Object
USS Charleston
A mid‑sized, polished Federation transport cruiser whose alloy hull catches bridge lighting; standard saucer‑and‑nacelle silhouette gives way to a functional shuttle bay and berthing modules implied by its role. Markings and docking hardware read as serviceable rather than ceremonial. The Charleston arrives as a pragmatic transfer vessel: Picard directs the handoff at a composed remove, Ralph lashes out at the material loss, Sonny brightens at the chance for a new start, and Data logs the transfer with clinical interest.
5 appearances
Purpose
To act as a rendezvous transport vessel that receives and conveys passengers — specifically the three revived twenty‑first‑century guests — from the Enterprise to a starbase or Earth for care and reintegration.
Significance
Serves as the immediate plot catalyst for the guests' removal from the Enterprise and embodies institutional logistics and authority; its scheduled handoff forces a moral and tactical debate aboard the Enterprise, crystallizing Picard's insistence on humane, deliberate care over rushed expedience.
Appearances in the Narrative
When this object appears and how it's used