EDS-21-76 Gladius

***EDS-21-76 Gladius*** is a battlecruiser-class extension used by the CAST. It is the most common CAST combat vessel.

## Technical and Development History

An Extension is a
 piece of vehicle-like equipment designed for use with a Caseal. They
come in many shapes and sizes, from the size of cars to starships. All
Extensions require but a single ‘pilot’ regardless of size. Additional
processors and helping programs allow the Caseal utilizing to multi-task
 and manipulate the device as if it were its own body.

At over 700
meters, the EDS-21-76,  otherwise known as the Gladius-class Battlecruiser,
 is the most common and versatile of the CAST's interstellar Navy. Armed
 with heavy repeating Hard Light turrets as well a deadly variety of
missile weapons. Made from a modified Precursor design seed, these ships
 reflect their advanced engineering techniques. From the onboard AI
housing systems to the compartmentalized hull sections, these ships have
 been built to thrive in even the most heated of naval battles.

## Equipment and Design Features

* **Wave Force Armor:** A defensive shield system that manipulates dark matter containment fields to deflect and distort hostile attacks. Intelligently used, the Gladius can use it to catch and reflect attacks provided they do not overpower the field.
* **Object Control Grid:** A short-range teleportation grid extending about 2 kilometers. Specially equipped devices, like extensions, can teleport within or in between the local grids. This allows other extensions in the same system to rapidly redeploy to help one another, or deploy payloads near-instantaneously.

## Fixed Armaments

* **8x Double Barreled Repeating Hard Light Turrets- BB Class:** The primary armament of the Gladius. An advanced form of laser cannon that uses a delayed reaction to convert laser to hardlight while it is being fired. Thus, while the projectiles are low on mass, even when sheathing dark matter, the shots have high durability and possess near-lightspeed velocity, giving them high striking power. Four are mounted on the top, and four the bottom.

* **12x Double Barreled Hard Light Turrets:** The same weapon as mounted on the Pugio. Flexible as ICWS or strike weapon. Six are mounted on the port and starboard sides.
* **10x Variable Missile Launcher Bank:** Mounted on the sides of the ship, these launchers are able to configure and sort to allow the Gladius to deploy a variety of missile types as controller requires.  These can be configured as 2x5 Anti-Matter Missiles, 2x3 Dimensional Missiles, or 5x20 Twilight or Force Projection Missiles. The Gladius can hold up to three salvos for each bank.
* **2x “Twilight” Multi-Function Missile Launcher Bank:** A pair of dedicated 8x20 Twilight missile launcher banks on the aft section of the ship. Stores two salvos of missiles.
* **10x Light Higgs Particle Gun:** A short-range low-power mass manipulator weapon. While higgs weapons can cause high strain, this weapon has improved durability due to its low-grade performance. Intended as a CIWS, it is used primarily to cause enemy missiles to collapse on themselves. Enemy fighters and mecha are more resistant, requiring  careful aiming at vulnerable areas.

## Missile Types

* **Anti-Matter Missile:** Using a very minute amount of anti-matter, this is a high-yield missile designed when there is little concern for collateral damage.
* **Dimensional Missile:** An invention of the CAST, the Dimensional Missile is an expensive missile that is a weaponized slipspace drive. It utilizes an unstable slipspace portal to scatter atoms between the normal universe and slipspace.
* **Force Projection Missile:** More of a high-speed drone that sports its own Object Control Grid. The Gladius does not have traditional launch ramps or hangar doors. Rather, it merely teleports objects in or out of itself using its Object Control Grid. It uses the Force Projection Missile to cast a  50 meter grid at range to allow it to deploy its forces afar.
* **“Twilight” Multi-Function Missile:** Their main payload is a spray of hard light to soften up a target, before collapsing in a dark matter reaction that tries to drag the target with it. The missiles are highly maneuverable and able to be remotely controlled by the pilot. Their hard light projectors can also be used to make hardlight barriers to protect the extension or others.

## Trivia

* The Gladius was the first CAST vessel to receive a profile. It was expanded and edited by Janx to encompass proposed CAST military technology.