PUBLISHED ON Sep 12, 2022
Chapter 10, Part 3
Korhal, Imperial Palace, Imperial Stateroom
Stardate 40108
1730 Local Time
Picard
The time following the dinner was surprisingly subdued. Certainly, the prodigious amounts of food consumed almost certainly had something to do with that, but what had truly surprised Picard and Riker both was Valerian inviting them, Horner, Kowalski, Swann, Dalton, Hanson, and Sylddurn into the stateroom of this wing of the palace for drinks. Valerian had even left his guards outside of the door. Even the animosity between Dalton and Hanson had lowered to a simmer for the time being.
Inside, a quite impressive selection of cognacs, whiskies and other assorted alcohols had been selected. It wasn't wine from the Picard vineyards, but from what Picard had tasted so far, it was high quality all the same. Dalton had made himself comfortable on one of the chairs, loosening his collar with a sigh. "Apologies for the brusqueness, but whoever thought tight collars made for good diplomatic attire was an idiot." There were some polite chuckles at that, not that either Picard or Riker could disagree. They remembered the old uniforms that had been issued when the Enterprise first undertook its voyage. Those had been miserable to wear.
A small ding resounded through the room, and all turned to Valerian, who had tapped his glass with a small spoon. "Grumbling about the standards of diplomatic attire aside, I believe that, despite whatever tensions may yet exist, this has been a fruitful first meeting between our myriad peoples and the United Federation of Planets." He raised his glass, a small and controlled smile being allowed upon his features. "To peace."
Everyone else raised their glasses as well, a toast to a hopefully fruitful and peaceful future. Contemplative silence reigned for a time, but despite the more subdued atmosphere, Picard could still feel the tension, be it that between Hanson and Dalton, the general fears of what the future may hold, or his own misgivings about the Zerg. He knew it was unbecoming of a Federation officer, especially the captain of the Enterprise, but from what he knew of the Zerg courtesy of Brownrigg, he couldn't help but draw comparisons to the Borg. He knew it was perhaps not entirely fair to them, but part of him could not quite readily reconcile the idea of a hive intelligence allowing any sort of individuality like Sylddurn to exist, let alone seeking peace with other species. That the Zerg used to be a ravenous force of nature did little to ease his fears.
"Captain Picard," Hanson's voice drew him from his thoughts, and he gave her his full attention, the others in the room having fallen into their own small conversations.
"Madame President," he nodded respectfully.
"If it's at all possible, Captain, I would like to perhaps soon discuss future cooperation with the Federation. I think both our peoples have much to learn from each other, especially when it comes to the sciences." Again, he nodded respectfully. This wasn't a surprising line of conversation given his first impression of her. It also wasn't an unreasonable request, but he knew he couldn't promise anything. Still, he was certain that there were many in the Federation who would be interested in what Hanson and her people may bring to the table.
"I can't make any promises right now, Madame President, I'm sure you understand," he took a small sip of his cognac, wetting his lips. "But once Starfleet and the Federation get a proper diplomatic team to Korhal, I'm sure they'd be eager to enter talks regarding any treaties for scientific research. Personally, I find a head of state that is so invested in scientific progress to be quite refreshing."
"Once a scientist, always a scientist, Captain," her smirk was oddly predatory, "I've just had to learn a new sort of science for this job. And most of it I've found devolves into 'don't be an idiot' and 'always have someone around who will tell you when you're being an idiot.'" They shared a chuckle at that. "Regardless, I appreciate your sentiment all the same, Picard. The Republic is…young, compared to many polities in the sector that is, but we're also the only ones working on what I think are some very important projects, especially regarding medicine."
And there was that stressing of medical research again. As before, he appreciated the thought, but Hanson's lack of political experience showed here, even to him. Her smirk faltered for just a moment, and he could see the stress that she'd internalized slip through for but a moment, and he knew that the others in the room, if they were watching, had likely seen the same thing.
"Trying to rally more foreign support for your pipe dreams, Hanson?" Dalton called from his seat, looking smug, and perhaps a little drunk. Picard hadn't seen how much the man had drank at the dinner, but he could see some minor signs of inebriation on him.
"It's only a pipe dream if I give up on it, Miles," she bit back, and little by little, Picard noticed the others in the room shift their attention, even as they politely carried on their own conversations. His dislike for Dalton grew just a bit, not only was this not the time for such jockeying in his eyes, foreign politics be damned, but it was unprofessional, and even vindictive.
"Ambassador Dalton," he rose from his seat, and forced a genial smile onto his face, "I am afraid that I lack some of the context as to whatever the issue may be here. Now, I am by no means a medical expert, but I like to think I've acquired a great deal of experience as a mediator during my tenure in Starfleet, especially as the captain of the flagship of the fleet. Could you, or perhaps anybody here, enlighten me as to what the issue may be? I realize that you may consider Mrs. Hanson's goals an impossibility, but there has to be a reason for that, and Starfleet has an impressive track record of defying what many call 'impossible.'" Dalton's eyes visibly grew wide, and the man seemed to have realized that he'd walked into a duel unprepared.
Whatever satisfaction Picard may have felt from seeing the arrogant man put on the back foot quickly evaporated as he realized that even Hanson seemed unprepared, or unwilling to answer that request. Horner was visibly glaring at all three of them, Valerian noticeably frowned, and perhaps most worryingly of all, Sylddurn seemed to almost shrink. 'She knows something,' he realized, 'and whatever it is, I've just stepped on something more sensitive than mere political rivalry.'
He heard Dalton sputtering for a moment, before a sigh of frustration escaped the man as he set down his drink. "Damn it all. The first time in years I allow myself some whiskey," he sounded much more sober now, and whatever arrogance had been present before was now gone. What struck Picard and Riker both was simply how defeated the man looked. "It's a pipe dream, Captain, because what Hanson has been chasing for over two decades now is impossible. Not even Umojan science has found an answer to the puzzle she wants to solve, and the Protoss are no more helpful in this regard. And the Zerg…" He trailed off, a somewhat hostile glance going to the Zerg ambassador.
"And just what may this puzzle be then, Ambassador?" He wanted to be frustrated, but he kept his tone level, subdued even. Even Valerian seemed to be at least somewhat concerned. The room lapsed into silence for what felt like minutes.
"Captain," it was Sylddurn's sibilant voice, notably quiet from how confident she'd been when they'd first met before the dinner. Picard also thought there was an undercurrent of shame as well, and that set him even further on edge. "Ambassador Dalton and President Hanson refer to a most sensitive topic…but as you asked, I believe it is only a matter of time now before you learn on your own." She turned to Valerian and Horner, both of them now looking grim, with Swann nearby, simply taking a long drink from a bottle of whiskey. "Perhaps we should tell them. Better they know now, rather than in a manner we cannot moderate."
Riker and Picard shared another tense look, before his friend and first officer let go of a heavy sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding in until that moment. "Better we know what? If there's something in your sector that's so dangerous it has all of you on edge like this," he kept his tone level and firm, almost military compared to his captain, "then perhaps it would be better to inform us now, so that we can take all necessary steps to protect ourselves and others if need be. I assure you, whatever it may be; the Federation will almost certainly be willing to render assistance in dealing with the matter if it is requested."
Once again, the Koprulu representatives looked between each other, discomfort weighing heavy on them all, not helped by a cynical laugh leaving Dalton's lungs. "Commander Riker, while I certainly appreciate the show of ignorant, bald faced bravado in the face of the unknown, I doubt your people would have any better success than Hanson's or Umoja's most brilliant minds. Besides, if not even the Protoss can develop an answer, then I doubt it can be done."
"Try us," Riker wasn't even bothering to hide his annoyance with Dalton at this point. If no less than four major powers in this new sector had struggled with whatever this issue was, he could understand defeatism, but arguing for it flew in the face of everything, including the Federation's recent peril at the hands of the Borg. "If you're so damnably sure we won't be able to solve it, why not just tell us what it is?"
"We are speaking of the now forbidden practice of infestation, Commander," Sylddurn's voice was low, and the shame that seemed evident earlier was stronger still. "It is one of the Swarm's more…unwise decisions, first conceived as a bioterror tactic by the old Overmind before it was slain by Tassadar, and continued under the Queen of Blades until Amon's influence was purged from the Swarm. Even now, the sector is still scarred in many ways by the use of the Zerg Evolutionary Virus and the monstrosities it was used to create. Tarsonis is still such a world, a graveyard for living and dead alike."
Riker felt the blood drain from his face, his pupils dilate and he didn't have to look at Picard to know his captain was experiencing something similar, perhaps even worse. Sylddurn's tone said it all; this "infestation" was not just a bioweapon of unprecedented horror by the standards of the Alpha Quadrant. She spoke of it in the same tone used when Starfleet officers discussed Borg assimilation.
Some part of his mind recoiled there and then; yearning for a phaser he knew wasn't there. Another part scolded himself for wanting to react in such a way. The Zerg were not the Borg, that was plainly clear even to a man who could not see, and Sylddurn had even called it a forbidden practice. That had to mean that the Zerg had ceased to use it, at large perhaps. Riker knew the possibility for fringe renegades was very real. Still his mind raced. The Borg were bad enough, and it had taken them little time to assimilate Jean'Luc when they had abducted him from the Enterprise bridge. What then was this infestation like? What so-called "monstrosities" had it produced that even a being like a Zerg would call them such?
"You've encountered something similar before, something akin to infestation, haven't you?" Valerian's voice broke the silence, heavy and morose. His brow was furrowed, his hands folded together and resting upon his chin, while behind him Horner grimaced. Hanson and Dalton shared a look of horror, likely at the prospect that there was something beyond Koprulu that elicited such a reaction from their visitors. Valerian shrugged his shoulders when Picard and Riker did not immediately respond. "I understand whatever reluctance you may have to speak about the matter. However, your physical reactions were enough to tell me that this was not some minor thing. Whatever it is you encountered, it terrified you, and likely rightly so. If there is something out there that can inflict suffering comparable to Zerg infestation, then perhaps it is better that we know now. That way both our peoples can be better prepared for whatever dangers may lie ahead."
Nothing but the sound of a ticking clock could be heard, Riker counted the ticks denoting seconds, and then a minute, then two spent in silence as the Koprulu natives waited to see if either he or Picard would be forthcoming. The two shared a tired, almost pained look. There was an irony here; they both knew that having stumbled headlong into this, but perhaps telling them would be for the better.
"Captain," Riker tried to keep his voice low, but he suspected at the very least that Sylddurn could hear him. Given what they knew of the Zerg, he wouldn't put it past her to have some manner of greatly enhanced hearing, by human standards at least. "If the Federation and Cardassians detected the energy discharge from the transition, it's almost a guarantee that others did as well. That may well include the Borg. After what happened those months ago, I don't think we can risk not at least warning these people."
Rubbing his chin in thought, Picard nodded solemnly and stood. To his credit he betrayed none of the pain that had tormented him in recent months. "I would be willing to elaborate further, your majesty, but with your permission, I would like my crew to send down a holoprojector. I think it will help you and those here to better understand the gravitas of what I intend to explain." It took a moment for Valerian and Horner to quietly discuss the proposition, before the monarch simply nodded in affirmation. "Very well then," he nodded back and tapped his communication badge. "Picard to Enterprise. Commander La Forge, have engineering put together a holoprojector and beam it to my coordinates. Have them load the database with everything we know about the Borg."
A reply was not immediately forthcoming; Picard couldn't fault Geordi for that. It was an unusual request, and anything concerning the Borg gave even the most stoic sort of people pause. "Understood, Captain," even with the shock having passed, the confusion and concern in La Forge's voice was evident. "Give us fifteen minutes. We'll have it down to you soon, La Forge out."
Geordi, as usual, beat his own expectations. The unit was beamed down in seven minutes, and Picard noted the apparent awe shared between Hanson and Dalton, and to an extent even Sylddurn, at the unit being transported down from the Enterprise. Dalton even gave a low whistle, but otherwise held his tongue. Given the circumstances, no one was especially eager to make witticisms.
Picard activated the holo unit, and above it formed a to scale image of a Borg drone, in all its cybernetic horror. Carefully, he measured the reactions of the others in the room. Hanson gasped in shock, disgust marring her features. Dalton grimaced and tightly clutched the arm rests of his chair. Swann furrowed his brow, swirling his bottle of whiskey, a scowl only partly hidden by his beard, his claw slowly and steadily opening and closing every few seconds. Horner's jaw clenched and it was clear to both Picard and Riker that the man was already trying to run a threat analysis in his head. Valerian's face was impassive, stone-like, and even stoic. Whatever the Dominion Emperor was feeling, he hid it well. Finally, Sylddurn hissed, baring fangs.
"Abomination…" she ground out, breaking the heavy, uncomfortable silence that had descended on the room. "A monstrosity wrought of flesh and metals. I know well that Terrans and Protoss both have an affinity for cybernetics in one form or another, but nothing such as this. And you say this is the result of an assimilation process?" Her tendrils twitched, and it clearly took some conscious effort on her part to rein them in, the pincers clacking together. "I can see why you would perhaps draw comparisons to infestation than. How much of the body was replaced?"
"It varies," Riker input a command, breaking the drone on display into a cross section based on hypothetical autopsies. "Based on our limited understanding of Borg technology, there are some components that are common place across all Borg drones. These chiefly seem to relate to connecting victims to the Borg hive mind. Beyond that, we don't have sufficient information. The information you're seeing now is largely hypothetical, save for that from a single fringe case."
Swann's claw clanked together loudly, the Meinhoff native letting out a rumbling noise to match it. "Hypothetical? What? You don't get enough left over from shootin' one of these things to do more than that? Hell, get a few bodies and I'm sure Kachinsky and the Umos could throw together a detailed breakdown of these ugly things in no time." He pointedly ignored Horner's rolling eyes, even as the stockier man took a long swig of his drink.
"It's not that simple, Mister Swann," Picard sighed, the scars were still too fresh even after the time away, among his family, and the months since. Now, more than ever, he wanted to be elsewhere, doing anything but this, and yet duty compelled him onwards. "The Borg have, to date and without fail, either recovered their dead in what few firefights we have fought against them, or they have destroyed their dead remotely. The method is not well understood, but it leaves nothing behind. Beyond that, the destruction of the Borg cube that assaulted Earth recently left little in the way of material or technology to study." Dalton shot up from his seat, looking pale.
"These things assaulted Earth? I know it's not the Earth we're familiar with, but that is…my God you're telling the truth, aren't you?" He ran a hand down his face, sweat glistening on his skin. "What did it take to stop them?"
Riker swallowed hard, his face wrought with resurfaced anger. "We very nearly didn't, Ambassador," his voice was hard, tired. "It took a desperate rescue mission and Commander Data accessing the Borg network through the implants of an assimilated crew member for us to find a means to defeat them. We used a Borg code to force the entire cube into a regeneration cycle, the Borg equivalent of sleep. With all the drones inoperative, the cube's systems ran out of control and it tore itself apart. Before that…they'd torn through a combined Starfleet and Klingon fleet and an unknown number of other vessels and stations. Mars's defense grid was penetrated. Even the Martian navy's home fleet suffered heavy losses with no gain."
With a tap on the projector, the display changed to that of the cube, along with assorted technical details and attempted breakdowns. To Swann and Valerian both, they could see that the language used was the professional, technical talk for wild guesses and shots in the dark based on what little data was available. The descriptions of tractor beams, hull cutters and disruptors completely phasing through Federation shields and tearing through armor was perhaps the most accurate elements of the entire presentation. Everything else reeked of wild guesses and panic, something all too familiar to the Terrans of Koprulu. It mimicked the reports that flooded the sector following the earliest battles with the Protoss.
Swann whistled, claw whirring. "Well, it ain't anythin' pretty to look at, but if the dimensions you folks got here are accurate, I'll believe it's big. Really big. Maybe even bigger than some of the new ships the 'Toss are makin'. Definitely bigger than a lot of sub-capital ships we're makin' these days. The Gorgon-class is longer, but that thing's still taller and wider. The old first gen Behemoths the Confeds loved to make probably out mass this thing, but those ten kilometer tubs were a bunch of gilding over bad design. It's no wonder they're all gone today between the Zerg, 'Toss and UED." He took another draught of his whiskey, and part of Picard wondered how there was any left in the bottle. "Still," Swann cracked his neck, the sound jarringly similar to that of crunching wood, "just one o'these things nearly took out Earth? Any idea as to what they're vulnerable to beyond tellin' these Borg things it's nap time?"
Riker's jaw flexed, and he forced himself to swallow the lump that had reformed in his throat. All of Starfleet's technical expertise, and in the end it had come down to luck and desperation. "So far, that's the only thing that's worked, Mister Swann. After our first encounter with the Borg, they seem to have adapted their shields to perfectly counter our phasers and proved highly resistant to photon torpedoes. Even accounting for the antimatter payload of the latter, the Borg cube reached Earth without any clear appreciable damage. And even if there had been notable damage inflicted, our information points to Borg ships having multiple redundant systems. You knock one out and another picks up the slack without any obvious interruption in operation."
"Let me get this straight," Horner ran a hand down his chin, grimacing as he processed this information, "these things can adapt to perfectly negate any weapon you've tried against them, up to and including antimatter payloads? Not even Protoss shields are that tough. You're sure you've not found a vulnerability to exploit? There's no such thing as a perfect defense. They have to have a weakness." His fingers drummed on Valerian's desk. The idea of an enemy that could adapt to any weapon, to the point of gaining total immunity to it, was unthinkable even for all his years fighting the Zerg. Certainly, the Zerg adapted, but short of biological weapons, they'd never achieved total immunity to any particular weapon system.
Valerian cleared his throat, his stoic look never having faltered. "As concerning as that may be, Admiral, I do not think now is a good time for a complete analysis, or at least as complete as the data available may allow." He looked to Picard, despite the hardness in his eyes, there was sympathy there. "Captain Picard, you have my thanks for being honest about this with us. I am a proponent for being prepared for all eventualities where possible, this is a start. I will have my people examine this data and hopefully we can turn out reports that are of use to our allies. Perhaps we can find something your people missed. I sincerely hope that your crewman who was victimized at the hands of these things did not…suffer for long."
Picard nodded, trying to hold back the pain for a bit longer, and not entirely succeeding anymore. His eyes were wet; he didn't doubt the others noticed that as well. "He suffered, yes. But he is now…recovering, as best as he can at least. The physical damage has been repaired, but I fear the psychological trauma is…something not easily healed, but he has returned to duty. In time, I believe the scars will fade, but I doubt they will ever truly leave him. What the Borg are, what they represent, they are antithetical to everything the Federation holds dear, and what we have built. I…do not think I have ever faced a truer incarnation of evil."
Hanson cleared her throat, and for the first time since the conversation took this dark turn, there was something beyond horror on her face: Determination. "But you faced it, and you won. And more to the point, you said the crewman who was assimilated is recovering? You were able to separate him from the hive mind these things have? Captain, I don't think you understand the importance of what your doctors accomplished. They not only removed the implants but the mind link? That's…that's nothing short of incredible. I formally request access to whatever files you can provide on this. I know there's a vast gulf between the cybernetic nature of the Borg and the biological mechanisms of Zerg infestation, but the fact you were able to remove the link at all is pivotal. There may be something in your peoples' research that can help the Republic's efforts.
We've tried for decades to remove the hive link from infested patients, but to no success outside those formerly infected with the old Meinhoff strain. That variant was vulnerable to UV radiation though, so completely clearing infestation out of the victims became simpler once we figured out proper methods of treatment. With the bulk of it removed, the hive link died as well. Those infected with the more resilient and common place strains haven't…been so fortunate. Maybe if we can study the methods used to remove even a single person from Borg control, we may find a clue for helping remove the hive link from those infested by the more common strains of the virus." There was almost something pleading about her, although Picard had to give credit where it was due, her composure was not something he could fault. But he could understand her desperation to latch onto anything that could provide her people with answers.
"I'll have Doctor Crusher forward you what information she has on the matter. I cannot promise it will help, but I am sure she and her staff will be willing to answer any questions you may have." Even as the words left his mouth, Picard felt his doubts mounting. The gulf between the virus and the Borg was extreme, perhaps Hanson was just grasping at straws. But he couldn't blame her for that. In her position, he may well be doing the same thing. But if there was even a chance that Hanson and her people could glean something of use from Beverly's work, why not take that chance? At the worst, it would prove merely another dead end.
Out of the corner of his eye, Picard observed Valerian carefully take a mild draught of his drink. This was perhaps not how either of them had expected this to go; even accounting for Dalton's arrogance towards Hanson, but it wasn't unsalvageable. If anything, the airing of potential new threats would likely help matters in the long-term. Provided neither side panicked of course. "The Dominion would like a copy as well, as I'm sure would the Umojans," Valerian gently drummed his fingers against his desk, thinking of his next words carefully. "That all being said, I think that this is all quite enough…drama for the evening. Captain Picard, if you wish, I've already had guest quarters prepared for you and your people should you desire to stay planetside. In addition to that, I'll have my people begin creating a curated tour of Augustgrad should you wish to partake. I imagine you and your people could do with some shore leave given what happened at Konnie."
Some of the tension in the room seemed to ease, if only because the change of subject was most welcome. "That is most gracious of you, Your Majesty," Picard gave a respectful nod. "That won't be necessary though. Our own accommodations aboard the Enterprise are more than sufficient. I would not turn down the tour though, and I am sure my crew would appreciate some time to relax outside of the holodeck for those so inclined." A quick communication to the Enterprise and the holoproject was beamed away, Picard settling down into his chair again, trying to think of a way to bring things back to a more happy tone.
A chuckle from Swann drew the entire room's attention to the stocky man, his legs crossed and a smile upon his face. "So, doom and gloom of two universes aside, all of which seems perfectly susceptible to bein' blown up," he shot a glance at Sylddurn, who simply rolled her eyes and muttered something about Terrans and their obsession with explosives, "sounds like there's plenty of stories to tell. May as well get to know each other without all the fancy pants language and barriers, if we're goin' to be seein' a lot more of each other that is." That smile faltered for a moment when he realized nobody was forthcoming with a story of their own, the Meinhoff native grunting and taking another swig of his whiskey. "Alright, fine. I guess I'll start," With a grunt he made himself a bit more comfortable in his chair. "So, how's about the time back when the Raiders robbed once of old Arcturus's trains?"
Picard heard Riker try and fail to hold back a snort of laughter, his first officer shaking his head, a disbelieving grin conveying what they were both thinking. "I'll accept many things, Mister Swann," Riker's tone had turned somewhat jovial again, thankfully, "but a train robbery? Given what I've seen of your people, that seems rather low on the list of accomplishments." Swann simply chuckled and tipped his bottle at the Enterprise's XO.
"Oh, for some folks maybe, but this was back durin' the Second Great War, and it wasn't just any train robbery. Most don't involve hover tanks racing every which way, railguns blazin' while a bunch of elite kill teams are scourin' the area huntin' the hunters," he took another swig to wet his lips. "And let me tell you, the Commander was never without a plan…"
Picard hadn't been expecting Swann's story to be so enthralling, or for it to truly kick start a series of such stories from other in the room, let alone himself. Despite himself, and the reputation for stoicism he had built, Jean-Luc Picard had genuinely enjoyed hearing about the train robbery the Raiders had pulled off, at least according to Swann's account. Although some exaggeration had been evident, judging by the occasional roll of the eyes from Horner. For all that it was a war story, the Meinhoffan told it in such a way that had Picard wishing they were on a holodeck. War story or no, the events that Swann described deserved a visual recreation, especially for the gallantry of the pilots who volunteered to be bait for the kill teams to protect their comrades.
In turn, Picard had offered his own story of how the Enterprise became entrapped by a millennia old ship snare set by the now long gone species known as the Menthar, and how it in turn escaped. This has drawn some notable comments, chief among them being Horner's assessment that a Terran ship may not have been able to escape the trap at all, but he wasn't immediately forthcoming on the details, for reasons Picard was sure related to military matters. Sylddurn, of course, had to remark that a Zerg vessel would have had no problem with the trap and would have towed the Promellian ship that had first fallen victim to the trap out with it. Quips and quibbles aside, the evening quickly became a series of such tales, and soon enough it was dark outside the palace, with everyone involved being quite spent. One by one they took their leave, but there was one matter which Picard had to address once the other delegates of the Koprulu powers were gone.
He briefly took Riker aside, his friend clearly confused by the now pensive expression upon his captain's face. "You go ahead, Will. Take Commander Data and the others back to the ship. I'll be up shortly."
"Are you sure, Captain? Maybe I should leave one of Worf's people here, just to-" A wave of Picard's hand put a stop to any argument there and then.
"I'll be fine, Will. There's something I need to do first." Riker clearly wanted to argue further, but knowing that nothing would come of it, he simply nodded and left to rejoin the rest of the group. Turning, Picard wondered just how he was going to tell Swann and Horner their former leader and friend had asked the Enterprise's captain to convey an apology on his behalf. Already though, he could tell Valerian sensed something was off, even as Swann and Horner bandied quietly nearby the desk.
"Is there something else you wish to discuss, Captain?" Despite the fatigue of the day, Valerian was as straight backed and stoic as when they'd first met on the landing pad earlier. Noticing that Picard was still here, Swann and Horner quieted down.
"Indeed, Your Majesty, there is. I wanted to discuss this privately with Mister Swann and Admiral Horner, but I am sure you will be interested in what I have to say as well." The three Koprulu natives, even Valerian, were clearly interested now. "Before Mister Swann told his story about the train robbery, I was not sure if I should deliver this message or not. I will admit, I had my doubts, even after seeing the recreation of that suit of armor in foyer of the palace." A snort from Swann echoed through the now largely empty room.
"Ah, spit it out. You're killin' me here with the suspense. Come on, what's the message? Let me guess, you ran into the ghost of Zeratul while on the way here and he had some new Xel'Naga prophecy to share right? But no he had to do it in the most roundabout way possible. Typical for a 'Toss really," he said with a chuckle, half at this own joke and half at Horner's annoyance with him. Picard simply sighed. There was a time and place for jokes, and this was not such a time, but he supposed such things were how people like Swann coped or handled the unknown.
"I do not know who this Zeratul was, Mister Swann, but you are perhaps closer than you may think. While the Enterprise was being ferried to Korhal, I was…visited in my ready room by an unknown individual, whom I almost mistook for…another entity." He didn't want to reveal the existence of Q to them, not so soon after the Borg, but it would have to happen eventually he knew. He wasn't quite sure what to make of Valerian quirking an eyebrow at that moment, though. Confusion perhaps, maybe curiosity. Or did he already know? "We talked about the state of your sector, and the Federation for a time. I knew whoever this individual was; they were clearly appraising me, and likely the Federation as a whole. At the end of our conversation though, he asked me to deliver a simple message to Mister Swann and Admiral Horner." The two leaned in; even Swann seemed more serious now, expectant even. Picard gathered his nerve, dead man or perhaps something else, he was not going to deny a heartfelt request. "He told me to tell both of you that he was sorry for not saying goodbye before he left."
The room grew quiet again for a time, Horner and Swann simply sitting there, processing the message. Both seemed to age decades in that moment, even Valerian seemed affected on some level. Eventually though, Swann chuckled and poured a bit of whiskey for all of them, which was promptly downed with little ceremony.
"So," the old engineer said wistfully, "he's still out there somewhere, eh? Probably still kickin' ass and rightin' wrongs as always or somethin'." He chuckled again, but it was hollower this time, a pall growing over the man for whom jovial enthusiasm seemed to be his default state of being. Horner patted his old friend on the shoulder, before turning to Picard.
"For what it's worth, Captain Picard…you have our thanks. It's good to know that the Commander is still around, somehow, and that he still cares. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Picard simply nodded, feeling now as if he was intruding on a very private moment.
"I will if the need arises, Admiral, but I will endeavor to not disturb you further this evening. I wish you all a pleasant night's rest." Valerian simply nodded as Swann and Horner had a silent conversation between themselves. Picard tapped his combadge, "Picard to Enterprise, one to beam up." And like that, he was gone. Valerian too took his leave soon after. As glad as he was that Commander Raynor was still out there, somehow and in some form, he knew Swann and Horner needed their space. Once alone, the two just sat there in contemplative silence, neither acknowledging the tears rolling down their cheeks. Despite the odd twist earlier in the evening, this was the happiest news either of them had heard in years.
Post-Chapter A/N: Hi folks, it's been a couple of months. Again. Or rather about a month and some change, but still. I apologize for how long the next chapter segment has taken me to get out. I was actually making good progress on it at first, and then work and other obligations got in the way. One thing led to another, and I had to let the story fall to the wayside again for a time due to a lack of energy/time/etc to work on it when I was so busy as it is. For those of you who work with technology as IT/engineers/etc, I think you'll understand what I mean when I say August was a nightmare of a month. So I apologize if this chapter segment is quite up to the quality of the prior two, especially since I found writing the actual diplomacy and just raw talking was more difficult task, but hey, practice make perfect, even if the first steps are haulting and uncertain, and at this point, after the constant tweaking and beta reading and other feedback, I need to put it out there and see what you all thought. I also can't promise when I'll have the first part of Chapter 11 ready for those same reasons, as there are some very real IRL obligations and opportunities I am pursuing as well, time permitting, and obviously a hobby is secondary at best at times, even if people enjoy your work.
That all being said, before I even start work on Chapter 11, I am likely going to focus on some side story ideas first to show what's happening outside of the main arc we're currently in, and to help expand the universe further in some way. I've got a few ideas in this regard focusing around the Enterprise crew with typical Trek shenanigans of sorts (because it has to happen eventually), along with an idea focusing on Cardassia and another on the Ferengi, plus one or two more perhaps. But if anyone wants to see something specific, I'm open to ideas and suggestions or discussion in this respect as always. And if people want to write their own things as to what may be happening elsewhere in the galaxy or what may happen in the future, you folks here on SB are always welcome to. I've found in my time here that, if nothing else, omakes tend to be a source of good amusement...and people peaking at the notes of authors, but that's beside the point. I can't promise the side story updates will come any faster, but I'll certainly try to put them out sooner rather than later, time permitting.