The Rebel Faction

S10 Stormfire-class Interceptor

Name/Type: S10 Stormfire-class Interceptor
Designer/Manufacturer: Kashan Defence Industries
Combat Role: Interception / Superiority
Crew: 1
Length: 7.5 Meters
Speed: 145 MGLT, 1250 Kph
Acceleration: 21 MGLT/s
Maneuverability: 150 DPF
Hyperdrive: x1
Shield Rating: 50 SBD
Hull Rating: 25 RU
Weapons: 1 KDI Storm Assault Cannon, 2 KDI C-L7.4 Laser Cannons, 4 A-R7.5 Modular Hardpoints.
Other: Partial Vanish 2 Sensor Mask,

Description: The S9 Deathsaber was an excellent multi-role craft, but Kashan commanders expressed concern that it’s lack of speed and maneuverability left the fleet without a fighter capable of chasing down many of the fleet’s opponents, such as the Tie-series. To meet this need, KDI designed the S10 Stormfire. The Stormfire is significantly faster and more maneuverable, which combined with its stealth properties, makes it an ideal starfighter-killer. Like most interceptors, the conventional weapon’s loadout is fairly weak, but the S10 also carries the Storm Assault Cannon, which makes the S10 a fair threat to heavier starfighters. In large numbers, the S10 with its cannon poses a threat to capital ships. Because the S10 is cheaper and smaller than the S9, it can be easier produced than the Deathsaber. As such, it will soon because as common as its predecessor albeit it will not replace it.

R&D Explanations:

Engines: The S10 uses three engines. The largest engine is carried in the fuselage itself like many atmospheric starfighters. The smaller engines are carried at the end of each wing for superior turning capabilities (Incidentally, moving two of the engines to the wings has allowed more cannon ammo room directly behind the cockpit). Because stealth was a key concern in designing the craft, the normal ambient glow of the engines could not exist to prevent its detection. As such, the engine’s exhaust, controlled by electromagnetic plates, is actually channeled through several areas to both the disperse the ion trail and leave no engine glow with which to visually trace the craft. The dispersion of the ions has been designed to make it appear to be one of the many naturally occurring ion clouds within space.

Maneuverability: The S10 has a substantial improvement in maneuverability compared to other Kashan starfighters not only because of the engine placement, but also from the utilization of triple array maneuvering thrusters mounted in the middle of each wing. This allows the S10 to make intricate maneuvers that rival those made by the infamous Tie-series.

Stealth: Like the other Kashan starfighters, the S10 relies heavily on stealth. Like the previous starfighters, it uses Nutorium-Neuranium Composite Stealth armor. Unlike the other craft, the S10 makes heavy use of nonmetallics, such as Ferrocarbon, in the construction of the frame of the craft. This makes the ship more inherently stealthy and more lightweight for better speed and maneuverability. Unfortunately, it also makes the ship considerably less structurally sound. Like the other Kashan starfighters, it does carry a partial Vanish 2 Sensor Mask. For more information on the stealth systems of the S10, please refer to the S9 Deathsaber and A3 Nemesis entries.

Passive Stealth Armor
The S10 is completely plated with Nutorium-Neuranium Reactive Composite Armor. Each plate is made by liquefying the metals with ion fusers and flash-freezing it by the vacuum of space or any number of cooling agents. This process makes the metal abnormally dense and therefore stronger. Nutorium, which makes up 93% of the armor, is a specialized hull plating material that was developed to defeat sensors systems, allowing a ship to move about with relative stealth (CUSWE). On the S9, when Nutorium was liquefied, it was bombarded by Neuranium particles for added protection and stealth. Neuranium is one of the heaviest, densest metals found in the galaxy. Some gravity-sensitive species claimed to be able to feel a small warping of the space-time fabric of gravity when close to a large piece of neuranium. Among its most useful properties was the fact that even a millimeter-thick piece of neuranium was impervious to sensors (CUSWE). Unfortunately, Neuranium is also relatively heavy, which in turn reduced the vessel’s speed. As such, only a minimal amount for its effects was used on the fighter. For increased strength, the backs of the plates facing into the craft are laminated with carbon fibers for increased durability and tensile strength.

Nutorium is naturely black. Also, Kashan engineers added a glossy finish to the craft to partially reflect the starscape. In order to ensure that it does not reflect anything else, the gloss coating has been manufactured to only show colors of the stars.

The dark canopy of the starfighter is covered in the same reflective gloss as the rest of the craft and contains nano-Nutorium-Neuranium threads, making it just as effective in stealth as the rest of the craft.

While the passive stealth armor is nearly 100% effective against electronic sensors, careful organic observation of the surrounding starscape can reveal the presence of a S10 because the gloss reflects the stars facing it, not the ones it’s covering. Hence, when it is moving, the starscape seems to slightly change. Generally, it’s next to impossible to detect it when the observer is moving as well.

Weapons:

KDI Storm Assault Cannon (SAC): This weapon is an advanced railgun that utilizes three equally spaced Ultrachrome (a superconductor) rails reinforced and braced with Ferrocarbon rings (to handle the recoil force and keep the rails together). The Ultrachrome construction allows the weapon to be able to continuously transfer more energy than normal to the rails, in essence allowing the weapon to “supercharge” the shells for extreme velocity(3 km/s) and range. At this velocity, the shells by themselves can pierce most starfighter-grade armor. However, the supercharging limits the rate of fire. Typically, the SAC has a slightly lower rate of fire and velocity than an ordinary laser cannon bolt, but the projectile’s mass compensates for this, making the weapon’s normal shells(without the payload) equivalent to that of a medium laser cannon bolt as well as providing a 4000 meter range.

The SAC fires 2 kilogram shells filled with hydrogen molecules about to start the fusion process. When the shell hits the target, the impact provides the energy necessary to start the fusing, creating a relatively large amount of energy which damages the opposing ship’s hull or shields. The nature of the reaction also causes relatively heavy blast, heat, and radiation damage to the target.

KDI C-L7.4.3 Laser Cannon: The KDI C-L7.4 shares many of the same components with the R-S4.3, including a particle accelerator and an advanced rapid-pulse energy module. However, the C-L7.4 uses a new prismatic crystal simply labeled Isotope Se23. Se23 was developed during the frenzy of Kashan stealth work as an artificial version of stygium. While it failed in its plan for a cloaking device, when a light beam was focused through it, Kashan researchers noticed the beam came out with a translucent effect with a slight dark gray tinge. Thus, the bolts from the C-L7.4 are hard to spot visually, making it perfect for use as a stealth weapon. Unfortunately, Se23 crystals are larger than normal, which forces the laser cannon in turn to be larger. The fact that the laser bolts can’t be seen also makes targeting harder for the user, because he or she will not be able to see where they went or if they hit the target except through their targeting computer. On the S10, these weapons are mounted on the wingtips.

Underwing Pylons/Modular Hardpoint:
Each underwing Pylon can carry: 1 starfighter-grade Warhead or 1 KDI A-C3.7 Autoblaster Pod or 1 KDI T-x4.9 Rocket Booster Pod or 1 Sensors Pod or1 Fuel Pod each. It can also carry 2 mini-concussion missiles or Modular Missiles (from the Sentinel-class) per hardpoint.

Underwing Pylons use the same idea of many modern-day attack helicopters with their own underwing pylons. Each pylon carries a single weapon or device. Usually, pilots use the pylons for missiles, bombs, and warheads of any type. However, the modular hardpoints also offer the advantage of variety. A single autoblaster can take one pylon, giving the ship more energy firepower. Alternatively, if the pilot wants better speed and acceleration, the addition of rocket pods can allow temporary bursts of speed and acceleration. Every device, whether an autoblaster or a fuel pod is covered in Nutorium-Neuranium Reactive Composite Armor.

The greatest advantage of the pylon system is it allows pilots to mix and match their weaponry. Occasionally, this leads to heavier firepower than normally (ex. 4 space bombs), but it can also lead to weaker firepower than some starfighters as well (ex. 4 concussion bombs). Unlike the S9, the launching tubes are somewhat concealed internally as part of the wing structure, as clearly visible in the picture, for added protection and stealth.