Star Trek 1172: Blood & Honor

1172. Blood & Honor

PUBLICATION: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Celebrity Series - Blood & Honor #1, Malibu Comics, May 1995

CREATORS: Mark Lenard (writer), Leonard Kirk, Ken Penders, Terry Pallot, Scott Reed and Larry Welch (artists)

STARDATE: Unknown (between Through the Looking Glass and Improbable Cause)

PLOT: Romulan ambassador Jannek is on DS9 for talks with the Bajorans when a mysterious artifact is brought back from the Gamma Quadrant by Dax and Ensign Jamie Samantha Kirk and people start being knocked into comas near it, though some suspect Romulan attacks. A cell of the Circle steals it and Jannek, to show the Romulans aren't behind the theft, follows the crew to Bajor to retrieve it. The artifact knocks out the cultists and then releases the last Organian. His time in our universe is about to end, and he wants to commit the Federation and Romulans to peace, as once he did with the Feds and Klingons. Jannek had been sent visions of this. He asks for Ensign Kirk to become liaison to the Romulans so he can forge that peace as the Organian fades away.

CONTINUITY: Dax mentions the events of Blood Oath (Curzon also knew Jannek). Jannek is the descendant of the Romulan Commander in Balance of Terror. Jamie Samantha Kirk is likely descended from one of James Kirk's nephews (sons of George). The Circle is once again risen (last time was in DS9 #17). Ayelborne of the Organians first appeared in Errand of Mercy. And watch for that Morn cameo!

DIVERGENCES: None.

PANEL OF THE DAY - Oh Doctor Bashir, I bet you say that to all the girls.
REVIEW: Allowing Star Trek actors to write specials is a marketable idea, but the results could be iffy. Case in point Mark Lenard's Blood & Honor. There's a lot going on here - characters descended from one of the characters he played in TOS and Kirk, the Circle, a strange artifact, something of a "murder mystery" - but it's too much for anything to feel anything was truly resolved. Why is an Organian in a Gamma Quadrant artifact? Whatever happened to Jannek and Kirk and that new peace? Why doesn't the Organian put a spell of peace on the two powers like in Errand of Mercy? Why does the Circle change gears and go from attacking the Romulans to going all culty on the artifact? What was that business with the bad gagh? Where did Dax sneak off to after the promise of a Curzon/Jannek reunion? And so on. Too many ideas for one issue, and the ties to the past just seem plugged in. It's not bad by any means, but it feels unfinished.