About The Book

Discover Captain Jean Luc Picard's first command aboard the Stargazer in this Star Trek: The Next Generation novel.

Ensign Andreas Nikolas, heartsick over the loss of his Mirror Universe lover, has resigned his post on Jean-Luc Picard's starship, the Stargazer, to seek a home on the freighter Iktoj'ni.

All he wants of his new life is a chance to forget his troubles. And that's what he gets—until the Iktoj'ni is taken over by a monstrous alien with unbelievable powers and a disdain for all forms of life.

Without saying why, the alien sends the freighter hurtling toward a part of space inhabited by the Ubarrak, the Federation's deadliest and most xenophobic enemy. And Nikolas, who fears that the incident will start a war, can't convince his captor to turn back.

Picard's only hope of stopping the alien menance is Serenity Santana—a woman who once abused his trust in the name of her people's survival. Now she's back, asking for the captain's trust a second time.

Picard desperately needs Santana's help in his struggle to save his galaxy. But will she justify his faith in her—or once again twist it to serve her own shadowy ends?

About The Author

Photo Credit:

Michael Jan Friedman

Michael Jan Friedman is the author of nearly sixty books of fiction and nonfiction, more than half of which bear the name Star Trek or some variation thereof. Ten of his titles have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. He has also written for network and cable television, radio, and comic books, the Star Trek: Voyager® episode “Resistance” prominent among his credits. On those rare occasions when he visits the real world, Friedman lives on Long Island with his wife and two sons.