Heads of State

Heads of State is a Star Trek: The Original Series comic strip. It is the seventh story in the US Comic Strips series, published by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. The story was set after, depicting events from Captain Kirk's second five-year mission aboard the refurbished USS Enterprise (NCC-1701). In this story, Kirk must avert war with the Klingon Empire when a Federation world threatens secession.

Summary

 * Captain's Log: Stardate 7988.3.
 * We are approaching the planet Zeta-Atez, the largest of a confederation for six large and twelve lesser planets known as the Gates of Scylla. Stability in this sector is vital because Zeta-Atez is the only source of Lozite-M, an anti-magnetic bio-metallite critical to current state-of-the-art weaponry.

Little was known about Imperator Dykranus, the new ruler of Zeta-Atez, who’d twice said he'd secede from the Federation, prompting Klingon ships to mass at the neutral zone, seeing an opportunity to possess Lozite-M. With Dykranus’ health a mystery, Kirk took Spock, McCoy and Chapel with him on the diplomatic party, beaming down in dress uniforms.


 * Captain's Log: Stardate 7988.3.
 * We have entered orbit at Zeta-Atez, the largest of a group of six large and twelve smaller planets known as the Gates of Scylla.

Prime Minister Chak seemed overly protective of the napping, reclusive ruler as Chak took them on a tour in an aircar, including a look at fields of the razor sharp Lozite-M. His right hand was prosthetic, having lost it harvesting the crop. Dykranus was rude as he announced Zeta-Atez had withdrawn from the Federation, but then yielded to another nap. Concerned with the health of someone needing so many naps, the team snu/.ck out to meet him again, navigating a protective maze of Locite-M. Meanwhile, outposts were on code one alert, expecting war with Klingons.

Guards caught the landing party at the base of the imperator’s cloister building, but Dykranus spotted them and asked them to be brought up. He professed no idea the party had arrived, and showed them plans for his celebration of the planet's 50 years as a loyal member of the Federation. Suspecting schizophrenia or twins for his personality changes, they saw him again fall asleep. Chapel and McCoy eased off his headdress to reveal he had two heads. The other head awoke, manic and reactionary, and threatened the party with a branch of Lozite-M. But he stumbled and fell, and the branch severed one of his heads.

Chapel and McCoy performed a radical dichotomectomy in sickbay while Kirk spoke privately with Chak. McCoy mentioned he’d unsuccessfully tried the procedure on Alkuk VI. This time they succeeded. The friendlier Dykranus awoke, thankful for the help, now able to leave his palace, the threat of war ended.

Characters

 * James T. Kirk • Spock • Leonard McCoy • Christine Chapel • Nyota Uhura • Montgomery Scott • Chak • Dykranus • Driver

Starships and vehicles

 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) • Zeta-Atez aircar

Locations

 * Zeta-Atez • Gates of Scylla Confederation Alkuk VI • Neutral Zone • Rigel III

Races and cultures

 * Human • Zeta-Atezian Klingon

Ranks and titles

 * captain • commander • doctor • imperator • prime minister • senior surgeon • driver

Science and technology

 * anti-grav gurney • bio-metallite • cephalothin • credit disc • field polarity • force field • lidocaine • Locite-M • magnetic strip arterial stenosis • asepsis • cervical branch • Encephalitis Lethargica • hyper-steroid growth cultures • hypno-sedative • mutant strain • nerve restructure • omnicaine • radical dichotomectomy • Regulan Fever • sleep cycles

Other references

 * Cloister of Dykranus • Horta • palace citadel • Q-level priority • remote garrisons • surgeons

Related stories

 * - Described the starship refit, crew changes, and technology updates that occurred prior to the events of this story.

Information

 * This is the seventh of 20 story arcs set after the events of, and is set during Captain Kirk's second five-year mission aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701).


 * This story arc was printed with a title, unlike many in the series.


 * Christine Chapel is prominent in this story, her only appearance wearing a dress uniform.


 * The twist of an emperor with two heads was telegraphed by the name of the confederation, Scylla (a Greek myth of a monster that has an opposite, Charybdis), the planet Zeta-Atez (zeta spelled forward and backward), mention of a potential physical deformity early in the story, and even Kirk’s idea of bringing two doctors because “two heads are better than one.” McCoy noted it himself from the name Dykranus (two craniums).