USS Rutledge
From Star Trek: Theurgy Wiki
The USS Rutledge (NCC-57295) was a Federation starship of the New Orleans-class. Commissioned in 2340. As a frigate, it saw extensive duty in a patrol role along the various borders of Federation territory, most notably along the Romulan, Klingon, and Cardassian borders.
In 2348, the Rutledge discovered an escape pod containing a Starfleet Medical Officer and a three-week old baby boy. The duo was dropped off at Starbase 173, prior to the Rutledge resuming its patrol duties along the Federation side of the Romulan Neutral Zone.
While under the command of Benjamin Maxwell in 2362, the Rutledge was the first starship to respond to distress signals sent from the colonists of Setlik III, who had been under attack by Cardassians. Thankfully, due to the efforts of an away team led by Ben Maxwell himself, and notably Miles O’Brien, the attack was turned back, saving dozens of civilians, and thirteen Starfleet Officers that had been taken prisoner. However, several crew members of the Rutledge were injured, and killed during the battle, which would later go on to be known as the Setlik III Massacre. (TNG: “The Wounded”) Andrew Fisher served aboard the Rutledge during the Setlik III Massacre, as part of a second away team attempting to shuttle down to the planet. This shuttle was shot down from the skies, and crash landed in the outskirts of the stricken colony, killing all but Fisher and one other Officer. It was during the crash, when Fisher sustained severe injuries to his lower spinal column, which resulted in near paralysis from the waist down.
In 2373, Keval ch’Rayya was assigned to the Rutledge. Posted as a Junior Tactical Officer, he would serve on in this function during the brief Federation-Klingon war of that same year. He would later assume the role of Assistant Chief Tactical Officer during the Starfleet counter-attack led on the Archanis sector, led by the Rutledge and USS Tecumseh. (DS9: “Nor the Battle to the Strong”)
(Sources: Memory Alpha, Memory Beta, and Daystrom Institute of Technology)
