Truth OR Myth? BETA – The Constitution Class Refit Pt 2

Truth OR Myth? BETA – The Constitution Class Refit Pt 2

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 continuing our look at the Constitution Class Refit of Starfleet Starships, where Ill endeavour to create a cogent narrative to explain how this Elegant Class of Starship came to exist.

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’s begin.

By the late 2260s, Starfleet Command was in a real bind.  The Federation Council, along with public sentiment was quickly turning against them putting the entire organization at risk.  To combat this problem, newly promoted Starfleet Operations Head Admiral Nogura would set in motion a series of events that would see not only Starfleet regaining its former sparkling status but a complete revolution in Starfleet Designs and Technology, starting with the Constitution Class Refit…

Vertical Warp Core
(Paramount) The New Vertical Warp Core

With installation and testing complete of a new Vertical Warp Core system on the U.S.S. Excalibur, Admiral Nogura and Starfleet Command was impressed by the new technology. The Vertical Warp Core system was able to provide a starship almost twice the amount of power that the standard horizontal warp cores at the time were able to produce.  But now the problem was, what to do with this new technology.

A new starship design, known as the Miranda Class, had also outperformed the older classes of starships, but due to the starships relative height, the design wasn’t able to fully utilize the new cores intended size and power output, and so Admiral Nogura was left with 2 choices. 1. to build a large fleet of the new Miranda Class ignoring the new cores full potential, or 2. Create a brand new class of starship to utilize the vertical warp core.

2269 would see more tragedies for Starfleet.

By this point, the entire Federations eyes were on Starfleet and the public at large was analyzing and re-analyzing all of Starfleet’s decisions and missions.

The loss of the USS Defiant late in 2268 had been a particular sticking point debated with in the Federation.

TOS Defiant
(CBS) U.S.S. Defiant Captured By Tholians

On Stardate 5395.1, the U.S.S. Defiant, a Constitution Class starship, had been sent into unknown disputed space near the Tholian Assemblies territory.  And after a short time had vanished without a trace.

The U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk had been sent to investigate, discovering the starship to be trapped in an inter-phase anomaly and it’s entire crew dead. During the mission, the Enterprise herself would almost be captured by the Tholian Assembly, and the Defiant would completely disappear from our space and time never to be seen again.

The U.S.S. Enterprise had become a polarizing element for Federation Member Worlds.  Unlike most of the other Constitution Class starships of her day, the Enterprise had proven the most successful of the entire class. Seemingly, in every situation the Enterprise found herself in, regardless of the circumstances, her Captain and crew were able to defy the odds and come out on top, effectively making every crew member aboard the Enterprise, heroes in the disillusioned eyes of Federation Member Worlds.

Other Galactic Powers such as the Klingon Empire also had great respect for Enterprise and her crew. Being bound by the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, the Klingon Empire had resorted to more diplomatic ways of winning conflicts against the Federation, though there still was the occasional skirmish over any given situation.

The Gorn, the Kizinti and the Tholians had all signed treaties which clearly defined their borders once and for all and so long as no starship violated the others space, these powers were content to leave the Federation and its worlds alone, of course, this left Starfleet and the Federation only one major power to contend with, that of the Romulan Star Empire.

Enterprise TOS
(CBS) The Most Successful Constitution Class Ship Made

The treaty between the Klingon and Romulan Empire had fallen apart fairly quickly, though not before an exchange of technologies had occurred.  And Starfleet was still very concerned about the Romulan Cloaking device which the Klingon Empire had now begun to install in its own fleet.

After sending the Enterprise on a classified mission to steal a Romulan Cloaking device, Starfleet had developed gravitic sensor net technology that would at least allow Neutral Zone outposts to detect a Romulan Starship crossing the border, but this technology could not be incorporated into starships due to its size and immense power requirements. Also, though effective, the technology was not 100% infallible, and there were ways that a single starship could get through the net undetected, though this was of course, not common knowledge within the Federation.

After the theft of one of their cloaking devices, the Romulan Star Empire had filed formal protests with the federation Council, and Starfleet was called to testify in front of a judicial board in the matter.

However the entire proceeding was merely a smokescreen to absolve the federation of any wrongdoing, and Starfleet Command under their orders, simply denied the charges, claiming the Enterprise had a navigational malfunction and did not steal any technology, that James T Kirk had simply outwitted the Romulan Starships and the Empire was just trying to save face with these outlandish claims.

The Enterprise Incident
(CBS) Kirk Takes The Romulan Cloak – “The Enterprise Incident”

The Romulan Star Empire was not impressed by this at all.  And immediately began to draw up plans for an invasion of the Federation and a war with their mortal enemy… But ultimately these plans would be abandoned for 2 reasons.

First, during their treaty with the Klingon Empire, the Star Empire had become aware of the Organians and their immense power, and they feared that attacking the federation might lead to the Organians once again interfering in galactic politics and preventing the Empire from launching their attack… But second, and more importantly, 2269 would see the 2 powers cooperate to prevent their mutual destruction.

While investigating the disappearance and damage of several Federation Starships, along with a colony in the Aldeberon System suddenly going silent, the U.S.S. Enterprise would meet what effectively could be called ghosts from its own past, genetically enhanced super-being created by travel through the Great Barrier at the edge of the galaxy.

Back during one of the first missions of the Starship Enterprise under Kirk’s Command, the Starship had been investigating the disappearance of the U.S.S. Valiant and subsequent would attempt to pierce the barrier surrounding the Milky Way Galaxy. Forced to turn back before successful, sustaining major damage, it was then discovered that the barrier had an unknown side effect on beings with a high extrasensory perception rating, causing 2 Enterprise crew members, Lieutenant Gary Mitchell and Dr Elizabeth Dehner to manifest great psychic abilities.

Lieutenant Gay Mitchell and Dr Elizabeth Dehner
(CBS) Lieutenant Gary Mitchell and Dr Elizabeth Dehner

Left with no choice, Kirk was forced to kill Mitchell, in order to prevent his hostile take over of the galaxy and Dr Dehner was also lost in the attempt… Now, Kirk discovered that a rogue organization named Section 31, had been developing Espers as a form of protection for the Federation against any invasion.

Given a false story by an esper, the Enterprise would go in search of a Romulan Starship believed to have destroyed the colony.  Only to be lead into a trap and almost destroyed by the U.S.S. Kongo had been captured by the rogue group of Espers.

Implementing the clever tactic of separating the saucer section from the Stardrive section of the starship, the Enterprise along with the Romulan Bird of Prey, were temporarily able to stop the Kongo and her crew of Superbeings, buying Starfleet time enough to send 2 starships to intercept the Kongo, the Exeter and the Potemkin… Both starships were unable to stop the Kongo, and we subsequently destroyed.

Eventually, the Enterprise, utilizing its own now converted Esper Crew Member, were able to disable the Kongo’s Engine Systems rendering her powerless.  However the Bird of Pray, under the command of its first officer Tal, then turned and attacked both the Kongo and the Enterprise.

Elise McKennah
(Star Trek: Continues) Elise McKennah

The Romulan Commander, being on board the Enterprise, was then able to use the prefix codes for the Romulan ship to disable it, and the Enterprise, though severely damaged would return to Earth triumphant.  Though many of her officers, including that of the starships counsellor, were lost in the mission.

This last mission of the Enterprise had both sides reconsidering their positions… The Romulan Star Empire would cease their invasion plans in favor of more investigation in to the section 31 rumors as well as what possible other technologies this Starfleet Organization could process to use against them.

While Admiral Nogura, would step back and recognize the effect that the Enterprises Successful return from her 5 year mission would have on the Federation, and in a stroke of PR Brilliance, Admiral Nogura would first authorize a project to look in to the possibility of refitting the Enterprise with all the latest technological breakthroughs it could muster, and then approve said project that would end up seeing the Enterprise stripped down to her space frame, rebuilt and refit in to the first starship of the Constitution class to receive such an extensive upgrade.

In late 2271, after the refit Enterprises successful encounter with the cloud entity known as V’ger, the New Constitution Class Refit would go into full construction, having to brand new starships of that line constructed from the ground up rather than refitting any remaining Constitution Class starships.

Constitution
(Paramount) The Refit U.S.S. Enterprise

This new line of Constitution Classes ships would once again become the Jewels of Starfleet’s crown, many remaining in service for almost a century after the Enterprise Refit’s launch.

The innovation and strength of the class would revolutionize Starfleet and the Federation, leading to many other starship designs based on the new technology including upgraded Miranda Class starships, the Oberth Class and even the Excelsior Class which itself would begin to supplant the Constitution Class refit by the early 24th Century.

As for the Enterprise and her crew, she would boldly continue exploring space, expanding the knowledge and frontiers of the Federation until the year 2285 when she would be destroyed protecting the secrets of the Genesis device from falling into Klingon hands, and would then be replaced by another newly constructed Constitution Class Starship, the U.S.S. Yorktown, which would then be rechristened the Enterprise-A after its crew was lost during its shakedown cruise by an Alien Probe attempting to contact Earths Whales population.

The Enterprise-A, still under the command of James T Kirk, would continue to capture the hearts and minds of the Federations public, and would also play a key role in cementing peace between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire.

The role the Constitution Class Refit played within the Federation can not be overestimated, and this fact, and this fact alone, would earn this class its well-deserved place in Starfleet History…

Thank you for watching today’s episode of Truth or Myth Beta Canon, what do you think of the Constitution Class?  Are you enjoying these Beta Canon imaginings I’m coming up with?  Well leave your comments in the section below and don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel.

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Thanks again for watching, Live long and prosper…

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