Once Burned

Like the rest of the Captain's Table miniseries, this novel is told in the first person. Mackenzie Calhoun enters the Captain's Table twice in this novel, once during the Xenexian revolution, and again sometime during the Dominion War. Two stories are told in this novel: the first time Calhoun killed a man, and the Grissom disaster alluded to in earlier New Frontier novels.

Back Cover Text: There's a bar called The Captain's Table, where those who have commanded mighty vessels of every shape and era can meet, relax, and share a friendly drink or two with others of their calling. Sometimes a brawl may break out but it's all in the family, more or less. Just remember, the first round of drinks is always paid for with a story... even in Thallonian space.

Six years ago, long before he took command of the Starship Excalibur, a young Starfleet officer named Mackenzie Calhoun served as first officer aboard the USS Grissom. Then disaster struck, and Calhoun took the blame. A court-martial led to his own angry resignation from Starfleet... or so it appeared. At long last Captain Calhoun reveals the true story behind the greatest tragedy of his life.

Summary
Captain Calhoun starts the story by telling the tale of the first man he killed when beginning the Xenexian Revolution. This occurs several years after M’k’n’zy witnesses his father’s death at the hands of the Danteri oppressors. His target is Stener, a tax collector who is traveling on the back of a Pok and is escorted by three guards.. M’k’n’zy stalks him down the streets of Calhoun and eventually out of the village as they take the road to Moute. M’k’n’zy makes his way up into the high ground, about ten feet above the road to plan his ambush, picking up three rocks. As soon as the Danteri are in range, M’k’n’zy throws the stones, hitting each of the three guards square in the head. Stener isn’t even sure what happens when his guards hit the ground. M’k’n’zy leaps down from the ledge, drawing his sword, and informing Stener that the Xenexians will sit idly by no longer. However, one of the guards comes to and begins to spar with him. M’k’n’zy hits the guard in the head and caves his skull in to win the battle, but Stener is able to escape. Looking down at the guard, M’k’n’zy is shocked to see that he doesn’t seem to look evil at all. The guard, barely conscious, doesn’t seem to recognize M’k’n’zy as an enemy. He asks for his hand, and then thanks M’k’n’zy, as he didn’t want to die alone. M’k’n’zy realizes he is actually crying over the corpse of the guard, and picks him up and buries him in a nearby cave out of pity. He then returns to the village.

A few months later the revolution is underway, and M’k’n’zy has been given the rank of r’ksha or captain. He never again feels the same sense of loss after a kill as he did when standing over that guard. Unfortunately, he loses his entire regiment during an ambush by the Danteri. Though his brother D’ndai and the other Xenexians don’t hold him responsible, he does, and is wandering the streets of Calhoun aimlessly. He comes across a bar labeled the “R’ksha Foldes”, translating into The Captain’s Table. Confused, since he never remembers this establishment existing, M’k’n’zy walks in. His confusion escalates more when he looks around to see species he can’t even identify, including some humans. Xenex would not normally have this many visitors. The owner of the establishment greets M’k’n’zy, identifying himself as Cap. He then congratulates him for being the youngest person ever to visit the Captain’s Table. Though M’K’nzy has a slight run-in with Captain Gloriosus, a roman legion, Cap is able to convince him to stay, offering him a mug of beer, something M’k’n’zy has never heard of. M’k’n’zy inquires as to the state of a peculiar captain in the corner. Dressed in blue with a white beard, he keeps muttering incoherently about an iceberg. Cap clarifies that he lost his ship. M’k’n’zy and Cap talk for a brief while before M’k’n’zy heads on his way. As he leaves, Cap gives him some advice, and tells him this time his stay at the Captain’s Table was free, next time he will have to pay with a story. M’k’n’zy leaves the mysterious establishment, and is never able to find it in the village of Calhoun again.

Years later, In his ready room, Calhoun is venting his frustration to Shelby that the Excalibur has not been called to the front lines of The Dominion War, feeling his place is with the fleet. Shelby proposes that perhaps ships like Excalibur are being held from the front lines because if things go poorly for the Federation during the war, men like Calhoun will be needed to run the revolution. Later, still unable to sleep, Calhoun goes into the holodeck, a simulation of Tamaran City on Rigel XI to blow off some steam. He wanders the streets of the city, and to his surprise, comes across a bar called The Captain's Table. He walks in and finds it much as he left it. He begins talking to Cap, but is shocked to see a ghost from his past across the bar, Captain Norman Kenyon. Calhoun tries to approach him and warn him of the disaster that ended his career, but he can't physically seem to get over there. Cap tells Calhoun to sit down, warning him he can't do anything to change the timeline. Calhoun orders a beer, and after some convincing from Cap, begins to tell the story of his posting to the USS Grissom

Calhoun starts by talking about Captain Kenyon for a little while, noting that he originally commanded the USS Harriman until he lost his wife and science officer, Marsha Kenyon. He was offered a leave of absence but refused to take it and was given command of the USS Grissom. Now his current first officer, Paullina Simons has been given her own command, so Commander Mackenzie Calhoun, coming highly recommended from Admiral Edward Jellico is interviewing for the position. Calhoun beams aboard the Grissom and meets Katerina Mueller, the ship's Executive Officer. The two compare scars for a minute before going to the bridge, where Calhoun is introduced to Lieutenant Romeo Takahashi, "Hash" for short, the science and ops officer. Calhoun is then called into the ready room by Kenyon.

Kenyon admits he is impressed by Calhoun's recomendation from Jellico, but asks Calhoun to explain why his other commanding officers have provided him with some that are only lukewarm at best. He reads Jellico's statement where Calhoun as tactical and security officer was able to fight fifteen men to rescue Jellico and his son from a first contact mission gone sour. Kenyon then notes that all Calhoun's commanding officers have viewed him as headstrong and insubordinate, not paying as much attention to the regulations as they would like. This is the kind of officer Kenyon is looking for. He feels too "loved" by his crew and is afraid they won't question his actions if he is making a mistake. Calhoun agrees to this and signs aboard the Grissom

Though Calhoun does not really strike up any friendships with the crew, soon after his posting he begins a relationship with Katerina Mueller. This starts when Calhoun hears the sounds of swordfighting coming from the Holodeck. He enters, and finds Mueller fighting a horde of enemies. He joins her in fighting them off, and once the battle is complete, the two make love in the holodeck without speaking a word. They then start a shipboard romance that never really advances past this level.

A few days later, Kenyon calls a staff meeting for Calhoun, Takahashi, Dr. Villers, the CMO and Cray, the Andorian chief of security. The Grissom has been assigned to oversee peace talks in the Anzibar system between the Carvargna, the original inhabitants of Anzibar II, and the Dufaux, who settled on the planet via an ark ship. The Carvagna, though typically a peace-loving people, were able to drive the Dufaux off their own planet after they began to try to capture more land, and the Dufaux were forced to settle on Anzibar IV. The Carvagna have asked the Federation to help mediate peace, since raids between the two planets have been occuring sporadically for years. Kenyon is thrilled as the diplomatic team will consist of his brother, Byron Kenyon, and his daughter, Stephanie Kenyon.

Soon thereafter, Byron and Stephanie are beamed aboard the Grissom. Calhoun is impressed when Stephanie identifies him as a Xenexian and correctly pronounces his given name of M'k'n'zy. Calhoun watches Norman and Byron Kenyon joke around a little and becomes wistful upon noticing that his own relationship with his brother did not progress that way. Kenyon orders a course set for Anzibar and also has Calhoun show his daughter around the vessel. At this point, Calhoun chooses to assure the reader that nothing happened between them. Calhoun and Stephanie discuss her father a little, Stephanie admitting that she fears sometimes he may be dissapointed in her for not joining Starfleet, though she doesn't regret her decision. Stephanie kisses Calhoun after they finish talking while Calhoun escorts her back to her quarters explaining that he wouldn't be comfortable being in a relationship with the Captain's daughter. By the time he returns to his own quarters, he find Mueller waiting for him there and she teases him saying him and Stephanie make a cute couple and that he is trying to sleep his way to the top.

Another Senior Staff meeting is called when they are a few hours away from Anzibar. Some complications have arisen, a coup has occured among the Dufaux, and the group who has come to power is extremely opposed to Federation intervention. Hash suggests they meet with the Carvagna only, but the others say that is pointless. Byron walks into the conference room and says he was successful in finding a member of the Dufaux willing to meet with him, a man named Kradius. He has agreed to meet on Anzibar IV with only Byron and Stephanie, and refuses to allow a security escort or to beam aboard the Grissom. Calhoun and Cray both warn against this, but Byron assures them he will be fine. Kenyon doesn't want to allow him to go down, but Byron reminds him that he actually has the authority in this situation. Kenyon retorts that the Dufaux have often been classified as savages at best. This argument escalates quickly, and Kenyon eventually allows them to go, but has subcutaneous transporters implanted within the two of them and forces them to check in every hour with a simple hidden comm device. If they fail to check in, he will immediatly beam them up. Calhoun warns Kenyon he may have made a mistake in allowing them to beam down, but admits to Kenyon that he likely would have done the same thing in his position.

Information

 * This novel is also part of the Star Trek: New Frontier series, and is best read between Fire on High and Double or Nothing, though is certainly understandable when read at any point.
 * The plot of a diplomat being tortured for providing unwanted mediation was previously used by Peter David in the Star Trek (DC) Volume Two comic Death Before Dishonor, though with less lethal results.
 * Author Peter David is depicted on the cover of this novel. He's in the back row on the far right.
 * In this novel, Mackenzie Calhoun admits to the reader he's still in love with Elizabeth Shelby.
 * Calhoun and Mueller were romantically involved while aboard the Grissom