Epilogue
USS Enterprise
En route to Earth
Stardate 57101.8
Captain Jean-Luc Picard had no particular hatred of Romulans, having encountered them numerous times over his career, and fought side by side with them on several other occasions, but he did not like Commander Sela. She always made his hair stand on end and he was wary of anything that she said. He watched her shuttle glide into the Enterprise’s main shuttlebay and settle to the deck, wishing that he’d taken Madden’s offer of a couple of security personnel accompanying him and the new director of the Tal Shiar. He needed have worried since she stepped off the shuttle with only two people, both of whom wore the sciences sash across their uniforms.
‘Take me to the shuttlebay,’ she ordered. ‘If I find evidence that you murdered Granger and the uhlans I will have you extradited to face trial on Romulus.’
‘This way,’ Picard gestured toward the doors. ‘I can assure you it was accident. It would appear that your Sublieutenant was not as familiar with our systems as he needed to be for successful completion of the exchange.’
‘We shall see. My forensics people will tell me whether you’re lying or not, Picard.’
As he walked toward the turbolift, he considered what he might say if she did find something that Geordi missed. ‘Your mother would be horrified to see what you’ve become.’
‘My mother was a human traitor! Whatever I have become, it is because of him.’
‘Is he proud of you?’
‘He is dead, killed during the Dominion war. I am the first woman to be the head of the Tal Shiar. I will make him proud!’
Picard noted her choice of words but said nothing. Not a word was spoken until they all reached the transporter room. Sela entered first and her Sublieutenant jumped to his feet, saluting her. Worf stood impassively by the bulkhead while La Forge was running a scanner over the open pattern buffer.
‘Step away,’ she ordered as her people moved in.
La Forge looked to the captain, who nodded.
The science officers knelt by the buffer, took readings with their own scanners, and then one of them approached the console and scanned it. He conferred with the Sublieutenant and glanced at Worf. The one kneeling by the buffer stood up and moved to the console and they both spoke in hushed tones before turning to Sela.
‘Director, we found trace residue from the uhlans and Doctor Granger. If they had been beamed somewhere else, a different trace would have been found.’
‘You’re the engineer, what happened?’ she pointed at La Forge.
‘There was a problem with the pattern buffer that the level three diagnostic didn’t pick up. It wouldn’t have caused any trouble during transport had your man run through the usual procedures.’
Sela turned to him and then nodded to the science officers. ‘Take him.’
‘Are you satisfied?’ Picard asked innocently.
‘No, I think you’re playing a game with me. But the evidence tells a different story. If I hear through any of my sources that Doctor Granger has turned up alive and well, there will be nowhere for you to hide, Captain.’
‘Don’t you trust your own people?’
‘I trust no one.’
‘That’s your loss.’
‘That’s as it may be. Our paths should not cross again, Captain,’ Sela said and strode from the transporter room.
‘Captain, shouldn’t she have an escort?’ Worf asked.
‘There won’t be a problem, Commander,’ Picard replied. ‘Good work, gentlemen. As soon as the director has left the ship, I suggest we resume course for Earth. Admiral Janeway will not take kindly to having been kept waiting. I will have to tell her what has transpired, and hope that nothing too problematic will come of it.’
‘Captain, Doctor Granger was the real danger. Now that he’s been taken care of, you can leave it up to the politicians to sort out Sejanus.’
Picard sighed. ‘I don’t like leaving anything up to the politicians, though I have to say that our current leadership is far better than the last. We might not have so much trouble after all.’
‘We can all hope.’
‘Battaglia to Picard.’
‘Go ahead, Lieutenant.’
‘Admiral Janeway called again, Captain. She would like you to speak with her when you’re finished getting chummy with the Romulans.’
A smile tugged at the captain’s mouth. ‘I’m on my way, Picard out.’
In his ready room a few minutes later, he steeled himself for Janeway’s reaction, having just informed her of the current situation.
‘Are you out of your mind, Captain?’
‘Admiral, I could not have foreseen the Klingon’s interference. They had Granger and I believed, as you did, that it would satisfy them.’
‘Captain, I’m not as stupid as I may look, despite my being out of the loop for seven years. I know you tried to pull a fast one over the Romulans, and over me, and I can assure you that while the Romulans may accept your story, I don’t. Your first officer has the ear of the Klingon Chancellor and whether I can prove it or not, I know that you let them take Captain Sejanus.’
‘Admiral, at the end of the day, does it really matter?’
Janeway leaned forward. ‘The attacks have become public knowledge and now there is no way to give Doctor Granger a legal trial without the Romulans learning of the deception. President Bacco will likely have to make a formal request for extradition, and Granger will have to be kept at a secret facility for the rest of his life.’
‘I can’t say I’m sorry to hear that. He caused a lot of devastation.’
‘Captain, you will continue to Earth and hand Doctor Granger over to Starbase One. Then you will report to my office for a thorough debriefing. I must let you know, Captain, that you may be facing a general court-martial for your actions today.’
Picard nodded, having expected that it might unfold that way. ‘I will accept full responsibility for my actions.’
‘Yes, you will; Janeway out.’
USS Enterprise
En route to Earth
Stardate 57101.8
Captain Jean-Luc Picard had no particular hatred of Romulans, having encountered them numerous times over his career, and fought side by side with them on several other occasions, but he did not like Commander Sela. She always made his hair stand on end and he was wary of anything that she said. He watched her shuttle glide into the Enterprise’s main shuttlebay and settle to the deck, wishing that he’d taken Madden’s offer of a couple of security personnel accompanying him and the new director of the Tal Shiar. He needed have worried since she stepped off the shuttle with only two people, both of whom wore the sciences sash across their uniforms.
‘Take me to the shuttlebay,’ she ordered. ‘If I find evidence that you murdered Granger and the uhlans I will have you extradited to face trial on Romulus.’
‘This way,’ Picard gestured toward the doors. ‘I can assure you it was accident. It would appear that your Sublieutenant was not as familiar with our systems as he needed to be for successful completion of the exchange.’
‘We shall see. My forensics people will tell me whether you’re lying or not, Picard.’
As he walked toward the turbolift, he considered what he might say if she did find something that Geordi missed. ‘Your mother would be horrified to see what you’ve become.’
‘My mother was a human traitor! Whatever I have become, it is because of him.’
‘Is he proud of you?’
‘He is dead, killed during the Dominion war. I am the first woman to be the head of the Tal Shiar. I will make him proud!’
Picard noted her choice of words but said nothing. Not a word was spoken until they all reached the transporter room. Sela entered first and her Sublieutenant jumped to his feet, saluting her. Worf stood impassively by the bulkhead while La Forge was running a scanner over the open pattern buffer.
‘Step away,’ she ordered as her people moved in.
La Forge looked to the captain, who nodded.
The science officers knelt by the buffer, took readings with their own scanners, and then one of them approached the console and scanned it. He conferred with the Sublieutenant and glanced at Worf. The one kneeling by the buffer stood up and moved to the console and they both spoke in hushed tones before turning to Sela.
‘Director, we found trace residue from the uhlans and Doctor Granger. If they had been beamed somewhere else, a different trace would have been found.’
‘You’re the engineer, what happened?’ she pointed at La Forge.
‘There was a problem with the pattern buffer that the level three diagnostic didn’t pick up. It wouldn’t have caused any trouble during transport had your man run through the usual procedures.’
Sela turned to him and then nodded to the science officers. ‘Take him.’
‘Are you satisfied?’ Picard asked innocently.
‘No, I think you’re playing a game with me. But the evidence tells a different story. If I hear through any of my sources that Doctor Granger has turned up alive and well, there will be nowhere for you to hide, Captain.’
‘Don’t you trust your own people?’
‘I trust no one.’
‘That’s your loss.’
‘That’s as it may be. Our paths should not cross again, Captain,’ Sela said and strode from the transporter room.
‘Captain, shouldn’t she have an escort?’ Worf asked.
‘There won’t be a problem, Commander,’ Picard replied. ‘Good work, gentlemen. As soon as the director has left the ship, I suggest we resume course for Earth. Admiral Janeway will not take kindly to having been kept waiting. I will have to tell her what has transpired, and hope that nothing too problematic will come of it.’
‘Captain, Doctor Granger was the real danger. Now that he’s been taken care of, you can leave it up to the politicians to sort out Sejanus.’
Picard sighed. ‘I don’t like leaving anything up to the politicians, though I have to say that our current leadership is far better than the last. We might not have so much trouble after all.’
‘We can all hope.’
‘Battaglia to Picard.’
‘Go ahead, Lieutenant.’
‘Admiral Janeway called again, Captain. She would like you to speak with her when you’re finished getting chummy with the Romulans.’
A smile tugged at the captain’s mouth. ‘I’m on my way, Picard out.’
In his ready room a few minutes later, he steeled himself for Janeway’s reaction, having just informed her of the current situation.
‘Are you out of your mind, Captain?’
‘Admiral, I could not have foreseen the Klingon’s interference. They had Granger and I believed, as you did, that it would satisfy them.’
‘Captain, I’m not as stupid as I may look, despite my being out of the loop for seven years. I know you tried to pull a fast one over the Romulans, and over me, and I can assure you that while the Romulans may accept your story, I don’t. Your first officer has the ear of the Klingon Chancellor and whether I can prove it or not, I know that you let them take Captain Sejanus.’
‘Admiral, at the end of the day, does it really matter?’
Janeway leaned forward. ‘The attacks have become public knowledge and now there is no way to give Doctor Granger a legal trial without the Romulans learning of the deception. President Bacco will likely have to make a formal request for extradition, and Granger will have to be kept at a secret facility for the rest of his life.’
‘I can’t say I’m sorry to hear that. He caused a lot of devastation.’
‘Captain, you will continue to Earth and hand Doctor Granger over to Starbase One. Then you will report to my office for a thorough debriefing. I must let you know, Captain, that you may be facing a general court-martial for your actions today.’
Picard nodded, having expected that it might unfold that way. ‘I will accept full responsibility for my actions.’
‘Yes, you will; Janeway out.’
END
