X-Project

The X-Project the Section 31 named project in which the USS Phoenix-X was concieved and built.

Whale Probe
In 2286, Earth was taken hostage by a ravenous alien Whale Probe. When the probe was given what it needed to let the Earth go, it sent Earth a special appreciative gesture: technology schematics.

Starfleet Intelligence was quick to keep the schematics a secret, even as they uncovered that they were alien-modified Transwarp drive schematics.

Knowing that the USS Excelsior was currently testing Transwarp drive, it was assumed the gesture by the Whale Probe was in lieu of this. Starfleet Intelligence attempted to have the schematical changes applied to the Excelsior, but were intercepted by Section 31.

Section 31 sabatoged Transwarp tests aboard the Excelsior, making it the second time the Excelsior failed at Transwarp. This eventually led to the end of testing Transwarp on the Excelsior.

80+ years
Section 31 had wiped all information on the schematics from Starfleet computers, and kept it for themselves. They then hired a small team of engineers from the Corps of Engineers, and had them resign and start a new research group within Starfleet Science and Technology.

Keeping a close eye and covering any leaks, Section 31 and the group spent the next 80+ years developing the alien-modified Transwarp drive engine. The engine would function as a dual core, habouring a Warp drive aswell as Transwarp.

Ultra-Transwarp
During development, a third mode within the drive was established as Ultra-Transwarp. Under this setting, the drive would be able to take the ship into a subspace domain faster than conventional transwarp. In fact, the distance covered would be so great that it could concievably cross the galaxy in a ridiculiously short amount of time.

The dangers of running this mode were so great to bring about the destruction of the ship, that it was restricted from accessibility. As it was an alien-incorporated technology, developing it was unavoidable.

Multi-Vector class
As the end of the developing stages were closing, it was obvious that construction stages were nearing. Sometime during the 80+ years, the small group within Starfleet Science and Technology labelled their project the X-Project.

Its purpose was to continue the development of the Transwarp drive. Unfortunately, their expected probablity of success was low thanks to the tests with the Excelsior and they recieved no press with thier work.

This suited Section 31 perfectly, as they were bound to the task of securing a starship for the X-Project.