Database and Lore

The Dyo Class Scouting Battleship

*Spoilers if you haven’t read Gabatrix: The First Peace* “The Dyo, a good name, for she is the smallest fish in any group, the fiercest and bravest, but the smartest of all,” Adjunct Coi’trein, 2339.  The first recon warship was built by the Shal’rein clan since the collapse of the United Itrean Republic. The Dyo is usually present in any large-scale fleet. Even if there are only a few of them, the warships will always perform their roles well, being the first to dive into a conflict while serving as the first line of reconnaissance.    Design The Dyo class is a deliberate outgrowth of the Sira class Research Vessel. Even before the outbreak of the Itrean Civil War in 2339, the Shal’rein knew they needed a replacement vessel for their aging Siras. Their combat capability was too weak, and they lacked the ability to pose any threat in any large-scale battle. However, the Shal’rein clan has a history of well-made scouting vessels. Their Ko’Jarlin served as deep-space science vessels that were often considered the greatest Itrean reconnaissance ships ever made. They were purposely built to carry a sizeable number of gate probes and supplies to last years in space without ever the need to resupply. However, the Ko’Jarlin did suffer some limitations as they were often expensive to build (75% of a typical battleship) and were still limited in combat operations. Many often considered the Ko’Jarlin to be too overly complex for such a simple task. In the 2330s, the Shal’rein decided to partially recreate the Ko’Jarlin by using the Sira class as a stepping platform. It was often argued that the Shal’rein clan hated the Siras as it was more built for the smaller Yutilians and Aksren. Instead, the Shal’rein saw a better solution. A decision was made in 2337 to gut their Sira class and do a complete overhaul. Their interiors were rebuilt to fit Shal’rein’s equipment better and make the environment more well-suited for Shal’rein to operate inside. The Dyo would carry improved sensor equipment better than the Sira, along with a light railgun and four sets of autoguns for self-defense. Much of the parts from the Sira class were interchangeable, and more could be quickly built in turn. Another major improvement was the introduction of the so- called “Koli’Dresha’Holbein” or “Salvaging Tendrils.” The Ko’Jarlin utilized this as well, carrying a small manufacturing bay in the rear compartment. This survival tool allowed the scouting ships to repair ships or reach asteroid fields and mine the basic components to replace its supply of gate probes if separated from its home base. While it was never heavily used in the past, it proved to be a useful tool regardless.           The Shal’rein clan was impressed with the overall improvement. Its cost was significantly cheaper than the Ko’Jarlins while still utilizing the parts of the Siras. In 2338, the go-ahead was made to refit the remaining research vessels and build more, with the first commissioned Dyo in 2339. History The arrival of the Dyo class was perfect. Their goal was to serve alongside Shal’rein battle fleets as an intended recon ship. In operations of ten battleships or more, there would at least be one scouting vessel to hitch along the ride. If the fleet needed to extend its sensor radius, the Dyo would be there to do that. If the ship needed to break off and investigate another area of the system, then the Dyo would do just that. It was argued that the Dyo was everywhere in some form or fashion. Many considered the ship to be a perfect vessel for its role and were so popular that they formed the majority of scouting ships in early war fleets in 2339. There were plenty of them, and construction quotas for them were always met. It was believed that 99% of the Shal’rein Siras were scrapped by 2341 to make way for the Dyo. It wasn’t to say that the Dyo was a genuine combat platform. Even if its armament was far better than the Sira, the Dyo was still a reconnaissance ship. Its fragility in battle was always made apparent, and Fleet Adjuncts would often complain that the Dyo would be destroyed first in any battle. Many would argue in return that the Dyos were never intended to be thrown directly into frontline combat anyway, a situation that the Aksren Sivs were notoriously used for. They were not designed as escort ships. However, this didn’t stop the Dyos from being used in this form of fashion. Its sensor capability was far better than the Aksren Siv counterparts. The Shal’rein were smarter in how they employed them and always ensured that they produced just enough to prevent them from being turned into sacrificial warships. With the introduction of the Krit class, many analysts thought that they were being made to replace the Dyo, but it proved otherwise. Instead, they only supplement the current recon ship. The Shal’rein shipyards are still building new Dyos, even as far as 2350. Even in the Battle of Oshun of 2349, a Dyo was part of the invading Shal’rein fleet, ironically, being the last Shal’rein ship to be destroyed as it tried to reach the planet’s atmosphere.