Part 21 (1/2)
The voice over their combadges was totally familiar, but totally unexpected: that of Jean-Luc Picard.
”We are here, Captain, safe and well,” Data replied. ”Where are you, Sir?”
”In standard orbit. Prepare to beam up.”
”We have one of Treva's leaders, injured,” Tasha said. ”It's not serious, but he could be healed much more quickly in sickbay than here.”
”I accept your judgment, Lieutenant. Transporter-” he turned them over to the operator.
”Three to beam up,” said Tasha. ”These co-”
”Four to beam up,” Data corrected.
Tasha looked at him, puzzled, and then suddenly went so pale he thought she might pa.s.s out.
But Tasha Yar was not a woman to faint. ”Oh, my G.o.d,” she murmured, staring at Adin, whose face lost all expression.
”Is that three or four to beam up?” the transporter operator wanted to know.
”Just one moment,” said Data. He watched Tasha watching Adin ... and he waited. She was Chief Security Officer; the duty was hers. But she had to know that if she did not perform it, Data would. Would she force him to-?
Swallowing hard, Tasha turned the gun she still carried on Adin.
Poet made a move for his sidearm, but Adin waved him back.
He continued to look calmly into Tasha's eyes. Data made no claims to intuition, but he was virtually certain Adin expected her to let him go.
But, although her lips were bloodless, while two spots of fever glowed in her cheeks, Tasha choked out the words: ”Darryl Adin, by my authority as an officer of Starfleet Security, I arrest you on the charges of unlawful flight to avoid incarceration, for treason, and for murder.”
Chapter Eleven.
TOO NUMB even to curse fate, Tasha Yar trained her weapon on the man she loved. The familiar sensation of the transporter took them, and they materialized in the same position aboard s.h.i.+p.
Dr. Crusher, just entering the transporter room, stopped dead at the tableau.
Yar didn't move. Dare remained expressionless as she ordered, ”Security team to transporter room, on the double. We have a dangerous fugitive in custody.”
Dr. Crusher said to the medics who had followed her in, ”Get the patient,” and they moved carefully around Yar and her prisoner to lift Rikan onto a gurney. Out of the corner of her eye Yar saw Data bend to help, and Crusher stare at the android's bloodstained, disheveled appearance.
”I am quite all right, Doctor,” Data a.s.sured her.
”Let me be the judge of that. I'm ordering you to sickbay, too.”
Then they were gone-the doors hardly shut behind them before they whooshed open again to admit Worf and one of the other Security personnel, Lieutenant Carl Anderson.
Never taking her eyes or her gun off Dare, Yar said, ”This is Darryl Adin, a fugitive convicted of murder and treason. I know him to be extremely dangerous.”
Worf said, ”We can handle him,” in his booming voice. He and Anderson stepped forward, phasers drawn. Dare seemed suddenly small and vulnerable before the towering Klingon.
”Take him to the brig,” Yar instructed. Then, remembering a recent lapse of security with renegade Klingons, she added, ”He is probably carrying concealed weapons-and he is Starfleet Security trained.” Which meant he had the ability to turn almost anything into a weapon.
For the first time, Dare let an expression cross his features: his lips curled back in a snarl. He was again that bitter and dangerous man she had met only days ago on Treva.
When Worf and Anderson had escorted the prisoner out, Yar felt her knees weaken. She wanted nothing more than to sit down on the edge of the transporter platform and cry.
But that was not the behavior of a Starfleet officer. She squared her shoulders, held her head high, and proceeded to the bridge to report to the Captain.
Lieutenant Commander Data was released from sickbay as soon as the medics checked him over. In the antiseptic atmosphere, he became conscious of being filthy and reeking-but a few seconds in the sickbay's sonic shower put both himself and his uniform to rights, except for the scorch mark on the back. He decided it was more important to report to Captain Picard than go to his quarters to change.
Tasha had made the same decision; she was with Picard and Riker in the Captain's ready room, still wearing the civilian clothes she had beamed up in.
Until that moment Data had avoided wondering if Tasha were angry at him. She did not act angry. Rather she was pale and slightly stiff. Data had seen humans in that state before; it meant they were weakened by illness, shock, or injury, but determined to carry on.
He knew he would never understand the emotional blow Tasha had taken in being forced to arrest the man she loved, but her reaction gave him another clue to add to his study of human behavior.
A clue he wished he didn't have.
On the one hand, he admired Tasha for doing her duty. On the other, although it was illogical for her to blame him for her pain, he feared she would.
Data added his report to Tasha's. When they reached this morning's battle, and the unexpected arrival of the Enterprise, he concluded, ”We a.s.sumed Nalavia withdrew her forces because she needed them to control the people in the cities-that the suggestibility drug had worn off.”
”I think you're right,” said Riker. ”There seems to be a civil war going on down there. You were not sent to Treva to start a war, but to prevent one.”
Tasha said nothing. Data considered before he spoke. ”Starfleet's aid was requested by the apparent legitimate government. However, we found that due process had been subverted. Nalavia ignores Treva's const.i.tution, and enforces her power with acts of terrorism. I accessed the evidence from her own computer.”
”So you took it upon yourselves to join the rebellion against her,” said Picard.
Data opened his mouth to protest, and closed it again. From the moment Nalavia's troops attacked Rikan's castle, there was no denying he and Tasha had done exactly that. So he said simply, ”Yes, sir.”
”Lieutenant Yar?” asked the Captain.
”Yes, sir. Nalavia meant to use us as hostages to force you to destroy Rikan's stronghold.”
”She must have known Starfleet would do no such thing,” said Picard.
Tasha looked at Data, then back to Picard. ”Suppose her plan had worked, sir. Suppose Dare-Adin- had not kidnapped me, Data not escaped. If she had imprisoned us and attempted to coerce you?”
”We would've done everything in our power to get you out,” Riker answered without waiting for Picard's response.
”Everything?” asked Tasha.
Riker began, ”You don't think we would abandon-”
”Just a moment,” the Captain interrupted him. ”Lieutenant, are you suggesting-?”
”I don't think Nalavia will be content with a single planet, especially not one with such a small population as Treva's. I think she's out to gain power here on the edge of the Federation-make other worlds hesitant to apply for Federation members.h.i.+p by making us look like hypocrites.”