USS Pathfinder
- "Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light. I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night."
- —Sarah Williams
The USS Pathfinder is a Pathfinder-class long-range science vessel, the first of her class, and is assigned to the Fourth Fleet.
History
The Pathfinder was commissioned in 2398 and after shakedown conducted a 2-year deep-space exploratory mission. In 2401 she was assigned under the command of Karana Valance as part of Endeavour Squadron. In the early months of that year, she conducted exploration of the former Romulan frontier, where Starfleet had little opportunity to send missions of scientific inquiry until the fall of the Star Empire of Rator.
In March 2401, she participated in the defence of the Deneb Sector after the invasion of the Dominion Lost Fleet. Due to her distance from the frontier, Pathfinder arrived late to the campaign, but played a critical role in bringing reinforcements to the Battle of Izar, tipping the balance and winning the battle for Starfleet.
After the campaign, Pathfinder was earmarked for more deep-space exploration missions, and reassigned.
Design and Layout
Like any of her class, the Pathfinder is equipped for long-range missions of scientific exploration. Reflecting her primary designation, however, the majority of her laboratory space has been allocated to supporting archaeological and anthropological research, with other scientific facilities revolving around the study of earth sciences needed to support these missions. These laboratories are all modular in nature, and Pathfinder can be reconfigured for other operations if needed.
Much of the rest of the ship is laid out as standard. Lounges and other crew space all so far have retained the configuration with which she was launched, giving even the main mess hall and the aft lounge favoured by senior officers a somewhat utilitarian feel.
Auxiliary Craft
Type-12 Shuttles
Pathfinder has the standard complement of smallcraft, with four Type-12 shuttles berthed. With only a flight crew of one or two officers, they struggle to fit even an additional four personnel aboard. Despite this, they are capable of reasonably long-distance missions, and the limited auxiliary craft aboard means the shuttles are relied on whenever the Waverider-class is unavailable or unsuited. The shuttles are all named for famous archaeologists:
- Estragon
- Korby
- Galen
- M'Tell
Waverider-class
The favoured ship for any away mission requiring more than two officers or facilities of any significance, the Pathfinder's Waverider-class is a capable multi-mission platform that can operate independently for limited missions of some duration. The Waverider has been called the 'Watson', in honour of the original Pathfinder Project's Operation: Watson, itself an homage to Thomas Watson, assistant of the telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell.
Notable Crew
Commanding Officers
- January - April 2401: Commander Karana Valance
- 2401 - Present: Captain Kristina Tyelin