Bajoran vessel

Bajoran vessel
Owner:	Bajoran Provisional Government Cardassian Union
Operator:	Bajoran Militia Cardassian military
Crew complement:	1 (Scout)

The Bajoran starship was a versatile type of warp capable starship utilized by the Bajoran Militia as an assault vessel, scout ship, and transport ship in the late-24th century. The Cardassian Union also used this type of vessel as an freighter during the war with the Klingons in 2372-73.

Utilized by the Bajorans following the Occupation of Bajor for a variety of uses, specifically as a one man scout and for transporting their soldiers in numbers as a transport vessel. Like the Antares-class carriers, these vessels frequently made routine stops at Deep Space 9 during the 2370s.

Usage

After stealing an antimatter converter from the Cardassians, Tahna Los attempted to return to Bajoran space aboard a Bajoran scout ship, only to be pursued by the Cardassian warship Aldara. Tahna attempted to shake the warship with evasive maneuvers, but eventually succumbed to several phaser hits before the scouts' structural integrity failed. The Aldara managed to destroy the scout moments after Tahna was transported aboard Deep Space 9, where he immediately requested political asylum. (DS9: "Past Prologue")

Three of these vessels docked at Deep Space 9, in 2370, during the temporary siege of the station by the Alliance for Global Unity, also known as The Circle. (DS9: "The Siege")

The Cardassians also operated at least one ship of this class following the Occupation, which was at the time referred to as a Cardassian freighter. In 2372, this vessel was used for a convoy mission to Pentath III. The ship was engaged by a group of Klingon raiders that were attacking the freighters, an engagement which eventually set the stage for the apparent, and inadvertent destruction of a Klingon civilian transport ship. (DS9: "Rules of Engagement")

In 2373, Deep Space 9 was evacuated of all civilian personnel aboard Bajoran transports prior to the Second Battle of Deep Space 9. (DS9: "Call to Arms")

In 2375, Bajoran transports were utilized in the Bajoran blockade of Derna against the Romulans, lead by Colonel Kira. (DS9: "Shadows and Symbols")

Appendices

Appearances

• DS9:
  • "Past Prologue" (scout)
  • "A Man Alone" (transport)
  • "The Siege" (assault vessel)
  • "The Visitor" (transport)
  • "Sons of Mogh" (transport}
  • "Rules of Engagement" (Cardassian freighter)
  • "A Simple Investigation" (transport)
  • "Ties of Blood and Water" (transport)
  • "In the Cards" (transport)
  • "Call to Arms" (transport)
  • "The Reckoning" (transport)
  • "Shadows and Symbols" (assault vessel)
  • "Prodigal Daughter" (transport)

Background information

Footage of these vessels docking at Deep Space 9 was often reused and from the first episode, "The Way of the Warrior" of season four onwards, it is present in every episode as it appears as one of the docking vessels in the revamped title sequence.

Studio models

File:Bajoran assault vessel studiomodel.jpg

The studio model

According to Michael Okuda, "The model was originally designed at Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic." (40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection Auction Catalog, Part One, 2006, p. 251) If that statement holds, it has yet to be ascertained what production it had been originally intended for, a ship designed along these lines has not been identified in any of the Trek productions ILM worked on prior to 1992. Dan Curry performed some redesign on the model and the subsequent modifications were done at Gregory Jein's workshop by model maker Bruce MacRae in the closing months of 1992. [1] The model, measuring 24×15 inches, made its debut as a scout ship in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season one episode "Past Prologue".

It was common practice for the production department to re-designate, redress, and/or rebuild lesser known studio models, both physical and later on CGI models as well. Out of time and cost considerations to appear as ships belonging to various alien races all over the Trek universe, the Merchantman, Batris, Mondor, and Jovis being prime examples (the latter two share a generic triangular design with the Bajoran model and should not be confused with it). This studio model was one of the few exceptions to the rule, once designated Bajoran, it was never modified nor did it change affiliation during its lifespan, its one time, otherwise unmentioned appearance in a Cardassian convoy in "Rules of Engagement" notwithstanding. Its presence there could easily be explained as captured Bajoran vessels pressed into Cardassian service (the Cardassians had plenty of opportunity to do so during their occupation of Bajor).

The model belonged to one of the last batches of existing studio models being transformed into CGI models in 1998 for the Deep Space Nine season seven episode "Shadows and Symbols". The CGI version, built at Digital Muse, made its first and last appearance in the episode, its one time later appearance having been stock footage of the physical model. [2]^(X) Brought in for the occasion by the company was freelance digital artist Tim Wilcox to help out its team with the translation. Wilcox was assigned the Bajoran starship, as well as the Bajoran Antares-class models. Wilcox recollected on his involvement, "I was hired for roughly 4-6 weeks at Digital Muse to handle converting these two models. The technology was not where it is today to allow for detailed, practical models to be scanned on a both economic or aesthetic manner – It needed a human touch. David Stipes had brought the actual models, crated, to Muse and they both became my office mates for the next few weeks. I photographed the models to assist in both the recreation of the textures and in measuring and accurately modeling the nurnies along the respective hulls. Having the models on hand was the key though, as I constantly was using my ruler to check and double check everything as I was building it. If you look at the top 'bridge' of Freighter 1 [sic., Wilcox referred to the Bajoran starship], you will see that it is a zip kick bottle [a super glue accelerator] in real life that was re-purposed into a cool bit of spaceship. All the modeling was done in Lightwave and the texturing was in Photoshop. After the hero, detailed models were finished, I also circled back and built low poly proxy version which aid tremendously in the animation process and are replaced out prior to final renders of shots." [3]

The physical filming model itself, known as Lot 498, being part of the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction and estimated at US$4,000-$6,000, was eventually sold on 6 October 2006 with a winning bid of US$4,000 (US$4,800 including buyer's premium). A wooden camera test model, unusual for its kind, of the Bajoran transport (or assault vessel) was sold as lot 8846 in the It's A Wrap! sale and auction for US$127.50 on 19 September 2009, whereas a second, far more common foam core one, had already been sold on 28 March 2008 as lot 7166 on for US$142.50.

Apocrypha

The Star Trek Customizable Card Game names these ships as "Janitza-class" ships.

External link

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