Glacialis

The Glacialis-class treats ice extraction as materials science. Thermal regulators maintain extraction zones at precisely controlled temperatures, allowing crystallographic analysis to identify and isolate rare compounds that brute-force ice breaking destroys. The seven utility slots accommodate instruments that other empires would mount in a planetary laboratory — the Confederacy considers this the minimum standard for serious cryo-extraction work. Processing is slower than competitors but yields compounds that other ships cannot produce at all.