Description[]
- When a Vulcan space probe reports that the Ferengi are advancing the people of the planet Megara from a primitive agricultural state to a sophisticated technological society, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Starship Enterprise are ordered to transport an unlikely passenger to the system, a ruthless twentieth-century businessman who is now a Federation ambassador.
- The Ferengi have been changing Megaran culture, turning a hard working and honorable people into vicious xenophobic killers. But the Ferengi are only hired hands. They have hidden masters, with plans to use the Megaran people as a powerful weapon against the Federation.
- Now Picard must find a way to use the talents of this new ambassador to free the Megarans. But the ambassador is hiding a deadly secret of his own — a secret that could unleash an unstoppable destructive force on the Federation.
Summary[]
A Vulcan probe detects the planet Megara has recently undergone rapid progress to industrialisation, shortly before it is destroyed by the Ferengi. The Enterprise is assigned to investigate and also assigned their former passenger Ralph Offenhouse, now a Federation ambassador with a special interest in the Ferengi. Offenhouse is able to bluff the Ferengi into allowing them access to the planet.
Picard and Offenhouse are quickly taken prisoner by the planet's nominal ruler, the Vo Gatyn. Wesley Crusher, on a visit from the academy and his new friend Ensign Shrev visit the planet as tourists and learn many of the population live in poverty and blame the Ferengi. They also begin to suspect that there is no profit in the Ferengi's actions and they are working for someone else. Picard and Offenhouse escape after Offenhouse saws through their cell. Worf and Data hire a group of locals to help find them.
The real culprits are the Cardassians, who are on the planet undercover. Their plan is to use the Ferengi to stir up xenophobic feelings among the Megarans, while also educating them to pilot spacecraft that are being constructed on the planet. The Megarans will thus attack the Federation as the nearest major power. A Cardassian ship attempts to destroy both the Enterprise and the Ferengi ship but, thanks to a new detection system Alexander suggested, the Enterprise is able to detect and disable them. The Cardassian ship self-destructs, with the Ferengi ship being so badly damaged the crew have to evacuate to the surface.
The Megarans turn on the Ferengi, who the Enterprise take into protected custody. Worf's team defeat the Cardassians in a firefight and they destroy their base. The Federation's actions help curb the Megarans' hatred of aliens. Offenhouse and Gatyn work out a deal where the Ferengi will have to work for the Megarans indefinitely in order to industralise their planet in a way that will benefit all.
References[]
Characters[]
- Kardel Anit • Broz • Bwolst • Chudak • Wesley Crusher • Data • De Shay • Durok • Gakor • Gatyn • Glupet • Hrakin • Molokan • Anna Novotny • Ralph Offenhouse • Odovil Pardi • Par'mit'kon • Jean-Luc Picard • Alexander Rozhenko • Shrev • Singh • Somek • Taygar • Deanna Troi • Ubinew • Verden • Worf • Zhen
- Referenced only
- Marcus Aurelius • Napoléon Bonaparte • Cicero • Garth of Izar • Phillip Green • James T. Kirk • Klarten • Peter Linde Offenhouse • Christopher Pike • Theodore Roosevelt • Khan Noonien Singh • Hikaru Sulu • Sumash • Tebok
Locations[]
- 329 Aurigae • Megara • Metari Leeg • Perseus sector • Starbase 144 • Weber 512
- Referenced only
- Chad • Japan • Russia • Starbase 718 • Yemen
Starships and vehicles[]
- FMS Dividend (D'Kora-class) • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class) • CDS Fatal Arrow (Liburnian-class)
- Referenced only
- USS Enterprise (CVN-65)
Races and cultures[]
- android • Betazoid • Cardassian • Ferengi • Human • Klingon • Megaran • Saurian • Tellarite • Zhuik
- Referenced only
- Bajoran • Romulan
States and organizations[]
- Starfleet • United Federation of Planets • Vulcan Academy of Science
- Referenced only
- Great Khanate • Hive Zss'zhz
Science and classification[]
- alien • antenna • antigrav boot • anti-intoxicant • black eye • brain • Class J gas giant • cryonic suspension • egg • holodeck • lamp • mutant • neutrino • probe • sleepwalker • space • time
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • advisor • ambassador • businessman • captain • developmental analyst • ensign • officer
Other references[]
- Battle of the Sea of Japan • Cardassian War • city hive • copper • cubbyhole • dagger • Dixon Hill • economy • Eugenics Wars • factory • gagh • garbat • grass • insect • iron • Klingonese • knife • Missing Link 3: Vacation in Armageddon • planet • pocket • popcorn • Prime Directive • prune juice • Rambo V • sector • sheath • Shrev Program 1 • soccer • soccer ball • taHgeg • technology • uniform • weapon • year
Appendices[]
Background[]
- Author W.R. Thompson's favorite moment in the book was Ralph Offenhouse nodding off during a lecture by Jean-Luc Picard. (The Official Fan Club Magazine Issue 96: "Holodeck Adventures: Debtor's Planet")
- Ralph Offenhouse first appeared in "The Neutral Zone".
- The Ferengi home world is called "Ferengal" in this novel, from detail given in The Worlds of the Federation, and is characterized as having a thin atmosphere (explaining the large Ferengi ear). Later canon would verify the name "Ferenginar," and a climate of heavy rain and swampy land conditions.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Sins of Commission |
TNG numbered novels | Next novel: Foreign Foes |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: The Fall of Terok Nor Chapter 1 |
Next Adventure: Chain of Command | |
Translations[]
- 1994
- Hebrew : כוכב הפיראטים, translated by Inbal Sagiv. (Snow)
- 1996
- Japanese : 奴隷惑星メガラ, translated by Hiroshi Saito. (Hayakawa Bunko)
- 1997
- German : Planet der Schuldner, translated by Uwe Anton. (Heyne)
External link[]
- Debtors' Planet article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.