CURRENTLY NOT APPROVED

Developed in AR 936, the Soma-class Heavy Carrier is the largest mobile VANDR support platform developed by Solan Starworks, designed to be the core of a carrier battlegroup with the purpose of fielding overwhelming numbers of powered frames onto the battlefield and acting as a staging area for peacekeeping and siege operations.

• VANDR complement that numbers in the low thousands.
• Internal fabrication system.
• Extensive supply storage.
• Extensive point-defense and ECM/ECCM.

• Fleet Operations
• Rear Area Support
• Planetery Occupation

SPESS WHALE

The Soma-class started development at the end of the Third Outer System conflict, when it became increasingly evident that the light Vayu-class was not going to provide an adequate platform for the transport of large numbers of VANDR.

Class:Soma-class Heavy Carrier Type: Heavy Carrier Designers: Solan Starworks Manufacturer: Solan Starworks Production: Limited Production, 1 Completed (VSV Soma) Fielded by: Astral Vanguard

Total Crew: 16 682

Command: 206 Starship Operations: 824 Transport Operations¹⁾: 640

Medical: 710 Maintenance: 4522 Support: 4120 Civilians:²⁾ 984

Security: 2708 Frame Runners: 2132

Maximum Capacity: An additional 7330 passengers may be taken aboard, but life support systems will be strained and require additional resources.

Length: 4430 meters (XX feet) Width: 1107.5 meters (XX feet) Height: 2215 meters (XX feet) Decks: XX (XX meters each)

FoMASC Drive: 3000c MASC Drive: 3000c Sublight Engines: .25c Range: Up to 34 months, without refueling or employing BHS to replenish resources Lifespan: The organoid components of the ship can last up to a century. Refit Cycle: Twice a year.

See Damage Rating (Version 3) for an explanation of the damage system.

• Hull: 48
• Shields: 60 (5)

<Chart of what is on each deck>

Standard Movement Assist Hallways

Standard Officer Quarters

Standard Officer Quarters

Capital-type Storage Bay

Astral Vanguard Standard Enlisted Quarters

Standard Recreation Room

Standard Communal Bathrooms

Standard Crew Shrine

Standard Mess Hall

Standard Astral Vanguard Wardroom

Capital-type Bridge

Frigate-type Bridge

Standard CIC Room

(Anything that is not used by the combat crew.)

Astral Vanguard Standard Fabrication Bay

Cruiser-type Medical Bay

Iromakaunhe Standard Engineering Bay

Capital-type Armory

Standard Simulation Bay

Capital-type VANDR Bay

Aerudirn Armor Colonies Aerudirn consists of living colonies that grow out into thick, smooth sheets of a high durability, that are have been bred to be resistant to damages from radiation and can charge themselves with an electrostatic field to enforce their surface tension, thereby inhibiting penetration by weaker solid-ammunition weapons. Should the shell be damaged, the colonies underneath, which are dense enough on their own to survive exposure to vacuum can quickly have other sections stretch to accommodate tears, and regenerate completely with enough time.

Armor Structural Points: 48

Organoid-type Substructure Highly resilient organoid tissues form the remainder of the body, including an endoskeleton, muscles and primitive organs that perform various functions related to keeping the unit and runner alive. The tissues have exceptional toughness compared to those of normal species, and can even survive in vacuum conditions should the entirety of the upper armor layer be destroyed. Should weapons fire occur inside of the ship, the interior compartments are nearly entirely filled with covered organoid tissues, giving them a high degree of durability versus small arms damage.

Fleet Intelligence OMNI constructs, or FIOMNI, are NI specifically constructed to assist in the large-scale coordination of fleet and fleet resources, and act as intelligence hubs and liaisons for Astral Vanguard commanders. Fleet Intelligence OMNI are characterized by patient, professional personalities and very conservative habits, though they tend to pick up on certain traits from the officers they serve under.

All vessels traveling in groups larger than 2 have at least one active FIOMNI, though the chain of command for these intelligences is based on ship class and the rank of the officer commanding it. Officers that have reached the rank of Lanrarr or higher, or serving in special positions are assigned a unit to assist them in their duties, which is transferred over as the officer is moved to different positions.

Starship Control ANIOS are advanced assist NI that are designed to interact with the operator of their respective starship, greatly improving the general effectiveness of maneuvers and allowing them to be aware and compensate for effects an unassisted people would be unable to. As starships have astronomical numbers of subsystems and operating system subroutines, the construct is essential in the effective operation of most Astral Vanguard vessels without the implementation of larger numbers of crewmen.

• Deciphering and ordering gathered and received data.
• Voice interface with selectable persona.
• Maneuvering assistance and coordination.
• Weapons system assistance and coordination.
• Semi-automated subsystem management.

• Requires connection to pilot for all non-essential functions.
• Subservient to OMNI systems.
• Sub-sapient intelligence.
• Cannot automate all functions.

So-C1-E1936 Capital Sensors Package

Includes:

• Vector Wave Sensors
• Subspace Mass Sensors
• LADAR
• RADAR
• MASC Particle Scanner
• Thermal Sensors

So-C1-E2936 Capital Communications Package

Includes:

• Laser
• Radio
• MASC-Assisted Laser
• MASC-Assisted Radio

Internal:

• Fiber Optic

So-C1-E4815 Muted Resonance Shroud The Muted Resonance Shroud, or MRS, is a squad-assist stealth system that uses a combination of Vector Shroud-type space compression and exotic charged particles to create sections of space that appear very dim to sensors systems. These areas do not stick out as emptier than vacuum as with some related systems, but creates a signature similar to that of the space a significant distance from a star. The results in high difficulty in achieving targeting locks on and determining the nature of objects inside the field. Unfortunately, this has similar effects on the units deploying the field, forcing the starship to rely on FTL sensors such as MASC Particle, which may reveal its presence, though not necessarily its position.

Field Size can be lowered or raised, though it is suggested to limit the area of the field to the approximate area of the starship employing it, as to hide effectively, but not arouse suspicion by creating overly large zones that the enemy cannot scan properly.

Detection Range: 1 KM Max Field Size: 500 KM

So-C1-E5815 Listening Device The Listening Device is a system employed to passively intercept and sample data being transmitted through unsecured methods. It is also a critical component in many important electronic warfare devices, and allows Astral Vanguard starships and vehicles to track the communications of hostile forces. As the unit approaches the source of the transmissions, it becomes increasingly easier to track, until a positive match can be made at a certain threshold.

Can Intercept:

• Radio
• Microwave
• Subspace (requires Vector Wave Sensors)

Solan Emergency Systems

The Soma's life support functions are tied in directly with the Organoid's natural bioelectrics and life functions, meaning that should power failure occur, these systems will continue to function until the components expire.

So-C1-V1815 Organoid Internal Life Support Life support systems are enabled via a combination of potent thermo/photosynthetic reprocessing of air, allowing the organoid to feed itself while producing breathable gasses for the crew. This is done by drawing light from the nearest star, or absorbing heat and radiation from the various compartments of the ship, including the reactor and inhabited regions of the ship. It may also deploy small antibody-like drones to neutralize vermin and naturally search out and sequester harmful substances and antigens inside of the ship's environment.

So-C1-V2815 Gravitic Boundary System

So-C1-R0815 KORD System The KORD (Kinetic Force Diffuser) is an essential system that protects the frame runner from the tremendous G-Forces and shocks the Erla VANDR experiences during both before and after FTL travel and during highly perilous combat maneuvers. It also protects from weapons that kill through kinetic force, in a manner similar to maces against armored troops in ancient times.

So-C1-P0815 MASC Drive

So-C1-P0935 Carrier-type FoMASC Drive

So-C1-S1936 Capital Vector Field Suite The Vector Field System is a combined package shield array that relies on a combination of various advanced space comrpession technologies for multi-purpose defenses idea for the modern battlefield. Vector Shrouds are sophisticated vector field systems that envelop the craft in a conformal shell of compressed space, allowing one to become relatively invisible to electromagnetic and particle based sensors, and shrinking the ship's profile to other systems. As a shield, it is reliable and particularly effective versus energy weapons.

Location: Internal Shield Structural Points: SP 60 Threshold 5

So-C1-S2936 Capital Repulsor Burst Array Repulsor systems work by creating a temporary vector field, which at regular intervals can be overcharged and super-expanded, which generates an omni-directional concussive blast that is fully capable of causing tractor beams be dispersed and unwanted hangers to disengage, allowing one to temporarily shrug off the effects of such devices. It is commonly used to force boarding craft away from hulls, knock away incoming projectiles and can potentially kill or disable poorly protected infantry with pure kinetic force.

Purpose: Defensive Countermeasure Secondary: Deterrent Damage: MDR 2, Kills through Kinetic Force Range: 20m radius Rate of Fire: One pulse every 6 seconds

PWAC (Particle Wave Cruise) Missile

Location: Dorsal and Ventral Missile Strips³⁾ Purpose: Anti-Starship Secondary: Anti-Shield Salvo Size: 1 Damage: Tiers 13 through 15, Light Anti-Capital Ship through Heavy Anti-Capital Ship (: Staff needs to determine which), Electrical Damage

Range: 3 Light-Seconds Rate of Fire: 1 salvo every 15 Seconds Area of Effect: 15 Meters Muzzle Velocity: .25c Ammunition 8 Missiles Ammo Replenish: Can refill capacity in hospitable conditions in about 2 hours outside of combat. Any further attempts to refill will require an external source of biomass.

CEHB (Compression-Enhanced Heavy Beam) Laser

Location: Retractable Turret Hardpoints; Top, Nose and Broadsides Purpose: Anti-Vehicle/Anti-Starship Secondary: Navigational Protection Damage: Tier 11, Medium Anti-Starship Range: 20 KM in Atmosphere, 600 000 KM in Space Rate of Fire: Beam can be maintained for up to 2 minutes. Cooldown is 1/8 of projection time. Muzzle Velocity: 1c

HEMB (Heavy Enhanced Multi-Beam) Laser

Location: Dorsal, 190 Arrays, 20 Port and Starboard, 20 Aft, 5 Bow, 10 Ventral Purpose: Point Defense Weapon Secondary: Anti-Vehicle, Navigational Protection Damage: Tier 10, Light Anti-Starship

Range: 10 KM in Atmosphere, 300 000 KM in Space Rate of Fire: Can maintain up to 36 beams simultaneously. Muzzle Velocity: 1c

• (1000): Erla Vandr 2
• (1000): So-M2-1A Raevr VANDR
• (400): So-M3-1A Haidan VANDR

• (20): Sigiriya-class Medical Corvette
• (100): So-T1-1a Waka class Shuttle

• (900): So-O2-1A Haidan VAADW