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Federation Merchant Marine: Difference between revisions
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===The Federation Merchant Marine and Starfleet=== | ===The Federation Merchant Marine and Starfleet=== | ||
As one might expect, the Merchant Marine enjoys good relations with Starfleet. In essence the two complement each other. | As one might expect, the Merchant Marine enjoys good relations with Starfleet. In essence the two complement each other. While Starfleet does on occasion transport goods or personnel (especially those which are dangerous, or which are going to particularly dangerous areas), it is primarily engaged in missions of exploration, scientific investigation, and defense. Its ships are not set up to carry large amounts of cargo or passengers. That's what the Merchant Marine is for; Starfleet's highly trained personnel can be put to better uses. Unless there's an emergency of some sort requiring high warp speed and a potenial military response, Starfleet prefers to let the Merchant Marine transport goods and people. Even in those grave emergencies, the Merchant Marine often follows right behind Starfleet in bringing vaccines or doctors to a plague-stricken world, or phaser rifles to a Federation garrison under attack. | ||
Conversely, the ships of the Merchant Marine, while well equipped for commerce, are not designed for combat or similar missions. They have low strength shields and phasers, but would find themselves out of their depth fighting off anything more powerful than technologically backward pirates or brigands. Nor do Merchant Marine ships have the sophisticated sensor arrays which Starfleet ships use to chart systems and investigate stellar anomalies. When a Merchant Marine vessel has to go into a dangerous area, or its commander fears that [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Orion_%28species%29 Orions] or others may attack the ship, Starfleet might be called on to escort the mercantile ship to its destination. (Of course, some Merchant Marine captains trust to their own skills rather than calling on Starfleet, and a surprising number of them succeed.) Thus, the two fleets have a healthy respect for each other and work well together. | Conversely, the ships of the Merchant Marine, while well equipped for commerce, are not designed for combat or similar missions. They have low strength shields and phasers, but would find themselves out of their depth fighting off anything more powerful than technologically backward pirates or brigands. Nor do Merchant Marine ships have the sophisticated sensor arrays which Starfleet ships use to chart systems and investigate stellar anomalies. When a Merchant Marine vessel has to go into a dangerous area, or its commander fears that [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Orion_%28species%29 Orions] or others may attack the ship, Starfleet might be called on to escort the mercantile ship to its destination. (Of course, some Merchant Marine captains trust to their own skills rather than calling on Starfleet, and a surprising number of them succeed.) Thus, the two fleets have a healthy respect for each other and work well together. | ||