Section 31_ Rogue - Andy Mangels [119]
“I’m sorry I’m forced to do this, Corey,” Picard said in staid tones. “But you have deliberately interfered with the internal affairs of a sovereign government. Your actions demand a trial before a general court martial, which you will face after we remand you into the custody of the nearest starbase.”
“You’re assuming, Johnny,” Zweller said, his expression enigmatic, “that we won’t have any unscheduled detours between here and there.”
Batanides was once again struck by Zweller’s unaccountable calm. What was he up to?
As the guards escorted Zweller away, Batanides listened to the sound of their bootheels reverberating across the cavernous shuttlebay. A deep chill slowly ascended the length of her spine as she contemplated Corey’s words, and wondered just how long his rogue spy bureau’s reach really was.
In the meantime, Picard and Dr. Crusher had walked a few paces away, apparently conferring privately about something urgent. The doctor seemed to be greatly concerned about the captain’s health, and indeed, he appeared slightly unsteady on his feet. After a quick exchange of tense whispers, Crusher strode toward the exit and a careworn Picard returned to the admiral’s side, a resolute expression on his face. Batanides couldn’t help but notice that neither of them appeared satisfied with the outcome of their deliberations. She wondered why it was that ships’ doctors always treated their captains as though they were delicate Barkonian glass sculptures.
Maybe it’s because captains always seem to think they’re made of neutronium.
Her rumination was interrupted by the sound of Will Riker’s voice, which issued from Picard’s combadge. “Riker to Picard.”
“Go ahead, Number One,” the captain said.
“Three small ships on approach from Chiaros IV, and Ruardh’s flagship is among them.”
“Ruardh was evidently quite serious when she demanded that we hand over Grelun,” Picard said as he began walking quickly toward the corridor. Batanides fell into step beside him.
“It certainly looks that way, sir,” Riker said. “They should be in weapons range in just under six minutes.”
“We’re on our way. Picard out.”
After they entered a turbolift, Batanides realized that her old friend was staring inquisitively at her.
“Something on your mind, Johnny?”
“Probably the same thing that’s on yours,” he said, placing one hand against a wall to steady himself. “Given the distinct possibility that Ruardh may attack us, do you believe that I should surrender Grelun to her?”
She genuinely wasn’t certain about that anymore. The Chiarosan people had been so thoroughly misled already by the machinations of both the Tal Shiar and Section 31 that almost any course of action now seemed hopelessly muddled. Despite the antipathy she had harbored toward the rebels in the immediate aftermath of the battle in Hagraté, she was no longer prepared to hold them entirely responsible for Aubin Tabor’s death. It was now obvious to her that Chiaros IV’s treacherous political landscape was no longer a clear-cut matter of interstellar law and Starfleet regulations.
“Cooperating with a legitimate, sovereign government is one thing,” Batanides said. “But kowtowing to a Romulan puppet regime is quite another.”
Picard nodded. “I agree completely.”
“One other thing still concerns me, though,” she said, leaning against her side of the turbolift as the illuminated deck-markers sped past.
“What’s that?”
“I wonder just how far Ruardh is willing to go in order to capture Grelun.”
“Let’s hope we won’t have to find out,” Picard said gravely. “Because a war with Ruardh…” Though he left his words hanging in the air, his meaning was abundantly clear.
A war with Ruardh could escalate very quickly into a war with the Romulans, she thought, chilled to the marrow by the very notion.
Chapter Seventeen
Looking up from tactical, Lieutenant Daniels announced “Admiral on the bridge.”
Riker, Troi, K’rs’lasel, and Rixa had