Summary
After the saucer section is disabled during an encounter with a suspicious Pakled freighter, the weary Enterprise-D crew takes an opportunity for shore leave. Before Picard get a chance to relax, however, Admiral Nechayev, shows up with an experimental saucer that's supposedly able to take-off and re-enter orbit after a crash landing. Nechayev orders Picard, along with a skeleton crew, to test this capability in a battle simulation. Little do they know that the Maquis in fact have their own plans for the new saucer.
Background
- The events of this novel take place after Preemptive Strike.
- Although her real name is never explicitly stated, it is heavily implied that the architect is actually Ro Laren.