Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent:To provide a new light carrier for the Directorate
- Image Source: Personal photograph of Spartan Game's Vanquisher-class Cruiser modified by yours truly combined with space background
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
- Affiliation: Directorate
- Model: Patroculus-class Light Carrier
- Production: Limited
- Material: Mirrsteel-iridium-condensed matter composite frame as per Ossis starship frame, Chimera Composite armor plating, ceraglass, Starship Components
- Classification: Light Carrier
- Length: 500 meters
- Width: 200 meters
- Height: 120 meters
- Armament: Very Low
- Defenses: Very High
- Hangar Space: Extreme: 6 Squadrons
- Hangar Allocations:
- Starfighters: 6 squadrons
- Support Craft: 0 squadrons
- Maneuverability Rating: Low (Very Low with Nimble-5 Boost mode engaged)
- Speed Rating: Average (High with Nimble-5 Boost mode engaged)
- Hyperdrive Class: Average: x1
- Encryption Network
- Escape Pods
- Electronic Security Systems (Pyrowalls, Rapid Repetition Defense Measure programming, EI-9 network security droids)
- Internal Security Systems (Embedded Mantraps, Automated Stormfire Repeater Emplacements, Internal Force Field Generators)
- Oracle-class Communications Package (x1)
- Ossis Starship Frame
- Standard Detention Cells
- Standard Life Support Systems
- Standard Navigational Systems
- Standard Sensor Array
- Tractor Beam Projectors (x6)
- Aegis II Anticoncussion Field Generator
- Chimera Composite Armor
- Aspis-class Shield System (x3)
- Biolux Organoform Circuitry
- Calor series Bio-computers
- Nimble-5 Ion Engines
- Pressor Catapults
- Recycling Systems: Fuel scoops, molecular furnace, limited automated factory, Gyrowheel series recycling droids
- Automated: Patroculus takes full advantage of Lucerne Labs pioneering biological-based computing systems to highly automate the warship, allowing the ship to use a smaller number of crew, and thus improving its ability as a long-distance endurance warship.
- Endurance Vessel: Designed to fight in highly remote reaches of space, the Patroculus sports a number of systems designed to improve its long-term endurance. Fuel scoops ensure that the ship can refuel itself from the natural resources of uninhabitanted planets while a molecular furnance and automated factory allow it to produce more ammunition for its projectile weapons as well as any spare parts that might needed. The Recycling droids help stretch out food supplies for the small crews if needed.
- High Starfighter Complement: The Patroculus's foremost strength is the large number of strikecraft that the carrier can support, enabling excellent and versatile power projection for a ship of its size.
- Weak Weaponry: The Patroculus only has light weaponry designed to protect it from starfighters, missiles, and other very small threats. It is almost entirely ineffective against other capital warships, unless those ships are already heavily damaged.
- Low Maneuverability: The Patroculus is not a very maneuverable craft, and this is even further weakened when the Nimble-5 Ion Engine's boost system is in use.
A member of the Defender legacy design tree, the Patroculus-class Light Carrier is a product of Lucerne Lab's Gyndine shipyards reworking existing design elements of the old Defender-class Cruiser into a flexible carrier design that could support extended deployments of starfighter squadrons in the Unknown Regions. The resulting ship is in many ways similar to the classic Ton-Falk-class Escort Carrier, having only light point defenses but capable of supporting an impressive two wings of starfighters. Unlike that ship, however, the Patroculus is designed to operate for extended periods of time in deep space, and thus also has a number of systems designed to increase its self-sufficiency in remote regions of space by producing its own fuel, spare parts, and munitions. As with many carriers, Patroculus usually operate away from the front lines of a battlefield because of their light armament, but they are sometimes known to enter the thick of battle, where their extensive shielding allows them to recover starfighters and rearm them if necessary. Most Patroculus carriers built by the Gyndine yards were employed by Admiral Quee in the Tempered Wastes campaigns where they escorted convoys or provided air support to ground expeditionary forces. With the ending of that campaign, the ships have slowly filtered back into the more civilized areas of space, becoming an increasingly common element in Directorate battle fleets.
Technical Explanations
Crew & Automation: The Patroculus runs on a two section crew that extensively uses the ship's Calor Series BioComputers connected by Lucerne Labs Biolux series Organoform circuitry to automate as many of the ship's basic functions as possible for non-combat, day to day operations. This usually results in each watch overseeing these processes from their stations, and moving to trouble shoot problems as they arise. When battle is eminent, both sections come onto duty simultaneously, taking over any previously automated tasks.This leaves a small pool of crewmen that can supplement certain department's manpower as needed. All of this activity is directed from a CIC-style bridge buried near the center of the ship. The ship also a cramped auxiliary bridge located at the tip of the vessel's bow, which unlike the main bridge, has viewports that look out into space. The Patroculus is also notable in that it has a morale, welfare, and resource section located at the very rear of the ship placed between the two engine blocks. Multiple layers of ceraglass offer an expansive star vista while sailors and soldiers work out, play sports, eat, and drink in this multi-level multipurpose space which makes long deployments much more bearable.
Engine Systems: The Patroculus uses twin banks of Nimble-5 Ion Engines, which temporarily allow the carrier to "boost". This is typically used to close gaps in formations, avoid collisions, or help affect escapes. The Patroculus sports an otherwise typical hyperdrive, maneuvering thrusters, and repulsorlifts typically found on a vessel its size.
Shielding systems: The Patroculus uses three independent Aspis-class Shield Systems to provide it with several layers of redundant shielding, much like earlier Mon Calamari Cruisers. This allows local systems to be briefly taken offline for repair if damaged or burnt out while still leaving some shields still up in that area. This makes the carrier exceptionally durable on the battlefield. The ship also has an Aegis II Anti-concussion Field Generator, but it does not have sufficient power to use it for normal use. In order to activate this device, the ship must shunt power from its weapons, engines, or take one of its Aspis Shield Systems offline. This last option is the most popular, and it provides the Patroculus with much improved resilience when faced with kinetic attacks or possible collisions.
Hull: As an evolution of the Defender, the Patroculus was designed from the ground up with the Ossis series starship framework, making its base bones durable and resilient to variety of potential dangers. The Patroculus uses a layers of criss-crossing Chimera-Composite Plates to provide it with average armor thickness. This means that most of the ship's defense rating is the result of the ship's shielding.The rear morale, welfare, and resource section is the exception to this rule, but automatic shutters quickly move Chimera-Composite plates over the exposed panes of ceraglass.
Weapon Systems: As a light carrier, the Patroculus is designed primarily to engage enemies from a long range through its starfighter complement. It consequently does not have any capital grade weapons, but it does have several dozen point defense weapons designed to protect it from fast-moving starfighters and missiles that might be able to quickly reach its rear position. These weapons are equally spaced around the hull to provide it with comprehensive fire arcs, though this also means a certain dilution of firepower from its quad autoblasters.
Carrying Capacity: As a carrier, much of the ship's internal space is dedicated to extensive hangar facilities with complete repair and automated rearming/refueling stations. As with other ships derived from the earlier defender, it retains a small stern hangar that opens up between the twin engine blocks which is only to be used to recover its starfighters. For actually launching its starfighter complement, the Patroculus has dozens of small launch tubes spread out across its hull. Each launch tube is equipped with catapult pressors that can launch one or two craft at a time. This allows the Patroculus to rapidly deploy its starfighter complement in about one minute. When not in active use, the rear hangar and launch tubes are usually closed by thick blast doors made out of Chimera composite. For onboard security purposes, the Patroculus has space to carry two full companies (based on the old Imperial model). These troops are not always carried however or are sometimes replaced with dozens of deep space probots or supplies.
Recycling Systems: Because of their original design intent to operate in the furthest regions of known space, the Patroculus-class has a number of systems designed to extend its endurance. Perhaps the most important of these are fuel scoops, which allow the Patroculus to gather up liquids and gases from naturally-occurring sources and convert them into different chemicals. This not only provides the ship's reactors and engines with fuel, but also its starfighter complement. A molecular furnace with an automated machine shop and ammunition factory helps meets the ship's other basic needs for spare parts for any of its equipment or carried vehicles and munitions for its strikecraft and point defense missile launchers. Lastly, a several dozen Gyrowheel recycling droids and their associated recycling stations can further extend the ship's food supply if need be.
