Asura-class Assault Shuttle

The is a USR vessel used for high speed response, VIP transport and low profile assault missions.

Description
The Asura-class is based closely on civilian shuttles used by the Covenant for centuries, and modified by the best and brightest USR engineers for more offensively minded missions. The original shuttle was a simply personnel transport, with a moderate cargo bay and the ability to transport several soldiers in relatively comfort. During the civil war, numerous shuttles were outfitted with ad-hoc weapons and used for raids, launching a strike and dropping off a small party of raiders. Recognising this, the USR commissioned several of these shuttles to be professionally modified into an offensive assault shuttle. Thus, the Asura was born.

The Asura-class has many of the amenities of a civilian shuttle, with comfortable living spaces, economic use of space, modular ship equipment, a medical facility and ample cargo bay. It also has a small but efficient slipspace drive and safe reactor. As part of its military refit, the Asura was fitted with a remotely operated dual heavy plasma turret, and two forward facing plasma cannons, and the room to fit two weapon pods, without sacrificing in-board cargo capacity or power distribution. It was also fitted with more powerful repulsor engines, more efficient shielding emitters and armour plating, allowing it to go into stand up fights against fighters. Internally, the Asura consists of three decks. The bottom deck is the cargo bay, which can carry a good bit of cargo, and maybe even a light vehicle or two. On the middle deck, it carries the crew quarters on the starboard side, the medical and armoury on the port and in the centre it has three modular rooms that can be refitted for a variety of tasks. At the fore, it has the bridge, with room for the pilot, co-pilot and weapons officer. Between the medical bay and armoury is the docking port. At the rear is the ramp leading out. The top most deck consists of the reactor and slipspace drive room, as well as an airlock for leaving the ship to preform maintenance.

The Asura-class is used for a wide variety of purposes, such as a high speed raider for the Navy, special forces transport for the Special Warfare Branch, VIP transport, light cargo hauler, escort and rapid response vessel. It is also employed by various Military Orders for their missions, such as being used by Ascetics during their missions, or by sects of Crusaders in their personal wars.