Civilian Ships of the Confederacy
"Trade is the life blood that binds the Confederacy together. It is the business of this union which we have built to promote, maintain and protect trade between the stars. It is our greatest opportunity and best chance to promote the general welfare of the people within our star spanning nation." Abraham Benterra, V
"Trade is what holds the Confederacy together; indeed, that is why the Confederacy exists. Without the military might of the CSS, individual planets would become isolated and die just as surely as fruit cut off from the vine does. Without the unsung heroes of the Merchant Celeste, commerce would come to a standstill; the spread of technology impeded and colonization slowed to a trickle. Let us celebrate the men and women who were born among us, but live and work among the stars! Without their brave heroics and sacrifice, we would not have so much of what we take for granted - both the things we want and the things we need. Without them, none of what you see around us in this magnificent city would have been possible." Lord William Barclay, Duke of Langlais, Star Farers Day, 3003.
If you encounter any civilian vessel in the Gamma Quadrant of the Astrea Subsector, it will most likely be a variant of the popular B-21 Long Merchant or its older predecessor, the B-16. The B-21 has been hacked and slashed (literally) into models with less range and larger cargo capacity (slow) or greater range and less cargo (fast).
Tall or "Stretch" versions (below) have had their main hulls bisected and new hull cross sections inserted into the gap. The new ships offer expanded passenger accommodations as well as One of these, the SIngapore class, became popular enough for Svensen Standard to adopt it into their catalogue.
Another common variant (not pictured) is the B-21-D. An unarmored freighter for convoy duty during the Second Colonial War. Upgraded to Jump 3 and 3 SAG drives, it could keep up with the Navy of the day. It's 660 ton airframe, however, proved unequal to the needs of a new erra and a new war and a Navy with Jump 4 capable vessels.
Svensen Standard met the challenge by repurposing old 250 ton cargo containers, splicing a B-21-D with upgraded engines on either side. Ripping out old avionics, they added a single new bridges from in production models to create the DD class of Heavy Convoy Freighter (2nd below). A hodgepodge of spare parts, often with mismatched / intergenerational parts, the 1,440 ton DD Heavy can make Jump 4, but manage only 2 SAG in system. It's a trade off the Navy and Marines were willing to make. It can carry a Marine 220 ton torpedo boat in its hangar.
The B-21-DD Heavy (above) is the third largest variant of the B-21 class of merchant hulls with large wings added for agile maneuvering in an atmosphere. There is also a version with shorter wings designed for rougher landings. The DD's original design dates from the Colonial War II where they were used in large numbers for transport anything from supplies to troops to ordinance. Originally crewed by military personnel, they were named after girlfriends, wives, home towns - anything that reminded them of home. Among the famous ships from that conflict were the Chantilly Lace (Lacey), Panama Hattie, Colcher City Kitty, Maiden Mihai, Topper, Lang Express and Astrea Belle.
While the original design is 75 years old, it was a solid one designed by the Confederate Space Authority (CSA), a consortium of government and private engineers that designed ships during and after Colonial War I (2914 - 2946). The DD has undergone constant upgrades in keep up with the latest technology while in military hands. Once they were sold off to private contractors, it's anyone's guess as to the space worthiness of the vessels.
The DD is still a popular model and is manufactured today, with many of those build for CWII still in use. Currently, the CSS government is contracting or commandeering (aka: forced contract with the threat of ship confiscation for failure to comply) all DDs that can be found to organize the shifting of vital supplies. This was an unprecedented move but after the episode involving the Carthage, the common wisdom became many smaller ships have a greater chance of survival than a single larger super freighter. At 1440 tons, it is a mid range small ship. Only the B-21-E Extra Heavy and the B-21-S Super Heavy are larger. It has Jump 3 capability with 3SAG and carries enough fuel for three weeks of operation. Other variants of the DD exist that are too numerous to list.
The B-21-E Extra Heavy Convoy Merchant (above) is the second largest of the B-21 Convoy Merchant variation and was designed to meet ever increasing needs to transport troops, supplies and even ordinance to the front lines during CWII. Originally designed by the Confederate Space Authority (2914-2956), a conglomeration of government and civilian engineers, it is a robust design that is still in use almost 80 years later. While in military hands, they received constant upgrades, most significantly improved engines and power plants which take up less tonnage and use less fuel netting a greater cargo capacity. Current models approach 2,000 tons of cargo. Once the ships reached the private sector, it is anyone's guess as to the mechanical and engineering condition or the floor plan of a given ship. Registration of upgrades and downgrades are virtually non-existent.
The ships were generally named after things that reminded their original flight crews of home. Ships carried names like Maiden Mihaj (named for the planet Mihaj K-805 Langlais), Panama Hattie, Bahama Mama, Topper, Lone Star, Colcher City Kitty and Pixie Dust. When the original crews rotated back home, their replacement crews kept the same names. The thought was that if a ship survived its first tour of duty intact, it was considered "bad mojo" to change the name. When the ships were eventually sold off to the civilian sector, the new owners usually kept the same names for the same reason and to honor the heroes of the Second Colonial War. The B-21-E is still manufactured today and sees service throughout the Confederacy.
It has been speculated that the B-21-E will soon see military service once again if the conflict along the Spinward border continues for any length of time. The Confederacy has the legal right to conscript crews and ships in times of national emergency. To resist such conscription is to risk imprisonment and seizure of your vessel. Most space farers would see this as their patriotic duty (and a guaranteed paycheck). Others might resist because of other business concerns or that it could potentially keep them from their homes and families for a period of years.
The legendary B-16 (right) has been in production for over a century. Built for rough landings and quick takeoffs, it has found its place in stellar history. WIth a short keel, wings and engines placed high to clear obstructions and hull reinforcement in the right places, the Amargosa class is well suited to go where there are few or no landing facilities.
The ship has three dual pulse laser turrets; much larger ones than the remote, pop-up turrets in use today. A fourth turret is on the ship's boat, nested in a bay toward the aft of the ship. A ship's boat armed with a laser turret is unusual and one of the most popular features of this ship.
A hundred tons smaller than its popular, more modern descendant, the B-21, it fulfils the basic need for a Jump-2, SAG-2 ship with over 200 tons of cargo capacity. There are no staterooms for passengers although some captains have made more creative arrangements. The ship's limited ability to be modified (because of the engine / wing structure) has lead to declining sales in more recent years. With continuing upgrades being made to the B-16's systems, the class is likely to remain popular well into the next century. Vessels of the Amargosa Class are named after deserts with the notable exception of the pirate Captain Revezzo's ship, Wing Nut.
(Above) The B-21-S Super Heavy Convoy Merchant is the peak of the development of the B-21 line in both size and technology. Most commonly referred to as just "Supers," its most common variant displaces just over 12k tons. Also designed by the Confederate Space Authority, it too is a relic of the Second Colonial War where the flew anything from resupply to bombing missions against the GaGGa (Great and Glorious, Grand and Victorious Lang Imperium).
Shown here is B-21-S #J-316 as it appeared during CWII. It's original pilot was known as Capt. "Justifyin'" Justin Fredson. The ship was named "Son of a Preacher Man" after him, hoping that the nickname would bring divine protection. Since the ship and her crews survived the war, there may have been something to that. The J-316, however, did survive a near miss while on its 41st run over Shavai, Lang, where she took heavy damage from anti-aircraft fire to her port side. Closer examination of the drawing shows that the ship has two "right handed" maneuver drives. With wartime shortages, when the left engine had to be replaced (a drop in replacement, despite its size), there were not any "lefts" available. The mechanics made do with what they had, patching around the differences. Consequently. the J-316 is a quirky flyer, especially in an atmosphere.
With 3k tons of cargo, massive 4 SGA engines, the latest in military sensors and Jump 3, it was a great ship for its time. Too large a ship for any but the most profitable routes to be run independently, most are operated by corporations where they've either had their jump and/or maneuvre drives reduced or a larger central "belly tank" added. To those individuals who have kept their ships updated, they are proving a valuable asset in any endeavour and among the ships that offer the best "bang for the bit," especially if the owner is able to land a subsidized mail contract.
As with all the B-16's the central dorsal compartment houses the ray shielded crew and passenger quarters - or originally in some models (B-21-ST) open seating for transiting troops in atmosphere. Those upgraded to staterooms (B-21-SP) can carry approximately 96 passengers plus 34 crew. Those downgraded (B-21-SF) for carrying freight have an additional 192 tons of ray shielded cargo space which interstellar insurance requires and certain commodities demand.
Today, out of the over three thousand that were built for the military between 2938 and 2853, fewer than 200 survive in private hands. That is the best estimate as of 3002, with hard data being difficult to obtain given the difficulty of enforcing civilian registration of ships. Operating mostly in Langlais and Covian subsectors, Gaurdan Chemicals has 38, the largest single owner of the civilian B-21-E. They are predominantly used as chemical carriers, having been refitted with a specialized proprietary "belly tank" as befits the particular mixture they are hauling.
(Above) Another distant cousin of the B-21, the John W. Harper Class Saddle Back Tug (aka Bug Tug) is one of the most common vessels of its type. A real workhorse, it can transfer from 845 tons at Jump 4 to 7.8k tons at Jump 1. Essentially three B-21s spliced together, the B-21/C-216 can carry standard cargo containers in a saddleback formation, or it can also "push" cargo (ships, archologies, etc.) from behind. With the outbreak of the War, demand for these reliable vessels tripled overnight. They are particularly in high demand by the Confederate Marines who need its services to get their System Patrol Boats to the frontier.
I
The "Lords of the Marches" liners (above) harken back to a day of elegant travel between the stars. With a grand ballroom, split winding stairs and starlight dome overhead, they once offered the finest in dining and travel experiences when how you traveled was as important as your destination. Some still sail the stars in all their former glory, but most have shed their finery to become simple Jump 2 commercial transport and cargo vessels.
One enterprising company in the Core has transported their A-2 liners to heavy populated planetary systems that can support their luxury trade. Having removed the jump drives, these survivors are destined to spend the rest of their useful lives system bound as either casino ships or luxury in system liners. Two such examples of the A-2's , The Lord Baltimore and The Lady Baltimore, operate out of the Langlais system.
(Above) In the rush to demilitarize after the Second Colonial War, many warships transitioned from the Navy to private ownership. These vessels, marked with the prefix X, were stripped of their characteristic heavy plating, ship platform weapons and most of their turrets. Their new owners completed the transition by rebuilding the interiors and converting them to whatever purpose they intended. Of the ships that were converted, 108 former Olympic Class light cruisers made the transition into bulk freight service and were designated as the X-29 class. The X-29 is popular among smugglers for its ability to "disappear." It carries enough fuel to make a Jump 1 (or 2) into dead space and then a Jump 2 (or 1) to another location to refuel. Such "hopscotching" makes the ship difficult to follow or trace., but is not without its risks. The ship's main limitations are that it has only 3 SGA in normal space and it is slow to load and unload using four 300 ton shuttles (in military service it carried eight).
The 7k ton General Class Armored Troop Transport (above) has been in active service since the Second Colonial War. Named after the great generals of history, its mission was simple: to get marines dirtside in one piece. For that particular role, this vessel excelled. Essentially a flattened tube with the typical flat armored plating of the time, the entire lower deck is one vast empty space with access both fore and aft. The example pictured here is the UMC Baron Theris and is registered to a mercenary corporation that functions outside of Confederate space. The ship was allowed to keep its plating and guns for that reason. The Confederacy gets right of first refusal for any captured vessels.
Between the hundreds of Type F ships in the Scout Corps and the hundreds of decomissioned Type Fs of varying description, this ship is certain to be the most common vessel anywhere you travel in the Confederacy and for a few parsecs beyond. The demand for the decomissioned Scout vessels is high (the price is cheap), even though the vessels' post Scout career is somewhat limited because of cramped space and a small cargo capacity.
Scout vessels are not retired until one of its Jump drive fails beyond recovery. Then one of the SGA drives is also removed (can't have civilian vessels that are faster than the Navy) as well as the large transit communication computer and the rear missile turret. This creates a new "class" of ship known as the F-3. The only exception to this rule is when a noble wishes to purchase one for personal use.
Most new owners will make further modifications. They now need half as much fuel so they remove part of the fuel tanks and double their cargo space in the process. There is also the option of building staterooms in that same open space.
While the appeal of owning a space ship and the freedom it brings is almost universal, the appeal of the Type F is not. Its small, cramped quarters and small cargo space make it offputting. Most buyers are either former Scouts who have mustered out or nobles who award them to retainers so that they might carry out their business as quickly as possible.