Craft: Tempest Class Advanced Command Cruiser (a.k.a. Tempest Class Star Destroyer)

Combat Abbreviation: TACC, TSD

Mission Profile

The Tempest Advanced Command Cruiser is designed to replace the aging Allegiance class Star Destroyer in Operational Command duties. To this end, it is equipped with a full slate of state-of-the-art communications and sensor equipment, as well as a complete Admiral's bridge (see: Command Facilities). The Tempest is designed to coordinate the movement of entire fleets and serve as a mobile base of operations for even the largest of Imperial campaigns. For this reason, this remarkable warship has been likened to a drastically downscaled Executor class Star Destroyer.

The same facilities that make the Tempest such a capable command ship also make it ideally suited for long-term deployment behind enemy lines: with long-range sensors and powerful communication systems, it can gather intelligence unseen without support and report back to the Empire. In case of detection, she is heavily armed and can fight her way out of most entangelements.

Designer/Manufacturer: Advanced Starship Production Project (ASPP)

Retail Price: Not available for sale. Produced exclusively for the New Order.

Consumables

Designed for long term deployment, the Tempest carries food and water reserves for a deployment as long as 72 standard months, though her general tour of duty is expected to last no more than 36 standard months.

Cargo Capacity: 127 000 metric tonnes

Length Over All: 3100 meters

Sublight Propulsion

While speed and agility are quickly becoming the name of the game in capital ship engagements, Imperial engineers are reluctant to deviate from the tried and true equation of a slow ship with heavy guns and heavy shields. However, the need for a ship that can compete on a modern battlefield was recognized, and engineers went to work on revamping the Tempest's sublight propulsion systems to provide maximum acceleration. The Tempest is by no means a fast ship, but for her size and tonnage, is respectable.

At the same time, designs called for an engine that was harder to detect at range. Through heavy reworking of existing designs, this goal has been accomplished, but with one caveat: designers were unable to develop an engine that would allow the ship to travel at maximum speed and remain invisible: if the Tempest wishes to remain unseen, her top speed is significantly reduced.

Sublight propulsion is provided by three main DreamWhisper Ion Assault Engines and eight smaller engines. The original Whisper Thrust drive was developed by Rendili StarDrive (CUSWE) as a stealth engine. It did not emit energy waves and effectively ran 'silently', but was inefficient and slow. These engines have been redesigned and improved upon with technology borrowed from the Shroud's Dreamweaver engines. The resulting DreamWhisper engine has no tachyon or heat signature, does not emit energy waves, and is highly efficient. A turbocharger recycles exhaust gases to give it more output per unit than any known engine in the galaxy. Microprocessors control engine functions and keep the engines running at optimal efficiency.

Sublight Speed (Cruising, Stealth): 8 MGLT
Sublight Speed (Flank): 14 MGLT
Sublight Speed (Emergency Full): 20 MGLT

Hyperdrive Motivator (Main): x1

Hyperdrive Motivator (Backup): x4

Shields

The Tempest is heavily shielded against both energy and projectile weapon attacks. Combat partical shields are deployed in two layers: the outer layer makes use of next-generation Multi-track shielding, utilizing information from the ship's main computer core to adjust shield angles for maximum deflection of projectile weapons and warheads. The second layer is an incredibly dense layer of shield energy designed to slow projectiles that manage to penetrate the primary shield layer. Both systems are equipped with Reactive energy banks for immedate backup.

Ray shields are projected milimeters beneath the partical shields. This means that while approaching missiles will be detonated by the partical shields, the energy unleashed by the warhead will be dispersed into the ray shield, lessening the impact to the partical shields. From the bridge, a shield operator can physically change the seperation between the two shield layers for maximum effectiveness. Ray shields are also controlled through the Multi-track system, deflecting rather than absorbing enemy attacks. Both ray and partical shields are also equipped with a Reactive energy bank for shield backup.


Hull & Armour Composition

For the development of the Tempest, Imperial engineers turned to the most durable ship in the Imperial Fleet: the infamous Reign class Star Destroyer. While appearing no different from a traditional Star Destroyer, the RCD's composite hull made it virtually indestructable: even when completely disabled and dead, the Reign's hull was often seen to remain intact, allowing the ship to be salvaged.

The hull of the Tempest is a molecularly bonded conglomerate of typical starship defensive armours and advanced microfibers. Molecularly Bonded Armour "is created by bonding metals at the subatomic level. Texture-molding tractor fields hold the metal in place while it is just barely surface-liquefied. The hot metal surface is then bombarded with charged particles that increase its bonding strength and resiliency" (CUSWE).

In terms of ship construction, this eliminates panel gaps between armour plating and between the layers of armour itself. This greatly increases structural resilience, especially in the face of explosive force.

The Tempest's armour composite is made up of a thick layer of bonded hyperbarides and an overlayer of carbon microfiber ceramics. This microfiber is a lightweight but incredibly resilient material, woven at the subatomic level, and when woven with the hyperbarides, provides a shell incredibly resilient to extreme heat and energy. The carbon microfiber is also woven with ionilium, a concept pioneered on the Reign class, which absorbs and disperses ion fire. Energy from ion cannon fire is actually channeled into the ship's main power supply, meaning that it powers the Tempest's shields and return fire. The carbon microfiber also has the distinct advantadge of not bending or shattering: when overwhelmed, carbon microfiber begins to flake away.

To increase structural integrity, veneration architecture is applied throughout the vessel. This design "uses repeated triangular patterns and braces within the dual hulling to reinforce the armor and make it so problem sections can be cut off easily and remotely" (Shroud). Veneration architecture allows the Tempest to sustain heavy damage without compromising her hull, meaning the chances of repairing even a severely damaged vessel are far greater.

All of these elements lead to a hull that is both extremely rigid, allowing for the mounting of heavier guns and engines, and is extremely resilient to enemy fire. Like the Reign, the Tempest's hull is so resilient to physical destroy the ship is nearly impossible.

To protect the bridge crew, and increase the integrity of the conning tower, glasteel has been used in place of transpirsttel. Glasteel is as strong as durasteel, but transparent, allowing it to be incorporated directly into the construction of the bridge for added integrity, while also offering more protection and a greater field of view. The inside of all viewports are tinted with transparisteel, which can be electically influenced to tint to total blackness. As part of the ship's SET (see: ???), all viewports are reverse tinted so that light escaping the ship is kept to a minimum. As an added protection, all viewports are equipped with electromagnetically activated sliders (made of the same construct as the ship's armour) that can be deployed to protect them from weapons fire.


Weapons

The Tempest's weapons systems are among the most advanced in the galaxy. Incorporating a variety of long and short-range weaponry, and a comprehensive point defence system, the TACC can stand on its own against nearly anything the galaxy has to offer, short of a Super Star Destroyer.

All of the Tempest's guns are equipped with highly advanced, dedicated targetting systems, which draw data from the ship's main computer. They are generally controlled by a battery officer, who oversees the operation of one battery. Each individual gun is in turn controlled by the Empire's Advanced Automation Project, pioneered by Black Mantis. This allows for unparalled coordination between batteries, allowing the TACS to more effectively target and eliminate enemy starships.

The Tempest's weapons are divided into three categories:

Ranged

Designed to deliver massive damage from extreme range, these heavy guns are limited in ammunition and firing speed, and draw an immense ammount of power.

(02) Class 2 Electromagnetic Accelerators
(06) Super-Heavy Turbolaser Cannons
(02) Special Missile/Torpedo Launch Tubes

Assault

The original Victory Star Destroyer design is the most copied and most versatile vessel in the galaxy: her arrowhead shape allows ships of this type to bring nearly all of their guns to bear on a single enemy vessel, with half that number available for broadside against any one target. This means that a Star Destroyer can engage much larger ships and bring as much, or more, firepower to bear than their opponent. This design philosophy was improved with the design of the Tempest, with additional weapons mounted to the rear to improve defence to the vessel's stern, while continuing to allow for massive frontal and broadside attacks.

(64) IRD/ASPP Disruptor Batteries
-Disruptors replace traditional turbolasers, with slightly improved firepower and firing rates, but slightly lower range
-4 guns per battery
(20) IRD/ASPP Heavy Disruptor Quad-Cannons
-These massive weapons have slower rates of fire and cannot track starfighters, but their firepower is unparalled
(06) Viper Volley Guns
-25 missiles per gun per firing
-2 dedicated rear-firing
(12) KDY-A Ion Cannon Batteries
(04) KDY-A Ion Bombardment Cannons

Point Defence

These are active defences, designed to shoot down enemy starfighters and warheads.

(64) Phoenix Point Defence Batteries
-See Link
(20) Flak Deployment Tubes
(04) Mine Deployment Tubes

Hanger Capacity

Whereas the Imperator Star Destroyer was designed to fill a multitude of roles, the Tempest is designed for command. In its original inception it was to carry only a token ammount of starfighters, like her sibling the Allegiance did. The Tempest relies largely on dedicated carriers for starfighter support.

(02) Squadrons TIE Diablo/Devil Starfighters
(02) Squadrons TIE Series Starfighters


Troop Capacity

Because the Tempest was designed for command and not ground troop deployment, she carries only a small force of soldiers for internal defence, boarding missions, and the like. These soldiers are Spartan-II class, though, and thus their limited numbers belie the troop strength carried by the vessel. The Tempest does not carry the prefabricated garrison base, mechanized divisions, or landing barges that the smaller Imperator does, and so must rely on other vessels for planetary landings. She does carry a small number of shuttles to ferry troops for smaller missions.


Command Facilities

Designed to command sector fleets and serve as a mobile operational command centre, the Tempest is equipped with a high-tech command facility, sometimes known as an Admiral's Bridge. This bridge is situated below the main bridge, and heavily defended from attack by dedicated shield generators and guns.

"The Admiral’s bridge has the basic centers for ship-borne operations if necessary but also more advanced communications relays and specialized equipment for squadron, task force, and fleet operations. Large plot tables, holographic displays, and monitoring terminals ring the bridge. An uplink is maintained between the two levels via intraship HoloNet." (Astrus)


Sensor Evasion Technologies (SET)

Creating a ship of this magnitude that was invisible was impossible. Instead, Imperial engineers decided that she should be as hard to detect as possible at range: short of a direct telescopic observation, little can detect the Tempest from range when she is running in full sensor stealth mode. This makes her an ideal behind-enemy-lines reconnaissance vessel.

When engaged in close quarters combat, the Tempest is equipped with a new XP-110 Illusion Sensor Deceiver. This system does not mask the ship's presence, but makes it exceedingly difficult to target. Incoming sensor beems are magnified and reflected back towards the receivers. The effect is such that when viewed by enemy sensors, the ship appears to be not one, but as many as a dozen Star Destroyers, all of them interlaced with one another. This effect has been likened to waving one's hand in front of a holomonitor and trying to count the fingers. This reduces coordinated fire against the Tempest dramatically.


Miscellaneous

As a command and control vessel, the Tempest is also specially equipped with a number of miscellaneous technologies. These include complete internal defenses, and a scaled-down Dictator communications package. This device does not contain all of the jamming measures employed by the dedicated jamming ship, but it does allow the TACS to break most enemy jamming, as well as to send tight-beam, encrypted transmissions undetected from behind enemy lines.


Background

Gloria Imperium. It was with those words that the first Allegiance class Star Destroyer was launched some half a century ago. Since that day the Imperial fleet has grown in size and scope, and so to have its ships. The present day Imperator, now in its fifth iteration, is larger than the Allegiance class that was supposed to act as its command ship. While the newer Reign design has proven capable and battle-worthy, it too is showing its age compared to the newer and better ships of the Empire, and its enemies. With the Rebellion's shift from a rag-tag collection of aliens relying on outdated technology to a worlds-spanning government, a great leap forward in their technology has been seen. No longer is it sufficient for an Imperial warship to sport big armour and big guns: in this day and age, they must be at the cutting edge of technological development.

Too, while the Empire has a number of combat ships slotting in under 2500 meters, meeting a number of requirements and mission parameters, it lacked an intermediate command vessel situated between the Reign and the much larger Conqueror and Messiah class vessels.

Thus the Tempest was born. Setting the bar for starship design as the original Imperator and Reign did before it, the Tempest Advanced Command Destroyer is the most technically advanced warship in the galaxy. Stretching more than three kilometres, this vessel is designed to strike terror into the hearts of the Empire's opponents while also retaining the practical, disctinctive dagger shape of the Star Destroyer.

Development of the TACC began shortly after the Wrath epidemic, when it was realized that the Empire's ability to fight a war had been severely compromised. However, the Tempest's development was incredibly expensive, and as the Empire reeled from the devestating effects of Wrath, it's development was post-poned and, eventually, cancelled.

Imperial designers began to revisit the design at the behest of Grand Moff Bhindi Drayson, who requested a flagship to supplemant the Reign design. Like the original design, the renewed Tempest is an incredibly expensive vessel both in its development and construction, and only Drayson's unique position allowed for its development to continue. As it is, the project was almost cancelled several times by the Imperial High Command. The Tempest costs nearly as much to produce as the larger Messiah, though this is expected to change as the new vessel enters regular production.

As it is, Tempest vessels are reserved for proper fleet command roles. A variant based on the same hull, but more traditionally equipped, is slated for production under the name Nemesis. This vessel will be sold to sector Moffs who seek something larger and more intimidating than the 'standard' Star Destroyer.

Existing Allegiance designs will be relocated to lower-priority areas as the Tempest class becomes more readily available.