The Lost Era: Deny Thy Father

by Jeff Mariotte

Kyle Riker, a much respected member of Starfleet, is attacked in his home by who appears to be an ensign. The man, after failing to kill Kyle, dies after Kyle defends himself. No one at Starfleet knows why or who would try to kill him, but Kyle suspects it is something to do with the attack on Starbase 311, where, after a brutal attack by the Tholian's, Kyle miraculously, is the only survivor.
After a second attempt on his life, Kyle decides to vanish. Hitching a ride on an out-going Kreel'n ship, carrying nothing much more than cargo and one other human passenger, John Abbott. Travelling together for several months, Kyle is horrified when a Federation security team boards the ship, searching for a serial killer. The particularly violent killer is none other than John, but he eludes capture by committing suicide.
Meanwhile on Earth, Will struggles to make his way through the Academy, but in the end, he succeeds in getting excellent grades, but at the expensive of losing the woman he loved and a few of his friends.
Kyle decides to leave the Krell'n ship and settles on a planet called Hazimot. The planet is torn between two warring factors; the rich and the very poor. Kyle integrates himself with the poor, renaming himself, Joe Brady. In a political uprising, Riker loses Michelle, a woman whom he had grown to love, but losing her, made Kyle realise that he couldn't keep running away, and so after two years away from Earth, he returns. It is not long before an assassin comes after him, but like the ones before, he fails in his mission.
Will's first assignment is aboard the USS Pegasus, and he soon makes his mark as an excellent, and likable officer. Called to a bogus rescue, the Pegasus and its crew are caught between two warring planets, and held hostage by a tractor beam from an Omistolan ship who tries to barter for weaponry.
On Earth, apprised of the situation, Starfleet's senior officers and Kyle Riker, gather to decide upon the Pegasus' fate, and it is then that Kyle gets his first inkling that something is amiss. But on board the Pegasus, the crew are making their own decisions and refuse the Omistolan's the weapons. Knowing that the only way the Ormistolan ship would release its tractor beam would be for the Pegasus to self-destruct, they initiate the command.
It works, and they are soon free to flee, leaving the Omistolan ship to fight with a ship from one of the warring planets.
Now he knows that the Pegasus, and his son are no longer in danger, Kyle confronts his once ally and friend, Vice Admiral Bonner, who, trapped with the truth, finally confesses that he is behind the assassination attempt on his life, in revenge for the loss of his step-son's life on Starbase 311.

There are no notable Imzadi moments in this story, but it is still a very good read.

Thank you Carol for putting this together =)