The Never-Ending Sacrifice is a 2009 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel by Una McCormack. It features Rugal from the DS9 episode "Cardassians" as he experiences the turbulent period of Cardassian history from the end of the Occupation of Bajor to the Dominion War and beyond.
Description[]
- A boy looks up. He sees a Cardassian's hand on his shoulder and knows that this is usually a prelude to a beating or, if he is fortunate enough, arrest. The boy knows how many disappeared during the Occupation of Bajor. So he does the one thing he can think of: he bites the Cardassian. Then the nightmare begins.
- He is ripped from the family that took him in as an orphan, clothed him, fed him, always loved him unconditionally. And no matter how earnest, how caring the commander of Deep Space 9 is, the boy knows this is all a horrible mistake. How can someone from Starfleet judge him by what he looks like, not by what he is? He prays to the Prophets; he is Bajoran. They all keep telling him that the test proves the large Cardassian man is his father, that the other Cardassian—that oily gul—took him away from his father. But the boy keeps telling them that he is Bajoran, he only wants to go home with his father. So they send Rugal home—to Cardassia.
- On the homeworld of the Cardassian Union where sacrifice and devotion to the state are surpassed only by the government's need to keep its people in check, one very lonely boy discovers that if he doesn't resist, his life—like those of so many others—will be added to the tally of the never-ending sacrifice.
Summary[]
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References[]
Characters[]
- Alaren • Maria Alvarez • Anders • Arani • Ithas Bamarek • Darrah Bajin • Skrain Dukat • Elat • Envek • Erani • Ferek • Elim Garak • Marcus Gerrard • Teretis Geyl • Alon Ghemor • Tekeny Ghemor • Gheta • Greene • Jen • Joseph • Kelat • Colat Khevet • Elinas Khevet • Mikor Khevet • Penelya Khevet • Tret Khevet • Hulya Kiliç • Leirt • Martis Lok • Maleta • Arric Maret • Serna Maret • Tela Maret • Metelek • Metrek • Keiko O'Brien • Miles O'Brien • Molly O'Brien • Geleth Pa'Dar • Kotan Pa'Dar • Rugal Pa'Dar • Proka Etra • Proka Migdal • Gerat Rejal • Meya Rejal • Rantok • Erek Rhemet • Roche • Selik • Benjamin Sisko • Jake Sisko • Ellen Smith • Tekis • Tevrek • Tora Ziyal • Richard Townley • Verisel
- Referenced only
- Tret Akleen • Artoc • Ulan Corac • Corat Damar • Darrah Mace • Trekal Darhe'el • Athra Dukat • Eretis • Female Changeling • Iliana Ghemor • Hogue • Keeve Falor • Natima Lang • Leterik • Nelita • Arys Pa'Dar • Ghret Pa'Dar • Irvek Pa'Dar • Perseus • Lim Prekeny • Reco • Rekelen • Enabran Tain • Tirim • Turrel • Zolan
Starships and vehicles[]
- Lotos • Ramaklan • skimmer
- Referenced only
- Groumall • Klingon bird-of-prey
Locations[]
- Akleen Memorial • Anaret Province • Ashalla • Bajor • Barvonok Sector • Betek Gallery • Cardassia • Cardassia City • Civilian Assembly Hall • Coranum Sector • Coranum tunnel • Deep Space 9 • Demilitarized Zone • Destiny • Earth • Headquarters Allied Reconstruction Forces • Ithic II • Keralek Base • Littleport • Lorikal • Manea • March • Meritok Square • Mesquad • Metella • Munda'ar Sector • Odek • Ogyas III • Ostek • Paldar Sector • Paris • Perok • Promenade • Quark's • Seine River • Slokat • State Museum of Natural History • Tamsket • Tarlak Sector • Torr Central Market • Torr Central Station • Torr Sector • Veterans' Bridge • Victory Boulevard • Weibak IV
- Referenced only
- Bajoran wormhole • Cardassia IV • Chin'toka • Culat • Founders' homeworld • Gamma Quadrant • Hagal • Hall of Honor • Hewe • Korto City • Lakarian City • Lake Masad • Maklar Prison • Masad • Peyit • Retlak Mountains • Sea Fall • Septimus III • Tozhat • Tozhat Memorial • Valo II
Races and cultures[]
- Bajoran • Cardassian • Human • Jem'Hadar • Romulan • Vorta
- Referenced only
- Breen • Calphan • Changeling • Ferengi • Hebitian • Mathenite • Prophets • Talorian
States and organizations[]
- Allied Reconstruction Forces • Cardassian Central Command • Cardassian Constabularies • Cardassian Intelligence Bureau • Cardassian Justice Ministry • Cardassian Liberation Front • Cardassian Science Ministry • Cardassian Second Order • Cardassian Union • Civilian Assembly • Detapa Council • Dominion • Institute for State Policy • Khevet Agricultural Holdings • Klingon Empire • Obsidian Order • Office of Public Order • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Bajoran Resistance • Cardassian Eleventh Order • Cardassian Ministry of Agriculture • Circle • Council of Ministers • Dominion Intelligence • Founder • Institute of Commercial Endeavor • Oralian Way • School of Agronomy • Vedek Assembly
Ranks and titles[]
- archon • Castellan of the Cardassian Union • Chief Archon • Chief Executor of the Detapa Council • dalin • Deputy Commissioner for Public Health • Emissary of the Prophets • exarch • garresh • gil • glinn • gul • kai • legate
Other references[]
- 2371 Cardassian coup • Age of Emergence • allied protectorate • alva ice • aytlik broth • Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty • Bajoran religion • bell • black market • canka nut • Cardassian First Republic • Cardassian Second Republic • Cardassian Third Republic • Civilian Commendation • cloning • The Collectivity • dabo • Declaration of the Transference and Assumption of Powers • d'jarra • Dominion War • elta • founding settlement • enigma tale • feyt • gelat • geleta • Gorgon • Great Guls and Legates • hasperat • honge • Ih'valla • indika • ithian tree • jumja • kanar • keye • Klingon-Cardassian War • kosst • kotra • lek • leya • leya fruit • leya juice • leyik • litik • mekla bush • metric • moba • The Never-Ending Sacrifice • Occupation of Bajor • pagh • peach • perek • petha • raktajino • ratamba stew • regnar • redleaf • redleaf tea • reta • riding hound • rikot • Sethik's disease • shri-tal • spoonhead • skrit • temet • tram • transporter station • Triple Medal of Valor • tuli • water fever • yatik fever • zabu stew
Appendices[]
Reception[]
- Robert Lyons of TrekMovie.com described The Never-Ending Sacrifice as "unlike any Star Trek book I have ever read before". [1]
- Jens Deffner of Unreality SF gave The Never-Ending Sacrifice a review score of 90%. He commented "The Never-Ending Sacrifice is not only a very strong Star Trek novel, but simply an outstanding coming-of-age novel, since even if you stripped it of everything Star Trek-related, it would work just as well". [2]
- In March 2010, The Never-Ending Sacrifice won the Unreality SF story of the year poll 2009/2010 with 19% of the votes. [3]
Related stories[]
- DS9 episode: "Cardassians"
- DS9 episode: "Profit and Loss"
- DS9 episode: "The Die is Cast"
- DS9 episode: "The Way of the Warrior"
- DS9 episode: "By Inferno's Light"
- DS9 episode: "Tacking Into the Wind"
- DS9 episode: "What You Leave Behind"
- DS9 novel: A Stitch in Time
- DS9 novel: Cardassia: The Lotus Flower
- Star Trek: Terok Nor miniseries
- DS9 - The Fall novel: The Crimson Shadow
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: The Soul Key |
DS9 novels (post-finale) | Next novel: Typhon Pact: Zero Sum Game |
| Previous story: Hollow Men |
Stories by: Una McCormack |
Next story: Typhon Pact: Brinkmanship |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: to be placed |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: to be placed |
External link[]
- The Never-Ending Sacrifice article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.