Summon the Thunder

Summon the Thunder is the second Star Trek: Vanguard novel and was written by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. Summon the Thunder was published by Pocket Books in 2006.

Publisher's description[]

From the back cover

The Taurus Reach: a remote interstellar expanse that holds a very old and potentially cataclysmic secret, the truth of which is feared by the Tholians, coveted by the Klingons, and dubiously guarded by the Federation. At the center of this intrigue is Vanguard, a Federation starbase populated by an eclectic mix of Starfleet officers and civilians, whose lives are forever altered as they explore the layers of mystery surrounding the Reach and steadily peel them away...one after another.

In the aftermath of Harbinger, Commodore Diego Reyes commands Vanguard while waging an intensely personal struggle, tasked to uncover the true significance of the Taurus Reach while simultaneously concealing that mission from his fellow officers -- and even his closest friends. As the Daedalus-class USS Lovell brings some of Starfleet's keenest technical minds to help, the USS Endeavour makes a find that could shed further light on the enigmatic meta-genome that has captured the Federation's interest -- if its crew survives the discovery....

Deep within the Taurus Reach, an ancient and powerful alien mind has awakened prematurely from aeons of hibernation, alerted to the upstart civilizations now daring to encroach upon the worlds in her care. With the stakes for all sides escalating rapidly, the alien lashes out with deadly force against the interlopers, propelling the Vanguard crew on a desperate race to understand the nature of the attacker, and to prevent the Taurus Reach from becoming a war zone.

Summary[]

In the Taurus Reach, a lone Romulan bird of prey is investigating why the Tholians, Klingons, and UFP are suddenly interested in the region while trying to avoid detection. Meanwhile Quinn and Pennington are sent by T'Prynn to retrieve data from a Klingon sentry probe while on a delivery run.

The USS Endeavour is investigating traces of the meta-genome and ancient technology at planet Erilon. When Ming Xiong fails to report to a staff meeting, Captain Zhao Sheng beams down to check in on the landing party, leaving first officer Atish Khatami in charge. Soon afterwards, the landing party is attacked by a large featureless humanoid creature that appears to be made of obsidian crystal and the ship comes under attack from subterranean weaponry which is too powerful for its shields. Many in the landing party are killed, Xiong is rescued, and the captain is presumed dead when Khatami retreats from orbit and returns to Vanguard overwhelmed by a sense of failure. Unknown to the crew, the attacker and planetary defenses are controlled by a non-physical being, a female Shedai (creators of the Taurus Reach meta-genome and the ancient technology) named the Wanderer. The Wanderer was awakened prematurely from a centuries long slumber by the Endeavor's landing party.

A temporary replacement for the destroyed USS Bombay arrives, the aged Daedalus class USS Lovell crewed by the S.C.E. and captained by Daniel Okagawa.

The Romulans follow the Klingons to the Palgrenax system where the Klingons have annexed a world and enslaved the planetary pre-warp civilization while investigating Shedai technology they have discovered. The Wanderer transfers to the planet through ancient pathways called Conduits and begins attacking the Klingons in the same fashion as she attacked the Endeavor before. Her “monster” and planetary defenses get the upper hand at first but soon begin losing as Klingon warriors fight valiantly against the crystalline creature and a battle cruiser in orbit begins destroying the planetary defenses. The Wanderer then activates a fail-safe device and abandons the planet. Palgrenax explodes, destroying the Klingon ship in orbit and critically disabling the Romulan vessel. The Romulan commander later self-destructs the ship.

Performing post-mortem on an Endeavor crewman killed while beaming up from Erilon, Doctors Ezekiel Fisher and Jabilo M'Benga discover a crystalline structure around a stab wound that turns out to be made of the meta-genome and very similar to Tholian technology.

Reyes has Khatami promoted to captain. The Endeavor and Lovell are then sent to Erilon to continue their research. Soon, the Wanderer unleashes the same attacks as before. The crews are able to defeat the defenses and crystalline attacker this time then prevent the planet from exploding. The crystalline corpse is then delivered to Vanguard for study.

Reyes chooses to inform Doctor Fisher and JAG officer/girlfriend Rana Desai about the true mission of Vanguard. T'Prynn uses the data recovered by Quinn and Pennington to discover that the unexplored Jinoteur system is the source of a carrier wave that reacts with the ancient technology and the meta-genome.

Anna Sandesjo has been turned into a double-agent by T'Prynn. Sandesjo loves T'Prynn but wonders if the feelings are mutual or if she is being used. Reyes and Pennington come to mutually respect one another.

References[]

Characters[]

Aen'q Tholis personnel[]

Hirskene • Yeskene

ChR Bloodied Talon personnel[]

Darjil • Ineti • N'tovek • Sarith
Referenced only: Jacius

IKS Zin'za personnel[]

Kreq • Kutal • Tonar

Palgrenax Occupying personnel[]

K'voq • Kertral • Morqla
Referenced only: Terath • Vekpa

Romulan Senate[]

Anitra • D'tran • Sret • Toqel • Vrax
Referenced only: Karzan

Omari-Ekon personnel[]

Ganz • Morikmol • Zett Nilric

Others[]

Sakud Armnoj • Broon • Eskrene • Falstrene • Cervantes Quinn • Shedai Wanderer • Sniffy
Referenced only: Lora Brummer • Catera • Oriana D'Amato • Divad • Fek'lhr • Hallie Gannon • Mike Ilucci • Kahless the Unforgettable • Kera • Kenji Khatami • Adelard Nassir • Phinda • Mark Piper • Terence Sadler • Sten • Sturka • Surak

Starships and vehicles[]

Aen'q Tholis • ChR Bloodied Talon • USS Endeavour • USS Lovell • Omari-Ekon • Rigelian merchant freighter • Rocinante • IKS Zin'za
Referenced only: USS Bombay • USS Constellation • D5-class • USS Dauntless • USS Enterprise • USS Sagittarius • Tholian patrol ship

Locations[]

Alpha Quadrant • Beta Quadrant • Eremar • Erilon (Erilon base) • Gonmog sector • Palgrenax system • Palgrenax (Grap'hwu province) • Ravanar IV • Romulus (Dartha • Senate Chamber) • Taurus Reach • Tholia • Vanguard (Fontana Meadow • Star's Landing • Tom Walker's) • Yerad III
Referenced only: Boam II • Deneva • Donatu V • Dorala • Earth • Earth Outpost Station • Federation-Klingon border • Gre'thor • Ingraham B • Jinoteur • Jinoteur IV • Kessik IV • Korinar • New Bangkok • Qo'noS • Ravanar IV • Relay station • Risa • Romulan Neutral Zone • Sto-Vo-Kor • Wrigley's Pleasure Planet • Zenstala II

Races and cultures[]

Andorian • Arcturian • Chelon • Denobulan • Human • Klingon (QuchHa') • Nalori • Orion • Palgrenai • Rigelian • Romulan • Shedai • Shedai Sentinel • Tarmelite • Tellarite • Tholian • Vulcan • Zakdorn

States and organizations[]

Federation Diplomatic Corps • Imperial Fleet Command • Judge Advocate General • Klingon Empire • Leadership Conclave • Political Castemoot • Romulan Senate • Romulan Star Empire • Ruling Conclave • Starfleet • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Tholian Assembly • United Federation of Planets
Referenced only: Federation Council • Federation News Service • Klingon High Council • Starfleet Intelligence • Starfleet Medical

Science and Technology[]

adrenaline • airlock • analgesic • artificial gravity • anti-tampering system • antigravity maneuvering unit • antimatter • antiproton beam all-terrain vehicle • autocontamination procedures • autopilot • backflow • biobed • biology • catapult • chronometer • cloning • communicator • communications • computer • crystallography • dampening field • data core • data slate • disruptor • disruptor cannon • duranium • dynamic mode converter • dynoscanner • electromagnet • environmental suit • environmental-control • eugenics • Feinberger receiver • flashlight • food slot • forcefield • grafting laser • grappling hook • hypospray • inertial dampener • ion storm • intercooler • laser scalpel • laser torch • life-support • lyotropic nanostructure • maneuvering thruster • matter • Molecular physics • molecular scan • optical cable • pattern buffer • phaser • photon torpedo • polycrystalline • power generator • power-distribution coupling • power-distribution node • prosthetic • protoplaser • rodinium • sensor • sensor drone • sensor screen • Shedai carrier wave • Shedai conduit • shield • shield generator • sonic screwdriver • spanner • star chart • stasis field • stellar cartography • stun pistol • Taurus meta-genome • Theoretical chemistry • thermoconcrete • tractor beam • transparent aluminum • transporter • tricorder • turbolift • universal translator • warp drive • warp nacelle • xenobiology

Ranks and Titles[]

accountant • ambassador • archaeology and anthropology officer • archaeologist • assassin • attaché • bekk • caddy • captain • centurion • Chancellor of the Klingon High Council • chief engineer • chief medical officer • colonial administration liaison • commander • commodore • communications officer • Dahar Master • ensign • first officer • geneticist • geologist • governor • helmsman • intelligence officer • journalist • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • master chief petty officer • merchant prince • navigator • nurse • Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire • proconsul • science officer • senator • sociologist • subcommander • vice-governor • vice-proconsul • xenobiologist • xenogeneticist • yeoman

Other references[]

Adepts • Aldebaran whiskey • apple • bat'leth • Battle of Donatu V • Battle of Ravanar IV • bloodwine • bojnoggi • bolmaq • briefcase • chicken • coffee • corned-beef hash • d'k tahg • Denebian slime devil • dierha • diplomatic pouch • Earth-Romulan War • Eugenics Wars • ewa • fly • glob fly • glenget • Grenthemen water hopper • gymnastics • ha'DIbah • hammock • Heghtay • Hippocratic Oath • honey • horseradish • Javathian oyster broth • jeghpu'wI' • kal-if-fee • katra • kilaan • Kobayashi Maru Scenario • Kolinahr • Ktarian eggs • Lattice • loD-mach • mat'drih • mek'leth • naghs • nuts • orange juice • parka • petaQ'pu • Plak tow • plomeek soup • poker • qelI'qam • racquetball • rakatajino • ration pack • Rigelian tobacco • roast beef • Romulan ale • roulette • salad • satchel • shovel • shower • slijm • Special Occupation Order Two • SubLink • sweet rolls • swimming • taHqeq • targ • tea • Telinaruul • toDSoH • tojo'Qa • tu'HomIraH • vegetable soup • vinegar • Waste reclamation • water

Appendices[]

Background information[]

The German translation of the novel was released by Cross Cult in 2008. It was translated by Claudia Kern.
In the novel's inner title page, the 5th city listed under Pocket Books is Erilon, the planet the away team visits during the book.

Timeline[]

published order
Previous novel: Harbinger	Vanguard novels	Next novel: Reap the Whirlwind
Previous story: Distant Early Warning	Stories by: Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore	Next story: Things Fall Apart
chronological order
Previous Adventure: War Dragons Chapters 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 & 15	Memory Beta Chronology	Next Adventure: The Better Man Chapter 7

Translations[]

2008: German : Rufe den Donner, translated by Claudia Kern. (Cross Cult)

External link[]

Summon the Thunder article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

Media featuring the USS Lovell
Star Trek: Corps of Engineers	Foundations • Where Time Stands Still • Distant Early Warning
Star Trek: Vanguard	Summon the Thunder • Reap the Whirlwind • Open Secrets
Characters	Daniel Okagawa • Araev zh'Rhun • Mahmud al-Khaled • Moves-With-Burning-Grace • Molan lek Xav

Stories featuring Starbase Vanguard
Star Trek: Vanguard novels	Harbinger • Summon the Thunder • Reap the Whirlwind • Open Secrets • Precipice • What Judgments Come • Storming Heaven
Short stories and novellas	Distant Early Warning • The Black Flag • Declassified (Almost Tomorrow • Hard News • The Ruins of Noble Men • The Stars Look Down) • In Tempest's Wake

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki