HMS Hood

***“Once the pride of the fleet, now, the pride of the people.”***

**-Imperial Motto of HMS Hood-**

## **Overview**

Famed for achieving daring deeds during her service, Her Majesty's Ship (HMS) **Hood** is a Retribution-class multirole battleship designed and built by the Eternal Empire shortly after the declaration of the ‘Uneasy Peace’ occuring at the Imperial-Dyss border in 2288. Uniquely constructed, the multirole battleships of the Empire would later be turned into a elite force of naval vessels, being capable of operating independently in space, sea, and even the ocean depths, making it one of the most adaptable warships in the Galaxy. The Hood made several raids and incursions at the Dyss, and their bordering planets, alongside that, it also scored many victories and escaped many deadly situations on its very own, winning the heart of the nation every time it sailed back to port in safety during a timespan of 25 years. The many occasions when the Hood has been cited eventually gained her the nickname of 'The daughter of the Empress’, an even greater title than the ship of the lines of the Sovereign Armadas.

## **History**

### **The Commander's Retribution**

At the times when the first Retribution-class warship was designed, the lead ship, HMS Hood (Unusual naming due to past historical references of the previously prestigious Hood in Pre-exodus times), was laid with some uncertainty at the land shipyards of New-Earth and carefully crafted from bottom to top as a specialised ship capable of fighting as a Submerged Vessel, Maritime Vessel and Space Vessel, all carefully studied and implemented into the craft's systems. It's design, resembling the old battleships from Earth, was initially taken from older Pre-exodus vessels and upgraded both as a symbol and a fighting force against any enemies the Empire encountered. At first, many Royal Navy officials were skeptical about the costly design, but after a series of tests with various prototype models, the class was commissioned at last in 2289, and Hood would star as the first **Multirole battleship** of the class.

The first and only commander of the ship in question, Evergarden of Emala “Darjeeling”, although initially not following a military career, applied to the Naval Academy after receiving news about the death of her close cousin during a suicide strike at the Imperial flagship fighting against Dyss ships in a naval battle, a move that eagerly got her to later show incredible results in training, something that ultimately got her indicated to command HMS Hood as a result. Her royal blood quickly raised the novice ship status among the admiralty, another key detail which allowed the commanders to revise greater plans for the vessel and it's elite trained crew.

After all preparations were concluded in order for the green light to be given, the Maiden Voyage of the ship was set and its mission designated, soon, it's legacy would take shape in Imperial history once more.

### **The Maiden's First Voyage**

Needless to say, the first mission of the still experimental HMS Hood was not a easy one, however. After the ceasefire was 'signed’ and the 'Uneasy Peace’ came along, both Imperial and Dyss navy vessels continued raiding each other's borders, a move the Imperial Admiralty wanted to put an end upon the Empire's side. The mission of the ship was to, like many other veteran vessels, promote unrestricted raids against any Dyss target they found along their path, with greater focuses applying to military bases and resupplying stations operating close to the border. The tactics utilized during such raids were deemed very dangerous for newer crews like the ones in the Hood, a task that would require being mostly left to raid and hunt targets as a lone wolf during these operations, though, needless to say, with great enthusiasm from the sailors and incentives from the designing engineers, Naval High command approved the ship's Maiden mission, **'Operation Retribution’**, and the Hood was only vessel called to take part upon it.

#### **Lone Hunter**

The initial stages of the operation were swift and professional. Upon entering Dyss space, the Hood spotted and, moments later, destroyed a wandering science vessel in the system, jumping to another star right after to prevent being spotted on enemy sensors. Once again the Hood lurked under the shadows, their first prize was taken, and many more still bound come for finally declare the mission a success.

Days later, in response towards the destruction of their science vessel, the Dyss sent out two patrol flotillas containing three small Corvettes on each section, all headed for neighboring systems to search and destroy the disruptive Imperial Vessel. However, their ruthless search didn't go unnoticed by the Hood's crew, and shortly after they were detected by Her Majesty's Vessel, Evergarden devised a divide and conquer strategy to catch and annihilate both Dyss groups before they could even react to the attacks. Initially, she lured them by transmitting a unencrypted message at the system they were located, a move that ultimately had the desired effect, as only one of the Flotillas plotted course for the system where Hood was, while leaving the other to scavenge and rescue any survivors of the Science ship. Now the time came to lay an ambush, the Hood moved behind a depopulated planet of the system (Previously, as reports suggested, a destroyed Dyss colony) in hopes of jamming Dyss scanners and preventing them of detecting the Vessel and awaited the arrival of their enemy counterparts. From that point onwards, the one with the most adaptability and resilience would endure in the fighting.

As the Corvette detachment arrived at the system burning through their FTL engines, the Hood went on full radio silence to prevent any energy readings for their enemies, the Dyss fell for the trap, and soon they would be in the lion's jaws. Seeing no targets at first, the three Corvettes proceeded with caution, bunching up close enough to form a defensive stance and heading to the last contact emitted by the Hood, when they finally approached the planet, however, the attack was upon them. Burning out from the atmosphere like a rocket, the HMS Hood bombarded the leading Corvette with all of its main guns, cutting the craft into two burning wreckages. The other two vessels scrambled to get in combat formation, but by the time they had their weapons loaded and aimed, the Imperial Battleship was already  collision course against the middle Corvette, and within mere seconds the second ship was put out of action and blown by the Hood's armoured bow, in just a few moments, the calm and desolated space became a killing ground like years ago. The last Dyss Corvette didn't back down, however, and just when it was about to fire it's weapons against the Imperial Battleship, Tempest space fighters previously following the Hood engaged and immobilised the ship's systems, leaving it incapable of returning fire, activating shields or even making a emergency FTL jump to another system, *“She was dead in the water, and the crew would sink with their ship.”* as Evergarden would later have reported.

#### **A Wild Cruiser Appears!**

The aftermath of the engagement was deemed as flawless, not only had the Hood eliminated all hostile ships in its area, but it also did not take a single casualty within its ranks during the fight. But their victory celebration would have to be postponed, as not only had the other Corvette flotilla arrived in the system, but it also was reinforced by a previously undetected Dyss Cruiser, the crews of the ship once again prepared for battlestations, while Evergarden struggle to find a alternative, the fight wasn't over yet.

As soon as the Cruiser and it's escorts managed to regroup, they charged straight towards the Battleship, and, by the fear of being overwhelmed, Evergarden ordered a retreat from the planet's orbit, soonly enough, the chase would commence. While still being fast enough to outrun the enemy cruiser, the Hood's speed didn't came close to match the ones from the Corvettes, realising this, the commander once again utilized the environment to her favour, steering her ship to a tight asteroid field in hopes of luring the Corvettes away from the Capital ship and surprising them with another head-on maneuver. It was a risky bet, but the Hood's slim design and the crew's excellent skills would prove crucial for the success of the tactic.

In a matter of minutes, the Dyss were close enough to start their artillery strikes against the Imperial Vessel, the bombardment would shortly begin around the Battleship as a result. However, as soon as the Hood had the opportunity, it snuck through the nearest asteroid in hopes of dodging the incoming enemy fire, the Corvettes followed, and soon a wild and even more dangerous chase began at the asteroid belt surrounding the planet. For a few minutes, the Dyss seemed to have lost the Imperial Battleship, but that uncertainty was shortly lived, as the Hood soon reappeared from behind a large planetoid, broadsiding and destroying one of the Corvettes by a surprise strike, all that whilst making a straight dash towards the Cruiser awaiting her at the outside of the asteroids course. They were bound to another head-on charge, but the commander had a trick on her sleeve, her last chance of getting out unscaved from the fight.

The mad charge from the Hood was soon noticed by the Cruiser's crew, who, hoping to counter the tactic, scrambled to get in a proper position to broadside the fast-coming Imperial Vessel, turning the ship sideways and aiming it's large weapons in anticipation for firing everything they had against the Hood. These moves were predicted by Evergarden, however, and when the Dyss vessel had fully completed its turn, the Hood launched its six bow torpedoes against the Cruiser's port side, a attack she would never survive. When the torpedoes made their way on the ship's structure, they detonated the entire left side of the vessel, not letting a single escape pod reach a safe distance from the finishing blow caused by the consecutive explosions of the Imperial armaments. Upon seeing their own reinforcement being torn apart, the remaining other two Corvettes whom managed to get out of the asteroid belt made their final decision to retreat from the planet, at last leaving the Imperial Battleship to celebrate it's overwhelming victory against its demoralised Dyss counterparts.

The remaining of the mission was to head home safely. Alongside with the Hood, their greatest prize of the engagement, the previously disabled Dyss Corvette, was 'towed’ by the Battleship and with its crew still sealed inside the vessel. Their arrival home at New Earth was celebrated dearly, and with the execution of the Dyss crew at the main square of the Imperial capital, the officers of the Hood received the **Honorary Cross of Duty**, the third highest decoration of the Royal Navy. The success of their operation raised many spirits amongst the Admiralty, and in a matter of days, plans were being made to commission two other Retribution-Class Multirole Battleships, both later named as **HMS Retribution** and **HMS Queen Mary**. Alongside that, with the capture of the Dyss Corvette, a number of technologies would be salvaged from it and applied on Imperial ships, a fact that later proved a key detail for the Hood's Mk. II Enhancements close to the turn of the century.

### **Lion From the North**

#### **Happy Times**

Whilst some celebrations were carried for a few couple of days by the crew, shortly after repairs were completed in the ship's bow, the Mighty Hood went to work once more in the Northern desolated systems controlled by both interstellar superpowers. For months it preyed upon unsuspected merchant and civilian vessels, racking up roughly 2 million tons of cargo and materials either destroyed or apprehended, the second largest number amongst raider vessels, lacking behind only HMS Intruder, a veteran commerce raider Destroyer whose catches numbered monumental 4,5 million tons alone, a new record for the famed warship.

These days of large unrestricted commerce raiding lasted for more than six whole years (2290 - 2296), a moment which would later be baptized as “***Happy Times***”, by the Imperial raiding flotillas operating into Dyss territory. For the Hood and it's crew, it was also a time that proved as a great training ground for new tactics and a way to test experimental weapons constantly being added into the ship's systems, not only that, but with many other daring missions carried throughout the star systems and the growing importance of the Retribution-Class Multirole Battleships, a major upgrade on weapons was conducted, later bunching up with the other modifications conducted during the Hood's Mk. II Enhancements.

#### **Losing Ground**

However, as all things once come to an ending, for the Happy Times, it was no different. The two most defining marks for the end of such naval era were the **Sinking of HMS Retribution** and the increasing military rule of the Dyss over their borders, these two factors raised many concerns amongst the Imperial Admiralty, of which, at some point even considered abandoning altogether raiding operations on the northern borders, a topic that provoked great outrage on behalf of the veteran ship captains of the time. Evergarden, who at that point held the prestigious rank of Admiral, was one of the greatest opposing voices to the closing of the raids on Dyss targets, and went so far as asking to command a last great attack on the closest Dyss spaceport, a mission that, if executed properly, would temporarily halt Dyss activity on its own borders once more, allowing the exploitation of further raids to be conducted freely again.

The request was temporarily gridlocked, but after some days, the Admiralty formulated **Operation Ruby**, and with it, the formation of the **Darjeeling Raiding Squadron**. The grounds were paved, and a last ditch effort would be launched to North by the leadership of the Daughter of the Empress herself.

### **From the Claws of Defeat...**

#### **Plagued from the Beginning**

The assembly of D.R.S. took several days to be completed, but by the time the ship rosters were filled in, it numbered 2 Battleships, 1 Destroyer and 2 Raiding Corvettes (**HMS Hood**, **HMS Queen Mary**, **HMS Intruder**, **HMS Achilles** and **HMS Ajax**), all volunteer crafts that, although rivaled each other constantly in the past, were hoping to prove the Admiral's point and resume to raiding activities.

Unfortunately, by the time the Squadron had left the spaceport of New Jamestown, **HMS Ajax** ran into malfunction on her main weapons systems and had to left behind for extensive repairs, abandoning the other vessels to continue their missions on their own. The operation itself would bring many other problems as well since, not only was gathered intel questionable for its authenticity, but many of the veteran captains from other vessels frequently disobeyed Evergarden's command. Overconfident and lacking the much needed planning to put the mission in action, it was only a matter of time before disaster would strike the force once again.

Nevertheless, when the Squadron at last arrived at the system, tactics were thrown out of the the window right off the bat, and newer plans were soon in dire need to be revised. The Dyss fortifications not only pulled the Imperial Vessels close to its fire radius, but it also temporarily disabled communications between all warships within the fleet, leaving even the most composed of crews scrambling to find a solution for the problem as fast as possible. The situation would only worsen, however, as a large Dyss fleet soon emerged in aid of their station, numbering dozens of warships headed straight for the Imperial invaders, the **Battle of the High Seas** was upon them.

#### **Battle of the High Seas**

Even before communications were re-established, the Hood rushed in to attempt dealing a crippling blow to the Dyss Spaceport, upon seeing this, the **HMS Queen Mary**, a vessel commanded by Captain Enos Mackleburry (Soon to be named **Admiral of the Black Storm**), who at the time was a close friend to Evergarden and got his command by her personal indication, followed close behind its sistership and began releasing her fighter craft whilst firing volleys on the station along with the Hood. The Imperial Corvette **Achilles**, in contrast, broke formation and immediately plotted course for the Oceanic Planet the Dyss station orbited, hoping to seek cover from the newly arrived enemy fleet, while **HMS Intruder**, on the other hand, suffered a fatal malfunction on its engines during the jump and had stopped moving completely altogether. It would be a rough start for the Imperial Royal Navy, but there was no way of backing down from the fight now.

The initial push enacted by both Battleships, although in early stages fared well against the Dyss defences, soon found itself being halted by the fire of the enemy fleet's volleys, and as more and more shots began being traded, it was just a matter of time before Imperial vessels collapsed under such pressure enforced by the molluscoid's concentrated firing, but bad luck, as it always does, had to strike one last time on the Imperial side. At the fourth Dyss mass volley, the shields and superstructure of the Queen Mary failed to deflect incoming projectile fire, resulting in the critical explosion of the main reactor of the warship, a move that, if not noticed previously by the captain, would have resulted in the deaths of all the lives aboard.

> *“This is Evergarden. The Queen Mary has been blown sky high. Get us turning now and gather all of the survivors. We will vacate once ready for emergency jumping.”*
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> -Admiral Darjeeling, moments after the sinking of the Queen Mary, Battle of the High Seas, May 30th, 2297.-
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That was it, with the killing blow of her sistership, the chase would once again begin to attempt catching the infamous Imperial Vessel, the Mighty Hood.

If Evergarden's orders weren't clear enough, the explosions surrounding the Hood certainly were, and within minutes while under constant bombardment, the surviving crew of the Queen Mary (Those of which included a great part of the naval officers) were picked up and sent either to be patched up in the sick bay or to resume work in assisting maneuvers of the Hood herself, now, their last remaining choice was to follow the strategy of the **Achilles**, hide on the Dyss’ very own planet, and await a perfect breakthrough opportunity. It was a extremely dangerous plan, but for the sake of time and desperateness, the crews gathered themselves and prepared to vanish from enemy sensors once again. Surviving fighters from both warships were recalled to the Hood and engines were pushed to their limits, all that whilst incoming fire poured onto them, the situation fared poorly, but the men and women of the warship held on to their spirits and carried through the struggle.

As the design of Multirole Battleships suggested, these vessels had the power to traverse through multiple types of environments, many of them intended to be amongst the atmosphere of planets, a idea that, although had been time and again proved very useful to the Empire's war strategies, could be countered by simply adding anti-naval weaponry throughout the most key elements of the surface, rendering any single vessel to oblivion with proper gunnery from its crew… Except for, that is, the **HMS Hood**'s skilled and, very, very, very, lucky crew members. As it passed by HMS Intruder, she released her anchor along with the towing equipment and hastily dragged the disabled warship towards the planet along with her.

Finally, when the remains of D.R.S. began entering the planet's atmosphere, the surviving crews from the Imperial fleet saw the damage **HMS Achilles** had brought into the surface, but along with it, there also laid the wreckage of the once royal Corvette, bursting in flames amongst the Dyss planet, taken out by enemy defensive weapons. There was no time to mourn though, the Hood commenced its descent into the air, all whilst being hailed by gunfire from multiple sources, falling through the sky like a bullet, making her way towards the nearest ocean in hopes to disappear from Dyss vision.

The landing at sea was rough, especially for the **Intruder**, as its damaged systems, both by malfunctions and gunfire damage, didn't manage to slow down the craft enough, making it splash into the water and flood the weapons section, the crew half dead by the impact alone. As time passed, both vessels sank beneath the waves, soon, a struggle for survival would take place, in the deepest oceans of the planet a great hunt would begin.

### **...Rises the Daughter of the Empress!**

#### **The Beast lays Silent**

> *“Days like those are what keeps me awake at night. Constant explosions, sudden flooding of rooms and even Dyss commandos break-ins, all of it and the constant feeling of danger at every breath. If you think the Pre-exodus submarines were rough, it's because you didn't serve in the Hood during those days.”*
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> -Sub-Lieutenant Hughes Gallagher, survivor of HMS Queen Mary and veteran of the Battle of the High Seas. Author of the book 'Raiders on the Storm'.-
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As mentioned, the struggle beneath the seas were a situation of life and death. The **Intruder**, a raider destroyer that, although also had the capabilities of venturing under water, was too heavily damaged to properly function, a factor that caused several floodings and more deaths amongst the Squadron's ranks. The Hood, on the other hand, having only taking light damage on its central citadel, had little problems whilst under the oceanic crust, along with that, it presented a uniquely designed fighter squadron designed with a aircraft capable of operating on water and in the air, the Swordfish Naval attacker, utilized as a patrol or scout, it proved key for the constant moving of the warships and their survival. Not everything went as planned, however, constant Dyss attacks still ravaged the planet's crust, coming so close as to loading a small boarding party of special soldiers inside the Hood, a move that almost costed Evergarden's life, if not for the heroic defense of the naval crews. This would prove all useless if they couldn't escape though, and with supplies threatening to reach critical levels, more and more scouting sorties were enacted to find a suitable time to strike out from the planet, blow the station, and finally return home safely.

That day only came 37 days after they were forced to enter the planet, and with a wavering morale and the threat of mutiny, there was no better opportunity to escape than now. After properly repairing what they could in the Intruder, they set out their plans; the Hood would utilize its last resort weapon, the **Bow Desintegrador**, against the Dyss station, whilst the now active destroyer would tow the Battleship back to Imperial space as the Hood unleashed it's firepower against the remaining Dyss fleet. It was the most risky of maneuvers, especially because the Bow Disintegrator had never been utilized and as it fired, it drained the entire power of the vessel in the process, leaving only basic life support systems operational for the crew. The orders were set, the fighters called and storaged, reserve batteries powered up and weapons loaded, they would rush out from orbit and take out whatever stood on their path, no matter the costs.

#### **Blockade Runners**

To a Dyss citizen living on the planet at those times, it would certainly look like the entire world was in havoc, the people paranoid, the seas closed off, and the military uncertain on their successes against the ghost ships. In **July 9th, 2297**, however, this would all change, and the remnants of **Darjeeling Raiding Squadron** would again reappear from the ocean on a straight burn towards the Dyss Spaceport, attacking everything on sight of its weaponry. The blockading navy didn't know how to respond, after all, they were certain that victory was already achieved, but when Imperial ships were sighted burning out of the atmosphere, most though it being a bluff from Imperials themselves and did not even engage. Those who did engage, on the other hand, had the opportunity to witness the first time a Bow Disintegrator was fired, and along with it, it's devastating destructive power.

> *‘ “You may fire when ready.” Those were the words that signaled the destruction of thousands of lives, all signed by the admiral herself. The laser blinded us all momentarily, then suddenly, the station that once had us hanged was never to be found. It is certain that, although the weapon proved itself while laing in our hands, I cannot live in peace knowing that our enemies could acquire such destructive power and use it against ourselves at any moment. We must refrain from utilizing it at all costs, or else we might encounter a war in which we cannot possibly win.’*
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> -Admiral (At the time Captain of the Line) Enos Mackleburry citing the Bow Disintegrator's first use in battle.-
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The message was clear to the Dyss ships now, the Imperials were attempting a breakthrough. Suddenly, in a coordination resembling the Mongol charges from Old Earth, they charged forward with all might and ferocity, ignoring incoming fire and flinging themselves against the Imperial attackers with no regrets. Once fired it's weapon, the Hood was exposed, and the Intruder scrambled to attach itself and pull out the hibernated battleship to a suitable FTL jump position, however, with Dyss coming

closer and closer, a decision had to be made. In one of the most memorable moments of the escape, the crews of the space fighters volunteered to stay behind and occupy their enemies, assuring the Squadron's retreat, but also leaving themselves to their own deaths as a consequence. Before all that could be argued and accepted on the bridge though, a salvo from a Dyss Battleship landed on the Hood's deck, a hit that killed 229 crew members and almost severed the ship in half if not for the fact of it possessing a sturdy deck armour (A design learnt from the previous HMS Hood from Old Earth), a close call that could have easily ended in catastrophe for the Empire. Nevertheless, closely afterwards the explosion was contained, surviving fighter crafts from the Hood and the Queen Mary made their way to intercept incoming Dyss Corvettes, their heroic efforts later resulting in the posthumously awarding of the **Honorary Knight's Cross**, a medal for pilots created directly after such daring events.

With the enemy Corvettes preoccupied with the remaining pilots of the Squadron, the two remaining Imperial warships retreated as fast as possible, recharging their armaments and firing salvo after salvo until they reached a safe position to make a emergency FTL jump. Those who could still walk looked back one last time and saluted the ones left behind, and, as a drop in the darkness, they vanished through space back to the Eternal Empire.

Two weeks later, they would appear again and sail to New Earth, their objectives complete, but with a wounded pride that would resemble very closely the Commonwealth's Battle of Voice a decade earlier. The aftermath of the Operation saw very limited success strategically, but all officers from the Squadron received the **Victoria's Cross**, the highest military honour of the Empire, that is, all but Evergarden, who was labelled the reason for the failure and demoted to Commodore, a stab in the back (Somewhat similar to the Trial of General Aspinaca in the Eastern Galactic Quadrant) that, although tried to be countered by other officers, would stay with her until retirement, years later.

### **Later Skirmishes & Retirement**

Unlike early years of her service, the Hood's later career saw much more limited action and independent initiative missions after the Battle of the High Seas. Being the last remaining warship of its class, she was mostly kept behind, acting as a escort ship and a morale booster for the troops going into battles on planet surfaces during the latter Campaigns of Southern Thrust, it was something both the crew and its commander deeply complaint, but given that another demotion would result in Evergarden losing the command of the Hood, they mostly kept quiet and insisted others to do so as well, even though it deeply saddened mood, especially the one from the Commodore. Their action days, as it seemed, were coming to a close at last.

The Hood's official retirement came on the **7th. of June, 2313**, a date that numbered exactly 25 years and one day of active service in HM’ Sovereign Navy of the Empire. Alongside its retirement, however, there was also a former request, signed by all crew members, petitioning the Vessel not to be scrapped or dismantled, but instead be preserved in a civilian park at New Earth and serve as a museum ship there. Those news soon spread throughout the media like wildfire, and soon, many people from across the entire empire appeared willing to donate funds and support the cause in hopes of convincing the Admiralty, with even Evergarden herself injecting a great portion of her personal fortune to the project. Pressured by all sides and even some bright headed admirals inside its own ranks, the Admiralty eventually approved the final request of the Hood's crew, and six months later, in the dawn of 2314, **The Imperial Square of HMS Hood** was open for the public, her legendary career living strongly amongst the heart of the nation now.

> "We gave our blood, sweat and tears during those times, let us never forget them, let us make the people never forget them."
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> Evergarden of Emala “Darjeeling”, giving a speech at the ceremony of her own retirement at the Navy, two days after the Hood's Memorial park opening.
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With the leaving of the last Retribution-class Multirole Battleship from the Royal Navy, it didn't take long before officials demanded better and bulkier designs to fill the gaps of the role of armoured commerce raiders. The retiring of HMS Hood marked the end of the First Generation of Multirole Battleships, immediately sparking the rise of the Second Generation and designs such as the **Empress-class**, a much heavier and armoured class than its earth-like predecessor. The Imperial paths were now headed for war, and with it, the construction of many other beloved Imperial battleships would take place.

## **Ship Characteristics**

Whilst the Hood and her sister ships were designed to raid commercial shipping and harass stationary targets, their sizes can easily be compared to those of Commonwealth Battlecruisers or bigger designs of Capital Ships, this, however, does not mean in any actual way that they would fair well against such vessels in combat, as the 1st. Gen. Multirole Battleships are very fragile when it comes to shielding and armour, so, although their weapons can certainly pack a punch, their lack of specialization means that there wouldn't be enough concentrated fire to bring down bigger warships like such. For the most part, the ships of the class share roughly these dimensions:

* **Length**: 2.2 Kilometers
* **Height**: 370 Meters
* **Width**: 345 Meters

As for defensive measures on the other hand, the design bears a **4th. Class Supermarine shield generator** to protect the vessel against incoming fire and deflect crippling blows. Its armour lacks severely, however, presenting only 2 meters of hardened steel plating to protect against smaller incoming projectiles. These specifications are intentional, however, as, although the vessel cannot withstand fire for long, its speed more than rivals the ones in destroyers and other smaller vessels. The vessel sacrifices most of its armour for high speed movement and maneuvers.

### **Crew**

* **3012** Deckers, sailors and shipwrights.
* **500** Utility Automated systems and robots.
* **256** Royal Marines. Most utilized for defence or expeditions outside of the vessel, they are specialized in combat and represent the standard defensive unit inside the vessel.
* **92** Pilots and Repairmen. Most know to operate and maintain the Fighter Squadrons within the ship.

### **Propulsion**

* **1 27th. Generation Merlin Sublight Engine**. The sheer size of this engine is capable of move the ship at very high speeds.
* **2 Mk.XII AMACS Auxiliary Engine Afterburners.**
* **1 FTL Jump Engine.**
* **3 Rolls Roice Dark Matter Reactor.** Two located in the ship's waist, one to power the Bow Disintegrator

### **Additional Support Systems & Equipment**

The Retribution-class presents in its administrative grounds 3 main sections; The **Bow Section**, the **Home Section** and the **Stern Section**. All these groups divide up the ship and the crew to better organise and improve the ship's efficiency, both during combat and logistical issues alike. The officers responsible for controlling these sections carry the title of **Section Officer**, and usually there is only one posted in a ship's section, additionally, they are the highest ranking official operating outside of the Command Bridge.

* 3 Artificial Gravity Generators (One for each section)
* 20\*25 Meters Medical Bay (One for each section)
* 500 Crew Quarters (For each section, plus +200 on the Home Section)
* 4\*5 Captain's Quarter
* 40\*60 Meters Command Bridge
* 45\*500 Meters Storage Space
* 650 Scarlet Rifles (Most reserved for desperate defences)

60 Months worth of food and other maintenance supplies.

### **Weaponry & Aircraft**

Due to its common role of raiding and attacking enemies alone, the Retribution-class presents a variety of different weapons suited to be used against certain types of warships, crafts, or even structures if need be. It's arsenal ranges the best the Empire has to offer:

* **9x 77’ Inch Primary Laser Cannons -** Backbone of the Ship's weapons. A single salvo of these guns can cause 10 times more destruction than the Atomic Bombings of London and Warsaw. The three turrets are operated by 50 Crew members each.
* **8x 40’ Inch Secondary Laser Cannons -** These guns are capable of keeping most enemy vessels away, presenting the biggest range of fire of the ship and proving to be a great defensive weapon against screen crafts.
* **12x High Velocity Guided Torpedoes -** Weapons capable of penetrating armour and provoke high damage to shielding. If fired in salvos, it can prove devastating, but it's range lacks severely in comparison to other weapons.
* **16x Broadsiding Piercer Rockets -** High Velocity Unguided Explosive rockets, can unleash crippling blows to closer vessels and severally damage stationary structures. Great against armoured targets, but fares poorly against shielded enemies.
* **290x 18’ Inch Anti-fighter Mounted Guns -** Collection of small caliber PD Weaponry, mostly designed to counter Dyss suicide strikes and missile barrages. Usually requires 3 to 5 Crew members to operate.
* **Specialized Bow Disintegrator -** Automated Weapon, one of the most powerful and deadly of the Armada. Requires one Reactor to keep functioning, and when fired it can dry most energy storaged in the vessel. Used as a last resort weapon to maintain secrecy.
* **21x Thunderous Fighter Aircraft**
* **12x Tempest Fighter Aircraft**

* **12x Swordfish Naval Aircraft**