The cluster ship was a Dassik starship type, a modular vessel in Dassik nation service since thousands of years ago and into the 23rd century. (TOS novel: The Face of the Unknown)
History and specifications[]
A cluster ship consisted of angular components and could split into smaller units and re-merge. They were armed with disruptors, powerful tractor beams and power-drain devices.
Their design was adapted by a slave race of the Dassik nation, the Linnik, and became the orbships and pilot vessels of the First Federation. (TOS novel: The Face of the Unknown)