Enemy Territory
Star Trek IKS Gorkon, Book III

By Keith R A DeCandido

      This is the third adventure of the Klingon ship IKS Gorkon. (A Good Day to Die and Honor Bound have also been reviewed on this site.) Along with several other ships, it has been sent by new Chancellor Martok to chart a new area of space and find new worlds to add to the mighty Klingon empire. The Elabrej Hegemony has just sent a first ship into space when it fires on sister ship the IKS Kravokh and is destroyed. The crew investigates this strange, new planet and gets taken prisoner—a dishonourable fate for Klingon warriors. But Klag’s crew are to discover some surprising things about the new planet, as well as having some of their own woes left over from the San-Tarah when they go in search of the prisoners.

I am still impressed that DeCandido has got under the skin of the Klingons so well, and the whole scenario is a world away from Federation adventures in every possible way. The conflicts on San-Tarah continue to cast long shadows, and when the crew is not fighting the Elabrej there is much in-fighting and a potential mutiny in the offing. The crew is made up of well-rounded characters (in more ways than one), and short of actually serving on such a ship it is hard to imagine a better viewpoint. Then there are the Elabrej themselves—a bizarre non-humanoid race that fascinates in its totally alien way. Throughout, there is plenty of action both on board ships and down on the planet, and by the end I was satisfied that I had read a good tale with lively well-drawn characters and been thoroughly entertained. I am looking forward to reading more of the IKS Gorkon’s adventures filled with honor, battle and glory, and surely Star Trek’s best creation has always been the Klingons. Stirring stuff.