Presenting the New and Improved Map of the Galaxy™ 2318 Edition Deluxe, brought to you by Hassy™! "Why mess with the rest when Hassy is always the best?"
Sadly, that picture is missing all the post-moratorium batch of ratifications. Where are the snek ppl? And the drama queens? And soon to be party boat ppl?
Currently topping the charts in Cardassia is N'Step, A group of five rising stars in the Cardassian military. While they primarily act as morale boosters for the soldiers, they have each served a full tour of duty on the front lines, earning several commendations along the way.
Jasad: The firstborn son of a prominent military leader. He's born and bred to be a leader, and takes to that role with gusto as the front man of the band.
Seltan: A commoner who rose to prominence during his basic training. A patriot to the core, his strength is capable of matching even the fiercest of enemy soldiers, and is only matched by his undying loyalty.
Russol: A former rebel who finally saw the error of his ways. While he still doesn't follow the rules, every action is dedicated to glorifying the Ashalla Pact
Urist: Willowy and bookish. Rumors abound that he is in the fast track for the Obsidian order, but he always claims he's more interested in stellar cartography than anything else, and says nothing more, just offering a smile that makes the ladies swoon.
Farris: A lover of history, his favorite songs are ancient ballads reminding people of the past glories of Cardassia, and how they must always strive to reach beyond them in pursuit of glory!
While these five make up the core of the band, there are a number of auxillary members of the various species composing the Ashalla Pact. Each of these auxillaries has their own support band when performing for their own species, often accompanied by their Cardassian Counterpart to further demonstrate their unity under their flag.
Their multi-platinum newest release includes such hits as:
-Match my step and Feds we'll wreck
-I love you, but not as much as Cardassia
-The Siren Song of Space Service
Millions of fans wonder what course their next major tour will take. There are whispers that at least one performance will take place at Enio, both as a solemn thanks to all those that died fighting for their sovereign state, and as a reminder to the Federation that Cardassia is not beaten.
Type 6a shuttle Mirzakhani of Starfleet Command in Earth Spacedock
Now Starfleet's most common shuttle design, the Type 6 was introduced in 2280. It has two variants, the Type 6-a, and the stretched -6b.
The Type 6's predecessor – the Class F – was by then a significantly antiquated design. Having already received a number of refits, the Starship Design Bureau were directed to develop a replacement. With shuttlebays on line vessels increasing in size, especially on the then-upcoming Excelsior-class, many in Starfleet were pushing for a larger shuttlecraft; Starfleet Command agreed to a trial of a longer variant, which was to share components as far as possible with the base design.
Designed by the Shuttlecraft Division at San Francisco Fleet Yards, the first two prototypes were constructed at the facility's headquarters in Sausalito, assisted by final-year cadets from Starfleet Academy. Both are now on display at the Starfleet Museum's London annex.
Design Commonalities
A common complaint with the Class F was the insufficient cockpit viewports; the new design would have a single window covering entire dorsal nose, giving a significant field of view. This was well-received enough that the shuttle was quickly refitted with an additional pair to either side of the pilots.
Significantly improved miniaturisation in the years since the introduction of the Class F allowed the impulse engines of the new shuttle to be placed into pods on the side, opening up the full length of the fuselage for use; as a result, the craft could be equipped with a large hatch on the stern.
The 6a is currently the smallest Federation vessel capable of initiating a warp field by itself, rather than merely being able to sustain one after launch. This has greatly eased in-system transport, obviating the previous need for runabouts to fulfil this purpose. As with most Starfleet shuttle designs, the warp nacelles double as landing skids.
Type 6-a
The smaller Type 6-a has a length of 4.4 metres, slightly shorter than the Class F, but it utilises the space far more efficiently; the engines are in pods on the sides, and the rest of the engineering space is underfloor, and in the narrow nose ahead of the pilots. Entry and egress are only through the rear hatch, and, in an emergency, by blowing out the main windscreen.
It is generally considered inappropriate for cargo transport.
Type 6-b
The stretched Type 6-b is, despite the similarities with its sibling, a rather different beast. With a more powerful warp drive, which necessitated different nacelles, this shuttle can be used for longer journeys, and has an additional access hatch in the cockpit area. It also has an uprated impulse assembly. Some examples omit the rear hatch.
Fittings
The 6a has two widespread interior configurations: one with 10 passenger seats, common in civilian transportation, and a more spacious layout with two benches along each side, usually seen in Starfleet and member navies. There is also a medical version carrying a single bio-bed, and a few examples of modification into a large worker bee with a pair of manipulator arms. It does not carry a transporter device.
The 6b has the same common configurations writ larger: more seating, longer benches, multiple bio-beds and so on. It additionally finds use as a military dropship, and also for moving cargo unsuitable for transporters. Development on a dedicated cargo shuttle is ongoing.
Technology Control and Navigation Systems
The avionics of the shuttle are highly customisable. Starfleet examples tend to go all-glass, sometimes even forgoing a side-stick. The expectation is generally that the shuttle will fly itself along a course selected or programmed by the pilot, though it can of course still be controlled directly through the primary haptic feedback displays.
Navigation systems, while state-of-the-art for a craft of its size, are still heavily limited when compared to line starships even of the last century. It mostly relies on its Inertial Navigation System (which is isolated from the internal artificial gravity), Federation time-base beacons, and feedback from the scanners of a parent vessel or nearby station. In an emergency it can – when not at warp – triangulate its location from reference stars, usually pulsars and Cepheid variables.
The INS itself is comprised of a collection of laser accelerometers and ring laser gyroscopes.
Slower-than-Light Propulsion and Manoeuvring
Each shuttle carries a pair of impulse assemblies in the pods to each side. Manoeuvring in vacuum is mostly with the reaction control system and gyro-shielding.
In an atmosphere, lift, propulsion and control are all generated by directly inducing pressure differentials with the deflector shields. This has the beneficial side-effect of greatly reducing drag effects on the craft.
Warp
In accordance with Federation laws, civilian models of the shuttle have a locked-down warp drive, capable only of warp 3 (4 for the 6-b). Military and government versions carry unlocked drives and can generally reach warp 6 or 7, depending on the model – though there are persistent rumours of Starfleet Type 6s regularly exceeding this.
Other items
There is space for a small mission pod on the dorsal side of the craft. This can hold, among other items, specialised sensors, a supplementary life-support system, or even (rarely) a small phaser bank.
From Starships of the Federation Chapter 7: Starfleet Shuttlecraft and Auxiliaries (2312 Edition)
