The FDF Reliant was an unusual ship. It combined the utilitarian style of the Empire, only more focused on function than form. However, in the pursuit of usefulness, and packing in everything needed, a style emerged. Winding catwalks and stark metal plates, consoles and screens, wires hanging out in areas under maintenance. The Reliant does not have the sound dampeners that are present on Star Destroyers, muting the cacophony of noises that a ship’s many systems produce. Wherever you are, the low rumble of reactor pumping energy and cooling fans whirring are constantly present. The high-pitched hum of maintenance drones float on by, propelled by grav-engines, on to whatever the ship requires it, can be heard floating on by in the more remote areas of the ship. When the Marines conduct drills, the thump-thump-thump of personnel in perfect sync, as they move to counter imaginary enemies.
As strange as it may be, however much it differs from the standards of this galaxy, it is home to over 47,000 personnel called this place home. An enormous system of recycling and preservation enables this ship to be completely self-sufficient. The fabrication systems installed onboard allow The Reliant to repair itself, and sustain a decent flotilla of smaller strike craft.
However, this ship is prepared for combat. Thousands of point defence systems litter the hull, with secondary missiles and lasers to intercept fighters and missiles. Some systems are so precise, as to allow them to intercept kinetic rounds. If an enemy’s shots manage to scrape through the wall of flak and counter-fire, a shield, produced by generators that are hidden by meters of thick armor plating. These shields are wrapped around the entire ship, encircling it with a protective shell of invisible particles. These shields can be seen by specialized sensors, ones that the Imperials do not have access to. Underneath these shields, a 3-meter thick carapace of high-resistance alloys sits, ready to absorb damage, whatever the galaxy may throw at it. If an enemy pierces all of these defenses, they would find that these same defenses, minus the point-defence, lays between two hulls, the outer hull, and the inner hull. The outer hull is full of weapons stations, anti-boarding defenses, hangers, cargo bays, and systems that are not needed for the ship to survive. The inner hull holds crew quarters, the bridge, the reactor, and other various computer systems. All of these systems are designed to strike a balance between crew survivability and functionality.
For every shot that scrapes the shields and armor, for every round that is stopped by point-defence, ten more are sprayed out of the Reliant’s versatile weapons systems. A railgun who's shells travel three-fourths of the ship's length before being spat out, like the lighting on many worlds. Smaller secondary railguns mounted on turrets comprise a heavy anti-capital option, with auto-cannons and missile launchers spraying fourth like the angered scions of Zeus, punching holes in armor and shields alike. These weapons are hidden beneath layers of armor and hatches, ready to whip out and dash unsuspecting hostiles.
Not even the best sensors officers, equipped with the Empire’s best tech, could have foreseen the coming storm.
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In the bridge, buried in the center of the ship, a carefully selected crew of officers are at their stations, waiting for instructions. A few officers have multiple displays up, and are working at various tasks. The defence officer is running simulations of boarding maneuvers for the hostile ship. The sensor officer is running scans of the ship, attempting to find points of weakness. Occasionally, a datapad is passed between the differing stations. The officers are arranged in a half-circle shape around a single chair, where Sandra Blake, the commander of the Reliant, sits, watching the situation unfold.
“Anyone got an update on those fighters?”
The tactical officer moves a few windows around the screen before announcing the answer.
“Yes Ma’m! Intelligence reports intercepted transmissions are calling them ‘TIE fighters’. They also told me to pass a message up.”
“What is it?”
“They told me to tell you that the security protocols for the unidentified ship are like paper. They have an incredibly weak firewall, and that they are in the process of downloading the ship’s database for our own analysis.”
“Excellent. Are they prepared to disable enemy shields and weapons?”
“Unfortunately, they seem to be using internally laid lines for transmission. We would need a physical tap to access those functions. Fortunately, this is not the same for comms. We have full access to everything. Intelligence has several monitoring programs running on their comms channel.”
Multiple small red dots begin to flash on the tactical officer’s screens.
“Um, fighters are veering away from-”
The sensor officer interrupts the tactical officer. Stress is visible on their face, with a flashing red text on their screen.
“Enemy is charging weapons!”
“Incoming fire!”
“RAISE SHIELDS!”
“Shields up! Can’t intercept the round!”
The bridge crew visibly brace for impact. The shot simply flies by, right off the top observation post.
“The shot did not hit. No damage. Shot passed right by us, by the upper observation post.”
A small beeping noise starts to emit from the comms officer’s station.
“Receiving a transmission from the Shadow Hawk.”
The captain thinks for a moment.
“Put it up on screen.”