The Face of the Unknown is a Star Trek: The Original Series novel by Christopher L. Bennett, and was published on 27 December 2016.

Description[]

Continuing the milestone 50th anniversary celebration of Star Trek—a brand-new novel of The Original Series featuring James T. Kirk, Spock, and the crew of the USS Enterprise!

Investigating a series of violent raids by a mysterious predatory species, Captain James T. Kirk discovers that these events share a startling connection with the First Federation, a friendly but secretive civilization contacted early in the USS Enterprise's five-year mission. Traveling to the First Federation in search of answers, the Enterprise suddenly comes under attack from these strange marauders. Seeking refuge, the starship finds its way to the true home of the First Federation, an astonishing collection of worlds hidden from the galaxy beyond. The inhabitants of this isolated realm are wary of outsiders, and some accuse Kirk and his crew for bringing the wrath of their ancient enemy down upon them. When an attempt to stave off disaster goes tragically wrong, Kirk is held fully accountable, and Commander Spock learns there are even deeper forces that threaten this civilization. If Kirk and Spock cannot convince the First Federation's leaders to overcome their fears, the resulting catastrophe could doom them all!

Log entries[]

Captain’s Log, Stardate 5361.7.

Two days have now passed since our discovery of the Betelgeusians’ mysterious attackers and their apparent connection to the reclusive civilization calling itself the First Federation. In the interim, we have received reports of similar attacks on a Saurian transport and an Arcturian trading post, both of which were able to repel the assaults—though not without casualties in the latter case. Whoever these beings are, they seem to be targeting races capable of putting up a fight ... and their own skill seems to be improving. As they draw nearer to Federation space, a confrontation with Starfleet increasingly appears inevitable.

The First Federation clearly has knowledge of these beings, but our attempts to contact Lieutenant David Bailey, our unofficial ambassador to the First Federation, have proven unsuccessful. The Enterprise is proceeding toward the First Federation border in hopes of establishing direct contact with their representatives. In the meantime, the office of the Federation diplomatic commissioner has requested a full briefing on the matter.

Captain’s Log, supplemental.

With no Dassik raids reported for more than a week, Ambassador Nisu well on her way to Earth aboard the Ulysses, and Commissioner Gopal’s belated approval of David Bailey’s official status as diplomatic liaison between the First Federation and the Dassik, I believe we can now put the Dassik crisis behind us at last. As for the Enterprise, Mister Scott’s teams and the repair crews of Starbase 8 have nearly completed the new upgrades to the bridge and main engineering, and the starbase engineers have been eager to study the gift provided to us by the First Federation, a holographic environment simulator for our recreation deck. While Lekur Zan assured us the technology was safe so long as it was properly used, the Starfleet Corps of Engineers is wary when it comes to untried alien technologies and will observe the Enterprise as a test bed before deciding whether it is safe to distribute the technology to other starships.

Now, with our upgrades and crew rotations completed, the Enterprise is ready to resume our mission of exploration. Unfortunately, we will soon be losing Ensign Chekov, who has requested a temporary ground transfer to undergo Starfleet security training and will be departing the ship at our next rendezvous. But his replacement, Lieutenant Arex Na Eth, comes highly recommended, and I am confident that he will fill the navigator’s seat ably until Chekov’s return.

References[]

Characters[]

al-Rashid • Almis • Aranow • David Bailey • Balok • Pavel Chekov • Choda • Davis • Dral • Frank Gabler • Gardner • Gilbert • Damayanti Gopal • Grun • Jana Haines • Thuu'chi Hirr'uth • Initau • Chiir'hit Keer'iuv • James T. Kirk • Konaka • Koust • Roger Lemli • Linar • Leonard McCoy • Nisu Miratuli • Mnorgrel • Mure • Aluu Ne-Kewii • Shiboline M'Ress • Anne Nored • Elizabeth Palmer • Louis Prescott • Manjula Rahda • Remv • Rhuld • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Targus • Tirak • Kasan Tor • Nyota Uhura • Vraq • Vulo • Lekur Zan • Zhang Xiaolu

Referenced only

Alexander the Great • Atlas • Liviana Charvanek • Droxine • Irina Galliulin • Grnar • Nancy Hedford • Edward Hyde • Henry Jekyll • George Samuel Kirk, Sr. • Samuel Abraham Kirk • Winona Kirk • Edvard Munch • Ren’xaan • Sarek • Stevvin • Alfred Tennyson • T'Pring • Tyree • Valeria Williams • Carter Winston • Zarabeth

Starships and vehicles[]

airplane • cluster ship • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • Fesarius • Jesoliar (Fesarius-class orbship) • Shining Talon Argosy

Referenced only

USS Arcadia • USS Arjuna • USS Pioneer • Romulan bird-of-prey • shuttlecraft • USS Ulysses

Locations[]

Alpha Quadrant • Cherela • Milky Way Galaxy • Starbase 8 • Web of Worlds (Altecla • Fiilestii module • Kaibikil • Kenaibrara • Nepara • Niatok module • Quapep module • Syletir module • Tessegri module • Vea-Shol module)

Referenced only

Arkoni • Earth (Great Wall of China • Kenya • Luna • Riverside, Iowa • Theia) • Eminiar VII • Jupiter (Great Red Spot • Io) • Nalogen IV • Neural • Niatok • Ranth sector • Sarpeidon • Shad • Shangri-La • Sigma Niobe II • Stratos • Syletir • Vendikar • Venus • Web of Worlds (Bogosrin module • Kisaja module • Renetran module)

Races and cultures[]

Arcturian • Betelgeusian • Bogosrin • Dassik • Fiilestii • Human • Kisaja • Linnik • Niatoko • Saurian • Tessegri • Vulcan

Referenced only

Ardanan • Brobdingnagian • Kalandan • Kelvan • Promellian • Redheri • Romulan • Shenchorig • Tellarite

States and organizations[]

Council of the First Federation • First Federation • Starfleet • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Triumvirate of the First Federation • United Federation of Planets

Science and technology[]

antigrav • astrogator • atmosphere • buoy • Bussard collector • chronometer • coordinates • deflector • dilithium crystal • dry dock • Feinberg receiver • galaxy • hangar • hyronalin • impulse power • inertial damper • intercooler • lightning • nacelle • observation port • orbit • phaser • phaser rifle • probe • proton beam • space • spacedock • star • starboard impulse • star map • starship • stellar cartography • subspace communication • telescope • thruster • time • torpedo • tractor beam • tractor beam emitter • transporter • warp drive • warp speed (warp two) • wingsuit • wormhole

Ranks and titles[]

ambassador • assistant commissioner • captain • commander • commissioner • communications officer • doctor • engineer • ensign • first officer • Force Leader • lieutenant • refugee • slave • triumvir • War Leader

Other references[]

asteroid • bridge • century • chess • city • comet • continent • corbomite • deflector • deflector shield • Earth-Romulan War • electromagnetism • English language • ethnology • EVA • fairy tale • folklore • gamma ray • General Order One • granite • gravitational field • hangar • helium • history • house cat • hydrogen • ice • IDIC • ionosphere • island • Jovian planet • Kobayashi Maru scenario • koon-ut-kal-if-fee • LaGrange (L-5) point • language • lightning • magnetic field • magnetism • methane • micrometeoroid • millipede • mining • mining beam • mountain • nitrogen • ocean • orbit • outpost • oxygen • parsec • phaser • planet • poker • Prime Directive • prison • radiation belt • restaurant • rhelkul lizard • sailskater • The Scream • sector • sidewinder • skydiving • skywalk • snake • stratosphere • subway • sulfur • Suus Mahna • technology • thunderstorm • tractor beam • troposphere • vacuum • vegetarian • vegetation • Vulcan nerve pinch • war • water • The Wizard of Oz • xenylon • year

Appendices[]

Related media[]

• TOS episode: "The Corbomite Maneuver" – The First Federation, Commander Balok, David Bailey, and the Fesarius introduced in this episode.
• TOS episode: "A Private Little War" – Tyree of Neural is referenced as being a developmental influence upon Captain Kirk, early in his career.
• TOS episode: "That Which Survives" – The Kalandan interstellar transporter device (and its capability to instantly displace the Enterprise some 990.7 light-years distant) is referenced.
• TAS episode: "Beyond the Farthest Star" – The bridge intruder-control system and second turbolift alcove are conceived during this novel's events by Kirk and Scotty, and both are later installed by technicians at Starbase 8 in the epilogue, prior to the Enterprise setting out again.
• TAS episode: "The Survivor" – Anne Nored and Frank Gabler both appear in this episode.
• TAS episode: "The Practical Joker" – The proto-holodeck seen aboard the Enterprise in this episode originates here, the technology gifted to the crew by Balok at the story's conclusion, and turned over to Starfleet engineers at Starbase 8.
• TOS - Constellations short story: "As Others See Us" – Set not long prior to this novel; reference is made to the crew's encounter with the Redheri androids on Sigma Niobe II.
• TOS novel: The Covenant of the Crown – Kirk's time spent on the planet Shad among King Stevvin's court as a cultural observer during his early Starfleet career is referenced.
• TOS novel: The Latter Fire – Follows immediately after events in The Face of the Unknown, with the Enterprise rendezvousing with the USS Arcadia, Pavel Chekov departing for Starfleet Security School, and Lt. Arex Na Eth joining the crew.
• TOS novel: Troublesome Minds – Set approximately one year after the events of this novel (in late 2270), with Ensign Lou Prescott now promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

Images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous novel: The Hall of Heroes	Star Trek novels	Next novel: Headlong Flight
Previous story: Purgatory's Key	The Original Series novels	Next story: The Captain's Oath
Previous story: Time Lock	Stories by: Christopher L. Bennett	Next story: Shield of the Gods
Previous adventure: Prime Directive	Memory Beta Chronology	Next adventure: The Latter Fire

External link[]

• The Face of the Unknown article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.