Freelance
TravellerHelot Grav Police Wagon (TL10)
This article appeared in the February 2013 issue of the magazine.
| Craft ID: | Helot Grav Police Wagon, Type AV, TL 10, MCr4.984215 |
| Hull: | 9/23, Disp= 10, Config- 4SL, Armor= 10E, Unloaded- 51.3232s tons, Loaded= 60.037 tons, Hull +14, Turret +1 |
| Power: | 2/2, Fusion- 18Mw, Excess= 3.5158Mw, Duration= 30 Days |
| Loco: | 2/2, Low Power High G, Thrust= 130 tons, NOE= 140 kph, Cruise- 750 kph, Top= 1000 kph, Max VacuumAccel= 1.2G, Space Agility= 1, Atmospheric Agility= +6/+6/+7. |
| Commo: | Radio- Very Distant x1 |
| Sensors: | Headlights x12, Neutrino= Directional x1, Magnetic=Very Distant x1, Environmental x1, Passive EMS= Very Distant x1, Active EMS=Distant x1 |
| Off: | VRF Gauss Gun x1, 1Mw Pulse Laser x2, Antipersonnel Mines |
| Def: | -2 in Space Combat |
| Control: | Computer= 0/fib x1, Panel= Dynamic Linkx46, Special= HUD x1, Electronic Circuit Protection, Environ= Basic Env, Basic LS, Grav Plates, Inertial Comp, Airlock x2 |
| Accomm: | Crew=3 (Commander, Driver, Gunner), Seats= Roomy x13, Bunks= 1 |
| Other: | Cargo= 7.8066 kliters, Fuel= 12.96 kliters |
Based on the successful Fenris Bushman (with a 99% commonality of parts between different models), the Helot is a larger, improved version sporting heavy armor to help thwart the challenges of the urban environment. The power plant and drive units have also been upgraded from their civilian counterparts, providing higher speed and better performance.
The Helot (often referred to as the “Hellbeast”, “Pig”, or “Cheese” by their crews) is a large, boxy, angular vehicle that comes to a point at the front end. A small turret sits atop it, more toward the back right side than right in the middle of the roof. The turret houses a heavy VRF Gauss Gun with a 1,000 round hopper (with the ammo divided into standard and non-lethal varieties; able to be used as needed with the flip of a switch). A pair of 1MW pulse lasers are mounted forward, below the cockpit on each side of the vehicle, facing forward. They have real trouble against military armored vehicles, but can easily reduce to slag the kinds of things one runs into on the streets. Mounted at about the midpoint all along the outer hull of the wagon is an uninterrupted line of antipersonnel mines loaded with a mission-appropriate combination of sting, irritant smoke, and drugged smoke munitions, the latter two for situations when crowd control is required.
The Helot normally carries a crew of three, with the capacity for two more sophonts to ride along if needed. A bunk is located near the rear of the cockpit, in case an officer needs some down time on a long shift. At the rear of the cockpit are a pair of large equipment lockers, one each side of the door leading back to the prisoner detainment area. The detainment area provides a pair of bench seats designed to hold up to 8 prisoners comfortably and with some security. With fewer prisoners, it is possible for a pair to use the benches as none-too-comfortable beds.
The crew accesses the vehicle through an airlock on the left side, with a pair of steps jutting from the laser cannon’s housing. Access to the wagon for prisoners is through a wide airlock at the rear of the vehicle.
Some Helots have been modified by mounting a water cannon in the turret and putting the water tank in the rear. Some vehicles are used to transport a squad of police, who are able to fire through firing slits put in the hull.
A TL10 standard, this sturdy workhorse can routinely be encountered just about anywhere within the Imperium where law enforcement officers operate, regardless of the prevailing TL. On some Frontier worlds, old Helots can sometimes be found operating as APCs for local ground forces.
An ambulance version also exists.