Nightshade - Laurell K. Hamilton [7]
‘I appreciate the trust you have placed in us, Colonel Talanne,” Picard said.
She stood, rifle still loosely grasped in her hand. Jeric clutched her other hand. “Do not be, Captain. I know what your starship is capable of. If you wished to do us harm, you could, and nothing on this planet could stop you. That is one of the reasons we called upon the Federation. One thing we Orianians respect is strength.”
‘Your honesty is refreshing, Colonel Talanne, but I’m afraid I am a little lost. Why is your son’s missing security guard so very important?”
‘It is not just the guard. Jeric is never allowed onto the surface of the planet. His safety is too important for that. No one would take him outside, no one, least of all his own security guard.”
‘You think it was a kidnapping attempt?” Worf asked.
‘No, Lieutenant, I fear worse things.”
Worf frowned. “You do not mean that…” He stopped in mid-sentence, glancing at the boy.
‘You make war on children,” Worf said in a low voice.
‘Worf,” Picard said, his voice soft with warning.
‘It’s all right, Captain Picard. No, Lieutenant, we don’t normally make war on children. But there are factions that are desperate to win this war rather than have peace. They would do anything to stop the peace talks.”
‘The Venturi would use your son as a negotiation tool?” Picard asked.
‘Not the Venturi,” she said. “They are as eager as most of us to end this conflict, but there are factions on both sides that consider peace without victory worthless.”
The child looked from one adult to the other, trying to follow the conversation. He knew it involved him, Troi sensed, but not how.
Talanne led her son toward the center of the room. “You see how desperately we need your intervention, Captain.” She gentled her son against her leg. “Do you know that no one can even actually agree on what began this war? Two hundred years of fighting, and we don’t even know why we’re doing it.”
Tears glimmered in her eyes. Her sorrow was full of anger, outrage at what had almost happened to her son. Without any solid facts Talanne was doing what any mother would do, thinking of the direst possibilities.
‘We are here to see the fighting stop, Colonel Talanne. To allow your children to grow up to be more than soldiers,” Picard said. “The children,” she said sorry. “the children.” She hugged Jeric tight against her. “You will find Jeric is the exception, Captain.”
Before Picard could ask what that meant, the door opened. The two remaining guards took their posts, weapons on the door.
Worf went forward with Conner. He left the others in a triangle around the captain.
Talanne shoved Jeric into Troi’s arms and took her place with the guards.
A black and gold robed guard stepped through. “It is I, Colonel.”
‘Take off your mask, slowly.”
The man did, pushing hood back to reveal short brown hair. With the same hand he scooped off his mask to reveal a plain, pale face with brown eyes. He had the same delicate features as General Basha and his son, but not quite. He seemed a little less perfect, almost ordinary, though still delicately pretty.
‘What have you to report?” Talanne asked.
‘We found Jeric’s sentinel dead in the garden. There was a second man in our colors, also dead. We believe Bori planned treachery, then could not go through with it.”
‘Why do you think that?”
‘Why else take the boy outside? We all know your orders on that. Under no circumstance is the boy to go outside.”
Talanne nodded. “Very well. Is the building secure?”
‘Yes.
‘Triple the guards.
‘They have already been doubled, Colonel.”
‘Did I ask your opinion? No, I gave you an order.”
‘Aye, Colonel Talanne.” He turned on his heel and left the room.
Guards could be glimpsed on either side of the door. They were three deep on either side.
The boy pressed in against Troi’s legs. She placed her hands on his shoulders. He was trembling, and Troi’s skin felt cold with his fear.
From Talanne there was no fear for herself. Worry over the boy and her husband; for