Keppler (USS Enterprise)

Keppler
Class:	shuttlecraft
Registry:	NCC-1701/7
Affiliation:	Federation, Starfleet
Launched:	23rd century
Assignment:	USS Enterprise
Status:	disabled (2264, 2285)

The Keppler was a class F shuttlecraft assigned to the USS Enterprise in 2264. It was given the registry NCC-1701/7.

Service history and disposition

In 2264, on stardate 1297.8, Nyota Uhura launched the Keppler without authorization in order to rescue a landing party in danger on the surface of Tally. James T. Kirk and Spock's team had been paralyzed by a neural-disruptor weapon transmitting from a nearby Klingon outpost, and would have been killed had not Uhura jammed its signal with a spectrometer. She helped the landing party into the shuttle, then piloted the ship back towards the Enterprise. When the shuttle reached a low orbit, a nearby Klingon D7-class battlecruiser fired on the shuttle, puncturing its hull. The attack came too late, however, as Montgomery Scott had already beamed the crew aboard the Enterprise.

In 2285, the USS Excelsior visited Tally. From a high orbit, Commander Uhura picked up the faint distress beacon from the Keppler which she had set back in 2264. Admiral Kirk was surprised that the disabled shuttle had remained in orbit for 20 years. (TOS comic: "Uhura's Story")

Log entries

Log of the shuttlecraft Keppler, Lt. Uhura reporting.

Without authorization, I have commandeered this ship. I realize that my actions might well result in court martial and dismissal from the service, but I felt Cmdr. Mitchell's response to my attempts to report the situation in full left me no alternative. Capt. Kirk and the rest of the landing party are in grave peril, and unless warned immediately, they face certain death. But with the data I've gathered, they can be saved… and the Klingon outpost destroyed. I consider those two objectives well worth my career!

Shuttlecraft Keppler log, supplemental.

I do not deny that I am scared, feeling all alone on this alien world. But I have good cause for that. I am alone — and that makes it all the more imperative that I not give in to my fears. Too much depends on me.

The frequency spectrometer is not powerful enough to shield more than myself from the Klingon onslaught. Nor can I risk using the Keppler, either to evacuate the others or to mount an attack on the Klingon base — without knowing what sort of defense net they have set up. Our only chance lies in my destroying their weapon and signaling the Enterprise to return… provided they are still within communicator range. There are so many ifs... and the odds are overwhelmingly against me...

And none of that matters. They are not like the Klingons I have seen... this must be a warrior elite... The sentries are in place more out of typical Klingon militarism than necessity. They believe they have Tally to themselves... That any Federation members who do manage to beam down will be struck down by their neural-disruptor before they become a problem. That is my advantage. It will not last long.

Appendices

Appearance

• TOS comic: "Uhura's Story"