USS Advance

USS Advance
General Information
Registry	NCC-68722
Class & Type	Freedom-class scout
Affiliation	Starfleet
Status	Active
Commissioned	2340
Assignment
Task Force	Task Force 86
Role	Scout
Template:Starship

USS Advance NCC-68722 is a Freedom-class Federation starship currently assigned to Fourth Fleet's Task Force 86.

It is commanded by Captain Ssismar, a Selay officer and support’s Task Force 86’s aims of defending the Federation borders by scouting along the borders and using its powerful sensors to detect pirate and hostile activity and then report it to more capable ships for investigation. Like most Freedom-class ships it is capable of responding to minor engagements but it is not suited to handling larger threats.

Design and Layout

An unusual design in this day and age, the USS Advance has only one warp nacelle, which is likely the thing that most people first notice about it. A single nacelle means that while it was once quick, it travels at a maximum emergency speed of warp 7.5 with its normal cruising speed being warp 6. Thanks to its sublight engines it is quick and manoeuvrable at impulse speeds, allowing it to either evade larger threat vessels or engage with minor pirate threats.

The USS Advance’s single shuttle bay allows for it to hold only four shuttles, which are usually deployed for transporting crew. The shuttles are often the newest thing about the ship, as most of it remains from its original construction over fifty years ago. The ship is small, antiquated, and if your characters have to transfer over to it they’ll likely find it unpleasant. The ship lacks holodecks and only has the most basic recreation facilities for its crew.

Mission Operations

The USS Advance is a scout ship. It has been assigned to scouting along the Federation side of the border in two month increments. It is based out of Starbase 86, but runs from starbase to starbase often stopping and changing crew at each stop. Freedom-class ships are unpopular assignments, so other than the captain, the entire crew often changes over when an assignment is done. Anyone who remains on the ship tends to do so because they have been unable to secure a more prestigious posting.

With its long range scanners the USS Advance has detected new first civilizations worthy of being contacted, though the actual first contact is conducted by another ship with a more experienced crew and better facilities.

The ship has, at times, been used as a low-key transport for VIPs and ambassadors. It is often chosen for taking an ambassador to a trouble spot in secret, where a larger ship might raise eyebrows to draw unwanted attention.

History

Since its construction in 2340, the USS Advance has been patrolling the Federation’s borders. It has dealt with several pirate vessels, and protected unarmed or lightly armed civilian craft. Its exploits, however, are not particularly notable, and it was scheduled for decommissioning in 2401 after over sixty years of service. For this reason, it was uncrewed on Frontier Day and was not involved in the events of that day. Following the losses of Frontier Day, it was returned to active service along with other ships such as the Ambassador-class which had been seen as obsolete.

Crew of the USS Advance

Captain Sesismar: Commanding Officer

Captain Ssismar is a Selay officer and seems to enjoy his assignment, likely the only one on the USS Advance who isn’t dreaming of another posting. He is optimistic, outgoing, and friendly. Do not confuse this for weakness or a lack of intelligence, as he is tactically astute and has been offered other commands in the past. He simply relishes the challenge of getting the most from both the USS Advance and its generally inexperienced crew.

In Play

• The USS Advance is a Task Force asset and any writer in Task Force 86 may include it in their story.
• She is useful for providing a ‘hook’ for a mission, either by stumbling on a situation that your ship later needs to handle, or doing the initial surveying of a situation.
• This is an acceptable ship to rescue or put in peril that your command needs to rescue. However, do not kill off any named characters (listed above) or destroy the ship.
• Let the Task Force CO or XO know of any significant usage of the ship, both so they can approve it and chronicle it.
• The Advance will likely be engaged with duties that protect Federation space, such as patrolling or shuttling VIPs to a world.
• In Captain Ssismar you’ll find an enthusiastic partner for whatever your plot requires. He is competent and confident in his ship, though be aware of its limitations. In other crew members, however, you’ll likely find that they’re waiting to transfer off, and may even ask if you have any positions open.
• If your characters have to ride aboard the USS Advance they’ll likely find it small, and out of date compared to the majority of other ships. The lack of holodecks will also be noteworthy to Starfleet officers who are used to at least that entertainment option on even the smallest starships.