Deep Space 13
| Deep Space 13 | |
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Type: Owner: Operator: Status: |
Deep Space Station United Federation of Planets Starfleet 38th Fleet Active |
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Beam: Draft: Mass: |
2,220 m 2,400 m 410,714,285 mt |
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Decks: |
260 habitable 85 semi-habitable |
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Current Crew: Population: |
11,000 20,567 |
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Max Capacity: Emergency: |
76,950 256,500 |
| Armaments: |
54x Phaser Array, Mark XIV 24x Phaser Turret Emplacement 36x Twin‑Tube Pho‑torp Launcher |
| Defenses: |
Regenerative Shielding Phaser Point Defense System |
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Docking Facilities: |
24x Starship Docking Ports 3x Large Ship Docking Berths 6x Primary Shuttle Bays 4x Secondary Shuttle Bays |
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Auxiliary Craft: |
20x Danube Runabout 10x Yellowstone Runabout 40x Peregrine Fighter 50+ Shuttlecraft (various) |
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Deep Space 13 is a Federation starbase currently in service as the headquarters of the 38th Fleet and a major Starfleet facility in the Aldebaran Sector of the Beta Quadrant. A city in space, it is fully equipped and staffed by some of the best that the Federation has to offer. In addition to the latest operational and defensive systems, DS13 offers top notch engineering teams, a busy drydock, and state of the art science and medical facilities. Extensive diplomatic and R&R amenities round out the station’s impressive array of resources.
History
Originally designated Outpost Argo, the facility was established to provide Starfleet with a not-insignificant foothold in Beta Quadrant deep space, an appellation that was previously held by Deep Space Station K-7. The older space station was deemed ineligible for the planned facilities’ extensive construction requirements, so plans were drawn to situate the new installation roughly ten light years away, permitting the new base to easily support the other.
The primary responsibility of the new starbase’s defense and operational management falls to the 38th Fleet. Formerly Task Force Argo, the group was originally selected for their extensive experience in operating near the neutral zone, especially in opposition to Klingon advances. The fleet has since expanded their ranks and numbers and now oversees a variety of operations in numerous sectors beyond their local space.
The station received the more formal designation of Deep Space Thirteen in 2413, after the completion of a series of major structural upgrades.
Location
Deep Space 13 is located in a planetary star system known as V774 Tau, nearly 70 lightyears from Sol, in the Aldebaran Sector of the Beta Quadrant. The station itself maintains a slightly elliptical orbit at roughly 5.6 AU from the system’s G-Type star, and is located approximately half-way between the orbits of the fifth and sixth planets. DS13 is in synchronous rotation with the system’s star. In lieu of actual relative rotation, the station uses a simulated day/night cycle of 24 standard hours.
Specifications
Physical Arrangement
Station Amenities
One of several diplomatic lounges in the Embassy section.
Designed to be more than simply a military installation, Deep Space 13 has a wide range of amenities to cover the needs of the crew, residents, and visitors. In addition to fifty two crew lounges, the fifteen-deck Promenade Section is full of commercial shops and businesses, including the hugely successful Event Horizon Lounge. For more ceremonious occasions, the diplomatic/embassy lounges are also available to crew and visitors when not otherwise reserved. Twelve multi-configuration recreation centers, along with three expanded holodecks, and thirty standard-size holodecks round out the station’s usual recreational fare.
Built with a diverse civilian population in mind, family-friendly quarters and living areas are available onboard, with additional accommodations on several decks for variable-atmosphere sections. Also onboard, is a K-12 mixed age school system, complete with qualified teachers and day-care service. For older dependents, numerous employment and internship opportunities are available.
For those wishing to pursue a career in Starfleet, DS13 has been designated the Eta Eridani Annex of Starfleet Academy. In addition to registration, cadet cruise, and non-citizen sponsorship programs, a limited number of standard classes are offered each semester, depending on demand.
Defensive Systems
A tactical center in the station's Command & Control section.
Despite its versatile intended purpose, DS13 was designed in the midst of turbulent times and constructed while the defense of the Federation’s borders was being given the highest priority. Triple-layer redundant regenerative shielding provides an impressive barrier against attack. To further mitigate incoming damage, twenty-four phaser turret emplacements make up a comprehensive point defense system.
While not strictly intended as an offensive platform, DS13 was equipped with more than enough defensive firepower to withstand all but the most overwhelming of assaults. Fifty-four phaser arrays cover almost every angle of approach, ensuring that very few blind spots exist for a hostile vessel to hide in. Thirty-six twin-tube photon torpedo launchers are strategically located to provide heavy weapons coverage to most firing arcs.
External Structures
The DS13 Transwarp Hub, inactive, with the station visible in the background.
Beyond the station itself, several other structures share the same local area and serve as support facilities for the starbase. In addition to a full complement of navigational buoys and sensor beacons, there is an unmanned communications relay for handling additional types of messages and overflow from the station’s arrays. DS13 is additionally supported by a Shipyard Facility and Transwarp Hub.
Shipyard Facility
DS13’s largest external platform is the shipyard facility. With support from an industrial fabricator, several modular drydock berths are capable of handling high volume fleet support operations. The shipyard is staffed by Engineering Department personnel, and through coordination with Operations, prioritization of docking and repair schedules allows for highly efficient fleet maintenance. Nearly all Starfleet-standard and civilian starship maintenance, repair, and upgrade can be performed on-site, including Baryon sweeps, and minor-to-moderate structural refits. Complete structural refits and from-scratch new ship construction are both possible, but are generally not practical when other more specialized construction facilities are available.
Transwarp Hub
Deep Space Thirteen’s Transwarp Hub allows a standard connection to the Federation Transwarp Network to be maintained at all times. This connection allows for increased travel speed to other major hub locations. In emergency situations, Fleet Command may authorize directional use of the hub, for greatly increased travel speed to a specific location outside of the normal transwarp network.
Support Craft
Small Craft
A Type-8 Shuttle docking in one of DS13's secondary shuttlebays.
Shuttles & Runabouts
DS13 carries a large complement of small craft including Danube and Yellowstone runabouts, as well as various types of standard shuttlecraft and shuttlepods. Aside from the usual uses in the local system, shuttles and runabouts are often booked for longer away missions, transit to and from other starbases and planets, and various other mid-range fleet support roles.
Fighter Wing
As a supplement to its defensive arsenal, DS13 maintains a single Wing of Peregrine Fighters. The Wing is organized into four Squadrons, each of which consists of two Flights of five fighters. When not launched in active defense of the starbase, fighters fly escort formations and perform security scans of ships entering and leaving DS13’s local space.
Starships
In addition to the various starships of the 38th Fleet that are regularly based out of the station, a handful of ships at any given time are assigned directly to DS13 to conduct patrols of the local systems and provide a constant defense force for the starbase.
DS13 itself also has a pair of starships attached directly to its command. These two vessels are crewed by starbase personnel on a rotating basis, and remain docked or in orbit at all times except when requisitioned for use on a mission. More often than not, operational command of these vessels will fall to one of DS13’s Senior Officers.
More information about the currently attached vessels can be found here:
Personnel
Senior Staff
Departments
| Personnel Breakdown | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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COMMAND: |
150 |
OPERATIONS: |
2,500 |
SCIENCE: |
1,500 |
EMPLOYEES: |
1,246 |
| TOTAL: 20,567 | |||||||
Operations
Main Operations, the primary command center for DS13.
The Operations Department is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Starbase, as well as the coordination of the other departments, and the interaction with nearby starships. The primary workplace for these crewmembers, Main Operations, is essentially the Command Center or ‘bridge’ of the station. Operations Officers are often experts in the computer sciences, communication systems, transporter systems, or data analysis. On DS13, Tactical is a subsection of Operations.
Security
The Security Department is, as the name implies, mainly responsible for ensuring the safety and security of the crew and guests aboard the starbase. Members of the security force can often be found patrolling the decks of the station, enforcing regulations, inspecting cargo, staffing the detention level, or accompanying other station personnel on away missions. Additionally, security personnel are expected to respond to requests for assistance while they are on duty, and conduct investigations into any criminal activity.
Intelligence
The DS13 Intelligence Team is dedicated to analysis of information collected about matters external to the Federation. Routinely, members of the ‘Intel Team’ will review reports from around the fleet, assessing potential threats and making recommendations to Command. In addition, Intelligence Officers may assist with or conduct investigations or interrogations when it is deemed that a threat to the Federation may be present. Acting as a liaison between Fleet Command and Starfleet Intelligence as a whole, DS13’s team will often pass along actionable intel in both directions. While rare, any need for covert assignments will generally be cleared or coordinated through the Intelligence Office.
Engineering
One of the starbase's many Engineering work areas.
The Engineering Department is vital to the continual upkeep, maintenance, and repair of the various systems and components of not only the station itself, but also any docked or nearby vessels. Engineers often comprise a wide range of technical specialities that are not otherwise covered by Operations. While engineers can be found performing duties all over the station, their primary workplaces are main engineering (where the station’s power-generating reactors are housed) and the orbital drydock facility (where visiting starships are repaired and upgraded). In addition to their normal tasks, Engineers are often assigned to Damage Control Teams that are called upon during emergency situations.
Science
The Science Department encompasses a broad range of scientific disciplines that are at the core of Starfleet's mission. Strange phenomena, alien technology, experimentation, and investigation; all in a day's work. Science Officers often specialize in one or two fields of study, though many possess a general working knowledge in a variety of areas. DS13's Science and Research decks are on par with, if not more capable than, even Starfleet's most advanced dedicated science vessels. In addition to their on-station duties, members of the Science Department will often be selected to join away teams and even occasionally embark on extended shipboard voyages, serving as mission specialists, when the need arises.Medical
One of DS13's medical wards.
All other things aside, the health of the crew is of paramount importance to operational readiness. With cutting edge and fully equipped Sickbay facilities, the DS13 Medical Department functions as the primary hospital location for the entire sector. In addition to providing treatment on an as-needed basis to any and all who require it, the Medical Staff is responsible for maintaining the medical records of the fleet and conducting or coordinating any regular preventative care. While most routine work takes place in Sickbay, Medical Teams are often dispatched to other parts of the station, or even as part of away missions, should the need arise.
Counseling
Equally as important as a crew’s physical health, are their mental health and emotional well-being. This is the purview of the Counseling Department. Starfleet recognizes the unique challenges and potentially stressful situations that go along with deep space assignments. As such, in addition to performing periodic routine psychiatric evaluations, the services of the DS13 Counseling Staff are made available for members of the entire fleet and any associated civilians.
Civilian Population
As a major port of call, DS13 often plays host to any number of visiting starship crews, allies, diplomats, entrepreneurs, traders, and passers-through. Ever-present and often overlooked are the staff members that keep the so-called non-essential facilities running. In addition to the civilian families of Starfleet crewmembers, the starbase employs a sizeable number of independent civilian contractors in a variety of service and specialist roles.
Station Policies
Transporters
Transporter Room 1.
Starfleet and Federation civilian regulations prohibit ships from engaging in transporter activity directed at a starbase without requesting and receiving clearance from Station Operations. As a result, arrivals and departures via beaming are conducted only in the station’s transporter rooms. In the event that a transport to or from the station occurs in some other location, or without prior authorization, the station’s sensors automatically activate an Unauthorized Transport alarm, allowing the crew to quickly respond.
Additionally, certain sections of the station are protected by a series of transport inhibitors. These devices, mainly located throughout the station’s central core, protect critical and high-traffic areas from offensive or otherwise aggressive beaming. To prevent loss of function in case of an emergency, the inhibitors are independently powered and active by default. Even in the event of a total systems failure, the station’s critical areas should remain protected.
Site-to-site transports within the station are also prohibited without authorization from Operations. Site-to-site transport is most commonly authorized for moving cargo, and for the beaming of security and medical personnel during emergency situations.
Weapons
The carrying of personal weapons of any kind is prohibited by all persons aboard DS13. This policy includes, but is not limited to:
- energy- and projectile-based firearms
- knives, swords, and other bladed weapons
- explosive devices or compounds
Security checkpoints are located at each of the station’s transporter rooms and docking ports, where new arrivals will be be asked to check any weapons or firearms. These items will be returned upon departure. Any visitors discovered carrying unauthorized weapons or other potentially hazardous items will have the items confiscated and be subject to the authority of starbase security.
Exceptions to this policy are made only for on-duty station security personnel and those specifically authorized according to the station’s alert status.
Security Response
In the event that station security is requested to respond to an altercation, all persons in the vicinity are expected to fully cooperate and comply with any instructions given by the responding security officers. If at all possible the altercation will be resolved non-violently, however security officers are armed and authorized to use appropriate levels of force to resolve conflicts and safeguard themselves and the inhabitants of the station.
An NPC security team will respond to any call for security made over /fleet chat after roughly TEN MINUTES of real-time. When they arrive, they will act accordingly:
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The security team will consist of, by default, five members. (You may, of course, request that security send more than that at the initial call.) Two members will, in tandem, be employed in restraining any given combatant.
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If characters submit to physical restraining, they will be permitted roughly five minutes to step down the conflict if possible, to avoid being sent to the brig.
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If characters do not submit to physical restraining, the security NPCs will draw their weapons and attempt to stun all combatants. Security NPCs should be assumed to have exceptional accuracy. (They practice a lot more than the TV show guys do.)
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Characters will then be escorted to the brig for a minimum two days (real time) worth of incarceration unless excused earlier by a proper authority. Other players may visit characters who are incarcerated under NPC security supervision.
Guests & Visitors
While Deep Space 13 is open to the public in a limited fashion, due to its primary function as a high-profile, operating Starfleet station, visitors must be authorized and should recognize the necessity of obeying station authorities at all times.
PLEASE BE ADVISED that all visiting personnel must pass through security checkpoints, at which you will be asked to check any weapons or firearms. These items will be returned to you upon your departure. Any visitors discovered carrying unauthorized weapons or other potentially hazardous items will have the items confiscated and be subject to the authority of starbase security.
If you are specifically interested in RPing with Argo, please make contact with the staff to discuss arranging of an event. If you have a friend in Argo, they are more than welcome to have you aboard at any time, but please keep in mind that your friend will be held OOCly responsible for your character’s behavior. For more information on Argo’s guest policy, please see this thread.
Alert Status
An Auxiliary Control Room in the Promenade section.
Condition Green
Condition Green (or Condition Normal) is the default alert status and standard operating mode.
- Starbase weapon and shield systems are offline.
- Crewmembers go about their regular duties according to the shift schedule.
Condition Yellow
Condition Yellow (or Yellow Alert) is a heightened state of alert, during which the station and crew is prepared for a possible crisis situation.
- Starbase shield systems are activated, and weapons moved to stand-by mode.
- Select off-duty personnel are recalled to their stations.
- Security and medical teams are placed on stand-by.
- Civilians are requested to return to their quarters or remain in designated shelter areas.
Condition Red
Condition Red (or Red Alert) is the highest alert status, during which the station and crew is prepared for an imminent crisis. Red Alert can be triggered automatically by the computer when certain serious threats or damage to the station is detected by sensors.
- Starbase shield and weapon systems are fully powered.
- Select off-duty personnel are recalled to their stations, and sidearms may be issued to on-duty personnel.
- Security teams are deployed to defend critical areas of the station.
- Medical teams are placed on stand-by.
- Civilians are required to immediately return to their quarters or proceed to designated shelter areas.
RP Locations
Fleet Starbase Holding
The first floor, labeled “Ops”, is used to represent Deck 11, the uppermost deck of the DS13 Promenade section. It contains a transporter room, the Event Horizon Lounge, the Auxiliary Control Room, the Promenade Conference Room, a requisitions storeroom, and a holodeck.
The second floor, labeled “Engineering”, is generally used to represent any one of several engineering-based starbase decks, likely located in the Engineering or Reactor Core sections. It contains a large engineering-style workspace and a lab.
The third floor, labeled “Science”, is generally used to represent any one of several science- or medical-based starbase decks, likely located in the Upper Core section. It contains a sickbay a science lab, and a medical lab.
The fourth floor, labeled “Tactical”, is generally used to represent any one of several decks in the Command & Control section. It contains a large work area with tactical or security stations, as well as an office/ready room.
Fleet Embassy Holding
A reception area in DS13's embassy section.
The first floor, is labeled “Shuttlebay”. For the purposes of RP, we ignore the sky and generally use the room as a shuttle bay or cargo bay on the starbase.
The second floor, labeled “Lobby”, is used as an area of the Upper Core section. It contains a transporter room, a large lobby/reception area, a large lounge (the ‘embassy lounge’ or ‘diplomatic lounge’), two smaller lounges, a science area, and an office, used ICly by fleet flag officers and Ambassadors.
The third floor, labeled “Ops”, is used to represent DS13’s Main Operations.
Fleet Research Lab Holding
An experiment running in a starbase research lab.
There are rooms labeled “Research” and “Development” respectively, containing various science or engineering equipment, as well as a large holodeck, a central control room, and a large conference room. This holding is used, as needed, to represent any of the various science and engineering areas on DS13.
K-13 Fleet Holding
"Vanilla or Bust" at the Concourse.
Because of the theme, this map is generally used as a retro-style area within the Promenade section. It is a concourse with various commercial shops and restaurants, including DS13’s most popular ice cream and dessert vendor.