Chapter thirty seven
Don't go, Will, don't go! They're on our side. They're here to help
us
As Will and Bobby Tiller prepared to turn the ship and the entire fleet
around, a voice filtered through the fog of anguish that lashed at Will
from all sides, his very soul torn in two at what he believed he had to
do to save everything and everybody, except the one person who meant
more than all of them put together, Deanna; his love; his Imzadi.
Don't go, please!
There was no mistaking it this time. It was Deanna whispering through
his senses like a tidal wave of welcoming water leaving him trembling
with relief at hearing her soft, melodic voice before making his heart
soar for a moment just knowing that she was alive and lucid. Even
though he had all but turned away to leave her to die, she hadn't blamed
him. She hadn't spurned his torn heart.
But surely Will hadn't heard her right. He couldn't have. The Klingon's,
on their side? Never, not in a million years. The Federation had been
locked in battle with the Klingon Empire ever since the very beginning.
The Klingon's were the very reason that the Federation came to be.
And then another voice sifted through his befuddled mind. Believe her,
Will. Do not turn back. Stand your ground. I haven't gone to all this
trouble for nothing, so don't let me down, Lieutenant.
Lwaxana Troi? How in hell's name did she manage to send him a message
all the way from Betazed? He wondered with astonishment.
He swiftly got his answer. Silly man. Did you really think I would
stay behind and miss all this fun? Laughter alighting her tease at his
confusion.
Slowly, very slowly like the sun rising above the horizon, his
surprise only managed to rise a touch before anger tinged his joy and
Will felt the blood begin to boil within his body. So she thought this
was a joke. The entire universe was about to go to war and she thought
it was funny!
But even so, he found himself saying something he'd never thought he'd
utter to the man beside him who sat patiently, waiting for his order to
move off, his voice tipped with a longing that he thought had died. He
may not have been particularly enamoured towards Mrs. Troi, particularly
when it concerned her daughter, but never-the-less, there were some
things that she was good at and negotiating was one of them.
"Hold on, Bob, it seems like we've got God on our side today."
Bobby Tiller visibly balked. "What!?" he choked, his fingers pausing
midway to the reverse button.
Will's eyes caught his, amusement brightening up the once troubled blue
orbs into pools of mischief, "Sorry, I meant to say Lwaxana Troi, but
sometimes I do wonder." he smirked.
I heard that, Mr. Riker
And then it all went wrong as shouts reverberated throughout the comm
systems on board the Federation ships. Deanna's scream sent a shockwave
of alarm through each and every one who heard her.
God, Will, he's going to kill you all! Don't let him do that to you
just because of us, please!
But it was her mother that hushed her terrified daughter, her harsh
words splashing on her fear and instantly defusing the terrors that ran
amok in her heart. Oh, shush, Little one, you don't think I turned up
with just my friend Martok, do you? How little you know me, daughter,
dear. What do you think I do when I put my best ambassador hat on. Sit
knitting booties for that grandchild that you will one day undoubtedly
give me between the two of you?
Her high pitched laughter rattled right through Will's head and he
wondered in that brief instant if the woman had gone insane once the
flare of longing of her vivid imagination zipped through him. Lwaxana
Troi certainly had the knack of punching him just where she knew it
would hurt him most, and just because her fantasy was one that was
tucked away within his own private hopes and dreams didn't make it any
easier. The woman was a witch.
Too late, she'd caught him out again, but this time, instead of
answering him silently, her voice came over the comm unit loud and
clear and creating a wave of stunned disbelief hearing her speak. "I am
NOT a witch, nor am I insane!" she said haughtily. "If you'd care to
move your eyes to your long range scanners, Lieutenant, you'll find
we're about to have a few more visitors."
Both Will, Bobby and the rest of the waiting Federation ships
pulled their eyes away from the growing carpet of ships ahead and
automatically dropped their eyes to the instrument panels before them
and watched in shocked awe as a flotilla of ships, still some way off,
approached from behind. Will heard Bobby swallow noisily and when
he recognized just what was heading their way, he could only do the same.
"Vulcan's!?" They chorused together.
"Oh, yes," Mrs Troi crowed, "The Vulcan's are very good friends of mine
and were more than happy to lend a helping hand." And then she dropped
the bombshell."Of course, I had to offer them an alliance with the
Federation..." She said, matter-of-factly, not even wincing at the
somewhat expected outburst that almost shattered her eardrums.
"What!?" Bellowed Will. "You've done what!?"
Exhaling dramatically, she repeated her news." I promised them an
alliance with the Federation. And the Klingons too. " She added for good
measure."They're really friendly when you get to know them, you know? I
did toy briefly with asking the Cardassian's, but I'm really not fond of
them. To Neanderthal and barbaric for my liking."
One could imagine the grimace of distaste that etched her classical
features with her enlightening insight into the Cardassian race. One
also wondered why she didn't include the Klingon's in the same vein,
after all. they practically were Neanderthal.
For a brief moment Will thought that he was going to feint. God, what
on earth was Starfleet going to say? The Cardassians!? The Vulcans!? The
KLINGONS!? Will groaned, his eyes closing to try and shut out the
scenario that was sure to come about when he got back home to face his
superiors. He was destroyed for good. His life as an aspiring Starfleet
officer was over; finished, annihilated by a meddling, mad woman. He'd
never live it down. Never.
But even so, despite all her interfering, and once the momentary shock
Subsided, Will was quick to realize that with the Vulcan's and the
Klingon's on their side, they at least now had a chance. They could show
a united force and beat the Sindareen just by the show of numbers.
Squaring his shoulders, Will stared determinedly at the screen before
him, took a deep breath and said to Bob, "Hail the Sindareen ship. The
negotiations are over. It's time to get our people back."
Bobby grinned, his voice lifting with glee. "Aye aye, Sir."
Tbc...