The Essential Guide to Force Exile/Discblade transport

Discblade transport

Description
The Discblade transport was one of the first designs by Kraechar Arms. Like the Shii-cho-class transport, it was praised for its performance, unlike early combat designs produced by Kraechar Arms. Rugged, reliable, and simple, it was a hallmark design of Kraechar Arms, serving admirably in its inglorious role. The Discblade was a medium transport, designed primarily for hauling cargo on short jumps, chiefly surface-to-orbit hauls, though it was equipped with a hyperdrive as well.

Similar in concept and purpose to the ubiquitous light freighters, the Discblade enjoyed a few benefits lacking on typical light freighters. The first was that its hull design was sturdier than most legally-operated freighters. Also, it boasted improved sensors, allowing for earlier detection of possible threats. Superior engine fueling systems also allowed the Discblade to be quickly refueled for rapid turnaround.

The basic hull of the Discblade was a simple rectangular ship with a forward cockpit. Two cabins and a crew lounge were located in the forward area, with engineering and machinery compartments along the side. The main body and stern of the transport were devoted to cargo space. Access to the spacious cargo bay was afforded by a sizable stern hatch as well as a cargo elevator for lowering items down to the ground level.

The engines of the Discblade were mounted out to the side so as to not constrict cargo bay access. The initial design only had two engines, but it was judged underpowered in simulations. Instead, two more engines were added instead of redesigning the engine. However, a strict width requirement in order to navigate docking ports and tight canyons/forest passages meant that the engines had to be stacked vertically. This necessitated a revamp of the landing gear system and addition of a cargo elevator. However, this change synergized well with a separate requirement to carry standard-size Yanibar Guard cargo containers in an underslung configuration.

For defensive armament, the Discblade originally sported a single laser cannon in a stern dorsal turret along with a tractor beam projector, so as to not carry obtrusive armament. This was panned almost unanimously by Discblade captains, who were generally former smugglers or spacers and were used to having more weaponry on their souped-up ships. Faced with either protests or captains planning on modifying their ships independently and creating a standardization nightmare, Kraechar Arms caved and added two laser cannons in the fore the ship, fixed forward. The tractor beam projector was fairly powerful for a ship of its size, allowing Discblades to tow damaged vessels, though many Discblades would be needed to tow a larger ship at a reasonable speed.

History
The Discblade did not have a glamorous service life. The model first entered service in 10 BBY and was regarded as a serviceable, reliable cargo transport that compared favorably with other light transports of its day. It was versatile, could haul plenty of cargo, and was suitably fast and well-defended. More were quietly added, serving in support roles. Discblade transports were not designed for combat and aside from a few isolated incidents, never entered it. They were used more frequently for minor humanitarian operations that were necessitated by Yanibar's vicious weather.

Many an Outsider settlement had their first (and likely only) exposure to the Yanibar Guard in the form of Javelin shuttles performing rescue work while Discblade transports delivered supplies and served as mobile hospitals. The large cargo bay could easily be converted into an impromptu treatment clinic or surgical theater and "medical support craft" was soon a standard customization kit available for Discblades as needed. They were deployed on larger ships as well, particularly the Niman and Soresu-class vessels.

Discblades were present at the Battle of Drexel, but did not directly participate in combat. Discblades present at the Battle of Yanibar were used to transport supplies to various areas of the battle, but were not employed in a combat role. A few fired shots at distant targets or received fire, but despite its martial namesake, the Discblade was not a warfighting craft. Instead, it supported combat operations by making vital deliveries of supplies and personnel in small-scale parcels. The reliable craft performed this role for over thirty years in the service of the Yanibar Guard as the embodiment of the Yanibar Guard mentality of making small but vital contributions with efficiency and reliability.

Behind the scenes
The Discblade was one of the more obscure craft of the Yanibar Guard, scarcely ever mentioned in Force Exile works. It was designed to serve as a cargo transport, as the Wan-Shen-class transports were too large for small cargoes and the Javelin shuttle was incapable of carrying sizable payloads. In particular, without the Discblade, the Yanibar Guard would have no vehicle smaller than a Wan-Shen or Shii-Cho-class capable of transporting Mauler heavy tanks to the surface. One key requirement was that it be able to pick up and carry payloads slung underneath its body.

Originally, the Discblade was intended to be shaped like its namesake weapon, with a disk-like appearance and four protrusions. However, Force Exile creator Atarumaster88 was never satisfied with the design. Ultimately, he utilized a design that had some design influences from a scorpion&mdash;with the elevated tail turret containing the vehicle's primary "sting" and the two engines out on pods in imitation of the claws. He considered using forward-swept wings to further add to the scorpion resemblance, but decided that would feel too stylized. The Discblade's design was intended to be unglamorous and built for practicality and durability, hence the simplistic shapes and geometry in its basic design.

To depict the Discblade, Ataruamster88 used SolidWorks 2011 to create a 3-D digital model of the ship. Advanced techniques which had been developed in previous models were employed, including texturing and decals. One new technique showcased in the Discblade transport model was the use of engine glow, employed for the first time in SolidWorks as opposed to using PhotoShop to apply it post-render. While the Discblade had not been previously slated for SolidWorks modeling due to its obscurity, Atarumaster88 used it as an opportunity to record the modeling process and post a sped-up video of the process online as an illustration of his methodology. The Discblade was one of the most technically complex models Atarumaster88 has created and several iterations of design and texturing were needed to produce the end result.

Appearances

 * Yanibar Guard Sourcebook