Gods of Night

Book I (of III)

Introduction (blurb)
Half a decade after the Dominion War and more than a year after the rise and fall of Praetor Shinzon, the galaxy's greatest scourge returns to wreak havoc upon the Federation—and this time its goal is nothing less than total annihilation.

Elsewhere, deep in the Gamma Quadrant, an ancient mystery is solved. One of Earth's first generation of starships, lost for centuries, has been found dead and empty on a desolate planet. But its discovery so far from home has raised disturbing questions, and the answers harken back to a struggle for survival that once tested a captain and her crew to the limits of their humanity.

From that terrifying flashpoint begins an apocalyptic odyssey that will reach across time and space to reveal the past, define the future, and show three captains — Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E), William Riker of the USS Titan, and Ezri Dax of the USS Aventine—that some destinies are inescapable.

Summary
In 2373, approximately one week after the events of Children of Time, the USS Defiant (NCC-75633) finds the wreck of the Columbia (NX-02), which had been missing for over 200 years, on a planet in the Gamma Quadrant. The crew in the wreck feel ill at ease, with Kira Nerys suggesting a borhyas inhabits the ship. Efforts to salvage the Columbia are interrupted by the arrival of two Jem'Hadar attack vessels, and as the Dominion War breaks out shortly after, the operation is postponed indefinitely.

The main events of the book follow on from the final chapters of Greater Than the Sum - the Borg have started attacking Federation worlds in an all-out assault bent on annihilation rather than assimilation, but without using their transwarp conduits. Around the start of the year 2381, the USS Aventine is defending the Acamar system from attack, a battle which costs the lives of one third of the 750-strong crew, including the captain and first officer, leaving then second officer Ezri Dax in command. A week later, Dax is made captain, and recruits her senior staff from Deep Space Nine - including Sam Bowers as first officer, and Simon Tarses as chief medical officer.

Ezri Dax and the USS Aventine return to the crash site of the Columbia to complete the investigation that was abruptly halted seven years prior. Their sensor readings confirm the earlier ones regarding molecular distortions in the space frame consistent with intense subspatial stresses. The reason for the return - war with the Borg, who launched the first strike five weeks prior, bypassing all known defenses without signs of transwarp, wormholes, gateways, or even Q. Dax convinced Starfleet Command that the mystery behind the Columbia would shed light on the Borg's new found abilities. However, continued losses to the Borg force the recall of the Aventine.

(2156) While escorting a convoy of mining ships, the NX Columbia is caught off guard by a fleet of Romulan vessels and attacked. The Columbia intercepts and decodes a message between two of the Romulan vessels, which releases a Trojan horse virus into their computer system, shutting out all control systems - and leaving them helpless. Using the Columbia, the Romulans target and destroy the convoy. With little other options, the CEO suggests manually releasing residual charge from the warp core and detonating it using a photonic torpedo.

(2381) Continuing on their mission of galactic exploration, the USS Titan can only monitor dispatches from the Federation, detailing continued losses to the Borg. Although Christine Vale wishes they could be there, they are months of travel from core systems. Amongst the other crew, Xin Ra-Havreii reveals a holotank environment for Melora Pazlar, and Deanna Troi refuses to allow Dr. Ree to remove her second miscarriage. Troi insists on needing some time to herself, so Captain Riker leaves for his Ready Room where Vale speaks to him about duty to ship interfering with personal lives, and Troi speaks with Counselor Pral glasch Haaj.

From the Enterprise, Picard hears the call of the Collective - Locutus - as the ship speeds to Ramatis III to answer a planetary distress call. Using transphasic torpdoes, the Enterprise destroys the cube, but arrived too late to save billions of inhabitants from death from the Borg.

Aboard the Aventine, the senior officers meet to go over latest findings from the Columbia wreckage; although only 40 seconds of conclusive logs before crash recovered, they discovered that someone set autopilot after the ship emerged from the subspace tunnel. Inside the vessel itself, two engineers are killed by a mysterious energy surge.

(2156/57) The Columbia attempts to repair what is possible, although barely anything left working. Instead of returning to their original course, Hernandez wants to set course for a Minshara class planet to restock on food and water - and hopefully make repairs, having noted subspace signal emissions and high energy particles. Without warp drive, Erika decides to set impulse to within one ten thousandth of c, ignoring the time dilation effects. However, the decision doesn't sit well with MACO Major Stephen Foyle.

(2381) The USS Titan passes an area of unusually high energy subspatial distortions emitting triquantum waves, a signature of Borg transwarp readings. The readings are enough to reallocate the sensor array from Commander Tuvok to Pazlar, which eventually reveals them to be similar but not identical to Borg. During a staff briefing later, Ranul Keru speculates that it could be a new form of transwarp to replace the lost hubs. Sariel Rager displays what anomalies they've found, including enough space-time curvature to indicate a star system completely hidden from view. Although everyone is ready to suspect Borg, Vale and Tuvok indicate that there were never indications the Borg ventured this far into the Beta Quadrant. Evidence continues to mount against the Borg, since they have star charts denoting a star's present but going dark roughly 700 years ago, starting to dim 150 years prior to that. Titan sets course to investigate.

As the Enterprise remains on station at Ramatis III, making scans and repairs, Captain Picard reviews the latest dispatch from Starfleet Command. Since the start of the Borg invasion, nearly every Starfleet vessel, and many civilian Federation ships, have been drafted or recalled into active military service in large battle groups. Picard estimated that a few weeks of continued attacks would cause the Federation sufficient amounts of damage that they would no longer be able to mount effective resistance. Anticipating the next attack in the sector, the Enterprise moves off at high warp, and brainstorms possible new attacks against their cybernetic foe.

Simon Tarses and a medical/security team beamed down to the Columbia and the homicide site to collect evidence. Although they can discount several rational and several more wild theories, nothing has pointed to a conclusive cause. With the Aventine set to leave within fifteen hours, time is precious.

(2168) What seemed like a sixty-three day travel to the Columbia was actually over twelve years of passage. As the Columbia nears the planet of interest, they find what appear to be cities on the surface, but large scattering fields preventing any further detection of lifesigns or energy readings. Although no one answers repeated hails, eventually one of the dampening fields contracts, and an away team is formed. After some initial scouting, a full landing party beams down and makes their way towards the city itself. After several hours of walking, they emerge from the forest and behold a city appearing like a broad bowl full of spires - but with no air traffic or roads leading in or out of the city. Additionally, the away team notes the lack of civil infrastructures like power grids, communication lines, water transportation, or waste and sewage disposal. Arriving at the edge of the city, they find no doorways or access to the bowl, whose bottom was several dozen meters off the ground rising to hundreds of meters high at the rim. Without the ability to communicate, they wonder until a lithe figure floats down from the rim to greet them, introducing himself as Inyx of the Caeliar and welcoming them to Erigol. When asked for assistance, Inyx informs the away team that they will not aid in any repair efforts, and that the Columbia nor its crew will ever leave Erigol.

(2381) The Enterprise-E approaches Korvat minutes behind the Borg cube, hoping that the two starships on patrol will hold out until they arrive. The Borg speak to Locutus, and Picard uses the connection to listen in for tactical secrets or plans. Aghast, he realizes that Korvat is not the only target, but one of five about to be attacked in unison. The Enterprise signals the other outposts and planets, and hopes they can make it in time. The other targets include Khitomer, which was saved by a kamikaze attack by the USS Ranger, and Starbase 234, where Owen Paris was killed as the base was destroyed. Even though the force has been repelled, Picard knows that this is only one battle in the clash of civilizations that will only end when one is eradicated.

Tuvok and Pazlar investigate the strange readings they picked up and attempt to correlate them to the recent Borg incursions. After discovering one of the energy pulses directly strikes the Azure Nebula (specifically a supernova remnant), Tuvok intends to report their findings to Captain Riker. However, Mister Keru approaches him first, and they look over the data together, arriving at an indication that the Columbia incident may be related to the tunnels found. Meanwhile, Doctor Ree finishes the analysis of the tests run on Deanna Troi and determines that the Eichner radiation she encountered in the form of Ian Troi has permanently damaged her reproductive system. Troi refuses all medical procedures, and knowing that Riker would back her decisions, Doctor Ree turns to Christine Vale for assistance. Vale confronts Riker directly, insisting that this is the type of conflict of interest she was hoping to avoid when she agreed to his first officer position. Their discussion is cut short when a sensor beam hits the Titan, knocking out primary power, tactical systems, and communications.

(2168) The away team from the Columbia gathers around a tree in the middle of a miniature island in the Caeliar city for a briefing. Major Foyle objects to the lax security, although Captain Hernandez insists that if the aliens wanted to observe, they would be unable to stop them. The MACOs report that the Columbia crew has unrestricted access to the city, and the flight officers observe that the Caeliar are able to change shape and exhibit unusual locution powers thanks to catoms, programmable matter that acts similarly to nanomachines. Their meeting is interrupted by Inyx, who informs the Captain that their ruling Quorum has agreed to an audience. Ordemo Nordal greets her, and Hernandez pleads and argues for the release of her ship and crew, but the Quorum is unswayed, insisting that complete and total secrecy must be maintained. When the flight officers retire for the evening, the MACOs meet to formulate a plan to escape without the consent of the Captain, plotting to keep her out of the way when the time comes.

(2381) Commanders La Forge and Worf report to Captain Picard that they have picked up traces of sirillium on recovered Borg debris. Suspecting the use of the element would be primitive in weaponry, the two believe they had picked it up in transport, and point out the Azure Nebula is the only site with a high enough concentration close enough to contaminate the cube. Further sensor readings find sirillium deposits along the way, and the Enterprise sets course for the nebula, although they expect to find heavy resistance upon arrival. Worf insists that they both get some rest, but Picard finds himself unable to sleep with the voice of the Collective pressing at his mind, and dark thoughts of an apocalyptic war of attrition ahead.

Back on Earth, President Bacco is briefed by Admiral Akaar on their recent losses, including several starbases and outposts along the triborder. Without a concrete plan to protect or evacuate the core worlds, the President has called in the aid of Seven of Nine. Meanwhile, Chancellor Martok rallies the Klingon High Council with the images from the Khitomer battle and the sacrifice of the USS Ranger. Even Kopek, his outspoken political adversary, vows to stand behind Martok. Out in the void of space, Tom Paris receives the message prerecorded from his father apologizing, and realizes he's dead.

The last of the Aventine crew beam up from the Columbia wreckage and brief Dax on what little they have uncovered. The computer core's records have been completely recovered, although they find eight months of logs missing. The sensor readings from the subspace tunnel are as detailed as the sensors of the era could allow, and they find similarities between it and Borg transwarp, but little in common with wormholes. The crew theorizes that hyperphasic radiation inside the tunnel killed all of the remaining crew, but something was left alive to set the autopilot to crash land the ship after it emerged from the other end - which was stable, and therefore still likely to be in the area. The Captain has the crew begin looking for it and how to access it, but is called away to the shuttlebay where another death has occurred in similar fashion to the two previously on the surface. Security begins an in depth sweep of the vessel to try to track down their intruder.

(2168) Inyx takes a few of the flight officers on a tour of the Great Work, a machine that can listen for signals from the farthest extremities of the universe and then make two way communications, in order to locate and speak to one more advanced than themselves. The away team uses the tour to discover more about the city and its infrastructure - although the Caeliar do not answer direct questions, they often are willing to correct mistaken suggestions. Back with the rest of the away team at their meeting place under the tree, they discuss possible options of escape using the Caeliar's own machines, but Captain Hernandez dismisses them, against the idea of traveling through time and potentially corrupting the timeline. Later, Lieutenants Karl Graylock and Kiona Thayer meet with Major Foyle, convinced that the Captain has lost the will to fight. The MACOs and the defecting officers plan a strike against the machines to bring down the scattering field and escape to the Columbia and then return to Earth. Knowing that the Captain would never agree, Foyle plans to neutralize her so that she is of no concern.

(2381) While he oversees operations in the transphasic torpedo construction facility on Deck 23 of the Enterprise, La Forge is paid a visit by Beverly Crusher, who believes that Captain Picard is becoming obsessed with eradicating the Borg. They share their feelings on the subject, and know that they won't realize the Captain is over the line until it's too late. On the Bridge, the crew notes that they have crossed into a subspace signal jamming field thirty light years from the Azure Nebula, indicating something big waiting for them inside. Picard's link to the Collective lets him know that there are at least three cubes waiting for them, and there are no reinforcements for the Enterprise to count on.

Vale negotiates a compromise between Dr Ree and Deanna Troi - an injection will be provided to stunt the child's growth while the doctor can monitor her through a transponder. Elsewhere on the Titan, the security officers train for an ever-adapting Borg assault. From the Bridge, Captain Riker receives word that main power and warp drive are back online, although their sensors and communications are still out.

(2168) In the night, Graylock, Thayer, and the MACOs abduct and tie up Hernandez, Fletcher, Valerian, and Metzger, allowing them to put their plan to escape into action. After ensuring the prisoners were secure, they headed to Mantilis, where they covertly entered the apparatus in the city. Finding thirteen Caeliar working, they demand their cooperation, and knowing their weapons will not harm the Caeliar, Sergeant Gage Pembleton shoots Thayer's foot, threatening further harm to her unless they do as the MACOs wish. The scattering field is breached to allow communication with the Columbia, and they demand a subspace tunnel be directed towards Earth. The Caeliar insist that the machines are all interconnected, and their actions will not go unnoticed - which is why the MACOs set and detonated timed charges in Feiran. The Caeliar, shocked at the actions, send Inyx to locate the missing four officers, but the Quorum denies them the chance to regroup, so Hernandez convinces Inyx to take her to the Quorum. The subspace tunnel is opened, but the scattering field is reinitialized, and Hernandez tries to talk Pembleton into standing down from the Quorum floor. Then a channel is opened to the ship, where Hernandez orders Foyle and Yacavino placed under arrest, but any further orders are cut off when the planet begins to quake, caused by a feedback pulse from the galaxy they tried to communicate with. The pulse caused a chain reaction in the solar and geothermal taps, which will trigger a collapse in a very short time. The Caeliar city-ships take off from the planetary surface, but hover, waiting for the modifications to the subspace tunnels to be purged so the system is again in harmony. The Columbia pauses as well until the planet Erigol fractured apart, forcing them to risk death entering the tunnel, where the radiation immediately begins to break down the crew's bodies. The only city ships to survive are Mantilis, where only a few in a protected laboratory survive to later crash land on a planetary surface, Axion, and one other.

(2381) Aboard the Aventine, two full sweeps of the vessel have turned up no signs of their intruder, and have switched to more exotic scanning methods to try to locate their guest. Captain Dax asks for an update on the Columbia logs, which turned up an interesting entry in the transporter records, possibly indicating the missing crew members beaming off the vessel. They theorize that one of the beam up entries might be an alien that is now their intruder, but the thoughts are interrupted when the shuttlebay doors are blown out by the runabout USS Seine and its microtorpedoes. There are no lifesigns but strange energy readings aboard as the craft emits a soliton pulse and opens the subspace tunnel. The Aventine holds fire and follows the craft through, exiting into the Azure Nebula. The runabout stops, and the Aventine takes it in a tractor beam and beams aboard a team consisting of Dax, Bowers, and two security officers. They find a Caeliar, barely alive, slumped over the consoles. Arithon confirms he set the autopilot of Columbia and regretted killing crewmembers for sustenance, but expires before he can provide more information. The away team is recalled as the Aventine picks up a distress call from the Enterprise.

The USS Titan discovers a covering similar to a Dyson Sphere where a star should be, and then locates a second smaller sphere orbiting the first. Although no hails are answered, a small opening eventually appears on the surface of the smaller body, enough for a shuttlecraft but insufficient for transporter functions. A small away team takes a shuttlecraft into the opening, and when they pass through the shield material, they find a planet with scores of lifesigns and intense power readings. They land the shuttlecraft and walk a narrow walkway to the city, where they are greeted by three figures - two Caeliar, and a person that Tuvok identifies as Captain Erika Hernandez, who welcomes them to New Erigol.

Characters

 * Jas Abrik • Leonard James Akaar • Reiko Akagi • Altoss • Ankiel • Arithon • Auceo • Nanietta Bacco • Biggs • Sam Bowers • Braden • Torvig Bu-Kar-Nguv • ch'Maras • ch'Narrath • T'Ryssa Chen • Jasminder Choudhury • Erin Constantino • Crichlow • Beverly Crusher • Cupelli • Zurin Dakal • Naomi Darrow • Ezri Dax • Jadzia Dax • Dennisar • Eilo • Kalil el-Rashad • Dina Elfiki • Englehorn • Joanna Faur • Veronica Fletcher • Stephen Foyle • Karl Graylock • Grevaq • Katrin Gunnarsdóttir • Pral glasch Haaj • Fo Hachesa • Havers • Xin Ra-Havreii • Hegron • Gruhn Helkara • Erika Hernandez • Russell Hexter • Hockney • Iliop • Inyx • Edward Jellico • Kant Jorel • K'mpar • Miranda Kadohata • Kandel • Lonnoc Kedair • Ranul Keru • Harry Kim • Celia Komer • Rennan Konya • Kopek • Korvog • Krozek • Kryan • Geordi La Forge • Lasren • Aili Lavena • Mikaela Leishman • Lerxst • Loskywitz • Lynley • Martok • Mazzetti • Brynn Mealia • Meldok • Merik • Johanna Metzger • Sean Milner • Oliana Mirren • Mortran • Hossad Mottaki • Nazh • Alynna Nechayev • Jennifer Nero • Kira Nerys • Nokar • Ordemo Nordal • Noreth • Miles O'Brien • Remy Oliveira • Ndufe Otumbo • Owen Paris • Tom Paris • Melora Pazlar • Gage Pembleton • Ashanté Phiri • Esperanza Piñiero • Jean-Luc Picard • Daria Pierce • Qolka • Sariel Rager • Shenti Yisec Eres Ree • Sandra Rhodes • William T. Riker • Nevin Riordan • Rriarr • Safranski • Christine Schultheiss • Sedín • Huilan Sen'kara • Seven of Nine • Raisa Shostakova • Claudia Siguenza • Benjamin Sisko • Gian Sortollo • Steinhauer • T'Kel • T'Prel • Talgar • Simon Tarses • th'Fairoh • Kiona Thayer • Tovoj • Deanna Troi • Tuvok • Christine Vale • Sidra Valerian • Vennoss • Gary Weinrib • Steven Wexler • Worf, son of Mogh • Vincenzo Yacavino • Ylacam • Yott

Achilles • Bertolt Brecht • Borg Queen • Mackenzie Calhoun • Chakotay • Jack Crusher • Wesley Crusher • Data • Dax • Tobin Dax • Devil • Dogayn 418 • Aoki Farrenga • Colin Farrenga • Vicenzo Farrenga • Fek'lhr • Valerie Foyle • Gods • Rebekah Grabowski • Sean Hawk • Henry V • Howe • Hugh • Kathryn Janeway • K'mtok • Sylvana Kadohata • Kalavak • Kamin • Kaz • Liryok • Locutus • Malkus • Craig Mitchell • Claude Monet • Jaza Najem • Peter Pachal • Fel Pagro • Lucinda Paris • Miral Paris • René Picard • Robert Picard • Katherine Pulaski • William Shakespeare • Spock • Lon Suder • B'Elanna Torres • Ian Troi • Kestra Troi • Lwaxana Troi • Tropp • Charles Tucker III • Walt Whitman • Min Zife

Starships and vehicles

 * USS Alexey Leonov • USS Arimathea ( cruiser) • USS Aventine • USS Charon  • Columbia (NX-02)  • USS Constant  • USS Defiant (NCC-75633)  • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)  • Flying Dutchman • USS Gibraltar  • Shuttlecraft Mance • USS Ranger  • USS Seine  • USS Titan (NCC-80102)  • USS Voyager

USS Amargosa • USS Einstein (Nebula class) • Enterprise (NX-01)  • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)  • USS Excalibur (NCC-26517-A)  • USS Luna (prototype)  • USS Merrimack • USS Sparta • USS Stargazer (NCC-2893)  • USS Ulysses

Locations

 * Acamar system • Alpha Quadrant • Axion • Azure Nebula • Bajor • Beta Quadrant • Cestus III • Delta Quadrant • Deneva • Dyson Shell • Earth • Erigol • Feiran • FGC-SR37-758 • France • Gamma Quadrant • Hell • Japan • Khitomer • Khitomer City • Kintana • Korvat • Liverpool • London • Mantilis • Messier 80 • Milky Way • Monet Room • Narendra III • New Erigol • Onias Sector• Palais de la Concorde • Quorum Hall • Rolor Nebula • San Francisco • Sol system • Starbase 157 • Starbase 234

Acamar V • Andor system • Bajoran Wormhole • Barolia • Credenhill • Deep Space 9 • Epsilon Outpost X • Epsilon Outpost XI • Gaia • Labarre • Lakeside • Napa Valley • Orisha • Pangea • Port Shangri-la • Ramatis III • Ramatis system • Regulus • Romulus • Starbase 24 • Starbase 343 • Tellar system • Tezwa • Trill • Vela OB2 Association • Vulcan • Vulcan system • Wolf 359

Races and cultures

 * Acamarian • Andorian • Bajoran • Benzite • Berellian • Betazoid • Borg • Caeliar • Caitian • Cardassian • Choblik • Deltan • dikironium cloud creature • Efrosian • Elaysian • Horta • Human • Iconian • Klingon • Kobliad • Kriosian • Nausicaan • Orion • Pacifican • Pahkwa-thanh • Rigellian • Romulan • Takaran • Tellarite • Traveler • Trill • Vulcan • Zakdorn • Zibalian

Denobulan • Jem'Hadar • Pa'haquel • Q • Star Jellies • Vomnin • Xenexian

States and organizations

 * Borg Collective • Dominion • Federation News Service • Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Command • Klingon High Council • Military Assault Command Operations • Quorum • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Research and Development • tanwa-seynorral • Third Fleet • United Federation of Planets • United States of America • Vulcan Science Academy

Other

 * Altarian cave-fisher • apple • armchair • Asian • Australian • Austrian • axe • Bajoran wormhole • basket • basketball • bat'leth • Battle of Sector 001 • bear • blueberry • borhyas • Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies • British • bronze • Canadian • canteen • Captain Proton • casserole • cat • chocolate • clam • claytronic atom •catom• coffee • coffee table • coil spanner • corn • dandelion • disruptor • DNA • Dominion War • doomsday clock • duranium • Earl Grey tea • Earth-Romulan War • Eichner radiation • European • frog • gargoyle • German • grape tomato • ghost • Great Work • guinea pig • hand-scanner • Happy Birthday • Icelander • Imzadi • Irish • iron-60 crystal matrix • Kerr loop • knife • Kuvah'magh • Lorentzian wormhole • microtorpedo • millipede • mind-meld • Mok'bara • molecular phase inverter • moussaka • muffin • Nausicans with knives • New Zealander • omega molecule • orange • PADD • palm beacon • peppermint herbal tea • phase cannon • phased-pulse welding iron • phase pistol • phase rifle • phaser rifle • photon torpedo • Photonic torpedo • pillow • raktajino • raven • replicator • Ressikan flute • Ressikan probe • Risan cologne • rodinium • Roman • salad • Scottish • sheep • silver • sirillium • Slavic • sock • sofa • spinach • spider • squirrel • Starfleet Code of Military Justice • sword • synthehol • targ-tallow candle • teblor • toga • tomato • towel • transphasic shielding • transphasic torpedo • tricorder • Trojan Horse • trout • universal translator • warnog • wheat • World War III • yoga

Appendices

 * Prior to the final cover for the book being released, at least two different stand-in covers were used in solicitations for the book. The earliest featured (a completely inaccurate to the contents of the book) image of the Enterprise (NX-01) battling Suliban, taken from Jose Perez's 2005 Ships of the Line image "Cellular Disruption". A later stand-in cover featured a more appropriate image, the wreck of Columbia (NX-02). The image by Pierre Drolet was originally published in the 2007 Ships of the Line calendar, titled "Last Flight of the Columbia", and was the inspiration for part of the trilogy, and effectively illustrates the prologue of this book.

Timeline
The story begins with a prologue set in 2373, about a week after the events of "Children of Time". The TNG-era sections then continue from February 2381. The Columbia storyline begins in 2156 and continues into 2157 before skipping ahead to 2168. The final scenes of the Columbia storyline then see time travel back 650 years to the early-16th century.