USS Raleigh

USS Raleigh
General Information
Registry	NCC-28462
Class & Type	Niagara-class fast cruiser
Affiliation	Starfleet
Status	Active
Assignment
Task Force	Task Force 72
Home Port	Starbase 72
Role	Fast Responder/Search & Rescue
Key Personnel
Commanding Officer	Captain Kay Fallon
Executive Officer	Commander Jonathan Appleby
Template:Starship

The USS Raleigh is a Niagara-class fast cruiser assigned to Task Force 72 under the command of Captain Kay Fallon. Engaged primarily on humanitarian response duties, by virtue of her speed and endurance, the Raleigh is often deployed as the first response vessel, gathering initial data to support the deployment of more specialized vessels and providing essential search and rescue support throughout the Federation. Although an older vessel with several iterations removed from her modern 25th-century counterparts and a rarity due to a limited production run, the USS Raleigh has been pressed back into service to provide a vital link between fleet assets in the aftermath of the decimation of Frontier Day.

Design and Layout

Commissioned in 2364, the Raleigh was one of the last Niagara-class Fast Cruisers to leave the yards, and with her unorthodox Tri-Nacelle configuration, it still remains a relatively rare type of vessel due to the complexity of her systems and high engineering demands to maintain and operate. The trade-off for this comparative rarity is a vessel that punches far above her weight in terms of warp speed and endurance, even in the 25th century.

Envisioned to be a smaller companion to the Ambassador-class starship and provide extra power to more bulk, the Niagara-class may lack some of the amenities common to the proceeding Fleet Modernisation Program; however, due to a smaller crew relative to her size—with just over 23 decks—the Raleigh affords a generous allocation of living space even for the most junior of her crew which makes it a relatively popular assignment. The Raleigh also provides sufficient comfort for her crew with two holo-decks for recreational purposes and lounges that could be used to accommodate diplomatic parties and for normal hangouts.

Mission Operations

Due to her third nacelle, creating a tri-lobed warp field that reduces stress on her warp coils, the USS Raleigh boasts both a high cruise and sprint speed with impressive endurance for a ship of her age. This factor is contributing to her reprieve from the mothball fleet and has seen the Niagara class reclaim a key role in the delivery of humanitarian aid, technical and scientific equipment, and fast courier duties, supporting the mission of Task Force 72 through the priority transport of diplomatic VIPs in some considerable comfort.

Secondary to these duties, the Raleigh is often deployed to search and rescue operations and excels at it, utilizing her comprehensive lateral-band sensors to locate escape pods and scan debris for survivors before leveraging her speed to effect extraction and medical evacuation. The Raleigh is also deployed to conduct advanced reconnaissance duties, engage in the rapid threat assessment of unfolding events, and report back to Starfleet Command to enable strategic assessment and the forward deployment of higher-tier assets.

Auxiliary Vessels

The Raleigh utilizes the standard array of supporting small craft for a Niagara-class, with 12 shuttles of various types and 2 runabouts housed in her single shuttle bay, to support supply, transit, and search and rescue missions.

Some of these shuttles include the Orion-class shuttle Talise and Kumi, which are the favorites of both Captain Fallon and Commander Appleby. There are also other shuttle crafts utilized for away missions to conduct surveys and preliminary research on their search and rescue missions.

History

The Raleigh was commissioned in 2364, serving in the 4th Fleet in a range of humanitarian response duties and diplomatic services. With an unorthodox design and being late to service due to a delayed development cycle, the Raleigh served with distinction during the Dominion War, barely escaping with her crew unlike her other sisters, but as the 25th century dawned, the class started showing its age, and the relative complexity saw the USS Raleigh begin the demilitarization process to convert her into an auxiliary vessel—a process that was hastily halted and reversed after the events of Frontier Day.

Crew of the Raleigh

Captain Kay Fallon

Formerly the executive officer of the Saber-class scout USS Yeager, the Raleigh is the first command for Captain Kay Fallon. Like most officers elevated in the aftermath of the events of Frontier Day, Captain Fallon is relatively young, at 34 years old, but has proven to be a capable and intuitive commanding officer. Well-liked by her crew, the Native Bostonian Kay Fallon encourages a collegiate working atmosphere and likes to give her people the space to draw upon their own acumen and excel whilst maintaining a firm, guiding hand on the tiller.

Commander Jonathan Appleby

Also newly minted as a commander, the Raleigh is the first deployment for Commander Jonathan Appleby as its executive officer. The Oxford-educated Englishman with Caribbean ancestry is a former Strategic Operations Officer, having most recently served aboard the Reliant-class frigate USS Hildago. Appleby’s grasp of strategy, coupled with his flair for organization, have made him an effective XO for Captain Fallon, and it is obvious that this capable senior officer will someday soon command a ship of his own.

Lieutenant Commander T’Vul

Vulcan Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander T'Vul is one of the the small number of Starfleet Engineers drawn to the rarified Niagara-class vessel by virtue of her unorthodox triple-warp nacelle configuration, T’Vul welcomes and relishes the complexity of the Raleigh’s systems, so much so that the veteran Vulcan Engineer has served aboard her since her launch, steadfastly refusing advancement or alternate postings. T'Vul probably knows more about Niagara-class vessels than any other serving Starfleet officer today. Gnomish and only distractible by matters technical, T’Vul finds more affinity in the clean logic of machinery than he does people.

In-Play

• The Raleigh is a Task Force asset, and any member and writer in Task Force 72 may feature it in their stories.
• The Raleigh, able to be deployed rapidly to almost any point in Federation Space, is an ideal asset to summon for assistance and support in your storytelling.
• The Raleigh can be cited as a vessel deployed to support your own command or can be deployed to another location to fulfill a function to support your mission.
• The Raleigh is a ‘Fast’ Cruiser, meaning that it can provide assistance before the arrival of more capable assets. While it is well armed for its size, it is a couple of design generations older than contemporary 25th-century aggressors and is not intended as a tactical support asset, relying upon her speed to get herself into and out of trouble.