Taskul

Ensign Taskul was an Arcturian mining engineer assigned to the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in the 2270s.

History
After the ship’s dilithium reserves were fused, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) traveled for nine days at impulse to Forma VI, site of a Federation colony and a played-out dilithium mine. Ensign Taskul was chosen for the landing party by James T. Kirk as an expert in exploring alternative strategies to scan for dilithium. Taskul cited a new method of detection which could locate a dilithium vein despite the normal shielding effect of ores like lead or gold. Later, despite using every known technique, Taskul confessed to having found no dilithium in the mine. Spock and a troop of Klingons also were unsuccessful. 

Klingon refugee Morg antagonized Taskul, calling him ”blob face.” The Arcturian wanted to respond, but Pavel Chekov stopped him. 


 * This scene was depicted in dropped panels for the strip published May 25, 1980, not reprinted in The Newspaper Comics, Volume 1. Dropped panels were illustrations in Sunday strips which could be included or removed depending on the panel arrangement used in each newspaper's Sunday comics section. (Dropped panel)

During biannual maintenance at Hus-24, the crews of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) and USS Venture (Constitution class) were detained and enslaved, with women working in grain fields and men excavating a mine. As the men attempted to escape, Taskul questioned James T. Kirk’s orders to Pavel Chekov to set their nine captured hand phasers on heavy stun, when they faced an opposition of hundreds of Husians who had their weapons set to kill. 


 * The scene was depicted in a dropped panel from Dec. 7, 1980, not reprinted in The Newspaper Comics, Volume 1. (Dropped panel)