Issue 2 of DC’s Star Trek comic was out for March 1984. Titled … The Only Good Klingon… it featured a cover by George Perez, and featured art by Tom Sutton as penciler and Ricardo Villagran delivered the inks. Mike W. Barr delivers the second part of the story begun in issue 1.

Stardate: 8149.2

The opening splash page shows Kirk and Bryce floating in wormhole space alongside a giant Klingon space station. The pair use their thruster suits to get closer to the station, while aboard the Enterprise, Sulu has the conn, and is waiting on Scotty’s repairs to Engineering. Sulu reminds him that the Klingons could return at any moment. And at the weapons station, Bearclaw is still stewing not only about the Klingons but his belief that Bryce’s father was responsible for his father’s death and the loss of the Gallant.

Saavik, aboard the Galileo 3, has also reached the Klingon space station tucked inside the wormhole. She transmits her report to the Enterprise in the clear, so the Klingons will be focusing on her, and not Kirk and Bryce.

Koloth and his crew have just hard-docked with the station. He prepares for the second attack on the Enterprise, and Konom fears his rebellious acts may be known. Koloth is made aware of the Galileo and orders its capture.

A trio of odd-looking ships (they don’t even look Klingon) leave the station to capture the shuttle, and Kirk and Bryce slip in through the open port. The Klingons are waiting for them, however, and fisticuffs ensue.

Bryce freezes as she stares down the Klingons, until Kirk urges her to action by reminding her that they killed her father. She blasts them all. Kirk admits to freezing once, back on Tycho IV – a reference to the TOS episode, Obsession. They stow their suits and head into the station.

The narrative reveals that Sulu is the Enterprise’s First Officer, and that repairs are proceeding. McCoy is growing impatient that they haven’t heard anything from Kirk yet. And he’s trying to figure out what Spock wants him to ‘remember.’ And Sulu, as he sits and waits, wonders when a captaincy will be his.

Saavik takes the fight to the Klingon ships, and uses a cloaking device (I thought those were illegal) to hide from the attackers. Then she disengages from the warp sled and lets it blow. But instead of dropping into real space, the Galileo remains in the wormhole and is captured, and brought to the station.

Aboard the station, Kirk and Bryce are continuing their sneeaking around, until they come across Konom. He claims to be on their side. He agrees to deactivate the wormhole stabilizer, as he is unlike other Klingons. He doesn’t believe in the killing and destruction that his people seem intent on doing in.

Kirk agrees to take him along since Koloth will help. But disruptor fire begins, pinning them down.

Saavik is brought before Koloth, but when he answers a comm about the Federation aboard with Konom, she springs into action, grabbing a disruptor from one of the Klingons and blasting. She makes a break for it.

Kirk is holding the attackers off while Konom and Bryce work on setting the explosives.

He contacts the Enterprise, but there is some jamming in place, until it can be deactivated; they’re stuck there. Konom takes a hit, and Kirk springs a new plan on Saavik. She heads to the station’s transporter room. She uses the nerve pinch on the guard, and then using Kirk’s open communicator, locks on and beams him, Bryce and Konom to the station’s transporter room, and then relays the beam to the Enterprise. The Klingon transporters are operative apparently.

They are greeted by McCoy, and Kirk orders the doctor to look after the injured Klingon. McCoy reminds him that he would do it anyway. He’s given an oath. It’s a tense moment, but the pair smooth things over, before Kirk and Saavik head to the bridge.

The stabilizer aboard the station blows, and it drops into real space, and the Enterprise is there, with phasers ready. Kirk demands Koloth surrender, but instead the klingon blows the station, with a warning that the Federation will soon find out that nothing is over.

Kirk checks in on Konom’s condition, and then, learning the mains are back online, are ordering a return to Earth. But before the Enterprise warps away, they receive a hail, from the Klingon emperor, Kahless IV.

He declares war on the Federation because of the acts of Kirk and the destruction of the station!

Next time… The Enterprise heads to Organia on an ‘Errand of War!’

Damn, it’s been a long time since I read these, and so far, I’m enjoying this iteration of Trek. I like the art, the story is solid, and it’s absolutely determined to tie itself into existing canon. It’s great fun! I hope the solid character work on familiar names, and new ones continues, and the narratives remain strong. It’s really good.

So let’s boldly go to issue #3!