Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the finale of Picard and the continuations of Discovery, Lower Decks, Prodigy and Strange New Worlds, the advent of new eras in Star Trek Online gaming, as well as other post-56th Anniversary publications such as the new ongoing IDW comic. Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{spoiler}}, {{spoilers}} or {{majorspoiler}} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old. Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. 'Thank You

READ MORE

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki
Register
Advertisement

The USS Enterprise's most deadly foe returns!

Description[]

The Borg—half organic and half machine, they are the most feared race in the known galaxy. In their relentless quest for technological perfection, they have destroyed entire star systems, enslaved countless peoples, and, in a single brutal attack, decimated Starfleet's mightiest vessels. Only a final desperate gambit by Captain Picard and the USS Enterprise crew stopped the Borg from conquering the entire Federation. And now they have returned.

Summary[]

Ensign picard

Young Picard.

Overture[]

At Starfleet Academy, Cadet Jean-Luc Picard and his class (including rival Morgan Korsmo) attend a lecture on Starfleet history by Professor Talbot. A topic discussed is the doomsday machine encountered by the USS Constellation and USS Enterprise. Picard speculates that the planet killer could not have come from far outside the galaxy, because its low speed and requirement of planetary masses for fuel would make it incapable of traveling from another galaxy. Before and during the lecture, Picard repeatedly sees a mysterious woman, who disappears quickly and whom no other person is able to see. Later that night, Picard is alone in his quarters when he sees her again. She speaks to him, thanking him for his insight into the origins of the planet killer. She says that it was built to combat the soulless ones who destroyed her kind, and that she would stop them. Puzzled by her words, Picard tries to find out everything he can about the planet killer and its origins, but is unable to answer the questions the woman's appearance left with him.

Act one[]

On the planet Penzatti, the family of Dantar the 8th is engaged in a family ritual, when klaxons sound. A Borg ship is approaching. The planetary defense system, completely controlled by computers, analyzes the threat and recognizes the attackers as the Borg. Still, the Penzatti are not worried, because the defense system has always saved them, even from an attack by the Romulans twenty years earlier. However, the defense computers actually welcome the Borg, recognizing their way of life as superior, and the defense systems are deactivated. The Borg begin carving up large portions of the planet, transporting them to their ship with tractor beams. Meanwhile, the Penzatti try to defend themselves on the ground. Dantar the 8th is able to kill a Borg soldier with his energy weapon, but the others quickly adapt with force fields. Dantar is knocked unconscious, and a Borg drone enters Dantar's house. Trying to interact with a computer terminal, the Borg is attacked by Dantar's wife, who is able to stick a knife into the Borg's circuitry. The Borg defends itself, killing one of Dantar's daughters and his eldest son. The piece of Penzatti where Dantar's house stands is the last to be cut up by the Borg. While it is being dragged up, the house collapses, killing the whole family, with Dantar as the last witness. Meanwhile, another ship approaches the Borg cube in orbit and quickly begins an attack. Heavily damaged, the Borg stop transporting the last piece of the planet up, which begins to fall back to the surface. The Borg are able to send a warning to the Borg Collective before their ship is destroyed. The ship that destroyed them moves on.

Intermission[]

Act two[]

Grand finale[]

References[]

Characters[]

USS Enterprise-D crew[]

BoyajianTom ChafinBeverly CrusherDataGuinanGeordi La ForgeMeyerMiles O'BrienJean-Luc PicardWilliam RikerSelarDeanna TroiWorfunnamed USS Enterprise-D personnel
Referenced only
Jack CrusherWesley Crusher

USS Repulse crew[]

GoodmanKatherine PulaskiSethAriel Taggert
Referenced only
Argyle

USS Chekov crew[]

HobsonMorgan KorsmoPolly ParkePeelElizabeth ShelbyToomey

Other Starfleet personnel[]

Leah SappTalbotTerman
Referenced only
Matthew DeckerHansonJames T. Kirk

Fictional characters[]

DulcineaSancho PanzaDon Quixote

Other characters[]

Borg dronesReannon BonaventureDantar the 8thDantar the 9thDarrDelcaraLojeneLoskeneThe ManyMartokTurane (Vastator) • unnamed Penzatti
Referenced only
Miguel de CervantesDantar the 6thDantar the 7thLocutus

Starships and vehicles[]

Borg cube (unnamed Borg cubes) • USS Chekov (Excelsior-class) • USS Curie (hospital ship) • USS Enterprise-DTurane's ship (unnamed Ferengi starships) • Doomsday machineUSS Repulse (Excelsior-class)
Referenced only
Phantom CruiserUSS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • USS Constellation (Constitution-class)

Locations[]

Interior locations[]

Starfleet Academy
classroomcorridorquarters
USS Chekov
bridgeready room
USS Enterprise-D
bridgeconference roomcorridorholodecksickbayten forward
USS Repulse
bridgesickbay

Planetary locations and landmarks[]

Golden Gate BridgeLa ManchaSpainSan Francisco

Planets and planetoids[]

EarthPenzatti
Referenced only
Tri Epsilon Delta

Stellar[]

Howell 320KalishSol systemWolf 359Beta Quadrantsector 001Andromeda Galaxy

Races and cultures[]

androidBetazoidBorgEl-AurianFerengiGornHumanKlingonnanitePenzattiShginTholian
Referenced only
OrionRomulan

States and organizations[]

FederationFederation CouncilFerengi AllianceKlingon EmpireRomulan Star EmpireStarfleetTholian AssemblyUnited Federation of Planets

Technology and weapons[]

androidantiproton beambiobedblastercommunicatorcomputerforce fieldhologramKeldin blasterknifelancenanitestarshiptractor beamtransportertricorderVISORwarp nacellewindmill

Other references[]

antiprotoncastrodiniumcancercivil warcommunicationsDappleenergygalaxyGodgovernmenthairhistoryhomeworldhorsehyperspaceklaxonlight-yearmoneymoonplanetphilosophyPicard ManeuverrankRozinanteStarfleet Academyweaponzinator

Chronology[]

2320s
Picard's Academy days.
2340s
The Romulans attack Penzatti.
2366
The Borg begin their approach to sector 001.
2367
After the Borg are defeated at the Battle of Wolf 359, Starfleet begins rebuilding. The next Borg incursion is at Penzatti.

Appendices[]

Background[]

  • This novel originated at a time when the producers of the Star Trek franchise did not tend to collaborate with the authors and editors of licensed works, but a number of concepts from this book ended up being used in later productions, ostensibly by coincidence and not by design:
  • This book was translated for a German language edition by Heyne-Verlag as the 20th book in their TNG series. When the translation rights for new TNG material moved to Cross Cult, Heyne issued eBook versions of all their previously translated material, including this novel.
  • Of the book's origins, author Peter David stated that editor Kevin Ryan said, "I want a giant book about the Borg and I want you to write it fast." David said, "I was very pleased that I had the opportunity to do a sequel, of sorts, to one of my favorite episodes, "The Doomsday Machine". I think it's this kind of cross referencing, the doomsday machine tying into the Borg, that people get really excited over." (The Official Fan Club Magazine Issue 80: "Where No Man...")

Images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous novel:
Metamorphosis
TNG unnumbered novels Next novel:
Reunion
chronological order
Previous Adventure:
Dark Mirror
Pocket Next Adventure:
Of Cabbages and Kings
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2367.
The Pocket Books Timeline places events from this story in one other timeframe:
Previous Adventure:
An Easy Fast
Section 2
2326
Chapter 1
Next Adventure:
Enter the Wolves


Translations[]
1993
German : Vendetta, translated by Andreas Brandhorst. (Heyne)
1999
Japanese : ヴェンデッタ 上・下, translated by Hiroshi Saito. (Hayakawa Bunko)

External link[]

Advertisement