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A modified Conquistador at heart.  Not one hundred percent happy with it but it does the job.  Recently updated it with extra AMS, lighter HPG and Small Naval Comm Suite.  Overall does the job.

Hope you like it.

Vanguard
Tech:                         Clan / 3064
Era:               What if
Availability:            Clan Nova Cat
Vessel Type:            Aerodyne DropShip
Mass:                          17,400 tons
Dimensions
   Length:    183 meters   Width:   150 Metres   Height:    40 Metres
Power Plant:            Standard
   Safe Thrust:      3   Maximum Thrust:      5
Armour Type:            Ferro Aluminium
Armament:
   12 Extended-Range PPC
     8 Extended-Range Large Laser
     8 Extended-Range Medium Laser
   16 ATM-12
   10 HAG-40
   24 Anti-Missile System

Overview
   The Vanguard-class DropShip started life as one of the four prototype
Conquistador-class Troop Carrier DropShips at the Federated Suns Federated-Boeing
Shipyards of Galax and was destined to serve the Davion Royal Brigade with the
rest of the first batch of Conquistadors.  However, with Clan Nova Cat contracting
three of its WarShips and three clusters of troops to the Federated Suns between
3062 and 3063 First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion ordered the vessel reconfigured
to carry an entirely different cargo and left weapon-less much to the dismay of the
 designers at Federated-Boeing of Galax.
   When the Nova Cat forces that had been serving with the Federated Suns
forces for over a year left the Federated Suns Victor presented the DropShip to the
Watch Cluster as a sign of his personnel gratitude for their efforts in saving his
fiancée Danai Centrella from the Capellan Death Commandos in 3063.  The new
Conquistador could carry the entire Nova Cat Watch Cluster plus a command star
and a cargo space larger than almost any other military DropShip but was completely
unarmed.  Clan Nova Cat took the vessel to the Varnay system and began giving this
new DropShip some teeth and claws.

Capabilities
   The unarmed Conquistador retained the same engine, structure and fuel capacity.
However that is where most of the similarities end.  The Nova Cats did away with the
Conquistador’s medical facility capacity and replaced all the armour with Clan
Ferro-aluminium.  Just behind the control cockpit is a Mobile HPG suite and a Naval
Comm. Scanner Suite allowing the vessel to communicate over vast differences and
command other DropShips.
   For armaments the Nova Cats have added eight Extended-Range Particle Projection
Cannons, four forward four aft, eight Extended-Range Medium Lasers cover the aft of the
DropShips wings while eight Extended-Range Large Lasers support the PPCs up front. 
Forward they have sixteen Advanced Tactical Missile launchers each with twelve missile
tubes and after there are a further four launchers.  Under each wing there are four of
the biggest Heavy (Hyper) Assault Gauss Rifles, because of the experimental nature of
these weapons when first fielded each was assigned its own gunner much like a capital
weapon.  Even though these weapons soon showed they were capable weapons the Nova Cats
retrained the extra gunners cutting down on the workload for all gunners.  Two more
Heavy Assault Gauss Rifles cover the rear of the wings. Twenty-four Anti-Missile systems
surround the ship with four for each arc.
   To First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion’s specification the DropShip can carry the
entire Nova Cat’s Watch Cluster (nine stars of one Mech, four vehicles and ten battle
armour, housed as marines on DropShip) and one extra command star (of same composition
as other stars) the DropShip can also carry the Watch Cluster’s entire OmniFighter Star
giving the unit a vessel that can transport the entire unit instead of using nine
separate DropShips.  The Nova Cats made one modification to this adding a Star of
ProtoMechs effectively turning the Watch Cluster into a four Trinary unit.  Originally each
Star Commander was going to be afforded a single occupancy quarter of their own,
however the Nova Cats changed their minds following consultation with Khan Rosse
and other members of his Watch Cluster instead a Ground Operations Room was
created with a huge Holotank and several tactical operations consoles.  With this room
added twenty additional crewmen to the ship these are quartered in the same corridor
as the GOR.  The original vessel Vanguard also has an additional suite because it
 serves as Khan Rosse’s command vessel when he is separated from a WarShip.

Deployment
        With Star Colonel Canin Rosse ascending to saKhan status in the Nova Cat Clan
 the Watch Cluster joined him in Delta Galaxy and the Vanguard was assigned to
 them, the DropShip now continues to serve Delta Galaxy as Khan Canin Rosse‘s
command vessel.
   Despite this vessel’s specialized nature at least another dozen have been
created and are in use in both the Nova Cat’s Den and in Clan Homeworlds.  These new
build vessels received their combat debut took place in the Barcella system in 3071
against Clan Star Adder.

Vanguard                       Aerodyne DropShip                  17,400
Equipment:                                                          Mass 
Power Plant                                                        3,393
Thrust                          Safe Thrust 3
                                Maximum Thrust 5
Structual Integrity                        31                      2,697
Heat Sinks (Double)                        344 (688)               0.175
Fuel and pump                              15,000                  0,510
Bridge and Control systems                                         1,131
Fire Control Computer                                              0,022
Hyper Pulse Generator                                              0,012
Small Naval Comm. Suite                                            0,100
Armour            Ferro-aluminium          1,636pts                0,115
        Fore             466
        Left/Right Wing  420
        Aft              350

Cargo
         Bay 1:     10 OmniMechs with five doors                   1,500
         Bay 2:     40 Heavy Vehicles with four doors              4,000
         Bay 3:      5 ProtoMech Points (25) with three doors      0,250
         Bay 4:     20 Battle Armour Points (100) with two doors   0,200
         Bay 5:     10 OmniFighters with two doors                 1,500
         Bay 6:        Cargo with one door                         0,992

Life Boats                               12                        0,084
Escape Pods:                             12                        0,084

Crew and Passengers:
  10 Officers                                                      0,070
  26 Enlisted                                                      0,182
  18 Gunners                                                       0,126
   1 Ground Operations Control Room                                0,100
  20 GOR Staff Quarters                                            0,100

Weapons and Equipment      Location    Damage (C)      Max Range    Mass
4 ER PPC                     Nose         6(60)         Long       0,024
4 ATM-12                     Nose         6(64)         Medium     0,028
4 AMS                        Nose          --           Point      0,002
4 ER Large Laser             L/RW         4(40)         Extreme    0,032
4 HAG-40                     L/RW        13/10/10       Long       0,128
                                       (128/96/96)
4 ATM-12                     L/RW         6(64)         Medium     0,056
4 AMS                        L/RW          --           Point      0,004
1 HAG-40                     AL/RW        3/2/2         Long       0,032
                                       (32/24/24)
4 ER Medium Laser            AL/RW        3(38)         Medium     0,008
4 AMS                        AL/RW         --           Point      0,004
4 ER PPC                     Aft          6(60)         Long       0,024
4 ATM-12                     Aft          6(64)         Medium     0,028
4 AMS                        Aft           --           Point      0,002

Ammo
AMS                          2,016 Rounds (84 per system)          0,084
ATM-12                       2,400 Rounds (150 per launcher)       0,480
HAG-40                         540 Rounds (60 per rifle)           0,100

*Varies by Missile Used this assumes standard munitions is used.  There
are two other missiles available.  High-Explosive Rounds Short Range,
damage x1.5 and Extended-Range Rounds Extreme Range, damage x0.5