Dedication

Star Trek "Wounds of War", is a story about the personal cost of war. It's given freely to all my friends. Their is no copyright infringement implied or intended with Paramount Studios or CBS.

"Picard's Thoughts"

Captain Picard stared at the closed door of Sick Bay and thought to himself, "I have walked through that door countless times in the past. So much suffering and death took place in that room on the other side. Anybody that could manage all that, and still be able to give that smile and hold on to that twinkle in her eye is far braver and stronger that I ever could be. Yet, as I stand here, for what may be the last time, I find my hand a little shaky, my resolve a little unsteady. My sense of duty gives me strength to step through.

There in her office, across the medical bay, she signed some document and busily returned to her packing. Dr Nagoya greets me and shakes my hand. It seems not so long ago she was an ensign who jumped at her own shadow. Now here she is replacing Dr Crusher as the new chief medical officer of the Enterprise and a married mother of two children as well. So much time has passed. Sometimes I wonder where it all went. But I pray we never have to live through it again. "Is there anything I can do for you, Captain?" Dr. Nagoya asked.

"Nothing really I was just visiting." I said. "Just a little reminiscing about the past as I tour the ship one last time". Dr Nagoya's expression turned serious. "They need you at Star fleet Academy. There is no one better to teach and mold the next generation with as much poise, grace, strength or wisdom as you. I learned a lot from you. Things not taught but experienced to be fully understood". With tears in her big Asian eyes she said, "It was an honor serving with you".

I shook her hand and told her the honor was mine. With that, I looked up and noticed Dr. Crusher gazing at me through the glass enclosure of her old office. Next thing I knew, Dr. Nagoya was off taking care of some minor medical detail. Looks like one of the crew broke his leg in a holodeck training simulation. Just as I started to follow, I felt that warm hand on my shoulder. A touch that no words can describe nor do they need too. "Captain, are you all right?"

I turned around and with that first look into her eyes I knew that marrying this beautiful woman would be the right thing to do. The medical bay was almost always busy with ensigns and doctors and nurses scurrying about but at that moment the entire world just faded away. All I could see was those beautiful eyes. There in the midst of all that activity an old ships captain gave his doctor a long overdue kiss. Suddenly all went quiet and I looked up.

Flush with embarrassment I found all had been watching. Each, giving a warm looks of support, and yes, even love. Quickly they busied themselves and gave us back our privacy. Her face a little red, she lead me back to the door. Her hand in mine, I find myself not wanting to let go.

"Now that was a first Jean Luc."

With a soft tone of voice, and a brief sigh later, I spoke, "After we are married there will be many more firsts."With that smile and short giggle she chided me, "Aren't you supposed to be touring the ship and sending in your report today? The ship command ceremony is in four hours."

Now, it was my turn to smile. "When have you ever seen me not do my job?" "Then I will see you later captain. I still have some packing to do." With a squeeze of my hand and a peck on my cheek she was gone and that door closed.

Strolling down the hallways of the Enterprise seems so second nature to me that I almost forgot it would be the last time. So many crew members, so many faces. Some I remember, some I do not and much to my amazement a few that I forgot. Memories cascade through my mind like a waterfall as I enter the turbo lift. I took a moment to steady myself for the last time on the bridge. As the doors open what awaited me instantly took away my ability to speak. All my friends and crew mates gathered together standing at attention and saluting many were trying hard to hide their sadness. None of them were very good at it. Their tears gave it away.

I took a moment exchanging a long look with each one. We all shared many years of memories. Feeling my nerve start to slip, I quickly brought myself to attention and saluted them all and strolled to my old ready room. Captain Daniels was waiting there. He stood at attention and gave me a salute. Walking over to him, I returned it with a hand shake. He seemed a little startled at first. I reassured him by telling him "Captain's Prerogative." With a nervous laugh, he said, "I will have to remember that". "I left a pad with all my Star fleet orders on your desk." Turning to pick it up, I chided him. "Well it won't be mine for much longer".

Captain Daniels nervousness faded. He asked; "Permission to speak freely, Sir?" Wishing to further ease his discomfort I decided to grant his request. "Commanding this ship will be a lot different from my last post. I will never equal all that you achieved. No one ever could. But I will do my best" He paused for a brief second. "May I ask a favor? Some small bit of advice to help make the change of command a little easier for the crew?" I tapped the off switch on the pad, placed it down on the desk and took a long moment to think. Before he could react to the lengthy silence, I spoke. "I remember asking that same thing when I first took command."

I walked around the edge of the desk and sat down and motioned for him to sit as well. "I read your files. I know you can do the job. It will not be easy at first. This is the finest crew in the fleet. But you will need to find a balance between compassion and professionalism. As with all crews, there will be a time of adjustment, so try not to be too strict at first. Always remember, this is your crew, but also remember they will, after some time, become your family as well.

Captain Daniels thought about it for a moment then rose to his feet and said "Thank you for trusting me with your family. I will strive to make them mine as well. Returning to attention he asked; "Permission to be dismissed sir?" Rising to attention I told him "Permission granted I will see you at the command ceremony." "Oh by the way captain, I have a favor to ask of you. I will be dictating a very lengthy report to Star fleet. Soon the movers will be here to pack up all these containers and then this will be your office. But for now I would like to enjoy some quiet reflection and I would appreciate it if you could see to it that I am not disturbed." Captain Daniels said "Yes Sir" turned and strolled out.

With the door closed I suddenly noticed how quiet it was. Boxes and containers stacked everywhere. My life in boxes I thought when I took command of this ship, I would never see boxes again. With a heavy thud I sat in my desk chair. Whispering to myself, "How am I going to explain all that happened to Starfleet?" One by one the silent moments passed. Finally with a resolve that all my years of experience had taught me, I started my report.

Captain's Personal log – Star date 6487.49

This will be my last entry in this log as captain of this vessel. Ship and crew have served admirably. A list of commendations will accompany this report for Starfleet review. This was supposed to be a quiet simple mission that would have given myself and this crew some much needed and well deserved rest. As with all things Star fleet, No such luck. The war with the Dominion was very costly. Battle damage endured in the Briar Patch exposed some hidden structural flaws and extensive power conduit damage. No one could have known how much.

Damage to the ship is one thing. Damage to the crew is quite another. There are some wounds no man can see nor can any doctor can heal. The damage repair crews have been working nonstop for almost a month and all are well deserving of commendations. The damage to the ship is all but repaired now. Many of the decks and turbo lifts still smell of fresh paint. And the new carpet is supposed to be an exact replacement but I swear it feels different.

It's not the ship that's different. It's me that has changed. Command has its perks but at time's it can extract an awful price. I almost wish I could get Spock to mind meld with me and erase those awful memories. The sites and sounds and smells of the dead, dying, and wounded still echo in my head sometimes late at night. Little did any of us know that this supposed quiet little science survey mission would change all our lives forever. Sometimes change can be a good thing. That's how I knew that excepting my promotion to admiral and assuming command of Star fleet Academy was the right move. More importantly, getting married to the woman I had always secretly loved was the right move. The time has come for me to settle down. I just hope Wesley will understand.

The Kryton Asteroid Belt was well known to all aboard. The Crieger Battle is still being taught at the academy as part of the Kobayashai Maru training scenarios. Still, it was a very dark time in history for Star fleet and I probably won't make any new friends bringing it all up in this report. But I am here to command and not to make friends. Star fleet will feel some embarrassment but it must be done. They did much to bury a lot of the facts. We all knew what happened. Why he went mad. Star fleet did not care about how or why he went crazy just wanted to up the body count. To this day, the Klingon Empire will not speak of it. To even try would guarantee a slap across the deck.

No Klingon will ever admit to being fearful. Not even the Chancellor. But with nineteen ships returning from their battlefront with all their crew dead piled up rotting on the bridge with all those crazy messages scrawled in Klingon blood on the walls had to unnerve even him. Yes, command has its price. As I sit here dictating this, I wonder if it truly was worth it, and what about Commander Worf, his assent to command grade has been costly for him as well.

His transfer from Deep Space Nine was met with some trepidation. His record in the battle with the Borg is exemplary. But any one could see the loss of his wife, back on DS-9, tore a hole in his soul. The strong emotions of grief and sorrow were still evident in the lines of his face. Once, I observed Counselor Troy's reaction to his presence. I noticed her shiver and a single tear rolling down her cheek. I leaned over to inquire if she was all right. All she could say was "I could feel his broken heart". After all our years together I had to admit I could feel it too. Members of the Federation Counsel, for you and the Star Fleet Admiralty to understand fully, I must start my report, with a little historical overview, at the beginning.

I present my report in story form so all the facts can be detailed. It was on the first few months after the Dominion war ended. Our conflict with the Sona in the Briar Patch had severely damaged the Enterprise. "Commander Riker stood barking," Captain on the bridge" As I made my way from the turbo lift to my chair; I glanced around at my battered crew. "As you were, I ordered as I sat down. Greeting counselor Troy I noticed she was beaming. I knew Riker would soon pop the question. Our years serving together taught us how to exchange looks that exchanged in a glance more than any words ever could. Seated to his left Troy dared a private little thought to herself. "I know he is my captain but I sure am glad to know he is my friend as well.

Turning to Commander Riker, Picard asks "Ships status Number One" Commander Riker responded "All departments report functional with 92 % efficiency. With a small look of distaste on my face I said "Only 92 %" Riker returned to his console to reconfirm his computations. Returning his attentions back to his captain "Yes sir, it's the best we could do being so short staffed. Between the Borg and the war with the dominion and that battle in the Briar Patch with the Sona, we lost a lot of very good crewman.

Captain Picard slumped down in his chair. For the first time since Commander Riker could ever remember, his captain let down his guard on the bridge. After a long silent moment Picard spoke with a very old voice. "I just finished going over the casualty list. Transmitting all those letters of condolences to all those families was the worst task I've ever had to do." Trying to change the subject, Picard asked, "How's Geordi?" I heard he was badly burned when that power coupling ruptured. He just regained his eyesight. To loose his legs would be an awful twist of fate. For the first time that day Commander Riker had cause to smile.

"The good doctor sent me an update on him and the others this morning. It was touch and go for a while but he is going to pull through. The reconstructive surgery was extensive and he will need a few weeks to recover. I noticed Gynnon was with him the last time I visited. The nurses tell me she has been there a lot since he was injured. That's good Captain Picard said. Every body can use a friend from time to time. She can help him through a lot. Sighing with relief, Captain Picard said a little too loudly "We all could use a few weeks to recover." Seeing that his words caught the attention of several members of his bridge crew, Captain Picard turned to his console computer com-link. Tapping on a button he spoke into the unit. "Computer put me on ship wide audio. In an instant his command was obeyed.

The computer signaled his readiness with a single beep. Straightening in his chair he addressed the crew. "This is your Captain speaking and I have some good news for you. Between our skirmishes in the war and the latest battle with the Sona, Star Fleet has determined that the Enterprise sustained and prevailed over the most vicious attacks made on any federation vessel ever built. We took all that could be thrown at us and despite the tremendous loss of our friends and fellow crew members we still prevailed over our adversaries. Because of you being the finest crew in Star fleet many who would have suffered and died will be spared. Many will experience true freedom and rest easy in the knowledge that they are protected.

I realize this is of little comfort to crew members struggling to work past their grief over lost loved ones, friends and fellow crew members, but I am proud of all of you. Carry On Captain out". The Captains message seemed to breathe life back in the crew. Everywhere he looked he was greeted with worm but tired smiles. There is no doubt; my ship took a terrible beating. Putting her back together was difficult. But repairing this crew might prove to be impossible. The moment of levity was, as with all things Star Fleet, not to last. Suddenly a proximity sensor alarm went off and a new voice was heard on the bridge for the first time. A young but nervous, Ensign Rachael Garavic spoke from the science station positioned right behind my command chair.

She exclaimed "Sir, Long range sensors have detected a massive buildup and release of chronometric power in the asteroid belt dead ahead, Readings blew off the scale but are now rapidly dissipating." Immediately on my feet, "I said not many life forms have that kind of Technology." With a look of dread Captain Riker now on his feet as well, spoke up, "The Borg do, Remember how they used it to attack the earth in the past?"

Counselor Troy had to struggle hard to suppress her reaction to these two mens blood turning cold.

In three steps, Captain Picard was at the science station with Riker following close behind. Before he could ask Ensign Garavic already had an answer for him "Sir, I have rechecked and cross match searched the computers database. Theirs been no star travel logged in as traveling through this area in over one stellar year. War records show no Dominion activity here as well. The asteroid belt has been designated by Star Fleet as a hazard zone. As you can see the power blast is all but gone now, but there is still a faint but constant signal originating at the center of the disturbance. I have analyzed and confirmed it as a warp field generator belonging to a Klingon Scout Class star ship. An old one too by the looks of it."

With just a short glance Picard could easily see that the ensign's data and findings were complete and accurate. He thought "Data's training of this ensign was flawless. Knowing his praise would be better served on the ensign he addressed Commander Data. "Excellent training, Mr. Data, well done indeed. Before Data could speak Garavic was ready for him too.

"All data files transferred to your console sir."

In a faction of a very well known Vulcan, Data raised one eyebrow "Well done ensign he said and returned to his duty station to analyze the ensign's findings and do a more intense scan of the area. Paying close attention to all the official banter, I walked back to my command chair and sat down. I then decided to further reward ensign Garavic by saying out loud so all her crew mate's could hear, "Keep up that kind of efficiency ensign, and the crew will be addressing you as Lieutenant Garavic". Beaming at the obvious favor being bestowed on her by her captain, the ensign could only say "Eye Sir".

Steadying her hand she returned to her duties at the science station. It was my turn to address the helm "Helm, lay in a course directly to the site of that disturbance. Ahead slow at full impulse with all forward deflector shields to maximum strength. That should easily push aside all the asteroids in the way without sending any off on a collision course with any planetoid in the area. I had to admit to a little amusement with all the banter concerning this discovery. Examining it will definitely take some of the stress off the minds of the crew. I tapped on the computer pad for silent playback to my inquiry. I found that ensign Garavic volunteered to fill in for another officer that was still recovering from his wounds he received when the console shorted out. Too many people are getting hurt from minor and major equipment breakdowns.

The Enterprise E hasn't been out of space dock for all that long but the battle damage has revealed some undiscovered flaws in the system. When we get back to earth I am going to order this ship gutted down to its support beams and rebuilt piece by piece. It will simply not do to have the Federations Flag Ship showing its age. Turning my thoughts back to this ensign. I thought about it for a minute and flashed Commander Riker one of my mischievous looks. He immediately recognized it and grinned from ear to ear. He leaned over and asked "What do you have in mind". "I told him, in a few months you will be off commanding the Titan.

When you get to sit in this chair you just may find command can at times be fun." I straightened in my chair and addressed the ensign with my back turned to here. "Ensign Garavic; I noticed that you are wearing the incorrect uniform for this duty station." Bridge Officers standard issue is red and black. Upon your next duty shift I trust you will have this oversight corrected." With shock and joy both evident in her voice and on her face she said "Yes Sir!" Turning back to Riker and speaking more confidentially, I said "I'm sure you can make the necessary arrangements Number One. Riker's face beamed with amusement and said "With Pleasure, Sir".

In all my days in command I will never understand why but happiness, joy or amusement always seems short lived on the bridge of this ship. This time it was Data turn to change the mood and he doesn't even have emotions at least I think he is not installed that emotion chip back in him. Data looked genuinely irritated. I asked "what's wrong Mister Data"? His hands were flying across the computer console so fast I could barely see them. He responded "I am not sure sir. I have rescanned the area and seem to be getting conflicting data findings. I am running a quick maintence program to check out the system. The computer is functioning normally." With that he rose and turned toward Ensign Garavic. It was shift change but before she got even half way from her duty station, Data's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Ensign Garavic" his voice rang out. "Are you sure you have completely transferred all data concerning this event to my station. Returning to her own console her fingers flew across the keypads in front of her. "Cross check and verified sir. All data transferred". Lieutenant Carlson, her replacement for the next duty shift, did a check of his own and concurred. Data then did something very surprising for all who witnessed it. With obvious irritation he acted as if he did not believe the actions of the two science officers. He walked to the science station and checked for himself. Finding his officers were accurate and efficient he turned to Ensign Garavic. "My apologies for doubting your efficiency. You are dismissed, Ensign Garavic".

Her confidence undermined for the moment Garavic addressed Data cautiously, "Aye Sir" She then quickly strode passed Mr. Data and stepped into the turbo lift. It opened and lust as rapidly closed again. She heaved a sigh of relief and slumped against the wall "Deck Seven". By this time both my first officer and I knew something was wrong. Even if Data had his emotion chip installed he should not be acting in this manner. He for a moment seemed to hesitate and froze motionless at the science station. If he is malfunctioning Mr. Data can be a real danger to the ship and crew so I flashed a warning look to Commander Worf. He was already standing at the ready with his hand on his phaser pistol.

Noticing Data's intense stare, Mr. Worf began to become quite irritated and had to choke back a particularly deep and fierce growl. I found myself becoming impatient and had to hold back my irritation as well; it was not at all like Data to ignore the orders or inquiries of his captain. Restraining my self I spoke softly " Data" he suddenly snapped back to reality and like a man disgusted with the loss of his train of thought the android strode back to his duty station exclaiming " A moment Sir! This can't be." The lighter, almost happy atmosphere on the bridge all but vanished; everyone knew how much havoc data could cause if he malfunctioned.

Ensign Corter, another of Data's students looked up from his workstation. Mr. Data caught his glance and reacted immediately. "Is their something wrong Ensign Corter?" Realizing that he was now the center of attention on the bridge Ensign Corter nervously looked away. Turning back to his workstation, he said my apologies, Sir; I was concerned. It's a human frailty. I just reacted instinctively." All at once all the tension melted away from Mr. Data's expression. With a softer more reassuring voice Mr. Data addressed his student." It is not a frailty but rather a sign of strength. Thank you for your human display of concern."