Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Force and Motion by Jeffrey Lang
Synopsis:
In 2367, Captain Benjamin Maxwell of the starship Phoenix ordered the destruction of a Cardassian warship and a supply vessel, killing more than six hundred crew members. Maxwell believed that the Cardassians were arming for a new attack on the Federation, and though history eventually proved he was probably correct, the Federation had no choice but to court martial and incarcerate him.
Almost twenty years have passed, and now Maxwell is a free man, working as a maintenance engineer on the private science station Robert Hooke, home to crackpots, fringe researchers, and, possibly, something much darker and deadlier. Maxwell’s former crewmate, Chief Miles O’Brien, and O’Brien’s colleague, Lieutenant Commander Nog, have come for a visit. Unfortunately, history has proven that whenever O’Brien and Nog leave Deep Space 9 together, unpredictable forces are set into motion…
Review:
Maxwell is an intriguing character with a colorful past. After getting paroled, the immensely, over-qualified former captain works as a lowly maintenance man aboard a mysterious station. And when O’Brien and Nog arrive to visit Maxwell, an experiment goes awry putting everyone on the station at risk.
Force and Motion is an exciting and well-paced story that Next Generation and DS9 fans will enjoy. There is a LOT of bouncing back and forth in time. From various characters pasts, giving insights on what happened in the past that affects what’s happening now in their lives. Some of it seemed unnecessary. I would have preferred less backstory jumps and more explanation of the current situation on the station. The new characters on the station were interesting as well, especially the spider-like creatures with plenty of personality. Events build to a satisfying finale, with plenty of action and suspense. I loved reading more about Maxwell, and would love to see more stories about him in the future.