Balance of Power — Dafydd ab Hugh

When a famous Federation scientist dies, his son puts his inventions up for sale to the highest bidder--whether Federation, Klingon, Romulan or Cardassian. Among the items at auction are medical devices, engineering advances--and a photon pulse canon capable of punching through a starship's shields with a single shot.

Meanwhile, at the Academy, Wesley Crusher comes to the aide of his best friend--and finds himself kidnapped by outlaw Ferengi bent on controlling the universe through commerce. When they also set their sights on the photon canon, Captain Picard must find a way to save the Starship Enterprise and the Federation from the deadliest weapon ever known--with every race in the galaxy aligned against him!