Fanfic / Didn't Expect That

Didn't Expect That is a two-part Star Trek Online fanfic by StarSword, set in the Bait and Switch (STO) continuity. It was written for Unofficial Literary Challenge #31: "There Are 31!"

Awoken from a sound sleep by Section 31 Agent Franklin Drake, Captain Kanril Eleya of the Federation Starship Bajor is informed that a mysterious "Albino" wants her dead. Despite her disgust for Section 31, Eleya investigates the reports and begins laying a trap.

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This fanfic provides examples of the following tropes:

• Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: The list of charges Eleya files against Franklin Drake vary from illegal Bio-Augmentation and conspiracy to commit murder to "two counts of trespassing".
• Batman Gambit: Eleya gambled that Franklin Drake would return to her ship to secretly debrief her, and spent the interim gathering evidence so she could arrest him and foil any attempt to escape.
• Better to Die than Be Killed: After the U.S.S. Artemisia disables the IRW Firestorm, the Albino self-destructs the ship rather than surrender.
• The Cavalry: In the form of three Phantom-class cloak-capable escorts led by Eleya's old friend Tiana Lanstar, which hit the Firestorm from behind and knock out its engines.
• Chekhov's Armory: A lot of little clues to Eleya's gambits in part 2 are sprinkled into the first half of the story.
• Continuity Nod:
  • Eleya references "In the Pale Moonlight", incorrectly stating that the Dominion assassinated Senator Vreenak (evidently Sisko and Garak's plot remains a secret known only to them), in the context that Section 31 baited the Tal'Shiar into killing the Cardassian ambassador by framing him for being involved in the plot.
  • Biri Riyannis suspects that Section 31 does its mysterious entrances and exits by means of something Admiral Scott was working on before he died (that being transwarp beaming).
  • Eleya refers back to Franklin Drake's antics in the KDF leveling missions when she arrests him, charging him with sending a false distress signal ("Space Chase") and saying that "Admiral zh'Zoarhi wants your wedding tackle on a platter" for blowing a Starfleet Intelligence listening post's cover ("The Hunt Is On").
• Didn't See That Coming:
  • Eleya versus the Albino, since he has a Scimitar-class warbird that outmatches the Galaxy-class Bajor.
  • Franklin Drake versus Eleya. She tears down Section 31 verbally and arrests him for various crimes committed in Star Trek Online and in the story, even finding out his real name.
• Epigraph: "What Were You Expecting?" by Halestorm.
• Holding Back the Phlebotinum: The conclusion provides an explanation of a common Internet question about Star Trek (2009), namely why transwarp beaming didn't immediately obviate the need for starships. According to Eleya, it has sharply limited capacity, it's bad for the hardware, and it's easy to disrupt, as Biri does when Drake attempts to beam out.
• If I Wanted You Dead...: A variant. To calm down Rachel Connor, the product of a Section 31 experiment in Bio-Augmentation and who has been victimized by recapture attempts in the past, she points out that if Drake thought he could get away with just appearing on Bajor and kidnapping her, he would've already tried it.
• "It" Is Dehumanizing: Drake referring to Connor as "it". During his arrest:
  Franklin Drake: You… you can’t do this. You can’t just have my weapon manhandle a Federation citizen like this—OW!
  Eleya: "Your weapon", my crew. And it feels kind of funny to rub it in your face that the sixteen million credits—
  Drake: Seven billion, it was just the successful experiment— (Connor slaps him)
  Eleya: —you spent on turning a Federation officer into a weapon are right here in front of you and you’re never going to take advantage of her ever again.
• It Works Better with Bullets: At the start of the story, Eleya's first instinct on waking to see a dark figure (Drake) in her quarters is to try to shoot him with the phaser hanging from her nightstand. Of course, Drake had already taken out the power pack. Eleya throws the empty gun in his general direction.
• Long List: Eleya charges Drake with "illegal genetic experimentation, misuse of government resources, sending a false distress signal, criminal negligence leading to combat loss of Starfleet assets, espionage, conspiracy to commit murder… Oh, and two counts of trespassing".
  Drake: "Trespassing"?
  Eleya: Well, you're here, aren't you?
• Pardon My Klingon: In addition to Eleya's usual phekk, she tells the Albino to go fuck himself in Romulan when he demands her surrender.
• Shameless Fanservice Girl: As previously seen in "An Anomalous Nightmare" and "Shakedown Shenanigans", Eleya Sleeps in the Nude, and blows it off when Drake complains during their second meeting.
  Franklin Drake: Good evening, Captain Kanril.
  Eleya: You're in my chair again.
  Drake: And I see you're wearing more clothes this time.
  Eleya: I happen to like having nothing but my man with me in bed, not that it's any of your business, ye'phekk maktal kosst amojan.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Connections!: Yoyodyne Division, a Federation defense contractor, has connections to Section 31 and used them to have a serially inconvenient Cardassian ambassador assassinated.
• Shout-Out:
  • One to the Firefly episode "Trash", which the author mentioned he was reminded of right after reading the prompt.
    Eleya: All right, I’m a little confused here.
    Drake: You’re wondering who the Albino is and why you should care that he wants you dead?
    Eleya: No, it’s… What the phekk are you doing on my ship?! We’re at warp—how did you get here?!
    Drake: I hitched.
    Eleya: I don't remember pulling over!
  • Eleya uses "headlock" as her alarm code for Tiana Lanstar, who wonders how she planned to use "headlock" in a sentence. This refers to the NCIS: Los Angeles episode "Borderline".
• Space Clouds: The battle with IRW Firestorm takes place inside of a Bok globule. Eleya also explains that while they're much denser than average even by nebular standards, up close it doesn't look like fog "like you see in Jachin Province or Hollywood."
• Trap Is the Only Option: Eleya is warned of the Albino's trap ahead of time and chooses to walk into it, using herself as bait to set her own trap for him.
• Unspoken Plan Guarantee: The story uses a variation where Eleya puts all the elements of a plan in play, but doesn't explain how they fit together. All the elements of two plans, actually: she sets her own trap to counter the Albino's trap, and then sets another trap to arrest Drake.
• Wave-Motion Gun: The Albino tries to ambush Eleya and her crew with a thalaron blast. Eleya only narrowly avoids it because she sees her sensor officer move and orders evasive maneuvers instantly.

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