Earth Alliance Orestes Class System Monitor

Name: Orestes
Craft: Earth Alliance Orestes System Monitor
Type: system monitor
Scale: capital
Length: 1,100 meters
Skill: capital ship pilot
Crew: 209
Crew Skill: Astrogation: 5D; Capital Ship Pilot: 5D; Capital Ship Gunnery: 3D+1; Communications: 5D; Sensors: 5D; Starship Gunnery: 3D+1; Planetary Systems: 5D; Tactics: 5D; Command: 5D
Passengers: 5,000
Cargo Capacity: 5,000 metric tons
Consumables: 50 months
Nav Computer: yes
Maneuverability: 0D+1
Space: 8
Hull: 7D+1
Sensors

• Passive: 50/1D+2
• Scan: 100/2D+2
• Search: 150/3D+2
• Focus: 5/4D+2

Craft Carried: 3 Light Shuttles; 12 Starfuries
Weapons

• Heavy Laser Cannon

Fire Arc: forward
Crew: 2
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 3D
Space Range: 1-10/19/38
Damage: 5D

• 2 Medium Laser Cannons

Fire Arc: 1 forward, 1 aft
Crew: 1
Scale: capital
Skill: capital ship gunnery
Fire Control: 3D
Space Range: 1-10/19/38
Damage: 3D+1

• 4 Twin Linked Medium Pulse Cannons

Fire Arc: 2 port, 2 starboard
Crew: 2
Scale: starfighter
Skill: starship gunnery
Fire Control: 3D
Space Range: close
Damage:

• Single: 5D
• Partial Burst: 5D+2 (Fire Control 2D)
• Full Burst: 6D+1 (Fire Control 1D)

• 3 Particle Beams

Fire Arc: 3 turrets
Crew: 1
Scale: starfighter
Skill: starship gunnery
Fire Control: 3D
Space Range: 1-8/15/25
Damage: 2D

Description: Originally used as a battle dreadnought, the Orestes looked much different to its present configuration. Its early role was to act as the core of a task force engaged in rooting out and destroying Raider outposts on the edge of explored Earth Alliance space. The first incarnation of the Orestes, therefore, was a heavily armored battleship capable of shrugging off serious amounts of firepower. Unfortunately, it was also extremely expensive to operate, and once the pirates were driven out or defeated, it was often too expensive to make the return trip home. Inefficient on fuel and power supplies, demanding of life-support and supplies, the Orestes looked as though it would soon be decommissioned completely.

The Orestes received a new lease on life in the mid-22nd Century. At that time, the Orestes was the largest ship in the Alliance inventory, as well as one of the best able to stand up to enemy fire – even the neutron laser fire of the Minbari. The Orestes packed a tremendous amount of weaponry, so it did prove useful during the Earth-Minbari War as a mobile defense craft. In this way, the Orestes changed from a Dreadnought-class vessel to a simple system monitor, and Orestes vessels have been used as system defenders ever since.

Source: Babylon 5: Ships of the Galaxy (pages 19-20); thedemonapostle