Ride of the USS Valkyrie as vessel launches for the Solerian Sector

Earth’s Spacedock hums with electricity only a new launch can generate. Dockworkers move with purpose along the gantries, and somewhere in the distance, the low resonance of a freshly-powered warp core thrums through the deck plating. Today, Starfleet commissions the USS Valkyrie, NCC-76418-A, an Achilles-class refit Tactical Explorer bound for the largely uncharted Solerian Sector. I sat down with her commanding officers, her predecessor’s captain, and members of her crew to learn what this launch means for the Federation’s reach into deep space.

PART ONE: THE SHIP LEFT BEHIND

Captain Serala | Commanding Officer, USS Chin’toka

The USS Chin’toka’s commanding officer cuts a composed figure against the backdrop of the drydock facility where her ship will spend the coming months. Captain Serala has commanded the Chin’toka through some of Starfleet’s most turbulent recent history, including the catastrophic events of Frontier Day in 2401. Today, she speaks with the quiet steadiness of someone who has long made peace with the nature of service and with change.

Tani: Thank you for speaking with me, Captain.

Serala: It’s my pleasure.

Tani: Do you mind telling our viewers what the plans are for your ship?

Serala: The Chin’toka is going to be receiving several upgrades that were slated for it prior to the events of Frontier Day, 2401. Those never got completed because of that day, and then Command decided that, since the ship was already in operation, to just put off those upgrades. Well, they’ve decided to go ahead and complete those now.

Tani: Starfleet is reassigning most of your crew to the USS Valkyrie; some have been with you since the Borg attack on Frontier Day. Could you explain to our viewers why they are not staying with you to supervise the upgrades?

Serala: Well, first of all, I won’t be staying either. I will stay in command temporarily, but once it goes into the drydock, it will be transferred to Spacedock Command, and I will be moving to my new command as the Commanding Officer of the Shemsh Colony in the Par’tha Expanse.

It is a significant departure, not just for the Chin’toka’s crew, but for the captain who led them through one of the darkest chapters in recent Starfleet history. When pressed on the matter of losing nearly her entire staff in the transition, Serala’s response was characteristically generous.

Serala: I’ll miss my crew, but they’re getting the best leader for this mission that they can get. I wish them all the best.

PART TWO: THE OFFICERS WHO WILL LEAD

Captain Isara Aleron | Commanding Officer, USS Valkyrie

Captain Aleron greets me dockside with confidence of having spent years navigating both the corridors of Starfleet Command and the reception halls of the Diplomatic Corps. She is not a product of the tactical tradition one might expect for a Tactical Explorer posting, and that, as it turns out, is precisely the point.

Tani: Captain, you have been stationed on Earth for the past three years, the last two with Starfleet Command’s Strategic Planning Division. Could you tell our viewers more about yourself and what to expect from your command on the USS Valkyrie?

Aleron: Thank you for asking that, Maha. I started my career on Alpha Centauri in the civil government. I worked for several years in the Centauran Cultural Office before I felt a call to serve in Starfleet. After graduating from the Academy, I served as a Helm officer on several ships before finally becoming a First Officer on the USS Austin. I was later transferred to the Diplomatic Corps, in large part because of my history in civil government, before finally being reassigned to Starfleet Command’s Strategic Planning Division, where I worked for a few years until now. I try to consider myself fair and easygoing most of the time and prefer to resolve differences with words before violence.

Tani: The Valkyrie is classified as a Tactical Explorer. What does that mean to the everyday Federation citizen?

Aleron: Quite simply put, it is a vessel of exploration that is more than capable of handling itself in a fight. The Achilles class was used quite effectively during the Dominion War, and the Valkyrie, while new, followed those basic designs but has incorporated updated weaponry, armour, and other technological advances. We’re going there to explore, but we can defend ourselves if needed. And if there is one thing we learned from the early days of exploration, it is to always be ready to defend ourselves while trying to be diplomatic and outgoing. No disrespect to Captain Serala on this, but this is why I was chosen for this command.

Serala: No offense taken, Captain Aleron. I couldn’t agree more, and I think it’s important that readers understand that I am in full agreement with this assessment.

Lieutenant Commander T’Ama | Executive Officer, USS Valkyrie

Half El-Aurian by heritage and raised on Vulcan, Lieutenant Commander T’Ama carries with her a quality of calm one does not so much observe as feel. She rose rapidly through the Chin’toka’s ranks, from Operations Officer to Chief of Operations, to Second Officer, and finally to First Officer, only to find herself transferred before she could serve a mission in the role. She does not appear troubled by this.

Tani: Greetings, Lieutenant Commander. As one of the Fleet’s newest Executive Officers, our viewers would love to get to know you. Could you tell us about yourself?

T’Ama: Well, I’m half El-Aurian, for starters, though I grew up mostly on Vulcan. Out of the Academy, I was posted on the Constitution-B as an Operations Officer. Then I participated in the commandeering of the Chin’toka during Frontier Day and was subsequently made her Chief of Operations, then Second Officer, and then First Officer.

Tani: You were recently appointed as Captain Serala’s Executive Officer; however, you are being transferred before your first mission. Considering the new ship and a new captain, what challenges do you anticipate this will present to you?

T’Ama: Most of the crew came with us, so I feel a responsibility to them as a familiar face in command while we all get to know a new captain. I am not particularly sentimental over ships, except perhaps the Chin’toka’s Main Operations Center, but new leadership always means change.

Tani: The USS Chin’toka is classified as a Heavy Cruiser. What are some of the command differences you’ll face aboard a Tactical Explorer?

T’Ama: Hard to say without knowing the future. One would think a shift toward more emphasis on exploration and less on political force projection, but ultimately, we will be just about the only Federation ship in the area, so we will have to handle whatever comes up. I think it is more a function of the change in venue than the change in ship type that will account for any differences.

PART THREE: THE CREW SPEAKS

Voices from the Valkyrie

With the senior officers spoken for, I made my way through the Valkyrie’s newly-commissioned corridors to speak with the officers who will carry this mission forward, from decorated veterans to fresh Academy graduates, each bringing something distinct to this undertaking.

Tani: You are listed as the ship’s Strategic Operations Officer. What are some of the challenges you expect to face on the USS Valkyrie?

V’Nille: The biggest challenge is simply the lack of information. We’re going into a region of space that Starfleet hasn’t visited in over twenty years, and that last we knew had a hostile regional power. The Valkyrie-A is a ship built for exploring potentially dangerous areas of space, and it’s big enough to operate in remote regions on its own, so I’m not too worried about it as long as we take the opportunity to learn about the area before jumping in feet first, so to speak.

Tani: What are some of the engineering differences between the Valkyrie and the Chin’toka that you are looking forward to learning?

Xiron: Well, the basics of Starfleet ship design remain consistent for most of the auxiliary systems; it is just a matter of learning the new layout. But that said, it is still a different class from a different era of starship building than the Chin’toka. The Quantum Slipstream Drive is something new entirely to almost all of the old Chin’toka hands. We were fortunate to receive several specialists in the field, and the retraining of the old crew is going well. I look forward to learning the ship. A new ship is like a new partner with its unique quirks, strengths, weaknesses, and charms. A crew must build a bond with the ship, same as they do with each other. It will not just bring you home, but it will become home.

Tani: As the command’s Chief of Security, what do you think will be the most significant challenge on your new ship?

Is’Kah: I started as an Engineer on the USS Ronin, then transferred to the USS Chin’toka as one. Since they were both Akira-class, I was able to learn every location inside and out as I crawled through most of the Jefferies tubes repairing systems. The USS Valkyrie is 200 meters longer, and there are many more hiding places. It will take months for security to identify all the blind spots and address them.

Ensign Rasmussen stands a little straighter when I approach, a posture which still carries the instincts of the Academy. He is one of several fresh graduates joining the Valkyrie for their first tour of duty.

Tani: What are your hopes for your first tour of duty?

Rasmussen: Well, it’s a daunting but exciting prospect. Like you say, it’s my first tour, so I have everything still to learn, but from what I’ve seen of the ship and her crew so far, I feel I’m in good hands. I joined Starfleet to try and give something back after Frontier Day. Hopefully I can achieve something towards that in my own small way.

Tani: You are the ship’s Intelligence Officer. Is there any threat you’re already keeping an eye on?

Seleya: Currently, we are trying to piece together data from the last time Starfleet sent ships out here. My current project is working with our Science Department for deep space scans and probes, and then coordinating any findings with our Strategic Operations Department.

Lieutenant Ada, the ship’s Chief Science Officer, is practically vibrating with enthusiasm as I catch up with her between equipment transfers. She begins to describe some of the Valkyrie’s more advanced research capabilities before catching herself, as several key details remain classified.

Tani: How would you compare the ability to research on the Valkyrie to the USS Constitution?

Ada: With the new [REDACTED], we’ll be able to [REDACTED] with [REDACTED] at twice the speed as before. [REDACTED]! On a starship! I can’t wait to… oh, you won’t be able to publish any of that, will you? Suffice to say, we have all the latest scientific technology.

Tani: Doctor, what are your opinions regarding the medical facilities on the USS Valkyrie compared to the USS Chin’toka?

Doucet: Oh, it’s incredible. I thought the Astraeus had a large sickbay complex. The Galaxy-class ships have essentially a small hospital onboard. The Valkyrie-A though? It’s got two sickbays, and a full suite of additional medical space for specialized medical care. I hesitate to say it outdoes the Astraeus since I can’t compare them side by side right now, but I cannot imagine we’ll be short on anything we’d need from what I’ve seen here. Even the break rooms are incredible. There’s a break room in the Sickbay Complex to begin with, which is honestly more than I recall the Chin’toka having. Sometimes you can’t make the walk down to the lounge, you know?

Tani: This is your third transfer in a year. How are you coping with such upheaval?

S’Rorr: With adequate sleep and measured expectations. But really, each transfer I made, I brought others with me. I haven’t felt much upheaval because of that. Starfleet is its people, not its ships.

Dasel is the last crew member I speak with, and perhaps the most refreshing. She arrived at our meeting slightly out of breath, having apparently spent the better part of the morning somewhere between Deck 7 and the nearest turbolift.

Tani: As a fresh graduate of Starfleet Academy, what are your goals for your career?

Dasel: Wait, we need career goals? I’m just trying to get out of Spacedock! But really, I’m just wanting to meet everyone and learn everything. I came to Starfleet to open up a whole new world of experiences. So the goal is to learn more and make friends.

Tani: Commander, you were recently reassigned as the ship’s Diplomatic Officer. What are some of the key differences between conducting diplomacy on the Valkyrie versus the Chin’toka?

Sherlock: I can’t really say what the differences are, or will be. But with the Chin’toka being stationed in the Par’tha Expanse and having been established in the region for quite some time, I think there was a built-in resistance, so to speak, to the Federation. With the Solerian Sector, we have almost a clean slate. Our first interactions are going to dictate how we’re viewed in the region. The better we come across to those meeting us for the first time, the easier things will be going forward. It’s a unique opportunity.

As I step back onto the docking gantry, the USS Valkyrie stretches out before me in the amber glow of Spacedock’s running lights, new, purposeful, and already humming with life. Somewhere on the other side of Federation space, the Solerian Sector waits, largely unknown and entirely unaware of what is coming its way.

The Federation News Service will follow the Valkyrie’s mission as dispatches reach us from deep space. Safe travels, Valkyrie.

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