Mercury

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

Mercury Class Light Assault Transports

The Mercury Class Light Assault Transports were some of the first Confederacy ships in action against the Sa'arm. They were built as freighters, and donated to us for their ability to do planetary landings in need. They were originally assigned to the 12 units that comprised the Independent Companies of Marines. Considerably heavier than the Castle class, coming in at nearly four thousand tons, they do not have any more firepower. Indeed, they have less. Instead, they carried a company of Marines. They have 1st generation maneuver drives, slow efficient drives suitable for a freighter, not a warship. They are equipped with a transporter. These ships have been mostly phased out (when?) and replaced by dedicated troop transports and corvettes.

Weapons fit is two dorsal laser mounts in 360 degree turrets and two missile launchers, one to each side. Forty missiles can be carried twenty in the central magazine, and ten more in the two ready bays to either side. Transfers from the magazine to the bays are tedious, but not excessively time consuming if nothing goes wrong. The lasers are point defense capable in space and on the ground, and can be used in a direct fire support role. The missiles are modified cruise missiles and are much more capable in the ground support role than as an anti ship weapon. Crew is six officers and forty enlisted, as well as the company of Marines.

Standard equipment started with four "house-cat" personnel/cargo shuttles, but when the Leopards were developed this changed to a life raft for the crew and two Leopards for the Marines.

Since the class names all consist of male gods, the ships are often referred to as male. i.e. He, Him, etc.

(Does anyone know what the hull type code 'CNV' means? -ZM)

• CNV 101 Mercury (*)
• CNV 102 Woden - Assigned to Vulcan colony with the 2nd Independent Company of Marines. Year Five
• CNV 103 Ares (Mentioned in "The Enemy Within")
• CNV 104 Zeuz - Assigned to Vulcan colony with the 4th Independent Company of Marines. Year Five
• CNV 105 Poseidon
• CNV 106 Taranis
• CNV 107 Apollo (*)
• CNV 108 Thor - Pulled from Sol system mothball fleet for Beerat Defense Force, Year 7
• CNV 109 Hermes (*) - Assigned to Vulcan colony with the 9th Independent Company of Marines. Year Five
• CNV 110 Loki - Assigned to Vulcan colony with the 10th Independent Company of Marines. Year Five
• CNV 111 Indra
• CNV 112 Shiva - Assigned to Vulcan colony with the 12th Independent Company of Marines. Year Five

(* Note that the three names Apollo, Hermes, and Mercury were also used for "cruisers" built at Trumanat.  All three participated in the struggle over Tulakat.  The 'cruiser' Mercury was lost during an early raid (See 'The Mercury Incident)'.  The two 'cruisers' Apollo and Hermes survived the Battle of Tulakat but were badly damaged and ended up scrapped as not worth repairing.)

Timeline Appearances

Canon timeline indicates Mercury appears at Month -3 Story appearances in stories with identified timeline placement

• Month -4 in The_First_Command
• Month 12 in The_Golden_Lift_Ticket
• Month 28 in Alien_Bear_Baiting
• Month 39 in Going_Fishing
• Month 52 in Wayward
• Month 72 in Independent_Command

See Also

• Warships

(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))