Starfinder

The **Starfinder** is the successor to Saul's Pathfinder, built after the Odyssey to serve as Saul's personal vessel. Though most systems were completely new, a handful of parts of the ship were salvaged from the Pathfinder. It was built to be a major upgrade from the old ship, and has also increased in size.

## History

### Time for an Overhaul

After the Odyssey ended, Saul found that the Pathfinder was no longer apt for deep space exploration, having sustained major damage that severely hindered its usage. Using pieces from the original vessel and completely new parts, Saul designed the ship to serve as a major upgrade from the old Pathfinder. This new ship was named "The Starfinder".

### Space RV with Guns on the Side

The Starfinder, now built as a personal vessel for Saul, was much better equipped than the old Pathfinder, with newer and improved power systems, engines as well as being armed to the teeth when compared to the previous vessel.

It saw use as a mere cargo hauler and transport during the first few weeks after its construction, for Saul was still keen on fixing his mistakes. Though it was involved in a couple of dogfights throughout its early use, it was never fighting in the front lines, instead serving as support for more nimble ships.

On August 6th, 2020, Saul returned to Earth on the Starfinder. The ship remained stationed for a few days and was used as Saul's home during that time.

### Space Travel, An Odd Coping Mechanism

After some trouble with Lina Fournier and Jason Kade following his arrival on Earth, Saul would take the Starfinder on new rides throughout the Alphaverse, mostly to distance himself from those he now deemed adversaries, as well as distract himself from Tia's death.

### Stationed on Earth

Around late August of 2020, the Starfinder would once again return to Earth, though with heavy damage present on it. Due to some complications in Saul's latest voyage and some reckless flying, the Starfinder suffered greatly, losing many of its subsystems, as well as having its hull integrity greatly affected.

Throughout the remaining few days of August and the entirety of September, Saul would slowly strip the ship down and build it back up, using the only resources he had on Earth.

## Layout

The Starfinder, along with being a bigger ship than the Pathfinder, also comes equipped with a handful of new rooms that the previous version didn't include. Unlike the Pathfinder, it is divided into 4 main sections, as opposed being divided by decks.

### Bridge

The bridge, also known as the cockpit, flight deck or section A, is the command center of the Starfinder, where the pilot and co-pilot sit to crew the ship, and where the brand new Artemis-class turrets are manned. It is quite spacious, even when compared to the old Pathfinder. Though there is no physical division, like a wall or a door, the bridge can be divided into four stations: Flight Station, Gunnery Stations (Dorsal and Ventral), and the Engineer Station.

#### Flight Station

Also known as the canopy, the flight station sits at the very front of the bridge, where the two seats for the pilot and co-pilot are aligned side by side at an equal distance, signifying that both pilot and co-pilot occupy the same rank within the ship. The pilot seat is located by port, while the co-pilot seat is located by starboard, however, both are still in the center of the flight station. In front of both chairs are the holographic displays and transparent screens, as well as the dashboard and the piloting sticks.

#### Gunnery Stations

Located behind the flight station, the gunnery stations can be accessed through a cylindrical station in the middle of the bridge. Functioning like an elevator, the station will lower or raise the seats of either dorsal or ventral gunnery posts when they are called.

#### Engineer Station

The engineering station is the fourth and last post in the bridge, yet is the first one the crew will spot when they enter the bridge. Much like the flight station, the engineer station doesn't have a defined area, and is instead vaguely delimited by the terminals in it. A third crew member may man the engineer station to keep track of the Starfinder or initiate self-repair protocols when both pilot and co-pilot are busy maneuvering the ship.

### Main Deck

The main deck, also known as section B, is where most of the rooms in the Starfinder are located, and is also the middle section of the ship. It can be accessed from the engine bay or the air-lock, and also gives access to the bridge. It houses the crew quarters, lounge, work station, an EVA chamber for quick access to the air-lock and the med-bay. Generally, the crew is expected to roam around the main deck when the ship is in auto-pilot and there are no tasks required from the other sections of the ship.

#### Lounge & Kitchenette

Located nearing the entrance to the bridge, the lounge and the kitchenette work as the main resting locations for the crew members, where they can prepare food, eat or simply relax and sit down. Though one of the smallest locations in the main deck, it is also the second most cozy location in the Starfinder.

#### Work Station

Located in-between the med-bay and the lounge, the work station is where crew members are able to craft or repair their gear in the case it was damaged, or new tools are required. The work station also houses a very sophisticated computer, which may occasionally be used for leisure purposes. The desk houses a handful of drawers, and a storage closet is found right next to it.

#### EVA Chamber

An in-between room that connects the lounge and the air-lock hatch, and is also where the spacesuits are held. It was made specifically for the crew to be capable of exiting the spaceship in outer space or another non-hospitable location where spacesuits may be required.

#### Med-Bay

The med-bay or medical station, is where most medical operations will be held. Equipped with a sophisticated computer, slightly more compact than that of the work station, a medical bed, a storage for medicine and emergency life-support systems, the med-bay will serve as an emergency medical treatment facility amidst a long journey, or in the case no other medical facilities are nearby.

#### Crew Quarters

Unlike the old crew quarters from the Pathfinder, these house bunk beds for 5 people, though they are much more comfortable. Besides the bridge, the crew quarters are the only room with a window to the exterior. Said window, much like the one in the bridge, is made out of a transparent material, thick enough to protect from cosmic radiation. However, it is still less durable than the metal alloys used for the hull. In the case of a dogfight, the window may be protected by an emergency metal gate made out of the same alloy as the hull.

#### Entrance Hallway

The most compact area of the room. It is what bridges the engine bay and the main deck.

### Engine Bay

The engine bay serves two purposes: A room where the crew may perform extensive repairs of the ship's systems, and the main entrance in inhabitable, pressurized locations. It can be divided into two sections: The maintenance floor, and the entry ramp. When entering the ship, one may go up the ramps on the sides to access the maintenance floor or head for the main deck, or move straight forwards towards the cargo deck.

#### Maintenance Floor

More than an actual second floor to the engine bay, the maintenance floor is a catwalk that goes around the edges of the engine bay. Most of the ship's systems are within reach of people in the maintenance floor. Through the maintenance floor, one may also access the entrance hallway that leads to the main deck.

#### Entry Ramp

The entry ramp is the main entrance to the ship, used only in locations with artificial gravity where the risk of depressurization is non-existent or the vacuum of space isn't a threat. The entry ramp is completely sealed, so when the ship departs into outer space, it won't lose pressure.

### Cargo Deck

Also known as Section D of the ship, the Cargo Deck is located underneath the main deck, and can be accessed from the outside by starboard, or from the engine bay. Its main purpose is to be a large storage for the Starfinder.

#### Cargo Hold

The cargo hold is a large room where many spare components, or other cargo, can be safely stored. It is as large as the main deck and lies directly beneath it.

## Features

### Defenses

* **Artemis-Class Twin Dorsal-Mounted Turrets:** The Artemis-Class Twin Rapid-Fire Turrets were designed to be the Starfinder's secondary weapon systems. These can be crewed by the ship's automatic targeting systems, or manually operated by crewmembers in the respective gunner stations. Both dorsal and ventral gunnery stations have an integrated gyroscope that allows the turrets to retain their positioning even as the Starfinder rotates.
* **Artemis-Class Twin Ventral-Mounted Turrets:** The Artemis-Class Twin Rapid-Fire Turrets were designed to be the Starfinder's secondary weapon systems. These can be crewed by the ship's automatic targeting systems, or manually operated by crewmembers in the respective gunner stations. Both dorsal and ventral gunnery stations have an integrated gyroscope that allows the turrets to retain their positioning even as the Starfinder rotates.
* **Dragon** **Lateral Heavy Cannons:** Designed as successors to the Pathfinder's main energy cannons, the Dragon Heavy Cannons are the Starfinder's primary weapons. They are capable of taking down an enemy vessel of equal or smaller size with a couple of well placed shot, but suffer from a slow rate of fire. These are manually operated by the pilot and/or co-pilot.
* **Saturn-V Shielding Systems:** An advanced shielding system capable of projecting an energy bubble around the Starfinder to defend it from collisions or enemy fire. It can be deployed around the entire vessel or be directed into a single direction (Fore, Port, Aft, Starboard) for better protection of that sole area at the cost of lesser protection in the rest of the ship.
* **Soyuz Countermeasures:** Flares, EMP pulses, communication jammers, etc., the Starfinder's countermeasures are multiple, all with the purpose of avoiding direct hits to the ship or the shields, or even disabling enemy craft pursuing the Starfinder.

### Engine & Thrusters

* **Atlas-I Maneuvering Thrusters:** Made for Six-Degree-of-Freedom movement in deep space flight, the Atlas-I maneuvering thrusters are multiple, all mounted on different locations of the hull to allow the ship to pitch up, down; heave up, down; sway left, right; yaw left, right; roll left, right; and strafe forwards and backwards.
* **Voskhod Main Propulsion System:** As it name indicates, these are the main thrusters used by the Starfinder, designed for atmospheric, orbital and deep-space travel. They allow the ship to reach Earth's escape velocity in less than a minute, as well as the required speed for a jump with the blink drive.
* **Discovery Blink Drive:** A sophisticated piece of alien technology designed for long-distance space travel. It allows a ship to create an artificial rift in space to shorten the distances to travel. Though short travels can be near-instant, longer travels can take up to a few hours.

### Navigation Systems

* **Apollo Navigation System:** Designed by Saul to aid the piloting and navigation of the ship, the Apollo Navigation Systems are capable of making the calculations of a jump using the blink drive faster than the Pathfinder could.
* **Skylab Sensors & Radar:** The Skylab Sensors allow for early detection of incoming projectiles, craft or other bodies roaming in space to avoid collisions. Though mostly used for navigation, these sensors are also used by the targeting system implemented on the Artemis Turrets.

### Vital Systems

* **Gemini Power Core:** A piece of cutting-edge alien technology that serves both as a clean energy generator and a battery. It is capable of generating enough energy for the ship to remain active as long as it is functioning, and capable of storing up most of the excess energy output.
* **Mercury Energy Backup:** In the case that the Gemini power core malfunctions or is damaged, the Mercury Energy Backup will kick into action. Designed to slowly charge over time from the excess energy created by the Gemini power core, it can store enough energy for optimal use for an entire week.
* **X-15 Life-Support Systems:** Artificial gravity, ship pressurization, oxygen flow, etc., the X-15 Life-Support Systems are what make the ship inhabitable for earthlings without the need of specialized suits. In the case the Gemini power core is shut down, the Life Support system is prioritized by the emergency protocols, keeping it active for the few seconds that it takes for the switch to the energy backup.

## Trivia

* All of the systems in the ship were named after real-life craft that achieved spaceflight. The only exception being the Artemis Turrets, named after the Artemis program, set to send mankind back to the moon on 2024.
* Just like a regular person would hang a random trinket on their car's visor, Saul has a titanium snail for a hanging flair on the canopy of the ship.
* The Starfinder's appearance is heavily inspired from the Constellation Aquila, a large exploration spacecraft from Star Citizen.
* The Starfinder's interior layout is more loosely inspired by fan artwork designed as an alternative layout for the same ship, made by u/delogic.
* Ironically enough, the exterior of the Pathfinder could be considered more elegant than that of the Starfinder.
* The interior of the Starfinder, unlike the previous iteration, is more home-like, as opposed to the dull military design of the Pathfinder's interior.