Aw, shucks...let's make it five. I meant to respond to this and got sidetracked the first time around. Better late than never as they say. ;)

Shaman Spacecraft, a subsidiary of Streel prior to the first Sathar War, belted out one of the most elegant planetary/system defense starships ever. Utilizing a class 4 hull that was loosely referred to as a Corvette/Escort boasting a semi-aerodynamic hull, atmospheric capable versions with airfoils were also manufactured. A trio of atomic drives occupied equally elegant nacelles perched on aerodynamic struts occupies the stern while a symetrically flowing set of lines move forward to the helm. The ships were typically armed with a precursor to the pod laseer system, which is to say the guns from a standard laser battery were fixed in a forward firing array...while an actual laser battery system was perched on the dorsal position with equally attractive shrouds enveloping it.

Many of the original Shaman C/E vessels were pressed into service by the First and Second Common Musters alike, however they were never contracted as a mainline vessel...that role was given to the larger frigate class vessels of that era instead (and still holds true today). Still, the ships proved to be quite effective in both combat theaters and the basic design inspired the Assault Scout five decades later.

Shaman went bankrupt following the First Sathar War and subsequent formation of the UPF, they simply could not compete with the more modern designs that were being introduced afterwards. Pan Galactic, Cassidine Development Corporation, WarTech, and Galactic Task Force all made brief attempts at nostalgic ressurections of the Shaman design, but each redux fell through in short order due to dismal sales.

Streel CEO Hilo Headow owns Shaman C/E serial number 5, the earliest known example of the original line, but it is badly damaged as a result of a pre-UPF firefight. He owns three others, two of them orginal but also in poor condition (being used as parts to salvage/revive the first one) and a fully functional model that was retrofitted with modern parts (the only value to collectors being its original hull...which may ultimately be cannibalized for Number Five if need be). With operational restored/original versions breaking seven figures at auction, once finished Hilo's #5 could easily double the going rate.

It should be noted that fully restored and/or original operational models number fewer than ten in the Frontier today, with an estimated 30 more surviving/non-operational examples as well. While the fully atmospheric craft are equally valuable (due to lower production numbers), the standard models are more sought after as the airfoils ruined the flowing lines. The good news is an increasing number of atmospheric capable "barn find" models that have been surfacing lately, these craft are being discovered in the most unlikely places in various conditions ranging from wrecked to readily restorable. It should be noted that the retro-clones from later reiterations are sought after for little more than name-nostalgia, they tend to not fetch much more than when sold new.