Part of the Star Trek Novel 'Verse.
Released in 2016 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek, Star Trek: Legacies is a trilogy set prior to and during The Original Series and consists of three books:
- Captain to Captain, by Greg Cox
- Best Defense by David Mack
- Purgatory's Key by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
In 2245, the Starship Enterprise under the command of Robert April visited the planet Usilde for a routine mission that soon turned tragic and left Captain April with an ethical and moral dilemma. For the over 20 years since the captains and first officers of the Enterprise have kept the secret found on that planet from everyone, including Starfleet.
Now, on the cusp of a major peace summit between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, the enigmatic "Number One" returns to the Enterprise on a personal mission of redemption - one that could plunge the quadrant into interstellar war.
These books contain examples of:
- Ambadassador: Both Sarek and his Klingon counterpart qualifies. The former runs into a burning building (while an air bombing by a Romulan bird-of-prey is going on) to rescue the guys who had been holding him at gunpoint a day ago, the latter, when plunged into an alternate dimension, proceeds to militarize other dimensional refugees and lead them into war, despite not having any clear idea of what is going on.
- Alternate Universe: The plot revolves around a Plot Device which can provide a (at first) one-way route to a seriously creepy one.
- Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like: The Enterprise team arrives just in time to more or less strong-arm the Klingon holding Sarek at disruptor-point into letting him go. The Vulcan is irritated at being denied the chance to talk his way out, as the Fleet's intervention undermined his authority and took things past the diplomatic into the military field.Amanda thanks Kirk for him, though.
- Hostage Situation: Several, in the second book. The first on occurs when Sarek tries to reason with a particularly nasty Klingon diplomat
- Interquel: Most of the story is set during the second season of The Original Series, kicking off a few months after "Journey To Babel" and the second book takes place about one week after "Obsession".The third one follows right on the heels of the second one, of course.
- It's Personal:
- Kirk feels a strong vendetta against Bates for being a deep-cover spy on his ship.
- The personal stakes go up later when it becomes clear that both Spock's parents and McCoy's daughter Joanna are on the frontlines, so to speak.
- The Mole: Lisa Bates is a Romulan-born Human who infiltrated Starfleet on behalf of the Empire, actual name Sadira. Much to Kirk's chagrin, she spent months as his yeoman with no one suspecting.
- My Greatest Failure: Number One believes that she is personally responsible for the loss of eight Enterprise crewmen on Usilde, and goes to great lengths to find them. It is her attempt to do so that kicks off the entire plot.
