The original Phantasm was considered a highly versatile platform, though limited by the fact that it was not designed by experienced military engineers. The result was a fragile though highly capable frigate. Following heavy lobbying by the Cult of War, the Free State came to the consensus to cooperate on a modernized re-design of the Phantasm for use to safeguard the Free State and all Free Spacers.

As the Free State was a protectorate of the DIoN, which had greater experience with the design of warships, the Free State contacted the Imperium for assistance with the re-design.

While the Phantasm Mk. 2 is outwardly similar to its predecessor, it is much more capable due to improved interior electronics. The outward similarity is to confuse anyone coming across the Phantasm into believing that it is one of the originals. It also has a greater mass than its predecessor.

The Phantasm Mk. 2 is rated as a frigate despite the appellation of gunship, though it is capable of threatening larger vessels given the right armaments. Its three main characteristics are its powerful engines, modular armament and capable electronic warfare suite.

The Free State's new line of Phantasms began making an appearance in YE 36 with Nepleslian upgrades. While the original Phantasms were highly capable, the increasing pirate activity and belligerence of the Independent Worlds League, a more powerful warship was needed.

After contacting NAM for the joint venture, the Phantasm Mk. 2 was born. It features improved shields, armoring, and internal systems that align with the mass produced parts created by NAM. This allows for a degree of logistical synchronicity between the two nations' ships.

In YE 36, the first Phantasm 2s were launched and plans were laid to increase production pending the results of the initial deployments of the new Phantasms.

Organizations Using This Vessel: The Free State
Type: Stealth/Fast Attack Craft
Nomenclature: ID-E23-2
Designer: Polysentience, Intelligent Design Node, NAM
Manufacturer: The Free State
Production: Limited Mass production - 20 produced in two batches of ten
Crew: Autonomous
Appearance: The Phantasm is roughly ovular in shape with two stubby wings protruding from the aft of the ship. These lead to the starlight cell housing, which power the ship. The engine drives are located at the rear of the ship. The main weapon turret mounts are located centrally, in ventral and dorsal positions. Secondary turret mounts are located similarly at the fore and aft of the ship. Two external hardpoint for missiles are located on each wing.

Phantasms are usually produced in factory colors of silver and blue with the emblem of the Free State emblazoned on both sides of the hull. However, SIs are able to get their hulls repainted in whatever colors or patterns they desire after completing a mission. The only requirement is that the Free State emblem is visibly displayed and unaltered as it is the mark of the authority vested in them by the Polysentience.

Length: 75 meters
Width: 45 meters (including wingspan)
Height: 50 meters
Decks: 1
Weight: 200 Tonnes

Speed (STL): 0.45c
Speed (atmosphere): up to 6000 kmph Speed (Hyperspace Fold): 0.35 ly/m
Range: Unlimited
Lifespan: Fifty years
Refit Cycle: Five years

See Damage Rating (Version 2) for an explanation of the damage system.

• Hull: 15
• Aggressive Armor: 5 SP when activated
• Shields: 15 (Threshold 3)

The vessel itself, being designed as a SI-piloted vessel, lacks many of the common features of inhabited vessels. There is no life support, no resting areas, no food stocks, and no washrooms. There is only a single compartment to house the SI that flies the ship.

The only compartment inside the ship houses the Savant Computer within which the SI controls the ship. It is housed within a hardened Nerimium bunker. Wires connect the SI to the ship though it is also capable of wireless control of the ship, as long as the components' receivers are still functional.

A quartet of Junker drones are housed within the ship to maintain the ship. These drones also act as damage control units during combat. They are equipped with the tools to repair most components in the ship. Major repairs or replacements must be procured from a major shipyard.

The Phantasm Mk. 2 features upgraded Freespacer systems as well as the newest Nepleslian components.

The ship's hull is made of two layers of Durandium Alloy between which is filled with compressed shock absorbing gel. The dual layer set up allows the Phantasm to be more resistant to hull breaches since there is more to pierce and warp than a single layer of hull.

After looking at data from Nepleslian warship combat, a layer of meridium armored plating was added to the hull. To increase the ship's stealth capabilities, a layer of Zanarium, provided by NAM, coats the meridium. This allows the ship to sneak up on unsuspecting vessels for surprise inspections.

In place of traditional propulsion system is an inertialess drive, which is essentially a souped-up model of the combined inertial dampener and artificial gravity systems used inside most starships. The device generates an antigravity field that reduces the gravity and the effective mass of a starship. This allows for less energy to move the entire mass of the ship. By manipulating antigravity the device can also be used as an engine, ‘pushing’ away from other objects in space in order to propel the ship.

This device may also double as a FTL engine; the ship propels itself at speeds many times the speed of light by generating continuum distortions and nesting them to create asymmetric peristaltic fields. This allows the ship to travel thousands of times the speed of light. Distortion-based systems allow the ship to stop or move nearly instantly because the ship has not “moved.”

Directional force fields are used to 'catch' magnetic fields or stellar energy, allowing a vessel to ride them. Additionally, energy-based attacks can be filtered and refracted in such a way that part of the energy is let through to be absorbed by high-capacity Starlight Cell clusters. Though this means it can reduce the total strain on shield emitters, while simultaneously recharging itself during combat.

When running quiet a Phantasm can use its Prism Shield projectors on a low power setting to manipulate the way it absorbs and reflects ambient energy in order to disguise itself as debris or an asteroid on sensors, or even mimic the sensor signal of other vessels. This system can also be used to achieve partial cloaking, and when used in conjunction with its emissions free propulsion system and high agility, can make these vessels very hard to track. This low power setting can also be used to generate energy mirrors, which are use to concentrate greater solar energy onto Starlight Cells and increase energy harvesting rate.

In an unusual twist for a combat vessel, the Phantasm receives its power totally from ambient energy. Composite voltaic cells of polymers and nano particles are used to form a multispectral radiant energy cells. Centuries of refining solar harvesting methods means that Starlight Cells can absorb most conceivable types of radiant energy, and with exceptional efficiency.

Due to reliance on ambient energy Phantasms can only hyperspace into systems with stars to replenish its energy post-jump, and generally must keep its operational area to a well-lit region of space. When accompanied by another class of vessel Phantasms may also absorb ambient energy from energy weapon blasts, or absorbing electromagnetic communication signals, thus giving a steady supply of energy. This function usually ensures vessels will almost never “die out” during combat, except in the unlikely chance they are fighting an opponent that uses only kinetic weapons.

The energy harvested from Starlight Cells are stored in four very high density capacitor banks located at the mid port and bow of the vessel. Normally capacitors of this density would be prohibitively heavy for any lighter craft, but thanks to the Inertialess Drive this is no longer an issue. Each of these is shielded by a buckypaper Faraday cage, which both shields their energy signatures from external sensors while shielding the vessel itself from the EM pulse that a capacitor might create if overloaded.

At full charge power reserves last for 96 hours of low-intensity shield use (passive sailing or running silent), or alternatively 2 hours of high-intensity shield use (combat mode), recharge rate not withstanding. Hyperspace jumps require at least two-thirds of a full capacitor charge. In high orbit around a star's corona, with mirror a full capacitor recharge takes only three hours.

Following the review of Nepleslian combat data, a secondary source was installed. A NAM Na-HFR-01a Heavy Fusion Reactor was installed to power the ship in the event of the failure of the Starlight cells or their capacitors. As it is limited in fuel, the HFR is not activated unless the ship is engaged in combat or a similar crisis.

The "Failover" Damage Control System is, what Nepleslians call damage prevention, another form of protection. Between the outer and inner hull, there is a gel fluid to absorb kinetic force as well as any forms of energy. Simultaneously on the exterior, an applique coating that flakes off at high temperatures is meant to reduce energy attacks. The Nepleslians improved this system for the Freespacers by adding NCS bots into the gel. These nano-bots are programmed to swim the gel, inert until activated by the SI to aid in repairs and damage control. This addition increases the effectiveness of the craft's internal repair capabilities, allowing it to recover from combat damage faster than any previous design. Due to the bots' need for matter, the gel is compressed into the space so that there is an excess for the bots to make use of.

A single dedicated S.I. construct, or Savant Computer acts as the pilot and gunner of the vessel. For all intents and purposes, it is the vessel. These constructs are self-aware entities with developing personalities, learning from experiences.

To improve performances against increasingly technological enemies, the new Phantasm features the Entropy's Shroud Electronic Warfare Suite

As the Mk. 2 was envisioned to operate in conjunction with SMDIoN forces, a NAM Comms. suite was installed for networking purposes. These were also modified by the Free State to allow communication with the Polysentience

The Phantasm mounts four small point-defense turrets(fore and aft ventral and dorsal positions), as well as a pair of identical main turrets (one on top, one on the bottom). All of the turrets can be swapped out for similar weapon systems.

Note: Only two main turrets may be mounted at the same time, one above and one below the hull.

Location: Main hull turret (2)
Primary Purpose: Fire Support
Damage: DR 5
Range: 1 AU
Rate of Fire: 30 rpm
Payload: 450

The 280mm Pseudoflare Artillery turret is designed to fire 30kt nuclear shells that can be set on either proximity or contact fuses. These weapons pack quite a punch in themselves, but are fitted with special additions to increase their deadliness; either HE-style rounds with depleted uranium shard shrapnel bursts, or HEAT shells whose contact detonation will melt an alloy payload, and turn it into a hypersonic jet of plasma. They are designed to explode on impact or after traveling 1 AU, to prevent collateral damage.

Location: Main hull turret (2)
Primary Purpose: Multirole
Damage: Starship DR 3
Range: 3 AU
Rate of Fire: 20 rpm
Payload: 400

The Red Mercury Blaster is actually a focusing assembly of multispectral radiation mirrors and a detonation chamber, reinforced by a structural integrity shield. A small fusion warhead is loaded into a blasting chamber, then injected with a canister of ballotechnic solution (chemicals that react readily when subjected to extreme pressures) called Red Mercury to act as a trigger catalyst. The device detonates, and both the thermal and electromagnetic energy is funneled and refracted out the barrel. This nuclear-pumped design results in a very intense burst of high frequency radiation, but at the unfortunate cost of being unable to maintain a steady beam like lower-powered systems.

Location: Main hull turret (2)
Primary Purpose: Multirole
Damage: Starship DR 3
Range: 3 AU
Rate of Fire: 120 rpm
Payload: 1200

For an alternative to the Blaster, the Red Mercury Quad Cannon is also available for use and operates on similar principles. The difference is that each individual warhead is small and the quad-barreled weapon has a higher rate of fire than the Blaster.

Location: Main hull turret (2)
Primary Purpose: Anti-starship
Damage: Starship DR 4
Range: 1 AU
Rate of Fire: Continuous
Payload: Unlimited

The Starjammer is a free electron laser that behaves like most raditional electromagnetic beam weapons. However, unlike traditional systems such as lasers these weapons do not use chemical or solid-state power sources. Rather, a relativistic electron stream is used in place of a focusing crystal or conductor, allowing it to generate a beam of a much wider frequency range than most directed energy weapons. These include frequencies such as those of microwaves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, and x-rays. This ability to change it's frequency to suit its target is obviously a tactical advantage that can be used to exploit an enemy's weaknesses.

There are four modular small turret mounts at the fore and aft of the ship in the dorsal and ventral positions. In addition, there are a pair of hard points on each wing for missiles.

Primary Role: Anti-Starship
Secondary Role: Anti-fighter, Anti-Mecha
Damage Rating Value: DR 2
Range: 1 AU unaided
Rate of Fire: 1 shot per 2 seconds.
Payload: Unlimited, providing Starlight cells are providing power.

For greater stopping power, Nepleslia's MPAs can be installed on any of the turret mounts. The firepower comes at the cost of a slightly lower rate of fire. The imposing twin-barreled

NAM Na-LRMS-XX "Curbstomper" Long-Ranged Missile System

Location: Two on each side
Primary Purpose: Anti-starship
Damage: Variable
Range: 1 AU
Payload: 4

The Nepleslian Curbstomper was chosen due to the various warheads it is capable of mounting. This gives it a greater flexibility in response for the Spacer vessel.