Gateways 07_ What Lay Beyond - Diane Carey [113]
He walked away from the self-satisfied captain and looked at the largest viewscreen. He saw several Petraw ships nearby, and recognized the Deltan and Carreon ships farther away. They hung in space without moving, stars not even twinkling much in the background. Almost like a still photograph, he mused. Bright light suddenly filled the screen, enough to make Worf cover his eyes, and he heard chattering from the Petraw surrounding the bridge.
“Which one?” demanded the Klingon captain.
A moment later, the screen cleared, and Worf, who had been studying the image, recognized that it was a Deltan ship that had exploded.
Grimly, he began speculating as to the culprit.
Picard did not say anything to Chanik as they approached the ambush. He listened for some sound as a giveaway, hoping he would not need to use the phaser. It was two against one, odds he thought he could manage.
Finally, the men calmly stepped from behind the bushes and blocked the path. They were thin of body and hair, wide-eyed. The taller of the two held a thick branch as a club.
“We’ll lighten your load, thank you very much.”
“I can share if you’re hungry,” Picard offered, trying to appear un-threatening.
“What are you?”
“He’s a Young God!” Chanik declared.
“Not very likely,” the tall one said. “No such thing as Gods.”
“He’s right here! How can you say that?”
“Quiet, Chanik. I can share the food, even the water, but you will not leave me with nothing.”
The two stepped forward, club raised. “I think we will.”
“Oh yes, we will.” They took another step forward, clearly ready to cause harm in exchange for the food. Picard had tensed himself, and had considered his surroundings. He also recognized his advantage given the planet’s lighter gravity. He quickly dropped his satchel, just as the tall man began to swing the branch. Picard crouched briefly, then jumped into the air, cleanly rising above the moving branch.
Landing, he ran forward, outstretched arms before him, battering the two men. The one with the branch was caught off-balance because of the swing’s momentum. The other spun to his side, hands balling into fists.
Picard stepped to his left, and with his boot cracked the branch into uselessness. His raised his right arm, blocking a swing from the other one. Just as quickly, he let go with two quick punches to the man’s midsection, knocking him backward. The tall one righted himself and rushed Picard, who merely sidestepped, letting the man move past him. As the attacker got close, Picard grabbed an arm and swung him about, directly into the other man. Both tumbled to the ground and Picard loomed over them.
“I think we’re done, don’t you agree?”
They looked at him with newfound respect… and fear.
“I thought we could settle this nicely, with you sharing in my food. But clearly, you need a lesson.”
“Don’t kill us!” the shorter one yelled.
“Kill you? Not at all. Teach you, yes. An hour or so back this way, you will find a farm. The man who tends it works by himself and could benefit from help. In exchange for work, he might feed you, and you will benefit from learning how to work for yourself.”
The men exchanged surprised glances.
“I offer you no guarantees,” Picard said, dusting himself off. He spotted Chanik standing nearby, a mix of emotions crossing his face. The boy seemed more surprised than anything.
“Thank you, Young God!” they both said, stepping over each other’s words. They got up, and walking clearly around Picard, began on the path as recommended.
Once they were out of sight, Picard took a drink of water and tossed the skin to the boy. He once more began his journey.
“Why didn’t you kill them?”
“They were hungry, Chanik. Not evil. Even a world as lush as this seems to be filled with those less fortunate. They also seemed to need a trade, so I suggested one. I think this could work out well for one and all.”
“What trade should I perform?”
Picard thought about it a