F-95 Morningstar

F-95 Morningstar
Type	Heavy Fighter
Manufacturer
Primary user	Terran Confederation

The F-95 Morningstar is a heavy fighter that served with the Terran Confederation during the later stages of the Terran-Kilrathi War.

The Morningstar was, at the time of its introduction in 2668, considered the most advanced heavy fighter yet fielded by the Confederation. Designed as a space superiority fighter and a formidable assault craft, the Morningstar was a heavily-armed craft created with the intent to hold its ground against virtually any threat posed by the Kilrathi Empire. It was also one of the few Terran starfighters built with jump capability, granting it greater autonomy on the battlefield than what is afforded to most other Terran craft.

Unfortunately, the Morningstar's development and subsequent introduction into service was mired by technical flaws that plagued the fighter's jump drive. When activated, the jump drive would spontaneously shut down and render the starfighter inoperable, leaving the pilot stranded in space. Early prototypes of the Morningstar also were incapable of retrieving ejected pilots due to apparent flaws with their tractor beams. Several Morningstar prototypes would be lost due to the failure of their jump drives.

In 2668, the first Morningstar squadron, the Wild Eagles, was commissioned for combat duty on board the TCS Concordia. The squadron, led by Major Todd "Maniac" Marshall, was charged with field-testing the Morningstar in preparation for full combat implementation. The squadron also included Captain Markham "Crossbones" Colt, Captain Jeffrey "Talon" Burkheimer, and Captain Maria "Minx" Grimaldi. The squadron participated in several combat missions on the Concordia, all the while tending to the starfighter's various flaws.

Unfortunately for the Terrans, the existence of the Morningstar was leaked to the Kilrathi by agents of the Society of the Mandarins, a network of Terran traitors. The Kilrathi commissioned the Mandarins to capture a Morningstar for further study. One of their agents was revealed to be none other than Captain "Minx" Grimaldi, who hijacked one of the Morningstar prototypes from the Concordia and set off explosives to cover her escape. Minx escaped with her prize, killing Crossbones and permanently injuring Talon, effectively destroying the Wild Eagles. However, the Special Operations Division tracked Minx's fighter to Ayer's Rock, the headquarters of the Mandarins, and launched a covert operation to destroy it and the Morningstar prototype before in fell into enemy hands.

After a prolonged standoff in the Ayer's System, Colonel Christopher Blair and his allies launched a full assault on Ayer's Rock in Morningstars, eventually destroying the base and the stolen Morningstar, which was piloted by infamous Terran traitor Zach "Jazz" Colson. During the engagement, the Morningstar proved its combat effectiveness, downing dozens of enemy starfighters in combat and an entire installation with modest effort.

It is unknown what further operations the Morningstar undertook during the remainder of the Terran-Kilrathi War.

Specifications

Class:	Heavy Fighter
Length:	20 meters
Mass:	20 metric tonnes
Max Velocity:	400 kps
Cruise Velocity:	220 kps
Acceleration:	Excellent
Max Y/P/R:	8/8/8 deg/s
Fore Shield:	15.0 cm equivalent
Aft Shield:	15.0 cm equivalent
Front Armor:	20.0 cm
Right Armor:	20.0 cm
Left Armor:	20.0 cm
Rear Armor:	20.0 cm
Guns:	Particle Cannons (3)
Missiles:	???