HWCS Excalibur

This article is an entry to the World Anvil Shipwright Challenge.

The HWCS Excalibur is a heavy-weight cargo vessel owned and operated by the Maypole Company. It was docked at Eden III on Pardisa when the planet began its implosion, and was used to transport the surviving people to Cailia. It can travel at speeds of up to 15,000 kilometers per second, a very unimpressive speed for a vehicle meant for interstellar travel. Nonetheless, the speed it is capable of obtaining was enough to save over 1,000 people from Pardisa.

Capabilities

The Excalibur was built with a large cargo capacity as its top priority. It has relatively poor defensive capabilities and even worse offensive ones. The ship does have a thick hull in comparison to others of its class, but this does not provide a significantly large improvement to protection against military-class weapons.

The Excalibur is capable of holding 15 million cubic meters worth of cargo. With its cargo bay being a bit over three-quarters of the ship's total volume, the ship has a lower crew-to-cargo ratio than most cargo ships operated in the Sagitta Epsilon Galaxy.

The engine of this ship is of a simple nuclear fusion-pulsar type. It produces enough energy to power the ship and propel it only a small fraction of the speed of light at full cargo capacity. The vessel has a large onboard battery that holds any excess power, although the generation of enough power to make the battery gain a profit is rare.

The hull of the Excalibur is made from Ultrino Steel, which allows for its survival in the vacuum of open space. It has an atmospheric membrane generator installed near the captain's quarters, which allows the crew to survive on the unenclosed main deck of the ship.

History

The HWCS Excalibur was constructed in Paradisum in late 2110 SE for the purpose of carrying cargo via set intergalactic trade routes.

This ship was involved in the hostage event of 2115 SE in the Delta-Triage Intergalactic Highway. It was captured by a small group of starfaring pirates who had gotten their hands on high-grade weapons, but was released after the pirates were apprehended. One crew member died of natural causes during the hostage event. No other casualties were recorded.

The only other notable event of the ship's history is its role in rescuing the survivors of Pardisa's implosion in 2118 SE. It was used to carry 1,318 survivors and 6 Sentinels to safety on Cailia after being commandeered by Ace — the Prime Minister of Eden III.

Class

Heavy-Weight Cargo Ship

Designation

HWCS

Compartments

• The Hole in the Wall

Owning Organization

The Maypole Company

Rarity

Common

Speed

15,000 km/s

Cargo & Passenger Capacity

15 million cubic meters