Available Light

Available Light is a 2019 Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by author Dayton Ward.

Description[]

Section 31, the covert organization which has operated without accountability in the shadows for more than two centuries, has been exposed. Throughout the Federation, the rogue group's agents and leaders are being taken into custody as the sheer scope of its misdeeds comes to light. Now Starfleet Command must decide the consequences for numerous officers caught up in the scandal – including Admirals William Ross, Edward Jellico, Alynna Nechayev, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard who, along with many others, are implicated in the forced removal of a Federation president.

Meanwhile, deep in the distant, unexplored region of space known as the Odyssean Pass, Picard and the crew of the Starship Enterprise must put aside personal feelings and political concerns as they investigate a massive mysterious spacecraft. Adrift for centuries in the void, the ship is vital to the survival of an endangered civilization which has spent generations searching for a world to sustain what remains of its people. Complicating matters is a band of marauders who have their own designs on the ancient ship, with only the Enterprise standing in their way…

Summary[]

Following the exposure of Section 31, many of their agents are taken into custody, including the surviving Starfleet admirals who co-operated in the secret execution of President Zife. Admiral Ross and his defence lawyer are murdered in custody by Federation Security Agency agent Margo Dempsey whose husband Clark was killed by Uraei. However, with the USS Enterprise two months' travel away from Federation space, Picard is spared much of the scrutiny for now.

The Enterprise encounters a vast abandoned spaceship named the Osijemal and send an away team to explore. They are attacked by a boarding party from the Torrekmat, who had been aboard hidden and who were attempting to claim the vessel for salvage. The Torrekmat are apparently vaporised by a security system and their ship is also destroyed after attacking both the Enterprise and the Osijemal.

When T'Ryssa Chen is also struck by one of the security beams, it transpires that both she and the boarding party have been taken to the ship's occupants, the Nejamri. Their world will soon be uninhabitable and, with only limited warp capability, they were sent on a long journey to find a suitable world to colonise. Their physical forms and minds are stored within the ship's computer, sixty thousand of them, with them continuing to experience consciousness within a virtual environment. However, not only was the world they were aiming for unsuitable, forcing them to find a replacement, but their power is failing.

More Torrekmat ships arrive in response to a distress signal from the first. After another battle and the destruction of another ship, their commander, Brinamar, is convinced of the situation and agrees to help the Enterprise re-power the Osijemal with Chen and Elfiki helping to control things in the virtual environment. More Torrekmat ships arrive and refuse to believe Brinamar's story, attacking the Enterprise again, but are convinced to withdraw when faced with a fully powered Osijemal. The Enterprise crew give the Nejamri information on suitable nearby worlds before departing.

With the situation resolved, Picard elects to return and face the consequences of his actions, ordering the Enterprise back to Earth.

References[]

Characters[]

Osijemal personnel[]

Alehuguet • Kersis • Lorrander • Yidemi

Torrekmat[]

Brinamar • Cipal • Crelin • Gerat • Jakev • Ledor • Radaena • Senthilmal • Traek
Referenced only: Dovat • Driva • Sigeta

Klingons[]

Martok, son of Urthog • Jo'shwar • K'shaf
Referenced only: Gowron • Lazhna, daughter of Martok • Martok, grandfather of Martok • Shen, daughter of Martok • Sirella • Urthog

Other characters[]

Jason Anderson • Phillipa Louvois
Referenced only: Jeanne Baré • Wesley Crusher • Data • Ozla Graniv • Lal • Madred • Stefana Ross • Zachary Ross • Uraei

Starships and vehicles[]

Headlong Flight Enterprise-E — USS *Enterprise*-E.

USS Araguaia (runabout) • Badak • boat • USS Enterprise-E (Sovereign-class) • Osijemal • Utenla • Zetoq
Referenced only: USS Aries • ChR Bloodied Talon • captain's yacht • Cube 632 • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class) • escape pod • USS Hood • USS Jenolen • USS Melbourne • Poklori gil dara • USS Rhea (Luna-class) • shuttlecraft • USS Stargazer (Constellation-class) • workpod • USS Victory (Constellation-class)

Locations[]

Alpha Quadrant • Beta Quadrant • Caldos II (New Glasgow) • Earth (Adirondack Mountains • New York • Pacific Ocean • Avenue des Champs-Élysées; Palais de la Concorde; Tour Eiffel; Tuileries Garden, Paris • San Juanico, Mexico • FSA Detention Facility; Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco) • Odyssean Pass • Qo'noS (Great Hall, First City)
Referenced only: Alpha Centauri B • Andor • Bajor • Betazed • Deep Space 9 • Earth (Egypt • New Zealand Penal Settlement, Auckland, New Zealand) • Elba II • Federation-Klingon border • Gamma Quadrant • Luna (Aldrin City Archives Annex) • Memory Alpha • Memory Prime • Nejahlora • Praxis • Qo'noS (Ketha Province • Old Quarter) • space station • Spacedock • Sralanya • Starbase 11 • Starbase 173 • Tezwa • Torrekmat • Ushalon

Races and cultures[]

Andorian • Bajoran • Betazoid • Capellan • Cardassian • Human • Klingon • Nejamri • Torrekmat • Vulcan
Referenced only: Antedean • Android • Ba'ku • Bolian • Borg • Changeling • Eizand • Grazerite • Jem'Hadar • Raqilan • Romulan • Sidrac • Tezwan • Trill • Zakdorn

States and organizations[]

Federation Security Agency • House of Martok • Jirol Salvage Guild • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Council • Nejamri Conclave • Starfleet • Starfleet Command • United Federation of Planets
Referenced only: Borg Collective • Cardassian Union • Columbia University • Dominion • Faculty of Law, Oxford • Federation Council • Federation Department of Temporal Investigations • Federation Judiciary Council • Federation News Service • Judge Advocate General • Klingon Defense Force • Protection Detail • Red Squad • Section 31 • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Research and Development

Ranks and titles[]

admiral • agent • aide • Arbiter of Succession • assistant • assistant captain • assistant chief engineer • assistant chief medical officer • attorney • Attorney General of the United Federation of Planets • biographer • cadet • captain • Chancellor of the High Council of the Klingon Empire • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief of staff • Chief of Starfleet Operations • collaborator • commander • conspiracy theorist • contact specialist • contractor • councilor • counselor • customer • diplomat • doctor • engineer • ensign • exchange officer • executive officer • first officer • fleet admiral • flight controller • general • glinn • gul • gunner • historian • interviewer • journalist • judge • judge advocate • jurist • justice • law clerk • lawyer • liaison • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • marauder • mercenary • military dictator • negotiator • news anchor • Number one • officer • operations officer • operative • pilot • pirate • President of the United Federation of Planets • rear admiral • salvager • scientist • secretary of military intelligence • security chief • security officer • sensor technician • server • shipmaster • specialist • tactical officer • tactical specialist • tactician • teacher • technician • traitor • turncoat • veteran • vice admiral

Science and technology[]

airlock • algorithm • anesthetic • antenna • artificial gravity • artificial intelligence • asteroid • atmosphere • atrophy • automated fire control system • backup system • barometer • battery • battery storage farm • bio-monitor • bomb • bone • brain (neural impulse) • cannon • cartilage • chronometer • Class M • cleaning system • cloaking device • coma • communication beacon • communications • communicator badge • computer • computer code • computer core • computer matrix • computer terminal • concussion • cutting tool • dampening pulse • data bank • data matrix • data storage • data transfer network • deflector array • deflector shield • diagnostic and treatment sleeve • dimension • disease • disruptor • distress buoy • dizziness • docking collar • ear • electronic circuit • emitter • encryption • energy • energy conduit • engineering padd • environmental control • environmental suit • extinction • faster-than-light propulsion • feedback pulse • filtration system • firewall • flashlight • flow regulator • flow regulator circuit • food processing system • force field • frequency • grappler system • Haven • heads-up display • heart • holodeck • hologram • humanoid • humerus • impulse engine • inertial damping • insect • intercom • interface • intruder control system • ion storm • isolinear optical chip • keypad • kilometer • kiloquad • landing strut • laser torch • library computer • life span • life support • ligament • locking mechanism • long-range sensor • lung • magnetic boot • magnetic clamp • magnetic rail tube • magnetic seal • master systems display • matter-energy conversion technology • medication • medicine • memory bank • meteor • meter • microphone • mile[ • moon • navigational system • nose • ocular implant • optical data cable • ore • overload switch • oxygen • P-38 • padd • pain-relief medication • parallel universe • passive scan • pattern recognition • phaser • phaser rifle • physiology • plane of existence • planet • plasma conduit • plasma coolant • pollution • power distribution network • power generator • power relay • probe • processing core • programming code • propulsion system • psychotherapy • quantum torpedo • recording • relay • relay system • replicator • resonance frequency • rogue planet • scattering field • science • sensor • sensor array • sensor buoy • sensor node • shield generator • simulacrum • skull • solar energy collector • space • speaker • star system • surge protection relay • survey probe • suspended animation • tactical inset • technology • telescope • terraform • thruster port • timeline • touch interface • tranquilizer • transfer emitter • translation matrix • transparent aluminum • transporter inhibitor • transporter • transporter buffer • treatment • tricorder • turbolift • turret • universal translator • universe • vacuum • viewscreen • virtual environment • warp core • warp core breach • warp core containment system • warp drive • warp nacelle • wavelength • welding tool

Other references[]

1882 • 2324 • 2365 • 2377 • 2381 • 2385 • 20th century • 21st century • 22nd century • 23rd century • 24th century • adhesive • after action report • alpha shift • Andorian sexes • anvil • apartment • ark • articles of impeachment • assassination • assimilation • bag • baldric • bar • Battle of Wolf 359 • beach • billet • blanket • bloodwine • boat dock • book • bookcase • boot • Borg Invasion of 2381 • brandy • briefcase • brig • broadcast network • brothel • bulkhead • bylaw • cabal • cabin • cafe • casino • cassock • chablis • chaise longue • checkpoint • civil rights • coffee table • coliseum • colony • command chair • condominium • conn • conspiracy • continent • coup d'etat • court martial • courtyard • coveralls • credenza • crew lounge • curtain • dais • day • decade • deity • desk • detention facility • diagnostic • dirt • distress call • Dominion War • doppelgänger • due process • dust • education • emergency patch kit • emergency escape protocol • engineering • entertainment • envelope maneuver • evacuation • evasive maneuver • executive suite • exile • exposé • extradition • Federation Uniform Code of Justice • festival • fiction • first contact • flagship • forest • Friday • gallery • gaming parlor • gamma shift • gate • government • gown • grass • hammer • Happy Bottom Riding Club • helmet • hour • hunt • inauguration • interview • invasion • investigation • jacket • Jefferies tube • Khitomer Accords • Kolinahr • Kolvoord Starburst • La Forge Delta Lima 14 • landing bay • language • law • law firm • law school • library • living room • logic • maintenance protocol • manuscript • martial law • mattress • medical kit • meditation • metal • metaphysics • military training • millennia • military • moth • mountain • murder • music • Nejamri language • news • obsidian • ocean • Occupation of Bajor • office • override protocol • paint • paper • paperwork • park • patio • penal colony • personnel record • philosophy • picture • pillage • piracy • plant • poker • politics • power plant • Prime Directive • promotion • publisher • quarantine • quarters • ready room • red alert • resignation • retirement • safe house • safety protocol • salvage rights • satchel • scandal • scanner suite • science station • secondary hull • security patrol • security protocol • sedition • sickbay • sofa • spirituality • sports • star chart • Starfleet Charter • Starfleet uniform (2373-2386) • status report • stellar cartography • Sunday • swimming • tactical station • tattoo • tavern • tea • teacup • technical schematic • tool kit • translation protocol • treason • tree • trial • tribunal • uniform • vacation • village • volcano • war • water • weapons control center • white flag • yellow alert

Appendices[]

Images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

Published Order
Previous novel: Hearts and Minds	TNG novels	Next novel: Collateral Damage
Previous story: Hearts and Minds	Stories by: Dayton Ward	Next story: Agents of Influence

Translations[]

2020: German : Vorhandenes Licht, translated by Aimée Bruyn De Ouboter. (Cross Cult)

External link[]

Available Light article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki