USS Phoenix (NCC-65420-X)


 * For the mirror universe counterpart, see ISS Phoenix-X.''

The USS Phoenix (NCC-65420-X) (or Phoenix-X) was a starship in the late 24th and early 25th century. It was the twenty-fifth starship to bear the name Phoenix after a freak two-year transwarp-testing phase in which its predecessors were destroyed one after the other. It was head of Task Force Epsilon, attached to Starbase 55 and served both Starfleet and, secretly, Section 31. 

Development
In 2286, while the Earth was taken hostage by a ravenous Whale Probe, Section 31 was secretly able to dissect alien-coded schematics and components from it. Over the following 80+ years, Section 31 would have Starfleet Intelligence unsuccessfully decode the information. (, "Experimentalism")

Sometime prior to 2367, Section 31 enlisted a small group of Starfleet Corps of Engineers, under the leadership of Admiral Theseus, to help break the code and develop the transwarp drive using components stolen from the Whale probe. Partial construction of a transwarp drive began on the USS Phoenix, but would be interrupted after a short stint in Cardassian territory where Captain Benjamin Maxwell would launch illegal attacks against the Cardassian Union. (, "Secret Occurrences")

Following that, development was moved to the Proxima Maintenance Yards, where, in a freak-two year experimental phase, twenty-three ships, each named Phoenix, were fitted with transwarp engines and destroyed during each test flight. It wasn't until the end of the line of Phoenix-ships that the engine was perfected and ready for final construction.

To take the project off Starfleet's radar, the final phase was extended over the following year. In 2370, the final transwarp engine was constructed on Earth in a secret underground bunker by the small group of Starfleet Corps of Engineers; while the USS Phoenix-X ship itself was built in Cardassian territory in Section 31's attempt to start a working relationship with the Obsidian Order. After the engine was transported from Earth to Cardassian space and installed, the relationship fell through. ("The Recruited", "Mirrorlyness!", "Secret Occurrences")
 * The Phoenix-X may have been moved the Pakled home world, after this incident, according to Starfleet Corps Engineer Borne in "Secret Occurrences".

In 2374, the Phoenix-X was launched from the Beta Antares Shipyards, with Section 31-altered records stating it was built there. After one final "test" of a transwarp engine, the project was deemed a failure and put to rest. The Phoenix-X was then launched as a regular starship.

Admiral Theseus, through Section 31, and eventually Section 31 themselves, would enlist a special relationship with the crew and use their influence to have the crew keep the transwarp engine (which worked) a secret, to make available for Section 31's own personal missions. ("The Tiloniam System", "Experimentalism", "Departments", "The Tilonian System", "Forbidden Crossing, Part I")


 * The enlisted group within Starfleet Corps of Engineers that worked on the transwarp drive had a few alias' including "Tech-Team", "Transwarp Research Team" and "X-Team".


 * The production and testing phase of the transwarp drives were also code-named and known as the "X-Project".

As a Prometheus-class starship, the Phoenix-X had the ability to be divided into three separate pieces when in multi-vector mode. Each piece had warp capability, but not necessarily transwarp capability. Aboard the Phoenix-X, these pieces were called "vectors", derived from the title "multi-vector mode" - and each vector was numbered: Vector 1, Vector 2 and Vector 3. The ship was occasionally known to separate into these vectors for missions instead of emergency situations. ("The Nega'Jem, Part I") In some cases, certain vectors have been stolen from the ship, without authorization. ("Crash Bandicoots", "Secret Shuttles, Part II", "Secret Occurrences")

Exchange program
In 2374, the USS Phoenix and the were initiated into the exchange officer program, in a way that took it a step further than its first incarnation with William T. Riker, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) and the -- that way being, half the crews of each were exchanged. Several months later, the crew of the Phoenix was moved to the Phoenix-X, and the exchanged-Klingons were a part of that move. Lieutenant Commander Red was the only Bridge officer a part of the exchange program. ("The Tiloniam System", "Betrayal and Honour")

In 2378, the exchange program came to an end, but, when both halves returned to their respective ships, they each found the quality of life more difficult. As such, the exchange program resumed and both halves returned to the others' ships. ("Destiny's Revenge, Part I, II & III")

In 2380, the exchange continued, unwavering, when the Bochnah was destroyed, the crew survived, and replaced with the. ("Forged in Something")

In 2386, both the Phoenix-X and B'Cnah became victims of a genetically enhanced tribble attack. More than three-quarters of the B'Cnah's crew were killed. ("Triple Tribble Sunday")

By the early 25th century, in the year 2410, the exchange program was seemingly over. ("Nightmare Anomaly", "The Xindi Paradox")

Registry
From 2367 to 2369, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers enlisted and destroyed 24 separate Phoenix-ships to perfect the transwarp engine, partially starting with the USS Phoenix (NCC-65420) and fully starting with the NCC-65420-A to the NCC-65420-W. The final and remaining vessel was Phoenix-X with the registry NCC-65420-X.

The NCC-65420-X ship took longer to develop, and in 2370, while in construction, the Phoenix-X was given the temporary registry NX-00001 for its experimental transwarp engine which was based on in part of the previous Phoenix-ships.

Before pre-launch, Pakled technician Kod, from a section with the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, mistakenly set the ship up with the false registry NCC-75948. ("Secret Occurrences")

This registry wouldn't be adapted to the ship until 2383, when noticed by Commander Seifer and Captain Cell. ("Life 2")

In 2390, the false registry was pointed out by Captain Aeris and was reset to NCC-65420-X. ("Into Harshness")

Vector 1/Alpha
Vector 1 was the top portion of the ship. Of many other rooms, it contained the Bridge, the Captain's Ready Room and the Conference room.

Bridge
The Bridge was the command center of the ship where communications and combat were coordinated. Sections included tactical, stationed by Armond, and helm, stationed by Red.

Ready room
The Ready room was the Captain's office, located next to the Bridge.

Conference room
The Conference room was located adjacent to the Bridge, on Deck 1. Senior staff would hold meetings in there frequently, as well as emergency meetings during situations of crisis.
 * This room was previously referred to as an Observation lounge.

Mess Hall
The Mess Hall was located on Deck 8, and served as a common food court and lounge for the crew.
 * This room was previously named the Bar and Lounge.

Vector 2/Beta
Vector 2 was the middle portion of the ship. It contained Engineering, and was the only vector to maintain transwarp functionality when all three vectors were separated.

Battle Bridge, Vector 2/Beta
The second Battle Bridge was an auxiliary command center for the second Vector.

Engineering
Engineering contained the Warp/Transwarp engine which propelled the ship. Most engineers worked here under the command of Lieutenant Commander Kugo.

Sickbay
Sickbay was the medical center, under the care of Doctor Lox, who was known to have EMH work with him regularly. Many unapproved experiments were also executed in Sickbay, by Lox.

Vector 3/Gamma
Vector 3 was the bottom portion of the ship. It contained a control room which handled the cloaking device, and would maintain cloaking ability for the vector alone when all three vectors were separated. This vector was used outside of its emergency mode on several occasions, and would often be the choice for missions or unauthorized separation.

Battle Bridge, Vector 3/Gamma
The second Battle Bridge was an auxiliary command center for the third Vector. Seifer commanded Vector 3 from here when he stole it from the rest of the ship, in 2376, and was sent back in time. ("Secret Shuttles, Part I", "Secret Occurrences")

Technology
The transwarp drive was the base-technology installed aboard the Phoenix-X in 2370 at an in-kind Cardassian space station, after all previous Phoenix-ships were destroyed in test trials. ("The Recruited"; "Secret Occurrences")

In 2382, Berlinghoff Rasmussen's temporal drive was installed on the USS Phoenix-X where they would be sent on a mission to the future to recover Agent Rave. When the Phoenix-X returned, the drive was uninstalled and returned to Section 31. ("Displacement Syndrome")

In 2383, Section 31 ordered the secret installation of transphasic torpedoes onto the Phoenix-X through the same secret Cardassian space station. ("Transphasic Meltdown")

In the same year, a phasing cloaking device based on the one installed on the USS Pegasus was ordered installed aboard the Phoenix-X by Section 31 under the guise of Starfleet Intelligence. It was soon found to be sabatoged, trapping the Phoenix-X in an asteroid at Regula I, and was uninstalled after the ship escaped. ("These Aren't the Voyages...")

By the year 2390, the Phoenix-X's transphasic torpedo load ran out during a battle with an old man named Mudd. ("Into Harshness")
 * Whether this was Harcourt Mudd or a relative was not specified.

Auxilliary craft

 * USS Paroga (2377)
 * USS Angel Wing (2377-2383)
 * USS Iroh, Danube class runabout (2384-)
 * USS Haruko, Type-11 shuttlecraft (2390-2391)
 * USS Dracon, Class-2 shuttle (Type 9 shuttlecraft) (2390-)
 * USS Edward, Chaffee type shuttlepod (Type-10 shuttlecraft) (2390-)
 * USS Tengu, Chaffee type shuttlepod (Type-10 shuttlecraft) (2390-)

Command crew

 * See also: USS Phoenix (NCC-65420-X) personnel


 * commanding officer (CO)
 * Captain Cell (2374-)
 * Captain Seifer (-2409-)
 * first officer/executive officer (XO)
 * Commander Seifer (2374-)
 * operations manager
 * Lieutenant Kayl (2374-2379, 2383-)
 * chief engineer
 * Lieutenant Commander Kugo (2374-)
 * tactical officer
 * Lieutenant Commander Armond (2374-2379, 2382-)
 * RaeLuna (2379-2383)
 * security chief
 * Lieutenant Commander Wallace (2374 - 2377)
 * chief medical officer (CMO)
 * Lieutenant Lox (2374-)
 * flight controller (conn)
 * Lieutenant Commander Red (2374-2379, 2382-)
 * Lieutenant J.G. Amp (2379-2384)
 * Ensign Dan (-2409-)
 * science officer
 * Ensign Dan (2374-)

Task Force Epsilon
In 2375, the Phoenix-X was placed in command of a small seven-ship squad. The squad was posted in the Flortarios sector to protect against the Dominion threat. The war soon ended in the same year. ("Home", "The Bajoran Trove")

In 2390, several ships from the squad were attacked and destroyed by divergent Hirogen, requiring those ships to be re-launched as different classes. The Phoenix-X took command of those ships, under the title Task Force Epsilon, and with the help of Task Force Zeta, confronted the Hirogen. ("Into Harshness")

Alternate Phoenix-Xs
In an alternate 2400, two crew members from the Phoenix-X traveled to a future where Section 31 had taken over the Federation and the Phoenix-X was part of a rebellion against the new organization. ("Secret Shuttles, Part IV")

In 2410, in an attempt to evacuate an entrapping layer of subspace, the Phoenix-X fired an inverse tachyon pulse which happened to converge with two other pulses from other timelines. One of the others was from a future Phoenix-X in which Ensign Dan was Captain, and the Federation was taken over by Borg. ("Nightmare Anomaly")

In a parallel universe, known as the gender-bent universe, where all male and female genders of the prime universe were switched, Seifer and Kayl were accidentally transported to its Phoenix-X. They assisted their counterparts in saving themselves from an angry, alternate-gendered DaiMon Cide, named Cida. ("The New Frontier, Part II")

In an alternate 26th century, in which Vosk wiped out Daniels' faction in the 31st century, the Phoenix-X was still in service and was commanded by Captain Siken. The ship had enough refits that it looked nothing like a Prometheus-class starship. Siken, in the 2550s, encountered the time-traveling Phoenix-X from the 24th century. Siken also successfully scared off the bullying Lethean starship, Mikonikoff, at which point Captain Cell warned of an upcoming invasion by a trans-dimensional species called the Sphere Builders. ("Temporal Doom! Part II")
 * The 24th century Phoenix''-X visits from the original timeline in which Vosk and the Na'kuhl never overcame Daniels' faction in the 31st century.

Memorable quotes
"Damn you Phoenix-X! Now the Vulcan's aren't the clown-like outgoing race we all knew them to be! And we're Section 31... we know all the changes to the timeline."

- Elena, "Forbidden Crossing, Part I"

Background information

 * The class of the Phoenix-X, as based on the Prometheus-class starship, wasn't revealed until the Season 1 episode "Cookies". The class wasn't named as a Multi-Vector-class starship until the Season 3 episode "New Beginnings". The class would be revealed as being a Prometheus-class starship all along, and as being previously mis-labelled by a Pakled engineer, in the Season 4 flashback episode "Secret Occurrences".
 * The history of the ship would periodically be adjusted throughout the run of the series, and posted on the website. Its history wasn't clearly explained on the early episodes. The Phoenix-X's actual connection to any sort of secrecy wasn't clearly explained until "Experimentalism". Its connection to Section 31 wasn't explained until the third season.

External link

 * USS Phoenix-X on the Star Trek: Phoenix-X website