Sentinel Starfighter Transport

[CRMcNeill]

This is an idea of mine that has been bouncing around for a while. One of the more useless features of the Dark Empire book (IMO) was the V-Wing airspeeders and airspeeder transport. However, the idea of a space transport hauling starfighters stuck with me. There was also an episode of Babylon 5 where Starfury fighters deployed off of a transport ship barely bigger than they were. In a recent topic, it was posited that a small convoy would include TIE fighters (even though none of the other ships in the convoy were equipped to carry TIEs), and that got me thinking about this idea again. So, here it is.

For the record, I am aware that the game stats for the Sentinel put it at 20 meters long, which would make it very difficult to dock a 6.whatever meter TIE. However, there is some discrepancy as to the actual length of the Sentinel, with some sources saying as much as 38 meters. In another topic, we recently settled on approximately 30 meters as the maximum length that would allow the ship to fit into the landing bays on an ISD. If you feel the need to stick with the 20 meter length, then this ship is a stretched model, using the basic Sentinel frame. YMMV. Enjoy.

SENTINEL STARFIGHTER TRANSPORT
Craft: Sienar Fleet Systems Sentinel/st-Class Starfighter Transport
Type: Light Starfighter Transport
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 30 meters
Skill: Space Transports: Sentinel-Class Shuttle
Crew: 2 (Skeleton: 1 @ +10, 2 can coordinate) & 2 gunners
Crew Skill:
Space Transports 5D
Starship Gunnery 5D
Starship Shields 4D
Passengers: 6 (4 pilots, 2 techs)
Cargo Capacity: 4 TIE Fighters on external racks (+ 1 in enclosed maintenance bay)
Consumables: 1 month
Hyperdrive Multiplier: x1
Hyperdrive Backup: x10
Nav Computer: Yes
Maneuverability: 2D+2
Space: 6
Atmosphere: 350; 1,000 kmh
Hull: 4D+2
Shields: 3D+2
Sensors:
Passive: 20/0D
Scan: 40/1D
Search: 80/2D
Focus: 4/2D+2
Weapon Systems:
1 Dual Laser Cannon
Fire Arc: Turret
Crew: 1
Skill: Starship Gunnery
Fire Control: 3D
Space Range: 1-3/12/25
Atmosphere Range: 100-300/1.2/2.5 km
Damage: 5D
1 Tractor Beam Projector
Fire Arc: Turret
Crew: 1
Skill: Starship Gunnery
Fire Control: 3D
Space Range: 1-5/10/20
Atmosphere Range: 100-500m/1/2k
Damage: 4D
Capsule: This variant of the Sentinel Landing Craft was designed to meet a perceived need in the Imperial Navy for providing starfighter escorts for convoys that did not rate a full capital ship escort. The need, however, did not truly become aparent to the Navy until long after the battle of Endor, and thus the Sentinel/st was not commonly encountered until the Empire's waning years.

Based on the basic Sentinel frame, the Sentinel/st replaces the troop transport bays with a thick central module mounting two TIE racks on either side. Each rack is equipped with a docking hatch that seals over the TIE cockpit to allow pilots access to the fighter from within the ship. Once locked onto the racks, the TIEs are also secured in place using Prexton field generators. There is a fifth docking bay on the ship's underside, featuring a telescoping hangar module that extends down and over a docked TIE, allowing for basic repair and maintenance to a TIE in an enclosed atmosphere (This bay is normally empty, with the TIE being stowed on the external racks and only moved into the bay for maintenance). The interior of the ship includes basic living accomodations for the crew of ten, but little more than that. The ship includes a dual laser turret for defense and a tractor beam projector to assist in docking and launch. The ship can not land with TIEs attached to the racks, so the Sentinel/st will take off on its own and rendezvous with its TIE complement, reversing the process when landing.

When in use, Sentinel/st's commonly travel with convoys composed of light transports [Starfighter-scale], using their carried TIEs to patrol and augment the convoy's defenses. Institutional pride kept the Navy from adopting Sentinel/st's until the losses suffered after the Emperor's death and the fracturing of the Empire made smaller solutions an economic necessity.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Dromdarr_Alark]

I wonder what made you want to post this...
_________________
"I still wouldn't have a roll for it - but that's just how I roll."

[CRMcNeill]