Diclaimer: It's all Paramount's, cept for Verla, T'Valk, and Rachel. Maybe a few Maquis.

A/N: I feel like I should put one. Just don't have much to say. So, um.... Stercus, stercus, stercus, moriturus sum! (-Terry Prachett)



Chapter 7 – A Friend of the Family



When Sela awoke, she was startled to find herself somewhere other that her quarters. And it was cold.

She sat up and groaned. Her head hurt. It hurt so much! She closed her eyes, and wished the pain would go away. She couldn't think! But she had to be able to - she needed to find a way out!

Sela opened her eyes again. She was sitting on a cot in a small room. There was another cot along the other wall. And a forcefield over the door.

I shouldn't have trusted them, she thought - and because of this, I have been captured. She remembered the minutes in the transporter room, and came to the obvious conclusion. She had been captured - by the Federation!

Sela sat like that, her aching head cradled in her hands, for what seemed like days - but was really less than an hour. It was then, nearly sixty minutes later, that she heard someone – actually three someones - coming down the hallway. She stood up - too quickly - and lurched to the side, obviously still under the effect of whatever they'd used on her.

The forcefield flashed and went down. And he walked in.

Outside the room was the Vulcan and security officer from the Enterprise. The security officer turned to the Vulcan. "I thought you said she'd be out for 8 hours."

"8.54. I failed to take into account that she is half-Human." They put back up the

forcefield, and their conversation trailed off down the corridor.

Sela put her hand up against the wall for support. "I will tell the Federation nothing," she said calmly, hoping the pain in her head would abate. I didn't.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you won't get whatever you want from me."

At that, Riker burst into laughter. "Are you trying to say that you think the Federation abducted you?!"

Sela just looked away.

Riker stopped laughing rather suddenly. He pounded the wall by the forcefield. "The Federation wouldn't do that - not in a million years! I don't know what perverted ideas the Romulans have put in that misguided mind of yours, but the Federation does not go around fueling wars!" To emphasize his remark, he grabbed Sela by the arm and shook her savagely.

"But . . . weren't you the one . . . the one who kidnapped me?"

Sela tried to turn her head away from the rage in his eyes, but Riker grabbed her chin and held her still. "Oh no, I didn't put you here, or anybody else on the Enterprise! The Maquis did! They tortured and murdered every person on ARK-7 - yes, I know about that! One of them was in here with me. She was the last one to die. Sevaal had to listen to her crewmates' screams! She was only twenty years old!" Riker stopped mournfully. After a moment, he started to talk again, this time more quietly. "I have been here for two months! I've been interrogated, tortured, beaten, tormented, and drugged! It feels like I'll never get out! Sometimes, I wish they would just kill me! You'll understand all too soon! Don't you dare accuse me of kidnapping you!" He slammed her against the wall, and stormed over to the other cot.

Sela let out a quiet sob as she pulled herself onto her own bunk. So, that was the real

William T. Riker. Her mother had called him a friend. Sela hoped she wouldn't ever have to.

Several hours later, Sela had finally fallen asleep. Will Riker sat watching her.

He felt like such a fool! He had just tried to kill one of the most powerful people in the Romulan Empire! And the daughter of his friend!

The Maquis had interrogated him again. He had let his anger get ahold of him. He hadn't been thinking straight. But that was no excuse for what he'd done.

A Maquis stopped at the forcefield. He seemed like he was going to take it down, but saw Riker watching him, and Sela asleep. He decided to come back later. Thomas was just going to have to wait a couple hours for his information. He would get the Romulan later.

Riker saw him walk away. He understood exactly what the Maquis guard had come to do, and decided he needed to warn Sela. Riker walked over to her cot and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sela?"

She stirred and awoke. Sela saw him and jerked away with a gasp of pain. "Go away . . ." she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he said, uncertain if she would believe him. Romulans weren't know for being especially trusting. "I . . . had just been interrogated again. I didn't mean to hurt you."

She nodded slowly. Riker went over to sit on the floor with his back against the wall, not wanting to intrude on her thoughts. After a moment, she asked, "You knew my mother?"

Riker was surprised. Picard had told them all how little Sela seemed to care about her mother's death. "Yes. I miss her a lot. She was a really good friend. We all miss her." Sela looked like she was about to cry. So, Riker thought to himself, she does have a weakness where Tasha is concerned.

Sela stood up, and something fell out of her pocket. It was bright and shiny, gold and silver. Sela stooped to get it, but Riker was faster. He studied it in confusion.

She reached out a trembling hand. "Give it to me."

"Where did you get this?" Riker demanded.

"Give it to me," she repeated, in what she hoped was a commanding tone.

Riker grabbed her wrist painfully, and she winced. "Where did you get this?!"

"My . . . my mother gave it to me . . . before she was executed. To remind me there would always be a place for me in the Federation."

"Ha," Riker retorted scornfully. "Not after accusing us of violating the treaty." He let go of her arm, leaving a red mark.

Commander Riker studied the communicator in his palm. "Does it still work?"

"It's old," Sela said, "but I expect it should."

He pressed it. "Riker to Enterprise."

"Will, are you all right?" Picard asked after a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine. Sela is-" Suddenly, the signal was cut off, after a cry of alarm. "Will?! Worf can you trace it?!" Captain Picard glanced back at the Klingon. Worf shook his head solemnly.

Picard sighed in exasperation. They were so close! "What about Sela?" he asked out loud.

Deanna looked over at him from her first officer - Will's - chair. "At least we know he's alive."

Sela issued a cry of alarm as two Maquis guards rushed in. The communicator was yanked from Will's hand. Riker was tugged up from his seat and his arms were thrust behind his back. And then . . . another Riker walked into the room . . .

"I didn't realize how foolish you were, William Thomas Riker," he said, and spat in his direction. "Bring her. It's time I found out what I need to know."

Sela was nearly dragged from the brig to whatever fate awaited her. When she and the rest of the security team was gone, Commander Riker pounded on the wall once again. His words echoed down the empty corridors. "Why?!"