USS Challenger
- "We leave as we came...as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind."
- —Eugene Cernan - Ship's Dedication Quote
The USS Challenger (NCC-92421) is an Odyssey-class Heavy Explorer under the command of Captain Tarvin Rix. Commissioned in January 2401, to replace the old Galaxy-class starship, the new Challenger was assigned to Starfleet's Fourth Fleet and designated the flagship of the newly formed Challenger Squadron, commanded by Commodore Elizabeth Wyatt.
Her original mission would have seen Challenger and her squadron travel to the Gamma Quadrant to begin exploring a region abandoned by the Dominion, however Starfleet Command postponed that mission several times, before ultimately cancelling it. Instead, the Challenger was assigned to diplomatic duties throughout Federation space. The Challenger finally travelled to the Gamma Quadrant with the rest of the squadron in April 2401 to begin their mission of exploration.
History
Construction
Construction on the Challenger began in early 2396, long before that name was ever attached to her. The final stages of construction was overseen by Captain Allegra Rosetti, who would go on to become the new Challenger's first Captain of Engineering.
Commissioning & Early Life (December 2400 - March 2401)
With the retirement of the old Galaxy-class starship Challenger, Starfleet Command decided to give that name to their newest Odyssey-class vessel. The new Challenger was commissioned in December 2400 under the command of Captain Thomas Forrester and assigned as the flagship of the newly formed Challenger Squadron.
Fourth Fleet Commands original plan for Challenger Squadron was that it would travel into the Gamma Quadrant where it would begin to explore those regions abandoned by the Dominion. Starfleet Command, however, overruled them and assigned the Challenger to tasks throughout the Alpha Quadrant.
The Lost Fleet Crisis & Frontier Day (March 2401 - April 2401)
When the Dominion Lost Fleet attacked the Deneb Sector, the Challenger was tasked with evacuating a small colony near the Breen-Federation border. With that task complete, the Challenger was free to answer a distress call from the USS Higgs, her fellow squadron ship. The Higgs had managed to dispatch three Jem'Hadar fighters on her own, but not before she suffered extensive damage and the death of her Commanding Officer. The Challenger would take part in the Battle of Farpoint at the end of the Lost Fleet crisis.
With the Dominion returned to the Gamma Quadrant, the Challenger was promised to Colter IV as the main attraction of their Frontier Day celebrations. Because of it's place inside the Paulson Nebula, the Challenger and her crew were shielded from the Borg signal so they could only watch on the sidelines as the events of Frontier Day played out.
Into the Gamma Quadrant (April 2401 - Present)
The Challenger finally travelled through the Bajoran Wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant. One of her early tasks was to track down the fugitive Penn Renos. During the attempt, Fleet Captain Forrester disappeared. After a month of searching, he was declared missing, presumed dead. Captain Tarven Rix, the XO, was promoted to Captain by Challenger Squadron's new CO, Commodore Elizabeth Wyatt.