Who Enterprise-E Data is in STFC
Enterprise-E Data is a Federation Science officer in Star Trek Fleet Command. He sits in the Enterprise-E synergy group along with Picard, Riker, Troi, and Rachel Garrett, all tied to Captain Picard’s flagship from the late-TNG films and the Star Trek: Picard era.
His value lives on the bridge, where his officer ability boosts a specific damage type against the right targets, and below decks, where he adds cargo room to your ship. His captain seat does nothing. If you’ve just recruited him and you’re not sure where to slot him, that quirk is the place to start.
This guide walks through what his abilities actually do, why his captain seat is dead weight, who he synergizes with, how to spend trait XP on him, and where ranking him up earns the shards back.
Star Trek background
Lieutenant Commander Data is a Soong-type android, built by Doctor Noonien Soong at the Omicron Theta colony and recovered by Starfleet in 2338. He graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2345 and served as second officer and operations manager aboard the USS Enterprise-D under Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
After the loss of the Enterprise-D, Data transferred to the Enterprise-E. He had also installed an emotion chip built by his brother Lore, which let him feel for the first time. In 2379, during the Battle in the Bassen Rift, Data sacrificed himself to save Picard and the Enterprise-E crew from the Reman warship Scimitar. He was effectively brought back in 2401 as Daystrom Android M-5-10, with his memories integrated alongside Lore’s, Lal’s, and B-4’s.
That arc, the search for humanity and the chosen family on the Enterprise, is the lens the in-game officer card uses. The flavor text leans into Data’s emotion chip, his bond with Picard’s crew, and the line that proof of humanity, for him, was being surrounded by friends and family.
Role in STFC
Inside STFC, Enterprise-E Data is a Federation Science officer. Two things define his job:
- A bridge-slot officer ability that boosts Isolytic Cascade damage against non-Armada hostiles.
- A below-decks ability that increases your ship’s Max Cargo.
His captain seat is intentionally empty in the data. He is not a captain pick. Use him for the two slots that actually do something.
Captain ability and officer ability
Captain: Chain of Command
Chain of Command is a placeholder. The in-game description spells it out: this officer does not have a Captain’s Maneuver, and equipping him as captain provides no benefit. Slot him on the bridge or below decks, not in the captain chair. Players who don’t read the card sometimes drop him into the captain seat and wonder why their hits feel weak. The simple fix is to put a real captain in that slot and put Data on the bridge.
Officer: Saddle up. Lock and Load!
On the bridge, Data’s officer ability increases Isolytic Cascade damage against non-Armada hostiles. Isolytic Cascade is a damage type tied to certain late-game weapons that multiplies a portion of your total damage, including Isolytic Damage and research bonuses.
Current as of the latest game data.
| Rank | Isolytic Cascade boost vs non-Armada hostiles |
|---|---|
| 1 | 10% |
| 2 | 15% |
| 3 | 20% |
| 4 | 30% |
| 5 | 40% |
Two things to remember. The bonus only applies versus non-Armada targets, so this is a hostile-clearing or PvP tool rather than an armada filler. And your ship needs to be set up to deal Isolytic Cascade in the first place for the bonus to do real work. On a ship that does not carry Isolytic weapons or supporting research, the buff does nothing for you.
Below decks: Appropriate Adjustments
Below decks, Data adds to your ship’s Max Cargo. The bonus scales from 20% at Ensign I up to 70% at Commander V (current as of the latest game data). That makes him a candidate for mining ships and other cargo-focused builds where you have an open below-decks slot.
| Rank | Max Cargo bonus |
|---|---|
| Ensign I | 20% |
| Lieutenant JG II | 30% |
| Lieutenant III | 40% |
| Lt. Commander IV | 55% |
| Commander V | 70% |
Below-Decks abilities only activate when an officer is assigned to a below-decks slot, so you need to have unlocked the relevant ship’s below-decks crew slots before this bonus does anything.
Where he shines
A few spots where Enterprise-E Data earns his slot:
Late-game hostile hunts where your ship can land Isolytic Cascade damage. The bridge bonus is wasted on a ship that does not carry Isolytic, so this is a fit for fleets that already invested in the relevant weapon path.
PvP encounters against ships and stations. The officer ability lifts non-Armada damage, which lines up with player-versus-player combat once you have an Isolytic loadout. The 40% top-rank bonus is a meaningful chunk added to that damage type, especially against tankier opponents.
Mining and transport ships that have an open below-decks slot and want more cargo per run. Appropriate Adjustments works on whatever ship he is below-decked on, so he is also a quiet pick for haulers and miners while your other Enterprise-E officers are doing combat work elsewhere. At max rank you are looking at a 70% boost to Max Cargo on that ship.
He is not a fit for armada crews. The officer ability specifically excludes Armada hostiles, so look elsewhere for armada-focused damage buffs.
How to get Enterprise-E Data shards
Recruitment through full promotion costs 519 shards total. The per-rank breakdown is below.
| Rank | Shards to promote | Cumulative total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 34 | 34 |
| 2 | 50 | 84 |
| 3 | 100 | 184 |
| 4 | 135 | 319 |
| 5 | 200 | 519 |
Enterprise-E officers usually surface in event arcs tied to the group’s release window and in rotating store offerings. Check the current event calendar and your faction and event store screens in-game rather than chasing a fixed source.
Synergies and crew building
Data sits in the Enterprise-E synergy group with three other officers from the same era. The named synergy partners are:
- Enterprise-E Picard
- Enterprise-E Riker
- Enterprise-E Troi
- Rachel Garrett
Synergy bonuses in this group route through the captain seat. Because Data’s captain ability is non-functional, the practical play is to put one of the other Enterprise-E officers in the captain chair and slot Data on the bridge to stack the Isolytic Cascade buff with the captain’s effect.
For class synergy, Data is a Science officer, so he matches builds that want Science class on the bridge. The exact Command, Engineering, and Science synergy percentages for the Enterprise-E group were not pulled into this guide, so check the in-game synergy screen for current numbers.
Across both cases, the second bridge slot is the spot to think hardest about. Data plus a strong second bridge officer plus a real captain is the usual shape.
Character traits
Data has two trait tracks. Traits unlock in order, so the second only opens once you have finished the first.
| Trait | Level | Trait XP cost |
|---|---|---|
| Analytical | 1 | 1,500 |
| Analytical | 2 | 2,700 |
| Analytical | 3 | 3,800 |
| Android | 1 | 7,650 |
| Android | 2 | 6,000 |
| Android | 3 | 7,000 |
| Android | 4 | 8,850 |
The Analytical track is the cheap one. Android is the heavier track, so plan your Trait XP if you push him past the unlocks tied to Analytical. If you are mid-game and Trait XP is tight, finishing Analytical first and pausing before Android is a reasonable call.
Frequently asked questions
Is Enterprise-E Data any good?
He is good in the narrow band his officer ability covers: ships that deal Isolytic Cascade damage, against non-Armada targets. Outside that lane, his bridge slot does little, and his captain seat does nothing at all. Treat him as a specialist, not a general crew piece.
Where do you get Enterprise-E Data shards?
The data file does not lock in a specific source. Look for him in the event lineup tied to the Enterprise-E group’s release cycles and in faction and event store rotations.
Can I run Enterprise-E Data as captain?
No. His captain ability is “no effect” in the data, and the long description confirms there is no benefit. Pair him with another Enterprise-E officer in the captain chair instead.
Does his below-decks ability work on mining ships?
Yes. Appropriate Adjustments adds to your ship’s Max Cargo, so if your mining or transport ship has an open below-decks slot, the bonus applies whenever the ship is in use.
Is Enterprise-E Data worth ranking up?
Worth it if you have an Isolytic Cascade setup on a ship that needs the bridge buff, or a cargo-hungry below-decks slot. If neither applies in your current fleet, rank-up shards are better spent elsewhere first.
The short version
Enterprise-E Data is a niche officer with a clear job. If you already have an Isolytic-capable ship and you fight non-Armada targets, he earns the bridge slot. If you do not, he can still sit below decks on a hauler and pull extra cargo. Just remember not to put him in the captain chair.