Shipipedia: Battleship Klaxon

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Battleship Klaxon
Ship Information

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INS-Klaxon

Captain:	Cmdr. Augustus Howe
Origin:	Liberty
Commissioned:	789 A.S.
Status:	ACTIVE

Commissioned in 789 AS, the Battleship Klaxon is one of the few remaining Monument-class dreadnoughts still in active service. For most of her career, she saw relatively uneventful service patrolling Colorado, California, and Ontario, though she did have several noteworthy run-ins with unusually-organized Rogue forces in 793 AS that put her in drydock for multiple weeks. The Klaxon also saw brief action in the Nomad War during the period of martial law in Liberty, serving as a base of operations for two small strike wings helping keep order in Texas.

Scheduled for decomissioning in 819 AS, she narrowly avoided this fate thanks to the Gallic invasion of California in mid 823. In response, Battleship Klaxon was reactivated, and underwent massive refits to bring her systems up to modern specifications, though her antiquated reactors struggled to power her more advanced equipment at full efficiency.

During the Battle of West Point, the Klaxon sided with Battlegroup Harmony against the forces of the Liberty Navy's Primary Fleet, and has kept a low profile since. It is believed that she has primarily been serving as a reconnaissance vessel for the Insurgent fleet, while also playing host to a small snubcraft squadron.

Contents 1 History ----1.1 Construction and deployment ----1.2 During the Nomad War ----1.3 Battle of West Point ----1.4 Service in the Insurgency 2 Armament and Special Equipment ----2.1 Weaponry ----2.2 Advanced Equipment 3 Crew

1 History

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1.1 Construction and deployment

Construction work on the Klaxon began in early 788 AS, but iridium shipment interceptions in California by Lane Hackers would delay the battleship's construction. Work on the hull was completed by the end of the year, and internal systems were gradually fitted over the next several months. In March of 789, the LNS Klaxon was finally deployed on assignment to California, with the task of watching over the trade lanes leading to the terraforming site of California Minor. During this period, her two fighter wings achieved recognition for their efficacy in protecting Planetform convoys travelling to and from the planet.

After serving without incident for three years in this role, the Klaxon was reassigned to combat pirate activity in Colorado and Ontario, and met with moderate success in suppressing Rogue and Xeno forces in these systems.

1.2 The Nomad War

In late 800 AS, the alien-controlled upper echelons of the Liberty Navy briefly declared martial law, enforcing strict lockdowns throughout the House's space. During this time, the Klaxon was assigned to watch over Texas, and housed either two or three strike groups near Planet Chisos. The battleship and her forces were officially stationed here to monitor civilian unrest and head off an expected increase in smuggling activity, but rumors abounded that the detachment's true purpose was more sinister. Indeed, several independent observers later reported seeing strange ships possibly belonging to The Order in Texas during this time, working in conjunction with their allies in the Lane Hackers to monitor Naval fleet movements. It is likely that the Klaxon's real assignment was to interdict these formations and help secure the military junta's control over central Texas, but the deposition of military rule and the reinstatement of President Jacobi rendered it a moot point. Upon the restoration of democracy in late 800, the Klaxon returned to previous assignments in northern Liberty, patrolling Colorado and Ontario to reinforce LPI presence in those systems. In 807 AS, Cmdr. David Sellers was assigned to the Klaxon, and his tenure as captain of the vessel was largely without note.

1.3 Battle of West Point

Years later, Cmdr. Sellers retired, receiving an honorable discharge due to health concerns, and Cmdr. Augustus Howe was assigned to the Klaxon in 822 AS. In August of 823 AS, the Battlegroup Harmony's flagship LNS Harmony was involved in a large-scale incident at West Point, with mutual accusations of alien infestation being flung between Rear Admiral Knight and various Liberty Navy Primary Fleet captains. The latter attempted to arrest R.Adm. Knight, and a full-scale battle ensued, with agents of the Liberty Security Force and numerous Navy Secondary Fleet assets assisting the Battlegroup's forces against the Primary Fleet. Commander Howe made the decision to support the Harmony, and for the first time, the Klaxon's guns were turned against Liberty's own forces.

This marked the beginning of the Separatist movement, which would later merge with the Hellfire Legion to form the Liberty Insurgency. Howe is on record as having accused the Navy's upper echelons of subversion by the Slomon K'Hara. After the Battle of West Point, the Klaxon retreated to Colorado, and later regrouped with Harmony's forces at an unknown location. The battleship has been officially listed as "missing in action" ever since.

1.4 Service in the Insurgency

The Klaxon has been spotted by independent contributors to Shipipedia only rarely since the Battle of West Point. Those few times have all been in Vespucci, Kansas, and Cortez, and its armament appears to have changed significantly in the interim (see Armament and Special Equipment). It was last spotted sporting an Insurgency IFF, with its designation appropriately changed to INS Klaxon from the original LNS. The aging battleship's outdated powercores and advanced scanner arrays lead observers to speculate that it is not in service as a front-line combat ship, but rather as a reconnaissance vessel monitoring Naval fleet movements and as an assault wing staging ground for long-range interceptors. However, this is unverified information, and Shipipedia welcomes any and all reports on the Klaxon's status.

2 Armament and Special Equipment

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2.1 Weaponry

At last sighting, the Klaxon was equipped with standard Insurgency battleship turrets designed by the former Hellfire Legion, as well as two heavy mortars and two large pulse cannons.

2.2 Advanced Equipment

Leaked Navy records confirmed by multiple independent sources have shown the Klaxon to possess heavy iridium-titanium internal armor plating, as well as cloaking equipment and "Spyglass"-style scanner arrays. The battleship's multiple fighter docking bays are presumed to be in working order, and hyperspace scanning matrices are also indicated in its old fleet logs.

3 Crew

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While the Klaxon's full crew compliment has always been classified, its last known captain was Commander Augustus Howe, with COMMO Joyce Stirner and QM Max Schlesinger also among the crew.