Leslie

Species:

Human

Affiliation:

FederationStarfleet

Rank:

Lieutenant

Occupation:

Security officer

Status:

Active(2268)

Died:

2268 (later resurrected)

Played by:

Eddie Paskey

MisterLeslie was amaleHuman who served as aStarfleetofficer during the mid-23rd century. He served aboard theUSSEnterprise between2265 and2268 under thecommand ofCaptainJames T. Kirk, during hisfive-year mission beginning during the mid-2260s.

Starfleet service[]

A versatilecrew member who was assigned primarily to theoperations division as anengineer or asecurity officer, Leslie served in several departments as needed.

He was aboard theEnterprise when the starship first crossed thegalactic barrier onstardate 1312.4, and became a lieutenant on stardate 2126.1. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Squire of Gothos") During breaks from duty, Leslie socialized with his shipmates in therecreation room of theEnterprise or in abar. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "Charlie X", "The Trouble with Tribbles";DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")

The lieutenant once risked facing a charge ofmutiny on stardate 3417.3. He abandoned his post after becoming temporarily infected by theOmicron spores and lined up near thetransporter room to join thecolonists ofOmicron Ceti III. When Kirk told him to return to his station, Lesliedisobeyed the captain's order. (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")

On stardate 3619.2, Leslie was violently attacked by adikironium cloud creature during aplanetary survey ofArgus X. With all the redblood corpuscles drained from his body,DoctorLeonard McCoy declared himdeceased in anautopsy report. Leslie was later revived and returned to duty by stardate 3620.7, and continued to serve aboard theEnterprise until stardate 5630.7. (TOS: "Obsession", "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")

Duty officer[]

When thealienTrelane appeared on thebridge of theEnterprise andabducted eight members of the bridge crew, Leslie sat in thecommand chair as the shiporbited theplanetGothos on stardate 2126.1. Upon safe escape from captivity, Kirk and the seven officers resumed their posts towarp thevessel away from therogue planet. (TOS: "The Squire of Gothos")

After afire wasignited aboard theEnterprise and caused damage tomain engineering on stardate 3088.7, Leslie served as theduty officer as Kirk pursued thescientistLazarus to anuncharted iron-silica planet in order to retrieve the ship's stolendilithium crystals. When Kirk returned to the bridge, Leslie discharged theship's phasers and destroyedLazarus' spaceship. This sealed thenegative magnetic corridor, forever trapping Lazarus with hisantimatter counterpart and saving bothuniverses from mutual annihilation. (TOS: "The Alternative Factor")

Engineer[]

Leslie was often assigned to theengineering station on the bridge, next to theturbolift doors. During astar mapping mission that lead to the initially tensefirst contact with theFirst Federation starshipFesarius on stardate 1514.0, Leslie observed Kirk relieving LieutenantDave Bailey from duty when thenavigator suffered anemotional breakdown. As thecountdown ticked away onBalok's threat to destroy theEnterprise, Leslie talked with LieutenantBrent andBobby while Kirk appealed toCommanderSpock for solutions. With the captain'scorbomitebluff successful in stopping the threat, apilot vessel emerged from theFesarius and used itstractor beam to drag theEnterprise. Leslie monitored the enginetemperature readings as theEnterprise overheated itsimpulse engines to pull free. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver")

When DoctorSimon Van Gelder escaped from theTantalus Penal Colony and became astowaway during a routinecargo exchange on stardate 2715.1, Leslie listened to thesecurity alerts as the escaped inmateassaultedEnterprise crew members near the transporter room. He witnessed Spock subduing Van Gelder with aVulcan nerve pinch moments later, after the inmate barged his way onto the bridge, demandingasylum with aphaser in hand. (TOS: "Dagger of the Mind")

On stardate 2821.7, Leslie monitored the engineering controls as theEnterprise searched for the missingshuttlecraftGalileo near thequasar-likeMurasaki 312. Later assisting LieutenantGalloway in the transporter room, hebeamed in theGalileo survivors before the shuttlecraft incinerated around the planetTaurus II. (TOS: "The Galileo Seven")

With Kirk believing that the attack on theCestus IIIFederationoutpost on stardate 3045.6 was a prelude to aGorn invasion, theEnterprise chased a fleeingGorn starship past an unchartedstar system. Leslie reacted with concern when Kirk ordered the ship to jump towarp 8 to catch the fleeingvessel, after Spock andLieutenant CommanderMontgomery Scott had both warned the captain that a sustainedwarp 7 speed would damage the ship's engines. The lieutenant watched themain viewscreen helplessly as the powerfulMetrons seized Kirk and forced him to fight theGorn captain on the surface of an unknownworld. He sprang to his feet when Kirk returned suddenly and safely to the bridge. (TOS: "Arena")

When theEnterprise headed toStarbase 9 for resupply on stardate 3113.2, the ship encountered an unchartedblack star and used all itswarp power to escape from the star'sgravitational pull. The resulting accidentalbreakaway caused the vessel totravel back in time to theyear1969 on planetEarth. With the ship operating solely onimpulse power, Leslie repaired the engineering station for the return trip back to the year2267. (TOS: "Tomorrow is Yesterday")

During the planned time travel mission to Earth in the year1968, Leslie performed asensor scan as theEnterprise intercepted a powerful transporter beam carryingGary Seven and acat, originating from ahidden planet located one thousandlight years away. The enigmatic Gary Seven used aservo to escape confinement in thebrig and render the lieutenant unconscious in the transporter room in order to beam down to a secret office inNew York City. (TOS: "Assignment: Earth")

Leslie belonged to a select group ofEnterprise officers whodined at a banquet that was organized by LieutenantMarla McGivers on stardate 3141.9 forrevived20th centuryAugment leaderKhan Noonien Singh. He was rendered unconscious after Khan cut off thelife support system to the bridge andhijacked theEnterprise. A weakened Kirklisted the bridge crew forcommendations beforepassing out. Leslie, however, was not included on the list. Before Kirk retook theEnterprise, Leslie was taken prisoner and forced to watch the captain'storture on theconference roomviewscreen. (TOS: "Space Seed")

When Spock became infected by aflying parasite during the mission to theDeneva colony on stardate 3287.2., Kirk confined thefirst officer to sickbay andquarantined the planet. Spock escaped from his confinement and entered the transporter room, encountering Leslie and Scott, who were both working on thetransporter. Determined to beam down toDeneva, Spock shoved Scott and subdued Leslie with a Vulcan nerve pinch. Scott detained Spock with a phaser until Kirk arrived. Rubbing his shoulder after regaining consciousness, Leslie watched as the captain allowed Spock to beam down to collect a neural parasite specimen for study. (TOS: "Operation -- Annihilate!")

With theEnterprise orbiting the planetGamma Hydra IV on stardate 3478.2 and Kirk suffering from the effects of advanced aging due toradiation exposure, Leslie observedCommodoreStocker assume command of the ship and plot a shortcut toStarbase 10 through theRomulan Neutral Zone. Ambushed by an attackingRomulanBird-of-Prey squadron, Kirkrecovered and retook command to warp the vessel safely out of the Neutral Zone. (TOS: "The Deadly Years")

Leslie saw the wrecked, driftingUSSConstellation on the main viewscreen when theEnterprise enteredstar system L-374 on stardate 4202.9. He witnessed CommodoreMatt Decker invoking StarfleetGeneral Order 104 to displace Spock fromcommand duty and take control of theEnterprise in order to launch an attack on an automated, self-propelled "planet killer". (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")

AfterStarbase 6 had lost contact withUSSIntrepid on stardate 4307.1, theEnterprise was ordered to investigate the lost all-Vulcan starship in theGamma 7A star system inSector 39J. As theEnterprise traveled through a giantspace amoeba, Leslie succumbed to the effects of the amoeba'snegative energyfield andfainted on the bridge. He received immediate medical treatment and resumed his duties as Kirk searched for a solution to destroy the space amoeba. (TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome")

On stardate 4372.5, theEnterprise was assigned a secretdiplomatic mission to facilitate the peacemarriage ofElaan, theDohlman ofElas, to the ruler ofTroyius. When the ship was under attack by aKlingonbattle cruiser in theTellun star system near theFederation-Klingon border, Leslie gave up his seat at the engineering station to Elaan as she entered the bridge. He continued to monitor the engineering readings throughout the skirmish until he was relieved by Scott. (TOS: "Elaan of Troyius")

Whenexplorers from theKelvan Empire lured theEnterprise with a falsedistress call totheir colony and hijacked the ship on stardate 4657.5, Leslie'svoluntary muscles were neutralized byHanar after theKelvan intruder appeared on the bridge and activated theparalysis field on his belt buckle. Before Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scott regained control of theEnterprise, Leslie was reduced temporarily by the Kelvans into a small dehydratedporous cuboctahedron solid. (TOS: "By Any Other Name")

Helm officer[]

With the crew exposed to avirus during the mission to the planetPsi 2000 on stardate 1704.2, Leslie took over thehelm after aninfectedSulu abandoned his post. He struggled to stabilize the ship's decaying orbit before asword-wielding Sulu returned to the bridge and wassubdued by Spock. Kirk later relieved him from duty when Leslie became infected with the virus. (TOS: "The Naked Time")

Leslie was at the helm when theEnterprise was inorbit ofPlanet Q. Later, around stardate 2819.8, he warped the vessel out of planetary orbit ofBenecia whenLenore Karidian was institutionalized for hermental insanity at amedical facility at theBenecia Colony. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King")

Leslie switched from his post at the engineering station to the helm when Kirk placed LieutenantDeSallein command of theEnterprise and beamed down with Spock and McCoy to the planetPyris VII on stardate 3018.2. He maintained orbit as theOrnithoidexplorersSylvia andKorob subjected the starship to extreme heat and enclosed it with a surroundingforce field. (TOS: "Catspaw")

With the entire crew feeling tired and weary, Leslie was at the helm when Sulu conducted asurvey of theShore Leave Planet with McCoy on stardate 3025.3. He was allowed to join a shore party after Kirk assessed the dangers and authorized ashore leave for the crew. (TOS: "Shore Leave")

Medical assistant[]

Leslie served as an assistant insickbay at least twice.

He treated Spock's injuries after theM-113 creatureinfiltrated theEnterprise andassaulted the first officer on stardate 1513.8. (TOS: "The Man Trap")

When Kirk ordered Spock to report to sickbay for amedical examination on stardate 3372.7, Leslie assisted thechief medical officer in conducting thephysical that revealed Spock was suffering from theVulcanneurochemical effects ofpon farr. (TOS: "Amok Time")

Navigator[]

Leslie sat at thenavigation console when theEnterprise wasen route to theMalurianstar system on stardate 3541.9, investigating adistress call and facing a barrage of attacks by the interstellarspace probeNomad. After the probe ceased fire, it was beamed aboard the starship. Leslie carried Scott's body to sickbay afterNomad attacked thechief engineer on the bridge, but was not present to witness Scott's revival. (TOS: "The Changeling")

Science technician[]

On stardate 1672.1, Leslie was atechnician of asurvey team onAlfa 177.Exposed to the rapidlyfreezing conditions of the planet surface, he was left stranded after amalfunction rendered the transporter unusable. He sufferedfrostbite and was given immediate medical treatment when the transporter was repaired. (TOS: "The Enemy Within")

The lieutenant sat at thescience station when Spock took command of theEnterprise after Kirk, LieutenantNyota Uhura, andEnsignPavel Chekov werekidnapped by theProviders on stardate 3211.7. Leslie monitored thesensor readings as the starship headed forTriskelion in search of the three missing Starfleet officers. (TOS: "The Gamesters of Triskelion")

Security officer[]

When Kirk decided to maroon Lieutenant CommanderGary Mitchell on the planetDelta Vega on stardate 1313.1, Leslie took thetranquilized lieutenant commander to aholding cell inside alithium cracking station. He guarded thebrig before Mitchell unleashed hispsionic powers to escape confinement. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before")

Leslie joined the secondlanding party onBeta III on stardate 3156.2, when theEnterprise was sent to investigate the fate of theArchon, a Federation starship that disappeared mysteriouslyone hundred years earlier. He fired hisphaser on an attacking mob,stunning them as the landing party struggled to flee. Before Kirk neutralized an ancientcomputer that was built by thephilosopherLandru to control the society of Beta III, Leslie wasabsorbed temporarily intothe Body ofLandru. (TOS: "The Return of the Archons")

On stardate 3196.1, Leslie was assigned to Lieutenant CommanderGiotto'ssecurity team in the hunt for theHorta, an elusivesilicon-based lifeform that terrorized theminers ofJanus VI. While Kirk, Spock, and McCoy struggled to save the life of the wounded Horta, he suffered head injuries after an angry group of miners overpowered a security perimeter. (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark")

The lieutenant was sent toDeep Space Station K-7 on a security assignment on stardate 4523.3. Soon after leaving the bar, he rushed back to end a brawl that had erupted between a small group of Klingons andEnterprise officers. While guarding thequadrotriticale storage compartment, he witnessed an avalanche ofpoisonedtribbles falling on Kirk's head, almost burying the captain. Leslie later apprehendedCyrano Jones for questioning when theintergalactictrader was suspected of being a Klingonspy, and assisted Kirk in uncoveringArne Darvin as asurgically-altered Klingonoperative who had infiltrated the Federation'sUndersecretary in Charge of Agricultural Affairs. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles";DS9: "Trials and Tribble-ations")

On stardate 4729.4, Leslie was on the bridge when theEnterprise approachedStarbase 6, and later walked past the transporter room (in a command uniform) whenCommodoreRobert Wesley was beamed aboard. He was later selected as one of the complement of twenty who remained aboard when the ship who participated in theM-5 drill. After theM-5 multitronic unit began malfunctioning and the drills turned deadly and DoctorRichard Daystrom suffered anervous breakdown on the bridge, Leslie escorted the renownedscientist to sickbay as Kirk struggled to deactivate the computer. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer")

When theEnterprise encountered the powerful alienSargon and reached theuninhabited planetArret on stardate 4768.3, Leslie was assigned to the security detail of the landing party. Sargon used his powers to prevent him from beaming down, allowing only Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Lieutenant CommanderAnn Mulhall to arrive beneath the planet surface. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow") Later thatyear, he was exposed to avirus when he beamed down to the planetOmega IV and held custody of CaptainRonald Tracey of theUSSExeter, charged by Kirk for violating thePrime Directive. (TOS: "The Omega Glory")

Responding to a distress call from theStarnes Exploration Party on stardate 5029.5, theEnterprise arrived to rescue the survivingorphans of the Federation outpost on the planetTriacus. Leslie was assigned to watch overTommy Starnes, the oldest of the survivingchildren and theson of the exploration party'sleader. After the children summoned anoncorporeal being known as theFriendly Angel, they exertedmind control over the crew and forced the ship on a heading forMarcos XII. Kirk tried to regain control of theEnterprise, approaching Leslie who was stationed by the turbolift doors. The lieutenant was unable to comply with Kirk's orders to remove Sulu from the bridge after Starnes turned the captain's words into incomprehensible gibberish. (TOS: "And the Children Shall Lead")

On stardate 5630.8, he was present in the corridor with afemale yeoman when Kirk addressed "all ship's personnel", informing them that "clearance plans now in effect," and to "clear passageways immediately," as the recently arrivedMedusanAmbassadorKollos was being escorting to hisquarters. Later, when thelove-spurned DoctorLarry Marvick attempted to kill the ambassador and becameinsane, he fled the ambassador's room, Kirk led Leslie andRoger Lemli to the ambassador'squarters where they discovered theassassination plot. (TOS: "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")

Memorable quotes[]

"Get back to your stations."
"I'm sorry, sir. We're all transporting down to join the colonists."
"I said get back to your station."
"No, sir."
"This is mutiny, mister."
"Yes, sir. It is."

-Kirk andLeslie, as aninfected Leslie stands in a line headed for the transporter room (TOS: "This Side of Paradise")

Appendices[]

Appearances[]

Background information[]

Leslie was played byEddie Paskey, a regular extra who served as a setstand-in throughout the course of the originalStar Trek series. He was often seen in the background wearing a red Starfleet duty uniform while operating the engineering station on theEnterprise bridge or serving as a security officer.

Paskey's character did not have a set identity at the start of the series. The script for the pilot episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", referred to him as both a "crewman" and a "guard". McCoy called him "Connors" in "Mudd's Women" and Spock referred to him as "Rand" in "The Naked Time". By the end of "The Conscience of the King", Kirk addressed him as "Mister Leslie" three times and continued calling him "Leslie" in subsequent episodes.

According to Paskey'spersonal website, his character was named afterWilliam Shatner's eldest daughter,Leslie Shatner.

Paskey had few speaking opportunities throughout the series. The first time he spoke occurred in "The Naked Time", when his character replied to Kirk's orders on the bridge. The other times he was heard speaking occurred in "The Conscience of the King", "The Alternative Factor", and "This Side of Paradise".

The only screen credits that he received were in "The Alternative Factor", when he was credited as "Lesley", and in "This Side of Paradise", when he was listed simply as "Crewman".

While the work was steady, the rigors of filming a television series had many setbacks for the actor. Paskey's suffered a back injury while filming a scene in the first season episode "Operation -- Annihilate!", where Spock applied the Vulcan nerve pinch on Leslie. He also experienced severe headaches which were aggravated by the stage lighting on the set. By the beginning of the third season, Paskey felt that he could no longer handle the job's activities. Leslie's last filmed appearance was in the third season episode "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", when Paskey retired from the series.[1]^(X)

Red shirt[]

As an atypicalredshirt, Leslie has the distinction of being known as the firstStar Trekrecurring character to be resurrected from the dead without explanation. After being attacked by the cloud creature in "Obsession", he was listed as one of thetwo unnamed and deceased officers in Kirk'slog entry who was pronounced dead by McCoy. Later in the same episode, Paskey nonetheless appeared twice – first walking past Kirk'squarters in a red operations division uniform and then again walking by sickbay in a gold command division uniform.

According to Paskey, a scene in the script for "Obsession" that had all three victims of the landing party attacked by the creature would have them coming back to life later in sickbay due to a miracle potion. He mentioned that this scene was never filmed.[2]^(X) DirectorRalph Senensky confirmed that he did not film it.[3]

Paskey continued to appear in subsequent episodes and his character was called "Leslie" by Kirk in "Assignment: Earth", "The Omega Glory", "The Enterprise Incident", and "And the Children Shall Lead".

Of course, Leslie was not the last to achieve such a fate, with another rather prominent case being the vaporization of Lt.Galloway in "The Omega Glory", who later returned in "Turnabout Intruder". While in most cases multiple actors were recast as new characters following their first character's demise, this was not always apparently so, even as numerous other nameless characters also often returned unfazed in the episodes following their subsequent deaths.

Service rank[]

Leslie was never addressed by his Starfleet service rank. Kirk simply called him "Mister Leslie". Until he sat in the captain's chair in "The Squire of Gothos", Leslie's uniform did not display anyrank insignia. With three exceptions after this point, the uniform regularly showed a full lieutenant stripe. During the attack by the cloud creature in "Obsession", the rank stripe was inexplicably missing. It was also absent in "Spock's Brain" and "Is There in Truth No Beauty?", Paskey's last two filmed episodes on the series.

Apocrypha[]

According to thecomic bookWho's Who in Star Trek 1, Leslie grew up on Earth near the Starfleet Impulse Engine Testing Grounds in El Paso,Texas, where he developed an interest in engineering. He went toStarfleet Academy inSan Francisco and met Kirk injudo competitions. In thenovelPresent Tense, he developed a friendship with Sulu on theEnterprise soon after the events of "The Naked Time".

The novelYesterday's Son mentioned that he achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and served as the chief engineer aboard theUSSLexington near the end of Kirk's five-year mission. Shortly after the events ofStar Trek: The Motion Picture, as depicted in the novelThe Darkness Drops Again, he was transferred back to theEnterprise and served as thesecurity chief under Captain Spock. InWho's Who in Star Trek, he returned to the USSLexington around the time ofStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home. The novelThe Fire and the Rose mentioned that he attended Kirk's memorial service at Starfleet Academy in2293 during the events ofStar Trek Generations. In the novelOne Constant Star, he joined theUSSExcelsior with the rank of commander in2308 and became Captain Sulu's first officer.

There are inconsistencies regarding Leslie's first name. According toWho's Who in Star Trek, his first name was Frank. In the novelsThe Fire and the Rose,A Choice of CatastrophesandOne Constant Star, it wasRyan. The other novels state that it was Ed – an apparent tribute to Eddie Paskey, the actor who portrayed him on the original series.

A Choice of Catastrophes reveals that the man McCoy called "Connors" in "Mudd's Women" was actually Leslie.

Thealternate reality-set novelThe Assassination Game depicts that reality's Leslie supplyingJames T. Kirk with an excuse for being late. When Kirk thanks him, Leslie says Kirk can repay him by giving him a spot on the ship he'll command. According to Leslie, "they'd be crazy not to" (give Kirk a command).

External links[]

• Ryan Leslie atMemory Beta, the wiki for licensedStar Trek works
• Leslie attheStar Trek Online Wiki
• Leslie Reference Guide