Star Trek New Frontier: House of Cards No. 1 by Peter David (1997, paperback).  These are the voyages of the Starship Excalibur, carrying on the Star Trek tradition with a new cast of characters. They include Mackenzie Calhoun, the scarred, alien captain; Commander Shelby, the ambitious first officer (and Calhoun's former lover); and Dr Selar, the Vulcan physician.