[Star Trek · Voyager 02] • Section 31 · Rogue Bk. 2

They are the self-appointed protectors of the Federation. Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, answerable to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group committed to safeguarding the Federation at any cost.

Six months before their ultimate battle against the Borg for the fate of Earth, Captain Jean-Luc Piccard and the crew of the "USS Enterprise"™ face a very different kind of crisis. A world in turmoil becomes the focal point of conspiracies and betrayal as an unexpected reunion brings with it startling revelations. Old friends become bitter enemies and one young officer reaches a crossroad when he's forced to choose between the greater good of the Federation and the ideals for which it stands.

NO LAW. NO CONSCIENCE. NO STOPPING THEM.

Amazon ReviewRogue is a Next Generation novel set six months before the film Star Trek: First Contact and featuring Lieutenant Hawk, the Enterprise conn officer from the film. The Federation and the Romulans are both negotiating with the Chiarosans, a fierce warrior people who live a marginal existence in the twilight zone of their non-rotating planet, sandwiched between the broiling sunward Dayside and the frigid Nightside. The starship Slayton has gone missing, and the Enterprise is sent to look for her and to bring in Aubin Tabor, a new Federation negotiator, and Vice-Admiral Marta Batanides, an old friend of Picard's. Rebel soldiers have captured six of the Slayton's crew, including Commander Cortin Zweller, a Section 31 agent, and things rapidly become violent. When the Enterprise discovers a huge region of cloaked space, it becomes apparent that the Romulans have far more at stake here than a single planet. Tabor is also a Section 31 agent, who attempts to recruit Hawk shortly before being killed in a fracas on the planet surface. Now Hawk has to decide where his loyalties lie. This dark novel features plenty of action and a suitably convoluted plot. Hawk is an engaging guest lead: young, enthusiastic, intelligent and with an eidetic memory he is an asset both to Starfleet and, potentially, to Section 31. He is also gay, and it's good to see Star Trek finally including sympathetic gay characters and relationships in its world. This is a good first instalment in the Section 31 quartet. --Elizabeth Sourbut

About the AuthorAndy Mangels is the USA Today best-selling author and co-author of over a dozen novels cowritten with Michael A. Martin. He is also the best-selling author of several nonfiction books, including Star Wars: The Essential Guide to Characters and Animation on DVD: The Ultimate Guide.