Hell's Heart

Hell's Heart is the first book in the Star Trek: Prey trilogy by author John Jackson Miller. It was released 27 September 2016.

Description[]

Continuing the milestone 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek—an epic new trilogy that stretches from the events of The Original Series movie The Search for Spock to The Next Generation!

When Klingon commander Kruge died in combat against James T. Kirk on the Genesis Planet back in 2285, he left behind a powerful house in disarray—and a series of ticking time bombs: the Phantom Wing, a secret squadron of advanced Birds-of-Prey; a cabal of loyal officers intent on securing his heritage; and young Korgh, his thwarted would-be heir, willing to wait a Klingon lifetime to enact his vengeance.

Now, one hundred years later, while on a diplomatic mission for the United Federation of Planets, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the USS Enterprise are snared in the aged Korgh’s trap—and thrust directly in the middle of an ancient conflict. But as Commander Worf soon learns, Korgh may be after far bigger game than anyone imagines, confronting the Federation-Klingon alliance with a crisis unlike any it has ever seen!

Summary[]

As part of an attempt to gain the co-operation of the House of Kruge in negotiating the passage of both Khitomer Accords and Typhon Pact vessels through their space, the Enterprise has been assigned to escort the nobles of the house to a commemoration of the centenary of the Battle of Gamaral, presided over by Emperor Kahless. Following Kruge's death with no obvious heir, several relatives tried to claim leadership of the house. However, when a group of Kruge's old officers attempted to gain control of the house themselves, the relatives banded together to defeat them and have controlled the house together ever since.

Picard, Worf and Kahless soon learn however that the truth is less honourable: The nobles sent mercenaries to fight for them. The ceremony is interrupted by black-clad assassins who kill most of the family members and abduct Worf and Kahless. The sole survivor is secretly killed by Galdor, the house's gin'tak, who then reveals to the High Council that he is Korgh, Kruge's old protégé. He produces faked evidence that Kruge adopted him as his son and is made the head of the house. He immediately starts speaking out against the Federation.

Worf realises his captors, the Unsung, are the descendants of Kruge's old officers, who have inherited their ancestors' sentence of discommendation. They travel to their base planet in the Briar Patch where Kahless is treated as a slave. Worf, however, is respected as someone who was once discommended and allowed a certain amount of freedom. He finds the original leader of the officers, General Potok, is now a blind prisoner. The Unsung are led by someone who appears to be Kruge but is actually Cross, a Betazoid con artist and member of the same circle as Ardra, who is working with Korgh.

La Forge discovers the remains of Kruge and Korgh's old bunker on Gamaral and Korgh pretends to have just found evidence of the Phantom Wing, a prototype cloaked ship developed by the House of Kruge, encouraging the Enterprise and Martok to pursue the Unsung. Cross, dressed as one of the Unsung, kills Kahless and transmits the recording. However, Riker spots a message planted by Worf and alerts the Enterprise.

As the Enterprise arrives at Thane, the Unsung begin to evacuate and Valandris, with whom Worf has established a rapport, warns him of bombs set up to kill the new arrivals. Worf manages to alert Picard and the away team are pulled out without loss of life but the Unsung escape and Korgh's involvement remains unknown. However, even Korgh is unaware that Cross used his holo-technology to kill Potok in Kahless' place, keeping the emperor alive for his own reasons.

References[]

Characters[]

House of Kruge/Krugeites and allies[]

A'chav • Chorl • Daglak • J'borr • Kersh • Kiv'ota • Korgh/Galdor • Lorath • M'gol • Odrok • Potok • Lady Udakh • Lord Udakh

Referenced only: Dakh • Kaas • Kruge • Torav

Unsung[]

Hemtara • Nelkor • Ralleck • Raneer • Sarken • Tharas • Valandris • Weltern

Other Klingons[]

Kahless • Melk

Referenced only: Amar • Bredak • Chang • Galdor • K'mtar • Kahless the Unforgettable • Kamarag • Kurn • Maltz • Mogh • Morjod • Skolar • Valkris • Worf, father of Mogh

Other characters[]

Buxtus Cross • Joden • Leotis • Buur Malat • Alexander Rozhenko • T'shantra (N'Keera • Shift) • Tuthar

Referenced only: Adej • Ardra • Baras Rodirya • Baldassare Castiglione • Ralph Waldo Emerson • Hercules • Jenks • Jilaan • K'Ehleyr • Kerphestes • David Marcus • William Shakespeare • Shinzon • Khan Noonien Singh • Arik Soong • Henry David Thoreau • Utrak • Varone • Vatrobe

Starships and vehicles[]

Blackstone • PWV Chu'charq (B'rel-class) • IKS Daqtagh • Dinskaar • USS Enterprise-A (Constitution-class) • USS Enterprise-E (Sovereign-class) • escape pod • IKS Ghanjaq • hauler • K'tinga-class • Klingon Freighter I (L'chak-class) • shuttlecraft • USS Titan (Luna-class) • IKS V'raak (Vor'cha-class) • workpod

Referenced only: IKS B'rel/HMS Bounty (B'rel-class) • Cetacean Probe • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • USS Enterprise-B (Excelsior-class) • USS Grissom (Oberth-class) • IKS Jarin • IKS M'raav • IKS Pagh • Scimitar

Locations[]

Acamar III • Aesis • Beta Quadrant • Briar Patch/Klach D'Kel Bracht • Gamaral (Circle of Triumph • Mount Qel'pec) • Genesis Planet • Hyralan sector • Jylarno IV (Mercantile District) • Ketorix Prime • Narendra III • Qo'noS (First City (Federation Consulate • Great Hall • Old Quarter)) • Son'a sector • Thane (Hill of the Dead • Omegoq) • Xarantine sector

Referenced only: Alpha Quadrant • Ba'ku • Bajoran wormhole • Boreth • Ceti Alpha V • Ceti Alpha VI • Cygnet IV • Deep Space 9 • Deep Space 9 (II) • Earth (Chicago (Chicago Federal Building) • Florence • San Francisco (Golden Gate Park)) • Gamma Quadrant • Genesis Planet • Hyralan • Gre'thor • Hell • Janalwa (Niamlar Circle) • Limbo • Mutara Nebula • Mutara Sector • No'Var Outpost • Praxis • Romulus • Starbase 222 • Sto-vo-kor • Thionoga • Vulcan • Yongolor

Races and cultures[]

Bajoran • Betazoid • Bolian • Cardassian • Human (Czech) • Hunter • Klingon (Krugeite) • Orion • Tellarite • Vulcan

Referenced only: Bajoran • Borg • Capellan • Changeling • Kinshaya • Romulan • Tosk • Trill • Ventaxian

States and organizations[]

cha'maH/Mempa Twenty • Circle of Jilaan • Federation Diplomatic Corps • House of Kruge • Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Council • Phantom Wing • Spectacle Specialists • Starfleet • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • United Federation of Planets • Unsung/vor'uv'etlh
Referenced only: Dominion • Federation Council • House of Antaak • House of Mogh • Order of the Bat'leth • Science Institute of Mempa V • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Intelligence • Starfleet 9th Fleet • Typhon Pact (Breen Confederacy • Holy Order of the Kinshaya • Romulan Star Empire) • Unification movement

Science and technology[]

alpha particle • antiproton • artificial gravity • atmosphere (stratosphere) • bacteria • bio-scanner • blue dwarf • Bok globule • burner • Class R planet • cloaking device • clone • combadge • communicator • computer • corrosion • deflector shield • demolition charge • dilithium • disease • disruption field • disruptor • DNA • duranium • environmental suit • flash grenade • forcefield • forensics • freight interlock system • Genesis Device • geology • granite • grenade • holodeck • hologram • holography • hypospray • impulse engine • infrared • intake manifold • matter • matter stream • metaphasic radiation • navigational deflector • ocular implant • oxygen • padd • painstik • photon torpedo • physics • plasma • polymer • probe • quantum phase distortion • radiation • refraction • relay satellite • repeater station • sensor • sentry probe • site-to-site transport • sonometric scanner • stellar cartography • subspace • subspace communications relay • subspace emitter pad • supernova remnant • subspace transponder • surveillance probe • tachyon • tachyon spray • tractor beam • tranquilizer • transparent aluminum • transport inhibitor • transporter • turbolift • universal translator • vertarium compensator • viewscreen • warp drive

Ranks and titles[]

advisor • captain • cartographer • Chancellor of the High Council of the Klingon Empire • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief science officer • commander • Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Starfleet • con artist • contact specialist • councillor • counselor • dancer • diplomat • doctor • Emperor of the Klingon Empire • engineer • ensign • Fallen Lord • Federation Ambassador to Qo'noS • fleet admiral • flight controller • general • Gin'tak • glinn • gunner • high priestess • High Warden • historian • hunter • intelligence officer • Klingon Ambassador to the Federation • lady • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • lord • medic • medical technician • merchant/vendor • monk • nurse • operations officer • oracle • pirate • poet • prospector • protégé • rear admiral • regent • sculptor • security chief • security officer • shaman • tactical officer • technician • trustee • warrior • writer

Other references[]

1933 • 16th century • 19th century • 20th century • Age of Ascension • akrat'ka • apartment • atrium • barrel • Battle of Gamaral • Battle of Klach D'Kel Bracht • bazaar • bloodwine • bok-rat • Borg Invasion of 2381 • boulder • brig • cave • centaur • chu'charq • coffee • crater • d'k tahg • dead drop • designated survivor • diplomacy • flying camp • gafgeg • gagh • garvoon • glob fly • gong • grint hound • H'atorian Conference • Hamlet • Happy Bottom Riding Club • helmet • hensyl • holding cell • humpback whale • hut • jack-o'-lantern • jewelry • jinarkh • jungle • kennel • Khitomer Accords • Klingon uniform • knife • Kobayashi Maru scenario • Kolinahr • landing party • The Last to Fall • latinum • leech • lichen • manacles • Mauk-to'Vor • may'qochvan • medal • meditation • mek'leth • mirror • monastery • mote fly • nIb'poH • O'megqoq • Occam's Razor • Oraculade • parole • playing cards • prison/detention facility • prosthetic limb • purmoil • rafter • rag • raktajino • recess • retreat mining • rite of passage • Round Table • sabre bear • sash • scroll • sewer • spillway • sprezzatura • steel • stool • Suus Mahna • swamp • Takedown Incident • tapestry • tent • tiger • tirato • torch • transporter room • tree • triage • trough • valandris • Vulcan nerve pinch • water • ya'nora kor • yoke • zikka'gleg

Chronology[]

2285: Kruge attempted to steal the secrets of Project Genesis

Appendices[]

Related media[]

TOS movie & novelization: The Search for Spock
DS9 episode: "Captive Pursuit"
DS9 novel: The Left Hand of Destiny

Images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

Published Order
Previous novel: First in series	Star Trek: Prey novels	Next novel: The Jackal's Trick
Previous story: Takedown	Stories by: John Jackson Miller	Next story: The Jackal's Trick
Previous story: Purgatory's Key	Star Trek novels	Next story: The Jackal's Trick

Translations[]

2018: German : Das Herz der Hölle, translated by Katrin Aust. (Cross Cult)

External links[]

Hell's Heart article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki