U.S.S. Hornet NCC-9700
Star Fleet Planetary Security Division: Rigel/OrionGeneral Plans and Specifications
Illustrator: Lawrence Miller
Copyright: (c) 2003
Summary:
Star Fleet Planetary Security Division: Rigel/Orion
History of the Hornet Class Fighter-Carrier
The Hornet class starship signals starfleet's desire to quell the rising tide of outlaw activity in the Orion star system. Since the Coridan incident of 3842.3, when the Babel conference was disrupted by a suicide raid by a group of Orion smugglers, starfleet has been studying ways to track down and destroy secret Orion bases. Orion traders are known the Federation over as the best pilots and the many asteroid belts in the Orion system offer seclusion and freedom from attack due to the fact that starfleet has always maintained an exploration fleet of powerful single-unit starships with no provisions for much smaller short range combat vessels or support craft. The Hornet class starship promises to fill this gap. With its 2-man fighters and its spacious flight deck with accomodations for any and all support craft Federation security can now track Orion smuggle ships into heavy asteroid fields to their home bases and bring the fight to their own back yard.
Being manned with a 50 percent Rigelian crew has presented a unique challenge to starfleet engineers. Having an average height of 2.4 meters meant ceiling heights had to be raised drastically; also, their increased oxygen intake meant a total redesign of starship's life support systems. All external hatches and fittings have remained Federation standard. Likewise, the ship's complement of fighters and shuttles are Federation standard with only seat modifications.
The Hornet class starship incorporates the standard Federation design of a saucer shaped living area with dual warp drive engines, but, in a break with established design principles there is no secondary engineering hull that can separate from the saucer section While in silhouette the Hornet may look larger than a Constitution class starship it, in fact, has less displacement and cannot match the Constitution class starship in speed or armament.
Details of a Standard Mission:
While patrolling a quadrant between the Rigel and Orion Systems sensors pick up a Rigelian merchant ship under attack by Orion fast-attack craft. The Hornet races to the scene and chases the Orion craft up to an asteroid belt. Not having the maneuverability to follow the pirate craft herself, the Hornet waits on the outskirts and launches her complement of fighters. These fighters with their small size and fast reaction times follow the Orion craft through the asteroids to their home base inside one of the larger asteroids. Once the base has been located the coordinates are fed into the attack computer and a clear path is computed for a barrage of photon torpedoes. Shuttlecraft and scout ships then mop-up any resistance.
It is hoped the Hornet class starship will again make the lucrative Rigel/Orion merchant corridor the safest trade route in the galaxy.
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