The Rebin Mercantile Escort is an old class of fighting vessel an adapted design of frigate from the founding days of the empire when all military units could only muster jump 1 or 2. Though modern fighting ships have larger jump ranges, this design was kept in production due to the demands of the Transport Guild for serious protection of their vessels and cargos from raiders beyond Rebin space.

Its thick armour and high speed, coupled with decent sensors and its combination missile and laser weaponry make it a formidable adversary.

Commonly seen beyond the borders of Rebin space protecting Interface transports and other small merchants that are moving in convoy or through dangerous areas.

In the Enrique system however these ships are seen operating within their original design parameters protecting points of interest and using their jump 1 drives to conduct micro jumps (within the same system) to quickly visit and patrol far flung Rebin outposts and secondary colonies, conducting shipboard inspections and destroying enemy combatants.

The crews of these vessels are renowned throughout Rebin space for not taking any prisoners. Destroying utterly any vanquished foes, the main reason for this it seems is that the cramped quarters aboard mean that there's no where to put any such prisoners.

Rebin Mercantile Escort

Class: Interface Transport          Ep Output: 12
Tech Level: 12                      Agility: 0
Size: 200 Tons                      Initiative: 0
Streamlining: Streamlined           AC: 20
Jump Range: 2 x Jump 1              Repulsors: None
Acceleration 4G Thruster            Nuclear Dampers: None
Fuel 58 Tons                        Meson Screens: None
Duration: 4 weeks                   Black Globes: None
Crew: 8                             AR: 10
Staterooms: none                    SI: 115
Small Cabins: 8                     Main Computer: Model 3 Fib
Bunks: none                         Sensor Range: Med (model3)
Couches: none                       Comm. Range: Med (model 3)
Low Berths: none                    Cargo Space: 14.4 Tons
Cost: Mcr: 141.382                  (Mcr 113.105 in quantity)
Atmospheric speeds                  Noe= 875 kph
Cruising = 825 kph                  Maximum = 1100 kph

Other Equipment: Fuel Scoops & Purifier (refines 58 tons in 2 hour 20 
minutes).  Some have modular quarters installed in the hold to house shipboard 
troops. 

Crew Detail:

8: 1 x Commander 2 x Bridge, 2 x Engineer, 2 x Gunner 1 x Medic

Costs & Revenues (Cr 434,173) Per Operational Month

Not provided as Rebin government maintains the vessel

Design Philosophy

Built on a spherical streamlined hull the mercantile escort is normally used by the Rebin Fleet wing (active elements) to escort Rebin merchants beyond Rebin space. It is heavily armoured and uses a combination of missiles and lasers to engage any raiders/pirates. Space aboard is cramped all crewmembers have a small stateroom each. Its small cargo hold is sufficient to store either a small vehicle or if serious trouble is expected it can be equipped with modular quarters to garrison some shipboard troops.

This vessel is fast, though lacks agility, and as all Rebin merchants are restricted to jump one, the minimal jump drive installed on this design is adequate for its needs. This class of vessel is most often seen protecting up to two Rebin Interface Transports. Larger convoys would require the deployment of more escorts on a 1 to 4 ratio (200 tons of escort per 800 tons of merchant shipping). It is tanked for 2 consecutive jump 1's so that refuelling operations do not detract from its primary mission of protecting merchants that tend to be vulnerable within the deep gravity wells of gas-giants etc.

Despite its armour, speed and firepower this vessel could never function as a frontline combatant due to its low jump rating.

Design Worksheet.

Installed Component    Tonnage      MCR        Ep          Notes.

Hull                    +200       14.0        ----        Sphere
Upgrade Streamlining      ----      1.0        ----        Streamlined
Upgraded Armour           40        8.3        ----        AC=10/AR= 10
Bridge                    20        1.0        ----        Tl-12 Dynamic Linked
Computer                   0.3     30.6        -1.0        Model 3 Fib
Avionics                   0.8     (1.8)       ----        Model 3
Sensors                    0.9     (1.8)       ----        Model 3
Commo                      0.6     (1.5)       ----        Model 3
M-Drive                   22.0      6.0        -8.0        4G Thruster
Jump Drive                 4.0     16.0        -2.0        Jump=1
Jump Fuel                 40.0     ----        ----        2 x Jump 1
Power Plant               18.0     54.5       +12.0        Fusion Tl-9
Fuel 4 weeks              12.0     ----        ----        Liquid Hydrogen
Fuel Scoops               ----      0.2        ----        
Purification Plant         6.0      0.032      ----        58 Tons in 2 hr 20 
minutes
Hardpoints                ----      0.2        ----        
2 x Triple Turret         ----      2.0        -----        
3 x Beam Laser             1.0      3.0        -3.0        1 x USP=3
3 x Missile Racks          1.0      2.25       ----        1 x USP=2
3 x Missile Magazine       3.0      0.3        ----        40 Battery Rounds
8 x Small Cabins          16.0      2.0        ----        Crew Accommodations
Cargo                     14.4     ----        ----
Totals                    200      ----        12.0        
                                                141.382
Excess Power = None

Designed for T20, by Mark Bridgeman.

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