The Final Reflection

Only a Klingon warrior can save the Federation from total war!

Summary

 * From the book jacket
 * Klingon Captain Krenn is a ruthless war strategist. But on a mission to Earth, Krenn learns a lesson in peace. Suddenly he must fight a secret battle of his own. His empire has a covert plan to shatter the Federation. Only Krenn can prevent a war – at the risk of his own life!

Memorable Quotes
"Be sure to tell your superiors."

(beaming his crew away, with their much-better transporter) "Of course. They'll want to know why it makes that horrible noise."
 * - A UFP Officer and Krenn, after UFP demonstration of 'unique' transporter technology

"I wouldn't tell the lie of carrying [a weapon]."
 * - Tagore, on going unarmed

"That one is worthy of the stars."
 * - Krenn, speaking of the ten-year-old Spock after meeting him

"I'm gonna go change my grandson Leonard's diapers now, but I'll be thinking of you the whole time."
 * - T. J. McCoy, M.D., ancestor of Leonard McCoy, to the leader of the Back-to-Earth movement

"Klingons do not weep, as many races do,", Dr. Tagore say idly. "A different set of facial nerves is stimulated by stress. The Klingon in deep emotion bares his teeth, as if to say 'stay away, until this feeling is past.' "
 * - Dr. Tagore, on Krenn's wounds after a fight.

Background Information

 * This book makes heavy use of the chronology and ships of the non-canon Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology.
 * The Final Reflection presents a rich and fully developed non-canon background for the Klingons (much of which was further used by FASA for Star Trek: The Role Playing Game), which has been partially contradicted by later additions to the canon. Nevertheless, it influenced early thinking of Ronald D. Moore when he started writing about Klingons. "It was really interesting as a kid, when I was reading it," stated Moore, "and I thought it was fascinating." ("Sins of the Father" audio commentary, TNG Season 3 Blu-ray)
 * The Final Reflection is mentioned on the back covers of the Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novels.
 * In Strangers from the Sky, the in-universe novel The Final Reflection is mentioned; Kirk suffered from nightmares for weeks after he read it, and so hesitates to pick up another novel suggested by McCoy.

Framing sequence

 * Captain of the Enterprise. Kirk finds the mood of the ship's crew odd after shore leave on Starbase 12 ends. In particular, Kirk notices some crewpersons have adopted Klingon hairstyles or are discussing space battles. He questions Spock and McCoy on the matter but they are reticent to answer regarding the recent historical novel, "The Final Reflection".
 * Enterprise CMO. Dr. McCoy recommends "The Final Reflection" to Kirk based on the space-battle material in the book, he admonishes the captain to take a hardbound copy of the book – McCoy doesn't want to keep it.

Main story

 * Krenn vestai-Rustazh : Klingon captain.
 * delegate to Babel from the Planet Deneva, one of his mining companies mined dilithium
 * Luther Whitetree : Starfleet admiral, died two years before Krenn's second visit to Earth
 * Douglas Tancred Shepherd : Starfleet admiral, succeeded admiral van Diemen as chief of staff
 * Marcus van Diemen : Starfleet admiral and Starfleet Chief of Staff
 * Spock : As a young boy.
 * Kodon vestai-Karum: Klingon squadron captain, commander of IKS Blue Fire.
 * Kadi : Klingon captain of IKS Death Hand.
 * Kian : Klingon captain of IKS Fury.
 * Kessum : Klingon captain of IKS Two Fingers.
 * Klingon commander, executive of Blue Fire.
 * Klingon helmsman of Blue Fire.
 * Merzhan : Klingon, youngest security officer on Blue Fire.
 * IKS Blue Fire weapons officer : Female Klingon officer.
 * Aghi : Crewmember, on long-term leave from IKV Fencer.
 * Fictional character in command of the battle cruiser Vengeance.
 * Kethas epetai-Khemara : Klingon admiral, adopts Vrenn and sends him to the Klingon fleet, master in several tactical games.
 * Jael Rabinowich

Timeline

 * Note: The author makes extensive use of dates given in the FASA manuals which follow the timeline as laid out by the Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology. For this reason, dates are given in the FASA scheme C/YYMM followed by an approximate setting relative to the original five year mission (2/07-2/12, which means 58 years need to be added to the FASA date). If the date is just given in the format C/YY, it is an estimate derived through hints in the novel.  Reconciling this timeline with the now accepted one is an exercise left to the reader.
 * The author describes the present time as ten years after "Pax Organia" (2276) and forty years after the events of Part Three, indicating a date after ; Voyages of Imagination ignored much of the presented timeline and set the main story in 2233, 2237 (acknowledging Spock's age as 7), and 2244, with the framing story just before the end of the five-year mission in 2269. (The reasoning for this not given, as both the "Pax Organia" reference and time since Part Three seem to be ignored)


 * 0/8706 (2145): The Articles of the Federation are signed.
 * 0/98 (2156): Tagore is born.
 * 79 years before the last events of part three


 * 1/40 (2198): Around this time Klingons capture the first vessels from the Federation.
 * Only known to Klingons, this happened some 10 Klingon years before the 'official' first contact.


 * 1/5105 (2209): The IKS Devisor exchanges some hostilities with the USS Sentry.
 * Described as the first contact in the FASA universe; 22 years before Krenn's first visit to Earth.


 * 1/56 (2214): Vrenn is born.
 * Vrenn's age is nine in the first part of the novel.


 * 1/6003 (2218): The USS Flying Fortress is attacked by Klingons; admiral Whitetree's son dies on the ship.
 * 1/66 (2224): Vrenn serves aboard the Blue Fire; Klingon admiral Kethas epetai-Khemara is assassinated; Vrenn changes his name to Krenn and (re-)founds the House Rustazh.
 * 1/72 (2230): Krenn is in command of the IKV Fencer for some years; ordered to the homeworld to receive special assignment.
 * Said to be six years after first part of the novel.


 * 1/73 (2231): Krenn's first visit on Earth; he playes chess with Spock; first demonstration of the transporter, the Federation learns Klingons own this technology for several years.
 * The transporter was invented in 1/7407 (2232) according to FASA, however 22 years have passed since the Devisor-Sentry incident; Spock's age is estimated by Krenn as being 7 or 8, this is problematic with McCoy being in diapers at the same time, because their age is usually accepted as revised (even by FASA material).


 * 1/75 (2233): Admiral Whitetree dies.
 * Two years before Krenn's second visit to Earth.


 * 1/7603 (2234): The Federation starts to mine dilithium.
 * 1/7701 (2235): Great Babel conference on Earth on which dissolving the Federation is discussed
 * 1/78 (2236): Tagore is dismissed as ambassador to the Klingon Empire.
 * Last event of the main story, 40 years before the framing story.


 * 2/0801 (2266): The Organians force a peace on the Klingon Empire and the Federation.
 * 2/1702 (2275): The Vejur crisis; in this year Tagore dies at the age of 120.
 * 2/18 (2276): The novel "The Final Reflection" is published.
 * ''Present time. Forty years after part three, ten years after 'Pax Organia'.