Starship One

Starship One is the official designation of the transport of the President of the Federation. Beginning in 2296, two Narwhal Liners served in this capacity until one of the them was destroyed on May 26, 3301 by a catastrophic Frame Shift Drive malfunction that occurred during a hyperspace jump. The second Narwhal continued to see use until February 28, 3302, when it was retired from service due to security concerns. Since then, the role of Starship One has been assumed by two modified Farragut Battle Cruisers.

Starship One travels in Wing formation with at least three escort vessels belonging to the Guardian Wing, a special division of the Federal Navy assigned to protect important Federal officials. Routes that are secured for Starship One to follow are designated "Spaceflight One" or "Starflight One", terms which may also be used to refer to Starship One and its escorts collectively.

The Starship One disaster

Disappearance and initial search

At approximately 03:00 Universal Galactic Time on May 26, 3301, Starship One, a Narwhal Liner carrying Federal President Jasmina Halsey, Vice President Ethan Naylor, and other leading officials of the Halsey administration, disappeared shortly after making a hyperspace jump to the Azaleach system. At the time, President Halsey and her staff had been undertaking an outreach tour of current and former Federal frontier systems, including HIP 53688, Tinia, Aleumoxii, 78 Ursae Majoris, Dietri, Su, Furuhjelm I-645, Saga, Delphin, Nanomam, Coriccha, and Ross 860; other destinations were planned, but their names were withheld from the media for security reasons.

The first sign that something was amiss came early on May 26, when Maisy Stevenson, the leader of the Saga Republic Party, told GalNet that Starship One was 38 hours late for its scheduled arrival time, which Federal officials on Mars initially claimed was due to Halsey taking a last-minute detour to the Azaleach system. At 15:00 UGT, however, Secretary of State Felicia Winters assumed the role of Acting President of the Federation. She announced that contact with Starship One had been lost since its jump to Azaleach 12 hours earlier, and the vessel was officially missing. The Federal Navy immediately scrambled squadrons to search for it and rescue President Halsey and Vice President Naylor. At first, it was believed both Starship One and its escort vessels had been lost, but all three ships of the President's Guardian Wing were found on May 27. According to one of the escort pilots, the Guardian Wing ships had slaved their drives to Starship One's for the jump per protocol, but shortly after entering hyperspace, the escort vessels violently dropped back into normal space. The escorts reestablished contact with each other and searched the area for Starship One before jumping to the original rendezvous point and alerting Federal Navy HQ.

Specialist teams from Core Dynamics and Sirius Corporation determined from wake telemetry and uplink data that Starship One had suffered explosive Frame Shift Drive failure mid-jump, catapulting the Guardian Wing out of hyperspace and tearing Starship One into pieces that were spread across interstellar space. An official report released by the Federal Navy on June 2, 3301 attributed the disaster to mechanical failure. Sensor data obtained from Guardian Wing Alpha indicated a power surge in the central Power Plant of Starship One overloaded its other core systems. Automatic shutdown systems in the Frame Shift Drive designed to prevent these overloads and abort the jump inexplicably failed to operate, resulting in the loss of the ship after it entered hyperspace. No signs of foul play were identified.

Second search

In early 3302, after a successful search for the wreckage of Starship One arranged by President Zachary Hudson, analysts hypothesized that Starship One's destruction was not instantaneous and began in the rear of the ship, which could have allowed passengers and crew enough time to reach escape pods. This theory was proven on February 26, 3302, when it was confirmed that some of the thousands of escape pods recovered from the Lyncis Sector by independent pilots contained Starship One survivors, most notably Jasmina Halsey. The former Federal President was eventually revived and recounted her experience of Starship One's destruction, saying that she had been in the bridge at the time of the explosion and her bodyguards managed to carry her to an escape pod.

Criminal investigation

A follow-up investigation was conducted by the Federal Attorney's Office over the next several years, which found that Starship One had been sabotaged shortly before it embarked on Halsey's grand tour. On September 18, 3306, the Federal Intelligence Agency arrested Chief Technician Rory Webster, the lead engineer in charge of Starship One's maintenance, on charges of mass murder and treason. Webster reportedly ordered unauthorised modifications to the ship's Frame Shift Drive.

Timeline

18 SEP 3306

• An officer in the Federal Navy Engineering Corps has been arrested for sabotaging the presidential vessel Starship One. A statement was made by Milandu Okoro of the Federal Attorney's Office: "Chief Technician Rory Webster was a department head of engineering for Starship One. Testimonies from members of Mr Webster's team claim that he ordered unauthorised adjustments to the ship's hyperdrive systems while in drydock, shortly before its launch in May 3301 and subsequent destruction. This case is now being brought before the Federal High Court, where Mr Webster will stand trial for mass murder and attempted treason." There has been no comment from President Zachary Hudson, but Shadow President Felicia Winters told the press: "This was a truly horrific tragedy, and there must be justice for all those who lost their lives on that sad day." The apparent death of many Federation leaders aboard Starship One resulted in Winters briefly becoming acting president, shortly before Hudson won a vote of no confidence. There has been much media attention regarding how this event proved pivotal to both of their political careers.

12 SEP 3306

• An independent inquiry by the Federal Attorney's Office into the destruction of presidential vessel Starship One has produced a final report. Senior Attorney Milandu Okoro made this statement: "The loss of presidential vessel Starship One in May 3301, along with hundreds of lives, was a great tragedy. Despite suspicion that this was an attempt to eliminate then-President Jasmina Halsey, initial investigations concluded that a catastrophic malfunction of its drive systems was the likely cause. A new inquiry was opened when fresh evidence came to light, including testimonies from several members of the Federal Navy. Our final report states that there is sufficient reason to believe Starship One was destroyed by deliberate sabotage. A grand jury has determined that criminal charges should be made. We have shared our findings with the Federal Intelligence Agency, and understand that an arrest will take place shortly." The inquiry report is not yet in the public domain, but is thought to allege that illegal modifications were made to the Frame Shift Drive system of Starship One in advance of its destruction during flight through hyperspace.

04 APR 3302

• Former Federal president Jasmina Halsey spoke to select reporters at Leoniceno Orbital today, answering the questions many have wanted to ask since she was recovered from the wreckage of Starship One. When asked about Starship One's destruction, Halsey replied: "I remember very little, really. A thunderous noise, then silence. Being thrown across the bridge in my chair, and then being unable to breathe. I remember one of my bodyguards getting me to the pod as things floated about silently, like a dream. The last thing I remember is a terrible pain in my ears and a very loud noise as the pod filled with what looked like steam." The former president's voice was distant, and she seemed to drift off between sentences. She certainly did not sound like the forceful leader from last year. A reporter from the Alliance Tribune asked President Halsey what it was like to drift through space for so long: "It was wonderful. Amazing. I saw the universe, and our galaxy within it, as I'd never seen it before, and I felt the presence of the real caretakers of our galaxy. The paradox of their existence – tiny yet gargantuan, fleeting yet eternal. They spoke to me as I drifted in the void. It was amazing. I must share their message." This unorthodox statement prompted a flurry of further questions, but Halsey's escorts promptly led her from the room.

28 FEB 3302

• For the past six years, the Federation has used a pair of customised Saud Kruger Narwhal Liners (upgraded variants of the successful Beluga Liner) as the personal vessels of the Federal president. Last year, one of these vessels was lost in a tragic accident. Today, the remaining vessel will be retired. Bexley Jones, a spokeswoman for President Zachary Hudson, said: "It is of the utmost importance that the ship bearing the callsign 'Starship One' can function as a mobile base of operations for the president, providing him with everything he needs while off-planet, in addition to offering total safety. Given the Beluga's primary designation as a passenger vessel, we have decided that it is unable meet these demands." Jones confirmed that the remaining Narwhal will be replaced with a pair of modified Farragut Battle Cruisers, a mainstay of the Federal Navy. The formidable vessels are equipped with an extensive array of heavy weaponry, and are capable of transporting multiple Federal Corvettes and a large F63 Condor squadron. "In these dangerous times, it is essential that the presidential vessel be able to offer comprehensive military support, and the Farragut Battle Cruiser can do just that," said Jones.

26 FEB 3302

• The recent Federal operation to search for survivors from Starship One was eagerly supported by the galactic community, resulting in the safe recovery of thousands of escape pods, many of them containing living survivors. As the task of identifying the pod's occupants continues, Federal President Zachary Hudson has made a surprising announcement: one of the escape pods taken to Leoniceno Orbital contains former Federal president Jasmina Halsey. "When we started searching for the remains of Starship One it was with the aim of discovering what happened to the ship. I never imagined we would find survivors, and certainly not that one of them would be Jasmina Halsey." Asked about Halsey's condition, Hudson said: "The medical team at Leoniceno has described Halsey's condition as critical but stable. It appears her escape pod was damaged and she sustained some injuries, so she's being kept in an induced coma until her wounds have healed. This is likely to take weeks. If her condition changes I will be immediately notified."

23 FEB 3302

• Federal President Zachary Hudson has announced that the search for survivors from Starship One has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response. Mere hours after the campaign began, thousands of escape pods had been delivered to Leoniceno Orbital, many of them containing living survivors. In the wake of the initiative's success, President Hudson released a statement to the media: "I have been overwhelmed by the response to this campaign, which has resulted in the rescue of thousands of individuals, and I am delighted to confirm that some of the recovered pods are indeed from Starship One. We are not yet in a position to release the identities of those we have rescued, but we hope to be able to do so soon. In the meantime I would once again like to extend my gratitude to those who contributed to the search." The recovery of so many escape pods will almost certainly prompt speculation that former Federal president Jasmina Halsey may be among the survivors.

18 FEB 3302

• Federal President Zachary Hudson has confirmed that the remains of Starship One were among the wreckage recently delivered to Leoniceno Orbital. The search for the missing presidential vessel began two weeks ago, resulting in the accumulation of thousands of tonnes of wreckage, which was then subjected to rigorous analysis by Federal scientists. The analysis confirmed that the remains of Starship One had been located, prompting President Hudson to release a statement to the media: "The loss of Starship One remains a tragedy, but I must admit to feeling a sense of relief at finally knowing what happened to the presidential ship." President Hudson followed his statement with a surprising announcement: "Our researchers have surmised that the destruction of Starship One was not instantaneous, and that the front of the ship may have suffered less damage than the rest of the vessel. This means there is a very small chance – and I must stress that this is remote – that some of the crew might have been able to reach escape pods. That's why I'm calling on the galactic community to support a second search – a search for survivors. Pilots who want to contribute to the search should concentrate their efforts in the Lyncis Sector, and in particular on the ON-T B3-1, ON-T B3-2, ON-T B3-3, ON-T B3-4 and ST-R B4-3 1 systems, where we believe further wreckage from the ship may be found." The search is expected to begin immediately.

15 FEB 3302

• A Federal investigation team has released the results of an official inquiry into the destruction of Starship One. The 600,000-word report confirms that the abnormal energy signature detected just before the ship made its last jump was almost certainly caused by mechanical failure. The report goes on to assert that the failure began with a power surge in the ship's central power plant – a relatively common occurrence in a high-capacity hydrogen reactor – which overloaded several other core systems. Despite examining every piece of available evidence, investigators could not find any proof that the ship was sabotaged. They ultimately concluded that the ship's destruction was the result of a complex, multi-stage engine failure.

04 FEB 3302

• Over the past week, hundreds of pilots have been searching for signs of Starship One, the Federal presidential vessel that disappeared in May 3301. Two factions had a stake in the search – the Azaleach Partnership, which was acting on behalf of Federal President Zachary Hudson, and the Daurtu Jet Comms PLC, an organisation about which very little is known. Today, the Federation announced it had received a sizeable quantity of debris. In a statement, President Hudson expressed his satisfaction at the outcome: "I would like to thank the galactic community for its enthusiastic participation in the search for Starship One. Thousands of tonnes of debris have been delivered to the Federal research outpost at Leoniceno Orbital, which we will now subject to comprehensive spectral analysis. As for Daurtu Jet Comms PLC, I do not know what interest it has in Starship One, but I would remind them that the Federation takes a dim view of those who meddle in its affairs." Although Daurtu Jet Comms PLC offered larger rewards for wreckage than the Federation, it is understood to have received only a modest amount of space-borne debris. Given the failure of the organisation's appeal, we may never know why Daurtu Jet Comms PLC was looking for the lost presidential ship..

28 JAN 3302

• In May 3301, the personal vessel of the Federal president, Starship One, disappeared en route to the Azaleach system. An investigation was promptly launched, but the fate of the vessel and her crew, which included then-president Jasmina Halsey, could not be conclusively determined. In a statement released earlier today, Federal President Zachary Hudson announced his intention to resume the search for the ship, inspired by the discovery of the remains of the liner Antares: "Like many others, I was heartened by the Sirius Corporation's success, and I found myself thinking that if the remains of a ship lost fifty years ago could be found, surely a ship lost less than a year ago could also be recovered. I am therefore offering generous reimbursements to pilots who deliver wreckage components to the Federal research outpost at Leoniceno Orbital in the Azaleach system. Once we have gathered enough material, we will analyse the debris to determine if any of it is from Starship One. If we are able to find the remains of the ship, we may be able to determine what happened to President Halsey and the rest of the ship's crew." But it appears that President Hudson is not the only person eager to find Starship One. In a strange turn of events, an organisation by the name of Daurtu Jet Comms PLC has also announced its intention to search for the missing presidential vessel. Virtually nothing is known about Daurtu Jet Comms PLC, but the fact that it is offering even larger rewards than the Federation may convince pilots to lend the organisation their support.

02 JUN 3301

• The Federal Navy has today released its official report into the disappearance of Starship One. As expected, the 600,000 word document provides a detailed analysis of the inner workings of Starship One. The report confirms that the abnormal energy signature detected by Guardian Wing Alpha, immediately prior to Starship One's last known jump, was almost certainly caused by mechanical failure. The report includes an in depth comparison with the failure of the Highliner Antares and concludes there were remarkable similarities in the unusual failure mode, and it is still unclear why the automatic shutdown systems did not operate (most of which were not present on the Antares). The failure began with a power surge in the central power plant – something not especially unusual in a high capacity hydrogen reactor – causing several other core systems to overload. Despite going over hours of evidence, including video feeds detailing the last several days of life aboard all four ships of Starflight One, investigators were not able to identify any signs of foul play. In the end, the team has concluded that the cause of Starship One's loss was a complex multi-stage engine failure.

30 MAY 3301

• It has now been 5 days since Starship One lost contact, and the search and rescue teams have yet to find any trace of the missing ship or her crew. According to Lieutenant Barringer of the Federal Transport Safety Administration: "Starship One's disappearance appears to have been caused by a major malfunction in the Frame Shift Drive's safety systems. It looks like there was a major power surge, followed by four separate system failures in quick succession according to the data we have, resulting in a catastrophic explosion. We do not believe this explosion would have been survivable by anyone on board. The FTSA has seen each of these failures in commercial and military hyperdrives in the last few years, but each one has resulted in the drive shutting down and the ship failing to enter hyperspace. There are strong similarities with the loss of the Highliner Antares in 3251, but since then we have many more safety systems designed to prevent such failures. At the moment it looks like this was a terribly unlucky tragic accident. We have not found any evidence of tampering, and all the systems passed their automated pre-flight checks. Our condolences go out to the loved ones of those lost."

28 MAY 3301

• Despite claims that the disappearance of Starship One was due to a failure in the ship's Frame Shift Drive, rumours abound about a more sinister, possibly extraterrestrial explanation. Alex Snoori, host of the popular interstellar talk show Beyond Top Secret, had this to say to his listeners. "It's an outrage, that's what it is. Do you think those Martian fat cats that rule over us want you to know the truth? I don't think so. Learn your history, people. It wasn't all that long ago that our ancestors were being plucked out of the black right into the belly of bugs. Wake up sheeple, you don't want to be sitting around dressed up like mutton when they come for you. Do not let the government tell you lies. You're smarter than that. There's been a lot of hullabaloo about strange things being found out there recently. Weird, pulsing, alien things. I don't know where they came from, but I do know that they're creepy, and gross, and almost certainly dangerous. You think it's a coincidence that the President went missing just weeks after those THINGS turn up? Don't be so naive. WAKE UP sheeple, you’re being lied to."

28 MAY 3301

• Shadow President Hudson today called an Emergency Session of Congress to address concerns surrounding Starship One's disappearance. During the meeting, the Shadow President openly mocked the idea that Starship One's disappearance could have been caused by simple engine failure. "Jasmina and I weren't close – heck, we hated each other, and that's the truth of it. But the idea, the very notion, that our best and brightest out there on Starship One would have let that bird fly with a busted engine... No way. Those guys are military. We need to be looking for who did it. We need to nail them NOW. The assassin is busy covering their tracks while we speak. This dithering inaction and woolly thinking is typical of this administration. Let's face it Halsey had enough enemies like those onionhead guys, numerous frontier systems she has annoyed, and the elephant in the room – the Empire." Acting President Winters took a more levelled approach. "I appreciate the sheer gamut of emotions my esteemed colleague must be feeling, but at times like these, level heads must prevail. We have found no evidence of foul play as yet. Our engineers are sifting through copious amounts of data and so far it does look like a very unusual catastrophic failure rather than sabotage."

27 MAY 3301

• At a press conference held earlier today, Acting Federal President Felicia Winters made a personal appearance to address the disappearance of Starship One after failing to re-enter normal space following a routine hyperspace jump. "The disappearance of Starship One has us all on edge. Tensions are high, and the rumour mills are making all their usual noise about terrorists, aliens, conspiracies and cover-ups. I'm afraid the truth will likely get you all far fewer viewers, but it is the truth that the people of the Federation need to hear from me now. I'm told the early investigations from telemetry and uplink data suggest an explosive drive failure destroyed Starship One in hyperspace, catapulting all three of her protective Guardian Wing out of hyperspace. Wreckage is likely spread across interstellar space. I'm told there are parallels with the loss of the Highliner Antares way back in 3251 when she was lost with all hands on her maiden voyage. I know I remember where I was when the Highliner Antares disappeared, and I fear we will always remember where we were the day Starship One was lost. While we don’t know what caused this incident – yet – we do know that Starship One's engines experienced an unexpected surge of power just seconds before making its last jump. The search efforts will continue, of course. Our hearts and hope go out to the friends and families of President Halsey and all those lost yesterday in this terrible incident."

27 MAY 3301

• It has been almost 48 hours since the disappearance of Starship One. Early reports indicated that the ship was lost with all hands, and in this instance GalNet is pleased to announce that the early reports were mistaken. Three ships from Starship One's Guardian Wing made contact with Navy HQ shortly after the initial disappearance. Unfortunately, they were not able to shed any light on the ultimate fate of Starship One. Despite thousands of Federal scouts combing the sectors along Starship One's secured route, designated Spaceflight One, no trace of the missing ship has been found. Specialist teams from Core Dynamics and the Sirius Corporation are currently attempting to analyse the wake and uplink data captured by the President's Guardian Wing escorts in the moments before all four ships jumped. Theories involve either a rare misjump or some sort of catastrophic drive failure. Unfortunately, results so far are inconclusive as to what may have happened to President Halsey and her team. One member of the crew of one of the President's Guardian Wing, who wished to remain nameless, spoke exclusively to GalNet about the last moments before the President's disappearance. "I've never seen anything like it. One minute everything was fine. Pre-jump checks? Normal. Engine power? Normal. Our drives were slaved to Starship One, as is normal. The entry to hyperspace seemed normal at first, but then there was a terrible shock wave and our ship started tumbling. We exited hyperspace uncontrolled and in deep space – something I've never seen before. Our ship had taken damage. We couldn't reach Starship One via comms, but managed to make contact with the other two members of the Guardian Wing. We first searched the deep space around our positions, then jumped to the destination point rendezvous as quickly as we could. Nothing. Not even wreckage." The Federal Navy are requesting that any pilots interested in helping to search along the Starflight One[sic] route should sign up for active duty as a member of the search and rescue team aboard Leoniceno Orbital in Azaleach.

26 MAY 3301

• At 15:00 hours universal galactic time on 26th May 3301, Secretary of State Felicia Winters assumed the role of Acting President of the Federation in the wake of the disappearance of Spaceflight One[sic]. Speaking in an emergency broadcast to the nation, Acting President Winters had this to say: "It is with deep regret and some trepidation that I must come before you today to announce that contact with the President's ship, Spaceflight One, has been lost. Two days ago, Navy Command received word that the President would be taking an unscheduled detour to Azaleach. Her reasons as to why remain classified. 12 hours ago, following entry into hyperspace, Spaceflight One went dark. All attempts by the President's security team to trace the vessel have met with failure. Squadrons have been scrambled in an attempt to find President Halsey and Vice President Naylor, and I have faith that the Navy will do everything they can to bring them home. That said, in order to maintain a clear chain of command during this time of crisis, I will be assuming the role of Acting President of the Federation effective immediately. I hope I have your support, and I hope it will only have to be a temporary measure."

26 MAY 3301

• Reports coming in from Saga indicate that the President has missed her scheduled meeting with delegates aboard Zudov Terminal. Maisy Stevenson, the leader of the Saga Republic Party, expressed her concern to GalNet in the following statement: "We were expecting Starflight One[sic] to arrive a little under 38 hours ago. An escort was sent to meet Starflight One at the prearranged location, but the ship simply didn't appear. We informed Mars and were told that the President had decided to take a last-minute detour. I understand the President's time is precious, but it would have been nice to get a little bit of advance notice. The people of Saga spent a not inconsiderable amount of time and credits preparing to greet the President, and now their hard work appears to have gone to waste. I do hope that the President manages to find time for us in her seemingly busy schedule. I would hate to think that the people of Saga had in some way been snubbed by Halsey."

13 MAY 3301

• The crowds were out in force on Mars today, as residents gathered to watch the presidential battlecruiser, Space Flight One,[sic] depart on the start of President Halsey's tour of Federal frontier systems. For security reasons, the exact details of the President's itinerary are being kept secret. However, GalNet has been given permission to exclusively reveal the names of a dozen systems that President Halsey intends to visit during her trip. Those being: HIP 53688, Tinia, Aleumoxii, 78 Ursae Majoris, Dietri, Su, Furuhjelm I-645, Saga, Delphin, Nanomam, Coriccha and Ross 860. As Vice President Naylor will be accompanying President Halsey on her trip, the Secretary of State, Madam Winters, will be overseeing day-to-day operations on Mars during the President's absence.