- This article is about the TOS-era Star Trek Unlimited story. You may be looking for TNG - War and Madness comic: "The Dying of the Light".
"Dying of the Light" was a 22-page TOS comic book story, a sequel to TOS episode & Star Trek 2 novelization: Arena which reunited Kirk and the Gorn captain from Cestus III. The story appeared in the first issue of Marvel Comics' anthology series Star Trek Unlimited along with the TNG story "Directives". This story was written by Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton, with artists Mark Buckingham and Kev Sutherland also contributing the cover art.
Description[]
- From solicitations
- Only Captain Kirk can stop the all-out interstellar war brewing between the Federation and the Gorn!
Summary[]
An unethical archeologist has been excavating relics on a planet that the lizard-like Gorn consider to be a sacred burial ground. When the Gorn attack, the archaeologist sets off a distress beacon, and the Enterprise responds. On arrival, James T. Kirk restores the peace by diplomatically surrendering to his old Gorn adversary.
Log entries[]
- Captain's log, stardate 5970.3
- The Enterprise's routine mapping survey of the Lotora star group has been interrupted by a distress call from a Federation vessel… Which has brought to us to the uncharted planet Lotora III… And into the hands of an implacable foe… The Gorn!
- Captain's log, supplemental
- My experience of the Gorn has shown them to be fiercely protectionist and territorial. Not to mention: deadly adversaries. Baynan—and by extension the Enterprise—has committed the worst kind of transgression in their eyes. But they are also creatures of honor. And that's all I've got to count on…
- Mission record of Commander S'alath of the Gorn Hegemony
- The mammals comply, and send their shuttle to Cenotaph, bearing the grave-goods. I have defeated Human Kirk. But it seems an easy victory. Is this a ruse, or is it less than his reputation would have us believe? He was ever resourceful. When the Metrons capitalized on the tragic misunderstanding between Gorn and Human, we were set at each other's throats. I had hewn a blade from crystal, but he had used natural components to build a projectile weapon. He could have slain me then. The fate of his crew rested upon his victory. But he stayed his hand. What does he plan now?
References[]
Characters[]
- Holm Baynan • Pavel Chekov • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • S'alath • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • unnamed Gorn • unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (USS Enterprise personnel)
Starships and vehicles[]
- Class F shuttlecraft (Federation shuttlecraft) • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Galileo II • Gorn warship (warship)
Locations[]
- Cenotaph/Lotora III • Lotora star group (the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant)
- Referenced only
- Earth • Sto-vo-kor • Valhalla
Races and cultures[]
Science and classification[]
- buoy • cannon • computer • dagger • deflector shield • distress beacon • marker sphere • medscanner • medical tricorder • PADD • phaser • phaser bank • phaser emitter • phaser pistol • pistol • satellite • Sestra phaser II • starship • stylus • type-2 phaser • viewscreen • weapon
States and organizations[]
- Federation • Gorn Hegemony • Starfleet • University of Colorado
- Referenced only
- Metron Consortium
Occupations and titles[]
- archaeologist • captain • chair of extraterrestrial anthropology • chief medical officer • commander • commanding officer • communications officer • doctor • executive officer • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • first officer • Gorn ranks • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • professor • science officer
Other references[]
- assignment patch • archaeology • beam • bird • bridge • brig • cemetery • clothing • crystal • death • dinosauria • diplomacy • distress call • evolution • galaxy • handshake • hangar deck • honor • hour • humanoid • lifeform • lizard • magnetism • mammal • nation • pictograph • planet • plant • pyramid • quadrant • races and cultures • rank • security • space • standard orbit • star • star system • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • state • statue • technology • title • transporter room • tree • turbolift • uniform • universe • Valkyrie • virus • war • warp three • year
Chronology[]
- 500 million years ago
- Gorn placed stone marker spheres in orbit of Cenotaph.
- 2267
- James T. Kirk and S'alath met in a trial by combat initiated by Metrons.
- 2269 (prior to stardate 5970.3)
- Archeologist Holm Baynan traveled to Cenotaph intent on grave robbing the Gorn's cemetery world.
- 2269 (stardate 5970.3)
- USS Enterprise responded to Baynan's distress call.
- 2269 (after stardate 5970.3)
- Galileo II was destroyed in flames with a phaser to symbolize the Viking tradition of honoring the dead.
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 2 novelization: Arena – USS Enterprise responded to the Cestus III Massacre.
- FASA RPG module: Demand of Honor – More details regarding the Cestus III Massacre.
- DS9 - Strange New Worlds I short story: "Where I Fell Before My Enemy" – In 2267, S'alath helped negotiate the Frontier Accord with the Federation following the events of "Arena". He is granted long life by the Metrons.
- TOS comic: "More of the Serpent Than the Dove" – In 2267, the crew of the USS Enterprise faced destructive sabotage while transporting the Gorn ambassador.
Background[]
- The title originates from the quote, "“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light," in a 20th century poem by Dylan Thomas. (Do not go gentle into that good night article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
- A much older S'alath returned in issue #8's "The Veteran", set in 2307.
- On page 17 of the story (page 51 of the issue), a Type-4 shuttlecraft (as seen in the film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) is depicted on the Gorn captain's viewscreen, as opposed to the Class F shuttlecraft seen in the 1960s TV series episodes and seen in the rest of the story. This isn't necessarily a continuity mistake, as the Type-4 shuttle was shown to be entering service at the same time in TOS - Star Trek Unlimited - Issue 9 comic: "Trekkers", and could have been spotted by the Gorn at some recent point in time, and used on their screens as a placeholder schematic.
Images[]
Connections[]
| Star Trek Unlimited comics |
| #1 ("Directives" & "Dying of the Light") • #2 ("Action of the Tiger" & "The Unkindest Cut") • #3 ("Message in a Bottle" & "Sins of the Fathers") • #4 ("None But the Brave" & "Inheritance") • #5 ("Secret Lives" & "As Flies to Wanton Boys ") • "Heart of Darkness" • "An Infinite Jest" • #8 ("The Boy", "The Warrior" & "The Veteran") • "Trekkers" • "A Piece of Reaction" |
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: Directives |
TOS comics (Unlimited) |
Next comic: Action of the Tiger |
| Previous story: Directives |
Stories by: Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton |
Next story: Action of the Tiger |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Allegiance in Exile Pillagra: 13-19 |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Action of the Tiger |
External link[]
- Dying of the Light article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.