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Forward Refit Station-1

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Forward Refit Station-1 AKA RAFT-ONE

Forward Refit Station-1 or RAFT-ONE is a self-sustained repair station of dubious repute located on the edge of the Alpha Isles.

Overview

Not quite a hive of scum and villainy, but not exactly far off from one. Deployed at the edge of the Alpha Quadrant for the purpose of bare-bones repair, RAFT-ONE didn’t have the most auspicious of starts. Early equipment failures and harsh quadrant conditions backed station staff into a corner. Faced with long waits for official repairs and restaffing, the station staff turned to black markets and various independent salvage operations, allowing various vendors and traders to literally weld their shops to the superstructure of the station, slowing growing RAFT-ONE from struggling repair station to a free-floating trade/resupply hub that comes equipped with its own smallish “entertainment court” that sustains minor gambling and gaming tournaments.

At present the complex is overseen by a democratically elected Administrator/Sheriff combination. For a two year term, Administrators and Sheriffs work in tandem to see to the day-to-day operations and protections of the station, while listening to the concerns of vendors and shop-owners. The pairing is usually voted from a pool of internally nominated tradesmen or local “figures” that have served the station and vendors of RAFT-ONE with some distinction. The station offers a number of shops, stores, and salvage operations, including a fully capable ship refit suite thanks to its center dock, a similar structure to McKinley Station in the orbit of Earth. There are also a number of open slots in the station’s interior, which station staff are eager to fill with more lucrative (and maybe not so strictly legal) businesses.

History

Though the Forward Refit Station-1 was designed with a fancy and overlong designation number, all who built and served on her just called her The Raft.

Commissioned by Starfleet Command in 2378 and completed in full Stardate 238008.13, the goal for The Raft was a simple one. Using the model of McKinley Station in the Sol System, The Raft was to be the first fully Starfleet run and operated installation in The Alpha Isles. Positioning the Federation as an established presence in this new frontier and further, allowing Starfleet ships and personnel a welcome slice of home this far away from Federation space (and even the relatively nearby Deep Space 3 and Starbase 821).

But the Isles were not kind to The Raft nor her crew.

In the first year of The Raft’s operation, they were hit with a massive ion storm from a star exploding toward the edge of the local system. Essential systems, shields, and defensive systems were thrown into chaos. The next week, a rogue debris field from a moon the sun had cracked when it went nova peppered through the station. Punching golf ball-to-baseball sized holes throughout the station’s exterior superstructure. Dozens were injured but the station’s CO, Captain Broly Farnum, was killed in the event. Worse still, the Captain’s ship, the U.S.S. Bava (Miranda Refit Class) was rendered inoperable. A number of the smaller craft assigned to the station survived, but it would take The Raft weeks to recover. Some argue, it still hasn’t.

Appealing to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, the surviving staff and command structure, having made broad repairs, pleaded for aid. Imploring them further for raw materials and new staffing as the calamities had cut them off largely from their sector space, leaving them unable to harvest materials from the nearby planets and moons. The Corps promised they would do the best they could, but wondered, silently, if their distance and ambition in station construction hadn’t hobbled them completely before it even started.

Weeks went by with little answers, but the original surviving crew did their best with what they had. Literally welding plates over the holes and structural damage while trying to restore their core systems to reliably functional. At the top of The Raft’s second year in operation, word finally came down from The Corps. They were on their own. Command hadn’t the resources for a full repair and restock, but would dispatch a cruiser and medical frigate to take any one back to population, should they wish to leave or be reassigned.

A month later, the ships arrived, but a crew of 20 original staff stayed aboard. Out of the original 150 assigned crew and 40 civilian contractors who first made The Raft a tangibility. As the ships broke the border of the sector, a passing Tellarite mining convoy hailed the station and asked permission to stay a few days while they too made repairs to a number of their scows. This was the first “transaction” in the station’s history and the first of many “new additions” that passing tradespeople and ships would contribute to the station. The Tellerites were given permission (after a contract was established and adequate payment was rendered) to construct a plating foundry alongside the station’s starboard side and above it’s four pronged docking configuration below the bottom. Thus finally giving the crew a chance to properly patch their superstructure and forging a brand new contact in the region. One that continues to this very day.

The years have been odd and continually calamitous for RAFT-ONE. Boarding raids, thuggish coup attempts, and more technical failures have seasoned the station. But still it has remained. And grew even, as more and more traders and business owners have added their wares, shops, and sometimes even whole ships to various points on the Raft’s hull.

Present day, RAFT-ONE has been relatively peaceful and prosperous, having established a generally accepted (and respected) leadership structure and sense of community between the shop owners and their workers. Now it stands ready to make another contact with the new Starfleet patrol ship, recently assigned to the Alpha Isles.


Crew Complement

List of known crew members of RAFT-ONE:

  • Administrator: Myssa T'vaz. A sharp suit with a hidden heart. Born on New Romulus, but raised in Vancouver, British Columbia to her human father and Romulan mother, Myssa found out early that she had a knack for keeping secrets. Which is what lead her to eventually being headhunted by Starfleet Intelligence out of Georgetown, where she was on track to graduate with a degree in Galactic Policy. After her enlistment in Starfleet and ascension to the rank of Lieutenant Commander, serving for a time on the U.S.S. Inquiry, she was recruited as an analyst for The Black Tower, solidifying her post as an Intel Officer.

But along the way, something went wrong for the new field operator, and she found herself disillusioned with Starfleet, aiming to act out just enough to catch a bum assignment. Instead she caught a discharge with her rank intact JUST, turning her to wander the galaxy, making her way as “courier” and pitching up with ship restoration crew on the side.

This path is what brought her to Raft-One, where she now serves her first term as the station’s Administrator, making her home in the Captain’s quarters of the restored and modified Romulan Bird-of-Prey she owns; The Swearengen. (Claimed PNPC)

  • Sheriff: Zel. Myssa’s cold right hand. Not much tangible (or reasonably believable) is known about Sheriff Zel. We do know that he served as T’Vaz’s first officer on the Swearengen for a little under three years. We also know that Zel can be counted on to reliably protect the station, having almost single-handedly put down a boarding attempt by a group of Nausicaan raiders in 2396. But beyond that the stoic Breen is a genuine cypher. However, he never leaves Myssa’s side. On or off station. (Open PNPC).

Local Shop Owners

J.T. Newbridge - Good food (and good gossip) at reasonable prices. Originally hailing from Newark, New Jersey, the older brother of the station’s original Quartermaster, Master Chief Mark E. Newbridge, J.T. found himself on RAFT-ONE for grim reasons. His younger brother was killed in the initial debris event, leaving the requisition staff in disarray and large gaps in station stores and replicator systems. J.T. came to the Raft to take his brother home, but ended up staying, seeing how bad their need was for some kind of “mess hall” and reliable sources of food/drink.

This led to the construction and opening of The Newbridge Grill, a pan-galactic continental restaurant, which readily met the needs of the remaining crew and staff. It has since grown into quite a spot on the station, serving as the ad-hoc “town watering hole” and shockingly delicious dining experience. J.T. , too, has grown into a heavy presence on the station, as he has the ear of most of the current tradesmen on station while also serving as a consistent positive presence in the community morale of RAFT-ONE. Rumors have somewhat circulated that the Newbridge family comes from an ages old Earth crime family, but J.T. always laughs off the assertion. Usually accompanied by more plates of food and refills.(Open PNPC)

Sir Miles Cornell - Your voice in the expanse. Originally hailing from Bournemouth, England, the last son of the House of Cornell found himself inheriting a fortune he didn’t expect. After the deaths of his mother and father, Miles was given their entire estate. Which he promptly liquidated in favor of purchasing a Warp-capable living yacht. He took to the stars, wandering aimlessly amidst them while tinkering slightly with his sub-wave ether-cast broadcast unit; ancient broadcasting being a life-long hobby/obsession for the royal man-child. Eventually he rigged up a sort of “radio station” that he would broadcast across general civilian frequencies as he explored. Playing his vast collection of songs-data, both old and new, and occasionally “introducing them”, as if an old radio personality would.

This sub-wave frequency caught the ears of some of the Raft’s work crews and eventually started to charm even the leadership of RAFT-ONE. After a time, Sir Miles was contacted by the then Administrator and offered a space and resources to grow his “station”. The result would become FRS Radio 1, a fully operational and vintage styled “radio studio” that Miles lives above in modest apartments. Sir Cornell fancies himself as having his “finger on the pulse” of the station, but really he just likes to hear his own voice over the sub-wave and make playlists. (Open PNPC)

Lissandra - Owner and operator of Lissandra's, and renowned black market agent. A middle-aged Ktarian woman, Lissandra found her fortunes changed when she docked on Raft-ONE a few years ago. Desperately in need of repairs and latinum, she turned her hand to bar owning in the hopes of raising enough capital to fix her ship and leave. However, fate is less than kind and the latinum is never enough to get away. Lissandra is involved in several underground black market schemes, but usually against her better judgement.

Places of Interest

The Newbridge Grill: Eatery and main social hangout of the station. Located on Deck 15. The décor is just classy enough not to be tacky, but self-aware enough to be slightly camp (in a comfortable way). The kitchen and replicator banks are framed by a long, half-circle enameled bar. Tables and booths of various sizes litter the interior in an orderly fashion. A large viewport window backdrops it all to the port side. (General Use/NPC Area)

Running Light District: RAFT-ONE’s “Vegas Strip”. Located on Deck 22. A collection of dive bars, dabo halls, and various other “gaming” establishments. Not-So-Incidentally, this deck also houses the Sheriff’s Office. If you want a game of chance (or maybe something a little more off-the-beaten path shopping wise) this is the place for you. (General Use/NPC Area)

Xm’nu’s Rarities: An up and coming book/junk shop. Located on Deck 13 Inspired by their visit to The Spike’s Cosmini Curios, the infamous Xindi-Insectoid treasure hunter known as Xm’nu resolved to do something like it. Backed by their Andorian business partner, fence, and occasional translator (when Xm’nu’s “voice-box” goes out), Zoli Sh’zylles, the pair set out for The Raft with the business plan and proof of concept on finds and wares they already planned to sell (with a 5% tax going into the coffers of the station for their trouble). The result is a steadily booming, truly eclectic storefront framed by Antican crystal and playing home to all sorts of odd, but valuable knick-knacks, printed materials, and alien artifacts. Word also has it Xm’nu and Zoli will pay brave “relic hunters” for expeditions they can’t themselves lead. (General Use/NPC Area)

O’The Dim: A place to get lost in the music and darkness. Located on Deck 19. A fully stocked, moody, and slightly baroque themed nightclub. Modeled in a brutalist sort of metalwork and splashed liberally with neon and black light phosphorescent paint, this club is open all night but closed largely during the “day”, barring engagements or private parties. No one really knows for sure who owns it (even the people that work the door and bars), but they always get paid on time. Somebody has to be booking the musical acts and playing the songs from the dancefloor booth, right? (General Use/NPC Area)

Xeno Smiles aka Smiley's - A local dive bar run by Xena S'milus, a Caitian. Director Xena S'milus, recently, bought out a local bar for the Exploratores Consortium serving the patronage of Raft-ONE. The local bar claims to offer a drink for every species, and has been expanded to offer a range of holo-suites and conference rooms for "secure meetings" in addition to the usual games of chance. Discounts are publicized for all Starfleet members, which she leverages to get assignments aboard the USS Arrow. The bar's name, Xeno Smiles, catering to its claims to be a place for all species to enjoy, it is often called Smileys for short.

Statistics

  • Class: Series II Drydock (Modified)
  • Type: Starship repair and support facility
  • Commissioned: 2378
  • Diameter: 3,642m (w/ additions)
  • Height: 4,444m (w/ additions)
  • Decks: 30 (Originally). 15 (Additionally). 45 (Total).
  • Crew;
    • Staff: 85
    • Civilian/Tradespeople: 119
  • Mass: 2,500,000 metric tons
  • Light Duranium/Tritanium hull. Supplemented by Salvage and Other Heavy Metals.
  • Low level Structural Integrity Field

Docking Facilities:

  • Internal docking bays, capable of holding up to 6 small craft individually
  • External repair arches, fore and aft, capable of sustaining 2 starships at a time

Operations Systems: 2 Heavy Runabout Shuttles (the “Dapper Dan” & “Breznikov”) 4 Light Shuttles (the “Wyatt”, “Jane”, “Valentine”, and “Starr”) 3 Worker Bees (Left in Rotation)


  • Reactor Systems
    • Main Reactor Core: M/AM Reactor
    • Secondary Systems: A hard-lined EPS grid wired into and through the station walls. Gridding together the various shipwrecks and operational components salvaged from hulks into the Raft’s main power supply
    • Backup Systems: A power shunt network designed to siphon power from the various permanently on-station stores and businesses threading through the Raft-One superstructure. Emergency Use ONLY and by Order of The Administrator
  • Armament & Defense Systems
    • 10 Type VIII phaser arrays (8 Operational)
    • 5 Type-1 burst fire photon torpedo launchers (3 Operational)
    • 4 forward-mounted Disruptor Cannons atop the support struts (Under Construction)
    • “The Hookshot”: A track guided manual launching hook, attached to 4,000m of heavy tow cabling. It was installed by a former Sheriff in the attempt to have a weapon on-station that could pierce shield harmonics and deal direct kinetic/structural damage to attacking ships. Trouble is, You have to physically control, aim, and fire it from the outside of the station. In an EVA suit.
  • Shields
    • High capacity 1,026,000 Terrajoules system.


End File
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