USS Yosemite (NCC-19002)

The USS *Yosemite* (NCC-19002) is an *Oberth*-class Federation starship in service during the late 24th and early 25th Centuries.

## History

### Construction

Construction of the *Yosemite* took place in 2335 at the Salazaar Shipyards, in the Karnor System. The ship completed its initial shakedown cruise to the Alpha Tranguli system later that year, where it was then assigned to operations based at Starbase 18 under the command of Captain Judit Indul.

### Starbase 18 Operations

The *Yosemite* primarily engaged in scientific missions, with occasional tactical survey missions of the nearby Romulan Neutral Zone. The ship's most important accolade of this period was that in 2336 it was the first starship to penetrate and chart the area known as The Badlands, a region of space along the Federation-Cardassian border known for its intense plasma storms and gravitic anomalies.

Command of the ship was transferred to Captain C'urin upon Captain Indul's promotion to the Admiralty in 2344.

### Federation-Cardassian War

With the outbreak of the Federation-Cardassian War in 2355, the *Yosemite* was assigned to act as a minesweeper and scan for Cardassian incursions into the Badlands. Fortunately for a lightly-armed science vessel, the ship saw no enemy engagement during this time. At the close of the war in 2356, the vessel resumed its mission to chart the interior of The Badlands.

### The Borg

The captaincy of the *Yosemite* passed to Captain Patricia Blackswan in 2363.

In 2366, the *Yosemite* was dispatched to conduct further investigation into the destruction of Science Outpost D5, which was obliterated by unknown forces in 2364. While there, Chief Engineer Lt. Elizabeth Shelby was able to positively identify the attackers as Borg, the first evidence of their incursion into the Alpha Quadrant. The destruction of the New Providence Colony and the Battle of Wolf 359 would follow within 6 months. At the time of the battle, the ship was on patrol of the Romulan Neutral Zone, and was not able to respond to the call to gather in time, sparing the crew.

### The Igo Incident

In 2369, a crew of four members of the Starbase 18 scientific research staff were given use of the *Yosemite* by Starfleet Command for the purpose of studying a plasma streamer connecting a pair of binary stars in the Igo Sector. The ship was placed under the command of Lt. Joshua Kelly. who also served as the vessel's chief engineer after the departure of Elizabeth Shelby in 2367.

The science staff beamed a sample of plasma from an interior section of the streamer into a container on the vessel. When a resonance frequency scan was conducted the plasma exploded, burning Lt. Kelly and infecting the crew with an unknown quasi-energy microbe living within the plasma itself. Symptoms of the infection presented as ionization of the body's tissues, causing pain, discomfort, and a bioluminescent glow.

Despite his injuries, Lt. Kelly attempted to utilize the biofilters within the ship's transporter system to clear the microbes from the science staff. However, as the microbes exist as both energy and matter within the transporter's matter stream, the biofilter was unsuccessful in recognizing and removing the microbes. Unfortunately, Lt. Kelly succumbed to his own infection and died during the attempt, leaving the rest of the crew inside the transporter buffer.

After being out of contact for several days, Starfleet dispatched the USS *Enterprise-D* to investigate. Through the efforts of Lt. Reginald Barclay, Chief Miles O'Brien, and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, a method to successfully filter the microbes and return them to the plasma stream was discovered. The remaining crew were rescued from the buffer, and transporter systems on both the *Yosemite* and *Enterprise* were purged. A command crew from *Enterprise* returned the *Yosemite* to Starbase 18 to drop off the science staff, and then to McKinley Station for examination and study of the ship's system after the microbial incident and refit.

### Facing the Maquis

After a refit of the now 35-year-old vessel was completed in late 2370, command was given to Captain Jonathan Swift with orders to resume study of The Badlands as well as provide tactical monitoring of the newly established Cardassian Demilitarized Zone. The vessel made port of call at Deep Space 9 before proceeding to their destination.

As Maquis resistance to Cardassian occupation of formerly Federation colony worlds increased over the next few years, *Yosemite*'s mission profile was altered to providing support at Federation checkpoints along the border of the Zone. During this time, the ship was part of a fast response group consisting of the USS *Challenger*, USS *Mjolnir*, and USS *Sentry*. The ship saw no major engagements during this period, outside of a few skirmishes with Maquis raiders attempting to run the border.

### Activities During the Dominion War

With the beginning of the Klingon-Cardassian War in 2372, the vessel was pulled from the Cardassian Demilitarized Zone and ordered back to Starbase 18. There, it conducted long range scans of Romulan movements along the Neutral Zone to ensure no Romulan encroachment on Federation territory occurred while Starfleet's attention was focused on the Klingons and Cardassians.

1. ↑ STAR TREK: THE BADLANDS-BOOK I by Susan Wright
2. ↑ STAR TREK: NEW FRONTIERS-NO LIMITS, "All That Glisters" by Loren L Coleman
3. ↑ Star Trek: The Next Generation, REALM OF FEAR
4. ↑ Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, WHISPERS (Background graphic)