K'Nes stress style over substance, even in warship design. (Click for larger image)
The Contract-class was the smallest fighter carrier built by the K'Nes Tor for the Tor Navy, intended primarily for guarding cargo convoys through hostile territory. It carried seven squadrons of starfighters (84 fighters total), although it only has 80 fighter launch tubes, assuming that at any given time there will be a few fighters down for repairs, refueling, rearming, etc.
Drive Systems[]
The Loophole is powered by a standard ion drive. As the Contract class was designed to escort cargo convoys along commercial and military hyperspace lanes using existing jumpgates, it was not equipped with a gravity drive.
Weapon Systems[]
Designed to operate as a lone warship without support if necessarily, it is more heavily armed that a typical K'Nes fighter carrier. It carries a larger number of short-range (Chemlasers) and mid-range (Fusion Cannons) weapons in omni-directional turret mounts, rather than focusing on large capital weapons in fixed mounts. That said, it is equipped with two powerful fixed-mount Hellbore Cannons as its capital weapon system, as well as ten Lance Torpedoes launch tubes for long-range attacks. It's defended with a point-defense network of forty plasma phalanx turrets. As with most K'Nes ships, it's equipped with stealth suite, but only a basic one (it needs to be noticed in order to deter attacks on cargo convoys!), although it may carry fighters with more advanced stealth systems.
History[]
After the Federation defeat of the K'Nes Tor in the Second Vulthra War, all ships of this class were destroyed, scuttled, or confiscated and dismantled by the Earth Federation. However one Contract-class, the Loophole, survived the war and Human Occupation when it was hijacked by former Tor Navy officer Gurrmew K'Laek K'Soth of the Gurrmew & Yeomurt LLP megacorp, and used to lead a guerrilla campaign against Earth Fleet in his home system of K'Laek. When the K'Nes declared independence after the Caal Invasion shattered the strength of the Federation, the Loophole became a powerful political symbol as the lone survivor not only of its class, but of the entire K'Nes Tor Navy. Sadly, it was destroyed during the Ascension War in the Battle of Purrfang, when it helped prevent a hostile takeover by Pirr Varrless by destroying the Horadrim tunnel-drive warship supporting Varrless's coup attempt.
Behind the Scenes[]
The Loophole was designed by player Ed Stasheff, and very loosely inspired by the Destiny from Stargate: Universe.