Summary
Star Trek’s future is a time of plenty and one where human nature has been replaced bya drive for relentless self-improvement. Yet while this mindset is central to life in the franchise’s prime reality, there is a place where things are different: the Mirror Universe. In theStar TrekMirror Universe, heroes are villains, women’s fashion is scandalous, and Spock… has a beard. All things considered, the dimension isn’t exactly coherent, but it’s a fun twist onStar Trek’s norms.
Indeed, for all its in-built silliness, the Mirror Universe is home to some of the franchise’s most iconic characters, storylines, and, of course, starships. From the gigantic IKSNegh’Varto book-exclusive hero ships, the Mirror Universe has plenty to offer for fans of high-tech vessels.
8Bashir’s Raider
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (Season 4, Episode 19; Shattered Mirror)
Bashir’s raider wasa shuttle-like vesselused by the Mirror Universe versions of Julian Bashir and Jadzia Dax in their fight against the Klingon–Cardassian Alliance. Although the raider was relatively small (resembling a mix of a Federation attack fighter and a runabout), it was able to distract Klingon and Cardiassian forces when they attacked Terok Nor in 2373. This distraction bought the rebels vital time to bring their version of USSDefiantinto the fight.
Given that co-pilot Jadzia Dax was eventually killed by Alliance forces, it is likely that the raider lacked the defensive capabilities of a larger starship. However, it was still able to pack a punch when it joined the newly launched ISSDefiantin its battle against Regent Worf’s flagship.
7CSS ShiKahr
Star Trek: The Next Generation Novel: Silent Weapons (David Mack, 2012)
Thepost-Next Generationnovelscontinued the voyages of Jean-Luc Picard and William T. Riker, but they also dipped back into the Mirror Universe to further explore the outcome ofDeep Space Nine’s Terran Rebellion. Thanks to intervention by the Mirror Universe Spock, the rebellion succeeded in overthrowing the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance in 2378. One of the ships involved in this effort was the CSSShiKahr, although it suffered a strange fate.
Breen operatives attempted to hijack theShiKahrin 2386, having previously encountered a similar vessel that crashed in the prime universe three years earlier. However, due to an error in the ship’s jaunt-drive (a more advanced system than warp drive), the ship exited the Mirror Universe and fell backward in time, becoming the same ship that the Breen had attempted to recover in the past. TheShiKahr, then, became an example of a predestination paradox: the Breen were inspired to steal it because it had crashed, which led again to the initial crash.
6ISS Enterprise (NX-01)
Star Trek: Enterprise(Season 4, Episodes 18 & 19; In a Mirror, Darkly)
Star Trek: Enterprisecontinued its attempts to defy cancelation by bringing back several classic tropes, including the Mirror Universe. As well as offering viewers redesigned outfits and evil personas for the regular crew, the episode showed a colorful variation on theEnterprise(NX-01). This version of theEnterprisealso carried a Suliban cloaking device, allowing the ship to conceal itself.
The ISSEnterprise(NX-01) was destroyed in 2155 while attempting to recovertheConstitution-classUSSDefiantfrom Tholian space. However, many of the crew were able to escape to the advancedDefiant, which they intended to use to take over the Terran Empire.
5IKS Negh’Var
The IKSNegh’Var, usually referred to as the Regent’s flagship, was a gigantic vessel used by the Klingon Regent Worf in the Mirror Universe. While it resembledthe typical Negh’Var warshipseen throughoutStar Trek, it was far larger in scale, dwarfing Cardassian and Klingon vessels alike. In fact, a larger model of the ship was created byDeep Space Nine’s production team to properly indicate its scale.
In 2372, it took part in an attempt to wrest back control of Terok Nor from the Terran Rebellion, though it was forced to retreat after an attack by a replica of the USSDefiant. The massive ship was upgraded in 2375 using a cloaking device stolen from the prime universe. However, the device was sabotaged, and both the ship itself and Regent Worf were captured by the Terran rebels.
4ISS Enterprise
Star Trek: The Original Series (Season 2, Episode 4; Mirror, Mirror)
Following an encounter with an ion storm in 2267, several members of the USSEnterprise’s crew found themselves transported to the Mirror Universe, where they emerged aboard the ISSEnterprise, the evil counterpart to their own heroicConstitution-class starship. While visually the ISSEnterprisehas much in common with its prime universe iteration, there are several features that set it apart.
The most notable of these were the agony booths, torture devices designed to keep the crew in line. However, although the ISSEnterprisewas a place of brutal repression, it also served as the springboard for a hopeful future, as the prime Kirk was able toconvince the Mirror Universe version of Spockthat the Terran Empire was in need of reforms.
3CSS Enterprise
Star Trek: Mirror Universe Novel: Rise Like Lions (David Mack, 2011)
Author David Mack resolved the still-dangling threads ofDeep Space Nine’s Mirror Universe series in 2011’sRise Like Lions, which showed the victory of the Terran Rebellion. Masterminded bythe Mirror version of Spock, the rebel victory was made possible by jaunt ships such as the CSSEnterprise, an advanced vessel under the command of the Mirror Jean-Luc Picard.
In 2378, the CSSEnterpriseattacked Klingon and Cardassian forces, paving the way for the overthrow of their tyrannical alliance. Eight years later, the ship took part in a diplomatic mission involving the Mirror Universe’s Dominion, ensuring peace between the Gamma Quadrant civilization and the Commonwealth. While the CSSEnterprisewas destroyed during an encounter with the Devidians in 2387, its storied history rivals that of Prime Picard’s ownEnterprise.
2ISS Charon
Star Trek: Discovery (Season 1, Episode 12 Vaulting Ambition)
One of theStar Trekfranchise’s most visually arresting designs, the ISSCharonserved as the headquarters and residence for the ruler of the Terran Empire when the USSDiscoverycrossed into the dimension in 2256.The city-sized starshipdrew its energy from a mycelial power core, enabling it to rain down devastation on all who opposed the Terran Empire.
The ISSCharonserved as the backdrop for an attempted coup by the Mirror Universe version of Gabriel Lorca. Lorca intended to overthrow Emperor Philippa Georgiou, seizing both the ship and the throne. However, his coup was foiled and the ISSCharonwas destroyed by the USSDiscovery.
1ISS Defiant
It is often said that imitiation is the sincerest form of flattery. This was certainly the case for the Terran Rebellion who, impressed by the performance ofStarfleet’s USSDefiant, stole the schematics of the powerful warship from Deep Space Nine in 2371. Captain Sisko was coerced into re-entering the Mirror Universe to assist in the replica vessel’s construction, which the rebels needed to defend Terok Nor from a Klingon–Cardassian counterattack.
The resulting ISSDefianthelped the Terran rebels not only in their defense of Terok Nor but also in the wider conflict against the Klingon–Cardassian Alliance. In 2375, theDefiantcaptured the gigantic IKSNegh’Var, marking the beginning of the end for Regent Worf’s oppressive regime.
