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The Return Of The Archons

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The Return of the Archons

" The Return of the Archons " is the twenty-first episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Boris Sobelman (based on a story by Gene Roddenberry ), and directed by Joseph Pevney , it first aired on February 9, 1967.

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In the episode, the crew of the Enterprise visit a seemingly peaceful planet whose inhabitants are "of the Body", controlled by an unseen ruler, and enjoy a night of violence during "Festival".

The episode contains Star Trek ' s first reference to the Prime Directive .

The USS   Enterprise , under the command of Captain Kirk , arrives at the planet Beta III in the C-111 system where the USS Archon was reported lost nearly 100 years earlier. [5] Lt. Sulu is the only member of the landing party who beams up from the planet's surface, and exhibits inexplicable euphoria, as well as insisting the crew "is not of the Body" and referring to them as "Archons". [6] Kirk beams down with another party to investigate. They find the inhabitants living in a 19th-century Earth-style culture, ruled over by cloaked and cowled "Lawgivers" and a reclusive dictator, Landru. Their arrival is shortly followed by the "Festival", a period of violence, destruction, and sexual aggression. [7]

Kirk's landing party seeks shelter from the mob at a boarding house owned by Reger. A friend of Reger's suspects that the visitors are "not of the Body" (the whole of Betan society), [8] and summons Lawgivers. When the landing party refuses to come with the Lawgivers, the Lawgivers become immobile. Reger leads the Enterprise landing team to a hiding place. En route, a telepathic command causes the townspeople to attack the landing party. They stun the attackers with their phasers, and find Lt. O'Neil, the other member of the original landing party, among them. They take O'Neil with them, but keep him sedated on Reger's advice. Reger reveals that Landru "pulled the Archons down from the skies". Contacting the ship, Kirk learns that heat beams from the planet are attacking the Enterprise , which must use all its power for its shields. Its orbit is deteriorating and it will crash in 12 hours unless the beams are turned off.

A projection of Landru appears in the hiding place, and Kirk and his team are rendered unconscious by hypersonic waves. The landing party is imprisoned in a dungeon. Dr. Leonard McCoy is "absorbed into the Body", i.e. , placed under Landru's mental control, [9] but Marplon, a member of the underground against Landru, rescues Kirk and Spock . Reger and Marplon tell how Landru saved their society from war and anarchy 6,000 years ago and reduced the planet's technology to a simpler level.

Overhearing their whispered plans, McCoy summons the Lawgivers. Kirk and Spock subdue them and don their robes. Marplon takes Kirk and Spock to the Hall of Audiences, where priests commune with Landru. [10] A projection of Landru appears and threatens them. Kirk and Spock use their phasers to blast through the wall and expose a computer programmed by Landru, who died 6,000 years ago. The computer neutralizes their phasers. Kirk and Spock argue with the computer, that because it has destroyed the creativity of the people by disallowing their free will, it is evil and should self-destruct, freeing the people of Beta III. The computer complies.

The heat beams stop, and the Enterprise is saved. Kirk agrees to leave Federation advisors and educators on the planet to help reform the civilization.

"The Return of the Archons" was the first appearance in Star Trek for actor Charles Macaulay . He later appeared as Jaris, ruler of Argelius II, in the second-season episode " Wolf in the Fold ". [11] This was actor Jon Lormer's second appearance on Star Trek . He had previously appeared as Dr. Theodore Haskins in the episode " The Menagerie " and made a third appearance as an unnamed old man in the third-season episode " For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky ". [12] David L. Ross made his third appearance on Star Trek in this episode, after having appeared as a security guard in the episodes " Miri " and as a transporter chief in " The Galileo Seven " earlier in the first season. He received his first speaking role as Lieutenant Johnson in the second season episode " The Trouble with Tribbles ", and appeared in another speaking role as Lt. Galloway in the second season episode " The Omega Glory ". [13] Character actor Sid Haig has a role as one of the hooded Lawgivers who first confront the landing party in Reger's boarding house. [14]

"The Return of the Archons" introduces for the first time the Federation's Prime Directive . [15] [ unreliable source? ] However, an important modification is made to the absolutist non-interference rule almost immediately. Kirk argues that the Prime Directive does not bar interference with other cultures, but rather bars interference only with a "living and growing" culture. [16] [17] Scholar Eric Greene argues this is reflective of the "frontier myth" of Star Trek and American foreign policy in the late 20th century, in which a superior culture expands to impose its understanding of freedom and progress on others. [16] M. Keith Booker, interpreting the politics of Star Trek , agrees, noting that in leaving behind a sociological team to "help restore the planet's culture to a more human form" means restoring it to one that "suits the values of the Federation and twenty-third century Earth." [17] Indeed, the Prime Directive would only truly be honored during the series in the episode " Bread and Circuses ". [18] [19]

Location shooting for "Return of the Archons" occurred on the 40 Acres backlot in Culver City, California . The street scenes were part of the "Town of Atlanta", a set which consists of a mid-1800s city street, a town square, and a residential area (originally constructed for the motion picture Gone with the Wind in 1939). The dungeon set was first constructed for this episode, and reused in the first-season episode " Errand of Mercy " and the second-season episode " Catspaw ". Marplon's absorption booth console was also reused several times in the series. It reappeared (with modifications) as a relay station in the second-season episode " I, Mudd ", as a Federation outpost control panel in the third-season episode " The Lights of Zetar ", the housing for the Romulan cloaking device in the third-season episode " The Enterprise Incident ", and as the force field control station at the penal colony Elba II in the third-season episode " Whom Gods Destroy ". The computer that ruled Beta III was seen again (slightly modified) in the first-season episode " A Taste of Armageddon ". [20] The doors to the Hall of Audiences were a re-use of doors previously seen in the episode " What Are Little Girls Made Of? " and were reused in "A Taste of Armageddon". [21]

The episode contains two errors. When the "Festival" breaks out, the mob begins hurling stones at the landing party. A large "rock" made of papier-mâché accidentally hits one of the Enterprise security personnel in the head. The actor stayed in character and kept running to ensure that the take was not ruined. [22] When the landing party rests in a bedroom at Reger's boarding house, the windows are blacked out in all wide shots, but clearly transparent and showing the street outside in all close-ups. [23]

Eric Greene observes that "Return of the Archons" is the first time Star Trek attempted to deal with issues of war and peace raised by the Vietnam War , and established a template that was used in a number of subsequent episodes such as " A Taste of Armageddon ", " This Side of Paradise ", and " For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky ". [24] The Federation's moral superiority is exhibited through its emphasis on individual freedom, progress, and resort to violence only in self-defense, while the Betan society is criticized for its state control, stagnation, and reliance on aggression. [24] Greene argues that these episodes prefigure the Borg Collective , a far more overt totalitarian (even Soviet ) metaphor introduced in the series Star Trek: The Next Generation . [25] Scholar M. Keith Booker notes that the episode presents Kirk "at his most American", valuing struggle against obstacles as the highest virtue and denouncing the Betan utopia (equated with Stalinism ) as dehumanizing. [26]

Scholars Michael A. Burstein and John Kenneth Muir note that the plot of "The Return of the Archons" (in which Kirk and company discover a stagnant society worshiping a god-like being whom Kirk destroys with human illogic) became something of a cliché in the decades after the series ended. [27] [28] Burstein criticizes the episode for attacking organized religion, which it presented as suppressing freedom and creativity. [27] But religious scholar Michael Anthony Corey praises the episode for realizing that the elimination of a huge number of moral evils can occur only by causing a single, massive moral evil (the loss of free will). [29] Corey points out that the episode seems to draw heavily on German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz 's "Principle of Radical Optimism", which concludes that ours is the best of all possible worlds because it contains the conditions for human existence (and not because it has a greater or lesser number of moral evils). [30]

Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave the episode a "B" rating, describing the episode as having a "loose, unpolished feeling" and lacking "the force of the series' best story lines", but praised the story's ambition. [31]

"Return of the Archons" is one of actor Ben Stiller 's favorite episodes of Star Trek . "Red Hour", the time of day when the "Festival" begins, is the name of his production company . [15]

This was noted as one of the episodes of Star Trek that does not have a traditional villain, and noted that computers gone wrong as a villain might be expected in a technologically advanced culture as depicted by Star Trek . [32]

The "Festival" in this episode served as the inspiration behind the 2013 film The Purge , and the subsequent media franchise it spawned. [33] [34]

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• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 2493.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 1305.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 1239.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 1573.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 299.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 715.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, pp. 240-241.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 17.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, pp. 844-845.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 1016.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 3347.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 3366.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 3334.
• 1 2 Hinman, Michael (June 15, 2013). "Does 'The Purge' Sound Familiar? It Should" . 1701News.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014 . Retrieved January 15, 2014 .
• 1 2 Greene, p. 65.
• 1 2 Booker, p. 204.
• ↑ Greene, p. 70.
• ↑ Okuda, Okuda, and Mirek, p. 1835.
• ↑ Farrand, pp. 128-129.
• ↑ Farrand, p. 129.
• ↑ Farrand, pp. 105-106.
• ↑ Farrand, pp. 119-120.
• 1 2 Greene, p. 64.
• ↑ Greene, pp. 64-65.
• ↑ Booker, p. 205.
• 1 2 Burstein, p. 92.
• ↑ Muir, p. 44.
• ↑ Corey, pp. 138-139.
• ↑ Corey, p. 139.
• ↑ Handlen, Zack (March 27, 2009). " "The Return Of The Archons" / "A Taste Of Armageddon" " . The A.V. Club . Retrieved May 28, 2009 .
• ↑ Cipriani, Casey (2016-07-27). "What 'Star Trek 4' Could Learn From These 'Star Trek' Episodes" . Bustle . Retrieved 2019-03-08 .
• ↑ Vaux, Robert (June 22, 2021). "Star Trek: How a Classic TOS Episode Influenced The Purge" . CBR . Archived from the original on September 7, 2021 . Retrieved September 7, 2021 .
• ↑ Faraci, Devin (June 6, 2013). "The Purge Director Admits Which Star Trek Episode Influenced His Movie." BirthMoviesDeath.com . Retrieved October 4, 2021.
• Booker, M. Keith (2008). Telotte, J.P. (ed.). "The Politics of 'Star Trek' ". The Essential Science Fiction Television Reader . Lexington, Ky: University Press of Kentucky.
• Burstein, Michael (2006). Gerrold, David ; Sawyer, Robert J. (eds.). "We Find the One Quite Adequate: Religious Attitudes in 'Star Trek' ". Boarding the Enterprise: Transporters, Tribbles, and the Vulcan Death Grip in Gene Roddenberry's 'Star Trek' . Dallas, Tex.: BenBella Books.
• Corey, Michael Anthony (1995). Job, Jonah, and the Unconscious: A Psychological Interpretation of Evil and Spiritual Growth in the Old Testament . Lanham, Md.: University Press of America.
• Farrand, Phil (2010). The Nitpicker's Guide for Classic Trekkers . New York: Random House.
• Greene, Eric (2006). Gerrold, David; Sawyer, Robert J. (eds.). "The Prime Question". Boarding the Enterprise: Transporters, Tribbles, and the Vulcan Death Grip in Gene Roddenberry's 'Star Trek' . Dallas, Tex.: BenBella Books.
• Muir, John Kenneth (2005). Exploring Space, 1999: An Episode Guide and Complete History of the Mid-1970s Science Fiction Television Series . Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co.
• Okuda, Michael ; Okuda, Denise ; Mirek, Debbie (2011). The Star Trek Encyclopedia . New York: Simon and Schuster.
• "The Return of the Archons" at Wayback Machine (archived from the original at StarTrek.com)
• "The Return of the Archons" at Memory Alpha
• "The Return of the Archons" Review of the remastered version at TrekMovie.com
• Pretty Maids All in a Row (also writer)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture. A Novel
• Star Trek: Phase II
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USS Archon (NCC-1370)

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The USS Archon (NCC-1370) was a Horizon -class heavy cruiser —lead ship of the Archon heavy cruiser subclass—in Star Fleet service during the early- to mid- 23rd century . With the same weapons loadout of the Horizon Flt IIs, as well as the same overall dimensions, the ship stood out for its secondary hull design borrowed and modified from the failed Indomitable experiment, providing it an immense internal volume unavailable to its predecessors. The PB-22 warp nacelle was a slight improvement on the PB-18, decreasing individual unit mass for the same performance characteristics

While the Baton Rouge class was also first commissioned in the same year ( 2222 ), the operational history of the Hoizon subclasses allowed for instant familiarity for the Archon and her sisters, meaning the ships were at the forefront of Star Fleet's strategic forward defense policy for a few of their early years. However, as the more modern heavy cruisers increased their numbers and operational responsibilities, the production of the subclass was quickly slashed to seven (from the envisioned twenty). In the end, these newest of the Horizon series still failed to provide the expectations of acceleration, agility, speed, or range to meet modern military standards or ambitions. Hence, Star Fleet would consider how additional upgrades could provide boosts in power and propulsive performance, in a direct impact to what would eventually result in the Constitution class heavy cruiser of the 2240s . The last Archon would be decommissioned in 2263 . ( Star Fleet Starship Recognition Manual : Report #296 : Horizon Heavy Cruisers )

See Also [ ]

External links [ ].

• Star Fleet Starship Recognition Manual : Report #296 : Horizon Heavy Cruisers
• 1 Daniels (Agent)
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-H) (Endurance class)

TOS: S1 – E21: The Return of the Archons

STARDATE: 3156.2

We begin the episode with Mr. Sulu running on a street on planet Beta-III, wearing human clothes from the 18th Century. Sulu and Lt. O’Neil were trying to get away from human men dressed in brown hoods, who were carrying some weapons. Sulu beamed up, but just as his atoms were breaking down, he was shocked by the weapon.

When Sulu appeared on the Enterprise , he spoke about Archons, someone named Landru, paradise, and seemed utterly disoriented.

Captain Kirk, in his log, explained that the Enterprise was at Beta-III looking for remnants of the U.S.S. Archon , which disappeared 100 years ago.

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and three others beamed back to the surface to investigate further. As they walked through the town, all who they encountered acted very friendly, yet expressionless. They also wore 18th or 19th Century Earth clothes and spoke perfect English.

They stopped and spoke to one man, who assumed they were from “the valley” and were in town for the “festival.” When the clock struck 6 p.m., all of the townsfolk started screaming and fighting in the streets.

The away team ran into an apartment to wait out the chaos. Kirk started asking about Landru, and the meaning of the festival to the owner of the place, who was named Reger. The crew received more questions than answers.

The next morning, the men in robes appeared and killed one of the men who the crew stayed with. A friend reported that he disobeyed.

The men in robes then turned to Kirk, accusing him of disobeying and not being a part of “the body.” They told him that they would soon be “absorbed.”

Kirk said they would not go anywhere… and the men in cloaks didn’t know how to react. They ordered Kirk again, who refused again. Suddenly, the Lawgivers stood still — it was explained that they were “communing with Landru.”

The crew then escaped to a safe house. On the way, they had to use their phasers to stun several townspeople, who attempted to stop them. They found O’Neil en route and dragged him along.

Reger revealed a glowing panel, which he said was from the time before Landru. Reger said that it could have been six thousand years old. Spock detected power radiating from “everywhere.”

McCoy said that O’Neil would soon wake. Reger said that he could not, as he had been “absorbed.” Reger explained that when the Archons first came, they were out of control and not in line with Landru.

Reger also revealed that there was an underground who was working against the forces of Landru. He was a part of this “underground.”

He said that Landru pulled the Archons out of the sky. Spock said that the readings indicated a power capable of holding a starship. Kirk then learned that a “head beam” was attacking the Enterprise . Scotty said they could not leave orbit or warp away, and that the ship would burn up in 12 hours due to these heat beams.

Spock reported that Landru was scanning them with sensor beams. Then a hologram of a human male dressed in gray and copper robes appeared before them. Kirk spoke to Landru, but he didn’t respond. Spock figured that this was merely a projection, and there was no way to communicate.

Landru told them that this was a society of goodness and peace, without any of the ancient evils. He said that the crew would soon be absorbed into the collective being.

Suddenly, the crew crumbled to the floor, overcome by hypersonic signals.

When they woke, they appeared to be in some prison, but now they were unable to leave and did not have their weapons or communicators. McCoy was missing.

Soon, the Lawgivers in cloaks returned with McCoy, who had been “absorbed.” He now asked Kirk how he could help them, and said that he knew everyone through Landru.

Later, the men took Kirk to the absorption chambers. Kirk found himself strapped to the wall, and a man walked in to begin the procedure. As the captain exited, he greeted the next victim (Spock) in the same strange manner as the townsfolk had earlier.

Spock too was strapped in, but before anything happened, the man running the machine spoke. He said his name was Marplon, and that he was the third member of the underground. He’d been too late to save Sulu and McCoy, but he stopped Kirk from being “absorbed” as well.

He returned the phasers to Spock and told him to behave in the same manner as Kirk did earlier. Spock rejoined Kirk in prison, and they kept up the act in front of McCoy.

Spock said the society was like a machine. When things were disrupted, the people in this order waited for instructions from … Landru. Spock said there was no “Landru” in the human sense.

Kirk then told Spock that “Landru must die.” Spock reminded the captain of The Prime Directive , which ordered that there must be no interference in the natural order of an alien society. Kirk said that didn’t apply here.

Then, Marplon and Reger entered the cell. They returned Kirk’s communicators. Kirk said that they must get more information about Landru. McCoy heard them and began screaming “traitor.” He then tried to strangle Kirk, who used a wrestling move to silence the doctor.

Two Lawgivers arrived in the cell. Spock and another crewman took care of them. They took the cloaks from the guards and demanded that Marplon and Reger take them to Landru.

Scotty signaled that the ship had just six hours until the orbit deteriorated.

Marplon and Reger told the story of Landru, who was a savior-figure, who brought peace to their planet centuries ago. They believed that Landru was still alive and that he watched even now.

Reger decided that he did not want to take down Landru, and he lost his cool and started yelling for the Lawgivers. Spock used a neck pinch to knock him out.

Soon, Marplon took Spock and Kirk to the “Hall of Audiences,” where Landru was. They entered, and Kirk called for Landru, saying that they were the Archons. The Landru hologram appeared. He said that they had caused great harm, and that obliteration was necessary “for the good of the body.”

He said the memory of their presence must be excised, and all who they interacted with will be killed. Kirk tried to reason with Landru, but Spock noted that it was a mere projection. They fired phasers at the projection, and they found a supercomputer, which created Landru.

Spock said that it made sense. The computer created this society, what it thought was perfection, but it had no soul.

They readied their phasers, and as they aimed, Landru disabled them. The computer said that soon they would be disabled as well. Kirk told the computer that Landru died 6,000 years ago. The machine said that it was Landru — his experience and knowledge. Kirk said that was true, but all without wisdom.

Kirk asked Landru what “the good of the body” was. The machine could not answer. Kirk said that Landru was killing the body, and after a series of additional questions, Landru could not explain anything more.

Two Lawgivers arrived, asking for guidance, and they observed.

The computer said that it reserved all creativity in society. Kirk said that was evil, and that its prime directive was to destroy evil. The computer started to ask for help, but as it did, smoke billowed out, and it self-destructed.

Kirk called Scotty, who said the ship was fine, and that Sulu returned to normal. Kirk and the party returned to the ship. As they left, Kirk noted that they left behind a sociologist to help restore a healthy culture to the planet.

TREK REPORT SUPPLEMENTAL:

You know, it’s a shame about this episode. Here are the problems:

• Yet another “Another Earth” with no explanation
• How are there biological humans in another part of the galaxy — who spoke perfect English?
• We never found out what happened to the Archon crew (did they get assimilated, or die?)
• Why was the Enterprise looking for them all of a sudden?
• Why did the people riot in the streets? Did Landru tell them to fight every once in a while at 6 p.m.?

This was not one of the better episodes. At least we get a glimpse of the Prime Directive … it’s first appearance!

Roddenberry was said to be an atheist, and this episode seemed like a clever commentary on religion. Landru was like Jesus, and the computer was the teachings of Jesus, which may or may not be relevant 2,000 years later. The episode said that teachings of a long-dead prophet should not run society today.

But, the times when this aired was dominated by fear of the Soviet Union, so there’s a dash of state control. Landru, the machine, kept all creativity to itself, which is much like the Soviets (and Nazis) did. We now see that creativity, dictated from a central state, is not real creativity. That’s why the society was so strange.

RATING: 2 out of 5

Directed by: Joseph Pevney Teleplay by: Boris Sobelman Story by: Gene Roddenberry Produced by: Gene L. Coon Executive Producer: Gene Roddenberry Associate Producer: Robert H. Justman Script Consultant: Steven W. Carabatsos Music composed and conducted by: Alexander Courage Director of Photography: Jerry Finnerman Art Directors: Roland M. Brooks and Walter M. Jeffries

William Shatner as Kirk Leonard Nimoy as Spock

Harry Townes as Reger

Torin Thatcher as Marplon

DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy

Brioni Farrell … as Tula Sid Haig … as First Lawgiver Charles Macaulay … as Landru Jon Lormer … as Tamar Morgan Farley … as Hacom Christopher Held … as Lindstrom

George Takei … as Sulu James Doohan … as Scott Nichelle Nichols … as Uhura Sean Morgan … as O’Neil Ralph Maurer … as Bilar David L. Ross … as Guard

Film Editor … Fabien Tordjmann Assistant to the Producer … Edward K. Milkis Assistant Director … Gregg Peters Set Decorator … Marvin March Costumes created by … William Theiss

Post Production Executive … Bill Heath Music Editor … Jim Henrikson Sound Editor … Douglas H. Grindstaff Sound Mixer … Jack F. Lilly Photographic Effects … Film Effects of Hollywood Script Supervisor … George A. Rutter Music Consultant … Wilbur Hatch Music Coordinator … Julian Davidson Special Effects … Jim Rugg Property Master … Irving A. Feinberg Gaffer … George H. Merhoff Head Grip … George Rader Production Supervisor … Bernard A. Windin Makeup Artist … Fred B. Phillips, S.M.A. Hair Styles by … Virginia Darcy, C.H.S. Wardrobe Mistress … Margaret Makau Casting … Joseph D’Agosta Sound … Glen Glenn Sound Co.

A DesiLu Production in association with the Norway Company

Executive in Charge of Production … Herbert F. Solow

Star Trek (TV Series)

The return of the archons (1967).

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A friendly reminder regarding spoilers ! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy , the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG , Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online , as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant . Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{ spoiler }}, {{ spoilers }} OR {{ majorspoiler }} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

• Memory Beta articles sourced from websites
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• 25th century starship classes
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• 25th century Federation starship classes
• Cruiser classes
• Assault cruiser classes
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• Intel ship classes
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• Sovereign class starships
• Archon class starships

Archon class

• View history
• 1 History and specifications
• 2 Known vessels
• 3.1 Connections
• 3.2.1 Appearances
• 3.2.2 References
• 3.3 External links

History and specifications [ ]

The class prototype USS Archon (NCC-97410) entered service in the time of the Federation-Klingon War of 2405-2410 . The design was an evolution of the 2370s -era Sovereign . The Archon appeared bulkier than its sister classes. Ships of the class were rated as intel assault cruisers upon launch, adding an incremental cloaking device to the assault cruiser lineage.

From 2410 onward, the Archon represented its class in the Starfleet Shipyards Operations interface. ( STO - Klingon War mission : " Welcome to Earth Spacedock ")

Khitomer Alliance flag officer in, or aligned with, Starfleet, deployed Archon for missions around the galaxy 's four quadrants as part of the four-quadrant strategy . ( STO - Klingon War mission : " Welcome to Earth Spacedock ", admiralty system)

The Sovereign -class family.

Following the Battle of Excalbia on stardate 84999.22 [2] in January 2411 , which saw the prominent involvement of hero ships from the Federation's past and present, the Archon was among the assault cruisers that received a refit to legendary starship qualifications. ( STO - J'Ula's Discovery missions : " The Measure of Morality (Part 2) ", " Welcome to Earth Spacedock ")

The Archon was upgraded to a tier 6 legendary miracle worker assault cruiser , matching the qualifications of the upgraded Sovereign class, premiered with the USS Sovereign refit . ( STO website : 10th Anniversary Legendary Starship Bundles : Legendary Miracle Worker Assault Cruiser )

Known vessels [ ]

• USS Archon (NCC-97410)

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], appearances and references [ ], appearances [ ].

• STO website : Archon Class Assault Cruiser
• STO - Klingon War mission : " Welcome to Earth Spacedock " (first playable)

References [ ]

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 STO - Klingon War mission : " Welcome to Earth Spacedock "
• ↑ STO - J'Ula's Discovery mission : " The Measure of Morality (Part 2) "

External links [ ]

• Archon Intel Assault Cruiser article at The Star Trek Online Wiki .
• Archon Class Assault Cruiser dev blog at the ARC website .
• 1 Cheronian
• 2 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 3 Eclipse class

USS Republic

• View history

The USS Republic (NCC-1371) was a 23rd century Federation starship operated by Starfleet .

• 1.4 24th century
• 2.1 Appearances
• 2.2 Background information
• 2.3 Apocrypha
• 2.4 External links

Service history [ ]

James Kirk served on the Republic as noted in his personnel file.

In 2254 , James T. Kirk served as an ensign aboard the Republic , along with Benjamin Finney , a friend of Kirk's. During a duty shift , Finney accidentally left a circuit open to the atomic matter piles which could have resulted in the destruction of the ship; Kirk logged the incident, and Finney was denied promotion . ( TOS : " Court Martial ")

In 2259 , when Captain Christopher Pike looked over Kirk's personnel file , he noticed that the Republic was listed as one of Kirk's assignments. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

USS Republic located on the star chart.

Later that year, the Republic was located in the Alpha Quadrant when the USS Enterprise discovered a subspace fissure . ( SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ", display graphic )

In 2278 , the Republic appeared on a Starship Mission Assignments chart on the bridge of the USS Bozeman after exiting a temporal causality loop 2368 . ( TNG : " Cause And Effect ")

In 2293 , the Republic was assigned a Neutral Zone patrol mission in Sector 22956 . The ship was named on a Starship Mission Assignments chart on the USS Enterprise -A bridge . ( Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country )

24th century [ ]

By the early 24th century , the Republic was assigned as a training ship for Starfleet Academy cadets . Although it continued to serve the fleet through as late as 2374 , it had not left the Sol system since the 2320s . ( DS9 : " Valiant ")

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (display graphic)
• SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody " (display graphic)

Background information [ ]

In " Obsession ", Kirk says that Captain Garrovick was his commanding officer from the day he left the Starfleet Academy until his death in 2257 while on the USS Farragut , suggesting that Garrovick may have captained the Republic . However, multiple mentions in other episodes date Kirk's Academy years from 2252 to 2257. This suggests that Kirk was assigned to Republic as an ensign while he was still in the Academy. This is also consistent with him saying he was a "young lieutenant " when he visited Neural in 2255 . ( TOS : " A Private Little War ") Garrovick, therefore, may not have been Republic 's captain.

Although many reference sources included Republic as a Constitution -class heavy cruiser , its status in canon is, to date, uncertain. Kirk himself stated in the episode " Court Martial " the ship's nomenclature as "United Starship Republic , number 1371". Theories about Republic began early on, with reference works published in the 1960s. Actually, these theories were backed up by production sources such as Star Trek: The Original Series producers D.C. Fontana and Robert H. Justman , who composed a fourteen ship list at the start of its 1967 second season , belonging to the Constitution -class, then still referred to as Starship-class by them and including Republic . ( The Making of Star Trek , p. 165) When he embarked on his influential " The Case of Jonathan Doe Starship " article and became aware of the original reference, TOS fan Greg Jein , like many other contemporary fans, proceeded from the assumption that Republic was no longer in service as a "front line" ship, as its registry number was not included on a starship status chart in Commodore Stone 's office at Starbase 11 in "Court Martial". However, Jein has included the ship in an effort he made to marry Constitution -class vessels to established registry numberss, citing Republic as an older "Mark VI" sub-class variant. Yet, as the ship was never shown on screen (nor did the remastered version of the series allow for retconning the ship into any of the episodes, as was the case with USS Intrepid ), either as the ship proper or in any graphical representation, its configuration was never established in canon.

Republic 's registry number is, as above indicated, derived from "Court Martial" itself, where Kirk explicitly states the number in dialogue. Senior Scenic Artist Michael Okuda – who is, like Greg Jein, a TOS fan – was also aware of the original reference and used the correct registry in his below-mentioned "Operation Retrieve" mission charts, and thereby overturning Jein's assumption. Through reference books he subsequently wrote and following the original intent of the TOS producers, Okuda has propagated the notion that Republic belonged to the Constitution -class. ( Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 1, p. 158; vol. 2, p. 217) This notion has been adhered to in every (in-universe) reference work since, encompassing the Star Trek Fact Files and the more recent Haynes Enterprise Manual .

Ronald D. Moore , also an avid TOS fan and the writer of "Valiant", stated that the mention of Republic in that episode was probably to the same ship that Kirk served on. ( Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 217) It was debatable whether a ship that old would still be useful as a training ship over 125 years later, except possibly as a study of antiquities. However, several 21st century nautical services from a wide variety of seafaring nations observe the practice of continuing to use sailing ships as training vessels (the US Coast Guard , for example, has used the barque Eagle for cadet training since the 1940s). In TNG : " Relics ", Geordi La Forge mentioned that many systems are essentially unchanged since Montgomery Scott 's time; if this was so, a ship as old as USS Republic , especially if regularly refitted and upgraded, would be just as useful as a brand new ship in that regard.

According to a ship listing included in the plans, and not seen in the extended cut of the sixth movie, Republic was commanded by H. Zimmerman , and this ship was located in Sector 22956 . The ship's captain was named after Production Designer Herman Zimmerman . [2]

Apocrypha [ ]

An early comic book from Marvel 's Star Trek series depicted this as a Baton Rouge -class ( β ) vessel, based on the illustration of that class by Rick Sternbach in the Spaceflight Chronology reference book (and described in John M. Ford 's novel The Final Reflection ). This would make sense for the registry number and the general era the ship existed during; however, it bears no regard for the creator and producer intentions, nor was it confirmed by any filmed Star Trek , since these licensed books and materials are non- canon .

" Who's Who in Star Trek 1 " gave its registry as NCC-1373.

At the beginning of the video game Star Trek: 25th Anniversary , the Enterprise engaged the Constitution -class starship Republic in a mock battle. In the game, the commander of Republic , Captain Richard Patterson ( β ), sends the player his congratulations if Republic was defeated in the exercise. If the player lost the mock battle, he sent the message " Better luck next time… " Later in the game, Enterprise found Republic adrift, wrecked by a duplicate version of Enterprise , her crew slaughtered and the ship in a decaying orbit .

In the Star Fleet Battles game series, the USS Republic was near a convoy on the first day of the Romulan entry in the General War and successfully fought off five Romulan ships with the help of a police ship and the convoy itself. The story and game scenario were entitled "And To The Republic" and the scenario was also rewritten for the Federation Commander game system.

The My Brother's Keeper novel Republic has the ship under the command of Captain Rollin Bannock ( β ) during the Axanar Peace Mission , which the Republic' s crew participated in, including Cadet James T. Kirk .

In The Autobiography of James T. Kirk , the Republic was under the command of Captain Garrovick before he was relieved of command by Ronald Tracey and transferred to the USS Farragut .

In the MMORPG game Star Trek Online , a 2024 released mission shows a Holodeck simulation of the Battle of Wolf 359 where players are embodying one of the 40 fleet vessels engaged against the Borg Cube . The Republic 's prefix has been changed from USS to TS for "Training Ship" and her registry from NCC to NAR which means the ship is exclusively used in the Sol system and only for a training mission. The ship has been destroyed during the battle and seems to be the wrecked Constitution-class ship seen in the TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds " episode.

External links [ ]

• USS Republic (NCC-1371) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Calypso (episode)