Express Boat Tender
The Express Boat Network would not work without the express boat tender. These tenders, stationed in each system that express boats stop at, serve two purposes. First, they tend express boats, recovering them when they arrive, refuelling them and repairing minor problems, and then sending them on their way. Second, they serve as a relay station between the planetary surface based message center and the express boat itself. Messages are forwarded to the tender for transmittal to the xboat just before it leaves for the next star system.
Express boat tenders are encountered anywhere that X-Boats may be expected. High population, high technology systems will probably have several tenders operating in order to handle the flow of information. Express boat tenders are jump capable, and each may carry up to four xboats in its cavernous ship bay. As a result, the tenders can be found in fringe or off-route systems ferrying extra xboats to areas that need them. They also undertake recovery missions to pick up damaged xboats or boats which have misjumped to off-route systems.
- Supplement 7 Traders and Gunboats
- Periodical: MegaTraveller Travellers' Digest No. 1
- Purcell class Tender Hard Times