The Rebel Faction

Meteor Dropship - GC

The Standard Issue Dropship is a military device the Coalition was seriously lacking, until the design of the Meteor. With the advent of the Dragonslayer campaign, it was realized that the Coalition wouldn't just be fighting, but taking and holding ground, meaning that there would be a great need for a vehicle to fly into hotspots and drop off units of troops, even amongst explosions and enemy fire.

This vehicle would have to be able to fly troops from space to the ground, and operate well in urban theaters. That meant being prepared for both reentry, enemy fire, the vaccum of space, narrow landing areas - a design nightmare, but there are a few functioning models that the Meteor was based on.

During the Clone Wars, the Republic had a dropship (the LAAT Gunship) useful for the delivery of troops even from space straight to the ground. This proved vital to the war effort, as the clones needed a way to deploy vast armies quickly from one place to another, and sometimes didn't have a safe place to land an entire warship and set up camp there.

The deficiencies to it's design were numerous, not the least of which was that it was too small to carry armored vehicles with the troops, and it's somewhat awkward shape. Also, with the march of time came better technology and new needs, along with the loss of old requirements.

As such, the Meteor only gained from the LAAT gunship some design concepts and principles, useful for it's construction and as a reference point. The ship created actually shares little in common with the Clones' old gunship.

Designed in Coalition weapons labs in the East for service throughout the Coalition, production is set to begin in facilities recently built around Mon Calamari, part of the planets' growing economy - ironically, the isolation of the world in the heart of the Black Dragon Empire aided it economically, forcing it to become more independant. Trade difficulties ensured that most work for Mon Calamari was done on Mon Calamari, and the low unemployment ensured the skilled workers would be present on the planet to build the new line of ships quickly.

In appearance, the Meteor is a hulking oval with a cockpit section near the front and thrusters on the end. Four stunted wings - two stacked either side - support a series of repulsor and thruster systems that give the ship the necessary control.

The holding area takes up the bulk of the ship, in the 'belly' of the oval ship. Doors on either side, as well as in the rear, and a special drop-hatch on the floor allow for a variety of drop-off options, including allowing the ship to hold position and hover while the soldiers get out from the hatch and slide down ropes to the ground.

The last compliment to the whole thing is a turret on top, a rear gunner, and a forwards gunner. The whole thing is sizeable - 30 meters long, and fairly large all around. It isn't meant for long trips, especially when at it's full capacity of fifty passengers - indeed, any trip beyond an hour becomes serious discomfort for those aboard. If the passengers are removed, there is room for a tank-sized armored vehicle.

Unlike most Coalition ships, the Meteor has few gimmicks. It possesses thick armor and shields, regular weaponry, maneauverable flight systems, and a large cargo area for troops or vehicles. It is capable of space flight, atmosphere flight, and landing in rough conditions as well as hovering. It requires at least one pilot (prefferably two) and can have up to three gunners. It also sports a variety of Coalition technology, including the Ion shielding. All in all, it's greatest features are its' toughness and reliability - tests show it holds together after drags through the dirt, crashes, and all sorts of system failures. The all-purpose transport for the Coalition, the Meteor will be vital to the war effort.