All That's Left

Star Trek: Seekers #4

by Dayton Ward, Kevin Dilmore

An all-new novel in the acclaimed Star Vanguard spin-off series!

Initially charted by Starfleet probes dispatched to sur­vey the Taurus Reach, the planet Cantrel V now plays host to a budding Federation colony as well as a com­bined civilian/Starfleet exploration team. Ancient ruins of an unknown civilization scattered around the planet have raised the curiosity of archaeologists, anthropolo­gists, historians, and other interested members of the Federation scientific community. Together, they are attempting to shed light on the beings that once called this world home.

After a large, unidentified vessel arrives in orbit and launches a seemingly unprovoked orbital bombardment, the U.S.S. Endeavour responds to the colony’s distress call. As they attempt to render assistance and investi­gate the mysterious ship, Captain Atish Khatami and her crew begin to unlock the astonishing secrets the planet has harbored for centuries. Does the survival of a newly discovered yet endangered alien race pose a threat not only to Cantrel V, but to other inhabited worlds throughout the Taurus Reach and beyond?

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Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Ebooks

369 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 1, 2015

About the author

Dayton is a software developer, having become a slave to Corporate America after spending eleven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. When asked, he’ll tell you that he left home and joined the military soon after high school because he’d grown tired of people telling him what to do all the time.

Ask him sometime how well that worked out.

In addition to the numerous credits he shares with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore, he is the author of the Star Trek novels In the Name of Honor and Open Secrets, the science fiction novels The Last World War and The Genesis Protocol, and short stories which have appeared in the first three Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthologies, the Yard Dog Press anthology Houston, We’ve Got Bubbas, Kansas City Voices Magazine and the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits. Though he currently lives in Kansas City with wife Michi and daughters Addison and Erin, Dayton is a Florida native and still maintains a torrid long-distance romance with his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fascinating entry in the Seekers series. Although the story starts off a little slow, patience is rewarded as the story sucks the reader in. It will insinuate itself into your brain like some kind of mind-controling parasite as you find yourself pondering the implications of the plot long after you've put the book down. How much of the actions of the "collected" really were free will, and how much was simply the influence of the parasite? And... *gasp*... what if the Trill operate in a similar fashion? Is there really a way to know for sure? Creepy.

Four out of five is my ranking for All That's Left. If you're on board with the Seekers one-off story concept, you'll enjoy this as a classic "planet of the week" story.

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2015/11/S...

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a rip roaring adventure from beginning to end as Starfleet personal must take on a race of symbiotic/parasitic aliens that are one part Trill, one part Parasitic Being from the TNG episode "Conspiracy" and on part larva from "Alien." You are in store for a whole lot of action if you read this book.

[Christopher Backa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this Seekers story. It is an interesting first contact story with an alien race who collect other species. Looking forward to the next seekers adventure. It's always fun to catch up with favorite characters from the Vanguard series

[Graff Fuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenging, dark, reflective, sad, and tense.

Medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0 ⭐

There was a certain part of me...that was TOTALLY against the Lrondi. The idea of a person losing themselves to another...against their will...seems (no IS wrong).

The more I read, the more I got frustrated that the authors were wanting me to "feel sorry" for the Lrondi and their plight.

It worked, to a certain degree. I kept thinking about the Trill...and how "early on", how they might've struggleed with these same issues.

The symbiotic relationship that they have developed has made it a "safe space" between the trill and their symbiot (forgot the name they put to it).

SO, with that in mind...I kept trying to figure out what would be the best scenario...as if I was a Starfleet officer put in this delicate situation.

I think the authors did their best...in this endeavor. The Pelopan were able to find a "common ground" and work from there. That, I believe was the best...for both the Pelopan and the Lrondi.

It is interesting how the humans in the crew all had widely different experiences. The ones like Klisiewicz and Cole, though...seemed to suffer from Stockholm Syndrome IMO. They actually missed their captors, and felt their loss. I do NOT think this was a healthy relationship, but in their minds...that longing to have please Naqa was STILL there. I feel for them, but at least they have each other in this "shared experience".

I'm sad to see this series of four books over. They were not as good as the Vanguard series, but I'm glad I experienced this set of stories...as a continious story from then to now in the 2269 TOS timeline.

I am really needing to know where to pick up from here. I might just go back a bit...and pick up all the TOS books that I have...and move forward...that way.

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authors Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore bring us an adventure of the U.S.S. Endeavour and the last of the stories from the Taurus Reach, an area of space contested by all of the major powers of the Alpha Quadrant. The planet Canterl V is the site of a colony and several archaeological digs. But things never go as planed as a massive ship is detected by corps of engineers ship Aephas which was in orbit delivering supplies and sending equipment down to the dig sites. But once the massive ship was detected they went to investigate and were nearly blown out of the sky. Commander al-Khaled fought with all that they could but they had to call in the Endeavour to assist. The Endeavour was ten hours away at high warp but they still managed to get there in time to help. The massive ship moved into orbit of Cantrel V and began bombarding the human settlement. After the Endeavour arrived her captain sent several of her crew over to the massive ship in order to make contact and find out why they where bombarding the planet. What they find was a sleeping people and their collectors who are blind to just asking for help from the Endeavour and her crew. This is a great last book in the Seeker/Vanguard series and I would like to see this ship and crew in another adventure. I highly recommend this novel for all science fiction and Star Trek fans.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story here reads like a prelude to our future coexistence with artificial intelligence (or even our current existence if you put it in a religious context).

The relationship between Lrondi and Pelopan should give pause to anyone concerned with the exercise of free will, especially if you happen to fall into the camp of the "collected".

The tension in the plot took a while to build up as the authors tried to cover all the bases (pardon the pun). Unfortunately, the transition from one storyline to another was at times anti-climatic, as if you're watching the final seconds of a ball game, and the telecast gets cut off to run a commercial.

The ending seemed a bit rushed (and anti-climatic), with the Lrondi issue only resolved superficially. Given that the invasive nature of the species has wide-ranging implications, one would expect Starfleet command to deal with it in a more comprehensive manner, whatever the Prime Directive says.

[Christopher Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story, it had a fun, action-packed conclusion, but there's just something about the writing style. Everyone's background is revealed in their thoughts, even characters that barely feature. It's almost as if no character can accomplish anything without thinking about how they got here beforehand. Also lots of "tell, don't show" moments, rather than "show, don't tell" which is just a bit annoying.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! I love exploring parts of the Trek universe outside the the characters of the shows we know and love. And the Vanguard and Seekers series have been exactly that. This book was full of adventure with a great “villain”…a classic example of the bad guys who absolutely do not see what they are doing as a bad thing…and you can understand their POV! I love that kind of moral quandary…it’s what makes for great Trek stories.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shout out to this book in particular for bringing back an alien race introduced in a 90s Early Voyages comic book.

A fun end to the Seekers story (and by fun I mean loads of emotional trauma from the crew and continuing to move on from Vanguard to...being taken over by a neck mollusk.

[Colin Parry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing. The characters are all the same and two dimensional. The alien 'baddies' are poorly handled and everything is resolved far too easily.

[William Knowles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not worth the read.

This book just did not work for me.The story just wasn't very interesting. I think that it was copying from the original tv show.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!!!!!

[Judith Paterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great series, hopefully with more to come. Straight in with the action and it doesn't stop. Interesting story with some moral dilemma to be considered.

[Maggie Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third of the Star Trek: Seekers series I've read and the second by the writing team of Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore. I really enjoyed the combination of mystery and adventure "All That's Left" provided. Like the best episodes of the TV series, this one tries to tackle big issues in it's own way. In this case, it's codependency and slavery.

Spoilers beyond this point.
I initially agreed with another reviewer that the ending was a bit too "happy" in that at least some of the Pelopan decide to remain bonded with their former collectors, the Lrondi, to form an equal partnership. One character, Captain Khatami, is skeptical given what happened up to that point. There is the possibility that the Lrondi fell into a groupthink while under the leadership of Maralom. With his influence gone, perhaps some of the Lrondi are open the possibility to have a different relationship between their species and the Pelopan. Be that as it may, the ending does fit within the mold of most Star Trek stories: many live happily ever after.

One mystery remains besides what the Lrondi will find in their home planet. At two points there is mention that two species collected by the Lrondi experience a decline in reproductive rates. This is one of the justifications the Lrondi give for trying to collect different species. But what is the cause of this decline? Is it environmental factors or is it perhaps because the Lrondi's manipulation of their hosts' biochemistry has an unintended side effect? I wish they had tried to address this interesting plot point.

[Bjoern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well generally i do not prefer to read Zombie stories and similar plots, but that aside this book was an enjoyable read and presented a highly paced adventure.

I like the crews of USS Endeavour and USS Aephas, they stand for the best we know from TOS and the classical Star Trek era without being too holden in stereotypes, like a modern take on a good old motif. And while i loathe the trope, the look inside people's heads while they were posessed by their alien oppressors was fascinatingly written.

A big plus was that not every single alien lifeform aboard the federation starships was similarily susceptible to the foreign takeover. I do not know all the TOS and TNG Era books in the Star Trek series, but I'd wager a bet that this is a first for ST. On the downside though the descriptions of nearly everything suffered under the two author split... as I#ve already noted in one of my update comments they do not dare to really write anything concrete about well anything.. the foreign ship stays undefined except for color and sphere shape, the insides are all but undescribed, except for the mention of "Mendelevium", countless bulkheads barring ways and the monitors ultimately used to steer the ship and its aggregates. Design? Right angles? Smooth corners? No idea, nothing was mentioned... likewise almost every single species mentioned does not go over three or four attributed for their exterior, many of the Starfleet personnel do not even get that much attention, the humans stay completely undefined (hair color, skin teint, eyes?), well maybe a few "broad shouldered" or "smaller build" were strewn into it, but nothing that would put the continuation of the story in the other author's hands at risk... Of the few precise descriptions (the Pelopan seem to have copper based blood turning their skin slightly green "almost like jade"...) later turns into a different one with BRILLIANTLY JADE skin... but that might be attributed to the species formerly living inside of caves and then returning to the surface and exposure to sunlight. MIGHT, but without the author mentioning it we will never know.

Which is all very disappointing and not really a sign of good writing or sufficient preparation / background work on the book and characters in it.

So good pace, nice buildup of tension and thrill and a lot of pleasantly written action scenes that do not fall into the common pitfalls of "would have worked as a tv episode but not in writing" scenes... but poor descriptions and almost bland picture of the surroundings of everyone inside the novel. I still liked it due to the many relatable characters, else this would have suffered under the lack of any proper description of its contents...

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Ward and the Vanguard series, so I jumped to read this one. Unfortunately, I think this Star Trek novel takes the "every sentient can just get along" theme too far with the ending.

The alien antagonists try to enslave the Federation, violates the minds of captured crewmen, and in the climatic melee the alien boss had to be ripped from his body slave-woman during a physical assault. Then the commander that saved the day had to apologize in the end cause this parasite "might never recover"? Having his brain-prick torn off seems like perfectly good karma, even if the ship mates of the poor sods that got killed by the aliens decide not to follow Ripley's example and take them to the bbq. Or pulped.

Instead, Captain Al-Khaled praises said defeated aliens for being "quite generous" in leaving some of their (antiquated) technology behind for their former slaves. Sorry, just seems...incredible.

If Starfleet had come up with some chemical agent that overrides the mental domination and gives hosts control, then co-existence might be possible. Having a parasite on your neck in return for access to knowledge, skills, and companionship, might be an acceptable trade-off to some individuals. But trusting a stated new willingness to "live ..in true harmony" while parasite retains motor and emotional control over hosts is beyond gullible, given how power corrupts.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who initially doubted the "Star Trek: Seekers" series, I've been pleasantly surprised with the last couple of installments. In the 4th installment, Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore's "All That's Left" we start off with the USS Aephas around Cantrel V which is another Federation colony in the Taurus Reach. When the ship comes under attack from an unknown vessel, they call for help which moves the Endeavour to help out. "All That's Left" is a book that starts out slowly as we the reader feel out the various parts of the plot from things aboard the alien vessel to the crisis on Cantrel V to various aspects aboard both vessels. What's interesting is the dynamic created with the revelation of the Lrondi who are similar to the Trill, but far different. It's perspective on things that help keep this fast paced book twisting & turning up until an ending that works with the chance to return to this world at some point in the future. Overall, Dilmore & Ward do an exceptional job with the characters in this book & with the prior installment David Mack's "Long Shot" have restored my faith in this relatively new series. The question is now - where do we go next in the Taurus reach & with which ship? Only time will tell.

[Jonne Steen Redeker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final seeker’s novel, end it ends with a good one although it does leave one wishing for more content like this.

A federation colony on an apparently uninhabited world runs into trouble when a massive ship starts firing at it. Aboard a parasitic species coming to claim more hosts. As more and more Starfleet people get controlled by these seemingly benevolent parasites the situation darkens and Endeavour and her crew are faced with some hard choices.

It was a good story, but also clearly written with more stories in mind. Sadly we will almost certainly never see these in print, and it’s a shame. Not just for this crew, but all the others as well. I miss the original Star Trek book series. A new crew, doing new things. Whether it’s the SCE, Vanguard, or even New Frontier in its own way.

After this the extended novel universe exploded, and it was fantastic. Now with the new series in production we will see another shift in the novel verse. We even had a year of no novels at all, but I hope we will one day get novels like this again’

[Janice Sanborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book certainly fits the adventure described within it. I was immersed almost immediately, feeling like I was there as part of the story. It is rare for books to get me that engaged.

The life forms encountered were interesting, especially since I am a big fan of *spoilers* brains. The impact of the Lrondi upon the individuals they touch is incredible and nothing short of addictive. I squirmed at the introduction of this species, held my breath at each interaction and sat in a state of curious fear.

The ending was cute and creative, considering the two characters used and their shared experience. However, I am left feeling a bit unsettled and simply need more. I shall always be wondering a few things, but isn't that the fun of reading books like these!?!

[Robert Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book... Up until the very end. Overall, the book was a very gripping (literally) adventure story and ranks highly with the previous stories in the Seekers books. However, the abrupt resolution by having the entire Larondi offensive collapse after the leader was forcibly removed from its host, just reminded me a bit too much of the resolution of the TNG Season 1 episode "Conspiracy".

Again, though, overall, this is a story well worth the read. The Voyages of the Starship Endeavor and her intrepid crew have been great and I am looking forward to the next one. My issues with the ending are the only thing preventing me from a full 5 star review.

[Nicholas Charlebois · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

Chaiotic and loosely held story too shallow despite its attempt to create deep personal back stories. It also failed to continue forward the previous larger story of the vanguard plot. Having read it, I wouldn't have chosen to buy it but barrow it from the library at some unhurried future date. It didn't feel star trek, or even a decent story, although it could have if the effort had been directed.

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

adventurous ending to this series, but felt rushed to closure

it's great to read these books that show there's more to Starfleet and the Federation than the Enterprise and other "aired" series. sometimes, these feel pushed because they need to develop the characters and present a plot. this series suffered from this flaw. promising plots rushed because the characters had to be explained

[David Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Library book