The Starnes Exploration Party was a colony of Federation families that consisted of a group of scientists, led by Professor Starnes. Their mission, in 2268, was to survey the planet Triacus.
During an excavation of a cave near their encampment, one of the archeologists, Professor Wilkins, accidently released Gorgan, the last surviving member of an ancient civilization once found on Triacus. Gorgan influenced the children of the expedition and caused their parents to commit suicide.
Prior to their deaths, they dispatched a distress call to which the USS Enterprise responded. Unfortunately, they had arrived too late, and the ship's crew would be left to bury the deceased members of the Exploration Party. (TOS: "And the Children Shall Lead")
Mission Logs
- Starnes Expedition Party log
Members of the Starnes Exploration Party
- Professor Wilkins
- Janowski family
- Linden family
- O'Connel family
- Starnes family
- Professor Starnes (leader)
- Tommy Starnes
- Tsingtao family