Starship designs...

[SolCannibal]

On a slight tangent, does anyone know of any sources for ships appropriate for a small band of adventurers?

Nearly everything I can find in my books is either ridiculously oversized or a tiny two-man fighter craft. Nothing like a Millenium Falcon-sized courier or frigate suitable for 6-8 people and 2-3 vehicles (shuttlecraft, land vehicle, and maybe a hoverbike or two).

It seems like a really weird class of ship to exclude for the most part in an RPG.

You do have a point there, though i dare say pop culture references might have a share of the blame on that one, when one stops to think of how many sci-fi series centered on a capital ship or space station there have been or are, in comparison to number of ones where you have an "adventurer ship" for the wandering base of a smaller group.

I can think of Firefly (that though developing something of a cult following, was pretty much discontinued midway), maybe Farscape (Moya counting as frigate or something larger being quite dubious, i guess) and not much else, in contrast to the whole Star Trek franchise, Galactica, Andromeda, Babylon 5 and more. Could be said to be something of a blindspot in media too, i guess.

[taalismn]

And yet popular sci-fi started with 'adventurer'-sized spacecraft: Hans Zharkov's rocketship, Space Patrol's Polaris, Lost in Space's Jupiter 2. The Tardis doesn't count because of its larger-on-the-inside nature.

Of course, part of the problem might be that the producers weren't scientists, and it began to dawn on them that space propulsion that could throw a ship cross interstellar distances wasn't likely to be the size of a cabin cruiser's inboard motor....

[Crimson Dynamo]

So no idea where I can find stats on even one or two ships of that size? I've been searching through the books I have, but I haven't really found anything decent to model one after yet.

[SolCannibal]

So no idea where I can find stats on even one or two ships of that size? I've been searching through the books I have, but I haven't really found anything decent to model one after yet.

No specific models come to mind, but i'd say you can definitely cook up something from the guidelines in Ships of the 3 Galaxies.

[taalismn]

So no idea where I can find stats on even one or two ships of that size? I've been searching through the books I have, but I haven't really found anything decent to model one after yet.

The closest I can think of is the Proctor Heavy Fighter, but that's a flying coffin motel with no cargo capacity.
Rifts Three Galaxies(d-book 6) also has the One star shuttle and Starfish yacht that can be used as general examples of smaller starships.
If you've got access to the Rifter #34, the creation rules for tracer ships include light freighters and other small craft that would be appropriate.

And, in blatant self-promotion, I direct you to this thread with many wondrous fan creations, some of which are appropriate for smaller adventurer-sized vessel.

[Borast]

And yet popular sci-fi started with 'adventurer'-sized spacecraft: Hans Zharkov's rocketship, Space Patrol's Polaris, Lost in Space's Jupiter 2. The Tardis doesn't count because of its larger-on-the-inside nature.

Of course, part of the problem might be that the producers weren't scientists, and it began to dawn on them that space propulsion that could throw a ship cross interstellar distances wasn't likely to be the size of a cabin cruiser's inboard motor....

Two of the best I can think of came from the delightfully off kilter Mr. R. Heinlein... Dora and Gay Deceiver.
Dora is a true interstellar ship ... and her FTL drive is about the size of a breadbox (the original "Libby Irrelivance Drive" was about the size of a hard cover novel), where the ship itself is something like 30-40 metres long and slightly less that across, with something like 3-4 decks. Due to a quirk in the mathematics of their "subspace," she is also capable of time travel. The 'owner' has flown from 3000AD back to pre-WWI where he met his original family (Parents, siblings, etc.). He is a major character in many of Mr. Heinleins novels - Woodrow Wilson Smith, aka: Lazarus Long.

Gay Deceiver is an air car (4 passenger...6 in a pinch..."flying roadable") not quite an ornithopter, because she doesn't flap her wings. She has an continua device capable of accessing 6^6^6 possible dimensions positive and negative along the 6 axes of time and space. This means she can travel (instantaneously) between points in the universe she is in, theoretically to the scale of light millenea; to the millisecond accuracy, through time, and through alternate universes as well.
(In this book, "Number of the Beast," Mr. Heinlein does something I've never seen another author do - blatantly bash himself for one of his books, as something he should be ashamed of for doing, as it was only for the money!)

[Crimson Dynamo]

Thanks for the tips and suggestions.

[taalismn]

Outlaw ‘Clasper’ Heavy Fighter
(aka ‘Grippler’, ‘Pirate Proctor’)
“The Clasper’s not some ramshackle throw-together assembled from junk by half-educated techs in some back-hangar; it’s a purpose-built specialist craft manufactured to high quality sttandards from shared experience in banditry. It suggests a technical expertise and organization above the chicken-steallig level and one we should be wary of. And it’s showing up in the hands of crews who aren’t the type to behave stupidly for your entertainment, so be extra careful when encountering these things.”
--USAJC briefing on the Clasper

“I’ve seen a squadron of these things strip a pod-freighter bare; one knocked out our engines and commnuications, and the rest yanked cargo cans off the frames. I guess they were pressed for time, though, because they didn’t board us, but they still blasted the captain’s hab module off and made off with it and the ship’s valuables locker on top of what they swiped off the external mounts. Left us looking like a bovo skeletons after the flenser-frobs got through with it.”

The ‘Clasper’ is a heavy fightercraft of unknown providence, though it is often accredited to the Barricans, a former pirate group that left the Golgan sphere to attempt to go straight by colonizing several worlds. After a hiatus of several centuries from piracy, the Barricans backslid to old habits and began building a pirate fleet, including several new designs. The Barricans’ plans were derailed when the United Systems Alliance hit their secret shipyards, but either the USAJC didn’t hit all the Barricans’ yards, or the latter had already built enough smallcraft that they could flush them, or sell the design, to the black market. The design has since appeared in the ranks of a disturbing number of pirate groups, but it has also appeared in the hands of privateers working for the Free Worlds Council.
The ‘Clasper’ is a heavy fighter or strike ship derived from small high speed tug designs. The ship has a crescent-shaped hull with a centrally-located cockpit, twin heavy engines directly behind, a set of EW antennae sticking out from rom the sides of the hull, and a large docking ring on the ventral sides.
The Clasper carries a powerful electronic warfare suite for jamming sensors and communications. allowing it, ideally, to be able to sneak up on a target, queer any point defense systems from getting a target lock on the attacker, and jam any communications attempts to summon help. This requires a dedicated electronic warfare technician to manage the systems, and provision is made in the Clasper’s crew for one.
The Clasper is well-armored(if not as well as many patrol ships), has good shielding, and a fair turn of speed. An FTL CG drive frees it from dependence on a carrier craft, a common problem for many pirate smallcraft. Hidden thruster arrays in its broad wing give it uncommon agility for a craft of its size and providence, and it is suspected that renegade engineers from the metroworlds of the CCW and Human Alliance had a hand in designing the Clasper’s flight control systems. .
Armament is relatively light, consisting of two light missile launchers and two light laser cannon, but this is generally enough to deal with most civilian transports. The major complaint about the Clasper is a lack of turreted point defense; the ship relies on its maneuverability, ECM, and forceshielding to protect it from other small craft.
The most unusual feature, however, and that which gives the ship its name, is the set of twin deployable grappler tines; the trailing ends of the ‘horns’. These can be fired off from the ship, trailing a heavy hauling cable behind each one. These pods attach themselves to a target vessel’s hull, and the clasper-ship can then take the captive vessel in tow. The grappler modules also generate an EM field that interferes with most commercial grade CG-drives, preventing them from generating a stable contragravitic field for FTL travel.
Once a successful attack has been made, and the target ship’s ability to escape or resist is neutralized, the Clasper can then forcibly attach itself to its victim using the docking ring, and a squad of raiders can break into the ship to take control.
The Clasper has been appearing on the galactic black market and selling well to the better-heeled pirate and criminal organizations. It is becoming a problem with the better equipped pirate groups acquiring them in numbers. As mentioned, though, the FWC has acquired a few as have several mercenary groups. It is not known who is the source of the new vessels.

Type: PrAS-56 ’Clasper’
Class: Heavy Fighter/Attack Ship
Crew: 4+ 1-8 passengers/troops
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,800
Cockpit 800
Laser Cannon(2) 200 each
Docking Ring 300
Engines 1,400
Grappler Horns/Cables(2) 250 each
Variable Forcefield 300 each side, 1,800 total

Height: 22 ft
Width: 80 ft
Length: 65 ft
Weight: 480 tons
Cargo: 3 tons; if not carrying troops/passengers, can carry an additional 8 tons.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion 1/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 9
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.9% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour(Class ‘C’ CG drive)
(Underwater) Not possible
Market Cost: 165 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Light Starship Systems, plus:

*Advanced Flight Controls--The Clasper has advanced flight controls and gets a bonus of +1 to dodge and a +5% to Piloting rolls.

*Electronic Warfare Systems---Powerful EW suite that effectively blanket-jams enemy communications and command-directed munitions with 80% effectiveness, Civilian-band communications are 98% jammed, while military communications bands suffer 80% degradation in effectiveness. Radar systems are similarly degraded....they can pick up the emissions, but cannot pinpoint the exact location of the source within the area of disruption. Area of effect: 60 mile radius(60,000 miles in space). It also improves the ECM penalty to guided weapons to -7.

*Docking Ring(aka ‘Lamprey Ring’)---The large docking ring on the underside of the ship has molecular adhesion pads, allowing it to fuse to the hull of a target ship. There’s enough room in the ring to allow a sapper to attach breaching charges to the hull, though some Claspers are custom-fitted with automated laser/plasma cutters or shaped-charge planter-waldos to do the job as soon as hull contact is made.

Weapons Systems:
1) Laser Cannons(2)---Mounted in the wings outboard of the cockpit.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 5d6x10 MD per cannon, 5d6x20 MD for both lasers firing simultaneously.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Short Range Missile Launchers(2)---Mounted outboard of the cockpit are a brace of SRMLs. These can volley-fire, which is often enough to terrify most civilian crews, but they are also an effective anti-fighter/countermissile system.
Range: Varies by Missile Type, x4 in space
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6 per launcher
Payload: 60 missiles per launcher, 120 total

3) Grappler Pods(aka ‘Lamprey pods’) (2)--The ends of the crescent hull’s ‘horns’ are detachable thruster-propelled projectile grapples. In addition to hard-docking with a target, the grappler pods also trail superconduction cabling that play a part in generating a disruption field that interferes with contragravity stardrive initiation.
In keeping with the Clasper’s tug origins, these pods are also used for hauling cargo pods, salvage, and plunder.
Range: 1 mile
Damage: 1d4 MD for impact
(CG FTL Disruption) Depends on the type of CG-drive employed by the target; Class A (1 light year/hour or less) have an 80% chance of being disrupted, Class-Bs(2 light years/hr) 70% chance, Class C(3 light years/hr) 60% chance, Class D(4 light years/hr) 50% chance, Class E(5 light years/hr) 40% chance, Class F(6 light years/hr) 30% chance, Class G(7 light years/hr) 20% chance.
If disrupted, the target vessel still has a chance of being able to override the interference field; the target vessel’s engineer, if they have the Spaceship Mechanics skill, can attempt to match or beat the disrupting vessel’s crew Spaceship Mechanics roll(if they have a dedicated engineer overseeing the disruption field), with a cumulative bonus of +5% for every CG drive class ABOVE the pirate ship’s Class C drive(so a ship with a Class F drive would have a a bonus of +15%) but suffers a cumulative PENALTY of -5% for every class drive class BELOW the pirate ship’s(so a freighter with a Class A drive is at -10%). The pinned ship can attempt this once every 5 minutes(which is why pirates will attempt to board the ship as soon as possible to neutralize the engineers
If the Clasper does NOT have somebody with the Spaceship Mechanics skill overseeing the disruptor, then the target ship makes their counter-roll the same as with the initial attack/disruption. On a successful roll, the target ship gets its FTL capability back and can attempt to FTL away, but if the Clasper is still attached, there is a chance equal to the original disruption chance of the FTL drive being damaged in the effort(the ship’s mechanic can roll on their skill, with the same bonuses/penalties as before to negate this problem).
In the case of multiple Claspers attached to the ship, the ship’s engineer must roll to compensate for each attached disruption field in the break attempt. This is why it’s a good idea to clear the hull of any and all lamprey pods.
Rate of Fire: 1-2 at once
Bonuses:: +2 to strike; the pods are essentially wire -guided missiles
Payload: 2

Variants:
A number of variants exist, depending on the operator. Most variants swap out the lasers or missile launchers for other weapons such as particle beam cannon or medium range missiles(36 MRMs per launcher). Some swap out the Grappler Pods for a rear-facing pair of energy cannon or heavy missile launchers(8 LRMs/3 cruise missiles per launcher)/bomb racks(equivalent to missile warheads, but DOUBLE the payload).

[Omegasgundam]

While the Python Syndicate/Alien Intelligence is not responsible for the Clasper, they/it are perfectly happy to serve as distributors for this craft at a reasonably low mark up.

[SolCannibal]

While the Python Syndicate/Alien Intelligence is not responsible for the Clasper, they/it are perfectly happy to serve as distributors for this craft at a reasonably low mark up.

Where does one find reference for them or it?

[Omegasgundam]

While the Python Syndicate/Alien Intelligence is not responsible for the Clasper, they/it are perfectly happy to serve as distributors for this craft at a reasonably low mark up.

Where does one find reference for them or it?

Earlier in the thread, at most 10 pages ago.

'Phython' is the Least Old One of Dumb Thuggery and Getting Away With It, and exists to provide a reason for how and why minor outlaws across the megaverse keep finding what they need to ply their trade, be it guns, bullets, parts, food, or ships. In the Three Galaxies, it and its network of agents serves as the ultimate fence/secure supplier to pirates and non-state sponsored terrorists, providing an endless stream of mediocre equipment to harass civilians and take their stuff. The most common form of exchange is barter for loot, offering a substantial better exchange value than liquidating stolen goods normally.

[SolCannibal]

While the Python Syndicate/Alien Intelligence is not responsible for the Clasper, they/it are perfectly happy to serve as distributors for this craft at a reasonably low mark up.

Where does one find reference for them or it?

Earlier in the thread, at most 10 pages ago. I'll put some pointers to them here tommorow.

'Phython' is the Least Old One of Dumb Thuggery and Getting Away With It, and exists to provide a reason for how and why minor outlaws across the megaverse keep finding what they need to ply their trade, be it guns, bullets, parts, food, or ships. In the Three Galaxies, it and its network of agents serves as the ultimate fence/secure supplier to pirates and non-state sponsored terrorists, providing an endless stream of mediocre equipment to harass civilians and take their stuff. The most common form of exchange is barter for loot, offering a substantial better exchange value than liquidating stolen goods normally.

I think i remember reading something along those lines.... now kind of curious about how goes the relation between it and the Noldek's Gun Brotherhood.

[taalismn]

'Phython' is the Least Old One of Dumb Thuggery and Getting Away With It, and exists to provide a reason for how and why minor outlaws across the megaverse keep finding what they need to ply their trade, be it guns, bullets, parts, food, or ships. In the Three Galaxies, it and its network of agents serves as the ultimate fence/secure supplier to pirates and non-state sponsored terrorists, providing an endless stream of mediocre equipment to harass civilians and take their stuff. The most common form of exchange is barter for loot, offering a substantial better exchange value than liquidating stolen goods normally.

Maybe not a 'Napoleon of Crime' so much as 'Mooks'r'Us' or 'ARRRRRRMart'.

[SolCannibal]

'Phython' is the Least Old One of Dumb Thuggery and Getting Away With It, and exists to provide a reason for how and why minor outlaws across the megaverse keep finding what they need to ply their trade, be it guns, bullets, parts, food, or ships. In the Three Galaxies, it and its network of agents serves as the ultimate fence/secure supplier to pirates and non-state sponsored terrorists, providing an endless stream of mediocre equipment to harass civilians and take their stuff. The most common form of exchange is barter for loot, offering a substantial better exchange value than liquidating stolen goods normally.

Maybe not a 'Napoleon of Crime' so much as 'Mooks'r'Us' or 'ARRRRRRMart'.

"Our prices are a steal!!"

[taalismn]

"Our prices are a steal!!"

"Stolen goods are never sold at a loss."

[Borast]

"Stolen goods are never sold at a loss."

I beg to differ...are you talking about the thief or the fence?
Never heard of a "Loss Leader"?

[taalismn]

"Stolen goods are never sold at a loss."

I beg to differ...are you talking about the thief or the fence?
Never heard of a "Loss Leader"?

Yes, admittedly if you're on the acquisition end of the deal and you lose most of your equipment and personnel with only a few gross of plastic dolls you could have gotten by trashing a vending machine at the local strip mall to show for it...yah, you took a loss for your troubles...

But this doesn't occur to EVERY criminal out there....

[taalismn]

Arzac Confederation Hebris Battleship

“Admiral, -Right Claw of Absolution- and -Kanno Declaration- report that their sweep is complete; all enemy aerospace assets have been accounted for. Farges Squadron confirm that the last enemy defense ship has DEFINITELY broken up on re-entry, no lifepods observed. The orbital platform has been swept clean and our marines are ready to return to their transport ship!”
“Excellent. Have -Kespa’s Hand- return to us as soon as the marines have embarked, but -Absolution- and -Declaration- are to maintain patrol. We may still have runners that are bidding their time. As soon as -Kespa- has returned, plot a firing solution to destroy the platform, once we finish the firing program on the primary target area. And put us at Alert Level Four. First rank combat crew to stand down once fire mission has been completed, second rank to rotate in. Oh, and my complements to the ship’s crew; excellent work!”
“At once, Admiral!”
From his seat on the bridge of the Confederation battleship -Fires of Salvation-, Admiral Tel’laDorn turns away from the holotank to gaze out one of the direct-vision viewports, its armored cover rolling back now that threat of direct attack has been eliminated. Looming large in view is the curve of a blue-green world; -Fires of Salvation- is hovering in low orbit above it.
Below, the thin veil of atmosphere is already becoming hazy as large dark patches visibly grow around angry red glowing splotches amidst the planet’s green. Several thousand acres of cultivated land are burning, ignited by the battleship’s lasers and fighter-dropped ordnance. Somewhere near the heart the massive blaze processing plants and warehouses have already been incinerated, their stockpiles of chemicals, fuels, and refined product adding to the inferno. Smaller blazes are starting up short distances away from the main fields; secondary plantations set ablaze by -Fires of Salvation’s- fighters. Unseen, but no less destructive to the crops below are the persistant herbicides being dropped by the ship’s shuttles and parasite craft.
Admiral Tel’laDorn smiles a mirthless smile. He has made good on the Grand Council’s promise to burn the cargus-dust crop where it grows. No one will go hungry from today’s destruction, but millions, perhaps billions, of dust-addicts will not be getting their fixes in the year to come, and the Zilo Cartel will be that much weaker.

Even though the Arzac Confederation’s economy is still recovering from the effects of their Narcoclypse(the three-hundred year period during which their star nation ws virtually owned by narcotics cartels), the Purifier regime has elected to undertake the expensive construction of three new heavy warships. Since the re-annexation of one of their former colony worlds(they once had a dozen colonies, but saw that number whittled down to two at the nadir of the Collapse) took much of their military strength, the Arzac have been struggling to rebuild their military, and funding for the ships was approved to replace older vessels that have been destroyed or declared unfit for front line service. The primary role of these ships has been justified as being to deter any major power from trying to take advantage of the perceived weakness of the Confederation by invading, but recent observed maneuvers have suggested that the Purifiers may be planning on taking a more aggressive approach to the pirates and drug cartels still operating around the periphery of Confederation space. The Coloye Dopamen outposts in nearby Apheria Sector are considered a prime target for the Purifiers’ ‘Get Tough Against Drugs’ policies, especially considering that the Dopamen are considered to be THE major players in the Trans-Apheriac drug trade(though they deny this).
The Hebris are massive, solidly-built vessels with monobloc spindle hulls and straightforward deck configurations. The design is solid and conservative, relatively easy to construct and inexpensive to maintain(after the initial construction costs). Four massive engines, based on CCW technology, provide substantial push; the Hebris are fairly fast as capital warships go.
The Hebris are definitely heavy on large caliber energy weapons, with multiple batteries of particle and laser beam cannons, but lack substantial point defense and projectile weaponry. This would be a glaring weakness considering that few narcotics traffickers maintain the sort of capital warships that the Hebris would do well against. For anti-fighter work, the Hebris relies on its embarked squadrons of fighters and patrol ships, while holding its fire for larger opponents...or, as has been suggested by some analysts, surface bombardment.
The Hebris has a band of external docking hardpoints that allow the ships to carry a number of non-FTL ships through CG-FTL space. The Hebris typically carries a force of ten patrol ship ‘greyhounds’ used to interdict other craft. The battleships also carry two transport barges; these are typically outfitted as prison barges for carrying captured pirates and drug dealers, and are remotely controlled from the battleship itself. It is rumored that in the (unlikely) event that any prisoner uprising on the penal barges should take control of the transports that the Hebris gunners are authorized to destroy the craft with their main weapons batteries or the barges simply remote controlled to fly off on a collision course with some celestial body.
The expected use of the Hebris seems to be to carry its fighters and small craft into a system use them to establish a blockade cordon, then use the battleships’ speed and heavy armament to engage enemy capital ships or bombard surface targets.
The three Hebris-class battleships so far constructed have so far officially been engaged in ‘defensive patrolling’ with ‘live fire exercises’ along the Confederation’s borders. However, attacks on several known narco-worlds in adjacent sectors to the Confederation conform what has long been suspected; the Arzaci are launching a campaign of retribution against the galactic narcotics cartels, spearheaded by the new Arzaci warships. So far these attacks have been restricted to wholly cartel-owned worlds, but sector diplomats are worried about what may happen if the Arzaci choose to go after narco-ring targets on more populated worlds with sovereign governments, but cartel presences.
The Arzaci have not offered the Hebris design for sale.

Type: AC-BB05 Hebris
Class: Battleship
Crew: 895+ 400 troops
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 98,000
Bridge 4,000
Main Engines(4) 4,000 each
Heavy Particle Beam Cannon Turrets(6) 800 each
Heavy Laser Batteries ( 8 ) 700 each
Secondary Laser Batteries ( 12 ) 400 each
Hangar Bays(4) 1,000 each
Variable Forcefields---4,000 per side(24,000 total)
Height: 800 ft
Width: 700 ft
Length: 2,950 ft
Weight: 900,000 tons
Cargo: 30,000 tons, mainly supplies for embarked and parasite craft.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 12
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.2% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: 27 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems plus:
*Advanced Fire Control----The Hebris features a home-brewed advanced fire control and coordination system that gives the particle beam weapons a +2 to strike, and the laser batteries a +3 to strike.
Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Particle Beam Cannon Turrets(6)---These are the main anti-warship weapons of the Hebris, and are intended to fend off the heavy warships of the likes of the Splugorth, Golgans, or TGE(not that the Arzac expect or want to face anybody like the TGE) or the rare mercenary heavy warship working for the drug cartels. They are also used to reduce orbital defense stations to rubble.
Range: 15 miles in atmosphere, 60 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 15 miles in atmosphere, 15,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x1,000 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Once ever 30 seconds(two melees)
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Heavy Laser Batteries ( 8 )---Though considered secondary to the heavy PBCs, the heavy naval lasers are the real workhorses of the Hebris, and are tied into an advanced fire control system. The longer range of the lasers makes them ideal for pinpoint planetary attack, especially when operated in cooperation with the ship’s parasite craft acting as spotters. The use of these weapons in destroying narco-crops has earned them the nickname ‘crop circle pencils’.
Range: 20 miles in atmosphere, 80 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 20 miles in atmosphere, 20,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 MD per blast. but can be adjusted to 4d6 MD over a 1,000 ft area.
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3)Secondary Laser Batteries ( 12 )---These are what pass for point defense for the Hebris; they have been used to burn narco-smuggler ships from space.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 8 miles in atmosphere, 8,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee round
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Auxiliary Craft:
10 Patrol Craft/Corvettes
30 Fighters
10 Shuttles
2 Transport Barges----3,000 ton cargo capacity, or 3,000 passengers

[SolCannibal]

"Stolen goods are never sold at a loss."

I beg to differ...are you talking about the thief or the fence?
Never heard of a "Loss Leader"?

Yes, admittedly if you're on the acquisition end of the deal and you lose most of your equipment and personnel with only a few gross of plastic dolls you could have gotten by trashing a vending machine at the local strip mall to show for it...yah, you took a loss for your troubles...

But this doesn't occur to EVERY criminal out there....

Or attacking a ship in Eugenia only to come out with a conteiner ship full of Moho fruit - that one is a stroke of bad luck that is very hard to live down.....

[taalismn]

[

Or attacking a ship in Eugenia only to come out with a conteiner ship full of Moho fruit - that one is a stroke of bad luck that is very hard to live down.....

"Hey! The intel I bought said it was a payroll ship!"

[SolCannibal]

[

Or attacking a ship in Eugenia only to come out with a conteiner ship full of Moho fruit - that one is a stroke of bad luck that is very hard to live down.....

"Hey! The intel I bought said it was a payroll ship!"

"Made the ones to blame take a jump to the lazersharks in the edge of a black hole for that!"

[taalismn]

Indrelian Llotar-class Carrier
(aka ‘Longrod’)
“These vessels may be expensive to produce, but the Indrelians love them for their presence and versatility. More than a few Territorial Overseers have their headquarters and residences on Llotars orbiting a subject world.”

“Avoid attacking Llotars broadside; that’s where their weaponry has full play of fire. Come in directly astern or right up the nose where the lighter weaponry is.”

“We’re actually a little jealous of the Indrelians’ success with the Llotar; they’ve had a degree of success with capital ship modularity we didn’t have with the Mark One Providence-class. Mind you, the Llotar is NOT a perfect warship and there’s a good many contemporaries that can literally fly circles around it, but its modularity has served it very well and cannot be considered a weak spot in its concept.”
---Anonymous PS/ASI aerospace engineer

The Llotar-class Carrier is a heavy Indrelian warship that serves as a general carrier/mothership for the Indrelian Khonate Protector Force. The Llotar serves as fleet tender, troop transport, and planetary attack ship, keeping the Khonate’s fleets serviced and its conquered territories subjugated.
The Llotar has a long roughly rectangular hull, with pyloned engines both fore and aft, and a long segmented main hull lined with multiple large holds that can be configured as hangar decks, barracks modules, cargo holds, weapons bays, or remass tankage. Unlike other Indrelian designs, that sacrifice passive protection for speed, the Llotar is slow, but well-armored, even ponderously so.
Despite their size and versatility, though, Llotars are flawed ships. Their large size makes maneuvering difficult, and structurally the ships are fairly weak, umable to pull high acceleration/deceleration directional change without overstressing their frames. Poor sealing around the modular bays is also a recurrent problem, especially after quick refits, and several Llotars have suffered accidents when improperly installed bays suddenly depressurized, or began shifting in their frames.
Llotars are encountered throughout the Khonate. They orbit subject worlds, they move slaves and valuable loot/tribute from the subjugated planets , they move in patrol circuits throughout Khonate space, resupplying shorter-ranged warships like the Garhuwk on their own patrols. When the Protector Force ‘customs’ inspectors seize a ship in deep space, it’s usually a Llotar that arrives on the scene to tow the ship and transport its crew off to a Khonate world to be tried.
The Llotar takes its name from an ancient trophy or weapons rack of Indrelian antiquity.

Type: IKPF-HCv01 Llotar
Class: Heavy Carrier
Crew: 780+ 180 troops+ 60 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 80,000
Bridge 3,000
Engines(4) 7,000 each
Auxiliary Engines(3) 4,000 each
Hangar Bays(2) 900 each
Modular Bays(12) 3,000 each
Medium Laser Cannons(12) 500 each
Medium Particle Beam Cannons(10) 200 each
Medium Range Missile Launchers(4) 200 each
Point Defense Turrets( 20) 180 each
Variable Forcefields 5,000 per side, 30,000 total
Height: 420 ft
Width: 500 ft
Length: 3,000 ft
Weight: 7 million tons
Cargo: 96,000 tons+ possible cargo modules
Powerplant: Matter/Antimatter w/ 40 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 7*
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)

*Can attempt to accelerate/decelerate at Mach/Factor 9, but tjos carries a 15% chance per melee of overstressing the hull and doing 5d4x10 MD per melee to the main hull.

(FTL) 5 light years per hour
Market Cost: 17 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems
Weapons Systems:
1) Medium Laser Cannons(12, 4 forward, two rear, 4 on each side.) --The Llotar fairly bristles with laser turrets.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 8 miles in atmosphere, 8,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x100 MD per blast, 4d4x100 MD per double blast
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited

2) Medium Particle Beam Cannons(10, 2 forward, two rear, 4 on each side. )
Range: 3.5 miles in atmosphere, 7 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3.5 miles in atmosphere, 3,500 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x100 MD per shot, 2d6x100 MD per double blast
Rate of Fire: 4 shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Medium Range Missile Launchers(4, 2 forward, 2 rear)
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-40
Payload: 400 missiles each launcher; total. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 10 minutes

4) Point Defense Turrets( 20)---Double-barreled versions of the turrets mounted on the Garhuwk.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD single blast, 4d4x10 MD per double-barreled blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

5) Tractor Beams:(6 )----- Effectively rated for 2,000 tons dead weight, but can be used for imparting small changes in momentum/direction to ships/structures several times that mass.
Range: 5 miles in space(NOT usable in atmosphere)
(Kitsune Values: 5,000 miles in space).

6) Modular Bays(12)
Note: Direct-fire weapons modules such as the Heavy Lasers and G-Cannon are limted in their firing arcs to the lateral(port. starboard, dorsal, ventral) arcs, and CANNOT fire directly forward or aft, due to their placement along the spine of the ship.
a) Troops---Barracks for 360 troops, or 120+ 10 heavy vehicles
b) Passengers---180 passngers can be carried in comfort, or 500 slaves/prisoners in far less comfort.
c) Cargo---Can hold 4,000 tons
d) Hangar Bay---Can accommodate 6 fighters, 3 heavy fighters, 3 light shuttles OR 2 heavy shuttles
e) Heavy Missile Launcher
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-12
Payload: 120 missiles each launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 15 minutes
f) Laser Cannons---Mounts a powerul heavy laser cannon. Theoretically, if all twelve modules mounted weapons, the Llotar could outgun a CAF Protector-class battleship, but poor positioning and the lower quality of Indrelian weaponry make for a different reality.
Range: 15 miles in atmosphere, 30 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 15 miles in atmosphere, 15 ,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 per blast
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited
g)Heavy Particle Beam Cannon
Range: 25 miles in atmosphere, 65 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 25 miles in atmosphere, 25,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x1,000 per blast
Rate of Fire:Once per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited
h)Heavy G-Cannon---Rather than fire bursts, this weapon fires a single ten-ton kinetic energy slug. Devastating in the orbital bombardment roll, it is less effective as an antispacecraft weapon.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 MD per single shot(10 ton slug), plus 4d6x10 MD to a 500 ft wide area
Rate of Fire: Once every two melees
Payload: 500 rounds per cannon. Additional ammunition may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes

Auxiliary Craft:
Has dedicated space in two small hangar bays for 4 shuttles each(8 total)

[taalismn]

(Omegasgundam’s revamp of my Slingshot opened up a few possibilities, such as-)

*WZT-YFC-203 Rimshot Runner Conversion
“Heh, the Slingshot may look like a wet-world pontoon floater or catamaran, but all that extra forward space is room begging to be used if you’re not lugging a warload of ordnance. Likewise, everything else is pretty much snap off and snap on simple for a good ship-hacker. Personally, I can’t wait to get a mil-surplus why-eff-two-oh-three in my shop; I got some -ideas-.”
---Grelord ‘the Metal-Grinder’, darkport spacecraf t repairman.

“There’s a big demand for couriers these days, what with the increased activity between the rim and the metroworlds. A good pilot with a good ship can stand to make some good credit running message service. There’s lots of good ships available, so ask yourself if you’ve got the skill chops to qualify as a good pilot?”

“You may be tempted to cut out the variable forcefield on account of its energy usage and because you want to cut corners on cost, but take my advice; DON’T. You’re flying a ship better known as a heavy escort fighter and missile-bomber, so it’s going to draw more than its share of fire. Not everybody bothers to check if it’s a pirate hunter or a demilitarized yacht conversion before opening fire. And with only half the firepower as the original Slingshot, you’re going to need more than speed to stay in one piece.”

The ‘Rimshot’ is a ‘civilian’ conversion of the WZT-YF-203 Slingshot Heavy Fighter. As WZT upgraded its production lines and released improved marks of the Slingshot heavy missile fighter, a number of older hulls became available to the open market when military forces around the Three Galaxies traded up to the YF-204 Slingshot II from their old Slingshots. The surplus ships were demobbed, but were still quickly snapped up, especially by Fringe-operators looking for an alternative to the Proctor knockoffs that had dominated the market. Many of these ships were subsequently re-armed, but also chopshopped into high speed courier/smuggler craft.
The ‘Rimshot’ is pure Rim-runner kludge. One of the missile launcher booms has been replaced with a dedicated cargo hull, the main energy weapons turrets have been downgraded to free up a little extra space in the hull for extra cabin space and avionics bays. The engines are typically souped up to custom spec and performance that might be affordably servicable for a private operator doing high-value/priority delivery runs, but not for squadron- and wing-scale logistics. The location of the engines in a rear module makes it easier for custom propulsion units to be mounted, so oversized courier-class drives are commonly swapped in. The result is a hotrodded ‘rim-dragster’ with high speed and increased endurance, though crew accommodations remain on the spartan side.
The Rimshot copies the YF-203L in having a variable forcefield generator, the enlarged powerplant and added powercells covering the added power-draw for extra protection. The retention of military-grade sensors means the ship has a fair chance of spotting trouble before trouble spots it.
Besides Runners, a number of governments have acquired Rimshots as couriers.

Type: WZT-YFC-203C Rimshot
Class: Interstellar Runner/Courier
Crew: 3+2 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,500
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Missile Bay 250
Cannon Turrets(2) 200 each
Point Defense Laser Turrets(2) 75 each
Engine Bloc 1,000
Forcefield 400 per side(2,400 MDC total)
Height: 22 ft
Width: 60 ft
Length: 95 ft
Weight: 525 tons
Cargo: 1 ton in a small bay next to the crew cabin, 18 tons in the forward cargo boom.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 11
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.1% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: 220 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems
Weapons Systems:
1) Twin Forward Missile Bay(1)---The Slingshot’s twin missile boom prows have been replaced with a single missile pod and a dedicated cargo bay holding 18 tons of cargo.
a) Medium Range Missiles----24 per launcher, arranged in columns of eight rounds
b) Long Range Missiles----12 per launcher, arranged in columns of six rounds
c) Cruise Missiles---5 per launcher(rare, but some blockade runners carry them)

2) Light Weapons Turrets(2)--- The Rimshot typically downgrades its medium(by capital ship standards) laser cannons to a pair of WZT/ASI Heavy Weapon Mounts(Fighter).

3) Point Defense Laser Turrets(2)---Two small point defense laser turrets are mounted on armatures sticking out from the engine block, protecting the rear aspects and approaches of the fighter. These have been retained from the original Slingshot.
Range: 6,000 ft in atmosphere, 2.4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2.4 miles in atmosphere, 240 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per pulse burst, 2d4x10 MD for both mounts firing on the same target simultaneously
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, or six shots per melee in autodefense mode
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Countermeasure Launchers(2)----As many, if not most, fighter-class vehicles in the GNE/WZT/USA lineup are being fitted or refitted with countermeasure launchers, so too has the Rimshot.

a) Flare/Chaff---Traditional thermal/radar-scattering material bundles.
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.
In space, anything flying at high speed through the cloud will take 2d6 MD +1d6 MD per every 100 miles of speed over 670 MPH.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 20 each launcher.

b) Nano-Pods---The second system releases a nanotech swarm of active jamming pods and decoys that are programmed to emulate a spacecraft’s sensor signature, or, at the very least, bury enemy tactical communications in ‘white noise’.
Effective Range: 25 mile jamming radius
Duration: 5 minutes per pod-spray
Effects: Jams radio signals(75% chance of jamming military band command-guidance ordnance), and 60% chance of deflecting ordinary missiles.
Payload: 18 swarm packs each launcher.

c) Grav-Decoys----The third system uses modified grav-pack drives and signal projectors to create a moving pattern of sensor signatures. The grav-pack short range-missile drives can go for 18 minutes before self-destructing, and can either be remotely directed or run a preset pattern.
Effective Speed: Mach 6
Duration: 10 minutes per pod
Effects: The decoys have a 70% chance of fooling enemy sensor operators and expert systems. They are are also +2 to enemy sensor-guided munitions to strike, increasing the chance that the missiles will elect to pursue the ‘louder’ sensor signature(the missile rolls to strike for both the original ship and each decoy deployed....highest to strike roll determines which target the missile(s) go after).
Payload: 15 decoys are carried, and can be deployed singly, or in ‘packs’ of 1-3.

Options:
*FTL Upgrade---For many private operators, 5 ly/hr just isn’t enough, and swallow the added cost to upgrade to a Model F(6 ly/hr) or better.

*Third Bay----Copying the YF-203E, some Rimshots add an extra module between the two former missile launchers; this adds another 16 tons’ of cargo capacity, or a garage bay for a light vehicle. The addition of the module(200 MDC) reduces the ship’s agility in-atmo(reduce top atmospheric speed to Mach 1.8, and -1 to Dodge in atmosphere. Some operators make the module jettisonable, allowing for fast ‘dump and run’ deliveries of cargo.

Variants:
Once in the hands of modification-happy rimrunners, it can be assumed that EVERY Rimshot becomes a variant, with antimatter and exotic powerplants being swapped in, phase drives being installed, and various other systems shoehorned in. Some conversions do away with the remaining missile launcher as well, in favor of more cargo capacity, heavy sensor jammers, or extra living space. It’s claimed inhouse that the USA has a few outfitted with advanced stealth, possibly Amaterasuan oni-inspired systems. It’s even been rumored that a Rimshot sporting an Altess-style ‘space cadillac’ remodelling has been seen tooling around with a hopped-up drive system that exceeds even general market courier drives for sheer speed.

A quite radical modification chops off the missile bays entirely, reducing the length and main body MDC by a third, mass is reduced to 425 tons, and retains only the original one-ton cargo capacity(and possible external cargo module). However, the drastically lightened vessel can hit normal space speeds of Mach 16. This ‘Short-shot’ version is normally used only to carry encrypted data payloads, though some pilots complain that the ship’s handling, without the stabilizing mass of the forward hull, tends to be rather squirrely and requires constant attention not to start shimmying, especially in atmospheric flight.

[taalismn]

(PPE sensor stats courtesy of Kitsune)

WZTechYards Dreblin-class General Purprose Heavy Transport
(aka ‘Whalus’, Whalass’, ‘big-Bloater’)

“We’re transporting over nine hundred thousand tons of Klavian corol from the maturation vats of Manticus as part of the effort to rebuild the Oliven reefs. Helps we can land and offload the new seeder growths directly onsite, rather than have to stage the stuff through several transfers. The corol’s damn finicky stuff and the fewer shocks to it, the better.”
---Captain Flass Rogen, USASLCSS Star-Ocean

“Unka Dol? I think something’s wrong with this fish-finder, because something way too BIG just showed up on it!”
“Nah, that’s just the eight-forty-five cargo-boat out of Drenchport.”

The WZT Dreblin is often mistaken for the Saphian Pelagic-class heavy transport, because the Dreblin was meant as a copy of the latter vessel.
Shortly after encountering the Saphian Royal Confederation and observing the versality of their large amphibious Pelagic starships, the Golgan Republik government wanted their own(and BETTER) version and so turned to the Yebiss Industrial Cartel to fulfill the request. Yebiss wanted the money from the contract, but didn’t want to tie up its own factories making a copy of somebody else’s designs. In a rather spiteful and underhanded move, Yebiss used some of its political clout to lean on the Rebliss aerospace industry, who had been forced under the terms of the Republik occupation of their nation, to suborn their aerospace industry to Golgan firms. The Rebliss, an amphibious people themselves, were well-versed in constructing amphibious aerospacecraft, so Yebiss IC ordered them to make them a design to conformto the government specifications. The Rebliss would then manufacture the design at a pittance of what Yebiss would charge to sell it. Seeing the great potential in the new vessel type, well-suspecting the Golgans’ intent to chisel them out of the profits to be had from it, and also knowing of the wider Rebliss plans to push the Golgans out with a passive resistance campaign, the Rebliss drew out the development of the new ship as much as possible. Multiple failures to meet Yebiss-ordered deadlines drew Golgan ire, to little effect, as the stoic and unperturbed Rebliss covertly engineered one slowdown or delay after another.
The first Dreblin prototype rolled out of the shipyards just days before the Golgan Republik pulled out of Rebliss space, a frustrated Yebiss IC branch board going with them. The newly-free Rebliss then turned to WZTechYards to help them upgrade their new design and market it.
The Dreblin is a large solid design with a reinforced hull able to handle the rigors of repeated atmospheric entries and underwater operations. Its structure and engines are proofed against damaging space-shock, atmospheric oxidation, and water-intake. Similar to the Pelagic, the Dreblin has a massive streamlined body, but is slightly larger, heavier, has a more angular prow and stern, and has four fin-like midships communications/sensor arrays and dorsal and ventral drive fillets rather than stern drive ‘flukes’ to distinguish it from the Sapphian starship.
The Dreblin sells very well to those operators with a need for large heavy amphibious transport and who can afford the upkeep on such a large vessel. The United Systems Alliance uses many for servicing waterworlds, and the Alliance Joint Command has several outfitted as amphibious assault transports. As a sign of the design’s strengths, the Saphian Royal Confederation has even bought a few, finding it superior in some respects to their Pelagic, which inspired the Dreblin.
Yebiss IC did have something of a last laugh, though; stolen plans allowed TIC to retool some of their own assembly lines to produce their own copies of the Dreblin. The Republik has eagerly bought the new ships, even though delivery on the original request was rather belated, and the new design isn’t bringing in the same large profit margin Yebiss IC was expecting from using colonial labor. A massive PR campaign launched by YIC paints their new ‘Cedol’ freighter as the original, and the foreign-manufactured Dreblin as a knock-off.

Type: WZT-HC167 Dreblin
Class: General Purprose Heavy Transport
Crew: 48+ up to 250 passengers( 4,000 in passenger liner configuration)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 35,000
Bridge 4,500
Sensor/Communications Array Fins(4) 1.200 each
Hangar Bay 1,000
Engine Bloc 8,000
Forcefield 9,000
Height: 160 ft
Width: 300 ft
Length: 850 ft
Weight: 300,000 tons
Cargo: 200,000 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 4; transatmospheric
(Sublight) Mach 8
(Kitsune Values: 40% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.8% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
(Underwater) 35 MPH, with a maximum depth tolerance of 2 miles
Market Cost: 600 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus;
*Sonar----130 mile range
Weapons Systems: None standard, but can be fitted with 4-10 Point Defense weapons emplacements
Aux. Craft:
Has provision for 14 light shuttles or mini-subs.
Options:
Most government operators upgrade to variable forceshields

Variants:
*YIC-STOS06 ‘Cedol’---The Golgan copy of the Dreblin. Because Yebiss IC has to pay full labor costs, the YIC-STOS06 lacks the higher-end/quality systems the Dreblin carries, and can only attain 20% of sublight velocity and 4 light years/hour FTL speed, though it sells at 20% less.


*USAJCLHAC167---The United Systems Alliance Joint Command’s amphibious assault transport conversion. The ship usually carries a complement of sub-fighters(typically WZ-USF-023-ST Mantas) in place of the light shuttles, and a half-dozen heavy amphibious troop shuttles. USA member world Calcid operates three even more heavily-modified versions that push water through the life support system for the benefit of their piscene QuimBek crews. These shipstypically deploy power-armored QuimBek marines as part of theri contribution to the USAJC.
Changes/Modifications:
Crew: 120+ 3,000 troops
MDC/Armor by Location:
Point Defense Turrets(10) 200 each
Medium Range Missiles/Torpedo Launchers(4) 300 each
Long Range Missile Launchers(2) 400 each
Variable Forcefields* 8,000 per side(42,000 total)

*Shield Refresh Rate is 20% per melee

Market Cost: 900 million credits credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*ORACLE Mk V---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---A TW development of the SNARLS PPE Scanner, this system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures). Linkage to the Ectofiber Grid has increased the sensitivity and effectiveness of this system.
See Aura: Slightly different than the spell in that it can scan an entire target such as a ship or station. The enchantment can be used to target a single individual but only have one tenth normal range when being used in that matter. Costs 60 P.P.E. per activation due to extended range. Range: 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) in space and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Gives an approximate count of the number of life forms onboard. Gives the average level of experience, highest level of experience, and lowest level of experience [Given in these terms: Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).] Tells if there is any magic onboard. Gives if there are any psychics onboard (Mind Block will prevent detection), Gives a general count on the amount of P.P.E. the target has (basically the P.P.E. of the crew and any devices which store P.P.E.). Detects if there is any kind of possession. Finally sees if the crew or ship has any unusual aberrations.
• See the Invisible Sensors: The ships has several special optical and other sensor systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) in space and 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
• Sense Magic: The ship has sensors which the give the ability to detect active magic. Similar to spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 200,000 miles (322,000 kilometers) in space and 200 miles (320 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: detects the presence of magic if within detection range of ship and gives bearing on magic and basic range although not exact position. Detects active enchantments but will not generally detect spell casters in general.
• Sense Rifts: Ship has sensors which effectively allow Rifts to be detected(requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 500,000 miles (805,000 kilometers) in space and 500 miles (805 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Detects the presence of Rifts (including those created by Rifts Drives) and unlike when detecting magic gives position very accurately.

Weapons Systems:
1) Point Defense Turrets(10) ---The Dreblin-LHA uses the same modular PDS systems as have been adopted across the United Systems Alliance fleets.

2) Medium Range Missiles/Torpedo Launchers(4)---Dual-mode missile/torpedo banks capable of operating in air, space, and underwater.
Range: Varies by missile type(speed and range x4 in space)
(Kitsune Values: 160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
(Rocket Torpedoes)(Underwater) 20 miles
(Air) 75 miles
Speed:(Underwater) 400 MPH
(Air) Mach 3
Damage: Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, 4, 5, or 10, up to four times per melee.
Payload: 160 missiles per launcher, 200 missiles total, reloading from the cargo hold takes 1d6 minutes
Bonuses: (Torpedo)Because of the torpedoes’ higher speed and advanced targeting systems, the Sea Fire doesn’t suffer the same range and accuracy penalties as conventional torpedoes. The Sea Fire has a +1 to strike, and a +3 to strike within 3,000 ft of the target.
(Missile)--- +4 to strike

3) Long Range Missile Launchers(2) ---These are the Dreblin-LHA’s main defense in space against other spacecraft. They are also capable of launching underwater, making them excellent weapons for supporting planetary assaults. The launchers can also accommodate HASPL ‘SeaSlam’ Heavy Rocket Torpedoes.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
(HASPLs)(Underwater) 500 miles
(Air) 1,800 miles
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-20
Payload: 200 per launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes

Aux. Craft:
12 sub-fighters or mini-subs.
6 large amphious assault/transport shuttles

[taalismn]

Golgan Argosy Sorgan Heavy Fighter
(aka ‘Frog-Blade’)

“Damn ‘phibs have been holding out on us! That’s no damn ‘runi boats out there! It’s something new! Watch yourselves, wingers, this could get bad!”
---Star-Captain Colaz Retz, Wing-Leader. 81st ‘Slarhawyks’ Fleet Squadron, Zyganian Royal Space Force, facing RASMCF-V2.9-variant Sorgans over Agata on the Zyganian Marches.

“As an attempt to produce a ‘super-fighter’, or at least one able to stand up to the average standard these days, the cheap by building on somebody else’s designs, the Sorgan is respectable, and shows the Republik’s been paying attention. But their timing and purpose couldn’t have been worse, and whatever advantage the Sorgan may hae offered the Argosy fighter corps is quickly drizzling away. Though, if any of the production plants survive the retaliation Naruni’s sure to be planning on shoveling out, the Sorgan’s likely to be a hot sell with the private paramilitary companies.“
---Commander Vorben Maler, Tech-Analysis, CAF Military Intelligence, Anvil Galaxy, Golgan Desk.

“The Sorgan shows that the Republik still has some surprises and some talent to deal with, and why it’s a good idea to approach any fight with them with a healthy amount of respect and caution. The Golgans traditionally have fought best when their backs are against the wall, and they’ve been pressed hard in the backlash against their latest expansion attempt, so the closer we get to their coreworlds, the more desperate they are expected to get. Press hard and aggressive when facing the Argosy, but be ready for more and nastier surprises. ”
---Colonel Jan Talwitz, United Systems Alliane Joint Command

Gaus Binjo’s Kultural Revolution sprang a lot of surprises on people, and quite a few that the Golgans didn’t want to so soon. However, the fortunes of war have led to desperate decisions. The unveiling of the Sorgan was one of them.
The Sorgan is the Republik’s copy of the Naruni Broadsword Fighter. Annoyed at NE’s constant demands for payment for delivered weaponry and at the arms super-corporation’s effrontery in inserting themselves into the Republik’s politics, the Golgans, especially the ambitious Assemblage, saw that the day might come sooner than later that the Republik might have to cut out Naruni. Against the loss of a major supplier of the Republik’s arsenal, the Assemblage has increasingly (re)turned to domestic sources to supply their weaponry. Part of that initiative has been a (rather belated) secret crash program to reverse-engineer and rip off Naruni designs. With enough examples in Golgan service to study, the Assemblage felt confident that they could produce their own versions.
The Sorgan(named for an ancient Golgan edged weapon similar to a broadsword) greatly resembles the NE design in general configuration. Ambitious plans called for an improved Sorgan to be produced at several secret factories around the Republik, and to replace aging Broadswords in the Argosy’s inventory with the newer and more powerful copy, rather than buy another round of marginally-improved Naruni patches and upgrade programs. The scheme was sound, at least on paper, and would have weaned the Golgan military off dependence on the foreign supplier and provided them with a state of the art fighter that could be transitioned to with a minimum of retraining.

The problem is, the Golgan Assemblage thought they had more time to develop the Sorgan and other projects. The twists and turns of the Kultural Revolution’s war of expansion have scuppered an orderly and methodical development schedule for the Sorgan. The demands of the warfronts have forced the Republik to rush new weapons designs into production as soon as possible, and the accelerated pace of deployment has come at the expense of full maturation of the designs. Even with the advanced technology of the robots of Mekanik checking and troubleshooting the Sorgan program, the design is fraught with small flaws and problems. Delays in the completion and testing of components such the improved weapons systems have further hindered a full and effective rollout of the Sorgan to the front-line units clamoring for replacements and added firepower.

The Sorgan was originally planned to be an improvement over the Broadsword as a statement of superior Golgan engineering, but the rush to get the design to the front lines meant shortcuts were taken at the several assembly facilities tasked with producing the new fighter. Only the robotic plants of Mekanik produce a version closest to the original plans, and their output is limited.
The Sorgan version that has made it to the field suffers a slight reduction in physical armoring due to different material composition and alignment of the plates. The original matching variable facing force-screens were downgraded t a weaker, but more readily available, locally-produced model(and the Argosy was adamant about the Sorgan going to war with working VFS, especially after the debacle at Altess Prime, where the forcefield-naked Jastas paid a heavy price against USAJC missiles). The original engine scheme was to mount a more powerful type capable of sustained speed of Mach 10, but the new propulsion unit wasn’t ready when the Assemblage rushed the Sorgan into service. Instead, Golgan engineers have added a booster to a copy of the older Naruni engine, giving the Sorgan a marginal improvement in thrust.
Armament-wise, the more radical scheme of mounting heavy disruptor cannon in place of the plasma projectors gave way to a more streamlined logistical shortcut of using a lighter already-in-production weapon, though some variants add one or two additional weapons. The mini-missile launchers go unchanged, though the basic rail guns have the option, in variants, of being replaced with G-cannons.

Ironically, it is the Republik’s reverse-engineering program, the youngest of the major powers’ efforts, that has been revealed first. The Naruni suspect little of the CCW’s major long-running effort to reverse-engineer and undermine Naruni Enterprises and don’t know the true extent of how thoroughly the United Systems Alliance has deciphered their technology. However, the desperation of war has kicked the Golgans’ copycat programs out into the open. This has angered Naruni Enterprises; though the Naruni fully expect many people to attempt to knock off their designs, but coming on top of the Republik’s nonpayment and destruction of a Naruni taskforce, the revelations of the Golgans’ copycat scheme have brought out the boardroom vengeance chests, One effect of the introduction of the Sorgan has been Naruni Enterprises slashing the price on their current NE-SF10 Broadsword by as much as 30%, but only in the Anvil Galaxy in sales to forces opposing the Golgan Republik.

So far, the Sorgan has seen only limited deployment in Argosy fleet fighter squadrons, but that is expected to change as production ramps up and the new(old) fighter replaces operational losses, starting with the higher-end units. The more powerful variants are reserved for elite squadrons and special operations.

Type: RASCF-V2.8 Sorgan
Class: Aerospace Fighter
Crew: 1
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 500
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Mini-Missile Launchers(2) 100 each
Variable Forcefield 150 per side (900 total)
Height: 10 ft
Width: 30 ft
Length: 55 ft
Weight: 32 tons
Cargo: Small space in cockpit for a survival kit, small arm, and a few personal possessions
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 2; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 8.5
(Kitsune Values: 40% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.85% of light speed per melee)
Market Cost: 63 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starfighter Systems, plus;
*Modular Crew Compartment---The Sorgan’s RCC is designed to be modular, allowing for specialized cockpit pods(such as optimized for Zebuloid pilots) to be swapped in and out. The module also makes for a convenient escape pod in an emergency.

Weapons Systems:
1) Linked Pulse Disruptors(2-3)---The original plan was to carry either copies of the Naruni plasma cannons, or a heavier pulse disruptor cannon, but neither weapon was ready yet when the Assemblage decided to committ the Sorgan to action. The Golgans decided to deploy the Sorgan with the same pulse disruptors as equipped the V4.5 Jasta fighters. Less damage, but greater range, and the adaptation of a proven weapon already in mass production streamlines logistics.
The version of the Sorgan produced by Mekanik carries three, rather than two disruptors, and one testbed variant observed sports four.
Range: 1 mile in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per single gun, 2d6x10 MD for burst from both guns simultaneously(counts as one attack), plus 25% of that to everything in a 10 ft radius of the point of impact.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Rail Guns(2)---The Golgans were well-able to reproduce this basic gauss weapon
The Mekanik version goes with the more powerful G-cannons originally planned for the Sorgan.
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per 40-rd single gun burst, 4d6x10 MD for an 80 rd burst from both guns simultaneously(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 100 bursts per gun, 200 total

b) GRG-Cannon(2)---An effort to copy advanced CCW-style GR-cannons. It isn’t a perfect copy of the weaponry available to the CAF Scorpion and Black Eagle, but it’s more advanced than anything previously fielded by the Republik. That’s its problem; the logistics aren’t yet in place for wider deployment of the new gun.
Range: 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 8 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 250 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per 40 rd burst per gun, 6d6x10 MD for an 80 rd burst from both guns simultaneously(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 100 bursts per gun, 200 total

3) Mini-Missile Launchers(2)---These remain unchanged from the original, though the original design scheme called for modular wing launchers. To get the Sorgan into operation sooner, the modular launcher scheme was dropped in favor of the older design. However, implementation of the modular launcher plan was given fresh impetus after the Argosy saw its fighters savaged by the USAJC fighters, many of which featured modular launchers or multi-missile hardpoints, during the Altess campaign. It is possible, then, that a field refit kit may be in the offing.
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missiles) generally x4 in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere and 100 miles (161 km) in space.)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-16
Payload: 32 per launcher, 64 total

b) Modular Launchers(2)---This is the original proposed design which would allow the Sorgan to carry a varied missile loadout similar to the Jasta’s. Modular pods in the wings can carry 12 short-range missiles apiece OR 6 medium range missiles OR 2 long range missiles.

4)(Optional)Countermeasure Launchers(2)----The Golgans rediscovered countermeasure launchers over Altess Prime and in subsequent campaigns in the Periphery(ex-Golgan buffer zone) States where local resistance forces have been supplied with better missile systems. The Argosy fighter corps howled for the same sort of antimissile decoy systems they saw used by USAJC and USA-supplied fighters, and increasingly by CCW-produced aerospacecraft, Subsequently a field refit kit has appeared that fits the Sorgan with two aft countermeasure dispensers providing at least basic flare/chaff defense, though the Republik has yet to (re)produce the ‘smarter’ decoy types deployed by other polities.
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: 16 per launcher


Variants:
Aside from the operational variant produced by Mekanik, a number of other officially un-designated variants have also appeared; it is believed that these are preproduction development subtypes that have been used in operation or at least field-testing. Differences include up to four disruptors being mounted(usually at the cost of removing the rail guns), laser-reflective armor, EW jammer pods in place of the rail guns or missile launchers, and underbody launch rails for heavy missiles. A two-seater cockpit module for evaluation and training purpoes is also known to be available.

*RASMCF-V2.9---(aka ‘Sorgan IIs’) This is the variant produced by Mekanik and comes closest to the original envisioned version of the Sorgan. It’s also more expensive to produce. These more powerful units are generally reserved for elite units in the Argosy.
Changes/Modifications:
MDC/Armor by Location:
Variable Forcefield 200 per side (1,200 total)
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 10
(Kitsune Values: 40% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1% of light speed per melee)
Market Cost: 66.7 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Advanced Targeting System---The robots of Mekanik have added a tie0in between the sensors and the weaponry that gives a bonus of +1 to strike with ranged weaponry.
Weapons Systems:
1) Linked Pulse Disruptors(3)---Mounts thre PDisruptors as standard, so a triple burst does 3d6x10 MD.

2) GRG-Cannon(2)---Mounts the GRG option as standard

3) Modular Launchers(2)---Mounts the modular missile launcher wing option as standard

[taalismn]

Golgan Argosy ‘Kholar’Attack Fighter
(aka ‘Fire-toad’, ‘Fire-breather’)
“Pray you’re never in the strafe-sights of a Fire-Breather attack run; those bastards cut a scar in the land that’s distinct. ‘Kholar-roads’, the troops have taken to calling them, and those who were in the way when they were being paved have paid a toll with their lives.”

“The new Golgan antang-ships will try to stand-off in attack mode; they’ll come in fast, unleash a volley of missiles or grav-toss a stick of bombs at you, then turn tail and run away faster. At range, their sensor-fuzzers make them harder to hit, so the chances are better they’ll make good their escape to come back at you again later. That also means their new pilots are surviving more often to become EXPERIENCED pilots, which is what we do NOT want. We’re programming new counter-ee-cee-cee-em to cut through their jamming, but you’re going to have to be on your toes until we cam finish the upgrades. Looks like the Golgans are bringing out their A-game on this one.”

“Oh boy, with the Golgans and Naruni openly going after each other with ships almost identical to each others’, the dogfights between the two are going to get -very-interesting.”

“If our deep intel is correct, the Golgans’ latest surge is running on overextended credit. Their latest generation of fighters was built on patriotism and promises of payment when victory comes. It’s going to be a race to see what happens next; the Golgies gaining some sort of economic windfall with their new toys or their warmachine running out of gas because the bills couldn’t be put off any longer.”

The ‘Kholar’ was born of the same secret initiative as the ‘Sorgan’-class fighter; a reverse-engineering and copying of a Naruni Enterprises design. But while the Sorgan was a knockoff of the NE Broadsword heavy fighter, the ‘Kholar’, named for a medieval Golgan fire-throwing ballista-style weapon of antiquity, is a knockoff of the NE -FB49 Fire-Eater.
At half the weight of the Broadsword, the Fire-Eater presented a challenge to Golgan engineers, who had less mass and space to work with. The decision was made to focus on weapons configuration. Fortunately, the Kholar project was started after work had begun on the Sorgan, so lessons learned developing the Golgan copy of the NE fighter could be applied to the second project.
The heavy ordnance load was retained, but the plasma machine-guns were dropped. In their place, the Golgans decided to triple the substitute armament they’d put on the Sorgan; two triple-barrel light pulse disruptors. The light laser, which many considered useless(at least initially), is replaced with an EW jamming suite.
While not considered for the sort of replacement engine that the Sorgan was scheduled for, the Kholar did benefit from the booster added to the rushed-production Sorgans. Through the booster rings require more frequent replacement than an engine of equivalent performance, the slight increase in speed over the Fire-Eater has come as a welcome improvement to crews and an unpleasant surprise to opponents who think they’re facing the Naruni fighter. The Kholar needs the speed; its hull plating is a fifth weaker than the Fire-Eater and the ship suffers from the same weak variable forceshielding as the Sorgan.
Even with all the improvements, the Kholar still costs the same as a catalogue list-price new Fire-Eater. This is generally seen as an indication of how Naruni has been gouging clients, but it is not seen so favorably by Golgan procurement accountants, who were hoping that domestic production would bring the price per unit down -below- that of Naruni-supplied machines.
The Kholar, debuting later than the Sorgan, is currently even rarer than the Sorgan in Golgan military units, but production is ramping up, with several assembly plants spotted about the Republik. Known factories are based on Naanta, Kaluda, and Adraodus.
It’s worth noting that while the Sorgan has thus far appeared only with Argosy fleet units, the Kholar is more often found with Republikan Guard units, where it serves as ’flying artillery’ in support of ground units. The strafing or bombing run of a squadron of Kholars has become especially feared, as the ships have the firepower to do considerable damage and their speed and jamming systems allow them to evade counterfire.

(The real reason the Golgans haven’t flooded their forces with new production of these ships is that the Republik is currently rampantly deficit-spending. Annexation of several worlds during the Kultural Revolution and what amounts to outright planetary piracy has brought in some revenue in the form of tribute, loot, and ‘taxes’, but it’s only enough to fool creditors blinded by patriotism. The Republik is walking on fog and the Assemblage knows it, but has kept the true picture of the Republik’s fiscal health secret, but for how much longer remains to be seen.)

Type: RASCF-V8.1 Kholar
Class: Aerospace Fighter
Crew: 1
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 400
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Linked Pulse Disruptor Banks(2) 130 each
Missile/Bomb Bay(underside)
Variable Forcefield 150 per side (900 total)
Height: 12 ft
Width: 32 ft
Length: 45 ft
Weight: 18 tons
Cargo: Small space in cockpit for a survival kit, small arm, and a few personal possessions.
If not carrying bombs, can carry 2 tons of cargo in the bomb/missile bay.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 11
(Kitsune Values: 40% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.0% of light speed per melee)
Market Cost: 70 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starfighter Systems, plus;
*EW Jamming Suite----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -3 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry. It’s primitive by Three Galaxies’ standards, but unexpected in a Golgan design and still fairly effective.

Weapons Systems:
1) Linked Pulse Disruptors(6; 3x2)---This configuration was chosen after early testbed trials of the Sorgan showed that same PDisruptor used by the Jasta made a passable substitute for Naruni plasma cannon, especially if doubled up. And if four were better than two, then surely six were better still. The result, when fired, is a ‘sheet’ of destructive energy, leading to the arrangement being referred to as ‘sheet disruptors’, and particularly effective in strafing attacks.
Range: 1 mile in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per single gun, 3d6x10 MD for a burst from all three guns in a bank simultaneously(counts as one attack), 6d6x10 MD for all six guns simultaneously(counts as one attack),plus 25% of that to everything in a 10 ft radius of the point of impact.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Bomb Bay--This is essentially unchanged from the original; 16 long range missiles OR 2 tons of freefall ordnance:
*250-lb Bomb----2d4x10 MD to 50 ft blast radius
*500-lb Bomb----4d4x10 MD to 60 ft blast radius
*750-lb Bomb----4d6x10 MD to 65 ft blast radius
*1,000-lb Bomb----1d4x100 MD to 70 ft blast radius
*2,000-lb Bomb----2d4x100 MD to 80 ft blast radius
Can also deploy ‘smart’ bombs with a +3 to strike. Effective accurate drop range of 5 miles.
Kholars have also been reported to be able to carry strategic fusion warheads.

Variants:
*RASCF-V8.2---Though the light laser of the original NE -FB49 was regarded as a cynical afterthought to give clients something to shoot with once the plasma cannon ammunition and missiles were expended, and was deleted from the plans for the first production runs of Kholars, engineers looking at field reports decided to put the light pulse laser back...but in a position at the rear of the fighter, giving Golgan pilots a means of covering their backsides. This fit so well with Golgan psychology that the entire assembly line at Naanta has been retooled to produce the RASCF-V8.2 model and refit kits for the -V8.1s are being produced for field refits. A simple, but popular, design change.
Changes/Modifications:
Weapons Systems:
3) Light Pulse Laser---Virtually identical to the NE -FB49‘s, only repositioned to defend the rear arc of the fighter.
Range: 1 mile in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 1 mile in atmosphere, 100 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

[taalismn]

More Golgan civilian ships:

Tremha(Tremha Stak-Zoona Kosmop)---Golgan Starship Manufacturer
“The very same protectionist laws and regulations that the Golgans set up to protect their coreworld corporations from outside competition doomed more than a few Golgan companies that made their homes on the frontier.”

Tremha Stak-Zoona Kosmop, better known as simply Tremha, was a Golgan aerospace corporation that enjoyed its heyday during the peak of the old Golgan Republik.
Tremha developed a number of successful light transports and executive shuttles that for a time were considered status symbols of sorts in their respective markets. In many ways, Tremha can be considered the ‘Golgan Forakker’. Their distinctive triple thruster arrays graced many of their designs.
Tremha had both the inspiration and the misfortune of moving its base of operations out into the buffer zone, to better service the merchant marines that were the company’s best customers. This also allowed the company to tap the cheap labor markets and innovative energies of the satrapy worlds. When the old Republik’s fortunes began to wane and the Golgans started withdrawing to ther coreworlds, Tremha was forced to pull up its roots and relocate back to the Golgan metro-core. Unfortunately, the corporate regulatory environment there was much more restrictive, and the company, long used to doing things in a maverick style more acceptable under the much more lax frontier laws, couldn’t cope. After several decades of trying to adapt and fight through barricades of red tape in order to get things done, Tremha’s executives threw in the towel and the company slipped into dissolution.
Ironically, Tremha is survived by the ‘rearguard’ skeleton operation left behind on their old frontier headquarters, manned by the locals tasked with supplying the ships sold on the rim. Tremha Salcar continues to produce and maintain Tremha designs, but is on the outside of the secessionist territory borders.

Groltoe-class Medium StarFreighter
“Most operators of Grols remodel or reset the life support systems; Golgan standard is too cold and damp to be comfortable for most other folks. And most rip out the scent system; ‘Home Swamp’ just doesn’t appeal, nor does ‘Marsh-Devil’s Lair Reek’, though I admit I did leave in ‘Ocean Breeze’ on my ship; it’s particularly nice cruising atmosphere.”

“One thing I can’t fault about these old Golgi long-haulers is their hydro-systems. The filters and recyclers on these things are almost supernaturally efficient and durable. Long past the time other ships’ water supplies start tasting chemical or metallic from being recycled so many times, Golgan ships’ water tastes as fresh as any planetside spring.”

This is the design most people associate with the Tremha name. Groltoes became fairly unbiquitous during the heyday of both the company and the Republik and these ships could be found cruising the trade lanes with good frequency.
On the light end of the medium transport classification, the Groltoe is hardly exceptional performancewise, though it does have a slightly higher-than-average turn of speed in local space for a freighter of its class. It sports the distinctive Tremha ‘tri-line’ thruster arrays. Other distinctive features are the ‘bug face’ flying bridge/sensory array, and ‘violin curve’ strakes along the sides of the hull. A large dorsal dome-pod houses the large and cumbersome FTL radioes of the day, though more modern operators delete the dome in favor of more compact sets, or swap the dome for better sensors, an extra cargo pod or a concealed weapons turret(enough old ships retain the original FTL comm sets to make this disguise still a surprise). A small hangar bay is located at the rear lower end of the ship, with approaches under the engines; the bay is large enough to accommodate two light shuttles.
Crew accommodations are roomy for a freighter, with many concessions made for the comfort of the amphibious crew, including a high-humidity atmosphere life support system and multiple ‘soaking chambers’ for the crew to relax in after, or even during, long duty shifts. Tremha also introduced the ‘incentive scent’ system of introducing relaxing or stimulant scents into the ship’s ventilation system, depending on the situation condition of the ship(uneventful cruise mode would be cause for relaxing aromas to be pumped into the air, while alert conditions would switch over to a more stimulating reek-mode). Another quirk of the life support system is that the hydro-plumbing is both extensive and, at least to most human-types, excessively noisy. Golgans, on the other hand, find the burbling, hissing and gurgling to be soothing, like listening a babling brook or ocean waves.
Armor on a Groltoe is modest. Even though at the time of its introduction, forcescreening was still relatively new to the Golgans, the ships were fitted with a monoplanar forcefield of fairly weak strength and good mainly for deflecting space debris. Provision was made for fitting the Groltoe with point defense weaponry and some frontier-traders fairly bristle with weaponry, but the freighter is best a mediocre combatant and not considered combat-worthy against dedicated warships.

Food as the Groltoe was, large-scale production ceased when Tremha Stak-Zoona Kosmop left the frontier, though its ships continue to soldier on as transports, though a few lovingly upgraded ships serve as private yachts or small excursion liners. . Remainer branch Tremha Salcar still manages to produce spare parts for Groltoes, as well as turn out a small number of new ships annually.

Type: G-TSZK-C-180 Groltoe
Class: Medium Interstellar Transport
Crew: 18
If not carrying cargo, liner-conversion Groltoes can carry up to 400 passengers in relative comfort.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 6,000
Bridge 1,000
Communications/Sensor Array 900
Foward Sensory Arays(2) 800 each
Hangar Bay 800
Engine Block 3,000*
Forcefield 900

*The triple-fin arrangement of the main engine makes critical strikes difficult to make on the array; -3 to strike.

Height: 80 ft
Width: 125 ft
Length: 750 ft
Weight: 19,000 tons
Cargo: 9,000 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/30 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 8
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.8% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
Market Cost: 147 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems
Weapons Systems: None standard, but has provision for mounting up to 4 Point Defense turrets and 2 Light Starship Weapons.
Auxiliary Craft:
1-2 light shuttles

Options:
Most modern operators upgrade the shields, sensors amd communications, Many security-conscious crews replace the old FTL radio dome with a concealed weapons turret holding a missile battery or Medium Starship Weapon, while others use the dome as extra storage space, upgraded sensor systems, or even a crew/passenger lounge.

Variants:
*N-TSR-C-180C--This is the variant most commonly produced by the now-independent subsidiary. Aside from the removal/conversion of some of the soaking chambers to make way for utility rooms and extra crew provision storage, the design is virtually identical to that marketed back in the day. The biggest change seems to be extensive sound-baffling on the noisome plumbing throughout the ship.

[taalismn]

(WZT) Stelavian Heavy Fighter/Corvette
(aka ‘Whitebird’, ‘StarSwan’, ‘StarGander’)

“...I must conclude that while Jerome Aeroastronautics’ entry would make a good cutter, it is simply too large for the heavy fighter we need as an auxiliary. The JA-Nineteen’s engine alone consumes fuel like a beast; keeping it supplied would eat up as much logistics as a half-squadron of Scorpions, and more than what the LRFX-Twenty can run on.”
----Commander Lan Lindsey, CAF Quartermaster Corp, Bureau of Ships, Procurement Office, on the evaluations for Fleet Requirement 0-6-432(Fleet Auxiiary, Heavy Fighter)

”Stelvis are beautiful ships, but they’re big, too big for most carrier hangars to accommodate easily. You can snug two or three Scorpions under the wings of one if you like packing puzzles, but not under combat conditions.”

“Given a choice between the Raiju and the Stelavian for patrol duty, i’d take the Stelly for comfort, but if I wanted to kill anything I came across, I’d take the Raiju.”

“Modular, hell! As long as the cockpit module and the engine are intact, I can put together and still field a combat-worthy craft! More, if the wingtip drones are still intact!”

The Stelavian was an attempt by Jerome Aeroastronautics to adapt a design fielded by the self-defense forces of the Human Alliance world of Solstice, into a competitor to the Proctor-class heavy fighter. Despite a number of good design points, the Stelavian was ultimately dropped from consideration by the CAF in favor of further development of the Proctor. JAa returned to local contracts, but kept the Stelavian design on its books, maintaining the existing earlier non-FTL system defense craft, until the company eventually folded in a corporate merger. The design was taken up by WZTechyards, who further modified the design to keep it up to date, and the fighter was marketed independently to interested parties.
The Stelavian is a large, graceful, aerospace craft with wide wings and a long-necked fuselage(one of the factors that killed it from consideration by the CAF was its large size, making it unable to comfortably operate from the hangar decks of many of the ships then in service/under consideration by the CAF ). Its main armament is a pair of heavy lasers in the nose, supported by a dorsal rear point defense cannon and ventral ordnance bays.
One of the more interesting design features of the Stelavian is its modular engine block that allows for quick repair, refurbishment, and upgrades to the main reactor, propulsion, and FTL, simply by sliding out the old engineering section and installing a new one. This allows for a variety of powerplant packages to be offered to buyers. The modular engine bloc can also be directly attached to the detachable crew compartment to create an FTL-capable courier or lifeboat. In some cases, crews left their centerbodies in orbit of planets as automated weapons and sensor platforms, while they shuttled back to base, or to a port of call.
Another interesting feature is the incorporation of a pair of parasite fighters that can dock to special docking recesses in the outermost panels of the wings. In the past, the fighters were manned, but drone fighters (evolved from JA sub-division JA/AeroCognition’s target and probe drone line) have since been favored, simplifying operations. However, this feature also made the design unpopular with the more conservative anti-AI Human Alliance worlds, who distrusted even semiautonomous combat systems. A few later operators returned to manned fighters, though, finding the wingtip docking positions, could, with a little modification, accommodate a Scorpion light fighter or two.
Though the Proctor is stlll considered the more attractive and popular heavy fighter across the Three Galaxies, Stelavians have made a reputation for themselves as solid designs in their own right, and they are popular with skiptracers, bounty hunters, and runners. WZT’s re-introduction and expanded production of the design has expanded its popularity as many smaller polities and paramilitaries re-arm after the Minion War. The revamped design is being marketed more as a heavy patrol ship or light corvette rather than a heavy fighter.

Type: WZT/JAa-APG-019 Stelavian
Class: Heavy Aerospace Fighter/Patrol Cutter
Crew: 5
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,000
Forward Crew Compartment 300
Forward Laser Cannons(2) 150 each
Point Defense Turret 100
Wings(2) 400 each
Main Engine 1,200
Variable Forcefield 400 per side, 2,400 total
Height: 25 ft
Width: 110 ft wingspan
Length: 125 ft
Weight: 780 tons
Cargo: 60 tons
If not carrying ordnance in the main weapons bay, the Stelavian can carry an additional 70 tons of cargo.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 30 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 6; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 11
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.1% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 2 light years per hour

Market Cost: 250 million credits.
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*’Howler’ ECM Suite---This system tales advantage of the Stelavian’s oversized powerplant to brute-force overwhelm enemy sensor systems with pure output of hamming static, that was said to make howling trash of sensors and especially commuications channels. Sensor-guided weapons are -5 to strike, jams radio signals(75% chance of jamming military band and command-guidance ordnance), and 60% chance of deflecting ordinary missiles. Range of 2,000 miles in space.

*Ejectable Crew Compartment---The entire nose of the Stelavian can detach to become a lifeboat with its own propulsion system(Mach 6).

*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials designed for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage. Note that this applies only to the underside and leading edges of the airframe.

Weapons Systems:
1) Twin Forward Heavy Laser Cannons(2)---The main teeth of the Stelavian are these two large laser cannons mounted in the nose. Though more powerful than those of the Proctor, the Stelavian’s lasers required more regular servicing.
Range: 5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage: 5d6x10 MD per single blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

WZT Updated Version:
Can mount a modular WZT/ASI Super-Heavy Weapons in place of the original lasers.

2) Double-Barreled Point Defense Turret(1)---For point defense, the Stelavian mounts a single rapid-fire laser cannon in a dorsal turret over the main engine.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per single blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

WZT Updated Version:
Can mount a modular WZT/ASI Heavy Weapon in place of the oriiginal laser turret.

3) Weapons Bay---Located in the underside of the main hull is a ventral weapons bay that can be fitted with rotary launchers for the following:
a) Mini-Missiles---- 160
b) Short Range Missiles---- 80
c) Medium Range Missiles---- 40
d) Long Range Missiles---- 18
e) Cruise Missiles----6
f) Freefall Ordnance----50 tons of freefall weaponry

4)(Optional) Underwing Hardpoints(2-4)--It’s not often done, but it is possible to mount additional ordnance externally under the large wings. Each hardpoint can accommodate ONE of the following:
a) Mini-Missiles---- 25-shot pod
b) Short Range Missiles---- 25-shot pod
c) Medium Range Missiles---- 25-shot pod
d) Long Range Missiles----3-shot pod
e) Cruise Missiles----2-shot pod

5) Drone Fighters(2)----Each wingtip mounts a docking slot for a small drone fighter. The original design featured MANNED light fighters, but advances in technology and the relative light weight restrictions for the fighters led to the decision to mount drones instead.

6) Countermeasure Launchers(4)(WZT model)---WZT added these countermeasure launchers, two in the trailing edge of the forward ‘arrowhead’ and two in the wings of the main hull.

Auxiliary Craft:
2x drone fighters

Options:
*Laser Reflective Armor---Lasers do HALF damage, and looks regal as all get-out. Cost: 17 million credits

*Stealth Armor----Adds an expensive fairing of radar-deflecting stealth materials. Effectively blocks long range sensors from getting a definite reading on the ship outside 3,000 miles Cost: 80 million credits

*Wing Point Defense Turrets(2)----This option, introduced with WZT’s models, addresses an issue that Stelavian users felt the ship fell short of compared to its closest competitor, the Kalsiarc Fystar Bustard. The baseline Stelavian lacked the all-around point defense coverage of the Bustard, so WZT set out to remedy the situation by adding a pair of turret hardpoints, compatible with WZT/ASI Medium Weapon Mounts, on the trailing edge of each wing. Each turret has 100 MDC, and costs 180,000 credits, plus the cost of the mounted weaponry.

*Drone Clamps(2)----An additional pair of parasite fighter hardpoints can be added, one under each wing. However, carrying the drones ito atmosphere interferes with atmospheric flight; reduce maximum in-atmo speed by 25% and -15% to piloting rolls while the ship is fully laden.
Cost: 3 million credits for the additional hardpoints

Variants:
*APG-019C----Antimatter-powered variant. This was actually the original configuration and prefered powerplant when the Stelavian was first rolled out. The modular engine core was originally a safety feature for the larger and less reliable M/AM reactor systems of the time, when having to eject an unstable antimatter containment unit was a real possibility. The M/AM system would have allowed the Stelavian to match the speed performance of the then-prototype LRGX-Twenty Proctor, but problems on the part of JA to secure a reliable supply of M/AM engines helped lose them favor with the Procurement Board; the more compact custom-developed(and some would say revolutionary) powerplant of the Proctor carried the trials.
When the Stelavian failed to land the CAF contract and cheap antimatter supplies weren’t assured, the design was modified to make it more attractive to lower end users. The space originally meant for additional avionics was refitted for fuel tanks. The ships suffered a cut in performance, but also became less expensive to build and operate, thus saving the company from scrapping the design altogether.
As antimatter has become more available, however, a few Stelavians have been modified back to the original design concept, the hydrogen remass tanks reduced in size and the freed-up space allocated to hold extra systems. WZT is expected to ramp up production of the dedicated M/AM-powered APG-019C at several of its lines as the USA’s own antimatter production and distribution improves.
Changes/Modifications:
Powerplant: Matter/Antimatter w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 15
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.5% of light speed per melee).
Cost: 270 million credits

*APG-019D----This variant does away with the parasite craft docking clamps on the wingtips altogether, and instead mounts either two WZT/ASI Medium or one Heavy Weapon Mount on each wing. This is considered a heavy patroller with an emphasis on direct confrontation capability.

*WZT/JAa-APG-F019----Not actually a variant, but simply the nose section and cockpit with the main engine core attached. The abbreviated vessel is slightly faster than the complete ship, but loses a great deal of the support systems. The engine core is also more exposed to damage.
The sub-assembly-APG-F019 us sometimes sold as an all-new vessel off the production line rather than from salvaged parts. In this configuration it is marketed as a heavy fighter, courier, or scout.

Type: WZT/JAa-APG-F019
Class: Heavy Fighter/Scout
Crew: 5
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 800
Forward Crew Compartment 300
Forward Laser Cannons(2) 150 each
Main Engine 900
Variable Forcefield 200 per side, 1,200 total

Height: 25 ft
Width: 50 ft
Length: 60 ft
Weight: 60 tons
Cargo: 12 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 30 year energy life or Matter/Antimatter w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 18
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.8% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
Market Cost: 140 million credits for Nuclear Fusion, 190 million for Matter/Antimatter.
Systems of Note:
Standard Light Starship Systems, plus:

*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials designed for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage. Note that this applies only to the underside and leading edges of the airframe.

Weapons Systems:
1) Twin Forward Heavy Laser Cannons(2)---These are retained from the whole ship, but without the extra capacitors and power generation gear of the abandoned main hull, available power to the main batteries is cut.

6) Countermeasure Launchers(2)---The two launchers on the trailing edge of the forward hull are carried over.


JA/WZT JACD-20 ‘Starling’ Drone Fighter
(aka ‘Y-ding’, ‘Y-Fighter’, ‘Ja-Dart’)
“The early Jaydarts weren’t much better than a civie shuttlecraft for maneuvering but the ones we have now, well, we don’t talk in terems of how ‘smart’ they are, especially around Human Alliance boys, but the newer birds are good versatile trucks...very good distractions if nothing else. YOu almost hate to throw them away on a mission.”

This is the latest version of the drone fighter compatible with the Stelavian’s outboard wing docking slots. The original JA/AeroCognition drones were unable to reach their full technological and commercial potential due to lingering mistrust in the Human Alliance of thinking combat AIs. However, improving technology and cybersecurity led to slow improvements in the design software, and the expanding CCW gradually found room for some drone systems. WZT took over continued development of the Starling when it acquired the Jerome Aeroastronautics techbase.
The Starling still retains the ‘triple fin’ shape of the original specifications, with a main ‘keel’ fin sliding into a wingtip clamp on the mother ship. The orginal cramped cockpit is now a streamlined pod holding the AI core and avionics. The Starling performs well in atmosphere and in space, making it useful for both deep space and in-atmo operations.
It is rumored that the Starling inspired the later, and more sophisticated, Enryu-class drones, but the two are actually, and continue to be, the results of separate and parallel development programmes by two different sub-divisions of WZTechyards.
Though originally designed to interface with the JAa-APG-019 Stelavian, Starling clamps have been fitted to other vessels as well, and it has been marketed as a point defense system, launched from static launch ramps and silos.

Type: WZT/JAa-UAF-07 Starling
Class: Aerospace Drone Fighter, Light
Crew: None; robot fighter
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 270
Wings(2) 190 each
Forcefield 600
Height: 10 ft
Width: 38 ft
Length: 25 ft
Weight: 4.6 tons
Cargo: None(See Variants)
Powerplant: Nuclear Powerplant w/ 10 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 4; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 9
(Kitsune Values: 40% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.9% of light speed per melee)

Market Cost: 25 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Aerospace Fighter Systems(minus life support), plus:
*ECCM system: A semiautomatic system that uses electronic encryption and frequency jumping to (attempt to) negate jamming systems. The system has a 25% chance of negating radar or communications jamming (non-magical) on its own.
Note that this only applies to received communications (the system filters them out from the jamming clutter) and sensory data received by that unit alone (other units cannot make use of it, unless they have an unaffected datalink/info-share with the ECCM equipped unit. Magic/psychic jamming is NOT affected by this system.

Programming:
Pilot: Space Fighter(for maneuvering purposes) 80%
Navigation: (Air/Space) 95%
Radio: Basic 98%
Radio: Scramblers 96%
Math: Basic 98%
Read Sensory Instruments 80%

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 5
Initiative: +1
Strike: +4
Dodge: +2
Roll: +3

Weapons Systems:
1) Nose Laser(1)---- Mounted under the cockpot pod on the ventral aerodynamic ‘keel’ and docking ‘tub’ is a powerful pulse laser. Later WZT -made models have made this mounting compatible with their modular hardpoint system.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

WZT Updated Version:
*WZT/ASI Medium Weapon Mount

2) Missile Launchers(2)---- Each wing has an embedded missile launch pack. In the alternative, the mounting points for the missiles can be filled with other weapon packs
a) Mini-Missiles---18 per launcher

b) Short Range Missiles---6 per launcher

c) Medium Range Missiles---3 per launcher

d) Rail Gun Pod
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere. 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 6d6 MD per 30 rd burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 4,800 rd drum per cannon

WZT Updated Version:
e) WZT/ASI Light Weapon Mounts

f) Countermeasure Launchers ---6 pods each

3)) Ramming Attack---As an attack of last resort, the expendable Starling can kamikaze into a target.
Damage: 1d4x100 MD, DOUBLE that if moving at speeds of Mach 7 or more. Blast radius of 80 ft

Variants:
A number of variants, with varying mixes of avionics, countermeasure systems, sensor packs, and weapons configurations exist, but the following is a sampling of the more common types:
* WZT/JAa-UIVC-07C---FTL-capable courier drone fitted with a small cargo space able to hold 300 lbs of cargo. It can make FTL ‘jumps’ of 40 light years, at 5.5 light years/hour, before needing to cool down and re-orient(takes 1 hour), and enough endurance and navigational capability to accurately make journeys of up to 120 light years. .

* WZT/JAa-UAEW-07 ---Dedicated EW(Electronic Warfare) drone. Removes the centerbody energy cannon for a jamming suite and the automation to run it. Jams enemy sensors and radio transmissions with 94% effectiveness(Programmed Electronic Countermeasures skill of 94%) (range: 25/25,000 mile radius). Can also be programmed to pump out misleading radar signatures conforming to other craft, including larger aircraft. In an emergency, the drone can pump out so much signature that enemy missiles and sensor guided weapons targeted on the mothership(must be within 10/100 miles of each other to be effective) will be +4 to strike the drone, and will lose target lock on the mothership.

* WZT/JAa-UAM-07D --- A ‘smart mine’, the UAM(Unmanned Aerospace Munition) is sheathed in ‘black’ stealth materials( has only a 40% chance of being detected when running at top speed, and only a 5% chance while lying ‘quiet’). The centerline weapons station has been replaced with a heavy cruise missile warhead. The UAM is intended to loiter in the vicinity of a potential target, for months if need be, until triggered, whereupon it sprints to the target and kamikazes.

[taalismn]

Kalsiarc Fystar ‘Bustard’ Heavy Fighter
(aka ‘Bust-hammer’, ‘Buster’)
“’Ugly but functional’ about describes the Bustard. Capable little ships, if you don’t ask too much of them. Popular enough with many of the Rim nations; if KayFystar had held out long enough, they’d be raking in a small profit now, but as I understand it, their management was walking a fine line between marginally acceptable and blatantly illegal business practices and they couldn’t keep up with their enemies. So now there’s five or six aboveboard firms and likely several darkport shipyards turning out copies of the Buster and not paying a cento-credit of license fees or royalties. ”

The ‘Bustard’ was another early competitor to fill the same CAF specification that would ultimately go to the LRFX-20/LRF-25 Proctor. The Kalsiarc Fystar corporation originated on the Human Alliance world of Solstice, the same planet that was home to Jerome Aeroastronautics, which was also bidding for the CAF next-generation heavy fighter contract with its own Stelavian. Indeed, Kalsiarc Fystar had competed unsuccessfully against JA for supplying Solstice’s self-defense forces forces with heavy fighters and saw the CAF competition as a chance to redeem themselves by offering up a refined version of their entrant in the Solstice competitions, just as Jerome Aeroastronautics was putting an upgraded version of the Stelavian into the bidding field.
Having been designed to meet the same general specifications, the two designs were very much alike in many ways; a large frame, twin heavy energy weapons, multiple light weapons, ordnance bay, and the ability to carry two light parasite craft. However, while the Stelavian was large, streamlined, graceful, and single-engined, the Bustard was more compact, slab-winged, and mounted two engines. The Stelavian carried two heavy energy weapons in a fixed position in its nose, while the Bustard carried its twin energy weapons more widely spaced in the leading edge of its wing and in semi-turrets capable of limited up-down elevation-arc of fire.
Despite its broad wing area, the smaller Bustard is actually less agile in atmopshere than the larger Stelavian, which consistantly whipped it in in-atmo combat trials. Though not nearly brick-aerodynamic, the Bustard tends to rely heavily on its AG and directed thrust to remain maneuevrabily airborne in an atmosphere.
Overall, though, the Bustard was the more solid design, its twin engines and sturdier frame giving it more durability and resilience than the larger Stelavian, and it was arguably closer to what the CAF wanted. However, like the JA entrant, Fystar’s choice of engines let them down. The CAF elected to go with the more compact antimatter-powered Proctor prototype for further development. Nor was the CAF interested in the light sub-fighters that KFsr had developed to go with the Bustard. Dispirited, Fystar dropped out of the competition.
Like Jerome Aeroastronautics, Kalsiarc Fystar would turn to the open market to sell the Bustard, where it enjoyed some popularity with regional militias unable to afford CAF hardware. Like JA, Fystar would eventually fall victim to galactic economics, be broken up and absorbed, but not before its techbase was acquired by several other companies.
Today, several corporations, most notably in the Deneva Comdomate. produce versions of the Kalsiarc Fystar Bustard and its parasite craft. This means that in the ongoing border conflict between the Comdomate and the United Systems Alliance, the Bustard often faces off against its old competitor the Stelavian(whose manufacturers, Jerome Aeroastronautics, were bought up by the USA’s effectively nationalized aerospace corporation, WZTechyards). Unfortunately, unlike WZT and its policies, most of the current manufacturers of Bustards are less scrupulous in who they sell the ships to, so a distressingly large number show up in the hands of PMCs and outlaw factions, though a number have also shown up in the hands of Free Worlds Council forces.

Type: KFsr-APG-18 Bustard
Class: Heavy Aerospace Fighter/Patrol Cutter
Crew: 5+1-4 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,400
Reinforced Crew Compartment 400
Engines(2) 800 each
Heavy Laser Turrets(2) 200 each
Point Defense Turrets(4) 60 each
Missile Launch Bays(2) 200 each
Forcefield 1,400

Height: 27 ft
Width: 95 ft
Length: 75 ft
Weight: 715 tons
Cargo: 80 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 30 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 9
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.9% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 2 light years per hour
Market Cost: 230 million credits.
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor---Special heat-resistant materials designed for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage. Note that this applies only to the underside and leading edges of the airframe.

Weapons Systems:
1) Twin Heavy Laser Cannons(2)---Mounted flanking the cockpit in the leading edge of the wing are two large laser cannons. Though weaker than the Stelvanian’s main batteries, KFsr had an inside line on what the CAF was planning on arming its next-generation heavy fighter with in the way of lasers, and they matched the spec as a means of bettering their chances of winning the competition. It didn’t work out, but at least the Bustard’s main batteries were lower maintenance and logistically compatible with what the CAF would have in its logistics inventory.
Each laser can swivel up and down 70 degrees and side to side 30 degrees.
Range: 5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6x10 MD per single blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Point Defense Laser Cannons(4, 2 ventral,2 dorsal, fore and aft)---In comparison to the Stelavian’s single large point defense turret, the Bustard mounts four small double-barreled pulse laser weapons.
Range:(Palladium Values) 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 16,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values) 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space
Damage: 4d6 MD per blast, 8d6 MD double-barrel blast.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Missile Launch Bays(2)---Concealed in the wings are two large ordnance bays. Each is capable of holding the following:
a) Mini-Missiles---- 70
b) Short Range Missiles---- 40
c) Medium Range Missiles---- 20
d) Long Range Missiles---- 7
e) Cruise Missiles----3
f) Freefall Ordnance----30 tons of freefall weaponry

4) Drone Fighters(2)----Each wing mounts a docking slot for a small drone fighter. The original design featured MANNED light fighters, accessed by tight, rather uncomfortable, acessways from the main crew compartment, but advances in technology and the relative light weight restrictions for the fighters led to the decision to mount drones instead.

Auxiliary Craft:
2x Parasite Fighters/Drones(see below)

Variants:
Post-breakup of KFsr, several post-corporate-mordem liscensees have taken up production of the Bustard, tweaking the design to their own requirements. Most such variants upgrade the avionics and weapons, engines and shields(variable forcescreens being the most favored upgrade over the heavy commercial fields of the KFser-issued production model).
Several variants do away with the ability to carry parasite craft, and use the space for the docking mounts to carry additional ordnance or EW pods instead.
A more radical variant used by several pirate groups and FWC cells replaces the missile bays with troop compartments, turning the Bustard into a crude combat dropship. The troop compartments can each hold 12 troops, but are not recommended for prolonged occupation.


Parasite Fighters
Like Jerome Aeroastronautics, Kalsiarc Fystar attempted to present the CAF with a complete weapons system, and produced two light aerospace fighter types as possible parasite craft to accompany the Bustard. These craft could be manned or unmanned and provide a recon/escort element to the Bustard’s missions.
One design, the A/Alpha was of more or less conventional design. The second type, the B/Beta was more radical in layout, trading versatility and crew comfort for speed and direct firepower.
The CAF rejected both, along with the Bustard. Kalsiarc Fystar , in an effort to recoup development costs, would turn to marketing both sub-fighters as both bundle-deals with the Bustard and separately, with mixed results.
As with the Bustard, when KFsr finally drifted into bankrupty, the sub-fighters found continued existence with several independent corporations and polities copying the designs. Today, the Fystar sub-fighters can be found serving with several Fringe nations and PMCs.

Sub-Fighter A
(aka ‘A/Alpha’)
“Most Alphs we sell never ever SEE a Bustard, let alone a docking port. Most we send out wind up on colonial airfields where they use them to shoot up local vermin.”

The A/Alpha was a conventional light aerospace fighter that aped the JAa-LAF-07 intended for the Stelavian. The design featured angled wings for atmospheric flight, a single engine, twin light laser cannons, and a fairly spacious cockpit with good all-around visibility. An underfuselage hardpoint allowed the fitting of an ordnance or avionics pod.
The A/Alpha was more popular as a manned unit than the brother B/Beta design, due to its more conventional layout and better handling, especially in atmosphere. The versatility of the underbody pod meant that the fighter could be quickly adapted to many mission profiles.
Both manned and drone versions continue in production.

Type: KFsr-LAF01A
Class: Light Aerospace Fighter/Drone
Crew: 1/Robot Drone A.I.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Reinforced Cockpit 100
Wings(2) 130 each
Ordnance Pod 80
Forcefield 400

Height: 10 ft
Width: 30 ft wingspan
Length: 14 ft
Weight: 9 tons
Cargo: Small space behind pilot’s seat for a survival pack and sidearm(s)
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 8
(Kitsune Values: 30% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.8% of light speed per melee)

Market Cost: 22 million credits.
Drone version costs 24 million credits.
Systems of Note:
Standard Aerospace Fighter Systems
Weapons Systems:
1) 2x Light Pulse Lasers
Range:(Palladium Values) 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 16,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values) 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space
Damage: 4d6 MD per blast, 1d6x10+6 MD double-barrel pulse blast.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Underbody Ordnance Pod
a) Mini-Missiles---- 19
b) Short Range Missiles---- 7
c) Medium Range Missiles---- 4
d) Laser Pod
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

e) Particle Beam Cannon Pod
Range: 1.5 miles in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 1.5 miles in atmosphere, 150 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Ion Cannon Pod
Range: 1.8 miles in atmosphere, 3.6 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 1.8 miles in atmosphere, 180 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

g) Autocannon Pod
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per 10-rd burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 2,500 rds(250 bursts)

h) Bomb---It’s rare, but some operators deploy their parasites with freefall bombs for pinpoint strikes. Can carry the equivalent of missile warheads, only double the blast radius.

Variants:
* KFsr-UCvLAF01A---Drone version. KFsr’s drone AI shows similarities to Jerome Aeroastronautics JA/AeroCognition drones’ programming, and was the subject of several lawsuits between the two corporations.
Programming:
Pilot: Space Fighter(for maneuvering purposes) 80%
Navigation: (Air/Space) 95%
Radio: Basic 98%
Radio: Scramblers 96%
Math: Basic 98%
Read Sensory Instruments 80%

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 5
Initiative: +1
Strike: +4
Dodge: +2
Roll: +3

Sub-Fighter B
(aka ‘B/Beta’, ‘Gamma-Stinger’, ‘Rad-nose’, ‘Rad-rod’, ‘Sparkplug’)
“The Betha’s a hot rod; sleek, fast, and very tempermental. If you’re not paying attention to the controls all the time, this little space dragster can easily get away from you. Most militaries save their talent for more versatile machines and wider ranges of missions, so they go for the drone versions of this thing. That way, if the sparkplug DOES get away from the flight programme, they’re not out a pilot.”

The B/Beta KFsr’s was more radical design, eschewing the versatility of the A/Alpha for more dedicated firepower in the form of a brace of more powerful particle beam cannon. To power these death-dealers, the B/Beta carried its powerplant ahead of the cockpit, next to the PBCs, with a large armor shield protecting the pilot from radiation leakage from both the power generator and the PBCs. The cockpit was smaller and sat between two angled-up ‘vee’ wings atop two powerful thruster units. A minimal-strength forcefield provides some additional protection, but its main purpose is to streamline the fighter in atmospheric flight. The B/Beta was smaller than the A/Alpha, but also faster and arguably more nimble in space combat(though the Alpha had more agility in atmosphere). However, the B/Beta drew complaints from flight crews, who found the cockpit cramped and uncomfortable, especially on long missions, and found cockpit visibility lacking. Servicing crews also disliked working around the poorly insulated power unit and PBCs. Nevertheless, the speed and damage potential of the B/Beta kept it in production, though as the drone model came online and was improved, this would increasingly replace the manned model in general circulation.

Type: KFsr-LAF02B
Class: Light Aerospace Fighter/Drone
Crew: 1/Robot Drone A.I.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Reinforced Cockpit 90
Wings(2) 120 each
Forcefield 400

Height: 8 ft, 16 ft w/ wings in raised position
Width: 10 ft, 20 ft w/ wings in dropped position
Length: 27 ft
Weight: 7 tons
Cargo: None
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 2; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 11
(Kitsune Values: 40% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.1% of light speed per melee)
Market Cost: 21 million credits.
Drone version costs 23 million credits.
Systems of Note:
Standard Aerospace Fighter Systems
Weapons Systems:
1) 2x Light Particle Beam Cannon---- The sole weapon of the B/Beta is this pair of particle beam cannons mounted in the nose. KFsr managed to reduce the weight of the powerful weapons by shaving off much of the insulation, meaning that the weapons tend to run ‘hot’ both in terms of heat and nuclear radiation. THis makes servicing and repairing them more difficult in event of battle damage, as ground crews must wear insulated suits around the exposed parts.
Range:(Palladium Values) 1mile in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per blast, 6d6x10 MD double-cannon blast.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Variants:
* KFsr-UCvLAF01B---Drone version. Work on this model began almost in parallel with the manned version, KFser realizing that the ‘skeleton reactor’ was likely to be unpopular with many users. They were right, and more drone versions are prodiced than manned models, in part because users are more inclined to throw away the drones than manned craft, leading to repeat sales.
Programming:
Pilot: Space Fighter(for maneuvering purposes) 80%
Navigation: (Air/Space) 95%
Radio: Basic 98%
Radio: Scramblers 96%
Math: Basic 98%
Read Sensory Instruments 80%

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 5
Initiative: +1
Strike: +4
Dodge: +3
Roll: +3

[taalismn]

(again, PPE sensors are the creation of Kitsune)

USAJC PS/ASI/CTRL-CG-17 Palatar Bloc III Heavy Cruiser
(aka ‘Black Bolt’, ‘Punisher’, ‘War Limo/Sedan’)
“A couple of decades ago, the Eugenian Navy getting a new Warshield-class cruiser was big news...now theygot battleships and new battlecruisers courtesy of being senior USA membership. You’d need a crowbar to pry the grins off their flag officers when they review the new shiny on maneuvers.”

“Given the recent jump in ship production and the roll-out of brand-new hulls and upgrades to older ones in the Uinted Systems Alliance’s military, I would NOT want to be the poor schlug who’d have to execute the orders of some idiot who thought it would be a good idea and time to punch the usans in the face-”

“We’re going to need heavy iron now that people are beginning to sit up and take notice of us, whereas previously they ignored us. People with heavy assets to burn, like Smashers and Executioners. We need the ability to not just sting other capital ship assets, but to CHEW them up.”

“Ah, Kapt’n Qui’zk? That shuddering and loss of power we just experienced? Turns out we WEREN’T outside accurate gunnery range of that big cruiser you told us not to worry about. They just shot out our number two reactor with a sniper blast...and they’re coming around to give us the rest of their guns-”

The Corianus-Typhen-Rosette League’s gifting of its old surplus Mynar-class heavy cruisers to the USA gave the nascent USAJC much-needed heavy metal and experience in handling it. The old Mynars were quickly updated into the very effective Palatars. However, there was a limit to how many old hulls that could be upgraded were available, and the USA’s demand for fleet coverage soon threatened to stretch its available heavy cruiser reserves.
Citing some much-needed improvements to the Palatar-class ships already in service, USAJC planners suggested building new Palatar hulls from scratch, integrating the improvements into the design from the start.
The Palatar Bloc III program was initiated as an understudy to the Exeter battlecruiser program. While WZT undertook the more risky and experimental technology-heavy Exeter, Aegis Stellar Industries would work at modernizing the more easily produced and more conventional Palatar upgrades. The USA could back or replace the Exeter’s expected quality with quantity. The Bloc III retains the type’s general mission of interdicting and neutralizing other capital units and neutralizing space superiority forces and defenses in advance of orbital assaults.
The Palatar Bloc III is superficially virtually identical to the earlier Palatars, but improvements in avionics, drive efficiency, and shield regeneration have been made. TW sensors and security systems have been made standard, and the weapons configuration streamlined. A new bow sensor array has been added, improving sensor acuity and weapons targeting accuracy. Improvements in material fabrication have also added slightly more durability to major hull locations, all while remaining within the same cost as a converted older hull.
The Bloc III heavy cruisers are starting to appear with USAJC units as production rams up. The GNE HomeFleet One has accepted delivery of its first two units. In addition, in return for converting several of its production yards to producing the new ships, the CTRL Navy has started using the vessels as well.

Type: PS/CTRL-CG-17 Bloc III Palatar
Class: Heavy Cruiser
Crew: 360+ 50 marines and 48 aerospace group
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 66,000
Bridge 4,500
Hangar Bays(2) 3,000 each
Main Thruster Bloc 28,000
Heavy Laser Cannon(6, forward) 700 each
Heavy Particle Beam Cannons(12, 4 forward, 4 each side) 800 each
Cruise Missile Launchers(6) 400 each
OR Superheavy Strategic Missile Launchers(2) 1,000 each
OR Plasma Torpedo Launchers(4) 1,000 each
Long Range Missile Launchers(3) 300 each
Medium Range Missile Launchers(12) 250 each
Heavy G-Cannons(12) 300 each
Medium Laser Cannons(30) 300 each
Point Defense Turrets(24) 100 each
Starship TW Multiplexors(2) 500 each
*Variable Forcefields 7,000 per side, 42,000 total
*Shield Refresh Rate is 15% per melee

Height: 500 ft
Width: 500 ft
Length: 2,821 ft
Weight: 845,000 tons
Cargo: 65,000 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion, w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 9
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.9% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not Possible
Market Cost: 93 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus;

*Long Range Sensors----PS/ASI imported over the large multimedia sensor arrays of the CCW Lasser-class frigates they had been working on, the argument being that if the ships can see trouble coming, the better prepared to receive it they will be. The sensors can pick up on vessels moving at FTL up to 25 light years away, and vessels moving through normal space up to 0.9 light years away.

*Docking Hardpoints(9)----Nine external docking cradles with extending tubeways for servicing additional small starships docked to the vessel.

*Advanced Fire Control(All)----Improved avionics network the various hull sensors and fire control for more accurate targeting, a must when dealing with small agile targets such as fighters and missiles, and for tying in the long range sensors to the long range heavy batteries. Advanced Targeting Bonus: +3 to strike for point defense systems, +2 to strike for long range direct fire weaponry.
The new sensor array also gives the ship’s own EW personnel a +10% to burn through enemy jamming.

Magical Systems:
The Palatar has benefitted immensely from PS’s experience with the TW-enhanced systems of its GMR skyships.....thanks to improvements in TechnoWizardry design and production, the earlier and cumbersome systems have been refined and made smaller and more efficient.
The Palatar carries 4 PPE Generators and regenerates at 50 PPE per hour(200 PPE per hour total). Each also has an adjacent PPE Battery Bank, that can hold up to 500 PPE each(2,000 PPE total), and recharges/absorbs energy at 100 PPE per 24 hours, plus it accepts any surplus from the generators during low demand times.
All TW Generators have been retrofitted with a Ley Line Storm Defense System that automatically locks down the generators and shields them during leyline storm activity. Though leyline storms are rare in open space, the existence of solar leylines means that they DO exist, and can be quite severe.

*Ectofiber Insulation Grid
-Magical Attacks do HALF damage/effect

*ORACLE Mk V---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---This system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures). Linkage to the Ectofiber Grid has increased the sensitivity and effectiveness of this system.
See Aura: Slightly different than the spell in that it can scan an entire target such as a ship or station. The enchantment can be used to target a single individual but only have one tenth normal range when being used in that matter. Costs 60 P.P.E. per activation due to extended range. Range: 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) in space and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Gives an approximate count of the number of life forms onboard. Gives the average level of experience, highest level of experience, and lowest level of experience [Given in these terms: Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).] Tells if there is any magic onboard. Gives if there are any psychics onboard (Mind Block will prevent detection), Gives a general count on the amount of P.P.E. the target has (basically the P.P.E. of the crew and any devices which store P.P.E.). Detects if there is any kind of possession. Finally sees if the crew or ship has any unusual aberrations.
• See the Invisible Sensors: The ships has several special optical and other sensor systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) in space and 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
• Sense Magic: The ship has sensors which the give the ability to detect active magic. Similar to spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 200,000 miles (322,000 kilometers) in space and 200 miles (320 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: detects the presence of magic if within detection range of ship and gives bearing on magic and basic range although not exact position. Detects active enchantments but will not generally detect spell casters in general.
• Sense Rifts: Ship has sensors which effectively allow Rifts to be detected. The system can be (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 500,000 miles (805,000 kilometers) in space and 500 miles (805 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Detects the presence of Rifts (including those created by Rifts Drives) and unlike when detecting magic gives position very accurately.

*Impervious to Energy( 640 PPE per activation, duration of 5 minutes per activation)

*Expel Demons(35 PPE per activation )---This is an internal defensive system, incorporated into wards around major areas of the ship, such as the engines, bridge, and sickbay...It CANNOT work outside of the ship. Fear of supernatural beings teleporting aboard ship and taking control has been a great fear of GNE crews, from their naval experience(as one salty put it; “Ain’t nothing worse than being on a ship of the Possessed... nowhere to run, damn few places to hide, and damn little time to do anything else.”), and thus PS has made this system fairly standard on its ships.

*Space Wormhole(450 PPE per activation)----This magic propulsion addition is novel, but hardly reliable; it randomly carries the ship away 1d6 light years from the point of origin. PPE-cheap for an FTL drive, it still makes a good quick escape mechanism.

Other ‘internal’ systems that have been tested as both centrally powered systems and emergency PPE-Battery-powered systems, include Sheltering Force(ideal for emergency vac-shelters), Air Bubble, Globe of Daylight, Breath Without Air, Extinguish Fire, Ice(great for temporarily sealing hull breeches), and Mend the Broken.

Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Laser Cannon(6, forward)---Though shorter ranged and less powerful than the particle beam cannons, the lasers make up for it with a faster rate of fire.
Range: 7 miles in atmosphere, 15 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 15 miles in atmosphere, 15,000 miles in space)
Damage: 6d6x100 per blast, 3d6x1,000 MD for a barrage of all six.
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Heavy Particle Beam Cannons(12, 4 forward, 4 each side)
Range: 14 miles in atmosphere, 50 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 50 miles in atmosphere, 50,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 MD per blast, or 2d4x1,000 per dual blast, 4d4x1,000 MD for a barrage of four.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee; typically two cannon will fire per melee while the others cycle through recharge
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Cruise Missile Launchers(6) ----The Palatars have been upgraded from long range missile batteries to more powerful cruise missile launchers. Some GNE/ASI-service Palatars carry a more substantial modification to carry the larger and more powerful Long Lance IV ShSM.
Range: Varies by missile type
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: From 1-10 missiles can be fired in one volley
Payload: 30 Cruise Missiles per launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes(1 ton of cargo per 6 missiles)

In the alternative, the CMLs can all be replaced with Superheavy Strategic Missile Launchers(2)---PS Long Lance V--- This SLBM-sized weapon is smarter, heavier, and carries its own ECM and countermeasures decoy launchers(updated from the previous Long Lance IV’s) to give it a better chance of penetrating a target’s defenses, but its sheer size limits the number of missiles that can be carried.
Range: 1,500 miles(6,000 miles in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4 x 1,000 MD to a 4.6 mile destruction radius
NOTE: PS combat doctrine FORBIDS the use of strategic nuclear devices against planetary targets, without full authorization and coded permission from the top echelons of High Command(fortunately, as few ships carry Long Lances or strategic nuclear weapons, there have been few chances to test this doctrine).
Bonuses/Special:
*ECM----The missile has its own expert system and EW transmitters for jamming enemy radar, as well as evading their sensors. The missile is -6 for guided weapons to strike. 60% chance of evading radar detection to begin with.
*Flare/Chaff Launchers(1, 12 bundles)
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
(Option)TW Breaching System(optional)---This can be fitted to any LRM/CM missile prior to firing. Despite its high-PPE installation cost, the system is popular because it allows PS’s relatively low-tech missiles to penetrate high-tech energy shielding, and deliver a surprise knockout blow! Uses the Energy Disruption spell to penetrate enemy defenses. If facing a known magic-using enemy, this system may be enhanced with Dispel Magic Barrier. The system(values taken from Siege on Tolkeen 1, pg. 69) costs 495 PPE to install, 20 PPE to activate per minute of operation.
Payload: 25 per launcher, 50 total

A THIRD alternative configuration replaces the cruise/superheavy missile launchers with a set of heavy plasma torpedo launchers modified off the PSS/ASI-CGS-07D ‘Centaurus’-variant of the Javelin Light Cruiser. Each missile launch bay has been refitted with a combination PTL/tractor beam mount with the following:
a) Tractor Beam Projectors(4, 2 in each bay) ----Intended less for grabbing hold of other ships and more for guiding the Plasma Torpedoes. Rated at 500 tons haul weight.
Range: 5 miles in space(NOT usable in atmosphere)(Kitsune Values: 5,000 miles in space).

b) Plasma Torpedo Launchers(4, 2 each bay)---These are direct-fire weapons that fire bolts of plasma trapped in a temporary magnetic ‘shell’ centered on an evaporated ‘seed’ of ultra-dense deuterium ice, allowing the plasma to travel farther without losing cohesion and damage potential, and allowing the plasma to explode with area of effect on target. The result is an energy missile with superior range to normal energy weapons(though still well short of comparable missile weaponry) and potentially unlimited payload. However, the plasma packets CAN be grabbed/deflected by tractor beams(this is how the ship’s gunners can manipulate their energy projectiles at short range and correct their course....each of the launch arrays’ mounted tractor beams being able to grab and direct a volley of plasma bolts), or destabilized by ion or particle beam weapons fire(takes 20 MDC to disrupt the plasma containment).
Range: 20 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 200 miles in atmosphere, 200,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x100 MD per blast to 100 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Each array can launch volleys of 1-8 torpedoes, twice per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited


4) Long Range Missile Launchers(3)---These were retained from the original configuration, before the CTRL and GNE/ASI acquired the ability to manufacture Cruise Missiles.
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Long Range Missiles)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type(Long Range Missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-20
Payload: 240 per launcher; additional missiles may be carried as cargo, and reloaded from storage.

5) Medium Range Missile Launchers(12)---These launchers are used primarily for antimissile and -fighter defense.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-8
Payload: 80 missiles each launcher, reloading from the cargo hold takes 15 minutes(1 ton of cargo per 24 missiles)

6) Heavy G-Cannons(12)----These cannons are used primarily to interdict missiles and fighters.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 300 bursts per cannon

7) Medium Laser Cannons(30)----The Palatar is fairly festooned with these lighter-caliber cannons, meant to deter enemy fighters and strike craft.
Range: 7 miles in atmosphere, 14 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 14 miles in atmosphere, 14,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x100 MD per single blast, 8d6x100 for six cannons firing simultaneously
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

8 ) Point Defense Turrets(24)----The point defense turret mounts have been made modular, allowing the Palatar 3s to befitted with custom configurations of WZT/ASI PDS systems.

9) Starship TW Multiplexors(2)---The Palatar mounts two starship-grade modular TechnoWizardry spell-projectors, as proven on the smaller and earlier Aurora-class destroyers.
The current model of Starship Multiplexor can carry up to six separate spells, typically of high-level space spells(See Rifts: Fleets of the Three Galaxies). Still, however, this weapons system gives PS/ASI ships a SERIOUS magical bite lacking even in many UWW warships.
-Space Dust(150 PPE per activation, duration of 10 hours per activation, 500 mile range---500,000 mile Kitsune range, and 100 mile radius)
-Solar Flare(250 PPE per activation, duration of 1d6 hours +5 hours per activation, 1,200 mile range---120,000 mile Kitsune range )
-Summon Meteor Shower(150 PPE per activation, duration of 10 minutes per activation, 3 mile range---300 mile Kitsune range)
-Summon Ion Storm--Can generate up to a Level/Magnitude 5 ion storm (150-250 PPE per activation, duration of 1d6x10 minutes per activation, 10 mile range---1,000 mile Kitsune range)
-Gravity Well(550 per activation, duration of 50 minutes per activation, 400 mile range---40,000 mile Kitsune range, 100 mile radius )
-Create Nebula(500 per activation, duration of 10 hours per activation, 20 mile range---2,000 mile Kitsune range, 5 mile diameter)


Auxiliary Craft:
4 Heavy Shuttles
24 Aerospace Fighters

[taalismn]

PS/ASI-HInstelCT-11 ‘Birlan’ Heavy Transport Cruiser
(aka ‘MegaCarton’,’Hatbox’, ‘Lunchbucket’, ‘Lunchpail’, ‘Brewstar’)

“The Rimmies have developed a taste for building big hulls now that they’re developing economies that can afford them. And where they can’t afford them themselves, they’re selling to those who can. And then there’s the outdimension markets that the metroworlds can hardly touch. We’re going to be seeing a lot more Fringe-manufactured transport on the spacelanes in the next decades.”

“That a lot of the astromeat miners bought Birlans earned us the names of ‘lunchpails’, especially since we also worked to deliver relief supplies to new colonies and refugee zones. Makes me glad to know that we’re associated with good things when we arrive at a port.”

The Birlan is the wholly civilianized spaceframe of the PS/ASI-HInstelCvT-10 ‘Ramey’ Heavy Transport Carrier Cruiser and its HInstelT-10D transport variant. Instead of being lined with multiple hangar bays, the Birlan’s interior space has been drawn and quartered into cargo decks better suited for accommodating standardized cargo containers. Armament has been downgraded to a few light weapons batteries and point defense turrets, and the military propulsion units downgraded to high-end commercial powerplants. Military sensors have been retained, however, so the ships get plenty of warning in event of attack, and the retained military-grade armor and shields help shrug off attacks.
The external similarity to the ‘Ramey’ on long range scans, however, has often worked in the favor of the Birlans; pirates familiar with the battlecraft-carrying Rameys have shied away from convoys with accompanying Birlans, thinking them to be military escorts.
The growing economies of the Rim and Fringe have led to increased demand for long range heavy transport, and the Birlan is selling well to operators with the means to maintain the large ships. Notable among the users are several large astrofood-processing organizations who pack the ships full of synthesized foodstuffs for delivery to their markets. And at least two large breweries have bought Birlans to transport their products, the ships decorated in brand-appropriate ‘beer can’ livery colors.


Type: PS/ASI-HInstelCT-11 ‘Birlan’
Class: Heavy Transport Cruiser
Crew: 125
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 95,000
Bridge 11,000
Light Weapons Turrets(10) 400 each
Point Defense Turrets(20) 100 each
Cargo/Hangar Bay Hatches(8 ) 600
Engine Block(flared bottom of the ship) 60,000
Variable Forcefield 5,000 each side(35,000 total)
Height: 600 ft diameter, 700 ft at base.
Width: 600 ft diameter, 700 ft at base.
Length: 1,052 ft
Weight: 540,000 tons
Cargo: 260,000 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 8
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.8% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour
(Underwater) Limited; can land in water and take off, but cannot maneuver on or under the water. Also, unless the hangar bays have been specially modified, deploying the small craft complement underwater is impossible/not advised. Maximum depth capability of 1,000 ft.
Market Cost: 4 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:
*Full Sensor Suite---Specialized sensor pallets include radiation detectors and counters, spectrographic analysis devices, gravitic sensors, electromagnetic activity readers, and optics packages.
*Long Range Radar---Phased Array Search and Early Warning Radars---Maximum Resolution Range of 4 million miles

*Gravitic Sensors----55 million mile range
*Neutrino Detection----55,000 mile range
*Tachyon Radar---3 million miles

*Communications Suite:---Long Range Radio and Video

*Laser Communications ---Tactical (i.e. ship-to fighter/shuttle)Range: 200,000 miles.--For tight-beam communications, ship to ship, or ship/surface. The Laser can even be modulated to the blue-green for communicating with submerged vehicles

*Optical Tracking Clusters----These are transparent blisters fitted with gimbal-mounted high-resolution visible-light/IR/UV optical telescopes that continually scan the arc of sky before them. Linked to the navigational arrays and other tracking sensors, and to a series of highly-sophisticated near-AI search and discrimination software systems, these sensors attempt to detect objects that have low radar returns/sensor signatures, such as stealthed vehicles, iceballs, or asteroids. The high-tech equivalent of the man in the crow’s nest with a pair of binoculars.

*Tractor Beams(8)---- These have been retained from the Ramey carriers, but are now used to handle cargo modules in zeo-gree. Effectively each rated for 800 tons dead weight, but can be used for imparting small changes in momentum/direction to ships/structures several times that mass. One emitter is mounted above each cargo bay hatch.
Range: 5 miles in space(NOT usable in atmosphere)
(Kitsune Values: 5,000 miles in space).

Weapons Systems:
1) Light Weapons Mounts(10)---The Heavy and Medium weapons mounts have been replaced with WZT/ASI starship Light modular mounts.

2) Point Defense Turrets(20)---These have been retained from the Ramey-class carriers, but have been replaced with WZT/ASI starship PDS modular mounts.

Auxiliary Craft:
8 Large Shuttles/lighters
10 Light Shuttles/stevedores

[SolCannibal]

The external similarity to the ‘Ramey’ on long range scans, however, has often worked in the favor of the Birlans; pirates familiar with the battlecraft-carrying Rameys have shied away from convoys with accompanying Birlans, thinking them to be military escorts.

That's all very nice indeed, until they become known enough that some bolder, greedier or more armed groups decide to test convoys for Birlans passing themselves as Rameys.
Though many will still think caution is the better part of valor, i guess.

[taalismn]

[
That's all very nice indeed, until they become known enough that some bolder, greedier or more armed groups decide to test convoys for Birlans passing themselves as Rameys.
Though many will still think caution is the better part of valor, I guess.

...and they run into the OTHER Q-ships in the convoy...

"Ah, that little medium-class is turning end-on to us-"
"HELLSPUBES! THAT"S NOT A CARGO POD, IT'S A COAXIAL CANN-"

[taalismn]

WZT Sidar-class Interstellar Transport
(aka’Longboard’, ‘Rebantic’)

“The Sidar’s something of a ‘bus’ platform in Rebliss space; you see it everywhere. and even more so since the Rebliss drove the Golgans out and could quit using all those old Republik-standardized designs. The Sidar still maintains a few traces of Golgan requirement, however; the dry transport configuration has a centralized conveyor system and hatches that accommodate up to class-cee cargo canisters, and the passenger models still adhere to Golgan safety standards for ALL passengers. The Rebliss go with what works and are pragmatic enough not to forgo safety and convenience for patriotism by adopting all-new standards. ”

“We had a nice pleasant cruise into Rebliss space to their new colony world, set down a few hundred kilometers away from the settled islands, and enjoyed an even nicer sea-cruise into port on the same ship. I don’t know of many cultures who do that sort of thing as standard procedure in their transport systems, but the Rebliss do.”

“The Golgans forced the Rebliss to build Golgan designs to supply their own merchant marine, but let the Tadpoles build this design for their own domestic use? And only claimed it as their own AFTER the split? Were the Froggies blind or just not thinking? The quality of this design should have been self--apparent to the Golgans who becoming aware of what the Rebliss could do, should NEVER have let the Rebliss slip through their fingers.”

The Sidar is a Rebliss-designed and produced multi-role interstellar transport. Production of these ships actually began under the Golgan occupation, but continued afterwards when the Rebliss joined the United Systems Alliance and their shipyards joined forces with WZTechyards.
The Sidar has a plain straightforward design; a rectangular hull, shaped for water operations on the bottom, with engines on the end, sensors at the bow, a command bridge tower protruding above the hull, and slightly curved strakes and winglets on the sides offering a touch of elegance and grace to the otherwise utilitarian design. Sidars are configured for water landings and takeoffs, making them popular with the amphibious Rebliss and Golgans on their preferred waterworlds. Access is through both lateral hatches and a bow connector.
Basic systems on the Sidar are robust and well-tested, and the design has few vices other than relatively slow acceleration/deceleration. The sturdy cargo spaces can be easily converted into dry cargo storage, liquid tankage, or passenger areas, allowing the same basic spaceframe to serve for freighters, tankers, and passenger transports.
Under the Golgans, the Sidars were equipped, unless slated for Golgan merchant marine service, with only basic avionics, sensors, and sharply restricted navigation gear good only for operating within heavily regulated Golgan space. With freedom from the Golgans and the restrictions lifted, the Rebliss could refit all their fleets of Sidars with the better equipment, and with WZT/USA membership, could upgrade them even further with state of the art gear, allowing the ships to operate farther away and more freely.
The Sidar is a common sight around the worlds of the Rebliss, and its amphibious capabilities and reliable performance are endearing it to the many colonial and frontier worlds of the United Systems Alliance and their trade partners. The Golgans, despite having a large stable of legacy transport designs of their own, have copied the design and begun production of it in their own territories.

Type: WZT-R62 Sidar
Class: Medium Multipurpose Interstellar Transport
Crew: 30
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 7,000
Bridge 2,000
Engines 3,000
Auxiliary Thrusters 1,000
Forcefield 3,000

Height: 80 ft
Width: 120 ft
Length: 680 ft
Weight: 25,000 tons
Cargo: (Dry Cargo Configuration) 12,000 tons
(Tanker Configuration) Capacity of 3,200,000 cubic feet of liquified or pressurized gases.
(Starliner Configuration) 1,100 passengers in fair comfort, 2,250 under crammed conditions.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 30 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 6
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.6% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
(Underwater) Is designed to land and take off from water, but cannot operate underwater. Has a surface speed of 35 MPH in good seas.
Market Cost: 235 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*Heatshielding--The ventral hull is specially lined with heat-refractive materials so even if the aero-shields fail during reentry, the ship can make safe landings, Against megadamage heat and plasma, the ship’s underside only takes 1/4 normal damage.

Weapons Systems:
None standard, but can mount up to EIGHT point defense system or light turrets

Auxiliary Craft: None standard

Options:
While most Rebliss are content with the standard configuration and features of the Sidar, many other operators seek to upgrade the engines, especially the FTL, avionics, and defense systems. Up to three medium starship weapons can be added without major modification.

Variants:
The Sidar’s been around long enough that multiple variants of it exist, especially the dry cargo transport, tanker, and liner variants.
Under the more liberal sales policies of WZT and the USA which allow the Rebliss to sell more widely, additional variants have appeared, including several corporate and private ‘superyacht’ conversions.
Though not well-suited to combat, it is rumored that WZT has modified several Sidars to USAJC spec into amphibious transports, able to carry a company of amphibious troops and their vehicles(including submersibles). The combat transport variant reportedly features a redesigned and less vulnerable bridge(4,000 MDC), heavier variable forcescreens( 5,000 each side,35,000 total), upgraded point defense, boosted engines(Mach 8 & 5 light years an hour) and advanced EW and fire control.

*GR-GT60----The Golgans have claimed free license to manufacture the Sidar as their own, claiming that the design was initiated and supervised under the Golgan occupation, and are thus entitled to the design as compensation following the Rebliss rebellion that forced the Golgans out of Rebliss space(never mind that the Golgans decided to pull out in disgust at Rebliss passive resistance). The problem is, without cheap Rebliss labor to produce the design, Golgan Sidars cost more and build quality is overall less(-15% to overall MDC values and speed).

[taalismn]

(Magic sensors by Kitsune, some of the originlal formatting by Darkmax)

WZT/ASI Exeter-class Battlecruiser
(aka ‘ Exetas B’)
“Okay, that’s new.”
---Anonymous pirate, upon seeing an Exeter-class battlecruiser charging their newly heavily damaged heavy cruiser squadron

“The USA still seems to suffer from ‘cruiser dreams’, but at least they’re now going about it in a more practical manner.”

“The Exetas and the Gigasaur were first conceived and laid down before the United Systems Alliance was a thing, and WZT was still looking at sales to regional markets, not providing the backbone to a star polity of its own. Some of the choices of weaponry were perfectly acceptable as sale-tempting attention-grabbers back then, but now look off as standard-issue squadron-level hardware. Doctrine and need have changed, and sometimes the state of the art too. The designs needed overhauling in many respects, despite the splash they made in maneuvers.”

“The Exeter was born of a desire to produce a ‘super-Aurora’ that would crank that design’s strengths upseveral levels. I’m not sure they entirely succeeded, only time will tell on that score, but what they got now is still pretty impressive.”

“Backwards as neobarb species like the Sorm may seem, hitting their worlds is still going to be difficult. Unless we want to take a lot off casualties going in, attacking with light combatant swarm formations of our own isn’t the the best answer. Sometimes you just can’t crack open a nut with a lot of small little picks, sometimes you need a machete.”

“Misgivings about our mission and passenger, Midshipman Arnald?”
“Sir? Ah, no sir!”
“Speak your mind, Midshipman. You have my permission.”
“Sir? Ah, begging the Captain’s pardon..I have no beef against the passenger, but isn’t it rather strange for a BATTLECRUISER to be conveying a YALEK? They’re...well, they’re merchanters, more specifically DEPARTMENT STORES. Isn’t it a bit much to us to be playing taxi for them?”
“The Yalek hardly go out traveling, specially out to the Fringe. To have one coming out to open up branches in the United Systems Alliance is a sign that we’re gaining attention and respect in the economies of the coreworlds, so a Yalek exec coming all the way out to us is a BIG thing. and we want them to feel that much more secure. Our economy is as strategic as our military positioning, so we have to take it just as seriously.”

“Our enemies aren’t going to stand around and wait to be pecked to death by our lighter forces; we need to hit them with heavier firepower at the times and places of our choosing. We need stalkers and we need hunters.””

The Exetas Battlecruiser, and the equally astonishing Gigasaur Multi-Role Cruiser platform it was evolved from, exhibited at the first WZT Iron Engineer exhibition wowed those who saw the sleek warships go through their paces. There was much talk, especially in WZT circles, of the ships being the wave of the future, particularly with the nascent United Systems Alliance Joint Command needing ships.
However, neither would prove appropriate for the wide-scale mass production deemed necessary to reinforce the United Systems Alliance’s territorial security. The many exotic technologies showcased on the ships were still bug-plagued, and the overall weapons configuration choices were, in some cases, proven obsolete by the rapidly-evolving galactic scene. However, the United Systems Alliance still needed/wanted heavy iron to provide backbone to its defense fleets, and a sharp spearhead to its expeditionary forces.
Taking the Exetas and Gigasaur as ‘proof of concept’ and ‘testbed’ vehicles, WZT and PS/ASI engineers reworked parts of the design to produce a more practical and reproducible warship in the Exeter.
The Exeter shed the Exetas’ fragile spacio-distortion antennae in favor of more refined and armored baffling arrays, more conventional EW systems and certain passive stealth measures. The hangar bay forcefield guidance systems were also dropped and replaced with tractor beams. The ‘glasshouse’ observation bubble was replaced with a less conspicious armored citadel fared into the hull. More durable and long-lived llifeboat pods replace the short-duration units fitted aboard the prototypes.
The original Exetas had a considerable amount of space allocated to cargo, though this was in part because the final configuration was not yet finalized. The prototypes used the space to carry spare parts for their long voyage to Phase World to take part in the Iron Engineer showing. The production Exeter reduces cargo capacity, re-allocating the space and mass to mount additional weapons, including a solid secondary battery. The Exetas’ pressure hull was also slightly widened and lengthened into the cargo bay spaces, allowing more space to expand the crew accommodations, making them roomier and more comfortable.
Armament-wise, the Exeter parts from the Exetas on a number of points. The original nose-mounted single massive relativistic gravity-cannon that made the Exetas look like a giant sniper, has been replaced with a modular cannon bay, with the option of multiple-barrel massdrivers being the more popular choice. Similarly, the nose laser has been made swappable with a heavy plasma torpedo launcher or particle beam mount. The three dozen multi-mode missile launchers have been reduced in number to allow the installation of a dedicated cruise missile launcher array, addressing a shortcoming of the original Exetas. Point defense has been beefed up with improved fire control coordinating it, even in the anticipated ECM- and decoy-rich combat environments
Interestingly enough, the Exetas’ amphibious capability was retained in the Exeter, apparently to allow basing on the many waterworlds of the USA, but also suggesting a possible gift to the amphibious Rebliss, whose shipyards were tapped for construction of one of the Exetas prototypes, and who would ultimately benefit from contracts for the Exeter. However, submarine weapons have not been fitted to the ship’s configuration.
The Gigasaur’s Mach 25 performance, which was an effort to apply the GTalisman starliner’s drive systems to a proper warship, was impractical for a ship of the line in the USA territories, so plans to attempt to mass-produce it were dropped. A lower, but still considerable, speed of Mach 13 was seen as more practical from a cost and maintenance standpoint, and still allowed the battlecruiser to match the speeds of such others in the same general class as the Explorer and Bindas(though the same engineers maintain that the Exeter still has engine power growth potential to speeds as high as Mach 16).
Compared to the larger Kamayari CG, the Exeter is more expensive and lacks the versatility of the cruiser’s modularity, but it is also faster, more agile, and hardhitting in the anti-ship role. Among its weaknesses are a lack of secondary energy batteries for defense in depth, and what some see as a ‘sniper mentality’; an over-specialization focus on one or two heavy weapons in limited firing arcs, rather than a more balanced range and hull distribution of weapons.
Though initial production is expected to be slow, with elite expeditionary reserve units getting first pick, the Exeter is expected to see action sooner rather than later in striking decisive blows on a number of smoldering fronts.

Type: WZT-BC02 Exeter
Class: Battlecruiser
Crew: 325 crew +60 marines, 50 person air group
MDC/Armor by Location:
Front 1/3 --- 40,000
Mid 1/3 --- 45,000
Rear 1/3 --- 80,000
Bridge --- 30,000
Communication Tower --- 20,000
Side Hangar Bays (4) --- 20,000 each
Main Rear Thrusters (2) --- 2,500 each
Mid Rear Thrusters (12) --- 1,700 each
Small Rear Thrusters (4) --- 1,000 each
Maneuvering Thrusters (150) --- 500 each
Main Energy Cannon(1) 8,000
Heavy Gun Bay Module(1) 8,000
Heavy KKC Gauss Turrets(6) 1,200 each
Multi-Mode Heavy Missile Launchers(24) 380 each
Point Defense Laser/Mini-Missile Turrets(30) 360 each
Variable Forcefields*( 15,000 each side, 90,000 total)

*Shield Refresh Rate is 25% per melee

Height: 53m/159 ft
Width: 70m/210 ft
Length: 307m/921 ft
Weight: 350,000 tons
Cargo: 9,000 tons
Powerplant:Advanced Lucerin-fuelled fusion nuclear powerplant(s) w/ 55 year energy life.
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 13
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.3% of light speed per melee)
Under auxiliary power, the ship can make Mach 8.
(FTL) 5.7 light years per hour
(Underwater) 12 knots, depth tolerance of 900 ft (300 m)
Market Cost: 38 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:
*Full Sensor Suite---Specialized sensor pallets include radiation detectors and counters, spectrographic analysis devices, gravitic sensors, electromagnetic activity readers, and optics packages.
*Long Range Radar---Phased Array Search and Early Warning Radars---Maximum Resolution Range of 4 million miles

*Gravitic Sensors----55 million mile range
*Neutrino Detection----55,000 mile range
*Tachyon Radar---3 million miles

*Communications Suite:---Long Range Radio and Video, including FTL- comm

*Laser Communications ---Tactical (i.e. ship-to fighter/shuttle)Range: 200,000 miles.--For tight-beam communications, ship to ship, or ship/surface. The Laser can even be modulated to the blue-green for communicating with submerged vehicles

*Optical Tracking Clusters----These are transparent blisters fitted with gimbal-mounted high-resolution visible-light/IR/UV optical telescopes that continually scan the arc of sky before them. Linked to the navigational arrays and other tracking sensors, and to a series of highly-sophisticated near-AI search and discrimination software systems, these sensors attempt to detect objects that have low radar returns/sensor signatures, such as stealthed vehicles, iceballs, or asteroids. The high-tech equivalent of the man in the crow’s nest with a pair of binoculars.

*Tractor Beams(4)--------Effectively each rated for 1,500 tons dead weight, but can be used for imparting small changes in momentum/direction to ships/structures several times that mass.
Range: 10 miles in space(NOT usable in atmosphere)(Kitsune Values: 10,000 miles in space).

*CG Field Scrambler---The long graceful ‘spines’ sweeping back from the rear of the Exetas battlecruiser, and that in reality were contra-gravity field focal elements that help shape the ship’s drive field for greater efficiency, have been replaced by shorter and more solid fin-plates on the Exeter. Though not completely reducing detectable sidereal emissions from the gravitic engines, they do make the ship stealthier, with rolls to detect the drive pulses being made at -25%.

*Advanced Communications---Because secured communications are extremely important in extended field operations, for communicating behind enemy lines with one’s headquarters, as well as for coordinating operations with the fighter/strike craft complement, the Exeter has a dedicated advanced hypercom system.

*Advanced Fire Control(All)----Improved avionics network the various hull sensors and fire control for more accurate targeting, a must when dealing with small agile targets such as fighters and missiles, and for tying in the long range sensors to the long range heavy batteries. Advanced Targeting Bonus: +4 to strike for point defense systems, +4 to strike for long range direct fire weaponry.
The new sensor array also gives the ship’s own EW personnel a +15% to burn through enemy jamming.

*Advanced Drive Control---The TD-001XB prototypes featured an advanced drive control system using ‘shaped’ CG-fields in conjunction with the existing thruster-vernier network to give the battlecruiser fighter-like agility in repositioning, giving the large ship a +1 to Dodge. This has been carried over to the production-model WZT-BC02s.
The TD-001XB also had the ability, demonstrated at Iron Engineer, to ‘revv’ its CG-drives and perform a ‘micro-Flip’, briefly going FTL for picoseconds before dropping out with pinpoint accuracy at an advantagous position. This system takes a minute for the navigational program to be set up and executed, but gives the ship a +2 to initiative on the melee round that it ‘pops’ into position.
These abilities have been retained by the Exeter, though it means that the battlecruiser spends 15% more time in engine maintenance to keep the drives finetuned.

*Life Pods----20 life pods are located between the communication tower and the bridge. 20 of them are located on the lower hull of the mid-section, directly underneath the hangars. The remaining 10 are placed in the engineering section.

*Advanced Sensory And Communication System
The vessel is equipped with capabilities for extended range radar and near instant interstellar communications. The tachyon radar system can pick up a vessel the size of a small ship up to 1 light year away, and ships travelling FTL up to 18 light years away. (+25% bonus to detection rolls)

Magic Systems:
The Exeter currently mounts only magic sensors and a basic mystic internal security system. To power the necessary systems, the Exeter carries 2 PPE Generators and regenerates at 50 PPE per hour(100 PPE per hour total). Each also has an adjacent PPE Battery Bank, that can hold up to 500 PPE each(1,000 PPE total), and recharges/absorbs energy at 100 PPE per 24 hours, plus it accepts any surplus from the generators during low demand times.
All TW Generators have been retrofitted with a Ley Line Storm Defense System that automatically locks down the generators and shields them during leyline storm activity. Though leyline storms are rare in open space, the existence of solar leylines means that they DO exist, and can be quite severe.

*Ectofiber Insulation Grid
-Magical Attacks do HALF damage/effect

*ORACLE Mk V---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---This system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures). Linkage to the Ectofiber Grid has increased the sensitivity and effectiveness of this system.
See Aura: Slightly different than the spell in that it can scan an entire target such as a ship or station. The enchantment can be used to target a single individual but only have one tenth normal range when being used in that matter. Costs 60 P.P.E. per activation due to extended range. Range: 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) in space and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Gives an approximate count of the number of life forms onboard. Gives the average level of experience, highest level of experience, and lowest level of experience [Given in these terms: Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).] Tells if there is any magic onboard. Gives if there are any psychics onboard (Mind Block will prevent detection), Gives a general count on the amount of P.P.E. the target has (basically the P.P.E. of the crew and any devices which store P.P.E.). Detects if there is any kind of possession. Finally sees if the crew or ship has any unusual aberrations.
• See the Invisible Sensors: The ships has several special optical and other sensor systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) in space and 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
• Sense Magic: The ship has sensors which the give the ability to detect active magic. Similar to spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 200,000 miles (322,000 kilometers) in space and 200 miles (320 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: detects the presence of magic if within detection range of ship and gives bearing on magic and basic range although not exact position. Detects active enchantments but will not generally detect spell casters in general.
• Sense Rifts: Ship has sensors which effectively allow Rifts to be detected(requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 500,000 miles (805,000 kilometers) in space and 500 miles (805 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Detects the presence of Rifts (including those created by Rifts Drives) and unlike when detecting magic gives position very accurately.

*Expel Demons(35 PPE per activation )---This is an internal defensive system, incorporated into wards around major areas of the ship, such as the engines, bridge, and sickbay...It CANNOT work outside of the ship. Fear of supernatural beings teleporting aboard ship and taking control has been a great fear of GNE crews, from their naval experience(as one salty put it; “Ain’t nothing worse than being on a ship of the Possessed... nowhere to run, damn few places to hide, and damn little time to do anything else.”), and thus the USA has made this system fairly standard on its ships.

Other ‘internal’ systems that have been tested as both centrally powered systems and emergency PPE-Battery-powered systems, include Sheltering Force(ideal for emergency vac-shelters), Air Bubble, Globe of Daylight, Breath Without Air, Extinguish Fire, Ice(great for temporarily sealing hull breeches), and Mend the Broken.

Weapons Systems:
1) Main Energy Cannon(1)---Buried in the forward hull, concealed by the two dagger-like prow-strakes that consititute part of its aiming system, is a powerful energy weapon. The two examples premiered at Center featured different weapons; a high power megalaser and a super-heavy plasma torpedo launcher. The Exeter has several more options available to it.
a) Mega-Laser
Range: 50 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 200 miles in atmosphere, 200,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x1,000 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

b) Plasma Torpedo Launcher
Range: 25 miles in atmosphere, 100 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 100 miles in atmosphere, 100,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x100 MD to a 100 ft blast radius per missile
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-12 plasma bolts. Two volleys per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Particle Beam Cannon
Range: 50 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 200 miles in atmosphere, 200,000 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x1,000 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

d) Heavy Tachyon Cannon----An experimental weapon scaling up the highly effective PDS ‘sprayer’.
Range: 50 miles (25,000 m) in atmosphere, 100 miles (100,000 m) in space w/ 12 mile wide arc*
(Kitsune Values: 50 miles in atmosphere, 50,000 miles in space)
*Width are reduced to 1/4th in atmosphere
Damage: 1d6x1,000 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

e) Phased Ion Cannon ----An experimental weapon, based on the ‘Hybrid’ cannon first demonstrated on the TD-00X Gigasaur. WZT engineers have reworked it to have a faster recharge cycle and higher rate of fire, albeit at the expense of some of the prototype’s range and damage.
Range: 200 miles/320 km in atmosphere, 500 miles/800 kmin space
(Kitsune Values: 500 miles/800 km in atmosphere, 5,000,000 miles/8,000,000 km in space)
Damage: 2D4x1,000 MD
DOUBLE damage to forcefields
Plus, electrical damage similar to the Triax Lightning Blaster:
01-15 No additional damage
16-30 Instrumentation flickers for 1d4 seconds, and lose initiative
31-45 All weapons systems go off-line! One comes back online in 1d4 melees.
46-60. All systems off-line for 1d4 melees
61-75 Communications, targeting, and radar are knocked off-line. Manual targeting only; -3 to strike, and no initiative
76-90 All systems except one weapons system are cooked; -25% to piloting at 1/3 maximum speed. -50% at 1/2 maximum speed, -75% at maximum speed, no initiative to strike, -3 to Dodge and Strike, and lose 1 action/attack per melee.
91-00 All electrical systems are zapped, and the vehicle is dead in space.

(Atmosphere)
Wipes out unshielded electronics within a 40 mile radius of the point of targeting
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Gravitic Ripper Cannon ----Reverse-engineered from Kittani technology and improved upon. Better range and a faster rate of fire don’t make the ship the equal of the Kittani Servitude-class cruiser, which sports SIX ripper-cannon, but it’s taken as a sign of things to come.
Range: 15 miles in atmosphere, 30 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 15 miles miles in atmosphere, 15,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x1,000 MD
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Gun Bay---The original TD-001X prototypes debuted sporting a single massive G-Cannon as part of the plethora of advanced features they were showcasing. However, though it had impressive damage and range, the WZT/ATDS-’Thunder-G’ was, on reflection, too limited, with a slow rate of fire and limited payload, making the Exetas something of a poor sniper, limited to short engagements at long range to make best use of the Thunder-G’s qualities. Though WZT/ATDS-Thundercloud engineers didn’t want to give up on the Thunder-G, they bowed to WZT central management’s decision to try other less-limited weapons, with a compromise modular gun bay.

a) ’Thunder-G’ Heavy Gravitic Cannon(1)---Slung below the main hull is a heavy gravitic rail gun, firing projectiles at some 85% of light speed. The main disadvantages of this weapon are a slow rate of fire and a limited payload.
Range: 200 miles/320 km in an atmosphere and 500 miles/800 km in space.
(Kitsune: 500 miles/800 km in atmosphere & 500,000 miles/800,000 km in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 MD per shot in space
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload: 160 rounds

b) Heavy KKC Gauss Cannon Cluster----These are triple-cannon mounts firing variable warhead shells based on Paladin Steel’s earlier kinetic kill cannon ammunition. Though limited in range and damage compared to the ’Thunder-G’, the KKCs are faster-firing, and the cluster-batteries of them are much more effective in throwing out flak walls
Range: 40 miles in atmosphere, 80 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 40 miles in atmosphere, 40,000 miles in space)
Damage:(Exploding/Fragmenting Fletchette): 5d6x10 MD to anything caught in a 500 ft wide cone/’cloud’----Targets are -2 to dodge the ’shotgun spread’, +4d4x10 MD +250 ft per barrel.
(Penetrator): 2d6x100 MD per cannon, 4d6x100 MD for a dual burst, 6d6x100 MD for a triple burst
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: 100 rds per cannon, reloading from the cargo hold takes 1d6 minutes( 500 tons ammunition storage, 1 ton of cargo per 12 rounds)

c) Cruise/Long Missile Launcher---In the alternative, extra missile power can be carried in the form of either CMs or LRMs.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-50
Payload: 250 missiles

3) Cruise Missile Launchers(3)---A trio of dedicated CMLs were added to address the Exeta’s weakness with regards to cruise missile capacity. Though there were some engineer complaints that the CMLs came at the expense of twelve of the MMMLMs(#4), reducing the weight of LRM/MRM salvoes, the harder-hitting damage profile of the cruise missiles made them more viable in the antiship role, and the USA’s achievement of a reliable and prolific supply of locally-produced cruise missiles allowed for regular stocking of shipboard magazines.
Range: Varies by Missile Type(x4 in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-10
Payload: 40 missiles per launcher, plus 80 reloads, available to the launcher magazines within 15 minutes.

4) Multi-Mode Missile Launcher Massdrivers(24)---The Exeter carries a multi-mode missile system previously pioneered on WZT’s Dark Justice carriers, in which the ship carries specialized grav-catapult systems, that toss out ‘bundles’ of missiles, automatically selected, programmed, and assembled from automated magazines, out to light up and streak to their targets. This allows the same launcher cell to fire anything from medium-range fighter-slayer missiles to long range anti-ship missiles. A favorite tactic is to fire a spread of long range EMP and wide-area jammer munitions ahead of the ship when entering a target system/planet’s orbit, to confuse and distract enemy early warning and targeting systems.
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: Long Range Missiles-- 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Medium Range Missiles--160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Long Range Missiles)Volleys of 1-4
(Medium Range Missiles)Volleys of 1-8
Payload:(Long Range Missiles) 60 LRMs, Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes.
(Medium Range Missiles)120 missiles per launcher, Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes.

5) Point Defense Cluster Turrets(29)---For the Exetas, WZT upgraded the combination light-lasers/mini-missile launchers that have been a staple of its smaller designs; the battlecruiser mounts several dozen medium-range rapid-fire pulse laser cannons grouped with short-range missile launchers. However, future batch production runs may make this system modular with the WZT/ASI hardpoint system PDS mounts.
Range:(Laser)2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
(Short-Range Missiles)Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage:(Laser) 6d6x10 MD per blast
(Short-Range Missiles)Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Laser) EGCHH
(Short-Range Missiles)Volleys of 1-10
Payload:(Laser) Effectively Unlimited
(Short-Range Missiles)240 missiles per launcher, Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes(1 ton of cargo per 48 missiles)

6) Double Barreled Heavy Pulse Laser(1)---Concealed among the engine thrusters in the prominent and flared rear drive section, is a surprise for those tempted by this obvious target. A heavy pulse laser cannon mount promises serious hurt to dogtailers. This feature was suggested by the Rebliss, after their own experiences building and servicing Golgan Bindas-class cruisers during their time as a Republik satrapy.
Range: 5 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: 5 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Auxiliary Craft:
24 Aerospace Fighters
48 Power Armors
4 Heavy Fighters/Strike Craft(typically Raijus, Sarkals, Chimbanes or other craft)

Variants:
None currently in production, but a likely upgrade would be the incorporation of TW systems such as additional enchancements, and the option of carrying active TW weapons systems.

[Astral Pantheon]

Taalismn, you have a real talent for creating Starships

[taalismn]

Taalismn, you have a real talent for creating Starships

Thanks, but I've had a lot of help, and a lot of world building to draw upon.

[taalismn]

Denever DCC-01 ‘Boxcar’ Medium Freighter
(aka ‘Toanfros’, ‘Orange Crates’, ‘Bucket-car’)
“Given that we only have four thirty-six hour windows of open wormhole time a month, we drill the crews hard to make as many round trips as possible. That means everybody has to coordinate, especially on the dockside. On a good workwindow, a shuttle pilot can make as many as six trips through the TriLink, if the dockhands have everything already packed and ready to go and nobody screws up on the lane departure/arrival schedules. Otherwise three or four trips is average. Some crews have even made eight trips, but that’s pushing the limits of both man and machine.”

“Can’t miss those wormhole shuttles, what with their bright orange or yellow paint jobs. No individuality at all, just corporate lockstep conformity.”

The Denever DCC-01 is a specialist transport starship designed specifically for the Nebrascis-Alden TriLink wormhole system and TriLinko’s transportation system. The ships are manufactured for TriLinko by the Bolshon Group, one of the syndicate groups under the Deneva Codomate.
The DCC-01 is a minimalist craft meant for efficient transport within hte constraints of the Nebrascis-Alden TriLink . Reminscent in several ways to the modular PS/ASI- SC07 Nao Medium Multipurpose Interstellar Transport and WZ-ECF-079 Baskin Light Extendable Cargo Freighter, the DCC-01 is modular, but minimalist. The ship consists of a life support system/bridge, a service spine, and an engine module. Preloaded cargo modules can be attached to the spine quickly and efficiently, speeding up turnaround.
Crew accommodations are spartan, meant for a 36-hour work run. There’s a crew relief facility, basic ration dispensers, and hot bunking, but little else. Typically the four pilot/co-pilots will do twelve-hour shifts, assisted by the automation. The fifth or additional crewmember(s) are typically flight engineers charged with checking the cargo locks and monitoring the systems.
The DCC-01 barely qualifies as a starship(it is more often refered to as a ‘shuttle’) in that it has an FTL engine, but the real purpose of the contragravity jumpdrive is to initiate and facilitate passage through the wormholes. The secondary purpose is, in event of a disaster overtaking one of the wormhole nodes, the cargo ships can evacuate and (hopefully) make it to a nearby Comdomate world. FTL speed is relatively low, to discourage highjacking attempts(as the DenCom maintains FTL tracker nets, making tracking stolen cargo ships relatively simple). Likewise, because long trips through uncontrolled space are not anticipated, life support endurance is good for only short hops, and no armaments are mounted, though the ships carry commercial forceshielding to deal with the radiation threat both inside the TriLink and immediately around the Nebrasca Gamma node.
Though meant for the TriLink service, the DCC-01 has spawned variants in the form of intersystem cargo transports and a few long haulers. A few have been modified with faster engines for longer interstellar travel outside the wormhole network, but these vessels are uncommon and unpopular with crews.

Type: DCC-01
Class: Medium Interstellar Transport/Heavy Wormhole Cargo Shuttle
Crew: 5+1-6 passengers(usually trainees or observers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,000
Bridge 700
Cargo Section 800
Engine Block 1,400
Forcefield 700

Height: 80 ft
Width: 150 ft
Length: 400 ft
Weight: 10,000 tons
Cargo: 6,000 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 10 year energy life between refuelings.
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric, though few DCC-01s ever see atmosphere during their operational lifespans .
(Sublight) Mach 6
(Kitsune Values: 20% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.6% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 2 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not possible
Market Cost: 91 million credits. Generally, DenevaCorp does not sell these ships outside the Comdomate.
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:
*Modular Cargo Bays---DCC-01s have quick-lock/detach cargomodule hookups meant for fast, automated, docksode turnovr, the better to offload entire cargo pods, pick up new ones, and be off to another trip through the wormhole.Dedicated intersystem models have more permanent fixed cargo holds, with slower and more conventional loading/unloading at port. Under ideal conditions, the DCC-01 can dsafely detach a cargo module in under five minutes, and securely attach a new one in 20 minutes. .
Weapons Systems: None. A few of the insystem models have been fitted with a single Point Defense System turret for anti-meteor/pirate defense.
Auxiliary Craft: None
Variants:
For convenience’s sake, a number of DCC-01s have been shuttled to DenCom star systems and stripped of their FTL drives to serve as in-system freighters.
A few DCC-01s have been modified with faster FTL engines for long haul jumps to more distant starsystems off the TriLink network. However, unless the life systems are similarly upgraded for longer accommodation times, the ships are unpopular with crews, compared to more purpose-built longhauler types.

[taalismn]

Cynoceran Republic ‘Arkada’-class Battlecruiser(and WZT Variants)
“These ships were designed for nuclear pissing matches, so armor’s quite heavy. On the other hand, neither the Cynocerans nor the Odinans had any small aerospace fighters worth a turd in deep space combat so the point defense systems are mainly designed for anti-missile work in the long range missile-bong duels their peer ships were epxected to engage in. That’s going to require some reworking if we’re to restore these ships to meaningful service. ”

“Oh, the glories we could have won with these upgraded cruisers...”
“Papa, you’re retired, the Central Party disgraced itself with their anti-Federation and economic policies, the Odinans are now our trade partners, we’re now part of the United Systems Alliance, and I proudly serve with the AJC. There were no glories of conquest to be won back then, and we look to defend galaxies now.”
*Sigh*”I know, I know, but an old man can still dream...”
“Don’t think of it as the Republic losing the battlewagons it wanted; think of it as the Alliance getting the battlecruisers it needs.”

“I find it appropriate that we fight one tyranny with another fallen tyranny’s abandoned warships.”
--Rachel Klass., FWC, on reviewing the first upgraded Arkadas transferred to the Free Worlds Council.

The ‘Arkada’-class BCs were the Cynoceran Republic’s belated answer to the Odina Federation’s massive Gemiyor Carriers. Though the Republic had militarizd its spacefleet well before the Federation, the Odinans very quickly caught up and passed the Cynocerans, at least technically. In belated response to the more advanced vessels the Federation was fielding, the Cynoceran military countered by training its cruiser crews to attack in squadron formation, trusting that the Republic’s strength in numbers and mass production would overwhelm the Odinans’ lead. However, the militant hardliners in the Republic Central Party were not pleased with the idea of the Odinans’ giant carriers showing the flag and making the CR look backward technologically. Doubtlesly feeling a case of big ship envy, the Central Party authorized development of heavier warships to command the light cruiser units and intimidate the Republic’s neighbors.
The Arkada was designed to hunt Gemiyors. Multiple missile launchers and the heaviest laser batteries the Cynocerans could mount on a mobile platform were the core of the Arkada’s offensive firepower. Enough armor was mounted to allow the battlecruisers to engage in slugging matches with their Odinian counterparts, soaking up fire while the Arkadas’ accompanying cruiser squadrons flanked the Federation battlewagons to strike from the sides and rear, or to attack softer targets behind the Odinan line of battle. Fighter complement was not an issue, as neither the Odinans nor the Cynocerans used the sort of small energetic aerospace fighters that were the Galactic norm, and the Cynocerans put little store in the sort of corvette-weight ships such as the Snark class that the Odinans favored.
While a sound design for its tech-level, the Arkada suffered from poor timing. At the time that the Arkada began to show up in significant numbers, the Odinans had re-established contact with the greater galactic community and begun benefitting fromtransfusions of Galactic technologies, including improved starship construction methods and designs. One of the victims of the changing state of the art was the massive Gemiyor design, no longer needed to support slow-moving taskforces . Ironically, the Odinans were investing in smaller and faster designs like the Warshield(or equivalent) that were closer in size to the Cynocerans’ Krenno Light Cruiser, but were much more advanced and hard-hitting. The big expensive Arkada was suddenly without targets, and its armament configuration was all wrong for dealing with faster variable shield-equipped vessels.
The Central Party continued to authorize Arkada production while the Republic’s naval architects struggled to find ways to modify the design with black market-acquired Galactic tech of their own, without much success. There was some effort to form the available Arkadas into ‘super packs’ that could bulldoze through Odinan fleet formations and defenses, spearheading attacks against Federation infrastructure, but for all of the Cynocerans’ saber-rattling, few in the military were willing to commit the Republic to an all-out and exceedingly expensive invasion of Federation territory.
The costs of trying to maintain massive naval production ultmately contributed to the collapse of the Central Pary and the Cynoceran Spring. The dissolution of the centralized Cynoceran Republic Navy left many warships rotting at their moorings, too expensive for the many former (and now independent) Republic worlds to operate. While a few worlds were able to retain an orbital guard, using repurposed warships, and a rump state of the Central Party kept several battlecruiser divisions for their defense, the Arkada seemed, as a whole, destined to extinction.
It would be WZT who would provide a form of salvation for the Arkada. Just as, a few years earlier, they’d taken naval surplus Gemiyors off the Odinans’ hands, and refurbished them into fairly decent Galactic carriers, WZT was now brought in to dispose of the Cyboceran worlds’ excess military baggage. While many Arkadas were scrapped where they were moored(or still under construction). there were just as many that could be reconditioned and completed for reassignment elsewhere.
The most common WZT variant of the Arkada alters the mission of the ships. Ripping out the big massive reactor systems and replacing them with more compact Galactic powerplants openned up a substantial amount of internal space. This in turn allowed for expansion of the hangar bays, and the installation of several new launch and recovery chutes.
During the recent Great Golgan War, a number of refurbished Arkadas were supplied to various secessionist worlds to beef up their defenses against being reconquered by the Golgans. The United Systems Alliance employs a good number of upgraded Arkady variants to stiffen its cruiser elements. A substantial number of ‘rogue’(but suspiciously well-modernized) Arkadas have also appeared in the forces of the Free Worlds Council, the ships being generally employed in systems defense, but freeing up faster and more versatile vessels to join FWC strike units elsewhere. Even after automation, the large crew complements have been utilized as training opportunities for fresh personnel, before graduating them to more advanced FWC warship types.
As with the Gemiyors, the success of the recondtioned Arkadas has led to proposals for renewed Arkada production, along the lines of the Gemiyor II, but of the upgraded Arkada variants or a streamlined Arkada II.

Type: CR-BC03 Arkada
Class: Battlecruiser
Crew: 1,300 + 80 aerospace group and 250 marines
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 90,000
Bridge 8,000
Main Engines 12,000
Auxilary Engines(2) 5,000 each
Heavy Torpedo Launchers(4) 2,000 each
Heavy Laser Cannon(8 ) 800 each
Heavy Rail Guns(8 )700 each
Point Defense Lasers(12) 150 each
Hangar Bays(2) 2,000 each
Variable Forcefields 2,000 per side, 12,000 total
Height: 550 ft
Width: 850 ft
Length: 2,500 ft
Weight: 320,000 tons
Cargo: 80,000 tons
Powerplant: Advanced Nuclear Fusion w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 7
Mach 5 under auxiliary power
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 2 light years per hour

Market Cost: 77 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems
Weapons Systems:
1) Long Range Anti-Ship Torpedo Launchers(4)
Range: 500 miles in atmosphere, 1,000 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 500 miles in atmosphere, 50,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d8x1,000 MD for fusion warheads, though other warheads were available, including conventional high explosive(6d6x10 MD to 100 ft blast radius), hypervelocity kinetic penetrator( 1d6x100 MD to a 100 ft radius and can penetrate up to 250 ft of loose soil/100 ft of rock or concrete), chemical (effects vary; usually nerve agents), sensor probes, and, it was rumored, enhanced radiation neutron warheads.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 60 torpedoes per launcher

2) Heavy Laser Cannon(8 )---These eight lasers were some of the heaviest energy weapons available to the Cynoceran Navy, though they were at best low end heavy weapons for CAF and TGE ships, and suffered from poor accuracy at extreme range. Up to six cannons could be brought to bear on a single target. With a greater range than the Odinan Gemiyors’ particle beam batteries, it was intended that the Arkada could remain beyond Federation gun range and chew apart the larger enemy vessel with laser fire, while shooting down the Gemiyors’ missile barrages.
The Cynoceran laser systems also possess a higher rate of fire than even comparanle CAF and TGE system, but only achieve this through direct power links to the main engine systems(so a strike that takes out the engines also takes out power to the laser armament) and the extensive use of consumable components throughout the laser systems(estimated lifespan of the complete operational laser systems is estimated at 250 shots per projector between replacement of components and flushing/refilling of the chemical reactant tanks).
Range: 18 miles in atmosphere, 90 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 90 miles in atmosphere, 90,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 MD per single shot; 4d6x1,000 MD for six lasers firing simultaneously
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Heavy Rail Guns(8 )---Conventional kinetic weaponry, firing birtsts of hypervelocity projectiles.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x100 MD per burst
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: 500 bursts per cannon

4) Point Defense Laser Cannons( 12)----Originally a rail gun armament was planned, but after the ‘Snark Massacre’ which saw a Krennos squadron nearly completely wiped out by an Odinan corvette playing sniper with missiles, the Cynoceran Navy hurried to replace their inaccurate and short-ranged rail guns with laser PDS that did less damage, but greater range, and had individual fire control sensors.
Range: 5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 600 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonus: +1 to strike

Auxiliary Craft:
10 shuttles

Variants:
WZT recovered enough Arkadas(whole and in assembly) that they could experiment with various refit schemes. Many of these refits have gone to the United Systems Alliance to beef up its Joint Command heavy squadrons, but others have gone to affiliates and associated customers, including a suspicious number to the Free Worlds Council.
The rump-state Central Party battlecruisers contain several examples said to have been originally attached to the Central Party’s ‘special operations’ branch(i.e., the secret police) and were supposedly fitted with extra communications gear, electronic warfare equipment, and internal bunkers for ‘special weapons’(including, it is rumored, biological and extra-powerful nucleonic warheads for the heavy missiles). The kown ‘special systems’ are regarded as osolete compared to those fitted to USA and FWC vessels. There have been indications that the Central Party remanent are attempting to upgrade their remaining battlecruisers along the same lines as WZT has, using espionage data acquired from the former Republic shipyards, but without the techbase and resources of the Alliance, the ostracized CPR’s efforts are faltering.

*WZTCR-CV03---This variant modifies the old battlecruiser into a small craft carrier. Replacement of the old multi-burner fusion engines with more modern gravitic-compression drives powered by much more efficient fusion systems freed up large amounts of internal space for expanded hangar decks. The main armaments were downgraded or removed entirely in favor of less powerful, but more numerous, modular point defense systems, and a variable forcefield system installed.
Changes/Modifications:
Class: Heavy Carrier
Crew: 950 + 295 aerospace group and 500 marines
MDC/Armor by Location:
Heavy Laser Cannon(6 ) 900 each
Point Defense Turrets(18 ) 250 each
Hangar Bays(4) 2,000 each
Variable Forcefield * (36,000 total , 6,000 per side)

*Shield Refresh Rate is 20% per melee
Speed:
(Sublight) Mach 8.5
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.85% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour

Market Cost: 77 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*Tractor Beams(6)----Effectively rated for 1,000 tons dead weight, but can be used for imparting small changes in momentum/direction to ships/structures several times that mass. Range: 2 miles

Weapons Systems:
1) Long Range Missile Launchers(2)---The original heavy missile armament has been downgraded by HALF to a conventional LRM system
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-30
Payload: 600 missiles per launcher, 1,200 total; additional missiles may be carried and loaded from cargo, but will take at least 30 minutes

2) Heavy Laser Cannon(4 )--- Heavy laser armament has been halved as well, but the individual laser cannon have been upgraded to more durable, if slower-firing, 3G types. Rather than being powered directly from the main engines, these weapons are powered by auxiliary fusion power units, the installation of which has been made possible by the opening up of internal space in the sections that originally held the secondary propulsion units.
Range: 20 miles in atmosphere, 100 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 100 miles in atmosphere, 100,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 MD per single shot; 4d4x1,000 MD for four lasers firing simultaneously
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Heavy Rail Guns(16, 8x2 )---The kinetics have been retained, but replaced with better PS/ASI-pattern KKCs, in double-barrel mountings to boot.
Range: 10 miles in atmosphere, 30 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 20 miles in atmosphere, 20,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per 80 rd burst, 2d4x100 MD for both cannon firing simultaneously
(Frag) 4d6 x10 MD to a 100 ft area, +2d6x10 +50 ft per barrel
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 32,000 rds (400 bursts) per cannon, ~30 minute reload from stores

4) Point Defense Turrets(18 )---These have been replaced with PS/ASI/WZT modular PDS mounts, and six more turrets shoehorned on.
a) CCW-pattern Dual Laser/MM Launcher
b) Pulse Laser PDS
c) Particle Beam PDS
d) Ion Cannon PDS
e) Rail Gun PDS

Auxiliary Craft:
10 shuttles
90 Aerospace Fighters


*WZTCR-BC03---This variant is a more conservative configuration hewing to the original ‘gun brick’ concept. Added automation has reduced the crew size and increased efficiency. Following the carrier- conversions, point defense has been beefed up and made modular, while the full number of heavy laser turrets has been restored, and double-barrel models installed to boot. the heavy missile armament has been restored as well, and a more advanced fire control system installed to tie everything together.

Changes/Modifications:
Class: Battlecruiser
Crew: 990 + 80 aerospace group and 250 marines
MDC/Armor by Location:
Cruise Missile Launchers(4) 2,000 each
Heavy Laser Cannon(8 ) 1,200 each
Point Defense Turrets(18 ) 250 each
Variable Forcefield * (36,000 total , 6,000 per side)

*Shield Refresh Rate is 20% per melee
Speed:
(Sublight) Mach 8.5
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.85% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 5 light years per hour

Market Cost: 81 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*Advanced Fire Control(All)----Improved avionics network the various hull sensors and fire control for more accurate targeting, a must when dealing with small agile targets such as fighters and missiles, and for tying in the long range sensors to the long range heavy batteries. Advanced Targeting Bonus: +3 to strike for point defense systems, +2 to strike for long range direct fire weaponry.

Weapons Systems:
1) Cruise Missile Launchers(4)---The Torpedo Launchers have been upgraded to more modern Three Galaxies standard cruise missile launchers capable of larger and more protracted volley-fire.
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-32 each launcher
Payload: 32 each launcher, 96 total. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes(1 ton of cargo per 6 missiles)

2) Heavy Laser Cannon(16; 8x2 )---Same individual slower-firing, 3G types as the carrier conversion, but the number of mountings reverts back to the original eight, and the lasers are installed in double-barrel couplets as well. The laser turre
Range: 20 miles in atmosphere, 100 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 100 miles in atmosphere, 100,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x1,000 MD per single shot; 2xd4x1,000 MD for a double-barrel blast, 8d6x1,000 MD for six laser turrets firing simultaneously.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee per barrel
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3)Heavy Rail Guns(16, 2x8 )---The kinetics have been retained, but replaced with better PS/ASI-pattern KKCs, in double-barrel mountings to boot.
Range: 10 miles in atmosphere, 30 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 20 miles in atmosphere, 20,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per 80 rd burst, 2d4x100 MD for both cannon firing simultaneously
(Frag) 4d6 x10 MD to a 100 ft area, +2d6x10 +50 ft per barrel
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 32,000 rds (400 bursts) per cannon, ~30 minute reload from stores

4) Point Defense Turrets(18 )---These have been replaced with PS/ASI/WZT modular PDS mounts, and six more turrets shoehorned on.
a) CCW-pattern Dual Laser/MM Launcher
b) Pulse Laser PDS
c) Particle Beam PDS
d) Ion Cannon PDS
e) Rail Gun PDS

Auxiliary Craft:
10 shuttles

[taalismn]

Chukta ‘Tuom-Magor’ Battlecarrier
(aka ‘Wrecker’)

“From horizon to horizon the world was fire, our armies and our cities burning, while above shone malign stars none of our astrologers ever forecast.”
---Alebian observer, during the conquest of Alebia, from hidden records recovered by Zyganian archaeologists following the Liberation.

“It’s rather telling of the Chuktas’ rapaciousness and past successes with their technological advantages in tearing a swath across the sector that as their main fleet entered the Mazos system, we intercepted comm-traffic that the shiplords of their battleships were already jockeying for position to be the first to commence planetary bombardment. There’s supposedly great honor in being the first to put one’s foot on a fallen opponent’s neck and crushing them into submission. We haven’t learned yet if the Chukta have a specific term for the accolade given to one who has an opponent rear up and tear one’s leg off, but we expect that if such a term exists, it was generously handed out that day to the Chukta battleship squadrons. ”

The fact that the Chukta were able to build a spacefleet capable of conquering several other worlds in their sector can be seen as a miracle of sorts; Chukta society is, by its nature, not inclined to great technological feats of ingenuity or especially of cooperation. Nevertheless, with the help of an abandoned Golgan fleet depot and the prospect of new territories to conquer, the normally competitive Chuktan bulls set aside their differences to build a warfleet. However, for the sake of expediency, the Chuktan fleet development program focused on only a half dozen basic designs filling most space combat and planetary assault roles.
The Tuom-Magor is the largest of the Chuktan designs, fulfilling the role of battleship/carrier in the conquest fleets’ ranks. These massive ships led Chuktan conquest fleets, seeking new territories for the bulls to take over.
Configuration-wise, the Tuom-Magor bears more than a passing similarity to the Golgan ‘Vlax’ Colonial Warship, suggesting that examples or plans were part of the ancient Golgan fleet depot discovered by the Chukta, and used as models for their heavy warships. The ‘Vlax’ may not have been a first-rate warship even in its heyday, but it was more than adequate for pacifying less technologically advanced subject worlds. The Chuktan derivation of the Vlax proved even better at subjugating the low-tech worlds that were the Chuktans’ neighbors. Species and cultures who weren’t even aware of other life outside their solar systems fell beneath the searing beams of battle lasers and nuclear radiation projectors.
The Tuom-Magor is longer and broader than its Vlax ancestor, due to some chopping and grafting to add larger (and more) hangar decks and accommodations for troops. The Chuktan warship lost its amphibious capabilities in the process(unusual and unfortunate, given that the Chukta are like the Golgans in being amphibians). The prow has noticeably been reshaped to accommodate a larger sensor suite, both because the Tuom-Magors are intended for extrasolar operations(while the Vlax was meant for system defense/policing) and the less sophisticated Chuktan electronics. The result it is said resembles a Chuktan continence somewhat, so the battleships are commonly named for past Chuktan Conclave Emperors and major political figures.
Tuom-Magors, being considered elite combat units, warrant the tremendous material and logistical investment of being powered by matter/antimatter reactor systems. This gives the ships plenty of power, though the Chukta don’t fully or efficiently utilize the power output of the M/AM systems.
The main strengths of the Tuom-Magor are heavy particle beam cannon batteries and missile bays. Strong secondary laser batteries provide back-up. Interestingly enough, the Chukta chose pulse lasers for point defense over the Golgan -pattern particle beams that would become standard PDS for their other warships and heavy transports.
The Tuom-Magors’ weaknesses are a lack of secondary kinetic weaponry for defense(even though they had copied good G-cannon designs as the primary weapon of their attack ships), slow speed, and weak forceshielding. Sensors are also no better than other contemporary warships’, and the Tuom-Magors rely on their own complement of embarked fighters and scouts for long range sensor warning and data gathering. However, these were not seen as deficiencies at the time, as the Chukta had yet to encounter peer-level opposition.
Tuom-Magors became the terrors of worlds such as Alebia, Haplo, and Poltan, destroying resistance within a matter of days, and beginning the process of destroying all structures not immediately useful to the Chukta in their occupation of aforementioned worlds. The battleships subsequently served as orbiting guillotines to mercilessly punish any further resistance while the new Chuktan overlords settled in. Flag rank on a Tuom-Magor became a much-sought-after position among Chuktan bulls, as it was seen as a stepping stone to the near-ultimate prize of lord-governor of a newly conquered territory.
Impressive as the Tuom-Magors were at burning planetary armies and cities from orbit, the Chuktans found themselves in a different situation when they attempted to seize Mazzerhine...and discovered resistance in the form of the Zyganian Empire and the Semeten Dominia, a tri-world compact formed to resist Chuktan expansion. The Zyganians were long familiar with Golgan warship technology and knew the weaknesses of the Vlax, and were not intimidated at all by a knockoff of the design. The Zyganian Imperial StarForce, with the assistance of such allies as the Sendeshalans, overwhelmed and shattered the Chuktan conquest fleets at Mazzerhine, destroying most of the Tuom-Magors and their flag-officer bulls. A separate campaign by a cosmo-knight wiped out a pair of Tuom-Magors orbiting Alebia, and weakened the Chuktan presence there enough for a subsequent Zyganian taskforce to free the planet.
The few remaining Tuom-Magors pulled back(and in some cases LIMPED back) to the Chuktan homeworld and the protection of its near-orbit defenses. There they huddled against follow-up actions by the Semeten Dominia compact. Though the Chukta lost several more warships thanks to daring raids and a fireship attack, the defensive laager strategy largely worked, thanks to the compact being at the time unwilling/unable to stage a costly invasion of the Chukta homeworlds. However, the effective blockade kept the Chukta from venturing forth and resuming offensive campaigns. The orbit-locked Tuom-Magors became expensive stages for Chuktan political warfare, as bulls jockeyed for power.
The Chukta have made several attempts to rearm, and constructing new battleships has been part of that effort. During the chaos of the Forge and Minion Wars, the Chuktans attempted to stage breakouts, seeking to exploit perceived weakening of the forces blockading them.
For the Semeten Dominia and other forces opposing the Chukta, destroying a Tuom-Magor is considered a grail target. And when the Golgan Republik again returned to the sector of space, they were even less happy to see the Chuktan knockoffs created in their absence. The Golgans generally regard the Chukta as a Zyganian problem and distraction, but when the Chukta started making deep probes in the direction of Golgan space, the Republik took exception to heavily armed warships roaming their space looking for plunder. The one encounter between a Chuktan heavy battlegroup and a Republik border fleet saw the Chukta almost losing one of their precious battleships.

Type: Chu-BB/CV-01 Tuom-Magor
Class: Space Battleship/Carrier
Crew: 2,000, + provision for 500 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 29,000
Bridge 5,000
Main Engines 12,000
Communications Arrays(4) 1,000 each
Heavy Particle Beam Turrets(2) 1,000 each
Secondary Laser Turrets(16) 700 each
Long Range Missile Launchers(4) 900 each
Point Defense Laser Turrets(10) 150 each
Hangar Decks(4) 3,000 each
Variable Forcefields----3,000 each side(18,000 total)

Height: 700 ft
Width: 900 ft
Length: 2,400 ft
Weight: 1.2 million tons
Cargo: 150,000 tons
Powerplant: Matter/Antimatter w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 7
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
Market Cost: 24 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems
Weapons Systems:
1)Heavy Particle Beam Turrets(2) ----The Chukta could not duplicate the Golgans’ Mega-Disruptors, so they made do with massive particle beam cannons. The Chukta DID add an enhanced radiation component similar to Kittani neutron disruptors. While modern starship shields and armor can insulate easily enough against the secondary radiation effects of these weapons, few surface targets are so well-protected, and the Chukta have shown little compunction(indeed, they have shown great enthusiasm) about using the main batteries on subject worlds, such as Alebia and Vascard.
The wildly variable radiological ‘footprint’ of these weapons and the eagerness with which the Chukta have used them have led to them being labeled as Weapons of Mass Destruction and their use designated as war crimes.
Range: 6 miles in atmosphere, 70 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 6 miles in atmosphere, 6,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x1,000 MD per blast. Also irradiates a 1d10x1,000 ft radius around the point of impact: those without radiation shielding or EBA must roll versus lethal poison or take 2d6 Hit Point damage(megadamage constitutions do NOT take this extra damage), and will be -9 to initiative, -7 strike/parry/dodge, and reduce Speed, APMs, and skill performance is HALF. Effects last until the damage is healed. MDC organic beings failing the save will be -4 to initiative, -3 strike/parry/dodge, and reduce Speed, APMs, and skill performance is HALF for 2d6 minutes after a radiation strike, while their bodies cope to the shock. Effects are cumulative from multiple strikes.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Secondary Laser Turrets(16) ---These are unchanged from the original Vlaxes.
Range: 6 miles in atmosphere, 18 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 6 miles in atmosphere, 6,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x100 MD per blast, 2d6x100 MD per double-barrel blast
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Heavy Missile Launchers(4) ---Unchanged from the original Vlax systems, save for slightly different projectile sizes and guidance interfaces.
The Chukta were known to use enhanced radiation and EMP warheads to cripple and terrorize planetary populations, softening them for invasion.
Range: Varies by Missile Type(double range in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type. At the time the Vlaxes came into service, the standard was nuclear(1d6x100 MD) warheads, but later reloads saw the introduction of ion(fusion) torpedoes.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-25
Payload: 1,000 missiles each launcher, 4,000 total; additional missiles may be carried and loaded from cargo, but will take at least 30 minutes

4) Point Defense Lasers(10) ---The Chukta have replaced the Vlax’s PBC point defense with more easily serviced lasers.
Range: 1.5 miles in atmosphere, 4.5 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4.5 miles in atmosphere, 450 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Auxiliary Craft:
8 shuttlecraft
40 Aerospace Fighters or Scouts

Variants:
The Tuom-Magor went largely unchanged during its production up until the Battle of Mazzerhine. Surviving battleships have been observed to have their damage repaired with substitute systems, either to make up for equipment no longer available from the liberated/cutoff colonies, or in an attempt to upgrade them with more powerful(and mostly experimental) systems.

[taalismn]

Chukta Star Empire Takla Heavy Fighter/Attack Ship
(aka ‘Frog-pad’)

“-Saw these attack ships swarm over a city on Vascard and burned it...the whole city!...down to the ground. Then they started spreading out and burning everything else in a spreading radius of the city they’d just killed! I barely got away with my vid-pack. Damn things were lording it over the landscape, blasting anything that moved.”

“If they had armor proportionate to their mass, they’d be trouble to bust open. As it is, they got tissue paper for protection for all their size. Big as a bomber...as flammable as a tanker.”

“Mind you, be careful around the big terror-fliers. They may look and be big and clumsy, but a musketball can still kill you if you’re not careful and if you get pinned in a formation of these bastards, they can still pound you to pieces with massed fire before you realize it. Use your tech advantage to rip the Chukkers, but don’t rely on it to cover your mistakes and carry the day every time. Don’t let the Chukta get comfortable around you by being predictable. The Chukta grew up in a society of competition and rivalry; given half a chance, they’ll spot a weakness on your part and ruthlessly exploit it, no matter what you’re flying.”

The Takla is an aerospace attack ship roughly equivalent to a heavy fighter, that is the mainstay of the Chukta Star Empire’s aerospace forces. Variants of it are used by both the Chukta elite and their vassal forces.
The Takla is roughly saucer-shaped, with an engine module protruding from one side of the saucer, and extendable crescent winglets on the sides. It bears some resemblance to old Golgan Pulwar Aerospaki designs. They are propelled by anti-gravity thrusters, powered by quite large power cells and a fusion reactor.
Several variants of the Takla exist, the common frame streamlining logistics and speeding development and production. Two major variants exist, the Takla-Kronig and the Takla-Sadarm.
The Takla-Kronig is the model issued to Chukta crews. Advanced automation allwo them to be operated by one Chukta, but a dedicated weapone or electroncis specialist is typically carried.
The Takla-Sadarm is a stripped-down mass-production model that is meant to be used by vassal world conscripts, namely Coltoff. These ships require a two-man crew and lack the more sophisticated electronics and defensive systems.
Taklas have gained a bad reputation(similar to that of WW2 Stukas) for their actions in the Rodan Sector; Takla wings were regularly sicced on planetary populations, destroying local defenses and indiscriminately bombing communities. During occupations, Taklas routinely patrolled the skies and strafed anything that looked suspicious. Their forcefields rendered them seemingly invulnerable to the weak and primitive technologies of the subject worlds.
Against nonspacefaring peoples, the Takla proved a near-invincible terror. Against the other starfaring polities of the Rodan Sector, the Takla was still a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. Rustollan point defense railguns and laser mines ripped Takla formations to shreds, and Afran corsairs regularly outmaneuvered and outgunned them. Even the light Wolfen fighters like the Fax Sculpinam despite their light armament, could make multiple hit and runs against the larger Taklas and worry them to pieces. Zyganian Starcrosses and SkyRivvers reaped entire squadrons of Taklas at Mazzerhine.
In the aftermath of Mazzerhine, a number of Taklas were captured and distributed to the various alliance members for evaluation. Some ultimately were donated to the Mazzerite Belter space militia.

Type: CSE-HF01 Takla
Class: Heavy Aerospace Fighter/Attack Ship
Crew: 1-3
MDC/Armor by Location:(-Kronig*/-Sadarm)
Main Body 500
Cockpit 200*/130
Engine 300
Dorsal Turret 200
Secondary Turrets(3) 80 each
Wings(2) 125 each**
Forcefield 400*/200

**Destroying a wing adversely affects control in atmospheric flight; -10% to piloting rolls. Losing BOTH wings forces the pilot to rely on gravitics; -20% to piloting rolls inatmo.

Height: 28 ft
Width: 60 ft
Length: 60 ft
Weight: 250 tons
Cargo: 3 tons internal capacity
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 6
(Kitsune Values: 30% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.6% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) Not possible(See Variants)
Market Cost: 45 million credits after the Battle of Mazzerhine, when a number of captured/salvaged examples became available.
Systems of Note:
Standard Starfighter Systems.
Weapons Systems:
1) Dorsal Cannon--Mounted in a large turret on the top of the ship is a heavy G-cannon. In the alternative, the turret can be fitted with an enhanced radiation projctor.
Range: 4 miles in atmosphere, 8 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 5,000 rds(250 bursts)

( ‘Irradiator’ Particle Beam Cannon)
Some versions sport a radiation projector, a scaled-down version of that carried by the Tuom-Magor battleships. These weapons had the advantage of unlimited shots and radiation ‘burn’, making them ideal terror weapons against ‘soft’ targets, but at the cost of shorter range and less immediate damage than the G-cannon. The weapon mounting also required extra shileding insulation between it and the cockpit of the Takla, as it was prone to leak radiation harmful to the crew as well. ‘Irradiator’-equipped Taklas are almost exclusively used by conquest and occupation forces, but fared poorly against space supremacy combatants.
Range: 1 mile in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast. Also irradiates a 1d10x10 ft radius around the point of impact: those without radiation shielding or EBA must roll versus lethal poison or take 2d6 Hit Point damage(megadamage constitutions do NOT take this extra damage), and will be -9 to initiative, -7 strike/parry/dodge, and reduce Speed, APMs, and skill performance is HALF. Effects last until the damage is healed. MDC organic beings failing the save will be -4 to initiative, -3 strike/parry/dodge, and reduce Speed, APMs, and skill performance is HALF for 2d6 minutes after a radiation strike, while their bodies cope to the shock. Effects are cumulative from multiple strikes.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Blaster Turrets(3)---Mounted on the ventral nose and sides are three energy weapon turrets. These are generally slaved to fire on the same targets in the forward arc of the ship, but the side turrets can be independentally pivoted to cover the side arcs of the ship.
a) Disruptor Cannon
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 8,000 ft in space
(Kitsune Values: miles in atmosphere, miles in space)
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 2d4x10 MD pulse burst, plus 25% of baseline to a 2 ft radius.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

b) Lasers
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD pulse burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Bomb Bay/Missile Racks(2)----Hidden on the underside of the saucer are two ordnance bays. Taklas were also known to carry nuclear and bio/chemical ordnance.
Range: Varies by Missile/Bomb Type
Damage: Varies by Missile/Bomb Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6 missiles
Payload: 32 mini- missiles, OR 16 short-range missiles, OR 8 mediun-range missiles, OR 3 long range missiles OR 6 bombs; take the equivalent missile warhead and DOUBLE the blast radius

Variants:
*Scout---This variant sacrifices all armaments save for a single blaster turret in place of the G-cannon turret, in favor of advanced sensors, jammers, and an FTL drive. The Scout is almost always piloted by a three-man Chuktan crew and has provision for carrying a four-person scout squad.
A number of FTL Scouts were acquired by high-rank Chukta as personal conveyances; many of these saw use as escape ships for flag officers following the defeats at Mazzerhine.
Changes/Modifications:
Crew: 3, +1-6 passengers(usually a 4 peson scout team and up to 2 prisoners)
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 7
(Kitsune Values: 35% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
Systems of Note:
Standard Starfighter Systems, plus:
* Sensor Jammers---A rather basic, by modern 3G standards, EW jammer suite; -3 to strike with radar-guided weaponry, -60% to detection with 20/21st century radar tech, -20% to be detected with modern(CCW, TGE, GR) tech.
*Enhanced Optics---The lower hull has several blisters holding multi-spectral optics for surveying targets. Other sensors include radiation detectors, atmospheric samplers, mapping radar and laser scanners.
* Electromagnetic Detectors----The Scout can ‘see’ active radio and radar radiation signals.

Weapons Systems:
1) Blaster Turret(1)---The dorsal G-cannon has been replaced with a single light weapon identical to the original three light turrets.

2) The Blaster Turret mounts have been fared into the main body and replaced with sensor gear.

3) Bomb Bay/Missile Racks(2)----These now typically hold sensor probes and surveillance gear.

[taalismn]

(and this finishes up what I have for the Chukta Empire for now,,,)

Chukta Star Empire Sothan-class SuperHeavy Transport-Carrier
(aka ‘Frog-zep’, ‘Ledzep’, ‘Phallie’, ‘Zucchinor’)

“They haul space rocks to the factories of Chenitz and Orevv. They dropped rocks on Alebia. The governor on Sevgetti wanted to do the same to clear jungle on that benighted planet. These things are more than utility platforms, they’re moving war and ecocide crimes.”

“Look like big zeppelins and steer like ‘em too. Sidewall armor’s not much thicker than a gasbag’s either.”

The Sothan-class is the Chukta Empire’s primary heavy space trasnport. Variants of it include troop transports, fighter carriers, fleet tenders/tankers, and planetary bombers.
The long elliptic shape of the Sothan brings to mind early Golgan space transports, and it is believed the design is based in part on superheavy freighter plans and frames found in the Golgan fleet depot discovered by the Chukta.
Sothans became fairly ubiquitous in the conquest zones of the Chukta Star Empire, moving troops, war material, supplies, and tribute(including slaves). Their high capacity made them ideal for interstellar transport and for conversion to a number of support roles.
The major shortcomings of the class are that they are derived from rear-echelon freighters. Despite their size and imposing appearance, they lack the speed and protection of proper warships, despite their substantial light armament. They are exceptionally thin-walled and their forceshielding is weak. Against modern Three Galaxies warships and starfighters, Sothans are sitting targets. Even the Coltoff managed to nuke one during the Chukta invasion of Orevv, but the Chukta did little to change the design in response to the losses. Mazzerhine showed they should have. So easily destroyed were the Sothans that only one ship was captured intact; the others were destroyed in action or scuttled by their crews as Semeten Dominia forces closed in.

Type: CSE-CV02 Sothan
Class: SuperHeavy Interstellar Transport/Carrier
Crew: 770 + 860 man aerospace group
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 11,000
Bridge 900
Hangar Bays(4) 1,000 each
Main Engine Bloc 4,000
Point Defense Particle BeamTurrets(10) 150 each
Medium-Range Missile Launchers(10) 150 each
Forcefield 2,000

Height: 400 ft
Width: 400 ft
Length: 3,000 ft
Weight: 1.9 million tons
Cargo: 500,000 tons. If wholly loaded with cargo, and not small craft or troops, can carry 900,000 tons. (See Variants)
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 50-year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 5
(Kitsune Values: 40% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.5% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
Market Cost: 31 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*Heavy Tractor Beam---Located between the tail drive pods is a projector for a heavy tractor beam that uses part of the engine grav-flux to assist in towing heavy payloads. 5 mile space range and 100,000 ton towing capacity, without loss of speed.

Weapons Systems:
1) Point Defense Particle BeamTurrets(10) ---Though abundant in number and reasonably effective against fighters and missiles, these weapons are too short-ranged to be useful against heavier warships.
Range: 1 mile in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Medium-Range Missile Launchers(10)---These launchers are somewhat more effective against warships, especially if launched en mass, but like the Golgans, Chuktan ‘smart’ missile technology is lacking, and thus long range accuracy is off.
Range:Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-5
Payload: 100 missiles each launcher; 5,000 total. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 10 minutes

Some Sothans have replaced their MRMLs w/ Golgan-pattern nuclear torpedo launchers:
Range: 500 miles in atmosphere, 1,000 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x100 MD per missile
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-3
Payload: 60 missiles each launcher

Auxiliary Craft:
(Carrier configuration) 300 Takla attack ships
12 heavy shuttles
Variants:
*Dedicated Tanker conversion, with the hangar bays replaced with large liquid- and gas-media storage cells. It’s been noted that they have a tendency to explode quite spectacularly when critically hit(Optional GM rule: a Critical Strike on an unmodified 18-20 does TRIPLE damage, and a single strike that does in excess of 3,000 MD to the main hull has a 70% chance of triggering a cascade sequence explosion that will destroy the ship within 1d6 melees).

* Fleet Tender---These ships carry some fuel mass to top off other ships’ tanks, but also lots of machine shops and supplies to rearm and repair fleet ships. Fortunately, they seem to be rare. The ZE/SD alliance captured a Fleet Tender at Mazzerhine; after studying and evaluating it, the vessel was turned over to the Mazzites.

*Troop Transport---Carries 18 heavy shuttles, 6,000 troops, and 50 vehicles.

*Slave Transport ---Carries 18 heavy shuttles, a security contingent of 300-500 troops, and up to 18,000 involuntary transportees.

* Missile Ship(?)-----Some long range scans of activity around Chernitz and Orevv have suggested that the Chukta may have converted some of their Sothans into massive missile carriers, in imitation of the Rustollan ‘nuke barge’ warships they encountered at Mazzerhine. These ships go beyond simply replacing all the MTMLs with heavy nuclear torpedo tubes, but stuff the large hangar and cargo bays full of torpedo launchers, carrying hundreds, possibly thousands, of missiles and warheads . This is seen as a possible sign of desperation, to ‘missile spam’ any approaching invasion fleet, but another concern has been raised that, depending on what starcharts the Chukta inherited from the Golgans or stole from others, the Chukta might attempt to find their enemies’ home systems and use these ‘arsenal ships’ to make retribution fire-raids.


Chukta Star Empire Efkar Destroyer
(aka ‘Sligmander’)
“Just seeing one of these ships obliterate their entire orbital defense force and satellite-based nuclear arsenal was enough to drive the Alebians to despair. I understand that the Chukta captain of that particular ship got a nice fancy title and a harem for his actions.”

“I frankly see enough of those Golgan left-behinds stinking up the slips of the stations back home. Seeing somebody else’s interpretation of them trying to act like it rules the spaceways makes me psychically ill. Let’s just gut those damn things and push them into the sun.”
---Anonymous Zyganian destroyer captain

The ‘Efkar’ is identifiable as an adaptation of the ancient Golgan Republik Moffed-class Colonial Destroyer, examples of which were found at the abandoned Golgan fleet depot on Homdon in the Chuktan home system. Working off the Moffeds as examples, the Chukta developed the Efkar. The ship is slightly larger than its ancestor, has a less efficient drive system, and has a number of other changes necessitated by the Chuktas’ difficulty in replicating even early Golgan technology, but the ship is still very effective, especially against the weaker and less advanced cultures that were the Chuktas’ stellar neighbors.
The Efkar was a workhorse of the Chuktan domination fleets, serving as heavy scout, picket, raider, escort, and courier-transport for the larger vessel formations.
Efkars spearheaded the invasions of the Chuktas’ first conquests, overwhelming the weaker resistance those cultures put up. The Efkar fared less well against the gathered forces at Mazzerhine, where their only real contribution was to soak up missile fire that otherwise would have struck heavier units. The Zyganians already discerned the providence of the destroyers and their shared weaknesses with the Moffed and broke the Chukta destroyer squadrons with relative impunity.
A number of these ships were captured by the Semeten Dominia and pressed into service, after repairs and modification, with the sector forces opposing the Chukta. The Zyganians have offered technical advice on modifying the ships, based on their own experiences developing their Monkar-class Missile Frigate from Golgan garrison Moffeds.

Type: CSE-DD04 Efkar
Class: Destroyer
Crew: 180, plus 50 troops/passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,000
Bridge 1,800
Midships Engine Ring 1,000
Point Defense Turrets(12) 200 each
Nuclear Torpedo Launchers(3) 300 each
Medium Range Missile Launchers(5) 300 each
Hangar Bay 800
Forcefield 4,000

Height: 155 ft
Width: 300 ft
Length: 780 ft
Weight: 39,000 tons
Cargo: 1,000 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 50 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 6
(Kitsune Values: 55% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.6% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
(Underwater) Limited; 50 MPH, maximum depth 2,000 ft
Market Cost: 350 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems.
Weapons Systems:
1) Light Laser Cannons(4, 2 forward, ventral and dorsal, 2 aft, ventral and dorsal)---The Chukta retain the original light laser cannon of the Moffeds. While good enough for police duties and for overwhelming the low tech of backwater worlds, these weapons leave much to be desired when facing off against more advanced opposition.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 4,000 miles in space)
Damage: 6d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited

2) Point Defense Laser Turrets(12 )----The Chukta didn’t anticipate the small agile, forcefield-equipped starfighters of the modern galactic era, but they did expect missiles, so the Efkar carries a plentiful complement of point defense lasers.
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD pulse burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Nuclear Torpedo Launchers(3)-----The original Moffeds predated the modern standard cruise missile, so the Golgans used heavier SLBM-sized nuclear-tipped missiles. The Chukta adapted their own similar design to fit the Efkar.
Range: 500 miles in atmosphere, 1,000 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x100 MD per missile
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-3
Payload: 36 missiles each launcher

4) Medium Range Missile Launchers(5)----These are identical to those fitted aboard the Sothans. These launchers are somewhat more effective against warships, especially if launched en mass, but like the Golgans, Chuktan ‘smart’ missile technology is lacking, and thus long range accuracy is off.
In the alternative, the missile launch bays can be refitted to fire heavier missiles. Indeed, the Chukta introduced the types with the invasion attempt on Mazzerhine, and after their crushing defeat there, the Chukta began hurriedly refitting their remaining destroyers with heavier ordnance in anticipation of a followup invasion by their new enemies.
a) Medium Range Missiles
Range: Varies by Missile Type
(Kitsune Values: 160 miles in atmosphere, 80,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-5
Payload: 100 missiles each launcher; 500 total.

b) Nuclear Torpedoes----Same as 3) above, only each converted missile bay can only hold 18 heavy missiles.

Auxiliary Craft:
3 Shuttlecraft
4 fighters or scouts

Variants:
The Chukta didn’t produce many variants of the Efkar until post-Mazzerhine, when they began cramming any weapon they could fit on their available hulls. The all-big missile conversion was the most popular, but other sub-types replaced with the main laser batteries with heavier weapons like the secondary batteries on their battleships, and swapping some of the point defense lasers with G-cannon turrets off the Takla fighters.
A blockade runner variant also exists that trades the hangar bay, two heavy torpedo bays, and all but 2 of the medium range missile launchers for 900 tons of extra cargo capacity.

The one pre-Mazzerhine variant of note was a communications surveillance/relay ship that replaced four of its MRM launchers with extendable radio antennae and directional laser communications arrays. Acting in concert with larger Sothan-cpnversion communications ships, these vessels helped coordinate Chuktan battleforce actions, but also proved a weak link at Mazzerhine, when several were destroyed or captured and subverted.

[SolCannibal]

Now thinking of how things would turn out if the Golgans after hearing the stories about Chukta shananigans, decided to come back for an "humanitarian effort" by taking the occupation workload out of the Zyganians & Septem Dominia's hands and clean up of the remaining Chukta holdings....

[taalismn]

Now thinking of how things would turn out if the Golgans after hearing the stories about Chukta shananigans, decided to come back for an "humanitarian effort" by taking the occupation workload out of the Zyganians & Septem Dominia's hands and clean up of the remaining Chukta holdings....

The Golgans aren't about to do squat for the Zyganians. As far as the Republik cares, the blockade of the Chukta worlds means another front the Zyganians have to spend ships and resources on. But the Chukta aren't the kind the Golgans would support either, so the GR is letting things play out as they will. If the Chukta get steamrolled by the forces already in place, the effort will likely leave the powers there too exhausted to cause any trouble for the Golgans for a while.

IF there as any strategic advantage to be had by going through the sector to hit the Zyganians through. weak flank, the GOlgans will likely avoid brushing up against the Dominia, which fears a Golgan resurgence and has been bunkering up, but isn't looking for a fight with them, and avoiding the Chukta, who would simply be a waste of good ammunition plowing through them.

If the Chukta were to re-emerge as a serious threat and decide to take on the Golgans, the Golgans will smash them. Ideally, though, as stated, the Chukta will get taken out by the sector powers and the effort will leave them too exhausted to cause the Republik any grief. If it really came down to it, the Golgans MIGHT consider, if the Chukta resurged, coming in and saving the day, cutting the Domina off from the Zyganians and appealing to the Domina as better allies, but that's an incredibly risky long shot that the conservative elements in the GR don't think is worth taking.

Ah, galactic power plays....

[SolCannibal]

Now thinking of how things would turn out if the Golgans after hearing the stories about Chukta shananigans, decided to come back for an "humanitarian effort" by taking the occupation workload out of the Zyganians & Septem Dominia's hands and clean up of the remaining Chukta holdings....

The Golgans aren't about to do squat for the Zyganians. As far as the Republik cares, the blockade of the Chukta worlds means another front the Zyganians have to spend ships and resources on. But the Chukta aren't the kind the Golgans would support either, so the GR is letting things play out as they will. If the Chukta get steamrolled by the forces already in place, the effort will likely leave the powers there too exhausted to cause any trouble for the Golgans for a while.

Considering the core of the idea would be, under the umbrella of "humanitarian relief" as excuse/justification, to occupy Alebia, Vascard, Savgetti as colonies/waypoints for a return to the sector, to then maybe "liberate" Solgar-Oregg after making deals with the Coltoff leadership, definitely no one ever meant to do the Zyganians any favors.

[taalismn]

UWW/USA Guardian-class Battleship
(aka ‘Ultrazax’)

“It’s not entirely true that the United Systems Alliance doesn’t have battleships, or the means to support battleships. They just lack the sort of economic and industrial surplus, and the long run-up time since their formation, to build a dedicated heavy warship program like the CCW and the TGE have, and build up a standardized pattern of proven designs and numbers in depth. The USAJC actually does have some battleship squadrons, but they’re based around collections of modified legacy designs like the Tmelain Demas, adhoc designs like their Asteroid Cruisers or the Joshua Norton class, or assembled piecemeal from reconditioned relics, one-offs, and salvage. Their heavy iron is as eclectic and eccentric as the Fringe worlds themselves.”

“The Gear’s been building enough Zaxs to commission that the type’s both familiar and unexpected; there’s enough differences in individual units stipulated by their buyers and operators that even when an opponent has studied up on the general type, they’re likely to be rudely surprised by some unexpected add-on or tweak.
So the Zax’s tailor-made for what we have in mind. We’re going to add our own bag of tricks to the design, and hopefully rudely surprise somebody.”

“The Guardians mount just about every heavy weapon in the usan starship arsenal. I hear they wanted to install plasma torpedo launchers, but they ran out of room.”

The collaboration between the United Worlds of Warlock and the United Systems Alliance, and especially the latter’s PS/ASI corporation on a variety of projects meant that there was a great deal of respect in their two polities’ respective industrial fields for their opposite numbers, and having some feel for what each other wanted and could do. Thus, the United Worlds of Warlock, knowing of the Allliance’s desire to beef up their striking arms with some heavier units, and in the spirit of furthering the two star-nations’ working relationship, offered to bump the USA up the waiting line for new Zaxas II battleships being produced by the Rhilith Gear . The GNE/USA, who had already been exploring acquiring some of the battleships, came up with a counter proposal; they could speed up the process and not impose on the Gear’s production schedule for already-sworn clients, if they could at least partially assemble the battleships using their own facilities, which would allow them to customize the ships to their own needs. PS/ASI decided to sweeten the deal, by showing the UWW some new TW systems that they had been working on to improve the UWW’s existing Zaxases, Nexus, and the hinted-at Everon battleships.
Having worked together with their PS/ASI colleagues on both the UWW’s Hauberk and Aurora adaptations, the Rhilith Gear shipwrights knew what PS/ASI and WZT could do, and agreed to the proposal, if only to see what would emerge from the work .
The Guardian-class Space Battleship, as it has emerged, has the proven stout hull of Rhilithian design. The engines have been enhanced with lucerin-injection systems, generating more power, some fo which has gone to stronger shields and better shield regeneration. Despite the added cost and complexiy, it was decided to sheath the Zaxas-III/Guardians in scintillating energy-resistant Syzite-Crystal composite armor. To shield aganst projectile attacks, the ship has been fitted with tachyon sprayer cannons.
An unexpected delay was incurred when PS/ASI engineers proposed to redesign the gravitic propulsion system section. Though details of the mathematics behind the CCW’s new Balanced Hammon Drive were still considered classified military secrets, enough of the sidereal work on lesser projects, such as the Scorpion grav-gun boosting, used related data and formulas that disseminated through the military shipbuilding industry of the CCW. PS/ASI, by its own work with the CAF, had greater access to updated engineering data bases than Rhilith’s shipwrights, so had better ideas of upgrading the Zaxas’s propulsion stages. Though the redesign delayed completion, the result has been a visibly different stern section and an improvment in overall speed and gravitic control, in addition to what was added by the lucerin-enriched fuel.
Equal attention has gone to avionics. Sensors and communications have been improved, with the stated intention of the battleships serving as fleet flagships in mind. Attenion has also been paid to other survival features, such as improved EW/ECM systems,
At least two Guardian-class battleships are under construction, with as many as another four currently projected for the program. These warships are expected to go directly to the Expeditionary Reserves as part of the AJC’s rapid response ‘fire brigade’ units.

Type: UWW-RG/PS/ASI -SB07 Zaxas-IIU/Guardian
Class: Battleship
Crew: 790, plus 200 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 210,000
Outer Hull Section(40 ft area) 120
Exterior Hatches 80
Inner Hull Section(10 ft area) 80
Interior Hatches 60
Bridge 5,000
Communications Towers(6) 4,000 each
Main Cannon/Mass Driver Batteries (4) 3,500 each
Particle Beam Cannon(4) 2,500 each
Grazer Beam Batteries(16) 900 each
Secondary Medium Laser /Rail Gun Batteries(44 ) 900 each
TW Multiplexors(4) 900 each
Cruise Missile Launchers (2) 900 each
Long Range Missile Batteries (8 ) 800 each
Point Defense Turrets(50) 100 each
Hangar Bays(2) 20,000 each
Main Engines(2) 25,000 each
Auxiliary Engines(4) 5,000 each
Variable Forcefields*----15,000 each side(90,000 total)

*Shield Refresh Rate is 25% per melee

Height: 900 ft
Width: 1,000 ft
Length: 4,000 ft
Weight: 1,780,000 tons
Cargo: 300,000 tons
Powerplant: Advanced Lucerin-fuelled fusion nuclear powerplant(s) w/ 55 year energy life.
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 7; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 10.6
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.106% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 6 light years per hour
(Underwater) Not Possible
Cost: 44 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus;

*External Docking Clamps(2)----The Zaxas-II has provision for hard-docking two vessels up to frigate size on its outer hull. Line of Battle Zaxas IIs will frequently carry fast attack, anti-fighter, or EW specialist ships on these cradles, deploying them when reaching a war zone.

*Syzite-Crystal composite armor---First pioneered on the tiny Atom Light Fighter, this advanced armor comes in the form of overlapping flat crystalline ‘cells’ bonded together by fiber-conduits that help transfer and disperse energy from weapons attacks, reducing the damage. This effectively works to render the ship’s hull resistant to ENERGY weapons, such as lasers, ion, plasma, and particle beams(do HALF damage). However, magic attacks and kinetic attacks(rail guns, explosive missiles, meteors, etc.) do FULL damage. If the ship’s hull takes more than 70% overall damage, the dispersion network is compromised and energy attacks revert to full damage.

*Passive Stealth Systems----The Guardian uses passive stealth systems to reduce its sensor signature by as much as 40%, but in order to achieve this, the ship cannot be under acceleration, and its engines must be running ‘cold’.

*Full Sensor Suite---Specialized sensor pallets include radiation detectors and counters, spectrographic analysis devices, gravitic sensors, electromagnetic activity readers, and optics packages.
*Long Range Radar---Phased Array Search and Early Warning Radars---Maximum Resolution Range of 4 million miles

*Gravitic Sensors----55 million mile range
*Neutrino Detection----55,000 mile range
*Tachyon Radar---3 million miles

*Communications Suite:---Long Range Radio and Video.

* FTL Radio----Guardian BBs have advanced FTL communications arrays capable of faster signals; the Guardian’s FTL Radio is rated at 55 ly/hr(in comparison, standard commercial starship FTL radio sets can attain signal speeds of 20-30 ly/hr, military sets 45-50, and large static arrays 80-120).

*Quantum Entanglement---Quantum entanglement communications are the current thing in long range communications; using ‘spooky action at a distance’, QE systems use bonded/entangled particle pairs that mirror each others’ actions instantaneously regardless of the distance between the particles. This allows instant FTL communications across galactic distances. The problem is, quantum pairs are difficult to produce, and communications can only take place between the pair; they cannot communicate with other pairs. Most capital warships of nations able to generate quantum pairs will carry a node connected to their headquarters base. Flagships may carry additional nodes companion to those carried aboard the major ships of their fleets.

*Laser Communications ---Tactical (i.e. ship-to fighter/shuttle)
Range: 200,000 miles.--For tight-beam communications, ship to ship, or ship/surface. The Laser can even be modulated to the blue-green for communicating with submerged vehicles.


*Long Range Sensors--- The sensors can pick up on vessels moving at FTL up to 25 light years away, and vessels moving through normal space up to 0.9 light years away.

*Scrambler Arrays--Scramblers generate an intense electromagnetic field in a localized region, that will(hopefully) knock out the guidance and electronics of enemy missile systems and drones. 45% chance of affecting PW missiles, 75% chance of bolluxing Rifts Earth-equivalent weapons.

Magical Systems:
The Guardian has benefitted immensely from PS’s experience with the TW-enhanced systems of its Aurora.....thanks to improvements in TechnoWizardry design and production, the earlier and cumbersome systems have been refined and made smaller and more efficient.
The Guardian carries six PPE Generators and regenerates at 50 PPE per hour(300 PPE per hour total). Each also has an adjacent PPE Battery Bank, that can hold up to 500 PPE each(2,000 PPE total), and recharges/absorbs energy at 100 PPE per 24 hours, plus it accepts any surplus from the generators during low demand times.
All TW Generators have been retro-fitted with a Ley Line Storm Defense System that automatically locks down the generators and shields them during leyline storm activity. Though leyline storms are rare in open space, the existance of solar leylines means that they DO exist, and can be quite severe.

*ORACLE Mk V---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---A TW development of the SNARLS PPE Scanner, this system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures). Linkage to the Ectofiber Grid has increased the sensitivity and effectiveness of this system.
See Aura: Slightly different than the spell in that it can scan an entire target such as a ship or station. The enchantment can be used to target a single individual but only have one tenth normal range when being used in that matter. Costs 60 P.P.E. per activation due to extended range. Range: 1,000 miles (1,610 kilometers) in space and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Gives an approximate count of the number of life forms onboard. Gives the average level of experience, highest level of experience, and lowest level of experience [Given in these terms: Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).] Tells if there is any magic onboard. Gives if there are any psychics onboard (Mind Block will prevent detection), Gives a general count on the amount of P.P.E. the target has (basically the P.P.E. of the crew and any devices which store P.P.E.). Detects if there is any kind of possession. Finally sees if the crew or ship has any unusual aberrations.
• See the Invisible Sensors: The ships has several special optical and other sensor systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 2,000 miles (3,220 kilometers) in space and 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
• Sense Magic: The ship has sensors which the give the ability to detect active magic. Similar to spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 200,000 miles (322,000 kilometers) in space and 200 miles (320 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: detects the presence of magic if within detection range of ship and gives bearing on magic and basic range although not exact position. Detects active enchantments but will not generally detect spell casters in general.
• Sense Rifts: Ship has sensors which effectively allow Rifts to be detected(requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 500,000 miles (805,000 kilometers) in space and 500 miles (805 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Detects the presence of Rifts (including those created by Rifts Drives) and unlike when detecting magic gives position very accurately.

*Impervious to Energy( 80 PPE per activation, duration of 5 minutes per activation)

*Expel Demons(35)---This is an internal defensive system, incorporated into wards around major areas of the ship, such as the engines, bridge, and sickbay...It CANNOT work outside of the ship. Fear of supernatural beings teleporting aboard ship and taking control has been a great fear of GNE crews, from their naval experience(as one salty put it; “Ain’t nothing worse than being on a ship of the Possessed... nowhere to run, damn few places to hide, and damn little time to do anything else.”), and thus PS has made this system fairly standard on its ships.

Other ‘internal’ systems that have been tested as both centrally powered systems and emergency PPE-Battery-powered systems, include Sheltering Force(ideal for emergency vac-shelters), Air Bubble, Globe of Daylight, Breath Without Air, Extinguish Fire, Ice(great for temporarily sealing hull breeches), and Mend the Broken.

The Guardian BBs are also said to have ‘growth’ provision for additional TW systems as they are developed.


Weapons Systems
1) Main Cannon/Mass Driver Batteries (4)--- Though slow-firing, these powerful fractional-cee projectile cannons have great range and power, making them good anti-warship and planetary bombardment weapons. Besides firing kinetic weapons, these cannons can project nuclear explosive payloads and the new PS/ASI TW munitions(which were arguably developed exactly with capital ship deployments in mind).
Range: 50 miles in atmosphere, 150 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 150 miles in atmosphere, 150,000 miles in space)
Damage:(Slug) 1d8x1,000 MD
(Fragmentor) 6d6x10 MD to a 1,000 ft radius
(Fusion) 2d4 x 1,000 MD to a 1.6 mile destruction radius
Can also fire the newly-developed Starshock, Ion Storm, Gravity Well, Solar Flare, and Nebula warhead rounds.
Rate of Fire: Once per three melees
Payload: 200 rds per cannon. Additional shells may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes

2) Particle Beam Cannon(4)---These four cannon provide the mass drivers with an energy-based back-up that is quicker to recharge and fire.
Range: 18 miles in atmosphere, 70 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 70 miles in atmosphere, 70,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x1,000 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload:: Effectively Unlimited

3) Grazer Beam Batteries(16)---These are powerful x-ray laser weapons that carve through laser-reflective armor and countermeasures.
Range: 30 miles in atmosphere, 90 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 90 miles in atmosphere, 90,000 miles in space)
Damage: 5d6x100 MD per blast, plus the high X-ray component punches through laser-resistant armors without diminishment of damage.
Rate of Fire: 3 shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Secondary Medium Laser Batteries(36 )---The sides of the Zaxas-II fairly bristle with secondary laser batteries. Up to 20 can be brought to bear on a single target in a withering broadside, or they can operate under individual fire control to take out smaller starships and fighters.
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 16 miles in atmosphere, 16,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: 4 shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

5) Heavy Rail Guns(16, 2x8 )---Thanks to PS/ASI’s experience with the usefulness of kinetic flak weapons, eight of the original secondary laser batteries have been replaced but replaced with better PS/ASI-pattern KKCs, in double-barrel mountings to boot.
Range: 10 miles in atmosphere, 30 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 20 miles in atmosphere, 20,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per 80 rd burst, 2d4x100 MD for both cannon firing simultaneously
(Frag) 4d6 x10 MD to a 100 ft area, +2d6x10 +50ft per barrel
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 32,000 rds (400 bursts) per cannon, ~30 minute reload from stores


6) Starship TW Multiplexors(4)---This is another technology that has rapidly matured.
The current model of Starship Multiplexor can carry up to six separate spells, typically of high-level space spells(See Rifts: Fleets of the Three Galaxies).
-Space Dust(150 PPE per activation, duration of 10 hours per activation, 500 mile range---500,000 mile Kitsune range, and 100 mile radius)
-Solar Flare(250 PPE per activation, duration of 1d6 hours +5 hours per activation, 1,200 mile range---120,000 mile Kitsune range )
-Summon Meteor Shower(150 PPE per activation, duration of 10 minutes per activation, 3 mile range---300 mile Kitsune range)
-Summon Ion Storm--Can generate up to a Level/Magnitude 5 ion storm (150-250 PPE per activation, duration of 1d6x10 minutes per activation, 10 mile range---1,000 mile Kitsune range)
-Gravity Well(550 per activation, duration of 50 minutes per activation, 400 mile range---40,000 mile Kitsune range, 100 mile radius )
-Create Nebula(500 per activation, duration of 10 hours per activation, 20 mile range---2,000 mile Kitsune range, 5 mile diameter)


7) Cruise Missile Launchers (2)---CCW/TGE-style cruise missile launchers are still somewhat new to the Gear, but they are adopting similar systems. What the Zaxas’ batteries lack in number, they make up for in ability to launch large volleys of these high-powered missiles.
Range:Varies by missile type
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage:Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire:From 1-15 missiles can be fired in one volley
Payload: 30 Cruise Missiles per launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes(1 ton of cargo per 6 missiles)

8 ) Long Range Missile Batteries (8 )---These are more conventional LRM launchers that can quickly launch a veritable storm of missiles within seconds.
Range: Varies by missile type(speed and range x4 in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: From 1-15 missiles can be fired in one volley
Payload: 90 LRMs per launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes(1 ton of cargo per 12 missiles)

9 ) Tachyon Cannon(6)---Combat experience at Altess Prime showed the effectiveness of ‘sprayers’ in anti-fighter/missile roles.
Range: 5 miles (2,500 m) in atmosphere, 10 miles (10,000 m) in space w/ 6 mile wide arc*
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 5,000 miles in space)
*Width are reduced to 1/4th in atmosphere
Damage: 1d6x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited


10) Point Defense Turrets(50)---These are standard CCW-pattern dual laser/mini-missile launchers that have been installed for close-in defense.
Range: (Lasers) 4,000 ft in atmosphere/2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere /200 miles in space)
(Mini-Missiles) 1 mile in atmosphere/2 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere/ 100 miles in space)
Damage:(Lasers) 1d6x10 MD per blast
(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Lasers) EGCHH, or auto-fire; 6 attacks per melee
(Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1-8
Payload: (Lasers) Effectively Unlimited
(Mini-Missiles) 32 mini-missiles per turret; additional mini-missiles can be carried as cargo(typically takes 2d6 minutes to reload from the holds).


Auxiliary Craft:
2 external docking cradles for frigate-sized vessels
36 Aerospace Fighters
8 Shuttles/Pinnaces

[taalismn]

Solex Federation ‘Kilson’ Heavy Cruiser
(aka ‘Klawhammer’)
“Kilsons are ugly ships. no doubt about it. Ugly as a rusty nail, I’ve heard them described as. But it’s not just because of the lack of any attention to aesthetics, it’s because these ships were designed, plain and simple, by humans to kill other humans.”

“They’re coming for us, make no mistake! Those new bombard barges got no other purpose but to shell us into slavery!”

“Can’t trust the damn colonials. The number of mutinies in the last four years alone should tell you that! Navy work and disciplines’ too good for them! And there’s no way in hell we trust any of them aboard anything like a Kilson! Traitorous bastards are just itching to get their fingers on launch buttons for the strategics, I tell you!”

The Kilson is a warship of the Solex Federation. Development of the Kilson began when the official policy and objectives of the Solex Federation Space Navy began to move from patrolling the Federation’s space against intruders and more to countering the growing insurgency of the Colonies, who were beginning to acquire warships of their own. Though officially the purpose of the new missile cruisers was to ‘upgrade capabilities against future conflicts’, presumably against such threats as the Golgan Republik or TGE, the un-stated real or presumed purpose is to destroy rebel ships and threaten colony settlements back into submission to Solex authority.
Kilsons were developed in some haste, with no attempt made to streamline or sand away the rough lines of these boxy spawling vessels. The blunt forward ‘pepperbox’ heavy anti-ship torpedo launcher above a particularly unsightly ‘double hanging fang’ sensor array give the ships an unmistakable and ugly prow. Slab sides and protruding angular sensor plates do little to improve the looks of the rest of the ship. Despite this, the Kilson actually has a number of improved modernized systems, suffering fewer of the problems of most Solex Federation Space Navy vessels, thanks to technology acquisitions from the CCW and other sources. Though larger than older Solaran vessels such as the Sengoku Space Battleship, Kilsons actually require less crew due to more modern automation systems and a more narrow focus.
Kilsons are ‘missile barges’, their primary weaponry being several batteries of heavy missile launchers, for use in both the anti-ship and surface bombardment roles. These are backed up by several twin-barrel laser turrets, and a scattering of lesser point defense weapons. Armor is fairly heavy, and while forceshielding still lags behind more modern types in the Three Galaxies, it is a step up from what is currently in use by most of the Solex Federation’s warships. The Kilson still lacks any sort of fighter complement, carrying only shuttles for regular personnel and cargo transfers, though its complement of point defense weapns suggests a growing concern with smaller Three Galaxies’-type aerospace fighters, some of which have been acquired by colonial factions. Nor does the Kilson support troops for boarding or planetside actions. This lack of versatility, combined with its heavy missile armament, is seen as another sign of the changing priorities of the Solex Federation Space Navy.

Because of their expected purpose and late development amidst the internal problems of the Solex Federation, the few that have already been produced have been crewed entirely by Central Fleet Solaran crews, rather than, as in previous years, a mix of coreworld and colonial naval personnel. This has confirmed, in the opinions and fears of the colonials, that the new cruisers are intended to be used against the rebel worlds, and not cross-border intruders. The central government contends that this segregation and exclusion is the result of the need to crew and deploy the cruisers as soon as possible to deter ‘outside aggression’, using Central Fleet personnel drawn from the worlds closest at hand to the shipyards. The colonial insurgency is well aware of the existence of these vessels, if not the real agenda around their deployment, and has tried to infiltrate their operatives aboard the new cruisers, but have lacked success in their attempts, thanks to the Central Fleet’s stepped-up security.
Since the collapse of order in the Solex Federation, the United Systems Alliance has tried to track down where the few dozen Kilsons produced currently are, as they fear the potential damage these ships can do in the hands of the warring factions in the Solex territories.

Type: SF-CM014 Kilson
Class: Heavy Cruiser, Missile
Crew: 380
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 24,000
Bridge 6,000
Forward Sensor Array 1,000
Dorsal Sensor/Jamming Array 1,000
Forward Torpedo Launcher 1,800
Heavy Missile Launchers(12, 6 each side) 600 each
Medium Laser Turrets(6) 500 each
Point Defense Turrets(16) 300 each
Hangar Bay 4,000
Engine Bloc 16,000
Auxiliary Engine 2,500
Forcefield 3,000 per side (18,000 total)

Height: 200 ft
Width: 250 ft
Length: 735 ft
Weight: 78,000 tons
Cargo: 1,600 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 40 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric. .Rarely enters a gravity well/atmosphere.
(Sublight) Mach 8
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.8% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 4 light years per hour
Market Cost: 7.1 billion credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems, plus:

*Scrambler Arrays--Scramblers generate an intense electromagnetic field in a localized region, that will(hopefully) knock out the guidance and electronics of enemy missile systems and drones. 45% chance of affecting PW missiles, 75% chance of bolluxing Rifts Earth-equivalent weapons. This system is one of several acquired by th Solex central government from outside sources.

Vulnerabilities:
*Sensor Jamming Vulnerability---Solex Federation sensors are generally at a -18% disadvantage to see through ‘standard’ CCW/TGE-level jamming/active cloaking systems. The Kilson has somewhat upgraded systems, and only suffers a -10% disadvantage. Destroying both of the primarysensory arrays re-imposes a penalty of -25%.

Weapons Systems:
1) Forward Torpedo Launcher(1, prow)---This prominent four-tube heavy missile launcher fires massive nucleonic weapons similar to the Golgan Republik’s heavy torpedoes and the GNE/USA’s giant Long Lance heavy missiles. These weapons are meant to inflict massive damage on other capital starships and spacestations. Payload is limited, however, and the Solex Space Navy reportedly had only limited stocks of the weapons when the Federation collapsed into civil war.
Range: 1,000 miles(4,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d4 x 1,000 MD to a 4.6 mile destruction radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 12
Note: The Kilsons also mount a ‘beam-rider’ guidance system for thse weapons that is effectively command-guidance for the large weapons. Using a transmitted beam from the ‘double hanging fang’, the heavy torpedos get a +2 to strike in addition to normal onboard guidance system bonuses. However, the Kilson must make a successful ‘to strike’ roll on the target every mele the missile is in flight to the target for the system to work properly. If the beam-lock is lost, the missile is dependent on its own onboard systems and is momentarily comfused in the switchover and must make its own new ‘to strike’ roll to reacquire and confirm target lock. The command beam is easily detected and jammed, and destroying the forard sensor array also destroys the beam-rider system.

2) Heavy Missile Launchers(12, 6 each side)---Recessed into the sides of the long forward hull are twelve hatches concealing rapid-fire heavy missile launchers.
Range: Varies by missile type(speed and range x4 in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: From 1-20 missiles can be fired in one volley from each launcher, for a total barrage strength of 240 missiles!
Payload: 100 LRMs per launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes

3) Medium Laser Turrets(6) ---These are twin-barrel turret mounts using familar technology for the Solex.
Range: 5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 10,000 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x100 MD per single barrel, 2d6x100 MD for two cannons firing simultaneously(counts as one attack). Up to three turrets can be brought to bear on the same target.
Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Point Defense Laser Turrets(8 )---Twin-barrel rapid-fire lasers. The inclusion of these weapons demonstrates a growing concern among Solex Federation central government naval architects about the danger of small aerospace assets in use by many bordering states(or rather outsource-acquired by the colonies).
Range: 10 miles in atmosphere, 20 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 1,000 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per single-barrel burst, 6d6x10 MD per twin-barrel burst . Up to two turrets can be brought to bear on a single target.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

5) Point Defense Rail Gun Turrets(8 )--- The Solex Federation elected not to mount the older-pattern heavier-caliber, but slower-firing, rail guns of the Sengoku in favor of lighter-caliber, rapid-fire twin-barrel weapons that stood a better chance of jotting fast-moving fighters and missiles
Range: 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 8 miles in atmosphere, 800 miles in space)
Damage: 4d6x10 MD per 20-rd burst, 8d6x10 MD per twin-barrel burst of 40 rds. Up to two turrets can be brought to bear on a single target.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 10,000 rds(500 bursts) per turret before the drum magazine needs to be reloaded from stores.

Auxiliary Craft:
Standard complement of 4 shuttles

Variants:
No variants of the Kilson have appeared or have been planned.

[taalismn]

Bolton-Ives IV Medium Interstellar Transport
(aka ‘Bivvy’, ‘Rollawing’)
“Portmasters love the roll-on, roll-off design of these ships; makes for fast unloading and loading and minimizes the amount of time the ‘flying pieces of junk’ spend crowding their nice neat tarmac slips.”

“-gods bless the separate cargo cell design of this ship. Had our ‘mystery cargo’ exploded in a larger general purpose hold, the damage would have been FAR worse. As it is, the greater amount of the damage was confined to that section and not to any vital systems. We can still make it to port where, rest assured, I am going to have WORDS with our agent about accepting mislisted cargo consignments!”

The Bolton-Ives IV is another operational relic of the Automaton Wars. The -IV’s design was derived from the Forraker FA-LCV018 Archeris Light Aerospace Carrier, which had originally been planned as a freighter, but was modified into a fighter-carrying warship. As the small Solstice-based firm of Bolton-Ives was unable to manufacture the military-grade engines that Forrraker was able to, it was decided that B-I would concentrate on fabricating hull components and assembling transports for the war effort. Thus Bolton-Ives found itself building a ‘simplified’ Archeris to the original freighter specs, but using less complex and lower-performing engines, freeing up the better propulsion systems for military use .
. The BI IV resembles a massive four-engined atmospheric jet bomber than anything else, with a wide thick wing(the tips being radiators) broken by four large nacelles(cargo modules), centered around a thick cylindrical main fuselage, with two upswept ‘tails’(really sensor pylons). Bolton-Ives did away with the secondary ‘escape’ hull and military weapons mounts, and the wing pods were kept as roll-on/roll-off cargo holds.
The Bolton-Ives IV(the BI corporation never got around to calling its designs anything but by their successive numbers) served the Human Alliance during the Automaton War well, but without distinction. After the war, it went into larger production to service the reconstruction and postwar expansion. In this capacity, ironically it would compete against demilitarized Archeris carriers, now reverted back to their original design specifications. However, it was discovered that the newer and more streamlined BI IVs were sturdier and more reliable than the aging Archeris conversions. For a time Forraker considered legal action to get Bolton-Ives to drop production of what was arguably a wartime-licensed derivation of one of their designs, but ultimately dropped any prospective lawsuits in favor of concentrating on what would become their bread and butter; long range transports such as the Transol and the Bering.
While not an exceptional design, the BI-IV is considered a solid and reliable design, as long as not much is asked of it. The ships are popular with their operators because of their simplicity of operation and low maintenance.
Never a very large firm, but a reliable one, Bolton-Ives continued to turn out transports, especially the -IV, for several centuries, before finally corporate fatigue and stiff competition from younger and more aggressive aerospace firms caused Bolton-Ives to close their doors for good.
Quite a few BI ships, especially the BI-IV, still trudge along the spacelanes, especially in the backwater systems. The Duchy of Harwinton-Sachs still manufactures new BI-IVs, under the Saval Industries coat of arms.

Type: BI-InstelC-IV
Class: Medium Interstellar Transport
Crew: 50
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 18,000
Bridge 2,000
Sensor Arrays(2) 1,000 each
Main Engine Bloc 7,000
Cargo Nacelles(4) 4,000 each
Nacelle Cargo Hatches(8; 1 each end) 500 each
Forcefield 3,000
Height: 240 ft
Width: 790 ft
Length: 390 ft
Weight: 110,000 tons
Cargo: 4,000 tons
Each cell can hold 1,000 tons of cargo. Total cargo capacity of 8,000 tons
Powerplant: Advanced Nuclear Fusion w/ 40 year energy life
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 7
(Kitsune Values: 50% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 0.7% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 3 light years per hour
Market Cost: 300 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems
Weapons Systems: None standard, but can be fitted with up to SIX PDS turrets.

Auxiliary Craft: None

Variants:
*SI/BI-IVC---This is an updated version of the BI-IV, manufactured by Saval Industries of the Duchy of Harwinton-Sachs. The main differences are an upgraded FTL drive(4 light years per hour) and expanded cargo cells, raising total capacity to 12,000 tons. Sells for about 340 million credits

Individual customized variants also exist; while the majority of BI-IVs are dry cargo carriers, a few have been modified to carry compressed gas or liquid cargoes, and act as tankers. Out on the Rim, some BI-IVs have been refit into flying laboratories or survey vessels.

[taalismn]

Wulfen ‘Precentor’ Destroyer
(aka “Scipio’, ‘Triarii’, ‘Pirator’)
“Do you know if this system is being patrolled by anybody legit? Because I just picked up a contact that dropped into normal space about thirty eight thousand klicks from us and it’s coming up on us damn fast! Mass readings indicate destroyer-weight, but it’s not broadcasting a ID code!”
“Shields up, point defense up and open up the throttle! Course AWAY from that thing if we can! That ain’t no patrol boat!”

“If the Wolfen had licked the engine reliability problem and continued to develop the Precentor on its strengths as a transport, they could have beaten the USA’s Carpathia-class by at least a century, but what’s forgivable in an empire with many dispersed outpost base shipyards and maintenance slips and money to burn on ship care, isn’t in a Rim shipping company or Fringe Navy.”

The ‘Precentor’ Destroyer is a contemporary design to the ‘Hunter’-class destroyers of the Wolfen Empire. Built by a rival shipyard concern to the manufacturers of the Hunter, the Precentor was produced to slightly different operational specs. Almost a third larger than the Hunters, Precentors had substantially larger, ratio-wise, engines, allowing them to hit higher speeds than the more compact Hunters. A large bow section had a large internal bay that could be fitted to carry troops(a century, or 80 personnel), cargo, or extra missile stowage.
Despite its larger cargo capacity and greater speed, the Precentor never gained the same favor as the smaller and more compact Hunters. The larger engines required substantially more maintenance, overall armor was weaker, and the ships suffered from weaker armament. The forward open space could not be easily converted to hangar space, and thus the Precentors could not carry fighters or scouts as did the Hunters. Precentors, because of their ‘popgun’ weapons fitout, were regarded more as fast light transports than as front-line combat craft, and the type found most deployments under the Wolfen Empire’s reign as personnel transports. These deployments lacked the opportunities for achievement and glory as did the more combat-oriented Hunters and thus were unpopular with the more outgoing and aggressive captains and crews. The Precentor never achieved the same production numbers as the more powerful and popular Hunter.
Because of the deployment distribution across the Empire at the time the TransGalactic Empire rolled over the WE, few Precentors escaped to the CCW, though a large number wound up in various Wolfen splinter kingdoms and rogue states. The CCW chose to focus on adopting the Hunter; the few Precentors in their possession would become neglected second-tier militia ships. The TransGalactic Empire treated those it had captured much as it did impounded Hunter destroyers; the ships were used as target practice or at best as cargo transports.
On the Fringe, however, the Precentor found new life with smaller states who snapped up any available warships. Unfortunately, a good number also wound up in the hands of lawless elements, and the ship became a favorite of pirate bands, especially since the faster speed of the Precentor allowed it to easily overtake merchant vessels and the capacity to carry troops allowed them to land boarding parties and take prisoners and loot aboard.
A few new Precentor-types are manufactured by various darkport yards and splinter-kingdom concerns, and these ships show a number of variations, but overall production numbers do not approach those under the old Wolfen Empire.

Type: WE-DD70 Precentor
Class: Destroyer
Crew: 30 +30-80 passengers if acting as troop carriers(typically 30-60 power armor or 80 foot soldiers)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 5,000
Bridge 1,200
Dorsal Sensor Array 900
Laser Turrets(4) 360 each
Rail Turrets(2) 400 each
Heavy Missile Launchers(2) 480 each
Engine Block 2,000
Variable Force Field 800 per side( 4,800 total)
Height: 85 ft
Width: 100 ft, 180 ft wingspan
Length: 390 ft
Weight: 7,300 tons
Cargo: Typically 600 tons. If not carrying a full complement of troops, can carry 960 tons
Powerplant: Antimatter w/ 50-year energy life. Many later model Precentors would downgrade to Nuclear Fusion powerplants with 25-30-year life spans
Speed:
(Atmosphere) Hover to Mach 3; transatmospheric.
(Sublight) Mach 11
(Kitsune Values: 60% of light speed; Accelerates/decelerates at 1.1% of light speed per melee)
(FTL) 4.8 light years per hour
Market Cost: 330 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Starship Systems plus:
Weapons Systems:
1) Light Laser Turrets(4) ----The light beam armament of the Precentor always posed a problem for the ships. consisting as they did of point-defense caliber weapons. The manufacturers of the Precentor attempted to narrow the firepower gap with the Hunter by mounting triple-barrel laser mounts, but failed to match the Hunter’s triple heavy particle beam ‘fangs’.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per single-barrel, 6d6x10 MD for a triple-barrel blast. Up to three turrets could be brought to bear on the same target.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Rail Turrets(2) ---Concealed on the underside of the main hull are two rapid-fire kinetic rail guns. These were one of the few systems the Precentors and the Hunters had in common.
Range: 4 miles in atmosphere, 8 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 8 miles in atmosphere, 800 miles in space)
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 400 bursts per gun before needing reloading

3) Long Range Missile Launchers(2)---Almost overlooked hidden along the flanks of the forward hull are the launch tubes for a pair of heavy missile launchers. Though capable of greater volley strength than the Hunter’s cruise missile launchers, these weapons still didn’t allow the Precentor to become the shipkiller the Hunter would prove to be.
Range: Varies by missile type(speed and range x4 in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-3 each
Payload: 30 LRMs per launcher. Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes

Auxiliary Craft: None

Variants:
During its production runs in the Wolfen Empire, a number of variants of the Precentor were tried by the manufacturer in efforts to draw attention and contracts away from the competing Hunter design. These variants typically involved changes to the weapons configuration; larger six-volley heavy missile launchers, three-shot volley cruise missile launchers, or upgrading the lasers to heavier-caliber weapons. Most such variants proved either too expensive or too energy-hungry to implement in mass production and were never adopted on a larger scale. Attempts to convert some of the forward space into a hangar bay for shuttles or fighters also proved in the end to be futile; the necessary changes to the hull would have weakened it substantially.
Of the pre-annexation Wolfen Empire variants, the most popular transport variant was the Signifer-type, which served as a VIP transport for senior officers and politicians. This featured upgraded communications and more comfortable accommodations for passengers.
After the collapse of the Wolfen Empire, most surviving Precentors became variants by necessity, as systems wore out and available spare parts stocks dried up. And what little new production there was of new ships require virtually handcrafting the vessels and shortcuts were taken to facilitate production. Mst variants replaced one or more of the weapons systems with locally-sourced or alternative types(the LRM launchers being replaced with medium range missile racks as common, the rail guns with G-cannons, and the lasers with particle beams). The high performance, but temperamental main engines were often replaced with more easily-serviced types, often with a decline in speed.
Two exceptions to the current state of Precentor-type warships have emerged of late. One is brand-new construction that appears to have licked the powerplant problem with an updated version of the original Malfagar LongStride gravity drives that have better reliability and lower maintenance needs. The ‘Pirator’ also features an upgraded forcefield system( 1,000 per side, 6,000 total), more modern sensors, and military-grade EW systems. These ships concern authorities on the rim because they have so far appeared only with outlaw organizations and it is not known who is supplying them.
The Triarii-Precentor variant is a Free Worlds Council overhaul of old Wolfen Empire ships that escaped being scrapped by the TGE. Like the Pirator, the Triarii-Precentor replaces the old engines with updated types(5 light years per hour), though the source of -these- engines is known(the product of the FWC’s upgraded Oridone shipyards, assisted by tech-infusions from the CCW, USA, and other allies). The T-Prec also features similarly upgraded variable force fields( 1,000 per side( 6,000 total)), improved fire control(+1 to strike with all ranged weapons), upgrades the long heavy missile launchers to a five-volley model without reducing cargo/passenger capacity, mounts upgraded sensors and EW, and adds a fifth laser turret to cover the rear. The Triarii-Precentor is used by the FWC as a light raider and commando transport, and has proven successful enough that plans are being drawn up for a new construction model featuring incorporating more advanced stealth features and possibly a hull-mount medium laser or particle beam cannon.

[SolCannibal]

Two exceptions to the current state of Precentor-type warships have emerged of late. One is brand-new construction that appears to have licked the powerplant problem with an updated version of the original Malfagar LongStride gravity drives that have better reliability and lower maintenance needs. The ‘Pirator’ also features an upgraded forcefield system( 1,000 per side, 6,000 total), more modern sensors, and military-grade EW systems. These ships concern authorities on the rim because they have so far appeared only with outlaw organizations and it is not known who is supplying them.
The Triarii-Precentor variant is a Free Worlds Council overhaul of old Wolfen Empire ships that escaped being scrapped by the TGE. Like the Pirator, the Triarii-Precentor replaces the old engines with updated types(5 light years per hour), though the source of -these- engines is known(the product of the FWC’s upgraded Oridone shipyards, assisted by tech-infusions from the CCW, USA, and other allies). The T-Prec also features similarly upgraded variable force fields( 1,000 per side( 6,000 total)), improved fire control(+1 to strike with all ranged weapons), upgrades the long heavy missile launchers to a five-volley model without reducing cargo/passenger capacity, mounts upgraded sensors and EW, and adds a fifth laser turret to cover the rear. The Triarii-Precentor is used by the FWC as a light raider and commando transport, and has proven successful enough that plans are being drawn up for a new construction model featuring incorporating more advanced stealth features and possibly a hull-mount medium laser or particle beam cannon.

And now i'm thinking of how much of a boon for the FWC - always strapped for resources and for whom possessing an extensive network of smuggler and intergalactic underworld contacts is pretty much a matter of continued survival - to find out and capture the location(s) of those elusive installations producing the ‘Pirator’, for the benefit of their own supply infrastructure.