Screen Rant

The latest Discovery tie-in, Die Standing, reveals where Kirk was during Discovery seasons 1 and 2. 1 / 8

Kirk's career had only just begun, and he was assigned to the USS Farragut as a phaser operator. 2 / 8

Unfortunately Farragut was damaged by a monstrous creature, and Kirk was one of the few survivors. 3 / 8

Georgiou was one of the key assets brought in to investigate for Section 31... 4 / 8

And the book explores her investigation... 5 / 8

With frequent reference of Kirk's recovery. 6 / 8

It's set just before season 2... 7 / 8

Meaning during season 2, Kirk was on Earth recuperating before returning to active duty. 8 / 8