I-1 Poniard

The **Orion Stellar Industries I-1 *Poniard* tactical interceptor** is the *ultima ratio* in Terran high-speed starfighter technology, a single-seat twin-engine multirole combat and reconnaissance platform capable of both atmospheric and interplanetary operations. Extremely fast and heavily armed, it is renowned as being a devil to fly, commanding fierce loyalty from its pilots but rewarding them with a level playing field against the deadly fast fighters employed by the Razorbird Empire.

## Design

The *Poniard*'s development history was somewhat strained due to the pressure of war. Work to up-gun and up-speed existing *Rapier* fighters had begun almost as soon as that fighter was in service in 2475 and had produced the *Estoc*, an excellent interceptor to shoot down long-range bombers: however, Razorbird starfighters could run rings around even that ship in 2485, ten years later. Terran tactics evolved to deal with the situation - 'atmo-dipping', diving in and out of a planetary body's atmosphere, became common among *Rapier* pilots as a means to offset the Razorbird superiority in single-purpose (space or planetary) fighters. Nevertheless, not all battlefields could be counted on to be fought in the orbit of a suitable planet. Fights over moons and asteroid bases became common as the Razorbirds struck isolated outposts, forcing the Alliance to respond: these were routinely defeats, as Razorbird bombers could strike Alliance carriers with near-impunity before their own fighters could hope to respond. The Terran Admiralty demanded a modern fighter to engage the 'Birds on even terms: the *Poniard* was the answer.

### Characteristics

As built, the I-1 *Poniard* largely resembled a slightly larger *Rapier*: it had the same distinctive 'jet fighter' look so characteristic of Terran designs, with swept-back wings and a thin fuselage. The only obvious difference aside from size was the *Poniard*'s slightly larger cockpit and overall finer lines: this became a 'tell' for Razorbird pilots as the war progressed, made more obvious by the fact that *Poniard* pilots typically painted their ships colorfully.

The unparalleled forward propulsion of the starfighter was provided by two specially-designed plasma impulse thrusters, giving it a maximum forward acceleration of 40,000 m/s^2: without advanced gravity-dampeners and compensators, the pilot would be instantly crushed by the force of almost 41,000 Gs of acceleration. Such high speed was not used for combat, however, as the pilots would overshoot their targets before they were even aware of them: instead, it was used as a method to rapidly deploy to the combat zone, to escape gravity wells with minimal deadtime, and to rapidly make and break contact with enemy forces. The *Poniard* routinely saw great success not only as an interceptor but also as a reconnaissance unit in this regard.

For maneuvering, the *Poniard* was equipped with enhanced versions of the avionics provided to the *Rapier*s: highly sensitive switches controlled by a rapid-response AI unit could throw the flaps and vents into maneuvers faster than the speed of human reflexes, giving the interceptor uncanny maneuverability in a dogfight. Some pilots, particularly the 203rd Pursuit Squadron, were known to modify their fighters with sapient AI (Mindnet volunteers) that could be neurally linked to the pilot: this reduced the deadtime between recognition and reaction even further, making them able to execute 16-point turns and dizzying acrobatics with perfect accuracy to avoid incoming strikes or, alternatively, to chase down the elusive and similarly-equipped Razorbird 'Gyrfalcon' starfighters.

The cream of the *Poniard* interceptor's characteristics, however, is its cockpit: designed to enhance the pilot's situational awareness, tactical imaging devices provide a nearly 360-degree view of the battle around them, the AI managing the system so as not to overload the pilot's sensory input. Describable as 'a less sophisticated version of a Razorbird's vision canopy', it gives the edge to the Terran pilot in most scenarios due to the flexibility it can provide.

### Armament

The *Poniard* interceptor was the heaviest-armed Terran starfighter: it carried no less than six 20-mm laser cannons, four mounted around the cockpit and forward-firing, and two gimbal-mounted in the wings that could engage targets directly ahead, behind, or below. Some fighter pilots replaced their standard-issue cannons with (sometimes illegally) purchased and-or modified 35-mm laser cannons, and at least one pilot of the 155th Pursuit Squadron replaced their starfighter's entire armament with Veydreth 25-mm ion cannons and an energy torpedo projector.

Racks for up to eight guided missiles were also provided, stored in internal bays to reduce atmospheric drag, and could be equipped to handle nuclear-tipped or conventional warheads: more esoteric options were available to pilots willing to privately purchase equipment with authorization from their commanders, including energy torpedo projectors or Murrcioun plasma railguns.

## Notable Squadrons

### 155th Pursuit Squadron

The **155th Pursuit Squadron** was an all-ace Alliance interceptor squadron that first saw combat against the Ravasect. Notable for flying customized Veydreth Poniards, they were one of the first fighter squadrons to score a victory against the Razorbirds and helped deliver Asher Perry's fatal carrier strike at Djangor.

### 203rd Pursuit Squadron

The **203rd Pursuit Squadron** was an all-ace Terran Alliance specialized hunter-killer squadron made up of Terrans and Mindnet volunteers that served from its formation in 2485 throughout the Razorbird Crusades with distinction, going on to become one of the, if not the, most famous starfighter squadron in Alliance history. Operating from the Alliance carrier *Retribution*, it instantly made a name for itself in its first battle and was one of the squadrons to deliver the fatal strike at Djangor.

### 301st Pursuit Squadron

The **301st Pursuit Squadron** was an all-ace Terran Alliance squadron that was formed during the 'carrier panic' of mid-2485.