Andor: Paradigm

Summary
From The Back Cover:

ANDOR: On the eve of a great celebration of their ancient past, the unusual and mysterious Andorians, a species with four sexes, must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in order to ensure their survival. Biological necessity clashes with personal ethics; cultural obligation vies with love -- and Ensign Thirishar ch'Thane returns home to the planet he forswore, to face not only the consequences of his choices, but a clandestine plan to alter the very nature of his kind.

Summary
Shar receives a message from his mother Charivretha asking him to return to Andor: her party, the Progressives, have been accused of their rivals the Visionists, of which Thriss' mother Thantis is a leading member, of secretly planning to re-engineer Andorians into a dual sex species. With Lieutenant Commander Matthias planning to visit the planet for Thriss' funeral, Shar and Prynn Tenmei choose to travel with her.

A riot in the capital upsets their travel plans and forces Shar and Prynn to travel with Matthias to Thantis' home. They are joined by Charivretha, who asks Shar to return to the capital with her. Instead, Shar and Prynn briefly abscond in a stolen shuttle. In their absence, Charivretha is kidnapped after being drugged with a quantity of the semi-illegal saf being transported by Matthias.

Thia, a woman present at the keep, admits her bondmates are responsible and guides Shar, Prynn and Matthias to the reserve where Charivretha is being held, tending to an injure Matthias while Shar and Prynn affect a rescue. Shar discovers the materials he previously brought back to Andor has resulted in research allowing increased Andorian fertility and multiple births but that the rumours of genetic re-engineering are also true. Charivretha resigns from the Federation Council.

With some of the wounds healed, Shar is allowed to lead the mourners at Thriss' funeral but Thia is disowned by her bondmates, despite no charges being laid. Shar chooses to stay behind on Andor and form a new bond group with her, Anichent and Dizhei but not before presenting Prynn with an Andorian betrothel token.

Characters

 * Thezalden ch'Letha • Phillipa Mathias • Prynn Tenmei • Charivretha zh'Thane • Sessethantis zh'Cheen • Thirishar ch'Thane • Uzaveh

Julian Bashir • Vic Fontaine • Kira Nerys • Mikaela Leishman • Josef Mengele • Crell Moset • Mamoru Nakamura • Nog • Jason Senkowski • Quark • Benjamin Sisko • Ruriko Tenmei • Hravishran th'Zoarhi • Elias Vaughn • Shathrissia zh'Cheen

Locations

 * Andor • Cheen-Thitar Keep • Thelasa-vei Province • Heroes Antechamber
 * Bajor-B'hava'el
 * Deep Space 9

Betazed • Dramia • Earth • Gamma Quadrant • Starbase 219 • Vic's • Vulcan

Species

 * Andorian • Human • Vulcan

Bajoran • Cardassian • Jem'Hadar • Prophets • Yrythny

Starships

 * USS Defiant (NX-74205) (II) • Viola

States, Groups and Organizations

 * Andorian Imperial Guard • Andorian Science Institute • Andorian Security • Parliament Andoria • Progressive Party • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets • Visionist Party

Art Institute of Betazed • Council of the United Federation of Planets • Dominion • Orion Syndicate

Other

 * Ablative armor • Andorian genders • Andorii • Battle of Betazed • Dominion War • Empty Throne • Federation Councillor • First Princess • Hari • Orbital skydiving • President of the United Federation of Planets • Rite of Memory • Saf • Sending • Shaysha • Shelthreth • The Tale of the Breaking • Vithi

Information

 * This novel is written by Heather Jarman.
 * This is the second of two stories in Worlds of Deep Space Nine, Volume One. The first story contained in this book is Cardassia: The Lotus Flower.
 * The end of the book contains a glossary of terms in Andorii.