USS Excelsior (NCC-2000)

The **USS *Excelsior*** (**NX-2000**, later **NCC-2000**) was a Federation *Excelsior*-class explorer starship in service to Starfleet for many years from her commission in 2284. When newly commissioned, the *Excelsior* was the prototype for her class. She served as the test-bed for a failed transwarp drive in the 2280s decade, and protected the Khitomer conference which drafted the Khitomer Accords in 2293. Her most famous commander was Hikaru Sulu who commanded the *Excelsior* from 2290 to at least 2320. His Daughter Captain Demora Sulu and Captain Lawrence Styles

## Specifications

### Crew:

750 (standard), 130 (visiting), 9,800 (max. capacity)[

### Armaments:

10 dual-emitter Type-VIII phaser banks[2], 6 single emitter Type-VIII phaser banks,[2] 6 torpedo launchers

## HistoryEdit

### Trial runsEdit

Dubbed "The Great Experiment," the *Excelsior* was conceived during the early 2280s as the first Starfleet vessel equipped with transwarp drive. An awe-inspiring concept to some, traditional engineers were more skeptical, as in the case of Montgomery Scott, who expressed his doubt in transwarp technology with the analogy, "*and if my grandmother had wheels, she'd be a wagon.*" (*Star Trek III: The Search for Spock*)

Designed under radically new principles of propulsion, the *Excelsior* had the potential for becoming the fastest starship in the entire Federation, as at that time, the Starfleet record for faster-than-light travel was warp factor 14.1, set by the USS *Enterprise* in 2269. (TOS: "That Which Survives")

By 2285, the *Excelsior* was under the command of Captain Styles, and had taken a berth in Earth Spacedock as she was prepared for trial runs.

The *Excelsior* was days away from her first full field test of the transwarp drive, when she was unexpectedly called for duty. The crew of the USS *Enterprise*, attempting to rejoin Captain Spock's *katra* with his regenerated body, hijacked the *Enterprise* for an illegal journey to the Genesis Planet.

Captain Styles, confident in his new "incredible machine," was ordered to pursue as the *Enterprise* entered warp, fleeing the system. However, Captain Montgomery Scott, assigned as captain of engineering aboard the *Excelsior*, had sabotaged the ship's transwarp computer, leaving the *Excelsior* dead in space. Proud of his accomplishment, Scott explained that "*the more they over-think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.*" (*Star Trek III: The Search for Spock*)

Following this embarrassing failure, the *Excelsior* essentially spent the next two years in spacedock. In 2286 she was briefly ordered to be launched during an apparent attack by an alien probe, but the *Excelsior*, as well as the spacedock, lost all internal power and was left stranded in her bay. (*Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home*)

After the *Enterprise* was destroyed at the Genesis Planet, Hikaru Sulu believed he and his *Enterprise* shipmates would be assigned to the *Excelsior* before learning their next assignment was the USS *Enterprise*-A. At the time, Montgomery Scott believed the *Excelsior* to be nothing more than a "bucket of bolts." (*Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home*)

The *Excelsior* remained in spacedock until at least 2287, before subsequently being recommissioned for active service by the end of the decade. (*Star Trek V: The Final Frontier*; *Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country*)

Prior to her recommissioning, the *Excelsior* was refitted with a new bridge module, which also included a significant modification to the aft portion of the saucer section, surrounding the impulse drive, and a modification to the cargo bay on the aft ventral portion of the ship. (*Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country*)

## Three-year mission

By 2290, the *Excelsior* was under the command of now-Captain Hikaru Sulu. His first assignment was a three-year mission, cataloging gaseous planetary anomalies in the Beta Quadrant. (*Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country*)

In 2293, as the *Excelsior* was returning to Federation space following the successful conclusion of her mission, she was struck by a powerful subspace shock wave caused by the destruction of the Klingon moon, Praxis. Upon discovering the cause of the disaster, Sulu immediately contacted the Klingon High Command to offer his ship's assistance. The Klingons, however, turned the offer down, requesting that Sulu obey treaty stipulations and remain outside the Neutral Zone. Thereafter, Sulu reported the incident to Starfleet Command. (*Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country*)

Following the arrest of James T. Kirk and Leonard McCoy on charges of assassinating Klingon chancellor Gorkon, Captain Sulu ordered an aborted raid into Klingon territory from Sector 21185 on an ill-advised rescue attempt. (*Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country*; VOY: "Flashback")

Sulu, who attempted to sneak the *Excelsior* into Klingon territory by traversing the Azure Nebula at maximum warp, was discovered by a Klingon battle cruiser commanded by Kang. While Sulu explained that the *Excelsior* was on a survey mission, studying the nebula, and had gotten lost due to a malfunction in the navigation system, Kang offered to escort the *Excelsior* back to Federation space. As the *Excelsior* emerged, she fired a modulated positron beam that triggered a thermochemical reaction, and successfully disabled Kang's ship.

The *Excelsior* then made a break for Qo'noS, but was almost immediately intercepted by three Klingon battle cruisers. The *Excelsior* and Klingon ships continued to exchange fire until the *Excelsior* was forced to retreat back to Federation space. (VOY: "Flashback")

he *Excelsior* was viewed as a potential participant in Operation Retrieve and would have worked alongside the USS *Eagle* and the USS *Potemkin*. According to the plans, the *Excelsior* would have provided protection along the *Potemkin*'s starboard flank as the latter ship retrieved the two Starfleet officers. (*Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country*)

Shortly thereafter, the *Excelsior* joined the *Enterprise*-A at Khitomer where the two ships battled Chang's Bird-of-Prey. Due to the ship's cloaking technology, the two Federation starships were at a disadvantage until a modified torpedo from the *Enterprise*-A took out the bridge. The *Excelsior* and the *Enterprise*-A were then able to destroy the Bird-of-Prey with a combined attack. The *Excelsior's* crew aided the *Enterprise*-A crew in preventing the assassination of the Federation President at the Khitomer Conference. (*Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country*; VOY: "Flashback")

In 2294, eleven of her crew, including Captain Sulu, were kidnapped by Beta Prometheans. (*TOS* novel: *The Fearful Summons*)

In 2310, the *Excelsior*, Still under the command of Captain Sulu picked up a distress signal from a Starfleet Vessel

## Command crew

### Commanding officer

* Captain Lawrence Styles (2285-2287)
* Captain Hikaru Sulu (2287-2310)
* Captain Crajjik (circa 2310-2319)
* Captain Demora Sulu(2320-2333)\*

### First officer

* Commander Miguel Darby (aka Henreid, 2284 - 2287)
* Commander Meredith Cutler (2287-2290)
* Commander Janice Rand ( 2290-2293)
* Commander Pavel Chekov (2293-2300)
* Commander Saavik (2300-2310)
* Commander Anik (2310-2319)
* Commander Sencus (2320-2325)
* Commander Rem Aikyn(2325-2333)

### Science officer

* Lieutenant Saavik (2287-2290)
* Lieutenant Commander Dmitri Valtane (2290-2298)
* Commander Sencus (2298-2305)
* Commander Jenette Voight (2305-2010)\*

### Communications officer

* Lieutenant Commander Janice Rand (2287-2293)
* Lieutenant Junior Grade Christian Hawkins(2292-2293)
* Lieutenant Russel Roose (2293-2300)
* Lieutenant Commander Christian Hawkins(2300-2304)

### Chief engineer

* Captain Montgomery Scott(2285)
* Lieutenant Commander Martin Lukas (2287-2290)
* Lieutenant Commander Lahra (2290-2301)
* Lieutenant Commander Tim Henry (2301-2310)\*
* Commander Norquist Svenson (2310-2328)

### Chief medical officer

* Doctor Judith Klass (2289-2294)
* Doctor Christine Chapel(2394-2310)\*
* Doctor Bernard Hans (2310-2321)

### Security chief

* Lieutenant Commander Meredith Cutler (2287-2289)
* Commander Peter Gavin (2289-2305)
* Lieutenant Commander Leonard James Akaar (2305-2310)

### Helm

* Lieutenant Heather Keith, helmsman (2284-2289)
* Ensign Violet Bays (2290-2294)
* Lojur, helmsman (2294-2300)
* Shandra Docksey(2300-2305)
* Lieutenant Commander Frank Horback(2305-2310\*

### Transporter chief

* Chief Petty Officer Darnell Renyck (2289)