Taran'atar escapes Deep Space 9 after attacking Kira and Ro and enters Cardassian space with Tenmei as a hostage; Vaughn commands the Defiant in pursuit.
Publisher's description
- They were created to be killing machines. Highly intelligent, resourceful, and deceptively complex, the Jem'Hadar are a species engineered for war and programmed at the genetic level for one purpose: to fight until death as soldiers of the sprawling stellar empire known as the Dominion. No Jem'Hadar has ever lived thirty years, and not even their masters, the shape-shifting Founders, know what such a creature is capable of becoming were it to be freed of its servitude.
- One Founder, however, has dared to wonder.
- Appointed by Odo himself to learn peaceful coexistence aboard Deep Space 9, Taran'atar, an Honored Elder among the Jem'Hadar, had for months been a staunch, if conflicted, ally to the crew of the station, ever struggling to understand the mission on which he was sent… until something went horrifically wrong.
- Consumed by self-doubt and an ever-growing rage, Taran'atar has lashed out against those he was sworn to aid. While Captain Kira Nerys and Lieutenant Ro Laren both lie near death aboard DS9, their assailant has taken a hostage and fled into Cardassian space, pursued by Commander Elias Vaughn on the USS Defiant. But as the hunt unfolds, Taran'atar's true objective becomes increasingly less certain, as the rogue Jem'Hadar leads the Defiant to a discovery even more shocking than his crime.
References
Characters
- Aylam Edeen • Julian Bashir • Boehm • Sam Bowers • Ron Broeking • Capril • Cardok • Cenn Desca • Jeannette Chao • Franz Cortez • Ezri Dax • Etana Kol • Greg Forte • Frazelli • Darrell Gervasi • Iliana Ghemor • Grauq • Quin Heins • Hollim Azahn • Michael Ingbar • Jaid • Jarmus Lenn • Jonu • Jull Zehar • Kira Nerys • Koth • Mikaela Leishman • Lorgh • Malk • Minecci • Stefka Merimark • Calvin Moore • Morn • Lisa Neeley • Jang Si Naran • Nog • Orruk • Quark • Qurag • Tariq Rahim • Krissten Richter • Ro Laren • Salmak • Savonigar • Selzner • Sergoz • Benjamin Sisko • Statham • Stov • Michael Strang • Taran'atar • Simon Tarses • Alberto Taveras • Prynn Tenmei • Thron • Treir • Elias Vaughn • Amy Zucca
- Mirror universe characters
- Iliana Ghemor • Ke Hovath • Kira Nerys • Klag • Kurn • L'Haan • Akellen Macet
- Characters in visions
- Bareil Antos • Jadzia Dax • Denigarro • Skrain Dukat • Eris • Female Changeling • Ghavun • Tekeny Ghemor • Jamin • Jayol • Kitana'klan • Kira Meru • Kira Taban • Aamin Marritza • Mokata'klan • Nathech • Keiko O'Brien • Molly O'Brien • Odo • Opaka Sulan • Renla • Benny Russell • Shakaar Edon • Shirab • Sindorin First • Jake Sisko • Tora Ziyal • Elias Vaughn • Weyoun • Yevir Linjarin • Zeir
- Referenced only
- Dante Alighieri • Beverly Crusher • Gowron • Lisanne Hexter • Job • Kall Denna • Ke Hovath • Akellen Macet • Martok • Kirayoshi O'Brien • Miles O'Brien • Roloc • Rebecca Jae Sisko • Ruriko Tenmei • Thirishar ch'Thane • Shathrissia zh'Cheen • Winn Adami • Kasidy Yates
- Mirror universe references
- Gorkon • Martok • Miles O'Brien • Worf
Locations
- Almatha sector • Alpha Quadrant • Bajoran wormhole/Celestial Temple • Deep Space 9 • Geilod • Grennokar • Habitat ring • Harkoum • Iljar • Infirmary • Kalandra sector (Mirror Universe) • Nahanas • Operations center • Promenade • Quark's
- Referenced only
- Ananke Alpha • Andor • Ankaro system • Badlands • Badlands (mirror) • Bajor • Bajor-B'hava'el • Betazed • Betreka Nebula • Burning Sea • Chalna • Coridan III • Earth • Europa Nova • Fields of Berzel • Fire Caves • First City • Gamma Quadrant • Gallitep labor camp • Gamma Quadrant • Gula River • Hedrikspool Province • Idran system • Jo'kala • Jotunheim • Katulu • Lonar Province • Mempa sector • Mount Kola • Musilla University • Nausicaa • Panora • Parek Tonn • Pelagia Prime • Qo'noS • Regulon • Tamulna • Tanglor ice chute • Tower Hill • Sidau • Sindorin • Tarluk V'hel • Terok Nor (mirror) • Trill • Utopia Planitia
Starships
- USS Euphrates (Danube-class) • USS Defiant (Defiant-class) • Githzarai • IKS Gorkon (Regent-class) • IKS Negh'Var (Negh'Var-class) • IKS noH'pach (Haqtaj-class) • Otamawan • Trager (Galor-class) • IRW Verithrax (Romulan warbird)
- Referenced only
- Kamal • Luna-class • USS Rio Grande
Races and cultures
- Andorian • Ascendant • Bajoran • Balduk • Benzite • Caitian • Cardassian • Chalnoth • Eav'oq • Efrosian • Ferengi • Human • Jem'Hadar • Klingon • Lurian • Nalori • Nausicaan • Orion • Pah-wraith • Prophets • Thallonian • Tiburon • Trill • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Betazoid • Borg • Breen • Changeling • Romulan • Ullian • Vorta
- Mirror universe races and cultures
- Bajoran • Cardassian • Klingon • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Terran • Tzenkethi
Technology
- anti-personnel mine • artificial heart • cloaking device • command module • cortical stimulator • cybernetic support • delta-wave generator • duotronic • dynoscanner • fusion core • hoverbike • hypospray • inertial dampener • interphase cloaking device • isolinear rod • medical tricorder • microtorpedo • multidimensional transporter • nanite • neuro-pulse device • osteofuser • PADD • phaser • phaser rifle • proximity detonator • pulse rifle • targeting sensor • tricorder
States and organizations
- Bajora • Bajoran Militia • Dominion • Federation Alliance • Klingon Empire (Klingon Defense Force • Imperial Intelligence) • Klingon-Cardassian Alliance • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Bajoran Resistance • Founders • Great Link • Janir • Klingon Defense Force Command • Navot • Obsidian Order • Paqu • Sidau College of Physics • Starfleet Medical • Starfleet Medical Board • Terran Rebellion
Other references
- adozine • Aldebaran whiskey • allied protectorate • anesthesia • Attainder • Bajoran history • Bajoran prophecy • Bajoran religion • baseball • biogenic weapon • blood • blood type • bloodwine • borhya • bounty hunter • Cardassian language • chroniton • comet • coyote • dabo • d'k tahg • Dominion War • Emissary of the Prophets • explosive decompression • Fek'lhr • Ferengi language • Ferengi Rules of Acquisition • flayer • Four Winds • genitronic replication • graviton spike • Gre'thor • Hand of the Prophets • hasperat • heart • Heart of the Sky • Hippocratic oath • intendant • katana • kava • kava tree • kelbonite • kellipate • ketracel-white • King Lear • Klingon Civil War • kulloth • liaison officer • Lissepian honeycomb • lopa • magnesite • Nausicaan language • neurocine • neutrino • Occupation of Bajor • orb • orb experience • Orb of Memory • orb shadow • pate • polaron • postganglionic nerve • preganglionic fiber • Progenitor • Reckoning • root beer • shroud • Sirah • Starfleet Medical Journal • Sto-Vo-Kor • surface operations blacks • tegol • Tholian silk • transparent aluminum • tribble • triox • tube grub • ultritium • vision • wakizashi • windsurfing • zhom
Appendices
Background information
- On the epigraphs at the start of the novel, David Mack commented "the quote from Milton's Paradise Lost is meant to evoke Taran'atar's state of mind; the line from Dryden's Absalom and Achitophel speaks to Vaughn's wrath; and the passage from Wordsworth's "She was a Phantom of delight" is intended to foreshadow Kira's storyline in Warpath and beyond". [1]
- Warpath won the 2006 Psi Phi Award for Best Star Trek novel cover. Marco Palmieri commented: "I recall thinking that I wanted Taran'atar to appear dangerous and vulnerable at the same time. To that end, I had the idea of him looking really pissed off as he stared back at the reader through crosshairs. We went with an amber wash over the whole thing because that was the color we'd established for Jem'Hadar blood."
- This novel contains an excerpt of the Star Trek: Vanguard novel Summon the Thunder.
Reception
- David Mack commented: "On many levels, I am very happy with the work that has taken shape in the manuscript of Warpath. I feel like I'm starting to achieve a synthesis of the muscular prose I've used for my action oriented tales—such as Failsafe, or the TNG novels A Time to Kill and A Time to Heal — with the more introspective tones of my first novel, S.C.E. Wildfire. Thanks to the consistently astute input I receive from Marco, and from my wife Kara, and from other Star Trek authors such as Keith R. A. DeCandido, Dayton Ward, and Kevin Dilmore, I feel like Warpath is one of my best works so far". (Voyages of Imagination p 278)
- In 2008 and 2009, Robert Lyons of Trekmovie recommended Warpath as an essential novel of the DS9 relaunch. [2], [3]
- In 2013, Empire Magazine recommended Warpath as a "If you only read one" novel of the DS9 relaunch in an article about Star Trek literature. [4]
Related stories
- The Obsidian Alliances novel Saturn's Children is a prequel to this novel.
External links
- Warpath article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- David Mack's annotations for Warpath.
Connections
published order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous novel: Worlds of Deep Space Nine The Dominion: Olympus Descending |
DS9 novels (Post-finale) |
Next novel: Fearful Symmetry |
Previous novel: Worlds of Deep Space Nine The Dominion: Olympus Descending |
DS9 novels | Next novel: Saturn's Children |
chronological order | ||
Previous Adventure: Unimatrix Zero, Part I |
Next Adventure: Unimatrix Zero, Part II | |
Previous Adventure: Worlds of Deep Space Nine The Dominion: Olympus Descending |
Deep Space Nine Adventures | Next Adventure: Fearful Symmetry |