Not Indefatigable
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Title: Not Indefatigable
Author: Stephen Ratliff
Series: OCC, Marrissa Stories #20
Rating: [PG] for mild language and partial nudity
Codes:
Part:
Summary: Young Marrissa Picard is a girl who appears to have everything going for her. It's thought that she never shows the strain of being First Officer of a carrier in a war zone. But an adolescent has limits, and amid Dominion attacks from without, and hostility towards her, her veneer cracks...
Off to War Has Gone . . .
Not Indefatigable
Author's Forward
November 22, 1993; a day that will live in infamy ... or at least if you believe the MiSTing Community. It was the day I posted my first story, Enterprized, to .creative. I had no idea at the time that some 30+ stories later I'd still be here, and posting stories. I've chosen today, ten years after that date, to begin posting yet another Marrissa Story.
When I started, this was all supposed to be a one shot. After it turned into a second story, and then a third ... I should have changed majors to English. Then again, Computer Science does provide much better day jobs for aspiring writers, and I'm not quitting my day job any time soon. I doubt I ever will.
This story was initially conceived with the idea of showing how the Dominion War affected a normal day on the Stargazer. Somehow it changed into something more important, and shaping of my characters. Writing the Marrissa Stories has always been a constant discovery of my characters. Characters do not spring like Athena, fully formed from the author's head. You discover them as you write and they demand the course.
Sometimes these demands prevent what you want to write. Not so with this story. Each page I wrote revealed something more about my characters, not so much of Marrissa, as she's always been the center of my series, (hence the title) but some other characters now hold their own much better.
I hope you all enjoy this offering, and I look forward to hearing your response.
Stephen Ratliff
November 22, 2003
Prologue
A wisp of smoke was already rising from one of the consoles at the rear of the Stargazer's Bridge. The early morning attack had woken everyone with the sirens of Red Alert. Captain Washington sat in the center seat, content for the moment to let her First Officer direct the battle.
Lieutenant Commander Marrissa Picard stood beside the helm, her blond hair roughly corralled into a pony tail. "Wait for it, helm," the young girl was saying. "Just a little closer. Break hard to port, Now! Tactical, full spread!"
The Bridge surged with activity at Marrissa's command, as the Stargazer came under heavy fire. Washington could tell that the Stargazer was giving as good as it got, as a red-wing tipped Star Fleet Fighter flew across the main view screen.
Marrissa looked back at Captain Washington with a smile of success. Just as she started to return her look forward, a panel in the side of the helm sparked, and blew. It caught her on her forehead, knocking her out and causing a bloody wound. She fell to the floor
Washington stood as the corpsman that was stationed on the Bridge moved to attend Marrissa. "Helm, new course, one five mark two six, quarter impulse, engage," Washington ordered, as the corpsman applied a quick patch on the wounded First Officer. "Tactical, firing pattern Sigma."
"Aye, sir," Tactical responded. Washington could hear his hesitancy. "They're coming back around." The corpsman was carrying Marrissa into the Turbolift.
"Helm, course six five mark four five, full impulse!" Washington ordered as the Jem'Hadar Attack Ships moved in again with kamikaze-like intent. They missed full impact, but one skipped off the Stargazer's shields, and the Captain's console exploded.
The Captain of the Stargazer laid injured in the smoke-filled bridge. Her left side was bloodied, from waist to the top of her head. She floated between consciousness and nothingness, with each wisp of smoke that passed through her field of vision. Command had just devolved to Lieutenant Jay Gordon for the first time in battle.
"Helm, 20 degrees to port," Jay said. "Ensign Mazer take over Fighter Command. Tactical, fire phasers and torpedoes at the target designated Sigma 3. Mazer, order Blue Wing to make a close pass on Sigma 2. I want that ship's attention directed elsewhere. Sickbay, the Captain's down and needs medical attention immediately. Helm, hard about now!"
The ship shook under the injured Captain. She really should talk to Lieutenant Szustakowski about those the ventral starboard thrusters and inertial dampers. The ship really shouldn't jerk like that during turns. Her vision blurred into darkness, but she could still hear Lieutenant Gordon in command.
"Mazer, where is Blue Wing?" Jay said. "Tactical, some supporting fire for Red Wing. Tell Green Wing to loosen that formation a little. Helm, set a course for the gas giant. Full impulse. It's time to put more obstacles in those Jem'Hadars' ways."
Captain T'Gwen Washington's world went silent, leaving her with only the scent of fried circuits and soon even that smell disappeared.
Chapter One
The first sense to return was smell, an antiseptic one. Then Captain Washington became aware of a soft beeping, that of the monitors in Sickbay. Her eyes opened to the well-lit ward, instead of the dim red lights of battle. She looked over to her side, experience teaching her that trying to sit up right away tended to make Chief Medical Officers quite irritable. Her First Officer was next to her. Marrissa was laying on her side, looking at a PADD. Marrissa's forehead was red, and a bit of dried blood still could be seen along her blond hairline.
"How is the ship, Commander?" Washington asked with a slight rasp. The battle must have been if not won, fought to a draw until retreat was possible.
"We need some repairs to the bridge, and that starboard secondary shield generator is beyond repair," Marrissa said. "You'll have to ask Doctor Johnson about the injuries and casualty report. I'm afraid to inquire."
"I see the Captain is up," Doctor Johnson said, entering the room. His short blond straw like hair was messed, looking so much like someone had pitched a bale of hay onto his head, and he hadn't straitened it up afterward. He was not wearing in scrubs, which Washington took as a good sign as to the status of her crew. "And this time she's not trying to sit up. Will wonders never cease?"
"Doctor, I am well acquainted with your insistence on flat immobility of your patients until such time as you decide they can do otherwise," Washington said, as Johnson moved in to scan her.
"Pardon me, madam, but your last five stays in my territory tell me otherwise" Johnson said, putting his medical tricorder away. "You'll no doubt be happy to know that you should recover from your injuries completely and be back on duty by mid afternoon tomorrow."
"Doctor, I am Vulcan, I do not become happy," Washington said. "Though a sooner and more precise time as to my exit from your domain might lead me to investigate the process of becoming happy."
"You'll leave when I say you can and not a moment sooner," Johnson said. "If you were to suddenly develop visible emotions, the causality report might be a good place to start. We have twenty-four people injured, including four pilots. There were two fatalities, Ensign Talmage in Engineering, and Ensign Sebik of Green Wing."
"Then it would be advisable for me to review their service records so I may make the proper final communication to their surviving families," Washington said. "Would you allow me to sit up, as such a posture does tend to make the review and composition of such letters proceed at a faster rate?"
"Go ahead," Johnson said. "Just don't come running to me when your head starts swimming."
"I would hope, Doctor, that my head would at least wait to go swimming at such a time as the rest of my body is ready to," Washington said. She found the Doctor's habit of using us such expressions somewhat annoying during her recoveries in Sickbay. The literal interpretation of such comments remained her only defense, during such periods of recovery, unfortunately.
Johnson left the room, muttering something about Vulcan machines. Once he was gone, the corners of Washington's mouth rose into a smile. "You really should stop baiting the Doctor," Marrissa said from where she lounged, idly tousling her hair.
"Perhaps," Washington acknowledged. "I am beginning to wonder about the doctor's continued obliviousness to amusement. Perhaps my emotional control is too tight."
"Nah, the Doctor hasn't learnt to look in your eyes yet," Marrissa said.
"Commander, you keep telling me that my eyes keep giving me away, but I am unable to verify your observation," Washington said.
"I believe some people say that the eyes are windows into the soul," Marrissa said.
"Vulcans do not believe in religious concepts, however if by soul you mean katra, no such signs have been detected in the eyes of katra bearers," Washington said.
"Don't go mentioning that you don't believe in the existence of the soul around the Doctor," Marrissa said. "He might start adding 'soulless' to the demon title he already calls you."
"I do hope he drops that some day," Washington said.
"You have only yourself to blame, Captain," Marrissa replied, jumping off her bed. "After all, you did describe your ears as 'demonic.' How you managed to say that in such a monotone, I'll never be able to figure out. You knew he'd pick up on it."
"It took much practice," Washington said. "I assume that the Doctor has already given you leave to exit Sickbay."
"Yes, I've already served my extra eight hours of observation," Marrissa said. "With your leave, Captain, I'll go relieve Jay."
"It seems that I'm getting eighteen extra. Please send the Lieutenant down here after you've taken command," Washington said. "His report on the battle will no doubt help me pass the time under the Doctor's care. Dismissed."
Washington watched as Marrissa skipped out of sickbay. Marrissa's youthful exuberance was so refreshing, at times. Pushing the thought out of her mind, Washington began bringing up the records she'd need to compose those letters.
Marrissa found Jay in the Fighter Maintenance Bay, after her shower. The remains of four fighters were spread across the rear of the bay, and Jay and Chief Quimby were looking over it. Jay's uniform sported a burn mark on the left shoulder, but otherwise he seemed okay.
"Chief, do you really think you can put two fighters together from these remains?" Jay asked. It looked like Jay was okay, but that burn mark on the uniform worried Marrissa.
"Yes, sir," Quimby said. Quimby, like most of the Engineering Staff on the Stargazer had been chosen by Admiral Scott. He was a somewhat stout man, with a brown handlebar mustache. He also was the best small craft Engineer in the fleet, in Marrissa's opinion. "Good Evening, Marrissa."
"Evening, Chief," Marrissa said. "Of course the Chief can, Jay. The question is, will any of us want to fly it?" She moved in to get a closer look at the burn mark.
"We'll tell them that the Chief built it, and there won't be a problem, Marrissa," Jay said. "Chief, I'll leave you to fix this. I believe our fearless first officer wants a word. And no, Marrissa, the burn is just on my uniform jacket."
"And you haven't taken time to change since the battle was over hours ago," Marrissa said rolling her eyes. "And you call me a work-a-holic. Well, I'm back on duty so you can change, and then give a personal account of the battle to our Captain in Sickbay."
"How long is the Doc going to keep our Captain confined in Sickbay this time?" Jay asked as they walked out of the bay.
"Sixteen more hours," Marrissa said, letting Jay place his arm around her waist briefly, before pushing him away. "Shower first, Jay. Our Captain plans to play logical Vulcan Patient to the extreme again."
"What is it with the Captain and baiting the Doc?" Jay asked, slowing down his stride a bit to match Marrissa's. "I figured out that she set up getting him to call her demonic, but I've never figured out why."
"The Captain believes that a proper Southern Doctor should have a logical Vulcan bedeviling him," Marrissa said, smiling. "I think it's fun to watch."
"Yes, but I do want a sane Doctor, so I'll stop by Sickbay after my shower," Jay said. "Should I expect you for dinner tonight?"
"Of course," Marrissa said, turning down a corridor off Jay's path "My replicator still isn't working. And I know, if you'd know that would get you a date, you would have disabled it a long time ago."
They parted ways at the next corridor junction. Marrissa headed back up to the bridge, wondering about what Jay would provide for dinner, and pondering requesting that Virginia delay fixing her replicator again.
"Red Alert." The announcement from Captain Berganmister Portinmire's First Officer had been coming way too often in the past week. It had only been twenty hours since the acting commander of the Stargazer Squadron had last heard the announcement. He stroked his short salt and pepper beard, as Commander Luciani continued with the announcement of the latest set of attackers. "Two Galor Class Cardassian Warships, and three Jem'Hadar Attack Ships."
Portinmire was in command of this squadron due to seniority. There were exactly nine captains in Star Fleet with more seniority than him the last time he checked. A commodore was supposed to be assigned to it, but unfortunately, Commodore Renaldo Cervantes had been killed in route. No replacement had been assigned yet.
"Match up our Light Cruisers to the Attack Ships," Portinmire ordered. He remained seated in his command chair, his posture straight and unbending, yet not stiff. "Ask the Stargazer to detail a wing of fighters per Attack Ship. Assign the remaining Light Cruiser, the Dagger if possible, the Sacagawea, and the Crocket to the second Galor Class. We'll take the first. Stargazer to guard the convoy as usual."
Portinmire believed that of all the ships in his squadron, it was the Stargazer's Command Staff that lacked the most depth. In a war, that was very important. Captain Washington was a passable Captain, who was still improving. However her First and Second Officers were both teenagers. That summed up his concern with depth right there. And right now, Captain Washington was on the injured list.
"Stargazer has launched Green, Blue, and Yellow Wings," his Chief of Security, Lieutenant Commander Pinot announced with his typical dry Vulcan tone. "Intercept time to attacking forces is now two minutes."
Portinmire did have to acknowledge that the Fighter Forces from the Stargazer were a force to be reckoned with. The many skirmishes that the convoy had gotten into on the way to Starbase 375 had proven that. The loss total on fighter craft was still in single digits, yet their solo kill total was almost at two dozen, and their number of assists were approaching triple digits. The Indefatigable had even been saved from a suicide run by a Jem'Hadar by Yellow Wing's timely arrival.
"Forces open fire on my mark," Portinmire ordered. Timing was critical on the first fire of a battle. Too early, and you wasted most of your torpedoes. Too late, and you might not have those torpedoes to fire. "Now!"
The first barrage of torpedoes was as usual, timed perfectly, in Portinmire's opinion. He could count on it being the only fire of the day that every single shot hit its target. Portinmire didn't have time to admire it. The Indefatigable was already evading the enemy's incoming fire. Portinmire didn't have time to manage all of his ship's maneuvers and the squadron as well, but Commander Luciani was already taking care of the Indefatigable.
Portinmire's attention turned to that of his Light Cruiser squadron. The Stargazer had adroitly assigned Yellow Wing to match up with the Wakizashi. The tactical weaknesses of Captain Davista would be hopefully covered by what Portinmire was coming to believe was the best wing to have assisting a starship in battle.
The first of the Galor Class Cardassian Warships began to break up on the main screen. Portinmire knew that Luciani had drilled attacking that class of warship down to an art form. It no longer was an attack by numbers, jerking from weakness to weakness, but a smooth continuous fire, not a single bit wasted on the artist's smock, or as often was the case with Luciani, his dress whites.
Portinmire shifted over the battle field, looking for weak spots to plug. "Helm, new course, one five mark nine five, full impulse," he ordered. "Tactical, fire as you bear on targets as we pass them, but reserve a ready full load of torpedoes for the Galor Class."
On the screen, the stars descended as the Indefatigable turned toward the Stargazer. The remaining Galor Class had escaped Dagger and the Intrepid Class Starships, and now was pounding on the Stargazer's aft quarter. Another wing of fighter craft was streaking from their position above the convoy to come to the Stargazer's rescue as well. Their black wing tips identified them as Dukat's Black Wing, which had the most Cardassian kills of the wings of the Stargazer.
Portinmire watched as his ship closed. The Stargazer was one ship he couldn't afford to loose over all others in his squadron. "The Bodkin reports clear of opposition," his tactical officer announced. Two targets down. "The Dirk reports clear of opposition." Three. Neither of the two were in position to help the Stargazer. His ship opened fire on the Cardassian.
Artistry was abandoned for brute-force fire. The Stargazer had flipped to face backwards and launched another wing as the Indefatigable blasted in from the Cardassian's starboard aft quarter. The explosion started on their starboard wing, and then appeared on their warp fork before it spread to engulf and destroy the entire ship. No announcement was made of the destruction. There was no need.
"The Wakizashi reports free of opposition," Pinot announced. "All enemy forced have been destroyed."
Portinmire stood, and ordered, "Secure from Battle Stations. Go to Yellow Alert for the next half hour." He surveyed his bridge. Everything seemed to be in place, with no more damage than before.
"Open a channel to the Stargazer," he ordered.
On screen a bridge appeared with just a few wisps of smoke. Seated in the center seat was a young blond girl who Portinmire was seeing way too much of. "Stargazer, Lieutenant Commander Marrissa Picard in command at the moment. What can I do for you Captain?"
"Status, Lieutenant Commander?" Portinmire said. He would have preferred dealing with Captain Washington. "I saw you taking some rather big hits towards the end."
"Yes, sir," the young girl said. "Lieutenant Szustakowski reports that we've lost one of the aft shield generators. Fortunately we have a replacement on board, but it will take eight to twelve hours to install. No fighter casualties this time. I'm still waiting for Doctor Johnson on the rest of the ship."
"Have him CC the Indefatigable with that," Portinmire said. "The Stargazer will take point immediately. No sense letting the weak side show. I will talk to Captain Washington when she returns to duty. Indefatigable out."
The door to the Command Officers' Office closed behind Jay. Marrissa stood next the window, looking out at the Dagger. Her face was drawn with frustration, jaw jutted out and eyebrows pulled together. She blew out a deep breath, causing her teased bangs to flutter.
"So, Portinmire has got to you," Jay said. It wasn't the first time he'd seen Marrissa like this after a conversation with Portinmire. The acting-Squadron Commander just seemed to rub Marrissa wrong, and it was taking less unknowing provocation on Portinmire's part as time passed to make Marrissa react.
"Oh it's not just him," Marrissa said. It seems that no one believes I deserve my post. I know I'm the youngest ever to reach the rank of Lieutenant Commander, and serve as First Officer on a starship, but I worked so hard and gave up so much to get this post."
"I know you did." Being in a fleet family, Jay had heard about a lot of officer's work habits, and since he became one himself, he'd seen even more. Marrissa's work habits had to rank among the top ten for effort.
"But all people see is the fact that I'm young, I haven't attended the Academy, and I started out serving under my own father," Marrissa said, beginning to pace. "It's not like he ever gave me a promotion, and Riker did all of my evaluations. And I worked hard as Chief of Security on the Enterprise. I put in eighteen and nineteen hour days getting that ship's Security in order. We won four Security Competitions under my command. I earned my post as Fighter Commander on this ship over two dozen other officers, and my father didn't even know I'd applied until I got it."
"I bet he was shocked when he found out," Jay said. Jay had to admit that he had been. He had expected Marrissa to work her way up on the Enterprise for the rest of her career. She really wanted that particular center seat, almost as much as Riker did.
"Oh he was," Marrissa said, stopping to look out the window again. "But, I still can't get any respect. You know that Admiral Jellico thought that the Captain was joking when she told him that she already had a qualified person filling the post of First Officer after the Cardassians left? He actually thought a Vulcan was joking! It took her weeks to convince Personnel that she needed Fighter Commander candidates, not First Officer candidates."
Jay moved behind Marrissa, and hugged her. He received an elbow to his belly for that. "You seem to have the respect of most of the crew of the Stargazer," he said. He knew there were some who didn't like Marrissa, but since she was First Officer, hid their dislike. During the war so far, her hard work had won over a lot of the Stargazer's crew. The Fighter Command Staff was hers from the beginning, of course.
"Yes, but they work with me daily, and they're under my command," Marrissa said, accepting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "None of the Captains and First Officers of this fleet give me an ounce of respect."
"So you'll just have to arrange to pull their bacon out of the fire," Jay said. Marrissa had done it before. Jay knew it wasn't something she looked for, though.
"I'm sure they have grandchildren my age. It's hopeless," Marrissa said.
"No, if it was hopeless, you would have been reassigned to be first officer on an ore transport," Jay said, turning Marrissa to face him.
"Jay, there are no ore transports in Star Fleet," Marrissa said, slowly.
"I know that," Jay said with a smile. "Cheer up, Marrissa. You've accomplished more in the last four years than some people do in a life time. I'm sure that you'll eventually bring everyone around."
"Yes, maybe after I'm twenty," Marrissa said, flatly. Then her voice took on emotion, as she continued. " I need more experience. People think I got where I am too easily. That's why I have to work hard. I have to prove that I didn't get here by some whim of fate. I need to be ready for all the challenges, have all the knowledge, they expect of an officer."
Jay could see where this was headed. Marrissa was the girl who was told that she couldn't ride horses like a real jockey, and then ended up winning the Belmont stakes. She took up sword fighting when she was told that girls didn't do it. Her game of Parisees Squares with Worf had been a legend before he left the Enterprise-D. He couldn't forget her paper that got published in the Vulcan Science Academy Journal. Every time she'd been told she couldn't do something she would buckle down, and work on it until she could do it, usually exhausting herself in the process.
Nothing stopped a determined Marrissa. Captain doesn't let kids on the bridge? Ask him to be your mentor, get adopted by him, and she was not only on the bridge, but at the helm. Jay was sure Marrissa would have her own command one day, if she didn't break down from overwork first.
"You're an exceptional person to anyone who can look objectively, Marrissa," he said. "You don't need to exhaust yourself prove it to those who can't."
"Only Vulcans live outside of subjective reality," Marrissa replied. "And there is some debate about that."
"Oh no, scientific philosophy," Jay said, pretending to cringe. Marrissa smiled. Jay's stomach rumbled.
"I think it's dinner time," Marrissa said.
"You're right," Jay said. "My quarters?" Marrissa nodded. "No work on the post action report until after desert though."
"If it's cheesecake, you have a deal," Marrissa said.
Jay smiled, as he followed Marrissa out of the offices. With a little work, he was sure that Marrissa would be back in that good mood and hopefully not drowning herself in work.