Chapter 17

"That's just it, Captain, I sense very little good will from the Ciapathians. Del is perhaps the most genial of any of them, and he simply does not want to be here. He seems...puzzled by the current administration's interest in joining the Federation, when the culture has largely been isolationist for so many years."

"They don't have to like us, Counselor," said Picard. "This is a negotiation not a social function."

Deanna pursed her lips, but decided she had no appropriate response.

"What about Premier Fon?" Riker questioned. "He has very little to add...frankly sir, he seems disgusted to be in the same room with us. As the primary in this negotiation, that's more than a little surprising. It's almost easy to forget that the Ciapathians were the ones who initiated this meeting in the first place."

"Which begs the question: why are they here at all?" Tasha Yar interjected.

Picard's face took on a disagreeable expression, and he sat back in his chair heavily. "The answer I am sure, is that the Ciapathians have more complex motivations than a simple longing to be members of the Federation." He sat forward and tapped his fingertips on the table. "My next meeting with Fon is in one hour. Counselor I would like you to be present with me. Something doesn't seem quite right, and I want to get to the bottom of it."

"Of course, Captain," Troi agreed, careful not to show her surprise that he seemed suddenly interested in enlisting her help.

Riker turned to Yar. "Any security issues of note?"

Yar hesitated, remembering the captain's irritation last time she mentioned the strange giant bug the Ciapathian security chief Reth had brought on board. "No sir."

Riker nodded. "Let's be subtle, but let's also keep a careful eye on our guests. I agree with Captain Picard...something is off about the Ciapathians." He glanced at the captain who didn't look impressed in the slightest by the can-do attitude of his first officer. Will crafted a patient look on his face and waited for his signal.

"Dismissed," Picard said, now studying his computer screen closely. "Oh, except you, Counselor," he said not bothering to look up, which still had the effect of halting Troi's rise from the table mid-way. She smiled slightly at Riker, who after a sympathetic wink, turned and left the room trying to match the quick footsteps of Yar.

Riker hummed a tune he had been trying to work out on his trombone, but standing alone in the turbo lift it sounded very silly to his own ears; so he stopped. At deck ten, Wesley Crusher stepped in. "Hi, Commander Riker."

Will looked down at the young man, clutching his school data pad and carefully avoiding eye contact. Intrigued, Will put his arm out and leaned against the wall of the lift."Halt," he said, and the turbo lift obeyed. He raised an eyebrow when Wesley glanced up at him with subdued alarm. "No school?"

Wesley held his data pad in front of himself and leaned back against the wall. "Yeah...but it's lunch time."

Riker nodded and crossed his arms, looking up at the ceiling. "Everything okay?" he lowered his gaze to Wesley.

Wesley froze. Was it that obvious? He shrugged, unsure of how much he should say to Riker. "Uh...I don't know if I should say."

Riker's grin widened. "Oh, you can count on me to keep a secret."

"It's not a secret," is what rushed out of Wesley's mouth before he was able to stop himself. "I mean..."

"Let me guess...it's about a woman, and you need advice." Riker spread his palms wide. "I'm here for you, lay it on me, Crusher."

Wesley explained what had happened the night before. Riker listened carefully and then started laughing.

Wesley reddened. "It's not that funny...besides, the captain seemed really serious when he said that."

Riker sobered quickly. When doesn't he seem really serious? "Listen, the captain was just concerned that your relationship with Ha-what's her name again?"

"Hatha," Wesley said, feeling his face grow hot.

"The captain was just concerned that your relationship with Hatha would affect the negotiations with the Ciapathians. But, it doesn't have to, right?"

"I guess not," Wes admitted. "Meaning...you're saying I should...I should say something to her?"

Riker stared at him as though he had two heads. "No...I mean, not yet. You have to let her see you first. And if she's interested, then maybe you approach her."

"What?" Wesley blurted out. "How am I supposed to know that she's interested?"

Riker clapped Wesley on the shoulder genially. "Trust me, you'll figure it out. Deck twelve, resume."

No, I won't, Wesley thought sourly as the lift began to move once more. He tried to look as cool as possible when he said: "Any other advice?"

Riker rubbed his chin and studied the young man carefully. "Not to be shallow but...you've got to lose the sweater," he said, pointing at Wesley's drab brown ribbed sweater, which seemed not one, but two sizes too big for him.

Wesley nearly dropped his school pad, intent on defending his sweater from the first officer's harsh opinions. "Sir...haven't you noticed that every kid on this ship seems to be wearing a sweater like this?"

Riker nodded. "Mm-hmm. Sad, isn't it? But if you want to catch the eye of this young lady, Wesley, you can't be just every kid." The turbo lift halted again and the doors opened. Riker glanced back with a wink as he stepped clear. "See you at dinner."

Beverly washed a scrawny young girl's forearm with a mild antiseptic, while Rolani looked on with curiosity. Beverly smiled at the girl she was treating, hoping she wasn't scaring her, and wishing the captain would have allowed her to do more than deliver first aid to the Tranan refugees. "Who did this to you?" She asked the girl quietly, attempting to make eye contact.

This girl turned wide eyed to Rolani for permission, and Rolani nodded.

"The Brethren," the girl whispered.

"Hmm..." Beverly had heard this before. "And what do the Brethren look like?"

"They have no faces, and they shine bright lights on us. They tell us to lie still to make the sacrifice."

Beverly felt her face tighten with anger. "Is that when they do this?" She asked lightly running her hand over one of the dark puncture marks on the girl's skin. The girl said nothing, but stared up into Beverly's face.

"Your hair shines," the girl said. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever seen."

Beverly laughed and found herself spontaneously hugging the little girl. "Well I think you are beautiful too," she said, slowly releasing the child from her embrace.

She felt Rolani watching her and turned to look. "What's wrong, Rolani?"

"You are not god?"

Beverly shook her head, and sat back on her haunches. "No", she said simply.

"And yet you do not fear God. When he was here with us, you did not fear him."

Beverly wasn't sure how best to address the Tranan' s unshakable belief that the captain was their deity. "That's because when you take away our rank, which is a feature of our role as Starfl-as explorers I mean, we are equal to each other."

"Even though he is god," Rolani said skeptically.

Beverly sighed. "Captain Picard and I are both sentient beings. Neither of us has more rights than the other."

Rolani sat down next to Beverly on the holodeck generated ground. "When will god help us to destroy the Brethren?"

Beverly shook her head again. "I am sorry, Rolani, but that's not what we do. Our role is to explore. Sometimes we are forced to defend ourselves. But that is different from outright aggression."

"The ones who came before told us about god, and how he was to destroy the Brethren. Please do not speak lies to us."

Beverly stood up from her crouching position, no longer feeling welcome in this place. She thought about her disturbing encounter with Doctor Petral earlier in the day, and was again disgusted by his strange and intrusive behavior. She considered mentioning it to Deanna later, if she remembered. "I should go now," she said to Rolani. She glanced around and saw that Li, the young man who had attacked her in the caves was hunched over on the ground, rocking back and forth. She walked closer to him and glanced back at Rolani. "Is he alright?"

Rolani smiled proudly. "Li is preparing himself."

"For what?"

"To be an instrument for god...he will help to destroy the Brethren."

A slow chill worked its way through Beverly's abdomen, and she backed cautiously away. Suddenly a thought occurred to her. "Rolani...where is the man who disagreed with you down on Trana IV. The one who fought you?"

Rolani pointed to where a simulation of the caves on Trana IV stood in the distance. "He is there. He is being punished."

When Beverly exited the holodeck, she stood for a moment trying to collect herself before tapping her communicator. "Crusher to Picard. I need to see you right away, Captain."