Difference between revisions of "USS Polaris"

Revision as of 03:58, 2 May 2023

While research and development activities are traditionally conducted from starbases and outposts within the Federation’s core territories, not all research occurs within a lab. Sometimes, the greatest discoveries are made amongst the stars. This is the mission of the USS Polaris.

"All we known is still infinitely less than all that remains unknown."

—William Harvey

The USS Polaris is an Odyssey class explorer within Task Force 93 of the Fourth Fleet that is home to the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, a specialized, cross-functional unit intended to fuel Starfleet’s innovation engine through exploration of strange new works, interactions and negotiations with alien species, and crisis response to some of the stranger realities on the rim of known space. It is also the flagship of Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes, conducting diplomatic and first contact duties as necessary to represent the interests of the Federation on the frontier.

Operational History

The Polaris Project commenced at Devron Fleet Yards in 2389. The project came under immediate and sustained scrutiny by those within the Federation who felt investments in large explorers were a waste in the wake of the First Contact Day catastrophe. Nonetheless, the project proceeded under the supervision of Captain Ethysaan Ch'chirrit, and the USS Polaris entered service five years later.

The first few years of the USS Polaris' service were relatively uneventful as, under a Starfleet policy that saw it pull back from deep space exploration, the frontline explorer and flagship was relegated to diplomatic and humanitarian missions predominately within core Federation territory. This would all change in March 2399 with the Osiris Initiative, which breathed fresh life into Starfleet as the Fourth Fleet was tasked with a return to the great unknown.

Due to the versatility and size of the Odyssey class, the USS Polaris was selected as a platform to host the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, a specialized unit under the command of Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes with an ambitious mandate to conduct research on the frontier to fuel Starfleet's innovation engine. The USS Polaris spent several months in spacedock undergoing modifications for the specialized equipment and labs to support the needs of the Activity, and then it launched officially in September 2399.

Notable Events

June 2400: A Place Removed from Space

The USS Polaris was dispatched to find two ships that had gone missing deep in the Talvath Cluster. As it began its search, the USS Polaris' warp field collapsed, and it became stranded due to incongruities in local subspace. The ASTRA Astrophysics and Exotic Sciences Team attempted to derive a new formalism around the local spacetime, one with impossible mechanics that somehow nonetheless existed in this specific area of space.

While work was ongoing to find a way to circumvent the spacetime anomalies, the USS Polaris made first contact with a xenophobic alien species. Through this contact, it was learned that this unnamed species had modified their local spacetime almost two millennia ago in order to defend themselves against aggression of pre-Imperial Romulan warlords. Although the manner in which they accomplished this feat is not understood, it had the effect of cutting them off completely from the rest of the galaxy, an isolation they have maintained ever since. Ultimately, this species agreed to transport the USS Polaris and her sister ships back to Federation space under the condition that the Federation never return.

April 2401: Infiltrate and Liberate

In the early days of the Lost Fleet crisis, the Nasera System fell to the Dominion and Breen assault. A key industrial center and one of the oldest Federation colonies in the Deneb Sector, retaking Nasera was deemed a key priority by Fourth Fleet Command. A covert action team, comprised mostly of USS Polaris Hazard Team members, plus a couple private contractors, was dispatched to Nasera II to disrupt planetary and orbital defenses, paving the way for the USS Polaris and a small assault wing to execute a counter-offensive to recapture the system.

Departmental Structure

Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity (ASTRA)

ASTRA is comprised of four specialized science and research units that dramatically extend beyond the scope of research departments found on typical Starfleet vessels. The director of ASTRA is Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes, a former Director of Starfleet R&D's Frontier Sciences Division, Deputy Director of Starfleet R&D's Shipbuilding Technologies Division, and Section Chief for the Starfleet Intelligence Technology Analysis Bureau, and the ASTRA teams include:

Astrophysics and Exotic Sciences Unit, led by Commander Luke Lockwood, Ph.D., is responsible for research related to stellar and planetary phenomena, including astrophysics, subspace mechanics, temporal mechanics, stellar cartography, geochemistry, minerology, seismology, etc.
Medical and Biological Sciences Unit, led by James Henderson, M.D., M.P.H., is responsible for research related to alien species, including ecology, biology, zoology, botany, etymology, medicine, anatomy, pathology, toxicology, bacteriology, etc.
Cultural and Psychological Research Unit, led by Lieutenant Lisa Hall, Ph.D., is responsible for research related to the development, culture and perspectives of alien species, including anthropology, archaeology, agronomy, psychology, negotiation, historiology, etc.
Technology and Engineering Research Unit, led by Captain Soren Ayal, is responsible for research related to Federation and foreign technologies, including propulsion, weapons, shields, sensors, communications, digital systems, synthetic lifeforms, etc.

Starship Operations

Due to the multi-role purpose of the USS Polaris, general starship operations, including Flight Control, Engineering, Operations and Security, are principally overseen by Executive Officer Captain Gérard Devreux. Other functions, such as Medical and Counseling, are provided as extensions of the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, with James Henderson, M.D., M.P.H. and Lieutenant Lisa Hall, Ph.D. doubling as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Counselor respectively. There is no standard Science department on the USS Polaris as its functions are completely subsumed by the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity.

Combat Operations

While the purpose of the USS Polaris is predominantly science, research and exploration, Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes, a veteran of the Dominion War, remains wary of the dangers in the unknown. During the refit, she saw to the buildout of a Combat Information Center (CIC) capable of managing strategic operations across an entire sector of space should the need arise. Additionally, Reyes brought in a veteran of Starfleet Intelligence special operations, Commander Jake Lewis, as Chief Intelligence Officer and Hazard Team lead, and the Hazard Team aboard the Polaris is highly specialized towards covert and direct combat operations.

Diplomatic Operations

As one of only a few senior flag officers permanently operating on a frontline explorer, Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes is uniquely positioned to serve as an ambassador for the Federation on the frontier. The Odyssey class USS Polaris is well equipped for this purpose, and the crew includes both diplomatic staff, as well as members of the ASTRA team that specialize in alien cultures and development.

Command History

2399 - Present: Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes

@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 | xo = [[bfms char:12201|Captain Gérard Devreux]]
 | dedication =
-}}{{quote|All we known is still infinitely less than all that remains unknown.|'''William Harvey'''}}
+}}
-While research and development activities are traditionally conducted from starbases and outposts within the Federation’s core territories, not all research occurs within a lab. Sometimes, the greatest discoveries are made amongst the stars. This is the mission of the USS Polaris.
+While research and development activities are traditionally conducted from starbases and outposts within the Federation’s core territories, not all research occurs within a lab. Sometimes, the greatest discoveries are made amongst the stars. This is the mission of the USS Polaris.{{quote|All we known is still infinitely less than all that remains unknown.|'''William Harvey'''}}
+The '''USS Polaris''' is an [[Odyssey Class|Odyssey class]] explorer within [[Task Force 93]] of the [[Fourth Fleet]] that is home to the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, a specialized, cross-functional unit intended to fuel Starfleet’s innovation engine through exploration of strange new works, interactions and negotiations with alien species, and crisis response to some of the stranger realities on the rim of known space. It is also the flagship of  [[bfms char:69|Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes]], conducting diplomatic and first contact duties as necessary to represent the interests of the Federation on the frontier.
-The USS Polaris is an [[Odyssey Class|Odyssey class]] explorer within [[Task Force 93]] of the [[Fourth Fleet]] that is home to the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity (ASTRA), a specialized, cross-functional unit intended to fuel Starfleet’s innovation engine through exploration of strange new works, interactions and negotiations with alien species, and crisis response to some of the stranger realities on the rim of known space. It is also the flagship of Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes, conducting diplomatic and first contact duties as necessary to represent the interests of the Federation out on the frontier.
+===Operational History ===
+The Polaris Project commenced at [[Devron Fleet Yards]] in 2389. The project came under immediate and sustained scrutiny by those within the Federation who felt investments in large explorers were a waste in the wake of the [[ma:First Contact Day|First Contact Day catastrophe]]. Nonetheless, the project proceeded under the supervision of [[Ethysaan Ch'chirrit|Captain Ethysaan Ch'chirrit]], and the USS Polaris entered service five years later.
-===Operational History ===
+The first few years of the USS Polaris' service were relatively uneventful as, under a Starfleet policy that saw it pull back from deep space exploration, the frontline explorer and flagship was relegated to diplomatic and humanitarian missions predominately within core Federation territory. This would all change in March 2399 with the [[Campaign#Campaign_0:_The_Osiris_Initiative|Osiris Initiative]], which breathed fresh life into Starfleet as the  [[Fourth Fleet]] was tasked with a return to the great unknown.
-In 2394, construction of the USS Polaris completed at [[Starbase 93]]. Following a relatively calm first few years, in April 2399, the USS Polaris was allocated to the [[Fourth Fleet]] as part of the [[Campaign#Campaign_0:_The_Osiris_Initiative|Osiris Initiative]]. Due to the versatility and size of the [[Odyssey Class|Odyssey class]], it was selected as the platform to host the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, a specialized unit with an ambitious mandate to conduct research on the frontier to fuel Starfleet's innovation engine.
-In order to support the mission of the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, the Polaris spent several more months in spacedock undergoing modifications for the specialized equipment and labs to support the needs of the Activity, and it launched officially in September 2399 under the command of [[bfms char:69|Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes]].
+Due to the versatility and size of the [[Odyssey Class|Odyssey class]], the USS Polaris was selected as a platform to host the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, a specialized unit under the command of  [[bfms char:69|Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes]] with an ambitious mandate to conduct research on the frontier to fuel Starfleet's innovation engine. The USS Polaris spent several months in spacedock undergoing modifications for the specialized equipment and labs to support the needs of the Activity, and then it launched officially in September 2399.
-=====Key Missions=====
+===== Notable Events =====
-======'''''[https://bravofleet.com/mission/35501 A Place Removed from Space] - June 2400 - First Contact Mission'''''======
+======'''''June 2400: [https://bravofleet.com/mission/35501 A Place Removed from Space]'''''======
-The USS Polaris was dispatched to find two ships that had gone missing deep in the Talvath Cluster. As it began its search, the USS Polaris' warp field collapsed and it became stranded due to incongruities in local subspace. The ASTRA Astrophysics and Exotic Sciences Team attempted to derive a new formalism around a spacetime whose existence shouldn't have been possible, but yet absolutely was what they found themselves within.
+The USS Polaris was dispatched to find two ships that had gone missing deep in the Talvath Cluster. As it began its search, the USS Polaris' warp field collapsed, and it became stranded due to incongruities in local subspace. The ASTRA Astrophysics and Exotic Sciences Team attempted to derive a new formalism around the local spacetime, one with impossible mechanics that somehow nonetheless existed in this specific area of space.
-While work was ongoing to find a way to reestablish a warp field, the USS Polaris made first contact with a xenophobic alien species. It was learned that, almost two millennia ago, this species had folded spacetime, in a still not understood manner, in order to shut off outside access and defend themselves against aggression of pre-Imperial Romulan warlords. Ultimately, this species, whose refused to provide a name, assisted the USS Polaris and her sister ships in returning to Federation space under the condition that the Federation never return.
+While work was ongoing to find a way to circumvent the spacetime anomalies, the USS Polaris made first contact with a xenophobic alien species. Through this contact, it was learned that this unnamed species had modified their local spacetime almost two millennia ago in order to defend themselves against aggression of pre-Imperial [[Romulan Star Empire|Romulan]] warlords. Although the manner in which they accomplished this feat is not understood, it had the effect of cutting them off completely from the rest of the galaxy, an isolation they have maintained ever since. Ultimately, this species agreed to transport the USS Polaris and her sister ships back to Federation space under the condition that the Federation never return.
-======'''''Infiltrate and Liberate - April 2401 - Covert and Direct Action Mission (Lost Fleet Campaign)'''''======
+======'''''April 2401: Infiltrate and Liberate'''''======
-In the early days of [https://bravofleet.com/mission/76499/ the Lost Fleet crisis], the  [[Nasera System]] fell to the [[Dominion]] and [[Breen Confederacy|Breen]] assault. One of the oldest Federation colonies in the [[Deneb Sector]] and a key industrial center, retaking Nasera was deemed a key priority by [[Fourth Fleet Command]]. A covert action team, comprised of USS Polaris [[Hazard Team]] members and private contractors, was dispatched to Nasera II to disrupt planetary and orbital defenses, paving the way for the USS Polaris and a small assault wing to execute a counter-offensive to recapture the system.
+In the early days of [https://bravofleet.com/mission/76499/ the Lost Fleet crisis], the  [[Nasera System]] fell to the [[Dominion]] and [[Breen Confederacy|Breen]] assault. A key industrial center and one of the oldest Federation colonies in the [[Deneb Sector]], retaking Nasera was deemed a key priority by [[Fourth Fleet Command]]. A covert action team, comprised mostly of USS Polaris [[Hazard Team]] members, plus a couple private contractors, was dispatched to Nasera II to disrupt planetary and orbital defenses, paving the way for the USS Polaris and a small assault wing to execute a counter-offensive to recapture the system.
 ===Departmental Structure===
 =====Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity (ASTRA)=====
-ASTRA is comprised of four specialized science and research units that dramatically extend beyond the scope of traditional Science, Medical and Counseling departments, and it replaces these departments with the exception of standard onboard medical and counseling functions.
+ASTRA is comprised of four specialized science and research units that dramatically extend beyond the scope of research departments found on typical Starfleet vessels. The director of ASTRA is [[bfms char:69|Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes]], a former Director of Starfleet R&D's Frontier Sciences Division, Deputy Director of Starfleet R&D's Shipbuilding Technologies Division, and Section Chief for the Starfleet Intelligence Technology Analysis Bureau, and the ASTRA teams include:
-The director of the Activity is [[bfms char:69|Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes]], a former Director of Starfleet R&D's Frontier Sciences Division, Deputy Director of Starfleet R&D's Shipbuilding Technologies Division, and Section Chief for the Starfleet Intelligence Technology Analysis Bureau.
 *'''Astrophysics and Exotic Sciences Unit''', led by [[bfms char:3790|Commander Luke Lockwood, Ph.D.]], is responsible for research related to stellar and planetary phenomena, including astrophysics, subspace mechanics, temporal mechanics, stellar cartography, geochemistry, minerology, seismology, etc.
@@ Line 50: / Line 49: @@
 =====Starship Operations=====
-Due to the multi-role purpose of the USS Polaris, general starship operations, such as Flight Control, Engineering, Operations, Tactical and Security, are principally overseen by Executive Officer [[bfms char:12201|Captain Gérard Devreux]].
+Due to the multi-role purpose of the USS Polaris, general starship operations, including Flight Control, Engineering, Operations and Security, are principally overseen by Executive Officer [[bfms char:12201|Captain Gérard Devreux]]. Other functions, such as Medical and Counseling, are provided as extensions of the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, with [[bfms char:29336|James Henderson, M.D., M.P.H.]] and [[bfms char:2897|Lieutenant Lisa Hall, Ph.D.]] doubling as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Counselor respectively. There is no standard Science department on the USS Polaris as its functions are completely subsumed by the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity.
-Other functions, such as Medical and Counseling, are provided as extensions of the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, with [[bfms char:29336|James Henderson, M.D., M.P.H.]] and [[bfms char:2897|Lieutenant Lisa Hall, Ph.D.]] doubling as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Counselor respectively, and there is no standard Science department on the USS Polaris as its functions are completely subsumed by the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity.
-=====Tactical Operations=====
+=====Combat Operations=====
-''Coming Soon...''
+While the purpose of the USS Polaris is predominantly science, research and exploration, [[bfms char:69|Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes]], a veteran of the [[ma:Dominion War|Dominion War]], remains wary of the dangers in the unknown. During the refit, she saw to the buildout of a Combat Information Center (CIC) capable of managing strategic operations across an entire sector of space should the need arise. Additionally, Reyes brought in a veteran of [[Starfleet Intelligence]] special operations, [[bfms char:255|Commander Jake Lewis]], as Chief Intelligence Officer and [[Hazard Team]] lead, and the Hazard Team aboard the Polaris is highly specialized towards covert and direct combat operations.
 =====Diplomatic Operations=====
-''Coming Soon...''
+As one of only a few senior flag officers permanently operating on a frontline explorer, [[bfms char:69|Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes]] is uniquely positioned to serve as an ambassador for the Federation on the frontier. The Odyssey class USS Polaris is well equipped for this purpose, and the crew includes both diplomatic staff, as well as members of the ASTRA team that specialize in alien cultures and development.
-=== Command History===
+===Command History===
 *[https://bravofleet.com/command/35496/ 2399 - Present]: [[bfms char:69|Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes]]
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