New Frontier

by Peter David

  “When I tried to save Ryjaan . . . I did so without even thinking about it. It was . . . instinctive.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Is it?” he asked. “I’ve always felt my instincts were based in pure savagery.”

  “Your survival instincts were, sure. Because they’re what you needed in order to get through your life. To do what needed to be done. But even basic instincts can change, and that’s not automatically a terrible thing. Being a starship commander isn’t just about survival. There’s much, much more to it than that.”

  “And I suppose that you’re prepared to tell me what that is.”

  “Of course. Chapter and verse.”

  “Well, Eppy . . . maybe—just maybe now—I’m prepared to listen.”

  “And I’m prepared to tell you, if you’d just stop calling me by that stupid nickname.”

  He laughed softly and came around the desk. As they headed for the door, she said, “One quick question: You told me that you had a ’vision’ of me, long ago.”

  “That’s right, yes.”

  “Just out of morbid curiosity . . . was I wearing any clothes in that vision?”

  “Nope. Stark naked.”

  “Yeah, well,” she sighed, as he draped an arm around her shoulder, “it’s comforting to know that some instincts never change, I guess.”

  And they headed to the Team Room for a drink.

  THE STAR TREK:

  NEW FRONTIER MINIPEDIA

  A guide to the people, places and things in

  Thallonian space

  by

  David Mack

  ALDRIN, U.S.S.

  A Starfleet vessel, registry number not established. It put an end to the piracy and smuggling of a Romulan fugitive who was later determined to be the natural father of Starfleet Lieutenant Soleta.

  ATOL

  A henchman of Zoran.

  AYRE, LIEUTENANT KRISTIAN

  A conn officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-E.

  AZIZI

  Replaced Celter as provisional governor of Nelkar, following a popular uprising sparked by the heavy-handed tactics of Laheera.

  BARSAMIS

  A friend of Mackenzie Calhoun who was murdered by an Orion trader named Krassus. Barsamis’s death was avenged by Calhoun.

  BATTLE OF CONDACIN

  A conflict the Danteri high command assumed would be the “preeminent military strike of the century” against the Xenexians, but which ended with a Danteri defeat at the hands of rebels led by M’k’n’zy of Calhoun. The brother of Danteri officer Delina was killed in this battle.

  BETH, ENSIGN RONNI

  A member of Burgoyne 172’s engineering crew aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur.

  BLACK MASS, THE

  No one is quite sure whether the Black Mass is composed of animals or sentient beings. Looking like vaguely humanoid slugs, they move in ships, but are capable of existing in space or in any environment.

  The Black Mass swarms out of the Hunger Zone once every Thallonian year, targets a single world, devastates it, and then moves back into the Zone. No one knows any way of stopping the Black Mass once it’s on the move.

  BORAGI 3

  The residents of Boragi 3 are aggressively neutral but are noted for their ability to stir up all manner of problems without becoming specifically involved themselves. Then, when things fall apart, the Boragi come in to pick up the pieces.

  BORETSKEE & GARY

  A husband-and-wife pair of representatives for a group of Thallonian refugees rescued by Captain Hufmin and, in turn, the U.S.S. Excalibur. They were called upon to attest to Laheera of Nelkar that they had been treated well by the Excalibur crew, and that the Starfleet ship was not, in fact, an agressor, but rather a rescuer.

  BOYAJIAN, MR.

  U.S.S. Excalibur officer who filled in for Zak Kebron while the security chief was off-ship with Si Cwan, searching for Si Cwan’s sister, Kalinda, and also for ops officer Robin Lefler, while she was on an away mission to the planet Nelkar. He is a tall, dark-haired tactical specialist.

  BRAGONIER

  A member of the Royal House of Danteri who participated in negotiations with the Xenexians that were moderated by Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Stargazer.

  BRIKAR

  A high-density species with dark-bronze colored skin, three-fingered hands and thick, tough hides. They possess only small earholes and vertical slits for noses. They can withstand phaser blasts that might kill several humans. In order to function in Earth-normal gravity, they require special small gravity compensators. Once so equipped, they are extremely strong and surprisingly nimble for their size.

  BURGOYNE 172, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER

  Burgoyne 172 is a Hermat. Hermats, possessing both male and female characteristics, are renowned for their versatility and ingenuity. Unlike the rest of his notoriously misanthropic people, Burgoyne is extremely outgoing, extremely playful, and extremely pleased with hishself whenever s/he manages to solve some sort of problem.

  CALHOUN, CAPTAIN MACKENZIE

  Captain Mackenzie Calhoun was well known as the leader of the planetary revolution that freed the planet Xenex from Danteri control before he entered Starfleet Academy.

  During Calhoun’s tenure in the academy, he earned a reputation for being high-energy and quick with his fists, and for never backing down from any confrontation.

  Calhoun is never afraid to say precisely what’s on his mind; nor does he suffer fools gladly. Although he understands and appreciates the chain of command, respect and loyalty are not commodities he gives to superior officers simply because they are of higher rank. He feels those privileges must be earned.

  Captain Calhoun’s given name on his homeworld of Xenex was M’k’n’zy. When he joined Starfleet he changed it to Mackenzie, the closest Terran equivalent, and adopted the name of his home city, Calhoun, as his surname.

  Calhoun has an older brother, D’ndai, who conspired with Thallonian Chancellor Yoz to overthrow the Thallonian royal family.

  CALHOUN, CITY OF

  A city on the planet Xenex. This was the home of rebellion leader M’k’n’zy, who later became known as Starfleet Captain Mackenzie Calhoun.

  CAMBON, THE

  A freighter ship piloted by a man named Hufmin. The Cambon’s comfortable passenger complement was 29, but when it was rescued by the U.S.S. Excalibur it was carrying 47 refugee passengers.

  CELTER

  Governor of the city of Selinium on Nelkar. Celter extended asylum to the Thallonian refugees rescued by Hufmin and the U.S.S. Excalibur.

  COMAR IV

  A planet on the outer rim of the former Thallonian Empire.

  CWAN, AMBASSADOR SI

  Formerly a popular prince of a royal family in the Thallonian Empire, whose family was overthrown. Si Cwan was actually liked by the people; nonetheless, those around him were hated and reviled, and that was one of the reasons that the Thallonian Empire crumbled. Si Cwan and the survivors of the takeover sought refuge in the Federation. Cwan, however, returned to the Thallonian Empire aboard the Excalibur to prove that the family was willing to work with the Federation and—by extension—the people of Sector 221-G in order to achieve peace. He is searching for his sister, Kalinda, who was lost during the empire’s collapse.

  D’NDAI

  Mackenzie Calhoun’s older brother, who conspired with Thallonian Chancellor Yoz to overthrow the Thallonian royal family and participate in the plot to assassinate deposed prince Si Cwan.

  DACKOW

  A henchman of Zoran, Dackow was an irrepressible “yes-man.”

  DANTER

  Homeworld of the Danteri, in Sector 221-H.

  DANTERI

  A humanoid species with dark bronze skin who pride themselves on being prepared for all situations. They occupied the planet Xenex for more than 300 years until they were overthrown by a grassroots rebellion led by M’k’n’zy of Calhoun.

  DANTERI EMPIRE, THE

  A strategically situated group
of worlds located in Sector 221-H that became members of the Federation following their ouster from the planet Xenex. The Danteri Empire is located in close proximity to the fallen Thallonian Empire and may have been involved in that government’s collapse. Regardless, the Danteri have designs on the acquisition of former Thallonian territories.

  DARKSHADE

  The most mysterious sector of Thallonian space. No ship that has ventured into the area has ever returned.

  The more scientifically minded believe that it is some sort of gateway—possibly to another time, possibly to another dimension. It is believed by some of the more fanciful that it is the source of all evil.

  DELINA

  Aide to Falkar. Delina sacrificed his life to save Falkar from a falling boulder pushed by M’k’n’zy of Calhoun.

  DOGS OF WAR, THE

  The Dogs of War are one of the few groups from Thallonian space who have actually made incursions into Federation space. There are only about a hundred of them, and their origins are shrouded in mystery. They are vicious, feral, and extremely devastating fighters, with thick fur, claws, and teeth. After they were defeated in a battle with the Brikar ten years ago, the Dogs retreated to their home system to lick their wounds, but since the fall of the Thallonian Empire there have been several reported sightings of them.

  EXCALIBUR, U.S.S.

  Starfleet registry number NCC-26517. The Starship Excalibur is a newly refitted Ambassador-class star-ship under the command of Captain Calhoun. Her current assignment is to monitor the collapse of the Thallonian Empire in Sector 221-G, render aid, and keep the peace when necessary.

  FALKAR

  A Danteri commander of the House of Edins who pursued the teenage Xenexian M’k’n’zy of Calhoun during the Danterian occupation of the planet Xenex. Falkar and a squad of troops under his command, including his second-in-command, Delina, were killed by M’k’n’zy when they pursued him into a region of Xenex known as the Pit. Falkar’s son, Ryjaan, would later grow up to become a Danteri representative.

  FINAL CHALLENGE

  Under Danteri Law, the family of a murder victim can opt for a Final Challenge, in which a family member fights the accused to the death. If the accused wins the conflict, he is allowed to go free. If he loses, however, death can be drawn out over any period desired. Any manner of killing one’s opponent in a Final Challenge is considered acceptable.

  FINNEGAN, CADET

  A rambunctious Starfleet cadet who pushed the young Cadet Selar into the academy pool when she showed reluctance to dive in. This cadet is not to be confused with the Cadet Finnegan who tormented a young James T. Kirk many decades before, although the two cadets’ behaviors show a definite resemblance.

  FIREWORLD

  One of the major tourist attractions of Thallonian space, the Fireworld remains a major mystery. It has a surface of constant, unending fire that burns and burns without apparently having any source. No one is certain whether the fire is limited to the surface, or whether the entire planet, right down to its core, is one gigantic ball of flame.

  FLAMEBIRD OF RICCA 4

  A beast to which Soleta compared the Great Bird of the Galaxy.

  GAUNTLET, THE

  A region in the Lemax system, between two warring planets in the former Thallonian Empire. The area was infamous as a battlefield, but was silent for centuries after the Thallonians ended the conflict.

  After the fall of the Thallonian Empire, fighting resumed almost immediately, and the Cambon, a noncombatant vessel transporting Thallonian refugees, became caught in the cross fire.

  GINIV

  An old friend of Dr. Selar’s on Vulcan.

  GODDARD, COMMANDER SETH

  An officer at Starfleet Command who reactivated Lieutenant Soleta’s commission to active duty and posted her to serve as science officer aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur under Captain Calhoun.

  GREAT BIRD OF THE GALAXY

  A creature once considered mythological, its existence was finally confirmed when it “hatched” from the planet Thallon, destroying that world entirely. Subsequent investigation was correlated with the beast’s mythology to conclude that when it ended its last life cycle it imparted its “essence” to the world of Thallon, which accounted for the unique attributes of that world’s energy-rich surface. After a period of many centuries that mineral bounty was reabsorbed as the creature’s new incarnation gestated, and the beast was then reborn, destroying its temporary planetary “nest.”

  GREAT MACHINES, THE

  Devices used by the Thallonians to tap into the vast energy-rich mineral wealth of their planet’s surface.

  GREAT SQUARE

  A public square in the city of Thal on the planet Thallon, disintegrated when the Great Bird of the Galaxy hatched.

  GRISSOM, U.S.S.

  Federation Starship, Excelsior Class, Starfleet registry number NCC-42857. Captain Calhoun served as first officer of this ship under Captain Korsmo.

  HERMAT

  An hermaphroditic species, i.e., one that possesses fully functional sexual organs, both male and female. In addition, the Hermats possess razor-sharp canine teeth. They have developed a unique set of pronouns to accommodate their dual-sex status—“Hir” rather than “him” or “her” . . . “hish” for the possessive forms of “his” and “hers” . . . “s/he” (with a separately accented H) rather than “she” or “he”—to simplify communication with divided-sex species and preserve their uniqueness.

  Hermats as a race tend to keep to themselves. Their tendency toward segregation from the rest of the Federation is well known. While Hermats are not necessarily xenophobic, most of them have some difficulty relating effectively to members of other species.

  HERZ

  A Thallonian guard who was dismissed from the royal service for allowing Soleta and Ambassador Spock to escape Thallonian custody. He later allied himself with the rebellion and took pleasure in lording over the deposed prince Si Cwan when the former royal was returned to Thallon to face “justice.”

  HUFMIN, CAPTAIN

  Captain of the freighter Cambon, veteran star pilot and occasional smuggler from Comar IV. His ship was disabled in the Gauntlet while transporting Thai-Ionian refugees to Sigma Tau Ceti, and was later rescued by the U.S.S. Excalibur. He was killed by Laheera of Nelkar.

  HUNGER ZONE, THE

  Origin point of the Black Mass.

  JELLICO, ADMIRAL EDWARD

  Currently the supervising officer of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun, Jellico has a well-deserved reputation as a stickler for formal military protocol and procedure. His rigid style of command led to some memorable personality clashes during his brief stint as captain of the Enterprise 1701-D while Captain Picard was temporarily reassigned on a special mission. This pattern of conflict with his subordinates did not, however, prevent him from being promoted to the rank of admiral, thus allowing him to perpetuate it—to the occasional chagrin of Calhoun and his crew.

  Jellico opposed the captaincy of Mackenzie Calhoun, and Jellico’s decision to appoint Commander Elizabeth Shelby as Calhoun’s first officer was actually an attempt to keep tabs on the maverick captain—an effort that did not work out as well as Jellico expected.

  JOINING PLACE, THE

  A special room held for generations by the family of Voltak of Vulcan, reserved for the formal Joining ceremony of mates and the consummation of the Pon fan ritual.

  JUIF

  A henchman of Zoran.

  KALINDA

  Former princess of Thallon and sister of deposed Thallonian prince Si Cwan, who calls her by her nickname, “Kally.” She has been missing since the insurrection on Thallon, and Si Cwan continues to search for her.

  KAYVEN RYIN

  A science and research vessel named for a famous Thallonian writer and editor. The Kayven Ryin sent the U.S.S. Excalibur an S.O.S. and a passenger manifest, which included the name of Si Cwan’s missing sister, Kalinda. The listing of Kalinda later proved to be a ruse by Zoran to lure Si Cwan into a trap.
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br />   KEBRON, LIEUTENANT ZAK

  The security chief of the U.S.S. Excalibur. A member of the high-density race called the Brikar, he must wear a small gravity compensator on his belt at all times. If he does not, his more-than-earth-normal mass makes it impossible for him to move.

  KORSMO, CAPTAIN

  The now-deceased and highly regarded former captain of the Starfleet vessel U.S.S. Excalibur. He was Captain Mackenzie Calhoun’s immediate predecessor, and was killed during the second Borg assault on Earth. His final actions as captain preserved the ship and saved many members of his crew.

  KRASSUS

  An Orion slave trader who murdered Barsamis, a friend of Mackenzie Calhoun, over a commercial dispute regarding an Orion slave girl named Zina, who subsequently became Krassus’s mate. Krassus was killed when he foolishly attempted to ambush Calhoun with a knife.

  LAHEERA OF NELKAR

  Female commanding officer of an unnamed Nelkarite starship that attacked the U.S.S. Excalibur. She killed Captain Hufmin as part of her threat to extort technology from the Excalibur, but her ploy failed, and Captain Calhoun later exposed her actions to her people, who turned on her.

  LEFLER, ENSIGN ROBIN

  Previously part of the engineering staff of the Enterprise 1701-D, Lefler was put in charge of ops on the bridge of the U.S.S. Excalibur. She is renowned for her off-the-cuff recitation of “Lefler’s Laws,” pithy observations and comments that mysteriously seem to suit whatever occasion is presented.

  M’K’N’ZY OF CALHOUN

  The original, Xenexian, name of Mackenzie Calhoun, captain of the Federation Starship Excalibur.

  MANDYLOR 5

  A planet of the Thallonian Empire on which a rebellion against the ruling class was suppressed.

  MARQUAND, RUNABOUT

  A runabout assigned to the U.S.S. Excalibur. Si Cwan and Zak Kebron traveled aboard the Marquand to a rendezvous with the Kayven Ryin while the Excalibur was busy with another rescue. The call from the Kayven Ryin turned out to be a trap, and the Marquand was destroyed by Zoran, an enemy of Si Cwan. Si Cwan and Zak Kebron escaped by transporting to the Kayven Ryin.

  MAXWELL, DR.

  A physician on the staff of Dr. Selar, aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur. Maxwell’s passing resemblance to Dr. Selar’s late husband, Voltak, initially led Selar to dislike him, but the difficulties were quickly resolved.