The Tantalus Trap!

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

This article is written
from the Real World
point of view

[edit] Summary

While mirror Spock and Spock finish their mind meld on Vulcan, Admiral Kirk and crew manage to separate the saucer of the Enterprise and continue the battle with Excelsior under the command of his counterpart. After several near misses, Scotty manages to restore power to the Tantalus field and Kirk orders Scotty to use it against several key areas in Excelsior's engineering section. After the ship is disabled, a boarding party from Enterprise manages to recapture Excelsior and return it to Federation control. After a brief confrontation with his counterpart, Kirk has all the Imperial crewmembers placed in stasis until they can determine what to do with them. After Saavik and Scotty repair Excelsior's engines, Kirk reports the recapture of Excelsior to Starfleet. Grand Admiral Turner commends Kirk for retaking the ship, but still orders Kirk back to Earth. But instead of heeding the order, Kirk makes plans to use Excelsior to infiltrate the Empire's invasion force, posing as his counterpart, with hopes of thwarting their invasion plans. Saavik determines that Excelsior's transwarp engines should be able to cross the inter-dimensional barrier. As they do so, the Klingon ship they captured returns to the scene carrying both Spocks aboard, having arrived too late to follow Excelsior across.

[edit] Background Information

The saucer section escaping the stardrive section's destruction is later shown in the comic "Debt of Honor", TNG: "Contagion", the fan film Star Trek: Of Gods and Men and Star Trek Generations.

[edit] Creators

Writer: Mike W. Barr
Artists:
- Tom Sutton (pencil art)
- Ricardo Villagran (inking)
- Michele Wolfman (color art)
- John Costanza (letter art)
Editor: Marv Wolfman

[edit] Characters

Canon characters listed below are linked to the main article about them. Non-canon characters are not linked, but those that recurred, appearing or being mentioned in more than one story, are defined further in DC TOS volume 1 characters.
James T. Kirk
Saavik
Garrett: Starfleet commodore who was the commanding officer of Starbase 13.

[edit] References

Tantalus field

The Mirror Universe Saga (aka New Frontiers)

Comics
DC TOS volume 1

"Promises to Keep" (#9) • "Double Image" (#10) • "Deadly Reflection!" (#11) • "The Tantalus Trap!" (#12) • "Masquerade!" (#13) • "Behind Enemy Lines!" (#14) • "The Beginning of the End..." (#15) • "Homecoming..." (#16)

Previous issue:
#11: "Deadly Reflection!"