Retaliator

Reduced from military-spec and refitted for civilian needs, the Retaliator is a large modular gunship developed by Aegis Dynamics. What were formerly torpedo bays have become unladen, modular spaces that allow for customization tailored to either combat or utility purposes.^[1]

For centuries, this vessel has been employed by the UEE Military as a long-range bomber. It plays a crucial role in the UEE's power projection strategy, with Retaliator squadrons having distinguished themselves in engagements against outlaws, the Vanduul, and in various other theaters of operation.^[2]^[3]

Features

Modularity

The Retaliator has the option to swap out two central areas of the ship with various different modular rooms. These can fundamentally alter the function and role of the ship.^[3]

Weapons

The vessel mounts five manned turrets, all of which mount two Size 3 weapons. Three of these turrets are mounted dorsally, two of which being off-center, while the remaining two turrets are mounted ventrally.^[3]

Shielding

Equipped with an impressive array of six Size 2 shields, the Retaliator possesses the ability to safeguard itself effectively.^[3]

Longer range

It is engineered for extended travel capabilities, utilizing a Size 2 Quantum fuel tank in conjunction with two Size 1 Hydrogen fuel tanks.^[3]

Flaws

Crew demand

The Retaliator has a very demanding crew allotment with stations and habitation for a pilot, five gunners, and an engineer. Ships of similar size and capability will rarely exceed four crew members, with only larger ships equalling the Retaliator's operational crew count.

Cargo handling

The cargo modules compatible with the Retaliator perform poorly with large form-factor freight containers due to the restricted size of the module's cargo grids as well as cargo maneuvering constraints imposed by the cargo lift supports and the Retaliator's own low-hanging hull elements.

Ports

5×S4Manned Turret

2×S3VariPuck S3 Gimbal Mounthardware-locked
- S3CF-337 Panther Repeater

S3Retaliator Unladen Rear Module

S3Retaliator Unladen Front Module

6×S2FullStop

S1Retaliator Ship Armor

2×S2Arctic

2×S2Maelstrom

S1Flight Blade

S2Crossfield

S2Excelsior

2×S1Aegis Eclipse - Noise Launcher

2×S1Aegis Eclipse - Decoy Launcher

S2Chernykh

S2ComfortAir Plus

S1hardpoint_paint

Other

3×S1animated_cockpit

2×S1animated_liftleft

S1–3hardpoint_engineer_console

S1–4hardpoint_engineer_console_access

S1exterior_lighting

S1hardpoint_avionics_motherboard

S1Bed

S1hardpoint_lights_ext

S2hardpoint_ping

4×S1hardpoint_rack_fl

S1hardpoint_scanner

6×S1hardpoint_target_selector_pilot

S1hardpoint_transponder

Doors & Hatches

S1Door

Fuel

2×S1Internal Tank

S2Internal Tank

4×S1INTK_AEGS_Retaliator

Relays

4×S1Relay

Crew Stations

6×S1Seat

S1AEGS_Retaliator_Pilot_Dashboard

S1AEGS_Retaliator_SCItem_Seat_Bed_Lower_Left

S1AEGS_Retaliator_SCItem_Seat_Bed_Lower_Right

S1AEGS_Retaliator_SCItem_Seat_Bed_Rear_Left

S1AEGS_Retaliator_SCItem_Seat_Bed_Rear_Right

S1AEGS_Retaliator_SCItem_Seat_Bed_Upper_Left

S1AEGS_Retaliator_SCItem_Seat_Bed_Upper_Right

S1TRGT. STATUS

S1Screen

Thrusters

4×S5AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Mav_Joint_02

S6AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Main

4×S2AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Mav_Fixed_Bottom

S6AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Main_Right

4×S2AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Mav_Fixed_Top

4×S2AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Mav_Fixed_Lateral

2×S4AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Mav_Joint_01

S2AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Retro

S2AEGS_Retaliator_Thruster_Retro_Right

Controllers

S1Controller_CapacitorAssignment

S1COMMS

S1HEAT

S1SECURITY

S1POWER

S1LIGHTS

S1MISSILES

S1SHIELDS

S1WEAPONS

S1Controller_Fuel

S1hardpoint_air_traffic_controller

Systems

S1Self Destruct Unit

2×S1hardpoint_weapon_regen_pool

Landing Systems

S1Default_LandingSystem

Docking

S1DockingTube_Fuel_Ports_AEGS_Retaliator

Model

Ship profile

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear	Below

Isometric	Above	Port-side	Front	Rear

Modules

In-universe, the Retaliator was first introduced as a heavy UEE bomber, with the option to swap out various modules to replace functionality. The modules can be mixed and matched with each other. But only the Unladen, Torpedo, and Cargo modules are currently available in the game.^[4]^[5]

Front Module	Rear Module	Name	Description
		Cargo (Front - Rear)	*Transform your ship into a secure transporter. Each module has lift platforms that lower to the ground for easy loading/off-loading. The forward bay has a capacity of 38 SCU while the aft bay has a capacity of 36 SCU.
		Dropship	With seating for up to twelve troopers that can be easily lowered to the surface, it also comes with easy access to an array of weapon & ammunition storage units.
		Personnel	With these personnel modules you can turn your 'Tali' into a home away from home, supporting long-term deployments with food facilities and crew comforts.
		Ordnance (Front - Rear)	The original modules of the Retaliators, the forward bay carries four torpedoes while the rear bay adds two more. These two modules can be configured with bomb racks supporting either Thunderball or Stormburst bombs, supporting 64 and 48 or 8 and 8 bombs respectively.^[6]^[7]

Weapon Kits

Front Module	Rear Module	Name	Description
		Size 3 Bomb Racks	These alters the ordnance modules to accommodate custom Size 3 bomb racks. Front 64xS3, Rear 48xS3
		Size 5 Bomb Racks	These alters the ordnance modules to accommodate custom Size 5 bomb racks. Front 8xS5, Rear 8xS5

Paints

"Backlash"	"Calico"	"Grey"	"Invictus Blue & Gold"	"Nightbreak"	"Twilight"	"Underbrush"

Acquisition

Buy: Yes
Rent: Unknown
Pledge: Yes

System	Location	Buy	Updated	Version
Stanton	New Deal Lorville	7,541,100	2026-06-13	4.8.2

Pledge price history

Date	Pledge cost (USD)	Insurance	Availability	Sale
2020-05-26	150	120 months	Time-limited	Invictus 2950 ^[8]

Lore

"I had never seen something as devastating or as beautiful as a fleet of Talis lighting up the Tevs."
Ivar Messer^[9]

Since its introduction in 2544^[10] at the height of the First Tevarin War, the Retaliator has had a distinguished, if conflicted, history. Before Aegis started designing the bomber, researchers performed extensive interviews with military pilots to understand what was lacking in the contemporary bombers of the time. This pilot-centric approach drove the design decisions of what became the Retaliator; a heavy ordnance weapons platform capable of handling both fighters and ground targets. The ship's introduction coincided with the creation of the R27HE "Hull-Shredder" torpedo, which had been rushed to production by the UPE Military's R&D Dept. During the Battle of Idris IV on 30 September 2544, the new torpedoes began to fail, either exploding in their tubes or failing to arm when fired.

Following the deaths of Colonel Tio Koshi and Major Michael Colorry of the Army's 112th Infantry Battalion on the surface, a young, ambitious officer Captain Ivar Messer, then assumed command of the company. He began calling danger-close bombing runs from the fleet's Retaliator bombers while he organized ambush points with the surviving soldiers. For hours, the bombers dumped payload after payload of high-explosive ordnance on the converging Tevarin ground forces, giving Messer the needed opening to turn the tide against the planetary defence system - capturing it for use against the Tevarin fleet^[11] and galvanizing his rise to power.

During the First Tevarin War, the 999th Test Squadron were the first to test variants of the Retaliator. Some in command demanded a rush on the needed ships going into active service immediately, but (thanks to his heroics at the Battle of Idris IV) a then Colonel Ivar Messer had enough clout to advise that the variants' deployment be held until the 999 had signed off on them. Historians credit this move with saving hundreds of pilots’ lives. A fatally flawed power transfer unit was discovered and fixed during the testing process.^[12]

After the Battle of Idris IV, Retaliators became common in recruitment messages for the First Tevarin War. Images were created to help maintain the momentum of that landmark victory, cited by many historians as the turning point in the war. One such image was that of "The Bombing Run", depicding 391st Squadron opening fire against a Tevarin planetary defense system, captured by United Times reporter Renzo Oui on 11 November.^[13]

During the Second Tevarin War, the 78th Squadron's CO Captain Jaso Iger commissioned pilots to fly luxury foodstuffs and other contraband aboard Retaliator-As from Terra's southern regions to the squadron's remote base in Ankorum. This frivolity came to a halt when the Retaliator transporting contraband suffered a flame-out during a landing approach. The tower quickly ordered the crew to dump their fuel and dummy munitions in preparation for a crash landing. The order was followed, sending the illicit goods stored in the bomb bay falling around the airbase: two tons of fresh Thorshu crab legs, earning the squadron the nickname "Thundering Thorshu".^[14]

The 42nd Squadron came to fame during the Battle of Centauri in 2610, at the culmination of the Second Tevarin War. They used ambush tactics against Corath'thal's fleet by floating dead in their Retaliators near the Jump Point to Elysium, using it as a bottleneck. Captain Alexandra Dunlevy then ordered all ships to take out the enemy's Phalanx Shields. The Tevarin were quick to send out fighters to deal with the foe suddenly in their midst, but the damage was already done. With a significant portion of the Tevarin defensive capabilities then disabled, the UEE carriers renewed their attack, cementing a UEE victory.^[15]

The coveted 2783 Retaliator's redesign was led by Juliet Maupin, catching the eye of the UEE Military. She was thus enlisted in creating next generation weaponry for Linton Messer that would later form the basis of Apocalypse Arms.^[16]

The Retaliator was at the center of many controversies during the later Messer years, when the Navy decided to use Cluster Missiles against a political activist group hiding in what is now Haven, sparking debate throughout the UEE.^[13]

During the later Messer years, the Navy’s decision to use Cluster Missiles against a political activist group hiding in what is now Haven sparked debate throughout the UEE.^[13]

In 2791 at the height of Messer Era tyranny, the 78th Squadron were ordered to equip double-loads of antimatter torpedoes to their Retaliators and destroy an inhabited moon in the Ferron System believed to be the hiding place of a cadre of radicalized rebels. In truth, the residents were tens of thousands of unarmed civilians. Commanding officer Lisa Cahillier defied mission protocol, contacting the base directly, ordering them to surrender their weapons. The residents responded with pleas.

Cahillier held her ground on comms to superiors, refusing to give the order to fire. The commander of the battle group, Admiral Lorna Gestala intervened, giving a final declaration for the 78th to annihilate the target. Cahillier ordered her group to fire, but targeted an asteroid beyond the agro center. The moon’s inhabitants watched the torpedoes sail harmlessly overhead and obliterate the distant target. The bombers made the long, silent flight home to face certain court martial and inevitable execution. On landing, officers were taken away in restraints and enlisted men were confined to quarters on base. The squadron spent roughly 18 months in the stockade and then were freed as heroes by the incoming government under Erin Toi. Squadron 78 was re-established, presented as a symbol of enduring humanity in the face of the most tyrannical orders from the fallen Imperator.^[14]

Although the ship was almost synonymous with the reign of Messers and began to see decreased usage as the military distanced itself from that era, the ship began a surprising resurgence in the private sector.^[13] Today, Civilians are known to extensively customize surplus Retaliators for non-wartime roles.^[10]

In 2944, a mid-air collision between a Retaliator and a Freelancer above New Junction, Lo resulted in the two ships crashing into the Waldren Towers housing development, causing devastation.^[17] In 2945, the Mōhio Museum in Kevric City, Angeli hosted the "Avenging Angels" exhibition of the Retaliator through history, featuring the only remaining original model Retaliator, assembled in 2567 and no longer flyable.^[13] PopuNation activists protested outside over the installation's depiction of Tevarin culture and "jingoistic" celebration of the Retaliator bomber.^[18] The ship won Galactic Tour's "Bomber of the Year" award in 2946.^[19]

Gallery

Development

2017-01-03	The Retaliator Bomber became flight ready in Alpha 2.6.0.^[20]
2024-09	The "Base" and "Bomber" variants were consolidated into a singular model with the introduction of the "Gold Standard." This update also incorporated a new modular room system into the game.^[5]
2026-05-14	The Retaliator became bomb-capable with the release of bomb racks to adapt torpedo modules to carry size 3 or size 5 bombs.^[6]^[7]