Drepanaspis

*“Ah, Captain, we might wanna consider relocating ourselves to the next solar system...or preferably the next galactic arm....There’s a BIG starship that just dropped out behind us and it doesn’t look very friendly.”*

Illo: A Drepanaspis-class Heavy Cruiser in rendezvous with two Wayfinder Delphin-class Scout Sloops

## EShemar Drepanaspis Heavy Cruiser

aka ‘Drepa’

The Drepanaspis-class is an expansion on the concept of the Astrapade, writ larger and meaner. Drepanaspis (or ‘Drepas’ as they are more commonly known) are meant for killing ships of equal or larger size, and their configuration of armor and armament reflects this. The huge spade-like main hull is practically encrusted in armor and armaments.

Like most Shemarrian starships, the Drepanaspis sacrifices creature comforts for power and armor. Main armament consists of several batteries of enhanced range particle beam cannons, backed by cruise missile launchers and tachyon sprayer cannons. A fearsome secondary array of medium range missile launchers and point defense turrets provide protection against missile and fighter attacks, and a small complement of fighters and warmounts allows for recon work and boarding actions.

Despite the added mass of armor and armament, however, the Drepanaspises retain the fearsome speed and stealth that are the hallmark of Darkwater engineering. Like many Darkwaters starship designs, the Drepanaspis is fully amphibious, allowing the ship to use Deep Watch bases and conceal itself in a planet’s hydrosphere.

Since the introduction of the Drepa, the Skullcrushers have reportedly been petitioning the Darkwaters for license to the ship, appreciating its menacing looks, heavy armament, and hardened armor. Thus far, however, the Darkwaters have employed all Drepas produced in their own fleets.

## Abilities

As a heavy combat ship, the Drepas is well armed and fitted with systems to aid in its role to destroy other capital ships.

### Special Systems

#### Sensor Baffling

The Shemar ships can partially mask their sensor spoor, making themselves difficult to detect at long range. This acts as Stealth (-75% to
detect while stationary, -35% when moving).

#### Sensor Jamming

Active sensor jamming can be employed at shorter ranges to jam and confuse enemy sensors, as well as interfere with communications. The downside is that the amount of interference pumped out will alert EW-savvy opponents of the presence of a jamming platform. Effective Range: 800 miles. -6 to target the ship with active sensors

#### Tractor Beams (4)

Effectively each rated for 3,000 tons dead weight, but can be used for imparting small changes in momentum/direction to ships/structures several times that mass.

Range: 5 miles in space (NOT usable in atmosphere)

#### Command Linkage

The cyber-psionic command and control exercised by the EShemar give them faster response times: +1 to Initiative and +1 to strike.

### Weapons Systems

#### Heavy Particle Beam Cannons (10)

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

The main armament of the Drepanaspis are batteries of powerful PBCs.

Note: Darkwater expertise with particle projection technology has given their weapons 25-50% greater range than their CCW/TGE equivalents.

Up to five cannons can be brought to bear on the same target in the broadside/lateral arcs, six in the forward arc, and four to the rear.

#### Gravitic Slicer Beams (10)

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

The DarkWaters have been quick to blatantly knockoff the designs of their Kittani rivals in adopting Slicer Beams into their arsenal.

Does critical (DOUBLE) damage on an unmodified Natural 19-20.

#### Tachyon Cannon (6)

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

The exotic nature of tachyon weaponry immediately attracted the attention of the DarkWaters, and the Drepanaspis mounts six of the heaviest practical tachyon projectors that the Tribe’s industry could produce.

Scatter width is reduced to 1/4th in atmosphere.

#### Heavy G-Cannons (6)

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Though better known for their affinity for energy weapons, the DarkWaters realize that it’s fairly easy to shield against DEWs, so they haven’t neglected kinetic energy weaponry, and the Drepanaspis mounts the latest fruit of their research. Besides having greater acceleration and range, DarkWater g-cannon have also adopted the idea of being used as projectile launchers, firing warloads that can be proximity-fused to ‘scatter’, producing area of effect ‘buckshot’ or ‘sandblaster’attacks. This adds to the versatility of the weapons, allowing them to be used for anti-fighter and anti-missile work.

Additional shells can be reloaded from cargo holds within 45 minutes (1 ton of cargo per 6 shells).

#### Cruise Missile Launchers (4)

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Standard rapid fire cruise missile launchers found throughout the Shemarrian Star Nation.

Additional missiles may be stored in the cargo holds and reloaded within 30 minutes (1 ton of cargo per 6 missiles).

#### Medium Range Missile Launchers (8)

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Mounted laterally, typically used for self-defense/antimissile counterfire. As with the cruise missiles, the Darkwaters are working on a variety of instrumented probes, decoys, and stealth missiles.

Additional missiles can be carried as cargo and reloaded within 30 minutes.

These launchers can also fire dual-mode rocket-propelled sea-air projectiles (a concept copied from the Kittani).

#### Point Defense Turrets (20)

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload
Laser unlimited

Standard Shemarrian-pattern rail gun/pulse laser combination in a common turret.

Additional ammunition can be stored as cargo, but will take 45 minutes to reload from stores.