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With confirmation that Q, portrayed on-screen by the talented actor John de Lancie, will return in season 2 of Star Trek: Picard, our thoughts turn to the sly jokester. The near omnipotent Q of the Q Continuum has been a thorn in the side of Starfleet for many years. Since his run-in with Picard and crew in the first episode of TNG, Q’s acerbic humor and trickster nature have caused many headaches for our heroes. But it does make for great storytelling! After all, how do you face off against an almost unbeatable (and unbearable) enemy? One of the moral questions that meeting the Q has postulated is, “What if I was given their powers?” This question was explored in the episode “Hide and Q” when the powerful being gave Commander William Riker a taste of the Q’s power. It is said that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Is this always true? Could a lowly human (or Andorian, Tril, Denobulan, etc.) be trusted with the Q’s power? Or would they go mad with power and devolve into the selfish and conceited use of their unthinkable might? Riker struggled with being able to control his use of his newfound powers but, ultimately, he eventually decided to reject Q’s power. In another TNG episode, “True Q”, we meet Amanda Rogers. Initially, we are led to believe that she is a normal human but soon find out that - unbeknownst to her - she is a Q. As she begins to explore her powers with Q’s help, she finds it increasingly difficult to avoid using her abilities. She makes the decision to return with him to the Q Continuum to receive further training in the use of her abilities. So, when faced with the same decision, what would you choose?

The Star Trek franchise is a living thing. Shows have come and gone over the years and each incarnation has added to the rich flavor of our favorite sandbox universe. When a show completes its original run, there are always mixed feelings - a sense of completeness, sadness, nostalgia. Once we've worked our way through the stages of grief and hit acceptance, we move on with our lives. We have little choice to do otherwise. But what if ... The trend has been up-ticking in recent years where studio executives will bring back popular shows for additional episodes - with some successes and some spectacular failures. True, there has been some distance from some of our favorite shows and the present day. Actors have moved on, aged, and we have lost some along the way. Some storylines have not aged well and may not work in the current social environment. So let's change the rules! Imagine a timeline where a Star Trek show from the past got one extra season. Which series is the lucky one to get another chance to wow us? Would you tune in to see Kirk and Spock seek out new life and civilizations during their five-year mission? What about seeing more of the continuing mission with Picard in the center chair of the Enterprise-D? Do you want to see what Kira and the gang are up to on DS9 as they recover from the Dominion War? Should there have been an extra season nestled in among the others that provides more details on Voyager's return home? Did Enterprise end before its time? Maybe you feel that all the series ended just where they should! Take our poll and extra credit to anyone who provides details in the comments on which storylines they want to see from the bonus season!

As part of a new series in the Poll of the Week, we're bringing you into the centre chair. When presented with a situation, how would you react? What would you do? The USS Penda has been sent out on convoy duty - escorting a merchant convoy back towards the Federation core. However, one of the merchants is hijacked in the time it takes you to fight off several pirate ships. Thanks to a nearby Galor-class ship, you were able to defeat most of the attackers, except for two who fled with the hijacked merchant ship. However, the pirates warn you that any attack will result in them killing the captured merchant if you send a team or attack their ship. The Gul is already turning to escort their convoy out of the sector, and will shortly be out of immediate range. Your convoy needs to be escorted to the Starbase at the edge of the sector, and after you send a message to Command, they warn you that the Quick Response Force is already deployed to deal with an issue with one of the colonies in the sector, and cannot come to your rescue. Still.. it seemed the Gul was unhappy with these attacks too, perhaps you could work something out?

Over the many years of Star Trek, we've seen multiple Red Shirt deaths to the point it's one of the most popular memes — if not the most popular — in the fandom. Nothing says "you're about to kick it" like being summoned on an Away Team with all the major characters, and you turn up wearing red. Like a flag to a bull, no matter the direction someone fires their phaser in, somehow it's going to end up slap bang in the middle of the Red Shirt. Synonyms for the redshirt include sacrificial lamb and spear-carrier, so you know what conotations are a given. HOWEVER! Someone did the science! In a recent Star Trek: The Math of Khan talk at the Museum of Mathematics, one determined trekkie, James Grime, discovered out of three seasons of our beloved Original Series, only 25 died out of 239, a stunning 10 percent of deaths. However, out of 55 gold shirts, 10 of them died, resulting in 18 percent. In true defiance of everything we hold dear, if you wanted to cheat death, science came out alive with a staggering 6 percent dead. Perhaps the Scientists and Doctors have it right all along. Wear the blue, avoid the chop. Regardless, in honour of this humble trope, we're asking you this week to choose your favourite red shirt death from the Original Series. You've got a few good ones to choose from, so let us know which plucked at your heart strings the most!

A common trope in Star Trek is time travel. Securely in the realm of science fiction, this process is achieved several times through the series and movies. Whether it is an anti-time anomaly, the interference of powerful aliens, or an unexpected accident, time travel features prominently in the storylines we’ve come to love. Why is time travel such a popular subject? Each of us wishes we could jump to a new time, "putting things right that once went wrong and hoping each time that the next leap will be …" (wait, wrong show). The truth is that the past (and the future) fascinate us. So often we are taught that the past is immutable, and the future is untouchable except abstractly by our present actions. But what if we could directly effect the past or future? What if our decisions could ripple out to change the present instead of the other way around? One of the most popular episodes of TOS was “City on Edge of Forever” which found Kirk and Spock chasing McCoy through an alien time vortex to 1930s Earth. The captain is forced to choose between preserving the timeline and letting a woman he has fallen in love with die. It is these kinds of heavyweight moral decisions that make for great storytelling and time travel is one way to increase the stakes. But time travel adds another layer of complexity because it is a way that we could make the familiar – like Earth – more alien. Imagine being able to visit the Middle Ages, the time of Caesar, or the 60s. Time travel could also allow us to see events that are only mentioned in passing within the Star Trek universe but that could be explored and expanded upon to make the “history” more real. The possibilities are endless.

Now Star Trek has a history of tugging at our heartstrings, from the “his was the most… human” speech at the end of Wrath of Khan, to the death of Data at the end of Nemesis (okay, the rest of the film is kinda trash, but still his sacrifice is pretty emotive). But both of those examples come from the films, which are given two, two and a half hours to make us cry, as well as the weight of seasons go past. However, even in the forty five minutes of a regular episode, there are still some incredibly powerful moments in the Star Trek ouvre. This might be more telling of what makes me cry than is possibly comfortable, but hey here we go! Naturally the first is Inner Light which often tops lists of the best ever episodes of the Star Trek canon. Picard with the flute at the end is guaranteed to break even the stoniest visage into at least the one tear, right? Next one is a bit more of a wild card, but I rewatched it recently and the end is simply heartwrenching. Innocence, a season two episode of Voyager, is the one where Tuvok has to look after the children on that asteroid, and they’re disappearing one by one. Turns out in the end that (questionable biology aside) that the kids are actually the aged members of this society and they are going off to die. Tuvok’s final speech at the end of the episode, reassuring the little girl that death is a natural end, is gorgeous. Another strong contender is of course Deep Space Nine’s The Visitor - who can forget Jake Sisko’s final sacrifice to save his father and undo that timeline? Continuing our DS9 sob-fest, why not Hard Time? That’s the one where most important Starfleet officer of all time, Chief O’Brien, lives in prison for 20 years, and is driven to murder and almost to suicide… Powerful stuff. Finally, we have the absolute classic TOS episode, City On The Edge Of Forever, in which Kirk has to stop McCoy from saving the woman Jim loves in order to save the timeline. Beautiful in its simplicity, this episode will always have a place in my heart. Have another suggestion? Let us know in the comments!

As part of a new series in the Poll of the Week, we're bringing you into the centre chair. When presented with a situation, how would you react? What would you do? The Admiral in charge of this sector has built outposts in all known colonies, and the QRF is being formed. However, this means that all patrols and responses are very delayed and will be until at least some of it is built. While the pirates are a major threat, they are a known threat, and you, the Captain of the USS Ngô Quyền, is being sent in to investigate the unknown threat in the Silent Zone. With all available ships on deployment, they warn you there are no reinforcements, although a Gul in charge of one of the Galor-classes nearby analyzing a nebula has offered assistance should they press you. The initial surveys of known outposts reveal destroyed outposts - usually by kinetic bombardment, with several planets undergoing nuclear winters. It isn't until week 2 of this survey, reaching the northwest edge of the sector, that you see anything of note - and it's a still intact Federation outpost, strangely devoid of people. The away team sent to investigate reported back urgently that there is a bioweapon there, and it is still active. One of them estimates they have only 18 hours left to live. Records show that it somehow can bypass current quarantine protocols, based on some data left in the record. You call an emergency meeting to determine your options. The away team has decided that they are willing to be left behind to save the lives of their crewmates.

Love is in the air since Valentine's Day, every where we look around, and over the vast years since it first aired, this space opera in our hearts has given us plenty of on-screen love to wrap our hearts around. Everyone has their favourite relationship from the series, whether it was Jean-Luc and Beverly who stole your breath away, or you're a niche fan of Archer and Riaan rooting for them, somewhere along the line Star Trek has pulled on your heart strings and warmed you up with the smouldering passions displayed. In First Contact, we're given a glimpse into Data's longing for a relationship with someone who truly understood him, and his capabilities of physically reciprocating love — with the Borg Queen, of all people, so maybe it shouldn't count. She kisses him, he kisses back, disrupting his monologue about the last time he used his advanced bedroom techniques, for the good of all humankind. In Deep Space Nine, a kiss shared between Ben and Jennifer Sisko is a prompt for the Prophets to inquire about corporeal entities, and why Humans seek out physical contact with one another, thus making the Prophets incredibly jealous for the rest of their days... until they kidnap Sisko for smooches, of course. Star Trek has also flirted and courted with controversy over the years, showing on-screen love taboo for the times it aired, and taken their laurel wreaths as pushing those societal boundaries. First aired in 1968, the Original Series episode Plato's Stepchildren included the very first interracial kiss between Kirk and Uhura, amidst a turbulent political backdrop in the United States of America. Over fifty years later, this is remembered as a pinnacle moment of television, winging it's way into the books. Years later, in 1995, Deep Space Nine would flirt with the same, introducing the former lover of Curzon Dax into the episode Rejoined, once again clanging that bell with a same-sex kiss, paving the groundwork for the later Trek relationship of Stamets and Culber in Discovery. So, in this month of love, it's good to remember the relationships — and the smooches — which have made Trek what it is today. Science Fiction has long relied on the relationships built between the characters to demonstrate the futility or hope in the world of tomorrow, and Trek has made history doing so. This week, we want to know which of these Star Trek kisses made your heart flutter?

Lieutenant Reginald Barclay aka “Reg” is a fan favorite in Star Trek. Brought to life by the talented actor Dwight Schultz, this character diverged from many others in the cast. He was a character with obvious flaws. He was nervous and unsure of his own abilities. He exhibited phobias and concerns about social situations. We learn a lot about the man when Reg tells LaForge, “I mean I am the guy who writes down things to remember to say when there is a party. And then when he finally gets there, he winds up alone, in the corner, trying to look … comfortable examining a potted plant.” Introduced in the season 3 episode of The Next Generation entitled “Hollow Pursuits”, we find Barclay to be a series of contrasts. His has a fine service record and a recommendation from his previous commanding officer but his actions on the Enterprise-D don’t seem to fit the man. Initially, the crew seems to view him as an outsider and even apply the nickname “Broccoli” to the man. But, over time, he becomes a recurring and beloved secondary character. He even makes the jump to several episodes of Voyager. Whether his is sword fighting holograms of LaForge and the captain on the holodeck, connecting his expanded brain directly to the Enterprise computer, or stammering through a conversation with Counselor Troi, we can be assured that if Reg is around it will be a great episode. What is it that makes Barclay so endearing? Is it that he is flawed? We spend a lot of time throughout the different series focusing on the purely good and righteous qualities of the main cast. We know they will always do the moral and correct thing. Perhaps this makes Reg more believable as a real person. He is just like us with good and bad qualities and habits. Whatever the reason, Barclay’s popularity is assured as he returns for almost a dozen episodes and the movie First Contact.

With a laundry list of accusations, enemies, nicknamed "The God of Lies", Guinan doing the cat claws, described as "obnoxious", "interfering", a "pest", and Picard's glowing character reference of "devious and amoral and unreliable and irresponsible and... definitely not to be trusted," how could we not cover the most wonderful, the sublime, and the irresistible charms of Q? As a powerful, almighty, and divine-like entity from a race of [...]-celestial beings known collectively as the Q, Commanding Officers of starships were briefed on the existence of this super influential race. Q would usually appear in humanoid form, dress in the uniform of a Starfleet Captain, and in every instance where he appeared, Q immediately commanded the stage. The obnoxious and sometimes dangerous being turned up on the bridges of the USS Enterprise, USS Voyager, and appeared on Deep Space Nine, to hassle the Captains with an underlying guise to better understand the human race for their folly and their actions, all with the best interests for the survival of Humanity kindling beneath. Star Trek has in him one of the finest antagonists ever known, who eventually — through much, much trial and error — becomes a friend. This week, we'd like to know... What is your favourite moment of Q throughout the Star Trek series? ...and would you or your characters ever want to meet a Q?

One of the big things that Trek loves to do, and probably one thing I enjoy most about the shows, is that they drop in historical events like candies to be picked up and chewed on. Most of them are, unfortunately, wars, but many have led to fascinating diplomatic situations. And the overwhelming majority of them are only mentioned in passing, and it is left to others to extrapolate or hypothesise what these events might have been about, how they came about or how they finished. So, this week’s question is to ask what you would like to see expounded upon in the Star Trek lore? I have detailed a few suggested time periods below (mainly wars, I’m afraid) but please drop any others you can think of in the comments! How might they be expounded upon? Perhaps in a time-travel episode (or two-parter, because who doesn’t love those? I’m looking at you Mark Twain), a Short Trek, or maybe (and personally, I’d love this) a Trek-themed anthology show that travels throughout the ages. Sure, many of these have been written about in novels, articles and online roleplaying groups, but which would you like to see “officially” represented in a show? So, some time periods that I think I’d quite like to see more about. First up, we have the Eugenics Wars, the origins of Khan Noonien Singh and his Augments; set before any of the shows as we know them, the Eugenics Wars would make an interesting, if bloody, addition to a show. The Earth-Romulan War is a fascinating part of our history, especially considering that humans took such a beating; possibly too dark/bleak for a Star Trek show, it would certainly provide a contrast. The Temporal Wars offer a time-hopping series of adventures that would give Janeway a headache, but might still entertain. What about seeing more of the Xindi before they met Archer and the Enterprise? Or finding out how the Kelpians made peace with the Ba’ul by the time Discovery [REDACTED]...

As part of a new series in the Poll of the Week;, we're bringing you into the centre chair, but this time, of an entire sector. When presented with a situation, how would you react? What would you do? The Eta and Theta sectors have been busy lately. As tensions rise between the three Romulan factions, Starfleet Command has informed you it would prefer you to minimise the resources and ships in your region. While the diplomatic summit held by the USS u Cơ, and one of the ambassadors, has successfully resolved the ongoing low level issues onboard Ferinoat IV, there are many other issues facing you. Evidence of a growing pirate issue as well as an unknown—likely hostile—power of a kind you can no longer afford to send the majority of your fleet out on single-ship missions. Although Command can spare one ship-of-the line and five Dakota-classes for escorts, you know that will not be enough to solve all of the problems at once. Calling a meeting of all of the ship commanding officers, as well as the stations throughout the sector, you come to the following conclusions: - There are thirty colonies scattered throughout the Enrothian region, many with no defenses of any kind. - The Cardassians have claimed several systems on the galactic southern edge of the region, but are as of now, too busy setting up Kerok Nor—a Nor-class starbase. Intelligence suggests they are more interested in maintaining peace with the Federation than causing trouble. - Pirate attacks on shipping are up 450% compared to a standard year ago. - While no one has heard of any aggressors like those who attacked the Gardner system, there are outposts and ships which have gone silent in the galactic northwest of the region. - Your ships, the Ambassador-class USS Æthelflæd, the Akira-class USS Penda, the Nebula class USS Æthelwulf, the Steamrunner-class USS u Cơ, the Dakota-class USS Kh'shia, the Ambassador-class USS Harald Hardrada urgently all need time in a drydock for minor refits or repairs. The USS Harald Hardrada is the most damaged, with the USS u Cơ least damaged. - Svann points out if you delay maintenance cycles too long, critical repair time will grow exponentially, where you will have very few combat-capable ships. In the meeting, you decide you can rotate a ship into drydock while leaving the other five on patrol routes designed to keep almost every colony within a day at high warp. Three of the reinforcing Dakota-classes will start convoys throughout space, while the ship of the line — the Sovereign-class USS Ngô Quyền — will investigate the pirates tasked with locating and destroying any of their bases. The other two Dakota-class ships can examine the "silent zone". At this moment, Command would rather you did not start any initiatives with your Cardassian counterpart, Gul Kerit, who has risen through the ranks due to her shrewdness and focus on strategy. For her part, she has limited her involvement to courtesy calls back and forth as both of you worked out a memorandum of understanding for zones of control. The next day, however, you are told you are no longer getting any of the Dakota-classes, and must transfer one of your existing ships out of the sector to receive the USS Ngô Quyền. Command needs the ships elsewhere to deal with rising troubles in the Romulan Badlands, and has decided your sector cannot exceed a certain quota of ships in the near future. What do you do? How do you protect all of the colonies and secure shipping?

Grappling with an enemy, in one way or another, is a staple of Star Trek. Whether it’s wrestling with Gorn in the middle of the desert, scrimmaging with Q in Quark’s Bar, or confronting a horror tentacle monster in the Voyager corridors with a phaser rifle, every now and then, a physical contest rises up. Bare knuckles and sharply traded insults could sometimes replace the stoic and reasonable Starfleet Officer, and at some point, every crew has come to the edge of the mat, slipped on those knuckle-dusters, and set about for a good barroom brawl. We’ve seen some magnificent fight scenes on screen (Archer and Shran going toe to toe with an Ushaan-tor will always be a top favourite of mine) as well as some unintentionally hilarious slap fights like Kirk versus the Gorn Captain, where tickling looked like it was a priority, and did that rock really weigh as much as it looked? I know I’ll be trying out a double-hand punch in the future. Whether you’ve got Kirk using an Andorian as a springboard, or Sisko punching the lights out of Q (“Picard never hit me!”), throughout our loveable Star Trek history, there are plenty of fights to choose from. Legendary as they are, the fight scenes between starships couldn't match up to the glorious gladiatorial battles taking place in a personal area, going head to head, knuckle to knuckle, in a struggle for the survival of the fittest. Or, just survive until next week’s episode.

Words have power. As a community of writers, we can agree on that. Behind the special effects or fancy visuals, Star Trek is about people and how they communicate. The franchise has brought us many memorable phrases over the past fifty years. Some are so memorable that they have lodged themselves into the collective culture and will forever be linked with Star Trek. The command "Make it so!" from Captain Jean-Luc Picard was a call to action for his crew. This signature line was said with such finality that it made you want to jump to fulfil the order. You knew that if you suggested a plan and the good captain uttered those three words, then it was up to you to carry it out. Spock and his Vulcan brethren had the calm farewell/blessing "Live long and prosper." Its simple statement - a wish for health and prosperity - did not in itself imply nor evoke strong emotions in the speaker or hearer. Yet the wish for peace has touched many fans' hearts. Leonard McCoy, with his rascally wit and sharp tongue, was fond of griping "I'm a doctor, not a (brick-layer, moon-shuttle conductor, physicist)!" Always with the emotional comeback, McCoy was the voice of exasperation that we all wish we could be but rarely have the opportunity to fill. The chilling statement by the Borg that "resistance is futile" wasn't exactly a threat so much as their pure statement of fact. You knew when you saw the cube-shaped ship on the screen that the next thing you'd hear on the comm channel were those three words.

So we're now two weeks into the new year, be that 2021 for the writers, or 2398 for our characters. We've shrugged off the festive coma, started working out to get rid our beer bellies, eaten the last of the Christmas chocolates, and polished off the last of the port. So now is the absolute perfect time to look at some good old fashioned New Year's resolutions (and not the New Year Resolution, which is to do with one of our ship's current missions); what are your Starbase 118-related resolutions and goals? Perhaps you'd like to get yourself a shiny new pip for your character, or make a Department Chief position (even if that comes with a buttload of extra PADDwork)? If you really like paperwork, perchance you'd like to embrace it and become a member of our beloved staff? Maybe you have a personal storyline that you'd be looking to expand upon, draw to a close or open up for the first time? What about relationships? You could forge new friendships, reopen old rivalries or maybe you want to make that special love connection? Or is it possible you've got a more out of character goal? Maybe you'd like to join a taskforce (or even facilitate one) and ensure that our community continues to grow and grow! Might you just want to continue to learn and develop as a writer (I know this is arguably my most consistent goal); do you have active steps you want to take, or do you just learn by doing and reading other's work? It's feasible that you've got a goal that even I couldn't foresee! If so, we'd be thrilled if you told us what it was in the comments. Heck, even if you pick one of the available options, please do let us know what precisely you want, and maybe even how you plan to achieve it!

As part of a new series in the Poll of the Week, we're bringing you into the centre chair. When presented with a situation, how would you react? What would you do? Your ship, the Steamrunner class USS Âu Cơ, is on a routine diplomatic visit to the world of Ferinoat IV, in the Theta Sector. Newly allied to the Federation, this world is known for it's raw material shipments for what cannot be replicated, and there is a diplomatic push to get it as a full trading partner of the Federation. It is also a paradise world, with half of it's 1.4* Earth sphere given to extreme low impact business and eco friendly tourism. Upon arriving, the ship is hailed by the Chief Executive Officer of Ferinoat, Arcturan Nadarion, with an urgent request for aid against a paramilitary movement commiting actions of insurrection and terrorism, the Independence For Kel-Mora Republics. An officially proscribed organization since 2367, the organization had a political wing gathering power, unhappy with the allotment of resources and power given to non favoured component republics. Investigations by the Chief Tactical Officer reveal that the reason is an upcoming plebiscite that there is some doubt is entirely free - from either side, and the ship is contacted by one of the IFKR members, disguising themselves as an animated fox-girl. They claim that the Chief Executive's party has been subverting their contractual rights to free expression, free movement, and the right of licensed press to print the truth. Two days later, your senior staff assemble to pool the information gathered, revealing the following The Ferinoat system produces 45% of all raw tarsonium, a material used in starship construction. Reports have been filed by Federation and Starfleet Intelligence supporting both claims The contract granting the Ferinoat IV Colony, KSLC rights to incorporate by the Satikail Corporate Nations, also guarantees those rights, but also states that the planetary corporation must allow for severability and spinning off. While there have been few deaths so far, it is the opinion of your tactical officer and counselor that this will soon end, as there are clear signs of escalation on both sides. However, throwing your support behind either side would likely end the conflict without any more escalation. However, the time for debate ended abruptly with the arrival of a Satikail Battlecruiser. While they permit you to stay in orbit, you are warned in no uncertain terms not to interfere. After a trial back on Staikail Secundus (in absentia, which is legal under their laws), they intend to send down an management team and corporate security assets and perform mass arrests of anyone on either side. What do you do?

Like all military organisations, wearing a uniform shows who you represent, develops a sense of commonality, solidarity and equality. It makes the person wearing it instantly recognisable, stand out in a crowd, distinguish themselves for the service they provide, and has an impact on others, especially those within the Star Trek universe. The same uniform is worn by everyone from the Captain down to the Crewman, the only differences being the pips on the collar and the colour to denote the department. There are some cultural influences on Starfleet uniforms we've seen over the years, including the addition of Worf's baldric, Nog's headdress, and Kira's Bajoran earrings. Either symbolic of their family or their religion, and culturally appropriate for them. We'll not talk about Troi and her casual attire... Colours and uniforms have changed through the run of Star Trek, showing the changes in style and function throughout the years, and how Starfleet adjusted for them. While we were used to seeing the department colour taking up the dominant part of the uniform, during the Dominion War, this left Command Officers at risk, so it was reduced to just the collar, the rest of the uniform black and grey. Each of the series of Star Trek has introduced the viewer to a new uniform, in one way or another. Looking back through the racks and wardrobes of the costume department, some are favourites, and some can be confined to the charity bin of history. This week, we want to know... Which Starfleet uniform era was your favourite and why?

While Kirk and company started off the "wagon train to the stars", it was the prequel series of Enterprise that gave us a glimpse at the birth of the Federation that we have come to know and love. The intrepid crew of the NX-01 would need the explorer's spirit and nerves of steel to venture into the unknown. Who would be counted worthy of participating in this trek? Captain Jonathan Archer was a kind man and epitomized what it meant to be human. He was ready to reach out a helping hand - sometimes to a fault. His father before him worked on the warp engine design that would carry the Enterprise on her mission of discovery, so he was no stranger to what it would take for mankind to take its place among the stars. T'Pol was the Vulcan observer and represented the ever-watchful stare of the Vulcans. Because of her different views and manner, she sometimes found herself at odds with the rest of the crew. Eventually they seemed to settle into an understanding which brought us many storylines that helped us see the Vulcans as brothers and not just as rivals holding humans back. Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III. The engineer with all the know-how and a southern drawl too. He was likable, quick-witted, and made a great mother. Doctor Phlox introduced us to a new species in the Star Trek universe - the Denobulans. Phlox was also somewhat of an outsider. He did not always understand or agree with the decisions the captain and crew made but his gregarious personality stood in stark contrast to that of T'Pol. He was always viewed as a valuable member of the crew and seemed to have a never-ending supply of wise words. Then we have crew members such as Hoshi Sato, Malcom Reed, and Travis Mayweather. And who can forget other regulars like the Andorian Captain Shran or Vulcan Ambassador Soval. Who's your favorite?

We rarely see the holiday season in the Star Trek franchise; with a plethora of cultures, species and systems of beliefs, that makes perfect sense. Ignoring that one scene with Jean-Luc spending a Christmas in the Twilight Zone, I mean, um the Nexus from Star Trek: Generations, of course. So... if we did get a one-off Christmas episode, who would you rather spend it with? Rocking around the Christmas tree with Data, Crusher and Riker (his leg posed on a large snowman)? Having a happy Hanukkah with Kirk, Spock and Bones? Spending Winter Solstice with Archer on the original Enterprise (and not just because it's the shortest day of the year)? Perhaps you'd like a krazy Kwanzaa with Janeway doing that face parents do when you open your presents and they know exactly what they've got you? Chakotay, of course, wouldn't have a clue what he’d got you, and Neelix would make a banging dinner. Perfection. But of course, there are plenty of other options of winter holidays that you could choose from; but that’s not what we’re asking for here. What we want to know is WHO would you choose to spend some time with over the holiday season? Below there are all the different crews from the Star Trek shows to choose from, although I’m sure some of you might select a crew not from one of the lead ships. Perhaps you’d rather spend an extra cold Christmas with Shran and the rest of his Andorian band? Or maybe take in some bloodwine at a Klingon opera with Gowron and his magnificent stare? Whatever you choose, let us know why in the comments section!

As part of a new series in the <strong>Poll of the Week</strong>, we're bringing you into the centre chair. When presented with a situation, how would you react? What would you do?

Star Trek has a long and torrid love affair with bringing wonderful characters and protagonists to life, presenting a fantastic array of challenging situations, pitting themselves against insurmountable odds and, sometimes, some really cracking villains. Who can forget the golden moments of Gul Dukat in Deep Space Nine as he evolves into a character some of us actually care about? Or the ripping emotional tension we get from Khan Noonian-Singh? We cheered the intelligence and the guile of the Klingon General Chang, sporting his eye-patch of doom (bolted to the face for full metal), and some of the worst enemies the Federation has ever seen came as the Jem'Hadar, the brutal troper force for the Dominion ready to commit unspeakable acts for the glory of the soldiering life. However, let's face it — some Star Trek villains are just... bad. While we had Khan, we also had the Son'a — who, if remembered for anything, it's the facelift. In the late nineties, it seemed everyone wanted to get young again and have their skin pulled back until a display of any emotion would literally crack the face open in ways a dubious plastic surgeon would be proud of. The Son'a were riddled with toxins they had to expunge, and instead of throwing themselves into a New Year Resolution of kale smoothies and yoga on Thursdays, they did... this. And then killed an Admiral no one cares about with a facelift. Take that, beauty standards! But for a series spanning six decades now, not every villain is going to be perfect, and for some, they are a product of their time. So, this week, we want to know... In your opinion, who is the least interesting villain in Star Trek?

The huge list of actors and actresses that have graced our screens as part of the Star Trek universe adds to the complexity that is our favorite sci-fi show. These secondary characters that add a depth to the stories we love to watch. It's only natural that a stray actor might fill multiple roles. And then there's American actor Jeffrey Combs! This man played multiple memorable characters and his name should be synonymous with Star Trek! On Deep Space 9, he played the Vorta clone Weyoun. His masterful execution of this servant of the Founders and directors of the Jem'Hadar foot soldiers of the Dominion was a character we loved to hate. His weasel-y ways certainly added to many of DS9's episodes. Another character Jeffrey Combs is well-known for also hales from Deep Space 9. Liquidator Brunt was a thorn in Quark's side. As a member of the Ferengi Commerce Authority, he played a role in foiling Quark's plans in multiple episodes. Combs portrayal of the character added a lot of depth to the Ferengi species and helped pull back the curtain on a species that had been introduced before but never fully explored. A third character Jeffrey Combs gave us was that of the Andorian Captain Shran from Star Trek Enterprise. His character, a seeming villain to begin with - expanded our knowledge of the Andorian race. We came to understand them as oppressed, not war-like, and valuable allies in a forming Federation. No matter who your favorite Jeffrey Combs character is, I think we can all agree that his talent certainly brought a lot to our favorite franchise. But the question remains, who's your favorite?

Spin offs are part of the lifeblood of television; did you know that one hundred spin offs are commissioned every year? Me neither, I just made that up. Now, we all love spin offs; Joey, Mrs. Columbo, and Baywatch Nights come to mind as my favourites. Not really, they're unmitigated disasters... Although check out Mrs Columbo for a pre-Voyager Kate Mulgrew. Also cheeky guest appearances from Rene Auberjonois and Andrew Robinson. But there are good spin offs; and every Trek is a spin off in some way or another. Obviously TOS started it all, and from that we got TNG and then… you get the idea. Picard was almost a second generation spin off, coming as it does off TNG. But the question is, who should get the next Picard type spin off solo series? I for one would love to see a spin off about Reginald Barclay's explorations throughout the galaxy along with BA Bara'cus his Klingon engineer, the Changeling Face and their Vulcan leader T'Hannibal. Not my best work, but you get the idea. An anthology series about the Doctor from Voyager's adventures through time might be fun! As an immortal computer programme, the Doctor could appear at any place and at any time… Like another Doctor I could mention… And what about the koala that the universe rides on the back of? What's his deal? And what's he smiling about WHAT DOES HE KNOW?! Or do you have a better idea (not hard I warrant)? If you do, let us know in the comments!

As part of a new series in the Poll of the Week, we're bringing you into the centre chair. When presented with a situation, how would you react? What would you do? Your ship, the Nebula class USS Æthelwulf, has responded to a distress signal, only to discover it was a trap set by pirates, who ambushed your ship at close range. While you destroyed three and drove off the four, your comm officer has picked up signal traffic indicating reinforcements will be there shorter than the relief delegation Starfleet has sent. Meanwhile, your ship is heavily damaged, and your warp drive cannot form a stable warp field. While your surviving crew is busy repairing the ship, you do not anticipate having more than one torpedo launcher, half of the phaser arrays and maybe shields at half strength before reinforcements return. Your tactical officer suggests they may try to capture your ship to use as part of a pirate fleet. Your XO disagrees, feeling they are just trying to weaken and destroy shipping escorts in the Eta sector. However, at a staff meeting, your crew has three separate plans proposed to you.

Over the years, science fiction has become synonymous with the weird and the wonderful, and the downright spooky. Twinning with the likes of horror and thrillers, such as the X Files and Doctor Who, during its run, each series of the Star Trek franchise has found something creepy and fantastic about exploring the edges of our understanding, our universe, and where the fringes of our reality lie. Week on week, Star Trek explored these ideas in sometimes fun and frolicking episodes, sometimes whimsical, sometimes philosophical, and now and then, we all had to get a cushion ready. The horror effect is brought to bear in the movies, too. In The Wrath of Khan, parasitic ear bugs are used by Khan to crawl into the victim's brain, wrap around the cerebral cortex, and turn the unwilling host into a compliant slave, going as far to inflict merciless pain on the victim if they fought against the subdermal orders. Frightening to think about. Gross to watch. First Contact ensured many of us developed an adequate fear of the Borg when Lieutenant Hawk became one with the collective, succumbing to the attacking Borg, and returns in Borg form to attack Picard. From traditional horror to the more psychological in Voyager's episode "The Haunting of Deck Twelve", as Neelix gives a Halloween campfire-style ghost story to the young Borg kids to feast their fears upon. A strange tale for some, a gas nebula cloud for others, the space alien roams the deck, seeing the next victim. Or there's the Next Generation episode, "Night Terrors", with plenty of the tropes we like to see in a good sci-fi horror, such as Dr Crusher hallucinating the morgue stuffed with corpses all sitting up, the crew of the USS Brattain who murdered one another coming through the communication, and the persistent themes of insomnia. Honourable mention: While it didn't make it to the final list of spooktaculars, Voyager's "Scientific Method" is, perhaps, one of the best episodes there is. Aliens doing scientific experiments are all over the ship, all over the crew, and people are dying. If you've not seen it, I won't spoil it for you, because honestly, it's one of my favourite episodes of Voyager, if not Star Trek, ever. Strong acting performances all round make it superb. Go watch it. You won't be disappointed. Dishonourable mention: Of course, we can't let this slide past us without mentioning the actual ghost story (kinda), TNG's "Sub Rosa", where Dr Crusher fornicates with a ghost in a candle. There. It's in here, it's had a mention, let's just move on, nothing to see here... Considering this is the final leg before Halloween, I've selected a couple of my favourites which sent my pulse racing the first time I saw them, so, this week we'd like to know: Which of these episodes gave you the frights, jitters, and jumps? If you're celebrating, have a fantastic Halloween!