After a startled moment, Bennet burst into laughter. "Picard, I could get to like you!"

"Then we must get you off the Enterprise quickly indeed," Picard observed, lifting his cup in a toast.

Bennet clinked his glass against Picard's. "Hear, hear." He paused for a moment, then continued in a different tone of voice. "I've been thinking about what you said. You know, about caring what happens to your friends. I realized that, from the time Ilea died until I got aboard the Enterprise, I didn't have any friends. Oh, I met lots of people in my journeys and had some great times, but I didn't care about any of them; I wouldn't let myself care.

"I think that when Ilea was killed, a part of me died too. I just, I don't know, went numb. At first, I couldn't feel anything, and then I didn't want to. I kept moving around, avoiding commitment and real friendships until I wound up here. For the first time, I couldn't just leave when I started to make friends, and before I knew it, I was stuck. You made me realize that for the first time in a long, long time, I cared what happened to somebody else."

Bennet shook his head. "Anyway, that's why I didn't leave."

"After so devastating a tragedy, it's natural to feel that way for a time," Picard told him gently. "But eventually you must put your grief aside."

"I just hope you're right about the timing of all this, Picard. If I end up in Brock's hold, bound for the Orion mines, I don't know that I'll agree then that deciding to think about others' needs was so bright."

"Mmm. I'll feel better when the records search comes in. Once we have proof of your purchasing the ship, Brock's case will fall apart."

"You're putting a lot of faith in the Orion Colonies' bureaucracy," Bennet said gloomily. "I doubt they'll give us anything useful. I certainly didn't file any papers, and I don't imagine Brock did either. In fact, if he's got any documentation of the sale at all, it's probably in his fat hand, where he can keep an eye on it..." Bennet's voice trailed off as an idea struck him. "That's it! A search of--"

"STOP!" Picard ordered. "I do not want to hear any of this. As the commanding officer of a Federation starship, I have an obligation to uphold Federation law, and that law is very specific on issues of trespassing and unlawful search."

"But--"

"No."

Bennet subsided. After a moment, he asked casually, "Even a captain can't monitor everything all the time, can he? I mean, you have to sleep sometime, right?"

Picard gave him a sidelong glance. "Yes."

"And if you don't actually observe a violation of Federation law, you don't have to do anything, do you? Unless a charge is filed?"

"Yes," Picard agreed guardedly.

"And someone could hardly charge someone else with theft if the stolen item was something the first person had denied existed, right?"

"Ye-es."

"So if, hypothetically, someone happened to find a sales receipt while you were asleep, you wouldn't have to ask where that person found it, would you?"

"No, but the judge might, and perjury is a crime."

"Yes, but on a world that doesn't use computer monitors to screen for falsehoods, the only way to prove perjury is with a witness. So if someone were to claim that they found the receipt in their pocket, then someone else would have to disprove that. And if they'd claimed they'd never had it, that would be tough to do."

Picard looked steadily at Bennet. "I'm sure you realize that all this hypothetical supposing must not go beyond that into action."

"Of course!" Bennet agreed instantly. "That would be illegal."

Picard nodded and rose to his feet. "I think I'll go to my cabin. To sleep."

Bennet grinned. "I'll stay here a little longer. Just to think. Hypothetically."

As soon as the door hissed shut behind Picard, Bennet was at Wesley's side. "Sorry, beautiful lady." He smiled charmingly at the redheaded girl as he forcibly pulled Wesley away.

"Hey!" Wes fought free. "I was talking to -- "

"Listen, Wes, I need your help. Go find Sonja and Geordi and bring them to my cabin. I've got a plan to clear myself!"

"What kind of plan?" Wesley asked suspiciously, determined not to be taken in again.

"Look, if Brock has proof that I bought the Gadfly from him, it'll be on his ship. I'm just going to go over and look for the proof."

"That's trespassing! And, and -- "

"It's only illegal if you're going to take something that isn't yours," Bennet argued reasonably, if inaccurately. "I won't touch a thing, other than a bill of sale for the Gadfly."

"Why would Brock keep proof he's lying?" Wes was skeptical. "The smart thing to do would be to destroy it."

"Ah, but Brock is dumber than space dust. Besides, he'll hang onto it so he can wave it in my face as he carts me off to the mines. No, Wes, the proof I need is on that ship. I can smell it!"

Reluctantly, Wes went off in search of the others, while Bennet retired to his cabin to work out the details.

When the door chimed, he called out, "Yeah, come in!" then stood in surprise as Riker strode into the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I told him," LaForge answered, entering the room followed by Sonja, Data, and Wesley. "Your plan will need his help."

"Now wait -- "

"Commander Riker leads the Enterprise's Away Teams. He'll know how to set up this operation."

"It's simple!" Bennet retorted, exasperated. "We locate Brock on the planet; Sonja and Wes keep him under surveillance, and while he's ashore under their watchful eye, you beam me aboard his ship to search for the bill of sale."

"Oh, no." Riker shook his head. "You don't go anywhere alone."

"What?"

"You, Data, and I will board Brock's ship. Data goes because he can search Brock's computer faster than any Human can, and I go because you're still in the custody of the Enterprise and I have no intention of letting you escape."

"Don't you think I'd've already escaped if I wanted to? And how can a Starfleet officer participate in a crime?"

"It's not a crime if you don't steal anything," Wesley piped up, grinning.

"Look, Picard would kill me if -- "

"We're all volunteers," Sonja interrupted. "We're doing this because we believe you're innocent."

"Sonja, watching a guy is one thing. Beaming onto a ship is something else. If we get caught on board Brock's ship, you'll all be in serious trouble! If I go alone, then I could claim to have escaped and acted on my own. If the two of you come and we're caught, this whole plan will come out. Every one of you, from the commander to Wesley, will have their careers destroyed!"

"You are not going alone," Riker stated implacably.

"Dammit, Riker, what am I supposed to say to Picard if you get caught?"

"If we get caught, we'll have plenty of things to worry about, including that."

"Wait a second," Wes protested. "If we can make sure Brock is on the planet before you beam over, and warn you to leave before he returns, then what's the danger?"

"I don't like it," Bennet grumbled. "My plan's better."

"Tough," Riker retorted unsympathetically. "We do it my way. But Wesley's right; if we do it according to plan, there should be no danger."

"There is one problem," Data said. Ignoring Bennet's "Only one?" he continued, "After Geordi explained our objective, I scanned Brock's ship. It is screened from our sensors by a jamming field. We will be unable to monitor Brock's presence on the ship."

"Then how will we know when he leaves?" Sonja asked.

"Orion amber!" Bennet exclaimed. "Brock wears a lot of Orion amber jewelry, and the stone isn't indigenous to Arconia, so -- "

"-- so if we use the ship's sensors to scan the planet for it, we can find him," LaForge finished, nodding.

"Geordi, get on that," Riker ordered. "You'll be our relay on the Enterprise. After you locate Brock, Wes and Sonja will beam down and shadow him. You'll serve as liaison between them and us on Brock's ship."

LaForge nodded. "I'll clear out Transporter Room 3 for 'maintenance'. We can work out of there."

"You two change out of uniform," Riker advised. "Let's not make it easy for Brock to realize he's being watched."

"Don't worry, Commander," Sonja said. "In civilian clothes, Wesley and I will blend right into the native crowds. We'll watch in shifts so he doesn't get suspicious too quickly."

As the others filed out to prepare for the task ahead, Riker hung back. "If you doublecross us," he promised Bennet menacingly, "you'll regret it."

Bennet nodded. With a final threatening glare, Riker left. Bennet turned to the cabin window, staring out at the planet below.

The two teams assembled in Room C shortly thereafter. Gomez and Wes beamed down first, to the bar where LaForge had located Brock. When they reported that the merchant seemed to be settled in for a long stay, Riker, Data, and Bennet stepped to the platform.

"What about the jamming field?" Bennet asked suddenly.

"It doesn't affect transporter function," LaForge told him. "It's only targeted against sensor scans."

"Yeah, but can you punch through it to get coordinates for beamover?"

"Once you're there, I'll be able to pick up your communicators' signals," LaForge replied evasively.

"That's for the return. What about the transfer?"

"Trust me, Jake."

"Wait a sec--" Bennet's yelp was cut off by the hum of the transporter. The next thing he knew, he, Riker, and Data were standing on the bridge of Brock's craft. "Whew!"

"Data, see what you can find on the main computer," Riker ordered, springing into action. "Bennet, is there any other place Brock is especially likely to store something like this?"

"A lot of Orion ships have secret caches for smugglers to use," the freebooter offered after some thought. "Many are on the ship's bridge."

"We'll start here, then spread over the rest of the ship. Show me what to look for."

"OK, usually they're in places like this, along the seam of -- " Bennet broke off. "Did you hear something?"

"If you are referring to the sound of a disruptor bolt being locked into place," Data replied without moving, "the noise did occur, just behind us."