F-95 Morningstar
| F-95 Morningstar | |
|---|---|
| |
| Type | Heavy Fighter |
| Primary User | Terran Confederation |
| Additional Users | Mandarins (stolen prototypes) |
| Introduction | ~2668 |
| 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 | Particle Cannons (3) |
| Missiles | Image-Recognition Missiles (2), Torpedoes (2), Mace Nuclear Missile (1) |
| Armor | 20 cm fore/aft/sides |
| Shields | 15 cm fore/aft |
| Jump Drive | Yes |
| Crew | 1 Pilot |
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 easily engage virtually any threat posed by the Kilrathi Empire. It was also one of the few Terran fighters built with jump capability, granting it greater autonomy on the battlefield than what is afforded to most other Confederation fighters.
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 fighter inoperable, leaving the pilot stranded in space. Early prototypes of the Morningstar also were incapable of retrieving ejected pilots due to the lack of a tractor beam. 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 fighter's various flaws.
The existence of the Morningstar was leaked to the Kilrathi by agents of the Society of 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 detonated 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.
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 fighters in combat and the entire Ayer's Rock installation.
