Starbase 13 was a Federation starbase located on the edge of the Federation Phalanx in the Marrat Nebula, bordering the Klingon Empire. Starbase 13 was one of 30 outposts that operate in the Phalanx. (TOS novel: Enterprise: The First Adventure; EV comic: "The Fires of Pharos")
History and specifics[]
Starbase 13 was originally built to police the Marrat region, keeping piracy and other criminal affairs in check. However by 2254 the base, under command of Commodore Hal Wyeth, had itself become the target of frequent raids and unofficially became known as "Fort Apache". In response Starfleet began Project Pharos on a nearby planet; A scheme to build a huge galactic lighthouse. This plan initially provoked more raids on the station by an unusual alliance of Orion, Arcturan, Khodini and renegade Human forces in a plan masterminded by the Klingons. The situation was eventually resolved when the USS Enterprise arrived to drive off the brigand and confront the Klingons. (EV comic: "The Fires of Pharos")
On shore leave, Number One was once followed around Starbase 13 by two fleet officers hoping to make her acquaintance. (TOS novel: Vulcan's Glory)
In 2264, the Enterprise visited Starbase 13 with the Warp-Speed Classic Vaudeville Company in an attempt to boost morale on the base. (TOS novel: Enterprise: The First Adventure)
At some point prior to the mid-2260s, the crew of the USS Mandela took shore leave on Starbase 13, except for Hiromi Takeshewada, who decided to catch up on her paperwork. (TOS - The Brave and the Bold, Book One novella: The First Artifact)
In 2267, the Enterprise returned to Starbase 13 shortly after stardate 3378.7 for repairs, after having to separate the saucer section from the drive section. (TOS - Star Trek: The Manga - Shinsei Shinsei comic: "'Til Death")
By 2268, Admiral Westervliet Komack was based on Starbase 13. In that year, Captain James T. Kirk contacted Komack and requested that the Enterprise be allowed to continue following the Yonada asteroid ship instead of the scheduled patrol of the Romulan Neutral Zone. (TOS - Crucible novel: Provenance of Shadows)
In 2269, the Enterprise was en route to the station, when it received a distress call from the Ephrata Institute on the planet, Ephrata IV. (TOS novel: The Weight of Worlds)
Later that year, while the Enterprise underwent general maintenance for at least a few days at Starbase 13, her crew enjoyed shore leave. James T. Kirk, Spock, and Leonard McCoy watched a magic show. Famous senso-artist Gilla Dupree visited the starbase to meet with trader Merkle and learned the whereabouts of her missing father Jacob Kell. (TOS novel: Devil World)
By the mid-2280s, the base was under the command of Commodore Garrett. In 2285, the base came under attack by the mirror universe starship ISS Enterprise. Thankfully the attack was repelled by the station's defense fighters, but the USS Courageous, which was docked at the station, suffered heavy damage. (TOS - The Mirror Universe Saga comic: "Double Image")
Shortly after, an unconscious Captain Lawrence Styles arrived at the station aboard a Terran Empire shuttle which had been launched from the ISS Enterprise. (TOS - The Mirror Universe Saga comic: "Deadly Reflection!")
Following this, the survivors of the Courageous were brought to the base by the USS Excelsior. (TOS - The Mirror Universe Saga comic: "The Tantalus Trap!")
Lyndra Dean went to the station to get an interview with Commodore Garrett. (TOS - The Mirror Universe Saga comic: "Homecoming...")
In the late 2350s, some construction of the USS Enterprise-D was performed at Starbase 13. Miles O'Brien was serving as part of the construction crew at the time, which was why he requested to serve on the Enterprise five years later. (DS9 novel: Fallen Heroes)
Appendices[]
Connections[]
| Marrat star system | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marrat primary star/Marrat Nebula: Pharos siteworld • Starbase 13 |  
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
