Armageddon's Arrow is a 2015 Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by author Dayton Ward.
Publisher's description[]
- It is a new age of exploration, and the USS Enterprise is dispatched to "the Odyssean Pass", a region charted only by unmanned probes and believed to contain numerous inhabited worlds. Approaching a star system with two such planets, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and his crew find a massive alien vessel, drifting in interstellar space for decades. Sensors detect life aboard the derelict–aliens held in suspended animation. Thought to be an immense sleeper ship, the vessel actually is a weapon capable of destroying entire worlds...the final gambit in a war that has raged for generations across the nearby system. Captain Picard is now caught in the middle, of this conflict and attempts to mediate, as both sides want this doomsday weapon...which was sent from the future with the sole purpose of ending the interplanetary war before it even began!
Summary[]
The Enterprise is exploring the Odyssean Pass when they come along a derelict spaceship. An investigation becomes more complicated when they discover two crewmembers in suspended animation and that the ship has travelled in time, coming from over a century in the future only to be left drifting for ninety-four years when the crew failed to revive as scheduled.
It is revealed that the neighbouring star system plays host to two sentient races, the Raqilan of Henlona and the Golvonek of Urphrel. The ship is Raqilan and a Golvonek ship soon arrives to take custody of the ship and its crew. Picard gets permission for the Enterprise crew to revive the two crewmembers, Jodis and Bnari, who confirm that the ship, the Poklori gil dara or Armageddon's Arrow, was designed to prevent the conflict that would devastate both races by stopping it before massive environmental damage occurs to either world. He also reveals the Arrow is already being constructed in that time period.
Worf and Elfiki investigate the construction site, discovering that the inspiration for the Arrow came from a crashed version of the Doomsday machine, identifying it as a far more primitive version of the two previously encountered by the Federation. However, as they attempt to return to the Enterprise, they are taken into custody by the Raqilan, who set course for the completed Arrow. The Golvonek similarly turn on and capture an away team led by Chen and Crusher. However, Jodis and Bnari also get free, overpower the Golvonek and take control of their ship.
The Enterprise beams Worf and Elfiki back aboard when the Raqilan try to use them as hostages but the Arrow suddenly fires on both sides. Chen realizes Jodis and Bnari are double agents, who were ordered to destroy Henlona instead. In fact, they plan to use the Arrow to police both sides and enforce a ceasefire. However, another member of the cell has installed a computer programme which is forcing the Arrow to attack Henlona for real. Chen works with the pair to redirect the Arrow to crash into the construction site for its earlier self, but to avoid the programme redirecting it again Jodis and Bnari have to stay onboard while the Enterprise crew evacuate. Picard resolves to bring about a proper truce between the Raqilan and Golvonek before the Enterprise moves on.
References[]
Characters[]
- Amavia • Bnari • Hailan Casmir • Eli Chapman • T'Ryssa Chen • Beverly Crusher • Kirsten Cruzen • Dlyren • Dnovlat • Ravel Dygan • Ehondar • Dina Elfiki • Joanna Faur • Gagil • Tamala Harstad • Jarata Beyn • Spra Jodis Neradin • Rennan Konya • Geordi La Forge • Aiden Lynley • Antoinette Mimouni • Mynlara • Ellwood Neil • Neline • Jean-Luc Picard • Rene Jacques Robert Francois Picard • Pitrotha • Bryan Regnis • Rilajor • Savon • Allison Scagliotti • Singen • Aneta Šmrhová • Taurik • Tropp • T'Sona • Vedapir • Waeno • Worf, son of Mogh
- Referenced only
- Leonard James Akaar • Nanietta Bacco • Wesley Crusher • Data • Matthew Decker • Delcara • Elim Garak • Hegol Den • Felicia Howard • Ishan Anjar • James T. Kirk • Palmieri • Marie Picard • René Picard • Robert Picard • William T. Riker • Spock • Kellessar zh'Tarash • Taro Trinell • Galif jav Velk
Locations[]
- Canborek system (Canborek • Copan • Copan moon • Henlona • Henlona moon • Landorem • Landorem moon • Uphrel) • Odyssean Pass
- Referenced only
- Alpha Quadrant • Andor • Arvada III • Deep Space 9 (II) • Delos • Earth • France • Jevalan • Jupiter • Luna • Mars • McKinley Station • Remus • Romulus • Starbase 24 • Starfleet Museum • Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards • Veridian III • The Yard
Starships and vehicles[]
- Calkurizar • Doomsday machine • USS Enterprise-E • Jefferies (shuttlecraft) • Poklori gil dara • Siouxsie (McCall-class)
- Referenced only
- Borg sphere • colony ship • USS Constellation • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class) • USS Hood • Ptolemy-class • sleeper ship • USS Stargazer
Races and cultures[]
- Argelian • Bajoran • Betazoid • Cardassian • Denobulan • Golvonek • Human • Klingon • Raqilan • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Andorian • Borg • Breen • Brekkian • Gorn • Kinshaya • Ornaran • Preserver • Romulan • Shgin • Tholian • Tzenkethi • Xindi
States and organizations[]
- Borg Collective • Cardassian Union • Federation Department of Temporal Investigations • Golvonek Protective Directorate • Klingon Empire • Raqilan Military Forces • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Tholian Assembly • True Way • Typhon Pact • United Federation of Planets
Ranks and titles[]
- astronaut • captain • commander • first officer • fleet legate • lieutenant • sasel • science officer
Science and technology[]
- ablative armor • antiproton beam • chroniton • chronometer • chronopulse drive • combadge • computer • computer core • cryogenics • environmental suit • force field • formazine • holodeck • hydrospanner • particle beam weapon • phaser pistol • phaser rifle • probe • pulse drive • sensor • shields • shield generator • star system • subspace • time travel • transporter • tricorder • tri-ox compound • universal translator • warp core • warp drive • warp factor • Xindi superweapon • zero gravity
Other references[]
- 20th century • 21st century • 22nd century • 2480s • asteroid • body armor • Borg Invasion of 2381 • bridge • bulkhead • cockpit • coffee • colony • corridor • Dixon Hill • Dominion War • Earth-Romulan War • first contact • fish • foctine • fruit • helmet • hull • landing bay • linzat/linzatu • main shuttlebay • moon • neutronium • Occupation of Bajor • planet • Prime Directive • standard extravehicular work garment • swimming • tanzal • Temporal Prime Directive • Xindi incident
Chronology[]
- 2266: The Pokli gil dara jumps to this point in its past
- 2386: The Pokli gil dara is discovered adrift by the Enterprise-E
- 2480s: The Pokli gil dara finishes construction and begins its time jump
Appendices[]
Related media[]
Images[]
Connections[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Takedown |
TNG novels | Next novel: Headlong Flight |
| Previous story: Point of Divergence |
Stories by: Dayton Ward |
Next story: All That's Left |
Translations[]
- 2017
- German : Der Pfeil des Schicksals. (Cross Cult)
External link[]
- Armageddon's Arrow article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.