She opened her eyes and met Ree’s concerned gaze. “Let’s compromise. How about this: I’ll go back aboard Titanbefore the Vanguard towing convoy goes to warp. That way, I won’t be forced to stay here during the two days it will take to move Vanguard to the rift.”
He sighed, a great sibilant rush of air. He was clearly willing to accept the compromise, but was just as plainly unhappy with it. “All right, Commander. Unless I see you taking a sudden turn for the worse in the meantime. But please remember, Titanneeds you.”
She nodded. And Will needs me.
But so does an entire society that’s doing its damnedest right now not to die.
IMPERIAL WARBIRD VALDORE,STARDATE 57038.5
Even with the towing convoy now safely underway, albeit only at impulse speeds at the moment, the image still haunted her.
A planet on which billions lived had been cast, whole and screaming, into the afterworld of Erebus. The world the Neyel called Oghen was no more.
Scarcely a verakafter having refused Riker’s request, Donatra summoned him back to her ready room’s comm screen.
“I have reconsidered, Captain,” she said simply. “Can you guarantee that your plan will close the gate through which this…protouniverse is leaking into normal space?”
“I believe so,”Riker said, nodding. “As much as I can guarantee anything.”
Donatra decided she was satisfied with that. Ambiguity, after all, was one of life’s few constants, in her experience. “No more worlds should die this way, Riker. Least of all because Irefused to act.”
The human captain nodded solemnly. “You are a person of honor, Commander.”
She thought of Suran, who had had no part in her decision, and wondered about that. Then she silently berated herself for allowing doubt to plague her. I will do what I must,she thought. As I have always done.
“I do have one caveat, however, Captain.”
“All right.”
“I am assuming that the Klingons will wish to accompany the convoy through the rift back into Romulan space.”
Riker nodded. “I’ve just spoken with Captain Tchev. He and I both agree that that’s the safest way to proceed, given the condition of his ship. He’s still keeping theDugh at the station near the rift, awaiting our arrival.”
“It’s too bad Tchev can’t contribute substantively to the task of towing the asteroid colony to safety,” Donatra said, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “Or even help keep our path free of spatial disturbances, as Titanis doing.”
“We can’t just leave the Klingons behind, Commander.”Riker’s eyes had narrowed ever so slightly.
“Oh, I agree. It should be a simple enough matter to enclose the Dughinside the warp-field bubble of one of the other ships. Should one of my vessels do it, Captain? Or would you rather reserve that dubious honor for Titan?”
“We’ll handle it here, thanks,”the human said with a slight scowl. “Now what’s your caveat?”
Donatra grinned in spite of herself. “How much does Tchev know about the plan to collapse the Great Bloom?”
“All of it, Commander. His crew are at risk as much as ours. He needs to be fully informed.”
“Again, I agree. But Governor Khegh has no such need.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t wish to let the Klingon government know that more than half my fleet has been effectively crippled, if only temporarily. I do not like to advertise my disadvantages.”
“I think that ship has already sailed, Commander. Khegh will know all about it when he reads Tchev’s reports.”
“I doubt it, Captain. Tchev will not wish it known that his vessel was rescued from the Great Bloom by Romulans. I believe I can trade my silence for his. My question to you is: can I rely upon yours?”
Riker paused, his deep blue eyes apparently trying to see into the depths of her motivations. At length, he said, “I don’t feel right about this, Commander.”
“Must I remind you that my participation in your plan to seal off the Bloom depends upon my willing cooperation?” Donatra allowed her right eyebrow to rise imperiously, a mannerism that she had often seen the false Praetor Tal’Aura use to great effect.
He seemed to sag backward into his chair. “All right. I won’t tell Khegh or the Klingon government about your warp-core maneuvers. At least, not until you get all of your ships repaired and operational again. Agreed?”
Humans,she thought. Haggling to the last, even when they have no leverage.
But good enough was good enough. “Accepted,” she said. “Donatra out.”
The screen went dark, and Donatra rose from behind her desk and crossed to the ready room’s door.
Stepping onto her bustling bridge, she decided that now would be a good time to head down to the infirmary to look in on Suran.
I wouldn’t want him to awaken at an inconvenient time.
U.S.S. TITAN
After the Romulan commander had signed off, Riker continued staring at the viewscreen on his ready room desk for several minutes while he considered the ramifications of the pact he had just made. He hoped he wouldn’t come to regret it, but he could see no alternative. The stakes were simply too high to risk calling Donatra’s bluff.
He got up and strode out onto the bridge. Glancing at the conn readouts, as well as the data scrolling up the port side of the main viewscreen, he quickly confirmed that the convoy was underway, but moving only at one quarter impulse so far. The fleet’s networked warp bubble would surround Vanguard within the hour, once Jaza and Ra-Havreii finished double-checking the navigational hazard detection system. This system was based upon Titan’s enhanced sensor net, and depended upon virtually every bit of communications bandwidth possessed by Titanand the entire towing convoy.
And it hadto function flawlessly at warp, or else the more than two million souls now aboard Vanguard—as well as the entire rescue fleet—would almost certainly end up the way the planet Oghen had.
Riker settled heavily into his command chair, suddenly hyperaware of the lateness of the hour. The responsibility that had landed on his shoulders had attained an almost crushing weight. He was glad that Deanna was due back aboard Titanbefore the convoy was to go to warp; though he expected he’d have precious little time to discuss his fears and misgivings with her immediately, they would certainly have time to thoroughly catch up with one another during the two-day voyage back to the rift, during which time he could finally unburden himself.
He wasn’t certain at the moment which aspect of Deanna Troi he needed more: counselor, wife, lover, or senior adviser. He only knew that he needed her at his side.
Chapter Eighteen
IMPERIAL WARBIRD VALDORE,STARDATE 57039.2
“Commander Suran?”