Task Force 86 – Report #2

March 9, 2025

With the first hints of the next Fleet Action, titled “Nightfall”, on the horizon, it’s an exciting time for Task Force 86. We’ve had Captain Aoife McKenzie step in as the Task Group 64 Commanding Officer, and Commander Alaric Constantine has continued to impress as my capable First Officer. The end of one year and the start of the next tends to be a time when we’re recovering and preparing for what’s next but the people in Task Force 86 have worked hard, and have been a joy to work for and with.

Since the last report Task Force 86 has stepped up with a wonderful volume of quality writing. We’ve had members go above and beyond crafting their narratives and engaging in various Fleet RPGs as well. We’ve also seen members taking part in competitions and even hosting their own! It’s a great feeling to see such an active and engaged group of members and I can’t wait to share some of our achievements with you!

But enough preamble, let’s get into the excitement of the final frontier!

 

Task Force Updates

As a reminder before the previous report, we added several Task Unity Assets. For details on how to use Task Unit Assets read this handy guide. These assets can be used in stories through Task Force 86 in a guest-starring role to support your story. We’ve seen some usage of them, and it’s been great to see that the Task Force has engaged with bringing them into narratives! 

Below is a summary of these assets!

As mentioned earlier we’ve had a change in leadership with Captain Aoife McKenzie stepping in as the Task Group 64 Commanding Officer. Further changes are coming as after this report is sent out, so when you’re reading it, I’ll be stepping down as Task Force 86’s Commanding Officer. I have great faith in both Captain McKenzie and Commander Alaric Constantine, and a new Task Force Commanding Officer will be announced shortly.

 

Fiction Updates

Task Group 25

  • USS Truckee – A mysterious but mild-mannered Lieutenant joins the crew of the Truckee for some post-shakedown maintenance, but the crew delays repairs to go rescue a ship caught in a gravimetric distortion. Is this new crew member more than his file implies? What does his presence mean for the USS Truckee?
  • Andromeda Division
    • USS Andromeda – Captain Carrillo gets a shiny new starship to lead diplomatic negotiations, and new crew members filter in. Barely out the gate, the Andromeda takes a detour to help a colony under fire. Can the crew of the Andromeda rescue the colonists and bring their attackers to justice?
    • USS Falcon – Captain Aike takes a moment with his ship. The Hume siblings enjoy lunch at a franchise Quark’s, discussing life and their missions. Starbase 260 coordinates with USS Falcon to get repairs done while the crew rotates on shore leave, only to set off on a rescue mission before repairs are complete. What will they find out in the dark, and is the Falcon up to the task?
  • USS Wells – A hidden message gets the crew’s attention, drawing them into a nebula where Captain Eisenberg-Sloane receives an unusual request. All is not as it seems, however, and the USS Wells soon finds itself in a harrowing situation!
  • USS Liris – A grey-ops mission pushes the crew of the USS Liris to the test, requiring everyone to put forth their best to survive. Encounters with the True Way, particle fountains, wakeboarding an asteroid, and moon-landings make for an exciting adventure for the USS Liris!

Task Group 64

  • USS Chicago – While walking the ship, Lieutenant Asante encounters a crewman, Petty Officer Wolff, who is repairing the warp drive. They discuss the possibility of her becoming an officer before Asante leaves the repairs to the crewman.
  • SS Warden – While sharing drinks, Keralm and Walt discuss economics in a post-scarcity society as Krolth approaches them with a job: a load of Kvatch dung for the Zanto people. This smelly cargo comes with strange conditions, such as the accompanying flies holding royal status—swatting them would cost them. Walt senses something off, but he continues preparing the ship to head back into space despite his reservations.
  • Jaxartes Division 
    • USS Jaxartes – As chaos engulfs Elas, Commander Salan is betrayed and poisoned by Jia, a former seer turned zealot. Dr. Frank de Havilland fights to save him, while Dr. Phoebe Andrianakis commandeers the USS Jaxartes for a daring rescue. With Salan in critical condition, the crew races to find a cure and succeeds, though an unknown entity seeks to lure Andrianakis. High Chancellor Krevis faces the looming threat of his planet’s enslavement. Meanwhile, the SRV James Binney makes a shocking discovery—a planet emerging from Harper’s Rift, defying all scientific understanding.
    • USS da Vinci – After discovering bodies from Tartarus II on a stolen Starfleet ship, autopsies suggest someone experimented with Borg technology on already-dead victims. The USS da Vinci travels to Tartarus II and finds Kilcannon, the only living person on the planet. Commander Anacostia-Bolling sends two teams—one led by her XO, Alara, and the other by Dr. Sunny—to investigate. Sunny’s team finds dead Hana Corporation workers, killed by the Borg months earlier, but accidentally triggers the security system, causing an orbital defense platform to attack. The away teams take shelter in the mines, where they encounter reanimated workers with positronic brains programmed to serve organics. With help from these Bio Units and Anacostia-Bolling’s engineers, they escape the mine, and Kilcannon is taken into custody.
  • Valhalla Division
      • USS Valhalla – Captain MacKenzie and Commander Halstead finally surrender their long-ignored feelings from their time on Avalon. With Aoife now pregnant and the couple preparing for marriage, they take an extended sabbatical. In their absence, Captain Xavier Vance and Commander Elizabeth Kyle assume command.
      • USS Sentinel – The USS Andromeda is rechristened to make way for the new lead ship of the Andromeda-class, which leads to Captain Murphy’s reassignment to the USS Sentinel, another Intrepid-class vessel. Meanwhile, an ancient artifact generates an artificial wormhole in an uncharted star system, from which a probe emerges, transmitting a signal to Earth. Starfleet assigns the Sentinel to investigate, teaming it with the USS Sojourner for the mission.

Task Force Recognition

Awards

Promotions

Conclusion

The excitement around Task Force 86 is just getting started. The members are excited, and with the upcoming Fleet Action on the horizon, things promise to get busy for the ships that make up TF 86! With engaged and active members, a welcoming community, and one of the nicest places to be on the internet in our lounge, it’s exciting to think about what’s coming to Task Force 86!

Defending the borders of the Federation isn’t easy, but there are no people better for it than the fine people of TF 86!

Nathan Hawthorne Task Force 86 Commanding Officer
Task Force 86