Torch Mk I-class Gunship
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Name/Type: Torch Mk I-class Gunship
Designer/Manufacturer: Corellian Engineering Corporation / Inferno Fleet
Designation: Corvette
Crew: 20 + 24 Gunners
Length: 125 Meters
Speed: 25 MGLT, 650 Kph
Hyperdrive: x1
Shield Rating: 285 SBD
Hull Rating: 400 RU
Weapons: 4 MG-1 Dual Turbolaser Cannons, 4 MG-3 Escort Quad Laser Cannons, and 2 Concussion Missile Tubes.
Fighter Complement: 6 Starfighters (External Racks)
Troops: 50 Inferno Marines.
Support Craft: None.
Description: The Torch Mk I-class Gunship is an inferior warship compared to its peers in almost every aspect. It is somewhat slow, rather underarmed, and significantly undershielded compared to decades old designs like the widespread Corellian corvette. The reason, as any starship engineer would report, is because it is a civilian design converted for military use.
Each Torch Gunship started out as one of Corellian Engineering Corporations famed Bulk Action transports; a design series ubiquitous across the galaxy for nearly a hundred years. A design easily procured in numbers by the Alliance through donation, capture, or salvaging. When an Action Transport is acquired to be converted to a Torch Mk I, the entire ship is thoroughly swept for tracking devices and the entire computer hard drive is wiped and replaced with secure, Alliance programming derived from New Republic warships. Almost every feasible security precaution is kept in order to keep Inferno’s location a secret. The ships are then taken to the internal hangar in Inferno where the actual refit begins.
All of the most basic systems, such as engines and life support, are left untampered with, except in cases where they need repair or replacement to get to normal operating standards. Several low-power, civilian grade deflector shield generators are added in the ship’s hold along with extra power generators. But these only provide modest defense. The bulk of the Torch’s defenses is in the heavy reinforcement of the ship’s internal structure and plating with Tydirium plates. In comparison to the Corellian Corvette, this armor is a little over twice as thick. This armor is probably the only attribute which makes the gunship a semi-worthy opponent to enemy warships. Weapons, designed by the Mining Guild and built by the manufacturing area of Inferno base, are then fitted onto the warship.
The armament is rather unimpressive, being half of that of the smaller Corellian gunship in terms of energy weapons, though the Torch does have as many concussion missile launchers. The dual turbolaser cannons are not effective against all but the smallest of enemy capital ships, but they are quite effective at destroying smaller enemy craft such as starfighters and medium freighters. In addition, the ship sports Escort Quad laser Cannons. This weapons differ from normal quad laser cannons in that they have twice as much range as other lasers, but only deal half the damage of a conventional quad laser cannon. Rounding out the ship’s armament are a set of four concussion missile launchers.
The Torch's sole saving grace is in that it is exceptionally cheap to build and crew. For the price of a used Corvette, two used Bulk Action transports can be purchased and converted into Torch Mk I-class Gunships. Running costs are also smaller, as the spare parts are nearly dirt cheap and as the ship has half the crew compared to similiarly sized corvettes.
Role & Deployment:
Torches are only deployed as elements of the Alliances Inferno Fleet where they serve a myriad of roles. Typically, the ships are used as commerce raiders and skirmishers, striking at lightly defended convoys and installations. When they do operate with larger Inferno vessels, they frequently are used as screening vessels because of their excellent anti-starfighter capabilities. Otherwise, since the ships still do retain some of their carrying capacity, they are used as armed transports.
RP Thread: Fanning the Coals