Spirit Troop Carrier

The is the successor to the Type-25 Spirit, and the Republic's preferred dropship for close quarters assaults. More heavily armoured than the Phantom, the Spirit is used to brave hazardous landing zones. 
==Description==
When comparing the Spirit and the Phantom on paper, its not immediately clear why the Republic continues to use it. The Phantom has every advantage over it, with increased speed, agility, range, complement, armament, and flexibility. However, the Spirit has one advantage. Its heavy duty armour. Equipped with heavy plating that can make a tank blush, it can survive tremendous punishment. Tales of it's survivability are common, with Spirits coming down amidst torrents of ground fire, simply ignoring it. Even in the event the enemy has something powerful enough to damage it, its multiple redundancies allow it to continue flying. The Spirit is used to attack the most well defended positions, disengorging troops and armour before withdrawing. 
The Spirit is designed quite unlike any known dropship. Instead of a pilot up front, and the passenger cabin behind them, it is in the shape of a tuning fork, with the pilot and gunner sat in the rear cabin, and the passengers sat in one of the two forks. Between the forks is a gravity field, allowing it to carry a tank or a number of smaller vehicles. The passengers sit in the rather claustrophobic troop bays, nestled into their alcoves. For their protection, the troop bays are fitted with dampening fields, reducing shock and impacts felt by the passengers. When it comes time to deploy, the outer carapace unfolds, allowing them to jump or walk free of the ship. 
The latest upgrade features improvements to armour, performance, and agility in atmosphere. Now surprisingly nimble, and still as well armoured as ever, the Spirit can be seen where the fighting is the thickest, descending onto the most heavily contested landing zones. These vehicles often formed the first wave of Sword ground invasions, with troops fighting for the right to be on them. 
==Variants==
===Sword Spirit===
The Steady process of converting existing stocks of Spirits into Sword Spirits is exhaustive, at it requires removing armour plating it, improving it, blessing it, and placing it back.
===Spirit Ultra===
A few special Spirits are rearmed and sent for service with elite units, as their spearhead. Protected by shield generators, and exchanging they weapon for a rapid fire fuel rod gun, such ships are near indestructible. 
===Indefatigable===
Sometimes, a ship becomes so famous it earns a name, a title. Such ships are famous for deeds, for crews. Indefatigable is famous for the fact it just won't stay dead. It's hull is pockmarked with plasma fire, its components having been replaced three times over, and very few parts are from the original ship. The Indefatigable has returned from every sortie though, and saved soldiers, downed crews, and stranded vehicles. Its notable for it's golden markings, honour tallies, presented by the Arbiter himself.