Star Trek: The Fall: The Crimson Shadow by Una McCormack - 2013
Ask any Star Trek: Deep Space Nine fan who their favorite
character was on the television show and see what answer you get. Some will say Worf, others might say Quark or
Odo, and still others might say O’Brien.
But those that I know almost overwhelmingly say Elim Garak. And that, at least for me, was the major
appeal of The Crimson Shadow by Una
McCormack.
So who is Garak?
Well, he is the son of the former head of the Obsidian Order (a sort of
Cardassian gestapo) and a former operative of that same organization. Following the occupation of Bajor, he was
sent into exile and forced to reside aboard the Federation controlled DS-9
space station in the Bajoran system. While
there, Garak was couched in mystery and intrigue while acting as a “simple tailor”
supplying the people of DS-9 with services including uniform alterations, as
well as some services more suited to his role as a member of the Order. But, when the Dominion decided to adopt a
scorched earth policy at the end of the Dominion War, Garak repatriated himself
and took over the defense of Cardassia following the death of Damar rallying
the cardassian people with his battle cry “For Cardassia!” While Cardassia may have turned her back on Garak,
he never turned his back on Cardassia.
The events of The
Crimson Shadow take place concurrently with the events of the first book of
The Fall series (five books in all), Revelation
and Dust. In that first installment,
during a dedication ceremony of the newly Federation built Deep Space Nine,
Federation president Nan Bacco is assassinated in front of the station’s personnel
and visiting dignitaries from many worlds.
Initially, it is thought that a Bajoran is responsible, but it is soon
learned that this is not the case.
It is time for a contingent of Starfleet personnel to be
evacuated after helping the Cardassians begin to rebuild their world. The USS
Enterprise is ferrying Ambassador Garak back to Cardassia to attend the
ceremonies for that event. Plans are derailed when a Bajoran Starfleet
officer turns up murdered. An investigation
ensues. Is this murder racially or
politically motivated? Who is
responsible? How does this tie in with
the assassination of the Federation president?
Many on Cardassia aren’t happy with the amenable relationship between
with the Federation and would be more than happy to see that come to an end so
that Cardassia can be, once again, raised to its former level of glory, but others
realize that the alpha quadrant of the galaxy is becoming a much smaller place
and good relations with the Federation is not only desireable, but quite
necessary considering the aftermath of the Dominion War.
If you are looking for a lot of action, The Crimson Shadow is not the place to find it. No big battles and no explosions. What you will find is a stupendous story that
goes deep into the political workings and maneuverings of the Cardassian
government as they try to recover from a war that almost wiped out their entire
civilization. Garak is the main focus of
this novel and McCormack did an outstanding job of capturing everything that we
have come to expect from that mysterious character; his love for his homeland,
his ruthless pursuit of his agenda, his ability to get things done, and his
incredible cutting wit.
It is interesting how this story is written. It never slows down, but at the same time it
plods along through the story, and before the reader realizes it, the story is
over leaving one wanting more, in a good way. McCormack's treatment is outstanding.
I highly recommend that fans of Deep Space Nine read The Crimson Shadow, but first you should
read the first installment of the series, Revelation
and Dust by David R. George III.
Unfortunately, the reviews for Revelation
and Dust are mixed with leanings toward the negative; but I thought it was
quite good myself and urge readers to give it a chance and decide for
yourself. My review for Revelation and Dust can be found HERE.
Well, there it is…
QaplaH’!
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