Summary
The Enterprise is about to leave Starbase 2, where Janice Lester and Dr. Arthur Coleman have been turned over to the authorities. In Kirk's quarters, Kirk and McCoy discuss Kirk's relationship with Lester at Starfleet Academy. Kirk blames himself for not seeing how obsessed Lester was with starship command. He tells McCoy the Enterprise has been ordered back to Earth for a refit. Kirk has received transfer orders for all 430 crewmembers. McCoy urges Kirk to fight the transfers, including Kirk's own promotion to Admiral and Chief of Starfleet Operation, but Kirk has decided to take the promotion. Kirk is tired of holding his crew's lives in his hands. On their way to the bridge McCoy reminds Kirk that the lives he has saved far outnumber the crew he has lost, but Kirk believes that he can help save lives on a broader scale at Starfleet Command. Resisting McCoy's warning that he will never get the Enterprise back if he gives her up, Kirk orders a heading back to Earth.
Characters
Regulars
James T. Kirk | Leonard McCoy | Spock | Hikaru Sulu
Others
Lanier
Referenced
B'Targi | Ruth Cartwright | Arthur Coleman | Willard Decker | Ben Finney | Janice Lester | Carol Marcus | Gary Mitchell | Montgomery Scott | Areel Shaw | Hikaru Sulu | Robert Tomlinson
References
Starships and vehicles
USS Enterprise (Constitution-class)
Locations
Camus II | Earth | San Francisco | Sector 001 | Starbase 2
Races and cultures
States and organizations
Starfleet | Starfleet Academy | Starfleet Command | Starfleet Corps of Engineers | Starfleet Operations | United Federation of Planets
Ranks and titles
cadet | captain | Chief of Starfleet Operations | crewman | doctor | officer | physician | professor | rear admiral
Technology and weapons
diagnostic bed | intercom | mind transference machine | optic probe | simulator | starship | warp core
Others
alien | Andorian ale | archeology | bridge | bulkhead | camel | cancer | carpet | champagne | Chief of Starfleet Operations | civilization | command | computer | cortex mapping | deck | drydock | duty roster | duty shift | emotion | first contact | five-year mission | funeral | galactic barrier | galaxy | laundry | medicine | morality | office | optic probe | prescription | psychology | quarters | refit | San Francisco Fleet Yards | secretary | security | shore leave | species | trial | tunic | uniform | universe | war | wardrobe | warp core | warp nacelle | xenobiology
Information
- This story describes the end of the Enterprise's five-year mission. Several other versions of this story, including TOS comic: "The Final Voyage", TOS comic: "Mission's End" and TOS novel: The Lost Years, have all given differing accounts of the end of the mission. However, the Pocket Books Timeline and the Memory Beta Chronology agree that the five-year mission ended in 2270, instead of in 2269 and immediately after TOS episode: "Turnabout Intruder" which is stated here.
- Janice Lester is referred to with her correct first name only once in this story. Elsewhere, she is called "Janet" Lester.
- Kirk lists "Will Decker" among people he failed to protect or keep alive. This is incorrect, since Will Decker merges with V'Ger and is declared missing in TOS movie: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, set after this story. Commodore Matt Decker dies in TOS episode: "The Doomsday Machine", but Kirk was not his commanding officer.
- Kirk states in this story that 58 Enterprise crewmembers died in the line of duty during the five-year mission. According to "Admiral Kirk's Preface" to TOS novel: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 94 crewmembers died.
Related Stories
- This story takes place around a week after the Enterprise's encounter with Janice Lester.
Connections
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: The Doomsday Gambit |
Strange New Worlds 10 | Next story: Wired |
| Previous story: A Bad Day for Koloth |
Stories by: David DeLee |
Next story: Most recent work |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Captain's Personal Log |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: Assignment: Eternity |
| Previous Adventure: Captain's Personal Log |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) (2264 to 2270) |
Next Adventure: Assignment: Eternity |