Star Trek: The Ranger, Part 3: Showdown

Chapter 9

IX

Jean-Luc Picard had been quite shaken by what he had heard on Vashti. Not simply that a man who could have been raised on Romulus, and trained by the Tal Shiar was an advisor to the C-in-C of Starfleet, and could be the head of Section 31, but that he himself-somehow-had set in motion the events that had led to this. Guinan had hinted at this thirty years ago. He hadn't believed it then, and continued to not believe it.

That had changed with Zani's words on Vashti. Somehow, in the past, in what had to be an alternate timeline, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, had put Tasha Yar aboard the Enterprise-C, where she, and apparently at least two other crew members, had been held by the Romulans.

Yet he had no conscious memory of that. He didn't know how to get at such a memory, if it existed somehow. It frustrated him beyond belief.

He also knew he had to move on from it, at least as far as the present situation was concerned. Perhaps he could deal with it later. Maybe he could find Guinan again, and somehow come to terms with it. But he had bigger fish to fry right now.

He had informed Admiral Jellico and Admiral Janeway that he was committed to trying to turn the tide against what was becoming an authoritarian Federation government, and to stop the mistreatment of XB's in the Quadrant. Being a synth himself now, he felt even more determined to quash the brutal treatment of the former Borg, and also synthetic life forms.

Despite the fact he was no longer in Starfleet, his was an immensely powerful voice, especially on Earth. Like Kathryn Janeway, he was seen as a hero in so many regards, even as Necheyav hated him because The Borg had assimilated him before the Battle of Wolf 359.

As the La Sirena departed Vashti, Picard had not advised Rios where they were going. But has he thought more and more about the events taking place, he was coming to a decision. He knew where he belonged.

He left his holographic suite, overlooking his vineyard in France, and headed to the bridge. Raffi saw him first.

"Hey, JL", she said quietly, the others having been equally as stunned by what had transpired. "Get any rest?"

He shook his head. "No, not really. I've been doing a lot of thinking, about what Zani told me."

"Spooked you, too?" Raffi smiled at him.

"More than you can imagine, and I can't go into all the details about all the reasons why it spooked me, as you say."

"What?" Agnes gave a lopsided smile. "Hearing a human was raised on Romulus, worked for the Tal Shiar, and could be advising Necheyav wasn't enough?"

Picard chuckled, taking the sarcasm in the spirit it offered. "My dear Dr. Juarti, as I said, there's a lot more to it, at least from my end, to what spooked me. But I simply cannot go into it, because, quite frankly, I don't understand all if it myself."

"Must be pretty heavy", Raffi offered, still trying to make the conversation light. "You'll tell us if you want to, JL. Don't sweat it."

Raffi had been piloting, while Rios was getting some much-needed rest. About thirty minutes after Picard entered the bridge, the ship's captain arrived.

"You look like hell, Cris", Raffi said with a snicker. "You go around with a Nausican or something?"

Rios looked over at Agnes, whose eyes went wide. "Don't look at me, pal, I didn't keep you from sleeping-well, not this time."

Picard and Raffi snickered, Agnes turning red, Rios simply rolling his eyes.

"Is Elnor still asleep?"