| Classification: | Class 1-A Asteroid Starbase |
| Name: | Starbase Twenty-Three |
| Registry Number: | NCC-6067 |
| Class: | Theta |
| Type: | Asteroid starbase with ancillary repair docks and administration stations |
| Commissioned: | 2nd October 2223, Stardate [11]2709.1 |
| Builders: | Starfleet Engineering Corps |
| Overall Diameter: | Approx. 3,000.0 Meters |
| Overall Length: | Approx 5,000.0 Meters |
| Internal Docking Bay Diameter: | 1,000.0 Meters |
| Internal Docking Bay Length: | 2,000.0 Meters |
| Docking Bay Doors Diameter: | 300.0 Meters |
| Mass: | 500,000,000 Metric Tons |
| Decks: | 250 |
| Crew Capacity: | 1,000 |
| Max. Evacuation Capacity: |
100,000 |
| Officers: | 150 |
| Enlisted Personnel: | 850 |
| Marines (During war-time): | 50,000 |
| Type SW-7 Warp Shuttle: | Six |
| Type S-19 Shuttlecraft: | Twelve |
| Type S-10 Travel Pod: | 50 |
| Type S-2 Workbee: | 100 |
| Main Power: | 40 Deuterium/Tritium Fusion Reactors |
| Auxiliary Power: | Six type SW40/1-2SB Matter/Antimatter Reactors rated in total to 612 Cochranes |
| Batteries: | 24 Cold Fusion storage cells |
| Sensors: | OC4266D short range, very high resolution sensor suite mounted in a sensor pod located in a hidden recess on the asteroid's outer surface. OC9157L very long range, medium resolution sensor suite mounted in a sensor pod located in a hidden recess on the asteroid's outer surface. Capable of utilising eight independently-operated high-frequency sensor channels simultaneously. |
| --Phasers: | Twelve Venusian Agusta Ansadado, Inc. model Zeus-D Class-4 phaser units mounted in six banks of two each, located hidden recesses on the asteroid's outer surface. Twelve Terran Asakaze Ordnance Systems Ltd. model JAKA-9 Type VI defensive phaser units mounted in three banks of four each, located in hidden recesses on the asteroid's outer surface. |
| Firing Arc: | 720 degrees |
| --Photon Torpedoes: | Twelve Andorian Skat-Rar Weapons Systems Mk 9 Mod 2 torpedo tubes mounted in six banks of two each, located in hidden recesses on the asteroid's outer surface. |
| Firing Arc: | 720 degrees Maximum Spread: Twelve |
| --Transporters : | 22 Personnel (6-person), 10 Evacuation (22-person), 10 Cargo (non-sentient traffic only) |
| --Tractor Beam: | 12 Emitters mounted on entry and exit doors of docking bays. 720 degree arc |
| Main Computer Core: | Duotronic DIV unit mounted on Deck 80, Central |
| Backup Computer Core: | Duotronic DIV unit mounted on Deck 160, Central |
| Interface System (Standard): | Library Banks Information Retrieval System (LBIRS) v7.3 |
| Interface System (Technical): | Dynamic Access Memory Interface Technique (DAMIT) v9.9 |
| Data Transfer Rate: | 200 kiloquads/second |
| High Resolution: | 2.0 light year |
| Medium to Low Resolution: | 9.0 light years |
| Administration and Traffic Control: | A single Centroplex-class office station manages the traffic control and logistics aspects of the greater starbase area, routing traffic through the twenty-cubed-kilometre volume of the base complex. |
| Science: | A single Regula-class science/medical station complements Starbase 23's own facilities, but incorporates the most advanced laboratories and medical equipment available due to its standard modular construction. These facilites are far more difficult to install and maintain within the rock of the base itself. |
| Dry-Docking: | Fifteen Gron'dar-class repair docks capable of servicing ships up to the size of Federation-class dreadnoughts and Excelsior-class explorers. |
| Defense: | Thirty Sho'kan-class defence platforms mounting two turret based photon tubes, four Type VII offensive/defensive phaser units, and four Type VI defensive phaser units giving 720-degree firing arcs |
This starbase, located in the Onias Sector of the Beta Quadrant at the Romulan Neutral Zone, became the far end of the "tripwire" the Federation constructed to warn them of any incursions by the Romulans from their side of the border. At the near end of this 200-light-year long border with our oldest enemy are the old Earth Outposts One to Fourteen, in the middle is Starbase Ten. Starbase 23 is positioned closest to the Triangle, the main region of contested and unaligned space between the Romulan Star Empire, the Klingon Empire, and the United Federation of Planets. Together with Starbase 24 on the Klingon border, this base monitors the most volatile region of the UFP's border with other races. Interstellar "incidents" occur here with more regularity and frequency than the general public are aware of, and are far too many and numerous to be detailed here.
With the three major galactic players involved in the affairs of literally dozens of spacefaring races in the Triangle, all of whom are determined to be the masters of their own destinies, it is little wonder that in all of space where Federation vessels sail, it is here that the greatest casualties and damage are incurred.
Completed in 2223 as the final piece of the UFP's sensor barrier arrayed against the Romulans, Starbase 23 had a rather quiet history until the Romulans re-emerged from their isolation in December 2266. During this time, the base served as an administration centre and communications relay point for the colonies in the area. It also served as a deterrent to pirates, but that was the extent of it's military duties. The base served the logistics arm of the Federation well, but without distinction, for forty years.
Since the re-emergence of the Romulans, Starbase 23 has become a focal point of operations for Starfleet Command in their efforts to contain and defuse the Romulan menace, especially in regards to their alliance with the Klingon Empire. Unfortunately, in the 26 years of renewed relations with the Star Empire they've shown absolutely no interest in rapproachment or peace with the Federation. So, Starfleet has focused on the "containment" aspect and left defusing to the diplomats.
Due to the observed technologies of this hostile Vulcanoid race, Starbase 23 has become steadily more fortified. Originally built into the core of of a 5-km long, potato-shaped asteroid to protect it from an expected surprise attack, the base has been steadily expanded and is now protected by the strongest shields and most sensitive scanners currently deployable. The original docking bay that was cut into the centre of the asteroid and protected by huge cast-rhodinium blast doors has been supplimented by larger, external free-floating dry-docks, big enough to service the current crop of starships. The asteroid's original rock-mounted defenses have been replaced by cutting edge weaponry and added to with defense satellites around the complex's perimeter.
Despite being so close to an antagonistic alien race, Starbase 23 is now a sprawling complex that covers twenty cubic kilometers. For this reason, this base is always host to at least ten combat-capable starships at all times.
One of the two most notable events in the base's history are The August Ambush of 2269, when the base was set upon by three squadrons of Romulan cruisers. Two dry-docks, a destroyer, and three older cruisers were destroyed, and moderate damage was done to the asteroid base itself. In exchange, the Romulans lost four War Eagles and two Battlehawks, before they were chased off by the USS Vindicator's reinforcement fleet of four older Baton Rouge-class cruisers. It was due to this attack that the bases' defenses were so rigourously updated to present standards.
The other is The Battle That Never Was of 2283. A second Romulan attack force of New Series ships threatened the base by decloaking and jumping to high warp to get inside the bases' defences quickly. As a dreadnought, four heavy cruisers, and five destroyers and frigates bore down on the base, the defense fleet of a dreadnought, four strike cruisers, and six destroyers and frigates rushed out to meet them. The whole sector was on high alert, the base had issued a distress call, and weapons-free was seconds away when the Romulan fleet slowed to a halt as their admiral hailed the base.
Acting as if nothing untoward had happened, the woman—who refused to idenfify herself—merely exchanged pleasantaries with a tightly wound Base CO as her fleet turned around and made for Romulan space.
Starfleet Intelligence later determined that the fleet had come from the Triangle and was being pursued, but by whom was never confirmed. It was very worrying to the Starfleet brass as to what could make such a powerful fleet run before even engaging their enemy, but maybe the Romulans needed the fully alert forces of Starbase 23 to deter their opponents from closing for battle.
Another theory suggested that the attack was just a trial run, to see if the Romulans could approach the base to strike a killing blow in their first salvo. It remains to be seen if the Romulans thought such a test was successful, but they never tried a second time at Starbase 23 or anywhere else.
Starbase 23 remains a key part of the Federation's defense to this day, keeping an ever-watchful eye on our not-so-friendly neighbours.