Ashin Varanin
Professional Enabler
Affiliation: Galactic Alliance, Order of the Silver Jedi, Naboo system defense forces, select customers
Manufacturer: Theed Palace Space Vessel Engineering Corps (Theed Hangar)
Model: Handmaiden-class Escort Corvette
Modularity: No
Production: Mass-produced
Material: Durasteel hull, glasteel viewports
Classification: Heavy Escort
Length: 200m
Width: 80.4m
Height: 20.5m
Armament: 18
- 20 point-defense guns
- 30 reciprocating quad laser cannons with stutterfire capability
- 20 antimissile octets
- 10 point-defense pressor beams
- 20 flak cannons
- Total: 100 defensive guns
Rationale for gun count is as follows. I began with the template’s Heavy Corvette example ship. 30 turbolasers became 60 defense guns, and 6 warhead launchers became 24 defense guns. I added the original 4 defense guns for a total of 88. The example ship had a rating of 16. I increased the rating from 16 to 18 with a linear scale: 88x18/16=99, rounding to 100 for convenience.
Defenses: 14
- Reinforced durasteel hull
- Redundant military-grade shield generators
Hangar: None
Special Features:
- ECCM suite appended to redundant, multispectrum targeting systems
- 6 SIARC probes, mounted externally
Maneuverability Rating: 12
Speed Rating: 12
Hyperdrive Class: 1
Strengths:
- The Handmaiden’s heavy, variegated, layered armament can shred everything from warheads to gunships. Targets are handed off seamlessly from far to near ranges as they pass through the optimal range of each weapon type respectively.
- The Handmaiden’s redundant, multispectrum targeting systems have a strong ECCM suite for respectable resistance to jamming.
- The Handmaiden carries a small number of intrasystem probes, the Theed Hangar SIARC model.
Weaknesses:
- The Handmaiden is significantly slower and less maneuverable than other vessels of its size (rating 12 as opposed to rating 9 for a heavy corvette). It is a dedicated escort, designed to provide anti-small-craft support to much larger vessels. Though it remains faster than most of those vessels, it generally only needs to keep pace with them, with a minor edge for in-formation flexibility. As a result, it is very slow for a corvette and not recommended for independent operation.
- The Handmaiden has zero anti-capital armament. If another corvette got real close and was nice enough to stay there, the Handmaiden might be able to quad-laser it to death. Maybe.
- For a dedicated fleet escort, the Handmaiden is quite small. It’s tough for its size, but that isn’t much.
Description: The Handmaiden is a dedicated escort vessel. Its purpose is to keep pace with formations of much larger ships while providing comprehensive coverage against starfighters, gunships, and warheads. Its entire weapons loadout is comprised of defensive emplacements.
Based on the spaceframe of the K-type star yacht, the Handmaiden allows Naboo to make a substantive contribution to larger fleet movements, such as Galactic Alliance operations. The Galactic Alliance’s only dedicated defensive emplacement escort, the 500m Horn-class cruiser, is over twice the length and 8-10x bulkier, while fielding defensive weapons in a lower proportion. Equivalent fleet lengths of Horns and Handmaidens favor the Handmaiden for defensive weapons loadout, though the Horn has the edge in durability as well as a long-range fire support function. The Handmaiden is much, much harder to hit.
The Handmaiden project was accelerated when Firemane revoked all of its starship licenses from the Silver Sanctum Coalition/Order of the Silver Jedi. The OSJ found itself without a dedicated flak escort, a role that had been filled by the Guardian-class frigate and, to a lesser extent, the Frontier-class corvette. Theed Hangar seized the opportunity and presented a comprehensive pitch to the OSJ.
The Handmaiden has excellent, redundant targeting systems. These allow it to pass targets seamlessly between fire arcs and different ranges, depending on relative rotational momentum and changes in proximity. Though not as capable or efficient as the One Sith’s Bastion Advanced Fighter/Missile Defense System, the Handmaiden’s targeting system is loosely comparable. It includes a strong ECCM (counter-countermeasures) component, including a rapid frequency-hopping function, to partially or wholly counter enemy jamming.
Naboo SIARC probes allow the Handmaiden to get short-range in-depth scans of otherwise sensor-baffling regions, such as especially dense nebulae/asteroid fields. In essence, the SIARC lets the Handmaiden detect and flush out potential ambushes. The Handmaiden lacks a dedicated launcher, but the SIARC is designed to be deployed in a number of ways. In the case of the Handmaiden, the SIARC probes are mounted externally, in the shelter between the upper vestigial wings and the hull, just beside the engine nacelles. This position provides comprehensive shelter from all directions except directly fore and aft.
Development Thread: The Silver Jedi Come: Dominion of Malachor V (posts 16, 24, 94, 106, 107 especially relevant) - As the OSJ attempts to mount a major incursion and occupation without a functional fleet, Ajira Cardei and Shambleau prepare their pitch for the OSJ and assess the Order’s need for dedicated light escorts.
Intent: To provide the GA, OSJ, Naboo, and various customers with a dedicated light escort.
Who Can Use This: Galactic Alliance, Order of the Silver Jedi, Naboo authorities, and select Theed Hangar customers.
Primary Source: Partially inspired by the Azalus-class Flak Frigate by [member="Popo"] and the Bastion Advanced Fighter/Missile Defense System by [member="Cyrus Tregessar"].
