Type: Frigate
Polity: Compact of Humanity in Assembly
Service: Navy
The Zephyr class was a late variant of the Olympus Mons class. When the Utopia Planitia iteration of the Olympus Mons class went into production, Naval Command opted to continue building the previous version with modifications. The first ship of this modified ship became the Zephyr. Much more maneuverable than their newer sisters, they played a crucial role in the Laputan War and early Polygamy Wars. However, by 419 IE, their obsolescence became obvious. The class ceased production with several ships going into mothballs or the scrap heap.
In the late 420s, however, the warp program gained traction. After the successful flight of the Alcubierre from Jupiter to Trantor, the Navy accelerated mounting the new drive onto an existing warship. The Zephyr class became the preferred platform, and the service overhauled the CNV Challenger as the test bed.
The Challenger, after some oversight from the original engineers and Alcubierre crew, performed well in her trials and first combat mission against the Gelt. As such, the Challenger went on active duty in time for the liberation of Amargosa. Afterward, the warp project, headed up by Rear Admiral Quentin Austin, overhauled several existing Zephyr-class starships for deployment as warp vessels.
Appearances:
Beyond Amargosa, Tishla's Journey, Storming Amargosa, Checkmate