Motherlode

Federation mining operations learned that the real margins aren't in moving more ore — they're in finding the right deposit before anyone else does. The Motherlode ships with an integrated scanner suite and an oversized fuel tank for surveying distant asteroid fields that shorter-range miners never bother reaching. The weapon mount is gone entirely — prospectors don't fight, they file claims. The hold is modest by Nebula standards, but compression storage and a strong yield bonus mean every trip justifies the fuel spent getting there. The best Motherlode pilots know where every unclaimed belt within range sits, and they keep that information closer than their nav coordinates.