Operational History

1. Launch and Early Service (2862 – 2890)

The UEES Childress was laid down during the “Flight IV” production run of the Idris frigate, a period where Aegis was attempting to rehabilitate its image following the fall of the Messer regime decades earlier. Named in honor of Dr. Scott Childress—the father of modern quantum travel—the ship was fittingly equipped with an experimental Tarsus-Leeway quantum drive core, intended to test efficiency over long-duration patrols.

Her early years were spent in the Core Worlds, serving as a command-and-control vessel for anti-piracy interdiction in the Banshee System. During the Pulsar Riots of 2871, the Childress famously held a blockade point against a heavily armed smuggling syndicate, utilizing her railgun to disable three Constellation-class blockade runners without destroying their cargo.

2. The Vanduul Front (2890 – 2925)

As Vanduul incursions escalated in the late 29th century, the Childress was transferred to the Western Front. She was assigned to the 65th Battle Group, patrolling the precarious borders of the Virgil and Tiber systems.

The ship earned a “Combat Star” during the Skirmish at Oberon (2903). While escorting a civilian relief convoy, the Childress was ambushed by a Vanduul “Void” bomber wing. Despite sustaining heavy damage to her starboard hangar bay, the Childress successfully deployed her squadron of Gladius fighters and used her massive spinal mount to shatter a Vanduul Corvette, forcing the enemy to retreat. This action saved over 4,000 colonists aboard the transport ships.

3. The “Ghost Patrols” and Decline (2926 – 2940)

By the 2930s, the Childress was showing signs of structural fatigue common to century-old hulls. She was reassigned to the Oretani Sector for “Ghost Patrols”—long-range reconnaissance sweeps scanning for uncharted jump points, a monotonous duty that ironically paid homage to her namesake’s legacy of exploration.

However, the irony turned bitter in 2938. During a routine jump near the Magnus system, the ship suffered a catastrophic cascading failure in her quantum drive housing. The very technology her namesake invented nearly tore the ship apart. While the crew saved the vessel, the frame suffered micro-fractures along the keel that rendered the ship unsafe for rapid combat maneuvers.

Decommissioning and Storage

Date of Decommission: 2942.11.14

Following the keel stress diagnosis, the UEE Naval High Command deemed the cost of a full hull refit too high, especially with newer Javelin-class destroyers coming off the line.

The UEES Childress was formally stricken from the active register in late 2942. She was flown under sub-light power to the Kilian System, home of the massive UEE naval headquarters.

She currently sits in “The Boneyard” at MacArthur, a vast orbital parking orbit for retired warships. She has been stripped of her classified military avionics and her railgun has been plugged, but the hull remains intact. She sits in “Category B” storage, meaning she is maintained in a vacuum-sealed state, technically available for reactivation in a time of total war, or potential sale to a militia organization under the Militia Mobilization Initiative.

OFFICIAL UEE RECORD: VESSEL DISPOSITION & TRANSFER

DEPARTMENT OF NAVAL LOGISTICS // SURPLUS ADMINISTRATION KILIAN SYSTEM ARCHIVES

DOCUMENT ID: NLS-2954-88-BETA DATE OF TRANSACTION: 2954.03.18 CLEARANCE: UNCLASSIFIED // PUBLIC RECORD

1. ASSET IDENTIFICATION

• Vessel Name (Former): UEES Childress
• Registry: Ffg-288 (Decommissioned)
• Chassis: Aegis Dynamics Idris-M Frigate (Flight IV)
• Location of Transfer: MacArthur Naval Cemetery (“The Boneyard”), Kilian System
• Condition Rating: CATEGORY D (Non-flight capable / Structural Compromise / Systems Stripped)

1. PURCHASER INFORMATION

• Primary Buyer: R.Adm. Glenn “Pappy” Wade (UEE Navy, Retired)
• Affiliation: Carrier Strike Group 3 [Civil Defense Charter #99-AF-21]
• Citizenship ID: A-3392-L-WADE

III. TRANSACTION DETAILS

AUTHORIZATION: This transfer is authorized under the Militia Mobilization Initiative (Act of 2946), granting vetted civilian defense organizations the right to purchase surplus naval capital assets for the protection of UEE border systems.

TERMS OF SALE:

• Hull Acquisition Cost: 125,000,000 UEC
• Restoration Bond: 45,000,000 UEC (Held in escrow until space-worthiness certification)
• Stipulations:
  1. Railgun Mount: The spinal railgun mount (Size 10) is sold unloaded. The specific railgun weapon system previously installed has been removed. The purchaser is authorized to install a replacement Class-9 or Class-10 kinetic driver only after passing a UEE Advocacy Level 5 Weapons Inspection.
  2. Structural Integrity: The purchaser acknowledges the recorded “micro-fractures” in the keel (Log Entry 2938). Flight clearance is denied until a certified structural repair team reinforces the spinal housing.
  3. Livery: All UEE Navy markings and transponder codes must be scrubbed within 48 standard hours of possession.

1. RESTORATION & RECOMMISSIONING LOG

FILED BY: Carrier Strike Group 3 Engineering Corps PROJECT LEAD: R.Adm. Glenn Wade

Entry 1 – Towing Operations: Ship towed from Kilian storage by SRV teams. Hull integrity holding, but life support is non-functional. We are bleeding atmosphere in Decks 3 and 4.

Entry 5 – The “Keel” Fix: Aegis specialists quoted us six months to fix the keel fractures. “Pappy” Wade didn’t want to wait. We used high-grade Nanocarbon plating salvaged from a scrap Reclaimer to patch the spine. It’s ugly, but the structural scans are showing green. She’s stronger now than she was in ’62.

Entry 12 – Systems Online: The old Tarsus-Leeway quantum drive was toast. We’ve retrofitted a modern Pontes drive. It barely fits in the housing, but she hums. We are currently repainting the hull in CSG-3 colors. The “Childress” nameplate will remain, per the Admiral’s orders, to honor the history.

1. FINAL AUTHORIZATION

Status Update (2955.01.10): Restoration Complete. Advocacy inspection passed. Vessel Status: ACTIVE

SIGNED: /s/ Chief Logistics Officer H. Thrain, UEE Naval Yard Kilian /s/ Rear Admiral Glenn “Pappy” Wade (Ret.), CO, Carrier Strike Group 3