Ensign Everts was a member of an away team sent to Pollux V to investigate the mysterious appearance of demons on the planet. In an undergound mine, a mysterious door was found buried under much debris. When Capt. Kirk attempted to clear the debris with his phaser, the pile of debris became unstable, and an enormous boulder tumbled towards Kirk. Ensign Everts, without regard to his own life, pushed Kirk out of the rock's way. Kirk's life was saved, but Everts was crushed by the rock and died instantly.
In another scenario, Capt. Kirk cleared the debris and revealed the giant metallic door, which can only be opened when the correct palm is placed on the hand security panel lock. Suspecting that tampering with the lock could be dangerous, Ensign Everts offered to examine the panel lock first. However, at Everts' fourth attempt to open the lock, Everts was disintegrated by the security mechanism. We salute Ensign Everts for his heroism in protecting the lives of his fellow officers.
Lt. Christensen was part of the away team that boarded the USS Masada, which had been hijacked by Elasi pirates, in an attempt to apprehend the Elasi and recover the ship. As the away team ventured into the brig, they encountered two Elasi pirates, who fired their phasers almost immediately. Lt. Christensen was hit, but he was only stunned and he recovered quickly. Capt. Kirk subsequently managed to subdue the two Elasi pirates.
Lt. Ferris was a member of the away team that boarded the research station ARK-7, in an attempt to regain control of the station from the Romulans, who had suspected that the station conducted experiments in biological weapons, and posed a great threat to their empire. As the away team searched for the Romulans in the station, Lt. Ferris tried to climb down a ladder to the lower levels. A Romulan disruptor blast immediately struck him, and Ferris was vaporized. His death was not in vain, for he revealed the location of the Romulans, and enabled Capt. Kirk to figure out a strategy that was successful in subduing the Romulans, retaking ARK-7 from Romulan control, and freeing the hostages.
Lt. Stragey was part of the away team that landed on the planet Zamphor in the Digifal System. The Klingons claimed to be in pursuit of a genocidal criminal who had taken refuge on Zamphor, and an away team from the USS Enterprise was sent to the planet to investigate. Almost immediately, a powerful alien who referred to himself as Quetzecoatl confronted the away team, and confined them in a cell. The away team escaped from the cell, and searched for Quetzecoatl. Coming across a river, Lt. Stragey volunteered to cross the river first. As Lt. Stragey walked over the fallen tree trunk, a river creature grabbed Stragey with its tentacles and dragged him into the river, killing him. Fortunately, Quetzecoatl was impressed by Stragey's sacrifice, he restored Stragey to life and returned him to the Enterprise.
Although the USS Enterprise had taken custody of Quetzecoatl, the Organians rule that Quetzecoatl has to stand trial on the Klingon world of Hrakkour, where he was said to be responsible for the death of the entire population. An away team accompanied Quetzecoatl at his trial, where Capt. Kirk intervened and demanded a warrior's trial for Quetzecoatl. Kirk agreed to undergo the test of life on behalf of Quetzecoatl. The away team was transported into an underground cavern, where several challenges awaited them. Just when it seemed that they had found an exit, they discovered that the exit had been planted with high explosives, and a group of Klingon guards awaited just outside. The Klingons had intended for the deaths of Kirk and the away team. A Klingon guard then transported into the cave, and killed Ensign Bennie with his first shot.
While investigating the disappearance of four vessels in the Delphi System, the USS Enterprise encountered the malevolent entity, Trelane, who then challenged the Enterprise with his triplane. Although Trelane was defeated, he nevertheless transported Kirk, Spock and McCoy into his re-creation of World War I Germany, an era he was currently fascinated with. In the re-creation, the three met Lt. Cmdr. Walter Ellis, who was the Security Officer and First Officer of the USS Zimbabwe, one of the missing ships. Ellis was hostile towards Kirk, for his friend, a Lt. Ralph Garvin, had died during an away team mission led by Kirk on Argus X. In fact, Ellis was so pissed off at Kirk that he struck out at Kirk, who retaliated in kind. Spock had to separate the two before they inflicted serious injury on each other.
During a survey mission in the Antares Rift, the USS Enterprise was seriously damaged by spatial distortions. While carrying out repairs on the bridge, Mr. Spock was transported away by an unknown party, and a mysterious alien appeared onboard the ship, later identified as a Vurian, a long-thought extinct race. When Kirk attempted to apprehend the Vurian, the Vurian was transported away, but the Enterprise's sensors were able to detect that the Vurian had transported through a rift into another dimension. Determined to find Spock, an away team assembled and followed the Vurian into that dimension. There they encountered several strange-looking stones which were organic in nature and possessed some psionic abilities. Lt. Walker tried to gather a bundle of these stones, but he was immediately overwhelmed by the combined psionic powers of the stones and was rendered into a catatonic state. Kirk later found a safe means to handle the stones.
Kirk then promised to release the Savant from this torment if it would allow Spock to decide for himself whether he wanted to stay in this dimension. The Savant agreed to Kirk's demands, and Spock elects to return to the Enterprise.
Lt. Buchert "Another Fine Mess" (25A)
Ens. Mosher "That Old Devil Moon" (25A)
Ens. Kije "Vengeance" (25A)
Ens. Jons "Light and Darkness" (JR)
Interestingly, in "Star Trek: Judgment Rites", more of the senior officers joined in the away team missions, giving them a chance to participate and have more voice. Sulu and Chekov were part of the away team in "Voids" (JR), Scotty and Chekov in "Museum Piece" (JR), and Uhura in "Though This Be Madness" (JR) and "...Yet There Is Method In It" (JR).
