Internal View of a Typical Union-Class DropShip

The Union-Class DropShip may be the most famous vessel in the Inner Sphere. Well-armed and armored, the Union is an extremely versatile ship. Though small enough for use in raids, it is powerful enough to be taken seriously in full-scale operations. The vessel is designed to transport a company of Mechs and their pilots to a planet, where they are either dropped into low orbit or are delivered directly to the surface.

The Union’s interior consists of three main sections. The lowermost section contains the DropShip’s V250 Interplanetary fusion drive, fuel tankage, weapons bays, loading door, Mech drop doors, and the ship’s enormous landing gear. Leading up from the loading door is a heavily reinforced ramp that spirals up around the outside of the engine core and leads into the lower Mech bay.

The middle section of the DropShip consists of two Mech bays. The lower Mech bay is cavernous, with walls lined with four Mech cubicles, doors leading to the two AeroFighter bays, entrances to the four drop-chutes, and storage for repair parts and ammunition. A set of plates cover the ramp entrance in the floor, making an airtight seal between the bay and the ramp area when closed. In the center of the ceiling is a large circular opening to the upper Mech bay.

Though a skilled pilot could use this opening to get his Mech into the upper bay, its real purpose is to provide access to the heavy lifting and repair equipment located in the upper bay. Normal passage between bays is by a heavy elevator located in the drop chute.

The upper Mech bay is also quite large. Ringing the walls are the remaining eight BattleMech cubicles and entrances to the four drop chutes. In the ceiling above the hole in the floor is a set of large general-purpose cranes. The hole in the floor of the upper Mech bay can be sealed by a pair of large steel doors sturdy enough to support the mass of the heaviest Mechs.

The Union’s flight control systems and the crew decks occupy the ship’s upper portions. The original design of the ship included a number of corridors ringing the double-occupancy quarters, a comfortable lounge, roomy mess facilities, and ample storage space for personal equipment. Electrical and hydraulic problems eventually led to a complete remodeling of the DropShip’s interior on over half of the original vessels. Though the wealthiest operators were able to completely restore the original layout, most ships were re-equipped with more spartan quarters; a single bunk room for both crew and MechWarriors, minimal lounge /mess hall, increased air circulation space, and strengthened containment bulkheads around the weapons bays and ammunition storage. For some reason, the life support systems added to these “upgrades” created a stale odor to the air within the ship. Because this would add to the expense of yet another refit to the ships, this characteristic smell remains on many of them. The Overlord-Class DropShip, designed and constructed using very similar engineering plans and parts, shares these same characteristics.

“Xīng Hu” (Chinese : “Bronze Ship of Space”) is a fair example of a standard conversion to a Union-Class DropShip, having only had its interior Mech cubicles stripped to make way for cargo bays capable of hauling 1200 tons of goods in a secure manner. In all other manners, the vessel is typical of this class.

As a cargo-conversion, the upper and lower Mech bays on the Xīng Hu have been fitted for different purposes. The larger, upper bay has had its drop-chute access armored over, and racks installed that can hold a series of standard 40-ton cargo containers, as have the cavernous lower Mech bay. In addition, a series of integral cargo winches have been installed to access each set of racks on either level. The AeroFighter bays have been retained to allow shuttle and small craft docking. The Xīng Hu has a single S-7A Class Bus docked in one of its bays.

Furthermore, the former Techs and Mech pilots rooms have not been converted, allowing the Xīng Hu to carry passengers from port to port. This version of Union-Class has had its ventilation systems over-hauled making the once spacious crew quarters into a single bunk room, which creates Steerage Passage (Second-Class passage) for two-dozen (24) passengers.

During the counter-invasion of Basalt by the Capellan Armed Forces, and their Operation Riposte, the Xing Hu was captured by * “The Iron Dingoes”, and later granted to them as part of their Prize Court salvage earnings at the conclusion of Contract – Operation : “Purple Demon”, along with several technical squads and a handful of J-27 “Landram” Ordnance Transports.

In mid-3032, the vessel was renamed to the “Brazen Rover”, and served as a general cargo hauler in use by “The Storis”, and travelled with the Line unit. The vessel was reassigned with the Storis in 3040 as a general hauler, and served as such for many years, often engaging in hauling duties within System – Dumassas in construction and private engagements for * Iron Dingoes Autonomous District (IDAD)’s growing interests in-system.

Levels of a Union-Class DropShip

In late-3048, the vessel was reassigned to “The Legacies” as their personal transport.

The vessel was commanded by Commander Roliant Everrard, with Engineer Mankheerharhallian “Mank” operating as the lead ship’s engineer. It has a very small (skeleton) crew of only three engineers and two bridge staff in addition to the officers, and no ship’’s gunners or other personnel.

In addition to the Starbus berthed in one of its AeroSpace Bays, the ship’s vehicle complement includes a few last-minute additions, including the illustrious Hover Limo “Elite” and an unarmed Flatbed Truck. An ancient PNT-9R Panther was also taken from tis berth in Garrison’s Mech Bays, and is stowed as cargo under the attentions of Anastasia Rodrígues Caboose. Andrés Iréworthy has been assigned as its pilot.

The vessel was damaged and stricken during its initial mission in Legacy ownership, and although the crew managed to keep it in operation in late-August, 3048, the vessel was stripped of ready parts, its crew transferred over to “The Scorpio Sidus”, and abandoned in System – Hlian.