GLΩAMING
SOC-7
Shameless outsourcing of thinking here, hope you don't mind...
In my campaign, the PCs must alert the Imperial Navy to a rogue cult attempting to rearm a ancient and decayed fleet in wild space. This mothballed fleet (TL 15) is located inside a crater approximately 10km in radius, surrounded by old infrastructure and defences (also TL 15) which have been partially restored by the cultists (who number in the few thousand). All located on an airless, tidally locked rock similar to Mercury.
Assuming the PCs provide approximately that information (and are believed!), what would the respect of the Imperial Navy be? What forces would they send? What would their strategy be when they arrived? Would they want to capture rather than destroy the target?
My current idea is something like this:
The Navy sends along a heavy cruiser or two, or perhaps a Battleship. Accompanied by escorts, tenders, etc. Maybe a Light Carrier too.
If no meson screen is in place, they fry the site with meson guns for a few days and then land the troop marine complements of the ships to clean up.
If there are screens, they operate in three stages:
Land BD marines via fall from orbit (no air, so it's fast and doesn't need an ablat shield) + grav belts to land safely, who then take out meson screens/nuclear dampers. Individuals are dropped rather than being carried via shuttles as shuttles are comparatively easy to hit.
Accompanied by targeted meson strikes from above on enemy weapon positions, more troops and armoured vehicles (if available) will be landed, who will occupy the crater while being supported by ortillery.
Prisoners are loaded onto shuttles and sent to low berths on ship, everyone goes home. A destroyer or two is left behind until a more permanent garrison can be established.
Is this more or less realistic, given the situation and the somewhat hidebound nature of the Imperial Navy?
I'd love to hear other ideas! Something about mine feels off.
In my campaign, the PCs must alert the Imperial Navy to a rogue cult attempting to rearm a ancient and decayed fleet in wild space. This mothballed fleet (TL 15) is located inside a crater approximately 10km in radius, surrounded by old infrastructure and defences (also TL 15) which have been partially restored by the cultists (who number in the few thousand). All located on an airless, tidally locked rock similar to Mercury.
Assuming the PCs provide approximately that information (and are believed!), what would the respect of the Imperial Navy be? What forces would they send? What would their strategy be when they arrived? Would they want to capture rather than destroy the target?
My current idea is something like this:
The Navy sends along a heavy cruiser or two, or perhaps a Battleship. Accompanied by escorts, tenders, etc. Maybe a Light Carrier too.
If no meson screen is in place, they fry the site with meson guns for a few days and then land the troop marine complements of the ships to clean up.
If there are screens, they operate in three stages:
Land BD marines via fall from orbit (no air, so it's fast and doesn't need an ablat shield) + grav belts to land safely, who then take out meson screens/nuclear dampers. Individuals are dropped rather than being carried via shuttles as shuttles are comparatively easy to hit.
Accompanied by targeted meson strikes from above on enemy weapon positions, more troops and armoured vehicles (if available) will be landed, who will occupy the crater while being supported by ortillery.
Prisoners are loaded onto shuttles and sent to low berths on ship, everyone goes home. A destroyer or two is left behind until a more permanent garrison can be established.
Is this more or less realistic, given the situation and the somewhat hidebound nature of the Imperial Navy?
I'd love to hear other ideas! Something about mine feels off.