Nien snapped her fingers and got his attention. "Young man?"
"Yes, m'lady?" Tobin replied.
"Stop being snotty."
Riker laughed, and Tobin couldn't help but smile as well. It obviously sounded as funny in their language as it had in Riker's.
He flicked the switch that opened the hatch. Riker went first, followed by Tobin.
"You okay?" Riker asked him.
"She was right," he said quietly. "I was acting improperly. Your mission is just. I must help."
"She doesn't even know what my mission is."
Only a little surprised, Tobin watched Nien as she lowered her head unnecessarily and passed through the hatchway. "No? I suppose she doesn't need to. It would seem she knows you."
After that, the three were silent as they made their way toward the main doorway at the front of the house.
Once on the uppermost level of the porch, they heard an automatic chime summon someone to the door.
Soon after, a non-automatic door opened with a click.
"Greetings." A Romulan, wearing a slightly more fancy set of servants garb.
"Jolan true," Nien said, only bowing her head a little. Probably showing respect to the estate, but not the servant. "I am here to see the master of the house."
The servant--perhaps he was a butler--shook his head slowly. "The master has left word he is not to be disturbed."
She nodded acceptance of that and looked like she might turn away, then looked back up. "Might I stay and wait for his audience?" she asked politely.
"I'm sorry, m'lady. That would not be well advised."
He spoke in a monotone. Riker could glean no emotion from his words.
"I see."
"If you'd like to leave words of your visit, I shall relay it."
Riker touched Nien on her shoulder and she stepped out of the way. "Hey, don't disappoint my aunt."
"Who--"
The guard fell, and all it took was a whap on his chin. With a lot of shoulder behind it. Riker shoved the fallen man out of his way and let Nien and Tobin pass.
"I thought for certain you'd just stun him," Tobin said, still looking quite surprised at Riker's fast action.
"Phasers make noise." He didn't see any place to really hide the butler, so he propped him in the corner by the door and whispered "Rest well" as he turned to look up the foyer.
"You're just leaving him there?" Tobin asked.
Riker shrugged. "He asked us to leave word of our visit."
"You're quite strong." Nien was whispering and Riker realized she was also walking very lightly, not quite on tiptoe.
"It's more knowing how to use your muscle than how much actual muscle you have." At a cross way where a hall went two ways, Riker looked to Nien to lend him some direction. She gestured toward one and they all followed the recommendation.
"I noticed the guard, butler--whichever--didn't have a weapon." Riker was looking and listening for others, but he heard and saw nothing.
"I told you, it's not allowed," Nien reminded.
"That gives us the advantage."
Tobin was walking in their direction but kept turning around to watch for anyone coming up behind them. "I'm beginning to think you don't need one."
"We're not out of here yet," Riker said. "Not by a long shot." He had that feeling he'd gotten in the Academy, when he had a long tedious paper to write, and was only on the first page. It wouldn't be a difficult paper, but it needed to be written and there was much to do before he was finished. Finding Deanna was the first page. They had to get back to the space dock and get the ship, and then get back to the Enterprise in time ... miles to go before they slept.
"There's a suspicious lack of people around here," Riker noticed.
"Apparently he wanted to be alone with--" Tobin stopped himself in mid-sentence. "I--I'm sorry, it was a poor choice of words."
"I know what he wanted," Riker said, his lips curled down into a frown.
"Private quarters would be far from the front entrance," Nien said. She knew what Tar Galal wanted too.
At the end of the hall was a closed door. The only closed door they'd seen so far.
Riker approached and quietly tried the old-fashioned knob.
"It's locked?" Tobin asked.
"Not for long." He pulled out his weapon and lightly pushed Nien back. "I'm going to have to phaser this."
"That will bring everyone in the house down on us."
Tobin was sounding very nervous again. Not snotty this time, just tense.
"I know." Riker motioned toward one of the rooms where the doors were open. "Use one of those windows. Get back to that ship. Bring it around for a quick escape. When this phaser goes off, noise won't matter."
"Give me five minutes."
Riker shook his head. "You've got until you're out the window. I'm not leaving her a moment longer."
Tobin nodded and skittered into the nearest room.
Listening for the opening of the window, Riker hesitated, watched for anyone coming, then admonished Nien to stand back even farther.
He took a few steps back as well and phase red the door lock with a very thin beam.
The lock broke with a loud pop and the door swung open. He moved into the room, phaser up, looking for the fat Romulan's face, and' Will Deanna was in the center of the large bed, reading a book.
"Deanna?" Riker's face felt warm and his skin was tight.
"I'm glad to see you. I was getting worried." She closed her book, dropped her legs over the side of the bed, and stood.
He looked at the book on the bed, then back to her. "I can see that."
She waved her hand at the book, dismissing it. "I mean I expected to be beamed up by now."
Riker shook his head. "Change in plans. Where's your 'employer'?"
"Oh, him," Deanna said disdainfully. "He tried to get fresh with me."
" "Fresh'?" Riker's muscles snapped taut. "Where is he?" he almost growled.
"Locked in the closet."
Obviously hearing their voices, he began knocking on the walls, ordering them to let him out.
Deanna sighed. "Oh, don't start the shouting again. We talked about that, remember? It gives me a headache."
"She reminds me of me," Nien told Riker, smirking.
He looked from the closet, to Deanna, and back to the closet. "I should have known," he said and walked toward the closet. "In here?"
"Yes. What are you going to do?"
"I want to see him," Riker said.
Deanna sighed. "Will--"
"In here?"
"Yes, but--"
Riker opened the door. The same fat Romulan from earlier in the day was sitting on the floor in the back of the closet. When he saw the door open he immediately jumped up. He moved well for someone his size. "It's about time--" he began, then noticed Riker's face. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"Her boyfriend," Riker said angrily and slammed the Romulan in the nose with his closed fist.
The Romulan stumbled back and then finally fell.
"That was very ... male of you."
"You bring out the savage in me, Imzadi," Riker said with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. "Flatterer."
Sharing a glance with Nien, Riker said, "So I'm told."
"There are others coming," Nien said from the doorway to the hall.
"Who's she?" Deanna asked of Nien.
"My 'employer." "
"Hello, my dear," Nien said politely.
Deanna smiled in return. "Hello." Riker could tell that Deanna also liked Nien instantly.
"Close that door," Riker told her. "We'll use the window."
"What window?" Deanna gestured around the room, showing there was none.
"Wonderful. What kind of room doesn't have windows?"
Deanna crossed her arms against her chest. "Interior rooms."
They heard footsteps padding up hallway outside.
"I could phaser them, but if one of them does have a weapon, and it
's not set to stun, I don't want to risk either of you." Riker frowned and looked up and then around the room, searching for another door, a vent, an attic access--anything.
"Perhaps I could talk to them," Nien offered.
At the door, at least two Romulan voices could be heard. "Lord? Are you all right?"
"I've met them," Deanna said. "They're not exactly listening types."
Riker dragged the Romulan off the floor and let him sit on the edge of the bed, next to Nien. He put his phaser close to the Romulan man's head. "Call off your guards."
"My servants."
"Whatever." Riker nudged him with the phaser. "Do it."
Tar Galal didn't look very scared. That wasn't good. "Why should I do as you want?" he asked. "So you can use me as a hostage to escape and then kill me when my usefulness ends?"
"I haven't killed her yet." Riker indicated Nien with a jerk of his head, leaving his phaser trained unerringly on the Romulan.
"Perhaps because she's a woman. I will not help you."
And by his tone, Riker knew he wouldn't.
"Be smart, child. Can't you see this is a matter of import?" When Nien spoke to the other Romulan it wasn't with the same tone she'd used to call Riker "child." That had been kind and warm. This was rather vacant. She wasn't the best liar on the planet.
"Silence, old woman." The Romulan man spat. "I need no help from ancient whores."
His arm acting almost independently, Riker lashed out in anger and backhanded the other man across the jaw.
"How many floors in this house?"
Galal dabbed at a trickle of green blood that came from a corner of his mouth. "Three."
Riker tapped his com badge "Got that, Tobin?"
"Understood."
"What are you doing?" Galal asked.
"I can't phaser through two floors and not expect to have the roof cave in on me."
"I don't understand." Galal looked truly concerned and confused.
"You will."
It began with one small creaking sound, then rolled into many such noises until it became a low rumble. Riker imagined it was what a tornado must sound like, without the wind. Wood snapped, and metal too, as the top two levels of the house were peeled back and lifted away. The night sky lay above and they could look up at it easily--debris and dust did not fall in on them. It was all held in the tractor field Tobin had cast so precisely that even the light fixture from the bedroom ceiling was whisked away, but the pillows on the bed were completely undisturbed.
There was a crash somewhere outside the house as Tobin dropped the entire top of the estate somewhere off in the distance.
The home's owner stood in awe. "You're insane."
The night wind pouring down into the room, Riker couldn't help but smile just a bit. "You ain't seen nothin' yet." He frisked the man a moment, and when he didn't find what he wanted, he looked around the room.
"What are you doing?" Galal demanded. "What do you want from me?"
By their expressions, Deanna and Nien were wondering the same.
"Stealing the keys to your flitter." Riker spied the keycard on the dresser and grabbed it with his free hand.
"What? What is he doing?" Galal asked Deanna, as if she'd answer him.
"Put him back in the closet, will you?" Riker asked.
Deanna led him back into the enclosure. "My pleasure." She locked him in.
"He brought you here in a vessel," Riker said. "Do you know where it's kept?"
She nodded.
"Lead the way." He motioned to the bed. "A small jump over the wall and we're out."
Deanna took a step toward the bed as Riker turned to Nien and took her hand.
"I've got to leave you here," Riker whispered. "But I'm sure he bought the idea you were a hostage."
"You didn't need to hit him on my account," Nien said, squeezing his hand in hers. "He is an insolent juvenile, in mind if not in age."
"I did need to hit him," Riker assured her. "But I'm sorry for all this."
She looked up at him, her eyes alive and understanding. "What you're doing is important, is it not?"
"Very."
"And it will not harm my people." She wasn't really asking a question. It was as if she knew.
"It will help everyone in the galaxy," he said.
"Then you go with my blessing, Riker. And your need for sorrow is not warranted." She patted his hand and smiled sweetly. "My only regret is that I shan't see you again."
"If there's a way--" Riker began.
Nien shook her head. "There is not, that much I know. But I will remember you."
He kissed her on the forehead, and backed away. "Take care."
"I don't like this plan." Tobin was complaining again.
Riker tapped away at the flitter's controls. "It's not really your ship, Tobin."
"I don't care about the tug. I just don't know that I can accomplish this task."
"You can. You will," Deanna said. It was good to be with her again, Riker thought. He didn't handle Tobin as well by himself.
The tug, bigger, faster, and certainly more powerful, streaked into orbit with the rich Romulan's shuttle far behind. It was much more than a flitter, Riker thought. Most flitters were not space worthy This was more a personal space yacht, with many comforts, but no offensive weapons.
There were no weapons, per se, on the tug either. But as Riker well knew, almost anything could be used as a weapon, especially a vessel that had the power to tow other, larger ships.
"Just keep control for long enough, Tobin. They'll swarm the tug quickly, I'm sure," Riker said. His own controls were easy enough and as Tobin slowed the tug in front of them, Riker eased back on the yacht's throttle. He inwardly chuckled at the idea of that--a throttle on an energy-based craft. Despite the antique control it was all computer-controlled, of course. No doubt it was intended to give the owner the "feeling" of hand controlling all that power. And it did. Too bad the Enterprise didn't come with an option set.
"They're hailing the tug," Tobin called.
Riker smiled. "Don't answer. Let them come to you."
And so they did. Within moments four small security shuttles were streaking toward the tug. They fired warning shots that sped past the ship and dissipated into the darkness of space. The shuttles were careful not to fire in line of the planet. Probably not because they feared that such a small disrupter shot would make its way through the atmosphere, but because it could send a satellite off into space or into a quickly decaying orbit.
The security ships swarmed around the tug, firing potshots and trying to herd it toward the space dock
"They're continuing to hail," Tobin said. "It is difficult to keep the tug from not going in the direction they're pushing me."
"Then it's time to push back." Riker moved from one console to another, making calculations and scanning the shuttles.
"Tractor beams are ready," Tobin called.
"I'm sending you the proper distances. Be sure to hold them at this perimeter. Any closer and you could destroy them, any farther and this won't work." It was important to Riker that no one be killed. Not simply because of the Starfleet and Federation moral codes that sought to use the least amount of force necessary, but because ... perhaps more than ever before, the Romulan adversary had a face. Nien's face, really.
How many of the men aboard those security shuttles had a mother, or aunt or sister such as she? It was too easy, as not only an explorer but a military man, to sometimes paint all opponents with the same wide brush. But the armies and governments of great powers were made of individuals, and those individuals
touched other individuals ... and while that didn't make every government's actions valid or right, it needed to be remembered.
"I understand," Tobin said.
"On my mark." Riker redoubled the yacht's shields, such as they were, and plotted the best course around the shock wave.
"And ... now, Tobin."
At Riker's command, Tobin initiated the plan. Th
e tug he controlled stopped, and the shuttles surrounding it swept in. Lashing out with tractor beams, the tug pulled in three of the shuttles, and pushed the fourth out so that they were all at the distance Riker had ordered.
Weaponless, the tug used the only defense it had. It exploded.
Debris bubbled forward, careening into space and into the shuttles, snapping and sizzling against their shields in a spastic electrical flutter. Then the shock wave followed, and was for the four small craft a disabling blow.
Their propulsion systems crippled, the shuttles reeled away, all at different angles.
Riker was bent over the yacht's small sensor panel. "All four security vessels ..."
"What?" Deanna prodded.
"They've lost propulsion and communications. All have life-support intact."
"And the tug?"
Riker shook his head. "Completely destroyed."
"We're approaching the space dock Deanna said. Riker swiveled in his seat as he rose. The yacht
pitched, jostled by stray debris, and he had to steady himself against the bulkhead.
"That worked much better than I expected," Tobin said excitedly as he burst from the aft control room. "We actually did it!"
"Well, we're not home free yet," Riker reminded him.
"No, but I didn't think remote control of such a vessel was even possible! Not without it being detected."
Riker pretended to shine his nails on his tunic. "I still know a few tricks."
"Yes, you certainly do." Tobin smiled in sincere response. Perhaps the man panicked quickly, but got over it quickly as well. Riker got the sense that Tobin was most distressed when he wasn't feeling protected. With Riker and Troi around, and a plan in action, the Romulan was much more at ease.
"Now we clear out and let you go to work," Riker told him. "Deanna?"
She rose and patted Tobin on the arm. "Don't be nervous."
Tobin looked out the main port and stared at the space dock a long moment. "I will not be," he said finally.
Sharing a glance with Deanna, Riker asked Tobin, "You remember what to do?"
The Romulan paused again, then took to the helm chair. "Yes."
As soon as Riker and Deanna were hidden in the aft control room, Tobin flipped the necessary switches to open a local communications channel.
He steadied himself, cleared his throat. "Spacedock
Star Trek - TNG - 63 - Maximum Warp, Book Two Page 6