“They shall know fear upon the sight of her. Through the consequence of her cannon, they shall grow to regret the day they chose to rise against us.

“They shall be brought back under heal and this new weapon will be the instrument of their subjugation.”

- Overheard during the Ba’Rada Budget Commission Review.

HISTORICAL & PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW-

By the fall of 2994, internal disputes between the Mauridians and their Nummidian masters began in earnest. Within two years, Mauridian discourse led to uprisings and anarchy within Nummidian colonies around the Empire. As the Mauridians began to throw off their shackles and claim independence for their own, their newfound freedom inspired courage and fortitude amongst their population. All out war soon engulfed the entire Empire and the overconfident Nummidians quickly found themselves on a losing side.

In those early days of the war, the Nummidian fleet found itself crippled by their own tactics. For the Nummidians had trained their servants in the ways of combat. These tactics favored an extremely aggressive approach that focused on disruption and confusion in enemy formations. Even though the Nummidians were accustomed to this very same strategy, they had never tasted their own medicine. Leadership became fragile, and combat personnel lacked the experience to deal with such measures. The Mauridians quickly achieved victory after victory, and the Nummidian fleet nursed its wounds and frantically searched for a way to turn the tide.

In 3003 the Nummidians had thrown their remaining weight behind a technological solution that would give them the upper hand over their former slaves. The Mauridian high command received intelligence reports of a top secret project being conducted in the Dea’Vedereau Shipyards. Wasting no time, the Mauridians launched a massive strike against the location. The Nummidian Expeditionary Forces were completely caught unawares and the shipyard was greatly unprotected. In less than one hour the Mauridians had completely decimated the Dea’Vedereau shipyards, destroying close to three hundred ships, and over ten thousand Nummidian military and civilian personnel. The Nummidian Loyalist Forces suffered a crippling blow in manpower, vessels, and money, not to mention a major setback in their new weapons program. It marked the beginning of the end for the Nummidian regime, a devastating blow that would be difficult to overcome.

3rd Tier Patriarch Keada Nev’Delouch, Head of Budgeting for the Nummidian Expeditionary Forces, reported to the reeling NEF High Command: “In 2998, the Ruling Families granted the Expeditionary Forces a meager eleven percent increase in budget toward combat strength. I recommend and additional seventy percent budgetary increase toward combat strength. These much needed vessels will replace and increase our carrier groups which have suffered considerable casualties from the Mauridian “Terrorists”. Additionally, with these additional funds, we will commission a new vessel. This new compliment of ships will also include, for the first time, the new gem of the Nummidian Space Forces – the Ba’Rada.”

The Ba’Rada, or Swift Stalker, was first introduced in 3006. A sleek vessel, it was gifted with great speed and provided considerable needed firepower to a dwindling Nummidian fleet. The Ba’Rada’s speed allows it to quickly move within a formation, allowing its spinal mounted MDC, code named “Mega Disruptor Cannon” by the Terran Internal Security and Intelligence (ISI), to cripple enemy ships by slicing deep into their hulls and causing massive electrical failure to their systems.

In the closing months of 3006, one of these new Ba’Rada’s, named Ba’Nevesara, was the first of its kind to perform in combat at the Battle of Seven Rings. Ten minutes into the engagement the massive MDC fired in a brilliant display of color, piercing into an enemy carrier, nearly tearing the ship in half. The Mauridian attackers, stunned by such a display of power, quickly disengaged from battle. Three days later the Nummidian Expeditionary Forces ordered 20 more of the deadly vessel.

To the dismay of the Mauridian Revolutionists, the Nummidians proved difficult to defeat. The Mauridian command had hoped that the Battle of Dea’Vedereau would quickly lead to victory for their people. However the Nummidians quickly consolidated all of their space borne might and production facilities to the Dea’Lacerna Shipyards just shy of the Diesho Confederation border. The Mauridians were stunned by such a quick response. Many Mauridian commanders questioned how it was that Dea’Lacerna could be built so quickly. Within eight years the facility was not only constructed, but was already hard at work producing Ba’Rada frigates for the Nummidians. The facility was huge and well protected, and due to its distance, was a difficult target for the fledgling Revolutionists forces to attack. Dea’Lacerna proved even more effective in repair and production than its predecessor. Where did the Nummidians get the resources for such an aggressive facility? Many speculated that Dea’Lacerna was already in the works three years before the attack on Dea’Vedereau. But how was such a thing possible?

In 3009, Ena’Evect Cel’Delaux, Commander of the Mauridian 3rd Liberation Fleet, remarked in a communiqué to his Revolutionist Commanders: “My studies of the MDC mounted on the Ba’Rada class frigate greatly resembles that of a Terran Turbo Particle Accelerator Cannon, only more powerful. In fact the radiation emissions of the modulating amplitude energy beam bears an exact match in regards to the Terran weapon. The ratios of the energy beam match exactly to the lesser Terran counterpart.”

Controversy spread throughout the ranks of the Mauridian Revolutionary command. There was wide spread speculation that the Terrans were some how involved with the Nummidians. How else could the Nummidians engineer a massive weapon so quickly; one that seemed to work flawlessly? How else could the Nummidians create a massive shipyard and continue production on their fleet after an attack that should have crippled their enemy? There were too many coincidences to ignore. The energy signatures between the Terran weapon and the Nummidian weapon was an exact ratio match. Was it convenience or design that Dea’Lacerna was built near the Diesho Confederation border, a government that shared close ties to the Terran Republic?

Diplomatic talks between the Mauridians and the Nummidians broke down when the Terrans volunteered their services to act as mediator. With conspiracy theories in large abundance, the Mauridians trusted themselves and no others. In their view, the Terrans were clearly in league with the Nummidians, and had obviously given weapon technology to them in the hopes that mutual destruction would take place. The Nummidians vehemently denied these charges and the Terrans assumed that weapons, such as the MDC of the Ba’Rada were merely coincidental happenstance of technological military progression.

Mauridian Commanders felt that time was running out. Many fretted that the Terrans would move to exploit the weaknesses of both combatants and invade. Others were determined that the Terrans would simply fuel the Nummidian war effort until the Mauridians were either exterminated or both sides reduced to a shadow of their former selves.

Recent combat missions allowed the Mauridians access to the Ba’Rada itself. And, as the strength of the spinal mounted weapon now fully entrenching itself within the fleet, a newfound vigor was restored in the hopes of the Revolutionists. As combat experience continued to grow and strengthen, the fleet commanders began to create scenarios in which to test the Ba’Rada. Each of these conditions was classified as a “problem” and given a numeric designation. Fleet Problems One through Nine were never officially conducted, but were considered already tested and overcome in the early days of the civil war. In 3008 two more problems, ten and eleven, were presented to the Fleet. War games were established and implemented at the Mauridian held colonies of Bal’Atheaud and Gel’Gotha and both concerned with the versatility of Ba’Rada.

Fleet Problem ten investigated the maneuvers necessary to gain a tactical superiority over a force of approximately the same strength and in the use of Ba’Negva in search operations. The Blue force, representing the Mauridians was assigned two Ba’Radas, while the Black force operated three Ba’Radas, but with fewer Ba’Negva. The task force that could gain the earliest control of most region of the simulated contested Gis’Themene system was crucial to solving the problem.

At the outset, neither force knew exactly where his opponent was, though Black, through intelligence reports, had enough information available to assume the Blue ships would translate into Gis’Themene using various pirate jump points just outside the far orbit of system. On the third day of operations, Blue’s commander dispatched his Ba’Negvas, but still neither side had any idea where the opposition was. The Ba’Negvas continued lightning searches through to the fourth day, and it was not until the fifth day that contact was finally made. Blue was able to take victory swiftly and with minimal “casualties”.

At its conclusion, Fleet Problem Ten demonstrated the suddenness with which an engagement could be completely reversed by the use of fast striking Ba’Negvas shielding properly implemented Ba’Radas. Keeping the MDC armed frigate behind the main attack lines and allowing them to blast away with their deadly arsenal proved most effective.

A month later, Fleet Problem Eleven investigated further the limitations of scout ships as well as their most effective use of fighters. After the game, it was recommended that scouting squadrons have their fighter compliment increased from twelve (four wings of three) to eighteen (six wings of three) and that a more suitable fighter be developed. The commanders felt that an increased range for fighters was needed and the ability to launch with a faster catapult design was necessary. Among desirable secondary characteristics were small size, folding wings, and high speed, even at the cost of atmospheric flight and armament.

It was also recommended that semi-permanent rapid-reaction task groups be organized, each consisting of four Ba’Radas, with accompanying Ba’Negvas, supporting two to three carriers featuring these newly devised fast attack fighters. These ships were to be trained as a unit in frequent exercises.

It was not until 3010 that Fleet Problem Twelve was conducted in Dau’Leveared. Fleet Problem Twelve had among its tasks strategic scouting, and re-supplying under combat conditions. Mauridian Commanders were planning a deep strike attack on the Dea’Lacerna Shipyards and the outcome of this problem was to be invaluable in staging such an attack.

Primarily, this problem dealt with actions between a fleet strong in space fighters and weak in battleships, and in a reverse situation where the fleet was weak in fighters. At its conclusion, it was considered that two Ba’Negva frigates were minimum protection for a single Ba’Rada. Further, the commanders of that group should assign priority target models to the Ba’Rada captains before the battle began, thus allowing the Ba’Radas to quickly engage important threat assets with the opening salvos. Also, it was pointed out, escorting vessels must maintain the speed and proportionate supply capacity of the Ba’Rada.

The problem also identified a need for increased production of the Ba’Rada class frigate. Ba’Radas assigned to the problem were forced to exercise in widely separated areas. In the likely event that prior intelligence fails or battle stratagem breaks down, the Ba’Rada’s maneuverability and capacity to strike at important targets would be taxed. In this case, more ships would be needed to address the problem. Additionally, the administrators of the wargame pointed out that when one Ba’Rada was assigned to each of the forces, each force invariably made the destruction of the other’s Ba’Rada the prime tactic. This resulted in both forces losing their Ba’Radas early in the game. It was therefore obvious that the side with the greater number of Ba’Rada had a tremendous advantage. This would prove critical to mission success in time of war. He suggested that forty more Ba’Rada be added to the Mauridian Revolutionists inventory.

By mid-3012 the Mauridian high command realized their goal of the Dea’Lacerna Shipyards. With a strike force of three hundred fifty vessels, the Mauridians set out to crush their opposition and put an end to the war. The Nummidians, after learning their lesson at Dea’Vedereau, were determined to protect this vital port. Suspecting an eventual attack, they had pulled back most of their fleet and assembled a force of two hundred ships with over eight thousand fighters.

The Mauridian force launched their attack with Ba’Negva vessels leading the charge. However it was the Ba’Rada ships that proved invaluable. As the initial screening wave struck the Nummidian defenses, confusion spread throughout the shipyards. Within twenty minutes the Ba’Rada frigates had destroyed or crippled several carriers successfully grounding much of the Nummidian fighters. Once the Nummidian fleet was regrouped there was very little time to launch a counterattack. The Mauridian Ba’Radas continued to slice through ships, targeting enemy carriers and frigates. In less than two hours the Dea’Lacerna Shipyards were destroyed and what was left of the Nummidian fleet limped from the battlefield. By the end the Nummidians had lost eighty five percent of their fleet, which included thirty carriers and seventy-eight Ba’Radas.

The Battle of the Dea’Lacerna Shipyards proved to be the final crippling blow to the Nummidians Ruling Families who now clearly faced defeat in the civil war at the hands of their former slaves. Consolidating the remainder of their broken fleets toward the Nummidian Capital they began planning their escape to nations that would grant them asylum.

To this day the Ba’Rada continues to be a valued workhorse amongst the Mauridian fleet. Though the civil war has ended, the Mauridians still find themselves at odds with other galactic governments. Speculation still swirls around the rising of the Ba’Rada technology. Many Mauridian officials feel that Terra was somehow directly involved in “giving” technology to the Nummidians in the hopes that the two races would eradicate each other. What is known is that the Nummidians did maintain a sophisticated bio-drone spy network throughout the Terran government. The Mauridians have made every attempt to convert this wealth of intelligence to their own side, but have had little success. In the meantime Nummidians continue to pose an internal problem for the fledgling Mauridian regime, and it is widely believed that Terra continues to influence politics between the two species. In time, perhaps the Mauridians will discover the truth.

PRODUCTION OVERVIEW-

The Ba'Rada itself is simply built around this giant Disruptor Cannon. High potency shield, armored weapon cowlings, fast, agile engines, even superfluous Light Pulsar Cannons all designed around the singular purpose of bringing that massive energy cannon to bear on the enemy.

The Type 1 is still a mainstay by the MEF. The Mauridians had developed a long lasting respect for this vessel because of her performance against them during the Revolution. Thus she, and her younger sibling, the Type 2 are featured prominently in their battle stratagem. The Type 2, the only recorded refit of this design, has reduced engines in favor of a more advanced electronic tactical suite. Designed to defeat hostile ECM, stealth suites and other potent electronic defenses, the Type 2 is even more lethal with her heavy energy beam that her older sister.

The Ba'Rada is the first of her kind in the Nummidian and now Mauridian arsenal. Thus, she has no predecessor. However, she has been the working model for the new Na'Vathaga Class Destroyer.

NOTABLE VESSELS-

Ba’Naggra (MGF-87)- One of the first Type 1 Ba’Radas acquired by the Mauridian Revolutionists, the Ba’Naggra, under the command of Evect Gev’Beceauv, served with great distinction throughout the rest of the Revolution. The sheer amount of combat missions, both in the Revolution and during raids along the Kharadorn border afterward, performed by this vessel has marked her for legend status.

A field modification to her MDC cannons yields a lesser recharge cycle allowing the weapon to fire more often. The weapon does register a slight degradation in striking power, however, this is ignored in favor of a higher firing rate.

Ba’Tareagga (MGF-172)- This Type 2 Ba’Rada was involved in what has come to be called now the Kuaito Incident.

On a routine patrol of their border, the Onadai Strike Carrier, Kuaito, was attacked by the Mauridian Ba’Rada, Ba’Tareagga, then under the command of Evect Lux’Galeauette. With surprise on her side, the Ba’Rada was able to fire several shots into the Onadai Carrier before she was able to disgorge her fighter and attack ship compliment. The advanced tactical electronics package of the new Ba’Rada easier defeated the stealth and ECM suites that the Onadai were renown for. Within minutes of the engagement the Onadai vessel was wrecked and the Ba’Rada, was able to make clear and escape back into hyperspace.

It is not fully known how or why this lone Ba’Rada frigate was operating so far away from Mauridian space. It is also not fully known what motives or reasoning went into the vicious attack that cost the lives of not only the Onadai carrier and its crew, but also the fighters and attack craft that were marooned in an uninhabitable system with her destruction.

Several pointed protests and heated  accusations were delivered by the Onadai Daimyos at the Mauridian Government, who fiercely denied any involvement or responsibility of the attack.

What’s worse is Ba’Tareagga never returned to her homeport. The Mauridian Expeditionary Forces report that they have lost all contact with the Ba’Tareagga and postulate that she may have gone rogue.