Mission Accomplished

Zine
Title:	Mission Accomplished
Publisher:
Editor:
Author(s):	Kay Stagg
Cover Artist(s):
Illustrator(s):
Date(s):	1995
Medium:	print
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
Language:	English
External Links:
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Mission Accomplished is a gen Star Trek: TOS 200-page novel by Kay Stagg.

Summary

A Starfleet Intelligence operative disappears and the Klingons are looking to buy plans for a long-range weapon: Kirk and Spock are assigned to find the operative and thwart the plans, as well as see peace is established on a warring planet.

Reactions and Reviews

In some respects this zine couId be described as a prequel to ST:VI; Kay fills in a bit of the missing history of Fed/Klingon relations to account for the breakdown of the peace apparently established at the end or ST:V, and to explain Kirks out-of-character comment in ST:VI. "Let them die".

The story is set during the first 5-year mission, in the Caldan system, where [word unclear] planets, Laycur and Primus II, have been at war for some considerable time. Kirk points out the similarity between them and the situation on Eminiar VII, but there the war is not fought by computer. Laycur is a military dictatorship but recently a peace movement has gained momentum, and the Federation has become involved in facilitating negotiations between the two planets. Laycurn scientists have developed a doomsday weapon, intelligence about which is in Federation hands via an efficient spy. However, Primus II is too close to Laycur to allow the weapon to be used without destroying Laycur as well; and in any case it, is not in the Laycurn Military's interests to have peace: their regime would become redundant. The regime wants to keep the status quo, so a plan is hatched to derail the peace process.

A peace summit is due to take place on Primus II; a Federation shuttle carrying Admiral Dowling, a negotiator will pick up the leader of the Laycurn peace party, Ramar, and transport him to Primus II. The Laycurn plan is to get the Klingons to make the peace envoy disappear, thus destroying the leader of the peace movement and engendering suspicion. The Klingons will be given the weapom in return. The weapon is concealed in the diplomat's shuttle, just to make sure the Klingons keep their end of the bargain, then the Laycurn military sits back and awaits the solution to the problem. It is the disappearance of the shuttle, and spy intelligence about the secret weapon, which brings about the involvement of the Enterprise.

The shuttle is (raced to Primus I, another small planet in the system) and the Enterprise has the job of recovering the weapon and the peace party if its members are still alive. The search takes Kirk, Spock and McCoy to Primus I where they meet a race of rather endearing aliens, the Hachi; then Kirk and Spock are sent to Laycur to find the blueprints of the weapon.

The plot is complex; the politics of the story universe are developed in some detail and are interesting in their own right; but the reason 1 enjoy Kay Stagg's work is her exploration of the Kirk/Spock/McCoy relationship. We see the characters function both in the daily routine of shipboard life, and when they are placed in jeopardy. There is plenty of interplay between the main characters, and the characterisation is spot on.

Events in the story move quickly without sacrificing background detail - little touches like Scotty announcing that one of the landing shuttle latrines is malfunctioning keep the reader aware that there is a prosaic real world to contend with while you are trying to save the galaxy. It rains incessantly on Primus I which suits neither Spock nor McCoy; the battle with the elements is the source of much humour, as is Spock's relationship with the friendly and inquisitive Hachi. When the situation on Primus is resolved and the search party returns battered and bruised to the Enterprise, the story does not let up. Kirk and Spock are sent immediately undercover to Laycur and have to pit their wits against both enemies and allies, as the latter cannot unlearn the need to suspect everyone.

In the end I read Kay Staggs stories for Kirk and Spock but there is much here for someone who wants a detective story or an adventure tale. At 197 pages the zine is good value. Oh - did I say that I really enjoyed it?

There has already been a very favourable review of this zine in the IDIC newsletter bv Jean S.; while I totally agree with her on this delightful story, I think that perhaps I might add some thoughts, starting with [her] finishing statement. Yes, this is an utterly enjoyable zine. It is delightful to follow the storyline through its many told surprising twists and turns; one can feel the true storyteller at work here, spinning her tale with ease and competence - and realism. There's nobody like Kay Stagg for straightforward, honest, down-to-earth storytelling, which makes her stories so refreshingly realistic. In this zine, Kay creates a very plausible world of politics and intrigue, with Klingons, secret weapons, and dangerous landing party duties thrown together to form a complex plot. However, we zine readers are usually more concerned with Kirk and Spock than with the independence of Planet X - and here Kay is at her best, as usual. Her characterisations ring entirely true, like in a good old episode. It is delightful to read all the authentic dialogues and watch the character interplay between Kirk, Spock and McCoy. And the swimming match at the beginning is sheer indulgence for the readers!