[New Star Trek Idea] Star Trek Freighter

[Brainsucker]

The story happen in early 25th century, when almost all Galaxy Class Starships has been decommissioned or broken down for the sake of new generation of Star Ship. It is a story of the last remaining Galaxy Class Starship that still operational, the USS Left Over. Her role is not to explore Strange New World and seek out new civilization, but for more of mundane task. Like delivering raw Dilithium Crystal from the mine to the Federation Dilithium crystal refinery. And because of that there are many features of the original Galaxy Class Starship that has been removed. Like the Torpedo bay, etc. For the sake of dilithium storage chamber. And the crew has been reduced from 1000 like in TNG to 50. Although these Star Ship still have weapons, but they're old weapon. The original phaser that used by the old Galaxy Class Starship when they were still considered as the Flagship in Starfleet Armada.

The crew are not the best. They are the left over from the Academy that considered as fail, or have the lowest score in the class. Well, just think about the logic here. You don't need A Mr. Data or Mr. Spock to operate the lowest priority Starship in the fleet.

The captain was a war hero from Dominion War era. But because of his excentric and rebelious nature. He has even some disiplinary problem.So Starfleet Command doesn't like him so much. Just because he had a war medal, so he still hasn't been fired. and be given a big starship that he had dream to command when he was young. The Galaxy Class Starship, the Flagship of the United Federation of Planet. The problem is, his Galaxy Class Starship is a Freighter. And his job is very boring, even for him; the rebelious war hero.

The story is about an old ship that should have already have retired and decommisioned, left over crews that has the lowest score in the academy, that lead by a super optimistic war hero who think that he command his most favorite ship in the fleet, who dislike the boredom of his supposedly given job, and doing so many dangerous missions that supposedly not be dealt by his team.

 

[The Wormhole]

So, Star Trek Firefly basically?

 

[Brainsucker]

So, Star Trek Firefly basically?

Maybe. My memory is so fussy about the Firefly. But Firefly wasn't a government ship, it was basically a privateer, with powerful and capable crews who can stand against anything. While this Star Trek Freighter is an official Starfleet Ship, with less capable crews who unable to join the more prestigious Exploration ships. So some of them will have the ambition to get out of the ship to join another better ship's crew.

The mission of the Freighter is very simple. To bring the Dilithium Crystal from the mine to the refinery, and then bring the refined crystal to Starfleet so it can be distributed to other ships. Because Dilithium can't be replicated, it can be considered as a very strategic and critical resource. So we expect that the route will be dangerous, sometime deadly.

Well, it is a Galaxy Class Starship. But the problem is that Starfleet has taken almost everything that make the ship a Galaxy Class Starship, for the sake of more storage for the dilithium cargo. The only weapon that it has is the old phaser and the old shield that came along with the old ship when it still active as a prestigious ship long time ago, but otherwise, it is obsolete.

Of course, if we talk only about the Freighter, it will be boring as hell. So we add the Mining Station as the setting, lead by a Lieutenant Commander. Because it is a critical facility for the Starfleet, they got 2 old, but refitted Defiant Class Starships to protect the stations. And Starfleet also put a powerful modern Starship to patrol around the area, commandeered by a captain. But even with those, it is far from enough. As the captain of the modern ship is an officer who don't have any experience. He can get his rank thanks to his parents influence inside Federation.

 

[evilchumlee]

Where would the drama come from? It sounds like it's... really boring?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Where would the drama come from? It sounds like it's... really boring?

Probably from running into pirates, smugglers and other ne'er-do-wells. That and delays caused by equipment malfunction, space hazards and the occasional rival mucking things up.

Though, freight hauling in the Trekverse is usually done by civilians not by Starfleet. At times they're called in for emergencies or to aid the civies.

 

[evilchumlee]

Probably from running into pirates, smugglers and other ne'er-do-wells. That and delays caused by equipment malfunction, space hazards and the occasional rival mucking things up.

Sure, that could be a thing. The initial pitch sounded like it was going to focus on the mundane, which probably wouldn't work as well.

Though, freight hauling in the Trekverse is usually done by civilians not by Starfleet. At times they're called in for emergencies or to aid the civies.

I don't think this necessarily has to be the case. We do see civilians hauling freight, although a good majority of what we see is through the lens of DS9, which is on the frontier of the Federation and not even located within Federation space...

We know from TOS that the Federation has a Merchant Marine, so it's entirely possible that these freighters are either civilian or government, but regardless could have a government organization overseeing them. I would say that the Merchant Marine wouldn't be under Starfleet, instead being a separate Federation organization but able to be absorbed into Starfleet in times of war.

I feel the vibe of this would probably be to focus on a civilian freighter, although in the case there's a precisely zero percent chance it's a Galaxy-Class.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

We know from TOS that the Federation has a Merchant Marine, so it's entirely possible that these freighters are either civilian or government, but regardless could have a government organization overseeing them. I would say that the Merchant Marine wouldn't be under Starfleet

FWIW, in the US, many Merchant Marine officers are trained in the Department of Transport-funded US Merchant Marine Academy and managed and regulated by a combination of the DoT's Maritime Administration and the US Coast Guard, particularly in the case of engineers and licensed deck officers.

instead being a separate Federation organization but able to be absorbed into Starfleet in times of war.

I suspect that any Starfleet Merchant Marine personnel who wear Starfleet uniform (like the actual (command) crew of the Antares) are part of Starfleet, but this wouldn't necessary be the case with all SMM personnel. Or instance, we could reasonably assert that the Earth Cargo Service is the "merchant marine" equivalent of the UE Starfleet, but clearly neither ECS crew that we've encountered were Starfleet (reservists).

 

[Brainsucker]

Remember TOS episode where the Enterprise was ordered to trade with a mining planet? It is a Harry Mudd episode, I think. Kirk came to the planet and propose a trade for the mineral that they mine, but the miners chose Mudd's women more than what Kirk could offer.

I think in Star Trek, Starfleet ships have no specific role at all. They do everything. From hauling mineral from mining planets, to sending diplomats, protecting Federation Border, to exploring the neighboring star systems. So what wrong with using Galaxy Class starship for the hauling mission? Specially when she's already old, obsolete, but still operational and capable to do her things perfectly, but has no technology that capable to protect Federation border anymore.

If you talk about the Galaxy Class in TNG era, then it is a nonsense. Because Galaxy Class was the newest, the biggest, the strongest, the most advanced ship in the fleet. But if we talk about Galaxy Class in Picard era, then they are no longer important, nor have any prestige anymore. But if they can still operational, why not use them for another less prestigious, mundane, boring, and more importantly, important mission. A work horse mission like hauling Dilithium Cyrstal from the mining station to the Starfleet Command.

Specially when Galaxy Class has better armor, better engine, better shield, and better space than any Civilian Freighters out there that we have witness in Star Trek. Well, it is okay to use Civilian Freighter if the wares have no strategic value, like Consumer wares, luxury wares, etc. But we are talking about Dilithium Crystal. The most critical resource for everyone in the galaxy. And you can't replicate them. Without Dilithium Crystal, no starship can enter the warp speed mode.

Plus, we are talking about United Federation of Planet here. It is a super socialism country that no longer use money for it's economy. It is different from the capitalist country like the United States of America. In Socialist country, the Government do everything. Unlike in the Capitalist Country like The United States of America; where civilian do everything, for richest. Well, not everyone like to do charity work. Specially when the job is dangerous, and you have to pay for your own ship maintenance cost, yourself.

In DS9, it's a bid different. Those civilian Freighters work for money, the galaxy money for every other factions out there. the Latinum. Because people like Casidy like to spend her latinum for everything out there. But it is useless inside the Federation worlds.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Remember TOS episode where the Enterprise was ordered to trade with a mining planet? It is a Harry Mudd episode, I think. Kirk came to the planet and propose a trade for the mineral that they mine, but the miners chose Mudd's women more than what Kirk could offer.

The reason they need to trade was their lithium crystals had burned out. The miners were the only source close by. They couldn't wait at the side of the road for space AAA to show up. So it's not applicable.

 

[The Wormhole]

But if we talk about Galaxy Class in Picard era, then they are no longer important, nor have any prestige anymore. But if they can still operational, why not use them for another less prestigious, mundane, boring, and more importantly, important mission. A work horse mission like hauling Dilithium Cyrstal from the mining station to the Starfleet Command.

In the Picard era the Galaxy class is only 30 to 40 years old. While it might not be Starfleet's cutting edge anymore, it wouldn't be considered so passed its prime that it would be assigned freighter duty.

 

[fireproof78]

In the Picard era the Galaxy class is only 30 to 40 years old. While it might not be Starfleet's cutting edge anymore, it wouldn't be considered so passed its prime that it would be assigned freighter duty.

Yeah, and as a freighter it's probably the least efficient design for such a purpose. Even a Nebula would be better suited.

 

[Brainsucker]

Yeah, and as a freighter it's probably the least efficient design for such a purpose. Even a Nebula would be better suited.

And how do you know that Galaxy Class is the least efficient design for such a purpose? It is a fantasy. The shipyard can do anything to change the external and internal shape of the ship. Even if it's in the real world, it's still doable. I saw it in the photo with China's PLAN old ships. They even change the shape of the external view of the ship in order to fit for the newer weaponry. As long as it fit to the hull. Of course, it won't be able to change everything. Because the hull still have a great deal of limitation that prevent them to carry the best weapons that they have.

For Galaxy Class, it is a very big hull. If the modern Shipyard can change an old ship very significantly, why not a 25th century Spacedock can't re-purpose the Galaxy Class to become a Freighter? It doesn't even need to be refit the ship so it can carry the newest Borg tech, not carry the 25th century generation of weapons that Starfleet possessed, etc.

It needs only to be filled with storage that fit to carry a great deal of Dilithium Crystal, and the door / maybe a pipe for it, if Dilithium Cyrstal can't be teleported via Transporter.

Now tell me, how can it is the least efficient design for such a purpose! It can even separated the hulls.

 

[Brainsucker]

In the Picard era the Galaxy class is only 30 to 40 years old. While it might not be Starfleet's cutting edge anymore, it wouldn't be considered so passed its prime that it would be assigned freighter duty.

The reason why I considered Galaxy Class obsolete is not because it still 30 to 40 years old. Actually it help my point in my argument. Because it still only 30 to 40 years, and still considered fit to fly. So there is no problem to repurpose it for Freighter duty.

The reason why Galaxy Class no longer be used as the ship of the line is because they are no longer fit technologically to handle the problem that come in 25th century challenge. Look at Star Trek, how the newer technology make the external view of the ships looks different. Even Voyager with the obsolete Bio Computer has different shape and metal color than the Galaxy Class. Not to mention the new Faragaut (edit - Stargazer) in Picard season 2 that use Borg tech. Even the Sovereign Class looks different from the Galaxy Class, like they come from a different generation of Starship. That metal color itself and the shape can tell us that the new tech require a great deal of change to the ships.

You can say that the different between Galaxy Class and the newer Starship classes in Star Trek is like IRL cold war era Gen-4 Jet Fighter with Gen-5 Jet Fighter. They're really-really so different that you can't even repurpose the existing F-16 to be fit like F-22 or F-35. Unless you make F-16 block 100 very differently to look like Raptor or Lightning.

So, the reason why we are not seeing any Galaxy Class in the Starfleet Roster anymore is not because it no longer can't fly. But because it's technologically not fit anymore. And you can't upgrade the old ship for that purpose. You rather make a new ship with a new technology, because it is easier and cheaper that way. If they still want to use Galaxy Class, they will make Galaxy Class Flight 2 / Mk.2 rather than replace the entire ship's part for that. It's like the new Excelsior Class, and call it the new Excelsior 2.0 Class, if I'm not mistakenly remember.

So if you think that even possible, then why USN does no longer refit their old Frigate, Oliver Hazard Perry class, but make the new Constellation class?

 

[The Wormhole]

Not to mention the new Faragaut in Picard season 2

???
There was no Farragut in Picard S2 or anywhere in the series.

 

[Brainsucker]

???
There was no Farragut in Picard S2 or anywhere in the series.

I'm sorry, it's the Stargazer. I correct it, thanks.

 

[fireproof78]

And how do you know that Galaxy Class is the least efficient design for such a purpose? It is a fantasy. The shipyard can do anything to change the external and internal shape of the ship. Even if it's in the real world, it's still doable. I saw it in the photo with China's PLAN old ships. They even change the shape of the external view of the ship in order to fit for the newer weaponry. As long as it fit to the hull. Of course, it won't be able to change everything. Because the hull still have a great deal of limitation that prevent them to carry the best weapons that they have.

For Galaxy Class, it is a very big hull. If the modern Shipyard can change an old ship very significantly, why not a 25th century Spacedock can't re-purpose the Galaxy Class to become a Freighter? It doesn't even need to be refit the ship so it can carry the newest Borg tech, not carry the 25th century generation of weapons that Starfleet possessed, etc.

It needs only to be filled with storage that fit to carry a great deal of Dilithium Crystal, and the door / maybe a pipe for it, if Dilithium Cyrstal can't be teleported via Transporter.

Now tell me, how can it is the least efficient design for such a purpose! It can even separated the hulls.

I mean, if you're changing the hull design then its no longer a Galaxy class right? Yes, a Galaxy class is a big hull, and that space is spread out in a way that would make moving cargo back and forth kind of cumbersome.

I'm not looking at best tech. I'm looking at the ease of which you can move freight from one location to the other, and the ability to haul cargo containers or cargo trains with the least amount of power demands possible. As you say, dilithium can't be transported so you would want a bigger cargo bay door and ability to move things easily.

That's what I mean about efficiency. Why the Galaxy class?

 

[Brainsucker]

I mean, if you're changing the hull design then its no longer a Galaxy class right? Yes, a Galaxy class is a big hull, and that space is spread out in a way that would make moving cargo back and forth kind of cumbersome.

I'm not looking at best tech. I'm looking at the ease of which you can move freight from one location to the other, and the ability to haul cargo containers or cargo trains with the least amount of power demands possible. As you say, dilithium can't be transported so you would want a bigger cargo bay door and ability to move things easily.

That's what I mean about efficiency. Why the Galaxy class?

Well, I only guessed about Dilithium can't be teleported. Is it true?

 

[Brainsucker]

I mean, if you're changing the hull design then its no longer a Galaxy class right? Yes, a Galaxy class is a big hull, and that space is spread out in a way that would make moving cargo back and forth kind of cumbersome.

I'm not looking at best tech. I'm looking at the ease of which you can move freight from one location to the other, and the ability to haul cargo containers or cargo trains with the least amount of power demands possible. As you say, dilithium can't be transported so you would want a bigger cargo bay door and ability to move things easily.

That's what I mean about efficiency. Why the Galaxy class?

Then you can call it Galaxy-Freighter Class.

 

[The Wormhole]

You're really attached to this idea, aren't you?

 

[evilchumlee]

My issue with a Galaxy Class being used in this way is that even if the vessel had become obsolete by general tech standards, it's still an incredibly sophisticated ship that required a ton of maintenance. The GCS was generally portrayed to have several if not outright design flaws, at least several potential issues. The warp core especially seemed to be... delicate.

I'm not sure a ragtag crew of rejects will have the expertise to keep that kind of ship flying, even if it's old. Actually maybe even worse if its old.