Book excerpt: Ensign Andreas Nikolas, heartwick over the loss of his Mirror Universe lover, has resigned his post on Jean-Luc Picard's starship, the Stargazer, to seek a home on the freighter Iktoj'ni. All he wants of his new life is a chance to forget his troubles. And that's what he gets - until the Iktoj'ni is taken over by a monstrous alien with unbelievable powers and a disdain for all forms of life. Without saying why, the alien sends the freighter hurtling towards a part of space inhabited by the Ubarrak, the Federation's deadliest and most xenophobic enemy. And Nikolas, who fears that the incident will start a war, can't convince his captor to turn back. Picard has one hope of stopping the alien menace: Serenity Santana, a woman who once abused his trust to ensure the survival of her people. Now she is back, asking for his trust a second time. Picard needs her help in his struggle to save his galaxy. But will she justify his faith in her, or will she twist it once again to serve her own shadowy ends?