In 2001, Pocket Books, longtime publishers of Star Trek fiction, tried something new. For the first time, they would continue the story of one of the television series beyond the events of the final episode. A considerable challenge, especially since the series in question was the excellent Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a series that was known for complex storylines and an ever-shifting status quo. Not only was the quality of the series very high, but events in the final episode had removed many of the main characters from the cast. The two-part Avatar series meets these challenges by providing a great story by S.D. Perry, a writer who had done little previous work in the Star Trek universe, and by introducing many new characters to the cast.
Book One opens with a timeline detailing all of the major events that occurred over the course of the DS9 television series, which served as a great reminder of where everyone was left after the final episode, and also reminded me of just how much I loved DS9. After the timeline, the story begins three months after the events of the final episode (which is also the length of time that would have passed between seasons of the television series), with Jake Sisko's discovery of a heretical Bajoran prophecy, which seems to indicate that Jake must travel into the wormhole to bring back his father, Benjamin Sisko, who has ascended linear time to live with the godlike Prophets. Meanwhile, Colonel Kira Nerys has assumed command of Deep Space Nine, which has been left nearly defenseless after the recently concluded Dominion War. While repairs are being made to the station and to the Defiant, the U.S.S. Aldebaran has been tasked with providing the station's defense. Despite the recently brokered peace, the station is indeed attacked by a small group of Jem'Hadar warships, and the Aldebaran is destroyed in the process. The station is saved in the nick of time by the Defiant, under the command of Ezri Dax, whose experiences in the battle will lead her to reevaluate her life as a joined Trill and her career in Starfleet. As in the television series, these books mix political intrigue with religious and mystical themes, as the same heretical text that contained the prophecy about the possible return of Benjamin Sisko also seems to indicate that a large number of Bajorans must die to herald the birth of the Avatar, the unborn child of Benjamin Sisko and Kasidy Yates.
S.D. Perry has a firm grasp on the tone of the series and the characters. Kira Nerys struggles with the burden of command and suffers a devastating loss at the very end of Book Two. Dr. Julian Bashir and Ensign Ezri Dax's budding romance is handled with nuance and complexity. The Ferengi barkeep Quark provides his usual comedic relief, even as his nephew Nog continues to come into his own as a capable Starfleet officer. As well as these familiar characters are handled, it is in the introduction of some exciting new characters that the Avatar books really shine. Among the new members of the cast are:
* Ensign ch'Thane, an Andorian officer whose mother is a high ranking Federation diplomat. As this novel was published before Star Trek: Enterprise was on the air, the Andorians were a still somewhat unexamined alien race in the Star Trek universe, and the addition of ch'Thane should open up a lot of storytelling possibilities, particularly as the young officer seems to be hiding a lot of secrets about his past.
* Commander Elias Vaughn, a 101 year old Starfleet officer who has been involved in covert missions for decades, and who experiences a spiritual epiphany when he and the crew of the Enterprise uncover the lost Bajoran Orb of Memory. While it has long been established that humans of the twenty-fourth century live considerably longer than their counterparts in the present day, the concept has never really been explored on any of the various Star Trek series, making Elias Vaughn an intriguing and welcome addition to the cast.
* Ro Laren, a popular supporting character from Star Trek: The Next Generation, formerly of Starfleet and the Maquis, now serving with Bajoran Special Forces and assigned as the new security chief of Deep Space Nine. The agnostic Ro is an excellent foil for the devout Colonel Kira. One of the best things about Odo, the previous chief of security, was his antagonistic relationship with Quark. The relationship between Ro Laren and Quark is quite different but no less entertaining: He is in love with her.
* Taran'atar is perhaps my favorite of the new characters, a Jem'Hadar soldier with a genetic immunity to ketracel white who has been sent by Odo to learn about humanity from his friends aboard DS9. All of the various incarnations of Star Trek have included an outsider character who struggled with the concept of humanity, and Odo was that character on DS9. Having him send Taran'atar to the station, ostensibly to fulfill that role anew, was a brilliant move that should, again, provide for rich storylines.
These books kept me on the edge of my seat, and are excellent science fiction novels that maintain the high level of quality established by the television series. The bar was set very high by the television show, and the Avatar books have likewise established a very high level of quality that I hope the following books in the series are able to match. An excellent start to an exciting new chapter of Star Trek fiction.
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