Purgatory's Key is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore. It is the third novel in the Legacies trilogy, released on 30 August 2016.
Description[]
- The conclusion to the epic trilogy that stretches from the earliest voyages of the starship Enterprise to Captain Kirk's historic five-year mission—and from one universe to another—just in time for the milestone 50th anniversary of Star Trek: The Original Series!
- Eighteen years ago, the starship Enterprise thwarted an alien invasion from another universe, and Captain Robert April took possession of the interdimensional transfer device that made it possible. Since then, each captain of the Enterprise, from Christopher Pike to James T. Kirk, has guarded this secret with his life.
- Now, Romulan agents have succeeded in stealing the device and using it to banish Ambassador Sarek and Councillor Gorkon to an unknown realm in the midst of their groundbreaking Federation-Klingon peace negotiations. With time running out as interstellar war looms in one universe—and alien forces marshal in another—will Captain Kirk and his crew preserve the tenuous peace and reclaim the key between the dimensions?
Summary[]
In the other dimension, Sarek and Joanna manage to make contact with Number One and the Enterprise crewmembers sent there eighteen years previous. They, together with the Usildar sent there at the same time and now Gorkon, are engaged in a war with the Jatohr. However, they eventually realise that the world they are perceiving is not physically real to them and their consciousnesses are held elsewhere.
The Enterprise arrives back at Usilde where they make tense but peaceful contact with J'Teglyr, captain of the Klingon vessel overseeing operations on the planet. However, a second ship arrives commanded by Commander Visla, a disgraced officer seeking to regain her honour and avenge Kirk for failing to allow her son an honourable death, attacks the Enterprise without provocation. Her ship is disabled and J'Tegylr takes the survivors aboard.
The Jatohr citadel activates booby-traps that kill most of the Klingon scientists studying it. Having already used the Transfer Key to dispatch a probe to the other realm, Spock and an away team including Amanda beam down to the citadel, which then takes off like a ship and begins attempting to alter Usilde's atmosphere. Eager to prevent this, Spock's team set the Transfer Key to overload. Visla kills J'Teglyr and makes another attempt to attack the Enterprise but is again defeated, and killed by J'Tegylr's first officer.
Spock's team manage to transfer the Jatohr in the other realm to Usilde, then Spock and Amanda mentally contact Sarek and use the link and the probe to send him and the others trapped to Usilde as well, before being beamed off the citadel just before it explodes. With matters concluded peacefully with the Klingons, the Federation set about relocating the Jatohr and repairing the environmental damage to the Usildar's world. With the purpose of the Transfer Key fulfilled, Kirk concludes that he is satisfied with the end of that particular legacy, as for him the legacy of the Enterprise should be a focus on their mission of exploration and expanding knowledge rather than keeping secrets.
References[]
Characters[]
USS Enterprise personnel[]
- Pavel Chekov • Barry Giotto • Hawthorne • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Michael Medeiros • Nick Minecci • Elizabeth Palmer • Naomi Rahda • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Valren
- Referenced only
- Christine Chapel • Jabilo M'Benga
Other Starfleet personnel[]
- Thomas Blair • James Cambias • Dylan Craig • Bruce Goldberg • Karen Griffin • Ingrid Holstine • Terra Le May • Raul Martinez • Tim Shimizu • Cheryl Stevens • Una
- Referenced only
- Robert April • Peder Coss • Enwright • Jane Hamilton • James Komack • Christopher Pike • Robert Wesley
IKS Qo'Daqh personnel[]
- Baka • K'darqa • Koveq • Visla • Woveth
IKS Vron'joQ personnel[]
- D'jorok • G'peq • J'Teglyr • Morval
Klingon contingent on Usilde[]
- B'tinzal • K'troq • Komaraq • Kvarel • Kventok • Tothar • Vurgh • Z'teth
Jatohr[]
- Anadac • Cisdor • Edolon • Woryan • Zened
- Referenced only
- Eljor
Usildar[]
- Feneb • Onumes
Other characters[]
- Gorkon • Amanda Grayson • Joanna McCoy • Sarek • Beel Zeroh
- Referenced only
- Ayelbourne • Hudek • K'tovel • Kovor • Kras • M'Rek • Leighton • Nett • Pektu-Keltz • Prang • Sadira/Lisa Bates • Skon • Toq • Vrax
Starships and vehicles[]
- antigrav skid • antigrav sled • USS Defiant (Constitution-class • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • IKS Qo'Daqh (D5-class) • IKS Vron'joQ (D6-class)
- Referenced only
- IKS D'ghaj • IKS HoS'leth • USS Lexington (Constitution-class) • USS Masao • Nomad • USS Potemkin (Constitution-class) • ChR Velibor • USS Yorktown (Constitution-class)
Locations[]
- Libros system • Usilde (Jatohr citadel)
- Referenced only
- Capella IV • Centaurus (New Athens • New Athens University Hospital) • Chipewa Prime • Earth (Starfleet Headquarters) • Illyria • Gre'thor • Mirror Universe • Qo'noS (First City • Kintak) • Starbase 6 • Sto-Vo-Kor • Talos IV • Vulcan (Fire Plains • Raal • Voroth Sea)
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Council • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Imperial Academy • Klingon High Command • New Athens University • Romulan Senate • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Starfleet Intelligence • Starfleet Medical • Vulcan Science Academy
Science and technology[]
- acquisition sensor • algorithm • amplifier screen • annular confinement beam • anti-Key • artificial gravity • asphyxiation • astrogator • atmosphere • battery • binary system • cardiac arrest • carrier wave • catatonia • chronometer • cloaking device • communications • communications array • communicator • dampening field • data card • data slate • deflector shield • disruptor • electromagnetic spectrum • Feinberg receiver • food slot • frequency • gamma radiation • gastropod • harmonics • hydrogen • impulse engine • inertial dampener • intrusion control barrier • ion storm • ionized plasma • life support • matter stream • matter-antimatter integrator • memory core • mesosphere • mining • molecular harmonics • nacelle • navigational deflector • nitrogen • optical data network relay • phaser • photon torpedo • physics • plasma • plasma conduit • power generator • predictive tracking screen • probe • pulsing light • radio • scanner • scattering field • sensor • sensor array • sentry globe • shield generator • subspace carrier wave • subspace communications • Tantalus field • terraforming • thermoconcrete • thoughtspace • Transfer Key • transfer-field generator • transfusion • transporter • tricorder • warp drive • warp factor • xenobiology
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • adviser • agent • ambassador • artisan • attaché • cadet • captain • chief engineer • chief medical officer • commander • commodore • communications officer • computer technician • councillor • crewman • ensign • first officer • general • helmsman • High Master • instructor • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • officer • navigator • nurse • petty officer • Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire • quartermaster • ranger • scientist • security chief • sensor officer • soldier • tactical officer • warrior • weapons officer • xenobiologist • yeoman
Other references[]
- amputation • Babel conference • baldric • bat'leth • bathrobe • bird • brig • cane • chess • club • coffee • commendation • courtyard • d'k tahg • desert • dormitory • Earth-Romulan War • Earther • espionage • farm • fire �� flower • forest • glade • grass • helmet • hobgoblin • hospital • insect • internment camp • Jefferies tube • Kol-ut-Shan • krencha • labor camp • lagoon • lake • lantern • lava • leaf • livestock • meditation • medkit • mev • mind meld • mountain • Organian Peace Treaty • petaQ • pujqI' • rag • robe • salt plain • sand-fire • satchel • Saurian brandy • seed shell • Shevok'tah gish • shrub • sleeper hold • spear • staff • Starfleet General Orders and Regulations • stone survival kit • targ • tlhIngan Hol • tourniquet • towel • Treaty of Algeron • tree • tree branch • Vulcan nerve pinch • wind
Appendices[]
Timeline[]
published order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous novel: Best Defense Legacies |
TOS novel | Next novel: The Face of the Unknown |
Previous story: All That's Left Seekers |
Stories by: Dayton Ward |
Next story: The Menace of the Mechanitrons Waypoint |
Previous story: All That's Left Seekers |
Stories by: Kevin Dilmore |
Next story: The Menace of the Mechanitrons Waypoint |
chronological order | ||
Previous adventure: Best Defense Legacies |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Treaty's Law Day of Honor |
Translations[]
- 2021
- German : Der Schlüssel zur Hölle, translated by Helga Parmiter. (Cross Cult)
External link[]
- Purgatory's Key article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.