WINGSTARTER
CROWDFUNDING CREATION OF THE BEHEMOTH CLASS WEAPONS PLATFORM

by Wing Commander CIC - www.wcnews.com

Backers: 3,678	Comments
	3,678 backers $1,852,438 pledged of $10,000,000 goal 30 days to go This project will only be funded if at least $10,000,000 is pledged by Tuesday, April 30, 8:59am PDT.
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Background The TCS Behemoth was the end result of the Behemoth Project, a top-secret Confederation military project that was initiated in the late 2650s. The project was led by Admiral Geoffrey Tolwyn during the ongoing Terran-Kilrathi War, with the sole purpose of destroying the Kilrathi homeworld of Kilrah. It was hoped that by destroying their homeworld, the Kilrathi would lose all will and means with which to wage war on humanity, effectively securing victory for the Confederation. Unfortunately, the Behemoth was pressed into service before it was complete. Both offensive and defensive systems were not ready, and the Kilrathi exploited these weaknesses to destroy the superweapon. Were it not for the lucky Temblor raid, humanity would have been wiped out by the Kilrathi! This cannot be allowed to happen, so as responsible 21st Century humans, it's our duty to start the Behemoth now!	Project by Wing Commander CIC Earth, Sol Sector Contact me Website: www.wcnews.com In the distant future, mankind is locked in a deadly war... And we need to start now to prepare for the coming threat!
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Goal The initial $10 million will act as seed money to facilitate formation of a team charged with the responsibility to formalize plans, initiate the permitting process and further fundraise. Successfully achieving the initial goal will help motivate major private investors to come aboard and join the project. Stretch Goals As we approach the initial goal, a series of stretch goals will be added to detail construction, test and fielding of the Behemoth Dreadnought up to the ultimate $400 quadrillion level. Design The Behemoth took the form of a super dreadnought, and by the time of its completion was one of the largest vessels in the Confederation's arsenal. The vessel was designed as a large series of superconducting energy amplification conduits, focusing 500,000,000 gigawatts against a single point of impact on any target. The target at the end of that point, be it a warship, space station, or even a planet, would be utterly destroyed. Service The TCS Behemoth was still in its finishing stages of production when the Confederation found itself on the brink of defeat after the disastrous Battle of Earth in 2668. The Kilrathi Empire had renewed its fearsome armada and was encroaching Terran territories all across the frontier. With the constant defeats felt during the course of 2669, it became clear that Earth would likely fall by the end of the year if immediate action was not taken. Thus, the Behemoth was forced to enter service earlier than anticipated. Unfortunately, this rapid activation meant that proper defensive systems, such as keel mounts and laser turrets had yet to be installed. The vessel also suffered some shield weaknesses that left several key areas on the ship particularly vulnerable to attack. Finally, the laser had not been properly tested, forcing the Confederation to test it on the front lines. Admiral Tolwyn assigned the TCS Victory and her task force the mission of escorting the Behemoth during its test runs against the Kilrathi. Tolwyn himself arrived on the Victory to take command of the operation. On 2669.245, the Victory and her fleet rendezvoused with the TCS Behemoth in the Torgo System, where they were ambushed by the Kilrathi. After driving off the assault and refueling the mammoth warship, the Victory escorted the Behemoth to her testing site in the Loki System, where she was to destroy a Kilrathi outpost on Loki VI. The planet orbited a quasar, which periodically disabled all means of communication, making it an ideal site for a covert test. After pilots from the TCS Victory successfully fended off multiple Kilrathi patrols, the Behemoth fired on Loki VI, completely destroying the planet. With confirmation of the vessel's operational status, Admiral Tolwyn ordered an immediate strike on Kilrah. The Kilrathi destroyed the Behemoth before it could attack Kilrah. The attack on Kilrah did not succeed. Kilrathi Colonel Ralgha nar Hhallas, once a loyal pilot of the Terran Confederation, was prompted to betray the Confederation when his personality overlay was removed by rogue transmission from Crown Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka. He leaked the weak points of the Behemoth to Thrakhath, allowing the Crown Prince to launch a focused attack on the vessel. Colonel Christopher Blair and his wingmen from the Victory fought desperately to save the vessel, but the Behemoth was eventually destroyed after a concentrated attack by Kilrathi bombers, resulting in a heavy blow to the Terran Confederation. The loss of the Behemoth could have seen the end of Humanity had Brigadier General James Taggart not introduced the Temblor Bomb that would eventually see Kilrah's destruction. Risks and challenges Significant technological and financial hurdles exist. Numerous items such as jump technology, phase shielding and an interstellar space navy must be developed prior to fielding the Behemoth. We cannot yet quantify the risk associated with either Pilgrim or Kilrathi saboteurs. Although all efforts will be made to keep Akkbar far, far away, it's entirely possible that he could find a way to screw this up.	Pledge $1 or more 387 backers Spacehand: Help provide moral support! Your donation will show that Wing Commander fans take the threat of annihilation seriously. Pledge $50 or more 694 backers Chief Petty Officer: We appreciate your financial backing! As a token of our appreciation, receive a genuine thank you certificate in PDF format. Estimated delivery: April 2014 Pledge $100 or more 217 backers 2nd Lieutenant: The people who end up building this thing are going to be listening to a lot of music! Pledge $100 and receive a digital download of the playlist recommended by the builders. (plus prior reward) Estimated delivery: April 2015 Pledge $250 or more 1,209 backers 1st Lieutenant: Space is a big place! Get a rolled map of the known universe to plot out the course from Earth to Kilrah. (plus all prior rewards) Estimated delivery: April 2016 Pledge $500 or more 1,127 backers Captain: Even in the future, sometimes the cloud goes down! Receive a Behemoth-shaped USB stick for contributing $500. (plus all prior rewards) Estimated delivery: April 2017 Pledge $1,000 or more 389 backers Major: Chris Roberts gets the US & UK rights to the Wing Commander Movie back in 2015. Add $1,000 to the effort and receive a free Blu-ray of the special director's cut of the film! (plus all prior rewards) Estimated delivery: April 2018 Pledge $2,500 or more 119 backers Limited (4881 of 5000 left) Lieutenant Colonel: Everyone loves blueprints. Sponsor the project at the $2,500 level and receive a detailed schematic of the Behemoth, autographed by the designer! (plus all prior rewards) Estimated delivery: April 2020 Pledge $5,000 or more 419 backers Limited (31 of 50 left) Colonel: Make your mark! Have your name laser-etched on the keel of the Behemoth! It'll be there for all eternity (or until the Behemoth is destroyed). (plus all prior rewards) Estimated delivery: April 2030 Pledge $10,000 or more 57 backers Admiral: Wingnuts are full of good ideas! Come on down and spend a day at the offices of the Wing Commander CIC and provide your input to the project! (plus all prior rewards) Estimated delivery: April 2019 Pledge $25,000 or more 9 backers Limited (91 of 100 left) Space Marshal: Pledge at this level and your slot on the Behemoth's maiden voyage is reserved! Does not include transportation to and from space. For information on how to reach the orbital station where the Behemoth will be built, we recommend watching Man on a Mission - Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars. (plus all prior rewards) Estimated delivery: April 2040 Pledge $50,000 or more 0 backers Limited (1 of 1 left) Wing Commander: Be the first to test fire the Behemoth! One lucky (and rich) contributor will get to fire the Big B's first laser blast. This initial test is not guaranteed to be aimed at a planet. Although escape pods will be installed by this point, firing sequence is initiated at the contributor's own risk! (plus all prior rewards) Estimated delivery: April 2050