Chapter 11 - The Administrator[]
KCGMS Ia Drang
Landmark (Sampan V) class light frigate
Boojum Shipyard
Kowloon System
3142
The ship violated half a dozen treaties. Not merely by existing-most of the Coast Guard's jump capable cutters violated treaties with the Republic of the Sphere, Free Worlds League, and Federated Suns merely by existing. No, the Landmark class vessels bent most of the arms limitation treaties signed by the Lyran Commonwealth over a barrel and defiled them without so much as a kiss or lubricant. Two hundred thousand tons, a standard Compact Core, with decent to exceptional thrust for her mass and a war-load made from the distilled nightmares of post-Jihad military planners.
The Landmark or Continental class vessels were very nearly a declaration of defiance to Lyran laws and an outright repudiation of both the Militia Act, and the Marsden Statute of 3105...in addition, to being a gross violation of the Republic treaty, and the strategic arms limitation treaties of 3095, 3105, 3115, and 3125. This was the thing Vedet Brewer wanted from Sharon Ngo.
Warships, with experienced and trained crews. Outside of the Quarantine Zone, most of the LCN was once again comprised of dropships and part-time commissioned jumpships. Some of those being 'Pocket' Assault Dropships, it's true...but aside from two museums, There isn't a compact-core, LF-Battery equipped, highly maneuverable warship in the LCN arsenal, and hadn't been for a generation or more. Even vessels with SIMILAR profiles aren't really present, and hadn't been for long enough that the last veteran officers who had experience in Lyran service with warships, are either retired, or dead of old age.
This, of course, does not include within the Quarantine. the Coast Guard's Cutters have powerful maneuvering drives, heavy, even capital scale armament, and somewhat-compact KF cores. The Coast Guard, thus, has a depth of experience not present in much of the outside universe.
"Detaching gantry." Lt. Lin Duk Sao announced, "Engines are reaching operating temperature, fuel rate is steady."
"Pull us out of the gantry, Mister Sao." Captain Emily Falcone ordered, "Bring us to parade stance for flyby, RTO, request permission from the Post for clearance to depart."
"Clearance Granted, Mum. We have a vector for departure overflight of Spider Moon Control."
"Bring us on course and heading, helm, engineering, bring up the lights."
"Aye, Mum."
Along the flanks, the escorting patrols-Mark IV Sampan Cutters, fell into formation. visible on screens in the CIC, as they passed the dockyard gantries, were the other four Landmark class vessels, ranging from bare-bones frames around the core, to nearly completed.
"Let's shake her down." their inaugural cruise wasn't a typical low-intensity patrol, however. Ia Drang was on the hunt. The trial would either prove the type or show where it was weakest.
Straight from the yards, to the front lines.