Database and Lore

The Krit Class Scouting Battleship

* Spoilers if you haven't read past Gabatrix: The First Peace arc* “The attack crabs of the Shal’rein are ones that are often laughed at in the intelligence briefing rooms, yet, they still surprise many. When they take down other warships, suddenly everyone stops laughing,” a UHN ensign 2350 The oddity of the Krit class has been one of mild interest by many. What was designed to be a simple supplement to the Dyo class scout was one that had made its reputation known from time. Of course, the vessel is designed to serve different roles in fleet engagements. While many place the threat level of such a ship near the bottom, it is one that has still surprised the wayward captain or crew alike. Even the Krit class is one that goes to the adage “there is no such thing as a weak Shal’rein.” Design There was originally a mystery of the function of the Krit class. Some originally saw them as a direct replacement to the Dyo class Scouting Battleship. This was mostly proven to be false. The reports started to come in that showed that the vessel lacked much of the advanced sensor packages that the Dyo had. It was later revealed that the Krit was intended to be a fleet tug. In large-scale fleets, the scouting battleships still had an important role in breaking off and investigating areas without having to send the entire fleet into some wayward direction. While the Krit class was supposed to have this sort of role, its primary function was to be able to latch onto disabled vessels and carry them to safety. It could even latch onto enemy vessels and tow them for capture or rip the target to smaller pieces in attack roles. Besides the mechanical arms, the ship would carry other weapons from a light triple railgun turret and additional guns on the arms. From there, it made more sense to most UHN commanders on what the Krit was supposed to do and ways to counter them. Another major breakthrough in Itrean technology was the new ablative armor. It is quite resilient and can be applied to certain areas of the hull. While it can’t completely save the ship from harm, it’s still resilient. The Krit would have the front bow section utilize the armor weave into the armor plates. Supposedly, it can redirect a direct hit from a light railgun round. History The first sets of Krits came out sometime in 2347. While they are still very much brand new of a concept, armed tugs were still often seen in all Itrean clans in the past. However, the Shal’rein still places much emphasis on the vessel and its capabilities. Right from the start of their commissioning, they were dispatched to operate in large-scale fleets or independently in whatever harassment role they could be put into. While much of their service record seems quiet, the various reports indicate that the Krits were used well in their supportive roles. With only a couple of years of service, only so many have been spotted to really report on their capabilities. Like anything else, the Itrean clans rarely place their scouting battleships into direct combat unless it is part of a fleet. However, the Krit was designed more directly as a light combat vessel instead of the Dyo class. The few times that they had been encountered in battle, they simply acted like light attack vessels.   * Spoilers if you haven't read past Gabatrix: The Shira Maneuver arc* A Krit Scouting Battleship would make a noteworthy appearance when one began to attack commercial vessels in the Paloran asteroid belt. At first, many simply thought that the Nova Pirates had a brand-new attack ship. Instead, it was quickly revealed that a Shal’rein scout ship had snuck into the debris field. It was using its advanced forward armor and a small profile to launch ambushes against the commercial and mining vessels. Meanwhile, it had an entire asteroid field to hide and attack targets of opportunity. The asteroid belt was the perfect place for scout ships to operate since the numerous rocks could allow the ships to observe activity in the solar system while using the debris as cover. The scout ship managed to inflict some damage until the military transport Jian Seng, led by the commissioned enlisted Shal’rein, Shira, had slowed down the scout ship. The ship and crew stalled and lured the Krit long enough for UHN reinforcements to destroy it successfully. It’s unknown if there are any other Shal’rein or Aksren clan warships that are using the asteroid field as an observation point in the Paloran system.