USS Morningstar
The Mk III Intrepid class, code named Morningstar, was initially developed in response to Fleet Commander's requests for a small, yet heavily armed warship that could assist in planetary capture situations. Utopia Planitia began working on the project almost immediately as the Dominion War waged on. Initially, Starfleet had requested a completely new design from the ground up, however, it was apparent that in order to properly design such a craft, Fleet would have to divert to many resources at the height of hostilities, an unacceptable option. Thus, the Intrepid-class was chosen to fill this role, as it already met many of the design criteria.
However, the small size of the Intrepid-class proved to be an Achilles heal to the project and slowed down development. By the time the first mock-up was completed, all parties had agreed to cessation of hostilities. At first, this looked to be the end of the Morningstar, however, Admiralty elected to continue work on the project as a test bed for a new direction in starship design—building smaller more powerful vessels that could easily defend several sectors at a time.
The prototype USS Morningstar, NX-82785, is a significant technological and tactical upgrade to the standard Intrepid-class, externally, most of the changes are the added weapons fixtures. Internally, most of the science bays and luxuries of an Intrepid class were removed to make room for the added weapons and weapon storage. The Main Shuttle bay has also been enhanced/expanded to carry a wide array of fighters and assault landing equipment for planetary assault.
The initial plans called for a two warp core system, however, that was scrapped in favor of simply using a slightly modified Intrepid-Core. Starfleet Engineering favored this move because it would keep production time and computer usage down, as well as not needing to add additional Deuterium Storage.
The Morningstar has completed her preliminary testing of systems, and is preparing for her first field trials. Preliminary tests revealed only a few minor problems: During Full Battle Mode (All weapons online) all but non-essential systems must be shut down to accommodate for power drain (Note: A Full Battle Test has yet to be completed.); EPS power grid required additional cooling units; shielding system showed a tendency to develop 'soft spots' during weapons testing, however SF Engineering ruled the problem did not present a risk to the project.
From approximately stardates 0507.31 to 0602.19, the Morningstar replaced the USS Excalibur as Starfleet's flagship in the Gamma Quadrant, a field test of this prototype's durability. The Morningstar played a pivotal role in defeating the Hundred on stardate 0602.19. During the battle, however, it sustained heavy damage and the crew (mostly reassigned Excalibur crew members) evacauted the ship. After the battle, the refitted Excalibur returned to its role as flagship.
Technical Data
- Model Type
- Assault cruiser
- Unit Run
- Prototype
- Commissioned
- 2375 – Present
- Length
- 355 meters
- Beam
- 133 meters
- Height
- 75 meters
- Mass
- 1,075,500 tons
- Crew Complement
- 150 officers/enlisted plus Flight Crew
- Diplomatic Capability
- Grade III
- Expected Hull Life
- 120 years
- Refit Cycle
- Minor: 5 years
- Standard: 15 years
- Major: 30 years
Tactical
- Phaser Armament
- 2 Class II rapid fire phaser pulse cannons
- 3 multi-directional phaser turrets with 4 Class I cannons each
- 20 Type XI phaser arrays (total output 83,000 TeraWatts)
- Disruptor Armament
- 5 Class I disruptor cannons (total output 60,000 TeraWatts)
- Plasma Cannon Armament
- 4 MV rapid fire plasma pulse cannons
- Torpedo Armament
- 1 standard quantum torpedo launcher + 50 torpedoes
- 2 multi-vector torpedo turrets, 3 class III torpedo launchers each + 120 torpedoes
- 2 rapid fire quantum torpedo launcher + 100 torpedoes
- 4 standard photon torpedo tubes
- 8 class II burst fire torpedo launcher + 320 torpedoes
- Shields
- Regenerative shield system
- Shield Capacity
- 3.5 million terajoules
Indices
- Beam Firepower
- 3,600
- Torpedo Firepower
- 6,725
- Weapon Range and Accuracy
- 1,000
- Shield Strength
- 1,296.29
- Hull Armor
- 2,000
- Speed
- 3,159.36
- Combat Maneuverability
- 7,500
- Overall Strength Index
- 3,560.70 (Galaxy class = 1,000)
Propulsion
- Normal Cruise
- Warp 8
- Maximum Cruise
- Warp 9.97
- Maximum Rated
- Warp 9.98 for 6 hours
- Warp Propulsion
- Type VII M/AM Reactor
- 2 high output fusion reactors
- Impulse Propulsion
- 2 multi-vectored impulse engines powered by two fusion reactors encased within engine housing
- Maneuverability
- 8 surface mounted retro-thrusters pods [4 retro-thrusters per pod] and a series of ten embedded RCS thruster quads
Deck Layout
Saucer Section
- Deck 1
- Main Bridge, Captain's Ready Room, Officer's Briefing Room, Escape Pod Access, Aft Bridge Airlock, and Aft Disruptor Cannons
- Deck 2
- Officer's Mess, Senior Officers and VIP Quarters, Executive Officer's Office Weapons Storage, Weapons Guidance Systems, Escape Pod Access
- Deck 3
- Captain's Quarters, Senior Officers' Quarters, and VIP Quarters, Equipment Storage, Torpedo Loading Maintenance, Point-Defense Control Systems, and Turbolift Maintenance, And Foreward Disruptor Cannons
- Deck 4
- Junior Officer's Quarters/Barracks, Transporters Rooms (2 - 1P/S), Aft Photon Torpedo Launchers, Phaser Maintenance, Phaser Systems, and Escape Pod Access
- Deck 5
- Sickbay, Primary Sickbay Support Systems (ICU, Biohazard Support, Radiation Treatment Wards, Surgical Ward, Critical Care, Null-Gravity Treatment, Isolation Suites, etc.), Chief Medical Officer's Office, Crew Barracks, Library, Transporter Pattern Buffers (2 - 1 P/S), Holodecks (2 - 1P/S), Targeting Systems, Escape Pod Access
- Deck 6
- Crew Barracks, Weapons Storage, Aux. Deflector Control, Aux. Computer Core, Escape Pod Access, Battlefield Trauma Ward
- Deck 7
- Aux. Computer Core, Central Torpedo Cache, Central Battle Command Nexus, Escape Pod Access, RCS Thruster Access, Crew Barracks, Mess Hall
- Deck 8
- Astrometrics, Chief Science Officer's Office, Deuterium Processing, Port/Starboard/Forward Docking Ports, ODN/EPS Main Trunks, Central Weapons Control System, Labs 1-3.
- Deck 9
- Cargo Loading Doors, Fighter Bay 1, Phaser Turret systems, Forward Quantum Torpedo Launcher
Engineering Section
- Deck 6
- Deuterium (Matter) Processing, Consumables Resupply Connectors
- Deck 7
- Deuterium Tankage, Warp Engine Core Injector Access
- Deck 8
- Deuterium Tankage, Upper Premix Chamber, Plasma Pulse Cannon control systems
- Deck 9
- Main Fighter Bay, Main Security, Brig, Interrogation Rooms
- Deck 10
- Main Hanger, Shuttlebay Storage (SB2), Flight Control Center, Aft EV Access Airlock, Main Computer Core, Forward Photon Torpedo Launchers, Main Navigational Deflector, Photon Turret Control
- Deck 11
- Aux. Battle Command Nexus, Weapons Storage, Flight Crew Quarters/Barracks, Flight Crew Briefing Room
- Deck 12
- Main Engineering, Engineer's Office, Aft Lounge, Warp Core, Auxiliary Warp Engine, Main Computer Core, Main Navigational Deflector
- Deck 13
- Environmental Control, Antimatter Tankage, Main Deflector Control Systems
- Deck 14
- Warp Engine Core, Weapons Storage, Escape Pod Access, And Secondary ODN/EPS Trunks
- Deck 15
- Antimatter Processing, Aft Tractor Beam Emitter, Tractor Beam Subsystems, Escape Pod Access, and Ground Hover Footpad Systems
- Deck 16
- Antimatter Loading Port, Forward Tractor Beam Emitter, Tractor Beam Subsystems, Plasma Relay Control Rooms, and Ground Hover Footpads