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(image used with permission; property of AdamKop, deviantart.com)
Affiliation: Kuati-Balmorran Industrial Zone (New Sith Imperium; manufactured by Allanteen Six Shipyards)
Ownership: N/A
Intent: A secret development project, these prototype warships will fill a role akin to ground based artillery pieces, which are often stationary and very vulnerable to direct attack, but highly effective at range. The biggest difference, of course, is that this is a starship serving as a platform for a non-lethal weapon system and it will require a direct line of sight to fire effectively. Its primary purpose is to facilitate boarding operations by other vessels, much like the Censor and Arrestor, both of which are utilized for a similar purpose by the New Sith Imperium.
Model: Decimator-class Ion Frigate
Dimensions: 400 m, 150 m, 120 m
Class: Frigate
Crew: 850+80 (full crew complement+passengers), 375 (minimum)
Complement: Starfighters (12; one squadron, racked), Shuttles (4)
Composition: Alusteel (armor plating), Duraplast (hull, hangar blast doors, viewport shutters), Duralloy (frame), Transparisteel (viewports)
Armament: Ion Pulse Cannons (4; fixed), Mass Driver Cannons (3; twin-barrel, turreted), Point Defense Laser Cannons (6; quad barrel, turreted)
Equipment: Military Grade Sensor Arrays (ultra long range w/ crystal gravfield trap module), Military Grade Targeting Computer (advanced), Military Grade Navigation Module, HoloNet Transceiver, Standard Life Support Module, Military Grade Shield Generators (2; ultra light), Basic Internal Security System (security cameras, reinforced blast doors, anti-tamper locks), Self-Destruct Mechanism (anti-tamper, activation by code cylinder and biometrics scan), Escape Pods, Armed Life Pods
Speed: 35 MGLT (reduced to 11 MGLT when charging a pulse cannon)
Hyperdrive Rating: Class I (with Class V backup; unable to initiate drives while charging pulse cannons)
Maneuverability: It is relatively quick to rotate itself into new firing positions when idle. However, it is extremely slow to accelerate and handles abysmally at higher speeds, making point to point maneuvers the only viable method of travel.
Description:
The Decimator-class Ion Frigate utilizes its primary armament at extreme range to quickly deplete a target starship's shields or to temporarily disable unshielded vessels for boarding or quick destruction by supporting strike craft. Other than its powerful ion pulse cannons, it is very lightly armed and shielded and is exceptionally slow to maneuver at speed. It cannot withstand concentrated or sustained fire. Because of this, it relies quite heavily on escorts for protection and can't be relied upon to hold its own against anything more than a light corvette, a small gunship, or a few small starfighters. A heavy escort detail can also be a hindrance, since the Decimator requires a direct and unobstructed line of sight to maneuver and fire.
Its pulse cannons take considerable time and energy to charge and recharge, leaving the vessel even more vulnerable, but the weapons have considerable range and can be configured to fire large, rapidly expanding ion blasts (large enough to affect several vessels in a tight formation; two blasts to deplete enemy shields), concentrated bolts (akin to a slightly less powerful and faster firing V-150 Planet Defender; three blasts to deplete enemy shields), and even a slow-moving ion cloud that wreaks havoc over a much wider area of space, disrupting sensors, communications, and other sensitive electronics without causing significant or permanent damage (akin to a cloud of chaff; effective, but not an offensive weapon).
Two cannons, configured to produce concentrated bolts, can be fired in unison, giving the Decimator an incredibly devastating broadside capability, though charging two of the massive cannons at once takes significantly longer and requires the shield generators, laser cannons, and sublight drives to be deactivated. Jumping to hyperspace with fully charged capacitors is considered an extremely risky and foolhardy maneuver (because shields are usually down in the first few moments after reversion, making a fully charged Decimator a truly volatile target), but it is possible. Standard procedure requires that ship engineers shunt power from a fully charged capacitor and distribute it equally between the other three capacitors just prior to a jump.
The compact, dorsal hangar bay is protected by two heavy blast doors and ray shielded. A combat information center at the heart of the starship, protected by a duraplast shell, takes the place of a traditional bridge and can be sealed off from the rest of the ship in the event of a hostile boarding action. Utilizing a small backup generator and a basic life support system, this area of the ship can operate independently of the rest of the vessel for a short time.
The standard loadout for the mass drivers is high-explosive fragmentation, more commonly referred to as flak-burst rounds. Ineffective against heavily armored targets, these rounds can do significant damage to lightly shielded and armored starfighters. Because Decimators are never purposefully left on their own, they rarely carry armor piercing ammunition unless they are specially outfitted prior to an operation in which such rounds might be warranted and even then, only as a precautionary measure. The confined interior of the Decimator translates to restricted munition storage, which in turn limits the duration that the mass driver cannons can keep up a continuous barrage.
@Clayton
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