- For the mirror universe counterpart, see Taurik (mirror).
Taurik was a male Vulcan serving as an engineer in Starfleet during the 24th century. Most notably, Taurik served aboard the USS Enterprise-D and later the USS Enterprise-E as assistant chief engineer to Geordi La Forge.
Early life[]
Taurik, son of T'Sara and Tybik, was born along with his twin brother, Vorik, in the city of Raal on Vulcan in 2350. (ST video game: Starship Creator)
Starfleet career[]
Starfleet Academy[]
Taurik attended Starfleet Academy in the late 2360s, during which time, he had the opportunity to review preliminary finds of Dr. Nils DiazMA. (TNG episode: "Lower Decks") Taurik graduated from the Academy in 2370 in the 97th percentile. (ST video game: Starship Creator)
USS Enterprise-D[]
Following his graduation, Ensign Taurik was assigned to the engineering division aboard USS Enterprise-D, under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Taurik's roommate aboard the Enterprise was fellow Academy graduate, Sam Lavelle. Taurik's typical Vulcan dry wit saw the two become close friends, and also saw Taurik establish friendships with Nurse Alyssa Ogawa, Ensign Sito Jaxa and Ten Forward waiter Ben. (TNG episode: "Lower Decks")
Initially, Taurik's inquisitive and perceptive nature proved irritating to chief engineer, Geordi La Forge, especially the young Vulcan's eagerness to begin field tests on warp drive modifications that he had designed based on Dr. Diaz's work. Taurik later assisted La Forge in damaging the shuttlecraft Curie as part of a "hull resiliency test", and he noted that the phaser blast pattern was consistent with making the shuttle look as if it had been attacked, but realized that La Forge wanted him to keep quiet about the fact. Following this, La Forge realized that Taurik wasn't irritating him on purpose and invited him to test his engine modifications in main engineering.
Shortly after, Sito Jaxa left the Enterprise on a covert mission into Cardassian space. After her escape pod was found to have been destroyed and she was believed killed, Taurik and his friends were all deeply affected. Being Vulcan, Taurik couldn't openly mourn his friend, so he threw himself into his work, volunteering for every "extra credit" assignment available. Commander La Forge accredited Taurik's behavior to the "after effects" of crew evaluations that had afflicted many junior officers. (TNG episode: "Lower Decks"; TNG - The Sky's the Limit short story: "'Twould Ring the Bells of Heaven")
During the Enterprise's mission to Ennis Outpost in early 2371, Commander Deanna Troi was placed in command of the away team that was to assist Doctor Aaron in performing a survey of Heaven's twin moonlets, Bell-A and Bell-B using the runabout USS Colorado. On La Forge's recommendation, Troi assigned Taurik to the away mission to serve as an engineer and pilot.
While surveying Bell-B the Colorado was struck by a plume of gas released from the moonlet which heavily damaged the runabout and caused it to collide with the moonlet. With Doctor Aaron killed and Lt. Commander Data incapacitated, Troi and Taurik were forced to make emergency repairs to the runabouts communications and propulsion systems. The team were later rescued by the Enterprise after she returned from the Chandra colony. (TNG - The Sky's the Limit short story: "'Twould Ring the Bells of Heaven")
Interim assignments[]
Following the Enterprise-D's destruction at Veridian III in 2371, Taurik was among the many former Enterprise crew members assigned to the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards. (TNG novel: A Time to Sow)
By 2373, Taurik was serving as a bridge officer aboard the cruiser USS Aizawa, along with his best friend, Sam Lavelle. Following the outbreak of the hostilities with the Cardassian-Dominion alliance, the Aizawa was attacked and boarded and the survivors, including Taurik and Lavelle, were taken prisoner and held in an internment camp located near the Badlands. At some point, Taurik was replaced with a Changeling infiltrator, and later worked with Lavelle to escape the prison. (TNG - The Dominion War novels: Behind Enemy Lines, Tunnel Through the Stars)
- The real Taurik's fate wasn't revealed, although there is a distinct possibility that he was killed. The events of The Dominion War books aren't referred to in later works, and Taurik's later presence indicates that these events never occurred or that Taurik was later found alive and rescued.
Taurik was later assigned to the USS Ilan Ramon, where he remained for the duration of the conflict. (TNG novel: A Time to Sow)
USS Enterprise-E[]
In 2378, now a full Lieutenant, Taurik was assigned as assistant chief engineer aboard the USS Enterprise-E, once again under the auspices of Geordi La Forge. (TNG novel: A Time to Sow)
In 2379, he commanded the Echo team mission to infiltrate the nadion-pulse cannon firebase located in the Linoka Forest on Tezwa. (TNG novel: A Time to Kill)
Taurik was still aboard the Enterprise in 2381 when it was involved in the Borg Invasion of 2381. After the ship engaged three Borg cubes in the Azure Nebula, Taurik reported the failure of their targeting computer to chief engineer La Forge, then attempted to get Geordi to leave for Sickbay after he was injured. When La Forge beamed over to the USS Aventine to assist in upgrading their capabilities for travel through subspace tunnels, Taurik was left in command of engineering, and reported their repair status to first officer Worf. (ST - Destiny novel: Mere Mortals)
Taurik lost his mate and daughter in the Borg attack on ShiKahr. (TNG novel: Losing the Peace)
In 2382, Taurik was promoted to lieutenant commander. (ST - Typhon Pact novel: Paths of Disharmony)
- In the novel Q & A, Taurik was identified as an ensign rather than a lieutenant.
Starfleet service record[]
| location | assignment | dates | rank or rate | assignment insignia | rank insignia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starfleet Academy | student officer | circa 2370 | cadet |  |
|
| USS Enterprise-D | junior officer engineer |
2370-2371 | ensign | 
| |
 |
| ||||
| Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards | circa 2371-2373 | ||||
| USS Aizawa | bridge officer | circa 2373 | lieutenant junior grade | 
| |
| USS Ilan Ramon | junior officer | circa 2373-2376 | |||
| USS Enterprise-E | assistant chief engineer | 2378-2382 | lieutenant | 
| |
| 2382 onwards | lieutenant commander | 
|
Appendices[]
Connections[]
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) engineering personnel | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Ajanian • Aleakala • Ampalayon • Andrews • Argyle • Barclay • Bartel • Blake • Bracken • Brewer • Bruner • Butler • Carpelli • Clancy • Cliff • Costa • Danilova • De Shay • Della Guardia • Dern • DiBiasi • Donna • Duffy • Eddies • El'sryk • Farrell • Forest • Friedel • Gomez • Heavenly • Hessan • Hinner • Hubbell • Jones • Kandel • Kelso • Kihn • Kociemba • Kolb • Kopf • Kornblum • Kwan • La Forge • LaVelle • Li • Lefler • Logan • Lynch • MacDougal • Maireid • McRobb • Moezer • Myers • Nagurski • Nara • O'Brien • O'Connor • Oblata • Oliver • Otto • Palmeiro • Redbay • Robinson • Sherman • Shimoda • Shipley • Singh • Stone • Sutter • Taurik • T'Kaal • T'Lota • Varley • Vukcevok • Wallace • Yee • Zelenetsky |
|
| see also: medical personnel • pilots & flight control personnel • operations personnel • security & tactical personnel • sciences personnel • senior staff • unnamed | ||
| USS Enterprise-E engineering personnel | ||
|---|---|---|
| chief engineers | Montgomery Scott • Geordi La Forge | 
|
| engineers & technicians | Achen • R. Barclay • M. Barnes • Betai • R. Danilova • Davis • DeCandido • I. Eiger • Falnam Edrel • Gallivan • J. Goodnough • M. Granados • Heaton • Anh Hoang • Jarka • Jutron • Linder • L'Sen • Luptowski • Meidat • Mobe • Morello • Mun Ying • Nafir • Newaur • M. Obrecht • Pinkman • P. Porter • Porter • Rao • B.G. Robinson • Sakrysta • Scholz • Sonol • E. Spitale • Taro T. • Taurik • T'Bonz • T'Eama • K. Tierney • Tomoko • Veldon • Wathiongo • Wolfe • K. Zydhek • W. Zydhek | |
| see also: medical & counseling personnel • operations personnel • pilots & flight control personnel • security & tactical personnel • sciences personnel • senior staff • miscellaneous • unnamed | ||
Background[]
The idea that Taurik and Vorik were twins originated with Star Trek: Voyager co-creator Jeri Taylor, the real-life mother of actor Alexander Enberg, who played both characters.
Appearances[]
2370
2371 2378 2379
2380
2382 |
External link[]
- Taurik article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.