Hyborean Picti DD

When the Howard expedition vanished from its planned course, few on Earth suspected that they might have been transported far across both time and space. Emerging onto a seemingly deserted stretch of space with a plethora of habitable planets, they began building and expanding swiftly. Resources were plentiful and all seemed well.

Within a few decades, nationalist tensions among the colonists drove the nascent confederation into division. What had been a united series of colonies fractured into a half-dozen states each proclaiming their own sovereignty. Contact with the Draconian Empire and the Tharkad Supremacy complicated the colonists' defense needs even further.

Founded by colonists hailing from Scandinavia and the British Isles, the Kingdom of Hyborea was one of the largest of the human realms in what would come to be known as the Hyborean Reaches. They would bear the brunt of the assault in the First Draconian War, and despite their early losses they would fight hard and long for their freedom.

The Picti was initially conceived as a cheaper alternative to the Caledonia. These somewhat undersized ships perform patrol and escort duties throughout Hyborean space. In peacetime, those not operating as system guard vessels are most often found along the Kingdom's major trade routes, keeping a sharp eye out for pirates and smugglers. In wartime, they often serve to escort battle squadrons, tying their impressive point-defense suites into a squadron-wide network to provide defense against incoming missile fire.

A pair of Worcestinghouse "Kite" hyperdrive nacelles provides satisfactory FTL performance, matched by a trio of Horn-Nelson Type Six EMPulse thrusters for STL maneuvering. The Horn-Nelsons are designed for high fuel efficiency on low power settings, allowing the Picti to cruise alongside slower merchantmen or capital ships without complicating logistical problems. 

The Picti's weapons suite is seen as unimpressive by critics, her main guns a lighter caliber and half the number of the Caledonia's. Her torpedo load, however, is double that of her larger sibling, capable of launching eight at once for a powerful salvo. In wartime, these are often supplemented by external ordinance racks with additional heavy missiles.Where the Caledonia's close-in firepower is provided by her serried ranks of shock-bolt projectors, the Picti mounts a large array of dual-purpose shock-bolt turrets, similar to those mounted on the Orkney strike cruiser. These small weapons can fire on enemy missiles or ships with equal ease. 

Many civilians find the cramped quarters of these tiny vessels to be uncomfortable and speculate that the crew morale must be horrible. Nothing can be further from the truth -- while the personal quarters are tiny, great attention was paid to recreational facilities and other comfort factors. The crews of these little ships often have some of the best esprit de corps in the entire fleet.