Fic Post: In the Thick of It
Title: In the Thick of It
Author: vegawriters
Series: Imzadi (with references to Tears of the Prophets)
Pairing: Deanna Troi/Will Riker; Caldra Troi/Shakaar Edon
Rating: Teen
Timeframe: pre-canon for both TNG and DS9
A/N: Events in this are connected to What Dreams Don't Come.
Disclaimer: Star Trek (in all its iterations) is not owned by me. I do not currently make any money from this. But, I am more than happy to help change that.
Summary: She believed in Starfleet, in the Federation. Except now. Now, an entire civilization, one of the oldest in the galaxy, was being wiped off the map. How long before Bajor was a lifeless rock and her people scattered to nothing.
The chirp of the comm application from her PADD pulled her from sleep and Deanna opened one eye, checking to see if her bedmate had been roused. He stirred slightly, but didn’t wake, and Deanna reached for the device as she slid out of bed. She slipped into Will’s bathroom to take the call, wrapping herself in the shawl she’d been wearing earlier that evening. She pressed the answer button and blinked when the bruised face of her cousin appeared on the screen.
“Caldra!” Deanna’s hand flew to her mouth. “What’s happened? Where are you?”
“Actually,” her cousin chuckled, “I’m at the house on El’Nar. Look, it’s a long story but I could use your help.”
“Anything …”
She did mean anything. Caldra was one of a network of offworld activists responsible for helping Bajorans get to safety. As the occupation grew more and more dangerous and it became harder and harder for Bajorans to flee, having offworld contacts for ships and supplies was necessary. She’d lost count of how many children Caldra’s people had delivered to Betazed, of how many people she’d helped return. The Federation’s official policy remained that this was an internal struggle. Starfleet would not intervene.
Not officially.
Deanna glanced toward where her lover slept on. “Nothing on this line,” she said quickly. “I’m not sure how secure it is. But I’ll transport over after my classes in the morning.”
“That should be okay. Right now, it’s all about sleep.” She paused. “Deanna, I have a question --”
“Caldra --”
“You’re right. Tomorrow. Come alone.”
“Of course.” Deanna cut the line and closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. If Caldra was here, something had gone wrong on Bajor. Drastically wrong. But until she made it to the lake tomorrow, there wasn’t anything she could do, and she couldn’t let Will know.
Technically, the Bajoran resistance were fugitives. Technically, the Federation was not supposed to harbor them. Technically. And she just wasn’t sure how closely Will would follow the rules. She took a few breaths and stood. Luckily, Will hadn’t moved. She slipped the shawl from her shoulders, put the PADD back on the desk, and crawled between the sheets.
“Everything okay?” Will murmured.
“Of course,” she replied softly. “Go on. Go back to sleep.”
Will complied. Deanna lay awake until morning.
***
Armed with a backpack of medical supplies, Deanna made her way up the path to the house on Lake El’Nar. Most of the time, it sat empty, having been used primarily by Deanna’s parents until her father’s death. But, over the years, the younger Troi cousins had learned it made a wonderful place to hide out with their lovers.
As Deanna came around the bend in the path, the sun hit the water and diamonds seemed to cascade across the surface. A light wind blew the drooping branches back and forth. In the distance, the crystal mountaintops sent pink reflections into the sky. Here, always, was paradise. She sighed, allowing the healing air to wrap around her, before approaching the porch.
Caldra sat on the swing, a bottle of ale in her hand. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days - her hair was matted, her face bruised. She was clearly agitated and Deanna projected gentle sympathy before she caught her cousin’s attention. Caldra’s eyes flashed, and Deanna could feel the trauma radiating from her.
What had gone so terribly wrong?
Carefully, she approached. "I’m here … I brought a medkit. Let’s start there, okay? Let me clean you up. You need a shower, too. You can’t think clearly until then."
"Edon is gone, Deanna. He’s been taken by the Cardassians to an interrogation center and … she shivered. He’s gone."
"And you are of no use to him until we get you cleaned up. Come on. You look like you haven’t even changed clothes. Let’s go inside."
The shock of trauma was keeping her cousin from thinking, and Deanna took her hand and led her into the house. She could feel the house was not empty and realized, quickly, that members of the resistance cell were here. She shot her cousin a look but said nothing. People needed help, and she was as in it as they were, really.
Deanna sat Caldra at the table and set water on for tea before pulling out the dermal regenerator. “What happened?” She asked again.
Caldra shook her head. “We were on an off-world raid. There’s an interrogation center that we know has prisoners and we went for it --”
“We? I thought your job was to get people off world.” Deanna set the regenerator down and moved to pour the tea for her cousin. “You promised me --”
“Deanna, stop. Are you really going to sit there and tell me that you think all I do is ferry people to a safe ship?”
Silence. "No." Deanna projected. "No. You’re right. I’m sorry. She brought the tea back to the table and returned to her care for Caldra. What were you saying?"
"We were going into an interrogation center and …" Caldra sighed. "The Cardies caught us by surprise. They took Edon and Nerys and Lupaza --"
“Nerys?” Deanna’s head shot up.
Caldra raised an eyebrow. "I know for a fact that when we sent her to you, she told you her name was Meru."
"And when she was bleeding out before the baby was born, she told me her real name."
The two women looked at each other.
"She didn’t tell me that."
"She lived. I suspect that was more important to her than telling you what happened the night her daughter was born." Deanna looked at her and squeezed Caldra’s hand. "The baby is fine. She was adopted into a Bajoran family here. Now. Deanna got up to pour her own cup of tea. What can the Fifth House do for you?"
"Right now, we need rest. We won’t be here long. There's actually a contact we have with a ship in orbit. If the Cardassians track us here, the diplomatic incident will blow everything up. Our people have worked too hard to be a safe haven."
"Betazed is a long way from Bajor."
"And it’s a long way from where we need to be. But we just kept running, Deanna. And now, we need to run back."
"What do you need?" Deanna asked again.
The response was quick, and not unexpected. "Credits. Clothing. Medical supplies. I’m not dumb enough to ask a Starfleet officer to get us weapons. Don’t worry. We’ve got a hookup on a colony planet."
"Caldra …"
"They have Edon, Deanna. They have the man I love. I won’t sit here while they take a part of my soul and rip it from me."
Deanna turned and regarded her cousin carefully, a half-smile on her lips. “I wonder,” she said aloud, “if the matriarchs of our House ever expected that once contact was made with other worlds, the women of the Troi family would all fall for offworlders.”
“If they had,” Caldra smirked, “they would have opposed the treaty and entrance to the Federation.” She sighed. “Okay, I’m going to go shower. Because you’re right. I’m no good to Edon this way. And then, over dinner, you’re going to tell me all about this man who has stolen your heart.”
Deanna laughed. “I’ll … take care of the arrangements … while you rest.”
Caldra stood. “Thank you, Cousin.”
***
It was easy enough to make the credit transfer for Caldra. As a daughter of the Fifth House, Caldra had access to the family accounts, but it wasn’t a good look for the financial records of the most powerful family on Betazed to show payments to arms dealers, smugglers, and other unsavory types. So, Caldra had set up a system that made it look like her personal accounts were sending money to an offsite trust, managed by other family, when really it was Deanna moving money around. She had the passwords and the access. That way, if caught, the Cardassians couldn’t actually trace the money back to her.
Deanna took a special pride in knowing that the women in her family were not just sitting by and allowing the torture of Bajor to happen. She couldn’t fix this, but she could work in her own way. No one needed to know.
Will didn’t need to know.
With a sigh, Deanna transferred the credits, logged out, and changed the password access. She could feel that Will shared her passion for the Bajoran situation, but there was a part of him that still, very much, understood the Federation and Starfleet’s reasons for their decisions. He was still an officer through and through. And it wasn’t like Deanna was rushing to resign her own commission. She believed in Starfleet, in the Federation. Except now. Now, an entire civilization, one of the oldest in the galaxy, was being wiped off the map. How long before Bajor was a lifeless rock and her people scattered to nothing.
No, Will didn’t need to know about this. Not yet.
Caldra came into the study, still running a towel over her black curls. The dermal regenerator had done its work and she was no longer bruised and battered, only tired. So very tired.
“Alcra is in the shower now. I’m letting Furel sleep. Thanks for not freaking out.”
“I’m glad you were able to escape here. It’s safer than anywhere else.” She looked at her cousin. “I’m sorry about Edon.”
“He’s still alive. I can feel he’s still alive. But the thread, it’s fraying.” She let out a long breath as she dropped the towel onto the back of a chair and moved to pour herself some tea. “I don’t know what I’ll do if they kill him.”
“You’ll get him out. If he’s even half the man you’ve told me about, he’s too strong to let them kill him.”
“And you don’t know even the half of how they torture their prisoners. Yes, I mean, you see them when they show up at the hospital, but … Deanna … what they put people through … I just don’t understand how a people with such a rich history can be so unbelievably cruel.”
“They’re desperate,” Deanna reminded her. “Their own planet is dying. They don’t know how else to save their people.”
“It’s no excuse.” Caldra held the tea cup to her face and inhaled the sweet scent of the herbs. “And I know that Bajor is my home now, but I do miss Betazed. The worlds are so similar, Deanna. The water is a little greener. More farmland than tropical. But there are mountain ranges of crystal and waters that glint even brighter than ours. And every day, every damn day, something else dims. The land is poisoned while ore is pulled from the mines and trees come down and … Gods. I’m sorry. You know all of this already.”
“It’s okay. You need to process.”
“You’re my cousin, you aren’t my therapist.” Caldra came to sit down on the window seat overlooking the shore and Deanna joined her.
“You can still talk to me, you know.”
Caldra sighed. “Edon was telling me that before the Occupation, Bajor had a strict caste society. Stronger even than ours. You were born into it and you stayed there, and it worked for them. At least, on the surface. But when the Cardassians came, all of that was erased. Everyone came together to fight, you know. Well, for the most part. His family, they are farmers. They were. They had acres and acres of land and they grew the sweetest jumja fruit in the entire province.” She took another sip of her tea and wiped a tear away. “He wants to go home. He wants us to rebuild the farm together. But he won’t marry until the Cardassians are gone. They’ve outlawed the traditional ceremonies and he didn’t want them to catch us during the ceremony. But mostly, he just … he wants to know that we can have this new life together. And now …”
“You’ll find him, Caldra,” Deanna reassured her, hoping it wasn't a futile gesture.
A presence at the doorway caught both of their attention and Deanna turned to see a large, gruff looking man enter the room. For his size and stature though, there was a pure tenderness in his soul and she instantly found herself wanting to hug him. “Deanna, this is Furel. He’s Edon’s second in command. Furel, this is my cousin, Deanna.”
“Nice house,” Furel snorted. “I never quite believed that Cali was an heiress. Now I feel bad for not.”
Deanna laughed. “Why?”
“No one of any consequence wants us to live and heiresses keep their nails clean.”
For a long minute, the silence in the room threatened to crumble the walls. Deanna glanced down at her recently manicured nails. Furel barked a laugh. “It’s all right, Princess. We all got our thing.” He waved to the tea pot. “Up for grabs?”
“Of course. And I’ve ordered food brought in from the city,” Deanna said. “There’s a Bajoran restaurant that, according to some of our recent settlers, makes better hesperat than back home.” Once she said it, though, she knew she’d misspoke. Furel huffed.
“Of course it does,” he snarled. “Your ground isn’t poisoned.”
Silence, again. Deanna started to rise, to pretend to go check on the food, but instead she walked over to Furel and met his eyes. “No, it isn’t. And someday, yours won’t be either.”
He shook his head. “My people have lived on that world since most of you were still crawling out of caves. In fifty years, the Cardassians have ruined everything. Even if they go, it will take generations for our soil to grow again. So,” he let out a long, tired sigh, “it will be good to have some fresh hesperat. Thank you, Princess.”
Deanna bowed her head and stepped out, allowing Caldra and Furel to talk. The less she knew about their plans, the better. She made her way to her usual bedroom, closed the door, and moved to the comm panel. As expected, Will had left a message, wondering where she was. She had, after all, slipped away very quickly after a rushed breakfast.
Family business, she responded in a quick text message. I’ll be back in the city tomorrow morning and we can have lunch, if your schedule allows.
It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth either. The whole truth was something he just wasn’t going to be ready to hear. Not yet.
***
The alert picked up by the Federation scanners came across Will’s desk and he normally would have ignored it, but at the same time that message flashed, so did one from Deanna, promising lunch tomorrow, so his eye caught Fugitives Sought: Rebels Escaped to Federation Space. CONSIDER ARMED AND DANGEROUS. He was about to click away and respond to Deanna’s message when the photos of the so-called fugitives popped up on the screen. Two Bajorans, a man and a woman, but it was the third, the woman with black hair and black eyes that caught his attention. She wasn’t Deanna, but the family resemblance was striking.
Suddenly, her quick disappearance after breakfast and her not being back until tomorrow, it felt strange. Instinct crawled up the back of his neck.
Was Deanna helping the resistance? Her work at the hospital meant she had a soft spot for the refugees. He could understand, especially if this woman on the screen before him was part of her family. But Starfleet? She’d be court martialed.
Maybe she didn’t know. And maybe he was overreacting.
But “family business” was a pretty vague comment and he knew for a fact there were no High Family events scheduled this week. So, what then? Was he getting ahead of himself? And did it even matter? Deanna was on leave from Starfleet. Did her actions impact --
He stopped himself. He had no idea what she was up to and jumping ahead wasn’t good for anyone. They were having lunch tomorrow. It would be fine.
The comm panel chirped again. “Lieutenant, there’s a call from Admiral Sessions on a secure subspace channel.”
“Put her through.” He tapped the console, opening the line, and the face of his direct superior appeared on the screen. “Admiral,” he said, sitting up just a bit straighter. “How can I help?”
“Will,” Admiral Sessions offered him a light smile. Behind her, he could see shelves lined with books, and a framed Starfleet flag. “How are things planetside?”
He allowed a slow smile. “Slow,” he admitted. “But it’s Betazed.”
“Lovely people,” Sessions responded. “Living on that planet is therapeutic, I swear.” She paused. “Scuttlebutt is that you are seeing someone as well.”
Will understood immediately where this was going and wondered how much was about to be . “Lieutenant Commander Troi, yes,” he said, using her rank intentionally. A reminder that wherever this was going, Starfleet officers were involved.
“I actually served with her father,” Sessions replied. “He was a good man.” She paused and typed a few things into her panel, scanning a screen. “His daughter seems to be following in his footsteps as an officer.”
“I’m assuming this call is not to reminisce about your time here on Betazed, Sir?”
“Good, you’ve seen it.” The older woman sighed and closed the files she was pretending to look at. “Look, Will. No one wants to be over here, hunting down a bunch of people who are fighting for their lives. But Caldra Troi is forever a diplomatic incident waiting to happen. She isn’t just some Betazoid national who has decided to take up the cause. She’s a daughter of their most powerful House and people pay attention when her name shows up.”
“You can’t tell me that the Federation is going to turn her over if they catch her. She ...” Will trailed off. He’d understood the problem, but now it really sunk in. Ignore her, and run the risk of the Cardassians finding out the Federation was harboring a fugitive. The border was already a war zone. This wouldn’t make things any better. Capture her, and anger one of the Federation’s strongest allies.
The admiral was silent for a long time. “I’m calling only to let you know that the Hood will be passing through the Betazed system in four days.”
He wasn’t the most apt political mind, but Will understood instantly. They had three days to get Caldra, if she was on the planet, off the planet. If the Hood discovered she was in the sector, things might get a bit more complicated. Right now, she was a daughter of the Fifth House, visiting family. “Understood. I’ll make arrangements in case any of the crew wishes to beam down.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” She nodded and disconnected the line.
Will sat in silence for a long time before keying in Deanna’s communications code. When she didn’t respond the first time, he got up and paced his office for five minutes before trying again. The third time, her face appeared and behind her, he could see an open window and the low afternoon light on a lake.
God, she was beautiful.
“Hi, Will. I’m so sorry. I missed the call.”
“Deanna …” he met her eyes and her unflagging gaze told him she understood exactly what this call was about. Emotions raged through him - how dare she be involved in this, how dare she hurt her career, how dare she not tell him and give him the chance to protect her? But all he said was, carefully, “You might be interested to know that the Hood is passing through this sector in four days.”
She paled, slightly, and nodded. “That’s really good to know, Will. Thank you.”
“Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?”
“Right at midday,” she responded with a genuine smile. “And thanks for the information. That’s helpful.”
“Deanna …” her name caught in his throat. How deeply involved was she? Did he want to know? If he knew, what would that do if Starfleet investigated? After all, the Pegasus was still so close behind him. How many scandals was a young officer allowed?
“Don’t worry, Will. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She touched the screen and then it went dark. Will let out a breath and opened the channel one more time, reaching out to Ensign Fullbright at the desk.
“Yes, Lieutenant?”
“Can you get me a list of all ships scheduled to depart in the next three days?” If he couldn’t protect Deanna’s cousin, he could at least know what ship she was likely to be on and where it was going.
“Right away,” the Ensign replied. “Coming to you now.”
Five ships, all currently orbiting, appeared before him. One Andorian science vessel, a Vulcan medical ship, two Betazoid science vessels, and one Federation freighter. That one made sense. He pulled up the manifest, knowing that it was a futile gesture, but if he was in it, he needed to know what was going on. He could at least do that.
***
“The Vulcans will get us as far as the border,” Furel was saying as Deanna came into the room. “There’s a ship waiting for us there and we’ll cut through the back end of the Badlands and come up on the far side of the interrogation center.”
“Your accounts are ready,” Deanna said. “And you need to get going. The Hood will be coming through this sector in four days. Starfleet knows you’re here. Will just sent me a warning that I am sure came from his higher ups.”
“That means the Cardassians are looking for us,” Alcra said. “Caldra, you shouldn’t risk this one.”
“I’m going. Edon’s still alive. Barely. And I’m going.” She shook her head. “The Vulcans leave in the morning, so we’ve got one more night to rest up.” Caldra let out a breath. “And Dee, you’d better go home. The less you’re seen with us, the better.”
“All right.” Deanna looked at her cousin for a long time before folding her into a hug. “Take care of yourself.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Deanna turned to the other resistance cell members. “Good luck.”
“Cali says that you’re one of the team who kept an eye on Nerys when she was here,” Furel said, his low voice full of tenderness for the young soldier.
“I did.” Deanna paused. “And Caldra told me she is one of the ones you are trying to rescue."
“Her and Lupaza.” His tone softened even more when he said the second name. “Thank you for taking care of Nerys and her baby.”
“Meru,” Deanna said. “She named her Meru.”
“The baby was okay?”
“Small, but feisty. Much like her mother,” Deanna said gently. “And she’s safe now.”
“Good. Thank you.” He let out a breath. “Someday, when Bajor is beautiful again, you should come see it, Deanna.”
“I’d like that.”
“Thank you for your help.”
Deanna shook her head. “I’m not a fighter, but if I can help out like this, I feel like I’ve done something.”
“It’s more than most.”
Furel offered a hug and Deanna welcomed the embrace before turning to the last, far more quiet, member of the team. She offered a warm handshake before gathering her bag and heading out, leaving behind the medical supplies she’d brought with her. Caldra walked her to the door and Deanna hugged her tightly before kissing her cheek.
“Be safe, Cousin.”
“This Will Riker of yours,” Caldra ventured, “he’s special.”
“He is.”
“If he’s as special as I think he is, then someday, you’ll understand exactly why I won’t stop searching for Edon until … until he’s safe,” she finished carefully.
“What is it with us Troi women? Falling for offworlders,” Deanna said with a wry chuckle.
“We’re the adventurous ones.” Caldra hugged her again. “Kiss your mother for me.”
“I will. Be safe.”
“I’ll send word.”
Deanna came off the steps and made her way to the path. It was about an hour walk to the nearest transporter site, but it would be worth it to clear her head and put distance between these emotions and what was waiting for her at home. Will would want answers she wouldn’t be able to give, and she wasn’t sure exactly what that meant for them right now. So she walked and let her mind wander down the thread of connection that was starting to build between them. If she concentrated hard enough, she could feel him from anywhere it seemed.
Did he feel the same?
Author: vegawriters
Series: Imzadi (with references to Tears of the Prophets)
Pairing: Deanna Troi/Will Riker; Caldra Troi/Shakaar Edon
Rating: Teen
Timeframe: pre-canon for both TNG and DS9
A/N: Events in this are connected to What Dreams Don't Come.
Disclaimer: Star Trek (in all its iterations) is not owned by me. I do not currently make any money from this. But, I am more than happy to help change that.
Summary: She believed in Starfleet, in the Federation. Except now. Now, an entire civilization, one of the oldest in the galaxy, was being wiped off the map. How long before Bajor was a lifeless rock and her people scattered to nothing.
The chirp of the comm application from her PADD pulled her from sleep and Deanna opened one eye, checking to see if her bedmate had been roused. He stirred slightly, but didn’t wake, and Deanna reached for the device as she slid out of bed. She slipped into Will’s bathroom to take the call, wrapping herself in the shawl she’d been wearing earlier that evening. She pressed the answer button and blinked when the bruised face of her cousin appeared on the screen.
“Caldra!” Deanna’s hand flew to her mouth. “What’s happened? Where are you?”
“Actually,” her cousin chuckled, “I’m at the house on El’Nar. Look, it’s a long story but I could use your help.”
“Anything …”
She did mean anything. Caldra was one of a network of offworld activists responsible for helping Bajorans get to safety. As the occupation grew more and more dangerous and it became harder and harder for Bajorans to flee, having offworld contacts for ships and supplies was necessary. She’d lost count of how many children Caldra’s people had delivered to Betazed, of how many people she’d helped return. The Federation’s official policy remained that this was an internal struggle. Starfleet would not intervene.
Not officially.
Deanna glanced toward where her lover slept on. “Nothing on this line,” she said quickly. “I’m not sure how secure it is. But I’ll transport over after my classes in the morning.”
“That should be okay. Right now, it’s all about sleep.” She paused. “Deanna, I have a question --”
“Caldra --”
“You’re right. Tomorrow. Come alone.”
“Of course.” Deanna cut the line and closed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. If Caldra was here, something had gone wrong on Bajor. Drastically wrong. But until she made it to the lake tomorrow, there wasn’t anything she could do, and she couldn’t let Will know.
Technically, the Bajoran resistance were fugitives. Technically, the Federation was not supposed to harbor them. Technically. And she just wasn’t sure how closely Will would follow the rules. She took a few breaths and stood. Luckily, Will hadn’t moved. She slipped the shawl from her shoulders, put the PADD back on the desk, and crawled between the sheets.
“Everything okay?” Will murmured.
“Of course,” she replied softly. “Go on. Go back to sleep.”
Will complied. Deanna lay awake until morning.
***
Armed with a backpack of medical supplies, Deanna made her way up the path to the house on Lake El’Nar. Most of the time, it sat empty, having been used primarily by Deanna’s parents until her father’s death. But, over the years, the younger Troi cousins had learned it made a wonderful place to hide out with their lovers.
As Deanna came around the bend in the path, the sun hit the water and diamonds seemed to cascade across the surface. A light wind blew the drooping branches back and forth. In the distance, the crystal mountaintops sent pink reflections into the sky. Here, always, was paradise. She sighed, allowing the healing air to wrap around her, before approaching the porch.
Caldra sat on the swing, a bottle of ale in her hand. She looked like she hadn’t slept in days - her hair was matted, her face bruised. She was clearly agitated and Deanna projected gentle sympathy before she caught her cousin’s attention. Caldra’s eyes flashed, and Deanna could feel the trauma radiating from her.
What had gone so terribly wrong?
Carefully, she approached. "I’m here … I brought a medkit. Let’s start there, okay? Let me clean you up. You need a shower, too. You can’t think clearly until then."
"Edon is gone, Deanna. He’s been taken by the Cardassians to an interrogation center and … she shivered. He’s gone."
"And you are of no use to him until we get you cleaned up. Come on. You look like you haven’t even changed clothes. Let’s go inside."
The shock of trauma was keeping her cousin from thinking, and Deanna took her hand and led her into the house. She could feel the house was not empty and realized, quickly, that members of the resistance cell were here. She shot her cousin a look but said nothing. People needed help, and she was as in it as they were, really.
Deanna sat Caldra at the table and set water on for tea before pulling out the dermal regenerator. “What happened?” She asked again.
Caldra shook her head. “We were on an off-world raid. There’s an interrogation center that we know has prisoners and we went for it --”
“We? I thought your job was to get people off world.” Deanna set the regenerator down and moved to pour the tea for her cousin. “You promised me --”
“Deanna, stop. Are you really going to sit there and tell me that you think all I do is ferry people to a safe ship?”
Silence. "No." Deanna projected. "No. You’re right. I’m sorry. She brought the tea back to the table and returned to her care for Caldra. What were you saying?"
"We were going into an interrogation center and …" Caldra sighed. "The Cardies caught us by surprise. They took Edon and Nerys and Lupaza --"
“Nerys?” Deanna’s head shot up.
Caldra raised an eyebrow. "I know for a fact that when we sent her to you, she told you her name was Meru."
"And when she was bleeding out before the baby was born, she told me her real name."
The two women looked at each other.
"She didn’t tell me that."
"She lived. I suspect that was more important to her than telling you what happened the night her daughter was born." Deanna looked at her and squeezed Caldra’s hand. "The baby is fine. She was adopted into a Bajoran family here. Now. Deanna got up to pour her own cup of tea. What can the Fifth House do for you?"
"Right now, we need rest. We won’t be here long. There's actually a contact we have with a ship in orbit. If the Cardassians track us here, the diplomatic incident will blow everything up. Our people have worked too hard to be a safe haven."
"Betazed is a long way from Bajor."
"And it’s a long way from where we need to be. But we just kept running, Deanna. And now, we need to run back."
"What do you need?" Deanna asked again.
The response was quick, and not unexpected. "Credits. Clothing. Medical supplies. I’m not dumb enough to ask a Starfleet officer to get us weapons. Don’t worry. We’ve got a hookup on a colony planet."
"Caldra …"
"They have Edon, Deanna. They have the man I love. I won’t sit here while they take a part of my soul and rip it from me."
Deanna turned and regarded her cousin carefully, a half-smile on her lips. “I wonder,” she said aloud, “if the matriarchs of our House ever expected that once contact was made with other worlds, the women of the Troi family would all fall for offworlders.”
“If they had,” Caldra smirked, “they would have opposed the treaty and entrance to the Federation.” She sighed. “Okay, I’m going to go shower. Because you’re right. I’m no good to Edon this way. And then, over dinner, you’re going to tell me all about this man who has stolen your heart.”
Deanna laughed. “I’ll … take care of the arrangements … while you rest.”
Caldra stood. “Thank you, Cousin.”
***
It was easy enough to make the credit transfer for Caldra. As a daughter of the Fifth House, Caldra had access to the family accounts, but it wasn’t a good look for the financial records of the most powerful family on Betazed to show payments to arms dealers, smugglers, and other unsavory types. So, Caldra had set up a system that made it look like her personal accounts were sending money to an offsite trust, managed by other family, when really it was Deanna moving money around. She had the passwords and the access. That way, if caught, the Cardassians couldn’t actually trace the money back to her.
Deanna took a special pride in knowing that the women in her family were not just sitting by and allowing the torture of Bajor to happen. She couldn’t fix this, but she could work in her own way. No one needed to know.
Will didn’t need to know.
With a sigh, Deanna transferred the credits, logged out, and changed the password access. She could feel that Will shared her passion for the Bajoran situation, but there was a part of him that still, very much, understood the Federation and Starfleet’s reasons for their decisions. He was still an officer through and through. And it wasn’t like Deanna was rushing to resign her own commission. She believed in Starfleet, in the Federation. Except now. Now, an entire civilization, one of the oldest in the galaxy, was being wiped off the map. How long before Bajor was a lifeless rock and her people scattered to nothing.
No, Will didn’t need to know about this. Not yet.
Caldra came into the study, still running a towel over her black curls. The dermal regenerator had done its work and she was no longer bruised and battered, only tired. So very tired.
“Alcra is in the shower now. I’m letting Furel sleep. Thanks for not freaking out.”
“I’m glad you were able to escape here. It’s safer than anywhere else.” She looked at her cousin. “I’m sorry about Edon.”
“He’s still alive. I can feel he’s still alive. But the thread, it’s fraying.” She let out a long breath as she dropped the towel onto the back of a chair and moved to pour herself some tea. “I don’t know what I’ll do if they kill him.”
“You’ll get him out. If he’s even half the man you’ve told me about, he’s too strong to let them kill him.”
“And you don’t know even the half of how they torture their prisoners. Yes, I mean, you see them when they show up at the hospital, but … Deanna … what they put people through … I just don’t understand how a people with such a rich history can be so unbelievably cruel.”
“They’re desperate,” Deanna reminded her. “Their own planet is dying. They don’t know how else to save their people.”
“It’s no excuse.” Caldra held the tea cup to her face and inhaled the sweet scent of the herbs. “And I know that Bajor is my home now, but I do miss Betazed. The worlds are so similar, Deanna. The water is a little greener. More farmland than tropical. But there are mountain ranges of crystal and waters that glint even brighter than ours. And every day, every damn day, something else dims. The land is poisoned while ore is pulled from the mines and trees come down and … Gods. I’m sorry. You know all of this already.”
“It’s okay. You need to process.”
“You’re my cousin, you aren’t my therapist.” Caldra came to sit down on the window seat overlooking the shore and Deanna joined her.
“You can still talk to me, you know.”
Caldra sighed. “Edon was telling me that before the Occupation, Bajor had a strict caste society. Stronger even than ours. You were born into it and you stayed there, and it worked for them. At least, on the surface. But when the Cardassians came, all of that was erased. Everyone came together to fight, you know. Well, for the most part. His family, they are farmers. They were. They had acres and acres of land and they grew the sweetest jumja fruit in the entire province.” She took another sip of her tea and wiped a tear away. “He wants to go home. He wants us to rebuild the farm together. But he won’t marry until the Cardassians are gone. They’ve outlawed the traditional ceremonies and he didn’t want them to catch us during the ceremony. But mostly, he just … he wants to know that we can have this new life together. And now …”
“You’ll find him, Caldra,” Deanna reassured her, hoping it wasn't a futile gesture.
A presence at the doorway caught both of their attention and Deanna turned to see a large, gruff looking man enter the room. For his size and stature though, there was a pure tenderness in his soul and she instantly found herself wanting to hug him. “Deanna, this is Furel. He’s Edon’s second in command. Furel, this is my cousin, Deanna.”
“Nice house,” Furel snorted. “I never quite believed that Cali was an heiress. Now I feel bad for not.”
Deanna laughed. “Why?”
“No one of any consequence wants us to live and heiresses keep their nails clean.”
For a long minute, the silence in the room threatened to crumble the walls. Deanna glanced down at her recently manicured nails. Furel barked a laugh. “It’s all right, Princess. We all got our thing.” He waved to the tea pot. “Up for grabs?”
“Of course. And I’ve ordered food brought in from the city,” Deanna said. “There’s a Bajoran restaurant that, according to some of our recent settlers, makes better hesperat than back home.” Once she said it, though, she knew she’d misspoke. Furel huffed.
“Of course it does,” he snarled. “Your ground isn’t poisoned.”
Silence, again. Deanna started to rise, to pretend to go check on the food, but instead she walked over to Furel and met his eyes. “No, it isn’t. And someday, yours won’t be either.”
He shook his head. “My people have lived on that world since most of you were still crawling out of caves. In fifty years, the Cardassians have ruined everything. Even if they go, it will take generations for our soil to grow again. So,” he let out a long, tired sigh, “it will be good to have some fresh hesperat. Thank you, Princess.”
Deanna bowed her head and stepped out, allowing Caldra and Furel to talk. The less she knew about their plans, the better. She made her way to her usual bedroom, closed the door, and moved to the comm panel. As expected, Will had left a message, wondering where she was. She had, after all, slipped away very quickly after a rushed breakfast.
Family business, she responded in a quick text message. I’ll be back in the city tomorrow morning and we can have lunch, if your schedule allows.
It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the whole truth either. The whole truth was something he just wasn’t going to be ready to hear. Not yet.
***
The alert picked up by the Federation scanners came across Will’s desk and he normally would have ignored it, but at the same time that message flashed, so did one from Deanna, promising lunch tomorrow, so his eye caught Fugitives Sought: Rebels Escaped to Federation Space. CONSIDER ARMED AND DANGEROUS. He was about to click away and respond to Deanna’s message when the photos of the so-called fugitives popped up on the screen. Two Bajorans, a man and a woman, but it was the third, the woman with black hair and black eyes that caught his attention. She wasn’t Deanna, but the family resemblance was striking.
Suddenly, her quick disappearance after breakfast and her not being back until tomorrow, it felt strange. Instinct crawled up the back of his neck.
Was Deanna helping the resistance? Her work at the hospital meant she had a soft spot for the refugees. He could understand, especially if this woman on the screen before him was part of her family. But Starfleet? She’d be court martialed.
Maybe she didn’t know. And maybe he was overreacting.
But “family business” was a pretty vague comment and he knew for a fact there were no High Family events scheduled this week. So, what then? Was he getting ahead of himself? And did it even matter? Deanna was on leave from Starfleet. Did her actions impact --
He stopped himself. He had no idea what she was up to and jumping ahead wasn’t good for anyone. They were having lunch tomorrow. It would be fine.
The comm panel chirped again. “Lieutenant, there’s a call from Admiral Sessions on a secure subspace channel.”
“Put her through.” He tapped the console, opening the line, and the face of his direct superior appeared on the screen. “Admiral,” he said, sitting up just a bit straighter. “How can I help?”
“Will,” Admiral Sessions offered him a light smile. Behind her, he could see shelves lined with books, and a framed Starfleet flag. “How are things planetside?”
He allowed a slow smile. “Slow,” he admitted. “But it’s Betazed.”
“Lovely people,” Sessions responded. “Living on that planet is therapeutic, I swear.” She paused. “Scuttlebutt is that you are seeing someone as well.”
Will understood immediately where this was going and wondered how much was about to be . “Lieutenant Commander Troi, yes,” he said, using her rank intentionally. A reminder that wherever this was going, Starfleet officers were involved.
“I actually served with her father,” Sessions replied. “He was a good man.” She paused and typed a few things into her panel, scanning a screen. “His daughter seems to be following in his footsteps as an officer.”
“I’m assuming this call is not to reminisce about your time here on Betazed, Sir?”
“Good, you’ve seen it.” The older woman sighed and closed the files she was pretending to look at. “Look, Will. No one wants to be over here, hunting down a bunch of people who are fighting for their lives. But Caldra Troi is forever a diplomatic incident waiting to happen. She isn’t just some Betazoid national who has decided to take up the cause. She’s a daughter of their most powerful House and people pay attention when her name shows up.”
“You can’t tell me that the Federation is going to turn her over if they catch her. She ...” Will trailed off. He’d understood the problem, but now it really sunk in. Ignore her, and run the risk of the Cardassians finding out the Federation was harboring a fugitive. The border was already a war zone. This wouldn’t make things any better. Capture her, and anger one of the Federation’s strongest allies.
The admiral was silent for a long time. “I’m calling only to let you know that the Hood will be passing through the Betazed system in four days.”
He wasn’t the most apt political mind, but Will understood instantly. They had three days to get Caldra, if she was on the planet, off the planet. If the Hood discovered she was in the sector, things might get a bit more complicated. Right now, she was a daughter of the Fifth House, visiting family. “Understood. I’ll make arrangements in case any of the crew wishes to beam down.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” She nodded and disconnected the line.
Will sat in silence for a long time before keying in Deanna’s communications code. When she didn’t respond the first time, he got up and paced his office for five minutes before trying again. The third time, her face appeared and behind her, he could see an open window and the low afternoon light on a lake.
God, she was beautiful.
“Hi, Will. I’m so sorry. I missed the call.”
“Deanna …” he met her eyes and her unflagging gaze told him she understood exactly what this call was about. Emotions raged through him - how dare she be involved in this, how dare she hurt her career, how dare she not tell him and give him the chance to protect her? But all he said was, carefully, “You might be interested to know that the Hood is passing through this sector in four days.”
She paled, slightly, and nodded. “That’s really good to know, Will. Thank you.”
“Are we still on for lunch tomorrow?”
“Right at midday,” she responded with a genuine smile. “And thanks for the information. That’s helpful.”
“Deanna …” her name caught in his throat. How deeply involved was she? Did he want to know? If he knew, what would that do if Starfleet investigated? After all, the Pegasus was still so close behind him. How many scandals was a young officer allowed?
“Don’t worry, Will. I’ll see you tomorrow.” She touched the screen and then it went dark. Will let out a breath and opened the channel one more time, reaching out to Ensign Fullbright at the desk.
“Yes, Lieutenant?”
“Can you get me a list of all ships scheduled to depart in the next three days?” If he couldn’t protect Deanna’s cousin, he could at least know what ship she was likely to be on and where it was going.
“Right away,” the Ensign replied. “Coming to you now.”
Five ships, all currently orbiting, appeared before him. One Andorian science vessel, a Vulcan medical ship, two Betazoid science vessels, and one Federation freighter. That one made sense. He pulled up the manifest, knowing that it was a futile gesture, but if he was in it, he needed to know what was going on. He could at least do that.
***
“The Vulcans will get us as far as the border,” Furel was saying as Deanna came into the room. “There’s a ship waiting for us there and we’ll cut through the back end of the Badlands and come up on the far side of the interrogation center.”
“Your accounts are ready,” Deanna said. “And you need to get going. The Hood will be coming through this sector in four days. Starfleet knows you’re here. Will just sent me a warning that I am sure came from his higher ups.”
“That means the Cardassians are looking for us,” Alcra said. “Caldra, you shouldn’t risk this one.”
“I’m going. Edon’s still alive. Barely. And I’m going.” She shook her head. “The Vulcans leave in the morning, so we’ve got one more night to rest up.” Caldra let out a breath. “And Dee, you’d better go home. The less you’re seen with us, the better.”
“All right.” Deanna looked at her cousin for a long time before folding her into a hug. “Take care of yourself.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Deanna turned to the other resistance cell members. “Good luck.”
“Cali says that you’re one of the team who kept an eye on Nerys when she was here,” Furel said, his low voice full of tenderness for the young soldier.
“I did.” Deanna paused. “And Caldra told me she is one of the ones you are trying to rescue."
“Her and Lupaza.” His tone softened even more when he said the second name. “Thank you for taking care of Nerys and her baby.”
“Meru,” Deanna said. “She named her Meru.”
“The baby was okay?”
“Small, but feisty. Much like her mother,” Deanna said gently. “And she’s safe now.”
“Good. Thank you.” He let out a breath. “Someday, when Bajor is beautiful again, you should come see it, Deanna.”
“I’d like that.”
“Thank you for your help.”
Deanna shook her head. “I’m not a fighter, but if I can help out like this, I feel like I’ve done something.”
“It’s more than most.”
Furel offered a hug and Deanna welcomed the embrace before turning to the last, far more quiet, member of the team. She offered a warm handshake before gathering her bag and heading out, leaving behind the medical supplies she’d brought with her. Caldra walked her to the door and Deanna hugged her tightly before kissing her cheek.
“Be safe, Cousin.”
“This Will Riker of yours,” Caldra ventured, “he’s special.”
“He is.”
“If he’s as special as I think he is, then someday, you’ll understand exactly why I won’t stop searching for Edon until … until he’s safe,” she finished carefully.
“What is it with us Troi women? Falling for offworlders,” Deanna said with a wry chuckle.
“We’re the adventurous ones.” Caldra hugged her again. “Kiss your mother for me.”
“I will. Be safe.”
“I’ll send word.”
Deanna came off the steps and made her way to the path. It was about an hour walk to the nearest transporter site, but it would be worth it to clear her head and put distance between these emotions and what was waiting for her at home. Will would want answers she wouldn’t be able to give, and she wasn’t sure exactly what that meant for them right now. So she walked and let her mind wander down the thread of connection that was starting to build between them. If she concentrated hard enough, she could feel him from anywhere it seemed.
Did he feel the same?