Task Force 83

Task Force 83 was the brain child of Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard in 2388 after the incident with Captain Nero and the Narada that was sparked by the Hobus Star Nova that destroyed the Romulan Star Empire's home planets of Romulus and Remus. In the wake of these events in 2388, four months later, Starfleet felt it prudent to search Area 83, what would later be called the Fringe; the area of space left in the wake of the catastrophe. Already Ambassador to Romulus, Picard felt it was a necessity that he be responsible for this operation and commissioned Starfleet vessels Enterprise-E, under the command of Captain Data, the Titan, under command of Captain William Riker, and the Eternity, under command of Commander James Maxwell. However unknown to Picard, Starfleet Intelligence and, deeper still, the Council had an interest in uncovering the Followers of Nero and their technology derived from re-engineered Borg technology which became the catayst for the Council's understanding of the Legacy.

Formation of Task Force 83
Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard had pulled some strings to get the operation underway, noting his previous relationships with the two commanding officers of predominately notable ships as a means to get them involved. However, contrary to this, Starfleet had assigned a former First Officer of the Norlius, a military/fleet operational vessel, Commander James Maxwell, a marine himself, into the mix. It was understandably a cover story for Maxwell's true objectives, but Picard's understanding was that if the operation turned military that Maxwell would be there to soften up the transition.

Between the three ships and in cooperation with the Klingon Empire, again with respect to Picard's relationship with General Worf and Chancellor Matrok, they would map out area 83 cataloging anything and everything as they made their way through their waypoints, the two Soverign Class starships Enterprise-E and Eternity, funneling in their sensor data to the larger more scientifically sound Titan. The search uncovered the Ildius System, a new system of planets created between the effects of the Hobus star nova and the influx of proto-matter in the area. The only capable functional M-Class planet, Ildius 3, had been searched by Captain Maxwell and his team before the first shots of the Fringe War was called out by two cloaked D7 Klingon ships.

New Management and the Fringe War
After the events that led to the Fringe War, Task Force 83 was subjected to new management, shifting command of the force under Fleet Commander Julia Passings, another of the Council's Agents at play. The Eternity and her crew went rogue at the behest of Ambassador Picard who had been in talk with the Klingons, understanding that the D7's were stolen. At Cha'Dan, Picard met with Chancellor Matrok and, through the events that led to Picard and Troi's capture, the Followers of Nero were discovered.

Despite previous notions of to the contrary, Commander Maxwell stayed on as part of a joint operation between Task Force 83, the Klingon Secret Services, and Starfleet Intelligence to weed out Follower Loyalists still remaining in the hierarchy of both governments. Eventually these detainments and the information led to Task Force 83's colonization of Ildius 3, incorporating the Colonial Class Mayflower, in the establishment of Metar Colony where they suspected a Followers of Nero base resided. Their suspicious proved true and a ground war commenced on the surface of Ildius 3.

Disbanding
After taking back Ildius 3 and gathering intelligence on an installation known as the Vault, Task Force 83's fleet was suppliment with Klingon and additional two Akira Class vessels. The Eternity and the Renault took point in dividing the forces for the sacking of the Vault via a Trojan horse using a Reman Scout ship as a means of getting Eternity's Reaper Team, under command of Major Jonathan Harmon to infiltrate and sabatoge the facilities defensive systems while Eternity and it's Sword Fleet, comprised of stealth and swifter vessels would attack on the flank. The plan however fell apart and the Renault was destroyed. Fleet Commander James Maxwell and Sword Fleet engaged the Vault and, after several loses, won the battle reclaiming the Vault. After the Eternity was modified by the Vault's upgrading facilities and, the installation was destroyed, Task Force 83 was disbanded.

Commanders of Task Force 83

 * Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard
 * Fleet Commander Julia Passings
 * Fleet Commander James Maxwell