Section 31_ Rogue - Andy Mangels [89]
Troi knew that the admiral had been uncomfortable around her ever since her return; she assumed it was most likely because of what Batanides had learned about her lover and his possible provocative actions at the peace conference. The counselor momentarily considered confronting the senior officer with this observation, but decided against it. Best to let the matter drop.
“Sir, I still have more work to do helping the Slayton survivors. Is there anything else I can help with?”
Picard nodded to her, his eyes darting momentarily to Batanides. “No. Thank you, Deanna. I’ll… we’ll take your concerns under advisement.”
With a curt nod, Troi backed away and stepped through the door and into the corridor. She scarcely needed her Betazoid abilities to interpret the admiral’s hostile parting glare.
The doors to the aft observation lounge parted with a faint pneumatic hiss, and Picard strode in, the admiral at his side. Picard found Cortin Zweller standing in the dimly lit chamber, staring idly at the sparse starfield that lay beyond the Enterprise’s stern. Zweller turned desultorily toward him, and the captain stared at his friend for a moment, searching his eyes, looking for some sign that things were not as confused as he feared. But all he saw was a carefully blank countenance, a Vulcan-like mask that concealed all emotion.
The silence stretched uncomfortably. Picard sighed heavily. “We need to talk, Corey. Just you and me and Marta.”
“Again? What about, exactly?”
“I think you know,” said Picard. He sat behind the long, low table, and gestured for Zweller to take a seat across the table from him. Batanides sat beside Picard, her hands steepled under her chin as she studied each of her old friends in turn.
“There are still some troubling… inconsistencies in your accounts of your time on Chiaros IV,” Picard said.
“Such as? Have you gotten new information from Grelun? Or has my esteemed colleague Dr. Gomp renewed his campaign of character assassination?”
Batanides spoke up then. “Grelun’s not talking much. And none of your ‘esteemed colleagues’ seem to have a very high opinion of you right now.”
Zweller snorted, but the admiral pressed on. “Everyone seems convinced that you worked closely with Falhain and Grelun both, aiding the Army of Light rebels in their fight against Ruardh.”
“I’ve said as much. I freely admit that I helped them somewhat,” Zweller said, leaning back in his chair. “The only way I was going to get my fellow crewmembers off that planet was to pretend to work with them until such time as I could seize an opening and escape.”
“What lengths were you willing to go to before your attempted escape, Corey?” Batanides asked. “Did you provide them with the weaponry that they used in the attacks on the peace conference? Or the other attacks on Ruardh’s forces? And why did you aid them in kidnapping the Enterprise officers?”
“Whoa, slow down, Marta. One question at a time. They already had some weapons when I was captured-when we were captured. I assume they may have gotten them from the Romulans. It didn’t seem particularly important where they got them at the time, just that they had them. And I did not participate directly in the melee at the peace conference-“
Picard was incredulous, and interrupted his friend. “Then how did you remove Riker’s and Troi’s combadges?”
Zweller’s jaw clenched, almost imperceptibly, and he spoke again, his voice as carefully modulated as before. “I said that I did not participate directly in the melee. I was with Grelun’s troops in an antechamber, trying to keep them calm while their leaders negotiated. I hoped that all of us from the Slayton would be released if the talks went well. When the fighting began-which, I might add, was not precipitated by any of Falhain’s men-I bullied aside two of my guards to rescue Riker and Troi before they could be killed. I still don’t know who started the attack, Jean-Luc. But I was trying to save your officers’ lives!”
Batanides’s voice was stony. “Why did you remove their