Resistance Is Futile - pt 43

Little was said between the counselor and the admiral for the first several hours beyond the needed working conversation. Close to half an hour had stretched by in total silence.

"So," said Deanna. "Exactly how close are we to Borg Space?"

"We should be in their borders within 6 hours," Virginia answered. "And that's at Warp 3. Reg and I tweaked the warp drive when La Forge wasn't looking."

"And sensor range?"

Virginia shrugged. "It depends on where their patrol ships are. They might be able to pick us up on sensors already."

Deanna turned in her seat. "You sound like you don't know for sure."

"I don't."

"But..." The dark-haired woman recalled the rumor that the admiral had been drinking at her wedding reception. And she well knew what alcohol did to the other woman. "Have you been drinking?"

"Like a fish," the admiral answer honestly. "Up until yesterday."

"Your powers..."

The accusation hung thick in the air, though unspoken.

"My powers are unneeded for this mission, Deanna."

Deanna's voice was cold when she spoke again. "You're not going to rescue me after all."

"No...you're going to rescue me." The admiral spoke without hesitation, giving Deanna no chance to reply. "Reg and I rewired the transporter system so you'll be able to pick me out of the crowd after I've beamed over. You'll have to keep a close eye on my life signs and that of the Borg ship. We can't have you pulling me out too soon...and I'd hate to have you pull me out too late. Even if Ian were to rescue me, I'd still have that memory and that particular one would suck."

"Ian?" asked Deanna.

"You know him as Q." Virginia sighed, regretting her decision not to let the good doctor talk to her friend. "Look, Doctor Crusher is even now preparing sickbay to undo the assimilation process. Ian...Q...might not even need to lift a finger, something I know the Oryon Council would hope for."

"But, why are you doing this?"

"Do you really want to be the one to be assimilated?"

"Well, no. Does the War Council know you've decided to take my place?"

"Not on your life. They'd've court martialed me for just thinking it. Which they might do yet. Yeah, they probably will. But I couldn't let them do this to anyone. If you'd refused, they'd have ordered you. And if you had still refused, they'd have drummed you out of the Fleet. They'd have faked the charges, since we couldn't let it go on record that we were discharging you for refusing orders to march into Borg territory and let yourself be assimilated. Don't look so disbelieving...those contingencies were discussed."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you taking my place, and why not tell me sooner?"

"I thought we'd been over that. You said you didn't really want to be assimilated."

"And you do?" Deanna asked.

The admiral was silent before answering. "It's better this way, Deanna. I know that you're not unfamiliar with the pain and terror that comes with war and undercover missions and whatnot. I know that you would be able to withstand the horror of assimilation. So my decision has nothing to do with you personally, and it was made before I ever met you. I've been commanding missions before I was 18. I wasn't always followed at first, but once my team realized that I would ask nothing of them that I wouldn't do myself they followed me to the end. Even when they died. But I learned that I hate sending people to their death. I've come close to death a couple hundred thousand different times, usually before breakfast. And to be honest, I find that it's easier to send myself in to face that possibility than it is to send others."

"It's about guilt then?" the counselor asked.

"No. I have a hero complex. Usually I have my powers...but not this time. It's about..."

"Prooving that you can still win without them?"

"Maybe. I hadn't thought about it quite like that."

"And what happens if you do die this time? Because of your selfish desire to proove yourself better than the rest of your people? Who will rule your people then?" Never in her life would Deanna been able to imagine herself talking so to Admiral Hamilton, but the woman seemed unoffended. "You can't just leave them without a ruler. You have to think beyond yourself. Your first duty is to your people, not to yourself."

"If I die...and Ian doesn't rescue me...then my daughter Mariah will rule in my stead. She is my oldest daughter, and she has had far more training at court than I, and she has the heir gift of the mind access."

"You cannot depend on Q," Deanna said harshly. "He is irresponsible and juvenile. His arrogant cruelness has led my ship into danger too many times and cost the lives of the crew. And to depend on one who has been exiled from your people only further serves to alienate you from the people you would rule. They would not have named him a member of the Rogue Q faction had he not been so deserving."

Virginia rose angrily. "Do not speak so of a man you do not know! He has saved my life more times than I can count...when Michael raped me, he was the one who held me afterwards and Healed me...when my own people would have left me for dead, he came after me, when my husband had died and my mind was lost and I was wandering Earth...they didn't look for me, they didn't even try...Ian searched until he found me and he kept me safe until I was able to remember who I was and function again. His only crime was to sleep with the Daughter-Heir...He was named Q because I seduced him...but they claimed that it was the other way around, that all he wanted was to be Bonded with me because I'm heir to the throne. I know that man, Counselor...He was the first one the heir gift of the mind access manifested itself...and I know there was no deceit in him. I know. He only ever wanted what was best for me. He's never had any designs on the throne. But when I tried to testify on his behalf, I was told to sit down and shut up...my people wouldn't even listen to me. What he is now...the man that you know...comes from a heart of bitterness. His people banished him...for my crime. My crime, counselor."

Counselor Troi was speachless. The emotions coming from the enraged woman were a bit overwhelming. The best she could manage to say was, "I didn't know."

Virginia calmed. Some. "Remember that the next time you go to speak of a person you don't know. Or even if you do know them...because chances are, you don't know them half as well as you think you do."

"I will."