In this fifth instalment of the series, Peter David takes the helm and guides us to a thrilling, climactic battle as The General's plans for destroying all sentient life in the federation come to a head. The Double helix virus, so patiently tested, perfected and proliferated through four previous titles is finally ready to be used on something of a larger scale...

But, in typical fashion, Captain Mackenzie Calhoun is alive and kicking - and as luck (or at least a covert branch of Starfleet Intelligence) would have it he is sent into the boiling pot with the authority to do what he must to secure the future of the federation. of course it would be a little unfair to let mac have all the fun, so Picard is also undercover, trying to unravel the mystery of the virus from within.

Things go horribly wrong for all concerned, as they inevitably must, and David's clearly not done with supporting characters as Sela's "Fire At Will!" does not show Commander Riker's future at its best. Clearly it's a worthwhile effort though, you can see how it works - bring in the Romulan's, bring in Sela. it's naturally unfair to expect the crew of the Excalibur to be left out, so although Calhoun is off saving the universe, that proud vessel (with riker in command) also has its fair share of things to deal with.

We finally learn just how daring the scope of the virus is, of course - and what bigger target than the federation in its entirety? the question this book finally answers is simply this: can the virus be stopped? Or will the sixth and final entry in this most fascinating of series show a mop-up effort with the federation struggling to pull itself back from the brink of utter annihilation?