USS Andromeda
USS Andromeda (NCC-90800) is a Andromeda-class Federation starship currently assigned to Fourth Fleet's Task Force 86. She is currently under the command of Captain Olivia Carrillo and a member of Andromeda Division.
Design and Layout
The USS Andromeda is the first ship in the Andromeda-class and as such it has set the standard for the class on an ongoing basis. With a mission profile that is divided equally between defensive, diplomatic, and scientific, the ship balances those priories in its design. Following the design of the famed Galaxy-class the ship is almost a throwback to Starfleet ship designs from half a century prior. While eschewing the luxurious carpeting the Andromeda is never-the-less a comfortable design for the twenty-fifth century.
Large science bays dot the ship, and take the most room. Both standard and specialized labs are included, and are configurable depending on the mission needs. Included in these are a large astrometrics lab for stellar cartography. Given that the Andromeda is meant to be away from a space station for long periods its scientific focus is on tests and studies that are best done out among the stars rather than at a stationary space dock. Included in these is a large history and anthropology section to support the ship's meetings with new and diverse cultures. These include a large cetacean operations department to bring along crew members, and host visiting dignitaries who are ocean bound.
The ship also has large and comfortable diplomatic facilities as it acts in its capacity as a diplomatic envoy. With offices set aside for non-Starfleet Federation Diplomats and spacious meeting rooms like the Luna-class it's configured to host partially any type of life form regardless of what sort of environment they come from. This includes rooms and quarters that can be configured for differing gravity types, and environmental situations. The ship's Isoliner-Bio-Neural computer systems allow for quick translation.
Finally the Andromeda is capable tactically. Building on the already tactically capable design of the Galaxy-class the Andromeda-class adds decades of innovation in. From increased shielding with the latest in Multiphasic Shields, to a Type-XII Pulse Phaser Turret that defends the bridge module in almost every department this is a leap forward.
Support Craft
The Andromeda is large, but not a carrier. As such its collection of small craft is mostly to support it's primary mission types of diplomacy and exploration. The main vessel is meant to be the tactical vessel and unlike the Odyssey-class it does not embark a tactically capable support craft. Its three shuttle bays hold ten shuttles, four runabouts, and a Sovereign-type captain's yacht which is not integrated into the main vessel unlike the Galaxy-class but held in a shuttle bay in lieu of four shuttles. This is used as a diplomatic vessel further expanding the main ship's diplomatic reach.
The support craft currently aboard the USS Andromeda are:
- 1 x Sovereign-type captain's yacht: USS Perseus
- 1 x Delta-class Runabout: USS Hesione
- 1 x Orion-class Runabout: USS Cleostratus
- 2 x New Atlantic-class runabout: USS Alcyoneus, USS Iphigenia
- 10 x Type-14 shuttles:
History
The USS Andromeda was launched for shakedown operations in 2398, and the finally entered service in 2399, the first of its class. From 2399 until 2402 it served as a diplomatic ferry within the Federation largely visiting core member world's to remind citizens of Starfleet's glory days of Captain Picard's Galaxy- class USS Enterprise. After Frontier Day it was felt to be vital to remind people of the good work that Starfleet had done, and with the rebuilt Enterprise-D on people's mind, it felt important to show them that the best days were not behind Starfleet.
In early 2402 the USS Andromeda was assigned to the frontlines, and sent to Starbase 86 to become a part of the renamed Andromeda Division taking the place of the USS Selene as a more tactically capable vessel. Placed in the hands of the relatively inexperienced Captain Olivia Carrillo it was tasked with shoring up relations with unaligned worlds within The Triangle and defending Romulan worlds threatened by the expansionist Klingon Empire.
Cease First :: 2402
Shortly after taking command of the USS Andromeda, Captain Carrillo is assigned a diplomatic assignment in The Triangle mediating between two warring worlds whose conflict has extended to attacks on any ship that enters their solar system. Federation Ambassador T'Venik is assigned to the ship as a permanent addition to the diplomatic capabilities of the ship as well as the mission specialist for this particular mission. A familiar face also joins the crew as the new First Officer in Andorian Kan Th'kaotross who had previously served with many of the officers aboard the USS Seattle and USS Anaheim.
After rather easily surviving an initial attack by the inferior forces of the Whemwhoan the crew of the Andromeda must mediate a generations-long disagreement between the lazy and self-centred Whemwhoan and the AI-controlled android race called only the Serfs. The Serfs had originally been AI drones created by the Whemwhoan to do their grunt work, but after centuries of service the robotic race pushed for citizenship only to be attacked. Eventually, they were driven off world to a previously thought inhospitable world which they settled. The Whemwhoan then took the war to the Serfs, engaging in endless attempts at genocide until both sides believed the only path to peace was the destruction of the other side.
The Andromeda is resupplied by the USS Falcon as negotiations continue. The effects of the Blackout are discovered as both ships are unable to contact the Federation or Starfleet.