What would have happened if the Romulans captured the Enterprise in TOS?

[MurphyCooper]

What would have happened if the Romulans captured the Enterprise in TOS? I am not asking from a writing / show standpoint, I am soley asking from an in-universe scenario. What would happen to the crew? What could the Romulans seek to learn about Federation technology by capturing the Enterprise, either taking it apart for reverse engineering or turning it into a Romulan ship?

 

[Captain T'rillian]

At that point in history the Romulans were still not taking prisoners, so they would likely have killed the crew and then examined the ship for any technology not already known to them. If they were familiar with Kirk's exploits with the Enterprise, as many of the Romulans we meet are, they might tear the ship apart looking for the Corbomite Device, before concluding that it does not exist.

The most valuable thing the Romulans could take from the Enterprise would be Starfleet encryption codes, but they would only have a short interval in which to take advantage of them before it became known that they were compromised.

 

[Nerys Myk]

At that point in history the Romulans were still not taking prisoners, so they would likely have killed the crew and then examined the ship for any technology not already known to them. If they were familiar with Kirk's exploits with the Enterprise, as many of the Romulans we meet are, they might tear the ship apart looking for the Corbomite Device, before concluding that it does not exist.

The most valuable thing the Romulans could take from the Enterprise would be Starfleet encryption codes, but they would only have a short interval in which to take advantage of them before it became known that they were compromised.

"The Enterprise Incident"?

 

[Captain T'rillian]

"The Enterprise Incident"?

If you're talking about Kirk et al. being captured by the Romulans in that episode, it does happen, but they never take the Enterprise, so we don't know what they would have done with the rest of the crew. The line about the Romulans not taking prisoners (or at least never returning any, such that no one who had seen a Romulan ever got to report it back to Starfleet) is from "Balance of Terror."

 

[Nerys Myk]

If you're talking about Kirk et al. being captured by the Romulans in that episode, it does happen, but they never take the Enterprise, so we don't know what they would have done with the rest of the crew. The line about the Romulans not taking prisoners (or at least never returning any, such that no one who had seen a Romulan ever got to report it back to Starfleet) is from "Balance of Terror."

The Enterprise Incident

COMMANDER: It was Captain Kirk who was solely responsible. Since the crew had no choice but to obey orders, the crew will not be held responsible. Therefore, I am ordering Engineer Scott, presently in command of the Enterprise, to follow the Romulan flagship to our home base. You will there be processed and released to Federation Command. Until judgment is passed, Captain Kirk will be held in confinement.

 

[Captain T'rillian]

The Enterprise Incident

Interesting, I didn't remember that line. Although it is always possible that the Romulan Commander was simply lying about the crew being turned back over to the Federation.

 

[FormerLurker]

I remember it. I even hear her voice reciting it as I read it.

 

[HIjol]

I hope this will give the Thread a smile!

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[Poltargyst]

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Ha, that was pretty good.

I was just thinking while watching it how amazing it is that 60 years later TOS is still so popular that people make things like this. What an achievement by everyone involved in making that show. I bet they didn't expect the show to even be remembered 60 years later.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

If you're talking about Kirk et al. being captured by the Romulans in that episode, it does happen, but they never take the Enterprise, so we don't know what they would have done with the rest of the crew. The line about the Romulans not taking prisoners (or at least never returning any, such that no one who had seen a Romulan ever got to report it back to Starfleet) is from "Balance of Terror."

That's implied in Balance of Terror, but the actual line is from The Deadly Years.

Chekov: "Sir, the Romulans do NOT take prisoners."

 

[Captain T'rillian]

That's implied in Balance of Terror, but the actual line is from The Deadly Years.

Chekov: "Sir, the Romulans do NOT take prisoners."

It's also in Balance of Terror:

SPOCK: Which allowed no quarter, no captives. Nor was there even ship-to-ship visual communication. Therefore, no human, Romulan, or ally has ever seen the other.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

The most valuable thing the Romulans could take from the Enterprise would be Starfleet encryption codes, but they would only have a short interval in which to take advantage of them before it became known that they were compromised.

The Allies actually captured two German U-boats during WW II, broke their encryption system, and somehow managed to keep it a secret for the duration. The second capture was unnecessary and just endangered the secret. But they pulled it off, and the Germans assumed the subs had been sunk like so many others.

I think the Romulans would have tried to convince Starfleet that the Enterprise was simply destroyed, but I would hope our side would assume the worst, because The Enterprise Incident was one special mission, not the middle of a war with hundreds of ships being destroyed all over the place.

So yeah, the Romulans might have a just a short window, but it would be a time when they could read our codes, know in advance where each of our ships is going, and we could not detect their updated cloaking device at all. It's bad.

It's also in Balance of Terror:

SPOCK: Which allowed no quarter, no captives. Nor was there even ship-to-ship visual communication. Therefore, no human, Romulan, or ally has ever seen the other.

Okay, I can see that. But I take the Balance of Terror quote to be about having no ability to pick up survivors, while The Deadly Years implies refusing to. Chekov might be reading cruelty into the historical war, or Spock might be glossing over it.

The two episode scripts are going after two different dramatic stings, is what it amounts to.

 

[Captain T'rillian]

Okay, I can see that. But I take the Balance of Terror quote to be about having no ability to pick up survivors, while The Deadly Years implies refusing to.

I agree with this, but the fact that Spock states that, as of Balance of Terror, no human or ally has seen a Romulan indicates that they have still never taken a prisoner, to the Federation's knowledge, up to that point. The Enterprise Incident would then be the first time they attempted to do so, but they were ultimately unsuccessful.