Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Volume Two

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Authors	Michael A. Martin and Andy Mangels, J. Noah Kym
Publisher:	Pocket Books
Series:	Pocket DS9 Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine #2
Published:	25 January 2005
Pages:	380 pages
Year:	October 2376
Stardates:	53777.5 to 53785.4 ("Unjoined")
Reference #:	ISBN 0743483529

The second of three novels focusing on six civilizations, Book Two focuses on the Trill and the Bajorans.

Summary

From the book jacket

Within every federation and every empire, behind every hero and every villain, there are the worlds that define them. In the aftermath of Unity and in the daring tradition of Spock's World, The Final Reflection, and A Stitch in Time, the civilizations most closely tied to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine can now be experienced as never before...in tales both sweeping and intimate, reflective and prophetic, eerily familiar and utterly alien.

TRILL: They are a people with secrets. For centuries they kept their true nature hidden, even taking disturbing steps to protect the small population of near-immortal symbionts with whom a privileged few Trill are joined, body, mind, and soul. They are a people who hold memory to be sacred, yet deny their own past. Now amid a whirlwind of scandal, accusations, and growing civil unrest, Ezri Dax must penetrate millennia of lies and deceptions, and rediscover what should never have been forgotten, before her civilization rips itself apart.

BAJOR: The honeymoon is over. Following the euphoria of Bajor's marriage to the Federation, the real business of making that union work has begun. But even on a world where politics and religion are intertwined, conflicting visions of Bajor's role in the interstellar arena divide the planet's leadership. As newly minted Captain Kira Nerys sets the tone for the kind of Starfleet officer she will be, First Minister Asarem makes a bold move to define Bajor's voice in the Federation, while the returned Benjamin Sisko prepares for a future that only he, as yet, can see.

Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.

Unjoined (Trill)

Ezri Dax, Julian Bashir, Ro Laren, Cardassian doctor Vlu and Taran'atar are on an expedition on Minos Korva, as this is likely the place where Shakaar Edon was infected with the parasite. They find no living parasites, but an ancient ceramic shard which is identified as being from a planet called Kurl. Later, they are contacted by Kira Nerys, informing them that Ezri has to fly to the Trill homeworld immediately, as there are political unrests - the (unjoined and joined) population has heard of the parasite crisis and demands answers, and Ezri is to be interviewed about the recent events.

When Ezri, who decided to have Bashir with her, arrives on Trill, things have gotten worse, there are violent outbreaks and demonstrations all over. Ezri and Bashir meet with Hiziki Gard and general Cyl; Ezri is to testify regarding the parasite crisis, but the situation gets even worse when some fanatics have bombs placed around major buildings. Ezri decides to go to the caves of Mak'ala to search for answers, while Bashir is left to take care for the dozens of Trills injured during the violent demonstrations.

In the caves, Ezri meets Ranul Keru, a guardian - and one of the symbionts makes clear that she has to dive deep into the waters to find answers. She does so, and finally arrives at a place where very large and apparently very old symbionts dwell - the Annuated. These beings absorb the memories of all the symbionts that come here to die, and therefore know everything about the development of Trill society.

Ezri learns that many centuries ago, Trill was already a race capable of interstellar travel; at some point, they reached the planet Kurl who proved suitable for both hosts and symbionts to live. For many years, the Trill outpost there grew, but then an unknown virus threatened the existence of the symbionts. In futile attempts to find a cure by genetic manipulation, Trill scientists accidentially created what is now known as the neural parasites; when the Trills on the homeworld heard of this, they gathered a big army heading for Kurl. Arriving there, it became clear that there could not be negotiations with the parasites - therefore, the Trill decided for a large genocide, killing off the whole Kurl population. This is the initial cause for the parasite's hatred for the Trill society.

Meanwhile, Bashir does his best to help, but when some kind of a neural bomb explodes, he is at his limits; the bomb drives the symbionts into shocks, and all that he and the other doctors can do is to separate them from their hosts - leaving the latter to die and hope for the former to survive. Bashir then remembers the medicine developed by Bethan Roa (see DS9 episode Invasive Procedures). Against the advice and resistance of his doctor comrades, Bashir applies the drug to one injured joined Trill - thus being able to separate symbiont and host without having the host to die.

When the caves of Mak'ala are finally attacked by some violent groups, Cyl is shot deadly; he manages to jump into the water, when an unconcious Ezri appears from deep below with a broken environment suit. In one last act of sacrifice, he fixes her suit by taking vital components from his own, for then finally drifting down to the Annuated.

Ezri gets back and briefs both Bashir and Trill president Maz; the latter decides to get unjoined immediately and addresses her people all over the planet. Because of the bomb, the symbiont population has decreased dramatically; all symbionts will be brought to the caves for being able to breed new offsprings; joined Trills will be unjoined (by the method Bashir rediscovered), to have even more symbionts breeding. The president also mentions the genocide and the events of which Ezri learned, thus settling down the outbreaks and demonstrations all over her world.

During their flight back to DS9, Julian and Ezri have some lengthy talks - by the end of which it becomes clear to both of them that, in light of all the recent events, they both have grown and developped - but not in the same direction. They split, ending their relationship, but both promising to remain friends.

Background Information

• There will be no more Trill joinings until announced otherwise, because the Trill symbiont population has decreased dramatically; currently joined Trills might be unjoined by means of the medicament initially discovered by Bethan Roa.
• There are big and very old Trill symbionts, the Annuated, dwelling deep within the waters of Trill - accessible by e.g. the caves of Mak'ala.
• The parasites were initially created by Trill medics when they tried to cure a virus that was infecting the symbionts - they failed and furthermore helped the evolving of the symbionts.
• Trill was an interstellar race in very ancient times - due to the horrific events on Kurl, these memories were subsequently "buried" and forgotten.
• Bashir and Ezri are no longer lovers.
• The Trill story completes the neural parasite story that was last seen in TNG: "Conspiracy".

Characters

Canon characters listed below are linked to the main article about them. Non-canon characters are not linked, but those that recurred, appearing or being mentioned in more than one story, are defined further in Pocket DS9 characters.

Unjoined

Ezri Dax

Julian Bashir

Dr. Renhol

Ranul Keru

Unjoined Trill, serving as Guardian, on leave from Starfleet and formerly assigned to Enterprise-E.

Keru previously appeared in the novel "Rogue", where he and Lt. Hawk were possibly the first ongoing homosexual attachment to have appeared in the Star Trek franchise. Keru later became a character in the Star Trek: Titan series, as Titan's tactical officer who ended up being replaced by Tuvok.

Hiziki Gard

joined Trill, special agent who shot parasite-infected Shakaar Edon (see Unity)

General Taulin Cyl

joined Trill; the Cyl symbiont was joined with the daughter of Audrid Dax a few decades ago

Lirisse Maz / Lirisse Durghan

Trill president

Memh

ancient Trill symbiont; a "caretaker" of the even more ancient, big Trill symbionts (the Annuated)

Fragments and Omens

Benjamin Sisko

Kira Nerys

Jake Sisko

Kasidy Yates

Ro Laren

References

USS Nile

DS9 runabout.

Previous novel: #1: "Cardassia and Andor"

Novels Pocket DS9 Worlds of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

Next novel: #3: "The Dominion and Ferenginar"