Ship of the Line - Diane Carey [45]
Knowing from experience that Picard was fuming behind those words, Riker didn’t push the point. “We’ll try, sir.”
Picard sighed as if it had taken all his personal resolve to choke that out. “Thank you.”
“The shakedown cruise,” Troi clarified. “That’s what you said. Just the shakedown cruise, that’s all. Then Bateson’s in temporary command, right?”
“It is in fact temporary,” Picard confirmed unwillingly, “but temporary status is usually only a formality. I wouldn’t hold my breath for any surprises. I’ve already given him my congratulations, and I expect no less from all of you. When I spoke to him, he asked me to carry a request … to you, Will.”
Startled out of his misery, Riker looked up. “What kind of request?”
“He’d like you to come along with him as first officer on his shakedown cruise.”
Aridly Riker frowned and shifted on the plush seat. “Bateson already has a first officer. He doesn’t need two.”
“No, but he does need someone familiar with current technology, star territory, and spacefaring until he familiarizes himself with those aspects of command. He’s no fool. He knows what he doesn’t know.”
“Somebody else can teach him.”
The words dropped like rocks.
Riker knew he was being childish, if loyal to Captain Picard. If Starfleet concurred with Bateson’s logic, Riker would have no choice but to go along. It wouldn’t look good on his record to demand a transfer off the new starship, but right now he felt like burning his record. Only experience and circumspection kept him from saying so out loud, or imagining he might someday feel differently.
Picard eased up a bit in his demeanor and paced around his end of the dining set. “When I went into Admiral Farrow’s office, I experienced the most curious splitting of hopes. Never in my life had I been so utterly of two minds about anything. I wanted command, yet I didn’t. My spacefaring career is winding down, or it’s about to launch again at full warp. I tossed a mental coin, and the damned thing hit an antigravity pocket and it’s still spinning about. When the admiral informed me that Captain Bateson would be taking command for now, I went strangely numb. No feeling at all, except perhaps anger on Mr. Riker’s behalf. Then, the admiral started talking about something else, and I forgot all about the starship. He’s given me an assignment. I’ve accepted.”
“Assignment?” Troi repeated. “Without a ship?”
“Yes.”
“The Admiralty!” Crusher blurted.
The next instant Riker asked, “Commandant of Starfleet Academy?”
“No, I’m still a captain for now, and without a desk job. This isn’t just an assignment. It’s a mission. Now that the Klingons are making trouble with Cardassia and the peace in this quadrant is broken, the Cardassians are motivated to cooperate with the Federation. Or at least they need to keep the lines of communication somewhat open. We have an opportunity we haven’t had before. My mission is to go into Cardassian space and reclaim our MIA’s.”
“What MIA’s?” Beverly Crusher put both hands on the table and leaned forward. “Missing in action? Federation nationals? Are you serious?”
“I haven’t heard anything about this,” Troi said.
Leaning forward and feeling suddenly fierce, Riker raised his voice and demanded, “You mean the Cardassians are holding Federation citizens as prisoners? Captain, is that what you’re saying?”
“Not just Federation citizens. Starfleet personnel. Over the past three years, the U.S.S. Durant and several Starfleet personnel have been classified as missing in or near Cardassian space. Also there’ve been some merchant vessels and one satellite tender gone missing under suspicious circumstances. The Cardassians insist there are no prisoners, but I know otherwise. They also claimed I wasn’t there, being held, being tortured, and I certainly was there. I intend to take a private vessel, a non-Starfleet ship, go into Cardassian territory, and confront Gul Madred personally.”
“Madred!” Beverly Crusher nearly