The Valiant

By: Michael Jan Friedman

Narrated by: Anthony Stewart Head

Three hundred years ago, the S.S. Valiant was destroyed during an ill-fated attempted to cross the legendary Galactic Barrier. Starfleet had always assumed that the Valiant had perished with all hands aboard, until a pair of unusual humanoids arrive at Starbase 209, claiming to be the descendants of a handful of Valiant survivors who found refuge on an M-Class planet beyond the Barrier.

Even more shocking, the visitors warn that a hostile alien species, the Nuyyad, are preparing to invade our galaxy. Starfleet orders the U.S.S. Stargazer to investigate at once.

Lieutenant Commander Jean-Luc Picard is second office on the Stargazer and yet to command a vessel of his own. He soon develops a special bond with one of the visitors, a strikingly beautiful woman who has inherited mysterious psychic abilities from her alleged Starfleet ancestors. But can Picard truly trust her?

His doubts deepen when the Stargazer is ambushed by Nuyyad warships. Picard finds himself in command - trapped on the wrong side of the Barrier, cut off from Starfleet. Not only the Stargazer, but perhaps the entire Federation, may depend on the decisions he must make.

The Valiant is a gripping saga that explores an untold chapter in the life of Jean-Luc Picard - and reveals the making of a captain!© & (P)2000 Paramount Pictures, All Rights Reserved; AUDIOWORKS Is an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division., Simon & Schuster Inc.

a repeat a different time

although I enjoy all things Trek this storyline seemed far closer to a an earlier storyline in Kirk's time. this is the first time I can only give a half-hearted recommendation of a Trek audio

Great Story of the Young Picard

This turned out to be a very good story. Taking its cue from the original "Star Trek" episode, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," <i>The Valiant</i> takes us across the Galactic Barrier to meeet a new, more deadly foe and gives us some insight into the young Picard and how he became Capitain of the "Stargazer." Abridgements don't always work well, but this one does an excellent job of sticking to the main plot points and allowing the story to move forward without losing much. Anthony Stewart Head, Giles of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fame, does a great job as narrator; although, his impression of Patrick Stewart's Picard did not sound so great. Overall, this was a very good story and well worth listening to.

Star Trek, The Next Generation: The Valiant

I enjoyed the story very much!