Starfield Builds: Cerberus

 Cerberus

 Introduction

The Cerberus is part of my Orozco's Raiders group of Spacer/Junker builds. It was created on a Level 24 character with no points in Ship Design. It is an A-class vessel built from the Watchdog II platform. It is a beginner all-'rounder, with the ability to haul a small bit of cargo, run passenger missions, and competently engage in level appropriate space combat.

 

Passage

"You are looking for passage," a female voice stated. 

Angela couldn't figure out the accent, but it was not a question. She turned and looked over her shoulder at a woman wearing a flight suit, snugly tucked into a corner booth. The long, straight, raven black locks were striking. Most women that Angela had met since leaving New Atlantis had a much more disheveled appearance.

"Excuse me?"

"You are looking for passage. To where I could not say but you do not belong among the crowds of the Mile. I get the feeling of urgency from your steps. Perhaps, for a fee, I can help," the strange woman tried to smile but to Angela, it looked like a smirk.

"Do you have a ship?" Angela asked. "I won't tell you my destination until we agree to travel together and we are safely aboard your ship. If you have one."

"I do. I do. Yes, I have a ship. She's not a luxury liner, but she has a cabin you can rest your head. You seem a little dodgy though, as if an invitation to trouble. Maybe I should listen to that little voice in my head and let you find other passage."

"There are no other captains that will transport me," Angela admitted. "I think you know that and you are taunting me. That's not very considerate of you."

The other woman laughed, "Sorry. It is an old habit for those who travel the space lanes to poke a little fun at Groundlings expense. But you do seem to be looking to avoid attention and that means you are looking to avoid trouble. That puts me into a very precarious position. Is it the law that you hide from and don't tell me it is none of my concern. If you take passage on my ship, it becomes my concern."

"No," Angela said. "Not the law. Neither UC nor Freestar should care about me."

"Delightful," came the response. "Still, somebody is after you and that means danger. Plus you insist on secrecy, so I might have to travel far outside of my normal haunts. Ten thousand credits."

"Ten thousand!" Angela nearly choked. "It took most of my assets just to get here. I can part with six thousand. No more."

"Then you can serve tables here at the Red Mile until you earn the rest. Mei, I'm certain, will be happy for the extra help. Or, perhaps you can run the Red Mile. You might even succeed and it's a handsome reward for those that make it back alive. Ten thousand is my firm offer."

Angela considered for a moment and the other woman watched her. All trace of the smirk was gone and Angela got the feeling she was being weighed and measure like livestock going for sale at the market.

"Very well," she finally said. "Half up front and half on successfully delivering me to my destination and that's my firm answer."

"Done. As you so cleverly pointed out, my ship is the only one on the landing pad. Her name's the Cerberus. Tell the first mate I said to let you in or I'll eat his liver. I will meet you there. Go ahead and get your stuff. There's a good girl."

* * *

Tasha waited for her new passenger to head out the door and then waved her first mate over. He had been waiting at the bar.

"New passenger boss?"

It was a dumb question. He knew the score. He probably heard everything. He always did.

"Run her against the bounties, legit and less so. If she's clean, she gets to live a long life wherever we drop her. Not, then we transfer her to the 'special' suite along the way and get whatever payday the interested party has to offer."

"Same as always then," Nimbata intoned in his own accented voice. "We have another passenger that hired us as well. He has the smell of Ryujin or some other corporation. Probably an agent of some sort."

Tasha almost laughed, "And you sold him passage?"

"He paid well and up front."

"Nimbata, my friend, you like to play it close to the edge. Have the stores filled and get the Cerberus fueled. I think we might have a little adventure in front of us."

Tasha started to stand up when Nimbata loomed over her. "The girl is not what she seems. There is more to her than little lost lamb, I think. What if she is neither wanted or an innocent traveler? What if she is one of Them?"

Tasha swallowed hard and placed her hand on Nimbata's forearm. "If she is, then the Great Serpent will guide us, just as he led us to Orozco when we needed him. Get the stores filled and Cerberus fueled. I'll see you on board."

 

Lore/Head Canon

The Cerberus is a HopeTech Watchdog, modified to take on passengers and cargo. She was commissioned by and captained by one Natasha Konovolovenko. She joined with Orozco's Raiders and has been an enthusiastic and loyal member of the gang since then. When not raiding on behalf of Orozco, she takes on passengers that might just have a shady background and safely transports them to their chosen port of call. It is this latter activity that has earned her a reputation, among the movers and shakers of the criminal underworld, as a stalwart professional. 

And along the way, if she can earn a little extra by luring somebody with a bounty on board, well she has a nice little special suite, just for them.

 

Assembly

 

Each layer of the ship will be color coded. The Undercarriage is Yellow, the Main Deck is Blue, and the Top Deck is Orange. The pieces will all be numbered on the images in the same order as the numbered lists below. So, for example, a blue 5 on the image will correspond to HopeTech Armor 2x1 on the Main Deck Components list.

Undercarriage Components

 

1. (3) Hope 5 Landing Gear
2. (2) Deimos Skeg B Fore
3. (2) Deimos Skeg A Fore
4. Hope 4 Landing Bay
   

 

Main Deck Components

1. (2) Amun-5 Engines
2. (2) M10 Ulysses He3 Fuel Tanks
3. R-3000 Grav Drive
4. 360T Stellerator Reactor
5. HopeTech Armory 2x1
6. (2) Deimos Braking Engine
7. HopeTech Infirmary 2x1
8. (2) Deimos Bracer A
   
9. (2) Hope 55 Landing Gear
10. Hope 11 Docker
11. HopeTech All-in-One Berth 2x1

Assembly Instruction for Main Deck and Undercarriage Components

Assemble the pieces as shown in the image. Attach the Deimos Bracers first, then flip merge the Hope 55 Landing Gear into place. Note that the Deimos Bracers are entirely optional, so if you do not feel comfortable with merging, you can leave them out. I just thought that they added a little touch of perceived stability to the build.

Attach the Hope 5 Landing Gear to the underside of the M10 Ulysses Fuel Tanks and the Reactor. Attach the skegs to the bottoms of the Starboard and Port 2x1 Habs. Attach the Hope 4 Landing Bay to the underside of the Infirmary.

 

Top Deck Components

1. (2) Amun-3 Engines
2. HopeTech Control Station 2x1
3. (2) Nova Engine Struts
4. (2) HopeTech Hab Crossbrace
5. Marduk 1010A Shield Generator
6. HopeTech Captain's Quarters 2x1
7. (2) Caravel V101 Cargo Hold
   
8. HopeTech Storeroom Fuselage 2x1
9. (2) Flare-P 15MW IR Pulse Laser
10. PB-30 Electron Beam
11. Armstrong 10 Cockpit
12. HopeTech All-in-One Berth 2x1

Assembly Instructions for Top Deck and Main Deck Attachment

Assemble the Top Deck as shown in image. Select the entire Top Deck and drag it over to the Main Deck so that the Amun-3 engines are resting on top of the Amun-5 engines. The Nova Engine Struts should connect to the Forward points on the two side Habs.

 

Structural

No image required.

1. Deimos Spine A - Aft
2. Deimos Spine C - Aft

Attach these on top of the Captain's Quarters, behind the Cockpit flare.