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In the Star Trek episode “And the Children Shall Lead”, an alien entity that is trying to conquer the galaxy tried to get children to take over the Enterprise to go to Marcos 12 where it had “millions of friends”.

Kirk de-programs the children by showing them images of their dead parents and the Gorgan disappears. Sulu says that they are approaching Marcos 12, but Kirk tells him to redirect to Star Base 4.

Why did Kirk just leave? Why didn’t he go to Marcos 12 to find out what was there? It seems logical that if the creature had some sort of army there, Kirk should have investigated or at least sent word to the Federation to investigate, not simply leave as though everything is fine and dandy now that the one creature appears to be gone.

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My impression was that Marcos 12 was a well-known planet with a high level of civilization, and the "millions of friends" were the children there. The Gorgan wanted to bring the children of Marcos 12 under its influence, like it did on Triacus.

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    I guess that makes sense. It sounded like he was saying that they were already people he had brain-washed, but I suppose since he said “Marcos 12 will be our new beginning”, he may have meant to go there to repeat what happened on Triacus.
    – Synetech
    Commented Jan 7, 2014 at 16:18
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The Gorgon tells the kids:

GORGON: (echoy voice) You have done very well, my friends. You have done what must be done. You have come aboard the Enterprise. Now our destination is a Federation settlement. Captain Kirk will undoubtedly choose a closer station. Do not let that deter you. Marcos Twelve has millions of people on it. Nearly a million will join us as our friends. The rest will be our enemies. Together with our other friends who will join us, we will defeat our enemies as we defeated them on Triacus. A million friends on Marcos will make us invincible...

The Gorgon says they should head for a Federation settlement, and chooses Marcos I2. He says it has millions of people on it, and almost a million will become their friends, the rest will be enemies. The Gorgon has not yet taken over the kids on Marcos XII, he expects to do so when they arrive.

And on the bridge:

TOMMY: Captain, after we leave here, can you take us to Marcos Twelve?

KIRK: No. We'll probably take you to a Federation Starbase.

TOMMY: But I have relatives on Marcos Twelve.

KIRK: I'm sorry, Tommy. Marcos Twelve is not within our patrol area. Mister Spock, we'll pursue this in my quarters.

http://www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/60.htm1

This certainly indicates that Kirk thinks of Marcos Twelve as an ordinary colony planet.

Therefore there should be no danger on Marcos XII until and unless the Gorgon reaches it and brainwashes the kids there, and Kirk has no reason to expect otherwise.

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