Takaaki Researcher

Named after Labrim Takaaki, a legendary hero of the Cardassian People's Unification Party, the Takaaki Researcher is the survey-specialized variant of the Takaaki heavy frigate, developed in the early 2300s.

Takaaki Hull
Despite weighing just over half as much as the older Jaldun-class cruiser and requiring a much smaller crew, the baseline Takaaki is nearly as sturdy and nearly as powerful, incorporating the latest Cardassian technologies. The large dome deflector on the dorsal hull appears oversized and fragile, but its placement near the Takaaki's highly efficient warp core and numerous SIF reinforcements keep it fully powered and free of wear and tear. Four disruptor turrets, positioned in pairs on the highest and lowest decks, ensure that at least two weapons have a line of sight at every possible vector. The twin "tails" above and between the warp nacelles bear the ship's impulse engines; the Takaaki's one true failing as a light warship, these engines are slightly undersized for the ship's weight, making the Takaaki a bit less maneuverable than some commanders would prefer (though others would argue that with the Takaaki's impressive shields and armor, maneuverability is less important). The two large "wings" on either side of the forward hull contain the crew quarters, cargo bays, sensor banks, and transporter rooms, with the bridge and CIC being located just before the deflector housing on the central engineering spine. The two rows of escape pods are located along each side of the dorsal spine, near the bridge and main engineering rooms and roughly equidistant from most of the enlisted crew stations.

Researcher Module
The Takaaki Researcher weighs in slightly heavier than even the Destroyer, owing mostly to the heavy-duty sensor module positioned between the forward wings. The forward torpedo bay has been emptied out and replaced with a vast astrometrics bay and SIGINT computer core, and the aft bay repurposed for launching a variety of probes, drones, and other specialized devices in lieu of ordinance. A second module, attached to the dorsal hull just ahead of the bridge, contains extra quarters for a team of scientists and technicians, as well as a pair of laboratory towers that rise to just below the level of the dorsal disruptor pair. The Takaaki Researcher excels in scouting, scientific, and intel roles. While its four disruptors have a lower energy budget due to the demands of the powerful sensor array, they still allow the Researcher to defend itself somewhat more capably than the science or SIGINT ships of other powers of its time.

Reception
Although the Takaaki Researcher was lauded as one of the most consistently useful variants, captaining one has become something of a hated position within the CDF. Perceived disparities between the quality of accommodations for the crew and the science team lead to constant bitterness and passive aggression that require harsh discipline to reign in, and the long, high-stress intel missions that the Researchers perform along the Cardassian Union's borders are some of the most miserable and claustrophobic of all CDF operations.

List of Takaaki Researchers

 * Parok
 * Preket