[Glenn]

I have four episodes left to write... the four-part conclusion to this whole damned thing. I'll write them as I post the preceeding episodes on here. Once again, every two (or maybe even one-point-five) days, a new episode will be unleashed upon you. I use the word "unleashed" because Season Five is it: this is the final season and I'm playing fast and loose with characters and scenarios. A few old faces and a few new faces join the crew for the last thirteen episodes to come from Starbase 499 and the Sirrustra System. Hope you enjoy the ride... brace yourselves!

***

STAR TREK: DISCOVERY - Season Five



Created by Glenn Scully

Based upon "Star Trek" created by Gene Roddenberry


Premise:
The year is 2376. As the rest of the United Federation of Planets celebrates the conclusion of the Dominion War and a potential newfound peace and stability, the crew of the USS Discovery NCC-76240 encounter their most feared enemy, resurrected from beyond extinction. This follows a year of exploration, a year of new beginnings and new frontiers that has been filled with equal measure of success and failure. Injuries both physical and mental resonate as, in a climax of unthinkable devestation, Captain Josiah Graves orders the auto-destruct of his own starship. The year ahead is uncertain for all concerned. Questions of new vessels and new missions must be put aside... for right now, there's a terrible enemy to defeat...


Cast of Characters:

Former crew of the Intrepid-Class USS Discovery NCC-76240, destroyed Federation Starship
- Captain Josiah "Jed" Graves (human male)
- First Officer: Commander Valerie Archer (human female)
- Tactical: Lieutenant Commander Gabriel West (human male)
- Helm: Lieutenant Mitan (Bolian male)
- Operations: Ensign Jason Allenbach (human male)
- Engineering: Lieutenant Commander Sakal (Suliban male)
- Medical: Doctor Katherine Pulaski (human female)

Starbase 499, Federation Outpost in orbit of Sirrustra II, Sirrustra System
- Rear Admiral Leo "Boxer" Quarren (human male)
- Station Master Erica Mendoza (human female)

Starships assigned to Starbase 499 include the Oberth-Class USS Spearhead NCC-1224 and the Steamrunner-Class USS Steamrunner NX-52126


Character Notes:
- Captain Graves and Commander Archer are in a relationship
- Captain Graves has an artificial limb: his left arm below the elbow is synthetic
- Rear Admiral Leo "Boxer" Quarren has been in a coma for the past year, shot in Season Four's "Unleashed, Part 2" (DIS)
- Station Master Mendoza and Lieutenant Commander West are in a relationship


Episode List:

5x01: "All Hands, Part 2"
5x02: "Nova"
5x03: "Fresh Approach"
5x04: "Target Locked"
5x05: "I Now Pronounce You..."
5x06: "Maelstrom"
5x07: "The Good Fight, Part 1"
5x08: "The Good Fight, Part 2"
5x09: "Homeward Bound"
5x10: "Ghosts"
5x11: "Body Double"
5x12: "Behind Closed Doors"
5x13: "Cancelled"

[Glenn]

SEASON FIVE
EPISODE ONE



“All Hands, Part 2”





PROLOGUE

Last time on Star Trek: Discovery...

While exploring the Beta Quadrant, Captain Josiah Graves and the crew of the Intrepid-Class USS Discovery NCC-76240 locate a shuttlepod belonging to the End. Thought to be extinct for almost three years, there is only one End left: the pilot, who is beamed to sickbay, appears to be the last of his savage, warlike race. Ordering an investigation, Captain Graves hopes that they are indeed only witnessing an echo of the past, and not a new beginning for his most feared enemy.
Unfortunately, those hopes are dashed as the End pilot wakes up and escapes sickbay. Infiltrating transporter room two, he extracts the pattern buffer from his shuttlepod and begins to materialise an army of hibernating End soldiers. Stored for three years, ready to start establishing a new order, almost two hundred of them swarm the decks of Discovery and take control of key areas. Emergency forcefields keep them away from the top four decks, including the bridge, but they are a relentless foe.
Just under half the Starfleet crew are lost in the battle. With no other alternatives and Discovery dropping out of warp back home alongside Starbase 499, Captain Graves accepts defeat and orders an emergency evacuation. All surviving Starfleet officers and crew are transported to Starbase 499. Remaining on the bridge, Graves and Commander Valerie Archer activate the auto-destruct system. Upon escaping themselves, they watch with heavy hearts as the End-laden Discovery blows to pieces.
End soldiers, however, managed to beam across to Starbase 499 amidst the chaos. The battle isn’t over, with almost one hundred End still alive and scattered throughout the superstructure. To make matters even worse at that apocalyptic moment, Rear Admiral Leo Quarren (who has been comatose in the Starbase 499 medical facility for almost one year) is found to be missing...

...and now the conclusion.



ACT ONE

The debris from the USS Discovery hadn’t even settled... and already people were turning away. Reports were starting to fly over the comm system from the bowels of the starbase, reports of terror at the hands of the End intruders. Station Master Erica Mendoza, the centre of attention in the Station Master’s Office, was doing her level best just to keep her head above the waves of requests and calls. By way of assistance, the senior staff of the doomed Discovery leapt straight into action, manning those stations that were going unanswered and issuing orders. Commander Valerie Archer started directing security teams, her tactical knowledge augmented by Lieutenant Commander Gabriel West’s capable profession. Ensign Jason Allenbach began securing emergency forcefields, remembering how the End carried out pre-emptive strikes on the emitters, and Lieutenant Mitan gave his friend Lieutenant Commander Sakal a hand in searching for all the remote End biosigns. It was all hands on deck.
All, that was, except for one.
Captain Josiah Graves was in a complete daze. His first command, blown out of the stars at his order, and over one hundred enemy casualties as a result... half his crew, his brave crew, lost thanks to those bastards... it was all far too much for his system. Head thumping, heart pounding, he simply stared out at where his Intrepid-Class starship had once been, and where now there was only wreckage.
He tuned out the voices that surrounded him.
“Okay,” Sakal growled, “I’ve got ten End biosigns near Club 499!”
“Sending a security team,” Valerie nodded as Gabe worked the station security console.
“Emergency forcefields are responding,” Jason observed with a triumphant grin.
“Good, that’ll keep them contained,” Erica Mendoza thanked the young Kentuckian with a pat on his back. “My primary concern is the civilian population. I want to begin evacuation procedures right away, but with so many End scattered about all decks I’m not sure where to send them.”
“What about the Steamrunner?” Valerie suggested.
“What about her?”
“Put all the civilians aboard and get them to a safe distance!”
“Excellent idea,” the Latina grudgingly acknowledged. “Doctor Pulaski...?”
“I’ll see to it,” Katherine Pulaski agreed.
“Six more End biosigns near the drydocks,” Sakal suddenly blurted out. “They’ll need to be neutralised before anybody can get to either the Steamrunner or the Spearhead for escape or anything else!”
“There are only three security officers in the area,” Gabe noted with disdain. “There is, however, a science team, seven-strong, aboard Spearhead.”
“Get them armed and fighting!”
“They’re only scientists...”
“It doesn’t matter, damn it!” Erica snapped at her African-American lover. “They’re people with access to weapons and they’re Starfleet officers! We need to protect the civilians at all costs... this goes for everybody! Our primary concern is getting the civilian population of Starbase 499 to the Steamrunner and getting them away from this warzone! Nothing else comes first, understood?”
Everybody did, and everybody nodded accordingly.
Pulaski was on her way out of the Station Master’s Office when one of the incoming comm reports caught her attention. Slowly, she paused, frowning as she strained to hear the distorted words over the chaos. Frustrated at the lack of clarity, she marched over to the comm panel and answered the call.
“This is Doctor Pulaski,” she said loudly. “Please repeat?”
“Doctor, this is Nurse Denton calling from the medical level,” a panic-laden voice began to say once again. “I know you’ve probably got bigger problems up there, but Rear Admiral Quarren has gone missing and we can’t find him!”
That did it.
Captain Graves broke out of his emotional stupor and wheeled on Pulaski.
“What did they just say?”
“I... I don’t get it...” Pulaski whispered. “Leo was comatose with no signs of recovery; I get reports on his condition every week, even when we’re not here! Er... Nurse Denton, has the medical level been breached by the End?”
“No, not yet,” Denton replied, “although I guess some security guys would be nice!”
“I’m going down there,” Jed snapped immediately.
“Now wait a second, Captain,” Pulaski protested, hand on his shoulder. “We’ve got a crisis situation going on and civilians that need evacuation. As much as this pains me to say, Leo Quarren is just one man.”
“And so am I, Doctor,” the Englishman retorted. “Besides, it seems the last thing that’s needed around here is a starship captain... seeing as he doesn’t have a starship anymore. I will find Leo, and if I run into any End, I’ll shoot them for you. Focus on those civilians, that’s an order... and don’t try to stop me!”
Watching the argument between Graves and Pulaski from a distance, tied to her station, all Valerie Archer could do was silently observe as Jed ripped his phaser from his hip and ran out of the Station Master’s Office.
She didn’t even get to say goodbye.
Forcing herself back to work, she hoped he’d be alright.

Starbase 499 was engulfed in terror.
As Jed worked his way through the labyrinth of corridors, phaser sweeping around every corner, he continually encountered expressions of panic, fear and desperation. They were found on the faces of Starfleet personnel and civilians alike: the mere mention of the End was like firing a photon torpedo at a warp core. Indeed, the very first time he’d laid eyes on Starbase 499, Jed had seen the extent of the End’s crippling damage. Four years... and it was happening again, only worse this time. This time, Starbase 499 was being consumed from the inside-out.
Those near windows had seen the destruction of Discovery.
They feared the same would happen to their home.
Jed couldn’t blame them.
Rounding a corner, he came face-to-face with the enemy. Two End soldiers were leering over an assortment of body parts. There was a tiny fraction of consolation when the remains of a Starfleet uniform were spotted, but it was only a tiny fraction. It did little to calm Jed’s rage. He’d missed the chance to fight the irredeemable bastards that overran his ship: this was his first encounter with this modern, rematerialised breed. They’d used their bare hands on the poor chap sprawled across the deck. Breathing deeply, the Englishman felt his blood pressure rise and his heart rate increase. Anger drove his very soul, fuelled his reactions. How dare they...?
Without hesitation, the Captain took aim and fired.
The End vaporised one after the other.
It was intentional. Jed’s phaser was set to maximum.
If they weren’t showing any mercy, why the hell should he?



ACT TWO

“I’m getting a call from the Spearhead science team.”
“Put it on speakers.”
Gabriel West knew what would be coming. Despite having one extra man than the End they were fighting, the science team were not trained for combat on the level of the vicious, insidious enemy race. Inwardly, the African-American tactical officer winced at Erica Mendoza’s request to broadcast the incoming message. It wouldn’t be a nice thing for the Station Master’s Office to hear.
“This is... Crewman... Blunt...”
“Go ahead, Crewman,” Erica acknowledged, not a dent in her steely exterior.
“The End are... dead, ma’am... the path is... clear...”
“Good man, Blunt.”
“Request... emergency... transport to the medical... level...”
“How many of your team are left to hold the drydocks?”
“Just me... ma’am... and I’m... in a bad way...”
“Then your request is denied. If you can still shoot, I need you there.”
A smattering of gasps rolled around the Station Master’s Office. All were directed at the Latina standing in the centre. Even Gabe, well-known for being a battle-hardened brute in such situations, felt his mouth involuntarily open in shock. It was almost as if he and Erica had gone through some kind of role reversal since they began their relationship earlier in the year. He’d softened slightly, understanding more about the wider ramifications of the galaxy having served with the Discovery crew... and Erica, her starbase threatened, was becoming emotionally detached from the situation. She was doing everything in her power to fight and defeat the End.
It had all fallen on her shoulders.
The weight of Starbase 499 was hers to bear alone.
“Valerie,” she snapped, turning to the Commander quickly, “get down to where we’re holding the civilian evacuees and lead them to the starboard drydock. Take all the security officers you encounter with you. Do anything, sacrifice anything... just get those people to safety and get yourself back here!”
“I’m on my way,” Valerie nodded, heading out with sidearm in hand.
Gabe instantly re-opened the channel to Crewman Blunt.
“Hang in there, Crewman,” he urged. “Help is on the way.”
There was no answer.
“Crewman Blunt...? Crewman...? Respond!”
Silence filled the air. The scientist had succumbed to his injuries.
Erica Mendoza watched, cold as ice, as a furious Gabriel West punched the bulkhead.

She found them in short order.
Faces... faces filled with dread, with panic, with ignorance, with anxiety and fright... faces of children, faces of men and women, faces of aliens from various corners of the galaxy... faces of the civilian population of Starbase 499... hundreds of them. Trying to appear calm and collected, yet riddled with the very same emotions as those she was about to guide to safety, Valerie Archer addressed the assembled masses.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” she yelled. “Please co-operate with the security officers alongside you and follow their direction! We’re heading to the starboard drydock where you will be placed aboard the USS Steamrunner and taken to safety!”
“What’s going on?” screamed a voice from the crowd.
“Are we going to die?” called out another.
“Please, everybody just stay calm!” Valerie replied before the voices could swell to drown her out entirely. “I’m not going to lie to you: Starbase 499 is under siege and we are doing our best to defeat the enemy... but that is why you cannot stay here! Your place is not on the field of battle! Come on, move out!”
Legs started to move, albeit slowly and with caution.
The pace quickened after a while.
Soon, the starboard drydock access corridors were all that remained. At the direction of the Starfleet officers, innocents rushed forward. They crammed aboard the Steamrunner, finding yet more Starfleet officers within. Erica had obviously sent them down: they were directing people to quarters and cargo bays. It would be a squeeze, but hopefully a temporary one. God, if only Sirrustra II were on better terms with their Federation guardians right now, Valerie found herself wondering... in between, of course, all the thoughts and worries she was experiencing about Jed.
It took some doing, but soon Steamrunner was full and ready to launch.
“Sakal to Commander Archer!”
“Go ahead, Sakal?”
“We’re showing three End biosigns closing on your position!”
Valerie exchanged a fearful glance with the two security officers standing alongside her in the starboard drydock access corridor. Her eyes shifted, looking towards the innocent faces collected aboard the Steamrunner... then she looked back into the darkened crimson corridors of Starbase 499. There was only one option, of course.
“Ensigns,” she ordered the security men, “secure the Steamrunner and launch!”
“What about you, Commander?” one asked with genuine concern.
“I’ll hold them off, make sure they don’t screw with drydock controls... go on, go!”
They did as they were told.
On her way back towards the End, phaser raised and stuck out ahead of her, Valerie Archer passed the corpse of the heroic Crewman Blunt and hoped she wouldn’t be joining him anytime soon.

Captain Graves watched as his tricorder readings fluxuated.
Unregistered biosigns nearby... but not End...
Maybe it was Rear Admiral Quarren, Jed heard his mind whisper excitedly. Then again, maybe it was somebody’s cat. There was no way of telling at this range. The chances of it being the AWOL Boxer were slim: after all, Starbase 499 was a big place. Still, he pressed on with renewed vigour.
The latest report from the Station Master’s Office said that almost half of the End soldiers had been subdued, leaving around fifty to be dealt with by the resilient and brave Starfleet security teams who, despite heavy losses, weren’t giving in. They reminded Jed of his own security teams... well, what was left of them, of course. His tricorder pinged again, dragging him away from his dark pit of regret. The biosigns were getting stronger, just around this corner...
When Jed entered the viewing chamber, the breathtaking sight of Sirrustra II and space beyond wasn’t what caught his attention. Instead, he gasped as he saw a beautiful woman being used as a human shield... used by a desperate, snarling End soldier.
“Oh shit,” he breathed, instantly dazed and traumatised by the scene. “Valerie...!”

[Glenn]

ACT THREE

The disgusting creature was digging the stolen phaser into her temple. Cracked flakes of yellow skin stuck in her soft brown hair, some of which fluttered in the breeze from the End soldier’s flared nostrils and hissing gritted teeth. There was no clean shot, no way of striking him without harming the defenceless, helpless Valerie Archer in the process... and it drove Josiah Graves insane.
All he could do was try to steady his right arm as it pointed his phaser at the End.
On his left, the mechanical gears of his artificial limb formed a tight fist.
It was a standoff.
“Drop your weapon, human!” the End spat with venom.
“Let her go and I’ll consider it,” Jed retorted, attempting calm and only just succeeding.
“You must think me a fool... must think all of us fools... but we are not!”
Jed had to admit that the End had a point. Until now, he’d only ever thought of them in terms of mindless soldiers hell-bent on galactic conquest and rule through fear. Yet here, holding his beloved Valerie hostage, was somebody capable of negotiation, capable of self-preservation, not simply blindly throwing himself into combat but trying to gain a tactical edge by wrapping his armoured arm around Valerie’s neck... a quick visual scan of the viewing chamber noted two other End corpses. Perhaps it had been a surprise attack, catching Jed’s First Officer off-guard... perhaps the others sacrificed themselves to gain the valuable hostage. Were they capable of such thinking? Was this race, grown in vats long since destroyed, developing a stratagem?
“Damn it, Jed,” Valerie gargled, the End’s arm digging into her throat, “shoot!”
He couldn’t. His phaser was set to maximum.
Any move to change the setting would give the End the second he needed to fire.
The standoff didn’t budge.
Through the gigantic viewports beside them, the USS Steamrunner NX-52126 crawled away from the starboard drydock of Starbase 499. It had made it, the civilian passengers saved before any of the wretched End soldiers could claim any more of their innocent lives. Jed and the End holding Valerie glanced at the same moment. Returning to their previous staring contest, Jed saw the fury in his adversary’s eyes.
“Bad luck,” he managed to observe dryly.
“We shall claim them later,” the soldier arrogantly predicted. “We are the chosen army, the ones who have waited for our chance to strike back at the enemy who destroyed the Central Core and who wrongly believed to have wiped us out. It is our destiny to prevail and our objective to kill every last one of your species!”
“Sounds like you’ve got lots to be getting on with... and yet you can’t move until I lower my phaser, and I won’t be doing that until you let your hostage go, so why don’t you do us both a favour and hand her over to me!”
The tension increased as the glow from Steamrunner’s nacelles filled the viewing chamber. Jed felt as though he could hear ticking, as though a countdown to inevitability had started without him. His hand continued to shake slightly. Sweat beaded underneath his dark fringe, rolling down his frown. Valerie... he’d never seen her look more scared for her life, not once. All he wanted to do was to hold her, to protect her from the End, but there was nothing he could use to do so.
Something caught his eye.
It was moving behind the End soldier, behind Valerie... a shape...
Not wanting to give anything away, Jed kept his gaze locked on the End.
Whatever the shape was, it was approaching silently... deliberately...
It was going to strike...
Suddenly, the unsuspecting End soldier felt hands either side of his decaying face. They were strong, powerful hands that wrenched his head aside. The subsequent breaking of his neck echoed for a distasteful moment. The phaser was dropped, allowing Valerie to stagger forward and Jed to catch her.
Together they embraced before turning to identify their saviour.
He looked a mess... but it didn’t matter. The medical robe sported a few drops of blood, some crimson, some various other colours but none of it, thankfully, coming from his own body. There was a small cut above his eyebrow, but nothing serious. A cortical monitor was still attached to the base of his skull, right where his salt-and-pepper beard dissipated into his neck. Panting from exertion well beyond the recommended for his age, yet grinning with success, he noted Jed and Valerie’s intimacy with a grunt.
“Boy... I have missed a lot, haven’t I?”
The Englishman didn’t know how to reply. He just laughed.
Rear Admiral Leo Quarren was back.

The Station Master’s Office remained a hub of chaos.
Despite the turn of the tide against the End, despite the incoming calls of success stories from all over Starbase 499, Erica Mendoza had no intention of letting her current tunnel-vision relax any time soon. There were still intruders aboard, in dwindling numbers but still there all the same. The Latina wanted every last one hunted down and removed from her station, and she wasn’t standing down until she’d gotten what she wanted.
“Tell this security team to head for Club 499,” she ordered Gabriel West, “and join the others to locate these End biosigns!”
“You got it,” Gabe answered quietly, subdued ever since the tragically emotional passing of Crewman Blunt he’d observed earlier. For some reason, doing Erica’s bidding today was exhausting his fighting spirit. The African-American tactical officer was having a hard time deciding whether it was his relationship with Erica or simply the fact that he’d changed... but he just wanted to leave.
“Station Master Mendoza, this is Doctor Pulaski,” the comm chirped.
“Go ahead, Kate!”
“System Traffic reports that the civilians are away. I’ve taken some wounded to the medical level. I belong there for the remainder of this crisis, unless you have any objections to that?”
“No, you’re in the right place, stay there and do some good.”
“Has there been any news on Rear Admiral Quarren?”
Erica was about to answer in the negative when the doors slid aside. Her reaction was unexpected: she’d been considering the variables of Leo’s disappearance and one of the biggest possibilities was that he’d risen from his coma... but still, after a year, seeing him walk into the Station Master’s Office was overwhelming.
“There is good news,” Leo barked into the comm system, answering Pulaski. “He is up, about and ever-so-confused as to what the hell is going on!”
“Boxer...?”
“In the flesh, so to speak... listen, Kate, I’ll call you back.”
“What the... I mean, how did... when...” Erica stammered, tears welling in her eyes.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Quarren shook his head, letting Jed and Valerie pass him as they headed for duty stations alongside their senior officers. “I woke up to the sounds of emergencies across the medical level. It’s all a little hazy... I just bolted out of fright, I reckon... next thing I know, I see End in the corridors!”
“They overran Discovery...”
“Uh-huh. Jed brought me up to speed. We’ve got a fight on our hands, to be sure.”
“A fight... Boxer, you’re in a medical robe!”
“It didn’t stop me before,” the Rear Admiral growled, “and it won’t stop me now. I’m going to secure my starbase and protect my people, Erica. Then, and only then, will I think about getting dressed.”
There was nothing else the Latina could object to.
She was no longer the ranking officer. The responsibility was no longer hers.
With the weight lifted from her shoulders, she apologetically turned to Gabriel West.
“I... I’m sorry, Gabe...”
He just beckoned her over to his side.
“Come on,” he whispered compassionately. “We’ve got some End to find...”



EPILOGUE

At oh-four-hundred on Stardate 52939.1, a desperate End soldier attacked a group of security officers on deck forty-seven of the Federation Sirrustrian System deep-space outpost Starbase 499. After taking down one human and one Vulcan, two phaser beams vaporised his body. He was the very last of his kind. After three years of waiting inside a transporter buffer, he and his comrades in arms fought for a bloody, apocalyptic two days before being defeated.
At oh-four-hundred and six minutes, the USS Steamrunner NX-52126 returned safe and sound to the starboard drydock of Starbase 499. All of the people aboard her were alive and well. In total, eighteen civilian innocents were lost in what would become known as the Battle of Four-Nine-Nine. This was a remarkable number considering the amount of Starfleet personnel who gave their lives in the struggle against the End army: one hundred and seventy-eight men, women and members of several transgendered species died, all to be decorated with posthumous awards.
At oh-four-hundred and ten minutes, Rear Admiral Leo “Boxer” Quarren returned to his quarters aboard Starbase 499. Pleased to find that his Starfleet uniform still fit after a year of sitting on his backside, he would later join Station Master Erica Mendoza in Club 499 for an address to the survivors of the Battle of Four-Nine-Nine. From there, he made arrangements for the remaining crew of the USS Discovery NCC-76240 to all find a bed for the night. He only ate and rested himself when everybody had been settled... everybody, that was, except for one man.
At oh-four-hundred and fifteen minutes, Captain Josiah Graves said goodnight to his beloved Commander Valerie Archer and went for a walk. Along the way, he surveyed the carnage that littered the decks of Starbase 499. It was the same carnage that had littered the decks of his Intrepid-Class starship the day before... the starship he’d ordered be destroyed. Unable to sleep, he found a window and tried to search for any remains of his vessel out in the depths of the Beta Quadrant.
There would be proceedings. Questions would be asked.
The End were gone. That particular fight was over.
The fight that remained was the fight for the career of Josiah Graves.



Written By Glenn Scully

***

Next time on Star Trek: Discovery...
5x02: "Nova"
Returning to Earth to face the music after losing his command, Captain Graves comes face-to-face with an old adversary who is determined to see his career ruined. Meanwhile, Rear Admiral Quarren sets about establishing some old contacts once more...

[Mrs.Picard]

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Boxer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooooh and just in time to help his beloved Jed! Hell yes I loved this.

But still, poor, poor Graves. Now that his ship is lost and all... but we have seen other captains losing their ships and then getting another one, so... hmm.

I loved this episode. Very much action and all, but that was to be expected after the first part! And whoa, what a second part this was!!

*takes deep breath* Booooxer. *dances around* Squee!!!!

[DaxFanDS9]

Wow, a brilliant start to the new season and conclusion for the cliffhanger, looked doomed from the start but I sorta knew somebody would help save Valerie (though for some reason I thought it would be Sakal using his abilities and Quarren would return some other way after being reported dead).

[Mackenzie Calhoun]

Impressive, undeniably so.

[Glenn]

Thanks guys! Glad you all found something to like and glad I wriggled out of DaxFan's expectations (did you get the reference too, mate?) ever-so-slightly. Sakal's genetic abilities have become less of a thing. I prefer the dramatic weight to them, rather than having them used as a "stretch saves the day once again" plot device. Lots of action, yes, but makes up for the next three episodes being light on the ground with explosions. Much appreciated once again!

[Glenn]

SEASON FIVE
EPISODE TWO



“Nova”





PROLOGUE

He awoke early.
Leaving Valerie Archer to her dreams, Josiah Graves slid his robe over his semi-naked frame and padded to the replicator. Quietly he punched in the code for coffee, not wanting to wake the woman beside him by shouting at the terminal for his beverage, and took the steaming mug into the other room. Only when the door was closed did he stretch and let out a whimpering yawn.
His surroundings were unfamiliar. It was to be expected. Jed would never again sleep in his quarters, the quarters aboard his ship... for his ship was gone. His quarters were blown to smithereens when he’d ordered that auto-destruct sequence over Sirrustra II. They’d probably been trashed by the invading hoards of End soldiers, he told himself as he took a mouthful of coffee... well, it had saved tidying the place up, hadn’t it? Shaking his head at the inwardly-terrible joke, he began his journey towards the window.
It had been almost three weeks since the final End soldier had been defeated in the conclusion of the Battle of Four-Nine-Nine. Three weeks... and only now Jed could get some sleep, albeit interrupted and never needing an alarm clock. Something kept waking him. It was either the faces of all those crewmembers he’d lost to the End, lost under his command, or it was the sight of the USS Discovery NCC-76240 breaking apart and being engulfed in flame. Sometimes it was even the battered, weary and confused face of Rear Admiral Leo Quarren, standing over the broken body of an End soldier, awake after a coma of almost a year.
Jed knew such images wouldn’t pass quickly, especially not today.
Reaching the window, he opened the curtains and recoiled at the sunlight.
Today, all those images would be discussed, analysed and repeated over and over again to a group of hard-nosed Starfleet admirals who wanted to know why such a young yet capable officer had lost his starship. Today, the Englishman was in San Francisco, back on Earth after eighteen months of absence.
Today was the official inquest of Josiah Graves’ captaincy.



ACT ONE

“Personal Log, Stardate: 52959.6
Starfleet Command in San Francisco can be one heck of a formidable building, especially when one approaches it to learn the fate of one’s career. Valerie and I, along with Rear Admiral Quarren, have been on Earth for only a day, and already my head is filled with images of being stuck here behind a desk as punishment for ordering that auto-destruct sequence. While Leo visits some old friends and plays catch-up after his year of inactivity, Valerie and I are heading to the inquest...”

Jed closed his eyes in an attempt to capture a mental photograph of her smiling face. He wagered that he’d need such a perfect memory to sustain him through the stern, angry faces he expected to meet on the other side of the door. Giving a small, awkward wave to Valerie Archer, the former Discovery captain turned on his heel and marched as defiantly as he could manage into the inquest.
The chamber beyond was larger than he’d imagined. The view of the San Francisco bay area, complete with sparkling Golden Gate Bridge, was breathtaking, almost enough to distract him from the sombre tone of the occasion. Whoever decided to have the inquest in here was an annoying fellow: Jed had, after all, been missing Earth recently. Maybe it was the stress of command finally getting to him, or maybe just the horrible nature of recent events... but something inside him just wanted to run back here, back where he’d grown up, back to a time before End soldiers and Shurvun backstabbers and Borg Cubes filled his days. Adjusting his focus back to the proceedings, he walked to his seat with a short shake of his head.
The faces that greeted him were just as stern as he’d feared. Four top brass admirals, three men and one woman... and one of the men was Vulcan. With no hint of racism, Jed lamented the Vulcan’s presence. After all, the actions being questioned were moments of extreme emotion and stress. He needed compassionate people to determine his future, not the cold, relentless logic of a Vulcan.
Unfortunately, the biggest shock of the morning was yet to come.
A side door opened. It released a man into the chamber.
Jed gasped when his memory put a name to the sedate clothes, the grey-white hair, the waspish facial features and aged gait... only the polished wooden cane was new to the aghast Englishman... no, this was the worst luck! It couldn’t be random, could it? Had the bastard requested to hold this inquest out of spite?
“Ambassador Grayson,” he whispered under his breath.
“Ah, Captain Graves,” Charles Grayson noted with obvious enjoyment. “We meet again after all these years...”
Jed wasn’t listening. He’d turned to the admirals.
“Sirs, I formally request another ambassadorial lead to this inquest. There is history between Ambassador Grayson and I. He was responsible for a witch-hunt against me just under four years ago, a witch-hunt that was completely unprofessional and unfounded and that resulted in his failure. I believe him to hold personal bias.”
The Vulcan admiral raised a curious eyebrow.
“Four years have passed, Captain Graves,” he stated logically, “and you’ve only just met the Ambassador again. I hardly think you have grounds for such an accusation... and besides, Ambassador Grayson is the only chair available.”
Jed fumed, retracting his request.
Grayson just smirked as he walked by.
“Nice try, Josiah...”
The female admiral rang a tiny bell that rested on the bench before her. It was an antiquated touch, but tradition was tradition. Everybody got to their feet before the four top brass officers. A young ensign entered, a pretty Bajoran girl probably fresh from the Academy grounds that were within sight of the inquest chamber. She activated the small recording device that would be used to chart the course of the proceedings. The order was given to sit, and all complied.
“We are here today,” Charles Grayson began with as much pomposity and gusto as his advanced years would allow, “to question the command competency of Josiah Graves, the Starfleet captain responsible for the recent destruction of the USS Discovery NCC-76240, an Intrepid-Class starship some forty-seven months out of the Utopia Planitia shipyards. I have access to certain logs, both personal and official, that I shall be using in my case against Captain Graves. No witnesses shall be called.”
Of course they wouldn’t, Jed thought. Grayson had tried that one the last time, tried to manipulate Lieutenant Commander Sakal into admitting certain flaws in his command style... seems you could indeed teach an old dog new tricks.
Grayson was loving every second of this.
Seems he’d finally found his opportunity for revenge.

She still wasn’t used to seeing him up and about.
Leo Quarren, despite his age, still cut a dashing figure. The uniform draped over his broad shoulders, gold trim tapering towards his United Federation of Planets crest belt buckle, was smarter than ever before: he was, after all, back in the corridors of Starfleet Command, and as a Rear Admiral, he had to carry a certain class. Greying beard trimmed to perfection and permanent smile etched onto his creased visage, he rounded the corner and waved to Valerie Archer.
“How’s our boy doing in there?”
“I wish I knew,” Valerie lamented.
“Give it time,” Quarren attempted to console. “Hopefully this means they’re pushing through everything today and trying to reach a quick ruling. Hey, if I were on that inquest panel, I know what I’d rule. Jed had no choice in ordering that auto-destruct. It was either that or become another victim himself.”
“If I may be so bold, sir, you’re sweet to come here.”
Aboard Starbase 499 in the Sirrustra System, the rank would have been dropped without question. Here, back on Earth, there was a system to uphold. Quarren grinned at the Commander before him, appreciating the gesture. While it was refreshing to visit old friends and catch up on a year of missed history, he couldn’t wait to be back in the company of his true family... Kate, Erica, Jed and the others... the first week of being back had been difficult. Finding Veth Ka’Gagan hidden away in guest quarters, in exile from his own people... then the letter from his brother, the letter Jed explained was sent just too late... they were developments Quarren could have done without. Nevertheless, he’d dealt with them and accepted them, battled through them.
Being in a coma had opened his eyes to the future. Life didn’t last forever.
He wanted to move on.
The door to the inquest chamber slid aside, tearing Leo’s attention away from his train of thought. Valerie spun around to see a fuming, seething Josiah Graves literally storm into the corridor. He barely registered Valerie. It was only the unexpected attendance of the Rear Admiral that caught him mid-stride.
“That bad, huh?” Quarren grunted.
“What happened, Jed?” Valerie asked.
All the Englishman could growl was one word... one name.
“Grayson...”



ACT TWO

The second day of the inquest kicked into a solemn tone immediately.
“Admirals,” Charles Grayson postulated in his opening statement, “at this moment in time, the United Federation of Planets is in the process of rebuilding the Alpha Quadrant after the devastation we suffered at the hands of the Dominion. What starships we have remaining in service need to be commanded by level-headed pragmatists. What I plan to show you today is that Josiah Graves is anything but a pragmatist. The Federation cannot afford to have captains who blow up their own starships!”
Jed winced at the overblown nature of Grayson’s tactics, only to see the Admirals lining the bench remain stony-faced and objective. Damn, for goodness sake, was this an inquest or a trial? Well, he had been offered legal representation from the JAG Office, but Jed had politely declined. That was before he knew Grayson would be calling the shots, of course. No looking back, he told himself... focus.
The elderly ambassador scooped up a PADD in his gnarled hand, turning to Jed with menacing intent and a glint in his sparkling, narrowed eye.
“Captain Graves, on Stardate 49045.2 you took Discovery into a dense asteroid field in pursuit of a single End spacial probe. You endangered the one hundred and forty men and woman under your command to catch, what, an automated device? I wonder if these are truly the actions of a level-headed captain, or indeed an unstable and inexperienced young officer out of his depth in the big chair.”
That was four years ago... was he really digging all this up?
“You attempted to use that incident as evidence against me before, Ambassador,” Jed noted with a grimace. “It didn’t work then and it won’t work now. My actions were justified: the End probe was carrying information regarding Discovery back into End space. If I hadn’t chased it and destroyed it, we would have been facing an End invasion fleet by the end of the week!”
“And yet you faced that invasion fleet all the same,” Grayson smirked, “later that same year, on Stardate 49219.3, when Starbase 499 was attacked. Was steering Discovery into an asteroid field really worth the few months?”
“Yes, I believe it was.”
The bench remained unmoved. Grayson continued his assault.
“There is a pattern to this behaviour, I’m saddened to learn. On Stardate 50892.5 you knowingly engaged a Borg Cube without any indication that you realised the sheer risk involved in such a manoeuvre. Tell me, Captain... were you more interested in stopping the Borg or saving your chief medical officer, one Doctor Carla Kenyon, who had previously been captured and assimilated by the same Cube?”
How dare he? What kind of insinuation was this?
Not a single reaction from the bench. They clearly thought the question valid.
Jed didn’t, and didn’t want to answer.
“I object to the nature of that question. Starship captains have faced insurmountable odds since the beginning of Starfleet. You can’t question my competency as captain by spinning my efforts to stop the Borg invasion.”
“Hmm...” Grayson mused, turning to the young Bajoran ensign who was recording the inquest. “Make sure the record shows that Captain Graves refused to answer.”
Jed rolled his eyes.
The questions continued all the same.
“On Stardate 52447.9, a duck blind mission on the planet L’Raka was uncovered by the very same Tal’Shiar agent who posed as your Vulcan chief medical officer for the first six months as captain of Discovery. Your chief engineer, Lieutenant Commander Sakal, was testing modifications to isolation suits that allowed the wearer to appear invisible. I shall brush over the implications this would have on the Treaty of Algeron to ask a more direct question of Captain Graves: you lost your arm during this incident, didn’t you? Your left arm, just below the elbow... am I correct?”
“What of it?” Jed snapped, sensitive to his artificial limb.
“Do you believe this makes you disabled?”
Jed was too busy reeling from the disgusting proposition from Ambassador Grayson to notice, but two of the admirals on the bench shot Grayson disapproving looks. There was nothing to officially object to, mind, but everybody could see where this was leading. Even the Vulcan raised an eyebrow. This was the 24th Century... taking this line, Grayson wouldn’t get anywhere. Jed stood his ground and remained silent.
“I believe it does,” Grayson continued. “I also believe the psychological implications of receiving such a wound warrant question marks to be placed over your mental health and capabilities in command of a starship.”
If Jed bit his tongue any harder, he would draw blood.
He simply couldn’t keep quiet.
“So you’re saying, Ambassador, that if somebody is disabled they should be excluded from serving in Starfleet? Or should we just keep them away from the really big jobs, hmm? Why draw the line at disabled anyway? There are some species serving in Starfleet that only have one arm... let’s deny them command responsibilities!”
“I don’t like your tone, Josiah,” Grayson hissed.
“I’m not finished yet,” retorted Jed, in full swing now. “You also seem to think people should retire from service after receiving injury in the line of duty. That’s brilliant: just down the road is Starfleet Medical. Why don’t you go there now and tell all those recovering from the Dominion War that they’re fired, eh? All those who sacrificed their limbs, and more, to protect us... show them the door, why don’t you!”
The final word echoed around the inquest chamber.
Ambassador Grayson took a step back. He suddenly realised what he’d done.
He’d allowed Josiah Graves to champion 24th Century morality.
He’d made him look like a hero.

“Zack, you old devil...!”
“Leo! I heard you were back from the dead!”
“Not quite dead yet, old friend... listen, how’s things over at Fleet Command?”
“Alright, yeah... things are finally getting back to normal. In fact, I’ve got a project on right now, a new retrofit test to enhance some of the older, weaker classes and give them more responsibility... heh, why am I telling you this? You don’t wanna hear about my work, you’ve got a year to catch up on...”
“Actually, Zack, I do wanna hear about your work.”
“Oh...?”
“Tell me everything about this new retrofit test, will you?”

[Glenn]

ACT THREE

The Starfleet Command class-three Travel Pod banked graciously away from the powerful glare of Earth’s sun. Inside, Rear Admiral Leo Quarren blinked his eyes back into focus, turning to share a chuckle with Josiah Graves and Valerie Archer. The three of them were flying high above San Francisco, the blunt nose of the Travel Pod pointed at open space as the topaz atmosphere faded around them and transformed into the darkness of the galaxy. Hands moving slowly over the flight controls, Quarren tried to remember the last time he’d piloted... well, anything.
There was a celebratory mood between the three friends. After the shocking outburst from the embittered Ambassador Charles Grayson at Jed’s inquest, the case against the Englishman had fallen to pieces. All possible hints of charges were dismissed. The only problem was that, thanks to the weakened state of the Starfleet, none of the admirals on the bench could promise Jed another starship. Jed, of course, was just pleased to have Charles Grayson off his back. Only now, taking to the stars once more, did the reality of his situation sink in. He might never explore space again.
Valerie caught her lover’s expression as the Travel Pod swooped around the imposing hull of an Excelsior-Class vessel. She knew it must be tearing him apart, his lack of a command, but she also knew what was to come. Rear Admiral Quarren had pulled her aside after the inquest closed and let her in on the surprise. Without wanting to give anything away, she squeezed Jed’s right hand.
“Cosmic thoughts?” she cooed.
“I was just wondering,” came the reply as Jed nodded his dark fringe towards the passing Excelsior-Class starship, “will that ever be me again?”
“Who knows what the future will hold for you and your crew.”
“That’s the trouble, though... they’re not my crew, not while I don’t have a starship to command. What good is this fourth rank pip on my neck without the chair that usually comes with it? Jason, Mitan, Sakal, Kate, Gabe... they could all be reassigned and I’d have no say in the matter whatsoever. We’d lose the family.”
Valerie nodded with sympathy. She tapped Rear Admiral Quarren on the shoulder.
“I think we’ve made him wait long enough...”
“Gotcha,” Leo grinned. “Changing course and heading in...”
“What’s going on?” Jed asked innocently.
The answer could be seen from the Travel Pod viewport in seconds.
One of many drydocks hung in Earth’s orbit. This particular drydock was being shot towards by the Travel Pod. Inside it, clamped into place by arms the size of tower blocks, was a vessel. It was instantly recognisable as Starfleet: red and blue warp nacelles swept backwards and upwards from a short, stubby engineering hull, the front of which glowed with the power of the main deflector dish. A diamond-shaped saucer section loomed overhead. Jed frowned... it was a Nova-Class science vessel... but it wasn’t. There were key differences in her appearance. For one, the usual secondary deflector etched into the front of the saucer section was missing, replaced by a sharp tip.
The confusion was entertaining to watch, but it quickly just became cruel.
Quarren pulled back on the controls, lifting the Travel Pod high into the drydock.
“She’s an experimental retrofit,” he explained as he piloted. “Thanks to the losses the fleet took against the Dominion, bright sparks have been upgrading smaller classes to take on bigger jobs. This is the first Nova-Class retrofit. She’s designed for deep-space assignments and exploration duty.”
Jed was barely listening.
He’d spotted the name painted on the dorsal hull.
All he could do was gasp.
“Jed,” the Rear Admiral concluded with a wide grin, “I got you a present... and if you’re not too shell-shocked, I’d like to give you and Valerie the tour of your new command personally. Initiating docking procedures...”
Carefully, the Travel Pod connected with the USS Discovery NCC-76240-A.

The bridge was last on the list.
Jed felt his head spin as he stepped into the turbolift alongside Valerie and Leo. The eight decks of his new starship were all hugely impressive. So much was jammed into every corner. For something so small, it was oh-so remarkable. He’d seen several extensive science labs, one of which converted into a holodeck, correcting the usual Nova-Class mistake of lacking recreational facilities. He’d seen a miniature engineering, complete with an upgraded warp core capable of punching up to an extraordinary warp nine. He’d seen a sickbay and a mess hall and a shuttlebay complete with a gorgeous new shuttlecraft: far from the two Type-9 vessels kept aboard the old Intrepid-Class Discovery, this craft was Type-11 in design, sleek and angular and, until today, only used aboard larger Sovereign-Class starships.
As the turbolift ascended towards deck one, Quarren briefed his friends.
“Now here’s the deal,” he growled, serious in tone. “This vessel was due to be extensively tested in the coming months. I’ve got an old pal over at Fleet Command who told me all about her, and I told him all about you. He owed me a favour and quickly got some guys up here to paint a new name on the hull and slap together a new dedication plaque for the wall. We’re taking her back to Starbase 499 and you’ll continue your mission of exploration, but everything you do with her out there will be logged and sent back to Earth for analysis. When the testing period is complete, you get to keep her for a five-year exploratory mission.”
“Boxer,” Jed whispered, head bowed, “I can’t thank you enough.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” the Rear Admiral objected. “The Discovery-A is my way of thanking you... listen, I saw the internal sensor feed from the medical level back on 499. I know that, over the past year, you’ve been at my side. I know what you’ve said and I know what you’ve done.”
Jed’s cheeks blazed red, matching his uniform’s collar.
Quarren saw it and laughed.
“So, like I said,” he concluded, “this is my way of thanking you.”
The turbolift ground to a halt and the doors slid open to reveal the bridge.
It was a sight to behold. The walls were made of LCARS displays, all state-of-the-art interfaces that sparkled with the familiar hues of orange, purple and blue. They swept dramatically around to the large holographic viewscreen, which hung over the pair of seats reserved for operations and helm. Behind them, raised on the slightest hint of a dais, was something Jed mistook for a throne... but it was, in reality, his command chair. He would be central to the bridge, elevated from his other officers and able to rotate to any station in an instant.
“Try it on for size,” Quarren suggested, slapping the Captain’s back.
As the Englishman settled into the plush leather seat with a low, impressed whistle, he felt the raw power of command flow through his veins. Valerie Archer found only standing room for the First Officer. She actually found it quite refreshing to stand on duty, somewhat old-fashioned... looking about, she caught the bronze dedication plaque in the corner of her gaze and moved to read it.
“Hey, look,” she noted, “they’ve kept it the same...”
“What?” Jed asked, spinning his chair to face her.
“The quote... on the plaque, it’s the same as before. T.S. Eliot...”
Graves got up and stepped down to join the Rear Admiral alongside Valerie. Together they peered at the small line of text underneath all the names involved in constructing the Nova-Class Discovery-A. Quarren’s beard framed a knowing smile, and he enjoyed watching the reactions of his friends as they read: We shall not cease from exploration, And the end of all our exploring, Will be to arrive where we started, And know the place for the first time.
“I ordered it stayed,” the older man grunted. “Feels kinda apt, even moreso now.”
“It’s perfect,” Jed agreed. “All of it, the whole lot... just perfect...”
“What’s say we take her to her new home?” Valerie offered with a playful expression.
“I’d say yes to that...”



EPILOGUE

“What’s this all about?”
Erica Mendoza frowned as she walked out into the Station Master’s Office of Starbase 499 to find a gathering of old Discovery officers cluttering her duty stations and staring out of her windows. Katherine Pulaski was the closest, and therefore the one who turned to answer the Latina’s question. Behind her, Gabriel West gave his lover a cute little wave. Failing to return it, Erica clocked Sakal, Mitan and Jason Allenbach all present and all wearing confused, if excited, expressions.
“We all got messages to be here,” Pulaski explained, “from Captain Graves.”
“He’s coming back?”
“Apparently so,” Sakal nodded, “although we’ve no idea why he wants us all here.”
“I reckon he’s gotten us a new ship,” Jason theorised eagerly.
“The chances of that are pretty damn low,” Mitan whispered, not wanting to get his hopes up just to have them dashed by some inquest ruling. “I for one will just be happy to get some answers on this... on our future.”
A comm panel behind Erica flared to life: incoming call. She spun, hitting reply.
“Starbase 499, this is Captain Josiah Graves... please respond.”
“Captain Graves, this is 499,” the Station Master acknowledged. “I’ve got an office full of your senior staff, Jed. Apparently they’re all here at your behest. Would you mind telling me, and them, why?”
“Get them to look out of the window.”
Everybody did as they were told. For a moment, nothing happened. Space remained calm and still, Sirrustra II revolving away in the background... and then, with a bright flash and a loud crack, something dropped from warp. It was small, sleek, punchy, both aggressive and inspiring at the same time. Jaws dropped when the realisation of the moment set in. It was a starship, Nova-Class, but slightly different... slightly better. The name on the saucer section caused spontaneous applause.
The USS Discovery NCC-76240-A gave them all the answers without doing a thing.
The crew had a new home.



Written By Glenn Scully

***

Next time on Star Trek: Discovery...
- 5x03: "Fresh Approach"
Starting out with a new lease of life aboard their new starship, Captain Graves and his crew set about testing the various systems of the Nova-Class USS Discovery-A and quickly have to push them to the limit. Meanwhile, aboard Starbase 499, Station Master Mendoza makes a startling discovery...

[Happy Russia]

Captain Archer, on Mar 9 2009, 06:47 PM, said:

“Cosmic thoughts?”

God damn it, Glenn, I love you. *hugs*



Incredible episode! Engaging character moments, political intrigue...and the introduction of a starship that rivals the surprise at the end of Star Trek IV. So amazingly well done, my friend. I can't wait for the next one!

[Glenn]

Aww, thanks Gary (and yeah, couldn't resist a Kirk reference, especially given the nature of the scene)!

[Mackenzie Calhoun]

A touch of TMP & TVH with the unveiling of the new ship. The inquest of Graves reminds me of the idea I keep having of having Horn the subject of an inquest considering how many times the Raven is trashed. However, I'm intrigued by a Nova-class retrofit. Excellent.

[Glenn]

Much thanks, Raven! The inquest was really just a way of bringing back Grayson: ever since Season One I've had his personal vendetta against Jed in the back of my mind, looking for an excuse to bring him back... seemed to have found it naturally here! Glad it worked, thank you!

Oh, as for the Nova-Class USS Discovery NCC-76240-A, she's of the same design as appears in "Endgame" (VGR).

Which reminds me, I've got a new image to stick up on the first post... will do it after everybody's read this episode though (don't want to spoil anything)...!

[Tempus]

Good depth of charector, a pleasing lay out of scene depiction.

clean postive and very readable

a very good lead in the next episode

[Glenn]

Aww, cheers Tempus! Nice to know these work with newcomers as well as long-term fans! Much appreciated, thank you!

[Tempus]

Well indeed sometimes it can be difficult to gain a following when there is much to catch up on, but even though this is the first time read for me.
The story line is complete, so that although it wise to go back an look at other seasons and see what you missed. The story itself still enables the reader to jump in at what point they feel an interest

And the way it's Darren or Daz or Dazzler or usualy what ever other reformation people come up with on my name

[Glenn]

Tempus, on Mar 10 2009, 12:53 AM, said:

And the way it's Darren or Daz or Dazzler or usualy what ever other reformation people come up with on my name

So noted, Darren... and thank you for your very generous comments!

[Tempus]

Your welcome

[trekfan]

Aw, CA, this was wonderful!!!! The retrofitting of old ships...it was sweet.

Great opening ep and follow up (BOXER IS BACK) and having Grayson finally be seen for what a prick he is, is satisfying.

Further, I'm glad to see a nova class. It's a tough little ship and truly is great. Look forward to the next episode!!

[Glenn]

Much thanks trekfan, glad you approve!

New episode Wednesday morning...