Starfleet Academy, Issue 3 is the third issue of IDW's Starfleet Academy comic miniseries.
Description[]
- Uhura and Kirk draw closer to uncovering the truth surrounding a century-old mystery. Meanwhile, T'Laan and the new cadets find themselves on the brink of elimination from the Centennial Competition.
- In the year 2258, Cadet Uhura tracks an unusual audio signal to Wagner-219, a classified region of deep space. But when Cadet Chekov deems their investigation too risky, Uhura seeks assistance from an unlikely source — Jim Kirk. Together, the two have manipulated their way into a restricted Starfleet archive... and the verge of discovery!
- Three years later, T'Laan watches as her fellow cadets participate in the Federation's Centennial Competition. Despite Shev's unsatisfactory display in a phaser match, the admirable performances of Cadets Gonzales and Chen have propelled them into the lead. But even as their team begins to bond, a campus party reminds T'Laan just how alone she truly is.
Summary[]
- This story is told non-linearly. It is summarized chronologically here for ease of reading.
"2159". It has been 47 days since the Slayton was marooned in Wagner-219 thanks to a temporal anomaly. The Slayton still has power, it just can't go anywhere. After Captain Hendricks tries his hand at sending another distress signal, Juliet Bashir informs him of the plummeting supplies and crew morale, mutiny is even being discussed. Bashir proposes a photon detonation but Hendricks finds the risk too high. At those words, Jack Somers marches in with his band of mutineers.
2258. Cornered by a security guard, Nyota Uhura manages to intimidate him into thinking she has clearance before Kirk arrives to defuse the situation, as the guard, Phil, is an old friend of his. After confirming that everyone but Uhura loves Kirk, Phil guides them a room where Uhura pulls up the relevant file learning of Somers' mutiny. Though Uhura wants to make the news public, Kirk backs out, viewing the reveal of such a closely-guarded secret as grounds for immediate expulsion.
In a history lecture the next day, two security guards enter for Uhura at the direct orders of Admiral Marcus himself. Passing Kirk in the hall, he swears to have said nothing. Entering, the admiral confirms that Kirk already confessed to Uhura being the mastermind and that, while Starfleet Command doesn't normally monitor the activities of the cadets, illegal entry into the archives cannot be overlooked. Recognizing that Uhura won't be deterred, however, Marcus explains what happened to the Slayton. Once the craft went missing, rescue missions were sent out to no avail. When the ship's last transmission was intercepted, it was recognized that Jack Somers, son of Admiral Somers (the man who founded Starfleet Academy), was the lead mutineer. And that is a secret that Starfleet Command is determined to keep. Before the admiral can impose a punishment, however, there is someone who requested to speak on Uhura's behalf: Spock.
2261. The next challenge is medicine. Each cadet has been given a dummy patient that will be dead from internal bleeding within two minutes. The objective is to determine the best course of action to contain as much of the bleeding as possible before the patient dies. Vel makes the unusual request however for cold saline, which he uses to induce hypothermia. Once the time elapses, Vel has stopped none of the hemorrhaging. When asked for an explanation, he explains his actions by pointing that his "patient's" core temperature has been dropped to negative twenty seven degrees, reducing its need for oxygen and minimizing damage to the vital organs. The nurse confirms the explanation, even noting that the patient is still technically alive with ten minutes to stop the bleeding. When the examiner points out Vel did not follow the directive, Vel retorts that the goal of medicine is always to save the patient.
The last individual test is a transporter simulation. The dummy away team is stranded on a hostile planet with deteriorating surface conditions, the cadets must lock onto the team and beam them through the hazardous conditions. Though T'Laan makes constant adjustments to the transporter beams, Diak simply beams the party right through the cloud, after requesting a medical team to stand by the transporter. It was logical to prioritize their survival over their immediate safety. Hours later, T'Laan continues her adjustments to the beams despite her team's attempt to cheer up. Their words have no impact, however, the whole experience only serving to reinforce T'Laan's initial belief that she should transfer out of Starfleet and back to the Vulcan survivors.
Seeking solace, T'Laan makes her way to the Sketia tree on the Academy grounds where Trumble approaches her. T'Laan wearily reveals that she joined Starfleet in response to her parents' belief that the Vulcan race was stagnating. At their advisement, she joined Starfleet to do something extraordinary with her life. And the day she joined the Academy was the day Vulcan died. Trumble then speaks of the first time he visited Vulcan and first saw a Sketia tree. The trees there normally have orange flowers and drooping branches, quite unlike the blue-leaved, proud specimen that rests on the grounds. Trumble attributes this tree's unusual appearance to Earth's soil, and notes that it proves the words of her parents. If the tree had stayed on Vulcan, it would be dead. On Earth, it is unique, even extraordinary.
The next morning, the shuttles launch from Starbase 1 for the final event. A scavenger hunt around the Sol system.
Log entries[]
- Begin mission log.
- Day 47. Every attempt to escape this anomaly has failed. We aren't powerless. We aren't adrift. We're just "here", whatever that means. We never should have come to Wagner-219.
- Personal log, supplemental.
- Even though Cadet K'Bentayr failed to illustrate the requested surgical skills, the fact that his subject technically never died allowed the Academy Medical Board to award Vel partial credit based on "creative measures devoted to the sanctity of of life.
- My individual assessment was scheduled for later that day. It was a simulated transporter scenario. Four away team members are stranded on a hostile planet with rapidly deteriorating surface conditions. The goal of the exercise was to isolate and lock onto their patterns through the hazardous atmospheric distortions. The first cadet to transport all four members out alive, wins. Unfortunately, my performance proved less than adequate.
References[]
Characters[]
- Shev Akria • Juliet Bashir • Grace Chen • Diak • Lucia Gonzales • Bran Hendricks • Vel K'Bentayr • James T. Kirk • Alexander Marcus • Phil • Jack Somers • Spock • T'Laan • Trumble • Nyota Uhura • Yan Hyun
- Referenced only
- Jonathan Archer • Krem • Somers
Starships and vehicles[]
- A-317 (Starfleet cadet ship) • Slayton (NX-class explorer)
- Referenced only
- USS Challenger • Phoenix • shuttle
Locations[]
- Golden Gate Bridge • San Francisco (Academy Medical Center • School of Engineering • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Archives) • Starbase 1 • Wagner-219
- Referenced only
- Iowa • New Vulcan • Vulcan
Races and cultures[]
- Andorian • Arcturan • Bolian • Caitian • Efrosian • Human • Monchezkin • Rigellian • Tellarite • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
- Federation • Starfleet (Starfleet Academy • Academy Medical Board • Starfleet Command)
Science and classification[]
- arterial foam injector • beacon • biobed • computer terminal • cyklokapron • distress signal • environmental suit • hifu generator • laser scalpel • life support • PADD • phase pistol • photonic torpedo • probe • SOS • stylus • translator • transporter (annular confinement beam • targeting scanner) • warp bubble
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • cadet • captain • chief engineer • commander • crewman • doctor • instructor • mutineer • officer • student • supervisor
Other references[]
- 2140 • Academy Centennial Games • antennae • atmosphere • away team • beta radiation • beverage • blindness • blood • brain • Celsius • cemetery • century • crew • death • Earth Starfleet uniform • energy • flower • food • gravity • History 345-B • homeworld • humanoid • hypothermia • ion • life • light • log • log entry • logic • medical • minute • Mission log, Slayton (NX-05) • month • mutiny • oxygen • peace • personal log • planet • picnic (cover) • radiation • saline • scavenger hunt • sculpture • Sketia tree • Starfleet regulations • Starfleet uniform • stun • surgery • tree • universe • year
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- ENT episode: "Acquisition": Trumble mentions Krem in his lecture.
Background[]
- Though the transporter exercise mentions four stranded crewmen, Diak only beams three up.
Images[]
.jpg "J. Bashir (2159).jpg (169 KB)")
Cover gallery[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: Starfleet Academy, Issue 2 |
TOS comics (Starfleet Academy) | Next comic: Starfleet Academy, Issue 4 |
| Previous story: Reunion, Part 2 |
Stories by: Mike Johnson |
Next story: Legacy of Spock, Part 1 |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Starfleet Academy, Issue 2 |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Starfleet Academy, Issue 4 |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2261. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 1 other timeframe(s): | ||
| Previous adventure: Starfleet Academy, Issue 2 2258 sections |
2258 | Next adventure: Starfleet Academy, Issue 4 2258 sections |
Publication history[]
- 17 February 2016
- First released by IDW Publishing.
- 16 August 2016
- Collected in the IDW Starfleet Academy miniseries omnibus. (IDW Publishing)
- 13 April 2017
- Collected in the Graphic Novel Collection's Volume 8 omnibus. (Eaglemoss Collections)
Translations[]
- 18 October 2017
- Italian: Collected in the Italian release of Graphic Novel Collection, Volume 8: Accademia della Flotta Stellare. (RCS MediaGroup, ISSN 977228074425770008)
External link[]
- IDW Starfleet Academy, Issue 3 article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.