Eyrecae Alzari
Dark Star
Umbral Blade Support Frigate
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To create a support frigate for the Shadow Knights. This ship is designed to support the Twilight Spear corvette, complimenting its weaknesses and strengths.
- Image Source: Here.
- Canon Link: Specs somewhat based on the Nebulon Frigate.
- Permissions: Shadow Knights and subs created by Elpsis Kerrigan's writer provided with permission.
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Shadow Knights, their faction.
- Affiliation: Shadow Knights.
- Market Status: Closed market.
- Model: Umbral Blade Mk1
- Production: Limited
- Material: Standard ship components
- Classification: Support frigate.
- Length: 350m
- Width: 55m
- Height: 50m
- Armament: Average
- 6 x dual turbolasers
- 12 x quad lasers
- 2 x fore assault concussion missile launchers
- Defenses: High
- Reinforced hull
- Backup shield generators
- Heavy hanger blast shields
- Hangar Space: Average: 2
- Hangar Allocations: 1 x fighter, 1 x bomber.
- Single Craft Hangar: Yes
- Maneuverability Rating: Average
- Speed Rating: High
- Hyperdrive: Yes, 1.0
- Standard ship components.
- Small marine barracks.
- Spirit Gem interface (if required).
- Tractor beams.
- Advanced sensor and comms equipment.
- Support Specialist. The Umbral Blade is designed to provide support either to raiding missions or to the fleet in general. To do this is has a variety of weapons, components and ships. It is capable of going toe to toe with most frigates and corvettes. It also has an onboard force of marines for boarding enemy ships or providing a convenient assault force.
- Hanger. With two squadrons; usually 1 fighter and 1 bomber, the frigate can screen against enemy craft and launch attacks whilst being fast enough to evade large ship pursuit.
- Speedy. With faster than average speed, the Umbral Blade can outrun most capital ships easily. This allows it to hit and fade before retaliation can arrive.
- Jack of All Trades. The problem with being a jack of all trades is it makes one a master of none. The Umbral Blade lacks a dedication to being a carrier, flak ship or assault vessel but is capable at all.
- Capital Defences. Though it has strong defences for a frigate, the Umbral Blade should not attempt to fight cruisers or star destroyers head on. They will chew through it if they can catch the frigate. Similarly, it can be overwhelmed by masses of attack craft.
- Attrition. In a long fight, the Umbral Blade lacks the firepower to quickly take down an enemy frigate. If it does so it'll likely only after taking heavy damage itself. The support frigate itself requires to be supported either by others of its class, or other vessels.
As part of the Shadow Knight's shipbuilding program, the Twilight Spear was the first vessel created. Its role was to be an ambush corvette, striking with extremely powerful missiles. However, all were aware that this ship could not fight alone, and so a support frigate was envisaged.
The Umbral Blade of the Exiled Avengers, mercifully shortened for regular use, was designed to be useful in a variety of roles. It could launch attack craft, engage enemy escorts, or detect hostile manoeuvres equally well. They key to all of this was a modernising of the venerable Nebulon Frigate which had served so well in the downfall of the Galactic Empire. Using their shipyards in the nomad fleet, the Umbral Blade were produced to serve many roles.
One interesting element the frigate possessed was a small marine unit of fifty soldiers which could be added or removed depending on mission. When not used, the barracks could be used for extra storage.
One key use of the Umbral Blade is to combine with the Twilight Spear to form a 'Yazgid Pack' designed to work together to ambush enemy craft.
Usage of the Umbral Blade for a variety of tasks soon became the norm, as it could slot into any operation easily. Two missions document well this flexibility.
When attempting to deal with Burning Brand pirates who had been raiding Shadow Knight convoys, UB-7 was sent on a recon mission to a previously uncharted system. There, using its advanced sensors and attack craft it detected the pirate base located in an ancient and mostly derelict Clone Wars era Venator. However, they detected that the enemy was mostly away, leaving only limited defenders. Captain Xhas'Vorn was left in a difficult predicament and eventually decided to commit her ship to the attack. Moving in quietly she launched both squadrons of attack craft and moved at full speed towards the Venator whilst the attack craft would drop down from above. The ancient ship had some working defences, but could not move and so the UB-7 traded shots ineffectively with it, also under attack from interceptors launched from the craft. At a fortuitous moment then the Shadow Knight ships dropped down from vertically above. A hail of bombs and missiles struck the Venator's launch bays, tearing the ship open and cracking the ancient ship in half. The remaining enemy ships were defeated and the UB-7 escaped. The Burning Brand pirate survivors decided to move on after this!
In another action against Firemane, a corporate taskforce came upon a Shadow Knight convoy which had traded goods for armaments and food from the core. Starved for escorts, the convoy was protected by a handful of refitted ancient CR-90 corvettes and three Umbral Blades; UB-3, 8 & 11. To cover the retreat of the convoy, the corvettes presented a screen whilst the frigates launched their fighters. The Firemane fleet was roughly equal, but also contained a Sentinel class cruiser, which gave them a clear superiority in firepower. Knowing they could not fight it head on, the Umbral Blades shifted with their speed to sit off the starboard side of the cruiser where only half of its guns could reach. Even then, they were clearly outmatched, but having bought enough time for the rest of the convoy, UB3 advanced forward whilst the others disengaged. Already burning, and with its surviving attack craft and crew temporarily shifted with the other frigates, UB-3 set up as a final desperate charge. Captain Lavina Jaquori drove the dying ship into the vulnerable central spar of the Firemane cruiser, sacrificing herself but critically damaging the enemy vessel as well. The convoy escaped barring this loss and the Umbral Blades had once again proven their flexibility.
The Umbral Blade is a flexible and useful ship for a variety of purposes, and for the resource starved Shadow Knights this is a necessity.
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