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Somtaaw "Seeker"-Class Reconnaissance Fighter
Mass: 41 tons
Firepower: 40
Armor: 25
Coverage: 4%
Maneuverability: very high
Max. Velocity: 1050 m/s
Special Action: None

The Seeker-class of Deep Reconnaissance and Survey vessels was one of the first original designs produced by the Kiith Somtaaw engineering families. The first priority of the Somtaaw mining fleet was to find and process the rarest and most valuable resources in deep space, especially exotic volatiles and super-stable elements. To this end, Somtaaw purchased the manufacturing rights to the Heavy Neutrino scanning array from Kiith S'jet. While the unusual size of the scanning array means it is usually placed on research platforms or frigate-sized explorers, Somtaaw needed the array to rapidly search entire systems at relatively close range. To that end, Somtaaw engineers have basically wrapped a simple cockpit and maneuver drive around the array. While the shakedown period for this design was extensive, due to the unorthodox approach, the result is a high-speed recon platform that has the attributes of a standard light fighter and the sensor abilities of a ship 20 or 30 times the size and expense.

While the initial prototype was unarmed, repeated encounters with Turanic raiders convinced Somtaaw Fleet Command that the Seeker needed to carry some sort of weapons system. In the end, a light mass driver was jury-rigged on a belly mount, which gives the Seeker a limited self-defense capability that can usually deter raiders until the recon ship can use its superior speed to escape. While the main function of the Seeker's array is to scan for minerals and radiation signatures, it can be quickly reconfigured to track vessels.

Because most recon patrols must spend long periods of time in a small cockpit, many Seeker pilots are young, single women of smaller stature. This has led to deep recon missions being referred to as "Heartbreak Patrols"�but whether this has more to do with the stress they put on fledgling relationships or the disruptions caused by these pilots making up for lost time upon their return is not known.

Required Tech	-	NONE
Upgrade Tech	-	ADVANCED SENSORS ADVANCED FIGHTER DRIVE ENERGY CANNON ARMOR LEVEL 2