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Best Defense

Star Trek: Legacies, Book 2

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Best Defense

By: David Mack
Narrated by: Robert Petkoff
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About this listen

A debt of honor: One brave woman ventures alone into a parallel universe to save her old shipmates exiled there decades earlier by a mysterious device called the Transfer Key. She soon learns the alternate universe harbors not just an alien invasion force but a secret that underpins its very existence.

A mission of peace: A long-awaited Klingon-Federation peace conference convenes, led by Ambassador Sarek of Vulcan and Councillor Gorkon of Qo'noS. But both sides have enemies who would prefer the two great powers remain at war - and who will do anything to make certain hate wins the day.

An errand of justice: Captain Kirk and his crew seek the stolen Transfer Key that opens a door between universes, but their hunt is cut short by Ambassador Sarek's plea for help. The Enterprise crew soon become targets in a deadly crossfire - one whose outcome will decide the fate of two universes.

©2016 CBS Studios, Inc. All rights reserved. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studio, Inc. All rights reserved. (P)2016 CBS Studios, Inc. All rights reserved. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studio, Inc. All rights reserved. Adventure Fiction First Contact Military Science Fiction Space Opera Star Trek Parallel Universe
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Best Defense flows perfectly from Captain to Captain and feels like it could have been written by the same person, the characterisations, the pacing and the level of detail. Of course Mack and Cox are both trek heavyweights, but I can usually pick the differences. The story builds in complexity and by the end it's positively geared up for a wild finale.

The central concept, the key, the tech and the new alien races are all fresh ideas but what happens in this book is largely between well known alpha quadrant associates and plays out exactly how you'd expect it to. That's not a bad thing, everyone we know is recognisable, but it feels mighty predictable at times.

The story throws in a red herring, but not for us, it's for the Federation. We know exactly what's going on while we watch the team try to figure it out.

Now my conclusion so far is mixed. I've enjoyed all of the events in the story, but I'm most excited about the new universe stuff. We're definitely in for a big finale but it's a little disappointing to me that we're bringing old friends (or rather they invited themselves)... it's not padding, it's not useless filler, but it's a bit of a distraction.

Now let's go get Purgatory's Key.

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