Directorate Officer
Image Source: Spartan Game's Annihilator-class Gunship taken by Alexander Mann? (may change image later on)
Affiliation: Lucerne Labs
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: Tercel-class Heavy Cruiser
Modularity: No
Production: Minor
Material: Iridium-Mirrsteel frame, Chimera Composite armor plating, starship components
Classification: Heavy Cruiser
Length: 900 meters
Height: 210 meters
Width: 330 meters
Armament:
Rating 16
4 Trident-class Autocannons (Forward)
70 Rhongomyniad-class Mass Driver Cannons
80 Triumph-class Light Quad Turbolasers
35 Torrent-class Plasma Energy Torpedo Launchers
36 Harpoon-class General Purpose Warhead Launchers (15 starboard; 15 port; 6 stern)
2 Erebus-class Jamming arrays
8 Trudo Point Defense Turrets
16 AG-2G Quad Laser Cannons
16 Sentinel-class Point Defense Emplacements
Defenses: 18
Hangar: 4 LL-1300 shuttles
Special Features:
Biolux Series Organoform Circuitry
Calor Series BioComputers
Communications Array
Encryption Network
Escape Pods
Holonet Transceiver
MC1011 Delphus2-class Shield System
Nimble-5 Ion Engine
Standard Detention Cells
Standard Life Support Systems
Standard Navigational Systems
Standard Sensor Array
Standard Targeting Systems
Tractor Beam Projectors (8)
Can Enter Atmosphere and Land
Manoeuvrability Rating: 17
Speed Rating: 14
Hyperdrive Class: x1
Strengths:
Reinforced Fore: The Tercel boasts a heavily reinforced front structural frame that has additional Chimera Composite plating added to it, making it more durable in that arc compared to the standard heavy cruiser.
Enhanced Speed: The Tercel has several banks of Nimble-5 engines that supplemented by classic fusial thrust engines that trade power for lack of fine control. This makes the Tercel slightly faster than average heavy cruisers of its size.
Weaknesses:
Subpar Rear Defenses: In order to keep the mass down, the Tercel does not have as heavy of armor plating as a normal heavy cruiser on the rear half of the ship. These defenses are generally comparable to those found on a standard escort cruiser.
Poor maneuverability: The Tercel's high output engines combined with its unusually heavy bow make the ship more difficult to maneuver than most ships of its size class.
Description: The first Tercel-class Heavy Cruiser started out as a simple test bed design that would incorporate Lucerne Lab's latest forays in biotechnology and biomimicry-enhanced starship components. However, the research platform was appropriated and repurposed into a true warship design under the direction of Gir Quee based on intelligence that suggested that Hast would be a target of a One Sith-inspired warlord. Because time was of the essence, only some of the Lab's newest technology was incorporated into the design, along with some existing technology from other manufacturers. The resulting vessel is a fairly competitive heavy cruiser that is exceptionally suited to leading frontal attacks with a predominance of front-firing weapons and excellent frontal defenses at the cost of less utility from its broadside weapons and somewhat weaker than normal hull plating on its rear half.
Technical Explanations:
Crew & Automation: As a test platform, the original core functions of the Tercel were designed to be operated by as a few as many people as possible, which caused the initial overall arrangement to be modelled after the Lucrehulk-class Droid Control ship, which is observable in the ship's central sphere-like structure. Much of this automation uses Calor Series BioComputers connected with Biolux Series Organoform Circuitry, but because Gir was unwilling to place to risk everything on a relatively untested technology, most of the ship actually functions on a normally sized organic crew who operate the bio-computers in their manual override mode. Most of the crew, with the notable exception of the gunnery teams and engines crew, work from within the central spherical section of hull, which includes a Command Information Center style bridge buried in the front half of the sphere.
Engine Systems: The Tercel was originally slated to test several new sublight and hyperdrive systems under development by the Labs. However, none of these systems were refined enough for use in the time frame needed. Consequently the Tercel uses a standard x1 hyperdrive and a trio of Nimble-5 Ion Engine clusters that extend out from the hull that provide half of the ship's thrust. Several other sets of Nimble-5 engines are set closer to the main hull of the ship itself. This makes the ship relatively quick for its size, but the engine layout, originally intended for a different design, combined with the front-heaviness of the hull, make it exceptionally unmaneuverable compared to many of its competitors.
Shielding Systems:
Lucerne Labs used the best available shielding that they had on hand, a limited supply of MC1011 Delphus.2-class Shield Systems, to protect the vessel. Unlike the ship's hull, protection by the shield generators is spread out equally across the Tercel's hull.
Hull armor:
The ship's mol-welded frame is made out of Iridium-impregnated Mirrsteel that makes extensive use of triangles to reinforce it against physical stresses. The front of the vessel notably makes use of a secondary framework which reinforces the normal framework to the help the hull better withstand physical impacts. This hull is then covered in alternating layers of the Lab's new Chimera Composite alternated occasionally with an almost microscopic layer of condense-matter composite to diffuse vibrations. The Chimera composite is connected to several heat exchangers at the rear of the hull which allow it to slowly diffuse built up heat. This advanced matrix armor is probably the one trait that makes the Tercel as competitive as it is in the simulated tests so far, but as the first ship to actually use it, the exact effectiveness of this material is yet to be determined. Most of the Chimera Composite armor is concentrated in large, replaceable panels at the front half of the vessel that are sloped to better prevent penetration by kinetic weapons. The latter half of the vessel is comparatively underarmored compared to many of its competitors, sporting armor thickness more appropriate for smaller cruisers or large frigates.
Weapon Systems:
The Tercel's armament is centered on a quartet of powerful Trident Autocannons that are clearly visible from the bow of the vessel. Because of their mass, the original framework of the vessel had to be tweaked somewhat to recess the batteries closer to the main section of the hull itself. This has resulted in the weapons being restricted to a front arc that allows little in terms of elevation, though it retains an excellent depression fire arc. These weapons can be controlled and aimed as a collective unit, or split to fire upon different targets. The remaining capital-scale guns of the Tercel are mostly concentrated across the ventral portion of the ship and equally spaced. While none of these weapons are especially powerful, this allows the Tercel to provide large fire arcs with a high volume of fire. About a dozen mass drivers and another dozen light quad turbolasers are equally spaced across the dorsal section of the craft, mostly to provide a method of attack to small starships that might try to dart in close to attack its top half. The Torrent-class plasma energy torpedo launchers are arrayed equidistantly across the front section of the hull, with only a few that the ability to swivel and fire in the rear arc. These are typically used to weaken a ship's shields to soften them up for the mostly short-ranged autocannons. These torpedo launchers are supplemented by fifteen fixed general purpose warhead launchers set on either side of the ship, which are generally used to launch ordinance in support of the Tercel's allies or to ward off enemy vessels that attempt to attack the Tercel's flank. Another half dozen general purpose warhead launchers are split across the ship's rear, where they are used mostly to deploy defensive mines to discourage enemy attacks from the rear.
In terms of strict defensive weaponry, the Tercel has a pair of turreted Erebus arrays on either side of the ship which gives them an effective fire arc for the bow and the side which they are emplaced upon. These are usually used to deter long-range weapons fire and enemy missile attacks as the Tercel moves in to brawl at close ranges. The Tercel also sports a collection of Trudo defense turrets, quad lasers cannons, and quad autoblaster emplacements that are equally spaced across the ship's hull to provide some protection against enemy missiles, starfighters, and other small threats.
Carrying Capacity:
As a testbed platform, the Tercel's frame was not able to incorporate an extensive hangar bay that could support large numbers of starfighters or support craft. However, the Tercel's engineers managed to fit in a pair of cramped shuttle bays that are used to house a quartet of shuttles that allow the cruiser to conduct the basic supply and personnel movements needed by most ships of its size. The engineers had more luck fitting in dispersed sets of passenger compartments across the hull in areas originally slated for experimental systems. This makes the Tercel almost as efficient as the classic Rendili-built dreadnaught in terms of carrying capacity: the Tercel can carry up to a brigade of soldiers, about four thousand passengers. In practice, Directorate and Lucerne Labs operated Tercels rarely carry that large of a number troops, and the excess cabins are used to house supplies for extended journeys into wild space and the unknown regions.
Development Thread: Who hunts the hunters?
Intent: Provide Lucerne Labs with a heavy hitting warship that showcases its new biotechnology enhanced components.
Who Can Use This: Lucerne Labs, Lucerne Lab allies & customers
Primary Source: N/A