USS Saturn (NCC-71801)

(Redirected from USS Saturn)

The USS Saturn, in its current incarnation, is a Galaxy class vessel registry number NCC-71801. Originally the USS Northampton, the ship was built for use as a heavy cruiser during the Dominion war. At the time, only key parts of the ship were completed leaving the superstructure approximately 80% empty.

When the war ended, she was deemed to be intact enough to be repaired and fully fitted out. As the refit was to be almost a complete rebuild, the latest technologies were incorporated into the plans endowing the completed vessel with enhanced capabilities compared with the original Galaxy design specifications.

Her current base mission is one of diplomacy. Due to her home port, Starbase Far Reach Station, being situated along the borders of the Klingon, Breen and Tholian empires, the USS Saturn is a key part of the Federation's presence in the area.

[edit] History

The current USS Saturn is the fourth ship in Starfleet to bear that name. The first USS Saturn was an Ambassador class starship bearing the somewhat odd registry number NCC-2822. It was destroyed by pirates shortly after the Dominion war. Due to the ship's eighteen years of service, a Dreadnaught class vessel commissioned at the time was given the registry number NCC-2822-A and christened Saturn, and subsequently given to Commander Brandon Farrell, who had served as executive officer on the first USS Saturn.

This new Saturn remained in service for only six years before its untimely destruction. Her last commanding officer, Darus Tolian, was then given a Prometheus class vessel, which inherited the Saturn name and was assigned the registry number NCC-2822-B. Her duration of service was even shorter - in early 2385, under the command of Commodore Parx Tong, the ship encountered a rare space phenomenon, a gaseous cloud with strong energy absorbing traits, wrecking the ship as it hit the until then undetected anomaly during high warp flight. Most of the crew made it out alive, but the USS Saturn (NCC-2822-B) did not.