Gamma Xaridian--a peaceful Federation research colony that becomes the third Federation world to suffer a brutal attack athe handsof a mysterious alien fleet. With Lt. Uhura gone on an important mission of her own, Captain Kirk and the U.S.S. Enterprise™ are dispatched to investigate the attacks, only to find the planets completely devastated.
When another nearby colony is attacked, the U.S.S. Enterprise is ready and encounters a fleet of quick, small and deadly ships. Though Kirk and his crew manage to turn the raiders away, the U.S.S, Enterprise is severly damaged and the aliens escape.
As Kirk and his crew prepare for their next encounter with the raiders, Mr. Spock makes a startling discovery about the purpose behind the alien attacks -- a purpose that, if realized, could have deadly consequences for the Federation and the U.S.S Enterprise...
Reviews:
Lynn Herron (United Kingdom) (2011/03/10): First time I'd read this one and very much enjoyed it. It gives more prominence than usual to the character of Uhura who is such a stalwart in the original Star Trek series but who is rarely centre stage for long. In this book she is borrowed by another starship because of her skills in the communications area which are required in communications with a insectoid race which relies highly though not entirely on the use of signing. The inter-species interaction and the outcome which follows is interesting.
While Uhura is away the Enterprise is on the trail of the unknown attackers of a number of Federation settlements. As well as being interesting in itself this pursuit tells us more about the early career of navigator Chekov and his early struggles as relative newcomer on board the Enterprise.
In the end both story threads turn out to be critically linked and come to a crisis averted by the actions of Uhura, Kirk, Chekov, Sulu, Scott and - critically - by a member of the insectoid species who asserts herself legally but unusually in defence of the insectoids progeny.
As always, because Star Trek is an essentially cheerful epic, good triumphs over evil in general plus various individuals grapple successfully with personal challenges or decisions and come out on the right side.
Some of the Star Trek novels take themselves too seriously and in particular get to be much longer than is justified by their material. This one is of medium novel length, is in the spirit of the original series and I found it of just the right length to play out the ideas and story line involved.
