STAR TREK: The Next Generation
Starfleet Academy #2:
"Line of Fire"

written by Peter David.
Illustrated by James Fry
Published in October 1993 by Minstrel Books.
ISBN: 0-671-87085-8, 109 pages
cover by Catherine Huerta

Synopsis:
While still cadets at the Academy the "Dream Team" of Worf, Soleta, Mark McHenry, Tania Tobias and Zak Kebron are sent along with an ambassador to the planet Dantar IV on a mission to be negotiators. The planet was a Starfleet/Klingon Empire co-venture. Each half of the colony was from each different side. The sides were supposed to cooperate on every aspect of setting up the colony. Hostilities broke out and so the Dream Team was sent in mainly because of Worf's presence. The Klingon Empire also sent a team of young cadets. The teams arrive on the planet and soon tempers flared between the cadet negotiating teams. Then the colony came under attack an unknown hostile vessel. The ship was of Klingon design but had Federation-style phasers installed. Between the waves of attacks, the cadet teams cooperate and fix the colony's defense phaser bank. When the hostile ship returned they shot it down. The colony was damaged to such an extent that it could not support the full colony so it was decided to evacuate. The available shuttles could hold all of the people, so the two cadet teams (eight people) stayed behind to await later extraction.

Notes:

• This book takes place shortly after the events related in Academy #1, which places it in early 2358.

• The planet Dantar IV in this story is not the same as the planet Danter, homeworld to the Danterians and featured in the New Frontier books.

• This book features the first meeting of Worf and K'Ehleyr, the half human half-Klingon woman who would later become Worf's mate and mother to his son Alexander. K'Ehleyr appeared in the second season STAR TREK: The Next Generation episode "The Emissary" and the fourth season episode "Reunion" and was played by actor Suzie Plakson who also portrayed Dr. Selar. Star Trek's writing staff to this day express regrets that the K'Ehleyr character was killed off, because she was so interesting and so much more could have been done with her. When Worf and K'Ehleyr meet in this book, there were no obvious sparks between them. This meeting in 2358 is consistent with established STAR TREK canon, because in "The Emissary" (TNG) it was mentioned that K'Ehleyr had been romantically involved with Worf in 2359. This suggests that the two met again a year after this book takes place and then had a brief romantic relationship.

• This book ended with the words "To Be Continued," and Academy #3 picked up where this one left off.

• As with Academy #1, this book was targeted at young adults, but was very well written and can be enjoyed by all ages.