Welcome to Nano's homeworld. Is Liria burning? — "One of a Kind" is a TOS comic published by Marvel-Paramount Comics in 1997, the ninth issue in the Star Trek: Early Voyages series, set during Christopher Pike's captaincy of the USS Enterprise.
Description[]
- Communications officer Nano is recalled to his homeworld of Liria — a tragedy has occurred, killing several of his people, and Nano is needed to restore the delicate population balance.
Summary[]
Nano receives a priority message from Starfleet Command, informing him of a crisis that requires him to resign his commission.
- Captain's log, stardate 361.6.
- The Enterprise is en route to Liria. I think I can speak for the whole crew in expressing our sadness at Nano's impending sacrifice. In his own quiet, subtle way, he has made a big impact on us all... he will be missed.
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- We have achieved standard orbit above Liria. I've always wanted to visit this ancient and notoriously reclusive culture... I just wish the circumstances were happier. I have given permission for Lieutenant Nano's bridge crew colleagues to accompany us to the surface. having his friends see him off is the least I can do.
Pike, Spock, Sita Mohindas, and José Tyler beam down to Liria with Nano and meet Adjunct Koda, Speaker of the Lirin Unity, who allows the landing party to do some sightseeing. Nano trains with Vora to relearn telepathic skills that he'd not needed to use while offworld, but his talents have atrophied, and he struggles to levitate a pillar. When he suddenly releases the huge rock, Pike and Spock disintegrate it with phasers.
Tyler and Mohindas visit a garden on the city's outskirts and meet a groundskeeper. He seems afraid of them, and a large fire spontaneously erupts in the garden. Mohindas knocks Tyler out of the way, but the groundskeeper is caught in the flames and burns to death. Later, she tells Pike it didn't feel like a freak accident — she saw a face in the flames. Tyler didn't see the face, but agreed that the fire's movements seemed unnatural. Nano's people are pyrotechnics, naturally able to create and manipulate fire, and Mohindas wonders if there's a connection.
Nano confesses to having difficulty adjusting to his new life, particularly since he was bred specifically to be an offworld explorer. He also senses something preventing his mind from joining the Lirin Unity, as well as a general fear among the Lirin. Before he resigns from Starfleet, he asks if the landing party will help him investigate.
To increase Nano's telepathic ability, Tyler connects him to a psionic amplifier. It works, allowing him to reach the Unity, and also to sense a darkness within their shared subconscious, a previously unknown aspect of the Unity. Spock theorizes that Lirin xenophobia has been manifesting as a pyrotechnic force. Koda barges into the room, demanding they stop, as they are violating their species's privacy. The creature reappears, and Nano explains to Koda what it is. Pike and Tyler shoot it, but it is impervious to phasers. Quickly, Mohindas hurls the amplifier at it, creating a feedback loop that disperses it.
Nano tells Koda it will keep haunting them until Lirin confront their fears of the unknown. Koda agrees to allows a Federation science vessel to continue the investigation. Nano is allowed to return to the Enterprise, with an amended mission to periodically return and share his offworld experiences.
References[]
Characters[]
- J. Mia Colt • Koda • Sita Mohindas • Nano • Number One • Christopher Pike • pyrotechnic force • Spock • José Tyler • Vora • unnamed Lirin
- Referenced only
- Adams • Gabrielle Carlotti • Collins • Dermot Cusack • Rajiv Mohindas • Moves-With-Burning-Grace • Chase • Watson
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser)
- Referenced only
- science vessel
Locations[]
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Federation • First Contact Council • Lirin Unity • Starfleet • Starfleet Command
Science and classification[]
- computer • computer language • phaser • psionic amplifier • transporter • turbolift • viewscreen
Ranks and titles[]
- adjunct • captain • chairman • communications chief • envoy • instructor • lieutenant • officer • pyrotechnic • representative • Speaker of the Lirin Unity • yeoman
Other references[]
- alien • assignment patch • baseball • baseball bat • bird • brain • bridge • bridge crew • briefing room • captain's log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), 2254 • carvings • century • city • culture • death • empathy • fear • Federation Starfleet ranks (2240s-2260s) • fire • first contact • grass • greenery • group consciousness • history • homeworld • hour • landing party • log entry • mess hall • mountain • phobia • plant • practice range • quarters • shared consciousness • standard orbit • star • Starfleet uniform (2240s-2265) • subconscious • telepathy • tree • UFP pennant • xenophobia • year
Chronology[]
- Centuries ago
- A pyrotechnic force first forms within the Lirin Unity's shared consciousness.
- ~ 2224
- Rajiv Mohindas leads the Federation's first contact with the Lirin. (30 years prior to the story)
- Nano is created to serve as envoy. (30 years prior to the story)
- 2230s, 2240s, or 2250s
- Liria joins the Federation.
- 2250s
- Moves-With-Burning-Grace, Cusack, Gabrielle Carlotti, José Tyler and Nano pose for a baseball team photo. (Nano has the memento in the story, taken before Cusack's death in "Our Dearest Blood")
- 2254, stardate 361.6
- Nano is recalled after an accident kills several Lirins.
Appendices[]
Background[]
- Despite the front cover stating otherwise, this issue's pencilling was done by Mike Collins rather than the usual Patrick Zircher. Collins did the next three issues before Zircher returned in "Future Tense".
- Number One's replacement candidates for Lieutenant Nano, Adams, Chase, Collins, and Watson, were named for the story's inker Greg Adams, editor Bobbie Chase, penciller Mike Collins, and assistant editor Polly Watson.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: Immortal Wounds |
EV comics | Next story: The Fallen, Part One |
| Previous story: Dead Zone |
Stories by: Dan Abnett and Ian Edginton |
Next story: The Fallen, Part One |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Immortal Wounds |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Fallen, Part One |
| Previous story: Immortal Wounds |
The Early Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) | Next story: The Fallen, Part One |
Production history[]
- September 1997
- First published by Marvel Comics.
- September 2008
- Re-released on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD. (Graphic Imaging Technologies)
- May 2009
- Reprinted in Star Trek Omnibus, Volume 2. (IDW Publishing)
- 15 April 2014
- Reprinted in The Stardate Collection's Volume 2 omnibus. (IDW Publishing)
- 31 August 2017
- Collected in the Graphic Novel Collection's Volume 18 omnibus. (Eaglemoss Collections)
Translations[]
- 27 December 2017
- Italian: Collected in the Italian release of Graphic Novel Collection, Volume 18: Primi Viaggi - Seconda Parte. (RCS MediaGroup, ISSN 977228074425770018)
External link[]
- One of a Kind article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.