- For other uses, see Collision Course.
Illusion of guilt! – "Collision Course!" was the 80th and final issue of DC Comics' 1989 ongoing series of Star Trek comics, written by Kevin Ryan. This is part three of The Chosen story arc, with art penciled by Rachel Forbes-Seese and inked by Pablo Marcos.
Description[]
- Kirk must convince the Romulans and the Klingons to work with him in order to prevent the cataclysm that will surely follow if they don't put aside their mutual distrust.
Summary[]
- Captain's log, Stardate 6228.5.
- It has been less than two weeks since the Enterprise answered a distress call from a Klingon outpost and was blamed for its destruction.
Now we have been ordered to investigate an attack on a Federation starbase and found it destroyed in what appears to be a Romulan attack — something they deny.
And Starfleet has sent Ambassador Julia Bertrand to assist me in dealing with the Romulans.
The Romulans have sent a vessel from a previously secret military organization called the Tal Shiar to assist our investigation.
Despite all of this assistance, the Romulans are cooperating and I am left with the strong feeling that everything is not as it seems.
When analysis of Starbase 14 provides no further leads, Captain James T. Kirk discontinues the investigation, believing Commander Koram and concluding that the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans are being set up to war. Spock locates the most likely sector to be attacked next. Koram tells Kirk they've decoded a hidden subspace transmission from the Enterprise sent to a non-Federation world that cites prior and future attacks. Kirk realizes that Bertrand is a spy and arrests her before she can commit suicide.
In the brig, Bertrand confesses that her people think other life in the galaxy is false, and have begun a mission to cleanse evil outside of Meta IV. She doesn't know which planet will be attacked next, but told her people to proceed with it. Koram's crew narrows down potential targets to one world inside Romulan space.
Shortly after making orbit of the world, the Enterprise is fired on by Kang's battle cruiser, until Koram's Bird-of-Prey moves between them. Kirk and Koram convince Commander Kang to wait with them under Koram's cloak. They monitor the approach of a Metan starship, and the Enterprise disables it with phasers. The vessel surrenders. Starfleet chooses to quarantine Meta IV and have the Enterprise tow the Metan starship back for trial, but Koram and Kang have jointly decided that's insufficient, and they destroy the Metan ship. Kirk accepts Koram's offer to escort the Enterprise and Kang's ship outside of Romulan territory.
Additional log entries[]
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- Mr. Spock and his team are in their third day of investigating the devastating attack on Starbase 14.
At our invitation a team from the Romulan Bird of Prey have accompanied them.
So far, the Enterprise and Bird of Prey personnel have been able to work together have been able to work together without incident — one of the few things to go right on this mission.
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- It has been four hours since our meeting with the Romulan commander.
In that time, Mr. Spock has found a sector of Romulan space that he believes will most likely be the nest target of an alien attack...
If my hunch is right, then with some help from the Romulans, we should be able to narrow the field even further.
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- The "Chosen" ship has surrendered. Its data banks have provided proof that it was behind the previous attacks.
Commander Kang has already transmitted his report to his government, and the immediate threat of a Federation/Klingon war has dissipated.
References[]
Characters[]
- Julia Bertrand • Pavel Chekov • Kang • James T. Kirk • Koram • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Kang's battle cruiser (D7-class) • Koram's Bird-of-Prey (Vas Hatham-class) • Metan starship
- Referenced only
- Stormbird-class D7 battlecruiser
Locations[]
- Romulan Neutral Zone • Starbase 14 • the galaxy • unnamed planet (Romulan planet)
- Referenced only
- California • Meta IV • San Francisco • Tarnak II
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and classification[]
- cloaking device • communicator • data bank • disruptor • phaser • photon torpedo • poison • sector • sensor • sensor log • shields • subspace radio • subspace transmission • transporter • tricorder • turbolift • viewscreen
Occupations and titles[]
- ambassador • captain • Chosen • commander • doctor • first officer • lieutenant • officer
Other references[]
- alien • animal • assignment patch • battle cruiser • briefing room • brig • capital city • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2269 • corridor • distress call • dream • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • government • honor • hull • law • life • log entry • logic • orbit • murder • outpost • planet • quarantine • quarters • race • religion • sleep • space • starbase • Starfleet uniform (2260s) • suicide • technology • trial • universe • war • warp factor (warp six) • weapon
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 11 novelization: Day of the Dove – Kang referenced his history with Kirk in not wanting to be manipulated into battle.
Background[]
- As announced in the previous issue's letter column, this was the final issue in a 12-year run of TOS comics published by DC Comics. This issue included a short farewell essay by Bob Greenberger which thanked Marv Wolfman, Mike W. Barr, Peter David, and many others who helped craft more than a decade of stories.
- Montgomery Scott did not appear in the story itself, but was heard over a communicator in Kirk's dream.
Errata[]
- Kirk's tunic was mis-colored red in one panel on page 11.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: Blood Enemies |
TOS comics | Next comic: Dying of the Light |
| Previous comic: Blood Enemies |
TOS comics (DC volume 2) |
Next comic: final issue in series |
| Previous comic: Blood Enemies |
The Chosen | Next comic: final issue in miniseries |
| Previous story: Blood Enemies |
Stories by: Kevin Ryan |
Next story: The Edge of the Sword Errand of Vengeance |
| Chronological Order | ||
| Previous adventure: Blood Enemies |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Devil's Bargain |
| Previous story: Blood Enemies |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Four | Next story: Devil's Bargain |
External link[]
- Collision Course! article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.