CAS-9 Deepwarden
Courier Attack Submersible
Europan Courier Authority
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The CAS series defined early Europan expansion.
Built by the Europan Courier Authority, these vessels served as long-range couriers with the strength to defend themselves. The first eight hulls escorted deep expeditions and secured the Coalition’s earliest routes.
CAS-9 Deepwarden came later.
Larger. Heavier. Refined from combat data. It carried one of only three high-output sonar transducers ever installed during that era. It extended detection far beyond standard range. It also placed constant strain on the vessel.
In 2156, Jovian separatists launched a coordinated strike on Coalition assets.
The CAS fleet was targeted first.
Fourteen ships were destroyed.
Deepwarden survived.
A direct hit ruptured its reactor.
Water flooded the central shaft. Radiation spread through the hull. The crew held position long enough to complete their orders.
None survived.
The vessel did.
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The Coalition ordered salvage.
The Authority pushed for recovery despite cost and risk.
The hull was drained.
The reactor was sealed.
Damaged systems were stripped or reinforced.
The sonar transducer remained.
It could not be replaced. Removing it would have required dismantling the ship.
Deepwarden returned to service as the Authority’s only remaining CAS vessel after they lost their patent and funding.
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Years later, the Authority accepted a high-value contract.
A nuclear payload. Full discretion.
Deepwarden launched.
It completed the mission.
The ship returned on autopilot.
The cargo arrived intact.
The entire crew was dead.
Medical reports traced the cause to catastrophic neural damage linked to prolonged sonar exposure. Logs confirmed the transducer never shut down.
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Despite the loss, the Authority continued to deploy the vessel.
They had no replacement.
Crews came and went.
Some lasted hours. Some lasted years.
Every deployment ended the same way.
The ship returned.
The crew did not.
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Engineering review found no safe solution.
The sonar system fused into core infrastructure
Power loops could not be isolated
Autopilot overrides manual shutdown under specific conditions
If a crew was lost, the vessel could continue operating without human control.
The Authority installed a nuclear failsafe.
Linked to crew biometrics
Activates if all crew are confirmed dead
Requires two senior officers alive to cancel
If Deepwarden takes another crew, it will not keep it.
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The vessel was decommissioned and left in drydock for fifty years.
Stories spread.
Voices in empty compartments.
Sonar pings with no power.
Objects moved without cause.
No official investigation followed.
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Now it is available again.
The Authority has few ships left.
None match Deepwarden’s range, armor, or firepower.
You take command of the last CAS vessel ever built by the Europan Courier Authority.
Old. Unstable. Unmatched.
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Features
60m Attack and Expeditionary Sub
Heavy armor and reinforced central shaft
Long-range, high-output sonar system
Full combat loadout for escort and strike missions
Large lower-deck stowage for high-value cargo
Integrated nuclear failsafe system tied to crew status
Autopilot capable of full mission completion
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Notes
High sonar output places constant strain on crew and systems
Vessel rewards coordinated crews and disciplined command
Designed for high-risk, high-reward missions
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The Deepwarden survived everything that destroyed its class.
It is still here for a reason.
Descend.
