Creative Couplings by David MackMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
The tenth omnibus of stories under the Starfleet Corps of Engineers banner comprises of six individual stories and as in the tradition they world share while maintaining continuity. I can not overestimate how well oh so many authors have worked together to weave this series of stories and maintain the very best of readers expect from licensed Star Trek.
Paradise Interrupted by John S. Drew
As Risa experiences extreme energy fluctuations and failure of key systems including weather control the Da Vinci is called in. Meanwhile young Eddie Johnson left to his own devices when his father attends a conference makes a new and unexpected friend while exploring some caverns.
Where Time Stands Still by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore
The mysterious Delta Triangle which had swallowed space vessels for years was recently breached by the Enterprise under the command of Captain Kirk (See Animated Series) and the Da Vinci is ordered to make contact with the Elysian Council and offer technology to allow them to leave this mysterious vortex where time runs differently. However not everyone is keen to leave and for some the galaxy beyond the Triangle is full of dangers.
The Art of the Deal by Glenn Greenberg
Rod Portlyn is a "tycoon" who operates outside of the Federation and has amassed huge wealth and influence. An offer to partner his business with the Federation and together build a huge research complex is signed off on and the Da Vinci tasked to coordinate and help initial construction. However when bomb attacks on other Portlyn owned operations occur the Da Vinci investigates and finds that no everything is as squeaky clean as the Federation would want it to be.
Spin by J. Steven York & Christina F. York
An alien space ship within the Lokak system will collide with the home world, unable to prevent the catastrophe the former Breen controlled (aka occupied) world calls for help. The Da Vinci find a very unusual ship and as pressure mounts to destroy it Captain Gold and his crew strive to save the ship and discover its purpose.
Creative Couplings by Glenn Hauman & Aaron Rosenberg
Captain Golds granddaughter Esther was marrying Khor the son of the current Klingon Ambassador to the Federation. As you might expect juggling the demands of a traditional Klingon wedding and those of the Jewish faith is complicated and Gold finds himself at the center of dozens of demands.
Meanwhile a few of the crew have taken the time to help a friend at Starfleet Academy to test a new Starship design using the huge holosuites of the complex. They also double up the testing to include the latest graduate class to see how they handle the unexpected and yes that is what happens when the testing is compromised and safety protocols are offline.
Small World by David Mack
Araneus one of the last of his people in the universe is fleeing towards a star system within Federation boundaries with a treasure whose value to him is beyond imagining. He is being pursued by an alien force who want the prize to aid them in a war for their freedom but once under protection of the Da Vinci the mysterious prize is far more than any of them could have imagined.
This latest omnibus is excellent on all counts, the stories are entertaining but I have to say Captain Gold handling the politics of a marriage was the highlight perhaps in thanks to seeing the Klingon ceremony in DS9. Highly recommended and already purchased the 11th omnibus release :)
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