Prosperity class Transport

In class: 350
In service: 2399

Mass: 250,000
Sail Integrity: 3
Thrust: 1 / 2 *

Fuel: 15,000 tons
Structural Integrity: 25
Armor: 124 ton, Standard (N: 11, FL/R: 12, AL/R: 11, A: 11)

Docking Collars: 5
Fighters: 0
Small Craft: 32
Crew: 117 minimum (20 Officers, 97 Enlisted)

Passengers: 1,000 (2^nd class Quarters)
Marines: 0

Lifeboats: 100
Escape Pods: 100
Grav Decks: 2 90 meter

Cargo: 51,584 tons

Bay 1: Small Craft (32) 8 doors
Bay 2: Cargo () 6 doors
Bay 3: Cargo () 6 doors

Other Equipment
            Advanced Communications, Medical, or Repair Facilities (depending on variant)

Weapons: (Heat Sinks: 1,100)
            Forward
                        2 NL-35s

                        4 Large Lasers

            Fore Left/Fore Right
                        2 NL-35s

                        4 Large Lasers

            Left Broadside/Right Broadside
                        2 NL-35s

                        4 Large Lasers

            Aft Left/Aft Right
                        2 NL-35s

                        4 Large Lasers

            Aft
                        2 NL-35s

                        4 Large Lasers

Overview:
            As part of the large military buildup that concluded the twenty four century, the Lyran Navy ordered construction of a dedicated transport vessel to augment it’s growing logistical network. The need for such a specialized warship was becoming more apparent as the realities of interstellar war sank in across the InnerSphere. Admirals specified that this new auxiliary ship not only be able to fulfill it’s primary support mission (that of transport) but two other supplementary roles as well. The new vessel had to have large fuel tanks to resupply a large group of Lyran warships in the field. In addition, each ship was to have one of three specialized roles that would further enhance the LCAF. These tertiary duties included messenger service, mobile repair facilities, or mobile medical facilities. Fortunately design work had already begun on this project prior to the actual buildup so the construction process was expedited. And so the Prosperity was launched only a year after it was formally authorized by the Archon.

Capabilities:

            The Prosperity’s long service in the Lyran Navy is proof of the design’s effectiveness. In fact, to save cost on a majority of the vessels the obsolete fusion engines were never replaced. As a consequence of this the transport could only achieve 1G at maximum thrust making the ship an easy target for raiders. To defend the vessel against faster threats designers came up with the Uniform Firing Arc that distributed all of the ship’s weapons equally along with the transport’s armor. This technique gave enemy ships no easy attack vectors. This practice soon became commonplace on all Lyran warships given their slow speed. The vessel’s armament was light only featuring sixteen Naval Laser 35s and thirty-two Large Lasers. The Prosperity mounted 124 tons of advanced armor (at the time) for protection. However as it was only a transport the Prosperity class carried no integral fighter support or marine security. To fulfill the vessel’s main role of transport twenty percent of it’s mass was reserved for cargo. To enhance this cargo hauling capability designers included the maximum number of docking collars and thirty-two small craft. For it’s secondary duties the Prosperity was fitted with a huge 15,000 ton fuel tank that Lyran designers made extremely safe. Then depending on the variant (of which there were three) the design included advanced communications gear, medical, or mobile repair facilities. All Prosperity class ships did include at least 1,000 second class passenger quarters to house all the extra personnel. Also the vessel included only two 90 meter Grav Decks for recreation.

 

Deployment:

The Prosperity class Transport performed a variety of different support missions throughout it’s long service life. Courier variants were typically aligned into command circuits that stretched the length of the Commonwealth. Even after the invention of the HPG these couriers remained a valuable part of the Lyran military. Also these messenger vessels were also some of the only Prosperity’s to have their engines upgraded with modern fusion drives. Tender variants served as repair vessels for the Lyran fleet and carried huge maintenance crews as well as ample spare parts. Medical variants were floating hospitals that helped save wounded Lyran soldiers and evacuate colonist in hazardous situations. After the Edict of 2650 many of the Prosperity’s were privatized in order to skirt the limits. Many were converted into huge trading vessels that helped fuel the Lyran and Star League economies during humanity’s golden age. Others were made into luxury liners were they carried vacationers to all corners of the InnerSphere. During the Succession Wars all Prosperity’s were returned to military service were they became a favorite target of faster Kurita and Marik attackers. No Prosperity survived the opening decade of the 1^st Succession War crippling the Lyran Navy and leading to it’s ultimate destruction.

 

Notable Ships:

            The LCS Traveler achieved it’s fame through service as a luxury liner rather than a military transport. Following the Edict of 2650 a new company, Northstar Shipping Industries (NSI), brought the rights to several Prosperitys including the Traveler. Although the company planned to use the vessels for large scale commerce an enterprising young executive Samantha Belle had other plans. She convinced the Board to allow the conversion of the Traveler to luxury liner. After the ship’s launch demand became clear with wealthy League citizens lining up to book passage on the Traveler. Journeying to exotic locations around the InnerSphere like Hunter’s Paradise, Canopus, Herotitus, Outreach, and other places of note. Although other ships were converted to luxury liners the Traveler was the first and Northstar always upgraded it with the very finest extravagances.

            Two Prosperity class Transports, the Herald and the Ironman, mysteriously disappeared in 2565 leading to a massive search effort. Other jumpships that were part of the search also vanished. Their disappearance seemingly into thin air soon became the stuff of legends. The LCAF declared that all the ships lost were most likely due to misjumps, accidents, and pirates who plagued the Rift area where the ships disappeared.

The case was not closed as rumors of a nomadic group known as the Crimson Horde spread throughout the Rift region. Many discontinued this group existence because of a lack of any physical evidence and wild stories of cannibalism, bizarre ritualistic rites, and even alien origins. This might be the end of this strange story if not for a chance sighting in 3065. A small group of Heimdall (who were based in the region) stumbled upon the Herald and another jumpship from the Word of Blake. Apparently a new sect the Inheritors (an off shot of defunct Shunners and based on the Rim Worlds Creed) established in the Rim Worlds and advocate isolation from the InnerSphere was dealing with the Herald. It was during the running battle in which the Heimdall team barely escaped the system which proved the existence of the very human and real Crimson Horde. It wasn’t until the end of the Civil War that new Archon Peter Steiner was informed of the battle and it’s consequences.