Elizabethan-style tavern restaurant on Risa. Waitstaff wear period costumes, and the decor includes such touches as manuscripts of Shakespearean plays in both English and the “original Klingon.”

  Sharky

  A heavyset, dyspeptic human with hair whose thinness is matched only by his temper. Has a paranoid, obsessive attachment to his freighter, and won’t leave it except under the most dire of circumstances.

  A fairly experienced smuggler, his life was saved by Soleta during her wandering years. He repaid his life-debt to her by helping her sneak onto the surface of Romulus and subsequently escape back to Federation space.

  Shelby, Captain

  Commanding officer of Starfleet vessel U.S.S. Sutherland. No relation to Starfleet officer Elizabeth Paula Shelby.

  Shelby, Elizabeth Paula

  Shelby was part of an elite unit assigned to assess weaknesses in the Borg during the Federation’s early confrontations with that species. She served briefly as first officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, under the command of Commander William Riker, following the abduction of Captain Jean-Luc Picard by the Borg. After helping rescue Picard, Shelby graciously relinquished her post as Enterprise first officer to Riker, who, though he often found Shelby to be frustrating, commended her as a highly skilled officer.

  Shelby is a tough-as-nails officer who makes no secret of her ambitions. She was a top candidate for the captain’s chair aboard the Excalibur, until the post was given to her ex-fiancé, Captain Mackenzie Calhoun. Shelby was assigned as Calhoun’s first officer in hopes that she could keep him in line, but she soon established a modus vivendi with Calhoun, and served as his first officer with great distinction.

  After the destruction of the Ambassador-class U.S.S. Excalibur, Shelby was promoted to captain of the U.S.S. Exeter. She later transferred off the Exeter, citing personality differences with her senior staff. She was offered, and accepted, command of the new, Galaxy-class Excalibur, and reassembled the crew from the prior Excalibur.

  At the christening and launch ceremony for the new starship, Mackenzie Calhoun dramatically interrupted the proceedings to let it be known that reports of his demise were greatly exaggerated, and to propose marriage to Shelby. She accepted, and was married to Captain Mackenzie Calhoun on the bridge of the newly christened Starship Excalibur. Captain Jean-Luc Picard performed the ceremony.

  Sh’nab

  A tribal elder of Calhoun during the early days of M’k’n’zy’s tenure as warlord in the Xenexian uprising against the Danteri.

  Shuffer

  Head of the Corinder Science Council. Bears a slight resemblance to his brother, the Corinderian Ferghut, who implicated him and four other senior members of the Science Council for hatching a conspiracy to commit genocide against the Makkusian race.

  Shukko

  A Dog of War slain by Xyon of Calhoun for his skin, which was used as a disguise to fool Vacu.

  Sigma Tau Ceti

  Intended destination of the freighter Cambon before it was disabled by a crossfire in a region of the Lemax system known as The Gauntlet.

  Six-Card Warhoon

  A card game, similar to poker, and very popular on Mojov Station.

  Skarm

  A henchman of Zoran.

  Slon

  Younger brother of Dr. Selar, and a high-ranking member of the Vulcan Diplomatic Corps. Stands a head taller than Selar, and has a very triangular face and exceedingly curved eyebrows that give his face a look of perpetual disdain.

  Slon posesses a far more wry outlook on life than do most Vulcans. He has no children, has never experienced Pon farr, and, according to Selar, never will, because of his “special friendship” with a Vulcan male named Sotok.

  Acted as a liaison with the Hermat Directorate during Burgoyne’s petition for parental rights regarding Xyon, Burgoyne and Selar’s half-breed offspring.

  Soleta

  Science officer aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur. Her previous experience in Thallonian space made her uniquely qualified for service on the Excalibur, which was assigned to Thallonian space.

  Early in her Starfleet career, during a visit to Plexus IV, she was detained for roughly 94 hours for failing, upon her arrival, to stand and listen to the local clergy extol the virtues of the Plexian deities.

  During her first mission in Thallonian space, she was captured on the planet Thallon while conducting geological research. She was rescued from a Thallonian prison by Spock, who was disguised as a Thallonian. On their way to safety they were intercepted by Thallonian prince Si Cwan—later known as Federation ambassador Si Cwan—who chose to facilitate their escape rather than sound the alarm. Si Cwan later asked Soleta to repay this favor by smuggling him aboard the Excalibur.

  Because her natural father was a Romulan, Soleta has occasional difficulty controlling her emotions. Soleta was raised by her mother, T’Pas, and adoptive father, Volak.

  Soleta first confronted Rajari, the Romulan criminal who raped her mother, while she was serving aboard the starship Aldrin. Years later, she tracked the terminally ill Rajari to the Titan Colony, following his release from a Federation prison. He duped her into traveling to Romulus on his behalf and triggering an explosion that killed several Romulan leaders and leveled a prominent landmark in the capital city.

  Solly

  A wandering Yakaban gunman who was a player in the card game that ended with Kusack’s murder of Turkin.

  Sotok

  Vulcan male who is the “special friend” of Selar’s brother, Slon.

  Space Station K-19

  Starport where Ensign Ronni Beth purchased a ring that she gave to Ensign Christiano as a gift.

  Spangler

  Yakaban man. Runs the local newspaper in Narrin. Can be annoyingly earnest.

  Sparky

  Nickname given by Burgoyne 172 to the Tentacle, a creature of energy plasma that attempted to hatch from the U.S.S. Excalibur’s warp core. Later protected the ship from being destroyed by the energy field of a Promethean vessel.

  SPIT

  An acronym for a Short-range Portable Individual Transport device. Designed purely to allow the more affluent members of a society to travel privately, rather than by using a transport center as the “lower classes” are obliged to do.

  Staiteium

  A really dense, tough metal.

  Star 7734

  Location of The Quiet Place, in Sector 18M, Marks 113–114.

  Strange New Worlds

  Popular officers’ club and bar in San Francisco, puckishly named for the Starfleet motto. The bar’s motto is, “Explore Us!” Less exclusive than the popular, ship-captains-only San Francisco bar known as The Captain’s Table.

  Sulimin the Planner

  Leader of an Unglza clan from the eastern territories of Zondar.

  Sumavar

  Once one of the premier warriors of the Thallonian Empire, he was well past his prime when he was hunted down on the planet Barspens by the Dogs of War, who sought from him the location of The Quiet Place. He died without giving it to them.

  Summons, The

  In every third or fourth generation of the Thallonian imperial family, a princess of the line, upon reaching a certain age, receives the Summons. There is never advance warning, the princess simply disappears one night, sometimes to return, sometimes never to be seen again. If the princess returns, she never speaks of what she witnessed, except in the vaguest of terms. Kalinda was the last Thallonian princess to receive the Summons.

  Suti

  A friendly nickname for Suti-Lon-sondon, used only by the Zondarian prophet Ontear.

  Suti-Lon-sondon

  One of the oldest acolytes of Zondarian seer Ontear. Sometimes referred to by Ontear simply as Suti.

  Takahashi, Lieutenant

  Night watch ops officer aboard the Excalibur. Also known as “Hash.” An Asian man of youthful mien, with ostensibly naturally blond hair.

  Talila

  A Zondarian woman, of the Eenza ethnic group; wife of Ramed; mother of Rab.

  Tanzi 419

  Hermat ambassador to Earth. Long, silver hair. An old friend of Burgoyne 172, Tanzi attempted to intercede on Burgoyne’s behalf with the Hermat Directorate, which refused to entertain Burgoyne’s petition for official Hermat intervention in his custody battle with Selar over their offspring, Xyon.

  Tapinza, Maester

  Male Yakaban, neighbor of Rheela. Was the most successful businessman in Yakaba’s three major provinces, and an expert at piloting landskippers and other forms of desert transportation. Had a fierce scar that ran from the top of his forehead to just under his nose. His brow was a bit sloped, his eyebrows thick and green, and his overall effect was that of a primitive. He was, however, quite astute, and saw in technology a potential that many of his fellow Yakabans do not see. He was killed by Moke, as revenge for his role in the death of Moke’s mother, Rheela.

  Tara

  Rolisan woman. In a parallel reality, a distant ancestor of Faicco the Small, one of the greatest thinkers in the known galaxy. In this reality, she died during childbirth when the Black Mass devoured Rolisa.

  Team Room, the

  The main crew lounge aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur, located on Deck 7 in the rear of the saucer section. Its name was a holdover from a term used in the early days of space exploration.

  Temo

  Yakaban man. Brother to Kusack. Came to Narrin with his two brothers, Qinos and Shadrak, to rescue his other brother, Kusack, from Majister Fairax’s gaol. In the attempt, Temo murdered Majister Fairax. Temo and his brother Qinos later attempted to ambush Calhoun during a duel with Krut. Their scheme did not go as planned. The ambush went awry, Temo murdered Rheela during the altercation, and was killed in turn by Rheela’s son, Moke.

  Tentacle, The

  Aptly descriptive name given to a creature composed of energy plasma that “hatched” from the warp core of the U.S.S. Excalibur, killing Ensign Christiano. Research by Lt. Soleta indicated the Tentacle was likely related to the Great Bird of The Galaxy, which destroyed Thallon.

  T’Fil

  Vulcan female. Nursemaid to Selar’s child, Xyon.

  Thal

  The capital city of the now-destroyed planet Thallon.

  Thallon

  A disintegrated pile of rubble that was once the capital planet of the Thallonian Empire. It was never harmless.

  Thallonian Empire, The

  A wide-ranging autocratic empire that controlled most of the star systems in Sector 221-G, until its recent collapse.

  T’han

  A large, agrarian animal on Xenex.

  T’hanchips

  Xenexian profanity that refers to the fecal products of a t’han. Can be used as a synonym for “nonsense.”

  Tharns

  Xenexian animal held in low regard. Typically referenced in the Xenexian epithet, “son of a tharn.”

  Thul, Gerrid

  “Madman” who created a computer virus that came close to wiping out the Federation. His allies, who included Rafe Viola (a.k.a. Sientor Olivan), introduced a delayed-reaction computer virus into the Excalibur that destroyed it. That virus was an artifact of the incident the Federation called the “Double Helix situation.” The same virus was later introduced by Nik Viola into the central computer of the El Dorado hotel on Risa.

  Tiempor, Shad

  Ruler of the Enevian Empire in the 39th century. Placed the Excalibur and the planet Haresh under retroactive Enevian protection in the 24th century, thwarting a Redeemer assault on the planet and preventing the Federation timeship Relativity from destroying the Excalibur, which tried to protect Haresh from the Redeemers.

  Titan Colony

  One of the first extraterrestrial colonies founded by Earth’s fledgling space program. By the 24th century, the colony was in serious disrepair and was generally neglected by the Federation. Its main entry port is Catalina City. Local authorities enforce strict laws against the possession and use of energy weapons.

  Torelli, Engineer’s Mate

  An engineering crewman, working under Chief Engineer Burgoyne 172, aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur.

  Toth

  Tactical officer aboard the Thallonian flagship under the command of Sedi Cwan.

  T’Pas

  Mother of Starfleet officer Soleta. Raped by a Romulan criminal named Rajari on a remote world. The rape produced Soleta, whom T’Pas and her mate, Volak, raised as their own child. T’Pas died unexpectedly, at a young age for a Vulcan, the victim of a rare virus.

  T’Pau

  Ancient Vulcan female adjudicator. Presided over Burgoyne 172’s petition for parental rights to Xyon, whom he sired with Selar. T’Pau upheld Burgoyne’s parental right to demand the ritual of Ku’nit Ka’fa’ar.

  Tulaan IV

  A planet of varied climates, its lush agrarian centers are sparsely populated and tended by robots. The Redeemers congregate in a harshly cold and inhospitable region known as Medita.

  Tulaman the Misbegotten

  Leader of an Eenza clan from the western tropical region of Zondar.

  Tulleah, Mount

  A high elevation located in the Gondi Desert on Vulcan. Selar ascended Mount Tulleah many times during her youth, finding it a source of peace and contemplation. It is faithfully represented in at least one holodeck simulation aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur.

  Tulley, Lieutenant Commander Chris

  Science officer of the U.S.S. Exeter, under the command of Captain Shelby. Slim and waspish. Graduated from Starfleet Academy two years early.

  Turkin

  A Yakaban man who was murdered by Kusack following a disagreement over the outcome of a card game.

  Unblinking Eye of Mynos, The

  Name given by the Barspens leaders to an artifact they stole from the people of Ysonte.

  Unglza

  An ethnic group on the planet Zondar that engaged in a protracted civil war against its neighbors, the Eenza. The eventual outcome of their conflict was predicted by the Zondarian prophet Ontear.

  Vacu

  The most massive of the Dogs of War, a full head and a half taller than Rier, the leader. Not very bright. Was deceived by Xyon of Calhoun, who slipped past Vacu to use the Dogs’ own command ship to destroy their other vessels.

  Verdin, Zoran Si

  A Thallonian agitator, a best friend turned worst enemy of deposed prince Si Cwan. Si Cwan described Zoran as being “almost insane in his hatred.”

  Zoran laid a trap for Si Cwan aboard the science vessel Kayven Ryin by placing the name of Si Cwan’s sister, Kalinda, on the ship’s passenger manifest. Zoran later confessed to having murdered Kalinda, but subsequently recanted the statement. In truth, he abducted Kalinda to the planet Montos, where he brainwashed her into believing she was a Montosian, the daughter of a woman named Malia. Verdin visited occasionally to keep tabs on Kalinda, so that he might follow her when she received The Summons, to locate The Quiet Place.

  Viola, Nikolas

  Son of Rafe Viola. A young man, commonly goes by the diminutive “Nik.” Handsome, with strong, chiseled features, eyes of ocean blue, thick eyebrows. His nose is slightly large. His hair is blond, combed tightly back, with a perfectly pointed widow’s peak.

  Rescued Robin Lefler from a tight spot while spelunking on Risa. Later murdered Quincy, manager of the El Dorado hotel, and attempted to kill engineer Montgomery Scott, who escaped attack by leaping—apparently to his own death—down a deep computer core shaft. Nik was in the computer core area to plant a virus in the El Dorado’s central computer on behalf of his father, Rafe, who might have been manipulating him through mind control.

  Nik was killed on Risa by a subterranean, gelatinous carnivore.

  Viola, Rafe

  An alias of Sientor Olivan, a human male whom Si Cwan accused of murdering Si Cwan’s teacher, Jereme, based on the account of a dream experienced by Si Cwan’s sister, Kalinda.

  A tall and distinguished-looking man, Rafe was handsome, and his hair was carefully cropped and shaped, with crests of gray on either side.

  Rafe Viola/Sientor Olivan was instrumental in creating and delivering a computer virus that destroyed the Federation Starship Excalibur. He planted a similar virus in the central computer of the El Dorado hotel on Risa.

  Volak

  Mate of T’Pas and nonbiological father of Starfleet officer Soleta. Tall, distinguished, with eyes glittering with quiet intelligence.

  Voltak

  A Vulcan archaeologist who was the husband and mate of Dr. Selar. He died of a coronary failure while consummating the Pon farr ritual with Selar.

  Vonce of the Many Fortunes

  Leader of an Eenza clan from the western tropical region of Zondar.

  vrass

  A Vulcan vegetable soup that simmers for a long time before being served.

  Wagner, Lieutenant Glen Scott

  Deputy chief of security aboard the U.S.S. Exeter, under the command of Captain Elizabeth Shelby. Wagner reports directly to Lt. Kahn, Exeter chief of security.

  Walking Grin, The

  Nickname given to Robin Lefler by her mother, Morgan Lefler. It referred to the young Robin’s constant efforts to cheer up Morgan, who frequently was depressed.

  Watson, Polly

  A transporter officer aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur.

  Widow Splean

  Feisty Litenite woman farmer who was assaulted by delinquent students of the Kondolf Academy. The two Tellarites and their Andorian accomplice threatened to knock over the Widow Splean’s harmless furn.