Star Struck 2
Melisandre's introduction to the Enterprise - and the fact Captain Picard knew nothing about her transfer until she arrived - was not an event easily forgotten. She quickly got to know the crewmembers and officers she was in contact with, and got to like them all as much as they liked her. It wasn't hard to like her, really - she was a vibrant girl, full of life, and was always grinning and laughing with her new mates.
Her relationship with Data had gone further as well. He found it fascinating that a human girl would find such a connection to the ship, its computer, and himself. He would frequently spend off-time with her, the two becoming great friends. During the first 3 months of her station on the Enterprise, her tests on him, with the chess, had been interestingly inconclusive...
---
BEEP. "Asimov to Captain, come in please."
Picard pressed his communicator. "Yes, Asimov?"
"Found something interesting about Data from the tests I've been running. Do you have a moment?"
"Of course. I'll be in my ready room. Picard out."
Melisandre grabbed Data's arm and yanked him off of the chair, with some difficulty (he was much heavier than her, and a good few inches taller as well). "Come on! He's waiting!"
Data stood up and with a shrug of his shoulders followed her. "Are my methods of chess that important?" he asked, confused.
"COME ON!" She tugged at his arm and hurried out again.
---
Picard sat down on the sofa and crossed his ankles, surveying the two in front of him. Melisandre was quivering with excitement, and Data was looking at her with confusion at her reaction.
"Captain! This is incredible. No one has ever tried pitting Data against himself, and this conclusion I've come to has no precedent known before!"
Picard hid a grin at her excitement. It was so contagious - but he must keep himself in line. "Well, go on, get to the point, Lieutenant."
"Data has been playing chess against himself for the last three months, Captain. The same game. And has only managed to capture 7 pawns, 3 black ones and 4 white ones. When a human plays against himself or herself, eventually the game is won. But Data so far is unable to beat himself."
Picard nodded. "Yes, that is rather interesting. Any ideas as to the significance of this?"
Melisandre shrugged. "Getting there. So far, sir, I've only realised what's been going on. He's done more than 60,000 moves! It's unbelievable."
"Very well," said Picard. "If you find any significance, do let me know."
Melisandre saluted. "Of course, sir. C'mon, Data." With that, she grabbed Data's hand and pulled him back to the bridge. Data looked apologetically at Picard, whose response was a suppressed laugh.
---
Another few months passed, in the interim Tasha having died. Melisandre was terribly struck by her death, since she was such a helpful and kind friend she had made in the first few days on the Enterprise, and stayed in her quarters for a few days after she died, mourning her. She kept her work up from her terminal in her quarters, but refused to come to the bridge. "It's just a few days," she reasoned, "and I've been keeping up on things. Captain Picard shouldn't be too worried."
In fact, she was wrong.
Picard, loath though he was to admit it even to himself, was getting fond of the small woman. The bridge to him seemed missing something when she wasn't there, and even though he had her work sent directly to his terminal to review, he wished she would return. He understood her sentiments and respected them, but he was permitted to be selfish, just a bit, right? He was impatient for her wide smile and warm brown eyes to look up at him when he called on her for a report. Won't she come back soon?
Only Will noticed the Captain's fondness for her. He noticed his smile when he looked at her, and how his eyes would follow her if she moved from the Science Terminal to speak with Worf or Data or Wesley. It sort of amused him, to be honest. He didn't give too much thought to it. How the Captain feels about his bridge crew was his business, not Will's.
Melisandre herself was feeling lonely in her quarters, and decided to return to the bridge earlier than she wanted. When she strode out of the turbolift peoples' heads turned, since they weren't expecting anyone to come up, and all wore grins.
"Good to see you back again, 'Lise," said Will warmly.
"I sense you are feeling better," added Deanna.
Melisandre smiled. "I am feeling better, but mainly I was stewing in myself and wanted to come up to civilisation."
Worf frowned. "Civilisation? 'Lise, we are in the outskirts of the Horsehead Nebula, there is no civilisation here."
She laughed. "It's a metaphor, Worf."
"Oh. How... human." Worf wasn't very good at human usage of words not in their usual meaning.
She approached her station, and realised the Captain was standing next to her chair. "...Hello, Captain Picard," she said.
"Glad you are feeling better, Lieutenant." He turned back to his chair, paused, and turned back. "It's good to have you back on the bridge," he said.
"Thank you, sir," she mumbled. The Captain was not usually particularly free with feelings.
---
Suddenly...
BOOM.
"Captain, we've been hit on our starboard side! Shields at 50%," boomed Worf jerkily, his hands running over his panel in an effort to re-raise the shields.
Picard jumped to his feet hurriedly. "Scans!"
"Scans show a Romulan warship closing on the starboard side, sir," Data said.
Picard stuttered and then regained composure. "All decks to Red Alert! Asimov, La Forge, Riker, report to the bridge immediately! Arm photon torpedoes and phasers! Dr. Crusher please prepare for possible medical emergency. Open hailing frequencies, Worf."
"Photon torpedoes and phasers armed and locked, sir," said Worf. "Hailing frequencies open."
"Acknowledged!" said Beverly over the comm.
"Very good, stand by, Mr. Worf," Picard said. He stood up and strode to the front of the bridge. "This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Why do you attack us?"
Will and Geordi rushed off the turbolift and sat at their stations. Meanwhile, the ship rocked again.
"Front shields at 70%. We're getting hit hard, sir," Data said.
Suddenly the Romulans answered Picard's hailing. "We have nothing to talk about, human. We shall destroy you. Pray that it happens quickly." The screen shut off.
Picard looked confused and shocked. He shook his head to clear it and gathered his wits. "Fire all phasers!" he said quickly.
"Firing all phasers, sir," Worf said.
The turbolift doors opened just as another bout hit the ship and rocked it. Melisandre, who was in the lift, was thrown out, with a horrible crunching noise. Everyone around flinched.
"I'm ok," she gasped, cradling an obviously broken wrist. "Don't worry about me, get those Romulans shot out of the sky."
Picard nodded. "Fire photon torpedoes."
"They've used the cloaking device, sir, we're unable to lock on." Worf slapped his hands on the panel.
"Damn," Picard said irritably.
"Captain..." Will said cautiously.
"Yes, Number One?"
"When they uncloak..."
"Yes, Number One!" Picard slapped Will's shoulder encouragingly. "Worf, keep an eye out for the Romulan ship - when they uncloak to fire on us, destroy them."
"Aye, Sir!" Worf said.
"Asimov, please program a trajectory based on the Romulan ship's last heading," Picard said.
"Working, sir. Feeding it into the terminal," she said.
"Got it," Data said a second later. "Prepare for firing on a count of 5...Five...Four...Three..."
Another hit shook the bridge, knocking out a few terminals and sending sparks up Geordi's arms and down his entire body. He fell down, twitching. Melisandre grabbed him, and the electrical sparks climbed up her arms as well. She collapsed.
"...Two...One...Firing photon torpedoes."
An explosion rocked the ship again, but this time it was the Romulan ship disintigrating.
Worf bent down suddenly, and pressed his communicator. "Bridge to sickbay."
"Sickbay here. Go on, Worf."
"We have a medical emergency. Please come as soon as possible."
"On my way. Sickbay out."
Picard turned around. "Medical emergency?"
"It's 'Lise and Geordi, sir," Worf said, "I think they were electrically shocked from a faulty circuit."
"Damn." He hurried up and knelt down beside Worf at their side. He looked at him helplessly. "Are they..."
"I do not know, Captain."
Beverly ran out onto the bridge and scanned them. "Not good. I'll need to take them to Sickbay." Two ensigns lifted them gently onto a stretcher, which they maneuvered back onto the turbolift.
"Beverly," Picard said suddenly.
"Yes, Captain?" she said inquiringly.
"Let me know of any changes, no matter how small. Please," he added, "it's a matter of some importance."
"Of course, Captain." She smiled, and left.
