Strakha

Strakha
Type	Stealth Fighter
Primary User	Kilrathi Empire
Introduction	2650s
Length	17 meters
Max Velocity	320 KPS
Cruise Velocity	200 KPS
Acceleration	Poor
Max Y/P/R	4/4/4 deg/s
Guns	2 Laser Cannons
Armor	4 cm fore/aft 2.5 cm sides
Shields	4 cm
Cloak	Yes
Jump Drive	No
Crew	1 (Pilot)

Strakha Stealth Fighter Target Identification, circa 2656-2667

History

The Strakha was a stealth fighter in service with the Kilrathi Empire.

First deployed in the 2650s, the Strakha was at the time the latest technological innovation of the Kilrathi. Designed to field a highly-efficient cloaking device, the Strakha was a swift and nimble fighter that could quickly overcome its Human opponents by means of stealth, jumping in and out of visibility when least expected. They were often deployed in groups, leading unfortunate Human pilots to stray in the midst of a pack of phantoms that could pick them off at any time.

By far, the Strakha's most infamous action was the destruction of the TCS Tiger's Claw in 2656. While en route to destroy the Kilrathi Enigma Sector HQ at K'tithrak Mang, the Claw was ambushed by a wing of Strakhas which led to a bombing run on the vessel, destroying it with all hands. One of the few survivors of the attack, Colonel Christopher Blair, managed to record evidence of the stealth fighter on his fighter's data-disk before it was stolen by the Mandarin traitor who had leaked the carrier's location to the Kilrathi. Without evidence to support his claims of stealth fighter attack, Blair was made a scapegoat and would spend the next decade relegated to service on a space station.

During that same year, Crown Prince Thrakhath nar Kiranka destroyed the shipyards at Ghorah Khar, a Kilrathi colony that sought to secede from the Empire, in an effort to defend the Strakha's technology. This attack put the development of Strakha and Thrakhath's plans for conquest of the Enigma Sector on hold for several years.

By the 2660s, the Strakhas reappeared in the Enigma Sector and their existence was eventually exposed by Blair, who was serving aboard the TCS Concordia during this time.

The Strakha continued to serve on the front lines through to the end of the Kilrathi War, and went through a radical redesign by 2669. For all their technological innovations, they were still no match for an experienced Human pilot, who could quickly take advantage of the fighter's weak shields and poor acceleration.

Images

• 

  Redesigned Strakha Stealth Fighter, circa 2669.

• 

  Strakha Stealth Fighter Target Identification, circa 2669.

• 

  Strakha flown by Marjakh 'Stalker' nar Kur'u'tak, circa 2669.