THE JUMPGATE DEFINITIVE GUIDE - Tripod

FIGHTER CRAFT
Octavian Fighter Craft were, for a terribly long time, the red-headed stepchildren of the five
systems. Although the O2 Phoenix prototype was quite fearsome, it was eventually redesigned
due to safety concerns. The other fighters the Navy fielded were exiled to non-usefulness for
ages… but no longer. Thanks to the Empire’s upgrade program, the O2-X2, O4-I, and O10-I are
all at or above par with the ships of the other nations… and it also has the ferocious O17 Dragon.
With the advent of missile size restrictions due to safety concerns, even the O13 Raptor shall
likely find use in its narrow role. Mixed fleets are now both a reality and the rule, and the Empire
at last possesses craft capable of bringing death to its enemies. Every one of these ships has a
use – it would behoove pilots of the Empire to learn to use all of them well.
It should also be noted that this list may not be complete. Rumors continue to circulate
concerning the “Falcon” class advanced tactical fighter – a fighter that can change modes
between combat and intercept, allowing it to pursue a fleeing foe with impunity (and possibly no
afterburners). Unfortunately, it is a project that has been plagued with setbacks and problems
(reportedly resulting in the deaths of several test pilots) for, by some estimates, over a year and a
half. The latest unofficial news from Octavian High Command is that Project Falcon is continuing,
but we should not expect to see the O12 Falcon out for some time yet – the most (some would
say laughably) optimistic estimate is perhaps sometime in the second quarter of TRI year 104.
(And even then, the Corvette Project is apparently getting more funding.) Until then, however, the
Octavian fleet is still very well supplied with top of the line fighters.
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