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stararmy:starship_classes:plumeria_medium_gunship

Plumeria-class (2D) Medium Gunship

The Plumeria is a high-performance interstellar gunship first manufactured in YE 29 by Ketsurui Fleet Yards for service in the Star Army of Yamatai.

About the Plumeria

The Ke-S3-2 series “Plumeria-class” is a YE 29 redesign of its similar, smaller predecessor, the Sakura-class Light Gunship. The Plumeria added increased cargo space, new weaponry, manufacturing, and defense systems. Like the Sakura, it is small, heavily armed, and very fast.

Key Features

Plumeria-class ships feature unsurpassed FTL propulsion paired with a powerful main cannon. Key improvements include an expanded two-story cargo bay and expanded main body, a large fabrication area, additional weapons and countermeasures including Electron Countermeasure systems, the Type 31 Electronic Warfare Suite, addition of a new crew support deck on the ship's dorsal surface, and auxiliary engines built into the pylons. The Plumeria-class Gunship requires also lower maintenance and more reliable than its predecessor, the Sakura-class Gunship1) and is equipped with a self-repairing segmented hull plates for easier damage control.

Mission Specialization

The Plumeria is intended for a wide variety of mission profiles, but specializes in seek and destroy missions against enemy warships and in supporting large-scale fleet warfare in an artillery role. The ship is poorly equipped for diplomacy or VIP transport but its high speed and stealth make it a decent transport for inserting small teams of power armor or infantry. Some high-ranking members of the military have also been known to use Plumeria gunships as personal transports. While the Plumeria was intended to run with a minimal crew for up to a year away from home without external support, this is rarely the case; most Plumeria gunships are found in four-ship squadrons based at small mobile starbases.

Appearance

Plumeria gunships have an elongated almond-shaped main body with two expanding wing-like pylons on which the ship's shield-shaped primary distortion field generator panels are mounted. From the front of the ship a massive dagger-shaped cannon array protrudes, accounting for nearly half of the ship's length and giving it a long, sharp figure. An expanded cargo area gives the center underside of the ship a triangular shape. Beginning with the 1C variant, the port side cargo area on the underside featured a forward-facing sensor dish.

Hull color is a typically light blue (although some early models had light gray hulls). Star Army Intelligence also uses a black-hulled version. For more pictures, see the Plumeria-class Art Gallery or the YSS Eucharis Art Gallery.

History

The S3 (Sakura) development project began under Acting Mistress Taisho Kessaku Irim in late YE 27 in the wake of the extremely costly Xyainbor and Mwigflukbajik offensives against the Sfrarabla Mishhuvurthyar Xhrafuklurp (SMX). Irim made the design a “pet project” of hers and the prototype (affectionately named “YSS Swan”) was built in YE 28. Five test ship followed, serving active duty in the First Expeditionary Fleet. One of them, YSS Sakura (NG-X1-360, captained by Taisa Rufus Sydney and later by Taisa Ketsurui Hanako), would participate in an enormous number of battles and become so famous that after it was lost in combat, a museum was built to honor her.

After the Sakura's destruction, Hanako sought an improved version of the ship that had served her so well. Ketsurui Fleet Yards constructed the first of the new class, YSS Plumeria (NG-X1-390), in late YE 29 and Hanako used it to execute a daring and risky attack on the Sfrarabla Mishhuvurthyar Xhrafuklurp (SMX) headquarters. The design is well-liked within the Star Army of Yamatai; production of the Sakura-class Light Gunship for the First Expeditionary Fleet was halted in favor of the Plumeria series. By the end of YE 30, most Sakura had been disassembled and rebuilt as Plumeria; at that time, the Plumeria-class also saw a surge in new production as the Star Army added several new fleets to the roster.

By mid YE 31, the Second Mishhuvurthyar War was in full swing and starships were in short supply. Plumeria Gunships, now performing a wide range of missions, were upgraded to be more versitile and more heavily armed through addition of new systems, new engines, and external turrets.

In YE 39, the Ke-S3-3 series Fuji-class Expeditionary Gunship entered production, and is expected to slowly replace the Plumeria-class in the upcoming years.

Notable Plumeria Gunships

Statistical Data

General

Class: Ke-S3-2C and Ke-S3-2D series Plumeria

Type: Nekovalkyrja Medium Gunship

Designers: Hanako and Ketsurui Fleet Yards, First Expeditionary Fleet

Manufacturer: Gemini Star Fortress

Production: Over a hundred fifty have been built thus far.

Crew and Accommodations

Three operators are recommended, but only one is required. There are accommodations for 18 in the lounge room and 1 in the captain's cabins. About 100 people can fit aboard in an emergency, but the ship would be extremely cramped.

Dimensions

  • Length: 254 meters (833.33 feet)
  • Width: 128 meters (419.94 feet)
  • Height: 25 meters (82.02 feet)
  • Decks: 6 (4 meters each)

Where it Fits

Propulsion and Range

Speeds

The Plumeria is an exceptionally fast vessel.

  • Sublight Engines: .375c (~112,422 kilometers per second)
    • Minimum: Resting motionless
    • Cruising Speed: 18,750c (~2.14 light-years per hour)
    • Maximum Speed: 21,915c (2.5 light-years per hour - This speed is a military secret.)
  • Hyperspace Drive: 525,960c (1 light-year per minute)

See Star Army of Yamatai Starship Speeds for a comparison of the Plumeria's speeds with other ships of the Star Army of Yamatai. This ship is equipped with Anti-FTL field countermeasures.

Durability and Maintenance

The Plumeria is built with ease of maintenance in mind and is very durable, particularly its frame and main electrical systems.

  • Service Lifespan: Estimated 20 years of constant use, although this could certainly be extended.
  • Refit Cycle: Frequent minor updates through the PANTHEON system and a refit once every two years.

Damage Capacity

Damage Rating (Version 3):

  • Hull Structural Points: 25
  • Shields: 25 (Threshold 3)

Damage Rating (Version 3):

  • Defensive Tier: 11

Inside the Plumeria Gunship

Deck Layout

Deck Compartments
1 Armory, Galley, Wardroom
2 Armory, Baths, Bridge, Captain's Suite, Crew Cabins, Laundry, Lounge, Showers
3 Computer, Medical Lab, Power Armor Bay, Power Systems Room, Recreation Area, Shuttle Bay
4 Catwalks for Deck 5 compartments
5 Engineering, Cargo Bay Fabrication
6 Landing gear and miscellaneous systems

Compartments

All rooms in the Plumeria-class gunship have phones and firefighting stations.

Armory

Located forward of and set one deck above the power armor bay, the ship's central armory contains most of the weapons for the crew. The armory is a Zesuaium-armored, static-free vault with independent environmental systems that spans 2 decks. Personnel weapons are kept on deck 1; power armor weapons and ammunition are kept below on deck 2 where a doorway with a heavy blast shutter leads to an ammunition elevator that carries missiles down one level to the power armor bay. There is no nodal system available in the armory. The armory is a restricted area, and can only be accessed by those with permission from the ship's captain. The armory can be used as a panic room or emergency shelter if the rest of the ship is compromised.

Bridge

The Plumeria's Standard Small Starship Bridge (Plumeria Type) is designed for a small number of crew members. It is a restricted area located on Deck 2; only authorized personnel are allowed.

Captain's Suite

The captain's suite is a luxurious cabin located on deck two, forward of the bridge. Inside, the thick, soft, red carpeting matches that of the lounge. The room is lit more dimly than the rest of the ship using lamps placed throughout the interior and studio lighting rather than the normal ceiling lights. There is a very comfortable bed, a wooden dresser and bookshelf (with straps across the books to keep them from going anywhere if gravity failed) and a cozy reclining chair. A large walk-in closet is in the back of the room (going towards the front of the ship), along with a tiny bathroom (with a toilet and shower). The captain's suite's doorway is accessible from the passageway that encircles the bridge (where the escape pods are).

Cargo Hold

Most of the Plumeria's storage area is used for repair supplies and non-perishable foodstuffs. Crew members should note that the cargo bay is not a personal storage (or sparring) area; while much more roomy the the cargo area of the Sakura-class Light Gunship, its capacity is still fairly limited and is thus reserved for storage of mission-essential equipment and supplies. The cargo area has white padded walls and a metal floor with plenty of tie-down points. Some parts of the floor have strips of rollers so that crates can be moved easily up and down the length of the bay.

The armored hull on the underside of the ship's aft opens and is equipped with a ramp for loading cargo from the ground. The ramp doorway is equipped with an air-containment force-field.

The bay is irregularly shaped; in the section closest to the door, it is only 12 meters across, but in the main body section it widens to as much as 24 meters. The bay's usable cargo floor space is 48 meters long (plus an additional 4 and 20 meters if counting the cargo elevator and landing ramp, respectively). The hold is 8 meters tall. Cargo is primarily stored in medium Standard Starship Cargo Containers positioned 4 across and stacked 3 tall (12 per row with a max of 8 rows for a max total of 96 SSCC-Mediums).

Each end of the cargo area has a large robotic arm that extends from the ceiling area, used to reposition crates of cargo within the bay. 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 crane goes far enough back that it can sit over the bottom of the cargo ramp. The bay has interior light sets in white and in red.

The cargo hold can fit 18 Type 33 Prefab Modules.

See also: Standard Starship Cargo Containers.

The cargo hold has power hookups, so that nuclear-powered or other generators, built into cargo containers, can be slaved to the ship's power distribution system and used in place of the main aether generator.

Computer Room

This room, located directly below the rear section of the bridge, contains the core of the MEGAMI Integrated Electronics System. It is normally inaccessible except to the ship's captain and certified technicians, protected by armored walls and closed blast shutters. The interior is lined with various access panels, control panels, and displays. Other items inside include a coffin-like bed for the ship's avatar and a generator system which powers the mainframe.

Crew Cabins

Nine cabins surround the lounge on Deck 2, used for the main crew; each is accessible via a narrow door which slides sideways to open. A twin-size bunk bed is each room's most prominent feature, and is the only piece of furniture besides the small white desk and chair between it and the wall (on the door side). Opposite of the door and on the other side of the bed, the wall is made up of various storage compartments for clothing and personal items. They do not have their own bathrooms.

Interesting note: Originally, these rooms only had one bed yet were intended for one or two crew members each (sharing the bed).

Crew Lounge

The Plumeria’s lounge is an extremely comfortable, circular space centrally located between the crew cabins, thickly carpeted in a shaggy red on the floor, walls, and ceiling, with the design of the Star Army’s logo built into the floor, along with a bunch of bolted-down furniture like soft leather couches and coffee tables running around the edges of the room. 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 staircase leads up to the wardroom, and a small nook located off to the side contains a Coffee maker, icemaker, microwave, mini-fridge, and a small drink bar; note that the lounge is not a dining area. The mini-fridge is used for drinks and small snacks only. Crew baths, showers, toilets, and laundry room are also attached to the lounge.

The lounge is located on Deck 2 and is the home of the traditional Dare Lottery Party.

Engineering

Taking up decks 4 and 5 on the front end of the ship's main body, Engineering is located below the computer room and the Power Systems room (an upper level of engineering that contains massive capacitors and converters, primarily). Engineering is crowded with loud, tightly-packed machinery and systems. A catwalk runs around the room on Deck 4 in place of a floor. The Aether power generator here is the most prominent feature, set into the center of the room. The hyperspace unit, near the doorway to the main passageway, is another one of the larger systems found inside. There are fusion reactors (for secondary power), liquid coolant systems, and a number of maintenance conduits that can be entered from engineering. Engineering also contains a Damage Control Station, near the entrance.

Maintenance Guidelines
  • Aether generator's Zesuaium internal panels should be replaced every 6 months.
  • Fusion generators should be occasionally replaced
  • Capacitors should be inspected every month and after battle.
  • Most equipment on the ship is self-cooling, but major power lines use a liquid coolant system. Check for leaky fittings.

Fabrication Area

The Plumeria Gunship carries a two-deck-tall area forward of the cargo bay that is dedicated to construction. This chamber contains robotic arms, nanomachine colonies, matter-to-energy converters and refiners, and other implements of industrial construction. The gunship is capable of building items such as power armor, vehicles, and torpedoes (but not organic materials) without having to collect external resources. Larger and/or more complex items take longer amounts of time to fabricate.

This area's doors facing the cargo hold can fold flat against the walls if need; this allows items produced to be moved to the cargo hold, and also allows the cargo hold ot be expanded if more capacity is needed.

Maintenance Conduits

Various small tunnels 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, due to the vast amounts of electrical systems present in the Plumeria gunship. 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.

Main Cannon Junction

A four-sided room with a low ceiling (not tall enough to stand in), located beneath the captain's cabins. It sits roughly in the center of the Power Systems section on deck 3. There is a small sliding doorway on each side: two lead to the floor hatches on Deck 2 (in the passageway around the bridge), one rear door to the Power Systems Room (which normally remains locked), and one towards the front of the ship where the gun continues. Near that door on the left side 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 is on the other side, with a small panel that reads DISABLED in green or ENABLED in red. Below, a notice declares, “By order of the Star Army, this access tunnel must be visually inspected to ensure there are no crewmembers 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.” A hatch in the floor leads down to the maintenance tunnel for the lower main cannon assembly.

Maintenance Conduits
  • From the Main Cannon Junction to the tip of the main cannon (Deck 3).
  • A lower main cannon tunnel running from engineering into the lower portion of the cannon. This intersects with a vertical passageway leading to the floor of the main cannon junction.
  • A vertical access way from engineering (Deck 4 and 5) to power systems room (Deck 3) and up to the corridor around the bridge. The hatch is in the floor at the entrance to the Captain's Suite.
  • A very short vertical access way from engineering (port side) to the sensor area/sensor dome on Deck 6. There's probably a hatch in the main passageway from deck six that leads to the short maintenance tunnel.
  • On Deck 4, from Engineering around both sides of the ship's main body, meeting under the shuttle bay.
  • From the conduits above through the nacelle pylons to their ends, into the nacelles. Note: There are hatches to the outside of the ship's hull midway through this tunnel next to the positron cannons. This tunnel is also used to maintain the positron cannons and has a manual shutoff switch for each of them.

Medical Center and Laboratory

The Plumeria features a Sakura-type Medical Laboratory on deck 3, forward of the power armor bay.

Passageways

Plumeria gunships use Standard Passageways and Standard Star Army Zero-Gravity Passageways (the main vertical passageway). These passageways run through the decks of the ship vertically as well as horizontally, and are approximately 2 meters in diameter. Eating or drinking in the passageways is forbidden.

Deck 2 Emergency Passageway

The maintenance passageway that borders the bridge contains two nooks (one on each side) with three escape pods each and is directly accessible by doors on both sides of the bridge. The wall panels along this passageway contain environmental suits and other supplies.

Power Armor Bay

Located on Deck 3, this is a fairly Standard Star Army Power Armor Bay with long doors on both sides protected by segmented armored covers for the doors, which rise from the edge of the floor to deploy just inside the openings. A common practice is to leave one side open to space, and the other closed.

The bay's two force-field-contained openings in the hull make it possible for soldiers in power armor to rapidly leap out into space and into combat at their convenience. The ship contains standby units and extensive facilities for repair, maintenance, and construction of the power armor.

The power armor bay has a changing room, toilet room, and a decontamination room with showers adjacent to and forward of it, across the hall from the medical bay.

Recreation Area

The recreation area is located on Deck 3 directly beneath the crew lounge and is accessible via a staircase and by the lift and Zero-G passageway. The recreation area's starboard side is devoted to sparring and exercise, while the port side of the recreation area contains two holographic chambers designed to simulate various environments for training, designing, or pleasure purposes.

Sensor Dome

A very cramped compartment inside the sensor dome is accessible via Deck 6 or engineering via a short maintenance tunnel. Inside of the dome are rings of delicate sensors. The entrance to the compartment is an old-school round hatch with a wheel-style locking system. The front end of the dome is transparent, but mostly obscured by sensor machinery.

Shuttle Bay

The shuttle bay is a small hangar near the rearmost part of the ship's upper main body, located on Deck 2. The rear of this room consists of a large curved double doorway that opens to space. The shuttle bay is similar in appearance to the Power Armor Bay and is separated from the Power Armor Bay by a partition with a door and blast shutter. The shuttle bay is not very big; there is barely any walking room in the shuttle bay when the shuttles are inside.

Capacity

The bay holds three Ke-T8 "Kuma" Multi-role Shuttle shuttles, two facing to the ship's aft and one between them facing forward. The bay can also hold 1 or 2 Raccoon T7 shuttles, but the only way to arrange a second T7 inside is to rotate it sideways, blocking the back door of the shuttle closest to the shuttle bay's double doors and somewhat blocking the door from the power armor bay; for this reason, the capacity of the bay is usually only listed as one T7.

The largest shuttle that the Plumeria's bay could hold is 20 meters long, 10 meters wide, and 2.5 meters tall.

Wardroom

The Plumeria's wardroom, located on Deck 1, is a pretty big place for a ship meant for such a small crew complement. It contains round booth tables in the corners and rectangular tables in the middle section (which contain cast iron grills for teppanyaki cooking). A Standard Star Army Galley and scullery are adjacent to it. The floors are marble or wood. A staircase runs down to the lounge.

The wardroom can alternately be referred to as the “shokudou” (食堂 / しょくどう), which means cafeteria or dining hall.

Ship Systems

Armored Hull

The key substance that makes up the .5-meter-thick hull of the ship is Yamataium. The frame of the ship is Zesuaium, while armor plates are made of Xiulurium-coated Zesuaium and Yamataium. Please note that the Plumeria has one window, at the forward end of the wardroom. It is made of transparent Zesuaium. All interior passageways and rooms are surrounded by Yarvex sheeting and protected from scalar fields by the internal gravity systems.

Combined Field System

The Plumeria S3 has an excellent Combined Field System. Plumeria can generate an Anti-FTL Field with a 2.5 au radius. The Plumeria's CFS field generators are 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.

Computer and Sensor Systems

The Plumeria uses the MEGAMI Integrated Electronics System package and is also equipped with a Psionic Signal Controller and an Active Jamming System.

Emergency Systems

Blast Shutters

On the Plumeria, blast shutters are located:

  • at the entrances to the armory (always locked and closed)
  • at the entrance to the bridge
  • at the entrance to the computer (always locked and closed)
  • at the entrance to the captain's suite
  • at the entrances to the crew lounge/cabin area
  • at the entrance to engineering
  • at the entrance to the power armor bay
  • at the entrances to the recreation area
  • at the entrances to the wardroom/galley area
  • between the shuttle bay and the power armor
  • in the rear cargo doorway
  • in key places in the maintenance tunnel network.
  • Between decks 3 and 4 in the main passageway and cargo lift shaft

Damage Control Stations

On the Plumeria, damage control stations are located:

  • in Engineering
  • in the Power Armor Bay
  • in the Cargo Bay (one front, one rear)
  • in the room at the rear of the ship below shuttle bay (where maintenance tunnels meet)
  • on Decks 1 and/or 2, just forward of the Armory

Escape Pods (6)

The ship's six Ke-S3-X2900 Escape Pod escape pods can be found near the bridge (three on each side in the passageways surrounding it), ready in case the crew needs to evacuate the ship. For stats and contents, see their article.

Soul Savior Pod (1)

Life Support System

Atmospheric systems are divided into eight separate habitat zones: The first six are general areas divided by the upper and power part of the ship (Decks 1-3 and 4-6) and the main passageway and cargo lift. The remaining two are the bridge and the armory, which are equipped with their own atmospheric recycling systems. The air recycling system (which is highly monitored for security reasons) can support up to 500 Yamataian or Nekovalkyrja, Type 33 personnel up to twenty years 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 small laser turrets and ultra-sonic beams 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. By YE 31, Plumeria gunships had the ability to land in a body of water and refill the ship's tanks with pure water in about ten minutes through pumps, filters, and osmosis mechanisms.

Plumeria gunships 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.

Cooling Systems

All major heat-generating pieces of equipment are paired with appropriately-sized scalar-based heat absorbers, which rapidly and effectively absorb thermal radiation and convert it to usable energy. Energy conduits throughout the ship are also lined with liquid cooling systems.

Excess heat can be routed out the sublight engines or as energy into the Combined Field System. The Plumeria's pylons can also act as radiators in their normal mode. In an emergency, the ship can deploy thin fan-like extended radiator arrays from the aft edge of the pylons.

Power Systems

The Plumeria Gunship's main power source is a high-output aether generator; it also includes fusion reactors in engineering and anti-matter reactors in the nacelle pylons. If needed, alternate generators and fuel tanks can be hooked up in the cargo hold. The Plumeria 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). The anti-matter generators have their own independent backup power supply to maintain containment. In the event of an emergency, the anti-matter can be safely vented automatically or manually.

Propulsion

The Plumeria features three main methods of propulsion: it carries auxiliary engines for sublight travel, has a hyperspace fold generator, and 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.

Anti-Gravity

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.

Auxiliary Engines

Located on the Plumeria's nacelle pylons, these engines can move the ship up to cruising speeds of .375c and maximum speeds of .75c (although this can wear the engines heavily). Because the small size of these STL engines has always been one of the design's limitations, the 1D upgrade features additional, more powerful sublight Turbo Aether Plasma Drive engines.

Combined Field

The Combined Field System is the ship's primary method of travel. The Plumeria's maximum Combined Field speeds are secret.

See: Continuum Distortion Drive and Combined Field System

Hyperspace Fold

Hyperspace Travel is used for long-distance movement; the fold system can reposition the ship to a new location to a new position in space. The time elapsed in real space will equal one minute for every ten light-years the Plumeria is from its original position. The hyperspace fold generator takes approximately one minute to charge.

Weapons Systems

The standard Plumeria-class carries the following weaponry:

Type 31 quad AA guns firing golden bolts of plasma

Vehicle Complement

OOC Notes

This page was originally created on by Wes.

Star Army Logistics
Supply ClassificationClass A - STARSHIPS
First UsedYE 29
Last ReviewYE 40
Year RetiredYE 40
Products & Items Database
Product Categoriesstarships
Product NamePlumeria-Class Medium Gunship
NomenclatureKe-S3-2D
ManufacturerKetsurui Fleet Yards

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stararmy/starship_classes/plumeria_medium_gunship.txt · Last modified: 2023/12/21 01:02 (external edit)