U.S.S. Cassini
| USS Cassini | |
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Class: Registry: Owner: Operator: Launched: Status: |
Titan Class NCC-98103 United Federation of Planets Starfleet 38th Fleet 17th May, 2419 Active (2423) |
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The USS Cassini (NCC-98103) was a Federation Titan-class starship operated by Starfleet. This was the third Titan class vessel to be commissioned and the first to complete construction. Commissioned by Starfleet Engineers in mid 2419, the Cassini was constructed with the latest innovations and technologies the Federation had to offer. Of particular note, the Cassini was equipped with translatteral transporters, dedicated static warp field generators and extensive internal emission sinks providing for a capable scientific vessel with increased effectiveness in long range stealth reconnaissance and surveillance missions as well.
History
Commissioned in 2419, the USS Cassini was the first Titan Class vessel to complete construction. Cassini was entrusted to a new, yet capable commander, Captain Tellara sh’Zarath.
Cassini embarked on a short shakedown cruise to the Plasma Fountain of Psi Noctuae VII, along the Romulan Republic border, allowing her to test all aspects of her scientific and stealth systems. The RRW Mipha delivered Cassini’s then First Officer, Subcommander Sacon, a Romulan Republic Exchange Officer, and engaged Cassini in simulated battle exercises. While neither side was able to take a definite advantage, Cassini’s greatly enhanced manoeuvrability gave the edge to stay ahead of Mipha’s most potentially devastating firing solutions.
Gamma Quadrant Preserver Investigation
After her shakedown, Cassini was dispatched on a negotiated six month mission to the Gamma Quadrant, deep within Dominion space to investigate Preserver ruins in a joint Federation/Romulan and Dominion expedition.
The mission was ultimately unsuccessful in locating Preserver ruins, the trail seemingly running cold, however was credited in locating numerous sites of archaeological interest, which the Federation council entered in negotiations with Dominion Command for a renewed access period to investigate further.
Return to the Beta Quadrant and House Mo’Kai’s Discovery
Cassini returned to the Beta Quadrant in late 2419, rejoining the 38th Fleet as it had originally been slated for. Due to the impeding threat of House Mo’Kai, Cassini was quickly pressed to work along with a taskforce of other 38th Fleet vessels, assigned to investigate a colony of P.Stellaviatori within the Briar Patch.
During the ensuing firefight with hostile Klingon vessels, Cassini attempted a so called “Riker Manoeuvre” at close range to the USS Endeavour. Unfortunately, due to the volatile nature of the Briar Patch, a Klingon ship ignited the metreon gas cloud before the manoeuvre could be completed, engulfing both the Endeavour and Cassini in an interstellar eruption that threatened to destroy the entire patch. Cassini was successful in stopping the wave, however the resulting damage destroyed her starboard ramscoop, her first major damage since construction, requiring a two week period in drydock.
Following her repairs, and continuing into 2420, Cassini participated in multiple other skirmishes with House Mo’Kai, leading to an encounter with an unidentified cozmozoan, and another major engagement with a Mo’Kai attack force headed for the USS Enterprise and IKS Bortasqu’ in mid-2420.
Cassini’s improved defensive and tactical systems proved highly effective in the skirmish, resulting in only minor damage to the improved shielding systems, and no hull damage, a definite success for Starfleet Engineers.
Later, Cassini encountered a MACO transport vessel which had also been infected by the Mo’Kai computer virus, and her crew was able to devise a delaying tactic to the virus through inventive use of holodeck.
Cassini would spend the rest of the year, and the Klingon civil war, in a reserve role, with her crew continuing work to develop countermeasures to the Mo’Kai virus for full fleet distribution. These efforts were rendered largely moot in August 2420 where House Mo’Kai exposed Chancellor J’mpok as the responsible party of the attack at Khitomer.
Exploration of the Alpha-7910 Sector
In mid-2421, Cassini was tasked with an exploration and survey mission in the Alpha-7910 sector, leading to the discovery of two pre-warp civilisations and six previously undetected astronomical anomalies.
The Terran Invasion
Whilst Cassini was kept in reserve through most of the major conflicts during the Terran Invasion of the Itrin Sector Block, she was present at a few minor skirmishes.
Technical Data
Full Technical Details
| Extended Specifications | |
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| Class: Designation: Hull Duration Time Between Refits: Time Between Resupply: |
Titan Class Reconnaissance Science Vessel 100 years 10 years for major system replacements. 2 years, 6 months for minor system upgrades. Full store rotation every 2 years |
| Length: Beam: Draft: Mass: |
450 m 205 m 80 m 3,000,000 mt |
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Decks: Officers: Enlisted Crew: Civilian Crew: Marines/MACO: Emergency Cap.: |
18 (17 habitable) 87 287 Up to 150 (including short term visitors, crew families, scientific and facilities contractors) Up to 20, mission specific 1,250 |
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Warp Drive Configuration: Warp Drive Units: Primary Impulse System: Slipstream Drive: Transwarp System: |
Class 12 General Electric ADS/03 M/ARC Warp Core rated at 1650+ Cochrane Twin LF-50 Mod 9 Advanced Linear Warp Drive Units Twin FIG-12 Subatomic Unified Impulse Units Q-1T Quantum Slipstream Drive System Twin Asynchronus TF-9-U Transwarp Coil Units |
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Avg. Cruising Spd: Max. Cruising Spd: Maximum Spd: |
Warp 7.5 (Conventional) Transwarp 16.1 (Slipstream) Transwarp 12.84 (Conventional) Transwarp 32.2 (Slipstream) Transwarp 13 (for 1 hour, conventional) Transwarp 60 (Slipstream - See Addendum) |
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Primary Shielding System: Backup Shielding System: Additional Defences: |
FSS6-X Cyclic Regenerative Shielding Array FSQ7-C Forcefield and Deflector Control System 3cm of Trellium-C based Ablative Armour Plating |
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Phaser Systems: Torpedo Systems: Torpedo Armament: |
11 Mk XIV Collimated Phaser Arrays, 3 Mk XII Omni Directional Point Phaser Arrays 2 Twin Tube Mk95 Burst Fire Photon/Quantum Torpedo Launchers Typ. 150x Mk XXIV Photon Torpedo, 60x Mk III Quantum Torpedo |
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Sensor Systems: Probe Systems: Deflector System: |
20 DYN-90 Multi-Band Linear Sensor Suites P/S, Twin SENTINEL Omni-Directional Targeting Arrays, 1 Warp Current Sensor Class I through X probes available Twin graviton polarity generators feeding twin 550 millicochrane subspace field distortion generators |
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Scientific Laboratories: |
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Medical Support Systems: |
Full Medical Complex in Saucer Section Up to six additional Medical Facilities for Triage/Quarantine/Emergency Capacity |
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Recreational Systems: |
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Auxiliary Craft: |
6x Type 8 Shuttlecraft 2x Type 11 Shuttlecraft 2x Argo Class Runabouts 1x Delta Class Runabout 4x CMU Workbees |
Slipstream Addendum: Only tested in simulations, the slipstream drive can be put in a controlled overload state which would theoretically allow speeds as high as Transwarp 60 for less than one second, allowing the ship to traverse ~7 lightyears near instantaneously. No known vessel is capable of surviving these speeds as the slipstream drive would rip itself from its housing causing catastrophic damage to the Quantum Slipstream system as well as surrounding systems and ship. Such a procedure should only be used in a dire emergency.
| Specifications | |
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Length: Beam: Draft: Mass: |
450 m 205 m 80 m 3,000,000 mt |
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Decks: Crew: Capacity.: |
17 350 1,250 |
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Avg. Cruise: Max Cruise: Maximum Speed: |
Warp 7.5 Transwarp 32.2 Transwarp 13 (for 1 hour) |
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Armaments: |
14x Phaser Arrays 4x Photon/Quantum Torpedo Systems |
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Defenses: |
FSS6-X Primary Cyclic Regenerative Shield Ablative Hull Armor |
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Auxiliary Craft: |
6x Type 8 Shuttlecraft 2x Type 11 Shuttlecraft 2x Argo Class Runabouts 1x Delta Class Runabout 4x CMU Workbees |
Physical Arrangement & Crew Support
Measuring at over 450 meters and with 18 decks, the design of the Titan-class consisted of two hull sections: an oval-shaped primary hull and a secondary hull which mounted two warp nacelles. Cassini was designed to carry a standard compliment of 350 officers and crew. In an emergency situation, the Titan-class was rated to carry up to 1,250 passengers for a limited duration.
While Cassini was rated as a long range explorer-type, accommodations for civilian families were limited on the vessel. Typically being limited to scientific and facilities contractors rather than crew families. A range of typical amenities were available to the ship’s crew, including a number of holodecks and recreational facilities. Cassini possessed one full sickbay with all facilities while also maintaining smaller triage areas and a sizable array of science labs.
Translatteral Transporter System
Cassini was equipped with a Translatteral Transporter System which has two main improvements over the standard Transporter system.
First, the transport cycle length is reduced from 5 seconds, to 3 seconds, attributed due to enhanced targeting sensors and increased emitter bandwidth. Secondly, the Translatteral Transporter can allow effective beaming through shields so long as the emitter frequency was synchronised with the shield frequencies of both the originating pad and destination. Keeping synchronization with Cassini’s shield frequency was an easy task, and in most cases the system was only optimised to allow transport through the Cassini’s shield arrays.
While the system may be used to transport through the shields of a hostile or friendly target, the Cassini’s shield array must also be matched to the frequency of the destination array, which has the unfortunate result of increasing effective shield penetration from hostile craft.
A primary, standard transporter system was still equipped aboard Cassini, and is the preferred option amongst many of her crew.
Command & Control Systems
The computer systems aboard the Titan-class were based on isolinear circuitry, with additional bio-neural gel packs positioned throughout the vessel. The ship employed two computer cores, one each in the primary and secondary hulls. Operational control of the ship was provided by the main bridge, located on Deck 1. While Titan-class ships, like most Starfleet vessels, were capable of saucer separation, the process was destructive and irreversible without the support of a starbase.
Propulsion & Power Generation
Cassini was equipped with a standard Class 12 matter/antimatter warp drive, of General Electric ADS/03 specification, with an average output of 1650 Cochrane. Her standard cruising velocity was Warp 7.5, with a maximum cruise of up to Transwarp 12.84. Cassini was rated for a top speed of Transwarp 13 for a period of up to 1 hour. Sublight propulsion was achieved primarily through the use of the vessel’s large twin impulse engines, located on the trailing edge of the primary hull. Fine maneuvering control was provided by RCS Thrusters.
The warp core serves as the primary source of power for all ship systems, supplanted by the vessel’s conventional deuterium fusion and impulse reactors.
Stealth Systems
Cassini was equipped with state of the art stealth technology, without resorting to cloaking devices not permitted for widespread use under the Treaty of Algeron. These technologies are only effective at sublight speeds, with any acceleration to or deacceleration from warp speeds being noticeable due to the burst of gamma radiation associated with the “warp flash”.
Dedicated Static Warp Field Generators
Smaller than the warp coils found within the nacelles and integral to Cassini’s stealth systems, the dedicated Static Warp Field Generators create subspace fields which Cassini “falls in to”, allowing it to move without the use of heat-emitting thrusters.
Each of the sixteen generators were rated up to 500 millicochrane allowing an effective total field distortion of 8 Cochrane thus allowing an effective top speed of Warp 1.8 in any direction. To maintain the stealth profile afforded by this configuration however, speeds should be kept under 0.75c. When stationary, only four emitters at 25% power would be required to maintain subspace field integrity, with the resultant 0.5 Cochrane field distortion observed to blend in completely with typical gravitational subspace distortions found within a star systems heliosphere.
An additional effect of this subspace distortion means that 89% of total EM emissions from Cassini would register as background radiation once they have passed back through the subspace barrier layer. These can be mitigated further by operating in traditional silent running modes to reduce total EM output to 98%. However, none of these mitigations are capable of reducing the risk of the vessel being visually spotted, nor does it mitigate any possible physical countermeasure that may be in place.
The fields were also capable of lowering Cassini’s effective mass, allowing planetary entry and egress where other vessels of a similar classification and weight would be unable to enter without risking a loss of hull integrity.
However, despite these advantages, Cassini was still incapable of making an unaided planetary landing due to her lack of landing gear.
Internal Emission Sinks
In combination with the above, an extensive array of lithium sinks located within the computer cores and beneath the exterior hull collect 98% of all IR emissions through an extensive Helium-3 distribution network surrounding the vessels primary and exterior systems.
Cassini was capable of operating in full silent running to allow passive observation of a star system for up to 3 days, and would be able to operate in an active scanning role for 4 hours before the vessel’s heatsinks begin to emit lethal levels of heat into the habitable area.
Tactical & Defensive Systems
In addition to advanced regenerative deflector shielding and ablative hull armour, Cassini also carries an impressive array of weaponry for her class.
Two dorsal phaser arrays were located on the primary hull, allowing 250° coverage with another four further dorsal aft phaser arrays (two on the secondary hull, two on the nacelle pylons) providing the remaining 110° dorsal coverage. A set of additional phaser arrays were installed in the mission pod and above the shuttlebay, the former with its own 360° coverage facing directly above while the latter faces aft. On the ventral side, a further two phaser arrays were located on the primary hull, with two also located on the nacelle pylons, mirroring the locations and coverage of the dorsal arrays. In the center ventral section of the engineering hull was another phaser array, providing 360° coverage directly below. A final point phaser array was located between the two front torpedo tubes providing an effective last moment screen covering the deflector dish.
Two twin-tube photon torpedo launchers (one facing fore, one aft) were present at the midline of the secondary hull, connected to a singular magazine holding a maximum of 300 torpedoes, probes and other heavy armaments.
FSS6-X Cyclic Regenerative Shielding (CRS) Array
TheCassini was also equipped with an experimental FSS6-X Cyclic Regenerative Shielding (CRS) Array. Developed in joint partnership with Dominion Engineers, the CRS attempted to solve the higher-end limitations of traditional deflector shielding technologies where traditional deflector shielding cannot completely block high energy discharges such as kinetic forces from torpedo impacts or volatile energies from interstellar phenomenon, the CRS would manage with relative ease.
The CRS actively deflects rather than halting and absorbing incoming linear force. By rotationally firing their graviton polarity projectors, ships equipped with the CRS create rapidly oscillating sliced shield facings instead of static ones. Shooting through the CRS was like trying to shoot at a target inside a spinning ball.
Significant drawbacks with the CRS configuration prevent its use on anything other than destroyers, frigates and smaller craft. Its many high-frequency sensors and emitters require frequent maintenance and replacement. A partially damaged CRS can endanger the vessel deploying the system, which would be surrounded by rotating graviton fields skewing in unpredictable directions. Fortunately, if an emitter were to be damaged, the CRS corrects to become a traditional shield array, a safety feature that makes it most effective during opening bouts.
Auxiliary Spacecraft
Cassini was equipped with a single large shuttlebay, located along the aft engineering hull of the vessel. In addition eight large landing pads behind the shuttlebay were able accommodate several runabout-type vessels, and the entire section may be covered in a forcefield to support shirt sleeves maintenance of landed vessels, however this area was not intended to such transport craft at anything other than sublight speeds.
Cassini, carried six Type 8 shuttlecraft, and four “Workbee” pods as her standard complement of smallcraft, with an additional two large Type 11 Shuttles, two Argo Runabouts and a singular Delta class Runabout.
Personnel
Senior Officers
CAPTAIN
Tellara sh'Zarath
@S.J.Brex
LT COMMANDER +
PENDING ASSIGNMENT
COMMANDER
Arribs Odom
@junnstormgrin
LT COMMANDER
Ferrante Filoramo
@chrisdubois
LIEUTENANT
Scott Bradford
@S.J.Brex NPC
LIEUTENANT
Naderi Vehl
@c3shaevizla
ENSIGN
Renaah Felenn
@photis
Notable Junior Officers, NCOs, and Others
SUBCOMMANDER
Sacon
@S.J.Brex NPC
ENSIGN
Kaluurii
@S.J.Brex NPC
CREWMAN
Cal'Gon
@S.J.Brex NPC
ENSIGN
Cal'Zon
@S.J.Brex NPC
ENSIGN
Enjaa
@S.J.Brex NPC
Further Reading/Roleplaying Information
Ship Capabilities
Cassini is primarily a dedicated science ship. To ensure a balanced RP setting, and assist GM’s who need to deal with the ship for events, the ship’s capabilities and specialist functions are listed here.
Destroyer
While she does have an extensive suite of defensive and offensive capabilities at its disposal for her weight and classification, Cassini is not designed to withstand a sustained fight or one with multiple aggressors, if alone. Cassini is instead designed to be fast, quiet and hard hitting in an opening engagement. Capable of catching vessels off guard using her suite of stealth abilities and powerful phaser arrays, she is more suited to hit and run tactics than battles of attrition.
Cutting Edge Sensors
Cassini is equipped with an extensive array of both scientific and tactical sensor suites, building on the earlier super-capital vessels’ tried and tested technology. Taking a compacted variant of the DYN-90 sensor palettes debuted on the U.S.S. Yorktown and the SENTINEL targeting sensor arrays from the U.S.S. Endeavour affords the Cassini impressive sensor coverage and definition.
At both the front edge of the saucer section and the top mission pod, hull plating has been removed or replaced with transparent aluminium to provide enhanced sensor clarity and easy of repair, at the cost of reduced durability to interstellar debris or hostile actions. While Cassini’s hull alone has many sensor systems, the majority of sensors are contained within the mission pod, featuring one of the SENTINEL Targeting arrays, and twelve of the DYN-90 sensor palettes, as well as a number of additional high power systems and laboratories.
First debuted on the Luna-class vessels in the 2380s, Cassini’s warp current sensor allows the tracking of high band subspace distortions in real time. Located at the front of the mission pod, the warp current sensor affords Cassini a 180 degree real time view of very high and high band subspace distortions within two lightyears which can assist in tracking vessels at warp and other subspace phenomena.
Translatteral Transporters
First theorised in the 2360s, Translatteral Transporters saw developmental prototypes in the early 2400s. Originally envisioned to circumvent the magnetic shielding of Borg vessels, lessons learnt during the Dominion War saw development shift to circumvent conventional shielding as well using similar measures. The goal of Translatteral Transporters is to allow matter to be transported through the shields of another entity.
By synchronising the transporter emitter frequency with the shield emitter frequency of both parties, a matter stream can be passed through the active shield. In practice this is mostly effective with friendly parties due to the requirements of computer handshake to manage shield frequencies and preference for a receiving pad, though neither are required with appropriate mitigations. When used against hostile vessels, there are drawbacks limiting the suitable use cases, such as reduced shield effectiveness against incoming attacks and no guaranteed receiving pad. The receiving pad is only strongly suggested for transporting of living beings, however.
In order to speed up the transporter cycle time to under the already enhanced 3 second period, instead of a full quantum level transport, molecular level transport is enabled for certain portions of the transport stream. While this has now been rated safe for life, few members of the Cassini crew are willing to attempt it, due to stories of tissue rejection and even diagnosis of Depersonalization and Derealization Disorder amongst the earliest transport test subjects.
Upgraded Shield Systems
Providing the bulk of Cassini’s defensive prowess, the experimental FSS6-X Cyclic Regenerative Shielding (CRS) Array is an evolution of the Regenerative shielding systems used on the Sovereign and Akira class vessels of the late 2300s.