My portrayal of Arcturians is based on their depiction in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Costume designer Robert Fletcher’s notes on the species described them as a race of identical clones that could be bred swiftly and used as Federation infantry. This is incompatible with later depictions of the Federation and too similar to the Jem’Hadar (as well as the Clone Troopers in Star Wars), so I revamped the idea into something more distinctive. I originally intended to feature the Arcturians in my Star Trek: Enterprise—Rise of the Federation series, hence their historical connection to Captain Shumar of the Essex and the conquests of Maltuvis.

Admiral Chandra appeared as a captain in Star Trek: “Court Martial” and The Captain’s Oath. His first name, Nensi, comes from his Kelvin Timeline counterpart, glimpsed as a member of a Starfleet Academy panel in the 2009 film.

The fan wiki Starbase 118 provided inspiration for the structure of the curriculum at Starfleet Academy. Other aspects of Academy operations and administrative structure were based on the United States Naval Academy (for instance, having a civilian academic dean). Some of the professors mentioned were nods to my own favorite college instructors, while others were borrowed from a Wrath of Khan set graphic.

Greg Cox’s novel To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh established that the presence of Khan’s people on Ceti Alpha V was classified by Starfleet, explaining why the Reliant crew was unaware of their presence in the system.

I’d also like to thank the fans who once again helped me through a serious financial crisis with their donations, in return for which I’ve included various vessel, planet, institution, and characters names that a number of my donors suggested. Thanks to Byron Bailey, John Ballard, Eli Berg-Maas, Kimberly Blackwell, William Craig, “E D,” Ricarda Dormeyer, Kelli Fitzpatrick, Robert Greene, Ensley Guffey, Dominik Patrick Hug, Casey Lance, Cooper Long, K McCann, Ronald Mallory, Brad Murray, Christopher Nelson, Danielle Pajak, Linn Payne, Alexander Perry, Scott Saslow, Darryl Schnell, Adam Selvidge, Gavin Sheedy, Jeffrey Singer, Benjamin Wert, Mybrid Wonderful, Paolo Andrea Zaccheddu, Robert Ziegler, and anyone else I’ve left out.

Finally, I extend thanks and remembrance to my uncle Clarence Preston Bennett (1929–2021), who asked me to name a “good, kind, wonderful” character in memory of his long-departed wife, Janith Ashley. I regret that he never got the chance to see the result.

More in the Star Trek Universe
The Sundered	Vulcan's Soul #1: Exodus
Gateways #2	Star Trek: The Original Series: Crucible: Spock:…
Vulcan's Soul #2: Exiles	The Klingon Gambit

About the Author