War Drums is a Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by John Vornholt. It was published in September 1992, the 23rd book in the Pocket Books series of numbered TNG novels.
Description[]
- The planet Selva—a lush colony world settled by a hardy group of Humans, who found the planet already inhabited by a small gang of young Klingons. When violence erupts between the two groups, Captain Picard and the USS Enterprise are sent to render assistance.
- Worf leads a landing party to the planet while the Starship Enterprise is called away on another urgent mission. On Selva, Worf and his party find that the old hatreds and prejudices between Humans and Klingons are revived, and the settlers are out for blood. Now, Worf must prevent a horrible massacre, before all of them fall prey to Selva's deadly secret… and raging fury.
Summary[]
A human colony on the planet Selva has been attacked by a group of Klingons who live a primitive existence in the surrounding woods and the Enterprise is sent to assist. Colony president Raul Oscaras wants the Klingons wiped out but Picard favors a peaceful solution. Worf deduces the Klingons are survivors of a colony annexed by the Romulans ten years earlier, who were sent away as refugees when they were children and crashed on the planet.
The Enterprise retrieves Turrok, a Klingon captured by the colonists, and a team comprising Data, Worf and Troi is sent to locate the Klingons. Ro is sent to the colony to monitor seismic activity. Data's team make peaceful contact with the Klingons, but Data sees their leader, Balak, meeting with a woman he refers to as the goddess, who uses both torture and seduction to convince him the humans must be killed.
Picard, Ro and colonists Gregg Calvert, his twelve-year-old daughter Myra and Louise Drayton go to investigate the ocean. Myra suspects all life in the area was wiped out by a tsunami ninety years ago. Turrok warns them of an attack by the other Klingons and they beam to safety. In the confusion, Balak is knocked out and subsequently killed by Wolm, one of the Klingons most receptive to Worf's message.
The Enterprise is ordered to another system to help establish a border after a war. Oscaras now plans to make a move against the Klingons and imprisons Ro and Calvert when they object. Worf's party lead the Klingons to the colony, but Oscaras has both them and the away team stunned, although Data escapes. Oscaras aims to have the Klingons tried for the murder of the colonists killed in their attacks and hanged. Data, Worf and Calvert free the Klingons and flee into the forest, leaving Troi and Ro behind.
Drayton turns out to be the one posing as the goddess: She is a surgically altered Romulan stirring up trouble between the humans and Klingons. Ro realizes another tsunami has occurred and both groups work together to take refuge inside the Klingons' crashed ship, which was buried in the forest. The tsunami kills Drayton, who had fled into the forest, but most of the others survive until the Enterprise can retrieve them. A contrite Oscaras decides to resign as president but stay with the colony, with most of the humans and Klingons electing to stay on the planet and rebuild together.
References[]
Characters[]
- Arden • Aryapour • Balak • Bill (24th century) • Bryant (Admiral) • Gregg Calvert • Myra Calvert • Clemons (Selva) • Beverly Crusher • Data • Louise Drayton • Edward • Freleng • Guinan • Jansing • Joseph (Selva) • Krell (24th century) • Geordi La Forge • Lucius • Lupo • Maltak • Maltz (24th century) • Marta (24th century) • Monroe (Selva) • Miles O'Brien • Raul Oscaras • Jean-Luc Picard • Pojra • William T. Riker • Ro Laren • Senna • Deanna Troi • Turrok • Valerie (Selva) • Wallins • Wolm • Worf
- Referenced only
- Janna Calvert • Jan (Selva) • Kang • Katie (Selva) • Keiko O'Brien • Molly O'Brien • Tony
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
- Referenced only
- Arcturus IV • Der’Nath • Kapor’At • Kling • Ottawa • Starbase 73
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Klingon Empire • Klingon High Command • Klingon High Council • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Starfleet Academy
Science and classification[]
- blood • comm badge • communicator • displacer • entomology • hour • minute • orbit • phaser rifle • replicator • Richter scale • seismograph • sleeping bag • subspace radio • Tesla coil • time • transporter
Occupations and titles[]
- admiral • captain • commander • counselor • doctor • ensign • lieutenant • president • researcher • security chief • social worker • spy
Other references[]
- away team • chair • colony • day • death • earthquake • food • funeral • Golden Rule • graduation • jacket • log • month • pit mantis • planet • pocket • quarters • ready room • transporter room • tree • tribe • tsunami • vegetable • war • year
Appendices[]
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
published order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous novel: Imbalance |
TNG numbered novels | Next novel: Nightshade |
chronological order | ||
Previous Adventure: The Outcast |
Next Adventure: Nightshade |
Translations[]
- 1995
- German : Kriegstrommeln, translated by Horst Pukallus. (Heyne)
External link[]
- War Drums article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.