Mercury (Heavy Battleship) ATwT

==Overview==
The Mercury-Class Battleship is a Inner Sphere Warship produced in the Alternate Timeline with Thanks (ATwT) AU and designed by player JA Baker/Starbug in 2011, brought into use in Dragon Cat's Fan Alternate Universe, November 2014 with background story written by him. The class was first introduced in the AU's universe year of 3095. 
==Known Ship History==
Created in utmost secrecy at the secure Hadrian's Command anchorage, the FSS Black Prince is the lead ship in a new class of Heavy Battleship intended to ensure the superiority of the Federated Suns fleet against all potential aggressors. One of the largest vessels ever built, the new Mercury class is out-massed only by the Clan's Leviathan class Heavy Battleships.
The Black Prince has taken far longer than intended to enter service; the original designed called for the same high acceleration as the Columbia class Battleship it is intended to replace, but early attempts to build a drive unit big enough to move a ship its size at 3G's created sympathetic vibrations that almost ripped apart the shipyard. Even when they were shut down, the damage done took years to repair and delayed the project while they tried to find a way around the problem. In the end it was estimated that the required strengthening of the ships internal structure would require the removal of most of its offensive armament, and it was decided to go with a smaller drive and lower acceleration profile, but with an improved weapons load-out.
===Notable Vessels & Crews:===
*FSS Black Prince (originally FSS Mercury) - Assigned to the 1st Battle Group, crippled in the Monroe system as of 3114.Black Prince & Sword & Sun Status as of 3114.
*FSS Sword and Sun - Assigned to the 1st Battle Group, damaged, current in Monroe with sister ship, Black Prince.
*FSS Prince of Luther - (Was Planned) Unknown Status
===Deployment===
The unavailing of the Black Prince sent shock-waves across the Inner
Sphere and beyond. Few believed that anyone outside of the Ghost Bears and the
Snow Ravens had the means or inclination to build something so massive and
powerful, and with current tensions along their shared boarder remaining
strained at best, the Capellan Confederation is understandably concerned.
Their ambassador to the Star League called the Black Prince a direct and
unmistakable provocation, but he was unable to gather enough support to force
a vote on having the ship conscripted by the Star League Defense Force.
It remains unknown just how the Capellan Confederation plans to respond
to a ship that could cripple the bulk of their fleet with ease.
==Armament and Equipment==
The Black Prince has taken far longer than intended to enter service; the
original designed called for the same high acceleration as the Columbia class
Battleship it is intended to replace, but early attempts to build a drive unit
big enough to move a ship its size at 3G's created sympathetic vibrations that
almost ripped apart the shipyard. Even when they were shut down, the damage
done took years to repair and delayed the project while they tried to find a
way around the problem. In the end it was estimated that the required
strengthening of the ships internal structure would require the removal of
most of its offensive armament, and it was decided to go with a smaller drive
and lower acceleration profile, but with an improved weapons load-out.
Beyond that, the Black Prince carries a fairly typical weapons load for a
modern Battleship; the heavy weaponry is concentrating in the forward and side
arcs, with enough in the rear to dissuade people from following too close. The
primary ship-to-ship weapons are a number of Super-Rand Heavy Naval Particle
Projection Cannons and Scarborough-30 Series Naval Autocannons, but they are
supplemented by eight Heavy Naval Gauss Rifles in the forward arc to pound the
enemy while the Black Prince closes range. Anti-fighter defense is taken care
of by a number of medium caliber LBX autocannons and banks of lasers.
Protection comes in the form of forty MainFire Point Defense Cannons and
almost 3,500 tons of ferro-carbide armor. An additional safety feature is the
placing of the fuel bunkers deep within the ship, around the Kearny-Fuchida
Hyperdrive attached to the KF Drive is a Lithium Fusion Battery Mk II a new 
experimental piece of equipment developed by the NAIS. This system allows
the Mercury-class to make three jumps without recharging the vessel's energy
cells. The system is still in the development stages and although it gives the
vessel increased tactical frequency overuse could cause the WarShip catastrophic
damage. A number of XP1 Kamen Screen Launchers provide an extra layer of
defense.
The Black Prince carries 120 fighters, eight small and four DropShips,
and has full flag capacity, with extra accommodations, a rare Naval
Comm-Scanner Suite and a Naval C3 system.
===Weapon Placement===
*;NOSE - : 2 x Naval Gauss Rifle (Heavy) (50 rounds), 2 x Naval Gauss Rifle (Heavy) (50 rounds), 2 x Naval PPC (Heavy), 4 x LB 5-X AC(200 rounds), 6 x ER Large Lasers, 5 x Anti-Missile System (Point Defense)
*;Front Right & Left (side) (per each firing arc) - : 2 x Naval Gauss Rifle (Heavy) (50 rounds), 2 x Naval PPC (Heavy), 2 Class-30 Naval AutoCannon (NAC/30) (40 Rounds), 2 Class-30 Naval AutoCannon (NAC/30) (40 Rounds), 4 x LB 5-X AC (200 rounds), 6 x ER Large Lasers, 5 x Anti-Missile System (600 Rounds) (Point Defense), 2 x Screen Launcher (40 scrns)
*;BROADSIDE (side) Right & Left (per each firing arc) - : 2 Class-30 Naval AutoCannon (NAC/30) (40 Rounds), 2 Class-30 Naval AutoCannon (NAC/30) (40 Rounds), 2 Class-30 Naval AutoCannon (NAC/30) (40 Rounds), 2 Class-30 Naval AutoCannon (NAC/30) (40 Rounds), 4 x LB 5-X AC (200 rounds), 6 x ER Large Lasers, 5 x Anti-Missile System (600 Rounds) (Point Defense)
*;AFT Right & Left (per each per firing arc) - : 2 x Naval PPC (Heavy), 2 Class-30 Naval AutoCannon (NAC/30) (40 Rounds), 2 Class-30 Naval AutoCannon (NAC/30) (40 Rounds), 4 x LB 5-X AC (200 rounds), 6 x ER Large Lasers, 5 x Anti-Missile System (600 Rounds) (Point Defense), 2 x Screen Launcher (40 scrns)
*;AFT - : 4 x Naval PPC (Heavy), 4 x LB 5-X AC (200 rounds), 6 x ER Large Lasers, 5 x Anti-Missile System (600 Rounds) (Point Defense)
==Cargo==
* Bay 1 - Fighters (60) / Small Craft (8) - 4 Doors
* Bay 2 - Fighters (60) / Small Craft (8) - 4 Doors
* Bay 3 - Large Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (1) / Naval C3 System - 0 Doors
* Bay 4 - Cargo (Unspecified - See Notes) - 4 Doors
*Note: This ship was designed using Heavy Metal Aero (HMA), which was the official BattleTech record sheet design program. However, this has been obsoleted since then. It's uncertain Cargo layout noted above is correct. Original designer did not include weights of the cargo. As well, combination of Shuttle & Fighter Bays using the same door. It is unclear this correct.
==Notes==
*Missing Information - Since the use of the HMA was missing information. Battle Value was not included in the original posting of the ship.
*Image Note - The image use not necessary intended appearance of the Mercury-Class Heavy Battleship. The image of the Dreadnought-Class Battleship, but the image non-canon rendition of the ship.
==Bibliography==
* Alternate Timeline with Thanks (AU)
==References==
Category:Works by JA Baker
Category:Alternate Timeline with Thanks AU
Category:Works by DragonCat
Category:Large WarShips
Category:WarShipsCustom