Chapter 3

2345 USS Stargazer in Spacedock

"Status," Picard called out, his voice booming above the clamor on the bridge as he stepped out of the turbo lift. He glanced around him and saw to his dismay that the science station panels were pulled down, and there were several engineers who appeared to be putting vital areas of the bridge back together.

"Preparing to depart spacedock," said Commander Zev, getting up from the captain's chair. "Captain, it looks worse than it is," she said, immediately aware of his displeasure. The Stargazer had been undergoing a re-fit that was scheduled to end tomorrow. The problem was, new orders had been issued and new orders always trumped repairs. Command didn't care if the ship was running on one nacelle, orders were orders.

"What's going on with my ship, Zev?"

"We are operational, sir," the Andorian assured him confidently. "When they began running a systems check on bridge functions they found some residual damage from the fire...I ordered it fixed, Captain. Given our new orders, I had to adjust the schedule."

He blinked. "Very well. Carry on." There was no need to question what fire his first officer was talking about. The explosive fire had killed his commanding officer and two other crew members on the bridge just a few years ago in the middle of a ship-wide emergency. The ship's first officer at that time, Hanson, had been near death himself. That singular, tragic day that had changed Jean-Luc's life.

"Lieutenant Vigo," he said, waving at a smallish man, who stood at attention nearby. "You take the conn."

"Aye, sir." Vigo was an excellent pilot, but aside from that skill, he displayed very few redeeming qualities. Vigo slipped in at the helm without another word.

"I want everyone on their toes," announced Zev, pointing at a technician who was carrying a replacement panel over his head. "We are leaving spacedock and Earth behind. I hope you all enjoyed your luxurious 3.5 days of shore leave because things are about to get ugly."

Picard ignored Zev's banter, which was her typical way of preparing the crew for whatever was to come. Instead, he studied the command controls on his armrest and re-read the transmission from Starfleet Command. His orders were clear...to a point. Travel immediately to Klingon territory in the Beta Quadrant near the Federation border where they would assist the Klingon Defense Force with an investigation into recent violent attacks on Klingon colonies. Once there, he had a feeling things would become a bit murkier. The Federation-Klingon alliance was still very new, having been signed just five years previously. That meant that whatever he did, especially his mistakes would be studied with scrutiny, possibly for decades.

"Zev," said Picard, catching the attention of his most formidable officer. Ambitious, completely loyal, honest, and always suspicious of the motivations of others Zev was an Andorian. As a member of a highly militaristic culture, Zev had prospered in Starfleet, but sometimes her intensity was off-putting to those who were unfamiliar with his second in command.

She moved to stand beside him with her hands clasped behind her back. "Sir."

"You've studied our orders, of course?"

Intuitively, she knew he wanted her opinion. "Yes, sir. We will be the first Federation ship to test the Treaty of Alliance. We will succeed, Captain."

He looked at her sideways. "Interesting choice of words-test..."

"Well, we will be the first to undertake such a mission into Klingon space, Captain."

"It's only an investigation for now," he clarified.

"Yes, but in case it becomes more...the Treaty permits either side to request military assistance against hostile forces."

"Yes, but only outside hostile forces, Zev. We are not permitted to interfere with the internal affairs of the Klingon Empire."

"Then you suspect it is not the Romulans..."

"I don't know what to think, Commander, I've very little information to go on. At this point, I am keeping an open mind." He eyed her and saw that her antennae were drooping forward and she had a thoughtful expression on her face. She suspects some kind of trap. She could be right, but I'm not ready to admit as much.

He thought of his conversation with Commodore Nechayev just a few days before. If this was what she had been talking about, he appreciated the warning. But even more troubling about the orders from Command was the inclusion of one word: Romulans. The Romulan Star Empire had not been heard from in years, at least from the Federation perspective. But Klingons and Romulans also shared a border and were sworn enemies. Any intervention by Starfleet could have the opposite effect of preventing all-out war. He was skeptical about a Klingon invitation for Starfleet involvement and knew there must be something more those issuing the orders from on high were missing.

"Good news from engineering, Captain," said Zev, sitting down in her chair which was located in back of him and to his right. She drew the control panel toward her and pulled up a schematic of the Stargazer. "The ship's propulsion has been given a boost, sir, thanks to the spacedock re-fit, and our warp core has been properly upgraded. Mr. Crusher can be credited with the propulsion efficiency improvements," she added. Although Zev was generally cautious about giving praise, particularly where it was obvious to her that Jack was a friend of the captain's, she was very fair. Crusher had acquitted himself well so far, and she wanted to encourage good performance.

"Excellent," he remarked, feeling a bit more confident in the ship's ability to carry out what promised to be a challenging mission. The Stargazer was not the fastest ship, and certainly not the prettiest, but it had maneuverability and durability to spare. In battle, with the right commander, it was unmatched. His crew had been pared down to four hundred and fifty, and this was the optimum number as far as he was concerned.

"Spacedock is giving us the go-ahead to clear all moorings, Captain," reported Vigo.

Picard leaned forward, feeling the excitement begin to course through his veins. Suddenly something occurred to him. "Where the hell is Mr. Crusher?"

Just then, Jack rushed onto the bridge, followed at a steadier pace by T'Pel, the ship's second officer. As most Vulcans in Starfleet, T'Pel excelled in the science division, and had proved her worth again and again. She was also, in Jean-Luc's opinion, one of the most intriguing individuals he had ever met. After Captain Sarna had been killed, JP Hanson had left the Stargazer, and after a lengthy medical recovery, had obtained his own command. He and Hanson had never been the best of colleagues and certainly were not friendly. It was the truth that even after all they had been through together he hadn't been sad to see the man off.

But T'Pel and Zev had stayed, even though each of them could have risen faster in rank on another ship. Now with Jack on board, the crew was starting to come together again.

"We nearly left without you, Lieutenant," Picard muttered as Jack hurried by him.

Jack moved to his post at ops, near one of the wall panels that was hastily being rebuilt. As he took in the bridge's disarray he decided it was better not to mention the mess. Jean-Luc was very orderly and was probably annoyed at the interruption. "Sorry, Captain." His goodbye with Beverly had taken longer than expected but it had been worth it. Now he would have memories of her to get him through the next six months or so until they saw each other in person again. Until then he would have to settle for love over subspace. "Propulsion is operating at maximum efficiency, captain."

"Good work," said Picard. "Vigo, take us out," he ordered.

He watched as the helmsman appeared to hesitate.

"Something wrong, Lieutenant?"

"No sir...the...the controls feel different."

"Compensate," snapped Zev.

Normally exiting spacedock would not be a difficult task, especially not for Vigo. Picard sunk his fingertips into the armrests of his seat, suddenly feeling more trepidation than he should have. But within a minute, Vigo had the ship out of spacedock. "Ahead one half impulse power," ordered Picard.

"One-half impulse, aye, sir."

Zev walked forward to stand behind Vigo. She bent down stiffly, studying the panel. "He's right, the controls have been adjusted outside of the specs." She spun around gracefully to address the back of the bridge. "Mr. Crusher? Explain."

Jack turned and stood at attention. "Commander, I took the liberty of reconfiguring the maneuvering thrusters, improving our chances in a battle. We'll need it where we're going, sir."

Zev tilted her head. "Next time you tamper with the controls, let the ship's pilot know, Mr. Crusher."

"I didn't tamper with them, sir, I-"

Picard stood up. "Mr. Crusher, my ready room please."

Jack clamped his mouth shut and stepped away from his post. T'Pel moved silently into place, checking the systems where he had left off.

"Jack, I appreciate your initiative and creativity, but you need to let your commanding officers know what you're doing."

"Captain, I was only doing what I thought was best-"

"You made a significant change to our operating systems without letting anyone know. All I ask is that you run your ideas by engineering or Commander Zev before you implement them yourself."

Jack nodded. "Yes, sir."

Picard sighed and sat back in his chair. He saw Jack visibly relax, although he remained standing. Jean-Luc looked down for a moment before resuming eye contact with his friend. "I'm glad that you are serving onboard this ship, Jack. You are a welcome addition to this crew..."

Jack sat down slowly. "But..."

"But, your friendship also means a great deal to me."

Jack smiled. "Me too."

"So, we have to find a way to adjust-"

Jack held up his hands. "No adjustment necessary, Jean-Luc. Just treat me the same as anyone else. I'm here to serve this crew and you. This posting is what I've been working toward my whole career. I'm not going to mess it up."

Picard smiled. "That is good to hear. This next mission should be challenging and I want us both to be as clear-headed as possible."

Jack frowned. "I'm crystal clear."

Picard got up and crossed his arms. "Why were you late this morning?"

"I was with Beverly," Jack grinned spontaneously. "Jean-Luc, I can't even describe the way she-"

"Then don't," Picard interrupted him more quickly than he had intended.

Jack's smile faded. "Okay...I mean, we just never had a problem discussing women before."

"Yes, but this is different."

"True. I am very serious about her. She's amazing."

Picard cleared his throat and retreated back behind his desk.

Jack watched his friend curiously. "Honestly, I thought you'd have more to say after meeting her a few nights ago. I mean, you're my best friend...And after all those years of me chasing women and you criticizing me for it, this is all I get?"

Picard remained silent, searching for the words, but it was too late. Something in Jack's gaze changed.

His eyes narrowed. "I was hoping you two would hit it off, but I couldn't help but notice that something was going on between you two the other night."

Pretending we've never met? What harm could it do?

Jean-Luc froze, then shook his head very quickly. "Jack, I think you misunderstand-"

"Ohh...I get it. You don't like her." Jack stood up again. "You don't like her, and you don't know how to tell me."

Jean-Luc dropped his face into his hands then looked up at his friend with a furrowed brow. "Jack...I didn't say that."

"It's okay, Jean-Luc. I don't need your approval for this one. Beverly is the most beautiful person, and she is absolutely brilliant. I thought you would be able to see that just meeting her once, but maybe I expected too much from you."

Jean-Luc looked up at Jack sharply but again kept his silence. Had Beverly told him about her proposed lunch? Had she told Jack that he'd turned her down?

Suddenly Jack's mood shifted and he smiled again. "You know what? All you need to do is spend time more with her. You'll see...someday you will both be the best of friends."

Thirteen hours later

Klingon Territory

"Captain, we've reached the designated coordinates."

Picard got up from the captain's chair and began to pace in front of the command area. He was expecting a rendevous with a Klingon Defense Force ship, but had been given little else. He bit his thumbnail anxiously, suddenly feeling immense pressure not to fail.

"No ships detected in the vicinity," reported Jack, who was now at tactical.

"Klingons use stealth technology," said Zev. "Our normal sensors won't tell us a thing."

T'Pel spoke up from her science station. "Recommend running a tachyon sweep, Captain. The range will be limited, but we may pick up evidence of cloaked vessels."

"Make it so," said Picard halting his stroll in front of the viewscreen.

"Scan is negative," reported T'Pel a few moments later.

Picard stared at the viewscreen which showed them only the vastness of black space, speckled with twinkling stars. "Something's out there," he whispered. He turned to walk back to his seat but stood there with his fingertips on the back of the chair. "Open hailing frequencies," he said, breaking the hush on the bridge. He crossed his arms, keeping his gaze fixed on the forward viewscreen.

"Hailing frequencies open," Jack responded.

Less than three seconds later, Jack was shouting, "Vessel is decloaking dead ahead!" A green ship built like a graceful winged animal shimmered into view directly in front of the Stargazer just a thousand meters away.

"Klingon bird of prey," announced Zev, striding to tactical next to Jack and punching in a code. "Shields up."

"Belay that order," shouted Picard. He whirled to glare at Zev. "Need I remind this crew that we are in Klingon territory at their invitation. Raised shields to a Klingon denotes weakness," he added. Walking to his seat, he calmed his nerves and took on as relaxed expression as he could manage. "Hail the Klingon vessel."

The forward viewscreen blinked and the smoky interior of the Klingon ship could be seen. A tall figure stepped into view. "Nuq nuh, Jean-Luc Picard."

Behind him, Zev and Jack exchanged surprised glances.

Picard tried not to smile. It was his friend, after all. "Nuq, nuh, Kor. Oh maj legh tlhih."

"It is good to see you still live as well, Jean-Luc, although your Klingon is rusty. Let us meet on board my ship. We have much to discuss."

Picard gestured to Zev, but Kor growled his objection into the communications terminal. "Come alone, my crew does not trust Andorians."

Thanks to all for following and reviewing this story. -PP