Deep Space 9 (Vanguard)

Deep Space Nine, or more fondly called DS9, is a Federation Starbase that became one of the single most strategically, historically, and socially important outposts in the entire Milky Way Galaxy. The station is of Cardassian design, built by Bajoran slave labor between 2351 and 2356. Called Terok Nor by the Cardassians, the station was used for the processing of Uridium ore by Bajoran laborers. After the Cardassian withdrawal in 2369, the provisional government of the newly-established Republic of Bajor petitioned the United Federation of Planets for relief efforts and Federation Member status, and offered to allow Starfleet to administer the station as a starbase, prompting its new designation.

Station Layout
Deep Space Nine consists of three main areas: The central core which contains the power core, the Promenade and Ops. The Habitat ring which provides quarters for crew and visitors and is connected to the rest of the station by large bridges and the outer Docking ring which can accommodate numerous small ships and has six docking pylons to allow larger vessels to dock.

Ship and Auxiliary Craft Complement
The Defiant class prototype, the USS Defiant, became the first starship complement of Deep Space Nine in 2370. Upon her destruction at the Second Battle of Chin'toka, she was replaced by the USS São Paulo in 2375. But Captain Benjamin L. Sisko, the Commanding Officer of DS9, received special dispensation from Starfleet Operations to rename the São Paulo to USS Defiant in honor of the fallen USS Defiant.

Aside from the Defiant, DS9 has an auxiliary craft complement of three (3) Danube class runabouts.

Vanguard Command Timeline
By 2385, DS9 had received considerable improvements on its structure under the supervision of Captain Kira Nerys. More Federation technology was incorporated into her systems, two more Defiant class starships were added to her ship complement, three (3) Delta Flyer class shuttlecrafts and three (3) more Danube class runabouts were added to her auxiliary craft complement, and she was structurally enlarged to have thrice the capacity she previously had.

All these changes were in preparation for DS9's attachment to Starfleet's Vanguard Command in that same year. All of DS9's denizens who had been on the station before and during the Dominion War were all too happy for her new designation as one of Vanguard Commands major bases of operations. Because along with it was the return of Rear Admiral (lower grade) Benjamin L. Sisko, the Yamato class Heavy Battleship USS Dauntless, and Task Force Dauntless. Sisko's new command was going to have DS9 as its base of operations.