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A Sheliak colony ship was a type of starship used by the reclusive Sheliak species for the transport of "the membership", which was their term for "colonists".

In 2366 one such ship was about to arive at Tau Cygna V, leading the Sheliak to request the removal of a Human colony on Tau Cygna V. This represented the first contact between the Federation and Sheliak in 111 years. The USS Enterprise-D intercepted the ship. Asking for a consultation under the Treaty of Armens, Jean-Luc Picard and Deanna Troi boarded the ship to discuss with the commander about getting more time. Viewing Picard's response to its refusal as an emotional outburst, Picard and Troi were beamed back to the Enterprise. The commander finally relented when Picard used the treaty to delay them, and it waited three weeks to continue to Tau Cygna V. (TNG: "The Ensigns of Command")

The colony ship was identified as a Sheliak warship in the script. [1]
The colony ship was a modified version of the Merchantman model first used in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. (Star Trek Encyclopedia (3rd ed., p. 441)) The most obvious modifications were two long protuberances and the distinctive blue coloring. For more information on history of this studio model, please see Studio models.
The interior of the ship was a re-dress of the USS Enterprise-D battle bridge. ("Star Trek Encyclopedia", 3rd ed., p. 441)
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