Starbase 72
Starbase 72 is a Spacedock-class station located in the Minos Korva system, and it has been a major hub for Starfleet activity along the Federation-Cardassian border since the mid-2360s. Currently, it is the headquarters for Task Force 72 and serves as a major repair and resupply station for vessels assigned to combat the True Way.
Description
Like all Spacedock-class stations, Starbase 72 is a combination defensive, trade, and shipbuilding facility, with the capacity to house dozens of starships within its large docking bay. It can service hundreds of smaller vessels with numerous other facilities located throughout the station. It has a Starfleet crew of 25,000 and 50,000 civilians of many nationalities live aboard the starbase.
History
The Minos Korva system has long been strategically important to both the Federation and the Cardassian Union. In the 2350s, the Cardassians attempted to annex the system, but Starfleet prevented this by stationing several starships there. In 2369, the Cardassians again made aggressive moves towards Minos Korva, but were detected and turned away by Captain Edward Jellico aboard the Enterprise-D. As the colony on Minos Korva grew, it was decided that a full-scale starbase was required to keep the system secure.
Construction on Starbase 72 began in early 2370, with the majority of its systems operational by the start of the Dominion War in 2373. Minos Korva was again put in the cross-hairs, and the system was the site of several battles, but neither the Cardassians nor Dominion managed to take the system, thanks to the presence of Starbase 72 and elements of the Fourth Fleet, which were assembled into Task Force 72.
Starbase 72 was fully completed in 2376, the year after the Treaty of Bajor, and it was an important staging point for relief missions into the crippled Cardassian Union. Though dated by 2399, it remains an important Starfleet installation in the region.