F-103 Excalibur

F-106 Excalibur
Type	Heavy Fighter
Manufacturer	Douglas Aerospace
Primary users	Terran Confederation Black Lance
Produced	2669 -

The F-106 Excalibur Heavy Fighter is a starfighter in the service of the Terran Confederation.

Overview

The Excalibur is a heavy fighter that was first developed in the 2660s. As of 2669, it was one of the most advanced starfighters in Terran service. It was designed as a space superiority fighter and was fitted with a large and powerful armament designed exclusively for this role. It could also be adjusted to serve a variety of roles, and its weapons loadout could be configured to carry heavy weapons of various sorts. It also could be fitted with a cloaking device for the purpose of high-priority stealth missions.

History

The Excalibur was developed in the 2660s during the Terran-Kilrathi War. By 2669, several combat-capable prototypes were being field-tested. In 2669, the TCS Victory was selected to host field tests for the Excalibur in the relatively peaceful Tamayo System. A prototype piloted by Major Jace "Flash" Dillon was sent to the Victory to carry out these tests.

During the tests in Tamayo, the system was invaded by the Kilrathi Empire, who proceeded to attack the Victory in the hopes of wiping out the Terran presence there. The attack was repulsed, but the Kilrathi then focused their attention on invading the colony of Tamayo II. The Victory was charged with stopping the invasion at all costs. Prior to the attack, Chief Technician Rachel Coriolis offered Wing Commander Christopher Blair the opportunity to fly the Excalibur during the mission, an offer he readily accepted. It was during this attack that the full combat effectiveness of the Excalibur was realized, as the Colonel easily destroyed almost the entire Kilrathi strike force. The Excalibur was continually tested in the months that followed.

After the destruction of the TCS Behemoth in its failed attempt to destroy the Kilrathi homeworld of Kilrah, the Confederation elected to deploy the Temblor Bomb to destroy the planet. A handful of Excaliburs were sent to the Victory so that Colonel Blair could extract the Terran scientist responsible for the T-Bomb's deployment from a Kilrathi prison planet. The mission was a success and the Excalibur proved its effectiveness in atmospheric combat. The Excalibur was later used to conduct the first test of the T-Bomb when Colonel Blair deployed it against an uninhabited planet in the Hyperion System, resulting in the planet's destruction.

A full squadron of Excaliburs were deployed to the TCS Victory to take part in the attack that would destroy Kilrah. Colonel Blair's Excalibur had been configured to carry the Temblor Bomb, and the entire squadron of starfighters had been fitted with the first Terran incarnation of a cloaking device meant to match that of the Kilrathi's. Colonel Blair and his squadron stealthily penetrated the Kilrah System and soon acquire the T-Bomb at one of two Terran depots covertly set up by the Special Operations Division. Colonel Blair's entire squadron was shot down, but the Colonel himself managed to break through the planet's defenses and deploy the T-Bomb, destroying Kilrah and finally ending the Terran-Kilrathi War.

The Excalibur would continue to see limited service even after the War's end. in 2673, the Black Lance acquired several of these fighter for use in raids against the Union of Border Worlds, as a means of provoking war between it and the Confederation. Blair encountered and destroyed many of these fighters upon defecting to the Border Worlds.

By 2681, the Excalibur remained active, but had since been superseded by newer starfighters developed during peacetime. Many of these served in battle against the Nephilim, who sought to invade the known galaxy.

(To be continued)