Editing Lattice Drive (section)

== Applications ==

During the Lattice Wars and late Machine Interregnum, Lattice Drive vessels served primarily as:

* Rapid couriers between systems without gate termini
* Deep reconnaissance platforms in uncharted space
* Covert insertion craft for salvage and intelligence operations

Their defining advantage was independence from pre-established gate infrastructure. Early corridor-gate systems required enormous endpoint investment; Lattice Drive ships faced no equivalent constraint if the core held destination data.

=== Survey and charting ===

Between 2570 and 2620 CE, rim expeditions used Lattice Drive vessels to reach systems with no gate access. Colonial charts from these runs were later incorporated into navigation databases maintained by the Stellar Consortium.

=== Decline and custody ===

Following Consortium founding in 2655 CE and expansion of standardized gate networks, gateless transit lost strategic value. Most remaining assemblies were decommissioned or surrendered circa 2660 CE. The Mnemonic Archive retained non-operational units on [[Mnemos]] under restricted research designations.

=== Keth Prime controversy (2781 CE) ===

Post-battle salvage from the [[Battle of Keth Prime]] mentioned drive signatures inconsistent with corridor-gate profiles. A minority of analysts argued a Lattice Drive vessel participated in the fighting.

Free Holds commanders denied this in testimony. No physical evidence was recovered from battle debris. The Consortium declined to release complete sensor records.

<blockquote>Free Holds testimony held that all engagement signatures matched conventional corridor-gate profiles. Consortium analysts who flagged anomalies were never granted access to full raw telemetry for independent review.</blockquote>