OPNET Resource Vehicle Data

 

 

 

 

Eurostar/Helvetica Centaur

 

 

 

 

Description

 

 

The Centaur is a simple 150 meter long multi-purpose spacecraft. The aft section is mainly comprised of engine, fuel tanks and heat dissipaters. The "neck" is comprised of storage and docking facilities. The forward section (the only section with grav-crystals) is for control and crew quarters (also where the sick bay is on rescue versions).

The Centaur is a very practical design. Its long shape increases the axial moment of inertia making it very resistant to course instabilities (it "tracks" well). The engines are kept far from the crew areas to minimize possible radiation leakage (the original PW-010 engines tended to leak a little). In an emergency, the crew area can detach from the rest of the ship and become self-sufficient for two weeks (at minimal power - no gravity). Cargo (most of it) is stored in modular blisters along the craft's neck. In zero-g, these easily detach for rapid on and off loading.

 

 

 

 

History

 

 

The Centaur was conceived of by Orgotek in the early years of this century as the Dragon class Destroyer. Orgotek had just gained the reputation of "the metacorp run by psions," and was trying to expand its interests into the realm of spacecraft design. Orgotek biotechnicians wanted to incorporate their biotechnology into a spacecraft, but had no experience or reputation for astronautical engineering. The idea of biotech ships was nearly shelved until CEO Jennifer Lehoczky (not yet Lechoczky-Elliot) struck a deal with the Chinese aerospace corporation L-B. Orgotek had initially approached Nihonjin Banji and Bakuhatsu, who frowned on the idea of biotech ships. It proved to be a profitable agreement for all comers -- Orgotek gained a favorable entry into the aerospace market, while L-B proved that it could still compete with the Nihonjin newcomers.

Although the Dragon incorporated all of the best technology 2104 had to offer, it was vastly different from the biotech ships of today. Essentially a hardtech ship with biotech components, the Dragon sported biotech life support, a self-repairing photosynthetic outer layer, biotech interface units, and even an early ARES pod. The bridge and some of the crew area had grav-crystals, a luxury on military ships, and its medical and communications facilities were the finest of its day. Many Dragons were produced, and most countries with an extra-terrestrial military presence had a few in their fleets.
Unfortunately for the Dragon, the novelty of a partially biotech ship quickly wore off. Its special abilities were hard to compare to the sheer magnitude of force provided by Banji’s Kestrel I class frigate, released in 2105, and competition was fierce. The line was cancelled in 2109 when Orgotek unveiled a fully biotech frigate, the Scarab. Most nations that owned Dragons no longer wanted to spend the money maintaining an unsupported vessel when more advanced ships were on the horizon, but could not justify scrapping them. Fortunately for all involved, the investment meta-corp Helvetica had a plan.

Under the aegis of a dummy aerospace corporation Eurostar, Helvetica bought up nearly 80% of the existing Dragons and performed a complete overhaul. Weapon systems were removed, most biotech components and grav-crystals were removed, and the older hardtech was updated. The ships were then released as the Centaur class stock freighter, the perfect ship for small entrepeneurs. Although the idea took a few months to catch on and nearly cost a Helvetica VP his job, sales picked up after the Fourth Legion's modified Centaur Cyborg Hunter destroyed a hidden quantakinetic base in the Belt. Today, Centaurs are employed as freighters, hospital ships, and even corporate gunboats to protect metacorp freight convoys. The Seveth Legion maintains three Centaurs as rescue ships that operate out of the OPS-29 Firehouse station positioned between Earth and Mars orbit. This trio of vessels is famous for their daring exploits, as well as their garish red-and-white paintjobs. On the other hand, the pirate Centaur Silverheart has become one of the most feared ships in space. It is credited with numerous accounts of piracy, including the crippling of the FSM Kestrel Thor.

 

 

 

 

 

Statistics

 

 

The statistics for the Centaur series of spacecraft show the three different variants and are organized as follows: C=Cargo, R=Rescue, and P=Pirate. Note that there is no official "Pirate variant" that Helvetica sells; this is included as a "typical pirate vessel" that you can use as you see fit. Also note that currently there is no stat listing for the Dragon, the ship that the Centaur is based on.

VT: Light Freighter
Tech: Hard
Crew: 8
Cabins: C and P- 30; R- 80
Cargo: C- 30,000 cumets; P- 15,000 cumets; R- 5,000 cumets
Ship Compliment: C and P- 150 tons of craft in internal bay; R- 600 tons of craft in internal bay
VS: R and P- 5; C- 4
Handling: R and P- +1; C- 0
Mass: 8,500
Cost: C- 8; R- 8; P- 9 (although it is unavailable through official markets)
Armor: 5 [15]
Weapons:

C, R- (2) Turretted Dual Heavy Coilguns (Acc +1, Dam 8d10[10]L)

P- (2) Turretted Quad Heavy Lasers (Acc +1, Dam 6d10[5]L)
(2) Missile Bays with 8 Missiles each (Acc +2, Dam 10d10[15]L)
(2) Forward Facing Heavy Lasers (Acc+2, Dam 8d10[5]L)

Other: Rescue versions have advanced medical facilities and stasis chambers.

 

 

 

 

 

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