Steiner Directorate SF-^^! Starfighter


A pair of SF-^^! Fighters on patrol; They appear to be Steiner Directorate proper fighters. Steiner Directorate Imperial War Museum.

A contemporary of the BTL-A4 Koensayr is the Steiner Directorate ASF-252 “Starfighter”; When the Steiner Directorate disbanded (in preparation for annexation to the UGC), one of the conditions of their entry was the right to keep their main aero-space supremacy fighter, the Starfighter, in inventory for ten years. The reason: Between the 50,000-odd systems in the Steiner Directorate, there was an estimated 50 million of these craft; Far too many to replace quickly.
The terms of the deal stated, in black and white, that the Starfighter was to be completely out of service after 20 years, no exceptions. However, the Steiner Worlds have constantly used one excuse after another to keep them in service. After 150 years, only about ¼ of them have been replaced, and most of those have been replaced by second, third, and even fourth hand F/AG-8 Phantom III’s (a plane that BARELY remains in REF service as a medivac craft).
However, the Starfighter IS legitimately dangerous; As aerospace fighters go, it’s easily the fastest, has FTL capabilities, and is pretty cheap. This has made it popular amongst unallied groups, many of them fronting for various malcontent groups.
The Steiner Directorate has been ordered, begged, and even bribbed to discontinue the fighters, all broken; They’ve also been instructed to replace the Masers with lasers, and this is, slowly, happening (but only when the UGC pays the whole bill, plus the cost of replacement parts).
The Starfighter can also work off of larger starships, however they can NOT be used with electromagnetic fighter catapult/recovery tubes; The circuitry is not hardened, preventing them from being exposed to the intense electromagnetic fields involved.
The fighter is designed with a rear-facing sensor operator and tail gunner. However, the tail gun is NOT absolutely necessary, and the pilot can operate it anyways.
Though useable as an automated defense pod, and fair as an automated reconnaissance drone, the Starfighter’s simply too old and unreliable for a front-line fighter pod; Nevertheless, the Steiner Worlds keep them in service to this day; This fact has led the Steiner Worlds to constant threats of dis-membership, even embargo. If anything will lead the UGC to civil war, it will be the Steiner Worlds succeeding, and the Starfighter leading the fight.
Model and Number: SF-^^!; The Steinerians don’t use numerals like Humans and the REST of the UGC, so “661” is replaced by these symbols.
Vehicle Type: Aero-Space Fighter/Attacker/Tactical Reconnaissance
Crew: One or two.
M.D.C By Location:
Fuselage-
Engines (Ø2)-		5ØØ
25Ø each		Reinforced Pilots Cockpit-
Tailerons (underside/Ø2)-		3ØØ
1ØØ each
Note: Usual conditions apply

Speed and Statistical Data:
Driving on the Ground: ½ mph for a few miles; Taxi only.
FTL: Factor 10
In Atmosphere and Space: Mach 30
Maximum Range: 60,000 AU. The craft can be refueled in flight.
Length: 30.3 feet (9.2 meters)
Height: 10.7 feet (3.3 meters)
Width: 17.8 feet (5.4 meters).		Weight: 14.5 tons (13.1 metric tons) unloaded
Power System: Fusion power supply with a 15 day duration at normal output.
Fusion power supply can run life support without any thrust for 2 years,
although rations and water will have long run out.
Cargo: Small storage space, 4 feet×4½ feet×4 feet.
Used for emergency equipment and weapons but a passenger can be crammed in emergency.
Cost and Availability: 25 million credits to build.

Weapons Systems:
1. 3 MRM: This was the main weapon of the Starfighter; The add style='text-align:justify'ition of the Maser Cannon made that the preferred weapon in actual combat; However, the missiles remained the actual WORKING weapon of pilots.
Purpose: Anti-Ship/Bunker
Damage and Range: Varies by type used.
Rate Of Fire: 1 missile per pilots attacks per melee.
Payload: 3 total

2. Twin Forward Maser Cannons: Lasers work by amplifying light; Masers work by amplifying magnetic waves. As discussed, the maser was a weapon added AFTER the Starfighter was first deployed. Not as powerful or with as much range as a laser, the systems is much simpler, and can even be field-improvised if one can find a working microwave oven, or civilian radar.
MD: 3D6
Range: 5 miles (double in space)
Rate of Fire: Per pilots attacks per melee.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

3. Rear Facing Maser Cannon: A third, rear-facing Maser was also installed to reduce the effectiveness of tailing dogfighters; The weapon can be used by a rear-facing sensor officers at full ability, or can be fixed exactly rear and used by the pilot at one attack per melee.
MD: 3D6
Range: 5 miles (double in space)
Rate of Fire: Per sensor officer’s attacks per melee; Once per melee for the pilot.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

Optional Additional Armaments:
4. 2 undercarriage VWC pods: Any type EXCEPT the Syncro-Cannon can be carried.









Optional Alternate Armaments:
2a. Laser Auto Cannons: Normal lasers emit a short, hyper-intense beam of light which incinerates everything in a small area; Laser Auto Canons emit a full-melee beam of energy, like a rod of energy; This can either be placed on a particular spot for the full melee, or tracked to the target (+2 strike). Either way, this is the most powerful laser battery ever put on a Mecha to anyone’s knowledge.
Purpose: Anti-Armor
MD: Tracking Blast: 1D6×1Ø; Concentrated Blast: 1D4×5Ø
Rate Of Fire: Once per melee
Range: 3Ø,ØØØ feet
Payload: Unlimited

2b. Plasma Cannons: Exactly the same as the optional plasma shoulder cannon from the Nousjadeul-Ger Male Power Armor, except that the range is GREATLY improved. One or both FORWARD Masers can be replaced with this weapon.
MD: Per barrel: 3D8 per blast.
Range: 8 miles (double in space)
Rate of Fire: Per pilots attacks per melee.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

2c. Ion Cannons: The ion cannon is the stun gun for spaceships; Normal damage, therefore, doesn’t exactly apply (see Effect). One, two, or all three Masers can be replaced with these weapons.
Effect:

Against material: Roll on the following table:
Ø1-6Ø: Ships is dead in space; It will be drawn to the nearest gravity well (planet). The engine is completely dead, and can not be repaired. The ship must be abandoned.
6Ø-9Ø: The ships is restricted, roll again:
Ø1-5Ø: Ship is sluggish; ½ attacks per melee, and pilots, crew, etc are ½ to all applicable skills (i.e. pilot: spaceship of 85% now is 42%, rounded down).
Ø1-51: Ship is DIS (dead in space); It will take 1D4 hours to repair the ship IF parts are available, or 1D4 minutes to jurry-rig the ship.
91-ØØ: MIRACLE; The blast had no effect! GM selects a non-drive system to destroy (that systems somehow grounded out the entire blast). Note: The fighters can still fire again.
Against Personnel: Will stun anyone not wearing environmentally sealed body armor, and has a 6Ø% chance of stunning those not wearing any. Spacesuits, rubber suits, etc also provide sufficient protection.
Range: 2Ø miles (double in space)
Rate of Fire: Per pilots attacks per melee.
Payload: 2 blasts every other melee; It needs time to repower.

Features:
  • E.S.M.: Radar Detector. Passively detects other radars being operated.
  • Radar: Combat grade radar. Range 1ØØ miles, can track up to 5Ø individual targets. 95% reliability (24% against unfriendly stealthed vehicles).
  • Blue Force Tracker: Identifies friend from foe. Overlays the information on both the radar and HUD, ensuring that friendly forces are not accidentally targeted.
  • GPS: Standard tracking device. Ties into the Blue Force Tracker.
  • Anti-Jamming System: Reduces Electronics Countermeasure by ¾ (decrease skill level appropriately).
  • HUD: Displays maps, radar, targeting information, and any OTHER information the wearer wants directly in front of the user.
  • FLIR/SLIR: Forward and Side Looking Infrared. Allows pilot to get visuals on targets at night.
  • AJP: Active Jamming Pod. Causes -25% to detection but when it is active, other vehicles/bases can detect that it is jamming, and some missiles will home in on jamming signals. Jamming also causes a -4 penalty to all radar guided weapons. The jamming pod is only mounted inside the port taileron.
  • Oxygen Rebreather System: Extends pilots air supply to 1ØØ hours; Cartridge MUST be replaced after that period of time.
  • Magnetic Clamps: Electro magnets in the pads of the landing struts allow the fighter to adhere to the hulls of warships and the exteriors of SOME buildings.
  • Combat/Targeting Computer: Records all enemy and friendly activity over the course of time; Can replay that activity for the pilot, assign target designation numbers, and track likely damage based on mathematical formulas (i.e. “Right leg red” badly damaged/destroyed, “head green” not damaged, etc). Displays this information as a pop up in the HUD on request by the pilot.
  • MRA 6 Radios: Allows real time, continuous radio link up with friendly forces in the area via satellite relay over laser radio signals, preventing jamming, and automatically encrypts/decrypts same to prevent eavesdropping.
  • Type-11 wide band radios: Effective 1Ø mile range, auto encrypt/decrypt. Works on standard radio band wavelengths, so it can still be jammed (if the enemy knows the frequencies).
  • Towed XTNDR RADAR/Radio Antenna Extender: A simple 1Ø lb. pod is towed 1ØØ feet behind the fighter. A fiber-optic cable relays the data collected from the XTNDR Pod to the fighter’s computers.
    M.D.C. By Location:
    Pod: 5Ø
    Fiber Optic Cable: 1Ø
    Effect: Extends range of any sensors 1Ø times (or defeats other penalties in a 5 mile area).
  • Decoys: Despite the relative commonality of the Launched/Towed Decoy Pods and
    Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser systems, the simpler Decoys originally used on the
    Starfighter is the one still in use. The reason they have not been switched out for the more
    effective L/TDP and AMC/FD systems is the Steinerian sense of superiority; However,
    privately owned combat ready craft have been retro-fitted to the better system. The decoys
    themselves are specially modified Mini-Missiles that produce burning globs of
    magnesium/aluminum alloy to confuse both radar AND heat sensory systems, as well as
    creating a lot of smoke to obscure the fighter. Note: Though the modified mini-missiles
    combine smoke flares, AMC/FDs, and LDP’s, they aren’t powerful enough for use with Destroids/Guardians/Etc. Reduce effects by 2Ø% against smart missiles (add +2Ø% to
    rolls for smart missiles.)
    Effect:
    Ø1-5Ø: Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud-
    Missiles are all destroyed.
    51-75: Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and
    veers away in wrong direction (may lock onto another target).
    76-ØØ: No effect, missile is still on target.
    Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind nearby heat sensors (and optically
    based sensors at night) for 1 melee. They will suffer the following penalties: Reduce melee attacks/actions, and combat bonuses by half. Also, a cloud of smoke approximately 25Square feet.
    Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
    Rate of Fire: Once per melee.
    Payload: 6 chaff/flares.
  • Full Range Sensory Systems: Infrared, Ultra Violet, Color Filters, and Thermal Imager: Range: 1Ø miles; Magnification: 4ØX
  • Virtual Map: Displays a continuously-updating map of local terrain for the pilot. Takes data from other friendly units in the area. Effective land navigation of 85% as updates come. Good to 5ØØ miles. Specific range can be adjusted in 1ØØ mile increments.
  • Video Camera: Records from the HUD and Hdd style='text-align:justify'. 5Ø hours of recording available.
  • Survival Pack: A pack of simpler emergency survival supplies.


    • A ^^!a (REF-Standardized Variant) undergoing testing for REF Deployement; The program was eventually shelved,
    due to the high costs invovled in converting the Steinerian variants, and becasue of obstructionism by the Directorate.

    Combat Bonuses from Steiner Directorate Starfighter Combat Elite:
  • 1 additional attack per melee.
  • One additional attack per melee at levels 3 and 6.
  • +1 Initiative.
  • +1 Strike.
  • +1 Dodge.