Separated Flight Mode

This article is considered a canon article for Star Trek: Equilism.

Any time the two major components of the total starship must undock and perform different flight tasks, Separated Flight Mode is initiated. Benign situations involve a variation on Cruise Mode rules, while emergency situations involve a follow-on subset of Red Alert rules.

Separation under benign conditions will most often occur during maintenance layovers and flight dynamics checkouts, when the risk to both spacecraft is negligible.

Operational rules include:

• Level 4 automated diagnostic series are run on all ship's primary and tactical systems at the beginning of each shift. (Key systems may require more frequent diagnostics per specific operational and safety rules.)
• At least one major power system to remain at operational status at all times. At least one additional power system to be maintained at standby.
• One shuttlebay is maintained at launch readiness with at least one shuttle vehicle maintained at launch minus five minutes' status.

Emergency situations requiring separation generally require greatly increased activity and energy production, and personnel movements within each starship component. Once separation is ordered, the following special operational rules are observed:

• Warp power core to be brought to full operating condition and maintained at >90% power output. Level 3 diagnostics conducted on warp propulsion systems at initiation of Red Alert status, Level 4 series repeated at five-minute intervals.
• Main impulse propulsion system is brought to full operating condition. All operational backup reactor units are brought to hot standby. In actual or potential combat situations, Saucer Module impulse propulsion system is brought to full operating status.
• Saucer Module SIF/IDF systems are set to high output for all velocity regimes, including low warp or sublight velocities.

During benign situations, Separated Flight Mode may be initiated by the Commanding Officer, Operations Manager, Chief Engineer, or the Tactical Officer, depending on the exact nature of the vessel separation. In its emergency version, this mode may be invoked only by the Commanding Officer immediately following a transfer of control to the Battle Bridge. All automatic preparations, as initiated by the main computer, may be made without the actual call for separation, in order to prepare both components for rapid response times.