Description

Star Trek: StarDate Collection – Volume 1 {The Early Voyages}         Sealed Hardcover
Writers: John Byrne, James Patrick, Scott and David Tipton, Ian Edginton, Dan Abnett & Various
Artists: John Byrne, Patrick Zircher, Greg Adams, Josep Maria Beroy & Various

To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before.

Spanning multiple eras and publishers, this unprecedented volume collects the Star Trek comics in order by stardate!

The comic book tales of Star Trek have roamed the universe and spanned publishers, but now Star Trek: The Stardate Collection collects the many iterations of Trek in order…by stardate! Helmed by Star Trek experts Scott and David Tipton, and featuring special commentary and creator interviews, Volume 1: The Early Voyages starts at the beginning to reveal the motives, machinations and decisions that shaped the intrepid crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. It’s a perfect starting point for new and old fans alike. Hugely ambitious in scope and featuring work by some of comics’ greatest talents-including legendary X-Men and Superman writer/artist John Byrne-this must-have volume boldly goes where no Star Trek collection has gone before.

Star Trek StarDate Collection contains:Star Trek: Crew (Issues #1-5)

First in issue #1, “Shakedown”, Eight years prior to Starfleet’s first contact with the inhabitants of Talos IV, [1] a quartet of Starfleet cadets – three men (Griggs, Colin, and McCormick) and an unnamed woman – arrive via shuttlecraft aboard an as-yet-uncommissioned Constitution-class Federation starship, designation NX-0002, to join the skeleton crew that will operate the ship during its shakedown cruise. The female cadet in this group is the woman who will eventually rise to the position of first officer under Captain Christopher Pike during the latter’s command of the USS Enterprise. While the newly-arrived, cadets receive their required physicals in sickbay, the medical staff mentions that three other cadets – Ramirez, Osterman, and Brenner – have thus far failed to report for examination. After a speech by the ship’s temporary commanding officer, the aging Admiral Charles Rasmussen, the NX-0002 departs from Earth orbit. The female cadet, assigned to engineering, notices irregularities in the ship’s warp drive, and the lieutenant in charge sends her and Cadet McCormick to investigate the problem as the ship enters the Sol system’s Oort cloud. The two encounter Cadet Ramirez in the starboard nacelle, who immediately draws a phaser and vaporizes McCormick. After knocking Ramirez out by throwing her tricorder at him, the female cadet discovers a timed explosive device attached to the nacelle’s structure. She manages to escape with the unconscious Ramirez in tow before the device detonates. As the remaining engineering crew reacts to the damage, they are slain by a phaser-wielding Cadet Osterman, who proceeds to shut down the ship’s primary systems. Nearby, a D7-class Klingon warship emerges from hiding in the Oort cloud debris, and its crew takes the NX-0002 in tow. Back on Earth, a Human body is unearthed by gardeners in San Francisco, apparently fused within the dirt. An autopsy reveals that death was caused by directly beaming the victim into the ground; DNA scan processing identifies the corpse as Starfleet Cadet Ramirez. As emergency power activates on board the NX-0002, the female cadet brings Ramirez to sickbay, where a medical exam reveals that “Ramirez” is actually a Klingon agent. Admiral Rasmussen also arrives in sickbay, having survived the slaughter of the bridge crew (presumably by “Brenner”) at the cost of his right arm, severed by phaser fire. After Rasmussen informs the others of their capture by the Klingon ship, the female cadet conceives a risky plan involving the four shuttlecrafts currently on board: program three shuttles to fly a random pattern to confuse the enemy’s sensors, while a fourth is aimed at a weak point in the Klingon craft’s structure. When Rasmussen realizes that the cadet will have to pilot the fourth shuttle herself to ensure an accurate strike, he forces her out of the shuttle bay and uses a phaser to disable the door controls. Aware of his reputation as an “old dunsel”, Rasmussen intends to prove his worth one last time, rather than allow a young cadet to sacrifice her life. As Rasmussen begins his flight, the female cadet makes her way back to engineering, bringing Griggs along when she encounters him in a corridor. After stunning “Osterman”, the two restore sufficient power to send a distress call, doing so just as Rasmussen successfully cripples the Klingon ship. Before the Klingons can affect repairs, another Constitution-class starship, the NCC-1700, arrives and destroys the enemy warship. After an official inquiry aboard the yet-uncommissioned ship, the captain of the NCC-1700 recommends commendations to the surviving crew of the NX-0002, and further indicates special commendations for Admiral Rasmussen (posthumously) and the female cadet. However, the cadet declines the special commendation, preferring that full credit for the incident goes to Rasmussen, and accepts the standard commendation with her fellow cadets. As she and Griggs leave the inquiry, they encounter a repair crew replacing a bulkhead panel; the female cadet pauses to sign her name on the interior of the panel, stating her intention to return to the ship at some point in her career, and to do her best to prevent the need of sacrifices such as Rasmussen’s.

Next in issue #2, “The Bottle”, The USS Fortune responds to a distress call from the Earth colony on Tau Alpha III. A landing party finds the colony intact and the population in a trance, but that illusion soon gives way to the true level of decimation, and the team is attacked. The few survivors evacuate to the ship, but the 50-year-old vessel suffers an engine failure, requiring an emergency spacewalk repair while they evade the attackers. Number One and several others are trapped in one compartment, surrounded by hull breaches and facing a loss of heat and atmosphere, but she is able to climb through equipment conduits and reach help before her crewmates perish. Unable to contact the bridge, they climb through heavily damaged sections and find the entire primary hull gone. The remaining crew evacuates to the planet, hoping that the atmospheric ionization will hide them from the attackers, and set the Fortune to detonate when the enemy craft is close, taking them out. The survivors send an emergency signal and await rescue..

Next in issue #3, “Ghosts”, The USS Ventura investigates a lost colony established by 20th century humans who fled the Eugenics Wars. The colonists made their new home in the image of the “simpler” 1960s, but the landing party finds the settlement abandoned and pristine, as though it had never been inhabited. Before long, many colonists do reveal themselves, but their life-signs don’t register on tricorders and the landing party is incarcerated. Duplicates of the team infiltrate the crew and disable several systems in preparation of “replicating the entire crew.” The real team escapes captivity and finds a factory of advanced androids as well as their robot keeper, D-12, who shares the colony’s history: the planet was in the middle of an ice age when the sleeper ship landed. The colonists’ hard existence was made even worse when they discovered they’d all been rendered sterile by the environment. Three robots, greatly enhanced by a resident computer savant, served the humans until they too expired, ultimately leaving D-12 the last survivor. On his deathbed, the savant gave D-12 a new mission: establish the colony they had all dreamed of. It constructed the present settlement and built android replicas of the deceased, but now it plans to hold the Ventura crew to preserve the colony. Number One objects and disables D-12, and by extension, all of the androids it controlled. Though she regrets the “death” of the colony, she stands by her actions to protect the ship and crew, earning another in a long line of commendations. Three months later, she is promoted to full lieutenant and transferred to the USS Enterprise.

Next in issue #4, “Shadows of the Past”, A Federation shuttlecraft transfers newly assigned crewmembers, including Christopher Pike and Number One, to the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Robert April. The ship encounters turbulence when it passes through a powerful transporter beam. The beam’s end point is traced to planet Alpha Tau IV and Captain April orders the ship to investigate. A landing party led by Lieutenant Commander Pike beams to the planet’s surface, but two of the party, Science officer Dorak Luabba and Ensign Reed, are killed by primitive traps. Pike orders an emergency transport of the remaining three crew back to the ship. Aboard the Enterprise, they discover five nearly identical settlements of human beings and decide to beam down into one of the settlements to investigate. Once in the settlement, they discover the tribal humans speak English, but then another tribe attacks and abducts Number One. Doctor Sarah April brings down one of the attackers and they transport back to the Enterprise to find out where Number One has been taken. On the planet, Number One is told that all the tribesmen are clones created to fight in the southeast Asia wars by Dr. Eugene Eckhart back in the 1960s on Earth. The plan was foiled by Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln, and all 250 of the clones were transported to Alpha Tau IV where they formed the five settlements and made war on each other. Suddenly, Pike and Ensign Baker appear, stun the tribesmen holding Number One and the three of them escape into the trees. Before they reach the transport site, Baker is shot with an arrow. He’s unable to be beamed up due to elements within the arrowhead that interfere with the transporter, so Dr. April beams down, removes the arrowhead, then they all beam back up. Aboard ship, Captain April had contacted Earth Central Command, and shows Pike and Number One a message from Admiral Jorgenson. Much to Number One’s consternation, the Enterprise is to leave the planet and resume its exploration duties while observer ships from the nearest starbase monitor the tribes. Pike finds Number one researching into Robert Lincoln. She tells him that when Roberta was in her seventies, her granddaughter began publishing a series of novels based on the stories her grandmother told her. When asked about the stories, Roberta just said her granddaughter had a very active imagination. After she died it was revealed that the stories were true, but incomplete, and Roberta’s death was just conjecture. Number One tells Pike that Roberta disappeared just before her ninety-first birthday – Her neighbour was the last person to see her as she walked off into the twilight one evening holding a black cat.

Finally in issue #5, “The Ends of Eternity”, The Enterprise finds multiple star systems missing without a trace. The crew plot a course to the next likely target and are trapped within a vortex that delivers them to a seemingly empty realm billions of years in the future. Closer inspection reveals the missing star systems, contained within a massive artificial structure fifty light-years in diameter. While a landing party explores the structure’s inner surface, the ship and crew are subjected to rapid aging, mutation, and time-dilation. Pike, Number One, and Spock make contact with the structure’s inhabitants, noncorporeal beings who are the only remaining life in the universe. They have harvested numerous uninhabited star systems from across space and time in an effort to stop the entropy that will soon destroy all known existence. However, their methods destabilized the systems, which all imploded without effect. The team counsels the beings to accept the end as a normal part of life and to return the Enterprise to its own time and place. The return trip restores the surviving crew to normalcy, but more than a quarter of the crew died and many systems were crippled by the future’s entropic effects. The ship sets a course for home for repairs and resupply. Number One continues to pass up promotions, singularly focusing on the Enterprise’s XO position.
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Star Trek Alien Spotlight: Vulcans

“Captain’s log. We’re in orbit of Magefferus-3. Magefferans are an aggressive hostile race. Beneath the planet’s atmosphere stretches a surface scarred with the debris of countless battles. A small civilian population repulsed by their more war-minded majority has approached the Federation to intervene, after years of their own failures toward peace. While I am surprised the military leaders would even listen to us, I’m not optimistic that our presence can change anything. Or maybe my frame of mind is worse than usual amid the problems the Enterprise has had lately. Some friction has developed among the crew. Our newest addition is Vulcan. I’d met him some time back and was very impressed, so I thought he’d make a good addition to the Enterprise. And while it’s true that the Federation is accepting of other cultures, it’s quite another thing to share a starship with them. Vulcans have served on ships before, but this crew is unfamiliar with them, so their seeming lack of emotion is sometimes mistaken as rudeness or uncaring. The most vocal critic has been our brilliant but high-strung navigator, Lieutenant José Tyler. I’m not the ship’s counselor, but it’s not hard to tell they share opposing dispositions.” Captain Pike is contacted and informed that the landing party is ready to beam down to the planet. Pike meets Tyler in the turbolift, and they discuss the species on the planet below. Tyler asks if Spock will be joining them and asks for permission to speak frankly when the answer is affirmative. He tells Pike that things are getting worse, giving the example of a discussion earlier that day about an incident at Reebi Station where the crew was trying to figure out how they could have gotten both the Enterprise team and hostages out safely. When they’d asked Spock, he responded that he’d have let the hostages die and that he’d come to that decision based on the importance of each hostage and each crew member who’d gone in, and when Smithy said that his brother was a hostage, Spock said that it was irrelevant, almost causing a fight. Pike agrees to think about the situation, worrying that it may not be worth upsetting the balance of the ship. They arrive at the transporter room, where they are told by Spock that the military leaders are waiting for them in the city of Pomapoli. Pike tells Number One not to throw any parties while they are gone. They beam down to the surface and find themselves in the midst of wreckage. It appears that the beam had been diverted. When they try to contact the Enterprise, they discover that their communications are being jammed. They are surrounded by military men who tell them that they were stupid to believe that peace was possible. The leader orders his men to “kill them, cut off their heads, and we will deliver them to the fools who invited them here.” One fires, hitting Reed, a security officer, forcing them to take cover. They discover that their phasers are being jammed, so Spock begins working on changing their frequency. Pike orders him to fix the communicators, but Spock points out that they are more sensitive and that he may not have the right tools. Pike comforts Reed, and all the time, Spock does not seem fazed at all, and fixes the phasers. The crew fires back, killing all of their ambushers. Meanwhile, Reed has died. Spock suggests moving on because reinforcements will surely arrive soon. Tyler tells him to shut up and to give them a moment with their dead crewmate. Spock retorts that a moment is illogical and that they should strip his equipment and move quickly. “Captain’s log. We have been ambushed on Magefferus 3. The Magefferan military do not intend to change their ways, no matter what some civilians believe. With the exception of Spock, the mood remains poor. We lost an excellent man, security officer Daniel Reed. After the mission, we’ll return him to the Enterprise for a proper funeral. Again, Spock seems unaffected. It’s more likely that he’s just not showing it. But I find it troubling. This mission may even confirm that he should be reassigned.” Tyler shows Pike a map of where they currently are, where they were transported to, and where they were supposed to meet the civilian leaders, a location nearby. He suggests attacking the location of the jamming signal and beaming back to the Enterprise. Spock inquiries about the original goal of the mission, and Tyler tells him that it’s over due to their attack, and they get into a debate over continuing the mission, with Tyler taking the tact that the planet can “go to Hell”, and Spock suggesting that “our lives remain insignificant compared to the missions on this planet.” Pike interrupts and takes Tyler’s side of the debate, since he does not want to lose any more lives. They arrive at the site of the jamming device, and set up an attack on it, Spock creating a diversion, which should allow Pike and Tyler to get close enough to the device to destroy it. Unfortunately, the guards spot Pike and Tyler and capture them, injuring Tyler in the process. The rest of the group surrender. The leader pulls his knife and prepares to cut Pike’s throat when one of his underlings stops him saying, “There’s something wrong with this one… his face. There’s nothing on it. No fear for his life. No concern for his comrades. I’ve never seen anything like it.” The Magefferan leader asks Spock what he is, Spock responds that he is a Vulcan, a people that have mastered their emotions. He continues on, telling him that they control their “emotions through discipline and the teachings of Surak,” noting that Vulcans used to be even more savage then the Magefferans. The leader does not believe him and slices Spock’s hand, but Spock shows no reaction. He tells them that he is willing to tell them about himself and his people and show them how they restrain themselves, and all the Magefferans need do is listen to him. “Captain’s log. The Magefferans were so intrigued by Spock, I think they didn’t kill us just so they could keep looking at him. We went from leader to leader as they studied his emotionless face – one with no pain, no fear. It took days, but after speaking with different factions, we convinced many of them to meet their civilian leaders on our ship. I’ve determined our mission was as successful as it could have been under the circumstances. The Federation can handle the rest. More mediators are on their way now, most of them Vulcans. Before we leave, however, there are some loose ends to tie up with the Enterprise.”

Pike calls Tyler into his ready room. Tyler asks if the events have changed his mind about Spock, and Pike tells him that they reminded him why he brought him on board initially. Tyler asks if it is worth upsetting the balance of the crew, and Pike responds that the crew is an excellent one and that they need to act like it and realize that Spock is valuable to the ship and Starfleet, and that personal issues need to be put aside. He tells Tyler that he will talk to Spock and ask him to keep his controversial opinions to himself, but not to expect peace overnight, just as the Magefferans will not accomplish it overnight. “Captain’s log. One final entry before leaving Magefferus. This crew exemplifies the best of what Starfleet represents. We are a piece in a long-term plan to make the universe a better place. But part of me believes Spock will become a bigger piece to it all. Part of me thinks we are more the start of his journey than he is the start of ours. It’s why I invited him aboard. It’s what I first saw in him, and I will make sure to never forget it again.”
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Star Trek: Early Voyages (Issues #1-6)

First in issue #1, “Flesh of my Flesh”, The USS Enterprise has been diverted from its course to the Marrat system to investigate several strange disappearances, a number of small ships have been found, a fleet of Marie Celestes, adrift and undamaged but entire devoid of crew. The Enterprise has been sent to act as bait to find out what happened. The culprit soon makes itself known, a huge organic starship. As the Enterprise attempts to hail a huge energy build-up blinds the crews… In the void of his mind Captain Pike finds himself walking with Captain April in space dock alongside the Enterprise. As Pike prepares to board, he discusses his crew, some old hands from April’s time on the Enterprise, Pike’s yeoman of the last three years, and some new faces. On the Enterprise, Spock brings Number One out of her daze and informs her of the captain’s disappearance. Using Enterprise’s few active sensors the crew ascertain they are being held by the alien ship and traveling at warp three. Doctor Boyce turns up on the bridge to fix up the crew. Meanwhile Pike recalls his meeting to enroll Lieutenant Robbins as his first officer. While she was hoping for a command of her own, she is happy to wait with a chance to serve under Pike and on the Enterprise. The two discuss how they might go about bettering Captain April’s legendary exploits. While Doctor Boyce announces his findings, that while they were knocked out the crew were subjected to invasive surgery, Number One takes the captain’s chair. Spock borrows the doctor’s medical tricorder hoping to diagnose what might be wrong with the ship after his deductions indicated aliens with organic starships might well use organic weapons. As Pike suffers the pains of his memories being sucked from him, he recalls his first encounter with the young cadet Spock, hoping to enroll him into his then two-year-old crew as a replacement for his fever-stricken science officer. In the briefing room Spock announces his findings; the Enterprise has been infected by an energy sapping virus. While the rest of the crew are assigned duties to restore the ship Number One decides to take a landing party to rescue the captain. Back choosing his crew, Pike goes over the personal files of his final choices with his trusted Yeoman, Dermot Cusack. Finally unable to take anymore, Pike pulls himself into consciousness to find himself dangling in the organic prison of the aliens which call themselves Ngultor. They reveal their plans; to use Pike’s mind to find the homeworld of species in the region and consume them. As they prepare to re-enter his mind the chamber is illuminated by phaser fire. The captain is quickly cut down and puts on an EV suit for the journey back to the Enterprise, but before they can leave, the Ngultor ship’s tentacles swipe Number One away. Fortunately, Nano is on the team and uses his pyrotechnic ability to drive off the organic ship and rescue Number One. However, escape still eludes the team who get lost in the ever-changing labyrinth of the organic vessel and end up face to face with Ngultor. The huge insectoid aliens explain their plight, lost from home in a freak warp accident, now harvesting flesh for the return journey. As they encroach on the team ready to consume the landing party feel the familiar tingle of the transporter beam as they relocate to the Enterprise. Nurse Carlotti briefs the group on the progress of curing Enterprise’s virus, and they quickly make their way to the bridge. Soon after they drop out of warp before the huge Ngultor mothership. Using what limited phaser power is available the Enterprise cuts herself free from the smaller Ngultor vessel, then upon restoration of the torpedo banks, fires on the mother ship, destroying it. Observing a hollow victory, the Enterprise resumes her course for the Marrat system and Captain Pike retires to his quarters confident in the abilities of his crew and sure the name Enterprise will not depart the history books under his reign.

Next in issue #2, “The Fires of Pharos”,In the Marrat Nebula… Lieutenant Tyler moves the USS Enterprise through evasive maneuver sigma-delta-one before turning the starship about to finish driving off the remainder of hostile fleet that had been attacking Starbase 13. With the starbase’s docking array damaged and communications out, a team lead by Captain Pike beams over to assess the situation. The team is greeted by Commodore Hal Wyeth, as Yeoman Cusack helps the medical personal set up a triage center to help the starbase’s wounded the Commodore fills Pike and Spock in on the local situation; The station, originally built to help police the dangerous region, has itself come under siege in a response by local pirateers to another Starfleet plan to bring order to the region in Project Pharos, the building of a huge “lighthouse” on a nearby planet. What’s more, while they were drilling the foundations for the lighthouse, the engineering teams found vast amounts of extremely pure dilithium, and the Commodore fears this valuable find has been leaked when, two hours earlier, contact was lost with the engineering teams on the planet. Elsewhere in the Nebula… Klingon Commander Kaaj punishes one of his officers for doubting his command abilities and then takes his ship in pursuit of the Enterprise as she moves off from Starbase 13. On the Enterprise, Captain Pike informs a badly disrupted Commodore Wyeth of the Enterprise’s progress towards the Pharos siteworld and receives a word of warning from the experienced veteran of the region “expect the unexpected”. In response the Captain has Mr Tyler commence broadband sensor sweeps to locate the said unexpected. Meanwhile, Spock finishes his analysis of the earlier brigand attack. The fleet consisted of an unusual combination of Orion, Arcturan, Khodini and renegade Human vessels. With evidence of a deadly criminal alliance Pike moves the ship up to yellow alert as the Enterprise reaches her destination. Number One leads a landing party to investigate the lighthouse and quickly find evidence of recent disruptor fire before coming under fire from Klingons themselves. Above, the Enterprise is also engaged by the Klingons. Unusually efficient Klingons who take advantage of the Starfleet vessel’s weaknesses. Kaaj decimates main engineering before making himself known to Pike demanding a surrender. Meanwhile, below, Yeoman Cusack attempts to lighten the mood by relaying a tale of his and Pike’s earlier encounters with the Tholians. Above, Pike and Kaaj engage in a battle of words, Pike refusing to surrender whilst Kaaj threatens the Enterprise’s destruction and warns of that a “Federation ploy” to keep the rich dilithium deposits on the unclaimed world below to itself could lead to war. At a stalemate, Pike looks for an alternative solution… On the Pharos siteworld, Number One successfully leads the landing party behind the attacking Klingons and defeats them. The landing party locates survivors from the engineering teams and beams back to the Enterprise. Pike, having devised his new strategy, arms phasers. Kaaj warns of escalating the situation, to which Pike retorts that is exactly what he wishes to avoid, and fires… on the planet! The planet ignites into a blazing beacon, which Spock estimates given the vast fuel reserves of the body will burn for decades to come. Detecting a new group of Federation vessels moving into the area, the Klingons depart, but not before Kaaj warns; Pike owes him a blood debt for his humiliation, “BortaS bir jablu’DI reH QaQqu’nay” (Revenge is a dish best served cold)…

Next in issue #3, “Our Dearest Blood”, Captain Christopher Pike, Yeoman Dermot Cusack, and Chief Medical Officer Phillip Boyce stand on a balcony observing the Rigellian Festival of Light commenting on its immense scale and realizing the fact that they are the first off-worlders in a thousand years to witness it and live to tell. The citizens of Rigel IV have instituted reforms moving them away from isolationism. Pike asks Cusack if all is prepared for a ceremony finalizing the entry of Rigel IV to the Federation, to which Cusask answers in the affirmative. Rigellian Minister Etashnan appears, and Pike introduces him to Dr. Boyce. The Minister explains that the festival is merely for show and that since their contact with the Federation they have sought to purge their societal barbaric traits Talza, the minister’s aide, interrupts explaining the role of the Kaylar in the martial society of Rigel IV. Pike comments on the reality of their weapons, however Talza explains that this is the last festival in which the specially bred Kaylar warriors will participate. Talza offers to give Pike a tour of the fortress where the ceremony is to take place, an action which Dr. Boyce and Cusack agree will benefit Pike. Pike agrees and Cusack goes about seeing to shore leave for the crew. On the USS Enterprise, Number One and Spock begin beaming down the crew for shore leave – Mohindas and Nano are among the selected, Tyler is not. Spock wishes to remain aboard, but Number One suggests the ship can function without him. Spock puzzles at the comment, to which Nano and Mohindas attempt to explain that Number One was merely “teasing” him. Meanwhile, Talza and Pike discuss the enormity of the situation, Tazla making some comments about the cultural importance the Kaylar and how far the society had come. Pike compares the situation to Human history which he describes as having to put aside “warlike” habits. They then arrive at the Zemtar fortress. Talza explains that the fortress was the traditional barracks of the Kaylar and that the ceremony held there would be symbolic in showing the rejection of barbarism. As they discuss this, a shadowy figure makes its way behind them in the darkness. In another part of the settlement, Yeoman Cusack mixes a drink he calls the “Kaylar Kalamity.” Spock misinterprets one of Cusack’s vernacular expressions, to which Cusack responds with only an encouragement for Spock to join in the merrymaking. Carlotti notices that Dr. Boyce is not engaged in party and seeks him out. She finds him alone on the balcony seemingly resisting internal voices. Boyce tells her that he is just “getting fresh air” and plays it off commenting they join the festivities before Cusack consumes all the spirits. At the fortress, Pike gets impatient that the tour is taking longer than he anticipated and attempts to contact Cusack, only to discover that his communicator is not working. A Kaylar warrior then appears in an attack stance. Number One and Engineer Grace stand in Observation Lounge discussing the emptiness of the ship. Grace finds the silence “uneasy.” Tyler then reports that all communications seem to be jammed and that even transporter beams cannot get through. Number One heads to the bridge to check on the situation. Back on Rigel IV the party continues as Cusack notices that his communicator is not functioning. The Kaylar warriors in the bar suddenly place their drinks down on the bar as Mohindas notices that her communicator too is dead. Unnoticed by the Enterprise crew, the Kaylar warriors reach for their weapons. When a crewman amicably asks one of the warriors as to the communicator’s lack of function he is slashed by a bladed weapon. To the horror of all, the tavern erupts into a fighting free for all with the Kaylars viciously attacking Enterprise crewmen. Nano manages to hold off a few with his pyrotechnics and Spock uses his superior strength to do the same, but the group is overwhelmed, and Cusack orders a withdrawal. Pike, still at the fortress, has troubles of his own fighting off the Kaylar. He orders Talza to run away, she does so a little too obligingly. The now injured crewmen on the surface take refuge in a cellar while the Kaylar search the streets for them. Two of them had been killed in the attack and were left in the tavern, Cusack speculates that it is the Rigellians that are blocking the frequencies. Nano reports that he has recalibrated his communicator to home in on the source of the disruption, but that its range is severely limited. Cusack elects to leave Dr. Boyce in charge and attempt to deal with the jamming. Nano’s communicator leads Cusack to the Rigellian parliament building where he locates the device and disables it just as Pike, in the Zemtar fortress, defeats the Kaylar. Just as Cusack contacts the Enterprise, he is stabbed in the back by Talza. Pike, pinned by the corpse of the Kaylar he has impaled on a lance, notices a group of Kaylar entering the fortress. The warriors are felled by energy beams in a timely fashion by Tyler and a security team from Enterprise. The entire attack had been a “set up” by Rigellian extremist traditionalists in league with the Kaylar. The result was two dead and seven wounded. Rigel’s petition to the Federation will be denied. As a wounded Pike enters the parliamentary chambers, he is warned off by Number One, but is too late. Dr. Boyce indicates that there was nothing more he could do. Cusack was dead. Talza spouts off a rant, to which Pike orders her removed. Pike falls to his knees and holds his head, distraught over Cusack’s death.

Next in issue #4, “Nor Iron Bars a Cage”, Yeoman J.M. Colt describes her second day aboard the USS Enterprise and how she was kidnapped by aliens in the personal log. During a rescue mission to the planet Talos IV, Colt and Number One find that only they, out of a larger party including Spock and José Tyler, are beamed down. Once on the planet they discover Captain Pike in a cell with a young blonde woman named Vina. Somewhat brazenly, Pike strode up to Colt and acquired her laser weapon and tries it on the transparent wall off the cell to no apparent effect. Vina then walks up to Colt and explains, “He doesn’t need you! He’s got me!” To which Colt instructs to leave the captain alone. The Keeper then appears. Pike, filling his mind with hate, rage and other primitive emotions to prevent the Talosians from reading his mind, is then punished by The Keeper for these thoughts. The Keeper explains that a selection of mates has been presented, since he “resists the present specimen,” describing the various attributes of Number One and Yeoman Colt. Pike, while maintaining his facade of hatred, blames himself for falling for the Talosian illusions during the first part of the mission instead of taking the injured crewmembers to Vega for treatment; however, Number One consoles him saying that Dr. Boyce had came to the conclusion that their power of illusion was too great. Vina concurs stating however that is useless to resist and that they are still “thinking like humans” although they are mere animals in a cage. Colt then recalls first boarding the Enterprise via the shuttlecraft Balboa and laments on being posted as the Yeoman after the disastrous events on Rigel VII. After reporting to Number One, she is told to report to Dr. Boyce for medical examination. Colt is initially excited about serving on the Enterprise and expresses these emotions to Number One. Number One advises Colt to keep a low profile since the previous Yeoman, Dermot Cusack, was well liked and trying to replace his presence would be impossible. In sickbay, Dr Boyce is completing a physical examination on Captain Pike commenting how on his workout regimen is having an adverse effect on this physique. Boyce suspects that Pike is using his workout regimen to compensate for the death of Cusack. At this time Colt walks into sickbay and notes Pike’s shirtless form. Pike orders Colt to report to him once she is finished in sickbay. Colt asks Boyce about the captain’s demeanor, to which Boyce informs her that these are “bleak” times for the Enterprise and that the crew of a starship is of such that the death of a crewman is similar to a death in a smalltown. Boyce then suddenly falls forward hitting his head on a counter. He seems to be resisting an internal voice that is pleading for assistance. Colt notices the doctor’s bizarre behavior and attempts to inquire about what is happening to which the doctor curtly tells her that it is “nothing,” he just needs a little rest from overwork, and to come back later. The action then returns to the Talosian cage where Pike is pacing the floor. Vina informs him that he cannot keep up such resistance forever. Colt question’s Vina’s loyalties as Pike tests the wall of the cage. Colt then wonders why, if the weapons are useless, they were taken from him when he was captured. Vina makes a snide and opprobrious remark at Colt indicating that Pike has no interest in Colt. Colt laments that this has been true from her first step on board. There is then a flashback to a funeral service for Yeoman Cusack. Pike delivers a solemn eulogy, and many condolences are exchanged between the senior officers. Colt, who had been greeted by Nano, then remarks to Nano that the fallen crew members had not died in vain and that the authorities on Rigel were addressing the issues of barbarism in their culture leading the way to valued Federation membership. Pike is unimpressed and coldly replies that he is sure “that will be a great comfort to the families of the dead.” Pike then “dresses down” Colt, who acknowledged that she had spoken out of turn. Colt is offended and states that she was quite happy serving on her previous assignment, the USS Hawking, and that Commodore April had made her selection and, since the assignment was not of her choosing, that if he was displeased with her, it was not her fault. Pike mentions that the situation is difficult enough without an additional reprimand for insubordination for her comments. Colt goes away crying while Pike condemns himself, to himself, for his unfeeling comments. Colt then is placed in a “flashback” by the Talosians who transport her mind back to her days at Starfleet Academy where they tempt her with a recreation of a breakup, she had with a fellow cadet named Alex. She had left this cadet upon being assigned by Commodore April to a starship called the Tiberius. The Talosians inform her that she can relive these events… but Colt rejects the offer citing the fact that she would repeat the same choice. Pike notices Colt’s state, to which she informs him that the Talosians had been affecting her. Pike and Colt discuss the reasons for her volunteering for the rescue mission asking her if he had something to prove to him. Colt replies that she did it as a test of her own resolve to be in Starfleet. Pike apologizes to Colt. Later, as the crew sleeps, The Keeper attempted to take the laser guns out of the cell, Pike leaps into action and wrestles The Keeper into a position where he has his hands around The Keeper’s neck. In an act of defense, The Keeper transforms into a large gorilla like creature. Pike indicates that it is an illusion and demands The Keeper stop it. Pike ponders that situation… that the lasers are functional only he is being prevented from seeing the effects and vows to take the theory out on The Keeper’s head. They then escape to the surface where The Keeper informs them that they have accomplished nothing and are on the surface where they intended to place them all along. A new society trained to serve would evolve from their descendants. Number One sets a laser weapon to explode… Pike and Colt exchange glances demonstrating Pike’s faith in Colt’s service to Starfleet and member of the crew. Upon leaving Talos IV, Colt watches the planet drop away from one of the Enterprise’s windows. Number One enters and invites Colt to a cup of “real ground coffee” and some crew shift rotation paperwork.

Next in issue #5, “Cloak & Dagger”, Ship’s log, first officer recording. The remote storm-wracked world of Darien 224 resolutely refuses to give up its secrets — chief among them is the fate of the Starfleet survey ship USS Cortez, which vanished with all hands in this system eight weeks ago. The landing party, led by Captain Pike, has so far found the only trace that the Cortez was here at all… I feel uneasy, and I don’t know why. There is something here, but like Tyler’s sensor ghosts, it is too insubstantial to catch. I hope the captain’s faring better down below. On the storm-wracked world of Darien 224 a landing party from the USS Enterprise discovers the wreckage of the Apollo, the first clue to the fate of the missing starship USS Cortez. Captain Pike hails the Enterprise to inform the ship of the team’s findings but barely gets through; background radiation in the system is playing havoc with the Enterprise’s sensors and communications. On the planetoid the landing party continues its investigations. Doctor Boyce gives Yeoman Colt a boost to access the hatch on the top side of the overturned shuttle. Pike finds Spock concerned; he senses something. Meanwhile Shinobi finds something in the sand and calls for the Captain, Pike turns to witness the crewman take an energy blast to the chest. The unknown assailants kill Kingcome and then makes a charge for Pike but is blasted by the beam of a phaser rifle liberated from the shuttle’s locker by yeoman Colt. Above, a sensor ghost becomes a little too real as the USS Cortez fires on the Enterprise. On the planet the survivors of the landing party are cornered and unable to see their attackers through the sandstorms. Adjusting their laser pistols to wide beam they try and drive the attackers into sight. The tactic works to some extent bringing the attackers out, but they plant their staff energy weapons into the ground and arm themselves with lirpas, as they move towards the party for the final attack, they are blaster by energy weapons from a group of hoverboats. The leader of the ships introduces himself, in Vulcan, and instructs the landing party that they will be going with him. As the hoverboats fly to the Last-of-all-Cities settlement, Spock speculates the Vulcans are a lost colony, predating the logic enlightenment of Vulcan. The team are brought to meet the Vulcan’s leader: matriarch T’Kell, at her side is Captain John Stone of the Cortez. Whilst Colt breaks the ice with the Vulcans Pike gets a report from Stone. The Vulcans crash landed two thousand years prior and have been isolated ever since, the main colony is eager to rejoin the galactic community but there is a splinter group of warriors which butchered most of Stone’s crew and wish to remain in isolation. They also have hyper-weapons outlawed on Vulcan during the enlightenment. Spock is concerned these emotional Vulcans returning to their home world could destabilize Vulcan. Sutek, the Vulcan who saved the landing party, interrupts, infuriated by Spock and the state of the contemporary Vulcan people. Colt disrupts the argument before it can escalate too far informing the Captain, she has made contact with the Enterprise, which is under attack! Above, Number One tries to shake off the attackers, but on board the Cortez the renegade Vulcan Tagok is informed by his crew the Tol par-doj is installed and ready, the ancient Vulcan weapon lashes its powerful energies at the Enterprise.

Finally in issue #6, “Cloak & Dagger Part 2”, As the USS Enterprise drifts crippled in space the Vulcans start to beam in. On Darien 224 Captain Christopher Pike is concerned, out of contact with his ship. On the bridge the crew put up a valiant fight. While in engineering Wright desperately calls the bridge for assistance as a Vulcan approach; he is saved by Moves-With-Burning-Grace, armed with his battle lance. Driven off, the Vulcans retreat back to the USS Cortez. Number One has Mister Tyler call up the frequency modulation of the Cortez’s shields and takes them offline, leaving the ship vulnerable to a volley of photon torpedoes. The attack takes out the Cortez’s artificial gravity. With a pause in the attack, Number One has repair teams get to work on the Enterprise. On Darien 244 Sutek reports long range ground sensors have monitored the battle and that the Enterprise survives. Though conflict continues on the planet, in verbal attacks against the pacifist ideals of modern Vulcans and the Federation. Pike is eager to contact his ship, but T’Kell reminds him of the difficulty in communicating through Darien’s atmosphere, he has to wait, content he has the Vulcans hospitality. First Officer’s Log, supplemental: Repairs are well underway, although we are still unable to contact the Captain or the landing party. Given our current circumstances, the welfare of the ship and crew are my highest priority now. At a senior staff meeting Nurse Carlotti reports five are dead and twenty-nine injured. Grace reports the ships circuits have been reduced to slag by the Vulcan weapon, the shields were spared the worst but probably won’t survive another attack. Number One has Mr Tyler reroute all power to shields and sensors, wanting not to be caught out the next time the Cortez attacks. In their accommodations on Darien the Starfleet personnel discuss the situation; Spock believes T’Kell’s people to be no more trustworthy than the renegades, he suspects she plans to return to Vulcan with their telepathic weapons as conquerors. Sutek enters; the group has been summoned by T’Kell. T’Kell welcomes the group to the Tabernacle of sharp conflict and informs them of her plans. Pike is to return to the Enterprise on the shuttlecraft the landing party came down in and make arrangements for the relocation of the Vulcans. En route he will act as bait for the Cortez, drawing it into the sights of the vorl-tak, a massive psionic weapon which harnesses the planet’s gravitational field as a psionic amplifier. As Spock warns, the weapon could potentially destroy the planetoid. Spock points out that the weapon could be used to construct an impulse engine; they need not resort to genocide. For this Sutek strikes him down. Pike agrees to do as T’Kell demands, if T’Kell calls Sutek off of Spock. On the Enterprise, Pike hails, he is on his way but under attack by the Cortez. The Enterprise moves to intercept while on the Cortez the Vulcans have their weapon charged to fire. Below, Spock makes one more futile attempt to persuade T’Kell her actions are unnecessary, but his logic cannot sway her passion, the Vorl-tak is fired, and the Cortez is blown to pieces. On the Enterprise, Pike gets to the bridge to Number One’s report that Darien is disintegrating; still not able to communicate with the landing party, and not willing to leave them to die, he orders Mister Tyler to take the Enterprise into the planetoid’s atmosphere. Below, Spock does his best to pull T’Kell out of danger, as she utters her dying words; instructing Spock to remember these Vulcans. The landing party is beamed to safety. The Enterprise then pulls away and safe from the planetoid’s destruction. Captain’s Log, supplemental. The Enterprise has taken a serious pounding, nothing an overhaul and some R&R won’t put right. However not all out problems can be so easily solved. I deeply regret the fate of the Vulcans of Darien 224. I sincerely wish it could have been otherwise, and I know I’m not the only one. Pike goes to check on Spock, who is performing a ritual to purge what emotions he had; allowing his intellect and logic to take their “proper place”. The incident has led Spock to an understanding of the Vulcan people. “Passion kills Captain. Logic does not”.
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Sealed Hardcover is bagged and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to ensure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly.

First Printing
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: 2013
Format: FC, 288 pages, HC, 11.25″ x 7.25″
ISBN-10: 1613777116
ISBN-13: 9781613777114

Collectible Entertainment note: Sealed Hardcover is Brand New & Unread.  Fine + condition.  (Printer/Publisher errors > bumped corners caused by the publisher improperly packaging & shipping) Otherwise… Brand New!  Very Nice!  Please See Scans!!  A must have for any serious Star Trek collector and/or enthusiast.  A fun & entertaining read.  Highly Recommended.

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