Part 12 (1/2)

”Mine to make.” Folan pivoted back toward the main viewer again.

”For now,” Medric whispered, probably only loud enough for her to hear, but it was a scream into her mind. For now.

U.5.S. Enterprise, NCC 1701E Klingon/Romulan border Sector ID Picard and Riker walked briskly toward the turbolift, and more importantly, away from T'sart's quarters. That the Romulan was in quarters rather than the brig nagged at Picard, chafing his sensibilities.

”Someone with his personal death count, dictating to us,” the captain grumbled.

”He's used to everyone jumping through his hoops,” Riker said.

”Or he kills them and pushes them through.” The captain shook his head. ”Well, this s.h.i.+p is not at his service. And we know that few of our goals will be the same. He wants to use us, and we need to use him.”

”a.s.suming he's not been lying from the start. He could have shown Spock false data. Could be feeding us the same.” They pa.s.sed a few crew members going the other direction, and Riker lowered his voice. ”Perhaps the dead zones are T'sart's own invention. Ma.s.s murderers aren't known for their trustworthiness.”

”And trust is the problem,” Picard said. ”Which puts us in an interesting position. We're looking to traverse Romulan s.p.a.ce without permission, to attack a Romulan outpost. We are, essentially, taking the necessary steps to start another interstellar war.”

”We do have Spock's belief that what T'sart said is true.”

”Which is a great deal.” Picard and Riker slipped into a turbolift. ”Bridge,” the captain ordered, then turned back to Riker. ”I hope it's enough. Obviously we're not at all a.s.suming our ign.o.ble guest doesn't have some ... trick up his sleeve, as it were.”

”So many tricks up there I'd be surprised if he has room for his elbows.”

Picard didn't allow himself the chuckle Riker'd been looking for. ”I've discussed this with Spock, and now I'll discuss it with you.” He stopped and Riker did as well.

”Sir?”

”We can't know what T'sart has planned, but it is something. I'm sure he doesn't intend to stay under our control. But he must. He cannot be allowed to escape.”

Riker nodded slowly. ”Aye, sir.”

”Will...” The captain rarely called his first officer by his given name. When he did, it was usually more serious than light. ”I mean he can't be allowed to escape. At any cost.”

They were silent a moment, and Riker understood. ”Aye, sir. Any cost.”

Picard nodded once. ”There's a reason I gave that order to Spock as well, Number One. I need you to help secure our pa.s.sage through Romulan s.p.a.ce. I have no intention of doing as T'sart suggests and killing any Romulan s.h.i.+p we'd come across while their s.h.i.+elds are down.”

”What did you have in mind?”

”Well, Mr. Riker,” Picard said as the lift doors opened and they stepped out onto the bridge, ”you're going to take a runabout and buy us some insurance. Mr. Spock knows of a Romulan unmanned subs.p.a.ce relay station. The Romulans keep supplies there, not unguarded, but completely automated. One of those supplies, an element they use in their plasma conduits, could be added to our nacelle exhaust. Romulan sensors might mistake that as a Romulan warp signature.”

”Might and could. Are we sure of anything?” Riker asked.

Picard smiled lightly. ”We know where the relay station itself is.”

”Comforting. I've never even heard of this sort of element.”

”Barantium. It's a secret use. One we've been saving for a rainy day.”

”And it's monsoon season.”

”Indeed. We'll head into Klingon s.p.a.ce, and rendezvous back here in fourteen hours.”

Will Riker pulled in a deep breath and pushed it out slowly. ”Well, I hope I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”

The captain nodded. ”You do. Mr. Data and Counselor Troi, both of whom have some experience with Romulan computer systems, will accompany you. You'll use the codes T'sart has provided us, to scan cloaked s.h.i.+ps. Unless you stumble across a dead zone yourself, you should at least get there.”

Riker looked toward Data at the science station, and down to Deanna Troi on the lower bridge. ”And if those codes to show us the cloaked s.h.i.+ps are false?”

Picard pressed his lips into a thin line. ”Keep your heads down.” Then, more somberly, the captain took his first officer's shoulder in one hand and gripped him tightly. ”This is important, Will. I don't trust T'sart, and I don't trust his a.s.surances. We need this barantium if we're to make it all the way through Romulan s.p.a.ce.”

”Then you'll have it, sir,” Riker said, and gave an a.s.suring nod. ”You have my word.”

Picard smiled weakly. ”And I'll hold you to it.”

Chapter Sixteen.

Enterprise Runabout Kaku Romulan s.p.a.ce Sector 18 ”How much farther?” Deanna Troi glanced at the navigation console, searching for her own answer.

Will Riker turned toward her, checking a few readouts as he swiveled in his chair. ”You're not going to be like a kid on a long trip, are you?”

She smiled back at him.

”Hard to tell,” he said. ”We've had to change course three times now.”

”At least T'sart was honest about the scanning code,” Deanna said. ”We can see cloaked warbirds soon enough to avoid them.”

Riker's brow furrowed, and Deanna felt a few different emotions radiate toward her. He was concerned, and also somewhat frustrated. ”Who knows what he's being honest about? I'm still not trusting him. You try reading him at all?”

”Mm-hmm. I'm still feeling a bit arrogant from the encounter.”

Riker smiled and nudged the arm of her chair. ”Not used to reading that emotion?”

Absentmindedly altering one of the monitors above her, Deanna smiled playfully. ”Only when I'm with you.”

From his station aft, Data cleared his throat.

”Something, Commander?” Riker asked.

”May I be blunt, sir?”

Deanna felt Riker's amus.e.m.e.nt as he answered. ”You can give it a try, Data.”

”I can never tell if you two are arguing or flirting.”

She and Riker exchanged a long glance where silence dominated until Riker finally said, ”You'll have to work that one out on your own.”

Data nodded his head to one side. ”Perhaps later, sir. I-” The android stopped and turned toward his console so quickly that Deanna was taken aback. ”I am reading a vessel de cloaking Data said, his hands suddenly in a quick dance over his controls.