Second Self is the fourth original novel for the television series Star Trek: Picard, written by Una McCormack, published in September 2022.
Description
- A thrilling untold adventure based on the acclaimed Star Trek: Picard TV series!
- Following the explosive events seen in season one of Star Trek: Picard, Raffi Musiker finds herself torn between returning to her old life as a Starfleet Intelligence officer or something a little more tame — teaching at the Academy, perhaps. The decision is made for her though when a message from an old contact — a Romulan spy — is received, asking for immediate aid. With the help of Cristóbal Rios and Dr. Agnes Jurati, and assistance from Jean-Luc Picard, Raffi decides to take on this critical mission — and quickly learns that past sins never stay buried. Finding the truth will be complicated, and deadly…
Summary
Raffi Musiker has rejoined Starfleet but is unsure what assignment to take. She has been offered a return to Starfleet Intelligence but Jean-Luc Picard has also offered her a position at the Academy, where he has just accepted the vice-chancellorship. First, however, he asks her and Elnor to travel to Ordeve, a Cardassian colony that she visited in the aftermath of the Dominion War, where she prevented the Romulans from massacring the colony's population. The Bajorans have been attempting to extradite a Cardassian for crimes committed during the occupation but he has disappeared. His last sighting was on Ordeve.
Seeking a cover story for her visit, Musiker agrees to look into the plight of Romulan refugees on the planet: The Cardassians are refusing to let them bring in any more people or expand their settlement. She and Elnor meet up with Nuvu Sokara, a Tal Shiar agent that assisted her on her previous visit there, and with a Bajoran archaeologist, Toze Falus. Musiker's quarry is Elim Garak: During the Bajoran Occupation, he was on Ordeve as a young Obsidian Order agent and discovered that the Bajoran colony on the planet was being used as a supply base by the resistance. He had the adults rounded up and the colony burnt to the ground, but the colony's children disappeared, along with Vedek Saba Taan.
Exploring a valley that everyone has always considered out of bounds, Musiker's group discover Garak, disguised as a Bajoran. Toze reveals himself to be an agent of Koma Tath, a Bajoran organization dedicated to tracking down war criminals. Since a force field is preventing them leaving the valley, the group press on and discover the Bajoran children, now grown to adulthood. It slowly becomes clear that Garak was Saba Taan. Using the Orb of Restitution, hidden in the valley, the Prophets transport him back in time to save the children from his younger self and spend years ensuring their safety and setting things in motion for his past self, eventually dying among them.
The Cardassians recognize the Bajoran colony and the Romulans are allowed to settle with them. Musiker chooses to join Picard and Elnor at the Academy.
References
Characters
- Antek • Avarak • Byrne • Elnor • Entrek • Feji Apra • Furukawa • Elim Garak/Saba Taan • Mas Gherrod • Gheta • Jae Hwang • Iloba • Khenet • Shecol Khrill • Kovar (Ensign) • Lafleur (engineer) • Laris • Ijin Mesat • Mila • Raffaela Musiker • James Northey • Number One (dog) • Vazreen Pella • Jean-Luc Picard • Logar Prill • Eksa Prok • Avek Rignor • Cristóbal Rios • Nuvu Sokara • Enabran Tain • Tanwar • Toze Falus • Tradall • Turan • Zhol • Kebil Zi
- Referenced only
- Assott • Julian Bashir • Damar • Fusot • Gabriel Hwang • Agnes Jurati • Eleta Kalis • Iliana Ma'tan • Eleta Preloc • Prospero • Zhaban
Starships and vehicles
- USS Gráinne • USS Stargazer (Sagan-class cruiser)
- Referenced only
- Corat Damar • USS Verity (Verity-subclass Odyssey-class star cruiser)
Locations
- Akantha • Caanta valley • Ghenic • Merna • Ordeve • Parset
- Earth (Sol star system, sector 001, treaty boundary quadrant 0, the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant)
- Arc de Triomphe • France • Gare du Nord • La Barre • Los Angeles • Paris
- Referenced only
- Ab-Tzenketh • Bajor • Cardassia Prime • Kashgar • Kelvas V • Mars • New Berlin • Ses'erakh • Starbase 211 • Starfleet Academy
Races and cultures
- Referenced only
- Prophets
States and organizations
- Bajoran Intelligence • Cardassian Affairs • Cardassian Union • Dominion • Federation • Klingon Empire • Koma Tath • Obsidian Order • Qowat Milat • Romulan Affairs • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet Intelligence • Tal Shiar • University of Ashalla
- Referenced only
- Bajoran Resistance • French Resistance
Science and classification
- astronomy • energy • force field • lifeform • matter • technology • weapon
Astronomy
- space • planet • star • star system • universe
Materials and substances
- atmosphere • blood • gas • drink • metal
Food and drink
Technology and weapons
Occupations and titles
- admiral • agent • archaeologist • command division • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2386-2400s) • intelligence agent • officer • rank • vedek • vice chancellor
Other references
- boot • clothing • colony • crime • crimson shadow • Dominion War • extradition • government • jumpsuit • Occupation of Bajor • Orb of Restitution • Papaver ordeviensis • races and cultures • science • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2390s)/Starfleet uniform (2400s) • state • title • uniform • valley • war • World War II
Chronology
Appendices
Related media
Images
Connections
| Star Trek: Picard (PIC) |  
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| episodes | season 1 | "Remembrance" • "Maps and Legends" • "The End is the Beginning" • "Absolute Candor" • "Stardust City Rag" • "The Impossible Box" • "Nepenthe" • "Broken Pieces" • "Et in Arcadia Ego" | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| season 2 | "The Star Gazer" • "Penance" • "Assimilation" • "Watcher" • "Fly Me to the Moon" • "Two of One" • "Monsters" • "Mercy" • "Hide and Seek" • "Farewell" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| season 3 | "The Next Generation" • "Disengage" • "Seventeen Seconds" • "No Win Scenario" • "Imposters" • "The Bounty" • "Dominion" • "Surrender" • "Võx" • "The Last Generation" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| prose (novels) | The Last Best Hope • The Dark Veil • Rogue Elements • Second Self • Firewall • To Defy Fate | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| comics | Picard: Countdown ("Issue 1" • "Issue 2" • "Issue 3") • Picard: Stargazer ("Issue 1" • "Issue 2" • "Issue 3") | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| short stories | "Jack of Diamonds" • "Confirmation Bias" • "Freeblade" | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| roleplay modules | Children of the Wolf • Synthetic Diplomacy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| audio originals | No Man's Land | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Timeline
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Rogue Elements |
Picard unnumbered novels | Next novel: Firewall |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Et in Arcadia Ego |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: STO: The Path to 2409/Ships of the Line (2400) |
| Previous Adventure: Et in Arcadia Ego |
Life and times of Jean-Luc Picard |
Next Adventure: STO: The Path to 2409 (2402) |
Translations
- 2023
- German : Zweites Ich, translated by Stephanie Pannen. (Cross Cult)
External link
- Second Self article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.