 | High Speed Rescue Ship (Patrol). | | |||
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When Max STERLING first formed the Space Patrol And Enforcement Services, he was reacting to personal experience; As a Veritech Fighter Pilot aboard SDF-001 EDS MACROSS, he had been
As a child, Admiral STERLING had wanted to join the American Coast Guard, despite his own nationality (he was actually a Spaniard). The wartime pragmatisms precluded this; For one thing, he was in Macross when the whole island was spacefolded. Not a particularly good start. For another, the RDF was recruiting for VERITECH PILOTS, not Rescue Swimmers and etc. Indeed, at first it was thought the Veritech Pilots would be the rescue force of the SDF-001; That this eventually proved not quite correct is inconsequential. However, his own experiences on MACROSS had a chilling effect on then-Captain STERLING. He wanted to ensure this would NEVER happen again. The MAXIMILLIAN STERLING-Class SAR Ship was the first "official" vsls in this line of thought, but suffer from one critical failure; They're basically just floating Search And Rescue (SAR) Stations and mobile hospitals; At that, they aren't even full hospitals. Though they have all the RANGE in the Galaxy, but none of the SPEED, and in life-saving speed isn't simply life, it's death too. The spaceyards at Recominy promised that they could delivery a new, long range in-system SAR boat, tentatively called the "Sledge," based loosely on the ROIL TILVU-Class Shuttle. However, the catcher system kept failing, leading to cost overruns, and eventually the program was scrapped. The old MACROSS-era C-130's converted to use in space were rushed into service. This satisfied NO ONE however, and the REF was aggressively searching for a new solution. The answer eventually looked at was a cut-down version of the Galactica-Class Exploration Vessel; The EMSTAR-Class is the result. The engineers on the EMSTAR-Class, however, went way more than one better; They built probably THE ultimate SAR and Law Enforcement (L/E) vsl. Fast, highly maneuverable, and well-armed, but some of the weapons can double as life-saving as well as assault weapons. This made it unique; The only potential LIFE SAVING weapons ever in UGC history (a heritage only met once before, on Terra). As a bonus, while the EMSTAR-Class vsls can operate independently, even up to four star systems, they can still FIT into the standard flight bays on both the MAXIMILLIAN STERLING-Class and the MIRIYA PARINO-STERLING-Class Interdiction Ships; The SC-130's, because of their wingspan, could not fit into the flight bays. The EMSTAR-Class can't fit in exactly right, because they're too long, but they can nose in most of the way, and the refits on the flight bay were so simple that they in two weeks not only to create, but to go from one set of drawings, of the EMSTAR-Class's hull, to the first fully refitted MAXIMILLIAN STERLING-Class- Three days before the EMSTAR itself was delivered (though she was enr to her new home). One aspect of the converted C-130's that survived was the bow doors; They can literally scoop up victims as they proceed along. A new feature is the "recovery net"; Though it is a feature, it is actually listed in Weapons Systems because of its L/E applications. It allows the vsl to collect literally anything floating in space; Victims, evidence, even disabled vsls (though the Grappler Cables are better for that). Type: SAR and L/E Ship. Class: EMSTAR-Class. Crew: Officers: 4. Enlisted: About 25. MDC By Location: | |||||
| Hull- Bridge- | 200 150 | Missile Bays/Laser Turrets- Thrusters (8)- | 50 each 100 each | ||
| Speed and Statistical Data: | |||||
| Space Fold: Limited to 14 light hours (about 2 systems). FTL: Factor 50 (!). Cruising Speed: Factor 30. In Atmosphere: A ponderous 200 mph (321.87kph) is the safe limit. Operational Speed: During actual rescue missions, the EMSTARS will race to the scene at up to flank speed, but then slow down in the immediate area to as little as 1 inch per day (which is actually LESS than they should be moving by drift alone from solar winds, etc). On Water: The EMSTARS can operate on water, but at a painful 3 knots. If aquatic operations are planned or expected, they will usually carry a small boat, like a WHALE-Class Hovercraft. This is ussually only used for landing operations. Clearance: 15 feet. Beam: 38 feet. Length: 200 feet. Weight: 200,000 tons. Cargo: Up to 2,000 tons. They're occasionally used to shuttle supplies to villages and survivor camps. | Cruise Duration: Can operate up to 20 months without support, but VERY rarely goes more than a few hours on their own. Power Plant: Primary: Quad RHY-411 Reflex Furnace. Secondary: Solar Array. Propulsion: Primary: Tractioning drives. Secondary: Bleed off from the Reflex Furnaces. Flight System: Grav pods, but not intended to fly per se; Can land to on/off load. Cost and Availability: 1⅕m€; Takes about 6 months to build, but requires a 4 year pre-order to set up the fabrication lines. Black Market Cost and Availability: Could be as little as 10% to 10× as much, but not too popular. There was a single attempt by Ator Malconts to use one in a ruse to get inside the security zone around a militry out-load, but a simple query to local command revealed the truth, and the ship was boarded. The captured Ators are now on a FOLSOM -Class Prison Barge. | ||||
| Weapons Systems: | |||||
| 1. Grappler Cables: This is not a "weapon" per se but a grav pod set to positive generation away from the ship that literally grabs anything within a 100³ feet of the pod; Actually has a guarantee of striking against a willing target (such as a disabled vsl), but requires a normal attack role against an unwilling one (such as a smuggler). Generally not used for rescue work per se, but to garb a vsl that's adrift long enough to allow passengers to transition to the EMSTAR- Or to allow boarders to transition over to a smuggler. Effect: Creates a gravitation effect equal to that of a white dwarf star in a 100³ foot area. Number of attacks per melee: Equal to user's attacks per melee (treat it as a laser battery for game purposes). Range: 200,000 feet. Payload: Unlimited. Bonus to Strike: Automatic Strike to a willing target (no need to roll to strike), +10 to strike against a hostile target; Also has effectively unlimited automatic attacks; If it misses, the nature of gravity pods causes them to whip around at go after the target a second, third, fourth, whatever it takes attempts. 2. Recovery Net: Based on the concept of fishing nets, a 40² foot net will deploy ALL AROUND THE SHIP in whatever direction desired by the CO (or team leader), catching literally anything larger than 1² foot across. The nets become cluttered fast, making them slightly less than popular. Effect: Catches anything larger than 1² foot across within 40' of the hull. Number of attacks per melee: Only one per se; However, hits everything in the sphere of influence. Range: 40 effective feet. Payload: Unlimited. Restrictions: Because they catch so much material they clutter ("become fouled") quickly. To clear them, they must be brought in, then broomed off. The whole process takes one melee action. | 3. T'sentraedi Style Heavy Laser (02): Still a highly effective design, it is an REF standard weapon throughout the fleet. MD: 1D4×100 per blast. Rate of Fire: Twice per melee. Range: 200,000 miles. Payload: Unlimited. 4. Automated Missile Battery (04): 04 of these batteries are on each vessel. Ingeniously, some of the missiles in inventory are search and rescue in nature; Modified versions of the ancient Prowler UAV. The largest missile launchers are on the twin "outriggers," like the fighter bays on the Galactica- and BATTLESTAR-Class. Missile Type: Any MRM or LRM Purpose: Anti-Ship Defense. MD and Range: Varies by type used. Rate of Fire: Twice per melee. Special "Prowler" option: The REF took the ancient American Prowler Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, replacing the jet engines with a standard reflex engine and tractioning drives. Purpose: SAR and long-range observation. Effect: Extends the ship's effective viewing area in all sensors; Though it has all the sensors that the ship does, they're only about 10% as powerful, so they only see 10% as far. However, considering they open up viewing areas the ship may not otherwise have, this is an INCREDIBLE advantage. Rate of Fire: Once per melee. Payload: Up to 1,000. 5. Fighters, Shuttles, Etc: Each EMSTAR is supposed to carry 05 ASF-14 Viper Fighters and 02 CSS-228 Raptor Combat Shuttle. They usually do, but have been known to swap out like for like (especially ASF-14's for ASS-14 Laura Fighters). | ||||
| Features: | |||||
Effect: 51-75 Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (may lock onto another target). 76-00 No effect, missile is still on target. Duration: 1D4 melee rounds. Payload: 120 chaff/flares. Each time the system is engaged, the system fires off 04 chaff/flares. | |||||
