Star Trek 1129: Caveat Emptor

1129. Caveat Emptor

PUBLICATION: Starfleet Corps of Engineers #14, Pocket eBooks, March 2002

CREATORS: Ian Edginton and Mike Collins

STARDATE: Unknown (follows the last novel)

PLOT: DaiMon Phug has equipped his massive station-like Ferengi ship with the old Landru computer, which is using the legend of a peace-loving prophet called Milia to take control of the Ferengi aboard and any ship it encounters. Even Ferenginar is targeted. Fleeing in an escape pod, Phug is picked up by the Da Vinci's crew who follow his trail back to his ship and get garbbed by a tractor beam. Landru/Milia tries to assimilate the Da Vinci's computers. Gomez and an away team infiltrate the ship's peace-loving (except during Red Hour) population and gets to the heart of the ship. Gomez' plan is to convince the Da Vinci to let Milia penetrate its computers only to spring a trap to hack the invading computer.

CONTINUITY: Gomez recommends Captain Gold's granddaughter visit the Rozhenkos (Family) since she's going out with a Klingon. That Klingon is from the House of Gorkon (The Undiscovered Country) and was appointed to Chancellor Martok's staff (The Dogs of War) after the Dominion War. Grand Nagus Rom's policies (The Dogs of War) aren't embraced by all Ferengi. Ferenginar as been monitoring the Breen economy's post-War turmoil. The Landru computer is from The Return of the Archons (events which apparently led to the creation of the SCE). Rom and Leeta both appear briefly.

DIVERGENCES: None.

SCREENSHOT OF THE WEEK
REVIEW: A truly fun book that makes use of a surprising old villain without resorting to Kirk's original solution, Caveat Emptor is better than its plot thanks to the wonderful details added to Ferengi society and the post-Dominion War Star Trek universe. I was really happy to visit Rom again, even if briefly, and I hope to see the Klingons soon in relation to Gold's granddaughter. By showing the Ferengi point of view and including scenes on Ferenginar, this plays like one of the better Ferengi episodes, i.e. a satire that nonetheless doesn't turn the race into buffoons. High marks.

Next for the SBG Book Club: Warped (DS9), Past Life (SCE), World Without End (TOS), A Rock and a Hard Place (TNG).