Artillery Ship

Artillery Ship

History

In 5044 after a hard fought space battle against a numerous and aggressive Thrall species of the Kermac (the Vibn ),Admiral Richard Stahl lamented in a private conversation with Admiral McElligott and the Nul Ruler. “Sometimes I miss the good old days when Marines could rely on Artillery to soften enemy fortifications and pummel their lines with a hail of grenades.”

While this was only a sentence within a conversation. It was the Gray Nul ruler who later asked McElligott :”I studied the Terran concept of Artillery support for the last weeks and I wonder why we do not have Artillery?” McElligott responded. “The age of artillery is long gone. Union soldiers and marines carry more firepower than the entire US Army from back then and for space battles, artillery is useless. Our battleships and arsenal ships carry all the firepower we need.”

But the Nul ruler was not convinced. He not only commanded the Nul race, he also had an Admiral rank in the Union Spatial Navy. He approached SII Ship Worx with a concept he had worked out and wanted the best designers and engineers to work it out. The result was the FIRESTORM prototype, that after its initial testing (in 5055 ) won the overwhelming approval of Naval command, Admiral Stahl and the Assembly.

By Assembly vote and decision (5058 ), the United Stars Marine Corps was authorized to form and maintain 100 Space Artillery Brigades with 5 regiments each. Each regiment having 10 Artillery ships, officially called Mobile Space Ordinance platform. Based on the existing civilian super transporter TIny Tim , Each MSO carries 5000 Exo Load Long Range Translocators. A MSO regiment can blanket an entire solar system with heavy translocator fire, not directly targeted but as area effect weapon. The massive energy storms not only effectively destroy enemy units within, but completely interrupt scanner and sensor operations as well as communications. While the term Artillery Ship is not an official one, it is the common term used.

Ten MSO carries were equipped with redesigned Yotta Load cannons of the Omega Answer project but with Yotta cannons of Seenian origin ( Replacement cannons for the Dominator class ships found at the Seenian Depot .)(1) These Yotta platforms are not under Marine Corps command but unde the auspice of the Union Space Force and their use must be Assembly Authorized.

These cannons have been re-engineered with Union Translocator tech experience,but also with the extensive knowledge of the Servant.