USS Lionheart

Mark II Yamaguchi-class configuration

The **USS *Lionheart* (NCC-26770)** was an *Ambassador*-class, later *Yamaguchi*-class, scale 5 heavy cruiser commissioned by Starfleet in the early 24th century. Several unit citations were awarded to the vessel while it lead the *Lionheart* Cruiser Group and during the Dominion War as part of the Seventh Fleet and Galaxy Wing 94.

## Service history

### Early years

Construction began on the *Lionheart* in October 2321 at Slip 1988 of the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. Captain L'Rahn Rayeyo, a seasoned Caitian officer, was given command and arrived to oversee the final stages of construction in September 2323. The vessel launched five months later and performed a shakedown cruise in the Delta Volanis Cluster. Upon its return, the *Lionheart* was formally commissioned commissioned on stardate 1968.23 (20 December 2324). It maiden voyage involved a supply run to the Rhymus Major colony and a detailed survey of the 15 Sagittae system.

The cruiser was assigned to the Seventh Fleet and spent the next few years on survey and patrol missions. A unit citation, the *Lionheart's* first, was awarded for the crew’s efforts in containing and curing a plague on Nusakan in 2327.

### *Yamaguchi* refit

To extend the service length of the *Ambassador*-class and remedy a number of its issues, Starfleet began a refit program in 2329. In late 2331, the *Lionheart* was selected for refit to *Yamaguchi*-class and entered drydock at Utopia Planitia early the next year. The changes included a new computer system that made use of new isolinear circuitry and improved warp engines. Structural changes were also made to the secondary hull with the extension of Shuttlebay 2, the addition of a third shuttlebay, and an adjustment to the connection between the hulls.

Due to lessons learned when refitting the USS *Zhukov*, the time the *Lionheart* spent in the yards was halved. Eight months after beginning its refit, the cruiser was relaunched as a *Yamaguichi*-class. Returning to the Seventh Fleet, the Lionheart was sent on various exploration and patrol missions on the fringes of Federation space in the Alpha Quadrant.

### Cardassian War

During the Battle of Chin'toka in late 2359, the *Lionheart* Cruiser Group was responsible for engaging Cardassian units defending the shipyards in orbit of Chin'toka II. Though both the USS *Garl* and USS *Shran* were lost, the *Lionheart* and its escorts caused over seventy percent casualties to the Cardassian forces.

### Second Tzenkethi War

Stationed out of Starbase 621, the *Lionheart* was pushed to the front lines when localized conflicts erupted across the Federation's border with the Tzenkethi Coalition in the early 2360s. The starship received its third unit citation when it led its cruiser group in routing Coalition forces from the Eta Ursae Majoris system. The Tzenkethi had been using two of the moons of the system’s fifth planet as staging grounds for raids on Federation assets.

### Dominion War

As tensions rose between the Dominion and Beta Quadrant powers, Starfleet expedited its Fleet Modernization Program. The *Lionheart*, already scheduled for a retrofit, was chosen as the pilot vessel for an ambitious *Ambassador*-class Mark III update. The vessel entered Utopia Planitia in early 2372 and spent seven and a half months being overhauled.

The warp engines were replaced with new eco-linear units that would not cause damage to subspace. Regenerative, multi-spectrum shields were installed. The *Lionheart’s* phaser coils were replaced with more powerful and efficient units. The starship’s computer systems were replaced with the latest generation of isolinear chips and bio-neural gel packs were installed, greatly expanding the starship’s capabilities. The exterior hull was also bolstered with ablative duranium-tritanium plating.

By the time the *Lionheart* left the yard, open war had already begun with the Dominion. Other *Ambassador* and *Yamaguchi* starships were kept in service over upgrading to Mark III standards. The *Lionheart* would be the only vessel so retrofit until after the war. Upon reentering service, the vessel was assigned to Starfleet's Seventh Fleet.

Alongside much of the Seventh Fleet, the cruiser participated in the disastrous Battle of Tyra and was one of only fourteen Starfleet vessels to survive the engagement. The *Lionheart* earned a unit citation for its actions in the battle, where it coordinated with the *Galaxy*-class USS *Dauntless* in defending and evacuating two crippled *Akira*-class cruisers.

The losses at Tyra prompted Starfleet Command to rethink its combat strategies. Fleet structures were adjusted and wing units were built around *Galaxy*-class cruisers. The *Lionheart* and its reorganized cruiser group were assigned to Galaxy Wing 94 under the *Dauntless*. The Lionheart went on to participate in Operation Return, the Battle of Goralis, and the Battle of Cardassia, the final engagement of the war. A unit citation, the vessel’s fourth, was awarded for coming to the aid of the USS *Repulse* when it was cut off from the main Starfleet formation.

### Final years

When the war ended and the Treaty of Bajor was signed, the *Lionheart* put into the Antares Ship Yards for repairs. After three months in a slip, the cruiser reentered service and was placed on border patrols near Tzenkethi and Cardassian space.

In March 2378, the cruiser responded to a distress call from freighters under attack by Tzenkethi raiders. While the civilians were able to flee, the *Lionheart* received significant damage shielding their escape. The vessel limped back to Starbase 621 and it was decided to finally decommission the vessel. At this time, Captain Wittbeck also decided to retire.

The *Lionheart* name was not long dormant as it was assigned two years later to the one of the new *Guardian*-class heavy cruisers, which also carried over it registry in honor of the *Ambassador*-class cruiser's accomplishments.

## Crew

### Senior staff

The following served as senior staff aboard the *Lionheart*.

## Appendices

### Connections

**Leadership:** Commander-in-chief • Joint Chiefs • Chief of Starfleet External Affairs • Chief of Starfleet Operations • Chief of Starfleet Research and Exploration • Chief of Starfleet Tactical

**Agencies:** Operations (Engineering • Judicial • Materiel Supply • Mission Operations • Personnel Management • Records Service • Shipyards Operations • Starbase Operations) • Research & Exploration (Science • Medical) • External Affairs • Tactical (Intelligence • Security • MACO)

**Notable units:** Ktarn Fleet • Task Force 77

**Facilities:** Deep Space K-7 • Deep Space K-13 • Deep Space 9 • Masamichi Array • Starbase 45-Keepsake • Starbase 82-Maat • Starbase 234-Beskerm • Starbase 247-Vershina

**Agencies:** Starfleet • Diplomatic Corps • Department of Temporal Investigations • Federation Security Agency

**Facilities:** 40 Eridani A Starfleet Construction Yards • Antares Ship Yards • Beta Antares Ship Yards • Copernicus Ship Yards • Laikan Starfleet Shipyards • McKinley Station • Memory Project • New Aberdeen Shipyards • Proxima Maintenance Yards • Salazaar Shipyards • San Francisco Fleet Yards • TL-9139 Starfleet Maintenance Yards • Tranquility Base • Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards

### Sources consulted

* USS Lionheart (24th century) article at *Memory Beta*.