... Where No One Has Gone Before!

Six-issue mini-series based on the hot new TV show.

Summary

 * "Captain's log: Stardate 41187.5. The USS Enterprise slices through the pitch thickness of an unmapped sector like a shaft. Her own legend, and those of her predecessors, serving us as fuel for this and all her subsequent missions. Manned by Federation officers and crew, who engineer each step of our quest for understanding... propelling us further and deeper than ever before – in a seemingly endless thirst of knowledge and harmony. Traveling with us, the constant reminder of why we're out here... families, most notably children. The generations of the future who deserve to know what's out here in order to press on. Their very presence is my pressure to perform – our need to succeed. That's what drives each and every one of my bridge crew."

The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) enters the Tri-Betaline system en route to T-B 13, a planet no Federation vessel has ever visited. Initial scans indicate a Class M environment with an indigenous humanoid population. Lieutenant junior grade Worf establishes audio contact with the people of Syntagus Theluv, as the populace call their world. The greeting is friendly, prompting Captain Jean-Luc Picard to have Commander William T. Riker assemble a diplomatic away team when the ship is suddenly fired upon from the planet's surface.

The ship continues to be fired upon despite audio messages to the contrary received from the surface. Picard holds a meeting with Riker and Counselor Deanna Troi in his ready room to determine a suitable course of action. Riker recommends an away team while Troi disagrees, citing the potential for great risk. Picard sides with Riker though Troi insists on Lieutenant Natasha Yar's assignment to the away team. In addition to Yar, Riker assigns Lieutenant junior grade Geordi La Forge, Lieutenant Commander Data and Counselor Troi to accompany him.

After encountering a husband-wife conn and ops team arguing on the bridge and Wesley Crusher in a corridor, Picard muses about life being easier before the inclusion of families aboard starships. Despite an awkward encounter with Doctor Beverly Crusher, the captain eventually reaches Transporter Room 6 to brief the away team before their departure.

Transporting to the surface, the away team is attacked by phaser fire. La Forge scans the area with his VISOR and finds they're outnumbered. Yar draws her phaser, but Riker stresses that this mission be a positive diplomatic encounter. La Forge then informs the team of an object accompanying the alien forces that's standing 50 meters tall and covered with armaments. The away team is attacked again and splits up on Yar's recommendation. Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Worf reports that the Syntagus Theluvians are still waiting to receive the away team.

The away team now split up, La Forge and Data encounter the massive weapon from La Forge's earlier VISOR scan while Riker and Troi discover that their communicators are inoperative as well as Troi's mental abilities. The pilot of the weapon emerges and is quickly subdued by Lieutenant Yar. Before anyone can investigate further, the pilot's reinforcements arrive. Data commandeers the war machine and the aliens quickly surrender.

When the away team is transported aboard a Syntagus Theluvian ship, they discover that the alien race ages backwards with children the elders of their world. The adult aliens encountered were merely playing. Before Picard transports to the away team's location, Wesley asks if he could one day accompany him. The captain sternly tells the teenage boy that these missions are no place for children before he materializes in the elders' chambers.

Background Information

 * This story is set during the first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation according to the stardate of the story and the fact that Natasha Yar features prominently in this story. According to a timeline published by DC Comics, this story is set between  and.
 * The concept of a backward-aging race had previously been presented in at the time this story was published. The concept was revisited in.

Artwork

 * With this story set in the first season, all Starfleet personnel are shown wearing one-piece uniforms. However, some liberties are taken by the artist with respect to the uniforms. For instance, Picard wears a beige jacket when he beams to the away team's location at the end of the story. The Bickleys are shown wearing uniforms cut high at the thigh with green capes. The transporter chief Ensign Moezer wears what appears to be some sort of armor and helmet.

Creators

 * Based on Star Trek: The Next Generation created by Gene Roddenberry
 * Writer: Michael Carlin
 * Artists:
 * Pablo Marcos (pencil art)
 * Carlos Garzon and Arne Starr (ink art)
 * Carl Gafford (color art)
 * Bob Pinaha (letter art)
 * Bill Sienkiewicz (cover art)
 * Editor: Robert Greenberger

Regular and recurring characters

 * Jean-Luc Picard : USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) captain.
 * William T. Riker :Enterprise-D exec.
 * Beverly Crusher : Enterprise-D surgeon.
 * Data : Android Enterprise-D operations officer. Data is portrayed as feeling excited on two occasions in the story. He also has some type of adrenal fluid.
 * Geordi La Forge : VISOR-sighted Enterprise-D flight controller. His VISOR is described as having a built-in tricorder.
 * Wesley Crusher : Teenage resident of Enterprise-D.
 * Worf : Klingon Enterprise-D lieutenant junior grade.
 * Natasha Yar : Enterprise-D security chief.
 * Deanna Troi : Half-Betazoid Enterprise-D counselor. Troi mentions having precognitive visions and is described as a telepath in this story.
 * Patricia Bickley : Enterprise-D command division lieutenant serving as backup flight controller (conn).
 * Michael J. Bickley : Enterprise-D operations division ensign serving as backup operations officer (ops).

Other characters

 * Elreth : Syntagus Theluvian piloting the war machine that attacked the away team.
 * Moezer : Alien Enterprise-D sciences division ensign serving at the transporter post.
 * Raymond : Operations division crewman who delivered Captain Picard's tea.
 * Unnamed personnel seen in corridor
 * Purple-haired woman: Sciences division Starfleet officer.
 * Dark-haired man: Operations division Starfleet ensign.
 * Brown-haired man: Command division Starfleet officer.