XM305 Makoria Force Dreadnought

Xygritt Matriarchy

      The Makoria is the latest in the line of the Matriarchy force dreadnoughts. In reality, little more than glorified carriers, the force dreadnoughts are seen as one of the cores of the Matriarchal Navy – at least in Xygritt public opinion.
      The Matriarchy was the first elenthnar power to develop large vessels, and for a couple of centuries, the huge, lumbering monstrosities of the Matriarchal Navy were the legitimate terror weapon the Matriarchy still views them as. But as the technology for large ships was developed by the other powers, and the construction of ever-larger vessels proved increasingly impractical (thus further research irrelevant), that advantage ebbed away.
      As the tacit admission of practicality over intimidation, the Makoria is much-reduced in size from its predecessors, many of which were half as big again, and it is even more functionally a carrier that they were. Only a few of the true leviathans – classified as floating fortresses by the Xygritts – remain, most notably the Urollaria-class, of which only three examples still exist. The most famous of these is the traditional command ship of the High Mothers.
      The Makoria’s primary purpose is to serve as a base for the six squadrons of Haoph AstroFighters it carries. The cavernous hangar bay is set between split thermal vanes in the pattern established by the Gosillix artillery cruiser. The hangar has to be large, for it must also carry the transit racks for the six Gellmar Drone Carriers, themselves to carry the Haophs over shorter distances.
      The Makoria is armed with a pair of spinal-mount laser cannons and thirty-two supplementary particle beam turrets. Its point-defence weapons rate a total of 720 on the Xygritt scale.
      Despite its armour and shields, the Makoria’s straining engines make it cumbersome and an easy target unsupported, even with its attendant fighter craft and drone carriers.
      The Makoria is named for one of the most famous of Xygritt Fleet Commanders (a rank equivalent to admiral), Fleet Commanders, Makora. While Makora is held in high regard in the Matriarchy itself, this is less due to her competence and more to political expediency due to the climate of her time. Outside of the Matriarchy, Makora is also well-known, but remembered for being a generally poor commander with a tendency to public histrionics when battles did not go her way, and regularly blaming her subordinates, most notable her highest ranking male officer, Sub-Fleet Captain Oaryonn.
      Several Makoria vessels have been converted by removing the docking racks for the Gellmars. The additional space is replaced by troop quarters and improved small craft facilities, allowing the Makoria to carry six squadrons of the Matriarchy’s more advanced fighters and three Kalu assault shuttles.