Wraith-class Heavy Prowler – NACR Phantom Watcher
A faint shimmer in the black void was the only sign something was there—if you were lucky. Cloaked beneath a state-of-the-art stealth field, the Phantom Watcher prowled the edge of known space like a specter. Unlike the NACR’s front-line warships, it wasn’t built to stand and fight. It was built to disappear, complete its mission, and vanish before the enemy even knew it had come.
The Phantom Watcher resembled a broad, blade-like warship with a beveled, layered hull structure. Its exterior featured angled armor plates and advanced weapons hardpoints—ORIN’s favorite tool.
On its tech-heavy bridge stood Captain Luis Mastache, a Mexican-descendant officer who had joined the Office of Reconnaissance and Intelligence Nexus ten years ago. He had started on the Snow-class Light Prowler before earning command of the rare Wraith-class. An impressive achievement, considering how few had been built. During his service, he’d conducted black ops behind enemy borders in the Milky Way Galaxy, primarily against the Asia Alliance and African Legion.
His current mission:
Investigate the political landscape within the Beta Proioxis Galaxy. Determine who was an ally and who was an enemy. Evaluate threat levels. Pinpoint strategic locations. For three months, the Phantom Watcher had been quietly gathering intel. The native governments had no idea they were there.
From what they had discovered, this galaxy operated under a fealty system—smaller kingdoms pledging loyalty to a singular power: the Imperium of United Thrones. However, civil unrest simmered beneath the surface. A rebellion—led by the second most powerful nation in the galaxy, the Septina Kingdom—was underway.
“Sir, Imperium fleet is expected to jump into the system momentarily.”
“Good,” Mastache replied, frowning as he turned to the observation window. This would be their first time getting this close to Imperium warships. The goal: conduct a close-up study of the enemy fleet. Assign class names. Identify weapon placements.
Moments later, several ships decelerated and emerged from their FTL jump, coming to a halt over the nearby ice planet. Roughly 10,000 kilometers separated the Prowler from its prey.
The Phantom Watcher remained perfectly still, its stealth field blending into the cold void. The Imperium fleet shimmered into view—elegant silhouettes radiating residual jump energy.
“Hold distance. Magnify—full-spectrum scan on the primary native warship. Label as Dreadnought 1-Class.”
The fleet appeared exactly as predicted—one of the downfalls of the native FTL systems. Predictable and inefficient. They folded space using what they called “magic,” which burned an excessive amount of reactor power. Each arrival emitted strong, detectable energy signatures—enough to convince Mastache that their FTL tech was vastly inferior to the NACR’s Rift Drive.
A hologram appeared before him, displaying the breakdown of the primary target:
// Tactical Recon Feed – DREADNOUGHT PROFILE //
Codename: Dreadnought 1-Class
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Visual Uplink Active… Displaying Composite Scan
? VESSEL STRUCTURE
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Length: ~3,400m
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Hull Composition: Unknown alloy reinforced with arcane crystal lattice
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Design: Spire-like central core, cathedral arches along dorsal spine
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Configuration: Triple-tiered with layered hulls and multiple energy conduits
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Notable Feature: Floating outer plating—possibly magnetically suspended or magically shielded
? ARMAMENT
Primary:
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3x Bow-mounted arcane-plasma hybrid turrets
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8x Long-range focus arrays (port/starboard)
Secondary:
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20+ turret emplacements (mixed caliber)
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Likely pulse batteries or magical bolt throwers
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6x Unknown circular nodes near midsection (suspected EW suite)
? POWER SYSTEMS
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Source: Unknown, likely magical
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Shield Type: Magical
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Thermal Emissions: High
? CREW ESTIMATE
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Estimated Crew: 4,000–6,000
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Command Bridge: Likely center-top spire
Compared to NACR dreadnoughts, its point-defense systems were laughably weak—relying on escorts to deal with missiles and fighters. A recurring flaw in Imperium doctrine, which resembled World War I and II naval tactics. Massive capital ships at the center, with smaller vessels screening them.
This dreadnought was especially unique—it towered vertically, with a design that evoked a gothic cathedral. Most NACR ships were longer than they were tall; this was the opposite.
“Start scanning the others,” Mastache ordered. “Alert me if any detect us. Label targets accordingly.”
He smirked. The reports from Arcadia confirmed it: Imperium weapons had limited range. Magic-generated energy bolts degraded over distance—forcing close-quarters engagements. A flawed strategy in space.
The freighter SS Walker had barely survived its encounter. Had the Imperium concentrated fire, it wouldn’t have escaped. But NACR energy shields were beyond powerful. Unless a captain did something foolish—like closing to broadside range—NACR losses were unlikely.
He sighed as he reviewed data on “Cruiser 1.” So much had been learned on this mission. The galaxy was divided. The rebellion led by the Septina Kingdom was causing real headaches for the Imperium, especially after losing a major outer-world colony.
Mastache gave the rebels credit: they were organized, disciplined, and tactically sound. Unlike the Imperium, which often threw bodies at a problem, Septina’s forces were surgical. If NACR could supply them discreetly—offloading outdated tech—they might help collapse this region.
If they were willing to work with the NACR.
“Have you finished breaking into native comms, Roland?” Mastache asked the orange AI figure standing on the holotable behind him. Roland wore a digital-era navy uniform from Earth’s Great War—another ORIN quirk.
“Complete, Captain. I’ve breached their secure transmission grid and begun compiling data,” Roland replied. NACR AIs were often given humanoid form and limited emotion. ORIN AIs like Roland were more advanced than standard shipboard units.
“I have a few secure messages you may want to hear.”
“Summarize.”
The display shifted, showing transcript excerpts. Mentions of battleplans, fleet deployments, and rebel movements scrolled by.
“There are preparations for a major strike against the rebels,” Roland explained. “The fleet in front of us is a diversion. The real attack force will launch a spearhead offensive—an encirclement maneuver. They plan to capture a mid-region industrial world: Kavros.”
“I think it’s time we threw a wrench in those gears,” Mastache smirked. “Comms—Priority One message to NACR High Command.”
“Yes, sir.” The officer tapped at his console, fingers dancing across the keys. “Ready for message.”
“Proceeding with OPERATION BENEFACTOR. Will secretly supply intel on planned Imperium strike against rebel planets,” Mastache said. He turned back to the AI. “Awaiting confirmation.”
The main hologram faded. In its place, smaller icons detailed local system data and the Prowler’s battlenet feed.
“NAV—prepare a Rift Jump. Just outside Septina homeworld space.”