Brinkmanship is a Star Trek: Typhon Pact novel by Una McCormack, released in September 2012.
Description[]
The Venette Convention has always remained independent, but it is about to become the flashpoint for a tense military standoff between the two power blocks now dominating interstellar space—the United Federation of Planets and the recently formed Typhon Pact. The Venetan government turns to the Typhon Pact’s Tzenkethi Coalition for protection in the new order and has agreed to allow three of their supply bases for Tzenkethi use. But these bases — if militarized — would put Tzenkethi weapons unacceptably close to Federation, Cardassian, and Ferengi space. While Captain Ezri Dax and the crew of the USS Aventine are sent to investigate exactly what is happening at one of the Venette bases, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the USS Enterprise are assigned to a diplomatic mission in order to broker a mutually acceptable resolution. But the Cardassian delegates don’t seem particularly keen on using diplomacy to resolve the situation, which soon spirals out of control toward all-out war….
Summary[]
The Venette Convention was on the verge of joining the Federation when the negotiations were abandoned at the outbreak of the Dominion War. Now, they have formed an alliance with the Tzenkethi and the Enterprise is assigned to transport a joint Federation-Ferengi-Cardassian delegation to Venette to discuss the new situation. The situation becomes more tense when the Cardassian negotiator, Detrek, reveals the Venetans have just agreed to lease the Tzenkethi three bases on the borders of their respective territories.
The Aventine is invited to inspect Outpost V-4, the base near Federation territory, to confirm it is only being used for civillian purposes. Ezri's task is complicated by the presence of Commander Peter Alden, an old friend now working for Starfleet Intelligence who has an obsessive paranoia about the Tzenkethi. The crew are concerned to learn the Tzenkethi are preparing storage for what they claim are chemicals to help their skin in the Venetan environment but could well be bioweapons.
Picard and Crusher are assigned to the negotiating team on Venette but things are derailed when Detrek immediately begins making belligerent accusations towards the Tzenkethi, in the end openly implying the Cardassians are spying on them. The Cardassians are banned from the talks and the Tzenkethi gain further credit when they reveal they had apprehended several Federation spies.
Ezri sends Alden to steal a sample of chemicals from the outpost's medical centre. Tarses comes up with a deal where the Federation could arrange to supply the Tzenkethi with harmless chemicals which will meet their claimed purpose. However, the Venetan administrator Heldon then finds a bomb in the medical centre and Ezri ends relations by refusing to hand Alden over to the base personnel. The Ferengi negotiator, Ilka, is instructed to make a private deal where Ferengi observers are placed on the nearby base, while Picard announces the Federation and the Cardassians will blockade the Venetan border near the other bases, preventing the Tzenkethi delivering any supplies. Tzenkethi representative Alizome offers Crusher medical information in exchange for ending the stand-off but Crusher is ordered by Admiral Akaar to refuse.
The Aventine is reassigned to assist the Cardassians in retrieving an undercover agent from Ab-Tzenketh. However, the agent, Neta Efheny, has already had a cover comprised by inadvertent contact with an undercover Federation agent, Alex Gardner, who is afraid of capture and wants to be retrieved with her. Efheny reluctantly takes Gardner and a Tzenkethi friend, Corazame, who believed the pair were involved in an unauthorised relationship, to the pick-up point but her implant will only allow one to be transported. Gardner attacks her to gain the implant and Efheny kills him, then gives both the implant and the information she gathered to Corazame. Corazame is beamed aboard the Aventine and looked after by Alden, while Efheny surrenders to the Tzenkethi, letting them believe Corazame was the spy, happy in the knowledge she will be reconditioned into believing herself to be a docile low-grade Tzenkethi worker.
With this information, the Cardassians are able to expose the Tzenkethi's plan to blackmail their embassy staff into pursuing pro-Tzenkethi policies. Embarrassed before the Venetans, the Tzenkethi turn away from the blockade and agree to a deal where they will accept the Federation medical supplies and the presence of Federation and Cardassian observers on the outposts in exchange for placing observers on Khitomer Accords-run bases in similar positions. Picard and Crusher are disappointed to realize the negotiations were always intended to fail, with Detrek deliberately pushing the Tzenkethi into a position where they would have to back down from military action, while Ezri and Heldon remain uncertain whether it was Alden or the Tzenkethi who planted the bomb.
References[]
Characters[]
- Leonard James Akaar • Peter Alden • Alizome Tor Fel-A • Artamer Ter Mak-B • Nanietta Bacco • Sam Bowers • T'Ryssa Chen • Jasminder Choudhury • Corazame Ret Ata-E • Beverly Crusher • Ezri Dax • Detrek • Ravel Dygan • Neta Efheny/Mayazan Ret Ata-E • Ementar Vik Tov-A • Entrek • Entrigar Ter Yai-A • Elim Garak • Alex Gardner/Hertome Ter Ata-C • Gerety • Getiger • Hegol Den • Heldon • Gruhn Helkara • Susan Hyatt • Ilka • Inzegil Ter Mak-B • Jeyn • Karenzen Ter Ata-D • Lonnoc Kedair • Mikaela Leishman • Hogue Nekelen • Jean-Luc Picard • Rene Jacques Robert Francois Picard • Prott • Rekkt • Rusht • Spon • Simon Tarses • Tharp • Trekitor Ter Mak-C • Vitig • Worf • Zedenzik
- Referenced only
- Bishop • Rakena Garan • Alon Ghemor • Korzenten Rej Tov-AA • Leeta • Mertikor • Nemeyan • Netara • Pelenten • Marie Picard • Yvette Gessard Picard • Meya Rejal • Rom
Locations[]
- Ab-Tzenketh • Alpha Quadrant • Atas • Earth • Guwine • Hall of Assembly • Royal Moon • Starbase 261 • Starbase 66 • Velentur Island • Venetan Trading Station Outpost V-4 • Venetan Trading Station Outpost V-15 • Venetan Trading Station Outpost V-27 • Venette
- Referenced only
- Andak Mountains • Cardassia • Ferenginar • Maqbar system • Paris
Starships and vehicles[]
- air car • USS Aventine (Vesta-class) • USS Enterprise-E (Sovereign-class) • water shuttle
- Referenced only
- Aklaren • Ghemor • Inzitran • Legate Damar • Zek
Races and cultures[]
- Bajoran • Capellan • Cardassian • Ferengi • Human • Klingon • Takaran • Trill • Tzenkethi • Venetan • Zakdorn
- Referenced only
- Andorian • Borg • Jem'Hadar • Maqbari • Tholian
States and organizations[]
- Cardassian External Affairs • Cardassian Intelligence Bureau • Cardassian Union • Department of Behavioral Supervision • Department of the Outside • Ferengi Alliance • Maintenance Unit 17 • Merchant Fleet 9 • Starfleet • Starfleet Intelligence • Typhon Pact • Tzenkethi Coalition • United Federation of Planets • Venette Convention
- Referenced only
- Cardassian Central Command • Obsidian Order • Officer Exchange Program • Starfleet Academy • synod
Science and classification[]
- chronometer • data rod • heat shield • holoviewer • padd • retinal scanner • transporter
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • aide-de-camp • ambassador • Ap-Rej • Autarch of the Tzenkethi Coalition • captain • Castellan of the Cardassian Union • commander • counselor • doctor • glinn • lieutenant • negotiator • President of the United Federation of Planets • security chief • sub-dealer • XO
Other references[]
- billet • Borg Invasion of 2381 • czezik • champagne • coral • Dominion War • entimium • fish • gagh • Great Burning • Great River • ilva • kanar • kela • keteki • kotra • Khitomer Accords • leti • Navithium resin • P96 solvent • pana • raktajino • Ruinart • skyturn • star chart • stone • synod • Toward a Topology of Social Stratification Among the Tzenkethi • tree • twin-month • Tzikaa!n
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- Peter Alden and Corazame later appeared in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel The Missing.
Images[]
Connections[]
| Star Trek: Typhon Pact |
|---|
| Zero Sum Game • Seize the Fire • Rough Beasts of Empire • Paths of Disharmony • The Struggle Within • Plagues of Night • Raise the Dawn • Brinkmanship |
| Media featuring the USS Aventine | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novels | Star Trek: Destiny | Gods of Night • Mere Mortals • Lost Souls • A Singular Destiny | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| others | Zero Sum Game • Brinkmanship • A Ceremony of Losses • Takedown | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Novellas | Absent Enemies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Characters | Ezri Dax • Sam Bowers • Gruhn Helkara • Mikaela Leishman • Simon Tarses • Oliana Mirren • Lonnoc Kedair | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Raise the Dawn |
Typhon Pact series | Next novel: last novel in series |
| Previous story: The Never-Ending Sacrifice |
Stories by: Una McCormack |
Next story: The Fall: The Crimson Shadow |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: The Persistence of Memory Chapter 23 |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Persistence of Memory Chapters 1-6 and 24-35 |
Translations[]
- 2014
- German : Risiko, translated by Christian Humberg. (Cross Cult)
External link[]
- Brinkmanship article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.