Vic Viper Vednesday, Week 3: Guardsman 9

It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for…

What happens when it’s 6:00 pm on Vic Viper Vednesday, and the ship I’m halfway through building starts exhibiting serious design flaws?  Design flaws substantial enough that there’s no way to fix it before Ved-, er, Wednesday comes to an end? 

What happens?  The planned Vic Viper gets postponed a week (or two?), and in its place you get…things like this. 

Guardsman 9

One of thirteen Guardsman-class Starfighters protecting black market cargoliner The Frog Princess, Guardsman 9 is piloted by a curious individual known only as the Black Bullet. 

 

Guardsman 9 (like its twelve siblings) is typically housed in The Frog Princess’ starfighter hangar, aimed ‘downward’ so that its entire complement of ships can drop into space, then reorient themselves to meet whatever enemy ships, vacuum-dwelling space monsters, or other deep space hazards are responsible for calling them into service. 

Once the ship has hit space and is ready for action, the control pod levers itself upwards, allowing the pilot to be properly oriented with the ship, and able to see what’s going on in front of him through the pod’s unbreakable Vu-Alloy construction. 

Armed with energy weapons located between the forward prongs (along with a pair of missiles on the underside of the ship), the Guardsman is primarily a defense Starfighter.  More than capable of taking hits from enemy ships, but able to give as good as it gets.  Designed to be a short range fighter, it’s big on speed and maneuverability, but not intended for a long sustained flight on its own. 

 

Here we see Black Bullet inside Guardsman 9’s control pod, wireless control sticks in hand, ready to defend The Frog Princess from whatever the universe decides to throw at it.