Description[]
- The USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, is en route to the extreme edge of the Alpha Quadrant, and to a region known as the Vara Nebula. Its mission: to investigate why science outpost Zeta Gibraltar is not answering any Federation hailing messages. When the Enterprise arrives, a scan shows no life-forms in the science station. Kirk leads a landing party, and quickly discovers the reason for the strange silence — signs of a violent firefight are everywhere. Zeta Gibraltar has been completely raided. Yet there are no bodies, and the entire roster of station personnel is missing…
Summary[]
The Enterprise arrives at an outpost on Zeta Gibraltar to find it completely deserted. Evidence points to the L'rah'hane, a group of pirates who once captured slaves for the Hradrian Empire, but who haven't been seen since the late 22nd century. The Enterprise tracks and defeats the L'rah'hane ships to recover their captives, but in addition to the Starfleet personnel, they discover what appear to be historical figures from human history.
These are soon revealed to be Excalbians, who have become trapped in humanoid form. Their leader, who has taken on the persona of George Washington, turns out to be Yarnek, whom Kirk had encountered previously. He explains the Excalbians' test of the Enterprise crew was actually intended to prove the existence of life outside the Excalbian group-mind, but many of their people rejected the assertion, with the result of Yarnek's faction having been cast out. They seek sanctuary from the Federation, with Representative Valek, a protégée of Sarek's, being sent to assess their suitability.
Excalbian ships.
Sulu and Chekov discover an old Hradrian station, which the L'rah'hane are using as their base. Meanwhile, the Excalbians decide to take possession of Zeta Gibraltar and a group of captured L'rah'hane ships, and declare themselves an independent state. They join the Enterprise in attacking the outpost, defeating the ships, and convincing the automated station to release any slaves onboard to them.
The Montana.
However, upon returning to Zeta Gibraltar, they find that the USS Montana, with Valek onboard, has been hijacked by the main Excalbian faction. This, as it turns out, is an attempt by their commander, Anvit, to open negotiations. After the Enterprise's departure in 2269, the Excalbians continued taking space travellers to participate in gladiatorial games, but one of these, a malevolent cosmic entity known as the Demiurge, turned out to be a being that feeds on life and information, and destroyed all civilization on Excalbia. The refugees thus officially request the Federation's help.
Enterprise.
The Enterprise joins with the Excalbians in confronting the Demiurge. Spock and an Excalbian with the identity of Benjamin Franklin manage to use an old Hradrian weapon to overfeed the Demiurge with knowledge, causing it to break apart. The Federation recognises the New Excalbians as a separate state, while Anvit and the other survivors are allowed to settle on a planetoid in the nearby nebula.
References[]
Characters[]
- Anvit • William Bligh • Pavel Chekov • Confucius • Imelda Contreras • Marie Curie • Leonardo da Vinci • Cyrano de Bergerac • Stephen Decatur, Jr. • The Demiurge • Francis Drake • Emilie du Chatelet • Queen Elizabeth I • Erget • Michael Faraday • Henry Ford • Benjamin Franklin • Gaines • Galileo Galilei • Mahatma Gandhi • Graves • Gregg • Haynes • John Paul Jones • Johannes Kepler • James T. Kirk • Leslie • Naftali Levin • Mary, Queen of Scots • Leonard McCoy • McGillicuty • Mullen • Horatio Nelson • Oda Nobunaga • Marco Polo • Aidan Ripoll • Sacajawea • Montgomery Scott • Philip Sheridan • Splo • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Julia Tanner • Thibodeaux • Harriet Tubman • Nyota Uhura • Valek • James Watt • Yarnek
- Referenced only
- Alice • François-Marie Arouet • François-Marie Arouet • Beldak • William Bligh • Napoléon Bonaparte • Napoléon Bonaparte • Sandro Botticelli • Edward Braddock • Gautama Buddha • Julius Caesar • Cheshire cat • Cincinnatus • Confucius • Charles Cornwallis • Marie Curie • Leonardo da Vinci • Cyrano de Bergerac • Abel I de Cyrano • François Joseph Paul de Grasse • de Varlane • Stephen Decatur, Jr. • D'Hrot • Francis Drake • Emilie du Chatelet • Albert Einstein • Elizabeth I • George William Fairfax • Sally Fairfax • Michael Faraday • Millard Fillmore • Henry Ford • Benjamin Franklin • Galileo Galilei • Luigi Galvani • Mahatma Gandhi • God • Amanda Grayson • Nathanael Greene • Phillip Green • Phillip Green • Guardian of Forever • Bill Hickok • Bill Hickok • Hildegard of Bingen • Hildegard of Bingen • Howe • I-Chaya • Jesus of Nazareth • John Paul Jones • Kahless the Unforgettable • Kahless • Johannes Kepler • Genghis Khan • Genghis Khan • Henry Knox • Leibnitz • Abraham Lincoln • Abraham Lincoln • Niccolò Machiavelli • Niccolò Machiavelli • Mary, Queen of Scots • Horatio Nelson • Isaac Newton • Oda Nobunaga • Marco Polo • Marcel Proust • Marcel Proust • Rurik • Sacajawea • Sarek • Philip Sheridan • Socrates • John Sullivan • Surak • Surak • Jonathan Swift • Sybok • Tanaghrisson • Terima • T'Mere • T'Pring • Harriet Tubman • unnamed Humans • Varen • George Washington • Martha Washington • James Watt • Wingate • James Wolfe • Zora • Zora
Locations[]
- Alpha Quadrant • Council Chamber of the New Excalbia Assembly • the galaxy • Gibraltar system • Haversack • Milky Way Galaxy • Vara Nebula • Zeta Gibraltar
- Referenced only
- Aberdeen • America • Atlantic Ocean • Barlow's Planet • Bay of Firth • Britain • Caribbean • Cerulean system • Delaware • Delaware River • Dnieper River • Earth • England • Europe • Excalbia • Excalbian system • Exclusion Zone • Fort Duquesne • Fort Necessity • France • Garden of Eden • Hamish D • Heaven • Hell • Iowa • Italy • L'rah'hane homeworld • Mediterranean • Montreal • Moscow • Mount Vernon • Nefertiti sector • New Jersey • New York • North America • Orion • Pennsylvania • Philadelphia • Russia • Sandora Prime • Sol • Tiburon • Trafalgar • Trenton • Upper Stratum • Upsilon Gibraltar • Upsilon moon • Virginia • Vulcan • Yorktown
Starships and vehicles[]
- NES Agamemnon • NES Albemarle • NES Boreas • Copernicus (shuttlecraft) • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • Excalbian vessel • Hradrian attack ship • Hradrian warship • Kepler/SS Scottybuilt (shuttlecraft) • lifepod • L'rah'hane vessel • USS Montana (Archer-class) • NES Victory (warship)
- Referenced only
- Academy flitter • Albemarle • boat • forklift • L'rah'hane dreadnought • flying carpet • robotic mining transport
Races and cultures[]
- Referenced only
- Hradrian • Human (American Indian • British • Egyptian • Hessian) • Klingon • Romulan
States and organizations[]
- Excalbian Collective • New Excalbia • New Excalbia Assembly • New Excalbia Navy • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Continental Congress • Council Special Committee for Security and Frontier Intelligence • Federation Ambassadorial Service • Federation Council • French Navy • Hradrian Empire • Hradrian Navy • Klingon Empire • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Guidance Committee • Starfleet Security • Union • United States of America • University of Glasgow • Vulcan Science Academy
Science and technology[]
- accelerator • activation lock • adrenaline • aerosol • airlock • alien • ammonia • antenna • antimatter • artificial gravity • artificial gravity compensator • atmosphere • atomic bomb • atom • automation • autopilot • beacon • biology • bio-matter • biomonitor • biosensor • bird • black hole • blood • bone • brain • calculus • cannon • capacitor • carbon • centimeter • chromosome • chrono • clock • clone • Colt 1851 revolver • command chair • communication receiver • communication speaker • communicator • communications array • compass • computer • cooling manifold • core meltdown • crane • dark matter • database • data card • data slate • data wand • deflector shield • dentures • dilithium matrix • dimension • disruptor • DNA • docking collar • door buzzer • drone • drug • dust storm • earpiece • electronic blackboard display • electron • energy • energy weapon • engine • entangled quantum particle • evolution • Excalbian skin cell • extremophile • fader • feather • field beam • fire • flagship • fog • force field • 'fresher • galactic cluster • galaxy • gamma radiation • gas giant • glasses • gluon energy • gravimetric wave • gravitational generator • gravitational plate • graviton • graviton microscope • gravity • gravity stove • gun • hair • hammer • Haversack technical unit • heart • heart cell • hermaphrodite • hologram • hour • humanoid • ice • impulse drive • inertial compensator • infrared radiation • input station • insectoid • intercom • interface plug • interior blood analysis tool • ion • ion drive • ion signature • ion trail • kilometer • kinetic • landmine • laser • launch tube • lava • Leyden jar • lifeform • life support • logic circuit • long-range probe • long-range sensor • Lorentz transformation • lung • magma • magnet • maintenance drone • mammal • manacles • manifold vent • mathematics • matter • medication • memory processor • meter • microscope • mile • minute • monitor • musket • musket pistol • nacelle • nanosecond • nanotechnology • navigational beacon • nebula • nebular dust cloud • nerve cell • nuclear torpedo • null space • orbit • packet transfer station • pain spray • parasite • parsec • phaser • photon • photon torpedo • photosynthesis • physics • pill • pistol • planetary defense system • plant • plasma-transfer • pocket universe • positron • probe • projectile weapon • pseudopod • quantum disruption device • quantum physics • quarantine • quark • radiation • radiation poisoning • radio • rain • receiver • Rigelian fever • robotic probe • robot • satellite • second • sensor • sensor readout array • sensor scope • sensor sweep • shock wave • signal pad • silicon • singularity • singularity weapon • slingshot • space • space elevator • space station • space-time continuum • spectacles • stabilizer • star-forming matter • starship • star • star system • steam engine • steam pipe • subatomic particle • subspace • subspace marker • subspace radio • subspace receiver • subspace transceiver • supernova • suspended animation • tachyon • tectonic plate • terraforming • thermal regression analysis • thruster • time • time bomb • torpedo • tractor beam • transceiver • transporter • transporter pad • tricorder • triviewer • turbolift • ultraviolet radiation • universal translator • universe • vertebrate • vibro-knife • viewport • viewscreen • virus • Vulcan heart cell • warp engine • warp factor • warp propulsion variance • water • weapons platform • wheel
Ranks and titles[]
- actor • administrator • admiral • ambassador • artist • assassin • author • bureaucrat • captain • cavalryman • chief • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief of station • colonel • commander • commanding officer • commissioner • commodore • communications officer • cop • crewman • The Crown • dictator • diplomat • director • doctor • empress • engineer • ensign • executioner • field biologist • first officer • general • gladiator • helmsman • instructor • judge • king • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • magician • mathematician • medical officer • mercenary • midshipman • navigator • officer • philosopher • pilot • pirate • plenipotentiary • politician • President of the United States of America • queen • referee • sailor • samurai • scholar • science officer • scientist • second-in-command • senior officer • slave • slaver • sniper • soldier • Special Representative • Starfleet liaison officer • surgeon • swordsman • technician • transporter chief • warrior • weapons officer • yeoman
Other references[]
- 1776 • 1810 • 2173 • 18th century • 20th century • 21st century • 22nd century • Academy Double Windstar Award • administrative code • ale • algae • alon • American chestnut • American Revolutionary War • anchor • archaeology • asteroid • Babel Conferences • bairn • bar • bat • battle-ax • Battle of Trenton • bear • bee • beehive • beer • biolab • bog • booby trap • bookshelf • book • boot • bosun's whistle • brandy • bread • bridge • briefing room • brig • bucket • bulkhead • bush • camouflage • Candide • cane • captain's log • carbon paper • cargo hold • cart • casino • castle • cat • cave • cave crawler • Celtic language • century • chess • church • church mouse • civil war • Class M • clothing • coat • cocoon • coffee • colony • concentration camp • constellation • continent • convoy • copper • corn • corral • corridor • country • court martial • crab • cravat • credit • cremation • crystal • crystal ball • dagger • day • December • Declaration of Independence • Declaration of the New Excalbia Assembly • democracy • desert • diamond • dilithium • dilithium quantum credit • display mannequin • distress call • dormitory • dryad • elephant • emotion • empathy • empire • engineering • eon • épée • Eugenics Wars • extinction • eyeliner • fabric • Federation Asylum Act • Federation Order 1123G • fencing foil • fine-tooth comb • fireworks • flower • fly • French and Indian War • French language • frog • fruit • gambling • gavel • gemstone • genocide • ghost • giant • glass • glove • god • government • granite • graveyard • group-mind • gun powder • hail • hangar deck • haystack • helm • hippopotamus • history • holocaust • homeworld • honey • hornet • horse • Industrial Revolution • Introduction to Starfleet Etiquette and Protocol • iron • Italian language • ivory • jacket • Jefferies tube • jelly • jewel • katra • kingdom • kiss • knife • Koon-ut-kal-if-fee • laboratory • landing party • language • Latin • leather • lice • lipstick • liquor • logic • longsword • looking glass • Lotholian shooter • L'rah'hane language • magma flower • mahogany • map • marriage • mate-bond • mattress • melon • metal • meteoroid • micrometeoroid • military • millennia • mind meld • mine • mining • Mona Lisa • moon • mountain • mouthpiece • nail polish • nectar • needle • Nelson diagonal • net • nickel • notification bell • nuclear war • nymph • oil painting • outpost • painting • paper • peanut • pebble • perfume • philosophy • photograph • pig • pipe • piracy • plak tow • planetoid • planet • plasto-ceramic • playing card • poker • political asylum • polity • pon farr • porcelain • powder horn • Prime Directive • Principia • puzzle • quarters • rapier • ration • rec room • red alert • religion • Renaissance • ribbon • rock • Romulan ale • rum • Russian language • sandal • sandalwood • Saurian brandy • scholarship • school • science • science outpost • science station • scotch • Scottish brogue • seaweed • sector • sehlat • self destruct • sewing needle • shackles • sheep • sherry • shore leave • sickbay • silk • silver • skeleton crew • slave pen • slavery • smuggling • snifter • spear • spider • spring • stardate • Starfleet General Orders and Regulations • Starfleet uniform • stopper • Strathisla 1786 • sugar • summer • supply depot • sword • tartan sash • technology • telepathy • Tholian silk • three-dimensional chess • tiger • tightrope • tobacco • toothpick • toy • toy soldier • transporter room • transverse-g type dilithium • Tree of Knowledge • tricorn hat • tweed suit • urchin • vine • vodka • walking cane • warehouse • weapon • web • wheat • whip • wig • winter • winter corn • wolf • wood • wool • worm • wrestling • year • yuletide • zoo
Appendices[]
Background[]
- The non-Federation vessels on the cover are (a reuse of) the Tret vessels from the Star Trek: Enterprise episode "Extinction".
Images[]
Timeline[]
Production history[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Serpents in the Garden |
TOS Stories | Next novel: Crisis of Consciousness |
| Previous novel: Devil's Bargain |
Novels by: Tony Daniel |
Next novel: TBA |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: From the Depths |
Next Adventure: Crossroad | |
External link[]
- Savage Trade article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.