Star Trek: Picard Reveals How Spock Saved SPOILER

Spock played a crucial role in rescuing a Star Trek: The Next Generation crewmember from the Romulans. The story comes from the new Star Trek: Picard prequel novel The Dark Veil by James Swallow, which follows Will Riker and Deanna Troi during their time on the USS Titan in between the events of Star Trek: Nemesis and Star Trek: Picard‘s first season. The story begins with the USS Titan embarking on a diplomatic mission involving a secretive alien race but turns into a conflict with the Romulan Zhat Vash. The result could have been different if not for Spock’s intervention. Spoilers for the novel follow.

The Dark Veil sees Titan carrying a group of diplomats representing the Jazari, a mysterious reptilian race. Upon arrival at their destination, Titan‘s crew discovers that the Jazari strip-mined their homeworld to build a generation ship. The Jazari don’t explain why. When an equipment accident threatens to cause catastrophic damage, the Titan intervenes, but soon the Federation ship is also in danger.

Luckily for everyone involved, the Jazari’s planet isn’t far from the Romulan neutral zone. Under the command of unusually open-minded and even-tempered Joran Medaka, a Romulan starship was observing the situation. The ship reveals itself and offers aid, saving everyone involved.

The Titan and the Romulan ship, the Mogai-class IRW Othrys, continue to work together to see the Jazari get where they want to go. However, Medaka’s second-in-command, Major Sansar Helek, is a Tal Shiar agent and suspicious by nature. She’s also a member of the Zhat Vash, meaning that when she discovers that the Jazari are secretly synthetic lifeforms, she does everything in her power, including taking command of the Othrys, to destroy the generation ship and the entire species.

Through typical displays of Starfleet resourcefulness and bravery, the Titan crew stops Helek and returns the Othrys to Medaka. They see the Jazari off, but then more Romulan ships arrive demanding answers from those involved in the incident.

Riker, Medaka, and Helek all stand before a Romulan tribunal. They each retell everything that transpired and do their best to justify their actions. Each of them has a representative on the tribunal, but Riker’s remains in shadow, keeping their identity secret. It isn’t until after the tribunal is over and Riker is released to return to his ship that Riker’s advocate reveals himself as Spock.

It seems that when Spock caught wind of what was taking place and after learning of Riker’s involvement, he decided to lend him diplomatic touch to the situation to help make sure things turned out in Riker’s favor. If not for Spock, Riker may never have left Romulan custody.

Star Trek: Picard – The Dark Veil is on sale now. Star Trek: Picard begins production on its second season in February.