Guide:Toj Lol

Toj Lol
Class Overview
Category	survey craft
Operational	1834 - 2198
Constructed	91 (built 1834 - 1858)
Dimensions
Length	24.0 m
Beam	17.0 m
Height	8.2 m
Mass	2,150 mt
Performance
Max Speed	w 2.0
Endurance	8 months
Complement
Crew	3 - 5
Tactical Systems
Beam Weapons	1x phased particle cannon (200 GW) (dorsal bow)
Shields	Hull armor
Canonicity
Design	ENT
Name	FASA
History	FASA

Background: Hobbyist's Guide

Although the aerodynamics of the traditional Vulcan ring drive are more than acceptable for orbit-to-surface applications, the weight penalty of a ring element oftentimes is not. In Vulcan scoutcraft construction, warp propulsion was often sacrificed in order to secure superior agility and payload. Detached operations, wherein a mothership of characteristically high warp performance deployed a sublight scouting force, were the basis of Vulcan survey and surveillance doctrine for the 19th and 20th centuries; Vulcan psychological stamina enabled scoutcraft missions of several months or even years between mothership visits. Nevertheless, survey parties craved for operational independence. There existed a definite need for a survey command craft with at least rudimentary warp capability. For the 19th century, the answer to the need was the Toj Lol class.

In essence a 24-meter atmospheric barge equipped with two impulse modules and a partial, folding ring drive for warp 2 travel, the Toj Lol seemingly exhibited little of the classic Vulcan spacecraft design elegance. An upper deck featured numerous physical portholes, both on the forward flight deck and on the cabins circling the central sensor and laboratory area. Middeck spaces housed survey gear, upplies and consumables, with docking ports to both sides and a defensive particle cannon in a forward mount. The lowermost deck had ventral, fan-shuttered doors for surface access, plus a ripod landing gear consisting of a nose leg with adjoining ladder plus the downfolded outer elements of the warp ring.

Four control petals stabilized the craft in passive atmospheric entry, enabling shockwave manipulation for maximum aural stealth. Generally, the Toj Lol was not supposed to challenge surface surveillance systems. Most observations would be conducted from orbit, behind the safety of a radar-scattering field. Extreme caution was called for during surface operations. All but the technologically most primitive targets of survey or surveillance could be expected to pose a danger to the Toj Lol and her ability to escape to warp would be of no use inside atmospheres or down on planetary surfaces. Yet under proper operating protocol, the vessel would be cost-effective, reliable, and still capable of completing her mission 150 years after the end of production.

A Toj Lol showing its age in an ear-rattling atmospheric turn down the lush Hayama Valley on Tarsus III. The fairly primitive gravitics of the craft meant reliance on lifting surfaces, hull contours and engine power, and resulted in undue noise and lack of agility in comparison with more modern types.

Minimum operating crew for such a craft was three, but survey and surveillance missions typically involved five multi-disciplined operators for whom accommodation was secured for up to 12 months. In operative insertion and extraction duty, some twenty troops could be carried for a more limited length of time. Variants with extended endurance existed for both courier and covert long term surveillance applications, while stripped-down versions were carried in the daughtership berths of the voidcruisers for planetary forays of maximum cargo capacity; only the latter were ever produced in significant numbers compared with the basic survey command type.

An almost timeless design in its robust, no-nonsense excellence, the Toj Lol would succumb in the late 22nd century to the needs and weaknesses of non-Vulcan operators. The unique psychological stamina of the Vulcan crews was crucial to the balance of qualities that made the Toj Lol so capable and affordable at the same time; a crew from a lesser species would have to be provided with a vessel optimized for a shorter mission time, resulting in a completely different balance. Earth obtained its first Toj Lol units in 2087, illustrating less the low esteem in which Central Command held the type by that time and more the fact that its performance did not exceed that of Earth’s finest native achievements. As the result, little practical use was found for the craft, beyond hauling key personnel between well-established and not too distant ports of call. Survey operations in the unknown would certainly have exceeded both the endurance of the craft under Human command and the mandate of Starfleet.

While Vulcan continued to operate survey units of compact dimensions on its own, its contribution to Federation shipbuilding would be biased towards craft of increased speed or reduced independence. The last Toj Lol of the 91 built between 1834 and 1858 was pulled from active service in 2198.

Gallery

• 
  Bow view
• 
  Dorsal view
• 
  Side view
• 
  Stern view
• 
  Ventral view

Star Fleet Registry

• NCC-U01
• NCC-U02
• NCC-U03
• NCC-U04
• NCC-U05
• NCC-U06
• NCC-U07
• NCC-U08
• NCC-U10
• NCC-U12
• NCC-U15
• NCC-U16
• NCC-U17
• NCC-U18
• NCC-U19
• NCC-U20
• NCC-U21

See Also

• Guide: Skilamu

Notes

• The Toj Lol served with the United Earth Stellar Navy from 2087 until (no later than) 2198. According to Guide: Powers, the craft was also provided to the UFP Star Fleet while the "Vulcan combat fleet were being scrapped". Also, in 2164, they "were asked to consider the construction of markedly larger scoutships" to replace the Toj Lol and Tshin classes in Star Fleet service, indicating that the ships were probably in-service until circa 2165.

• I've decided 17 Toj Lols were transferred to Star Fleet service, starting in 2161. They'll be registered under the NCC-U code.

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• Small Craft
• Appendix A: Of Ship Statistics
• Appendix B: Glossary
• Appendix C: Star Fleet Organization - General Outline
• Appendix D: Abbreviations From Outside