Ithullian Ore-Hauler



The Ithullian ore haulers are large starships, first in use circa 4,000 BBY. Unlike standard starships, however, it is not manufactured. Instead, it is built out of Ithullian colossus wasp corpses; giant insects over a kilometer in length. This unique design easily distinguishes them from any other type of ship. These ships are used primarily by the humanoid Nessies of the Stenness Node systems; a valuable mining region on the galaxy's frontier.

Schematics


Price - New: 200000

Price - Used: 120000

Ithullan wasps are abundant in the Stenness Node systems, which gives the Nessies a ready source of hulls. When a wasp dies, the Nessies convert its carapace into an ore hauler. The Nessies insist that they only make their ships out of wasps that die of natural causes; but it is well known that some of the mining colonies will pay a high price for a wasp carapace. This leads to Ithullan wasp poaching in the asteroid fields. Unfortunately for poachers, the Ithullan wasps are quite capable of defending themselves, and many poachers are killed during hunts.

Their shell is sealed from the vacuum of space and strong enough to repel blaster bolts, so all the engineers have to do is carve out decks and cargo holds, and connect equipment like computers, sensors, weapons, and power generators. The cargo holds of these behemoths can carry as much valuable mutonium ore as the largest bulk freighters of the Core Worlds. Two ion engines are mounted on the outside of the wasps to save space inside the ship. The wasp's legs have stabilizers and jets installed on them to provide the ship with maneuverability. The ship has low power defensive blasters mounted along the exterior of the ship in addition to its main weapons, and a pair of heavy turbolasers mounted in the forward section of the thorax.

Like standard insects, Ithullan wasps have a head, thorax, and abdomen. After conversion into an ore hauler, the head houses the command area, the computers, the sensors, and the weapon control systems. The thorax containes the ore modules, and the abdomen contains additional bays for ore, the ship's power generators, the drive control systems, and fuel pods which take up most of the abdomen.

D6 Stats

 * Craft: Ithullian Ore Hauler
 * Affiliation: General
 * Type: Cargo ship
 * Scale: Capital
 * Length: 1.1 kilometers
 * Skill: Capital ship piloting: ore-hauler
 * Crew: 15, gunners: 14, skeleton: 10/+10
 * Crew Skill: Astrogation 3D+1, capital ship gunnery 4D,
 * capital ship piloting 3D+2, capital ship shields 3D+2,
 * sensors 3D
 * Passengers: 35
 * Cargo Capacity: 5000 metric tons
 * Consumables: 1 month
 * Cost:
 * Hyperdrive Multiplier: x15, Backup: x25
 * Maneuverability: 1D
 * Space: 2
 * Hull: 4D+2
 * Shields: 2D; 4D
 * Sensors:
 * Passive: 15/1D
 * Scan: 25/2D
 * Weapons:
 * 2 Heavy Turbolasers:
 * Fire Arc: Front
 * Crew: 2
 * Skill: Capital ship gunnery
 * Fire Control: 1D
 * Space Range: 1-8/15/30
 * Atmosphere Range: 25-50/75/100 km
 * Damage: 7D
 * 12 Defensive Blasters:
 * Fire Arc: 6 left, 6 right
 * Crew: 12
 * Scale: Starfighter
 * Skill: Starship gunnery
 * Fire Control: 2D
 * Space Range: 1-2/4/8
 * Atmosphere Range: 10-30/50/70
 * Damage: 2D+1