USS Endeavour
The USS Endeavour NCC-91502 is an Obena Class starship assigned to the Fourth Fleet under the command of Captain Matt Rourke. In late-2399, Endeavour was attached to a diplomatic mission to the Neutral Zone to further Federation interests in the region and develop stronger relations with the Romulan Star Empire and Romulan Republic.
Design and Layout
Expected to take point on diplomatic operations in a fraught region of space, Endeavour has been outfitted to defend herself against the threats of the Neutral Zone and Starfleet's enemies in the region, but more importantly with the facilities to represent the Federation by hosting summits and providing relief to the many stricken refugees.
At Captain Rourke's behest, refits were undertaken to install a Combat Information Centre the like of which was aboard her predecessor, harnessing the greater space and resources of an Obena. This necessitated a larger Strategic Operations staff. Likewise, modifications were made to the Security Department's section to ensure facilities were installed for Endeavour's Hazard Team.
The Safe House
The main lounge and bar aboard Endeavour, the Safe House is expected to act not just as a leisure space for the crew, but to host gatherings with guests that could include diplomats and dignitaries. As such, it has been designed for comfort and entertainment, with floor-panelling of real maple and brass-coloured fixtures to give the establishment a warm, welcoming feel helped by gentle lighting. Staff are a mixture of holographs overseen by several real shift leaders and their manager, whose attire matches the décor to invoke something of the feel of a 1920s speakeasy. This aesthetic is matched by the music, produced by a holographic band on the main stage, though the space is sometimes used for live performances by crewmembers.
Auxiliary Craft
Some of the auxiliary craft from the previous Endeavour were recovered, and Rourke retained and expanded the naming conventions of before, shuttles and runabouts named after the mythical court of Camelot. Rather than retain the full complement of smallcraft for an Obena, a quartet of fighters have been installed, deployed for ceremonial escort duties as much as patrol and scouting missions.
- 8 Type-12 Shuttles: Galahad, Lancelot, Bedivere, Percival, Gawain, Tristan, Agravain, Dagonet
- 2 Orion-class runabouts: Uther Pendragon, Merlin
- 2 New Atlantic-class runabouts: King Arthur, Guinevere
- 4 Valkyrie-class starfighters: Black Knight Flight
History
The USS Endeavour was originally commissioned as the Tianwen, one of the last waves of Obena-class ships constructed in the 24th century. As the United Federation of Planets began to reconsider its isolationist policies after the Coppelius incident of mid-2399, the construction of more ships capable of conducting missions of diplomacy and exploration was ordered. With the Obenas originally designed in the years after the Dominion War to evoke the prestige of Starfleet's more peaceful eras, a new construction order was logical.
The Tianwen had an uneven birth. An error by programmers slowed the development of her bio-neural circuitry, a delay that cost the Tianwen the anticipated choice for commanding officer, as Captain Dorain accepted assignment to Starfleet Science instead. She was considered a choice for First Secretary Sophia Hale's diplomatic expedition to the Neutral Zone, but without a captain or selected crew, the duty remained with Hale's first choice, the Manticore-class USS Endeavour.
When Endeavour was damaged by sabotage at the hands of the Romulan Rebirth Movement and decommissioned, Admiral Alexander Beckett stepped in to secure the Tianwen for the Neutral Zone operation. At his behest she was renamed Endeavour, with the admiral arguing the continuity sent a message to those who opposed Starfleet's involvement in the region. The surviving crew of the previous Endeavour were assigned to the new ship, including commanding officer Captain Rourke, and further personnel selected to bolster her ranks.
As of December 2399, Endeavour has entered the Romulan Neutral Zone to begin relief missions, on occasion in cooperation with the Romulan Star Empire or Romulan Republic, for the refugee worlds that have mostly stood alone for a decade and a half.