Task Force 72

Task Force 72 is the Fourth Fleet's designated Diplomatic Operations unit. Based out of Starbase 72, close to the Cardassian border, Task Force 72’s ships are at the forefront of diplomatic intervention and peacekeeping. Their duties focus on engagement with political powers in volatile regions, ensuring stability between major governments, and the protection of local populations.

Objectives

• Perform critical and sensitive diplomatic missions within and outside of Federation space, especially those with national security implications.
• Execute peacekeeping operations in conjunction with allies and friendly powers
• Build alliances, trade relations, and other diplomatic relationships that foster peace across the galaxy
• Lead Starfleet efforts in specific diplomatic flashpoints, including:
  • The True Way crisis in the Former Demilitarized Zone
  • Delta and Gamma Quadrant second and third contact operations
  • Ongoing negotiations with worlds now under Federation influence following the collapse of the Romulan Neutral Zone

Overview

Unlike nearly every other large spacefaring civilization, the United Federation of Planets does not expand primarily through conquest or even large-scale colonization, but through diplomacy. For over two hundred years, Starfleet has served as the Federation’s first, best impression and its most adept diplomatic arm. First contacts, trade negotiations, ceasefires, and countless other diplomatic exercises conducted by starship captains have slowly but steadily turned the Federation into the largest and most progressive alliance of species the galaxy has ever seen. This is the spirit that guides Task Force 72, the Fourth Fleet’s designated Diplomatic Operations unit.

All starship captains are empowered to conduct negotiations on behalf of the Federation, as real-time consultations with Starfleet Command and the Federation Council is often impossible for front-line exploratory vessels, but Task Force 72’s specific mandate is to handle the most pressing and sensitive diplomatic missions within and outside of Federation space, especially those with national security implications for the Federation and its member worlds. This task force also handles peacekeeping operations and conducts many joint operations with allied or friendly powers, such as the Klingon Empire, Cardassian Union, and the Romulan Republic.

Historically, Task Force 72 was assigned specifically to the Federation-Cardassian Border and remains headquartered at Starbase 72 in the Minos Korva system, but its operations have expanded to the full width and breadth of the Fourth Fleet’s tip-of-the-spear ethos, with vessels in all four quadrants of the galaxy. The evolving diplomatic situation in the Former Demilitarized Zone remains a focus for the task force, with a number of ships directly working with the Cardassian military to end the True Way crisis diplomatically and through direct peacekeeping operations. Other important operations include forging new alliances with Delta Quadrant powers, and ongoing negotiations with neutral worlds within Federation space that the Federation is eager to finally bring into the fold.

Task Force Assets and Headquarters

While Task Force 72 responds to diplomatic situations across the galaxy, it launches and manages these operations from its headquarters at Starbase 72, close to the Cardassian-Federation border and the Former Demilitarized Zone. The task force also maintains a secondary presence at Joint Base Dathon, a facility promoting cultural exchange between the United Federation of Planets and the Children of Tama. As with other Fourth Fleet task forces, ships operating in other regions rely heavily on local facilities to see to their wide-ranging duties. Task Force 72 is divided into three sub-units: the headquarters division, housing the base of operations and ships responsible for routine, lower-priority missions, and two task groups undertaking the unit's operational mandate.

Task Force Headquarters

TFHQ assets are NPC ships and stations, to be freely used by TF members in accordance with this guidance

Starbase 72 over Minos Korva

• Starbase 72, a Spacedock-class station and the task force headquarters
• Joint Base Dathon, a Jupiter-class station for cultural exchange with the Children of Tama
• USS Anthemius, an Obena-class emissary and the task force flagship
• USS K'Ehleyr, an Excelsior II-class heavy cruiser
• USS Henry Hudson, a Challenger-class light cruiser
• USS Hope, an Olympic-class passenger liner and hospital ship
• USS Laikan, a Norway-class light cruiser
• USS Odawa, a Cheyenne-class fast cruiser
• USS Raleigh, a Niagara-class fast cruiser
• USS Soval, an Ambassador-class emissary

Task Group 99

• USS Victory, a Sagan-class light explorer
• USS Redding, a California-class utility cruise
• USS Rubidoux, a New Orleans-class frigate
• Vega Long Range Explorer Division
  • USS Vega, a Lamarr-class long ranger explorer
  • USS Kirk, a Shran-class escort
• USS Cupertino, a California-class utility cruiser
• USS Akira, an Akira-class heavy cruiser

Task Group 101

• USS Blythe, a California-class utility cruiser
• IKS Slivin, a B'rel-class bird-of-prey
• USS Cantabras, a Raven-class corvette
• USS Carlsbad, a California-class utility cruiser
• USS Paramount, a California-class utility cruiser
• USS Point Arena, a California-class utility cruiser
• USS Santa Monica, a California-class utility cruiser
• USS Walter Scott, a Challenger-class light cruiser
• Yamato Exploratory Cruiser Division
  • USS Yamato, a Sovereign-class exploratory cruiser
  • USS Callisto, a Luna-class light explorer
• USS Thunderchild, an Akira-class heavy cruiser
• IKS T'Ong, a K't'inga-class battlecruiser
• RRW Alidar, a Malem-class bird of prey
• USS Rialto, a California-class utility cruiser
• USS Inglewood, a California-class utility cruiser

Task Force History

Task Force 72 is one of the oldest Task Forces in the 4th Fleet, notable for never being disbanded in the turbulent decades since its inception. Task Force 72 was formed initially as a defensive screen for the still-under-construction Starbase 72 in 2373, but its duties gradually expanded to include oversight over the majority of the Federation-Cardassian Border.

It has been a more than a decade since the signing of the Treaty of Bajor ending the Dominion War and the cessation of hostilities between the Federation Alliance and the Dominion. Since the end of the war, Task Force 72's mission has changed in size and scope many times. Through the mid-2380's until early 2399 Task Force 72 has encompassed most of the Alpha Quadrant but was stretched thin as Starfleet pulled away resources in the wake of the attack on Mars.

The decision by Starfleet to advance its operations included a reform of Task Force 72's mandate to bring it in line with the reforms to the Fourth Fleet, to serve as one of its specialist units. Already experts at operating in diplomatically fraught regions, Task Force 72 was given the same galaxy-wide operational jurisdiction as the rest of Bravo Fleet.

Command History

• Late 2402: Captain Aloran
• Mid 2402: Rear Admiral Brett Logan
• Early 2402: Captain Trevenan Williams
• Late 2401: Rear Admiral Brett Logan
• Mid 2401: Captain Edward O'Gallagher
• Mid 2401: Commodore Zack Marshall-Bennet
• Early 2401: Captain Geronimo Fontana
• Late 2399: Fleet Captain Th'lora Vehl
• Late 2399: Rear Admiral Thomas Belvedere
• Mid-2399: Captain Micah Mendoza
• Mid-2399: Rear Admiral Thomas Belvedere
• Mid-2399: Captain Jon Bastin
• Early 2399: Captain Elisabeth Basmanoff
• Early 2399: Commodore Julius Woodward