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.
Current Status
Most of the ships operating out of Starbase 72 have been tasked with securing Federation space throughout the Former Demilitarized Zone, which has become volatile with the presence of the Cardassian extremist sect, the True Way. While Minos Korva itself has not been attacked since the height of the Dominion War, the system is currently on high alert, with all vessels entering and exiting the system subject to scans and inspection to try to stamp out the True Way's access to resources.
As part of the peacekeeping operations in the former DMZ, Starbase 72 currently fields two dozen hazard teams, which operate from the station's fleet of runabouts. These teams perform a wide variety of missions near the station, ranging from diplomatic escort missions, scouting and patrol, and direct protection of Federation assets from the True Way.
This base is also the staging ground for new officers assigned to command vessels assigned to Task Force 72, with a large concentration of diplomatic specialists, personnel officers, and other individuals whose job is to help potential commanders develop their diplomatic abilities, many of whom spend at least some time in the field on the station's runabouts.
Starbase 72 In-Play
- Starbase 72 is a large station, much larger than Deep Space 9 and home to tens of thousands of people, so it's easy to get lost in the crowd.
- If you're a new officer in Task Force 72, you'd likely spend some time here before you're assigned your own command, either leading a hazard team, honing your diplomatic skills through training exercises, or in some other capacity on the base.
- Starbase 72 has access to every class of Starfleet runabout.
- This station is very close to the Cardassian border, and so it's very likely that you'll encounter Cardassian military and civilian vessels visiting the station.