Chapter Eighteen

THE VOYAGE BACK to Deep Space Nine took considerably longer than the flight away. Picard sat in his command chair most of the three hours, simply staring at the stars through the main screen. He didn’t feel like resting just yet, even though the evening was growing late. Commander Riker sat beside him, also seemingly lost in his own thoughts. The rest of the bridge crew did their jobs quietly, giving him the time. He was grateful.

Shadowing the Enterprise were both Gul Dukat’s ship and Gowron’s flagship. Picard had talked to neither ship, although he knew he needed at least to acknowledge Dukat’s help. He had not yet decided on the right words.

Admiral Jellico had been brought aboard the Enterprise and Dr. Crusher had checked him over, fixed his

mild concussion, and sent him to sleep for the eyening.

The captured Klingon ship had been taken under control by two of Gowron’s fleet ships. The call for help from the House of Duras ships, it seemed, was never answered. Or at least was canceled by the ship that had escaped. How Gowron would handle the entire situation when he got back to Qu’onos was beyond imagining. Picard would probably never know.

He did know they had escaped both a sectorwide war, and a Klingon civil war. But it had been much too close a call.

For most of the last three hours his focus had been on trying to rescue something from the summit meetings. Somewhere there was a common ground between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Today had shown that.

He stood and paced in front of the main screen.

He knew the answer was right in front of him. He just couldn’t see it. The frustration was eating at him like a bad hunger. And there was only the meetings tomorrow and then it would be too late for this attempt.

The last few hours had seen a Cardassian ship, a Klingon ship, and a Federation ship work together to solve a problem. There was something deep inside him that liked that fact. It felt right, as if these three races almost belonged working together. Yet he knew that was a very distant, and idealistic, dream.

After a moment of pacing Riker said, “Looking for a solution to the meetings deadlock, sir?”

Picard stopped and stared at the smiling Commander Riker. It was as if he’d been reading his mind. “I’ve been doing the same thing, sir.”

“Any solutions?”

Riker’s response gladdened Picard’s heart. “Yes, sir, I think I might have an idea.”

Picard moved over and sat back down, turned to face Riker in his command chair.

“Sir,” Riker said. “I think the answer lies in the story Gowron has been telling. Even Admiral Jellico has been interested.”

“Go on,” Picard said. His instinct told him Riker was on the right track.

“I think we should convince Gowron to finish his story at lunch tomorrow,” Riker said. “And in the meantime I’ll talk to Geordi about the possibility of turning Gowron’s story into a holodeck program to train Federation personnel. See where the problems might lie.”

Picard nodded. “Interesting.” He let the Riker’s words sink in for a moment, then went on. -I knew that Gowron was telling his story for another reason. But even I have learned things about the Klingons from it. It just might work as a training program.”

“Exactly,” Riker said. “It might not be the diplomatic breakthrough we had all hoped for. But it will be a link to train Federation personnel. And something we can take out of these meetings to point to as progress.”

“And possibly the Klingons could have a story of ours,” Picard said, smiling. “To help them understand us.”

Riker laughed. “That, sir, would have to be one very interesting story.”

“We have them, Number One,” Picard said. “We have them.”

“Sir,” Data said. “We are within range of Deep Space Nine.”

“Hail them, Mister Data,” Picard said.

He again stood, pulled his shirt into place, and faced the screen as Commander Sisko’s smiling face came on-screen.

“Permission to resume our position?” Picard asked.

“Granted,” Sisko said. “And welcome back.”

“It’s good to be back,” Picard said. And he meant it. “I will see you before tomorrow’s meeting.”

“I look forward to it,” Sisko said.

“Picard out.”

“Mister Data,” Picard said, not turning from the main screen that now showed the station. Dukat’s ship had moved back into a place near the other Cardassian ship. “Hail Gul Dukat.”

“Aye, sir,” Data said.

A moment later the main screen was filled with Gul Dukat’s smiling face. He was sitting in his command chair, looking very relaxed and very happy with himself, as only a Cardassian can manage to look.

“Captain Picard,” Dukat said, smiling even bigger.

“Gul Dukat,” Picard said, nodding at the Cardassian. “I would like to officially express both my thanks and that of the Federation, for your help in this incident.”

Dukat bowed forward slightly, acknowledging what Picard said and still smiling. “Captain,” he said. “It was my pleasure. I can assure you of that.”

“I have no doubt,” Picard said.

Dukat laughed. “Maybe next time my warnings will be taken seriously.”

“Dukat,” Picard said, ignoring the last remark. “I would be very much interested in discovering how you were able to follow the cloaked ship.”

The Cardassian Gul laughed. “Secrets, Picard. A secret that must remain with me for the moment.”

Picard smiled at him. “As you wish. Thank you again. Picard out.”

Before the screen cut off, Dukat again nodded his acknowledgment. And then laughed.