Class: Frigate
Operators: Republican Navy
Mass: 746,747 tons
Cost: 4,681,536,681 talents
Engines: Right Engine Rating 24,000
Center Engine Rating 24,000
Left Engine Rating 24,000
Thrust: 3
Weapons:
Type (Location)
A Spinal Mount (F)
25 30/30 (L)
25 30/30 (R)
50 15/20 (L)
50 15/20 (R)
25 15/15 (L)
25 15/15 (R)
25 15/15 (A)
25 15/30 (F)
Type A Missile System (2 Shots at 50 Points)
Fighters: 48 at 300 tons
Small Craft: 6 at 1,000 tons
Cargo: 10,000 tons
Crew: 810
Passengers: 120
Marines: 168
Overview[]
Since its introduction to the Renegade fleet in 6690, the Horatio has most often served as a scout and close escort for larger capital ships. The Horatio can accelerate at a respectable rate, and its added cargo space is normally used to store additional supplies, giving the ship longer range and patrol time.
Because of its ability to stay on patrol longer than normal, the Horatio often operates alone to minimize T-Doppler detection. The captains of these ships are often quite daring, raiding lightly defended systems when the opportunity arises and attacking lone destroyers. As a rule, these ships operate in TOG space without direct Commonwealth supply. A patrol, as these missions are designated in the Commonwealth, is often of five months or more. During that time, the craft will attempt to raid several different commercial targets clustered in a general area of the TOG Empire.
Capabilities[]
In many ways, the Horatio is a typical example of Renegade naval technology. The triple engines are large for the class, providing ample power should the craft need a little extra.
The Type A spinal mount of the Horatio is the smallest produced in the Commonwealth. With limited range and light striking power, it is less fearsome than those mounted on the more modern frigates. Captains normally attempt to engage the enemy with their broadside laser bays and follow up any damage with the spinal mount. Delivering this attack is very hazardous to the Horatio, however, as the range requires the ship to expose itself to the fire of all but the shortest lasers. The weapons bays are designed for maximum firepower at close range. This requires Horatio captains to maneuver quite near enemy ships to use the bulk of their firepower. The primary broadside weapons of the ship are bays of twenty-five 30/30 lasers, one to a side. These bays have the longest range of any weapon on the ship at 1,125 kilometers. As the range falls, the bays of fifty 15/20 and twenty-five 15/15 lasers can begin to fire, but these have less than half the range of the 30/30 lasers. Experienced TOG captains can keep the Horatio at arm's length and destroy it at leisure, though this may not be possible when engaging a squadron. The fore and aft sections of the ship are not well defended. The back mounts a puny twenty-five 15/15 lasers, making it only marginally less defended than the front, which mounts twenty-five 15/30 lasers. The Horatio's missile system does not have great firepower, but it does allow a second shot. Horatio captains normally fire their missiles early in the fighting and follow up any damage with attacks from their broadside bays.
Supplementing the ship's systems are eight squadrons of fighters. Normally a mixed lot, these fighters tend to be of medium weight or less. Although mixes vary from ship to ship, a Horatio normally carries three squadrons of mixed light fight¬ers, three squadrons of mixed medium fighters, and two squad¬rons of mixed heavy fighters. These craft perform separate raiding and recon missions when the craft is operating as a raider. When the Horatio is part of a squadron, the fighter wave is its first line of defense.
The marine contingents stationed aboard Horatios are among the best at shipboard fighting. Though the unit size of 168 is not large, their training gives them an edge in close assault, which is extremely common when defending or boarding. Hora-tio captains often attempt to use marines to take over crippled enemy ships during the height of an engagement. Using the six small craft, the marines accelerate toward damaged or smaller enemy ships and attack several targets at once. Squads head for the engineering control center, the bridge, and the Combat Infor-mation Center. If the attacks are successful, additional crewmem-bers from the Horatio board the captured ship and begin maneu-vering toward T-space.
Deployment[]
The Horatio is used both independently and in battleship squadrons in the Alaric Grand Dukedom. Often seen alone, these ships are common sights among the border worlds of the Commonwealth. Numerous frigates have also been assigned to battle-ship squadrons alongside the slightly more numerous Valiants. Because the Horatio frequently raids TOG territory, many TOG naval officers stationed near the fringes of the fighting can easily recognize its profile.