 Name: Assan Citizen Soldier Fighter
Type: Assan Citizen Soldier Planetary Defense Starfighter
Scale: Starfighter
Length: 9m
Skill: Starfighter Piloting - Citizen Soldier
Crew: 1
Crew Skill: Varies wildly - Starfighter Piloting 3d, Starship Gunnery 3d common
Consumables: None
Cost: 36,000 (new, squadron of 12, unassembled kits)
Cargo Capacity: 50kg
Hyperdrive Multiplier: N/A
Hyperdrive Backup: N/A
Nav Computer: None
Space: 4
Atmosphere: 350; 1000kmh
Manueverability: 3d atmosphere, 0d space
Hull: 1D
Shields: NA
Sensors:
Passive: 7/0D
Scan: 15/0D
Search: 30/1D
Focus: 1/2D
Weapons:
2 Heavy Blasters (Firelinked)
Fire Arc: Front
Fire Control: 1D
Space: 1-3/7/10
Atmosphere Range: 100-300/700/1kmh
Damage: 5D
Concussion Missile (single shot)
Fire Arc: Front
Fire Control: 1D
Space Range: 1/3/7
Atmosphere Range: 50-100/300/700
Damage: 7D
Description: Inspired by CDI, the Assan Aeroplane Company decided to create a Planetary Defense Starfighter that even the most backwater of worlds could afford in swarms with one per citizen, to do this they designed a craft that could be built and shipped in pieces primarily from primitive pre-nuclear worlds, transported as a kit in light freighters. Aside from a top mounted ion engine, bare bones sensor system and a pair of heavy blasters the Citizen Soldier is no more advanced than a pre-nuclear airplane, and lacks a life support system requiring the pilot to wear a vac suit (the nearness of the ion engine in the barely armored fighter keeps the pilot warm however). Lacking repulsors the starfighter requires a stretch of flat ground to take off and land and is equipped with wheeled landing gear. Though providing adequate punch the heavy blasters are short ranged and inaccurate, and the single underslung concussion missile is launched without any fire control at all. Citizen Soldiers are easily identified by there distinct top mounted ion drive and split tail, and almost always have a two tone paint job, the bottom being painted in a sky color and the top in a ground color, to camoflauge them in an atmospheric battle.
However, the Citizen Soldier is extremely aerodynamic and fast and manueverable in atmosphere, and also very inexpensive. TO further cut down on costs the Citizen Soldier may only be ordered in squadron sized lots, and may take weeks or months for the kits to arrive as a large collection of standard shipping crates. Each fighter weighs 3 tons and thus a squadron requires 36 tons of cargo space to ship, an easy load for a light freighter, as opposed to a starfighter carrier to ship the assembled crafts.
Assan attempts to ship only to legitimate militias, planetary governments, and others in genuine need of inexpensive starfighters for planetary defense, however Citizen Soldiers frequently wind up in the hands of the pirates and raiders there meant to protect against. Large numbers of Citizen Soldiers have been sold due to there extremely low price, but space combat performance has been an unmitigated disaster. Lacking manuevering thrusters and slower than many freighters Citizen Soldiers are easy targets and there lightly armored unshielded hulls don't withstand punishment well. There slow speed, short range of there weapons, and poor sensors mean the Citizen Soldiers frequently are unable to get off a shot. This record has meant that while sales are high, they fall far short of the immense sales Assan has envisioned.
In atmospheric combat the Citizen Soldier has been far better, being quite manueverable with its aerodynamic control surfaces and comparatively far faster (if still slower than many starfighters), and often is used in roles normally assigned to airspeeders, though commanders dislike its inaccurate weapons and airstrip requirements compared to most airspeeders they approve of its powerful guns. Some guerilla groups, criminals, and Imperial Remnants enjoy the fact it is easy to smuggle when disassembled.
Assembling a Citizen Soldier from a kit requires a month and a Easy Starfighter Repair roll.
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