The Great Narrator
Character
Image Source: (Ships copied from Google search of Eve Amarr frigate then edited with Gimp)
Affiliation: Open Market
Manufacturer: Gallofree Yards Inc
Model: GR-105 Medium Transport
Modularity: Yes (Open interior design, all components designed to be upgraded)
Production: Mass-Produced
Material: Solarium Glasteel, Bronzium, Durasteel, Hydroformed Permacrete,
Classification: Armed Transport
Length: 120 meters
Width: 95 meters
Height: 45 meters
Reactor: GR-a2b Solar Ionization Reactor (1)
Main Engines: GF-T1 Fusial Engines (4)
Secondary Engines: Nimble-5 Ion Engine (4)
Armament: 6 - below average for size
2x Turbo Laser Batteries
1x Ion Cannon Battery
4X Torpedo / Probe tubes
8X Standard point fighter defense batteries
Defenses: 14 (8 when firing on top side spars)
Layered Hydroformed Permacrete ablative shell
Wedge Deflector shields
Hangar: 2x squadrons of stunt fighters (one attached to exterior spars and one in internal bays)
or one squadron and (4) gunships / shuttles
NOTE: this set up takes place of cargo capacity.
Special Features:
Massive hauling ability for size - 57,000 metric tons
Increased defenses (see above)
"Little" River Type Tractor/Pressor (takes up 20 weapon battery emplacements)
Resu Navigators suite
Liquid metallic hydrogen avionics and conduits
Biolux series Organoform Circuitry and Calor Series Bio Computers
Maneuverability Rating: 5 without cargo, 7 with internal bays filled, 10 towing or fully loaded
Speed Rating: 5 without cargo, 7 with internal bays filled, 10 towing or fully loaded
Hyperdrive Class: .8 (Zephyr hyperdrive) (1.2 when towing)
Strengths:
+EM and Ion weapon resistant - Liquid metallic hydrogen technology greatly reduces the effectiveness of Ion and EM weapons. (50% effectiveness reduction)
+Heavy armored "belly" - Layered Hydroformed Permacrete ablative shell - Reduces effectiveness of particle based weapons (25% effectiveness reduction)
+Unique defenses - Wedge deflection shields and River-type Tractor/Pressor
Emplacement designed to redirect enemy fire and incoming smaller vessels.
+Emergency speed - When needed the Nimble-5 Ion Engine can provide a quick burst of speed increasing the rating by +2 while reducing maneuverability by the same.
+Interdiction Resistant - Zephyr hyperdrive. gives the ship a strong resistance to interdiction.
Weaknesses:
- Limited range - Equipped with Ion, TibannaX or some combination of the two it needs to refuel often by either dropping out to normal space and allowing time for its' Solar Ionization reactor to recharge for to refill TibannaX tanks as rated refinery.
- Hauler, not a fighter - Though armed it is not meant to go toe to toe with other ships of its' size, and built to take a pounding but its' counter punch leaves much to be desired.
- Defenses have limits - Though armored with ablative armor and unique "wedge" deflector design is perfect for limiting/ mitigating incoming fire both have finite durations as the armor will eventually wear down and deflectors will eventually overload and fail from enough incoming fire.
- Soft top side - As top exterior spars need to be exposed to hold cargo these are not armored like the rest of the ship and can take far less damage.
- Heavy Maintainance requirements - With exotic components, it is a ship that requires a lot of maintenance and not all spaceports are equipped to address its' unique abilities.
Description: What started out as a simple upgrade to a popular standard for Gallofree, the GR-75. The ship that came out of the imagination of its' principle owner [member="Bryce Bantam"] was what some called a master stroke of crazed genius.
Wanting to build upon the success of the "75" the "105" was meant to be a simple upgrade and while allowing to to handle salvage operations. However with a limited supply chain in the outback the engineers at Gallofree were forced to look "outside the box" for components to build a true, new line of ships.
The process began with the creation of the basic hull. Looking to improve on "75" transport's shell hull and open interior the idea was conceived to rather than increase the size of the ship to instead "marry" two of them together. This would allow cross componentry with the 75 and the catamaran bay design was born. Add to that the frame mounted magnetic shields attached to tops of the two main spars of the ship and the new result was a ship that at only 120 meters could carry in excess of fifty-five thousand metric tons and had the flexibility for its' bays and spars to be fitted with ship hooks as well, or towing / salvage gear.
To power this vessel Gallofree acquired plans for the venerable I-a2b solar ionization reactor and reworked it into the GR-a2b reactor that is recharged by the Bronzium plated Solarium Glasteel panels that adorn the ships outer hull and windows. Power is also produced by GF-T1 Fusial Engines which along with the Nimble-5 Ion Engine provide the sublight propulsion for this vessel.
All of the components above, though unique, are not far out of the norm. Though they may use exotic materials and fuels each serves a unique purpose and duty. Continuing this trend and to make the ship a true interstellar transport each "105" is fit with a Zephyr hyperdrive. With its' unique design it not only allows the "105" to go slightly faster in hyperspace but give the ship a strong resistance to interdiction as well, both needed traits in the outback.
The "105" also reflects its' designers view of combat. A conflicted pacifist at heart the Bryce has created the "105" to embody defense and survivability than attack. Ships of this size would have two to three times the gun emplacements of the "105" but given it is a transport mush of that space have been given over to cargo capacity. Still, the ship has a bite, namely in the front torpedo tubes, ion and turbo laser batteries.
When it comes to defensive capabilities, however, this is where the "105" shines. When in combat most pilots will fly the ship "upside down". That is to say, the underbelly of the ship, which is the most heavily armored, will be flipped up toward the upcoming attack. Covered in layers of layered Hydroformed Permacrete this ablative armor is specially designed to absorb partial attacks like turbo laser fire and plasma rounds.
Without access to advanced shield technology Bryce augmented what they had in a unique way. Instead of just having conventional deflector shields which cover the whole ship in a protective shell. Bryce created a way to tune the shield emitters to create a deflection wedge. Not when deployed the shield do no stop or absorb incoming fire but instead steer it away from the ship with layers of overlapping magnetic fields. While greatly more effective than traditional shields it does have its drawbacks, namely this level of protection can't cover the whole ship and will live area without shield cover if attacked my multiple opponents.
The last level of defense lies in the ingenious tractor system build into every ship. Based off the
River-type Tractor/Pressor Emplacement the "little" river is optimized to both attract and deflect attacking fighters and gunships. With the capabilities to handle ships up to and including its' own size it used this system when attacked to deflect, throwback, simply push them out of the way as it makes its' escape.
One of the most remarkable parts of this ship is built just below the bridge for you see this ship has no nav computer or any major electronics processor at all. Instead what lies at the heart of the "105" is the navigator's suite. Filled with distilled hydrogen infused water it housed one of the greatest undiscovered treasures in the galaxy. The Resu navigators and their Liquid metallic hydrogen technology. For you see instead of circuits and conduits of metal and plastoid. Large arteries of the "live metal" flow through the ship allowing these unique masters of electric "feel" the ship as if it was part of their own body. With cybernetically altered minds and a natural feel for three-dimensional navigation a brood of four or more are able to operate all system onboard the ship just as a host of computers would, but with the understanding and wisdom that only a sentient mind can bring. An added bonus to this setup is not only the intuitive nature of it but it also greatly reduces the strength of most ion and electrical attacks and all but renders hacking impossible given the foreign nature of the design. Now where conventional system are still needed Gallofree uses Biolux series Organoform Circuitry to bridge the gap and allow almost any tech to function with the "105's" unique avionics.
Development Thread: http://starwarsrp.net/topic/94754-on-abyssal-tides-the-kathol-outback/
Intent: Create a unique multi-purpose medium freighter / salvage ship
Who Can Use This: Limited - While open market Gallofree will not sell this ship to anyone believed to be hostile to the outback region.
Primary Source: Unique creation of a twisted mind.