CHAPTER 6:

Will Riker and the three other members of his team; Miles O'Brian, Lieutenant Springer and Lieutenant Bernette, a security officer from the Enterprise, walked into yet another cavern. This one was not empty, as many of the others had been; this one was clearly a torture chamber.
"So, you like my little play room do you?" Came a voice from behind them.

They turned to see a middle-aged Cardassian and ten Cardassian soldiers standing at the entrance to the cavern.

"I am Gul Du'Rek, commander of the Betazed Occupation. You may look like Cardassians, but we know you're Starfleet. We've detected your shuttle site; I have two patrols on their way there. I suggest you surrender."
The real Cardassian soldiers circled the Starfleet officers, who had no choice, but to throw down their disrupters and surrender.
"Strange how Starfleet would risk so many officers for one other officer. Mind you she's very attractive, I bet she brightens up those dull Federation Bridges. The senior staff must have lots of fun with her, mind you not as much fun as mine have!" He chuckled to himself, but then laughed out loud, despite himself.

Riker saw the soldiers around him laughing and the anger built inside him and was
threatening to explode.
`Calm yourself that's exactly what they want. They want you to give them an excuse to shoot you. Good soldier, let go of the anger.'
His thoughts were disturbed by familiar voice shouting,
"Du'Rek!" They all turned to see Deanna aiming a disrupter at a surprised Du'Rek. "Let them go!"
The Cardassian soon regained his composure.
"Or what? What will you do if I don't let them go?"
"I'll kill you!"
"That's not very moral or, if I may say, Betazoid, of you. You don't believe in violence."
"Firstly; we're at war, morals tend to disappear when facing the enemy." She interrupted. "Secondly, I'm only half Betazoid, so half of me is prone to the violent tendencies that are common among humans. Enough chatter, let them go!"

She adjusted the disrupter in her hand, as if taking aim and getting ready to fire. Du'Rek had made his way over to a computer panel, as they had spoken.
"But I have the upper hand." He sneered at her, as he pressed one of the buttons on the computer.

The pain shot through her once more, but this was worse than before. She dropped the disrupter and fell to the floor. This time there was no way to contain the screams. Through her screams, however, she was able to shout one word,
"NOW!"
The Cardassian came from nowhere, stunning Du'Rek and some of the other soldiers, but it was all the opening Will and his team needed. They lashed out at their captors and knocked them all unconscious. Will immediately ran to Deanna; who lay on the cavern floor, convulsions shaking her, and laid her in his arms. A scream emitted
from Troi, that made Will want to run and hide.
"Turn that damn thing off, it's killing her!" He shouted at O'Brian, then he turned to watch Troi.

After a few moments the convulsions stopped, but she didn't move or open her eyes. Will studied her face and felt the anger again when he saw the cuts and bruises on her
face. How could they do this to the woman he loved? - Loved? Did he love Deanna?
"Is she…?" Asked Del Grent, moving closer to Riker and Troi.
"No, she's just unconscious."
Del Grent began to scan Deanna with a Cardassian tricorder.
"What are you doing?" Riker demanded, feeling suspicious of this Cardassian boy.
"I'm a Doctor and a friend. Doctor Del Grent, Cardassian traitor."
He said, with a mock salute. Riker smiled, the young Doctor reminded him of himself at that age.
"Commander Will Riker, First Officer of the Enterprise."
"That's the Flagship of the Federation isn't it?"
"Yes, that's right. I'm first Officer and Deanna's Ship's Counsellor."
"Oh." His face beheld a boyish innocence that reminded Riker of Wesley Crusher. "Are you two, you know…?"
"Ur…No, we're not, but we're extremely close friends." He wasn't about to try and explain his confusing relationship with Deanna Troi. How could he? He barely even knew where they stood himself. "Can you wake her?"
"No, I think it would be best for her to just wake up naturally. I don't want to risk injecting her with something that may harm her in her weakened condition. Karn wasn't too hospitable, he was trying to get some information from her."
"What information?"
"Your mission plans and the Enterprise's security codes. She's a fighter that's for sure. She wouldn't tell him a thing. She'd argue and disagree with him every chance she'd get. Not even some of the Cardassian government leaders would stand up to him like she did!"
"You respect her for that?"
"Most definitely. Most of the other women just give the Cardassians exactly what they want and they cry and scream like anything, but Deanna…she just defied them, I was amazed at her strength."
Riker smiled at the young Doctor's fascination with Deanna, but Beverley had been right Deanna was strong.
"Can you show us the quickest way out of here and into the jungle?" Asked Riker.
"Yes, follow me."
Will lifted Deanna into his arms and they followed the Doctor. Springer and Bernette carried Du'Rek, who would wake to find himself a Prisoner Of War.

They saw their colleges move through the city, as quickly as they could, dodging phaser fire.
"We have to help them!" Exclaimed Beverley to Worf and Data.
"Kenning, Smyth, Worf with me. Doctor, you and your assistant should stay here." Commanded Data. Beverley and Ensign Maria Martyn nodded in agreement.
As Data, Worf and the two security guards neared the city gates there was a huge explosion from inside the city that blew them backwards. Thick, black smoke poured through the city gates.
Beverley and Maria rushed over to help their fallen comrades. Data sat up as soon as the dust had begun to settle. Worf, Smyth and Kenning got up soon after. Beverley released a sigh of relief.
"Thank God no one's hurt!"
"We don't know that for sure. Commander Riker and his team didn't make it out before the explosion." Commented Worf.
They walked carefully, phasers drawn, into the smouldering city, to look for their crewmates.

Riker lifted his head and slowly opened his eyes. His head pounded, as he touched his forehead gingerly and felt the blood trickle between his fingers. He remembered running through the city and then being thrown into a brick wall by an explosion. Deanna…Deanna had literally been torn from his arms. Riker got up and saw that most of the area around him was in ruins. The smoke still filled the air and it was difficult to breath.
"Deanna?" he called. "Springer, Bernette, O'Brian?"
He heard the sound of coughing, he moved towards that sound. He turned a corner and found O'Brian, with Springer and Bernette near by.
"Are you all alright?"
"Yes, Sir. We're all fine." Answered O'Brian.

The other two security officers got up and walked over to a figure laying face down on the ground. They lifted it up and Riker was slightly disappointed to find that it was Du'Rek and not Deanna.
"Have you seen Deanna?"
"No, I haven't." Replied O'Brian. "We'll start looking."
After a few minutes of search, with no luck, they heard her,
"Will." Came a very weak voice from behind them in the smoke.

After a few moments later, Deanna crawled out of the smoke. Will ran straight to her. Her face, like his, was covered in soot. Their clothing was also covered in soot and ripped.
"Deanna, are you alright?"
"I don't know." She let her upper body fall to the ground in exhaustion.
"It'll be alright." He said kneeling down beside her and tried to lift her to her feet.
"No." she said trying to remove his arm from her waist. "It hurts to move." She looked up at him. "My God, Imzadi, you're bleeding!" she exclaimed, forgetting about the intense pain that shot through her abdomen.
"It's nothing, just a scratch. Come on Beverley and the others are waiting for us outside the city." He tried to move her again, but stopped when she cried out in pain.
"Please, Will, just leave me." She winced, as Riker's pain at the sight of her like this, flowed from him into her and combined with her own physical pain. She knew how difficult this was for him.
"Commander," Interrupted O'Brian, "There's three patrols on their way to this position."
"Alright. Deanna, I'm going to carry you, it might hurt when I lift you." He saw she was about to protest. "That's an order, Commander Troi."

She nodded her agreement to him. He saw her bite her bottom lip and moan in pain as he lifted her. She automatically put her arms around his neck and rest her head on his shoulder blade.
Worf, Beverley, Data and the rest of their team met Riker and his team half way to the city gate.
"Run!" Shouted Riker, as the soldiers closed in on them.

The run, from the city to the jungle, was like a shooting gallery. When they reached the original meeting point, they looked back and saw that their pursuers had not followed them.

They finally caught up with Sidga and the hostages, one hour later.
"We should go further into the jungle, the Cardassians will follow us soon." Said Beverley.
"Janara." Whispered Troi from Riker's shoulder.
"What was that, Deanna?" He asked.
"Janara…Falls…Go to…Janara…Caves behind…waterfall."
"Where's Janara Falls?" Asked Beverley.
"Two miles…North."
"We should let the wounded rest." Began Riker, trying to ignore the pounding in his head.
"No!" Said Deanna forcefully. "At Janara…too dangerous…here." She moaned and fell unconscious.
"Deanna?" Riker looked up at the woman beside him, thinking the worst.

Beverley scanned Troi with her Tricorder and shook her head.
"She's just unconscious from the pain, it's probably the best thing for her.
"Alright, we're moving out!" Shouted Riker to the group.

They set off.

Commander Tam-Ren Karn spoke to his team leaders,
"The infiltrators have taken Gul Du'Rek hostage. Your job is to take your teams into that jungle and find them. Bring back Du'Rek, the Betazoid Starfleet officer and the Cardassian traitor."
"And the rest?" Asked one of the leaders.
"Kill them! I will join Captain Zaylen and Patrol Alpha One and tell the fighter squad to do something about that damn fleet!"

With nods of understanding from the soldiers, they set off in pursuit of the enemy.

They had been in the caves for over an hour and Doctor Crusher, Doctor Ganter and Doctor Del Grent had already returned the away teams' faces back to their human forms. Riker adjusted Deanna Troi's unconscious form on the cavern floor, as Beverley Crusher scanned her again. Beverley sat back on her heels and let out a sigh.
"Is she alright?" Came Riker's concerned voice.
"She's received severe internal injuries from Tam Ren's treatment made worse by the explosion. I've done what I can to make her more comfortable, Will, but I can't repair all the damage without being on the Enterprise."
"What are you trying to say?" He asked angrily.
"I've done all I can for her, Will. If she survives tonight then she's got a good chance…"
"I don't believe this!" He interrupted, angrily throwing a stone against the cavern's wall.

Beverley could offer no words of comfort to him. She patted Will's back and moved away to deal with the injuries of the other Betazoids. Deanna stirred and gradually
regained consciousness.
"Imzadi?" She whispered and held out her hand to him. He took it in his own. "What's wrong, Will?"
"You've suffered internal injuries from the explosion. Beverley's done all she can…" he trailed off not able to say anything more about her condition.
"I understand." She said, softly squeezing his hand. Will looked at her and she saw his crystal blue eyes fill with tears. "Oh, Imzadi. I'm so sorry."
"You've nothing to be sorry for." He snapped back a little too harshly.

Deanna ignored the tone and simply smiled at him. She eased herself into a sitting position.
"Come." She opened her arms to him. He went to her and she enveloped his body with her slim arms. She heard him struggle for control. "No, Imzadi, let it go, let the hurt you feel go. I'm here for you." The tears streamed silently down his face. She stroked his hair as he wept in her arms. "What are you thinking, Will?"
"I…" He breathed deeply. "I'm thinking of my regrets."
"Regrets are terrible things to have." She answered. "What do you regret about your life? You've accomplished so much. You're happy with your career, aren't you?"
"Yes, but it's…it's not my career I have regrets over."
Suddenly she stopped stroking his hair, he looked up at her.
"What is it, Deanna?"
"You regret your decisions concerning Us." It was not a question.
"Yes."
Deanna readjusted Will so that he still sat close to her, but she no longer enveloped him.
"I need to tell you about something." She said. "I don't know how you'll take this, but the real reason I came back early wasn't just because my Mother and I had an argument, but, because…she threatened to perform the ritual of `Man-Tarras'. It's an ancient custom…I didn't want you to be hurt so I tried to let go of my feelings for
you, by staying away from you."
"Deanna, why would you need to hide your true feelings from me?"
"Because, Will, the ritual gives my Mother the right to choose a husband for me…"
"She's already tried to once before…" He interrupted
"Wyatt." It seemed strange to say his name after all these years. "Yes, but this is much worse. Any feelings for you, that I behold, will be erased from my mind. I will be joined with my husband through telepathy, using the concept of Imzadi. I couldn't let you think that something may become of us, no matter how much I want it too, because of this ritual. I would never again call you Imzadi. I couldn't stand to see you so hurt again." She wiped her eyes, but more tears fell. "Maybe death is not such a bad thing?" She pondered.
"Deanna, I wouldn't let anything happen to us. You've taught me so much. I don't know if I could go on without you."
"You will, because you are strong."
Deanna felt him smile at her complement, she didn't need to see his face with her eyes, she could see it with her mind.
"Promise me you'll hang on till morning." He whispered.
"I promise. I will survive alone."
"No, with me. We'll do this together." He lifted her face to look at him. "We've done too much alone. We'll do this as Imzadi." He smiled and brought his lips to hers.

It was only supposed to be a friendly, comforting gesture, as it had been so many times in the past. To his surprise she held on to him, responding to his kiss. The reply from her was weak, but it beheld a strength that told him she was not going to go without a fight.
"You need rest." He said when the kiss broke. Deanna nodded wearily.
"Ask Doctor Del Grent to find something to counteract the drug my Mother and the others have been given to block their telepathy."
"Alright." He answered and gently lay a kiss on her forehead.

Deanna closed her eyes and, as he left, Will saw a smile play across her
lips.

From the shadows beside them, someone had watched all that had passed between this man and woman. By the tender moment they had shared she understood that they loved one another, even if they still couldn't admit it to themselves or each other. The guilt she felt was very deep and flowed into the depths of her soul. She turned and walked away. The man walked passed where she had stood only seconds before, oblivious to the other woman's guilt.

Two hours later; the Betazoids had their telepathic abilities back and all the injuries had been dealt with. The hostages were sleeping, trying to gain as much energy as they could for the days ahead. Chandra and Lwaxanna slept by Deanna's side. At the far end of the cavern, Smyth and Bernette, stood watch over the unconscious form of Gul Du'Rek. Will Riker could not sleep, he had too much on his mind. A large, dark shadow loomed over him and he looked up to see Worf standing there. The large Klingon handed Riker a small silver packet of rations.
"Are you alright, Commander?" He asked as he sat down next to him.
Riker looked at the man beside him, who had given up an engagement to Deanna, because he believed that he could never love her as much as Will Riker did.
"I'm fine, but…Deanna's suffering from internal injuries. Beverley can't repair them without being on the Enterprise." He ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
"That's not all though, is it?"
"No, Worf, it's not." Will felt strange confiding in this man, about his feelings. A man whom he'd been rivals with and at times there was still some tension between them. He felt strangely comfortable talking to him, at times, when it came to matters involving Deanna and this was one of those times. "Deanna's Mother has threatened to perform an ancient ritual, which will enable her to choose a husband for Deanna. The ritual also involves the removal of our telepathic bond. She'll forget everything she ever felt for me, Worf! All the feelings I have for her, she won't be able to return! Is this my fault, hers or her Mother's?"
"Neither and all three." Worf answered.
"Did we wait too long to think about starting again? Is that why fate is doing this, making Deanna suffer and maybe even kill her in the process?" Will shook his head, as the answers did not come to him.
"I have no answers to those questions, Commander, but I know that if anyone is too blame for her injuries it is the Cardassians who set off that explosion. Gul Dukat took Jadzia from my life the same day we were told it was possible for us to have children. Do not let Du'Rek take Deanna from you. Don't leave things unsaid; all you'll have is regrets if she cannot hold on. Deanna is strong in spirit, but she may be overwhelmed by her physical injuries. If that happens he has won."

Worf got up and walked to the cavern entrance to join Data. Will was lost in thought, but was ripped from those thoughts when Deanna cried out in absolute pain. It was the most hideous thing Will had ever heard. He stood to go be by her side, but Lieutenant Balsa called to him from her post, at the cavern entrance.
"Sir, there's a patrol of fifteen soldiers on their way here! Karn is leading them!"
"Everyone deeper into the cave, now!" Riker shouted. "Worf, Sidga, Balsa, Data, Springer, O'Brian stay with me. Beverley, you, Jack, Kenning and Martyn take the others and go deeper into the cave."
From behind him he heard Deanna scream.
"I forgot about that device I implanted into her. They'll be listening out for her." Said Del Grent.
"I can't sedate her!" Came Crusher's stricken voice.
"Let's try neutralising her nerve endings and pain receivers." Suggested Jack Ganter, as they moved further into the cave, behind the Betazoids.
`Little One, please let go of the pain. Shut it out with your mind. You can do it!' Came Lwaxanna's voice both out loud and in Deanna's mind.
"I can't! There's too much!" Cried Deanna through the pain, "I can't shut it out!"
They lay Deanna back on the ground, trying to hold the thrashing Betazoid still.
"Neutralising nerve endings and pain receivers." Said Ganter, as he injected a blue liquid into Troi's arm.
"It won't work!" Came a sneer from behind them. They turned to see Du'Rek awake, but held back by Smyth and Bernette. "She'll die so very soon."
"You sick, Bastard!" Screamed Beverley, loosing her usual serenity.
"How could you do this to my daughter!" Came Lwaxanna's pained voice.
Beverley Crusher grabbed the collar of Du'Rek's shirt,
"Tell me how to stop it!"
"She'll die like the Starfleet Bitch she is!" He spat back.
"Tell me!" Beverley grabbed the phase from Smyth's belt. The brunette tried to grab it back, but she was too slow for the anger driven Doctor. "Tell me, now, or I'll blow your miserable little brains out!"
"Please Gods, make it stop! Make it stop!" Deanna cried out.
"Tell me, now!" Tears filled Beverley's eyes at the realisation that she may lose her best friend from something other than her internal injuries, something, even as a trained Doctor, she could not save Deanna from.
"Doctor?" Came Worf's voice, as he, Riker and the others entered the new cavern.
"Beverley, what's wrong?" Asked Will.
"This bastard won't tell me how to save Deanna. He's going to let her die in complete agony. Tell me!" she screamed at Du'Rek, as Deanna cried out once more.
"She's not going to be able to take much more of this, before her body starts to shut itself down." Commented Jack.
"She'll die so soon."
"Del Grant, please, do what you can to help Deanna." Said Riker, ignoring Deanna's cries and the tears of the other Betazoids that felt her pain. He calmly took hold of Beverley's hand. "Come on, if you kill him, you'll be like him."
"I can't let her die, Will, not like this!"
"I know, but he'll be dealt with, I promise. Help Del Grent and Jack." At first Beverley didn't let go of the phaser. "That's an order, Doctor!"
Crusher handed the phaser back to Smyth and walked back to Deanna's side. Will noticed that Deanna's cries stopped suddenly.
"I've neutralised the pain receivers in her body and removed the object." Said Del Grent.
"Traitor!" Du'Rek shouted. "Ultimate treason!"
"Well done, Doctor!" Commented Riker, patting the young man on the back.
"I hope Tam-Ren finds you and kills you along with that woman!" Spat Du'Rek.
Riker looked away, then turned to Bernette and Smyth,
"Don't let him out of your sight."
"Commander?" Came a female voice from behind him.
"Yes, Lieutenant Balsa, what is it?"
"Karn and his patrol have gone, but there are a further fifteen smaller patrols in this area alone!"
"Maybe we should try and get to Gorena." Suggested Lwaxanna from her daughter's side.
"It's the closest town from here and hasn't come under attack." Explained Chandra.
"No, we can't risk it with Deanna and the children." Said Riker.
"Will…" Came Deanna's tired voice. "Go to Gorena. You'll be safe there."
"I can't leave you here!" He protested.
"Sacrifices must be made. The few for the many!"
"I refuse to leave you!"
"Imzadi, don't be stupid! I'll be a burden and slow everyone down! We've got fifteen patrols after us and no way to contact the Enterprise for help!"
"My mind's made up, Commander Troi, we're all going!"
"Oh no, no pulling rank this time!" said Deanna, her voice firm and determined.
"You promised." Will said quietly, as he took a hypospray from Doctor crusher and injected Troi with the sedative. He knew she was right, but he was determined not to leave anyone behind, especially not Deanna, not while she was this vulnerable. He carefully picked Troi up and they all made their way down the tunnel at the back of
the cavern.