The Art of the Impossible

"Politics is the art of the possible" - Otto von Bismarck, 1869

"What God is he writes laws of peace, and clothes him in a tempest?" -William Blake, America: A Prophecy, 1793

Summary

 * From the book jacket: ''THE YEARS ARE 2328-2346


 * ''To the Cardassians, it is a point of pride. To the Klingons, a matter of honor. But the eighteen-year cold war between these two empires -- euphemistically remembered in later years as the Betreka Nebula "Incident" -- creates a vortex of politics, diplomacy, and counterintelligence that will define an age, and shape the future.


 * ''What begins as a discovery that would enable the Klingon Empire to reclaim a lost piece of its past becomes a prolonged struggle with the rapidly expanding Cardassian Union, which has claimed dominion over a region of space that the Klingons hold sacred. Enter the Federation, whose desire to preserve interstellar stability leads Ambassador Curzon Dax to broker a controversial and tenuous peace -- one that is not without opponents, including Lieutenant Elias Vaughn of Starfleet special ops.


 * ''But there are wheels within wheels to the drama unfolding in the Betreka Nebula. Within the shadowy rooms of the Cardassian Obsidian Order, Klingon Imperial Intelligence, and even the Romulan Tal Shiar, secret scales are being balanced -- and for every gain made for the sake of peace, there will come a loss.

Prologue: On High My Spirit Soars
On an unidentified Klingon world, a father tells his son the legend of Ch'gran: following the Hur'q attack on Qo'noS, the warrior Ch'gran urged the Klingons to set out into space to fulfill their destiny and to save their plundered world. Ch'gran built a fleet of seven starships, all which were lost after sending news that they had found a world to claim. One ship was later found near the Betreka Nebula, but the other six, and Ch'gran's colony, were never found. The prologue ends with the young boy dreaming of finding the Ch'gran colony and bringing glory to the Empire.

Part One: Sound! Sound! My Loud War-Trumpets (2328)
The Cardassian vessel Sontok, under the command of Gul Monor, is surveying planet Raknal V, where they discover the wreckage of an ancient Klingon ship. The Sontok is at the same time being shadowed by the IKS Wo'bortas, under the command of Captain Qaolin, and at the direction of Klingon Imperial Intelligence agent Yovang. Realizing the Cardassians have found the remains of the Ch'gran colony, the Wo'bortas calls in a battle fleet, as the Cardassians call in their own.

The two sides fight to a bloody stalemate, following which the Klingons propose to negotiate for Raknal V, with the Federation as mediators. Ambassador Curzon Dax and Lieutenant Elias Vaughn of Starfleet special operations are part of the team hosting the conference aboard the USS Carthage. Dax makes the proposal that both Cardassians and Klingons be allowed to settle on separate continents on Raknal V, the one able to prove best able to manage the planet to then gain full control.

Neither side is entirely pleased with this arrangement, but as neither is in position to fight a prolonged war, both agree. Meanwhile, the Romulan Praetor, Dralath, decides to take a special interest in the situation.

Part Two: A Heavy Chain Iron Descends (2333-2334)
After five years of largely peaceful, if uneasy, co-existance on Raknal V, hostilities are ignited by an orbital collision between the Cardassian freighter Gratok and Klingon passenger transport Chut. Among the dead is General Worf, whose son, Mogh, serves as first officer of the IKS Pu'Bekh under Captain K'mpec. While Mogh insists he has no need for vengenace against Cardassians, he apparently causes the destruction of a Cardassian ship, the Boklar, which Councillor Kravokh has ordered captured and its captain tried for attacks in Klingon space.

Relations deteriorate between Cardassia and the Empire, capped by the death of Klingon Chancellor Ditagh. His successor, Kravokh, places K'mpec on the High Council despite his role in the destruction of the Boklar, and vows a more aggressive stance toward the Cardassians and a restoration of the Empire's former glory.

Part Three: Fierce Flames Burnt Round the Heavens (2343-2346)
Relations between the Cardassians and Klingons have continued to deteriorate over the past several years. Cardassia is becoming more aggressive in their imperialism, while the Klingons continue to build militarily, and seem ready to shrug off their peaceful alliance with the Federation.

The Romulans attempt to take advange of Klingon-Cardassian tensions, first by destroying a Klingon building on Raknal V, designed to look like Cardassian sabotage, then with a direct attack on Narendra III. Despite these changes on the galactic stage, Chancellor Kravokh remains obsessed with Ch'gran and the Cardassians. When Kravokh's obsession results in the diversion of the IKS Sompek away from Khitomer as it is attacked by Romulans, he is challenged and slain by Councillor K'mpec.

Meanwhile, Vaughn and Dax have been investigating Kravokh and learned the reason for his obsession with Ch'gran: Kravokh's ancestor, Klartak, had mutinied when Ch'gran ordered a retun to Qo'noS to overthrow the government. Kravokh wished to preserve Ch'gran's legend; K'mpec, however, believes too many warriors have been sacrificed for a single planet, and he cedes Raknal V to Cardassia.

Epilogue: Giv'n to the Strong
On an unidentified Cardassian world, a grandfather tells his granddaughter about the greatness of the Cardassian people, and how they stood up to the Klingons and the Federation to take a planet named Raknal V. The young girl vows to grow up to bring even further glory to Cardassia.

Information
The section titles come from the William Blake poem America: A Prophecy, a favorite poem of the author.

Regulars
Nyota Uhura • Deanna Troi • Worf

Others
Alnak • Altrom • Alyn Hallitz • Amon • Aris • Arn Teldin • B'alikk • Belear • Corbin Entek • Curzon Dax • Darnay • De Martis • Dirak • Ditagh • Doval • Dralath • Ekron • Elias Vaughn • Enabran Tain • G'Zar • Gi'ral • Gran Marits • Grivak • Hallitz • Hamnod • Helena Rozhenko • Ian Troi • J'tal • Ja'rod • Jekri Kaleh • Juanita Tavares • K'mpec • K'Tal • Kahlest • Kang • Kater Onell • Kell • Kestra Troi • Kor • Korit • Koval • Kravokh • Kurn • Kurrgo • Larkan • L'Kor • Lig • Lorgh • Lwaxana Troi • Michael Zipser • Mogh • Monor • Moraq • Narrk • Olett • Qaolin • Rachel Garrett • Raisa Tartovsky • Ruuv • Sarek • Sergey Rozhenko • Shawn Sulma • Susan Phillips • T'Prynn • Talen Kallar • Talik • Timol • Tobias • Tokath • Tolkor • Traya Hallitz • Vance Haden • Wai-Lin Li • Worf (Colonel) • Yovang • Zarin

Referenced characters
James T. Kirk • Kahless • Lukara • Ch'gran • Mariq • Zephram Cochrane • Chang • Leonard McCoy • Gorkon • Azetbur • Riva • Koloth • Velazquez • Perrin • Amanda Grayson • Torias Dax • Nilani Kahn • Carl Sagan • Kaasin • Prella • Duras • T'Latrek • Kaarg • Alidor Ralak • Kall • Parrik • Onell • Gant • Ernest Pratt • Zane Grey • Larry McMurtry • Xelo • Krin • Narviat • Spock • Lela Dax • Tobin Dax • Skon • Danqo • Huraga • Mara • Lilya • Isaac • Nikolai Rozhenko • Drew Deighan • J'Doq • Klartak • Albino • T'nag • T'Mret

Cardassian ships
Alkar • Baknab • Boklar • Eldrak • Grannal • Golnor • Gratok • Pa'Dan • Sontok

Earth and Federation ships
USS Carthage • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B) • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-C) • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) • Shuttlecraft • USS Intrepid (NCC-38907) • Phoenix • USS Stargazer (NCC-2893) • Shuttlecraft

Klingon ships
• Chut • •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •  •

Locations
Qam-Chee • Quinor • Bamarren • Romii • B'alDa'ar Base

Colonies and planetary locations
Arinak • England • Raknal City • ShiKahr • First City

Outposts and space stations
Cardassian Orbital Center • Deep Space Station K-7 • Korma Pass • Starbase 24 • Starbase 47 • Starbase 343 • Ty'Gokor

Planets and planetoids
Andor • Arvada III • Babel • Bajor • Betazed • Capella IV • Cardassia Prime • Cardassia II • Chin'toka III • Chin'toka VI • Devniad • Earth • Gault • Khitomer • Legara IV • Mempa IV • Narendra III • Organia • Praxis • Qo'noS • Raknal V • Risa • Romulus • Remus • Sherman's Planet • Tellar • Trill • Vulcan • Wrigley's Pleasure Planet

Stars and star systems
Archanis System • Arvada System • Barradas System • Bryma System • Cuellar System • Cursa System • Donatu System • Morska System • Raknal System • Septimus System • Trelka System • Umoth System

Stellar regions
Betreka Nebula • Delta Triangle • Klach D'Kel Bracht

Races and cultures
Klingon • Romulan • Hur'q • Cardassian • Vulcan • Human • Betazoid • Tellarite • Bajoran • Lissepian • Ferengi • Orion • Nausicaan • Chalnoth • Kreel • Kinshaya • Hebitian • Legaran • Trill • Organian • Calabrese • Tholian • Reman • Yridian • Tzenkethi • Tribble • Gallamite • Lethean • Breen • Caitian • Andorian

States and organizations
Klingon Empire • Romulan Star Empire • Cardassian Union • United Federation of Planets • Cardassian Central Command • Obsidian Order • Klingon Defense Force • Imperial Intelligence • Cardassian Third Order • Klingon High Council • Starfleet Academy • House of Duras • Romulan Senate • Ferengi Commerce Authority • Cardassian Central Command Library • Starfleet • House of Mogh • Tal Shiar • House of Kultan • Breen Confederacy • House of Boral

Cultural
LIngta' • gIntaq • qelIqam • Sword of Kahless • Bat'leth • petaQ • raktajino • toDSah • bekk • Hand of Kull • hevrit • Bloodwine • gagh • Gre'thor • yIntagh • grishnar • Sto-Vo-Kor • Black Fleet • Detapa Council • Chiral • gristhera • Qapla' • Mauk-to'Vor • First Speaker of the Council • Barge of the Dead • Fek'lhr • meqba' • River of Blood • Warnog • allira punch • Hall of Warriors • Razorbeast • gritla • Kanar • tralk • grakizh • tharul • targ • urall • gree worm • d'k tahg • pipius • racht • rokeg blood pie • bok-rat • taknar • lek • bregit • SoSnI • tlhInghan'a • HaroS • tik'leth • mek'leth • Arbiter of Succession • mok'bara • Sonchi Ceremony • Vulcan lute • wam serpent • imzadi • Sem'hal stew • SIp • tova'dok • chech'tluth • Mempa Knife Duel • ghojmok • keres

Other
Zenite • Akril-class • Uridium • Vole • Birok-class • Locan Powder • Broken Bow • skahtchansohde • vulture • Tomed Incident • Khitomer Accords • House Ozhpri • Calabrese Treaty • Room 2552 • stembolt • Sutor Mountains • Likra Mountain Range • Qora Forest • Fistrium • Dakhur Hills • Cowboy Ralph • Greek • My Bear • triceron • molecular-decay detonator • disruptor • Altair water • Organian Peace Treaty • Tequila • T'Shevat's Syndrome • Horga'hn • jamaharon • sehlat • Zen • Kor Thon • Tarka • Vakk-class • Galor-class • HoSqhaj River • rodinium • Scotch