| NOVEL | |
|---|---|
| The Art of the Impossible | |
 |
|
| Attribution |
| Series: | The Lost Era, No. 3 |
|---|---|
| Author(s): | Keith R.A. DeCandido |
| Publication information | |
| Published: | Paperback - October 2003 |
| Pages: | 384 |
| ISBN: | ISBN 0743464052 |
| Chronology | |
| Date: | 2328-2346 |
"Politics is the art of the possible" - Otto von Bismarck, 1869
"What God is he writes laws of peace, and clothes him in a tempest?" -William Blake, America: A Prophecy, 1793
Contents |
On an unidentified Klingon world, a father tells his son the legend of Ch'gran: following the Hur'q attack on Qo'noS, the warrior Ch'gran urged the Klingons to set out into space to fulfill their destiny and to save their plundered world. Ch'gran built a fleet of seven starships, all which were lost after sending news that they had found a world to claim. One ship was later found near the Betreka Nebula, but the other six, and Ch'gran's colony, were never found. The prologue ends with the young boy dreaming of finding the Ch'gran colony and bringing glory to the Empire.
The Cardassian vessel Sontok, under the command of Gul Monor, is surveying planet Raknal V, where they discover the wreckage of an ancient Klingon ship. The Sontok is at the same time being shadowed by the IKS Wo'bortas, under the command of Captain Qaolin, and at the direction of Klingon Imperial Intelligence agent Yovang. Realizing the Cardassians have found the remains of the Ch'gran colony, the Wo'bortas calls in a battle fleet, as the Cardassians call in their own.
The two sides fight to a bloody stalemate, following which the Klingons propose to negotiate for Raknal V, with the Federation as mediators. Ambassador Curzon Dax and Lieutenant Elias Vaughn of Starfleet Special Operations are part of the team hosting the conference aboard the USS Carthage. Dax makes the proposal that both Cardassians and Klingons be allowed to settle on separate continents on Raknal V, the one able to prove best able to manage the planet to then gain full control.
Neither side is entirely pleased with this arrangement, but as neither is in position to fight a prolonged war, both agree. Meanwhile, the Romulan Praetor, Dralath, decides to take a special interest in the situation.
After five years of largely peaceful, if uneasy, co-existence on Raknal V, hostilities are ignited by an orbital collision between the Cardassian freighter Gratok and Klingon passenger transport Chut. Among the dead is General Worf, whose son, Mogh, serves as first officer of the IKS Pu'Bekh under Captain K'mpec. While Mogh insists he has no need for vengenace against Cardassians, he apparently causes the destruction of a Cardassian ship, the Boklar, which Councillor Kravokh has ordered captured and its captain tried for attacks in Klingon space.
Relations deteriorate between Cardassia and the Empire, capped by the death of Klingon Chancellor Ditagh. His successor, Kravokh, places K'mpec on the High Council despite his role in the destruction of the Boklar, and vows a more aggressive stance toward the Cardassians and a restoration of the Empire's former glory.
Relations between the Cardassians and Klingons have continued to deteriorate over the past several years. Cardassia is becoming more aggressive in their imperialism, while the Klingons continue to build militarily, and seem ready to shrug off their peaceful alliance with the Federation.
The Romulans attempt to take advange of Klingon-Cardassian tensions, first by destroying a Klingon building on Raknal V, designed to look like Cardassian sabotage, then with a direct attack on Narendra III. Despite these changes on the galactic stage, Chancellor Kravokh remains obsessed with Ch'gran and the Cardassians. When Kravokh's obsession results in the diversion of the IKS Sompek away from Khitomer as it is attacked by Romulans, he is challenged and slain by Councillor K'mpec.
Meanwhile, Vaughn and Dax have been investigating Kravokh and learned the reason for his obsession with Ch'gran: Kravokh's ancestor, Klartak, had mutinied when Ch'gran ordered a return to Qo'noS to overthrow the government. Kravokh wished to preserve Ch'gran's legend; K'mpec, however, believes too many warriors have been sacrificed for a single planet, and he cedes Raknal V to Cardassia.
On an unidentified Cardassian world, a grandfather tells his granddaughter about the greatness of the Cardassian people, and how they stood up to the Klingons and the Federation to take a planet named Raknal V. The young girl vows to grow up to bring even further glory to Cardassia.
The section titles come from the William Blake poem America: A Prophecy, a favorite poem of the author.
| The Lost Era Mini-Series | ||
|---|---|---|
| The Sundered | Serpents Among the Ruins | The Art of the Impossible |
| Well of Souls | Deny Thy Father | Catalyst of Sorrows |
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: The Human Factor Ian Troi section |
Next Adventure: Vulcan's Heart Chapter 1 |
|
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2328. The Pocket Books Timeline places events from this story in five other timeframes: |
||
| Previous Adventure: Three |
2333 Chapter 15 |
Next Adventure: Oblivion |
| Previous Adventure: Maker |
2334 Chapters 16-18 |
Next Adventure: Well of Souls |
| Previous Adventure: The Shoulders of Giants Two |
2343 Chapters 19-26 |
Next Adventure: An Easy Fast Sections 12 and 14 |
| Previous Adventure: The Fourth Toast Flashback |
2344 Chapters 27-29 |
Next Adventure: Seduced Sections 1-11 |
| Previous Adventure: Alice, on the Edge of Night Section 6 |
2346 Chapters 30-40 |
Next Adventure: Pathways Chapter 2, Sections 4-7 |
|
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