To Storm Heaven - Esther Friesner [73]
“And how would you propose we initiate this course of action?” Picard asked the table in general.
“I needn’t remind you that we haven’t got an unlimited amount of time.” “Confrontation, sir,” Geordi said. “Immediate confrontation. The Ne’elatians have been able to exploit the Ashkaarians without a second thought because they don’t have to face the people they’re hurting. There’s a girl on Ne’elat—” He paused, feeling the sweet catch at his heart that was always there whenever he thought of Ma’adrys. “You know her—the Ashkaarian who was stolen from her people because she had the potential to help them advance beyond the point where the Ne’elatians wanted them to stay. There’ve been others like her over the years, but she’s the first who knows she hasn’t been carried off to paradise. Bring her aboard and have hertestify before the Masra’et. When your actions only produce a mass of faceless victims, it’s easy to pretend they don’t exist. That all changes when you’ve got to look into the eyes of an individual you’ve wronged.” “Let’s hope it changes things for the better, Mr.
La Forge,” Captain Picard remarked. He was older than Geordi and unable to share the engineer’s optimism fully. Still, it would be worth a try. “But why have the confrontation take place here? Why not on Ne’elat, as long as all parties concerned are already there?” Geordi’s smile was anything but naive. “The Enterprise is neutral ground. More important, the Ne’elatians have never seen anything like it. They’ve been controlling the Ashkaarians for ages by virtue of their technological superiority. They understand power, they respect it, and they’ll be more likely to pay attention to any… suggestions we might have to offer concerning their future relations with Ashkaar.” Captain Picard nodded, then said, “Make it so.”
Ma’adrys gazed around the transporter room as she permitted Geordi to help her off the pad. “The wonder is still here, my love,” she said, smiling. “It does not matter that I have seen these marvels before; they are forever fresh to me.” “You’ll grow used to them in time,” Geordi said.
“After you’ve lived here while—” He stopped, taken aback by his own audacity. It was the first time he had ever spoken to Ma’adrys about what was in his heart for their future.
To his relief he saw that his words had pleased her.
“Could such things come to be?” she asked softly. “It would give me so much joy, so very much if—” She bit her lower lip and looked away from him. “But no. I will not hope. I will not dream. I knew dreams when I was young, and they were all snatched away from me.” “When you were young?” Geordi laughed and took her into his arms. “You’re not exactly a crone, Ma’adrys, and I promise you, this is one dream that won’t be taken from you if I have anything to say about it.” He kissed her, briefly but tenderly, then said, “Come. They’ll be waiting for you.” She hung back a little. “What must I say? What must I tell them?” “Tell the Masra’et what you know of your homeworld, of your life, of how their interference affected you and all your family, your neighbors, your friends.
By now they’ve heard Mr. Data’s report about what the Away Team discovered of life on Ashkaar, but your words will more than confirm his. They need a good dose of truth, Ma’adrys. Give it to them.” “Yes.” The uncertainty was gone from her face. Her eyes reflected a sudden, hard look of determination.
“Yes, they do.” The members of the Masra’et were all ranged along one side of the conference table when Geordi brought Ma’adrys in. They looked grim, and more than a few of them were giving Mr. Data hard stares. The android was just completing his report of conditions on Ashkaar with the capture of Troi