Best Defense is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel by David Mack. It is the second novel in the Legacies trilogy, and was released on 26 July 2016.
Publisher's description[]
From the back cover
- Just in time for the milestone 50th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series, an epic new trilogy that stretches from the earliest voyages of the Starship Enterprise to Captain Kirk's historic five-year mission — and from one universe to another!
- A debt of honor: One brave woman ventures alone into a parallel universe to save her old shipmates, exiled there decades earlier by a mysterious device called the Transfer Key. She soon learns the alternate universe harbors not just an alien invasion force, but a secret that underpins its very existence.
- A mission of peace: A long-awaited Klingon-Federation peace conference convenes, led by Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan and Councillor Gorkon of Qo'noS. But both sides have enemies who would prefer the two great powers remain at war—and who will do anything to make certain hate wins the day.
Summary[]
Sadira, the Tal Shiar operative who posed as Lisa Bates, forces a Romulan ship to take her to Centaurus, site of peace talks between the Klingons and the Federation. There, she uses the Transfer Key to transport Councillor Gorkon to the other dimension. The Klingons suspect the Federation have murdered him and call in their defence force, forcing Sarek to call in the Enterprise.
In the other dimension, Number One makes contact with the Enterprise crewmembers abducted by the Jatohr but discovers they have difficulty with the passage of time. They also appear not to need to eat or drink. Number One is captured by the Jatohr along with Martinez and Shimizu but is able to imagine an escape route, indicating they are not in reality.
The Enterprise crew uncover a plot by the Orion Syndicate to disrupt the peace talks but the Romulans continue their campaign, shifting a member of the Federation delegation. Kirk requests the Klingons' help in tracking down the cloaked ship and manages to hold the alliance together when Sadira tries to disrupt it by shifting Klingon general Kovor. The ships engage in battle and the Klingon ship is destroyed, with Kirk evacuating the crew against their wishes.
The Romulans begin bombarding the centre in an attempt to wipe out the Klingon delegation but the ship is badly damaged by the Enterprise. Sadira shifts a wounded Sarek and Joanna McCoy to the other dimension before the Romulan ship self-destructs, but not before the Enterprise has beamed the Transfer Key off. Kirk decides the only way to save the peace talks is to retrieve Sarek and Gorkon, so heads for Usilde.
References[]
Characters[]
USS Enterprise personnel[]
- Alspach • Christine Chapel • Chapman • Pavel Chekov • Kalliope Dalto • Dehler • Seth Dickinson • Downing • David Galloway • Jana Haines • Beggs Hansen • James T. Kirk • L'Nar • Leonard McCoy • Ravi Patel • Pran • Resnick • Montgomery Scott • Spock • John Stiles • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Waid
- Referenced only
- Marina Frants
Other Starfleet personnel[]
- James Cambias • Dylan Craig • Bruce Goldberg • Ingrid Holstine • Le May • Raul Martinez • Number One • Tim Shimizu • Cheryl Stevens
- Referenced only
- Robert April • Stephen Garrovick • Christopher Pike • Janice Rand • Wong
IKS HoS'leth personnel[]
- K'mgar • Kovor • Kowgon • Lomila • Marga • Rathnar • Ulgor
ChR Velibor personnel[]
- Bedisa • Canok • Tevan Creelok • Kiril • Kurat • Julius Mirat • Nevira • Pilus • Pralar • Ranimir • Sadira/Lisa Bates • Toporok • Valinor
Delegates[]
- Durok • Cellinoor sh'Fairoh • Isa Frain • Gempok • Aravella Gianaris • Gorkon • Amanda Grayson • Saoirse Liu • Mardl • Motas • Orqom • Prang • Sarek • Gesh mor Tov • Beel Zeroh
New Athens residents[]
- Hollishaal th'Carinoor • Sullifeth ch'Laera • Joanna McCoy • Nett • Jennifer Rock • Gustav Wanaki • Nomi Wreade • Yutt
- Referenced only
- McAdams • McAndrews • McCall
Other characters[]
- Feneb • Jorncek • Red Man • Elara Soath • Woryan
- Referenced only
- Claude Debussy • dikironium cloud creature • Duras • Eljor • Fek'lhr • Ganz • Illizar • Kahless the Unforgettable • Kor, son of Rynar • Korax • Carol Marcus • David Marcus • David Andrew McCoy • Jocelyn Treadway • Sturka
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • Galileo (Class F shuttlecraft) • IKS HoS'leth (D7-class) • hovercar • Jatohr transport pod • ChR Velibor (Vas Hatham-class)
- Referenced only
- USS Farragut • ChR Gal Gath'thong • IKS Gr'oth • IKS LoSgor • Omari-Ekon • USS Yorktown
Locations[]
- Centaurus (New Athens • New Athens University • New Athens University Hospital) • Korinar sector • Libros system • Ophiucus sector • Usilde (Jatohr citadel)
- Referenced only
- Argus X • Axanar • Beta Rigel IV • Catulla/Catullus • Deneva • Earth (Russia • San Francisco) • Earth Outpost Station • K-7 • Kaleb sector • Mempa • Mirror universe • Organia • Qo'noS • Remus • Rivos Prime • Romulan Neutral Zone • Romulus (Ki Baratan) • Sherman's Planet/Homog III • Sto-Vo-Kor • Tellar • Tiburon • Local space
Races and cultures[]
- Andorian • Argelian • Bolian • Caitian • Catullan • Human (Russian • Scot) • Illyrian • Izarian • Jatohr • Klingon (QuchHa') • Romulan • Tellarite • Tiburonian • Usildar • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Organian • Orion • Talosian
States and organizations[]
- Federation Diplomatic Corps • Imperial Intelligence • Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Command • Klingon High Council • Klingon Imperial Treasury • Orion Syndicate • Police • Romulan Star Empire • Romulan Star Navy • Starfleet • Tal Shiar • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Federation Center for Disease Control • Federation Council • Judge Advocate General • Nalori Republic • Order of the Bat'leth • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Intelligence • Starfleet Medical • Starfleet Research and Development
Science and technology[]
- airlock • agriculture • analgesic • anesthetize • annular confinement beam • antibiotic • antigrav pallet • antimatter • antimatter containment pod • aquaculture • astronomy • Augment virus • battery • binary system • biometrics • black hole • carbon dioxide scrubber • cloaking device • communicator • data card • data node • data recorder • data scrambler • data slate • deflector shield • dermal regenerator • disruptor • Doppler effect • duotronic • duranium • fire-suppression system • frequency • gastropod • hologram • holographic lens • hypoglycemia • hypospray • impulse engine • ionizing radiation • lepton • life support • magnetic field • memory chip • methane • nacelle • navigational deflector • night vision • nitrogen • optronic • pharmacology • phaser • photon torpedo • photon grenade • plasma knife • plasma relay • plasma torpedo • power-consumption monitor • power-transfer node • psychiatry • quantum surveillance device • rebreather apparatus • red corpuscle • retinal scan • sensor • sensor scrambler • sentry globe • shield generator • solar panel • sonic emission • subaural implant • subharmonic • subspace communications relay • subspace signal relay • Tantalus field • tau neutrino • tractor beam • Transfer Key • transfer-field generator • transparent aluminum • transport-scattering forcefield • tricorder • turbolift • ultrasonic repellent • ultraviolet • warp core
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • adviser • ambassador • attaché • captain • centurion • Chancellor of the High Council of the Klingon Empire • chef • chief engineer • chief medical officer • commander • communications officer • councillor • crewman • doctor • ensign • Federation Surgeon General • firefighter • first officer • general • gunner • helmsman • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • lord • magistrate • major • marine biologist • mechanic • medic • medical technician • merchant prince • navigator • nurse • petty officer • Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire • quartermaster • science officer • security officer • student • subcommander • sublieutenant • tactical officer • technician • translator • waitress • yeoman
Other references[]
- 2249 • backpack • Battle of Axanar • bIjatlh 'e' pemev • blanket • bloodwine • caffeine • canteen • chandelier • chowIQpu' • coffee • commode • court martial • d'k tahg • dagger • dhael • dormitory • economies of scale • epoxy • evasive maneuvers • face mask • The Four Years War • fungus • gagh • gauze • Hamlet • hevam wikah • Imperial Code of Military Conduct • judo • juva patch • loSpev • medical tape • medkit • morgue • naDev vo' peghoS • philosophy • observatory • ointment • Organian peace talks • Organian Peace Treaty • pen light • petaQ • pipius claw • piracy • quadrotriticale • rain forest • raktajino • ration • Rihan • satchel • sentient trafficking • smuggling • solitaire • stethoscope • stretcher • surgical kit • sussethrai • t'liska • taHqeq • tent • tentacles • theremin • tIq'leth • tishaal rovukam • tlhIngan Hol • toDSaH • tourniquet • tribble • tweezers • waltz • water • yIntagh
Appendices[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Captain to Captain |
TOS novel | Next novel: Legacies Purgatory's Key |
| Previous story: Long Shot |
Stories by: David Mack |
Next story: Section 31 Control |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Obsession |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Legacies Purgatory's Key |
Translations[]
- 2020
- German : Die beste Verteidigung, translated by Helga Parmiter. (Cross Cult)
External link[]
- Best Defense article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.