Freelance Traveller

The Ubiquitous Type-S

by James Brian King

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2017 issue.

NOTE: starship specifications were created using the Traveller 1st Edition rules from Mongoose Publishing.

One of the vessels most commonly encountered by travellers within the vast reaches of the Third Imperium is the IISS 100-ton Type-S Scout/Courier. The IISS employs thousands of these vessels within the Third Imperium and beyond its borders; thousands more may be encountered in civilian hands, either purchased as surplus or on loan through the IISS’s detached duty program. It has, through centuries of service, proven to be a most reliable work horse vessel; indeed, it is not uncommon to find hulls that are hundreds of years old with maintenance histories that include dozens of major overhauls.

Vunliir and Kugiraash, Naval Architects

As simple and efficient as the Type-S is, its standard configuration does not meet the needs of all users. Thus, many hulls of this type have been customized for mission-specific needs. Many naval engineering firms across the Imperium, usually small as shipyard firms go, specialize in meeting these needs, and the firm of Vunliir and Kugiraash is a fine example of such a firm. V-K is based on Lunion in the Lunion Subsector, Spinward Marches Sector. V-K acquires an average of two dozen surplus Type-S vessels per year. They sell completed conversions to individuals, commercial firms, and world or subsector governments.

V-K has operated from its small shipyard facility on Lunion for almost forty years; it is an interesting side note that Ling Standard Products expanded its extensive shipyard facilities on Lunion shortly after V-K began operations, then attempted to arrange a deal with IISS administration in the Marches whereby LSP would acquire all surplus Type-S hulls that the Scout service chose to dispose of. Surprising all involved, IISS sector leadership chose to snub LSP’s attempt to put V-K out of the conversion market. Their decision was believed influenced by the fact that Erin Vunliir and Lyesh Kugiraash, V-K’s founders, had both served with the IISS and V-K hired heavily from retired scout personnel. V-K continues to maintain a close relationship with IISS administration within the Marches, and have, in fact, completed a number of conversions on Type-S vessels still in service with the IISS.

V-K offers four mission-specific conversions.

Note: clicking on the deckplans will open a larger version of the image in a new window/tab.

Courier Transport

Easily half of V-K’s conversions are configured as courier transports. This type allows minimal cargo but serves as a small passenger vessel with the addition of four more staterooms (and can be used for mail if the purchaser arms the ship). These vessels have been purchased for use as small yachts, private charters, corporate personnel transport, and even as subsidized passenger ships to service worlds with extremely limited interstellar traffic.

Stealth Scout

The Stealth Scout conversion is an extensive refit that involves reforming bulkheads and installing larger engineering systems and is initiated only upon the receipt of a special order, which usually originates from a corporate entity or from a subsector fleet procurement office. The Stealth conversion generally includes mounting of turret weapons, one of only two V-K conversions that do.

Freight Courier

Roughly 40-percent of V-K’s conversions are configured as freight couriers. This type gives up some fuel capacity and loses its dedicated vehicle bay in order to significantly increase cargo capacity. Like the Courier/Transport conversion, V-K does not mount weapons on the ship, but the purchaser may do so separately.

Scout Gunboat

Like the Stealth Scout, the Gunboat conversion is an extensive refit that is made to order, usually for a corporation or subsector fleet, and includes turret mounted weapons.

The Standard Type-S

For reference and comparison, the data for the standard IISS Scout-Courier is reproduced here; one of several common interior configurations is presented as well.

Purchasing a Converted Type-S

Converted Type-S vessels, while overhauled and renovated, are not new. All ship systems are overhauled or replaced with refurbished drives or systems, though a vessel may still have aging drives with many thousands of hours of operation. Hull repairs are made where necessary (and they most always are), though it is virtually impossible to remove all indication of previous damage to a crystaliron-sheathed hull; however, six layers of vacuum-epoxy paint can do wonders for the appearance of an aging hull. But, not being new, conversions are also available for significant savings over the purchase of a new hull.

The price listed for each Type-S conversion reflects a new vessel price; roll 2d6 on the chart below to determine the actual selling price of a surplus converted Type-S hull as a percentage of the new price. The resolved price is generally indicative of how extensive renovation of ship systems was, or perhaps indicates the exceptional condition the surplus vessel was in prior to conversion… or may reflect the fact that systems weren’t quite worn enough to justify extensive work, which means that the worn drive systems may require extensive work in the not too distant future.