M5.1 Class Drone Destroyer (WoWS)

==Overview==
A creation of monbvol, the M5.1-Class Drone Destroyer, is a fictional upgrade from the original Casper Drone Warship that was created by the Star League. The ship was originally introduced for the fan story Weapons of War Saga: The Director-General and her Knights
Unlike previous models of Casper, the M5.1 is upgrade which houses uniquely sapient Artificial Intelligence, whom would developed into full personality and utterly loyal Star League and Director-General.
==Class History==
As part of a larger secret program a cabal of senior SLDF officers and select Hegemony officials took an opportunity to put certain things in place. They performed some War games with the assumption anyone capable of overcoming the SLN would have to be far more powerful than said SLN. Which meant likely able to deploy far superior numbers of vessels. The known limitations of the Lola III frame in terms of durability proved unsustainable in this new series of war games. So a look at how to better optimize the frame for the Caspar system created the desired opening.
With the new techniques of Waypoint and Bearings Only launching it was decided to delete the nose and aft missile launchers to free up space for other upgrades. Primary of which was unifying the weapons battery, applying the maximum amount of armor, and installing organic point defense.
Also along with this were increases to the vessel's heat dissipation, fuel capacity, and the addition of small craft bays.
This far exceeded the freed up space and the cabal cleverly hid this by faking an improved self destruct system that would not accidentally be triggered by battle damage and by being more selectively deployed on key points could still serve to scuttle the ship and prevent reverse engineering of the most critical parts.
In reality this 'improved' self destruct system was actually a Naval Communications Scanner and Mobile HPG relay. No self destruct system was actually installed.
To help push the design past the procurement boards they also argued that if the SLN was destroyed or called away these vessels should have a capacity to provide disaster relief until the SLN could be recalled or rebuilt. Hence the Small Craft capacity.
Perhaps the best ally that helped push this revision past the procurement boards and past any concerns was the sheer bureaucracy of the Terran Hegemony and SLDF. It is theorized only a hand full of this pattern of Caspar Drones were produced before the Amaris Crises but by then it became a simple shell game to lose these in the hundreds of other more standard M5 drones.
==Canonity==
This variant has never existed in canon. However, the M5 Casper Drone Warship itself is canon.
==Armament and Equipment==
Like the original Casper, the ship is intended to be instrument of destruction again any opposing forces. Similar to it's Casper's parent hull, the Lola III Class Destroyer, ship retains same weight enjoys significant increase of speed.
It's armor upgraded significantly with original armor change for Ferro-Carbide, like the Clan variant of the Lola III. The ship's systems include;
*x1 Mobile Hyperpulse Generators (Mobile HPG)
*x1 SDS (Caspar) Drone Control System (Improved)
*x1 Naval Comm-Scanner Suite (Large) 
===Weapon Placement===
*;Nose : x2 Heavy NPPC x4 Naval Laser 55
*;Forward Right/Left Sides : x2 NAC/20 (300 rounds) x2 Naval Laser 55 x2 NAC/20 (300 rounds) x1 AR10 Capital Missile Launcher (Killer Whales (10 Missiles) & Barracuda (20 Missiles) x4 AMS (180 Rounds) 
*;Broadside Right/Left : x1 Naval Laser 55 x2 AR10 Capital Missile Launcher (Killer Whales (20 Missiles) & Barracuda (40 Missiles) 
*;Aft (Rear) Right/Left Sides : x2 Heavy NPPC x2 Naval Laser 55 x3 NAC/20 (300 rounds) x1 AR10 Capital Missile Launcher (Killer Whales (10 Missiles) & Barracuda (20 Missiles) x4 AMS (180 Rounds) 
*; Aft : x2 Heavy NPPC x4 Naval Laser 55
==Cargo==
*Bay 1:  Small Craft (4)         2 Doors  
*Bay 2:  ARTS Small Craft (1)    1 Doors  
*Bay 3:  Cargo (2546.0 tons)    2 Doors 
==Variants==
*M5 Class Drone Destroyer - The original version of the Casper Destroyer.
*M5.2-Class Drone Destroyer - Introduced in 3062, this was a upgraded version of the M5.1 which largely replaced it via SLEP (Rebuilding) program after receiving battle damage.
*M5.3C-Class Drone Destroyer - Command variant, SLS Billie Hoel would be first to refit.
*M5.4-Class Drone Destroyer - New baseline upgrade/variant of the destroyer first appearing in 3140s. This upgrades weapons system for optimization in combat.
==Notable Ships of the Class==
*Note: AI inhabiting the Warships most have taken a female persona and were personally named by Helena Cameron. Thus ship's name is their individual name.
SLS Victoria Cameron - Flagship of the Star League in Exile 
SLS Joana Clarice Butler - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP in 3062.
SLS Ottillie Lee Dennis - Converted to M-5.1 due to battle damage sustained in 3062 and as part of SLEP
SLS Zulu - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
SLS Maori - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
SLS Tartar - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
SLS Mashona - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
==M5.1 - Game Stats Breakdown==
Marines: Automated Defenses and Remote Drones provide 110 Marine Points
Tech Rating: Tech Rating: E/X-X-X-D
Total Cost: 11,692,656 C-Bills (BV2)
Battle Value: 1,777 (BV2)
==Download Links==
*M5.1 Class Drone Destroyer - MegaMek File
==Bibliography==
*Original posting of the M5.1 Drone Warship and it's associated Variants.]
*Weapons of War Saga: The Director-General and her Knights
*Weapons of War Saga: The Final March
*Strategos (A Great Captain Roberts Tale!!)
*Revenants of the Star League
==References==
M5.1
M5.1
M5.1
M5.1