The TNG Relaunch - My version
- Thread starter BrotherBenny
- Start date
Sorry about the delay folks, RL can be hell.
Here's the next part
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USS Pasteur
Kevratas orbit
Stardate 57060.2
Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge wiped his grimy hands on his uniform trousers. It had been two days since the Romulans had hit the ship with a variation of the Breen energy-damping weapon. It was only his familiarity with the device and the engineering schematics of the Pasteur that enabled him to shore up the shields and structural integrity field enough to keep the ship from being totally destroyed. Four engineers had stayed with him when Worf ordered the evacuation, trusting him to be right.
‘Commander, we’re ready to bring the core back online,’ Ensign Daniela Westphalen said from the only working terminal.
‘Will the Romulans detect it?’
‘No sir, I’ve modified the shield generators to put out a minimal power output. As far as they know, we’re adrift and lifeless.’
La Forge smiled. ‘Good work, Ensign. Let’s get moving. I’m sure Worf and the doctor have made themselves comfortable. Our first priority is getting this ship up and running without the Romulans figuring anything out, then we get our people and get out of here.’
‘We should teach the Romulans a lesson,’ another engineer interjected.
La Forge turned to face the engineer who had spoken. ‘Look around you. This ship couldn’t even handle a Ferengi force whip at the moment. As soon as we have everyone on board, Doctor Crusher will make the decisions. Until then, I’m in charge and I’m telling you that we bring the core online to restore main power.’
‘Yes sir,’ crewman Michael Reston replied and headed for the core maintenance console to get it working again.
‘Ensign Westphalen, let’s give it a go.’
‘Aye sir, bringing magnetic constrictors online. Initialising matter injectors.’
A blue glow began to brighten in the reaction chamber.
‘Initialise the antimatter injector,’ La Forge ordered.
‘I’m reading a power build-up...there’s a cascade failure on deck six!’
‘Shut everything down, now!’ La Forge muttered a curse and ran for the main door to engineering.
‘I can’t, the cascade is building. It could take out the entire sphere section,’ Westphalen said as she frantically tried to reroute power.
‘I’m going to deck six,’ La Forge called out. ‘I’ll try to head it off.’
‘Best get to deck seven, Commander,’ Reston shot back. ‘By the time you get there it’ll be too late.’
La Forge nodded as he sprinted out of main engineering and navigated the debris-laden deck like a hurdler. ‘Bloody Romulans.’
He dove through an open Jefferies tube and crawled as fast as he could. His artificial eyes picked up the low level radiation present across the ship and after years of listening to his ship’s engines, he recognised the cascade failure building in the power couplings. Reston was right, the couplings on deck six were a lost cause. They would have to be rerouted at some point. Deck seven would be coursing with too much energy for him to safely take so he would have to accept that he would be causing more damage. Swinging up onto a ladder to take him up to deck seven, he remembered his quick glance at the damage control panel, flickering as it was, which told him that the structural integrity field was weak up there and he would probably end up blowing out a section of the sphere. It couldn’t be helped if he was going to get the core back online and give the Pasteur at least a fighting chance against the Romulans.
‘Westphalen to La Forge. I’ve taken the core offline and rerouted some of the fused couplings. We’re down to twenty hours battery power.’
‘Acknowledged, Ensign. We’re going to lose atmosphere on deck seven in about three minutes, reroute every joule off that deck. In fact, take the entire sphere offline apart from the torpedo launchers.’
‘Aye sir, working on it now. You’ve got two minutes before the cascade reaches maximum entropy.’
‘I’ll be safe. I’m on deck seven now. Make sure that all power is gone. I’m heading to the main junction now.’
‘Aye sir, Westphalen out.’
La Forge reached the junction and yanked the panel off. He could see the amount of current coursing through it and looked around. He sighed and spotted a length of polymer pipe. Scooping it up, he jammed it into the junction and sprinted off back the way he had come. The sound of power was deafening and he reached the Jefferies tube as the conduit blew. A section of hull twenty metres wide was explosively jettisoned from the ship and he only just managed to pull the hatch closed before being sucked out with it. Hopefully there was no one in that section who hadn’t managed to escape before, because there was no hope for them now.
‘How do we look, Ensign?’
‘That explosion took out some of the hull on deck seven as you expected. That deck is now depressurised. I didn’t want to activate the forcefields in case the Romulans were keeping a close eye on us.’
‘They may take a closer look now. Minimise our energy levels as best you can, I’ll be back momentarily.’
‘Aye sir.’
When he arrived in engineering a few minutes later, La Forge noticed the dejection on the faces on all four of the engineers. ‘These things happen. Next time we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen.’
‘How?’ Reston asked.
‘We need to scan every power coupling on board. Grab your EVA suits and start on the bridge. Do a deck by deck search and then return here.’
‘It will take us days.’
‘Then you’d better get started. Westphalen, you and Reston start on the bridge. Dolan, you stay here. Hemplen and I will start in the shuttlebay.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘Yes sir.’
‘Good, let’s get moving.’
Here's the next part
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USS Pasteur
Kevratas orbit
Stardate 57060.2
Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge wiped his grimy hands on his uniform trousers. It had been two days since the Romulans had hit the ship with a variation of the Breen energy-damping weapon. It was only his familiarity with the device and the engineering schematics of the Pasteur that enabled him to shore up the shields and structural integrity field enough to keep the ship from being totally destroyed. Four engineers had stayed with him when Worf ordered the evacuation, trusting him to be right.
‘Commander, we’re ready to bring the core back online,’ Ensign Daniela Westphalen said from the only working terminal.
‘Will the Romulans detect it?’
‘No sir, I’ve modified the shield generators to put out a minimal power output. As far as they know, we’re adrift and lifeless.’
La Forge smiled. ‘Good work, Ensign. Let’s get moving. I’m sure Worf and the doctor have made themselves comfortable. Our first priority is getting this ship up and running without the Romulans figuring anything out, then we get our people and get out of here.’
‘We should teach the Romulans a lesson,’ another engineer interjected.
La Forge turned to face the engineer who had spoken. ‘Look around you. This ship couldn’t even handle a Ferengi force whip at the moment. As soon as we have everyone on board, Doctor Crusher will make the decisions. Until then, I’m in charge and I’m telling you that we bring the core online to restore main power.’
‘Yes sir,’ crewman Michael Reston replied and headed for the core maintenance console to get it working again.
‘Ensign Westphalen, let’s give it a go.’
‘Aye sir, bringing magnetic constrictors online. Initialising matter injectors.’
A blue glow began to brighten in the reaction chamber.
‘Initialise the antimatter injector,’ La Forge ordered.
‘I’m reading a power build-up...there’s a cascade failure on deck six!’
‘Shut everything down, now!’ La Forge muttered a curse and ran for the main door to engineering.
‘I can’t, the cascade is building. It could take out the entire sphere section,’ Westphalen said as she frantically tried to reroute power.
‘I’m going to deck six,’ La Forge called out. ‘I’ll try to head it off.’
‘Best get to deck seven, Commander,’ Reston shot back. ‘By the time you get there it’ll be too late.’
La Forge nodded as he sprinted out of main engineering and navigated the debris-laden deck like a hurdler. ‘Bloody Romulans.’
He dove through an open Jefferies tube and crawled as fast as he could. His artificial eyes picked up the low level radiation present across the ship and after years of listening to his ship’s engines, he recognised the cascade failure building in the power couplings. Reston was right, the couplings on deck six were a lost cause. They would have to be rerouted at some point. Deck seven would be coursing with too much energy for him to safely take so he would have to accept that he would be causing more damage. Swinging up onto a ladder to take him up to deck seven, he remembered his quick glance at the damage control panel, flickering as it was, which told him that the structural integrity field was weak up there and he would probably end up blowing out a section of the sphere. It couldn’t be helped if he was going to get the core back online and give the Pasteur at least a fighting chance against the Romulans.
‘Westphalen to La Forge. I’ve taken the core offline and rerouted some of the fused couplings. We’re down to twenty hours battery power.’
‘Acknowledged, Ensign. We’re going to lose atmosphere on deck seven in about three minutes, reroute every joule off that deck. In fact, take the entire sphere offline apart from the torpedo launchers.’
‘Aye sir, working on it now. You’ve got two minutes before the cascade reaches maximum entropy.’
‘I’ll be safe. I’m on deck seven now. Make sure that all power is gone. I’m heading to the main junction now.’
‘Aye sir, Westphalen out.’
La Forge reached the junction and yanked the panel off. He could see the amount of current coursing through it and looked around. He sighed and spotted a length of polymer pipe. Scooping it up, he jammed it into the junction and sprinted off back the way he had come. The sound of power was deafening and he reached the Jefferies tube as the conduit blew. A section of hull twenty metres wide was explosively jettisoned from the ship and he only just managed to pull the hatch closed before being sucked out with it. Hopefully there was no one in that section who hadn’t managed to escape before, because there was no hope for them now.
‘How do we look, Ensign?’
‘That explosion took out some of the hull on deck seven as you expected. That deck is now depressurised. I didn’t want to activate the forcefields in case the Romulans were keeping a close eye on us.’
‘They may take a closer look now. Minimise our energy levels as best you can, I’ll be back momentarily.’
‘Aye sir.’
When he arrived in engineering a few minutes later, La Forge noticed the dejection on the faces on all four of the engineers. ‘These things happen. Next time we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen.’
‘How?’ Reston asked.
‘We need to scan every power coupling on board. Grab your EVA suits and start on the bridge. Do a deck by deck search and then return here.’
‘It will take us days.’
‘Then you’d better get started. Westphalen, you and Reston start on the bridge. Dolan, you stay here. Hemplen and I will start in the shuttlebay.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘Yes sir.’
‘Good, let’s get moving.’
Yeah, Geordi showed why he was chief engineer on the Enterprise. Great, tense segment.
Now to see if the Roms will check out that explosion.
Now to see if the Roms will check out that explosion.
Geordi really comes through here--I like how you write him--he knows his stuff, cares about his people, and isn't afraid to put himself in harms way.
USS Enterprise
En route to Kevratas
Stardate 57061.5
Commander Martin Madden felt out of place. His last posting was the operations officer on the Galaxy-class USS Talos and he was now the first officer on the Federation flagship. His assignment was had ostensibly been forced upon him, but it gave him his third pip and a transfer to command so he tried not to let that worry him, too much. Sitting in the command chair, he had plenty of time to think. According to the rumours, Commander Worf was the executive officer of the Enterprise and he was on the mission to Kevratas that seemed to go horribly wrong. Madden knew that if Worf was found alive, he would return to the ship as exec and then Madden would be found another billet as first officer, or captain of one of the Defiant-class ships. Admiral Janeway had given him his marching orders, keep an eye on Picard and make sure that he doesn’t screw up. A simple enough task, but he knew that certain other admirals gave Picard a fair amount of leeway, or at least they had done until the Rashanar incident. Since defeating Shinzon however, he seemed to regained the trust of a few of them, which was why Janeway had been forced to allow him to go after Doctor Crusher and the crew of the Pasteur.
‘Commander, there’s a Romulan warbird decloaking directly ahead.’
Madden stood up. ‘Red alert, slow to impulse. Captain Picard to the bridge.’
Picard emerged from his ready room and saw the image on the viewscreen. ‘Can you identify the vessel?’ he asked Lieutenant Lionardo Battaglia, his tactical officer.
‘Attempting to now, sir,’ Battaglia replied. ‘Sensors identify the vessel as a B-type warbird, precursor to the D’deridex-class, it is registered as the N’ventnar.’
Picard sighed. ‘Open a channel.’
‘Channel open.’
‘Commander Sela, it is a surprise to see you again,’ he said with little inflection.
Madden looked on in surprise as the viewscreen image changed, providing the bridge crew with a surprise, a blonde Romulan. ‘Captain Picard, I should have known they would send you. Care for a rematch?’
‘Eloh is long in the past, Commander. Besides, this Enterprise is more than a match for your warbird.’
Sela narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. ‘Know this, Picard. Your precious doctor and the pathetic crew of that bulbous starship are dead. I will make sure that Kevratas and its people stay in the Empire for all time.’
Picard allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. ‘You should know that I never believe a word you say. How is your mother these days?’
‘The traitor is dead! She was killed trying to escape.’
‘I still don’t believe you, and if I find that Tasha is alive, I will return her home.’
Sela smiled. ‘She is dead, Picard, and long may she stay that way.’
‘If you don’t mind,’ Picard said, all business again, ‘I want to see the state of the Pasteur myself.’
‘Go right ahead,’ the smug Romulan replied. ‘You will find a lifeless hulk clogging the orbit of Kevratas. Take it with you when you leave.’
‘We won’t leave until we have our people,’ Madden interrupted.
‘New blood to spill, how pleasant,’ Sela remarked as the screen returned to the image of the warbird, which promptly cloaked.
‘Who is she?’ Madden asked. ‘I’ve never seen a blonde Romulan before.’
‘And you’re unlikely to again,’ Picard shot back. ‘It is a long story and I have no intention of repeating it to you. Continue on course for Kevratas and notify me when we make orbit.’
‘Captain, permission to speak freely?’ Madden asked sotto voce.
‘Kadohata, you have the bridge.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘My ready room, now.’
Madden nodded and preceded Picard into the latter’s ready room. As soon as the doors closed, Picard took a seat behind his desk and gestured for Madden to take the seat opposite.
‘Permission granted, Commander.’
‘I don’t expect to be treated with the same camaraderie as you had with Commander Riker, or have with Commander Worf, but I do expect to be treated with respect, and I don’t feel you have been doing that. You have your operations officer greet me and give me a tour and then say hello and leave me in command without even a welcome.’
Picard leaned back in his chair and poured himself a cup of Earl Grey. ‘I don’t like having an admiral’s pawn on my bridge watching my every move. You were put here at Admiral Janeway’s request for what reason? To make sure I rescue the crew of the Pasteur without my relationship with Doctor Crusher impacting that? I have been a Starfleet captain for thirty-eight years, I believe I have proven myself capable. Your loyalty should lie with me as your commanding officer, does it?’
‘At the moment, no, since you have shown me no trust. Loyalty has to be earned, Captain and I think you’re too used to have it automatically. Your former crew has scattered to the four winds and all these new people don’t know what to think. You have to let them see that you can trust them without knowing them and they will only see that if you trust me as your new first officer, for however long I am actually here.’
Picard nodded. ‘Alright, I will tell you who Commander Sela is and you will see that she is trouble.’
When he was finished, Madden leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as if staunching a bleed. ‘I had no idea the Enterprise had so many unusual assignments.’
‘I don’t remember that one, but one my civilian crew at the time did.’
‘Do we have an agreement then, Captain? You trust me and earn my loyalty?’
‘We’ll see what happens; dismissed, Commander.’
Madden returned to the bridge, leaving Picard in the ready room and knew without a doubt that as soon as Worf returned, he would be transferred. If Worf didn’t return, then there might be a possibility of remaining on board but he didn’t hold out much hope. The Enterprise would not be his new home.
En route to Kevratas
Stardate 57061.5
Commander Martin Madden felt out of place. His last posting was the operations officer on the Galaxy-class USS Talos and he was now the first officer on the Federation flagship. His assignment was had ostensibly been forced upon him, but it gave him his third pip and a transfer to command so he tried not to let that worry him, too much. Sitting in the command chair, he had plenty of time to think. According to the rumours, Commander Worf was the executive officer of the Enterprise and he was on the mission to Kevratas that seemed to go horribly wrong. Madden knew that if Worf was found alive, he would return to the ship as exec and then Madden would be found another billet as first officer, or captain of one of the Defiant-class ships. Admiral Janeway had given him his marching orders, keep an eye on Picard and make sure that he doesn’t screw up. A simple enough task, but he knew that certain other admirals gave Picard a fair amount of leeway, or at least they had done until the Rashanar incident. Since defeating Shinzon however, he seemed to regained the trust of a few of them, which was why Janeway had been forced to allow him to go after Doctor Crusher and the crew of the Pasteur.
‘Commander, there’s a Romulan warbird decloaking directly ahead.’
Madden stood up. ‘Red alert, slow to impulse. Captain Picard to the bridge.’
Picard emerged from his ready room and saw the image on the viewscreen. ‘Can you identify the vessel?’ he asked Lieutenant Lionardo Battaglia, his tactical officer.
‘Attempting to now, sir,’ Battaglia replied. ‘Sensors identify the vessel as a B-type warbird, precursor to the D’deridex-class, it is registered as the N’ventnar.’
Picard sighed. ‘Open a channel.’
‘Channel open.’
‘Commander Sela, it is a surprise to see you again,’ he said with little inflection.
Madden looked on in surprise as the viewscreen image changed, providing the bridge crew with a surprise, a blonde Romulan. ‘Captain Picard, I should have known they would send you. Care for a rematch?’
‘Eloh is long in the past, Commander. Besides, this Enterprise is more than a match for your warbird.’
Sela narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. ‘Know this, Picard. Your precious doctor and the pathetic crew of that bulbous starship are dead. I will make sure that Kevratas and its people stay in the Empire for all time.’
Picard allowed a small smile to creep onto his face. ‘You should know that I never believe a word you say. How is your mother these days?’
‘The traitor is dead! She was killed trying to escape.’
‘I still don’t believe you, and if I find that Tasha is alive, I will return her home.’
Sela smiled. ‘She is dead, Picard, and long may she stay that way.’
‘If you don’t mind,’ Picard said, all business again, ‘I want to see the state of the Pasteur myself.’
‘Go right ahead,’ the smug Romulan replied. ‘You will find a lifeless hulk clogging the orbit of Kevratas. Take it with you when you leave.’
‘We won’t leave until we have our people,’ Madden interrupted.
‘New blood to spill, how pleasant,’ Sela remarked as the screen returned to the image of the warbird, which promptly cloaked.
‘Who is she?’ Madden asked. ‘I’ve never seen a blonde Romulan before.’
‘And you’re unlikely to again,’ Picard shot back. ‘It is a long story and I have no intention of repeating it to you. Continue on course for Kevratas and notify me when we make orbit.’
‘Captain, permission to speak freely?’ Madden asked sotto voce.
‘Kadohata, you have the bridge.’
‘Aye sir.’
‘My ready room, now.’
Madden nodded and preceded Picard into the latter’s ready room. As soon as the doors closed, Picard took a seat behind his desk and gestured for Madden to take the seat opposite.
‘Permission granted, Commander.’
‘I don’t expect to be treated with the same camaraderie as you had with Commander Riker, or have with Commander Worf, but I do expect to be treated with respect, and I don’t feel you have been doing that. You have your operations officer greet me and give me a tour and then say hello and leave me in command without even a welcome.’
Picard leaned back in his chair and poured himself a cup of Earl Grey. ‘I don’t like having an admiral’s pawn on my bridge watching my every move. You were put here at Admiral Janeway’s request for what reason? To make sure I rescue the crew of the Pasteur without my relationship with Doctor Crusher impacting that? I have been a Starfleet captain for thirty-eight years, I believe I have proven myself capable. Your loyalty should lie with me as your commanding officer, does it?’
‘At the moment, no, since you have shown me no trust. Loyalty has to be earned, Captain and I think you’re too used to have it automatically. Your former crew has scattered to the four winds and all these new people don’t know what to think. You have to let them see that you can trust them without knowing them and they will only see that if you trust me as your new first officer, for however long I am actually here.’
Picard nodded. ‘Alright, I will tell you who Commander Sela is and you will see that she is trouble.’
When he was finished, Madden leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as if staunching a bleed. ‘I had no idea the Enterprise had so many unusual assignments.’
‘I don’t remember that one, but one my civilian crew at the time did.’
‘Do we have an agreement then, Captain? You trust me and earn my loyalty?’
‘We’ll see what happens; dismissed, Commander.’
Madden returned to the bridge, leaving Picard in the ready room and knew without a doubt that as soon as Worf returned, he would be transferred. If Worf didn’t return, then there might be a possibility of remaining on board but he didn’t hold out much hope. The Enterprise would not be his new home.
Madden's coming into a bad situation as first officer: doesn't have the confidence of captain and crew but insists that the captain has to earn his loyalty first--definitely the ticket to a short-term billet.
I think Madden has it backwards - it is he who must earn Picard's respect by showing his loyalty, not the other way around, admirals be damned.
Sela certainly is being arrogant. (No big surprise there.) I wonder if she'll feel the same when she discovers that the Pasteur still has teeth and Dr. Crusher is very much alive.
Sela certainly is being arrogant. (No big surprise there.) I wonder if she'll feel the same when she discovers that the Pasteur still has teeth and Dr. Crusher is very much alive.
Wow. I have to say this wasn't what I was suspecting out of Madden. I figured he would be like the one we had seen in the deleted scenes. I just cant believe he talked to Picard like that, a well respected captain.
I didn't like "stupid, naive Madden" and thought I would give him some teeth. Yes, he should earn Picard's respect by showing loyalty, but do you not agree that Picard is used to getting instant loyalty and respect because of his status in Starfleet? I wanted to use my version of the relaunch to shake up the status quo and show that not everyone believes Picard is the ubercaptain that the younger officers think he is. There will be more from Madden, I have no intention of relegating him. As for rescuing Beverly, the Enterprise isn't even in orbit yet.
I understand that one bit. Didn't you use Madden in your Dauntless series already too? I remember reading the first one and I thought I saw Madden pop up somewhere, giving Sito a mission or something.
Yeah, I did, but that Madden is in the United Trek universe which is slightly different to the standard Treklitverse. This TNG Relaunch is set in the usual Treklitverse.
Kevratas City
Stardate 57061.9
In the last ten hours, half a Kevrata day, Lieutenant Zelik Leybenzon had been shot at more than a dozen times by Romulan ground troops. Each time, he had returned fire and left Romulan bodies on the ground and Kevrata picking them clean before scurrying away. This time was different. He’d been ambushed and shot in the leg, then left to die when the Kevrata who tried to help him were killed in cold blood. Leybenzon knew he’d blacked out and when he came to, he saw a shadow looming over him. He raised his phaser and pointed it upward, then looked at the shadow.
It was Commander Worf.
‘Are you going to sit there all day?’ Worf asked.
‘My leg’s broken, I can’t walk,’ Leybenzon replied through gritted teeth.
‘As long as you are still alive you can walk,’ Worf shot back, ‘unless you are a coward.’
Leybenzon hauled himself up, holding the wall for support. ‘I am no coward!’
‘Then move, we must rejoin the others.’
‘I was giving you time to get further away, why did you come after me?’
‘Because your sacrifice would not have been honourable. You were not going to give us time to escape, but instead to assuage your guilt, and regain your honour.’
Leybenzon narrowed his eyes. ‘What do you know of my motives? I’m not a Klingon who has to reclaim his honour.’
‘We must leave here, the Romulans will return to this area to make sure it has been sanitised.’
Leybenzon took a single step before his other leg gave way and he found himself heading toward the floor. Worf grabbed his arm and hauled him back on his feet. ‘Let go of me!’ he cried and collapsed to the floor.
Worf turned and walked away, leaving him where he was.
‘You can’t leave me here, it is against regulations,’ Leybenzon yelled and got back on his feet.
He reached for a length of timber and used it as a crutch, following Worf back toward the catacombs. Hearing something behind him, he turned, aiming his phaser and saw a single Romulan about thirty metres away, a young girl who looked barely into her teens. She was dressed in rags and stumbled along on a leg that looked as useless as his.
‘Worf, wait, we should take her with us.’
The Klingon turned round, looked at the girl and raised his weapon. She smiled and lobbed a grenade at them. Without thinking, Leybenzon used his crutch as a bat and sent the grenade hurtling back to the girl who had regained the use of her leg and started to run. He turned to face Worf and hobbled away as the grenade exploded.
‘Nothing is what it seems on this world,’ Worf said. ‘You would do well to remember that.’
‘You don’t like me, do you?’
‘No, but you are a capable officer.’
‘Why? And don’t tell me it’s because I called you a coward.’
‘It isn’t. I have noticed that you express negative opinions about all officers, even though you are one.’
‘I used to be a non-com and I always believed that officers had no clue what it was like on the front lines and just used us as cannon fodder. Chin’toka is a good example.’
Worf growled deep in his throat at the mention of that battle. Shortly after taking the system from the Dominion he learned that his wife was gravely ill. The memory was still raw. ‘We needed to go on the offensive and take the war to the Dominion, forcing them to be defensive. It was a good tactical decision by Captain Sisko.’
‘Not for the ground troops it wasn’t.’
Worf stopped and Leybenzon almost barrelled into him. The Klingon turned to look the Gault native in the eye. ‘It was your duty as a Starfleet officer. That is all that should have mattered.’
‘Thousands died on Chin’toka,’ Leybenzon replied angrily. ‘We were left on our own for months, with wave after wave of Jem’Hadar attacking.’
‘You did your duty, that is all that is required.’
‘That’s the reason I despise officers. They think nothing of us, just assigning us to die.’
Worf sighed. ‘Did you want them to hold your hand?’
‘I want them to be acknowledged for their sacrifices, not just names on a monument.’
Worf jabbed the man’s forehead with his index finger. ‘As long as you remember them, they will not be forgotten. All who died at Chin’toka and AR-558 and every other battle died with honour, that is how they will be remembered. Starfleet personnel who gave their lives so that others could live, to beat back the honourless PetaQ of the Dominion and make the Alpha Quadrant safe again.’
Leybenzon was stung by the words and mutely nodded.
‘We should keep moving. Doctor Crusher will no doubt be wondering where we are.’
Both men walked in silence, glancing around to make sure that they weren’t being watched. Leybenzon felt eyes on him but could not see where they were coming from. He suddenly turned and pushed Worf down as a projectile hit him in the chest. He fired at the source with his phaser as he hit the ground and was rewarded with a Romulan body falling from the roof of a three-storey building. He looked at his chest and saw blood pooling in the creases of his uniform.
Worf was upon him in less than a second trying to staunch the blood flow with his hands and his own uniform jacket. It was no good, whatever type of projectile the Romulan had used had caused too much damage, but Worf kept the pressure on anyway.
‘I’m dying, Commander, leave me,’ Leybenzon said in a whisper, blood oozing from his mouth.
‘You will be fine,’ the Klingon replied as the Russian’s eyes closed.
Worf looked around, opened Leybenzon’s eyes and stared up at the heavens, howling to let the spirits know that a warrior is coming to Sto’Vo’Kor.
He stood, wiped his hands of blood, affixed his combadge to his undershirt, and ran for the catacombs. He would not forget Leybenzon’s sacrifice.
Stardate 57061.9
In the last ten hours, half a Kevrata day, Lieutenant Zelik Leybenzon had been shot at more than a dozen times by Romulan ground troops. Each time, he had returned fire and left Romulan bodies on the ground and Kevrata picking them clean before scurrying away. This time was different. He’d been ambushed and shot in the leg, then left to die when the Kevrata who tried to help him were killed in cold blood. Leybenzon knew he’d blacked out and when he came to, he saw a shadow looming over him. He raised his phaser and pointed it upward, then looked at the shadow.
It was Commander Worf.
‘Are you going to sit there all day?’ Worf asked.
‘My leg’s broken, I can’t walk,’ Leybenzon replied through gritted teeth.
‘As long as you are still alive you can walk,’ Worf shot back, ‘unless you are a coward.’
Leybenzon hauled himself up, holding the wall for support. ‘I am no coward!’
‘Then move, we must rejoin the others.’
‘I was giving you time to get further away, why did you come after me?’
‘Because your sacrifice would not have been honourable. You were not going to give us time to escape, but instead to assuage your guilt, and regain your honour.’
Leybenzon narrowed his eyes. ‘What do you know of my motives? I’m not a Klingon who has to reclaim his honour.’
‘We must leave here, the Romulans will return to this area to make sure it has been sanitised.’
Leybenzon took a single step before his other leg gave way and he found himself heading toward the floor. Worf grabbed his arm and hauled him back on his feet. ‘Let go of me!’ he cried and collapsed to the floor.
Worf turned and walked away, leaving him where he was.
‘You can’t leave me here, it is against regulations,’ Leybenzon yelled and got back on his feet.
He reached for a length of timber and used it as a crutch, following Worf back toward the catacombs. Hearing something behind him, he turned, aiming his phaser and saw a single Romulan about thirty metres away, a young girl who looked barely into her teens. She was dressed in rags and stumbled along on a leg that looked as useless as his.
‘Worf, wait, we should take her with us.’
The Klingon turned round, looked at the girl and raised his weapon. She smiled and lobbed a grenade at them. Without thinking, Leybenzon used his crutch as a bat and sent the grenade hurtling back to the girl who had regained the use of her leg and started to run. He turned to face Worf and hobbled away as the grenade exploded.
‘Nothing is what it seems on this world,’ Worf said. ‘You would do well to remember that.’
‘You don’t like me, do you?’
‘No, but you are a capable officer.’
‘Why? And don’t tell me it’s because I called you a coward.’
‘It isn’t. I have noticed that you express negative opinions about all officers, even though you are one.’
‘I used to be a non-com and I always believed that officers had no clue what it was like on the front lines and just used us as cannon fodder. Chin’toka is a good example.’
Worf growled deep in his throat at the mention of that battle. Shortly after taking the system from the Dominion he learned that his wife was gravely ill. The memory was still raw. ‘We needed to go on the offensive and take the war to the Dominion, forcing them to be defensive. It was a good tactical decision by Captain Sisko.’
‘Not for the ground troops it wasn’t.’
Worf stopped and Leybenzon almost barrelled into him. The Klingon turned to look the Gault native in the eye. ‘It was your duty as a Starfleet officer. That is all that should have mattered.’
‘Thousands died on Chin’toka,’ Leybenzon replied angrily. ‘We were left on our own for months, with wave after wave of Jem’Hadar attacking.’
‘You did your duty, that is all that is required.’
‘That’s the reason I despise officers. They think nothing of us, just assigning us to die.’
Worf sighed. ‘Did you want them to hold your hand?’
‘I want them to be acknowledged for their sacrifices, not just names on a monument.’
Worf jabbed the man’s forehead with his index finger. ‘As long as you remember them, they will not be forgotten. All who died at Chin’toka and AR-558 and every other battle died with honour, that is how they will be remembered. Starfleet personnel who gave their lives so that others could live, to beat back the honourless PetaQ of the Dominion and make the Alpha Quadrant safe again.’
Leybenzon was stung by the words and mutely nodded.
‘We should keep moving. Doctor Crusher will no doubt be wondering where we are.’
Both men walked in silence, glancing around to make sure that they weren’t being watched. Leybenzon felt eyes on him but could not see where they were coming from. He suddenly turned and pushed Worf down as a projectile hit him in the chest. He fired at the source with his phaser as he hit the ground and was rewarded with a Romulan body falling from the roof of a three-storey building. He looked at his chest and saw blood pooling in the creases of his uniform.
Worf was upon him in less than a second trying to staunch the blood flow with his hands and his own uniform jacket. It was no good, whatever type of projectile the Romulan had used had caused too much damage, but Worf kept the pressure on anyway.
‘I’m dying, Commander, leave me,’ Leybenzon said in a whisper, blood oozing from his mouth.
‘You will be fine,’ the Klingon replied as the Russian’s eyes closed.
Worf looked around, opened Leybenzon’s eyes and stared up at the heavens, howling to let the spirits know that a warrior is coming to Sto’Vo’Kor.
He stood, wiped his hands of blood, affixed his combadge to his undershirt, and ran for the catacombs. He would not forget Leybenzon’s sacrifice.
Leybenzon illustrates the wide gulf that often exists between the ground-pounders, the squids and the airedales. All have dangerous jobs, but the ground-pounders often have the most primitive and uncomfortable environments in which to fight, plus their battles tend to be up close and personal. At least I now somewhat understand his attitude, though I think his animosity toward Worf was misplaced. He certainly showed tremendous courage in sacrificing his life to save Worf. I'll miss this character.
Did I work his character better than the relaunch?
I liked this part. Very good character work with both Leybenzon and Worf here. You did a good job explaining where and how Leybenzon's attitude arose.
USS Enterprise
Kevratas orbit
Stardate 57062.7
Lieutenant Commander Miranda Kadohata held her breath as the tactical officer, Lieutenant Lio Battaglia, adjusted the viewscreen. Kevratas was a blue world much like Earth but with a higher ratio of land to water, but it was what was orbiting the planet that made her breath go cold. The Olympic-class starships were designed in a retro fashion and were reminiscent of the Daedalus-class starships of the mid twenty-second century. The Pasteur was heavily damaged, the spherical hull was dented and exposed to space in several sections and much of the engineering hull was dented. There was also one large section that was completely missing.
‘What the hell happened out here?’ Madden asked without much decorum.
‘The Romulans happened,’ Battaglia said. ‘Captain, permission to take an away team and look for survivors?’
Picard turned to Madden. ‘Well, Commander, do think it’s a good idea?’
‘Lieutenant, Battaglia, are you picking up any lifesigns over there?’ Madden asked, standing and turning to face the tactical officer.
‘No sir, but I’m not picking up any other EM emissions either and there are clearly lights on over there,’ Battaglia replied.
‘So someone is still on board,’ Kadohata said, hoping for the best.
‘Permission to lead an away team, Captain?’ Madden asked.
Picard almost smiled. ‘Granted, Commander. Mister Battaglia, I can see that the escape pods were launched. I’d like you to remain on board and try to contact the surface. Perhaps someone down there knows where the rest of our people are.’
‘Aye sir, may I suggest Lieutenant Paige beam across with the away team, sir.’
Picard frowned. ‘Lieutenant?’
‘Permission to speak freely, Captain?’
‘Go ahead,’ he replied, feeling that this particular grievance was heard in the open.
‘If you weren’t happy with Lieutenant Paige, sir, why did you accept her transfer back to the Enterprise?’
‘I give everyone second chances, Lieutenant,’ Picard said. ‘But I do not appreciate my generosity being used for nefarious purposes.’
Battaglia bristled. ‘Captain, she did what she thought was right and she was absolved in her court-martial. She may never be anything more than a deputy security chief now, but she still deserves to wear the uniform.’
Picard looked around and saw agreement on the new faces around his bridge. ‘Very well, but I want a close eye kept on her.’
‘Aye sir,’ Madden said and tapped his combadge. ‘Lieutenants Paige and Taurik report to transporter room one.’
‘Commander, keep an open comm line at all times. At the first sign of trouble, we’ll have you out of there.’
Madden looked like he was about to argue but just nodded, ‘aye sir,’ and headed for the turbolift. He turned back and added, ‘Commander Kadohata, join me please.’
Kadohata jumped up and headed for the turbolift, sharing a quick glance with Picard. She rode the turbolift with Madden in silence, thinking about her family on Cestus III, her husband, daughter and twins. Her Starfleet career was important to her and for the moment Vincenzo understood that, but there would come a time when he would want her around more, and there would be a time when she wanted that as well. For now, however, she was content to be serving aboard the flagship of the Federation.
‘You don’t like me, do you Commander?’
‘Sir?’
‘Off the record.’
‘I don’t know you, sir,’ Kadohata replied. ‘I can’t like or dislike you. But the truth is that I don’t trust you.’
‘Why?’
‘Why are you here? To serve Captain Picard, or Admiral Janeway?’
Madden realised that Picard had shared the origin of the assignment with her. ‘I’m here to serve Captain Picard as his first officer, but he’s not making it easy for me.’
‘You’re supposed to help him, not the other way round,’ she shot back and then snapped her mouth closed and stared straight ahead.
‘I see,’ Madden replied. ‘I got the same answer from the Captain.’
Kadohata didn’t respond as the turbolift came to a halt and the doors opened. The two of them walked in awkward silence to the main transporter room and they were then joined by assistant chief engineer Taurik and deputy security chief Paige. Both wore phasers and tricorders on their utility belts which had become standard for all away teams in the last few months.
‘Lieutenants, I will take the lead,’ Madden told them. ‘We’ll be beaming as close to engineering as possible, given any active forcefields, vacuum or radiation. Understood?’
They all nodded.
‘Energise.’
The four of them materialised directly outside main engineering and Paige had her phaser out as soon as she became solid. Taurik waved his tricorder around the sealed door and nodded to himself. Madden and Kadohata were using their own tricorders on the damaged bulkheads.
‘I recognise this energy signature,’ Kadohata said. ‘It looks like the Breen weapon, but it doesn’t quite match.’
‘The Romulans have probably made some modifications to it, but I concur,’ Taurik interjected. ‘It is too similar to be coincidence.’
‘Have you found anything else?’ Madden asked as he walked further away.
‘Lieutenant Commander La Forge is aboard.’
Madden halted. ‘Are you sure?’
Taurik quirked an eyebrow. ‘Quite sure.’
‘How?’ Kadohata asked.
‘I recognise his handiwork,’ Taurik answered. ‘Several modifications have been made to the Pasteur’s systems in the last two days that can only have been completed by Commander La Forge.’
‘So, at least one person survived.’
‘Five of us remained behind,’ a familiar voice said and Kadohata whirled round.
‘Geordi?’
The space-suited figure removed his helmet. ‘I guess the radiation level has gone down.’
‘Where are Commander Worf and Doctor Crusher?’ Madden asked.
‘Geordi, meet our temporary first officer, Commander Martin Madden.’
Madden glared and Geordi smiled. ‘A pleasure. They used the escape pods to get down to the surface. I don’t know how many made it.’
‘We didn’t find any debris,’ Paige said. ‘I think we have to assume they all made it until we learn otherwise.’
‘Mister La Forge, how much of this ship is operational?’
‘Enough to make sure the Romulans learn that a Federation starship be on the verge of collapse and still pack a punch. We have weapons and shields, and one tenth impulse power. I don’t think we’ll get any more with all the structural damage.’
‘Madden to Picard.’
‘Go ahead, Commander.’
‘They’re alive, sir. Hopefully all of them.’
‘Captain, Romulan warbird decloaking,’ Kadohata heard Battaglia call out.
Kevratas orbit
Stardate 57062.7
Lieutenant Commander Miranda Kadohata held her breath as the tactical officer, Lieutenant Lio Battaglia, adjusted the viewscreen. Kevratas was a blue world much like Earth but with a higher ratio of land to water, but it was what was orbiting the planet that made her breath go cold. The Olympic-class starships were designed in a retro fashion and were reminiscent of the Daedalus-class starships of the mid twenty-second century. The Pasteur was heavily damaged, the spherical hull was dented and exposed to space in several sections and much of the engineering hull was dented. There was also one large section that was completely missing.
‘What the hell happened out here?’ Madden asked without much decorum.
‘The Romulans happened,’ Battaglia said. ‘Captain, permission to take an away team and look for survivors?’
Picard turned to Madden. ‘Well, Commander, do think it’s a good idea?’
‘Lieutenant, Battaglia, are you picking up any lifesigns over there?’ Madden asked, standing and turning to face the tactical officer.
‘No sir, but I’m not picking up any other EM emissions either and there are clearly lights on over there,’ Battaglia replied.
‘So someone is still on board,’ Kadohata said, hoping for the best.
‘Permission to lead an away team, Captain?’ Madden asked.
Picard almost smiled. ‘Granted, Commander. Mister Battaglia, I can see that the escape pods were launched. I’d like you to remain on board and try to contact the surface. Perhaps someone down there knows where the rest of our people are.’
‘Aye sir, may I suggest Lieutenant Paige beam across with the away team, sir.’
Picard frowned. ‘Lieutenant?’
‘Permission to speak freely, Captain?’
‘Go ahead,’ he replied, feeling that this particular grievance was heard in the open.
‘If you weren’t happy with Lieutenant Paige, sir, why did you accept her transfer back to the Enterprise?’
‘I give everyone second chances, Lieutenant,’ Picard said. ‘But I do not appreciate my generosity being used for nefarious purposes.’
Battaglia bristled. ‘Captain, she did what she thought was right and she was absolved in her court-martial. She may never be anything more than a deputy security chief now, but she still deserves to wear the uniform.’
Picard looked around and saw agreement on the new faces around his bridge. ‘Very well, but I want a close eye kept on her.’
‘Aye sir,’ Madden said and tapped his combadge. ‘Lieutenants Paige and Taurik report to transporter room one.’
‘Commander, keep an open comm line at all times. At the first sign of trouble, we’ll have you out of there.’
Madden looked like he was about to argue but just nodded, ‘aye sir,’ and headed for the turbolift. He turned back and added, ‘Commander Kadohata, join me please.’
Kadohata jumped up and headed for the turbolift, sharing a quick glance with Picard. She rode the turbolift with Madden in silence, thinking about her family on Cestus III, her husband, daughter and twins. Her Starfleet career was important to her and for the moment Vincenzo understood that, but there would come a time when he would want her around more, and there would be a time when she wanted that as well. For now, however, she was content to be serving aboard the flagship of the Federation.
‘You don’t like me, do you Commander?’
‘Sir?’
‘Off the record.’
‘I don’t know you, sir,’ Kadohata replied. ‘I can’t like or dislike you. But the truth is that I don’t trust you.’
‘Why?’
‘Why are you here? To serve Captain Picard, or Admiral Janeway?’
Madden realised that Picard had shared the origin of the assignment with her. ‘I’m here to serve Captain Picard as his first officer, but he’s not making it easy for me.’
‘You’re supposed to help him, not the other way round,’ she shot back and then snapped her mouth closed and stared straight ahead.
‘I see,’ Madden replied. ‘I got the same answer from the Captain.’
Kadohata didn’t respond as the turbolift came to a halt and the doors opened. The two of them walked in awkward silence to the main transporter room and they were then joined by assistant chief engineer Taurik and deputy security chief Paige. Both wore phasers and tricorders on their utility belts which had become standard for all away teams in the last few months.
‘Lieutenants, I will take the lead,’ Madden told them. ‘We’ll be beaming as close to engineering as possible, given any active forcefields, vacuum or radiation. Understood?’
They all nodded.
‘Energise.’
The four of them materialised directly outside main engineering and Paige had her phaser out as soon as she became solid. Taurik waved his tricorder around the sealed door and nodded to himself. Madden and Kadohata were using their own tricorders on the damaged bulkheads.
‘I recognise this energy signature,’ Kadohata said. ‘It looks like the Breen weapon, but it doesn’t quite match.’
‘The Romulans have probably made some modifications to it, but I concur,’ Taurik interjected. ‘It is too similar to be coincidence.’
‘Have you found anything else?’ Madden asked as he walked further away.
‘Lieutenant Commander La Forge is aboard.’
Madden halted. ‘Are you sure?’
Taurik quirked an eyebrow. ‘Quite sure.’
‘How?’ Kadohata asked.
‘I recognise his handiwork,’ Taurik answered. ‘Several modifications have been made to the Pasteur’s systems in the last two days that can only have been completed by Commander La Forge.’
‘So, at least one person survived.’
‘Five of us remained behind,’ a familiar voice said and Kadohata whirled round.
‘Geordi?’
The space-suited figure removed his helmet. ‘I guess the radiation level has gone down.’
‘Where are Commander Worf and Doctor Crusher?’ Madden asked.
‘Geordi, meet our temporary first officer, Commander Martin Madden.’
Madden glared and Geordi smiled. ‘A pleasure. They used the escape pods to get down to the surface. I don’t know how many made it.’
‘We didn’t find any debris,’ Paige said. ‘I think we have to assume they all made it until we learn otherwise.’
‘Mister La Forge, how much of this ship is operational?’
‘Enough to make sure the Romulans learn that a Federation starship be on the verge of collapse and still pack a punch. We have weapons and shields, and one tenth impulse power. I don’t think we’ll get any more with all the structural damage.’
‘Madden to Picard.’
‘Go ahead, Commander.’
‘They’re alive, sir. Hopefully all of them.’
‘Captain, Romulan warbird decloaking,’ Kadohata heard Battaglia call out.
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