APAGear - Volume 6, Number 1 - January 2004

Peregrine-Class Pursuit Shuttle

Christian Schaller

I'm currently involved in a Jovian Chronicles play by e-mail game in which we, the players, take the roles of characters aboard the Solar Cross hospital ship Nightingale. My character, who has an embarrassing name only a J-Pop fanboy could come up with, is the ship's primary shuttle pilot. Presented here is one of the shuttles she flies, the Peregrine-class pursuit shuttle.

Peregrine-Class Pursuit Shuttle

Overview

Named for the fastest bird on Earth -- or, indeed, anywhere else -- the Peregrine pursuit shuttle sports some of the largest, most powerful fusion drives found on a vehicle of its size. Manufactured in the L5 Orbital region of cislunar space by Dynamis Shuttle Systems, the Peregrine is used for many purposes by many organizations whenever personnel or cargo need to move from point A to point B as quickly as possible. Within the Solar Cross, the Peregrine has been adapted as a rapid-response emergency shuttle, and one can be found aboard most of its fleet ships. The Solar Cross version of the Peregrine is examined here.

Capabilities

The Peregrine is not particularly graceful or elegant looking. Not being designed for atmospheric flight, its profile is rather boxlike and chunky. The casual observer immediately notices the twin Dynamis Aurora/04 fusion drives that dominate the back end of the craft. Capable of generating 810,000 Newtons of thrust each, combined they can accelerate the vehicle at up to six gees. The single pilot console and the six passenger seats are designed to protect their occupants under such harsh conditions, but these accelerations are extreme measures rarely taken by the shuttle's pilot.

Adjoining the flight deck are the shuttle's medical facilities. Able to support up to four patients, the sickbay is intended to provide first aid principally, although in a pinch, the shuttle can serve as a field surgery unit. The sickbay area is not protected against the Peregrine's intense acceleration, and thus when these facilities are occupied, their pilots operate them at extremely modest levels.

A heavy bulkhead seperates the sickbay from the Peregrine's modest cargo/vehicle bay. Intended for the transport of search-and-rescue equipment, the typical complement consists of two Tenshi-type exo-suits and a quartet of Kani-type SAR drones. These walkers can be deployed at any stage during a rescue operation; the Peregrine is equipped with a powerful grasping arm and searchlight to assist, and the pilot can teleoperate the drones if needed.

Service Record

The Solar Cross Peregrine has seen a lot of action in its lifetime, thanks largely to the machinations of the Solar System's largest political entities: the Central Earth Government and Administration and the Jovian Confederation. The Odyssey Affair of 2210, in particular, saw more use of the Peregrine than all other recorded flights of the shuttle over its five-year history combined. In the aftermath of the destruction of the colony dome at Copernicus Crater on the Moon, scores of Peregrine flights rushed medical supplies and personnel to the scene from relatively nearby orbital facilities. On more than one occasion, in fact, a Peregrine was forced to rush a CEGA blockade in order to get relief to those who needed it.

Outside of the Solar Cross, the more generalized Peregrine, which replaces the sickbay with additional passenger or cargo facilities, sees plenty of use. Courier services, the USN, and the Solar Police are all big customers. Its inelegant stylings mean it is hardly ever seen in the hands of private citizens, although the Aurora/04 drives have found their way into more than one specialized racing craft.

Vehicle Data