The Battle of Betazed - Charlotte Douglas [77]
The commander lowered his phaser. “I’m Commander Elias Vaughn. This is Commander William Riker and—”
“Deanna Troi. I’m Cort Enaren, and I’ve known Deanna since she was a little girl.” Enaren glanced past them. “You’re alone?”
“The Enterprise is in orbit.” Deanna sensed Enaren’s disappointment. “Were you expecting someone else?”
“My son, Sark.”
“We received his message,” Vaughn explained. “That’s why we’re here.”
“And Sark?” Enaren’s desperate hope was evident in his voice. “You left him on the ship?”
Vaughn shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
Enaren’s face momentarily crumpled with sorrow, and grief stabbed Deanna. The casualties of Betazed had taken on a familiar face. She had played with Sark Enaren as a child, and they had attended school together. Her former classmate had apparently given his life to deliver the resistance’s message to Starfleet. How many more of the people she knew and loved had died?
Enaren quickly regained his composure and pointed to the rock face. “Come with me.”
Vaughn motioned Deanna ahead of them, and she followed Enaren through a fissure in the cliff wall and down a rock-strewn trail. They had progressed only a few meters when approaching footsteps hammered on the path ahead of them. Another mind reached out to touch hers, and happiness flooded through her. She raced past Enaren and ran straight into Lwaxana’s arms.
“Oh, Little One, I thought I’d never see you again!” After a fierce, brief hug, Lwaxana tugged Deanna through an aperture in the mountainside and down a short tunnel that opened into a large chamber filled with people. After the midnight darkness, the bright light and smoke of the torches burned Deanna’s eyes, and the smell of unwashed bodies assaulted her nose.
Most distressing of all, however, was her mother’s appearance. Deanna couldn’t remember ever seeing her mother when she wasn’t elegantly dressed or didn’t have her hair perfectly coiffed, but the woman in front of her was a shambles. If Lwaxana’s mind had not already touched hers, Deanna wouldn’t have recognized her. Her clothes were tattered, her hair windblown and knotted, and dark circles ringed her eyes. Her formerly voluptuous figure was skin and bones. Underneath her happiness at reuniting with her daughter lay desolation and grief.
“Barin?” Deanna asked, afraid to hear the answer.
Before Lwaxana could reply, a small body launched itself out of the crowd and latched onto her knees.
“D’anna! You bring me chocolate?”
Deanna knelt and gathered her brother in her arms. “Not this time, Barin, but I will the next, I promise you.”
Someone detached herself from the group and picked up Barin. Deanna realized with a start that the young woman who looked more like a scarecrow was her cousin Chaxaza. She, too, had obviously suffered from the privations caused by the conquering armies.
“Chaxaza, it’s good to see you.” Guilt flooded through Deanna. She had fought the Dominion, losing friends and crewmates in the process, but she hadn’t experienced the deprivation these people had. At the end of every battle, she had always had her shower, her clean uniforms, and her replicator.
“Will!” her mother cried, interrupting her thoughts. “And Elias, is that you?” Lwaxana ran forward and immediately apprised the officers of a terrible outbreak of Rigelian fever among the children in the resistance stronghold.
Riker turned to Enaren. “We’ll need to gather all the children and any noncombatants together immediately,” the first officer told him as he tapped his combadge. “Riker to Enterprise, prepare to beam up sick and injured, mostly children. Inform sickbay to expect numerous cases of Rigelian fever, malnutrition, and assorted injuries. Stand by to transport on my signal. Riker out.” Riker gestured for Enaren to lead the way deeper into the tunnels of the stronghold.
“Elias,” Deanna said, “if you don’t mind, I’d like a few moments alone with my mother.”
Vaughn nodded. “It’s good to see you, Lwaxana,” he said sincerely, and moved off to confer with the other