Federation Campaign Updates Thread

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

Note this is a brief test campaign for v2.4.0 and only has the setup post and first update.

The Federation
In 2035, Earth was devastated by a global nuclear war. An invasion of the Russian Far East by China drew a nuclear response. Within a few days every nuclear power on the planet had been dragged into the conflict, or started their own. Conventional war continued on for a few months in a devastated world before the remaining nation states finally collapsed. A nuclear winter followed, reducing mankind to approximately ten percent of the pre-war population.

Civilisation survived, albeit with 19th century levels of technology, within scattered remnants of the predecessor states. In the decades that followed, as conditions improved and the embryonic new states started to expand, small wars still broke out over territory or resources. One state, known simply as the Federation, was more successful than other the nascent polities and expanded as a result of incorporating other territories through treaties, rather than conquering them. The new state used a Federated model to allow a high degree of local control, while the federal government set high level principles, protected the state and handled foreign policy.

A few decades after the establishment of the Federation, an event occurred that changed the course of human history. An alien ship, containing the battered survivors of another apocalyptic conflict, limped into Earth orbit, established communication and asked for sanctuary. While the other emergent nations threatened the aliens, fearing their potentially destabilising influence, the Federation welcomed them with open arms. In exchange for sanctuary, the aliens shared their history and the technology of their ship.

The aliens, originally from the planet Minos, revealed that they were once part of a large, multi-system civilization, which used sentient AIs to provide most of their needs. The Minosians led an idyllic existence, until the AIs modified their own programming, developed and built advanced warships, destroyed Minos, then systematically eradicated every Minosian colony world. The AI ships remained in orbit of the various colonies, watching over the ruins of the Minosian civilization. The alien vessel, an old survey ship without AI control, managed to escape the destruction and fled blindly into deep space. By the time it reached Earth, most of its systems were disabled through lack of maintenance, including the navigation computer that would identify the location of the Minosian worlds.

While the Minosian crew only had a very limited understanding of their own technology, as their civilization’s AIs had designed almost everything, Federation scientists did have access to the ship itself. Even in its damaged state, it was far in advance of the Federation, which had technology roughly equivalent to the pre-Fall 1930s. The Federation used the ship, plus whatever knowledge its crew could provide, to advance rapidly, learning the fundamentals of Trans-Newtonian technology and subsequently beginning the conversion of their industry.

While it could have used its new weapons technology to conquer its neighbours, the Federation maintained its policy of peaceful expansion. Other nations were invited to join the Federation and enjoy the benefits of a rapidly growing economy, a high standard of living and advanced medical care. The emergent nations, many undergoing constant changes in borders and governments, did not have the long histories and national pride of pre-war states. Their citizens were eager to join the Federation and did so via occasional referenda and more common rebellions. Some wars were fought, as hostile states attacked the growing Federation, but these were brief and one-sided. Within three decades of the alien arrival, the Federation was a global superpower. The few remaining nations that maintained theoretical independence were part of the Federation in all but name.

With Earth unified, the Federation turned its focus to space exploration. Aware of the potential threat from the Minosian AIs but without any intelligence as to their location, the Federation Council decided to build-up its space-based forces, known as Starfleet, in planetary orbit before committing to full exploration. Even so, the Federation was not prepared to abandon its guiding principle of peaceful expansion, so the Council set policy that all major ships must be capable of independent survey and exploration operations, while retaining a defensive capability.

Scenario Note
This is a campaign based on Star Trek, but with different conditions to the ‘historical’ setup. In terms of period, this is 2150, with a situation similar to the beginning of Star Trek: Enterprise. There is no ‘United Federation of Planets’ and Earth is about to start exploring the galaxy, but with a larger and more capable fleet than in that series. The major alien races are also starting from their own home worlds.

Campaign Setup
•   Single player race campaign in a Real Stars universe
•   Ten starting NPRs in specific systems, mainly between 11 LY and 160 LY, plus one outlier at 325 LY, based on the following map: https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fy2qfor9r2hg71.jpg
•   The various NPRs have been given setup modifiers to reflect their ‘historical’ status.
•   Precursors (Minosian AIs), Raiders (Orion Syndicate) and Invaders (Borg) are active.
•   Minor NPRs set to 100%
•   NPRs generate Precursors, Raiders and other NPRs (which will be Minor Races).
•   Trans-Newtonian start with 2000m population.
•   Sol has a minimum of four jump points.
•   Survey Speed is 25%.
•   Limited Research Administration is on.
•   1.5x normal starting tech points to allow for different weapon systems
•   1.25x normal starting build points

Design Principles, as set by the Federation Council
•   All commercial ships should be jump capable (not including space stations)
•   All major Starships must include the following
    o   A warp (jump) drive
    o   At least 3HS each for Active, Thermal and EM Sensors.
    o   Geological and gravitational survey capability (including shuttle-based)
    o   Hangar Bay above 5% hull size
    o   Defensive Shields
    o   24+ months endurance (Maintenance and Deployment)
    o   At least 20 billion km range.
    o   Armament can include Phasers and Photon Torpedoes

The Columbia is the primary starship class of Starfleet, intended for a wide variety of different operations. Not all senior members of Starfleet shared the Federation’s idealism and optimism, so while the Columbia class abided by all the principles of Federation doctrine, it was also designed to fight if required. On that basis, the Columbia is warp-capable, well-armed, equipped with a versatile sensor suite and able to operate independently for up to two years.

The Columbia is armed with twelve standard and twelve point defence phasers, plus twelve photon torpedo launchers with ninety-six photon torpedoes available. Passive protection is provided by both shields and armour. The capacious hangar bay holds two armed shuttles, two security shuttles, two survey shuttles and two utility shuttles, giving the Columbia considerably flexibility in any situation. The standard loadout also includes six sensor probes, four sensor buoys and two geological survey probes. Eight Columbia class Starships are in service.

Columbia class Starship      60,000 tons       1,606 Crew       8,312.9 BP       TCS 1,200    TH 4,800    EM 5,550
4000 km/s    JR 3-50      Armour 5-136      Shields 185-370       HTK 345     Sensors 18/18/0/0     DCR 55-9      PPV 180
Maint Life 2.14 Years     MSP 5,262    AFR 524%    IFR 7.3%    1YR 1,535    5YR 23,022    Max Repair 750 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 4,000 tons     Magazine 1,300 / 0   
Captain    Control Rating 3   BRG   AUX   ENG   
Intended Deployment Time: 24 months    Flight Crew Berths 80    Morale Check Required   

Cochrane ZC-600-M Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 60000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AM-1200-B Impulse Drive  (4)    Power 4800    Fuel Use 39.91%    Signature 1200    Explosion 12%
Fuel Capacity 2,756,000 Litres    Range 20.7 billion km (59 days at full power)
Gamma-37 Deflector Shield (5)     Recharge Time 370 seconds (0.5 per second)

MK I Standard Phaser (12)    Range 256,000km     TS: 4,000 km/s     Power 10-3.5     RM 40,000 km    ROF 15       
MK I Point Defence Phaser (12x4)    Range 20,000km     TS: 4,000 km/s     Power 3-3     RM 20,000 km    ROF 5       
Hyperion D-80A Point Defence Fire Control (2)     Max Range: 80,000 km   TS: 4,000 km/s    ECCM-1
Hyperion P-256A Phaser Fire Control (2)     Max Range: 256,000 km   TS: 4,000 km/s    ECCM-1
R-40 Gaseous Fission Reactor (2)     Total Power Output 80.2    Exp 5%

Helios-12A Torpedo Launcher (12)     Missile Size: 12    Rate of Fire 280
Prometheus-10-SA Torpedo Fire Control (2)     Range 10.7m km    Resolution 10   ECCM-1
Prometheus-25A Torpedo Fire Control (2)     Range 24.4m km    Resolution 120   ECCM-1
MK I Photon Torpedo (96)    Speed: 25,000 km/s    End: 4.6m     Range: 7m km    WH: 12    Size: 12    TH: 83/50/25
MK I Active Sensor Buoy (4)    Speed: 0 km/s    End: 0m     Range: 0m km    WH: 0    Size: 12.00
MK I Sensor Probe (6)    Speed: 4,000 km/s    End: 22d     Range: 7,610.4m km    WH: 0    Size: 12.00
MK I Geosurvey Probe (2)    Speed: 4,000 km/s    End: 13.4d     Range: 4,622.7m km    WH: 0    Size: 12.00

AM-5A Torpedo Detection Array (1)     GPS 16     Range 5.5m km    MCR 497.5k km    Resolution 1
AS-80A Active Sensor Array (1)     GPS 17280     Range 81.8m km    Resolution 120
EM-18A Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 18     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  33.5m km
TH-18A Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 18     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  33.5m km
Electronic Warfare Jammers:   Sensor 1    Fire Control 1    Missile 1   

Strike Group
1x Copernicus Survey Craft   Speed: 1200 km/s    Size: 10
1x Galileo Survey Craft   Speed: 1200 km/s    Size: 10
2x Kepler Utility Shuttle   Speed: 3000 km/s    Size: 10
2x Asimov Armed Shuttle   Speed: 6000 km/s    Size: 10
2x Heinlein Security Shuttle   Speed: 9000 km/s    Size: 10

The Intrepid class, warp-capable but half the size of the Columbia, is a dedicated deep-space exploration vessel. It retains the same passive sensor suite and electronic warfare systems as its larger sister, although the range of the active sensors is forty percent less. Ten survey sensors have been added, split between geological and gravitational, while endurance has been substantially increased. The Intrepid is intended for missions of up to three years and has six times the range of the larger Columbia.

As the Intrepid is not intended for major combat operations, the armament is reduced to four standard phasers, four point defence phasers and a single torpedo launcher, which is intended primarily for probes and sensor buoys, although six photon torpedoes are carried. The passive defences have been reduced by sixty percent. The shuttle complement has been reduced from eight to four, with the Intrepid retaining two Kepler utility shuttles, one Asimov armed shuttle and a Heinlein security shuttle. Finally, as the engines are designed for endurance rather than speed, the Intrepid has a maximum speed of 2500 km/s, compared to 4000 km/s for the Columbia. Eight Intrepid class Starships are in service.

Intrepid class Starship      30,000 tons       762 Crew       4,139.1 BP       TCS 600    TH 1,500    EM 2,220
2500 km/s    JR 3-50      Armour 2-86       Shields 74-370       HTK 178      Sensors 18/18/5/5      DCR 37-12      PPV 42
Maint Life 4.27 Years     MSP 3,190    AFR 195%    IFR 2.7%    1YR 281    5YR 4,211    Max Repair 375 MSP
Hangar Deck Capacity 2,000 tons     Magazine 216 / 0   
Captain    Control Rating 4   BRG   AUX   ENG   SCI   
Intended Deployment Time: 36 months    Flight Crew Berths 40    Morale Check Required   

Cochrane ZC-300-M Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 30000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AM-750-E Impulse Drive  (2)    Power 1500    Fuel Use 12.32%    Signature 750    Explosion 7%
Fuel Capacity 2,416,000 Litres    Range 117.6 billion km (544 days at full power)
Gamma-37 Deflector Shield (2)     Recharge Time 370 seconds (0.2 per second)

MK I Standard Phaser (4)    Range 256,000km     TS: 4,000 km/s     Power 10-3.5     RM 40,000 km    ROF 15       
MK I Point Defence Phaser (4x4)    Range 20,000km     TS: 4,000 km/s     Power 3-3     RM 20,000 km    ROF 5       
Hyperion D-80A Point Defence Fire Control (1)     Max Range: 80,000 km   TS: 4,000 km/s    ECCM-1
Hyperion P-256A Phaser Fire Control (1)     Max Range: 256,000 km   TS: 4,000 km/s    ECCM-1
R-26 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 26.2    Exp 5%

Helios-12A Torpedo Launcher (1)     Missile Size: 12    Rate of Fire 280
Prometheus-10-SA Torpedo Fire Control (1)     Range 10.7m km    Resolution 10   ECCM-1
MK I Active Sensor Buoy (6)    Speed: 0 km/s    End: 0m     Range: 0m km    WH: 0    Size: 12.00    TH: 0/0/0
MK I Sensor Probe (6)    Speed: 4,000 km/s    End: 22d     Range: 7,610.4m km    WH: 0    Size: 12.00    TH: 13/8/4
MK I Photon Torpedo (6)    Speed: 25,000 km/s    End: 4.6m     Range: 7m km    WH: 12    Size: 12    TH: 83/50/25

AM-3A Small Torpedo Detection Array (1)     GPS 5     Range 3m km    MCR 272.5k km    Resolution 1
AS-50A Active Sensor Array (1)     GPS 6720     Range 51m km    Resolution 120
EM-18A Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 18     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  33.5m km
TH-18A Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 18     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  33.5m km
Gravitational Survey Sensors (5)   5 Survey Points Per Hour
Geological Survey Sensors (5)   5 Survey Points Per Hour
Electronic Warfare Jammers:   Sensor 1    Fire Control 1    Missile 1   

Strike Group
2x Kepler Utility Shuttle   Speed: 3000 km/s    Size: 10
1x Asimov Armed Shuttle   Speed: 6000 km/s    Size: 10
1x Heinlein Security Shuttle   Speed: 9000 km/s    Size: 10

The Copernicus class Gravitational Survey Shuttle and the almost identical Galileo class Geological Survey Shuttle are capable of independent survey operations, although as they lack warp capability they are usually deployed from starship hangar bays.

Copernicus class Survey Shuttle      Survey Craft      500 tons       12 Crew       125.1 BP       TCS 10    TH 12    EM 0
1200 km/s      Armour 1-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 2      Sensors 0/0/1/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0
Maint Life 5.83 Years     MSP 115    AFR 20%    IFR 0.3%    1YR 6    5YR 86    Max Repair 100 MSP
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 24 months    Morale Check Required   

Archer AS-12 Impulse Drive (1)    Power 12.0    Fuel Use 49.88%    Signature 12.00    Explosion 6%
Fuel Capacity 49,900 Litres    Range 36 billion km (347 days at full power)

AM-2A Shuttle Sensor (1)     GPS 2     Range 1.7m km    MCR 157.3k km    Resolution 1
EM-1A Minimal Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 0.6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  6.1m km
TH-1A Minimal Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 0.6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  6.1m km
Gravitational Survey Sensors (1)   1 Survey Points Per Hour

The Kepler class Utility Shuttle is intended for scouting operations, probing new systems and providing warp-capable support to the other shuttle classes.

Kepler class Utility Shuttle      500 tons       13 Crew       65.8 BP       TCS 10    TH 30    EM 0
3000 km/s    JR 3-50      Armour 1-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 6      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0
Maint Life 3.07 Years     MSP 8    AFR 20%    IFR 0.3%    1YR 1    5YR 19    Max Repair 17.6 MSP
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Morale Check Required   

Cochrane ZC-5-M Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 500 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AS-30 Impulse Drive (1)    Power 30.0    Fuel Use 146.06%    Signature 30.00    Explosion 10%
Fuel Capacity 60,600 Litres    Range 14.9 billion km (57 days at full power)

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
AM-2A Shuttle Sensor (1)     GPS 2     Range 1.7m km    MCR 157.3k km    Resolution 1
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

The Heinlein class Security Shuttle is designed to transport Security personnel from its parent starship, allowing them to board hostile vessels or secure small outposts. Its short-range is due to the requirement for the most powerful engine possible to support boarding operations.

Heinlein class Security Shuttle      500 tons       1 Crew       62 BP       TCS 10    TH 90    EM 0
9000 km/s      Armour 1-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 2      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 0
Maint Life 0 Years     MSP 0    AFR 99%    IFR 1.4%    1YR 17    5YR 253    Max Repair 45.00 MSP
Troop Capacity 250 tons     Boarding Capable   
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 0.3 days    Morale Check Required   

Archer AS-90-DB Impulse Drive (1)    Power 90.0    Fuel Use 1317.62%    Signature 90.00    Explosion 25%
Fuel Capacity 2,900 Litres    Range 0.08 billion km (2 hours at full power)
AM-2A Shuttle Sensor (1)     GPS 2     Range 1.7m km    MCR 157.3k km    Resolution 1

Ground Forces
1x Starfleet Security Team

The Asimov is the only armed shuttle carried by Federation starships and is equipped with a single point defence phaser. The primary role is of the Asimov is light combat operations at a distance from its parent starship. This could involve running down unarmed or damaged enemy spacecraft where the mothership is too slow or too far away, or investigating suspicious contacts. The Asimov can also provide direct combat support to its parent starship, particularly when it is under torpedo attack.

Asimov class Armed Shuttle      500 tons       6 Crew       94.5 BP       TCS 10    TH 60    EM 0
6000 km/s      Armour 1-5       Shields 0-0       HTK 2      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 0-0      PPV 3
Maint Life 3.15 Years     MSP 55    AFR 100%    IFR 1.4%    1YR 8    5YR 125    Max Repair 30.00 MSP
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 days    Morale Check Required   

Archer AS-60-DB Impulse Drive (1)    Power 60.0    Fuel Use 826.24%    Signature 60.00    Explosion 20%
Fuel Capacity 39,400 Litres    Range 1.7 billion km (3 days at full power)

MK I Point Defence Phaser (1x4)    Range 20,000km     TS: 6,000 km/s     Power 3-3     RM 20,000 km    ROF 5       
Hyperion D-80A Point Defence Fire Control (1)     Max Range: 80,000 km   TS: 4,000 km/s    ECCM-1
Hyperion S-64A Shuttle Fire Control (1)     Max Range: 64,000 km   TS: 6,000 km/s    ECCM-1
R-3 Gaseous Fission Reactor (1)     Total Power Output 3.1    Exp 15%

AN-12A Small Navigation Array (1)     GPS 384     Range 12.2m km    Resolution 120
AM-2A Shuttle Sensor (1)     GPS 2     Range 1.7m km    MCR 157.3k km    Resolution 1
TH-1A Minimal Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 0.6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  6.1m km
EM-1A Minimal Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 0.6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  6.1m km

Protection of Earth orbital space falls to eight Guardian class defence satellites, equipped with six standard phasers, a dozen point defence phasers and a battery of sixty photon torpedoes. As the Guardian is a last ditch defence platform, it eschews shields in favour of thicker armour.

Guardian class Defence Satellite      12,500 tons       282 Crew       1,635.3 BP       TCS 250    TH 0    EM 0
1 km/s      Armour 6-47       Shields 0-0       HTK 109      Sensors 0/0/0/0      DCR 2-1      PPV 180
Maint Life 3.04 Years     MSP 698    AFR 625%    IFR 8.7%    1YR 113    5YR 1,695    Max Repair 90.7 MSP
Magazine 720 / 0   
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months    Morale Check Required   

MK I Standard Phaser (6)    Range 256,000km     TS: 4,000 km/s     Power 10-3.5     RM 40,000 km    ROF 15       
MK I Point Defence Phaser (12x4)    Range 20,000km     TS: 4,000 km/s     Power 3-3     RM 20,000 km    ROF 5       
Hyperion P-256A Phaser Fire Control (2)     Max Range: 256,000 km   TS: 4,000 km/s    ECCM-1
Hyperion D-80A Point Defence Fire Control (2)     Max Range: 80,000 km   TS: 4,000 km/s    ECCM-1
R-30 Gaseous Fission Reactor (2)     Total Power Output 60.4    Exp 5%

Torpedo Box Launcher (60)     Missile Size: 12    Hangar Reload 173 minutes    MF Reload 28 hours
Prometheus-10-SA Torpedo Fire Control (2)     Range 10.7m km    Resolution 10   ECCM-1
Prometheus-25A Torpedo Fire Control (2)     Range 24.4m km    Resolution 120   ECCM-1

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
AM-5A Torpedo Detection Array (1)     GPS 16     Range 5.5m km    MCR 497.5k km    Resolution 1
Electronic Warfare Jammers:   Fire Control 1    Missile 1   

Commercial Vessels

Regulus class Replenishment Ship      32,000 tons       194 Crew       706.6 BP       TCS 640    TH 1,200    EM 0
1875 km/s    JR 3-50(C)      Armour 1-89       Shields 0-0       HTK 54      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 10,013    Max Repair 80 MSP
Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 1   
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   

Cochrane ZC-320-C Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 32000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AC-400 Impulse Drive  (3)    Power 1200    Fuel Use 2.56%    Signature 400    Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 11,393,000 Litres    Range 2,503.3 billion km (15452 days at full power)
Refuelling Capability: 50,000 litres per hour     Complete Refuel 227 hours

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Phoenix class Salvager      88,829 tons       700 Crew       2,113.9 BP       TCS 1,777    TH 3,200    EM 0
1801 km/s    JR 3-50(C)      Armour 1-177       Shields 0-0       HTK 130      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 14    Max Repair 225 MSP
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   
Salvager: 4 module(s) capable of salvaging 2000 tons per day

Cochrane ZC-900-C Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 90000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AC-400 Impulse Drive  (8)    Power 3200    Fuel Use 2.56%    Signature 400    Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 1,000,000 Litres    Range 79.1 billion km (508 days at full power)

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Rigel class Stabilisation Ship      99,556 tons       483 Crew       2,300.9 BP       TCS 1,991    TH 3,200    EM 0
1607 km/s    JR 3-50(C)      Armour 1-191       Shields 0-0       HTK 110      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 14    Max Repair 1000 MSP
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   
Jump Point Stabilisation: 180 days

Cochrane ZC-1000-C Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 100000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AC-400 Impulse Drive  (8)    Power 3200    Fuel Use 2.56%    Signature 400    Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 1,500,000 Litres    Range 105.9 billion km (762 days at full power)

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Cassini class Tug      138,420 tons       1,087 Crew       3,082 BP       TCS 2,768    TH 10,000    EM 0
3612 km/s    JR 3-50(C)      Armour 1-238       Shields 0-0       HTK 299      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 13    Max Repair 350 MSP
Tractor Beam     
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   

Cochrane ZC-1400-C Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 140000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AC-400 Impulse Drive  (25)    Power 10000    Fuel Use 2.56%    Signature 400    Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 2,000,000 Litres    Range 101.6 billion km (325 days at full power)

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Vega class Colony Ship      58,121 tons       348 Crew       1,734.3 BP       TCS 1,162    TH 2,000    EM 0
1720 km/s    JR 3-50(C)      Armour 1-133       Shields 0-0       HTK 76      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 18    Max Repair 400 MSP
Cryogenic Berths 100,000    Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 4   
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   

Cochrane ZC-600-C Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 60000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AC-400 Impulse Drive  (5)    Power 2000    Fuel Use 2.56%    Signature 400    Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 60.5 billion km (406 days at full power)

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Ares class Troop Transport      56,904 tons       312 Crew       1,193.9 BP       TCS 1,138    TH 2,000    EM 0
1757 km/s    JR 3-50(C)      Armour 1-131       Shields 0-0       HTK 90      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 13    Max Repair 320 MSP
Troop Capacity 25,000 tons     Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 2   
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   

Cochrane ZC-570-C Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 57000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AC-400 Impulse Drive  (5)    Power 2000    Fuel Use 2.56%    Signature 400    Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 61.8 billion km (406 days at full power)

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Antares class Freighter      56,849 tons       272 Crew       912.8 BP       TCS 1,137    TH 2,000    EM 0
1759 km/s    JR 3-50(C)      Armour 1-131       Shields 0-0       HTK 70      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 10    Max Repair 142.5 MSP
Cargo 25,000    Cargo Shuttle Multiplier 2   
Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   

Cochrane ZC-570-C Warp Drive     Max Ship Size 57000 tons    Distance 50k km     Squadron Size 3
Archer AC-400 Impulse Drive  (5)    Power 2000    Fuel Use 2.56%    Signature 400    Explosion 4%
Fuel Capacity 500,000 Litres    Range 61.8 billion km (406 days at full power)

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Jupiter class Fuel Harvester Station      129,094 tons       536 Crew       1,756 BP       TCS 2,582    TH 0    EM 0
1 km/s      No Armour       Shields 0-0     HTK 273      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 8    Max Repair 30 MSP
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   
Fuel Harvester: 50 modules producing 2,000,000 litres per annum

Fuel Capacity 2,000,000 Litres    Range N/A
Refuelling Capability: 50,000 litres per hour     Complete Refuel 40 hours

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Genesis class Terraforming Station      126,557 tons       516 Crew       2,719.8 BP       TCS 2,531    TH 0    EM 0
1 km/s      No Armour       Shields 0-0     HTK 69      Sensors 6/6/0/0      DCR 1-0      PPV 0
MSP 13    Max Repair 500 MSP
Lieutenant Commander    Control Rating 1   BRG   
Intended Deployment Time: 3 months   
Terraformer: 5 modules producing 0.0016 atm per annum

AN-25A Navigation Array (1)     GPS 1920     Range 27.3m km    Resolution 120
TH-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km
EM-6A Small Passive Sensor (1)     Sensitivity 6     Detect Sig Strength 1000:  19.4m km

Federation Starfleet
8x Columbia class Starship: Akagi, Columbia, Daedalus, Excalibur, Enterprise, Europa, Ranger, Valiant
8x Intrepid class Starship: Apollo, Dauntless, Discovery, Endeavour, Gagarin, Intrepid, Pioneer, Stargazer
8x Guardian class Defence Satellite: Bastion, Custodian, Defender, Guardian, Protector, Rampart, Sentinel, Warden
6x Ares class Troop Transport: Ares, Castor, Deimos, Kratos, Phobos, Pollux
4x Phoenix class Salvager: Gryphon, Pegasus, Phoenix, Sphinx
4x Cassini class Tug: Cassini, Herschel, Huygens, Ptolemy
4x Rigel class Stabilisation Ships: Aldebaran, Arcturus, Canopus, Rigel
4x Regulus class Replenishment Ship: Capella, Denebola, Polaris, Regulus
10x Antares class Freighter
5x Vega class Colony Ship
5x Jupiter class Fuel Harvester Station
5x Genesis class Terraforming Station
32x Kepler class Utility Shuttle
24x Heinlein class Security Shuttle
24x Asimov class Armed Shuttle
8x Copernicus class Gravitational Survey Shuttle
8x Galileo class Geological Survey Shuttle

Ground Forces
Starfleet has minimal ground combat forces due to its doctrine of exploration and peaceful expansion, plus a belief that combat will be primarily space-based. The only military formation is the Starfleet Security Force, which comprises 2400 Starfleet Security personnel, plus 480 Security Vehicles, which are light vehicles armed with a repeating phaser cannon. Six Security Forces are available. The majority of the ground elements available to Starfleet are intended for engineering and planetary surveys, with four Geological Survey Expeditions, four Xenoarchaeological Expeditions and eight Starfleet Engineer Detachments. In total, these non-combat formations comprise more than eighty percent of the ground forces available to Starfleet.

In the 2140s, there had been some discussion within Starfleet Command regarding the creation of surface-to-orbit weapons, rather than using defence satellites. However, the consensus was that in the event of hostilities this could lead to planetary bombardment and substantial loss of civilian life. Therefore the decision was made that any force capable of damaging hostile ships would remain in space.

History
On January 1st, 2150, the President of the Federation Council gave the order for Starfleet to begin its programme of galactic exploration.

[Steve Walmsley (OP)]

2150-2151
On January 1st, 2150, the President of the Federation Council gave the order for Starfleet to begin its programme of exploration. The immediate priority was a full survey of the Sol system, the highlight of which was the discovery by the USS Pioneer of one point four million tons of accessibility 1.0 Sorium in the atmosphere of Jupiter. Otherwise, the results were generally disappointing, with the only substantial Duranium deposit being found on Mars, albeit at low accessibility. Colonies were established on Mars and on Earth’s moon, with the former being intended as a long-term back-up mining project and the latter as a financial hub.

Mars Survey Report
Duranium:   21,307,392   0.40
Boronide:   7,033,104   0.40
Vendarite:   1,758,276   0.80

Only three weeks after the start of the Sol survey, a jump point was detected between the orbits of Mercury and Venus. USS Intrepid conducted the first transit by a Federation vessel and found herself in the system of V1216 Sagittarii, an M3V red dwarf with four planets, forty-nine moons and almost eight hundred asteroids, all within three hundred million kilometres of the star. Despite the vast amount of real estate, the system was barren, with no substantial mineral deposits. The only outward jump point led to Lalande 21185, a red dwarf with three planets, one of which was an Earth-sized world with a dense nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere and oceans covering ninety percent of the surface. The small continents were dominated by coniferous forests. Removing a third of the oxygen in the atmosphere would result in an ideal habitable world, but the nature of the available mineral deposits meant this was not a priority.

Lalande 21185 II Survey Report
Duranium:   6,125,000   0.10
Corbomite:   4,900   0.40
Tritanium:   28,302,400   0.20
Mercassium:   18,835,600   0.10
Vendarite:   9,486,400   0.90
Sorium:   46,104,100   0.90
Uridium:   43,296,400   0.50
Corundium:   20,702,500   0.10
Gallicite:   40,576,900   0.10

A second jump point, just inside Earth orbit, led to Bernard’s Star, a red dwarf with four planets. Bernard’s Star II, a desert world with an atmosphere of nitrogen and CO2, was home to an ancient alien construct. Investigation by  Federation xenoarchaeologists revealed it was intended to support research into shields and other defensive technologies. A small colony was founded on the planet and limited terraforming operations began. A survey of the system by the USS Endeavour located a single outward jump point leading to V577 Monoceri, a red dwarf binary system with two planets orbiting each star.

V577 Monoceri-A I was a super-terrestrial ocean world with a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere of 1.8 atm, including 0.07 atm of oxygen, but had minimal mineral deposits. Of far more interest were the moons of a superjovian orbiting the companion star. The second moon had over five million tons of accessibility 1.0 Duranium and low accessibility deposits of four other minerals, while the third moon had two million tons of Duranium at 0.7 accessibility plus seven other minerals, including Boronide and Sorium at good accessibility. Finally, the tenth moon had significant, accessible deposits of Duranium and Corundium.

The temperature was the main problem for all three moons, ranging from -130C to -160C, with colony costs between 5.00 and 7.00. However, the moons were 6800 km, 4000 km and 2000 km in diameter respectively, and the inner two moons had existing ice sheets, so terraforming was an option. The Federation Council decided to began terraforming of the tenth moon, as that was the easiest due to its small size and the minerals it produced would eventually provide mines for all three moons. After three outward jump points were discovered, the system was renamed Meridian, as it would be a central hub for both mining and exploration. A colony was established on Meridian-A I to serve as a future naval base and a Guardian class defence satellite was towed into position.

Meridian -B II - Moon 2 Survey Report (6800 km, ice sheet 30%, nitrogen-methane atmosphere)
Duranium:   5,644,800   1.00
Corbomite:   90,000   0.30
Boronide:   1,600   0.20
Mercassium:   1,795,600   0.10
Sorium:   3,240,000   0.30

Meridian -B II - Moon 3 Survey Report (4000 km, ice sheet 59%, no atmosphere)
Duranium:   1,944,392   0.70
Neutronium:   7,772,944   0.10
Corbomite:   9,363,600   0.40
Boronide:   1,943,236   0.90
Vendarite:   11,560,000   0.10
Sorium:   4,884,100   0.70
Corundium:   5,992,704   0.40
Gallicite:   2,039,184   0.10

Meridian -B II - Moon 10 Survey Report (2000 km, barren)
Duranium:   649,800   0.80
Boronide:   48,400   1.00
Corundium:   547,600   0.80

In addition to the mineral deposits on the moons, there were also substantial deposits on the first planet of the companion star, including over a million tons of accessibility 0.9 Gallicite. Unfortunately, it was a Venusian world with a dense atmosphere of CO2 and nitrogen dioxide, which made terraforming impossible in any practical timeframe. It was still a potential destination for automated mines, if no better option presented itself.

Meridian-B I Survey Report
Duranium:   14,151,200   0.80
Corbomite:   11,182,336   0.70
Corundium:   6,874,884   0.10
Gallicite:   1,132,096   0.90

Meanwhile back in Sol, the USS Dauntless found a third jump point, just inside the orbit of Neptune, which led to Proxima, a red dwarf with seven planets and over three hundred asteroids but no significant points of interest. Two outward jump points connected to Alpha Centauri, where a survey was underway at the end of 2151, and 61 Hydrae, a planetless brown dwarf. Sol’s fourth and final jump point was discovered at the end of September and linked to Luhman 16, a planetless brown dwarf binary. Beyond Luhman was Teegarden’s Star, another unremarkable red dwarf system, which had two outward jump points, both of which remained unexplored at the end of 2151.

The remainder of the exploration in 2151 happened beyond the key Meridian system, with five more systems discovered, taking the total to fifteen known systems. Two planets in 70 Ophiuchi, directly connected to Meridian, had substantial accessible Duranium deposits, but both were Venusian worlds so the focus for future mining would remain the moons of Meridian-B II.



In terms of shipbuilding, two new Columbia class starships, Constellation and Eagle, and two new Intrepid class starships, Pathfinder and Voyager, had been delivered, along with a pair of defence satellites. The main starship shipyards, Utopia Planitia and the Antares Shipyard, were both undergoing expansion to allow for new, larger ship types. The Federation economy was functioning well, although the Federation Council was concerned about the rate of spending. Half the wealth reserves that existed at the start of 2150 had already been expended, so the economic focus was changed to address this potential issue.

2152
The third year of Starfleet exploration initially proceeded without any major incident. By September, five new systems had been discovered, all of which were three transits from Sol. The main point of interest going forward was the survey of Luyten’s Star, which had revealed an unprecedented eight jump points. Given that the system would become a major nexus for future exploration, the Federation Council decided that a forward outpost should be established on the system’s sole planet before any investigation of the jump points. The planet was eleven billion kilometres from Sol. Because of the capabilities of the Starfleet Engineer detachments, each one of which had the same capability as seven construction factories, it was decided to ship a quantity of minerals and four engineer detachments to the planet so that infrastructure could be built on site, rather than being shipped in. A similar project was underway on Meridian Prime, which was home to eight engineer detachments.

Two freighters, one carrying a tracking station and the other a quantity of Duranium and Mercassium, entered Luyten’s Star on September 19th 2152. The trailing freighter was only eighty million kilometres from the jump point when it picked up thermal emissions from an alien ship heading in the opposite direction. The freighter, an Antares class ship of 57,000 tons, activated its navigation sensor, revealing the alien ship was 13,614 tons and moving at 2337 km/s. All Federation ships were able to communicate with Earth via subspace, so the freighter sent a warning to Starfleet Command.



The Columbia class starships USS Daedalus and USS Ranger were dispatched from Earth, one to guard the Meridian system, which was only two jumps from Luyten’s Star via the tiny brown dwarf system of Psi Herculis, and the other to provide cover for the new colony in Luyten’s Star and handle first contact. The Federation Council ordered the creation of the colony to be accelerated, so the Federation could claim the system once peaceful relations were established with the new alien race. A few hours later, the alien ship transited into Psi Herculis and was detected by a sensor buoy on the far side of the jump point. Four days after first contact, a second ship of the same class also transited. Given that Psi Herculis was only a small system, the aliens would be able to survey it relatively quickly, which meant they would soon arrive in the vital Meridian system.

USS Ranger arrived in orbit of the Luyten’s Star colony on October 21st. USS Daedalus was in Meridian, guarding the terraforming operations in the moon of Meridian-B II, while the defence satellite USS Warden guarded the small naval base on Meridian-A I, also known as Meridian Prime. Two days later, active emissions from a third alien ship, this time a different class, were detected four hundred million kilometres from the colony. USS Ranger dispatched one of her Kepler class shuttles to try to achieve an active contact, but without success as the contact vanished. Shortly thereafter, the starship’s sensor officer noticed that the system’s fourth jump point was now stabilised. The shuttle was diverted to investigate.



On October 29th 2152, the tug Cassini arrived in Luyten’s Star towing a hastily-constructed Emissary class Diplomatic station that would be deployed in orbit of the colony. She received an unintelligible communication from a alien ship somewhere in the inner system. On receiving a report, the Federation Council concluded this was a sign that the aliens were attempting to communicate. Admiral Henry Russell, the head of Starfleet Command, was less sanguine about its meaning and ordered another starship, the USS Constellation, to head for Luyten’s Star. Seven Columbia class starships remained in Earth orbit.

Meanwhile, the Kepler class shuttle arrived at the fourth jump point and a found another alien ship, an 11,500-ton Anaconda. The shuttle transited the jump point and discovered 61 Cygni, a binary system with two orange K-class stars orbiting thirteen billion kilometres apart, twelve planets and over a hundred moons. 61 Cygni-B III was an ideal habitable world, with liquid oceans covering half the surface, a denser oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere than Earth but still breathable for humans and a surface temperature just below freezing. The dominant terrain was steppe. 61 Cygni-A IV also had an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere that was very close to breathable, but lacked surface water. The temperature was -30C.

Starfleet Intelligence believed it was likely this was the alien home system and warned the aliens were unlikely to accept a significant Federation presence in the adjacent system. However, Luyten's Star was a potentially valuable nexus with eight jump point, so it was also important to the Federation. While the Federation Council wished to build up the colony and continue communication attempts, Admiral Russell wanted to know what he might have to fight for, so he gained the agreement of the Council to probe the six unexplored jump points to see what lay beyond. USS Ranger would remain at the colony and use her shuttles for the task.

Over the course of the next four weeks, the systems beyond all eight jump points were identified. The innermost led to Altair, a white A7-IV sub-giant with five planets and seven moons. As with many stars of a similar type, Altair was a young system, less than a billion years old, which increased the chance of finding substantial mineral deposits. The second and third jump points led to EZ Aquarii and AX Microscopii respectively, the former unremarkable and the latter with a large number of system bodies, including an ice world with a thin oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere. Jump point four was the alien home system, while jump point five, on the opposite side of the primary, was the route to Federation space.

Jump point six led to Xi Arae, an M3-V red dwarf with ten planets, over fifty moons and more than one hundred and fifty asteroids. Xi Arae II was close to habitable, with liquid oceans and a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere that included 0.09 atm of oxygen. The system was very old though, at ten billion years, so the chance of substantial mineral deposits was low. Jump points seven and eight led to V1581 Cygni and Van Biesbroeck's Star, both of which were red dwarf binaries. The latter was unremarkable, but V1581 Cygni was another young star at just a billion years old, with seven planets, fifty moons and two hundred asteroids. Overall, there was a considerable amount of exploration potential, particularly with Altair and V1581 Cygni. The USS Ranger sent her two survey shuttles into Altair and when the USS Constellation arrived her shuttles were dispatched to V1581 Cygni. Ideally, one or more Intrepid class ships were needed to fully explore the area, but most were ready for overhaul and shore leave. Two ships, USS Intrepid and USS Discovery, had entered overhaul already though, so they would be sent when available

During the course of the jump point exploration, an alien Hunter class ship, suspected to be a scout class, arrived in Meridian, causing great concern at Starfleet Command. The Federation Council was still very optimistic that communications could be established and a diplomatic resolution achieved, although their experience of diplomacy was gained when the Federation was an unchallenged superpower on Earth, dealing with smaller nations with much lower levels of technology.

On December 5th 2152, the first Federation colonists arrived at the single planet in Luyten’s Star, watched over by the USS Ranger and the USS Constellation, which were in orbit. A week later, the cargo fleet that delivered infrastructure for the colonists was returning to the Psi Herculis jump point when it received an unintelligible communication, similar to that sent to the Cassini five weeks earlier. This did not seem to be part of the ongoing but sporadic communication attempts with the aliens that were making only minimal progress. The colony itself received two similar messages on December 23rd and December 28th. Admiral Russell agreed with the Starfleet Intelligence assessment that the alien race was extremely unhappy about the Federation presence so close to their home system and therefore recommended that the Federation Council should consider a temporary evacuation of the Luyten’s Star colony and a relocation of the USS Ranger and the USS Constellation to a less threatening position in Meridian, pending the establishment of communications and subsequent negotiations with the aliens.

The Council decided against the recommendation. The systems surrounding Luyten’s Star had the potential to boost the Federation economy and the only action of the aliens was a series of communication attempts, albeit unsuccessful thus far. They ordered Starfleet to continue communication attempts and to protect the colony in the unlikely event of hostile alien action. Admiral Russell decided to dispatch the USS Valiant, which would be the third Columbia class starship deployed in Luyten’s Star. A fourth ship was stationed in Meridian and six Columbia class starships remained in Earth orbit. From his perspective, tensions were rising rapidly and he was determined to be ready if the Council was wrong.