The Next Generation
Dimensions 2 - Romulas - Part 5
by B.J. Burton
(bjburtoncanada@yahoo.com)

Dimensions 2 - Romulas - Part 5

SYNOPSIS:

The Federation team rescues Ambassador Spock. Deanna prods Sela to discover her weaknesses and rescues Kahless, the Klingon Spiritual leader sealing her own destiny.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Jean-Luc Picard hesitated when the corridors converged. The corridor they were following ended at a blank wall three meters beyond the intersection. He recalled Beverly Crusher’s preliminary investigation of a stair to the next lever down the left arm of the intersection; any movement now could be dangerous, he thought. There was no sound from the left corridor but that did not mean it was deserted. He felt confident with his team; they could handle ten Romulans easily. He stepped forward into the intersection with his disruptor drawn. Both the corridor and the curved metal stair were empty. His team followed quickly. Jean-Luc beckoned Data to lead the way up the stair. It was difficult for the android not to make a sound on the metal treads and he stopped each time the stair creaked under his weight. He looked to the Captain helplessly. The Captain nodded positively and mounted the stair behind him, followed by the Counselor. They moved up the stairs slowly, hesitating expectantly with every creak until they reached the door to the upper level. Jean-Luc beckoned Deanna to move ahead of him and Data stepped back to allow her to squeeze by.

Deanna reached out with her newly enhanced empathic senses...There were people in the room beyond, three Romulan guards playing a game of chance. Using sign language, she advised the Captain before slipping back to her position at the rear.

The android reached out his hand to open the door; it was unlocked and he thrust it open. The three Romulans turned in surprise but before they could react, Data stunned all three. The guards appeared unprepared for an assault; their weapons neatly stacked on a rack near the door. Data moved across the room to the second door. There was no sound from the corridor beyond; the guards’ noisy collapse to the floor, including an overturned chair appeared to have gone unnoticed.

The Captain leant over the fallen guards and removed their communicators. He placed them in a heap and obliterated them with his Romulan disruptor.

The Counselor looked around the walls; there was a communications terminal near the door to the corridor. She slipped her phaser into her left hand, recovered her disrupter and the device disappeared. With a smile of satisfaction, she returned the disruptor to her belt and grasped her phaser once more.

The Captain nodded approval as he looked around. There were manacles hanging on the wall. He indicated them to Data and the two worked quickly to manacle the three guards to a metal ring, embedded in the floor. Jean-Luc nodded, satisfied with their primitive maneuver and moved to the interior door. He nodded to Data to take the lead.

Data opened the door, his phaser at the ready. He glanced from left to right before moving across the corridor to the opposite wall. It was obvious from the configuration of doors there were in another cellblock. Jean-Luc followed Data into the corridor but remained against the near wall. All three took positions close to the walls as they moved cautiously down the corridor. The Captain glanced back at Deanna as they passed each door. With relief she nodded negatively each time; there appeared to be no prisoners in this section.

They reached the first intersection and the Captain raised his hand to stop. He moved forward to the corner and peered around. A guard sat at a desk in the centre of the new corridor, his head lowered watching several monitors. The Captain nodded and moved back from the corner. If the guard was real, and not a hologram as in the corridor below this could be what they were looking for; the area where special prisoners were observed continuously for any display of weakness.

The Captain beckoned his companions back from the intersection. "We are going to have to distract him." He whispered. "The guard is masked by the desk; it is impossible to get a clear shot."

"I will do it, Captain..." Deanna spoke up.

The Captain regarded her for a long moment. Her Tal Shiar uniform did give them their best chance to draw the guards’ attention, he had to concede.

"I could order the guard to take me to the Ambassador." Deanna whispered.

"That would be too dangerous, Counselor. Just give him a reason to stand. Mr. Data or I will then have a chance to stun him."

Deanna nodded. "It should not be a problem." She moved briskly along the corridor no longer attempting to mask her footsteps and turned the corner without hesitation. Her footsteps echoed on the stone floor as she walked up to the desk. "Lieutenant..."

The guard looked up expectantly, his hand moved to a disruptor on the desk. ‘Who are you? What are you doing on this level; this floor is restricted."

"I am Major N’vek." Deanna spoke quickly using the first name that came to mind: the name of the Romulan member of the underground who had kidnapped her and brought her on board a Romulan Warbird several years ago. This officer somehow reminded her of him. "I have come to question one of the prisoners..."

"Where is your authorization?"

"authorization...?"

"Yes, your letter of authorization."

Deanna raised her phaser and fired point blank at the officer. He fell forward on the desk, his disruptor sliding to the floor with a clatter. Deanna picked it up as the Captain and Mr. Data quickly joined her.

"That was taking a chance, Counselor..."

"He asked for my papers...I had no choice."

The Captain nodded as he gazed at the monitors on the desk. Each of the screens displayed an occupied cell. He did not recognize any of the prisoners, except perhaps one; on one screen, a tall figure sat with ramrod stiffness on the floor of his cell with his back to the monitor. He appeared to be meditating. "That is the Ambassador. What is the cell number?"

"Five hundred and twenty-four, Captain." Deanna returned. They looked around. The numbering in the area by the desk was in the four hundreds. "It must be this way," Data nodded in the direction to their left where the number ascended.

They moved quickly along the corridor and into another; the numbers here were in the 500’s. The cell they were seeking was in the middle of the corridor. The Captain looked to the Counselor, she nodded assent vigorously; it was the Vulcan Ambassador. Data moved forward quickly with his special key; it took only a moment to open the door.

Ambassador Spock did not move. He remained rigid with his back to the door when they entered. The three Federation officers closed the door. The Vulcan still did not move.

Impatiently, the Captain crossed the room and placed a hand on the Vulcan’s shoulder. His wrist was immediately enclosed in a vice-like grip. The Ambassador’s eyes opened and he looked up at the Captain. His serious expression changed to a look of pleasure as he recognized the Captain and he released his wrist instantly.

Jean-Luc stepped back and nursed his aching hand; his wrist felt as if it were broken, yet the fingers still moved, if somewhat painfully.

"I am sorry, Captain Picard...I was not expecting you." Ambassador Spock slowly climbed to his feet.

"We have come to rescue you, Ambassador. We must leave immediately."

Without a word, the Ambassador picked up a computer pad from the bed and followed the three officers from the cell. The security guard was still unconscious as they passed and they reached the guard’s room without incident. The three manacled guards were now wide awake and struggling to release their hands. Spock gave them a quizzical look and slight smile as he passed through to stairwell. The alarm sounded as he stepped onto metal stair. The guard in the security wing had regained consciousness. Reaching the lower level, the Federation officers picked up their pace and ran along the deserted lower level.

* * * * *

Beverly Crusher hesitated in alarm at the sound of pounding footsteps. She handed the last prisoner onto the unsteady arm of D’tan and pushed them both into the storage room before drawing her phaser and turning to discover the cause of the commotion. She lowered her weapon and smiled when she recognized Jean Luc and moved to meet them her hand extended.

Jean-Luc was breathless as he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I am sorry, Beverly, we cannot take any more, the alarm has been sounded and we must get out of here."

Now they had stopped muffled sounds of heavy shoes on the metal stair could be heard. The Captain pushed Beverly through the door to the storage room, hoping to avoid being seen entering the room. Spock, Data and Deanna crowded in after her quickly followed by the Captain. The Captain turned to find the reason why where were so cramped near the door and was horrified to see a long line of prisoners congesting the narrow aisle between the shelves. It was almost impossible to move. He turned quickly and beckoned Data to lock the door but there was no lock. With increasing frustration, Jean-Luc edged past the prisoners who were shuffling along the aisle and beckoned the Ambassador, the Counselor and Data to follow. They moved into the first aisle, between the tall storage shelves. The last prisoner shuffled by leaving the entrance clear. "Mr. Data, you must push the shelf over to block the door."

Data immediately applied his superior strength to the shelving unit. It did not move. He put his shoulder against a shelf and pushed a second time. The metal groaned under the strain and wobbled, then finally toppled, drawing long bolts up from the floor. The unit fell against the door with a loud crash. "There will be no doubt now where we are." The android commented as he slapped his sides and chest sending up a cloud of dust.

The Captain turned to the Doctor. "Is there any way we can get these people moving faster?"

"Perhaps Captain, if Mr. Data could apply that same strength at the other end."

"Doctor?" The Captain raised a quizzical brow.

"The metal sheets on the last rack: you must remember how we had to crawl down that aisle. The same applies to our return trip."

Data nodded. "I remember, doctor. I will fix the problem."

The android began to maneuver around the prisoners. Some of the Romulans grumbled while others tried to push him back. Data apologized with each complaint and continued to brush past until he reached the final storage shelf. He barred the way. "Move back please, there will be a great deal of dust..." He raised his voice. "Please move back...I do not want anyone hurt but I am going to make it easier to get out." Again, he applied his shoulder to the shelf and slowly, despite being bolted to the floor and the heavy weight of metal the shelf began to topple, dragging the metal off the back shelf and across their exit in the floor, leaving the manhole completely open. The shelve he moved fell forward, hitting the row in front; the sound was horrific as the metal sheets scrapped across the ceiling. The second shelf could not sustain the weight and fell against the next, and the next and the next until all of the shelving units were falling, one against the other until the last one fell against of the first shelf firmly blocking the entrance from the hall. The air was full of dust and the escaping prisoners staggered about coughing, blinded by the dust storm Data had created.

Renne who was helping the prisoners down the manhole and was closest to the exit, smiled at the android through watering eyes. "That does make it much easier, Mr. Data." She grabbed the arm of the next man, who was gasping and pulled him forward quickly. Suddenly the line moved much faster with everyone trying to escape to a more breathable atmosphere. One by one, the prisoners disappeared down the ladder. Those who were injured moved with equal dexterity with an added stimulant from the doctor.

At the far end of the room, the Captain tried to brush the layer of thick dust off his uniform. His face was grimy from the ink dust that must have been on the rack near them. The Counselor had produced a thin piece of material from her sleeve and had covered her nose and mouth. She was the only one breathing without difficulty.

Suddenly there was a loud hammering at the door now completely hidden under the debris. The Captain looked at the Counselor.

She nodded, picking up their pursuers thoughts. "They are sending for a disrupter cannon, Captain. They will blow a hole through the door."

The Captain looked helplessly at the moving line of Romulans.

"Patience, Captain, it will be all right. They are moving as fast as they can." The soothing voice of Ambassador Spock did not alleviate his concern. It was O.K. for him to think everything was fine, he thought, these people were not his responsibility, or were they. "Ambassador, you may not recognize many of these people but they are members of the unification underground. I regret I also must advise you that R’nart is dead."

The Vulcan lowered his head. "I am sorry to hear that, Captain Picard. R’nart was a good friend."

"Perhaps, Ambassador," Jean-Luc continued. "You might encourage these people to move a little faster. The Romulan military is about to beat down the door, and we do not want to be trapped in this room."

"I see your point, Captain." The Ambassador stepped around the slowly moving queue and before many moments passed, the line began to move much faster.

The Captain smiled; perhaps he was not in the diplomatic service, but he was getting the job done, he thought. He looked around; the Counselor and doctor were still by his side, D’tan was still helping the maimed prisoners and Mr. Data was maneuvering his way back to them. Suddenly the android gave up his attempt to pass the anxious Romulans and climbed onto a collapsed shelf jumping from one rack to the next until he was adjacent to the Captain. He jumped down to join them. "Is that better, Captain... Doctor?"

"Much better, Data," Beverly assure him. "How many are there still waiting to get down to the lower level?"

"Less than twenty, Doctor."

"Beverly, Counselor, I want you both to get moving." Jean-Luc interrupted. "As soon as the last member of the unification underground has descended you are both to join the Ambassador and make sure he is safely taken down to the lower level."

"But Captain..." Beverly Crusher interjected.

"Doctor...Beverly…Data and I must hold off the Romulans until the prisoners have passed the hologram. You must accompany them to make sure they do not trigger the image. You must do that, Beverly. Everyone is probably trapped at the moment by the gate. You must take Data’s key and open the gate. Leave it open for Data and me. Mr. Data, give the doctor your skeleton key."

Data passed the key to Beverly.

"Beverly, I am trusting you with the responsibility of getting the Ambassador to safety." He smiled; sending a myriad of lines across his dust-streaked face. "This was the purpose of our mission. You know your instructions, once you get to the surface, disperse those capable of finding their own way and beam those too incapacitated to the Bird of Prey with the Ambassador and Beverly." He glanced at Deanna who nodded. "The ship is back in orbit. I believe it is still night on the surface. Once everyone has beamed aboard or safely dispersed Counselor, you will continue to the safe house with D’tan and René. Tomorrow night you will make your way beyond the city to the rendezvous we have arranged for the landing of the Bird of Prey. D’tan knows the co-ordinates."

Deanna suddenly raised her hand and looked up. "The Romulan guards are back, Captain and they have the cannon. We must move away from the door...quickly..."

They all scrambled back along the now deserted center aisle as the explosion of the cannon rocked the room, the four Federation officers almost lost their balance with the repercussion. Beverly looked to the back of the room. The last of the prisoner had disappearing down the manhole and D’tan was beckoning them. She moved at a run down the aisle.

Spock hesitated. He did not have a weapon. Deanna pushed him after the receding doctor as she pulled out her phaser and began to back down the aisle after him.

The Captain and Data pulled out their disruptors and crouched behind the still standing racks across the center aisle adjacent to the door. The door that exited to the hall was hidden by a thick cloud of dust but a gaping hole soon appeared with twisted metal extruding; the remains of the fallen racks that blocked the entrance.

Deanna dived to the floor as Romulan guards spewed through the opening, their disruptors firing indiscriminately. Beverly and Ambassador Spock had already disappeared down the manhole. She lay still, feeling dizzy from her sudden movement. "It is all right, little one," she murmured, "You are safe." She spoke absently, aware that the living entity within her was slowing her down. She could hear continuous disrupter fire behind her. Keeping a low profile she continued to move down the center aisle; she was only two racks from the back of the room. Reaching the last rack, she looked back. There were twelve Romulan in the room, crowding around the ragged orifice that was twice as large as the original door; some were kneeling, others hiding behind fallen debris, their disruptors aimed at the two Federation officers half way down the room. They had not noticed her at the rear of the room. She could escape unnoticed, leaving the Romulans ignorant of their exit route, she thought; it would be good if their route could remain unknown to give them time to escape.

She watched as two Romulans doubled over and moved up the aisle to where the Captain and Data were hiding. The Captain moved out of his hiding place and fired at the two. One slid under a fallen rack, the other disappeared in the blast. The Captain was using a disruptor to mask their identity, Deanna thought. She hoped the ruse would work. She lay low behind the last rack watching the firefight. There appeared to be little chance Data or the Captain could make an escape. The Captain stood suddenly and aimed his weapon at a Romulan officer, the leader of the assault team. Deanna concentrated hard, to give Worf the correct co-ordinates, the exact distance from her position as she waited expectantly. The Captain fired his weapon and the Romulan officer disappeared. Another Romulan rose instantly to his feet less than two meters from the Captain, his weapon raised to fire; he had crawled unnoticed between the racks. The timing had to be just right, Deanna thought. The disrupter on the Romulan’s hand discharged and the Captain disappeared...in a transporter beam. A Romulan Major who had appeared in the opening yelled abuse at the Romulan who had "disintegrated" the Captain just as Data rose and shot the Romulan who had fired at the Captain...he disappeared in the disruptor wave. Without hesitation, the Major turned his weapon on the android. Once more Deanna concentrated as the weapon discharged and Data also appeared to disintegrate as he disappeared in a transporter beam.

With the Captain and android, safely away Deanna quickly crawled to the manhole and smiled as she received Worf’s approval of receiving both members of the Federation safely onboard the bird of prey. She slid down the opening onto the ladder and pulled a piece of fallen metal from the rack over the opening. It might give them an extra few minutes, she thought.

Beverly and the Ambassador were waiting for her at the gate on the lower level.

"The Captain?" Beverly asked quickly, her face revealing her concern.

"The Captain and Data are both safe on board the bird of prey."

Beverly squeezed her hand. "Thank you, Deanna..." She thanked her friend telepathically.

Deanna gazed at Beverly for a long moment. "You too?" She queried silently.

Beverly smiled and nodded.

"How is that possible...I thought it was impossible to beam through this rock..." The Ambassador interrupted their telepathic communication.

"Not if you have the right co-ordinates, Ambassador," Smiled the Doctor. She opened the gate. "We must get moving."

"You are right; it is only a matter of time before they find the manhole. I could not close it, but managed to mask the entrance."

Quickly the three members of the Federation moved through the gate. As they turned the corner, they heard shouts advising them of the discovery of the manhole. They moved faster, carefully avoiding the holographic figures who continued to sit talking without concern at the table. The figure cleaning the disruptor looked ominous. Deanna thought his eyes followed her as she moved along the edge, past the beam. The three continued at a run down the next corridor. The last Romulan prisoner was entering the door leading to the sewers. D’tan beckoned as he held the door for them.

Deanna was the last to reach the door. She beckoned the one armed Romulan to enter before her just as the lights went out. Deanna smiled as she closed the door, she knew the Romulans had not taken the time to collect flashlights in their rush to capture them and would soon regret their haste.

* * * * *

Ambassador Spock sat forward. He met the Jean-Luc’s gaze steadily. "I must repeat, Captain Picard, I have no intention of coming with you. I have no plans to return to the Federation at this time. I am needed here on Romulus."

"Ambassador, you are not taking into account the gravity of the situation; Martok has a cloaked armada of Klingon cruisers at the edge of the neutral zone. In less than three days, they will cross that no-man’s-land to attack Romulus. There is no way we can stop it. You must leave with us now."

"Forgive me for interrupting, Captain, but perhaps there is."

All eyes turned to Deanna.

Jean-Luc frowned. "I hope, Counselor you are not going to suggest that wild idea again. I have told you such a rescue is impossible. You, yourself have admitted as much."

"Rescue?" repeated the Vulcan, his gaze returning to the Captain. "Is there a possibility this war can be averted?"

The Captain continued to gaze unhappily at Deanna. For a brief moment, he wished she had not become so outspoken, but then he gave himself a mental kick, reminding himself that her lack of discipline was the result of the same emotional changes that had given her abilities for which they could all be grateful. If it were not for those abilities, they would not be sitting so comfortably with the highly respected Federation Ambassador. He sighed, and resigned himself to the inevitable as he sat back and nodded to Deanna to explain. It was going to be a long afternoon, he thought, for if Deanna succeeded in convincing the Ambassador, and it was likely that she would, he was going to need all of his diplomatic skills to get through the next hour.

Jean-Luc sat back and closed his eyes only to open them again with the soft touch of a hand on his shoulder. The Romulan teenager, René was at his elbow with a steaming cup of liquid. He smiled at the young woman...more and more she reminded him of his daughter from his surreal life on Kataan, the thoughtfulness of the young Romulan was what he would expect from Meribor. He picked up the cup to taste what she had prepared...the liquid was tea, not only the Earth stimulant, but his favorite brand of Earl Gray and the liquid was very hot. Having a cup of tea to revive his spirits whenever he needed it, as he certainly did at that moment, was what he missed more than any luxury the starship Enterprise had to offer. He could almost tolerate any discomfort, except the loss of his favorite beverage and Klingon replicators were not programmed to produce Earth foods. He looked across at Beverly Crusher and smiled: she had to be responsible, he thought, for only she would be thoughtful enough to pack his favorite brand of tea when they transferred to the bird of prey. Beverly nodded and smiled. She must have advised the child how to prepare it, he thought. The Klingon bird of prey was cloaked and on the surface of the Romulus, sitting in a field only a few kilometers from the Romulan capitol. Everyone was relaxed and at ease. He thanked the young woman and turned his attention to Deanna.

"Ambassador, the reason the Klingon Empire has declared war on Romulas," Deanna was saying, "is because we have exhausted all diplomatic options; Romulas has refused to acknowledge the kidnapping of the Klingon Spiritual Leader, Kahless."

"Emperor Kahless is more than the Spiritual Leader of my people, Ambassador" interjected Lieutenant Commander Worf, "he is recognized as the new hope for our future."

There was silence for a long moment as Spock’s gaze traveled from the Betazoid to the tall Klingon sitting beside her.

"Just as you, Ambassador Spock, have been recognized as the hope for the future of my people," D’tan added quietly.

That was it, Jean-Luc recognized, D’tan had sealed the argument for Deanna with those few words; he had lost the battle. With that revelation, Jean-Luc knew he had little choice but to attempt a rescue. Spock had come to Romulas more than decade ago with hopes to unite the two races separated for centuries by war and religious differences and forge a new future re-uniting the Romulans and their ancestors, the Vulcans. He cleared his throat and attempted to explain. "Counselor, when you read the mind of the Romulan Commander, you mentioned that he had seen the Klingon Spiritual Leader."

"Yes, Captain...Kahless was present when he was interviewed by Pro-consul Sela."

"Sela!" Spock snapped suddenly animated. "I might have known she had some-thing to do with this. This whole situation seems to reek (to use an Earth expression of an old friend of mine) of that woman’s involvement. It was she, you may remember, Captain Picard, who luring me to Romulas so that she could use me as part of one of her unsavory schemes to attack Vulcan."

"It is the same for Emperor Kahless, Ambassador," Deanna was quick to agree. "He was kidnapped out of the Klingon High Council by one of his own people, and kept prisoner on the Qo’noS until given to the Romulan military as a bribe for trilithium."

Spock frowned. "Trilithium is a very dangerous element, Counselor. Anyone who deals in trilithium cannot be considered in their right mind. You say he was given to the Romulan Military, then I doubt he is still alive...The Military do not treat their prisoners well."

Worf growled. "Yes, we have learned of the ways of the Romulan military, Ambassador, and we do fear for his health." He agreed. "If he is dead, this war cannot be averted, but if there is the slightest chance he is alive, we must attempt a rescue."

Jean-luc placed his empty cup on the table and stood. "You are right, Mr. Worf, I have been negligent brushing his rescue aside. I am beginning to rethink my first conclusion." Everyone’s gaze turned to the Captain in surprise as he turned his attention to Deanna. "You are both right, Counselor, Mr. Worf: it is the only way we can stop this madness. We should attempt a rescue." The Captain looked up as Mr. Data entered the dining area, which served as their conference room on the Klingon bird of prey. "Mr. Data...Have you been monitoring the Romulan military channels?"

"Yes, Captain. The Romulan military believe the Ambassador was rescued by Unification zealots." Data moved to sit at the conference table. "They have not connected our Away team with his rescue. They believe we all died five days ago, when they gassed the sewers and the War Bird left orbit."

"Good. They will not be expecting an attempt to rescue the Klingon Spiritual leader. But how can we gain access to the Senate?"

D’tan looked up. "I regret, Captain, I do not recommend that we use the sewers this time. I have learned the tunnels are currently being scoured looking for our bodies and all entrances are under surveillance."

Silence followed the words of the young Romulan.

The Counselor looked up suddenly. "Why can’t we just walk right in, Captain...They would never expect such a blatant attempt of rescue." She continued, "Especially since they believe we have perished. We still have the element of surprise."

"The unification of the Vulcan and Romulan peoples does have some sympathy with several members of the Senate, Captain," suggested Spock. "Perhaps one of them could help you gain access to the building. I could speak to them."

Jean Luc frowned. "I would prefer you remain out of this problem, Ambassador."

"But you will need the right papers, Captain Picard, and since they believe I have been rescued by the underground they will not be surprised to learn I am still on the planet. My request would not jeopardize your plans. Of course, I will not mention any names when requesting the identification papers. They will know nothing of your plans."

"He is right, Captain, we will not get very far without new identification papers," agreed Deanna.

"How can we contact these people?" Jean-Luc reluctantly conceded.

"D’tan or René could carry a message." The Vulcan ambassador suggested, "If we move on this now, we could have the right identification papers as early as tomorrow. What is needed at this time, Captain, is a little old fashioned ‘cowboy’ diplomacy."

"Perhaps papers to arrange a prisoner transfer would be good, Ambassador." Deanna suggested.

"It may be possible, miss…."

"Commander Deanna Rozhenko, Ambassador. I am a Betazoid and counselor from the Enterprise."

"A Betazoid! That does explain your empathy, Deanna…May I call you Deanna?"

"Of course, Ambassador."

The Captain was silent for a long moment. He truly thought the idea was ridiculous, even madness. To just walk in and expect to rescue a high profile prisoner…! "Very well...To-morrow it is. Commander Rozhenko!" Deanna looked up, startled by the formal title; the Captain had not used her rank for a very long time. "I shall lead the team and you will be second in command…"

Worf immediately reacted. "Captain, I must object…"

Every eye turned to the Klingon. "We have only just got Deanna back on board. I must object to her being placed in danger again. If there should be any problems, we will not be able to beam her on board…the baby…"

"You are right, Lieutenant Commander…but that does put us at a disadvantage…without her gift there is every reason to believe we will fail."

Worf gazed at Deanna helplessly.

"Worf, you know I will not put our child in danger…" Deanna advised him telepathically.

"I know, Deanna, but you will be in danger…and you are more important to me than our child. Please do not consider this," returned Worf silently.

"What is one life worth when you consider the thousands who will die if we do not attempt this?"

Worf lowered his head and turned away to mask his expression of fear and concern. "I withdraw my objection, Captain." He spoke aloud.

Spock raised a quizzical brow and looked from one to the other of the Enterprise crew. He turned his raised brow to the Captain.

"I shall explain later, Ambassador. Thank you, Mr. Worf. You will, of course remain on board to monitor our communications. D’tan and Renne...we will need your assistance...if you wish to volunteer. Your knowledge of the city would be an invaluable asset."

"Of course, Captain," Renne Jarok spoke up immediately.

"I volunteer also, Captain," agreed D’tan.

"Captain...?"

Jean-Luc turned to Data. The android had been strangely silent. He smiled, remembering Riker’s admonition that the android be diligent in his protection of his person. "You may also be a member of the rescue team, Lieutenant Commander." Data nodded assert, his question obviously answered. "When I see Commander Riker, I will advise him of your conscientiousness. Thank you, too, D’tan, and you, Renne," He smiled at the young woman. "This meeting is adjourned. We will leave at first light, and take a canal ferry to the Senate during the hour of the shift change. Mr. Worf you will advise Kurn to take this vessel into orbit at precisely eleven hundred hours to-morrow in case of an emergency, and the necessity of a quick withdrawal from Romulan space. Counselor, if anything should go wrong, you will go with whoever is available, Mr. Data, D’tan, Renne or myself and return to this location. Mr. Worf, I shall count on you to affect the necessary precautions. Under no circumstances is a rescue to be mounted if we are caught, is that understood?"

"Yes, Captain."

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The office was well appointed Deanna had to grudgingly admit as she sat on the sofa by the door. The Federation team had had no trouble accessing the senate building. While Data and the Captain set about their part of the plan, she was now alone to complete her part. Her uniform gave her a unique position that she planned to use fully, much against the wishes of the Captain, but he was forced to concede for the sake of expediency. She did not have long to wait for the owner of the office as Proconsul Sela entered through a side door followed by Commander Ma’shek. She caught her breath and bit her lip to stop a surprised gasp.

"What do you want?" Sela queried barely giving her a glance.

Deanna stood, smartly coming to attention. "I have orders to take a prisoner, Proconsul."

"Which prisoner?" The Proconsul asked absently. She moved to her desk and sat down. A very relaxed Commander Ma’shek moved to sit adjacent to her without glancing in Deanna’s direction. The Proconsul continued to gaze at him with a suggestive smile.

The look did not escape Deanna; it was obvious they were in a good mood. She felt relieved their distraction was a good time to push her advantage. "The Klingon prisoner, Proconsul." she replied, moving forward to stand at attention in front of the Proconsul’s desk and placing her back to the Romulan Commander. He had not recognized her but she did not want to take any chances. It was bad luck that he was present, she thought, yet on the other hand, his presence might help her situation. "We have been advised he is in your custody."

The attention of the Proconsul swung to Deanna. "Since when has the Tal Shiar been interested in my prisoners, Major?" She snapped.

Deanna heard Commander Ma’shek move behind her. Had he recognized her after all? Was he getting up in order to grab her? Moving to be in front of him had left her at a disadvantage she suddenly realized. She did not answer the Pro-consul’s question immediately. "It has been brought to our attention that you had him taken from Qo’noS, Pro-consul. We would like to interrogate him."

"I interrogate my own prisoners, Major. Is that all?" She pushed a button on her desk.

Deanna heard the door opened behind her and a tide of relief swept over her.

"You may tell your superiors that I do not like to have my authority questioned." The Romulan woman continued. "I advised your superiors that I would handle our guest from the Klingon Home world."

Despite her feelings of relief Deanna did not move. "We are concerned with regard to the security arrangement, Proconsul" She countered, as her mind raced to think of an alternative argument to gain access to Kahless.

"I have taken care of that. I assure you there will be no repeat of what happened with Vulcan Ambassador, our security had been doubled." The Proconsul replied angrily.

"The Tal Shiar recognizes that such a high profile prisoner must be kept under tight security."

"I have taken care of the men who survived the Ambassador’s escape, Major. I can assure you it will not happen again." Sela stared at her for a long moment. "What is your name, Major?"

"Major N’vek," Deanna answered automatically her thoughts racing as she met Sela’s angry gaze without blinking. The woman was cold and without feeling, she thought.

"Who are you?" the Proconsul repeated more slowly.

"Major N’vek." Deanna repeated, not recognizing Sela’s ominous tone. Too late, she realized her mistake as Commander Ma’shek stepped forward, his disrupter pointed to her chest.

"There is no such person as Major N’vek," returned Sela slowly rising to her feet. "There was a Major N’vek reported on the streets of the city after curfew a week ago. Was that you? A trace was placed at the time; there was a Major N’vek involved in a kidnapping of a senior member of the consulate. He died the death of a traitor several years ago. You cannot be he. Who are you?" Very slowly, she pulled out her disrupter. "We have ways of getting to the truth."

Commander Ma’shek smiled; it was not a pleasant sight. "Allow me to interrogate her, Proconsul; I will get the information you need?"

Despite his lascivious leer, Deanna was relieved there was no sign of recognition in his expression.

Sela glanced at him. "No, Ma’shek, I am familiar with your methods...I will handle this woman. Get me a security officer from the detention wing."

Reluctantly the Commander moved to the open door and disappeared.

Deanna heaved a silent sigh of relief. The drugs used by Beverly Crusher had done there job well; Ma’shek appeared to have no memory of their previous meeting, when they were involved in a shootout in the re-unification headquarters. At that time, he had learned of her affiliation with the Federation and their plans to rescue Ambassador Spock.

When Ma’shek exited, Sela pressed the pad on her desk and the door closed behind him. Her eyes never left Deanna as she moved around her desk.

Deanna knew she had little hope of rescue and abruptly blanked her mind. Worf would be aware of her situation and she hoped he had not had time to triangulate her position and suddenly appear for there was still the chance she could talk herself out of her predicament. She tried desperately to think while concentrating not to project her thoughts to her mate. One thing was certain, if Sela should attempt physical tortured, she would loose mental control and Worf would immediately be aware of it. She would not be able to stop him from beaming to her assistance, and that would mean certain death. The best she could do was to prolong the ordeal until the war bird had left orbit. "Proconsul...I would not advise that you to use torture on me."

"And why not?" The disrupter remained aimed at Deanna’s mid-riff.

"I just would not advise it, that is all."

"We shall see." She lent back to press the security system embedded in her desk.

A voice Deanna recognized echoed through the room. "Yes Proconsul?" Deanna relaxed. Data had patched into the communication system.

"I have just sent Commander Ma’shek down for a guard from the detention wing," the proconsul advised. "Tell Ma’shek I have changed my mind, I have no further need of his services. Belay the order for the guard from the detention wing, I shall handle this prisoner personally. Have a guard from my personal security team sent to me at once."

"Yes, Proconsul. "

Sela turned to Deanna. "We do not have to use torture to get what we need. We use more supple methods."

Deanna sensed that Sela also took pleasure in her ‘methods’. She looked at the Proconsul uncertainly and decided she had little to lose if she attempted a little psychology. "Do you remember you mother, Pro-consul?"

Sela looked up in surprise. "My mother, Major, was a traitor to the Empire. It is a well-known fact, so do not think to blackmail me. My heritage is a well known to anyone of importance."

At the mention of her mother, Deanna was assailed by feelings of hatred. The Romulan Proconsul despised her mother; there was a sense of paranoia at the mention of her name. Deanna gazed at the proconsul steadily. "I had the pleasure of knowing your mother..."

The Proconsul looked at Deanna as if she were mad. "You, a Tal Shiar officer knew my mother! Do not waste your time trying to manipulate me Major, or whoever you are; I have been interrogated by your kind before. The Tal Shiar is very aware of my feeling toward my mother and anything to do with the Federation. You, could not possibly have known my mother; she died more than twenty years go. She was, as I have said, a traitor..."

"No. Your mother was a very brave woman." Deanna interrupted her firmly. "Your mother died in the line of duty nine years ago."

Sela laughed. There was an edge of hysteria in the pitch of her voice. "My mother died when I betrayed her attempt to escape twenty years ago." She returned unevenly.

Deanna regarded at Sela for a long moment. "You betrayed her?"

"That is not what I meant." Sela corrected herself quickly. "My mother was a traitor to the Romulan Empire. She deserved to die."

"That is not what you said." Deanna corrected. "You said you betrayed her."

Sela waved her weapon at her. "Do not try Tal Shiar methods on me by putting words into my mouth. My mother died when I was eight years old. That was a long time ago. I have served the Romulan Empire well. They have forgotten her disloyalty."

"Have you?" Deanna queried.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you forgotten her ‘disloyalty?’"

Sela regarded Deanna for a long moment. "My mother was a member of the Federation; an officer in the Federation military who was captured at the battle of Narendra three."

"Your mother was born on Turkana Four in 2337."

"That is impossible. I was born in 2345, which according to your chronology would make her eight years old when I was born." Sela sneered.

"It is true, none the less." Deanna replied quietly. "Did she ever tell you of her home world?"

"I told you, I was very young...I have no memory of her."

"Would you care to know what she looked like?"

"NO!" Sela’s answer was more than adamant.

"I have a hologram of her; it was a gift given to a friend of mine."

"I said I do not want to see it."

Deanna pulled out one of Lieutenant Commander Data’s most prized possessions. She had begged to borrow it that morning, thinking it might be useful. He had lent the gift grudgingly, for the memento was all he had of his friend and he rarely left on a mission without it. Data was the only member of the Enterprise crew who still carried a memento of the lost crewmember. She pushed the button on the side of the round base and the smiling figure of Lieutenant Yar appeared, standing at attention with her arms behind her back.

Sela stared at the figure. "That is a replica of me! Where did you get it?

"Dressed in a Federation uniform?" Deanna queried quietly.

Sela fired her weapon at the image. Deanna moved her hand quickly but felt the burn of the blast singe her fingers. She turned off the image and slipped the base back into her pocket; Data would not be pleased if it were destroyed.

"Where did you get that?" Sela demanded.

"I told you, it belongs to a friend of mine."

"It is a false image." Sela accused. "I have never worn a Federation uniform. Someone is trying to frame me."

"No-one is trying to get you into trouble, Proconsul." Deanna tried to assure her. "That was not a hologram of you but of your mother, Lieutenant Commander Yah of the Federation Starship Enterprise. It was made a year before she died."

"You are lying." Sela declared, her voice rising. "My mother died in 2349. I sounded the alarm when she tried to take me with her...when she tried to escape."

"You sounded the alarm?"

"Yes, I gave the alarm. I killed her." Sela’s voice was now edging on hysteria.

"But you were only eight years old," Deanna spoke quietly trying to soothe the distraught Romulan. "You could not be held responsible…"

"I killed her, I said." The Proconsul repeated angrily. "I was responsible for her death."

Deanna was silent for a long moment. "You cannot blame yourself, Sela. You were frightened..."

Sela bit her lip and looked away as the memories came flooding back. She began to move around the desk. "Yes, I was frightened. I was terrified. My mother came into my room in the middle of the night and said she was going to take me away. It was dark, and it was very cold. I did not want to go."

"You were only eight years old." Deanna repeated. "Of course you were frightened; it was dark, and cold...You did not want to leave your warm bed...your father..."

"That’s right. She wanted to take me away from my father...my father loved me…" She turned to Deanna, the phaser in her hand wavered and pointed to the floor as she suddenly sat in the chair recently vacated by Commander Ma’shek. "My father loved me…" she repeated. "He did love me…until that night."

Deanna knelt beside her. "What happened that night?" She asked solicitously.

"Everything changed that night. My mother came to my room. She had warm clothing with her and she started to dress me. She could have escaped and left me behind. She said she loved me...she said she could not leave me. We were going to run away, she said. She had arranged transport on a ship. We were going back to the Federation she said."

"And what happened," Deanna asked gently.

"I was frightened. I did not want to go. I did not want to leave my father or my Geftda. My father had given the yearling for my birthday, and I had only just learned to ride him. He was a beautiful animal. My father had him killed..." She said with vehemence and looked down. Tears were beginning to form. "My mother said I would have to leave them behind. My father, she said, was not my father..."

"What?" Deanna was startled.

"She lied to me!" Sela turned to Deanna angrily, suddenly aware of her danger speaking of such things to a Tal Shiar officer. She quickly tried to cover. "I knew she was lying and that I must not go with her," she added quickly. "She lied and said my father was a Lieutenant Castillo, a Federation Officer. She said that if my Romulan father found out, he would kill me." She stood abruptly and moved back to her desk. "She even suggested that she had had my ears grafted when I was still a baby...but it is a lie....She LIED!"

"Lieutenant Castillo?" Deanna repeated. "Who was Lieutenant Castillo?"

"I do not know. She made the name up. She tried to convince me that my Romulan father was not my father to make me go with her. It was a lie. I told her I would not go. I said I would scream if she tried to take me. She tried to assure me that I would be happier if I lived in the Federation; the world of the enemy. I screamed and my father came. He struck her, and took me away from her. The next day I watched while they took her out to the front of the house. My father made me watch as they shot her with a special disrupter. Her death was slow...painful. He said that was how they killed a traitor."

"You saw her die!"

Sela was silent for long moment. "Yes," she whispered. "I watched her die. My father had my mother killed, because I had screamed and gave her away." She looked down and seemed to want to say something more. "My father blamed me." Abruptly Sela stood and moved angrily across the room. "He said, I should not have screamed. I had woken up the household and told everyone what she had said: except the part about Lieutenant Castillo. I knew she had lied about that, just to make me come with her. I have never told anyone about that. When I woke up the servants, my father said, he had no choice but to have her killed. My scream, he said, had forced him to kill her; I was responsible. He took all my toys and my Geftga, and had him killed, just like my mother. He said it was a lesson to me, never to love anything. It is a lesson I have never forgotten." Sela continued to stare straight ahead, her eyes glazed. "He had M’dar shot, just like my mother," She repeated.

There was silence for a long moment only to be broken by a knock at the door.

Sela came back to the present with a jolt. She turned to Deanna and leveled the disrupter at her. Her confidences a few moments ago forgotten. "Get to your feet," she ordered. Deanna did not move. "Immediately!"

Deanna slowly rose to her feet. "It was not your fault." She repeated quietly.

Proconsul Sela laughed. "It is of no consequence, Major. It was a long time ago. Stand still." She turned to the door. "Come in!"

The door opened and Captain Picard entered, his head lowered slightly.

Sela barely glanced at him. "Take this prisoner down to the cell block."

"Yes, Proconsul."

"Take her to the security wing. I want to question her again."

"Yes, Proconsul." Jean-Luc took Deanna’s arm.

"And one thing more..." The Captain turned, but the Proconsul directed her words to Deanna. "If you should dare to say a word of anything that was said here, I will have you killed immediately."

"I will not repeat it, Proconsul, but I must say again...You mother’s death was not your fault."

Sela stared at her for a long moment. "Get her out of here!"

Jean-Luc pulled Deanna firmly, and they exited quickly. Once in the corridor they moved to the elevator without a word. Deanna relaxed and opened her mind.

Worf was angry. "Don’t do that again, little one. I was worried. Are you all right?"

"I am fine. I am with the Captain and we are meeting the others."

"Promise you will not lock me out again."

Deanna did not reply to her husbands query as the elevator doors closed and the Captain turned to her as he started to remove his security armband. "D’tan, Renne and Data are waiting on the next floor with a new identity for you."

"But I was just beginning to make progress." Deanna protested.

"Counselor, I do not care if you had her eating out of your hand. You have to change your identity. Major N’var must disappear right now. We are leaving this building and reporting back to the bird of prey. I am sorry Counselor, but your plan to rescue the Klingon spiritual leader must be aborted.."

"I am to be put into the security wing, Captain." Deanna countered. "Surely if Emperor Kahless is anywhere in this building, he would be in the security wing?"

Jean-Luc hesitated. "You may be right but this mission is now too dangerous. The doctor has advised you more than once, that you must take care."

"I am taking care, Captain. I assure you. Let us continue to the security wing. Do you know where it is?"

"No!" He slipped the band around his arm once more. "We will ask." The elevator opened to the next floor and the Captain beckoned the rest of the away team into the elevator. "I have been ordered to take the Counselor to the security wing."

"Are you sure that is wise, Captain?" Data queried. "Once we enter the security wing, we may not be able to get out. If we are recognized escape will be impossible since the sewers are now off limits."

"Data, this may be our only chance to stop a war." Deanna growled. "We have to take the chance. Captain, we did rescue the Ambassador. The odds of accomplishing that were the same. Please, Captain, I do not want Worf to resign his commission in Starfleet."

"Resign his Commission, Counselor. This is the first I have heard of the Lieutenant Commander resigning his commission."

"He will, Captain, when Martok declares war on Romulus I shall have no choice but to leave with him. Martok has already offered me a position on his ship."

The Captain gazed at the counselor for a long moment. He knew she was not joking. This new information explained her determination to rescue the Klingon Spiritual Leader but now, it was impossible; it was far to dangerous, unless...

"Mr. Data, is there any way we can disconnect the security alarms in this building?"

"I am not sure, Captain."

Suddenly the doors of the elevator opened and they found themselves once more at ground level. They moved out of the elevator quickly to allow two Romulan senators to enter. The Captain took the Counselor’s elbow firmly and guided her across the wide vestibule. "Deanna, this is too dangerous. I cannot condone this action. You could be arrested...We could all be arrested."

"But we could also stop a war, Captain...We are so close, I can almost sense the Spiritual leader. We are within a hairs breath of saving thousands of lives."

Jean-Luc stared at her helplessly He knew she was right, her last remark convinced him. "Very well, Counselor, but only you and I will go alone. Mr. Data, you will find the relay for the security wing. As soon as Mr. Data returns we will find a quiet corner and you will have Worf transport him back to the ship, is that understood."

"Yes, Captain."

The Captain turned to D’tan and Renne. "D’tan I would like to thank you for your assistance. This mission has now become far too dangerous and I want you both to leave this building. You must leave the city, do you understand. If we fail in what we are about to do, this city will be the first target. By that I mean this city will be the first target of the Klingon fleet. I do not want you anywhere near here...is that understood."

"Yes, Captain. I can appreciate your concern for us." D’tan began to argue, "But we will be all right. If you are caught you may need…"

"If we are caught, D’tan, we will not be prisoners for very long. Not long enough for them to torture us...not long enough for what happened to R’nart...I want no-one, no-one, you understand, to attempt a rescue. I gave that order on the board the bird of prey to my own people, and now I am asking you, since you are not a member of my crew, I am asking you for your own safety...You are not to attempt any foolish rescue."

"We understand, Captain." Renne leant forward and kissed the Captain’s cheek. "Thank you, Captain...for everything."

Data returned. He pointed discreetly at a wall monitor. "The security system, Captain. I have traced it to a room near the back on the building on this level. I will investigate."

"Mr. Data, I have need of your services for something else. D’tan, Renne, you know what you must do."

D’tan nodded. He took Renne’s arm and the two young people moved away from them. D’tan pretended to take Renne to show her a display of paintings near the door.

Data watched them for a moment and turned to the captain. "Captain?"

"This way, Mr. Data." Jean-Luc lead the way to a quiet corner where several chairs had been arranged. They had high back and two were masking the corner completely. The Captain moved between the chairs.

The Counselor pulled out the round plate of Tasha Yar’s hologram. "Data, thank you for the loan of the hologram of Tasha, it was very useful."

"I am glad it was of assistance, Counselor." He took the hologram. His expression changed to surprise as the transporter beam caught him. "Captain...I am not..." He disappeared before he could finish his sentence.

The Captain smiled, "I am afraid he is not going to forgive me for that, Counselor. He took Commander Riker’s order very seriously."

Deanna smiled, "Commander Riker will not forgive him too easily either, Captain."

The Captain squeezed her arm. "Well Deanna, it is now just us. Are you ready?"

Deanna nodded.

The Captain took the counselor’s arm and pulled her roughly to the duty desk. "I have a prisoner for the security wing!"

The guard looked at the Captain for a long minute. Deanna watched and read him. They were in trouble. She blanked her mind, as she tried to assimilate the desk officer’s thoughts. The officer on duty did not recognize the Captain as a member of the building staff. "I shall have someone escort you." He beckoned a guard forward. "Take these two to the security wing."

The guard saluted and pointed down an empty corridor to a lone elevator. The three moved quickly down the corridor and into the small enclosure. Deanna leant against the wall. The Captain stood looking straight ahead. Deanna wished the Captain would permit her telepathic contact with the him. But what good would it do to warn him? The guard took out a key and opened a service panel. There was a second series of elevator buttons. He pressed the key at the very bottom. The elevator began to descend; down and down, nine, ten floors, well below the surface level. Finally the contraption stopped and the doors opened. Two guards stood there, with disruptor rifles pointed at them. Pro-Consul Sela’s face was above them, smiling maliciously down at them from a monitor.

"Ahh, you have finally arrived...and who is that with you...Could it be? Lift his head so I can see him better." The guard stepped forward smartly and lifted the Captain’s chin. "Captain Picard! It is so nice of you to join us once again. Search them!"

"Captain." Deanna looked at the Captain. "We have a problem."

"I can see that, Counselor." Jean-Luc replied, annoyed at her obvious statement.

"No, Captain, not this one...Worf!" Deanna whispered.

"He is not to do anything, make him understand, Counselor...That is an order!"

Deanna frowned her face a mask of incredulity. "I am trying, Captain..."

Their disruptors and phasers were taken as they were both thoroughly searched.

"Put them in F wing." Sela’s face disappeared from the monitor.

The guard nudged them with his weapon and Deanna and the Captain proceeded down a long corridor. They passed doors on either side; the cell wing was almost identical to the one in the seventh quadrant, Deanna noted. A guard sat at a centre table with monitors completely surrounding him. Deanna looked over the screens but could not identify Kahless from the few monitors she was able to glimpse. As they passed the doors, she reached out and read each occupant. Suddenly she stopped. The guard behind them nudged her roughly to push her forward. She glanced at the Captain then moved on. They turned a corner into another corridor that seemed to stretch on and on. They finally stopped by a door. The guard opened it and pushed the Captain inside. "Captain!"

Jean-Luc looked at the Counselor.

"Everything will be all right now, Captain. As soon as the door is closed." she smiled.

The Captain stared at her suddenly realizing what she was saying. "No! Counselor I forbid it!" He tried to move towards her, but the guard stepped in the way and slammed the door shut in his face. His last impression of Deanna as he began to dematerialize was that she looked happy. The next thing he saw was the transporter annex on board the Klingon Bird of Prey and Beverly Crusher leaning over the unconscious body of the Klingon spiritual leader, Kahless.

Jean-Luc quickly stepped off the transporter pad. "Is he all right?"

"He is barely alive, Captain. Starvation!"

"Deanna sensed him in one of the cells, Captain." Worf advised him.

"I had a feeling she had, Mr. Worf." he gazed at the Lieutenant Commander for a long moment. He did not know how to tell him.

"Deanna is still sensing out the security wing, Captain. There are so many prisoners."

"She is still communicating with you, Mr. Worf?"

"Yes Commander, she has told me, we must go to the rendezvous on the edge of the city where she will join us."

The Captain stared at the tall Klingon for a long moment. "It will do no good, Mr. Worf."

"Captain?"

"We were both captured, Mr. Worf....Did she not tell you?"

Worf stared at him stonily. "No, Captain. She did not." He concentrated for a long moment. "She refuses to be beamed, Captain." He stared at the Captain, his face a mask of horror. "She will not give me her co-ordinates...She fears she will hurt the baby..."

"Understandable, under the circumstance," Beverly spoke absently to the two men as she slowly stood up. "Captain, I am going to need special foods. It is lucky we are on a Klingon ship. Worf, can you take Kahless to a cabin. He seems to be only dehydrated but I should give him a more thorough examination."

Worf did not answer her. "Captain, we must mount a rescue..."

Jean-Luc nodded negatively. "I am sorry, Mr. Worf, but that is impossible. We must leave immediately if we are to stop Martok and the Klingon invasion."

Beverly realized for the first time that Deanna was missing. "Captain!" She interjected. "We cannot leave Deanna in that place. If they should treat her as they have treated Kahless, or torture her as they did R’nart she will lose the baby in any case...."

"It was Deanna’s wish that we stop the war," the Captain said quietly.

"I know that, Jean Luc," rejoined Beverly grabbing his arm. "We cannot just leave her there. Mr. Worf, cannot you just beam her out of there. I will save your child, I promise…"

"I cannot, doctor. She has closed her mind to me. I do not know the co-ordinates…"

Jean-Luc slowly released his arm from her grip and held her hand between both his own. "Beverly, we must leaver her for the moment. She knew the risks, Beverly. It was she who beamed me out. She knew what she was doing. "

"What do you mean?"

Jean-luc released her hand and began to move to the door. "Yes, by heaven, she knew exactly what she was doing," the Captain repeated. Of course, he thought, he had been recognized by Sela, there would be Warbirds even now searching for their vessel! "Captain Kurn..."

"Yes."

Jean-Luc hesitated in the open door. "Get this vessel out of here immediately." He continued to move rapidly down the corridor to the Command bridge.

"Immediately?" queried a Klingon voice over the intercom obviously querulous to be given an order by a Federation officer.

"Now....Captain Kurn," Jean-Luc repeated. "I only hope we are not too late..."

Suddenly the ship rocked from the repercussion of a proton torpedo. The Captain staggered onto the bridge of the Klingon vessel. A Romulan Warbird was clearly visible on the viewer, it’s bridge slightly eschew to their position..

"They do not know exactly where we are, Captain Picard." Kurn assured him.

"Never-the-less, get us out of here, Captain Kurn!"

"Yes, Captain." The Klingon captain conceded.

Worf appeared on the bridge. "Deanna! We cannot leave without Deanna!"

"I am sorry, Lieutenant Commander, but we must leave immediately. We shall return for Deanna." The Klingon ship immediately went into Warp. Worf leant against the wall, banging it with his fist helplessly against the bulkhead, as he slowly slipped to the floor.