Shantar Maru

[Mephistoles]

Carrier Shantar Maru

Shantar Maru

Bustard Civilian Carrier
Laid Down 824 A.S.
Launched 825 A.S.
Status: Deployed

The Bustard civilian carrier is a publicly available design, conceived with standardisation and economic conservation in mind. While this ship does not lend itself well to direct pound-for-pound combat involvement, its cost-effective and efficient design is more than suited to a role as a mobile command centre and fighter craft hangar, whilst retaining the ability to act as a light fire support platform in a pinch.

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In 824 A.S. construction of the Shantar Maru was initiated as a test run of the Gas Miners Guild's shipbuilding systems as part of Project Kikou. This undertaking was overseen by Chief Enginner Anna Neumann and in 825 A.S. a test flight was completed around Sigma-59 with a fighter escort. The ship entered active service immediately after and has performed admirably since, notably in the deconstruction of a number of illegal installations. Due to Bustard's unsuitability for direct ship to ship combat it would typically hang in reserve until any defence these installations may have possessed had been neutralised, approaching in safety to bring its weaponry to bear.

Destruction of Tsingtao Station

Perhaps the most significant of these operations the Shantar Maru has attended is the destruction of Tsingtao Station, which was a thinly veiled attempt by the Restored Empire of Kusari and Federal Republic of Rheinland combined to invade and conquer rightful GMG space. A sizeable detachment of the Rheinland Military engaged in an active defence and the Shantar Maru held position safely out of the scope of the battle until all defending ships were destroyed. Once the defence was routed, it could then approach and assist in the deconstruction of the offending installation. This has proven to be an effective modus operandi.

Most of the ship's time is spent lurking in the Sigma-21 system, keeping an eye on this as yet unsecured space. Owing to its smaller size and higher speed, the lighter civilian carrier is more suitable to fulfill this role than the heavier Daishouri Maru, which instead remains in position obscured in the Tonkin Nebula. The mobility of the Shantar Maru enables it to move swiftly throughout Guild space in the Sigma Systems, allowing it the ability to quickly reposition, where it may swiftly deploy its resident trademark GMG fighter swarms as and where required.

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