Part 15 (2/2)
Dare left Sdan to his calculations, and showed Yar around the strategy room. It was all computerized, including a complete schematic of the castle with the position of every person in it. Yar felt her mouth thin as she realized, ”You could trace my every move without leaving this room.”
”Actually,” said Dare, ”Sdan watched the screens, Barb followed you, Poet was on the cliff side, and I made my way to the shuttle by the shortest route-which we had been careful not to show you earlier.” He pointed out on the map that if she had gone back upstairs there was a corridor directly to the courtyard. As it was, she had dipped down to kitchen level, then climbed the winding ramp, reaching the courtyard well behind Dare even though he had started more than a minute after her.
Suddenly she realized, ”I forgot to ask how badly I hurt you!”
”You did exactly what you intended. I blacked out-but Sdan was here to revive me, so I was on my way to the shuttle faster than you counted on.”
”You took a stimulant? After a blow to the head? Dare-”
”No-just a painkiller. It's nothing, Tasha-all in a day's work in our profession.”
She managed to bite back the automatic response that they were no longer in the same profession.
They joined Rikan again for a light luncheon, after which Aurora took Yar back to the strategy room. There she showed her what they knew of Nalavia's activities, the positions of her standing army, her armament and deployment systems.
Sdan was back at his console, calling up probabilities and swearing softly when they did not say what he wanted them to.
The two women worked at one of the large viewscreens, Yar becoming fascinated, appreciating Aurora's skills and forgetting for the moment that this woman had apparently taken her place with Dare. No longer my place, she reminded herself when it did occur to her. I retired from the field years ago. Caught up in strategy as if it were a game, Yar suggested positions for the troops Rikan could muster, if they wanted to take Nalavia's palace.
”Take the queen,” said Aurora, ”and the game is ours.”
”It appears so,” Yar agreed. ”Nalavia does seem to be a one-person operation. Both the most dangerous kind of tyrant, and the most vulnerable.”
”You are right,” said Aurora. ”She has not created in her people any vested interest in keeping her in power, only in the things which they a.s.sociate with her. The council, though, is another matter.”
”The people with the real power,” said Yar. ”It's an ancient strategy, but it always works. They vote for what Nalavia wants, and she provides them with wealth and power.”
”Such people have no real loyalty,” said Aurora. ”We've considered infiltrating the council somehow, persuading a councilor or two that he really ought to be President or at least not trust the present one.”
”Good idea, but how do you implement it?” Yar asked.
”It's not easy in such a closed society. I tried setting up as a wealthy free trader and applying a bit of discreet flirtation. Unfortunately, since that is Nalavia's own stock in trade, she immediately created restrictions that made it impossible for me to trade profitably on Treva. I was forced to retreat to preserve my cover.”
Yar frowned. ”Dare let you-?”
”Oh, it wasn't particularly dangerous. But he refuses to do what would work.”
”And what is that?” Yar asked.
”Go in himself. He can be incredibly s.e.xy when he-” She broke off. Then, ”Of course, you know that,” she said softly. ”But he won't use that power, cynical as he may be about everything else.”
”Aurora,” said Yar, ”are you telling me that you suggested Dare-?”
”That he go in undercover, as it were, use his charms on Nalavia and the two most powerful women on the council ... and then let the three of them find out about one another-after Dare was safely off-planet, of course. Considering the kind of person Nalavia is, the catfight would have been heard all the way to Earth! Divide and conquer among Nalavia's allies, and make Madame President look more than a little ridiculous. But you know Dare.”
Do I? Do I know him at all anymore? Yar stared at Aurora. ”I don't understand. How could you suggest such a thing when you and Dare ... ?”
”Dare and I?” Aurora laughed. ”Oh, no, Tasha-I can't take the moody, brooding type! I love Dare as a friend and colleague, but his idea of romantic love is far too solemn and serious for me. I'll take Poet any day-he knows how to make me laugh.”
”Oh,” Yar said, trying to hide her surprise. Her memories of loving Darryl Adin were all spun 'round with joy and laughter.
Finally Sdan reported, ”If the Enterprise remained on the course you gave us, it should be approaching its destination just as a message sent thirty-seven minutes from now would intercept its path. How long will they orbit Brentis VI?”
”Probably at least a day.”
”Then I suggest that we record your message now and transmit it every two hours for the next day.”
”Nalavia will monitor the transmission,” Aurora reminded them.
”Without my tricorder,” said Yar, ”I can't scramble it.”
”Wouldn't matter,” said Sdan. ”Scrambled or plain, a message beamed subs.p.a.ce from here means that's where you have to be.”
”Even so, if I could code it somehow, Nalavia wouldn't know exactly what I sent.” She thought a moment, and suddenly recalled something that she could use. ”Sdan-can you have the computer translate the message into binary code?”
”Well ... sure, but that's easy enough to read with any computer.”
”If you know what it is. Captain Picard and Commander Riker will recognize it at once-they recently had reason to learn quite memorably how it sounds.”
”Ah,” said Sdan, ”we'll send it at top speed. Chances are Nalavia's never heard anything like it. We can hope her cipher experts take a while to deduce what it is.”
So Yar composed her message: ”Arrived Treva. Nalavia's reports unreliable. Standard subs.p.a.ce frequencies jammed. a.s.sessing situation. Further reports will follow. Yar.”
”Aren't you going to ask for help?” Aurora asked.
”You don't divert a stars.h.i.+p unless you are certain it's needed,” Yar replied. ”Possibly Data and I can settle matters here and rendezvous with the Enterprise as originally planned.”
”For an experienced Security officer,” said Aurora, ”you are unexpectedly optimistic.” But Yar saw understanding in the woman's eyes, and realized shamefully that in her heart she sheltered the hope that they could, indeed, resolve things here and still allow Dare to escape.
Before dinner, Aurora took Yar to her quarters, and lent her some clothes. Like the men, Aurora wore her garments loose; as she was also taller than Yar, everything was too big. However, a bit of tucking and belting, and Yar began to look less like a child in her mother's clothes, and more like a disturbingly glamorous woman.
But when she wore the gold dress to dinner, and saw appreciation in Dare's eyes, she felt a dangerous warmth inside. I must not let my feelings affect my judgment, she reminded herself. I am still Dare's prisoner, even if I did agree not to run.
Nevertheless dinner was excellent, the conversation was fascinating, and afterward Dare and Yar joined Rikan in one of the salons.
Only to have alarms sound almost at once.
Dare tapped his combadge. ”What's happening?”
”Flyer approaching, no recognition signal,” came Barb's voice. ”Cleared the outer defenses without triggerin' 'em.”
”Data,” said Yar. ”It has to be.”
Dare grinned wolfishly at her, then said into his combadge, ”It's the android. Shut off electronic surveillance and follow the procedures we discussed this afternoon.”
”Right!”
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