While DC and Marvel did it first, Star Trek was an early pioneer when it came to having a shared universe. For instance, when Star Trek: Deep Space Nine launched in 1993, it did so with an appearance from Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Captain Picard, while the latter show’s Worf joined the former station’s staff in DS9‘s fourth season.
Now the connections between TNG and DS9 are being strengthened by Dayton Ward’s new Star Trek novel Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths (paperback, Kindle, audiobook).
In the following email interview, Ward explains how this crossover novel came together, as well as why it doesn’t also connect with a certain Captain’s late-in-life adventures.
To begin, what is Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths about, and when in the chronology of Star Trek: The Next Generation does it take place? Or, more accurately, when in relation to both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine does it take place, since it’s set on Terok Nor (i.e., the Cardassian’s original name for Deep Space Nine) and you have DS9‘s Elim Garak on the cover with Picard?
Pliable Truths is set during the sixth season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, not long at all after the events of the two-part episode “Chain Of Command.” This also places it right before the premiere of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, just as the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor is ending.
The Bajoran people are only now coming to terms with their apparent “liberation,” even as the Cardassians are attempting to downplay everything they’ve been doing to the Bajorans for decades. The Cardassian space station Terok Nor, in orbit above the planet, is to be abandoned and taken over by the Bajoran Militia. The newly established Bajoran Provisional Government is still trying to get its proverbial feet under itself, and a decision is made to seek Federation assistance navigating the early days of this post-Occupation reality so far as the Bajorans seeking restitution from the Cardassians as well as assurances that any Bajoran citizens and property will be returned to Bajor.
Where did you get the idea for Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths?
My editors at Simon & Schuster specifically asked me to write a Next Generation novel that takes place during the events of the television series — the first time I’ve written a TNG novel set during that timeframe — and also to make it some sort of crossover with Deep Space Nine. Right away, I was limited to the second half of TNG’s sixth season and the seventh season. There was also that period between the series finale and Star Trek Generations, but that was less appealing to me. I was instead attracted to the larger challenge of setting it during the TV events, which of course brought with it a few challenges so far as who knows who during this timeframe, what’s happened or going to happen on both TV series, and so on.
Once I started getting into it, and figuring out the different degrees of overlap between the two shows, I realized this narrow gap of time between TNG: “Chain Of Command” and DS9: “Emissary” offered some opportunities to have fun with certain characters and what we know of their backstory at this point in time. It also helped to better ground the idea that this would be first and foremost at TNG novel as originally requested by my editors.
You kind of already answered this, but I’ll ask anyway: Why did you decide to make it about Picard as opposed to some other established character, like Janeway? Or, for that matter, a new character? Admiral Semel of the USS Breakfast Burrito, perhaps. I hear he’s good.
Upon landing on the idea of the Federation and Starfleet being involved in some sort of post-Occupation mediation between the Bajorans and the Cardassians, it was obvious that Picard should be the mediator as opposed to bringing in an admiral or diplomat or some other character. Picard’s diplomatic prowess is already established at this point in the series, as is the respect he’s earned from those higher up in the Starfleet Command hierarchy. This was an opportunity to show him doing what he supposedly does so well, albeit hampered by this recent trauma at the hands of Gul Madred with along his internal doubt as to whether he’s up to the task.
As you mentioned, Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths takes place during the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation. I assume not, since it’s set long after it, but did the show Star Trek: Picard have any influence on what you did in this story?
Given how far in the future Star Trek: Picard begins (thirty years after the timeframe when the novel is set), I didn’t feel it necessary to consciously reference or allude to anything we might see in that series. Picard is such a changed man when we catch up to him at the start of that show’s first season, it just didn’t feel right to try shoehorning in anything overt. Having thought about it a bit while considering this question, I don’t believe I even managed a sly offhand reference to the later series. Weird, right?
All Star Trek stories are sci-fi space opera stories, but Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths sounds like it might have some political intrigue as well. Do you concur, or am I as wrong about this as I was that I’d ever achieve the rank of Admiral?
Given the subject matter — the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor and its immediate aftermath — I felt having a bit of political shenanigans thrown into the mix was practically a requirement.
That said, I did try to avoid dwelling too much on the bigger picture or the perspectives of parties far removed from what’s happening on Bajor, the station, or even the prison planet. No scenes set on Cardassia Prime or the Federation Headquarters on Earth, that sort of thing. I felt the story would be better served if told almost exclusively through the characters directly embroiled in the various events unfolding throughout the novel.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths is the latest in a long line of Star Trek novels you’ve written. Are there any writers, or stories, that had a big influence on Pliable but not on anything else you’ve written?
For this story in particular, I obviously took a great deal of inspiration from Frank Abatemarco, who wrote the story for the “Chain Of Command” two-part TNG episode, as well as the teleplay for Part II, and Ronald D. Moore, who wrote the teleplay for Part I. There also is the late Michael Piller as well as Rick Berman, who together created Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. They developed the story for that series’ premiere episode, “Emissary,” and Mr. Piller wrote the teleplay. I also took some leads from fellow Star Trek novelists James Swallow, S.D. Perry, and Britta Dennison, who combined forces to write the Star Trek: Terok Nor trilogy for Simon & Schuster back in 2008. Any failure or oversight so far as remaining consistent with any of these works is entirely my fault.
What about non-literary influences; was Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths influenced by any movies, TV shows, or games? Aside from Star Trek, that is.
The prison camp storyline in particular was influenced by films such as The Wooden Horse, Stalag 17, The Bridge On The River Kwai, and The Great Escape.
And then, to flip things around, do you think Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths could work as a Star Trek movie, show, or game?
Even though it’s not 1993 and we can’t have a crossover event between the TNG and DS9 television series, I’d still like to think it could’ve worked as such. It already has an audiobook adaptation, so I suppose we don’t need a full-cast audio drama. Maybe an animated movie like they did with Babylon 5: The Road Home? Nah. That’s way too much wishful thinking for one interview.
So, is there anything else someone might need to know about Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths?
I think it works as a stand-alone story one can read even if they’re not overly familiar with the specific TNG and / or DS9 events being referenced. Wait. Do such people even exist? Just in case, I do (hopefully) provide enough information along the way to fill in any knowledge gaps.
Finally, if someone enjoys Star Trek: The Next Generation: Pliable Truths, and it’s the first Star Trek book of yours they’ve read, which of your others would you suggest they read next?
This is one of the few Star Trek novels I’ve written which isn’t part of a mini-series or ongoing narrative that spans multiple books. If one would prefer to sample any of my other stand-alone tales without wading too far into the deeper waters of Star Trek novels, a few I like to recommend as easy (easier?) entry points are my original series novels From History’s Shadow and Agents Of Influence, and my Star Trek: Discovery novel Somewhere To Belong.
