Nice first chapter! Loved the context given in the first section - and the more personal continuation of the dire situation with the Sojourner's "accident". Reminds me very much of the situation in Europe after WWII concluded. Looking forward to reading more! :)

Author's Response:

Thanks very much!  I'm glad you're along for the ride.

This is exactly the sort of complication Sandhurst worried about from the get-go, being so heavy handed with the Cardassians that they ensure another war down the line. I'm looking forward to seeing what, if anything, can be done to forestall the Klingons. The excellence continues!

Author's Response:

It's bad enough when the Klingons insert themselves into a situation, but when they outrank you and aren't afraid to use that to their advantage... well, bad things, man... bad things.  Thank you for the continuing reviews.

Sandhurst's desperate gambit is one worthy of captains with twice his experience. Well played!

Author's Response:

Thank you!  I thought it straddled the line between inspiration and desperation.  ;)

Tension and casualties continue to mount. Although I don't think anyone expected the mission to be a cake walk, I doubt they foresaw this! This was yet another riveting chapter.

Author's Response:

No plan ever survives contact with the enemy, but getting jumped minutes after beaming down... that's a bit raw for a crew of rookies and malcontents.  ;)

It's easy to understand Ramirez's frustration, but anyone in Starfleet should understand that, ultimately, duty comes before personal desire. Hopefully, she will come around and be the asset Sandhurst clearly believes she can be. At least, she had better if she is to progress in her career as she desires down the line.

Author's Response:

She certainly has a justifiable grievance with what Sandhurst and Covey have done.  Alas, as you've noted, duty trumps all other considerations. 

Hmm, fireworks between CO and XO! But it's good it's all out in the open. Or is it? Why do I get the feeling that there;s something more than Sandhurst's messing up Ramirez's groove?

Starting to get interesting...

Author's Response:

Much obliged!  Yes, they've definitely started out on the wrong foot, and both have valid viewpoints.  Unfortunately for Ramirez, he's got the pips to back his play.

Wozers, things pickin up here. I'm wondering what the away teams will find when they get to the Phoneix.

This is one of the best stories I've read in a long time. I really liked how you set the premise, introduced the situation and the characters and showed how they are beginning to evolve into a crew. My earlier liking of Pava
and Ramirez in "Backup" was only reinforced as we met them here for
the first time. Sandhurst is still a bit of a cipher to me; I look
forward to discovering (along with Ramirez) just what is so special
about him. I think it's entirely plausible that as the officer corps
became somewhat depleted during the Dominion War that officers like
Sandhurst were suddenly thrust into command track.

I don't entirely understand the Cardassian insurgents; my
understanding was that at the end of the Dominion War Cardassia was
thoroughly beaten down and depleted, lacking the ability to mount a
further rebellion against their new "occupiers". Let alone the issue
of literally biting the hand that feeds you; I was glad to see that at
least some of the Cardassians on Lakesh felt much differently toward
the Federation relief efforts. I can't really fault the Klingons here;
their attitude of having to save the Federation from their own
short-sightedness (not to mention "do-gooding" impulses) rings very
true. And I agree with the captain of the Phoenix about his hopes that
the Klingons do burn the planet down as they pacify it. I liked how
you had Sandhurst's mission end in failure. It was very realistic,
given the complete unpreparedness for an insurgency (let alone the
disbelief that such a thing would even occur), the lack of materials
and ships and so on. The devastating weapon used against them, the
unexpected savior of a device found on board the Gibraltar--all adds
up to a very gripping and compelling read.

Author's Response:

Thank you very much!  It was my hope to introduce compelling characters caught up in a situation far over their collective heads and then watch as they try their best to slog through it.

*whistles*

That doesn't look good-any Cardassian with a grudge is bad, but one from the Obsidian order...oh boy.

This just gets more interesting. Love the Ferengi-business over risk of death. Got to love that profit margin.

Whew...that was a whizbang chapter there.

Got to love the captain and certainly the Sojourner-what happened was obvioulsy a planned attack. Who or what is the question I have and I shall endeavor to find out!

With the mystery of the destruction of the Sojourner still hanging in suspense, we are introduced to the Gibraltar and her crew through the eyes of Captain Sandhurst, who has no difficulty formally assuming command of the vessel - but Commander Ramirez is more of a problem. The friction between these two is almost tangible, but Sandhurst successfully applies his authority over the ‘thoroughbred’ and, as it should be, we have heightened respect for both of them. I come away with the impression that, if I were a Gibraltar crewmember in a firefight, I would want these two on each my flanks.

A very fine introduction to some of the new crew, and the detail on the Gibraltar approaches photo-realism. With every paragraph I’m appreciating the time you took in the design of this work ever more. Michael Garcia was right, a very dependable story.

Author's Response:

Thanks again, Samuel.  I'm glad the crew are being viewed in 3-D, as it were.  I had hoped to imbue them with some very 'real' character traits and foibles.

From STFSA.net:

Star Trek: Gibraltar, written by Sam Redfeather, is set in the post-Dominion War era of the Trek timeline.  The story follows Captain Donald Sandhurst as he assumes command of the aged Constitution-class refit USS Gibraltar in a resource-limited postwar Starfleet.  A former chief engineering officer with a well-earned reputation, Sandhurst's first command in Embers of the Fire comes with a mission to a planet within the former Cardassian Union known as Lakesh.  Already a Federation starship has been badly damaged with a majority of her crew killed due to mine activity in orbit; Gibraltar, along with the Nebula-class heavy cruiser USS Phoenix investigate the incident closely.

There's no honeymoon for Captain Sandhurst as he is tried against working with a crew mostly unknown to him while at the same time getting to know how to handle his new command.  Only six chapters in, and I'm already enraptured by the action between security chief Lieutenant Lar'ragos and executive officer Lieutenant Commander Ramirez on the ground and Sandhurst up above.  Redfeather's prowess as a storyteller is clear as he opens the novel with engaging characters and a plot that grips you tightly from the very first chapter.  He does not ignore character development and embraces a clear line of exposition through dialogue and action against an enemy with as-yet-unknown aims.

I highly recommend this series to anyone looking to jump in with both feet into a new Expanded Universe series, and while I may be biased (being a fellow UT author), I think that Sam's Gibraltar is a rock-steady series you can count on for quality adventures.