I don't own Star Trek The Next Generation.
Continuing on with the episode novelisations, Yesterday's Enterprise was the first thing that came to mind when I came up with the idea of novelising some of the episodes. It's a classic. There will be some revisions in my version; for instance, the Enterprise itself will be different, more geared for war and power, as befitting an Enterprise in a hellish alternate timeline, and there will be original moments or chapters.
Please let me know what you think.
X
Yesterday's Enterprise.
"This….isn't right."
Lieutenant Worf was going over the recent Tactical updates from Starfleet Command while he took a break from his duties before he went on shift again. The updates were being issued to every ship in the Fleet and they had just come. Worf was going over them with a trained and keen eye. Some of the updates were relatively mundane, but they would give the tactical sensors a greater sensitivity and when he implemented the new phaser updates they would enhance the weapon systems by 50%.
Occasionally Worf had problems fitting in with Starfleet considering how the Klingon species were naturally aggressive and preferred battle and how humans preferred diplomacy and patience rather than taking out their weapons and putting an end to potential threats, but at the same time, he knew humans could be more innovative and he had learnt a long time ago, while the humans had weaknesses, they were not brought down by them. Their innate spirit was comparable to the most strong-willed Klingon warrior.
He snapped out of his thoughts when approaching footsteps and the familiar perfume made him look up and he saw the El-Aurian bartender. Guinan held a glass in her hand as she brought it to Worf's table. "All right. Try this," Guinan smiled as she passed him the glass.
Worf took the glass politely and studied the dark liquid within the glass curiously. "What is it?" Worf asked Guinan with curious patience.
The soft-spoken and wise El-Aurian had been experimenting with different juices that were not typical Klingon. "Just try it," Guinan insisted. Worf did so, and he was rewarded with one of the richest tastes he had ever felt honoured to touch his tongue face. Guinan smiled in that benevolent manner of hers that sometimes made Worf feel the El-Aurian was aware of someone's taste even if they had never sampled it before in their lives. "You see? It's an Earth drink. Prune juice."
"A warrior's drink," Worf smiled.
When he had been younger, Worf had been notorious for how determined he was to study Klingon history, and Klingon customs, and eat Klingon food and drink to the point where he refused to even look at anything human. While he had loved his adoptive parents despite how rambunctious he had been at such a young age and driven them mad, Worf had always been grateful to the Rozencho's for taking him in.
But the real reason, and he was sure they knew about it, he had been fanatical about Klingon cuisine at the time was because he had lost everything at Khitomer when those damned Romulans had attacked the colony and his parents had been killed. Yes, he had Klingon culture and history and then later his lessons on becoming a skilled and professional Klingon warrior who was proud to serve in glorious battles and had put those same skills and desires to work when he had joined Starfleet, but Klingon cuisine had been one of the few things Worf had left of his culture.
And he had a feeling his family, bless them, knew that.
Privately, at the time, Worf had found human food to be bland, boring. They preferred to cook with few spices unless you lived in India or Asia.
However, in recent years Worf had mellowed in his stance and he started experimenting with human food. Guinan had been a major help to him and she was helping to expand his horizons. But what worried Worf was how she had started doing this without really asking him about what he wanted. Guinan chuckled, "You know, you're always drinking alone. It wouldn't hurt you to seek out a little companionship."
Worf smiled indulgently, although he had a feeling she knew about the disastrous soccer match when he had accidentally killed that boy, Nikolai. Worf had never forgiven himself for the death. And he had gone out of his way to make amends and change his character. Worf had a feeling Guinan knew that and he had an even stronger feeling that while she was sympathetic, he should look to the future instead of worrying about the past.
"I would require a Klingon woman for companionship. Earth females are too fragile," Worf took a sip from his drink so he could exorcise the horrible memory of what happened that day, so long ago now.
He knew what he had just said wasn't that true. There were many human women whom he had met who had been physically strong, but he was not going to test it. Natasha Yar, before her death at the oily from of that disgusting Armus creature, had been strong in mind and soul and body, but she was an exception rather than a rule, but even then he was not going to do as Guinan suggested. He knew she didn't mean to be cruel by saying he was alone. In many ways, he was, the only Klingon in the Fleet, and one of the few Klingons in the Federation. Hopefully, in a few years, other Klingons would join Starfleet. Their skills and their desire to do their duty would make them exceptional officers.
"Not all of them. There are a few on this ship that would find you..tame."
Worf laughed, more amused at the thought people thought he was like a teddy bear. He had always been intrigued by those cuddly toys small human children favoured when they were young. "Impossible."
"You never know till you try."
Worf smiled at Guinan over the rim of his glass, "Then I will never know."
"Coward," Guinan chided mock seriously.
Worf didn't take offence to the accusation, knowing his friend didn't mean it as anything other than a playful jab. "I was merely concerned for the safety of my crewmates."
Guinan snorted, "Drink your prune juice."
Worf was about to take a sip of his drink when he felt the Enterprise shudder which meant the ship had just dropped out of warp. The Enterprise was en route to Archer 4. There was nothing for them to drop out of warp for, but as Worf looked through the windows of Ten Forward he saw the reason for the ship dropping out of warp.
Outside was a fuzzy swirly anomaly that had suddenly just appeared outside the ship. It had not been out there when Worf had last looked out of the windows of Ten-Forward. Worf knew that he would be summoned up to the bridge, and so he was not surprised when Commander Riker's voice came over the comm system. "Lieutenant Worf, report to the Bridge."
Worf tapped his badge. "On my way."
As Worf left the table and went out of Ten-Forward, he did not notice Guinan. She hadn't taken her eyes off of the anomaly outside the ship. If he had then he might have been worried and reported it, but he wasn't and there was nobody anywhere near her to hear her. "No!" Guinan whispered in horror, knowing the presence of this rift meant something terrible and profound was going to happen, and when it did everything would change.
X
On the bridge, Captain Picard looked in interest at the anomaly which had forced the Enterprise to drop out of warp. Picard had seen many strange spatial and radiation anomalies in his time. They were all fascinating, and he had no doubt this one would be anything different.
In any case, Starfleet Command had given all ships standing orders to investigate all anomalies like this. With Starfleet's search for wormholes or any way of traversing the galaxy everlasting, research into such phenomena was vital for scientific research.
"Analysis, Mr Data," Picard asked.
"Sensors are reading gravimetric fluctuations, Captain. Most unusual ones," Data replied.
"Unusual in what way? Specify?" Picard demanded. Sometimes he wished Data would stop wasting time and actually get to the point and give more detailed explanations.
"Nothing I have seen before."
"Is it a wormhole?" Picard decided to be blunt.
"Yes and no. Like a time displacement, but it does not have a discernible event horizon," Data replied.
"Sir, navigational subsystems are unable to give coordinates on the object," Wesley added after checking his own sensor data returns.
"Confirmed. The phenomenon does not have a definable centre or outer edge."
Picard heard rather than saw Riker walk over. Judging from the sound of his voice, Riker was becoming tired of Data's artificial calm. "Are you saying it is and yet it isn't there?"
Finally, Data explained one of the reasons why he was having so much trouble examining the anomaly. "I do not have sufficient information to make an analysis as yet, Commander. The dynamics of the radiation patterns-."
Worf's console beeped in alarm. "Captain! Something's happening. A new change in sensor readings."
"Mr Data?" Picard turned to the android to find out what the reason was for the change in the readings.
"Something is emerging from the anomaly, sir," Data reported.
Picard lifted his head and stared at the anomaly. For a second he couldn't see what it was, but then he caught sight of an outline. As it emerged and became clearer, Picard felt everything shift around him and he felt his mind change as a totally different man, one who lived in a different world take his place…
X
The moment the ship emerged from the anomaly, everything in Known Space began to change, starting with the USS Enterprise. The Galaxy-class starship was, at the moment, one of the fastest and most powerful ships Starfleet had ever produced in the 24th century. But the ripples sent out of the time anomaly as the ship which emerged, a ship which was not meant to be there, a ship out of its own time and its own destiny, changed the Enterprise D.
From the rear of the ship, a third warp nacelle appeared to increase the vessel's speed and longevity. Underneath the saucer section was a vast phaser cannon. Derived from disruptor technology, the cannon was capable of piercing the shields of enemy vessels.
On the top of the saucer section and placed the bridge module itself on a dais were two phaser cannons that were smaller than the one beneath the saucer. Around the ship were weapon blisters, capable of firing staggered rounds of phaser beams, disruptors, and torpedoes of various types.
The interior of the ship changed as well.
The bridge itself became darker, more militaristic with the Captain chair now standing alone on the bridge. The first officer and counsellor's chairs disappeared from the bridge. The aft of the bridge changed as well, with more of a focus on weapons and targeting systems. Mission ops and the science stations were still there, as a starship often discovered unusual phenomena. In any case, while this version of Starfleet was more militant, they still had a mandate of discovery…
All to create new weapons in a war.
Main engineering also changed. The warp core became more enlarged and powerful in order to provide extra power to the engines while the phaser cannons were augmented with fusion reactors and antimatter generators.
Crew quarters changed into barracks where crew members were forced to share with one another in a more harsh, military environment. The exceptions were the senior staff, who had their own cabins. In a sense, it was no different from naval vessels from the 18th century. On other parts of the ship where there had been cetacean laboratories and aquatic labs, these spaces were replaced by trooper barracks for when the ship ferried soldiers to the frontlines of battle.
The children from the primary timeline vanished. As did the civilians. The Enterprise D was now a ship of war. There was no place for innocents on the ship and the Starfleet officers left behind were left without any memory of them at all. To them, this was the true reality. All there were soldiers now and indeed some of the civilians like the school teachers and the civilian scientists and archaeologists who had been making use of Enterprise's exceptional capabilities were now Starfleet officers themselves. They had been drafted in by the Fleet to ensure their knowledge was used for the greater good of the Federation.
While they were scientists who were employed to work in the cybernetics lab in order to create computer viruses or nanotechnology weapons, the scientists were soldiers now, and they joined their fellows with their uniforms roughly the same design but sporting gold utility belts where a phaser was permanently stored, but also a combat knife which was more like a Klingon dk'tahg, and a host of tools and an emergency transporter beacon.
Their minds began to change, memories of their old lives shifting to match their new reality. Of living in a Federation on the knife edge of a war with the Klingon Empire.
Each one of them had been fighting for so long, their lives hardened with the loss of friends and family, and the desire to fight the Klingons, who continuously raided them.
X
General Worf, the Head of the Noble House of Mogh, sat in the command throne of his Vor'cha class attack cruiser, watching as the Birds of Prey that was a part of his squadron laid waste to a Federation world.
"Target the defence stations!" His first officer yelled.
"Quantum torpedo barrage is increasing! Phaser fire increasing. We can't get a lock!"
Worf growled as he tried to work out the problem. He had been fighting the Federation ever since he had signed on as a warrior, and while the Klingon Empire had managed to bring the Federation to the point of collapse, they still fought on. He had to respect them for that, despite their weaknesses. The Federation, especially the humans were good warriors despite their harping they were above such things.
It also made them dangerously inventive. This was the seventh time the Empire had launched an attack on this part of the Federation, and despite their best efforts the Federation defences still held.
"Contact the crews of the K'Tinga class cruisers. Tell them to set their ships on automatic pilot and abandon their ships. If we can't get a lock, then we'll have to force our way through!" Worf decided at last.
X
In the war room on Earth, the many fronts of the war were busily getting up-to-date information from the various ships and planets that were constantly fighting the Klingons. In orbit above the planet, a large number of defence platforms equipped with the best sensors, power systems in a compact form and given one of the most powerful weapons array, phasers in multiple forms, photon, plasma and quantum torpedo launchers with transporters for transporting the weapons from Earth for firing.
They were not alone.
Above the planet, passing through the stripped-down wrecks and pieces of debris of Klingon ships which had been sent to Earth as part of the raids during the earlier periods of the Federation-Klingon war until the Federation and Starfleet wised up and realised war was the only key, the only thing the Klingons understood instead of peace, were a number of ships crammed full of refugees from various worlds in Federation space that had been conquered by the Klingons.
X
Captain Jean-Luc Picard studied the ship on the viewscreen for a moment before he turned to Tactical. "Lieutenant, what are their sensor readings? Is that one of ours, or is it a decoy?"
Decoys were one of the most terrifying weapons the Klingons had in their arsenal. Ever since the Federation and Starfleet began equipping their warships with greater firepower and shield strength, the Klingons had adopted Romulan tactics that worked on a terrifying scale. The Klingons would capture a ship, kill the crew, and use it to launch an attack on Federation territory. They were rare now because Starfleet ships had genetic lockers in their technology, and they have so entwined the systems with the auto-destruct system that any Klingon who attempted to use the ship would find themselves looking at a minute of life.
Hardly honourable, but to the Klingons the only honour in war was victory. Beyond that, they didn't care at all about how they won their battles, as long as they won.
The blond-haired, tough woman in security gold, was checking the readings. Picard watched her, admiring her professionalism and her attitude. She was one of the best soldiers on the Enterprise; she had grown up and fought her way out of a Klingon-occupied colony, and she had taken her experiences and put them in Starfleet.
She was a true credit to that uniform. Tasha Yar looked up apologetically. "I'm getting too much interference, Captain."
Picard looked between her and Commander Data. "Mr Data, Lieutenant, try to clean up the sensor noise. I want to know if that ship is going to attack us."
X
Guinan was aware of the shift of history instantly, and as she turned around and looked around Ten-Forward she couldn't help but gasp in surprise; not only had her gown changed from a red to a dark blue, trivial as it seemed, she had experienced the change to the timeline when the rift appeared and the ship emerged, but seeing it was believing it. Ten-Forward had been quiet a few minutes ago. Guinan didn't usually mind the peace in Ten-Forward in the mornings, because it gave her the opportunity to really listen to the ambience of the crew.
But now Ten-Forward was extremely busy. At the crowded tables, crew members wearing full uniforms with belts with a phaser and a combat knife and utility pouches fixed on them, talked as they ate their meals like there was no tomorrow. Guinan might have been a listener, but she was a keen observer.
The meals the crew were eating were simple, functional; laden down with vitamins, nutrients and calories. Whatever was happening to history meant this more militaristic environment needed to be crewed by people/soldiers, who were not only strong and fit, but well fed with only the essentials. Over the intercom, barely audible to some in the crowded and noisy Ten-Forward but heard nonetheless, someone was giving instructions. "Now hear this," the voice was saying while Guinan pulled herself together, and collected empty plates, "Fleet formation briefing in main war room at fifteen hundred hours. Doctor Joshua Campbell, report to Cetacean Ops. Ensign Toms, please report to Combat Information Centre. Ensign Thomas to CIC."
"This isn't right," Guinan whispered to herself as she listened and looked around in horror. "It's changed."
X
On the Enterprise bridge, Tasha Yar reported, "Sensors are clearing now, Captain. The ship is moving away from the rift and the further it leaves it, we're able to get a better look. Definitely Federation starship. I'm not picking up any Klingon life signs on any sensor frequency. Accessing registry." Riker, who was standing next to Yar, observed, "Looks like they had a rough ride."
"Yes, Commander," Data reported from Ops, "I am still having problems scanning the interior of the ship, however from what I have been able to determine, the ship has suffered repeated damage to the hull and the spaceframe. Several warp coils in both nacelles have been severely damaged. There are hull breaches on the engineering hull, and several areas have become decompressed."
Picard's eyes narrowed at the news. "Any sign of Klingon activity from within the anomaly?"
"Negative, sir. No sign of Klingon warships on long-range sensors."
"I have the registration number, sir; NCC one seven oh one C. USS Enterprise."
Picard turned in disbelief before he turned to the viewscreen. It couldn't be. The Enterprise C was lost. It had been destroyed 20 years ago. How was this possible?
X
Military log, Combat date 43625.2. While investigating an unusual radiation anomaly, the Enterprise has encountered what could almost be called a ghost from its own past, the Enterprise-C, the immediate predecessor to this battleship.
X
"Sensors confirm design and specifications, Captain. Analysis of hull and engine materials conform to engineering patterns and methods of that time period." Wesley Crusher turned to Data in confusion. "But that cruiser was destroyed with all hands over twenty years ago."
"Presumed destroyed," Data corrected. "The Enterprise C was last seen near the Klingon outpost Narendra Three exactly twenty-two years, three months and four days ago." Picard nodded in agreement; he and Riker shared a tense relationship, mostly because it was not a good idea for two officers to become too close since it could mean their end. "Has it been adrift for all those years, or has it travelled through time?"
Data tilted his head thoughtfully. "It is a possibility, Captain. If that hypothesis is correct, the phenomenon we just encountered would be a temporal rift in space."
"A rift?" Picard repeated.
"Possibly the formation of a Kerr loop from superstring material. It would require high-energy interactions occurring in the vicinity for such a structure to be formed. The rift is certainly not stable, Captain. It could collapse at any time," Data theorised.
"But how? I remember reading about the Enterprise C during my time at the Academy. She vanished near Narendra 3, but nobody knows what happened," Tasha said while she was checking the tactical sensors. "Captain. I'm able to scan the interior of the ship now, sir. Heavy damage to warp field nacelles and hull bearing struts. Internal space frame is... Life-signs, Captain! Readings are sporadic. It looks like they have massive casualties, but some are still alive."
"Bridge to Sickbay. Emergency teams, stand by transporter rooms," Riker ordered.
"Belay that order, Doctor," Picard ordered.
He didn't know what was going on, but while temporal mechanics was still a required course at the Academy, he was cautious about how things could play out. For all he knew, if they interacted with the Enterprise C, it could make the war even worse. He had spent too many years in Starfleet fighting the Klingons to be too positive and optimistic.
They had to be cautious.
Riker apparently didn't seem to recognise that fact even as he levelled a disbelieving look at his captain. "Respectfully, if I may suggest regardless of where they came from, they are here now and they need our help."
Picard held back the urge to sigh, "Commander, if that ship has travelled into the future, we could be dealing with variables that will alter the flow of our history. Suppose we help them and they decide to go back and cause the events which started the war, only they didn't vanish as our history makes out?"
Riker looked startled by the question, but before he could say anything, Tasha's console chirped. "Enterprise C is sending out a distress call, sir. Audio only."
"Play it, and make sure to jam the subspace carrier wave so it doesn't radiate out too far," Picard ordered.
Over the comm system, a woman's voice said breathlessly, indicating she was barely holding on due to some serious injury, "This is Captain Garrett of the Starship Enterprise, to any Federation ship. We have been attacked by Romulan warships and require immediate assistance. We've lost warp drive. Life support is failing."
Riker frowned, "There's no record of the Romulans ever assaulting the Enterprise C."
"We do know the Romulans attacked the Narendra 3 outpost," Picard pointed out, "so that is true."
"Voice message has ended, Captain. I'm only receiving their automated distress signal now," Tasha said.
"Open a hailing frequency and keep the jammers running; I don't want the Klingons anywhere near here. This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation, of a Federation starship," he was about to automatically announce the name of his ship but he quickly realised what he was doing and stopped himself just in time. "Standby to receive emergency teams. Commander, we will handle this one step at a time. Stabilise their power systems and tend to their injured, and avoid all discussions of where and when they are."
"Aye, sir. Lieutenant," Riker turned to Tasha before they left the bridge together.
Ensign Crusher's console gave an urgent message. "Captain, a message coming in from Starfleet monitor stations. Klingon battlecruisers headed towards this sector."
Picard stiffened, wondering if perhaps the Klingons had detected the Enterprise C a while back, or if this was a random patrol before he issued his orders, "Battle alert, Mister Crusher. Condition Yellow."
"Aye, sir. All decks report Condition Yellow."
As he sat in his command chair, Picard took the opportunity to think about everything that was happening. The arrival of the Enterprise C and the sudden mystery on their hands had surprised him while he followed the cabal's orders to scout this part of space to prepare for the Push with Operation Burn.
Picard didn't like the feeling. When he had worked with his colleagues on Operation Burn, he had hoped that nothing would or could intrude on the mission to make the final preparations which would determine whether they won or ultimately lost. But the arrival of the Enterprise C had changed things.
One thing went through his mind; for good, or hellish damnable ill, Operation Burn had to succeed or their ways of life would be over.
X
As the away team materialised onboard the Enterprise C, Will Riker almost coughed when he breathed in the atmosphere of the ship. It was a grim sight. The bridge was heavily damaged with some consoles shattered, and after a quick sweep with his hand torch, Riker could see the floor was covered in pieces of shrapnel. Sparks exploded from the remaining consoles, which winked continually showing how damaged they were. But the grimmest part was the smell of burnt human flesh. Everywhere he looked there were charred bodies across consoles wearing early 24th-century Starfleet uniforms. Riker shone his torch around and he found, sitting in the captain's chair, a woman with short dark hair. She looked in a terrible state.
"Captain Garrett?" He asked, positive that was who he thought she was, but he needed to be sure.
She opened her eyes at the sound of her name, and the unfamiliar voice who'd spoken it, and he almost smirked at how wide they became before she visibly relaxed when she saw his Starfleet insignia. "Yes."
"I'm Commander William Riker. Our emergency teams are on board your ship. Doctor?" Riker turned to Crusher, who had finished her examination of the bridge and was turning to Garrett.
"The rest of the bridge crew is dead," Crusher reported with the cold hard factual manner that came from years of being on a frontline ship of war. She had learnt to become detached from the suffering she had seen since it was easier to cope instead of dealing with a breakdown. "She has a bad fracture and has serious internal injuries. I'm going to have to get her back to the Enterprise."
Riker was cursing Crusher's lack of discretion. But it was too late.
Garrett reacted quietly, "To where?"
Riker sighed under his breath. He wasn't worried. Sooner or later she and any survivor would learn the truth. And the horror that came with it... "We'll explain that later."
But Garrett was as obstinate and as stubborn as that came from years of practice. "You'll explain now, Commander," she snapped.
"We're from a Federation starship. We answered your distress call. Your ship is in good hands, but we need to get you to our Sickbay," Riker insisted. Garrett gave a faint nod, biting her lip in a moan of pain. "Very well."
Tapping her comm badge, Crusher stood up and stood next to Garrett. "Crusher to transporter room. Two to beam directly to Sickbay."
"Stand by for transport," the technician said.
While Crusher and Garrett were beamed away, La Forge was busily examining the systems on the bridge. It was not promising, but not impossible for the bridge to be repaired with the time they had. They knew the Klingons were coming and they had to be quick. La Forge looked up when Riker walked over to him. "It's pretty bad, Commander. Looks like they were in a hell of a fight."
"That makes sense from the hail we received. The distress call said the Enterprise C was attacked by Romulans. But if you can't stabilise the life support, we're going to have to evacuate the ship," Riker said.
La Forge thought it through and he nodded, "I think we can do it. I'll have to get to Engineering though. La Forge to damage control team alpha. Meet me on Engineering level three."
Riker's eyes watched him go. The two men had served together, on other ships. La Forge was an engineering genius and Riker had no doubt he would repair the Enterprise C. The problem was he didn't know if they would have the time.
Riker knew Starfleet was up to something, something critical and urgent, something that required a lot of precision and precious time keeping. But it was something only the Captain knew. Riker hoped it succeeded, but at the same time, if they could get this ship working in time, despite the age and damage, they would have another ship in the war. And they needed all the help they could get.
"Commander," Yar got Riker's attention and he turned when the sound of coughing and the grinding sound of shifting debris caught their ears. The two rushed over and they began moving some of the worst of the debris before they found themselves looking at another survivor. A young man, his face and uniform dusty with soot and bruises looked around in a dazed way, as if unbelieving he was free.
The officer looked at his rescuers with gratitude. "Thanks," he whispered hoarsely. "Commander William Riker," Riker introduced himself. "Lieutenant Castillo, helmsman," the officer Castillo introduced himself. "Where did you come from? From what the sensors told us before the battle, we were the only ship near Narendra 3."
Riker exchanged a meaningful look at Yar. "That will take time to explain. In the meantime, do you feel fit to help us find more survivors?"
"Yes. I'll be alright," Castillo nodded.
X
On the bridge of the Enterprise D, Data reported. "Away team reporting in, sir. They are using the Enterprise-C's communication suite." Picard accepted a padd from a crewman. He didn't speak for a moment while he studied the readout. He had been waiting for a while for Command to send him messages, and his patience had just been paid off.
"On screen, Mister Data. Go ahead, Commander," Picard looked up, deciding the message would wait for a few moments before he went to his Ready Room.
Riker's face was on the viewscreen, showing the equally darkened bridge of the Enterprise D's predecessor. In the background were a few survivors but they were busy with other tasks. "We've stabilised life support.
Mr La Forge is working on restoring the main power couplings, but that'll take time. It's a real mess down here, sir." Picard had switched his gaze down to his padd. He ignored Riker's redundant comment. "Survivors?"
"125."
Picard nodded thoughtfully and slowly. "Recommendation?"
"I'd hate to have to scrap her. Starfleet could certainly use another ship, even if she is old." Picard agreed with his first officer's assessment - Operation Burn might be the Federation's only hope, even if it threatened to open and unleash the hells of Pandora's box, but they could still use a few extra ships on the run-up to the plan's success.
"Agreed. However, the age of a starship at this point is irrelevant since our mothballed ships have been put back on active duty. But we can't stay in this area too long. You have nine hours. If you can get her underway by then, we'll escort her back to Starbase one oh five. If not, we'll evacuate the survivors and destroy the ship."
Riker scowled. "Understood, sir."
Picard nodded, ignoring his first officer's borderline insubordinate tone. "Keep me posted, Picard out."
When the comm transmission was cut from the Enterprise C, Picard stood up to take the message from Starfleet Command when, to his surprise, Guinan entered the bridge from the turbolift. Picard had allowed Guinan to come onboard the Enterprise because she had said she could be a great service as a kind of unofficial counsellor for the crew during the war. And she had done a great job so far. But the woman who had just walked onto his bridge was looking uncertain of everything. She was looking around the bridge in confusion like she had never seen it before. "Guinan?" Picard looked at her in concern. "Is everything alright?"
It was rare for Guinan to come to the bridge. In fact, Picard could count on only one hand the number of times the wise, and extremely confident El-Aurian woman had ventured up here. But her manner worried him.
Picard was not prepared for what she had to say to him, though. "We need to talk. Somehow this, this is all wrong. This is not the way it's supposed to be."
X
A/N - The Enterprise here is the same as the version seen in All Good Things.