KE2d Zerp class Scout

KE2d Zerp class Scout
Korsumug Empire Ship
Type: S Explorer
Category	ACS
Size	200 Tons
Hull Configuration	Sphere Hull
Streamlining	Partly Streamlined Hull
Tech Level	TL–13
Engineering
Computer	Model 6/fib
Jump	J-4
Maneuver	3 G
Fuel Treatment	Scoops, Purifier
Armaments
Hardpoints	2
Accommodations
Staterooms	6
Personnel
Crew	9
High/Mid Passengers	0
Payload
Cargo	1 Tons
Fuel tank	88 Tons
Construction
Origin	Korsumug Empire
Price
Cost	MCr289.215
Architect fee	MCr2.893
Statistics
Quick Ship Profile	S-2P34
Universal Ship Profile	S-25434F2-030000-30000-0
Images
Blueprint	No
Illustration	Yes
Source
Canon	Unpublished, fan design
Designer	Ade Stewart
Design System	High Guard
Era	1105
Reference	Fan: Ade Stewart

The KE2d Zerp class Scout is a TL–13 scout. It is a development of the earlier KE2 Zerp class Battle Scout.

Description

The Zerp class is a scouting vessel of the Korsumug Empire and operated by the Imperial Korsumug Navy.

The vessel is a Jansa design and is typically crewed by Jansa.

Unusually for Korsumug Empire vessels, Zerp class scouts rarely have Jaibok crew.

Zerp class scouts are the primary couriers of the Korsumug Empire, able to rapidly transport messages and important packages across its territory.

Information about the Zerp class is hard to come by. It is generally classified as a scout (Type S): more specifically it is defined as a gunned scout (Type SG), mostly due to its larger size and larger complement of weapons. As more information about the class becomes available that designation may change.

Examples of the class serve with the Naval Survey Office.

Image Repository

KE2d Zerp class Scout

General Description

The Zerp class is a long-range reconnaissance vessel with 3-G and J-4 performance. The design is packed with sophisticated electronics (occupying around 10% of the hull) and is fitted with advanced sensor and communications systems. The vessels act as "the eyes of the fleet", remaining in the background, often many AU from the action, keeping an overwatch and relaying information to other vessels. They will always try to avoid combat, jumping clear if necessary. If there is danger of capture, the vessels are fitted with a self-destruct device (a "Thunderball") that can be triggered by the officer in command.

• The vessel may operate as part of a Jaibok raiding group.

Basic Ship Characteristics

Following the Imperial Navy and IISS Universal Ship Profile and data, additional information is presented in the format shown here. The small craft factor indicates the number of squadrons (...of ten subcraft) carried on the ship. Tonnage on the universal ship profile is shown in kilotons (...thousands of tons) where necessary.

Basic Ship Characteristics
No.	Category	Remarks
1.	Tonnage / Hull	The KE2d Zerp class Scout is constructed using a 200 dTon hull built in a spherical configuration. The hull is partially streamlined and has moderate atmospheric capability: its atmospheric handling characteristics are reliant on its onboard gravitic systems and improved by airfoil surfaces. Individual sections of the ship are divided by bulkhead walls. There are x2 personnel airlocks. The vessel has sturdy retractable legs, allowing surface landings. The design is a tail-sitter.
2.	Crew	x9 personnel. x4 command, x1 engineering, x3 gunnery, and x1 service. The command crew consists of the Captain, two electronics officers (both manning commo and sensor ops), and a pilot/navigator. Each crew section has a senior officer. Accommodations There are 6 Staterooms. Staterooms are configured to what the Jansa consider to be comfort. All Staterooms are given over to the crew. 3 are single occupancy and are set aside for selected command personnel: the remaining 3 are double occupancy. Accessible areas of the hull are fitted with grav plates and inertial compensators and have full life support and environmental systems. There are internal monitoring and security systems throughout the vessel. Individual sections of the hull can be sealed off. There are multiple emergency lockers.
3.	Performance	The vessel mounts a Jump-4 drive, a Maneuver-3 drive, and a fusion Power Plant-4, giving performance of Jump-4 and 3-G acceleration. The ship has an agility rating of 1 and an emergency agility of 3. The internal fuel tankage is sufficient for one Jump-4 and gives the power plant 4 weeks duration. The engineering section has a main control room. The jump drive utilizes a hull grid. The jump drive is fitted with a jump governor.
4.	Electronics	Adjacent to the bridge is a Model/6 fib computer. A backup Model/6 fib is installed in engineering. There are multiple workstations and control points throughout the vessel. Much of the computing power is given over to large-scale data storage. The vessel is fitted with communications equipment, an advanced sensor array, and has an avionics suite. It is equipped with an advanced ECM package and Jamming Equipment. The vessel has extensive Electromagnetic Masking disguising its EM signature, making it far harder to detect. It has a transponder unit that can be deactivated on command.
5.	Hardpoints	x2 hardpoints. The listed weapons systems are typical for the class.
6.	Armament	The normal weapons fit-out for a Zerp class is: x1 triple Beam Laser turret, forming its own battery.
7.	Defenses	The hull has no additional armor. x1 triple Sandcaster turret, forming its own battery. The vessel is not fitted with screens or other passive defensive systems.
8.	Craft	None
9.	Fuel Treatment	The vessel has internal fuel tankage of 88 dTons. The hull is fitted with fuel scoops. The vessel is equipped with a fuel purification plant, capable of refining all onboard fuel in a few hours.
10.	Cost	The basic cost of the vessel is MCr289.215 Architects Fee: MCr2.893 If multiple examples of the design are ordered all vessels in the production run qualify for a 20% discount, which reduces the price per unit to MCr231.372
11.	Construction Time	48 weeks as standard, 39 weeks in bulk. Build times can be reduced by mass production and the efficiencies such processes generate, by increased financing, and by allotting additional yard resources and facilities to the construction contract.
12.	Comments	Standard cargo capacity amounts to 1 dTon. The hold has independent life support and environmental systems. It can be sealed and isolated.

History & Background

The Zerp class scout is an elusive, rarely seen type of ship used by the Korsumug Empire, typically serving in a supporting role for a patrol force or a raiding group. There are no exact records of the number that have been built. No extant examples of the ship have been captured by other interstellar states.

The type was designed by the Jansa, a minor race closely allied with the Jaibok.

Early low-jump examples of the class served on the Korsumug Main, where they saw frequent active service. A number of redesigns with more powerful drives were fielded as the Korsumug Empire began to venture to worlds further from the Main. This ultimately resulted in the KE2d variant, equipped with a Jump-4 drive.

Examples of the Zerp class can be encountered throughout Mavuzog Sector and Theta Borealis Sector. The class are primarily manufactured on Esmeria, in Taltan Subsector of Mavuzog Sector. They are parcelled out in small numbers to active fleets. They are only operated by the Korsumug Naval Survey Office.

Class Naming Practice/s & Peculiarities

Vessel Peculiarities:
Exact specifications and technical data about the class, particularly details regarding its countermeasures package and sensor and commo jammers, are sought. Interested parties would pay a lot to get that sort of information. Other interested parties would use extreme measures to prevent that from happening, including destroying a ship that seems likely to fall into enemy hands.

Zerp class scouts may be transported aboard Malign class cruisers.

Physiologically, neither Jaibok nor Jansa cope well with low berths and they are not routinely fitted to Korsumug vessels.

• Earlier variants of the class were fitted with low berths in order to transport prisoners, a feature that has been removed as internal space issues have become more pressing.

Class Naming Practice/s:
Vessels of the Korsumug Empire are given alphanumeric designations and callsigns by other interstellar states. KE refers to Korsumug Empire (a designation applied to all Korsumug combat units), 2 is a multiple of hundreds of tons of displacement and also indicates at a glance the number of weapons mounts, and 'd' refers to the version of the vessel, relating to its construction tech level and bracketing its maximum jump potential. Type codes will often repeat: 'Zerp' is an easy to remember name to identify the specific type of vessel.

• Individual vessels are generally named by their crews.

Selected Variant Types & Classes

41 Representative Explorer (S) Classes

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

Civilian Ship - Science Ship - Explorer - Type S Explorer

B

• Baso Rita class Small Survey Ship
• Brilliant class Scout

C

• Collective class Scout
• Covenanter class Scout Cruiser

E

• Elbing class Scout

F

• Fairmile Model G class Scout

G

• Golf Ball class VIP Transport Scout

H

• Highlander class Exploratory Merchant
• Hive class Scout
• Hraye class Scout

I

• Inquiring Mind class Fleet Scout
• Ithilien class Scoutship

K

• Kach'k class Scout
• Kanllaz class Scout

• KE2d Zerp class Scout
• KE3d Korsu class Fast Scout
• Keyhole class Observatory Ship
• Kforuzeng class Scout
• Kr'ghrr class Courier

L

• Lake class Surveillance Vessel
• Last Armada class Scout

M

• Machii class Scout Cruiser
• Model 225 class Scout
• Mont-SC class Scout

N

• Ninz class Scout

P

• Pallad class Asteroid Scout
• Pathfinder class Fleet Scout

Q

• Qasar class Scout Cruiser

S

• S-223 Moon Raven class Covert Surveillance Scout
• Silver Spur class Scout
• Sixth Horizon class Fast Far Scout
• SLC2 Ahouhi class Scout

T

• TC3 Perx class Scout
• Telemon class Survey Scout
• Type JL class Espionage Vessel
• Type S class Science Scout SICP

V

• Void Camera class Deep Space Scout

W

• Wrathful class War Scout

X

• Xero class Scout

Y

• Yono class Scout

Z

• Zydmnar class Scout

References

This article has metadata.

This ship was originally designed using one of the Classic Traveller ship design rules: Marc Miller. Starships (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 12-23. Marc Miller, Frank Chadwick, John Harshman. High Guard (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 20-36.

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Author: Lord (Marquis) and Master Scout Emeritus Adie Alegoric Stewart of the IISS