Genesis Type: Destroyer In class: 13 at its height In service: 2756 Mass: 400,000 Sail Integrity: 4 Thrust: 4/6 Fuel: 3000 tons Structural Integrity: 60 Armor: 480 tons of Lamellor Ferro Carbide (90+6 fwd, 70+6 aft, 80+6 rest) Docking Collars: 2 Fighters: 18 Small Craft: 4 Crew: 211 Lifeboats: 20 Escape Pods: 0 Grav Decks: 1 95 meter Cargo: 24,995 Bay 1: Small Craft (4) 2 doors Bay 2: Fighters (18) 6 doors Bay 3: Cargo (24,995) 2 doors Other equipment Lithium fusion battery and HPG Weapons: Heatsinks: 2505(5010) (enough) Forward 6 Medium Naval PPCs 10 Extended Range Large Lasers Fore Left/Fore Right 6 Medium Naval PPCs 10 Extended Range Large Lasers Left Broadside/Right Broadside 10 Extended Range Large Lasers Aft Left/Aft Right 3 Medium Naval PPCs 10 Extended Range Large Lasers Aft 6 Medium Naval PPCs 10 Extended Range Large Lasers Overview When the SLS Genesis was launched in the year 2756, press agents working for Blue Nose Clipperships hailed it as the first of a new breed of Star League warship, the culmination of centuries of naval experience, incorporating the most advanced hardware available in a compact and lethal package which would set the pattern for all warships that would follow it. Of course this was not exactly the case. Many admirals considered the Genesis and her sister ships to be far too radical. One famous complaint had to do with what the ship was supposed to be. Though classified as a destroyer, the Genesis was actually the size of a large corvette, and not only that but its performance and intended role actually better fit the frigate classification. Admirals simply didn't know what to do with the Genesis. Most just used the Genesis' under their command as simple pickets or AA ships, and as a result the class soon earned a reputation as an overpriced but adequate warship, which could do its job well, but had far too many expensive bells and whistles when compared to ships like the Lola III, Essex, and Dewey. It took four years for the Genesis to break free of this reputation, and even then it took the direct intervention of General Kerensky. In 2760, Kerensky had all six existing Genesis class vessels organized into a single force, designated the 12th Fleet Destroyer Squadron, under the command of Rear Admiral Ross Lamarche. Assigned the task of supressing pirate activities in the Taurian Concordat, Lamarche set his warships on long, independent patrols (whch the Genesis was especially good at and was in fact designed for). The excellent performance of the Genesis and her sisters during this duty, including a string of highly successful strikes into the Pirate's Haven star cluster, finally validated the design. Blue Nose Clipperships (the original designers) was soon called upon to resume construction of the Genesis class (suspended in 2759) with an order for twenty more ships. Three years later however, the Amaris Coup struck the Star League. Blue Nose had since completed seven new Genesis class vessels. Six of these, known informally as the Mis fleet (each was named for a character in Victor Hugo's classic novel Les Miserables), had already been assigned to the 12th Fleet Destroyer Squadron, while the seventh, the Cosette, was undergoing shakedown trials at Mars. After first helping to cripple the Blue Nose Yards, the Cosette moved insystem along with a pair of Riga class destroyers in order to support SLDF ground forces fighting in Geneva. Unknown to the officers of the small fleet, however, Amaris had gained control of the SDS system. Both Rigas were lost to ground fire, while the Cosette found itself in a game of cat and mouse with the Caspar drones, eventually being caught and overwhelmed. Capabilities: One of the most surprising things about the Genesis was it's massive weapons load. Despite its four hundred thousand ton mass, the Genesis packed an incredible arsenal of weaponry. Thirty medium naval PPCs in ten turrets give the ship firepower comperable to destroyers half again its size. The ship's secondary firepower is also remarkable. Disatisfied with naval missiles for anti-fighter defense, the designers decided on an at the time unprecedented array of eighty improved large lasers. Though these lasers lack the range of naval missiles, they have more than enough range to engage fighters. A full wing of eighteen fighters further augment the Genesis' offensive power. As it was supposed to be a showcase of the future of naval architecture, Blue Nose Clipperships spared no expense on their warship. Though carrying less than five hundred tons of armor, the advanced Lamellor Ferro Carbide composite provides excellent protection. To increase the ship's flexibility, designers included a lithium fusion battery system, and a pair of docking collars. Compared to its contemporaries, the Genesis carried a pitiful amount of cargo, however the nearly twenty five thousand tons of space was more than enough for the ship to opperate continuously for a year. Deployment: The surviving twelve Genesis class ships, all part of the 12th Fleet Destroyer Squadron, led the way into the Terran Hegemony when Kerensky launched his campaign against Amaris. Genesis class vessels were often called upon to conduct highly dangerous scouting operations against occupied worlds, and more than once they did not come back. By the end of the campaign, only one ship, the Marius, was still operational. Four others, the Eponine, Gavroche, Javert, and the Genesis herself, were crippled but salvageable, but of these, only the Javert and Genesis were deemed worth the effort, and the Eponine and Gavroche were each put into a very distant orbit around Nirasaki's star. The remaining ships accompanied the Exodus, but of these, only the Marius survived the Exodus Civil War. It was recently learned that the Diamond Sharks have possession of the Marius. Though the ship has been in their cache fleet, it is believed that they intend to renovate the ship and reactivate it. She is expected to enter service as early as January of 3068. Even more of a surprise, the Draconis Combine recently discovered the Eponine and Gavroche, which had been hidden away in the Nirasaki system for centuries undisturbed. Such a lucky (and somewhat improbable) find has been questioned by some, and it is believed that some elements of Comstar may have provided some aid in the search, though the Order denies any such claims. The Combine is currently examining the wrecks, and their fates have yet to be determined. Variants: Though the Amaris Coup cut short its career, the Genesis was supposed to be the first of a series of new ships built on the same principles(hence the name). A frigate, the Scylla class, was to have been next in the line, followed by an unammed cruiser class. Each was to incorporate new improvements to the basic design as they became available (rumors abounded that the cruiser class would use an advanced jump drive capable of increased jump range, but this was little more than speculation and was never confirmed). Neither of these ships ever made it past the design stage, as initial disatisfaction with the Genesis and the small matter of a full scale civil war made the project a rather low priority.