Nyota Uhura was a female human, who served in Starfleet during the 23rd and 24th centuries. A gifted linguist, she was most noted for serving as chief communications officer aboard the USS Enterprise and USS Enterprise-A under James T. Kirk, though her later career saw her become the commanding officer of several starships, and rise to the rank of admiral in Starfleet Intelligence. (Star Trek: The Original Series; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country; ST novel: Vulcan's Heart; TLE novel: Catalyst of Sorrows; Starship Excelsior: "Tomorrow's Excelsior")
Early life[]
Nyota Penda Uhura was born in 2239 in the United States of Africa on Earth. As a child, she and her parents lived in the city of Mombasa, Kenya, and later in Nairobi. Later in life, she would remember growing up in a village near Lake Simbi Nyaima, which she would consideer her home. She was of Bantu descent.
Starfleet career[]
Aboard the Enterprise[]
Uhura graduated Starfleet Academy circa 2261. By 2265, she held the rank of lieutenant, and was assigned as chief communications officer of the USS Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk, having joined the crew after their return from Delta Vega and the galactic barrier. She would serve in this post throughout the ship's five-year mission. (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "The Corbomite Maneuver", "Turnabout Intruder"; Star Trek: The Animated Series; TOS novel: The Lost Years)
After serving detached duty during the Enterprise's refit, she returned to her post at communications before the ship's launch during the V'ger incident in 2273, and remained there for a second five-year mission under Captain Kirk. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)
Following the Cetacean Probe crisis, she joined the crew of the USS Enterprise-A, where she served until the ship's decommissioning in 2293. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
After the Enterprise[]
Uhura served as Captain Spock's first officer aboard the USS Intrepid II from 2294 to 2296. When Spock retired to join the diplomatic corps following their mission to Obsidian, Uhura accepted promotion to captain and assumed command of the Intrepid II herself. (TOS novel: Vulcan's Forge)
When she took command of the Intrepid II, Captain Uhura requested that Lt. Commander Saavik take the post of chief science officer. It was during that era that both officers began working more frequently with Starfleet Intelligence, using the Intrepid's scientific mission's as cover. (Star Trek: Pendragon)
Circa 2310, the Intrepid II was assigned to a classified mission, and Uhura was reunited with Drs. Carol Marcus and Gillian Taylor. The three of them shared memories of James T. Kirk while conducting a survey of an oceanic planet for possible use as a terraforming site for a new Genesis-based project. (TOS short story: "The Hero of My Own Life")
- The short story puts Uhura in command of the Hermes at this time, but that has been modified to the Intrepid II. Furthermore, the Star Trek: Excelsior episode "Tomorrow's Excelsior" has Uhura in command of the USS Excelsior in 2311 and for at least a decade prior. This contradicts numerous novels which show Hikaru Sulu still in command of Excelsior until at least 2320. It is not clear which version of events, if either, is considered part of Pendragon continuity.
With Starfleet Intelligence[]
At the Khitomer Conference, Uhura was recruited by Starfleet Intelligence. Throughout the rest of her starship career, even while in command of her own vessel, she would pass on things she heard on subspace channels to SI, though she never spied on any Starfleet officers. (TLE novel: Catalyst of Sorrows)
Her work with Starfleet Intelligence would eventually take precedence over her starship career, and she eventually rose to the top of the department. She insisted on retaining the rank of captain to maintain a low profile, though her security clearance was higher than most admirals. In 2343, she was one of the SI agents monitoring the Betreka Nebula incident, and in 2344, she sent Commander Saavik to retrieve Spock from Romulus. (TLE novel: The Art of the Impossible; ST novel: Vulcan's Heart)
Admiral Uhura, circa 2375
By 2360, she had accepted promotion to Admiral, and at that time, she was the head of Starfleet Intelligence. While she relinquished that title before the end of the decade, she remained with SI at least through 2377. (TLE novel: Catalyst of Sorrows; ST novel: Vulcan's Soul)
- According to the Starship Excelsior fan audio drama, Uhura eventually became Federation President; she was referenced as "President Uhura" in the episode "Listen", set during the mid-2380s, though it is unclear if she was the current, or a former president.
External links[]
- Nyota Uhura article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
- Nyota Uhura article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
- Nyota Uhura article at Star Trek Expanded Universe, the fanon and fanworks Star Trek wiki.