Pawns and Symbols

The Klingons are hungry for war -- and Kirk is caught in a brutal battle of wits!
Pawns and Symbols is a Pocket TOS novel – #26 in the numbered series – written by Majliss Larson. Published by Pocket Books, it was first released in .
== Summary ==
;From the book jacket:
:Threatened by a deadly famine, the Klingon Empire is on the verge of igniting a mad interplanetary war of conquest. When an earthquake destroys a remote Federation research station, Jean Czerny, agricultural scientist, succumbs to amnesia. Stranded on enemy borders, she is imprisoned by Kang, the evil commander of a Klingon battleship. Now Kirk must play a dangerous game of mind strategy to prevent a savage attack on the Federation!
 
== Background information ==
* This is the only Star Trek novel written by Majliss Larson.
* The cover art of the novel depicts Kang with pronounced Klingon ridges, implying he had regained a full Klingon appearance after the events in . The novel was written well before the explanation of the Klingon augment virus and does not explain further on why or how Kang become more "Klingon looking". 
* When this novel was released by Titan Books in the UK, it was released as a "Giant" novel and not as part of the normal numbered series. It was one of four such releases – the others being Dwellers in the Crucible, Shadow Lord and Uhura's Song.
* Bookriot.com ranked the novel among as one of the best Star Trek novels. 
== Characters ==
; James T. Kirk
; Spock
; Leonard McCoy
; Montgomery Scott
; Jean Czerny : Agricultural scientist.
; Kang : Klingon commander.
; Mara : Kang's wife
; Cyrano Jones : space/y trader
; Kevin Riley
; Tamura
== References == 
"Beyond Antares"; Capella IV; ; ; ; glommer; Klingon; ; neoethylene; quadrotriticale; ryetalyn; Space Station K-7; tribbles
== External links ==
* 
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de:Das Faustpfand der Klingonen
Category:Novels