Ap’Boylan, Laura
Ship’s counselor aboard the U.S.S. Exeter, under the command of Captain Elizabeth Shelby. A Betazoid woman with large, limpid eyes and blond hair.
Arango
Son of Tara of Rolisa. In a parallel reality’s future, he begat Izzo, who begat Faicco the Small, a great thinker. In this reality, Arango died during birth, when Rolisa was devoured by the Black Mass.
Arbora the Unseen
Leader of an Unglza clan from the eastern territories of Zondar.
Argelius II
Pleasure planet. According to Morgan Lefler, “So hedonistic that it makes Risa look like kindergarten.”
Arthurian
Adjective meaning “related to or derived from the mythology of King Arthur,” a legendary British monarch who was renowned for his Knights of the Round Table, castle Camelot, queen Guinevere and his sword, Excalibur.
Atik
A Dog of War who had the darkest, blackest fur of any of the Dogs. The only Dog who carried weapons, a pair of razor-edged swords captured during a foray. Always considered himself a “Dog of Destiny,” one upon whom Fate often smiled.
Atlantis
Mythological lost civilization on Earth. Legends say the island of Atlantis was destroyed in a cataclysm and swallowed by the sea.
Atol
A henchman of Zoran.
Augustine, Lieutenant Toreen
Junior officer aboard the U.S.S. Exeter under the command of Captain Elizabeth Shelby. Served a residency in xeno-studies as part of a NonObservable Team assigned to Makkus ten years prior to its invitation to Federation membership. Was recommended by Exeter first officer Garbeck for an away mission to Makkus.
Awakening, Time of The
Period in Vulcan history associated with Surak, the father of Vulcan’s logical philosophy.
Ayre, Lieutenant Kristian
A conn officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-E.
Azizi
Replaced Celter as provisional governor of Nelkar, following a popular uprising sparked by the heavy-handed tactics of Laheera.
Aztecs
Ancient society of Native Americans who resided in Central America until the arrival of European explorers, whose foreign disease vectors infected and rapidly wiped out the native population.
Bard, The
Nickname for William Shakespeare, a late 16th-century Earth playwright.
Bairns
Scottish word for “children.”
Barsamis
Friend of Mackenzie Calhoun, who was murdered by an Orion trader named Krassus. Barsamis’ death was avenged by Calhoun.
Barspens (planet)
A relatively barbaric world, its most popular form of entertainment is public executions. Xyon of Calhoun was scheduled to be the main attraction at one such execution, but he narrowly escaped.
Barspens (species)
Race native to their eponymous homeworld, they make a squishing sound when they shift side-to-side on their tentacles. Moving on their tentacles, they seem to glide.
Bartog
A wandering Yakaban gunman who was a player in the card game that ended in Kusack’s murder of Turkin of Narrin.
Basner, Lieutenant Naomi
Former chief security officer of the U.S.S. Exeter, under the command of Captain Shelby. Was a fan of 20th-century comic books. Underwent physical therapy after a shooting incident on Zeron III. Killed in the Exeter holodeck after disengaging the safety protocols for a training simulation.
Battle of Condacin
A conflict the Danteri High Command assumed would be the “preeminent military strike of the century” against the Xenexians, but which ended with a Danteri defeat at the hands of rebels led by M’k’n’zy of Calhoun. The brother of Danteri officer Delina was killed in this battle.
Bearclaw
A very tasty, fluffy pastry popularized on Earth in the 20th century. Reputed to be very popular aboard the rechristened U.S.S. Excalibur, under the command of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun.
Beth, Ensign Ronni
A member of Burgoyne 172’s engineering crew aboard the U.S.S. Excalibur. Fairly slim and athletic, with a round face, large eyes, and shoulder-length curly hair. An avid skier. Was romantically involved with fellow engineer Ensign Christiano, but their relationship ended badly.
Beyond Gate, The
Black hole in the Tulaan system, through which Xant, deity of the Redeemers, is said to have “gone on” to the next plane of being. The Redeemers believe He will re-emerge from the Beyond Gate at the time of the Second Coming of Xant.
The Excalibur crew lured the Black Mass into the Beyond Gate to destroy it and prevent the destruction of Tulaan IV, much to the chagrin of the ungrateful Redeemers, who considered that solution a defilement of a place they hold sacred.
Bibbyte
A young, determined Makkusian who served aboard Hauman’s flagship during the Makkusians’ retaliatory strike against Corinder.
Big Bang
A potent liquor from Pocatello, Idaho, Earth. Commander Alexandra Garbeck kept a bottle of the stuff in her “private stock” aboard the U.S.S. Exeter.
Black Hole Ride
Amusement park simulator ride visited by Robin Lefler with her friend, Nik. The ride was closed for repair at the time of their visit.
Black Mass, The
The Black Mass was a swarm of wormlike creatures that boiled out of the Hunger Zone at varying intervals, devoured entire worlds and suns, then returned to the Hunger Zone to digest its meal, transforming it into energy plasma.
It was capable of existing in and traversing deep space. It propelled itself across interstellar distances by discharging energy plasma and, at a high but space-normal velocity, slingshotting around a pulsar or neutron star within the Hunger Zone to achieve warp speed. Its motion during migration had the effect of severely disrupting space-time. After devouring a world and/or its sun, it again discharged energy plasma until it encountered another pulsar or other superdense stellar entity, then slingshotted around it to resume warp speed back to the Hunger Zone.
Individual Black Mass entities resembled the remora, a wormlike fish on Earth; one end of a Black Mass entity’s body was a toothless mouth that occasionally flutters closed, but reopens soon after. They intertwined themselves so closely it was difficult to ascertain their numbers.
Blaymore
In a parallel reality’s future, gifted daughter of Rolisan philosopher Faicco the Small. Does not exist in this reality, because her ancestors and their world were destroyed by the Black Mass.
Boragi
Indigenous inhabitants of Boragi III. Aggressively neutral, and noted for their ability to stir up problems without becoming specifically involved themselves. Then, when things fall apart, the Boragi come in to pick through the wreckage.
The Boragi secret is that they are skilled manipulators of humanoid emotions, stirring up love, hate, and everything in between. They foment wars in a variety of ways, from causing planetary leaders to hate each other at a gut level to prompting a leader to have an affair with the wife of an opposing world’s leader.
Boragi III
Homeworld of the neutrally meddlesome Boragi.
Boretskee & Cary
A husband-and-wife pair of representatives for a group of Thallonian refugees rescued by Captain Hufmin and, in turn, the U.S.S. Excalibur. They were called upon to attest to Laheera of Nelkar that they had been treated well by the Excalibur crew, and that the Starfleet ship was not, in fact, an aggressor, but rather a rescuer.
Boyajian, Mr.
U.S.S. Excalibur officer who filled in for Zak Kebron while the security chief was off-ship with Si Cwan, searching for Si Cwan’s sister, Kalinda, and also for ops officer Robin Lefler, while she was on an away mission to the planet Nelkar. He was described as a tall, dark-haired tactical specialist.
Bragonier
A member of the Royal House of Danteri, who participated in negotiations with the Xenexians that were moderate
d by Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Stargazer.
Brandi
A short Makkusian woman, aide-de-camp to Hauman, the Makkusian leader.
Braxton, Captain
Commanding officer of the Federation Timeship Relativity. Asked Commander Shelby to relieve Captain Calhoun of duty after Calhoun transported the U.S.S. Excalibur back in time by four days to rescue a world that Braxton said was fated for destruction.
Brikar
A high-density species with dark-bronze-colored skin, three-fingered hands, and thick, tough hides. They possess only small earholes and vertical slits for noses. They can withstand phaser blasts that might kill several humans. In order to function in Earth-normal gravity, they require special gravity compensators. Once so equipped, they are extremely strong and surprisingly nimble for their size.
Burgoyne 172
Chief engineer of the U.S.S. Excalibur under the command of Captain Mackenzie Calhoun. Burgoyne, a Hermat, is something of an anomaly among hir people: extremely outgoing, playful, and pleased with hirself whenever s/he manages to solve some sort of problem or difficulty.
Enjoyed a brief romantic dalliance with Mark McHenry. Burgoyne described their association as “friendship with fringe benefits.”
Burgoyne sired one offspring with Dr. Selar. They named the child Xyon, in honor of the son of Mackenzie Calhoun, who appeared to have been killed defending Tulaan IV from the Black Mass.
When Dr. Selar insisted on raising Xyon as a Vulcan citizen, Burgoyne sought legal remedy from the Hermat Directorate, but was refused. S/he was forced to plead hir case for parental rights before the Vulcan Judgment Council, in opposition to Selar. The two parents eventually reached a mutually agreeable settlement.
Byrillium
Compound alloy capable of withstanding low-intensity phaser blasts by absorbing the beam’s energy and redistributing it, diminishing its force. Romulans use it to make body armor.
Calhoun, Captain Mackenzie
Captain Mackenzie Calhoun was well known as the leader of the planetary revolution that freed the planet Xenex from Danteri control before he entered Starfleet Academy.
During Calhoun’s tenure in the Academy, he earned a reputation for being high-energy and quick with his fists, and for never backing down from any confrontation.
Captain Calhoun’s given name on his homeworld of Xenex was M’k’n’zy. When he joined Starfleet, he changed it to Mackenzie, the closest Terran-language equivalent, and adopted the name of his home city, Calhoun, as his surname.
Calhoun has an older brother, D’ndai, who conspired with Thallonian Chancellor Yoz to overthrow the Thallonian royal family.
With Catrina of Calhoun, M’k’n’zy fathered a son, Xyon of Calhoun, during the Xenexian uprising against the Danteri. He met his adult son for the first time in Thallonian space, but regarded him as little more than a friendly stranger.
While marooned for six months on the planet Yakaba, after the destruction of the Starship Excalibur, Calhoun befriended Rheela, a young single mother, and her young son, Moke. When Rheela was murdered and it became clear that her orphaned son would be in grave danger if left behind, Calhoun adopted the boy and returned with him to Federation space.
Calhoun married his former first officer, Elizabeth Paula Shelby, six months after he was believed killed during the destruction of the refittedAmbassador-class Starship Excalibur, and shortly after the christening of the new, Galaxy-class Starship Excalibur, whose launch ceremony he crashed in his usual, highly dramatic fashion.
Calhoun, City of
The home city of M’k’n’zy, later known as Captain Mackenzie Calhoun.
Cambon
A freighter ship piloted by a man named Hufmin. The Cambon’s comfortable passenger complement was 29, but when it was rescued by the U.S.S. Excalibur, it was carrying 47 refugee passengers.
Captain’s Table, The
A popular captains-only club and bar in San Francisco, on Earth. More exclusive than the highly popular Strange New Worlds officers’ club and bar, also located in San Francisco.
Capulets
One of the two fictional feuding families in William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The Capulets’ daughter, Juliet, falls in love with Romeo, son of their rivals, the Montagues.
Carroll, Ensign Charles
Starfleet special services officer aboard the U.S.S. Exeter, under the command of Captain Elizabeth Shelby. An old poker buddy of Exeter first officer Garbeck, who helped arrange his transfer to the Exeter.
Catalina City
Main entry port of the Titan colony. Reportedly named after the wife of one of the colony’s founders. The city’s economy is based primarily on tourism. The city has decayed badly in recent decades and is now marred by a pervasive, garish seediness.
Catrina
A woman on Calhoun whose husband was slain in battle against the Danteri before she had borne an heir. Because tribal chief D’ndai was not available to provide her with an heir under the terms of Xenexian custom, that responsibility fell to D’ndai’s brother, the warlord M’k’n’zy, who was ten years Catrina’s junior. Their union—M’k’n’zy’s first—produced a son, Xyon of Calhoun.
Cawfiel, Maestress
“Spiritual mother” and political prime mover in the city of Narrin, on Yakaba. Said to be “older than dirt,” she is half a head shorter than the second-shortest adult in town, and has skin that is pale almost to the point of translucence. She has short, green hair. She bore a deep grudge against Rheela, and conspired unsuccessfully against her.
Celter
Governor of the city of Selinium on Nelkar. Celter extended asylum to the Thallonian refugees rescued by Hufmin and the U.S.S. Excalibur.
Central Design
Branch of Starfleet that handles new starship design and construction.
Chapel, Christine
Nurse aboard the original Starship Enterprise during the command of Captain James T. Kirk. Nearly a century later, former Enterprise chief engineer Montgomery Scott claimed Morgan Primus bore an “uncanny” resemblance to Nurse Chapel.
Cheshire Cat, The
A character in the Lewis Carroll book, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The Cheshire Cat could slowly turn its body invisible, until all that remained was its enormous grin. Robin Lefler’s mother, Morgan Lefler, nicknamed her “Cheshire,” because of Robin’s constant efforts to bolster her mother’s spirits.
Christiano, Ensign
Member of Burgoyne 172’s engineering crew aboard the U.S.S Excalibur. Was romantically involved with Ensign Ronni Beth, but left her for another woman. Killed during an incident in engineering when the Tentacle, a.k.a. “Sparky,” pulled him into the warp core. Ensign Ronni Beth tried to save him, but failed.
Circuit Judiciary
A judge on Yakaba who roams from city to city, adjudicating criminal and civil cases. The Circuit Judiciary, or “C.J.,” visits the same locality roughly every six months. The Circuit Judiciary who heard Kusack’s case was, in Calhoun’s estimation, “an unassuming but learned individual.”
City of The Dead, The
A vast graveyard and collection of tombs, crypts, and mausoleums in the capital city of Romulus, where it is known as the Rikolet.
Clark, Engineer’s Mate First Class Kate
Crewman aboard the U.S.S. Exeter, under the command of Captain Elizabeth Shelby. An old poker buddy of Exeter first officer Garbeck, who helped arrange her transfer to the Exeter.
Collie
A long-haired breed of dog native to Earth. The breed is renowned for its human-friendly disposition and loyalty.
Comar IV
A planet on the outer rim of the former Thallonian Empire.
Corinder
Neighbor world to Makkus.
Corinderians
Native inhabitants of Corinder. They were longtime allies of the Makkusians, but when the Makkusians began considering accepting membership in the Federation, the Corinderians engineered a lethal virus a
nd spread it to the population of Makkus, using insects native to that planet. Makkusian scientists exposed the treachery after the initial insect threat was dealt with by Captain Shelby and the crew of the U.S.S. Exeter.
Cudsuttle
The Momidiums’ head of extraterrestrial relations. Brokered the deal with Captain Calhoun of the U.S.S. Excalibur for the release of Morgan Primus, a.k.a. Morgan Lefler.
Cwan, Sedi
Uncle of deposed Thallonian prince-turned-Federation-ambassador, Si Cwan. Failed to stop the Black Mass from devouring Rolisa, a Thallonian- controlled planet.
Cwan, Si
Formerly a popular prince of a royal family in the Thallonian empire whose family was overthrown. Si Cwan actually was liked by the people; nonetheless, those around him were hated and reviled, which was one of the reasons that the Thallonian empire crumbled. Si Cwan and the survivors of the coup sought refuge in the Federation. Cwan, however, now returns to the Thallonian empire to prove that the family is willing to work with the Federation and “by extension” the people of the Thallonian sector, in order to achieve peace.
After a lengthy search, Si Cwan located his missing sister, Kalinda, who had been abducted by Zoran Si Verdin. Later, Si Cwan undertook a new quest to avenge the murder of his mentor, Jereme, who was killed by Nikolas Viola, son of Si Cwan’s longtime rival, Sientor Olivan.
Dackow
A henchman of Zoran, Dackow was an irrepressible “yes-man.”
Danter
Homeworld of the Danteri, in Sector 221-G.
Danteri
A humanoid species with dark-bronze-colored skin who pride themselves on being prepared for all situations. They occupied the planet Xenex for more than 300 years, until they were overthrown by a grassroots rebellion led by M’k’n’zy of Calhoun.
Danteri Empire, The
A strategically situated group of worlds located in Sector 221-G that became members of the Federation following their troops’ ouster from the planet Xenex. The Danteri Empire is located in close proximity to the fallen Thallonian Empire, and may have been involved in that government’s collapse. Regardless, the Danteri have designs on the acquisition of former Thallonian territories.