TFW you're accounting for all your sins and wondering if you're about to be forcefully removed from office.
To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)
- Thread starter OneirosTheWriter
- Start date
- Sci-Fi
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- Tags
- star trek exploration fully automated luxury gay space communism top level canon (canon) #hashtagcontent all-encompassing space amoeba cardassian boy bands cardassian magical girls darkest bureaucracy debate makes the qm cackle like palpatine hoh is an empire quest it has to be foreign infiltrators more ships ship happens singers delenda est starfleet this is not an empire quest ur waifu is collective?
TFW you're accounting for all your sins and wondering if you're about to be forcefully removed from office.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Sousa has just discovered the existence of the Deep State. It's literally just the people in this room.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
That's what I'd figured. They remind me of, for example, large research particle accelerators. No one is allowed in the tunnel that contains the accelerator beamline when it's in operation.
For that matter, for accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, nobody's allowed inside the tunnel at all without protective equipment, even when the beam is switched off. That thing runs a pair of beams in opposite directions around the same pipe that each carry about as much kinetic energy as the TGV, and while very, very few of the high energy particles 'scrape off' the beam and hit the tunnel walls in any given circuit around the pipe, it adds up to the fact that the tunnels are already fairly radioactive and are only going to get more radioactive as long as the LHC is in operation.
[This is not to say that going into the tunnels is quick death or anything, even when the beam is on. Simply that it's not the kind of place you want to spend time unnecessarily.]
That plus probably other people from Temporal Affairs who were not present.
The Enterprise crewmembers are probably read into it simply because, on top of whatever weirdness happened in the Miocene Epoch at Aga Carmide... It was their ship that discovered the time-travel slingshot technique. Which, so far as we know, no other Federation ship ever used.
This, all by itself, means you have to decide whether the crew of Kirk's Enterprise has become a dangerous liability to the stability of the Federation's temporal affairs... or a valuable asset. Presumably, Temporal Affairs ran the numbers and decided it was better to have them inside the temporal tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.
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The Senatorial Fleet of the Qloathi Republic
- Location
- Australia
The Senatorial Fleet of the Qloathi Republic
The Qloathians are a race of eager explorers, with long and proud traditions of theatre and song. The Qloathi "Leb", or "Ride" is a particular form of theatre, somewhere between a safari and a play, performed live and on the move. It is a treasured format, if a little harder than usual to perform among the metropolises of Arqueniou. From the moment that they first managed flight, the Qloathi had a date with the stars, making the transition from first powered flight to first manned spaceflight in a timeframe that staggers the scientists of other worlds. The Qalla Leb Tigran is named for the prodigy scientist who spearheaded much of this transition through her life; Jertia Tigran.
The Senatorial Fleet owes it's allegiance to the Senate and People of the Qloathi Republic, a formulation that has sparked alarm in historians of Sol III, but has not seemed to cause much harm to the Qloathi. Although not pacifists, and having their own rich martial history to draw upon should they feel so inclined (they usually don't), the Qloathi have the fortune of being among that population of spacefaring races, who reached global unity without a nigh-apocalyptic war reducing everything to ashes first. This was thanks to the work of a great statesman, Haquita Nin, or as he was later referred to, "Arqueniou" Nin. This happened as the Qloathi were stretching out into space, and as a result, the great Senate that was formed was also the one that developed the first starships.
Controlling the fleet is the Senate Office of Exploration, headed up by the Secretary of Exploration. This is one of the most powerful positions within the government, though still answerable to the Senate Ombudsman, the Speaker of the Senate, the Senatorial Vice-Consuls, and the Senatorial Consul. In terms of prestige, it sat behind only that of the Senatorial Consul, the effective Head of State. The Office contains an Operations branch, which oversaw the actions of the fleet itself, an Arsenal branch, which oversaw shipbuilding in conjunction with other Senatorial offices, and a War branch, which was responsible for ensuring that the Office of Exploration would be prepared for battle should the need arise. This last was a relatively anaemic branch, but it was quite motivated and talented, and conducted solid research.
Active Ship Classes
Arqueniou Leb Nin
C7 S5 H4 L5 P4 D5
2,411,000t mass, 535m length
Period of Service - 2318-Future
6 Officer, 5 Enlisted, 5 Technician
The "Ride of Arqueniou Nin" is a prototype capital ship, both new, and very controversial. For a long time, it was blocked from design, then blocked from prototyping. However, the continued confrontations between the Federation and Cardassians, and especially the altogether terrifying Kadak-Tor incident, saw the Senate finally approve it, starting in 2312. It should be complete by 2318. The reason for its controversy, revolves around its status as a clear battlecruiser rather than a strict explorer. It contains no better science or sensor packages than the Torqui Leb Lagan, but a significantly stronger weapons battery and targeting systems.
Torqui Leb Lagan
C5 S5 H4 L5 P3 D5
1,985,000t mass, 515m length
Period of Service - 2306-Future
5 Officer, 5 Enlisted, 5 Technician
The Torqui Leb Lagan, "Ride of Jolly Lagan", is the pride of the Senatorial Fleet, their explorer into the void. Possessed of a balance between defence and exploration, the Torqui Leb Lagan leads the way. It has been in service since 2306, with two such ships build and delivered, and a third under construction. Service aboard one of these ships is the most prestigious appointment within the Fleet, and many vie for the honour. As a result, their crews are the cream of the crop, and these ships will often perform above and beyond what their on-paper specifications may suggest.
Qalla Leb Tigran
C4 S4 H4 L4 P3 D3
1,496,000t mass, 415m length
Period of Service - 2302-Future
3 Officer, 4 Enlisted, 4 Technician
The "Ride of Cloud-born Tigran" is named in honour of the mother of flight for the Qloathian people, and the mother of spaceflight, remarkably. A well-rounded fleet workhorse, the two Qalla Leb Tigrans help cover what the two explorers cannot. Like most Qloathian designs, there is a balance between defensive and exploratory capacity.
Arquila Leb Hoiathi
C4 S4 H3 L3 P1 D2
750,000t mass, 320m length
Period of Service - 2310-Future
1 Officer, 3 Enlisted, 4 Technician
A brand new fleet escort that can still take on science and exploration tasks at a pinch. Although very short on diplomatic facilities, the Arquila is nonetheless a powerful addition to the Senatorial fleet, adding valuable meat to its combat ability. The initial construction program has seen four of these ships enter service, with a fifth due soon.
Quital Leb Quitan
C3 S3 H2 L2 P0 D2
449,000t mass, 235m length
Period of Service - 2300-Future
1 Officer, 2 Enlisted, 3 Technician
A Light Frigate design, intended to be cheap to produce. It has not been as popular however, with its somewhat reduced capability compared to the Arquila Leb Hoiathi. It is particularly unpopular with crew, who dislike the spartan accommodations it affords.
Harqui Leb Adiquan
C2 S2 H2 L2 P2 D2
404,000t mass, 205m length
Period of Service - 2270-Future
1 Officer, 2 Enlisted, 2 Technician
The old fleet workhorse is still a favourite among the fleet, having provided good and faithful service, as well as proving remarkably safe for her crews for a ship of her vintage.
Personnel
The Senatorial Fleet adopted the system that, it turned out, would be adopted by almost all other fleets: enlisted, non-commissioned, and commissioned officers. They also have a separate category, however, for personnel attached directly by the Senate, known as Qeamtes, usually translated as Tribunes. These would serve the Senate in various functions, such as administration, exploration subject experts, monitors.
Ratings
Those who join the Office of Exploration as enlistees are sent through a one-year training programme and then sent into the fleet as ratings. Like with most starfaring forces, the availability of billets was very small, and the work extraordinarily demanding, so only a small fraction of enlistees ever serve on ships, with many more serving on the starbases or forward colony bases. These ratings move through ranks such as Apprentice Rating to Qualified and then First Rating. However, unlike with others, the move into Petty Officer status does not occur as a natural progression, and there is in fact a series of Master Ratings for long-service ratings, particularly those performing very technical services. These ranks are nominally inferior to all Petty Officers and Commissioned Officers, however, it is a very foolish officer who ignores a First Master Rating who says that following their order would be bad for the ship.
Petty Officers
Petty Officers are enlistees with a valuable mix of subject matter expertise and management affinity. They are a fairly small element of the total population of the Office of Exploration, as many of them are selected for Qloathi Exploration Officer's Academy. To reach these ranks, enlistees go to Talquenin Outpost to attend a service academy there. It is by all accounts an exhausting and harsh affair, but those that return are well on their way to further advancement.
Officers
There are two real paths to commissioning as an officer. You can either be selected from among the more promising Petty Officers, or if you have an existing tertiary degree, you can apply for the Qloathi Exploration Officer's Academy, a four-year course. The officers swear an oath directly to the Senate, and are the subject of careful monitoring. This monitoring is not, per se, regarding loyalty, but for upholding the values of exploration that the Qloathi people expect. To develop, not exploit. To befriend, not intimidate. To learn, not destroy.
Senatorial Qeamte/Tribunes
Many of the key scientists and researchers are attached on an as-needed basis by the Office, and are not in fact members of the Senatorial Fleet. These Qeamte are treated deferentially outside of emergency situations. Other Qeamte are also attached as monitors, to handle administrative tasks, and similar roles. The populations of Outposts and Starbases include a great many Qeamte.
The Qloathians are a race of eager explorers, with long and proud traditions of theatre and song. The Qloathi "Leb", or "Ride" is a particular form of theatre, somewhere between a safari and a play, performed live and on the move. It is a treasured format, if a little harder than usual to perform among the metropolises of Arqueniou. From the moment that they first managed flight, the Qloathi had a date with the stars, making the transition from first powered flight to first manned spaceflight in a timeframe that staggers the scientists of other worlds. The Qalla Leb Tigran is named for the prodigy scientist who spearheaded much of this transition through her life; Jertia Tigran.
The Senatorial Fleet owes it's allegiance to the Senate and People of the Qloathi Republic, a formulation that has sparked alarm in historians of Sol III, but has not seemed to cause much harm to the Qloathi. Although not pacifists, and having their own rich martial history to draw upon should they feel so inclined (they usually don't), the Qloathi have the fortune of being among that population of spacefaring races, who reached global unity without a nigh-apocalyptic war reducing everything to ashes first. This was thanks to the work of a great statesman, Haquita Nin, or as he was later referred to, "Arqueniou" Nin. This happened as the Qloathi were stretching out into space, and as a result, the great Senate that was formed was also the one that developed the first starships.
Controlling the fleet is the Senate Office of Exploration, headed up by the Secretary of Exploration. This is one of the most powerful positions within the government, though still answerable to the Senate Ombudsman, the Speaker of the Senate, the Senatorial Vice-Consuls, and the Senatorial Consul. In terms of prestige, it sat behind only that of the Senatorial Consul, the effective Head of State. The Office contains an Operations branch, which oversaw the actions of the fleet itself, an Arsenal branch, which oversaw shipbuilding in conjunction with other Senatorial offices, and a War branch, which was responsible for ensuring that the Office of Exploration would be prepared for battle should the need arise. This last was a relatively anaemic branch, but it was quite motivated and talented, and conducted solid research.
Active Ship Classes
Arqueniou Leb Nin
C7 S5 H4 L5 P4 D5
2,411,000t mass, 535m length
Period of Service - 2318-Future
6 Officer, 5 Enlisted, 5 Technician
The "Ride of Arqueniou Nin" is a prototype capital ship, both new, and very controversial. For a long time, it was blocked from design, then blocked from prototyping. However, the continued confrontations between the Federation and Cardassians, and especially the altogether terrifying Kadak-Tor incident, saw the Senate finally approve it, starting in 2312. It should be complete by 2318. The reason for its controversy, revolves around its status as a clear battlecruiser rather than a strict explorer. It contains no better science or sensor packages than the Torqui Leb Lagan, but a significantly stronger weapons battery and targeting systems.
Torqui Leb Lagan
C5 S5 H4 L5 P3 D5
1,985,000t mass, 515m length
Period of Service - 2306-Future
5 Officer, 5 Enlisted, 5 Technician
The Torqui Leb Lagan, "Ride of Jolly Lagan", is the pride of the Senatorial Fleet, their explorer into the void. Possessed of a balance between defence and exploration, the Torqui Leb Lagan leads the way. It has been in service since 2306, with two such ships build and delivered, and a third under construction. Service aboard one of these ships is the most prestigious appointment within the Fleet, and many vie for the honour. As a result, their crews are the cream of the crop, and these ships will often perform above and beyond what their on-paper specifications may suggest.
Qalla Leb Tigran
C4 S4 H4 L4 P3 D3
1,496,000t mass, 415m length
Period of Service - 2302-Future
3 Officer, 4 Enlisted, 4 Technician
The "Ride of Cloud-born Tigran" is named in honour of the mother of flight for the Qloathian people, and the mother of spaceflight, remarkably. A well-rounded fleet workhorse, the two Qalla Leb Tigrans help cover what the two explorers cannot. Like most Qloathian designs, there is a balance between defensive and exploratory capacity.
Arquila Leb Hoiathi
C4 S4 H3 L3 P1 D2
750,000t mass, 320m length
Period of Service - 2310-Future
1 Officer, 3 Enlisted, 4 Technician
A brand new fleet escort that can still take on science and exploration tasks at a pinch. Although very short on diplomatic facilities, the Arquila is nonetheless a powerful addition to the Senatorial fleet, adding valuable meat to its combat ability. The initial construction program has seen four of these ships enter service, with a fifth due soon.
Quital Leb Quitan
C3 S3 H2 L2 P0 D2
449,000t mass, 235m length
Period of Service - 2300-Future
1 Officer, 2 Enlisted, 3 Technician
A Light Frigate design, intended to be cheap to produce. It has not been as popular however, with its somewhat reduced capability compared to the Arquila Leb Hoiathi. It is particularly unpopular with crew, who dislike the spartan accommodations it affords.
Harqui Leb Adiquan
C2 S2 H2 L2 P2 D2
404,000t mass, 205m length
Period of Service - 2270-Future
1 Officer, 2 Enlisted, 2 Technician
The old fleet workhorse is still a favourite among the fleet, having provided good and faithful service, as well as proving remarkably safe for her crews for a ship of her vintage.
Personnel
The Senatorial Fleet adopted the system that, it turned out, would be adopted by almost all other fleets: enlisted, non-commissioned, and commissioned officers. They also have a separate category, however, for personnel attached directly by the Senate, known as Qeamtes, usually translated as Tribunes. These would serve the Senate in various functions, such as administration, exploration subject experts, monitors.
Ratings
Those who join the Office of Exploration as enlistees are sent through a one-year training programme and then sent into the fleet as ratings. Like with most starfaring forces, the availability of billets was very small, and the work extraordinarily demanding, so only a small fraction of enlistees ever serve on ships, with many more serving on the starbases or forward colony bases. These ratings move through ranks such as Apprentice Rating to Qualified and then First Rating. However, unlike with others, the move into Petty Officer status does not occur as a natural progression, and there is in fact a series of Master Ratings for long-service ratings, particularly those performing very technical services. These ranks are nominally inferior to all Petty Officers and Commissioned Officers, however, it is a very foolish officer who ignores a First Master Rating who says that following their order would be bad for the ship.
Petty Officers
Petty Officers are enlistees with a valuable mix of subject matter expertise and management affinity. They are a fairly small element of the total population of the Office of Exploration, as many of them are selected for Qloathi Exploration Officer's Academy. To reach these ranks, enlistees go to Talquenin Outpost to attend a service academy there. It is by all accounts an exhausting and harsh affair, but those that return are well on their way to further advancement.
Officers
There are two real paths to commissioning as an officer. You can either be selected from among the more promising Petty Officers, or if you have an existing tertiary degree, you can apply for the Qloathi Exploration Officer's Academy, a four-year course. The officers swear an oath directly to the Senate, and are the subject of careful monitoring. This monitoring is not, per se, regarding loyalty, but for upholding the values of exploration that the Qloathi people expect. To develop, not exploit. To befriend, not intimidate. To learn, not destroy.
Senatorial Qeamte/Tribunes
Many of the key scientists and researchers are attached on an as-needed basis by the Office, and are not in fact members of the Senatorial Fleet. These Qeamte are treated deferentially outside of emergency situations. Other Qeamte are also attached as monitors, to handle administrative tasks, and similar roles. The populations of Outposts and Starbases include a great many Qeamte.
A lot of species seem really fond of these 1.5 to 2mt ship models. Shows what a triumph of engineering the Renaissance is, forcing all that power into a 1mt hull so that Starfleet can keep using the 1mt ship berths it has in such quantity.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Hm. It looks like the Qloathi are a bit behind the technological curve; their new 2310-vintage explorer design has performance comparable to what Starfleet could design circa 2280.
- Location
- Patriarchova
"Another peculiarly consistent trait of the Qloathi is that, perhaps owing to their rushed transition from atmospheric to space flight, their ships all kinda suck."
Anyway, I'm guessing that their precariously created world republic has had some of its seams reopened in the last couple decades, or perhaps just never closed them in the first place. When we first encountered them, they were suffering from a bout of political assassinations and other internal strife, though things seem to have gotten quieter now.
Also, from the perspective of other species the qloathi might seem "like humans, but moreso." Adventurous and neophilic.
Anyway, I'm guessing that their precariously created world republic has had some of its seams reopened in the last couple decades, or perhaps just never closed them in the first place. When we first encountered them, they were suffering from a bout of political assassinations and other internal strife, though things seem to have gotten quieter now.
Also, from the perspective of other species the qloathi might seem "like humans, but moreso." Adventurous and neophilic.
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Huh... Huh quite the compatible race it seems.
I think you slip into the past tense somewhere in this paragraph which doesn't make much sense to me.
Hm, okay. That makes some sense though you go pretty much the exact opposite way of the standard in most SciFi (where space is generally nearly impossible to regulate/lawless) which may explain my scepticism.
Oh I don't dispute that such an capital ship makes sense IC, since as you say it does, it is just that it doesn't really offer anything new/special compared to existing (federation) designs which seems something of a waste to me. I really like how many of our members have special quirks that can be seen in their ships and which result in quite different doctrines/approaches and had hoped the Gaeni, one of the more prominent factions, would also have something like that.
I think you slip into the past tense somewhere in this paragraph which doesn't make much sense to me.
Hm, okay. That makes some sense though you go pretty much the exact opposite way of the standard in most SciFi (where space is generally nearly impossible to regulate/lawless) which may explain my scepticism.
Oh I don't dispute that such an capital ship makes sense IC, since as you say it does, it is just that it doesn't really offer anything new/special compared to existing (federation) designs which seems something of a waste to me. I really like how many of our members have special quirks that can be seen in their ships and which result in quite different doctrines/approaches and had hoped the Gaeni, one of the more prominent factions, would also have something like that.
- Location
- Patriarchova
They do have the tech ship doctrine. Should come in handy against enemies with strong shields and weak hulls (like the Licori, who they basically roflstomped every time the two fought).
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Which is kind of odd because I thought the Licori had the same doctrine. You'd think it would cancel out into both sides inflicting the same kind of pounding on each other.
The argument goes, and in much of Star Trek this appears to be supported... That basically, the 'bar' for living in space is too high and requires too much organization, advanced technology, and exotic equipment. A bunch of brawling unregulated anarcho-libertarian types aren't going to be able to support themselves out there, except maybe as pirates preying on the technological products of a better organized society.
That said, there ARE species with (a history of) limited or no regulation of their spacefaring culture. Namely, the Orions (who privatize everything), and the Yrillians (anarcho-syndicalists whose ideal spaceship captain is less like Jim Kirk and more like Malcolm Reynolds). But they're the exception rather than the norm.
Well, the flip side of this is that the whole point of the Federation is that species are stronger together than separately. The Ambassador project (which is still undergoing design) represents the best that eight or ten species have to offer in terms of technology, design doctrine, and industrial support. Almost inevitably, it's going to outperform anything any one species can do, except in a few highly specific respects.
That said, the tech-explorer is actually quite an impressive ship compared to, say, the Excelsior, and is very much competitive with the Excelsior-A. That's nothing to sneeze at.
AKuz
Been Better
- Location
- A Rising Tide of Horrors
- Pronouns
- She/Her
We'll, there's also the Kazonnnnn.... hrheheeeheeeheeeèee.
*Ahem* The Kazon are People who can operate starships but who forgot the recipe for water.
Night
Widow Null
- Location
- Hoff
Nebula (that is our next garrison design, likely?) is going to really wreck our PP with new infrastructure needs.
Of course, Galaxy is probably going to accomplish that as well.
Night
Widow Null
- Location
- Hoff
Waitaminute.
Nash has had the keys to time-travel this whole time.
Enterprise is not the only ship that is allowed to keep her number because of what the ship has done. Enterprise is allowed to keep her number because of this. Because time itself requires an NCC-1701. One crew. One ship. Unending.
Nash has had the keys to time-travel this whole time.
Enterprise is not the only ship that is allowed to keep her number because of what the ship has done. Enterprise is allowed to keep her number because of this. Because time itself requires an NCC-1701. One crew. One ship. Unending.
Random Member
Gardener of Human Happiness
- Location
- Behind You
The Steering Committee should be up pretty soon. We should probably spend a report on the Sydraxian situation.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
I was thinking only of TBG.
But you'll note the Kazon are explicitly a bunch of random bozos who have spaceships through no particular merit of their own, are struggling to maintain their own technology, and will probably eventually lose all that they have if anyone strong enough to take it from them shows up.
They're like a more violent version of the Pakleds, and therefore are more vulnerable to "live by the sword, die by the sword."
Well, we already have the option of building two-megaton berths in at least one location, and if we ever actually got around to building one at Utopia Planitia the option might become available elsewhere.
Alternatively, if we start building four or five-megaton berths for a relative handful of Galaxies to be used by the Explorer Corps, that frees up space in our 2.5 and three-megaton berths to build and operate TNG-era cruisers (Nebulas and notional Excelsior-Bs)
Enterprise:
"Also Docana. Because ISN'T SHE JUST TOO ADORABLE LITTLE CONSTELLATION HAVING A TIME ADVENTURE!"
[pinches Docana's cheek with a tractor beam]
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
So, if we have a good idea how a Galaxy would look like, build one berth for the prototype, and expand UP with 3-4 in the time the prototype takes to build?
AKuz
Been Better
- Location
- A Rising Tide of Horrors
- Pronouns
- She/Her
We'd probably drop in a couple at Amarkia too seeing as they're rapidly becoming our secondary industrial hub
- Location
- California
By the time we get to building Galaxies, I'm hoping we'll have a third hub up and running somewhere.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Apiata, deep in Federation territory.
Our own next-generation escort frigate will probably look very much like this.
This is the Starfleet structure...
And so is this.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Parallel evolution.