The Third Party

The Third Party, or UK comic strips, forth story arc, was the 4th story arc in the UK comic strips series. It was released in four parts in 1969 within issues of Joe 90: Top Secret.

In this story, James T. Kirk agreed to mediate a dispute between warring planets.

Description

 * Teaser summary, 10 May, 1969
 * Trapped between the warring Hytar and Nuofo Aliens, Earth Starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)is seriously damaged and unable to move until repairs have been carried out. Suddenly, even as Captain Kirk speaks to his repairmen, they are attacked – and invaded …

Summary
While investigating an unexplored star system, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) was suddenly shot at by missiles which breached the starboard warp engine. Hundreds of small interplanetary spacecraft approached, and one landed in the shuttle bay. It’s pilot, General Ari of the planet Hytar, apologized for the missile attack, having assumed the Enterprise belonged to their warring twin planet of Nuofo. Ari appealed for Kirk to mediate in their war. Spock suggested that diplomacy might buy time for repairs, so Kirk agreed. While engineers in repair wagons tended to the damage, Kirk departed for Nuofo aboard a small space bug. Ari had provided neutral markings for the ship, but when Kirk approached Nuofo, his ship was immediately fired upon, receiving a direct hit on its starboard propulsion unit. Kirk quickly ejected before his craft blew up.

In sickbay, Kirk was checked over by Leonard McCoy. Ari had departed, leaving a mystery as to why Kirk was attacked. Kirk beamed a party of four to the surface of Nuofo to investigate, but the officers were seized and brought to General Irf, who told them Kirk’s ship had been attacked because it had Hytar markings on it. Kirk offered to mediate the war, but Irf rejected diplomacy and refused to give up the landing party.

Repairs were interrupted from an assault by another fleet. Shots penetrated the hull and intruders boarded the Enterprise. Eventually the Starfleet crew was able to apprehend the boarders and repel the fleet. Kirk requested that Ari return. He did, and then denied the boarders were Hytar despite being saluted by them.

Kirk had had enough. He proceeded to launch an all-out invasion of Nuofo. Repair wagons and space bugs launched from the Enterprise, scattering the Nuofo fleet, and Kirk captured Irf. But Kirk had an idea, and he brought Irf and Ari together to test it. The two generals realized that the recent attack ships originated from Desta, a mutual enemy from a third planet in their star system. Irf and Ari promised free elections if the Enterprise scattered the Desta ships. The landslide victor was Juff, a third-party candidate, who reunited the twin planets in peace.

Characters

 * Ari • David Bailey • Irf • Juf • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura

Bates

Starships and vehicles

 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) ( heavy cruiser) • Hytaran spaceship • Nuofon spaceship • Destan spaceship

repair wagon • space bug • space bug (II) exploration rocket • rescue capsule
 * Enterprise shuttlecraft

Locations

 * Hytar • Nuofo

Desta

Races and cultures

 * Human • Vulcan • Hytaran • Nuofon

Destan

States and organizations

 * Federation Starfleet

Science and technology

 * airlock • bulkhead • docking port • generator • hull sheeting • laser • monitor • missile • rifle • shuttle bay • spacesuit • transporter

Ranks and titles

 * administrator • captain • general • gunner • president • repairman

Other references

 * civil war • democracy • election • planet

Chronology
The presence of Bailey on the Enterprise places this story early in the year 2266, before the events of "The Corbomite Maneuver".

Production history

 * This story was published in two-page sections over four consecutive weeks in Joe 90: Top Secret magazine.

April 1969 May 1969
 * 26 April: Pages 1-2 published in Joe 90: Top Secret #15.
 * 3 May: Pages 3-4 published in Joe 90: Top Secret #16.
 * 10 May: Pages 5-6 published in Joe 90: Top Secret #17.
 * 17 May: Pages 7-8 published in Joe 90: Top Secret #18.

Background

 * The story was not printed with a title, but it was given one (The Third Party) for its reprinting in the omnibus The Classic UK Comics, Volume 1.
 * An attack on the Enterprise by hundreds of tiny craft, with intruders successfully boarding the ship through punctures in the hull, was also seen in.
 * In one panel, a crewman shooed two young children out of the way as a boarding party approached.
 * Nyota Uhura appeared in one panel as Kirk ordered her to contact repair crews. Leonard McCoy appeared in one panel as he tended to Kirk’s injuries.
 * The crew painted neutral markings on Kirk’s space bug, a significant story point. While these marking were clearly visible according to the dialogue, no markings were visible on the artwork.
 * Due to the creative team being unfamiliar with the layout of the Enterprise, the starship was shown launching space bugs and repair wagons from ports along the side of the saucer section, out of a bay wide enough to house four bugs and a repair wagon side-by-side.

Related stories

 * – Warring planets Vendikar and Eminiar VII attacked the Enterprise, declaring Kirk a casualty of war.