Beowulf is a disarmed Outrider-class blockade runner, a variety of armed merchant ship used by the Alliance forces during the war. The Outrider itself is derived from the Sherpa-class, a pre-war light freighter, increasing the maximum acceleration of the vessel by 30% at the cost of two-thirds of the cargo space. On Beowulf, some of the cargo capacity has been clawed back, returning the vessel to a profitable, but speedy, configuration.