Description
- Operation Vanguard has risked countless lives and sacrificed entire worlds to unlock the secrets of the Shedai, an extinct alien civilization whose technology can shape the future of the galaxy. Now, Starfleet's efforts have roused the vengeful Shedai from their aeons of slumber. As the Taurus Reach erupts with violence, hundreds of light-years away, on "The Planet of Galactic Peace," Ambassador Jetanien and his counterparts from the Klingon and Romulan empires struggle to avert war by any means necessary. But Jetanien discovers their mission may have been designed to fail all along… Meanwhile, living in exile on an Orion ship is the one man who can help Starfleet find an ancient weapon that can stop the Shedai: Vanguard's former commanding officer, Diego Reyes.
- The end of the epic saga begins.
Summary
April 2270
Timothy Pennington goes to visit Diego Reyes on Caldos II where he was silently sequestered after being removed from Vanguard. Pennington wants to know about the events surrounding the end of Project Vanguard. Though he knows the story will never be allowed to be published, Reyes begins telling him what he knows.
2268, Vanguard
Aboard the Omari Ekon, Pennington tries to find out from Reyes what happened to him between when his prison transport was destroyed and when he resurfaced aboard the Omari Ekon; he also wants to know why/how Reyes betrayed Starfleet by giving the Klingons information about Vanguard station. Reyes replies that he never betrayed Starfleet but that his relaying information about Starbase 47 was motivated by survival and to prevent the Klingons from hurting people during their raid. When Pennington leaves the Orion ship, he meets with T'Prynn who sent him to survey Reyes' situation and seek his cooperation.
Cervantes Quinn is back to being a brawling, drunken bar fly. When Pennington tries to reconnect with his friend, Quinn is confrontational and pushes him away.
Admiral Nogura and his senior staff wish to extract Reyes but Holly Moyer, the senior JAG officer, reminds them that such an operation would be illegal. Serrosel ch'Nayla and T'Prynn tell Nogura that Reyes has indicated his willingness to cooperate with Starfleet. Nogura approves using Reyes to find out where Ganz obtained the Mirdonyae Artifact he delivered to Vanguard.
Nogura arranges to have Doctor Ezekiel Fisher conduct a medical exam of Reyes during which the doctor injects him with a microscopic transceiver that allows Reyes to receive undetectable messages from T'Prynn. Reyes agrees to retrieve the Omari Ekon's navigational logs.
The crystalline polyhedron containing the captured Shedai Wanderer has been transferred to the USS Lovell where Ming Xiong is attempting to communicate with her. The Wanderer is aware of their efforts and senses the Shedai imprisoned in the other crystal but she is busy figuring out how to escape and doesn't desire to communicate.
Reyes and T'Prynn try to access the Omari Ekon's logs through an electronic poker game on the large gaming deck. Their efforts fail but they glean information on the computer's security system. Nogura approves a second attempt. Meanwhile, Starfleet sends in two operatives from Vanguard's security personnel to extract Reyes without informing Vanguard's senior staff, including Nogura, about the attempt. Reyes cooperates with the officers as they under orders to kill him if he does not. The officers are killed in the attempt and Reyes is caught by the Orions. Ganz fumes over the incident and decides to have Reyes killed against Neera's orders. T'Prynn becomes aware of this and has Reyes extract the navigational logs before Ganz can make his move. With transport inhibitors in place, the only was off the ship is through the station gangway.
Xiong tries again to contact the Wanderer who continues to ignore him. Once again she comes in contact with the other Shedai who tells her that he is the first Shedai, named the Progenitor. He tells the Wanderer to patiently wait for an opportunity to escape.
Reyes fights his way off the Omari Ekon. A fire fight erupts between the Orions and Starfleet on the gangway. Intelligence officer ch'Nayla is killed in the exchange; Pennington loses an arm protecting Reyes and T'Prynn. Reyes kills Ganz, shooting off his head.
The Omari-Ekon soon departs from Vanguard. Reyes is placed under house arrest until he can be debriefed. Pennington has his arm amputated; later T'Prynn mind melds with him to relieve his phantom pain.
Xiong and T'Prynn use the captured navigational logs to track down the origin of the Mirdonaye Artifact to the Eremar system which is the former seat of the T'kon Empire. Nogura plans to dispatch the USS Sagittarius to investigate the system in two weeks once it is done undergoing maintenance in the station docking bay.
As Xiong and the Lovell's crew attempt to contact the Wanderer again, she begins to use the energies of the communication signal to strengthen herself and weaken the crystal's energy field. She quickly breaks out and begins attacking the containment chamber. The crew evacuate the secondary hull. After the Wanderer pierces the hull, the Lovell severs its secondary hull. Moments later, the Wanderer destroys the secondary hull and immediately attacks the spherical primary hull. The Sagittarius comes to the Lovell's aid and the Wanderer flees the system, vowing to herself to return and destroy her enemies.
Quinn refuses to go on any more missions for Starfleet and T'Prynn.
Hostilities between the Klingons and Tholians in the Taurus Reach escalate as it becomes inevitable that the three powers in the sector will openly clash. Meanwhile Nogura is concerned about another Shedai attack on Vanguard.
Reyes invites Fisher to join him on Caldos II before being secreted to his forced exile.
April 2270
Reyes asks Pennington what happened after he left and when Pennington left Vanguard. Pennington responds, "I was there until the end, mate. The bitter, bloody end."
References
Characters
Vanguard personnel and residents
- Allie • Jon Cooper • Ezekiel Fisher • Joe Gianetti • Toby Greenfield • Mary Jane Hetzlein • Haniff Jackson • Carol Marcus • Holly Moyer • Serrosel ch'Nayla • Heihachiro Nogura • Tim Pennington • Cervantes Quinn • T'Prynn • Marshall Watts • Ming Xiong
- Referenced only
- Ginther • Nezrene • Tom Walker
Defiant personnel
- Thomas Blair • Jane Hamilton • Clarissa Nyn • Kamau Mbugua • Ravishankar Sabapathy • Terry Shull • T'Lehr • Trethishavu th'Vlene
- Referenced only
- Stevok
Lovell personnel
- Mahmud al-Khaled • Jeffrey Anderson • Kurt Davis • Jessica Diamond • Moves-With-Burning-Grace • Brian O'Halloran • Daniel Okagawa • Folanir Pzial • Araev zh'Rhun • Sasha Rodriguez
- Referenced only
- Bernd Perplies • Frances Porter
Omari-Ekon personnel
- Drev • Ganz • Lekkar • Nakaal • Neera • Tonzak
- Referenced only
- Zett Nilric • Trianna
Nimbus III residents
- D'tran • Jetanien • Kanjar • Lugok, son of Breg • Sergio Moreno • Carla Schiappacasse • Tara Varney
- Referenced only
- Adinolfi • S'anra • Thies
Others
- Festrene • Hazthrene • Ja'tesh • Kraloq • Shedai Progenitor • Diego Reyes • Tozhene • Shedai Wanderer •
- Referenced only
- Apollo • Shedai Apostate • Sakud Armnoj • Lora Brummer • Oriana D'Amato • Rana Desai • Hallie Gannon • God • Garold Hicks • Mike Ilucci • Kera • Atish Khatami • James T. Kirk • James Komack • Kutal • Jabilo M'Benga • Shedai Maker • Bridget McLellan • Adelard Nassir • Phinda • Anna Sandesjo • Satan • Vrax
Locations
- Alpha Quadrant • Beta Quadrant • Caldos II (Caldos colony) • Mirdonyae V • Nimbus III (Federation Consulate • Paradise City • Public Hall) • Taurus Reach/Gonmog Sector • Traelus (Traelus II) • Vanguard (Stars Landing • Tom Walker's • Vanguard Hospital • Vault)
- Referenced only
- Argelius II • Eremar • Erilon • Fontana Meadow • Gamma Tauri IV • Gre'thor • Hell • Jinoteur system (Jinoteur IV) • Klingon Consulate • Leramin • Melkotian homeworld • Mirdonyae V • Qo'noS • Qualor II • Romulan Consulate • Romulus • Sector 9 • Sol system (Earth (Colorado Rockies • Fujiyama • Golden Gate Bridge • New Zealand • New Zealand Penal Settlement • Pacific Ocean • San Francisco Bay • Scotland • Scottish Highlands • Starfleet Headquarters)) • Vintaak system • Vulcan
Races and cultures
- Andorian • Chelon • Gallamite • Human (Dutch • Greek • Scot) • Klingon • Orion • Rigellian • Romulan • Shedai (Serrataal) • Tellarite • Tholian • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Deltan • Gorn • Melkotian • Nalori • Shedai Sentinel • Tkon • Zakdorn
Starships and vehicles
- boat • Class F shuttlecraft • D7 class • USS Defiant (Constitution-class) • escape pod • USS Lovell (Daedalus-class) • Omari-Ekon • USS Sagittarius (Archer-class scout) • Sporak
- Referenced only
- USS Akhiel • USS Bombay • USS Buenos Aires • USS Endeavour • USS Enterprise • USS Kongo • USS Malacca • USS Masao • USS Nowlan • Treana (Orion freighter) • Rocinante (Mancharan starhopper) • USS Theseus • USS Zander • IKS Zin'za
States and organizations
- Federation Diplomatic Corps • Federation News Service • Imperial Senate of the Romulan Star Empire • Judge Advocate General • Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Empire • Klingon Houses • Orion Syndicate • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Starfleet Intelligence • Tholian Assembly • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Broht and Forester • Byzantine • Federation Council • Klingon High Council • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Medical • Tai'Shan • Tkon Empire
Science and Technology
- access boom • adrenaline • airlock • agriculture • antigrav cart • antimatter • Arcturian blood disease • Arcturan limb-specific necrosis • arithmetic • astrogator • atmosphere • automated survey probe • autopsy • baryonic array • battery • biobed • biosynthesis • biosynthetic limb • bomb • bulkhead • burst transmitter • chroniton gauge • chronometer • communications array • communications • communicator • computer • computer terminal • cortical stimulator • dampening field • database • data card • data slate • deflector array • deflector shield • dermal regenerator • dilithium • disruptor • disruptor pistol • DNA • drug • duranium • energy • engine • environmental suit • food slot • force field • gaming console • gas • gravitational anomaly • harmonics resonance processor • hypospray • impulse generator • impulse vent • isolation chamber • intercom • jamming field • Jinoteur Pattern • light bulb • magnetic key • matter • medical scanner • melatonin • menu card • mining • Mirdonyae Artifact • monitor • muscle regenerator • neural neutralizer • pacification field • particle beam generator • particle beam weapon • pergium • phaser • photon torpedo • planet • potassium • power generator • probe • projectile weapon • pulsar • record tape • recorder • refrigeration unit • rifle • Rigelian fever • rodinium • ryetalyn • scanner • self-destruct • sensor • sensor-scattering technology • space • star • star chart • status indicator • stellar cartography • stun baton • subcutaneous transceiver • subnet • subspace • subspace relay • supernova • tachyon scanner • Taurus Meta-Genome • telepathy • terraforming • transceiver • translator module • transponder • transporter • transporter inhibitor • transporter platform • tricorder • turbolift • type-1 phaser • universal translator • vaccine • video • viewscreen • vitamin • warp core • warp drive • warp engine • warp nacelle • web generator • weather modification network
Ranks and titles
- accountant • administrator • admiral • ambassador • archaeology & anthropology officer • assistant • assistant chief medical officer • attaché • bartender • bouncer • business manager • cadet • captain • chef • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief of security • chief petty officer • commander • commanding officer • commodore • communications officer • constable • counselor • crewman • diplomat • dockmaster • doctor • engineer • ensign • executive officer • farmer • first officer • flag officer • food vendor • freight hauler • helmsman • horticultural specialist • instructor • intelligence officer • journalist • lawyer • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • lieutenant junior grade • mechanic • merchant prince • musician • navigator • officer • physician • pilot • pirate • politician • Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire • quartermaster • rear admiral • reporter • science officer • scientist • security guard • security officer • senator • server • skipper • soldier • spy • technician • trader • waitress • warrior • yeoman
Other references
- 2268 • 2270 • 17th century • alcohol • Aldebaran whiskey • alien • Andorian genders • animal • anniversary • April • The Art of War • banana • bandolier • binoculars • biscuit • blackjack • blood • bloodhound • blood oath • bloodwine • bone • book • bourbon • brain • brandy • bread • bridge • brig • buffet • butter • cabbage • Caldosian whiskey • calendar • cargo bay • century • chess • chorizo • Christmas • cigar • city • clothing • club • coffee • colony • coma • The Count of Monte Cristo • court-martial • crater • credit • crystal • dagger • day • decade • demon • dinosaur • diplomacy • distress call • divorce • docking port • Earther • Earth-Romulan War • engineering • Federation Standard • fire • fireplace • first contact • fish • fishing • galaxy • gambling • glass • glenget • gold • Great Hope Day • green tea • guardian angel • gymnasium • hair • hammer • heart • history • holiday • hour • humanoid • insect • isolation protocols • Kentucky bourbon • keypad • kilometer • kiss • klaxon • knife • Kohlanese stew • lamp • leather • library • lion • logic • marriage • martial arts • medkit • mess hall • metal • meter • millennia • mind-meld • minute • money • month • mountain • music • naghs • One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich • Operation Vanguard • Organian Peace Treaty • Orion language • paper • parasite • penal colony • perfume • photograph • piracy • plastic • poker • prejudice • Qagh Sopbe' • quadrant • quarantine • rain • red alert • rhinoceros • Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption • rock • Romulan ale • salad • second • sector • shovel • silver • smuggling • song • spaceport • spice • Starfleet uniform • star system • Sunrise on Zeta Minor • tattoo • tea • Tellarite work chantey • terrestrial enclosure • tlhIngan Hol • tobacco • toilet • tree • tuber root • tumor • uniform • Vulcan nerve pinch • water • week • whiskey • wine • xenophobia • year • yellow alert
Appendices
Related stories
| 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 |
Timeline
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Declassified |
Vanguard novels | Next novel: Storming Heaven |
| Previous story: Ward: Almost Tomorrow, Dilmore: Hard News, together: Ill Winds |
Stories by: Dayton Ward, Kevin Dilmore |
Next story: Ward: That Which Divides, Dilmore/together: Point of Divergence |
External links
- What Judgments Come article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.