Main Bridge Current Mission Crew Manifest Application Holodeck Mission Logs History of the Cortez Site Awards Ship Tour Engineering Ship Specifications Science Communications What is PBEM? Webrings Betazed BBS Links

Our vessel is not the first ship to carry the name Cortez, as is obvious by the ship's registery. The original USS Cortez served in the Starfleet fifth fleet and was part of the group assigned to retake Deep Space Nine (DS9: 'Favor the Bold' and 'Sacrifice of Angels') during the height of the Dominion War. After the battle, the Cortez was assigned to Deep Space nine before after several months the ship was horribly destroyed (DS9: 'Far Beyond the Stars') while on patrol. For several months things passed normally and finally the war ended. It was decided that in honor of those lost, that the newest vessel off the production line be christened the USS Cortez-A. Our ship's plaque proudly reads: For those who have gone before us. And to furthur honor those lost, we have been assigned to help protect what they fought for...tranquility. Who was Cortez? Cortez was one of the great Spanish conquistadors of the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1519, he landed ashore in the 'New World' where he proceeded to conquer what is nowaday Mexico and southern Texas. He was able to defeat the entire Aztec empire with only a fraction the number of soldiers the Aztec's had. Many of the things the Spanish brought were introduced for the first time ever to the Aztecs. Overwhelmed that it might be the recoming of their god, Quetzalcoatl, Cortez was able to conquer literally hundreds of thousands of people, truly being one of the greatest military victorys ever.