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Pocket Empires |
Mark Bridgeman
Whilst it is true to say that real pirates tend to use whatever ships they have at their disposal most typically up gunned merchant vessels or captured military designs, privateers are entirely a different matter.
Most privateers tend to be ex-pirates who after being offered an amnesty by the local government are then gainfully employed to attack the shipping of their enemies or are sometimes ex military types now retired but still looking for a lucrative way to serve their government. Recently though a new class of pirate has arisen, as space based mercenary units normally employed to protect allied shipping now turn raider, attacking the enemy shipping of their employers (normally on a contract basis) or those that haven't paid them.
Hence in recent years with the expansion of the Imperium and the numerous though small scale disputes it has encountered, a need has grown up for a paramilitary type of craft with substantial cargo capacity combined with good drives and electronics that can then be sold to 'licensed' mercenary units (privateers or mercenaries) provided of course that they adhere to Imperial law with regards to attacking the shipping of an enemy and follow the laid down code of conduct required for such 'legal' encounters.
Thus the LCR class Corsair was born, built on a purpose built semi-streamlined hull (close structure) the corsair is capable of skimming for fuel and refining it aboard and as such can operate away from its base for long periods of time without logistic support.
It can pull 3G with its Standard Imperial Thruster and move from one shipping main to another quickly and easily with its jump 2 drives.
Its electronic suite has been deliberately designed to out class most merchant vessels though still be inferior to mainstream military suites. Contrary to popular belief ships of this nature do not come with a variable transponder, although standard operations do allow it to be shut off completely as not to compromise its mission. However some masters do install variable transponders later when they can get these hideously expensive, not to mention illegal devices.
No corsair captain likes to get caught in an atmosphere, hence this is not a fully streamlined design, away missions to planetary surfaces and the like are normally conducted using the on-board launch leaving the parent vessel in orbit in the 'high guard' position where it can react quickly to threats. Its missile ordnance is ideal for long-range targets and devastating to a single merchantman, the single battery is controlled from the bridge, though if multiple targets are expected the four turrets that make up the battery can be decoupled from each other and fired as a separate battery each, under local control, if more gunners are available, or even computer control with the correct programming and friend/foe recognition software/systems installed etc.
Its thickly armoured hull certainly gives it an edge when under attack from most turret weapons, common on system defence or patrol craft etc.
It also incorporates 5 emergency low berths, ideal for securing captives etc, or stabilising the severely injured etc. Some ex-military captains often have a frozen watch of ship's troops aboard to replace casualties or overwhelm the enemy with.
The cargo hold is large, and in normal circumstances could not make enough money to pay this ships operational costs, let alone make a profit, but that changes when you're a corsair, because its not as if you are actually paying for the cargo in the first place, hence large profits are a reality of this line of work.
Typical privateer doctrine allows cargo to be confiscated and sold at market later on, some governments allow captives to be sold into slavery and ships captured to be registered as prize vessels, and sold legally after a period of time or a bounty paid in lieu of this so that the prize vessel can be pressed into government service.
Some generous captains, even reward loyal subordinates with their own prize vessel and can over time create a pirate flotilla or raider band, some of which have grown so large that they are in danger of becoming the government in some parts of space, such as Lishun Sector. Needless to say the bigger the raider band becomes the more support it needs in terms of berthing and port facilities, and a network in place to sell or 'fence' stolen goods. This can lead to the creation of permanent corsair bases, some clandestine whilst others are well known to all…
There are some worlds out there that depend upon piracy for their standard of living, economic and manufacturing base.
Unfortunately pirates of all types tend to be victims of their own success in disrupting trade and commerce, they can literally destroy empires as per the Rule of Man, hence shipping lanes that come under frequent attack either dry up completely forcing the pirates to hunt for new markets elsewhere or defence patrols and ant-piracy operations are stepped up in those regions, in some cases protecting merchant shipping with powerful naval escorts.
As a result of these developments, many corsair captains engage in 'land management' moving from one area to another after each successive raid, in a more or less random pattern carefully ensuring that stellar regions don't get hit too often that it would justify the local navy to step up their patrols or increase fortifications and system defence.
Good corsairs normally leave compliant merchants alive and with their ship, after their cargo has been cleaned out, however if the merchant resists, then all sorts of things could happen…
To facilitate boarding actions, the LCR commerce raider also comes with an extendable docking tube allowing it to make airlocks with most airlock designs up to 50 meters away.
This design can also be customised further, some owners install collapsible tanks in the hold, to extend jump range, so that it can enter a destination system, conduct a raid and immediately jump out without having to refuel. Needless to say only a fool enters battle without sufficient jump fuel, hence standard operations would be refuel at the gas-giant or any ice bodies etc before raiding shipping. Lots of pirate tacticians favour attacking merchantmen in the immense gravity well of a gas-giant, as ships are particularly venerable there, being too far from a jump point to safely escape (assuming they've got the fuel) also raided space ships can be sent plummeting deep into the atmosphere of the gas-giant resulting in an imploded hull and eventual destruction deep beneath the clouds, covering one's tracks nicely…
Some merchants even try to escape into the cloud deck, and as a result of this are often allowed to survive, after all attacks this low result in imploded hulls that are no good to anyone and not worth the cost of a missile (there being no gain). This is where the LCR Corsair wins out, a spread of missile fire from orbit is often enough to ignite the atmosphere, causing pressure waves and catastrophic damage to any ships within the vicinity (something difficult to do with laser weaponry) ensuring that escaping ships don't come back up again.
Commerce raiding is merely another weapon in the Imperium's impressive arsenal to be used against resisting powers that feel to see the immense vision of our wonderful and gifted Emperor Cleon Zhunastu. Interested mercenary units could do a lot worse than purchase the LCR class corsair….
Licensed Commerce Raider Type P "Corsair"
Class: LCR Corsair Type P Ep Output: 12 Tech Level: 12 Agility: 0 Size: (Medium 400 Tons) Initiative: 0 Streamlining: Semi Streamlined AC: 14 Jump Range: 1 x Jump 2 Repulsors: None Acceleration 3G Thruster Nuclear Dampers: None Fuel 92.0 Tons (Liquid Hydrogen) Meson Screens: None Duration: 4 weeks Black Globes: None Crew: 20 AR: 4 Staterooms: 1 SI: 145 Small Cabins: 18 Main Computer: Model 3 Bunks: none Sensor Range: Medium (model 3) Couches: none Comm. Range: Medium (model 3) Emergency Low Berths: 5 Cargo Space: 104.4 Tons Cost: Mcr: 201.722 (Mcr 161.377 in quantity) Atmospheric speeds Noe= 875 kph Cruising = 825 kph Maximum = 1100 kph Other Equipment: Fuel Scoops & Purifier (refines 92 tons in 3 Hrs 41 min) 1 x Tl 8+ Launch included in price 1 x Missile Battery USP=4 Crew Detail: 201 x Commander 2 x Bridge, 1 x Gunner, 1 x Medic, 2 x Engineer, 13 x Troops
Costs & Revenues: (Per Operational Month) Costs not listed as this is a paramilitary design and the owning unit covers costs. Revenues not listed, as this is not a commercial design. Design Worksheet. Installed Component Tonnage MCR Ep Notes. Hull +400 24.0 ---- Close Structure Upgraded Armour 40 8.3 ---- AR=4 Bridge 20 1.0 ---- Computer 0.3 15.3 ---- Model 3 Avionics 0.8 (1.8) ---- Model 2 Sensors 0.9 (1.8) ---- Model 3 Commo 0.6 (1.5) ---- Model 3 M-Drive 32.0 16.0 -12.0 3G Thruster Jump Drive 12.0 48.0 -8.0 Jump=2 Jump Fuel 80.0 ---- ---- 1 x Jump 2 Power Plant 18.0 54 +12.0 Fusion Tl-9 Fuel 4 weeks 12.0 ---- ---- Liquid Hydrogen Hardpoints ---- 0.4 ---- 4 Hardpoints 4 x Triple Turrets 4.0 4.0 ---- 4 Batteries 1 x Missile Battery ---- 9.0 ---- USP=4 Missile Magazines 4.0 0.4 ---- 13 Battery Rounds Missile Ordnance ---- 0.8 ---- 160 Missiles Fuel Scoops ---- 0.4 ---- Purification Plant 6.0 0.032 ---- 92 tons in 3 Hr 41 min 1 x Stateroom 4.0 0.5 ---- Commander's Cabin 18 x Small Cabin 36.0 9.0 ---- Crew Quarters 5 x Emergency Low Berths 5.0 0.5 ---- Launch Hanger 20 0.04 ---- Launch ---- 10.05 ---- TL 8+ Launch Cargo 104.4 ---- ---- Totals 400 ---- ---- 201.722 Excess Power = none
A New Design for T20, by Mark Bridgeman
Unlike other designs this is not a conversion of the Corsair listed on Page 50 of the T4 Starships book. The corsair detailed has to be the worst designed and most disappointing of the designs in the book (IMHO), in terms of not only the terrible stats presented but the unimaginative deck plans and the illustration which could have been good had the artist any conception of the size and scale of a displacement ton.
Sorry about the rant and apologies to the original designer, so in the spirit of offering a commercially viable and well thought out commerce raider 'corsair' I designed my own to be used in place of the T4 version. Hope you like it and its description that includes some operational insights of the corsair life.
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