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The Saxum is the Lancea´s predecessor, a light fighter armed with missiles, lasers and a single Neutron particle cannon. First introduced in 6790, the fighter is still found in second-line and reserve squadrons of the TOG Imperial Navy and Legions.

Etymology[]

Most TOG fighters are named after the weapons wielded by ancient Roman legionnaires. The Saxum design concept and prototypes originally just had a twelve-digit number assigned to it, and it was scheduled to receive a full name and designation once it was approved and put into production. The names "Pugio" or "Parazonium" were considered, one a broad-bladed dagger and the other a long stiletto. When the first trial flight reports were turned in, though, the test pilots unanimously complained that the prototypes flew "like a rock" in atmosphere, and the engineers half-jokingly adopted the provisionary title "Saxum" ("stone") for the fighter. What started out as an obscure in-joke among the test crews inadvertently found its way into the review papers, and the name was simply adopted by TOGSOG, which was completely oblivious to the humour.

Production History[]

In the last years of the KessRith war, Rear-Admiral Whitworth Armstrong was appointed to command the Imperial Navy War College, though he had never seen combat or even been assigned to an active war theater.

Armstrong was a brilliant mathematician and had developed a superb linear programming model that vastly improved the TOG logistical distribution system early in his career. Later, he was instrumental in developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategic-level simulation model for optimizing TOG attack plans against the KessRith Empire. This model was unique in addressing the normal military and economic aspects of the campaign as well as racial and sociological characteristics of the KessRith. Through use of this program, TOG strategists were able to correctly predict the KessRith‘s use of suicide tactics, allowing TOG strategists to plan and implement proper defensive measures months before the actual start of the campaign.

Rear-Admiral Armstrong believed fervently in the superiority of computer modelling to solve all problems. When the Imperial Navy asked the War College to study and recommend specifications for a new light fighter, Armstrong immediately applied the principle to fighter design. A huge amount of data of every fighter engagement ever fought and recorded went into the program. The Academy's mainframe was cleared, and auxiliary AIs hooked to it to provide the necessary capacity to develop the "fighter of the future". The computers analysed reports from thousands of battles and thousands of current fighter designs and mission profiles.

Fighter TOG Saxum specs

The Saxum´s design specs. (Picture is fanart.)

When Armstrong submitted his findings to the Procurement Board, it was not the 100-page report they had expected, but a detailed set of blueprints for the fighter, plus a flight manual, a complete dissertation on its proper tactical use, and the programming needed to re-code three existing robotic manufacturing facilities to begin immediate production. Those facilities were converted in short order, and soon Saxa were rolling off the lines.

Design Philosophy and Tactical Role[]

Despite Armstrong‘s brilliance, the Saxum proved to be a disappointment. Minor problems in construction quality began to crop up. The side armour was significantly thinner than that of previous light fighter designs, which had tactical planners worrying; they felt that Terran fighters had to carry all the armour they could against the devastating KessRith lasers. Pilots continued to complain about the poor atmospheric handling. The higher number of missiles carried by the Saxum overtaxed the supply system. Within just three years of the Saxum‘s introduction, the Imperial Navy began to look for a new light fighter.

Actually, for all its flaws, the Saxum was indeed ahead of its time. It carried three missiles as its main armament and had more than decent thrust. The computers weren't to blame that TOG tacticians at first didn't realise that the "fighter of the future" would need a new tactical, logistical and strategic concept to be successful. Used in mixed squadrons with Veruta and other slower fighters, the Saxa could not employ their speed to the fullest, and the lack of available missile supply restricted their hitting power.

The Saxum's descendants, the Lancea and Spiculum, once integrated with solid missile-strike tactics, would radically change the way fighter engagements were fought. By the time the new concepts had been formulated and implemented, though, the Saxum had already been superseded.

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Fighter TOG Saxum 3

The original Saxum illustration from the TOG Fighter Briefing. Note the shorter laser barrels.

Legionnaire RPG Values: Saxum []

Hit Location Sub-Location Damage Boxes / Damage
[1] Structure - [][][][][] [][][]
[2] FTL Drive - None
[3] Shields - [][][][]
[4] Engines / Thrust - [][][][][] [][][][] ::: Thrust 9 g
[5] Armour - [][][][][]
[6] Crew Pilot [][][][][]
[7] Weapon Computers - [][][][]
[8] Sensors - [][][]
[9] Life Support - [][][]
[10] Weapons [1] NPC-9 Damage 3
- [2] 3/1 Laser Damage 1
- [3] 3/1 Laser Damage 1
- [4] Hardpoint *
- [5] Hardpoint *
- [6] Hardpoint *

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Leviathan Values: Saxum []

Of little use in a Naval battle or a protracted dogfight due to their flimsy armour, Saxa are usually employed in a strike role: attacking a target with a large number of missiles and then returning to the mothership to reload. Where they are assigned to Leviathan squadrons, they are often employed as forward scouts, extending the capital ships´ sensor envelope. In all these roles, Saxa have been largely superseded by the Lancea and the Manubalista, which carry better weapons, are faster, and can both be reconfigured to high-thrust variants with an increased missile load. Still, many Saxa are still in use with reserve and second-line squadrons.

Group (72 Fighters) Armour Missile Attack Value CRA LRA Thrust
Armour Row 6 [][][][][][] [][][][][][] ------ - 100 25 40 9
Armour Row 5 [][][][][][] [][][][]-- ---- - 21 33 -
Armour Row 4 [][][][][][] []----- - - 17 26 -
Armour Row 3 [][][][]-- ---- - 13 20 -
Armour Row 2 [][]---- -- - 8 13 -
Armour Row 1 []----- - 4 7 -
Flight (24 Fighters) Armour Missile Attack Value CRA LRA Thrust
Armour Row 3 [][][][][]- ---- 50 8 13 11
Armour Row 2 [][][][]-- -- - 6 9 -
Armour Row 1 [][]---- - 3 4 -
Squadron (6 Fighters) Armour Missile Attack Value CRA LRA Thrust
Armour Row 1 [][][]--- 10 2 3 13
Single Fighter Values Armour Missile Hardpoints CRA LRA Thrust
Saxum 45 3 7 11 9

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Deployment[]

Three Saxum squadrons are reported operating as part of a reserve replenishment group near Pisae. This group is responsible for protecting convoys travelling to and from Trader‘s Paradise, along with providing emergency logistical support.