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Constitution
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Series: The Original Series - My Brothers Keeper #2
Published: December 1, 1998
Author: Michael Jan Friedman
Review by: Lt. jg Robert Alexander Griffith |
The USS Enterprise is headinghome after loosing 10 crewmen to the ravages of the barrier at the edge of our galaxy. Starbase 33 looms closer, and so does Kirk's debriefing. In the meantime, the crew is mourning the loss of their comrades. Kirk's first command seems to be in shambles, and his career may be over after such a loss.
Upon arrival at Starbase 33, Kirk meets a man shrouded in mystery. He soon suspects that Starfleet knew about the disaster buoy from the Valliant, and possibly about the danger at the galaxy's edge as well.
But nothing can add to the pain that he's already feeling for the loss of his best friend, Gary Mitchell. He has received word from Gary's parents, asking him to give the eulogy at his friend's service. In the midst of these feelings of grief, anger and loss, he journeys back to the past...
2257 - Orbiting Planet Tycho IV, the USS Farragut hangs in space, its crew silent. A young Lt. James T. Kirk wanders aimlessly through the corridors, encountering more and more dead; the blood drained from their bodies, these people are mere shells of what they once were. Through the horror he finds his way to the bridge, and soon pulls the ship to safety. In the end, over 200 of the ship's personnel are lost, the command staff included. Somehow Kirk feels responsible, and even though it is not his fault, he can't help but feel guilty.
On the USS Constitution, Helmsman Gary Mitchell awaits the arrival of the new 2nd Officer and Navigator, Lt. James Kirk. The two friends haven't seen each other in some time, and Gary is excited to be working with his friend again. However, when he arrives, Kirk is shaken; only a shadow of the man he was before. The humor and zest for life that he once had is gone, and Gary Mitchell can't figure out why. No one knows the horror of the Farragut.
With a new crew to work with, Kirk returns to normal duty, his assignments the usual drag of navigating a starship. Soon, though, everything changes when the Captain and 1st Officer are trapped on a planet being attacked by mysterious machines orbiting above. Kirk is in command, and he is faced with some of the toughest decisions of his life. The crew doesn't trust him, and he doesn't even trust himself.
Everyone has wondered about Kirk's early life in Starfleet, and the aftermath of the first Star Trek episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before". This book plots a course through history that will bring a life of fame to the legendary hero, James T. Kirk.
Title: Constitution
Author: Michael Jan Friedman
Review by: Lt. jg Robert Alexander Griffith
