[Spaceships] Secret bases, Space stations and Stargates

[thtraveller]

TL10 Dirty Snowball class secret Asteroid base “Rough Diamond”

For those adventures where your heroes or protagonists need a secret base or listening post in space.

It could be:
- a standard space opera pirate base
- a corporate black ops base - carrying out activities that would be illegal on planet
- an isolationist groups hideaway
- an offshore tax haven
- a movie set
- a theme park (with some work)

With an irregular shape and layers of rock and ice applied over the steel hull it looks like any other icy asteroid though it is in fact a constructed space station. They are built to “hide in plain sight” by orbiting beyond the systems snow line or in a gas giant’s distant orbit. Only close inspection can distinguish it from a normal rocky body. Its low density and higher thermal signature becomes apparent on very close inspection. Its secrecy lies in not drawing attention to itself.

It keeps its heat signature low by not running any major power systems except when its cover is already blown and it is under direct attack. Even then it only uses a small Fuel Cell with a low thermal signature.

With a large hangar bay it can house up to 1000 tons of smaller craft, up to three SM7 craft or a combination of smaller craft. Craft usually dock and leave it when the base is occluded from the system’s main planet - either when it passes on the other side of the sun or behind a gas giant.

A small tertiary battery provides last ditch point defence and some offence if its cover is blown.

A large open space garden provides food for long term occupancy and a recreation area.

Construction: These craft are typically built on the surface of a real asteroid by a specialist “mining team” left behind when it was being mined or visited for other purposes. The craft is built from local resources (ice, rock and iron) with specialist components being provided by the sponsor. Once complete a small drive pushes it off into its own pre-selected orbit or it can stay attached as a surface feature of the larger asteroid.

Variant: Some models are fitted with a drive system to alter its orbit. Though as this can draw unwanted attention this is only done when placing them in systems where some natural phenomenon can be used as cover.

Design:
Front
1 Armor (Ice) dDR 2
2 Armor (Rock) dDR3
3 Armor (Steel) dDR 10
4-6 Hangar Bay (1000 ton capacity, up to three SM 7 craft, 3 crew)
C Control Room (complexity 9, comms/sensor 9, 11 crew)

Central
1 Armor (Ice) dDR 2
2 Armor (Rock) dDR3
3 Armor (Steel) dDR 10
4 Cargo 500 tons
5! Battery (Tertiary) 3 VRF Improved point defence lasers, 3 VRF UV lasers, 360 tons cargo
6 Open Space (garden)
C Habitat (60 cabin equivalent – see below for typical breakdown)

Rear
1 Armor (Ice) dDR 2
2 Armor (Rock) dDR3
3 Armor (Steel) dDR 10
4 Fuel Cell (Small SM9, 1 power, 300 tons cargo)
5 Fuel Tank (500 tons rocket fuel for fuel cell)
6 Fuel Tank (500 tons fuel for visiting craft)

Stats:
TL 10
SM+10
dST/HP 150
Hnd/SR NA
Move NA
HT 13
LWt. 10,000
Load 2100
Occ 80 ASV
dDR 15/15/15/
$60M

Habitat: 10 luxury cabins, 10 cabins, 10 bunkrooms, 4 hibernation capsules, 1 office, 1 briefing room, 1 minifac, 6 person sickbay with 2 automeds, 50 tons steerage cargo.