Sontaran Boarding Craft
The Sontaran Boarding Craft, or Assault Shuttle, was a type of craft utilized by the war-like Sontarans, and saw service during the infamous Rutan-Sontaran War.
Armament & Specifications
Very little is known about this lesser known Sontaran ship type. The Sontaran Boarding Craft was a slender, yet small scout vessel, that had five rear facing engines that propelled the vessel forward, and that despite it's small size, it was surprisenly quite capable of making long distances, even without the aid of a mothership, like the War-Wheel Battlecruiser. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans)
The Sontaran Boarding Craft, being a shuttle, also had four visible landing gear-like legs, indicating that it can also land on the surface of a planet, even in dire emergency situations. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans)
It was armed with two pairs of laser cannons on either side of the spherical pod forward section exterior of the ship itself. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans) It also had a forward facing airlock door on the front of the vessel, that is used to board enemy ships, so they can deploy Sontaran troops to storm said vessel. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans)
The Sontaran Boarding Craft could presumably, and most likely carried no more than ten or twelve Sontarans onboard. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans) Despite being built and operated by the Sontarans, other species such as Rutans, can easily operate and fly a Sontaran Boarding Craft with no difficulty. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans)
History
26th Century
In the 26th Century, a Sontaran Borading Craft was commanded by Commander Steg, to hunt down a Rutan Spy. Steg's Sontaran Boarding Craft was soon after launched from the Sontaran War-Wheel to board the solar sail yacht Tiger Moth, while the War-Wheel continued on towards the next interception point. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans)
The Rutan Spy disguised as a trooper attempted to steal the Sontaran Boarding Craft after attacking a Sontaran trooper, but was forced to retreat after being stopped by Lieutenant Vorn, who later reported the incident to Commander Steg, his superior officer. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans)
The vessel itself was eventually later captured and commandeered by the Rutan Spy after Commander Steg and his remaining soldiers were defeated by both Captain Lisa Deranne and Kurt. The Rutan decided to spare Lisa and Kurt due to them sharing a common enemy in the Sontarans, before declaring that it will go in the Sontaran Boarding Craft, while revealing it’s true form to Lisa before boarding the Sontaran ship. Steg suddenly regain consciousness and urgently warned Lisa of the Destructo Bomb he had left in the airlock tunnel. She quickly threw it into the Sontaran Boarding Craft the Rutan was trying to escape in. Steg fully redeemed himself by holding the closing airlock doors open long enough to save Lisa's life, before Commander Steg finally died. Not long after Steg’s death the Sontaran Boarding Craft had managed to get far away from the Tiger Moth before finally exploding, successfully killing the Rutan Spy. (HOMEVID: Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans)
Background Information/Behind the scenes
- The Sontaran Boarding Craft was actually designed and built by modeler David Brian, who also designed and built both the spacecraft models of the Tiger Moth and the Sontaran War-Wheel for “Shakedown: Return of the Sontarans”.
