Milltax Bireme

Class
 Produced By
 Affiliated With
 Availability
 Role
 Speed
 Hyperdrive Rating
 Complement
* 10x Type E Pursuit Craft
 Armaments
* 5x Heavy particle Aperture Cannons
* 10x Anti-Ship Fusion Warhead Missiles
* 25+ Homing Concussion Missiles

## Description:

The *Intractable*-class
cruiser, more commonly known as the Milltax Bireme, is a Milltax capital
 ship used primarily by the Millta Federation Defense Corps. Compared to
 the rest of the Galaxy, Milltax technology has typically lagged behind,
 and the Bireme is no exception; lacking artificial gravity or even
inertial dampers, these ships have changed relatively little in overall
layout from their ancient ancestors: Milltax intra-system cargo vessels,
 hastily converted into the species' first dedicated warships during the
 Milltax-Imperial War of 0 ABY.

Long, slender and fragile-looking, Milltax Biremes are powered by
nuclear fission reactors, the operation of which requires the use of the
 large, triangular cooling vanes which gives the Bireme its distinctive,
 arrow-like profile. Propelled by a massive bank of thermonuclear rocket engines,
 these ships can reach surprising flank speeds despite their relative
obsolescence. Despite their size, Biremes have a fairly small crew,
primarily concentrated in the ring-shaped habitation module located
amidships, which rotates to generate centrifugal force and simulate
gravity. Most of the ship is meant to be entirely automated, serviced
only occasionally during periods when the power-plant and drive are not
active; at all other times, these areas are flooded with hard radiation
from the unshielded engines and reactor. This means that such vessels
are easy to man, but have fairly poor overall redundancy and damage
control capability compared to more conventionally designed vessels.
Milltax Biremes also are not equipped with modern deflector shields,
possessing only a heavy electrostatic repeller to protect the vessel
from micrometeorites and other light space debris.

Finally, modern Biremes are equipped with a primitive class 10
hyperdrive of Milltax design. Their ancestors, constructed before their
builders' exposure to such technology, were typically intra-system
defense vessels, not meant for interstellar voyages. Especially in the
centuries following the Milltax-Imperial War, however, Biremes were
equipped with dimensional drives, a crude faster-than-light propulsion
system, voyages using which sometimes lasting decades or even centuries,
 necessitating the use of cryogenic suspension. Of note, a squadron of
over 1,000 Biremes and other vessels outfitted with such drives composed
 the Milltax task force dispatched for a delayed retaliatory assault on
Coruscant - named as Imperial Center in ancient charts captured by the
Milltax - which was intercepted by a patrol fleet from the Galactic
Alliance in 700 ABY. Modern Biremes are still equipped with dimensional
drives and cryostasis pods as a backup measure in the event of an
irreparable hyperdrive failure.

Because of their size and relative fragility, the role of Milltax
Biremes primarily falls within hit-and-run tactics. Equipped with
relatively crude but hard-hitting weapons, squadrons of Biremes usually
attack in "flying broadsides", charging the enemy at flank speed and
unleashing first long-range weapons at standoff distance, then raking
their targets with their shorter-ranged energy weapons as they close the
 distance, before charging past and withdrawing. they also serve as
carriers for Milltax snubfighters and reaction frames, increasing the
overall range and flexibility of both craft.

For energy weapons, Milltax Biremes are typically equipped with fearsome
 Particle Aperture Cannons, or PACs, mounted in rotating turrets
amidships. These weapons, a form of particle beam
 emitter developed by the Milltax, are well known by the species'
enemies for their raw destructive power; centuries of refinement have
developed these once crude asteroid demolition tools into powerful
weapons capable of collapsing the shields of the average corvette with
only a few shots. Just as well, given the Bireme's generally limited
engagement window. The major drawback of PACs is their relatively short
range compared to anti-ship missiles, as well as a lengthy recharge rate
 between firings compared to conventional turbolasers. These weapons function on the principle of degenerate matter;
 exotic particles of positive and negative polarization are fused in a
matrix of special ultra-high-pressure cells, sealed with a powerful
magnetic field behind a rectangular aperture grill. Once the particles
have been fused and enter into a state of high-energy decay, they are
released through the grill, creating a broad beam of destructive matter
which possesses both energy and mass due to the degenerate state of its
medium. Though particle compression is relatively time-consuming, the
results speak for themselves; beams from a PAC of the type normally
found aboard a Bireme can induce megatons of explosive energy upon
contact with energy shields or starship armor, as well as imparting a
great deal of kinetic energy due to their mass.
For long-range weaponry, however, Biremes are equipped with even more fearsome devices.

Developed as a desperate last resort by the Milltax during their war
against the Empire, Biremes often carry a payload of anti-ship tactical
fusion missiles, capable of being launched from standoff distances
against large enemy craft. Capable of knocking out enemy shields and
causing significant thermal and ionic damage to a target, these weapons
have a maximum yield of 100 megatons each. Pure fusion weapons, they are
 detonated via an induced gamma emission from hafnium, producing no lasting radioactive fallout, but emitting high levels of deadly neutron radiation during detonation.

Though power on the order of hundreds of megatons is necessary for their
 effectiveness in space combat, especially against heavily shielded
targets, the potential for destruction by these warheads if turned
against a planetary target has led to serious concerns within the
Milltax government. As such, these weapons are only cleared for use
against targets a certain distance away from inhabited worlds, and are
programmed to scrub their detonation sequence if their on-board sensors
detect a launch at a target exceeding a certain size.
Milltax Biremes are also equipped with a large payload of homing
concussion missiles and numerous heavy slugthrower machinegun turrets,
meant for use against lighter capital ships and starfighters.

Overall, Milltax Biremes are highly obsolete compared to the
competition, but can and routinely do punch above their weight in
numerous engagements. Well proven to their builders, and with a great
deal of inherent versatility left in their design, Biremes will likely
continue to be a staple of the Millta Federation Defense Corps for some
time yet.