Dovraku

Dovarku was the primary antagonist of the Star Trek novel Ex Machina.

A Fabrini male, Dovraku was born on the generational ship Yonada in the final years of its voyage to the promised world of Lorina (Daran IV). Dovraku's father was an abusive man who hated the woman he had been paired with as well as their child. As Dovraku grew up the abuse became physical, and in response Dovraku ran away from home several times.

Growing up, Dovraku became a clerk to the clerics who worked for the Oracle of the People. He did not much care for High Priestess Natira, who he thought too young and flighty for the role, but bided his time in the hopes that he would someday become High Priest of the Fabrini. All that changed when the Yonada encountered the USS Enterprise. By then the Oracle had seriously malfunctioned and was on a collision course with Daran V. To save the lives of the people on the Yonada the Enterprise revealed the true nature of the Oracle to Natira. Shutting down the Oracle the Enterprise crew corrected the ship's course to put it back on course for Daran IV.

The Enterprise then left to continue on its mission. With the Oracle shut down Natira removed the priesthood from political power, leaving Dovraku's plans to take over in shambles.

Dovraku soon learned of the other exploits of the Enterprise and how a number of her missions involved shutting down computers similar to the Oracle. Believing the Oracle and other computers to be gods, Dovraku labeled Enterprise Captain James T. Kirk as a godkiller and Natira as his willing puppet. Going underground he began a movement to topple Natira from power, and restore the Oracle to its proper place (after suitable reprogramming) in Fabrini society with Dovraku being the power behind the throne.

Using his skills in oratory, Dovraku made a number of speeches that rallied large numbers of common Fabrini if not completely to his side, then to being sympathetic towards him.

Dovraku's people engaged in a number of terrorist acts designed to cause Natira to reach out to her ex husband Leonard McCoy for help. His plan worked and McCoy came, along with the USS Enterprise. Kirk and his people attempted to help Natira work out her differences with the Fabrini traditionalists who were not anywhere near as extreme as Dovraku, but who were not happy with the turn of events in recent years.

Using these traditionalists to his advantage, Dovraku and his people were able to get on board the Yonada for peace talks. Taking Spock, McCoy, and the delegates hostage, Dovraku was able to force Spock to use the bridging of minds technique to join his mind to the Oracle, bringing it back on line. While in the meld with Dovraku, Spock uncovered the psychological scars that Dovraku carried with him from childhood. Spock forced Dovraku to face his psychological wounds. Unable to face these wounds, Dovraku was left catatonic. Spock was then able to rescue the other hostages and shut down the Oracle again. The meld revealed an ancient memory cache that had been sealed off eons ago which revealed the true origins and purpose of the Creators who built the Yonada, and the Oracle itself.

Meanwhile, after being treated for radiation burns the catatonic Dovraku was given over to the Fabrini. With Dovraku out of the picture and the various Fabrini factions working to put aside their differences much of the energy went out of Dovraku's movement. While Dovraku's closest associates were either dead or in prison, most of his other followers faded back in to the general populace and were no longer a threat.