Clawfish
II Heavy Fighter
After their defeat in the first war with the Terran
Protectorate, the Arkhon Military Command identified one glaring technological
weakness: Star fighters. They had humanity beat in virtually every other
technical field, but the quality of human space fighters and the training of
their pilots were the cause of defeat after defeat. When the Terran
Protectorate would achieve battlefield superiority with their fighters, the
Arkhon forces took horrendous damage. Their transports and supply lines were at
humanity’s mercy, and in the final battle at the Volo Anchorage, it was the
human Arrow and Ballista fighters that led to their ultimate defeat, flying
into a space dock and destroying the reactor for a damaged Mothership,
destroying the entire facility.
They knew that if there was ever another conflict, they’d
need a star fighter that would level the playing field. The Spikefish was
retired and relegated to picket duty and planetary defense forces. The Clawfish
I, and then the Clawfish II, took the position as the new space superiority
fighter of the Arkhon forces.
While the Spikefish was designed primarily for supporting
ground forces, the Clawfish is designed for space combat and dog fighting. It
is faster and more heavily armed, though not better armored. What’s more, it’s
relatively cheap to build, and the Arkhon are hoping to overmatch humanity with
quality AND quality. However, they had not anticipated the Crossbow. They were
looking for a new version of the Arrow and Ballista fighters, which relied on
armaments and armor. The Crossbow relies on speed and agility. It’s unclear how
the two new fighters will match up over time. The Clawfish is more heavily
armed, and more numerous, but the Crossbow is faster and more agile…and
generally better piloted.
The Clawfish II’s primary weapons are a pair of heavy
tri-beam cannons, with good range and stopping power. They are used mainly
against enemy fighters and soft targets. For larger targets, the Clawfish
employs a pair of wingtip-mounted short-range missile launchers fed from
spacious magazines in the wings. While not having the range of the Crossbow’s medium-range
missiles, the Clawfish carries 40 of the short-range missiles. Along with the
tri-beam cannons, this gives the Clawfish much longer battlefield duration than
the Crossbow. The Clawfish is also armed with a pair of flechette guns built
directly into the cockpit, so that it has not lost the Arkhon fighter’s
traditional role of ground support. Additionally, it has two missile pylons
under each wing, allowing it to carry four long-range missiles or eight
medium-range missiles, though this is very rare.
The Arkhon pilots are very happy with the Clawfish II, and
are eager to mix it up with the new Crossbow. There will be no fear between
these two groups of pilots, and a
Clawfish are deployed in groups of four, known as flight
teams. These Flight Teams are commanded by a Swordbearer. Three flight teams
make a Triangle, analogous to the Protectorate’s squadrons of 12. Each Triangle
is commanded by a Knight. Four Triangles create a Shield; a force of 48
fighters. Each Shield is commanded by a Duke, who is almost always an ace
(though at the beginning of the war, Dukes will be just pilots with combat
experience). The largest unit of fighter craft in the Empire is a Shieldwall,
consisting of 192 units, or four Shields. A Mothership has a fighter compliment
of one Shieldwall, usually commanded by a Clan Prince who is quite often the
son of the Mothership’s commanding officer.
The Clawfish is an ancient predatory sea creature that was
a cross between an angler fish and a lobster. They filled the same biological
niche as small predatory sharks.
As with all military vehicles employed by the Arkhons, the
Clawfish is constructed of ceresteel, which takes half damage from energy
weapons, but double damage from ballistic weaponry (though explosives do normal
damage).
Model: Clawfish II Heavy Attack Fighter
Crew: One
M.D.C. by
Location
Wings (2) – 120 each
Wing shields/Missile launchers (2) – 100 each
*Main Body – 300
Reinforced pilot’s compartment/Escape Pod – 120
*Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the
fighter, causing the escape pod to eject. Unfortunately for the Arkhon pilots,
the power plant is much more powerful on the Clawfish II, which results in the
reactor exploding about 40% of the time that the fighter is destroyed, which
also destroys the escape pod before it can blow clear. The escape pod can
parachute down to the surface of a planet, if in atmosphere, or float adrift in
space. It has a 20-hour life support supply and a powerful beacon.
Speed
Maximum Speed: 260,000 mph.
Maximum Acceleration/Deceleration: 10Gs per melee round.
The anti-gravity system allows for tight turns, stopping and turning on a dime,
and high-G maneuvers that most mortal beings could not withstand.
FTL Speed: Not possible.
Top Atmospheric Maneuvering Speed: Mach 7. The anti-gravity
propulsion system allows the vehicle to fly into space at any speed.
Statistical Data
Height: 13 feet
Length: 33 feet
Width: 42 feet
Cargo: None, beyond a survival package for the pilot that
includes all the gear of a standard Arkhon infantryman.
Power System: Anti-matter; with an average lifespan of 20
years.
Market Cost: Not for sale.
Weapon Systems
1.
Tri-Beam Cannons (2):
At first, one would think that since the Spikefish had four tri-beam cannons,
the Clawfish would suffer in firepower for only having two. However, the
Spikefish’s pairs of tri-beam cannons could NOT be aimed at the same target;
effectively cutting the firepower it had available during aerial combat in
half. The Clawfish drops the extra pair and puts both close
in under the cockpit. Their power output is also significantly higher,
resulting in a more effective, and efficient, weapons system.
Primary Purpose: Anti-star fighter
Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 M.D. for a double blast; does double
damage to most materials.
Range: 2 miles in space, 4,000 ft in atmosphere.
Rate of fire: Equal to hand-to-hand attacks of the pilot
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
2.
Short-range Missile Launchers (2): Built into the distinctive wing shields, these
high-capacity missile launchers are used both to attack larger vessels and to
defend against other missile attacks. Fortunately, each launcher dispenses one
missile at a time and are not designed to fire large
volleys.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type
Range: Varies, generally about 15 miles in space, 5 miles
in atmosphere.
Rate of fire: Can be fired individually, or in pairs.
Payload: 20 missiles per launcher, for a total of 40.
3.
Flechette Launchers (2):
These weapons were included to keep the fighter from losing the ground support
role for which the Spikefish was known. The weapon is also useful during extremely
close-range dog fights.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Personnel
Mega-Damage: 1D4x10 M.D. per dual shot, or 2D6x10+10 M.D.
for a 10-round burst (5 rds from each gun). Can spray an area
40 feet in diameter, causing one round (3D6 M.D.) of damage to all within the
area of effect.
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, about a mile and a half in
space.
Rate of fire: Equal to the hand-to-hand attacks of the
pilot
Payload: Two 2,000-round belts; one for each gun, for a
total of 400 possible bursts.
4.
Missile pylons (4):
The Clawfish has four additional missile pylons, two under each wing, that
allow them to carry either four long-range missiles or eight medium-range
missiles. These missiles are used to turn the fighter into a fighter/bomber and
are only used for heavy strike missions.
Purpose: Assault
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type
Range: Varies with missile type
Rate of fire: Individually or in pairs or in volleys of
four.
Payload: Four long-range missiles or eight medium-range
missiles.
Sensors of note: Clawfish fighters have excellent short-range sensors,
covering an area of 10,000 miles, and are able to “deep scan” cargo vessels and
identify their contents at a range of 5 miles.
Bonuses: +1 to initiative and dog fighting, in addition to standard
bonuses.
