Bravo Fleet
Difference between pages "Starbase 72" and "Keldon Class"

Difference between pages "Starbase 72" and "Keldon Class"

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{{Icons|bfc|sf}}
{{icons|card|bfc}}{{Specifications
{{Starbase
| image = [[Image:KeldonClass.jpg|275px]]
| name = Starbase 72
| name = Keldon
| image = [[File:Spacedock type closeup.jpeg]]
| affiliation = Cardassian Union
| registry = SB-72
| role = Cruiser
| class = [[Spacedock Class|Spacedock-class]]
| dateEntered = 2368
| commission = 2376
| expectedLife = 50 Years
| decommission =
| expectedRefit = 5 Years
| taskforce = [[Task Force 72]]
| timeResupply = 2 Year
| quadrant = [[Alpha Quadrant]]
| crewComplement = 500
| role = Fourth Fleet Diplomatic Headquarters
| emergencyCap = 7,000
| affiliation = *[[United Federation of Planets]]
| length = 372 meters
*[[Starfleet]]
| width = 192  meters
*[[Fourth Fleet]]
| height = 70 meters
| sector =
| decks = 20
| system = [[MA:Minos Korva|Minos Korva]]
| propulsionSystem = Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive
| co = [[Jalian |Commodore Jalian]]
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 6
| crew =25,000 Starfleet <br> 50,000 Civilian 
| maxSpeed = Warp 9
| dedication = [[Image:TF72Seal.png]]
| emergencySpeed = Warp 9.6 (12 hours)
}}'''Starbase 72''' is a Spacedock-class station located in the Minos Korva system, and it has been a major hub for Starfleet activity along the Federation-Cardassian border since the mid-2360s. Currently, it is the headquarters for [[Task Force 72]] and serves as a major repair and resupply station for vessels assigned to combat the [[True Way]]
| energyWeapons =*1 Triple-Mounted Heavy Phaser Array (Forward)
*16 Medium Phaser Emitters
| torpLaunchers =*4 Forward Torpedo Launchers
| torpPayload =*100 Photon Torpedoes
*100 Quantum Torpedoes
| shields =Graviton Shields
| shuttleBays =1 (Forward)
| shuttles =6
}}The '''''Keldon''-class cruiser''' is the standard [[Cardassian Union|Cardassian]] medium-duty warship, serving in combat, patrol, and utility duties across the Union. It is nearly identical to the slightly smaller [[Galor Class|''Galor''-class]], with extensions on the stern and to the dorsal superstructure that allows for a higher crew complement and for barracks space to transport up to a thousand troops. An older design, they are relatively common, but not nearly as common as the ''Galor''.
== Science and Exploration ==
Scientific capabilities aboard the ''Keldon'' are identical to those aboard the ''Galor'': ten small science labs geared towards resource prospecting and stellar cartography, which help them in their patrol duties and in identifying possible sites for new outposts or colonies. They are also equipped with a complement of observation probes, which can linger in systems after the ship has passed through to keep an eye on things there, notifying the mothership when intruders are detected. These probes have advanced sensors and navigational equipment, which makes them also well-suited to exploring nebulae and other navigational anomalies. Cardassian doctrine favors having extremely detailed navigational data of their own space and enemy space to optimize starship deployments.


== History ==
The ''Keldon'' has greater endurance than the ''Galor'' and so is capable of embarking on exploratory and prospecting expeditions outside of Union space, with mission durations of up to two years. While this lags far behind nearly any Federation Starfleet vessel, this degree of independence is unseen in most of the starships used by the neighboring Tzenkethi, Breen, and Talarians, which allows the Cardassian military to develop maps of space far beyond their borders, which makes any necessary tactical operations in these areas significantly easier.
The Minos Korva system has long been strategically important to both the Federation and the Cardassian Union. In the 2350s, the Cardassians attempted to annex the system, but Starfleet prevented this by stationing several starships there. In 2369, the Cardassians again made aggressive moves towards Minos Korva, but were detected and turned away by Captain Edward Jellico aboard the ''Enterprise''-D. As the colony on Minos Korva grew, it was decided that a full-scale starbase was required to keep the system secure.  


Construction on Starbase 72 began in early 2370, with the majority of its systems operational by the start of the Dominion War in 2373. Minos Korva was again put in the cross-hairs, and the system was the site of several battles, but neither the Cardassians nor Dominion managed to take the system, thanks to the presence of Starbase 72 and elements of the Fourth Fleet, which were assembled into Task Force 72.
On the top of the superstructure, there is a large combination long-range sensor and long-range communications array, which enhances the ''Keldon'''s exploratory capabilities by allowing it to remain in contact with Cardassia Prime.


Starbase 72 was fully completed in 2376, the year after the Treaty of Bajor, and it was an important staging point for relief missions into the crippled Cardassian Union. Though dated by 2399, it remains an important Starfleet installation in the region.
== Diplomacy ==
''Keldon''-class starships have a standard VIP suite available for a legate or government official, as well as a suite in the dorsal superstructure that is capable of hosting larger delegations in relative comfort. This makes this class a superior diplomatic platform compared to the ''Galor'' but it is less capable than the larger and more modern post-Dominion War designs currently in service. Its long-range communications abilities allow it to effectively execute the will of decision-makers back at headquarters.


=== Current Status ===
== Engineering ==
Most of the ships operating out of Starbase 72 have been tasked with securing Federation space throughout the [[Former Demilitarized Zone]], which has become volatile with the presence of the Cardassian extremist sect, the [[True Way]]. While Minos Korva itself has not been attacked since the height of the Dominion War, the system is currently on high alert, with all vessels entering and exiting the system subject to scans and inspection to try to stamp out the True Way's access to resources.
As with the ''Galor'' and most other Cardassian starship designs, the ''Keldon'' has a standardized design, with improvements being made in discrete model types. There have now been three distinct types of ''Keldon''-class vessel, each with gradually increased power and more advanced systems, and it is Cardassian practice to maintain a stable fleet size by recycling older vessels for the construction of newer ones and to upgrade more recent vessels to the latest standard. The ''Keldon''-class Type-3 was developed in the 2380s and includes improvements to the ship's life support and recreation systems to improve its utility as a long-range vessel.


As part of the peacekeeping operations in the former DMZ, Starbase 72 currently fields two dozen hazard teams, which operate from the station's fleet of runabouts. These teams perform a wide variety of missions near the station, ranging from diplomatic escort missions, scouting and patrol, and direct protection of Federation assets from the True Way.
''Keldon''-class ships have a hull that is largely identical to the ''Galor'': it follows the ankh-shaped design of the Cardassian Union's emblem, with a wider primary hull tapering down to a narrow tail. The bridge is mounted in a raised module above the bow, and the spine of the ship has a raised superstructure which contains crew quarters and other systems. The vertical profile of the ''Keldon''-class is roughly cylindrical, and unlike starships of most Alpha and Beta quadrant powers, the warp coils are built into wings extending from the primary hull rather than in separate nacelles. Impulse power is provided by a primary drive unit aft of the bridge and two secondary impulse assemblies in the wings. Beneath the wings the majority of the remaining space is devoted to cargo holds and hanger bays, which are used for both military purposes and construction projects.


This base is also the staging ground for new officers assigned to command vessels assigned to Task Force 72, with a large concentration of diplomatic specialists, personnel officers, and other individuals whose job is to help potential commanders develop their diplomatic abilities, many of whom spend at least some time in the field on the station's runabouts.
Where the design of the ''Keldon'' differs from the ''Galor'' is in extensions to the dorsal superstructure and stern. The superstructure has been expanded with a large, roughly anthropoid module that contains barracks space, expanded fuel tanks, and additional crew quarters, which allows the ship a longer range and the ability to carry a thousand troops in relative comfort. The stern of the ''Galor'' design has been widened with two additional wings, each of which contains an additional phaser emitter, redundant shield generators, and auxiliary power generators.  


== Description ==
In many space-faring cultures, a larger design is usually a faster design. This is not the case with the ''Keldon''-class. It does have slightly more powerful engines, but only powerful enough to match the ''Galor'''s performance with its larger mass. The reasoning behind this design decision was to maintain the reliability of the ''Galor''-type engine system, given that in fleet situations, the ''Keldon'' as a cruiser in the core of the fleet would never need to go ''faster'' than her escorting ''Galors''.
Like all Spacedock-class stations, Starbase 72 is a combination defensive, trade, and shipbuilding facility, with the capacity to house dozens of starships within its large docking bay. It can service hundreds of smaller vessels with numerous other facilities located throughout the station. It has a Starfleet crew of 25,000 and 50,000 civilians of many nationalities live aboard the starbase. A central transport column connects the station from top to bottom, with turbolifts for local service and multi-story trams for journeys that go multiple kilometers. While localized transporters have become common on ground facilities, Starbase 72 has not yet been upgraded with this technology.
== Tactical ==
Though nearly identical to the ''Galor'', the ''Keldon'' serves a different role in fleet engagements, either as a command ship when only with smaller vessels, or as the ship-of-the-line core of a Cardassian battle fleet. Its enhanced shields allow it to soak up firepower while allowing other vessels to surround and separate the enemy. It retains the forward-firing triple-mounted phaser bank used aboard the ''Galor'', though that of the ''Keldon'' is of even higher output and glows red, rather than blue—this is essentially the one system in which the Keldon has a clear and noticeable improvement over the smaller ship. In addition, there are sixteen pyramid-shaped phaser emitters spread out along the hull of the ship which provide comprehensive energy weapon coverage at a much lower power. The ship also has the same four forward-firing torpedo launchers as the ''Galor'', which can launch either photon or quantum torpedoes.  


=== Command and Control Facilities ===
The sensor/communications array on the superstructure is very useful in tactical situations where the ''Keldon'' is serving as a flagship, as it can cut through most localized interference. These vessels often are assigned to flotillas including six ''Galor''-class destroyers and three ''Keldon''-class cruisers, allowing for the flexibility to operate with either two destroyer squadrons and a cruiser squadron or three mixed destroyer-cruiser squadrons.
Administration of such a large station is complex, and there are a number of different facilities that have varied roles in handling station operations, docking bay operations, and task force operations.


==== Station Operations ====
== Shipboard Life ==
There are four identical operations centers every ninety degrees along the primary docking bay, in the center of the main shuttlebays. Primary station control and space traffic control are handled from the facility at the 12 o'clock position on the base, with the other three facilities handling approach procedures for vessels in their quadrant of the station. The commodore's office is located within the primary operations center, and the operations centers are each a short walk from the viewing galleries that line the interior of the primary docking bay.
For the ship's crew, life aboard a ''Keldon'' is very similar to life aboard a ''Galor'': Crew facilities are segregated based on rank, with junior enlisted personnel sharing large bunk rooms of up to forty along with communal hygiene facilities and bare mess halls with limited replicator options. More senior enlisted personnel have smaller bunk rooms, as well as a lounge. Junior officers share with just two other people, better food, and also have a lounge. Senior officers have private quarters, access to the officers' mess, and a small number of holosuites. Each class also has physical fitness facilities and they are expected to stay in shape. The commanding officer of a ''Galor''-class ship has a large set of private quarters with their own dining room, holosuite, office, armory, and strong room. There is also a smaller set of VIP quarters aboard for visiting legates and civilian officials.


An emergency operations center is located at the top of the station, near the transport column. It is heavily shielded and armored, meant to be used in combat situations where the station's powerful shields could be threatened. The operations centers can also be protected by duranium doors that slide over their viewports, as well as over the openings to the shuttle bays.
Galor-class crews do not see the segeration of their facilities as anything other than an incentive to advance. Service aboard these bread-and-butter vessels is common for officers in their first several years of service, so the majority of the Cardassian military has cut their teeth here; advancing to better facilities is seen as a rite of passage, which also helps to reinforce strict adherence to protocol and following orders.


==== Docking Bay Operations ====
For troops, the situation is a little different: while not steerage by any means, troops are housed ten barracks rooms that house a hundred troops on bunks three-high with shared sanitary facilities and large, cavernous mess halls that also serve as training facilities. These ships are not meant to house ships for extended periods, but rather to transport them from location to location, so thankfully these conditions are short-lived. The troops embarked here are not trained in starship operations or repairs, but could be very useful in a boarding scenario if an enemy was unwise enough to get close to a fully-loaded ''Keldon''.
Starships within the primary docking bay are controlled from facilities within the arms of the station's docking column, with one facility per quadrant and hence per set of space doors. It's from here that the station's docking controllers can perform very fine maneuvers of even the largest starships by remote control.


==== Task Force Operations ====
The ''Keldon'' has very capable medical facilities, to handle treating its large troop contingent. In addition to the sickbay for the crew with ward facilities that can accommodate up to six bedridden patients, there is a twenty-person ICU and a forty-person medium care ward in the superstructure, along with a medical staff of fifty. When necessary, the cargo holds and hanger are used for additional medical treatment space.
Task Force 72's operations are separate from those of the station itself, as this unit is responsible for sensitive diplomatic operations across the galaxy. As such, the Task Force Operations Center is located close to its own dedicated communications antennae on the top of the station, with facilities to take in data and reports from many starships at once, as well as offices for task force staffers.


=== Docking Facilities ===
== Class History ==
[[File:11001001 hd 030.jpeg|thumb|One of the station's four docking control centers.]]
By the mid-2360s, it was clear that the ''Galor''-class cruiser, a design which was now over 30 years old, was lagging behind the capabilities of comparable starships in use by other Alpha Quadrant powers, especially the Federation. During conflicts, the Cardassians were able to wear their opponents down by attrition more than tactical superiority, which was becoming untenable. The ''Galor'' was quick and easy to build, thanks to standardization, but the standardization had become so acute that the Cardassian Union feared it would not be able to retool facilities to produce larger, more capable ships without substantial investments of both time and resources. Instead, it was decided that a companion design to the ''Galor'' would be created, using an expanded space frame to give it enhanced defensive capabilities at a reasonable price point.
One of the most distinctive features of a Spacedock-class starbase is the large dome-shaped docking facility located on the top of the station, but there are also numerous other hangers and docking ports all around the station.


==== Primary Docking Bay ====
During the design process, Central Command expanded the mandate to also include additional space for troops and military cargo, which resulted in a large module being added to the dorsal superstructure. In the end, the only other external difference from the ''Galor'' was an extra set of wings on the stern. With this new, larger design, the ''Galor'' was redesignated as a destroyer, with the ''Keldon'' now being the cruiser. Production was conducted largely in secret at shipyards in the core of the Union, as the secrecy of these more-capable ships was considered a tactical advantage. The Obsidian Order began to selectively leak information about new, powerful warships being built, even though in reality the ''Keldon'' was more ''survivable'' than the progenitor design, but not significantly better-armed.
The primary docking bay has four massive space doors which are large enough to accommodate even ''Odyssey''-class starships, though the very largest starships tend to orbit the station unless they need long-term support. Within the docking bay is a central docking tower with four arms at the same plane as the main doors and four much smaller arms lower on the structure. The upper structure can handle up to eight small starships or four large starships. This is where most visiting starships are berthed. The lower structure is normally used for long-term storage, refit, or construction of starships, and can also handle eight small starships or four large starships. <gallery>
File:Starbase interior.jpeg
File:Ecf48023e90b857a4cf3c2f302474f11.jpeg
File:Enterprise-D-in-Spacedock-2-600x450.jpeg
</gallery>


==== Shuttle and Runabout Bays ====
The ''Keldon'' immediately proved its utility as a troop transport, as well as a flagship for important legates and guls. It could transport an entire legion at once, with better conditions than a freighter and without needing the legion to be split across several smaller ships. They also proved useful for exploratory missions, though this was a short-lived program as tensions in the quadrant rose.
The station has runabout and shuttle launch facilities within the primary docking bay, and spread regularly along the central column in most sections of the station. These bays also service small starships that are capable of landing. The station's primary shuttle/runabout facilities are located in four bands along the outer hull of the primary docking facility, which allow shuttles to pass directly between the interior of the docking facility and space.


==== Docking Ports ====
The Obsidian Order in cooperation with the Tal Shiar secretly built a fleet of fifteen enhanced ''Keldon''-class cruisers that were equipped with enhanced weapons, faster engines, and cloaking devices. All fifteen of these vessels were destroyed during a failed attack on the Founder's homeworld in 2371.
While all but the largest starships could comfortably fit within the primary docking bay, there are various reasons that a starship might need to be docked externally, and so there are docking ports ringing the station's primary docking bay, beneath the primary docking bay, and at several other points around the station. Freighters and transports often use these ports when they are only at the station long enough to drop off and pick up passengers or cargo. They are also frequently used by foreign starships that might not be compliant with the protocols for internal docking.


=== Recreational Facilities ===
At the beginning of the Klingon-Cardassian War in 2372, the ''Keldon'' was the largest warship in the Cardassian Union. These vessels survived at substantially higher rates than the ''Galor''-class during this devastating conflict, proving the premise of the design. Production was ramped up, but as the war went on, these vessels began to suffer significant losses alongside their smaller cousins, until the Dominion entered the conflict.
As a modern Starfleet facility, Starbase 72 has virtually every recreational opportunity one could wish for, and those it doesn't have physically can be recreated on one of its hundreds of holodecks.


==== Arboretum ====
By the end of the war, the ''Keldon'' fleet was in shambles, and it took almost all of the 2380s to bring it back up to numbers anywhere close to where they were before the war. The current version of the ''Keldon'' has enhanced systems compared to the original, but not the heavier weapons or cloaking devices found aboard the ill-fated Obsidian Order fleet. As the 25th century approaches, this vessel continues to be produced in relatively large numbers.
The station's arboretum is located in the dome-shaped structure halfway down the station's primary core. This massive facility simulates an M-class environment over three square kilometers with a sky projected on the domed ceiling, with flora from numerous worlds planted in discrete areas in a park-like environment. The arboretum is also dotted with a few structures, such as gazebos for gatherings, an amphitheater, sports fields, and memorial gardens. This is the site for many of the station's physical fitness classes, and the track around the exterior of the arboretum provides over six kilometers for running and other calisthenics. The transport column runs through the center of the arboretum and it's the only real sign that you're still aboard a space station. There aren't any animals in the arboretum. The station's promenade is located around the edge of the ground level of the arboretum, with multiple access points along the path.


==== Promenade ====
== ''Keldon''-class In-Play ==
The station's promenade rings the arboretum, offering hundreds of restaurants, bars, and shops along a broad six-kilometer-long boulevard. These venues are a mix of Starfleet-run restaurants and bars with holographic staff offering replicated food and authentic, biologically-run establishments that serve non-replicated items. There are also several transporter rooms in this area, offering quick access to the crews of visiting starships.


==== Gymnasia & Sporting Venues ====
* ''Keldon''-class and ''Galor''-class ships are nearly identical. This is on purpose, as the Cardassians love standardization. There's not a lot of difference between them, other than the ''Keldon'' having stronger shields and being able to hold more troops.
Starbase 72 has several dozen general purpose gymnasia, and an equal number of specialized sporting venues for everything from fencing to handball to parises squares. These facilities can be reserved on a first-come first-serve basis through the computer, and there are many intramural sports teams on the station that often allow visiting crew to participate in their games.
* These cruiser-sized ships are less common than the destroyer model and signify that the Union takes a situation seriously when it dispatches one of them to handle it. Still, they're not the newest or the largest anymore.
* Without carrying any troops, a ''Keldon'' makes a pretty good exploratory platform, even if it doesn't have the dedicated science labs that Starfleet ships do, but a clever ship's captain could overcome that deficiency by repurposing barracks or cargo space.


==== Theaters ====
== Gallery ==
Along with the amphitheater on the arboretum deck, Starbase 72 is equipped with numerous theaters: some for intimate productions with only a few dozen in the audience and others that can seat two thousand spectators. These venues are also used for briefings and training exercises, but often host visiting theater troupes or musical groups alongside the musicians drawn from the station's crew and residents.
<gallery heights="120">
 
File:KeldonClass.jpg
==== Departure and Arrival Lounges ====
File:KELDON1.jpg
[[File:Star Trek Visit Spacedock return.jpeg|thumb|A departure/arrival lounge.]]
File:KELDON3.jpg
There are large lounges in the primary docking facility that offer impressive views of the starships docked with the station. Many crew members like to relax and eat meals here, so that they can watch the comings and goings of the ships. They are often particularly busy when a famous starship arrives.
File:KELDON4.jpg
== Starbase 72 In-Play ==
</gallery>
 
[[Category:Cardassian Starships]]
* Starbase 72 is a large station, much larger than Deep Space 9 and home to tens of thousands of people, so it's easy to get lost in the crowd.
* If you're a new officer in Task Force 72, you'd likely spend some time here before you're assigned your own command, either leading a hazard team, honing your diplomatic skills through training exercises, or in some other capacity on the base.
* Starbase 72 has access to every class of [[Runabouts|Starfleet runabout.]]
* This station is very close to the Cardassian border, and so it's very likely that you'll encounter Cardassian military and civilian vessels visiting the station.
 
=== Notable Crew ===
These characters are available for use in your own fiction or if your game (RPG) visits Starbase 72. Their biographies are written to give you ideas on how to use them, and they are written with a diverse set of personalities and roles. Commodore Jalian is talkative and friendly; she wants to know everyone who serves under her. Captain Mortcombe is precise, reserved, and down-to-business, if you're looking for a character who won't talk your ear off. Commander Vane handles repairs and refits of visiting starships, so if you need a new nacelle or two, she's your go-to person, but watch out: she doesn't take being second-guessed well at all.
* Commanding Officer: [[bfms_char: 31793 |Commodore Jalian]], Saurian Female
* Executive Officer: [[bfms_char: 31798 |Captain Leighton Mortcombe]], Human Male
* Head of Shipyard Operations: [[bfms_char: 31800|Commander Melissa Vane]], Human Female

Revision as of 16:45, 20 April 2021

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This article is official Bravo Fleet canon.








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KeldonClass.jpg
Keldon
Information
Affiliation

Cardassian Union

Role

Cruiser

Date Entered Service

2368

Expected Refit Cycle

5 Years

Time Between Resupply

2 Year

Crew Capacity
Standard Complement

500

Emergency Capacity

7,000

Dimensions
Length

372 meters

Width

192 meters

Height

70 meters

Decks

20

Propulsion
Propulsion System

Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive

Cruising Speed

Warp 6

Maximum Speed

Warp 9

Emergency Speed

Warp 9.6 (12 hours)

Armaments
Energy Weapons
  • 1 Triple-Mounted Heavy Phaser Array (Forward)
  • 16 Medium Phaser Emitters
Torpedo Launchers
  • 4 Forward Torpedo Launchers
Torpedo Payload
  • 100 Photon Torpedoes
  • 100 Quantum Torpedoes
Shields

Graviton Shields

Auxiliary Craft
Shuttle Bays

1 (Forward)

Shuttles

6

Template:Specifications

The Keldon-class cruiser is the standard Cardassian medium-duty warship, serving in combat, patrol, and utility duties across the Union. It is nearly identical to the slightly smaller Galor-class, with extensions on the stern and to the dorsal superstructure that allows for a higher crew complement and for barracks space to transport up to a thousand troops. An older design, they are relatively common, but not nearly as common as the Galor.

Science and Exploration

Scientific capabilities aboard the Keldon are identical to those aboard the Galor: ten small science labs geared towards resource prospecting and stellar cartography, which help them in their patrol duties and in identifying possible sites for new outposts or colonies. They are also equipped with a complement of observation probes, which can linger in systems after the ship has passed through to keep an eye on things there, notifying the mothership when intruders are detected. These probes have advanced sensors and navigational equipment, which makes them also well-suited to exploring nebulae and other navigational anomalies. Cardassian doctrine favors having extremely detailed navigational data of their own space and enemy space to optimize starship deployments.

The Keldon has greater endurance than the Galor and so is capable of embarking on exploratory and prospecting expeditions outside of Union space, with mission durations of up to two years. While this lags far behind nearly any Federation Starfleet vessel, this degree of independence is unseen in most of the starships used by the neighboring Tzenkethi, Breen, and Talarians, which allows the Cardassian military to develop maps of space far beyond their borders, which makes any necessary tactical operations in these areas significantly easier.

On the top of the superstructure, there is a large combination long-range sensor and long-range communications array, which enhances the Keldon's exploratory capabilities by allowing it to remain in contact with Cardassia Prime.

Diplomacy

Keldon-class starships have a standard VIP suite available for a legate or government official, as well as a suite in the dorsal superstructure that is capable of hosting larger delegations in relative comfort. This makes this class a superior diplomatic platform compared to the Galor but it is less capable than the larger and more modern post-Dominion War designs currently in service. Its long-range communications abilities allow it to effectively execute the will of decision-makers back at headquarters.

Engineering

As with the Galor and most other Cardassian starship designs, the Keldon has a standardized design, with improvements being made in discrete model types. There have now been three distinct types of Keldon-class vessel, each with gradually increased power and more advanced systems, and it is Cardassian practice to maintain a stable fleet size by recycling older vessels for the construction of newer ones and to upgrade more recent vessels to the latest standard. The Keldon-class Type-3 was developed in the 2380s and includes improvements to the ship's life support and recreation systems to improve its utility as a long-range vessel.

Keldon-class ships have a hull that is largely identical to the Galor: it follows the ankh-shaped design of the Cardassian Union's emblem, with a wider primary hull tapering down to a narrow tail. The bridge is mounted in a raised module above the bow, and the spine of the ship has a raised superstructure which contains crew quarters and other systems. The vertical profile of the Keldon-class is roughly cylindrical, and unlike starships of most Alpha and Beta quadrant powers, the warp coils are built into wings extending from the primary hull rather than in separate nacelles. Impulse power is provided by a primary drive unit aft of the bridge and two secondary impulse assemblies in the wings. Beneath the wings the majority of the remaining space is devoted to cargo holds and hanger bays, which are used for both military purposes and construction projects.

Where the design of the Keldon differs from the Galor is in extensions to the dorsal superstructure and stern. The superstructure has been expanded with a large, roughly anthropoid module that contains barracks space, expanded fuel tanks, and additional crew quarters, which allows the ship a longer range and the ability to carry a thousand troops in relative comfort. The stern of the Galor design has been widened with two additional wings, each of which contains an additional phaser emitter, redundant shield generators, and auxiliary power generators.

In many space-faring cultures, a larger design is usually a faster design. This is not the case with the Keldon-class. It does have slightly more powerful engines, but only powerful enough to match the Galor's performance with its larger mass. The reasoning behind this design decision was to maintain the reliability of the Galor-type engine system, given that in fleet situations, the Keldon as a cruiser in the core of the fleet would never need to go faster than her escorting Galors.

Tactical

Though nearly identical to the Galor, the Keldon serves a different role in fleet engagements, either as a command ship when only with smaller vessels, or as the ship-of-the-line core of a Cardassian battle fleet. Its enhanced shields allow it to soak up firepower while allowing other vessels to surround and separate the enemy. It retains the forward-firing triple-mounted phaser bank used aboard the Galor, though that of the Keldon is of even higher output and glows red, rather than blue—this is essentially the one system in which the Keldon has a clear and noticeable improvement over the smaller ship. In addition, there are sixteen pyramid-shaped phaser emitters spread out along the hull of the ship which provide comprehensive energy weapon coverage at a much lower power. The ship also has the same four forward-firing torpedo launchers as the Galor, which can launch either photon or quantum torpedoes.

The sensor/communications array on the superstructure is very useful in tactical situations where the Keldon is serving as a flagship, as it can cut through most localized interference. These vessels often are assigned to flotillas including six Galor-class destroyers and three Keldon-class cruisers, allowing for the flexibility to operate with either two destroyer squadrons and a cruiser squadron or three mixed destroyer-cruiser squadrons.

Shipboard Life

For the ship's crew, life aboard a Keldon is very similar to life aboard a Galor: Crew facilities are segregated based on rank, with junior enlisted personnel sharing large bunk rooms of up to forty along with communal hygiene facilities and bare mess halls with limited replicator options. More senior enlisted personnel have smaller bunk rooms, as well as a lounge. Junior officers share with just two other people, better food, and also have a lounge. Senior officers have private quarters, access to the officers' mess, and a small number of holosuites. Each class also has physical fitness facilities and they are expected to stay in shape. The commanding officer of a Galor-class ship has a large set of private quarters with their own dining room, holosuite, office, armory, and strong room. There is also a smaller set of VIP quarters aboard for visiting legates and civilian officials.

Galor-class crews do not see the segeration of their facilities as anything other than an incentive to advance. Service aboard these bread-and-butter vessels is common for officers in their first several years of service, so the majority of the Cardassian military has cut their teeth here; advancing to better facilities is seen as a rite of passage, which also helps to reinforce strict adherence to protocol and following orders.

For troops, the situation is a little different: while not steerage by any means, troops are housed ten barracks rooms that house a hundred troops on bunks three-high with shared sanitary facilities and large, cavernous mess halls that also serve as training facilities. These ships are not meant to house ships for extended periods, but rather to transport them from location to location, so thankfully these conditions are short-lived. The troops embarked here are not trained in starship operations or repairs, but could be very useful in a boarding scenario if an enemy was unwise enough to get close to a fully-loaded Keldon.

The Keldon has very capable medical facilities, to handle treating its large troop contingent. In addition to the sickbay for the crew with ward facilities that can accommodate up to six bedridden patients, there is a twenty-person ICU and a forty-person medium care ward in the superstructure, along with a medical staff of fifty. When necessary, the cargo holds and hanger are used for additional medical treatment space.

Class History

By the mid-2360s, it was clear that the Galor-class cruiser, a design which was now over 30 years old, was lagging behind the capabilities of comparable starships in use by other Alpha Quadrant powers, especially the Federation. During conflicts, the Cardassians were able to wear their opponents down by attrition more than tactical superiority, which was becoming untenable. The Galor was quick and easy to build, thanks to standardization, but the standardization had become so acute that the Cardassian Union feared it would not be able to retool facilities to produce larger, more capable ships without substantial investments of both time and resources. Instead, it was decided that a companion design to the Galor would be created, using an expanded space frame to give it enhanced defensive capabilities at a reasonable price point.

During the design process, Central Command expanded the mandate to also include additional space for troops and military cargo, which resulted in a large module being added to the dorsal superstructure. In the end, the only other external difference from the Galor was an extra set of wings on the stern. With this new, larger design, the Galor was redesignated as a destroyer, with the Keldon now being the cruiser. Production was conducted largely in secret at shipyards in the core of the Union, as the secrecy of these more-capable ships was considered a tactical advantage. The Obsidian Order began to selectively leak information about new, powerful warships being built, even though in reality the Keldon was more survivable than the progenitor design, but not significantly better-armed.

The Keldon immediately proved its utility as a troop transport, as well as a flagship for important legates and guls. It could transport an entire legion at once, with better conditions than a freighter and without needing the legion to be split across several smaller ships. They also proved useful for exploratory missions, though this was a short-lived program as tensions in the quadrant rose.

The Obsidian Order in cooperation with the Tal Shiar secretly built a fleet of fifteen enhanced Keldon-class cruisers that were equipped with enhanced weapons, faster engines, and cloaking devices. All fifteen of these vessels were destroyed during a failed attack on the Founder's homeworld in 2371.

At the beginning of the Klingon-Cardassian War in 2372, the Keldon was the largest warship in the Cardassian Union. These vessels survived at substantially higher rates than the Galor-class during this devastating conflict, proving the premise of the design. Production was ramped up, but as the war went on, these vessels began to suffer significant losses alongside their smaller cousins, until the Dominion entered the conflict.

By the end of the war, the Keldon fleet was in shambles, and it took almost all of the 2380s to bring it back up to numbers anywhere close to where they were before the war. The current version of the Keldon has enhanced systems compared to the original, but not the heavier weapons or cloaking devices found aboard the ill-fated Obsidian Order fleet. As the 25th century approaches, this vessel continues to be produced in relatively large numbers.

Keldon-class In-Play

  • Keldon-class and Galor-class ships are nearly identical. This is on purpose, as the Cardassians love standardization. There's not a lot of difference between them, other than the Keldon having stronger shields and being able to hold more troops.
  • These cruiser-sized ships are less common than the destroyer model and signify that the Union takes a situation seriously when it dispatches one of them to handle it. Still, they're not the newest or the largest anymore.
  • Without carrying any troops, a Keldon makes a pretty good exploratory platform, even if it doesn't have the dedicated science labs that Starfleet ships do, but a clever ship's captain could overcome that deficiency by repurposing barracks or cargo space.

Gallery

  • KeldonClass.jpg
  • KELDON1.jpg
  • KELDON3.jpg
  • KELDON4.jpg
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