Did the Enterprise crew violate the Prime Directive while helping a primitive civilization evolve its technological prowess? That's the core question posed by Star Trek: The Original Series -- The Latter Fire, the latest Trek novel, available today from Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books. The author is James Swallow, whose previous Trek adventures include Titan -- Sight Unseen, TNG -- The Stuff of Dreams, DS9: Terok Nor -- Day of the Vipers and TOS -- Cast No Shadow.

Here's the synopsis, direct from the publisher:



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The five-year mission of the Starship Enterprise has brought the vessel and her crew to the forefront of an important first contact situation. Under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, the ship is heading to the planet Syhaar Prime in the Beta Quadrant—the home world of an alien civilization preparing to take its first steps on to the galactic stage. One year earlier, the Enterprise came across a badly damaged Syhaari explorer vessel drifting in deep space. In collaboration with the explorer’s captain, Kirk and his crew were able to restore the ship to full function and send it on its way. And now, as the Syhaari display rapid technological advances made over the past year, hard questions must be asked. Did the Enterprise crew leak advanced technology or information to the Syhaari during their first encounter, in total violation of the Prime Directive?Star Trek: The Original Series -- The Latter Fire is available as a mass-market paperback and eBook that runs 400 pages. It costs $7.99. Go to www.amazon.com to purchase.