Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9 ?
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Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
I honestly don't know why TPTB didn't station such an old ship to DS9 in the first place (at least for Dax to command while Sisko remains on the station). No Starfleet station that big should be supported by merely "runabouts," especially when there are plenty of functions to be performed (anti-smuggling ship inspections before arrival, transport, and of course defense). Also, since Excelsior-class ships were in great numbers throughout the Federation (second only to the Miranda-class ships), there could've been one of those, as well.
The third season would've seen the Defiant replace the Miranda ship, but the latter could still act in a transport and/or especially exploratory capacity.
In any event, with the scrap against the Klingons later on, there should've been a bigger ship in there to replace the Defiant as the lead ship (hello, Akira or souped-up Akira - it's not as if that ship had to be initially limited to the movies, too
). Then, more realistic scripts would've had Sisko, Worf, and a third officer (alternating between Kira and Dax) in command of separate ships.
If the Excelsior ship were around from the get-go, it would and should have met its demise at the hands of the Klingons, being replaced by the Akira ship.
[Of course, the travesty of a design known as the "Akiraprise" wouldn't have seen the light of day, but I'm sure TPTB by then would've coughed up something more plausible.]
I honestly don't know why TPTB didn't station such an old ship to DS9 in the first place (at least for Dax to command while Sisko remains on the station). No Starfleet station that big should be supported by merely "runabouts," especially when there are plenty of functions to be performed (anti-smuggling ship inspections before arrival, transport, and of course defense). Also, since Excelsior-class ships were in great numbers throughout the Federation (second only to the Miranda-class ships), there could've been one of those, as well.
The third season would've seen the Defiant replace the Miranda ship, but the latter could still act in a transport and/or especially exploratory capacity.
In any event, with the scrap against the Klingons later on, there should've been a bigger ship in there to replace the Defiant as the lead ship (hello, Akira or souped-up Akira - it's not as if that ship had to be initially limited to the movies, too
). Then, more realistic scripts would've had Sisko, Worf, and a third officer (alternating between Kira and Dax) in command of separate ships.If the Excelsior ship were around from the get-go, it would and should have met its demise at the hands of the Klingons, being replaced by the Akira ship.
[Of course, the travesty of a design known as the "Akiraprise" wouldn't have seen the light of day, but I'm sure TPTB by then would've coughed up something more plausible.]
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
I like the idea of an Akira-class ship being assigned to DS9. In fact, that would have been awesome to see that ship AND the Defiant stationed there. It's a ship I always thought should have received more airtime than it did. IIRC, an Akira-class ship is assigned to DS9 in the novels. The Defiant is still stationed there as well.
The Miranda wouldn't need to remain docked at a pylon at all times. It could orbit the station and only dock when necessary.
I like the idea of an Akira-class ship being assigned to DS9. In fact, that would have been awesome to see that ship AND the Defiant stationed there. It's a ship I always thought should have received more airtime than it did. IIRC, an Akira-class ship is assigned to DS9 in the novels. The Defiant is still stationed there as well.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
They didn't give DS9 more than runabouts for storytelling and production reasons. Having a Miranda around would require a new set or reuse of an old one, and make storytelling more complex at that time (remember the old station under seige episodes).
In hindsight, absolutely it makes sense for Starfleet to have given DS9 more than runabouts. Although it does create more of a frontier sensibility to it.
Fortunately they rectified that with the Defiant.
They didn't give DS9 more than runabouts for storytelling and production reasons. Having a Miranda around would require a new set or reuse of an old one, and make storytelling more complex at that time (remember the old station under seige episodes).
In hindsight, absolutely it makes sense for Starfleet to have given DS9 more than runabouts. Although it does create more of a frontier sensibility to it.
Fortunately they rectified that with the Defiant.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
Starfleet would have left interdiction and patrol to Bajor's own fleet. A Federation starship stationed at Bajor immediately after Starfleet took over the Cardassian base that oversaw the Occupation would have been a terrible move. Many Bajorans didn't trust the Federation's motives. Also, remember that Starfleet was probably still short-handed after the massacre of Wolf 359. That's why Picard could barely scrounge up a competant fleet a year earlier in "Redemption, Part II".
As for replacing the Defiant with an Akira... heck no! Small, powerful ships were the best answer against the Jem'Hadar attack ships. Big ships were, as we plainly saw, easy targets for suicide attacks.
Starfleet would have left interdiction and patrol to Bajor's own fleet. A Federation starship stationed at Bajor immediately after Starfleet took over the Cardassian base that oversaw the Occupation would have been a terrible move. Many Bajorans didn't trust the Federation's motives. Also, remember that Starfleet was probably still short-handed after the massacre of Wolf 359. That's why Picard could barely scrounge up a competant fleet a year earlier in "Redemption, Part II".
As for replacing the Defiant with an Akira... heck no! Small, powerful ships were the best answer against the Jem'Hadar attack ships. Big ships were, as we plainly saw, easy targets for suicide attacks.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
^Only once the Federation retook the station during the war. The defending ships stationed at DS9 prior to the war were the Defiant and the Rotarran.
^Only once the Federation retook the station during the war. The defending ships stationed at DS9 prior to the war were the Defiant and the Rotarran.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
It always seemed rediculous that DS9 didnt have a fleet nearby once the Dominion threat surfaced, yes they assigned the Defiant and spent a year seriosuly upgrading the weapons but they were almost beat at the time of The Way of the Warior by the Klingons and then had to abandon the station a couple years later.
Then they finally saw sence (or more likely paid for new stock shots) and assigned some ships permanently to the station.
I for one would have liked to of seen a Miranda there from the start or an Akira later on (loved that ship_
It always seemed rediculous that DS9 didnt have a fleet nearby once the Dominion threat surfaced, yes they assigned the Defiant and spent a year seriosuly upgrading the weapons but they were almost beat at the time of The Way of the Warior by the Klingons and then had to abandon the station a couple years later.
Then they finally saw sence (or more likely paid for new stock shots) and assigned some ships permanently to the station.
I for one would have liked to of seen a Miranda there from the start or an Akira later on (loved that ship_
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
Would it be such a splendid idea to place your fleet at the very front lines, where reaction time is zero? Sure, it's nice to be able to immediately act on a sudden threat - but if you aren't capable of immediate action (and no starship, let alone ship formation, has been shown to be), you are caught by that threat with your pants down.
OTOH, if the fleet is stationed some distance off (say, Starbase 375), it will be able to organize a response. It's not as if DS9 itself would have been all that critical to anything. It was just sitting there on the wormhole mouth anyway, not blockading it or anything. If the enemy overran it and blew it up, so be it. The enemy would then succumb to the Starfleet retribution. And if the enemy tried to take over the station, there's always the self-destruct switch...
...It was pretty idiotic of Sisko/Kira not to blow up the station at the end of the minelaying in "Call to Arms". It's not as if the Federation or even Bajor had any further use for it.
As for assigning a Miranda to the station prewar, that would have called for significant manpower - probably as many people as were required to run the station itself! Moreover, most of the abilities of the ship would have been wasted in insystem duties. And if the ship were to operate outside the Bajoran system, why not have her fly from Starbase 375 instead? That Starfleet installation had proper repair facilities and whatnot, while DS9 was an old orbital refinery transformed into a bazaar. DS9 probably couldn't have supported anything bigger than the Defiant, and may indeed have been stretched to its limits taking care of her. (A fat lot of good she did to the station in the end - in battle, the station was always protecting her rather than vice versa!)
Timo Saloniemi
Would it be such a splendid idea to place your fleet at the very front lines, where reaction time is zero? Sure, it's nice to be able to immediately act on a sudden threat - but if you aren't capable of immediate action (and no starship, let alone ship formation, has been shown to be), you are caught by that threat with your pants down.
OTOH, if the fleet is stationed some distance off (say, Starbase 375), it will be able to organize a response. It's not as if DS9 itself would have been all that critical to anything. It was just sitting there on the wormhole mouth anyway, not blockading it or anything. If the enemy overran it and blew it up, so be it. The enemy would then succumb to the Starfleet retribution. And if the enemy tried to take over the station, there's always the self-destruct switch...
...It was pretty idiotic of Sisko/Kira not to blow up the station at the end of the minelaying in "Call to Arms". It's not as if the Federation or even Bajor had any further use for it.
As for assigning a Miranda to the station prewar, that would have called for significant manpower - probably as many people as were required to run the station itself! Moreover, most of the abilities of the ship would have been wasted in insystem duties. And if the ship were to operate outside the Bajoran system, why not have her fly from Starbase 375 instead? That Starfleet installation had proper repair facilities and whatnot, while DS9 was an old orbital refinery transformed into a bazaar. DS9 probably couldn't have supported anything bigger than the Defiant, and may indeed have been stretched to its limits taking care of her. (A fat lot of good she did to the station in the end - in battle, the station was always protecting her rather than vice versa!)
Timo Saloniemi
hellsgate
Commodore
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
I'd station a few Intrepid-Class vessels or something of comparable staff numbers & armaments. Never a Miranda. Too old, too big, too slow & took too many staff to run it. Maybe a pair of Norway-Class, holding position a few hundred thousand kilometers away at Yellow Alert.
I'd station a few Intrepid-Class vessels or something of comparable staff numbers & armaments. Never a Miranda. Too old, too big, too slow & took too many staff to run it. Maybe a pair of Norway-Class, holding position a few hundred thousand kilometers away at Yellow Alert.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
Don't forget the Enterprise-D before her destruction in 2371, was stationed near Cardassian space for awhile and had made a few visits to DS9. I mean you had at least one Galaxy class starship and also the Odyssey was assigned near there too, it seemed like. So DS9 did have at least 2 Galaxy's for support.
But yeah, thats an great idea about having a ship before the Defiant assigned there. Too bad Vanguard wasn't a book yet then but oh well.
Don't forget the Enterprise-D before her destruction in 2371, was stationed near Cardassian space for awhile and had made a few visits to DS9. I mean you had at least one Galaxy class starship and also the Odyssey was assigned near there too, it seemed like. So DS9 did have at least 2 Galaxy's for support.
But yeah, thats an great idea about having a ship before the Defiant assigned there. Too bad Vanguard wasn't a book yet then but oh well.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
In K.W. Jeter's novel Bloodletter he suggested that the Federation needed to put a small station on the opposite side of the wormhole. It's a good idea, as a kind of entry port so that DS9 isn't surprised when something comes through.
It seemed to me -- and remember, we're like mid-way through season one when Bloodletter came out -- that the station would need a ship for salvage, escort, and routine patrol operations on both sides of the wormhole.
So I wrote a spec script. And the station got a ship.
An original Constitution class.
Starfleet wanted something that worked. But not something that would draw attention. They wanted something functional. But not something that would scare the Bajorans that the Federation was putting a military presence into the sector.
I thought it was a fab script. (It also had space vampires attacking the station. Space vampires! Like the old Northwest Smith stories of the 1940s.) Of course, I got a nice rejection letter back.
In K.W. Jeter's novel Bloodletter he suggested that the Federation needed to put a small station on the opposite side of the wormhole. It's a good idea, as a kind of entry port so that DS9 isn't surprised when something comes through.
It seemed to me -- and remember, we're like mid-way through season one when Bloodletter came out -- that the station would need a ship for salvage, escort, and routine patrol operations on both sides of the wormhole.
So I wrote a spec script. And the station got a ship.
An original Constitution class.
Starfleet wanted something that worked. But not something that would draw attention. They wanted something functional. But not something that would scare the Bajorans that the Federation was putting a military presence into the sector.
I thought it was a fab script. (It also had space vampires attacking the station. Space vampires! Like the old Northwest Smith stories of the 1940s.) Of course, I got a nice rejection letter back.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
^There was no such rule. There may have been a rule preventing using the Enterprise-E on television, but that's about it.
The Constitution-class, Excelsior-class, Galaxy-class, DS9, Defiant-class, and Intredid-class have all crossed over to another show or movie. That leaves only the Sovereign-class and the NX-class, the latter of which never had any opportunity to do a crossover.
^There was no such rule. There may have been a rule preventing using the Enterprise-E on television, but that's about it.
The Constitution-class, Excelsior-class, Galaxy-class, DS9, Defiant-class, and Intredid-class have all crossed over to another show or movie. That leaves only the Sovereign-class and the NX-class, the latter of which never had any opportunity to do a crossover.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
^ No, that was a rule applied to ALL SERIES Ships to prevent misinterpretation (you know if you see the Constitution its automatically Kirk's Enterprise, if you see an intrepid its automatically Voyager). It only changed in regards to the Galaxy Class because the E-D was destroyed.
^ No, that was a rule applied to ALL SERIES Ships to prevent misinterpretation (you know if you see the Constitution its automatically Kirk's Enterprise, if you see an intrepid its automatically Voyager). It only changed in regards to the Galaxy Class because the E-D was destroyed.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
I'm not saying that the crews of the verious shows didn't try to avoid using hero ships' classes needlessly, but they were not forbidden to do so.
Tell that to the USS Defiant. (Enterprise's "In a Mirror Darkly")
Tell that to the USS Belerophon. (DS9's "Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges")
Tell that to the USS Odyssey. (DS9's "The Jem'Hadar", which aired many months before Generations debuted.)
I'm not saying that the crews of the verious shows didn't try to avoid using hero ships' classes needlessly, but they were not forbidden to do so.
Re: Miranda Class starship assigned to DS9?
^ Intrepid I meant during the fleet battles of Deep Space Nine (mentioned in the Companion CD). They were forbidden to use it by Berman according to the CD - and it was officially authorized by Paramount so I take it as being true.
Roddenberry said no to the Constitution Class being seen on TNG - that's why the Stargazer became a Constellation Class ship (because they could be overdubbed).
^ Intrepid I meant during the fleet battles of Deep Space Nine (mentioned in the Companion CD). They were forbidden to use it by Berman according to the CD - and it was officially authorized by Paramount so I take it as being true.
Roddenberry said no to the Constitution Class being seen on TNG - that's why the Stargazer became a Constellation Class ship (because they could be overdubbed).
