Zaibatsu Hermes Small Trader

Here is a small trader I created for an adventure for Stars without number I am attempting to write. I eventually wrote the small trader out of the plot but I might as well post it. It is a bit of a strange ship because I needed an escape craft that could maneuver.

The Hermes is an older light trader launched in 3155 by Zaibatsu Corporation on Comarid. It proved very popular in the Comarid region and some of them made there way to the Unity of Suns region. The Zaibatsu corporation went bankrupt as part of the coup that installed a military government on Comarid ub 3169.  This has made it very hard to get parts for the spike-1 engines on the Hermes which were proprietary technology of the shipbuilder.

A battered Hermes Light Trader that has seen many owners

No new Hermes light traders are available. The vast majority of them are about 35 years old and have seen multiple owners. Resale prices depend on condition and can vary from 300K to 360K. The most important part of the ship to set resale price is the condition of the engines. Thirty plus year old spike drive engines can become a little quirky, especially if they have seen a lot of use.

The Hermes is configured for atmospheric entry and has a large cargo bay that could hold a standard 30 foot by 10 foot Medium container but normally it is filled with a few dozen small containers.The Hermes has extended stores and can support up to three full time crew. Some captains have turned the crew quarters into a few cabins for passengers.

Hermes Trader fueling on Tyr

One peculiar feature of the Hermes is the escape module. The entire nose cone of the Hermes is designed to separate from the main hull and has a pair of single jump spike-1 engines. Most Hermes traders never have to use this feature and the escape engines are often cannibalized for parts for the larger main engines.

The Hermes Escape Module

Hermes Light Trader Key Characteristics

Speed 4, Armour 2, Hit Points 12, Crew 1-3, AC 7, Power 5, Free Mass 4, Hardpoints 1.

Atmospheric configuration, Spike drive-1, Lifeboat, Cargo Space, Extended Stores, Mult-focal laser.

Cut Away view of the Hermes Light Trader