Fighters

As beloved as spacecraft are, special attention is often paid to fighters, whether it be due to the romanticized nature of single combat, or their perception as precise and performance-driven. In reality, life for a fighter pilot is often short and brutal, and the ships they fly are as varied as the stars themselves. Aside from highly-specialized and experimental craft, fighters do not have their own faster-than-light capabilities, owing to fuel and reactor-output limitations. In most cases, a fighter requires a carrier or other transport if it is to travel beyond its immediate location.
Like other vessels, fighters are broken down into various classes. In this case, there are roughly three categories: void-only, atmospheric-capable, and atmospheric-only.
Atmospheric-only fighters – sometimes called by the archaic term ‘fighter-plane’ - are rare amongst modern militaries due to their limited utility. Those that still exist are in use by low-tech civilizations, or have been tuned for special-purposes in hostile environments, such as use in extreme-cold. Atmospheric fighters generally make-use of kinetic weapons; although this adds weight and impacts handling, kinetics are usually better suited for use in the atmosphere than their energy weapon counterparts.
The term ‘voidfighters’ tends to be applied to any space-capable fighter, although it technically only refers to those that are only used in space. Still, the term is used inconsistently, and is thus presented here as reference. Void-only fighters are capable of flight in low or no-gravity environments, those areas with minimal-to-no atmospheric gasses present. This usually limits them to point-defense and patrol duties, either as a screen around a larger vessel, or performing interdiction around a planet or station. Because they do not require an aerodynamic frame, void-only fighters come in an array of exotic shapes. The ability to rapidly change trajectory without impacting the structural integrity of the frame, as well as supporting large firing arcs thanks to omni-directional weapon placement, are keys to the success of a void-only fighter.
Effective atmospheric-capable fighters are difficult to produce and maintain, being fielded only by the most advanced navies in the galaxy. The reason is simple: the need to generate lift and maneuver in different types of atmosphere, versus the flexibility required for space combat, coupled with the need for reentry head-shielding, makes designing a worthwhile fighter almost impossible. Almost.
Differing approaches have been used, but there have been commonalities amongst the most successful: hover pads to offset limitations in lift; semi-automated weapons turrets to improve targeting angles; and reconfigurable hulls that change based on operational needs. Exceptions exist: the Vault Preservation-class fighter and the vaunted Tetraseeker both defy almost every stereotype, in looks and operation. But the majority of these craft require distinct and advanced design attributes in order to function at their best.