Guises of the Mind is the 27th novel in the Pocket Books series of numbered Star Trek: The Next Generation books, written by Rebecca Neason and released September 1993.
Description[]
- The world Capulon IV is finally ready to join the Federation after years of waiting. All that remains is the ruler's coronation and a routine signing of the final treaty. When the crew of the USS Enterprise and their passengers—a group of women from a religious order dedicated to helping the downtrodden—arrive for the event, they expect to find a world willing and happy to receive them. Instead, they encounter deceit and treachery. The crown prince, once excited and eager to join the Federation, now refuses even to speak with Captain Picard.
- Beaming to the surface in an attempt to work out the problem, Picard, Troi, and Mother Veronica, the abbess of the nuns, are drugged and captured. Now they must somehow escape and stop the crowning.
Summary[]
The Enterprise has been assigned to transport two members of the Little Mothers, a religious order who care for orphans, to Capulon IV as part of a treaty signing. The planet's king, Joakal I'lium, is about to be crowned on his coming of age. En route to the planet, Troi discovers Mother Veronica is a telepath, a fact she has kept hidden all her life out of shame, and tries to teach her to control her abilities.
Meanwhile, Joakal is abducted by his twin brother Beahoram, who imprisons him and assumes his identity. The planet's traditions dictate that any abnormalities at birth, including second-born twins, require the baby to be given to the temple to be euthanised. Aklier, a councillor who lost his daughter to the law, has been assisting Beahoram. Ironically, Joakal intended to dispense with the law on becoming king.
The Enterprise contacts Beahoram, posing as Joakal, who says he is now uncertain about joining the Federation. This causes Picard to speed up their arrival and Beahoram in turn to bring forward the coronation, where the focus of everyone present will awaken his latent telepathic abilities and allow him to strip Joakal's mind of all useful knowledge. Elana, the woman Joakal intended to marry, discovers the deception but is not believed. Picard, Troi and Veronica arrive on the planet but are imprisoned with Joakal.
With the coronation beginning, Troi telepathically contacts Riker for help and he transports down with an away team. Elana leads them to the cells where they are able to release the prisoners, halting the coronation. Troi and Veronica are asked to take part in an ancient ritual where they telepathically scan the two twins and identify the true Joakal.
Joakal gives the conspirators a choice between exile and aiding the nuns with caring for children: Beahoram chooses the former and Aklier the latter. After spending time on Vulcan honing her abilities, Veronica returns to her service on Capulon.
References[]
Characters[]
- Beverly Crusher • Data • Guinan • Sister Julian • Geordi La Forge • Johann Marshall • Jean-Luc Picard • William T. Riker • Geoff Salah • Deanna Troi • Samantha Tuttle • Mother Veronica • Worf
- Referenced only
- Theodore Aske • Baal • Tam Elbrum • Felicitas • Fletcher • Saint Francis • Thomas Greycloud • Melli • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart • Keiko O'Brien • Miles O'Brien • Odin • O'Shaugnessy • Roberta Plummer • Sarjenka • Sear • Solomon • Noonien Soong • Joshua Stern • Surak • Targ • Thor • Lwaxana Troi
Starships and vehicles[]
- Referenced only
- Skylark
Locations[]
Races and cultures[]
- Referenced only
- Bajoran • Cardassian • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
- The Little Mothers • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets
Science and technology[]
Ranks and titles[]
- captain • commander • counselor • first officer • king • Number one • teacher
Other references[]
- 1873 • away team • Bajoran religion • bridge • classroom • crown • day • G'luuc'taha • gym • planet • quarters • scented candle • science • shoe • T'ai Chi • technology • water • year
Appendices[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: The Romulan Prize |
TNG numbered novels | Next novel: Here There Be Dragons |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Pathways Chapter 2, Section 12 |
Next Adventure: A Man Alone | |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2369. The Pocket Books Timeline places events from this story in one other timeframe: | ||
| Previous Adventure: The Romulan Stratagem |
2369 Epilogue |
Next Adventure: Second Chances |
Images[]
Translations[]
- 1996
- German language: Der Kronprinz, translated by Horst Pukallus. (Heyne)
- 1997
- Japanese language: 'テレパスの絆, translated by Hiroshi Saito. (Hayakawa Bunko)
External Links[]
- Guises of the Mind article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.