Qae Shena
Super Shaper Puppy!
Intent: To create a large-scale freighter for Qae as part of the Vagrant Fleet.
Manufacturer: Rendili StarDrive
Model: Stardust-class heavy freighter
Affiliation: Qae Shena
Modularity: No
Production: Unique
Material: Durasteel
Classification: Heavy Freighter
Role: Transport
Height: 28.0 metres
Width: 39.8 metres
Length: 73.1 metres
Power Core Generator/Reactor: Solar ionization reactor
Hyperdrive Rating: Class 1.0; backup class 10.0
Minimum Crew: 3
Optimal Crew: 10 + 4 pilots
Armaments: 8x light turbolaser, forward-mounted; dorsal recovery tractor beam
Hangar: 1x Yun-Harla in upper cargo; 2x MZ-V9 maintenance pods in lower cargo, 2 speeder bikes and 1 landspeeder in lower cargo
Non-Combative Attachments: Advanced shields, advanced sensors, standard assortment of non-combative functions
Passenger Capacity: 10
Cargo Capacity: 50 tons
Consumables: 6 months
Sublight Speed and Maneuverability: Class 4
The Stardust-class heavy freighter is a more modern freighter designed by Rendili StarDrive. Known for their large, effective and workmanlike designs, Rendili created this ship with mass cargo transit in mind. The basic model's most interesting design feature is the gigantic open cargo storage in the rear half of the vessel, split into two levels; thirty metres long, almost as wide and slightly less tall allows for huge amounts of cargo hauling to various places around the Galaxy. This gigantic cargo space allows for insane amounts of cargo in a multi-level cargo bay complete with upper and lower cargo doors. This allows it to offload more effectively in zero-g docking environments, as well as in open hangars using cargo cranes. The Stardust is designed mostly for big business and for those with a lot of precious cargo to transport, armed typically with four light turbolasers. Its front section is split into three decks for transport, though with its crew requirement cannot carry as many passengers as most ships of its size.
The Sky Dancer II, however, takes this to new levels and in insane directions. Qae, knowing his place as Master-at-Arms of the Vagrant Fleet, conceived of the vessel as a mobile headquarters of sorts, a place of learning and education in his quest to become a master lightsaber aficionado and a way for allies and friends to repay their debts to him. The first and most obvious modification is the installation of four additional light turbolasers. While not turreted, the ship is easily capable of handling its own provided it can keep an opponent in its front arc, which does not allow it to effectively engage fighter craft of any kind on its own; generally its defence is against slower, larger ships which require the heavier weaponry to take down.
The second major modification is the addition of a number of fighter clamps inside the upper cargo bay for the storage of four Miy'til-class starfighters, acquired from the Hapes Consortium under less than legal circumstances. Less given to the idea of moving cargo, the Sky Dancer II features these fighters as a primary method of defence against raiders, pirates and general ne'er-do-wells. However, the major drawback to the ship is that it must onload and offload its fighters from the top hangar, which can only have one fighter enter or leave at a time via repulsorlifts, making it an excruciatingly slow process to deploy its payload. While other fighters were considered, only the Galaxy's smallest fighters were able to be used given the hatch's size and the limited space available in the hangar. Emergency recovery is made using a tractor beam mounted topside.
The lower level is where the vast majority of actual cargo is held. While Qae has added speeder bike racks for land-based transport and a landspeeder in case of needing to move people, only half of its standard space is given over to cargo. The other half is equipped with a workbench and plenty of space and training droids for his insane regimen of lightsaber combat. There is plenty of room for a good lightsaber duel or two in the cargo bay and Qae generally spends most of his time down there, all things being equal. As such, the ship carries around a quarter of its standard cargo capacity, if not less, to make up for the use of its cargo space for dedicated functions.
Another unique feature of the Stardust-class that Qae carried over are the two small maintenance pods that come with the ship, stored in the lower cargo bay. The MZ-V9 pods are three metres long and are slow, unshielded pods that come with two manipulator arms that extend from the bow and have an inbuilt multi-tool that allow the ship to effect external repairs in zero-G environments. Not designed for combat at all, these pods are normally automated. However, Qae prevailed upon Rendili to remove the droid brain links and add a small cockpit for his companion droid Derp, who pilots the pods to make repairs to the ship that cannot be done internally.
While large, the ship is a very expensive vessel to acquire and given the unique nature of many of its features, is highly costly. The standard Stardust-class is an expensive vessel and the extensive retrofits to the vessel make it a highly unique design that has been given considerable thought. Many of its modifications are after-market made by techs aboard Moreau Station or, in some cases, as requested to Rendili StarDrive. While a little on the slower side, the Sky Dancer II is a ship made to be known, to be feared and to be revered, as well as serving as much of the flagship role as the fabled and highly technologically advanced Peregrine, arguably the only other ship in the Vagrant Fleet to receive as much love and care as this one does. Crewed primarily by Qae, Derp and a variety of temporary crew that owe favours to Qae or wish to pick up some skills and learn to crew a starship of fly a fighter, this ship truly bears the heart and soul of the wandering vagrant.
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