Raider

The Raider was classified by the Outer Space Alliance's corporate contractors as a 'Heavy Research Cruiser', a more robust version of several civilian designs. An unseemly vessel, she is much more square and industrial than most OSA ships, featuring exposed piping, and external shuttle landing pads. A variant known as the Raider Pro was also produced.

When plans for the vessel were initially shown to the government, it appeared to be a vessel more along the lines of a Federation Oberth, with high science capacity, tactical ability limited to self-defense, and a low endurance. Playing off the Switch, in development at the time, the ‘Heavy Research Cruiser’ left an enormous amount of space for ‘scientific modules’.

The head of the government design oversight committee, the Jellom Jelbrach, noted that the design presented was ‘missing half the ship’ in favor of module space, that the interior spaces were too cramped for a 'cruiser', and thought the deuterium tankage was lacking. Jelbrach was, in fact, correct. The ‘module space’ was actually covering a section of the ship dedicated to heavy deuterium tankage and onboard industry and an additional impulse engine. It turned the ‘Heavy Research Cruiser’ into a fast raider frigate, capable of high sublight and warp speeds and high endurance.

Soon after his observation, Jelbrach suffered a massive heart attack alone in his home. At the time the death was ruled to be of natural causes, but the later revelations of corporate activity have cast his death in a more suspicious light. A Kwuida named Zephyr Mayoi, one of Jelbrach’s colleagues in the oversight committee also expressed some skepticism and was later found dead of an ‘accidental’ drowning.

Production-model Raiders hid the additional endurance section as a variety of different modules, particularly ones for cryogenic research, or more brazenly, as experimental zero gee production facilities. In corporate service, they often carried out legitimate scientific research. However, occasionally the vessels would bolt on some additional disguising features, particularly to look like civilian freighters, and go raiding. Long endurance allowed them to take circuitous routes into dangerous territory, and high science capacity was turned to hiding from sensors and stalking prey at long ranges. They would often beam down disguised Kwuida and Taddo onto enemy vessels or outposts as part of piracy operations.

With the war over, the OSA now has several Raider vessels in their inventory. Despite their dirty history, the ship does make a good scientific vessel, and in the event of war can serve as a scout-skirmish vessel or return to its original role -- a raider. It is currently unknown if the OSA plans to build more of the design or develop refits, but given its utility both in scientific and wartime roles it is likely there will be some continued on the class.

Despite its role, the ship is very fragile, and armed lightly. Even a Kepler-class frigate would be able to fight one off, and if a Raider captain makes a mistake or is ambushed by a combat vessel the ship is likely doomed. Faced with any kind of credible armed opponent, the Raider's best option is escape.