Survivors - Jean Lorrah [76]
“It’s not easy in such a closed society. I tried setting up as a wealthy free trader and applying a bit of discreet flirtation. Unfortunately, since that is Nalavia’s own stock in trade, she immediately created restrictions that made it impossible for me to trade profitably on Treva. I was forced to retreat to preserve my cover.”
Yar frowned. “Dare let you-?”
“Oh, it wasn’t particularly dangerous. But he refuses to do what would work.”
“And what is that?” Yar asked.
“Go in himself. He can be incredibly sexy when he-” She broke off. Then, “Of course, you know that,” she said softly. “But he won’t use that power, cynical as he may be about everything else.”
“Aurora,” said Yar, “are you telling me that you suggested Dare-?”
“That he go in undercover, as it were, use his charms on Nalavia and the two most powerful women on the council … and then let the three of them find out about one another-after Dare was safely off-planet, of course. Considering the kind of person Nalavia is, the catfight would have been heard all the way to Earth! Divide and conquer among Nalavia’s allies, and make Madame President look more than a little ridiculous. But you know Dare.”
Do I? Do I know him at all anymore? Yar stared at Aurora. “I don’t understand. How could you suggest such a thing when you and Dare … ?”
“Dare and I?” Aurora laughed. “Oh, no, Tasha-I can’t take the moody, brooding type! I love Dare as a friend and colleague, but his idea of romantic love is far too solemn and serious for me. I’ll take Poet any day-he knows how to make me laugh.”
“Oh,” Yar said, trying to hide her surprise. Her memories of loving Darryl Adin were all spun ‘round with joy and laughter.
Finally Sdan reported, “If the Enterprise remained on the course you gave us, it should be approaching its destination just as a message sent thirty-seven minutes from now would intercept its path. How long will they orbit Brentis VI?”
“Probably at least a day.”
“Then I suggest that we record your message now and transmit it every two hours for the next day.”
“Nalavia will monitor the transmission,” Aurora reminded them.
“Without my tricorder,” said Yar, “I can’t scramble it.”
“Wouldn’t matter,” said Sdan. “Scrambled or plain, a message beamed subspace from here means that’s where you have to be.”
“Even so, if I could code it somehow, Nalavia wouldn’t know exactly what I sent.” She thought a moment, and suddenly recalled something that she could use. “Sdan-can you have the computer translate the message into binary code?”
“Well … sure, but that’s easy enough to read with any computer.”
“If you know what it is. Captain Picard and Commander Riker will recognize it at once-they recently had reason to learn quite memorably how it sounds.”
“Ah,” said Sdan, “we’ll send it at top speed. Chances are Nalavia’s never heard anything like it. We can hope her cipher experts take a while to deduce what it is.”
So Yar composed her message: “Arrived Treva. Nalavia’s reports unreliable. Standard subspace frequencies jammed. Assessing situation. Further reports will follow. Yar.”
“Aren’t you going to ask for help?” Aurora asked.
“You don’t divert a starship unless you are certain it’s needed,” Yar replied. “Possibly Data and I can settle matters here and rendezvous with the Enterprise as originally planned.”
“For an experienced Security officer,” said Aurora, “you are unexpectedly optimistic.” But Yar saw understanding in the woman’s eyes, and realized shamefully that in her heart she sheltered the hope that they could, indeed, resolve things here and still allow Dare to escape.
Before dinner, Aurora took Yar to her quarters, and lent her some clothes. Like the men, Aurora wore her garments loose; as she was also taller than Yar, everything was too big. However, a bit of tucking and belting, and Yar began to look less like a child in her mother’s clothes, and more like a disturbingly glamorous woman.
But when she wore the gold dress to dinner, and saw appreciation in Dare’s eyes, she felt a dangerous warmth inside. I must not let my feelings affect my judgment,