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Description

Before he became the captain of the USS Enterprise
James T. Kirk was a "by-the-book" Starfleet Academy cadet. Until he had to throw the book away!
It was a simple shuttle trip—just a quick hop to a nearby planet where renowned computer genius Richard Daystrom will give a lecture. But then a tractor beam forces the shuttle to land at a remote Federation outpost. Medical Intern McCoy, Ensign Spock and Cadet Kirk have been kidnapped by space pirates! They're outnumbered and outgunned. McCoy and Spock simply want to escape and alert the authorities. But Professor Daystrom is the real target, and his shuttle will be entering this region of space soon. For Daystrom's sake, the fiery young Kirk is determined to destroy the pirates' outpost—even if he has to do it alone.

Summary

Cadet Kirk has been assigned the prestigious job of transporting Richard Daystrom to a seminar at Colony Cambria, as a reward for good grades, but at the last minute his orders change and instead he is assigned to transport two ensigns, Spock and Leonard McCoy. On a fly past of the automated Atlantis Outpost, they are captured by a tractor beam.

Realizing that the outpost is in the hands of hijackers, Kirk brings their ship, the Spitfire, in for a crashlanding. However, Spock is captured when he tries to negotiate with the criminals and Kirk and McCoy are captured attempting a rescue. It transpires that the criminals' leader, Joe Swingle, has been employed by a Klingon commander to kidnap Daystrom for information on a new computer and intends to ransom him back to the Federation afterwards.

Kirk manages to break them out and together the three sabotage the station, with Kirk tricking Swingle's men into destroying the power cable for the tractor beam. They attempt to escape in the Spitfire but find Swingle waiting for them. However, Kirk manages to overpower him.

Swingle's Klingon employers arrive but quickly retreat at the sight of the Enterprise, responding to the Spitfire's distress call. Captain Pike takes Swingle and his men into custody and invites Kirk, Spock and McCoy aboard his ship.

References

Characters

BonyorCrawlerJames T. KirkKlaagLeonard McCoyChristopher PikeSpockJoe SwingleZenoviev
Referenced only
Neil ArmstrongRichard DaystromRachel GarrettGarth of IzarOrazio GuidalJohn HarrimanHovitchIrwinKathryn JanewayWendy LesnickJean-Luc PicardMark PiperMichael RileyBenjamin SiskoJake SiskoHikaru SuluSybok

Starships and vehicles

USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • shuttlecraftSpitfire (Zodiac-class warp shuttle)
Referenced only
cattleshipUSS Enterprise-A (Enterprise-subclass refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • USS Enterprise-B (Excelsior-class) • USS Enterprise-C (Ambassador-class) • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class explorer) • USS Excelsior (Excelsior-class) • USS Farragut (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Polly Herman (tank barge) • USS Saratoga (Miranda-class)

Locations

Agira BasinAtlantis Outpost (unnamed planets)
San Francisco (Earth, Sol system, sector 001, Alpha Quadrant)
Point Bonita LightSan Francisco BayStarfleet AcademyStarfleet HeadquartersStarfleet Medical School
Referenced only
AlaskaAximarBajorCamp KhitomerCardassia PrimeColony CambriaDeep Space 9Delta Quadrantthe galaxy's coreGenesis PlanetGeorgiaJupiterKhitomerLunaNarendra IIIRomulan Neutral ZoneSmith-McBride Asteroid StationStarbase 1UranusVeridian III (Veridian system) • Vulcan Science AcademyWolf 359

Races and cultures

HumanKlingonVulcan
Referenced only
BorgOrionRomulan

States and organizations

FederationFederation Computer ScienceKlingon EmpireStarfleetStarfleet Central DispatchStarfleet CommandStarfleet Flight ControlStarfleet Medical Corps
Referenced only
Alexandria Spaceport FoundationLight BrigadeRomulan Star Empire

Science and technology

anatomybloodcommunicationcomputercomputer tapehairhumanoidhydrographimpulse engineJunction Buoy 2993lifeformlightmedicineminutenebulaNexuspower cablerespiratory systemspacestarshipsubspace radiotimetractor beamwarp drive

Ranks and titles

admiralbosuncadetcaptainchief medical officercommandercommanding officercorporaldoctorensignFederation Starfleet ranksFederation Starfleet ranks (2240s-2260s)first officerfleet captaingeneralissimolieutenantmedicpilotpirateprofessorscience officer

Other references

allianceBattle of Wolf 359bookBorg Incursion of 2366-2367camelCelestial NavigationchickenclothingComputer Guidance in Small Craftcowcrimedistress callEarth-Romulan Warfirst contactfive-year missiongoosegovernmentgrasshorseKhitomer AccordsKhitomer ConferenceKhitomer conspiracylawliteraturellamaMaritime Law in the Age of SailMaritime Law in the Age of Steammilitarynation-stateoutpostpigpiracyplanetrankrefitrhodiniumSalvage LawSeafarers' and Spacefarers' Dictionaryserial numbersheepSpacelane Rules of the RoadStarfleet Academy Science ConferenceStarfleet regulationsStarfleet Transport CodeStarfleet uniformStarfleet uniform (2240s-2265)technologytigertitletoasttreatyTreaty of AlgeronuniformVictory at Aximarweaponyear

Chronology

1877
Point Bonita Lighthouse built on San Francisco Bay.
1969
Neil Armstrong walks on Luna.
2156
The Earth-Romulan War begins.
2160
Earth-Romulan treaty establishes the Romulan Neutral Zone.
2161
The Federation and the Federation Starfleet are formed.
2218
The Federation's Starfleet makes first contact with the Klingon Empire's expanding military. (Canon later states that first Human-Klingon contact occurred in 2151.)
2245
USS Enterprise launched.
2249
McCoy and Spock enter Starfleet Academy.
2250
Kirk enters the Academy.
2251
  • Captain Pike assumes command of Enterprise.
  • Kirk is assigned to pilot Spitfire, and meets Spock and McCoy. (Events of this story.)
2252
Spock joins the Enterprise crew.
2253
Spock graduates from the Academy. McCoy completes his doctorate.
2254
Kirk graduates and joins the crew of USS Farragut as a lieutenant.
2261
Pike completes a second five-year mission aboard Enterprise.
2263
Pike passes command to Kirk and is promoted to fleet captain.
2264/2265
Kirk prepares Enterprise to embark on his famous five-year mission. (While this book states this is a 2264 event, later canon sources place the actual launch in 2265.)
2266
McCoy permanently replaces Mark Piper as Enterprise CMO.
2269/2270
Kirk's mission begins to come to a close, leading to his promotion to the admiralty. (While this book states this is a 2269 event, later canon sources place this event in 2270.)
2271/2273
Enterprise begins a massive refit that will prepare the vessel for another series of five-year missions. (While this book places the completion of this refit in 2271, later canon sources make this relaunch a 2273 occurrence.)
2277
Kirk contemplates returning to the admiralty as an instructor at the Academy, and names Spock his successor as Enterprise captain.
2285
Kirk orders the destruction of Enterprise at the Genesis Planet.
2286
Kirk is demoted to captain and given command of the Enterprise-A.
2287
The Enterprise-A is temporarily commandeered by Sybok.
2292
All remaining alliances between the Romulan Empire and the Klingon Empire dissolve.
2293
  • Kirk's Enterprise-A and Captain Sulu's USS Excelsior save the Khitomer Conference and a Klingon peace initiative.
  • USS Enterprise-B is launched, under Harriman. Kirk is lost on the vessel's first voyage.
2344
USS Enterprise-C is lost defending Narendra III.
2346
Romulans massacre the Khitomer outpost.
2364
Captain Picard takes command of the Enterprise-D.
2367
The Battle of Wolf 359, followed by the Borg defeat at Earth. The incident is survived by Ben and Jake Sisko.
2369
Commander Sisko takes command of Deep Space 9 at Bajor.
2371
  • USS Enterprise-D destroyed at Veridian.
  • Kirk is recovered from the Nexus, but dies on Veridian III.
  • USS Voyager is lost in the Delta Quadrant on Captain Janeway's first mission.
2372
The Klingon Empire begins a temporary withdrawal from the Khitomer Accords after Federation forces oppose their invasion of Cardassia Prime.

Appendices

Background

  • The chronology featured in the opening is derived from the Star Trek Chronology, and has some details that conflict with canon. In particular, the date of Human-Klingon first contact occurred in 2151 in Star Trek: Enterprise and Kirk's five year mission and the date of TOS movie: The Motion Picture were established by a date reference in VOY episode: "Q2".
  • This story takes place after the beginning of Kirk's Academy career in 2250 and after Pike's assumption of command of the Enterprise, in 2251. The story takes place after Spock is commissioned as an ensign while still at the Academy, but prior to his 2252 beginning of service on the Enterprise. Likewise, the story takes place prior to Kirk's ensign commission, and prior to the completion of McCoy's doctorate. Finally, the story occurs while Kirk is seventeen years old, placing it before his eighteenth birthday in March 2251.
  • While the cover depicts all three main characters in silver cadet tunics, the dialogue has McCoy and Spock wearing standard sciences division blue ensign uniforms, having already received officer commissions while still at the Academy.
  • Pike invites the shuttle crew aboard, but he does not meet Kirk for some reason. Kirk remembers in 2266 that he only met Pike once, during the change of command when Kirk took over the Enterprise.
  • This book depicts the first meeting of Kirk, Spock and McCoy in the primary universe.

Images

Connections

Stories set in Starfleet Academy
Comics Starfleet Academy ("Prime DirectivesLibertyLoyalty TestWar and PeaceLove and DeathPassagesHide and SeekReturn to the Forbidden PlanetA Prelude to WarJudgmentTelepathy War (Part One) • Parents' DayT'Priell Revealed (Part OnePart TwoPart Three) • Culture ClashMangHom qaDBetween Love and Hate") • Starfleet Academy!Starfleet Academy (Issue 1Issue 2Issue 3Issue 4Issue 5)
Movies Starfleet Academy SCISEC Briefs (SCISEC Brief 001: "Mystery Behind Voyager" • SCISEC Brief 002: "Mystery Behind Ceti Alpha VI" • SCISEC Brief 003: "Mystery Behind the Vulcan Katra Transfer" • SCISEC Brief 004: "The Whale Probe" • SCISEC Brief 005: "Nimbus III" • SCISEC Brief 006: "Praxis" • SCISEC Brief 007: "Trilithium" • SCISEC Brief 008: "Temporal Vortex" • SCISEC Brief 009: "The Origins of the Ba'ku and Son'a Conflict" • SCISEC Brief 010: "Thalaron Radiation")
Novels Video game novelization1990s series (Crisis on VulcanAftershockCadet KirkWorf's First AdventureLine of FireSurvivalLifelineThe Chance FactorQuarantine) • The Best and the BrightestAcademy: Collision Course2010s series (The Delta AnomalyThe EdgeThe Gemini AgentThe Assassination Game)
Short stories "The Bottom Line" • "Best Tools Available" • "Academy Acquisition"
Video games Starfleet Academy Starship Bridge SimulatorStarfleet AcademyStarfleet Academy: Strategic CommandStarfleet Academy: Chekov's Lost MissionsAcademy TrainerCadet Training Facility
Live performances Star Trek LiveThe Starfleet Academy Experience

External links

published order
chronological order
Previous Adventure:
Final Frontier
Hope and a Common Future
Pocket Next Adventure:
Republic
Chapters 5-20
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