Despite the relative calm throughout the quadrant in the wake of victory over the Dominion, tensions remain and animosities continue to grow. The recent influx of unfamiliar, seemingly fictional ship designs has caused widespread confusion but one thing remains clear; none of the major powers are preparing for a lasting peace. Noting that the Romulans have added Colonial Vipers to their fleet, the Klingons have adapted Cylon Raiders, and the Cardassians are showing their teeth with Cylon Basestars, the Federation Council has given Starfleet a simple directive. Prepare to defend. As a result the Starfleet Corp of Engineers have found the one ship they believe has the best chance to stand against Cylon and Colonial warships, the famed Colonial Battlestar. Where once the Defiant-Class was a prototype for a Starfleet warship, the Battlestar-Class would become Starfleet’s War Machine. The designers and engineers knew it would be a challenge: Augmenting the existing railguns and missle tubes with phaser cannons, phaser banks and quantum torpedo launchers for a wider array of offensive capabilities. Upgrading the DRADIS system with state of the art long and short range sensor arrays. Installing an interphase cloaking device. Fitting the hull with ablative armor plating. And finally, replacing the original FLT drive with a centuries-old secret; a Displacement-Activated Spore Hub Drive. Supported by an escort group of three Defiant-Class ships and a complement of upgraded Colonial Raptors onboard, which none of the opposing powers had managed to co-opt, Starfleet stood ready to face down any and all who target the Federation in the future.
That was when a new Sith Order appeared at the edge of known space with their newest converts, the Dark Side Iconians.