U.S.S. Cooper NCC-4791 (FASA)
Named for Marshall Anaximander Cooper, a Federation secretary who served during the Romulan War, the Cooper was a Baker class destroyer commissioned on Reference Stardate 2/20 (2278)[Notes 1] and commanded by Commodore William P. Masefield.[2]
On Reference Stardate 2/2106 (June 2279), the Cooper received a call for aid from Rho Markessis VI. The ship's landing party beamed down, only to find themselves in the middle of a civil war. Bound by the Prime Directive not to interfere, but unable to beam them back due to a malfunction caused by a recent encounter with an ion storm, a shuttlecraft was sent to retrieve the landing party. Tragically, weapons fire from hostile natives damaged the shuttle, resulting in the loss of atmospheric integrity and the lives of all aboard.[2]
The Cooper put in at Starbase 23, to provide shore leave for the crew and repairs for the damaged shuttle. Ten days later, on Reference Stardate 2/2106.30 (30 June 2279), the Cooper received orders to proceed to Archanis,[Notes 2] to transport a Federation scientist, Kraftzmann Mikil Hartewicce, to Axanar. Hartewicce believed that the Klingon Empire had once again set up a base on Axanar, to use as a beachhead for an invasion of the Federation. The Cooper, arriving on Reference Stardate 2/2202.14 (14 February 2280), discovered that, during the initial invasion of Axanar nearly three decades earlier, Klingon genetic scientist Arjtugh, under orders from a senior Klingon administrator, began to establish a secret genetics facility, but construction came to a halt in the wake of the Klingons' defeat at Axanar by Captain Garth of the U.S.S. Xenophon NCC-4342. Arjtugh evaded capture for more than twenty years, until his accidental death by exposure in 2277.[2]
The Cooper was soon lured away by a false distress call, and Axanar came under attack. When the Cooper returned, the landing party had all been killed by the crew of an escaping Klingon Bird of Prey, the I.K.S. K'ti'suka. Commodore Jarv Gouthar, an old rival of Commodore Masefield and commandant of Starbase 14, dismissed Masefield's report, and ordered the Cooper to the starbase. When Masefield continued his pursuit of the Klingon ship, Gouthar dispatched the U.S.S. Rasalgethi NCC-1557, U.S.S. Bosch NCC-21035, U.S.S. Silverion NCC-4752, U.S.S. Dubhe NCC-5038, and U.S.S. Sadr NCC-5196 to intercept the Cooper and take Masefield into custody. They arrived in time to help the Cooper engage a waiting Klingon fleet, which included the I.K.S. Varg'cel, I.K.S. Teniwa, I.K.S. Tebitvu, I.K.S. Kaxliw, I.K.S. Ky'jecum, and the I.K.S. Ganh Wusav. The Federation ships then called to the U.S.S. Mirfak NCC-4823 and U.S.S. Pollux NCC-5157 for reinforcements.[2]
Commodore Tesko kai Lieu of the Rasalgethi took Masefield into custody, and on Reference Stardate 2/2205.20 (20 May 2280), Masefield was tried in a court martial at Starbase 14 for negligence and disobeying Gouthar's orders. Masefield was suddenly and unexpectedly acquitted when Commodore Antonia Niccomachi of Starfleet Intelligence arrived with classified evidence, including copies of the orders she'd given to Masefield at Starbase 23 on Reference Stardate 2/2106.3.[2]
The crew of the Cooper in 2280 included Commander Arnold C. "Bucky" Buchwalter, first officer; Commander Gregori Antonov Markov,[Notes 3] chief engineer; Commander Patrick S. "Paddy" Wilkins, chief navigator; Commander Baxter E.D. Fitzmartin, chief helmsman; Lieutenant Commander U Shinavva Longfellow, chief communications/damage control officer; Lieutenant Commander Sevill F. Marquart, chief science officer; Lieutenant Harry Ling Chu, M.D., chief medical officer; Lieutenant Armand M. Hall, chief security officer; Lieutenant Starren Lucas, assistant science officer; Lieutenant Marica O. "Lucky" Hadley, assistant medical officer; Lieutenant Jacob E. Sikay, assistant chief security officer; Lieutenant Ixan, physician; Lieutenant Elijah X. Coe, security officer; Lieutenant, j.g. Rebecca Winters, assistant helmsman; Lieutenant, j.g. Anthony Robor-Wheeler, assistant navigator; Lieutenant, j.g. Ricky Eleven, assistant communications/damage control officer; Lieutenant, j.g. Henry R. Tolan, assistant engineer; Lieutenant, j.g. John Q. "Squirrel" Smythe, chief supply officer; Lieutenant, j.g. Angus P. MacDougall, engineer; Lieutenant, j.g. Shrev Hall'th, geophysicist; Lieutenant, j.g. George Yalkovich, astrophysicist; Lieutenant, j.g. Gerald Lawrence, security officer; Ensign T'loris, transporter chief; and Ensigns Thomas B. Michaels & Shar Thaan, security officers.[2]
Notes
- ↑ FASA game materials referred to events by a FASA-specific dating standard called the "Reference Stardate." All dates taken from FASA sources in this article have been adapted from that notation into standard calendar dates, which are then adjusted for errors in the baseline dates used as reference by the FASA authors. Working with a known, dated event (e.g., the launch of the Constitution class starships), the other dates in the timeline can be adjusted accordingly. FASA sources give the launch of the Constitution class as Reference Stardate 1/8801.04, which translates to the standard caldendar date of 04 January 2188. This has been established on screen, however, as occurring in 2245. As the exact month and date remain unstated in other sources, those remain the same, but the year has been adjusted to 2245, giving a modified date of 04 January 2245. This can then also be converted into the pre-TOS stardate system established in Star Trek (2009), giving us a stardate of 2245.004.
- ↑ FASA materials largely spelled the system as "Arcanis," but this was adjusted to "Archanis," as it was spelled on screen.
- ↑ While the character name was listed as Markova, this is the feminine variation of the Slavic name Markov; the name was adjusted to match the character being, in fact, a Lithuanian man
References
- ↑ "Federation Ship Recognition Manual." Star Trek: The Roleplaying Game, Supplement 2302. Game. 1985. FASA.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Return to Axanar." Star Trek: The Roleplaying Game, Supplement 2218. Game. 1986. FASA.
