The Battle of Axanar

[RookieBatman]

Hey folks, I'm thinking about doing a fanfic about the Battle of Axanar, and while I'm mostly just going to make up my own story, I do like to try to keep in line with any major fan traditions, or "fanon." I don't know of any off-hand about this particular engagement, but I thought I'd just open the thread up, for all of you who know a lot more of Trek lore and the greater Star Trek fanbase than I do.

 

[Noname Given]

Unless there was something more written in some novel; nothing in TOS, TAS, the Films or the 24th century era Treks ever referenced the 'Battle of Axanar' beyond the short blurb in TOS - Court Martial

On the ENT series - Captain Archer made first contact ith the Axanar race in Fight or Flight; and mention that they had a lifespan of 400 years or so.

That's it from my recollection.

 

[MaxBingman]

Everything you need to know at Memory Alpha .

And good luck.

 

[Timo]

The FASA RPG backstory for this battle in the so-called Four Year War is quite involved... Check James Dixon's chronology (for example http://us.share.geocities.com/dswtrek/TREK15.TXT) for the details.

The story isn't at major odds with canon material, although I do get the impression from "Errand of Mercy" and a host of other TOS episodes that there hasn't really been a Fed/Klingon war like that within Kirk's lifetime.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[RookieBatman]

That's more like what I was looking for, although it's a bit too detailed (if I use the information, I would hardly be making my own story). Thanks, though, that was what I was asking for.
As for the Klingons or the Four Years War, I think I'm actually leaning towards the conflict actually being against the people of Axanar (or the "Axanarri," as I think they were called there). That's the thing about this; there's just so little known (even by popular fan speculation) that there are a lot of big decisions to make. A daunting task.

 

[Steven Of Nine]

Don't be daunted. Write what you want, how you want, in the arena you want.

Trekkies are such picky bastards (come on, we are!!) especially the fanatic fiction writers (come on, we are!!!) that you'll always face critiques.

Write what makes YOU happy, and bugger the rest. They'll enjoy it if they know what's good for them.

Good luck!

 

[Nebusj]

RookieBatman said:
As for the Klingons or the Four Years War, I think I'm actually leaning towards the conflict actually being against the people of Axanar (or the "Axanarri," as I think they were called there). That's the thing about this; there's just so little known (even by popular fan speculation) that there are a lot of big decisions to make. A daunting task.

Well, in ``Whom Gods Destroy'' Kirk mentions that Garth of Izar's victory at Axanar was required reading -- and that Garth was one of their greatest warriors. (Of course, we have no idea how old Garth is.) But Kirk's first visit to Axanar was as a cadet on a peace mission, where those pesky politicians ``had a dream -- a dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars, a dream that made Mr. Spock and me brothers.''

This is, I think, one of the scenes that set the old fandom assumption that the Federation was a very young organization in the time of the Original Series.

 

[Noname Given]

Nebusj said:

RookieBatman said:
As for the Klingons or the Four Years War, I think I'm actually leaning towards the conflict actually being against the people of Axanar (or the "Axanarri," as I think they were called there). That's the thing about this; there's just so little known (even by popular fan speculation) that there are a lot of big decisions to make. A daunting task.

Well, in ``Whom Gods Destroy'' Kirk mentions that Garth of Izar's victory at Axanar was required reading -- and that Garth was one of their greatest warriors. (Of course, we have no idea how old Garth is.) But Kirk's first visit to Axanar was as a cadet on a peace mission, where those pesky politicians ``had a dream -- a dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars, a dream that made Mr. Spock and me brothers.''

This is, I think, one of the scenes that set the old fandom assumption that the Federation was a very young organization in the time of the Original Series.

Well, it depends what you consider 'young'; since if you accept the 2161 date as the Founding of the Federation; that means it was a bit over 90 years old - and as a corrallary, the U.S. was just under 90 years old when it had its Civil War which was actually about more than just slavery, and included issues that existed with the southern states since the founding of the U.S.

But I agree, with mentions of events like the 'Battle of Axenar', and Kirk being on 'rhe Vulcanian expedition'; there was ample evidence in TOS that the Fedration may not have been all that old. Although by the time of the movies in TWoK we had the line...."Starfleet has kept the peace for over 100 years..."

 

[Timo]

...Which is why the FASA story about betrayal and defection makes a lot of sense. Forcing the deceptive Axanari to abandon their attempt at choosing the Klingon side would be a step towards solidifying a pre-existing Federation, perhaps even of preventing its shattering into factions that would vie for separate peace with the Klingons in hopes of mercy. That's what letting Kirk and Spock be brothers could be all about - Garth made sure Vulcan wouldn't want to secede.

John M. Ford in his The Final Reflection suggests such a secession crisis in the pre-TOS days (perhaps the late 2230s by modern reckoning, which is fine for any Garth timeline), and FASA likes to use his material (which is related to the old Spaceflight Chronology) as reference. And Margaret Wander Bonnano in Strangers from the Sky postulates the Vulcanian Expedition as an attempt of forcing Vulcan to assume an active role in the military Starfleet instead of just enjoying the free pacifist ride - a maneuver of gunboat diplomacy that takes place in peacetime and indeed could only take place in such a time. Fun explanations both, and rather consistent material for putting together an integrated whole...

Of course, Vulcan isolationism and threat of secession is used as material for other famous novels as well.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Eurosolo]

You aren't referring to Spocks' World by any chance are you?