the EPOCH DAWN

Part 2 of 2

by S. T. Kearney


The Epoch Dawn


Craft: Modified Corellian YT-1300 Transport
Type: Modified light freighter
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 26.7 meters
Skill: Space transports: YT-1300
Crew: 2, gunners: 2, skeleton: 1/+15
Crew Skill: See Dace Sartan and Chacca Kor
Passengers: 6
Cargo Capacity: 150 metric tons (100 metric tons are in strap-on cargo pods)
Consumables: 2 months
Cost: Not available for sale
Hyperdrive Multiplier: x½ (+3 mishap modifier, refer to Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters for details)
Hyperdrive Backup: x4
Nav Computer: Yes, plus a replacement nav computer
Maneuverability: 1D (+1 mishap modifier)
Space: 10 (+1 mishap modifier)
Atmosphere: 435; 1,250 KMH
Hull: 5D+1 (+2 mishap modifier, jury-rigged armored plating adds +1D, for a 6D+1 Hull)
Shields: 4D (+2 mishap modifier)
Sensors:
    Passive: 30/0D
    Scan: 50/1D
    Search: 75/2D
    Focus: 4/4D+1
Weapons:
    2 Triple-Linked Heavy Laser Cannons

        Fire Arc: 1 dorsal turret, 1 ventral turret
        Crew: 1 each
        Skill: Starship gunnery
        Fire Control: 3D (+2 mishap modifier)
        Space Range: 1-3/12/25
        Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5 km
        Damage: 7D
    2 Proton Torpedo Launchers (fire-linked)
        Fire Arc: Front
        Skill: Starship gunnery
        Fire Control: 3D (+2 mishap modifier)
        Space Range: 1/3/7
        Atmosphere Range: 50-100/300/700
        Damage: 10D
    Enemy Targeting Jammer
        Fire Arc: All
        Skill: Sensors; works against all starfighters in range
        Fire Control: 0D
        Space Range: 1-3/7/15
        Atmosphere Range: 100-300/700/1.5 km
        Damage: -2D from fire control

Capsule: If you were to check the serial and lot number of the Epoch Dawn, and cross-reference it with the Corellian Engineering Corporation's records, the Dawn would register as being one of the first YT-1300s ever to leave the factories. She looks, sounds, and flies like it as well. Out-of-date and out-of-style, the Dawn is a mechanical monstrosity of mismatched and rusted hull plates, and looks like she should not be flying with all of the blaster scoring tattooed across her hull. The interior is not much of a relief either. Dim, amber lighting eerily illuminates the passageways and cabins, and in some cabins, the best lighting is just above that of a glowrod. The grillwork floor panels rattle like metallic bones beneath one's feet, and create a chilling chorus that questions the hull integrity during flight.

Despite the aesthetic flaws, the Dawn, like most of the freighters of the YT-1300 line, is a very durable and spaceworthy ship. The previous owners used her for all manners of illicit activities, such as piracy, smuggling, and blockade running. Many of the ship's systems were upgraded, removed and refitted, and modified beyond any legal specifications or warrantees from the manufacturer. In Dace and Chacca's hands, the Dawn has increased shielding and armored hull reinforcements, improved sensors, and a host of surprises that have helped them out of a dozen jams or so. The ion engines have been boosted, jury-rigged, and modified so extensively that the Dawn could, if pushed, nearly match an A-wing starfighter speed for speed, and outrun TIE Interceptors. The hyperdrive, touchy as she is, is among the fastest in the galaxy.

All of these modifications, however, take their toll upon the Dawn. If power couplings to the sensors don't fail, or if targeting computers don't wink out, then perhaps the engines leak coolant into a cabin, or a fuse box shorts out in an amazing display of sparks and smoke. The Dawn was always a high-maintenance ship, and it is even more so now. Fortunately, Dace and Chacca have the skills and the right touch to keep her going, as long as they have the credits to meet the costs.

Below is a list of all of the known modifications and additions Dace and Chacca have added into the Epoch Dawn, with brief descriptions as necessary. Most of them can be found in Galaxy Guide 6: Tramp Freighters, Platt's Starport Guide, or were taken from various sources on the Web.

3 Scanner Resistant Secret Cargo Compartments: Conceals up to 9 persons or 3 metric tons of smuggled cargo. They cannot be detected with scanning devices.

Automatic Cargo Jettisoning: Can eject cargo from the main hold or from the secret compartments.

Sensors Package: Contains FSTs (Full Sensor Transceivers), DERs (Dedicated Energy Receptors), EPRs (Electro-Photo Receptors), LFIs (Life Form Indicators), and TFSs (Terrain Following Sensors; +1D to piloting rolls in an atmosphere as long as the ship is 50 meters or lower in altitude. If the pilot fails to make at least a Moderate difficulty, the ship crashes...)

Sensor Jamming Hardware: -1D to identify the ship, +2D bonus to detect her. The system allows the crew to make an opposed sensors roll, using the Dawn's sensor ratings as bonus dice to add into the roll.

Sensor Baffling: The hull of the ship is treated with an anti-measure coating that adds +1D to the difficulty to detect the ship. This effectively cancels one bonus die to detect the Dawn when the sensor jamming hardware is activated.

Communications Jammer: The communications of other ships can be jammed with an opposed communications rolls. The following bonus dice are added to the Dawn's chance of success, depending on how many arcs are jammed: 0D if all arcs are jammed, +1D if 3 arcs are jammed, +2D if 2 arcs are jammed, and +3D if 1 arc is jammed. If only 1 ship is jammed (a focused jam), then the Dawn receives +4D to jam. A jam lasts for 10 rounds before the unit needs to be recharged (5 rounds for a focused jam). Each arc beyond the first jammed subtracts 1 round from this time, and a recharge takes 10 rounds.

Belly-Concealed Blaster Cannon (Speeder-scale, 4D fire control, fired from cockpit, uses vehicle blasters skill, 3D+2 damage, atmosphere range 1-50/100/250)

Concealed Heavy Repeating E-web Blasters (Character-scale, 1D fire control, fired from cockpit, uses vehicle blasters skill, 8D damage, range 3-75/200/500; there are two of these cannons mounted into the top of the ship, and two on the bottom.)

Anti-personnel Defenses: Chacca has installed 7 light repeating blasters and a like number of DEMP guns inside of concealed bulkhead compartments, which can be fired from the cockpit or by the ships' Arnine computer (see below). They can be fired on a lethal or stun setting, and have unlimited ammo since they run off of the ship's power generator. All ranges would be considered short, due to the fact that the blasters only have a limited field of fire. The blasters do 7D damage, while the DEMP gun can do either 3D or 4D of ionization damage to a droid, or 5D of real damage to a droid. Targeting computers add +1D to skill use. Pirates never expected this...

Arnine Computer: Actually, this computer is the AI brain of an old astromech unit known as R9-D9. When Dace bought the "Arninety-nine" backup nav computer, he had no idea that it was built using a droid's brain and memory chips. Arnine has the following skills that it can use:

    Dexterity 2D: Blaster: light repeating blaster 6D, blaster: DEMP gun 5D+2, vehicle blasters: belly guns 5D

    Knowledge 2D: Alien species 3D, languages 4D+2, planetary systems 6D

    Mechanical 3D: Astrogation 6D, communications 6D+2, repulsorlift operation 5D+2, scanning planets 4D+2, sensors 5D, space transports: YT-1300 7D, starship gunnery 4D+2, starship shields 5D+1

    Perception 2D: Search 4D+2 (using internal and external audio and video sensors, Arnine can see into every part of the ship, or scan the outside)

    Strength: Arnine can technically use the hull of the Dawn as its body, particularly to resist ionization damage. Arnine gets a separate roll other than the ship's if the Dawn is hit by an ion weapon, but he will automatically shut down if all of the ship's controls are dead. Restraining bolts won't work, unless his brain housing is discovered (a Heroic search roll, because it is hidden so well, and very hard to reach).

    Technical 3D: Computer programming/repair 7D, security 6D, space transports repair: YT-1300 diagnostics 6D+2

Cockpit Defenses: All five seats of the cockpit contain stun-shock devices, which Arnine can selectively activate. These devices do 5D of stun damage to anyone sitting on or touching the seats. Similar stun-shock devices are installed in the floor paneling and grillwork of the entire ship. Bulkhead doors can also shut and seal, while canisters of null-gas are pumped into closed cabins or holds. This gas will incapacitate anyone without a breath mask or air filters with 8D strength, keeping unconscious characters immobile for 1D hours. Arnine can also override any astrogation, piloting, communications, sensors, shields, vehicle blasters, or starship gunnery rolls made by unauthorized persons using the ship, simply by making an opposed skill roll. These defenses are mainly used to deter pirates and shipjackers.

Security System: Shipjackers need a Difficult security roll in order to bypass the ship's combination entry hatch lock near the main loading ramp. The system also alerts the cockpit and the main cabins, and remotely activates an E-web blaster belly-gun that Arnine can fire at the intruders. Arnine can also simultaneously send a comlink distress signal to either Dace or Chacca. There is also a console dead lock that can shut off all power to the cockpit controls. This dead lock requires a Very Difficult security roll to bypass. Dace and Chacca both have the combination for the entry hatch lock and console dead lock memorized. Arnine can also make an opposed security roll to keep out unauthorized guests, or simply cut off power to the hatches, so they cannot open at all even if the combination is somehow bypassed or discovered.

Cargo Pods: Although you wouldn't be able to tell from the outside, the Epoch Dawn does indeed have cargo pods that have been permanently added onto her hull. Disguised as part of the exterior plating, these pods, manufactured by Corellian Engineering, can be accessed externally or through internal hatches. The pods are reinforced, adding the +1 pip to the Hull rating above. They are easily detected on scanners, but Dace and Chacca make no effort to smuggle anything in these cargo pods. Unlike other pods made by Corellian Engineering, Dace has hooked up cargo jettison devices into them, just in case he needs to dump something (or some undesirable passengers...).

Ionization Power Surge Suppressor (IPSS): This device adds up to 3D to the hull of the ship to resist ionization damage only. Chacca jury-rigged this device into the ship's wiring. After each time it is activated to absorb ionization damage, roll 1,2, or 3 dice (1 per bonus die code). If any of these dice come up as a '1,' the device suffers a "non-lethal" jury-rig breakdown.

Particle Ray/Energy Shielding Turbine Overdrive (PRESTO): Another one of Chacca's jury-rigged devices. This device adds up to 3D to the ship's shields rating while it is activated. For each full die code of shields the ship receives, roll a die the first time each round that the ship/shields are hit. If any of them come up as a '1,' then the system suffers a "non-lethal" jury-rig breakdown. The jury-rig dice are only used when the PRESTO is activated.

Other Jury-Rigged Components: Dace and Chacca have also jury-rigged the Dawn for more maneuverability (+1D), and armored the hull (+1D Hull). Each of these systems rolls 1 extra die every time a roll is made. If a '1' comes up on any of these dice, the Dawn suffers a "vehicle" jury-rig breakdown result.

False Transponder Codes: The Epoch Dawn is also registered as the Blue Yonder, Red Herring, Customs Evader, Dawntreader, and the Honest Trader.

Backup Power Batteries: Should life support ever fail, there are five spare batteries that can keep it running for 1 hour per battery. This should be long enough to repair the system or bring the main power back on line, or abandon the ship...

System Jump-Start Batteries: This jury-rigged device is used when the sublight engines shut down, stalls or suffer a drive system failure due to power loss or some other event (usually from a mishap or jury-rig 'vehicle' breakdown...). Dace or Chacca can add +1D to their space transports skill roll, with a Moderate difficulty, to jump-start the Dawn over the course of a full round. Remember to roll that extra 1 die for using a jury-rigged piece of equipment. If this device suffers a jury-rig breakdown, treat it as a 'non-lethal' device.

Specific Engine Components: The Epoch Dawn's sublight drive is a modified Corellian Evader GT-Ion drive. Dace and Chacca did manage to obtain the required permits for this engine. The main and backup hyperdrives are both Rendili StarDrive's ATX-5 hyperdrives. The main drive has been modified to put out x½ power, but the backup has remained unmodified. The reason Dace has done this is just in case he needs to make significant repairs to his main hyperdrive while in space. With an identical backup drive, he has all of the necessary manufacturer's parts available to make any level of repairs to his main drive, as long as she isn't destroyed. If the main hyperdrive is damaged, the parts are right there, not in the next star system.

Supplies, Tools, and Lockers: Dace keeps an ample supply of power scanners, hydrospanners, beam drills, fusion cutters, worklights, plasma welders, vibropicks, vibrosaws, and power prybars in several tool lockers. He has 4 sets of these tools hanging from tool belts and tech's coveralls. There are also 2 of each computer tool kits, droid tool kits, and vehicle tool kits within the storage/repair bay. There are 8 of each emergency space suits and miniature life support systems, general and arid exposure suits, thermal suits, and breathmasks in easily accessible suit lockers. The cockpit also has 5 breathmasks and emergency space suits and miniature life support systems in quick-release floor compartments. A medical station behind the entry ramp stores 10 standard medpacs and 10 FastFlesh medpacs. General supplies include a dozen luma flares, 4 pairs of macrobinoculars, 2 small and 1 large subspace radios (in case their shipboard communications goes out...), and 5 coils of 20 meter syntherope. A secured weapons locker contains 6 modified Stormtrooper E-11 blaster rifles (6D), 2 modified heavy blaster pistols (6D), a hold-out blaster (3D), and 5 power packs for each weapon.

Notes: The Epoch Dawn is a very, very, very touchy ship. With all of the quirks placed on top of the mishaps and potential disasters, it's no wonder that she looks and sounds like she should be impounded and recycled immediately. Dace and Chacca would never allow that to happen, nor would Arnine, who rather enjoys his new frame.

On a good day, when the Force is with her, the Dawn is perhaps among the best ships in the galaxy that one would want to be in (despite the nerve-wracking rattling of the gratings, the dimming lights, and the sparking fuse boxes). On any other day, she could be a nightmare for anyone who doesn't have the "special touch" that Dace and Chacca have developed for the Dawn. Sure, she'll outrun TIE Interceptors – when she runs, that is. Yeah, the hull will stay together – as long as the molecular bonding tape was replaced...

Jury-Rigged Devices

Several devices aboard the Epoch Dawn have been jury-rigged, according to the rules presented in Cracken's Rebel Field Guide. Two tables have been copied below from those rules, just in case you don't have access to that book.

Whenever one of the jury-rigged systems is used, roll 1D for each +1 or 1D of a bonus that system provides; if any of the dice rolled come up as a '1' then the Dawn suffers a Jury-Rig Breakdown. Roll on the 'non-lethal' or 'vehicle' table below to see exactly what could happen (each jury-rigged device will tell you what table to roll on).

Non-Lethal Device Breakdown

    1D Roll    Result

    1. The item is broken and cannot be repaired.
    2. The item stops working, but only needs to be slammed hard or kicked in order to start working again. This takes an action to do.

    3,4,5,6  The item is fine.

Vehicle Breakdown

    1D Roll    Result

    1. All power systems shut down and the ship drops like a stone or is dead in space. A Moderate space transports roll is necessary for a safe emergency landing, otherwise, the ship crashes. Of course, Dace, Chacca, or Arnine could try to use the System Jump-Start Batteries to get the engines going again...
    2. The ship bucks. An Easy space transports roll is necessary to keep the ship from careening out of control.

    3,4,5,6  The ship is fine. Really, she is...


Author: S.T. Kearney

E-mail: corporal@nac.net



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