The Chiaki-class Escort Destroyer is a small destroyer first manufactured in YE 32 by Ketsurui Fleet Yards in service for the Star Army of Yamatai. It was upgraded into a revision 1B in YE 40 by Kage Yaichiro alongside his plan to upgrade the Plumeria-class Light Gunship.
The Chiaki started as part of the Star Army's informal project to phase out old vessels, specifically the Arashi-class Escort, which was first fielded in YE 25. It is designed to be a tough but easily serviced vessel, with at least 80 percent of its parts (in the 1B variant) from the Plumeria-class Light Gunship and the main gun borrowed from the Yui 7-class Scout. Though originally meant for planetary defense and to keep up with slower vessels such as those built on the Henry Chen-class Training Vessel's frame, it was upgraded for general escort duty by improving its top speed and general capabilities. It also sports the ability to cling to the hull of ships as a parasitic escort, which can “Ride Link” with the Chiaki and utilize its armaments and systems while docked. Two Chiaki can even Ride Link with each other. The concept of the 1B variant is still cost-effectiveness and ease of service, but more streamlined technologies such as the Integrated CFS Array, the Multi-Stage Aether Drive, and the Ke-D7-M3900 Chiaki Pylon Module now allow these benefits without a decline in performance.
The ship draws elements from the Plumeria while looking like an enlarged Ketsueki-class Escort. It features a sharp, pointy bow, but no blade; it has Ke-D7-M3900 Chiaki Pylon Modules and nacelles similar to the Plumeria with its armored shields on the outside. Its vital systems are stored in the center of the vessel, with the shuttle bay and the cargo bay in the half-hexagon-like shape attached to the back of the ship.
Star Army Intelligence uses a black-hulled version:
The Chiaki originates from several designs, including the Plumeria, Ketsueki, Yui, and Yuuko-class Gunboat. Star Army planners long had wanted a less maintenance-intensive ship that could be put on the front or rear lines with equal effectiveness and could deal damage on an increasingly losing battlefield. The Yuuko was designed to be that vessel, but the reliance on torpedoes, along with its small size, led to it being ineffective against heavily armored, heavily armed NMX vessels and the vicious new class of battlepods. It also couldn't support planetary operations, which the war effort required. Reaching those two goals — front-to-back versatility and ground combat capability — meant a new vessel. Planners wanted something simple and cheap, as the Yuuko was, but also robust and potent, as the Yuuko was meant to be.
Designers threw out a number of more costly and complex systems. Torpedoes were discarded in favor of versatile multi-mode cannons. The fold drive was discarded to reduce complexity. Repair and weapon pods were omitted due to a lack of room in favor of smaller anti-armor/fighter turrets. Bulky sensors were discarded to save room for ammunition, and the vessel was constructed from Yama-Dura instead of the more costly but common Yamataium.
The resultant vessel, the Chiaki, was named after one of Yui's daughters. It was built alongside the Hayai-class gunboat in a form of duality – both were cost-effective, though the Chiaki was less so, but the Chiaki was a defensive craft while the Hayai was offensive in nature. In this role, the ships served admirably through the war and passed their five-year review in YE 37 with flying colors. It was reauthorized for construction and use until at least YE 42. However, an upgrade program for the Plumeria by Kage Yaichiro in YE 39 through YE 40 combined with the streamlining of various technologies in the interim led to the independent re-evaluation of the vessel and the creation of the 1B variant in YE 40.
The new variant would employ the more cost effective, easy to repair, and decentralized Integrated CFS Array as well as the drop-in Ke-D7-M3900 Chiaki Pylon Modules common with the Plumeria. These would include common mutual armaments and engines, explicitly designed with the Chiaki in mind. Cost reduction and ease of repair would be achieved not through reduction in capability, but by the newly optimized and streamlined versions of the previous technologies and mass production of parts. An effort to optimize the platform and increase its versatility was thus made, much like that applied to the Plumeria, without compromising its original role or notably increasing its end cost. These ideologies led to the Chiaki 1B revision.
Star Army war planners and Ketsurui Fleet Yards designers closely examined the Chiaki's contemporaries before, during and after the vessel rolled out.
Along with the Chiaki, planners and KFY developed the Hayai-class gunboat as a replacement for the ill-fated Yuuko. The classes are small and inexpensive — the Chiaki less than the Hayai — but have limited mission profiles that only occasionally cross. The classifications initially told the tale: one offensive, one defensive.
Each vessel is an effective capital ship destroyer, with high STL/FTL acceleration and powerful weapons. However, while Star Army commanders agree the Chiaki is desirable because of its jamming systems, the Hayai's torpedoes bring superior firepower to bear against larger ships and easily are fielded in great numbers. Commanders usually make Hayais active ship killers in packs, ganging up on a single target. Chiakis, by contrast, are spread around a larger Star Army vessel as passive destroyers and are able to engage multiple targets in quick succession. Recent upgrades have improved their versatility and allow them even to function in an air-to-ground attack role as well.
Overlap occurs during stealth/silent missions, where each vessel has desirable traits. The low cost of each vessel allowed planners to select both designs without the two competing.
The Chiaki exists because of the Yui and its legacy. That includes the Yui's monetary and material costs, which the Chiaki is meant to off-set. The Yui initially matched or outperformed the Chiaki by almost any metric, but was eventually made to be a better match in its redesign – with the exception of its torpedo and fold systems.
The Chiaki frees up Yui squadrons from escort duty of ships and installations, allowing them to take on more important missions which require torpedo use and fold capability.
The Chiaki and Midori-class Scout fill separate roles, but nonetheless sometimes cross over in sorties. The Midori has slightly better armor, but designers did not intend for it to engage in long-term and/or fleet combat. For example, its sensor vanes are exposed if its shields fail during combat, and it also carries just 16 torpedoes and has no beam weapon — the same as the smaller and less-expensive Hayai.
Designers respectively compared the Midori and Chiaki as a sniper/marksman behind enemy lines to a machine gunner amidst riflemen.
The Chiaki and NMX Escort/Destroyer have some similar mission profiles with different tactics. The NMX vessel is more powerful, bleeding into the role of pocket battleship. However, it lacks the maneuverability and other defensive systems that make the Chiaki an effective interceptor. The NMX vessel provides better anti-starfighter cover with its many turrets and battlepod bay. It also can create a more complete defensive screen for capital vessels, soaking fire from incoming enemy vessels into its broadsides as it replies with turreted weapons.
Yamataian strategy advises Chiaki commanders not wait for enemy vessels to reach their protectorates, instead using speed and overwhelming firepower to obliterate incoming targets. The Chiaki can target starfighter-sized craft with its aether beam cannon or with focused turret fire, but Yamataian strategy instead puts starfighter defense in the hands of power armor and friendly starfighters.
The Jinkan- and Kouken-class escorts are attempts by Origin to give Yamatai a low-cost defensive vessel. The Jinkan is a civilian-minded ship with strong but limited weapons, and has just half the defensive value as a Chiaki. Origin readily points out the Jinkan is not a focused vessel such as the Chiaki. The Kouken is a closer match, but with weaker shields and a dual mission of interception and starfighter carrier. It also must balance power to its weapon complement
Its Nepleslian derivative is a near match. Both vessels are more utilitarian than their KFY-designed peers.
Nepleslia's Atlas-class destroyer almost is three times the size of the Chiaki with a large array of weapons, much tougher armor and shields, incredible speed and with a very large fighter complement. Yamataian planners would call it a small escort carrier. It outclasses the Chiaki in every respect except perhaps maneuverability and top speed, mostly owing to Yamataian ship design and pilot training.
The Chiaki is a fast ship with an optimized internal layout. She is notable for her maximum compliment and vehicle carrying capacity for her size, as well as her ability to operate in atmosphere and protect assets like planets and larger ships. The thrust vectoring capability of her engines also grants her impressive maneuverability.
Crew: 6 operators are recommended, 2 are required (pilot/gunner and damage control/sensors/engineering).
Maximum Capacity: There are accommodations for a maximum of 24 people with 4 beds per cabin, though it is more common to have 2 per cabin for a maximum of 12. About 200 people can fit aboard in an emergency, but the ship would suffer reduced combat effectiveness.
See Damage Rating (Version 3) for an explanation of the damage system.
Shields are Tier 12 for two Ride-Linked Chiaki.
The Chiaki's interior is carefully planned and arranged, having a complexity and redundancy greater than that of many other vessels of her size. This pales, however, compared to the Plumeria-class' 2E Refit.
| Deck | Compartments |
|---|---|
| 0 | 300mm Round Storage, Fabrication Chambers, Launcher Mechanisms, Storage |
| 1 | 300mm Round Storage, Armory, Bridge, Crew Cabins, Escape Pods, Galley, Laundry Room, Lounge, Main Gun, Medbay, Sensors, Showers/Toilet, Shuttle Bay, Storage, Wardroom |
| 2 | 300mm Round Storage, Airlock, Armory, Cargo Bay, CIES, Engineering, Fabrication Area, Fabrication Chambers, Launcher Mechanisms, Main Gun, Power Room, Storage |
All listed areas have phones and firefighting stations. They also all have at least 33cm of bulkhead in place for walls and some are able to be sealed by Zesuaium Blast Shutters.
Located in the Ke-D7-M3900 Chiaki Pylon Modules on all decks, behind the Fabrication Chambers and Launcher Mechanisms, the modified magazines hold the 300mm Mass Launcher Rounds and are more efficiently placed than in the Plumeria. This is due to design differences allowing their location right behind the Launcher Mechanisms. While some of the space is allocated to loading mechanisms and various conduits and maintenance passageways, the craft still manages to hold the same 4800 rounds as the Plumeria-class Gunship utilizes.
Like the Plumeria, more could have been included but loading speed was considered as a superior concern past a certain point. It was also necessary to leave room for engineers to be able to freely access the engines to maintain them.
The Chiaki's airlock is standard, but with a couple twists. The airlock itself is under the center of the passageway in Deck 2. Blast shutters at the entryways to the main passageway will shut, the passageway will depressurize, then the door will open to space. The thickness of the deck at this location allows for a retractable umbilical to extend without compromising armor thickness. A storage locker is found on the aft side of the passageway on Deck 2, next to the entry into the Cargo Bay.
Two Armories exist on the port side of the vessel and are commonly locked behind blast shutters. While both carry typical sidearms and weaponry for ship defense, they also serve the Shuttle Bay (Deck 1) and Cargo Bay (Deck 2). As such, Deck 1's Armory has equipment for space-capable Power Armors, Fighters, and Shuttles. Deck 2, meanwhile, has been stocked more with weaponry for vehicles and terrestrial operation. Both double as Zesuaium-armored panic rooms.
Matching the Plumeria, the Chiaki uses a Star Army Internal Small Starship Bridge, Type 40. It is found on Deck 1, between the two white running lights/sensors at the fore of the ship. Though this type of bridge is typically reserved for placement deeper inside a vessel's hull than Deck 1, the large amounts of armor and structural support above the bridge allow it to have a comparable level of protection.
The Bridge also cannot be accessed except by those who have permission from the Commanding Officer and has three doors with blast shutters that can restrict access. The Bridge has 7 seated stations including that of the CO, 2 standing stations, and the ability to employ volumetric projections over almost every surface and space within. It can also use force fields to restrain or partially mitigate weapons damage from hostiles.
The side doors lead out into secondary exits, while the rear door accesses the Main Passageway.
The Chiaki's Cargo Bay, located on Deck 2 at the rear of the ship, is 34 meters wide at its widest point and 23 meters long with a loading gate 8 meters wide. It is 5 meters tall. It is shaped like half of a hexagon with a chunk removed for the Armory; the middle having a Cargo Lift. The Cargo Bay also connects to an Armory to serve combat forces.
It has white padded walls, white and red interior lights, and a metal floor with plenty of tie-down points and strips of rollers. It also has power hookups so that power sources built into cargo containers can be slaved to the ship's power distribution system for backup power. The site also has a Cargo Lift that can lift anything up to and including SSCC-Mediums or a Ke-V6-2A "Hayabusa II" Starfighter between the Cargo Bay and the Shuttle Bay. This lift can move most vehicles as well. There is also a small ramp that can extend and allow vehicles to deploy from the Chiaki's Cargo Bay if needed.
In addition to a Scalable Graviton Beam Projector Array, each end of the Cargo Bay has a large robotic arm that extends from the ceiling area for manipulating cargo or vehicles. It can be manually operated via a mobile control console, or (by placing the console on automatic mode) operated by the ship's computer via voice command.
The bay can hold assorted configurations of craft dependent on mission profile and the preferences of the commanding officer. It is most common to hold:
Located in a room within Engineering on Deck 2, the computer room containing the Compact Integrated Electronics System (CIES)can be found closely interfacing with the heart of the ship. It has a number of cooling systems and consoles in the room, as well as cabling connecting assorted other high end components. In the center of the room is a Type 32 Pilot Pod, with which technicians or even a pilot may directly connect with the system. In this scenario, the computer room can function as a secondary bridge if the primary one is disabled or explicitly yields control.
It should be noted that the vessel has provisions and room for being upgraded into a more advanced system such as a MEGAMI.
Six Large Crew Cabins line the port side of Deck 1's main passageway. All measure 5m x 5m x 2.75m and are under one of the most thickly armored sections of the vessel. The forward-most one is reserved for the Commanding Officer and other officers in the vessel if sharing the room is necessary. It has a hidden second door behind a volumetric window leading to a small passageway that leads to the Bridge.
The rooms can employ Star Army Bunk Bed, Type 40 or the Star Army Nekovalkyrja Nest/Life Raft, Type 40 to house anywhere from 1 to 6 people, though 2 and 4 person configurations are the most common to sleep a total of 12 or 24 crew. It is not uncommon to fold up a bunkbed and a desk and stow them along a wall if the room is occupied by only a single person, or to find a Cabin with single nest in which all of the ship's Miniature Nekovalkyrja sleep. Each room also has four lockers along the back and two desks, as well as Volumetric Windows which also provide the room's lighting.
On Deck 1, just port of the Crew Cabins, are eight Star Army Escape Pod, Type 35 "Seizonsha"s. These launch vertically and can hold a combined 40 people normally or 56 people in a case of emergency. It should be noted that in addition to launching Escape Pods, these areas also launch hundreds of inflatable 'dummy' pods which are designed to overwhelm an enemy with targets which fly out in all directions while also providing false sensor readings. These dummy pods appear both in Escape Pod and SS Pod variants. The ship's Type 31 Electronic Warfare Suite may be able to achieve the same effect, but the dummy pods persist if the vessel has been disabled or destroyed and can persist beyond the suite's range limits.
Stored and launched from the Escape Pod area, the ship's Soul Savior Pod can be launched by itself or while inside a Star Army Escape Pod, Type 35 "Seizonsha" if that is the preference of the CO. While the use of an Escape Pod for this task risks easier detection by an enemy, it does allow the Soul Savior Pod to be transported at faster-than-light speed away from the vessel if launched while in interstellar space.
Engineering is in the front half of Deck 2, save for the CIES room. It combines several functions by having several sections cordoned off with Transparent Durandium, including the Fabrication Area (inside one deck). These sections have transparent durandium bases, too, so they appear to “float” over the machinery and cables along the “floor” and ceiling. It also has access to several larger Standard Star Army Maintenance Conduits.
Compressed to one deck and located on the fore-starboard part of the ship, the Fabrication Area has been optimized and improved in part because of the higher-than-typical deck height. One noteworthy change is that it has a large door through which vehicles can be moved across the Passageway to the Cargo Bay across from it. In this manner ground vehicles, cargo, or even vehicles from the Shuttle Bay (via the Cargo Lift) can be moved to or from these areas while fully assembled.
The nodal fabrication times are the same as Yuuko, but without the capability to build weapon pods or torpedoes.
The Power Room in the fore-port part of the ship works to provide power for the main gun and ship's systems. The Aether Generator close to Engineering is the primary draw here, though it also has an array of large capacitors and fusion reactors for backup power.
Located in the Ke-D7-M3900 Chiaki Pylon Modules on Decks 0 and 2, these Star Army Fabrication Chambers, Type 39 are used to construct 300mm Mass Launcher Rounds for the nearby Ke-D7-W3900 Mass Launchers and assorted Power Armor and components. They differ from the Fabrication Area in that they can also work with organic matter and can help make food and rations for the crew if necessary to supplement the Galley. Each of the 4 chambers can feed 30 people regular meals, for a total of 120. Any more people would strain the system, requiring the creation of simplified rations instead.
Located in Deck 1 off the Wardroom, the Galley has been expanded into its own area with a built-in Scullery. It is also better stocked with spices and other such options to cater to a wider palette to improve morale. It also includes a multi-layer hydroponics system used to grow spinach, tomatoes, basil, and other herbs and vegetables. This helps the ship maintain a supply of quality ingredients when away from ports, much like that employed on the Plumeria-class.
On Decks 0 and 2, specificly in the Ke-D7-M3900 Chiaki Pylon Modules, mechanisms for the Ke-D7-W3900 Mass Launchers can be found. The purpose of these is to fire 300mm Mass Launcher Rounds. Each is located next to a Star Army Fabrication Chamber, Type 39, and is also fed by the 300mm Round Storage in the Pylon Modules.
The laundry room is on the starboard side of the main Deck 1 passageway, opposite where the cabins are. It is compact and features three stackable washer/dryer units. There are also several tables that are bolted to the walls for folding laundry, and a single bolted-down couch for those waiting for their laundry to finish washing or drying.
The Chiaki has a small Lounge on Deck 1, which is even smaller than a typical Crew Cabin. Even so, it is meant to be a place where, alongside the Wardroom, people can socialize and mingle. It is home to the traditional Dare Lottery Party.
It has Volumetric Windows for the walls and ceiling which can change color (typically red) and a floor that is thickly carpeted in a shaggy red carpet with the design of the Star Army’s logo in the center. The Lounge also has bolted-down furniture like a pair of soft leather couches and a couple coffee tables. Lamps on some of the tables and in a circle around the ceiling provide soft, white lighting, focusing on the open area in the middle with the Mindy logo in the carpet. A small nook located off to the side of the Lounge contains a Coffee maker, icemaker, microwave, mini-fridge, and a small drink bar. Note that the Lounges are not dining areas. The mini-fridge is used for drinks and small snacks only.
The aft of the Lounge has a doorway that leads directly into the Wardroom.
The Main Gun's assorted systems span the front of the ship through both Decks 1 and 2, but are most accessible from Engineering on Deck 2. Connections between the Engines, Engineering, Main Gun Power/Control, and the Main Gun itself are conducted through various interfaces and buffers in the Maintenance Conduits running through it accessible from there.
At this place is a large warning notice cautioning about the dangers of vaporization. A round gray manual shutoff switch with a hand-sized rubberized grip bar across it is to the right of this sign, with a small panel that reads DISABLED in green or ENABLED in red. Below, a notice declares, “By order of the Star Army, the maintenance conduit beyond this point must be visually inspected to ensure there are no crew members present before the main cannon system is re-enabled. Failure to do so could result in death. Never turn this switch if the main cannon is not fully assembled.”
The Chiaki has Standard Star Army Maintenance Conduits that run throughout the ship, ribbed with support framing and lined with pipes and wiring. These allow access to some of the ship's more remote areas. They have minimal gravity and are usually quite loud inside. The complex nature of the starship means technicians will have to visit these conduits every so often to keep the ship in top working order, especially after intense battles.
The Chiaki's Medbay is located on Deck 1 ahead of the Shuttle Bay for easy access for returning wounded. It is a full-sized Sakura-type Medical Laboratory, but has beds which are able to function as an Autonomous Medical Treatment Center with no assisting nurse beyond other crew if necessary. The Chiaki can thus provide more comprehensive medical aid to wounded allies if their own vessels are overloaded, or actively go out into a battlefield after a fight's conclusion to seek out stranded soldiers. It has all AMTC Standard Units, and supplies are kept inside a small cabinet inside the center.
The passageways are all standard. Each passageway of the ship also has a Standard Damage Control Station. Eating or drinking in the passageways is forbidden.
The main vertical passageway, in the center of the ship, is a Standard Star Army Zero-Gravity Passageway.
The Sensors are located behind the running lights of the vessel on either side of the bridge. They are based on the Plumeria 2E's Rear Sensor Array. This is, in turn, based on the larger Sensor Pod in the same vessel. They expand the sensory capabilities of the Chiaki while still protecting them with armor save for the areas typically exposed as running lights.
Just forward of the Laundry Room on Deck 1, the shower room doubles as a head. The six commodes are sectioned off by doors on the starboard side, and the shower room is communal. The four sinks are found on the fore wall. A triple-wide mirror is in front of them.
The Chiaki's Shuttle Bay, located on Deck 1 at the rear of the ship, is 34 meters wide at its widest point and 18 meters long with a loading gate 8 meters wide. It is 5 meters tall. It is shaped like half of a hexagon; the back half having a Cargo Lift as well as a few storage areas – including one designed to store four Medium Starship Cargo Containers. These are usually full of foodstuffs and medical supplies. These also connect to the Medbay and an Armory to serve combat forces.
It has white padded walls, white and red interior lights, a number of Power Armor racks along some of the walls, and a metal floor with plenty of tie-down points and strips of rollers. It also has power hookups so that power sources built into cargo containers can be slaved to the ship's power distribution system for backup power. The site also has a Cargo Lift that can lift anything up to and including SSCC-Mediums or a Ke-V6-2A "Hayabusa II" Starfighter, as well as assorted vehicles. It should be noted that the room has force fields to prevent decompression and graviton beam projectors to allow the movement and manipulation of craft if needed.
The bay can hold assorted configurations of craft dependent on mission profile and the preferences of the commanding officer, and has racks for Power Armor. It is possible to carry and use a Raccoon T7, but this is less often employed due to the low crew compliment. It is most common to hold:
In the nacelles just past the Pylon Modules on all decks, and in the pylons to the sides of the ship on Deck 1, there are storage areas which can be used for assorted purposes. There are also storage areas that connect to the Shuttle Bay for the storage of food or medical supplies. It is noteworthy that the storage in the nacelles was formerly where various FTL components were once located in earlier revisions of the vessel, but that system has since been decentralized via the Integrated CFS Array.
The Chiaki's wardroom is in the starboard/middle of the vessel, just opposite the Crew Cabins on Deck 1. It is a somewhat basic offering, but it is suitable and is served by a separate Galley/Scullery.
In addition to the areas which are accessible in compartments, the ship has a number of other features and capabilities which are noteworthy.
The primary substance used on the Chiaki's meter-thick hull and in its frame is Yama-Dura. It is used to armor the fuselage of the ship and is backed by Integrated CFS Array paneling. Since it is weaker than Yamataium, the armor was designed to employ two 0.5-meter-thick armor plates for 1 meter of hull thickness rather than the typical 0.5-meter hull found on the Plumeria-class to compensate. The Pylon Modules, however, are made of more standard Yamataium with a Zesuaium frame due to being drop-in Plumeria-compatible hardware. All interior passageways and rooms are surrounded by Yarvex sheeting and protected from scalar fields by the internal gravity systems.
The Chiaki has no windows, but Volumetric Windows are employed to simulate them without any openings in the hull. Due to the nature of armor plate and Integrated CFS Array panel replacement, it is possible to replace the Yama-Dura armor at the cost of changing the ship's top speed. This modification, however, is non-standard.
Two Scalable Graviton Beam Projectors are mounted on the Chiaki's nose and aft; in addition to various ones on the dorsal, ventral, fore, and aft of the Pylon Modules. This forms a Scalable Graviton Beam Projector Array. They are used to project a stream of gravitons towards any object that requires fine manipulation, to direct weapons fire from the Mass Launchers, and even for hovering in gravity. They are ineffective against gravitic shielding.
The Chiaki has a Integrated CFS Array which is designed to mask the ship's movement and minimize the ship's effect on surrounding space. A “silent running” mode is also available, similar to the one first used on the Yuuko-class Gunboat. The ICFS also has assorted other benefits related to FTL speed modulation, fine shield geometry and strength control, an ease of repair and replacement, and a level of decentralization that makes it a lot harder to disable than a conventional CFS.
The Chiaki uses a Compact Integrated Electronics System. It also includes an array of Psionic Signal Controllers and a Type 31 Electronic Warfare Suite, a.k.a. “Active Jamming System”.
Chiakis feature the Yuuko-class gunboat's Joint Stealth System and Moua Active Jammer System. Of course, the former has been upgraded to work with the new Integrated CFS Array.
It should be noted that the ICFS can also project electrons either in a disperse form outside its barrier or as part of its barrier, to emulate the one aspect of Electron Countermeasure that the vessel's Ke-D7-W3900 Mass Launcher can't already perform. The Mass Launchers can already launch electron rounds into enemy positron munitions, allowing for full functionality of this mode without any need for dedicated hardware.
The Chiaki contains all Star Army Standard Starship Emergency Systems, has an array of Psionic Signal Controllers, a standard Hemosynthetic Conduit System, and a limited Nodal System.
On the Chiaki, damage control stations are located in:
Shutters are located in various locations throughout the ship, and are indicated by red lines on the ship's deck plans.
See the earlier references to the ship's Escape Pods regarding the ship's Star Army Escape Pod, Type 35 "Seizonsha"s and its Soul Savior Pod.
Atmospheric systems are divided into nine separate habitat zones: Front of Deck 1, Shuttle Bay, Front of Deck 2, Cargo Bay, Bridge, the two Armories, and both Pylon Modules/Nacelles. The air recycling system, which is highly monitored for security reasons, can support up to 100 personnel up to five years (or 200 personnel for a brief period) and is designed to prevent the spread of contaminants and insects. After the start of the Second Mishhuvurthyar War, gunships were equipped with various anti-infestation countermeasures such as ultra-sonic beam emitters inside the ventilation tubes.
Waste is broken into its atomic components; useful elements are stored for later use in the fabrication area. Water can be recycled for twenty years and is stored in fairly large quantities for use in firefighting. The Chiaki has the ability to land in a body of water and refill the ship's tanks with pure water in about five minutes through pumps, filters, and osmosis mechanisms.
Chiaki are equipped with Psionic Signal Controllers.
The life support system takes relatively little power to operate; attempting to route power from life support to other, more powerful systems like shields is not an effective tactic.
The Ride Link System is employed in cases where the Chiaki is using its Scalable Graviton Beam Projector Array and the ventral Airlock to physically connect and cling to the hull of another vessel, or even belly-to-belly with another Chiaki. It was inspired by the Himiko-class Light Escort.
By physically connecting to the vessel and allowing the two vetted and willing computer systems to interface, the ships can use their ICFS or CFS together to assist in the maintenance of the ship's shielding and propulsion. The weapons can also coordinate, allowing the Chiaki's weapons and turrets to function slaved to that of the main ship. This is only enabled when both ships' staff explicitly allow the system to be enabled, to avoid hacking attempts. This can work with many large vessels with enough space on their hull for general concealment of numbers and transporting the Chiaki with another ship's fold system, but the system was designed with the Kagai-Class Assault Ship in mind for another reason; it can carry two Chiaki on its underside to support a Star Army Century or other Star Army Rikugun assets en-route to and at a planet with its atmospheric and space combat capabilities.
While this system is normally used to bolster the defenses of vessels the ship is docked to rather than be dead weight while in transit, an interesting situation arises when two Chiaki dock together belly-to-belly. Not only can they coordinate each other's weapons, but they can use their shield emitters at 200 percent to each manage half of a merged barrier – resulting in one Tier of shielding above the typical capability for a lone Chiaki. Top FTL speed also increases to 21,915c, though this is a military secret.
Inspired by the equivalent system on the Fuji-class Expeditionary Gunship, the Phasing Defense System is an additional system which is included not only in the hull of the vessel but also in the bulkheads, floors, and ceilings. It is based on one of the many fields normally integrated into the CFS or ICFS Array that already combats phasing, but is additional and isolated so that phasing is not possible even when the ICFS is deactivated or disabled. It is typically always on, and does not project beyond the hull of the vessel. It does not compromise the stealth capability of the ship.
The Chiaki's main power source is a high-output aether generator; it also includes fusion reactors in Engineering and other aether generators in the Pylon Modules. Antimatter can also be used in the second stage of any Aether Reactor, if proper care is taken. Alternate generators and fuel tanks can be hooked up in the Cargo Bay if needed. The Chiaki boasts an extremely robust power distribution system that is built to withstand and control tremendous surges (such as those caused by electrogravitic and electromagnetic pulses and anti-matter ion weaponry), based on and using parts from the Plumeria Gunship. The aether generators' second stages have their own independent backup power supply to maintain containment. In the event of an emergency, the aether or anti-matter can be safely vented automatically or manually.
The Chiaki features two main methods of propulsion: it carries auxiliary thrust-vectoring Multi-Stage Aether Drives in its Pylons for planet-side and slower-than-light travel and it can also use its combined field to travel at slower-than-light and faster-than-light speeds. It also features a basic anti-gravity system for hovering which can be supplemented by its Scalable Graviton Beam Projector Array or by using a mode of its Multi-Stage Aether Drive with thrust vectoring. It is possible to use the variable geometry of the shields to maximize the top speed of the vessel in a given medium when planet-side.
The Chiaki lacks a Hyperspace Fold Drive and is reliant upon other vessels carrying it in such a scenario. It can cling or “Ride Link” to the hull of other allied vessels, however, to utilize this function.
For takeoff and landings on planets, the ship has a basic anti-gravity system on its underside that allows the ship to be lifted off planets of up to 10 times standard planetary gravity. The system allows for smooth vertical takeoffs and landings. In addition to this, it has a Scalable Graviton Beam Projector Array that allows for fine control and towing of vehicles as well as acting as a backup system to the normal anti-gravity system.
This system is also used to cling to the hulls of allied ships, permitting them to travel with allied vessels using their propulsion systems.
Though considered Auxiliary Engines, the Multi-Stage Aether Drives in the in the Pylon Modules are used regularly when in a combat situation due to the need to use the Integrated CFS Array for shielding. These are capable of thrust factoring their output with a series of force fields and can function in space, air, and even in water.
These engines can move the ship up to speeds of 0.40c.
The ICFS Array is the ship's primary method of travel and shielding.
See: Integrated CFS Array, Continuum Distortion Drive, and Combined Field System
The vessel's Cargo Bay and Shuttle Bay can carry a wide array of equipment and cargo for the vessel's size. Though the compliment can be adjusted or increased, the typical compliment includes:
A gallery can be found here.
Toshiro created this article on 2018/02/25 23:03. It was approved by Wes on 2018/03/09 22:14 in this thread.
Chiaki was upgraded to Tier 11 by Wes on 2018/06/21 19:40 in this thread.
A correction to the Tiers of its weapon systems was approved here on 1/19/21 by Wes. The vessel is still Weapon Limitations compliant.
| Products & Items Database | |
|---|---|
| Product Categories | starships |
| Product Name | Chiaki-class Escort Destroyer |
| Nomenclature | Ke-D7-1B |
| Manufacturer | Ketsurui Fleet Yards |
