Unification - Jeri Taylor [67]
Troi could feel Gretchen rolling the idea over in her mind, tasting it, trying it. “Maybe,” she ventured.
Troi had an instinct that this young woman might take pleasure in giving care to a helpless creature. She had been cheated from so much of life, and certainly she had some healing to do regarding her baby brother. The nursery might be just the place for her.
Gretchen composed herself and, after promising to see Troi professionally for a few weeks, departed. Troi had an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. Being a counselor might not be the most exciting job on the ship, but when things happened right, there was nothing quite like it. This kind of fulfillment was buoying to her, and she imagined that even a captain like Jean-Luc Picard would value these small moments of triumph.
Riker was standing on the bridge of the Enterprise, looking at the viewscreen. There he saw the bridge of the Klingon ship Kruge, with Picard, Data, and the Klingon captain all in evidence. Riker had been running down his experiences at Qualor, and the information he had pried loose from the Ferengi dealer, Omag.
“As soon as I heard this Barolian ship was at Galorndon Core, I started to think Romulans,” he concluded, and saw Picard absorb the intelligence and try to determine its significance.
“And the Romulans are suddenly very interested in bonding with the Vulcans,” Picard mused. “Spock has been meeting with the new Senate proconsul about reunification.”
Riker was stunned. A formal realigning of the Vulcans and Romulans? Such a possibility had never entered his mind. “Reunification?” he repeated lamely.
“The Romulan proconsul says he is prepared to endorse peace talks,” Picard continued, and Riker found that statement even more surprising. A Romulan leader pushing for peace? “What about Spock?” he asked.
“The ambassador is skeptical but he cares a great deal about reunification. As long as there’s a chance of success, he will pursue it.”
Troi spoke up. “I’m afraid I don’t see where a stolen Vulcan ship fits into all this.”
“Neither do I, Counselor.” Picard’s eyes sought out Riker again. “How soon can you be at Galorndon Core, Number One?”
Riker checked the calculations on his chair console. “Little over eight hours,” he replied.
“It may be a wild-goose chase, but I don’t think we have a choice, do you?” “Agreed.”
The image on the viewscreen suddenly began breaking up, and Riker saw Data turn from the console on the Klingon bridge. “We are losing our Romulan carrier wave, sir,” he announced.
Picard turned to Riker once more. “We’ll advise you further when you get there, Number One. Picard out.”
The signal snapped out completely and Riker found himself looking at stars once more. He turned to the ensign at Conn. “Ensign, set a course to Galorndon Core. Take us to warp eight.”
He settled into the command chair and watched as the stars turned from pinpoints to streaks as the massive ship jumped to high-warp speed. The solution to the mystery had been eluding him all along this journey. Maybe he would find the answer at Galorndon Core.
Chapter Eighteen
CAPTAIN K’VADA WAS ALL but salivating with glee. The android—that glorious creature who had returned his shoulder to its rightful position, where it was now mending nicely—had managed to tap into the Romulan information net. The possibilities this opened for K’Vada were infinite. He listened carefully as Picard and Data huddled over the computer where the android was accessing information.
“Captain, the Romulan subspace logs identify a transmission from the Romulan surface to a Barolian ship near Galorndon Core twelve hours ago.”
Picarcl nodded as though this had some significance, and K’Vada felt compelled to set him right. “Galorndon Core is along the Barolian trade route. They trade a great deal with the Romulans. It’s probably just routine.”
But Data spoke up. “This would not