A Fast Clipper
A fast clipper is a class of Imperial transport whose plasma drive has been modified to allow for extremely fast travel through realspace, at the cost of much of its cargo-carrying capacity and any defensive weaponry.
The Imperium swarms with transport vessels. Millions of these civilian voidcraft of the merchant fleets plough the space lanes, ferrying pilgrims, ore, fuel, foodstuffs, weapons, materiel, machine parts and luxury goods to untold billions of eager consumers across the galaxy.
Role[]
Extremely fast merchant vessels for their size, fast clippers utilise improved main drive plasma engines that take up more than half of the modified vessel's total mass.
Most of the power from the expanded plasma reactors required to power these engines is directed to propulsion. These voidships are virtually unarmed and rely solely on their great speed to keep them out of danger while they seek to deliver their precious cargoes to hazardous destinations where speed is of the essence.
Imperial fleet masters of the Navis Imperialis have commissioned their shipwrights to build some of these vessels for naval purposes, with minor modifications to make them more suitable for military use.
Notable Fast Clippers[]
- Upsalla and Menander - These are two of the most famed vessels of this type of transport and though they lack the transport capacity of standard Imperial transports, on five separate occasions they were cited for bravery by the Navis Imperialis in successfully running the blockade of St. Jowen's Dock by Orks during the Second War for Armageddon, bringing some desperately needed provisions and a ray of hope during dark and forboding times.
See Also[]
Sources[]
- Battlefleet Gothic Magazine 4, pg. 10