Tooth and Claw - Doranna Durgin [34]
“You’re not hunting yet,” Riker said.
“Soon.” Akarr seated the gun into the holster in front of his knife. Far overhead, something screeched; Riker couldn’t tell if it was in warning or dismay. “Takan, Rakal, and I have assessed our status. We have food enough. We have tranquilizer guns for all who are uninjured plus one; the others were damaged. You, of course, were planning to stay in the shuttle, so I doubt you have any weapons of note—”
“Don’t worry about me,” Riker said. “I’ve got what I need.”
“As soon as Pavar is honored, we will begin our journey to the portal.”
Riker shook his head. “We’re better off staying here. We don’t have to worry about how much food we can carry, and we’ll have shelter at night.” Behind him, Rakal and Takan quietly returned; Riker glanced back to see that they’d hunkered down in the flattened foliage, and were listening with great interest. “I got a signal off; Geordi will make sure we get help.”
Akarr made a face. “Your Lieutenant Commander La Forge wouldn’t even be on Fandre if it were possible to communicate through the force field
“I didn’t say I’d communicated. I said I got a signal off.” He hoped. “Geordi will know it’s from me. They’ll send someone in after us.”
Akarr stared at him a moment, in astonishment rather than his usual challenge. “What makes you think we
want to be rescued at all, never mind by your Federation? We will rescue ourselves.”
“By offering yourselves up to every predator that lives here? Akarr, a hunt is one thing. Prolonged exposure to the dangers of this place is another thing entirely. Are you determined to die here?”
Akarr smiled at him—not the socially appropriate smile of covered teeth, but a curl of the lip that left nothing to the imagination. The Ferengi would envy such teeth. “There is much daleura in such a death, if it must be. But no, none of us have any intention of dying.”
“Have any of you been here before? Had experience with this place?”
As one, they glanced at Gavare.
“Wonderful,” Riker said, not caring if they understood the sarcasm. Too much courage, not near enough wisdom.
Akarr stood. “Your opinion is not important here, Riker. You got us into this situation, but we will decide how to get ourselves out. For now, we care for Pavar-you will wait here, as it is a private matter. When we return, be ready to leave. Or stay here alone, as you please.”
There was nothing that Riker could come up with in reply … nothing, that is, that it would do for him to say. As Akarr led the Tsorans away, with Pavar suspended between Rakal and Takan and the injured guards more or less staggering along behind, the creature above them screeched again, circling lower, rustling in the foliage just overhead.
Something splat ted to the ground; Riker couldn’t see it, but he could smell it well enough. He couldn’t help but offer a sardonic smile. “I couldn’t agree more,” he said, and went into the shuttle to gather up his supplies.
Picard paced from the viewport to the food replicator, decided against taking supper until the tingle of afternoon heessla faded from his tongue, and returned to the viewport. The ready room seemed smaller with every passing moment. Give them time, Troi had said. Well, he was giving them time. Time during which, despite the padd-pushing, he could do nothing but think of the Rahjah, bent and twisted on the jungle floor—along with all its occupants. And of Geordi La Forge, working without support from the Enterprise, trying to suborn Fandrean technology to effect a rescue.
If the Enterprise were there, surely her sensors would be able to tell them something. Surely Geordi’s finely honed engineering staff would brainstorm quick answers to the shielding and communications problems. Surely they’d all make short work of finding Will… of finding the ReynTa and therefore successfully completing their mission to expedite the Ntignano evacuation…. If the Enterprise were there—instead of sitting in orbit above Aksanna, Atann’s sprawling capital