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Title: Endeavor's Beginning
Author: Stephen Ratliff
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Series: MIS, Marrissa Stories
Rating: [PG]
Codes: drama
Part:
Summary: Marrissa takes up her first posted command in the middle of a minefield.
First posted to .creative in December 2001 and not edited since.
Prologue
Lieutenant Clara Sutter enjoyed an occasional shift in the center seat. She hadn't had a shift before on the Endeavor. But on the Enterprise, where she had served just two months ago, she regularly spent a shift a week in the center seat. This was the first time Captain Katsuragi had left the Senior Assistant Chief Engineer in command. The Command Crew was attending a banquet on the planet below and Katsuragi wanted to leave the person with the most command experience in the center seat.
The people of Tuposakyo Sefriese VI were not the most open of people. They had to follow a precise course into the system. A deviation of just a meter earned them a stern warning. The whole outer system was mined. Not just standard mines. There were laser mines, nuclear mines, gravity mines, and plasma mines. It was a very well defended world with planetary defenses rivaling many of the most paranoid races in the Quadrant. That is the outer defenses were. No weapons were on the planet itself. Clara found that strange.
Any way, being in command, Clara could make sure some of her priorities got followed. Not many, it wasn't her ship to command, but sometimes a little extra attention here or there could help get things done.
"Ensign Reinhardt, how are the deflector improvements coming?" Clara asked.
"They should be on line ... now," Reinhardt responded.
"Analyst of results?" Clara asked.
"We have a ten percent increase in over all efficiency and a five percent increase in available power, sir," Reinhardt said.
"Lieutenant Sutter," the tactical officer interrupted. "We have a hail from the planet sir. They are informing us that the Captain and the Command crew are dead and are requesting our surrender."
There were only two words to sum up this from the new Acting Captain of the Endeavor. "Oh Hell."
Chapter One
Commander Marrissa Picard strode onto the bridge. "1200 hours, Alpha shift is relieved," she ordered, Beta shift entering behind her. Yesterday had been her nineteenth birthday, It also had been the sixtieth day she had served as First Officer of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E. One step away from her goal of commanding the Enterprise in her own right someday. "Good Afternoon, Captain."
Captain William T. Riker was in his fifth year as commander of the Enterprise, having transferred from commanding the Triton when Jean-Luc Picard had been promoted off the Enterprise. Admiral Jean-Luc Picard was now Chief of Star Fleet Operations and rumored to be the leading candidate to replace Fleet Admiral Necheyev when she completed her ten-year term as Commanding Admiral, Star Fleet; in four years. Riker was a much more daring Captain than Picard had been. His previous first officer had been a good balance for the Captain, but Commander Surok had decided to take a leave of absence from Star Fleet, and Marrissa had been lucky enough to be assigned as his replacement. While Surok had been a compliment to Riker's abilities, filling in with what Riker did not have, Marrissa had been assigned with the other school of Captain-First Officer matches in mind. That school said that it shouldn't matter which was in command, the Captain or the First Officer. They both should be good in roughly the same areas so that when you lost a Captain you don't have to send another ship to complete the missions.
Riker was generally happy with Marrissa as his number one. However, every once in a while, Marrissa could really make him feel old. She was, after all, young enough to be his daughter. "You have the bridge, Number One," Riker said. "I'll see you tomorrow at 900 hours for our briefing."
"Aye sir," Marrissa responded, settling into the Captain's chair. Life was good.
Twenty light years away, newly promoted Lieutenant Commander Jay Gordon was going though the same rituals. "1200 hours, Alpha Shift is relieved," he ordered, coming up the stairs from his office. It was his sixtieth day as First Officer of the USS Stargazer NCC-2893. It was also his sixtieth day without Marrissa. Wishing her happy birthday over subspace just wasn't the same. "Good Afternoon, Captain."
Captain T'Gwen Washington had been Captain of the Fighter Carrier Stargazer since it had been re-commissioned into that role. Jay Gordon had been under her command for four years. She had never seen him like this. Marrissa had recommended Jay as her replacement, and generally taking her recommendation had been a good thing. However, Washington wasn't blind. She could see that Jay missed Marrissa. The two had been a couple since before Jay had come aboard. From what the Captain had learned, Marrissa and Jay had known each other since they were seven and five respectively. It would be a shame if the bond between the two would be broken by this assignment apart.
"You have the bridge, Number One," Washington said. "I'll see you tomorrow at 900 hours for our briefing."
"Aye sir," Jay responded, taking his place in Command. Life could be better.
Twenty Light years from both the Enterprise and the Stargazer, Clara was finishing a long shift filled with complications. Her acting First Officer entered the bridge, "1200 hours, Alpha Shift is relieved." It was her sixtieth hour in command of the Endeavor, and she devoutly hoped that Star Fleet would send her some help soon. Being in command of a ship in the middle of a mine field and held hostage by an insane planetary government was not fun. "Good Afternoon, Captain." her First Officer said.
Lieutenant Joshua McKnight had been Assistant Chief of Operations on the Endeavor for three years. In that time he had seen many stressed officers leaving duty. None like Clara. She definitely needed some sleep. Actually, the stress was getting to them all. It didn't help that everyone was morning their Commanding Officer. Captain Katsuragi had been one of those captains who lead with her officers. She spent lots of time getting to know her crew. Everyone knew Misato Katsuragi well, and the loss of the Captain who had been friends with almost every crewmember would take some time to get over with. McKnight pitied whoever got sent to replace Katsuragi, it was not going to be an easy job. Getting out of this mess wasn't going to be easy, either.
"You have the bridge, Number One," Clara ordered. "I'll see you at tomorrow at 0900 for our briefing."
"Aye, sir," McKnight responded.
Life could be worse, although Clara wasn't sure how.
At Star Fleet Command, Clara's request finally reached Fleet Admiral Necheyev's desk. It had been past all the way up to her. The Endeavor's mission had been under Star Fleet Diplomatic's wing, and with the recent retirement of Admiral Okie, no one had been willing or perhaps able to deal with the sudden crisis. This did not look good for that section of the Admiralty. Necheyev would have to deal with that problem soon. Meanwhile, she searched for a possible solution. The Enterprise and Stargazer were nearby. They could assist the Endeavor. Captain Washington was an able commander, and perhaps the fighter craft of the Stargazer could clear that minefield so the heavy fire power of the Enterprise could enter the equation. Now who could serve as the Endeavor's Captain? Necheyev pulled up the lists of command officers on the Enterprise and Stargazer. Right away, two names of promising officers caught her attention. Marrissa Picard, Jay Gordon, two names that seemed to pop up together as involved in successful missions. The two had served as an effective command team several times during the Dominion War. Perhaps it was time they became a permanent command team on their own starship.
The orders and promotions were neatly drawn up and sent out. Admiral Picard would brief them tomorrow at 0900. Now to see about that problem in Star Fleet Diplomatic...
At 0900, most of the ships in Star Fleet held a morning briefing, if they were between missions, the mission was light, or the situation compelled one. The Enterprise was between missions. The Stargazer was engage in rather boring patrols of the Klingon border. A light patrol since the Klingons were solid allies at the moment. For the Endeavor, the mere fact that none of the command crew had been members of the command crew earlier in the week, made such briefing necessary.
"Incoming call from Star Fleet Command, Chief of Star Fleet Operations," an Ensign informed Clara from the bridge. It was a welcome call.
"Transfer it in here," Clara ordered, breathing a sigh of relief, echoed by the rest of her assembled command crew.
Admiral Jean-Luc Picard appeared on the screen. If you hadn't seen him since before his children were born, you would be surprised to see the rather prominent holopictures of Jackie and Nicholas at play on his desk. "Lieutenant Sutter, I have good news."
"I could use that sir," Clara responded.
"I'm sending the Enterprise and the Stargazer to assist you," the Admiral said. "Fleet Admiral Necheyev has also selected a new Captain and First Officer for your ship. I believe you are familiar with Marrissa Picard and Jay Gordon."
"Certainly, Admiral," Clara said. "If anyone can get us out of this mess, it's them. But I have no idea how they are going to get to us. This whole star system is heavy mined and I don't think the planetary government is going to let another Star Fleet Vessel in the system."
"We will see," the Admiral said. "In any case, the Enterprise and the Stargazer should arrive before the day is over. Captain Riker will command the task force."
"I thought Washington had seniority," Clara said.
"She suggested that it might be better for the commander of the flagship to command the mission," the Admiral said. "I'll leave you to prepare for your new Commanding Officer. Star Fleet Command out."