Chapter 30

Guinan stood inside Beverly Crusher's office. "How is Counselor Troi doing?"

Beverly picked up her tricorder and placed it in her pocket. "She's still unresponsive, but stable," she answered tiredly. She kept her eyes fixed on her desk.

"Doctor, I know you blame me for what happened to Captain Picard…and to Troi. I should have known, right? I should have prevented it somehow."

Beverly put a hand up to her mouth still looking down. "I don't…I don't blame you…but I do wish there was someone I could blame." She ran a shaky hand through her hair, and wisps of it came out between her fingers. Stress. She knew she was not holding up well. First Will, then Jean-Luc, and now poor Deanna. She turned to Guinan finally. "I just need him back…is that too much to ask?" she whispered.

Guinan shook her head, and walked closer. "No, of course not. And I've come to tell you that I am going to go and bring him back."

Now beginning to cry, she grabbed Guinan unexpectedly, hugging her tightly. Guinan kept very still, and finally Beverly pulled away, looking at her. "I don't know how you're going to do it…but I believe you." She wiped beneath her eyes and sniffled. "Because I have to believe in something," she said.

"I don't want to fight you," Picard said to the menacing figure before him. "It doesn't have to end this way," he said. "If there is any part of me inside you, then you must understand that."

The warrior reached up to touch the large jagged cut that ran down his face; the one Picard had carried on his own face for several days. That must mean Doulos still had the wound on his back too. The one from the Borg weapon.

"I know you can understand me," reasoned Picard, nearly shouting. "Throw your weapons down and we can defeat the Other together. You are not his slave!"

Doulos unsheathed a large nasty looking curved blade and brought it up to his face almost thoughtfully. A ray of hope shot through Picard as he watched. Seeing Picard watching him, Doulos began to laugh in a deep voice. He threw his sword down onto the stone floor with a clatter. "I do not need weapons to crush your bones into dust," he declared stalking forward.

Picard put up his hands, steeling himself for the blows he knew were coming. Doulos crouched down and began circling him. Even in a low stance he towered over Picard. He feinted to the right, and when Picard moved left in response, falling for the move, Doulos kicked him in his side with his left leg, sending him reeling. Doulos advanced without hesitation, and Picard ducked down and ran into his attacker's abdomen. He grunted, and spun away stunned as though he had struck a solid wall.

Not wanting his prey to fall too soon, Doulos snatched Picard by the wrist and pulled him toward him, lifting the smaller man up into a crushing bear hug. Picard choked, feeling the air leave his lungs. He shouted, and brought his fists up quickly, slamming them into Doulos' ears. Doulos screamed in pain and fury, and threw Picard away from him, sending him careening through the air into a nearby stone pillar.

"Unh," Picard grunted, crumpling to the floor in a daze. Doulos stomped forward shaking his head as though trying to clear his ringing ears. He reached down and grasped Picard by the throat and began to squeeze. Picard's face turned purple as he reached up with one hand and pressed Doulos' chin upward. Doulos increased the pressure, and Picard brought his other hand up desperately plunging it into the warrior's throat. Enraged, Doulos screamed and coughed, letting go of Picard. He turned his back on Picard, who was still struggling to get to his feet, and planted a kick backward into Picard's chest, sending him back into the pillar. Picard's neck whipped backward and his head struck stone. He was instantly in a fog, and struggled to remain calm. He blinked as blood ran down the back of his head, and from his nose.

Still clutching his neck, Doulos faced Picard again, the captain having risen to his feet again somehow. "You can't enter my world," Picard gasped, trying to catch his breath. "You don't belong there."

Doulos laughed. "You cannot stop the will of my master. He will rule through me and see his desires become a reality."

"No, it will never work," Picard breathed, taking a swing at Doulos, who blocked the blow, and countered with a punch to Picard's jaw. He quickly followed up with a volley of punches to Picard's head and body. Picard fell to his knees and watched as his own blood spatter on the floor beneath him. As Doulous advanced again towering above him. Picard delivered a punch up into the man's groin, sending him staggering away with a painful howl. Doulos was still bent over holding his injured parts when Picard got up at a clumsy run and kicked his opponent in the head causing him to stand up straighter. Picard aimed another kick this time into Doulos' groin. Doulos screamed and grabbed Picard by the back of the head, slamming Picard's forehead into his broad shoulder.

Picard bounced away, but Doulos threw and arm around him and pulled him closer. Lifting him up into the air, he brought his knee up between Picard's legs, and then threw him to the floor in a heap. Picard retched and tried to push himself up, but could not get to his feet. He crawled away slowly on the floor toward the abandoned sword, as Doulos followed limping behind him.

When he reached the sword, Picard grabbed it with both hands and then rolled onto his back slicing it through the air. It connected, cutting across Doulos' bare chest. Doulos cried out in pain but when Picard's arm finished its arc with the sword and his hand hit the floor, Doulos stomped on Picard's wrist. Picard tried to keep hold of the weapon, but Doulos twisted his foot cracking the bones in Picard's left wrist. Yelling in pain and anger Picard rolled on to all fours, trying to protect his wrist. Doulos picked up the weapon and slammed the flat side of the blade onto Picard's back. As consciousness waned, he heard Doulos laughing. "You are weak! Get up little man," he taunted.

Picard struggled to his feet swaying, holding his broken wrist. He faced Doulos, and blinked blood and sweat out of his eyes.

"After you are dead I am going to your ship, Picard," Doulos shouted. "And when I do, I will see your woman again."

Picard staggered forward. "Again? What are you talking about?"

Doulos leered at him. "You do not remember being with her that night, do you? But she does remember…and when she sees me, she will understand. And knowing you are dead she will fall in love with me…."

"No! Stay away from her," Picard shouted, rushing forward. With his good arm he punched Doulos hard in his thick jaw, and then slammed an elbow into Doulos' temple. Trying to move in closer, he heard a sickening sound of metal into flesh and felt the ripping of his own skin and muscle. Looking down with shock he saw the sword had pierced his side. Doulos grinned at him and then kicked him, drawing the sword back out of Picard's abdomen as he fell to the stone floor with a thud. He could still hear Doulos laughing even as the world faded and he could see no more. And then he heard nothing more.

As Guinan turned to leave Beverly's office, she stopped cold. Something was very wrong. There was a presence in sick bay that should not be there. She turned back to Beverly. "Doctor, please stay here. I will be back soon." Beverly looked as though she wanted to follow, but instead complied.

Stepping out into the main sick bay she could now see what had alarmed her senses. Deanna Troi now sat up in her recovery bed. Her eyes were black and many black tendrils of something smoke-like drifted from her head, lifting through the ceiling and penetrating the walls and even the deck beneath Guinan's feet. "I will have my army," said a deep voice that was not Deanna's. "This one has a strong mind. She will help me to build my army…."