Torpedo Sphere
Name/Model# : | Torpedo Sphere
Designer/Manufacturer : | Bevel Lemelisk / Loronar Defence Industries (Loronar Corporation)
Combat Designation : | Dedicated Siege Platform
Scale : | Capital
Length : | 1,900 Metres
Skill : | Capital ship piloting: Torpedo Sphere
Crew Skill : | Astrogation 3D+2, capital ship gunnery 4D+2, capital ship piloting 3D+2, capital ship shields 4D and sensors 4D+1
Crew : | 63,275 Crew 61,245 + Gunners 2,030
Skeleton Crew : | 20,415 (+15 DIFFICULTY)
Cost of Vessel : | Not available for sale
Nav Computer : | Yes
Sublight Speed : | 2 Space Units
Hyperdrive Rating : | Class 3
Hyperdrive Backup : | Class 18
Atmospheric Speed : | Cannot enter atmosphere
Manoeuvrability : | 0D
Cargo Capacity : | 3.8 Million Metric Tons
Consumables : | 4 Years
Weapons : | 10 Turbolaser Batteries (All Forward) Crew: 3 Gunners per battery Fire Control: 0D Space Range: 3-15/35//75 Space Units Atmospheric Range: 6-30/70/150 km Damage: 9D 500 Proton Torpedo Tubes (All Forward) [Has thousands of torpedoes] Crew: 4 Gunners per tube Fire Control: 2D Space Range: 2-12/30/60 Space Units Atmospheric Range: 4-24/60/120 km Damage: 9D against planetary shields. 4D against other vessels
Sensors : | Passive : 50 Space Units/1D Scan : 75 Space Units/3D Search : 150 Space Units/4D Focus : 5 Space Units/4D+2
Shields/Hull Rating : | Shields 2D. Hull 9D+2
Starfighter Squadrons : | None
Troop Capacity : | 8,540 Troops
Support Craft : | <Unknown Numbers> MT/191 Drop Ship/Special Purpose Shuttle Lambda-class Shuttle Other transports are unknown
Note : | LOTEBS (Campaign Guide) states no fighters carried, but BI suggests that some fighters are carried. LOTEBS (Campaign Guide) states that there are only 120 DER Targeting Control Rooms, each surrounded by 4 Torpedo Tubes and it states that there are 480 Torpedo Launching Stations - which means that 20 Torpedo Tubes are unaccounted for.
The Torpedo Sphere serves only one purpose - to take out planetary shields whether they are partial or full. After the first Death Star's completion, the Emperor commissioned a new series of space platforms, Torpedo Spheres, whose designs were derived from the Death Star plans. Bevel Lemelisk was assigned to this new project in total secrecy in order to keep the Death Star's status unknown. These symbols of Imperial might are known to operate in the Outer Rim Territories. Just after the Battle of Yavin there were only six Torpedo Spheres in service. Besides direct combat, there are two surreptitious ways to destroy these dedicated siege platforms. The first is to destroy the coolant conduits around the main reactor with detonite charges, while the second is to place detonite charges on a number of proton torpedo warheads. Thousands of Dedicated Energy Receptors (DERs) whose purpose is to analyse shield emissions cover these miniature Death Stars. Since planetary shields experience power anomalies and energy fluctuations, they are never uniformly even. Because of this, weak points in the shields exist and it is these weaknesses that the DERs are tuned to search out and reveal. Rarely do these weak points exceed a 20 percent power drop. The most daunting task in removing planetary shields is determining exactly where the shield generators are located. Since full planetary shields block sensors, crews must examine the power waves within the shield to find where the initial power is coming from. First the Torpedo Sphere arrives in-system, enters orbit and then analyse the target planet's shields. From this point the platform seeks out the weak points and locates the shield generators. Then the attack commences. All the torpedoes are fired at the weak point (usually being no greater than six metres square) to create a breach in the shield (which lasts only a few microseconds) from which blasts from the heavy turbolasers pass through to destroy the planetary shield generators. Without the generators, the planetary shields collapse to allow for conventional bombardment and invasion operations to proceed. To accomplish this feat, almost a hundred heavy weapons technicians must coordinate the torpedo launches. Consequently, if the turbolasers were fired too slow and did not pass through the shield gap or because of calculation errors or if the gunnery crews were slightly off target, the entire process of analysis, targeting, and bombardment must be repeated. Since these siege platforms lack their own starfighters, they must always be supported by either an Escort Carrier or Imperial Star Destroyer. However, dozens of generic hangers with spots for up to four shuttles do exist. Each hanger maintains two or three cargo or Lambda Shuttles. Furthermore, equipping the each hanger are two cargo skiffs to move small loads. Each hanger features a 15 metre tall control room (manned by eight or more technicians and six Naval Troopers) set at a side wall (accessible via a turbolift). Set in the deck are a pair of vehicle lifts (leading to a lower storage bay). A series of power cell rechargers covering the back (which has the blast doors leading into the rest of the Sphere) and side (opposite to the control room) walls. Twenty security stations, manned by 24 troops and 12 technicians are situated around the Sphere. Security stations come equipped with the usual computer terminals and command stations, as well as six offices, an armoury, a storage room, one barracks with eight triple bunks and storage lockers, plus showers and toilets. Located at the Torpedo Sphere's north pole is its main bridge. At the centre is the command platform holding the captain's, first officer's and tactical officer's computerized console seats. A holobooth for holotransmissions is situated behind the command platform. At the back of the bridge are the general meeting room, complete with an oval table with small holoprojection unit; and the captain's office. Crewed at all times the bridge is manned by 24 computer technicians to keep the Sphere running at full efficiency, plus eight technicians to run the navigational nook. A dozen Stormtroopers are permanently assigned to protect the bridge at all times. For operation shifts, the captain takes the day watch, while the first officer takes the night watch. Only during combat operations or training simulations will the tactical officer be on the bridge. 120 DER Targeting Control Rooms, which are manned by 20 technicians are scattered about the perimeter of the equatorial region of the Torpedo Sphere. Each control room has two computers dedicated to targeting and tracking of shield energy outputs, a computer for information analysis, and a system database which saves the garnered information. These computers surround a central holoprojector that simulates the planet and shields currently targeted. Technical and visual information is provided by a pair of viewscreens. Four Torpedo Tubes (one at each corner of the room), and a pair of specialized power generators (which are essential to power the DER targeting computers) flank each control room. A pair of turbolifts provide access to the control rooms and to its associated Torpedo Launching Station, and to the torpedo storage chamber. Maintenance hatches in the rooms allow personnel to access each torpedo tube. Retractable ladders in the tubes only go down towards the launching station and holding bay. 480 Torpedo Launching Stations are clustered in collections of four around each DER Targeting Control Room. Four gunners and six computer technicians control the targeting and launching of their torpedo tube. The technicians look after the system operations while the gunners sit in the computer pit. A transparasteel wall provides a view of the torpedo tube, while a hatch allows access. From here the tube either leads to the cold hard death of space or the torpedo storage chamber. The Torpedo Sphere's proton torpedo tubes are arranged in an inverted conical formation, while its heavy turbolaser batteries surround the tubes. Each torpedo storage centre services 25 torpedo tubes. At the opposite end of the chamber is a massive pair of retractable blast doors that lead to the torpedo storage chamber. Staffing the loading room are 25 B-1 Worker Droids that have been modified to handle proton torpedoes; who move torpedoes from storage into the launching tubes. These droids are fixed with an internal beckon call, and receive all their commands from the Torpedo Launching Stations. When not needed, each droid recharges at its own wall mounted power cells. Most of the storage centre is dominated by the storage chamber. To minimize the effects of an accidental explosion, quadruple strength walls line this area. Six racks hold thousands of ready-to-launch torpedoes. Access panels at various points in the main corridors and in some rooms lead to vertically situated maintenance shafts. These shafts are typically 20 metres in diameter and 250 metres long. Flanking the access hatches are a pair of ladders that lead up or down the shaft. On the opposite side are a pair of power conduits which run along the surface. Due to the heat emitted by the conduits, it can get quite stuffy in the shafts, especially as one gets near the top of one. It is known that mynocks tend to infest these locations. The power core reactor chamber is reminiscent of the Death Star's power core. Inside the spacious chamber is a monstrous metal sphere riddled with heat sinks and coolant conduits. 150 metres above the reactor is a metal platform which rings the reactor, and even from that distance heat makes the chamber uncomfortably warm and the radiation emitted from the reactor adversely affects organics. To safely enter the core, personnel must don heat-and-radiation-resistant vacuum suits (with smoked faceplates). Even then no one enters the core due to the heavy radiation emitted by the reactor during normal operations. A 20 metre diameter sphere, the reactor is buried in coolant coils. From ports on the reactor's sides, a bright ultraviolet purple light escapes to eerily showcase the reactor. More cooling conduits are found on the outer walls of the chamber, and access to their inner workings are possible due to the scaffolding girding the chamber. A number of ladders allow access to other levels of the core and to more coolant conduits. It is these conduits which would be the target of would-be saboteurs armed with detonite charges. For with the loss of these cooling conduits would spell the destruction of the Torpedo Sphere. Crew sprawls are four sections containing crew quarters, refreshers and a central common room, all attached (via a short corridor) to a central hub holding the mess hall, food storage and a droid-staffed kitchen. A group of five crew sprawls is called a Crew Cluster. Every 20 metres along the main corridors are a pair of blast doors. After the Rebels managed to capture the Container Train Black Ice, they brought the vessel to the Rebel sector headquarters located on the planet of Fangol, in the Mortex Sector. Unwittingly they informed the Empire of the base's location via the Black Ice's automated distress beacon. After the Rebels held out against a combined space and ground assault against their HQ, one Torpedo Sphere was sent to bombard the base into oblivion. In desperation, the Rebels rammed the Black Ice into the Torpedo Sphere destroying both titanic ships, unfortunately before the bombardment was to commence.
Sources: AGSWU2***Pg 446 / BI***Pg 11, 30, 35-40 / DSTC***Pg 13 / ISB***Pg 5, 58, 59 / LOTEBS (Campaign Guide)***Pg 30-38, 70-72
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