Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek: The Next Generation. I am not making any profit or gain from this. The original characters in this story do belong to me.
To All: Please enjoy!
The journey had been made in silence. All of Riker's attempts to engage the two men in conversation had fallen on deaf ears; neither man responded to his inquiries. Yet they had been busy communicating with each other, again in a language indecipherable to Riker and Troi. And when the two men weren't talking with each other they had simply ignored Riker as if he wasn't even in the vehicle.
But he had caught the dark haired leader eyeing Troi from time to time. What his intentions or thoughts had been, Will could only guess. All he knew for sure was that he didn't like it.
Being ignored made Riker's head throb. Eventually, he had shut his eyes in an attempt to ward off the pain. He must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew the vehicle had stopped. Troi had placed a hand in the crook of his arm.
Damnit. I shouldn't have fallen asleep. Both health and situation wise.
But there wasn't anything for it now.
The vehicle's rear ramp thudded against the ground. Riker winced.
The cat that accompanied the group stood and jogged down the ramp. The others needed to hunch over as they stood.
The leader inclined his head and held out his hand to Troi. Riker saw her hesitate, but only briefly. Much to his dismay, she took the man's hand and allowed him to assist her out of the transport.
The blonde haired man took Riker's arm. He wasn't forceful. He simply provided aid so Will could exit, despite his injuries.
They were inside a large enclosed bay. Riker had no idea how long they'd traveled and without being able to see the sky, he couldn't tell if it was day or night.
The bay itself was warm. A welcome change from their exposure to the strange planet so far. Riker joined Troi and saw the other vehicles had also arrived. He saw the Columbus. He frowned at the soldiers working near and on the craft.
Rough voices drew Riker's attention away from the possessed shuttlecraft. Worf and Sandy were being helped out of their vehicle. Worf was still bound. He was struggling. Other men joined the guards to assist.
Riker saw the leader frown. His brow furrowed as he snapped commands to no one in particular. However, Riker noted that everyone in the vicinity of the commotion obeyed immediately. Worf was hauled out of sight. Sandy was led back to Riker and Troi.
"Where are you taking him?" Riker wanted to know. "I told you before, he's one of my officers."
Again, he was ignored. Another man joined the group just then. He was dressed differently than the soldiers. Instead of a white and grey uniform, his was a deep, rich purple. He too wore a cloak, but it was not thick like the one the other man wore. It looked more like ceremonial attire than combat or field clothing. His chest armor was polished and un-dented. What appeared to be designs of roses or some similar flower adorned the piece. He carried a sword as well, but it was shorter. Riker noted the sheath was not worn. Nor were his boots.
The man's face was smooth and finally, in the new light, Riker could see the difference between the men. Where their rescuer appeared completely human, the other man looked slightly different. His eyes were thinner and closer to the center of his face. His nose was extremely thin, with small nostrils. His mouth slightly lower than it should be on a human too. His ears and hair were about the closest things to humans. When he curled his hand around the grip and pommel of his sword, Riker nodded he possessed an extra set of knuckles on his fingers.
All in all, the newcomer gave off an air of superiority, but not one earned from combat.
And from the look of disdain their rescuers wore when the man spoke to them, Riker's assumptions were confirmed. Regardless of the language barrier, it appeared the feelings of combat soldiers for non-combat soldiers was the same throughout the galaxy. Riker found himself smiling a little. He knew how the two men felt.
With a nod to the blonde, the leader departed with the newcomer.
The blonde turned to Riker, Troi and Sandy. He extended his arm, gesturing for them to follow him.
The trio exchanged looks. With no other course of action at the moment, they fell in step with the man.
"Captain, the Columbus has moved," Data stated without emotion.
"Any response to our hails?" Picard asked hopefully.
"No, Sir," The Ensign behind him answered.
"Continue to transmit," Picard ordered. "What about personal communicators?"
"I cannot locate any of the away team's badges," The Ensign replied.
"Keep trying. Mister Data, what can you tell me about the Columbus new position." Picard needed to know.
"The Columbus has moved 160 kilometers Northeast of its original position." Data turned in his chair. "Away from the original beacon, Sir."
"Away?" Picard's eyes narrowed.
"Yes, Sir," Data answered.
"Can you scan the surface yet?"
Data turned back to his console. "Attempting to scan now. The original storm has dissipated, however a new formation appears to be moving in."
"This planet is plagued by these storms," Picard mused.
"The weather patterns and distortions are consistent with similar energy storms we have encountered on other planets." Data explained. "The disruption in communication can be attributed to such storms. Likewise for the transporters. The away team may not be in any danger, Captain."
"Perhaps not, Mister Data." Picard nodded. "However, we need to be prepared to retrieve our team."
"Secondary away team is ready and standing by," Data responded.
The last thing I want is to send another team into the unknown. But, time is running out. Talk to us, Will. Talk to us.
"While we're not in cells, I still cannot help feeling like a prisoner," Riker grumbled. He dabbed a medicinal cloth that had been provided to the wounds on his jaw.
They'd been escorted to a large room. Just like the vehicle bay, it was warm. Under different circumstances it could be considered inviting. Riker imagined that was how they were meant to see it. A long, rectangular conference table, made of some sort of polished wood, occupied the majority of the room. High back chairs were spaced evenly around the table. On one wall hung a large tapestry of a map. Riker assumed it was a map of the land but he could not read the words. On the wall across from the tapestry was a large mural that depicted some epic battle scene. Soldiers fought against the creatures from earlier. Snow covered mountains in the backdrop. The sky was a reddish, purple. The snow was darkened by blood. Riker found the mural both handsomely beautiful and dreadfully depressing.
A culture fighting a gruesome and bloody war. What have we stumbled upon?
The blonde haired man had departed immediately, yet two guards remained. Flanking the only door, they stood erect. Their faces were hidden behind helmets and each had a hand on their sword; ready to draw at a moment's notice. They made no attempt to speak with the Starfleet personnel.
Food and drinks had been prepared and placed upon the conference table. A generous portion of a dark meat was the main dish. Riker couldn't decipher what type of animal it came from, not even from the look or smell. Accompanying the meat was foreign looking fruits and vegetables as well as breads. There were both hot and cold drinks. It all smelled delicious.
No one ate.
Troi turned from where she was studying the mural. "I don't think our hosts feel we are their prisoners, Will."
Riker's lips curled downward. "They sure have a strange way of making us welcome. Where's Worf? What have they done with him?"
"Their reactions to Worf were strange indeed," Sandy offered. Riker noticed the Lieutenant had been eyeing the food more and more as time drew on. "On the way here, the guards didn't speak to us, but I got the feeling they kept looking at Worf. Even with the helmets on. It was just a feeling."
Riker nodded. About to speak, he closed his mouth when the door opened.
The guards snapped to attention as the blonde haired man returned. He was still alone.
Striding forward, he came to stand at the end of the table. Riker noted he had removed his armor, but still wore the same clothing and carried his weapon. He also held a device similar to one of Starfleet's datapads.
He set the pad down on the table then manipulated something on his belt in a pouch near his sword. Riker couldn't tell what it was. When the man spoke, he spoke in English.
"You can use this," he gestured at the pad on the table, "to contact your ship. The correct frequency has been uploaded. All you must do is tap the button and you will be connected."
"How did you get our frequency?" Riker inquired.
The man did not respond.
Troi was the next to speak. "Where is your commander?"
The man turned his head to look at her, his eyes following Troi as she came back to Will's side. When she stopped the man's features were blank. "He is a General. As am I. He was called away, but will join you shortly. At that time, we will have questions for you."
"Where is Lieutenant Worf?" Riker demanded.
The blonde General inclined his head.
"My officer."
The man still did not respond.
Riker sighed outwardly, "The Klingon."
The General smiled thinly. "He is being taken care of. You have my assurance he has not been harmed. However, he has been isolated...for his own safety."
"What does that mean?" Riker spat.
The man slid the pad across the table. It stopped when it bumped into one of the food trays. "Contact your ship. Tell them your injuries were not caused by us. Your vessel is being repaired for you. However, due to another approaching storm you cannot leave at this time."
Riker shook his head a little then sighed. At this point he knew he'd get no more from this General. The man hadn't even given his name. Or the name of his friend. Stepping around the table, Riker picked up the pad. It was heavier than it looked and much older technological wise than Starfleet's equipment.
Riker looked up at the man and waved the pad a little. "Privacy?"
The General's eyes flickered. Looking over his shoulder, he said something to the guards who quickly stepped out of the room. The General himself moved away, standing in the far corner near the mural. Riker frowned, but didn't argue. He knew the man had no intention of leaving. But to the General's credit he at least appeared to be ignoring them.
Taking a seat as far from the lingering General as possible, Riker examined the pad. It bore no markings at all. No insignia, no instructions. Nothing. Only a button.
Riker pressed the button.
The screen flipped on. A strange noise that was more irksome than actually unpleasant wafted from some unseen port on the device.
Moments later, to Riker's surprise, he was staring at Enterprise's bridge.
I'm on the viewscreen.
He saw Captain Picard stand. He made no attempt to hide the relief from his face.
"Will," Picard said.
"Sir," Riker replied. "Sorry for the delay."
"Report, Number One." Picard ordered.
Riker relayed everything that happened since the team departed. Ending his report with their current status.
"Worf is being held somewhere else," Riker stated. "I'm not sure why. Our...hosts haven't given us much information in that regards."
"What do you know about these men that rescued you?" Picard inquired.
Riker's eyes drifted towards the blonde General in the corner. He had to act on the assumption the other man was listening, even with the distance between them.
Will looked back at the screen. He spoke as low as possible. "Not much, Captain. The ones in charge appear human, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are. They have had some sort of interaction with Klingons at some point in their past."
"There have been reports of the Klingons claiming planets near here," Data reported. "However, that was decades ago."
Picard was nodding. "What else?"
Riker paused for a moment. "Sir, their technology is somewhat baffling."
"Explain, Number One."
"They fight with swords and other melee weapons. Ensign Rhodes was killed by a spear like device. Yet their vehicles, this facility, the device I'm transmitting from, is all fairly modern. I don't know why, it just feels strange."
"Other societies also use such weapons in combat," Data stated. "The Klingons for one. The Belaraienese Consort another."
"Have you seen any indication they possess warp technology, Will?" Picard asked.
Riker shook his head. "No. But we've seen so little it's hard to say for sure. The only vehicles we've seen are ground transports. The beings that captured us were riding on animals similar to horses."
Riker knew the look on his Captain's face. Picard was compiling all the information and developing his courses of actions.
Riker cleared his throat. "Captain, I would like my team to stay. We still need to find the beacon. I'm not convinced we are in any immediate danger. I want to learn more about these people. And I need to find Worf and have him released."
Picard paused. But it wasn't long before he nodded. "Very well, Number One. I want constant updates when you can communicate through the storm."
"Our comm badges were confiscated by our previous captors. I'll see what we can do with the Columbus."
"Understood," Picard stated. "Will, when you speak to this man that rescued you, inform him that I would like to talk to him."
"Yes, Sir."
"Then make it so," Picard smiled. "And Will, I'm glad to see you're alright."
"Thank you, Sir."
The transmission ended. Riker set the pad down and leaned back in the chair.
The General came back over and picked up the pad.
Riker looked the man in the eyes. "Thank you for allowing us to contact our ship."
The General nodded. "Remain here. I will return later."
He didn't wait for Riker to say anything else. He turned and headed for the door. Leaving without another word.
And now we wait some more.
Prazak kept his eyes forward, ignoring the looks from the nobles as he passed through the court. Men and women mingled in groups, sipping drinks from their tall glasses and conversing about things Prazak cared little about. He did hear a few comment about the war. Those made him scowl.
What do they know of the war?
He spotted Sa in a group of noblewomen ahead and to his right. He made eye contact and she smiled a little before one of the other women whispered in her ear. She nodded and laughed as her eyes traveled about Prazak's body. As he drew nearer, she winked then turned back to her friends.
He knew what they were talking about. Him. They were discussing him. As if to confirm his thoughts, a few turned their heads and looked at him briefly. Usually those looks would boost his ego, but not today. He had other things on his mind.
Soon enough the nobility was behind him. When he reached the end of the great hall, he turned right. Zoja padded next to him. At the far end of the hall was a massive set of two wooden doors. Guards, dressed in similar garb as his escort stood on each side.
When they arrive, the other man turned. "The animal stays here."
"Zoja does not take orders from you, Tristin," Prazak sneered.
"That's Captain Tristin."
Prazak scowled, "And that's 'General' or 'Sir' to you, Captain. Do not forget that your outfit falls under my command."
Prazak smiled inwardly as Captain Tristin bristled visibly. Before the man could respond, Prazak pushed open the door and stepped inside. Zoja was right at his side.
Captain Tristin remained outside.
Prazak found Herschel and Marking waiting for him outside the room that held the Starfleet Officers. Both men waited stoically, as they almost always did, for Andrej to join them. Zoja bounded forward to bump into Herschel, pushing him back slightly. Prazak saw a smile crack on his friend's visage as he crouched down to pet the big cat.
Zoja always had her way with Herschel and Marking. Usually because the other men gave her treats.
When Prazak stopped in front of them Herschel stood back up. "How did it go?"
Prazak shrugged. "Same as always, for the most part."
"Reaction to the news about these ones?" Marking jerked a thumb over his shoulder at the door. He held an equipment bag in his other hand.
"A little, but until we know more, there wasn't much to report," Prazak replied. Looking at Herschel he asked, "Did he contact his ship?"
Herschel nodded. "He reported what he knew. He insisted he and his team were fine and he requested to stay in order to learn more. His commanding officer granted his request."
"And who is his commanding officer?"
As the head of military intelligence, General Herschel had his methods. Herschel handed over the pad. "A man named Picard. Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Commanding officer of the Federation's flagship, the USS Enterprise. Of course, I'll know more soon."
Prazak scanned the pad then handed it back. "Good work. Now, let's see what we can learn from our guests."
With nods from his comrades, Prazak opened the door. He advanced straight to the table, passing the guards that snapped to attention upon his entry. Eyes locked on the Commander of the Starfleet personnel, Prazak came to a halt at the end of the table, directly across from the other man. To his pleasant surprise the three stood.
He took a moment to size each one up, then methodically opened the pouch on his belt. He withdrew a silver, cylindrical device and held it lengthwise between his thumb and index finger, showing it to the others. With a click he activated the device and set it on the table. In reality, it was all for show. He did not need it to communicate, but he was not going to show his hand just yet.
He remained silent, as did his officers. When the man across the table figured that Prazak was waiting on him, the Commander spoke.
"My name is Commander William T. Riker of the Federation starship, Enterprise. These are some of my officers, Lieutenant Sandy and Counselor Deanna Troi."
Prazak watched him gestured at each in turn.
Prazak narrowed his eyes. He nodded once. "My name is General Andrej Prazak, Supreme Commander of Tarina's Armies and appointed protector of Sardis. These are my senior officers, General Herschel and Colonel Marking. Why have you come to this planet?"
Prazak saw the Commander flinch. It was small, but he caught it. Riker cleared his throat. "Before we get to that, I'd like to know why my officer, Lieutenant Worf, is not with us."
"As you've been told, he is being held elsewhere for his own safety," Prazak replied gruffly, not liking that his question was ignored. But he could tell that Riker was a strong willed individual that cared for his people. Prazak could respect that.
"His own safety?" Troi asked causing Prazak to turn his gaze towards her. "What does that mean?"
"It means exactly that. Your Lieutenant is not the first Klingon to set foot on this planet. There are those of us that remember the others."
Prazak watched as the woman leaned over and whispered to Riker.
With a huff, Prazak spoke up, drawing their attention back to him. "I asked you before to stay out of my head. I do not appreciate the intrusion. I have not lied."
His eyes drifted back to Troi. With a smirk, he projected his thoughts, 'You are not the only one with abilities, Counselor. I know what you are. Beware. You will not like what you find. Stay out.'
He smiled when the Betazoid was visibly shocked. Yet she said nothing to her Commander. But Prazak had to assume she'd inform Riker once they were alone.
Prazak returned to Riker. "Commander, I know how this all must appear to you. In a show of good faith, I shall have your officer brought down here to rejoin you. As long as you can vouch for him, that is."
"He is a Starfleet officer, General," Riker responded immediately. "I can assure you, whatever you think he is, he is not."
"Very well." Prazak nodded.
Marking waved back to the guards. One nodded then departed.
Prazak motioned for them to take their seats. He and his men remained standing. "Now, I ask again, Commander, why have you come to this planet? I have not lied to you, so I expect the same courtesy in return."
He saw a slight hesitation. Then Riker spoke, "Our ship picked up a distress beacon emanating from this planet. It originated from a Starfleet vessel. We came to investigate in hopes of finding the vessel." Riker paused. "And possible survivors."
Prazak shook his head. This was news to him. "I have seen no such vessel and I assure you, Commander, I have been all over this planet. It does not exist."
Just then the doors opened and Worf was escorted into the room. Prazak kept his features neutral as the guard, along with two others, brought the Klingon to stand before him.
To his guards he said, "Remove his restraints. He is a guest."
The men obeyed without question. Once their task was complete they stepped back to the door. The two new men remained with their comrades.
Prazak stared at the Klingon, hiding his emotions. The Klingon stared right back. He was obviously offended by his temporary accommodations.
"Worf" Riker stood back up, "were you mistreated?"
The Klingon tore his eyes from Prazak to look towards his Commander. "Besides being restrained, no Commander," Worf answered.
"A misunderstanding." Prazak smiled. The Klingon's eyes shot back to his then wandered down his body, coming to rest upon his sword. Prazak shook his head in warning.
"I took you for an honorable man," Worf growled when he looked back up. "Perhaps I was mistaken."
"You were not, Lieutenant," Prazak replied. "If you recall, my men and I rescued you from the Ti'hi. A dishonorable man would have left you to die."
He saw the Klingon's posture slacken just a tad. Prazak had him. Worf nodded then moved to join his team.
Returning to the matter at hand, Prazak flashed his best smile at the group. "What happened at the Frozen Lake?"
Riker was looking at Worf. When he sat back down, so did the rest of his team. His attention went back to Prazak. "We were thrown off course by the storm. When we landed we were ambushed by the-" He paused to remember the name the General had just spoken.
"The Ti'hi." Herschel helped.
Riker nodded. "Yes, the Ti'hi. As I told you before, they killed the final member of my team, Ensign Rhodes. Then they took us, beat me, and held us prisoner until you arrived."
Prazak curled a hand around the pommel of his sword. "As I told you before, Commander, your Ensign met an unfortunate end. The group of Ti'hi that captured you were from an extremely vicious sect."
"How so?" Sandy asked. It was the first he'd spoken since Prazak arrived. Andrej noted the fear in the man's voice.
"They are known for consuming their kills," Herschel stated evenly.
"No." Troi exhaled.
"Yes." Marking shook his head and stepped forward. "The men in the cell across from you belong to one of my troops. A lost patrol. The patrol originally consisted of nine scouts. According to the ones we rescued, three died in the initial ambush. And the others…"
Prazak heard the disgust in his friend's voice. He felt for him. He hoped the Counselor could feel it too. Inhaling deeply, Prazak went on. "The men we did rescue reported of your defiance against the Chieftain, Commander. And yours, Lieutenant Worf. Brave acts, but somewhat foolhardy if you had known. That particular Chieftain was an unpredictable and ill-tempered beast."
Riker rubbed his throat. "You don't have to remind me."
Prazak pressed his lips together then burst out a laugh. "No, it's appears I do not. Believe me when I say it was extremely satisfying to relieve him of his head."
Riker actually smiled back. "General, we appreciate your help. We do. I've spoken to my Captain and while some of our own regulations have been broken accidently, there's nothing to be done for that now. We still need to find the beacon."
Prazak shook his head.
Marking held up the bag he'd been holding, upended it and dropped the contents onto the table. It was the Starfleet equipment. All broken.
"This is what the Ti'hi did to your equipment," Prazak remarked. "They may be strong creatures, formidable in battle, but they are not very intelligent. You saw how they live. My guess is they broke your equipment while….playing with it. Like children do."
"I don't understand," Riker frowned.
"You were found in Ti'hi territory, Commander. I assume your beacon originated somewhere there as well. If a vessel did land here at some point, the Ti'hi would have killed the crew and scavenged the vehicle."
Herschel nodded. "They probably activated the beacon purely by accident. Ti'hi whelps playing with it. Thinking it was a toy."
Riker shook his head. "We have to know for sure."
"Commander, we are at war," Prazak shot back. "I cannot allow you to venture out there on your own."
"We have weapons," Worf stated.
Prazak tilted his head. He pushed one of the broken phasers around with his fingers. "These weapons? Tell me, Lieutenant Worf, did you attempt to discharge these weapons?"
Worf nodded slowly.
"And they didn't work, did they? Your energy weapons do not work on this planet. Nor will your transporter beams. Something in the atmosphere renders them inoperable."
"Give me a sword then," Worf proclaimed.
"Worf." Riker shot him a look.
Prazak took the opportunity to move along the table. He stopped at the spread of untouched food. With a frown he examined the drinks that had grown cold. Looking up he bellowed, "Bring our guests new food and drink. This has gone cold."
The two new guards hurried out.
"Why have you not eaten?" He questioned.
Riker turned his eyes away.
Prazak nodded. "I would probably be suspicious too." Then he looked back at them. "Even though we gave you no reason to be suspicious. You know, having saved you from certain death and all."
With a smirk, he plucked one of the fruits off the tray, tossed it in the air a few times, caught it, then tossed it into his mouth. Again, he did it for show, but found that he was also very hungry.
He swallowed the fruit. "Eat and relax. My men at the door will show you where you can and cannot go within our facility. I advise that Lieutenant Worf either remains here or I can assign a guard to him. As long as I have your word he will not attempt to attack my people."
When Riker nodded, Prazak returned to Herschel and Marking. Zoja got up from where she'd curled up under the tapestry.
Picking up the cylindrical device from the table, Prazak looked at the Starfleet personnel one more time. "As I said, we are at war. Which means I have other duties that require my attention. We shall speak again soon."
He turned to go, but paused when Riker called out, "General, we appreciate your hospitality. My Captain would like to speak with you."
Prazak mulled it over. "When the communication window opens again, tell your Captain I will speak to him. At my convenience."
Before Riker could rebut, Prazak turned and headed for the door. Herschel, Marking, and Zoja followed silently.
To Be Continued...