The Dark Veil is the second original novel for the television series Picard, written by James Swallow, published in January 2021.
Description[]
- "As I utter the words now, we will conduct this tribunal in Federation Standard, in deference to Captain Riker's presence," continued Kastis, "and in the interests of openness with the United Federation of Planets".
- The judicator said the word as if it was sour to her, ashen and alien on her tongue. She indicated the three shadowy forms around her. "Tribune Delos will observe for Major Helek. Tribune Nadei will observe for Commander Medaka and the Romulan Senate. And our… visiting advocate will observe for the Human captain".
- Riker shielded his eyes, trying to peer past the light from the glow-globes to get a good look at the person assigned to him, but it was impossible to pick out anything. The shadow gave him nothing, no face, no hint of gender, only uncertainty.
- He knew little of Romulan legal practices. Was Riker's silent watcher his lawyer, his judge? Executioner, even? He banished that last notion with a grimace.
- Will Riker stood foursquare behind his every decision, even after everything that had happened over the last few days. What that would mean here and now in this place, he couldn't know. But there would be no obfuscation from him, no wordplay and clouding of the truth.
- And once again, something came back to Riker, something Picard had said to him, years earlier on their very first mission together. If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are.
Summary[]
The Titan is transporting a Jazari delegation back to their home planet but arrive to find it is uninhabitable: The Jazari exhausted its resources constructing a giant spaceship and their entire population is leaving that area of space. However, shortly before launch, an accident destroys one of their orbital habitats. The Titan attempts to create a static warp shell in order to prevent a bigger disaster and only succeeds thanks to help from the Romulan warbird Othrys, commanded by the reasonable Commander Medaka.
The Titan has been damaged during the incident and the Jazari allow some of the crew and civilian population to be evacuated to their ship during repairs. The Jazari are notoriously secretive, having revealed nothing about their culture. Medaka offers to help guide both ships through plasma storms. Vadral, a Romulan surgeon working for the Tal Shiar, informs Major Helek, the Tal Shiar who serves as the Othrys first officer and is also a member of the Zhat Vash, that there are synthetics aboard the Jazari ship.
Helak abducts a Jazari technician, Redei, which is witnessed by Thaddeus Troi-Riker, who had ventured outside the designated area exploring. However, Thaddeus is injured in an explosion and unable to tell anyone, with the Jazari treating him. Helak tortures Redei, who breaks free and is killed by Vadral, being revealed as a synthetic himself. Helak realises all the Jazari are synthetic.
When Medaka refuses to believe her claim that the Federation and Jazari are planning to attack Romulan worlds, Helak frames him as a traitor and takes command of the ship, ordering it to attack the Jazari. The Titan fights them off and when Zade, a Jazari who served on the Titan, is injured in the process, Riker and Troi learn the Jazari's true nature. They were sent from the Andromeda Galaxy to observe and, after spying on other societies in secret, adopted the identity of the Jazari to move around freely. They had hoped the Federation would help them reveal themselves, but the recent synth ban has taught them they will not be accepted there, so they intend to return home. Riker and Troi agree to keep their secret.
A pitched battle occurs, with two Tal Shiar ships being destroyed backing up the Orthys. Vale eventually leads an away team that frees Medaka and restores him to control of the ship; Vadral is killed by Helak, who is then apprehended. The Jazari ship departs through a vortex. A Romulan senate enquiry clears Riker and Medaka of any wrongdoing, placing the blame on Helak for the conflict. She is placed under arrest, with the Zhat Vash offering her no help except a dagger to commit suicide with.
References[]
Characters[]
Titan personnel and residents[]
- Cantua • Jonathan East • Macha Hernandez • Ranul Keru • Kono (Kelpien) • Livnah • Karen McCreedy • Min • Phosia • Hanee Phosia • Ra'ag • William T. Riker • Shae • Shelsa • Talov • T'Pir • Deanna Troi • Thaddeus Troi-Riker • Christine Vale • Hal Westerguard • Zade
- Referenced only
- Brote • Mazone • Scoville
Other characters[]
- Benem • Dasix • Delos (Tribune) • Desseh • Felle • Friend • Garn • Hade-Tah • Sansar Helek • Hosa • Hutor • Kastis • Keret • Kort (Romulan) • Laris • Lebre • Maian • Joron Medaka • Moritz • Nadei • Jean-Luc Picard • Qaylan • Redei • Sabem • Spock • Tarsin • Umbran • Vadrel • Veyen • Yasil • Zhaban
- Referenced only
- Anij • Victor Bordson • Beverly Crusher • Data • Alidar Jarok • James T. Kirk • Geordi La Forge • Lore • Miles O'Brien • Shinzon • Khan Noonien Singh • Kestra Troi-Riker • Worf
Starships and vehicles[]
- Armstrong • Coltrane • Ellington • Holiday • USS Titan (Luna-class reconnaissance science vessel) • IRW Othrys (Mogai-class) • D'deridex-class • Jazari generation ship
- Referenced only
- USS Enterprise • USS Enterprise-E • USS Lionheart • USS Patton • USS Robinson • USS Verity
Locations[]
- the galaxy's Beta Quadrant
- Jazari star system • Ochre Dome • Reclaim Zero Four
- USS Titan
- bridge
- Referenced only
- Andromeda Galaxy • Avenue of Right • Beta Stromgren • Deep Space 5 • Deneva • Devolin • Galorndon Core • Ki Baratan • Lembatta Cluster • Malcor III • Mars • Mintaka • Nimbus III • Pavonis Sector • Praxis • Remus • Romulan Neutral Zone • Romulus • Starbase 88 • Station K-3 • Station Salem-One • Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards • Vega • Vejuro • Vulcan • Yuyat Beta
Races and cultures[]
- android/synth • Antican • Betazoid • Deltan • Denobulan • El-Aurian • Garidian • Human • Jazari • Kelpien • Reman • Romulan • Taurhai • Trill • Tyrakhean • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Aenar • Andorian • Bajoran • Ba'ku • Bolian • Borg • Cairn • Cardassian • Founder • Jem'Hadar • Klingon • Lurian • Makers (Andromedans) • Nausicaan • Norkanian • Pakled • Talarian • Tellarite • Tezwan • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
- Borg Collective • Cardassian Union • Dominion • Federation • Jazari Governing Sept • Klingon Empire • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Tal Shiar • Taurhai Unity • Zhat Vash
Science and classification[]
- energy • felodesine • lifeform • matter • neural sequencing • omega molecule • plasma storm • red matter • space • technology • time • universe • weapon
Lifeforms[]
Materials and substances[]
- atmosphere • blood • gas • metal
Technology and weapons[]
- android • combadge • command chair • EPS relay • plasma bolt • starship • synth
Ranks and titles[]
- captain • centurion • chief engineer • commander • commanding officer • crewman • decurion • ensign • Federation Starfleet ranks (2380s) • judicator • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • major • praetor • sublieutenant • tribune • uhlan
Other references[]
- Admonition • clothing • Condition Dagger • Condition Scythe • Earth-Romulan War • "Fever" • government • imzadi • insignia • Kelu • Le Petit Prince • nation-state • races and cultures • rank • rank insignia • ryetalyn • science • Starfleet uniform (2380s) • Starfleet uniform • title • tunic • uniform
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Titan and Star Trek: Picard
- Short Treks episode: "Children of Mars"
- TOS episode & Mudd's Angels novelization: I, Mudd
- Previous appearances of Ranul Keru:
Background[]
- The blurb for the book describes the novel as following the story of "a catastrophic incident on the Romulan-Federation border" following the destruction of the Mars shipyards in 2385. As such the novel begins around the same time the previous novel, The Last Best Hope, ends, and is another prequel to the Picard television series.
- Although this is branded as a Star Trek: Picard series entry, Jean-Luc Picard makes only a brief appearance and this book focuses on elements of the Star Trek: Titan series: Captain William Riker, Deanna Troi and the USS Titan.
- In accordance with continuity changes stemming from the renewal of the canon television franchise, several elements of previous novels taking place in the First Splinter timeline alternate reality (described in the Star Trek: Coda miniseries) are disregarded: Riker's promotion to admiral, Riker and Troi's daughter Natasha Riker-Troi, Picard's marriage to Beverly Crusher and their son René, and Data's return in B-4's body and concurrent advancements in synthetic lifeforms (including developments regarding the Andromeda Galaxy androids). Supporting cast members from previous Titan novels do appear, although in the case of Christine Vale, she retains her position as a commander (rather than her captain's rank as skipper of Admiral Riker's flagship from previous installments in the alternate continuity).
Images[]
Connections[]
| Star Trek: Picard (PIC) |  
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| episodes | season 1 | "Remembrance" • "Maps and Legends" • "The End is the Beginning" • "Absolute Candor" • "Stardust City Rag" • "The Impossible Box" • "Nepenthe" • "Broken Pieces" • "Et in Arcadia Ego" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| season 2 | "The Star Gazer" • "Penance" • "Assimilation" • "Watcher" • "Fly Me to the Moon" • "Two of One" • "Monsters" • "Mercy" • "Hide and Seek" • "Farewell" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| season 3 | "The Next Generation" • "Disengage" • "Seventeen Seconds" • "No Win Scenario" • "Imposters" • "The Bounty" • "Dominion" • "Surrender" • "Võx" • "The Last Generation" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| prose (novels) | The Last Best Hope • The Dark Veil • Rogue Elements • Second Self • Firewall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| comics | Picard: Countdown ("Issue 1" • "Issue 2" • "Issue 3") • Picard: Stargazer ("Issue 1" • "Issue 2" • "Issue 3") | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| audio originals | No Man's Land | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: The Last Best Hope |
Picard unnumbered novels | Next novel: Rogue Elements |
| Previous novel: Fear Itself |
Novels by: James Swallow |
Next novel: The Ashes of Tomorrow |
| chronological order | ||
Translations[]
- 2021
- German : Der Dunkle Schleier, translated by Stephanie Pannen. (Cross Cult)
External link[]
- The Dark Veil article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.