STAR TREK – THE NEXT GENERATION

by Soledad

EP#5: THE CRYSTAL SKULL

Disclaimer: All Star Trek belongs to Gene Roddenberry and Viacom or whoever owns the rights at this moment. I don't make any profit out of this – I wish I would, but I don't, so suing me would be pointless. This particular story is based on the similarly-titled story idea of Patrick Barry.

Timeframe: early season 5, in the year 2368, after the episode "Darmok" but before "Ensign Ro". This final chapter actually leads over to the events that build the base for the episode "Ensign Ro", according to The Star Trek Chronology.

Summary: The Enterprise is bringing supplies to an archaeological expedition lead by an old friend of Captain Picard's on Bolaxnu 7. Since the Ferengi are interested in the planet, too, things take unexpected turns. And then Riker begins to change…

CHAPTER 11 – THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR SUCCESS

Fitting Picard's assumption, DaiMon Zaeb was willing to sit down and negotiate with the hew-mans, as he put it. Even if more than half of the people on the Federation side of the table weren't humans at all.

Ambassador Lwaxana Troi – Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed – dominated the room, as always, and she seemed to impress the Faran very much with her imperious manners… just as Picard had hoped for. Her fashion sense – tending to somewhat gauche colours and lots of jewellery – matched the Faran/Ferengi standard, and she chose a wig of golden curls for the event, which also seemed to meet the other party's agreement.

The Andorian zh'Cheen also joined the negotiations, as asked. Save for her and Dr Boudreau, an imposing Vulcan male by the name of Sorrel – the head of the Archaeology and Anthropology faculty on the Vulcan academy of sciences – was part of the Federation team. And Picard himself, of course, being the one who had made the meeting possible in the first place.

The Andorian Imperial Guard – a living anachronism in these days, like the Pope's Swiss Guards on Earth, but still well-trained and very effective – sent a platoon of experienced warriors to protect the expedition in general and zh'Cheen in particular. In their old-fashioned body armour yet equipped with modern weapons of considerable firepower, they seemed more than a match for the Kakiri Warriors of the Faran party… and definitely more capable of independent thought.

DaiMon Zaeb surprised everyone by bringing his bride with him to the negotiation table. She appeared passive and timid, swathed in Tholian silk and laid out splendidly in jewellery of gold and multi-coloured gemstones, like a richly (too richly) decorated doll. But there was shrewd intelligence in those ice blue eyes of hers, and her attention was focused on Ambassador Troi from the moment they met.

Clearly, the little Ferengi – or rather Faran – woman saw the Betazoid diplomat as a role model… which, from her point of view, probably made excellent sense. If she wanted to learn how to be a true matron, Lwaxana Troi was the best person to learn from.

"This is my intended, Priell," DaiMon Zaeb introduced her on the first day. "I've recently purchased her for the price of a small moon; she's of great value for me. Unfortunately, she was raised in the traditional Ferengi way. I'm trying to redeem that by exposing her to more… wholesome influences. I hope you don't mind her presence."

"Of course not!" Ambassador Troi answered him. "It's very enlightened of you, DaiMon Zaeb; surprisingly so, in fact. Don't worry; I'll take the little one under my wings."

Picard suppressed a grin. The Ferengi – pardon, Faran – wouldn't know what hit him, once Ms Troi had taken his bride in her capable hands. Somehow he no longer doubted that the two parties would come to an understanding.

Eventually.

And zh'Cheen and the Vulcan would see to it that the negotiations remained within the expected boundaries.

Hopefully.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen," he said with his best diplomatic smile. "Shall we begin?"

The negotiations, firstly hosted by the Enterprise, then relocated to Bolaxnu 7, to a fitting conference room already restored by the expedition in the first level of the lost city, went on for several weeks. DaiMon Zaeb turned out a tough and shrewd negotiation partner, especially when he was joined by his cousin Manion, generally known as 'the pate of Starbase 80'.

But Ambassador Troi was more than a match for the combined Faran ruthlessness, and the Andorian and the Vulcan provided her with excellent back-up. Picard barely had anything else to do than to be present and keep up the order protocol demanded.

On the fourth day, the USS Grissom – a small, Oberth-class vessel, frequently used for scientific missions – arrived, carrying more equipment for the expedition as well as more personnel. With her came Rear Admiral Bennett, the Judge Advocate General of Starfleet.

"We've studied your report very carefully, Captain," he told Picard, "and I agree with you that neither Commander Riker, nor Dr Boudreau were responsible for whatever they had done under the influence of the alien artefact. There will be a debriefing, of course, but they won't have to fear any legal consequences."

"What about Dr Roark?" Picard asked.

The admiral shrugged. "He's not – and has never been – a member of Starfleet. He's not within our jurisdiction. I assume that he, too, will be able to go free, unless Dr Boudreau wants to press charges."

"She won't," Picard said. "She doesn't blame him for something that wasn't really his fault."

"That is good, then. Will he or Dr Boudreau be able to continue working together?" the admiral asked.

Picard shook his head. "That seems unlikely at the moment. According to Dr Crusher, Dr Roark has suffered severe neural damage through the contact with the skull and will need extensive therapy before he'd be able to return to work."

The Admiral raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"But you told me that Commander Riker hadn't suffered anything like that," he said.

Picard nodded. "We thought so at the time when I sent in my first report. In the meantime, further examinations have revealed that he hadn't come off without damage, either. But Dr Roark is in a much worse shape. Apparently, Centaurians have a more severe reaction to the artefact than humans. Something to do with their brain chemistry, if I've understood it correctly."

"I see," the admiral pondered over the news for a moment. "Would it be possible to speak with Commander Riker?"

"Of course, Admiral," Picard stood. "Please come with me."

They found Riker still in sickbay, although no longer in the intensive care area. He was sitting in the rec room, on his own, reading something on his PADD. When Picard and Bennett entered, he rose hurriedly and stood at attention.

"Admiral. Captain."

"At ease, Commander," Bennett waved in the direction of the chairs and they all sit. "How are you doing?"

Riker sighed. "Better; thank you, sir. Still have the one or other blackout, though."

"What kind of blackouts?" the admiral inquired. "There stood nothing about them in Dr Crusher's report."

"Apparently, my brain keeps trying to connect with the skull; and when it can't, it simply shuts down for short periods," Riker explained glumly. "Deanna – Counselor Troi – says I'll need therapy before I'd be fit for duty again."

"Well, it's a good thing, then, that all Starfleet ships have their own therapists in these days," Bennett said. "I'm sure Counselor Troi will be able to help you. Her reputation as a psychiatrist is excellent."

Riker shook his head. "She didn't mean psychotherapy, sir. There was some neural damage that needs to be repaired. I used that cursed thing a lot, without the safeties that could have lessened the effect. Dr Crusher has already arranged for me – and for Dr Roark – our respective places in a Vulcan-led special clinic."

"Can't she treat you on the Enterprise?" Picard asked in surprise.

"No; Dr Crusher is not a neuro-surgeon; and this treatment requires special technology," Dr Selar entered the rec room to adjust Riker's cortical monitor. "The Enterprise is not yet equipped with such technology. However, the neuro-surgical ward of the Central Hospital on Vulcana Regar agreed to treat both Commander Riker and Dr Roark. Their scientists have developed both the method and the technology and are currently best suited to use them," she nodded her greetings and left.

"Vulcana Regar, eh?" Bennett commented. "The scientific colony with the somewhat different Vulcans. You're in for an interesting experience, Commander."

"Different in what way?" Riker asked with a frown.

"You'll see, Commander," the Admiral chuckled. "Apparently, they've been trying to re-integrate their emotions instead of suppressing them completely for the last century or so."

"And? Have they succeeded?" Picard asked with interest.

Bennett shrugged. "That question still can't be answered with absolute certainty. There have been setbacks – many of them – but there has also been progress. The general consensus is that they'll need centuries until full integration… assuming it is possible at all. In the meantime, though, the fact that they allow their instinct and hunches to play a role makes their scientific research very inspired and even more brilliant than Vulcan science already is."

"Sounds promising," Picard commented, relieved that he wouldn't have to send his first officer to a colony full of out-of-control Vulcans. "It seems we'll have you back in no time, Number One."

"I hope so," Riker looked from Picard to Bennett and back, clearly uncomfortable. "Sir, I'd like to apologize for everything that happened…"

It was hard to tell which one of them he was addressing, but Bennett waved off his concerns before he could have finished.

"No need for that, Commander. It wasn't your fault. Besides, your actions were successful in getting the Ferengi off the planet, and that in itself has to be worth something. As they would put it: There is no substitute for success."

"I guess so," Riker allowed, still a little doubtfully.

"See that you make a full recovery first;" Bennett toild him. "We'll discuss everything else at a later time."

"Aye sir," Riker answered a little glumly, and the two left him alone.

"I have here your new orders, Jean-Luc," Bennett said later, in Picard's ready room, handing the captain an isolinear chip. "There has been a terrorist attack against the Federation settlement on the planet Solarion IV, near the Cardassian border. The infrastructure has been completely destroyed. The survivors need to be evacuated to Lya Station Alpha, until further decision about their future."

"Butt hat's halfway across the Alpha Quadrant!" Picard protested. "Surely, there have to be ships that are closer to the Solarion system!"

"There are; and they, too, have been ordered to help with the evacuation," the admiral replied. "For a new colony, Solarion IV was a well-populated one. Scientists from all over the Federation came to study the planet's unusual Oort cloud."

"I still don't understand why we are needed there," Picard said stubbornly.

He didn't question his orders, as a rule, but this assignment appeared fairly illogical to him… on the surface, at least. There had to be a deeper reason.

"Because Starfleet Command believes that the presence of our flagship would be a clear warning for the attackers," the admiral replied bluntly.

"Do we know who they are?" Picard asked.

"Not for sure; the colony was attacked by an unknown starship," Bennett admitted. "Unfortunately, there are no visual records, as the central building of the colony was completely destroyed. But Admiral Kennelly believes that it must have been a splinter group of Bajoran terrorists, operating out of the Velo system."

"But why would they waste their resources on attacking a Federation colony? We never had any problems with the Bajorans," Picard pointed out logically. "They are a people forced out of their homeword, living in exile. Most of their refugee camps have barely got the means to feed their people."

"Admiral Kennelly thinks that they're seeking to involve the Federation in the Bajoran dispute with the Cardassian Empire," Bennett explained.

Picard didn't find that very convincing.

"They're going at it the worst possible way then," he said. "Attacking our colonies wouldn't make us side with them, would it?"

"Not very likely," the admiral agreed. "But they're a desperate people, Jean-Luc. And if they weren't the ones to attack the colony, the presence of the Enterprise will be a clear message for the real culprits, too."

"Or provoke them to further actions," Picard commented dryly.

"Unfortunately, such reactions can't be calculated in advance," Bennett admitted. "Whatever the outcome, though, the survivors must be evacuated. You have your orders, Captain; I'll take over the negotiations for you. You can drop off Commander Riker and Dr Roark n Vulcana Regar on your way to Solarion IV."

He stood. "Well, I must go now. Please, transfer all expedition members to the Grissom before you break orbit."

"Aye, sir," Picard called an ensign to show the admiral to Transporter Room Three and returned to the bridge.

"Ensign Felton," he said to the flight controller officer on duty. "Set a course for the planet Solarion IV, near the Cardassian border; the coordinates will be in the navigation computer."

"Course programmed and set, sir," the pretty blonde reported a minute or so later.

"Break orbit," Picard ordered. "Set off for Solarion IV with Warp 6. Engage."

"Aye, sir," Felton acknowledged; her fingers danced across the controls, and in the next moment, the Enterprise set off for deep space.

~The End~