Jack of Harts

There is an old saying about the Republic of Texas. “Everything is bigger in Texas.” That was not generally true of the Texas Navy due to their reliance on smaller ships that carried fighters. Yes, they did buy some cruisers, battlecruisers, and even battleships, but those ships were generally shorter-legged than their homegrown designs and were relegated primarily to system defense roles. The Dallas-class heavy cruiser would change that. She was the largest Pre-War cruiser of the era, the first cruiser to carry twelve starfighters into combat, and boasted the largest capital missile array of any cruiser for a time. But her true claim to fame was as the first mass-production warship to carry a paired-array of spinal gravitic cannons. The Texans wanted a long-legged flagship for their far off detachments. What they got was loudly praised as the biggest, baddest cruiser of the era.

The Republic of Texas Navy’s Abilene-class long-range exploration cruisers were spread out all over explored space, dedicated to expanding that area in the last two decades, when the Peloran made Contact. They brought with them hyperdrive and gravitic technologies that made the Abilene obsolete overnight. But the Abilene fleet was a significant investment in time and materials, so they were ordered home to Earth or Dallas for refitting. Once operational with the new technologies, they went back out to explore space again for decades more to come. The newer Houston and Laredo designs replaced them eventually, leaving them to molder away in the reserves. Then one day a Texas Ranger needed a fast ship and no questions asked. He requisitioned an Abilene for a trip that would change the Abilene’s fate forever. He liked the ship, he wanted to keep the ship, and he convinced Texas Ranger leadership to purchase the remaining Abilenes for Ranger use. The Rangers have used them ever since.

The Republic of Texas Navy’s primary spacegoing mission for decades was securing the New Earth-Dallas Hyperspace Run. They escorted supply and personnel convoys to the new colony, and patrolled for State-sponsored raiders looking for easy prey. Their deep space cruisers the size of modern-day frigates carried minimal onboard weaponry compared to modern starships. Beyond a few onboard lasers and missile launchers, their primary combat power consisted of the strike fighters they carried into firing range. The fighters were extremely short-legged compared to modern starfighters, and so they usually stayed close after launching and linked their systems with their starship for coordinated attack and missile defense. This tactical doctrine still dominates modern combat, and has been adopted by all major powers.