USS Lakota

The USS Lakota (NCC-42768) was a Federation refit  starship that was in service with Starfleet in the late 24th century.

History
In 2372, the Lakota ferried Captain Benjamin Sisko, Jake Sisko, and Odo from Deep Space 9 to Earth following the bombing of the Antwerp Conference.

As part of Admiral Leyton's attempted coup d'état, the Lakota served to coordinate and deploy Starfleet Security forces on Earth during the period of martial law and received a refit that included upgraded phasers and a supply of quantum torpedoes. 

During the climax of the coup, the Lakota, under the command of the newly-transferred Captain Erika Benteen, intercepted the USS Defiant (2370) to prevent the strengthening of anti-coup elements under Sisko. The resulting engagement was indecisive with both vessels reluctant to do more than attempt to disable the other.

When Leyton revised his orders and commanded Lakota to destroy Defiant, with quantum torpedoes if necessary, Benteen refused and instead stood down her ship and allowed Defiant to pass to Earth. 

Background information
Named for the Native American, the Lakota was a re-use of the adapted USS Excelsior studio model of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) from. (Star Trek Encyclopedia 2nd ed., p. 257) For more information on the model see here.

Benteen's captaincy of the Lakota was an in-joke by Ira Steven Behr; there was a Frederick Benteen who was in command of a 7th Cavalry battalion under the command of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer when Custer and his battalion of men were decimated by Lakota Sioux

The original Excelsior model was still marked with the Lakota's name and registry number when it was sold as Lot #998 at Christie's 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction on for US$132,000 including the buyer's premium (the winning bid was US$110,000).

The model is now part of ScienceFictionArchives.com collections. 

Apocrypha
The Lakota is depicted as still being in service in 2409 in Star Trek Online. She appears in two missions, "Under the Cover of Night" and "War Games".

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