- For other uses, see The Hunted.
The hunted! – "The Hunted" was the 78th issue of DC Comics' 1989 ongoing series of Star Trek comics, written by Kevin Ryan. This is part one of The Chosen story arc, with art penciled by Rachel Ketchum and inked by Mark Heike.
Description[]
- On a routine mapping mission, the USS Enterprise intercepts a distress call from a Klingon outpost. Something so massive is attacking them that the Klingons are calling for help – from anyone! The starship Enterprise arrives, but too late. The outpost is wiped out. But more chilling is the sensor report that Starfleet weapons were behind the destruction. Who has declared war on the Klingons?
Summary[]
- Captain's log, stardate 6218.9.
- It has been three months since our encounters with a Romulan ship and an unidentified, hostile alien vessel. Our journey to Starbase Four was a slow ten-week cruise, which is all the ship's damaged systems could manage.
- Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott has overseen two weeks of extensive repairs and even managed a few system upgrades. Thanks to Mister Scott, the Enterprise is in even better condition than before.
- After these stressful weeks, I know the crew is looking forward to the routine of our next assignment, a scientific survey of a unique astronomical phenomenon. I'm still not clear about multistellar phasing, but Mister Spock is "fascinated" about the phenomenon. Doctor McCoy claims that Spock's enthusiasm is a sure sign that the mission will be excruciatingly dull. I can only hope that he is right.
When a distress signal is heard from a colony 12 light years inside the Klingon Empire and no other ships are detected nearby, Captain James T. Kirk is obligated under Starfleet Regulations to assist.
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- We are in orbit around the Klingon colony. Sensors show no sign of artificial power and no signs of humanoid life. Nevertheless, sensors can't rule out the possibility of survivors, so I am leading a landing party to conduct a search.
Spock's tricorder identifies weapons signatures matching Starfleet phasers and photon torpedoes. McCoy wonders if an aggressive Klingon faction could have done it to frame the Federation, but Kirk doesn't think even Klingons would slaughter their own people. They learn that the outpost's computer core was erased, suggesting the culprit was unfamiliar with its operating system.
McCoy suggests that they ought to get out before they're found, but it's too late. Kang's battlecruiser arrives. Kang discounts Montgomery Scott's sensor logs and records as lies, and beams down troops that kill Kirk's three security officers. Scott won't be provoked into firing on the Klingons, even in self defense, and has Hikaru Sulu break orbit to hide within the system's asteroid belt. Sulu's evasive maneuvers force the Klingon ship to strike an asteroid, and the resulting damage slows the battlecruiser enough for the Enterprise to retrieve the landing party survivors and vacate the area.
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- We are returning to Federation space. Though the Enterprise is in good condition, the situation is grave.
As a result of the incident, the Empire is preparing for war. Starfleet pulls the Enterprise from the sector as a liability, and instead has the starship head for Starbase 7 to assist with trouble near the Romulan Neutral Zone.
References[]
Characters[]
- Pavel Chekov • Hornick • Kang • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Rainer • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Washington • unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (navigator) • unnamed Starfleet personnel (Starfleet officer) • unnamed Klingons (landing party, bridge officer)
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • IKS Klolode II (D7-class battlecruiser)
- Referenced only
- Shaal's battlecruiser • unidentified alien vessel
Locations[]
- Klingon Neutral Zone • Starbase 4 • Tarnak II
- Referenced only
- Granite Cluster • Romulan Neutral Zone • Starbase 7 • Starbase 47
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and classification[]
- astronomy • blood • communicator • computer • computer core • EV suit • hail • humanoid • life signs • light-year • multistellar phasing • orbit • phaser • photon torpedo • sensor • shields • star • transporter • tricorder • viewscreen • warp drive • warp factor (warp eight)
Occupations and titles[]
Other references[]
- animal • assignment patch • asteroid • asteroid belt • beam • blood • briefing room • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2269 • colony • death • diplomacy • distress call • Federation-Klingon War of 2267 • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • landing party • life form • logic • minute • month • orbit • planet • priority one • second • sector • senior staff • space • Starfleet Regulations • Starfleet uniform (2260s) • stun • transporter room • war • weapon
Appendices[]
Background[]
- Cover credits were provided in the comic's letter column.
- Kang's battlecruiser was assumed to be the IKS Klolode II, the ship he commanded during this period according to other sources, but was not identified by name.
- The story specified speed, distance, and travel time to a destination. The Enterprise made the trip in three hours. Ordinarily, however, traveling 12 light years at warp eight should have taken 8.6 days per the OCU scale, or 4.3 days per the 24th century warp factor scale.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #77: Deadlock |
TOS comics (DC's 2nd series) |
Next comic: #79: Blood Enemies |
| Previous comic: first issue in mini-series |
The Chosen | Next comic: Blood Enemies |
| Previous story: Resistance |
Stories by: Kevin Ryan |
Next story: Blood Enemies |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Deadlock |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Blood Enemies |
| Previous story: Deadlock |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Four | Next story: Blood Enemies |
External links[]
- The Hunted (TOS comic) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.