Slings and Arrows 01_ Sea of Troubles - J. Steven York [3]
“I trust repairs are going well.”
Adrian nodded. “We’re short a few plasma diverters, but your chief engineer is beaming over some spares. Quite a beating we took just for a combat exercise.” He shook his head. “I hope this is all worth it. If I lost my ship in an exercise they’d bust me back to junior waste management engineer on an ore freighter.”
Picard smiled sadly. “These are hard times, Roger. Starfleet needs every captain it can get. More likely, they’ll assign the waste management engineer as your first officer.”
He chuckled. “It would serve me right.” But his smile faded and they just looked at each other for a moment, darker concerns looming, unspoken.
Finally Picard broke the silence. “You’ve seen the latest intelligence projections?”
He nodded. “I never thought I’d live to see so many wars. The Cardassians. The Borg. The Klingons. Now the Dominion. We’ve lost too many officers, and too many ships. And the Dominion is unlike any enemy we’ve faced before. Genetically engineered Jem’Hadar soldiers, Changeling infiltrators. We’re- ” He hesitated, as though the word itself tasted foul. “- vulnerable.”
Picard nodded. “But we’re also forewarned. That’s why we’re out here testing new tactics, new ways to refit modern weapons to old ships…”
Captain Adrian frowned. “That’s putting a good face on it, Jean-Luc. You can read between the lines as well as I.”
Picard sighed. “We’re part of contingency planning. If the core Federation worlds, even Earth, should fall, Command believes this could turn into a guerrilla war of last resort. I admit that. Still, although it’s wise to consider every option, it does not sit well with me to plan on losing.”
A bit of a smile crept back onto Captain Adrian’s face. “Then we’ll just have to win, won’t we?” He picked up a padd off his desk and briskly changed the subject, as though talking about the war had somehow brought it closer. “Well, this is a supply rendezvous as well as an exercise. I’ve got eight transfer officers from Starbase 11 for you, and two crates of assorted isolinear circuits so state-of-the-art that we couldn’t use them over here on a bet. I also picked up a case of ‘57 Van Dozier chardonnay last time I was back on Earth. Very nice. I’m sending over a bottle, just as a reminder there are things worth fighting for.”
“You should beam over, and we could raise a glass together. Our new lounge is an excellent place to observe the nebula.”
“I’m sure it is, but we’re scheduled to return immediately to Jupiter Station for debriefing and analysis of our new targeting systems.” The regret in Adrian’s voice only served to underscore the growing threats that made such a visit impossible.
“Another time then.” Picard lifted his chin, his posture ramrod straight. He was a man used to winning, and the coming battle would be no different.
“We’ll toast to victory,” the Samson’s captain replied, his resolve mirroring Picard’s. “Adrian out.”
Picard stared at the blank screen for a moment. Victory. If history had taught him anything, it was that victory was an elusive word. Hard to achieve. Often hard to define. Defeat, sadly, was more concrete, and much more easily accomplished.
On an impulse, he tapped his combadge. “Picard to transporter room three. Have the transfer officers beamed over from the Samson yet?”
“Chief Mun Ying here, Captain. The Samson’s transporter emitters were knocked out of alignment. They’re running final tests and estimate five minutes until they’re ready. Would you like me to do a direct beam-over?”
“No. Hold transport till I arrive. I’m on my way.”
He stepped out of the ready room, and Commander Riker, who was leaning over Data’s shoulder examining the console, looked up.
“The bridge is still yours. I’m going down to meet the new officers who are beaming aboard.”
Riker raised an eyebrow in surprise. “That’s unusual, Captain.”
It was true enough. Picard knew he had the reputation of being distant from his junior officers