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![]() The Discovery-class Scout Cruiser is built by the Loronar Corporation, manufacturers of the famous Strike-class Medium Cruiser. The Discovery-class is intended to support rather than replace the more common 1-4 man scout ships of the Imperial Survey Corps (ISC). When one of these small scouts locates a new world that merits further examination -- usually ones that might mean a profit for the Empire -- a larger vessel like the Discovery is sent to conduct a more thorough survey. The Discovery-class is well-equipped for its mission. It carries a large ground vehicle complement for exploring any environment: Sky Swoopers for high altitude exploration, hover scouts and AT-STs for smooth or rough terrain, and Waveskimmers for travelling on water. There are also speeder bikes for standard scout patrols, and even a Mobile Command Base to lead extended expeditions. The scout cruiser also carries a pre-fabricated scout outpost which is set up upon arrival and which coordinates all ground-side activities while the cruiser remains in orbit. The outpost is sturdily constructed and well protected from the forces of nature. The outpost can be manned by up to two-thirds of the ship's survey personnel. The others remain aboard the ship, helping the operating crew to analyze sensor data and acting as pilots for the cruiser's shuttles and scout craft. The ship's sensor package is extremely powerful, allowing the scouts to get a detailed image of the surrounding space without leaving orbit. Apart from the ground complement, the cruiser has an assortment of small craft. The Discovery-class has enough hangar space for two Lone Scout-A2 scout ships, two long-range shuttles for supply and ferry duty, and one heavy landing barge which transfers the ground vehicles to the planet's surface. The cruiser also carries a half-squadron of TIE fighters for defending the ship or the personnel on the ground should either come under attack. Turbolasers allow the Discovery to defend itself even if its fighters are busy elsewhere. To guarantee safe docking of the carried craft and assist with cargo transfers, the cruiser is equipped with two tractor beams. Although the ship has a large amount of cargo space, most of it is filled by the outpost and the labor droids used to construct it. Other space is reserved for samples, with full bio-hazard precautions for the organic sample hold. The crew includes 80 Army troopers for onboard security and for dealing with any Rebel or other hostile activity that may be discovered on new worlds. After the collapse of the Empire, the Discovery-class Scout Cruiser was adopted by the New Republic Scout Service, due to its efficient design. RPG Statistics
Note on the Illustration: The picture which is used here is an original artwork by Mike Vilardi who designed many pictures for the West End Games supplements. This picture here has been scanned from Galaxy Guide 8 - Scouts (page 20). It also appears in the Star Wars Planets Collection (page 11). There were no further details on this vessel given. Therefore, I took care of this ship for statistical means. |
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