J. M. Dillard's novel 'The Lost Years' describes Kirk's promotion to rear admiral and unfulfilling duties as a diplomatic troubleshooter after the 'Enterprise's five-year mission.

Here it is, then: I want you to work directly with me as a diplomatic troubleshooter.

As roving diplomatic troubleshooter for the Clinton Administration, he has gone in recent years where most Americans fear to tread: North Korea, Cuba, Iraq, Serbia, Nigeria and Myanmar.

Mr. Kuznetsov was best known for his efforts as a diplomatic troubleshooter for the Kremlin.

If we try and fudge this," Arm replied with a hint of annoyance, "if we say something like, "She was a diplomatic troubleshooter but she was really there on vacation," no one'll believe us.

He has emerged as a diplomatic troubleshooter in places as far afield as Saudi Arabia and Chile.

Alex Quaison-Sackey was a diplomatic troubleshooter for Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President, from the moment of Ghana's independence in 1957.

But since I'm Starfleet's diplomatic troubleshooter right now, I'm the best one to attack.

In fact, when Nogura had talked him into taking flag rank the first time, that's the bait he had used - an assignment as a diplomatic troubleshooter.

Mr. Vorontsov, Moscow's top diplomatic troubleshooter in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, retained his post at the Foreign Ministry, giving Moscow a high-level presence in Kabul.