Lieutenant Leslie was a male Human Starfleet officer in the 23rd century. He served aboard the USS Enterprise between 2265 and 2268 under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, during the historic five-year mission.
Starfleet service
A versatile crew member who was assigned primarily to the operations division as an engineer or a security officer, Leslie was cross-trained to serve in several departments as needed.
Leslie as a security officer at Delta Vega
He was aboard the Enterprise when the starship first crossed the galactic barrier on stardate 1312.4, and became a lieutenant on stardate 2126.1. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Squire of Gothos") During breaks from duty, Leslie socialized with his shipmates in the recreation room of the Enterprise or in a bar. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Charlie X", "The Trouble with Tribbles"; DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")
The lieutenant once risked facing a charge of mutiny on stardate 3417.3. He abandoned his post after becoming temporarily infected by the Omicron spores and lined up near the transporter room to join the colonists of Omicron Ceti III. When Kirk told him to return to his station, Leslie disobeyed the captain's order. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")
On stardate 3619.2, Leslie was violently attacked by a dikironium cloud creature during a planetary survey of Argus X. With all the red blood corpuscles drained from his body, Doctor Leonard McCoy declared him deceased in an autopsy report. Leslie was later revived and returned to duty by stardate 3620.7, and continued to serve aboard the Enterprise until stardate 5630.7. (TOS: "Obsession", "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")
Duty officer
Leslie in the captain's chair
When the alien Trelane appeared on the bridge of the Enterprise and abducted eight members of the bridge crew, Leslie sat in the command chair as the ship orbited the planet Gothos on stardate 2126.1. Upon safe escape from captivity, Kirk and the seven officers resumed their posts to warp the vessel away from the rogue planet. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos")
After a fire was ignited aboard the Enterprise and caused damage to main engineering on stardate 3088.7, Leslie served as the duty officer as Kirk pursued the scientist Lazarus to an uncharted iron-silica planet in order to retrieve the ship's stolen dilithium crystals. When Kirk returned to the bridge, Leslie discharged the ship's phasers and destroyed Lazarus' spaceship. This sealed the negative magnetic corridor, forever trapping Lazarus with his antimatter counterpart and saving both universes from mutual annihilation. (TOS: "The Alternative Factor")
Engineer
As an engineer, Leslie was often assigned to the engineering station on the bridge, next to the turbolift doors. When Kirk and Spock discussed strategies during the tense standoff with the Fesarius on stardate 1512.2, Leslie talked with Bobby and Lieutenant Brent. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver") He witnessed Doctor Simon Van Gelder storm onto the bridge with a phaser, but was unable stop a cordrazine-crazed McCoy from escaping the bridge and transporting down to the time planet. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind", "The City on the Edge of Forever")
Leslie (left) sits in Khan's row of prisoners
Leslie belonged to a select group of Enterprise officers who dined at a banquet that was organized by Lieutenant Marla McGivers for Khan Noonien Singh on stardate 3141.9. He was rendered unconscious after the Augment leader cut off the life support system to the bridge and hijacked the Enterprise. A weakened Kirk listed the bridge crew for commendations before passing out. Leslie, however, was not included on the list. Before Kirk retook the Enterprise, Leslie was taken prisoner and forced to watch the captain's torture on the conference room viewscreen. (TOS: "Space Seed")
He assisted Lieutenant Galloway in the transporter room and beamed in the Galileo survivors before the shuttlecraft incinerated around Taurus II. (TOS: "The Galileo Seven") On stardate 3287.2, an infected Spock applied the Vulcan nerve pinch on Leslie when the first officer attempted to beam down to the planet Deneva. (TOS: "Operation -- Annihilate!")
Leslie (right) before the Kelvans neutralize and reduce him ...
After the Enterprise accidentally hurled back in time to the year 1969, he repaired the engineering station for the voyage back to 2267. He assisted Spock and Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu in finding a weakness in Apollo's force field. He also aided Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott in weakening Vaal's hold on the starship. (TOS: "Tomorrow is Yesterday", "Who Mourns for Adonais?", "The Apple")
... and after
He was the bridge engineer when Commodore Stocker assumed command of the Enterprise on stardate 3479.4 and ordered the vessel to enter the Romulan Neutral Zone. (TOS: "The Deadly Years") He performed the same duty when Commodore Matt Decker took command on stardate 4202.9 and used the Enterprise to attack the "planet killer." (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")
He was on the bridge after a group of Kelvans hijacked the ship and temporarily neutralized and reduced him into a small dehydrated porous cuboctahedron solid. (TOS: "By Any Other Name") He was stunned into unconscious when the Eymorg Kara appeared and removed Spock's brain. (TOS: "Spock's Brain")
While the Enterprise was under attack by a Klingon battle cruiser on stardate 4372.5, he gave up his seat at the engineering station to Elaan, the Dohlman of Elas. He continued his duties while standing until he was relieved by Scott. (TOS: "Elaan of Troyius")
Helm officer
Leslie at the helm
When the Enterprise orbited Psi 2000 and the crew was exposed to a virus on stardate 1704.2, Leslie took over the helm after an infected Sulu abandoned his post. He struggled to stabilize the decaying orbit before a sword-wielding Sulu returned to the bridge and was subdued by Spock. He was later relieved from duty by Kirk when he also became infected. (TOS: "The Naked Time")
Leslie operated the helm on stardate 2819.8, after Kodos was killed unintentionally by his daughter during a Shakespearean performance on the Enterprise. He warped the vessel out of planetary orbit when she was institutionalized at a medical facility on Benecia. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King")
Feeling tired and weary, he was at the helm when Sulu conducted a survey of the Shore Leave planet with McCoy on stardate 3025.3. Leslie joined a shore party after Kirk assessed the dangers and authorized a shore leave for the crew. (TOS: "Shore Leave")
Medical assistant
Leslie performed medical procedures on the ship's science officer. He treated Spock's injuries after the M-113 creature infiltrated the Enterprise and assaulted the first officer on stardate 1513.8. (TOS: "The Man Trap") When Kirk ordered Spock to report to sickbay for a medical examination on stardate 3372.7, Leslie assisted the chief medical officer in conducting the physical that revealed Spock was suffering from the Vulcan neurochemical effects of pon farr. (TOS: "Amok Time")
Leslie as a navigator
Leslie sat at the navigation console when the Enterprise was en route to the Malurian star system on stardate 3541.9, investigating a distress call and facing a barrage of attacks by the interstellar space probe Nomad. After the probe ceased fire, it was beamed aboard the starship. Leslie carried Scott's body to sickbay after Nomad attacked the chief engineer on the bridge, but was not present to witness Scott's revival. (TOS: "The Changeling")
Science technician
On stardate 1672.1, Leslie was a technician of a geological survey team on Alfa 177. Exposed to the rapidly freezing conditions of the planet surface, he was left stranded after a malfunction rendered the transporter unusable. He suffered frostbite and was given immediate medical treatment when the transporter was repaired. (TOS: "The Enemy Within")
The lieutenant sat at the science station when Spock took command of the Enterprise after Kirk, Lieutenant Nyota Uhura and Ensign Pavel Chekov were kidnapped by the Providers on stardate 3211.7. Leslie monitored the sensor readings as the starship headed for Triskelion in search of the three missing Starfleet officers. (TOS: "The Gamesters of Triskelion")
Security officer
Leslie (second from left) and the security team on Janus VI
Leslie's first assignment aboard the Enterprise happened on stardate 1313.1. He guarded the holding cell containing Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell at the Delta Vega Station. He was stunned into unconsciousness and later recovered after Mitchell unleashed his psionic powers on him to escape. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before") He was a member of the Beta III landing party on stardate 3156.2 and was temporarily absorbed into the Body of Landru. (TOS: "The Return of the Archons") He joined Lieutenant Commander Giotto's security team in the hunt for the Horta on stardate 3196.1. He was clubbed on the head three times by an angry mob of Janus VI miners and later healed of his injuries. (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark")
He was assigned to the security team aboard Deep Space Station K-7 on stardate 4523.3. While posted there, he helped end a bar brawl between the Klingons and the Enterprise crew. He also guarded the quadrotriticale storage compartment, apprehended Cyrano Jones for questioning, and assisted Kirk in uncovering the true identity of Arne Darvin. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles"; DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")
On stardate 4729.4, Leslie was one of twenty officers selected by the M-5 computer to remain aboard the Enterprise for the war games exercise. He was one of two security guards to escort Doctor Richard Daystrom to sickbay when the renowned scientist suffered a nervous breakdown. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer")
Leslie (right) on his last assignment aiding Kollos
He was part of the security detail for the Arret landing party on stardate 4768.3. When Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Doctor Ann Mulhall beamed over to the planet, Sargon prevented him from joining along. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow") Later that year, he held custody of Ronald Tracey after the captain of the USS Exeter was charged by Kirk for violating the Prime Directive on Omega IV. He was exposed to the Omega IV virus but did not suffer from its effects. (TOS: "The Omega Glory") He shadowed Tommy Starnes after the Enterprise rescued the orphans of the Starnes Exploration Party on stardate 5029.5. He was posted by the turbolift doors when the orphans hijacked the starship and was unable to comply with Kirk's orders after Starnes changed the captain's words into incomprehensible gibberish. (TOS: "And the Children Shall Lead")
His last assignment aboard the Enterprise occurred on stardate 5630.7. After Kirk discovered an assassination plot against Ambassador Kollos, Leslie teamed up with the captain, Spock, McCoy and Ensign Roger Lemli in response to the threat and ensured that no harm came to the Medusan ambassador. (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")
Memorable quotes
Leslie tells off Captain Kirk
In Template:EpLink, an infected Leslie stands in a line headed for the transporter room.
- Kirk: "Get back to your stations."
- Leslie: "I'm sorry, sir. We're all transporting down to join the colonists."
- Kirk: "I said get back to your station."
- Leslie: "No, sir."
- Kirk: "This is mutiny, mister."
- Leslie: "Yes, sir. It is."
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Appendices
Related topics
Appearances
- TOS:
- "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (TOS Season 1)
- "The Corbomite Maneuver"
- "Mudd's Women"
- "The Enemy Within"
- "The Man Trap"
- "The Naked Time"
- "Charlie X"
- "Balance of Terror"
- "What Are Little Girls Made Of?"
- "Dagger of the Mind"
- "Miri"
- "The Conscience of the King"
- "The Galileo Seven"
- "The Menagerie, Part I"
- "The Menagerie, Part II"
- "Shore Leave"
- "The Squire of Gothos"
- "Arena"
- "The Alternative Factor"
- "Tomorrow is Yesterday"
- "The Return of the Archons"
- "Space Seed"
- "This Side of Paradise"
- "The Devil in the Dark"
- "Errand of Mercy"
- "The City on the Edge of Forever"
- "Operation -- Annihilate!"
- "Catspaw" (TOS Season 2)
- "Metamorphosis"
- "Friday's Child"
- "Who Mourns for Adonais?"
- "Wolf in the Fold"
- "Amok Time"
- "The Doomsday Machine"
- "The Changeling"
- "The Apple"
- "Mirror, Mirror"
- "The Deadly Years"
- "The Trouble with Tribbles"
- "Bread and Circuses"
- "Journey to Babel"
- "A Private Little War"
- "The Gamesters of Triskelion"
- "Obsession"
- "The Immunity Syndrome"
- "A Piece of the Action"
- "By Any Other Name"
- "Return to Tomorrow"
- "The Ultimate Computer"
- "The Omega Glory"
- "Assignment: Earth"
- "Spectre of the Gun" (TOS Season 3)
- "Elaan of Troyius"
- "The Enterprise Incident"
- "And the Children Shall Lead"
- "Spock's Brain"
- "Is There in Truth No Beauty?"
- DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations" (Stock footage)
Background information
Leslie was played by Eddie Paskey, a regular extra who served as a set stand-in throughout the course of the original Star Trek series. He was often seen in the background wearing a red Starfleet duty uniform while operating the engineering station on the Enterprise bridge or serving as a security officer.
Paskey had few speaking opportunities throughout the series. The first time he spoke occurred in "The Naked Time", when his character replied to Kirk's orders on the bridge. The other times he was heard speaking occurred in "The Conscience of the King", "The Alternative Factor", and "This Side of Paradise".
The only screen credit that he received was in "The Alternative Factor", when he was credited as "Lesley", and in "This Side of Paradise", when he was listed simply as "Crewman".
Leslie's last filmed appearance happened on the episode "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", when Paskey retired from the series. The actor suffered a back injury while filming a scene in "Operation -- Annihilate!", where Spock applied the Vulcan nerve pinch on Leslie. He also experienced severe headaches which were aggravated by the stage lighting on the set. By the beginning of the third season, Paskey felt that he could no longer handle the job's activities. [1]
Paskey's character did not have a set identity at the start of the series. The script for the pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", referred to him as both a "crewman" and a "guard". McCoy called him "Connors" in "Mudd's Women" and Spock referred to him as "Rand" in "The Naked Time". By the end of "The Conscience of the King", Kirk addressed him as "Mister Leslie" three times and continued calling him "Leslie" in subsequent episodes.
According to Paskey's personal website, his character was named after William Shatner's eldest daughter, Leslie Shatner.
Red shirt
Leslie "dead"
Leslie has the distinction of being known as the first Star Trek recurring character to return from the dead without explanation. After being attacked by the cloud creature in "Obsession", he was listed as one of the two unnamed and deceased officers in Kirk's log entry who was pronounced dead by McCoy. Later in the same episode, Paskey inexplicably appeared twice – first walking past Kirk's quarters in a red operations division uniform and then again walking by sickbay in a gold command division uniform.
According to Paskey, a scene in the script for "Obsession" that had all three victims of the landing party attacked by the creature would have them coming back to life later in sickbay due to a miracle potion. He mentioned that this scene was never filmed. [2] Director Ralph Senensky confirmed that he did not film it. Leslie at StarTrek.com
Paskey continued to appear in subsequent episodes and his character was called "Leslie" by Kirk in "Assignment: Earth", "The Omega Glory", "The Enterprise Incident", and "And the Children Shall Lead".
Service rank
Leslie was never addressed by his Starfleet service rank. Kirk simply called him "Mister Leslie". Until he sat in the captain's chair in "The Squire of Gothos", Leslie's uniform did not display any rank insignia. With three exceptions after this point, the uniform regularly showed a full lieutenant stripe. During the attack by the cloud creature in "Obsession", the rank stripe was inexplicably missing. It was also absent in "Spock's Brain" and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", Paskey's last two filmed episodes on the series.
Apocrypha
According to the comic book Who's Who in Star Trek, Leslie grew up on Earth near the Starfleet Impulse Engine Testing Grounds in El Paso, Texas, where he developed an interest in engineering. He went to Starfleet Academy in San Francisco and met Kirk in judo competitions. In the novel Present Tense, he developed a friendship with Sulu on the Enterprise soon after the events of "The Naked Time".
The novel Yesterday's Son mentioned that he achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and served as the chief engineer aboard the USS Lexington near the end of Kirk's five-year mission. Shortly after the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, as depicted in the novel The Darkness Drops Again, he was transferred back to the Enterprise and served as the security chief under Captain Spock. In Who's Who in Star Trek, he returned to the USS Lexington around the time of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. The novel The Fire and the Rose mentioned that he attended Kirk's memorial service at Starfleet Academy in 2293 during the events of Star Trek Generations. In the novel One Constant Star, he joined the USS Excelsior with the rank of commander in 2308 and became Captain Sulu's first officer.
There are inconsistencies regarding Leslie's first name. According to Star Trek Short Stories and Who's Who in Star Trek, his first name was Frank. In the novels The Fire and the Rose, A Choice of Catastrophes and One Constant Star, it was Ryan. The other novels state that it was Ed – an apparent tribute to Eddie Paskey, the actor who portrayed him on the original series.
External links
- Ed Leslie at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Leslie Reference Guide