My Theories behind Star Trek Voyager: Mirrors and Smoke

On Monday (as of when I posted this) I read Star Trek: Voyager: Mirrors and Smoke, a new one-shot I had been waiting on for a couple of months by writer Paul Allor and artist J.K. Woodward.

Now, while I'm not a major Star Trek fan in relation to the comics (although, as anyone should know, I do love Star Trek), this issue caught my eye because it continues IDW's ever evolving story surrounding the Mirror Universe. That in itself is a concept that's always fascinated me and, as a result of the tremendous Mirror Broken mini-series a couple of years back, a subgenre within Star Trek Comics that I'm fully committed to.

The basic premise of this newest issue focuses on the crew of the mirror universe Starship Voyager who, like their prime counterparts, have found themselves stranded in the Delta Quadrant. However, unlike in the main universe, the MU Captain Janeway isn't concerned with returning to a quadrant where the Klingons and Cardassians are in charge and so, she decides to remain to become the Pirate Queen of the Delta Quadrant.

Star Trek: Voyager: Mirrors
and Smoke #1. But what
happened before this issue?

So far, my enjoyment of the Mirror universe stories has been varied. Mirror Broken was amazing, while Through the Mirror a little less so (Terra Incognito I haven't read yet because is it a Mirror Universe story?) However, with Mirrors and Smoke, I'm going to say that it was closer to Mirror Broken in terms of my enjoyment factor. Allor's story was a solid one and it was nice to see this crew again, especially in the breath taking art style of J.K. Woodward which is what gave the issue high marks in my book (what can I say, I REALLY love this artwork).

However, when I say that the story is convoluted it is really down to one thing which bugged me about it: the Timeline. Naturally, the end had no definition and, in theory, the adventures of this crew could continue but the thing that bugged me was the beginning. This is because, not only do we not know how Voyager got to the Alpha Quadrant, I struggled to grasp all of the various character's loyalties pre story. For instance, the opening blurb references Voyager as a Rebel Ship, but it's colours looked very imperial instead. Also, the tv series Terran rebels didn't seem quite together to build an Intrepid Class Starship (they struggled with a Defiant Class which is about a third the size). And then there are the characters, with Janeway's attire looking Imperial but none of her crew looking the same. And then there's Tuvok, who actually appeared in a Mirror Universe Episode.

Anyway, it doesn't really affect the story in the grand scheme of things but I've always been a stickler of fan of continuity. Therefore, after reading the issue, I spent the next day or so pondering how all of this could have fit and, wouldn't you know it, I think I figured it out (go me!!)

Of course, it's essentially Fan-Fiction, but I think it works well within the rules of the Mirror Universe as the episodes and JK Woodward and the Tipton Brothers (who previously shared insight with me) established. And so, sit back and have a read of my thoughts on how the Imperial Starship Voyager reached the beginning of this issue:


So, beginning in early 2371 (or around the time the prime Voyager set off on it's maiden voyage), Captain Kathryn Janeway and her crew were entrusted with a mission by the Emperor deep into Klingon/Cardassian space. Unfortunately, both the ship and her crew were caught out by superior forces and captured before being placed in a mining facility along with rebels (Kim and Chakotay), criminals (Paris) and outcasts (Torres).

Meanwhile, a few months later (occurring AFTER the DS9 episode 'Through the Looking Glass), the Terran Rebels sent a team on a sabotage mission within enemy space. Unfortunately, like the Voyager crew, the team was caught and all killed but for a Vulcan operative, Tuvok.

Tuvok was processed as a prisoner of the Alliance and found himself held within the same prison as Janeway and the others. It is at this point that the crew comes together (under the leadership of Janeway) to escape their prison and their captors when Tuvok confirms sighting Voyager, intact, in an orbiting impoundment dock.

And So, the crew of Voyager, along with a large contingent of 'other' prisoners makes a break for the I.S.S. Voyager and, recapturing the ship (with Paris and Kim taking their 'rightful' places after Stati and the Operations Officer are killed mid-escape), Voyager sets course to escape the oncoming fleet bound to intercept. However, with the enemy ships closing in, Janeway is forced to take Voyager into the now nearby Badlands in the hope of evading and meeting Smiley's band of Rebels (at this point cue a similar scene to the Maquis escape scene in the first episode of Voyager, only with the titular ship doing the running).

At this point, everything plays out much like that first episode, with Voyager shaking off their captors but then being caught in the transport wave which strands them in the Delta Quadrant. The only difference I think would be that before they are scanned/transported like in the original, Janeway orders the Array destroyed in retaliation.

Now, with no way of getting home, Janeway decides that there is no life in the Alpha Quadrant under the boot of the Klingons and Cardassians. Therefore, she sets off to make her fortune as 'the pirate queen of the Delta Quadrant' which we find her at the start of this episode.

The End.


In truth, I'm probably WAY off in what Allor and Woodward (and to a greater extent, IDW) were thinking (or even had planned), but this was a fun little waste of time to just kind of connect it all in my head. Of course, I've not considered Neelix, Kes or Seven of Nine's changes in circumstance but that could be an easy case of 'right place, right time', with Kes having gone into space when she first met Neelix and subsequently developing her abilities in a harsher, less encouraging environment (which I always thought Tuvok gave). Meanwhile, Seven speaks of her parents and the Borg so I can only guess she somehow evaded the Borg on their ships (like Newt in Aliens) before eventually escaping. That said, their stories feel a little less 'different' to their original incarnations (in my opinion).

For now though, unless the creative confirm something different, I'm going to treat this theory of mine as canon (while hoping more of these comics are to come).