Winged Cat
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Resources 1-3
In contention for the cheapest working spacecraft in the Known Worlds, Wasps are to most spacecraft as mopeds are to cars: tiny, inexpensive, and sneered upon. Flying them is illegal in the Empire, but only because the Empire refuses to certify them as spaceworthy, and possession is evidence of intent to fly absent clear measures to make them nonoperational. Beyond the Empire's borders, these see increasing use. On some of the poorest worlds, a few of these are the entire space force - but even a single Wasp can intimidate entire cities, if no one has the means to strike back at an armored oppressor flying far above, for they are more than up to the task of shooting people in the street or demolishing ramshackle houses. (Often, the fact that the local government is run this way largely explains the poverty.)
When the Empire is pressed to admit they ban the Wasp for political reasons, they cite the prevention of this kind of thing within their borders - not to mention how popular they are with pirates. A seemingly-normal transport, with hatches for standard cargo containers to be quickly loaded and unloaded, can suddenly open those hatches and deploy a swarm of Wasps to quickly disable their prey. If no one witnesses the slaughter, the carrier can then tow the salvage away - using the Wasps to clean up any stray pieces - leaving investigators with few clues as to why the ship vanished. Officially, this never actually happens within the Empire, despite sensationalist but fictional vids. Unofficially, this is one way the Lunar Intelligence Network can disappear a ship, though space around most planets (especially Imperial worlds) is monitored enough to make this difficult - and in the canals, the Shrieking Hordes are witnesses that can not be silenced.
Public relations officials with contacts in the simulation industry help make sure Wasps are common enemies in "realistic" sims, officially to train the public to shoot Wasps on sight. There is no hidden agenda here: the number of Wasps destroyed by armed Imperial civilians greatly exceeds the Imperial Navy's Wasp kill total. Then again, the Imperial Navy does not count separate Wasp kills if the carrier is destroyed before any can launch. Further, more than one poor world with a Wasp-only space force has found Imperial traders preconditioned to destroy said space force, leading in short order to revolution, winding up with the world being a new Imperial protectorate within a few months of recontact without the Imperial Navy having to lift a finger. (There are rumors that some trading clans, upon discovering a balkanized world, will set this up by supplying the most vicious warlord with enough Wasps to eliminate the competition and any lingering guerrilla resistance, before the clan sends an official recontact mission.)
The main body is just under 20 feet long, from tail to tip of nose-mounted cannon. It has four engines on pods, which rotate around the body to allow a surprising degree of maneuverability. They are often shipped in pairs, as they can fold up into less than a 10x10 foot cross section, so two will fit in a standard 40x10x10 shipping container; docking or launching like this is done using the rear engines only. The only interior space is the cockpit (one seat, and a cramped space behind the seat), which is accessed via its hinged canopy. Pilots and passengers are advised to bring their own spacesuits, as there is no life support. (Resources 3 versions add life support - pressurizing the cockpit when sealed, like an airlock - and an anima field, but spacesuits are still advised. Resources 2 versions that wish to travel the canals either ride within another vessel's anima field or, more often, within another vessel. Lack of maintenance can reduce either version to Resources 1: see note after statistics.)
Wasp
Wasps which are at least 3 days in arrears can be bought for Resources 1. (Ex-Resources-3 Wasps sell for a bit more than ex-Resources-2 Wasps, but the difference is within the bounds of Resources 1.) On some worlds, the iconic image of a hick mechanic is one who has bought a disabled Wasp and intends to fix it up, but never gets around to actually doing so (or neither has nor will learn the skill to fix it), resulting in a rusting hulk outside the would-be mechanic's dwelling. Those particularly inept at learning from their mistakes may buy another, resulting in two rusting hulks - which will often be explained as something to cannibalize parts from. Fortunately, this being an iconic image, if the hapless soul has any friends, said friends will know to intervene before a third hulk is purchased. (On any planet in the Empire, anyone attempting to do this is preparing for an illegal act - Wasps not being officially spaceworthy even when repaired - so the hulk will usually be confiscated and torn to scrap before it has a chance to rust.)
On the other hand, some mechanics actually do follow through. Any character with Craft (Fire) 2+, Lore 3+, and Resources 2+, whose backstory took place outside the Empire, may have rehabilitated a Wasp in this manner if desired.
In contention for the cheapest working spacecraft in the Known Worlds, Wasps are to most spacecraft as mopeds are to cars: tiny, inexpensive, and sneered upon. Flying them is illegal in the Empire, but only because the Empire refuses to certify them as spaceworthy, and possession is evidence of intent to fly absent clear measures to make them nonoperational. Beyond the Empire's borders, these see increasing use. On some of the poorest worlds, a few of these are the entire space force - but even a single Wasp can intimidate entire cities, if no one has the means to strike back at an armored oppressor flying far above, for they are more than up to the task of shooting people in the street or demolishing ramshackle houses. (Often, the fact that the local government is run this way largely explains the poverty.)
When the Empire is pressed to admit they ban the Wasp for political reasons, they cite the prevention of this kind of thing within their borders - not to mention how popular they are with pirates. A seemingly-normal transport, with hatches for standard cargo containers to be quickly loaded and unloaded, can suddenly open those hatches and deploy a swarm of Wasps to quickly disable their prey. If no one witnesses the slaughter, the carrier can then tow the salvage away - using the Wasps to clean up any stray pieces - leaving investigators with few clues as to why the ship vanished. Officially, this never actually happens within the Empire, despite sensationalist but fictional vids. Unofficially, this is one way the Lunar Intelligence Network can disappear a ship, though space around most planets (especially Imperial worlds) is monitored enough to make this difficult - and in the canals, the Shrieking Hordes are witnesses that can not be silenced.
Public relations officials with contacts in the simulation industry help make sure Wasps are common enemies in "realistic" sims, officially to train the public to shoot Wasps on sight. There is no hidden agenda here: the number of Wasps destroyed by armed Imperial civilians greatly exceeds the Imperial Navy's Wasp kill total. Then again, the Imperial Navy does not count separate Wasp kills if the carrier is destroyed before any can launch. Further, more than one poor world with a Wasp-only space force has found Imperial traders preconditioned to destroy said space force, leading in short order to revolution, winding up with the world being a new Imperial protectorate within a few months of recontact without the Imperial Navy having to lift a finger. (There are rumors that some trading clans, upon discovering a balkanized world, will set this up by supplying the most vicious warlord with enough Wasps to eliminate the competition and any lingering guerrilla resistance, before the clan sends an official recontact mission.)
The main body is just under 20 feet long, from tail to tip of nose-mounted cannon. It has four engines on pods, which rotate around the body to allow a surprising degree of maneuverability. They are often shipped in pairs, as they can fold up into less than a 10x10 foot cross section, so two will fit in a standard 40x10x10 shipping container; docking or launching like this is done using the rear engines only. The only interior space is the cockpit (one seat, and a cramped space behind the seat), which is accessed via its hinged canopy. Pilots and passengers are advised to bring their own spacesuits, as there is no life support. (Resources 3 versions add life support - pressurizing the cockpit when sealed, like an airlock - and an anima field, but spacesuits are still advised. Resources 2 versions that wish to travel the canals either ride within another vessel's anima field or, more often, within another vessel. Lack of maintenance can reduce either version to Resources 1: see note after statistics.)
Wasp
- Repair: 1
- Speed: 25/50 mph
- Maneuverability: +1S (Lore 1, Sail 2)
- Endurance: Wasps can get by with an hour's maintenance per week of flight, or after a total of 1 hour of combat, since there is simply not much to them. If missed hours build up to 1 day past due, Maneuverability drops to +0S; if 2 days, Speed drops to 15/30 mph (and Resources 3 versions' life support is disabled); if 3 days, the engines will not operate (and neither will Resources 3 versions' anima fields) until the Wasp is fully repaired.
- Crew: 1/1
- Cargo: 1 passenger or a half ton of cargo, riding behind the pilot
- Armor: 6L/12B
- Health Levels: Ux2/Mx2/Cx2/Ix1/D
- Weapons: a single, nose-mounted vehicular blaster (as blaster rifle, with Damage 9L, Range 100, Ammo 150).
Wasps which are at least 3 days in arrears can be bought for Resources 1. (Ex-Resources-3 Wasps sell for a bit more than ex-Resources-2 Wasps, but the difference is within the bounds of Resources 1.) On some worlds, the iconic image of a hick mechanic is one who has bought a disabled Wasp and intends to fix it up, but never gets around to actually doing so (or neither has nor will learn the skill to fix it), resulting in a rusting hulk outside the would-be mechanic's dwelling. Those particularly inept at learning from their mistakes may buy another, resulting in two rusting hulks - which will often be explained as something to cannibalize parts from. Fortunately, this being an iconic image, if the hapless soul has any friends, said friends will know to intervene before a third hulk is purchased. (On any planet in the Empire, anyone attempting to do this is preparing for an illegal act - Wasps not being officially spaceworthy even when repaired - so the hulk will usually be confiscated and torn to scrap before it has a chance to rust.)
On the other hand, some mechanics actually do follow through. Any character with Craft (Fire) 2+, Lore 3+, and Resources 2+, whose backstory took place outside the Empire, may have rehabilitated a Wasp in this manner if desired.
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