by Josepha Sherman & Susan Schwartz
“If one can wage war, how much more logical is it to wage peace?”
After the Dominion War a mysterious alien species, the Watraii, begins attacking the Romulan Star Empire and vows to destroy it. The war-depleted resources of the Federation and its allies prevent them from helping. Ambassador Spock, his wife Captain Saavik, Starfleet Intelligence Chief Admiral Uhura, Admiral Chekov, two Klingon renegades, and several others defy orders to give aid to the Romulans.
The identity of the Watraii may be linked to the shared past of Vulcan and Romulus: The Sundering, when a group of Vulcans left their planet in generation ships thousands of years ago. An artifact has been acquired that may hold the key.
This trilogy is the story of The Romulans and how they came to be. The book rotates between chapters titled “Then” and “Now.”
Random Thoughts Written Down as I Read:
Now:
There is a diplomatic meeting where many names are dropped where many people we know are in attendance: Tekeny Ghemor, Gul Macet, Senator Pardek, T’Pel…
Spock and Saavik are married. Saavik is a Starfleet captain. Sexy talk between Spock and Saavik makes me feel squicky.
The Watraii wear ceremonial masks, have never been heard from before, and cannot be identified.
The Head of the Romulan Office of Homeland Peace is Charvanek, the Romulan Commander seduced by Spock in “The Enterprise Incident.” She is part of the plan to aid the RSE.
Admiral Pavel Chekov has an accent. He has been in Starfleet for over a century. Do Russians in real life REALLY switch around their Vs and Ws? ‘Cause that makes no sense. He doesn’t say his own name as Pawel Chekow. And why switch the sounds if you can make them both?
My research tells me the Russian language doesn’t really have a W. So they often pronounce it with a V sound, but not the transverse. Exactly.
Chekov’s accent is written so heavily it is ridiculous. He sounds like an idiot. We know he has an accent. Please stop trying to write it.
Anyway, Adm. ChekoV served in the Dominion War. He had been teaching at the Academy until then.
I wonder which Saavik Spock married?
Saavik’s ship leads a fleet of renegades of all races who go to the aid of the Romulans. Before she defies orders, Saavik asks her crew if they want to leave without dishonor. They vote to stay with their captain. I think it’s supposed to be moving but it is a worn out trope, as is defying Starfleet. If Starfleet is always wrong, why be in the organization at all?
One of the renegade Klingon captains is named in the style of “The Final Reflection” Klingon culture. The other is named in the style of “The Next Generation.”
The usual threats from Starfleet about court-martial; the usual thumb-of-nosing.
How can one’s “Romulan side” feel anything about anything? I seriously despise the idea that a mixed background provides for warring emotions. Of course, my Irish side prefers to stay out of the argument.
Is it kinda icky that Spock raised Saavik and then married her? That she helped him through his first mindless Pon Farr and then married him? Anyway.
Saying that “there is no logic” in another race’s behavior seems a bit like crying “no fair!” and is not very IDIC.
Sock makes a giant leap—of not even logic, just a giant leap—and decides the Watraii have something to do with The Sundering.
Spock believes suicide is never logical. How does he explain his actions during “The Wrath of Khan?”
After the short and pointless space battle, there is a lot of beaming around between enemy ships. Where are everyone’s shields?
Chekov is caught in one of the enemy beams. Spock attempts to interfere with the beamout and then believes Chekov has died in a transporter malfunction.
Then:
80 years after the Exodus, the travelers consider themselves exiles and believe Vulcan has been destroyed. Karatek remembers:
Surak is reviving the ancient hand greeting. He wants to wage peace* on a planet where war is a way of life because resources have always been scarce.
*take note of ‘wage peace.’ I assure you, you will detest the phrase before the trilogy is finished.
Vulcan has one sea and it is extremely polluted. Radiation decontamination is a way of life.
Surak proposes generation ships as a guarantee that even if they fail to wage peace and destroy the planet, the Vulcan race will continue.
Surak says “yield to the logic of the situation” often. Another phrase you will never want to hear again.
The ‘Vestal Virgins’ of Mt. Seleya are anything but. They are The Unbonded and step in for mateless males in Pon Farr. They are also healers. They give Surak a telepathic recorder in the shape of a crown.
Sarissa and Solar are Karatek’s adopted children. I don’t know the names of his older, biological children because we never ever spend any time with them.
20 years later, Karatek and his family wait to board a shuttle that will take them to one of the generation ships. Most of the immigrants are followers of Surak. Vulcan is right on the verge of a Civil War and there are many protestors, terrorists, raiders, etc. at the boarding site.
The shuttles must take off to avoid destruction. In the chaos, the boarding plans fall apart and some people are left behind while others are accidently included. Because of this, the generation ships have separated families and united enemies. Which I don’t understand because they were shuttles and once out of danger, why not regroup?
Surak, who had elected to stay behind and wage peace, is killed in the melee.
What color is teal green enough to hint at femininity?
Karatek mourns and whines and pules about being exiled. But he chose to go. Is it an exile if you chose to leave?
I’m going to Vulcan Nerve Pinch the next person who says ‘yield to the logic of the situation.’
I don’t know why they can’t pack the accidental passengers onto a shuttle and send them back to Vulcan.
WTF:
“Yield to the logic of the situation.”
The authors lost me at “married Saavik”. No, no, no . . I don’t think it has anything to do with my teenaged crush on Kristie Alley.
What. A. Trainwreck.
Kirstie Alley is the ‘real’ Saavik. Too bad you don’t want to read about the marriage–you are missing Vulcan sexy talk.
I got enough in Spock’s World, and the ST 3 novelization by Vonda M. where Saavik and David Marcus practiced biofeedback.
VULCAN SEXY TALK!