S01Ep02 The Klingon Resolve

"Romulans are cunning."

- Chancellor Martok to James Maxwell. S01Ep02 The Klingon Resolve

S01Ep02 The Klingon Resolve is the second episode of Star Trek Eternity's Season 1. Beginning on October 8th of 2010, it saw the crew of the Eternity going rogue in the hopes of uncovering the secret Romulan remnant group, the Followers of Nero, often abbreviated (FON) through Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard's past ambassadorial relations with the Klingon Empire.

Prologue
"However fortune favors the bold. We should thank the crew of the Eternity for that fortune...,"

-Praetor Vicious to unnamed FON Captain. S01Ep02 The Klingon Resolve

The opening moments of Season 1's second episode hints on the effects taken by the Followers of Nero regarding the impact Eternity's discovery of Ildius 3, or Thralcor as its called in Reman tongue. Rather than slinking back into hiding again, the Reman Praetor, eventually discovered to be named Vicious in later episodes of the season, uses their discovery as a means to accelerate the FON's plans for the Federation.

The scene then shifts to the holding quarters of James Maxwell, who is busy putting back a bottle of scotch after placing the Captain's Log stating that his crew have been sequestored to Starbase 83 until further investigation regarding the attacks in the Ildius System. Apparently the act having inflamed the relationships between Starfleet and the Klingon Empire. To that, Task Force 83 has pulled more towards a militaristic operation under the new Fleet Commander Julia Passings, and, 'old flame,' of Jim's. He's interrupted by Jean-Luc Picard who enters his quarters apologetic. Maxwell brushes this off, offering the conclusion that Picard knew more than he initially led on about with sending Eternity into a region known to be high in protomatter. Conclusive, Picard issues that the young Commander isn't wrong in his notion that Starfleet knew of the Ildius System. The Ambassador goes on to say that he's seen the greed of the Federation, seen how it twists them as it had with the Ba'Ku and that he now sees it in the Ildius System. With both of their cards now on the table, Picard proposes a plan of action, having pulled some strings with the Klingon Empire for a secret meeting in the Cha'Dan system. Though, not finding reprieve of their confinement to the Starbase, it is hinted that should the Ambassador and Commander Deanna Troi-Riker find themselves at the docking port of the Eternity that Jim and whomever he gets to go along with him, to find a means of getting the ship underway while the rest of Task Force 83 is busy colonizing Ildius 3 as a move of strategy to garner a foothold against the Klingon Empire (not knowing the exsistence of the Romulan remnant group).

Picard then meets with Lieutenant Commander Colin Byrne, expertly crafting and convincing the man with the checkered past that he is the most expendable of the Eternity's crew should the operation to get the ship, the Ambassador, and Commander Troi to Cha'Dan goes wrong. After the conviction is put in place, Picard reminds Byrne that Maxwell is, 'looking forward,' to their evening run. During the run, they compose the plan, weeding out those of the crew they can trust. Its settled that Byrne will get the crew together, as First Officer, he'd seed the negotiation of the necessity with Starbase 83's Security Department while Maxwell would take care of the, 'political equation,' using his relationship with Julia as a means of leverage; in truth, the two being Agents of the Council. Behind closed doors its revealed that they are more than just, 'old flames.' Without telling Julia of Picard's plans, Maxwell convinces the Fleet Commander that there is something bigger than the mission the Council assigned them in this area for; that, due to this, the Council couldn't possble know that they are romantically involved and still looking for a way out. Maxwell breaks character, applying the still running conclusion that something big was about to happen and that there might be a possibility of using this as a way out to run as far and as fast as they can. In the meantime she needed to act as the Council expected her to, as the Fleet Commander of Task Force 83 and he needed to continue his role as the Commanding Officer of Eternity.

Meantime, with approval, Colin Byrne moves those he trusts into position. It's slated that Operation Gingerbread, would commence sometime after the court marshal of Commander James Maxwell and Lieutenant Commander Colin Byrne.

Operation Gingerbread
"Admiral Hackett of Starfleet Intelligence would have that information and would be able to bring the rest of my service jacket public. I ask that the evidence found be sided to the defense as well.  I also ask that Lieutenant Kavel ask the Admiral about Operation Gingerbread as a personal favor to me."

- Commander James Maxwell to Lt. Kavel. S01Ep02 The Klingon Resolve

Operation Gingerbread was the name for Colin Byrne's process of associating all his trusted crew members to be at the right place at the right time to steal the Eternity from Starbase 83 and get to Klingon space. The cunning First Officer used the proposed installation of a new TCARS computer system install on Eternity as a means to back up the reasoning behind having all the crew members aboard and ready for departure at the mention of the code word, 'Gingerbread,' by the Commanding Officer, James Maxwell who did just that during the court martial proceedings openly which accelerated the timetable for Eternity's departure. In a composition of subterfuge and brash take overs, eventually the Eternity is taken, exiting the Starbase while dealing significant damage to the station's sensor and weapons; the act not going over well with Colin Byrne who did not understand the tenacity of Maxwell's intended escape. They cross beyond the Portage and the Renault before entering warp towards the Cha'Dan system, the location of the meeting between Ambassador Picard and his contacts in the Klingon Empire.

However successful, or brutal, the Eternity's escape had been, no one could foresee the ship's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bridget Cavenaugh would be the threat that would quell the attempts of the Eternity reaching Cha'Dan, her arrival on the Bridge sparking movement to her detainment. However, in convincing her that he was of sound mind and was acting in the best interest towards the situation, Commander Maxwell agrees that his step down of Command should occur until his evaluation by Medical is complete. Colin Byrne takes command in the meantime while Maxwell is subsequently sequestered, eventually leveraging the Doctor to release him after the evaluation. However, while still in the position of Commanding Officer, Colin Byrne is taken aside by Picard, instilling and cementing with recorded confession, that Colin Byrne was the man behind the abduction of the Eternity and taking it's crew as hostage.

At warp, the Eternity reaches its intended destination of the Cha'Dan system, the probe designed Lieutenant John Crawford, as a measure of keeping the rest of Task Force 83 off their scent appears to work and the ship is met with 6 Negh'Var warships upon it's entrance into the system. General Worf of the Klingon Defense Force Ninth Fleet greets the Eternity and Ambassador Picard issuing that he is to escort the Ambassador and his selected council down to the surface of Xia, in the old quarter district to meet Chancellor Martok. Surprised at this Picard questions Worf on the safety in allowing the Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, rather than the proposed advisor to meet with Picard. Worf explains thats why he and his fleet are there. Further, Martok, not only was more than agreeing to meet Picard, held the stipulation that Commander Maxwell be in this meeting as well. Accepting the invitation, though armed, Maxwell joins the Ambassador and Commander Troi down to the surface leaving lines of communications open all the while giving Colin Byrne acting command of the Eternity.

Sedition
"The Followers (of Nero) yield technology vastly superior to ours or the Federation's for that matter. This is perhaps the way they, 'promise' that the Klingon Empire will be great again."

- Chancellor Martok to Ambassador Jean-Luc Picard. S01Ep02 The Klingon Resolve

After a slight show of physical prowess, a trait often tested by the Klingons, and a questionability of the Eternity's Commanding Officer and stakes, James Maxwell, Picard, and Troi enter the meeting halls on the surface, meeting General Worf and Chancellor Martok. The meeting is held in open coms, the crew of the Eternity hearing every word spoken while Martok and Worf continue leveraging information that their own Intelligence Agency has uncovered about an underground sedition within the Klingon Empire that had been, subsequently, started by the Followers of Nero, in promise that, with their technology to back them, the Klingon Empire would be great again. Maxwell deduces that the meeting was held in secret because Martok did not understand how deep the sedition had been seeded. If they had Follower Loyalists within the Klingon Empire, there must have been a cell or two of Loyalists in Starfleet. At the midst of handing over the physical evidence of the Followers and their stance in the Ildius System, Trajan appears via transporter, the Romulian's sudden appearance in the meeting sparking those that had betrayed the Klingon Empire to turn on their brothers, General Worf and Chancellor Martok as well as a few loyal, disarmed and held at knife or gun point. At issuing that the room had been dampened, transporter lock not a possibility, Trajan orders the Klingon deserters commanding three of the six Negh'Var cruisers to pull into combat with the Eternity and the other three of the KAS Ninth Fleet. Byrne works with Commander T'Grath of the Kahless and the K'ang as the space battle overhead heats up as shots are traded. With the introduction of the devistating multiphasic missiles, the Kahless is destroyed causing the tide of battle to shift towards the Followers side.

Meanwhile, at a stalemate pressed on the surface at Xia, Trajan explains that goal to make the Federation pay for what they did, or rather didn't do, that led to the Romulan Empire's demise at the fate of the Hobius Star; sighting that the Federation had the technology to stop it but didn't. The stalemate ends as, just as a separatist Klingon Captain is about to assassinate Martok, James Maxwell acts, throwing a Faka knife into the separatist's hand. This sparks Worf and the others still loyal to the Empire to break in conflict wherein the outcome fell that Commander Troi was held hostage by Trajan, the barrel of the disruptor at her temple. Martok had been bested, stabbed while General Worf kept pressure on the wound. Picard held poised to strike, but was held back by Trajan, his insistence on the Romulan taking him instead of Troi. The stalemate concludes as Trajan's ship, Aehkhifv, beams Troi, Picard and himself onboard; though, in mid transport, Maxwell takes his shot at the Romulan General causing devistation to cross upon Follower's face. Aboard, the Aehkhifv decloaks and fires, cutting through the furball of the spacebattle, nearly cutting the K'ang apart.

Epilogue
The pursuing Starfleet vessels, the Renault and the Enterprise, enter the Cha'Dan System finding only the devistation left. The Eternity and crew are detained as well as the evidence Martok brought of the Followers of Nero, the last act the Chancellor makes before his death. William Riker confronts James Maxwell about the fate of Picard and, his wife, Deanna. At stating that both were taken by Trajan, Riker punches Maxwell and the episode ends.

Transcript
For S01Ep02 The Klingon Resolve transcript: (142 pages)