Terra Incognita, Issue 2 is the second issue of IDW Publishing's Terra Incognita miniseries.
Description[]
- When a routine diplomatic mission takes a catastrophic turn, Counselor Deanna Troi is the only thing that stands between the Federation and the prospect of galactic war! From the creative forces behind Star Trek: The Next Generation - Mirror Broken and Star Trek: Discovery - The Light of Kahless!
Summary[]
Space: the final frontier. - These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before.
With the USS Hood soon to be underway, Picard and DeSoto pass the time with a bout of fencing. After the latter wins, he reveals to Picard that the admiralty has decided to have the USS Enterprise undertake the mission instead. This meeting is all about showing strength to the Cardassians. And a Galaxy-class starship will easily do that.
As the Enterprise warps off to her new assignment, Picard and Troi get to know the Vulcan ambassadors who walk them through the intricately long, illogical, and pedantic conditions under which the Cardassians have agreed to meet. The Enterprise will meet with the CDS Raknok in orbit of Telvina V. Then a Federation shuttle will depart from the Enterprise with the negotiation team, dock with the Raknok for the Cardassian counterparts and then finally land on Telvina II for negotiations whereupon both capital ships will depart the system. When pressed by Picard on the stupidity of the terms, Hendryk agrees that they are not ideal but that they have no choice.
When the Raknok appears on the scanners, Picard has it hailed, greeting the oddly receptive Gul Rakar. Troi doesn't think Rakar to be hiding anything but he is tense. Very tense. And that has been made worse by the Enterprise showing up. In the shuttle bay, Barclay presents the diplomats with a shuttlecraft, necessary due to Telvina II's magnetic field and the Cardassian insistence on traditional transport. Though Barclay's disgust at the Cardassians nearly reveals his Terran origins, he is quick to mask it. Though it does leave the Vulcans feeling he needs counseling. Once aboard the Raknok, ambassador Karan, and her aide Doran, board the shuttle with little ceremony and typical Cardassian arrogance.
As the shuttle streaks into Telvina II's atmosphere, it is struck by a wind shear, forcing Lieutenant Boeger to make a crash landing. Once it is found the crash has claimed no lives, Troi, Hendryk and Karan head out to find aid, leaving a sulking Doran to watch over Boeger and Thonn.
The Enterprise soon detects that the shuttlecraft no longer registers at all. Its transponder has gone dark. As ideas fly, the Raknok returns, with shields up and a trajectory out of the Telvina system. Though Rakar is enraged, Picard calmly points out that the Cardassians have somehow figured out the crash despite supposedly being several star systems away. A truly fortunate turn of events.
As the trio trek through the desert, Hendryk and Karan begin to grate on one another's nerves. As Troi attempts to play peacemaker, Hendryk alarmingly notes the fauna has come alive, tackling both women out of the path of a tendril but at the cost that he himself becomes impaled. Whipping out her phaser, Troi wounds the alien with Karan pulling out her disruptor to finish it. Hendryk still lives but insists he be abandoned. Karan scoffs at that, she will hardly show up to a diplomatic summit with her opposite number having died in front of her. As the two begin making a makeshift cot out of Hendryk's robes, Troi notes that the ambassador carried a disruptor, despite insisting that the Federation come unarmed. Karan only says "you're welcome" for killing the alien.
As the two continue on, another creature attempts to feed on the Vulcan forcing Karan to kill it. But soon, the "legendary Starfleet efficiency" pays off as Troi leads them all to the diplomatic compound.
Inside, Troi reports on a successful rescue to Picard but that Hendryk will need to be treated aboard ship. Picard says to expect them shortly before Rakar calls again. After the Cardassian makes a passive-aggressive compliment, Picard casually brings up Karan being armed and the Raknok remaining within the system. Now Picard could tell the Cardassian leadership, as Rakar could tell the Federation about the crashing shuttle... or perhaps they could just pretend the last few hours never happened and proceed with the negotiations.
Petulantly, Rakar agrees.
Log entries[]
- Captain's log, supplemental.
- I was not expecting the Enterprise to become so involved in the Federation's negotiations with the Cardassians.
It's typical for Robert DeSoto to be more concerned about the bigger picture and our mutual interests than his own ego.
I have an abundance of faith in Counselor Troi, and I can already tell that she's going to work well as official escort to the Vulcan ambassadors that have come over from the Hood to the Enterprise.
Dealings with the Cardassians can at times be somewhat... prickly. While I do think Captain DeSoto is right about the Enterprise's role, now I have to get my crew ready for this task - and fast.
References[]
Characters[]
- Reginald Barclay • Jenna Boeger • Data • Robert DeSoto • Doran • Hendryk • Karan • Jean-Luc Picard • Rakar • William T. Riker • Thonn • Deanna Troi • Worf
- Referenced only
- Geordi La Forge
Starships & Vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class) • CDS Raknok (Galor-class)
Locations[]
- Telvina V
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Other references[]
Appendices[]
Images[]
Cover(s)[]
Related Stories[]
Connections[]
External link[]
Terra Incognita, Issue 2 article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.