Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create an updated gunship
- Image Source: Star Citizen concept gunship art found here
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
- Affiliation: Silver Jedi Concord, Directorate, Closed-Market
- Model: Firedrake-class Gunship
- Production: Mass-Produced
- Material: durasteel & condensed-matter composite frame, Alusteel armor plating, ceraglass
canopy, typical starship components
- Classification: Gunship
- Length: 11 meters
- Width: 17 meters
- Height: 7 meters
- Armament: Very High
- 1 Dorsal turreted Twin Vaapad-class Variable Charge Laser Cannons
- 3 Ventral Modular turrets, each capable of holding one of the following or other equivalent:
- Twin HR-0C Slingshot Slug Railguns
- Twin HR-IO4 Ion Railguns
- Twin Incinerator-class Plasma Railguns
- Twin HLC-14 Heavy Laser Cannons
- Twin BLC-2 Burst Laser Cannons
- Twin MM-s3 Grenade Launchers with extended magazines
- Twin Reaper Mag Cannons
- Twin LLT-7 General Purpose Warhead launcher with extended magazines
- Quad Vaapad-class Variable Charge Laser Cannon
- Quad Stormflash Ion Encumbrance System
- Quad Ion Cannon
- One Sunfire 1000 Flame Projector
- One Hoth Heavy CryoBan Thrower
- Defenses: Average
- durasteel & condensed-matter composite frame, Alusteel armor plating panels
- HU-OC Deflector Shield
- 2 Modular Auxiliary System Turrets (under each wing)
- Squadron Count: Low: 8
- Maneuverability Rating: Low (Very Low with Nimble-7 Boost mode engaged, Average with Nimble-7 Ion Deflector maneuvering mode engaged)
- Speed Rating: Average (High with Nimble-7 boost engaged, Low with Nimble-7 Ion Deflector maneuvering mode engaged)
- Hyperdrive: Yes
- Hyperdrive Class: x1
- Standard Communications Array
- Standard Life Support Systems
- Standard Navigational Systems
- Standard Sensor Array
- Standard Targeting Systems
- Can Enter Atmosphere and Land
- Carries 10 passengers & 10 metric tons of cargo or other equivalent
- Modular Weapons Turrets
- Nimble-7 Ion Propulsion System
- Vitae-class Life Support System
- Modular Auxiliary System Turrets
- Target Identification Network
- Well-Armed: The Firedrake is exceptionally well-armed vessel bristling in weapons turrets that give it the ability to attack or defend from almost every vector. Every weapon on the Firedrake can be brought to bear in a forward fire arc, often making it extremely dangerous to other small craft
- Adaptable: The Firedrake is a fairly adaptable craft, thanks to its modular turrets. These allow the Firedrake to carry a wide variety of weapon types, allowing firepower to be customized for different missions, while MASTs provide the Firedrake with other different, supplemental abilities.
- Low Squadron Count: The Firedrake takes up more hangar space than the average starfighter due its large wingspan, meaning that fewer of them can be carried than if the space was occupied by traditional starfighters.
- Poor Maneuverability: The Firedrake is not a particularly agile craft due to its large mass and long wingspan, meaning that many smaller craft can outmaneuver it.
With the galaxy ever changing, especially with the onslaught of the Bryn'adul, Lucerne Labs turned their attention to creating an airborne gun platform that could be uniquely tailored to effectively rain down destruction on a variety of foes. While the resulting Firedrake liberally borrows design features from the famed LAAT/i and some Incom legacy fighters, it accomplishes its goal by using a set of unique modular turrets which allow the Firedrake to carry anything from conventional laser cannons and railguns to tank-grade cryoban throwers and highly versatile grenade launchers. Consequently, with a little work, the Firedrake can be outfitted to provide close fire support for troops, engage in customs patrols around planets, or freeze swathes of Bryn'adul troops. While the number of potential weapon combinations is great, about a half-dozen proven "loadouts" have become common enough to be named, contributing to the gunship's success in a turmultous galaxy.
Technical Explanations
Flight Control Systems: While the Firedrake can be piloted by a single person for casual flying in non-combat situations, it performs best in combat situations with a full crew consisting of a pilot, co-pilot/sensor operator, and five gunners. The flying quarters take clear inspiration from the widely successful LAAT design, with two separate, tandem canopy bubbles and cockpits for the pilot and co-pilot. Each is identical, allowing one person to immediately take control of the dropship if the other is killed or disabled. Like other Lucerne Labs designs, most of these controls are modeled on legacy Incom airspeeder designs and the X-wing. This allows the gunships to easily be piloted by people used to flying those craft. However, the Firedrake also sports several refinements from other Lucerne Labs craft, including an inertial compensator has been integrated into the ship's sensor suite. This allows the field to expand or contract automatically based on stimuli, whether it's a tumultous asteroid or a dovin basal, allowing the many passengers typically carried onboard a smooth ride and not disrupting their cargo. Gunner stations are located at each turret with the exception of the gunner who controls the MASTs - his station is located just behind the co-pilot's. A small passenger and cargo bay, a miniaturized version of that found on the LAAT/i occupies the middle of the craft.
Sublight Engines: The Firedrake uses a pair of massive Nimble-7 Ion Propulsion Systems found on either end of its wings. This placement is designed not only to make atmospheric maneuverability, particularly banking, relatively easy to perform, but also to place most of the ship's heat signatures on the periphery of the craft. This in turn is designed to enhance crew survivability if the Firedrake is attacked by heat-seeking missiles. As with other Nimble-7 equipped ships, these ion engines can boost the ship's speed to make it faster than the average starfighter, allowing it to make hit-and-fade attacks on ground targets or quickly catch up to slower small craft like bombers and shuttles. Alternatively, the ion stream deflector technology within the engines can be triggered to enhance the gunship's maneuverability to average starfighter levels at the cost of some of its speed.
Hyperdrive: The Firedrake uses a typical hyperdrive for a ship its size, allowing it to conduct typical patrol operations within a sector or make the occasionally deep foray into enemy territory for raids.
Hull: The Firedrake's hull blends elements found in the LAAT/i and a variety of legacy Incom designs, giving it fair atmospheric performance and handling characteristics while making it reasonably durable in a combat situation. Actual hull construction consists of a typical durasteel frame along with some sections reinforced by additional condensed-matter composite to dampen atmospheric vibrations and the strain of some maneuvers. Lastly, alusteel panels provide the Firedrake with solid protection from a variety of threats. While not impressive by any means, this construction is easy to repair in the field with even basic equipment, making it a favorite of mechanics where the ships are engaged in supporting ground forces in long, protracted campaigns.
Shields: The Firedrake uses a HU-OC Deflector Shield, providing the gunship with reasonable protection from many threats. Most users overcharge the shield when the gunship makes initial approaches on targets, allowing it to better wither some defensive fire before the gunship can unleash its own, massive amount of firepower.
Weapons: The Firedrake's greatest strength without a doubt is its exceptional and highly versatile firepower, all of which is mounted on flexible mounts with excellent fire arcs augmented by a TIN for precise fire direction against ground and air based targets in concealing and dense terrain. The coverage of these weapons is such that the Firedrake can attack or defend from almost any angle, while all of weapons do have the ability to converge on targets in the forward fire arc. This frontal firepower can oftentimes make short work of most small craft and devastate most ground vehicles. A top-mounted double Vaapad-class Laser Cannon turret provides the gunship with some additional offensive punch, but is primarily used as a defensive weapon to protect the gunship from diving attacks while the rest of the ship's weapons focus on attacking ground targets. A trio of large turrets are mounted on the underside in a tandem configuration on a gradually ascending slope. Each turret is designed to accommodate a wide variety of different weapon types, allowing the Firedrake to be customized for different missions or uses. Space in the hull above each turret has been set aside to act as ammunition magazines, capable of holding additional power generators, blaster gas cannisters, and other ammunition to allow the Firedrake to pour out sustained firepower during its missions.
Countermeasures: As a gunship, the Firedrake is often expected to linger above enemies in the air, potentially subjecting it to potent anti-aircraft fire. To that end, the Firedrake has a pair of Modular Auxiliary Systems Turrets, with one located under each wing in order to provide excellent fire arcs against ground enemies. Sensor jamming modules are by far the most common, as they provide an additional layer of protection from a multitude of threats by making targeting of the craft difficult. However, directional particle shields are often used by users who know that they will be facing opponents who prefer to use ordinance weapons such as concussion missiles or slugthrowing autocannons. Some gunships operating closely with large ground forces will use the enhanced targeting package, allowing them to call in artillery and armor attacks on targets that are otherwise hidden from those forces. When used as a patrol or customs craft, the MAST often use the tractor beam projector module, allowing them to tangle and slow down small craft that might attempt to flee.
Passenger / Cargo Capacity: The Firedrake's internal configuration largely follows that of the classic LAAT/i, but its passenger/cargo hold is much smaller due to the extensive ammunition magazines allocated to the ventral turrets. Still, the Firedrake has a cargo/passenger hold that allows the gunship to carry about a squad of troops along with a small portion of cargo (typically supplies for a squad's mission) or a couple speeder bikes. While not as impressive of a carrying capacity as its predecessor or most dedicated dropships, the Firedrake is useful for inserting small teams deep into highly-defended territory due to its heavy fire support capabilities.
Common Loadouts: Firedrakes can be equipped with a bewildering variety of weapons and countermeasures, many of which are the results of crew preferences or existing stockpiles of equipment. However, several common loadouts have been popularized by Lucerne Labs for sale as packages along with the ships themselves to its customers:
Armor-Buster
Turret 1 Weapons: Twin HR-0C Slingshot Slug Railgun
Turret 2 Weapons: Twin HR-IO4 Ion Railgun
Turret 3 Weapons: Twin HR-0C Slingshot Slug Railgun
MAST: Sensor Jammer
Description: This loadout is typically used to attack and destroy heavy armored vehicles from long-distances, often while concealed in cloud cover or while partially observed by terrain. The fire-linked slug railguns are well-suited for punching through thick armor plating while the ion railgun can rapidly strip shielding from a target or otherwise disable subsystems, making it easier to fall prey to the slugthrower railguns. Sensor jammer modules make the Firedrake more difficult for enemy vehicles to effectively fire back at the gunship.
Close Fire Support
Turret 1 Weapons: Quad Vaapad-class Variable Charge Laser Cannon
Turret 2 Weapons: Twin MM-s3 Grenade Launchers with extended magazines
Turret 3 Weapons: Quad Vaapad-class Variable Charge Laser Cannon
MASTs: Directional Particle Shield
Description: This loadout is typically used to attack large formations of soft enemy targets (infantry formations, light fortifications, etc) or to accompany friendly ground forces into battle. Grenade launchers can typically wipe out small clusters of infantry in minor field fortifications or destroy lightly protected ground vehicles. The quad laser cannon can either be optimized for a high volume of repeating fire (useful against large formations of infantry) or supercharged for use against heavy vehicles like tanks and walkers or well-protected fortifications like bunkers and pillboxes. The use of a TIN on the Firedrake means that such fire can be exceptionally precise against even small targets, making it invaluable when helping friendly troops clear enemies ensconced in urban terrain or densely foliaged terrain. A pair of Directional Particle Shields provides the gunship with protection from many common anti-aircraft weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles and slugthrowers.
Customs Patrol
Turret 1 Weapons: Quad Ion Cannon
Turret 2 Weapons: Quad Stormflash Ion Encumbrance System
Turret 3 Weapons: Quad Ion Cannon
MAST: Tractor Beam Projectors
Description: This loadout is used by gunships engaged in customs operations, as all of its weapons are designed to disable ships and systems. The sheer volume of fire produced by these weapons can rapidly strip a starship of shields and then power, rendering them listless in space and ripe for boarding by the gunship's troops. Tractor beam projectors are often used to slow down fleeing ships or immobilize smaller craft as they are subjected to the gunship's impressive firepower.
Fire and Ice
Turret 1 Weapons: One Hoth Heavy CryoBan Thrower
Turret 2 Weapons: One Sunfire 1000 Flame Projector
Turret 3 Weapons: One Hoth Heavy CryoBan Thrower
MAST: Enhanced Targeting Packages
Description: This loadout was specifically designed for use against the Bryn'adul, particularly taking advantage of several of their species vulnerabilities to temperature extremes. Both the flame projector and the cryoban thrower are large enough that they typically work well against clusters of enemy troops, and are usually overkill against most bryn'adul individuals. However, the TIN is sometimes used to precisely guide these powerful weapons against individual Bryn'adul, particularly against inspiring combat leaders. Enhanced targeting packages are usually used to call in precise applications of artillery strikes on Bryn'adul targets.
Space Superiority
Turret 1 Weapons: Twin Reaper Mag Cannons
Turret 2 Weapons: Twin LLT-7 General Purpose Warhead launchers with extended magazines
Turret 3 Weapons: Quad Vaapad-class Variable Charge Laser Cannon
MAST: Sensor Jammers
Description: This loadout provides a variety of general purpose weapons that make it an effective starship against a variety of small, spaceborne threats. Reaper Mag Cannons provide kinetic damage and Vaapad Laser Cannons provide energy-based damage, making this package even-handed when dealing with foes who are particularly strong in one aspect of defense but not the other. The warhead launchers typically are filled with concussion missiles or the smaller and more numerous Starbolt-class Missiles. Sensor Jammer modules are used to protect the Firedrake from enemy warheads and thwart locks by targeting computers on other small craft.
Missile Boat
Turret 1 Weapons: Twin LLT-7 General Purpose Warhead launchers with extended magazines
Turret 2 Weapons: Twin LLT-7 General Purpose Warhead launchers with extended magazines
Turret 3 Weapons: Twin LLT-7 General Purpose Warhead launchers with extended magazines
MAST: Enhanced Targeting Packages
Description: This effectively turns the gunship into a missile boat with a large load of warheads. The exact nature of these warheads is frequently dependent on the mission, with the Firedrake capable of carrying large space bombs that are dangerous to capital ships or scores of tiny Starbolts or Coldbolts for attacks on ground targets. Because these missile launchers are turreted, Parthian shots are a common tactic for these craft. The MAST usually carries the Enhanced Targeting Package to improve the probability that a missile will accurately hit a target.
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