Merchant Ship

(Copied straight from .XML 'backup' file, needs formatting and corrections. ZM User (talk) 20:15, 22 April 2024 (PDT))

Although not part of the fleet of support vessels originally made available to the Human colonization effort, plans for these vessels existed in the database provided by the Darjee.

The majority were initially ignored as they were very old designs and considered inferior to the various pod class ships, the exception being the fore-runner to the Aurora colony ships.

These vessels found a use in various colonies as they began to expand beyond the single planets they were established on. Simple to construct and more importantly control, these vessels were capable of FTL travel without the use of the latest in AI technology and were ideal for the fledgling Merchant Marine.

The names given to the various classes of ship were done so by the humans as they couldn't understand the names used by the Darjee. The vessels in a class were broadly similar without being identical as each were built at different times by different yards using different materials, and they could all be modified to suit a particular task.

Trader Class

An early pod design that was superceded by the Aurora class.

Peter Minuit Class

A derivative of the Trader class, the Peter Minuit Class were described as 'Trade Survey Ships' and was an armed merchant vessel rather than a warship.
(This violates canon, as it implies that the Confederacy had armed freighters recently enough for them to be built to use their AI-driven cargo pods. -ZM)

Silo Class

A bulk carrier - mainly for grains and other dry goods.

Stable Class

A livestock carrier.

Solvent Class

A liquid or gas carrier.

Styx Class

A people carrier - a ferry type vessel for in system and short duration journeys. A much modified version of this class became the Sir Lancelot class assault ship.

Unknown Class

• Stodgy Plodder - A small freighter of unknown class, setting for Ship's Morale Officer.

(Someday this will be a navigation template.  It will provide a bar across the bottom of each article with useful navigation links.  Until then, this is just a placeholder to get rid of all the red "broken link" indicators. -ZM User (talk) 10:00, 3 May 2024 (PDT))