The Swordcane Q-ship is one of the most bizarre variants on the standard Compass-class scout to be revealed in some time. The original design of the Penitent Brotherhood's Order Militant stripped virtually every nonessential component (even the armor) from the Compass's hull, slashed the fuel capacity and reduced the crew compartment to almost nothing to fit a hidden fusion beam bay in its hull.
In its infancy, the Swordcane served as an unpleasant surprise to pirates expecting easy pickings from a Brotherhood convoy, but since knowledge of it has gotten out into human space at large, the Order Militant has ordered a respec of the Swordcane into a more agile, deadly attacker. This has entailed stripping it of its jump drive and retooling its drive systems to make it faster, but also had the side effect of permitting the Order Militant to reequip armor plating on the vessel. The Swordcane II now bears only a passing resemblance to the Compass-class, but with its more overt threat comes greater performance to match.
The Swordcane II can be carried in the hull of the Humility-class frigate, allowing it to continue its merchant escort role even without its jump drive.
Standard Loadout
Swordcane II Merchant Escort | d-Tons | Cost (MCr) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Hull | 100 tons | Hull 2 | 2.2 | |
Streamlined | Structure 2 | |||
Armor | Ceramol | Protection 4 | 5 | 0.4 |
No Jump Drive | ||||
Maneuver Drive C | Thrust 6 | 5 | 12 | |
Power Plant C | 10 | 24 | ||
Bridge | 10 | 0.5 | ||
Computer | Model 1/bis | Rating 5 | 0.045 | |
Electronics | Basic Military | +0 Sensors DM | 2 | 0.5 |
Weapons | Hardpoint #1 | Fusion Beam Bay | 51 | 20 |
Fuel | 12 tons | 4 weeks | 12 | |
Cargo | 0 tons | 0 | ||
1 Stateroom | 2 personnel (max) | 4 | 0.5 | |
Extras | Fuel Scoops | |||
1 Fuel Processors | 1 | 0.05 | ||
Ship's Locker | ||||
Software | Maneuver/0 | |||
Jump Control/2 | 0.2 | |||
Fire Control/1 | 2 | |||
Library | ||||
Total | 100 | 62,395,000 Cr |
Variants
Swordcane Q-Ship, Jump Variant
The original version of the Swordcane was a simple conversion of the Compass-class scout into a merchant ambusher, but the massive fusion cannon bay meant that the Swordcane had to be stripped almost to the structural members of unnecessary components. With the advent of the Humility-class frigate, though, Swordcane IIs can be carried without jump drives or allowance for jump fuel, making the original version a sluggish and uncomfortable posting.
Swordcane Q-Ship | d-Tons | Cost (Cr) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Hull | 100 tons | Hull 2 | 2.2 MCr | |
Streamlined | Structure 2 | |||
Armor | ||||
Jump Drive A | Jump 2 | 10 | 10 MCr | |
Maneuver Drive A | Thrust 2 | 2 | 4 MCr | |
Power Plant A | 4 | 8 MCr | ||
Bridge | 10 | 0.5 MCr | ||
Computer | Model 1/bis | Rating 5 | 0.045 MCr | |
Electronics | Basic Military | +0 Sensors DM | 2 | 0.5 MCr |
Weapons | Hardpoint #1 | Fusion Beam Bay | 51 | 20 |
Fuel | 12 tons | One Jump-1 and 2 weeks | 12 | |
Cargo | 3 tons | 3 | ||
1 Stateroom | 2 personnel (max) | 4 | 0.5 MCr | |
Extras | Fuel Scoops | |||
2 Fuel Processors | 2 | 0.1 MCr | ||
Ship's Locker | ||||
Software | Maneuver/0 | |||
Jump Control/2 | 0.2 MCr | |||
Fire Control/1 | 2 MCr | |||
Library | ||||
Total | 100 | 48,045,000 Cr |