Hello and welcome to another episode of Truth OR Myth Beta Canon, a Star Trek web series that dives into the history of any given topic using Beta Canon sources and my own imagination to fill in the gaps. In today’s episode we’re taking a look at the Parliament Class of Starfleet Starships, as first seen in Star Trek: Lower Decks, to better understand its place in Star Trek History.
Up to this point in my Starship reviews, I’ve been loosely following the Star Trek timeline, reviewing starships as they were constructed for Starfleet. But that changes today. Partly because I don’t want to get stuck and bored of any era of starship design, but MOSTLY because Dr America has added the Parliament Class to Space Engine, and I’m loving it.
But please note, because this IS a Beta Canon video, all information relaid should pretty much be taken with a grain of stardust, and only considered a little bit of Star Trek Fun! And so, with all that out of the way, let us begin.
Created to fill a mission profile void discovered after the Battle of Wolf 359, The Parliament Class would become a distinguished starship class in its own right… But what do we know about this unusual class? Well today, we’ll find out!
Wolf 359 had the Federation and Starfleet running scared. Immediately after the event, the Federation Council conducted an investigation into Starfleet and its preparedness for another encounter with the Borg.
Given the nature of the Borg, their ability to easily adapt to become an unstoppable force, it was no surprise to anyone when the Council decided that Starfleet was ill-prepared for the future… Putting forth a new and aggressive plan, Starfleet Command would pull all its resources into solving the Borg Conundrum.
Starship classes like the Defiant, Sovereign and Prometheus Classes, along with breakthroughs in technology such as Quantum Torpedoes and Bio-Neural Circuitry, would be the direct result of Starfleets vigorous efforts. But Starfleet’s plans didn’t end there.
The review by the Federation Council has also uncovered just how ill-prepared most member worlds and colonies were should the Borg show up at their doorstep, most planetary defence systems being more than a century old and completely inadequate to defend any worlds or colonies from even 1 of Starfleets own starship classes. And so, Starfleet Command made the unprecedented decision to create a class of Starship whose mission profile would be that of Engineering through out the federation. And the Idea of the Parliament Class was born.
However, the original design of the starship class would bear little resemblance to the Class that was actually commissioned. This was because, as like most things, the threat of the Borg became less urgent, as the Federation Public was lulled into a false sense of security.
Starfleet however, was not as naive, knowing another Borg Encounter could happen at any time, Starfleet continued its efforts to ensure the Federations survival. And although the Federation Council wanted to appear as though they were supporting the public, they were actually doing everything they could to support Starfleet Command.
To keep up appearances though, the Federation Council would cancel several classes construction and development. Famously, the Defiant Class, a warship dedicated to one idea, fighting and defeating the Borg, was the first on the chopping block, and the Parliament Class would follow in short order… But this allowed Starfleet to continue to develop and construct the powerhouse that would become the Sovereign Class.
Then in late 2370, things began to change… Discovering an aggressive organization known as the Dominion on the other side of the Bajoran wormhole in the Gamma Quadrant. The Federation’s citizens were once again running scared.
This would allow Commander Benjamin Sisko to pull the USS Defiant out of mothballs to show the Federation that Starfleet did in fact have teeth, and in response to the Dominion Threat, Starfleet was granted permission to up its construction of Vessels to protect the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.
Then in 2373, the Borg were back. This time, however, Starfleet fared much better against their most lethal foe, and the fleet, lead by Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise E, was able to defeat the Borg Cube on course for Earth.
That same year, the Dominion would declare war on the Federation and all stakes battle for the federations very survival began, and although the Federation and its allies would be victorious against the Dominion, the same inadequacy of the Federation Member Worlds and federation Colonies defences would become clear once again.
So Starfleet would dust off the plans for the Parliament Class and present them to the Federation Council once again, and this time, the Council would approve construction on the class.
Of course, Starfleet had made leaps and bounds in technology since the Parliament Class was first conceived. So Starfleet’s Design Engineers first task was to redesign the Parliament Class to not only include these new technologies but also follow Starfleet’s new Starship Design Aesthetics, and by 2377, the first of the Parliament Class would roll off the line. Sitting at a length of 641 meters, the Parliament Class would have 11 decks and be designed to be operated by a crew of 528 Officers and Crew Members.
Because of the classes mission profile, to upgrade and update Defensive Systems through out the Federation as well as engaging in any secondary extensive Engineering projects, the Parliament Class would be staffed by mostly Engineers.
Additionally, Starfleet would allow the bulk of the crews of this class to be non commissioned officers and general technicians through out the Federation.
The Parliament Class would have a standard cruising speed of Warp Factor 7, with an emergency maximum speed of Warp factor 9.3. It would be equipped with Standard Phaser emitters for the time and 6 upgraded Torpedo Launchers.
These new launchers were adapted to allow the class not only to fire both Quantum and Photon Torpedoes but also Engineering specific equipment to allow the class to quickly establish defence networks, weather control grids and even minefields. Defensive Shielding would also be standard for the time.
Large service bays would also adorn the class with large bay doors that open to space. Again this would allow for easy deployment of Engineering Specific equipment and constructions.
An under-slung secondary hull with a front-facing navigational deflector rested just beneath the aft section of the primary hull, which itself was primarily a Saucer Section design. And this secondary hull was attached to the saucer with a pair of curved pylons.
The shuttlebay for this class was a massive complex that spanned Decks 6 and 7. The Parliament Class would also house double the amount of Shuttlecraft, Shuttlepod and Construction Vehicles than any other Class in the Fleet.
Because of its design history, the Parliament Class would be a melding of starship looks of Pre-Borg Starfleet Vessels combined with the current aesthetics of classes such as the Intrepid and Sovereign creating a very unique, yet pleasing design.
Another oddity of the class was contained within its pylons, as they were increased in size to allow windowed laboratories to occupy those spaces.
The shakedown cruise for the USS Parliament went off without a hitch. In fact, its enhanced Bio-Neural Systems allowed the Class to perform above and beyond anyone’s expectations, and as such the Parliament Class would go into full production by mid-2378.
Starfleet Command would not construct a large number of these vessels, as some of the converted California Class starships would also be repurposed for Engineering Duties, and so the Parliament Class would tend to be used on more complex and extensive Engineering missions.
Nevertheless, the Parliament Class would make its mark on Both Starfleet and the Federation. Upgrading many of the Member Worlds Defensive Systems to a level no one had thought possible much like the Miranda and Excelsior Class vessels that had come before her, The Parliament Class would continue in Service to Starfleet for well over a century. And for its part, Starfleet would keep vessels of the Parliament Class as a state of the art Engineering Vessels. refitting and Upgrading them as necessary.But as with most situations, all good things must come to end.
Furthermore, as Starfleet continually grew and redeveloped itself over time, the Parliament Class would eventually begin to show its age, and the decision would be made to decommission the class altogether.
But thanks to the valiant Engineering Efforts of this Class, the 25th century Federation would be as prepared as it reasonably could for any emergency which might pop up. Earning the Parliament Class its place, in Starfleet history…
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Thanks again for watching, Live long and prosper…
