Maximum Warp Part 12

"Mine to make." Folan pivoted back toward the main viewer again.

"For now," Medric whispered, probably only loud enough for her to hear, but it was a scream into her mind. For now.

U.5.S. Enterprise, NCC 1701E Klingon/Romulan border Sector ID Picard and Riker walked briskly toward the turbolift, and more importantly, away from T'sart's quarters. That the Romulan was in quarters rather than the brig nagged at Picard, chafing his sensibilities.

"Someone with his personal death count, dictating to us," the captain grumbled.

"He's used to everyone jumping through his hoops," Riker said.

"Or he kills them and pushes them through." The captain shook his head. "Well, this ship is not at his service. And we know that few of our goals will be the same. He wants to use us, and we need to use him."

"a.s.suming he's not been lying from the start. He could have shown Spock false data. Could be feeding us the same." They pa.s.sed a few crew members going the other direction, and Riker lowered his voice. "Perhaps the dead zones are T'sart's own invention. Ma.s.s murderers aren't known for their trustworthiness."

"And trust is the problem," Picard said. "Which puts us in an interesting position. We're looking to traverse Romulan s.p.a.ce without permission, to attack a Romulan outpost. We are, essentially, taking the necessary steps to start another interstellar war."

"We do have Spock's belief that what T'sart said is true."

"Which is a great deal." Picard and Riker slipped into a turbolift. "Bridge," the captain ordered, then turned back to Riker. "I hope it's enough. Obviously we're not at all a.s.suming our ign.o.ble guest doesn't have some ... trick up his sleeve, as it were."

"So many tricks up there I'd be surprised if he has room for his elbows."

Picard didn't allow himself the chuckle Riker'd been looking for. "I've discussed this with Spock, and now I'll discuss it with you." He stopped and Riker did as well.

"Sir?"

"We can't know what T'sart has planned, but it is something. I'm sure he doesn't intend to stay under our control. But he must. He cannot be allowed to escape."

Riker nodded slowly. "Aye, sir."

"Will..." The captain rarely called his first officer by his given name. When he did, it was usually more serious than light. "I mean he can't be allowed to escape. At any cost."

They were silent a moment, and Riker understood. "Aye, sir. Any cost."

Picard nodded once. "There's a reason I gave that order to Spock as well, Number One. I need you to help secure our pa.s.sage through Romulan s.p.a.ce. I have no intention of doing as T'sart suggests and killing any Romulan ship we'd come across while their shields are down."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, Mr. Riker," Picard said as the lift doors opened and they stepped out onto the bridge, "you're going to take a runabout and buy us some insurance. Mr. Spock knows of a Romulan unmanned subs.p.a.ce relay station. The Romulans keep supplies there, not unguarded, but completely automated. One of those supplies, an element they use in their plasma conduits, could be added to our nacelle exhaust. Romulan sensors might mistake that as a Romulan warp signature."

"Might and could. Are we sure of anything?" Riker asked.

Picard smiled lightly. "We know where the relay station itself is."

"Comforting. I've never even heard of this sort of element."

"Barantium. It's a secret use. One we've been saving for a rainy day."

"And it's monsoon season."

"Indeed. We'll head into Klingon s.p.a.ce, and rendezvous back here in fourteen hours."

Will Riker pulled in a deep breath and pushed it out slowly. "Well, I hope I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

The captain nodded. "You do. Mr. Data and Counselor Troi, both of whom have some experience with Romulan computer systems, will accompany you. You'll use the codes T'sart has provided us, to scan cloaked ships. Unless you stumble across a dead zone yourself, you should at least get there."

Riker looked toward Data at the science station, and down to Deanna Troi on the lower bridge. "And if those codes to show us the cloaked ships are false?"

Picard pressed his lips into a thin line. "Keep your heads down." Then, more somberly, the captain took his first officer's shoulder in one hand and gripped him tightly. "This is important, Will. I don't trust T'sart, and I don't trust his a.s.surances. We need this barantium if we're to make it all the way through Romulan s.p.a.ce."

"Then you'll have it, sir," Riker said, and gave an a.s.suring nod. "You have my word."

Picard smiled weakly. "And I'll hold you to it."

Chapter Sixteen.

Enterprise Runabout Kaku Romulan s.p.a.ce Sector 18 "How much farther?" Deanna Troi glanced at the navigation console, searching for her own answer.

Will Riker turned toward her, checking a few readouts as he swiveled in his chair. "You're not going to be like a kid on a long trip, are you?"

She smiled back at him.

"Hard to tell," he said. "We've had to change course three times now."

"At least T'sart was honest about the scanning code," Deanna said. "We can see cloaked warbirds soon enough to avoid them."

Riker's brow furrowed, and Deanna felt a few different emotions radiate toward her. He was concerned, and also somewhat frustrated. "Who knows what he's being honest about? I'm still not trusting him. You try reading him at all?"

"Mm-hmm. I'm still feeling a bit arrogant from the encounter."

Riker smiled and nudged the arm of her chair. "Not used to reading that emotion?"

Absentmindedly altering one of the monitors above her, Deanna smiled playfully. "Only when I'm with you."

From his station aft, Data cleared his throat.

"Something, Commander?" Riker asked.

"May I be blunt, sir?"

Deanna felt Riker's amus.e.m.e.nt as he answered. "You can give it a try, Data."

"I can never tell if you two are arguing or flirting."

She and Riker exchanged a long glance where silence dominated until Riker finally said, "You'll have to work that one out on your own."

Data nodded his head to one side. "Perhaps later, sir. I-" The android stopped and turned toward his console so quickly that Deanna was taken aback. "I am reading a vessel de cloaking Data said, his hands suddenly in a quick dance over his controls.

Now Riker was rigid in his seat, all evidence of relaxation gone from his emotional broadcast. "Raise shields," he ordered. "For all the good it'll do us against a warbird. Put 'em on screen."

By this time Deanna, too, had buried herself in scanners and sensors. But she also took a moment to look up on the main viewscreen. "It's a-" She stammered.

She'd thought she'd be able to identify it. She'd familiarized herself with all the files Enterprise had on Romulan fleet ships. "I don't know what that is."

"Data, check configuration against known schematics of any-"

"Checking now, sir." The android bent over his console.

"You recognize that at all?" Riker asked her.

Deanna shook her head. "It doesn't even look Romulan."

"It is not Romulan," Data said, turning to them from his station. "The design is Galbutian. The Romulan government purchased several of these ships from the neutral Galbutians. They are commonly used to haul large quant.i.ties of cargo between star systems. Lacking stasis holds, they are not used for organic matter or unstable elements."

"What are they used for?

Data gave his version of a shrug, a small motion he made with his eyebrows. "I would a.s.sume mostly stable waste removal."

"It's a garbage scow?" Riker was incredulous for a moment. Deanna felt that, then she felt something common from him. Not an emotion, per se. It was something she simply felt when she knew he was ... well, for lack of a better term, "plotting."

"That is one way to put it, sir."

"It should be weaponless," Riker said. "Then again, it should be cloak less too."

"Yes, sir. The vessel is hailing us."

Eyes widening, Riker paused a moment, then shrugged. "Well... put them on."

"h.e.l.lo! You are Federation, yes?"

Riker nodded slowly. "Right." He turned to Deanna and whispered. "He's talking without a translator."

"I noticed," Deanna said.

"And you are?" Riker asked.

"I, Tobin." The Romulan smiled. Deanna noticed his hair was disheveled and he appeared not to have shaved in a few days. "Captives. Okay?"

Riker didn't answer. He whispered to Deanna. "Is he trying to take us captive?"

Her turn to shrug. "I'm not sure. Whatever he's saying, he seems very happy about it."

"Captive? Okay?" Tobin repeated. "You see me, yes?"

"Yeah, we see you." Riker said.

The Romulan smiled widely.

"He seems very ... odd, sir," Data said.

Letting out a light whistle, Riker nodded agreement. "No weapons on his ship, right, Data?"

"No, sir. A lot of plastiform rubbish, however."

"I don't suppose there's any of the plasma conduit material we're looking for? Barantium?"

"Not that I detect, sir."

"Captive! Now!" Tobin yelled, but continued to smile.

Was he pleased he'd "captured" the runabout? And just how had he? He had no weapons, just a cloak. And why a cloak on that ship? And why had they not seen through that cloak as they had all the others? Deanna entertained all these questions and more, and felt Riker was probably doing the same.

Finally she gave voice to the real threat. "What are we going to do? All he has to do is tell others we're here."

"Has he sent any messages, Data?" Riker asked.

"No, sir."

"Shields?"

"His shields are down, sir."

Riker chewed on his lower lip a quick moment, then made a decision and nodded to himself. "Beam him over."

Deanna touched his arm. "Pardon?"

"He's the only one aboard, he has yet to tell anyone we're here, I'd say now is the time."

She sighed, unable to argue with that. "All right."

"I'm glad I have your approval." Riker looked back toward Data, "Lock on and energize."

The android tapped at the console to his left. "Energizing."

In the aft transporter alcove, light and sparkle quickly formed and then dissipated, leaving a short, somewhat chubby Romulan behind.

"h.e.l.lo there! I am Tobin! Captive!"

The Romulan rushed onto the deck, past Data and toward Riker. All three Starfleeters barely had time to bring their phasers up before Tobin grabbed Riker and hugged him.

Phaser at his side, Riker pushed the smiling Tobin off him. "Uh ... we surrender?"

Klingon Warship Qulric Klingon s.p.a.ce Malinga Sector "Sir."