Shybal Expanse
From the Shybal Expanse Starfleet Database
The Shybal Expanse is an area of space located near to the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy. It has no real borders, and as of Stardate 238809.23, four warp capable species have been discovered by the Federation, along with two non-warp capable species. The Expanse is littered with stars, nebulae, planets and other galactic bodies. Due to it's proximety to the centre of the galaxy, scientists are uncertain of what effects this will have on various technologies, including Warp Drive.
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Physical Properties
The Expanse is located some 30,000 light years from the border of the United Federation of Space, and would take a vessel travelling at Warp 9.99 continuously for four years to reach it. Due to strides in technology, the Subspace Catapult Program allows for this distance to be covered in 3 and a half standard hours.
History
Once construction of the Frontier Catapult was complete, the USS Vigilant and transports carrying the Homeward Catapult where sent through the device, and eventually ended up in the Crow System. It was here that the Homeward Catapult was built, and as such acts as the foot hold into the Shybal Expanse.
Politics
Currently there are numerous exploration and colonisation vessels in the Shybal Expanse from various Alpha and Beta Quadrant races and organisations. While Starfleet and the Federation still abide by the Prime Directive, other powers refused to be held back in such a way. Starfleet has issued stern warnings that if any of the other powers used their technological advantage to harm, commit genocide or enslave any native inhabitants of the Expanse, that they would then be banned from using the Catapult. Starfleet has also asked all vessels to send back reports of their movements and findings to Galen Station, to allow for proper stellar maps to be created.
The Crow System
The Crow System is the first port of call for any vessel entering the Shybal Expanse. For more information, please click here.
Communication
As vessels go futher and further away from the Crow System and into the unknown, communication becomes less and less stable. Currently, the USS Pandora is laying new subspace communication probes, to allow for more instantaneous communications.
Communication back to the Federation is more complex. Currently, communication bouys are being used. Messages are stored into a communication bouy, which then is sent back to the Federation by the Homeward Catapult. Since the Catapult journey takes three hours each way, communication from home takes around a day or so to arrive at the Shybal Expanse.
For emergency purposes, the MIDAS array can be used to send instantaneous visual and audio communication, but only for sixty minutes a day. Due to the work load of the MIDAS array, it is only used in emergencies. A smaller array is kept on Galen Station, but will only work for ten minutes a day, for communication from the Expanse to the Federation.
Notable Figures
- Federation:
- Vice Admiral Geoff Toddman
- Ambassador Ky Beeah
- Councillor Thelin
- Governor Laura Pennington – The Governor of the moon ‘Syrna’, Laura is a Terran female who is responsible for the day to day running of the first Federation colony in the Crow System, as well as the Shybal Expanse as a whole.
- Captain Joe Chess – Starfleet captain who is in command of the ‘Homeward’ Catapult. Another Terran male, Chess has had an active career. Having held positions in both Starfleet Research and Development, along with Starfleet Advanced Technologies, Chess was a member of the team that solved the problem of warp drive destroying the fabric of space-time. He was also a designer of the new warp engines seen on the Intrepid class vessels. After the Da’tsu war, Chess was on the team that created the Subspace Catapult.
- Klingon:
- General H’ta – A Klingon male who was inducted into the Order of the Bat’leth before the start of the Dominion War. Serving as a Captain under General Martok during the Dominion War, then as a General during the Da’tsu War, H’ta is Chancellor Martok’s personal representative of the Klingon Empire in the Shybal Expanse. To show how much faith the Chancellor has in H’ta, the General’s vessel is the IKS Bortas, a Negh'Var class vessel that had been Chancellor Gowron’s personal vessel before his death.
- Romulan:
- General Donatra – Female Romulan warrior, who originally helped aid the USS Enterprise-E during the Reman uprising. During the Da’tsu War she was promoted to General, and assisted the Federation’s Seventh Fleet in wiping out all Da’tsu vessels from the Draconis sector. She now heads up Romulan interests in the Shybal Expanse, commanding the IRW Haakona.
- Senator Letant – Male Romulan senator who was responsible for negotiating the Romulan inclusion into the Alliance against the Dominion. He has a disdain for Klingons. Letant can also be credited with the tactics of attacking Dominion ship yards and weapon plants, which eventually lead to the Dominion Fleet falling back to Cardassia Prime. Has been sent to the Shybal Expanse to keep an eye on Donatra, as well as Romulan interests. Is stationed in the Romulan Embassy on ‘Syrna’.
Task Forces
Currently, Starfleet has a specialised Task Force in the Shybal Expanse, dedicated to exploration, First Contanct, and defence. The Klingons also have a dedicated Battlegroup and the Romulan 9th Fleet provides the same services for the Romulans.
Background (Out Of Character) Info
- The Shybal Expanse is named after the character Vladeck Shybal, played by Dave McEwan
- The Crow System is named after the character Jherek Crow, played by Sava Malbaski
- The Gas Giant Dansen is named after the character Max Dansen, played by Richard
- The Moon Syrna is named after the character Syrna Sreeni, played by Erin Dudley
