If
you think of Fleet Command as a Goddess -- as most pilots in
the Kushan fleet jokingly do -- then the Heavy Cruiser is
nothing less than a projection of divine wrath onto the
mortal plane. The Avatar class Heavy cruiser is the most
powerful vessel constructed since the Mothership. Over four
times the size of a Revelation class Destroyer, the Avatar
can direct more firepower than any ship in the fleet, and
can absorb amazing amounts of damage while still remaining
combat effective.
An excellent firing
arc is provided by six heavy turrets, each mounting a rail
gun almost half the size of an entire
frigate. While these turrets can engage and destroy more
nimble opponents, even more fear is inspired by the four
twin-mounted ion cannons. Against this kind of withering
fire, even Mothership class vessels cannot stand for long.
Avatars are the stars
of any Kushan fleet that can afford the massive resources
required to build and crew them. The ship's complement--150
engineers, gunners and command crew positions aboard a Heavy
cruiser--are the choicest assignments throughout the fleet,
and even more vied-for than bridge positions aboard the
Mothership. If there is an Avatar in the fleet, it will
always be at the center of whatever action is occurring, and
ambitious personnel can find no better place to earn
distinction and recognition. Of course, while the Avatar is
powerful and very heavily armored, it is not
invulnerable--with every enemy gun trained on it, the
Avatar's tactical priority is as much to draw fire from more
vulnerable ships as it is to destroy enemy vessels. As a
result, the repair systems aboard a Heavy Cruiser are the
most sophisticated to be found in the fleet.
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