Zamzara was well guarded by the E555x series from pirates who attacked with fighters and corvettes. However, the appearance of a mysterious and powerful amber spaceship that explored the southern systems demonstrated a critical vulnerability. The Wyvern series do not have large shield capacitor banks and instead rely on their slim profile and thick armor to attack from medium range, neither of which is much impediment to powerful and accurate fire from modern battleships. After attempts to salvage the interloper led to a string of humbling defeats, Gallowglass was deployed as a much more robust fleet escort. The new ship has much stronger defensive systems but is similarly sized and still capable of frigate tender operation.
The new escort has comparable weaponry to Wyvern. The chaingun has been replaced by a slightly more powerful and compact revolver cannon with a slower rate of fire but better penetration power. The ship has eight forward-mounted anti ship missiles configured to fire in pairs which act as a powerful supplement to this weapon, fitted with advanced compression charge armour-piercing warheads. The ship’s plate-based energy pylon design gives good power density, but the main cannon can still drain the ship’s energy if it is fired during hard manoeuvring.
The most obvious difference in performance is the improved shield grid, which is now over five times as resilient. Whereas Wyvern could be disabled through a concerted fighter attack, Gallowglass was made to plough through melees with impunity. A sacrificial armour plate clads the prow and dorsal section of the ship, and correct piloting during large battles involves targeting enemies on the edge of the formation and turning the plate to absorb fire from the rest of the hostile fleet. Four point defence turrets provide full anti-missile coverage, and the ship has full strength ionic shield boosters and hull integrity fields. The docked armour also has a set of hardening effects modules which should be engaged before battle. In spite of its greater mass, the ship is just as fast as its predecessor.
The ship has two universal standard docking ports on either side with good clearance, and can carry interceptors into battle using its two jump drives. There is an onboard teleporter in the cabin next to a pressurized disposal chute for use in case of accidents. Cargo volume is a modest 6700 units and the ship has spacious quarters for its crew of two with a shower cubicle and dedicated galley. Control panel one contains weapon and jumpdrive controls, panel two the effects settings, radar jammer and docking controls.
