Chapter 5
Captain Picard was the only one not present in the Enterprise Conference Room. The other Senior Staff had already taken their seats and waited patiently for their Captain. He was ten minutes late and tardiness was not like the Captain at all. Picard had been a little late because he was not exactly in a strong state of mind. He sat in his ready-room pondering of ways to overcome the Borg. Picard's thoughts had consumed him, which caused him to lose track of time. Commander Riker tapped his Comm badge and paged the Captain. It was rather odd that Riker had to remind Picard of the scheduled meeting.
"Riker to Picard. Sir, the entire Senior Staff is the Conference Room waiting for your arrival. We're here for the urgent meeting you scheduled, sir."
"Acknowledged Number One, I'll be there shortly. Picard out."
Riker sighed to himself. Whatever was bothering the Captain was having a dramatic affect on him. I haven't seen him like this, since our encounter with the Borg during First Contact, he thought. The Senior Staff Members were all a little worried about the Captain. It was strange to be having a staff meeting at this hour. Everyone knew that something was wrong; they just did not know how dramatic the problem was. They casually talked with one another while waiting for the Picard's arrival. There was uneasiness in the room, which made conversation a little awkward. Finally after a few minutes, the Conference Room doors hissed opened and Captain Picard stepped through. His face was emotionless. Only Deanna Troi Riker knew what he was feeling. Her empathic abilities were always a plus. She discovered that Picard was flooded with many emotions. Fear, doubt, anger, and hope intertwined and swirled within Picard's mind. Deanna was left feeling puzzled. Picard nodded to the crew as he took his seat. He took in a deep breath and held it in his chest. All eyes were on him. Finally, Picard let the breath exit his mouth as he quickly gathered his thoughts.
"I am sorry for my tardiness. I got a little side tracked. However, that is not important. What is important is the issue that has just come to my attention. I guess you are all wondering why I called this meeting."
"Well the thought had crossed our minds." replied Deanna with a smile.
"Captain, you said that we're all in danger. What did you mean?" asked Riker.
"Well Number One, it appears that the Federation is about to be attacked by two Borg Cubes."
Everyone's eyes widened, including those of Lieutenant Commander Data, who had is emotion chip on. The entire staff went silent. A sickness quickly overcame them. Now they realized why Captain Picard had been acting so strangely. Geordi LaForge put his face in his hands. The number "two" began to replay in his mind. Twp Borg Cubes, he thought, how could the Federation possibly stop two Borg Cubes from destroying everything in their paths?"
"What is their estimated time of arrival?" asked Data.
"At their current speed, they should reach Federation Space within forty- two hours. Our orders are to meet up with the Fleet at Starbase 421. Every ship within Federation Space is to meet up there. Our plan is simple. Form a blockade and face the Cubes head on. I know that sounds extremely dangerous but we have no other choice. It must be done. I assume we're all in agreement."
The Senior Staff nodded simultaneously. They knew what had to be done. The Enterprise crew would stop at nothing to prevent the Borg from assimilating Earth and the Federation, even if it meant their own death. Dr. Beverly Crusher felt her heartbeat begin to increase. Desperation began to overtake her. She had to contact Wesley, who was a maintain officer on Starbase 998. Beverly had to speak to him before they reached 421. She had to tell her son that she loved him. Tears began to fill up in her eyes until they slowly dripped down her face. Beverly brushed the tears away and composed herself quickly. Deanna gave her the look of understanding and compassion. Deanna's facial expression indicated that she wanted to be there for Beverly. Picard tried to ignore Beverly's reaction. He cared for Beverly and hated to see her in such pain. However, Picard focused on the meeting and continued to speak. He turned to Commander Riker.
"Will, you have been assigned as acting-Captain of the U.S.S Farragut. Starfleet needs your expertise in command and your knowledge of the Borg. I already told Admiral Hayes you would take the temporary command. Starfleet needs your help Will."
"Yes Captain, I'll do anything I can to help."
"I know you will Number One. I know you will. After the conference, I would like to speak with you privately."
Riker nodded to Picard. I wonder what else the Captain has to tell me, Riker thought. He quickly pushed the thought aside and continued to listen to Picard speak. Now the Captain was addressing the Enterprise's Chief Security Officer, Lieutenant Andrew Jellico. Andrew Jellico was a young and dedicated officer. He had recently been transferred from the U.S.S Lincoln and proven himself to be a valuable asset. His knowledge of tactics and self defense was remarkable. Jellico came highly recommended from his previous Captain. After looking at his outstanding résumé, Picard quickly offered the up-coming officer the position as Chief of Security of the Enterprise. The lieutenant gladly accepted the promotion. Jellico listened to Picard and took every word to heart. Picard had his undivided attention.
"Mr. Jellico, I'll need you to make some adjustments to our ship's weapons and shields. The Borg adapt very quickly to our weapon technology so we'll need to be prepared. I want you to install a rotating frequency device to the ship's phasers. That way we'll have a more productive offensive. Every shot counts."
"Aye, sir. I'll get on it immediately." replied the young lieutenant.
"Excellent Mr. Jellico, see that you do. Everyone else, get to your posts. We should reach 421 within a couple of hours. Once we get there, we'll receive further instructions. You're all dismissed."
The Senior Staff nodded to Captain Picard and rose from their seats. Riker stood but did not head for the door. Picard tossed the first officer a glance, to make sure he was not leaving. As the rest of the crew left the conference room, Picard noticed the weary look in their eyes. It was as if he had just sentenced them to death, and in some ways, he had. Deanna Troi Riker was the last to leave. She looked at her husband as she exited the conference room. Riker smiled at her as she headed for the door. Deanna knew something major was about change. She could sense it in Picard. Whatever the Captain was about to tell Will, was going to have a huge impact on their lives. She was certain of it. Deanna had a strange feeling that she would not enjoy the outcome. The half-Betazoid left the room, leaving the two chief senior officers alone. Captain Picard smiled at Will and motioned for him to take his seat. Riker complied and looked at the Captain with questioning eyes.
"What was it you needed to tell me, Captain?" asked the ship's first officer.
"Will, you've been promoted to rank of Captain. Starfleet doesn't want your command of the Farragut to be temporary. They want it to be permanent. I know you've heard all of this before but Starfleet believes that it's about time you took the promotion of Captain and to be honest with you, so do I. You've put it off for too long. You need to take the Farragut, Will. She's a good ship with a good crew."
Captain Picard's statement hit Commander Riker like a ton of bricks. Will knew a promotion would be lurking around the corner sooner or later, but he would have rather it been later than sooner. He was not ready to make a decision like this. He and Deanna had talked about the probable situation before and if it happened to come along, Deanna claimed that she would support Will in his decision. Well the situation was here and Riker had no idea what he was going to do. Riker sighed and looked down at the conference table. He could see his reflection in the glass. For the first time in a long time, William Riker felt old. True he was only in his late thirties but he felt a lot older than that. Will could see his aging blue eyes looking back at him through the table's shiny reflection. Riker had been through so much in his past ten years as the Enterprise's second-in- command. He had lived a life that most people only dreamed of. The loves and adventures Will had experienced in the past ten years had been very rewarding. He would not take them back for the world. Riker loved the Enterprise. It was his home. Will loved the ship's crew like family and Captain Jean-Luc Picard had been the most wonderful Captain he had ever known. He enjoyed being Picard's first officer. Riker did not want to take the promotion because he was comfortable in his current position. However, the blue eyes spoke to him, telling him to grow up and move on. What am I afraid of anyway, he thought, am I really that scared to take the Captain's Chair? I've commanded ships before. I'm no stranger to it and I've waited to be a Captain for so long. Deanna will support me in anything I do so what am I really afraid of? It's time to take that next step. I will take the promotion. I will be Captain of the U.S.S Farragut, he thought.
"I take the promotion Captain. I accept the captaincy of the Farragut." informed Riker.
Captain Picard smiled at Will Riker and quickly shook his hand. Picard had to admit, he was a little surprised to hear Riker's response. Will had turned down so many promotions; it felt almost like routine for him to say no.
"Congratulations Will. Although, I hate to see you go, I think you're making the right decision."
"Thank you Captain. I hope you're right. Now all I have to do is tell Deanna."
"Well, far be it for me to stop you. Take this time to discuss the situation with your wife but first I want you to have something."
Captain Picard pulled out a tiny gold pip from his uniform pants pocket. He jiggled it in his hand, and then gave to Riker.
"I think you should have this. I want you to wear it and if anyone asks, tell them you were just obeying orders."
"Aye, sir, stated Riker as he held the pip in his palm, thank you very much."
"Don't mention it Will. Now go speak with your wife and take all the time you need."
Riker nodded to Picard and exited the conference room. Will's emotions were running rapid. Had he done the right thing? Should he have waited to speak with Deanna before making such an important decision? I hope I know what I'm doing, he thought, I think I just made a huge mistake.
Captain Picard was the only one not present in the Enterprise Conference Room. The other Senior Staff had already taken their seats and waited patiently for their Captain. He was ten minutes late and tardiness was not like the Captain at all. Picard had been a little late because he was not exactly in a strong state of mind. He sat in his ready-room pondering of ways to overcome the Borg. Picard's thoughts had consumed him, which caused him to lose track of time. Commander Riker tapped his Comm badge and paged the Captain. It was rather odd that Riker had to remind Picard of the scheduled meeting.
"Riker to Picard. Sir, the entire Senior Staff is the Conference Room waiting for your arrival. We're here for the urgent meeting you scheduled, sir."
"Acknowledged Number One, I'll be there shortly. Picard out."
Riker sighed to himself. Whatever was bothering the Captain was having a dramatic affect on him. I haven't seen him like this, since our encounter with the Borg during First Contact, he thought. The Senior Staff Members were all a little worried about the Captain. It was strange to be having a staff meeting at this hour. Everyone knew that something was wrong; they just did not know how dramatic the problem was. They casually talked with one another while waiting for the Picard's arrival. There was uneasiness in the room, which made conversation a little awkward. Finally after a few minutes, the Conference Room doors hissed opened and Captain Picard stepped through. His face was emotionless. Only Deanna Troi Riker knew what he was feeling. Her empathic abilities were always a plus. She discovered that Picard was flooded with many emotions. Fear, doubt, anger, and hope intertwined and swirled within Picard's mind. Deanna was left feeling puzzled. Picard nodded to the crew as he took his seat. He took in a deep breath and held it in his chest. All eyes were on him. Finally, Picard let the breath exit his mouth as he quickly gathered his thoughts.
"I am sorry for my tardiness. I got a little side tracked. However, that is not important. What is important is the issue that has just come to my attention. I guess you are all wondering why I called this meeting."
"Well the thought had crossed our minds." replied Deanna with a smile.
"Captain, you said that we're all in danger. What did you mean?" asked Riker.
"Well Number One, it appears that the Federation is about to be attacked by two Borg Cubes."
Everyone's eyes widened, including those of Lieutenant Commander Data, who had is emotion chip on. The entire staff went silent. A sickness quickly overcame them. Now they realized why Captain Picard had been acting so strangely. Geordi LaForge put his face in his hands. The number "two" began to replay in his mind. Twp Borg Cubes, he thought, how could the Federation possibly stop two Borg Cubes from destroying everything in their paths?"
"What is their estimated time of arrival?" asked Data.
"At their current speed, they should reach Federation Space within forty- two hours. Our orders are to meet up with the Fleet at Starbase 421. Every ship within Federation Space is to meet up there. Our plan is simple. Form a blockade and face the Cubes head on. I know that sounds extremely dangerous but we have no other choice. It must be done. I assume we're all in agreement."
The Senior Staff nodded simultaneously. They knew what had to be done. The Enterprise crew would stop at nothing to prevent the Borg from assimilating Earth and the Federation, even if it meant their own death. Dr. Beverly Crusher felt her heartbeat begin to increase. Desperation began to overtake her. She had to contact Wesley, who was a maintain officer on Starbase 998. Beverly had to speak to him before they reached 421. She had to tell her son that she loved him. Tears began to fill up in her eyes until they slowly dripped down her face. Beverly brushed the tears away and composed herself quickly. Deanna gave her the look of understanding and compassion. Deanna's facial expression indicated that she wanted to be there for Beverly. Picard tried to ignore Beverly's reaction. He cared for Beverly and hated to see her in such pain. However, Picard focused on the meeting and continued to speak. He turned to Commander Riker.
"Will, you have been assigned as acting-Captain of the U.S.S Farragut. Starfleet needs your expertise in command and your knowledge of the Borg. I already told Admiral Hayes you would take the temporary command. Starfleet needs your help Will."
"Yes Captain, I'll do anything I can to help."
"I know you will Number One. I know you will. After the conference, I would like to speak with you privately."
Riker nodded to Picard. I wonder what else the Captain has to tell me, Riker thought. He quickly pushed the thought aside and continued to listen to Picard speak. Now the Captain was addressing the Enterprise's Chief Security Officer, Lieutenant Andrew Jellico. Andrew Jellico was a young and dedicated officer. He had recently been transferred from the U.S.S Lincoln and proven himself to be a valuable asset. His knowledge of tactics and self defense was remarkable. Jellico came highly recommended from his previous Captain. After looking at his outstanding résumé, Picard quickly offered the up-coming officer the position as Chief of Security of the Enterprise. The lieutenant gladly accepted the promotion. Jellico listened to Picard and took every word to heart. Picard had his undivided attention.
"Mr. Jellico, I'll need you to make some adjustments to our ship's weapons and shields. The Borg adapt very quickly to our weapon technology so we'll need to be prepared. I want you to install a rotating frequency device to the ship's phasers. That way we'll have a more productive offensive. Every shot counts."
"Aye, sir. I'll get on it immediately." replied the young lieutenant.
"Excellent Mr. Jellico, see that you do. Everyone else, get to your posts. We should reach 421 within a couple of hours. Once we get there, we'll receive further instructions. You're all dismissed."
The Senior Staff nodded to Captain Picard and rose from their seats. Riker stood but did not head for the door. Picard tossed the first officer a glance, to make sure he was not leaving. As the rest of the crew left the conference room, Picard noticed the weary look in their eyes. It was as if he had just sentenced them to death, and in some ways, he had. Deanna Troi Riker was the last to leave. She looked at her husband as she exited the conference room. Riker smiled at her as she headed for the door. Deanna knew something major was about change. She could sense it in Picard. Whatever the Captain was about to tell Will, was going to have a huge impact on their lives. She was certain of it. Deanna had a strange feeling that she would not enjoy the outcome. The half-Betazoid left the room, leaving the two chief senior officers alone. Captain Picard smiled at Will and motioned for him to take his seat. Riker complied and looked at the Captain with questioning eyes.
"What was it you needed to tell me, Captain?" asked the ship's first officer.
"Will, you've been promoted to rank of Captain. Starfleet doesn't want your command of the Farragut to be temporary. They want it to be permanent. I know you've heard all of this before but Starfleet believes that it's about time you took the promotion of Captain and to be honest with you, so do I. You've put it off for too long. You need to take the Farragut, Will. She's a good ship with a good crew."
Captain Picard's statement hit Commander Riker like a ton of bricks. Will knew a promotion would be lurking around the corner sooner or later, but he would have rather it been later than sooner. He was not ready to make a decision like this. He and Deanna had talked about the probable situation before and if it happened to come along, Deanna claimed that she would support Will in his decision. Well the situation was here and Riker had no idea what he was going to do. Riker sighed and looked down at the conference table. He could see his reflection in the glass. For the first time in a long time, William Riker felt old. True he was only in his late thirties but he felt a lot older than that. Will could see his aging blue eyes looking back at him through the table's shiny reflection. Riker had been through so much in his past ten years as the Enterprise's second-in- command. He had lived a life that most people only dreamed of. The loves and adventures Will had experienced in the past ten years had been very rewarding. He would not take them back for the world. Riker loved the Enterprise. It was his home. Will loved the ship's crew like family and Captain Jean-Luc Picard had been the most wonderful Captain he had ever known. He enjoyed being Picard's first officer. Riker did not want to take the promotion because he was comfortable in his current position. However, the blue eyes spoke to him, telling him to grow up and move on. What am I afraid of anyway, he thought, am I really that scared to take the Captain's Chair? I've commanded ships before. I'm no stranger to it and I've waited to be a Captain for so long. Deanna will support me in anything I do so what am I really afraid of? It's time to take that next step. I will take the promotion. I will be Captain of the U.S.S Farragut, he thought.
"I take the promotion Captain. I accept the captaincy of the Farragut." informed Riker.
Captain Picard smiled at Will Riker and quickly shook his hand. Picard had to admit, he was a little surprised to hear Riker's response. Will had turned down so many promotions; it felt almost like routine for him to say no.
"Congratulations Will. Although, I hate to see you go, I think you're making the right decision."
"Thank you Captain. I hope you're right. Now all I have to do is tell Deanna."
"Well, far be it for me to stop you. Take this time to discuss the situation with your wife but first I want you to have something."
Captain Picard pulled out a tiny gold pip from his uniform pants pocket. He jiggled it in his hand, and then gave to Riker.
"I think you should have this. I want you to wear it and if anyone asks, tell them you were just obeying orders."
"Aye, sir, stated Riker as he held the pip in his palm, thank you very much."
"Don't mention it Will. Now go speak with your wife and take all the time you need."
Riker nodded to Picard and exited the conference room. Will's emotions were running rapid. Had he done the right thing? Should he have waited to speak with Deanna before making such an important decision? I hope I know what I'm doing, he thought, I think I just made a huge mistake.