Nova Fleet was a coalition of independent starships that defected from their own governments to form one fleet of equals in 2381. The defecting ships were captained by lower decker crews that mutinied against their commanding officers. (LD: "Old Friends, New Planets")
History[]
The founding member of the Nova Fleet was Independent Captain Nick Locarno, a former citizen of the Federation, who captained Nova One. The Nova Fleet was named after Nick Locarno's Nova Squad, an elite flight team he was a member of prior to his expulsion from Starfleet Academy. (LD: "Old Friends, New Planets") Each starship was captained by independent captains and were considered equals to each independent captain. As such, there was no formal governmental body or person in charge of the fleet. The fleet was composed of numerous ships from various major governments including Romulan, Klingon, Bynar, Ferengi, Cardassian, and Orion. (LD: "Old Friends, New Planets")
Locarno broadcast a message across the Alpha Quadrant to all starships asking them to join his fleet in the Detrion system, which was protected by a trynar shield. He then threatened to use a black market Ferengi Genesis Device on any government that interfered. However, his plan came undone after Lieutenant junior grade Beckett Mariner warned everyone watching that Locarno was nuts and would get them all killed, before stealing the Genesis Device and running away in the USS Passaro. This prompted her mother, Captain Carol Freeman, to come to her rescue in the USS Cerritos, in direct violation of Starfleet orders not to interfere.
Mariner's refusal to cooperate caused Locarno to become erratic, and he ordered his fleet to retrieve the Genesis Device, as he had been relying on it as a deterrent. Nova Fleet pursued the Passaro throughout the Detrion system, including through an icy ring system, before forcing Mariner to enter a level 7 ion storm. Locarno proceeded to enter the ion storm himself to continue pursuing the Passaro, causing his followers to begin to have doubts about him. At the same time, Locarno's controlling behavior made it increasingly clear that he had, at least subconsciously, appointed himself de facto leadership of the fleet, contradicting his assertion that Nova Fleet was "a coalition of equals". After the Cerritos managed to breach the Trynar shield using the Orion destroyer Retribution as a battering ram, the mutineers lost patience with Locarno and abandoned him. Locarno was subsequently killed when the Genesis Device detonated, and the remaining Nova Fleet ships dispersed. Subsequently, Admiral Vassery speculated that the remainder of Nova Fleet had gone into hiding. (LD: "Old Friends, New Planets")
Membership[]
Vessel | Legal commanding officer | Legal fleet/government | Commanding officer under Nova Fleet's banner | Fate |
---|---|---|---|---|
Nova One | Nick Locarno | Nova Fleet | Nick Locarno | Destroyed by a Genesis Device detonation |
USS Passaro | Unknown | Starfleet | Unknown | Commandeered by Beckett Mariner; destroyed by an on-board Genesis Device detonation |
IKS Che'Ta' | Ma'ah | Klingon Defense Force | G'reck | Retaken by Ma'ah on Sherbal V |
Vrek's starship | Vrek | Romulan military | Malok | Deserted Nova Fleet |
Cosmia's ship | Cosmia | Orion Syndicate | Risik | Deserted Nova Fleet |
Gem's starship | Gem | Ferengi military | Jeef | Deserted Nova Fleet |