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:''Journey with [[Spock]], [[Leonard McCoy|McCoy]], and the rest of the former crew of the starship [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|''Enterprise'']] to Talin -- the planet where their careers ended. A world once teeming with life that now lies ruined, its cities turned to ashes, its surface devastated by a [[radiation|radioactive]] firestorm -- because of their actions. There, they must find out how -- and why -- this tragedy occurred and discover what has become of [[James T. Kirk|their captain]].''
 
:''Journey with [[Spock]], [[Leonard McCoy|McCoy]], and the rest of the former crew of the starship [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|''Enterprise'']] to Talin -- the planet where their careers ended. A world once teeming with life that now lies ruined, its cities turned to ashes, its surface devastated by a [[radiation|radioactive]] firestorm -- because of their actions. There, they must find out how -- and why -- this tragedy occurred and discover what has become of [[James T. Kirk|their captain]].''
   
The [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']] is in orbit of the world Talin IV in preparation for a possible [[First Contact]] with the help of Dr. Richter, the Federation's leading expert on First Contact and the creator of the [[Prime Directive]], although he is now campaigning for it's repeal. While observing the planet and the tensions between it's two superpowers, Kirk accidentally starts a nuclear war which apparently kills much of the life on the planet, collapses the planets civilization, and in an attempt to stop the war while the missles are in the air he cripples the USS Enterprise, reducing it to a lifeless hulk in a precarious and decaying orbit around a dying world, now called "Kirk's World". Kirk is dishonorably discharged from Starfleet and finds himself working under an assumed name on a terraforming project, with his name being a synonym for "planet killer". Spock, also discharged, is living with some college students trying to find a way to understand exactly what went wrong. Scotty was spared a discharge since he was not directly involved with the final incident, and finds himself ordered to rebuild the Enterprise with insufficient manpower and equipment and the arrogant Commander [[Styles]] in command of the refit, as his attempts to resign in protest are stonewalled by regulations and bureaucracy. Sulu and Chekov end up working for [[Orion]] smugglers aboard a very old and broken-down freighter. Uhura is still imprisoned on a string of technicalities. McCoy now spends his now-discharged days in retirement on the Moon.
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The [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)|USS ''Enterprise'']] is in orbit of the world Talin IV in preparation for a possible [[First Contact]] with the help of Dr. Richter, the Federation's leading expert on First Contact and the creator of the [[Prime Directive]], although he is now campaigning for it's repeal. While observing the planet and the tensions between it's two superpowers, Kirk accidentally starts a nuclear war which apparently kills much of the life on the planet, collapses the planets civilization, and in an attempt to stop the war while the missiles are in the air he cripples the USS Enterprise, reducing it to a lifeless hulk in a precarious and decaying orbit around a dying world, now called "Kirk's World". Kirk is dishonorably discharged from Starfleet and finds himself working under an assumed name on a terraforming project, with his name being a synonym for "planet killer". Spock, also discharged, is living with some college students trying to find a way to understand exactly what went wrong. Scotty was spared a discharge since he was not directly involved with the final incident, and finds himself ordered to rebuild the Enterprise with insufficient manpower and equipment and the arrogant Commander [[Styles]] in command of the refit, as his attempts to resign in protest are stonewalled by regulations and bureaucracy. Sulu and Chekov end up working for [[Orion]] smugglers aboard a very old and broken-down freighter. Uhura is still imprisoned on a string of technicalities. McCoy now spends his now-discharged days in retirement on the Moon.
   
 
However, each of the crew individually starts working to discover what went wrong, and eventually end up reunited where it is revealed that a mysterious alien beings, unknown to the Federation observers, had been tampering with their culture, trying to provoke them towards nuclear war, because the post-nuclear environment of Talin IV would be perfect for them. Essentially they were goading the Talin into terraforming the planet into a form more appropriate for them.
 
However, each of the crew individually starts working to discover what went wrong, and eventually end up reunited where it is revealed that a mysterious alien beings, unknown to the Federation observers, had been tampering with their culture, trying to provoke them towards nuclear war, because the post-nuclear environment of Talin IV would be perfect for them. Essentially they were goading the Talin into terraforming the planet into a form more appropriate for them.

Revision as of 20:34, 27 August 2005

Cover image.
Author: Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens
Illustrator: COVER ARTIST
Publisher: Pocket Books
Series: Pocket TOS
Published: 1 September 1990
Pages: 406
Year: 2269
Stardate: Unknown
Reference #:

It is Starfleet's highest law. And James T. Kirk has broken it...

Summary

From the book jacket
Starfleet's most sacred commandment has been violated. Its most honored captain is in disgrace, its most celebrated starship in pieces, and the crew of that ship scattered among the thousand worlds of the Federation...
Thus begins Prime Directive, an epic tale of the Star Trek universe. Following in the bestselling tradition of Spock's World and The Lost Years, Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens have crafted a thrilling tale of mystery and wonder, a novel that takes the Star Trek characters from the depths of despair into an electrifying new adventure that spans the galaxy.
Journey with Spock, McCoy, and the rest of the former crew of the starship Enterprise to Talin -- the planet where their careers ended. A world once teeming with life that now lies ruined, its cities turned to ashes, its surface devastated by a radioactive firestorm -- because of their actions. There, they must find out how -- and why -- this tragedy occurred and discover what has become of their captain.

The USS Enterprise is in orbit of the world Talin IV in preparation for a possible First Contact with the help of Dr. Richter, the Federation's leading expert on First Contact and the creator of the Prime Directive, although he is now campaigning for it's repeal. While observing the planet and the tensions between it's two superpowers, Kirk accidentally starts a nuclear war which apparently kills much of the life on the planet, collapses the planets civilization, and in an attempt to stop the war while the missiles are in the air he cripples the USS Enterprise, reducing it to a lifeless hulk in a precarious and decaying orbit around a dying world, now called "Kirk's World". Kirk is dishonorably discharged from Starfleet and finds himself working under an assumed name on a terraforming project, with his name being a synonym for "planet killer". Spock, also discharged, is living with some college students trying to find a way to understand exactly what went wrong. Scotty was spared a discharge since he was not directly involved with the final incident, and finds himself ordered to rebuild the Enterprise with insufficient manpower and equipment and the arrogant Commander Styles in command of the refit, as his attempts to resign in protest are stonewalled by regulations and bureaucracy. Sulu and Chekov end up working for Orion smugglers aboard a very old and broken-down freighter. Uhura is still imprisoned on a string of technicalities. McCoy now spends his now-discharged days in retirement on the Moon.

However, each of the crew individually starts working to discover what went wrong, and eventually end up reunited where it is revealed that a mysterious alien beings, unknown to the Federation observers, had been tampering with their culture, trying to provoke them towards nuclear war, because the post-nuclear environment of Talin IV would be perfect for them. Essentially they were goading the Talin into terraforming the planet into a form more appropriate for them.

Once this fact becomes well established, and Spock makes a brillant argument before the Federation Council that technically the Prime Directive does not apply to Talin IV because it is already a de facto member of the Federation because it had worlds and territories set aside for it in trust and had been granted Rights already under interstellar law in preparation for First Contact. With it clear that the nuclear war was primarily the result of an alien force other than Starfleet and a waiver for the Prime Directive granted in their case, Starfleet begins to quietly clean up the incident. The Talin race is not as wiped out as first feared as apparently most of the planet that survived the initial blast spun protective coccoons around themselves to survive the fallout and aftermath. Kirk and company are all quietly reenstated to their ranks and positions, and spare parts meant to build an entire new Constitution class cruiser are diverted to repair the Enterprise. The novel ends with the Enterprise repaired, Kirk and company restored to active duty, and their missions continuing for a few more months before the 5 year mission ends.

Background Information

Prime Directive is a novel by Judith Reeves-Stevens and Garfield Reeves-Stevens. It is set during the final year of James T. Kirk's first 5 year mission, and after the events of the Original series. The novel was originally released in 1991 by Pocket Books as a hardback. Some fans considered the plot to be somewhat implausible, that Kirk and company could be disgraced publically throughout the Federation and considered essentially war criminals, yet quietly reactivated to active duty to come home as legendary heroes less than a year later. Or by the same note, that the Enterprise would get massive repairs, equivalent to rebuilding much of the vessel from scratch by when the huge refit from the movies was also less than a year from beginning.

Memorable Quotes

"You have broken our most sacred commandment, James T. Kirk -- and in doing so, destroyed a world...

"As of this day, you are relieved of your command, stripped of your rank and all accompanying privileges, and discharged from Starfleet...

"May whatever gods there are have mercy on your soul...."

Characters

James T. Kirk
Spock
Leonard H. McCoy
Montgomery Scott
Uhura
Hikaru Sulu
Pavel A. Chekov

References

USS Intrepid (II)


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Spock's World
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Pocket TOS
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The Lost Years