Star Trek: Prometheus: Fire With Fire
First published on November 28, 2017 and written by , and contains
Franchise:
Storyline:

Several brutal terrorist attacks have occurred near the border of the Klingon Empire, resulting in thousands of deaths. With the Klingons calling for violent vengeance, the Federation races to discover the perpetrators, sending the USS Prometheus, their most powerful ship, to the border region to find the culprits and solve the mystery before war breaks out in the galaxy.

Trek Book Club Discussion Questions

These questions were developed by @petertrek1.bsky.social, host of the Trek Book Club, where you can read and discuss Star Trek novels approximately every 6 weeks over a weekend on social media (currently on Bluesky). For more information about this club, go to / follow @trekbookclub.bsky.social.

01. What is your opinion of the cover of “Star Trek Prometheus Bk #1: Fire with Fire”?

02. How did this scene (and similar ones) give a premonition of problems coming soon?

03. This is the end of the prologue/teaser. How effective was this section in introducing the threat?

04. We meet Captain Richard Adams and the USS Prometheus. For those who saw it, did you like VOY’s “Message in a Bottle” and how that episode introduced the Prometheus into the Trek canon?

05. There was a difference of opinion between Chief Engineer Kirk & Assistant Engineer Meyer about how much tolerance was acceptable. How did their background/training contribute to their difference of opinion? Who do you think made a more convincing argument?

06. Captains Ro and Adams discuss the current status of the Federation and the challenges ahead for it. What were some differences between how the Federation & Starfleet were depicted during the 23rd century (TOS - era) and the 24th century (TNG/DS9/VOY- era)?

07. We get to return to DS9, this time w/ Ro Laren as captain of DS9 as well as revisit locations such as Quark’s Bar. How has she changed from when we first saw her on TNG to now? A bit of a semi-tangential question, what did you think of her return in PIC S3?

08. What are some pros and cons of working on the graveyard shift? Would you want to do that for a brief period of time? For a longer stint?

09. Starbase 91, along with almost 4,000 lives, were destroyed by a terrorist attack. We learn more about who was behind the attack via their holovid message. What did you think of their motivations for taking such drastic violent actions?

10. The Renao were a new alien race introduced in this book. What did you think of the Renao and their role in the story?

11. Captain Adams realize that Karen, his niece, was killed in the Starbase 91 attack. How did this tragedy affect him and his actions on his mission for the rest of the book?

12. The Prometheus was assigned a new mission – to investigate the attack on Starbase 91. What are some reasons why Admiral Akaar assigned this particular ship to this mission?

13. Alexander Rozhenko returns in this book as a diplomat. Discuss his overall character arc that we saw on TNG and DS9. Did you like the character? How has he grown and developed over the years? Do you have a favorite Alexander moment on Trek?

14. What were some of the challenges Martok had to face as Chancellor of the Klingon Empire? How did his previous experience as a General of the Klingon Defense Force on DS9 working with Sisko and fighting in the Dominion War prepared him for being Chancellor?

15. We get to know a bit more about Security Chief Lt. Cmdr. Lenissa zh’Thiin. How did she handle the balancing between wanting to explore space and an expectation from others that she would/should return to Andor?

16. We also get to learn more about Jassat ak Namur, who has an “outsider” role in this story that has been common in other Trek shows (e.g. Spock, Data, Odo, Saru). How does this “outsider” role provide a reflection to other characters and Earth societal norms?

17. The IKS Bortas, led by Captain Kromm, was not a well respected ship with the Klingon military. How did its reputation and how Kromm was seen by Martok and the rest of the Klingon High Command influence Kromm’s decisions and actions on his mission?

18. In addition to Alexander, we meet another Trek legacy character, Mr. Spock. What has Spock meant to the Star Trek franchise, from Nimoy’s original version to Quinto’s Kelvin version to Peck’s younger version? What are some of your favorite Spock moments?

19a. This book introduced a new captain and Starfleet crew. Who were some of your favorite Prometheus crew members characters from this novel?

19b. Thanks for participating in today’s discussion. I need the #TrekBookClub community’s help to select the next book to read and discuss.

19c. Please check out @bqnpodcasts.bsky.social network of podcasts which cover different parts of the Star Trek universe and pop culture.

19d. Just a reminder of Simon and Schuster’s December Trek e-book sale (at least in the US). There is something for everyone!

20. ak Genos, the Renao ambassador took some digs at the Federation’s desire to expand. What could the Federation have done differently if they wanted more supporters and allies?

21. Given the dangers of space exploration, what is it about being in space that has encouraged some (e.g. astronauts) to go out into space despite the danger/risk? Do you agree with Adams’ conclusion about Karen?

22. Did Kromm have a valid point when he accused the Federation of being too passive & not taking action when handling the various crises? He also thought of Spock’s dream of reunification of the Vulcan and Romulans. What did reunification mean for Spock?

23. Why did a handful of Prometheus’ crew members treat Jassat ak Namu in a non-professional manner? How well did Jassat handle this situation along with the general uneasiness he felt upon his return to the Prometheus?

24. Spock recounted the events of TOS’ “Balance of Terror” to Jassat. What life lessons was Spock trying to impart to Jassat? Do you think he received it?

25. Following the attack on Starbase 91, there was another attack by the Purifying Flame, this time on a base orbiting Cestus III. We get the perspective of one of the attackers, Mossam ak Foral. How did this bring the action closer to us, the readers?

26. Several developments were unfolding - 1) Thokal, Spock’s Romulan contact, discovered Romulan attack fighters & supplies were missing and 2) Science Officer Mendon discovered the Romulan Scorpion attack ships were copies. What do these revelations signify?

27. Jassat realized some of his friends could be part of the Purifying Flame terrorist group. How did he handle this potential revelation?

28. We meet the Ferengi Glomp who owes a favor to Thokal. What makes Ferengi good candidates to provide comic relief and be a “mirror” to show a different perspective from the Federation/Starfleet?

29. Compare and contrast how the two captains, Adams and Kromm approached solving problems and what their natural tendencies were when confronted with a problem. How well did they work together during this mission?

30. A joint Starfleet/Klingon rescue team works to retrieve Kirk, Lenissa and Mokbar who were captured by the Purifying Flame terrorists. What did you think of this sequence?

31. Yes, we see Prometheus’ multivector assault mode! How does this ability help give the Prometheus an advantage over their adversaries? Are there any downsides to the Prometheus when they use this mode?

32. The rescue mission climaxes onboard the Purifying Flame ship as the terrorists activate the self-destruct sequence and the away team, running out of time, hails for help from the Prometheus. What did you think of this sequence?

33. The Prometheus discovered evidence that the Purifying Flame has incorporated a secret weapon to help make their attacks – space folding technology. How could this development change the current conflict and balance of power in that sector of space?

34. Book #1 of this trilogy ended on this open and unsettling note (as the initial section of multi parts stories tend to do). What did you think of this ending? How well did this book set up the story?

35. The Prometheus novels were relatively unique in that they were initially written in German and then translated into English. How does this story compare with the Pocket Books/Simon & Schuster stories we have read?

36. If there is a topic from the book you would like to discuss which haven’t been mentioned yet, please post it here. Some potential topics include a favorite section, a memorable guest character or a favorite sequence.

37. I couldn’t find any references to self-sealing stembolts (or Chateau Picard 😊). However, there were many callbacks to earlier Trek episodes. What were some of your favorite Trek references in "Prometheus Bk #1: Fire With Fire"?

38. I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Thank you for your continued support of the Trek Book Club. I hope everyone has enjoyed the book discussions during 2025. Here is a short summary of TBC’s activities for the past year: 🎄⛄ ❄️ 🖖

39. How would you rate “Prometheus #1: Fire with Fire”?

40. That’s a wrap on the discussion of “Prometheus #1: Fire With Fire”. Thanks to everyone who posted, replied, reposted & liked!

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