"Last Words" was the first of four TNG short stories released in Amazing Stories magazine, this one in Issue 593 in summer 1998. In this sequel to TNG episode & novelization: Unification, Captain Jean-Luc Picard attends Sarek's memorial service on Vulcan. Pocket Books collected A.C. Crispin's story in August 2002's The Amazing Stories omnibus.
Description[]
- One of Vulcan's greatest heroes is dead. The gap between father and son, immeasurable before, is now so wide that it can never be closed. Into this tense and tragic situation comes Captain Picard, the last hope for a bridge between the generations...
Summary[]
The night after taking leave of Spock on Romulus, Picard has a vivid dream of visiting Sarek and Perrin's residence as if he were Sarek. Admiral Brackett grants permission for the USS Enterprise to divert to Vulcan so Picard can attend Sarek's memorial.
After beaming to Mount Seleya, Picard realizes that his previous mind meld with Sarek has granted him an eerie familiarity with the nearby city of ShiKahr. He, Data, Geordi La Forge, and Beverly Crusher climb the steps to the amphitheater at the top, where the service will take place. They intended to watch from the back, but Sakkath insists that Picard join him and Perrin at the front.
La Forge detects a Romulan amongst the guests and realizes that the life support of the Legaran delegation's tank has been sabotaged. To avoid capture, the saboteur jumps off the mountaintop to his death. The officers quickly aide the delegates and repair the tank, saving the Legarans' lives.
Perrin speaks at the ceremony, lamenting Spock's absence, believing that he's abandoned his family. Picard suddenly speaks with Spock's voice, relaying a message implanted in Picard's mind by Spock when they shared a meld on Romulus. Spock says that he honors his father, and is now doing as his father taught him, to do his duty without fail. He is continuing his father's work as a peacemaker and teacher of Vulcan philosophy, and will always miss him.
Sakkath then takes Sarek's katra into the Hall of Ancient Thought for the conclusion of the ceremony.
References[]
Characters[]
- Brackett • Beverly Crusher • Data • Geordi La Forge • Perrin • Philbas • Jean-Luc Picard • Sakkath • Federation President
- Referenced only
- Amanda Grayson • James T. Kirk • Locutus • Miles O'Brien • Maurice Picard • Robert Picard • Q • Sarek • Sela • Skon • Solkar • Spock • Surak • Deanna Troi
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise-D
- Referenced only
- USS Enterprise-B • USS Potemkin
Locations[]
- 40 Eridani • Vulcan (Hall of Ancient Thought • Mount Seleya • Mount Trenaya) • the galaxy
- Referenced only
- Earth (France • Labarre • Lombardy) • Legara IV • Ragnarök bridge • River Jordan • River Styx • Romulan Neutral Zone • Romulus • ShiKahr • Vulcan's Forge
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and classification[]
- artificial heart • bomb • energy field generator • environmental control unit • environmental suit • heating unit • hypospray • med-scanner • replicator • sensor • shielding • tank • tool • transporter • tri-ox • VISOR • warp core
Ranks and titles[]
- acolyte • admiral • aide • ambassador • assassin • captain • chief engineer • commander • counselor • dignitary • doctor • Federation President • high master • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • minister of state • officer • official • proconsul • temple guard
Other references[]
- 2293 • beam • Bendii Syndrome • blood • bonding ceremony • bridge • chamber • city • commendation • communications • cowboy diplomacy • crew • culture • day • death • decade • defection • desert • diplomacy • dream • Earl Grey • Earth mud puppy • emotion (anger) • English language • fal-tor-pan • flagship • flask • garden • hair • handshake • honor guard • hypothermia • Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations • katra • logic • marriage • memorial service • meter • mind-meld • minute • month • mountain • murder • Nexus • nightmare • peace • ready room • Regulan bloodworm • reunification • ritual • robe • security • shop • snowball • soul • spacial anomaly • star • stone • Starfleet uniform (2366-2373) • suicide • tea • telepathy • temple • uniform • velonium • vineyard • Vulcan language • warp factor (warp seven) • water • wind-rider
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TNG episode & novelization: Unification – Sarek's death, and Spock's activities on Romulus in 2368.
- TNG episode: "Sarek" – Introduction of Takketh, Perrin, and the Legarans.
- TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Search for Spock – Spock's fal-tor-pan ceremony took place in the amphitheater atop Mount Seleya in 2285. Some of the emotions Picard felt were connected to Sarek's meld with Kirk.
- TNG movie: Generations – Some of the emotions Picard felt reflected Spock feelings of loss from James T. Kirk's apparent death aboard the USS Enterprise-B in 2293.
Background[]
- This story starts the day after Picard last saw Spock on Romulus and four days after Sarek's death, as seen in TNG episode & novelization: Unification.
- A Tellarite was Federation President in the story. Other sources have indicated that Amitra, a Pandrilite, served in this role from 2365 - 2369.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: first story |
The Amazing Stories | Next story: Bedside Matters |
| Previous story: Just Another Little Training Cruise |
Stories by: A.C. Crispin |
Next story: latest story |
| Chronological Order | ||
| Previous adventure: Unification |
Pocket Books Timeline | Next adventure: Pathways Chapter 4, Section 11 |
| Previous adventure: Unification |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Legacy Mission 12 |