F-95 Morningstar

F-95 Morningstar
Type	Heavy Fighter
Primary User	Terran Confederation
Additional Users	Mandarins (stolen prototypes)
Length	20 meters
Mass	20 metric tonnes
Max Velocity	400 kps
Cruise Velocity	220 kps
Max Afterburner Velocity	1200 kps
Acceleration	Excellent
Max Y/P/R	8/8/8 deg/s
Guns	3 Particle Cannons
Missiles	2 Image-Recognition Missiles, 2 Torpedoes, 1 Mace Nuclear Missile
Armor	20 cm fore/aft/sides
Shields	15 cm fore/aft
Jump Drive	Yes
Crew	1 Pilot

F-95 Morningstar Target Identification.

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, 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. Captain Grimaldi was one such agent, and hijacked one of the Morningstar prototypes from the Concordia and set off explosives to cover her escape. Grimaldi escaped with a Morningstar prototype, killed Captain Colt and permanently injured Captain Burkheimer, effectively destroying the Wild Eagles. However, Special Operations Division tracked Grimaldi's fighter to Ayer's Rock, the headquarters of the Mandarins, and launched a covert operation to destroy it and the Morningstar prototype before it fell into enemy hands.

File:So2 morningstar1.gif

The Morningstar prepares for launch.

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 the entire Ayer's Rock installation.

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