Scourge-class

The Scourge-class Carrier was a model of atmospheric carrier utilized by the Green Drone Armada (GDA) during the Green Drone War. It was capable of carrying and launching many fighters into battle and was also lightly armed to defend itself against some opponenets.

## History

### Green Drone War

During the rise of the GDA, the Scourge-class Carrier design fell into the hands of the GDA from an unknown designer, and the GDA modified the ship's original blueprints to fit their needs.

#### Pursuing the Colonists

In the early stages of the war, the Colonist Survivors (CSS) led by Captain Jack Roberts attacked a GDA transmitter tower on an unidentified Earth-like planet in order to send a distress call to any Red Wood Industries (RWI) ships in the system for rescue. After the CSS forces secured the outpost and began sending the signal, a Scourge-class Carrier was dispatched with a few dozen fighters to retake the area. Upon arriving at the tower, the Scourge hovered above the surrounding canyon and launched waves of GDA Falcon- and Mako-class fighters, which destroyed the tower and forced the Colonists to retreat, but not before broadcasting their message.

Shortly after, the CSS returned to their base, Bastion Outpost, and began setting up defenses when the Carrier and its fighters arrived again and soon forced the Colonists to take shelter in the underground garage of the base. However, RWI reinforcements arrived in the form of the Defender-class Frigate RWI *Intrepid* and its quartet of V-203 Interceptors. While the RWI and remaining GDA fighters engaged each other, the *Intrepid* blasted one of the carrier's thruster nacelles and the carrier withdrew for repairs. That same Scourge was soon destroyed during the Rescue of Craz a few days later by the RWI and CSS forces which attacked the GDA planetary headquarters.

#### Ground Attacks on Demus

Multiple Scourge-class Carriers were stationed on the GDA-controlled ice world of Demus when Roberts' crew, now serving as RWI crewmen aboard the RWI *Eclipse* became stranded on the planet following the crash of the RWI *Valiant* at the Battle of Demus. One was used to attack the crew's makeshift outpost at the *Valiant*'s crash site and another pursued the *Eclipse* back to their outpost after they attacked a GDA outpost to secure coordinates for a GDA shipyard station in orbit, though both were destroyed. Two more Scourges and their complements of GDA Falcon-class Fighters attacked Outpost Valiant and caused catastrophic damage the the base and the defensive turret emplacements around the perimeter. When the *Eclipse* crew evacuated the planet, the Scourges could not pursue, as they couldn't fly in space due to the lack of ion or hydrogen thrusters.

#### Invasion of P3-X2

At least two Scourge-class Carriers participated in the Invasion of P3-X2 some time later in the war. These two carriers engaged the RWI *Osiris* as it arrived to evacuate the survivors of the crashed RWI science ship, the *Discovery*. They also deployed their fighters to attack the crew of the *Eclipse* as they arrived on the ground to assist. However, they could not stop the RWI shuttles, the *Eclipse*, or the *Osiris* from escaping the system. Any surviving Scourge-class Carriers were likely either destroyed or abandoned after the war's end and the GDA's collapse at the Battle of the Black Hole.

## Characteristics

### Thrusters

The Scourge-class was equipped only with atmosheric thrusters; as such, it could only operate on planets and in gravity wells with a standard gravity force of 1.0 G. It could not operate in space due to its lack of ion or hydrogen thrusters, however it could technically fly into the upper atmosphere of a planet and deploy its fighters into space if necessary. The majority of the thrusters were located in the four nacelles on the corners of the vessel, pointing in all directions.

### Complement

Arguably the most important part of the Carrier was its fighter complement. Its docking bays were located on the ventral side of the ship, which lacked any armor or hangar doors to allow for easy deployment and docking, and the spaces for the fighters could be accessed via catwalks. Eight connectors facing downward held the fighters in place once docked, and they were also connected to pistons which could extend if the fighter was too big to fit inside the gaps between the catwalks. Landing gears were sometimes installed on the pistons to allow the carrier to land when needed. There was also a landing pad on the dorsal hull also accessible by catwalks.

### Armament and Armor

The Scourge-class was lightly armed, with only a few M-61 Vulcan Turrets (later replaced by Telion Anti-fighter Turrets on the upgraded variant) fitted onto the dorsal hull for point-defense. It was also only comprised of light armor, even around the nacelles, where only a few armor struts held them in place. This being the case, the carriers were easy targets for enemy ships; if the nacelles are taken out or separated from the ship, it will fall from the sky.

## Behind-The-Scenes

The Scourge-class Carrier first appeared in 'Space Engineers: Colony Lost' episode 12. It is not an original GDA design built by Captain Jack for the series, only modified for the series. Its original page on the Steam workshop is linked here: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1903914442&searchtext=Scourge+carrier