Shakedown (Series Pilot/Premiere)

The USS Bretagne leaves drydock on her maiden voyage. Commodore Wesley uses Dr. Daystom's M-4 computer on board to administer the Kobayashi Maru as test of Commander Harper's command readiness.Story By Paul Jacoby and JH Davis

GM Narration By Paul Jacoby

Stardate: 1425.2 (2268)

Summary

Teaser

This is the only episode that lacks a teaser intro. The episode opens with the Star Trek theme and Commander Harper's narrative:

"Space. . .the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Bretagne. Its standing orders: To maintain off-world peace. To expand science, and test out new innovations. To render aid where all men have gone before!"

Act I

[Interior Hallway to Turbolift]

You see various personnel hurrying about to their stations. Final preparations are being made for the launch of the USS Bretagne from drydock. The air is filled with intense activity. There are deadlines that must be met. Commodore Wesley walks alongside Commander Harper to a turbolift. The Commodore signs off on a PADD and hands it to his aide.

Commodore Wesley hands over the final inspection and launch preparation of the Bretagne to Commander Harper. He encourages Harper to join Lieutenant Commander T'Val in the transporter room to greet Dr. Richard Daystrom. Wesley heads back to his quarters to grab a quick bite, and is frustrated at the delay of a shipment of Tranya concentrate (the Commodore's favorite drink) which is three weeks overdue as a result of a First Federation embargo. Before leaving, he informs Harper that his commission has been rejected, despite Wesley's recommendation.

Act II

[Interior Transporter Room]

T’Val stands at the transporter controls, along with Ensign Jefferson West, a young blueshirt technician/science officer. Security Chief Sauren Ch’od stands guard at the doors. They’re awaiting the signal from Earth to beam up a VIP passenger. Commander Harper joins them.

Dr. Daystrom beams aboard with the M-4 multitronic computer. Daystrom heads straight for T'Val, whom he considers his only intellectual peer aboard; ignoring Harper and everyone else in the process. It is an awkward moment as Harper has to explain that he is there on behalf of the Commodore to greet him.

Act III

[Various Locations]

Lieutenant Katerina Van Tassel is running the pre-launch internal check-in. She is also running preliminary comm-checks with Starfleet Command, Spacedock and all subspace relay stations (including solar system traffic control). She appears a bit harried.

Lieutenant Jeremiah Peterson is running through the pre-flight checklist at Helm with Ensign William Paxton at Navigation.

The viewscreen is showing the ceremony of the christening, official naming, and launching of the Bretagne. Drydock is surrounded by remote cameras. Shuttlecraft are passing back and forth, flashing their running lights.

A distant subspace distress signal comes in highly distorted, "Imperative! This is the Kobayashi Maru, nineteen periods out of Altair Six. We have struck a gravitic mine and have lost all power (static) our hull is penetrated and we have sustained many casualties. Our position is Gamma Hydra, section 10!" The Kobayashi Maru is in the Klingon Neutral Zone.Harper orders Red Alert and has Peterson set a course into the Neutral Zone to render aid to the Kobayashi Maru. As they near the freighter, three Klingon K't'inga class battlecruisers de-cloak in front of the ship.

The Bretagne, failing to receive an answer to hail, engages the Klingon cruisers, ultimately destroying one and seriously damaging another, before being forced to disengage.

As the Bretagne warps out of the sector, all systems suddenly return to normal. The distress call and ensuing battle were part of a simulation run by Daystrom's M-4 computer, per Commodore Wesley's orders. As Commander Harper had never faced the infamous Kobayashi Maru test while at Starfleet Academy, Wesley had arranged for him to take it in the field.

Wesley had initially planned to stay in his quarters during the simulation to observe Harper's performance. However, in attempting to program the replicators to produce tranya, he ended up with a form of grapefruit juice which he is highly allergic to. After being hailed numerous times in his quarters for something routine, an ensign finds Wesley passed out on the floor from Anaphylaxis. The Commodore is subsequently rushed to sickbay.

Unfortunately, Daystrom hadn't been informed of this, and allows the simulation to run normally as scheduled. The only other starfleet officer to know of the simulation is T'Val, who keeps a watchful eye as ordered.

As soon as the Kobayashi Maru scenario ends, Harper, T'Val and Dr. Warrix compare notes and solve the mystery as to what really happened. Wesley recovers and explains to Harper that he's now a shoe-in for his own commission, since the Kobayashi Maru is considered a non-negotiable rite of passage.

Memorable Quotes

"Er, no autographs...please."

- Dr. Daystrom to Harper mistaking him for a junior officer

"Commander, have you ever piloted a Starship out of spacedock?"

- Commodore Wesley to Harper

"No way man! Nobody told me there was an actual ship like that out there in real life! This isn't happening, man!"

- En. Paxton upon hearing the Kobayashi Maru's distress call

Background Information

This episode features the first studio model miniature of the USS Bretagne. The Klingon warship miniatures were provided by Lewis Galoob Inc, an associate company contracted by Priority One's special-effects supervisor. The simulation itself was performed live, in one take, and with minimal rotoscoping.

The series' pilot showed the Bretagne's bridge section as having a forward viewscreen similar to the one seen in The Cage. By episode #3 of ST:P1, this was replaced with a viewscreen matching the one seen on the USS Enterprise.

Links and References