Rules of Engagement (novel)
Kirk squares off against the Klingons – in a battle he cannot win!

Rules of Engagement is a Pocket TOS novel – #48 in the numbered series – written by Peter Morwood. Published by Pocket Books, it was first released in .

Summary 
From the book jacket
A sudden revolution on the planet Dekkanar brings Captain Kirk and the  running to evacuate Federation personnel trapped there. But their orders from Starfleet are quite clear; the U.S.S. Enterprise is to assist in the evacuation, no more. No weapons are to be displayed, no shields raised, no shots fired.

Meanwhile, halfway across the galaxy, an experimental Klingon warship sets forth on a mission of its own, a warship with hidden – and heretofore undreamed of – capabilities, commanded by a warrior who will stop at nothing to bring glory to his Empire – and restore his own lost honor.

The Klingon ship's destination? The planet Dekkanar…

Background information 
Peter Morwood is married to fellow Star Trek author Diane Duane, with whom he co-wrote Rihannsu #2: The Romulan Way.
 Written before the explanation of the Klingon augment virus, the novel deals extensively with why Klingons from  looked differently from those of later eras. Specifically, the main Klingon character in the novel (Kasak) explains that he was an "Imperial Klingon" while those of the Original Series were "Klingon-Human fusions". Present at Deep Space Station K-7 during the events of , Kasak was blamed for the entire affair since he was "of pure blood" and "should have known better" even though he was only a midshipman at the time. The "Imperial race" Klingons are also mentioned in The IDIC Epidemic.
 James Kirk is depicted as a full admiral in the novel (contrary to the cover art), apparently having regained his flag rank after the events of  yet still commanding the USS Enterprise. Most other novels set during the 2270s state that Kirk remained a captain while commanding a second five year mission and only became an admiral again after accepting his Starfleet Academy position as seen in .
The novel has made an interaction with a Star Trek parody and pop culture production in 2021. In the television sitcom Young Sheldon (Season 5, Episode 6: "Money Laundering and a Cascade of Hormones") the main protagonist Sheldon Cooper was seen reading the novel.

Characters 
James T. Kirk  Starfleet rear admiral.
Spock  First officer of the Enterprise.
Nic Farey  Captain of Vanguard.
Gytha North  Captain of Sir Richard.
Kasak sutai-Khornezh  Klingon captain.

References 
  Klingon  battle cruiser, automated and controlled from Tazhat

  
USS Sakharov
USS Sir Richard (NCC-2382)  Captain Gytha North
  K't'inga-class cruiser
  Klingon Bird-of-Prey scout of Captain Kasak sutai-Khornezh
USS Vanguard (NCC-2360)  Captain Nic Farey

External links 
 
 
 

de:Angriff auf Dekkanar
Novels