Polaris Squadron
Polaris Squadron is a multi-mission unit within Fourth Fleet Operations under the command of Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes. Principally dedicated to frontier science and research through the multi-disciplinary Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity, the squadron's area of operations places it in situations where it also frequently engaged on security, diplomatic and humanitarian mattters.
The flagship of Polaris Squadron is the USS Polaris, an Odyssey-class heavy explorer, and when not operating at-large, the squadron is headquartered at Archanis Station, a Canopus-class starbase.
Operations
Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity
The Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity (ASTRA) is a specialized, cross-functional unit intended to fuel Starfleet’s innovation engine through discovery, investigations and interactions on the frontier.
Additionally, ASTRA provides rapid response support for critical non-traditional events from biological threats to spacetime anomalies where its specialized compliment of scientists, engineers and analysts may be particularly suited.
- Executive Director: Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes
- Managing Director: Commodore Olivia Larsen
- Astrophysics Research Lead: Commander Tom Brooks, Ph.D.
- Geophysics Research Lead: Lieutenant Syleth Sh'vot, Ph.D.
- Xenotechnology Research Lead: Lieutenant Commander Sena
- Xenohistory Research Lead: Commander Sally Stirling, Ph.D.
- Medical Research Lead: Commander James Henderson, M.D., M.P.H.
- Psychological Research Lead: Lieutenant Lisa Hall, Ph.D.
ASTRA's primary operations are based off the USS Polaris, and it also maintains significant research facilities aboard the USS Ingenuity for smaller operations that do not require the whole squadron, the USS Vesta and USS Juno for deep space operations separated from the rest of the squadron, and on Archanis Station for long-term research activities. Research fellows and specialists, rather than staying homed to one vessel, will frequently transfer between vessels within the squadron as necessary for the parameters of a given mission.
Composition
| USS Polaris Odyssey-class Heavy Explorer |
Squadron Flagship | Flag Officer: Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes Commanding Officer: Fleet Captain Gérard Devreux |
| USS Ingenuity * Pathfinder-class Science Vessel |
Mobile Research Platform since March 2401; missing since October 2401 |
Commanding Officer: Commander Cora Lee |
| USS Diligent Alita-class Heavy Escort |
Tactical Interdiction Support since March 2401 |
Commanding Officer: Captain Dorian Vox |
| USS Serenity * Duderstadt-class Science Vessel |
Surveillance and Rapid Response Support since April 2401; missing since October 2401 |
Commanding Officer: Captain Jake Lewis |
| USS Vesta Vesta-class Explorer |
Deep Space Research Platform since November 2401 |
Commanding Officer: Captain McKenna Avery |
| USS Juno Glenn-class Heavy Cruiser |
Deep Space Support Ship since January 2402 |
Commanding Officer: Captain Anthony Knight |
| Archanis Station ** Canopus-class Starbase |
Sector Headquarters since June 2401 |
Flag Officer: Vice Admiral Alex Grayson Commanding Officer: Fleet Captain Elsie Drake |
* USS Serenity and USS Ingenuity currently classified as Mission-in-Action as of the events of Entropic Foliations of the Galactic Fabric in October 2401.
** Archanis Station operates independently of Polaris Squadron, although it is listed here given that the Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity retains significant operational facilities aboard the station.
Leadership
| Fleet Admiral Allison Reyes | Squadron Commander Polaris Squadron |
Executive Director Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity |
| Commodore Olivia Larsen | Managing Director Advanced Science, Technology and Research Activity | |
| Fleet Captain Gérard Devreux | Squadron Deputy Commander Polaris Squadron |
Commanding Officer USS Polaris |
| Captain Dorian Vox | Unit Commander Polaris Strategic Operations |
Commanding Officer USS Diligent |
| Captain Jake Lewis | Unit Commander Polaris Intelligence and Hazardous Operations |
Commanding Officer USS Serenity |
| Commander Cora Lee | Unit Commander Polaris Engineering Operations |
Commanding Officer USS Ingenuity |
History
The Lost Fleet (March 2401)
In the early days of the Lost Fleet crisis, the Nasera System fell to the Dominion. A key industrial center and one of the oldest Federation colonies in the Deneb Sector, the USS Polaris was led the counter-offensive to retake Nasera. It was joined by, among other ships, the USS Ingenuity and USS Diligent, which would go on to become part of Polaris Squadron. Following the recapture of Nasera, members of Polaris Squadron then transferred to the USS Serenity to lead a series of hit-and-run attacks that culminated with the Battle of the Ciatar Nebula.
See Infiltrate & Liberate for the story of the recapture of Nasera, and The Voices of Deneb for stories from the squadron later in the conflict.
Frontier Day (April 2401)
Following the Lost Fleet crisis, members of Polaris Squadron, still aboard the USS Serenity, travelled to Earth to investigate why Starfleet hadn't committed more resources to repel the Dominion. The team uncovered a conspiracy within Starfleet, which they ultimately traced back to the Changelings, but it was too little and too late to stop the events of Frontier Day from unfolding. The USS Serenity ultimately became overtaken by the Borg via the Fleet Formation technology, while members of her crew aboard Sol Station did what they could to protect the members of the civilian government that had assembled for the festivities.
See Troubles on the Homefront for the story of Frontier Day.
Borg Crisis (June 2401)
While investigating a Borg homing beacon that had reactivated in the shadow of Wolf 359, Polaris Squadron received a mysterious distress originating from the Beta Serpentis system. The USS Ingenuity was dispatched to investigate, discovering that a Borg vinculum, originally from the Battle of Wolf 359, had manipulated the neural patterns of the Andorian colonists, leading them to pursue a means to summon the Collective back into the Alpha Quadrant by building a transwarp conduit.
See Children of the Borg for the story of Beta Serpentis.
JAG Preferral (June 2401)
During the operation to retake the Nasera System during the the Lost Fleet crisis, Polaris Squadron's JAG officer became convinced that members of Polaris Squadron had committed war crimes. In response, he filed charges against two of the squadron's senior officers, and a senior hearing officer from the JAG Corps came aboard to decide whether or not to refer the preferral to a General Court Martial. After a heated trial, the hearing officer ultimately ruled that, while there was substantial evidence that war crimes were committed, the JAG had failed to demonstrate, beyond a reasonable doubt, the connection between those crimes and the defendants, and thus, the charges were dropped.
See Reverberations and Ramifications for the story of the war crimes trial.
Underspace Crisis (October 2401)
Soon after settling into its new home in the Archanis Sector, Polaris Squadron received a distress call from Vespara Prime, an agrarian colony that reports the inexplicable appearance of a singularity that is sucking the planet out of the systems habitable zone. Polaris Squadron soon determined the singularity was, in fact, an aberrant Underspace aperture which had suddenly reached out into the Alpha Quadrant. While in a race against time to save the planet, a Klingon task group arrived, offering their assistance. With Klingon support, they managed to stabilize the aperture, but soon thereafter, the squadron became twisted up in a geopolitical mess between the Klingons, who sought to use the Underspace for war, and the Cardassians, who sought to collapse it. Ultimately, the Cardassians succeed, but in doing so, the USS Serenity and the USS Ingenuity ended up stranded on the far side of the Beta Quadrant, over six thousand light years from home and the rest of the squadron.
See Entropic Foliations of the Galactic Fabric for the story of Vespara Prime, the mixup with the Cardassians and the Klingons, and the loss of the Serenity and the Ingenuity.
Terrorist Attack on Duraxis (December 2401)
See Subversion Unveiled for the story of Borg malware, localists protests, and false flag operations on the backwater colony of Duraxis.
Bioweapon Unleashed on Archanis Station (December 2401)
See Contagion Unleashed for the story of what happened when a Dominion bioweapon, dormant for thirty years, was unleashed upon Archanis Station.