Star Trek: The Next Generation: Starfleet Academy, book 07 : Secret of the Lizard People
Michael J. Friedman1995

Cadet Data is among a handful of first-year cadets selected to observe a super-Jovian planet ignition -- the collision of two huge gas-giant planets resulting in the formation of a new star. They will watch this occurrence from a safe distance aboard the Republic.

But a distress call from an alien space station draws their starship off course to an asteroid belt near the colliding planets. The rescue team soon finds itself under siege by deadly attackers, and Data and his group are separated from the main team.

With time running out, Data must defeat the invaders and rescue the aliens before the collision destroys the space station and the Republic.