USS Ross (NX-76710)

The USS Ross (NX-76710) was the lead vessel of the line of Federation starships. She was launched in 2381 under the command of Captain Azeri Sull and assigned to the Shackleton Expanse. (Clear Skies)

The mission of the Ross was a pet project of Admiral Naulus Ree, who believed that in the years since the Dominion War, Starfleet needed to return to its missions of exploration and diplomacy. Furthermore, Ree believed that since the Federation's founding, humans and Vulcans had been the most common "faces" of Starfleet shown to the rest of the galaxy, especially in leadership and command positions, and that it was time to present a more diverse view of the fleet. To that end, the crew of the Ross was intentionally bio-diverse, following in the footsteps of the USS Titan (NCC-80102), launched in 2379 with a similar mandate. (Clear Skies: "Prototype", ': ')

While most starships, of which the Ross class was a variant, held standard crews of around 1,000 individuals, the crew of the Ross numbered approximately 2,500, with many of those additional personnel dedicated to testing and developing the scientific and engineering advancements aboard the vessel.

As a prototype starship, the Ross served as a test-bed for a variety of innovations based on technologies discovered by the USS Voyager (NCC-74656) during her time spent in the Delta Quadrant. As such Admiral Kathryn Janeway also expressed interest in the vessel and her mission.

One of the technological advancements tested by the Ross was a secondary warp core in the ship's saucer section.

The diplomatic profile of the Ross was also greatly expanded. Two whole decks of the saucer section were restructured into a promenade that wrapped all the way around the ship's primary hull, designed to serve as ambassadorial quarters, and to support a variety of diplomatic functions.

The Ross also featured a Cetacean Operations department, which had not been standard on most comparable Starfleet vessels for over a decade. The aquatic environment support systems were extensively integrated throughout the ship. (Clear Skies: "Prologue")

Crew manifest

 * Captain Azeri Sull, commanding officer
 * Lt. Commander EXEO, first officer/ship's counselor
 * Lt. Commander Yeri Prahl, chief tactical officer
 * Lt. Commander M'Qrell, chief medical officer
 * Lieutenant Jane Lakat, chief science officer
 * Lieutenant Zhyliss Vrenn, helmsman
 * Chief Theq Lynadas, chief engineer

Background

 * The visuals for the Ross and her class were designed by Thomas Marrone, and were incorporated into, in partnership between Cryptic Studios and the producers of Clear Skies.