U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 (Kelvin)

U.S.S. Enterprise at Saturn (ST11)

The Federation Starship Enterprise, a Constitution class cruiser, was commissioned on Stardate 2258.42. Originally commanded by Captain Christopher Pike, the Enterprise quickly went through a succession of temporary captains during an attack on the Federation by a rogue Romulan, Nero, from an alternate future. Nero captured Captain Pike, who left Commander Spock, his first officer, in command, with Starfleet Academy cadet James T. Kirk, breveted to Lieutenant for the duration of the crisis, as Spock's first officer. After Nero destroyed Vulcan with Red Matter, a powerful substance from the future, Spock relinquished command, leaving Kirk as the ship's third captain in a matter of hours. Kirk was able to prevent Nero from destroying Earth, detonating the Red Matter and destroying Nero's ship, the Narada, and was promoted and officially named captain of the Enterprise.

A year later, Kirk and the Enterprise crew were instrumental in uncovering a plot by a secret organization, Section 31, to instigate a war with the Klingon Empire. An apparent rogue Section 31 agent, John Harrison, was revealed to be Khan Noonian Singh, an infamous dictator and Augment from Earth's Eugenics Wars of the late 20th century. Section 31 had discovered Khan's ship, the S.S. Botany Bay, adrift in space, with Khan and dozens of his followers suspended in cryogenic freeze. The Enterprise was sent to capture Khan after he bombed a Section 31 facility in London, then attacked an emergency meeting at Starfleet Command, killing several senior officers, including Pike. Khan seized control of the U.S.S. Vengeance, an experimental battleship that he helped Section 31 create, and attempted to attack Starfleet Command again, but was stopped by the Enterprise, which was heavily damaged. Following the incident, the Enterprise underwent a year-long refit before embarking on its first five-year mission.