A Time to Love

by Robert Greenberger

• ISBN13: 9780743462853
• ISBN10: 0743462858
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-05-25
• Publisher: Star Trek
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Summary

On the cusp of their epic battle with Shinzon, many of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's long-time crew were heading for new assignments and new challenges. Among the changes were William Riker's promotion to captain and his new command, Riker's marriage

Excerpts

Chapter One "Three more?"William Riker, first officer of theStarship Enterprise,bolted out of his seat, his eyes wide. Across the table sat Deanna Troi, the ship's counselor. Her deep brown eyes normally showed great empathy for the plight of others, but now they just looked tired.Riker's hand rubbed his chin, stroking the freshly grown beard that had been the subject of much debate between them. A few short years ago, he agreed to shave it as he and Troi renewed their romance. However, after the last few months, he felt the need to change something, and growing the beard back was the easiest solution. She had playfully refused to kiss him since then, and had held out a surprisingly long time. But at the moment neither one of them felt particularly playful about anything.With a shake of his head, he looked at the padd she had pushed his way. He already knew what it said, but still, to see three more requests for transfer rankled. Crain from engineering, Nybakken from environmental sciences, and Kawasaki from the technology group -- all solid career officers, and certainly not the type Riker ever expected to see request a transfer off theEnterprise."They want to be on the best starship in the fleet..." Troi began, her voice soft and understanding."Which we are," he said emphatically."Which we are, yes," she echoed. "But theEnterprise's prestige has been damaged, its crew's reputation tarnished. These three want to avoid having their own careers derailed.""Kawasaki was up for promotion, too," Riker said, sounding deflated. He was past being angry, but the hurt was still there, and he allowed it to creep into his voice. Around Troi he could be himself, slipping off the professional mask he wore among the crew."How many is that now?"Troi shook her head sadly. "Seventeen in the last three months." The transfer requests had begun trickling in right after the encounter with the "demon ship."The entire crew of theEnterprisewas aware that the ship Picard had ordered to be destroyed was not a Federation vessel, but a "demon ship" masquerading as one.What galled Riker the most was the notion that despite everything Picard had done for Starfleet, Command tallied up only the black marks, never bothering to weigh them against the successful missions.To the admirals, Picard was increasingly a liability -- an inconvenient reminder of the ideals they too had sworn to uphold. When the Borg invaded Sector 001, the admirals sent theEnterpriseto the Romulan Neutral Zone rather than let the flagship defend the Federation's birthplace. But Riker saw the expression on Picard's face when the audio reports came through, of how a single Borg cube was decimating the fleet. TheEnterprise,in violation of orders, arrived on the scene, took command of the remaining ships, and destroyed the Borg cube.Picard continued to embarrass the admirals by cherishing their principles while another one of their own -- Admiral Dougherty -- seemed to lose sight of them, almost causing the annihilation of the Bak'u.And now this. Banishment to the hinterlands was Picard's only reward for steadfast courage and integrity. No wonder people wanted off the ship. Riker had privately hoped that the crew would remain intact, thumbing their collective noses at the faulty reasoning of their superiors, but with hundreds of people aboard the starship, unanimity was virtually impossible. He had to take comfort in the knowledge that those closest to Picard remained unfailing in their loyalty."How quickly do they want off? Is it worth my time talking to them?" Riker asked."You might have a chance with Kawasaki, since this will delay her chances at promotion. You just need to assess which is more important to her: advancement on a tainted ship or a fresh start.""We're not tainted," he said with some heat."To us that's true," she agreed. "But not