The Next Generation Relaunch - Return to Farpoint

[BrotherBenny]

"Let’s see what’s out there."​

Captain Jean-Luc Picard
(Encounter at Farpoint, Part II)​

Prologue

USS Enterprise
Deep Space
Stardate 57345.3

As he had done every day for the last three months, Captain Jean-Luc Picard stared out of his ready room at the unfamiliar stars as they passed by at warp speed. He considered his current predicament and knew that he would have done the same things again given the chance. Once again, the Enterprise had been stripped of flagship status and he knew that it would take more than a year to regain it this time. Some of his top officers had requested transfers so as not to commit career suicide and he let them go, gaining the officers and crewmen that no one wanted in return. Since he was persona non grata with Command he was unable to amend the new orders which had been cut following his court-martial and the repairs to the ship. Whereas once he might enjoyed a second bite at the apple, this time it tasted bitter and nothing that his closest friends could offer was able to dissuade him from that notion.

Sixteen years before, when he took his second command posting, his first assignment was to inspect the new alien-built starbase and make sure it was suitable for its intended purpose. Instead, the starbase was discovered to be a captured alien lifeform which he released. Farpoint Station was supposed to be the launching point for a new push of exploration into the completely unexplored region of space, an area of several thousand cubic light years that not even long-range probes had mapped. Since accepting the Bandi’s proposal to rebuild Farpoint, he’d had no cause to think about the project as Starfleet became embroiled in one conflict after another; and now he was tasked with resupplying the station so that the Bandi could map the sector on their own.

It was a demeaning situation and one that he knew the crew didn’t like. The Enterprise was one of the most advanced starships in the fleet and yet for the past eight years it had been primarily used as a warship, fighting one enemy after another. He was an explorer and Command had tasked him with resupplying the station and then returning home, a journey which would keep him away from the core worlds for a little over six months. He knew that if he did try to explore the region he would likely find himself careened out of Starfleet so he planned on towing the party line, at least for a while. Picard knew that he had left the Federation President in a mess: with being unable to prosecute a mass-murderer, the Klingons executing a Starfleet captain and the Romulans mad that they didn’t get anything out of the deal. He’d also allowed the most dangerous Romulan in the galaxy to cement her hold over what remained of the Romulan Star Empire.

Then there was his court-martial.

Before his thoughts could dwell on that incident, his door chimed.

‘Come,’ he said and turned to see Worf.

‘Captain,’ the Klingon said.

‘Why didn’t you leave, Commander?’ Picard asked. ‘They might have given you your own command.’

‘I returned to Starfleet because I felt it was a better fit for me than my ambassadorial duties. I stayed here because someone has to make sure that you don’t get a stacked deck.’

Picard smiled. ‘What have you got for me?’

‘Commander La Forge is complaining that his team are about as competent as a Ferengi saboteur and your new tactical officer and security chief are at each other’s throats again. Other than that, everything is fine.’

Picard sat behind his desk. ‘What is it this time?’

‘Nothing I can’t handle.’

‘Try to not to break anything this time, Commander.’

‘It was an accident, sir,’ Worf replied noncommittally.

‘How long before we reach Farpoint Station?’

‘Another three days, but we’ve yet to receive a hail.’

‘We’re definitely close enough to receive one,’ Picard mused aloud. ‘There’s something wrong. Increase speed.’

‘We can’t,’ the Klingon replied. ‘The subspace topography of the region has been altered since we last came this way. The best we can do is warp six without destabilising the warp field or damaging subspace any further.’

‘Very well, let me know when we’re in visual range.’

‘Aye sir.’

‘Dismissed.’

Worf left and Picard pulled up the subspace charts of the region. After years of being around the brightest minds, he’d picked up a few things and after seeing the disruption, he brought up the subspace topography of the Lantaru sector and immediately noticed similarities. Were it an exact match, warp travel would not be possible at all, but someone had been playing with something they shouldn’t have. Since he was unable to discuss it with anyone on board, he put in a call to Admiral Janeway; the only Starfleet officer who had been known to deal with the Omega molecule in living memory.

She was not happy to see him.

‘You there already?’ she asked acidly.

‘Not quite,’ he answered, ignoring her acerbity. ‘But I think there’s a problem. I’m sending you an encrypted databurst because I need your advice. Additionally, we’ve had no response from any of our hails to Farpoint Station and we’re only three days away.’

Janeway looked at the databurst and then glanced up at him. ‘I’ll have to confer with Admiral Nechayev on this. Unless the computer detects the molecule, you’re to do nothing until you hear back from me. Is that understood? Think you can follow that order?’

‘Understood, Admiral. Picard out.’

He waited in his ready room and tried to read a couple of articles from the latest journal of archaeology council but couldn’t concentrate and ended up reading the same paragraph four times before putting the padd down.

The monitor chimed and he entered his authorisation code. ‘Admiral?’

‘You’re to investigate the situation at Farpoint but not the subspace anomaly unless the two are related. For now, follow your orders as given.’

‘Yes ma’am,’ Picard replied sourly.

‘Janeway out.’

 

[JNG]

Since accepting the Bandi’s proposal to rebuild Farpoint, he’d had no cause to think about the project as Starfleet became embroiled in one conflict after another; and now he was tasked with resupplying the station so that the Bandi could map the sector on their own.

Re: the bit about the Bandi mapping it on their own, it seems as if you meant they would be voyaging in space to do it (otherwise the station, clearly built as a staging area for starships). I wondered if this was intentional in light of the following "Encounter at Farpoint" line:

ZORN: Bandi do not enjoy leaving their home world.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Since accepting the Bandi’s proposal to rebuild Farpoint, he’d had no cause to think about the project as Starfleet became embroiled in one conflict after another; and now he was tasked with resupplying the station so that the Bandi could map the sector on their own.

Re: the bit about the Bandi mapping it on their own, it seems as if you meant they would be voyaging in space to do it (otherwise the station, clearly built as a staging area for starships). I wondered if this was intentional in light of the following "Encounter at Farpoint" line:

ZORN: Bandi do not enjoy leaving their home world.

It will all be explained, I assure you.

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

An interesting start to your next TNG Relaunch series. Picard court-martialed and commanding a dysfunctional crew. Sounds like fun!

 

[DavidFalkayn]

Well, Picard's back to ground zero, only this time instead of enjoying the reputation of being the "flagship of the fleet", he, his ship, and crew are all question marks. Only one way to go now...

This looks like it's going to be another winner.

 

[mirandafave]

A very interesting start. A mismatch of a crew, which is probably something Picard has never had to contend with -certainly not for a very long time anyway - and then the omininious silence from Farpoint coupled with these strange findings means Picard has already got a lot to work out nevermind the political dance he is going to have to play with Admiralty over whatever course of action he might deem necessary. I can see that this could lead Picard into dangerous territories and may be the final nail in his career coffin in light of the recent events.

 

[adm_gold]

Great start. Here we go again!

 

[Mistral]

Like what you are doing with Worf. Like where this is headed.

 

[USS Fardell]

I wonder what it was that caused the Enterprise to loose its flagship status?

 

[hellsgate]

I think the flagship status situation was a result of Picard firing on an (allegedly) friendly vessel at Rashanar in the "A Time To..." pro-lit series.

 

[BrotherBenny]

I think the flagship status situation was a result of Picard firing on an (allegedly) friendly vessel at Rashanar in the "A Time To..." pro-lit series.

That was resolved by "A Time To Tolstoy." This time it was because of the political mess he left Pres. Bacco in and playing fast and loose with the rules. The missing three months will be dealt with during the story.

Have I ever let you guys down?


(You know you're not supposed to answer that, right? )

 

[BrotherBenny]

Chapter One

USS Enterprise
Bandi Sector
Stardate 57353.5

As the Enterprise had gotten closer to the Bandi system, every possible method of communication had been tried, tested and exhausted. There was no response from anyone either on the surface or the small orbiting space station. At the captain's request, Commander Worf had gone over everything that was known about the station. After the initial encounter with the Enterprise D, the Bandi had spent the next five years building up the ground station themselves by trading with other nearby worlds and then Starfleet had built the orbital starbase once they were satisfied. Over the last four years, the Bandi probes had mapped almost the entire sector but their raw materials and supplies were running low, hence the reason the Enterprise was here in the first place.

The Bandi disliked travelling to other worlds, which was why the probes were being used, and Starfleet Command wanted to explore this region properly, but lacked the resources. Worf knew that Picard wanted to explore the Cygnus Reach, as he had been tasked with all those years ago, but Command would likely deny him that if only to keep him on a short leash, though he could do little damage when he was three months away from Earth. Even now, the captain was roaming the ship as if he was lost.

'Sir, we're approaching the Bandi system,' Lieutenant Joanna Faur said from the helm.

'Take us to impulse,' Worf ordered. 'Captain Picard to the bridge.'

'Still no contact with Farpoint or the Bandi,' Lieutenant Jasminder Choudhury added from the tactical console before Worf could ask.

'Contact Lieutenant McAdams and have her prep security details for the starbase and surface.'

'Aye sir,' she replied as Picard entered the bridge.

'Captain, we're approaching Farpoint.'

'Anything?'

'No sir, security will be ready to go down momentarily.'

Picard glanced round the bridge at the old and new faces. 'Commander, you will lead the away team to the surface. Commander Kadohata, you will lead the away team to the orbital facility. I want to know what happened here.'

'Aye sir,' the operations officer replied.

'Lieutenant McAdams will join you. I will take Lieutenant Stolovitsky,' Worf informed her.

'Yes sir,' she responded sourly.

'Mister Worf, let me know the moment you detect anything out of the ordinary.'

'As always, Captain.'

Worf and Kadohata headed for the turbolift in silence. Once the doors were closed and they were hurtling down toward the transporter room, Kadohata spoke up.

'Permission to speak freely, sir?'

'Granted.'

'McAdams is a loose cannon. Her record since leaving the Enterprise D is evidence enough.'

'I have read her file.'

'Why did the Captain take her back?'

Worf turned to the second officer. 'He did not have a choice, Commander. All the new personnel are those that Starfleet deemed capable of doing their jobs but little more. You are aware that the Captain's actions between the Klingons and Romulans was not well received?'

She nodded, saying nothing.

'The Enterprise and her crew now face the same problem as it did when you left the ship last year.'

'The Enterprise is no longer the flagship?'

'No, it is not, and this time it may not be able to regain that mantle as easily as the last time. The Captain has burned many bridges, especially with the Admiralty and the Office of the President.'

Kadohata looked down for a moment, then back up at Worf. 'Then we must make this crew worthy of the vessel they serve on, and worthy of the captain who commands it.'

Worf smiled. 'Lieutenant McAdams is your first target then. If you are able to get her to work as she used to, then others will follow. Especially those on the security teams.'

'Yes sir!' Kadohata replied with a smile of her own as the turbolift doors opened.

They walked to the transporter room and found two security teams already in place.

'McAdams, get your team on the pad, we're going hunting,' Kadohata ordered.

'For what?' the sour human asked.

'That's “For what, sir?” and we're looking for what happened to the Starfleet officers and Bandi who were manning the orbital facility.'

'Aye sir.'

'Better, we all ready? Energise.'

Stolovitsky looked at Worf as the other team dematerialised. 'Are we going to the surface, sir?'

'Yes, break out the desert gear. I remember this planet was not very comfortable.'

'Aye sir,' she replied and sent one of her team to the locker next door.

While they donned their desert robes, and strapped phasers and tricorders to their hips, Stolovitsky sidled closer to Worf. 'Sir, is there a problem I should know about?'

'Not at present,' the Klingon answered.

He was the first to step onto the transporter pad and waited impatiently for the others to get themselves ready.

'Sir, there's a problem on the surface,' the transporter operator said. 'Something is ionising the atmosphere. I'm unable to locate the beam-down coordinates.'

'Worf to Picard.'

'I see it, Commander. You'll have to take a shuttlecraft down. Be careful.'

'Aye sir, Worf out.' He turned to the others. 'Main shuttlebay, we'll take the Archimedes.'

'Sir, wouldn't the Argo be better suited?' one of the new security personnel asked.

'Perhaps, but the Captain likes to reserve that for his own use.'

'Aye sir.'

'Come on, people, double time,' Stolovitsky said. 'We need to know what happened down there, and see if there are any survivors.'

'Do your team have medical training?' Worf asked.

'All of them, they've been seeing Doctor Crusher and taking a medical extension course.'

'Excellent.'

The team walked quickly to the turbolift which deposited them equally as quickly on deck two at the end of the corridor where the main shuttlebay was located. Stolovitsky had called ahead for the flight control team to prep the shuttle for launch and it was ready when they arrived. Worf was the last one to enter the Archimedes and took the co-pilot's seat as the hatched closed and the bay doors opened.

'Flight Ops has cleared us, sir.'

'Take us out, Lieutenant.'

'Aye sir,' she replied and the shuttle exited the ship, angling down toward the planet's surface even as the Enterprise slowed to make orbit.

 

[Mistral]

And now, once more into the breach...

 

[mirandafave]

Shaping this mismatched crew into ... well shape - is going to be a tough challenge for picard and Worf alike. perhaps their greatest challenge despite whatever mysteries await in the Bandi System.

 

[DavidFalkayn]

This will be interesting--seeing Picard trying to whip a crew into shape instead of getting the 'best and the brightest' right from the get-go. Added to that, a mystery...

 

[fleetcaptain]

Who is McAdams? I don't remember that character at all. Seems interesting so far. Can't wait to see happens next.

 

[hellsgate]

Sweet! Keep it comin'!

 

[TheLoneRedshirt]

It is odd seeing Picard dealing with a less than top-of-the-line crew, but it certainly makes for an interesting story. At least he still has Worf.

I did find it a bit strange that Worf was reluctant to take the shuttle, Argo. If it was better suited for the mission, why would Picard not want them to use it?

 

[mirandafave]

Because TLR Picard views all such things as his own personal toys! Well ever since the movie era.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Chapter Two

Farpoint Orbital Station
In orbit of Deneb IV
Stardate 57353.6

Lieutenant Rhea McAdams materialised in what should have been the operations centre of Farpoint's orbital facility but it was completely devoid of life. The lights were barely operating and half the consoles were dark. She approached Commander Kadohata who had her tricorder out. The tricorder showed the same thing her eyes did. There was nothing here and the fine patina of dust indicated that this had been so for some time.

'Sir, how long has Farpoint been operational?'

The orbital facility has been operational for about eight years. There should be an equal complement of Starfleet and Bandi personnel on board. We'll have to make a room by room search and check all the Jefferies tubes and anywhere else someone might be hiding.'

'That could take hours,' McAdams replied, her tone indicating that her time could be better spent doing other work.

Kadohata leaned closer. 'You and I will be having a talk once this is over. In the meantime, you will do your job and the next time you question my orders, I'll have you relieved of duty so fast your head will spin, understood?'

'Yes ma'am.'

'Good, now organise your people and get moving.'

McAdams nodded, wondering what the hell Kadohata would do to her once they got back to the ship. It was true, her life the last few years had been difficult, but she didn't believe she deserved that kind of attitude. She did her job. 'Split into teams of two and cover the station deck by deck. You two start in the fusion core, you two in the Jefferies tubes, and you come with me. Commander, where will you be?'

'I'll be in here trying to get the station operational again. I'll seal the doors once you leave so that no one can get in.'

'Aye sir; all right people, move out.'

McAdams shot a look back at Kadohata before taking her comrade out the room to begin a deck by deck search starting with the other rooms on deck one. The entire deck was in semi-darkness, with just enough light from the overheads so you could see where you were going. Even the emergency lighting was offline. According to the briefing that Lieutenant Choudhury had given her, there was no evidence of an attack on the station or the planet, thus far, and now that she was here she could see that there was no visual evidence to suggest an attack on board. That left the burning question of what had happened here and where the six hundred people were that worked and lived on board the station.

'Sir, I'm picking up an energy signature, very faint,' Ensign John Allen reported, looking up from his tricorder as they climbed down to deck two.

'Where?'

'Thirty metres ahead, in one of the transporter rooms,' he answered and pulled out his phaser.

McAdams took point and jogged down the corridor. The two security officers entered the room at the same time and saw nothing at all. She moved to the console and saw a single blinking light.

'McAdams to Kadohata.'

'Go ahead, Lieutenant.'

'I think we should get Commander La Forge down here. I'm in transporter room two and there's a pattern in the buffer.'

'One moment, Lieutenant. I'll let you know; Kadohata out.'

Less than a minute later, La Forge materialised two metres from the console with Doctor Tropp beside him.

'What do we have, Lieutenant?' La Forge asked.

'A pattern trapped in the buffer, sir. I wasn't sure whether to rematerialise them.'

'There's been some degradation in the pattern, but not much. It should still be enough to complete the rematerialisation sequence, although they may need medical attention. Stand by and get ready to help them.'

'Aye sir,' McAdams and Allen moved into position to assist Tropp.

La Forge made some adjustments to the console and then activated the transport sequence. A buzz filled the air and they could all see a figure forming, but the transporter was shorting out and shooting sparks. The chief engineer cursed and then dumped power from another system. The figure formed completely and then collapsed.

Tropp moved in and scanned the prone figure. 'He's alive, but I'll need to stabilise him for transport. Help me lay him flat.'

'La Forge to Picard.'

'Yes, Commander?'

'I recognise the man trapped in the transporter. It's one of the Bandi was ran the market back in the day. He's alive, and the doctor is stabilising him for transport.'

'Excellent, keep me informed; Picard out. '

'Where's Miranda?' La Forge asked the security chief.

'Operations, trying to get the station working again,' McAdams said as the emergency lighting returned.

'I'll see what I can do to help her.'

'Aye sir.'

While Allen and Tropp tended to the Bandi, McAdams looked around at the transporter room. Her android eyes picked out everything but it still told her nothing about what had happened. Hopefully when the Bandi woke up he'd be able to shed some light on the situation.

She scratched behind her ear, an affectation picked up from the engineer during her last adjustment before she was reassigned to the Enterprise. She knew some admiral was playing a sick joke, assigning an android to a ship after the last one died. She was accorded full human rights under the Articles of the Federation but was not considered a high priority for study by the Daystrom Institute because she wasn't a Soong-type android. She was a Basic model, so the engineers there had told her.

They weren't interested in lesser models built by most cyberneticists, they wanted the most advanced and now they only had one. B4 was the only surviving Soong-type model left in existence. Lore had been destroyed when the Enterprise D stardrive section was vaporised in a warp core breach, Data's attempt to build a Soong-type was a failure, but the Institute had all his research notes, and Data himself had been killed, sacrificing himself for his captain.

But she wasn't worthy of their attention, being just a Basic android.