I wish the target audience was a little older. But a good, quick story utilizing the best of new trek. ( )

Quite the Pickle

Cassandra Rose Clarke introduces a new generation to the wonders of Star Trek, in an original tie in novel. The crew of the Protostar find they need to replace their phase coils immediately or they will be unable to use their transporter safely. Except they need funds to buy a new one. The crew work together to find a solution, with plenty of hijinks and lessons in morality.

Cassandra Rose Clarke introduces all the characters of the show. During a routine check Engineer Jankom Pog finds their problem immediately, and Linguist Gwyndala’s (Gwyn) is quick to help out. The easygoing Captain Dal R’El finds it is important to ask the opinions of his crew on their mission, though his impulsive leadership leads them into trouble. Holographic Training Advisor Janeway advises them to be careful when making their decision. This crew also consists of the strong but anxious Security Officer Rok-Tahk, the very cautious Pilot Zero, and the cute mascot Murf.

All the crew’s disunified choices all fit within their histories, and personal feelings. Dal’s need to appear confident, Gwyn’s desire to experience new places, Jankom Pog’s boisterous curiosity, Rok-Tahk’s anxiety of the unknown, Zero’s fear of doing wrong, and Murf is just hungry. These all create quite a problem, which they need to work as a team to fix with a little trickery. In the end, the different crew member’s strengths balance each other’s weaknesses. Together they learn the importance of respecting each other’s wishes. ( )