- For other uses, see Susan.
- See Ling for other articles with titles that contain, either by relationship or by coincidence, this character's surname.
- This character is a member of the Sulu family.
Susan Ling (also known as Ling Sui) was a 23rd century Human woman, the mother of Demora Sulu and wife of Hikaru Sulu. (TOS eBook: Shadow of the Machine)
Biography[]
Ling had green eyes and wore her black hair long and straight. She liked to wear ultramodern civilian attire, while occasionally dressing in traditional gowns. She usually exhibited an air of confidence and vibrance. (TLE novel: Serpents Among the Ruins) She kept her hair waist-length, and she had a taut, slender build. (TLE novel: One Constant Star) She had delicate features, a vise-like grip, sparkling emerald-colored eyes, was of Chinese heritage, and had a diamond-shaped birthmark on her shoulder. At one time, she had had a short career in Starfleet, but found herself too independent to follow orders well. (TOS novel: The Captain's Daughter)
By one account, Hikaru Sulu and Ling met only once, in the year 2271 in the tourist city of Demora in the Sahara desert on Earth, while she was being chased by three men. Thinking the circumstances were a surprise adventure arranged by Pavel Chekov while they were on shore leave, which he'd actually asked for, Sulu played along when they asked about her, implying that he knew her well. The three men kidnapped him, but Sulu still thought it was street theater common in the faux city until they were about to torture him. Ling rescued him, and they eventually faced off and defeated the kidnappers in a shuttle chase, becoming stranded in the desert. As they walked together, she admitted to being a freelance adventurer, and enjoyed being Sulu's "mystery woman" whom he knew so little about. They spent that night in an oasis, but she was gone when he awoke, and a follow-up search with Chekov later in Demora failed to locate her. He never knew her real name or that she'd gotten pregnant until after her death. (TOS novel: The Captain's Daughter)
Ling gave birth to her daughter in 2271. (ST video game: Starship Creator)
- This source referred to Ling as Yoshiko Sulu.
By another account, Ling first met her husband not long after the conclusion of James T. Kirk's famous five-year mission when the two were held prisoner, along with Chekov, by Originalist sympathizing Russians. After they negotiated their release, Ling and Sulu quickly became enamored. At that time, she was attached to Admiral Shran's office. (TOS - Year Five - Experienced in Loss comic: "Issue 25")
By 2273, she was living in an apartment building at 1738 Ocean Avenue in San Francisco, had gotten married to Sulu, and worked in a biomechanics laboratory. After attending a friend's baby shower in 2272 in Anchorage, and seeing family friends having children, both thought it was time that they had a baby, but Sulu was concerned about not being around to raise it. Ling said she'd give up her lab work.
Ling gave birth to Demora Emma Sulu in 2273, four days after the V'Ger incident, but the baby was four and a half months premature. Luckily, Hikaru was able to rush to Starfleet Medical in time to see their newborn in the NICU. Ling accepted that Hikaru would be serving aboard the USS Enterprise for the next five years while she raised their daughter alone. (TOS eBook: Shadow of the Machine)
Ling died in the 2270s. When Demora was six years old, and Ling had brought her along to a six-week survey of the Marris system, she first showed signs of having Sakuro's disease. At the time of her death, she was on Starbase 189, near Marris III. (TLE novels: One Constant Star, Serpents Among the Ruins, TOS novel: The Captain's Daughter)
Alternate timelines[]
In an alternate timeline, Ling was married to Sulu and they raised Demora together. However, the Ling of that timeline (referred to as Susan Sulu) also died from Sakuro's Disease. She joined the Marris survey without her daughter. (ST - Myriad Universes - Shattered Light novella: The Tears of Eridanus)
Appendices[]
Appearances and references[]
Appearances[]
- TOS novel: The Captain's Daughter
- TOS eBook: Shadow of the Machine
- TOS - Year Five - Experienced in Loss comic: "Issue 25"