USS Animus • About Us

Who Are We?

We are a Star Trek and science fiction fan club based in Canberra and the NSW Southern Tablelands. Our sphere of influence stretches from Bowral in the north, Wagga Wagga in the west, and down to the New South Wales/Victorian border in the south.

As a chapter of Starfleet International, we bring together fans of Star Trek, science fiction, gaming, prop building, costuming, and collaborative storytelling.

What Do We Do?

We regularly meet up at conventions and community events including:

Oz Comic-Con
GEEK Expo
the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex

We also enjoy:

Prop and costume building
Gaming — particularly Star Trek Online
Casual meetups
Fan-fiction writing
Text-based roleplay
Collaborative storytelling

Many of our activities are also conducted alongside our parent chapter, the USS Typhon, based in Sydney. At the heart of the chapter is a shared love of creativity, worldbuilding, and science fiction in all its forms.

Why the Animus?

Isn't that the thing from Assassin's Creed?

Yes… partially.

While Assassin's Creed is a franchise favoured by many of the founding members of the Animus, the origins of the name long predate the adventures of Ezio Auditore and Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.

In Latin, animus broadly refers to:

the mind, spirit, courage, will, consciousness, intention, passion, and the essence of self.

At its core, the word represents the freedom to think independently, act with purpose, and forge one's own path — values that became central to the identity of the chapter and its members.

The resemblance to Assassin's Creed themes and imagery is therefore not entirely accidental, but neither is it the sole inspiration behind the name. The Animus represents a blend of influences — Star Trek's optimism and exploration, and the idea that knowledge, curiosity, and understanding are often more powerful than brute force.

The Logo

The emblem of the USS Animus incorporates several visual motifs common to late-24th century Starfleet tactical insignia while maintaining iconography unique to the chapter's identity.

Dominating the crest is the silhouette of a Valiant-class tactical escort, representing the chapter's in-universe flagship and its Defiant-derived tactical heritage.

Beneath the vessel sits a stylised Starfleet Delta intentionally derived from the iconic insignia of the Assassin's Creed franchise — blending the sharp angular geometry of the Assassin symbol with the recognisable form of the Starfleet Delta, symbolising the merger of exploration, intelligence, and individuality that defines the Animus.

The internal colour fields reflect the traditional Starfleet departmental palette:

Command red
Sciences blue
Operations gold

Flanking grey panels represent the chapter's fictional intelligence and reconnaissance themes. The forward-oriented composition reflects the operational philosophy of the Animus: exploration beyond the frontier, observation before action, adaptability under pressure, and always finding a way home.

The Combadge

The chapter's combadge is intentionally designed to operate on multiple visual levels. To most observers it appears as a stylised Starfleet insignia, while longtime Star Trek fans recognise it as a modified Delta variant unique to the Animus. Those familiar with the Assassin's Creed franchise often notice a second layer entirely — the silhouette structure subtly evokes the shape of the iconic Assassin hood.

This layered recognition was entirely intentional. Much like the chapter itself, the badge blends multiple influences into a single identity that feels familiar at first glance, yet reveals more detail the longer one looks at it.

The effect is especially prominent in the chapter's TOS-era variant, where the simplified geometry allows the hood-inspired silhouette to become more visually apparent.