Blackbird-class supercarrier

The ***Blackbird*-class supercarrier** is a Umojan Protectorate starship made to function as a mobile base of operations for small specialist forces. The starship is designed to function as both an orbital and deep space staging point, and as a terrestrial base of operations when landed on a planet.

## History

The *Blackbird*-class supercarrier was a design that went into development shortly after the Great War and the discovery of the protoss. Though the protoss refused any and all outbound transmissions from the Umojans, observation probes shot into protoss battlefronts and into protoss space, as well as recovery missions to downed ships, made Umojan engineers fascinated on the role of the protoss carrier. Feeling the design of central command ships defended by smaller orbital fighters could be of use to the Umojans, designs were drawn combining the weaponry of a defensive space platform with the carrier's curved design. Eventually extra features were added to improve its role as a mobile command center that could serve to establish a terrestrial deployment zone, as such planetside battles had proved to be so key in the Great War and Brood War.

The resulting craft came in massively over budget, and even with most of its features cut, the ship's design proved to be impossible design in a conventional shipyard due to the number of different atmospheres that had to be compensated for to make a terrestrial landing possible. Officially, the project was abandoned in 2502.

However, more quietly, the design was picked up by the Shadowguard, who could afford to get by with just a few of these ships. Creating a secret shipyard outside of the Koprulu Rim capable of producing these ships, the Shadowguard designed four, outfitting them with advanced stealth technology sold to them by turncoat agents in the Terran Dominion's Sector 9 project. Two were put into service by the Second Great War. Conservative as always, the Umojans did not use these for their terrestrial functions, rather as deep space bases of operations to serve as fallback points during Operation: Awoken Dragon, the mass campaign of espionage on the Terran Dominion near the conflict's end.

Results during the End War were less successful. During the third Moebius attack on Umojan territory, one *Blackbird* was destroyed during its attempt to land a base on the planetoid UI-2256. It was a costly use of resources and loss of life that shook the Ruling Council's faith in the project.

Yet the remaining *Blackbirds* were brought into service for the Shadowguard after the End War, hoping to use them for more elite squadrons of forces similar to tactical teams of the Dominion Special Forces, which had begun to surpass the Umojans in pure martial technology and tactics. Rumors are that some of the enhanced technology was taken from the *Condor*-class vessels given to elite ghost agents, but due to the similar roles of both ships it is impossible to know for sure.

## Armamants

The *Blackbird* supercarrier is equipped with a number of automated drones, inspired by protoss inceterceptors, to allow it to engage in space combat even with a small crew. Docking bays allow for more conventional manned fighters such as Wraiths and Vikings to be stored in its hold. Two massive Ion Cannons make up the central anti-capital ship armament of the vessel, but take a considerable about of time to power up. In terrestrial combat, these cannons can function as static terrestrial defense against spacecraft.

Other features include:

* An advanced scan array capable of revealing topagraphical information on a location and revealing the heat signatures of even cloaked enemies
* A cryofreeze brig capable of housing dangerous subjects and prisoners, designed specifically with zerg and protoss retrieval operations in mind.
* A stealth system capable of atmospheric entry while remaining undetected by most conventional sensors.
* A resource bay capable of processing minerals and vespese gas, as well as an onboard T-280 SCV construction bay.
* Whatever else we think up for ship abilities.