The Firelance class of frigate is one of the deadliest special-purpose combat vessels ever made. When Kushan scientists finally made a breakthrough in directed particle beam technology, it was clear that it was just too large to mount effectively on the current class of capital ship hulls. Unwilling to wait for the evolution of larger hulls, combat engineers went to work wrapping a frigate class hull around the huge ion cannon itself. The result was the Firelance class of frigate, whose only real combat function is to deliver the incredible damage potential of the Ion Cannon to the battle. There are few sights more terrifying to the enemy than one of their ships caught in a web of flaring ruby beams.

Unfortunately, this power does not come without a price, and the spinal mounting of the Cannon makes the Firelance one of the least adaptable ships in the fleet. In order to aim the beam, the entire ship must be moved and the massive power requirements needed to generate the accelerated ion stream means there is nothing left to power point defense turrets or even redundant life support systems. So while the Firelance has a reputation as a giant-killer, it is very vulnerable to small strike craft, which can easily dodge the ion cannon while delivering fire to the vulnerable sides and rear of the frigate. Traditionally, the first sign that a battle is going badly for a Kushan fleet is when the Firelances turn away and begin to retreat, before the line collapses and they are beset from all sides.