Gauntlet

Gauntlet is book one in the 6-part Star Trek: Stargazer series by Michael Jan Friedman. It is preceded by TNG novel The Valiant, the first story set in Friedman's Stargazer universe. It is followed by book two in the series, Progenitor.

Summary
Now thrust into his first command position following the events that took place during the events of The Valiant, Captain Jean-Luc Picard is paced with his first mission as captain of the USS Stargazer. Turning out to only be a scheme by spiteful Starfleet Admiral Arlen McAteer to make Picard look bad, he and his unexperienced crew must chase interstellar criminal The White Wolf in the crook's hiding place; the mysterious lazarus star system Beta Barritus. Faced with the impossible mission, he must overcome the challenges and prove himself as a Starfleet Captain.