From: wherndon@smiley.mitre.org (William Herndon)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.misc
Subject: The finale of the sixth season.
Date: 16 Apr 92 02:11:12 GMT
Article-I.D.: linus.1992Apr16.021112.9386
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA


    I initially posted what follows as a response to "TNG: The Final
    Year. Episodes I'd (seriously!) like to see.", and since I got some 
    positive responses I thought I'd put my idea out in front of a wider
    audience ( Plus giving me a chance to clean up my lousy spelling.)
   
    So what we have here is my ultimate fantasy episode to be used as 
    the finale of the sixth season.  Please keep in mind that
    what follows is a without question a product of my propensity for
    *action* episodes.  ( Something similar to this is what I would have
    loved to see as the final mission of James T. Kirk. )

    For your consideration:

    After a lengthy mission the Enterprise is returning to Earth for
    an overhaul and to provide the crew with long-needed shoreleave.
    Everyone is looking forward to a rest.  ( As a subplot, I'd propose
    having Data plan a visit to the Daystrom (sp?) institute to explore
    the consequences of his dawning emotional awareness, something that
    would need to have been going on all season. )

    However, as the Enterprise enters the Sol system, a general distress
    call is received from Starfleet command.  The message places all
    Federation starships at the hightest military readyness in prepara-
    tion for defense of sectors lining the Romulan neutral zone.

    ( You guessed it! ) THE ROMULANS ARE COMING!  Yes, after 50+ years
    of silence, and 4 years of skirmishes during the 2nd through 5th 
    seasons of TNG, the Romulans are boiling over the border destroying
    everything that gets in the path of their fleet.  ( As is demonstrated 
    by a great battle scene showing a hapless Klingon squadron being over-
    whelmed by, and fighting to the death against, a vastly superior Romu-
    lan force.) But something is strange about the reports coming in from 
    the battle area.  Not only does the number of Romulan Warbirds engaging 
    in battle seem surprisingly small, but they are not moving into Feder-
    ation territory in a well-planned methodical manner, as one would expect 
    of Romulans.  Quite the contrary, their strike is cutting deep into the 
    heart of Federation space and appears almost reckless.  In fact, the 
    attack gives the appearance of being planned by a human rather than a 
    by a Romulan.
    
    It has been nearly two years since the Romulans suffered the humil-
    iating defeat near Garlornden Kor (sp?), when they were forced to des-
    troy their Vulcan bound invasion fleet.  Things have been calm since
    then, however.  The Federation has relaxed their guard. Starfleet 
    is still watching the Romulan Empire but not so closely any more. 

    Commander Sela (sp?) has not forgotten the defeat, though.  Nor has she
    forgotten about the glacial pace of the Romulan plan to eventually sub-
    due the Federation. Now her warbird is at the head of a 30 ship fleet
    heading deep into Federation space, bound for Earth.  The time for 
    the attack that she has been planning for over a year has come.  The
    Federation defenses are at their most lax, and the commanders that 
    support her are edgy to engage in battle.

    Sela has three goals in mind:  Reach the Earth, expending as many
    of her warbirds as she has to get there, reduce Starfleet command
    in San Francisco to a molten slag heap, and before the remainder of
    her fleet is destroyed relay the scenes of the battle back to the 
    Empire.  In doing this, she will avenge herself on the race that has
    humiliated her more than once in her life.  She will destroy Starfleet
    command and throw the Federation defenses into disarray.  And finally,
    she will provide the inspiration and the opportunity that will allow
    the Romulan Empire to conquer the Federation once and for all.

    Back in the Federation, Starfleet is in a panic.  They know the 
    Romulans are coming and where they are headed, but they are unprepared
    because the Romulans are moving at high warp and are ignoring many 
    obvious targets.  Only 23 starships are available for the defense of 
    the system.  It probably won't be enough, but there is an alternative...

    Commander Shelby of Starfleet tactical has made it known that one of
    the weapons that had been developed to defend the Federation against
    the Borg is ready to be used in the defense of Earth.  It is a battle
    platform that can attack multiple targets using weapons that project
    localized gravitational anomalies ( mini-black holes ).  It is a dan-
    gerous weapon though.  The anomalies are slow moving and targets must
    be saturated in order to be destroyed.  Because of the need for 
    saturation, the weapon is fairly indiscriminate.  Both friend and foe
    could be destroyed in a pitched battle, and there is one other hitch.
    ( Can you see where I'm going already? )  Because of the enormous
    demands of the weapons computers and the need for high-speed operator
    intervention, no human ( or humans ) can operate the platform, and yet
    an operator is needed.  In fact, there is only one entity that can
    operate this weapon, the only Sung type android in existence, Lt.
    Commander Data.

    So now Picard has a difficult decision.  Does he order Data to assume 
    command of the new weapon and defend the Sol system, a battle in which
    it is likely that Data will be destroyed, and just as emotional aware-
    ness is dawning for the only Sung type android?  Or instead, does he 
    commit the available ships to the battle, hoping that what probably 
    amounts to suicide for over 25000 Starfleet officers and crew will be 
    enough to save the Starfleet and the Federation.  Do the Klingons come 
    to the rescue?  And finally, is this the mission that will make legends 
    out of Picard, Data, or even Sela?
    
    We'll call this episode, "Life or Death."

    ( I know there are flaws, but does it sound good?  If so, to whom do
    I send it for consideration. )

        	        	       	       	       	       	       	       
                                                               - Max

  | William R. Herndon                   \   Information Security Center |
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