Mamba-Class Fast Attack Craft

Mamba-Class Fast Attack Craft (PL7)

Background: Built as an experimental prototype in the last years of the 2nd Galactic War by Nebulon Defense Inc. of the StarMech Consortium, this starship is a heavily armed and well armoured monster. It was designed to fulfill a requirement for a fast attack craft able to conduct deep penetration raids into enemy space, destroying transports and small warships and disrupting supply lines. The specifications necessitated a small, fast ship capable of standing up to heavy combat. A leader in small craft design and manufacture, Nebulon Defence Inc. quickly realised that the challenge was to pack as much firepower into a 40-durability hull as possible.

After some well-publicised failures, including a reactor accident that destroyed the original prototype, Nebulon's team of engineers produced the second, successful prototype. By accident of design, the ship turned out as a squat, triangular hullform not unlike the head of a snake when viewed from above. Appropriately, the designers named their small, lethal starship the Mamba, after a species of snake native to the Sol system known for its aggressiveness and deadly venom.

Clad in tough plates of neutronite and sporting wicked-looking weapon muzzles, very few observers would mistake its function. With its three plasma cannons, this ship would seriously outgun most ships of its size currently in service. Its main and secondary mass reactors provide an awesome 30 power factors for its systems. With a hyperdrive, the Mamba quickly transverses interstellar distances without the need for vulnerable drive re-charging. The addition of a stealth shield makes the Mamba a very elusive opponent which fits well with its intended role as a deep penetration raider. Sophisticated computers, communications and sensors complete the package.

While its complicated manufacture and high cost delayed its entry into StarMech service, one full squadron was soon activated and the ships were making their presence felt in the war. The Thuldan Empire soon learnt to fear the lethal intruders which popped up dozen of light years behind the front lines, wrecked convoys and transports and fled before they could be dealt with. Even when cornered, the Mambas proved to be tough opponents as demonstrated when the SCS Venom was engaged by a trio of Thuldani armed scouts after successfully destroying a supply convoy. Unable to stand up to the Venom's withering plasma cannon salvoes, two of the scouts were destroyed before the third broke off the engagement and fled.

With the close of the 2nd Galactic War, the Mambas became surplus to StarMech Naval requirements due to their high cost and specialized function. When the former StarMech territories were assimilated into the Galactic Concord, the remaining Mambas in service were donated to Star Force. Star Force regards the Mamba as the ideal patrol vessel for the Verge. Its hyperdrive would enable it to be quickly moved to counter threats to remote planets in the sector and its armarment would outmatch any non-capital ships it was likely to encounter. The vessels have performed so well in Star Force service that recently, The Galactic Concord has expressed a desire to buy more of them. One proposed variant is the Mamba gunship which has its compartments reconfigured to mount a fourth plasma cannon, giving the ship truly awesome firepower.

Ship Stats
Durability : 40
Compartments : 7
Berthing : 12 crew
Man rating : 0
Acc : 2 Mpp
Cruise : 1.5 AU/hour

Armament : 3 x Plasma Cannon
Defenses : Deflection Inducer, Jammer
Armor : Moderate Neutronite (4 Dur)
Computer : Good comp core, Good dedicated battle, defense, sensor, and nav comps
Engines : Induction Engine
Power : Mass Reactors rated for 30 power factors
Drive : Hyperdrive 2 ly/day
Hatches : Security (0 dur)

Command (10/10/5)
    Laser Transceiver (0/1), Radio Transceiver (0/1)
    EM Detector (0/0), IR Detector (0/0)
    Multiband Radar (0/0), Ladar (0/0)
    Good computer core (2/0)
    Reentry Capsule (0/0)
    Plasma Cannon (3/3)

Auxiliary 1 (16/16/8)
Autosupport (0/1)
Mass Reactor (8/*) = 20 pow

Auxiliary 2 (8/8/4)
Autosupport (0/1)
Mass Reactor (4/*) = 10 pow

Engineering (16/16/8)
Hyperdrive (2/*)
Induction Engine (6/6) = 3 move pts

Electronics (6/6/3)
    Deflection Inducer (2/4)
    Mass Detector (1/0)
    Jammer (0/1)

Weapons (12/12/6)
2 x Plasma Cannon (6/6), Wpn link (0/0)

Crew (Dur 2)
Crew Quarters (2/0)
Airlock (0/0)

Mamba Gunship Variant

The proposed Mamba Gunship variant has considerable interior changes to accomodate a fourth plasma cannon. Remove the electronics compartment and merge the systems into the command compartment. Replace the all the Good computer systems with a Marginal computer core. Remove the Mass Detector.

Command (16/16/8)
    Laser Transceiver (0/1), Radio Transceiver (0/1)
    EM Detector (0/0), IR Detector (0/0)
    Multiband Radar (0/0), Ladar (0/0)
    Marginal computer core (0/0)
    Reentry Capsule (0/0)
   2 x Plasma Cannon (6/6), Wpn link (0/0)
    Deflection Inducer (2/4)
    Jammer (0/1)

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