STAR TREK: DEFENDER

Chapter One: Grey's Ship

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. Paramount does. I didn't create Star Trek. Gene Roddenberry, God rest his soul, did. I merely am grateful for the privilege of playing in their yard. Oh, and by the way, this is a story involving completely original characters so if your looking for Picard, Kirk, or any of those, you won't find them here.

There was sort of a running joke aboard the starship NSR-37271 Defender. Nobody liked Captain Elijah Grey, except those that served under him. He was unorthodox, unpredictable, and unlike any other captain in Starfleet, but he always managed to get the job done. Where most captains only served two or three ships, the Defender was his seventh command. He was a hundred and twelve years old, though most mistook him for barely sixty. He had a bawdy sense of humor, and a playful nature. He knew everyone aboard personally, had in fact served dinner to most of them, from his 1st Officer, Commander Heather Duncan, to the freckle faced Cadet in engineering that everyone insisted on calling "Pocky". He was never too busy to listen to anyone's problems, personal or professional. Rashanna Ben, the Ship's Counselor even added as a foot note in her evaluations that most of the crew were more comfortable talking with Captain Grey then herself.

In the short six months of the Defender's shakedown cruise, before they were to start their mission, Captain Grey had become like a father, friend, confidant, and source of strength to every man and woman aboard the ship. And now, just 48 hours before the Defender and her crew were about to embark on the first leg of their seven year journey, Captain Grey was dead. A shuttlecraft accident had in an instant ended the life of a man that many believed would live forever.

They were holding a simple service for him in Shuttle Bay 2. Every non-essential crewmember was attending. Every crewmember that is, save for the ship's most recent addition. Captain Benedict Lee stared absently out into the star field. He was in the Captain's Ready Room. Some part of him refused to call it his ready room however. He turned his ear slightly to the service being broadcast through the ship's intercom for the benefit of those who couldn't leave their posts. The Chief of Security was speaking, and Lee could almost detect a tear in the man's voice as he said "The universe will move on and continue to grow without Captain Elijah Grey, but it was a better place with him in it."

Someone started playing Taps on what sounded like a bugle, but Lee had enough. "Computer, discontinue live feed to this room." And the noise cut off mid-note. He sighed and stroked the back of his neck tiredly. He ordered an Irish Cream coffee from the replicater and sat down at the desk. He turned the display screen to face him.

"Captain's Personal Log, Stardate 65307.2." He started, taking a sip of his coffee to give the computer a chance to start the relevant transcription. "I have taken command of The Defender just a few hours ago, but I can't help but feel like more of an intruder then the captain of this vessel. My arrival aboard ship had the unfortunate timing of coinciding with the funeral of Captain Grey. There was barely enough time for me to give my first official order, to set course for Starbase 47 and rendezvous with the fleet, before the ceremony was to start." He leaned back in the soft chair, cradling his cup in his hands. "I can't escape the knowledge that my post here is one of convenience. Granted, I applied for a command in the Delta Frontier Force, but I was summarily turned down, ranking number forty-two of the twenty-five chosen. Captain Grey's death, Commander Duncan's inexperience, and the fact that I was the highest rated applicant within seventy two hours travel were all combined by fate to bring me to this post." Taking another sip of his coffee, he debated adding anything else, but shook his head and merely said "End Transcript."

A mere moment later the chime to his door rang softly. "Enter." He said, quickly looking down at the screen, though it now only displayed the Starfleet insignia and the words "Log Saved". The doors to the ready room swished open and the First Officer walked in. He couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips. She was as beautiful as the last time he had seen her. Her black hair was braided with white beads at the ends. Her skin the rich deep brown color of milk chocolate. She was wearing one of the older Starfleet uniforms, the sort with black slacks and a red top with a black cut from under the arm down to the waist. He was about to tell her how great it was to see her when he finally met her eyes. He could tell in those emerald green eyes that any pleasure in their reunion was entirely his.

The Commander was standing at attention, eyes fixed on him coolly. There was a time when those eyes sparkled any time he was around. That time had evidently passed any quiet hopes that he nurtured on the shuttle ride to the ship that he could rekindle that lost passion were evidently his alone. He sighed softly, setting his coffee down and looking at the woman one last long moment before saying, "At ease Commander. What's on your mind?"

Commander Duncan's posture changed slightly, her legs spread slightly wider apart and she clasped her hands behind her back. "Captain," she said without preamble, "I merely wanted to apologize for not formally welcoming you aboard when you arrived. My duties required me to be elsewhere."

"Namely, speaking at Captain Grey's funeral. I heard you when I first beamed aboard. You sounded very sincere, considering your first status report filed to Starfleet called him a...", he paused for a moment to make it perfectly clear he was directly quoting the woman's own words, "A childish immature old fool who shouldn't be allowed aboard a Starship much less in command of one."

Deep inside her, Heather Duncan felt as if she had been given a harsh blow. Yet she managed to keep her words calm and mellow as she asked "Permission to speak freely sir?"

"I would expect nothing less Commander." The Captain said, trying equally as hard to keep a trace of smugness from his voice.

"Captain Grey was a good man, and a fine officer. Granted he took a little adjustment, but once I got used to him, I quickly saw the methods in his madness. A fact that if you bothered to read the rest of my reports would have become quite apparent. He was the finest Captain I have ever served with, and I imagine the finest I ever will."

Only someone as close to Benedict Le as Heather Duncan had once been would have seen the barb strike home. For a long moment however he was silent. Then in an a much softer voice he asked, "Where did we go wrong Heather?"

The question was no doubt rhetorical, but the woman could not help herself but to answer. "I believe it was when I stopped by your apartment on your birthday as a surprise and found you in bed with another woman. Now with the Captain's permission I have duties that require my attention."

The Asian man's face barely moved as he almost whispered the words "Dismissed Commander." The door hissed open and closed behind the woman and he sat there for a few more moments to compose himself. Then he quietly placed his empty cup on the replicater pad to be recycled. After it vanished into the mechanisms of the replicater, he walked out onto the bridge to start his first day as Captain of the Defender. His first day as Captain of Grey's Ship.