Care to share what you’re discussing? Officer Andra asked the Third House women, her emotion cold.
Madam Virox wrung her skirt in her hands. She closed her eyes. Troi could feel the others in the room pressing forward; she could feel the weight of their questions.
“I’m not Aviana Virox!”
Troi froze, bracing herself against the onslaught of reactions. The slam of a dozen shocked Betazoids was followed a few milliseconds later by audible gasps and at least one fiercely hissed, “She wouldn’t!”
The woman collapsed on the floor, sobbing.
“Everyone out!” Officer Andra shouted. “Except for Starfleet officers and the Third House.”
“Where are they?” Jarkko demanded. “Where are the treasures?”
Worf acted quickly, catching Jarkko before he could move any closer. “There is no need for this.”
“She stole the treasures!” Jarkko bellowed.
“We don’t know that,” Troi said.
Worf loosened his grip on Jarkko, who made another attempt to reach the sobbing woman. Worf stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
“Let me through!” Jarkko’s face had turned a vivid shade of red. “She didn’t steal them, but Aviana did! The real Aviana Virox!” He shoved at Worf. “Isn’t that what she’s saying? Why else would Aviana have a—a stand-in.” He spat the word. “I always knew the Third House was shifty.”
“Mr. Sentis, please.” Officer Andra put a hand on Jarkko’s shoulder. “Allow the professionals to get to the bottom of this.”
“Jarkko.” Troi sent over a pulse of gentleness, trying to soothe him. “Go outside with the others. We will find out what’s going on.”
“Don’t try that on me!” Jarkko tried to get past Worf, who squeezed harder. He glared back at the woman, still weeping on the floor.
“She used a double,” he snarled. “I’d heard the rumors but didn’t think it was true.”
“Mister Worf will find out what’s going on,” Troi said firmly, and sent another wave of calm in Jarkko’s direction. It did little to cool his anger, but at least she was able to corral him toward the door. Outside, the poor security officer who had been keeping watch looked at them with an expression of resigned confusion.
“What’s going on in there?” he said. “Do you need backup?”
“No.” Troi deposited a still-seething Jarkko along with the others and shut the door behind her.
“They will only speak telepathically,” Worf said.
“Even then, they aren’t saying much.” Andra sighed. “All I can get from her is that she’s a double and her real name is Loriana Virox. She’s terrified. They all are.”
Troi looked at the three women in their traditional dresses.
“Was the real Aviana Virox here?” Troi asked. “At the ceremony?”
A surge of affirmation from Loriana, who lifted her gaze up at Troi. She wanted to deliver the Disk herself.
It was very unusual, thought one of the other attendants—Troi couldn’t tell which one. Aviana never leaves her estate.
Troi knelt down beside Loriana, took her hand, and sent a surge of comfort in her direction. The Third House woman softened a little, but her fear and guilt were overwhelming. How had Betazed Security missed this?
“Tell me about Aviana,” Troi said softly; she also thought her question, as these women were clearly very traditional. “When was the last time you saw her?”
Hesitation wafted up in a cloud. Loriana glanced back at the others, but whatever passed between them, Troi could neither hear nor feel.
Before the ceremony, Loriana thought. We helped her remove the Enshrined Disk from its traveling case.
She was so excited! one of the attendants added. She’s so proud of the Disk, she would never—
An overwhelming grief washed out of her and then, abruptly, vanished.
How are you doing that? Officer Andra demanded, the question riding in on a wave of aggression. Locking your emotions down. Hiding your thoughts.
It’s a skill of the Third House. The second attendant lifted her chin. Developed by Brice Virox five generations ago, when he was facing constant assassination attempts due to his role in the Tanton War.
Officer Andra’s aggression turned to unease. “That’s—” Her lip curled. “Why would the Third House do such a thing for so long?” She looked over at Worf. “They’re lying,” she said, the words breathy with disbelief. “What sort of Betazoid lies?”
Not a lie! Loriana’s voice rang out in Troi’s thoughts. A tradition! A safety measure! Aviana would never, ever steal the treasures.
The earnestness in Loriana’s thoughts was overwhelming, and Troi sent back, I believe you.
“Where is she now?” Troi asked. “You said you saw her before the ceremony. Did she instruct you to take her place afterward?”
Loriana Virox hesitated.
“She could be in danger,” Troi added.
I don’t know, Loriana said, and then sent a flood of impressions through Troi’s thoughts. Aviana Virox, looking identical to Loriana in a frothy dress and a tumble of curled silver hair, placing the Enshrined Disk in a case. The four of them walking into the temple. Aviana placing the Disk in the display case while Jarkko and Onora looked on, smiling. Then—the attendants climbing the spiral staircase up to balcony seating to watch the ceremony. Aviana wasn’t with them; she had opted to stay behind and watch from the wings.
And that was the last time we saw her, Loriana said. Deanna could sense agreement from the others.
Officer Andra was describing the thoughts to Worf. “Officers have confirmed that they saw Aviana Virox backstage during the ceremony,” she told him. “And so did the other two Keepers.” Her frown deepened. Unless that was you, she thought to Loriana.
Indignation flooded out of Loriana.
“You still haven’t explained why you chose to take her place,” Troi said gently. “Was it after the display case was revealed to be empty?”
Loriana nodded. One of the other attendants pressed her head onto Loriana’s shoulder and Troi knew, from the way Loriana’s head tilted ever so slightly toward the attendant, that they were speaking privately.
“They’re doing it again,” Andra said to Worf. “Talking without letting us hear.”
“I cannot hear any of these conversations,” Worf said. “It is very difficult to discover the truth if the suspects won’t speak.”
The attendants gave him a dark look, but Loriana sent out a burst of terror. Troi realized, after a few seconds of disorientation, it was Loriana’s reaction to seeing the display case empty. Images started to flash through Troi’s head: Loriana and the attendants grabbing at each other in shock, one of them gasping audibly. A frantic search for Aviana and not finding her. A frantic telepathic conversation where it was decided Loriana would go backstage as Aviana, hoping to find her.
Troi could sense Andra’s disbelief, but Loriana’s actions made sense to her; it was the only way she would have gotten backstage while the temple was going into lockdown.
Exactly, Loriana said. I had no other choice. But I was swept up by security and escorted to this room. Images accompanied her words: security officers swarming around her, believing her to be Aviana Virox and insisting that she had to be secured for her own safety.
Andra sighed and raked a hand through her cropped hair. “We need to find the real Aviana Virox,” she said to Worf. She then glared at Loriana. “You should have informed us of who you were immediately.”
Loriana stared back, her emotions, her thoughts, completely shut down.
“It’s not natural,” Andra said. “What you’re doing.”
“Officer Andra,” Troi said as she rose to her feet, “I don’t get the sense that Loriana is lying.”
“Neither do I, but that doesn’t mean much, does it?” Officer Andra tapped her combadge. “Andra to Rusina. Aviana Virox is missing. We need to find her immediately.”
12
Jean-Luc Pica
rd pressed his fingers into his forehead, trying to massage away the beginnings of a headache. The frenzy on the temple floor was palpable even for a non-psychic.
“I want to make sure I have this right,” said the Betazed Security officer sitting across from him. They were at a makeshift interrogation station that had been set up at the base of the stage. Behind the captain, Betazed Security was sweeping the space for clues. “You didn’t have a direct line of sight to the treasures while you were backstage?”
Picard replied, “No. I was too far back in my group to see anything. The Keepers paraded past us after they had placed the items in the display case.”
“So they were empty-handed.” The security officer furrowed his brow. He was young, probably a recent graduate, and Picard could sense that he was in over his head.
“You’re doing fine,” Picard said. “And that’s right, they were empty-handed at that point.” He paused. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything more useful.”
The officer nodded. “I understand. The other Dreams Guests said the same thing… I’m just worried I’m missing something.” He scrolled through his padd. “There were dozens of people backstage—”
“Which means someone has the answers,” Picard said. “If I think of anything else, or if I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Thank you, Captain Picard. If you could send over the next person—”
“Of course.” Picard stood up and made his way back to the section of seating where the Dreams Guests had been sequestered. Eliana had calmed down: she was no longer pacing frantically back and forth. She had draped herself sideways over three seats, a hand laid dramatically over her forehead. One of the Betazoid guests, a ship captain whose name Picard couldn’t recall, was speaking to her in soft murmurs.
“You’re up next,” Picard said to Aurelius Ardid, a rather queasy-looking human cyberneticist.
“How was it?” Ardid asked, his eyes wide. Not Starfleet, but he had done excellent work for the Daystrom Institute.
“You have nothing to worry about,” Picard said gently. “We aren’t under suspicion. They just want to know what we saw.”
“But I didn’t see anything.”
“Neither did I. And that’s useful for them to know.”
Ardid made his way over to the interrogation station. Picard sank down into a chair. The last hour had been like this—the captain trying to help his fellow guests stay calm and focused.
“Jean-Luc!” trilled a bright, grating voice.
That burgeoning headache flared out behind Picard’s eyes.
“How’s the investigation coming along?” Lwaxana Troi breezed up to him, Ambassador Sulel at her side.
“Betazed Security forces are doing what they can,” Picard said stiffly.
“I’m very glad to hear that,” said Sulel, sweeping her gaze across the Dreams Guests. “Your group seems calmer than the others.”
“Does it now?”
“Yes. Most of the guests are in an utter state of panic.”
“The pageant actors are too,” Lwaxana added. “Poor things. They all feel like they should have known.”
Picard caught a flash of blue through the crowd: it was Sh’yan, bringing a tray of steaming hot tea from the replicator.
“If we’re calm, you can thank Sh’yan,” Picard said as she walked up to them. She smiled at both the ambassadors.
“Would you like tea?” she said. “I’ve been bringing cups of it back for anyone who needs it.” Her smile deepened. “It was the captain’s idea.”
Picard’s cheeks burned. “I wouldn’t go that far,” he said. “Sh’yan’s the one who found the replicator—”
“It was backstage,” she said. “Hidden behind some props. But Jean-Luc suggested I fix tea for the security officers and the guests. Anything to help distract them, isn’t that what you said?”
“Logical,” Sulel said.
“It was just tea,” Picard muttered.
“It was more than that,” Lwaxana said. “Sh’yan, dear, do you think you and the captain could see to the other guests?”
Picard felt a slow-coiling knot of dread rising within.
“An excellent suggestion,” said Sulel. “If the other guest groups were as calm as the Dreams Guests—”
“The security officers would have a much easier time,” Lwaxana finished. “Exactly what I was thinking. Sulel, are you sure you’re not a psychic?”
Sh’yan looked over at Picard with an expression of mild alarm. She had not mentioned that his suggestion of tea was to keep the others distracted so they would stop pestering him with questions; they all seemed to believe that, being a Starfleet officer, he had to know about the current situation. No one would accept his answer that he simply didn’t. When Sh’yan told him about the replicator, he figured a beverage would be the perfect distraction.
“Please, Jean-Luc,” Lwaxana said, pressing her hand against her chest. “The calmer the other guests are, the faster we can get through the questioning.”
“Yes,” said Sulel; somehow, her easy, unemotional voice was more insistent than Lwaxana’s. “And the sooner we can have answers. And a possible solution.”
“Perhaps,” Picard said. The captain didn’t think he was the person who should be doing this now, but he had to admit it sounded better than sitting with the other Dreams Guests, waiting for news from security. And Sh’yan was hesitant about being out on the floor with nothing to do. The replicator had been a lucky find.
“The Poetry Guests seem to be the most anxious,” Sulel was saying. “You could start with them. Our goal is to keep them relaxed and happy.”
Picard wanted to say that he was not a ship’s counselor. But Sulel and Lwaxana were watching him so hopefully, and for the first time, he noticed the dark rings under Lwaxana’s eyes… faint but just visible. The captain realized how difficult this was for all concerned.
“Very well,” Picard said. “Sh’yan?”
She hoisted the tray of teas. “I think we found our calling.”
Picard resisted the urge to comment.
“This way to Poetry,” sang out Lwaxana, gesturing with one hand. “If we can successfully calm down the guests before Deanna and Mister Worf have finished speaking with the Keepers, I’ll consider it a success.”
The Keepers. Picard could imagine what they’d be like. He supposed delivering tea and kind words to the rest of the guests was the easiest duty in this sudden diplomatic crisis.
He sorely hoped the treasures were recovered, and damned well soon.
13
“A Keeper would never do this.” Ambassador Lwaxana Troi appeared furious at the thought. “Never. It’s impossible.”
Troi exchanged quick glances with Worf. They were both sitting in the conference room on one of the temple balconies, with silk-covered chairs around a huge table. The Federation ambassador to Betazed, Sulel, was there, along with Commander Rusina and Officer Andra. Sildar Syn paced around behind them, occasionally flinging out impressions of anger and frustration.
Right now, he was in total agreement with Lwaxana Troi.
“Aviana Virox’s disappearance is our only lead,” Commander Rusina said patiently. “It’s not a matter of guilt or innocence. Perhaps she saw someone. Perhaps it wasn’t a robbery.” He reached across the table and pressed his hand on top of Lwaxana’s. “Our goal is to find the three treasures, Ambassador Troi.”
Lwaxana sniffled rather dramatically, and Troi resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“I agree,” said Ambassador Sulel. “Commander Rusina, your people should have located Aviana Virox by now.”
Commander Rusina sat back. “We’re dealing with numerous Betazoids and limited equipment due to the lockdown.” He tapped his combadge and asked for a status update.
A hesitation from the officer on the other end, then a thin, unsure voice: “We are, ahh, not finding her.”
Silence.
“Say again.” Commander Rusina’s dismay was evident.
<
br /> “We haven’t been able to locate Aviana Virox, sir. There’s no sign of her anywhere in the temple complex.” Another pause. “And her personal ship appears to be missing.”
Rusina sighed. “Thank you.”
Lwaxana let out a low wail of despair.
“Mother!” Troi hissed.
“I thought you locked this place down? How could she—”
“Ambassador Troi, you don’t think it was one of our own?” snapped Sildar.
“I don’t!” Lwaxana cried. “How could she be missing?”
“How quickly was the force field put into place?” The Vulcan’s calm voice cut through Lwaxana’s quiet sniffling.
“Almost instantly,” Commander Rusina said. “The disappearance of the treasures was a”—he hesitated, glancing sideways at Lwaxana—“contingency that my team had planned for.”
“Really?” Any hint of weepiness fled from Lwaxana’s voice. “Sildar, did you know about this?”
“I knew they were planning for many contingencies, but—”
Ambassador Sulel held up her hand, cutting Sildar off. “Aviana Virox left the temple before the reveal. It is logical to assume she is connected with the thief or thieves. It may also be assumed that she could be the thief.” Before Lwaxana could protest, she continued, “Or perhaps she is a hostage. She could be in danger. Regardless, she must be located immediately.”
“If she is even still onworld,” Worf said. “The temple was locked down immediately. But it took two hours for Betazed Space Control to secure the planet. Are Betazed’s forces prepared for a deep-space search?”
Rusina shifted uncomfortably. “I wouldn’t exactly say that.”
Lwaxana glared at him. “And what would you say, Commander?”
“Most of the forces were deployed for the ceremony’s finale,” Sildar said. “It was going to be grand, all the best ships in our fleet, streaking—”
“The entire force?” Worf said.
“There were some ships… that’s why it took two hours. Maybe the Enterprise?” Rusina looked over at Ambassador Sulel. “They have more powerful sensors.” He smiled. “Plus her captain is right here in the temple.”
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