensors and docking spines emerge from otherwise unremarkable portions of the hull
      • The main shuttle bay opening is located on the bottom of the ship at the merge point between the two middle sections of the ship
      • Drone ports emerge from upper portions of the two middle sections like enormous curving varicose veins bulging out from the hull as they go from the empty interior to the armored exit ports. (The drones themselves are shaped somewhat like shuttlecocks)
      • Sensors are prominent both in the equatorial band and in two latitude bands about half way up and halfway down, going all around the ship
      • Four rows of radiator fins are present, comprised of many radiator fins, each of which is similar in structure but about twice as large in each dimension as those on a Rlaan strike craft, such as the Shizu, each row vaguely reminiscent of stegosaurus plates
      • The radiator rows are closer to the equator sensor line than to the above or below sensor lines, but otherwise symmetrically deployed from nearly front to nearly back across all four sections
      • There are four large bulges at both front and rear, symmetrically oriented dead ahead and dead astern, on which the chase guns are mounted, each featuring a sizeable gravitic weapon looking just a bit too big to be otherwise turreted, with only the business end truly poking out of the weapons blister.
      • There are eight stripes of smaller weapons arcing in front to back rows
      • One row each just equator-ward of the radiator fins, and four more, each just a bit above the higher or below the lower sensor lattitude stripes
      • From afar, each row is a repeating series of dots of different size, each dot representing either a semi-fixed lens laser (largest), an anti-fighter point defense turret (less large), or an anti-missile turret (not very large at all) in about a 1:1:2 ratio
      • There is one laser per section per row, but the number of other turrets is more fungible.
      • Various docking spines emerge from the middle two sections of the ship, and extend out quite far, and not all to the same distance.
    • textures & paneling:
    • While there is the similar micro-texture discussed for the Rlaan strike craft and the same embossed scarred-skin texture of the sprayed-on epoxy sealant, there is also significant macro-structure visible from the outside. Each of the main sections is made of large curved panels, glued to the vast, empty superstructure and to each other. Full EVA-ready maintenance hatches are frequently visible, along with "hydrant and spray hose" systems - this ship expects to be damaged in combat and have to do field repairs.
    • materials:
    • While again usually masked by the most superficial of the layers, naked armor plating is apparent around all moving parts. In particular, turrets, drone portals, and the radial door to the shuttle bay.
    • colors & factions:
    • Rlaan military only, standard Rlaan color scheme of reds, purples, burgundy.
    • modular pieces:
    • Preferring redundancy, the reactors and shield emitters in the Ruizong are present in larger Rlaan capital ships, only in greater quantity. Likewise, the chase cannons reappear as turreted weapons. The same lasers do not reappear except in the Dezong, where they are used as turreted combined point defense/anti-strike-craft weapons, being otherwise replaced with more powerful lasers. Point defense turrets and anti-fighter turrets are the same as those used on most Rlaan capital and subcapital ships, as are sensors and radiator fins, changing in number and placement, but not item.
    • weapons and armor:
    • The quality and quantity of armor on Rlaan capital ships is stunning. They make the finest ablative armor of any extant species, and use it in volume, both on the hull and around vital internal components. However, once the armor is breached, the cobweb-like internals that span the vast empty spaces of a Rlaan capital vessel, unlike the more strut & girder approach of Humans and Aerans for supporting their vast, hollow, space vessels, is rather fragile, and systems damage can begin to accumulate quickly.
    • The front and rear chase gravitic cannons on the Ruizong are slightly too large for turreting on a ship of this size, but are the same as will be found on turrets in larger Rlaan vessels. They suffer from the familiar drawback of all gravitic weaponry, namely, range. However, once within knife-fighting range, so to speak, they are quite capable of slashing an unshielded, crippled capital vessel apart, or pummeling a shielded one hard enough to break apart more vulnerable surface features. The laser deployment, while not turreted has enough lens deformation at each opening to allow for reasonable coverage against smaller vessels and point targets.
    • propulsion:
    • Rlaan drive. Modified shield emitters all around hull and on radiator fins.
    • mobility:
    • The tradeoff between omnidirectional thrust and magnitude of thrust that seems questionable in Rlaan strike craft is clearly much more fruitful in their capital vessels. The scaling curve with the Rlaan drive is much more generous, and Rlaan capital vessels can outaccelerate all other vessels of comparable size, outrotate all but those specifically designed for axial rotation, and make meaningful the concept of a capital ship "maneuvering". The Rlaan make use of this in aggressive tactics that bear down doggedly on concentrations of enemy capital vessels, chasing them down and forcing close-range engagements favourable to Rlaan weapon loadouts.
    • power/ reactors:
    • 12 large reactors, but they are not easily evidenced, except for the presence of overly large armored maintenance hatches on each of the sections. There are two reactors each in the smaller sections, and four each in the larger.
    • functionality/ role:
    • Rlaan capital ships are less differentiated, but this is one of the lighter ones. It will lead the charge of a Rlaan capital swarm maneuver, sowing disorder and attempting to remove minor obstacles that could intercede between the larger Rlaan cruisers and battleships and their intended capital prey. Was also used in counter-assault against particularly large deployments of Aeran strike craft, due to its laser weaponry being fairly effective against Aeran corvettes. Despite being generally treated as a destroyer-analog, will often be seen as the leader of smaller Rlaan fleets as well as in system patrols in key Rlaan systems.
    • utilities, arms grabbers, etc:
    • Docking spines with flexible/adjustable final portions for connecting to smaller craft. Internal conveyors, conduits for fuel, supplies, personnel. Massive radial bay doors on main shuttle bay, cranes internal to shuttle bay for unloading container cargo.
    • lighting, how well lit is the ship:
    • Maintenance hatches and repair crew equipment well lit in purple. Other portions dimly lit in red. Ports and docking spines brightly lit in blue.
    • command center:
    • Four identical command centers, one in each primary section of the vessel. Each command center is heavily armored, with armor thicker than the external hull armoring. Any one of these command centers can adequately direct the entire vessel.
    • crew size:
    • ~300 Rlaan, many of them repair specialists.
    • cargo space:
    • While not designed to carry large quantities of container cargo, both drone bays, long term supplies, and vast unpressurized spaces can be easily converted to storage as necessary. Primary disadvantage of the former two options, the latter of which (long-term supplies) is an easy conversion, is that it is not optimized for rapid loading or unloading of particular cargo.
    • range capability:
    • Out of combat, can operate for 2-3 months at a time, if fully stocked, but is rarely this well provisioned (max provisioning is for interstellar voyages). Usually requires resupply every few weeks.
    • sensors:
    • While most prevalent along the three sensor stripe latitudes, various sensors, and drone transceivers in particular, dot the rest of the ship. Most of the sensors are not significantly larger than those on the Shizu's EW suite, especuially lights and lenses. However, some dish and antennae type sensors are infrequently much bigger.
    • docking/ interactions:
    • Gets resupply via shuttles. Interacts with small craft via docking spine.
    • common maneuvers/tactics:
    • Charges into fray. Targets surface targets of secondarily targeted capital vessels and any smaller craft in range with laser arrays. Will release some drones defensively, during charge, but will release bulk of drones when deepest in enemy formations. (Drones considered expendable - they will not be collected if retreating and will kamikaze/self-destruct if no friendly ships can be detected for any prolonged period of time). Primary effects of drone release are intended to be disruptive, not damaging.
    • civilian or military:
    • Strictly military.
    • significant technologies description:
    • Redundancy:
    • Heavy. Of its twelve reactors, none are dedicated to particular subsystems. Ranking crew are distributed evenly throughout four command centers in different parts of the ship. This is a ship designed for brutal, short-range ravaging, leaving one ship damaged and the other dead. Coolant supplies, internal heat sinks, and plumbing are similarly redundant. This ship can keep fighting while damaged.