Chapter 1:
New Orders
Captain's Log, Stardate 48315.6
After our encounter with Dr. Tolian Soran and the Nexus, Starfleet has classified the new USS Enterprise-E fit for duty and we leave McKinley Station.
"Captain, there's a priority message for you from Starfleet Command." "Acknowledged, Number One"
Picard orders a drink, "Tea, Earl Grey, hot." The drink materializes, Jean-Luc puts is PADD down and initializes his console. The message is decoded, it's Admiral Haden.
"Admiral Haden, it's good to see you." "Jean-Luc, welcome aboard your new Enterprise." "Thank you, sir."
"Captain, we have a situation that is dire. Do you know Kathryn Janeway?" Picard answered, "Only through second-hand knowledge."
"Her ship, the USS Voyager, was pulled 75,000 light-years from Federation Space into the Delta Quadrant. We know this through their logs on the array called the Caretaker."
"
I heard and read the briefs on the Voyager mission regarding the Maquis; but nothing else." "That's where we stopped as well." Haden nodded. "We here at Starfleet need the flagship of the Federation to go to the Delta Quadrant by any and all means necessary, and I mean all means. You have full discretion on the mission, Jean-Luc. Bring home the crew of the Voyager.""With all due respect, Admiral. That's a 70+ year journey. You say we have all discretion." "That's correct. Get with you senior staff. Find a way in and a way out. One of my admirals has a son on that ship: Tom Paris.
"Owen's son?" Haden nodded. "I don't know Admiral Paris that well; but I read the briefs of the expulsion of his son from Starfleet Academy. I was at his cousin's trial Nicolas LoCarno" "Janeway recruited Tom before they left for the Badlands. That's the last he heard from Tom.
"The Enterprise will do its best. Picard, out!"