During the Borg invasion of the Beta Quadrant in 2409, the Borg boarded the U.S.S. Kashima and assimilated over half the crew before ship’s captain Capt. Alan Rhys Sollace and his people were able to draw a line in the sand and hold that line.
Alan saw it somewhat like trying to dig a fire line with the forest fire you are fighting raging all about, constantly jumping said line.
In this case, it took several times before Alan and his people were able to dig in secure enough to not just hold the line, but slowly step-by-step drive the Borg from their ship.
Many among the Borg killed were freshly assimilated members of the Kashima’s own crew, meaning Alan was forced to kill those whom he had pledged himself to lead and protect as ship’s commander.
Toss in his ship ended up being decommissioned due to the extensive damage received in the engagement.
Alan lost many friends to the Borg during that invasion … including his best friend Rhys who had been assimilated into the Collective.
Instead of accepting command of another ship, Capt. Sollace instead accepted transfer to the Björkö Fleet Yards in the Moskoe Anchorage region, located along the outer edge of the Malstrom Expanse.
His assignment was to oversee a project that sought to take older ship classes and see them upgraded to modern specifications as Starfleet was seeking to replenish its numbers following the Klingon Federation War and the Borg invasion.
This included upgrades to the older Ambassador-class as well as the slightly newer Sagan, Odyssey and Excelsior II class cruisers.
It was during the trial runs of the U.S.S. Adventure (an Ambassador / Horatio-class hybrid) that Alan began to feel the old stirrings of joy that came from being in the centerseat of a starship.
Just weeks later came the Undine invasion with an Undine assault force attacking the Cordra Shipyards.
Capt. Sollace organized a defense by launching any ship within the yards capable of flying and putting up a fight. Ships that could fly but not fight were used to evacuate as many civilians as possible from the yards.
Among the ships that could fight was a new Excelsior II-class cruiser that was considered ready for trials … the U.S.S. Sam Houston which was thus christened with fire.
Alan used the Sam Houston to coordinate the defense of the Yards, pushing back and defeating the Undine invaders.
Hell, some even say he blasted the doors off spacedock when they refused to open, just so as to reach the fight and save more lives.
Granted a “golden ticket” by the Starfleet brass for his actions that day, Sollace chose command of the Sam Houston, claiming its centerseat as his own.
With regards to Sam Houston, there was some debate on just which registry the ship itself should bear.
At first, she was to be given registry NCC-44177, but as the one overseeing the ship’s final construction … Allen challenged it.
He pointed towards the original Loknar-class ship that once carried the name … U.S.S. Sam Houston (NCC-4177).
The ship and crew of that Sam Houston (the captain of whom he not only met but had become friends with) had proven themselves over and over again.
There might not have been a single universe saving moment for them, but they had made a difference on more occasions than could be easily counted.
And in Alan’s eyes, that mattered just as much as if not more than a single moment in the spotlight.
As such, he was quick to also point out the U.S.S. Defiant (NX-74205) which had proven itself time and time again during the Dominion War, also earning such an honor for its many such acts.
Allen pointed out the Loknar-class Sam Houston had proven itself worthy of honor, respect and continuing recognition by having her registry passed on to new generations of starships.
So, it was the Excelsior II-class became the third ship to bear the name and the second to hold the registry as she was christened U.S.S. Sam Houston (NCC-4177-A).
And as Capt. Alan Sollace took command of her, he relished in the idea of getting back to the life of an explorer.
But that’s when the galaxy at large was about to fall apart yet again … not once, not twice, but several more times.
