**********
Sabotage III Chapter Three
**********
After reporting to the bridge for his shift and ensuring that all was well, Will Riker made his way to holodeck three to meet Doctor Crusher before the Paresi Squares tournament began. Picard had already been on deck when he'd arrived, and the Captain appeared extremely haggard. But he was no match for the exhausted and disheveled Beverly Crusher that stood before Will when he arrived. Her hair was dull and pulled back in an uncharacteristic ponytail. Her lab coat was rumpled but her uniform was clearly fresh. Though she typically wore very little, this morning she wore no make up.
Ordinarily spritely, in this state Crusher's age showed. Riker could see the lines on her face that betrayed the trials of her existence, and the obstacles she'd surmounted in reaching the heights she had in her career. She was a beautiful woman, and he had to admit to himself that the starkness of her appearance leant an honesty to her countenance that was extremely compelling. She rarely appeared around the ship in this raw state. Will felt like he'd been caught looking at something he shouldn't - the real Beverly Crusher.
He came forward and took her by the elbow. "Beverly - how are you?" He tilted his head and gazed with concern into her eyes.
Her voice was a contrast to her appearance. "I'm fine Will, if not a little sleep deprived. We'll just see how you feel when I'm done with my report on this little tournament of yours."
Will was quick with a smile in return. "Now Beverly, I believe the Captain meant for us to work *together* on this to ensure we might continue with a safer tournament in the future."
"Keep talking, Commander," she responded sarcastically.
"Beverly, let's be reasonable." He gave her his most sincere look.
He got nothing in return but a piercing blue gaze. The aura of auburn hair that typically softened the angles of her face was gone, and Riker found himself wondering how Wesley or Picard had ever had the guts to stand up to this woman. He swiftly changed tactics.
Drawing himself to full height, he tugged on his tunic. "In that case, I'll stop trying to persuade you. But I won't let you talk me out of taking you to 10 Forward for breakfast and a strong cup of coffee." He extended his arm. "On me."
"Now we're getting somewhere, Will" She smiled, wearing her victory humbly. Riker felt relief wash over him as she took the proffered arm.
The exchange had left Riker emotionally drained. He gazed incredulously at the wild creature that walked beside him. Starfleet should look at recruiting her for their diplomatic corps. In a direct Crusher/Tomalok match-up, he'd lay a year's worth of credits on the fair redhead any day.
*********
The tournament proceeded as expected all week, though some participants were clearly unnerved by the unwavering glare of the CMO. Over protests from Beverly, Walker had entered and was in the final bracket, accompanied by several members of his security team. Riker had recently been ousted. Technically uncanny and clever, Riker was a bit past his physical prime for the tournament. Nonetheless, he received a rousing round of applause after he descended from his final round.
He took a seat next to Crusher, who immediately began to gently prod at his left elbow, which had received a spectacular blow.
"Ow." Riker winced.
"Feels like there's no serious damage." Crusher eyed him somberly. "But I want you to report to sickbay tomorrow morning for physical therapy."
Riker nodded glumly.
"You're lucky, Will. I've seen enough to shut this all down outright. As it is, I'll be recommending that all tournaments in the future will be attended by a medical supervisor who will assess participants as they finish each round, and make medical recommendations."
Riker sat back wearily and sighed. "Of course Doctor." He was in no mood, or condition, to argue.
It was announced that the tournament would be closed for the afternoon, and would reconvene that evening for the final rounds. It was to be held in the main cargo bay, and much of the ship was expected to attend. Riker and Crusher stood and filed out with the rest of the gallery. Walker made his way over to them and took Beverly's arm.
"Join me for lunch?" He flashed a charming smile.
Riker regarded him with unabashed skepticism. Beverly was about to respond when Walker's comm. chirped.
"Picard to Lieutenant Walker. Please report immediately to my ready room."
Walker shrugged and tapped his chest. "Right away sir."
He gave Beverly a peck on the cheek and took her hands. "Guess I'll have to get a raincheck."
Crusher looked back coolly, a curious smile on her lips. "Yes."
Riker turned to Crusher as Walker hurried off. "What was that all about?"
Crusher took his arm and lead him toward the lift, through the now empty corridor. "Have I got a story for you, Will Riker."
*********
"Hello Lieutenant." Picard sat behind his desk. He did not rise as Walker entered.
"Captain. What can I do for you sir?" Picard had not offered Walker a seat. The dynamic in the room clearly favored Picard. The young Lieutenant shifted his weight and cleared his throat. He was uncomfortable with the silence.
"I understand you're doing quite well in the tournament, Lieutenant." Picard sat comfortably reclined in his chair, legs crossed and hands clasped on his lap.
"Yes sir. But I'm guessin' that's not the reason you've called me here." Walker cleared his throat again.
"Very astute, Mr. Walker. Now, can you guess the reason I did call you here?"
"No sir." Walker stood at attention, arms behind his back. Picard let the silence hang.
"Please, Lieutenant, sit." Picard motioned toward the opposite chair with his arm. As Walker sat, Picard stood. He walked out from behind his desk and began slowly pacing around the nervous officer.
"You've had quite the run of my ship during your time here, Mr. Walker." Picard came to a stop directly in front of Walker, leaning back against the desk, arms down, palms flat on the smooth surface.
"Sir?"
"Chief of Security on the Enterprise is a prestigious post. And you've made yourself very comfortable while onboard." Picard straightened and tugged his uniform. "A prestigious post indeed, Lieutenant." He began to pace again. Walker appeared extremely nervous. "But you have abused that privilege, Mr. Walker. And I will not, for one more minute, allow that abuse to continue."
Walker knew when he was caught. He also knew that he was in a place to make a deal - and that Starfleet "correctional" facilities weren't so bad once you got used to them - especially if you knew the right people.
"Too bad for you Starfleet Command is so desperate for intelligence." Walker sneered.
Picard turned, a feigned look of surprise on his face. "Is that so, Mr. Walker?"
"You know as well as I do that Starfleet is hungry for anything they can get on the M'dar. It's probably why you've been giving me the run of the house for so long. But not that I haven't enjoyed it." Walker finished the last comment with a wink.
Picard wished again that Worf were still onboard. Then again, he wasn't sure Walker would be better off with the surly Klingon than the officer who was about to join the interrogation.
The Captain tapped his comm. "Dr. Crusher, could you join us please?"
Moments later Beverly waltzed through the door, ignoring Walker completely. "Yes Captain?"
"I've been having a chat with Mr. Walker here." Picard nodded at the man.
"Oh?" Crusher seemed to notice him for the first time.
"Indeed. Mr. Walker believes he has information that we may find valuable." The conversation between the two was as casual as any they might have had over breakfast that morning.
"Does he?" Crusher walked over to stand beside the Captain. Both eyed Walker the way a cat might as it closed in on its prey. "That's interesting. Because I believe I have information that Mr. Walker might find *extremely* valuable." With that, she pulled a hypo out of her lab coat, and offered the cylinder to Picard. He picked it up, studied it, and handed it back.
"And what might that be, Doctor?" Picard's eyes never left Walker's as he spoke.
Walker's eyes were darting nervously from the Captain to the Doctor's as each of them spoke. Suddenly he felt a lot less cocky.
"As you may already know, Jean-Luc, Lieutenant Walker began his list of transgressions by smuggling a foreign substance onto the Enterprise. The substance itself is innocuous." Now it was Crusher's turn to circle. As she did so, she let a hand glide over Walker's shoulder.
"Well that's hardly a crime, Doctor." Picard appeared unmoved.
"Suspicious, yes. But criminal, no." Beverly resumed her position at Picard's side. "However, I had a hunch that the material might become hazardous if exposed to the right catalyst. Toxic, certainly, and powerfully explosive under the right conditions."
"Now we're getting somewhere, Doctor. Please continue." Picard crossed his arms.
"Here's where it gets tricky. So pay attention." She glared at Walker. "Lieutenant Data conducted a search of the Lieutenant's quarters, and discovered this hypospray." She held up the offending object. "It's my theory that Lieutenant Walker was preparing to extract the substance suspended in his arm, leak it into the warp core, and at the opportune time, also inject the catalyst."
"Dastardly indeed, Doctor! Mr. Walker, is this true?"
"No sir, not one word of it." Walker hadn't heard anything yet that could convince him to take the fall for the M'dar. Right now all they could do was kick him out of Starfleet. He'd get a free ride back to earth.
Picard turned to Crusher. "Well Doctor, there you have it."
"It seems I was wrong. How could I have been so foolish?"
Walker grinned smugly.
Picard spoke grimly. "Something you'd like to share, Lieutenant?"
"No sir."
"Jean-Luc!" Beverly seemed startled by a revelation.
"Yes Doctor?"
"I've got an idea." Crusher began to pace again, rolling the hypo between her hands. "If I'm so far off the mark, then surely the Lieutenant wouldn't mind if I injected him with whatever's in this hypo?"
"Certainly not. Lieutenant?"
Now Walker got a little hot. He began to stand up, but Crusher caught his shoulder and absently pushed him back into the chair. He sputtered. "Now, just a minute here. How do I even know that's the same hypo - assuming there was one in my quarters in the first place?"
"Why would we lie to you, Lieutenant? Check for yourself." Crusher tossed him the hypo.
Walker studied it. It seemed identical to the one he'd brought. He'd marked it to ensure there would be no mix up. "You can't do this."
"Oh no?" Crusher leaned down and whispered directly into his ear, but gazed at Picard. "I'm sure Jean-Luc wouldn't mind leaving us alone for a few minutes."
"Not at all, Doctor. I believe there are some pressing matters on the bridge." Picard began to walk toward the door.
"Then we'd have a simple case of he-said / she-said. And just who do you think Starfleet would believe, Walker?" Crusher moved back over to the desk and contemplated the hypo.
"Now just wait a minute." Walker held up a hand and pointed at Crusher. "Just wait a minute."
"You used me, Walker." Picard stood just near the doors to the bridge. Crusher began to move purposefully toward the Lieutenant, hypo in hand. "Or should I call you Jack?" Crusher reached Walker and laid her hand gently on his jaw, turning his head and exposing his neck to the other hand that was quickly approaching with the hypo in question. A thin line of sweat descended from Walker's hairline down his handsome face. "After all, we've already got everything on the M'dar we need."
"Are you sure about that?" Walker's voice cracked.
Now Crusher whispered again in his ear. Her temper was in full flush, and at its most dangerous. She was quiet, and deathly still. "I think the question is, are *you* sure about that?" She touched the hypo to his neck and looked up at Picard. "What do you think, Jean Luc?"
"Your call, Doctor. Remember, I'm on the bridge." Picard leaned against the wall casually.
"In that case, I think it's time Mr. Walker learned a lesson about playing games with Howard women." She pressed the hypo fully and a familiar hissing sound filled the room. "And the lesson is that Howards always win."
Walker remained tense, every muscle taut. He sat motionless as Picard strolled over to join Crusher, who was reclined on the Captain's desk, a bemused and satisfied look on her face. Seconds ticked past. Walker did not move.
"How are you feeling, Lieutenant?" Crusher raised her eyebrow.
"I, I think I feel fine." Walker examined his hands and arms. "Nothing, nothing's happening."
"Well of course not - remember - there's nothing in the hypo." Crusher rejoined.
"But......."
"But there should be?" Picard chimed in.
"I sure think Walker thought there was." Crusher turned to Picard. "Actually, it's filled with saline."
"Saline?" Walker almost shouted.
"Yes. Saline. It seems we do know more than you about a few things after all, Mr. Walker. Now. How about you start telling us anything and everything you know about the M'dar? Crusher was as serious as a heart attack. "And please don't leave out any boring details."
**********
The Paresi Squares tournament began on schedule that evening. Walker and Crusher arrived together, as cozy as ever. Picard (a bitter look on his face) and the remaining senior staff were seated together with the all other staff who had not participated - ousted contestants comprised their own complete section of the audience.
The semi-final round began, and as Walker stepped into the ring, he waved at Crusher, who waved back demurely. Picard covertly rolled his eyes, and Riker and Troi exchanged loaded glances. Walker, though somewhat less focused than before, had a strong showing and passed to the final round. Immediately after concluding the match, the second semi-final began. At its conclusion, there was a short break, which was filled with lively conversation about the previous matches and speculation regarding the ultimate outcome. It seemed the wagering laid even odds on Walker and a robust young engineering officer.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived. Before stepping into the pitch, Walker embraced Crusher tightly, who responded with a passionate kiss. Picard stood abruptly. Tugging severely at his uniform, he made apologies to a couple of officers and stalked out. As he passed through the empty corridors, he chuckled quietly to himself.
The final match was no disappointment. It was a contest to the end, Walker seeming to have regained his composure. It went into extra rounds, but finally Walker could not keep up with the youthful engineer, who was built but also quite agile. It all ended in thunderous applause, and agreement from all that this year's tournament was perhaps the best yet.
The attendees began to disperse, Walker and the victor caught up in a crowd of well-wishers. Riker headed a celebratory group bound to continue the party in 10 Forward. "Walker, Beverly, will you join us?"
Crusher jumped in quickly. "No thanks, Commander. I've got other plans." Riker looked to Walker, who, for having just heard such an obvious innuendo, seemed ashen. Will shrugged and bustled out with the rest of the revelers.
"We're going to be quite busy tonite, aren't we, Lieutenant?" Crusher took his arm firmly and led him out of the cargo bay. They went directly to his quarters.
"Hurry up." As they entered, Crusher took a seat while Walker headed to the bedroom to change. Promptly he came back out, dressed casually.
"Hope it's comfortable." Crusher looked him over.
"I'll be fine," Walker barked back.
"Whatever. Come on." Crusher waved her arm and they headed back out the door.
Momentarily they arrived outside the brig. Crusher breezed in. "Ladies first."
"Doctor, Lieutenant. How kind of you to join us." Picard stepped away from one of the cells to reveal a very solemn looking man in a command uniform. "Ensign Fraser and I were speaking of the tournament. It seems that he and I both missed the final round. Can you fill us in?"
"Lieutenant Walker fought it to the end, but ultimately ended up the loser. Didn't you Jack?" Crusher smiled primly and regarded the very sullen man.
"I'm quite sorry to have missed that. Fortunately, however, I just happened to be passing through engineering this evening, and discovered young Mr. Fraser here tampering with the warp core." Picard walked over to the security station and picked up a small canister. "I interrupted before he managed to do any serious damage. I suspect, Doctor, that you and Data will find the contents," he handed the container to Crusher, "quite interesting."
Crusher simply raised an eyebrow.
"And now, Mr. Walker, I believe your freedom has come to an end." Picard gestured toward a cell. Walker stepped in, grimacing. The Lieutenant on duty raised the field behind him.
Crusher stepped over to stand beside Picard. They surveyed the two men. Each sat quietly, shoulders slumped. "Not bad for a day's work, Jean-Luc."
"Why thank you Doctor. Now then - I believe there is a celebration in 10 Forward. Shall we join them?" He took her arm.
"By all means, Captain. Lead the way." She turned her head as they exited. "We'll send your regrets, boys."
************
Sabotage III Chapter Three
**********
After reporting to the bridge for his shift and ensuring that all was well, Will Riker made his way to holodeck three to meet Doctor Crusher before the Paresi Squares tournament began. Picard had already been on deck when he'd arrived, and the Captain appeared extremely haggard. But he was no match for the exhausted and disheveled Beverly Crusher that stood before Will when he arrived. Her hair was dull and pulled back in an uncharacteristic ponytail. Her lab coat was rumpled but her uniform was clearly fresh. Though she typically wore very little, this morning she wore no make up.
Ordinarily spritely, in this state Crusher's age showed. Riker could see the lines on her face that betrayed the trials of her existence, and the obstacles she'd surmounted in reaching the heights she had in her career. She was a beautiful woman, and he had to admit to himself that the starkness of her appearance leant an honesty to her countenance that was extremely compelling. She rarely appeared around the ship in this raw state. Will felt like he'd been caught looking at something he shouldn't - the real Beverly Crusher.
He came forward and took her by the elbow. "Beverly - how are you?" He tilted his head and gazed with concern into her eyes.
Her voice was a contrast to her appearance. "I'm fine Will, if not a little sleep deprived. We'll just see how you feel when I'm done with my report on this little tournament of yours."
Will was quick with a smile in return. "Now Beverly, I believe the Captain meant for us to work *together* on this to ensure we might continue with a safer tournament in the future."
"Keep talking, Commander," she responded sarcastically.
"Beverly, let's be reasonable." He gave her his most sincere look.
He got nothing in return but a piercing blue gaze. The aura of auburn hair that typically softened the angles of her face was gone, and Riker found himself wondering how Wesley or Picard had ever had the guts to stand up to this woman. He swiftly changed tactics.
Drawing himself to full height, he tugged on his tunic. "In that case, I'll stop trying to persuade you. But I won't let you talk me out of taking you to 10 Forward for breakfast and a strong cup of coffee." He extended his arm. "On me."
"Now we're getting somewhere, Will" She smiled, wearing her victory humbly. Riker felt relief wash over him as she took the proffered arm.
The exchange had left Riker emotionally drained. He gazed incredulously at the wild creature that walked beside him. Starfleet should look at recruiting her for their diplomatic corps. In a direct Crusher/Tomalok match-up, he'd lay a year's worth of credits on the fair redhead any day.
*********
The tournament proceeded as expected all week, though some participants were clearly unnerved by the unwavering glare of the CMO. Over protests from Beverly, Walker had entered and was in the final bracket, accompanied by several members of his security team. Riker had recently been ousted. Technically uncanny and clever, Riker was a bit past his physical prime for the tournament. Nonetheless, he received a rousing round of applause after he descended from his final round.
He took a seat next to Crusher, who immediately began to gently prod at his left elbow, which had received a spectacular blow.
"Ow." Riker winced.
"Feels like there's no serious damage." Crusher eyed him somberly. "But I want you to report to sickbay tomorrow morning for physical therapy."
Riker nodded glumly.
"You're lucky, Will. I've seen enough to shut this all down outright. As it is, I'll be recommending that all tournaments in the future will be attended by a medical supervisor who will assess participants as they finish each round, and make medical recommendations."
Riker sat back wearily and sighed. "Of course Doctor." He was in no mood, or condition, to argue.
It was announced that the tournament would be closed for the afternoon, and would reconvene that evening for the final rounds. It was to be held in the main cargo bay, and much of the ship was expected to attend. Riker and Crusher stood and filed out with the rest of the gallery. Walker made his way over to them and took Beverly's arm.
"Join me for lunch?" He flashed a charming smile.
Riker regarded him with unabashed skepticism. Beverly was about to respond when Walker's comm. chirped.
"Picard to Lieutenant Walker. Please report immediately to my ready room."
Walker shrugged and tapped his chest. "Right away sir."
He gave Beverly a peck on the cheek and took her hands. "Guess I'll have to get a raincheck."
Crusher looked back coolly, a curious smile on her lips. "Yes."
Riker turned to Crusher as Walker hurried off. "What was that all about?"
Crusher took his arm and lead him toward the lift, through the now empty corridor. "Have I got a story for you, Will Riker."
*********
"Hello Lieutenant." Picard sat behind his desk. He did not rise as Walker entered.
"Captain. What can I do for you sir?" Picard had not offered Walker a seat. The dynamic in the room clearly favored Picard. The young Lieutenant shifted his weight and cleared his throat. He was uncomfortable with the silence.
"I understand you're doing quite well in the tournament, Lieutenant." Picard sat comfortably reclined in his chair, legs crossed and hands clasped on his lap.
"Yes sir. But I'm guessin' that's not the reason you've called me here." Walker cleared his throat again.
"Very astute, Mr. Walker. Now, can you guess the reason I did call you here?"
"No sir." Walker stood at attention, arms behind his back. Picard let the silence hang.
"Please, Lieutenant, sit." Picard motioned toward the opposite chair with his arm. As Walker sat, Picard stood. He walked out from behind his desk and began slowly pacing around the nervous officer.
"You've had quite the run of my ship during your time here, Mr. Walker." Picard came to a stop directly in front of Walker, leaning back against the desk, arms down, palms flat on the smooth surface.
"Sir?"
"Chief of Security on the Enterprise is a prestigious post. And you've made yourself very comfortable while onboard." Picard straightened and tugged his uniform. "A prestigious post indeed, Lieutenant." He began to pace again. Walker appeared extremely nervous. "But you have abused that privilege, Mr. Walker. And I will not, for one more minute, allow that abuse to continue."
Walker knew when he was caught. He also knew that he was in a place to make a deal - and that Starfleet "correctional" facilities weren't so bad once you got used to them - especially if you knew the right people.
"Too bad for you Starfleet Command is so desperate for intelligence." Walker sneered.
Picard turned, a feigned look of surprise on his face. "Is that so, Mr. Walker?"
"You know as well as I do that Starfleet is hungry for anything they can get on the M'dar. It's probably why you've been giving me the run of the house for so long. But not that I haven't enjoyed it." Walker finished the last comment with a wink.
Picard wished again that Worf were still onboard. Then again, he wasn't sure Walker would be better off with the surly Klingon than the officer who was about to join the interrogation.
The Captain tapped his comm. "Dr. Crusher, could you join us please?"
Moments later Beverly waltzed through the door, ignoring Walker completely. "Yes Captain?"
"I've been having a chat with Mr. Walker here." Picard nodded at the man.
"Oh?" Crusher seemed to notice him for the first time.
"Indeed. Mr. Walker believes he has information that we may find valuable." The conversation between the two was as casual as any they might have had over breakfast that morning.
"Does he?" Crusher walked over to stand beside the Captain. Both eyed Walker the way a cat might as it closed in on its prey. "That's interesting. Because I believe I have information that Mr. Walker might find *extremely* valuable." With that, she pulled a hypo out of her lab coat, and offered the cylinder to Picard. He picked it up, studied it, and handed it back.
"And what might that be, Doctor?" Picard's eyes never left Walker's as he spoke.
Walker's eyes were darting nervously from the Captain to the Doctor's as each of them spoke. Suddenly he felt a lot less cocky.
"As you may already know, Jean-Luc, Lieutenant Walker began his list of transgressions by smuggling a foreign substance onto the Enterprise. The substance itself is innocuous." Now it was Crusher's turn to circle. As she did so, she let a hand glide over Walker's shoulder.
"Well that's hardly a crime, Doctor." Picard appeared unmoved.
"Suspicious, yes. But criminal, no." Beverly resumed her position at Picard's side. "However, I had a hunch that the material might become hazardous if exposed to the right catalyst. Toxic, certainly, and powerfully explosive under the right conditions."
"Now we're getting somewhere, Doctor. Please continue." Picard crossed his arms.
"Here's where it gets tricky. So pay attention." She glared at Walker. "Lieutenant Data conducted a search of the Lieutenant's quarters, and discovered this hypospray." She held up the offending object. "It's my theory that Lieutenant Walker was preparing to extract the substance suspended in his arm, leak it into the warp core, and at the opportune time, also inject the catalyst."
"Dastardly indeed, Doctor! Mr. Walker, is this true?"
"No sir, not one word of it." Walker hadn't heard anything yet that could convince him to take the fall for the M'dar. Right now all they could do was kick him out of Starfleet. He'd get a free ride back to earth.
Picard turned to Crusher. "Well Doctor, there you have it."
"It seems I was wrong. How could I have been so foolish?"
Walker grinned smugly.
Picard spoke grimly. "Something you'd like to share, Lieutenant?"
"No sir."
"Jean-Luc!" Beverly seemed startled by a revelation.
"Yes Doctor?"
"I've got an idea." Crusher began to pace again, rolling the hypo between her hands. "If I'm so far off the mark, then surely the Lieutenant wouldn't mind if I injected him with whatever's in this hypo?"
"Certainly not. Lieutenant?"
Now Walker got a little hot. He began to stand up, but Crusher caught his shoulder and absently pushed him back into the chair. He sputtered. "Now, just a minute here. How do I even know that's the same hypo - assuming there was one in my quarters in the first place?"
"Why would we lie to you, Lieutenant? Check for yourself." Crusher tossed him the hypo.
Walker studied it. It seemed identical to the one he'd brought. He'd marked it to ensure there would be no mix up. "You can't do this."
"Oh no?" Crusher leaned down and whispered directly into his ear, but gazed at Picard. "I'm sure Jean-Luc wouldn't mind leaving us alone for a few minutes."
"Not at all, Doctor. I believe there are some pressing matters on the bridge." Picard began to walk toward the door.
"Then we'd have a simple case of he-said / she-said. And just who do you think Starfleet would believe, Walker?" Crusher moved back over to the desk and contemplated the hypo.
"Now just wait a minute." Walker held up a hand and pointed at Crusher. "Just wait a minute."
"You used me, Walker." Picard stood just near the doors to the bridge. Crusher began to move purposefully toward the Lieutenant, hypo in hand. "Or should I call you Jack?" Crusher reached Walker and laid her hand gently on his jaw, turning his head and exposing his neck to the other hand that was quickly approaching with the hypo in question. A thin line of sweat descended from Walker's hairline down his handsome face. "After all, we've already got everything on the M'dar we need."
"Are you sure about that?" Walker's voice cracked.
Now Crusher whispered again in his ear. Her temper was in full flush, and at its most dangerous. She was quiet, and deathly still. "I think the question is, are *you* sure about that?" She touched the hypo to his neck and looked up at Picard. "What do you think, Jean Luc?"
"Your call, Doctor. Remember, I'm on the bridge." Picard leaned against the wall casually.
"In that case, I think it's time Mr. Walker learned a lesson about playing games with Howard women." She pressed the hypo fully and a familiar hissing sound filled the room. "And the lesson is that Howards always win."
Walker remained tense, every muscle taut. He sat motionless as Picard strolled over to join Crusher, who was reclined on the Captain's desk, a bemused and satisfied look on her face. Seconds ticked past. Walker did not move.
"How are you feeling, Lieutenant?" Crusher raised her eyebrow.
"I, I think I feel fine." Walker examined his hands and arms. "Nothing, nothing's happening."
"Well of course not - remember - there's nothing in the hypo." Crusher rejoined.
"But......."
"But there should be?" Picard chimed in.
"I sure think Walker thought there was." Crusher turned to Picard. "Actually, it's filled with saline."
"Saline?" Walker almost shouted.
"Yes. Saline. It seems we do know more than you about a few things after all, Mr. Walker. Now. How about you start telling us anything and everything you know about the M'dar? Crusher was as serious as a heart attack. "And please don't leave out any boring details."
**********
The Paresi Squares tournament began on schedule that evening. Walker and Crusher arrived together, as cozy as ever. Picard (a bitter look on his face) and the remaining senior staff were seated together with the all other staff who had not participated - ousted contestants comprised their own complete section of the audience.
The semi-final round began, and as Walker stepped into the ring, he waved at Crusher, who waved back demurely. Picard covertly rolled his eyes, and Riker and Troi exchanged loaded glances. Walker, though somewhat less focused than before, had a strong showing and passed to the final round. Immediately after concluding the match, the second semi-final began. At its conclusion, there was a short break, which was filled with lively conversation about the previous matches and speculation regarding the ultimate outcome. It seemed the wagering laid even odds on Walker and a robust young engineering officer.
Finally, the moment of truth arrived. Before stepping into the pitch, Walker embraced Crusher tightly, who responded with a passionate kiss. Picard stood abruptly. Tugging severely at his uniform, he made apologies to a couple of officers and stalked out. As he passed through the empty corridors, he chuckled quietly to himself.
The final match was no disappointment. It was a contest to the end, Walker seeming to have regained his composure. It went into extra rounds, but finally Walker could not keep up with the youthful engineer, who was built but also quite agile. It all ended in thunderous applause, and agreement from all that this year's tournament was perhaps the best yet.
The attendees began to disperse, Walker and the victor caught up in a crowd of well-wishers. Riker headed a celebratory group bound to continue the party in 10 Forward. "Walker, Beverly, will you join us?"
Crusher jumped in quickly. "No thanks, Commander. I've got other plans." Riker looked to Walker, who, for having just heard such an obvious innuendo, seemed ashen. Will shrugged and bustled out with the rest of the revelers.
"We're going to be quite busy tonite, aren't we, Lieutenant?" Crusher took his arm firmly and led him out of the cargo bay. They went directly to his quarters.
"Hurry up." As they entered, Crusher took a seat while Walker headed to the bedroom to change. Promptly he came back out, dressed casually.
"Hope it's comfortable." Crusher looked him over.
"I'll be fine," Walker barked back.
"Whatever. Come on." Crusher waved her arm and they headed back out the door.
Momentarily they arrived outside the brig. Crusher breezed in. "Ladies first."
"Doctor, Lieutenant. How kind of you to join us." Picard stepped away from one of the cells to reveal a very solemn looking man in a command uniform. "Ensign Fraser and I were speaking of the tournament. It seems that he and I both missed the final round. Can you fill us in?"
"Lieutenant Walker fought it to the end, but ultimately ended up the loser. Didn't you Jack?" Crusher smiled primly and regarded the very sullen man.
"I'm quite sorry to have missed that. Fortunately, however, I just happened to be passing through engineering this evening, and discovered young Mr. Fraser here tampering with the warp core." Picard walked over to the security station and picked up a small canister. "I interrupted before he managed to do any serious damage. I suspect, Doctor, that you and Data will find the contents," he handed the container to Crusher, "quite interesting."
Crusher simply raised an eyebrow.
"And now, Mr. Walker, I believe your freedom has come to an end." Picard gestured toward a cell. Walker stepped in, grimacing. The Lieutenant on duty raised the field behind him.
Crusher stepped over to stand beside Picard. They surveyed the two men. Each sat quietly, shoulders slumped. "Not bad for a day's work, Jean-Luc."
"Why thank you Doctor. Now then - I believe there is a celebration in 10 Forward. Shall we join them?" He took her arm.
"By all means, Captain. Lead the way." She turned her head as they exited. "We'll send your regrets, boys."
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