The Latter Fire is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel by James Swallow. It was released on 23 February, 2016.
Description[]
- The five-year mission of the Starship Enterprise has brought the vessel and her crew to the forefront of an important first contact situation. Under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, the ship is heading to the planet Syhaar Prime in the Beta Quadrant—the home world of an alien civilization preparing to take its first steps on to the galactic stage. One year earlier, the Enterprise came across a badly damaged Syhaari explorer vessel drifting in deep space. In collaboration with the explorer’s captain, Kirk and his crew were able to restore the ship to full function and send it on its way. And now, as the Syhaari display rapid technological advances made over the past year, hard questions must be asked. Did the Enterprise crew leak advanced technology or information to the Syhaari during their first encounter, in total violation of the Prime Directive?
Summary[]
Following the departure of navigator Pavel Chekov and the arrival of replacement Arex Na Eth, the Enterprise is transporting Federation envoy Xuur to establish diplomatic relations with the Syhaari race. The Enterprise was specifically requested because they made first contact with the Syhaari when they came to the rescue of a damaged ship approximately earlier. They are greeted by Kaleo, the captain of the ship they rescued, and discover the Syhaari have made significant advances in warp technology, possibly far beyond normal projections for a species such as theirs.
A potential explanation is provided when they meet another Syhaari captain, Tormid, who suffered a similar disaster at the same time as Kaleo. It cost the lives of all his crew but himself and his engineer Hoyga, but he managed to improve his ship's engines in order to return home. Scotty is suspicious, however, since the new engines are based around a different principle.
While Kirk and a landing party attend a diplomatic function on the surface of the Syhaari homeworld, patrols on the edge of the system are attacked by an overwhelming and unknown force. The Enterprise rescues a single survivor, and has an encounter with the planet-sized leviathan that attacked them. Spock and Uhura discover evidence that the leviathan is being driven by another alien race hidden on its surface.
Kirk, Kaleo and Xuur lead a team in a shuttlecraft to make contact with the aliens, the Breg'Hel, who take them prisoner. They meet Rumen, a member of Tormid's old crew, who reveals the reason for the conflict: When they were damaged one year earlier, a Breg'Hel ship arrived, probably to render assistance, but Tormid murdered the ship's entire crew in a fit of greed and paranoia, and left Rumen to be captured. The Breg'Hel believe all Syhaari are responsible for the murder, and so have launched their genocidal crusade against them.
The leviathan begins attacking Syhaari colony worlds, and Tormid leads the Syhaari forces in a doomed attack plan, with the Enterprise trying to minimise casualties. Kirk and Kaleo confront the Breg'Hel leadership, and Kaleo convinces them her people are not barbaric by offering herself and her unborn child as sacrifice to save her race. However, the device the Breg'Hel used to incite the leviathan to rage has now driven it insane. The immense alien attacks both Syhaari and Breg'Hel ships indiscriminately before heading for the Syhaari homeworld itself.
Tormid is taken into custody, and McCoy formulates a plan for the Enterprise, Syhaari, and Breg'Hel ships to enter the leviathan and send out a calming wave that will bring it back to sanity. Tormid escapes during a power fluctuation, and attempts to sabotage the plan so the leviathan and most of the ships will be destroyed and he will emerge a hero, but falls into a plasma stream while fighting Kirk. The plan succeeds, and all three cultures are left to open diplomatic relations with the Federation.
References[]
Characters[]
- Arex Na Eth • Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Duchad • Ead'Aea • Ron Eriksen • Garner • Gatag • Jana Haines • Hoyga • Kaleo • James T. Kirk • John Kyle • Ryan Leslie • Lopez • Matsuo • Leonard McCoy • Shiboline M'Ress • Ret'Sed • Rumen • Montgomery Scott • ch'Sellor • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Tormid • Nyota Uhura • Veygaan Xuur • Zond • Zud'Hoa • Zyla
- Referenced only
- Adams • Apollo • Robert Fox • Masood • Matsumoto • Jabilo M'Benga • Ostrow • Raines • Sarek • Alfred Tennyson
Starships and vehicles[]
- The Day Ahead (ranger) • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • The Friendship Discovered • Icarus (class F shuttlecraft) • The Light of Strength • The Moon's Rise • skimmer
- Referenced only
- USS Arcadia • Archer-class • USS Altair • The Explorer Beyond • USS Republic • The Searcher Unbound
Locations[]
- Beta Quadrant • Gadmuur • Great Veil • Hokaar • Neliin • sector 544-K • Sya • Syhaar Prime • Yedeen
- Referenced only
- Axanar • Beta III • Black Star • Capella • Delta Quadrant • Earth (Iowa • Kenya • London • Nairobi • Reed Annex • Scotland) • Elba II asylum • Eminiar • Gamma 7A • Gamma Trianguli VI • Izar • Janus VI • Mars • Mercury • Neural • Procyon • Rhaandar • Sol • Starbase 6 • Tantalus colony • Triex • Vendikar
Races and cultures[]
- Andorian • Breg'Hel • Caitian • Cygnian • Human • leviathan (cosmozoan) • Rhaandarite • Syhaari • Triexian • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Horta • Klingon • Romulan • Tholian
States and organizations[]
- Federation Diplomatic Corps • Learned Assembly • Starfleet • Syhaari Gathering • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Federation Council • Greater Gathering • Klingon Empire • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Materiel Supply Command
Science and technology[]
- class-2 probe • alien • class B geomorteus planet • biotechnology • black hole • boridium • class C geoinactive planet • communicator • crystal • deflector shield • delta radiation • dilithium • duotronic • electroplasma • gas giant • hyronalin • K class star • class L • Landru • life support belt • light-year • class M • molecular memory • phaser • photon torpedo • plasmatic coil • probe • quartz • radiation • sensor • shepherd moon • shuttlecraft • solar sail • space • starship • subspace • subspace communication • supernova • tachyon eddy • thermoconcrete • tractor beam • transparent aluminum • transporter • tricorder • tri-ox compound • tritanium • turbolift • type-2 phaser • universal translator • Vaal • viewscreen • warp core • warp drive • warp factor • warp nacelle
Ranks and titles[]
- ambassador • cadet • captain • chief engineer • chief medical officer • commander • doctor • ensign • envoy • Feeder of Vaal • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • Mother of Ages • nurse
Other references[]
- banyan • beetle • bird • bridge • brig • bulkhead • bumblebee • cedar • cephalopod • chicken • Christmas tree • city • cloud-sifter • connecting dorsal • corridor • destroyer • dog • elephant • escape pod • explorer • Federation Standard • first contact • flea • gecko • glass • grass • harp • heavy cruiser • homeworld • Jefferies tube • The Kraken • landing party • lifeboat • lion • manta ray • nacelle pylon • Oort cloud • planet • primary hull • Prime Directive • quarters • recreation room • rogue planet • ruokaan • scout • sickbay • space amoeba • Starfleet General Orders and Regulations • Starfleet Technical Manual • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • technology • transporter room • tree • tug • warship • whale • wildebeest • yacht • year • zebra
Timeline[]
Chronology[]
- This story takes place in 2269, during the Enterprise's first five-year mission under the command of Captain Kirk.
- Novel takes place two years following events of TOS episode "A Taste of Armageddon" (in 2267).
- Stardate of novel established in StarTrek.com article, based around stardate of Arex Na Eth's arrival aboard the Enterprise.
Production history[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Child of Two Worlds |
The Original Series novels | Next novel: Elusive Salvation |
| Previous story: Sight Unseen |
Stories by: James Swallow |
Next story: unannounced |
Appendices[]
Background[]
This novel includes many references from Star Trek: The Animated Series:
- Pavel Chekov leaves the ship after three years aboard, and is replaced by new navigator Arex Na Eth.
- Shiboline M'Ress is already aboard in her role as a communications officer.
- Life support belts are mentioned, as seen in TAS episodes: "Beyond the Farthest Star", "The Ambergris Element", "The Slaver Weapon", "The Pirates of Orion".
- Zyla, a Cygnian, features as a member of the Enterprise crew.
Related stories[]
Images[]
External link[]
- The Latter Fire article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.