The Sky's The Limit Part 28

That almost disappointed me. A part of me wanted him to try to escape so Seo could kill him. He would be justified in the act, especially if Mak's life was put in danger.

I found myself visualizing the phaser burning through Madred's chest, his small eyes widening at the impact.

But Madred did nothing. He merely sat on the bunk and allowed himself to be healed. Mak finished his work and nodded to Seo, who in turn nodded to Lieutenant Houarner, the officer on duty at the brig controls. Houarner lowered the force field. Seo kept his phaser on Madred as he and Mak departed the brig.

Once they were clear, Houarner raised the force field again. Only then did Seo lower his weapon.

Mak walked up to me. "He's fine, sir. Just a few sc.r.a.pes and bruises."

"Thank you, Ensign."

Nodding, Mak departed.

I walked up to the edge of the force field. Seo, I noticed, did not leave but took up position next to Houarner's desk. I debated ordering them both out of the room, but standard procedure during wartime was for two security guards to be present during any interrogation, and I saw no reason to put either officer in a conundrum by ordering them to violate that procedure.

Madred looked up at me, his face having been repaired. "So, it would seem fate has thrown us together again, human."

I stepped forward. "You are on board my s.h.i.+p, Gul Madred, and you will address me as 'Captain.' "

Inclining his head, he said, "My apologies. I'm afraid I'm far more accustomed to my role as jailer than jailed." He gave a small smile and added, "How grateful I am that it is you who are my interrogator, Captain. So often in that room, I found myself dealing with dullards and simpletons, enemies of the state who provided no challenge whatsoever. I feared that now, with the positions reversed, I would be confronted with a boorish chief of security who would badger me with tiresome questions."

"Such as asking you what you were doing on an outdated s.h.i.+p so far from Carda.s.sian s.p.a.ce-or, rather, Dominion s.p.a.ce?"

Again he smiled. "Yes, rather like that question. And you give the Akril cla.s.s far too little credit. It is one of our finer designs." The smile fell. "Or rather, it was."

I had to admit that a certain smugness crept into my tone when I said, "Your Dominion masters were unable to make the upgrades work, were they?"

"They are hardly our 'masters,' Captain." Madred's tone struck me as defensive. "We are part of the Dominion now, not its slaves."

"Really?" I started to pace back and forth in front of the force field. "Your government is run by the Vorta-yes, I know, Legate Damar is nominally in charge, but he's obviously a puppet of the Founders. You can practically see the strings."

"Perhaps-but Carda.s.sia is great once again."

"Carda.s.sia is nothing! Your entire culture, your entire nation has been subsumed in order to become part of a larger totalitarian state."

Madred whispered, "And what, pray tell, was the alternative? Carda.s.sia was in a shambles, Captain. I am the last to lament the end of the Obsidian Order-they were a collection of paranoid fools-but their destruction left the government vulnerable to civilian takeover, which in turn left us even more vulnerable to outside attack. Our people were dying in droves. We lost worlds to Klingon aggression and Maquis terrorism. By joining the Dominion, Carda.s.sian lives were saved."

"And how many more lives were lost since the war began?"

"I would be a fool to deny that sacrifices have been made. But at least the losses are now primarily soldiers who have pledged to give their lives in service to Carda.s.sia. When the Klingons attacked, they showed little interest in limiting themselves to military targets, and the Maquis were even more indiscriminate."

"A life is no less valuable because it has agreed to serve. All life is precious, Madred."

He chuckled at that. "What a charmingly naive point of view. Allow me to refute each of your points, Captain. Life is not at all precious-if it were, it wouldn't be so easily disposed of. As for the military, its primary function is to protect the state and the people within it. Of course a civilian life is of more value, because the military's job is to put itself in danger to protect civilians. There is no other conclusion to be reached from that position-unless your Starfleet does not protect civilians."

"Of course it does."

"Then why do you continue to fight the Dominion?" Madred rose and walked toward the force field. "You must see that this war is a tremendous waste."

I raised an eyebrow. "Then why do you continue to fight it?"

Another smile. "That is my question to you, Captain. Why do you resist the inevitable? Why fight the Dominion?"

"What alternative do we have?"

"Join us!" Madred spoke with pa.s.sion, now, more than I'd ever seen him evince. "If you join the Dominion, you can save lives-a position your Federation, as well as the Klingons and Romulans, would have been far better off emulating rather than fighting. If you don't believe me, you need only to glance at your collective casualty figures to see that I am right."

Now he was simply playing games. And, I realized, I was playing them as well. One of the last things Madred ever said to me before I was released from his torture chamber was, "I would enjoy debating with you, you have a keen mind." Now, here, we were doing that very thing.

I wasn't about to continue letting him manipulate me. "What were you doing on that s.h.i.+p, Madred? I can't imagine you were reduced to captaining an old wreck like that."

"I was not the Pakliros's s.h.i.+pmaster, if that is what you are asking, Captain. But I see no reason to share my mission with the likes of you."

"If not with me, then with one of those boorish security chiefs you were lamenting earlier. It would be easier for all of us if you spoke now."

Madred turned and sat back down on the bunk. "Perhaps. I would ask a boon in return for that information, however-I demand to see Glinn Driana."

For the first time, I smiled. "In this room, you do not make demands."

With that, I turned and left the brig.

He brings his daughter Jelora into the room, telling her that humans don't love their mothers and fathers the way they do-the usual tired propaganda regarding one's enemy.

After she departs, I tell Madred the truth: "Your daughter is lovely."

"Yes, I think so. And unusually bright. It's amazing, isn't it? The way they're able to sneak into your heart. I have to admit I was completely unprepared for the power she had over me from the moment she was born."

"I am surprised that you let her come in here."

Madred seems genuinely confused. "Why?"

"To expose a child to-this. To someone who is suffering. To see that it's you who inflict that suffering."

"From the time Jelora could crawl, she's been taught about the enemies of the Carda.s.sians and that enemies deserve their fate."

"When children learn to devalue others, they can devalue anyone-including their parents."

He rises and walks toward me. "What a blind, narrow view you have. What an arrogant man you are."

I took my place on the bridge, ignoring the look of concern from my first officer as I sat next to him.

"Report," I said.

"We're approaching the rendezvous point," Will said.

Data added, "Sensors are picking up the B'Orzoq at the designated coordinates."

"Slow to impulse," I told Perim.

"Aye, sir," the Trill said.

Moments later, the stars on the main viewer that had been streaking by from the warp effect settled once again into single points in s.p.a.ce. Data put the B'Orzoq on the viewer. It didn't follow the avian design that the Klingon military favored, but the empire's trefoil emblem was prominent on its hull.

"Hail the B'Orzoq, Mister Daniels," I said.

Moments later, a squat Klingon face appeared on the viewer. "You are Picard of the Enterprise?"

"I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard, yes."

"I was told it would be you. My name is Grantor, of the House of Klarat, and I bear news of value to the war effort. The Dominion is constructing a large military base on the Carda.s.sian world of Raknal V. It will include a weapons production plant, a Jem'Hadar base, and a ketracel-white facility."

Will and I exchanged glances. He seemed dubious, and I felt much the same. "How have they accomplished this in secret?" I asked.

"They've masked their movements to the planet by traveling through the Betreka Nebula."

"What is the source of your intelligence?"

"Many turns ago, Carda.s.sians and Klingons both lived on Raknal V, before the empire ceded the world to those spoon-headed petaQpu'. Even after that, however, some Klingons remained on that world. One of them is a member of the House of Klarat."

"And you trust this family member?" I asked. Normally, I would not insult a Klingon by even asking, but these were treacherous times, and besides, this was a civilian, not a warrior.

Grantor broke into a wide smile at the question. "He owes me twelve bricks of latinum, so the toDSaH d.a.m.n well better be telling me the truth."

Definitely not a warrior, I thought.

He went on: "I have images that he took of the construction, which I will gladly share."

From behind me, Daniels said, "Receiving file now, sir."

I nodded briefly to the tactical officer, then said, "On behalf of the allies, Grantor, I thank you for your intelligence."

"You're welcome, Picard of the Enterprise. In return, I ask only that you stop them. My House-mate has enough trouble living on that rock without the Dominion turning it into their playground."

After Grantor signed off, Will said, "Lieutenant Daniels, send a secure message to Admiral Spahiu at Starbase 522."

"Aye, sir."

"Sickbay to Picard."

I looked up. "Go ahead, Doctor."

Beverly hesitated before going on. "I'm afraid that I've lost my patient."

He takes the bejeweled knife and slices off my clothing, leaving me naked and exposed. "From this point on, you will enjoy no privilege of rank, no privileges of person. From now on, I will refer to you only as 'human.' You have no other ident.i.ty."

His men shackle me to a pole that hangs from the ceiling, leaving my arms raised. Then he touches his padd, and the pole retracts, lifting my legs from the floor.

He walks out, leaving me alone to hang like that for the entire night.

The next morning, his men take me down while he drinks in front of me, knowing how parched I am.

"Thirsty?" he asks, unnecessarily. "I would imagine so." He drinks again. "Well, it's time to move on."

My voice cracking, I say, "I've told you all that I know."

"Yes, I'm sure you have." He touches a control on his padd, and four lights behind his head blaze into existence, temporarily blinding me. I blink the spots out of my eyes as he asks, "How many lights do you see there?"

Thinking it a simple question, I say, "I see four lights."

"No. There are five. You're quite sure?"

"There are four lights."

As soon as I entered the brig, Madred said, "I wish to see Glinn Driana."

Ignoring his request, I said, "I'm afraid your remanding to a starbase will have to wait a while longer."

"Why is that?"

I tilted my head. "Does it matter?"

"If you are engaging in a mission that will endanger Carda.s.sian lives, then it matters a great deal to me."

"What were you doing on the Pakliros?"

"Why does that matter to you?" Madred had been sitting on his bunk, but now he rose and walked over to the small water basin. "I must confess to being greatly disappointed in you, human. You've been given an unparalleled opportunity, and you're wasting it." He splashed some water on his face.

"To do what?" I asked. "To get some of my own back? To torture you as you did me?"

He whirled around, his face still wet. "Torture? I did no such thing."

That stunned me. I almost lost my footing. Then I recalled that the entire time I was in his office, he very rarely told the truth. In fact, I suspect that the only time he did not lie was when he spoke of his daughter-and of his own childhood.

I clung to that, the memory that had given me strength six years ago. "Whenever I look at you now, I won't see a powerful Carda.s.sian warrior, I will see a six-year-old boy who is powerless to protect himself."

"What do you call what you did to me, then, Gul Madred? Interrogation? That part was over and done with a few hours after I first walked into your office. You were trying to break me to your will."

"Isn't that what we all do?" he asked, drying off his face. "Our lives in this universe are simply attempts to gain control over our surroundings. The fact that I am particularly expert at it has proved useful in my career."

"And provided you with an outlet to enact revenge on those who tormented you in your youth."

Madred sighed. "Again you revert to amateur a.n.a.lysis."

"Yes-only this time, you do not have your neural implant to get me to stop."

He stared at me. I stared back.

To my surprise, he looked away. "Where are we going that you cannot remand me to a starbase?"