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USS James T. Kirk NCC- 30000 (post- TNG)
By Brian Barjenbruch
In the year 2380, the United Federation of Planets narrowly averted
a war with the Romulan Star Empire when a renegade Romulan vessel
penetrated the Neutral Zone and laid waste to several UFP colony worlds.
The vessel was eventually destroyed by a Federation border patrol (with
little protest from the Romulan government), though the incident would
not be forgotten for many years. Even before the attack, Federation
vessels had intercepted subspace messages which spoke of a massive
military buildup within the Empire. This buildup included not only the
construction of massive battleships (which surpassed any vessel then
serving in the UFP's Starfleet), but also the development of a new type
of cloaking device said to be absolutely undetectable by enemy
vessels--unlike the Romulans' previous cloaking devices, which left
"ghosts" that sensors could easily detect.
After the attack, Starfleet ordered the construction of a new class of
vessel to match--and surpass--that which the Ro mulans were developing.
There were several obstacles which plagued Starfleet's new ships'
construction--cost overruns, possible security leaks, untested
technology, and so on. Antiwar factions within the Federation protested
the construction, saying that the Romulans would be so hopelessly
outclassed that they would have no choice but to strike back and start
the war which both factions had so narrowly avoided. These protesters
eventually gave up and dropped their concerns, because they were having
little effect on Starfleet--at a time when tension with the Romulans was
high, Starfleet did not intend to compromise its military strength.
Eight years later, though, the first of the new ships was ready. It was
the largest ship in the history of Starfleet--even larger than the ships
of the Galaxy class, which had long been the most widely known ships in
the Federation. The new ship, though, was intended to be the perfect
example of Starfleet's military might, and so it was given the latest
and most advanced technology. Its warp drive, based on an extension of
the Superwarp Drive, permitted the ship to travel at previously
undreamed-of speeds. Weapon systems were also of the latest technology,
and could cut through even the toughest Romulan shielding. A double
system of shields was employed, which drew large amounts of power but
protected the ship far better than any single shield ever did before.
The new ship was almost ready, but there was still one missing element:
a name. There had been endless debate over what to name the new ship
and class; during construction, the ship was code-named "Enigma." In
the end, though, Starfleet Command decided to name the ship (and class)
after the one person who was almost universally known as the most
valuable officer in Starfleet history; during his tenure as a starship
captain and in Starfleet Command, the UFP prevented more wars, made more
first contacts, and grew in size faster than in any other period. Here,
then, is the newest vessel in Starfleet: USS James T. Kirk NCC-30000
The most important part of a ship is unarguably the crew, so we will
take a look at them first:
Commanding the James T. Kirk is Captain Wesley Crusher, age forty and a
native of Earth. He was a part of Starfleet even in his teenage years,
when he became an Acting Ensign on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D).
After graduating from Starfleet Academy, Wesley returned to the
Enterprise; there, he eventually advanced to the rank of Commander. The
James T. Kirk has only been on patrol for a few months, though there is
little doubt that Captain Crusher will prove to be more than a match for
any Romulan ship commander.
First officer is Commander Paul Harwood, age thirty-two, also a native
of Earth. While rather short for a Starfleet officer (he is five feet
eight inches tall), Mr. Harwood's unparalleled agility and strength
rival even a Klingon's; he has studied the martial arts extensively, and
he is rumored to be most effective without a phaser or other such weapon
than with one! He is also one of the few humans who can perfectly
execute the Vulcan nerve pinch.
Manning Sickbay is Chief Medical Officer Solon (rank of Commander), a
Vulcan healer. Due to the declining enlistment of Vulcans in Starfleet,
officers like Solon are in great demand; Solon, for example, was offered
positions on ten different ships. On Vulcan, Solon and his bondmate
T'Dara are active politically, and have lobbied the Vulcan government to
ease its "hands-off" decision with the Federation, but to no avail, as
Starfleet Academy continues to see a drop in the number of Vulcan
enlistees each year.
At the science station is Lieutenant Commander Jane April, a native of
England on Earth. Her ancestor, Captain Robert April, was the first
commander of the original Constitution-class USS Enterprise (NCC-1701).
Lt. Cmdr. Rilv Qunta, a Betazoid, serves as Ship's Counselor and
communications officer. Mr. Qunta is an excellent negotiator, and his
parents encouraged him to become active in politics on Betazed; he
decline d in favor of an "exciting" career in Starfleet. (He is not,
however, an outcast from his family because of this.) His telepathic
talents are more powerful than normal for a Betazoid; there are even
rumors that he can, in a limited fashion, control the minds of his
opponents.
Lt. Cmdr. Chavanzh'Arra, an Andorian, serves as Security Chief and
tactical (weapons/defense, shields) officer. He is known for his rather
fragile temper, though h e manages to control it...most of the time.
Lieutenant Derek Murphy, a native of Ireland on Earth, serves as helm
officer. He has lived in space most of his life, though he has never
forgotten his Irish heritage. When off-duty, he frequently entertains
the crew in the ship's lounge with traditional songs from his homeland.
Chief Engineer is Lt. Sorr Trivaisa, a Kzin. Long ago, his race was one
of Starfleet's fiercest enemies; in time, however, the two factions
negotiated their differences, and came to regard each other as worthy
allies, rather than opponents. Lt. Trivaisa frequently is hounded
(pardon the pun) by children wanting to see the "kitty-cat," though he
enjoys the company.
At the Navigation console is Ensign Katherine Bargan, a young Earth
native. At twenty, she is rather young for a senior-grade Ensign, but
her intellect matches that of any of her superior officers.
As previously stated, the James T. Kirk carries Starfleet's latest
ship technology. A double system of shields is used; both layers
replenish their molecular structu re independently as l ong as
sufficient energy is available. The saucer section, which can separate
from the secondary hull, has a "continuous-loop" phaser bank as well as
standard ship phasers. There are three photon torpedo tubes: one on
either side of the connecting dorsal, and one on the underside of the
ship. In addition to these weapons, the James T. Kirk is the first
Starfleet vessel to be equipped with a cloaking device, which was long
overdue due to increased trouble with the Romulans. Working on a
different principle than the Romulans' own cloaking device (and,
therefore, undetectable to Romulan sensors), the James T. Kirk's device
employs a 'double cloak' system similar to the ship's shields.
The ship has two cargo decks, which feature numerous holding areas
and tanks which can be programmed to house virtually any type of cargo.
Transporter technology has improved steadily, with longer than ever safe
beaming range; the newly improved biofilters can screen out virtually
any disease known to the Federation. The ship also carries seven
shuttlecraft, named for the officers who served the longest with the
legendary Captain Kirk: Spock, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, and
Saavik. Another shuttlecraft, David Marcus (named for Captain Kirk's
son, who died long ago on the planet Genesis), is equipped with enhanced
sensors and shields, and is used for long-range scientific exploration.
All shuttlecraft have warp drive capability, and are unarmed (though
they are protected by shields).
The James T. Kirk is a relatively new ship, though it has already
had its share of unusual missions. When Starfleet engineers temporarily
modified its engines to test a theoretical new form of propulsion (which
is reportedly based on a different energy source than dilithium
crystals; possibly even trilithium), the ship journeyed beyond our
galaxy--no longer encumbered by the Galactic Energy Barrier, which the
Excelsior-class Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) destroyed long ago. The James
T. Kirk appeared in the Andromeda Galaxy, and had only been scanning the
area for a few hours when it discovered another ship, which was drifting
in space. Ordering a scan of the ship's hull, Captain Crusher was
astonished to discover the name Enterprise--and the hull registry
NCC-1701-C--on the hull! The Alaska-class vessel was fully operational;
no battle damage scarred the ship, nor was there any internal system
failure. However, there was no life on board. Ironically, there were no
signs of a struggle, nor were there any lifepods missing; the computer's
main memory and the captain's log had been erased, though, so there were
no clues as to where the crew had gone. This has led Starfleet to
suspect foul play. Meanwhile, the NCC-1701-C was towed back to our own
galaxy, where it was installed at the Enterprise Museum. The new engine
system which Starfleet had installed on the James T. Kirk was apparently
a success, although Starfleet has not as yet announced plans to install
it on any other vessels.
The James T. Kirk is a new ship, but it is expected to serve
Starfleet well. In the words of Captain Kirk himself: "May the wind be
at our backs."
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