NOVEL
Summon the Thunder
Attribution
Series:	Vanguard
Author(s):	Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
Publication information
Published:	Paperback - June 2006
Pages:	432
ISBN:	ISBN 1416524002

Contents 1 Introduction (blurb) 2 Summary 3 References 3.1 Characters 3.2 Starships and vehicles 3.3 Locations 3.4 Races and cultures 3.5 States and organizations 3.6 Other 4 Information 4.1 Translations 5 Appendices 5.1 Related stories 5.2 Timeline 5.3 External link

Introduction (blurb)Edit

The Taurus Reach: a remote interstellar expanse that holds a very old and potentially cataclysmic secret, the truth of which is feared by the Tholians, coveted by the Klingons, and dubiously guarded by the Federation. At the center of this intrigue is Vanguard, a Federation starbase populated by an eclectic mix of Starfleet officers and civilians, whose lives are forever altered as they explore the layers of mystery surrounding the Reach and steadily peel them away...one after another.

In the aftermath of Harbinger, Commodore Diego Reyes commands Vanguard while waging an intensely personal struggle, tasked to uncover the true significance of the Taurus Reach while simultaneously concealing that mission from his fellow officers -- and even his closest friends. As the Daedalus-class USS Lovell brings some of Starfleet's keenest technical minds to help, the USS Endeavour makes a find that could shed further light on the enigmatic meta-genome that has captured the Federation's interest -- if its crew survives the discovery....

Deep within the Taurus Reach, an ancient and powerful alien mind has awakened prematurely from aeons of hibernation, alerted to the upstart civilizations now daring to encroach upon the worlds in her care. With the stakes for all sides escalating rapidly, the alien lashes out with deadly force against the interlopers, propelling the Vanguard crew on a desperate race to understand the nature of the attacker, and to prevent the Taurus Reach from becoming a war zone.

SummaryEdit

In the Taurus Reach, a lone Romulan bird of prey is investigating why the Tholians, Klingons, and UFP are suddenly interested in the region while trying to avoid detection. Meanwhile Quinn and Pennington are sent by T'Prynn to retrieve data from a Klingon sentry probe while on a delivery run.

The USS Endeavour is investigating traces of the meta-genome and ancient technology at planet Erilon. When Ming Xiong fails to report to a staff meeting, Captain Zhao Sheng beams down to check in on the landing party, leaving first officer Atish Khatami in charge. Soon afterwards, the landing party is attacked by a large featureless humanoid creature that appears to be made of obsidian crystal and the ship comes under attack from subterranean weaponry which is too powerful for its shields. Many in the landing party are killed, Xiong is rescued, and the captain is presumed dead when Khatami retreats from orbit and returns to Vanguard overwhelmed by a sense of failure. Unknown to the crew, the attacker and planetary defenses are controlled by a non-physical being, a female Shedai (creators of the Taurus Reach meta-genome and the ancient technology) named the Wanderer. The Wanderer was awakened prematurely from a centuries long slumber by the Endeavor's landing party.

A temporary replacement for the destroyed USS Bombay arrives, the aged Daedalus class USS Lovell crewed by the S.C.E. and captained by Daniel Okagawa.

The Romulans follow the Klingons to the Palgrenax system where the Klingons have annexed a world and enslaved the planetary pre-warp civilization while investigating Shedai technology they have discovered. The Wanderer transfers to the planet through ancient pathways called Conduits and begins attacking the Klingons in the same fashion as she attacked the Endeavor before. Her “monster” and planetary defenses get the upper hand at first but soon begin losing as Klingon warriors fight valiantly against the crystalline creature and a battle cruiser in orbit begins destroying the planetary defenses. The Wanderer then activates a fail-safe device and abandons the planet. Palgrenax explodes, destroying the Klingon ship in orbit and critically disabling the Romulan vessel. The Romulan commander later self-destructs the ship.

Performing post-mortem on an Endeavor crewman killed while beaming up from Erilon, Doctors Ezekiel Fisher and Jabilo M'Benga discover a crystalline structure around a stab wound that turns out to be made of the meta-genome and very similar to Tholian technology.

Reyes has Khatami promoted to captain. The Endeavor and Lovell are then sent to Erilon to continue their research. Soon, the Wanderer unleashes the same attacks as before. The crews are able to defeat the defenses and crystalline attacker this time then prevent the planet from exploding. The crystalline corpse is then delivered to Vanguard for study.

Reyes chooses to inform Doctor Fisher and JAG officer/girlfriend Rana Desai about the true mission of Vanguard. T'Prynn uses the data recovered by Quinn and Pennington to discover that the unexplored Jinoteur system is the source of a carrier wave that reacts with the ancient technology and the meta-genome.

Anna Sandesjo has been turned into a double-agent by T'Prynn. Sandesjo loves T'Prynn but wonders if the feelings are mutual or if she is being used. Reyes and Pennington come to mutually respect one another.

ReferencesEdit

CharactersEdit

Mahmud al-Khaled • Anitra • Sakud Armnoj • Beyer • Bohanon • Broon • Catera • Donovan Collig • Colleen Cook • Jon Cooper • Darjil • Rana Desai • Jessica Diamond • Eskrene • Hector Estrada • Falstrene • Isaiah Farber • Ezekiel Fisher • Ganz • Varech jav Gek • Ghrex • Ginther • Bruce Griffin • Halse • Hirskene • Ineti • Jetanien • Akeylah Karumé • Kertral • Atish Khatami • Stephen Klisiewicz • Kreq • Kulor • K'voq • Jeanne La Sala • Karen LaMartina • Anthony Leone • Lugok, son of Breg • Jabilo M'Benga • Marielise McCormack • Dietrich Meyer • Bersh glov Mog • Morqla • Holly Moyer • Muller (Lieutenant) • Nauls • Neelakanta • Nelson • N'tovek • Brian O'Halloran • Daniel Okagawa • Tim Pennington • Cervantes Quinn • Diego Reyes • Araev zh'Rhun • Roderick • Anna Sandesjo (Lurqal) • Sarith • Schuster • Sesrene • Zhao Sheng • Sikal • Sovik • Spencer • Sulok • Tonar • Terath • T'Prynn • Turag • Shedai Wanderer • Ming Xiong • Yeskene • Zett Nilric

Referenced only 

Oriana D'Amato • Divad • Hallie Gannon • Mike Ilucci • Aole Miller • Adelard Nassir • Terence Sadler • Sturka • Vekpa

Starships and vehiclesEdit

Aen'q Tholis • IRW Bloodied Talon • USS Endeavour • USS Lovell • Omari-Ekon • Rocinante • IKS Zin'za

Referenced only 

USS Bombay • USS Constellation • USS Dauntless • USS Enterprise • USS Sagittarius

LocationsEdit

Boam II • Eremar • Erilon • Erilon base • Gonmog sector • Grap'hwu province • Palgrenax • Ravanar IV • Taurus Reach • Tholia • Vanguard • Yerad III

Referenced only 

Kessik IV • New Bangkok • Qo'noS

Races and culturesEdit

Chelon • Denobulan • Human • Klingon • Nalori • Orion • Palgrenai • QuchHa' • Rigelian • Shedai • Shedai Sentinel • Tellarite • Tholian • Vulcan • Zakdorn

States and organizationsEdit

Colloquium • Federation Diplomatic Corps • Judge Advocate General • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Council • Leadership Conclave • Political Castemoot • Romulan Senate • Romulan Star Empire • Ruling Conclave • Starfleet • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Tholian Assembly • Tkon Empire • United Federation of Planets

OtherEdit

Aldebaran whiskey • bojnoggi • bolmaq • Conduit • Dahar Master • Denebian slime devil • dierha • d'k tahg • Eugenics Wars • glenget • Grenthemen water hopper • kilaan • Lattice • slijm • Sniffy • SubLink • targ • Taurus meta-genome

InformationEdit

TranslationsEdit

German:

• Title: Rufe den Donner
• Publisher: Cross Cult
• ISBN: 978-3-936480-92-4
• Translator: Claudia Kern
• Published: 2008

AppendicesEdit

• In the novel's inner title page, the 5th city listed under Pocket Books is Erilon, the planet the away team visits during the book.

Related storiesEdit

Stories featuring Starbase Vanguard
Star Trek: Vanguard novels	Harbinger • Summon the Thunder • Reap the Whirlwind • Open Secrets • Precipice • What Judgments Come • Storming Heaven
Short stories and novellas	Distant Early Warning • The Black Flag • Declassified (Almost Tomorrow • Hard News • The Ruins of Noble Men • The Stars Look Down) • In Tempest's Wake

Stories featuring the USS Lovell
Foundations • Where Time Stands Still • Distant Early Warning • Summon the Thunder • Reap the Whirlwind • Open Secrets

TimelineEdit

• Summon the Thunder begins approximately one month after the end of Harbinger, in 2265.

published order
Previous novel: Harbinger	Vanguard novels	Next novel: Reap the Whirlwind
chronological order
Previous Adventure: War Dragons Chapters 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 & 15	Pocket	Next Adventure: The Better Man Chapter 7

External linkEdit

• Summon the Thunder article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.