The High Country is a Star Trek novel by John Jackson Miller in the Strange New Worlds series.
Summary[]
The Enterprise has been assigned to search for a missing survey ship, the Braidwood, near a pre-warp planet. Pike, Una, Spock and Uhura take experimental Erastosthenes out but a mechanical failure results in them all having been beamed to the surface.
Pike discovers the planet inhabited by a group of humans, one of many groups from different species whose ancestors were relocated there by the Skagarans. A mysterious effect known as the Baffle has rendered all advanced technology useless, while a strange fire known as the Sorry destroys all attempts to go beyond the technology the Skagarans allow. The Skagarans fled their homeworld because of pollution and have rescued groups they say would have died. Pike's hosts, who quickly realise he is from space, are "Menders" who try to advance beyond the restrictions. Pike meets an old friend, Lila Talley, who was on the Braidwood and came from a luddite community on Earth, embracing the Skagarans' philosophy.
Una meets with a wilderness explorer, Celarius, who turns out to be the son of the Skagaran leader Drayko. She is eventually reunited with Uhura, who has befriended a flame creature she has dubbed an empatherm. Meanwhile, Pike's hosts are arrested and he helps them escape, eventually joining up with Spock and a fleet of sailing ships run by Vulcans who crashed on the planet a century earlier. Drayko has Una and Celarius imprisoned in a pit with political prisoners including the rest of the Braidwood crew. It transpires the Sorry is actually the result of the Skagarans forcing the empatherms to do their bidding.
Pike, Spock and Lila find the remains of a village of the Stroohs, who colonised the world before the Skagarans, and learn the rondours the Skagarans use to communicate control the Baffle. The central node could be used to shut it down or extend it to other worlds. Lila, wanting revenge on the Klingons for wiping out her community and her family, sets off to use it for the latter, which Drayko approves of, desperate to hold onto his authority. Una, Celarius and the other prisoners are freed by Uhura and set off to rendezvous with Pike.
The Enterprise sends Hemmer down in an improvised escape pod and he is able to construct an ice cutter out of one of the ships. He also reveals extending the Baffle could wipe out all life inside its influence. Lila attempts to use it anyway and the rondours are launched, creating a Baffle bubble. Celarius takes charge of the situation, deposing Drayko, and the Enterprise destroys the central node. This allows the rondours to complete the task they were designed for and allow the empatherms, who were on the planet first, to return to another dimension.
The Enterprise spends some time relocating everyone to where they want to go, including making contact with the Skagarans who stayed on their homeworld and are trying to rebuild it.
References[]
Characters[]
- Buckshot • Carpenter (Zoldaari) • Celarius • Una Chin-Riley • Drayko • Empy • Sebastian Garr • Harjon • Hemmer • Cyrus Hodge • Jaddak • Javu • George Samuel Kirk, Jr. • Kohsam • Kyle (Chief) • Jennie Magee • Joe Magee • Joseph M'Benga • Jenna Mitchell • Mochi • La'an Noonien-Singh • Erica Ortegas • Christopher Pike • Reedy • Rivkin • Rufus • Saachi • Sal (Epheska) • Sava • Shankar • Sivenda • Spock • Taliyah • Lila Talley • Tooza • T'Pau • T'Var (Vulcan) • Nyota Uhura • Weedaw • Vicki Whitehorse • Zoryana • ollodons
- Referenced only
- Jonathan Archer • Caitlin Barry • Eratosthenes • Ghalka • Moves-With-Burning-Grace • Louvier • Erin Magee • Jallow • John Wayne • Hoshi Sato • Ward Bond
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Eratosthenes • Issala • Zersa
- Referenced only
- Braidwood
Locations[]
- the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant
- Andracine Range • Bullseye Nebula • Cherra Bay • Devil's Dish • Dry River • Epheska • Golaraad • Hohlagad • Jevarsk • Kandrus Ice Sheet • Krykander • Leejo Point • Om Mataya • Pleasant Ridge • Veros Slope • Zevayne
- Referenced only
- Andoria • Bar T Ranch • California • Emuruangogolak • Gregory Rift • Havenbrook • Kelfour VI (Kelfour star system) • Kiley 279 • Mount Kenya • Skagara • Tellar • Vulcan (40 Eridani system, Vulcan sector, the galaxy's Beta Quadrant)
Races and cultures[]
- Aenar • Akaali • Avgana • Empatherm • Human • Illyrian • Luddites • Menk • Skagaran • Strooh • Vulcan • Yuganan • Zoldaari
States and organizations[]
- Federation • Starfleet
Science and classification[]
- astronomy • biology • cartography • communications • matter • measurement • technology • telesthesia
Astronomy[]
Biology[]
Lifeforms[]
Materials and substances[]
- atmosphere • gas • metal
Cartography and measurement[]
Technology and weapons[]
Occupations and titles[]
- captain • command division • crew • doctor • engineer • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2240s-2260s) • lieutenant commander • medic • physician • officer • rank • sciences division • scientist
Other references[]
- Baffle • boot • clothing • emotion • Georgiou Gambit • government • hair • pants • races and cultures • science • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2240s-2265) • state • title • tunic • uniform • Nine Overlords • Mender • zazic
Appendices[]
Background[]
The book is set in 2259 between the events of The Serene Squall and The Elysian Kingdom. John Jackson Miller descided so because he wanted both Hemmer in the story as well as Rukiya in Enterprise' transporter bufffer, as an additional reason not to approach the planet. [1].
It makes reference to events from North Star, New Eden, Through the Valley of Shadows, The Vulcan Hello, Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach, The Enterprise War, Strange New Worlds, Kir'Shara, The War Without, The War Within and The Cage.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
Publication history[]
Translations[]
- 2023
- German language: Das Weite Land, translated by Christian Langhagen (Cross Cult).
External link[]
- The High Country article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.