- See also Death Before Dishonor, a comic, and later title of a comic collection containing that comic which was also written by Peter David.
Introduction (blurb)[]
An enemy so intractable that it cannot be reasoned with. The entire race thinks with one mind and strives toward one purpose: to add our biological distinctiveness to their own and wipe out individuality, to make every living thing Borg.
In over two centuries, the Federation has never encountered a greater threat. Twice Starfleet assembled and threw countless starships to stand against them. The Borg were stopped, the price paid in blood. Humanity breathed a sigh of relief, assuming it was safe. And with the destruction of the transwarp conduits, the Federation believed that the killing blow had finally been struck against the Borg.
Driven to the point of extinction, the Borg continue to fight for their very existence, for their culture. They will not be denied. They must not be stopped. The old rules and assumptions regarding how the Collective should act have been dismissed. Now the Borg kill first, assimilate later.
When the Enterprise manages to thwart them once again, the Borg turn inward. The dark places that even the drones never realized existed are turned outward against the enemy they have never been able to defeat. What is revealed is the thing that no one believed the Borg could do.
Summary[]
References[]
Characters[]
- 9 of 18 • Baxter • Borg Queen • Boyajian • Brennan • Andy Brevoort • Mackenzie Calhoun • Beverly Crusher • Delcara • Lucius Fox • Galloway • Kathryn Janeway • Edward Jellico • Miranda Kadohata • Lady Q • Geordi La Forge • Zelik Leybenzon • Lindell • Matsuda • Meyer • Alynna Nechayev • One Voice • Perrin • Jean-Luc Picard • Howard Rappaport • Tina Rogers • Tom Schmidt • Seven of Nine • Spock • Jon Stephens • T'Lana • Traber • Two • Antin Vargo • Mark Wacker • Worf • Yarrow
- Referenced only
- Reannon Bonaventure • Data • Matt Decker • God • Guinan • Hugh • Thomas Jefferson • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Christopher Pike • Q • q • William T. Riker • Sarek • Montgomery Scott • Sisyphus • Soco • Deanna Troi
Starships and vehicles[]
- Borg cube • Borg supercube • Chawla • USS Constellation (NCC-1017) • Einstein • USS Enterprise-E • USS Excalibur-A • USS Freedom • USS Nautilus • Planet Killer • Pride • Spinrad • USS Thunderchild • USS Titan • USS Voyager
Locations[]
- Bunker • Charon • Dorvan V • Earth • Epsilon Sigma V • Hydra Elysium • Jupiter • Neptune • Nix • P'Jem • Pluto • Q Continuum • Rigel V • San Francisco • Saturn • Sector 001 • Sector 10 • Sector 108 • Star System L374 • Titan • Vulcan • Xenex • The Yard
Races and cultures[]
- Borg • Human • Klingon • Preserver • Romulan • Species 038 • Tholian • Vulcan • Xenexian
States and organizations[]
- Borg Collective • Corps of Engineers • Federation Council • Sarek School of Diplomacy and Ambassadorial Studies • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Museum • United Federation of Planets
Science and technology[]
- Bendii Syndrome • Borg drone • cloaking device • hair • starship • transwarp • transwarp conduit • Xeno's paradox
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • captain • commander • Fleet Commander • lieutenant • security officer • xenobiologist
Other references[]
- bridge • castrodinium • Code 9 • gagh • ghuy'Cha • grozit • Judas goat • Kolinahr • neutronium • planet • Project Endgame • Romulan ale • Rubik's Cube • Second Battle of Sector 001 • Security Protocol 276 • Slaughter of Sector 108
Appendices[]
Related media[]
| Star Trek: The Next Generation novels set after Star Trek Nemesis |
|---|
| Death in Winter • Resistance • Q & A • Before Dishonor • Greater Than the Sum • Losing the Peace • Indistinguishable from Magic • Cold Equations (The Persistence of Memory • Silent Weapons • The Body Electric) • The Stuff of Dreams • The Light Fantastic • Takedown • Armageddon's Arrow • Headlong Flight • Hearts and Minds • Available Light • Collateral Damage |
Background[]
- The working title for this novel was "Excessum Rector" which can be translated to "The Queen is Dead".
- An excerpt from this novel was published in issue 134 of the Star Trek Magazine, and in the back of the novels Resistance and Q & A.
- Events in this book built upon two previous novels – Vendetta and Resistance.
- The German Translation of this book was titled Heldentod ("Death of a Hero")
- The Czech translation of the novel was released by Brokilon in 2017. It was translated by Michaela Burock.
Continuity[]
As a novel in the post-Nemesis TNG continuity, Before Dishonor is one of a sequence of stories that do not reconcile well with the events established in Star Trek: Picard. In particular, the evolution of the Borg might not match details of the new canon series.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Q & A |
TNG novels | Next novel: Greater Than the Sum |
| Previous story: Cutting Ties |
Stories by: Peter David |
Next story: Turnaround |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Articles of the Federation Chapters 13-17 (May 2380) |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Full Circle Prologue & Chapter 19 (section 1-6) |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2380. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 1 other timeframe(s): | ||
| Previous adventure: Full Circle Prologue & Chapter 19 (section 1-6) |
2380 Chapters 48-50 |
Next adventure: Full Circle Chapter 19 (section 7) |
Translations[]
- 2010
- German : Heldentod, translated by Bernd Perplies. (Cross Cult)