The 418 hull is 600 meters long, and resembles a very small Star Destroyer. It is relatively inexpensive, which combined with it's appearance and versitility makes it a favorite of the datakeeping arms of the Empire. However, because of it's ressemblence to the vaugnted Star Destoyers and small size, Naval high command has not always been totally receptive of the 418 series. It should be noted however, that the 418-series vessels have an excellent service record, and well liked by thier crews and captains. In addition to those listed below, there are several dozen one-of-a-kind vessels, mostly built as concept development or weapons testbed craft.
Basic 418-series ship characteristics:
To use these stats, add the information given below for a particular model of the 418 line.
In addition to the gravity well generators, Interdictors are sufficently armed to defend themselves with twenty anti-ship laser batteries and two squadrons of TIEs. These weapons for self-defnese only, and Interdictors are typically assigned at least one frigate to act as "bodygaurds".
After the Battle of Yavin, SFS released an improved version of the Interdictor, better armed and more manuverable. These ships add a combat quality tracotr beam emmitter, a pair of ion cannons, and some also have four turbolasers (at the expense of laser cannons).
Heavily armed, the Enforcer is equipped with 14 anti-ship quad lasers, ten turbolasers, and four each ion cannons and combat-quality tractor beam emmitters, along with hanger space for a fighter group of TIEs. While not as heavyily armed and armoured as a Star Destroyer, it is more than capable of dealing with smaller cruisers, frigates and corvettes, and has seen much of it's action with anti-pirate and anti-smuggling taskforces, often in conjunction with it's sister, the Interdictor.
After the Battle of Yavin, SFS released an improved version of the Enforcer, faster, more manuverable and slighlty better armed. This version would be produced in large numbers by the Pentastar Alignment in the years following the Battle of Endor.
The Protector Ecort Cruiser was designed to meet the needs of an Imperial Navy contract for a fast flanking and escort vessel, in compitition with the SFS Enforcer Cruiser, built on the same frame. Using the proven Immobilizer 418 chassis, the Protector is the fastest and most manuverable of the family of vessels that have grown out of the basic design. Ment to secure the perimiter of a battle group and destroy light combat craft and starfighters, the Protector was rejucted for being "too specialized". Observers with less ego have suggested that it was dead as soon as it was presented, as most Admirals find the idea of an ISD needing protecting insulting.
Mounting twenty-six anti-starfighter guns, twenty heavy quadlasers and a half dozen ion cannons on a frame that is as manuverable and produces 80% of the forward thrust of a TIE, the Protector is capable of inflicting devistating casualties on a typical pirate fleet. The most important part of this firepower is the double laser cannons. Using the same mounts, targeting systems and lasers as the TIE/ln, most of the needed parts are already in inventory. The most noticable part of the arsenal are the eight turrets, mounted on the poles of each of the four spheres that origionally mounted the gravety well generators. These light guns, in addition to the more rigidly mounted ones lower on the spheres, are capable of pumping outunough energy to prevent even the most fanatical Rebels to consider murdering another ship. Combined with anti-capital ship emplacements that rival and excede the Nebulon-B and a squadron of TIEs, the Protector is certain death for all but the largest Rebel band.
Since it's regection by the Navy, several of these ships have been sold to the CSA, and several others have been sold to Imperial Customs. With the trials for the Fleet Anti-Starfighter Platform openning soon, SFS is planning on placing the Protector into compititon with the much talked about KDY Lancer frigate and CEC Gunship. It would be quite suprising if the Lancer was to win, due to it's lack of heavy guns.
(Footnote: The Lancer went on to win the Anti-Starfighter Platform service trial, prompting some to wonder if money did not change hands between KDY and the review board. The Navy would by some Protectors, but only about thirty or so, with Customs buying another fifteen. After the Battle of Endor, the Pentastar Alignment would produce a few, and a few were manufacture in the Deep Core for thier priamry role of anti-starfighter work.)
Produced for the service trails for the Empire's Escort Carrier program, the Interceptor was rejected because it was too good. Built by Seinar Fleet Systems on their proven Immobilizer 418 chassis (used for the Interdictor cruiser and Enforcer escort cruiser), it resembles a baby Star Destroyer. The appearance and the fact that someone who is trained to crew an Indictor or an Enforcer already knows most of the ship's characteristics was one reason that was considered to be an odd's on favorite.
The first prototype (the Interceptor) was produced by taking a nearly complete Interdictor, and stopping production. The design crew finished their work in the drafting rooms in an unprecedented three weeks. It took a further month to incorporate the design changes into the ship. The weaponry was taken from parts for the Interdictor, the Enforcer, TIEs and parts made under subcontract. The TIEs, Blastboats and shuttles were all taken from Sienar's corporate defense force, straight off the production line and out of the numerous test squadrons. The crew was assembled from the same sources. Within two months of the contract's proposal, the first Interceptor was ready for service trials. For comparison, it took almost two years for KDY to get the first Escort Carrier ready.
However, the Navy decided against the Interceptor, because, like the Enforcer and Protector, it was too much like their massive Star Destroyers. The Interceptor carries a fully wing of TIEs, plus a squadron of Skipray Blastboats and 6 shuttles. For added versatility, the bays are modular, meaning that a pair of fighter bays may be converted into a single Blastboat bay, or three fighters removed for a shuttle. This is accomplished through the use of maglocks, force fields and the placement of the hanger bays. The team that designed the Interceptor decided to convert the original hanger bay of the Interdictor and Enforcer into living quarters and weapons spaces. The four gigantic spheres that originally housed the gravity field generators had the space between them filled, making a pair of round cornered rectangles (one ventral, one dorsal). These large blocks house the hangers (3 squadron of fighters in each, the blastboats carried in the ventral section, and the shuttles and emergency bays in the dorsal section for better traffic control).
The other reason that the Interceptor was black-balled by the Navy was that it had too much firepower for the role of an Escort Carrier which used it's TIEs for it's primary weapon. Carrying 10 quad-mounted anti-ship lasers, 6 heavy ion cannons, 6 tractor beams, 8 anti-fighter laser cannon emplacements and 6 concussion missile launchers, the Interceptor was designed to be a baby Star Destroyer, wading into the fray along side it's fighters. This is, in the opinion of the Navy, why Imperial Star Destroyers are made. A carrier should not gather glory, and several admirals felt that the Interceptor would do just that.
Still, even though it was officially turned down by the Navy, Seinar has made about fifty of these ships. Seinar has retained three for it's corporate fleet, primarily as testbed craft, and the CSA purchased six for evaluation, with the rest going to the Navy for various special missions, scout duty and assignment to less prestigious sections of space. Due its near identical appearance to the Enforcer and Interdictor, the Interceptor has been sent out with both of these frames to engage small rebel and pirate fleets. In the heat of a fast moving space battle, one can quickly confuse them, leading to some ugly surprises. It also means that the fleet resupply vessels need to carry a small assortment of spare parts, and crew replacements and exchanges are more quickly accomplished due to the technical similarity of the three models. This as lead to some Imperial Advisors to question the Navy's wisdom in taking the KDY Escort Carrier, and there is some talk of reopenning the service tests.
After the Battle of Yavin, a small number of the Interceptors that were produced were made to improved, MkII specs. They had simliar upgrades as the Interdictor and Enforcer MkII (hyperdrive x1, hull 5D+2, manuverability 1D+2), and replaces some or all of the twin anti-starfighter lasers with mounts containing the lasers and targeting software from the TIE Interceptor.
To provide these services, the Surveyor carries an incredible array of sensors, computers and communications equipment. Carrying a sensors package that is more powerful than that found on an Imperial-class Star Destroyer, including a Crystal Grav Trap, Hyperwave Signal Indicators and a large number of probe droids and sensor remotes. To provide the communications capabilities needed in this kind of vessel, it is equipped with a Mk 30 subspace transceiver fitted with a Class IV power booster, over fifty tight beam communications lasers, a powerful communications jammer and a full HoloNet Tranciever. The brains of the ship are occupied in a pair of Series 50 mainframes, which provide more computing power than many planet-based systems.
To prevent these powerful ships from falling into criminal hands, they are fitted with one of the most powerful self-destruct systems ever fitted onto an Imperial starship. This may be activated by one of three ways:
In form, these craft are nearly indistinguishable from the Interceptor. The fastest, and most effective method of telling the difference form optical information in the presence of the tens of hundreds of antennas and communication and sensor mini-turrets that stud the hull. The Imperial Navy has purchased fifty of these craft, and is expected to order more in the near future. It is known that the Emperor's own task force contains two of these impressive assets.
The Dominator was intended to bridge the gaps between the various different members of this family. As a result, it is a mediocre ship for a wide variety of roles, but really excels at none of them. Primarily relegated to low priority areas of space, the command of a Dominator, while still an honor, is considered a tainted honor.
The armament is wide and varied. It carries the twenty laser cannons so common to this series. It even carries a pair of gravwell generators. But the other weapons are mismatched and to few to really do anything with, adding a pair of tractor beams, four ion cannons, two platoons of troops, and another squadron of TIEs. This last especially rankles the Navy, as two squadrons are a Group, and six a Wing, but three squadrons is a book keeping anomaly. For this reason, many of the Dominators are running with only two squadrons of TIE. There is even serious talk of relegating the entire lot of them to the Customs service or to Intelligence. There was only a few of these ordered, and many of the later orders were changed either to Enforcers or Interdictors.
It uses the same profile as the Interceptor, but only part of the lower "hump" is used for hanger space, while the rest of it is used for equippment and vehicle storage. It is designed to carry two fighter groups (48 TIEs), but if it has any fighters at all, they are typicall the Army support wing of fourty fighters. To deliver troops to the surface, it also carries 4 shuttles, 12 drop ships and a dozen landing barges. In it's role as an orbital fire base and for self defense, it is armed with 20 quad lasers and eight concussion missle launchers.
In theory, it can be deployed by itself into theatres were there are few,if any, enemy capital assets. In practice, it is usually deployed with at least one frigate or light cruiser for defense, and usually with a cargo ship for extended operations, or to suppliment the troops carried aboard Star Destroyers.
20 Quad Laser Cannons
Intended as a test platform for the Hyperspace Pulsemass program, the Destructors are almost toatally identical to the Interdictors in all ways, inside and out. The first, most noticable change, is the the space between the two gravwell domes on each side has been filled in, creating a tunnel that runs parrallel to the spine of the ship. These house the new pulsemass generators. To quote the origional briefing on the workings of this new weapons system,
"The generator produces tiny spheres of hyperenergy that are shot out into an area of space. When ships traveling through hyperspace cross the equivalent area of realspace, they come in contact with the hyperenergy spheres. These spheres overwhelm the blocking capacity of the ship's shields and shred the craft. These hyperenergy spheres do not affect ships in realspace, but if a ship enters a field of spheres and then jumps to lightspeed it comes in contact with the deadly pulses. A region mined with hyperenergy spheres is dangerous for only a few minutes, for then the energy dissipates."
The effects of being so forcably pulled out of hyperspace is more than sufficent to shred most light transports and starfighters, the ships most commonly in the use of the Rebellion and pirate groups. Against larger ships, such as the Imperial Star Destroyers, this kind of force is still very dangerous. Although there is a small chance of destruction, significant damage could be incured by a direct collision with the center of the pulse mass.
Produced only in limited numbers the Destructor cruisers are not assigned to one sector. Rather, they are assigned at the regional and oversector level, where their service can be requested by local commands. Typically, they operate as part of small groups, often including an Interdictor and a few other ships of similiar size, or a single Star Destroyer.
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