Collateral

The Federation doesn't fight wars — it protects investments, and the Collateral-class is the contract clause that says so. The board kept running the same numbers: most security losses happen not in the battle but in the gap, the long quiet stretches when a patrol has already turned back for fuel and the route sits unwatched. So the Federation built a small hull around a disproportionate fuel reserve and a drive that keeps a single pilot on station long after a larger squadron would have docked. The weapons are tuned for one good engagement, not a campaign — what matters is that the Collateral is still flying the line when everyone else has gone home, which is precisely when the trouble shows up. Federation security contracts specify minimum patrol duration. The Collateral is the only thing in its class that meets the spec without relief.