I'm making a fighter!
Fluff text is that it's an improvised design by the NTF. After repeated complaints by squadron leaders, the brass has finally realized that rebellion's ubiquitous loki is severely outmatched by the GTVA's modern space superiority fighters, and while there is no shortage of eager pilots willing to give their lives for the cause, it would be best if they managed to get some kills (or even better, fly more than one sortie) before going out in a blaze of glory. And so, an ad hoc R&D team was hastily put together and instructed to come up with a design that would keep neo-terra in the space superiority game.
The requirements for the NTF's new fighter design (designated NTF Sparrow) are: First and foremost, the fighter must improve upon the loki's marks, enough so that it can tangle with a wing of myrmidons, persei or serapis without the need of overwhelming number or capital ship support. Second, improved pilot survivability. As mentioned before, the amount of casualties sustained per engagement is affecting morale. The fighter must be well armored without sacrificing speed or agility. Finally, the design must be simple and cheap enough to begin production as soon as the evaluation period is done.
After a rushed, compromise-ridden, design stage, the engineers managed to fit a compact yet powerful reactor with enough output to sustain six weapon banks in a small, agile space frame. Drawing inspiration from pilots' reported experiences with the GTF Valkirye, the Sparrow's gun emplacements are placed close to the ship's axis in order to concentrate the fire in a small area. Regarding the issue of combat survivability, the design team made the choice not to include secondary armament banks on the fighter (which in turn allowed for a lighter, simpler avionics package, further decreasing weight and cost), and instead use the freed up weight on heavier armoring.
So, the Sparrow is a ship that can fly, take some punishment, and use six guns at the cost of no missiles. Is it useful? Is it balanced? Is it worth it? Will our overworked engineers get a commendation or the firing squad?
Here's a rough draft of the design (kinda looks like an uhlan, but I'm actually drawing inspiration from stargate's F302
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