Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To provide the Lucerne Labs with an elite stealth fighter
Image Source: Originally by AdamKop commissioned by Shogun Eagle, modified by yours truly
Canon Link: N/A
Restricted Missions: N/A
Primary Source: N/A
Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
Model: T9 Phantasm-class Starfighter
Affiliation: Gir Quee, Lucerne Labs, PC's with explicit permission from myself
Production: Semi-Unique (no more than 3 squadrons of craft existing at any one time)
Material: Ceraglass hull plating, Corellian Epoxy, carbo-plas frame, starship components
Classification: Starfighter
Length: 12.5 meters
Width: 10 meters
Height: 5.5 meters
Armament: Low
2 Slug Cannons
1 Bomb Bay: (one of the following options or other equivalent)
4 Proton Bombs
6 Proton Torpedoes
8 Concussion Missiles
24 Aratech 3t3 Missiles
6 Mines
64 Thermal Detonators or other small Grenades
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Defenses: Average
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Squadron Count: Average: 12
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Maneuverability Rating: High
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Speed Rating: High
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Hyperdrive Class: Average 2
STANDARD FEATURES
- Internal Astromech Socket
- Standard Communications Array
- Standard Particle Shield Generator
- Standard Life Support Systems
- Standard Navigational Systems
- Standard Repulsorlift Engines
- Standard Sensor Array
- Standard Starfighter Weapons: Slug Cannons, Bomb Bay
- Standard Targeting Systems
- Can Enter Atmosphere and Land
- Biolux Series Organoform Circuitry
- Calor Series Bio Computers
- Caecius Drive System
- Ion-Scrambler
- Gravitic Modulator
- Photoreactive Fibers
- Photosensitive Microscopic Crystals
- Thermal Dissipators
- Tuned Hyperdrive
- Ysalamari container
- Vanish 2 Sensor Mask
Strengths:
Stealthy: The Phantasm, if nothing else, is an exceptionally stealthy starship through the use of multiple stealth systems, whether through the use of proprietary engine systems, sophisticated electronics, and employment of exotic materials. Its systems essentially minimize its base sensor signature, and then seek to mask its small, existing signature to blend in with its back drop.
Thick armor: The Phantasm sports an exceptionally thick hull to protect itself, almost a necessity given its lack of ray shielding.
Modular Armament: The Phantasm's slug cannons and bomb bay are both exceptionally modular, which allow it to carry a variety of mission specific ordinance.
Agile: The Phantasm's oversized engines and lateral stabilizers make it a high-performance starship, though this can suffer considerably depending on the engine settings.
No Ray Shielding: The Phantasm does not have ray shielding. Partially this is because of the intense power requirements needed for this device (especially with all of its stealth equipment), and partly because ray shielding is exceptionally difficult to hide from DERs.
Poor dogfighter: Phantasms are very difficult to use as conventional dogfighters for a variety of small, compounding reasons. For example, its gun armament has limited ammunition, making it ill-suited for extended dogfights, and the bomb bay means that there is a noticeable delay in ordinance being launched. Using active sensors to target an enemy also automatically reveals the Phantasm's location, which in turn strips of its primary defense of stealth.
Low Armament: Phantasms do not have the overall firepower of a typical starfighter.
Following their introduction of the Eidolon Transport, Lucerne Labs appeared to briefly experiment with small stealth starship. However, the volatile political climate soon meant that access to stygium crystals became more common, and the apparent market for stealth starfighters vanished, along with funding for most of Lucerne Lab's stealth technology research programs. However, a small design team under Gir's direction further refined some existing technology to make a very limited run of stealth starfighters that eventually evolved into the T9. While most of the company refers to them as unofficially as Katarns, those who know of their true nature refer to them as Phantasms for their unusual stealth technology.
Phantasms do not wholly disappear from sight even with all of their stealth systems engaged. Rather, the Photoreactive Fibers and Photosensitive Microscopic crystals embedded in the ship's ceraglass hull make the starship mostly translucent and/or transparent. At exceptionally close ranges and with impeccable observation, they appear to be faintly observable and translucent ghost ships, hence the "Phantasm" moniker. A variety of other stealth technology previously used by the Eidolon transport is used to hide the Phantasm from sensors. Taking advantage of their stealth capabilities, Lucerne Labs typically employs small numbers of Phantasms for deep reconnaissance and pin-point, surgical strikes. Phantasms are also pressed into service for some other missions where the Circle deems that plausible deniability is needed, such as striking politically connected or otherwise sensitive targets.
Technical Explanations
Crew: The T9 Phantasm requires only a single pilot for basic, short-range use. However, the internal astromech slot is almost always used, as the T9 does not have a dedicated navcomputer of its own. Most pilots also appreciate an additional hand in monitoring and keeping the sensitive equipment on the ship running.
Avionics: From a basic controls standpoint, the T9's flight control systems are very similar to that of the X-wing and Z-95, which in turn makes them quite similar to a large number of civilian airspeeders. Internally, however, the ship's avionics are much more complex, with the T9 using Lucerne Lab's proprietary Calor-series Bio Computers and Organoform Circuitry. By using the Calor-series Bio Computers, T9s can redirect their computing power as needed to either improve other computing areas performance. Most typically, processing power is diverted from sensors and targeting computers to better improve the stealth technologies ability to react and adapt to the environment. But it's not unheard of to see computing power diverted to other systems, especially during long-term missions.
Engine Systems: Phantasms utilize twin Caecius Drive System pods for sublight propulsion. Their oversized nature for a ship the Phantasm's size allows the fighter to maintain average starfighter agility even while flying at their stealthiest setting. The Phantasm sports a robust x2 hyperdrive based on those used by stasis probes. Like those probes' drive, the Phantasm's drive returns the Phantasm to realspace with almost no realspace momentum in order to minimize its cronau radiation burst. Phantasms's flight paths are automatically programmed to direct this small radiation burst towards where it is least likely that observers will notice it.
Shielding Systems: Phantasms noticeably lack ray shielding because of the power drain and difficulty in concealing ray shielding's energy signature. Phantasms do have minimally expansive particle shields that work by increasing the molecular bonds of the ship's thick hull plating, making the ship's well-protected from physical threats.
Hull: The Phantasm is almost entirely covered in thick, transparent ceraglass plates that encapsulate countless strands of Photoreactive Fibers and embedded Photosensitive Microscopic Crystals. Each plate is attached to carbo-plas frame through extensive use of Corellian Epoxy. This unusual construction is intended to provide a durable chassis with a minimum of a magnetic signature.
Weapons Systems: Phantasms are equipped with a pair of wing-tipped slug cannons and an internal ordinance bay. The slug cannon is fairly similar in design to that used on the K-wing, but noticeably features a longer barrel within integrated suppressor to reduce muzzle flash and suppress sound during atmospheric operations. Each slug cannon is roughly equivalent in damage output over time to a single laser cannon: the Phantasm's slugs tend to punch somewhat harder than a laser cannon bolt, but they also a noticeably lower firing rate. Phantasms can be outfitted with a variety of slugs just like most other slugthrowers, but the most common are depleted baradium armor-piercing slugs and detonite-filled explosive slugs. While the ship does have an active sensor array and targeting computer for the slug cannons, it also has optical photo-receptor based "iron sight" built into the cockpit itself for when the guns needed to be fired without active sensors giving away the presence of the Phantasm. This sighting arrangement is noticeably less accurate than modern targeting systems used on modern starfighters when used against moving targets. The Phantasm also incorporates an ordinance bay derived from the Cyclone-class Bomber, whose in turn was derived from the classic Tie Bomber. This ventral bay has modular ordinance racks and other attachment technologies, allowing it to carry a wide variety of ordinances and other mission specific payloads: the Phantasm has no single standard payload because of the diverse range of missions given to it. A Phantasm may well carry a mixed load of I-ODRs and spy satellites to support an orbital raid one day, while a week later it may carry conventional concussion missiles and thermal detonators to make a quick bombing raid on enemy fighter base. While the ordinance bay makes the Phantasm quite modular, it also results in a noticeably delay in launching weapons. This typically isn't an issue with slow-moving or static targets, but it can make it difficult to employ against small and fast moving targets like other starfighters. Like the gun, the ordinance bay has a back-up a photo-receptor-based bomb sight, allowing it to drop ordinance without having to use an active sensor array. It too is not as accurate as most active sensor targeting arrays used by more conventional bombers.
Stealth Technology: Stealth has been primary concern in designing the Phantasm, and there isn't a single system that hasn't been affected by those concerns. The Phantasm uses several technologies derived from the StealthX or Eidolon transport, such as the Gravitic Modulator and Thermal Dissipators, along with other previously developed technologies such as the Vanish 2 Sensor Mask and Lucerne Lab's own Caecius Drive System. But the Phantasm has several innovations that are all of its own. The most immediately noticeable one is its hull. Not only is designed to have an exceptionally low magnetic signature, but it also designed to act as a layered, chameleon-like skin. Multiple Photoreactive Fibers and Photosensitive Microscopic Crystals frequently overlap each other in their ceraglass casing, and work in concert with miniature electrophoto-receptors located on the other side of the craft to display a similitude of what the craft would normally be obscuring. This effectively makes the Phantasm mostly translucent or transparent to the eyes and visual sensors regardless of its environment. This effect is magnified by distance, with Phantasms being practically invisible from several kilometers away. This effect is also effected by movement by either the Phantasm or the observer, as it typically takes several seconds of staring at the same spot to realize that something is "off". But Phantasms are not truly invisible, and can be spotted at exceptionally close ranges (see picture), where they appear to be hazy outlines and translucent appearance sometimes gets them reported as ghost ships, with some observers even identifying them as older X-wings or Z-95s. The photosensitive crystals in the ship's plating are even sometimes turned off to ensure to help produce this effect to observers. Conversely, the same crystals colors can be fine-tuned even more so by extra processing power from the Calor-series Bio-computers to make the ship even more indistinguishable against a background. By arranging these fibers and crystals in multiple, Phantasms can take some hull damage without compromising their visual stealth capabilities. The other main stealth innovation within the Phantasm is the inclusion of a ysalmari cage, with the ysalmari being used to prevent Force abilities from detecting or affecting the craft and/or its pilot.
