USS Sargasso (NCC-69413-A)

"Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" ~ from the ship's dedication plaque

The USS Sargasso was a 25th Century Galaxy Class Refit starship operated by Starfleet, and named for the Sargasso Sea on Earth. It was destroyed in battle with the Iconian fleet.

History
The USS Sargasso originally launched in 2369, commissioned as part of Starfleet's efforts to strengthen it's forces in the wake of the Battle of Wolf 359. The Sargasso served through the Dominion War, and took part in the successful assault on the Chin'toka system in 2374, and survived the war intact unlike many of her sister ships. For several years after the Dominion War, the Sargasso served as a ship of the line, but eventually as newer, more powerful ships entered service, the Sargasso was deemed obsolete, and was scheduled to be decomissioned in 2388.

In 2402, as tensions mounted with the Klingons over the blockade of the Gorn homeworld, the Sargasso was reactivated for service, and immediately scheduled for refit. The ship underwent a complete overhaul, and was transformed from an exploratory cruiser into a dreadnought. In 2405, at the outbreak of war with the Klingons, the Sargasso was relaunched under the command of Captain Sylvanar.

During the war, the Sargasso was assigned to the fleet stationed in the Bajor system charged with the protection of Federation interests around Deep Space 9. Though launched at the outbreak of war with the Klingons, most of the Sargasso's missions during the war centered around keeping the peace in and around Cardassian space, and combating the rise of the True Way, which was once again rising to power in the shadow of war between the Federation and Klingon Empire.

After the war, Captain Sylvanar took a leave of absence to return to Vulcan and undergo the Kolinahr, and the Sargasso was temporarily commanded by Sylvanar's First Officer, Commander Talbot. In 2411, after his court martial, Captain Weston McCullough was assigned to command of the USS Sargasso. The Sargasso was assigned to operations in Romulan Republic space, aiding the newly formed Republic fleet.

Lost in Battle
The Sargasso was deployed to the Azure Sector when the Iconian War began. During the Battle of New Romulus, the Sargasso was assigned to the fleet protecting Starbase 234. An Iconian fleet descended on Starbase 234, and the Sargasso was fatally damaged in the battle. Captain McCullough, with the aid of Chief Engineer Reyes, moved the Sargasso out to a safe distance as anti-matter containment failed. The ship was destroyed, but the crew managed to evacuate to the Starbase. Captain McCullough and Chief Engineer Reyes were rescued from an escape pod by the USS Mercury commanded by Captain Tom Paris.

Because the Sargasso was lost in combat during wartime, the requisite court martial proceedings were dismissed per Starfleet protocall. Captain McCullough and crew were then reassigned to the newly constructed USS Redeemer.

Senior Officers (Final Roster)

 * Commanding Officer: Capt. Weston McCullough
 * Executive Officer: Cmdr. Siana Dejar'l
 * Chief Engineer: Lt. Cmdr. Carla Reyes
 * Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Jonathon Zielinski
 * Chief Science Officer: Lt. Kigel Shu'raat
 * Chief Tactical Officer: Lt. Cmdr. Mur'oc
 * Chief Operations Officer: Lieutenant Lot'em Moket
 * Chief of Security: Lt. (J.G.) Zane Wilhelm
 * Helm Officer: Ensign Gavon Rahlik
 * Conn Officer: Ensign Mailia Tan'a
 * Flight Deck Officer: Lt. Cmdr. Otis Bozell