Ship of the Line

For other uses, see Ships of the Line.

Description[]

Revealed at last! The lost years between Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact.

The Starship Enterprise 1701-D has been destroyed, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard finds himself without a command. While waiting for his new ship, Captain Picard has gone with Lieutenant Commander Worf on a delicate diplomatic mission to the Cardassian Empire.

As Picard conducts high-level negotiations for the return of Federation prisoners of war, the Starship Enterprise 1701-E is being constructed under the supervision of Captain Morgan Bateson, a veteran of the twenty-third century who spent nearly ninety years in a pocket universe. Commanding this new Enterprise on what was supposed to be a short shakedown cruise, Captain Bateson has an idea of his own. In defiance of Starfleet Command, he will take Starfleet's newest, strongest ship and strike at the heart of the newly aggressive Klingon Empire.

Captain Picard's negotiations proceed smoothly -- until he discovers that a hate-crazed Klingon commander -- Captain Bateson's archenemy from ninety years ago -- has taken the Enterprise from Bateson and launched a vicious attack on Cardassia Prime. To save the ship and preserve intergalactic peace, Picard must ally himself with his former Cardassian torturer, rely on the legendary skills of one Montgomery Scott, and draw new strength and inspiration from the memory of James T. Kirk...

Ship of the Line reveals an unforgettable lost chapter in the ongoing saga of Star Trek that will thrill readers of every generation.

Summary[]

In 2278, Klingon commander Kozara attempts to invade Federation space and destroy Starbase 12. In the Fries-Posnikoff Sector, the newly refitted Enterprise rendezvous with the USS Bozeman to transfer 2 bridge specialists- Mike Dennis and John Wolfe. Captain Bateson declares the Enterprise a ship of the line. After the Enterprise leaves to face a Klingon ruse, the Bozeman comes across Kozara's warship. Kozara and Bateson are old enemies. The Bozeman is massively outgunned and tries to keep the Klingons busy to buy time but know they will ultimately be destroyed. During the pursuit, the Bozeman launches a signal buoy set to send out a warning half an hour later then tries to hide in an unknown energy cloud. Entering the cloud, the battered Bozeman loses power and engine control, and was presumed lost.

The Bozeman was not lost, however, but had encountered a temporal distortion in the Typhon Expanse. It was transported forward in time to the year 2368, when it was found by the Enterprise-D. (TNG: Cause and Effect)

Three years later, Picard is brooding over the loss of his second ship at Starbase 12 where the Bozeman is now a museum ship and Bateson presides over construction of the 1701-E. Meanwhile, Kozara returns from a 90 year exile and is greeted by his son, Zaidan, who tells him about Bateson's return, leaving Kozara without a single victory in his life. Zaidan then disowns his father. Kozara swears to kill Bateson and "vilify the name of Enterprise."

Aboard the Enterprise-E, Bateson is completing construction, micromanaging the crew which includes the former Bozeman crew and Montgomery Scott. Meanwhile, Admiral Farrow assigns Picard to a mission to Cardassia rescuing Starfleet POWs from Gul Madred along with Crusher and Worf.

Riker has been appointed first officer of the Enterprise while the Bozeman's first officer, Gabriel "Gabe" Bush, is second officer. Bush has become an alcoholic after learning his fiancée from 90 years ago crossed into Klingon space after his disappearance looking for him, was captured, sent to Rura Penthe, and her remains sent home in ten pieces. For a shakedown cruise, Bateson takes the Enterprise into the Typhon Expanse along the Klingon border for war games. When Riker becomes uneasy with Bateson's leadership, the captain shows him that part of the bridge science station and the forward support struts show minor damage because they are from the wreckage of the 1701-D; the officer's lounge table was also reclaimed from the -D. Bateson says because of these artifacts, the crew of the -E will always know of the legacy of her predecessor.

On course to Cardassia, Picard spends time on the holodeck, observing and conversing with Kirk during the events of "Balance of Terror" and "The Enemy Within". During this time, Picard learns sometimes fighting has to be the first option rather than diplomacy and a captain has to be both an intellectual and a warrior. Aboard the Enterprise, Riker has an argument with Bateson on the bridge and in front of the crew over the folly of possibly provoking the Klingons. Soon, they enter the game with shields and phasers locked at minimal power and are quickly outgunned by Kozara in a small Klingon vessel due to a saboteur onboard who turns out to be John Wolfe, a 23rd century Klingon spy. The Enterprise crew is disabled when stun grenades are beamed aboard; the crew is then transferred to Kozara's ship or locked up aboard the Enterprise. Kozara then takes the ship to attack Cardassia prime.

Due to his holodeck experience, Picard opts to take a tactical rather than diplomatic approach with Madred. Revealing that Madred's daughter aided Picard and worried for her safety, Madred releases his prisoners. She tells him she was disgusted with his work and wanted to show that not all Cardassians were unprincipled. Picard is then warned that the -E is heading for Cardassia Prime. Due to the Klingon-Cardassian War, the planet is defenseless, leaving Picard, the POWs, and their ships the only defense.

Bateson, Riker, and Scotty escape and disable some Klingon guards by leading them into a holodeck, programming it to become a chicken farm slick with chicken guano and locking them in. Engineering is secured by flooding the compartment with an obnoxious odor, then tying up the Klingons while they are incapacitated by the smell. A third group is secured by tampering with the gravity controls in a hallway, slamming them into walls before locking them in a room. They then storm the bridge but are captured just before Picard's rag tag fleet starts to attack. Before the battle can engage, Bateson admits to Kozara that he was finally defeated by the Klingon when the ship was taken telling Kozara that he respected him as a warrior and a leader. Zaidan continues to berate his father for ruining his life. Moved by Bateson's respect and humility while tired of his son's whining, Kozara stands down and permits Picard to beam aboard. Bateson hands command to Picard for retaking the ship he lost. Kozara's ship, which had been set adrift earlier, arrives at the scenes under the command of Gabe Bush who got the ship flying and sought to retake the Enterprise. Swearing no further hostilities, Kozara is allowed to return home with his crew aboard his ship to face repercussions.

Due to the incident, the Klingons are embarrassed and stall their hostilities with the Federation. Picard is given command of the Enterprise by Starfleet. Bateson and his former crew are assigned to the USS Roderick which is redesignated USS Bozeman NCC-1941-A. The next year, as the Bozeman faces a Borg cube and the Enterprise heads to the battle, Picard realizes the need to learn from the determination and self-reliance of Kirk, Bateson, and other captains of the previous century.

References[]

Characters[]

Brent Atherton • Morgan Bateson • Gabriel Bush • Beverly Crusher • Data • Wizz Dayton • Michael Dennis • Gaylon • Ham Hamilton • Hansen (hologram) • George Hill • Keras (hologram) • James T. Kirk • James T. Kirk (hologram) • Kozara • Kuru • Geordi La Forge • Dan Leith • Losh • Madred • Mark McClellan • Stephen McClellan • Leonard McCoy (hologram) • Nolan • Jil Orra • Eduardo Perry • Jean-Luc Picard • William T. Riker • Montgomery Scott • Jack Seneca • Spock • Spock (hologram) • Andrew Stiles (hologram) • Hikaru Sulu (hologram) • Deanna Troi • Mitch Trumbull • Nyota Uhura (hologram) • Veg • Andy Welch • John Wolfe • Worf • Zaidan • Zulish

Referenced only: Barth • Fletcher Christian • Annie Cole • Court • Kaycee Fernando • Garland • David Rankin • Rollins (engineer) • Ruby • Benjamin Sisko • Wattanakul

States and organizations[]

Cardassian Defense Fleet • Dominion • Klingon High Council • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets
Referenced only: British Navy

Science and technology[]

air • antimatter injector • aphrodisiac • charging mount • clock • command chair • computer • deuterium • dial • dilithium crystal • dorsalturret phaser cannon • energy • galactic-condition database • galaxy • gravity • hair • hand phaser • heart • hour • inch • medicine • meter • methane • personal emergency gas mask • phaser • power transfer conduit • refit • replicator • rocket • screen • security camera • sensor sweep • sidearm • skull • space • starship • stomach • tentacle • thruster • time • tractor beam • turbolift • venom • warp factor • warp propulsion • waveguide conduit

Ranks and titles[]

admiral • captain • commander • communications officer • communications technician • engineer • ensign • first mate • first officer • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • lord • officer • peasant • science officer • smuggler

Other references[]

accent • auxiliary arms cabinet • brass • breakfast • bridge • bulkhead • cake plate • carpet • cat • century • chair • cinnamon • clamp • colony • corn flake • corridor • dance • day • decapus • deck • directional readout chart • engineering • family tree • field promotion • five-year mission • food • fraternity house • galley • grog • hammer • hull • hull plate • jacket • leather • lint • mamba • mammal • mask • military • Napoleonic Wars • octopus • ox • pet • planet • podium • poem • rank • red alert • reptile • rum • rum tot • sector • shellfish • shot glass • shrimp • smuggling • soul • strawberry • swan • thermal decanter • uniform • vanilla • voodoo • weapon • wedding • window • year

Timeline[]

published order
Previous novel: Kahless	TNG unnumbered novels	Next novel: Triangle: Imzadi II
Previous novel: Vulcan's Forge	Star Trek hardcovers	Next novel: New Frontier
Previous novel: Day of Honor, Book 1: Ancient Blood	Novels by: Diane Carey	Next novel: The Captain's Table, Book 4: Fire Ship
chronological order
Previous Adventure: Maneuvers	Pocket	Next Adventure: Letting Go Section 1
Previous Adventure: Deep Domain	The Continuing Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) Chapters 1-5	Next Adventure: Wagon Train to the Stars
Previous Adventure: Cause and Effect	Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) Chapters 6-7	Next Adventure: The First Duty
Previous Adventure: The first adventure	Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)	Next Adventure: Slings and Arrows: A Sea of Troubles
Previous Adventure: Second Contact	Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) Chapter 26	Next Adventure: Section 31: Rogue Prologue, Epilogue
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2372. The Pocket Books Timeline places events from this story in three other timeframes:
Previous Adventure: Wagon Train to the Stars Three Months Earlier	2278 Chapters 1-5	Next Adventure: Family Matters
Previous Adventure: Cause and Effect	2368 Chapters 6-7	Next Adventure: The First Duty
Previous Adventure: Star Trek: First Contact	2373 Chapter 26	Next Adventure: Making a Difference

Appendices[]

Background[]

The USS Bozeman is described as having an all-male crew, but several female bridge officers are seen during its only onscreen appearance in "Cause and Effect."

Images[]

External link[]

Ship of the Line article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki