Lesser Evil

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Mission Gamma, Book Four of Four
Lesser Evil by Robert Simpson
Published October 2002
Read February 23^rd 2014

Previous book (Deep Space Nine): Mission Gamma, Book Three: Cathedral
Next book (Deep Space Nine): Rising Son

Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Lesser Evil, Mission Gamma, and the rest of the Deep Space Nine relaunch!

From the back cover:

SINS PAST

Chaos erupts aboard Deep Space 9 as the crew begins a desperate search for a killer in their midst, catapulting Colonel Kira Nerys on a dangerous chase into the heart of the Federation. But the crime she seeks to avenge is part of a plot more ancient and far-reaching than anyone suspects, and that secret, if exposed, could divide worlds throughout the Alpha Quadrant.

Meanwhile, as the starship Defiant makes its way back toward the wormhole and home to DS9, a startling discovery shakes Commander Elias Vaughn to his core and brings to light the truth behind the most tragic mission of his long life. As the crew struggles with the implications of what they've found, their captain's judgment comes into question… and casts doubt on the final outcome of their historic voyage through the Gamma Quadrant.

My thoughts:

Lesser Evil is somewhat of a departure from the previous three novels in the Mission Gamma series. Whereas the previous novels in the series had a high page count, Lesser Evil is significantly thinner, and also has a larger typeface. However, the shorter length means a faster pace, which actually serves the story quite well.

Kira once again dons a Starfleet uniform and accompanies the Gryphon on a mission to capture Shakaar's assassin.

Once again, the narrative is divided between two settings: the Defiant mission in the gamma quadrant, and the on-going story back on Deep Space Nine. At the conclusion of Cathedral, Bajoran first minister Shakaar Edon is assassinated by the security officer who came with the Trill delegation to DS9. In Lesser Evil, we learn the reason behind that attack. Shakaar was not really Shakaar at all; rather, he had been taken over by a bug-like parasite, apparently the same species that nearly took over the Federation during the first season of The Next Generation. Colonel Kira must face down an officer who has been taken over by another parasite as she races toward Trill aboard the U.S.S. Gryphon.

The parasites from "Conspiracy" return to wreak havoc on Deep Space Nine and the Federation.

Meanwhile, in the gamma quadrant, the Defiant comes across a startling discovery: a crashed vessel that was infiltrated by the Borg. Faced with the alarming possibility of the Borg having encountered the Dominion, Vaughn's crew urges him to make for the wormhole and report their findings to Starfleet. However, Vaughn has a much more personal stake in the matter when he discovers a connection to a mission he ordered years earlier, which threatens to tear his newly-renewed relationship with his daughter asunder.

As I mentioned above, the faster pace in this novel serves the story. I particularly enjoyed the story of Kira aboard the Gryphon. The reintroduction of the parasites is an interesting twist, and I feel that they are handled much better here than in the episode in which they were featured. My one complaint about this story is how easily Kira was duped, as I had figured out one particular plot twist well ahead of its revelation.

The gamma quadrant story is a little slower and strains credibility somewhat, but was still interesting enough. My favorite part occurred after the main story had wrapped up, when the Defiant comes across some unexpected characters in what is an intriguing set-up for stories to come.

Final thoughts:

A faster-paced story that ups the stakes for future stories in the Deep Space Nine relaunch. Some good character moments for Vaughn and his daughter, Prynn, but the real meat of this story comes in the DS9 portions. The re-introduction of the parasites from TNG's "Conspiracy" makes for some exciting prospects for stories to come. Maybe not quite as satisfying a story as the previous entries in the Mission Gamma mini-series, but still a very solid effort and a fun read. I'm very excited for where the story goes from here!

More about Lesser Evil:

• Podcast: Literary Treks 95: The Sith Lords of Star Trek

My next read:

My next review will be for this month's new release, Enterprise: Rise of the Federation: Tower of Babel by Christopher L. Bennett. I've been looking forward to this one for some time!

Cathedral

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Mission Gamma, Book Three of Four
Cathedral by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels
Published October 2002
Read January 25^th 2014

Previous book (Deep Space Nine): Mission Gamma, Book Two: This Gray Spirit
Next book (Deep Space Nine): Mission Gamma, Book Four: Lesser Evil

Purchase:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Cathedral, Mission Gamma, and the rest of the Deep Space Nine relaunch!

From the back cover:

SIREN SONGS

As a small child, Jules Bashir underwent illegal genetic enhancements that forever altered the natural course of his life. As an adult, ever since the day he discovered what his parents had done, Dr. Julian Bashir has wondered what he might have become if "Jules" had been allowed to live, certain he would never know the answer. But when the lure of a strange alien artifact in the Gamma Quadrant inexplicably begins to reverse Bashir's enhancements, the person he had thought long dead is given a second chance at life.

Ninety thousand light-years away, as the crew of Deep Space 9 tries to comprehend a shocking tragedy, Ro Laren makes a fateful decision about her life aboard the station. And although political maneuverings and failing diplomacy have already extinguished all hope of a real, lasting peace between Bajor and Cardassia, one man's search for his true calling may lay a new foundation for the future.

My thoughts:

As with the two previous Mission Gamma novels, Cathedral features two main storylines, one taking place on the Defiant as she continues her mission of exploration in the Gamma Quadrant, and the other taking place on Deep Space Nine, where preparations are underway to bring Bajor into the United Federation of Planets.

In the Gamma Quadrant side of things, a survey crew aboard the shuttlecraft Sagan discovers a massive artifact in space, seemingly partially in our universe and partially in another. The crew, which consists of Nog, Bashir, and Dax, each exhibit peculiar symptoms upon their return to the Defiant. Ezri begins to reject her symbiont, Bashir begins losing the mental edge that his genetic enhancements provide, and Nog begins re-growing the leg he lost in "The Siege of AR-558."

While these stories provide a great opportunity to explore these characters in a way we've never seen before and consider "what might have been," I felt that the Defiant story was the weaker part of the novel. There were some interesting character tidbits that were fun to learn, such as Bashir's method of storing information in a sort of mental Haggia Sophia, and the journey that the four characters (Ezri, Nog, Bashir, and Dax) go on is a great character study, but too much about the "cathedral" is left unexplored.

As has tended to be the case with the books of Mission Gamma so far, I find myself drawn more towards the story of Bajor and Deep Space Nine than the goings-on in the Gamma Quadrant. For unknown reasons, Bajoran First Minister Shakaar is sabotaging the normalization of relations between the Bajorans and the Cardassians, instead pushing for Federation membership before that can happen. Things come to a head as tragedy strikes just as the historic deal is about to be finalized.

For me, the most interesting part of this story is the partial redemption of Vedek Yevir. Yevir had been the one to push through Colonel Kira's attainder after she uploaded the Ohalu prophecies to Bajor's public comnet. The prophesies had been deemed heretical by the Vedek Assembly, and Yevir felt that making them available to the general public would unnecessarily threaten the Bajoran faith. In the tradition of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine at its finest, Yevir is revealed to be a complex character with many facets in Cathedral. Rather than simply a one-note foil to our heroes, Yevir begins on the path towards redemption, seemingly about to fulfill the destiny he believes the Emissary set him on in the episode "Rapture."

Vedek Yevir may finally be following the path that The Sisko laid out for him...

Final thoughts:

The writing team of Martin and Mangels maintains the high quality of this miniseries for the most part. As has been the case with the previous books, I was more engaged by the story happening on the station than the Gamma Quadrant portions. However, that story wasn't bad. The characters in this novel come across as real and dynamic rather than one-note villains or heroes. Also, as a special bonus, it was a treat to see the enigmatic Garak, even if only for a few short pages.

Overall, I would give Cathedral a solid four out of five. An excellent entry in what has been the very strong Deep Space Nine relaunch.

More about Cathedral:

• Podcast: Literary Treks 87: Like The Godfather Part III

Also by Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels:

• Star Trek: The Lost Era: The Sundered (2003)
• Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume 2: Trill: Unjoined (2004)
• Star Trek: Titan: Taking Wing (2005)
• Star Trek: Titan: The Red King (2005)
• Star Trek: Enterprise: Last Full Measure (2006)
• Star Trek: Enterprise: The Good That Men Do (2007)
• Star Trek: Excelsior: Forged in Fire (2007)
• Star Trek: Enterprise: Kobayashi Maru (2008)

My next read:

Due out on Monday the 24th is an e-book exclusive by Star Wars veteran John Jackson Miller: Titan: Absent Enemies, the first follow-up to last year's The Fall. This is Miller's first foray into Trek novels, and I am looking forward to seeing what he does with Riker and his crew! I recently read his Star Wars: Kenobi, the first Star Wars novel I've ever read, and I very much enjoyed it.

This Gray Spirit

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Mission Gamma, Book Two of Four
This Gray Spirit by Heather Jarman
Published: September 2002
Read December 20^th 2013

Previous book (Deep Space Nine): Mission Gamma, Book One: Twilight
Next book (Deep Space Nine): Mission Gamma, Book Three: Cathedral

Purchase This Gray Spirit:
Mass-market paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

This Gray Spirit is also available as part of the omnibus These Haunted Seas, containing the first two books of the Mission: Gamma miniseries.

Purchase These Haunted Seas:
Paperback: Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk
E-book (Kindle): Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for This Gray Spirit, Mission Gamma, and the rest of the Deep Space Nine relaunch!

From the back cover:

UNSAILED SEAS

The political intrigue aboard Deep Space 9 escalates when Gul Macet's warship arrives at the station with an unexpected passenger. Cardassian Ambassador Natima Lang has returned to the station on a mission of hope, but it's one that will bring back old wounds and old ghosts. As tensions rise on all sides, Colonel Kira Nerys discovers that the line between friend and foe is narrower than she ever imagined.

Elsewhere, the crew of the damaged Starship Defiant forges an uneasy alliance with an unusual alien species -- one whose unique biological makeup is the key to the balance of power in that region of the Gamma Quadrant. As the crew becomes ensnared in a web of deceit, Lieutenant Ezri Dax and Ensign Thirishar ch'Thane struggle to stave off a genocidal civil war.

My thoughts:

As with the previous book, there is a great deal happening in This Gray Spirit. There are four major plots taking place, and Heather Jarman does an excellent job giving time to each of them.

In the Gamma Quadrant, the Defiant deals with having to find a way to navigate a treacherous area of space filled with hidden traps and weapons. Meanwhile, Dax and Shar remain on an alien world to negotiate a settlement between two competing castes. I enjoyed the turn that Dax's character took in this part of the story. As she struggles to find her own voice amid the chorus of previous hosts, she realizes her true potential, and also recognizes when and how she can use the experiences of her previous hosts to great effect.

Back on the station, preparations continue for Bajor's entry into the Federation. Meanwhile, a Cardassian delegation arrives, hoping to negotiate with Bajor for a normalization of relations between the two worlds. When the negotiations don't go as planned, Kira is shocked to discover why. This plot development sets up a number of events in later novels. Jarman's handling of Kira's character was perfect, and I think she was the most well-written character in the novel. I especially appreciated the exploration of Ziyal's legacy. Ziyal and Kira were very close, and the effect that Ziyal's short life had on Kira was very well represented in this novel.

The memory of Tora Ziyal and what she represented plays an important role in This Gray Spirit.

The subplot involving Shar's bondmates is tragic and fraught with very heavy emotions. I have known people dealing with depression, and those experiences resonated with what I was reading in this book. Thriss, the bondmate with whom Shar was closest, is deeply troubled due to Shar's departure on the Gamma Quadrant mission. While I had read these novels years ago, the tragic culmination of Thriss's story was no easier to read than it was the first time. In fact, the foreknowledge might have made the impact even more brutal.

When I first began reading This Gray Spirit, I was unaware that it was Heather Jarman's first professional novel. She does a fine job navigating the various complicated plots weaving their way through this book. One interesting trend I noticed was the tendency to describe actions having taken place rather than showing them. This happens a couple of times in the book. One example was an incident involving Thriss threatening a patient while volunteering in the infirmary. Rather than showing the incident, a chapter begins with two characters discussing what had happened, using a "did you hear what happened?" type of conversation. While I generally prefer to have things shown rather than told, I found that this way of presenting the story made for an interesting read. Sometimes less traditional methods of exposition can be fun!

Final thoughts:

An excellent entry in the DS9 relaunch! All of the characters get ample "screen time" (or would that be "page time"?) and the stories are just as emotionally relevant and character-driven as the Deep Space Nine television series often was. In particular, the author's handling of Kira and Ezri are excellent. The invocation of Ziyal's memory and the use of characters from DS9's past are particularly welcome. Heather Jarman is clearly someone who knows her Trek!

More about this book:

• Podcast: Literary Treks 74: Kelp Cakes in the Morning - discussion of This Gray Spirit

Also by Heather Jarman

• Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume One: Andor: Paradigm (2004)

My next read:

I am currently finishing up the final book in The Fall, Dayton Ward's Peaceable Kingdoms. After that, I will be reading Peter David's The Captain's Daughter.

Twilight

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Mission Gamma, Book One of Four
Twilight by David R. George III
Published: September 2002
Read October 28^th 2013

Previous book (Deep Space Nine): "Horn and Ivory," in Gateways: What Lay Beyond
Next book (Deep Space Nine): Mission Gamma, Book Two: This Gray Spirit

Purchase Mission Gamma: Twilight from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Twilight is also available as part of the omnibus, These Haunted Seas, containing the first two books of the Mission: Gamma miniseries.

Purchase These Haunted Seas from Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Spoilers ahead for Twilight, Mission Gamma, and the rest of the Deep Space Nine relaunch!

From the back cover:

THE TIME HAS COME 

... for a new era of exploration. With the Dominion War behind them, the crew of the USS Defiant journeys through the wormhole as Commander Elias Vaughn leads a "corps of discovery" to blaze new trails into the unexplored reaches of the Gamma Quadrant. 

THE TIME HAS COME 

... for a civilization to reach a crossroads. As political forces throughout the Alpha Quadrant intersect at Deep Space 9 to determine the future of Bajor, the planet's theological unity threatens to shatter. And for Colonel Kira Nerys, the path of the Prophets may become a road to ruin. 

THE TIME HAS COME 

... for a father and daughter to confront their past while a mother and son fight for the future, for lovers to be tested and for friendships to transform, and for worlds on opposite ends of the galaxy to face the dusk... or the dawn.

My thoughts:

More than anything else, I will always remember Deep Space Nine as the Star Trek series that embraced character development the most. So it is fitting that character development is what I loved the most in Mission Gamma, Book One: Twilight.

The Defiant sets out on a months-long tour of exploration of the Gamma Quadrant, while on the homefront, the stage is being set for Bajor's eventual admission into the Federation. The terrific character development comes in the exploration of the relationships between the characters. For example, we get a wonderful examination of the relationship between Elias Vaughn and his daughter, Prynn Tenmei. Estranged for many years, the two of them finally get the chance to see their relationship evolve. Also of note is the evolving relationship between Lieutenant Ro and Quark. In theory, this relationship seems doomed from the beginning. However, it is written in a believable and lovely manner. In some ways, I find myself disbelieving that it can go anywhere, but I'm continually surprised by how well they work together.

It is in this novel that we see the beginnings of the Andorian reproductive crisis storyline, which will continue to have a bearing on the lit-verse for years to come. Featured in the remaining Deep Space Nine relaunch stories, as well as more recent entries such as Typhon Pact: Paths of Disharmony, and The Fall: A Ceremony of Losses and The Poisoned Chalice, the Andorian reproductive crisis storyline is possibly the longest continual storyline in either the novels or in Star Trek in general. I don't know that the authors knew that this plot development would carry on for so long (over ten years!) or have so many far-reaching repercussions, but the inception here is a harbinger for many more great stories to come.

A pleasant surprise was a lovely little scene between Quark and Vic Fontaine. I am a big fan of David R. George III's writing, and his skill is evident both in little scenes like this one, and in the on-going struggles of the characters, such as Kira's handling of being excluded from the Bajoran faith by the Vedek Assembly. DRGIII has a terrific handle on the characters, and their interactions are always a pleasure to read. I found myself feeling empathy for all of the characters, both old and new.

Final thoughts:

This is not a small book. For some, the high page count combined with the small text may be a little daunting, but for me, the strong writing and great character moments pulled me right in and didn't let me go until I was finished. This is an excellent continuation of the on-going Deep Space Nine saga, and I'm excited to continue my re-read of the DS9 "relaunch."

Further resources:

• Podcast: Literary Treks 59: The Rough Seas of Love - discussion of Twilight

Also by David R. George III:

• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #23: The 34th Rule with Armin Shimerman (1999)
• Star Trek: The Lost Era: Serpents Among the Ruins (2003)
• Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Dominion: Olympus Descending (2005)
• Star Trek: Typhon Pact: Plagues of Night (2012)
• Star Trek: Typhon Pact: Raise the Dawn (2012)
• Star Trek: The Original Series: Allegiance in Exile (2013)
• Star Trek: The Fall: Revelation and Dust (2013)
• Star Trek: The Lost Era: One Constant Star (2014)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Sacraments of Fire (2015)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Ascendance (2016)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Long Mirage (2017)
• Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Gamma: Original Sin (2017)

My next read:

Next up is an oldie, but a goodie: The Wounded Sky by Diane Duane, a classic from the early days of Pocket Books' Star Trek line.