Paladin Steel/Aegis Stellar Industries Parus-Class Zippercraft(aka ‘Flying Cockroach’, ‘Buzzy’, ‘Chirpy/Chirpee’, ‘Buggy’)
Image:
http://s408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/taalismn/?action=view¤t=img107copy.jpg “This thing’s the aerospace equivalent of the VW Bug. We see as many snazzy paint jobs on these birds as on the ground cars, and just as many gimmicked-up configurations for everything from flying limos to mini-aerospace guerillas. It’s bad enough that these things are actually CUTE looking, but that they can pull that off and be snarling DEADLY to get in the way of is just plain WRONG.”
“There’s just something ignominious about going after one of those little bird-shuttles, lining up the kill, and then losing it...only to find out it’s behind you when your engines start coming apart under the hammering of its guns. Who the hell puts a quad-array on a puddle-hopper?! Still, I coulda had it worse...my carrier got WASTED by an attack of these things. Captain had even worse luck than I did; he lost a sixty-thousand ton battle carrier to a bunch of cruise-missile packing shuttlers done up as pink ladybugs.” The Parus(‘Chickadee’)-class zippercraft is a newly introduced Paladin Steel design for a small multi-purpose aerospace craft that can serve in both civil and military applications.
The Parus has a simple, robust design. In outward appearance, it resembles a ovoid with a flat bottom and rounded dome top, two small eye-like sensor clusters at one end, and two compact, but powerful, engines at the stern. Two small wings protrude from the sides; these wings can be retracted for stowage aboard spacecraft and stations. Internally, its fittings have been variously described as ‘cozy’ or ‘cramped’ depending on who one asks, but the interior is well shielded, and has a reliable and proven life support system.
The Parus is remarkably durable and well-armored for a vehicle of its size, though it isn’t recommended to go into heavy combat with one. Still, the Parus can survive a surprising amount of punishment and keep flying. Fortunately, the Parus also possesses remarkable agility. Its small size, powerful engines, and multiple concealed attitude thrusters, linked to an improved flight control system, give the small craft a degree of aerobatic performance akin to its avian namesake. The ship is easy to pilot and simple to handle, courtesy of its onboard flight computer systems, making it even more attractive to operators looking for a small, fast, versatile shuttle.
If the Parus has a problem, it’s that the compact power systems require refueling and major component change more frequently than those on similar craft. Fortunately, the engines are on easily-accessible modular trays that allow for quick swap-out and replacement, and the fuel reactor kernal is small and equally easily swapped-out, making major engine overhauls a fairly easy matter.
Because this is a Paladin Steel design, the Parus can be heavily modified for a variety of roles. It is most commonly configured as a light transport, yard inspection pod, or intership transfer vehicle, but it can also be outfitted as a light tug, work pod, scout ship, life pod, or even robot drone. Military configurations make the ship into a fighter or light gunship. It can even be outfitted as a stellacommutta-class FTL shuttle. All attractively priced for small groups looking for aerospace assets or larger concerns looking to place mass orders.
The Parus is becoming quite common in PS/GNE service in a variety of roles. The Parus is manufactured both at Valiant Station and at the Aegis Stellar Industries spaceyards at Amberjin.
Type: PS/ASI-ASST9 Parus
Class: Light Shuttle
Crew: One, with room for 1-5 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 500
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Engines(2) 200 each
Wings(2) 120 each
Height: 12 ft
Width: 10 ft(20 ft with wings fully extended)
Length: 35 ft
Weight: 45 tons
Cargo: 2 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 16 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 4
(Space) Mach 8
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.8% of light speed per melee)
(Underwater) Limited; the Parus is water-tight and can operate underwater and in the hydrospheres of other worlds, but without additional modification(see Options) its performance is limited to underwater speed of 25 MPH, maximum depth of 200 ft.
Bonuses: The Parus is easy to pilot and intuitive in handling; +15% to piloting roles and +1 to dodge.
Cost: 6 million credits(would likely cost 2-3 times as much on pre-FTL Rifts Earth)
Systems of Note:
Standard spacecraft systems.
Weapons Systems: None standard(see Options)
Options:
Because it wouldn’t be a Paladin Steel design without lots of options, would it?
*Forcefield Generator(s)
Cost: 80,000 credits per 150 MD (maximum of 750 MDC)
*Variable Forcefield Generator----300 MD per side, 1,800 total
Cost: 10 million credits
*Laser Reflective Armor----Reduce laser damage by HALF
Cost: 3 million credits
*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials clad the entire vehicle. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage
Cost: 3 million credits
*Stealth Armor---Ship has only a 15% chance of being detected by radar
Cost: 7 million credits
*Radiation Shielding---- Increases the ship’s protection from both thermal and nuclear radiation. Increase mass by 20% and reduce maximum speed by 20%. Heat (including plasma)-based attacks reduce damage by 75%
Cost: 7 million credits
*Flare/Chaff Launchers(1-3 can be added)
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 12 per launcher
Cost: 6,000 credits for the launcher, 60 credits per chaff bundle
*Robotic Manipulator Arms----45 MDC, Robotic P.S. of 30, and a 12 ft reach
Cost: 250,000 credits per arm, plus extra for any special tools built into them
*Amphibious Operations-----Allows the craft to survive depths down to 2,000 ft
Cost: 9 million credits
*TW PPE Generator---Can be used to power any add-on spell enchantments or technowizardry devices.
PPE Capacity:(Light)----200 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 20PPE/hour at a leyline, 40 PPE/hour on a nexus
(Medium)-----300 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 40 PPE/hour at a leyline, 80 PPE/hour on a nexus
(‘Wizard’)----400 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 14 PPE per hour, 50 PPE/hour at a leyline, 100 PPE/hour on a nexus
(‘Sorcerer’)--- 600 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 20 PPE per hour, 60 PPE/hour at a leyline, 120 PPE/hour on a nexus
Cost:(Light)----500,000 credits
(Medium)-----1 million credits
(‘Wizard’)----2 million credits
(‘Sorcerer’)---- 3 million credits
*Flicker-Dodge---A special capability, and one of FA’s signature creations(since licensed to Paladin Steel): an application of the Astral Hole spell. This allows the aerospacecraft to quickly dodge out of sight/reality, for a few seconds, or move up to 2000 ft sideways, up, down, or backwards , with a +2 to dodge while doing so. Typically, an aircraft can engage this system 6 times before needing to recharge the system on a Ley Line(takes about 24 hours), or the pilot can pump in 120 PPE per “flicker-dodge”.
Cost: 3 million credits
*Weapons Mounts(1-5).---Up to four fixed gun mounts can be implaced in the nose, and one in the back tail. Cost per Gun Mount: 75,000 credits +weapon cost.
a) 20mm Cannon
Range: (Palladium) 1.3 miles in atmosphere, 2.6 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 2.6 miles in atmosphere, 260 miles in space
Damage: (20mm) 1d4 MD per shell
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
(20mm PSX-1) 4d4 MD single rd
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 1000 rd drum
Cost: 60,000 credits
b) 30mm Cannon
Range: (Palladium) 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space
Damage: 4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD six-round burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 600 rd drum
Cost: 520,000 credits
c) 40mm Cannon
Range: (Palladium) 2.6 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space
Damage:(Proximity Fuzed Fragmentation) 3d6 MD to 15 ft blast radius
(Armor Piercing Tracer) 5d6 MD single shot
(High Explosive Tracer) 4d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 400 rounds
Cost: 300,000 credits
d) Rail Gun
Range: (Palladium) 1 mile in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD 60 rd burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:12,000 rd drum(200 bursts)
Cost: 120,000 credits
e) Pulse Laser
Range: (Palladium) 1 mile in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space
Damage: 6d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD per double blast(1 attack)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Cost: 270,000 credits
f) Ion Cannon
Range: (Palladium) 7,000 ft in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost:220,000 credits
g) Ion Spray Cannon
Range: (Palladium) 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space
Damage: 1d6x10+10 MD per blast, to a 50 ft wide area
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost:230,000 credits
h)PS TSC-01 Shock Cannon(copy of the Triax TX-275 ‘Lightning’ Arc Charge Blaster
Range: (Palladium) 2,000 ft in atmosphere, 1 mile in space
(Kitsune Values) 1 miles in atmosphere, 100 miles in space
Damage: 6d6 MD
01-15: No damage
16-30 Instruments flicker out, before coming back online in 1d4 seconds. Target loses Initiative.
31-45 All weapons temporarily out, and minor electrical fires. One system comes back online in 1d4 melee rds.
46-60 All systems temporarily out, and minor electrical fires. -30% to piloting skills if target is a manned vehicle. Systems come back online after 1d4 melee rds.
61-75 Communications, radar, and targeting are disabled, but weapons systems are unaffected. -3 to strike and no initiative. Damage requires physical repair.
76-90 Instruments are completely totaled. If a m ¶anned vehicle, the following skill penalties apply; -25% at one-third of maximum speed, -50% at HALF maximum speed, and -75% at full speed. NO initiative roll, -3 to dodge(-5 if an AI), -3 to strike(-5 if an AI), and lose one action per melee round(2 if an AI)
91-00 Total knockput. Controls do not respond, and machine is out of control. Crash/collapse/total shutdown within 2d4 minutes.
Cost: 300,000 credits
i) Plasma Cannon
Range: (Palladium) 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:Unlimited linked to nuclear power source
Cost: 200,000 credits
j) Particle Beam Cannon
Range: (Palladium) 1.1 miles in atmosphere, 2.2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 2.2 miles in atmosphere, 220 miles in space
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
Payload:80 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if attached to a nuclear powerplant.
Cost: 950,000 credits
k) Micro-Missile Launcher--- 60 micro-missiles
Cost: 30,000 credits per launcher
l) Mini-Missile Launcher---- 20 missiles
Cost: 32,000 credits per launcher
---The Mini-Missile launcher can be modified to fire the “S-Sting” ‘Smart Mini-Missile -----The S-Sting(for ‘Space Stinger’) is an attempt to adapt the guidance systems and accuracy of the ‘Black Talon’ L-SAM to a space-based missile. The missile resembles a rather stubby cylinder with a blunt-nosed optical cluster and protruding verniers(extend after launching), owing to the fact that the vacuum of space negates the need for streamlining the weapon.
Note that the ‘S-Sting’ has only limited effectiveness in an atmosphere....HALF bonuses in a thin atmosphere and weak gravity well like Mars’, and NO bonuses, and HALF range in a thick atmosphere and standard gravity like Earth’s.
Range: 4 miles in atmosphere, 32 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere/ 400 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD to a 15 ft blast radius
Bonuses: +7 to strike
Cost: 10,000 credits per missile
m) Short Range Missile Launcher---- 10 missiles
Cost: 100,000 credits
*Ordnance Bay---Replaces the cargo bay with a rotary missile bay
Cost: 1 million credits for the launcher array; missile cost extra
a) Micro-Missiles---384
b) Mini-Missiles----96
---The Mini-Missile launcher can be modified to fire the “S-Sting” ‘Smart Mini-Missile -----The S-Sting(for ‘Space Stinger’) is an attempt to adapt the guidance systems and accuracy of the ‘Black Talon’ L-SAM to a space-based missile. The missile resembles a rather stubby cylinder with a blunt-nosed optical cluster and protruding verniers(extend after launching), owing to the fact that the vacuum of space negates the need for streamlining the weapon.
Note that the ‘S-Sting’ has only limited effectiveness in an atmosphere....HALF bonuses in a thin atmosphere and weak gravity well like Mars’, and NO bonuses, and HALF range in a thick atmosphere and standard gravity like Earth’s.
Range: 4 miles in atmosphere, 32 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere/ 400 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD to a 15 ft blast radius
Bonuses: +7 to strike
Cost: 10,000 credits per missile
c) Short Range Missiles----32
d) Medium Range Missiles---18
e) Long Range Missiles---6
f) Cruise Missile---1(carried semi-externally)
g) Bombs---Up to 1,600 lbs of ordnance can be carried:
*250-lb Bomb----2d4x10 MD to 50 ft blast radius
*500-lb Bomb----4d4x10 MD to 60 ft blas Ët radius
*750-lb Bomb----4d6x10 MD to 65 ft blast radius
*1,000-lb Bomb----1d4x100 MD to 70 ft blast radius
Can also deploy laser-guided and glide-capable ‘smart’ bombs.
h) RFL-42 Slayer Quad-Laser Cannon---The powerful PS-RFL-40, a new PS laser weapons system with better range and a redesigned coolant jacket.
Range: (Palladium) 6,000 ft in atmosphere, 60,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values) 1.2 miles in atmosphere, 120 miles in space
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 2d4x10 MD short burst (four shots, one from each barrel), 4d4x10 MD medium burst (eight shots, two from each barrel in sequence), 4d6x10 MD long burst (takes two attacks), or 6d6x10 MD full melee burst (takes three attacks).
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited
i) Gatling Cannon
Range: (Palladium) 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space
Damage:3d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst; can only fire bursts.
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 8000 rd drum(200 bursts)
Variants:
*PS-ASST9CGFTL01---This is the ‘stellacommutta’ conversion that can make FTL jumps of 10 light years at 2 lightyears/hour, on a single charge, before needing 2 hours to recharge its drive systems. For frequent multi-jump trips, the tiny ships can reduce recharge time by tapping convenient space station or satellite power supplies(PS/ASI has begun setting up such recharge stations, nicknamed ‘bird feeders’, around its facilities and star systems where it has a presence).