San'tok.yāi

The Aopoa San'tok.yāi is the export model of a Xi'an medium fighter converted for human use. Harnessing the power of next-generation Xi'an flight systems, upgraded dual-vector thrusters, and a daunting weapons package, Aopoa has crafted a fighter that retains the nimble dexterity and tight handling the brand is known for. All with the added ability to pack a serious punch when the situation calls for it.

Brochure Description
"The mystery and majesty of the Xi'an Empire has intrigued humanity since our first encounter with the storied species in 2530. Their culture and society can be a hard nut to crack, but one thing that can always be said is that when it comes to ship tech, the Xi'an are doing things that human engineers and designers haven't even begun to consider."

Specifications
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History
On 2948-11-28, in the 2948 Intergalactic Aerospace Expo, Aopoa announced that the company was making a civilian-spec medium fighter part of their export lineup. It rendered years of intelligence gathering obsolete for UEE. Aopoa's decision had seemingly been made after almost three decades of increasing Khartu-al sales to Human concerns. The spacecraft, named the San'tok.yāi, was revealed at an opulent invitation-only gala which broadly celebrated Xi'an culture and was centered around an unabridged presentation of āluo'a Thasyu se Xo'ma. What the public saw was an impressive new Xi'an design, the military already knew as a development of the frontline medium fighter they had studied for over ten years. As an export model, the San'tok.yāi is not an exact match for any of the mil-spec spacecraft observed previously, but is similar enough in both design and capabilities that it can be said with certainty to have been derived from them. The overall fuselage and flight configurations closely match recorded encounters with frontline medium fighter models. The dual-vector thrusters and Yeng'tu Laser Repeaters, included with the base civilian model, also conform to what was already known about the ship. Additionally, all footage of the San'tok.yāi maneuvering has been within the limits of previous military observations. Analysts have noted with some concern that the San'tok.yāi's capabilities are so close to what is known about the Xi'an medium fighter that this sudden reveal strongly indicates that the military must have access to a more advanced model that has not yet been seen - a potential roadblock for the recently commissioned F8 Lightning.

Ship profile
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Gallery
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Development
The San'tok.yāi's inital look was developed by Gary Sanchez (Freelance Concept Artist), who had worked on the final concept of the original Khartu-al. Because Sanchez was not available to fully concept the ship, he helped out with the initial direction, the concept design was later completed by Alex Akstinas (Concept Artist) from Foundry 42 UK. Other key contributions include Paul Jones (Art Director), John Crewe (Vehicle Pipeline Director), and Stephen Hosmer.

It was first revealed on 2018-11-28 in the 2948 Anniversary Special.

Design brief
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Trivia

 * Name: It is named after the Tokyai, the apex predator that is native to the Xi'an world Xi.
 * Original: It is an original Xi'an-produced export by Aopoa, and not a replica, reconstruction, or a product of reverse-engineering.| Q&A: Aopoa San'tok.yāi