Sickbay

O'Ryan knocked on the door to Crusher's office three hours later. Crusher called her in. The minute Crusher looked up at her, she immediately noticed the distraught look on her face.

"Ensign? I take it you found the culprit?" Crusher asked.

"Yes, but I don't think you're going to like it." The doctor sighed, ordering the Ensign to tell her. "Yes, ma'am. After running a quick sweep of the ship, I found that there were only five hyposprays in any section other than Sickbay. Four of their signatures were read as the four we have checked out. The fifth was obviously the stolen one."

"And?"

"And it was found in… Commander LaForge's quarters. Along with the two cylinders." As a look of shock appeared on Crusher's face, O'Ryan left the PADD she was holding on the desk and left the room.

Crusher blinked, trying to let the new information sink in. Then she thought about what she had just heard. Her friend, one of her best, had stolen morphenolog. But why? I mean it's not like he's… She stopped her thought in mid-sentence before looking into his medical file. In the past four months he had visited Sickbay on more than ten occasions to get morphenolog for his headaches.

When she looked closer it appeared that he had stopped by less than a week prior to get the same treatment. Maybe, just maybe, he had grown an unconscious need for the drug. Perhaps even, he had become addicted.

No! He wasn't that foolish. But still, he stole the hypo from Sickbay- that shows a need for the drug, enough of one to steal when he knew full well he would be given some when and if he needed it.

Slowly, Crusher pushed herself from her seat and walked toward the door. She would need to speak to him about this.

Transporter Room Two

Crusher headed quickly for the transporter room, walking through the doors to find, not only Geordie, but Commander Riker, Worf, Data, and Chief O'Brien there as well.

"Dr. Crusher?" Riker asked as he stood on the transporter pad waiting to leave.

"I need to speak to Geordie for a moment… alone." Geordie looked at the rest of the away team, shrugged, and walked off the pad. He walked over to the door where Crusher stood and walked out into the empty corridor.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Geordie, I know about you taking the morphenolog from Sickbay."

Geordie, at first surprised then feigning innocence, looked away and mumbled, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Geordie, you've been having dozens of headaches the past few months and have been treated with morphenolog every time. It's not unnatural for someone to develop an addiction to it." Crusher said to him, her voice soothing and understanding.

Crusher put her hand on his shoulder and he pushed it away. "Look, I may have taken the hypo but I'm not addicted to the stuff… I haven't even used it in a few days. I'm fine. It's just for when I need to go to sleep and I have a headache. That's what I took it for and that's all I use it for. Alright?" Geordie's voice was harsher than he had meant it to be but he didn't look apologetic at all for that.

"Alright, if you say you have it under control," Crusher said.

"I do. I swear."

"Ok," Crusher nodded. "Then I want it back at the end of this mission and for you to make a report on how much you used and when."

Geordie sighed and nodded his head. "Fine. When this mission is over." And with that, Geordie stormed back into the transporter room.

"What did she want?" Riker asked as Geordie made his way back onto the pad.

"Nothing."

"Good. Energize."

Miko

The four were immediately transported into a large, circular room. It was a bright and became an almost a reddish purple color when the light hit the walls. In the center of the room was a small control panel, presumably to operate the transporter.

Behind those controls stood a short, plump man, appearing to be in his late fifties. He walked quickly around the console, allowing the away team to better see his purple, one-pieced suit. His red-purple cape swooshed around his plump body as he moved. Riker looked him over silently, not needing to wait long before the man spoke.

"I am Conrad, the Banter's advisor. And you are?" For only a moment, the four officers stood before him confused, having forgotten that this planet did share a government similar Earth. Then names, however, were quite different for the name 'Banter' was the same idea as a President.

"Um, Commander William Riker, First Officer of the Enterprise. This is Commander Data, Commander LaForge, Commander Worf, our security chief."

"Well, hello. It is a pleasure to meet all of you. Now, we must get moving. There is much to discuss." Conrad motioned for them to follow him. Riker looked at the other three and gestured for them to do so. The group stepped off the pad and walked across the floor to the opened door Conrad was standing in.

"Come, come," he called after them.

Riker sighed, following closely behind the frantic adviser. The man walked at nearly a run, while the rest walked quickly through the long, old and empty corridor.

The corridor shook suddenly, sending dust and smoke into the faces of the officers. "Don't mind that," Conrad called back as he stepped over a piece of forgotten debris, "It's just the attack. It can't hurt us."

"So what happened?" Riker asked after a pause, "The last time we were here, your world was fine. I don't understand what caused all this."

"We believe that it was the data you sent us. You see, we got most of it… but it seems that someone intercepted it. The Hagan must have been spying on our transmissions."

Geordie looked up a Riker, Worf following his gaze. Riker's brows creased. "What data?"

Conrad stopped and looked up at the Commander. "What do you mean? What data? You were never told?" Riker shook his head slowly, raising an eyebrow as the short man shook his head, muttering something incoherent.

"Captain Picard entrusted only me with the details of the data," Data confessed.

Conrad looked up at him and smiled. "Good, good, good. Anyway, we believe that they are now mad at us for holding this back. For not telling them the truth about our enemies."

"Then you were the ones at war with them centuries ago?" Data inquired, his voice monotoned as he spoke.

"At war with who? What enemies?" Riker hissed at the short man, bending slightly to make it easier to look at him.

Whispering, "The Hytorians," Conrad cowered away from Riker.

Riker looked back over at Data. "As in Hytor Settlement?" Data merely looked at Conrad, trying with easy success to forget that Riker was even there.

"We call it merely Hytor. But yes, that was where they lived before…"

"Before you ambushed them?" Geordie spoke up.

"Yes, well… those were lesser times. Worse times…" Conrad fiddled with his hands, looking down at them rather than the officers around him. "We should get moving, don't want to be late."

Conrad turned quickly and scurried on down the hall, leaving the four to follow behind him. They did so wordlessly, but Riker remained there for a moment, running his hand over his face. He sighed suddenly and started at a light jog to catch up to them.

Geordie's Quarters

Beverly stood outside Geordie's quarters, debating whether or not to enter. It took a few minutes before she had that strength to call out to the computer, "Medical override. Voice authorization: Crusher omega six."

The doors slid open easily. Crusher paused, looking into her friend's quarters. With hesitation, she walked in, sighing, "Lights." The lights flickered on, Crusher blinking as they startled her.

Gradually, Crusher worked her way over to his bed. Her eyes fell over the object, settling on his nightstand. Nothing suspicious was left on top of it. Gently she eased open the draw, feeling ashamed of herself as she did so.

But the worst part was her findings: an empty cylinder. One cylinder had enough morphenolog for nearly a hundred treatments. He had only had it for seven nights, only five of them he claimed to have used it.

Crusher clutched the cylinder in her hand, closing her eyes with a sigh of regret. She had hoped her suspicions were unfounded, but this discovery seemed to prove them wrong. Even though she thought it, she didn't want to believe it…

Geordie was addicted… and lying about it…

Miko

Conrad stepped aside, showing the small away team into a large, sparse room. Inside, five Mikolians stood around a long, rectangular table. Abruptly they all stopped talking as the five walked in, Riker unable to make anything of the words they had said.

"Conrad?" The tallest man stepped forward, looking over each of the officers in turn.

Riker, too, looked him over. In human years, he seemed to be in his mid-fifties, his hair black with stray clumps of gray. His eyes were a bluish gray and separated by a strip of blue spots running from his forehead, down to his nose, and stopping at his chin.

"Uh, these are the Starfleet officers they sent down," Conrad answered shakily.

"Only four!?" A female exclaimed. She, too, had the blue spots and gray eyes. Her only difference was her dark amber brown hair. Riker looked over to her, noticing that her 'cat-suit' outfit was black with light blue strips running down the arms and legs. She had abandoned the cloak.

"There are plenty on our ship with the right training to help. If and when they are needed, we can beam them down," Riker said calmly.

"Are you their leader?" The tall man asked.

"I am second in command of the Enterprise. Commander Riker. And you are?"

"I am Banter Lo'Tec. This is Sub-Banter Mika-" he gestured to the outspoken women. "-Secretary of Defense, Ic'to-" he pointed to a tall but skinny man wearing a tight fitting outfit like the rest. It was black like Mika's but had green stripping on it. He also had slick black hair, gray eyes, and the blue spots. His glare settled on Riker, etched hatred in his face.

Next, the Banter pointed to another male who wore a black outfit with orange strips. His hair was a shaggy light brown and styled to stay out of his eyes. "Secretary of Diplomacy, Fec'tus and Teda, the Secretary of trade." The last one he pointed out was a female and stood a head shorter than him. She had on a black suit with purple stripping. Her hair was a dirty blonde pulled back in a tight ponytail, a few strands falling into her eyes.

The four officers all nodded their greetings in turn before Riker introduced his people, quickly introducing them.

"Now that everyone's introduced, can we get back to the problem?" Ic'to spat. Just then, the entire room shock, some debris falling onto the table.

"Of course. As you'll see here on the map, the Hagan have been holding your people here… in these caves." The Banter pointed to a spot on the holographic map floating above the table. The map accommodated the Banter by zooming up on the area, allowing the rest to see a large cave in the middle of a forest just outside the city.

"Do you know what the caves are made of?" Geordie asked.

"Calisium Titronate."

Data looked from Fec'ta to his commander. "We will not be able to beam ourselves in or the ambassadors out."

"How many entrances are there?" Worf asked.

"Only the one in the front that we are aware of," Teda informed him.

"Then we'll have to get through the front doors. Do you have a detailed map of the cave and where they're being held?"

"I'm afraid not, Commander. You see, we never had time to map the area very well before the Hagan took over the caves," Lo'Tec apologized.

"Well, then we'll have to wing it. Get an idea of the place before we send for the cavalry," Riker joked. "Let's go."