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

A/N: "'Chapter Fifteen, Elementary Necromancy'", she read out loud. "'Lesson One: Correct Use of Shovel...'"



Chapter 12 - Recovery



Sela held her breath as a Maquis guard handed Thomas Riker a phaser. Don't argue, Will, she thought. I called your ship, they're back! Don't risk your life again!

"I'll have to kill you both, you know. I can't leave any evidence for someone to find," Thomas Riker said. Sela sat up with a groan and Will Riker looked down, as Thomas set the phaser's power to 13.

At close range, she thought, there probably wouldn't be a body to send home to

ch'Haveran. But then again, there wasn't anyone at home to mourn her passing, anyway. She drew in what would probably be her last breath.

Then, the whine of a transporter filled the room. Will brightened up when he saw Picard, Worf and Crusher. Sela smiled grimly. They would avenge her death - she knew it. She sank down and lost consciousness.

Thomas Riker just held the phaser toward Will Riker. "If any one of you moves, then Commander Riker dies."

There was silence for a moment, and then all hell broke loose. One of the Maquis guards rammed into Tom Riker from behind, and he sunk to the ground. The Federation security officers rushed forward as the Maquis attacked. The guard who had attacked Thomas Riker grabbed Will as he collapsed from exhaustion, and started dragging him over to Dr. Crusher.

Within moments, the skirmish was ending. The last Maquis conscious, who everyone recognized as Rachel Bower, turned her phaser around, and, at level 7, shot herself in the head, the only casualty of the battle. Thomas Riker had disappeared.

"We need to find him!" Will gasped.

"Malnutrition and starvation," Beverly muttered.

"Margaret Thatcher," the guard said. "Starfleet Intelligence. I bet Riker is already gone, with all the survivors. Oh, your security officer, Lieutenant Salak, was a Maquis spy."

Picard nodded with a sigh. He watched Beverly hurry over to Commander Sela. She

scanned the half-Romulan, and announced, "Malnutrition, starvation, she was recently beaten, and she's dying from a Romulan 'truth drug'. It would kill a full Human in a matter of days. Frankly, she's living on borrowed time, Captain. I need to get her up to Sickbay immediately."

"And Will?" Picard asked impatiently.

Crusher looked up in annoyance. "Him? Oh, he'll be fine. Just needs a good meal or two." Riker moaned and laid his head back on the ground. "And a few days off, maybe on Risa."

Picard nodded, and tapped his combadge. "Picard to Lieutenant Tarses. Beam Commander Riker, Commander Sela, and Dr. Crusher directly to Sickbay. The rest of the team is going to mop up down here. Keep a transporter lock on us."