- For the DS9 short story, see "Fear, Itself".
Fear Itself is the third original novel based upon the television series Star Trek: Discovery, written by James Swallow.
Description
- Lieutenant Saru is a Kelpien, a member of a prey species born on a world overrun by monstrous predators... and a being who very intimately understands the nature of fear. Challenged on all sides, he is determined to surpass his origins and succeed as a Starfleet officer aboard the USS Shenzhou. But when Saru breaks protocol in order to prove himself to his crewmates, what begins as a vital rescue mission to save a vessel in distress soon escalates out of control. Forced into a command role he may not be ready for, Saru is caught between his duty and the conflicting agendas of two antagonistic alien races. To survive, he will need to seek a path of peace against all odds, and risk compromising the very ideals he has sworn to uphold...
Summary
The Shenzhou detects a damaged ship in the buffer area between Tholian and Peliar space and, despite receiving no response to hails, Georgiou elects to head into the zone to offer assistance. Saru accidentally volunteers to join an away team led by chief engineer Johar who manage to stabilise the Peliar ship's warp core.
Saru discovers the ship's cargo hold contains several Gorlans kept in primitive conditions. The ship's commander, Nathal, states they are refugees, the survivors of a colony decimated by the Tholians who claim to the two Peliar moons and are being relocated to a suitable planet. The Gorlans appear to confirm this but Saru remains suspicious and decides to investigate on his own without authorisation. However, the Gorlans then seize control of the ship, taking both the Peliar crew and the Starfleet team prisoner. Johar is injured saving Saru's life, leaving Saru in command of the landing party. He reluctantly helps the Gorland disable the Shenzhou without loss of life.
However, it soon becomes clear the Peliar ship is on a pre-set course to the intended Gorlan planet. Saru meets with Ejah, who acts as the focal point for the Gorlans' low-level telepathic link. Saru suspects this affected the Peliars, making them feel fear and anguish around the Gorlans. They arrive at the colony planet only to find it is barren and barely habitable. The Shenzhou crew encounter a Peliar ship commanded by Nathal's father, Admiral Tauh, who intends to use deadly force against the Gorlans.
Tauh tracks down the captured Peliar ship but the next arrivals are the Tholians, who claim the area of space as theirs. Tauh intends to evacuate Nathal and her crew and leave the Gorlans and Starfleet party behind to die, but not only Nathal but also Tauh's own crew refuse to go along with it, relieving him. The three groups work together to defend themselves against the Tholians, with Saru's tactics helping keep them at bay until the Shenzhou arrives to help out. With his ship damaged and his crew evacuated, Tauh sacrifices himself in a kamikaze assault on the lead Tholian ship and the surviving Tholians withdraw. The Peliars promise to find the Gorlans a more suitable world.
References
Characters
- USS Shenzhou personnel
- Michael Burnham • Danby Connor • Keyla Detmer • Mary Fan • Kamran Gant • Philippa Georgiou • Guymer • Harewood • Troy Januzzi • Saladin Johar • Belin Oliveira • Saru • Shanahan • Subin • Sonnisar ch'Theloh • Troke • Britch Weeton • Yashae • Zoxom • Zuzub
- Referenced only
- Itzel Garcia • Anton Nambue • Jira Narwani
- Starfleet personnel
- Referenced only
- Terrel
- Peliar
- Craea • Dakas • Hekan • Nathal • Tauh
- Gorlans
- Ejah • Kijoh • Madoh • Nahah • Riden • Tayak • Vetch
Starships and vehicles
- drone • escort drone • Peliar drone-carrier (warship) • Peliar star-freighter • USS Shenzhou (Walker-class) • Tholian Spinner-class (gunship) • Yang
- Referenced only
- Constitution-class • D10-class (battle cruiser) • Fei • J-class transport • Liu • USS Stonewall
Locations
- DRL-559-G • Sanctuary planet
- Referenced only
- Andoria • Dimorus • Earth • Kaminar • Lembatta Cluster • Pacifica • Peliar system • Peliar Zel II • Tholia • Vulcan
Races and cultures
- Gorlan • Human • Kaferian • Kelpien • Mazarite • Peliar (Alphan • Betan) • Tholian • Tulian • Vok'sha • Xanno
- Referenced only
- Ba'ul • Betazoid • Boslic • Human (Space Boomer) • Klingon • Nausicaan • Romulan • Vulcan
States and organizations
- Alpha Defensive Primary • Peliar Zel Cohort • Starfleet • Tholian Assembly • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Federation Council • Peliar Alpha Council • Peliar military college • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Corps of Engineers
Ranks and titles
- adjutant • admiral • arbiter • captain • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief petty officer • Collaborator • commander • communications officer • crewman • engineer • engineering specialist • ensign • first officer • gunner • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • medic • petty officer • pilot • pirate • refugee • spiritual leader • streetfighter • tactical officer • technician • watcher • xenoanthropologist
Science and technology
- airlock • anabolic protoplaser • anatomy • antennae • antigrav • antimatter • arthropod • artificial gravity • asteroid • astrogator • atmosphere processo • attitude control matrix • auto-valve control • automated manipulator arm • axis control • baffle plating • beam cutter • bioluminescent light • blood sugar • carbon scoring • cerebral cortex • Cherenkov radiation • the circle • Class M • Class Y planet • Cochrane bubble • comet • communicator • computer • computer core • containment-filed macro • contra-field warp drive • coolant • cutting torch • cytocrystalline • data card • data pad • delta ray • deuterium conduit • directed energy weapon • disruptor • doc robot • duotronic data core • duotronic matrix • ejection sequence • electromagnetic energy • electromagnetic field • electrosensitive aura • elevator • emitter coil • empathy • energy dampener • epithelial cell • EPS conduit • EPS relay • environmental suitEVA suit • feedback loop • field coil • food fabricator • food slot • food synthesizer • forcefield • fungal matter • fuselage • fusion reactor • gigaquad • gigawatt • gravity belt • gravity generator • gravity well • halo effect • helm control matrix • holo-communicator • hologram • holographic projector module • hub • humanoid • hyperspanner • hypospray • hyronalin • impulse drive • impulse wake • injector module • insectoid • intercom • inertial damper • intercooler • ion drive • ion jet • isophotonic emitter • Kardashev scale • kidney • lamp • lexicon • life support • line-of-sight laser • linguistic framework • liquefaction • lung • macrophone • magnetic boot • magnetic clamp • magnetomic flux array • magnetosphere • maintenance mode • mass • matter • memory bank • merculite rocket pod • metreon nebula • micro-tractor beam • micrometeorite • modular container • multimodal recursive encryption algorithm • nadion field • nadion injection primer • nadion particle • nadion pulse • nebula • nerve cluster • neuroelectric field • neurotoxin • non-Einsteinian space • operational control matrix • particle-beam carbine • pattern buffer • phase cannon • phase drift • phase-wave pulse • phaser • phaser rifle • photon surge • photon torpedo • plasma cannon • plasma conduit • plasma turret • plasma vent • polaric-ion power matrix • polymer • polymorph • power regulator • pulse-wake • quantum physics • reader array • receptor panel • remote analysis • remote monitoring buoy • Richter Scale of Culture • safety interlock • scattering field • self-destruct • self-diagnostic mode • sensor • sensor antenna • sensor array • sensor monocle • sensory aura-field • shield • signal processor • solar array • solar flare • space-warp theory • speed of light • stabilizer system • subspace • subspace communication • subspace energy shock • subspace transceiver array • supernova • surge protector • tac-map • _targeting grid • telepath • terminator • terraforming • thermal radiator • Tholian web • threat ganglia • thruster • thruster suit • tractor beam • transient subspace phenomena • translation matrix • transparent aluminum • tricorder • tritanium • turbolift • ultraviolet • universal translator • UV radiation • warp bubble • warp coil • warp core breach • warp drive • warp nacelle • warp plasma • water purification module • wireless data implant • wireless receiver • xenobiology
Other references
- Aldebaran paprika • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland • Arabic language • astrogeology department • barrel • blade • bosun's whistle • brig • cable • cargo module • carrion bird • catwalk • cave • chapel • chess • cobweb • commendation • Comparative Ethics • courtyard • crate • crustacean • cudgel • cup • debris • Denebian slime devil • Denobulan opera • dew catcher • diagnostic • dice • distress call • dormitory • dune hornet • el-Mitra Exchange • evasive maneuver • First Contact protocols • fish • flask • flotilla • galactic catalog • gear vest • greyhound • hatch • headdress • herbal tea • infirmary • ink • Kaasad • le-matya • loading apron • Low Vulcanian • meditation • medkit • muesli • mud • mug • oil • piracy • polymer shroud • predator • quarters • ration • resignation • river • robe • Royal Game of Ur • safety rail • sailcloth • Salazinus metamorphii • salt • Saru-six • scanner control • secondary systems laboratory • shantytown • shuttlebay • sonnet • Starfleet Officer's Leadership Manual • sugar • survival blanket • survival pack • Suus Mahna • tactical vest • Tarkalean hawk • tea • telescope • tent • tisane • tray • trilobed hull • turkey • Tviokh • yellow alert • yogurt • yurt
Appendices
Images
Connections
Timeline
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Drastic Measures |
Discovery unnumbered novels | Next novel: The Way to the Stars |
| Previous novel: Sight Unseen |
Novels by: James Swallow |
Next novel: The Dark Veil |
| chronological order | ||
Translations
- 2018
- German : Die Furcht an sich, translated by Helga Parmiter. (Cross Cult)
External link
- Fear Itself article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.