The Wounded Sky

The Enterprise leaps beyond our galaxy – into the deadly void of the universe.

Summary

 * From the book jacket:
 * An alien scientist invents the intergalactic inversion drive, an engine system that transcends warp drive – and the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) will be the first to test it! The Klingons attempt to thwart the test, but a greater danger looms when strange symptoms surface among the crew – and time becomes meaningless.


 * Now Captain Kirk and his friends face their greatest challenge – to repair the fabric of the universe before time is lost forever.

Chapter One
Kirk is frustrated at Federation and Starfleet politics, awaiting news of which starship is to be selected as test-vehicle for the inversion drive, a new concept in space travel propulsion. A communiqué from Starfleet Command arrives, revealing Enterprise has been selected. The ship proceeds to Starbase 18. Enterprise is to prepare to leave the galaxy.

Chapter Two
Enterprise puts into port at Starbase 18, orbiting the star Alpha Arietis (also known as Hamal).

Chapter Sixteen
A fleet of Federation starships greets Enterprise home''

Background Information

 * This novel's premise was extensively rewritten to become the TNG episode . (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
 * Diane Duane's first Star Trek novel, this book introduces many supporting characters who would appear in her later TOS-era novels and comics.
 * Although the stardate given for Kirk's communiqué was 9250.00, this novel is apparently supposed to take place in the final years of the TOS-era five-year mission, even though stardates beginning with a "9" weren't used until the 2290s in canon productions.
 * In the final chapter, the fleet of ships greeting Enterprise was said to include a number of "heavy cruisers of her own class." While it seems unlikely they were all, they may belong to a similar heavy cruiser design, so as not to contradict the concept that there were only about 12 Constitutions in service in the 2260s.  The text of the novel states there are 22 heavy cruisers in Starfleet service at the time.

Regular and recurring characters

 * Enterprise captain
 * Half-Vulcan Enterprise exec and science officer
 * Enterprise surgeon
 * Enterprise chief engineer
 * Enterprise communications officer
 * Enterprise helmsman
 * Enterprise navigator
 * K's't'lk : Child/creation of K't'lk
 * Reappears in Spock's World


 * Mahásë : Starfleet lieutenant, beta shift communications officer subordinate to Uhura
 * Chief of recreation aboard the Enterprise

Other characters

 * Katha'sat : Starfleet commodore in command of Starbase 18. It was a Hest.
 * K't'lk : Born around 1406, Hamalki scientist who led the creation of inversion drive.
 * Rhonda S. Halloran : Starfleet vice admiral stationed on Earth, she relayed news of Enterprise being selected to Kirk.
 * Klingon captain : Female captain of the IKS Kaza, flagship of the fleet which ambushed Enterprise. After a running battle with over half a dozen Klingon warships, Enterprise was hailed by Kaza's captain, advising them to kill their helmsman so that the afterlife would know which ship's crew to expect next.

Mentioned

 * B't'kr : Hamalki scientist who was a contributor to the inversion drive design.
 * Sivek : Vulcan scientist who was a contributor to the inversion drive design.
 * T'pask : Vulcan scientist who was a contributor to the inversion drive design.