Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide a swarming droid fighter in Lucerne Labs product line-up
- Image Source: "Incursion" by Jordan Burke
- Canon Link: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Primary Source: N/A
- Manufacturer: Lucerne Labs
- Affiliation: Directorate, Closed-Market.
- Model: Zephyr-class Droid Fighter
- Production: Minor
- Material: titanium frame, carbo-plas hull, standard starship components
- Classification: Starfighter
- Length: 3.5 meters
- Width: 3 meters
- Height: 1 meter
- Armament: Very Low
- 2 Spitfire Rapid-Fire Laser cannons
- 1 LLT-7 General Purpose Warhead Launcher (4 concussion missiles, 3 proton torpedoes, 2 proton rockets, 1 space bomb, or other equivalent).
- Defenses: Low
- Squadron Count: Extreme: 24
- Maneuverability Rating: Average (Very Low with SLAM engaged)
- Speed Rating: High (Extreme with SLAM engaged)
- Hyperdrive: Yes
- Hyperdrive Class: Average: x1
- Basic Warhead Countermeasures Launcher (10 Chaff bursts or 7 Flares)
- Standard Communications Array
- HY/S84 engine system
- Standard Hyperdrive
- Standard Navigational Systems
- Standard Repulsorlift Engines
- Standard Sensor Array
- Can Enter Atmosphere and Land
STRENGTHS
- Swarm Fighter: The Zephyr is a classic swarm fighter with a small size that makes it difficult to hit and also allows it to be fielded in large numbers.
- Electronic Warfare Resistant: The Zephyr has some features designed to make it more resilient against electronic warfare, such as the use of partially organic circuitry and droid brain, as well as a comm laser to enable short-range communication despite communications jamming.
- Fast: The Zephyr is exceptionally fast, in large part due to its small size, which is only heightened once its SLAM system is engaged.
- Weak Armament: The Zephyr is fairly lightly armed for its size, having roughly half the firepower of a typical starfighter.
- Weak Defense: While the Zephyr has a relatively sturdy frame and hull, especially for its size, it does not have any shielding systems, which makes it somewhat weaker than the average starfighter.
The Zephyr is a traditional swarming-type droid fighter designed to overwhelm targets by its sheer numbers, high speed, and small size. But the design does have some refinements in it not found on all other swarm fighters, such as using biomechanical systems, pack hunting tactics facilitated by comm lasers, and a SLAM system. While individually weak, Zephyrs are usually deployed in large numbers which can make them a difficult threat for other starfighters. The primary user of Zephyrs, the Directorate, likes to field them on starships with a limited hangar capability such as heavy star destroyers and merchant ships, where they can be used to throw up a relatively large and efficient defensive screen against other starfighters and warhead salvos. While not a replacement for traditional starfighters, Zephyrs are likely to remain a staple Lucerne Labs product for the upcoming years.
Technical Descriptions
Flight Control Systems: Zephyrs are strictly droid fighters and do not have any space to carry any organic passenger. To this end, each fighter has a single Psykhe Droid brain which is equipped with a quartet of the following knowledge cartridges: piloting, starfighter tactics, organizational information, and environmental information (local areas of space, planetary maps, etc). While not exceptionally skillful or creative dogfighters, the Zephyr droid brains do have excellent reaction times and can execute precise attack runs. To offset some of the lack of creativity found in an organic pilot, Zephyrs are automatically programmed to work as quick-acting pack hunters in flight groups of four starfighters, using herding tactics and feints to drive opponents into concentrated streams of weapons fire to make up for the craft's light weaponry. In order to help ensure that this technique isn't quickly neutralized by communications jamming, Zephyrs rely on laser communication during these 'hunts'. While Zephyrs are typically left to independently operate against targets, the ships can be remotely piloted from larger craft if needed, though this is more likely to result in issues if communications are jammed.
Sublight Engines: The Zephyr has a pair of HY/S84 ion engines, which combined with the ship's small size and light construction allow the starfighter to reach high speeds. This envelope can be pushed even further by activating the fighter's SubLight Acceleration Motor, which makes it one of the fastest starfighters available. The Zephyr does retain the HY/S84's deployable hyperspace beacon, allowing squadrons of Zephyrs to quickly set up a network for tactical hyperjumps by friendly forces.
Hyperdrive: Unusually for a droid fighter, the Zephyr is equipped with a compact hyperdrive, though it is relatively short-ranged due to the fighter's size. Nonetheless,this allows the droid to make tactical micro-jumps or conduct local system patrols away from a home base or ship.
Hull: The Zephyr uses a fairly conventional aerodynamic frame designed with an eye in mind for atmospheric performance. This aerodynamic form is constructed of a titanium frame covered laminated with corrugated carbo-plas and then covered in multiple layers of carbo-plas. This provides the Zephyr with average armor defense for a starfighter. Rather than rely on armor though, the Zephyr most often relies on its small size and high speed to help avoid enemy fire.
Shields: The Zephyr does not have any shields.
Weapons: The Zephyr's primary weapons are a pair of rapid-firing laser cannons, allowing them to quickly spit out a large volume of fire, making the Zephyr particularly well-suited for intercepting other small starfighters and warhead salvos. With some work and concentrated fire from pack tactics, these weapons can also take down heavier starfighters. Each Zephyr also carries a single general purpose warhead launcher, typically loaded with a quartet of concussion missiles for use against heavier starfighters. Some commanders take advantage of that typical loadout procedure and an enemy's expectations to give the droid fighters other, more surprising weapons, such as space bombs for use against capital warships or hardened bunkers.
Countermeasures: Unlike most of Lucerne Labs recent starfighters, Zephyrs do not carry the company's signature MAST system because of their more disposable nature. Instead, the Zephyrs make use of a cheaper and more traditional countermeasure launcher equipped with chaff or flares for use against enemy warheads.
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