Colonial Authority Frontier
Introduction
This was one of those builds that just came together. I was itching to build that evening and I had some thoughts about how the "white space" of a ship is just as powerful as filling in the empty places with habs or structural pieces.
The head canon came because I had just finished to first few missions of the Vanguard questline and decided that I wanted to mount the Obliterators. I don't usually fall back on them, but this character is rather high level and I've used plenty of other weapon combinations. As I was talking to Vae Victis, it struck me and not for the first time, that he is criminal mastermind material left to rot as a glorified Mission terminal. Well, one thing led to another and the head canon was created.
I figure, if Bethesda is going to create a multiverse of identical universes, it's up to us to throw in the variety.
Head Canon/Lore
In one of the infinite universes that make up the multiverse, Vae Victis did not sit idly in the confines of his cell. Instead, he seethed with rage at the indignity of his situation all the while promising to help the UC put down their wartime liabilities. Always the clever tactician, Vae Victis chose another path. While he smiled at the intelligence officers and earned their trust, he recruited a small group of elite soldiers and spies to begin his ultimate goal; the overthrow of the UC government and the installation of himself as its new leader. After many years and the unwitting help of a Vanguard recruit, Vae Victis was able to enact his plan and succeeded with the coup.
Dominion became Vae Victis's goal. He gathered the disparate elements within UC space and reorganized them into an efficient machine of war. Part of that was the nationalization of Constellation and combing it with aspects of the organization formerly known as LIST and Vanguard. The new organization, renamed as the Colonial Authority, was tasked with the exploration and foundation of colonies. This new, militaristic UC, dispensed with the gentle probing into expansion and fully embraced it. Pushback from the Freestar was inevitable. Tensions are presently high and the United Colonies are preparing for war.
From this tension, the Colonial Authority received a great deal of funding for their exploration ships. As much warship as explorer, the new Frontier-class Deep Space Exploration Vessel serves as the new flagship of the Colonial Authority fleet. Heavily armed and armored, the Frontier is capable of "liberating" distant worlds from troublesome elements. It also serves as a long range patrol vessel, checking on distant UC colonies.
Components
- (4) Deimos Skeg A - (3) Aft, (1) Fore
- (4) Deimos 320 CB Landing Gear
- (2) S202 Cargo Hold
- (2) Nova Cowling
- Deimos 120 LD Landing Bay
- Deimos Belly - Fore
- (2) Amun-7 Engine
- (2) Deimos 220 CB Landing Gear
- (2) Horizon Weapon Mount with PBO-300 Auto Neutron Turret
- Deimos Workshop 2x1
- (4) Deimos Bumper - (2) Aft, (2) Fore
- (2) Stroud Engine Bracer
- (2) Deimos Wing B
- (2) Nova Galactic NG-15 Landing Gear
- (3) Deimos Spine F - Fore
- (5) Deimos Spine F- Aft
- Deimos Infirmary 2x1
- Deimos Engineering Bay 3x1
- Deimos Computer Core 2x1
- Deimos All-in-One Berth 2x1
- (2) Deimos Spine C - Aft
- (2) Deimos Spine D - Aft
- Deimos Living Quarters 2x1
- Deimos Companionway 1x1
- (2) Amun Dunn X-300 Engine
- Theta Pinch D9 Reactor
- (2) Deimos Wing B with mounted Jishaku ND Rf Rapid Railgun Turret - Port/Stbd
- (2) Deimos Wing A
- (2) M50 Ulysses He3 Fuel Tank
- Deimos Armory 2x1
- Deimos Captain's Quarters 2x1
- Assurance SG-1800 Shield Generator
- Deimos Control Station 2x1
- HopeTech Hope 11 Docker - Fore
- J-52 Gamma Grav Drive
- (4) Taiyo Side Cap covering the outer edges of the Reactor and Grav Drive
- Deimos Tail A with mounted (2) PBO-300 Auto Neutron Turrets - Aft
- Deimos Spine E - Aft
- Deimos Spine E- Fore with Equipment Plate and Jishaku ND Rapid Rf Railgun Turret - Aft
- Deimos Cowling - Aft
- (2) Horizon Weapon Mount mounted with (2) Vanguard Obliterator Autoprojectors (4 total)
- Deimos Phobos Cockpit (DS 10.1 used in build, but any of the Phobos cockpits are viable)
- Deimos Spine C - Fore
- Deimos Spine A - Fore
- Deimos Spine C - Aft, with (2) Vanguard Obliterator Autoprojectos on the side mounts and a Jishaku ND Rf Rapid Railgun Turret - Fore on the top mount.
Assembly
The bottom three levels of the vessel should snap together pretty intuitively. Before placing the fourth deck, with the Amun Dunn X-300 Engines, remove the Deimos Spines C & D (#21 & 22). Group select the aft portion of the fourth deck and it should snap into place without issue. Flip Merge the Deimos Spine Pieces under the X--300 Engines.
Mount the shield to the second Deimos Spine F behind the Companionway 1x1. Group select the remaining pieces of the fourth deck and place them.
Everything else should just snap into place.
Upgrade Path
Without drastically changing the shape, there are only a few upgrades that are likely. The Dunn-7 engines can be replaced by the more cargo friendly White Dwarf 3xxx engines. The 3030's would probably have the best cargo pushing ability.
That might warrant a Reactor upgrade to the SF40 Sheared Flow, to offset the power cost of the new engines.
The Vanguard weapons are quite effective, but you could place larger PB-175 Helion beams or even PB-300/PBO-300 class C particle weapons in their place. That's more a matter of taste, because those Vanguard particles provide more than adequate damage output.