USS Courageous

The USS Courageous is an Excelsior-class explorer belonging to the United Federation of Planets. Commissioned prior to 2300 and added to the Explorer Corps, she served her first exploratory mission under Captain Nyota Uhura. In 2301, the Kahurangi admiralty gave command of the ship to Captain Victoria Eaton.

Courageous has the dubious distinction being the most expensive Five Year Mission or Excelsior-class ship in service, having received crippling damage several times over her career. This is reinforced by the fact that severe damage to Courageous has been the instigating incident for two of the Federation's major conflicts, the Orion Civil War and the Licori War, along with being crippled at the beginning of the Breen-Romulan War.

Courageous was again at the sharp edge of history under Captain Zara ka'Athnon, playing an instrumental role in the Cassiopeia_Crisis. This time escaping without significant structural damage, the tragic revelations led directly into the current Harmony_Crisis.

Named Crew

 * Captain Nyota Uhura (2294-2299)
 * Captain Victoria Eaton (2301-2305)
 * Lieutenant Commander Rish ka'Lothorn, Chief Engineer (2301)
 * Lieutenant Commander Abigail Taggart, Tactical Officer (2301-2305)
 * Lieutenant (j.g.) Katherine Marshal, junior tactical officer (2301-2304)
 * Ensign Buce na'Mashaar, Conn Officer (2301)
 * Ensign Laird (2302)
 * Ensign Glori Khaggers, Botanist (2305-2306)
 * Rosalee McAdams
 * Commander, First Officer (2301-2304)
 * Captain (2310-2314)
 * Commander Hayden Kennedy, First Officer (2311-2314)
 * Lieutenant Commander/Commander Jeanette Devereaux, Science Officer (2310-2314)
 * Lieutenant Verug mav Stella, Supply Officer (2312-2314)
 * Captain Maryam Ajam (2306-2309)
 * Captain Sabek (2315-2319)
 * Zara ka'Athnon
 * Lieutenant, junior science officer (2301-2306)
 * Captain (2320-23??)
 * Sharizz
 * Underway Intelligence Officer (2318-2320)
 * Tactical Officer (2320-2322)
 * Commander, First Officer (2322-2324)
 * Lwema Noir, Counselor (2320-??)
 * Ensign Iulianna Innach (2323.Q4-2324.Q4) (deceased)
 * Ensign/Lieutenant (j.g.) Tebaas th'Tharvasse (2323-2324) (deceased)
 * Ensign Milagros Reyes (2323.Q4-2324)

Game History

 * Assigned to a Five Year Mission under Captain Victoria Eaton in 2301.


 * Defused potential combat situation with 2 Yrilian light cruisers, successfully disproving accusations of piracy and provided medical aid to nearby recently attacked Yrilian colony on Ethur II in 2301 Q1. [+5 PP]


 * Responded to a distress call reporting a plague from a science outpost in the Jonah-Ceti System near the Neutral Zone. With aid from the USS Bon Vivant, the plague is successfully cured after discovery that it is a cosmetically mutated version of the Belbringi Spring Pox in 2301 Q2. [+5 RP, +5 PP]


 * Responded to a distress call from the RDS Bronze Sky, a Rigellian starship in orbit around Birchindi VII in 2301 Q3. The rescue is successful and a Rigellian saboteur from a rival corporation is captured. [Rigellian relations +50, +5 PP]


 * Transported Ambassador Sybak to Betazed to finalize a research agreement in 2301 Q4. After several attempts on the ambassador's life made to look like accidents, a Romulan impostor disguised as one of the ambassador's aides is captured. [Betazoid relations +50, +5 RP/yr]


 * After receiving word on an incoming Romulan attack on the Klingon colony of Tregh'bak in 2302 Q1, arrived to reinforce the USS Sarek. The Courageous emerged victorious in the resultant Battle of Tregh'bak. [Relationship with the Klingon Empire improved. Learned of new 2m ton Romulan explorer.]


 * Mapped the Olian System, with initial scans revealing nothing in 2302 Q2. Realignment of the sensor array however, led to the discovery of a deposit of easily accessible special materials. [+25 SR]


 * Discovered a tremendous artificial geological formation on the world of Kadath V in 2302 Q3. Commander McAdams beamed down with an away team to investigate, but began to act oddly upon return to the ship. It is eventually found that she has been possessed by an unknown being, and the possessions are spreading. The Courageous manages to create a subspace bubble that halts further propagation of the beings, but not before half the ship is lost to their control. Initial attempts to remove the possession fail, with Ensign Laird dying in the process. After the beings, calling themselves the Ihrloth, refuse to negotiate, the Courageous discovers a method to destroy them, freeing the ship. In the aftermath the Courageous heads back to Star Base 3, Andoria to recover. [Repairs: 1Q. 1E of EC crew lost. +10 RP, +10 PP. Courageous crew experience now Veteran.]


 * Received emergency orders from Starfleet Command in 2303 Q1 to head for Dunwich IV. Arrived in time to join the combined Federation fleet in the destruction of the Ulith III Biophage infected colony. [Dunwich IV colony destroyed. Federation Threat Level +1. +50 BR, +15 PP, +10 RP. Tensions with the Romulans increased.]


 * Responded to a distress call from the Amaraki in 2303 Q2, whose flagship and small task force had clashed with the Orion Syndicate while exploring Paling IV. Though the Syndicate ships were destroyed, the CAS Riala had lost their warp drive and needed help. While the Courageous assisted with repairs, Admiral Aleshe Aelin and several senior Amarki officers were invited aboard the ship, who greatly enjoyed hearing tales of battle from the Starfleet crew until repairs were completed. [Amarki relations +25, +10 PP]


 * Headed to Hallark II in 2303 Q3, carrying a research team from Andor to establish a new science outpost. An unauthorized experiment by one of the research team members unfortunately disables the ship's power, reducing them to operating on the reserve battery and with the dampening field preventing all attempts to restart the reactor. The Courageous resolved the situation by pushing a shuttle out a depressurized bay, letting it drift until it was out of range of the field and could start its engines. It then tugged the cargo pod carrying the experiment out and away from the ship, restoring main power. [+10 RP]


 * Recalled from Explorer Corp duties and assigned to the Romulan Border Zone in 2303 Q4 M1 as part of the Starfleet redeployment to combat the Ulith III Biophage.


 * As part of the RBZ Sector Fleet under command of Commodore T’Faer, was assigned to defend the Vulcan colony of Solitude alongside the Sarek in 2303 Q4 M1.


 * Missed a wave of cloaked Biophage shuttles in 2303 Q4 M2, though the Sarek found and destroyed them before they could reach Solitude.


 * Helped escort the evacuation of the Arcori III colonists to Machado IV in 2303 Q4 M2. Took part in the defense against the attacking Biophage shuttlecraft alongside the rest of the Federation fleet, defeating the incoming waves and allowing the convoy to escape safely.


 * Along with the Sarek in 2304 Q1 M1, used sensor data gathered by the USS T'Mir earlier that month to detect the ex-T'Seren approaching the Solitude colony and outpost. After fending off three waves of twelve shuttles launched by the infected warbird, the two Excelsiors moved in to engage the fleeing mothership. In the ensuing battle, the Sarek took major damage, losing their shields and getting hit by an infection beam that required internal EPS venting. In return, the ex-T'Seren lost its shields, with significant damage dealt to one of its shuttle factories as well as other structural damage before it escaped into warp.


 * After Starfleet scouts discovered the Sotaw on Firax III in 2304 Q1 M2, the Courageous was dispatched to make First Contact. Though they were displeased to find that they were located within the Neutral Zone, the Sotaw are made aware of the dangers of the Biophage and prepare accordingly.


 * Took a single hit from a Biophage shuttle during the First Battle of Kadesh in 2304 Q1 M2, but was otherwise unharmed.


 * Participated in the Battle of Koba in 2304 Q1 M2. Notably damaged several enemy ships, disabling one Biophage infected frigate and destroyed two outright, all without taking a single hit itself.


 * Participated in the Battle of Kadesh Orbit in 2304 Q1 M2. Second only to the USS Enterprise in combat effectiveness among the joint fleet during the battle, though simultaneously had the dubious distinction of taking the most hits among the allied ships as well. Despite that, suffered only 50 crew casualties and some hull damage while firing the destroying shot against three Biophage infected frigates.