DR. EZEKIEL FISHER

(CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER)

Called “Zeke” by those closest to him, Fisher is the “old man” among the crew: Been around, seen it all, and he is wise enough to know there’s no perfect solution to any problem; there are only solutions with degrees of imperfection. He knows that Starfleet and the Federation have their flaws, as does every species and political system, and he isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. He has little patience for pretense and usually sees right through people’s façades. Fisher is in his eighties, and after more than fifty years “in the service” is weary of Starfleet life. He plans to retire in a few years and return home to Mars. While he works as CMO on Starbase Vanguard, he’s training his replacement, attending physician Dr. Jabilo M’Benga.

Fisher’s wife, Hannah, passed away of natural causes a few years ago; his sons Ely and Noah live far away, on Deneva and Alpha Centauri. Neither followed him into medicine, unlike his daughter, Jane, who runs a family practice back on Mars. All three of his children have kids of their own.

CAPTAIN RANA DESAI

(JAG OFFICER)

In her late thirties, Desai is a specialist in interstellar law. A talented investigator and trial lawyer, she has a mind like a steel trap. Though she’s quick to pounce when regulations are being bent too far, she also understands that the unpredictable nature of life on the frontier requires a certain flexibility. Also, this is new territory, with rules of its own: It’s her job to figure out what those rules are as Starfleet probes deeper into the Taurus Reach, and what they might mean for the Federation. It’s also her responsibility to make sure their people understand and respect that as much as they adhere to Federation law or Starfleet regs. Given the complex issues that often come up, this can be a difficult balancing act. Though she and Reyes share deep convictions about duty, law, and justice, they often disagree on how best to serve these ideals.

TIM PENNINGTON

(JOURNALIST)

Frontier correspondent for the Federation News Service, Scotland-born Tim Pennington is a smart, young (twenty-seven), brash, and persistent all-around-pain-in-the-ass journalist covering the Federation’s activities in Starbase 47’s particular corner of the galaxy. Pennington (for whom the Pennington School of Deep Space Nine fame will one day be named) is Vanguard’s twist on Star Trek’s traditional “outsider” character. He is the voice of the common man among the Starfleet officers, diplomats, and hostile aliens, questioning everything from the point of view of the “little guy.”

Pennington is a thoughtful man, and he chooses his words carefully. He views the power players on the station as obstacles to “the truth,” and he bends the law as far as he can to get information, access, and evidence. Pennington strives to remain objective, but he knows that truly objective reporting means more than parroting both sides of a polarizing issue. He is shrewd and insightful, and he understands people as well as he does politics. His greatest struggle is to maintain the same high standards of ethics in his personal life as he does in the professional arena.

CERVANTES QUINN

(TRADER)

Like Harcourt Fenton Mudd and Cyrano Jones, Cervantes Quinn is a solitary, semi-legit soldier of fortune always trying to stay one step ahead of Starfleet, but usually he’s in way over his head. He owns the Rocinante, a small cargo ship for hire. He traffics in goods both legal and not, does some prospecting and some smuggling, gets into lots of trouble, and commits the occasional good deed. Quinn always expects the worst while hoping for the best. He’s been married four times, each experience worse than the last—but still he hears love’s siren call. He’s been arrested more times than he can count, but never convicted, and so he continues to tempt fate. He is a provocateur; he loves to sow chaos, then sit back and watch the fun. He cracks wise, is a master of ironic understatement, and loves to push people’s buttons. He plays all sides against one another and, if all else fails, he’s pretty good at throwing sucker punches. He’s not without a conscience, though; he won’t knowingly let someone be hurt by his schemes, and he won’t profit from others’ suffering.

ANNA SANDESJO/LURQAL

(FEDERATION DIPLOMATIC ATTACHÉ/KLINGON SPY)

Senior diplomatic attaché Anna Sandesjo looks human, but she is in fact an agent of Klingon Imperial Intelligence. She has infiltrated Starbase 47’s diplomatic team in order to provide the Empire with information about the Federation’s true intentions in the Taurus Reach. To that end, Sandesjo listens, watches, collects data, and reports regularly.

Sandesjo’s original name is Lurqal. She uses a subspace transmitter concealed under a false panel in her briefcase to report regularly to another Klingon covert operative, Turag, who is part of the Klingon delegation to Vanguard. She also has infrequent contact with Klingon envoy Lugok. Sandesjo is stronger than she looks; after all, she is a Klingon. But she is not by nature a warrior. She is from a caste of political and scientific elites, not of a noble house but not a commoner—more from the landed-gentry class.

GANZ

(MERCHANT-PRINCE)

An Orion, Ganz is a self-styled mogul, the type of merchant-prince glimpsed during one of Pike’s illusions in “The Cage.” He has been lured by the Federation’s interest in the Taurus Reach into seeking new markets for his illicit trade, which ranges from narcotic substances to weapons smuggling and sexual commerce. As a general rule, he forbids his employees from doing business with Starfleet personnel.

Ganz is honorable, to a point; reneging on deals is bad for business. He is utterly ruthless and not above using intimidation or outright violence to get his way. Regardless, he knows his limitations; he won’t let his people pick fights with Starfleet or openly antagonize the Federation. He conducts his business for the most part aboard a large, lavish yacht docked at Vanguard.

Acknowledgments

First, I need to thank my lovely and patient wife, Kara, who for the second year in a row was forced to cope with my near-total absence from her life during the holiday season. Instead of helping her trim the Christmas tree, I hid away in my home office struggling to string words together.

My greatest thanks, however, go to my editor, Marco Palmieri, who in the spring of 2004, shortly after I had turned in the manuscript for my previous novel, A Time to Heal, asked me if I would be interested in writing the first volume of a brand-new Star Trek book series. There are several such series these days, so new ones don’t get created that often. Being asked to help nurture a brand-new series concept into existence is a tremendous privilege, which makes Marco’s invitation a remarkable show of faith. I am honored that I was the one he chose.

Inspiration, though sometimes a solitary gift, was, in the case of Harbinger, the product of a fruitful collaboration. Much of the vision for what lay inside the station was provided by designer Masao Okazaki; his enthusiasm and genuine passion for this project helped clarify my own ideas during the writing of the manuscript. Likewise, my gratitude goes out to Doug Drexler, who rendered Masao’s designs into one of the most gorgeous covers yet to grace my words. Furthermore, the counsel and creative suggestions of Paula Block and John Van Citters of Paramount Licensing were invaluable. Their keen instincts for storytelling, coupled with their oracular knowledge of the minutiae of this broad shared universe, helped bring the “big picture” of the Star Trek Vanguard saga into sharp focus.

This book required me to spend a lot more time writing from inside a Vulcan’s head than I had ever attempted before, and fellow-author Susan Shwartz, who has collaborated with Josepha Sherman on some of the most acclaimed Vulcan-themed books in Star Trek history, very generously provided me with guidance and a sounding board as I developed the backstory for the character of T’Prynn.