Ascension, Part II (episode)

Real world article

(written from a production point of view)

Overwhelmed by Asencia's mysteriously advanced weaponry, the Protostar and Voyager crews take a series of calculated risks that endanger the cadets.

Summary[]

Act One[]

On a badly-damaged USS Voyager-A, Admiral Kathryn Janeway pulls herself back up into her chair, as Commander Tysess reports that primary systems have been knocked offline, just as Vau N'Akat drones from the Rev-1 approach. Nova Squadron's ships drift nearby, having lost primary power. Maj'el restores secondary power to the group's Nova Flyers so they can rejoin the fight. Onboard the USS Protostar, Captain Chakotay and Gwyn debate whether to try to help Voyager or to focus on just protecting the Protostar and therefore Gwyn. Gwyn advocates that helping Voyager is worth the risk, and Hologram Janeway agrees.

The drones attack Voyager, forcing Sickbay to be evacuated, though Janeway surmises that these attacks are really just Asencia toying with them. So far, there has been no response from Starfleet to Voyager's distress beacon.

As the Protostar engages the drones, Rok-Tahk reports that the drones are anticipating their attacks. Jankom Pog bifurcates the Tractor beam to capture the drones, allowing Murf to destroy them easily with the Protostar's Phasers. In his Nova Flyer, Dal R'El celebrates his friends' success.

From Solum, Asencia seems pleased that they are fighting back effectively. She orders the captured Wesley Crusher to show her what happens in the future where she attacks them with her new weapon. Despite Wesley's warning against weaponizing space, time, and thought, Asencia's machine painfully forces Wesley to do her bidding. Asencia sees a vision of a future in which Voyager is destroyed, and she gives orders to fire the Incursor.

The Rev-1 launches a large projectile weapon at Voyager. After the Rev-1 captures the Protostar in its energy-draining tractor beam, the weapon breaches Shuttlebay 3 on Voyager's ventral portside hull. The Doctor is surprised that there wasn't a large explosion along with the hull breach, and Counselor Noum is optimistic that maybe the weapon was a dud, but Zero fears that the worst is yet to come.

Tysess leads a team into Shuttlebay 3 to investigate the hull breach, but a blast wave from the weapon knocks them down. An energy wave of some sort slowly emanates from the weapon, and Tysess is caught in the field after he frees a trapped ensign. The ensign drags Tysess out of the Shuttlebay, and is shocked to see that Tysess seems to have aged drastically. Level ten containment fields erected around the Shuttlebay seem to contain the energy wave.

The Protostar is being drained of energy, but the crew are able to hail Voyager. Janeway informs them of the terrible effects of the weapon, but says that they seem to have slowed it down temporarily. She can't fathom where Asencia could have gotten such weaponry. Starfleet finally responds to their distress beacon, but Admiral Edward Jellico is truly sorry to inform them that help is several days away, and they're on their own for now.

In Sickbay, The Doctor is unable to diagnose Tysess' condition, other than that he is dying of old age, but thinks that he will be able to recover in time with an existing treatment. The Doctor soon determines that the weapon is causing time to accelerate for anything or anyone it touches. Zero volunteers to try to stop the time weapon, as Medusans do not age like organics, fully knowing that be their current organic body will not survive. They contact Jankom and request that he begin preparing their new body, sooner than either of them expected.

Act Two[]

On the Protostar, Gwyn is surprised to find that Jankom isn't boosting their shields, but drawing most of their remaining energy to power the Vehicle replicator. Jankom explains what Zero's plan requires, much to Gwyn and Chakotay's surprise.

On Voyager, Zero enters Shuttlebay 3, using emergency medical authorization to allow passage through the containment field. As they approach the time weapon, their body ages and falters, and they request help from Rok to disable the weapon.

Maj'el, Dal, and Zeph attempt to protect the Protostar from the Rev-1's drones, despite only a small chance of succeeding, but the drones seem to anticipate every move that Nova Squadron makes. Dal suggests that Nova Squadron become unpredictable to the drones by abandoning their Starfleet training, which allows them to finally gain the upper hand.

Zero is unable to disable the time weapon even with Rok's help, but they determine that it can only lock on to a Starfleet vessel. Maj'el suggests they make the time weapon target her Nova Flyer, and she will lead the weapon straight into the enemy ship. Nova Squadron makes plans to escape using the Boothby Supernova, assuming that their opponents will not predict it, since no one in Starfleet has ever performed it successfully. Zero is able to make the necessary adjustments to the weapon, but falls to the ground, weakened and exhausted.

The time weapon disengages from Voyager's hull and follows Maj'el's flyer. Nova Squadron leads the time weapon right into the Rev-1 without any resistance, and perform the Boothby Supernova. They escape successfully in the separated forward sections of their ships, while the aft sections of their ships and the time weapon impact the Rev-1, destroying the enemy ship and the Drednok onboard.

Act Three[]

Nova Squadron and the crew of the Protostar return to Voyager. Maj'el asks where Zero is, and Zero enters in their new body, which has sensory inputs allowing them to feel Maj'el's touch. Maj'el asks how they feel, and Zero replies that I feel like me.

Janeway gives a speech lauding the efforts of every crew member, no matter how small, working together to protect each other. She informs the crew that their new orders are to travel to Solum in order to prepare for the war with Asencia.

After the crew is dismissed, Janeway and Chakotay gaze out of the open Shuttlebay doors. Chakotay realizes Janeway is ill at ease, and she confirms that she has no idea what lies ahead. Chakotay counsels her that nothing stays the same forever.

On Solum, Wesley teases Asencia that she didn't get the future she thought she had pryed from him. Asencia acknowledges his little trick while using her machine to cause him pain, but tells him that she learned something important anyway: no Starfleet reinforcements arrived, which implies that Starfleet is spread far to thin to counter the war she is about to send their way.

Log entries[]

Memorable quotes[]

"Nice shooting, Murf."
"Pew, pew, pew, pew, pew."

- Chakotay and Murf, as Murf mans the ship's phasers

"Chakotay, I said hold back, but I'm glad you defied my orders for once."
"For once?"

- Janeway and Chakotay, after the Protostar comes to the rescue

"You don't know what you're meddling with. Space, time, and thought aren't meant to be weaponized."
"You talk too much, Mr. Crusher."

- Wesley and Asencia, just before she activates her machine to painfully force Wesley to use his powers to show her the future

"I don't understand -- no sign of radiation poisoning. If anything, he seems to be dying of--"
"Old age. Congratulations, Commander Tysess. You now have seniority."
"Temporarily. A week of Cerberusian gene therapy should reverse the damage."

- The Doctor and Noum, about Tysess' condition

"Asencia's attempting to disable the Protostar, just as she did Voyager."
"There's no one left to defend them."
"That is inaccurate. We have received Starfleet training, which suggests we have a small but valid chance for victory."
"How small?"
"I will decline to answer for purposes of morale, but we can make a differene."
"Then lead the way."

- Maj'el, giving Zeph and Dal a pep talk before they defend the Protostar

"The drones appear to anticipate every Starfleet flight pattern."
"It's like they read the manual. I haven't even read the manual!"

- Maj'el and Dal, as Nova Squadron fights the Vau N'Akat drones

"Jankom, I thought you were boosting the shields. Why is the vehicle replicator using our power reserves?"
"No time to explain, but Jankom will. Zero's gonna shut down that time weapon, so that means they need a backup body now."
"They're doing what?"
"Just quit rocking the ship, or Z's gonna end up with a third arm! How's Jankom supposed to work under these conditions?"

- Gwyn, Jankom, and Chakotay as Jankom explains what Zero needs for their plan to disable the time weapon

"Ahh! We can't take much more of this. They're predicting our every move."
"Oh, then maybe it's time we get unpredictable. If they know our Starfleet flight patterns, forget your training!"
"Would you look at that."
"It appears the logical move is to abandon logic altogether."
"Let's go!"

- Zeph, Dal, and Maj'el overcoming the Vau N'Akat drones

"Circles? You're gonna have to do better than that, Maj'el. Show me some wack-a-doo moves!"
"Wack-a-doo it is."

- Dal and Maj'el

"Don't just stare, say something!"
"Not too shabby for a rush job, huh?"
"You look perfect."

- Zero, Jankom, and Gwyn upon witnessing Zero's new body

"Out of any design, you went back to your original look?"
"Not quite. I'm proud of what I made for myself then, but it wasn't complete."
"So we added a few upgrades. Z now has sensory inputs."

- Dal, Zero, and Jankom

"How do you feel?"
"I feel like me."
"And that's what matters most, even if it means we must adapt."

- Maj'el, Zero, and Janeway

"Today was a trial by fire, and we nearly lost everything. Despite our injuries, your unified efforts ensured our survival. There was no single hero or savior. Instead, we were carried by many smaller acts of bravery, as we fought for each other. Asencia's placed us on the path to war. Admiral Jellico has requested a presence at Solum. Voyager and the Protostar are the closest ships. Begin repairs because we won't be going home. Our mission isn't over yet."

- Janeway, to the gathered crew

"Nice speech. It seems everyone took comfort from it, except you."
"After what I've seen today, I worry what the future brings."
"Nothing stays the same forever."

- Chakotay and Janeway

"What's the matter? Not the ending you were hoping for?"
"That was quite the trick, showing one outcome and hiding others in your mind. But sadly for you, I learned more than you realize. Not a single ship came to their aid. Starfleet's just spread too thin. And entirely unprepared for what comes next."

- Wesley and Asencia