star trek tarsus

Star Trek: Enterprise's Hoshi Sato Has A Grim Connection To Captain Kirk

The 2001 series "Star Trek: Enterprise" takes place about a century before the events of the original "Star Trek," and a lot of the technologies Trekkies took for granted hadn't been invented yet. Transporters, for instance, weren't yet safe for human use. Starships didn't have shields and instead were equipped with specialized hull plating that needed to be polarized to deflect phase cannon blasts. Instead of tractor beams, the Enterprise had grappling hooks. And, because Earth hadn't yet encountered too many alien species, there wasn't yet a workable universal translator. 

That's where Ensign Hoshi Sato (Linda Park) came in. Ensign Sato was a language wunderkind whose ear for language and knack for syntax proved invaluable for making first contact with alien species. She was, however, only 22 years old when she joined the crew of the Enterprise and, like the rest of the crew, had no deep space experience. Ensign Sato was confident in her field of expertise but quite nervous in many other regards. As the series progressed, Ensign Sato became more assured. 

"Enterprise," of course, chronicled Sato's early career in detail, and she revealed a lot about her family, her professional ambitions, and her anxieties over the course of the show's four seasons. Her life was hardly obscure. Less well-known, however, is Hoshi Sato's life after the events of "Enterprise." Hoshi Sato was, according to briefly-glimpsed on-screen stats penned by Mike Sussman , born in 2129 in Kyoto. She would die in 2246 at the ripe old age of 117 on the planet Tarsus IV. 

Tarsus IV will ring a few bells in Trekkies' minds. As described in the original series episode "The Conscience of the King" (December 8, 1966), Trasus IV site of a notorious massacre. A massacre where a young James T. Kirk was present.

The Conscience of the King

In "The Conscience of the King," Captain Kirk ( William Shatner ) is asked by an old friend to investigate the past of a well-known Shakespearean actor named Anton Karidian (Arnold Moss). Kirk's friend suspects that Karidian is actually a vicious mass murderer named Kodos who had changed his name and who had been in hiding since a bleak incident many years before. Kodos, it is explained, was the governor of the Federation colony on Tarsus IV when a rare and fast-moving fungus struck the planet's food supply. Without any way to replenish their food, Kodos saw that his colonists were facing death by starvation in a matter of weeks. Kodos, in a fit of villainy, selected the "less desirable" half of his 8,000-person colony and had them all killed in a swift act of unthinkable violence. With only half of his constituents still alive, Kodos could make the remaining food supply last until supply ships came. The writers of "Avengers: Infinity War" certainly were familiar with "The Conscience of the King." 

Only nine survivors managed to witness the actual slaughter first-hand, one of them being the 13-year-old James T. Kirk. It has been argued in the past that witnessing the slaughter on Tarsus IV is what made Kirk so staunch and resolute a captain. It's certainly what distinguished him from his more jocund Kelvin-verse counterpart (Chris Pine) who wasn't raised on Tarsus IV. 

This wasn't established until a flash across the screen in the fourth-season "Enterprise" episode "In a Mirror Darkly" (April 22 and 29, 2002) when the "evil" parallel universe version of the Enterprise found our Hoshi's personnel file. And even then, only nerds with sharp TV signals might have been able to see it.

Hoshi's fate

In "In a Mirror Darkly," Hoshi's file read: 

"Tragically, Hoshi and her family were among the four thousand people who died on Tarsus Four in 2246 when a food shortage caused by an exotic fungus threatened the colony's population. Governor Kodos ordered the deaths of Sato and the others in order to save the rest of the colony. She was buried in Kyoto with her husband, Takashi Kimura." 

It seems that the elderly Hoshi Sato was killed by Kodos. A young Kirk witnessed it. 

The same fate was not shared by the "evil" Hoshi Sato from the Mirror Universe, however. The plot of "In a Mirror Darkly" saw the evil Enterprise crew, a team of conquerors and sadists, discovering a Kirk-era spacecraft called the U.S.S. Defiant that had phased into their dimension — and back in time — from the "Star Trek" episode "The Tholian Web." Captain Archer (Scott Bakula) took over the Defiant and intended to use its advanced weapons to take over the Terran Empire himself and install himself as the new Emperor. 

In a last-minute twist, however, the evil Hoshi Sato killed Archer and arrived at Earth in charge of the Defiant herself. She announced to the world that she, with her superior firepower, was now the Empress. 

In the main universe, Hoshi Sato lived a very long life before being killed tragically. In the Mirror Universe , she seems to have done okay for herself. 

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In 2247 , a fungus devastated the crops and food supplies on Tarsus IV. Governor Kodos declared martial law, and assumed emergency powers. A follower of eugenics , Kodos decreed that those he deemed not vital to the colony's survival were to be executed, in order to provide enough supplies for the remaining colonists to survive. Four thousand colonists were put to death, only for relief shipments to arrive soon thereafter. Kodos was believed to have died, when a charred corpse was discovered at his last known location. Nine eyewitnesses to the massacre survived, including Kevin Riley , Thomas Leighton , and James Kirk . At virtually the same time, Anton Karidian appeared, though no records of him existed prior to this date. [1]

Notes and References

• ↑ Roddenberry, Gene ( Executive Producer ). "The Conscience of the King." Star Trek , Season 1, Episode 13 (Production 13). Directed by Gerd Oswald . Written by Barry Trivers . Desilu Productions , 8 December 1966 .
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Novel Review: ‘Star Trek: Discovery: Drastic Measures’ Delivers An Exciting Tale Tied To Star Trek History

| February 5, 2018 | By: Dénes House 18 comments so far

Star Trek Discovery: Drastic Measures

Written by Dayton Ward Published by Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books

“The revolution is successful. But survival depends on drastic measures. Your continued existence represents a threat to the well-being of society. Your lives mean slow death to the more valued members of the colony. Therefore, I have no alternative but to sentence you to death. Your execution is so ordered, signed Kodos, Governor of Tarsus IV.”

Those words, spoken by actor Anton Karidian (played by Arnold Moss) in the original Star Trek episode “The Conscience of the King” served as the tipping-point for Captain James T. Kirk’s identification of Karidian as Kodos, the Executioner. The episode is a stand-out example from Classic Trek’s amazing first season, featuring creative direction, a truly creepy villain, and the beginning of Trek’s fascination with the work of the Bard of Avon .

Those words also form the starting-point for Dayton Ward’s new Star Trek: Discovery novel, Drastic Measures . Set a decade before Discovery and twenty years before “The Conscience of the King,” Drastic Measures takes us down to Tarsus IV as the fungal plague ravages the colony’s food supply, and tells the story of Kodos’ horrifying decision, the aftermath of his murder of 4000 colonists, and the manhunt for one of Trek’s greatest monsters. As the cover photo implies, that story involves not just Kodos, but Commander Philippa Georgiou and Lieutenant Commander Gabriel Lorca (yes, the real Lorca from the Prime Universe), two of the key characters in the first season of Discovery .

The story of Tarsus IV and Kodos has been covered in a number of previous Star Trek novels, including the recent Autobiography of James T. Kirk , David A. Goodman, but Dayton Ward’s novel was written with the full cooperation and input of Star Trek: Discovery staff writer Kirsten Beyer, and the full knowledge of the Discovery writer’s room. This gives Ward’s book, and the preceding Discovery novel Desperate Hours by David Mack, a stronger connection to official Trek canon.

The resulting novel tells an exciting tale of a colony on the brink of death, of people recovering from unimaginable trauma and loss, of the difficulty of being a first responder to a horrific tragedy that is an ongoing situation, and of the attempt to bring a murderer to justice when all you want is revenge.

As the novel opens, Lt. Cdr. Lorca is a recent arrival at Starfleet’s outpost on Tarsus IV, but he has already begun to build connections with his teammates in the outpost and some members of the colony. As Governor Kodos declares martial law in an attempt to control the developing famine, Lorca’s lady love, a Tarsus colonist, is one of the 4000 people selected by Kodos for extermination.

Commander Georgiou is aboard a Starfleet transport vessel bound for Tarsus IV in response to the colony’s distress call. Her ship will arrive well ahead of the two-month estimate that Starfleet had given Tarsus IV. She is in charge of the hastily-assembled first response team of Starfleet engineers, scientists, security personnel, and medics that have been sent to render aid as quickly as possible. As the ship arrives at Tarsus IV, and the horrible deeds that had been done there just days before become evident, Georgiou finds herself also managing a manhunt, spearheaded by a grieving Lorca.

Of course, we know how the manhunt for Kodos has to end up. In order for “The Conscience of the King” to unfold as we know it must twenty years down the line, Kodos must escape, but be believed to have died in a fire. That pulls some of the suspense out of the manhunt story, though Ward manages to make the journey exciting anyway.

“Upholding a set of ideals can be difficult, and sometimes it’s damned cruel. Being able to do that, especially during times of adversity and crisis and even great personal tragedy, is the true test of anyone privileged to wear this.” Reaching up, [Georgiou] tapped her chest to indicate her Starfleet uniform. “we’re bound to uphold and defend those ideals, but the harder job is living up to them.”

The story features a number of twists and turns, and bravely gives us some insight into the mindset of Kodos the Executioner. It explores survivor’s guilt, the clash between humanistic ideals and the desire for revenge, and the trade-offs required of every leader in a crisis situation. It also serves to tie together many of the scattered details provided by “The Conscience of the King” about the Tarsus IV crisis, and the massacre.

One critique for the novel is that when it seems to end, it then ends again, and then again. And there is a mysterious and almost incomprehensible “post-credits” scene. It feels like, having “landed the plane” (so to speak), Ward had trouble letting us disembark. It comes off as a bit awkward, after a well-crafted story with a satisfying climax.

Canon connections

Drastic Measures features a Denobulan character as well as a Betazoid character, and I was pleased to learn a bit more about the history and ethics of the Betazoid people. The Benecia colony, the destination of the Karidian Company of Players in “The Conscience of the King” is mentioned. The book hints that the Bonestell Recreational Facility, where Jean-Luc Picard once left his heart (TNG: “Samaritan Snare”) may have been on Tarsus IV. There seems to be a nod to the Enterprise episode, “Horizon,” in a discussion about arming transport ships.

I was also pleased to see brief appearances by Captain Robert April and his wife Sarah, and Ward seems to take their characterization from their depiction in Diane Carey’s excellent novels Final Frontier and Best Destiny more than from the Animated Series episode, “The Counter-Clock Incident.” There’s a brief mention of zenite, and the planet it is mined from, Ardana (TOS: “The Cloud Minders”). There’s an oblique mention of Spock. And yes, a pivotal appearance by a teenaged Thomas Layton and James T. Kirk.

Memory Alpha tells us that the not-seen-on-screen bio of Ensign Hoshi Sato, prepared for the episode “In a Mirror Darkly, Part II” indicated that Hoshi and her family were among the 4000 people killed by Kodos on Tarsus IV. However, there is no indication of that in this book. Neither Kevin Riley nor his family are mentioned. Also, while “The Conscience of the King” does not mention Kodos’ first name, and The Autobiography of James T. Kirk gives it as Arnold, in Drastic Measures , his name is Adrian.

Bottom line

“Drastic Measures” is an exciting and worthwhile read, providing insight into the Prime Universe’s Gabriel Lorca and Philippa Georgiou. It is a compelling exploration of a community in crisis, and an exciting manhunt story. I highly recommend the book.

Available tomorrow

Star Trek Discovery: Drastic Measures by Dayton Ward will be released on Tuesday, February 6th. You can can order it at a discount at Amazon in Large format paperback and Kindle ebook .

It is also available as an Audible Audiobook . You can get it for free and get a 30 day free trial by joining Audible (and help support TrekMovie) by visiting audibletrial.com/trekmovie .

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This is a great way to use the novels: as a way to enrich, expand, and connect Discovery by tying it in to existing Trek canon. As I understand it, the DISCO books will now be considered canon, which has been the case in the new SWU books that have connect the course of events from A New Hope to The Force Awakens. As long as they can do this without tying up creativity, it’s a good sign.

And as for all the Star Wars Expanded Universe and nearly 50 yeas of Star Trek novels? They all still exist, and the best of them are every bit as good a ride as ever. David Mack’s Khan/Assignment Earth books are books that both enhance and flesh out two of Trek’s most intriguing untold tapes by intertwining them with other ancillary Trek characters. Great fun!

Greg Cox wrote the Khan/Assignment: Earth books.

Adrian is probably a reference to the original ep’s credited writer.

The original episode credited “Barry Trivers” as the writer, according to Memory Alpha. Trivers also wrote the original teleplay, which was revised by Steven W. Carabatsos and Gene Coon. I see an Adrian Spies listed in Memory Alpha, who wrote the episode, “Miri,” but I see no indication that he worked on “The Conscience of the King.” What am I missing?

Sorry, I thought Adrian Spies was the credited author, my bad. I remember Ellison mentioning him as a good writer, and somehow conflated CONSCIENCE with MIRI, which is not a fave of mind (CONSCIENCE isn’t either, but there’s more going for it, plus it has early Spock/McCoy, though I assume that is due to a Coon rewrite.)

‘Conscience’ had one of the best McCoy & Spock scenes in TOS.

It does rank as one of my favorites, even accounting for some of the stage-y acting and the ’60s “new” technology of voiceprint identification ;^D

Yeah, I’m not a big fan of “Miri” either. I first saw it as a kid, and I didn’t like any episodes that involved kids speaking some kind of made-up slang. I didn’t like “And the Children Shall Lead,” either.

I don’t know why I find it strange but it feels much more like there was real cohesive thought process into this phase of Star Trek with the novels building on what we see in the episodes and the way that the episodes have been both new and modern while still using Trek canon in a way that honors the legacy and fitting in with what has come before. It works for what it’s supposed to be quite well. Now if only I could get one really good Trek video game again – something that’s genuinely in the same family as Mass Effect.

In between my writing/editing I’ve been finding “Desperate Hours” kind of weird and hard going because David Mack tries very hard to meld the Prime Uni TOS Enterprise [Pike, Number One, Lt Spock, Dr Boyce, original “Cage” uniforms] with “Discovery’s” Prime Uni Shenzhou. It’s a bit disorienting. And Pike, so far, is coming across as awfully by-the-book.

That said, the sci-fi elements are pretty good and I like his characterization of Saru quite well.

So I look forward to seeing Dayton Ward’s character building.

I think that picture of Lorca has him looking a bit “shifty,” haha.

I really liked how Saru and Number One worked together as characters, and also the Spock/Burnham scenes. I guess I was able to make the combo work in my head.

Yeah – HEY, WAIT! THAT’S A PICTURE OF MIRROR LORCA, NOT PRIME LORCA!

Yeah, me too, Saru and Number One worked well together. It was good to see him as a curious scientist and valued colleague, not swapping snipes with Burnham. The Spock and Burnham scene late in the book was really well-done. I also like the way he wrote Georgiou.

My problem reading this book comes up mostly because I tend to visualize the action like a movie in my head, and wow, that was challenging, mixing today’s images and trying to update ’60s images …. yikes.

My copy is on its way!

I’d love to know what you think of it once you’ve read it!

Ditto what Denes said, let us know! I want some Lorca right now!

Great, yet another novel suffering from Small Universe Syndrome

I agree, that this novel is suffering from small universe syndrome. You can only meet so many people from other treks in the same story that it makes everything seem ridiculious. And no way i am paying $11 for a kindle version. What a rip off.

Cool. First appearance of prime Lorca.

I liked it quite a bit. I really hope the “post-credits scene” is actual canon foreshadowing, and not a tease for way down the road. It would be an awesome thing to see it pay off in the finale this weekend.

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Published Jun 12, 2023

In Defense of Captain James T. Kirk

We're going back to the beginning to take a second look at Star Trek's classic captain.

StarTrek.com

While the new Star Trek series are being celebrated (and rightly so) for their inclusion and progressive ideas, this is, as many old-school fans are happy to point out, nothing new. But often the praise for the new shows has come with a side order of derision towards The Original Series and, in particular, its lead character, Captain James T. Kirk . I’m here to tell you that Star Trek ’s first captain was a lot more progressive than he gets credit for.

Let’s start with some of James T. Kirk’s origin story, for those who only see him as the king of swagger:

• He grew up with horrific tragedy; he lived through a food crisis on Tarsus IV, where Governor Kodos executed 4000 colonists to “save” the rest. Kirk, 13 at the time, was an eyewitness to the massacre.
• He was described by close pal Gary Mitchell as a “stack of books with legs.” Mitchell added that, at Starfleet Academy , “The first thing I ever heard from an upperclassman was, ‘Watch out for Lieutenant Kirk. In his class, you either think or sink.’”
• Also at the Academy, Kirk was relentlessly hazed by a bully named Finnegan.

Is that the guy you think of when you hear “James T. Kirk”?

While Kirk definitely had his fair share of backwards moments — as an adolescent girl, I cringed every time he addressed his entire crew as “gentlemen” — he also proved, over and over again, that he was able to transcend them.

He Didn’t Stand for Bigotry

A famous line still quoted all over social media happened right in Star Trek ’s first season, when the crew saw what Romulans looked like for the very first time. Startled by their striking similarity to Vulcans, navigator Lt. Stiles immediately became suspicious of Mr. Spock . When he suggested they ask Spock to decode Romulan messages, instead of the cryptography team that was already on the case, Kirk put his foot down.

KIRK: I assume you're complimenting Mister Spock on his ability to decode. STILES: I'm not sure, sir. KIRK: Well, here's one thing you can be sure of, Mister. Leave any bigotry in your quarters. There's no room for it on the Bridge. Do I make myself clear? STILES: You do, sir.

He Knew That 'No' Meant 'No'

One of Star Trek ’s earliest episodes, “ Charlie X ,” was about the discovery of an orphan who’d been given extraordinary powers and was struggling to handle them as he went through a turbulent adolescence and exposure to other humans for the first time. It was left to Kirk to teach him about how to behave around women. Granted, there were some clunky moments like this one, where the message was good, but the delivery was a failure —

“There's no right way to hit a woman.I mean, man to man is one thing,but, er, man and woman, er, it's, er, it's, er.Well it's, er, another thing. Do you understand?”

Charlie didn’t really, and Kirk’s mistake was — as someone who had to act like a parent but wasn’t one yet — that he didn’t see how deeply Charlie was struggling until too late. But when Kirk tells Charlie to stop pursuing Yeoman Janice Rand, he’s 100% clear.

“You go slow. You be gentle.I mean, it's not a one-way street,you know, how you feel and that's all.It's how the girl feels, too.Don't press, Charlie.If the girl feels anything for you at all, you'll know it.”

He’s talking about consent. He hammers the point home with this —

“Charlie, there are a million things in this universeyou can have and there are a million things you can't have.It's no fun facing that, but that's the way things are,” advising the lovesick superteen to, “Hang on tight and survive. Everybody does.”

He Put Himself in His Enemy’s Shoes

Unlike too many of the loudest voices today, Kirk wasn’t a dig-his-heels-in kind of guy; he had the ability to see himself through his enemy’s eyes and change his way of thinking — even when threatened.

In “ The Devil in the Dark ,” it’s Kirk who discovers that the creature who’s been killing the miners on Janus VI isn’t a marauding murderer. When he comes face-to-face with the creature Spock describes as a “proven killer,” he ignores Spock’s urging to shoot it. While it’s Spock who connects the dots and realizes the miners have been destroying the Horta’s eggs, it’s Kirk who stopped the killing cycle and connected with the creature before anyone else.

Many viewers think of “ Arena ” as the episode where Kirk builds a gun and fights the Gorn, but what the episode is really about is Kirk listening to the Gorn. When the Gorn captain describes a Federation colony as invaders in Gorn territory, Kirk hears it, loud and clear. As he’s about to win the battle to the death, he stops. “No, I won’t kill you,” he says, “Maybe you thought you were protecting yourself when you attacked the outpost.” (Bonus points to McCoy and Spock, who also consider the Gorn’s perspective even when their captain is threatened.)

In “ By Any Other Name ,” as soon as Kirk conquers the aliens who’ve taken over his ship and are steering it towards another galaxy, his first offer is one of help. Even as they’re physically wrestling and he knows he’s won, he tells the Kelvan (no relation to Kelvin) commander Rojan to bring the problem to the Federation, who can help the Kelvans find a place to live. Rojan is shocked, “You would really do that? You would extend welcome to invaders?” They stop fighting, and Kirk says, “No. But we would welcome friends.”

And in “ Day of the Dove ,” when an alien sets Klingons up against the Enterprise crew in an endless battle, Kirk determines they’re being manipulated and makes peace. “What's happening to us? We've been trained to think in other terms than war. We've been trained to fight its causes, if necessary. Then why are we behaving like a group of savages? Look at me. Look at me. Two forces aboard this ship, each of them equally armed. Has a war been staged for us, complete with weapons and ideology and patriotic drum beating? Even — Spock. Even race hatred?”

He Could Always See A Better Future

In “ Mirror, Mirror ,” Kirk, Uhura , Scotty , and McCoy are thrown into the Mirror Universe — a savage world where officers are promoted by assassinating their superiors and planets are conquered. When they finally figure out how to get back, Kirk stalls his return. He’s not just racing back to safe home territory; he wants the Mirror Universe to be safer, too.

With two minutes and ten seconds left, he decides it’s time to have a one-to-one with Mirror Spock. He appeals to Spock’s logic, calling him out as illogical for going along with the brutality of the Empire. “If change is inevitable, predictable, beneficial, doesn't logic demand that you be a part of it?” he asks, urging Spock to find a logical reason to spare the Halkans (who are about to be destroyed). We learn many years later, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , that his speech worked, and the Empire fell. (It’s not his fault that the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance took over.)

His Soulmate Was the Most Progressive Person of Her Time

In “ The City on the Edge of Forever ,” Kirk meets Edith Keeler in New York City during the Great Depression. Sure, she’s played by the gorgeous Joan Collins, but he doesn’t fall for her because she’s beautiful or has a delightful accent; he’s immediately hooked by her ideas. She talks about a future with hope and unity to a largely oblivious room, and when another fella tells Kirk, “Not that she's a bad-looking broad, but if she really wanted to help out a fella in need...” Kirk tells him to shut up. Twice. “I want to hear what she has to say,” he says. You can almost hear his heart pounding.

All of Edith and Jim’s conversations as they’re dating are about her views. Her optimism and her belief in a better world are what make him fall for her. When he has to let her die to save Earth’s future, he’s utterly devastated because he knew she was right and could have changed the world, if only she’d been born at a different time. And he loved her.

He Had Humility, and Could Admit When He Was Wrong

Humility is sorely missing from today’s political and social conversations. We’re all sticking our heels in the mud, refusing to acknowledge that anyone who thinks differently from us might have any validity, and refusing to engage in conversation.

And yet Kirk, who’s often described as a macho guy who always thinks he’s right, was able to recognize when he wasn’t — after behaving like a fool for most of the episode. The Organians repeatedly tell him they don’t need his help stopping a Klingon invasion of their planet, but he doesn’t listen at first; he knows what’s what and they don’t, and if they’re not going to defend themselves, he’ll do it for them. The Organians finally put a stop to the fighting, then tell Kirk, Spock, and the Klingons to leave; they’ve put up with their shenanigans long enough. Kirk and Kor (the Klingon commander) are outraged... at first. Later, on the ship, he sings a different song.

“I'm embarrassed.I was furious with the Organiansfor stopping a war I didn't want.We think of ourselvesas the most powerful beings in the universe.It's unsettling to discover that we're wrong.”

When was the last time you heard someone say something like that — or said it yourself?

He Overcame His Own Prejudice

In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , Kirk’s son David Marcus was killed by Klingons, and it hardened Kirk’s heart. He hated Klingons for it and was furious when Spock set him up (three movies later with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country ) as the escort and emissary for Klingon Chancellor Gorkon .

After Gorkon has been killed, and McCoy and Kirk imprisoned for the crime and then rescued, Kirk confesses, “Gorkon had to die before I understood how prejudiced I was,” and admits that, “people can be frightened of change.”

“Some people think the future means the end of history,” he tells the assembly after saving the Federation President and the Chancellor’s daughter. “But we haven't run out of history just yet.” The message is as relevant now as it was then, if not more so.

So Let’s Boldly Go… As We Always Did

So, next time you compare our new heroes to our old ones, take a closer look because Kirk and his crew were fighting the good fight long before they knew we’d still be talking about them 56 years later. They learned, they grew, and they set the stage for everything that came after with messages of equality, peace, and not just a better future, but a better humanity.

This article was originally published on June 13, 2022.

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Laurie Ulster (she/her) is a freelance writer and a TV producer who somehow survived her very confusing adolescence as the lone female Star Trek fan in middle school. She's co-author of several books about TV and was the Supervising Producer on After Trek. Laurie can be found on Twitter at @floobish.

Tarsus IV is a planet mentioned in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Conscience of the King".

"In 2246, Kirk was living on the planet Tarsus IV during a food crisis that was starving the colony of eight thousand people. Governor Kodos, sympathetic to old eugenics philosophies, tried to save a portion of his colony by killing the four thousand colonists he deemed least desirable or able to survive. Kodos was unaware of the imminent arrival of relief ships. The thirteen-year-old Jim Kirk was one of only nine eyewitnesses to the massacre." [1]

Canonical and Semi Canonical Events Related to Tarsus

• According to the Star Trek Into Darkness App, John Harrison is one of nine survivors from a 2246 attack on Tarsus IV. [2] According to the movie, however, John Harrison is only an identity fabricated by Khan.
• In the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II", a computer readout mentions that Hoshi Sato was killed on Tarsus IV. [3]

There are numerous different fanon theories and tropes surrounding the events of Tarsus IV. Common examples seen in fanworks include:

• Kirk as a leader of survivors on Tarsus. It should be noted in this case Kirk is commonly depicted as taking care of various children, and the remaining survivors, when they are rescued, become the Tarsus Nine.
• In some instances the canonical timeline for the Tarsus IV incident is lengthened, so that the massacre may take place over a series of days or even months.
• Various plot points are used by authors of reboot stories to get Kirk on Tarsus IV during the massacre. They may closely follow The Original Series canon, or use other issues such as a chaotic home life or punishment to achieve their goal.
• Kodos' view of Kirk also varies from fic to fic. In some fics, Kodos is depicted as almost loving towards Kirk in a kind of sick parody of a father-son relationship; other fics have Kodos treating Kirk harshly in an effort to break him.
• Darkfic - Torture , Rape , Non-Con , Starvation, Mass-Murder, etc, are all common themes seen in Tarsus IV fics.
• Tarsus IV is commonly used as the hurt element in hurt/comfort fic by both AOS and TOS authors. Exploration of the physical and psychological effects of Tarsus IV both during and after the incident are explored.

Characters Related to Tarsus IV

• Anton Karidian
• James T. Kirk
• "John Harrison"
• Kevin Riley
• Lenore Karidian
• Thomas Leighton

Tarsus IV Zine Fiction

In The K/S Press #15: a fan compiled a list of known fan fiction in zines that dealt with Tarsus IV:

• As I Do Thee #21, "Interlude" by Ida Vega (Lt. Kirk meets a Vulcan Musician on Tarsus IV and again seven years later.)
• Before the Glory , " Joyboy " by Syn Ferguson (Spock meets Kirk shortly after his rescue from Tarsus IV.)
• By His Side , "Decision" by Karen Rhodes (Jim and Tom Leighton survive the famine on Tarsus IV.)
• Companion #1, "Without Ceremony" by Christy Mathews (On a lawless planet, Kirk hunts for two of Kodo's lieutenants.)
• Contact #4, "Only Other Thing" by Ginna LaCroix (Kirk must kill an old friend from Tarsus IV who has become a rebel.)
• Duet #11 "Stock in Trade" by Tere Ann Roderick (A Vulcan ship trades provisions for slaves with Kodos.)
• Kirk , "Family Secrets" by Mary Louise Dodge (Kirk visits his aunt on Tarsus IV and finds his cousin is a follower of Kodos.)
• Log Entries #17 "Treffpunkt" by Sandy Sapatka (Kirk, on his way to Tarsus IV, meets a Vulcan boy on a space station.)
• More Missions, More Myths #1, "Another King's Conscience" by Natasha Solten (Kirk visits Lenore Karidian after her father's death.)
• Naked Times #11 "Small Voice" by Robin Hood (Kirk is obsessed by Lenore Karidian after her father's death, remembering Kodos.)
• Out of Bounds Overflow , " Joseph's Brother, pt.1" by Pamela Rose (Desperate to leave Earth, Sam Kirk sells Jim to Kodos.)
• Rigel #3, "Flight" by Jane Aumerle (Karidian's wife dies in childbirth and he and the child take refuge in a colony.)
• Rising Star , "Night Creatures" by Mandi Schultz (Kodos spares Jim and Sam Kirk's life in return for sex.)
• Sahndara #1 "Death Drops the Final Curtain" by P. Charlene Deaton (Kirk is found with his wrists cut and Lenore Karidian is in the area.)
• Vault of Tomorrow #5, "Call It a Feeling" by Laura Zipkin (On Altair IV, Lenore Karidian tries to kill Kirk.)
• The Voice #5, "To Be a Help Meet for Him" by Frances Rowes (After the Galileo loss, Kirk and Spock have to stop a plague on New Paris.)
• You Don't Have To (Say Yes) by luminousbeings -- A longfic where James Kirk was a Tarsus IV survivor in the Alternate Original Series universe. Features sexual assault at the hands of Governor Kodos and eventual Kirk/Spock
• Sound as Stone by starknjarvis— Summary: The three people who figured out that Jim was on Tarsus IV. Words: 14650, Gen , Outside POV, AOS ( Alternate Original Series ).
• Cupcake's Unexpected Evening by BotanyCameos. Words: 4878, Gen , Kirk Whump / Hurt/Comfort , Academy Era, AOS ( Alternate Original Series ), Warnings: Implied/Referenced Rape/Noncon.
• "Let me be clear, when I complain about Jim Kirk not going through Tarsus IV in the reboots, it’s not just because I love angst and want Jim to suffer as much as possible." , Archived version by dykekeit on tumblr (2017)
• Tarsus IV Fanfiction community on Livejournal
• Works tagged with Tarsus IV on Archive Of Our Own
• Inclusive list of Tarsus IV fic by shadowloverk
• ^ Memory Alpha , accessed 3.22.2011
• ^ [1] . accessed 6.9.2015
• ^ [2] . accessed 6.9.2015
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• Star Trek: Discovery

Tarsus IV Discussion

• Thread starter Dilithium Matrix
• Start date Mar 19, 2017

Dilithium Matrix

• Mar 19, 2017

On a number of threads there's been some speculation about the starting premise of Discovery being related to the "Massacre on Tarsus IV" - I thought I'd try and draw some of it together and see where it goes. The Tarsus IV incident fits neatly with some of the previously released information about Discovery - i.e. it is "an event in the history of Starfleet that has been talked about (in previous Star Trek shows), but never fully explored" and involved an exotic fungus (which would explain the inclusion of an astromycologist on the new crew). It occurred prior to the supposed beginning of Discovery's timeline; though for some people it happened a bit too far in the past. Some people have suggested that Discovery focuses on dealing with the fallout of this event, such as other planets (possibly Klingon) experiencing problems with the same fungus. But what if (and I admit to speculating here without evidence) the origin of the fungus lay with the Klingons - Tarsus IV might have been a test of a new biological weapon? Might this be the preferred weapon of choice of the new "ancient" or "precursor" Klingons?  

The Wormhole

Fleet admiral.

Dilithium Matrix said: which would explain the inclusion of an astromycologist on the new crew Click to expand...

Dilithium Matrix said: But what if (and I admit to speculating here without evidence) the origin of the fungus lay with the Klingons - Tarsus IV might have been a test of a new biological weapon? Might this be the preferred weapon of choice of the new "ancient" or "precursor" Klingons? Click to expand...

Mr. Laser Beam

The Tarsus massacre happened eight years before DSC takes place, so it's unlikely it will turn up on the show.  

Fleet Captain

I think it's too dark of a premise for a Trek series.  

• Mar 20, 2017

Because the immediate aftermath of Tarsus IV is the only time Starfleet will need someone on board a ship who can study fungi. Click to expand...

• Mar 21, 2017

Space Coast

Lieutenant commander.

Bones said: I think it's too dark of a premise for a Trek series. Click to expand...

Sure, it's not all light, but would be nice to have some of it at least.  

DS9 is not going to be the model.  

That would be a pretty boring premise for a Star Trek show. It was one of the weakest TOS episodes. Surely by the 23rd century facial pattern recognition software would have immediately identified Kodos, not to mention DNA testing, or countless of other futuristic means of identification. The need for identification by witnesses is a pretty lame concept for a story set in the distant future.  

Space Coast said: Star Trek isn't all noblebright you know. Hasn't been since DS9, or arguably The Best Of Both Worlds. Click to expand...

Tesophius said: <snip>The need for identification by witnesses is a pretty lame concept for a story set in the distant future. Click to expand...

Regarding all the light/dark discussion: I'm ok with a dark episode or plot elements, but would like to see a fundamentally optimistic series.  

Bones said: This is where TOS is a product of its era, where things like facial recognition and dna tests didn't exist (and postulating such a thing wouldn't have helped the plot). Click to expand...

fireproof78

Tesophius said: Still, they could've concluded that there's going to be a better way of identifying someone that far in the future other than by having a witness look at them. Click to expand...

I'm sure that whoever helped Kodos escape, also helped him alter his face and perhaps even his DNA.  

Mr. Laser Beam said: I'm sure that whoever helped Kodos escape, also helped him alter his face and perhaps even his DNA. Click to expand...

• Mar 22, 2017

Bones said: This is where a more modern retelling could start. All of technology gives Karidian a pass, but Kirk trusts his gut because X... You still retain the core morality play and add man (Kirk) vs computer. Click to expand...

Spockadelic, Baby

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Tarsus IV was an M-class planet, and the site of a Federation agricultural colony established in the late 22nd century . The original colonists were veterans of the Earth-Romulan War who sought a more peaceful life. Its capital was New Anchorage . ( Federation: The First 150 Years ; DSC novel : Drastic Measures )

By the early 23rd century , Tarsus IV was home a small Starfleet outpost and to approximately 2000 colonists. That number remained relatively stable until the early 2240s , when 6000 new colonists arrived, having been evacuated from the colony on Epsilon Sorona II , after a disaster there. Most of the colonists lived in or around New Anchorage, though there were smaller settlements and villages, especially around the coast, where there were beaches and resorts that were popular with the residents. ( DSC novel : Drastic Measures )

In 2246 , disease struck the colony's crops and food supply, causing a famine. The source of the virus was found to be seeds brought from Epsilon Sorona II that had reacted with the Tarsian soil, mutating and causing a fungal infection. Later, a mutagenic virus was believed to be responsible. ( DSC novel : Drastic Measures , TOS short story : " Though Hell Should Bar the Way ")

During the crisis, Adrian Kodos seized power as colonial governor, and faced with only enough food for half the colonists, he ordered the other half put to death in what would come to be known as the Tarsus IV Massacre . ( DSC novel : Drastic Measures ; TOS : " The Conscience of the King ")

In actuality, Kodos was a radical member of the Symmetrists , a group that believed Federation colonization was harmful to galactic ecology; he had engineered the crisis as an act of eco-terrorism. In the aftermath, Kodos faked his own death and escaped with the aid of other Symmetrists. ( ST novel : Avenger )

Medical teams from the USS Narbonne and the USS Enterprise were able to find a cure to the fungal infection. Starfleet offered to relocate the surviving colonists, but most decided to stay and rebuild. ( DSC novel : Drastic Measures )

The colony was forced to evacuate in 2372 , when a virogen of unknown origin struck Tarsus and a half-dozen other worlds across the Federation, poisoning all plant-life and infecting every form of animal life as carriers. Unknown until the following year , the contagion was the work of the Symmetrists , operating from a a hidden base on Tarsus IV. The crisis was averted by the crew of the USS Enterprise -E and their allies. ( ST novel : Avenger )

Points of interest [ ]

External links [ ].

• Tarsus IV article at Memory Alpha , the canon Star Trek wiki.
• Tarsus IV article at Memory Beta , the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
• 1 Columbia class
• 2 Phalanx class
• 3 Quantum slipstream drive

Star Trek: The Trauma of Starfleet, Explained

T he life of a Starfleet officer is often action-packed, dealing with a variety of intergalactic dramas. But Star Trek has always been intentional in reminding viewers that even their faves have off days. Like all recurring themes throughout the franchise , this one started with the original. Captain Kirk (William Shatner) once struggled with his own traumatic past, leading to several poignant moments between him and his CMO Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley).

Unfortunately, The Original Series didn’t apply this same care to other characters dealing with trauma from the action seen by the Enterprise crew during its 5-year mission. There were no in-depth explorations of how Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) might have struggled after being assaulted in her cabin. Multiple failed away missions involved a dead Redshirt or a member of the crew being tortured, only for the events to never be mentioned again. Years later, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine opened the door for more profound conversations around mental health issues experienced by Starfleet officers, including PTSD.

RELATED: Darkest Star Trek Storylines, Ranked

Captain Kirk and Tarsus IV

Star Trek came out of the gate engaging in meaningful conversations around the captain’s emotional well-being. First, it was in the unaired episode of The Original Series, in which Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) is counseled by his CMO Dr. Phil Boyce (John Hoyt) on whether he should retire. Then Captain Kirk later confronted his own trauma in season 1, episode 12, “Conscience of the King.”

As a child, Kirk was one of the sole survivors of the massacre of 4,000 people on Tarsus IV. He ran from the pain of that memory for years until it quite literally showed up on his doorstep in the form of the very man who ordered it – Governor Kodos pretending to be an actor named Anton Karidian (Arnold Moss). This emotional collision forced Kirk to finally face his trauma head-on, and address the difficulty of remembering what had happened. Dr. McCoy never outright diagnosed the captain with PTSD. Yet, it was apparent he was struggling to maintain his mental health while also being forced to deal with his childhood trauma.

Nog and AR-558

Deep Space Nine was fearless in many regards . But it was especially brave when it came to portraying the mental health of Nog (Aron Eisenberg) after the Siege of AR-558. He wasn’t just the first in his family to join Starfleet; he was the first Ferengi to ever wear the iconic badge. It was a tremendous honor he wore with pride, but he never thought about the consequences of his decision to join until they were blowing up in his face

Season 7, episode 8, “The Siege of AR-558,” showed Nog fighting in one of the most brutal battles of the Dominion War. While the fighting was important, the outcome of Nog’s experience introduced a complex storyline around a Ferengi character’s mental health. Once again, Deep Space Nine proved its willingness not just to take dark turns in its storytelling, but to actually show viewers the aftermath of war’s devastation as well. Nog’s leadership abilities and even his lobes were instrumental in helping Starfleet gain a foothold in that region of the galaxy. However, he lost his leg in the process, and later suffered severe symptoms of PTSD such as flashbacks and depression.

Dr. M’Benga and J’Gal

Starfleet often takes on militaristic duties. Yet, its primary mission has always been fostering peace. This sometimes includes forgiving those who have previously committed heinous crimes, as long as those former enemies are committed to earning that forgiveness. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) was one of many officers put in the crossfire during one such negotiation.

M’Benga forged a forever friendship with Nurse Christine Chapel after the two bonded while serving on the medical team during the bloody battles of the Klingon War. M’Benga sustained most of his trauma due to vicious crimes committed by General Dak’Rah (Robert Wisdom) on J’Gal. Season 2, episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War,” showed M’Benga experiencing trauma symptoms, such as flashbacks and panic attacks, after Dak’Rah re-entered his life as a reformed ambassador. The Klingon claimed to want peace and to make up for his wrongs. Regardless, his very presence sent M’Benga into an emotional tailspin that left his mental health suffering under the weight of his duties to Starfleet.

Starfleet and the Eugenics War

When most people think of mental health issues in Star Trek , they think of the individuals. They think of Chief Engineer Miles O’Brien (Colm Meaney) on the verge of taking his own life in the cargo bay of Deep Space Nine. They don’t consider that an entire organization could be reeling in similar ways from devastating events. Yet, that’s exactly what Starfleet has been doing since the end of the Eugenics Wars. The legacy of Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) isn’t just the specter haunting Security Officer La’an (Christina Chong) in Strange New Worlds . His past crimes also dog the steps of Starfleet as a whole.

Commander Number One/Una Chin-Riley was put on trial after her Illyrian heritage was exposed along with genetic engineering she received as a child as part of her culture. Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) almost lost his job as a Starfleet officer when his own history of having been genetically engineered as a child came to light. In many ways, Starfleet is still battling the trauma of the Eugenics War. Whether they’ll seek intervention before their symptoms continue to disrupt the lives of those who don’t deserve such severe punishments has yet to be seen.

Star Trek's Relationship With Trauma

Not to be left out of the conversation, Star Trek: Discovery has had its fair share of trauma-related storylines. Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) was trapped in the mycelial network after his unfortunate death in season 1, episode 10, “Despite Yourself”. Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) realized his body had been hijacked by a Klingon warrior named Voq and used to commit many crimes – including the murder of Dr. Culber.

PTSD and Star Trek go together like Mirrorverse characters and tight leather. There’s no separating the two and, at this point, no one wants to try because the results of their combination are fascinating. Most TV shows either sweep mental health issues under the rug or stand on a pedestal for the accolades of brave storytelling. Star Trek does the rare thing and lets its characters quietly speak for themselves. The diagnosis of PTSD is rarely mentioned directly, and trauma is shown more often than it’s told. Yet, that subtlety keeps the stories around these experiences uniquely compelling.

MORE: Star Trek: How Kirk Used His Trauma & Pain To Become A Great Captain

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from RPGs
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• Star systems
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• 1 History and specifics
• 2 System makeup
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History and specifics [ ]

Tarsus was a red-orange star located at coordinates -76.5, 138.5, -27.0. ( ST reference : Star Trek Maps )

The Tarsus system's orbit was the location of a number of worlds , including a Federation colony on fourth planet Tarsus IV . ( FASA RPG module : The Federation ; TOS episode & Star Trek 1 novelization : The Conscience of the King )

The system had been first mapped by the crew of the USS Essex . ( ST reference : Federation: The First 150 Years )

The system was also home to a native intelligent species, the Tarsusians , on Tarsus II . ( TOS comic : " Day of the Inquisitors ")

In the 2270s or 2280s , the R1 Investigator -class Miranda 1 space station was established in the system to conduce biological studies. ( FASA RPG module : Regula-1 Orbital Station Deckplans )

System makeup [ ]

Appendices [ ], connections [ ], references [ ].

• TOS episode & Star Trek 1 novelization : The Conscience of the King
• FASA RPG module : The Federation
• FASA RPG module : Regula-1 Orbital Station Deckplans
• ST reference : Federation: The First 150 Years
• TOS comic : " Day of the Inquisitors "
• 1 USS Valkyrie (NCC-68816)
• 2 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 3 Lamarr class

‘Star Trek: Picard’ Showrunner Beams Up a Promising ‘Star Trek: Legacy’ Update

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The Big Picture

• Fans have been campaigning for a Star Trek: Legacy spinoff.
• Picard showrunner Terry Matalas gives hopeful-ish update on the possibility of the spinoff.
• The next show that has been greenlit is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy set in the 32nd Century.

In an age of reboots and spin-offs, the Star Trek franchise heads boldly into the future. Despite Star Trek: Discovery having its fifth and final season, and Star Trek: Picard closing out its three-season run last year on Paramount+, fans and show executives alike are looking forward. One of the most highly anticipated potential spin-offs is Star Trek: Legacy . It started as a bit of a fan campaign, but caught on like wildfire among cast and executives. The show would be a continuation of the events at the end of Picard . It would follow Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ) as she captains the newest USS Enterprise. The show would likely also include the return of Raffi Musiker ( Michelle Hurd ) and Jack Crusher ( Ed Speelers ).

In March of this year, CBS CEO George Cheeks said in an interview with Vulture that the breaks are likely pumped for this next iteration of Star Trek because while "there’s so much great opportunity with the franchise" he doesn't "want to offer up all these amazing premium drama series at once." Cheeks definitely gives the impression that it's not a 'No' but instead a 'Not right now' by saying, "we want to time it out appropriately."

Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas would likely be the brains behind the show should it finally get the green light. In an recent interview on The D-Con Chamber podcast, Matalas echoes Cheeks's 'not right now' sentiment. "I would say never say never." On the podcast he also revealed he's actually written scens with Ryan's Seven of Nine and Speelers's Jack Crusher, giving fans the canon fodder to want the series all the more.

I mean, I even wrote scenes and stuff… I wrote a scene with [Jack] and Captain Seven at a bar that was great, and you were the Bones to her Kirk… It was fun…

Who Would Be On Star Trek: Legacy?

The most likely lineup of the main crew of Star Trek: Legacy would be of course, Seven of Nine who fans first met on Star Trek: Voyager . The ex-Borg drone joins the crew halfway through the series. After Voyager concludes, we don't see Seven again until Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard . In her absence, Seven has become a Fenris Ranger (basically a bounty hunter/vigilante type) after not being accepted into Starfleet Academy due to her Borg past. Over the course of the three-season run of Picard , we see Seven finally get accepted into Starfleet and work her way up to the rank of First Officer under Captain Liam Shaw ( Todd Stashwick ) on the USS Titan.

After the events of Season 3, the Titan was recommissioned as the next USS Enterprise with Seven at the helm. Her on-again-off-again love interest, Raffi Musiker, was by her side as her first officer. In the final moments of the series finale, we also see Jack Crusher come aboard the Enterprise. The product of the will they-won't they couple, Dr. Beverly Crusher ( Gates McFadden ) and Captain Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ), Jack joins the crew after speed-running the academy.

Star Trek is Going Back To the Academy

With Starfleet Academy in mind, the next show coming out of the Star Trek franchise that is greenlit, is Star Trek: Starfleet Academy . Matalas says the reason is because the show was in development even before the events of Star Trek: Picard 's Season 3 planted the seed for the Legacy show. "I do know that these [shows] cost a lot of money," he says, "and [it] can’t just be like, ‘You get a Star Trek , and you get a Star Trek .'" Which means that for now, fans will have to wait.

The Starfleet Academy show will be set in the 32nd Century. A number of cast members have already been announced. Set in the same time period as the final three seasons of Star Trek: Discovery . Executive producer, Alex Kurtzman told the Los Angeles Times earlier this year that the reason for that was to see, "who’ll inherit, who’ll re-inherit, the task of exploration as a primary goal" after the events of D iscovery and to better reflect the themes of more current events.

So maybe the news of a greenlit Star Trek: Legac y will have to wait another day, but fans can always go back and rewatch the characters that would likely be a part of the main cast in Star Trek: Picard .

Star Trek: Picard is available to stream on Paramount+ in the US.

Star Trek: Picard

Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, long retired from Starfleet, is thrust back into the heart of galactic intrigue when a desperate young woman seeks his aid. Determined to uncover a vast conspiracy and protect her, Picard recruits a diverse team of allies. As they navigate a galaxy fraught with new dangers and old enemies, Picard faces personal demons and ethical dilemmas, all while trying to uphold the ideals he has always stood for.

Watch on Paramount+

Thomas Leighton

Dr. Thomas "Tom" Leighton was a male Human civilian who lived during the mid- 23rd century .

• 2.1 Background information
• 2.2 Apocrypha
• 2.3 External links

History [ ]

In 2246 , he was living on Tarsus IV when four thousand people were executed on the orders of Governor Kodos . Leighton was one of nine eyewitnesses who could identify the governor on sight. Leighton and James T. Kirk appeared to have been personal acquaintances, perhaps as a result of their shared experiences on Tarsus IV. He was tormented by what happened that day for the next twenty years.

By the 2260s , Leighton worked as an empirical research scientist , who according to Spock , was described as "steady, reputable, occasionally brilliant." In 2266 , he lived with his wife , Martha Leighton , on Planet Q .

In 2266, Leighton diverted the USS Enterprise to Planet Q, ostensibly to confirm his discovery of a new synthetic food that could totally end the threat of famine on Cygnia Minor , a nearby colony . In fact, he diverted the Enterprise because he believed that Anton Karidian , a traveling performer , was actually Kodos. He hoped Kirk, another of the eyewitnesses, would help him in his quest to bring Kodos to justice. Kirk wasn't convinced until, ironically, Leighton was found dead . Lenore Karidian , insanely desperate to protect her father from his past, had murdered Leighton; he was the seventh victim of her quest to eliminate all those who could identify Kodos. Leighton was survived by his wife Martha. ( TOS : " The Conscience of the King ")

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Thomas Leighton was portrayed by William Sargent .

In the final revised draft script of "The Conscience of the King", Dr. Leighton was initially described merely as "a contemporary of Kirk's."

Although it was not explicitly stated, conversational context strongly suggested that the left side of Leighton's face was ruined during the massacre at Tarsus IV. The script didn't specify this injury, merely referring to Leighton having a "crippled body" instead. In a deleted scene from "The Conscience of the King", Leighton was established as having lost his parents and two brothers during the massacre, and having experienced, ever since then, nightmares about the incident. ("Swept Up: Snippets from the Cutting Room Floor", Star Trek: The Original Series - The Roddenberry Vault special features) Later in the script, upon Kirk breaking the news to Spock that there hadn't actually been any synthetic food samples and Spock replying that would need to be noted due to the seriousness of diverting a starship, Kirk remarked, " Well, a black mark against Dr. Leighton isn't going to hurt him now. "

Who's Who in Star Trek 1 mistakenly calls him Robert Leighton.

Apocrypha [ ]

Leighton appears as a supporting character in the 2018 Star Trek: Discovery novel Drastic Measures , which positions him and his parents as friends of Jim and Winona Kirk in the Tarsus IV capital, New Anchorage. It's revealed that Leighton's disfigurement came from suffering phaser burns when Governor Kodos ordered the execution of 4,000 colonists in the city's amphitheater, and being in proximity to phasers set to disintegrate.

Leighton watched in horror as his parents were murdered, and when a Starfleet relief ship arrived at the planet, Leighton was treated for his injuries, and was virtually catatonic. While convalescing, Jim made an effort to find a photograph of Kodos in the colony's computer systems, and soon thereafter, both Kirk and Leighton met Commander Philippa Georgiou , who was engaged in a manhunt for Kodos on the planet's surface.

External links [ ]

• Thomas Leighton at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Star Trek: Prodigy