|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
|
Somtaww
Fighter & Corvette Classes
Frigate & Super-Capital Classes
Beast
Fighter & Corvette Classes
Frigate and Super-Capital Classes
Subverted
Somtaww
For a full historical brief on the Soomtaw Kiith, please see the Kiith Somtaaw subsection.
In recent years, the Somtaaw have explored many neighboring systems to Hiigara. Although their numbers are small, they've set up several mining stations to collect rare elements, and they sell the fruits of their labors to all clients allowed by the current Hiigaran trade regulations. Like all our kiithid, their ships are bound to respond to any call to arms, when Hiigaran space is violated. But beyond the Somtaaw's duty to Hiigara, they live free and bend knee to none but their own kiith'sa... maintaining a centuries-long tradition.
Fighter & Corvette Classes
Somtaaw "Seeker"-Class Reconnaissance Fighter
Mass: 41 tons
Firepower: 40
Armor: 25
Coverage: 4%
Maneuverability: very high
Max. Velocity: 1050 m/s
Special Action: None
The Seeker-class of Deep Reconnaissance and Survey vessels was one of the first original designs produced by the Kiith Somtaaw engineering families. The first priority of the Somtaaw mining fleet was to find and process the rarest and most valuable resources in deep space, especially exotic volatiles and super-stable elements. To this end, Somtaaw purchased the manufacturing rights to the Heavy Neutrino scanning array from Kiith S'jet. While the unusual size of the scanning array means it is usually placed on research platforms or frigate-sized explorers, Somtaaw needed the array to rapidly search entire systems at relatively close range. To that end, Somtaaw engineers have basically wrapped a simple cockpit and maneuver drive around the array. While the shakedown period for this design was extensive, due to the unorthodox approach, the result is a high-speed recon platform that has the attributes of a standard light fighter and the sensor abilities of a ship 20 or 30 times the size and expense.
While the initial prototype was unarmed, repeated encounters with Turanic raiders convinced Somtaaw Fleet Command that the Seeker needed to carry some sort of weapons system. In the end, a light mass driver was jury-rigged on a belly mount, which gives the Seeker a limited self-defense capability that can usually deter raiders until the recon ship can use its superior speed to escape. While the main function of the Seeker's array is to scan for minerals and radiation signatures, it can be quickly reconfigured to track vessels.
Because most recon patrols must spend long periods of time in a small cockpit, many Seeker pilots are young, single women of smaller stature. This has led to deep recon missions being referred to as "Heartbreak Patrols"... but whether this has more to do with the stress they put on fledgling relationships or the disruptions caused by these pilots making up for lost time upon their return is not known.
Somtaaw "Acolyte"-Class Heavy Fighter
Mass: 90 tons
Firepower: 85
Armor: 70
Coverage: 6%
Maneuverability: very high
Max. Velocity: 825 m/s
Special Action: Link
The Acolyte class of Heavy Fighter/Interceptor is unique to Kiith Somtaaw. While other Kiith have worked to advance the traditional Blade series of Interceptors, Somtaaw found itself unable to afford the various patents and maintenance licenses being charged by the martial Kiithid to participate in the upgrade program. Instead, Somtaaw struck a deal with the enigmatic Bentusi. The Bentusi trade-ships are some of the most powerful vessels in the Galaxy, but there are some conditions that even they are unable or unwilling to take their ships into. In return for the services of the mining vessel Faal-Corum in retrieving certain artifacts from a very compact asteroid belt, the Bentusi "handed down" an advanced fighter and drive system, which eventually was back-engineered into the Acolyte fighter. While the relatively pacifistic Bentusi would not transfer any weapons technology along with the Acolyte design, they seem to have no long-term objections to the Somtaaw arming the Acolyte with duel rapid-fire mass-drivers.
Based on adaptive Bentusi technology, the Acolyte lends itself easily to modification, and Somtaaw engineers are still working on expanding the full potential of this fighter design. The ultra-efficient fusion drive allows the Acolyte to function without refueling, and this technology has been integrated into other Somtaaw strike craft.
While Kiith Somtaaw is a mining Kiith by trade, it does require protection against Raiders and Imperialist patrols, as its two Command ships, the Kuun-Lan and the Faal-Corum, range far from the protection of Hiigaran space in their exploration and resourcing missions. Acolyte wings are manned by a relatively small group of hardened combat veterans that began their careers during the Homeworld War. These pilots are not easily surprised after 15 years in the cockpit, and are the equals of any fighter pilots found in the martial Kiithid . . . as many a pirate scout has discovered to his regret.
"Mimic"-Class Infiltration Ship
Mass: 55 tons
Firepower: -
Armor: 20
Coverage: -
Maneuverability: very high
Max. Velocity: 750 m/s
Special Action: Mimic
After encounters with Raider ships equipped with holographic projectors, Somtaaw Tactical command realized the need for their own infiltration strike craft. With little to go on except pieces of pirate wreckage, Somtaaw engineers were able to create a holofield projector that would just fit into the confines of a fighter hull. The Maach-Nar Projection system requires two full laser arrays, spread out on either side of the fighter. While these arrays rob the fighter of all its conventional offensive power, they are capable of enveloping the ship in a hologram that perfectly mimics the form of any Strike- or Corvette-class ship recorded in the tactical data banks. Mimics have even been known to disguise themselves as harmless asteroids. Additional signal jammers completely remove the Mimic from enemy scanners, while its visual cross section is immune to all but the closest inspection.
Mimics were originally used simply to infiltrate enemy fleets and orbital bases, in order to assess enemy strength or eavesdrop on close communication bands. Unfortunately, desperate times have led to desperate measures, and more and more Mimics find themselves pressed into an offensive role as suicide units, especially in circumstances where friendly fleet strength is not high enough to break through to the objective.
Pilots for this duty are drawn from the ranks of the Sleepers, those destitute souls who awakened on Hiigara without a single friend or family member left alive after the destruction of Kharak. These pilots have no motivation except revenge against those who took everything from them, and Mimics perform their suicide missions fearlessly and without regret. The last thing that many a surprised resourcer or minelayer will hear is the strangled cry of victory from a Sleeper as he detonates his Mimic against the hull.
"Avenger"-Class (ACV) Corvette
Mass: 180 tons
Firepower: 170
Armor: 140
Coverage: 6%
Maneuverability: high
Max. Velocity: 600 m/s
Special Action: Unlink, EMP
The Avenger was the first breakthrough that Somtaaw engineers made in ship linkage technology. Utilizing some of the remnants of dynamic surface technology passed down through analysis of Bentusi designs, the Acolyte Heavy Fighter was created with ventral docking ports and control links, so that two Heavy Fighters could dock to form a Corvette-class ship. While others had thought this kind of solid link could only be achieved with a full tech team in a hanger bay, the dynamic surface systems of the Acolyte are capable of linking in a matter of seconds while the two ships drift in deep space.
Once the ships are linked into the Avenger Corvette composite craft, one pilot takes over the actual flying of the craft and the other serves as weapons officer. While both cockpits are capable of assuming either function through the use of virtual displays, it is traditionally the officer with the best combat record who ends up "on top," flying the Avenger. The WO is responsible for managing both the nose-mounted quad mass drivers and the highly advanced Electromagnetic Pulse system, which is capable of overloading the systems of any enemy ships nearby.
The Avenger is technically designated as a corvette due to its mass and dual crew, but in reality it inhabits the middle ground between Heavy Fighter and full corvette. The Avenger has less armor and firepower and lacks the turret coverage of a traditional corvette, but it is faster and more maneuverable, which allows it to bring its fixed weaponry to bear almost as fast as a turret mount would. Economic considerations and sheer hangar space problems aboard its command and Carrier vessels have led Somtaaw Fleet Command to reject a standard corvette design in favor of composite vehicles such as the Avenger and the Martyr MCV. This has resulted in the Avenger being the workhorse of the Somtaaw fleet, and in any combat situations, Avenger wings will be deployed directly from their command ships to guard against incoming strike craft, or even engage enemy frigates en masse. Their ability to split into high speed Acolytes and rejoin at the target area for heavy firepower makes them one of the most adaptable weapons systems in Hiigaran space.
"Martyr"-Class (MCV) Infiltration Corvette
Mass: 110 tons
Firepower: -
Armor: 40
Coverage: -
Maneuverability: high
Max. Velocity: 550 m/s
Special Action: Mimic
The Martyr is, in essence, a virtual corvette that is formed when two Mimic strike craft dock to form a larger composite vehicle known as an M.C.V. (Mimic Composite Vehicle). The double-hulled Martyr is capable of generating a much larger holofield than the solitary Mimic, and can disguise itself as various frigate-sized ships or very large asteroids. This greater disguise ability can be used offensively to lull an enemy into thinking that reinforcements have arrived for them, or defensively to make a desperate fleet seem much more substantial than it is, by projecting two or three phantom frigates.
For more desperate times, the Martyr, like the Mimic, can be used as a suicide craft of devastating power. The overloading of the linked drives can pack enough explosive force to gut a frigate-sized vessel. Theoretical work on quantum explosives could lead to an increased payload to this subtle and terrifying suicide corvette.
When left to their own devices, Martyr teams will often disguise themselves as a friendly damaged frigate and loiter at the edge of a battle, emitting a distress call. When enemy salvagers come alongside to take control of their prize, the Martyr will detonate, trading the lives of the two pilots for those of a dozen or more of the enemy. For revenge-driven Sleepers, there are few better ways to go...
Back to top
Frigate & Super-Capital Classes
Somtaaw "Minion"-Class Heavy Tug
Mass: 12900 tons
Firepower: 2500
Armor: 4700
Coverage: 6%
Maneuverability: medium
Max. Velocity: 398 m/s
Special Action: RAM
The Minion class of Heavy Tugs is another pre-landfall design, which has been resurrected and adapted to the unique needs of Kiith Somtaaw. The original Minion design was used for moving massive modular sections of the scaffold and Mothership into position for final lockdown. For the Somtaaw, this Frigate-class hull with a massive bow section, a heavy engine module and built-in grapple capabilities was exactly what they needed in an asteroid tug. With extensive modifications to the high-output fusion drive and a redesign of the armor layering, the newly christened Minion was ideal for pushing very large asteroids out of dense, dangerous belts of debris for fast processing close to the command ship. In circumstances where a larger mass needs to be broken down in order for Workers to harvest it, the Minion employs a short-range fusion torch to carve up the target rock.
Since the Minion is a relatively simple vessel to fly, the five-man crew is usually composed of non-combat flight officers fresh from training, in order to give them experience in the field. While this "on the job training" is highly efficient, and frees experienced personnel up for more complex vessels and tasks, it does lead to some unusual interpretations of the Minion mission profile. Recently, the mining fleet headed by the command-ship Kuun-lan was under attack by a Turanic Raider fleet, backed up by a Chieftain-class Carrier. Standard Somtaaw procedure has all non-combat vessels, including Workers and Minions, retreating to the command ship at the first sign of battle, but two Minion crews took it upon themselves to ignore this command. Realizing that the pirate Carrier would eventually overwhelm the Somtaaw Acolytes and Seekers, forcing a retreat from a highly valuable belt of radioactives, the Minions drove straight into battle and rammed the Chieftain broadside. After grappling on and giving maximum power to their fusion drives, the Minions were able to push the Pirate Carrier deep into a fast-moving pack of asteroids, where the larger ship was destroyed by rock impacts. From this event on, Minion pilots have jokingly referred to their ships as "ramming frigates" and have begun painting kill markers on their crash helmets.
"Dervish"-Class Multi-Beam Frigate
Mass: 10200 tons
Firepower: 3900
Armor: 4000
Coverage: 90%
Maneuverability: medium
Max. Velocity: 370 m/s
Special Action: None
The Ion Beam Frigate has long been the mainstay of any offensive star fleet. The only drawback to these powerful beam weapons is that they are so large that frigate-sized craft can only support them in a spinal mount configuration...and this restricts combat coverage. Somtaaw Fleet Command, unwilling to make the jump to the Heavy Cruiser chassis just to incorporate ion cannons in turret mounts, instead decided to research advanced ion beam technology jointly with Kiith Paktu. This change in initiative resulted in the development of the helix bundle, which allows charged streams to be accelerated in a tightly curved configuration.
The Dervish-class Frigate is built around just such an accelerator helix, and uses a multi-path beam-splitter to direct the charged ion stream to any or all of its five focusing turrets. The turrets themselves are solid-state devices that use magnetic fields to focus and direct the ion beam in a large firing arc. Using the cold vacuum of space to keep functioning at super-cooled temperatures, the focusing turret is highly efficient and capable of a high rate of fire. While these ion beams are not as powerful as the ones fired from a traditional Ion Frigate, this lack is more than made up by the increased coverage and decreased fire time.
Dervishes function best in the anti-strike-craft role, where their rapid tracking ability allows them to tag enemy fighters with devastating firepower. The sight of a single Dervish plowing through a cloud of enemy strike craft with all beams firing is often enough to cause even the most dedicated fighter pilot to reconsider his options. When faced with enemy capital ships, especially other beam frigates such as the Taiidani Sajuuk Cor, the Dervish is forced to rely on its maneuverability to keep turning out of the enemy's strongest firing arc while still bringing at least two or three turrets to bear.
"Hive"-Class Advanced Drone Frigate
Mass: 9900 tons
Firepower: 1400
Armor: 3800
Coverage: 12%
Maneuverability: medium
Max. Velocity: 390 m/s
Special Action: Swarm
During the Homeworld wars, the Puppeteer-class Drone Frigate was an excellent idea that arrived ahead of its time. While the Puppeteer could surround itself in a sphere of remote turrets, the drones lacked maneuverability, and once they were destroyed, the unarmed Puppeteer either retreated or was destroyed as well. This lack of adaptability quickly relegated the Puppeteer to light anti-strike-craft roles and rear area guard duty, where its weakness would not prove quite so deadly.
Seeing potential in a design that other Kiith were quickly abandoning, Somtaaw engineers went back to the drawing board both with the frigate itself and the drones. The major breakthrough in drone design came from studying the attack swarms used by the protectors of Khadesh. Using that technology as a baseline, engineers were able to design and build their own Swarmer Drone Fighter, which retained the firepower of the old static drone but combined it with full maneuverability and a combat AI. Now that the drones were able to control themselves, the space aboard the command frigate that was being used for drone techs and their equipment could be utilized for weaponry.
The result of all this design work is the Hive-class ADF, a heavily armored frigate armed with twin medium mass drivers in a fixed forward mount and having the capacity to launch and maintain six Swarmer-class Attack Drones. The Hive's mass drivers are not powerful enough to handle another capital ship all by themselves, but are very effective in supplying heavy fire support for the Swarmer wing. While the Hive is a much more rounded combat craft than the Puppeteer, it is still vulnerable to massed strike craft attacks if its complement of Swarmers is destroyed.
Hive squadrons will often enter combat first and use their drones to draw fire away from more valuable manned strike craft, and then retire for a few minutes to rebuild their Swarmer complement before returning to battle.
Microship & Non-Combat Classes
"Deacon"-Class Destroyer
Mass: 28,000 tons
Firepower: 8500
Armor: 16,000
Coverage: 30%
Maneuverability: low
Max. Velocity: 325 m/s
Special Action: None
When the great Crusade against the Beast was in its darkest days, Kiith Somtaaw found itself desperate for heavier firepower and the capital ships to carry it. While research into Bentusi design philosophy would eventually bear fruit in the awe-inspiring Dreadnought, it would have not come in time had the Deacon-class Destroyer not been pushed into service. The Deacon was originally intended to be a new generation of heavy transport, but when the demands of war hit the Somtaaw fleet hard, the design was quickly modified while still on the drawing board. The Deacon's loading booms were scrapped and replaced with heavy ion beams in a fixed forward mount, while the four side-mounted point-defense turrets were replaced with medium rail guns to give all-around firepower. The most innovative addition was the dorsal-mounted missile turret, which gives the Destroyer a full 360 degrees of long-range hitting power-capable of tearing apart enemy frigates before they can get into range to return fire.
The Deacon's baptism of fire came at the battle of Coruc Farr, when two Somtaaw Destroyers were left alone to hold off a Beast Heavy Cruiser and a full flight of infected strike craft. In the thick of battle, the lead Destroyer, the Naar-Tel, closed with the beast cruiser and was raked by an infection beam. As deck after deck of the Destroyer fell to the Beast infection, the Naar's Captain made a desperate decision to vent drive plasma into the infected areas and then out into space. At the cost of gutting a quarter of his own ship and killing a sizable percentage of his own crew, the Naar's Captain was able to keep his ship in the battle and help destroy the beast Cruiser.
From that day on, the Naar Directive, as it became known, became the standard response from Allied heavy capital ships to Beast infections. And, while the price in Hiigarian life is always high, instant death in a blast of high-energy plasma is preferable to the twisted immortality of becoming part of the Beast.
"Archangel"-Class Dreadnought
Mass: 152,000 tons
Firepower: 24,000
Armor: 85,000
Coverage: 80%
Maneuverability: very low
Max. Velocity: 280 m/s
Special Action: Repulse
Desperate wars require desperate measures, and the development of the Archangel-class Dreadnought was no exception. Even though Kiith Somtaaw was struggling valiantly, it eventually became clear that the fleet had no answer to the Beast version of the Taiidan Heavy Cruiser. And, while it would obviously take another full cycle for Somtaaw to research and develop the technologies needed to build the Hiigaran Avatar Heavy Cruiser, it was equally obvious that there would be nothing left of Kiith Somtaaw by the time a cycle of research could be completed!
Taking deep penetration scans of Bentusi tradeships, Somtaaw engineers tried to duplicate the radial binding design that give Bentusi ships their incredible durability and energy control. The experiments were less than successful, and dozens of engineers died as experimental alloys gave out under the incredible pressure to which they were subjected. Finally, as losses were threatening to push the Hiigaran fleet back into their home system, Somtaaw engineers were able to produce a hybrid design that had some of the durability and power of a Bentusi craft and was still manageable with Hiigaran crews and technology.
The Archangel combines the best attributes of the Avatar Heavy Cruiser and the Taiidani Missile Destroyer, and shields it all in a hull of curved, bonded armor plate that deflects more damage than it absorbs. With four heavy turrets backed by two full missile banks, the Archangel initially had a powerful offensive punch, but was still vulnerable to flanking maneuvers that brought enemy fire in from the rear, where the heavy mass drivers couldn't reach. This problem was solved rather dramatically with the addition of two heavy ion turrets, which covered the top fore and bottom aft firing hemispheres. Since being released into active service, the Archangel has proved devastating to Beast and Imperial forces alike, despite the fact it takes a crack crew to keep her power systems under control.
"Shaman"-Class Carrier
Mass: 129,000 tons
Firepower: 4200
Armor: 65,000
Coverage: 80%
Maneuverability: very low
Max. Velocity: 300 m/s
Special Action: None
The Shaman-class Carrier had been in development for some time before it was finally brought into battle. This Carrier was based on Kiith Somtaaw's first foray into heavy ship construction, the Chieftain-class Ore Processor, and follows the same no-frills approach to capital ship design. The engineers upgraded the Chieftain's main power plant to support a military-class drive system and a PDA construction bay. The Shaman is not an elegant Carrier, but it is durable, efficient and crewed by the best that Kiith Somtaaw has to offer. The two outboard bays are capable of launching and retrieving multiple strike craft, while the inboard frigate bays have heavily reinforced doors, capable of taking multiple ion beam strikes and still protecting the fragile construction and maintenance equipment within.
The Shaman was originally designed as the second phase of Kiith Somtaaw's expansion into deep space. With the two main Command Ships exploring and exploiting a sector, Shamans were meant to consolidate and help harvest multiple resource sites while the Command ships moved on. Their construction bays were never intended for anything more than building a couple of recon squadrons and acolytes for survey/guard duty; the frigate bay was there simply to build and maintain Worker-class vessels. With the advent of full-blown war, however, the Shaman's bays were upgraded to full production ability, and room was made in what was supposed to be a resource hold for sleeper bays to support spare pilots.
In their combat role, Shamans will often construct a wing of Sentinel Defense Pods and operate behind their forcefields while supporting a fleet in direct combat. The Shaman's medium turrets are not meant to operate offensively, but they can still cause considerable damage to any slow-moving target that wanders into range. With repair bays so close to combat, Hive and Dervish frigates can afford to quickly pull back behind the Shaman's Sentinel shield and dock with relative safety.
"Leech"-Class Breaching Pod
Mass: 26 tons
Firepower: -
Armor: 30
Coverage: -
Maneuverability: very high
Max. Velocity: 1250 m/s
Special Action: Leech
The Leech is the most sophisticated drone in the Somtaaw fleet, and is designed to get in and heavily damage enemy ships in situations where a conventional attack craft would be destroyed in seconds. Able to evade all conventional sensors, the Leech can come right up to an enemy vessel and clamp on. The drone is unarmed except for a payload of molecular acid, which it uses to bore through enemy hulls so that it can access the plasma-drive conduits. Once bonded to the enemy ship, the Leech uses the ship's own drive plasma to melt through the hull, damaging it slowly. Meanwhile, the Leech's AI infiltrates the enemy ship's systems and relays false messages, silencing damage alarms and repair routines; in general, the crew of an enemy vessel doesn't realize anything is wrong until it is too late. The Leech carries a resource pod as well, so that it can actually absorb the mass of the enemy vessel instead of simply venting it into space. This mass can be returned as raw materials to the Command ship, if required.
In order to stay in contact with the Command ship but avoid having its transmissions picked up by enemy ships, the Leech uses a phased telemetry system that actually shunts part of the signal through hyperspace. It is rumored that Taiidani scientists are already working on a system that would detect these signals, but this would require a massive upgrading to advanced sensors.
"Sentinel"-Class Defense Pod
Mass: 21 tons
Firepower: 290
Armor: 350
Coverage: 15%
Maneuverability: high
Max. Velocity: 250 m/s
Special Action: Shield
The Sentinel has the dubious distinction of being the smallest manned craft currently serving in any Hiigaran fleet. Microships were developed by Somtaaw engineers to function purely as remote drone craft, like the Swarmer Attack Drone or the Leech Breaching Pod; the Sentinel was originally intended as an advanced mobile sensor platform. Unfortunately, as more and more design features were added to the Sentinel's specs, it quickly outpaced the control capability of even the most advanced AI. The final breaking point arrived when energy scientists came up with a compact force-field generator and added it to the Sentinel's systems. Flight AIs were unable to cope with the distortions created by the polarized gravity fields, and this finally had tragic results during a live test, when drone Sentinels created a full-strength field and slipped out of position, slicing a Dervish frigate in half with a loss of all hands.
The Sentinel project would have been cancelled at this point if not for the efforts of a certain Aart ne Somtaaw, a rather vertically challenged junior member of the engineering team. After installing a rudimentary cockpit into the prototype and donning the lightest vacc suit he could find, Aart put the Sentinel through a punishing set of trials, using all the Sentinel's advanced systems and proving that powerful guns, long range sensors and a field generator could all function in one very small craft.
As a reward, Aart was put in charge of assembling the first Sentinel Squadron. Dubbed the War Dwarves by the rest of the fleet, these small pilots have one of the most dangerous and unglamorous jobs in the fleet: standing guard in tiny cans of plasteel, keeping an eye out for incoming threats and protecting thousands of their Kiith mates aboard the larger ships of the fleet.
Somtaaw "Worker"-Class Resource Collector
Mass: 5200 tons
Firepower: -
Armor: 1500
Coverage: -
Maneuverability: medium
Max. Velocity: 425 m/s
Special Action: Harvest, Repair, Salvage
While most Kiith still use the primary Resource Collector design created nearly 50 years ago during the Mothership's construction, Kiith Somtaaw has been forced by circumstance to radically redesign the entire Resourcer concept. Somtaaw fleets often work deep inside dense asteroid fields, where the massive Resource Collector cannot maneuver fast enough to avoid disastrous collisions, and so a completely different vessel design was needed.
While various high-maneuver Resourcer/Frigate hybrids were attempted, none of the prototypes survived actual field testing, as the turn rate was disastrously compromised by the full loads a Resourcer is expected to carry. Then, deep in the Mothership's main databanks, a Somtaaw engineer came across a hull design for a heavy cargo re-entry vehicle. It had been used 120 years earlier on Kharak to haul crews and raw components to and from low orbit during the construction of the Mothership Scaffolding. While the original purpose of the ship was no longer relevant, the shaped, blunt-projectile hull shape that had been crucial to re-entry was now ideal for providing a compact center of gravity. When refitted with modern engines and control systems, this new Resourcer design can haul almost as much as the old one, but can rotate quickly on its center of gravity and easily avoid collision, even in the most congested flight spaces.
The first production model is just now being accepted by Somtaaw mining teams, though there is some resentment about the ship's class name, the "Worker"... as it seems to make an already mundane task seem even less glamorous than it was before. Engineers argue that as they devise new applications for the ship, such as repair or possibly salvaging, the multi-purpose nature of the word "worker" will become readily apparent.
"Chieftain Mk3"-Class Ore Processor
Mass: 89,000 tons
Firepower: 2500
Armor: 45,000
Coverage: 80%
Maneuverability: low
Max. Velocity: 250 m/s
Special Action: None
Next to the Worker Resource Collector, the Chieftain is one of the most venerable designs in the Somtaaw fleet. As its designation implies, the Chieftain is basically a massive ore processing and refinery unit, designed to take in cargo from Workers in deep space and process it. While it is almost as large as a Carrier, the Chieftain is mostly composed of vast storage bays and long processing lines. Duty aboard a Chieftain is hard, dirty work, but most of Kiith Somtaaw is more comfortable with the honest work of mining than the killing and dying of war.
The first Chieftains produced were strictly industrial ships. With four high-speed transfer-docking pads for Workers, they could strip an asteroid pocket bare in days. It was only after a series of attacks from Turanic raiders that the Chieftain was fitted with four medium mass driver turrets. As full war broke out, the Chieftain was yet again modified with four automated repair beams. Since there are no excess officers to manage these systems, the repair beams are under AI control, and automatically begin to repair any friendly unit in range.
Despite these changes, which have led to the Mark 3 version, the Chieftain is one of the few pre-war ship designs that has never brought aboard combat officers to help with managing ship systems and fleet coordination. Every Chieftain that has ever been launched and every one that has been lost in combat to this date has been crewed by nothing more or less than the ancient soul of Kiith Somtaaw: the Miners.
Back to top
|
|
|
|
|
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
