USS Mekong (NCC-72617)

The USS Mekong (NCC-72617) was a Starfleet runabout in service in the early 2370s. It was sometimes equipped with sensor pods and storage modules.

Service history
In 2370, Benjamin Sisko, Kira Nerys and Julian Bashir pursued a replicant of Miles O'Brien to the Parada homeworld in the Mekong. 

After a trip into the Gamma Quadrant, a small protouniverse attached itself to the starboard nacelle of the Mekong. 

Later that year, Sisko and Skrain Dukat investigated a Xepolite ship that was believed to have been carrying weapons for the Cardassians in the Demilitarized Zone. Later, the Mekong was one of several runabouts used by the Deep Space 9 crew to stop Cal Hudson and the Maquis from attacking Bryma. 

Soon after, Sisko, Dax and Kira used the Mekong to travel to Bajor to view the USS Hannibal (Ambassador class), which was being built at the Okana Shipyards. Sisko and Dax later took the Mekong into the Gamma Quadrant to retrieve the antimatter from the Phoenix. The Mekong successfully retrieved the antimatter, by bringing the antimatter pods onboard the Mekong itself. 

Several weeks later, Jadzia Dax and Odo piloted the Mekong during the mission to rescue Sisko, Quark, Jake Sisko and Nog from the Jem'Hadar. The Mekong was damaged in the battle with several Jem'Hadar fighters. 

In early 2371, the Mekong was part of a holosuite simulation that Kira and O'Brien ran to see how Deep Space 9 would fare in an attack by the Dominion. In the simulation, the port nacelle of the Mekong was destroyed. 

Several months later, Kira and Odo used the Mekong to travel to Prophet's Landing where they helped the colonists prepare for a possible Cardassian attack. The Mekong later pursued a Maquis ship into the Badlands. 

Later that year, while heading towards Enabran Tain's safe house in the Unefra system, the Mekong was captured and brought aboard the, a Romulan warbird controlled by the Tal Shiar and part of a combined Tal Shiar and Obsidian Order fleet assembled to attack the Founders homeworld. After it was revealed the Dominion had known all about the invasion and began attacking the fleet, Odo and Elim Garak escaped aboard the Mekong. The runabout was attacked and damaged by a Jem'Hadar fighter, although they were rescued by the USS Defiant (NX-74205) (I).