USS Atascadero
“Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.” - John F. Kennedy
USS Atascadero (NCC-87080) is a California-class multi-mission light starship currently assigned to Fourth Fleet's Task Force 86, operating near The Triangle region of space under the command of Captain ____ . Produced at the Avalon Fleet Yards and launched in 2385, the Atascadero incorporated the latest Starfleet technologies available at the time. While classified as a Multi-Mission Support vessel and capable of a wide spectrum of missions, the Atascadero specializes in low-level diplomatic and administrative missions that, while unglamorous, are essential to Starfleet's long term goals in the region.
DESIGN AND LAYOUT
Externally similar to her California-class sisters, the Atascadero has a large, circular primary hull, two large nacelles suspended below the primary hull, and a small secondary hull mounted between the nacelles. A "clean sheet" design intended from the beginning to fulfil second-line support duties, the California-class has largely replaced the older Miranda, Constellation, and Excelsior-class ships which had been modified for these missions when their usefulness as front-line units had diminished. Unlike the clean, sleek lines of larger explorers and cruisers optimized for speed and tactical situations, the California-class is a pragmatic and utilitarian design which has proved it's value to Starfleet many times over since it's introduction in 2368.
The Atascadero was originally laid down in 2382 at the Avalon Fleet Yards as part of the fourth batch of the class ordered by Starfleet. However, with the impending Romulan Supernova, all of Starfleet's resources were diverted to constructing the largest evacuation fleet in history, delaying production on lower-priority projects. The attack on the Utopia Planitia Shipyard caused further delays in starship production and the Atascadero was finally launched in December, 2386- over a year behind initial estimates.
One advantage of the delayed production schedule was allowing the most up-to-date subsystems to be included in the ship. Some of these advanced subsystems include an Advanced Environmental System, specifically in the VIP quarters, which allows the ship to accommodate nearly any form of sentient life. Also included was an Advanced Communications Suite, which allows the ship to send encrypted and secured holographic communications through the subspace network. Finally, there are the numerous small incremental improvements incorporated into all Starfleet ships which differentiate new-build starships to those built 20 years prior.