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This article is about the TNG novel. You may be looking for STO - Delta Quadrant mission: "Takedown" or the weapon known as Takedown.

Takedown is a 2015 Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by author John Jackson Miller.

Publisher's description[]

When renegade starships wreak destruction across the quadrant, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are shocked to discover the mastermind behind this sudden threat: none other than Picard’s protégé and friend, Admiral William T. Riker. The newly minted admiral is on special assignment aboard the U.S.S. Aventine, helmed by Captain Ezri Dax—someone who is no stranger to breaking Starfleet regulations. Her starship is by far the faster vessel... and Riker cannot yield, even to his former mentor. It's a battle of tactical geniuses and a race against time as Picard struggles to find answers before the quadrant’s great powers violently plunge into total war...

Summary[]

Riker attends a conference on the mysterious Far Embassy, to which one representative from the Federation, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, Ferengi, Tzenkethi, Gorn and Tholians have been summoned. No-one seems to know who called the conference or have anything to discuss and Riker returns to the Titan after a few hours, saying nothing happened.

However, Riker then transfers over to the Aventine and tells the crew he has learned of a computer weapon called Takedown that has been developed by the Kinshaya. The crew join him in disabling, without casualties, Kinshaya and Breen stations that he claims were about to deploy the weapon but baulk at his orders to attack a Ferengi station he claims is compromised. However, after Riker locks himself away in the holodeck, the Aventine attacks the Ferengi station without any action from the crew, causing them to believe they have been infected with Takedown.

Meanwhile, Bretorius, the Romulan senator who attended the conference, commandeers a warbird, D'varian, and attacks a Federation communications station. The Enterprise comes to its rescue and Picard is informed by Akaar that not only is Riker acting without authorisation but that everyone else at the conference is also attacking enemies and allies, disabling communication without killing anyone.

Ezri and her crew have worked out Riker has commandeered the ship but are unable to breach the holodeck. Working with the Enterprise crew, they find a way to disable the Aventine's power systems by detonating a photon torpedo in its tractor beam. Picard beams aboard and finds Riker hooked up to a Cytherian control system: He and the others at the conference were converted and have been forced to carry out the attacks. He is supposed to meet a rendezvous but using the faster Aventine means he has completed his mission ahead of schedule and is able to spend time planning with Picard and Ezri.

Riker takes the Aventine to the rendezvous with the other ships, whose commanders are seeking ways to use their Cytherian abilities to gain power. They are interrupted by a communication from Picard, Worf and Dygan, who pretend to have gained control of the Far Embassy and converted themselves with the Cytherian technology. The ships all head to Far Embassy, which Picard and a hologram of Riker manage to board while the Enterprise, Titan and Aventine defend the station.

Picard and Riker learn the Cytherian they met before, Caster, called the conference to make peaceful contact but it was hijacked by another of his race, Proctor, who is opposed to contact and intended for the Cytherians to be blamed for the attacks, souring relations and making it harder for alien races to detect them. However, on realising she has actually brought the region to the brink of war, she removes the Cytherian abilities from all except Riker. Bretorius is handed over to the Tal Shiar and will be sent to a Reman mine (if he survives interrogation), while Riker is returned to normal after helping the Cytherians work out how to conduct future relations with other species.

References[]

Characters[]

Leonard James AkaarSam BowersBretoriusCasterCharlakEzri DaxRavel DyganWilson EnglehornJoanna FaurHegol DenGruhn HelkaraSusan HyattIgelIrlissGell KamemorLonnoc KedairKersh, daughter of DakhKwelmGeordi La ForgeAili LavenaMikaela LeishmanOliana MirrenNerlaJean-Luc PicardPikatha Tor Nim Gar-CProctorQuarlisXin Ra-HavreiiWilliam T. RikerNatasha Miana Riker-TroiNevin RiordanRodrekSimusAneta ŠmrhováSovakSimon TarsesTharpDeanna TroiTuvokChristine ValeVektWorf, son of MoghYalokZyene
Referenced only
AltossArithonNanietta BaccoBarashReginald BarclayJulian BashirAlexander Graham BellBorg QueenZefram CochraneBeverly CrusherDakhDataDathonCurzon DaxJadzia DaxThe DoctorSkrain DukatElim GarakDizzy GillespieGorkonIshan AnjarRanul KeruJames T. KirkLocutusFerdinand MagellanGustav MahlerBenjamin MaxwellCatherine de' MediciCosimo de' MediciLorenzo de' MediciJames MoriartyMiles O'BrienRene Jacques Robert Francois PicardSonek PranPrometheusMira RomaineMontgomery ScottArtie ShawShinzonBenjamin SiskoJennifer SiskoFabian StevensTaibakVoltaireZeus

Locations[]

AdelphousAdelphous ArrayAdelphous IVAnnunciatorBetazedBetazed Station 4 (Mira Romaine Center for Rehabilitation and Reintegration) • Breen Array AlphaCorvus BeaconEpsilon Outpost 11Far EmbassyFerengi Station 71JouretKalpaiusNo'Var OutpostPaulson NebulaRomulan Neutral ZoneRomulus (Citadel Var'TheldunKi Baratan) • Thenta Karos
Referenced only
AlgolArgus ArrayAzure NebulaBeraldak BayDeep Space 9EarthEl-Adrel IVExpanded Very Large ArrayFederation-Klingon Neutral ZoneFerenginarGaradius IVGenovous PulsarH'atoriaJaros IIKalpaius IKalpaius IIIKalpaius IVKataanKriosMab-Bu VIMedaraMemory AlphaNew MexicoRemusRisaSevilleStarbase 23Starbase 157Starbase 234Starbase 343Zellman's Find

Starships and vehicles[]

RIS Accipiter (Lanora-class) • ArmstrongUSS Aventine (Vesta-class) • IRW D'varian (D'deridex-class) • USS Enterprise-E (Sovereign-class) • GCS Glavakh (MA12-class) • USS Laplace (Saber-class) • Meuse (Federation shuttlecraft) • USS Titan (Luna-class) • unnamed Cardassian starshipsunnamed Ferengi starships (1x D'Kora-class) • Zyene's unnamed juggernaut (Emerald-class) • unnamed Tzenkethi starships • 3 unnamed Klingon starships (2x Vor'cha-class)
Referenced only
USS Defiant (Defiant-class) • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • USS Enterprise-A (Constitution-class) • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class) • Feynman (Type-7 shuttlecraft) • USS Phoenix (Nebula-class) • CDS Prakesh (Galor-class) • USS Seine (Danube-class) • IGW Tuonetar (Shran-class) • USS Voyager (Intrepid-class)

Races and cultures[]

BajoranBetazoidBolianBreenCapellanCardassianCytherianEfrosianFerengiGornHumanKinshayaKlingonRomulanSelkieTakaranTellariteTholianTrillTzenkethiVulcanZakdorn
Referenced only
AdelphousianAndorianBorgCaeliarOrionTalarianTamarianUx-Mal entityZetarian

States and organizations[]

Borg CollectiveBreen ConfederacyCardassian UnionDetapa CouncilDominionFederation CouncilFerengi AllianceGorn HegemonyHoly Order of the KinshayaImperial Romulan StateImperial Senate of the Romulan Star EmpireJudge Advocate GeneralKlingon EmpireOffice of Internal SecurityRomulan Imperial FleetRomulan Military Affairs DivisionRomulan Research and DevelopmentRomulan Special OperationsRomulan Star EmpireStarfleetStarfleet AcademyStarfleet CommandStarfleet CommunicationsStarfleet Corps of EngineersStarfleet IntelligenceStarfleet MedicalStarfleet Research and DevelopmentTalarian RepublicTal ShiarTholian AssemblyTyphon PactTzenkethi CoalitionUnited Federation of Planets

Science and technology[]

airlockanalog radio receiverantimatterarrayartificial gravitybeaconbiologyBrightman-Laird Subspace Telescopecameracloaking devicecombadgecommunications arraycommunicatorcomputercomputer interfacecomputer wormCytherian probedeflector shielddisruptordisruptor cannondisruptor pistoldwarf starEmergency Medical Hologramenvironmental suitEPS conduitfireforce fieldfree-space optical communicationgravity bootsgyroscopeheartbeatholodeckholonovelhurricanehyposprayinterferometryinterlink chairkilometerlaser torchlife-signlong-range transmission arraymattermillimeterminutemobile emittermollusk collector dronemorse codenanitenebulanight visionOptical data network relayoxygenpaddparalytic gas dispenserpetalphaserphaser arrayphaser bankphoton torpedoplasma stormquantum slipstream driveradioradio waveregistry lightreplicatorrobotrunning lightsatellitesensorSIMs beaconspacespacecraftspotlightstarshipsubspacesubspace telescopesubspace transceiversynthetic ocular implantsTaibak IndoctrinatorTakedowntelegraphtimetractor beamtransceivertransmittertransportertransport inhibitortricordertsunamiturboliftuniversal translatorviewscreenwarp corewarp drive

Ranks and titles[]

admiralambassadorcadetcaptaincastellanChancellor of the High Council of the Klingon Empirechief engineerchief operations officercommanderCommanding Officer, Starfleet Commandcommodorecounselordoctoremperorengineerensignfirst officerfleet admiralflight controllergeneralglinnguardgulkinglieutenantlieutenant commandermathematiciannumber oneofficerpraetorPraetor of the Romulan Star EmpirePresident of the United Federation of Planetsprisonerproconsulrear admiralsecurity chiefsenatorsenior officersenior science officersubcommandertourist

Other references[]

20th centuryarboretumBarclay BatteryBattle of Wolf 359bearboatswain's whistleBorg Invasion of 2381bridgebrigbulkheadcanecaptain's logcitycorridorcountermeasuredabodaydevildisruptor-proof wallDominion Wardunselfield rationflaskflowergnatgoldhistory • "Honeysuckle Jump" • hullImperial Senate Emergency Reestablishment Actinsectjackal mastiffjazzJefferies tubekayakingKhitomer AccordsKhitomer ConferencelanguagelatinummarriageMedaran rugmilitarymind meldminingmolluskmudcrawlerobjet d'artOperation Shutdownoutpostparrises squarespilgrimagepiracyplanetprayerPrime DirectiveProject Voyagerquartersred alertreligious propagandaRomulan languagerowingrubysermonshuttlebaySt. Bartholomew's Day Massacrestellar cartographystewStratagemaSummit of EightsunflowertargtechnologyTer'ak Pentheocracytrumpetvacationwarweaponyear

Appendices[]

Timeline[]

Related stories[]

Star Trek: The Next Generation novels set after Star Trek Nemesis
Death in WinterResistanceQ & ABefore DishonorGreater Than the SumLosing the PeaceIndistinguishable from MagicCold Equations (The Persistence of MemorySilent WeaponsThe Body Electric) • The Stuff of DreamsThe Light FantasticTakedownArmageddon's ArrowHeadlong FlightHearts and MindsAvailable LightCollateral Damage
Media featuring the USS Aventine
Novels Star Trek: Destiny Gods of NightMere MortalsLost SoulsA Singular Destiny
others Zero Sum GameBrinkmanshipA Ceremony of LossesTakedown
Novellas Absent Enemies
Characters Ezri DaxSam BowersGruhn HelkaraMikaela LeishmanSimon TarsesOliana MirrenLonnoc Kedair

Connections[]

published order
Previous novel:
The Light Fantastic
TNG novels Next novel:
Armageddon's Arrow
Previous story:
Absent Enemies
Stories by:
John Jackson Miller
Next story:
Hell's Heart
Translations[]
2017
German : Jagd, translated by Bernd Perplies. (Cross Cult)

External link[]

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