Source Starship Operations Manual pg. 83
Tiny interceptor
Speed 8; Maneuverability perfect (turn 0); Drift 1
AC 16; TL 15
HP 30; DT —; CT 6
Ablative Armor basic 8 (forward 1, port 1, starboard 1, aft 5)
Shields basic 20 (forward 5, port 5, starboard 5, aft 5)
Attack (Forward) coilgun (4d4; 20 hexes)
Power Core Micron Heavy (70 PCU); Drift Engine Signal Basic; Systems basic computer, cut-rate sensors, mk 3 armor, mk 2 defenses; Expansion Bays none; Modifiers –2 Computers (sensors only), +1 Piloting; Complement 1 (minimum 1, maximum 1)CrewPilot gunnery +3 (1st level), Piloting +10 (1 rank)DescriptionOne of Norikama Syndicate’s highest grossing starships to date, the Defrex is a scrappy personal fighter capable of taking a beating while dishing out punishment in kind. With a hull modeled on BMC’s infamous Hellion, comfortable seating inspired by Redshift’s Desiris, thrusters ripped off the award-winning Liavaran racer Essence, and extra armor plating around its vital systems, the Defrex outsold all of the ships it emulated, turning a huge profit for Norikama. Still sold today, the Defrex is a wedge-shaped ship with cockpit windows shaped like a toothy, open maw and spiked armor plating running along its top and aft hull. The ship’s silhouette invokes the snarling visage of its namesake, the defrex, a fierce and respected mammalian predator found on Vesk-2.
This scrappy interceptor became instantly infamous for having a compact refrigeration unit within arm’s reach of the pilot seat. The Defrex became branded in upper-class circles as an affront to its ferocious namesake, a vehicle fit only for soft, low-class, and dissipated rebels and scoundrels. That such complaints were common among the affluent only increased sales among the mid-to-lower classes, resulting in the Defrex’s edgy, rebellious reputation that still resonates with consumers to this day. While stock models feature a mottled black, white, and gray exterior, most Defrex owners invest in custom paint jobs, kitting out and modifying their Defrexes with extra guns and armor for dogfights, or better thrusters and handling for racing. Owners take special delight in replacing their starships’ spiky crest with their own variations, giving them custom looks and personalities. The most well-known Defrex ships operating today are Esprantis, a blue-and-white scaled Defrex with modified steering, driven by the ijtikri crash-racer Olquox; Urge, a nearly silent Defrex with a holographic mantle, operated by the infamous astrazoan bounty hunter Rivin; and Shimmersplode, a rainbow-colored dueling ship driven by MaxStarr-10, a sensational vesk starship duelist known for tearing his opponents’ ships apart with a sparkly ramming prow on live vidcasts aired throughout the Pact Worlds. In the decades since releasing the Defrex, Norikama Syndicate has created many other fighters they hoped would outsell it, including the Bastion and Deflector, which prioritized defensive countermeasures and protections; the Sunder and Raidbuster, which emphasized overwhelming attack power; and the Whip, a fast, maneuverable ship with advanced targeting systems. Although these ships have succeeded financially, none come close to competing with the classic Defrex and its lasting cultural impact.
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