Freedom II-class

The 2317 variant of the Freedom II.

The ***Freedom II*-class** (ACV-003 series) is a class of medium-sized multipurpose vessels operated by Trident Foundries. They are considered Trident's hand of peace, diplomatic vessels that can host several guests, as opposed to the more battle-oriented *Sentinel*-class.

The *Freedom II* is operated by both the Trident Military as a patrol vessel, and the Trident Diplomatic Corps as an Envoy ship.

## Description

Built by PlazWorks Shipyards, the *Freedom II* is the spiritual successor to the old pre-Trident *Freedom*-class Frigate. It has several elements visually similar to the original *Freedom*-class, like the wing panels and the piping between them. However, it is primarily based on the *Mercury II*-class planetary assault ship, which in itself is based on the ancient *Origins*-class Frigate, using the primary hull as a base. This vessel is optimised for space combat, unlike the *Mercury II* it is based on.

The *Freedom II*'s hull structure is a lot more modular than the *Mercury II* and *Origins* it was originally based on, allowing for more variants of differing roles.

### Exterior

The *Freedom II* consists of three main hull sections, the forward section (which houses the weapon systems), the midsection (which houses crew quarters, control systems and shielding) and the aft (which houses the thrusters and jump drive).

The forward section of the *Freedom II* is home to the vast majority of the vessel's weapon systems and their power transfer conduits. The extreme front has two ports for plasma cannons protruding slightly forward of the rest of the hull. In addition, the primary power transfer coils are located on the external hull surface, along the sides of the hull. These provide the much-needed power for the main plasma cannons. At the bottom of the forward section there is a single TRT Railgun turret which provides additional forward firepower, along with several TRT PD-X2V2 AMS turrets.

The comparatively voluminous midsection houses all the crew amenities and most of the shield generators of the ship. In addition, the bridge is located at the top of this section, where all ship operations are controlled. Externally mounted to older models of the ship are four large cargo containers with a high cargo capacity. Later models of the *Freedom II* have four booster engines in place of these containers, to augment the vessel's already decent acceleration. The *Freedom II* has two small hull sections placed about ten meters away from the main hull which serve as heat radiators and also as energy missile batteries. These also have the main docking tubes attached, to facilitate easier docking to other ships and stations. The conduits between these and the main ship are somewhat vulnerable to attack, however. The midsection is covered in externally-mounted power transfer conduits which supply power to various parts of the ship. At the bottom of the midsection is the observation deck and the single escape pod dock, which houses a single Trident TravelPod-class (escape variant).

The aft section of the ship is quite small compared to the rest of the ship and is the same aft section as the older *Mercury II*. The main thrusters are also the same design as the older ship. The *Freedom II* however features an offensively focused TRT Railgun turret in place of the older TRT PD-X2 AMS turret, at the top of the hull section. There is a single TRT PD-X2V2 AMS turret at the bottom of the hull.

### Interior

The *Freedom II*-class features an extensive interior spanning four decks.

Deck 1 is where the bridge is located. This is the area in which the crew control nearly every aspect of ship operation, from simple flight control to weapon systems and remote turret control. There is seating for ten crewmembers and their captain.

Deck 2 is by far the largest deck in interior volume. The crew quarters, mess hall, sickbay and computer core are all located on this deck. In addition, main engineering is accessible through a maintenance corridor, allowing direct access to the vessel's main power core. There is also a transporter room just forward of the crew quarters. This deck also features the external docking clamps, allowing the vessel to dock to other ships or stations directly.

Deck 3 has the sole purpose of facilitating access to the Trinova Travelpod, and consists of only a single pressurised corridor linked directly to the pod. There is a pod ejection mechanism on the wall of the corridor to allow crew to remotely jettison the pod.

Deck 4 is the observation deck and secondary bridge. The dual-purpose room has many consoles directly linked to the main computer core allowing for access to vital ship systems in a similar manner to the main bridge. It is used when the main bridge is damaged or the bridge crew is incapacitated.

## History

### 2316

-TBC-

In August 2316, a major battle refit variant of the ship, the *Sentinel*-class, was completed and exceeded specifications. The two classes now serve side by side, with the *Freedom II* representing Trident's hand of peace, willing to help others, while the *Sentinel* represents the hand of war, not afraid to fight until the last breath.

## Usage

The *Freedom II* has, in addition to it's standard role as heavy corvette, been used in the following roles:

* Fleet operations
* Diplomatic ship
* Defence vessel