USS Farragut

"Knowledge gives strength to the arm"

    —Manui Dat Cognitio Vires

The USS Farragut (NCC-72013), one of the final Nebula-class heavy cruisers commissioned in 2390, is assigned to the Fourth Fleet's Task Force 72 under the command of Captain Michael Ayres. The Farragut serves as the operational headquarters of Task Group 99 under the command of Commander Aloran, operating in the delicate grey zone between diplomacy and intelligence, where knowledge gives strength.

The Farragut is designed for missions where secrecy, adaptability, and a swift show of force can bolster the hand of the Federation in challenging negotiations. The ship carries a hanger pod housing sixteen Valkyrie-class fighters and boasts a sophisticated intelligence fusion centre deep within its decks, wielding subtle influence and decisive force when the situation calls for it.

In diplomacy, advantage is born from understanding, and understanding begins with knowledge. The Farragut exists to gather, analyse, and deploy intelligence in service of the Federation’s diplomatic objectives. Under the guidance of Commander Aloran, the ship’s intelligence fusion centre ensures that Starfleet is always forewarned and therefore forearmed, providing Task Force 72 with the insight and wisdom to navigate the most delicate negotiations.

Design and Layout

The present USS Farragut was one of the final Nebula-class starships produced, being commissioned in 2390. As such, the ship has a combination of design principles, styles and technologies that bridge the divide between the older Galaxy-class and more modern ships.

Bridge

Bridge of the USS Farragut

With the later Nebula-class starships sharing an identical saucer section with the Galaxy-class, the main bridge of the Farragut represents an evolution of the proven Galaxy-class configuration, refined with advancements in Starfleet starship design. Along the outer perimeter—working clockwise from the forward viewscreen stood the stations for mission operations, operations, environmental control, the master systems display, and multiple engineering stations.

At the fore of the bridge, a dedicated flight control station sits adjacent to the primary science station, providing seamless coordination between helm and analysis. At the heart of the bridge is the command area: the captain’s chair centrally positioned, flanked to starboard by the executive officer and to port by the Task Group commander. Immediately aft of the command seats, the tactical console commands a clear line of sight to the entire command deck.

Minverva Intelligence Fusion Centre

Minerva Intelligence Fusion Centre

Under the command of Commander Aloran and located deep within the secure operations deck of the Farragut, the Minerva Intelligence Fusion Centre is the nerve centre for real-time strategic analysis and cultural intelligence during first contact and high-stakes diplomatic missions. Staffed by a multidisciplinary team of officers from Starfleet Intelligence, the Diplomatic Corps, and Stellar Cartography, the Minerva Centre continuously monitors subspace communications, political developments, and socio-cultural indicators across multiple star systems.

Auxiliary Craft

The Farragut makes use of the mission modularity of the Nebula-class to expand the ship's already formidable shuttle bay capacity to include a dedicated hanger pod, housing sixteen Valkyrie-class starfighters. With the Farragut's role in diplomacy and in gathering intelligence, the role of auxiliary craft are often critical to the success of the ship's missions and so the ship's complement is deliberately versatile and varied.

Starfighters

The sixteen Valkyrie-class starfighters onboard form '601 Squadron', including a dedicated fighter for the captain under callsign 'Sundance'. The squadron was originally named in honour of the twentieth-century Earth Royal Air Force squadron of the same name.

Runabouts

Orion-class runabout

The Farragut carries three Orion-class runabouts, favoured by Starfleet Intelligence for its small profile, powerful sensor arrays and astonishingly-fast warp drive, allowing it to get in and out quickly before it could be detected, even without a cloaking device. The runabouts are named the Anansi, the Athena, and the Anahita.

The final runabout, the Oshun, is a dedicated Executive-class runabout used to transport dignitaries, diplomats, and senior officers from ground to orbit, or short intra-system flights, in relative luxury.

History

There is a long history of ships with the name Farragut, originally named in honour of the nineteenth-century Earth naval officer, David Farragut. In Starfleet service there have been at least three starships named Farragut that served with distinction: the Bellerophon-class USS Farragut NCC-1647 launched in 2243; an earlier Nebula-class USS Farragut NCC-60597 destroyed in 2373; and an Excelsior-class USS Farragut that served in the Dominion War.

Notable Crew

Commanding Officers

• 2401 - 2402 : Rear Admiral Ezel Virem
• 2402 - Present : Captain Michael Ayres