Sralanya
2386
Flanked by a pair of male Tevent Coalition guards and with his hands bound in front of him by the now-familiar restraint bands, Picard sat on a bench along one wall of the personnel transport’s passenger compartment. Roused well before dawn after enduring only a few brief hours of fitful sleep, he felt himself being lulled by the ground transport’s gentle movements and the hum of its propulsion system as it proceeded on its antigravity cushion.
It would be easy enough to drift back to sleep, but he was doing his best to keep track of their journey, which he suspected would end up being a futile endeavor. The vehicle’s passenger area had no windows, and whatever changes in direction the transport undertook were without sharp turns or sudden slowing or acceleration. How long had they been on the move? Fifteen minutes; twenty at the outside, Picard guessed. He could not be sure if they were even still in the city.
“Where are you taking me?” It was the fifth time he had asked the question of his escorts since entering the vehicle. He made a point of employing the exact same phrasing and tone each time, refusing to offer the guards any hint that he was growing tired of posing the query. For their part, the two Eizand soldiers seemed to be growing irritated, though neither had ordered him to remain quiet. Until he received a reaction, Picard was content to keep needling them with questions.
It’ll pass the time, if nothing else.
He had already examined the passenger compartment’s interior. Besides the aft hatch through which he had entered, the only other features were the benches along both sides and a small communications panel set into the forward bulkhead. He and his guards were the only passengers. The rear hatch, he had observed during his loading process, could be opened or closed from the inside, but only with an octagonal key or access card each of the guards carried in a pocket of their uniform. Other than with assistance from outside the vehicle, the only way Picard was getting out of here was through the guards, which seemed an unlikely proposition.
Deciding to change tacks, he asked, “What about my people? Are they being moved as well?” Again, he received no reply, though one of the guards at least glanced at him. It was progress, Picard decided, if only a small portion.
The appearance of the guards in his holding cell had come as a surprise. All they had told him was that he was being transferred to another, more secure location to await his trial, and that time was of the essence. Having already been segregated from the rest of the away team, Picard’s first questions to the guards were about them and their current condition, but he was ignored then just as now. He wondered about the idea of being moved to a “more secure location.” Was the implication that his former holding area was somehow vulnerable? Perhaps his captors were anticipating the Enterprise attempting a rescue operation, assuming the crew had found a way to deal with the planet’s orbiting satellite defenses. Even without the use of transporters, due to interference from one source or another, a security detail from the starship would be more than capable of taking control of whatever base or installation was his current destination. Presider Hilonu would be doing everything in her power to prevent that from happening. She needed Picard for the trial she wanted held and also required the away team to use as leverage to ensure his cooperation. It therefore seemed obvious that the Eizand leader would be taking no chances.
Where was the presider? Picard had not seen her since their last meeting, following his separation from the away team. Would she not appear again until his trial got under way? As for whatever legal proceedings Picard soon would face, would they be broadcast around Sralanya? He knew the Enterprise would be monitoring all planetary broadcasts, if for no other reason than just one more means of attempting to track the away team.
A shift in the transport’s movements pushed Picard back against the passenger compartment’s sloping starboard bulkhead, and he shifted his feet to better brace himself against the deck. His two guards also were surprised by the odd maneuver, with both Eizand reaching with free hands to steady themselves.
“What was that?” asked one of the soldiers.
His companion shook his head. “I do not know.” He pushed himself from the bench, moving toward the front of the passenger compartment just as the transport lurched again, this time to port. Picard was able to keep steady in his seat by sticking out his right leg and planting his heel in a groove running the length of the deck, but the guard did not fare as well. Instead, the Eizand stumbled and rammed his shin into the opposite bench. Snapping a stream of invective Picard did not understand, the guard reached for a handhold to keep from being knocked off his feet.
Picard flinched as something slammed into the vehicle’s starboard side, behind his back. The effect was immediate as the transport lost power and began decelerating. Despite his best efforts, Picard felt himself dragged toward the front of the passenger compartment, pushing him into the other guard who was still seated on the bench. The second soldier, still standing at the time of the strike, stumbled forward and slammed face-first into the front wall. Picard heard bone snap and the guard whimpering as he dropped to his knees, reaching to cover his face.
“Ambush!” shouted a voice through the communications panel. “We are under attack!”
Who in the hell would be attacking a prisoner transport and why? Were the assailants after the guards, the vehicle, or him? Locked inside, he was a sitting duck. These and other questions and thoughts raced through Picard’s mind as a second salvo punched the side of the transport, and this time he had to grab on to the edge of the bench to keep from being thrown to the floor.
You need to do something.
His stomach lurched as the transport halted with no warning, and Picard and the guard started to come up off the bench. Whereas the Eizand tried to arrest his motion by reaching for the bulkhead behind him, Picard allowed the inertia to carry him forward. With his hands still clasped together, he swung upward, his fists smashing into the underside of the guard’s jaw. The strike was enough to snap the soldier’s head back and into the bulkhead, and he grunted with surprise and pain. He attempted to push himself to his feet, one hand making a clumsy move for his holstered sidearm, but Picard gave him no quarter. Following his first attack, he lashed out at the guard again, chopping at his face with the edges of his hands. The blow was enough to drop the soldier back onto the bench and he toppled over.
“Stop!”
Ignoring the voice of the other guard, Picard scrambled to grab the weapon from his unconscious companion’s holster. It took two tries to pull the sidearm free, and it required effort to wield the unfamiliar pistol with his hands still locked together. He spun, leveling the weapon’s muzzle at the other guard in time to see the wounded Eizand, pale gray-blue blood streaming from his broken nose, struggling to push himself to his feet. The soldier had already drawn his weapon and now was attempting to take unsteady aim at his prisoner.
Picard fired.
The pistol bucked in his hands as it unleashed a single energy bolt, which was blinding and deafening inside the cramped passenger compartment. His aim was true and the bolt struck the guard in his left shoulder, spinning him around and pushing him against the forward wall. The soldier slumped against the bulkhead, dropping his own sidearm and rolling over onto the deck.
A quick check confirmed that the guard was merely unconscious, for which Picard breathed a sigh of relief. He had not wanted to harm the Eizand, but killing him would have only made an already tense situation far more uncomfortable.
The sound of metal against metal from behind him made Picard turn and drop to one knee, aiming the awkward pistol at the transport’s rear hatch. A moment later the door swung open and faint daylight streamed into the compartment.
“Captain Picard?”
The call was in halting Standard, as though its speaker was unfamiliar with the language, but it was enough for Picard to drop his weapon’s muzzle toward the deck as first one, then a second Eizand head poked through the doorway. One of the new arrivals was a female, but the other was a male that Picard recognized.
“It is him,” said Janotra, the guard who had overseen the away team’s original incarceration. He looked away, toward someone Picard could not see, before redirecting his attention back inside the vehicle. “Are you injured?”
“What is the meaning of this?” asked Picard. He felt his grip tighten on the pistol.
Janotra replied, “You are safe, Captain. I am here to take you to your people, but we must leave quickly. They will send soldiers and others to investigate, and we must be gone from here before they arrive. We have no wish to harm anyone beyond what is absolutely necessary and otherwise unavoidable.”
Allowing himself to be helped from the transport, Picard handed his weapon to Janotra. He saw that the ambush had occurred on an undeveloped road well away from the activity of Ponval. The cityscape was visible in the distance, many of its buildings’ lights still glowing as dawn approached. A narrow, winding road cut through grassland, and a trio of ground vehicles, each featuring an antigrav system like the transports, were parked in the shadows beneath a canopy of towering trees. Several Eizand moved about, and Picard noted how their uniforms and equipment were far less clean and polished than what he had seen in the city. These were not regular soldiers, he decided.
Realization dawned, and Picard scowled. “You’re the dissenters Presider Hilonu mentioned.”
“Yes,” replied the Eizand. “A few of them, at least. There are many more of us, Captain, scattered around the world.”
“I don’t understand. Why are you fighting your government?”
“Because it is based on treachery and deceit.” Janotra took Picard by the arm and led him toward one of the vehicles. “Our world’s history is one of tragedy, Captain, but many of us have come to believe it was as much of our own making as it was influenced by outside forces. There are those who are unwittingly ignorant of this, and still others who have chosen to bury the unpleasant truths. We mean to set the record straight.”
That gave Picard pause. “Wait. Are you saying that you don’t believe my people were responsible for the war?”
Janotra shook his head. “That I do not know, but with your help, we hope the truth will soon be known to all.”
• • •
Chen was the first to see him, and Picard was almost knocked off his feet as she eschewed all manner of Starfleet protocols and convention by wrapping her arms around him in a firm hug.
“Lieutenant,” said Picard, though he did not resist his own instinctive return of the embrace.
“You can court-martial me later, sir, but it’s damned good to see you.”
With that undignified greeting out of the way, Picard took stock of Lieutenant Dina Elfiki and Glinn Ravel Dygan before the science officer updated him on the team’s liberation from their holding cell. Fleeing from Ponval, they along with Janotra and other Eizand dissenters had ventured into the mountains far north of the city before arriving in this network of underground tunnels and caverns. Picard had been given the same treatment, leaving the scene of his own escape via ground vehicles before switching to a small airborne personnel craft and flying deep into the mountain range. After landing and camouflaging the shuttle, Picard’s rescuers escorted him on foot the rest of the way, entering the subterranean hideaway through a concealed entrance at the bottom of a narrow ravine.
Finally, with Elfiki’s recounting of their journey to this unlikely sanctuary complete, Picard listened to her report about Austin Braddock’s death during the away team’s escape.
“I’m sorry, Captain,” she said. “It happened so fast, and there was so much confusion.”
“He saved my life, sir,” added Chen, her eyes moistening. “It was over in an instant. I don’t know if he even knew what he was doing, or if he was just acting on instinct, or . . .” Her words trailed off as she reached up to wipe a lone tear that had begun running down her cheek.
Dygan placed a hand on her shoulder. “He knew, Lieutenant.” The Cardassian offered a small smile. “He acted out of duty and training, but also out of loyalty to his shipmates. Remember that.”
Nodding, Chen reached up to pat his hand. “Thanks.”
“Captain Picard.”
Turning at the sound of the new voice, Picard saw Janotra standing at what he perhaps considered a respectful distance as the captain reunited with his officers. The tall, lean Eizand soldier had exchanged his Tevent Coalition military uniform for looser, more comfortable-looking clothing. He was accompanied by another Eizand: the female Picard had seen during his liberation from custody.
“This is my assistant, Renli,” said Janotra, gesturing to his companion. “She oversees our supplies, including scouting for new sources of food, water, weapons, and other necessities. She also plans raids into Ponval or other, smaller cities or settlements to provide us what we need.”
Picard asked, “You steal what you need?”
“Sometimes, yes.” Janotra grimaced. “It is not something we are proud of, Captain. It is a tactic of last resort, and even then we do everything possible to ensure that those suffering a loss due to our theft are not innocent bystanders or those who cannot afford to lose whatever meager possessions they have acquired. Instead, we focus our activities against government or military entities.”
It all sounded so very altruistic, and Picard attempted not to render summary judgment upon these people until he heard more of their story. At first, they seemed to be a band of rogue bandits, but such people would not have taken the trouble to free strangers from prison. There was more here than met the eye, Picard decided.
“If you are hungry or require rest,” said Renli, “we can provide for your needs just as we have for the rest of your group. I promise you will be treated well.”
Chen said, “They’ve taken great care of us.”
Drawing himself up, Picard said, “Thank you for your offer and for looking after my people. What I require is an explanation for our release and access to my ship.”
Janotra nodded. “Your second request presents some problems, as any attempt by us to establish a communications link will surely be tracked by the Coalition’s rather extensive monitoring and surveillance apparatus. I am not saying such communication is impossible, but it will require additional planning and coordination on our part in order to keep Coalition forces from discovering our location.”
“Fair enough,” said Picard. Though he was uncertain he should take everything Janotra told him at face value, there was something to be said for exercising patience and restraint for the time being, in the hopes of learning more about these people and what they were doing here.
“As for why we extracted you from detention,” said Janotra, “the simple answer is that we need your help, Captain. We need your help to unlock the truth of what happened to us. It affects you as well. It is our hope that if the reality of the war is revealed, the divisions that continue to plague us even after so many generations will finally begin to dissolve.”
Chen asked, “You mentioned that your people have been living a lie. What does that mean?”
“Are you saying the astronauts from Earth weren’t responsible?” asked Elfiki.
“We know that they played a role. What remains unclear is the extent of their involvement.”
Indicating for Picard and the others to follow them, Janotra and Renli moved out of the small cave where the away team had greeted one another and into a connecting tunnel. As with the caves, the ceiling here was low and the floor uneven. Picard saw how lights strung on cables provided illumination in the otherwise dark spaces. He ran his hand along a stone wall, feeling its network of craggy grooves and wondering how long ago this underground passage had been created.
As they walked, Janotra said, “Many of the war’s contributing factors were in play long before their arrival, such as our endless squabbling over natural resources and territorial boundaries. While the Tevent had ready access to vast deposits of mineral ores and other resources, the Galj and Yilondra nations also controlled their assets.” The Eizand soldier shook his head. “Disagreements and distrust over access to resources was a constant source of ever escalating conflicts. Given the unwillingness of any of the major participants in these disputes to negotiate or even honor existing treaties, all-out war was inevitable.”
Picard asked, “But what about the astronauts? What does any of this have to do with them?”
His expression now one of sadness, Janotra replied, “They were the perfect means to an end, Captain.”
“They were scapegoats?” asked Chen.
Janotra frowned. “I do not understand your reference, Lieutenant, but if it means they were treated unfairly, that is not inaccurate.”
“But what of their trial?” asked Glinn Dygan. “Are you implying that was a miscarriage of justice?”
“It was worse,” said Renli. “It was theater, designed to distract the masses and inflame their emotions at a time when our people were still reeling from the effects of global war. After having their civilization almost ripped from them, the Tevent Coalition government was able to march these three criminals before an audience of hundreds, with millions more watching on news broadcasts, as they were executed for their supposed deeds.”
Unwilling to simply accept what he was hearing, Picard said, “Even if what you say is true, it still doesn’t give me a reason. Why would the Tevent Coalition have to pursue such a—”
Wait.
Janotra nodded. “Yes, Captain. The Tevent started our war.”
“Damn,” said Elfiki.
Renli replied, “There were many who believed war was inevitable, and opinions differed on which of the three powers would launch the initial strikes. Tevent leaders at the time attempted to portray the conflict as the Galj and Yilondra combining forces to threaten Coalition interests; there is equal evidence to suggest the Tevent government pursued unduly aggressive policies with respect to territorial expansion and protection.” She held out her hands. “In the end, all that matters is that war finally came, and our entire planet suffered for it.”
“Whether your people provided the trigger for the war is another matter,” said Janotra. “Several theories were put forth, establishing a case for a version of events that was rather convenient. The precise timeline has always raised questions for those willing to consider them. In the aftermath of the initial strikes, when the trial was under way, Tevent forces moved on Galj and Yilondra targets while people’s attentions were elsewhere. By then, it was too late.”
The group resumed their traversing of the tunnel, with Janotra eventually leading them into another, somewhat larger chamber. Picard saw stacks of storage containers, tools, and other items, including an array of computer and communications equipment sitting on worktables along the rear wall. Although Picard did not recognize the function of every component, there was enough here for him to glean some understanding.
“I know that our story must seem outlandish,” said the Eizand soldier as they entered the room. “I cannot expect you to simply believe me. The truth is that we have no proof of these allegations. Finding evidence has been one of our goals for quite some time. Thankfully, there are others, like me, who have inserted themselves into the Coalition government and military at various levels, working in secret for years to locate the proof we seek.”
“There must be something,” said Picard.
Renli replied, “As generations passed, leaders changed, and people forgot, it became harder to believe that such evidence existed at all. However, one of our people alerted us to a possibility just a few days ago, before your arrival. That prompted us to take a chance on raiding one of the Coalition archive annexes.”
“That is what Presider Hilonu mentioned,” said Glinn Dygan. “When we first met her, there was talk of such a raid.”
Picard nodded. “Yes, she did talk about that.”
“Do you think Hilonu knows about this evidence or what it represents?” asked Chen.
“I do not believe that the presider, or even anyone on her staff, knows the truth,” replied the Eizand. “However, she does have advisers who will attempt to shield her from this, to protect her from a political standpoint. We hope that if the evidence we have found is conclusive, we can use it to convince Hilonu that our cause is just.”
Elfiki asked, “What kind of evidence are we talking about?”
Moving to one of the storage crates, Janotra pulled open the container’s access panel, revealing a cache of computer or electrical equipment. It took Picard a moment to realize that some of the components did not appear to be Eizand in origin. Sitting among a section of console or workstation parts were at least two keyboards bearing English lettering, along with another panel of status gauges and controls labeled with similar script.
“Is that what I think it is?” asked Chen.
Janotra replied, “This is a computer core from the Eizand ship that originally visited your world and eventually returned to us, modified for use by humans. We have attempted to access it, but it is encrypted using methods we do not understand.”
“Captain,” said Elfiki, “if this has a record of the ship’s flight from Earth, maybe with personal logs or journals—”
Already ahead of his science officer, Picard nodded. “The truth about everything may be right here.”