Star Trek The Next Generation - 06 - Power Hungry by Star Trek

Author:Star Trek
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science Fiction
ISBN: 9780671746483
Publisher: Star Trek
Published: 1989-01-02T08:00:00+00:00

Jean-Luc Picard liked his crew to view him as a bit of an ascetic. Not that there was any pretense in it. He wasn’t an especially demonstrative man, a characteristic that arose naturally from having spent most of his adult life as a commanding officer and the bulk of that time as captain of the deep-space explorer Stargazer. The two-decade duration of Stargazer’s voyage of discovery had encouraged camaraderie, but he hadn’t viewed it as a captain’s option to form any deeper relationships with those serving under him.

So far he’d applied that policy to the Enterprise as well. Employed judiciously, it imparted an aloof mystique that elicited an extra measure of respect—a commodity that tended to facilitate the exercise of authority.

Even his physical presence contributed to Picard’s aura of leadership. Not a conventionally handsome man, he had an aristocratic profile and a stern jaw. A fringe of silvered hair served to highlight the clear, piercing eyes. He wasn’t a big man, yet he could dominate without effort, thanks in part to regal bearing. But his voice—alternately tempered with unadorned compassion or ringing with the resonance of confidence and power—was the key attribute with which he commanded.

All of that aside, however, the few who knew this starship captain best were well aware of his Gallic appreciation for the proverbial pleasures of wine, women, and song. And, if anything, those tastes had been honed by the relative deprivation of his years aboard the Stargazer. Still, that vaguely hedonistic aspect of his personality was something he preferred to keep private, which meant he kept his visits to the Enterprise’s Ten-Forward lounge to a minimum. He went there only for an irresistible party in progress or when he had an undeniable need to unwind.

Without question, dealing with Envoy Frid Undrun fell into the latter category. Which explained Picard’s unaccustomed appearance at the end of Guinan’s pastel-lit bar. She greeted him with a friendly nod. “Captain.”

“Guinan.”

“What can I get you? A bit of Wesburri fizz might give you a lift.”

“Just some sparkling spring water with a twist of lemon, please.”

A moment later she placed a tapered glass before him. “There you are.”

“Thank you.” He sipped. She stood, patient as always, an almost-smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Picard had noted her knack for matching her mood to that of her clients, then elevating theirs by changing her own so subtly as to escape notice. For the moment, however, she was still measuring his.

“Sometimes, I just like to watch the bubbles rising,” Guinan said.

He lowered his eyes to the glass. “Mmm. Buoyancy. Not always easy to attain for the uncarbonated human.”

“You’ve had better days . . .?”

“Does it show?”

“You’re not exactly one of my regulars.”

His voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “How would it look to have the captain on a constant synthehol high?”

“Not good at all, Captain. But sometimes you should stop by just to say hello. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”

He sipped his drink. “You’re doing a fine job, Guinan.

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