#tng peak Performance

[filmjunky-99]

s t a r t r e k t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n created by gene roddenberry [peak performance, s2ep21]

'It is a matter of perspective, Doctor. In the strictest sense, I did not win.' - data

'Data!' - pulaski

'I busted him up.' - data

[warpfactor9]

i couldn't find this clip of geordi fantasizing out loud about data wiping the floor with that smug zakdorn strategist in 2x21 Peak Performance so i cut and captioned it my goddamned self

[idol--hands]

D A T A • M O O D S

[the-sonic-colt-hidden-in-221b]

do captains listen to their engineers talk and actually understand, or are they like “mhm, yeah, i totally get what you mean. what can we do about it?” but inside they actually have no idea what the engineer just said.

[airyairyaucontraire]

I was going to say something about how I love this B-plot for character reasons but then I got totally distracted by that absolutely amazing old nautical map sweater just behind Data in the bottom gif. What a gorgeous thing to wear on a starship! I love it! And it looks so cosy!

Star Trek: The Next Generation // S02E21: Peak Performance

[prettyboypistol]

Accidental Kisses! || TNG Star Trek x Male!Reader

William Riker

You stumbled down the stairs while he was walking up, Willaim lunged to catch you, which knocked your lips together.

"Oh- are you alright, Lieutenant? You took quite a tumble."

You apologize for stumbling into him and kissing him, to which he smiles and waves it off as an accident. After all, there was no harm in it!

Afterwards, he absentmindedly licks his lips and tastes your chapstick, reminding him of the encounter. His cheeks tinge pink- hopefully his feelings still remain a secret

Worf

As Worf's assistant and Assistant Chief of Security, Worf expected you to be in peak physical condition- this kiss happens while sparring- he tackled you to the ground, and in the struggle, you two share a rough kiss.

Worf pins you down by the neck and arms, which effectively left you prone. He mumbles "That better have been an accident." You nod frantically and he releases you.

Apologized for getting too rough with you- blaming it on reflex more than actual aggression. You apologize for the kiss, which still haunts his sweetest dreams to this day.

Data

You had no idea what the fuck happened. Suddenly, you were saying "hi" to Data in the rec room, then his hands were on your cheeks as he kissed you with a mountain of electricity tingling behind his lips.

"What? the hell?" You manage to sputter out, Data seemed confused.

"Apologies if I startled you. I was giving you an authentic European greeting from Earth. Did you feel appropriately greeted and our relationship assured?"

"Data- I- first of all, not all of Europe kisses to greet, NEXT OF ALL, THEY KISS THE CHEEKS!"

Geordi La Forge

It was a moment of excitement shared between you two- a project you both had spent countless nights on performed without a hitch in front of the investors. After the meeting, you two were so excited and hugging- it just sorta... happened.

"Oh- oh my god- I'm so sorry." Geordi apologized quickly as he recoiled away from the hug. "It was an accident."

"Yeah- we were just excited, totally an accident on both ends." You respond just as quickly as your cheeks burn up.

Q

Alright, this kiss isn't an accident. He's pissing you off by bothing you during your work, begging for you to entertain him. He wants a human experience! He already looks like one in this form! Do something human!

So, you punched him in the gut, then kiss him roughly- tongue invaded his mouth in a way that made his eyes roll back into his skull at the feeling of being properly paid attention to- even more than expected!

Q finally shut up for a good while as he behaved himself- at the promise of more of those. So, he sat down next to your station and waited patiently for you to be done with our work- then he kissed you!

His kiss was- well, it was Q, what did you expect?

[leesargent]

Li'l TNG Season 2 I am so excited everyone loved revisiting season one so I'm very happy to share season 2 - also so many faces from my Tumblr past - it's so cool seeing you all!!!

The Child

Where Silence Has Lease

Elementary, Dear Data

The Outrageous Okona

Loud As A Whisper

The Schizoid Man

Unnatural Selection

A Matter Of Honor

The Measure Of A Man

The Dauphin

Contagion

The Royale

Time Squared

The Icarus Factor

Pen Pals

Q Who

Samaritan Snare

Up The Long Ladder

Manhunt

The Emissary

Peak Performance

Shades of Gray

[staringdownabarrel]

hey, where do I start with star trek?

It really depends on whether you want to watch all of it or if you're mostly hoping to do a bare bones viewing of the older shows before you see the shows currently in production. There's a lot of viewing guides out there if you want to do a completionist viewing, so I'm going to answer this with the assumption you want to do the latter.

Before I begin, I'm not really sure if there's such a thing as a non-contentious version of this list, so keep in mind there's going to be different people with different opinions and some are going to take some pretty big issues with this one.

The Original Series: The Cage, Where No Man Has Gone Before, Mudd's Women, Balance of Terror, Arena, The Menagerie Pts. I and II, Errand of Mercy, Amok Time, Mirror Mirror, I Mudd, The Trouble With Tribbles, Journey to Babel, The Enterprise Incident, Spock's Brain

The Animated Series: Honestly, I'm probably going to get some flack for this one, but you can safely skip it entirely

The Next Generation (the best series): Encounter At Farpoint, The Battle, Hide and Q, Datalore, Skin of Evil, Conspiracy, The Neutral Zone, Elementary Dear Data, The Measure of a Man (I have issues with this episode but it is very popular regardless), Q Who, The Emissary, Peak Performance, Who Watches the Watchers, Yesterday's Enterprise, The Offspring, Sins of the Father, Tin Man, Transfigurations, The Best of Both Worlds Pts. I and II, Family, Brothers, Reunion, The Drumhead, The Mind's Eye, Redemption Pts. I and II, Ensign Ro, Reunification Pts. I and II, I Borg, Chain of Command Pts. I and II, Tapestry, Birthright Pts. I and II, Rightful Heir, Descent Pts. I and II, The Pegasus, All Good Things

Deep Space Nine: Honestly, just watch the entire thing. A lot of the episodes, even the earlier ones, end up tying into ongoing arcs in this show. If you want just one episode to sell you on it, go see Duet or the Past Tense two parter.

Voyager: Caretaker, Jetrel, Threshold (c'mon, it's one of the holidays), Death Wish, Tuvix (notoriously one of the most contentious episodes of any Star Trek show ever made), The Q and the Grey, Worst Case Scenario, Scorpion Pts. I and II, The Gift, Year of Hell Pts I and II, Message In A Bottle, The Killing Game Pts. I and II, Living Witness, Drone, Equinox Pts. I and II, Q2, Author Author (aka what TNG's The Measure of a Man could have been like if it was good), Endgame.

Enterprise: Broken Bow, The Andorian Incident, Shadows of P'Jem, Shockwave Pts. I and II, Carbon Creek, Minefield, Cease Fire, The Expanse, all of season three because it's a season long arc and honestly one of the better seasons, Storm Front Pts. I and II, Borderland, Cold Station 12, The Augments, Babel One, United, The Aenar, Affliction, Divergence, In A Mirror Darkly Pts. I and II, Demons, Terra Prime, These Are the Voyages (also a contentious episode)

[ultralaser]

update, i did rewatch ds9 and i was right

i could be very wrong, i haven’t watched ds9 since it was actually originally on so it’s been awhile

but i think a lot of what i’m going back and liking in s2 of tng as a tangent the next gen nearly ran with but then didn��t, was all the same ideas about the world of star trek that got sidelined - as tng codified / coagulated into the stately, paternal, picard lecturing ppl abt how great the future is thing i find so largely unwatcheable now - for being too edgy and wierd for proper trek, and just built up in a quiet corner that finally got picked up and turned into ds9

bc tng in s1 is, especially going back to age six when the show premiered as a 34yo lifetime fan, almost entirely unrecognizeable for almost the entire first season. there are moments like arsenal of freedom that are 100% pure star trek - and tbh that episode is the actual pilot for what tng ultimately became - but a lot of it is just abstract, we have no idea where we’re going with this, throw everything at the wall and see what works

and the most interesting part of s1, tasha, doesn’t even make it to the season finale, which is this weird episode where data explains to the 1988 tv audience that television doesn’t exist in the future bc it rots your brain

and one of the timelost capsicles asks data what there is to do on the enterprise, and data mostly shrugs and says ‘go to work’ and you realize they don’t even have ten forward yet, or guinan

and then you go into s2 and right up front they say ‘look, finally, guinan is here to loosen these people the fuck up’ and you say, okay, no more scrambling for a direction, you had three months to rethink things, what else did this show need desperately that you’ve added and then doctor pulaski walks in and says 'leonard bones mccoy, md’

and it’s amazing

anyways s3 puts doctor pulaski on a bus and brings beverly back but they really start there with the feminizing of the female characters, so we go from tasha in s1 punching shit to pulaski and guinan in s2 calling picard an idiot to his face, to beverly and troi crying abt sad stuff and never doing anything

meanwhile s2 goes off in this very focussed, slightly different direction, and a lot of tng after that is watching the show calcify almost to the point of self-parody, but those threads s2 sets up are, more or less, the exact elements ds9 picks up and runs with

even middle voyager - the best voyager iirc but again it’s been twenty years? - is more like tng s2 than, say, tng s7, and this despite voyager s1 being more or less tng s8

anyways i need to rewatch ds9 is what i am saying

[fexalted]

watching tos for the first time since like, roughly 2012/13-ish? i don't remember what year it was, or why i only got thru most of season 1 before stopping

it's been fun to refresh my swiss cheesed memory with this tho so here's a semi-liveblog of the first 10 eps that i watched over the past couple weeks

1x01 - the man trap

things i remembered beforehand:

salt monster

"plum" uwu

that gay little run and crawl jim does when he's taking cover (it fills me with such delight)

things i did not remember:

how many people died, good god man it's only the first episode

1x02 - charlie x

things i remembered:

jim's bright red exercise pants

that stupid fucking face charlie makes when he uses his powers

not liking this ep at all when i first watched it, possibly due to me being around the same age as charlie at the time

additional thoughts: i enjoyed it more this time and felt more sympathetic for charlie. poor kid needed some parents, and also, like, a hug

1x03 - where no man has gone before

things i remembered:

bones isn't in it :'( (bored) (sad) (missing my bestie)

"James R Kirk"

that post i saw on here recently about how their contacts were made of glass

the only thing i could think about while watching:

their contacts

were made

of GLASS

(yes i understand this was how contacts were made back then. still freaked out by the concept of people putting glass in their eyes on purpose)

1x04 - the naked time

things i remembered:

sweat disease

sulu fencing

oh kathleen

"ONE-MORE-TIME!!"

"love mankind"

spock breakdown (extremely uncomfortable to watch)

bones casually ripping jim's shirt sleeve to jab him in the arm (extremely hilarious every time i think about it)

did not remember:

anything about them almost crashing into a planet lol

jim's little monologue when he gets infected (lmao)

time warp???

additional thoughts: hey remember when they reused this plot in tng and tasha and data fucked (<- literally the only thing i can remember about it) ((edit from future fex: i rewatched that ep. it was wild. tos did it better tho))

1x05 - the enemy within

things i remembered:

unicorn dog :)

evil kirk and poor little meow meow kirk

"I'M CAPTAIN KIRK!!!"

things not remembered:

dog dies :(

evil kirk's killer eyeliner

additional thoughts: say what you will about shatner / his acting but this ep is Peak shatner performance and a lot of fun to watch. he put his whole pussy into it, as the kids say these days

1x06 - mudd's women

things remembered:

could not forget harry mudd if i tried

the women are color coded like the powerpuff girls lol

they're also like, on some kind of drug that keeps them looking young or something

cool costumes tho

i don't have much to say about this one lol, harry's a fun character but the rest of the ep wasn't super interesting to me. did finally learn how to pronounce "ophiuchus" tho so i'll thank it for that

1x07 - what are little girls made of

things remembered:

is this the penis rock episode (it is)

uhhh i think kirk gets put into some kind of spinny machine that makes androids (he does)

more cool costumes (debatable)

things i find funny:

the number of planets we've encountered so far that are populated by like. 2-4 people

the way ruk (the big guy) just picks up and throws kirk like he weighs nothing

so much buildup with kirk and the penis rock and he doesn't even get to hit ruk over the head with it smh

also not a funny moment but i liked the way kirk was able to get a message to spock thru the android kirk, v clever

wait i just realized bones wasn't in this ep either. deducting 1/4 of a star from my mental rating bc i missed him (but apparently not that much)

1x08 - miri

remembered:

planet of children (bc everyone else died of terminal puberty)

"no blah blah blah!"

bones tests his newly discovered, untested cure on himself, in true mad scientist fashion (also spones moment <3)

saw this ep on a "what's your fave 'bad' episode" poll here recently and i can't remember if i thought it was good or bad when i first watched it lol

forgot:

another earth?? there's just a second, identical earth floating around out there?? and (of course) they don't mention it at all for the rest of the episode

300 year old children

oh these kids are so much more annoying than i remembered, however i may just be biased bc i don't like kids shfkshfk

1x09 - dagger of the mind

remember:

absolutely nothing! oh boy!

thoughts:

wow this ep is fucked up!

okay actually i don't think i've seen this one at all before?

usually there'll be moments that jog my memory but the only thing even slightly familiar to me was kirk going "helen don't go!" while in the neutralizer chair, but i could've just seen a clip/gif of it before

i remember skipping episodes in season 1 (i was impatient and wanted to get to city on the edge of forever) but i thought i'd at least made it to halfway thru the season before skipping any

anyway did i mention this ep is fucked up? (star trek really does love to drop an absolutely haunting 50 minutes of television on you and then never address it again, i understand this now. roll credits!)

1x10 - the corbomite maneuver

remember:

uhh

there's a thing out there

it's in the way

preventing them from boldly going, even

looks like an old windows screensaver

i might've skipped this ep too now that i think about it

thoughts:

cute mckirk moment in sickbay :3

i love that this cube has its own theme music whenever its on screen

oh shit it's the sequel to cube: orb

jesus christ that's a big orb

man they really said "okay we've got 3 music tracks and we're gonna get our money's worth out of them"

i gotta say this ep slaps tbh—WAIT HE'S A BABY???

LITTLE BABY MAN

LMAOOOOO

honestly great episode tho i'll stand by that

[sshbpodcast]

Character Spotlight: Wesley Crusher

By Ames

Grab your favorite hideous sweater! It’s time to talk about Wesley Crusher. He’s one of the most polarizing characters on TNG, with a lot of hate directed his way, but he also has a number of great Trek moments which we on A Star to Steer Her By are going to sort through today!

We can probably blame Gene Roddenberry for making this character so insufferable, especially in the first season when he seemed to have the easy solution for the engineering problem of any given episode. Gene designed him to characterize a person’s infinite potential and then slapdashedly shoehorned him into every place he could, and you’ll notice that right after the big writers room turnover, the child prodigy started feeling more like a character and less like a cheat code. Scroll on for the list below and listen to our chatter on this week’s podcast episode (warp over to timestamp 57:36) for all the dirt. Just unplug your nanite experiment first.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Don’t shut up, Wesley While I’ll give Wesley the deserved scrutiny in a moment for the absurd number of times in season one of TNG that he saved the day, we do have to give him some credit for figuring out that Lore was impersonating Data in “Datalore.” Even while pretty much everyone on the crew was telling him to shut up, Wes had it all figured out and topped it off by beaming Lore into space.

Double dumbass on you! Wesley actually does get to shine during “Coming of Age,” an episode that really uses his youth to its advantage by having him take the Starfleet Academy entrance exam. And he gets pretty far! He even figures out that Rondon is a Zaldan, so Wesley realizes that apologizing for getting run into himself is the wrong reaction for that culture and comes away looking like a badass.

Teamwork makes the dream work Speaking of “Coming of Age,” Wesley is also this close to solving the dynamics relationships test first when he helps Mordock figure it out too. Wesley’s natural affinity for helping his crewmates is more important to him than getting the top score, which TAC Officer Chang takes into consideration in the final results. I’m not sure it helped much, but it’s a good character moment.

You never forget your first “I'm never going to feel this way about anyone else,” Wesley says to Guinan after watching his first crush leave in “The Dauphin.” Strangely, it’s a very mature little conversation considering Wesley was ready to write Salia off as some kind of alien monster earlier in the episode. But he learns to accept her differences, score some relationship experience points, and get his first smooch.

The minute you walk through that door they’re your team Slowly, the show starts putting Wesley in more age-appropriate situations in which he isn’t just saving the day, so it’s fitting for him to be overwhelmed when leading his first committee in “Pen Pals.” His team member Davies effectively takes over because Wes initially lacks confidence, but he soon takes charge and they work together to save Drema IV. Go team!

You told me to improvise During the war games in “Peak Performance,” Wesley thinks outside the box and retrieves one of his many, many experiments from the Enterprise to use on the less advantaged Hathaway. While Riker initially accuses young Crusher of cheating, no one said he couldn’t sneak tools off the other ship, and it’s that kind of ingenuity that could be useful in a fight.

Begin by letting go of your guilt, Wesley His mother Beverly may be on full display in “Remember Me” as we discussed last week, but Wesley also gets some interesting development. Back in “Where No One Has Gone Before” the Traveler saw potential in the child prodigy, and when the two of them use their special powers here to open the door for Dr. Crusher to return from the warp bubble, we witness some of that weird potential get unlocked.

I’ve done it all because I want you to be proud of me We joke a lot on the podcast that Picard is secretly Wesley’s father, and it’s mostly for laughs. But when we get touching scenes between the two of them like the one in “Final Mission,” we think we may be onto something. Stranded on a planet without water, Wesley keeps an injured Picard alive (can’t say the same for Dirgo, but whatever), fueling paternity theories for years to come.

I just lost the game After Wesley leaves the crew after “Final Mission,” his appearances are more methodical, and thus his character feels more and more appropriate each time. In “The Game,” he’s just visiting but his tendency to see how things work helps him and Lefler to discover that the video game everyone’s playing is actually harmful before the whole crew turns on them.

I would like to add something to my testimony We get even more glimpses of how far Wesley has come when he’s attending Starfleet Academy in “The First Duty.” All of Nova Squadron has lied about the circumstances of Josh Albert’s flight accident, and it’s Wesley who comes clean in the end because he can’t bear the guilt and the dishonesty of covering up their nefarious actions. Take that, Locarno!

These people deserve better than to be removed from their homes We found Picard’s actions inexcusable and entirely out of character in “Journey’s End” but you know who was actually on point? Wesley freakin’ Crusher. How on earth the boy was the only Starfleet-adjacent person to actually try to defend the colonists on Dorvan V is beyond us. It strikes us as opposing Federation ideals to force the colonists to move, and Wes knows that.

I had to find my own path Finally, it is a fabulous resolution to the Wesley Crusher character for him to decide on his own to leave Starfleet and go with the Traveler to discover his true potential in “Journey’s End.” For too many kids, it’s the parents who put pressure on them to walk certain paths, and we celebrate Wes for finding his own. Ya know, until he’s randomly back in Starfleet for that cut scene from Nemesis for some reason.

—

Worst moments

Wesley Saves the Day! Okay, I’m gonna lump all the obnoxious “Wesley Saves the Day!” instances into one blurb because it’s so damn repetitive. Every single time, Wesley – a child amidst some of Starfleet’s best of the best – figures out some impossible engineering problem before any of the adults in the room can, and we got so tired of it. 

Whether it’s by getting drunk and taking over engineering only to use his reverse tractor beam in “The Naked Now,” or saving the day with the Traveler in “Where No One Has Gone Before,” or spotting Picard’s brain scan from across the room and deducing there are Ferengi shenanigans afoot in “The Battle,” or cracking the lock on the holodeck door while La Forge had already admitted defeat in “The Big Goodbye,” or seeing through Lore’s disguise as we mentioned above while all the adults in the room tell him to shut up in “Datalore,” or probably a ton of others all from the first season, it was clear no one knew how to write him except as some kind of magical prodigy. Alakazam!

Keep off the grass It’s all the more clear that having a child character on the crew is just a cringey idea in “Justice.” Sure, it could have been anyone who broke the stringent rules of the Edo, but just the fact that it’s Wesley gallumphing through a flower bed like an uncoordinated doofus, destroying it utterly, makes us roll our eyes and seriously wish they’d let them execute the brat. 

Frosty the no-no man Let us not forget that it was Wesley who hit the captain with a snowball in “Angel One,” an immature and obnoxious little scene that seems to prove Picard’s point that letting children run roughshod all over the ship is an inconvenience at best and a liability at worst. And it happens to be the latter in this episode, because he ends up getting the whole ship sick with some disease!

Drug Abuse Resistance Education is futile! While we can go on about Wesley’s whole exchange with Tasha about drug addiction in “Symbiosis,” what’s most egregious is how sheltered and clueless Wesley (normally some kind of child genius) has to be to not understand how narcotics work in the first place. It’s such a forced scene that we can just feel the Reagan Era war on drugs sentimentality written all over.

I guess leaving’s gotten easy for you It’s easy to find fault with “The Outrageous Okona” – it is my least favorite TNG episode, after all. Literally everyone in this episode is annoying, and as usual, that includes Wesley who first idolizes the charming rogue, then seems really judgey of his independent and carefree lifestyle, and finally he sasses the guy into making him conclude the soap opera plot of the episode.

How do you tell each other apart? It’s a pretty cheap joke when Wesley meets Mendon in “A Matter of Honor” and mistakes him for Mordock, whom we met in “Coming of Age.” I can’t tell if the writers were trying to make a racist “you people all look alike” kind of gag, but regardless, it makes Wesley look like an idiot for not knowing anything about Benzites and Benzite culture.

Klingons hate surprise parties Everything Wesley does in “The Icarus Factor” is annoying. He blathers like a maniac at the impatient Klingon, but then takes that impatience to assume something greater is going on than just being fed up with an obnoxious tween like anyone else would be. But to make things more exasperating, the little twerp is right, as he always is, and throws Worf an Age of Ascension party. Ugh.

I think that everything that’s been going wrong might be my fault It’s not until season three that, instead of saving the day as he did so many times already, Wesley actually screws up big by releasing the nanites in “Evolution.” While it’s refreshing to see Wes finally admit to some kind of flaw, his escaped nanites end up taking over the ship and start attacking people. And what’s worse is that he tries to lie about it until Guinan catches him!

Broccoli on the side You’ll remember this from La Forge’s spotlight as well, but Geordi reveals in “Hollow Pursuits” that it was Wesley who initiated the cruel nickname “Broccoli” for Lt. Barclay. Wes, you might still be a child, but you’re in a room with adults so stop acting like one! I don’t know what’s worse: being such a dick to one of your coworkers, or all the adults in the room condoning it.

I’m the one trapped in the bubble As if his misadventure in “Evolution” weren’t enough, Wesley botches another science experiment in “Remember Me” and nearly gets his mother killed in a pocket dimension! I know we just gave him some credit for bringing her back (though I mostly give that credit to the Traveler), someone’s got to stop letting Wes hook shit up to the warp core just because he’s the CMO’s kid! Nepotism much?

The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth Here’s another Wesley moment that ended up on both lists because as much as we can see the character growth and lesson learned when he comes clean in “The First Duty,” it also needs to be said that he is fully prepared to follow Nick Locarno like a little sheep. Wesley almost certainly wouldn’t have done the right thing in the end if Picard hadn’t basically threatened him first!

You are out! Auf wiedersehen! Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t poopoo Wesley’s fashion choices. Again. It’s a trainwreck of a fashion show. Sweater after sweater – all oversized, hideously patterned, and monstrously ugly. Ames has the full write up in an early blogpost: Wesley's Sweaters: An Unfashionable Collection, but this coral nightmare from “Where No One Has Gone Before” might take the cake.

—

Well, we’re off to go exploring with the Traveler, so that’s gonna wrap things up for this one. We’re back next week with more characters to spotlight and also more Enterprise to watch over on the podcast, which you can find on SoundCloud or wherever you listen. You can also get our help on your Academy entrance exams over on Facebook and Twitter, and watch out for those flowers!

[deepspacedukat]

Fixture

Tbh this is one of the days of the SOC fic challenge that I’ve been looking forward to the most. I have no excuse for this level of filth, and y’know what? That’s okay. I did mention some Senators in particular, simply because I had ideas for how they’d react to such a situation. Anyway. Enjoy!

DARK THEMES ARE IMPLIED. PLEASE READ ALL WARNINGS BEFORE CONTINUING.

Day 3: Free Use

SoC prompt list here. SoC Masterlist here. Cross-posted to AO3 here.

~*~

Entire Romulan Senate (DS9 Era) x Reader, Praetor Neral (TNG/DS9) x Reader, Letant (ST:DS9) x Reader, Vreenak (ST:DS9) x Reader, Pardek (ST:TNG) x Reader, Sabrun (Nemesis) x Reader, implied Kimara Cretak (DS9) x Reader x Pardek

[A/N: This is smut, so 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!!!]

Warnings: ***DUBIOUS CONSENT/NON-CON IS IMPLIED. DO NOT CONTINUE IF THAT TRIGGERS YOU*** Interspecies sex, Human/Romulan sex, captive/captors, free use, degrading language, unprotected sex, fingering, woman on top, oral sex (male receiving), exhibitionism, voyeruism, sexual slavery, cock warming, implied threesome.

~*~

In all his years, Pardek had never been so interested in a Senate toy. There had been a few back when he was first appointed, but for several decades, the position had been vacant. Having a Human was a rarity - one that had not been seen since the Earth-Romulan War two centuries prior.

Pardek wasn’t the only one who was intrigued by this woman. Several Senators - particularly the unmarried ones - along with the Praetor made regular use of her. Typically, their sessions began with her lips wrapped around Praetor Neral’s lok. At first, that choice was obviously intended to degrade her. After all, she had been caught spying for the Federation in Romulan territory. Neral had ordered his guards to drag her in front of the Senate to face her crimes.

“The Federation has grown bold in the past few years, now they even send spies into our space, but no more. We will make an example out of this woman,” Neral said as she knelt in chains between his guards in the center of the Romulan Senate floor. She looked resolute rather than frightened, but that changed a moment later. “However, let it not be said that the Romulan Empire is without mercy.”

Confused murmurs and whispers arose from the Senators who had been eagerly awaiting her execution.

“I suggest that we invoke a substitute punishment in place of the usual death sentence. It has been too many years since this distinguished body has had an outlet. I move, Senators, that we make use of this pretty little Human as was done in the previous century,” the Praetor said as he stood and took a few slow steps toward the woman who now looked utterly terrified. “As we carry the burden of ruling the Empire, she will serve as relief for our stress. Using herself in any way we require to perform at our peaks, she will serve the Empire and be an example of where Humans and other members of the Federation belong: at our feet.”

The vote had been overwhelmingly in favor after Neral’s speech. After that day, there hadn’t been a single Senate session where she’d gone untouched. Men like Neral and Vreenak preferred her mouth for the degrading position that it put her in. The latter never even learned her name, he simply called out a gruff, commanding ‘come here, girl’ when he wanted her.

Vreenak was also part of the reason that she’d learned a few words of the Rihan language. He insisted that she thank him in his own language every time he came down her throat. The Senator claimed it was only polite that she do so.

“After all,” he’d explained to her when she’d dared to look confused at his request, “we could’ve tossed you into the Reman mines and allowed those animals to use you. Instead you are allowed to give pleasure to government officials. That honor is not one that a spy is usually afforded.”

Vreenak had gripped her hair particularly roughly, afterwards, making her yelp in pain.

“Now, what do we say?” His deadly quiet tone combined with his authority in the Senate Chamber made her shake.

“Khlinae arhem, Deihu.” She’d stumbled over the words the first few times, but after several repeat performances she sounded as though she’d been born speaking Rihannsu.

Letant had a routine with her, as well, but he made his enjoyment much more obvious. Since he and Vreenak were close friends, the former would often call her over directly after the latter had finished with her. Whispering sultry little words about how cool and impersonal his colleague could be, Letant sought to give her some sort of gentleness as he took his pleasure.

“Your pronunciation is improving, but I’ve heard enough talk. Come here and give me some of those lovely moans.” Brushing her hair out of her face, he’d tilt her chin up and coax her into standing before him. One of his favorite ways to play was teasing her about how wet she’d become. “You were looking forward to this, weren’t you? Don’t worry. I was, too. These sumptuous thighs keep me awake at night...”

As he allowed his hand to wander between her legs, giving her the first real taste of pleasure she’d had all day, he’d pull her off-balance just far enough that she was forced to brace herself on his chest or shoulders. That was a devious, ingenious plan, really. In doing so, he ensured that she was at the perfect angle for him to lean in and latch onto one of her nipples. Some days he’d make her come once before he pulled her onto his lap to fuck her, but more often than not, he felt generous enough to make it twice.

Pardek had asked him about that act of charity one day after the Senate was adjourned, and as they walked together, the younger man had surprised him with his answer.

“She’s no doubt realized by now that she won’t see her home or even her star system again. She’s likely still frightened of us all, and, although some fear can be used to reinforce discipline, I don’t want her to have a coronary on the Senate floor,” Letant had murmured. “Besides, I’ve had a few Terran women in the past. They can be quite enjoyable when properly stimulated. You should try her out, Pardek. She’s wonderfully warm and accommodating.”

There was little the elder Romulan could do but attempt to conceal his blush and hurry off under the guise of being late for a meeting. As he retreated to his own office, Pardek had mulled Letant’s statement over, thoroughly intrigued with the young strategist’s approach to this pretty little Human spy. He had to admit that sex was much more appealing when your partner was willing and unafraid.

The woman’s eyes had flitted his way more than once while she was tending to Praetor Neral’s pleasure at the beginning of each session. He suspected it was due to his seat’s proximity to the man, but that didn’t explain the emotion behind the look that she gave him. Was she afraid of him? But then, she wasn’t afraid of Neral. She hated him, certainly, but he knew what her fear looked like. He saw it every time Vreenak summoned her.

As Pardek watched today’s session unfold from his prestigious seat near the Praetor, Senator Sabrun caught the girl’s gaze after she assisted Letant and summoned her over, offering her a soft smile and one of his hands. Sabrun had only been with her once before, and when a deep green blush colored his cheeks, Pardek surmised that he’d been trying to resist the urge to take her again so soon after their first session.

Several sets of eyes followed her progress as she walked over to him, Pardek’s included. He had to admit that the swish of her nude hips was enticing. What was it about Human women that turned the heads of so many Romulans? Was it their softness? Their scent? Perhaps their eagerness to please their partners?

Coaxing her onto his lap, Sabrun grasped the back of her neck and looked directly into her eyes as she took his lok into her slick, wet slit. The intensity of the moment and each other’s expressions pulled quiet moans from both of them.

Pushing his fingers into her mouth to keep her quiet during deliberations on a legal matter, Sabrun watched her with lust clouding his eyes. She certainly didn’t seem to be afraid of him. Maybe Letant was right and his previous ministrations relaxed her enough that fear no longer possessed her...

He had no idea how long he’d been lost in thought, but when a moan muffled by the fingers in her mouth escaped her, he was brought back to the present just in time to see her riding Sabrun as if both their lives depended on it. Their eyes were locked, and her forehead was nearly touching his. The two clearly had chemistry. Perhaps in a different universe, the two could have been lovers.

She came so hard that Sabrun was pulled along with her almost instantly, and in a flash, Pardek had made up his mind. Once she had recovered her breath and gotten to her feet once more, he met the Human’s gaze and beckoned her over with a wave of his fingers. She looked surprised at his attention, and, honestly, he couldn’t blame her. He’d never availed himself of her services before. With wide eyes, she walked over to him.

The rest of the Senate went quiet when they noted her trajectory. Pardek’s actions and statements were always noted in the Senate given that he’d been a member for over ninety years. When he spoke, it wasn’t rashly or without careful thought, so people tended to listen.

This evening, as he patted his thigh and murmured for her to have a seat, all eyes were on him. Pardek paid them no attention, choosing instead to savor the feeling of her arm slipping over his shoulder to steady herself. His own hands began to roam somewhat slowly, caressing her nude thighs and spreading them for his inspection. Some of the mess that Sabrun had left inside her leaked out of her used and abused slit.

“We shouldn’t let this go to waste, should we?” He asked as he slid his fingers through her folds.

“No, Deihu.” Her voice shook as she spoke. Again, Pardek couldn’t blame her. She knew little of him besides his serious, quiet countenance. His attitude when combined with his stature - he wasn’t a small man by any means - doubtlessly served to intimidate her.

As he pushed some of his colleague’s seed back inside her and curled his fingers experimentally in her depths, she bit her lower lip. The pleasure that gradually filled her eyes made Pardek smirk with pride. He’d had more than his share of sexual experiences over the years, and he was eager to see how well his knowledge applied to Human women.

She let out a little whimper as he pulled his fingers from her depths and moved to free his length from his robes. She even reached for it, but he caught her wrist. There was a pause, then. As her eyes met his, he noted that there was no longer any fear. Brimming with curiosity, she tilted her head in askance, waiting for instruction. Silently, he maneuvered her in his lap as easily as he would a toy. Pardek let out a deep groan as she sank down on his lok, one which was echoed by a gasp from her at his size.

Oh, now he understood the appeal!

Looking out at the rest of the Senators as Pardek pulled her back against his chest, she let her head drop backwards onto his shoulder. He had to admit that the sensation of her stretching to accommodate him as her body melted against him was addictive and like nothing he’d ever felt before.

“Good girl,” he breathed against her ear. He held her hips in place with one hand and brought the other between her legs to rub at the little bundle of nerves that the others had taken such joy in discovering. Since the session was almost over for the day, Pardek would use her to warm his lok until they adjourned.

Afterwards, well...there were many possible activities that a man of his experience could dream up for a pretty little toy like her. Given the attention they had already drawn, he suspected they’d have an audience for their activities, as well. Even Kimara was watching them with rapt interest. Hm...perhaps he should invite her to join in...?

~*~*~

A note for those who are wondering who Senator Sabrun is:

Sabrun was in Star Trek: Nemesis. Since Senator Sabrun wasn't officially named in the dialogue of the film in which he appeared, I'm talking about the Romulan played by John Berg. His Memory Alpha page is here. His character wasn't given a name in the initial script, and he originally had a speech in the film that was later deleted. Sabrun got his name from the Star Trek Customizable Card Game.

~*~

Romulan words:

Khlinae arhem = thank you (inferior to superior)

Deihu = Senator

~*~

Taglist:

@android-boyfriends @attention-bajoranworkers​ @bigblissandlove1​ @darkmattervibes​ @emilie786​ @horta-in-charge​ @live-logs-and-proper​ @slutty-slutty-vulcans​ @starrynightgardens​ @toebeans-mcgee​ @wafflingchemist​

[quasi-normalcy]

Best Episodes of Star Trek by season (Revised and Expanded).

TOS:

"The City on the Edge of Forever" - Still probably Trek's best time travel plot. Would have been interesting if there had been more episodes by Harlan Ellison.

"The Trouble with Tribbles" - The fact that it manages to be hilarious and have good commentary about ecology and taking animals out of their natural habitat makes it peak Star Trek.

"Day of the Dove" - Kang is a formidable antagonist, and the commentary about how hatred and violence can seem to feed on themselves and become their own justification is evergreen.

"The Slaver Weapon" - This one's maybe a bit clunkily written, but I like the novelty of adapting Larry Niven's "known space" to Star Trek

TNG:

"Where No One Has Gone Before" - This one does what Star Trek so rarely manages: to make the universe seem huge and mysterious and full of wonders

"The Measure of a Man" - Like the best science fiction, this one takes a novum (the idea of a mechanical man), traces its implications legally, socially, and philosophically, and ends up shedding new light on the human condition. Brilliant.

"The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1" - This one is just an absolute master class in tension-building and enshrines the Borg as one of the greatest villains on television. There has seldom been such a good cliffhanger.

"Family" - What's interesting about this one is, it really doesn't have any science fiction trappings at all; it doesn't need them. Because, by this point, we're all so invested in the characters that we can watch an hour-long story about the captain recovering from trauma. It's also a major turning point in that we see that actions can have lasting consequences on episodic television.

"I, Borg" - Here, we establish a fascinating tension within the Borg: collectively, they're absolutely terrifying; individually, they're as innocent as any entity ever could be. Plus, we just get brilliant performances and a nice little story about not letting trauma lead you to commit evil acts.

"Face of the Enemy" - Troi was mostly ill-used, so it's really nice to see her kicking all kinds of ass here. Also, it gives us Commander Torreth, a character who is noble, virtuous, sympathetic, and heroic, but who is cast as a villain simply because politics place her in opposition to our heroes.

"All Good Things..." - Simply the perfect finale for this series.

DS9:

"Duet" - This is when you knew that Deep Space Nine was going to be a great series. Powerful performances and a great twist at the end.

"The Circle" - Really this is for the entire three-part arc of which this was the middle installment. It's a shame that they stopped focusing on Bajor later in this series, because it's so good here.

"Improbable Cause" - Garak at his most magnificent versus Odo as a great detective. Fantastic.

"Bar Association" - One really must admire an American TV series from the Clinton Administration that would favourably quote the Communist Manifesto.

"In the Cards" - One of Trek's best comedy episodes, and its embedded in such a dark story arc that it really stands out. Nog and Jake accidentally making everyone's lives a little better as they try to do something nice for Sisko.

"In the Pale Moonlight" - Easily the best 'subverting utopia' episode in DS9's run. We see that heroes do not emerge cleanly from war.

"Tacking into the Wind" - This one pays off two arcs--Klingon politics and the Cardassian/Bajoran conflict--that had been building across a decade's worth of stories, and does so brilliantly.

VOY:

"Jetrel" - This is why I have no time tor people who hate Neelix. The character is just heartbreaking here.

"The Thaw" - Probably the most surreal episode Trek has ever done, with a truly chilling (but satisfying) ending.

"Distant Origin" - This one just has a fantastic premise. What if there was a species descended from the Dinosaurs? What if there was a Dinosaur Galileo? Plus, it's so interesting to do a whole episode that's mostly told from the aliens' point of view.

"Living Witness" - This one has everything; action, social commentary, and a nifty little story about how commitment to historical truth is ultimately good for everyone. Possibly the best episode of the franchise overall, honestly.

"Bride of Chaotica!" - Neither the first nor last holodeck episode, but the holodeck episode par excellence; and such a loving tribute to 1930s sci-fi serials.

"Blink of an Eye" - Just a nifty little episode about a planet where time runs quickly. Voyager at its best is just really good sci-fi short stories.

"The Void" - A ship lost and alone, running low on supplies, and needing to make alliances in order to survive. THIS is what Voyager *should* have been like all along

ENT:

"The Andorian Incident" - Gives is one of Enterprise's best characters in Shran, and offers some much needed development for two of Star Trek oldest alie races. I also love that the Vulcans really were in the wrong here.

"The Minefield" - A tense character study for Malcolm Reed which also shows us first contact between Earth and one of Star Trek's best villains.

"The Forgotten" - One thing that Enterprise did better than any other series is how it handled death. Here, we get a nice meditation on grief, plus a deconstruction of the "Redshirt" phenomenon.

"Terra Prime" - What makes this one work so well is that the things that the yobs in Terra Prime are saying about Vulcans sound only slightly more extreme than some of the things that Archer and Trip were saying in the first season. Thus, Enterprise converts one of its worst aspects into an opportunity for growth. Still Trek's best commentary on the alt-right.

DIS:

"Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" - In the midst of the doom and gloom of the firstvseason, it was mice to see that Trek could still pull off a comedy episode.

"Through the Valley of Shadows" - Pike learns his fate and accepts it nonetheless. Because he's a hero, dammit.

"Unification III" - One of the things that Disco going a thousand years into the future allows is for *really* long-term story arcs to be paid off; here, we find that Vulcans and Romulans have finally merged back into one culture.

"Species Ten-C" - Just a very good science fiction story about learning how to talk to aliens who aren't even remotely human.

PIC:

"The Impossible Box" - Soji's identity finally comes to a head; we get some really nice world building for the Romulans and the XBs; and Picard learns to look at the Borg in a new light.

"Penance" - This episode had what the rest of season 2 so sorely wanted: a plot. Plus, we get a delightful scene between Picard and Q and the first seeds of the magnificent Jurati/Borg Queen pairing. What's not to love?

"No Win Scenario" - This episode had what I loved best about TNG: a bunch of really smart people solving a problem by being clever. Plus, we have Shaw's heartbreaking monologue, Seven being awesome, Riker throwing an asteroid at Vadic, and a nice moment of awe and majesty with the space babies. Also, Jack's stupid mystery box plot had barely started up at this point, so that helps.

LWD:

"No Small Parts" - Where Lower Decks excels is not in expanding the universe, but in deepening it. Here, we get one of the best "not so harmless" moments ever with the return of the Pakleds, some genuinely really impressive space battle scenes, and Boimler finally getting the respect he deserves.

"wej Duj" - What's great about this episode is that it could *only* be done by Lower Decks. Again, we deepen the universe by showing inside views of the Klingon and Vulcan cultures, resolve an ongoing story arc, and get some good gags and character development in as well. And the end-credits gag is absolutely hilarious.

SNW:

"Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus" - We use a holodeck gag to get a genuinely poignant commentary on humanity's search for meaning in the face of death. Plus, I also love the secondary message: it doesn't matter if everyone else hates a piece of media, it's good if it's meaningful to *you*

"Something Borrowed, Something Green" - Backstory for Tendi, the Orions become a top-shelf Alien race, T'Lyn gets some banger lines, and we get Twin Twains

"Children of the Comet" - We get a fascinating premise, a fascinating new alien race, and more character development in one hour than Uhura got in the preceding 56 years.

"Ad Astra Per Aspera" - A nifty and timely courtroom drama that shows us the complications of civil rights cases.

PRO:

"Let Sleeping Borg Lie" - I'm glad that a new generation will grow-up being horrified/fascinated by the Borg. As it should be!

(These ones were a lot harder to pick than the worst ones)

[grissomesque]

Man we just rewatched TNG's Peak Performance, which is, by the way, a flawless episode of television, and I am once again asking Who Are These People in Picard S3. There's 20 years have passed and then there's trash heap characterization just because you feel like it. I have friends I've known for 25 years. I've known my husband for 17. Yes, people change, but those dudes are not Riker and Picard.

[angrywarrior69]

Fav episodes of VOY, Ds9, and TNG : The Bride of Chaotica, Take Me Out to the Holosuit, and Peak Performance! The first two because they’re silly and fun, the last because of the quote “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life”…. Also from tng I love the episode Lower Decks!

Mmmm your mind. The fun, the picard Quote. You are correct on all accounts. Thank you

[lady-sci-fi]

🖊 for the star trek asks!

Star Trek Ask Game

Do you have a favourite quote from ST?

I'll go with one each from Picard and Sisko.

"it is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life." - TNG: Peak Performance

"We are constantly searching, not just for answers to our questions, but for new questions. We are explorers. We explore our lives, day by day, and we explore the galaxy, trying to expand the boundaries of our knowledge." - DS9: Emissary