Because best is the enemy of good enough...
I really need to crash now, so here is the most recent follow on ship.
EDIT: By the way, Rob
how do I calculate the Build Time?
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ISV GOLDEN SHIMMERINGS
Primary Datablock
Mission: Exploratory Trader
QSP: AL-ZA22
Base TL-L (20)
Tail Number: NSX-00500
Naval Architect: Daarnulud Design Bureaux
Builder: Rezuunaak-Keith
Owner: Scout Service
Disposition: Detached Duty
Cost (single) MCr 2356
Cost (bulk): MCr 2120.4
Build Time (single) n Months
Build Time (bulk) n Months
Actual volume: 2398.5 tons
Crew comfort: +4
Passenger demand: +5
Descriptive Datablock
Using a 2400-ton hull, the GOLDEN SHIMMERINGS class Type-AL is the Block 2 refit of the DEEP POCKETS class (Block 1). It is built at an extremely high interstellar technology level and has many advanced features such as photonic wiring systems, very tough charged armor, a slick tractor/pressor resistant coating and stable, friendly, skilled and knowledgeable artificial intelligences. Like its predecessor vessels it is an armed exploratory trader traversing the distant and far flung worlds of the Imperium keeping them connected by commerce and culture, as well as seeking out new markets and member states.
Like its forerunners it is fitted with the Khnamk Limited Ad2 jump drive, the Turgardi Systems EP.1-6B maneuver drive, and the Daash Works DP+C2 power plant and is capable of Jump-2 and 2G acceleration with Agility-1. Standard fuel tankage of 480 tons supports the jump drive and one jump-2 or two consecutive jump-1 at 240 tons each. Power system tankage of 82.2 tons supports 1.5 months of power plant operations. Replicating the performance of the DEEP POCKETS class, the GOLDEN SHIMMERINGS class are equipped with the Saniisha Sh1A hop drive and the TeleAstronics S1A.L9 skip drive for base performance of Hop-1 and Skip-1. With a Daash Works DP+C2 collector array power can be routed to any of the interstellar drives for a potential of jump-2, two consecutive single jumps, or two consecutive single hops or skips, or a skip followed by a correction hop. Additional fuel systems such as scoops and bins with purifiers back up the 200 AM slugs and permit frontier refueling. A new addition to the class is the HEPlaR (or torch) drive and 50 tons of dedicated fuel allowing the ship change vectors while in jumpspace. Being able to change vectors allows the ship to enter jump (or hop or skip) at high acceleration and still come out with a zero-vector upon breakout.
Adjacent to the bridge there is one AI photonic Model/6bis computer with another one each in Engineering and Gunnery (these are the AI command staff) which handle the major component tasks. Scattered throughout the GOLDEN SHIMMERINGS (including one in the passenger spaces) are five AI photonic Model/4bis computers (these are the AI ratings) to handle minor system tasks. This arrangement allows the organic crew to concentrate on the commercial, cultural, exploration, survey and diplomatic aspects of the mission.
There are 5 officer suites devoted to the expedition leader, the ship's surgeon, the ship's doctor (both medics serves as counsellors) and the commercial staff (if civilians, otherwise they are kept open for visiting personages) and 17 staterooms for crew. The 3 medical low berths, 2 frozen watches, and expansive medical section can keep the ship fully manned even with major losses. There are 24 hardpoints, the GOLDEN SHIMMERINGS has 10 weapons installed in 5 paired batteries: commcasters, particle beams, tractor/pressors and disruptors. Sets of paired wide spectrum defenses protect against threats from electronics, nukes and mesons to magnetic or gravitic up to anti-matter. It features a selection of globes (black & white) in case of extreme tech level opponents.
There is a recon drone and 4 ship's vehicles: a diplomatic g/limo discretely armed with a concealed recoilless accelerator auto-cannon turret, a specialized g/carrier with advanced survey gear and on-board lab, a 'muscle' cutter replaces the launch for utility and interface operations and a mining buggy has been added to further extend on station time. Modules (cargo & personnel) for the cutter are stored in payload. An increased cargo capacity of 213 tons has several configurations opening up the possibilities of specialized cargo requiring environmental control. The usual cargo handlers, animal low berths, safe for passenger valuables and mail vault for official use only are present. The submergence, airframe hull with jump grid follows the same general plan as the Block 1 vessels.
The GOLDEN SHIMMERINGS class typically requires a crew of 18: 1 pilot, 1 astrogator, 6 engineers, 2 medics, 3 sensops, 1 IT tech, 2 stewards and 2 freightmasters. A pair of highly skilled trader/brokers may be housed in officer suites (if the trader/brokers are civilian hires but they are often specialized Scouts who bunk in crew staterooms). A diplomat without portfolio (and possibly a Limited Warrant) is often stationed on GOLDEN SHIMMERINGS class ships (usually in an officer suite) to smooth out issues with member or client states or to negotiate and create agreements with non-aligned prospective clients or members. The platoon of ship troops (Scout Rangers, deadly scouts who have cross-trained in the Imperial Armed Forces) function as gunners or take on other tasks when not providing security. The Astrogator is usually the Scout Leader as such also Master & Commander of the ship which grants an officer suite. The Pilot is XO who along with Engineering, Signals, and Gunnery Section Leaders (with the Rated Scouts under them) bunk in crew staterooms. Additional crew may be added as needed but will need to hotbunk if the ship is at its full complement.
There are many amenities for the crew and passengers to keep them occupied while traveling; 2 theaters, 2 gymnasiums, and an aero and hydroponic garden round out things out. Specialized spaces include a MEG shop, a brig, an office for passengers to use, ship and damage control lockers and a capture tank which can double as adaptable life support quarters of large sophonts with special environmental needs (charged at High Passage rates). The ship can carry 8 high and 10 middle passengers and 10 low passengers. A variety of Life Support packages (from Long Term to Luxury and Adaptable), public kitchens, auto-chefs and large common areas for passengers and crew make this ship very pleasant to serve or travel on.
Standard GOLDEN SHIMMERINGS have 1.5 tons free for the owner to customize.
NOTES: While these are predominately Scout Service starships, they can come with mixed crews for truly extended voyages. Such crews may contain Scouts (for survey and first contacts), Merchant Princes (to set up or work with Imperial Factors), Naval Officers (to run and fight the ship), Imperial Army or Marine troopers (who keep security and punish transgressors), Diplomats/Nobles (who deal with governments and have the troopers to back their plays), and various other personnel as needed (such highly skilled Steward/Entertainers).
The Jump Drive and Power Plant are in a seperate compartment from the Hop & Skip Drives and their Power Systems. The J-drive & PP are shown to pax and other non-crew as "the Interstellar Drive and its Power Plant" which even telepathy and suggestion or other method of verification will reveal to be the truth. The idea being that the Eng-AI (running sophisticated anti-hijack wares), "a Steward" (usually a member of the Ship's Troops doing double duty), and ChEng are watching, waiting to see if anyone bites the hook. Meanwhile the high end drives and support are still secure when the hijackers "take Engineering" to be shortly mopped by Ship's Troops.
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I had to split into two parts so you all could read all the lovely hand crafted color I slathered on the data below.
Comments welcome as always!
EDIT: DONE. I mean it this time, really do need sleep badly. Too bad humans don't have Fusion+, that would be sweet. Okay not done, still need to work out the Component Tasks, Globes absorption rates, friction for Atmo plus any bennies from Configuratation and so on and so on.
No this really is the last edit, promise. Must admit it is so very much more difficult to jack out of the 'net without Reznor rightfully nagging me. The things we miss...