Legacy of the Void Fleet-Chapter 40: CH-38 The three(votes)

As for the Dark Star Dockyard, it was also kept on their list, but they decided not to prioritize its immediate construction. While its capability to produce high-tech and complex warship designs was valuable, they deemed it more suitable for future expansion rather than an urgent necessity.

With their current focus on establishing the Void Star Earth Alliance, they opted to reserve the Dark Star Dockyard for when they had the resources and strategic need to delve into more advanced warship production.

Now that they had selected the Star Forge and Galvis Shipyard, the next challenge was determining how many of these shipyards should be built to meet their growing demand.

Since this decision directly impacted their fleet strength, Minister Evans suggested,

"Let’s go through the ship options first and have Admiral Ezra decide on the fleet composition. Once we establish the number of fleets and the ships required for each, we can then calculate the exact number of shipyards needed. That will also give us a clear estimate of the resources required for the entire project."

He then added with a serious tone,

"And as for time—we have less than three months to make this happen."

With that, the discussion shifted towards fleet composition, as they needed a well-planned strategy before committing to the massive undertaking of constructing the shipyards.

After some discussion, Admiral Ezra outlined the fleet structure he had already reviewed with his subordinates, including Admirals Michael, John, and others. With input from both Tyler and Minister Evans, he made a few adjustments, though his overall plan remained unchanged. He then presented his finalized list to them both.

Battleship (Flagship)

- Name: Antares Class Battleship

- Role: Command & control, heavy firepower, fleet coordination

Destroyers (4 Total)

- DS-742 "Spearhead": (Existing destroyer)

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- DS-901 "Vanguard"

- Role: Heavy fire support, fleet defense, long-range strikes

[Aurthor: The Vanguard was not much different from the Spearhead-class destroyer; it was simply more armored. It featured a dual TSDA series tier-1 triple deflector shield, which significantly enhanced its durability. As its name suggests, the Vanguard was designed to lead the charge and absorb the brunt of enemy fire. Additionally, it was equipped with four mini-scale fusion propulsion system instead of three, giving it a boost in speed despite its heavier build.]

Frigates (8 Total)

- SF-398 "Striker": (Existing light frigate)

- SF-468 "Titan": (Existing heavy frigate)

- Role: Multi-role support, with each unit fulfilling specialized operational roles

Corvettes (12 Total)

- CV-101 "Shadow": (Reconnaissance)

- CV-112 "Falcon": (Interceptor)

- Role: Speed, reconnaissance, and executing hit-and-run tactics

Summary of Fleet Strength

- 1 Battleship: Serves as the flagship and central command center

- 4 Destroyers: Act as heavy combat units providing robust firepower

- 8 Frigates: Offer versatile, multi-role support and specialization

- 12 Corvettes: Deliver rapid response, reconnaissance, and agile hit-and-run operations

He provided them with a general overview explaining why he had chosen that specific number of ships, detailing the strategic and operational reasoning behind the fleet composition

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- Destroyers (4 Total):

Their role is to provide heavy fire support and fleet defense. By including four destroyers—one being the more durable Vanguard variant with enhanced armor and a superior shield system—he ensured that there was sufficient redundancy to absorb and deflect heavy enemy fire. The additional firepower and durability meant these ships could serve as the frontline vanguard, taking most of the direct hits while protecting the more vulnerable vessels.

- Frigates (8 Total):

Frigates are designed for multi-role support. With eight in the fleet, he achieved a balance between rapid response capabilities and specialized functions. The lighter frigate (SF-398 "Striker") can engage in fast-paced operations, while the heavier frigate (SF-468 "Titan") provides more robust support in critical situations. This combination ensures flexibility, allowing the fleet to adapt to a variety of combat scenarios without being overly reliant on any single asset type.

- Corvettes (12 Total):

The twelve corvettes are intended for speed, reconnaissance, and hit-and-run tactics. Their numbers allow for a broad coverage area, making it possible to scout, intercept, and rapidly respond to emerging threats. Their agility and fast deployment capabilities complement the slower, more heavily armed ships, ensuring that the fleet can maintain situational awareness and quick tactical maneuvers when needed.

....

In essence, the specific numbers were chosen to create a well-rounded force: the destroyers form the backbone of the fleet’s combat strength, the frigates provide versatile support, and the corvettes offer the agility and reconnaissance necessary to keep the fleet informed and ready for rapid action.

Having made this decision, they needed to establish at least six separate fleets—seven once the two Antares-class battleships were completed. The admiral turned to Minister Evans and asked, "In how many days should they be completed?"

Minister Evans responded, "In five days, they should be out and ready."

"Good," the admiral said.

And Minister Evans continued "So, we are going to produce seven different fleets, each with a composition of two battleships acting as their flagships—which we already have. For each fleet, we need to build four Spearhead-class destroyers, eight frigates, and twelve corvettes, making a total of 24 ships per fleet. That brings the grand total to 168 ships. All of these are medium-scale ships based on their classification, hmm..."

He calmly looked toward the head of research, Tyler, and asked, "Which ship configuration will take the most time, Tyler?"

Tyler replied, "The Spearhead-class destroyers will take the longest to construct due to their size and complexity."

"Oh?" Minister Evans asked again. "And if we were to produce them in one of the selected orbital shipyards, how much time would it take to construct these particular destroyers?"

Tyler instantly replied, "According to my calculations, the Star forge can fabricate these ships in about 8–9 days, while the Galvis shipyard would take about a day longer."

Minister Evans continued, "How many destroyers are we producing?"

"They’re 28 in total," came the reply.

"If one takes about 9 days to build, and we rely solely on one shipyard, it will take roughly 252 days to complete all 28 destroyers—and that’s a luxury of time we don’t have."

Minister Evans added, "We need to build about four dedicated shipyards for the destroyer class itself, which will also reduce the production time." He then looked at Admiral Ezra and said, "By doing that, you can expect to receive these destroyers in about 63 days, assuming they’re built at the Galvis Shipyard. And if done at the Star Forge, they can be a bit faster.

Admiral Ezra nodded and replied, "Anything within a deadline of three months is fine, but I’ll appreciate it if it’s done as fast as possible."

They continued their discussion for a while and finally decided that they would need about 16 orbital shipyards—12 Star Forge and 4 Galvis shipyards.

The Minister concluded, "This should be enough to reach our goal of producing about 168 ships with these shipyards in less than three months, with 2–3 weeks to spare." Both Tyler and Admiral Ezra agreed. Admiral Ezra added, "Having extra time can be beneficial, as we can use it to make additional preparations for whatever threat may come our way in about three months," he said slowly and deliberately.

They all agreed with Ezra’s statement and fell silent for a while. That silence was eventually broken by Minister Evans. "Now, gentlemen," he said, "we have achieved what I set out to accomplish, and time is of the essence. I have many responsibilities, and these tasks must be completed properly. I shall take my leave."

With that, he stood, walked toward his office, and just as he left, he teleported to the industrial area. Meanwhile, Tyler and Admiral Ezra exchanged nods. Soon after, Admiral Ezra also took his leave, leaving Tyler alone in his office to continue his research.

....

At Star Fleet

LOF Falcon

The reports flooded in as analysts scrambled to assess the latest developments. Bai Zong qi quickly scanned the data, his frown deepening. The findings were unexpected—the Void Fleet had deployed mining vessels. Furthermore, vast mining operations had begun across the solar system, particularly in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Frowning in frustration, Bai Zong qi was surprised by the scale of the operation. He muttered aloud, "Why are they conducting such large-scale mining operations?"

Chen Haoyu, the head of the Research and Development Department, stepped forward and offered a possible explanation. "Chancellor, they might be gathering resources for fleet expansion, among other purposes. There are countless possibilities for what they could be planning."

Bai Zong qi nodded thoughtfully. "You may be right, Researcher Chen. If we want to confirm their intentions, we have two options—either approach them directly and ask, or wait and observe their actions."

The room fell into a brief silence before the officers collectively agreed on the latter option. They would wait and watch as the Void Fleet unveiled its true objectives on its own.

Annoyed and groggy, Bai Zong qi scowled as he processed the situation. Damn Kallus! he cursed internally. He had barely closed his eyes, and now he had to deal with this.

Without wasting time, he ordered his subordinates, "Investigate immediately. Find out what those Void Fleet vessels are doing."

At Star Fleet headquarters, LOF Falcon, reports flooded in as analysts scrambled to assess the latest developments. Bai Zong qi quickly scanned the data, his frown deepening. The findings were unexpected—the Void Fleet had deployed mining vessels. Furthermore, vast mining operations had begun across the solar system, particularly in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Frowning in frustration, Bai Zongqi was surprised by the scale of the operation. He muttered aloud, "Why are they conducting such large-scale mining operations?"

Chen Haoyu, the head of the Research and Development Department, stepped forward and offered a possible explanation. "Chancellor, they might be gathering resources for fleet expansion, among other purposes. There are countless possibilities for what they could be planning."

Bai Zongqi sighed, casting a weary glance at his subordinates, who had agreed to wait and observe. "I have a bad feeling about this," he admitted. "But I can’t quite put my finger on why." Frustration laced his tone, but he shook it off. "Oh well. How is our own expansion progressing, Researcher Chen?"

As Chen Haoyu prepared his report, the Star fleet convened its meeting—strategizing their expansion efforts to ensure they wouldn’t be left behind in the race for dominance.