ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991)

 

“Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” is a Sci-Fi Action Adventure based on Gene Roddenberry’s original creation, screenplay written by Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn, story by Leonard Nimoy, Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal and Directed by Nicholas Meyer.

 

The Klingons are forced to make peace with the Federation, following an explosion on their moon, resulting in damage to their ozone layer which could be completely depleted in as little as 50 years at which point their planet would be uninhabitable.

The Federation are eager to enter peace talks as it will mean an end to 70 years of conflict, so Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), Sulu (George Takei), Chekov (Walter Koenig), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) are called upon to help in the negotiations because of their vast experience of dealings with the Klingons.

However, things don’t quite go according to plan as on the eve of their retirement, Kirk and McCoy, are charged with, and convicted of, assassinating the Klingon High Chancellor, and are imprisoned on the snowy hard-labour penal colony of Rura Penthe.

 

However, the loyal Enterprise help them escape so they can thwart the diabolical plot aimed at sabotaging the last best hope for peace.

 

A decent Star Trek adventure with all the usual faces and a few additions, Kim Cattrall as Lt. Valeris, Mark Lenard as Sarek, Brock Peters as Admiral Cartwright, Kurtwood Smith as Federation President and Christopher Plummer as Chang.

The Tornado Sojourns (2) – Chapter 19 – The Spider Hawk Mission

 

It was the early hours of the morning after the crew of the Tornado discovered that Maxil Weltz and Vint Reganus, Ghambran agents in the employ of Prefector Collis, had arrived on Soman asking about the Tornado’s whereabouts.

They had a score to settle with them and the very reason that had made them move to the Eikon Cluster was to evade the Ghambran’s, but they were unanimous in their resolve not to move on again, they had found their Shangri-La and were not going to give it up without a fight and Merri had come up with a plan to rid them of their tormentors once and for all.

 

The plan was a simple one, which involved using the recently acquired Spider Hawk Fighter, in which Merri, Lyris, Parse, Shiyne and Malena would fly to Soman and land a safe distance away from the Ghambran’s Scorpion Cruiser, the Ghambran’s wouldn’t think twice if they saw the Spider Hawk, so once on Soman they would stealthily board the target vessel and secrete the stolen Gouveian Crown Jewels aboard the Scorpion, then they would depart with equal stealth and take off again.

Once they were back in space they would signal the Tornado and they in turn would contact, first Commander Salmin of the Legion Aeronautica informing him that they knew the whereabouts of the jewels and secondly Oshwin Lemik on Soman so that he could inform the Ghambran’s of the Tornados position, then acting as the bait the Tornado would lead the Scorpion into the warm embrace of the Legion.

 

It was fitting that the Spider Hawk Fighter that Lyris Skeet had acquired as the spoils of victory in a Legion sting against a ruthless villain, be used to deliver the stolen booty, which engineers Pulsat and Vanzyl had found hidden aboard, and the coup de grâce against the Ghambran agents.

 

Although on the outside it still looked the same as the Spider Hawk Fighters that Lyris flew against the Legion in the Shaxson rebellion it was a different story inside.

As it was no longer a war machine it was now very lightly armed so the pulsar rocket launcher which formally occupied a large proportion of the hold was now redundant so the cabin space had been extended so it could carry more than the two-man flight crew of its operational days.    

But it still meant they could only take a small party with them.

Lyris as pilot, Parse as he was the only real soldier among them, Shiyne for her telepathic skills, Malena the shapeshifter and Merri because she was the Captain and it was her plan.

 

Shortly before departure, Malena was in her quarters reassuring Zerrad that she would be perfectly safe

“I don’t like it” he said

“There’s nothing to worry about” she said

“I know Lyris remember” he pointed out “he’s reckless, that’s why I’m worried” 

“You also know Merri and she’s not reckless” Malena said

“And she got shot the last time you tangled with the Ghambran’s” he pointed out

“Well that’s not going to happen this time” she reassured him “Now give me a kiss”

So Zerrad complied with her demand and then watched her leave with a heavy heart.

 

There were two docking rings on the Tornado to facilitate transfers to and from the freighter while in space, one in the belly below the loading bay and the other was amidships above the cargo bays which was also the mooring point for shuttles or ancillary craft, and it was the latter where the Spider Hawk was moored.

 

Lyris Skeet was already in the corridor beneath the hatch, pacing up and down, as he was very anxious, which wasn’t normal for him, in fact it was not normal behaviour for him in any way shape or form.

His anxiety was on several levels, firstly it involved his piloting skills, it had been many years since his hot shot piloting days and he needed to be on the top of his game to land the Spider Hawk unnoticed, as close to the Scorpion as possible. 

His second concern revolved around the mission and more specifically the Gouveian Crown Jewels and a persistent nagging at the back of his mind that they may be just handing them over to the enemy.

But the crux of his apprehension was the fear that he would disappoint the beautiful, classy, well educated, feisty, funny and wicked smart, Princess Asti Alegionaris who he had fallen in love with and she with him.

So, the reformed smuggler paced up and down until his Princess appeared and strode towards him carrying the leather bundle that he knew contained the jewels.

“Don’t look so worried” she said and he instantly relaxed and felt at peace and Asti stood on tiptoe and kissed him.

“You’re my knight in shining armour remember”

When the kiss was over she handed the bundle him.

“I’ll make sure they get back to Gouveia” he said, kissed her forehead and then climbed up through the hatch and into the fighter. 

The moment Lyris disappeared through the hatch a tearful Princess Asti rushed down the corridor and out of sight a few seconds before the rest of the party arrived.

Merri was in the Vanguard, her penetrating green eyes looking straight ahead, with her head held high and the abundance of red hair trailing behind her like a mane, and immediately behind the striking figure of the proud Captain was the huge former Legionnaire Parse Sacrod, almost as broad as the corridor itself and standing 6 foot 8 high, brushing the curly burnished steel coloured hair off the ivory skin of his brow while his mercury coloured eyes could see only the figure of his Captain and lover.

Beyond them were Shiyne and Malena who were enjoying a final embrace with their respective partners, Sciberran Healer Terrell and Zerrad Skeet.

The small cerise skinned Vann telepath gave Vorton a final hug and he kissed the top of her bald head and when she turned away and headed towards the hatch her purple eyes had tears welling up in them. 

And finally, there was Malena, tall, slim, brunette hair, olive skin and hazel eyes, at least that was how she appeared but of course in reality, she was an Obgaron shape shifter, but Zerrad would have loved her in whatever form she adopted.

“I will be careful” she said, “I promise”

Then she kissed him one last time and joined the rest of the party in the Spider Hawk and closed the hatch behind her as Zerrad closed the one on the Tornado.

 

A few minutes later Lyris released the mooring clamps and the Spider Hawk and the Tornado parted company.

“We have separation” Lyris said

“Let’s get it done then” Merri said  

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER (1989)

“Star Trek V: The Final Frontier” is a Sci-Fi Action Adventure based on Gene Roddenberry’s original creation, screenplay written by David Loughery, story by William Shatner, Harve Bennett and David Loughery and Directed by William Shatner.

 

Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and his crew, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), Sulu (George Takei), Chekov (Walter Koenig) and Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) are aboard the newly christened Starship Enterprise, on a shakedown cruise.

But after thing go badly the put her into Spacedock for repairs and plan to go down to Earth on shore leave but an urgent mission gets in the way.

A renegade Vulcan, Spock's long-lost half-brother Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), has taken three ambassadors’ (David Warner, Charles Cooper and Cynthia Gouw) hostage on the Planet of Galactic Peace, Nimbus III.

When they reached planet Sybok's ragtag army captures the Enterprise and force them to make the journey to the centre of the galaxy in search of the Supreme Being and if that wasn’t enough, they had attracted the attention of Klingon Captain Klaa (Todd Bryant) who had no interest in God.

The Tornado Sojourns (2) – Chapter 18 – The Hounds Return

 

After leaving Eirkos they returned to base on Soman and prepared for a prolonged run around the system although it turned out they had a three day wait before departure.

And as there wasn’t too much in the way of leisure activities they got to work on some basic maintenance, cleaning and restocking.

Pulsat and Vanzyl kept the mechanical and engineering side in top shape as a matter of course so they decided to use their time on servicing the Spider Hawk Fighter that Lyris had acquired after the Achrem mission, and they soon made a startling discovery.

They had just removed the main access panel beneath the flight controls and tucked in the corner was a leather bundle that looked like it might be a tool roll and Vanzyl uttered a string of whirls whistles and clicks.

“I not know” Pulsat replied to his Kesslerian friend as he picked up the bundle.

On retrieving it he turned stiffly to address his companion, who was uttering another string of whirls whistles and clicks.

“I do it, I do it” Pulsat said to his Kesslerian friend, who was a more slender and sleek form, and he had the hint of a smile about his pursed lips and Vanzyl whistled and clicked again and Pulsat snorted.

He untied the tapes that held the bundle together and then unrolled it and when its contents were revealed Vanzyl uttered a soft whistle like a plaintive flute, then he looked at his friend and whistled again.

“We show Captain” Pulsat said and rerolled the bundle before putting it inside his jacket.

 

When the engineers got back aboard the Tornado they reported straight to Merri and after seeing the contents of the bundle the Captain immediately called a crew meeting in the mess room.

“So, some interesting news” Merri said “Pulsat and Vanzyl were working on Lyris’s new toy when they found something”

“Found what?” Lyris asked

“Go on Pulsat show everyone what you’ve found” the Captain said and Pulsat untied the tapes that held the bundle together and then unrolled it and there were audible gasps on seeing the array of jewels.

“My God” Zerrad said “Where did they come from?”

“Who knows” Merri said

“I do” Asti interjected

“You do?” Lyris asked

“Yes, they’re from Gouveia” Asti explained

“They can’t be” Parse said, “We would have heard, wouldn’t we?”

“You’d have heard what?” Bagg asked

“That the Gouveian Crown Jewels had been stolen” Asti said

“The Crown Jewels?” Merri exclaimed

“So that was what the Commander was so desperate to find, that’s why he was searching for Kurla, because he must have perpetrated the theft” Shiyne said

“But why?” Terrell asked, “He couldn’t possibly hope to sell them”

“Maybe that wasn’t the intention” Malena mused

“Oh God we must return them immediately” Asti said, “Before they are missed”

“What do you mean, before they are missed?” Merri asked

“The Jewels go on public display for one month every 10 years   starting on the anniversary of Legion Foundation Day” Parse said, “That’s in three months’ time”

“But there must be copies” Bagg suggested

“There are” Asti said, “But Millions of people queue up to view the Jewels, if it becomes known that the real jewels are not there it could cause a scandal that might bring down the house of Alegionaris” 

“He must have been acting on behalf of a rival House then” Shiyne suggested

“That seems the most likely answer” Asti agreed

“I’m no fan of the Legion” Lyris said “but we have no choice but to get them to Commander Salmin as soon as possible”

“Agreed” Merri said, “Does everyone agree?”

“Agreed” the crew echoed

“Ok then, Shiyne stash the jewels in the Priest Hole, Malena set course for Eikon Minor” Merri said “Pulsat, Vanzyl get the Spider Hawk ready to fly we leave within the hour”

 

So, with everything hurriedly stowed away the Tornado lifted off for the two-day round trip to the small Legion Garrison on Eikon Minor where they would meet with the Commander and hopefully make his day.

 

However, they only got half way when the Tornado had a communication from their employer on Soman.

“Oshwin Lemik calling Captain Strong”

“Strong here, what can I do for you boss” Merri responded

“Hi Merri, I thought you might like to know someone has been asking questions about you” Oshwin said “And they’re spending money while they do it”Soman calling Captain Strong on the Tornado

 

“Who’s asking?” Merri asked

“A couple of Ghambran’s” he replied, “Are they friends of yours?”

“Did they arrive in a Scorpion?” she asked

“Yes, they did”

“Then no they are most definitely not friends” she said

“OK, so I assume you won’t be looking for a reunion” Oshwin surmised

“That’s for sure” she replied

“What would you like me to do?” He asked

“Just give them the run around for now” Merri said

“Will do”

“Thanks boss” she said, “I’ll be in touch”

 

As soon as she signed off Merri immediately called another crew meeting in the mess room.

“I’m afraid I have some bad news” Merri said “the Ghambran’s are back”

“So soon?” Lyris asked

“I’m afraid so, they’re on Soman now” the Captain said

“So, what do we do?” Malena asked

“Good question” Lyris asked “Do we Move on or tackle the threat?”

“The Ghambran’s have arrived in the system much sooner than we anticipated so we have another choice to make” Merri said.

They went around the room in turn and everyone expressed a different reason for staying in the Eikon cluster, nobody wanted to leave and then Vanzyl began to click and whirl which were clearly directed at Pulsat

“Ok I speak” he said and more clicks and whirls followed

“I tell, I tell” Pulsat retorted and then explained

“We very much like Montrose”

Then more whistles and clicks

“We very much like small humans” Pulsat said “We stay”

“Well if we want to stay here then we need to get rid of the Ghambran’s once and for all?” Merri said

“Do you mean kill them?” Bagg asked

“No of course not” she replied

“Good because I couldn’t be a party to that” the Visitor said

“Don’t worry Brother what I have in mind for them is far worse than death” Merri said enigmatically

“So, what’s the plan?” Lyris asked

“Subtlety as usual” Merri said, “With a liberal helping of cunning”

“Let’s hear it then” Malena said

“We use the Legion to get rid of the Ghambran’s for us, once and for all” Merri said and when she had their undivided attention she gave them her plan in detail.

The plan was a simple one, which involved using the recently acquired Spider Hawk Fighter, in which Merri, Lyris, Parse, Shiyne and Malena would fly to Soman and land a safe distance away from the Ghambran’s Scorpion Cruiser, the Ghambran’s wouldn’t think twice if they saw the Spider Hawk, so once on Soman they would stealthily board the target vessel and secrete the stolen Gouveian Crown Jewels aboard the Scorpion, then they would depart with equal stealth and take off again.

Once they were back in space they would signal the Tornado and they in turn would contact, first Commander Salmin of the Legion Aeronautica informing him that they knew the whereabouts of the jewels and secondly Oshwin Lemik on Soman so that he could inform the Ghambran’s of the Tornados position, then acting as the bait the Tornado would lead the Scorpion into the warm embrace of the Legion.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME (1986)

 

“Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” is a Sci-Fi Action Adventure based on Gene Roddenberry’s original creation, screenplay written by Steve Meerson, Peter Krikes, Harve Bennett and Nicholas Meyer, story by Leonard Nimoy and Harve Bennett and Directed by Leonard Nimoy.

 

It is the 23rd century and Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and his fugitive crew, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), Sulu (George Takei), Chekov (Walter Koenig), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Saavik (Robin Curtis), return to Earth at the same time as a mysterious alien probe.

After trying to communicate with what sounds like whale call, and receiving no response, it threatened by its actions to destroy the Earth, evaporating the oceans, and devastating the atmosphere, so Kirk and his crew must time travel back to San Francisco in 1986 to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with the probe, humpback whales.

But despite their extensive experiences in the far-off reaches of the galaxy, none of them were prepared for what they found in 1986.

 

A decent Star Trek adventure with an important message with all the usual faces and a few additions, Jane Wyatt as Amanda, Mark Lenard as Sarek, Brock Peters as Admiral Cartwright and the delightful Catherine Hicks as Gillian.

The Tornado Sojourns (2) – Chapter 17 – Return to Montrose

 

The Tornado lifted off the planet Achrem after assisting Legion Commander Salmin with an operation to capture a fugitive named Kurla Babic, with Merionwen Strong and Lyris Skeet at the controls as everyone else was otherwise engaged.

Zerrad Skeet was tucked up in his quarters with shape shifter Malena Endia, Cerise skinned Telepath, Shiyne, was in the sickbay with Sciberran Healer Terrell Vorton doing some practical biology and engineers Pulsat Rad and Vanzyl and Visitor Parham were playing cards in the mess.

So Merionwen and Lyris were the only two working, Merionwen Strong was a striking figure, statuesque, tall, straight backed and proud and blessed with an abundance of red hair that would trail behind her like a mane and penetrating green eyes, and she was a forthright, volatile and feisty personality.

She was owner and Captain of the Tornado, and the reason she was sitting in the left seat during the early hours of the night watch was because her love interest, Parse Sacrod, whom she called Beefy, a former Legionnaire of the Royal Guard of Gouveia was secreted away in Montrose on the planet of Eirkos.

He was huge in stature, standing 6 foot 8 high and he was broad and powerfully built, his hair was short, curly and the colour of burnished steel, and with the characteristic ivory skin of the Gouveian race and with his mercury coloured eyes he was an altogether arresting figure and he and Merri had become almost inseparable under normal circumstances, but the separation was forced upon them on this occasion as he could have been recognised by one of the many Legionnaires taking part in the operation on Achrem.

Similarly, fellow Gouveian Asti Alegionaris was also confined to Montrose and she was even more noticeable as she was a 

Princess, and was the youngest granddaughter of the Regent of Gouveia

She was also the twenty-three years old girlfriend of Lyris Skeet.

The reason they wanted to minimise the Gouveian exposure was because they once had to rescue Asti after she was abducted by a Ghambran snatch squad from where she was being held on their Scorpion Cruiser.

The reason she was snatched by agents of the Ghambran state was that she was unwillingly betrothed to Prefector Collis of Ghambra and when she ran away from her home world to escape her fate he wasn’t prepared to take no for an answer.

They then tricked the kidnappers, into following the wrong freighter through a Stargate and into hyperspace.

In the intervening time Prefector Collis of Ghambra had proved to be a very impatient man and although he was very taken with the young Princess, he was not prepared to wait indefinitely so he married a different Princess.

But his agents, Maxil Weltz and Vint Reganus were still after them, bent on revenge, which was why they moved to the Eikon Cluster.

 

The Tornados first stop after leaving Achrem was to the agrarian planet of Eirkos to recover their crewmates.

After arriving at the port on Eirkos, the unloading didn’t take long and then Lyris parked the Tornado on the apron and then everyone got ready to depart.

The short heavy set Prinsloovian, Pulsat, was first down the ramp, holding his rough bony head proudly high.

On reaching the apron proper he turned stiffly to address his companion Vanzyl, who was uttering a string of whirls whistles and clicks.

“I know it, I know it” Pulsat said to his Kesslerian friend, who was a more slender and sleek form, and he had the hint of a smile about his pursed lips and Vanzyl whistled and clicked again and Pulsat snorted.

Pulsat was the only one of the crew who could understand every tone and toot Vanzyl uttered, as if it were in his own tongue, but that was common place for his species, there were very few races he had met on his travels that he couldn’t understand, although he couldn’t speak to them in their language, but he nonetheless understood every word that they spoke.

While they stood to one side of the ramp in conversation, Shiyne drove the stroller down the front ramp and the rest of the crew followed in a group in her wake, with Visitor Parham (Bagg), bringing up the rear wearing his more formal attire of a full length pale blue robe tied at the waist with a royal blue cord, which was beneath a full length dark blue leather jerkin, and he carried a simple roughhewn staff which was undecorated but for a carved cruciform relief a few inches from the top.

He always dressed formally for the journey to Montrose but always adopted more casual attire once he was there.

  

The Tornado’s APMTV, (All Purpose Multi Terrain Vehicle) was ironically nicknamed the “Stroller” but when Shiyne or Merri were behind the wheel it did anything but stroll.

The moment it came to a halt the group climbed aboard.

Almost last to board was Obgaron shape shifter, Malena Endia, who in her own natural Mercurial form of liquid silver glass looked very different to the slender brunette form that she was more often seen as, a form she first took 20 years earlier when she first entered Legion space, that of a 27-year-old human whom she met on a remote mining colony.

Having paused before boarding as she remotely closed the ramp and then she joined her human boyfriend Zerrad in the back and finally the Sciberran Healer Terrell Vorton, small and stout, though nonetheless striking in appearance with his chalk white skin, short hair of midnight blue and violet eyes, got in the passenger seat beside the bald and diminutive young Vann who was his equally strikingly beautiful lover Shiyne and a smile spread across her cerise coloured face and when her mesmerizing purple eyes looked at him they were full of love.

“Let’s get this show on the road” Merri commanded from the back seat, as she was eager to see her own love interest Parse.

 

The farm in the village of Montrose was owned by Bagg’s brother Trebreh, who was also a Visitor, and his wife Xandra and her brother Ale who was Bagg’s boyhood friend.

The crew of the Tornado were always made very welcome, but none more than the reptilian engineers Pulsat and Vanzyl, who were monopolized by the village children, to the delight of both, and that occasion was no difference.

While the excited children lead the engineers away young Princess Asti Alegionaris behaved in a very unprincess like way and sprinted across the courtyard and leapt into Lyris’s arms and wrapped herself around him like a Koala on a tree.

The huge figure of Parse Sacrod was not far behind her and scooped up the tall redhead Captain like she was a rag doll.

“Steady Beefy” she protested and then kissed him.

 

With the crew of the Tornado reunited they settled down to a relaxing two day stay.

Every moment spent in the peaceful setting of Montrose was precious to them and this one was all the more so because it was to be the last time for a few months.

ALL-TIME CLASSIC MOVIE FAVOURITES – STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” is a Sci-Fi Action Adventure based on Gene Roddenberry’s original creation, screenplay written by Jack B. Sowards and Nicholas Meyer, story by Harve Bennett, Jack B. Sowards and Samuel A. Peeples and Directed by Nicholas Meyer.

 

At Starfleet Academy in the 23rd century, Admiral James T. Kirk (William Shatner) is feeling his age where he is an instructor and his old command, the USS Enterprise, is now a training ship, but what is making him feel even older is the prospect of attending a two-week cadet cruise.

Nonetheless he seizes the opportunity to get back on the bridge of the Enterprise, however the training cruise soon takes a serious turn.

So, with a predominantly green crew and his old, seasoned crew mates, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Scotty (James Doohan), Sulu (George Takei), Chekov (Walter Koenig), Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and an eager young officer cadet Saavik (Kirstie Alley) they head towards peril.

The peril in question comes in the form Kirk’s old nemesis, Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalban) who appears after years of exile with vengeance in his heart who wants to utterly destroy Kirk.

In the process he captures Project Genesis from its creators (Bibi Besch and Merritt Butrick), a top-secret device holding the power of creation itself, or mass destruction in the wrong hands.