First reaction: isn't that what the Cargo Frigate is for? As a fleet replenishment unit?

Second reaction: I was just staring at the Hastati the other day, noodling about the idea of a Hastati Escort Carrier variant, with the two missile pods enlarged, the graphics on the ends changed a little, and representing a single fighter bay.

Third reaction: Yes, I'm planning a campaign -- a whole bunch of 'em, in fact -- locally. I had originally looked at VBAM, and may wind up using it later for a more detailed (moderated?) campaign (possibly accompanied by an RPG), but I'm very strongly gravitating toward Sovereign Stars for everyday campaign play. It has that fast, elegant, high-level Wormhole-y feel to it, and seems to produce scenarios that look like the ones in the rulebook.

Details for SS players: I'm thinking 50 Wormhole points per SS strength point, or 25 for really large battles. One "hex" becomes one wormhole transit; for yellow and red wormholes, you need to roll to transit, and two consecutive failures costs you your movement point. Fleets can only include as many fighters as there are hangar bay spaces on the fleet's carriers, but system defense forces are under no such restrictions, and may include as many fighters as desired. SDF's can't include any capital ships or superships. If you're playing with the "Icarus Station" bash, Space Stations can be composed of station modules (no Hephaestus Cannon) and fighters; Starbases may have station modules (including the HC), fighters, and small ships. If you're not playing with Icarus, give Stations the forces of an SDF and Starbases the forces of a fleet, both sent as a covering force to fight the battle away from the station.

That covers both kinds of Sathricans and the Verus Republic reasonably well, and presumably the Meridiens and Calormen as well; further thought is needed for handling the Pirates, Nomads, and Scavengers, who work differently from traditional powers who hold fixed bases and star systems.

Getting back to the fighter issue: using a system like that results in frequent battles involving forces consisting of a couple of fighter squadrons and a garden variety frigate (or multiples thereof), with no carriers in sight. That's exactly the sort of thing that crops up in the published scenarios, and it actually makes a lot of sense. Transiting closely-spaced wormholes is a very different proposition than getting from system to system through some sort of FTL drive, and so carriers are more about permanent basing and easy repair availability than actually getting to the system in question.

Your scouting party to another system wouldn't need carriers in Wormhole -- you can just send the fighters through on their own or with a frigate or two. Think Babylon 5, but with even shorter transit times since wormhole transits are instantaneous. The one spot where you might consider something along the lines of what you're proposing might be to picket a spot in deep space that's several wormhole jumps away from an inhabited planet or space station where your fighters live. At the end of one of those red wormhole chains leading away from the Sathrican superwormhole, for example. For those few examples, I'd be more likely if I were BuShips to just send an existing carrier, picket the area with frigates, and/or relieve the fighters frequently with fresh fighters than to introduce a new ship class.

So, 'no.'

Heh. It seems that Sir Humphrey Applelby is now employed as the Permanent Secretary to the Sathrican Minister of Defence.