USS Defiant (NCC-1764)

:"For the article on 's Defiants, see USS Defiant"

Infobox Fictional Spacecraft
name = USS "Defiant"


caption = The USS "Defiant" (NCC-1764)
first = "The Tholian Web"
last = "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part 2"
status =
affiliation = United Federation of Planets Terran Empire
launched =
decommissioned =
class = "Constitution"-class starship
registry = NCC-1764
maxspeed =
fighters =
auxcraft =
armaments = Photon torpedoes
Phaser emitters
defense = Deflector shields
propulsion = Impulse engines
Warp drive
power = Warp reactor
length =
width =
height =
primeref =

In the Star Trek universe, the USS "Defiant" (NCC-1764) is one of the original twelve Federation "Constitution"-class starships. The "Defiant" is seen in the episode "The Tholian Web" and in the "" episode "In a Mirror, Darkly". The registry is not seen in the original series episode, but is prominently seen in the "Enterprise" episode, having had this registry in the "Star Trek Encyclopedia".

Mainstream universe

In the episode "The Tholian Web", set in 2268, Starfleet loses contact with the "USS Defiant". The "Enterprise" (NCC-1701) finds her on the border of Tholian space, drifting in and out of sensor contact. Captain Kirk and a boarding party find the crewmembers of the Defiant dead, and later determine that they killed each other in a fit of insanity.

As their stay aboard the derelict lengthens, the crew of the "Enterprise" find that the "Defiant" is fading in and out of reality. The "Enterprise" transporters become unreliable, and Kirk volunteers to remain behind while the rest of his crew beam back. "Defiant" then disappears, taking Kirk with her. A Tholian ship then appears, and the Tholian Commander, Loskene, accuses the "Enterprise" of violating Tholian space. The Tholians soon begin building an energy web around the "Enterprise".

Meanwhile, Science Officer Spock finds that the entire area is littered with areas of interphase between universes. Doctor McCoy discovers that the interphase causes a biochemical imbalance, which drove "Defiant"'s crew insane. He is able to synthesize medication to counteract the effects of the interphase.

The "Enterprise" crew is able to use the interphase to recover Captain Kirk and escape the Tholian trap. "Defiant" is presumed destroyed while in interphase.

The Mirror Universe

In the "" episode "In a Mirror, Darkly" the actual fate of the "Defiant" is revealed. The Tholians of the mirror universe detonate a tri-cobalt device inside a dead star's gravity well. This causes a tear, or interphase, to appear between the regular and mirror universe. Unwilling to send their own vessels through, they send a distress call in the hopes of baiting a ship from the 'normal' "Trek" universe into crossing over to the mirror universe. The Tholians hope to then capture the ship and use it for an invasion.

The Tholians' gamble pays off when the "Defiant" becomes caught in the interphase. Eventually the ship slips through interphase, and is not only transported to the mirror universe, but moved 113 years into the past to 2155 as well. The mirror universe's Jonathan Archer learns of the "Defiant" and is able to force Captain Maximilian Forrest to take the "I.S.S. Enterprise" (NX-01) on a mission to investigate.

Upon arrival at the dock holding the "Defiant", Forrest orders Archer to board the ship, download any information available, and destroy the ship. While the "Enterprise" boarding party is on the "Defiant", the "Enterprise" is attacked by the Tholians and destroyed. Most of the "Enterprise" crew is able to leave via escape pods. Archer and his boarding party reactivate the "Defiant", which is then able to escape from the dock and recover the escape pods.

Archer then takes the ship back to Earth with the intent of overthrowing the current Emperor. Shortly before arrival, Archer is poisoned by the mirror universe counterpart of Hoshi Sato, who uses the advanced technology found on the "Defiant" to have herself installed as Empress Sato.

Remastered Series

The "Defiant" was featured with its registry number, as well as with new camera angles, in the remastered edition of "The Tholian Web."

Non-canon appearances

Novels

In the Lost Era book "The Sundered" the USS "Excelsior" briefly sees "Defiant" while involved in a dangerous situation in Tholian space in 2298. "Excelsior" is unable to attempt a rescue and "Defiant" quickly vanishes.

The story of the "Defiant" is continued in the SCE (Starfleet Corp of Engineers) E-Books 'Interphase, Books One and Two. In 2376, the "Defiant" reappears in Tholian space. Starfleet dispatches USS "da Vinci" to retrieve her. A crew beams aboard with a supply of Theragen to make them immune to the effects of Interphase. The crew learns that the "Defiant" has discovered the Tholians attacked a Klingon colony and was attacked by them to prevent this information from reaching the Klingons. Because the information could prove damaging even 100 years later, the Tholians attack the "da Vinci" and the "Defiant", forcing the latter into interphase with several members of the "da Vinci"'s crew on board. The "Defiant" is later successfully recovered.

The "Defiant" appears in the Mirror Universe book "Glass Empires," specifically the short story "Age of the Empress." The story continues where "In a Mirror, Darkly" left off. In addition, the name of one of its shuttlecrafts is revealed: the "McCool", named in honor of "Space Shuttle Columbia" astronaut Willie McCool.

DC comics

In the "Lost Era" DC Comics story line, Kirk and USS "Enterprise"-A are sent to retrieve the USS "Defiant" from interphase. It is revealed that "Defiant" has an experimental phasing cloak that caused her to slip into interphase. A further development of the cloak allows "Enterprise" to slip between universes and reach the pocket universe holding "Defiant". "Defiant" is successfully tractored out.