The Chaf Envoy was somewhat more that two hundred meters long, with flat planes and angular edges predominating in the hull design. The ship's highly distinctive appearance reminded some of an asteroid, or a half-finished sculpture of a Mon Calamari Star Cruiser with the roughly hewn form not yet smoothed into curves. This design was typical of ships of the Fifth Ruling Family, and details of the design and hull markings apparently indicated the status and role of the senior official it carried.
The Chaf Envoy was outfitted with two half-bays on either flank, in which shuttles and courier ships such as the fifty-meter Jade Sabre could dock: the forward port-side bay normally held the ship's own hyperdrive-equipped Chiss shuttle, known as a glider. From the docking bays, important visitors were typically ushered to a grand reception room that could be quickly configured with the appropriate decorations to greet dignitaries of the Chiss Ruling Families. Other cabins, such as the main dining salon and the staterooms provided for guests, were smaller and more restrained in style, but elegantly appointed and carefully designed.
The ship was conned from a command center sited deep inside the hull, a large room with a central podium for the commander surrounded by consoles for the crewers, and viewscreens mounted on the walls. Directly opposite the main viewer was a small observation gallery for the ambassadorial personnel and their guests. The limits of its combat capabilities may have been suggested by the fact that a Paskla-class ship in a military configuration could be considered a serious threat.
The standard crew complement aboard the Chaf Envoy consisted of thirty ratings and four officers, including the captain. The ship also had accommodation provision for at least thirty-four supernumerary personnel, including an ambassador, a senior military commander, the two squads of warriors who formed the ambassadorial honor guard, and a civilian diplomatic staff of twenty.
Under normal circumstances, a diplomatic ship of the Fifth Ruling Family would be crewed entirely by Chaf personnel, but on the mission to Outbound Flight, most of the Chiss aboard Chaf Envoy were drawn instead from the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, including General Drask and a military crew under Captain Talshib; apart from Aristocra Formbi and his second niece Feesa, the only representatives in the yellow robes of the Chaf were two diplomatic aides.
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