Thunthen Troopship

Dragons swoop in to attack...
These hulking trapezoidal vessels are a staple among Thunthen forces alongside the smaller D-Class fighter. Early explorers used a far more cumbersome version in their attempt to visit neighboring worlds, the sight of one famously turning the tide of a battle which the party unexpectedly interrupted. Dozens of such ships crowded the plain when Das Anazhar came attempting to bring the Thangiens under heel. Even greater numbers blockaded the main gates of the great city until Ander cut them to pieces. Much as the name implies, these boxy-looking ships transport assault teams as well as weapons and supplies for ground offenses. The shipyards work around the clock to maintain production of these vessels, crucial cogs in Mal Daggur's war machine. Whenever a troopship is spotted anywhere outside the homeworld, trouble is sure to follow.

Power Generation

Four small closed-fusion drives, powered by phergon.

Propulsion

Four thrusters are set into the ends of the retractable landing legs. When achieving atmospheric ascent, a separate set of engines set into the rear are used for forward thrust. Troopships are capable of hovering low to the ground in order to drop off personnel.

WILDCAT turned her face towards Kento jerkily, looking at once irritated and flabbergasted. “Yeah yeah, I know! I know! I’ll make it up to you later, I promise! A big juicy steak, a gallon of motor oil, you name it!” Kento promised as he pulled the heavy-duty woven straps from the slots near WILDCAT’s shoulders and hips and secured Trakar’s body. The two looked to the side in alarm upon hearing the distant whine of an approaching Thunthen troopship. “Look, we gotta get going!” Kento argued and the two took off as searchlights roved about the area.

— Spacequake Ch. 5

Weapons & Armament

Because they are exclusively meant for cargo and personnel transport, they have no weapons systems or even defensive measures. They rely upon either covert operations or fighter escort. Effectively sitting ducks without support fire from fighters or ground troops wielding phergon rifles.

TroopshipSketchb.jpg

Troopship Exterior (thumbnail) by Mardrena

raw pencil sketch

Armor and defense

The exterior hull is composed of rdgu, the standard space-worthy metal used in Thunthen ships. Sacrifices armor for speed and cargo capacity. A Metra Wave can shatter it into pieces and Pegasi missiles can easily cripple the engines.

The White Dragon sat with his back to the dock wall and held the downed troopship in his lap. He’d wrenched the vessel open with his claws and plucked a squealing Common from the cabin. Raurgoth pinched the tail between his fingers and lifted the Common up, dangling him over his maw. The little Common bawled pathetically.
“Troopships are like a box of chocolates,” Rowen joked.
“At least the Commons don’t have spikes,” Sage muttered. Ryo frowned and looked over his shoulder. The Common whimpered and swatted at Raurgoth’s tongue desperately.
“Raurgoth!” Ryo shouted. The White Dragon looked down at him. Ryo shook his head firmly. Raurgoth’s thick brow wrinkled in dismay and his wing shoulders drooped. He settled instead for teasing the Common by dangling him from side to side. “We can send these guys to Thanged where they can remain under custody until this war’s over.”

— Foes From Another World Ch. 26

Communication Tools & Systems

Troopships are capable of using short-range communication, typically within planetary range.

Sensors

Only rudimentary navigations systems for collision avoidance, engine integrity, and pressurization are present. Long-range or analytics systems are relegated to either smaller fighters or larger cruisers and dreadnoughts. Cameras are mounted on the external hull to assist with evasion or reconnaisance.

Additional & auxiliary systems

An emergency burst acceleration system is integrated into the rear half, allowing for quick escape. Connected to a separate closed-fusion reactor but can only be used for a brief period of time due to risk of hull stress.

The Common squealed in terror when he saw the dragon titan surge up from the clouds. The air seemed to peel up with him, and he reached up and sunk his claws into the rear-most troopship.
Raurgoth braced one foot against the falling remains of the ruined ship. He raised his other foot and caught a second, using the wreckage as a stepladder. The white claws tore through the hull of the third and sent the ship plummeting. Raurgoth reached up and grasped the rear hatch of the final troopship. The craft jolted violently as the dragon peeled the hatch clean off. A Noble lost his grip on his seat and tumbled screaming into the air and straight into the dragon titan’s gullet. Bru Ranir narrowly avoided a similar fate by grabbing hold of a safety rail and digging his talons into the bulkhead.

— Foes From Another World Ch. 28

Hangars & docked vessels

Troopships require a supercarrier to dock with, or at minimum a dreadnought. They can slot into cavities built within the top and bottom of the supercarriers' "arms". With a dreadnought, they have to land in the lower hangar.

Troopship Exterior (thumbnail) by Mardrena

"These are troopships. They serve to ferry squads of armored Nobles to the ground for large-scale infantry assaults. As you know firsthand, a lone well-equipped Noble can be just as formidable as any fighter craft."-Naz Dassyr

— Foes From Another World Ch. 24

They shielded their eyes from the brilliance and looked up in awe when they saw the trapezoidal bulk of a Thunthen troopship rising into the air. Rowen took aim, but Ryo grabbed his wrist.
“No, you might destroy the ship!”
“But, they’re getting away!” Rowen protested. The troopship hovered high above the pier and the landing legs retracted into the four slots in the sides.
All of a sudden, an immense winged form tackled the ship. “No they’re not,” Ryo chirped.

— Foes From Another World Ch. 26

Creation Date

3000 B.C (5000 years Earth-Time)

Current location

Daggur Clan Shipyards

Rarity

Very Common

Beam

20ft

Length

60ft (upper) 20ft (base)

Height

20ft

Weight

20 tons

Speed

200mph (atmospheric) 500mph (space)

Complement / Crew

2-4

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

20-30 individuals, 15 tons cargo

A quartet of troopships fired afterburners desperately trying to stay just ahead of their pursuer. Bru Ranir, aboard the lead ship, stalked into the bridge. “Fools! Do you not know the meaning of the word ‘accelerate’?! Cliiiimb!” he roared, glancing nervously at a screen in the control panel showing the enraged dragon titan.
“We’re trying! But, it’s gaining on us!” the Common at the helm whined.
“It has wings, we have engines! Use them!”

— Foes From Another World Ch. 28

He shut his eyes against the dust kicked up by the landing thrusters of a Thunthen troopship. Mal Daggur stood there still in shock with his hands cupping his mouth. The doors slid open and a metal ramp extended to the pavement. “Supreme High Overlord…” He recognized the voice of Bru Ranir but did not reply immediately. “The day is lost. We must retreat. Come, your people should not see you like this.”

— Foes From Another World Ch. 29