Captain Sulu becomes involved in the treachery of the Klingon criminal known as the Albino.
Introduction[]
- A vicious pirate known as the Albino is cutting a deadly swath across space, creating turmoil in the Klingon Empire that threatens to spill into the Federation. But this criminal also has a secret that could shake the halls of Imperial power, and his genocidal plans against the race that bore him will have consequences even he cannot imagine, as several unlikely allies join swords to bring the Albino to justice: Hikaru Sulu of the USS Excelsior; Klingon captains Kor, Koloth, and Kang; and a hotheaded young Federation diplomat named Curzon Dax. Tempered in the flames of their shared adversity, a captaincy is forged, a blood oath is sworn… and a hunt begins that will stretch from one generation to the next.
Summary[]
Hikaru Sulu, recently installed as first officer of the Excelsior, encounters a dying woman while on shore leave on Galdonterre, who tells him that someone is trying to disrupt peace talks between the Federation and the Klingons at Korvat colony, the same someone that infected her with a lethal biovirus. Feeling that his captain, Lawrence H. Styles, is not taking the matter seriously, Sulu contacts Sarek and pulls a few strings, getting the Excelsior assigned to escort the Federation delegation.
Despite their precautions, the conference is bombed, killing Styles and several others and injuring both Sarek and the Klingon ambassador Kamarag. Kor, Kang and Koloth, the three Klingon captains present at the conference, decide to pursue the culprit deeper into Klingon space. Sulu is refused permission to join them by both Starfleet Command and the High Council, so Curzon Dax - Sarek's deputy - accompanies them instead.
The culprit turns out to be Qagh, an albino Klingon and distant cousin of Kor's, who was abandoned to die at birth because of a number of defects. He was found and raised by two Orions, only to kill them and take control of their criminal organization. He has been raiding scientific outposts in both Federation and Klingon space, both for the gene therapies he needs to stay alive and for bioweapons, and fears an alliance between his two enemies.
Qagh briefly captures Kor, Kang, Koloth and Curzon and destroys Koloth's ship, the Gal'tagh, before taking refuge in the dangerous Qul Tuq system. Sulu disobeys orders and takes the Excelsior to assist, helping capture Qagh's ship. Sulu, Kor and Koloth pursue Qagh to the surface where Sulu defeats Qagh in a duel but he escapes thanks to the intervention of his followers. Starfleet attempt to court martial Sulu for his actions, but when Kamarag makes it clear such an action would end the peace talks Sulu is instead made captain of the Excelsior.
Some years later, a retrovirus - implanted in the three Klingons when they were held prisoner - causes their newborn sons to die. A similar attempt is made on the life of Sulu's daughter Demora, but she survives thanks to an inherited immunity to the Omega IV virus which is a key component of the retrovirus. The three Klingons and Curzon swear a blood oath to avenge the murders.
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References[]
Characters[]
- Leonard James Akaar • Albino • Antaak • Baktrek • Robert Bennett • B'Lor • Eric Braun • Bront • Lance Cartwright • Christine Chapel • Cheb • Pavel Chekov • Choq • Choq • Meredith Cutler • Miguel Darby • Curzon Dax • D'Jinnea • Dostara • Do'Yoj • Edwards • Ganik • Gertrude • Gherud • Gnara • Golag • Harburg • John "Blackjack" Harriman • John Harriman • Tim Henry • Horen • Hurghom • Jek • Joqel • Kamarag • Kang • Heather Keith • Kishlat • Judith Klass • Koloth • Kor, son of Rynar • Korax • Korod • Koro • Lahra • Lojur • Ma'kella • Mara • Ramiro Marquez • Leonard McCoy • Messebs • Rod Michaels • Moj'ih • Nej • Heihachiro Nogura • Nino Orsini • Michael Thomas Paris • Q'Lujj • Quv • Janice Rand • Melinda Rebovich • Darnell Renyck • Rynar, son of Kor • Sarek • Christina Schulman • Montgomery Scott • Terra Spiro • Spock • Sturka • Lawrence Styles • Demora Sulu • Hikaru Sulu • Shimizu Hana Sulu • Sulu • Thompson • Thraq • Dmitri Valtane • Veret • V'Ger • Ylda • Yoqala
- Referenced only
- Curzon Antrani • Beta XII-A entity • B'Etris • bogeyman • Christian Nestell Bovee • Daniel • DaqS, son of Kang • Dareel • Arne Darvin • Dax • Audrid Dax • Emony Dax • Lela Dax • Tobin Dax • Torias Dax • Devil • Fek'lhr • Flek • God • Amanda Grayson-Sarek • Zane Grey • Hembec • Hunter • Tetsuo Inomata • Cyrano Jones • Kahless the Unforgettable • Kesh • James T. Kirk • Kurr • David Marcus • Jabilo M'Benga • Morath • Anais Nin • Ngoj • Phlox • Marcel Proust • Hyman Rickover • Hiram Roth • Rynar • Shahna • William Shakespeare • Margaret Sinclair-Alexander • Khan Noonien Singh • William Smillie • Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben • George Washington
Starships and vehicles[]
Klingon starships[]
- IKS Gal'tagh • IKS Ghobchuq • IKS Gr'oth • IKS Klolode • IKS Klolode cha' • IKS Klothos • IKS Mev'Luh • IKS Oghwl • IKS QaD
Federation starships[]
- USS Aerfen • USS Bozeman • USS Enterprise • USS Enterprise-A • USS Enterprise-B • USS Excelsior • USS Exeter • Nancy Hedford (shuttlecraft) • Shuttlecraft Rickover • USS Saratoga • Shuttlecraft von Steuben
Locations[]
Stations and outposts[]
Planets and planetoids[]
- Beta XII-A • Coridan III • Dayos IV • Donatu V • Earth • Forcas III • Galdonterre • Ganjitsu • Genesis Planet • Korvat • Luna • Mempa II • Omega IV • Praxis • Qav'loS • Qo'noS • Qul Tuq II • Qu'Vat colony • SermanyuQ • Sherman's Planet • Trillius Prime • Triskelion • Venus • Veqlargh • Xarantine
Stars and systems[]
- Coridan system • Dayos • Donatu • Forcas • Galdonterre • Genesis system • Korvat system • M24 Alpha • Mempa • Omega system • Qo'noS system • Qul Tuq system • Qu'Vat system • Sherman system • Sol system (Sol) • Trill system • Xarantine
Stellar locations[]
- Alpha Quadrant • Archanis • Beta Quadrant • Briar Patch • Dayos system • Donatu sector • Dorala system • H'Atoria system • Mempa sector • Nequencia • Qav'loS sector • Qul Tuq system • Reydovan sector • Star system 892
Planetary locations[]
- Archer Auditorium • First City • Georgia • Golden Gate Bridge • Ishikawa Village • Janitza Province • Kri'stak Volcano • London • Quantum café • San Francisco • Starfleet Headquarters • Tenara Cliffs • TlhIng Veng laboratory
Races and cultures[]
- Andorian • Augment • Bajoran • Balduk • Bolian • Capellan • Denobulan • Gorn • Halkan • Horta • Human (Japanese • Russian • Spartan) • Hurq • Kaylar • Klingon (HemQuch • QuchHa') • Kohm • Kriosian • Legaran • Mempan • Miradorn • Organian • Orion • Pahkwa-thanh • Rigelian • Romulan • Tagran • Tellarite • Terrellian • Trafalmadorian • Trill • Triskelion • Vulcan • Yang
States and organizations[]
- Colt's Manufacturing Company • Gilbert and Sullivan • Gorn Hegemony • Orion Syndicate • Romulan Star Empire • St. George's University • University of Mississippi
- Klingon Empire
- House of Kang • House of Kor • House of Ngoj • Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Defense Force Command • Klingon High Council • Klingon Intelligence
- United Federation of Planets
- Federation Diplomatic Corps • Federation News Service • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Intelligence • Starfleet Medical
Klingon culture[]
- Ak'voh rite • bahgol • Barge of the Dead • bat'leth • Battle of Klach D'Kel Bracht • bekk • bloodwine • bregit • The Change • d'akturak • darsek • d'k tahg • Dor'sho'gha • Festival of Qu'batlh • First Qu'Vat Plague • gagh • ghargh • Ghuy • glo'meH • Gre'thor • Ha'DIbaH • Hall of Heroes • HIvje' • HoD • jatyIn • jay'mu'quD • jeghpu'wI' • kilaan • klin zha • Kot'baval festival • leS • MajQa' • mek'leth • Mevyap • Mok'bara • nIj • NuqneH • N'yengoren • petaQ • PujwI' • Qagh • Qapla' • quelI'qam • QiVon • QI'yaH • Qul Tuq • RomuluSngan • sabre bear • sea pochtoQ • Second Qu'Vat Plague • Sto-vo-kor • targ • toy'wI • tup • tuq Degh • Veqlargh • yIH • Ylmev • yuQjIjQa' • yur
Other references[]
- alchemy • anabolic protoplaser • Andorian ale • anemia • apple • Banka • beer • bio-mimetic gel • Bishop of Carlisle • Blazing Sunburst • Briar Patch conflict • Bussard manifold • cancer • chardonnay • Christmas • chromadiacetine • clarinoxamine • cobalt • cowboy • Delvin cat trap plant • dermal regenerator • diabetes • dilithium • disruptor • DNA • DNA resequencing • dragon • duotronic • duranium • Earth's First Space Age • Eugenics Wars • fencing • gebatex • Gemini missions • ghost • glommer • Great Bird of the Galaxy • Gregorian calendar • Halloween • hand laser • holocube • IDIC • iron • isomiotic hypodermic • Jefferies tube • latinum • Levodian flu • lion • maglev train • magnetar • mind-sifter • mint julep • mreker • neutronoscope • norepinephrine • N'yengoren strategy • ODN • Omega IV virus • Organian Peace Treaty • Orion spine boar • osteoregenerator • plomeek • plomeek soup • President of the United Federation of Planets • quail • quintotriticale • Regulan bloodworm • retrovirus • Revolutionary War • rhodium nitrate • Richard II • Romulan ale • selenium • Shinto • Smith & Wesson • stasis cannon • Stolichnaya • telomere • Tennessee whiskey • transwarp • tribble • universal translator • whale • wizard
Timeline[]
Years[]
- 2173 - 799 (Kahless)
- 2218 - 844 (Kahless)
- 2248
- 2269 - 895 (Kahless)
- 2289
- 2290 - 915 (Kahless)
- 2295 - 921 (Kahless)
- 2363 - 989 (Kahless)
Klingon months[]
Lo'Bral • Soo'jen • Merruth • Xan'lahr • Doqath • Maktag
Appendices[]
Related stories[]
- DS9 episode: "Blood Oath"
Connections[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Vulcan's Soul Epiphany |
TOS novels | Next novel: Errand of Fury Sacrifices of War |
| Previous story: The Good That Men Do |
Stories by: Michael A. Martin & Andy Mangels |
Next story: Kobayashi Maru |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: The Tree of Life, the Branches of Heaven |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: Tests of Courage |
| Media featuring the USS Excelsior (NCC-2000) under Captain Hikaru Sulu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| episodes/movies | The Undiscovered Country • Flashback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| novels | The Undiscovered Country • The Fearful Summons • The Captain's Daughter • The Ashes of Eden • Starfleet Academy • The Captain's Table: War Dragons • The Lost Era: The Sundered • Excelsior: Forged in Fire • Flashback • The Lost Era: One Constant Star • Burning Dreams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| short stories | "Dilithium Is a Girl's Best Friend" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| comics | Tests of Courage (The Tabukan Syndrome) • A Wolf in Cheap Clothing (1 • 2 • 3 • 4) • Captain's Log: Sulu • The Undiscovered Country • The Veteran | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Captain Sulu Adventures (audiobooks) |
Cacophony • Envoy • Transformations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| games | Shattered Universe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| characters | Hikaru Sulu • Pavel Chekov • Janice Rand • Dmitri Valtane • Leonard James Akaar • Lojur • Tuvok • Altos Viger | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
External links[]
- Excelsior: Forged in Fire article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.