Lesser Evil

The Defiant heads home, as Kira pursues the assassin who killed Shakaar Edon into the heart of the Federation.

Summary

 * From the back cover:
 * SINS PAST


 * Chaos erupts aboard Deep Space 9 as the crew begins a desperate search for a killer in their midst, catapulting Colonel Kira Nerys on a dangerous chase into the heart of the Federation. But the crime she seeks to avenge is part of a plot more ancient and far-reaching than anyone suspects, and that secret, if exposed, could divide worlds throughout the Alpha Quadrant.


 * Meanwhile, as the Starship Defiant makes its way back toward the wormhole and home to DS9, a startling discovery shakes Commander Elias Vaughn to his core and brings to light the truth behind the most tragic mission of his long life. As the crew struggles with the implications of what they've found, their captain's judgment comes into question...and casts doubt on the final outcome of their historic voyage through the Gamma Quadrant.

Ruriko Tenmei
After catching a Starfleet distress signal, the crew of the USS Defiant (2375), still in the Gamma Quadrant, lands on a planet and finds an old starship - one that has been completely assimilated by the Borg. Elias Vaughn finds out what has become of his wife, of which he thought she was dead: Ruriko Tenmei, mother to Prynn Tenmei, has been assimilated and is now a Borg drone. Julian Bashir tries everything to revert the Borg's alterations, and Prynn tries to assist as best as she can. After a long talk Vaughn has with Ezri Dax, in which she makes clear to him that he has to report the events they encountered, namely the presence of a Borg ship in the Gamma quadrant, Vaughn finally accepts this and tells Dax about the situation in which he has sent his wife into death seven years ago - a decision that diverted him from his daughter.

While having another Borg drone, this time a dead one, aboard, the drone's assimilation nanobots all of a sudden come to life; it becomes clear that, even if the drone is long dead, the technology still works. Vaughn, fearing for his daughter's life, runs to the infirmary, only to see that drone formerly known as Ruriko is too close to Prynn - and after Prynn backs away, seems to start chasing her. Protecting his daughter, he finally kills the drone, leaving Prynn devastated.

Ezri later tries to explain to her what her father did, deliberatly holding back some findings of Julian, namely that there could have been a chance to save Ruriko; Prynn believes that the Borg's alterations have destroyed her brain too much to revert the process. Still, she is not sure whether she could ever forgive his father for taking her mother again.

The Changeling and the Borg
On the same planet they found the Borg vessel, the crew also finds a Jem'Hadar vessel; the two ships obiously have fought against each other, leaving both damaged on the planet. Nog and Shar detect a changeling aboard the Jem'Hadar ship, obviously still alive. They manage to contact her (it has the form of a girl), and explain about the changes that happened during the last two years, in which the changeling was alone on the planet: The end of the Dominion war, the new situation with Odo and the presence of Taran'atar on DS9. The changeling agrees to come aboard the Defiant.

On the ship, the second Borg drone tries to assimilate the changeling - but since changelings do not have cellular structures, it fails.

The chase to Trill
After the murder of Shakaar Edon, the USS Gryphon is sent to Trill, and Kira Nerys is ordered aboard. On DS9, the medical staff finally discovers that Shakaar was under the control of a neural parasite and was obviously killed because of that. It becomes clear the someone aboard the Gryphon must be under the control of one of these parasites as well. After having talked to first officer Montenegro and been contacted by admiral Leonard James Akaar, telling her of the recent findings, Kira is convinced that captain Elaine Mello is the person in question - only to find out that in reality it was Montenegro who then tries to bring the ship under his control, killing captain Mello during this.

Mello, before dying, transfers the command of the ship to Kira; the Bajoran colonel finally manages to kill both Montenegro and the parasite, and thus preventing the starship to approach Trill (and damage the planet). Kira is contacted by a Trill admiral who promises to tell her everything about these events - claiming that the parasites are fighting against the Trill symbionts, and not against the humans.

Return of the Defiant
After the events told above, the Defiant finally heads for DS9. When they arrive at the wormhole, they find that their communications relay is destroyed, and that the Idran system all of a sudden has changed place - it has moved to the wormhole. While still wondering what this is all about, the crew is contacted by a Jem'Hadar ship. A Weyoun clone requests the changeling they have aboard, and in return beams three passengers they have picked up to the Defiant: Jake Sisko, Kai Opaka and Wex. Jake says to his stunned friends that he has a long story to tell...

Joseph Sisko
Joseph Sisko is still in a very bad shape, when Kasidy Yates finally has the idea of contacting Miles O'Brien and his family. They arrive at Sisko's house, and the effect Miles, his wife Keiko O'Brien and especially his kids have on Joseph is as forseen: The old man comes back to life, and finally accepts parts of the events that left him so depressed. He then wishes to travel to Bajor - obviously to meet with Kasidy and to be present when his grand child is born.

Background Information

 * The fourth and final novel in the Mission Gamma series.
 * Asarem Wadeen is now Bajor's first minister.
 * The Borg knew about the Gamma Quadrant and were interested in the Dominion and the changelings; however, the acquisition of this new knowledge collided with their war with Species 8472, resulting in a shift of priorities.
 * Kora II is listed on the title page as the location of one of Pocket Books' offices.

Regular and recurring characters

 * Kira Nerys : Kira's Starfleet commission is reactivated by Admiral Akaar.
 * Elias Vaughn : Starfleet commander, the CO of Defiant.
 * Prynn Tenmei : Ensign aboard DS9, daugher of Elias Vaughn
 * Julian Bashir
 * Ezri Dax
 * Sam Bowers : Tactical ops
 * Kasidy Yates
 * Miles O'Brien
 * Keiko O'Brien
 * Molly O'Brien
 * Kirayoshi O'Brien
 * Nog : Chief engineer on DS9
 * Quark
 * Ro Laren : Chief of Security on DS9
 * Joseph Sisko
 * Judith Sisko
 * Leonard James Akaar : Starfleet admiral.
 * Charivretha zh'Thane : Andorian member of the Federation council, zhavey (mother) of Thirishar
 * Lenaris Holem
 * Thirishar ch'Thane : Ensign aboard DS9 and the Defiant
 * Girani
 * Gul Macet : Captain of the Trager
 * Opaka
 * Madred
 * Asarem Wadeen : Bajoran Prime minister
 * Elaine Mello : captain of the Gryphon

External link


Lesser Evil Das kleinere Übel