The Verutum is an older light fighter that entered service in 6775 during the final stages of the TOG campaign against the KessRith Empire. Its design parameters called for a fighter that could perform missions similar to the Penetrator's: interceptions and stand off strike missions. Many companies bid for the project, but one radical design, from the Almach Shipyards, won out. Illustrus Senator Lewis had championed it. The Almach design utilized a novel concept of combining an EPC and an NPC into one weapon system, with lower power and tonnage requirements than two separate systems. Almach claimed this allowed the Verutum to carry more armor and to attain greater acceleratons than any fighter of its class. Additionally, the price Almach was quoting for the ship was very attractive. Separate weapons, engine, and survivability tests of the prototype seemed to support all of Almach's claims. At the strong urging of Illustrus Senator Lewis, the normal field testing requirements were waived, and the Verutum went into full production. Tens of thousands were delivered to newly activated squadrons.

Reports started to filter back that the Verutum's top acceleration was not up to specifications, but this anomaly was put down to the inexperience of the green pilots. More disturbing reports came in as the Verutums began to enter combat. The ships started to explode unexplainably during sustained combat. Hits that their armor should have absorbed easily would rip through the fighters like lightning bolts.

The Verutums were grounded. An Imperial Investigation Board, under the charismatic leadership of Illustrus Senator Lewis, found that the explosions were caused by sloppy and faulty maintenance by the ground crews, and that the rumor of insufficient armor protection was unfounded. Several officers commanding the affected units protested vigorously at the Board's findings, and called into question Illustrus Senator Lewis' impartiality. These officers were immediately sacked. One of these sacked commanders, Commodore Reginald Walroma, began an investigation of his own. Over a period of two years he talked to, bribed, and intimidated people who were involved with the Verutums design. Always one step ahead of the ISS, Commodore Walroma finally walked into the ISS Overlord's office and dropped three pounds of confessions and tapes on his desk.

The evidence exposed a massive level of corruption, fraud, and collusion between Almach and Illustrus Senator Lewis. The ISS was quick to act. It quietly executed Illustrus Senator Lewis two weeks later, and gave his estates to Commodore Walroma as a reward. TOG seized Almach's assets and sold them to other defense firms. All executives of Almach went to the laser crystal mines.

TOG stripped the thousands of Verutums already built, and re-adapted the airframes to carry more conventional armament. While slated to be phased out of service, Verutums are still to be found in many second and even front line squadrons.