Craft: Kallan Starships 144E Locust Class Dropship
Type: Mobile assault base/dropship
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 85 meters
Skill: Space transports; Locust
Cost: 150,000 credits
Crew: 4
Passengers: 100 (troops)
Cargo Capacity: 800 tons
Consumables: 1 year
Hyperdrive Multiplier: x2
Hyper Backup: No
Nav Computer: Yes
Maneuverability: 1D
Space: 6
Atmosphere: 315; 900 kph
Hull: 2D
Shields: 1D
Sensors:
Passive: 40/0D
Scan: 60/1D
Search: 80/2D
Focus: 4/3D
Weapons:
4 Turreted Double Laser Cannons
Scale: Starfighter
Fire Arc: Turret
Crew: 1
Skill: Starship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D+2
Space Range: 1-3/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 100-300m/1.2km/2.5km
Damage: 4D
4 Light Plasma Cannons (fire linked)
Scale: Starfighter
Fire Arc: Front
Crew: 1
Skill: Starship gunnery
Fire Control: 2D
Space Range: 1-5/15/30
Atmosphere Range: 100-500m/1.5km/3.0km
Damage: 5D
Inspired by the quick and unpredictable jumps of the
remarkably well camouflaged Kallan black locust, the Locust
Dropship has become the dropship of choice for several military and
paramilitary organizations of the Yaeger Sector. Most effective in
medium sized groups, the quick and unpredictable maneuvers of the
Locust make them very hard to shoot down.
These ships are designed to get troops onto a hostile planet,
and provide them a defensible position once it gets them there.
These ships are somewhat less expensive than other dropships, and
that price difference is reflected by the fact that Locusts tend
to come apart after flying a few combat missions. The Locust is
equipped with a impulse drive randomizer. When this is engaged the
ship will engage in unpredictable jerks and lunges, designed to
throw off pursuit. In game terms, when the randomizer is engaged,
the Locust gains a +6D bonus to maneuverability when attempting to
dodge, and will perform occasionally impossible seeming maneuvers
that are not particularly useful or intelligent at that time. The
Locust will continue in basically the same direction that it set
out in, and the impulse drive randomizer will function in the exact
same manner in atmospheric travel, and may cause collisions if
engaged too low.
When a Locust is grounded, the following additional weapons
can also be brought to bear.
6 Heavy Blaster Cannons
Scale: Walker
Fire Arc: Turret
Crew: 1
Skill: Blaster artillary; anti-armor
Fire Control: 3D
Range: 100-1.0km/3.1km/5.5km
Damage: 5D
2 Heavy Charge Mortars
Scale: Speeder
Fire Arc: Turret
Crew: 1
Skill: Missile Weapons; charge mortar
Fire Control: 2D+1
Range: 10-80/120/240m
Damage: 10D, with a blast radius of 10 meters
Locusts are almost always equipped with large amounts of
camouflage netting, and a pair of landspeeders, or eight speeder
bikes.
Locusts are easily outgunned by every capital ship in
existence, and many starfighters. Any ship that can keep up with
their wild gyrations will easily be able to destroy them. In
addition, when the impulse engine randomizer is engaged, those
aboard the Locust will be rendered horribly discomfited by the
sudden jerking motions. All aboard must roll a successful Moderate
Stamina roll to avoid spending the entire time that the randomizer
is on being spacesick. In addition, even after making that roll,
they have a -2D penalty to all skill checks while the randomizer is
engaged.