USS Arcturus
The USS Arcturus is an Odyssey Class starship assigned to Task Force 72 under the command of Captain Michael Lancaster, serving as the flagship for Rear Admiral Elizabeth Hayden's long-duration Delta Quadrant expedition. As a member of the largest class in Starfleet, she has a crew of 2,500 and serves as a mobile base of operation for a flotilla of runabouts and a handful of smaller starships assigned to operations in the Nacene Reach, with the goal of exploring the area first encountered by the starship Voyager in greater detail than was possible during the early days of her journey home. Unlike her sister ships, the Arcturus has been specifically built to command missions of extreme distance and duration, with greater system redundancy and industrial fabrication capabilities than is standard for Odyssey-class ships which are more often used for diplomatic and command duties closer to the Federation.
Design and Layout
Though several other ships of the class had already been built, the construction process was lengthened by the modifications made to both the internal systems and the exterior hull geometry of the Arcturus for her specialized mission parameters, which resulted in a primary hull that was closer in shape to the older Galaxy-class, the elliptical shape allowing for more quarters with viewports and expanded crew support facilities in the primary hull. The secondary hull was also given a rounder shape to accommodate the extra industrial replicator complexes, ship's stores, and a large recreation deck for the secondary hull crew. While the shield and phaser systems were identical to the base class, an additional set of torpedo launchers was added on either side of the main navigational deflector, to provide the ship with enough additional firepower to discourage hostile forces from engaging her.
The Class-9 warp drive system from the base class was retained, but the power conduits and structure of the core itself were both reinforced and fitted with redundant backups of nearly every component to allow for longer stretches without maintenance. The saucer warp drive system was also enhanced to allow for more than just occasional jaunts away from the stardrive section, with the goal of allowing each section to operate independently for longer periods of time on separate exploratory missions. In addition, the ship's rear structure was adapted to allow for both the primary impulse engines in the ship's interconnecting dorsal and the saucer impulse engines to both be available in all flight modes. Combined with the impulse jets integrated into the ship's warp nacelle pylons, this gave the Arcturus sublight speeds that matched or exceeded any escort-class starship of the same vintage.
The widest deck of the saucer section (given the ship's overall shape, on the Arcturus the primary hull was never referred to as the "chevron") was home to a wide gallery that ran the perimeter of the exterior, from one impulse engine all the way around to the other. On the interior side were art installations, planters, and quiet spaces for nutrition and relaxation. On the exterior side were lounges that had broad windows looking out into space, which led directly to the gallery itself. Based on deck ten of the Galaxy-class, this space was built to give the ship's crew open spaces that would help fight against the natural isolation and claustrophobia that came from long-duration exploratory missions. Amidships was a large lounge forward, which was placed in front of the ship's main promenade, a three-deck open area that included further biological installations, restaurants staffed by holographic beings, and more open space to help the crew cope with long missions away from starbases by providing a large, open space that mimicked a city center.
Support Ship: USS Hokule'a
Like all Odyssey-class starships, the Arcturus is equipped with a stern cradle to store and transport an Aquarius-class light escort. The Arcturus's support vessel is the USS Hokule'a (NCC-84000/1), which is the Hawai'an name for the star Arcturus. This vessel is used for multiple mission profiles including defense of the mothership, scouting and survey missions, transport missions, and other tasks that are too complex for a simple runabout or shuttle to perform. The Hokule'a does not have its own crew and is manned by mothership personnel depending on the particular mission, but a skeleton crew is kept aboard at all times to keep it ready for launch at a moment's notice. When the Arcturus goes to yellow or red alert, a full standby crew is brought aboard to prepare for possible combat operations, under the command of one of the ship's officers of the watch. The Arcturus's executive officer is the designated captain of the Hokule'a for these sorts of deployments.
Pre-Service History (2394-2399)
Following the destruction of Utopia Planitia in 2385, Starfleet's shipbuilding priorities were thrown into disarray, as a substantial number of the Federation's large shipyards had been temporarily diverted to producing evacuation transports for the Romulan relocation effort, at the expense of larger explorers and dedicated science vessels. In the chaos that resulted from the destabilization and reorganization of the Romulan Star Empire just a few years later, Starfleet began prioritizing vessels that could be assigned to defensive duties and which would be used to maintain the integrity of the Federation's borders. In the mid-2390s, though, certain factions within Starfleet's higher echelons were successful in securing resources to plan a return to long-range exploratory missions, especially those that could be carried out by the newly-built Century and Vesta-class starships which represented new standards in automation, efficiency, and independence. While these vessels were especially well-suited for solo missions in the Alpha and Beta quadrants that would eventually be followed up on by science vessels, the Delta Exploration Initiative pushed for expeditions that would be able to support multiple starships for an extended period in an environment without bases or supply depots.
As such, the Arcturus was ordered in 2394 as an experimental variant of the Odyssey-class which would include greater system redundancy and industrial fabrication capabilities to allow it to serve as a long-range base of operations for an expedition to the Delta Quadrant. As a proof of concept, she would embark on a three-month trial mission through the Barzan Wormhole into the Delta Quadrant starting in early 2399 and accompanied by a task group from the Fourth Fleet's Task Force 38. Even before construction had started, then-Fleet Captain Elizabeth Hayden was selected as her commanding officer and of the task group. While many construction sites were considered, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers settled on Epsilon Indi Station, to test the feasibility of building large explorers at Starfleet's smaller construction facilities, using modular assembly protocols with individual sections of the ship brought in from other small bases and then integrated at Epsilon Indi, with the eventual goal of reducing the reliance on large fleet yards such as Utopia Planitia.
Construction at Epsilon Indi
Captain Akintoye Okusanya was selected to oversee the design and construction phases for the Arcturus, with the first hull sections beginning construction in early 2395. Construction proceeded without significant issues, and in 2396 then-Commander Michael Lancaster, the Chief of Staff of the Delta Exploration Initiative, began to develop a crew roster and equipment manifest suitable for the Arcturus's stated three-month trial mission as well as the very real possibility that the ship and those accompanying her would find themselves stranded 70,000 light-years from home and need to make their way back via conventional means, should the wormhole's stability fail. Lancaster was eventually promoted to Captain and assigned as Hayden's first officer, alongside Okusanya as Captain of Engineering, and a fourth captain to lead the ship's medical department: Captain Alenis Anjar, M.D., both because of the sheer size of the ship's crew and to ensure that there would be a deep bench of command talent to pull from, should one or more of the ship's senior officers be killed during the course of the mission.
Operational History (2399-Present)
Since her launch in early 2399, the Arcturus has served as a front-line exploratory starship, though she has also engaged in significant tactical operations in both the Alpha and Delta quadrants as a result of circumstances rather than intentions.
2399
Shakedown in the Alpha Quadrant
Departure from Epsilon Indi
The Arcturus was launched in early 2399 from Epsilon Indi Station. On the eve of the ship's departure to the Barzan system, the Waverider shuttle carrying the ship's first officer and a handful of other officers on their way to join the crew was hijacked by a Starfleet officer who had become disaffected with Starfleet's return towards pre-Mars shipbuilding levels, which he felt put the population of the Federation at the same risk of the thousands who lost their lives during the attack on Utopia Planitia fourteen years prior. Captain Lancaster and his associates were able to defeat his plot to destroy Epsilon Indi station, and the Arcturus continued on schedule to its mission.
Alpha Quadrant War Games
Prior to departure from Guardian Station in the Alpha Quadrant, the Arcturus engaged in a war game scenario with a wing of destroyers from the Andorian Imperial Guard, at the behest of the Delta Exploration Initiative's leader, Vice Admiral Jonathan Knox. The Andorians were selected as their vessels and tactics were believed to approximate what the Kazon in the Delta Quadrant could have achieved with thirty years of growth since the last time Voyager was present; their largely forward-oriented weapons and high maneuverability would be a substantial threat to a large vessel like the Arcturus. Thanks to the actions of the crew of the Apollo, the Arcturus's battle group won the day, leaving the ship ready to depart with a crew in good spirits from a recent win.
First Delta Quadrant Expedition
Delta Quadrant Katabasis
Proceeding at high warp on a month-long journey from the wormhole towards Ocampa, the Arcturus's first priorities in the Delta Quadrant were to demonstrate their ship's preparedness to operate independently from Starfleet and to document the current conditions in the Delta Quadrant along the 800 light-year corridor connecting the Barzan Wormhole and the area known as the Nacene Reach, to help decided future exploration and diplomatic priorities. During this journey, the Arcturus recovered the wreck of the USS Strickland, a science vessel that had been thrown into the reach due to a warp coil imbalance and which later participated in the stabilization of the Barzan Wormhole.
Ocampan Second Contact
Upon reaching the Ocampa system, the place that Voyager's journey home began, the Arcturus completed a detailed survey and inventory of the remains of the Caretaker's array, finding nearly all of the debris removed entirely from the site, followed by a detailed scan of the Ocampan homeworld. While initially believed to be uninhabited, the Ocampa were eventually revealed to be still living in their subterranean city, using tetryon reactors reverse-engineered from the array. This group of Ocampa believed that their survival was dependent on their isolation and they lived as if they were still being supported by the Caretaker, as his technology was now maintaining their way of life without his direct intervention. Contact was also made with splinter factions of the Ocampa, the two so-far known to exist being a militant isolationist faction which used commandeered and enhanced Kazon vessels to aggressively defend a small number of systems near Ocampa (and to respond to incursions on the Ocampan homeworld) and an exploratory faction who wanted to seek out connections with their neighbors. These ideologically-distinct factions were attributed to the societal development that occurred in the five Ocampan generations that had been born since Voyager left, as fewer Ocampa were willing to subscribe to orthodoxy following the Caretaker's death.
Return to the Wormhole
With second contact and diplomatic relations achieved between the Federation and Ocampa, the Arcturus left a communications relay in orbit connected to a network being deployed by engineering support ships in their group, which the Ocampa shielded with the same technology that allowed their city to remain hidden, and the Arcturus began her journey back towards the wormhole with data from other successful contacts from her task group to report back and to check the results of automated probes left in her wake. Along the way, the Arcturus rendezvoused with the Apollo, which had suffered engine damage during an encounter with the Kazon. With the much smaller ship attached to the Arcturus via magnetic clamps, Arcturus proceeded through the wormhole back to Barzan II.
The Breen Crisis & The Archanis Campaign
Attack on Guardian Station
When the Arcturus emerged, though, Guardian Station was under attack by the Breen. Moments after the Arcturus raised shields and prepared to engage, Admiral Knox's flagship purposefully rammed a Breen dreadnought, vaporizing both ships. The Sovereign-class USS Seleya was burning in space, and the Challenger-class USS Shahid had been destroyed completely. With an investigation underway and a sudden vacuum in leadership in the region, Fleet Captain Hayden was promoted directly to Rear Admiral and ordered to maintain order with a newly-reformulated Task Force 9 along the Breen Border. Captain Lancaster was promoted to the ship's commanding officer.
The Breen Crisis
Then-Rear Admiral Hayden led from the front, using the Arcturus in several major strike operations against Breen bolt-holes in the coreward Alpha Quadrant, both in retaliation for the death of Admiral Knox and to secure against future Breen attacks in the region. The Arcturus, the Apollo, and six other ships were used to destroy a second Breen dreadnought, which had the desired impact of giving the Breen enough pause to allow Starfleet to reinforce the region, which continues to be volatile. After six weeks on these duties, the Arcturus was relieved by a more combat-oriented vessel.
The Archanis Campaign
Before the Arcturus could return to the Delta Quadrant, she played a brief role in the Archanis Campaign. While the ship itself was only involved in one battle at the end of the campaign, a Hazard Team of officers meant to join the ship before its next trip to the Delta Quadrant was deputized by Fourth Fleet Command to scouting duties. With Admiral Hayden remaining temporarily on Starbase 38 to plan their next expedition into deep space, the Arcturus rendezvoused with her team in the Archanis sector to retrieve several hundred Orion refugees, which she transported into Federation space before heading back to the Barzan Wormhole.
Return to the Delta Quadrant
While Hayden was able to coordinate Starfleet's response to increasing Breen aggression and during the Archanis Campign, once more tactically-suitable vessels were brought into the region, Starfleet refocused its attention to using the Arcturus for its intended purpose: long-range exploration, and so the Arcturus was re-deployed to the Delta Quadrant with a new mandate for a five-year mission with the possibility for indefinite renewal.
Thalruatania and the Tkon-Omega Crisis
The Arcturus made first contact with the Thalruatanians in August of 2399 in an area of space approximately sixty light-years spinward of the course Voyager took through the Nacene Reach. This civilization of four-legged humanoids was notable for being one of the few observed races to have successfully created an ecumenopolis, a city that covered the entire surface of their planet. Their culture was noted for being both communally-oriented with little sense of individual needs or wants, while also being extremely materialistic: old structures were demolished when they outlived their usefulness, paved over to make way for newer, taller structures, which led to their fractured understanding of their own history.
Following this first contact, provisions were made for a follow-up mission to install a subspace relay station in orbit of the planet, which would allow the Thalruatanians to contact the Federation through the Barzan Wormhole. While on course for the next world in her exploratory course, however, the Arcturus detected a substantial quantity of Omega molecules on Thalruatania. Before they could return to the planet to implement the Omega Directive, a small amount of the substance had interacted with the fusion reactor at the base of one of the planet's massive arcologies, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and moderate subspace distortions around the planet which made navigation and communication through subspace extremely difficult.
Captain Lancaster and Rear Admiral Hayden made the decision to separate the ship, leaving Hayden and the bulk of the ship's complement on the warp-capable saucer far enough away from Thalruatania to allow Hayden to remain in contact with the other ships under her command nearby and to allow them a chance to escape, should Lancaster fail to destroy Omega. When the stardrive section returned to Thalruatania, Lancaster was forced to destroy a Kazon-Reloramar carrier harassing the planet's surface, as the Kazon thought that Omega was a secret weapon. Using the embarked support ship, the captain and a small team were successful in retrieving and neutralizing the remaining Omega from the planet, as the risk to life from using a graviton torpedo was too great. As Omega was being neutralized, however, the Kazon returned in force and Lancaster bluffed that Omega was indeed a weapon and that he would use it if he had to, forcing the Kazon to retreat with minimal casualties on their side.
In possession of a probe from an unknown race but which had significant similarities with Tkon technology, the Arcturus was then tasked along with the rest of the Fourth Fleet with locating nearby Tkon beacons and reactivating them. After the probe was successfully translated, the ship travelled to Eta Torrensis IV, where it located and reactivated the beacon, stored deep within a long-forgotten museum of a dead race. During the course of this mission, the Arcturus engaged in a significant battle with the Kazon, during which a great many ships of the Kazon-Reloramar were destroyed, possibly altering the balance of power in the region. The Arcturus lost two runabouts and the Hokule'a suffered significant damage, with seventeen casualties in total.
Notable Crew
With a crew of over twice the size of the previous largest starship in the fleet (the Galaxy-class explorer) and an extended-duration mission profile, the Arcturus has more senior officers than most other starships, with a command structure closer to a major starbase than the average explorer. The ship's captain reports to the mission commander.
Commanding Officers
- 2395-2399: Captain Akintoye Okusanya (Construction Supervisor, Pre-commissioning)
- Early 2399-Mid 2399: Fleet Captain Elizabeth Hayden
- Mid 2399-Present: Captain Michael Lancaster