Well-Known Member
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To submit a next generation version of the Volant Hypertransit System for Visanj T'shkali to use in future submissions, RP, and to add to Vrotoa Industries’ growing catalog.
Image Credit: N/A
Canon Link: N/A
Primary Source(s):
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Visanj T’shkali / Vrotoa Industries
Model: Volant Mark-II Hypertransit System
Affiliation: Visanj T’shkali / Closed-Market (Restricted)
Modularity: No
Production: Minor
Material(s): Hyperdrive components, navicomputer components
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Class 0.5 Hyperdrive
- Quiet Hyperspace Travel
- Advanced Navicomputer
- Fast Jump Capability; Micro-Jump Capability
- Atmospheric Jump Capable
- Interdiction Resistant
- Particle Mesh Field Generator
- Adjustable Relativistic Field Generator
The original Volant Hypertransit System was designed to be a fast, stable, and reliable hypertransit unit, suitable for ships up to 75m due to its compact size. The powerful Class 0.5 hyperdrive makes this a very fast option for users, but given size restraints it simply couldn't give the same performance in larger vessels. In the next generation, this unique prototype was developed to fit onto ships twice the original size (150m) while retaining the former functionality and including even a few new additional features as well.
The Volant uses a low-profile advanced geometry hyperspace 'bubble' surrounding the craft, enabling it to bypass hyperspace early warning systems, hyperwave monitors and signal interceptors, etc. without triggering them.Its unique design allows for the additional benefit of deceleration pre-reversion to avoid triggering gemcutters, reversion sensors, and similar technologies.Because of this, the ship will not arrive bursting out of hyperspace but rather it will appear to subtly 'phase-out' of hyperspace, enabling surreptitious arrival.Still, highly-advanced sensor systems can detect a ship using the Volant, but these are very large, expensive, and rare, usually only found on the biggest military-grade capital ships, or on very rich worlds with defense budgets that allow for such an expense, especially for such a dedicated system. Also, to enable pre-reversion stealth, ships cannot activate heavy deflector shields or power up weapons systems prior to arrival, making using this system to carry out surprise attacks (i.e. bursting out of hyperspace guns blazing into battle situations) a foolish choice: The slow 'phasing' process (4-5 seconds) and lack of offensive or defensive abilities while using it leaves a ship a sitting duck, especially since that the closer a ship gets to completing the dephasing process the more subjected it is to detection and targeting. Without a total stealth package, a ship carrying the Volant becomes entirely detectable the very moment it appears out of hyperspace.
The integrated astro-navigational computer system is a step above most stock navi-computers. Beginning with a soliton antenna, enabling early detection and collision-warning with other ships traveling in hyperspace, serving as part of a non-SIGINT hyperwave signal interceptor array, providing full-spectrum scans and provides greater hyperspace situational awareness, monitoring conditions, collision warnings, reversions, etc. The actual navicomputer has the benefit of Dagata's spacefaring history. Centuries of smugglers, pirates, tramp freighters, and spacers coming and going, and their collective knowledge of hyperspace routes, including praedia - hyperspace routes not found on maps and apart from those generally traveled and used - means the navicomputer contains detailed information for a far greater range of possible hyperspace routes and data regarding star systems, various anomalies, making travel both much easier and having more options available. This means faster speeds in many areas of the galaxy, opening up new areas, markets, etc., and allowing ships to avoid many major hyperspace routes (and the security risks of using them), making this system perfect for those wishing to traverse the stars without being found out.
The Volant uses an integrated VT-Hyperspace Capacitor which enables the ship to use stored energy to allow jump to hyperspace as soon as the route is programmed by the navicomputer. With so many pre-programmed routes and navigational sensors, this means significantly faster jump capabilities than those found in most hyperdrive systems. Further, since it stores the power needed to permit more jumps, the Volant is capable of making 'micro-jumps', popping in and out of hyperspace over short distances - something which might damage more conventional systems. The navicomputer, being able to make course corrections and recalculating routes without reversion, combines with this ability to significantly extend or alter a hyperspace journey on the fly without much effort or tax on the system. The power used to charge the capacitor, and to operate the entire system actually, is significant and ships using the Volant require power systems sufficient to handle its needs.
What truly sets the Volant apart from many rival systems is its ability to calculate for and make atmospheric jumps and revisions. Though not without serious risks involved, this capability gives the Volant and edge that few other systems enjoy. Being able to counteract the effects of a natural gravity well - artificial gravity wells contain variables which include increased variables, making them still effective even against the Volant - to enable a ship to enter or exit hyperspace within a planet's atmosphere means that the ship can, in most cases, 'phase-out' of hyperspace directly over a planet and within its atmosphere without detection or the 'shockwave' effect causing damage to other objects around it.
In the creation of the upgraded system, two new features were added. Namely, an adjustable relativistic field generator and a particle mesh field generator. While every hyperspace unit generally uses relativistic shields to offset time dilation effects of hyperspace travel, accidents have happened, causing spacers to be catapulted forward in time in the blink of an eye, as in the case of Bosbit Matarcher, who leaped ahead from 212 BBY to 22 BBY due to such a malfunction. Less happier accidents have seen spacers live out their entire lives aboard a ship making what was meant to be a short jump, due to time aboard being slowed to a fraction of the time passing outside, and thus entire ships arrive at their destinations with the dead and decomposing bodies of the crew still inside! Merrill-Valkner Systems Engineering sought to capitalize on this, turning once fantastic (and sometimes horrific) accidents into controllable technology. Vrotoa Industries sought to do the same, resulting in this new feature for the Mark-II design, whereby the default setting is 20% dilation, making trips appear that much faster or slower depending on the users’ choice. However, with some finagling by the folks in Vrotoa R & D, it was proven possible to extend this to 30%, matching the limits of the MVSE’s Aryzah product, which the engineers all agreed was the absolute maximum possible. To put it into layman’s terms, a 10-day voyage can now be made to feel to the crew as long as 13 days or as short as 7. This is a huge advantage to spacers. Got perishables onboard? Worrying about reaching your destination while they’re still good? Speed up the dilation effects and although you still make the jump in the usual time expected, the good in your cargo bay behave like it was only 70% of the time. Beat up from battle and about to jump out into another one, why not give your crew 30% more time to fix the problem and make repairs before still arriving on time to your next engagement? Need to catch up on sleep, maybe take that shower and grab a hot meal, but you’re on a schedule? No problem. It should be noted that any attempt to push this limit further can – and likely will – result in catastrophic results for your ship and crew. No one can predict how long the dilation effect will be past the 30% variance, and you could condemn your crew to a slow, lingering death in hyperspace, or else arrive thousands of light years away from your destination – as tampering with this limit can and usually does through off the astronavigation and result in being hurled across the galaxy to an unknown destination, perhaps not even in the galaxy! To counter this, considerable safety programs and protocols were added, although a skilled slicer could still bypass them with the right tools and enough time, resulting in a host of equally nasty outcomes.
The particle mesh field generator was originally meant to replace the standard shields, which must be brought offline when using the Volant effectively for its deceleration pre-reversion, offering a sleek but low-powered particle shielding to protect against debris, etc. while traveling in hyperspace. This was achieved, in part at least, automatically coming online while shutting down other shield systems as the ship enters hyperspace, and then as deceleration begins, shutting itself down to allow standard shields to be brought back online when reversion is complete. However an unforeseen effect was discovered as well: The particle mesh field also made detection by subspace radar difficult, and as this effect endures until a few minutes after reversion when it finally shuts down as regular shields come back online, this helped greatly to prevent detection upon reversion! Of course, this came with a downside, as the power requirement for such a field to retain its integrity was not much different than that of standard shields, and it wouldn’t allow for use by the Mark-II on any ship larger than 150m in length! This of course limited use by the Mark-II to small craft and failed to even work with most corvette-class vessels now in use across the galaxy.
Finally, the Volant includes a low-grade hyperwave inertial momentum stabilizer (HIMS), giving it at least the chance of avoiding/escaping interdiction fields. While it's not strong enough to break free of heavy large-scale fields, or high-powered interdiction beams like those carried on very large capital ships, it can allow a ship to remain in hyperspace and pass through most commonly-encountered interdiction fields. It will not allow a ship to jump to hyperspace while within such a field however, and repeated attempts will damage the Volant seriously. Prolonged subjection to interdiction fields or nets will still force reversion too, so careful consideration is needed to avoid attempting to push through and burning out the entire system.
STRENGTHS
- Powerful 0.5 hyperdrive speed makes ships using this system very fast, cutting relative travel times significantly.
- The advanced geometric 'bubble' greatly prevents detection, bypassing early warning systems, hyperwave monitors and signal interceptors, etc.Additionally, it allows for pre-reversion deceleration to avoid gemcutters and similar detection systems.
- Improved integrated sensor array reduces chance of collision in hyperspace and provides increased hyperspace situational awareness.
- Advanced navicomputer is programmed with centuries of records regarding hyperspace routes, star systems information, galactic navigational anomalies, and a considerable amount of praedia, allowing for faster speeds and route programming, nuanced travel, and avoiding major hyperspace routes to permit ships using this system to move about much more freely than standard hyperdrives.Further, the navicomputer can recalculate routes and make adjustments while in hyperspace without reversion or over-taxing the system.
- An integrated VT-Hyperspace Capacitor allows for making faster jumps and even to perform 'micro-jumps' when the need arises.
- Atmospheric jump capability is present, allowing ships to calculate for and operate near naturally-occuring gravity wells such as planets, moons, and other celestial bodies.
- A low-grade HIMS allows ships to safely pass through commonly-encountered hyperspace interdiction fields.
- Adjustable relativistic shields enable users’ to speed up or slow time dilation effects brought about by hyperspace travel by up to 30%, allowing trips to feel that much faster or slower for those onboard.
- Particle mesh field protects against space debris, etc. while traveling in hyperspace and makes detection by subspace radar impossible after reversion, until regular shields come online.
- Despite its expanded suitability, it still lacks the power to work effectively on-board ships in excess of 150m in length.
- Though rare, highly-advanced hyperspace detection systems such as those found on very large military-grade ships and heavily-defended worlds can - and usually will - still detect ships using this system.
- Pre-reversion deceleration requires that other shield and weapons systems be brought offline, leaving the ship momentarily defenseless – save for inability to detected by subspace radar - when it 'phases' out of hyperspace. Without a total stealth package, the ship would be a sitting duck, vulnerable to both detection and targeting by any systems other than radar almost immediately upon arrival.
- Power requirements for this system mean that ships without adequate power plants will not be able to use this system effectively.
- The atmospheric jump capability does not apply when encountering artificial gravity wells.
- The HIMS unit will not resist against large-scale interdiction fields or high-powered interdiction beams like those used by very large military-grade vessels.
- The HIMS unit is not designed to resist prolonged exposure to interdiction fields, and doing so will force reversion and potentially damage the entire system. Finally, while exposed to such a field, the ship will be able to jump away into hyperspace.
- Tampering with the adjustable relativistic field generator to push past the 30% limitations imposed by the numerous safety protocols and governor programs can result in catastrophic and unpredictable results for the ship and its crew / passengers.
- Failure, malfunction, or sabotage of the adjustable relativistic shields can result in the same potential risks, and this system must be maintained in excellent working condition or – if it is not – must be disabled before entering hyperspace to avoid such risks. Failure to take this precaution is essentially playing dice with the universe.
