Interstellar Rescue

With the GFP pushing further and further into the unknown and uncharted areas, the challenges of space exploration, energy development and scientific technology and superiority are equalled by the dangers that they face. To that end a special rescue force with their own specialized vehicles and equipment was created tasked with spearheading dangerous missions and answering last chance distress calls. Interstellar Rescue are ready to challenge the impossible, defy the most perilous odds and take untold risks in defence of the galaxy.

The team's headquarters is on an island near Vanuatu. Its main building is a huge pyramid containing an entire city inside known as the Arcology. A space station in orbit is dedicated for use by IR and monitors mayday calls. This is made easier by a well maintained series of communications array platforms, which utilize hyper-subspace technology to greatly reduce the time it would normally take for a message to reach its destination. The arrays make use of cosmic field collector and transmitter hardware. The arrays are visited regularly by fleet engineers for periodic maintenance or upgrades. The central faceted dish and three outer articulated antenna paddles can bore deep through subspace to pick up faint whispers of signals that might normally have been considered lost through energy dissipation over tens of thousands of light-years. The longer, multi-panel collectors comprise the omnidirectional detector system, which tells the array to slew around to maximize signal energy input. Different energy levels can be focused by the dish into a mobile feed horn "cab" riding hundreds or even thousands of meters away from its docking base. The cab contains banks of subspace preprocessors running at FTL speeds and can transmit preliminary results to the array's main computers via the short-range link or directly to earth by way of standard subspace radio.

Firebird 1

Name: Firebird 1

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1 + 20

A/DF: 5; MR: 4; DCR: 496

Atmosphere flight speed: Mach 22; Space flight speed: 75 million kph

Length: 62 metres

Weight: 125 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Wings (2): 1800 HPs each
Pilot's Cockpit: 1150 HPs (in an emergency the cockpit can be used as an escape pod)
Main Body: 2480 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
Electron Battery: 1 forward
Electron Torpedo: 1 forward launcher

Cargo:
Firebird 1A
Firebird 1B

A sleek, hypersonic rocket plane used for fast response, rescue zone reconnaissance, and as a mobile control base. Firebird 1 is endowed with VTOL capabilities and can reach anywhere on Earth within an hour's flight if a great circle route can be flown. It also carries Firebirds 1A and 1B.
Firebird 1A

Name: Firebird 1A

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1

A/DF: 5; MR: 5; DCR: 96

Atmosphere flight speed: Mach 5; Space flight speed: 75 million kph

Length: 12 metres

Weight: 5 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Wings (2): 180 HPs each
Pilot's Cockpit: 240 HPs (in an emergency the cockpit can be used as an escape pod)
Main Body: 480 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Equipment:
Portable rescue equipment for human use.

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
Lasersonic: 1 forward

Firebird 1A is a one-man fast interceptor aircraft which is stored in the left section of Firebird 1.
Firebird 1B

Name: Firebird 1B

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1 + 10

A/DF: 3; MR: 3; DCR: 120

Atmosphere flight speed: Mach 2; Space flight speed: 75 million kph

Length: 15 metres

Weight: 9 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Wings (2): 300 HPs each
Pilot's Cockpit: 450 HPs (in an emergency the cockpit can be used as an escape pod)
Main Body: 600 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Equipment:
2 biobeds

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
None

Cargo:
None

Firebird 1B is a shuttle size craft which is stored in the right section of Firebird 1. Its main purpose is the emergency airlift of injured people.

 

Firebird 2

Name: Firebird 2

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1 + 50

A/DF: 4; MR: 2; DCR: 664

Atmosphere flight speed: Mach 12; Space flight speed: 75 million kph

Length: 140 metres

Weight: 193 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Engines (4): 2800 HPs each
Pilot's Cockpit: 2150 HPs (in an emergency the cockpit can be used as an escape pod)
Main Body: 3320 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Equipment:
A Hauser cable rocket launcher consisting of two electromagnetic grabs used to slow down fast moving objects.
A three pronged electromagnetic grab used to move small stationary objects.
A three pronged claw used to carry small objects away from the danger zone.
A grappler device used to clear debris from a disaster area.
A small circular electromagnetic grab used to move awkwardly shaped objects such as satellite dishes.

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
Electron Battery: 4 forward, 1 on top, underneath and each side
Electron Torpedo: 1 forward launcher

Cargo:
Detachable cargo pod which can carry up to 300 tonnage.

Firebird 2 is a large cargo hauler identical which stores the smaller interchangeable vehicles inside its cargo pods. Pods are used for large vehicles and are carried at the rear of the vehicle between the engines, with FB-2 landing vertically when carrying a pod. Firebird 2 is Interstellar Rescue's heavy-duty transporter aircraft which carries rescue equipment to the danger zone. If necessary Firebird 4 can also be carried in the pod.
Firebird 6

Name: Firebird 6

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1 + 20

A/DF: 4; MR: 4; DCR: 96

Land speed: 120 kph; underwater speed: 70 kph

Length: 6 metres

Weight: 30 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Drill: 700 HPs
Main Body: 480 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Equipment:
A high-speed, drill capable of boring through even the hardest rock to rescue individuals trapped underground. Due to an inbuilt thermal-imaging system in its drill bit, the Mole can be operated with acute precision to ensure that buried individuals are not endangered from rockfalls caused by drill movement despite the fact that the drill screw rotates in the wrong direction.

Defences:
Chaff
Kinetic Screen

Weapon Systems:
Lasersonic: 1 on top and underneath, both with 360 rotation

Cargo:
None

Firebird 6 is a large ground-tunnelling vehicle which is carried into missions by FB-2. It is capable of operating underwater. Caterpillar tracks on both sides enable it to return to the surface.
Firebird 7

Name: Firebird 7

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1 + 20

A/DF: 4; MR: 4; DCR: 120

Land speed: 100 kph; underwater speed: 40 kph

Length: 15 metres

Weight: 75 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Dozer Blade: 300 HPs
Main Body: 600 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Equipment:
Dozer Blade for clearing obstructions.
2 forward cannons which can fire shells to extinguish fires at their source. A rear gun can also be used to extinguish fires using foam or water.
Elevator platform can extend and support up to 300 tonnage.

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
Electron Battery: 1 on each side with 360 rotation

Cargo:
None

Firebird 7 is a bulldozer-like vehicle which can move extremely heavy weights with an extending platform, much like an elevator car. It is also capable of operating underwater. It is also fire-proof used for demolition and fire fighting work.

 

Firebird 3

Name: Firebird 3

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 2 + 80

A/DF: 4; MR: 2; DCR: 664

Atmosphere flight speed: Mach 12; Space flight speed: 75 million kph

Length: 440 metres retracted/570 metres with vanes extended

Weight: 7250 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Engines (4): 2800 HPs each
Pilot's Cockpit: 2150 HPs (in an emergency the cockpit can be used as an escape pod)
Main Body: 3320 HPs

Drive:
Impulse Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine
Warp Engine X

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
Electron Battery: 4 forward, 1 on top, underneath and each side, all with 360 rotation
Electron Torpedo: 1 forward launcher

Cargo:
Usually Firebird 1, 2, 4 and their equipment.

Firebird 3 is a huge spacecraft which is bigger than any other Firebird bar only FB-5, where it spends most of its time docked. FB-3 is used for extended operations away from Earth and can store all of the other Firebirds (apart from FB-5) inside it. It can quickly reach most of the planets within the GFP.

 

Firebird 4

Name: Firebird 1

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1 + 20

A/DF: 4; MR: 2; DCR: 360

Ocean speed: 96 knots on surface/120 knots underwater with a depth of 5 kms

Length: 45 metres

Weight: 125 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Tower: 1150 HPs (in an emergency the cockpit can be used as an escape pod)
Main Body: 1800 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
Electron Battery: 1 on top and underneath, both with 360 rotation
Torpedo: 4 forward launchers

Cargo:
Firebird 4A
Firebird 4B

Firebird 4 is a deep sea rescue submarine which usually makes its way to the disaster area after being directly launched from home base. It is fitted with an adjustable searchlight which can be raised or lowered to reveal a variety of rescue instruments, such as cutting lasers, a pair of deployable grapple arms, electromagnets, demolition rockets and battering rams, which can be extended from the nose section. It also carries Firebirds 4A and 4B.
Firebird 4A

Name: Firebird 4A Mini Sub

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1 + 2

A/DF: 4; MR: 4; DCR: 72

Underwater speed: 60 knots with a depth of 5 kms

Length: 9 metres

Weight: 20 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Wings (2): 120 HPs each
Pilot's Cockpit: 150 HPs (in an emergency the cockpit can be used as an escape pod)
Main Body: 360 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Equipment:
Adjustable searchlight, cutting lasers, a pair of deployable grapple arms, electromagnets, demolition rockets and battering rams.

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
None

Cargo:
None

Firebird 4A is a smaller submarine which is carried inside FB-4 and deployed to reach places too small for FB-4 to travel.

Firebird 4B

Name: Firebird 4B Bathyscape

Type: Rescue Class

Crew: 1 + 4

A/DF: 4; MR: 4; DCR: 96

Underwater speed: 50 knots with a depth of 15 kms

Length: 12 metres

Weight: 5.5 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Wings (2): 180 HPs each
Pilot's Cockpit: 240 HPs (in an emergency the cockpit can be used as an escape pod)
Main Body: 480 HPs

Drive:
Fusion Engine
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine

Equipment:
Adjustable searchlight, cutting lasers, 4 deployable grapple arms, electromagnets, and demolition rockets.

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen

Weapon Systems:
None

Cargo:
None

Firebird 4B is a deep-water Bathyscaphe capable of travelling far below crush depth, carried aboard FB-4.

 

Firebird 5

Name: Firebird 5

Type: Space Station Class

Crew: 50 + 5000

A/DF: 1; MR: 1; DCR: 40,000

Atmosphere flight speed: 0; Space flight speed: 0

Length: 5 kilometres

Weight: 220,000 tons

Armour: Crystallion
Main Body: 200,000 HPs
Towers: 150,000 HPs

Drive:
Manoeuvring Thrusters
Solar Cells Engine
Fusion Engine

Equipment:
Personal Transporter x150
Cargo Transporter x150
Various emergency equipment and vehicles

Defences:
Chaff
Energy Screen
Kinetic Screen
ICMs: 100 total spread around the ring
Point Defence Guns: 100 total spread around the ring

Cargo:
50 Earth Class Shuttles
35 Mars Class Shuttles
25 Jupiter Class Shuttles
10 Saturn Class Shuttles
3 Sidewinder Fighters

Firebird 5 is the largest Firebird, a massive space station manned by hundreds of IR personnel, monitoring all broadcasts around the galaxy for calls for help and also manages communications within Interstellar Rescue. It is in a geosynchronous orbit, 36,000 kms above the Pacific Ocean. It features artificial gravity, a holographic computer system, is equipped with almost completely automated onboard systems, allowing the entire station to be run by a single crew member in a catastrophic emergency. Firebird 5 is surveillance and data technology is far advanced and able to access almost any kind of digital information that is not secured.

 

 

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