Royal Caledonian Expeditionary Service
The Royal Caledonian Expeditionary Service (RCES) is analogous to the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service. It is similar in many ways to the Imperial scouting body, although the Principality's internal communications are controlled by the Caledon Royal Mail, a separate, civil organization.
Missions and Organization
The RCES operates a fleet of small scouts and larger research vessels (many of the latter chartered from larger merchant firms, although a few are owned by the RCES).
The RCES' main area of responsibility starts at the border, and becomes exclusive two parsecs outside the border surveilance area. Each zone (hex) is regularly patrolled by the RCES, with occasional missions travelling much further.
The RCES is organized in four major operational areas:
RCES Caithness
Scouts at this station, based on Caithness, primarily maintain contact with the various Aslan systems to spinward.
RCES Annan
The station at Annan is responsible for exploration and research in the desolate and underexplored worlds to coreward. This station includes a large proportion of scientists and researchers.
RCES Victory
The scouts at this, the smallest of the frontier stations, provide contact and surveillance along the border with the Imperium.
RCES Culloden
This station patrols the systems to rimward, maintaining many expedient forward fueling and resupply bases - often small refinery tankers tucked in around gas giants - in the systems toward the rim to facilitate extended operations. In this operating area, anything goes; an RCES crew may be called upon to wax diplomatic with parties from the other states to rimward, shoot it out with a bandit ship, or rescue a Caledonian merchant - or sometimes several of the above at the same time.
RCES Rutherglen
This is the RCES' main training base.
RCES Glenelg
Based on Glenelg, this station is mainly concerned with keeping tabs on the Khan World League's reavers, and with providing logistic support to the RCES and Caledonian Special Service operation "Task Force "Y"".
Ships of the RCES
The RCES currently has over 1,500 scout ships, divided among several classes built to the same specification:
- Fairmile Model G, in the G/R scout variety. 200 tons. Equipped with a pair of turrets, an extensive sensor fit, scoops and a refinery, and space for a crew of 4-6 (usually a commander (Lieutenant), Navigator (Sublieuteant), Pilot and Engineer (both junior (WO1) Warrant Officers), generally with two mission specialists (sensor operators, scientists, anthropologists and the like), and stores to keep them on station for 90 days, the G/R is the backbone of the RCES scout force. Currently nearly 850 serve as the core of the force.
- Starsream Model 225 - Another commonly-found scout, built to the same specification as the Fairmile. 320 are in service.
- Midlothian A6 - Developed from a 200 ton dispatch boat from the Midlothian Yards. 120 are in service. Unstreamlined, and generally empolyed in areas where atmospheric flight isn't required.
- Armstrong Series XXXII - 190 of these 180 ton boats also serve in the RCES.
The last of the Armstrong Series XXVI scouts - obsolete TL11 vessels - have been removed from service (often sold on very good terms to former RCES members).
The fleet also includes 160 "Scout Tenders" - 2,000 ton base ships providing fuel, supplies and minor repair facilities for groups of scouts deployed into deep space.
- Armstrong Series XXII Scout Tender - 2,000 tons, streamlined, fitted with scoops for refining bulk lots of fuel. Crew of 12. 75 are in service.
- ATS-L Scout Tender - A scout tender variant of the AX-L class modular auxiliary (at TL11), these ships are non-streamlined, but popular and ubiquitous. Fitted with a scoop lighter, a refinery module, fuel tankage and supply space and basic repair facilies, an ATS can support a group of scouts on extended deployment. Crew of 14.
Finally, the RCES charters independent vesses - Free Traders and Far Traders - to serve as research vessels.
Personnel
The RCES is a separate service, although its crews are drawn from the Navy (for operational duties) and various academic, commercial and scientific bodies for research personnel.
Ships
Caledonian scouts are frequently larger than "scout" vessels from other states; they're designed for higher endurance than most worlds' scout vessels.
Fairmile "G"-Class Scout - The versatile 200-ton Fairmile "G" class platform configured for scouting duty is the current maintay of the RCES. The "G Boat" is reliable, has good atmospheric flight and landing capabilities, has long "legs", and is much beloved by RCES crews.