Introduction (blurb)
Before he was an officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise...
A young Spock accompanied his father, the Vulcan diplomat Sarek, to the planet Marath to help negotiate a peace treaty. With the signed treaty safely in hand, they board the Starship Enterprise and head home. Spock is fascinated by the easy acceptance of his Vulcan culture by the bright, adventurous Starfleet crew headed by Captain Robert April and his first officer, Christopher Pike. Spock, half-Vulcan, half-human, is now torn between accepting his position at the Vulcan Science Academy or joining the cadets at Starfleet Academy.
Before he can decide, however, he and Sarek discover that not everyone is happy with the treaty. First, rebel forces attempt an assault on the Enterprise, and then Spock's own family is stalked. Spock has a hunch about who is behind the attacks. But to find out -- and set the course for his own destiny -- he'll have to trust his human side.
Summary
Ambassador Sarek conducts negotiations between factions of the Marathan people spread across several planets and moons in their home star system. Spock joins his father of the mission and “befriends” Cha-Tuan Mar Lorval, the emotional son of one of (lunar colony) Shakir's representatives. Though Sarek and the Marathans reach an accord, the Shakir delegation is particularly dissatisfied. All delegates are returned home by the USS Enterprise, where Spock is quite taken with the emotional yet wholly accepting Starfleet crew (particularly first officer Pike) and reacts with some minor emotion, much to Sarek's disapproval. Similarly, the intelligent young Vulcan greatly impresses the Starfleet crew—Spock solves a catastrophic computer problem when the angered Shakir attack the starship and demand the surrender of the signed treaty and of Sarek, allowing the Enterprise to escape without bloodshed—to the point that Captain April recommends Spock to Starfleet Academy.
Upon returning to Vulcan, Sarek tries to work out the final details of the treaty over subspace communications, but finds the Shakir intractable. Spock participates in a class at the Vulcan Science Academy as a trial of his upcoming full-time studies there. He shares a dormitory with a distant cousin, Sirok, who believes that Spock's human heritage is an obstacle certain to make Spock fail. Spock is called home after Amanda is attacked by a Marathan assassin and the whole family is placed under protective guard. Sirok is later mistaken for Spock and attacked, though he too survives. Sarek plans to draw the assassins out by making himself a target, advertising his trip to Earth to deliver the final Marathan treaty. Spock insists on accompanying his father and spots a suspicious person tailing them who resembles his friend Cha. Spock later tracks Cha to hideout and confronts the young man about the Shakir plot. Unwilling to carry out his orders to help with the assassinations, Cha trusts Spock and shares the Shakir's secret—the Shakir have been denied access to certain ancient religious sites, but never mentioned the issue because a taboo prevents them discussing the sites with offworlders. The Shakir faction leader actually wishes the civil war to continue as he dreams of conquering the homeworld for his people. When Sarek amends the treaty to ensure open access to the sites for all Marathans, the Shakir overrule their warmongering leader, and peace is achieved. Dissatisfied with the prejudice he faces on Vulcan, Spock decides to accept enrollment at Starfleet Academy with his mother's blessing.
References
Characters
- Thedra Alfort • Robert April • Belas • Ledrick Bann • Richard Cheyney • Michael Daron • Amanda Grayson • Cha-Tuan Mar Lorval • Karos Mar Santor • Hul Minak Lasvor • Selena Niles • Christopher Pike • Powell • Sarek • Shanak • Sirok • Sovik • Spock • T'Lak • T'Mar
- Referenced only
- Fedderling • Jeffries • Sunok • Wurnall
Starships and vehicles
- USS Enterprise
- Referenced only
- USS Intrepid
Locations
- Bel T'aan • Fleta • Gandar • House of Healing • House of Justice • Jareta • Marath • P'ik Ban Aldor • Shakir • Space Port Prime • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Ceti IV
Races and cultures
- Human • Marathan • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Andorian • Betazoid • Centaurian • Cetan • Deltan • Klingon • Tellarite
States and organizations
- Federation Starfleet • Vulcan Science Academy
- Referenced only
- Starfleet Academy
Science and technology
- computer • neutron torpedo • security visual grid • Series 15,000 Artificial Intelligence Module • star system • subspace communications
Ranks and titles
Other references
- Andorian puzzle-leaf • assassination • Atlantean fire-rod • century plant • civil war • colony • Draebidium froctus • emotion • goldenweb • Hamarka • homeworld • moon • planet • qual • quattil • Rigelian lens tree • taboo • three-dimensional chess • Tow-kath • treaty • tshak • varalinth • Volash • Vulcan harp
Connections
External Links
Crisis on Vulcan article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: first in series |
Star Trek novels | Next novel: Aftershock |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Chaotic Response Section 1 |
Next Adventure: Sarek Chapter 7, 5th entry | |
| Previous Adventure: Though Hell Should Bar the Way |
The Early Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) |
Next Adventure: Best Destiny flashback |
