Unspoken Truth
| Star Trek TOS Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Unspoken Truth |
| Author(s): | Kathleen Dailey |
| Date(s): | 1996 (print), 2002 (online), 2023 (AO3) |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| External Links: | online here, on AO3 |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Unspoken Truth is a Star Trek: TOS story by Kathleen Dailey.
The focus is The Romulan Commander.
The author mentions it was in a 1996 zine, but this zine is unknown, at least with this title.
The work, along with its sequel and companion pieces, has since been moved to AO3.[1]
From the Author
Preface to the Story
This story was first published in 1996 in zine format. The zine is now out of print. Readers who own the original publication will notice that some slight changes have been made to the text of the prologue and epilogue to bring those sections into stylistic line with the sequel, Any Other Lifetime: Book II of the Romulan Commander's Story, which of course didn't exist when Unspoken Truth was first published. These changes have no material impact on the storyline or the characters. [2]
Comments from a 2001 Interview
[Which is your favorite character to write and why?]: The Romulan Commander from "The Enterprise Incident" is the focus of both of my novel-length works--she's a compelling and complex character who continues to fascinate me. I've also written about Saavik, Spock, and Chapel. But my favorite character to write is Leonard McCoy, even though he's played only a supporting role in most of my stories so far. He's the TOS character with whom I identify most strongly, and towards whom I feel the most affection.
[How did you get started writing fanfic?]: The storyline of "Unspoken Truth" had been lurking in the back of my mind for many years, but only as my own private exegesis of "The Enterprise Incident." One day I realized that I'd had my fill of stories (both fan and pro) that marginalized, trivialized, degraded, exiled, martyred, or murdered one of the strongest female characters ever written in TOS. I decided that if no one else was going to do right by her, I would. So I sat down at the computer, listened to what she was saying, and recorded her story as faithfully as I knew how.
[Out of all the stories you've written, which is your favorite and why?]: "Unspoken Truth," partly because it was my very first attempt at fiction, partly because I still feel that the protagonist has an important story to tell. I wanted to take a look at one of Kirk's missions from the point of view of someone who was on the losing side--to examine the aftermath of "our" victory when seen through the eyes of the vanquished. I also wanted to explore what was really going on in Spock's mind when he was aboard the Romulan Commander's ship, and what the far-reaching consequences of his conduct and choices might be--not just for him, but for the Romulan Commander, for Kirk and his crew, and for their respective governments. [3]
Forward
What was the fate of the beautiful and enigmatic Romulan commander who was captured in the final moments of "The Enterprise Incident"?
Though surely the most complex and intriguing female character to appear in the original series, the Romulan commander has remained a mystery -- until now. Here, in her own words, is the account of those days and weeks after her capture as she prepares to testify at a Federation inquiry into the Enterprise incident. But Starfleet and the Federation are the least of the challenges that await her. What of her impending return to the Romulan Empire, where she must stand trial -- and face almost certain execution -- for dereliction of duty? What end will the Enterprise incident be made to serve in the dangerous and devious arena of Romulan politics? And what of her conflicted feelings for her apparent betrayer, Spock -- the touch of whose hand set in motion a chain of events that would alter the destiny of both the Romulan and the Vulcan peoples?
Unspoken Truth: The Romulan Commander's Story ties together many controversial strands of the canon. It reveals why the Treaty of Algeron was signed, and why the Federation failed to develop a cloaking device until nearly 100 years after the Romulans did. It also offers a finely drawn portrait of a woman whose keen intelligence and fierce passion command our attention from the very first page.
[4]
Reactions and Reviews
Set in the TOS timeline, just after the episode "The Enterprise Incident." It stars the female Romulan commander captured in that story, and follows the course of her captivity and her growing relationship with Spock, her betrayer. The entire TOS cast plays a role, but the love story is central. I adore this zine. The Romulan commander was about the only woman in charge of anything in TOS, and although she lost it all though some kind of 1960's mandated "feminine weakness", she was still a fascinating and well-rounded character. Her story cries out for telling, and it's perfectly told here. This is literally the only Spock In Love story I've read without faint stirrings of nausea. [5]