Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: 19 Apr 2004 15:34:13 -0700 In: alt.startrek.creative From: whoa_nellie40@hotmail.com (whoa nellie) Title: Tour de Force Author: Whoa Nellie (whoa_nellie40@hotmail.com) Series: TNG Repost 1/2 Rating: NC-17 Codes: P/Vash Summary: A group of terrorists have taken the Federation Archaeology Author's Note: Feel free to archive to any pertinent site. In preparation to play in our Double Entendre universe in the coming year, we're reposting the stories from that universe as a refresher (or introduction to those who haven't read our earlier work). These stories have been polished up a bit, but they are still are earliest pieces from when we began writing nearly a decade ago. Edited-down versions of most of our stories can be found through our author page at fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/profile.php?userid=85355 Feel free to archive to any pertinent site. As always: Paramount owns all the marbles, we just have a lot more fun playing with them. Feedback is always appreciated - posted or e-mail. Whoa Nellie's Picard/Vash Romance Fan Fiction website is at: http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Galaxy/7926/ Whoa Nellie's Sci-Fi Romance Fan Fiction website is at: http://www.geocities.com/whoa_nellies2000/ Tour de Force Archaeology Councilmember Vash, the civilian head of the Enterprise E's archaeology department, was scheduled to present her latest paper on the Gamma quadrant at the Archaeology Council's annual symposium. That morning she put on her newest acquisitions, a mocha brown wool suit with matching pumps, and studied her reflection in the mirror. The look of the suit was softened by the tailoring which gently skimmed every curve of her figure. The skirt fell just above her knees, and mocha brown satin piping accented the deep V neckline of the single-breasted jacket. Underneath the jacket was a white silk blouse with lace trim around its scalloped neckline and pearl buttons down its front. Her only piece of jewelry was a necklace, a choker length, single strand of real pearls. After beaming down to the Daystrom Institute to attend the symposium, Vash made her way to the largest lecture hall in the main building. She was supposed to present her paper just after the keynote speaker. The keynote speaker, Ambassador Bergen Nestor of Pentarus V, was a mild-mannered diplomat who dabbled in archaeology. His brother, Jerrod Nestor, was Pentarus V's hard hitting Justice Administer; he had just arrested Judas Genil, the head of a huge illegal mining and smuggling operation. Sitting behind the podium, Vash was mentally reviewing her own speech as Ambassador Nestor wrapped up his. She was so engrossed in her own thoughts that it took her a moment to realize that a dozen men armed with disrupter rifles had just burst into the room even though she had watched it happen. The armed terrorists ushered all of the councilmembers to seats in the middle of the room while the leader of the terrorists, a man calling himself Ren Bards, contacted the Enterprise demanding that the Federation force Pentarus V to release Judas Genil in exchange for the Ambassador and the rest of the hostages. As she heard the expected reply that the Federation did not negotiate with terrorists, Vash thought to herself, 'Damn, I had a really good paper to present.' ....................................... On the bridge of the Enterprise E, Commander William Riker worked to unclench his jaw. This was not a promising start to the day, so far, it looked as if Bards had taken little interest in the archaeology councilmembers, concentrating instead on the Ambassador. Riker was fairly certain that Bards was not even aware of Vash's identity. That was something at least. "If he hurts her," Worf growled from his post at tactical. From ops, Data, who had developed a tendency to see himself as Vash's champion, gave a small, silent nod in agreement with Worf's implied threat. The infuriated expression on the android's face left no doubt that his emotion chip was functioning. 'We make sure he gives us a real good excuse to beat the shit out of him,' Riker wanted to say. Afterall, Vash was a part of the family. Instead, Riker cautioned both officers, "Let's not jump the gun here. He seems pretty focused on the Ambassador, I don't think he even knows who she is." Casting an apprehensive glance toward the captain's ready room, he looked back at Data and added, "Data, I don't suppose you'd like to go back there and bell the cat for me?" "If that euphemism is referring to the action that I cogitate it is referring to, then absolutely not, sir," Data replied succinctly. "Damn, I didn't think so," Riker sighed with resignation. He made his way over to the ready room door and rang the chime. "Come," Captain Jean-Luc Picard's voice came through the door. Taking a deep breath, Riker squared his shoulders and walked in. "Yes, Number One," Picard said pleasantly as he looked up from the report he had been working on. Seeing Riker's grave demeanor, Picard knew instantly that something was very wrong. "What's happened, Will?" Standing in a military stance, Riker gave his report, "Sir, a group of armed terrorists have stormed the large lecture hall in the main building of the Daystrom Institute. They are holding Ambassador Nestor and the entire Archaeology Council hostage." 'Vash!' was Picard's first thought as the news hit him like a physical blow. Laying down the report, his voice tightened, "Casualties?" "None that we're aware of, sir." Picard looked over at his fish tank and watched the lionfish swim around. Without looking at Riker, he quietly asked, "Vash, Will?" "We have to assume she is one of the hostages. I checked the transporter log, she beamed down first thing this morning. I'm sorry, Captain," Riker replied. He took a step closer to the desk, "However, the leader seems to be very focused on the Ambassador. I doubt he is aware of her identity." "Please, just once, let her show the sense God gave a goose and lay low!" Picard implored to the ceiling of his ready room. Pushing his personal concerns aside, he turned back to his first officer, his tone all business, "Give me the particulars." "There are twelve men armed with disrupter rifles. Their leader is a man calling himself Ren Bards. Data is doing a computer background search on him as we speak. They want the Federation to force Pentarus V to release Judas Genil and are demanding to speak to the ranking Federation representative in the system," Riker informed him. "Who is the ranking representative in the system at the moment?" the captain inquired. "At the moment that would be you, sir," Riker replied. "Wonderful," Picard huffed, "essentially, they want me to force Elliot Ness to release Al Capone." "That seems to be the basic idea, sir." "All right, tell Mr. Worf I want a list of all security officers onboard who have attended Starfleet's Advanced Tactical Training school within the hour. Also have him start coordinating security efforts with the Daystrom Institutes' personnel. I want you and Mr. Data to meet me in my quarters in one hour for a tactical briefing," Picard commanded. "Aye, sir," Riker replied. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Captain, is there any chance that you will allow me to handle this situation." "No," Picard answered succinctly even though he knew his first officer had a very valid point. As he stood, he added, "However, Commander, if you wish to make an objection due to my personal involvement in the situation, I will note it in my log." "No sir, it was just an idea," Riker gave a small smile and held up his hands in capitulation, "and I had to give it the old college try." "Of course, Number One," Picard replied congenially. "As you pointed out, they probably don't even know her identity, let alone her relationship to me." Placing a hand on Picard's shoulder, Riker did something he very rarely did. He used his CO's first name. "Jean-Luc, if it should become an issue, promise me you'll step aside and let me handle the situation. I'd bring her home safely." "I know you would, Will, and you have my word," Picard nodded. "Good enough," Riker said, stepping back. Giving Picard a conspiratorial smile, he added, "It's probably better that we have you there holding the reins. Worf seems to be tempted to take this Bards guy out back and explain to him the error of his ways. I'd lay odds on Data joining in with him, and I must admit, I'm more inclined at the moment to help them rather than restrain them." Picard raised an amused eyebrow, "Taking it personally, are we?" Riker nodded, "The whole crew is going to take it personally. She is one of our own." "Bridge to Captain Picard," Data's voice broke in over the comm. Picard tapped his comm badge, "Picard here." "Sir, we have an incoming transmission for you from the Daystrom Institute. It is the terrorist leader, Ren Bards," Data said. "We're on our way," Picard replied as he stepped out from behind his desk. After closing the channel, he turned to Riker, "Well Number One, it's time to see if all those hours we've spent at the poker table pay off." As Picard and Riker stepped back onto the bridge, Data stood up from the command chair and returned to his post at ops. Picard moved to stand in front of his command chair while Riker sat down at his post just to the right of the captain. Squaring his shoulders, Picard tugged once at his jacket before ordering, "On screen, Mr. Worf." "Aye, sir," the large Klingon replied. Instantly on the screen appeared a swarthy man with very angular features and cold, dark eyes. Dressed all in black, he was a few inches shorter than Riker and not quite as broadly built. Very well armed, his bearing was that of a professional mercenary. Instinct, from years of experience, told Picard that this man was most likely very dangerous. The captain abhorred the idea of Vash being in the same quadrant as this man, let alone in the same room. Picard carefully kept his tone even and diplomatic, "Mr. Bards, I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard." "Captain, let's cut to the chase and do a little business, shall we?" Bards seemed to be self-assured and impertinent. "You Feds have something I want and I have quite a few things you want. It's so simple really. You boys hand over Genil, then I'll hand over the Ambassador and the rest of the hostages." "Before we discuss anything further, I want to see the hostages," Picard replied. "Agreed," Bards nodded. Looking off to the side, he ordered, "Show the boys upstairs the goods." The view on the screen panned the room, showing the rest of the armed terrorists and the center of the lecture hall where the hostages were sitting. Picard carefully surveyed the scene, spotting the ambassador rather quickly. After another moment or so he spotted Vash; nonchalantly toying with a thread on the cuff of her suit jacket, she was seated in the front row toward the left side of the screen. The view returned to Bards. "Satisfied?" Bards asked. "Yes," Picard nodded. "However, I will need some time to contact the Pentarus V government." "Of course, Captain," the terrorist replied in an overly friendly tone. "But don't dawdle. I'm sure you wouldn't want anything to happen to any of these innocent bystanders." "That would not be in your best interest, Mr. Bards," Picard quietly warned in a voice of iced steel. He thought to himself, 'If you so much as harm a hair on her head, I promise your life expectancy will decrease dramatically.' "Later, skipper," Bards called flippantly before ending the transmission. "I really hate that term," Picard sighed to himself as he sat down in the center seat. Glancing over to his left at Troi, he asked, "Your opinion, Counselor?" "Bards and the rest of the terrorists are feeling very confident, maybe even overly confident. Which could prove useful," she answered. "Most of the hostages were apprehensive, but I did not sense any real panic." "Anything from Vash, Deanna?" Picard inquired. "She is bored," Troi replied with a small smile, "I also sensed some mild irritation but mostly just boredom." "I know she puts up a brave front," Picard started. Troi briefly placed her hand on his arm, "Relax, she's bored, very, very bored." Picard nodded to Deanna before turning to his first officer. "Number One?" "They're certainly not infallible, the pan of the whole room for instance," Riker sounded pleased. "Agreed," Picard replied. "What importance does that have?" Troi asked. "Tactical information," Picard answered. Looking over to see a pained expression on the Klingon's face, Riker teased, "Mr. Worf, the next time Starfleet wants us to send someone for tactical training, make sure the Counselor is on the top of the list." "Aye, sir, I'll see to it myself," Worf retorted dryly. Picard turned to Data. "Data, please put the frame that showed the most of the room on screen." "Yes, sir," Data responded and a scene of all the hostages sitting in the center of the large room appeared on the view screen. Picard rose from the command chair and walked over to stand in front of the screen. "He seems to have posted his forces here, here, here, and here," Picard noted as he pointed to the different positions on the screen. "With the exception of stretching their legs a little, they will most likely hold those positions." "Agreed," Riker nodded as he stood and made his way over to Picard to get a closer look at the screen. "Data, I want you to use the records of this transmission to pinpoint the placement of Bards' forces on the schematics of the building," Picard ordered without looking away from the screen. "Aye, sir," the android acknowledged from ops. "Number One, we have the safety of quite a few hostages to worry about, so when we make our move, I want a lighting strike that will quickly and completely overwhelm the terrorists," Picard told his first officer. "Yes, sir," Riker replied from beside him. Unbidden, the captain's eyes fell on the image of Vash. He noticed how the short skirt set off her long, shapely legs, gracefully crossed as she sat in her chair. 'Damn, she's as strikingly beautiful as always. I was kidding myself to think she would actually blend into the background,' he thought as he let out a worried sigh. "Captain?" Riker asked him quietly as he followed his CO's gaze to Vash. Picard spoke so only his first officer could hear, "Sorry Number One. I was just wishing she didn't stand out so much. That skirt being a little longer wouldn't hurt either." "She'll be fine; but, expecting Vash not to stand out in a crowd is like expecting Q not to be irritating," Riker said with a small smile. "You have a point, Will. I'll meet you and Data in my quarters," Picard replied. Glancing back up at the image of Vash on the screen, he thought, 'I'm on my way, chere.' Then turning on his heel, he headed back to his ready room. "Aye, sir," Riker nodded and watched as the captain made his way off the bridge. ................................................ Vash and the rest of her colleagues on the Archaeology Council sat in the lecture hall for over five hours as the terrorists intermittently reissued their demands and paced the room. She was not really frightened, but more annoyed that these jerks wasted her whole day. She overheard one of the terrorists report to Bards that the building had been sealed off by a group of Starfleet security led by a very large and very angry-looking Klingon. Vash couldn't keep from smiling, Worf was never what you would call subtle. Shifting in her seat, Vash tugged on the short brown skirt of her suit and re-crossed her legs. Then a voice snapped, "Hey you." Vash looked up at Bards, who was now standing in front of her with two of his men. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him. The terrorist leered down at her, "Yes, you with the legs. What's the smile for?" The colleague who had been sitting next to her made a move to intervene, but before he could, Vash laid a hand on his arm, "It's all right, George." "Just stay seated, George," Bards sneered. "So tell me Legs, what was the smile for? Is one of those yellow clad, hero-wanna-be, do-gooders out there a boyfriend?" "Not at all," Vash answered looking up at the ceiling. To herself she thought, 'You pitiful fool, you have no idea who you're talking to.' Just then she saw a ceiling tile was silently being lifted up. A Starfleet commando, with his phaser rifle at the ready, stealthily dropped to the floor behind the three terrorists in front of her. As he held his phaser rifle, his lean, muscular build strained against the material of his dark grey, form-fitting combat uniform. The four slightly lighter, grey rank pips on his collar were almost unnoticeable. Determination was etched in the strongly sculpted features of his handsome face. The fringe of closely trimmed grey hair at the nape of his neck accented the color of his penetrating grey eyes. The three men turned to face him. Vash watched as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, her fiancee', using the butt of his rifle and amazingly fast hand-to-hand combat expertise, disarmed all three terrorists and had them laying on the floor in seconds. At the exact same time, thirty more Starfleet commandos, including Data and Will Riker, flooded into the room from the ceiling, windows, and doors. In less than a minute all twelve terrorists were stripped of their weapons and laying on the floor, without a single shot being fired. Picard stood over the three terrorists with his rifle trained on them. His deep voice resonated with authority as he addressed the leader. "Ren Bards, I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise." As the name sunk in, the terrorist groaned in defeat. Picard continued, "I am hereby placing you and your followers under arrest on charges of terrorism, kidnapping, and ownership of illegal weapons. Mr. Data," "Yes, Captain." The android swiftly appeared at Picard's side. "Please find any other applicable offenses to charge these men with?" "With pleasure, sir. I am certain that, in addition to several Federation laws, there are also many obsolete, but still very binding, laws on Pentarus V that they can be charged with." "Thank you, Mr. Data, I will await your report." As he spoke, Vash found herself studying Jean-Luc. She admired the chiseled features of his face and the firm set of his mouth. She found herself daydreaming about the feel of those lips on hers, kissing her intensely, passionately. Her gaze traveled over his broad shoulders and the bulge of his hardened biceps as he held the phaser rifle in his large hands. The dark commando uniform emphasized the tightly leashed strength contained in the corded muscles of his sleek build. Her imagination raced with thoughts of him taking her with the same determination and expertise he had shown in taking this room. The idea made her go weak in the knees. She felt her pulse and breathing quicken. His eyes met hers as he glanced over at the councilmembers. "Is everyone all right?" Vash, along with the rest of the councilmembers, nodded. But then she swallowed hard and looked away. She knew she was flushed, her breathing shallow and her heart pounding. She didn't want to distract Jean-Luc with her heated response. Or even worse, he'd mistake her reaction for fear and become protective, wanting to comfort and take care of her. If that happened, she'd never get him to bed her tonight. She took a couple of deep breaths and tried to distract herself by watching the security teams gather up the terrorists to beam them to the Enterprise's brig. Just as Riker and Worf reached Jean-Luc, one of the security teams was hauling the three terrorists in front of him up to their feet. "Ma'am, are you all right" "They didn't hurt you, ma'am, did they?" "Is there anything we can get you, ma'am?" Vash looked up to see three officers, rather handsome young men, practically falling over themselves to help their commanding officer's bride-to-be. Doing her best to appear nonchalant, Vash stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles on her short brown skirt. She patted two of the young officers on the shoulder and smiled flirtatiously at all three, "Really boys, I'm fine. After the last five hours, I'm just very tired of sitting." Ren Bards, now in restraints, eyed the scene. Taking a step away from his security guards toward Vash, he snarled, "Just who the hell are you, Legs?" Immediately, all three officers took on an alert protective stance, surrounding her. From behind them, Vash watched as the butt of Data's rifle slammed into Bard's stomach, pushing him back to his security guards who seized his arms. Will Riker towered over Bards, sounding very dangerous as he hissed, "She is none of your concern!" Now standing off to one side, Picard slung his rifle over his shoulder and motioned for Vash to come and stand with him. Standing there next to him as he commanded his officers, she couldn't help but notice his almost overwhelming virility and masculine presence. She could just barely smell his clean scented aftershave. Unable to resist temptation, Vash laid her hand to rest on his upper arm enjoying the feel of the powerful muscles underneath the uniform. He glanced down at her. Vash leaned against him to give the impression that she had lost her balance slightly. With a small smile, she explained, "I've been sitting for over five hours." "Your equilibrium is probably a little off," he told her gently. "Probably," Vash agreed. It sounded a lot better than telling him, 'Actually darling, seeing you do the commando-warrior thing has me so hot and bothered that I want you to take me here, right now, big boy!' Jean-Luc slid his arm around her, his hand resting at the small of her back. As she shifted closer to him, she thought, 'This will work!' Vash glanced back at Bards. His eyes were wide with shock as he realized just who she was. "Oh shit!" Bards gasped just before he was transported to the brig. END PART 1 -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Awards Tech Support http://www.trekiverse.us/ASCAwards/commenting/ No Tribbles were harmed in the running of these Awards ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek .creative or directly to the author. Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! 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