Spartacus (novel)

For other uses, see Spartacus.

Spartacus is a novel, a TNG story from Pocket Books, number 20 in their line of numbered novels. Written by T.L. Mancour, this was released in 1992.

Description[]

Answering a distress call, the USS Enterprise finds a damaged alien vessel—the Freedom—crewed by a race known as the Vemlans. Their captain, Jared asks for assistance in repairing his ship—assistance Picard and the USS Enterprise are only too happy to provide. But once begun, their relief efforts are interrupted by the arrival of an entire fleet from Vemla, who claim that Jared and his crew are escaped slaves—and their property!

As Jared and his people plea for protection and the right to be free, Captain Picard is caught between the demands of his conscience and the dictates of the Prime Directive. And when the Vemlan fleet threatens to fight if the USS Enterprise doesn't stand aside, Picard must choose between the safety of his ship… and the annihilation of an entire race.

Summary[]

Shortly after being caught up in a storm in space, the Enterprise comes across a damaged alien ship. Its captain, Jared, explains they are the Vemlans and are refugees who fled a war that devastated their home planet. Picard offers assistance repairing the ship, where an accident in engineering reveals that the Vemlans are actually androids.

A navy of organic Vemlans arrives, claiming both the androids and their ship as property. It is revealed that the war Jared and the others fled was actually an android revolt. Using technology given them by a more advanced race, the Sarens, the Vemlans constructed sentient androids, programmed with individual appearance and personality, to do their labour for them. The androids began to see themselves as slaves but any who spoke out were considered defective and destroyed. They eventually turned to violence, sparking a conflict that left many on both sides dead, and the Vemlan authorities want the fugitive androids captured and executed.

Picard concludes helping either side would be a violation of the Prime Directive and is prepared to leave once his repair teams have finished, even though this will almost certainly doom the androids. However, Data complicates things by convincing Jared to apply for Federation membership, forcing Picard to convene a hearing. Both the Vemlans and the android, now calling themselves Spartacans, are prepared to attack the Enterprise if the ruling goes against them.

As the hearing draws to a close, Picard and Worf arrange a "test-firing" of the Enterprise phasers that makes them appear more powerful than they are. Picard rules in favour of the Spartacans and Alkirg, the politician in charge of the Vemlan fleet, orders an attack. However, the fleet commander, Sawliru, refuses: He has come to believe he is as much a slave as the Spartacans were and intends to depose the ruling council with a military coup. Whether they are granted full Federation membership or not, the Spartacans are free to settle on a new world.

References[]

Characters[]

Alkirg • Britiannicius • Beverly Crusher • Wesley Crusher • Data • Deski • Dren • Garan • Guinan • Jared • Kurta • Geordi La Forge • Maran • Marks • Morgas • Jean-Luc Picard • Porupt • William T. Riker • Sawliru • Seris • Spartacus • Deanna Troi • Worf, son of Mogh

Referenced only: Athena • Daris • Clarence Darrow • Drontos • Gabriels • D H • Lal • Lore • Mad Hatter • Pinocchio • Noonian Soong • Jose Tarentino • Tenek

Starships and vehicles[]

USS Enterprise-D • Freedom
Referenced only: USS Francis Drake

Locations[]

Vemla

Appendices[]

Images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous novel: Perchance to Dream	TNG numbered novels	Next novel: Chains of Command
chronological order
Previous Adventure: Legacy	Pocket	Next Adventure: Reunion

Translations[]

1994: German : Spartacus, translated by Horst Pukallus. (Heyne)

External link[]

Spartacus (novel) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki