Chapter Text
New Voyages
A Star Trek: Next Generation Fanfiction
It had been years.
The crew known for their voyages on the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D together had long split off to pursue their own destinies apart from each other. They had only gathered a few times through the past years. The historic maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-F, an honorary Federation banquet or two, and the recent funeral marking the passing of the beloved captain were the only instances that came to mind.
At least for Admiral William T. Riker. It was an ordinary day in Starfleet Headquarters. At least, as normal as it could be. The sun was bright and cloud coverage was minimal, but the mood couldn’t be drearier. Captain Jean-Luc Picard had been a role model and mentor for Riker, but also, a close friend. It was good to see the others again, but it was a bittersweet occasion. Riker wished they weren’t so… stiff. The years had hardened them it seemed.
It was hard to joke around and talk about the good old days, not only because of the nature of the occasion, but they had drifted apart. Now, there was no time for healing of friendships. Captain Beverly Picard had a ship to run. Captain Geordi LaForge had his own ship as well. And Worf had various Klingon duties. Guinan disappeared, as per usual.
At least there was Deanna Riker. Riker smiled. She wouldn’t be going anywhere. Deanna was now a head counselor at Starfleet Academy both teaching and consoling the cadets there.
The smile disappeared as Riker remembered his own duties. Being an admiral had its perks, but enjoyment and excitement were not among them. Riker sat down at his desk and began sorting through the messages he had missed while at the funeral.
As he listened to the droning voice of one of his superiors complaining about various bureaucratic issues, Riker’s mind drifted to the past. The Federation was still a force to be reckoned with. The Klingon Empire was now more of a friend, but the Romulans were even more secretive and hostile than ever. There were the constant nuisances of Ferengi and Cardassians, but these weren’t as concerning as the ever-present threat of Species 8472 and the Borg, who were unnervingly silent. It seemed like their enemies were everywhere, and the Federation and Starfleet couldn’t seem to find a way to hold their own in a meaningful way.
On the bright side, technology had definitely improved. Riker chuckled while remembering some of the things they used to do onboard the Enterprise D. The computer on that ship seemed to move as fast as a snail compared to new models. However, increases in warp speed were still incremental, and the newest ship was only barely faster than that old ship. Warp technology had improved as well, making it more efficient and less damaging to delicate areas of space. This was thanks to Captain LaForge in part.
The message ended, snapping Riker back into reality. The doorbell rang.
“Come in,” he said.
It was Deanna. She was holding something.
“You didn’t stick around for gifts,” she said with a wry smile.
“I couldn’t stick around,” said Riker, “I think Worf still has a vendetta against me for that ‘friendly competition’ last banquet.”
Deanna looked at him knowingly.
“You know me too well,” said Riker.
“I am half-betazoid after all,” said Deanna. She took a seat across from Riker and laid something on the desk.
It was an all-too-familiar plaque from the Enterprise D.
“They found it?” said Riker.
“You don’t remember?” said Deanna, “Well, they did, years ago. And Admiral Picard wrote that it was to be given to you.”
Riker picked it up with reverence.
“I miss that ship,” said Riker, “But mostly the crew onboard it.”
“You should have stuck around then,” said Deanna, “Is something going on?”
Riker put the plaque down and sighed.
“Deanna,” he admitted, “It’s been a long time. We’re not exactly… good friends anymore. We’ve all gone our own ways.”
“I know,” said Deanna, “In one way, it makes me sad and regretful… but in another way, it’s a good thing. I’m glad for their success.”
Riker nodded. Deanna stood up and brushed herself off, despite not needing to.
“I should be going,” she said, “I have to prepare for lecture tomorrow.”
“See you tonight then,” said Riker.
As soon as she was gone, Riker set the plaque aside and got back to the missed messages. He took a break to look at his family photo. It was a picture of him and Deanna and their two kids, Lydia and William Thomas Jr. Now they were both grown up and having their own adventures.
The afternoon seemed to drag on forever. Riker wished he had his own command again. Office work was hardly intriguing. He glanced at his schedule. Oh boy. A meeting with other admirals was highly anticipated… by nobody. Riker decided to skip that meeting and attend a different one. They wouldn’t miss his input after all. He wasn’t quite as stodgy and grouchy as the rest of them, so they didn’t like him very much.
Riker made note that he had a meeting with the President of the Federation tomorrow discussing his ideas for a treaty with the Romulans regarding a hotly disputed solar system. He hoped she would be agreeable. She generally was. President Sissy Heart was an odd woman. She came from a richly cultured and beautiful world, of which she used to be Queen… and technically still was. She was beloved of all, for good reasons. She was thoughtful and wise, yet talkative and silly at times. She was a tall, slender woman with a good head of bright purple hair and friendly blue eyes. Strange to look at, but lovely to know. Riker liked her, like 99% of the universe. Who couldn’t? She was a very agreeable person.
Her planet and its inhabitants took to the Federation and Starfleet like a duck to water. She, for example, quickly rose through the ranks of the Federation and became president. Deanna said the Migarians of Miga (Heart’s home world) were some of the best cadets to work with. Migarians themselves were a very interesting species. They were very diverse in appearance. Some Migarians were very human looking, like the President, with some exceptional features, e.g. the President’s purple hair. Other Migarians displayed more interesting features such as slitted eyes, animal-like ears, and some even had wings and could fly. There were rumors that President Heart had wings as well, but Riker had never seen any evidence for this.
Riker was just about to head home and leave Headquarters, until a spritely young, female captain ran up to him with an urgent report.
Oh no. He thought. Now I’m going to be stuck here until 20:00, and Deanna will be wondering what in the galaxy happened to me.
“Admiral,” gasped the captain, “I thought you might like to see this recent report.”
“Of course,” said Admiral Riker with the most interested voice he could muster.
“According to the USS Ingenuity, they have run across a very interesting… er… anomaly… or ship,” said the captain.
“And?”
“It’s the Enterprise D.”
Riker was taken aback. He didn’t know how to respond.
There weren’t enough words it in the English lexicon to describe the impossibility of what the report claimed. There weren’t enough words to describe Riker’s surprise either.
“Excuse me?” was the only thing he could manage.
“Or so it appears,” said the captain, “Captain Orville has not engaged the Enterprise, but he had attempted communication. Every time the Ingenuity attempts to get a closer look, the Enterprise engages her impulse drive. It’s very curious.”
“The Enterprise D was a wreckage last I saw her,” said Riker, “How do you know it’s her?”
“According to the scans, it is the Enterprise D,” said the captain, “Confirmed.”
“But the star drive section was…”
“The Enterprise D is complete… except for a crew,” said the captain, “However, the Ingenuity hasn’t had a chance to make full scans, since the Enterprise keeps escaping.”
“I have to see this,” said Riker.
The captain grinned, “Thought you might.”
“Well, help me clear out my next few afternoons, Captain…”
“Actually, it’s Commander Jasper,” said Commander Jasper, “Bree Jasper.”
“I see,” said Riker.
“Commander of the USS Churchill,” added Commander Jasper, “Our ship has been dispatched to help the Ingenuity out… and mostly be an escort for the Enterprise D’s original crew.”
“Why does Starfleet want us to investigate this?” said Riker, “I mean, I am curious, but there are other capable admirals and captains…”
“I forgot to mention,” said the flustered commander, “The Enterprise D sent one message. It read ‘J. PICARD, W. RIKER, D. TROI, B. CRUSHER, WORF, DATA, G. LAFORGE REPORT.’ I and my captain assume that whoever or whatever is controlling the Enterprise D won’t stop evading the Ingenuity until you come.”
“What are we waiting for?” said Riker, “I’ll call Deanna. And obviously, whoever is in control of the Enterprise has outdated information.”
“We’ll be waiting for you,” said Commander Jasper.
.
The following morning, Admiral Riker was back together with the old crew once again, this time for a more exciting and mysterious purpose. Luckily, they were all just as curious as Riker to discover the meaning of this.
“Hopefully they won’t be disappointed to be missing the captain and Data,” said Captain Beverly Picard during their briefing.
“We’re hoping the same,” said Captain Deere of the USS Churchill, “Otherwise, they’re going to be waiting indefinitely.”
“’Who would want to rebuild the Enterprise D?’ is my question.” said Captain LaForge, “And according to the limited scans of the USS Ingenuity, it seems to include all the original technology. The Enterprise is exactly as she was those many years ago.”
“More confusing than that is the wreckage of the Enterprise D is now missing,” added Captain Beverly Picard, “It seems that whoever rebuilt it used whatever original material they could.”
“Whoever did this… might have a hostile intent,” said Worf, “We should proceed with caution.”
“Agreed,” said Captain Deere, “The Ingenuity hasn’t reported any hostile maneuvers as of yet… but it’s still possible.”
“How long until arrival?” asked Deanna.
“ETA two hours,” said Commander Jasper, “Shall we talk about the plans for when we arrive?”
“Yes,” said Riker, “Are we going to attempt to beam onboard or hail?”
“Communication attempts have been unsuccessful… except for the very first one,” said Commander Jasper, “I think… the Enterprise D’s re-constructor wants us to meet him or her in person.”
“Who’s on the away team?” said Captain Beverly Picard, “Us, obviously.”
“I’ll be coming along,” said Commander Jasper, “And additional security. We’ll be as cautious as possible.”
“Excellent,” said Riker, “This briefing is adjourned.”
Everyone stood up and began some chatter.
“Just like old times,” said Beverly, “We’re even going to be on our old ship again.”
“Minus a very important part of the crew,” said Deanna, “And Data, of course.”
There was a moment of reverent silence for the missing crewmembers.
“I think this is a trap,” said Worf. He seemed just as grumpy and protective as usual, “Why else would the Enterprise be rebuilt?”
“You seem rather quiet, Geordi. Something on your mind?” interjected Deanna.
“Nothing,” said Geordi, “I’m just trying to answer Beverly’s question. Who? Or what? And how and why? There’s too many unanswered questions.”
“Soon to be answered,” said Commander Jasper. She added, “Hopefully.”
The next few hours of travel were filled with conversation about life and families. It was mindless and didn’t get at the nagging issue of the drifting friends. There wasn’t really a natural way to introduce that topic anyway, so Riker didn’t allow it to bother him.
Their talk was interrupted by the bridge officer announcing their arrival at the Ingenuity’s coordinates. Everyone came to the bridge, unsure of what to expect.
There she was, just a few million kilometers away, the Enterprise D.