Star Trek S.C.E.: Foundations by Dayton Ward

Author:Dayton Ward [Ward, Dayton]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780743489058
Publisher: Pocket Books/Star Trek
Published: 2004-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

23

Worf hated doing nothing.

On an intellectual level, he was aware that he wasn’t actually doing nothing. As first officer, he knew it was his responsibility to direct the actions of others, often waiting for subordinates to bring him information upon which he could base decisions. After his lengthy service to Starfleet, he thought he might eventually have found a way to suppress his innate desire to be doing something, anything, other than sitting in the captain’s chair at the center of the Enterprise bridge, presenting the outward appearance of calm and control. He always had admired the air of authority and unyielding demeanor affected by those who had commanded him—Benjamin Sisko, Martok, and, of course, Jean-Luc Picard—all while struggling to emulate it. Even his years spent as a diplomat, a profession that by definition required the ability to present the façade of utter patience and bearing, had only softened his distaste for such inactivity. For a younger officer, such periods could always be filled with some task or, barring that, some form of drill or other training that formed a large portion of a security detachment’s schedule aboard a starship. Now, however, as second in command with the captain off the ship, Worf’s focus was here, on the bridge, waiting.

“Ensign Balidemaj,” he snapped. When the young officer turned from the tactical station, her eyes wide with uncertainty, Worf realized the summons had come off with greater severity than he had intended. Pausing, he composed himself and made a point to lower his voice and soften its tone. “Ensign, do have anything new to report?”

Abigail Balidemaj shook her head. “No, sir. All our attempts to track the source of the transmissions have failed. Whoever they are, they definitely know what they’re doing.”

In truth, Worf had anticipated that exact response from the ensign, who would not have waited to be asked before providing any worthwhile updates to his progress. Balidemaj and every other member of the Enterprise’s crew were aware of their duties and carried them out with unparalleled efficiency. Worf, like Captain Picard, had never expected anything less in that regard.

Therefore, Commander, the Klingon chided himself, be at ease.

Sitting idle was difficult enough when nothing of apparent consequence was happening. Doing so while others performed any number of tasks vital to the security not only of the ship but also the forthcoming conference was all but impossible. Beneath the veneer he forced himself to affect in the presence of the bridge crew, Worf seethed. His captain and chief engineer as well as several other valued members of the Enterprise’s crew had been in harm’s way while he remained safe aboard the ship. That the incidents had occurred on the surface of one of the Federation’s founding member worlds only served to further gall him. Worf would rather channel that energy into something useful, instead of sitting here and taking out his mounting irritation on the officers around him.

Even the prospect of utilizing his churning emotions to conduct interrogations of those attackers currently held in custody by Andorian Homeworld Security was unavailable to him.

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