USS Yangtzee Kiang

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The Yangtzee Kiang on the landing platform

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The Yangtzee Kiang rendezvousing with a bird-of-prey

The USS Yangtzee Kiang (NCC-72453) was a Federation Danube-class runabout, in service during the year 2369.

One of the first three runabouts assigned to Deep Space 9, the Yangtzee Kiang was delivered to the station by the USS Enterprise-D shortly before stardate 46388. Following the disappearance of the USS Rio Grande into what would later be known as the Bajoran wormhole, the Yangtzee Kiang pursued a Cardassian Galor-class cruiser under the command of Gul Dukat, who was attempting to open the phenomenon. The Yangtzee was unsuccessful, and was witness to the wormhole's sealing shortly after. (DS9: "Emissary")

Not long after, the Yangtzee Kiang was used by Bajoran terrorist Tahna Los in an attempt to destroy the wormhole using a bilitrium-based explosive device. After rendezvousing with a Klingon bird-of-prey, his attempt was thwarted by Major Kira Nerys. (DS9: "Past Prologue")

Later that year, the Yangtzee Kiang took Kai Opaka through the wormhole to visit the Gamma Quadrant, where it crashed on a penal moon 0.35 lightyears from the Idran system terminus. The Yangtzee Kiang had received a mysterious subspace signal from an artificial satellite orbiting the moon and was fired upon in orbit. The vessel was unrecoverable. (DS9: "Battle Lines")

The Yangtzee Kiang was replaced at Deep Space 9 by the USS Orinoco. (DS9: "The Siege")

Named after the Yangtzee River in eastern China.

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