Captain Larraq
Capitalist
Image Source: Farscape, "Talyn" Peacekeeper/Leviathan Hybrid Gunship
Intent: To streamline the Mesen'Loras design, make a more common version of the design, and to provide the WoD with starships.
Restricted Missions: Invasion of Kashyyyk (all of [member=Naast'ika Laaran]'s posts)
Primary Source: See Links at Bottom
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Mandal Hypernautics
Model: “Marauder” Bio-Mechanical Ship
Affiliation: Mandal Hypernautics, Mandalorians, Witches of Dathomir, Tech-Hating Space Hippies, exc
Modularity: Increases in size as they age, can benefit from cybernetic grafting of ship-grade components
Production: Limited
Material:
- Spine and Frame: Iron-Calcium Bones and Struts
- Interior Hull: Bio-Organic Flesh, Wires, Veins, Arteries
- Interior Hull: Laminanium-Enhanced Wires, Circuitry, and Support Systems
- Outer Hull: Iron-Calcium Carapace
- Armor Plating: Calama-Shell Carapace
- Viewports: transparent membranes with Carapace shutters
As the Prowler-class Mesen'loras continued to prove its capabilities as a reliable warship for Hyperion Security and the Mandalorian Clans, Mandal Hypernautics and Auron Helix invested in a new breed of Mesen'loras. Seeking to minimize the reliance on cybernetic augmentation, drastically lower the overhead cost of manufacturing a functional warship, and enhance the self-sustaining nature of an organic spaceship, new organisms and techniques were sought out to enhance the original Prowler design.
The most important change to the Prowler DNA chain was the addition of elements from the Greater Calama. With the addition of a few strains of insect DNA and the contributions of the Greater Calama, the Bioship was made capable of growing a thick outer carapace with a similar durability to a Greater Calama's. This outer carapace proves to have vastly improved resistance to energy weapons, comparable to that of even Matrix Armor. Though it does prove to be less durable to physical impact than the inner layer of carapace. Though not as durable as desired, it is thanks to this addition that Mesen'loras would no longer require fitting with the artificial armor plating that proved to stunt the creature's growth.
Also incorporated into the enhanced DNA strain were coding taken from metamorphing species. These codes were adapted to the BioShip so that various internal structures and layouts would be grown or adapted to new purposes as the ship aged. The goal being to make even the young calves viable warships. Or, more accurately, to make them capable of serving as a starfighter or gunship while they are still growing into the more desirable Corvette and Frigate sized bioships.
Fully sentient, the now designated Marauder-class Bio-Mechanical starship is designed to be the ultimate organism. Programmed with a more "aggressive and brave" personality than the original Prowler design, the Marauder is more reliable in combat, though still gets compared to a moody teenager. Designed by Mandal Hypernautics and their genetic subsidiary, Auron Helix, the Marauder is the natural next step to the Prowler design. It is a conglomeration of Quella, Charon, and Yuuzhan Vong bio-engineering and minimal cybernetic augmented by Mandal Hypernautics engineers.
The bio-ship is propelled similarly to Yuuzhan Vong Coral Ships. The creature was engineered to possess a cluster of symbiotic Dovin Basal Biot's organized into a Neuroengine that serves as a type of organ for the Mesen'Loras. This Neuroengine, like all the symbiotic and cybernetic enhancements worked into this creature, is linked directly into the central nervous system of the bio-ship and is usable to the creature like any other part of its body. With this 'organ', a Mesen'Loras is effectively able to drag itself through space without the need for mechanical thrusters or conventional fuel. Unlike the Yuuzhan Vong Coral Ships, however, the Prowler is significantly more agile.
The tail of the ship, along with the port and starboard nacelle, ends in an organic structure engineered to function identically to an Etheric Rudder. The few pilots who have attempted direct control of a Mesen'Loras have described the design as “driving a front wheel drive vehicle with rear wheel handling.” While pilots typically find the experience awkward, the bio-ship is capable of extremely agile movements. That, combined with the unique nature of the propulsion system, makes targeting the ship annoyingly difficult. Gunners and commanders alike have complained that “It just doesn't move right.” after attempting to engage a Prowler in testing operations.
The Mesen'Loras is capable of performing a natural hyperspace jump via a technique referred to as a 'starburst.' The exact nature of this ability is unknown or simply not fully understood to any but the Quellan scientist that studied the recovered Charon data. Though the technique seems to produce a less accurate hyperspace travel than conventional means, the Mesen'Loras and its Navibrain seems to have an instinctual understanding of how to travel to their intended destination. While the added benefit of being harder to track and detect than the hyperspace travels of conventional ships, there are other limitations to the technique. For starters, starbursting is rather exhausting for the bio-ship. A Mesen'Loras can only sustain a single starburst for long enough to travel roughly a single galactic unit (one hex) at a time. Upon returning to realspace, a Mesen'Loras will then have to rest for twelve to fifteen minutes to recover its strength before making another jump. If particularly exhausted, it could take as long as twenty or thirty minutes. Moreover, it can take the bio-ship several minutes to find a hyperspace route that 'feels right' for a starburst. Humanoid crew can aid the bio-ship in this regard by providing secondary telemetry and using existing star charts, but the end result is a means of travel that is statistically slower and less reliable than traditional travel over long distances. While larger Mesen'Loras are capable of traveling farther distances per starburst, smaller Mesen'Loras can travel quicker to their destination, tend to find suitable hyperspace routes faster, and have a shorter refractory period than their larger counterparts.
A starburst is significantly harder to detect via traditional sensors and biological sensors alike, which allows a Mesen'Loras Bio-mechanical ship to enter or exit a system with little fear of detection. Similarly, the creature's audio, radio, radiation, heat, and electronic emissions are significantly lower than a similar ship of its size, making it a difficult ship to detect at all. This natural advantage is further augmented by a coating of sensor dampening Reflec polymer applied externally to the bio-ship every few weeks, often appearing as an object 1/10th its actual size. The one area where the Prowler suffers in overall stealth capability is when it comes to gravimetric sensors. The nature of its propulsion systems cause the Prowler to register as a ship ten times its actual size on gravimetric sensors. A technique used by the Prowler and her crew to counter this vulnerability is to accelerate to optimal speeds while still well outside standard sensor ranges and then 'coast' the rest of the way forward, using the ship's Etheric Rudders to maneuver.
The Prowler Bio-ship is capable of naturally emitting its own Hydrostatic shield around itself. This shield, similar to the Gungan Shield Generator, is capable of protecting the ship from radiation and other environmental hazards of space just as well as energy based weaponry, and protects the bio-ship from the effects of the Dovin Basal symbiots that propel it through space. When assaulted by energy based weaponry, the shield deflects the attack, instead of simply stopping or absorbing it as other shields would. While this typically results in a ricochet-type effect, it is possible for direct hits to be deflected back onto the firing ship at point-blank ranges.
A naturally occurring symbiote of the organism, two Yuuzhan Vong Plasma Cannons grow on the outer edges of the left and right nacelle and a larger Plasma cannon grows on the forward dorsal section of the ship. These symbioic organisms are directly connected to the nervous system of the bio-ship and can be controlled by the ship. Between the two nacelle and the main hull are two forward facing Heavy Bomblet Generators that use heat and energy from the ship's bio-reactor to create and launch energy bombs.
The three naturally occurring Plasma Cannons each ejected a flaming, magma-like projectile at high speeds towards a target. This projectile could cause kinetic damage to enemy ships and could actually alter the trajectory of smaller targets. Similarly, these magma-like projectiles tend to stick to the hulls of the ships they impact causing prolonged thermal damage to shields and electronics, as well as prolonged damage to armor plating and overall hull integrity. These weapons have a slower rate of fire when compared to traditional turbolasers or mass-drivers, but pack a significantly larger punch per hit.
Each of the ship's primary turrets is capable of retracting into the hull when not in use. The two Plasma Cannons are capable of firing forward, port and starboard respectively, ventral of the ship, dorsal of the ship, and behind the ship to a limited extent. A blind spot exists directly behind the ship, and point blank targets above or below the ship are also in blind spots. The heavier Plasma Cannon is capable of firing forward, to port and starboard, above the ship, and has a limited line of fire behind the ship. The heavier Plasma Cannon is also unable to fire directly behind the ship.
Though the Mesen'Loras is equipped with a number of Dovin Basal's, its use of them is limited and the biological targeting brain of the ship is unable to effectively use these symbiotic creatures to their full effect as a means of point defense. To contend with this, it is a common practice to augment larger Mesen'Loras (over 100 meters) with a number of Mandal Hypernautics Automated Gun Platforms, or other similar point defense systems. In most situations, two are placed on the port and starboard forward dorsal section, near the Proton Cannon. One is placed on the rear dorsal section, opposite the heavier Plasma Cannon. The final turret is located centrally on the ventral side. These turrets are automated and are activated or deactivated by the crew of the ship or the ship itself. The rear facing turret is the only weapon capable of firing directly behind the ship. The ventral turret is the only weapon capable of firing directly below the ship at close ranges.
The range of effect for the Mesen'Loras's Dovin Basal's is significantly shorter than that of its Yuuzhan Vong counterpart. This doesn't stop the bio-ship from attempting to use them in combat when the time arises. Unfortunately, they typically only cause about as much shield distortion as (9-50 meters; 4x starfighter scale ion cannons. 50-120 meters; 4x capital ship ion cannons. 120-300 meters; 4x heavy ion cannons). The largest impact the Dovin Basal's have on opposing ships is actually quite unintended. Ships in close proximity to a Mesen'Loras that is actively accelerating or adjusting its heading with its Dovin Basal's (including friendly ships) are unable to safely jump to hyperspace due to the gravity distortions.
While engaged in testing, it was discovered that the Prowler's organic sensors and targeting systems were immune to the effects of Mandal Hypernautics electronic warfare techniques. It is believed that this immunity is the result of the poorly understood manner in which Yuuzhan Vong Biot's detect opposing spaceships. Due to this, it is now believed that the electronic signals produced by Mandal Hypernautics' Electronic Warfare modules are completely ineffective against Yuuzhan Vong ships and is theorized that 'Vong Sensing Nodules utilize a form of gravimetric or magnetimetric detection to identify targets. Though they could just as likely use sound or smell to detect other ships.
The Mesen'Loras is capable of emitting smaller, weaker Hydrostatic Shields similar to Gungan Personal Energy Shield along internal passages as a means of preventing atmospheric decompression or the spread of poison gas. Also engineered into the bio-ship are a number of small, anti-personnel grade plasma cannons that retract into the ceiling of the ship's hallways. These can typically be found in any ship larger than 50 meters long. There are typically two such internal defense cannons on the bridge, pilot's den, cargo hold, hanger, and in the primary reactor compartment. A few dozen such turrets are placed elsewhere throughout the ship, typically at junctions and air-locks.
The cybernetic and other mechanical adornments to the Prowler are all powered in the same way that the organism sustains itself. Nestled deep in the heart of the ship is... A heart. Of sorts. The organ is referred to as a Bio-reactor and provides all the energy the bio-ship needs to function. Grafted to this bioreactor is a thermal generator that uses the excess heat created by the organ to power the cybernetic systems of the ship.
The ship requires no true fuel. Instead, the ship simply needs to occasionally spend a period of time close to a star or gas giant. While in close proximity to one of these stellar bodies, the Prowler will absorb radiation given off by the celestial body as sustenance. This can occasionally be dangerous if the bio-ship gets too close to the gas giant or star. Should the ship get too close to a gas giant, it may find itself unable to escape the intense gravity of the planet and sink to its death. A Prowler that ventures too close to a star will suffer shield failure and burn to death long before the strength of the object's gravity overwhelms what the ship is capable of producing with its Neuroengines.
The Prowler includes genetic sequences from Firaxan Sharks and numerous other organisms. This has left the Mesen'loras with the ability to secrete its own Kolto supply. This Kolto is produced in response to injury and speeds along the healing process, enabling the creature to heal in days what would otherwise take weeks or months to heal. In larger Mesen'Loras, structures similar to tear ducts connect the organs responsible for Kolto secretion to the medical bay of the ship, allowing the medical staff aboard the ship access to a vast quantity of Kolto to aid in medical emergencies. Supporting the biological healing aspect of the Prowler, Laminanium has been worked into much of the internal circuitry to allow the cybernetic systems of the Prowler to heal at roughly the same rate as its organic structures. However, there is only so much science and engineering can do. To that extent, a colony of Dedicated Repair Droids are often released inside larger Mesen'Loras and exist solely to repair and protect the ship. Though these droids operate independently, the bio-ship is capable of limited communication with the droids via the ship's Oggzil communicator organ.
Mesen'Loras of 9-50 Meters in Length
Mesen'Loras of 50 Meters or longer
The most important change to the Prowler DNA chain was the addition of elements from the Greater Calama. With the addition of a few strains of insect DNA and the contributions of the Greater Calama, the Bioship was made capable of growing a thick outer carapace with a similar durability to a Greater Calama's. This outer carapace proves to have vastly improved resistance to energy weapons, comparable to that of even Matrix Armor. Though it does prove to be less durable to physical impact than the inner layer of carapace. Though not as durable as desired, it is thanks to this addition that Mesen'loras would no longer require fitting with the artificial armor plating that proved to stunt the creature's growth.
Also incorporated into the enhanced DNA strain were coding taken from metamorphing species. These codes were adapted to the BioShip so that various internal structures and layouts would be grown or adapted to new purposes as the ship aged. The goal being to make even the young calves viable warships. Or, more accurately, to make them capable of serving as a starfighter or gunship while they are still growing into the more desirable Corvette and Frigate sized bioships.
Fully sentient, the now designated Marauder-class Bio-Mechanical starship is designed to be the ultimate organism. Programmed with a more "aggressive and brave" personality than the original Prowler design, the Marauder is more reliable in combat, though still gets compared to a moody teenager. Designed by Mandal Hypernautics and their genetic subsidiary, Auron Helix, the Marauder is the natural next step to the Prowler design. It is a conglomeration of Quella, Charon, and Yuuzhan Vong bio-engineering and minimal cybernetic augmented by Mandal Hypernautics engineers.
The bio-ship is propelled similarly to Yuuzhan Vong Coral Ships. The creature was engineered to possess a cluster of symbiotic Dovin Basal Biot's organized into a Neuroengine that serves as a type of organ for the Mesen'Loras. This Neuroengine, like all the symbiotic and cybernetic enhancements worked into this creature, is linked directly into the central nervous system of the bio-ship and is usable to the creature like any other part of its body. With this 'organ', a Mesen'Loras is effectively able to drag itself through space without the need for mechanical thrusters or conventional fuel. Unlike the Yuuzhan Vong Coral Ships, however, the Prowler is significantly more agile.
The tail of the ship, along with the port and starboard nacelle, ends in an organic structure engineered to function identically to an Etheric Rudder. The few pilots who have attempted direct control of a Mesen'Loras have described the design as “driving a front wheel drive vehicle with rear wheel handling.” While pilots typically find the experience awkward, the bio-ship is capable of extremely agile movements. That, combined with the unique nature of the propulsion system, makes targeting the ship annoyingly difficult. Gunners and commanders alike have complained that “It just doesn't move right.” after attempting to engage a Prowler in testing operations.
The Mesen'Loras is capable of performing a natural hyperspace jump via a technique referred to as a 'starburst.' The exact nature of this ability is unknown or simply not fully understood to any but the Quellan scientist that studied the recovered Charon data. Though the technique seems to produce a less accurate hyperspace travel than conventional means, the Mesen'Loras and its Navibrain seems to have an instinctual understanding of how to travel to their intended destination. While the added benefit of being harder to track and detect than the hyperspace travels of conventional ships, there are other limitations to the technique. For starters, starbursting is rather exhausting for the bio-ship. A Mesen'Loras can only sustain a single starburst for long enough to travel roughly a single galactic unit (one hex) at a time. Upon returning to realspace, a Mesen'Loras will then have to rest for twelve to fifteen minutes to recover its strength before making another jump. If particularly exhausted, it could take as long as twenty or thirty minutes. Moreover, it can take the bio-ship several minutes to find a hyperspace route that 'feels right' for a starburst. Humanoid crew can aid the bio-ship in this regard by providing secondary telemetry and using existing star charts, but the end result is a means of travel that is statistically slower and less reliable than traditional travel over long distances. While larger Mesen'Loras are capable of traveling farther distances per starburst, smaller Mesen'Loras can travel quicker to their destination, tend to find suitable hyperspace routes faster, and have a shorter refractory period than their larger counterparts.
A starburst is significantly harder to detect via traditional sensors and biological sensors alike, which allows a Mesen'Loras Bio-mechanical ship to enter or exit a system with little fear of detection. Similarly, the creature's audio, radio, radiation, heat, and electronic emissions are significantly lower than a similar ship of its size, making it a difficult ship to detect at all. This natural advantage is further augmented by a coating of sensor dampening Reflec polymer applied externally to the bio-ship every few weeks, often appearing as an object 1/10th its actual size. The one area where the Prowler suffers in overall stealth capability is when it comes to gravimetric sensors. The nature of its propulsion systems cause the Prowler to register as a ship ten times its actual size on gravimetric sensors. A technique used by the Prowler and her crew to counter this vulnerability is to accelerate to optimal speeds while still well outside standard sensor ranges and then 'coast' the rest of the way forward, using the ship's Etheric Rudders to maneuver.
The Prowler Bio-ship is capable of naturally emitting its own Hydrostatic shield around itself. This shield, similar to the Gungan Shield Generator, is capable of protecting the ship from radiation and other environmental hazards of space just as well as energy based weaponry, and protects the bio-ship from the effects of the Dovin Basal symbiots that propel it through space. When assaulted by energy based weaponry, the shield deflects the attack, instead of simply stopping or absorbing it as other shields would. While this typically results in a ricochet-type effect, it is possible for direct hits to be deflected back onto the firing ship at point-blank ranges.
A naturally occurring symbiote of the organism, two Yuuzhan Vong Plasma Cannons grow on the outer edges of the left and right nacelle and a larger Plasma cannon grows on the forward dorsal section of the ship. These symbioic organisms are directly connected to the nervous system of the bio-ship and can be controlled by the ship. Between the two nacelle and the main hull are two forward facing Heavy Bomblet Generators that use heat and energy from the ship's bio-reactor to create and launch energy bombs.
The three naturally occurring Plasma Cannons each ejected a flaming, magma-like projectile at high speeds towards a target. This projectile could cause kinetic damage to enemy ships and could actually alter the trajectory of smaller targets. Similarly, these magma-like projectiles tend to stick to the hulls of the ships they impact causing prolonged thermal damage to shields and electronics, as well as prolonged damage to armor plating and overall hull integrity. These weapons have a slower rate of fire when compared to traditional turbolasers or mass-drivers, but pack a significantly larger punch per hit.
Each of the ship's primary turrets is capable of retracting into the hull when not in use. The two Plasma Cannons are capable of firing forward, port and starboard respectively, ventral of the ship, dorsal of the ship, and behind the ship to a limited extent. A blind spot exists directly behind the ship, and point blank targets above or below the ship are also in blind spots. The heavier Plasma Cannon is capable of firing forward, to port and starboard, above the ship, and has a limited line of fire behind the ship. The heavier Plasma Cannon is also unable to fire directly behind the ship.
Though the Mesen'Loras is equipped with a number of Dovin Basal's, its use of them is limited and the biological targeting brain of the ship is unable to effectively use these symbiotic creatures to their full effect as a means of point defense. To contend with this, it is a common practice to augment larger Mesen'Loras (over 100 meters) with a number of Mandal Hypernautics Automated Gun Platforms, or other similar point defense systems. In most situations, two are placed on the port and starboard forward dorsal section, near the Proton Cannon. One is placed on the rear dorsal section, opposite the heavier Plasma Cannon. The final turret is located centrally on the ventral side. These turrets are automated and are activated or deactivated by the crew of the ship or the ship itself. The rear facing turret is the only weapon capable of firing directly behind the ship. The ventral turret is the only weapon capable of firing directly below the ship at close ranges.
The range of effect for the Mesen'Loras's Dovin Basal's is significantly shorter than that of its Yuuzhan Vong counterpart. This doesn't stop the bio-ship from attempting to use them in combat when the time arises. Unfortunately, they typically only cause about as much shield distortion as (9-50 meters; 4x starfighter scale ion cannons. 50-120 meters; 4x capital ship ion cannons. 120-300 meters; 4x heavy ion cannons). The largest impact the Dovin Basal's have on opposing ships is actually quite unintended. Ships in close proximity to a Mesen'Loras that is actively accelerating or adjusting its heading with its Dovin Basal's (including friendly ships) are unable to safely jump to hyperspace due to the gravity distortions.
While engaged in testing, it was discovered that the Prowler's organic sensors and targeting systems were immune to the effects of Mandal Hypernautics electronic warfare techniques. It is believed that this immunity is the result of the poorly understood manner in which Yuuzhan Vong Biot's detect opposing spaceships. Due to this, it is now believed that the electronic signals produced by Mandal Hypernautics' Electronic Warfare modules are completely ineffective against Yuuzhan Vong ships and is theorized that 'Vong Sensing Nodules utilize a form of gravimetric or magnetimetric detection to identify targets. Though they could just as likely use sound or smell to detect other ships.
The Mesen'Loras is capable of emitting smaller, weaker Hydrostatic Shields similar to Gungan Personal Energy Shield along internal passages as a means of preventing atmospheric decompression or the spread of poison gas. Also engineered into the bio-ship are a number of small, anti-personnel grade plasma cannons that retract into the ceiling of the ship's hallways. These can typically be found in any ship larger than 50 meters long. There are typically two such internal defense cannons on the bridge, pilot's den, cargo hold, hanger, and in the primary reactor compartment. A few dozen such turrets are placed elsewhere throughout the ship, typically at junctions and air-locks.
The cybernetic and other mechanical adornments to the Prowler are all powered in the same way that the organism sustains itself. Nestled deep in the heart of the ship is... A heart. Of sorts. The organ is referred to as a Bio-reactor and provides all the energy the bio-ship needs to function. Grafted to this bioreactor is a thermal generator that uses the excess heat created by the organ to power the cybernetic systems of the ship.
The ship requires no true fuel. Instead, the ship simply needs to occasionally spend a period of time close to a star or gas giant. While in close proximity to one of these stellar bodies, the Prowler will absorb radiation given off by the celestial body as sustenance. This can occasionally be dangerous if the bio-ship gets too close to the gas giant or star. Should the ship get too close to a gas giant, it may find itself unable to escape the intense gravity of the planet and sink to its death. A Prowler that ventures too close to a star will suffer shield failure and burn to death long before the strength of the object's gravity overwhelms what the ship is capable of producing with its Neuroengines.
The Prowler includes genetic sequences from Firaxan Sharks and numerous other organisms. This has left the Mesen'loras with the ability to secrete its own Kolto supply. This Kolto is produced in response to injury and speeds along the healing process, enabling the creature to heal in days what would otherwise take weeks or months to heal. In larger Mesen'Loras, structures similar to tear ducts connect the organs responsible for Kolto secretion to the medical bay of the ship, allowing the medical staff aboard the ship access to a vast quantity of Kolto to aid in medical emergencies. Supporting the biological healing aspect of the Prowler, Laminanium has been worked into much of the internal circuitry to allow the cybernetic systems of the Prowler to heal at roughly the same rate as its organic structures. However, there is only so much science and engineering can do. To that extent, a colony of Dedicated Repair Droids are often released inside larger Mesen'Loras and exist solely to repair and protect the ship. Though these droids operate independently, the bio-ship is capable of limited communication with the droids via the ship's Oggzil communicator organ.
Mesen'Loras of 9-50 Meters in Length
Young Mesen'Loras are only capable of supporting a single humanoid occupant. Nestled within the cranial cavity of the creature is a single Cognition Throne, through which a pilot can interact with the young ship and control it. Unfortunately, this technique results in a blending of personalities for the duration of the experience. In younger Mesen'Loras, this results in the pilot adopting a number of childish emotional inclinations. In larger Mesen'Loras, this tends to result in enhanced predatory instincts and feelings of extreme cockiness. To reach this cognition throne, a pilot must crawl through a single passage that connects what will eventually become the ship's hanger entrance to what will eventually become the bridge. As the ship grows, this passage will become larger and more complex until it eventually houses the entire internal corridor system of an adult Mesen'Loras.
Mesen'Loras of 50 Meters or longer
The bridge of the ship is a network of cybernetic and bio-engineered systems. Computers and viewscreens rest side-by-side with Qahsa Biocomputers, Targeting Brains, Navibrains, and other organic constructs. While there are numerous stations organized throughout the bridge for crew to operate, the Mesen'Loras is capable of operating fully without the oversight of a crew of humanoids. Or so it likes to think. In reality, most bridge officers have years of training and experience that can greatly benefit the ship in peace and combat. Nestled to the port of the bridge is the pilot's den where a Cognition Throne resides. From here, a pilot or commander can interface directly with the ship and assume control of the ship's systems. A Mesen'Loras is capable of contesting an unwanted commander through strength of will, but will more often than not simply shoot an unwanted commander with the two plasma cannons recessed into the ceiling of the pilot's den.
STRENGTHS
+ Does not require conventional fuel
+ Will self-repair over time
+ Fully Sentient
+ Energy resistant, double layered armor
+ Exotic shield systems which causes energy weapons to 'deflect'
+ Exotic biological and biomechanical sensors and transceivers are hard to effect with Ewar
+ Extremely hard to detect
+ Fast for a ship of its size
+ Extremely Agile for a ship of its size
WEAKNESSES
- Limited fire-arcs
- Short range weaponry
- Outer Carapace vulnerable to kinetic weapons
- When using Dovin Basal's, highly visible on Gravimetric / CGT sensors
- Captain does not actually control ship, merely 'makes suggestions' that it may or may not follow
- Ship feels pain when injured and will become less compliant to Captain's requests
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Classification: BioShip (Interceptor, Starfighter, Heavy Starfighter, Gunship, Corvette, and Frigate)
Role: Combat and Exploration
Length: ~9-300 meters
Power Core Generator/Reactor: Bioreactor and Thermal coupling
Hyperdrive Rating: Class 0.6 (Very Fast to Average: see notes)
Minimum Crew: 0-1
Optimal Crew: 0-80
Passenger Capacity: 0-200
Cargo Capacity: 0-1,000 tons
Consumables: 1-12 Months
RATINGS
- Maneuverability Rating: High
- Speed Rating: High
- Defensive Rating: Average
- Armament Rating: Average (Moderate at point blank)
Passive Camouflage
Thermal Dissipater: Lorqh Membranes
Advanced Sensory Array: Sensing Nodule, Life Form Indicator,
Standard Targeting Systems: Targeting Brain
Advanced Navigational Systems: Navibrain
Advanced Communications Systems: Oggzil Villip Communication Organisms
Standard Life Support Systems
Advanced Shielding Systems: Hydrostatic Shields
Advanced Security Systems: Internal Lifeform Scanner, Internal Heat-pit Sensor,
Detention Cells
Qahsa Biocomputers
Glow Lichens
NAVIGATION / PROPULSION
“Starburst” Biological Capability
Navibrain
Neuroengines
Triple Etheric Rudders
Inertial Compensator
Cognition Throne
ARMAMENT
(Weapons grow in size as ship grows in size)
- Dorsal Heavy Plasma Cannon
- Port and Starboard Plasma Cannons
- Port and Starboard Heavy Bomblet Generator Tubes
- Defensive Dovin Basal
Hangar Rating: Average
- If <120 meters: no hanger yet grown
- If 120-150 meters: 1/6th a Squadron
- If 150-180 meters: 1/3rd a Squadron
- If 180-220 meters: Half a Squadron
- If 220-260 meters: 2/3rds a Squadron
- If 260-300 meters: 1 Squadron
Hyperdrive rating is based on the actual transition speed per jump. While one or two jumps won't bother the ship much, living ship gets increasingly exhausted by numerous hyperspace jumps. The ship requires a "refractory period" between jumps that increases in length with each additional hyperspace jump. In practical terms, this means that each hyperspace jump after the first adds 0.2 to the current overall time it takes for the ship to prepare for a jump and complete said jump. And if you are trying to travel from one side of the galaxy to the other, the trip will take significantly longer than in a traditional ship, as the Bio-ship will need to "stop for a snack" in orbit near a star or gas giant.
Links
Prowler-class Mesen'Loras
Mesen'Loras Species
Canon Sentient Spaceship
Canon Bio-ship
