USS Rubicon (NCC-72936)

The USS Rubicon (NCC-72936) was a Starfleet Danube class runabout in service in the 2370s and assigned to Deep Space 9 in 2371. (DS9 episode: "Family Business", Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual)

History
The runabout arrived at the station soon after the loss of the USS Mekong at the Battle of the Omarion Nebula. Commander Benjamin Sisko had Chief Miles O'Brien name the ship the Rubicon after the river in Italy. (DS9 episode: "Family Business")

Early in 2372, Julian Bashir and Miles O'Brien used the Rubicon to conduct a biological survey of Merik III in the Gamma Quadrant. On their way back to Deep Space 9, they detected the warp core of Goran'Agar's ship. The Rubicon was damaged by an anomaly in the planet's atmosphere and crashed. After attempting unsuccessfully to cure the Jem'Hadar of their addiction to ketracel-white, Bashir and O'Brien were allowed to leave with the Rubicon. (DS9 episode: "Hippocratic Oath")

During the conflict between the Bajorans and the Ferengi over the Orb of Wisdom, Captain Sisko used the Rubicon to meet with DaiMon Bractor on the Kreechta. (DS9 novel: The 34th Rule)

Several weeks later, Jadzia Dax detected a trinary star system and wanted to send a science team. Captain Sisko told her they could take the Rubicon. (DS9 episode: "Accession")

In 2374, the Rubicon was selected to take part in a scientific mission with the USS Defiant with Starfleet hoped would lead to them to be able to artificially create transwarp corridors. The runabout was shrunk by a subspace compression while the Defiant kept a tractor beam locked onto it. However, the Defiant was attacked by a Jem'Hadar fighter and the Rubicon was pulled into the anomaly when the tractor beam failed. The Rubicon was essential in liberating the Defiant from the Dominion, with it being able to fly around the interior of the ship. (DS9 episode: "One Little Ship")

Several weeks later, Captain Sisko and Elim Garak used the Rubicon to travel to Earth, where the pair attended a Federation Alliance conference on the war. (DS9 novel: Hollow Men)