In short, the Clava class Research Probeship is a vessel designed to be fired through a system by a larger vessel. The main weapon array on the bow of an Earthain capital class vessel can be tuned down to propel a ship such as this up to near-luminal speeds, at which it would be very hard to intercept and even detect. This ship could be used to study a hostile or dangerous system, and would be picked up by a capital ship on the other side. It is lightly shielded, armored and armed, and carries a very small crew.
I'll be submitting a few other miscellaneous ships I've come up with to this contest, lets see if I can win.