Khan Noonien-Singh in The Savage Curtain?

[JonnyQuest037]

^^ And this is where I call bs on the rationalization. In “Space Seed” Kirk held an official hearing that would have become part of the official record. As such he did not hide his decision and action from Starfleet.

Reading that passage from the novelization, I wonder if this is where so many fans got the erroneous idea that Kirk was somehow exceeding his authority by putting Khan and his people on Ceti Alpha V, or that he was doing it without Starfleet's knowledge. This is clearly not the case, as the episode itself shows Khan and McGivers' hearing as an official proceeding, with dress uniforms and Uhura making an official recording.

But back in 1982, most folks only saw "Space Seed" when it happened to pop up in the syndication rotation, while VM's novelization would be sitting on the shelf, always ready to be reread over and over... Thinking of it that way, it makes sense that the idea of "no official records" took root with fandom.

It makes sense to me that Kirk did make an official record of the proceedings and that Starfleet then highly classified it. They might not want it on the public record that a decorated Starfleet officer had unfrozen a bunch of 20th century Augments who'd managed to seize control of a Constitution-class vessel.

Yes, that's perfectly plausible to me. If the story about Khan came out, it would not make Starfleet look good in the public eye. I'd much rather attribute Khan being forgotten about to either Starfleet bureaucracy (incompetence) or a more malicious reason like paranoia than impugn Kirk's character by saying he broke the rules when he clearly did no such thing.

 

[Nerys Myk]

As far as we know, Kirk never did.

No real reason he should. Checking up on Khan's Colony would fall to someone else. Either in Starfleet or another Federation department.

 

[Maurice]

Reading that passage from the novelization, I wonder if this is where so many fans got the erroneous idea that Kirk was somehow exceeding his authority by putting Khan and his people on Ceti Alpha V, or that he was doing it without Starfleet's knowledge.

FWIW, this is what the Star Trek Guide says about Kirk's authority:

The mission of the U.S.S. Enterprise? Isn't it something like that of, say, English warships at the turn of the century?
Very close. As you recall, in those days vessels of the major powers were assigned to sectors of various oceans, where they represented their government there. Out of contact with the Admiralty for long periods, the captains of such vessels had broad discretionary powers in regulating trade, bush wars, putting down slavery, assisting scientific investigations and geological surveys, even to becoming involved in relatively minor items like searching for a lost explorer or school mistress.

 

[cooleddie74]

No real reason he should. Checking up on Khan's Colony would fall to someone else. Either in Starfleet or another Federation department.

Yep. Not every problem in Starfleet is the most respected captain's business or is it even the concern of the officer who actually started the entire situation. Chains of command and delegation of authority exist for reasons, so you don't make one person responsible for everything even if someone thinks it makes sense or is only "fair."

 

[Nerys Myk]

Yep. Not every problem in Starfleet is the most respected captain's business or is it even the concern of the officer who actually started the entire situation. Chains of command and delegation of authority exist for reasons, so you don't make one person responsible for everything even if someone thinks it makes sense or is only "fair."

The Second Contact team has a lot to answer for.

 

[cooleddie74]

If 2280 had a Cerritos, that crew is going to be pulling third shift as a ship until it's decommissioned.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I wonder what the ship would be called - the 23rd century seemed to prioritize virtues and ideals over notable people namesakes and locations, did it not? So instead of Enterprise, Constitution and Discovery, the USS Thrift, Amendment, and Hygiene?

 

[Warped9]

USS Procrastination.

 

[fireproof78]

So this whole idea the writer’s of TWOK went with, that Kitk and the Enterprise crew buried this information and Kirk himself was negligent in not following up on Khan’s status is horseshit.

This. It's absurdity and negligence, and would get Kirk court martialed for falsifying records.

 

[Nerys Myk]

USS Procrastination.

Reporting for duty, sir!

 

[cooleddie74]

Wait on it....

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Not every problem in Starfleet is the most respected captain's business or is it even the concern of the officer who actually started the entire situation.

Stabilization if possible, neutralization if necessary.

 

[BillJ]

Stabilization if possible, neutralization if necessary.

Huh?

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Try to defuse the situation if you can, at the very least. In some circumstances, you may need to eliminate the threat or solve the problem using drastic measures.

 

[DarrenTR1970]

Okay then. . . Why wasn't Kirk mildly curious as to what happened to Khan and McGivers?
He had fifteen years to look in on them, why didn't he?
Was he told by someone higher up that the situation was being handled and to not worry about it?​

What about Chekov?

If you ignore the novelization, there's still the problem of why Chekov didn't recognize the Ceti Alpha system as the same one where Khan and his followers had been dropped off and that they still might be lurking around, seeing as Khan and Chekov recognized each other.
(I think it would have worked better if it had been Sulu instead of Chekov as the First Officer of the Reliant.)​

 

[BillJ]

Try to defuse the situation if you can, at the very least. In some circumstances, you may need to eliminate the threat or solve the problem using drastic measures.

I’m just not sure what it has to do with the thread.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

I'm agreeing that captains don't have to see through all the issues they run into from start to finish - that's what experts are for - however responsible a captain may feel for what they set into motion or escalated.

 

[Firebird]

I'm agreeing that captains don't have to see through all the issues they run into from start to finish

That sounds like dereliction of duty.

 

[fireproof78]

Okay then. . . Why wasn't Kirk mildly curious as to what happened to Khan and McGivers?
He had fifteen years to look in on them, why didn't he?
Was he told by someone higher up that the situation was being handled and to not worry about it?​

What about Chekov?

If you ignore the novelization, there's still the problem of why Chekov didn't recognize the Ceti Alpha system as the same one where Khan and his followers had been dropped off and that they still might be lurking around, seeing as Khan and Chekov recognized each other.
(I think it would have worked better if it had been Sulu instead of Chekov as the First Officer of the Reliant.)​

Also, failure to check the charts and compare them against feedback. The log would flag that. Even if Kirk wasn't specific Spock would be.

 

[Maurice]

Just assume the Enterprise's subsequent missions took it so far afield from the Ceti Alpha system that it would have required a major detour to buzz by again. A captain may have lots of latitude but if he dropped someone off on an island in the Atlantic and was then ordered to patrol the Pacific, he's gonna have to have one helluva reason to leave his assigned area and backtrack, and mere curiosity won't cut it.