A/N: This is a project I have been outlining for the last several years. Don't worry, the actual story itself will follow this and will be written like a conventional story. I just wanted to get some feedback on story idea. Please read, review and enjoy! I'd love to hear some comments.
In early 2381, the Alpha and Beta Quadrants are struggling to recover from the devastation and horrors of the Borg Invasion. With dozens of worlds laid to waste, billions dead and countless others as refugees, the road to recovery was going to be long, difficult and fraught with long-forgotten challenges such as hunger, poverty, homelessness and others. The Federation and its allies, having borne the brunt of the fight against the Borg, struggle to cope with the flood of refugees and the immense task of rebuilding their societies. It is a time of great strife and uncertainty.
Likewise, traditional adversaries of the Federation and its allies are trying to rebuild as well. However, as many of these nations did not suffer the drastic depredations that their neighbors did and have taken this opportunity to shift the balance of power in the region. The Tholians, Gorn, Tzenkethi, Romulans, Kinshaya and Breen banded together to form a political and military alliance called the Typhon Pact. The new coalition immediately became a political, economic and military rival to the weakened Federation and its ally, the Klingon Empire. To counter the rise of the Typhon Pact, the Federation and the Klingons sent overtures to the Ferengi and Cardassians, expanding the Khitomer Accords and dividing the quadrant between the two sides.
As the major powers played their games of brinksmanship, worlds continued to rebuild and people struggled to survive. Help was needed among the ruined worlds of both sides of the political divide. Despite its weakened state, the Federation made a pledge to rebuild worlds that could be salvaged and find new homes for the refugees of worlds completely scorched. Small settlements grew into bustling hubs and new worlds were scheduled for colonization. Humanitarian relief ships lent aid to those who were without. Convoys of resupply and colonization vessels streaked across the vast expanses of space, heading for distant worlds that were either rebuilding or starting anew. Interstellar commerce continued and made attempts to expand to new worlds and allies. There appeared to be finally some light after all darkness of the previous several years.
While many of these new worlds along the fringe of the Federation were ripe for settlement, conditions would be sparse in the beginning. Several of these worlds bordered old enemies just looking for an opportunity to rebuild themselves off the Federation's efforts. Pirates, smugglers and hostile powers threatened these fledgling colonies, supply convoys, trade routes and outposts along the border. Protection for the people at these exposed and remote locations was paramount. Planetary law enforcement and small local militias were not up to the task of handling all these new threats on their own. Additional help was needed.
Starfleet, which had borne the brunt of the war against the Borg, was decimated. It was estimated that 40 percent of the Fleet was lost during the invasion. The Klingon Defense Force and the fleets of most of the other major powers were likewise diminished during battles against the ruthless cyborgs. It was estimated that it would take years, possibly decades, for Starfleet to rebuild its fleet of mighty starships. Sadly, while new ships could be constructed (time consuming though it would be), there could be no replacement for the thousands of trained Starfleet personnel that gave their all in defense of their homes. Early graduation of Academy cadets and enlisted trainees, coupled with recalls of retirees and former Fleet veterans were not nearly sufficient enough to fill the void in manpower. For the first few months of 2381, it seemed as if the Federation would not be able to offer an adequate defense of its expansive borders.
A great conference was called in February of that to find a way to bolster the Federation's defenses. In order to be able to protect its people and aid its allies against hostile powers and criminal elements, the Federation, which had always looked for to the future for its advancement, now looked to the past for its protection. A decision was made by the Admiralty to activate a large number of decommissioned starships from the various depots across the Federation and upgrade their weapons, propulsion and numerous other systems as a way to expand the fleet without rushing the completion of newer classes of vessels. This process would allow the Federation to increase the number of starships in its ranks, using some of oldest and least upgradable vessels to conduct humanitarian missions within the Federation, while more recent decommissionees that could be more significantly updated would be used to escort colony and supply fleets to the border regions. This allowed the newer vessels to patrol the borders and conduct missions beyond the boundaries of the Federation. Again, however, the problem came down to manning.
It was at this conference that a proposal was put forward that shook the foundation of Federation defense to its core: use the MACOs to supplement starship crew shortfalls. The Federation's Military Assault Command Organization (MACO) was its ground-oriented combat force, sometimes referred to as Federation or Starfleet Marines. For years the bulk of the organization was relegated to guarding embassies and stationed on remote outposts. But the MACOs had also maintained several quick-strike and heavy-assault units, which were designed for planet-side combat operations and long-term armed conflict. While Starfleet made the headlines in mighty space battles against the Tzenkethi, Cardassians, Borg and others during those conflicts, it was the MACOs who fought a bled to protect isolated outposts and colonies along the borders. Small, fierce, bloody skirmishes with the Talarians, Cardassians and Klingons during the 2350s, 60s and 70s made the MACOs a necessary evil for the Federation, which preferred to not be seen as overly militarized.
While the Federation preferred to use Starfleet, with its multi-faceted mission of exploration, diplomacy and defense, as its main source of protection, the MACOs were kept in small numbers for the gritty assignments, and for the worse-case scenario of full-blown war. The border conflicts with the Cardassians, Talarians and Klingons in the mid 2300's led to an increase in MACO units and numbers. With each growing conflict, their ranks were expanded. However, it was the Dominion War that led the MACOs becoming a full branch of Federation defense for the first time since the aftermath of the Romulan War. The MACOs fielded thousands of troops to defend the worlds of the Federation and then to take the war to the enemy's shores when the allies launched their own offenses. Their ability to sustain long-term ground combat operations made them the ideal candidates for the invasion of worlds like Chintoka and others. The MACOs saw further service in the small Selelvian War and in occupation duty during the post-Dominion War era.
With the bulk of MACO units stationed on core Federation worlds left mostly unaffected by the Borg attack, the organization was still strong and battle-ready. The proposed down-size of the MACOs that was put forward prior to the Borg invasion was tabled with the idea that MACO troops would be added to the crew of Federation starships for the first time since the days of Jonathan Archer. Due to the shortage of Starfleet personnel, many ships would begin supplementing crews by adding MACO personnel to key areas, such as security, medical, intelligence, communications and construction engineers. This allowed Starfleet to concentrate on training and graduating starship engineers, flight controllers, tactical and command personnel.
The topic was hotly argued and contested by many of both sides, with the idea of a more militarized Starfleet horrifying many. However, when it came down to the final decision, there could only be one answer: proceed. There were just not enough trained Starfleet personnel available to be able to properly defend the Federation's borders and to help rebuild its infrastructure. It was decided that most of the MACO units would be assigned to outpost defense and many of the reactivated starships that would be conducting border patrols and convoy duty. The state of the art vessels and the exploration ships mostly MACO-free, as Starfleet tried to retain dominion over diplomacy and exploration, preferring not to drastically alter its charter and over militarize.
There was one major exception to the plan to keep the mixed crews confined to convoy and patrol ships: Project Defender. The Defender-class starships were the next generation of mid-level heavy cruisers, the direct successor to the Nebula-class starships, and only the second class of Federation starship equipped with slipstream drives. They were designed to be the cruiser to the Vesta-class's explorer, much the same way the Nebulas were the cruiser variants of the Galaxy explorers. The Defender was the first in its class, launched just prior to the massive Borg onslaught and was seriously damaged in the conflict. The Protector, second in the class was rushed into battle partially completed and was likewise brutalized. Their service against the Borg highlighted their innovations but exposed several flaws. These were corrected and the third ship of its class is nearing completion at the time of the conference.
With the growing threat of the Typhon Pact making problems along the border, the MACO leaders at the conference made a case for a highly mobile quick reaction force to be billeted aboard one of Starfleet's newest and most powerful vessels. This would give the Federation the ability to counter any moves by Typhon Pact or other hostile powers with quick strike capability. A joint crew on a slipstream-capable heavy cruiser would have the ability to conduct humanitarian aid in devastated areas w/in Federation, transport use Corps of Engineer personnel to rebuild infrastructure and enough speed and firepower to screen along the Pact borders for any incursions.
But who would command such a starship? One of the young, up-and-coming new officers in Starfleet who had been promoted to captain due to the loss of some many senior leaders? Possibly. Someone with joint operational experience? Preferable. Would the MACO's make an attempt to have one of their equivalent officers placed in command? Doubtful. Then who? The captain of such a vessel would have to have experience as both a soldier and a diplomat, and an even temperament. The Admiralty in attendance combed through the list of both active and inactive Starfleet officers who might be able to fill the posting. At behest of one Jean-Luc Picard, an old friend was asked to return to duty and take the command chair of the grand experiment. With some trepidation, this veteran Starfleet officer was coaxed out of retirement to put a steady, experienced hand on a mixed Starfleet & MACO crew of this new Defender-Class starship.
A summer launch date was scheduled for the vessel, not giving the wily veteran shipmaster a lot of time to delay. He had a huge task cut out for him. Assembling a solid command crew and familiarizing himself with the latest Starfleet technologies and MACO tactics would be at the top of that list. It was, however, another task that was paramount to the old captain. What to name her. The vessel required a name that invoked faith from the population, respect from allies and strength before hostile forces. The ship was to be given a name that befitted both its starship class and its proposed duty.
With a demanding and diverse task and purpose, this new vessel would be placed in the middle of some of the Federation's most difficult situations. The future had turned bleak and seemed to be fading into the darkness. It was up to a ship like this to be both a sword and plowshare, and to help bring aid and comfort to a people who were in need of it. For Captain Gilaad Ben Zoma and the crew of the USS Guardian, their mission was to restore hope and optimism to the Federation, to help bring back the light!