USS Rubicon
The USS Rubicon (NCC-72936) was a 24th century Federation  runabout operated by Starfleet. This ship, a replacement for the , was assigned to Deep Space 9 in late 2371. Commander Benjamin Sisko suggested the name of the river Rubicon for the new runabout, to which Major Kira Nerys remarked that at the rate they went through runabouts it was a good thing Earth had so many rivers. ()

In early 2372, the Rubicon, carrying Doctor Julian Bashir and Chief Miles O'Brien, was forced down on Bopak III by a subspace magneton pulse. It was discovered that the pulse had been sent by a group of Jem'Hadar on the planet's surface, who were seeking help to combat withdrawal symptoms from their ketracel-white addiction. After some unsuccessful attempts, they were allowed to leave. ()

Later that year, Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax asked Captain Sisko for his permission to send a science team to a trinary star system. Sisko told her they could take the Rubicon. ()

On stardate 51474.2, the Rubicon was used to investigate a rare subspace compression anomaly. Due to unexpected circumstances, the Rubicon, with a crew of three (Dax, O'Brien, and Bashir), was forced to re-enter normal space by an alternate path, resulting in the vessel shrinking to a length of 6.5 centimeters. It was later safely reverted to its original size after helping to thwart a Jem'Hadar takeover of the . ()

The Rubicon, along with the  and , evacuated Deep Space 9 prior to the battle of the Reckoning that occurred there in late 2374. ()

Appendices

Appearances 
 
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Background information 
After Sisko tells Kira Nerys to name the ship the Rubicon, Kira remarks that "at the rate we go through runabouts, it's a good thing Earth has a lot of rivers." This was the first dialogue reference to the fact that all the runabouts seen on Star Trek were named after Earth rivers.

The  stated this runabout was "named after the  in Italy that was of strategic importance to Caesar in 49 BC".

The Rubicon was introduced after the Mekong was abandoned in battle in . "The Die is Cast" was the phrase said to be uttered by Caesar when he crossed the Rubicon. The Rubicon was Deep Space 9's longest serving runabout after the USS Rio Grande.

The studio model of the Rubicon was featured in the Christie's 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection, which sold from US$28,000 ($33,600 with premium).

Apocrypha 
The Rubicon was used by Benjamin Sisko and Elim Garak to travel to Earth in the  Hollow Men. The Rubicon was still in service in 2383, at the time of the Star Trek: Typhon Pact novel Raise the Dawn.

External link 
 

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Rubicon