Tikbalang Heavy AeroFighter

If anything, the Tikbalang was a very conventional multirole aerospace fighter. Armed with four large lasers and capable of four and a half gravities of acceleration in a pinch, it was slightly more maneuverable than most fighters in its weight range and optimized for standoff dogfighting or ground attack. Mounting sixteen tons of heavy armor, its durability and fuel stores ensure that it stuck around for the long haul.

The only nod the Tikbalang made to more modern technologies are the twenty double heat sinks it mounted to keep its heat to a minimum. Pilots never feared overheating while keeping the trigger down.

Designed to be a steady fire platform, the 'lead sled' Tikbalang was most maneuverable in space and, once it hit atmosphere, best suited for ground attack and DropShip interception. It was not the best atmospheric dogfighter, being too stable to turn quickly, so when pressed into that role pilots had to use energy tactics and fight in the vertical.

As a budget aerospace fighter--'budget' being unusual coming from TME Industries--the Tikbalang sold relatively well to a broad range of customers. Several of those customers, not liking the all-large-lasers-all-the-time weapon loadout, found that modifying the airframe was remarkably easy considering its large internal volumes and standardized structural attach points. Observers suggested that perhaps the Tikbalang was some sort of mass-production "vanilla chassis" produced primarily to see what customers would do with it, effectively crowd-sourcing the development of refits and different model lines, but TME Industries maintained that it was simply an intentionally rugged, simple fighter with a consistently heavy medium-ranged throw weight. That modified versions usually broke more often, invalidated warranties, and increased aftermarket spares sales was simply an added benefit.