The HC-7 Rhino heavy carrier was a later entry into the War, after the prior HC-6 generation proved ineffective against the Venture-class compared to the smaller, more disposable Wasp. As the Feron captured more Malleon ships, they began refitting the HC-6 with salvaged Malleon heavy turrets and Fresnel armor. Eventually, Feron scientists reverse-engineered the key Malleon technologies, allowing them to create full field upgrade kits with Feron-built versions of the enhancements that had proven most effective in combat, and the obsolete HC-6 transformed into the much deadlier Rhino. Its name comes from its distinctive weapon segment, a rhino-like horn perpendicular to the ship’s central axis.

The Rhino has a three-segment design like the Wasp, but it’s much larger. At 1270 yards, it’s almost the size of a Venture-class, which measures 1320. Its command segment is proportionately longer to accommodate a much more powerful engine and decks of heavy turrets. Its honeycomb segment is similar to the Wasp’s, but it has an exoskeleton built around it with armored plates on a rail system, allowing the Rhino to put the armor where the incoming fire is heaviest while leaving the other hangars open to launch their craft. Its weapon segment is proportionately shorter than the Wasp’s because its blade is horn-like, perpendicular to the ship, rather than jutting out forward like the Wasp’s. The weapon segment also has more heavy turrets, both on the bottom (i.e., at the bow pointed forward toward the enemy) and around the circumference of the decks covering the space that isn’t taken up by the blade. The blade itself is shaped like a giant sword that from the side curves like the silhouette of a rhino horn. It’s designed to slice open thick Malleon hulls to create large multi-deck breaches that create weak points for its heavy turrets and points of entry for boarding craft. The Rhino’s huge engine has one large exhaust port surrounded by a ring of medium exhaust ports.

In gaming terms, the Rhino is the tank to the Wasp’s glass cannon. The Rhino’s heavier armor on its command and weapon segments, along with its exoskeleton protecting its honeycomb segment, allow it to absorb Malleon broadsides that would shred a Wasp. Although it’s not very maneuverable, the Rhino’s massive engine can accelerate it faster in a straight line than any other Feron or Malleon capital ship. Between its speed and armor, the Rhino is capable of a devastating “charge” to plow through a screen of Malleon broadside fire that would box in Wasps, forcing a break in formation that provides cover for Wasps to escape Malleon traps and reposition to take better advantage of fulgressus. Unlike the Wasp, the Rhino has heavy turrets capable of penetrating Venture-class armor, giving the Rhino a third way to engage enemy ships beyond its combat craft and melee weapon. While an individual Venture-class usually would beat a Rhino one-on-one, a Rhino and one or more Wasps is far more devastating to a Venture-class than a group of Wasps because the Rhino can take the place of the “sacrificial” Wasp but with enough armor to absorb some hits from broadsides without major structural damage, if the supporting Wasps do their job quickly enough. And the Rhino’s heavy turrets mean a Venture-class can’t ignore a Rhino to target a Wasp without sustaining significant damage itself. And if a Venture-class can’t avoid the horn of a charging Rhino, the Rhino’s weapon can breach almost halfway up one of the Venture-class’s hulls.