#sigma iotians

[pluralzalpha]

Galactic Gazetteer: Sigma Iotia II

Class: M

Quadrant: Beta

Location: 100 ly from the Federation border

Inhabitants: Iotians

First contact: c. 2168, by USS Horizon

Appearance: TOS "A Piece of the Action" (1968)

Fun fact: entire society modelled on the Earth book "Chicago Mobs of the Twenties," left behind by the Horizon crew.

Another fun fact: Christobal Rios arrives there in the late 24th century in the Star Trek: Picard novel "Rogue Elements" by John Jackson Miller

Fun fact 3: Rumoured to be the setting for Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie pitch.

[sshbpodcast]

Top 3 Star Trek The Original Series alien races

By Ames

Join A Star to Steer Her By for the last leg of this miniseries of blog posts celebrating Star Trek: The Original Series. We’re wrapping up our side trip this week after reminiscing about our favorite one-off characters and our favorite villains from classic Trek. Now we’re hitting on something a little bit more alien: our favorite alien races!

While a lot of them are just humans with a little bit of extra makeup, there’s still a great variety of people, creatures, and critters through the galaxy for our valiant crew to encounter. Read on below for our favorite pointy-eared, blue-antennaed, fuzzy, slimy, magical, or primitive friends; listen to our chatter at the end of this week’s podcast episode (alien discussion starts at 49:00); and come in peace. There is indeed Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.

[images © CBS/Paramount] 

Ames – The last of their kind

The Old Ones’ creations (“What Are Little Girls Made of?”)

M-113 Creature (“The Man Trap”)

Horta (“The Devil in the Dark”)

I find there’s something simultaneously lonely and hopeful about critters who are the last vestiges of their kind just trying to keep on keeping on. We see this perseverance in Ruk the android who was created by the Lovecraftian Old Ones, in the M-113 creature (AKA the Salt Vampire) who can shapeshift into whoever, and in the much beloved Horta who succeeds at guarding her young so that she won’t be the last for long!

—

Jake – The construction company

Horta (“The Devil in the Dark”)

Talosians (“The Cage” / “The Menagerie”)

Sigma Iotians (“A Piece of the Action”)

All of Jake’s picks illustrate very specific and very different types of intelligence: specifically, they all really love building stuff! From the familiar Horta who digs tunnels and engraves words in rocks, to the super intelligent Talosians who can create a whole society with a thought, to the fan favorite Sigma Iotians who construct their whole existence from what they’ve read in a book, you should call any of these folks next time you have a project.

—

Chris – It’s only logical

Talosians (“The Cage” / “The Menagerie”)

Sigma Iotians (“A Piece of the Action”)

Vulcans (“Amok Time” et alia)

Chris has gravitated toward species who really define what sci-fi is all about. Roddenberry would be proud. We start at the beginning with the most cerebral race we will ever meet in the Talosians, square off with the Sigma Iotians who are as clever as they are hilarious, and round things off with TOS’s crowning glory with the always logical Vulcans – probably the Trekkiest people out there. Without them, where would this franchise be?

—

Caitlin – Beloved background sightings

Tellarites (“Journey to Babel”)

Tribbles (“The Trouble with Tribbles”)

Edosians (The Animated Series)

The aliens we see on Caitlin’s list are all familiar faces we see laying the foundation for the diverse, multi-faceted universe that is Star Trek. Throughout the various series, we spot the Tellarites as one of the founding members of the Federation, numerous tribbles who form the backbone of the franchise despite not having any bones, and the Edosians who were one of the more palatable elements of The Animated Series!

—

While you’re here, make sure you’ve checked out our classic blogposts: Top Five Star Trek TOS Episodes and Bottom Five Star Trek TOS Episodes. You’ll see a lot of familiar faces over there, wink wink.

—

That’s all the time we have for looking backwards for now. Next week, we continue to propel forward as we also voyage further into Voyager. Keep up with us in the Delta Quadrant over on SoundCloud, begin peace negotiations with us on Facebook and Twitter, and be sure to tip your yeoman!

[astrodances]

How does Steelbeak fit in your au

Ok ok, finally getting to this one, and I am Excited! 🤩

This is actually going to be a three-part answer, and I'll separate each section, but the part that will be most relevant to the question will be the middle part, fyi.

Here we goooooo! (under the cut!)

______

First section:

So, actually gonna start things off with a tangent that, at the least, will serve as a possible idea for Steelbeak's origins.

So there's the TOS episode, "A Piece of the Action." As far as TOS/Trek goes, this is one of my top favorites. And for those who have been following this AU, you'll know that I was extremely excited when @lettheladylead posted this parody of one of the episode's quotes, featuring the scheme team! (If and when I get around to actually writing this AU, I'm gonna do my best to incorporate that moment. :D)

Between that and watching the episode around then, and posting some Diamond Thieves AU stuff recently, too, I realized that I could totally work the Diamond Thieves AU into my Star Trek AU in a very natural way!

A quick premise for the episode: the Enterprise crew goes to the planet, Sigma Iotia II, home to the Iotians, an imitative species. The Iotians have turned into a society of 1920s gangsters, based on a book about '20s Chicago mobs that the previous Earth ship to visit left behind (the "contamination").

For my AU, I'm thinking that Goldie, at some point before she and Scrooge reunite on Risa (if that reunion is the equivalent of Glomgold's gala, then I imagine the following would parallel the ten-or-so years they didn't interact before then in the show), would have visited the Iotians' planet while traveling through the galaxy on her own little spaceship. She would've left something there - a book, maybe a classic movie, or a musical recording even ;) - along with some other items (probably at least some photographs, and some technology) that would allow these AU Iotians to follow a similar path as their TOS counterparts: they would become 1920s gangsters, but not like those from the Chicago book. No, they'd create a world that is essentially the 1920s era of my Diamond Thieves AU! :D

(I don't know if there'd end up being an Iotian Goldie and/or Scrooge down there on the planet specifically, what with them being imitative, but at the least, the world and other characters and general setting will be there. And Idk yet if/when the real Scrooge and the Klondike will visit the planet, and/or if the real F.O.W.L. will get involved with the planet, or the Iotians will make their own F.O.W.L.-like organization, but hey, now the scene is set for any/all of that. ;))

As for Steelbeak: it could very well be that he's one of the Iotians from this '20s world, and could even fit well into the following section(s). (And even if this isn't his route, the rest of this section still stands.) But I think I'm going to go with the following...

______

Second section:

There is most definitely a trend here when it comes to my personal tastes, but probably my absolute very-favorite episode of Trek (or at least one of the top 5 - making me choose is just not fair XD) is DS9's "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang". (Quick premise: It's Ocean's Eleven (or "Louie's Eleven"!) in a holosuite on a space station. :D)

Now one thing that I have to state first: Vic Fontaine is very much here and himself in this AU, just as a duck or some other animal (ooh maybe a fox or a wolf? or a cheery kind of dog?) (in DT87 though Duckworth once mentioned a 'Drake Sinatra' - that's something to consider here, although I'm personally more of a Dean Martin fan - we'll find the right pun name XD). I love Vic so much, and this AU can't exist without him.

So anyway, I'm picturing Steelbeak to actually be one of the hologram characters that arise with the jack-in-the-box that takes over Vic's program in this episode. If we're talking DT17 Steelbeak (which is more '60s that his DW91 counterpart, so he might be the better option for this program), then I'm thinking he'd fit in as a Tony Cicci-type of character. If he's more like the DW91 Steelbeak, then he'd be more like Frankie Eyes. (Or maybe he's a mix of his DT17 and DW91 selves?)

Here's where I start to twist things around.

You know the EMH's mobile emitter in Voyager? Well, I'm thinking that either Ludwig (with his own set of EMHs already), Gyro, Fenton, or Gandra, or a combination of them create a mobile emitter for holograms (or already had one made, for Ludwig's purposes). And they either already had it in the works to give to Vic just in general, or specifically plan to give it to him because of the jack-in-the-box that's overtaken his casino. With the mobile emitter, he could get out of the holosuite, at least temporarily until the program's fixed. (I know in the episode, Vic wasn't backing down from the situation and leaving, and maybe that's the case here, but the main point is that the group is ready to present the mobile emitter as a plan to keep Vic safe.)

At some point, however, the emitter falls into Steelbeak's possession, either by accident and he somehow ends up finding his way out of the holosuite on his own and it's a shock to him, or he perhaps overhears of the group's plan and their talks with Vic about the "real world", maybe even some mention of Vic saying something like, "Did you run when F.O.W.L. invaded?" Something. Something to get him curious about the mobile emitter and the real world, and to get him to make a plan to steal the emitter and escape the program. (Maybe besides overhearing things, there's also a glitch in the jack-in-the-box that makes him self-aware and smarter (like, "able to access station files from his matrix" smarter), like Vic and TNG's Moriarty, and he uses that knowledge in his escape plan.)

And you know what? It works.

After they fix the program (and sing their songs), the DS87 crew is all like, "What happened to the emitter?" "Oh, I thought you had it." Or they don't even notice, and assume it's back in some kit of Ludwig's or Fenton's to take back to their quarters later on. (Either way, it's fine, they reason, Ludwig's EMHs will probably each have one by the end of the week, so it's not like they can't get Vic another before the Klondike leaves the station this time.)

Meanwhile, there's a holographic '60s mobster somewhere out there loose on the station, sneaking onto a transport bound for who-knows-where, with a tiny little device tucked up his sleeve, keeping him in the here-and-now.

(And I would just like to say that this idea almost seems meant to be. Why? Because in DWD's "Bearskin Thug," Steelbeak does indeed say, "Badda-boom, badda-bing." I'll take that as a blessing (and probably for the AU name of this episode). :P)

______

Third section:

So this section is especially subject to change, but where does Steelbeak go from DS87? I'm thinking something along the lines of DS9's "Honor Among Thieves" episode.

He won't be sent to Farius Prime to infiltrate anything like O'Brien was, but I think I'll have Steelbeak end up on (AU) Farius Prime and wind up involved with the Orion Syndicate, at first with a smaller sub-group like Bilby's. (And maybe when his Bilby trusts him enough to witness for him, that'll be when Steelbeak first tells him - tells anyone - that he's a hologram? We'll have to see how that plays out, but it's probably something the Syndicate could use in the end. That, or there's a relationship of a very special kind of trust to be had with these two.) (I'd probably change Bilby's name, but...Steelbil? I'm here for it.)

That life suits Steelbeak very well for a while. It's rough work, sure, but he's literally designed to interact with these types of people, and in the end, he thrives with the Syndicate.

And eventually, he'll learn that his Bilby's higher-up, the AU version of Raimus, has formed an alliance between the Syndicate and F.O.W.L., much like that scene where O'Brien finds out about the Syndicate and the Dominion. Only Steelbeak will be for it, and F.O.W.L. will see him as a member to keep a close eye on, and they'll eventually offer him a chance to join the ranks of F.O.W.L., which he accepts.

And thus, Steelbeak ends up with his home team once again. The hologram angle will be fun to play with (especially for Heron - one of her tasks will be to figure out out to make the emitter more permanent for Steelbeak, or on the flip side, how to control it - and thus him - for F.O.W.L.'s purposes (hello Jem'Hadar and the ketracel white). Perhaps it'll be a secret he tries to keep as long as possible, for his own safety. Or maybe he'll use his secret as a way to bribe High Command for something, telling him that, as a holographic matrix, he knew all the ins and outs of DS87, at least for a short time, and could probably get back into the system, if need be, which is info that F.O.W.L. could definitely use.

Whichever way, Steelbeak is gonna be fun.

[rixxy8173571m3w1p3]

Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future

This fic was inspired by the song Ray Gun by the duo the Bird and the Bee as well as the title inspired by the album its on. Also, theres a few Star Trek references. Goodness, I've just been wanting to write like crazy, so here's this small fic. Hope you guys like it.

In this fic Rick makes repairs, but upgrades what's been broken.

_____________

You loved the image of a man at work; more specifically seeing your man at work, whether he was tinkering around or in the middle of repairs. Speaking of repairs, Rick had just finished repairing the hole in the wall which occurred when his automatic hair trimmer exploded after a demonstration on a wig head; imagine what would've happened on his head? Anyway, he took the liberty of upgrading and installing tech where there previously was none. Although you were grateful that things were mostly back to where they were, how exactly were you supposed to feel about a miniature weapons vault? Disturbed perhaps. "Rick, this belongs in an episode of Star Trek, not in my bathroom cabinet. What am I supposed to do with this?"

With a good-natured chuckle, he wiped the sweat of his brow; satisfied with a job well done. "After that run-in with the Iotians, I-I thought it'd be a good idea to keep this here. Just i-in case."

You didn't think they were going to leave Sigma Iotia II anytime soon, but one could never say never. "Rick, if they find these heaters here, then not only are we fried, but they might find my hairdryer. I just bought it, and haven't had a chance to use it yet."

Finding your tone amusing, he chuckled again. "Gosh, I-I highly doubt they'd understand what it's even for."

You weren't so sure, but that didn't really matter. What you were more concerned about was knowing you were armed and dangerous. "To be honest, I never thought I'd be in a stage in my life where I'd even know about the existence of real-life ray guns, let alone own a few. It makes me feel like a dangerous woman."

"It's perfectly natural to feel that way," he commented. "y-you probably never thought you'd date an old man like me either."

Where in the world did that come from? You two were only talking of ray guns and aliens, not his age. Really, you didn't like how hollow the last part sounded, but you answered carefully, "You're right, I didn't think I'd date someone like you, but I didn't think I'd date anyone either. At this point, I don't think any of that matters because I wanted to go out with you. It's not like I settled."

"But it's not like you didn't have options."

Underestimating a Sanchez's sass could send a person to their early grave. Though, with Zeta-7 it was unusual and not usually directed at you; he must've had a bad day, and somehow you triggered it. He gathered his tools together, and didn't continue on the subject; setting out towards the living room where a cup of coffee was waiting for him. You glanced back at the bathroom cabinet and had an idea; albeit a foolish one.

____________________

You had your war paint on, or as it's affectionately called exaggerated eyeliner. "Who's been talking trash to you again," you inquired, punching one of your palms with your first. "and do I have to do some target practice on some bald spots?"

Cradling his mug, he answered solemnly. "No, that won't be necessary. It - it won't help."

"But someone has been talking down to you again right?"

"It doesn't matter," he shrugged, but his eyes said otherwise. "what I do doesn't matter."

"Really? Well, if that doesn't matter I'll show you something that does."

You grabbed a framed photo. It was taken while you two were on one of your dates; it was a simple trip to get ice cream, but Rick considered it a date nonetheless. You pointed at the image of him in one of his adorable Mr. Rogers look-alike outfits; he was exhibiting one of his winsome smiles. "This man matters. I love him with my whole soul, with my whole everything. He might get mistaken as my father more often than I like, but I would never kiss my father the way I'll kiss this man. And I wouldn't have ever gone out with someone my father wouldn't have approved of, but I know he would've approved of you."

"He would've skinned me alive if h-he knew that I was attracted to you."

While it was an exaggeration, it was somewhat true. "My father was protective of the ones he loved, and because I'm a lot like him, I feel the same way. I'd do anything to protect you and that lovely smile of yours. So please don't say that you don't matter," you softened. "because everything matters. And you matter the most. You were the one that taught me that."

A lightening of spirit took place, and he set down his mug in order to gather you in an embrace. "Y-you're right. I'm sorry about what I said. I-I don't know why I let what the guys say get t-t-to me."

"Me either, but I'm here for you dear."

Pulling out a ray gun, you giggled. "That also means I'm not afraid of defending what's mine. So, which dimension should we invade first?"

Fin

[vortaesthetic]

Review: Star Trek S.C.E.: Fables of the Prime Directive

Warning: Spoilers

Also part of the SCE Omnibus Wounds

Synopsis

The crew of the USS DaVinci sets foot on a developing pre-warp planet (Coroticus III) after the retreat of Dominion forces at the end of the war, tasked with repairing and re-establishing the Federation's Cultural Observation facilities. They are worried that the Dominion's recent occupancy and contact of the world has caused cultural contamination, concerns that seem well-justified when they run into the effigy of a Vorta, rendered in stained-glass in a Corotican House of worship.

The Coroticans speak reverentially of Ushpallar, the God that Blesses and Condemns, who has gifted them with technologic blessings and visits punishments upon them in equal turns. While some of the gifts of Ushpallar seem relatively benign-- sewer systems, introduction of germ theory among them-- it is clear from speaking with the people they meet that Ushpallar also exercised his might, violently striking down his skeptics by glassing a nearby town of scholars for doubting him and attempting to refute his claims. There is only one survivor from the massacre, Jarolleka, whom the away team is fortunate to meet.

Obviously, concerns regarding the Prime Directive are evident. But there's another problem-- It soon becomes known that a violent, wild beast has appeared recently and has been hunting--and eating-- the townsfolk. With Jarolleka's help, the team heads out to locate the Jem'Hadar base and find out the truth--and end up in a face to face encounter with feral Ushpallar himself--and isolation has transformed him into a delusional predator that truly believes himself to be the child of the Corotican gods. Predator and prey square off in a fight for their lives.

The Good

Ushpallar is a genuinely frightening creature, and the stalking and fight sequences with him are fun because you don't know what to expect. Much ado has been made of Vorta being weak and unsuited to combat, feral Ushpallar stalks through the trees like a jaguar and is capable of easily breaking bones in direct combat with humans...which might prove to be interesting commentary on the Vorta origin story.

I enjoyed the chance to explore this new culture with the team, seeing their places of worship and getting to know their quirks. I wish we would have been able to do more of it!

It provides some insight with how Dominion forces comport themselves with other cultures and how they learn about and participate in them to gain advantages.

The Bad

(Only one thing really bothered me, but it's a biggie)

A major plot point of the story is the contemplation of the purpose of the Prime Directive. One of the examples given involve Sigma Iotia 2, whose culture was contaminated by a novel left behind by Captain Kirk-- "Chicago Mobs of the Twenties." The seemingly innocuous slip up fundamentally reshaped Iotian society and speech patterns...which, while it makes for clever apocrypha, it makes Vinx's dialogue aggressively obnoxious every time he opens his mouth. Terrible cliche after terrible cliche pours out any time he bothers to speak-- and it's so jarring that it knocks me out of the story every time he does. It's repugnant and since he has nothing of value to say throughout, it makes me wish for a selective mute button.

What do you think? Let me know!

[juanjoseojedadiaz]

#startrekcosplay #startrekships #viajealasestrellas #viajealasestrellaslaserieoriginal #capitankirk #spock #enterprise #mrspock #trekkie #tekkies #startrekfan #generodenberry #ussenterprise #scifi #startrektheoriginalseries #tos Bela Okmyx fue un prominente Iotians del siglo 23 . Era el jefe del Territorio de Northside , el territorio más grande de Sigma Iotia II . Después de una intervención cultural en 2268 , fue instalado como jefe superior en un sindicato que une todos los territorios del planeta. Al igual que otros Iotians de su época, su personalidad fue modelada sobre la Tierra 's Chicago gángster período. En 2268 , la empresa visitó el planeta para actualizar su progreso. Okmyx ofreció interrumpir a Kirk en la acción, si Kirk lo ayudaba a tomar el control del planeta proporcionándole " calentadores ". Cuando Kirk rechazó la solicitud, él y Spock fueron tomados como rehenes y Okmyx amenazó con matarlos y enviar sus cadáveres de regreso a la nave si no le conseguían los "calentadores" en ocho horas. Kirk, sin embargo, pudo escapar. Kirk pudo intervenir y poner fin al conflicto entre los jefes cuando hizo que los fásers de fuego USS Enterprise se aturdieran en los alrededores para demostrar el poder de los "federales". Impresionado por la pantalla, Okmyx afirmó ser un hombre pacífico de corazón y enfermo y cansado de los golpes. Otros jefes también estaban convencidos por la demostración de poder, y acordaron el control de la Federación con Okmyx como jefe superior y Jojo Krako , su antiguo rival, como su lugarteniente. Okmyx era un jugador de billar y afirmaba que destilaba bebidas. A veces utilizaba dobles negativos . Durante su reinado del Territorio de Northside, los carteles de Okmyx se exhibieron en sus calles. ( TOS : " Un pedazo de la acción ") Bela Okmyx fue interpretada por el actor Anthony Caruso  https://www.instagram.com/p/B57vpFwlXV8/?igshid=ayqsncu8ldsq

[unseenphil]

I -said- nobody could stop me.

Iotian: Next Generation era only:

 A humanoid species from Sigma Iotia II, the Iotians are often used as a cautionary tale about the dangers of cultural contamination, even now that they’ve joined the Federation as a protectorate. All of two generations back, Iotians were firm religious believers in “The Book”. The problem of course was that the Book was “Chicago Gangs of the 1920s” and the highest form of government on the planet was the criminal syndicate. Even today, Iotians talk like Earth gangsters of that period, or at least what they -think- Earth gangsters of that period talked like.  Highly imitative and clever when it comes to figuring out advanced technology if given a sample, the Iotians are externally nearly identical to humanity.

Attributes: +1 Daring, +1 Fitness, +1 Reason

Trait: Iotian. This trait may reduce difficulties when trying to understand a piece of advanced technology that they’ve never encountered before. While they appear externally identical to humanity, there are significant internal differences, which may cause problems with medical treatment or allow them to resist attacks that’d normally affect human anatomy. Their use of archaic slang may cause confusion for those relying on translators.

Talents: The character has access to the following Talents.

Gangster: Requirements: Iotian or Gamemaster’s permission. When you lean on some mook to explain carefully to him why he should just roll on out of the joint instead of putting up a fight, roll a bonus d20 to help make the palooka see the error of his ways. 

A Piece of the Action: Iotian or Gamemaster’s approval. When you siddown at the negotiation table  and succeed on your roll, get a bonus momentum that can be used to create an advantage that’ll encourage them to give up the goods.  

[aion-rsa]

The Quentin Tarantino Star Trek Movie is Just What the Franchise Needs

https://ift.tt/2XXKVUm

In perhaps the funniest episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (sorry “Trouble With Tribbles”!) Captain Kirk boldly strides on a pool table, decked out in a blue pinstripe suit, and says, in a tortured faux Al Capone-accent, “the Federation is taking over the whole ball of wax.” He’s talking about the planet Sigma Iotia II, better known to Trekkies as “the mobster planet.” “A Piece of the Action” imagines a planet entirely run by ‘20s and ‘30s style mobsters, and now, it seems this slightly obscure Trek concept is about to make a big comeback. According to Deadline, the long discussed Quentin Tarantino Star Trek movie: “is based on an episode of the classic Star Trek series that takes place largely earthbound in a ‘30s gangster setting.”

So, Tarantino’s Trek sounds like a remake/reboot of “A Piece of the Action.” If this happens (which unfortunately doesn’t sound terribly likely at the moment), this is great news. Done properly, this could be the most creative and nostalgia-filled move for the Trek franchise in a long time. 

How did the mobster planet from “A Piece of the Action” become the mobster planet? The backstory is explained by Kirk in the opening moments of the episode. A Federation ship stopped by the planet a century prior and exposed the “highly imitative” culture to all sorts of values from the outside world. Randomly, somebody from this ship (the USS Horizon) left behind a history book called Chicago Mobs of the Twenties. A century later, this culture took this book almost as their Bible, reverently called it “the Book.” 

Anyone who is a fan of Tarantino knows he’s pretty good with navigating counterfactual versions of history. He did it in Inglourious Basterds, and more recently, in Once Upon a Time…In Hollywood. So, there’s no reason to think Tarantino couldn’t hit up a slightly twisted version of Trek history, too. A Tarantino reboot of  “A Piece of the Action” in a new Trek movie could easily take a similar approach. He wouldn’t even have to get into the canon weeds that much. Either the movie revolves around the same planet, Sigma Iotia II, or it simply reuses the concept but in a new context. 

There’s precedent for setting a Star Trek movie mostly on a single planet (or in an “earthbound” setting). In fact, it worked fantastically in 1986’s Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, which, for at least part of the movie, dealt with people with 23rd-century values trying to disguise themselves in the 20th century. A Tarantino reboot of “A Piece of the Action,” could combine the humor of the original premise, but give it a little more danger. The gangsters in the episode are a little bit of a joke, but what if they were more hardcore? 

In some ways, Tarantino taking on this concept would be like a feature-length version of Picard on the holodeck in First Contact. Even though Picard is firing holographic bullets in that scene, there’s more tension at that moment than perhaps any other in the movie. Mixing the high-tech future of Trek with the aesthetic of a hardboiled crime story almost always works. Whether its “A Piece of the Action,” or any of the Picard Dixon Hill stories (and to a lesser extent, Julian Bashir’s secret agent episodes of Deep Space Nine) putting Star Trek characters in anachronistic settings is compelling because it puts the so-called “utopia” of Trek’s future to the test. 

In “A Piece of the Action,” Kirk has to basically act exactly like a crime boss in order to get the Iotians to accept a peaceful solution. Gene Roddenberry famously discouraged conflict and violence among Starfleet members and those affiliated with the Federation, but the mobsters on Sigma Iotia II are immune to that rule simply because their genesis predates the enlightened rules of the Federation. Basically, Kirk becoming a crime-boss (but for good) is a loophole both in-universe, and also metafictionally, because it allows Kirk to act against Starfleet rules in order to uphold them in the long run.  If you want a Trek movie with a bunch of conflicts that also doesn’t “violate” one of the old-school approaches to writing Trek, “A Piece of the Action” sits pretty perfectly on the fence. And some of that is because the episode tackles basic questions like: “do Federation utopia needs, justify space mobsters means?” 

Best of all, if we got a big-screen version of this, it could be one of the most philosophical Trek movies in years. The story of “A Piece of the Action,” is much more layered and interesting than just “space mobsters.” The existence of this mobster culture is a direct result of dogma and information being twisted over time. But, it’s also the fault of the Federation in the first place and a huge argument for why the Prime Directive exists later. Kirk (and Picard and Sisko and Janeway) all struggled with the non-interference directive, but the Iotians in “A Piece of the Action,” are the poster-children for why the Prime Directive is so important. 

If we got a whole movie about this, then you’ve potentially got a movie where people are arguing about the Prime Directive the whole time. And it doesn’t get any more legit Star Trek than that. This leads to the inevitable question: Which timeline does this work best in? 

Read more

Movies

How Star Trek Beyond Redefined the Prime Timeline

By Ryan Britt

If this were a direct sequel to Star Trek Beyond, then we’d be dealing with the Kelvin Universe crew meeting the Iotians. Canonically, this would mean Sigma Iotia II would be mostly the same as it was in TOS. And that’s because the original backstory of the USS Horizon from the original episode would remain unchanged. That said, because the politics of the galaxy at large are very different in the Kelvin Timeline, you could also have a version of the mobster planet where the Federation isn’t the only government that has interfered. For example, what if the Klingons of the Kelvin timeline infiltrated themselves into this culture? Could Sigma Iotia II suddenly have some strategic value?

If that was the case, you could combine the premises of “A Piece of the Action” with “A Private Little War,” and the Enterprise crew could be battling the Klingons through the context of the mobster planet. Again, this would work really well with the Kelvin crew, but it could also work in the Prime Timeline, too. It feels unlikely that Patrick Stewart would cross back over to play Picard in a feature film, but then again, what if he had to become Dixon Hill in order to infiltrate the mobster planet? Of all the famous Starfleet captains, Picard is actually more qualified to infiltrate it than someone like Kirk (or Janeway). And who wouldn’t want to see Patrick Stewart spouting gloriously profane Tarantino dialogue?

Then again, the mobster inhabitants of Sigma Iotia II exist in all timelines outside of the context of the Enterprise. At the end of “A Piece of the Action,” Kirk jokes that the Iotians might use Federation tech to “demand a piece of our action!” So, with that in mind, the return of the space mobsters works in nearly all Trek contexts. Whichever Starfleet crew has to deal with the wrath of the mobsters might not matter as much as we think. The point is, the space gangsters themselves are interesting on their own; meaning whichever crew boldly goes to deals with them is simply a bonus. 

The post The Quentin Tarantino Star Trek Movie is Just What the Franchise Needs appeared first on Den of Geek.

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