Task Force Invincible (Vanguard)

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(covers information from Vanguard universe)

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this article was thought of and created by Maximus1925

Task Force Invincible

Task Force Invincible

USS Invincible flagship of Task Force Invincible
Active:	2385
Affiliation:	Federation, Starfleet
Organization:	Starfleet
Part of:	Vanguard Command
Garrison/HQ:	Station Frontier
Leadership
Current Commander:	Admiral Jean-Luc Picard
Notable Commanders:	Commodore Norodin Khan Captain Morgan Bateson Captain Thomas Paris Commander B'Elanna Torres
Flagship:	USS Invincible

Station Frontier headquarters of Task Force Invincible

The mainstay unit of Vanguard Command is Task Force Invincible. It is the largest permanent task force formation in all of Starfleet and is commanded by the best starship commander of his time, Admiral Jean-Luc Picard. He is ably seconded by some of the very best and brightest starship captains and starship officers ever gathered under one unit.

History and formation[]

When Vanguard Command was to be formed, Fleet Admiral Maximus Hunter was in a dilemma on who should lead and man what was intended to become the foremost task force of the Vanguard Fleet, Task Force Invincible. Only one name came to mind when it came to abilities, experience and savvy – Jean-Luc Picard. But Picard was at that time already resigned and retired from Starfleet after his row with the Federation Council over the Romulan evacuation issue. Hunter knew that it would be next to impossible to convince Picard to return to active duty.

So Hunter devised a plan that would hopefully make Picard think twice about rejecting the offer of commanding Task Force Invincible and the USS Invincible herself. Hunter asked Picard and a few of his senior officers and staff who had already been eyed for transfer to the Invincible with him to join as observers in the ceremonial shakedown cruise to the Delta Quadrant.

Also onboard as observers of the shakedown cruise were some of the most famous captains of Starfleet alive: Benjamin Sisko, James Kirk, William Riker, Elizabeth Shelby, Kathryn Janeway, Mackenzie Calhoun, Kira Nerys and other prospects for command positions in Vanguard Command.

Picard was impressed by the collection of highly reputable officers of Starfleet who had been called in to comprise the shakedown crew of the USS Invincible.

Hunter did not make the command offer to Picard outright during the shakedown cruise. Instead, on the third week of that cruise, the task force was made to utilize the quantum slipstream drive to travel through the terminus of the Beta Quadrant and perform a quick reconnaissance well inside the Delta Quadrant. He had recently received intelligence reports that the Borg had merged with roque factions of the Founders and the Hirogen and have been amassing a large fleet as its first wave, with plans to send it on its way towards the Alpha Quadrant in a few months using transwarp technology. Hunter had anticipated that Picard would come face to face with this new threat and would be forced to make a critical decision when the offer to command the task force was given.

It was at this point when Hunter formally offered permanent command of the task force to Picard, highlighting that there was no one else of his caliber that Starfleet could give command of Task Force Invincible to without risking the destruction of the whole Federation. Understanding the wisdom of Hunter's words, Picard accepted the offer. Picard was promptly reinstated to active duty back to full Admiral.

He was pleased that reputed starship captains Norodin Khan and T'Pral had each accepted downgrades to the positions of Executive Officer and Second Officer of the largest starship and largest task force formation in service, respectively, just to have the privilege of serving under his command. Khan was subsequently promoted to the rank of Commodore so that he had the necessary rank to jointly command the USS Invincible and its task force when Picard was off ship. And he was also mildly shocked to see a permanently “powered-down” Mark McHenry returning to Starfleet to serve as the ship's Navigation Officer on a more permanent basis after the shakedown cruise.

With Annika “Seven of Nine” Hansen and Astrid Kemal present as well, Picard asked them to permanently stay onboard, offering them the identical positions of Senior Science and Engineering Mission Specialists. They readily accepted and were both given field commissions of Lieutenant Commander, with a proviso that they compete reglemantary courses remotely to make their commissions more permanent.

Captain Beverly Crusher was designated as Chief of Starfleet Medical for Vanguard Command by Admiral Hunter and was concurrently given command of the Olympic-class Medical Cruiser USS Provider, but on a detached basis, as Picard also asked her to assume the post of Chief Medical Officer of the USS Invincible. She was subsequently promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. Captain Lance McCoy, a grand nephew of Admiral Leonard McCoy, being Executive Officer of the USS Provider, would command the USS Provider and administrate all the ships under Starfleet Medical-Vanguard Command when Crusher was on the Invincible.

Captain Morgan Bateson and the Sovereign-class Command Cruiser USS Atlas were the last additions to Task Force Invincible. Picard was humbled by the fact that Captain Bateson wished his ship to be attached to the task force.

Among Picard’s many amusing first experiences with the task force was witnessing the readiness, efficiency, and sense of humanity of each of the twenty-six Emergency Holographic Complement of the ship during drills. Taking a cue from the USS Voyager’s experience with the Mark-I EMH, and witnessing first hand the amazing growth of the late Commander Data under his leadership in the USS Enterprise-E, Picard gave the entire Emergency Holographic Complement regular rotations like any other crew member, with scheduled downtimes and power-downs.

Task force complement[]

Task Force Invincible is composed of 74 combat-oriented Federation starships:

The Invincible-class Fleet Carrier-Command Battleship USS Invincible
The Odyssey-class Command Battleship USS Illustrious
Two Sovereign-class Command Cruisers, the USS Atlas and the USS Ark Royal
Two Vesta-class Command Cruisers, the USS Freedom and the USS Independence
Two Ronin-class Battle Cruisers, the USS Charger and the USS Fervent
Four Luna-class Heavy Cruisers, the USS Oberon, the USS Charon, the USS Io, and the USS Callisto
Four Akira-class Heavy Cruisers
Four Prometheus-class Assault Cruisers
Six Norway-class Heavy Frigates
Six Steamrunner-class Heavy Frigates
Eight Intrepid-class Light Cruisers, including the USS Challenger
Ten Saber-class Fast Frigates
Ten Diligent-class Tactical Frigates
Ten Defiant-class Tactical Frigates
Four Valiant-class Tactical Corvettes (the companion ships of the Invincible

Task Force Invincible has Station Frontier as its headquarters.

Task Force Command Officers[]

Deployment[]

The starships of Task Force Invincible are regularly deployed out of Station Frontier to any point beyond the "Frontier" borders.

Before deployment, Admiral Picard had drilled the officers and crew of the entire task force on tactical movements that were specifically designed by Fleet Admiral Hunter for high-alert scenarios.

In each formation type, the starships were trained to follow a series of defensive patterns when engaged in combat that would allow the ships of each formation to augment each other’s firepower while at the same time strengthening each other’s shields.

Condition green[]

Under Condition Green, the task force would be divided into permanent squadrons of three starships composed of one lead ship and two escort ships. The task force has 20 squadrons in all.

Each squadron would undertake missions of exploration and diplomacy for a duration of about 3 months, taking a circuitous route across one or more sectors, starting from and ending at the task force's home port, Station Frontier. After each mission, the squadron would return to base for at least two weeks to allow its crews time for shore leave and for needed repairs, resupplies, refits, and upgrades to the starships.

While one escort ship would augment the research and exploration abilities of the lead ship, the other escort ship would augment the combat abilities of the lead ship if they are engaged in battle.

Condition Green Squadron — *A standard squadron formation under Condition Green.*

Condition yellow[]

Under Condition Yellow, the task force is reformed into five "mission groups", which still primarily undertake missions of exploration and diplomacy when Vanguard Command is on high alert, or when a particular mission group is traveling across more hostile sectors. To easily form these mission groups, squadrons under each mission group operate in sectors that are near each other. Each mission group is composed of 12 starships. Each mission group operate separately but in close coordination with one another.

Mission Group Alpha is led by the USS Invincible and is accompanied by one Luna-class Heavy Cruiser - the USS Callisto, one Akira-class Heavy Cruiser, one Prometheus-class Assault Cruiser, two Norway-class Heavy Frigates, two Saber-class Fast Frigates, two Diligent-class Tactical Frigates, two Defiant-class Tactical Frigates and four Valiant-class Tactical Corvettes.

MIssion Group Alpha - Invincible — *Mission Group Alpha of Task Force Invincible.*

Mission Group Bravo is led by the first Sovereign-class Command Cruiser USS Atlas and is accompanied by the Luna-class Heavy Cruiser USS Charon, one Prometheus-class Assault Cruiser, one Norway-class Heavy Frigate, two Intrepid-class Light Cruisers, two Saber-class Fast Frigates, two Merian-class Fast Frigates, two Diligent-class Tactical Frigates, and two Defiant-class Tactical Frigates.

Mission Group Bravo - Invincible — *Mission Group Bravo of Task Force Invincible.*

Mission Group Charlie is led by the second Sovereign-class Command Cruiser USS Ark Royal and is accompanied by one Akira-class Heavy Cruiser, one Prometheus-class Assault Cruiser, one Norway-class Heavy Frigate, two Intrepid-class Light Cruisers, two Saber-class Fast Frigates, two Diligent-class Tactical Frigates, and two Defiant-class Tactical Frigates.

Mission Group Charlie - Invincible — *Mission Group Charlie of Task Force Invincible.*

Mission Group Delta is led by the first Vesta-class Command Cruiser USS Independence and is accompanied by one Akira-class Heavy Cruiser, one Prometheus-class Assault Cruiser, one Norway-class Heavy Frigate, two Intrepid-class Light Cruiser, two Saber-class Fast Frigates, two Diligent-class Tactical Frigates, and two Defiant-classTactical Frigates.

MIssion Group Delta - Invincible — *Mission Group Delta of Task Force Invincible.*

Mission Group Echo is led by the first Luna-class Heavy Cruiser USS Oberon and is accompanied by one Akira-class Heavy Cruiser, one Prometheus-class Assault Cruiser, one Norway-class Heavy Frigate, one Intrepid-class Light Cruiser, two Saber-class Fast Frigates, two Diligent-class Tactical Frigates and two Defiant-classTactical Frigates.

Mission Group Echo - Invincible — *Mission Group Echo of Task Force Invincible.*

In situations where there is a need to deploy a group of starships larger than a squadron but the security situation in the area does not merit a declaration of Condition Yellow, Admiral Picard would deploy the Vesta-class Command Cruiser USS Freedom and the six Steamrunner-class Heavy Frigates led by Fleet Captain Thomas Paris, as a battle group to the situation. Together, they are called “The Wolf Pack.” The Wolf Pack is only formed for short a duration. Once their mission is concluded, the seven ships would return to their solo missions patrolling Federation territory.

Wolf Pack - Invincible — *The Wolf Pack of Task Force Invincible.*

Though part of the task force, the Odyssey-class Command Battleship USS Illustrious would generally take solitary missions around the AOR of Coronalis Command that is separate from the task force and its ships. It only assumed the role of alternate flagship to Mission Group Alpha or Task Force Invincible whenever the USS Invincible is required to go on a solitary mission itself.

Odyssey V side — *The Odyssey class USS Illustrious, the alternate flagship of Task Force Invincible.*

Invincible and Odyssey — *The USS Illustrious and the USS Invincible.*

Condition red[]

Under Condition Red-1, the task force is reformed into only two strike groups and operate specifically to undertake tactical missions in defense of Station Frontier.

Strike Group One is composed of 33 starships, led by the USS Invincible and is accompanied by the Sovereign-class Command Cruiser USS Ark Royal, two Luna-class Heavy Cruisers, two Akira-class Heavy Cruisers, two Prometheus-class Assault Cruiser, three Norway-class Heavy Frigate, four Intrepid-class Light Cruiser, four Saber-class Fast Frigates, four Diligent-class Tactical Frigates, four Defiant-class Tactical Frigates, and four Valiant-class Tactical Corvettes.

Strike Group One - Invincible — *Strike Group One of Task Force Invincible.*

Strike Group Two is composed of 34 starships, led by the Sovereign-class Command Cruiser USS Atlas and is accompanied by the Vesta-class Command Cruiser USS Independence, two Luna-class Heavy Cruisers, two Akira-class Heavy Cruisers, two Prometheus-class Assault Cruiser, four Norway-class Heavy Frigates, four Intrepid-class Light Cruisers, five Saber-class Fast Frigates, five Diligent-class Tactical Frigates, and five Defiant-class Tactical Frigates.

Strike Group Two - Invincible — *Strike Group Two of Task Force Invincible.*

The Vesta-class Command Cruiser USS Freedom and the rest of the Wolf Pack remain detached and does not appear until their part in the battle plan takes place.

During Condition Red-1, Commodore Norodin Khan, Executive Officer of the Invincible and Deputy Fleet Commander of the task force would transfer to the USS Atlas to assume command of Strike Group Two, which was one half of the task force. When Picard was not with the flagship, Commodore Khan was in command of Strike Group One, while Captain Morgan Bateson, Commanding Officer of the Atlas, would command Strike Group Two as Fleet Captain.

During Condition Red-2 the whole 72-ship task force operates as one unit with the sole purpose of engaging an enemy fleet in battle.

Other deployments[]

The whole task force is also gathered as one unit during scheduled visits to the six field divisions of Vanguard Command. During these times, Fleet Admiral Maximus Hunter would travel with the task force and is the ranking flag officer onboard the USS Invincible. While Hunter is onboard, Task Force Resilient, his personal 8-ship task force, would join Task Force Invincible during these missions.