- For other uses, see Valiant.
The USS Valiant (NCC-2252) was a Federation starship, a light cruiser that was in service to Starfleet in the late 23rd century.
Service history and disposition
This ship was assigned to the Romulan Empire's border with the Federation in the late 2270s decade, and in the year 2276 Valiant rushed to the rescue of the Terran luxury starliner Vega. The Vega, under Captain J. Michael Reaves, was carrying over 4,273 passengers when it was seized by the Romulan Imperial Fleet vessel Avenger under subCommander tr'Annhwi. The Avenger, a Klingon K'hanakh-class frigate in Romulan service, tractored the Vega and escaped into Romulan space before the Valiant could get there. (TOS - Rihannsu novel: The Romulan Way)
This ship was a successor of a number of vessels named Valiant, after a previous Constitution-class USS Valiant that was lost in the line of duty. This vessel was succeeded in its name by a later ship, the Excelsior-class USS Valiant II. (ST reference: Star Fleet Technical Manual; FASA RPG modules: Federation Ship Recognition Manual, Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual)
Appendices
Connections
Background
While it could seem contradictory that there were two Valiant vessels in service at the same time, there is also the Constitution-class USS Valiant II in service from the 2250s to at least the 2280s. It could be presumed that Valiant II could have been taken out of service, and the light cruiser was so named Valiant in the interim before the preceding vessel returned to duty. Alternately, it could have been that one or both sources describe an alternate reality, and the two vessels did not coexist.