Chapter 1 – Asylum
The Warbird held the Scout ship in it's tractor beam like a bird clutching it's prey, on the bridge of the Enterprise the viewscreen was taken up by the sight and for Captain Picard it represented a potential interstellar incident
"Captain's Log – Supplemental – A Garidian Warbird has violated the Neutral Zone in pursuit of a Scout ship, the fugitives may have been seeking political asylum but as yet we have been unable to confirm their intentions"
Picard motioned to Lieutenant Worf "Hail the Warbird" Maybe diplomacy would win out but the Viewscreen didn't change from it's current view "They are not responding"
The situation could go from bad to catastrophic in a heartbeat if it wasn't dealt with carefully but first Picard had to decide what to do about the crew of the Scout Ship
It was clear they were intending to request assistance or asylum before being cut off but as long as that tractor beam was on them it was impossible for the Enterprise to communicate with them
Picard knew all of the bridge crew were analysing the situation in their own ways from the ever logical patterns followed by Data to the tactical challenges pondered by Worf
Each of the crew was unique in their thoughts and it was that uniqueness that Picard was counting on now
"What do you think Number One?" Riker's brow creased in thought for a moment before he finally replied "The Garidians respect strength, if we show any sign of weakness, it might just encourage them to fight" Picard remembered Worf's earlier description of the Garidians as being Honourable Warriors, if that was true then maybe Riker had a point
"What do you suggest?" Riker nodded his head back towards Tactical "Maybe we can use our phasers till they listen to reason" Picard was wary of that option, even with the provocation provided he didn't want to outright fire upon the Warbird unless he had too but even simply locking on to the Warbird with the Enterprise's weapons arrays could be a prelude to a fight
"I don't want to provoke them Number One" The words left Picard's mouth but in his mind he wasn't entirely sure that a non violent solution was forthcoming "Mr Worf your analysis?"
The Klingon didn't even hesitate in his response, as Picard expected the Klingon Officer had already analysed the situation "The Garidian Warbird is similar to the Romulan D'deridex class, It is less manoeuvrable than the Enterprise but has slightly more firepower" Riker followed through with his original idea and reluctantly concluded "We'd both take a beating if it came down to a fight"
Worf didn't comment on this but simply continued by saying "Our records have identified the Warbird as the Asiram commanded by Captain Pentara, Starfleet Intelligence rates her as a capable but unimaginative tactician" Worf fell silent after this but even his battle thirst inherent to the Klingon Race knew that the Enterprise and the Asiram could go head to head but it would come down to the wire which vessel would survive the encounter
Picard was aware that the time was ticking by and he was still no closer to knowing what to do
He briefly wondered if Captain Pentara was having a similar discussion aboard her own ship
with both vessel's shields up neither side could claim the scout ship's crew but Pentara had the upper hand only as far as the tractor beam but even with that on her side she couldn't make a further move since the Scout Ship had in fact crossed the Neutral Zone into the Federation
Picard turned to Troi next, his ever trusty Betazoid counsellor had seen him through far more situations and emotional turmoil than most and her insights were often wise and compelling
"Counsellor do you have any insights?" Troi sitting down next to the Captain's chair reached out with her empathic senses for a moment "The Garidian Captain is torn about something... as if she were faced with a difficult dilemma" Picard felt himself become stern for a moment "She has violated the Neutral Zone!" Troi remained ever calm "It's more than that, I think she has a personal stake in this matter" Picard pondered what the personal stake could be that would cause someone to take a ship of war and cross the Neutral Zone and potentially start a interstellar incident that could lead Garid and the Federation to war
There was only one person left on the bridge now to consider
"Mr Data do you have any suggestions?" the Android cocked his head to the side while he considered the situation, his positronic brain racing through hundreds of variables and outcomes before arriving at the most apt suggestion
"As long as the Warbird maintains a tractor beam on the scout ship we cannot beam it's crew aboard however if we manoeuvred the Enterprise between the ships we could temporarily disrupt the tractor beam" The plan was sound except for the one detail that Lieutenant Worf voice "We will have to drop our shields to use the Transporter" Picard now had a new dilemma risk the lives of all aboard the Enterprise in the hope that the Asiram and Pentara didn't fire during the attempt or try a new plan
Reluctantly Picard came to an answer "We'll have to take that risk, Make it so"
The Enterprise on a burst of impulse surged forwards towards the Asiram and turned as she arced between the two ships, the tractor beam was broken as it locked on to the Enterprise instead of the scout ship "We have broken the Garidian's tractor beam"
in that exact same moment, the Enterprise's shields dropped in order for the lives of all aboard the small vessel to be beamed aboard before the Enterprise finished her arc causing the tractor beam to lock back on to the now empty scout ship and the Enterprise returned to her starting position
Picard gave a small smile as the advantage now changed from Pentara to him
Data checked a readout from his console confirming what they all knew "The Crew of the Scout ship has been beamed aboard"
The Tactical console then chimed out a familiar tone "Captain the Warbird is hailing us" Now they wanted to try communication Picard thought as he gave his shirt a tug "On screen"
The Viewscreen changed from the vessels and revealed the white haired woman from before...
Captain Pentara
"Federation starship, this is an internal Garidian matter, you've been warned not to interfere" the statement was rather matter of fact, there was no emotion or threat behind it if anything the opinion Picard had formed was that Pentara genuinely believed that the Enterprise was interfering in internal matters of Garid and the fact that they were in Federation space was meaningless, time to press that point a bit further
"Your presence gives me every right to interfere, why have you violated the Neutral Zone?" Pentara's face immediately turned serious as if she was finally getting that the Enterprise wasn't going to leave, she motioned off screen and Worf's console immediately chimed again "They are locking their disruptors on us" Pentara was upping the ante and she gave a slight smile to Picard as if suddenly changing her tone "Captain, you are harbouring dangerous criminals, I demand that you transfer them to my custody immediately" Picard didn't doubt Pentara's words or at least he didn't doubt that Pentara believed them, nevertheless if they were criminals there was an easy solution for all this "Our Garidian Guests were rescued in Federation Space, any extradition will have to proceed along normal diplomatic channels" Pentara was quicker in her response to that suggestion "You know that there is no formal extradition treaty between our governments" Pentara's face then softened for a moment and Picard knew that something had touched a nerve on the Garidian Captain
"Captain... one of the criminals is my son Avakar, Return them to me and I swear they will all receive a fair trial" Picard then realized this was the personal stake that Troi had alluded too...
If Pentara's son was indeed on board the Enterprise it could explain why the Asiram and her Captain was so determined to take the actions she had, one thing was certain Picard had to determine if Pentara's Son could help end this
"Give me a moment to speak with my Garidian Guests" Pentara disappeared from the screen and was replaced by the ships once more "I want to speak to Avakar" Picard said to Worf, the Klingon nodded and tracked where in the Enterprise Avakar was
"I have him on the intercom" as soon as the channel opened Picard started quickly "Avakar, the Captain of the Warbird claims to be your mother, she wants to take you and your companions to stand trial on Garid" there was an audible sigh before a Garidian voice replied "Pentara is my mother Captain but the Garidian Ruling Council listens to no one, they don't want the people to hear our message of change, even if Pentara convinces them to spare me, my Companions would never live to stand trial, we request political asylum" and there the magic words had been spoken and Picard was now bound in his options "Very Well, you may stay aboard the Enterprise till we have sorted this matter out" he then motioned to the viewscreen where Pentara came back once more
"Your son has requested political asylum, he and his companions will remain on board the Enterprise you will return to Garidian Space immediately" the look of defeat didn't appear on Pentara's face but what did appear was a mixture of sadness, acceptance and determination "Very well, you have won this time Captain but I promise you there will be a next time" Pentara's face faded away once more and the Warbird turned and moved off "The Warbird is heading back towards Garidian space, they are activating their cloaking device" Picard let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding as Worf spoke, Pentara was gone and disaster was averted but Worf continued reminding Picard of what was left to deal with
"Captain our new arrivals are requesting to speak with you, their names are Lucana, Avakar and T'Bak" Picard looked back to the conference room where his guests where "Get me Avakar again"
Given that Avakar was the first one he talked too and helped somewhat resolve the situation it made sense to start with him but as the intercom activated once more Picard was struck by a simple question "Why is your own mother trying to kill you?" no pleasantries or thanks just that
"She is only doing her duty, I know she doesn't want to kill me but she is under orders to stop Lucana from finding the Lawgiver's Fifth Scroll" Fifth Scroll? First time I have heard that today Picard mused "What is this Fifth Scroll you mentioned ?" Avakar sounded hesitant at this "T'Bak is our historian, Im sure he can explain it to you much better than I can" Picard wasn't sure what this trio were up to yet but having only spoken to Avakar, he had determined that some sort of scroll had brought together a historian, a revolutionary and a man whose own mother crossed into Federation space to capture or kill him "Why are you interested in this Fifth Scroll" Avakar's hesitation vanished and was replaced by vigour "Because I believe in Lucana's crusade, even though I was born a patrican Lucana has made me aware of the Plebeians suffering, the Fifth Scroll would give them a more honourable place in Garidian Society" This all sounded rather complex and far more than what a Starship Captain should have to deal with, it sounded more like the entire issue was as Pentara thought a Garidian Internal Matter
There was one person who could confirm that line of thought "Avakar put Lucana on" Avakar's voice faded away and was replaced by a shrill woman's "Captain Picard, my name is Lucana on behalf of the oppressed underclasses of Garid, i'd like to thank you for rescuing us" Lucana sounded like she was going to be trouble like Pentara was, perhaps a stern reminder of what they had done might bring her down a peg or two "Don't thank me too quickly, you have illegally entered Federation Space and this ship is not a haven for criminals" Lucana took offense quickly "I am not a criminal Captain! I am only seeking justice for my people" Picard frowned for a moment and thought it best to shelve this discussion for a moment "Very well you may stay aboard the Enterprise until we have sorted this matter out" Just as he was about to terminate the intercom, Lucana's frantic voice filled the air "Do not dismiss me so quickly Captain, the Fate of all Garid is hanging in the balance!" That got Picard's attention "Why do you say that?" Lucana continued in her manner as she said "I am searching for the Fifth Scroll, it's the only way to give the Plebeians the freedom they deserve" Lucana was definitely a revolutionary and a firebrand at that
She was on this crusade come hell or high water and she was not going to be stopped by anything
But for Picard, information was going to be the most important asset here "Who are the Plebeians?" He had heard the name several times now but still wasn't sure what it meant, Lucana bitterly responded "They are the underclasses of Garid forced by Law to serve the Patricians their masters for the past one thousand years" Lucana then pre-empted Picard's next question by continuing "Finding the Fifth Scroll will free my people from tyranny because the scroll gives the rights to the Plebeians, Garid's lower classes that's why the Government doesn't dare let me succeed!" This woman was fiery and determined to her cause and Picard wasn't about to tell her that the Federation couldn't interfere in Garid's domestic politics, "If you excuse me I have other duties to tend to perhaps we can speak again later" He allowed the intercom to go dead for a moment in order to catch his breath before an elderly calm voice came through "Captain Picard can you help us contact a Vulcan archaeologist called Shanok? He may possibly hold the key to finding the Lawgiver's Fifth Scroll" this was T'Bak the historian as Picard recalled, his voice was calm and hopefully this was the person to diffuse this tension between the guests and the Enterprise at the very least it would be informative, Picard had a certain love of history and archaeology after all
"What is this Fifth Scroll you mentioned?" T'Bak seemed pleased to tell him the answer like a tour guide in a museum "Let me give you a bit of background Garidian Society is a rigid structure consisting of two distinct classes – the Patricians and the Plebeians, for the past one thousand years that structure has been governed by the laws derived from the four sacred scrolls – The First Scroll outlines our code of honour, the second outlines the relationship between our military and government, the third defines the principles of our religion and the fourth enumerates the privileges and responsibilities of the patrician class" Intriguing Picard thought as he absorbed the information still that was only four scrolls and all this seemingly started over a fifth "But you speak of another scroll?" He was hoping to get some answers from T'Bak that Lucana and Avakar didn't give him and it seemed that T'Bak was happy to engage "According to Legend, The Lawgiver also wrote a Fifth Scroll defining the rights and privileges of the Plebeian class which were not explained in the other scrolls" Well that explained Lucana's fiery determination if this legend turned out to be true
If the scroll existed as T'Bak seemed to indicate it would give Lucana's crusade meaning "What makes you think that Shanok can help you?" The question hopefully would get to the point "My studies indicate that the Followers ended up somewhere in what is now Federation Space but because our governments were not on friendly terms I could never follow up on that research but the Vulcan Shanok lives in the Federation and has made great studies of our history, I believe he may have vital information that will help us locate the Followers" T'Bak seemed too different to from Lucana to be a revolutionary, so why was he with her? "Why are you so interested in this fifth scroll" Picard could almost imagine the old man smiling at that "I am a Scholar Captain, my interest are purely academic, Lucana on the other hand is a social revolutionary she hopes the scroll will inflame the underclasses to rebellion" as if sensing Picard's train of thought T'Bak continued with "The Patricians stopped the Lawgiver before he could reveal his Fifth Scroll, the Lawgiver and a few of his disciples known as the followers left Garid in five ships to start their own colony.. no trace of them was ever found and the story gradually took on mythic proportions" Picard's interest was piqued for sure now, this could be a great historical discovery if true but it would be one that could change Garid forever for better or for worse
Still Picard couldn't deny this would be an intriguing quest as he quickly thought over the situation
eventually he decided "I have decided to visit Shanok and see if he can help you with your Fifth Scroll" T'Bak sighed happily at that "Thank you for agreeing to visit Shanok Captain, this could be the greatest social discovery in Garid's history" Picard didn't disagree merely replying "Understood we will be underway at once, I shall let you know when we arrive" The intercom went dead, no doubt Lucana was smiling to heaven as she had now gotten a Federation starship roped into her crusade but as Picard knew when it came to some things, the present isn't what matters but rather the past "Computer where are the current whereabouts of the Vulcan Archaeologist Shanok?"
The Computer of the Enterprise was effective and instant "According to the Federation Archaeological Survey Records, Shanok is currently excavating ruins on the Planet Horst III"
Picard nodded and moved back to sit in his chair "Set course for Horst III Warp 5"
