Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 95
Small shuttle
Speed 12; Maneuverability perfect (turn 0); Drift 1
AC 24; TL 25
HP 40; DT —; CT 8
Shields medium 200 (forward 80, port 40, starboard 40, aft 40)
Attack (Forward) decorative ramming prow (2d4; 1 hex)
Attack (Turret) laser net (2d6; 5 hexes)
Power Core Pulse Red (175 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems advanced medium-range sensors, crew quarters (common), extra weapon mount (turret), mk 7 armor, mk 9 defenses, mk 1 trinode computer, security (antipersonnel weapon [static shock caster]); Expansion Bays breaching pod, combat training facility (specialized), passenger seating; Modifiers +1 to any 3 checks per round, +4 Computers (sensors only), +1 Piloting; Complement 4 (minimum 1, maximum 4)CrewCaptain Bluff +13 (6 ranks), Computers +13 (6 ranks), Diplomacy +13 (6 ranks), Engineering +13 (6 ranks), gunnery +11 (6th level), Piloting +13 (6 ranks)
Engineer Computers +13 (6 ranks), Engineering +18 (6 ranks)
Gunner gunnery +11 (6th level)
Pilot gunnery +11 (6th level), Piloting +19 (6 ranks)DescriptionKasathas have long revered melee techniques over all other forms of combat, and the Thunderbolt not only enables kasathas to engage enemies hand-to-hand, but also allows them to neutralize other vessels without inflicting significant hull damage. This swift, heavily armored shuttle boasts precise sensors for pinpointing weak spots in other starships’ shields and defenses, which the Thunderbolt’s reinforced prow can punch a hole through large enough that its complement of 16 warriors can board and overpower the enemy crew. When dealing with especially maneuverable foes, the starship can instead launch breaching pods to deliver its soldiers across vast distances. Even after deploying its warriors, the starship’s crew often continues to ram and harass enemies, retreating only once the starship’s shields are nearly depleted.
Though it was originally developed by the Doyenate as a conveyance vessel for skilled kasathan fighters, the Thunderbolt also appeals to other factions and species in need of a specialty assault craft. Many in the Veskarium’s military admire the model, having affectionately nicknamed it the “Fist of Damoritosh” for the carnage it inflicts; retired vesk soldiers often buy aftermarket Thunderbolts, eager to pilot these bold starships for that reputation alone. According to rumors, the High Despots recently opened negotiations with the Doyenate to commission their own personalized fleet of Thunderbolts. Such arms deals are notoriously intricate and often move at a glacial pace, but if the Doyenate accepts the bid, the resulting arms deal could represent a major change in the Near Space fiscal-political climate; as commercialization of their creations increases, Idari Crucible Works could rise as a premier military starship manufacturer in the coming decades.
Several judiciary and governmental organizations, including the Stewards, are concerned that this development could undermine their authority, unwittingly provoke military aggression within the Pact Worlds, or embolden the Veskarium to launch even more attacks on Near Space worlds. Likewise, some Veskarium manufacturers have taken offense to the High Despots commissioning vessels from non-vesk shipyards, and the otherwise respectful kasatha-vesk relations continue to suffer as the manufacturers work to out-maneuver one another.
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