USS Defiant (NCC-1764)
The USS Defiant (NCC-1764) was one of at least three Federation starships to carry the name.
Built at Tranquility Base, Luna, the Defiant was a Constitution Class heavy cruiser that was in Starfleet service during the mid-23rd century. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly")
Final Mission and Loss[edit]
In 2268, the Defiant responded to a distress call in an unexplored sector, claimed by the Tholian Assembly. Shortly after entering the region, the Defiant crew began experiencing sensory distortion, and insanity quickly spread throughout the ship. The ship's medical surgeon was unable to determine what was happening, and eventually the insanity induced by the phenomenon led the crew to kill each other.
Three weeks later, Starfleet ordered the USS Enterprise to mount a search mission to locate the Defiant. On stardate 5693.2, the Enterprise located the Defiant, only to find it lost between universes in a space warp. The Enterprise's instruments recorded that space itself was literally breaking up, the result of a previously unknown phenomenon known as a spatial interphase. The Enterprise boarding party beamed aboard the Defiant and discovered signs of mutiny – the captain's neck was broken and his crew dead.
At that time the Defiant was visible in the "normal" universe at interphase, then, as a result of a later phaser exchange between the Enterprise and the Tholians, created a hole through the spatial interphase, which was pushing the Defiant to parts unknown, trapping Kirk between universes. Captain Kirk was eventually saved when the Enterprise, encased in a Tholian web, entered the interphase, and, upon utilizing full power, was thrown clear of the region while Kirk was locked in the transporter beam. (TOS: "The Tholian Web")
- The ship may have visited Exo III as a chart of it appeared on the wall in one of its science labs.
Mirror Universe[edit]
The Defiant emerged in the Mirror Universe during the 22nd century, where it was discovered that Tholians in that universe had created the Interphasic Rift by detonating a Tricobalt warhead within the gravity well of a dead star, and had sent the distress call which had lured the Defiant to the area. The Tholians, soon after, took the ship to a drydock built into an asteroid-moon in orbit around a gas giant in the Vintaak system and began a salvage operation, but were unable to finish because the ship was stolen by Commander Jonathan Archer of the ISS Enterprise. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly")
After Enterprise was destroyed in a Tholian web, Archer (now aboard the Defiant) made a desperate attempt to escape by restoring shields and weapons. After the station tractored the Defiant, Tucker was able to restore those systems. The Defiant began firing at the Tholian station and disabled it. At first, the Defiant could only reach speeds at impulse because a Gorn stole one of the key components from the engines (a Plasma Flow Regulator). The Gorn was killed by Archer, who was able to restore warp drive.
After arriving at the rendezvous point with the assault fleet, Archer found two Andorian battle cruisers, one Vulcan D'Kyr-type cruiser, and one Tellarite cruiser were disabling the ISS Avenger. The Defiant destroyed all rebel ships except one Andorian cruiser which Archer intentionally allowed to escape.
Soval and T'Pol tried to sabotage Defiant with Phlox's help, inspired by the discovery that in the United Federation of Planets of the other universe, Vulcans and Denobulans were equal to humans. When Phlox disabled main power, the Defiant was defenseless, and the Avenger, commandeered by Soval and other rebel species, began firing at her. Defiant received heavy damage until Tucker was able to restore main power. With power restored, Archer ordered the destruction of Avenger. The Defiant fired phasers and Photon Torpedoes and destroyed Avenger's warp regulator. The second barrage of photon torpedoes was targeted at their main reactor and the Avenger was destroyed with all hands.
After destroying Avenger, Defiant arrived at Earth, now under the command of the self-proclaimed "Empress Hoshi Sato", having poisoned Archer and taken command of the ship. She ordered Admiral Gardner to surrender and stand by for instructions, or she would open fire on Earth. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II")
