1.8 Boats Against the Current (mission)

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## Mission

The *Tempest* escorts Dr. Richard Galen, one of the Federation's most renowned scientists on an archeaological expedition in Klingon space to retrieve an artifact that could be an unstoppable superweapon if it fell into the wrong hands.

## Summary

### Cold Open

Dr. Richard Galen stands in the darkened, empty chamber of the Federation Council. Selem Bor, a Trill and member of the Science Council approaches and tells Galen his expedition has been approved, asking if now that it's authorized if Galen can finally tell him more specifics. But Galen refuses, claiming it is too dangerous to risk leaking the knowledge before the expedition is completed.

### Part 1

The *Tempest* is en route to a starbase along the Klingon border to pick up Dr. Galen. Their mission remains a mystery to them and they'll receive a full briefing only from Galen in person once they've picked him up. When Galen does come aboard, he details the purpose and stakes of their mission: He believes there may be a technological artifact hidden somewhere on the planet Athrak V inside Klingon space. If it exists and is intact, it may have the ability to disable the computer systems of any starship it comes into contact with. And if the Klingons are able to retrieve it first and learn to use it successfully, it could provide them with an unstoppable weapon, one that would allow a single Klingon ship to dominate any fleet it came into contact with.

The Klingons have allowed the expedition only because they don't know its purpose. And the Federation's curiosity is sure to spark theirs, meaning it's only a matter of time before the Klingons arrive to take a look for themselves. Following the formal briefing between Galen and the senior staff, Galen takes Maddox aside and briefs him on one further detail: in order to buy the expedition more time, Starfleet has sent a decoy ship captained by one of Galen's old students, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the *USS Stargazer*, to a different planet on the other side of the sector. The hope is that the Klingons will follow this ship first, buying Galen and the *Tempest* extra time. But once they discover the ruse, they will undoubtedly be very unhappy and cut short any operations the Tempest may be in the middle of.

The *Tempest* arrives at the planet in question, Athrak V, and Maddox considers destroying it immediately to ensure it does not fall into enemy hands. The crew scans the planet and discovers four potential locations but is unable to narrow it down. They launch a probe to take closer sensor readings and are able to locate the correct site. Maddox, Goodspeed, Holden, Teal, Mei'flhy, and Galen beam down as close to the site as possible, though a transporter inhibitor field prevents them from beaming directly to it. They find themselves in a verdant valley and start to make their way towards the site, only to find a large gorilla like creature in their path. Mei'flhy volunteers to draw the creature out while the rest of the away team hides. He provokes the creature into chasing him and runs back into transporter range, where Eele is able to beam him up quickly enough to escape harm.

The rest of the away team is able to sneak past the creature without further incident and make their way to and into the archaeological site, losing contact with the *Tempest* as they move deeper underground. Eventually, they come across a room with an electrified floor and a shelf of glowing orbs and a set of pillars and a door on the room's far side.

### Part 2

Dr. Teal senses the presence of somebody else nearby, raising the team's guards. Galen studies the floor and the orbs arrayed on the wall, remarking that the orbs are similar to the artifact they are searching for and that one of them on the wall might be the key to safely crossing the chamber's floor. The crew scans the floor and the orbs, finding one with matching energy signatures. The orb nullifies the floor's energy enough for two people to cross at a time and it ultimately takes the away team over an hour to get everybody across.

Once across, Galen examines the two pillars and with his help, the crew place the orb in the correct pillar and a new passageway materializes, leading into a previously unseen room with the artifact at its center. The team begins to cross the passageway's threshold with Maddox and Holden stepping through shoulder to shoulder, Goodspeed and Teal shoulder to shoulder behind them, and Galen bringing up the rear. But as soon as Maddox and Holden step across, Goodspeed and Teal walk into a wall which materialized before they could cross. The team realizes the doorway was actually a portal, which is now cycling through various rooms, only one of which is the room containing the artifact and which now also has, Silla Sh'thaasreth, an Andorian treasure hunter take the orb for herself.

The team tries to jump through the portal, timing it so they cross at the instant when the portal leads to the artifact room. Maddox and Holden succeed, but Goodspeed, Teal, and Galen do not. In the artifact room, Maddox and Holden confront the Andorian but she uses the artifact to shoot a beam of energy which disables their tricorders, communicators, and phasers. Holden dives for the Andorian but she avoids his tackle and takes off running down a hallway on the opposite side of the room.

### Part 3

Maddox and Holden both give chase but are unable to catch up to her, giving her time to reach her ship, the *KS Nabi*, and take off. The away team regroups on the surface and returns to the Tempest to pursue her when Panther reads signals that the Stargazer is inbound with several Klingon ships pursuing it. The *Stargazer* and Klingon ships arrive, catching the Andorian's ship between them and the Tempest. The *Nabi* performs evasive maneuvers and Maddox hails the *Stargazer*, informing him that the ship contains a weapon of overwhelming power. The Klingons overhear this communication turn their attention to the *Nabi* while the *Tempest* and *Stargazer* also open fire to bring down her shields. The *Stargazer* overcomes the last of the *Nabi's* shields and a bird of prey swoops in to attempt a tractor beam, but the *Nabi* is able to evade it.

With shields down, the *Tempest* is able to beam the orb onboard and secure it. The Klingons continue their attack, severely damaging the *Nabi* and Maddox orders Picard to beam the Andorian off, which he manages to do. The Klingons realize what has happened and turn their attention to the *Stargazer*. Holden comes up with a plan to fire a focused energy beam at the *Nabi*, surging its power systems and forcing it into warp speed. The Klingons are fooled by the maneuver, thinking the artifact is still aboard the *Nabi*. In their distraction, the *Tempest* and *Stargazer* are able to coordinate a retreat and warp away to safety.

Afterwards, Picard and Galen are having a heated discussion in the *Tempest's* conference room. Maddox overhears their conversation and discerns that Galen was offering Picard the opportunity to join him in making a career in archaeology. And that Picard was seriously considering it, but that the events of today reminded him why he wanted to become a starship captain in the first place and have prompted him to once again turn down Galen's offer. Galen does not take Picard's decision well and is about to leave when Maddox orders tea for them both and nudge them both back to talking, affirming a relationship that might otherwise have broken.

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