Simple and utilitarian, autonomous shuttles are fairly ubiquitous craft within the Empire of 1,000,000 Suns. Their presence also overlaps the empire’s sphere of influence rather extensively. They are not uncommon among the Nomad Armies and Breakaway States that formed around the empire. The primary role of these living ships is to transport cargo and passengers over short distances, usually within a single solar system.
The inner workings of the autonomous shuttle are primarily comprised of a single large, semi-sentient life-form with a level of intelligence similar to that of a trained dog or horse. This “shuttle-beast” is cyberneticly augmented and surrounded with an armored hull. The payload of the shuttle is located within the large fairing that makes up the craft’s nose. These shuttles vary in size from a few meters to tens of meters in diameter.
Autonomous shuttles are not equipped for FTL travel and are relatively slow, short range craft. The shuttle-beast is typically trained to be loyal to a single handler, often based at a space-port or on a capital ship. Handlers and shuttles tend to develop an emotional bond while working together over long periods of time. This encourages the handler to take good care of the shuttles and provide quality maintenance.
