Gateways 07_ What Lay Beyond - Diane Carey [131]
“We’ll be transporting the Resonator in about a minute,” Riker told the Hermat. He remembered Burgoyne to be a complex but companionable person, and suspected s/he would make a fine first officer.
“Don’t you find this a tad convenient?”
“In what way?”
“Needing both of our ships and you being the only ship to bring us the Resonators?”
“I’m sorry, Burgoyne, I don’t follow you. There was no other ship with the power to make the contact while we had our own objective. Did you want some other ship?”
“No, just odd us crossing over like this,” Burgoyne said archly.
Riker shook his head in confusion and let the subject drop. Instead, he monitored the two ships’ trajectory and saw the five-second window that would enable the transport to occur. A signal came from the transporter chief that the Enterprise was now down to carrying just one Resonator. Nodding in agreement, he turned to Data and had the ship adjust course to their final destination.
Troi and Worf had just finished a meal in her temporary quarters, two old friends catching up their lives and friends. It was quite pleasant for her to share her happiness with the Klingon and she saw that the melancholy he normally wore as a cloak was just a bit lighter. Time was finally beginning to heal the wound caused by Jadzia Dax’s death. She saw he was not at all ready to find another partner, but at least was comfortable back among his people.
“I think being an ambassador agrees with you,” she said, placing the dishes in the replicator bay for recycling.
“It has its challenges… and rewards,” Worf agreed.
“When this is over, what’s next?”
“Back to Qo’noS, and moving on to the next assignment.”
“Do you think our politics have been permanently altered by these events?”
“No,” Worf said after a moment. He took the glasses from the table and brought them to her. “This is like any disruptive event we’ve encountered such as viruses or the Borg. We adapt and grow and learn from it.”
“Captain to the bridge,” rang out the intercom.
“Troi here. What is it, Commander?”
Davison replied, “We have the Defiant on our sensors. Contact in five minutes.”
Troi concentrated a moment, recalling the specific instructions for this phase of the mission. “Slow to sublight, I’ll be right there.” Together, they left the cabin and quickly found their way to the bridge, where everyone snapped to attention. Clearly the presence of the hulking Klingon ambassador made everyone act by the book. This inwardly made her chuckle but kept her expression all business. Taking her seat, she checked a status chart, then activated the communications system.
“Marco Polo to Defiant.”
“Vaughn, here.” Elias Vaughn, just over one hundred years of age, appeared on the screen. He still had his full beard, his hair all gray, but she saw that he seemed as relaxed as he was when they had last seen each other on the Enterprise a month earlier. Clearly, his decision to take a post at Deep Space 9 was the right choice, despite Starfleet’s reservations.
“Always a pleasure to see you, Commander.”
“Imagine my surprise to find you with your own command,” Vaughn said, humor filling his voice. “I see it agrees with you. Ian would be proud. And greetings to you, Ambassador Worf.”
“Commander,” Worf said in return. Troi suspected that Worf had not seen Vaughn since they had met at Betazed during the war. Then, Vaughn was a floating tactical operative without a specific ship assignment. Now he was first officer on DS9 and also had Worf’s old job of commanding the Defiant.
They shared a laugh and then it was all business as Troi gave a series of commands that led to the Resonator and Ambassador Worf being beamed to the Defiant. That ship’s designation took it close to the Klingon border and should any problems flare up, it made the most sense for the ambassador to be present. The Chargh, already deep within the Empire, would collect Worf later on and bring