The 13th Tribe Book II: A Symphony of War

[Eternal_Freedom]

Thanks. This is one of those chapters that when I started writing it, I didn't really have a plan, it just sort of flowed. Also, when I first finished it I wasn't exactly thrilled with it but wanted to post something, but on reflection it's better than I initially thought.

[declan]

Is there a possibility that instead of dicking around with the flood in a ground engagement, that you simply beam them up and out into space.

[fnord]

Definitely worth the wait.

[DKeith2011]

Ship art update, first concept rough of Dreadnaught

https://photos.app.goo.gl/MWMo8fTUdq2du4yZA

(Can't get an image to embed)

[DKeith2011]

And since I forgot to mention it, this is being done by AdamKop on DeviantArt.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Woohoo! Ship artwork! Even for a rough draft that looks very promising, exactly what I was hoping for. As for AdamKop, that was the chap that fractalsponge recommended to me when I asked him about ship models and such.

Is there a possibility that instead of dicking around with the flood in a ground engagement, that you simply beam them up and out into space.

That would certainly be an option, but since I plan the ground engagements to be on Installation 05 where the Monitor is in cahoots with the Flood, I would imagine there is some sort of jamming field in place preventing beaming things in or out.

Consider that in the first Halo, the ring is shown to have internal teleportation grids that aren't even considered as a method for clearing out the Flood. There was also a jamming field in place around the Flood Research Facility when you first encounter them - 343 Guilty Spark has to wait until you've gone back to the surface before teleporting you out. So the Rings have some in-built ability to block teleporters.

EDIT: This is mostly out-of-universe justification of course. The main reason is that having told myself I can't write small-scale firefights, I've decided to challenge myself to do just that. I can't get better as a writer if I'm only sticking with what I know.

[DKeith2011]

Hooray for author approval!

I'll pass on the approval to Adam and let him know to move forward. Any additional details you would like to add? And you probably should get to brainstorming the designs for the other Alliance ships.

The estimated price for this is $60, if anyone wants to chip in when the time comes just let me know and I'll get the info from Adam.

[Eternal_Freedom]

I'm happy to contribute.

As for details, the main thing is that I envisaged the ship as being wider, and the "trench" around the edge being deeper/taller to accommodate the main battery turrets.

As for designs for the other ships like the Yorktown carriers, I am close to sorting them out in my head - I can see them more-or less, I just need to write them down.

[DKeith2011]

How much wider? 25%, 33%?

Trench depth/height increase? Double? Triple?

[Eternal_Freedom]

I had envisaged the length/width/depth of the main hull to be 1600x400x100 metres, that ratio at least. The "trench" should be about 1/3rd the height of the main hull. The width of the bow is pretty spot on.

[jayel]

always loved a flying brick, now add gun blisters and torpedo/missile tubes, anyone who sees it should have no doubt it is a instrument of blunt force

[Eternal_Freedom]

I dunno if you've read the chapter introducing Dreadnought, but she's all guns, no missiles at all. Just guns. And more guns. And a few extra guns just to be sure. As fnord said: "she may have enough dakka."

[DKeith2011]

I dunno if you've read the chapter introducing Dreadnought, but she's all guns, no missiles at all. Just guns. And more guns. And a few extra guns just to be sure. As fnord said: "she may have enough dakka."

Nope, still needs a spinal plasma cannon.

[Eternal_Freedom]

...she has four of them

[fnord]

...she has four of them

. As fnord said: "she may have enough dakka."

(emphasis mine, but I'm personally somewhat doubtful)

Love the model, really want to see what comes of it.

Is there a second Dreadnought-class battlewagon being planned for?

[Eternal_Freedom]

A second Dreadnought, and other Tau'ri ships, will be appearing after the time jump for Book III. I may have Yorktown finished up to appear in this book, not sure yet if she's needed.

[DKeith2011]

How big a time jump are we looking at here?

[Eternal_Freedom]

I haven't decided yet. The Book 1/Book 2 jump was three years, so I would think it will be at least that long, to allow things to develop in the background, Fleets to expand, and for characters to (plausibly) have higher ranks/new positions than they did previously. Plus, there is also...nah, spoilers

[DKeith2011]

2012-ish?

[Eternal_Freedom]

Yeah about then I would say. Oooo...I could even work in the whole "Mayan apocalypse" thing as a in-universe joke with people on Earth fretting about it.

[DKeith2011]

Thats would be sure to get some side-long glances from the Terrans and Colonials

[fnord]

Well, the "OH NOZ! END OF THE WORLD!" would seem a bit overblown to people who have actually seen worlds end.

"Been there, done that, bombarded the T-shirt factory from orbit."

[Eternal_Freedom]

Actually I think the Tau'ri would take it more seriously than we did in real-life - consider that they know there are a number of spacefaring races out there, several of which are hostile, and that the "prediction" comes from an ancient civilisation, and many other ancient civilisations turned out to be inspired by some of those alien races.

Also, at least one of the mesoamerican civilisations was influenced by the Ancients (that's where they found that healing cube to deal with the Kull Warriors) so suddenly the idea that a prediction of catastrophe was made isn't so crazy.

Annnnnd...the whole prediction is based on the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one...the Eternal Cycle of Destruction that has appeared elsewhere in the story.

Ok, this is going into the ideas file.

[DKeith2011]

Good point.

[LadyTevar]

Actually I think the Tau'ri would take it more seriously than we did in real-life - consider that they know there are a number of spacefaring races out there, several of which are hostile, and that the "prediction" comes from an ancient civilisation, and many other ancient civilisations turned out to be inspired by some of those alien races.

Also, at least one of the mesoamerican civilisations was influenced by the Ancients (that's where they found that healing cube to deal with the Kull Warriors) so suddenly the idea that a prediction of catastrophe was made isn't so crazy.

Annnnnd...the whole prediction is based on the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one...the Eternal Cycle of Destruction that has appeared elsewhere in the story.

Ok, this is going into the ideas file.

Yep, definitely one for the ideas file.