Editing Tau Space Station (section)

== Class of Space Stations ==

==== Tau Orbital ====

[[File:TauOrbital.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Target practice.]]

Tau Orbitals are Space Stations and orbital craft used by the Air Caste of the Tau Empire and allied alien races. Orbitals are vital in linking the small Tau Empire together. If armed, they usually compromise one or two [[Starship Railgun]]s or [[Heavy Ion Cannon]] batteries, no more, no less.

They are pretty much the Tau rip-offs from the Imperial [[Orbital Defense Platform]]s in almost every single way and because of this, they come in various flavours and classes. They are smaller but more numerous than the larger Orbital City. The type of Tau Orbitals are listed here:

*'''Security Orbitals:''' As its name implies, they are used as orbital defence stations for Tau worlds and are heavily armed to deter attacking enemy fleets.
*'''Waystations:''' These chaps are distributed throughout the Tau Empire. They mark out the main routes between Tau septs and are used to speed communications between outposts.
*'''Nicassar Caravans:''' These are large networks of conjoined [[Nicassar Dhow|Dhows]] that the aliens employ when travelling over long distances at their natural leisurely place. Occasionally Caravans will accompany Tau fleets to war, and if attacked a Dhow Caravan may detach to fight in the defense of their community.
[[Fail|They are so slow that they are considered practically immobile in space combat.]]
Dimensions can be seen here:
*'''Height:''' 700-800m; approx
*'''Length:''' 440m
*'''Mass:''' 750-950 kilotonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 5,000-10,000 crew; approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 2.0 gravities max sustainable acceleration; approx
==== Orbital City ====

[[File:AirCasteOrbital.jpg|200px|right|thumb|If you thought that this was a model for Bespin City, we can't blame you.]]

Basically, Tau [[Star Wars|Bespin Cities]]. [[Original character, do not steal|We wish we were joking.]]

Orbital Cities are large orbital habitats where much of the Air Caste are born and raised. They are somewhat necessitated by the fact that, while Air Caste Tau can enter a gravity well (such as to pilot [[Barracuda|Barracudas]]), it is unknown what effect it would have on their weightlessness-adapted physiques.

They are often and usually surrounded by smaller Tau Orbitals and are heavily defended by surrounding ships due to the fact that the Orbital City itself is largely immobile and incapable of fending off attacks no larger than a Frigate. Other than that, they act as relief stations for the [[Kor'Vattra]] so that food, fuel and personnel could be shipped or garrisoned before being sent to the next meat grinder.

It is not sure how high up these Cities orbit around a planet, although the exosphere would be the most likely candidate. Therefore, they function quite similarly to the Imperium's orbital plates, but with less bling.

*'''Height:''' 4.1km; approx
*'''Length:''' 9km
*'''Mass:''' 45 megatonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 70,000 crew; approx
==== Fortress Station ====

[[File:TauStation.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Assuming the largest ship/smudge on the right is a [[Tau Merchant Battleship|Gal'Leath-class Battleship]], that would make the station 150+km long from end-to-end.]]

The [[Ramilies-class Star-Fort]]s of the Fish Faces.

Fortress Stations, also known as Ta'shiro in the Tau Language, are floating fortresses in the depths of space operated by the Tau Air Caste. These stations are positioned in the deep space between Septs, and have enough thrust to maintain a permanent position and resist drift. Several patterns of Fortress Stations exist, with the largest being comparable in population to a continent-sized city.

As such, they don't usually find themselves anywhere near a star system cause of gravitational hijinks from its size. Rather, as aforementioned, they are nested in areas where fuel and resources are scarce. Consider it a floating city in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Any stranded boat would find that city to be a literal lifesaver. It is also heavily defended due to its astrological remoteness.

*'''Length:''' 153.3-155km; approx
*'''Mass:''' 0.9-1.3 gigatonnes; approx
*'''Crew:''' 600,000 crew including including 200,000 pilots and support personnel; approx
*'''Acceleration:''' 0.8 gravities max sustainable acceleration; approx
[[Category: Warhammer 40,000]]

[[Category: Battlefleet Gothic]]

[[Category: Xenos]]

[[Category: Tau]]

[[Category: Kor'Vattra]]

[[Category: Vehicles]]

[[Category: Ships]]

{{40k-Tau-Ships}}