Star Trek: New Frontier

Chapter 12

Starbase 527.

Lagura V.

Commander Anthony Gresham kept pacing the forward Observation Lounge for more than the last hour—while his new shipmates wore varied expressions from amusement to everything else not nailed down—before Lieutenant Samantha Porter got up finally and joined him for a couple of rounds.

"You're not going to get on the Enterprise-G any faster, man—simply by wearing out the carpet." She said. "Relax."

"You relax!" Anthony sniped back suddenly with transparent irritation. "I didn't ask for this assignment you know. I was perfectly happy with my transfer to the Harper Shipyards around Jexa Prime."

"Why would you want a backwater posting like that one? Everyone I know is dying to be either on the Titan or the Enterprise." Samantha grinned. "That's where all the action is—right now."

Anthony stopped for a moment before one of the large bay windows—looking out towards many of the filled docking berths.

"So why the sudden mobilization of Fleet assets here? It looks like we're about to go to war again—either with the remnants of Vadic's forces or the Borg's...?"

The other woman shook her head slightly. "We'd be so lucky—if it were either of those harried set of circumstances. But no...this is just a recon and possible rescue op—of two missing Federation starships: The Juneau and Voyager-Alpha."

Anthony groaned slightly. "In the Delta Quadrant...?"

"Yep."

"So why task the Enterprise-G to this particular mission? She was originally scheduled to meet one of the New Romulus delegations at Helios III."

"The Titan and the Gambier Bay will be her replacement. I doubt Admiral Riker would want to pass up a mission assignment like that one—seeing how the first Titan was instrumental in setting up the initial peace talks and forthcoming diplomatic ties between Remus, Romulus, and the Federation—for the first time in history."

"Can't believe it's been that long..." Anthony mused—before his comm badge went off.

"Gresham here. Go ahead." He responded automatically.

"This is Seven. Please report to Debriefing Room Fourteen—along with the rest of your new crewmates in the Observation Lounge. Fifteen minutes, Commander."

Anthony glanced back at his friend. "Yes, Captain. Immediately."

The connection broke then—leaving them both a moment or two to themselves.

"What are the odds...?" he breathed out nervously. "That of all people in Starfleet...I get picked to be the Enterprise-G's new First Officer?"

"Could have been worse," Samantha smiled evilly. "It could have been Bradley Bennings."

Anthony's eyes screwed shut in that second. "Oh, hell no...anyone but him."

Samantha touched his arm with open support.

"Then you have nothing to worry about, Anthony. Nothing at all..."

***

USS Juneau. (NCC-47851-A).

In transit.

Commander Ashley Underwood looked at the incoming sensor readings being generated from the Science Three station.

"We should be there in about three hours, Captain." She said with some underlying worry in her voice. "Providing that the partially-sealed hull breach on Deck 14 doesn't decide to misbehave during that time."