Chapter 6

Sweat began to pour down his face. Jean-Luc grabbed a small backpack and threw some of his research materials inside, along with a small phaser. He hesitated, resting his fingertips on the artifact inside his pocket and his gaze fell on his communicator lying on a nearby table. He then realized he would need to leave it behind. They would be able to track him if he brought it along. Something inside of him was still conflicted, but he hadn't killed that man...had he? He began to pace the room anxiously. A guard would be outside the door. He could stun the guard and get to the secondary shuttle bay in no time at all. But the door was locked. If he used his phaser to disarm the lock, it would set off an alarm.

"Computer, have any ships entered any of the shuttle bays in the last two days?"

Affirmative. A class 1 security force ship docked in the main shuttle bay 4.2 hours ago.

They're here already," he whispered. "They'll be coming for me any minute now. I must find a way."

Federation Colony

When Beverly and her team materialized on the colony below, they new immediately that there was a problem, although not the problem they had expected. No colonists were immediately visible in the dusty town square, but as the dust cleared they saw about one hundred colonists standing in a wide circle around them. Behind the colonists stood tall, lean figures dressed in silver and black. Disruptor weapons gleamed in the reddish sunlight, as the figures stepped forward.

Worf let out a very low growl next to her, and powered up his phaser. "Romulans." As if on cue, some of the Romulans stepped out from behind the colonists, weapons raised.

It was evident also based on her quick tricorder reading, that the colonists were not infected with any virus at all. Aside from looking quite stunned, the colonists seemed unharmed. Beverly pulled her phaser, but even as she did, she knew it was a wasted effort. Her small team of six medical officers and Worf were outnumbered and outgunned.

"Now, now," said the lead Romulan, stepping into the clearing gracefully. "Let us greet our worthy Federation rivals without violence."

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Discarding all of her viral protocol training, Beverly tore off her protective helmet and nearly threw it at the Romulan Commander. Seeing him now eye to eye, she recognized who he was, although she didn't know his name.

"Commander Tomalak," Worf said, pointing his phaser at the Romulan leader's chest.

Tomalak eyed Worf briefly. "Unlike some of the more...brutal races, we Romulans prefer to use our brains, before our disruptors..."

Beverly faced him squarely. "By invading this colony, you're in violation of the Treaty of-of-"

"Treaty of Algeron?" he offered with a small smile. "You are not a diplomat perhaps..."

"No! I'm a doctor. We received reports that this colony had been infected by an unknown virus."

"I sent those reports," admitted Tomalak. "You will find the other reportedly infected colonies are similarly...virus free."

"Why?" Worf demanded.

Tomalak swept his long cape aside, and walked away from them. "If I am in violation of the Treaty, it is only to defend my people from a Federation threat. Captain Picard, with whom I am now acquainted is in possession of an item of great power. Once we confirmed the Enterprise would be sent to investigate the rumored virus, I endeavored to intercept. Captain Picard is himself engaging in an act of war, simply by possessing this object. And so I have come to relieve him of it, thereby maintaining the peace...of course, if I am unsuccessful, war is the next best alternative."

"Commander, I fail to understand on what basis you are stalling." Deputy Chief of Starfleet Security Adam Logan sat back almost casually in the chair. A few hours earlier, he had arrived on board the Enterprise with a contingent of elite security personnel, quickly making themselves at home, to Riker's discontent. Logan's cold and impassive expression only reinforced in Riker's mind that Picard needed protecting right now.

"These charges are false, and he deserves a proper investigation," said Riker.

"The investigation is over. And his DNA was found near the crime scene."

"But not on the victim's body. If he broke that man's neck, the physical evidence would be there."

"With all due respect Commander, you don't have access to the full evidence...all you saw was an interrogation vid."

"But I'm right, aren't I? All you have is evidence putting him near the crime scene."

"And we have him lying once about having never met Havra Lander, and a second time when he lied about having never been in that alley. If he's not guilty, why did he lie?"

"He told you he didn't remember!"

"Then his memory is very selective."

"It is possible he is telling the truth," Troi interjected quietly. "I have been sensing that he is not himself lately."

"Of course he's not acting as he normally would, he's been accused of killing someone. Look...I can assure both of you that captain Picard will be afforded the same due process as anyone else."

"I am having difficulty reading his emotions" said Deanna trying to concentrate. "If I had to guess I would say he is under the influence of an outside force."

"You mean a substance," corrected Logan.

Troi shook her head. "I don't exactly know. But he seems hyper focused on something to the point of neglecting all other considerations."

"Could it be that artifact, Deanna?" Riker asked quietly. "If so, we need to get it away from him."

Logan turned his head sharply to look at Will. "What artifact?"

Troi glanced at Riker before continuing. "Captain Picard found a small artifact down on Risa. He has been studying it ever since."

Logan pointed at them both accusingly. "How long have you known about this?"

"Archaeology is a personal interest of the Captain's...a hobby. What he found on his vacation was his business," snapped Riker. "Unless and until it presents a threat to the captain or this crew," he added.

"And you're assuming this artifact is the source of his strange behavior."

"I didn't say he was behaving strangely," objected Troi. "I said-"

"I heard what you said, counselor. But surely a fixation like the one you're describing could motivate him to murder someone."

"Wait a minute", Riker demanded, stopping just short of pounding his fist on the table. "We didn't say a damn thing about-"

"You did say he found this object..." Logan interrupted coolly. "But no one witnessed him doing so?"

Riker rolled his eyes up at the ceiling. "Not that I know of."

"Lander was an art dealer, who was probably connected somehow to this so called artifact. Either Picard killed him to obtain the artifact, or because Lander tried to take it from him."

Riker shook his head and stood up, followed by Troi. "I think we're done here," he said angrily.

Logan stood up. "You're right...we are." He tapped his communicator. "This is Logan. Arrest Captain Picard and bring him to my ship."