by A. C. Crispin
“Kirk lives still, and I have no peace!”
Ambassadors Sarek’s 2nd wife (if you accept STV: The Final Frontier as canon or even admit its existence) the Lady Amanda is dying, suffering from old age and Ryerson’s Disease. Spock returns home to attend her in her final days. McCoy accompanies him.
Sarek must leave for at least 2 weeks to prevent a war. On Earth, the Keep Earth Human League is gaining power and Sarek discovers its leaders are being mentally influenced by the Freelans, a race that wears masks, body-hiding robes, and voice synthesizers. The Freelan homeworld is within the Romulan Neutral Zone. Sarek has no proof outside his suspicions and an accidental mindmeld and so cannot tell anybody and must go on a covert mission. The Lady Amanda dies during Sarek’s absence.
Captain Kirk’s nephew Peter is a 32-year-old Starfleet cadet who is kidnapped by the Klingons in revenge for the death of Kruge. Kirk must rescue him, aided by Spock, Sarek, and McCoy after Amanda’s death.
Random Thoughts Written Down as I Read:
The Freelans have no space travel, but they do have a space station, which I don’t know how they built since they have no space travel.
Savel is a Vulcan aide to the Freelan envoy. She looks a LOT like Valeris.
On page 24, I begin to feel the effects of a comma overdose.
On page 26, we recap ST VI.
Kirk’s nephew Peter is accidentally involved in a KEHL riot. The members immediately trust him enough to give him access to their computers.
The comma overdose is being exacerbated by ellipsis spiking.
Ambassador Kamarag is an anti-Federation misogynist. As such, he wishes to overthrow Azetbur.
I seriously doubt Spock’s mother’s name is Amanda Grayson Sarek. In “Journey to Babel,” she tells Kirk that her married name was usually unpronounceable by Humans, although she could do it.
Sarek smiles at Amanda. That is nice and real and appropriate.
Peter finds himself falling in love with the KEHL bigot, Lisa.
Spock’s brother Sybok was conceived during Sarek’s first Pon Farr. His first wife T’Rea never told him she was pregnant and divorced him 2 years later.
Why does everyone use ‘chronos’ instead of watches or clocks? It’s a silly affectation used in many Star Trek books.
Peter constantly compares himself to his Uncle Jim and always comes up lacking.
McCoy seems to have misplaced all the Gs that belong at the end of his words.
Spock feels his mother die and cries for her.
Maybe we should just try NOT describing Mind Melds. It always sounds like soft-core porn.
After Sarek and Amanda are married, he tells her about his first wife and son. And Pon Farr. Seems like a sexual madness might be something you mention to your intended BEFORE tying the knot…
BTW, Vulcans ARE capable of mating outside Pon Farr.
Peter beats up two Klingon warriors and temporarily escapes captivity. He is put in the custody of Kamarag’s niece Valdyr.
WWJKD? What Would James Kirk Do?
WWSD? What Would Sarek Do?
Apparently Peter speaks Klingon.
I still don’t believe Amanda’s last name is Sarek.
Sarek won’t got to the UFP President about the Freelans without proof. Why not? Why can’t you express your well-grounded suspicions and ask for help?
It takes Starfleet a day to track down Enterprise, berthed at Vulcan for the funeral of the wife of the Vulcan Ambassador to Earth.
Vulcan newborns only cry for a reason: hunger or discomfort. As opposed to human newborns, who cry out of… spite?
Sarek chooses to bond Spock over Amanda’s objections. Sarek chooses T’Pring over Amanda’s objections. Sarek truly comes off as an ass. Why does Amanda like him?
The Freelans have mentally influenced Kamarag, Chang, Kruge, and KEHL. Surprise! They are Romulans! This plan has been in motion for 75 years.
Peter finds himself falling in love with his Klingon guard, Valdyr.
Sarek has no proof of the Freelan’s plot. No proof! So nothing can be done.
Since Sarek suspects the truth, he must be killed before he finds proof.
Sarek tells young Spock he cannot serve in Starfleet because 1) his lack of control will disgrace the Vulcans and 2) the humans will contaminate him. So Sarek is a hypocritical ass.
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy go to Qo’noS to rescue Peter. They crash land their shuttle on the planet, but not because they are detected in any way by Klingon security.
Valdyr breaks Peter out of jail. They are almost caught because the Klingons can smell humans. Peter thinks Valdyr smells like apricots. He teaches her how to kiss and they have sex.
The Federation has technology to make anything except for spectacles.
Peter and Valdyr run into Kirk, Spock, and McCoy and they attempt to steal a Klingon Warbird.
Peter makes a Kirk speech, but Valdyr is stabbed in the stomach by her (ex)fiancé. But McCoy has studied Klingon anatomy since ST V and saves her.
They return to Enterprise and I have no idea who was in charge while they were gone.
A cloaked ship tries to lure them into the Neutral Zone. It’s like a game. Like a game. A game of…chess, Sarek realizes. The exact game he played with the Freelan envoy. Like, move for move. How stupid on the part of the envoy. It makes him ridiculously easy to predict. Which Sarek does.
Also, how can you replicate a game ‘move for move’ if only one side knows you’re playing and so the other side can’t make the ‘correct’ responding moves?
They beam Sarek and Spock to the bridge of the cloaked ship. Does NO ONE use shields any more? They record the ensuing conversation so they finally have PROOF of the Freelan plan. Proof!
Sarek and the Freelan envoy battle for the young kidnapped and brainwashed Vulcans that make up the crew of the cloaked ship. I mean they PHYSICALLY BATTLE. On the bridge.
Sarek wins. The envoy self-destructs his ship. We replay the “Journey to Babel” surgery scene. General Korrd rides to the rescue. Azetbur offers to train Valdyr as a diplomat. Peter and Valdyr decide on a long distance relationship. Really, really long distance. The kidnapped Vulcans are returned to Vulcan. The Freelan envoy’s Vulcan aide is bonded to Sarek’s aide. The Enterprise crew acts as Peter’s crew for his Kobayashi Maru. Peter beats the Kobayashi Maru without cheating. He quits command track and chooses to train as a diplomat. KEHL members are arrested. Senator Pardek and Spock meet at a conference. Spock begins to consider Reunification.
WTF:
“Do not worry, my targhoy. There is beauty in you. With the flowering of your womanhood, it will come, Valdyr-oy. When you are my wife, your beauty will blossom like chal flowers in the spring.”
