The bridge module of the Enterprise-F is less a bridge in the old sense, and more of a Combat Information Centre. A multi-level, multi-purpose space, much larger than the bridge of the Belfast. Shon takes a deep breath as he looks around.
“Like it?” a voice says from behind him. Shon turns - a younger man in a leather field jacket smirks from the railing of the tactical station. “Bit ostentatious. Makes sense, I guess. Weren’t these made to be ostentatious?”
“You disapprove?” Shon asks, leaning on his chair.
“I always felt Starfleet was best served doing sciencey and humanitarian stuff,” Crusher says, walking down the ramp to reach the command chair. He meets Shon’s gaze. “Not military.”
“They were supposed to be gone forever,” Crusher says quietly. In his expression, Shon can see the guilt that this man must carry from the Frontier Day disaster - and his time as Võx, the voice of the Borg. “We were supposed to have ended them.”
“Nothing’s ever really over,” Shon says, putting a hand on Crusher’s shoulder. “You won that day. That’s what counted then. Lives were saved. And after that, you worked hard to make the galaxy a better place.”
“‘It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know…”
Shon smiles, before looking around the bridge. “It’s not the G. And we live in dark times, Mr Crusher - I can’t change that. All I can do… all any of us can do… is try out very best to make sure we live up to our ideals.”
Captain Raffi Musiker rolls her eyes at Lieutenant Elnor’s pronouncement. He is looking at a list of Starfleet personnel announcements with wide, excited eyes. Raffi remembers that feeling, vaguely.
“Let me clarify,” she says, holding up one finger to forestall him. She takes a deep breath. “I know myself, Elnor. Command, I can do. But…” She closes her eyes. “I can’t be a symbol.”
Va’Kel Shon is staring wistfully at the Odyssey-class vessel hanging in Spacedock when he hears the soft tapping of boots on deck plate behind him. A familiar voice speaks, soft and inquisitive.
“There are some people who think you ought to stop repairing decommissioned Enterprises in your spare time,” the Admiral says after a moment. “It’s getting to be a bad habit.”
“There are,” Quinn agrees with a smile. “Hell, it saved us all a decade ago.” His smile fades. “But you know… I am curious about one thing, if you’ll indulge me.”
“Why this Enterprise?” Geordi says, quirking a wry eyebrow at Quinn.
“Are you sure you won’t take her?” Va’Kel Shon asks.
Captain Seven of Nine takes a sip from her drink, meeting his gaze evenly. The two sit in Club 47 on Spacedock, each nursing a glass of something bright and vile that Seven picked.
He looks uncomfortable. “I took her because Quinn asked and she was needed. An act of desperation. Now she’s in dry dock being fixed up - and she deserves her real Captain.”
“She was.” Quinn smiles. “And before that, a lot of her critical systems were damaged during the Monfette Gambit. They deemed her too difficult to fix.”
“So what changed?” Shon asks.
“A lot of things.” Quinn looks out at the starship, taking a deep breath.
“Captain Data and Captain La Forge looked her over while she was at the Fleet Museum,” the Admiral explains. “They had new ideas how to fix her - to repair the damage to her computer. She’s almost up to Odyssey standard.”
So on top of the video I did canon-welding Picard’s finale and STO, I think I’m gonna write some short Trek fanfic showing how I’d do it - I know I’m never going to get to do it “for real”, so why not? 😂 Probably will link threads below this post. #startrekonline#canonwelder