Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #27!

Star Trek just introduced one of its best couples to date with a created by the evil android Lore, two Star Trek characters have found each other. Yet, as seen in Star Trek: Defiant #27, it is a doomed affair.

Star Trek: Defiant #27 was written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Davide Tinto. Captain Sisko is leading a ragtag group of rebels against Lore, in a bid to restore the universe to its rightful state. Among those assembled are this reality’s versions of Tasha Yar and Kira Nerys. The issue reveals that the two women are partners, and share deep feelings for each other.

The two are afraid they will be split when the attack on Lore begins.

Tasha Yar and Major Kira Are the Best New Couple in the Star Trek Franchise

Both Tasha and Major Come From Similar Backgrounds

Colonel Kira and Tasha Yar are Star Trek’s newest power couple, and one that makes perfect sense. Both women had rough-and-tumble childhoods: Kira was a rebel living under the Cardassian occupation of her homeworld while Tasha fought for survival on a failed colony. These backgrounds affected them deeply. Tasha was given an out by Starfleet, and she took it, and regularly viewed the organization as saving her life. After the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor, Kira became a liaison to Starfleet and the Federation, who established a presence upon the withdrawal. On board Deep Space Nine, Kira found a new purpose.

While Kira would go on to bigger and better things, Tasha knew nothing but tragedy. She was unceremoniously killed in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s first season. Tasha was later resurrected thanks to time travel, and this time ended up a prisoner of the Romulans. One of her captors offered her freedom if she would marry him. The result of this was a half-human/half-Romulan child named Sela, who has been front and center throughout Star Trek: Defiant. Tasha was killed again, this time by Romulan guards as she tried to escape with her daughter.

Kira had several relationships while serving aboard Deep Space Nine, including one with Odo.

Bringing Kira and Tasha together as romantic partners is a stroke of genius. On Star Trek: The Next Generation, Tasha struggled with romance and love, perhaps due to her violent childhood. Tasha famously seduced Data in the episode “The Naked Now,” but she was under the influence of a virus that loosened inhibitions. Thanks to being killed early in the show’s run, Tasha never received the opportunity to grow and develop as a character. All of her Enterprise crewmates would find love at one point or another, but Tasha never got the chance to do the same.

There is a Precedent in the Star Trek Universe for Kira Being Queer

Kira's Relationship With Tasha Allows Them Both to Grow

Ironically, in Lore’s dark vision of the Star Trek universe, Tasha has seemingly found true love with Kira Nerys. The issue does not dwell on the details of their relationship: fans do not learn how they met or how long the two have been together. Instead, in the scant space devoted to Tasha and Kira in Defiant #27,readers see just how deeply the two women care for each other. Kira and Tasha have formed a strong bond in Lore’s universe, one that may prove to be the android’s undoing.

At the time, thanks to Star Trek Executive Producer Rick Berman, the franchise could not openly show queer relationships, meaning the writers had to “code” the characters.

Canonically, Star Trek only portrayed Tasha Yar in opposite-sex relationships, but certain episodes of Deep Space Nine gave Kira a queer subtext. The show had several episodes set in the Mirror Universe, home to dark versions of Star Trek icons. In this universe, Kira was a bad guy, dressing in all-black leather and calling herself “Intendant Kira.” At the time, thanks to Star Trek Executive Producer Rick Berman, the franchise could not openly show queer relationships, meaning the writers had to “code” the characters. Intendant Kira was clearly coded for same-sex relationships.

Star Trek's Best New Couple Are Doomed

It Will Be Heartbreaking to Witness Tasha and Kira Seperated for Good

The Kira and Tasha of Lore’s dark timeline are lovers, but the relationship is doomed to failure. Sisko and company will no doubt restore the proper Star Trek universe, one where Tasha is dead and Kira serves aboard Deep Space Nine. Kira and Tasha appear happy with each other, but all of that is about to be ripped away, another testament to Lore’s cruelty. Star Trek has been behind the curve in depicting LGBTQIA+ relationships, and Tasha and Kira finding each other goes a long way to fixing this error.

Star Trek: Defiant #27 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!