BARD PAPER: SARA9033

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Pathfinder Scout Leader

design by Peter Gray

The Pathfinder (and her close sister, the Trailblazer) are Imperial 1103 designs. Originally the vessels were constructed for use by the IISS on long range patrol and reconaissance missions along the perimeter of the Third Imperium. The type had just reached service when the Fourth Frontier War broke out, and it did yeoman service for the Scouts in that war and the subsequent Fifth Frontier War. The vessel's long range and substantial payload made it popular for long range scouting and outpost missions in the rear echelons of the Zhodani advance, and an effective conveyor for running guns and supplies to agents and isolated garrisons.

During the Imperial Civil War its reputation was further enhanced by its heavy use by all factional leaders. Dulinor the Black was apparently himelf so enamored of the class that he renamed his branch of the IISS after them. The class suffered heavy losses during the war, but less so than most top-of-the-line Imperial vessels, and thousands survived until the release of Virus and the coming of the Collapse.

The vessel is optimised for a small crew, featuring automated laser and missle barbettes. It has good acceleration, jump range and endurance, though Scouts have complained for years about its inadequate communication suite. Its docking ring can be optimised for either one 20 ton or 2 10 ton craft, with either a Gig, or a Launch and ATV(s) being the normal carried craft. Because of its long missions, crews are required to be of high socialbility, though the ship is not as crowded as some designs, like the Broadsword Merc Cruiser.

The Pathfinder is yet another example of the Vilani "Flying Condom", though with a few aesthetic modifications. Unlike other ships of its design philosophy, the vessels contours are more sharply raked and stealth-like than normal, with some crews likening it to a "flying pair of safety scissors." Its cargo bay is the customary "drive through" system, and is linked to the docking ring to provide easy ground offloading and maintenance of carried craft and vehicles. The docking ring bulges slightly above the spine of the vessel, though it is almost unnoticeable. The docking of craft in the ship is awkward, as a vessel must be parallel to the main ship, and is grappled through the top of the hull at a right angle. Vehicles are provided with a normal docking ramp at the rear.

With the disestablishment of the RISS's Exploratory Office, all Pathfinder class ships have been transferred to the Regency Navy (the Trailblazer, which is simply a 'finder with a 420,000 km EMS jammer, are in service with RQS). Because of the specialised training of scout crews previously, the members of the new Navy Pathfinder service are considered to be special operations, though they and their namesake vessels are deployed with every major Regency fleet as well as specialised recon and scouting units.

Pathfinder Scout Leader

General Data

Engineering Data

Power Plant: TL-15 1860 MW Fusion (One Year Duration, 186 m³) (300 MW/Hit)

Jump Performance: 4 (700 m³ per parsec)

Jump Fuel: 2800 m³

G-Rating: 4-G Heplar (400 MW/G), CG Lifters (80 MW)

G-Turns: 62 (50 m³ each) plus 11.2 for every "point" of jump fuel used as reaction mass, for a total 106.8

Maint: 195

Electronics

Computer: 3 TL-15 Fb (1.1 MW)

Commo: 300,000 km Radio (Range:10, 10 MW), 2 1000 AU Masers (0.6 MW each)

Avionics: Imaging EMS, Grav/Inertial Positioning, 190 km NOE

Sensors: PEMS 210,000 km Folding Array (Range:7, 0.25 MW), 150,000 km Fixed Array (Range:6, 0.2 MW), AEMS 420,000 km (Range:14, 23 MW)

ECM/ECCM: EMM (11.2 MW)

Controls: 11 Bridge plus 12 Normal

Armament

Offensive 4x420 MJ Remote Laser Barbettes (11.7 MW) arranged as a single battery, 2xRemote Missle Barbettes (0.15 MW, 5 Ready Missles) arranged as two batteries

Defensive: 2xSandcasters (1 MW, Atten:2d10x5) arranged as a single battery, Decoys are often fitted as well

Master Fire Directors: 3x300,000 km msl/bm MFDs (Range:10, 0.06 MW, -5 DMs)

Systems Damage Tables

 JD: 12H     LS: 22H   EMM:  1H   Hngr: 2H
 MD:  2H    ELS: 11H  EMMR: 11h    SSR: 2h
 PP:  6H     AG:  2H    LB:  2H
 CG:  2H    MFD:  2h    MB:  1H
FPP:  7H   PEMS:  1H    SC:  1H

Damage Location Tables

Location      External      Internal

1             1-6:Ant, CH   1-14:Elec, 15-17:Qtrs, 18-
                            20:Hold
2-3           Ant, AL       1-3:LB, 4-10:Qtrs, 11-20:
                            Hold
4-5           1-3:Ant       1-3:LB, 4-20:Hold
6-9                         Hold
10-11                       1-3:LB, 4-5:SC, 6-20:Hold
12-15         LP            1-10:Dring, 11-20:Hold
16-19         CH            1-9:Eng, 10-20:Hold
20            1-14:EMMR     1-6:Elec, 7-20:Eng