Hawthorne-class Medical Ship

The Hawthorne-class Medical Ship is a hospital ship originally designed by the SRAN, which has since had its design shared with the Esper Union Aerospacy, Space Armada, Grand Army, and Republican Aerospace Fleets. It is a modification of the Legionnaire-class cruiser, using its hull but replacing many of its systems to serve as a mobile hospital.

History

The idea for the Hawthorne-class came from the ship of the same name, a Legionnaire-class cruiser that served in the Leviathan War. It was grounded for a time during the months-long First Battle of Hosluftgrad. The Hawthorne took heavy damage from Scandian artillery fire, and ultimately became a reinforced bunker that slowly lost many of its weapon systems. When the front line was moved forward by several miles in its location, it had the rest of its heavy cannons stripped off and taken to the front. It was then renovated and turned into a field hospital. The ship ultimately had its systems restored in an emergency when heavy shelling caused significant casualties to civilians, and it was decided to fly the Hawthorne in and use her as a mobile hospital.

Unfortunately, the ship was destroyed when Halder Skalice arrived with Dracoforms and defeated the Esperian forces there. While a number of wounded were evacuated to the Veldt and Maranda by Shoat helicopters, the Hawthorne lifted off and attempted to hold the Scandian Dracoforms at bay. Its crew ultimately sacrificed it in a ramming attack that destroyed two Dracoforms and heavily damaged six others, but cut the Hawthorne down. Reports of the crew's bravery and the ship's effectiveness as a hospital reached the SRAN, however.

It began manufacturing a medical ship using the Legionnaire-class hull, and posthumously named the Hawthorne as the first class of the ship. Since then, the vessel's design has been given to the Grand Army, Aerospacy, and RAF. This makes it a very widely used and reliable ship, which has seen service in numerous conflicts and provided humanitarian aid throughout the Web.

Schematics

• Manufacturer: Strategic Weapons Research Initiative
• User: Esper Union Aerospacy, Republican Aerospace Fleets, Sky Riders Aerospace Navy, Space Armada, Grand Army
• Length: 550 meters
• Crew: 55 officers, 139 enlisted, 150 doctors, 600 nurses
• Beds: 1,500
• Compliment:
  • 40 shuttlecraft (depending on service)
• Fixed Armament:
  • 75mm gravitic point defense cannon x 20 (EUS)
  • 55mm triple barrel gravitic point defense cannon x 20 (SRAN)
  • 65mm double barrel needle point defense cannon x 20 (RAF and SAGA)

Hawthorne-class ships look quite similar to Legionnaire-class ships. They have a sloped appearance along the front, with an imposing bridge tower that rises up at nearly a right angle. Unlike the ship that the hull was derived from, it has a large radar tower on top of this, which serves to provide it with enhanced sensors and communications. As a hospital, these ships have everything a modern hospital could desire: multiple operating rooms, intensive care units, and emergency rooms are located strategically throughout the ship. The colors of the vessel are nearly always white, with red lining. The various space forces that use it add a second line down the middle; olive for the Aerospacy, orange for the RAF, blue for the SRAN, and gold for SAGA.