The Argo-class cruiser, named for the famous ship from the tale of Jason and the Argonauts, was designed for exclusive use by the Pre-Human Extraterrestrial Research Institute (PHERI), which scours space for ancient technologies and secrets of long-dead races to adapt to humanity's use. The Terran Protectorate blanched when they saw plans for this powerful vessel, which could threaten a battlecarrier, but PHERI argued that such a ship (which is also loaded with scientific gear and advanced sensors) was necessary when one was exploring beyond the edge of known space where no one could help you and the nearest human may be a year's travel away. The Terran Protectorate only agreed to allow the ships to be built when PHERI consented to let military officers into the crew to share command. Each ship has a Commisar and executive officer from the stellar navy and a contingent of Colonial Marines. Of course, PHERI has a lot of political power and some say they have pulled strings to get the officers assigned that are most sympathetic to their cause. So far, there have been three Argo-class cruisers constructed: The Argo, the Beagle and the Victoria. The Beagle is currently stationed at Alexandria, one of the core worlds of the Protectorate and home to the PHERI headquarters. The Victoria has embarked on a 10-year mission to the Great Nebula of Orion, about 1,300 light years away. It will take 3 years at 400c to get there, they will explore for about 3-4 years, and then return. But the most ambitious, and controversial, voyage has been reserved for the Argo itself. The proposed plan is to send the Argo beyond the Terminus Line and into the quarantined Sea of Dead Stars, where it will attempt to make an accurate assessment of the threats to humanity that reside within. The mission is not known to the general public, and in the circles where it is known, many privately consider it to be a suicide mission. However, the leaders of both the Protectorate and PHERI have agreed that it is folly to simply try to cordon off an area of space that you know contains hostile forces without trying to learn anything about them. Enjoy, and let me know what you think. Just a sidenote: I know the front view is not to scale, but if I'd scaled it to the rest of the ship you would lose the details.