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"Thief"-Class Corvette
Mass: 660 tons
Firepower: 200
Armor: 1200
Coverage: 10%
Maneuverability: high
Max. Velocity: 550 m/s

The Turanic Raiders survive by two means: raiding orbital settlements through superior force of arms, and capturing enemy ships whole. It is the act of stealing entire vessels whole which has brought the ancient term "pirate" back into common usage. Using similar control override systems as those onboard the Taiidani Salvage Corvette, the aptly code-named Thief-class Corvette is the standard Raider capture vessel. The Thief is very heavily armed and armored when compared to a conventional salvage corvette, and carries twin mass driver turrets mounted on either side of the forward crew compartment. Its override equipment is mounted in a well-protected bay in the belly of the Thief, and grapples onto the target as contact is made between the two hulls. As the connection is made, the salvaging equipment drills into the enemy ship's hull and subverts any and all control systems, rendering the enemy ship helpless as the Thief tows it back to base.

The larger rear area of the Thief contains a spartan crew compartment, which holds a strike team capable of burning their way through a hull and taking a ship by force if need be. Some tactical analysts believe that some Thief Corvettes might have replaced this assault compartment with some sort of sophisticated stealth technology, which allows them to catch their targets unaware. This theory was raised as an answer to an ever-increasing number of ships lost to the Raiders over the past few years. In many cases, the Raiders struck fast enough that no distress signal or beacon was set off. Data recovered from vessels recaptured from the pirates have produced data fragments that seem to show the sudden appearance of several Thief Corvettes. Further investigation by both Hiigaran and Republican Taiidan intelligence forces continues.