Introduction

The Hammer's Fist Stormtrooper Legion is one of the premier fighting forces in the known galaxy, and as such certain things should be learned about it. The most important thing that the Hammer's Fist must have is mobility, and that is where the aviation detachment comes in. Any army must have the means to move its troops from staging areas to the scene of battle, or from one battle area to another.

The first course in the series dealing with the vehicles the Fist uses for this is dedicated to the craft used to move troops in the vacuum of space. These vessels are akin to dropships, but instead of landing troops on a planet, they are designed to force entry into an enemy space station or craft and allow the troops to reach action inside. This being the case, these crafts have some rather unique design characteristics.

DX-9 Stormtrooper Transport

• Name/Model: Delta-Class DX-9 Stormtrooper Transport
• Designer/Manufacturer: Telegorn Corporation
• Combat Designation: Transport/Boarding Craft
• Length: 20 meters
• Crew: 5
• Passengers: 30 Stormtroopers
• Weapons: 8 Taim & Bak KT4 Laser Cannons
• 4 AirMek SW-2 Ion Cannons
• 2 Krupx MG7 Proton Torpedo Launchers (5 torpedoes each)

The Delta Class Dx-9 Stormtrooper Transport features very strong shielding, particularly in the forward section. It is designed to take over enemy ships. Using a universal docking mechanism, it can attach itself to most ships or it can bore its own hole in the hulls of most enemy vessels. This small two-engine craft is heavily armed and is a dangerous threat to the enemies of the Empire. Although the craft is slow, it is surprisingly maneuverable.

Its hyperspace capability and its weapons make this craft a versatile and potent weapon capable of surprise attacks and ambushes. When employed in combination with the Assault Gunboat, the Stormtrooper Transport is unmatched. The engines are located behind the proton torpedo launchers. These crafts are also capable of mine laying. With its heavy weaponry, the Delta-class Transport serves as an effective gunboat and has often made deadly torpedo runs against enemy capital ships. Unfortunately, the Rebels also make use of the craft as they have captured some.

The DX-9 Transport has become the standard transport vehicle of the Imperial Navy for three reasons: It's inexpensive, modular, and easily customized to a variety of missions, and it's one of the more robust vessels ever to see Imperial service. Tales abound of Troop Carrier variants returning to port literally open to space from holes blown through the hull, with engines shot off, or even partially destroyed cockpit areas. Stormtroopers are fiercely fond of these vessels, and their pilots, for it is these vessels that carry them into the fray in most deep-space boarding actions. The DX-9 transport's major variants are the DX-9A Troop Carrier, DX-9C Assault Transport, or DX-9E Cargo Hauler.

Assault Transport

• Name/Model: ATR-6 Assault Transport
• Designer/Manufacturer: Telegorn Corporation/KonGar Ship Works
• Combat Designation: Heavy Assault Transport
• Length: 45 meters
• Crew: 15
• Passengers: 50 Stormtroopers
• Weapons: 4 Taim & Bak H6 Laser Cannons
• 2 AirMek SW-3 Ion Cannons
• 2 Krupx MG7 Proton Torpedo Launchers (4 torpedoes each)

The Assault Transport was the brainchild of Telgorn Corporation designer Ilion Teilson, stemming from an Imperial contract. The contract was first open to be filled after the Empire lost an engagement where they were endeavoring to capture a pirate Dreadnaught and was thwarted. The DX-9 Transports that were currently in the imperial inventory just weren't suited for all engagements, and a tougher, more robust craft was called for. The ATR was the result. Telegorn partnered with KonGar Ship Works to produce the ATR, as they had more experience with ship designs that resembled the ATR.

Larger and better-armed versions of the stormtrooper transport, the ATR is an elite assault and boarding craft. Heavy armed, the ATR is capable of warding off even the peskiest and most determined opposing starfighters as it makes its way to its victim. With heavy shielding and hull strength, it is hard to stop the ATR as it carries out its mission.

The ATR Transport is a powerful weapon for maintaining peace and security in the Galaxy. It is employed for capturing, forced boarding operations, or destroying enemy ships that oppose the might of the Galactic Empire. These three-engine transports are also used to attack heavily defended targets.

Assault Shuttle

• Name/Model: Gamma-class Assault Shuttle
• Designer/Manufacturer: Telegorn Corporation
• Combat Designation: Assault Shuttle
• Length: 30 meters
• Crew: 5
• Passengers: 40 Spacetroopers
• Weapons: 4 Turreted Taim & Bak KT6 Laser Cannons
• 2 AirMek SW-2 Ion Cannons
• 1 Forward Concussion Missile Launcher (10 Missiles)
• 1 Nordoxicon Wavefront-Active Tractor beam Projector
• Power Harpoons (Magnetic)

The Gamma-class Assault Shuttle is designed especially for ferrying Spacetroopers aboard engaged vessels. The shuttle's crew is trained to engage enemy ships and to serve as field support for the Spacetroopers that they ferry about. These heavily-armored vehicles come complete with tractor-beam generators, full sensor suites, power harpoon guns, concussion missile launchers, and automatic blaster cannons.

Assault shuttles are divided into three sections. The first section contains the command crew cockpit. Here the five-man crew can monitor the actions of the spacetroopers as well as handle the operation of the shuttle and all its systems. The second section of the craft is the main body. In this section, 40 spacetrooper armor shells are stored until the troopers plug into them. The armor is constantly being recharged and powered up while in its place in the shuttle. This compartment is lined with fold-away launch doors that swing open to disgorge the spacetroopers. The rear portion of the craft houses the engines and power generators.

In a standard operation, an assault shuttle will hold a given target in a tractor beam or with magnetic harpoons. Sometimes it will cripple the target with a few well-placed blaster shots. Then it will open up and let its spacetrooper platoon loose.

Assault shuttles are among the most heavily shielded vessels in the Imperial fleet. Most combat starships funnel approximately 25 percent of their total power through the shield generators. An assault shuttle uses up to 62 percent power on shields, and over half of that power is channeled into the front arc. This allows the shuttle to withstand even the most concentrated barrage of fire for even a short time.

These crafts are both atmospheric and space-capable and have limited capacity for hyperspace travel (their onboard nav computers can hold up to three jumps). Most Imperial-class Star Destroyers carry an assault shuttle, along with the necessary stormtrooper platoon. Other ships are supplied with these units as needed and available.

TIE Boarding Craft

• Name/Model: TIE/bc Boarding Craft
• Designer/Manufacturer: Sienar Fleet Systems
• Combat Designation: Assault Transport
• Crew: 1 pilot
• Passengers: 1 Stormtrooper Squad
• Weapons: Two SFS L-s1 Laser Cannons
• Shields/Armor: No shields; Titanium hull with Quadranium Steel armored Solar Panels

These bent-wing vessels are one of the oldest common TIE models, dating back to the earliest days of Palpatine's rule. It seems that the star destroyer Imperator was designed to carry six of these ships. The TIE Boarding Craft was also a major part of the hangar complement of the Death Star battle station (806 were carried). The wings and hull design are similar to those of a TIE Bomber or TIE Shuttle, but the vertical segment is somewhat larger.

The starboard pod contains the cockpit but has space for more occupants. The port side pod carries stormtroopers for boarding operations. The pod is small and tight, able to hold only a squad of troopers at most. Thus, when making a boarding strike on a larger pirate ship, several of these TIE/bc's are necessary in order to implant enough troopers in the ship to overcome any opposition.

Not surprisingly, this TIE concept was not very popular or widely used, as Delta-class Shuttles and Gamma-class ATR Assault Transports, and even Action-class Stormtrooper transports could do a better job, carrying more personnel and defended by stronger shields and armor. The TIE/bc's only advantage is very minimal: speed. It gets the troops to the target faster and presents a smaller profile for the guns aboard the enemy ship. Because of this, The Hammer's Fist generally uses the TIE/bc in operations that require stealth, where a small number of troopers need to slip onto a ship or station quietly in the midst of a battle. Therefore, these crafts are a favorite of special forces.

The forward end of the port pod bears a docking clamp and has a general-purpose airlock and automatic cutting torches to breach the enemy ship or space station. It was intended to quickly move troops for boarding actions. The plasma torch boarding device is mounted on the airlock system. The controls for the device are just inside the main airlock. The extendible plasma torch can quickly cut through the target ship's hull. Once the hull is breached, the plasma torch requires a full standard minute to cut a one-meter wide by two-meter-high hole. The extendible boarding tube attaches itself to the target ship's hull and can form an airtight seal in standard 30 seconds. This mechanism is extensible beyond the vessel's wings to facilitate mating with a wider variety of docking ports.

Course Creator: Unknown
Recovered by: RA Robert Hogan