Mission Command Crew Farstar Modifications Operating Conditions Deck Plans Support Ships Vehicles Droids Campaign Home Security Password: Current security level: VISITOR "ciro123"

Operating Conditions Overall, the tension level aboard the FarStar is quite high. The ship is overcrowded, with minimal comfort and almost no privacy for its crew members. The equipment is jury-rigged and prone to breakdown. Endless storage bins and supply crates clog every corner and corridor, giving the impression of a disorderly ship. As the FarStar ventures further into the unknown, the stresses of deep space travel and combat will become more prevalent -- arguments and fights among crew members will increase, and the sick bay personnel may end up attending to bloody noses as often as legitimate injuries. Different cliques will develop among the crew and tempers will often be simmering just below the boiling point. It can be said that the crew of the FarStar may not like each other very much, but they're going to have to learn how to trust each other. In time, the crew will have to learn to pull together for their own survival, or everyone may pay the ultimate price. Makeshift Engineering Much of the FarStar's circuitry is jury-rigged and most of the newer hardware has undergone drastic custom modifications to fit properly. Conventional engineering philosophy dictates that components that don't fit or were not designed to operate under makeshift conditions should simply be replaced with more practical designs. Unfortunately, with limited time and spare parts in short supply, the FarStar's technicians have made do. The FarStar had to be fully operational within 28 hours, and while it was, the results weren't pretty. The FarStar's engineers continue to be unrelentingly pragmatic: aesthetics are of no concern when they hinder the ship's operation. Lofryyhn and his techs string wires across hallways, place pipers along the walls, and leave power couplings, jumpers, cables and interfaces in full view where they are easy to access. The ship is unsightly, but the techs can get at critical components in a hurry, which is probably more important when an Imperial cruiser is bearing down on the FarStar. Power Conservation The very nature of the FarStar's mission calls for conserving power. The storage bays and other non-vital areas are sealed off to conserve life support. The cabins and crew quarter rooms are permanently at half the standard lighting level, while the corridors utilize only every other lighting panel, casting crossed shadows across the walls and lending an eerie mood to the larger rooms. Some of the cross-corridor junctions use green floor-lighting or blue soft-light to conserve power. Some parts of the ship have had the heating ducts closed off to preserve what little heat there is. In particular, the droid repair and service bays are frosty enough to see one's own breath, and the food storage bins actually generate a layer of frost across the surface of the containers. The warmest part of the ship is the engineering section, which often gets so hot that the crew works in a constant sweat. An Oversized Crew The FarStar needs a large crew. With the uncertain duration of the tour of duty and the lack of repair facilities, the ship has many extra negineers and technicians. The FarStar also has a large number of scientists, computer specialists, pilots and ground troops: the ship must be prepared for any eventuality. There are only 30 standard crew rooms, each with two bunks. Since the ship requires a crew of about 120, many crew members have to actually share their bunk with another person: one person sleeps in the bunk while the other is on duty. There are quarters where people have simply elected to sleep on the mats on the floor: its uncomfortable and cold, sometimes even wet, but it is preferable to some crew members. Duty Shifts Despite the large crew complement, there are barely enough hands to go around on the FarStar. The FarStar operates in two shifts of 12 hours each. Each crew member has a full-time post during the "on" shift, while theoretically having 12 hours off-duty for sleep, recreation and personal time. Most on-duty shifts are full-time positions at a single post: the majority of these posts can be found in the engineering and bridge sections. There are also "part-time" posts, where a crew member splits his or her time between two or more posts. Often a part-time post consists mostly of performing maintenance or periodically checking the performance levels of various systems or components aboard the FarStar. There are several "alert" posts which are manned only when a ship-wide alert is signalled. The captain goes to alert status only when combat appears imminent, when the ship is ready to revert from hyperspace to realspace, or when the FarStar first enters orbit around a world and the ship is vulnerable to a sneak attack. However, there are still many otehr duties aboard the FarStar which cannot be handled by droids or during regular duty shifts. Captain Ciro has gotten around this limitation by assigning "off-duty" posts. These posts tend toward menial duty tasks that don't necessarily require peak performance or attentiveness. Off-duty posts are manned in four shifts and are rotated equally among all crew members. Crew members contantly face 16 hour days, or an off-duty shift with four hours for sleep, a mid-shift off-duty post and then another four hour sleep period. While there is no doubt that the regiment of 12 hours on duty every day and extra off-duty assignments will wear on the crew, there is no other way to get everything done aboard the ship. Droid Complement The FarStar requires a droid complement of other 100 units. Many droids, such as R2 and R3 astromech units, are necessary for very specialized tasks, such as astrogation assistance and external repair duty while the ship is at sublight speeds. Droids also tend to use fewer resources than organic beings, so there are a number of simple servant droids for menial tasks. While the froids are essential to the FarStar's operations, they also choke the corridors as they slowly trundle from place to place. They are seen by some as a nuisance and more than one has reported for maintenance with a boot-print in it's side. For complete information on the FarStar's complement of droids, see FarStar/Droids. Storage Bins and Supplies The FarStar's cargo holds are filled with replacement parts, high-tech components, food and other provisions. Many sections of teh ship have been converted from living or duty stations to storage. Any open area is used for stacking crates that can be filled with power packs, spare energy convertors, and flash-sealed food packets. The FarStar's top storage priority is making room for technical items, such as droid and computer components, spare parts for the fighters and shuttles, and replacement parts for the FarStar's engines and weapons. This is because the FarStar can reasonably expect to come across planets with food and water, but it is going to places wehre high-technology will be virtually impossible to find. Equipment aboard the FarStar is at a premium. A quartermaster droid has been assigned the task of requisitioning and assigning equipment and isuring its prompt return at mission's end. Standard equipment will be available with little or no resistance: this type of equipment includes clothing, bedding, glowrods, comlinks, breath masks and other common items (weapons are not considered "common" items). The quartermaster droid will allocate this equipment with a personal request (and appropriate bargaining) and will nto expect to see it back any time soon. Other equipment is in short supply and will be doled out only with good reason, such as a direct order from a superior officer or if a crew member has been placed in charge of requesting equipment for a specific mission. This type of equipment includes blasters, power packs, canisters of blaster gas, macrobinoculars, cold weather clothing and gear, gloves, scanners, climbing gear, and other useful items. Lastly, there are rare, valuable, or hard to replace items that can only be lent out under direct order from the captain. These types of items include thermal detonators, infrared goggles, electronic lock picks, and items so unusual that there may only be a couple aboard the FarStar. Food Supplies For food, the FarStar has been fitted with several cold storage bays to allow the long-term perservation of meats and liquids prone to spoilage. More often than not, the cooks make do with standard military rations, which include vitamin and mineral supplements, processed and preserved meats, dehydrated fruits and canned juices. For ease of storage, ration packs have been placed in bulk containers, thus avoiding the extrandous packaging that often accompanies such consumables. The FarStar can expect to go three months before essential supplies begin to run low. Of course, ther's always the risk of food poisoning, contaminization (from parasites, radiation and other hazards), or sabotage of the food storage containers. Security and servant droids regularly patrol the food storage areas to guarantee their safety.