Task Force 56 -- The Northern Frontier
Death and destruction. Intrigue and suspense. A colony in ruins, its atmosphere still burning. On the surface, its people are reduced to smouldering piles of bone and ash. The Federation Colony on Xendi Sabu has suffered an atrocity of unfathomable proportions, but why? Who could have carried out such a depraved and brazen assault on Federation soil?
The crew of the USS Astraea is indulging in some shore leave on Earth while Captain Laurens deals with Starfleet Command and the fall out from the last mission.
Starfleet Command and the 11th Fleet prepare to launch their newest vessel, the Insignia-class exploration cruiser under the command of Commander Eranfel from the Gavor Shipyards in the Tellar Sector. With an experimental computer system onboard, it\'s time for the crew to gather.
When a catastrophic engine failure threatens the life of an alien pilot, the Vesta becomes embroiled in the political tensions of a newly warp-capable world.
