25

“Aviana Virox knows more than she’s letting on,” Troi said.

Worf looked over at her. They were in the ready room; Troi had joined him to share Virox’s reactions while they were down on Issaw II.

“She insisted that rider was Thuvetha,” Troi said. “Which could just be the result of her being such a skilled telepath, but—” She shook her head. “I get the sense there’s something more. She’s hiding it from me, of course. But she let part of it slip while we were on the planet.”

“In what way?” Worf asked.

Troi told him about Virox’s insistence on pursuing the Ferengi. “She was ready to run in there herself.”

“That does not exactly fit with the frightened Betazoid woman we found on Uesta, does it?” He frowned. “I’ll admit this information cements some of the doubts I had about her. The insistence on coming with us on the away mission. The detailed image of Thuvetha she was able to give you—”

“Exactly,” Troi said. “Something’s going on here.”

Worf nodded and hit his combadge. “Worf to Bridge. Please send Aviana Virox into the ready room.” He looked over at Troi. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”

He walked around behind the desk and sat down. Troi slipped into the guest seat just as the door whisked open and Virox stepped into the ready room.

We shouldn’t be having meetings, she said. We should be storming into—

“Aviana,” Troi said, “could you please speak out loud, for the lieutenant’s sake?”

Aviana gazed evenly across the room at Worf. “Of course,” she said in her raspy voice. “Lieutenant Worf, we know the location of Thuvetha. We shouldn’t be here. We should be down there.”

“I’m not convinced it’s our best course of action,” Worf said.

Troi concentrated on Virox, trying to get a sense of her emotions. She was working to keep them blocked, but a few impressions slipped through. Virox was frustrated and impatient.

“And why not?” Virox demanded. Was that Troi’s imagination, or did her voice seem stronger, more clear? “If we’re dealing with a criminal element, I’m sure the Ferengi Alliance will be pleased that we can bring them this Bryt the Baron. I’m not requesting a declaration of war here.”

Worf studied her. “You are a much more—forceful woman than I originally thought, Madam Virox.”

Something flickered in Virox.

Virox smiled sweetly. “All Betazoid women are forceful.”

“Yes,” Troi said, “but not all Betazoid women are as traditional as you.”

Virox eyed her coolly. Whatever mask she had up was slipping, and Troi caught a whiff of desperation. A sense that all of this was personal.

“Aviana,” Troi said, “what aren’t you telling us?”

Virox looked between the Enterprise officers.

“Madam,” Worf said, “if you have been withholding information from us, I need to know immediately. We are trying to get these artifacts back as smoothly as we can.”

Virox took a deep breath. Her eyes burned. “I haven’t always been a House leader,” she finally said.

“Yes, you mentioned that,” Troi said wryly.

“What did you do before you were a House leader?” Worf said. “It’s uncommon to find someone who can read Ferengi.”

Virox sat for a long moment. When she finally spoke, her voice rang out clear and steady, without any hint of the disuse that had plagued it before. “I used to be Betazed Intelligence.”

Troi gaped at Virox in shock. She’d heard stories about the branch of Betazoid military that operated in the shadows. It had always seemed vaguely outlandish.

“You were a spy?” Troi spat out.

Virox crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin slightly.

“Betazed Intelligence?” Worf’s frown deepened. “Why didn’t you tell us from the beginning?”

“I’ve been retired for ten years,” Virox said darkly. “It’s customary for those retired to return to an everyday existence.”

“With all due respect,” Worf said, “it is not normal for a Betazoid civilian to accompany an Enterprise away team.”

“I was desperate to have this matter handled,” Virox said.

“And so you lied,” Worf said.

“I most certainly did. The Enshrined Disk is my responsibility. My old skills could be useful. If I was allowed to use them instead of sitting in this ready room discussing my past.”

Troi studied her. She still couldn’t get over the sound of her voice. It was the rasp that had made her seem so frail. All an affectation.

It was all just so—un-Betazoid.

And suspicious. Why keep it a secret? And how did a Betazed Intelligence operative, even a retired one, get bested by a Romulan mercenary?

Troi could sense that Worf had similar thoughts. Suspicion and doubt rolled off him.

“Madam, if we are to successfully retrieve the three treasures,” Worf said, “I need to know any information that could potentially be useful. Surely, as a former intelligence operative, you understand that.”

Virox hesitated.

“Commander Troi told me that the image you sent her of Thuvetha was startlingly accurate,” he continued. “Which is, as I understand, rather unusual for a situation in which you would have only briefly seen her face.”

He had caught her. Virox’s eyes glittered darkly. “Fine,” she said, throwing up her hands. “Thuvetha and I have a—past.”

An overwhelming relief poured off her. “She’s telling the truth,” Troi said.

“Good.” Worf narrowed his eyes. “Now, I would like more of it.”

Virox sighed. “Thuvetha’s from an old Romulan family that had”—Troi sensed a burst of discomfort and guilt—“a high standing in Romulan society. I say had…”

“Go on,” Worf urged.

“They were involved in smuggling weapons,” Virox continued. “I intercepted one of their ships. Thuvetha’s father had been in charge of that ship, and while he escaped from me, he didn’t escape from the Tal Shiar.”

Virox took on a distant expression, her face soft. “Thuvetha was trying to frame me,” she said. “As revenge for what happened to her father, and to her family afterward. They fell out of favor. Left Romulus. I believe she grew up on an Orion colony.”

“That’s why you wanted to charge into the compound,” Troi said softly. “If you can get the treasures back yourself—”

“Then there could be no doubt of my innocence,” Virox finished. “You know how the Betazoid House leaders are. Even if I was officially cleared, the gossip would have been unbearable.”

Worf frowned. “Commander,” he said, “are you sensing deception from her?”

“She’s telling the truth,” Troi said.

“Of course I am,” Virox snapped. “Now that you know my reasoning, could we develop a plan?”

“I have every intention of retrieving those artifacts,” Worf said.

“Then why not attack?” Virox said. “The Enterprise should be able to attack Bryt’s holdings with minimal risk. Ferengi are not fighters by nature. When they see how easily we can overpower them, they’ll surrender.”

“Or flee,” Worf said. “Taking the treasures with them.”

“The Enterprise couldn’t catch them?” Virox arched an eyebrow.

Worf stated, “This must be taken care of quietly.”

“This would be quick!” Virox said. “There is no reason that a team of Starfleet officers could not successfully infiltrate a Ferengi gangster’s place, with minimal planning and minimal loss of life.”

“You mean Starfleet lives,” Worf said. “These Ferengi do not deserve to be killed, criminals or not.” Worf shifted in his seat. “Frankly, madam, I’m unclear why you are so keen on attacking. You were a spy, not a warrior—” He stopped himself. “Warriors,” he murmured.

“Worf?” Troi leaned forward.

“The Ferengi aren’t warriors either,” he said. “They’re businessmen. They’re negotiators.”

He looked at Troi. “There was something you shared with me once. You said your mother told it to you, when she first became ambassador.”

Troi nodded, remembering. “Yes,” she said. “About how Betazoids don’t find lying necessary.” She glanced over at Virox. “But she had learned to lie when she took up her position as an ambassador.”

“An ambassador is just a spy who works out of the shadows,” Virox said.

“Exactly,” Troi said. “And what my mother said—”

“When the situation calls for it,” Worf said, “sometimes the only way to negotiate is to lie.”

Troi felt a prickle on her neck: Virox was agreeing.

“I know how we’ll do this,” Worf said.

“Let’s hear it.” Virox seemed relieved.

“If a Ferengi gangster has the three treasures,” Worf said, “what do you think he’s going to do with them?”

Virox blinked. Then she laughed.

“He’s going to sell them,” she said.

“Exactly.” Troi smiled. “I doubt he cares who he sells them to, as long as the seller has the latinum he wants.”

“Are you suggesting we buy back the artifacts?” Virox asked.

Worf gave a sly grin. “Or at least pretend to.”

Virox’s approval was immediate.

“You want to scam a Ferengi,” Troi said dryly.

“We need to retrieve the treasures without the Ferengi knowing Starfleet is involved,” Worf said. “And Virox has the experience we need for this sort of operation.” He paused. “Obviously, Commander Troi and I will accompany you,” he said to Virox, “to assure your safety.”

“Yes,” Virox said. “I like that. Two Betazed criminals with a Klingon bodyguard.”

Worf frowned. “I suppose that will make as good a cover as any.”

“This is a good plan,” Virox said.

Troi took a deep breath. She looked over at Worf. It was a good plan, one that would avoid any unnecessary violence. Still, she could sense he was nervous. None of this was how he did things. She knew she wouldn’t want to carry out this ridiculous plan with anyone else.

When he caught her gaze, she gave him a smile.

Which he returned.