Ren-Hua Mant
Whom Does the Stars Know
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To retrofit an old plan which never came to fruition
- Image Source: Kait Kybar
- Canon Link: N/A
- Primary Source: Starling v1
- Manufacturer: Rothana Heavy Engineering
- Affiliation:
Ren-Hua Mant
- Market Status: Closed-Market
- Model: Experimental Missile Corvette
- Production: Unique
- Material:
- Hull: Matrix Armor, AR-0B Damage Reduction Armor Component
- Frame: Alusteel
- Misc: Glasteel Viewports, Turadium Blast Doors/Shutters, Agrinium Reactor Shielding
- Stealth System: Stygium
- Classification: Experimental Missile Corvette
- Length: 110 m
- Width: 45 m
- Height: 30 m
- Armament: High (Air-to-Air), Extreme (Air-to-Surface)
- Defenses: High
- Hangar Space: Average
- Hangar Allocations:
- [x02] BV-47A Drop Shuttles
- Single Craft Hangar: Yes
- Maneuverability Rating: Average
Hyperdrive Class: 1.0 (Backup Class 4.0)
STANDARD FEATURES
- Antimatter Furnace
- Aural Sensor
- Artificial Gravity
- Comm Laser
- Com-scan
- Distress Beacon
- Environmental Converter
- Escape Pods
- Full-Spectrum Transceiver
- Inertial Dampener
- HoloNet Transceiver
- Hyperwave Signal Interceptor
- Hyperwave Transceiver
- Life Form Indicator
- Life Support Systems
- Long Range Sensor Array
- Medical Bay
- Navigation Computer
- Ranger Transceiver
- Wide Range Sensor System
- 4x-Phantom Short Range Sensor Jammer
- Anti-Ion Emisson Tracer
- Communication Wave Descrambler
- Crystal Gravfield Trap
- Encryption Module
- Frequency Jammer
- Gemcutter
- Mimic Sensor Decoy
- Perseus Stealth System
- Ray Shields
- Sensor Dampener
- Sensor Mask
- Targeting Laser
- Targeting Sensor
- Tri-Tracker
- VT-Hyperspace Capacitor
- One: There is only one vessel designed like this, its designs sealed by order of the highest echelons in the Galactic Republic Defense Ministry. Following the faction's collapse, the data on the experimental ship's design was lost forever. Unknown to the galaxy at large, the Starling boasts a number of features that enemies will simply not know prior to their use.
- Gung Ho: One of the key features of the vessel was it's ability to fit a lot of weapons into a small ship. With weapons capabilities capable of warding off most threats comparable in size, it also boasts a number of payload options for its missile launcher. The most notable feature though are the nuclear missile tubes, capable of devastating destructive potential, the missiles serve mostly as a deterrent against much more powerful adversaries.
- Mirage: Equipped with a myriad of equipment to keep it under the radar, the Starling is capable of travelling undetected to the untrained eye. Designed to be a hit and run ship, its equipment used in tandem with each other promotes a more unconventional means of both entry and exit, with the goal of avoiding conflict. The Stygium stealth system aboard takes things even further, evading the attention of even more experience personnel and their monitoring systems.
- Transport: The Starling is capable of carrying a small handful of small personnel crafts which can provide in-atmosphere support and conduct boarding operations.
- Computer Crew: The ship has been retrofitted to eliminate the necessity of several support roles and the ship now requires only a fraction of its original staffing requirements.
- Steady: Though agile in and of itself, its sensitive weapons effectively prohibit it from pulling edgy maneuvers or tight turns. The risk of involuntary self-destruction is a strong incentive not to rock the boat, and quite literally so.
- Opportunity Cost: The focus of the ship's design was efficiency, to make room for the sizable missile tubes and storage bay (hangar), certain luxuries and amenities were sacrificed. Though comfortable given the conditions, for the sake of the crew's morale and consequent efficiency, the Starling has to dock at least monthly, even if they have the supplies to stay spacebound for longer.
- Out of Reach: Though not without offensive capabilities, the ship's weapons are poorly optimized for long range combat. Due to the design of the ship, the concussion missile launcher is incapable of firing from the port quarter to the starboard quarter. Its external placement makes it particularly vulnerable to smaller attack craft. The Magnafield missiles, while dangerous, post a much smaller threat in space, subject to anti-missile defenses with little to no collateral damage from subsequent radiation.
- Power Drain: A number of special features require a powerful power source. Powered chiefly by an antimatter furnace, the Starling is capable of achieving that power, but not all at once. The Perseus Stealth System requires most features shut down, or at least operating passively, to function for prolonged periods of time. Features such as HIMS, special sensors, and redundant shielding can be used while cloaked, however, in doing so it would render the active cloak operable for a time too short to be functional and poses a tremendous risk of primary power failure.
- No More Shiftwork: With a trimmer crew, the Starling is unable to operate at optimal capacity around the clock and can only utilize the full array of its capabilities with the full attention of its crew - a crew subject to the same limitations as all organic life.
The Starling (formerly the Erebus) is an experimental missile corvette designed and manufactured by Zerek Station, a task force within the Galactic Republic with affiliations ranging from the Special Operations Brigade to Republic Intelligence. Though its true purpose was never released beyond the inner circle of Zerek Station management, its potential made it eerily apparent. It's armament was nothing to brag about, but its missile payload carried a destructive potential to serve as a deterrent to hostilities, both directly and indirectly. It featured a Stygium stealth system offered a clandestine method of infiltration, permitting use of it's Magnafield missiles from close, limiting opponent's countermeasures to defend against an attack. All the crew though, is aware of the devastating capabilities they possess and are not keen to use their irreplaceable supply without a very good reason.
The ship itself was designed with efficiency at the forefront of the design team's minds. By sacrificing nonessential amenities and more luxurious features, they were able to fit six Magnafield missiles aboard, as well as a generous cargo bay, which houses two IFT-T fighter tanks, a year's worth of consumables, and ample room for miscellaneous gear. Crew quarters are miniscule, with a small desk, two lockers, and two bunks per room. The captain's quarters, while afforded more luxuries than the crew's quarters, is still relatively small and the size of approximately three regular rooms. While other corvettes of comparable sizes might have optimal crews in excess of 100, the Erebus only required 32 well-trained troops, but had enough room to carry 40. Crew members are able to cover each others' roles to limited effect; if one key position falters, the whole ship feels it.
Though capable of self-defense against adversaries of similar sizes, it was by no means a hard-charging combat support ship. Under steady leadership and with a capable crew, the Erebus was one of the Republic's more potent weapons.
The ship was sold on the black market to Ren-Hua Mant, who captains the ship to this day. Retrofitted to automate the roles of much of its crew, the Starling requires only a fraction of the crew it once demanded to operate. Though originally named the Erebus, it was sold to Mant as the Starling, and she elected to keep that name having been enamored by its charm.
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