Reports of the death of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun prove to have been greatly exaggerated, in this, the third and final book in Peter David's Excalibur trilogy. Like the previous two Excalibur novels, this book follows former crew members of the destroyed starship Excalibur in parallel storylines. Here we find that Calhoun did in fact escape the Excalibur's destruction (unbeknownst to the rest of his crew, who believe that he died), and has crashed his shuttlecraft on a planet that is home to a pre-warp civilization. The wonderful Mackenzie Calhoun is Peter David's single greatest contribution to the world of Trek fiction, and he is in fine form here as David places him in a familiar genre that fits the renegade officer like a glove: the western. All of the tropes of that genre are on display here, including a climactic shootout. Calhoun first ends up in jail, and then becomes the alien society's equivalent of sheriff. He keeps his origins a secret, constantly referring to himself as a man "just passing through."
Despite this, Calhoun appears to be completely stranded with no conceivable way of making his way off planet or even contacting Starfleet. He reluctantly begins to make a life for himself on this world, becoming particularly attached to a strange young woman named Rheela, and her young son, Moke. Rheela appears to have the extraordinary ability to control the weather, which causes her to be shunned by the superstitious community who nevertheless depend on her abilities to create much-needed rain. Characters with semi-mystical abilities are a hallmark of David's Trek work, as are the colorful casts of brand new characters, such as those introduced here as the inhabitants of the town. While it appears Calhoun and Rheela are headed for a romance, Calhoun's heart clearly belongs to his estranged ex-fiance and former first officer, Elizabeth Shelby, whose own story provides the other half of this novel.
Shelby has finally been granted her greatest desire: command of her own starship. As captain of the Exeter, Shelby finds her moral resolve tested in a difficult situation in which a group of aliens who initially refuse membership in the United Federation of planets nevertheless require the Exeter's help against their enemies. Commander Garbeck is introduced as Shelby's first officer, and provides a great foil, as Garbeck is similar to Shelby and tends to play the role Shelby did as first officer of the Excalibur, constantly quoting Starfleet rules and regulations even as Shelby begins to feel stifled by them. Shelby finds she is becoming more like Calhoun than she ever imagined she would be.
By novel's end, the former Excalibur crew has been reunited aboard a brand new ship, but the conclusion of this book assures that things will never be completely the same. Change seems to be the only constant in the New Frontier novels, which is one of their strengths. While I ultimately prefer those books in which all of the characters are together aboard a single ship, this book, with its strong characterization and compelling dual narratives, provides a great conclusion to the Excalibur trilogy, closing the door on another chapter in the lives of this unorthodox crew, while opening another.
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