The Tarkine Interstellar Barge
District 268 in the Spinward Marches is not formally a part of the Imperium, though the worlds enjoy regular trade and Imperial naval protection. The most densely populated world in the subsector, Forine, is heavily industrialized and advanced. Nearby Tarkine is an agricultural system, but quite primitive by the standards of the Third Imperium (TL 7).
Forine has trouble feeding its own population, and most inhabitants make do with a very plain diet designed to meet their minimum needs. About a century ago, localized famines were common. In an effort to take advantage of this situation and increase their own presence on the galactic stage, Tarkine entered into a ship-building deal with Forine. Forine provided Tarkine with Jump capable ships using technology that Tarkine facilities were able to maintain. In exchange, Tarkine shipped food to Forine at no cost for a period of 40 years. The result was the Tarkine class Interstellar Barge.
Tarkine-class Barge
Hull: 100 tons, distributed, TL 7 Titanium (Hull: 2, Structure: 2)
Armour: None
Jump Drive A: Jump 1 (TL 9)
Maneuver Drive A: Thrust 1 (TL 7 Reaction Drive, 10 hours thrust at full fuel)
Power Plant A: (TL 8 Fusion)
Compact Bridge
Computer: Model 1, Rating 5
Electronics: Standard Sensors (-4 DM)
Fuel: 41 tons
(25 tons dedicated to Reaction Drive, 10 to Jump Drive, 6 to Power Plant)
Sufficient for 10 hours of 1G Thrust, one Jump 1, and six weeks of operation.
Up to three jump 1s are possible if reaction mass is consumed. Two Jump 1s reduces reaction mass to 6 hours of 1G Thrust, three Jumps reduces reaction mass to 2 hours of 1G Thrust.
Cargo: 30.5 tons
1 Double Stateroom
Software: Jump Control/1, Maneuver/0, Library/0
Construction Cost: 16.407 MCr (Includes 10% discount for standardized plan. Price also takes into account significant discounts for building lower tech components on a higher tech world)
Used Sale Price: 11.978 MCr for specific ship detailed below.
About 100 Tarkine barges were constructed. While the ships did little to assuage the famines on Forine, they were an important public relations coup for the Tarkine government... at first. The barges did not carry enough fuel for a round trip, and had to be refueled at great cost at Fornine. The Tarkine government paid for the barges several times over in free cargoes and the cost of fuel. The barges soon became a symbol of government short-sightedness and were regarded as something of a political albatross. About 60 years ago, Tarkine released most of the aging vessels to public sale. Tarkine barges now show up in odd places throughout the Spinward Marches. They tend to be used by only the most desperate of traders and adventurers.
The Tarkine-class was built with thrift in mind. Contractors on Fornine used the most basic technologies possible to create a Jump capable ship. The barges have a primitive Jump-1 drive and rely on rocket thrusters for movement in-system. With only ten hours of reaction fuel, they must Jump as close to their destination world as possible. With careful budgeting and use of reaction fuel, a barge pilot can manage two or three Jump-1s without refueling, but suffer a serious reduction in maneuverability upon arrival.
The barges, as built, have sufficient life support for six weeks of operation. This is a precaution against misjumps that leave the ship at the edge of the system. The crew can wait for rescue. Given the cramped quarters, tiny bridge, and lack of common space, six weeks aboard a barge would be a hellish ordeal.
The stock barge is totally unarmed and unarmored. A few owners have fitted them with lasers or missile racks as a deterrent against piracy. However, as combat maneuvers quickly burn through the fuel (only enough for 10 rounds of combat with full tanks) most owners prefer to surrender or attempt to fight off a boarding action.
As noted, even the newest barges are 60 years old. This means players purchasing one can roll six times on the "Old Ships" table in the corebook, and receive a 6D6 reduction percentage reduction in the cost of the ship. I did this, and rolled a 27, and received the negatives effects "Library Data is erroneous" and "Increase maintenance costs by 50%". I interpreted these as follows:
Monthly Costs
Fuel: 18500 (assuming 1 complete refill and power plant top up per month)
Maintenance: 5050
Life Support: 3000
Mortgage: 49900
Total: 78450 cr
Unless the players are very good at speculative trade or mercenary work, owning a Tarkine barge will always be a net loss. However, the ships are sometimes assigned to mercenaries or hired adventurers by patrons who simply need them to get to another system. The ships may also be a good investment for players with the money to invest in replacing the reaction drives with a gravitic drive. This substantially reduces monthly fuel costs and increases the utility of the ship. The addition of low passage berths and staterooms allows for a larger crew or paid passengers.
Forine has trouble feeding its own population, and most inhabitants make do with a very plain diet designed to meet their minimum needs. About a century ago, localized famines were common. In an effort to take advantage of this situation and increase their own presence on the galactic stage, Tarkine entered into a ship-building deal with Forine. Forine provided Tarkine with Jump capable ships using technology that Tarkine facilities were able to maintain. In exchange, Tarkine shipped food to Forine at no cost for a period of 40 years. The result was the Tarkine class Interstellar Barge.
Tarkine-class Barge
Hull: 100 tons, distributed, TL 7 Titanium (Hull: 2, Structure: 2)
Armour: None
Jump Drive A: Jump 1 (TL 9)
Maneuver Drive A: Thrust 1 (TL 7 Reaction Drive, 10 hours thrust at full fuel)
Power Plant A: (TL 8 Fusion)
Compact Bridge
Computer: Model 1, Rating 5
Electronics: Standard Sensors (-4 DM)
Fuel: 41 tons
(25 tons dedicated to Reaction Drive, 10 to Jump Drive, 6 to Power Plant)
Sufficient for 10 hours of 1G Thrust, one Jump 1, and six weeks of operation.
Up to three jump 1s are possible if reaction mass is consumed. Two Jump 1s reduces reaction mass to 6 hours of 1G Thrust, three Jumps reduces reaction mass to 2 hours of 1G Thrust.
Cargo: 30.5 tons
1 Double Stateroom
Software: Jump Control/1, Maneuver/0, Library/0
Construction Cost: 16.407 MCr (Includes 10% discount for standardized plan. Price also takes into account significant discounts for building lower tech components on a higher tech world)
Used Sale Price: 11.978 MCr for specific ship detailed below.
About 100 Tarkine barges were constructed. While the ships did little to assuage the famines on Forine, they were an important public relations coup for the Tarkine government... at first. The barges did not carry enough fuel for a round trip, and had to be refueled at great cost at Fornine. The Tarkine government paid for the barges several times over in free cargoes and the cost of fuel. The barges soon became a symbol of government short-sightedness and were regarded as something of a political albatross. About 60 years ago, Tarkine released most of the aging vessels to public sale. Tarkine barges now show up in odd places throughout the Spinward Marches. They tend to be used by only the most desperate of traders and adventurers.
The Tarkine-class was built with thrift in mind. Contractors on Fornine used the most basic technologies possible to create a Jump capable ship. The barges have a primitive Jump-1 drive and rely on rocket thrusters for movement in-system. With only ten hours of reaction fuel, they must Jump as close to their destination world as possible. With careful budgeting and use of reaction fuel, a barge pilot can manage two or three Jump-1s without refueling, but suffer a serious reduction in maneuverability upon arrival.
The barges, as built, have sufficient life support for six weeks of operation. This is a precaution against misjumps that leave the ship at the edge of the system. The crew can wait for rescue. Given the cramped quarters, tiny bridge, and lack of common space, six weeks aboard a barge would be a hellish ordeal.
The stock barge is totally unarmed and unarmored. A few owners have fitted them with lasers or missile racks as a deterrent against piracy. However, as combat maneuvers quickly burn through the fuel (only enough for 10 rounds of combat with full tanks) most owners prefer to surrender or attempt to fight off a boarding action.
As noted, even the newest barges are 60 years old. This means players purchasing one can roll six times on the "Old Ships" table in the corebook, and receive a 6D6 reduction percentage reduction in the cost of the ship. I did this, and rolled a 27, and received the negatives effects "Library Data is erroneous" and "Increase maintenance costs by 50%". I interpreted these as follows:
- To save costs, the barge computer was constructed with read-only memory. As such the library data in the computer is, at best, 60 years old. This does not effect navigation, but it means world data and political information is sometimes wildly inaccurate. Most owners simply use a portable computer for library data.
- The oddball mix of technology used to create the ships means that monthly maintenance costs are increased by 50%, or a total of 5050 cr
Monthly Costs
Fuel: 18500 (assuming 1 complete refill and power plant top up per month)
Maintenance: 5050
Life Support: 3000
Mortgage: 49900
Total: 78450 cr
Unless the players are very good at speculative trade or mercenary work, owning a Tarkine barge will always be a net loss. However, the ships are sometimes assigned to mercenaries or hired adventurers by patrons who simply need them to get to another system. The ships may also be a good investment for players with the money to invest in replacing the reaction drives with a gravitic drive. This substantially reduces monthly fuel costs and increases the utility of the ship. The addition of low passage berths and staterooms allows for a larger crew or paid passengers.