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* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After getting caught trying to contact Earth, Erika Hernandez not only refuses to apologize to the Caeliar for "abusing" her new powers, but goes on the offense, berating them for their xenophobia and rigidity.
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* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After getting caught trying to contact Earth, Erika Hernandez not only refuses to apologize to the Caeliar for "abusing" her new powers, but goes on the offense, berating calling them for out on their xenophobia and rigidity.
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::The Caeliar, unsurprisingly, are not persuaded.
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The Caeliar, unsurprisingly, are not persuaded.
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* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Erika's word-for-word reaction to Valerian's [[CruelAndUnusualDeath incredibly gruesome demise]] due the botched catom infusion, which Erika had convinced Valerian to undergo previously.
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* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Erika's word-for-word reaction to Valerian's [[CruelAndUnusualDeath incredibly gruesome demise]] due the Inyx's botched catom infusion, which a procedure that Erika had convinced Valerian to undergo previously.undergo.
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* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After getting caught trying to contact Earth, Erika Hernandez not only refuses to apologize to the Caeliar for "abusing" her new powers, but goes on the offense, berating them for their xenophobia and rigidity. The Caeliar, unsurprisingly, are not persuaded.
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* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After getting caught trying to contact Earth, Erika Hernandez not only refuses to apologize to the Caeliar for "abusing" her new powers, but goes on the offense, berating them for their xenophobia and rigidity.
-->"You say you're looking for civilizations equal to or more advanced than your own, but you act as if you live in fear of the less-developed cultures that are thriving all around you. Can't you see that your self-imposed isolation is making you narrow-minded and provincial? How can you devote yourselves to seeking out new worlds when you shrink and hide from the ones in your own backyard?"
The Caeliar, unsurprisingly, are not persuaded.
-->"You say you're looking for civilizations equal to or more advanced than your own, but you act as if you live in fear of the less-developed cultures that are thriving all around you. Can't you see that your self-imposed isolation is making you narrow-minded and provincial? How can you devote yourselves to seeking out new worlds when you shrink and hide from the ones in your own backyard?"
The Caeliar, unsurprisingly, are not persuaded.
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* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Erika's word-for-word reaction to Valerian's [[CruelAndUnusualDeath incredibly gruesome demise]] due the botched catom infusion, which Erika had convinced Valerian to undergo previously.
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* OhCrap!: Chakotay's reaction when [[spoiler: 7461 Borg Cubes show up in front of him.]]
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** Played straight with the Caeliar leader Ordemo Nordal.
*OhCrap!: OhCrap: Chakotay's reaction when [[spoiler: 7461 Borg Cubes show up in front of him.]]
*
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* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:The Collective/Sedin freaks out when the Caeliar begin overpowering them during their psychic battle.]]
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* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:The Collective/Sedin freaks out has a bit of a meltdown when the Caeliar begin overpowering them during their psychic battle.]]
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* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: The other Caeliar tell Inyx that if he doesn't control Erika's behavior, they will displace her to a remote planet, cut off from the Axion's power source, where she will eventually die of old age.
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* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: The other Caeliar tell Inyx that if he doesn't control Erika's behavior, they will displace her to a remote planet, planet where, cut off from the Axion's power source, where she will eventually die of old age.
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* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: The other Caeliar tell Inyx that if he doesn't control Erika's behavior, they will displace her to a remote planet where she will eventually die of old age.
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* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: The other Caeliar tell Inyx that if he doesn't control Erika's behavior, they will displace her to a remote planet planet, cut off from the Axion's power source, where she will eventually die of old age. age.
** This also has the effect of curbing Erika's rebellious behavior, as she doesn't want Inyx to blame himself for her death.
** This also has the effect of curbing Erika's rebellious behavior, as she doesn't want Inyx to blame himself for her death.
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* OrbitalBombardment: The Borg's standard method of planetary annihilation.
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* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:The Collective/Sedin freaks out when the Caeliar begin overpowering them during their psychic battle.]]
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*** Subverted later on, as Inyx later discovers that Ree's actions, in fact, saved Troi's life.
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* IWillPunishYourFriendForYourFailure: The other Caeliar tell Inyx that if he doesn't control Erika's behavior, they will displace her to a remote planet where she will eventually die of old age.
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* NeckSnap: Worf kills the Hirogen Alpha on the ''Enterprise'' bridge this way.
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* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: In the climax of the trilogy, [[spoiler: the Borg Collective and the Caeliar gestalt engage in a psychic battle, with Erika Hernandez's mind serving as the battlefield.]]
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* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Owen Paris, Charivretha zh'Thane, T'Lana, Kopek]], as well as [[spoiler: the planets Deneva, Khitomer, Risa, and Coridan,among others]].
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: The crews of the ''Enterprise'' and ''Aventine'' use TR-116 rifles against the Hirogen and Borg respectively to great effect.
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: The crews of the ''Enterprise'' and ''Aventine'' use TR-116 rifles against the Hirogen and Borg respectively to great effect.
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* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Owen Paris, Charivretha zh'Thane, T'Lana, Kopek]], as well as [[spoiler: the planets Deneva, Khitomer, Risa, and Coridan,among Coridan, among others]].
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: The crews of the ''Enterprise'' and ''Aventine'' use TR-116 rifles against theHirogen Hirogen, and later, the Borg respectively to great effect.
* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: The crews of the ''Enterprise'' and ''Aventine'' use TR-116 rifles against the
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* RazorFloss: The Hirogen boarders employ monomolecular garrotes.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After getting caught trying to contact Earth, Erika Hernandez not only refuses to apologize to the Caeliar for "abusing" her new powers, but goes on the offense, berating them for their xenophobia and rigidity. The Caeliar, unsurprisingly, are not persuaded.
* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: After getting caught trying to contact Earth, Erika Hernandez not only refuses to apologize to the Caeliar for "abusing" her new powers, but goes on the offense, berating them for their xenophobia and rigidity. The Caeliar, unsurprisingly, are not persuaded.
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** Near the end of the final book, Picard, Riker, and Ezri contemplate destroying [[spoiler: the Caeliar's Omega molecule generator in the event that the Caeliar failed to stop the Borg. They freely acknowledge that the resulting explosion of Omega molecules would likely end all warp travel in the Alpha Quadrant.]]
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** Near the end of the final book, Picard, Riker, and Ezri contemplate destroying [[spoiler: the Caeliar's Omega molecule generator in the event that the Caeliar failed to stop the Borg. They freely acknowledge that the resulting explosion of Omega molecules would likely put an end to all warp travel in the Alpha Quadrant.galaxy.]]
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With the end of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' in 2001 and the flop of ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' in 2002, the canonical ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise changed its focus from the 24th century back to the [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise 22nd]] and, ultimately, [[Film/StarTrek 23rd]] centuries. The upshot was that the bleeding edge of the Star Trek [[MythArc mythos]] was completely abandoned...with, for the first time in decades, absolutely no new developments planned on the horizon.
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With the end of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' in 2001 and the flop of ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' in 2002, the canonical ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise changed its focus from the 24th century back to the [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise 22nd]] and, ultimately, [[Film/StarTrek 23rd]] centuries. The upshot was that the bleeding edge of the Star Trek [[MythArc mythos]] was completely abandoned... with, for the first time in decades, absolutely no new developments planned on the horizon.
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* CrisisCrossover: (although it would probably count as only a BatFamilyCrossover, if not for the inclusion of Ezri Dax from [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]] and Erika Hernandez from [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]].)
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* CrisisCrossover: (although Although it would probably count as only a BatFamilyCrossover, if not for the inclusion of Ezri Dax from [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]] and Erika Hernandez from [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]].)
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* DiscontinuityNod: while the events of ''Before Dishonor'' remain in (novel) continuity, various characters in this trilogy make a point of noting that it was only the one prototypical Borg cube which possessed the absorptive capability that allowed it to '''[[MemeticMutation EAT]]''' '''[[PlutoIsExpendable PLUTO!]]'''
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* DiscontinuityNod: while While the events of ''Before Dishonor'' remain in (novel) continuity, various characters in this trilogy make a point of noting that it was only the one prototypical Borg cube which possessed the absorptive capability that allowed it to '''[[MemeticMutation EAT]]''' '''[[PlutoIsExpendable PLUTO!]]'''
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* TimeyWimeyBall: [[spoiler: So the ''Columbia'' meets with the Caeliar in the twenty-second century. When Erigol is destroyed, portals are created going to different times and places. Captain Hernandez ends up in a distant part of the alpha quadrant, 800 years earlier. Another city-ship is sent to a far corner of the universe, near the beginning of time (eventually causing the catastrophe which destroyed Erigol in the first place). A third goes back in time to the delta quadrant seven thousand years earlier, where they give rise to the Borg...are you taking notes?]]
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* TimeyWimeyBall: [[spoiler: So the ''Columbia'' meets with the Caeliar in the twenty-second century. When Erigol is destroyed, portals are created going to different times and places. Captain Hernandez ends up in a distant part of the alpha quadrant, 800 years earlier. Another city-ship is sent to a far corner of the universe, near the beginning of time (eventually causing the catastrophe which destroyed Erigol in the first place). A third goes back in time to the delta quadrant seven thousand years earlier, where they give rise to the Borg... are you taking notes?]]
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** Near the end of the final book, Picard, Riker, and Ezri contemplate destroying [[spoiler: the Caeliar's Omega molecule generator in the event that the Caeliar failed to stop the Borg. They freely acknowledge that the resulting explosion of Omega molecules would likely end all warp travel in the Alpha Quadrant.]]
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* HopelessWar: Seven flat out tells President Bacco that the Federation has no hope of winning this war. She's pretty much right, [[spoiler: and only the intervention of the Caeliar saves the Federation from complete annihilation.]]
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* HopelessWar: Even before the Borg armada shows up, Seven flat out tells President Bacco the Admiralty that the Federation has no realistic hope of winning this war. She's pretty much right, [[spoiler: and only the intervention of the Caeliar saves the Federation from complete annihilation.]]
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* HopelessWar: Seven flat out tells President Bacco that the Federation has no hope of winning this war. She's pretty much right, [[spoiler: and only the intervention of the Caeliar saves the Federation from complete of annihilation.]]
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* HopelessWar: Seven flat out tells President Bacco that the Federation has no hope of winning this war. She's pretty much right, [[spoiler: and only the intervention of the Caeliar saves the Federation from complete of annihilation.]]
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* HopelessWar: Seven flat out tells President Bacco that the Federation has no hope of winning this war. She's pretty much right, [[spoiler: and only the intervention of the Caeliar saves the Federation from complete of annihilation.]]
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* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler: A key plot point of the trilogy's climax. Hernandez and Dax realize that there are too many similarities between the Borg and the Caeilar to be chalked up to mere coincidence.]]
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* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler: A key plot point of the trilogy's climax. Hernandez and Dax realize that there are too many similarities between the Borg and the Caeilar Caeliar to be chalked up to mere coincidence.]]
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* OhCrap!: Chakotay's reaction when [[spoiler: 7461 Borg Cubes show up in front of him.]]
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* NothingIsTheSameAnymore: The trilogy ends with [[spoiler:the Borg Collective being dismantled and absorbed into the Caeliar gestalt, who subsequently leave the galaxy. Also Starfleet and the Federation have been severely weakened.]]
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* AloneInACrowd: A very effective example in ''Mere Mortals'', with Erika Hernandez among the Caeliar. The scene leads into Hernandez' [[spoiler: attempted suicide]].
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* AloneInACrowd: A very effective example in ''Mere Mortals'', with Erika Hernandez among the Caeliar. The scene leads into Hernandez' Hernandez's [[spoiler: attempted suicide]].
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* CantArgueWithElves: The Caeliar, who have evolved almost completely beyond the need for physical bodies, have no crime, poverty, or want, and are devoted completely to artistic and scientific pursuits. They have just enough respect for others' beliefs to not try to convince other races that the Caeliar's way is correct, but no amount of cajoling will convince them that the Caeliar's way is wrong. They are severely isolationist, but are [[ActualPacifist Actual Pacifists]], which leads various characters who stumble upon their home planet to become permanent "guests". Not a bad place to be, all things considered, but don't argue too much. Make too much noise or disrupt their work and the Caeliar will teleport you to a nice uninhabited planet a few billion light years away, just to make sure you never get home with information about them.
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* CantArgueWithElves: The Caeliar, who have evolved almost completely beyond the need for physical bodies, have no crime, poverty, or want, and are devoted completely to artistic and scientific pursuits. They have just enough respect for others' beliefs to not try to convince other races that the Caeliar's way is correct, but no amount of cajoling will convince them that the Caeliar's way is wrong. They are severely isolationist, but are [[ActualPacifist Actual Pacifists]], which leads various characters who stumble upon their home planet [[GildedCage to become permanent "guests"."guests"]]. Not a bad place to be, all things considered, but don't argue too much. Make too much noise or disrupt their work and the Caeliar will teleport you to a nice uninhabited planet a few billion light years away, just to make sure you never get home with information about them.
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* StockholmSyndrome: Erica Hernandez suffers from a mild case of this, coming to admire her captors and their culture to the point she forgets she's a prisoner. Her crew members are less than happy about it.
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* StockholmSyndrome: Erica Erika Hernandez suffers from a mild case of this, coming to admire her captors and their culture to the point she forgets she's a prisoner. Her crew members are less than happy about it.
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* AlienArtsAreAppreciated: Former President Zife, a Bolian, greatly admired Monet's ''Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lillies''. He left the painting in a prominent position in the Presidental wardroom, considering it a symbol of all the art and culture of the Federation, which he was intent on preserving.
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* AlienArtsAreAppreciated: Former President Zife, a Bolian, greatly admired Monet's ''Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lillies''. He left the painting in a prominent position in the Presidental Presidential wardroom, considering it a symbol of all the art and culture of the Federation, which he was intent on preserving.
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* ComputerVirus: During the early stages of the Earth-Romulan War, the Romulans take control of the ''Columbia'' via a computer virus and [[KickTheDog use her to destroy the convoy she's escorting]].
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* ComputerVirus: During the early stages of the Earth-Romulan War, the Romulans take control of the ''Columbia'' via a computer virus and [[KickTheDog use her to destroy the convoy she's escorting]].escorting - rather than just destroying the convoy themselves]].
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* EmptyShell: Sedin.
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* EmptyShell: Sedin.[[spoiler: Sedin]].
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* HiredGuns: President Bacco outmanoeuvres the Tholians by having the Ferengi hire the Breen as mercenaries in the conflict against the Borg, denying the Tholians the opportunity to ally with the Breen and harass Federation holdings while adding the Breen to the allied effort in the Azure Nebula. Orion mercenaries are also hired.
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* HiredGuns: President Bacco outmanoeuvres outmaneuvers the Tholians by having the Ferengi hire the Breen as mercenaries in the conflict against the Borg, denying the Tholians the opportunity to ally with the Breen and harass Federation holdings while adding the Breen to the allied effort in the Azure Nebula. Orion mercenaries are also hired.
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* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: In a sense. [[spoiler: According to Hernandez, the Borg represent the worst aspects of Humanity and the Caeliar. Also, the ''Columbia'' mutineers' actions set in motion the chain of events that eventually led to the creation of the Borg.]]
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* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: In a sense. [[spoiler: According to Hernandez, After learning the truth of the Borg's origins, Picard surmises that the Borg represent the worst aspects of Humanity must have inherited their savagery and the Caeliar.cruelty from their human ancestors. Also, the ''Columbia'' mutineers' actions set in motion the chain of events that eventually led to the creation of the Borg.]]
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* KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter: The crews of the ''Enterprise'' and ''Aventine'' use TR-116 rifles against the Hirogen and Borg respectively to great effect.
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* HiveMind: ''Literature/StarTrekDestiny'' presents two different versions; the nightmarish, all-consuming collective of the Borg and the vastly more benign "Gestalt" of the Caeliar. [[spoiler: The one is derived from the other.]]
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* HiveMind: ''Literature/StarTrekDestiny'' presents two different versions; the nightmarish, all-consuming collective of the Borg and the vastly more benign "Gestalt" of the Caeliar. [[spoiler: The first one is derived from the other.]]
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* ComputerVirus: During the early stages of the Earth-Romulan War, the Romulans take control of the ''Columbia'' via a computer virus and [[KickTheDog use her to destroy the convoy she's escorting]].
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* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: ''Columbia'' survivors Johanna Metzger and Thom Steinhauer - on different worlds at different points in history, but for similar reasons.]]
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* TheMutiny: A group of ''Columbia'' crewmembers refuse to spend the rest of their lives as "guests" of the Caeliar. They subsequently revolt against Captain Hernandez and try to take control of one of Caeliar's cities. This does not end well for ''anyone''.
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* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: In a sense. [[spoiler: According to Hernandez, the Borg represent the worst aspects of Humanity and the Caeliar.]]
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* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: In a sense. [[spoiler: According to Hernandez, the Borg represent the worst aspects of Humanity and the Caeliar. Also, the ''Columbia'' mutineers' actions set in motion the chain of events that eventually led to the creation of the Borg.]]
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* HumansAreTheRealMonsters: In a sense. [[spoiler: According to Hernandez, the Borg represent the worst aspects of Humanity and the Caeliar.]]
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* HiveQueen: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]] [[spoiler: The Borg Queen is revealed to be a [[TheManBehindTheMan mere puppet of the fundamental drives at the heart of the collective]] - and then unsubverted, because the drives at the heart of the collective are derived from the millenia-old remnants of the personality of Inyx's ex-wife.]]
* IAmAHumanitarian: [[spoiler: The first thing that Sedin does after assimilating the three Humans is to force Greylock and Thayer to [[{{Squick}} "disassemble" Pembleton and consume his edible components presumably while he was still alive]]]]
* IAmAHumanitarian: [[spoiler: The first thing that Sedin does after assimilating the three Humans is to force Greylock and Thayer to [[{{Squick}} "disassemble" Pembleton and consume his edible components presumably while he was still alive]]]]
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* HiveQueen: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]] [[spoiler: The Borg Queen is revealed to be a [[TheManBehindTheMan mere puppet of the fundamental drives at the heart of the collective]] - and then unsubverted, because the drives at the heart of the collective are derived from the millenia-old millennia-old remnants of the personality of Inyx's ex-wife.]]
* IAmAHumanitarian: [[spoiler: The first thing that Sedin does after assimilating the three Humans is to force Greylock and Thayer to [[{{Squick}}"disassemble" Pembleton "consolidate" Pembleton, carve up his body, and consume his edible components presumably while he was still alive]]]]components.]]]]
* IAmAHumanitarian: [[spoiler: The first thing that Sedin does after assimilating the three Humans is to force Greylock and Thayer to [[{{Squick}}
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* {{Nanomachines}}: Caeliar catoms.
* NearVillainVictory: The Borg certainly came light-years closer to total annihilation of the Federation than Captain Nero, Khan, and the Dominion '''combined'''.
* NearVillainVictory: The Borg certainly came light-years closer to total annihilation of the Federation than Captain Nero, Khan, and the Dominion '''combined'''.
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* {{Nanomachines}}: Borg nanoprobes and Caeliar catoms.
catoms. [[spoiler: The former is a corrupted version of the latter.]]
* NearVillainVictory: The Borg certainly came light-years closer to total annihilation of the Federation than Captain Nero, Khan, and the Dominion '''combined'''. They are literally seconds away from destroying Earth when [[spoiler: they are lured back to the Azure Nebula by the Caeliar's Omega molecule generator.]]
* NearVillainVictory: The Borg certainly came light-years closer to total annihilation of the Federation than Captain Nero, Khan, and the Dominion '''combined'''. They are literally seconds away from destroying Earth when [[spoiler: they are lured back to the Azure Nebula by the Caeliar's Omega molecule generator.]]
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* TookALevelInBadass: Ezri Dax. In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' television series, Ezri was an extremely awkward, timid, and self-conscious character, to the point where Elim Garak once gave her a classic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, informing her that the reason why everyone had preferred Jadzia Dax, her symbiote's previous host, was because Ezri was a complete [[ButtMonkey wimp]], and Jadzia wasn't. By the end of these three books, however, nobody is still comparing Ezri unfavourably with Jadzia.
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* TookALevelInBadass: Ezri Dax. In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' television series, Ezri was an extremely awkward, timid, and self-conscious character, to the point where Elim Garak once gave her a classic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, informing her that the reason why everyone had preferred Jadzia Dax, her symbiote's previous host, was because Ezri was a complete [[ButtMonkey wimp]], and Jadzia wasn't. By the end of these three books, however, nobody is still comparing Ezri unfavourably unfavorably with Jadzia.
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* StartOfDarkness: The origin of the Borg is finally revealed. It is extremely complicated [[spoiler: and involves [[NoodleImplements a French Canadian, alien whalers, and Inyx's ex-wife]]]].
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* StartOfDarkness: The origin of the Borg is finally revealed. It is extremely complicated [[spoiler: and involves [[NoodleImplements a French Canadian, alien whalers, and Inyx's ex-wife]]]].ex-wife]]. Very basically, a group of Caeliar and humans were stranded on a remote planet where the Caeliar were dying, and the last one of them, with almost none of her mind left other than a desperate need to survive, forcibly merged with the humans, creating cyborgs that had little mental directives other than consume and survive]].
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** Doubles as MoralDissonance for La Forge, unfortunately, who is suddenly arguing for alternatives to killing the Borg despite showing no such concerns earlier in the novels when the Enterprise was one-shotting Borg cubes with transphasic torpedoes. It's clear that his real objection is to the method, not the act itself, and would be cheerfully complicit in the annihilation of the Borg if it could be done by conventional means. He also alternates between arguing that it won't work, and that it will have negative political consequences. If it came to using thalaron weapons, and they didn't work, there wouldn't be any political consequences because everyone would be dead or Borg. Furthermore Picard isn't even planning to use them unless the Caeliar fail and the Borg resume their genocidal attack. If it came to using the thalaron weapons, and they did work, it's doubtful anyone would agree that the political fallout was somehow worse than the total annihilation of all life by the Borg. The entire scene only works because the author and audience already know that the peaceful solution will work because it's StarTrek.
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* StockholmSyndrome: Erica Hernandez suffers from a mild case of this, coming to admire her captors and their culture to the point she forgets she's a prisoner. Her crew members are less than happy about it.
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* TheBechdelTest: Passes with flying colours. [[InvertedTrope Particularly]] [[TwoGirlsToATeam notable]] is the fact that the senior staff of the Columbia has a male-to-female ratio of 2:6.
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This series is also notable as the main point at which the novelverse and ''VideoGame/StarTrekOnline'''s continuity [[AlternateContinuity diverge for good]]: the all-out Borg invasion never happens in that game.
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One of the major plot points in the novel is that the Borg have STOPPED using And I Must Scream tactics and moved straight on to Kill Em All.
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* AndIMustScream: In general, the fate of those poor souls who run afoul of the Borg. Also, what happens to Hernandez's three remaining crew members when faced with spending their whole lives imprisoned with the Caeliar, with absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to (not even themselves). Fletcher handles it somewhat better than the other two.
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* AndIMustScream: In general, the The fate of those poor souls who run afoul of that threatens Hernandez if the Borg.Borg get hold of her. Also, what happens to Hernandez's three remaining crew members when faced with spending their whole lives imprisoned with the Caeliar, with absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to (not even themselves). Fletcher handles it somewhat better than the other two.
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* SociopathicSoldier: Major Foyle of the Columbia's MACO company who is willing to lie, wound and kill fellow crewmembers without any considerations but his own and is disturbingly calm about this.
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* IronicEcho: The little speech pointing out that "Caeliar" is both noun and adjective. Given to Erika Hernandez by Inyx after Hernandez arrives at Erigol, it is later given to the visiting crew of ''Titan''. Hernandez and Inyx share a quick amused glance.
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* IronicEcho: The little speech pointing out that "Caeliar" is both noun and adjective. Given to Erika Hernandez by Inyx after Hernandez arrives at Erigol, it is later given to the visiting crew of ''Titan''. Hernandez and Inyx share a quick amused glance.
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* TakingTheBullet: Happens twice during the Battle of Korvat, both times with a Federation starship taking the brunt of the Borg's planet-destroying weapon and being vaporized almost instantly.
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[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/star_trek_destiny_omnibus_cover_4400.jpg]]
Part of the Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse.
With the end of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' in 2001 and the flop of ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' in 2002, the canonical ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise changed its focus from the 24th century back to the [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise 22nd]] and, ultimately, [[Film/StarTrek 23rd]] centuries. The upshot was that the bleeding edge of the Star Trek [[MythArc mythos]] was completely abandoned...with, for the first time in decades, absolutely no new developments planned on the horizon.
Needless to say that the way was paved for a more activist Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse, where writers of novels were finally free to ''really'' shake things up and the [[StatusQuoIsGod status quo no longer held the sway it once did.]]
All of this culminated in late 2008 with ''Star Trek: Destiny'', an epic novel trilogy by David Mack, detailing the final war between TheFederation and the [[BigBad Borg Collective]]. After suffering one defeat after another at the hands of Starfleet, the Borg have finally decided to cut their losses and wipe out Humanity once and for all. To this end, they send an armada to the Alpha Quadrant using a network of interstellar tunnels, left behind by a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien race. Things look bleak for Starfleet, but the wreck of a ship, lost mysteriously centuries earlier, may hold the secret to the Federation's survival.
The story is spread out over three novels (''Gods of Night,'' ''Mere Mortals'' and ''Lost Souls''). It fundamentally changes the Franchise/StarTrek universe, and is well worth the read.
While it has been generally well-received, it should be cautioned that, as with all developments in the Franchise/StarTrek franchise, opinions will differ. Major spoilers are found below.
----
!!Tropes seen in ''Star Trek: Destiny'' include:
* ActualPacifist: The Caeliar. They would rather die in the millions than harm another being, or even allow harm to come to others if they can prevent it. When the human characters they're holding captive rebel, they're convinced to co-operate when a human shoots ''his own'' colleague.
* AdvancedAncientAcropolis: Axion, the Caeliar capital.
* AlienArtsAreAppreciated: Former President Zife, a Bolian, greatly admired Monet's ''Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lillies''. He left the painting in a prominent position in the Presidental wardroom, considering it a symbol of all the art and culture of the Federation, which he was intent on preserving.
* AllPowerfulBystander: The Caeliar. Not literally all-powerful, but incredibly advanced technologically, and capable of resolving the Borg threat relatively simply. However, their culture is stagnant, xenophobic and isolationist in the extreme, apathetic about the wider galaxy. It takes Erika Hernandez to pull them off the sidelines, after first rediscovering her own humanity.
* AloneInACrowd: A very effective example in ''Mere Mortals'', with Erika Hernandez among the Caeliar. The scene leads into Hernandez' [[spoiler: attempted suicide]].
* AndIMustScream: In general, the fate of those poor souls who run afoul of the Borg. Also, what happens to Hernandez's three remaining crew members when faced with spending their whole lives imprisoned with the Caeliar, with absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to (not even themselves). Fletcher handles it somewhat better than the other two.
* AssInAmbassador: Tholian Ambassador Tezrene.
* ApocalypseHow: By means of Borg cubes annihilating planetary biospheres, apparently.
* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler: T'lana]], who had been written out of the series she appeared in shortly before ''Destiny'', and [[spoiler: Charivretha zh'Thane]], who hadn't been seen for some time (and several years earlier in-universe).
* TheBechdelTest: Passes with flying colours. [[InvertedTrope Particularly]] [[TwoGirlsToATeam notable]] is the fact that the senior staff of the Columbia has a male-to-female ratio of 2:6.
* BloodOnTheDebateFloor: When President Bacco calls the ambassadors from the major galactic powers together, Klingon ambassador K'mtok and Romulan ambassador Kalavak end up fighting. After a series of accusations and insults regarding events in prior novels (particularly in ''Literature/StarTrekArticlesOfTheFederation''), the two begin to physically scuffle, until separated by Federation security.
* CantArgueWithElves: The Caeliar, who have evolved almost completely beyond the need for physical bodies, have no crime, poverty, or want, and are devoted completely to artistic and scientific pursuits. They have just enough respect for others' beliefs to not try to convince other races that the Caeliar's way is correct, but no amount of cajoling will convince them that the Caeliar's way is wrong. They are severely isolationist, but are [[ActualPacifist Actual Pacifists]], which leads various characters who stumble upon their home planet to become permanent "guests". Not a bad place to be, all things considered, but don't argue too much. Make too much noise or disrupt their work and the Caeliar will teleport you to a nice uninhabited planet a few billion light years away, just to make sure you never get home with information about them.
* ChekhovsGun: The Hirogen energy dampeners.
* ContinuityNod: A great many, to the entirety of the ''Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse'' continuity.
* CowardlyLion: Like most Ferengi, Ambassador Derro is a mass of nerves around the more aggressive races...but when it's time to string them along with his fine grasp of commerce, he shows great cunning and confidence. Reluctant to commit to an alliance with the Federation, he comes through for President Bacco by hiring the Breen as mercenaries, adding them to Bacco's coalition while depriving the Tholians of a potential ally.
* CrisisCrossover: (although it would probably count as only a BatFamilyCrossover, if not for the inclusion of Ezri Dax from [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]] and Erika Hernandez from [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]].)
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: The Caeliar.
* CurbStompBattle: The Borg versus anything, but particularly the Battle of the Azure Nebula. A combined fleet of 10 major powers is destroyed without doing any appreciable damage to the invading Borg Armada.
* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: The Borg, obviously. However, one scene in particular is notable. ''Literature/StarTrekTitan'' character Torvig Bu-kar-nguv is from a race of non-humanoid cyborgs (Choblik), who owe their intelligence and civilization to their implants, being a race of UpliftedAnimal. In previous novels, Torvig initially had difficulty comprehending the full horror of the Borg Collective. Now, though, the implications finally hit him, and he ends up perhaps the most horrified of all; this trope, and thus the Borg, are essentially the anti-Choblik, their most primal horror. He makes his friend Ranul Keru promise that he won't let Torvig be taken by Borg.
* DarkestHour: The Borg invasion is a weighty contender for the darkest hour of the entire Franchise/StarTrek franchise.
* DespairEventHorizon: Picard crosses this when his decision to finally start a family with Beverly Crusher coincides with the Borg launching what looks to be a final, all-out attack on the Federation - a war that by conventional means can only be won by the Borg.
* DiscontinuityNod: while the events of ''Before Dishonor'' remain in (novel) continuity, various characters in this trilogy make a point of noting that it was only the one prototypical Borg cube which possessed the absorptive capability that allowed it to '''[[MemeticMutation EAT]]''' '''[[PlutoIsExpendable PLUTO!]]'''
* DividedWeFall: Averted. Martok's nemesis Councillor Kopek agrees this is no time for politics. When Martok, leading the Klingon fleet, calls Kopek back on Qo'noS to warn him of impending Borg attack, Kopek assures Martok his throne will be waiting for him upon his return. Martok replies "with you sitting in it, I imagine?" However, Kopek for once isn't planning anything, and says so. It's the first time the character has been presented as anything other than a selfish monster; he understands the severity of the situation. He also dies defending Qo'noS, so possibly RedemptionEqualsDeath.
* DyingRace: The Caeliar lost the ability to reproduce when they advanced to their current form. They didn't think it would be a problem, but when 98% of their people are lost in an EarthShatteringKaboom, it eventually forces a reexamination of their cultural ideals.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: While far from completely happy (see PyrrhicVictory) there is nonetheless a great sense of relief knowing that the war is over, and the Borg will never be able to hurt anyone again.]]
* EmptyShell: Sedin.
* EmergencyTransformation: Erika Hernandez, after she began to die of old age. [[spoiler: It was also recommended for, and eventually forced upon, Graylock, Pembleton and Thayer.]]
* GenocideDilemma: This once again surfaces with the Borg.
* GodzillaThreshold: The situation gets so bad that Starfleet seriously considers holding the Borg off with [[WeaponOfMassDestruction thalaron weapons]] and evacuating the Federation's population to another galaxy. In fact, Seven of Nine coldly deduces that the Federation cannot hope to win, and must embrace such desperate tactics to survive at all.
* GoingNative: After nearly a millennium in the Caeliar capital and an EmergencyTransformation, Erika Hernandez is finally able to admit that she is, indeed, a Caeliar.
* GondorCallsForAid: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]] President Bacco does indeed call for aid from all other powers in the Alpha and Beta quadrants, but their response is tepid and the combined fleet is annihilated within minutes anyway. All that her efforts really accomplish is [[SequelHook to antagonize the Tholians]].
* HeroicBSOD: Captain Picard.
* {{Heroic Sacrifice}}: Many. Among the more notable examples: The crew of the Imperial Romulan Warbird ''Verithrax'', who destroyed themselves saving planet Ardana from destruction, Captain Pachal and the crew of ''Ranger'', using their ship as a missile to take out a Borg cube menacing Khitomer, and [[spoiler: six million Caeliar to save their human “guests” during the destruction of Erigol]].
** Lt. Lonnoc Kedair's attempt to do this fails, but she's still freakin' awesome anyway.
* HiddenElfVillage: Erigol, the Caeliar homeworld. After the switch to New Erigol, they keep to the tradition, rejecting contact with the outside galaxy and hoping to keep their world concealed.
* HiredGuns: President Bacco outmanoeuvres the Tholians by having the Ferengi hire the Breen as mercenaries in the conflict against the Borg, denying the Tholians the opportunity to ally with the Breen and harass Federation holdings while adding the Breen to the allied effort in the Azure Nebula. Orion mercenaries are also hired.
* HiveMind: ''Literature/StarTrekDestiny'' presents two different versions; the nightmarish, all-consuming collective of the Borg and the vastly more benign "Gestalt" of the Caeliar. [[spoiler: The one is derived from the other.]]
* HiveQueen: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]] [[spoiler: The Borg Queen is revealed to be a [[TheManBehindTheMan mere puppet of the fundamental drives at the heart of the collective]] - and then unsubverted, because the drives at the heart of the collective are derived from the millenia-old remnants of the personality of Inyx's ex-wife.]]
* IAmAHumanitarian: [[spoiler: The first thing that Sedin does after assimilating the three Humans is to force Greylock and Thayer to [[{{Squick}} "disassemble" Pembleton and consume his edible components presumably while he was still alive]]]]
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Martok, after his flagship is crippled during a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from the Borg, and he can only sit and wait for repairs as the Borg fleet moves on to Qo'noS.
* IronicEcho: The little speech pointing out that "Caeliar" is both noun and adjective. Given to Erika Hernandez by Inyx after Hernandez arrives at Erigol, it is later given to the visiting crew of ''Titan''. Hernandez and Inyx share a quick amused glance.
* KillAllHumans: The new goal of the Borg Collective. As well as all Vulcans, all Andorians, all Tellarites, all Romulans, all Klingons, all...
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Owen Paris, Charivretha zh'Thane, T'Lana, Kopek]], as well as [[spoiler: the planets Deneva, Khitomer, Risa, and Coridan,among others]].
* KnightTemplar: Picard tends towards this.
* LastRequest: President Bacco tells her assistant to have the kitchen whip up the finest meals they can and have as many officials and staffers as possible attend a final banquet before the Borg reach Earth. She decides that if this is the end of the Federation, then by God they're going to go out with heads held high.
* MindRape: The Borg respond to Hernandez's attempts to hack the collective by corrupting her favourite childhood memories. It's basically the psychic equivalent of a "scorched earth" campaign, leaving her nowhere to retreat to while facing the nightmare of the collective mind.
* {{Nanomachines}}: Caeliar catoms.
* NearVillainVictory: The Borg certainly came light-years closer to total annihilation of the Federation than Captain Nero, Khan, and the Dominion '''combined'''.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: It is heavily implied that the invasion occurs thanks to the actions of future Janeway back in [[Series/StarTrekVoyager "Endgame"]].
** [[SubvertedTrope Or not.]] [[spoiler: ''Literature/StarTrekDepartmentOfTemporalInvestigations'' explicitly says that in the long run, if the Borg hadn't invaded (and subsequently been defeated) at that point in history, nothing could have stopped them from conquering the entire galaxy by the year 2600 at the latest.]]
* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler: A key plot point of the trilogy's climax. Hernandez and Dax realize that there are too many similarities between the Borg and the Caeilar to be chalked up to mere coincidence.]]
* ObiWanMoment: Both [[spoiler: T'Lana (see Literature/StarTrekTheNextGenerationRelaunch) and Charivretha zh'Thane (of the Literature/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch)]] die like this, peacefully accepting their fate when they are caught in the bombardment of Vulcan and Andor, respectively.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]: The Admiralty seems really stupid for not distributing transphasic torpedoes throughout the fleet. Turns out that they were right.
* OmnicidalManiac: The Borg Collective, following the loss of the transwarp network. The Borg's new goal, until they are stopped/saved is simply "destroy everything".
* PerfectPacifistPeople: The Caeliar see themselves as this. They're certainly not actually perfect, mind you.
* PlotArmor: Out of the potentially thousands of ships rallied against the Borg in the Azure Nebula, [[spoiler: only ''Voyager'' survives. Barely, though.]]
* PoisonousPerson: The Chelons' natural poison defenses come into play at one point (having been established in ''Literature/StarTrekVanguard''). A Hirogen hunter is quite embarrassed to find himself defeated by a dead man, having released the toxin while killing a Chelon crewman.
* PyrrhicVictory: The Borg war, pretty much. [[spoiler: Yes, the Federation won, the Collective was liberated, the darkness has been lifted, there is peace, but Deneva, Risa, Coridan and several other major worlds are gone, many other major worlds are damaged, and 70 Billion people are dead. There isn't any mood to celebrate.]]
* RousingSpeech: Martok gives one to the assembled High Council:
-->"Blood shed for a friend is sacred, a debt of honor. And if you won’t stand and fight beside a friend in blood, then you are not a Klingon. You are not a warrior. Run home to your beds and hide, I have no use for you! I won’t die in the company of such ''petaQ’pu''. The sons of our sons will sing of these battles. Time will erase our sins and fade our scars, but our names will live on in songs of honor. The Borg are coming, my brothers. Stand and fight beside me now, and let us make warriors born in ages to come curse ''Fek’lhr'' that they were not here to SHARE OUR GLORY!”
* ScrewYouElves: The Human characters are somewhat unimpressed by Caeliar claims of cultural superiority.
* SequelHook: The Children of the Storm. Indeed, they've since been followed up on in the ''Literature/StarTrekVoyagerRelaunch'' books. The trilogy also sets the stage for the rise of the [[VillainTeamUp Typhon Pact]]. See ''Literature/ASingularDestiny'' and ''Literature/StarTrekTyphonPact''.
* ShoutOutToShakespeare: Morgan Bateson of the ''Atlas'' as the remnants of his battle group take on the Borg near Vulcan.
-->'''Bateson:''' Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more! '''FIRE AT WILL!'''
* StartOfDarkness: The origin of the Borg is finally revealed. It is extremely complicated [[spoiler: and involves [[NoodleImplements a French Canadian, alien whalers, and Inyx's ex-wife]]]].
* SufficientlyAdvancedAliens: The Caeliar.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: President Bacco tries to pull off a joint operation between the United Federation of Planets, Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, Imperial Romulan State, Cardassian Union, Gorn Hegemony, Breen Confederacy, Talarian Republic, Ferengi Alliance and Tholian Assembly. Eventually, everyone except the Tholians agrees.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: The Borg.
* TookALevelInBadass: Ezri Dax. In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' television series, Ezri was an extremely awkward, timid, and self-conscious character, to the point where Elim Garak once gave her a classic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, informing her that the reason why everyone had preferred Jadzia Dax, her symbiote's previous host, was because Ezri was a complete [[ButtMonkey wimp]], and Jadzia wasn't. By the end of these three books, however, nobody is still comparing Ezri unfavourably with Jadzia.
* ThrowAwayCountry: Not that anybody really cares about Acamar or Barolia mind you. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] later on in the series by having some important planets get destroyed as well.
* TimeyWimeyBall: [[spoiler: So the ''Columbia'' meets with the Caeliar in the twenty-second century. When Erigol is destroyed, portals are created going to different times and places. Captain Hernandez ends up in a distant part of the alpha quadrant, 800 years earlier. Another city-ship is sent to a far corner of the universe, near the beginning of time (eventually causing the catastrophe which destroyed Erigol in the first place). A third goes back in time to the delta quadrant seven thousand years earlier, where they give rise to the Borg...are you taking notes?]]
* TurtlePower: A Chelon character wins one for the team even in death.
* VillainPedigree: The Borg recover nicely from their VillainDecay.
* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler: The Borg collective itself, based on a synthesis of the worst aspects of a Caeliar and her Human victims]]
* WhamEpisode: By the end of this trilogy [[spoiler: 40% of Starfleet has been destroyed, 70 billion people are dead, and the Borg are ''gone.'']]
* WhatTheHellHero: La Forge gives Captain Picard a speech of this kind for planning to annihilate the Borg with a WeaponOfMassDestruction rather than considering Hernandez's approach. Indeed, a WeaponOfMassDestruction that Picard has always condemned, which if used would have the Klingons and Romulans up in arms (quite justifiably) and which Picard's crew and friends fought - in some cases to the death - to prevent being used elsewhere. Most importantly, Picard's approach wouldn't have worked anyway. [[DespairEventHorizon He had totally given up]], and was fixated on a "go down shooting!" apocalyptic mindset whereas Hernandez, Dax and Riker were legitimately trying to put a stop to the destruction.
** On a lesser note, Inyx gives Dr. Ree a telling off when he bites Deanna Troi as part of his efforts to care for her. Inyx's ActualPacifist ways clash with the carnivorous ethos of Ree's people.
* ZombieApocalypse: [[spoiler: Implied to be the origin of the Borg]]
----
Part of the Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse.
With the end of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' in 2001 and the flop of ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'' in 2002, the canonical ''Franchise/StarTrek'' franchise changed its focus from the 24th century back to the [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise 22nd]] and, ultimately, [[Film/StarTrek 23rd]] centuries. The upshot was that the bleeding edge of the Star Trek [[MythArc mythos]] was completely abandoned...with, for the first time in decades, absolutely no new developments planned on the horizon.
Needless to say that the way was paved for a more activist Franchise/StarTrekExpandedUniverse, where writers of novels were finally free to ''really'' shake things up and the [[StatusQuoIsGod status quo no longer held the sway it once did.]]
All of this culminated in late 2008 with ''Star Trek: Destiny'', an epic novel trilogy by David Mack, detailing the final war between TheFederation and the [[BigBad Borg Collective]]. After suffering one defeat after another at the hands of Starfleet, the Borg have finally decided to cut their losses and wipe out Humanity once and for all. To this end, they send an armada to the Alpha Quadrant using a network of interstellar tunnels, left behind by a SufficientlyAdvancedAlien race. Things look bleak for Starfleet, but the wreck of a ship, lost mysteriously centuries earlier, may hold the secret to the Federation's survival.
The story is spread out over three novels (''Gods of Night,'' ''Mere Mortals'' and ''Lost Souls''). It fundamentally changes the Franchise/StarTrek universe, and is well worth the read.
While it has been generally well-received, it should be cautioned that, as with all developments in the Franchise/StarTrek franchise, opinions will differ. Major spoilers are found below.
----
!!Tropes seen in ''Star Trek: Destiny'' include:
* ActualPacifist: The Caeliar. They would rather die in the millions than harm another being, or even allow harm to come to others if they can prevent it. When the human characters they're holding captive rebel, they're convinced to co-operate when a human shoots ''his own'' colleague.
* AdvancedAncientAcropolis: Axion, the Caeliar capital.
* AlienArtsAreAppreciated: Former President Zife, a Bolian, greatly admired Monet's ''Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lillies''. He left the painting in a prominent position in the Presidental wardroom, considering it a symbol of all the art and culture of the Federation, which he was intent on preserving.
* AllPowerfulBystander: The Caeliar. Not literally all-powerful, but incredibly advanced technologically, and capable of resolving the Borg threat relatively simply. However, their culture is stagnant, xenophobic and isolationist in the extreme, apathetic about the wider galaxy. It takes Erika Hernandez to pull them off the sidelines, after first rediscovering her own humanity.
* AloneInACrowd: A very effective example in ''Mere Mortals'', with Erika Hernandez among the Caeliar. The scene leads into Hernandez' [[spoiler: attempted suicide]].
* AndIMustScream: In general, the fate of those poor souls who run afoul of the Borg. Also, what happens to Hernandez's three remaining crew members when faced with spending their whole lives imprisoned with the Caeliar, with absolutely nothing to do and no one to talk to (not even themselves). Fletcher handles it somewhat better than the other two.
* AssInAmbassador: Tholian Ambassador Tezrene.
* ApocalypseHow: By means of Borg cubes annihilating planetary biospheres, apparently.
* BackForTheDead: [[spoiler: T'lana]], who had been written out of the series she appeared in shortly before ''Destiny'', and [[spoiler: Charivretha zh'Thane]], who hadn't been seen for some time (and several years earlier in-universe).
* TheBechdelTest: Passes with flying colours. [[InvertedTrope Particularly]] [[TwoGirlsToATeam notable]] is the fact that the senior staff of the Columbia has a male-to-female ratio of 2:6.
* BloodOnTheDebateFloor: When President Bacco calls the ambassadors from the major galactic powers together, Klingon ambassador K'mtok and Romulan ambassador Kalavak end up fighting. After a series of accusations and insults regarding events in prior novels (particularly in ''Literature/StarTrekArticlesOfTheFederation''), the two begin to physically scuffle, until separated by Federation security.
* CantArgueWithElves: The Caeliar, who have evolved almost completely beyond the need for physical bodies, have no crime, poverty, or want, and are devoted completely to artistic and scientific pursuits. They have just enough respect for others' beliefs to not try to convince other races that the Caeliar's way is correct, but no amount of cajoling will convince them that the Caeliar's way is wrong. They are severely isolationist, but are [[ActualPacifist Actual Pacifists]], which leads various characters who stumble upon their home planet to become permanent "guests". Not a bad place to be, all things considered, but don't argue too much. Make too much noise or disrupt their work and the Caeliar will teleport you to a nice uninhabited planet a few billion light years away, just to make sure you never get home with information about them.
* ChekhovsGun: The Hirogen energy dampeners.
* ContinuityNod: A great many, to the entirety of the ''Franchise/StarTrekNovelVerse'' continuity.
* CowardlyLion: Like most Ferengi, Ambassador Derro is a mass of nerves around the more aggressive races...but when it's time to string them along with his fine grasp of commerce, he shows great cunning and confidence. Reluctant to commit to an alliance with the Federation, he comes through for President Bacco by hiring the Breen as mercenaries, adding them to Bacco's coalition while depriving the Tholians of a potential ally.
* CrisisCrossover: (although it would probably count as only a BatFamilyCrossover, if not for the inclusion of Ezri Dax from [[Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine Deep Space Nine]] and Erika Hernandez from [[Series/StarTrekEnterprise Enterprise]].)
* CrystalSpiresAndTogas: The Caeliar.
* CurbStompBattle: The Borg versus anything, but particularly the Battle of the Azure Nebula. A combined fleet of 10 major powers is destroyed without doing any appreciable damage to the invading Borg Armada.
* CyberneticsEatYourSoul: The Borg, obviously. However, one scene in particular is notable. ''Literature/StarTrekTitan'' character Torvig Bu-kar-nguv is from a race of non-humanoid cyborgs (Choblik), who owe their intelligence and civilization to their implants, being a race of UpliftedAnimal. In previous novels, Torvig initially had difficulty comprehending the full horror of the Borg Collective. Now, though, the implications finally hit him, and he ends up perhaps the most horrified of all; this trope, and thus the Borg, are essentially the anti-Choblik, their most primal horror. He makes his friend Ranul Keru promise that he won't let Torvig be taken by Borg.
* DarkestHour: The Borg invasion is a weighty contender for the darkest hour of the entire Franchise/StarTrek franchise.
* DespairEventHorizon: Picard crosses this when his decision to finally start a family with Beverly Crusher coincides with the Borg launching what looks to be a final, all-out attack on the Federation - a war that by conventional means can only be won by the Borg.
* DiscontinuityNod: while the events of ''Before Dishonor'' remain in (novel) continuity, various characters in this trilogy make a point of noting that it was only the one prototypical Borg cube which possessed the absorptive capability that allowed it to '''[[MemeticMutation EAT]]''' '''[[PlutoIsExpendable PLUTO!]]'''
* DividedWeFall: Averted. Martok's nemesis Councillor Kopek agrees this is no time for politics. When Martok, leading the Klingon fleet, calls Kopek back on Qo'noS to warn him of impending Borg attack, Kopek assures Martok his throne will be waiting for him upon his return. Martok replies "with you sitting in it, I imagine?" However, Kopek for once isn't planning anything, and says so. It's the first time the character has been presented as anything other than a selfish monster; he understands the severity of the situation. He also dies defending Qo'noS, so possibly RedemptionEqualsDeath.
* DyingRace: The Caeliar lost the ability to reproduce when they advanced to their current form. They didn't think it would be a problem, but when 98% of their people are lost in an EarthShatteringKaboom, it eventually forces a reexamination of their cultural ideals.
* EarnYourHappyEnding: [[spoiler: While far from completely happy (see PyrrhicVictory) there is nonetheless a great sense of relief knowing that the war is over, and the Borg will never be able to hurt anyone again.]]
* EmptyShell: Sedin.
* EmergencyTransformation: Erika Hernandez, after she began to die of old age. [[spoiler: It was also recommended for, and eventually forced upon, Graylock, Pembleton and Thayer.]]
* GenocideDilemma: This once again surfaces with the Borg.
* GodzillaThreshold: The situation gets so bad that Starfleet seriously considers holding the Borg off with [[WeaponOfMassDestruction thalaron weapons]] and evacuating the Federation's population to another galaxy. In fact, Seven of Nine coldly deduces that the Federation cannot hope to win, and must embrace such desperate tactics to survive at all.
* GoingNative: After nearly a millennium in the Caeliar capital and an EmergencyTransformation, Erika Hernandez is finally able to admit that she is, indeed, a Caeliar.
* GondorCallsForAid: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]] President Bacco does indeed call for aid from all other powers in the Alpha and Beta quadrants, but their response is tepid and the combined fleet is annihilated within minutes anyway. All that her efforts really accomplish is [[SequelHook to antagonize the Tholians]].
* HeroicBSOD: Captain Picard.
* {{Heroic Sacrifice}}: Many. Among the more notable examples: The crew of the Imperial Romulan Warbird ''Verithrax'', who destroyed themselves saving planet Ardana from destruction, Captain Pachal and the crew of ''Ranger'', using their ship as a missile to take out a Borg cube menacing Khitomer, and [[spoiler: six million Caeliar to save their human “guests” during the destruction of Erigol]].
** Lt. Lonnoc Kedair's attempt to do this fails, but she's still freakin' awesome anyway.
* HiddenElfVillage: Erigol, the Caeliar homeworld. After the switch to New Erigol, they keep to the tradition, rejecting contact with the outside galaxy and hoping to keep their world concealed.
* HiredGuns: President Bacco outmanoeuvres the Tholians by having the Ferengi hire the Breen as mercenaries in the conflict against the Borg, denying the Tholians the opportunity to ally with the Breen and harass Federation holdings while adding the Breen to the allied effort in the Azure Nebula. Orion mercenaries are also hired.
* HiveMind: ''Literature/StarTrekDestiny'' presents two different versions; the nightmarish, all-consuming collective of the Borg and the vastly more benign "Gestalt" of the Caeliar. [[spoiler: The one is derived from the other.]]
* HiveQueen: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted.]] [[spoiler: The Borg Queen is revealed to be a [[TheManBehindTheMan mere puppet of the fundamental drives at the heart of the collective]] - and then unsubverted, because the drives at the heart of the collective are derived from the millenia-old remnants of the personality of Inyx's ex-wife.]]
* IAmAHumanitarian: [[spoiler: The first thing that Sedin does after assimilating the three Humans is to force Greylock and Thayer to [[{{Squick}} "disassemble" Pembleton and consume his edible components presumably while he was still alive]]]]
* INeedAFreakingDrink: Martok, after his flagship is crippled during a NoHoldsBarredBeatdown from the Borg, and he can only sit and wait for repairs as the Borg fleet moves on to Qo'noS.
* IronicEcho: The little speech pointing out that "Caeliar" is both noun and adjective. Given to Erika Hernandez by Inyx after Hernandez arrives at Erigol, it is later given to the visiting crew of ''Titan''. Hernandez and Inyx share a quick amused glance.
* KillAllHumans: The new goal of the Borg Collective. As well as all Vulcans, all Andorians, all Tellarites, all Romulans, all Klingons, all...
* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler: Owen Paris, Charivretha zh'Thane, T'Lana, Kopek]], as well as [[spoiler: the planets Deneva, Khitomer, Risa, and Coridan,among others]].
* KnightTemplar: Picard tends towards this.
* LastRequest: President Bacco tells her assistant to have the kitchen whip up the finest meals they can and have as many officials and staffers as possible attend a final banquet before the Borg reach Earth. She decides that if this is the end of the Federation, then by God they're going to go out with heads held high.
* MindRape: The Borg respond to Hernandez's attempts to hack the collective by corrupting her favourite childhood memories. It's basically the psychic equivalent of a "scorched earth" campaign, leaving her nowhere to retreat to while facing the nightmare of the collective mind.
* {{Nanomachines}}: Caeliar catoms.
* NearVillainVictory: The Borg certainly came light-years closer to total annihilation of the Federation than Captain Nero, Khan, and the Dominion '''combined'''.
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: It is heavily implied that the invasion occurs thanks to the actions of future Janeway back in [[Series/StarTrekVoyager "Endgame"]].
** [[SubvertedTrope Or not.]] [[spoiler: ''Literature/StarTrekDepartmentOfTemporalInvestigations'' explicitly says that in the long run, if the Borg hadn't invaded (and subsequently been defeated) at that point in history, nothing could have stopped them from conquering the entire galaxy by the year 2600 at the latest.]]
* NotSoDifferent: [[spoiler: A key plot point of the trilogy's climax. Hernandez and Dax realize that there are too many similarities between the Borg and the Caeilar to be chalked up to mere coincidence.]]
* ObiWanMoment: Both [[spoiler: T'Lana (see Literature/StarTrekTheNextGenerationRelaunch) and Charivretha zh'Thane (of the Literature/StarTrekDeepSpaceNineRelaunch)]] die like this, peacefully accepting their fate when they are caught in the bombardment of Vulcan and Andor, respectively.
* ObstructiveBureaucrat: [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]]: The Admiralty seems really stupid for not distributing transphasic torpedoes throughout the fleet. Turns out that they were right.
* OmnicidalManiac: The Borg Collective, following the loss of the transwarp network. The Borg's new goal, until they are stopped/saved is simply "destroy everything".
* PerfectPacifistPeople: The Caeliar see themselves as this. They're certainly not actually perfect, mind you.
* PlotArmor: Out of the potentially thousands of ships rallied against the Borg in the Azure Nebula, [[spoiler: only ''Voyager'' survives. Barely, though.]]
* PoisonousPerson: The Chelons' natural poison defenses come into play at one point (having been established in ''Literature/StarTrekVanguard''). A Hirogen hunter is quite embarrassed to find himself defeated by a dead man, having released the toxin while killing a Chelon crewman.
* PyrrhicVictory: The Borg war, pretty much. [[spoiler: Yes, the Federation won, the Collective was liberated, the darkness has been lifted, there is peace, but Deneva, Risa, Coridan and several other major worlds are gone, many other major worlds are damaged, and 70 Billion people are dead. There isn't any mood to celebrate.]]
* RousingSpeech: Martok gives one to the assembled High Council:
-->"Blood shed for a friend is sacred, a debt of honor. And if you won’t stand and fight beside a friend in blood, then you are not a Klingon. You are not a warrior. Run home to your beds and hide, I have no use for you! I won’t die in the company of such ''petaQ’pu''. The sons of our sons will sing of these battles. Time will erase our sins and fade our scars, but our names will live on in songs of honor. The Borg are coming, my brothers. Stand and fight beside me now, and let us make warriors born in ages to come curse ''Fek’lhr'' that they were not here to SHARE OUR GLORY!”
* ScrewYouElves: The Human characters are somewhat unimpressed by Caeliar claims of cultural superiority.
* SequelHook: The Children of the Storm. Indeed, they've since been followed up on in the ''Literature/StarTrekVoyagerRelaunch'' books. The trilogy also sets the stage for the rise of the [[VillainTeamUp Typhon Pact]]. See ''Literature/ASingularDestiny'' and ''Literature/StarTrekTyphonPact''.
* ShoutOutToShakespeare: Morgan Bateson of the ''Atlas'' as the remnants of his battle group take on the Borg near Vulcan.
-->'''Bateson:''' Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more! '''FIRE AT WILL!'''
* StartOfDarkness: The origin of the Borg is finally revealed. It is extremely complicated [[spoiler: and involves [[NoodleImplements a French Canadian, alien whalers, and Inyx's ex-wife]]]].
* SufficientlyAdvancedAliens: The Caeliar.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: President Bacco tries to pull off a joint operation between the United Federation of Planets, Klingon Empire, Romulan Star Empire, Imperial Romulan State, Cardassian Union, Gorn Hegemony, Breen Confederacy, Talarian Republic, Ferengi Alliance and Tholian Assembly. Eventually, everyone except the Tholians agrees.
* ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill: The Borg.
* TookALevelInBadass: Ezri Dax. In the ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'' television series, Ezri was an extremely awkward, timid, and self-conscious character, to the point where Elim Garak once gave her a classic TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, informing her that the reason why everyone had preferred Jadzia Dax, her symbiote's previous host, was because Ezri was a complete [[ButtMonkey wimp]], and Jadzia wasn't. By the end of these three books, however, nobody is still comparing Ezri unfavourably with Jadzia.
* ThrowAwayCountry: Not that anybody really cares about Acamar or Barolia mind you. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] later on in the series by having some important planets get destroyed as well.
* TimeyWimeyBall: [[spoiler: So the ''Columbia'' meets with the Caeliar in the twenty-second century. When Erigol is destroyed, portals are created going to different times and places. Captain Hernandez ends up in a distant part of the alpha quadrant, 800 years earlier. Another city-ship is sent to a far corner of the universe, near the beginning of time (eventually causing the catastrophe which destroyed Erigol in the first place). A third goes back in time to the delta quadrant seven thousand years earlier, where they give rise to the Borg...are you taking notes?]]
* TurtlePower: A Chelon character wins one for the team even in death.
* VillainPedigree: The Borg recover nicely from their VillainDecay.
* WasOnceAMan: [[spoiler: The Borg collective itself, based on a synthesis of the worst aspects of a Caeliar and her Human victims]]
* WhamEpisode: By the end of this trilogy [[spoiler: 40% of Starfleet has been destroyed, 70 billion people are dead, and the Borg are ''gone.'']]
* WhatTheHellHero: La Forge gives Captain Picard a speech of this kind for planning to annihilate the Borg with a WeaponOfMassDestruction rather than considering Hernandez's approach. Indeed, a WeaponOfMassDestruction that Picard has always condemned, which if used would have the Klingons and Romulans up in arms (quite justifiably) and which Picard's crew and friends fought - in some cases to the death - to prevent being used elsewhere. Most importantly, Picard's approach wouldn't have worked anyway. [[DespairEventHorizon He had totally given up]], and was fixated on a "go down shooting!" apocalyptic mindset whereas Hernandez, Dax and Riker were legitimately trying to put a stop to the destruction.
** On a lesser note, Inyx gives Dr. Ree a telling off when he bites Deanna Troi as part of his efforts to care for her. Inyx's ActualPacifist ways clash with the carnivorous ethos of Ree's people.
* ZombieApocalypse: [[spoiler: Implied to be the origin of the Borg]]
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