The Princess of Thorns

The Sardine class is an older light frigate model, dating back to the first years of the Terran Accord.

Thanks to having a lightweight build, measuring only 40m of length and 8m of width, while still being capable of hyperspace jump, this class was perfect for its intended role of projecting strength all over the newly founded Accord space.

This was further reinforced by the ship's main gun, a spinal mounted 600mm coilgun, which was notable given the hull's minimal size, and was able to be used effectively thanks to the vessel's nimbleness.

The rest of the armament was significantly lighter, counting two point defense laser domes and 16 small torpedo cells.

To allow for a smoother use of the cannon and the jump drive, both energy intensive and prone to overheating, the design incorporated 2 sizeable coolant tanks on the sides of the ship, a feature quite common in the spacecrafts of that time.

From the commission of its first specimen in 2462, to the very fall of the Accord almost 100 years later, the Sardine class had tremendous success, becoming one of the most widespread in the TCN for decades before the turn of the century, with modernized designs still being laid down even during the Domestication Campaign.

In more recent times, these vessels saw ample use in the hands of private navies and mercenary forces, thanks to their cheap price and reliability, so much so that by the 2530s corporations were actually its primary users.