Resistance - J.M. Dillard [93]
Picard reached for his combadge, then frowned as he realized it was no longer there. Beverly saw and—reading his mind—pressed her own.
“Crusher to bridge.”
“Worf here, Doctor.”
“Worf.” Her tone turned faintly playful. “There’s someone here who’d like to speak to you.”
Picard slid off the edge of the diagnostic bed and stood next to Beverly. “Commander,” he said. “Report.”
The Klingon kept his tone formal but could not entirely hide the warmth and pleasure he felt. “Aye, Captain. We are currently still in the vicinity of the Borg ship. We have disabled her engines. During an earlier attack, the Enterprise’s hull sustained major damage in the area of the bridge. Now that we have reintegrated the saucer section, Commander La Forge is overseeing temporary repairs. He says that a structural overhaul should be done in dry-dock.” Picard shot a questioning look at the doctor upon hearing Worf mention reintegrating the saucer section, but she just nodded in a way that he inferred meant that she would explain later.
“Understood,” Picard said. A sense of heaviness crept over him; he had no doubt that the Borg had once again used his knowledge to inflict the damage.
“We have also received a signal from an approaching Federation shuttle,” Worf continued. “Seven of Nine will be arriving shortly.”
The news gave him pause. “Very good. Let me know when she arrives. I’ll be in my quarters. Picard out.” He looked up at Beverly and sighed. “Time to pay the piper. Let’s hope this goes more easily than it did with the queen.”
Kathryn Janeway was not smiling.
In the captain’s quarters, Picard stared down at her image on the monitor. Janeway sat leaning forward, elbows on her desk, hands tightly folded. She did not scowl, but her eyes were bright and cold. She knew what was coming.
“Admiral,” he said. “Seven of Nine is due to arrive aboard the Enterprise momentarily. I understand that you are already aware that her presence is no longer needed. At this time, I would like to take full responsibility for my actions. I decided to have the Enterprise intercept the Borg cube. My crew was only functioning under my orders.”
Janeway’s lips thinned. For the space of several seconds, she remained silent, staring hard at the captain. Picard held her gaze without faltering.
At last she spoke, her tone one of carefully contained fury. “You violated a direct order, Captain.”
“I did, Admiral. I offer no defense; I expect no leniency.”
“And you’ll get none from me.” Her chin tilted upward; her eyes flashed once, twice. “You’re very lucky things worked out to Starfleet’s advantage—and yours. But I’ve never believed that luck should excuse insubordination.” She leaned farther forward. “Let’s imagine that things had gone differently. That the Enterprise was destroyed and your kidnapping had been a success. We’d have another Wolf 359 on our hands then—or worse—wouldn’t we? I was very clear and emphatic about my reasoning, Picard. And you chose to ignore it completely. I suppose you expect me to say, ‘All’s well that ends well,’ and leave it at that? Perhaps slap your wrist with a reprimand in your file?”
“I expect nothing,” Picard answered honestly.
“Nor should you. I’ll be informing others at Command about this. In fact, I may very well initiate court-martial proceedings. Am I understood?”
“You are, Admiral.”
“Good. Have Seven of Nine contact me when she arrives. Janeway out.”
The screen darkened; Picard bowed his head and released a low sigh. At a different time, the prospect of court-martial—of losing Starfleet, the only life he had ever known—would have seemed devastating. As it was, a career seemed a small price to pay to prevent the loss of billions of lives. Janeway had been wrong: it hadn’t all been luck. They had beaten back the Borg out of sheer determination, sheer will.
Beverly’s dark little smile, her voice, glimmered in his imagination. Let’s just say I had a score to settle.
“And I still had one, too,” Picard whispered. “I had one, too.”
“To Commander Worf,” Picard intoned, “now the official first officer of the Enterprise.