Guide:California

Background: Continuing Mission

Written by "Jester" David Gibson for Continuing Mission fan site.

Overview: An unsung hero of the early Federation was the Pioneer-class; while smaller than then-famed Constitution-class, it was the Pioneers that maintained and managed the growing alliance of worlds. Those ships and their captains built the infrastructure that allowed the Federation to prosper. With those ships in mind, the Star Fleet Corp of Engineers designed the California-class. This utility ship was planned alongside the much more famous Galaxy and Nebula-class to do the important but less adventurous tasks: maintaining contact with new species, establishing or repairing planetary infrastructure, ferrying dignitaries, and similar other tasks. Each California-class vessel was primarily devoted to particular branch of Star Fleet—Command, Sciences, or Engineering—with each ship bearing livery of the appropriate division color. Command vessels were often responsible with ferrying ambassadors and dignitaries and hosting low-level peace talks to resolve conflicts in new member worlds, as well as ease the transition of legal and political concerns related with Federation membership. Engineering focused California-class vessels were responsible for introducing new member worlds to Federation technology, such as transporters, replicators, and holograms. These ships would work with locals in the construction of planetary transporter networks, communication arrays, or improving existing local public works. Scientific California-class starships brought Federation medical technology to new member worlds and allies; while seldom tasked with halting pandemics, they could inoculate against known contagions that might be carried by Star Fleet officers as well as treating a myriad of minor illnesses and ailments Federation science had cured.

Note: the Pioneer class is not a DD-canon vessel; an alternative will need to be identified.

Capabilities: The California-class had the traditional ovoid saucer-shaped primary hull seen in many ships of the 2360s, such as the Springfield, New Orleans, Niagra, and Galaxy-class starships. This primary hull featured 11 decks and housed the bridge, crew quarters, and shuttlebay. Extended from the ventral side of the saucer section were two bulky pylons, which connected the primary hull to the ship’s warp nacelles. Between the nacelles was a small secondary hull housing main engineering and the ship’s deflector dish. The design evolves on the engineering technology of saucer separation and is designed to be modular: its nacelles and secondary hull are able to be detached and replaced, easily extending the operational lifespan of a vessel. This design also allowed the ship to give priority power to the engines during emergencies while also separating the primary hull (and any important dignitaries) from radiation or warp plasma leaks. In medical ships, this also allowed engineering to be safety isolated and quarantined.

Gallery

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•