"The Retirement of Admiral Kirk" is a TOS comic strip written by Gerry Conway in 1983. It is the 19th story in the US Comic Strips series, published in newspapers over a period of 61 days (nine weeks) by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate. This story took place a few years prior to TOS movie: The Wrath of Khan.
Description[]
- Assigned to a desk job, James T. Kirk resigns to pursue privateer work, but discovers he has signed aboard a slave ship.
Summary[]
On stardate 9640.1, the Enterprise returns to Earth drydock and Admiral Yaramoto permanently grounds Admiral Kirk. He doesn't take it well, resigning his commission. He and Leonard McCoy order drinks at a bar in San Francisco and talk about Kirk's future. Overhearing them, Morbus, owner of the Free Trader freighter Orion, approaches and offers Kirk command of that ship. They look it over. McCoy calls it a junk heap, but as Kirk doesn't have a better offer from Starfleet, he accepts. Kirk says he is doing the only thing he can do. "In that case," McCoy says, "I'm going with you," suggesting he'll also resign his commission.
Orion.
After Orion launches, Morbus gives Kirk and McCoy a tour. The cargo hold, he says, is full of farm equipment bound for Epsilon XXI. Suspicious, McCoy sneaks in and opens one of the containers, then is knocked unconscious from behind by Lugo, who is guarding the cargo. Lugo brings Kirk to the cargo bay, showing him the injured McCoy, who "hit his head on a pipe." Concerned he might have a skull fracture, Kirk takes McCoy to the ship's sickbay. McCoy will recover, but the ship's doctor says McCoy will be sedated until they arrive at Epsilon XXI.
Onboard the Enterprise, Montgomery Scott is stunned that Kirk has become a free trader, and feels that Spock's stoic acceptance makes the Vulcan seem heartless. Spock checks into Orion. Starfleet reports "irregularities" with its registration.
Meanwhile, aboard Orion, Kirk spot-inspects engineering as a distraction to set a timed engine overload. Then he creeps into the cargo hold and kayos Lugo. As he opens a container to reveal a cargo of humanoids, Morbus appears from the shadows with three officers, ready to kill Kirk. Morbus used Kirk's reputation as an admiral to get the ship cleared, but now that their slave trading has been exposed, Kirk will be killed. Kirk says he rigged the engines to blow in one hour if the correct abort code isn't sent, but Morbus counters by having Lugo drag McCoy into the room, and pointing out that if Morbus dies, so will Kirk, McCoy and the slaves.
Outwitted, Kirk and McCoy are sealed into one of the slave containers. Morbus keeps the two alive in case they are needed before they get to Epsilon XXI. Their helmsman detects the Enterprise approaching.
- Captain's log, USS Enterprise, stardate 9652.3.
- Spock reporting, in command. I have fired a warning shot across the bow of the free-trader Orion and have ordered them to heave to or risk annihilation.
The slaves reveal themselves to Kirk and McCoy as something else entirely. The leader of the Maroni explains they are both empathic and telepathic, and for the past century the ancient race has passed themselves off as slaves while they observe and learn about other races. Ready to act, all of the Maroni join into one telepathic, unified mind and reach into the hearts of Orion's crew, showing them how to feel compassion for others.
On the bridge, Morbus orders Kirk to call off the Enterprise. Kirk sticks to his guns, saying the Enterprise crew know their duty, and will fire if Morbus does not heave to. Panicked, Morbus reaches out to his crew, but they've had a change of heart and changed sides. Just in case, Kirk calls Spock, reporting everything is under control. The Maroni leader tells Kirk he needn't have bothered, since they have been in telepathic contact with Spock since before Orion had launched.
- Captain's log, USS Enterprise, stardate 9652.6.
- Admiral Kirk providing supervisory supplemental. Starfleet Command has confirmed my return to active duty status, though Spock retains command of the Enterprise. They have... congratulated us for our handling of the Orion affair... but frankly, I'm still personally confused by the outcome.
Back aboard the Enterprise, Kirk is confused that Spock hadn't taken any action to stop the slave trade on Orion, but Spock replies that the Maroni had telepathically told him that Kirk had everything under control. Kirk seems satisfied the affair is over, but McCoy wonders if Kirk has forgotten that his future eventually involves a ground assignment, or if Kirk just doesn't want to remember.
References[]
Characters[]
- James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Morbus • Lugo • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Yaramoto • Maroni leader • unnamed Orion personnel (chief engineer, doctor, helmsman)
Starships and vehicles[]
- air tram • USS Enterprise (Enterprise-subclass refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Orion (Free Trader freighter)
Locations[]
- Earth (Golden Gate Bridge • San Francisco • Starport Bar • Starport) • the galaxy
- Referenced only
- Epsilon XXI
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and classification[]
- communications • computer bank • cudgel • drydock • flashlight • hologram • main engine • phaser • sedative • sensor • sensor probe
Ranks and titles[]
Other references[]
- alcohol • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2279 • cargo hold • crew • cruiser • dance • farm • Federation Starfleet ranks (2278-2350s) • group mind • honor • ice • military • mind link • minute • mule • mutiny • night watch • observation port • peace • quarters • race • radiation suit • registration file • Rigelian kryss • second • skull • slavery • smuggling • space • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • telepathy • toast • water • year
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS comic: "The Nogura Regatta" – Starfleet Academy cadets were held hostage aboard a Free Trader starship whose commander was intent on selling the Enterprise to Klingons.
- TOS comic: "The Wristwatch Plantation" – Exiled Kzinti privateers set course for Free Trader territory.
- TOS comic: "A Merchant's Loyalty" – Trader merchants conspired to capture the Enterprise.
Background[]
- The story's title was printed on August 13, 1983, the day before the story began.
- This was the fourth of five stories written by Gerry Conway, who crafted a period when Admiral Kirk revisited the Enterprise before the events of TOS movie: The Wrath of Khan.
- Based on the stardates, this story followed shortly after the previous arc, "Terminally Yours". Evidence for setting Conway's arcs in 2279 was apparent in the first of his stories, "Send in the Clones".
- The free trader ship Orion had a crew of about 14. Six were visible in engineering, three on the bridge, one in the cargo hold, one doctor, plus Kirk, McCoy and the owner. The races of Orion's crew and its four-eyed starship owner Morbus were not named in the story.
- Admiral Yaramoto previously appeared in "Send in the Clones" when he assigned Kirk to the Enterprise for a sensitive diplomatic mission.
Images[]
Connections[]
| US Comic Strips stories | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stories | "Called Home" • "Dilithium Dilemma" • "The Real McCoy" • "Double Bluff" • "Aberration on Abaris" • "Husian Gambit" • "Heads of State" • "It's a Living" • "The Savage Within" • "Quarantine" • "Restructuring Is Futile" • "The Wristwatch Plantation" • "The Nogura Regatta" • "A Merchant's Loyalty" • "Taking Shape" • "Send in the Clones" • "Goodbye to Spock" • "Terminally Yours" • "The Retirement of Admiral Kirk" • "Getting Real" | |
| Collections | The Newspaper Comics (1 • 2) • Graphic Novel Collection (15 • 24 • 34) | |
Timeline[]
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #18: Terminally Yours |
TOS comics US Comic Strips |
Next comic: #20: Getting Real |
| Previous story: Terminally Yours |
Stories by: Gerry Conway |
Next story: Getting Real |
| Chronological Order | ||
| Previous adventure: Terminally Yours |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Getting Real |
| Previous comic: Terminally Yours |
Continuing voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) | Next comic: Getting Real |
Production history[]
- 15 August 1983 – 15 October 1983
- Published in daily newspapers. (Los Angeles Times Syndicate)
- 1 October 2013
- Collected in The Newspaper Comics, Volume 2. (IDW Publishing)
- 12 April 2018
- Collected in Graphic Novel Collection, Volume 34. (Eaglemoss Collections)
External links[]
- The Retirement of Admiral Kirk article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.