"Aye, sir. White out."

UNDR-UATION sToon on a sloping dune facing the cliffs that guarded the Sojourners" canyon, where hulking sentries loomed against a charcoal sky. The rising sun had barely begun its day's work, and Undrun was thankful he still had the cover of darkness to conceal his approach.

It didn't take long for him to reach the gap between the cliffs. Undrun was surprised at how exhilarated he felt out here on his own, traversing an alien wilderness, taking a bold step toward solving problems for which there were no approved ministry procedures. His belly grumbled, displeased about an overdue breakfast, but this was no time to stop for food.

He moved through the pa.s.s, crossing the invisible threshold into the ravine. In his single-minded determination, he saw nothing but the dusty trail that would lead him to the Sojourners.

Just then, without warning, a loop of st.u.r.dy rope tossed from above flopped over his head and slipped down around his chest where it was suddenly pulled taut, jerking him off his feet. His upper arms were pinned to his sides, but his hands were loose and he tried to squirm free. Before he could do so, two Sojourners were on top of him, trussing his hands and feet and throwing him into a blanket sling. His hard fall had knocked the wind out of him and he gasped for enough breath to talk.

"I'm-I'm Frid Undrun," he wheezed.

He sucked down a few labored breaths before he could go on. "With the Federation-the Enterprise-have to see Ixssandra-was "That's where you're going," said Durren from Undrun's right side. Mikken was holding the other side of the blanket. "One leaves-another drops in."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll find out."

"I came to trade for Riker."

Mikken and Durren looked at each other and burst out laughing. Undrun frowned in confused frustration.

"Why is that funny? I-I've got food, supplies, everything you need." When he realized he was being ignored, Undrun lapsed into silence. "At least this one is light," Mikken said as they lifted him off the ground and started up toward the canyon rim.

The turbolift doors snapped open and Captain Picard came onto his bridge. He strode directly to Lieutenant White's station on the upper level. "Re-port, Lieutenant."

"Ensign Trottier was found unconscious in transporter room two."

Picard's mouth tightened into a grim line. This day was not starting off well. But he remained silent, allowing White to continue.

"She's been taken to sickbay, so we don't know what happened yet. We got the beamdown coordinates from the unit memory. Somebody beamed down into the Sa'drit Void, sir.

Specifically, within a half-kilometer of Sanctuary Canyon."

Mikken and Durren hauled Undrun up to the Stone City, where they found Lessandra in her withered garden. She was in the middle of a bitter shouting match with Glin. Jaminaw stood meekly behind Glin, providing meager support whenever he could muster the courage to speak up. Both women fell silent when Durren and Mikken approached and stood the amba.s.sador up like a statue between them, his feet still bound together.

Lessandra leaned on her crutch and turned a frosty eye on the little Noxoran, who straightened to his full height-though that still left him a head shorter than the diminutive Sojourner leader.

"Who the h.e.l.l is this?" she demanded.

Durren poked Undrun, then had to steady him when the diplomat wobbled from the push. "Talk."

Undrun cleared his parched throat. He wanted his voice to boom at full volume-he needed to impress these people, and fast. "I am Frid Undrun, 232 amba.s.sador from the Federation Aid and a.s.sistance Ministry. I understand that you are Lessandra."

"You understand right. What do you want?"

"I want to help you."

The old woman's only reply to that was a derisive snort.

Hostile hearing or not, Undrun pressed on.

"I really am here to help you."

Lessandra made no verbal response. But skeptical wrinkles creased her forehead and her good eye focused all her suspicion on this short alien. "Tell her what you're here for," Mikken said with a snicker. Undrun gave him a scorching look, then turned back to Lessandra. "I'm here to trade for Commander Riker. I've got access-"

Before he could continue, Lessandra broke into a short, loud laugh. Undrun wanted to stamp his foot for angry emphasis but obviously couldn't.

"Why does everyone here think that's so funny?"

Even Glin and Jaminaw were smiling now.

"Just what are you willing to give us in trade for him?" Lessandra said through a grin.

"Food, medical supplies, tools to help you become self-sufficient, to allow you to grow what you need to survive."

"Well, that's certainly an attractive offer.

There is just one little technical problem."

"What?"

"We don't have your Commander Riker."

was What... his But you Sojourners kidnapped him."

"I'm not saying we did or didn't."

"If you don't have him, who does?" 233 "A very stupid young girl." She pursed her lips in thought. "Thanks to you, though, Mr.

Amba.s.sador, we do have another hostage."

"Oh, no, you can't-was "You may be even more important than a lowly starship officer."

Undrun shook his head. "Not to Captain Picard I'm not. I doubt very much he'll be willing to make any deals for my ransom."

Picard eased into his command seat. "Picard to Amba.s.sador Undrun." No reply.

"Picard to Amba.s.sador Undrun!"

Impatiently, he drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair. When he spoke, that impatience darkened his tone. "Computer, is Amba.s.sador Undrun in his quarters?"

"Negative."

"Location check. Where is he?"

"Amba.s.sador Undrun is not presently

aboard the Enterprise. his The facts were fitting together, much to Picard's displeasure. "Sickbay, this is the captain. Has Ensign Trottier regained consciousness yet?"

"Dr. Pulaski here, Captain. She has.

I'm with her, and she appears to be fine."

"I'm glad to hear you are undamaged, Ensign," Picard said. "What happened to you down there?"

"Amba.s.sador Undrun came in to ask me some questions about cargo transport. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in sickbay, sir."

"He attacked you?"

was "Attacked' isn't exactly the word I'd use, sir. He must have crept up behind me. The last thing I remember is feeling his hands on my neck and head." 234 "Thank you, Ensign. Return to duty whenever Dr. Pulaski releases you. Picard out." The captain shook his head. "Our Mr.

Undrun appears to have hidden talents."

"Captain," said Data, "the amba.s.sador did mention undergoing martial arts training as a child."

"It would seem he remembered those lessons well. Lieutenant White, check Mission Ops monitors. What is Undrun's current status?"

She nodded and leaned over her console, her fingers hopscotching the keypad. "Locating ..."

Picard waited, arms folded.

"He's down on Thiopa, sir. He's got his communicator. It's functioning normally, and he's alive."

"I may alter that condition personally," Picard muttered to himself. Undrun was once again doing what he seemed to do best-causing complications. Why in blazes would he have knocked out a transporter tech and beamed himself down without even the slightest nod toward the niceties of procedure or protocol?

the captain wondered. Such actions seemed totally out of character, but then again, how much did they really know about him? d.a.m.n, d.a.m.n, d.a.m.n ... Not only is Will Riker missing down there but so is this infuriating little popinjay for whose safety 1 am responsible!

Picard rose and paced the bridge's front perimeter. "Data, do a full sensor scan of Sanctuary Canyon. Apparently that was Undrun's destination. Use his communicator signal as a focal point. Pinpoint where he is, who is with him, and how many Thiopans are there."

With his accustomed efficiency, Data quickly 235 completed the task. At Picard's request, he displayed his results on the main viewer, overlaid on a map of the canyon.

Thiopa's haze-bordered face was replaced by a green-lined cartography grid. The computer put up a two-dimensional aerial image of the canyon, clearly showing the narrow gulch that was the only route in, the central bowl of the canyon itself, the ledge on which the Stone City perched, and all of the surrounding ridges and peaks. Data tapped a command into his terminal and a few hundred tiny blue dots appeared in and around the canyon, with so many concentrated in the Stone City that they joined together to form a splotch. Then a single red dot flashed in the heart of the blue patch.

"Explanation, Mr. Data?" said Picard mildly, standing just to the side of the viewer.

"The blue dots represent individual Thiopans, based on sensor readings of their life signs. There are three hundred seventy-nine Thiopans in the vicinity of the canyon."

"How many in this area?" Picard asked, pointing to the concentration.of blue.

"Three hundred three, sir. That is the residential section the Sojourners call the Stone City."

"And the red spot?"

"Amba.s.sador Undrun."

"Any sign of Commander Riker in that immediate area?"

Data shook his head. "No, sir."

"Captain," said Worf, "I believe it's feasible to beam in there with a security team."

"Need I remind you," Picard said sternly, "that these people evidently have advanced weapons? And that they appear to be quite capable of using them, in view of the fact they've managed to hold off opponents who greatly outnumber them?"

"I'm aware of that, sir, but we would have the element of surprise on our side. With phasers on stun, we would be able to initiate preemptive action if necessary."

"Beam in with phasers blazing, Mr.

Worf?" asked Picard. "What would be the purpose of such a strategyT[*macr]

"To secure the position, rescue the amba.s.sador, and use the area as a base camp from which to continue the search for Commander Riker."

"Opinions?" said Picard, glancing at Data and inviting comment with an arch of his eyebrows.

"To rescue Amba.s.sador Undrun," Data said, "we merely have to lock onto his communicator monitor signal and beam him up. It is doubtful whether we could in fact secure the position because of the nature of the terrain. It is likely that many hiding places are available to natives who are familiar with the location. Our weapons will be on non-lethal settings, but theirs probably will not. The Sojourners would consider us invaders, and the risk of serious casualties to our away team appears to be unacceptable when compared to what might be gained."

The captain turned back to Worf. "Wouldn't you say the sudden arrival of a large armed force verges on the confrontational, Mr. Worf?" "Yes, sir," came the reluctant answer. "Shall I beam the amba.s.sador up?" Picard returned to his seat. "Not just yet. It was his 237 idea, however foolish, to beam himself down. The fact that he's still alive indicates he has at least piqued the Sojourners' curiosity.

Open a channel."

"Channel open, sir," Worf said.

"Let's give them a call. Enterprise to Amba.s.sador Undrun . . : His Lessandra and the others stared at the fettered diplomat. The voice again issued from inside his clothing. "Enterprise to Amba.s.sador Undrun."

"Answer," Lessandra ordered.

"I can't. I have to activate the communicator.

It's pinned to my shirt." "Durren, get it out."

Durren tugged the jacket open and found the emblem on Undrun's chest. He took it out and held it up. "Well ...?"

"Tap the front," Undrun said.

Lieutenant White looked across the bridge at Captain Picard. "The communicator's not on Undrun anymore. I'm getting unfamiliar readings."

Data's long fingers danced across his computer keypad. "Thiopan, Captain."

"Undrun here, Captain Picard," said the voice from the bridge speaker. "Mr.

Amba.s.sador," Picard said in a frigid tone, "I was quite surprised to find out you were not on my ship this morning. Would you care to explain?"

"I have valid authorization to pursue all avenues available to me to complete my a.s.signment."

"And did this particular avenue bear fruit?"

Picard bristled at the return of Undrun's imperious att.i.tude. 238 "Uh, no, not exactly." The arrogance was gone.