USS Wasp

"I could not tread these perilous paths in safety, if I did not keep a saving sense of humor."

- Horatio Nelson

USS Wasp (NCC-74209) is a Defiant-class Federation starship currently assigned to the Fourth Fleet's Task Force 47. She is currently under the command of Lieutenant Commander Song So-mi.

Construction and Commissioning

In the early 2370s, Starfleet was in something of a crisis. The Dominion had stepped onto the galactic stage with an explosive entrance, tensions with the Cardassians (and, for a while, the Klingons) were on the rise, and the Federation was wary of a return of the Borg. However, in early 2371, the crew of Deep Space 9 fixed most of the flaws with the prototype USS Defiant, and the vessel performed well enough that Starfleet rapidly ordered the design into production with their modifications.

Hull number 74209 was constructed by 40 Eridani A Fleet Yards as, sequentially, the first of a batch of six. However, the small size of the vessels meant all six were worked on simultaneously. She was christened as USS Wasp shortly after being laid down in late 2371, launched in September 2372, and commissioned on April 18th, 2373, as the third of the six ships to enter service. She was constructed alongside sister ships Valiant (NCC-74210), Bennington (NCC-74211), Kumari (NCC-74212), Hotspur (NCC-74213), and Escapade (NCC-74214). Together, these six ships were to form Escort Wing 3.

Dominion War

None of the six ships were finished their shakedown cruises, and some still fitting out, when the Battle of Sector 001 was fought. Shortly after, Valiant was pulled out of the wing to serve as a training ship, and her spot was filled by a ship from another yard, Parramatta (NCC-74238). The start of the Dominion War through Starfleet's organization into temporary disarray, and thus only Wasp and Bennington participated in the Battle of Torros III, an early victory. However, this also came with their first loss- though not intended to operate with the Seventh Fleet, Escapade was drawn into the Battle of Tyra and lost.

By early 2374, the five ships were consolidated and Escapade replaced with Maverick (NCC-74286). Kumari was lost during a raid on a Dominion comms buoy, severely damaged by Jem'Hadar fighters; her crew was taken off by Wasp and then the hulk was scuttled. By the time of Operation Return, she was replaced by Zeus (NCC-74302). The mission to retake Deep Space Nine caused heavy casualties but was ultimately a success- however, Parramatta and Hotspur were lost and Maverick forced to head home for repairs.

Wasp, Bennington, and Zeus soldiered on, participating in the First Battle of Chin'toka without loss. However, a stroke of luck masquerading as misfortune struck Wasp shortly after. She was part of an ad-hoc unit scraped up to chase down the Romulan-hijacked USS Prometheus, and was accidentally hit by friendly fire from the experimental escort during the engagement. While the torpedo failed to get through both the shields and the ablative armor entirely, the concussive force crushed Wasp's underside, buckling the hull inwards, destroying her shuttle in its bay, and causing four casualties. While Wasp was under repairs, the Second Battle of Chin'toka was fought, destroying not only the original Defiant but also Bennington and Zeus. With Valiant also having been lost in 2374, this left Wasp as the sole survivor of the original Escort Wing 3, which was dissolved.

Notable Crew

Commanding Officers

• 2402- Present : Lieutenant Commander Song So-mi