Shachihoko Maru

[Novascova]

Shachihoko Maru

Donau Rheinland Cruiser
Disabled 826 A.S.
Recovered 827 A.S.
Launched 833 A.S.
Status: Active

The Shachihoko Maru, was a former Rheinland cruiser which partook in some of the final battles on the Sigma Front during the Second Rheinland-GMG War and as such is one of the more recent additions to the Guilds forces. The ship was formerly known as the RNC-Drechen

---

After the ship was ready and launched, the Sigma conflict was coming to a close, but nonetheless they were organized into Kolleda's battlegroup. The ship was headed by Captain Rudolph Landoff, an Officer straight from the academy, but in terms of actual combat experience he has very little.

The Drechen was assigned to hold space for the Rheinland fleet, and to hold the back line for the advancing Rheinland fleet as it tried to penetrate deeper into Sigma-21. With the Rheinland fleet making little progress in the system, the ship seldom saw action outside of the occasional Guild forces attempting to break through the rear lines of the Rheinland forces. The Drechen was less of a frontline cruiser and more of a supporting unit for the greater Rheinland fleet. The ship had upgraded sensors and communication equipment and was used as a go-between for the frontline units and the Kolleda.

It wasn't long before Rheinland had begun to fall into a civil war, and as such many of the Kolleda's ships were forced to return home, but the Drechen was not among them. As the Captain and crew had come to agree with the anti-GMG sentiment that many of the others in Kolleda's battlegroup had believed in. As such along with the Kolleda herself, the Drechen was slow to retreat back to Rheinland space. Ulitmately this would be her downfall, as the ship was retreating it found its way lost in the Mekong Cloud. Subsequently the ship was lost for quite sometime and the ship presumed lost by the greater Rheinland forces.

The Guild found the ship weeks later, and the majority of the vessel was found in good condition. The only noticeable damage was on the rear of the vessel, destroying the engine, and a breach in the lower section of the vessel. When Guild paramilitary teams entered the vessel they found signs of a fight onboard. The Guild teams were able to identify many of the weapons used in the firefights were of Rheinland origin, suggesting some of the crew attempted to seize control of the vessel. Other signs show that the majority of the fighting was centered around the breach in the vessel, suggesting the vessel was boarded by unknown forces.

After a report was made, the vessel was secured and towed back to Niigata for a diagnosis of damage and a preliminary repair. The ships weapon systems and engine components were severely damaged. Both of these systems required significant time to repair and return to optimal levels. The main hull of the ship was in fairly good condition except for the large breach in the lower section. After it was returned to Niigata, the primary focus was on repairing that major hole in the ships structure. Afterwards the engine system was gutted and replaced with a system up to Guild standards. The weapon systems are still under repair, but testing is already underway with a retrofitted powercore.

---