CHAPTER 9:
Crusher, Bashir, Martyn, Kenning and the Betazoids watched from the jungle, as Sidga, Balsa, Worf, Data and Springer knocked out the guards and entered the PDS station. Inside, they stunned three guards and then it was empty, silent and eerie. Data and Springer sat at one of the computer consoles, trying to access the computer core.
"Crusher to Data." Came Beverley Crusher's voice. "There's a patrol of four Cardassian soldiers heading your way. Troi and Commander Riker are with them. I'm taking the Betazoids further into the jungle, but we'll be back. Crusher out."
"Find a place to conceal your presence immediately." Data said calmly.
The officers moved into various hiding places and waited…
Moments later the doors to the room opened. Troi stepped in and pushed Riker in front of her. She kept her disrupter aimed at his back. The Cardassians were about to enter, but she held up a hand,
"It doesn't look like they're here. Stand guard outside in case they do turn up."
"But, Commander Troi…"
"Are you about to undermine my authority, Captain Zaylen?"
"No, sir. It's just that they could be hiding here."
"That's enough, Captain! Carry out your orders!" Deanna fumed.
"Yes, Commander. I meant no disrespect." He and his men left bowing their heads slightly, as they walked out.
As the door hissed shut, Deanna, walked over to the computer console and placed her disrupter on top of the casing.
"I thought you said they'd be here." She said, inputting the codes.
Riker looked around him.
"They should be here." After a few minutes he walked over to her. "How's it coming?"
"I'm almost done."
"Almost, but you won't finish." Came a sneering voice from behind them.
They turned to see Tam-Ren Karn, Captain Zaylen, two Dominion guards and four Cardassian guards, all with their distrupters drawn and aimed at them.
"Du'Rek and I knew you'd betray us."
"And why shouldn't I? You lied to me about everything."
Tam-Ren nodded his head. Two of the Dominion guards moved forward, took Troi by her arms and brought her in front of Karn. He grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her closer to him.
"You're nothing, but a whore, you know that? In fact the only good thing about you is your body and I've already had that. You belong to me now, do you understand?"
He kissed her fully. Riker struggled to reach Troi, confused at what Karn had said. The guards surrounded him holding him back. She tried moved away from Karn, but his grasp on her arms became tighter the more she tried to get away from him. She was able to get her lower body away from him slightly, so she kneed him in his groin. He released her, gasping. He looked up at her, with cold fury burning in his eyes. He took a step towards her and hit her so hard that she fell to the floor. Riker, again, tried
to take a step forward, but two Cardassians gripped his arms again holding him back. Troi's head rose from the floor, bleeding where it had made contact with the marble floor. Karn kicked her in the stomach and knelt in front of her and sneered,
"I'd say this worked out pretty well for Cardassia. Two Starfleet officers, both senior officers from the flagship of the Federation, used to gather tactical information. One we can frame as a spy for Du'Rek, because of her past and present involvement with his first officer- me. The other would do anything to stop us from hurting the other, because of some telepathic bond they share, because they were Imzadi!" He exclaimed, mockingly.
"Bastard!" Troi coughed.
Karn merely smiled.
"I use `were', past tense, because one of you isn't going to around much longer." He picked up Troi's disrupter from the computer panel and aimed it at Riker.
"Karn, no!" Deanna screamed at him. "Please, not him, I'll do anything, just don't hurt him! You want me? You can have me!"
"The only thing I want from you, I've already taken. All I want you to do now is die!" He said, bitterly, swinging the disrupter towards her.
"No Federation officers are going to die!" Came a deep rumbling voice that Karn hadn't heard before.
He turned to see a number of Starfleet officers, an Android and a Klingon coming out from the shadows, their phasers drawn. The door hissed open and another group of Starfleet officers entered also holding phasers.
"Drop your weapons, you're surrounded!" Said Crusher forcefully.
They did as instructed. "Now you!" She said to Karn, who still held the disrupter. He very reluctantly dropped it. Riker picked it up and the enemy was rounded up into a group. Riker moved towards Troi and took her by the arm, but she shrugged him off and got up herself.
"Deanna, can I examine you?" Asked Crusher coming forward.
"Later." She said flatly. "I need to get these codes done."
Holding her stomach and wincing slightly, she moved back over to the computer console and tapped in the last few codes. The computer beeped almost cheerfully. She turned to Riker,
"It's all yours." She smiled slightly and took Riker's hand in her own.
She opened his palm and placed the Starfleet insignia in his hand, closing his fingers over it.
"All you need to do is input your own codes, then you and your people can get back to safety."
Data began to input the new Federation codes. From the tone of her voice, Will knew that something was wrong.
"You're not coming with us are you?"
"I still remember so little, but thanks to you, I remember some good things. There are some things I need to settle before I leave here."
"Like personal revenge?" asked Riker. Troi nodded.
"Deanna. I can reverse the amnesia, but you must come with us." Said Beverley. Deanna shook her head, but said nothing.
"Come on, Deanna. You said you wanted to know the truth." Urged Will.
Deanna looked at the floor, then back at Riker.
"Alright."
They erected a level one force field, as they left the PDS station and walked to a clearing in the jungle, where the Betazoids waited for them. Riker turned to the expectant group and shouted,
"We've got the PDS station back under Federation control. The Fleet will be contacted, so you can all be transported up to safety." As he turned away from the crowd, there was a load cheer. He tapped his Communicator. "Riker to Enterprise."
"Picard here. Good to hear from you, Number One."
"We have the PDS station under our control and we'll be bringing a few `friends' with us."
"Excellent work. Get them all into groups and I'll notify the rest of the Fleet. Picard out."
"Worf, Springer and Data, you three stay with the prisoners and take them to the Brig the moment you get on the Enterprise."
"Aye, sir." Replied the three officers.
"Beverley, take Ensign Martyn and start gathering the civilians into groups. Kenning, you help Beverley."
They nodded, then moved away to carry out their orders.
"Can I help?" Came a small voice from behind him.
He turned to face a tired-looking Deanna Troi. The injuries she had sustained in the PDS station had been repaired by Beverley only moments before.
"All right, but don't overexert yourself."
"What should I do?"
"Stay with me. Help me get these people safely to our Fleet."
She nodded at him and smiled wanly.
Minutes later the small Scout group of; O'Brian, Sidga and Balsa came running back towards Riker and Troi from the jungle.
"Commander! There's an enemy patrol on their way here!" shouted O'Brian. The Officers split up to join their assigned groups. Riker turned to Troi.
"O.K, Deanna, contact the Fleet and get them to beam up their assigned groups as quickly as possible."
Deanna Troi nodded and tapped the Commbadge; Sidga had given her days before.
"Rescue team to Hood, initiate an emergency beam out of your assigned groups."
"Aye, sir. Beam out initiated."
The first group of Betazoids disappeared in shimmering blue light.
"Rescue team to Carpathia, Sommers and Defiant, emergency beam out of your assigned groups."
"Beam out Initiated."
"Aye, Sir."
"Right away." Came the replies and three more groups disappeared.
Worf and Beverley's groups disappeared to the Enterprise. As Riker, Troi and Sidga gathered together to beam up to the Enterprise, the Dominion patrol surrounded them. Riker and Sidga pushed Troi behind them and drew their phasers.
"Enterprise, Initiate emergency beam out!" cried Troi, as the enemy disrupters surrounded them, ready to fire.
Troi closed her eyes tightly and then felt the grips of a Transporter beam take hold…
She opened her eyes and smiled, as she vaguely remembered the Transporter room on the Enterprise. She looked to her right and saw Sidga. In front of her stood Will Riker talking to a middle age man she did not recognise.
"I'll give you a full report later, Captain, but I just thought you should know about Deanna's condition before you spoke to her."
Picard looked towards the woman in front of him stepping off the pad with Sidga. She was still the woman he knew as his friend the only difference was the black leather clothing that she wore. It was a reminder that she had been changed by the experience of this mission.
"Deanna, I'm Captain Jean-Luc Picard." He said extending his hand.
She shook his hand.
"I know this must be strange for you. I apologise for my condition, Captain."
"There's no need to apologise, Coun…Deanna." He said, quickly correcting himself. He turned to Riker. "Number One, take Deanna to Sickbay and ask Beverley to begin Deanna's treatment as soon as possible."
Riker nodded,
"This way, Deanna." He said indicating to the door.
They left with Deanna looking very lost on a ship that had been her home for so
long.
Picard turned to Sidga.
"I take it that you can give me a report now, Commander?"
"Most definitely, Captain."
"Then let's retire to my Ready Room."