Martin: The Romulan War

Author Michael A. Martin‘s new Star Trek Enterprise book: To Brave the Storm, is the second and concluding novel in the Romulan War series.

In To Brave the Storm, “Things are looking pretty grim,” said Martin. “Earth is in the worst shape it’s been in since the war began.”

“Because of T’Pau’s commitment to Syrrannite pacifism, Vulcan is still sitting out the conflict,” said Martin. “The rest of the Coalition has essentially crumbled because Vulcan’s pullout has spooked Andoria and Tellar. Starfleet has fallen back, making the Sol system’s defense its number-one priority. Jonathan Archer is forced to seek help elsewhere, hat in hand, and isn’t having much luck despite his concerted effort to rehabilitate Enterprise’s reputation, which the Kobayashi Maru disaster has tarnished pretty badly. Meanwhile, the Romulans are wrapping up a distracting conflict out on the Empire’s far Beta-quadrant frontier, and this allows them to mobilize more ships than ever before against a resource-starved Earth and her ever-dwindling list of friends, allies, and colonies. Did I mention that things are looking pretty grim?”

In To Brave the Storm, Martin has put his characters through the wringer. “I like putting characters into situations that test them severely,” he said. “It’s the only way to show what they’re really made of. Since Archer was the inadvertent author of what would one day become Starfleet’s Kobayashi Maru test, I wanted him to start thinking that the war might be turning into a no-win scenario for Earth. And I hoped he would find the inner strength to face death with some dignity and grace, ready to die with his boots on, as it were.

Archer wasn’t the only character undergoing trials and tribulations. “It was also important to me to give Hoshi Sato some stage time, showing how the war had matured her,” said Martin. “I needed to provide some closure to Travis Mayweather’s relationship with Archer, showing him coming full circle in working out the resentment he has felt toward the captain ever since the Kobayashi Maru incident. And most importantly, I wanted to bring a resolution to Trip’s fate, as well as to his relationship with T’Pol. Enough said on that for now, I think.”

Star Trek Enterprise: The Romulan War: To Brave the Storm was released today.