This story is heavily based on the latest ST:TNG episode
"A Man of Peace".  If you don't want to know what happened,
read no further.  (As an aside, reading this _before_ seeing
the episode might be actually be interesting-to get the Mirror
version first.)












Captain's Log, Stardate 46071.61:  The Enterprise has been
called by the transport ship, Dorian.  It is under attack
by Rekag warships and requires immediate assistance.

     Worf looked up from his tactical screen.  "Captain,
there are two Rekag battle cruisers engaging the Dorian.
It has sustained several hits, and its sheilds are weaken-
ing."

     "Red alert.  Ready phasers.  Shields up."  Riker
ordered, as he rose from his seat, a familiar sneer on his
face as he anticipated the upcoming battle.

     "The warships are moving away, sir."  Worf interjected,
and then added proudly, "They fear us."

     "As well they should Mr. Worf.  Prepare to chase them
down, and..."

     "Belay that order Mr. Worf!"  Picard said, interupting
his first officer.

     "Sir?"  Riker questioned.  For all the years Riker had
known his captain, he had never seen him shirk away from a
fight.  Especially in a case when an Empire ship had been
attacked.

     As soon as the word "Sir" left Riker's lips, he felt a
staggering blow to the head, and as he started to rise, was
kicked in the mid-section causing him to drop once more.

     "Number One." Picard said standing over the body of his
first officer.  "When I give a command, it is customary that
it not be questioned.  Is that not correct?"

     "Aye, sir."  Came the reply as Riker got to his feet.

     "Now, the reason we are standing down is quite simple.
Rekag Ceronia's conflict is costing the Empire a great deal
in men and weapons.  To go in and destroy them would waste
these valuable resources even further.  Therefore the
Empire has decided to send an ambassador, who is being
transported on the Dorian, down to solve their
problems by working out an agreement to satisfy both sides.
If this is successful, the wasteful killing on this planet
will end, so the Empire will have more warriors to combat
the Romulans.  And if this -peaceful-", Picard spat the
word out with disdain, "method fails, Rekag Ceronia is
useless to the Empire, and we may destroy it as we see fit.
Do you have any further difficulties with my actions?"
Picard asked, hand on his dagger.

     "No, sir."  Riker said, ashamed that he doubted his
captain for even a moment.  "Sir, shall I report to the
booth?"  He added, refering to the punishment chamber
standard for all Empire warships.

     "That won't be necessary, Number One.  This time.
Mr. Worf, open a hailing frequency to the Dorian.

     "Aye, sir.  The Dorian subspace emitter has been
damaged, but they still have audio capabilities."  Picard
nodded that was good enough, and spoke to the Dorian.

     "Dorian, this is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the
warship Enterprise.  Are you able to respond?"

     "Yes, Enterprise."  Came the static laden response.
"Thank you for driving away the Rekag.  But we are unable
to finish transporting the ambassador and his companion."

     "Understood.  Prepare to beam them aboard.  Enterprise
out."  Picard turned to his counselor.  "Troi, go and meet
our guests."

     Counselor Troi arrived at the transporter room just
as two figures appeared on the pads.  The man stepped off
the transporter, helping the elderly woman at his side and
introducing her as his mother.  Suddenly, the woman turned
with eyes filled with hatred to Troi and shouted.

     "You think he finds you attractive!  You want him for
your own!  Well, he doesn't!  You can't have him!"

     Troi was taken aback.  In an ordinary situation, she
would have cut the woman's heart out.  But this woman was
obviously no threat to her.

     The man quickly explained, "My mother is ill."  Like
that was any excuse, Troi thought to herself.  No matter,
she was ordered to escort them to their quarters.  So what
business of hers was it if one of them was sick.  She isn't
a doctor.

*****

     After making sure his mother and their belongings
were safely stowed in his cabin, Ambassador Alkar asked to
excercise with the crew, and seemed very proficient at the
martial arts, even to the point of engaging in mock combat
with Worf and not ending up with even one broken bone.  This
impressed Troi, and while escorting him back to his cabin,
asked him about his people.

     "Aren't your people, telepathic?" She began.

     "Not in the same way yours are.  We are only telepathic
within are own race, although your gifts would be very useful
to me as an ambassador."  They continued discussing psionic
talents until Alkar entered his quarters.  Then his mother
stepped out.

     "Stay away from him!"  She began.  "Have you mated with
him yet?!"

     "I think I'd better go."  Troi growled, trying to stay
calm enough to not drive her knife through the woman's chest.
With that, she turned and stomped back to her quarters.

*****

     A short while later, Riker entered his quarters.  He
hated doing crew evaluations, but at least he was doing them
with his woman.  She was on the couch with an angry look on
her face.

     "Deanna," Riker began, "I know you hate this as much as
I do, but we might as well get it over with."

     "It's not the evaluations, it's Alkar's mother.  I'm
getting sick and tired of dealing with that bitch.  As if
I could be Alkar's woman!"

     "Don't let it bother you.  Let's get started.  Okay,
first we have Molecular Biology-Jeff Freitus..."

     "Commander Ryker!", Worf's voice bellowed from the
ceiling.  "We have an emergency in Ambassador Alkar's
cabin."

     "On my way."  Riker replied as he rushed out of the
room with Deanna right behind him.

     When they got to Alkar's quarters, Doctor Crusher was
already getting up from beside the body on the floor.
"She's dead."  Crusher declared, refering to the elderly
woman.  Alkar looked a little stunned, but recovered
himself quickly.

     "Counselor Troi, if you would help me the funeral
meditation, it would...ease the pain.  It does require a
telepath."  He added.

     Troi agreed.  After all, the old woman was such an
annoyance, it would be perfect irony to participate in
her funeral ritual.
     When Alkar's mother's body was removed, and the others
had left, they began.  Alkar opened a coffin shaped
container and removed two dark stones.  Handing one to
Troi, he held the other and began to chant.  First in a
language Troi did not understand and then in a familiar
tounge.

     "An end to grief
      An end to pain
      Strength comes from love
      Courage comes from wisdom."

     Troi's eyes widened instantly, as she felt a strange
sensation in her mind.  She stood up and rushed out the
door in confusion leaving a knowing Alkar behind.
     Within a few hours, she was back, entering his cabin
unbidden.  Pacing around him like a wild cat stalking its
prey, she spoke.

     "Don't you find me attractive?"  When he nodded, she
continued.  "I find you _very_ attractive."  She whispered,
rubbing her practiced hands up and down his chest.
     A look of surprise crossed Alkar's face.  This was
proceeding faster than it did in the others, he thought.
Luckily, they had just arrived at Rekag Ceronia.  They had
already beamed his aides up from the surface to brief him,
and would send him down shortly, then he would be safe
from any action the Enterprise might take against him, he
hoped.  But either way, he might as well enjoy this while
he could.  And with that, he and Deanna tumbled down into
his bed.

*****

     Commander Riker paced back and forth in his
quarters.  She was supposed to be here to finish the crew
evaluations, he fumed.  As much as he enjoyed the battles
he had faught to keep her, he hated finding her with
other men.  He glared at the ceiling.

     "Computer.  Locate Conselor Troi."

     "She is in Ten Forward."  Replied the mechanical
voice.

     Riker growled to himself as he stormed out of his
cabin.  Whatever was going on, he would put an end to it
immediately.
     As he burst into Ten Forward, the first thing that
caught his eye was Troi.  She was standing at Ambassador
Alkar's table and screaming at his female aide, while
wearing one of the most revealing dresses Riker had
given her.

     "You want him!  But he belongs to me!"  She howled,
obviously refering to Alkar.  "And you!", turning to his
male aide.  "You are envious of him!"

     This has gone far enough, Riker thought as he pushed
his way over to the table and grabbed Troi.

     "You're coming with me!" he shouted.  And then proceeded
to drag her out of the room, much to the annoyance of the
spectators, who were enjoying this confrontation.

     Riker turned back just before he left and looked
sternly at his rival.  "It isn't over, Alkar.  I'll see you
dead for this!"

     When they got back to their cabin, Riker spun Troi
around just to get her knife slashed across his face.  He
back handed her onto the floor and ran out the room.  Damn,
he hated to run from a fight, but he knew the poison on her
blade was lethal and if he didn't get to sickbay for the
antidote, he wouldn't survive to bury Alkar.

     At sickbay, he explained to Doctor Crusher what was
going on.  She agreed with him that something was definitely
wrong.  She knew Troi could be headstrong, but this was
nothing short of mutinous.  Troi would never sacrifice her
postition for a man.

     "Computer, locate Conselor Troi."

     "She is in Deck 6, Corridor 5."

     Riker, still feeling weak, despite the antidote, burst
out of sickbay with Doctor Crusher to find his woman.

     Meanwhile, in Transporter Room 3, the Ambassador and
his party were preparing to beam down.  Picard was present
to see them off, and was about to give the order to transport
when Troi burst in.
     Picard gasped in amazement.  The beauty she was known
for was replaced by hideous aging and an haunted look filled
her eyes.

     "Don't leave without me!"  She screamed, and lunged at
Alkar.

     "Transport!"  Picard yelled at the Transporter Chief as
he grabbed at Troi.  The Ambassador's party beamed down,
leaving Picard pinning his counselor down, so she could not
reach her weapons.
     At this moment, Riker and Crusher rushed in.  Riker
helped hold her still, while the doctor sedated her, and
then, realizing her physical condition was far from normal,
rushed her to sickbay.

Medical Log, Stardate 46075.1:  Studying Counselor Troi's
condition, I found abnormally high neural transmitter
levels.  Noting that Troi's irrational actions were often
directed towards Ambassador Alkar, I suggested to Captain
Picard that we question him about this.

     "He is not answering our hails, Sir."  Worf told his
Captain.

     Picard was not used to being ignored.  Especially by
someone as low ranking as an Ambassador.

     "Prepare an away team to...convince...Ambassador Alkar
that speaking with us would be a good idea if he wishes to
remain alive."  Picard said to his First Officer.

     "Sir," Worf interrupted, "Rekag Ceronia has their
plantetary sheilds up.  We will not be able to trans..."

     "Mr. Worf!"  The captain turned, glaring furiously at
his security chief.  "_I_ am Jean-luc Picard!  And if I
order an away team to the surface, I expect them to transport
down.  Do you understand me?"

     "Yes, sir."  Worf said quickly.

     "Good."  His captain replied.  "Now, alert Mr. LaForge
that he and Chief O'Brian are to get an away team through
that sheild.  He has one hour."

     "Aye, sir."  Worf replied, relaying the command to
Engineering.
     55 minutes later, Riker and Worf were materializing on the
surface with six security men.

     They entered the negotiation chambers just as Alkar's
delegation was leaving.  Riker strode up to challenge the
Ambassador, when the away team was surrounded by a large
number of armed Rekag Ceronians.

     Alkar smiled.  "As you can see, Commander Riker, the
Rekag Ceronians are so pleased that I have helped them
solve their little dispute, that they have agreed to protect
me.  So I'm afraid you and your men will either be returning
to your ship...or dying on this planet."

     Riker paused for a moment, then replied.  "Very well.
Mr. O'Brian,"  He said hitting his communicator, "Beam the
away team up, transport sequence gamma."

     As the away team vanished, Alkar wondered what transport
sequence gamma was.  He discovered the answer to this two
seconds later when a small object appeared in the place of
the away team, and detonated.

     After being updated on the situation, Picard called
down to the planet.  "Enterprise to Rekag Ceronia.  We are
pleased that peace has been established.  So pleased in
fact, that we are willing to forgive the fact you dared
to threaten Empire personel.  However, if you engage in any
further activities which hinder the Empire, such as
threatening its ships or crew, or returning to your civil
war and thus cutting down on your planetary productivity,
you will be destroyed as easily as those who threatened
our away team.  Is that clear?"

     The new leadership of Rekag Ceronia quickly assured
Picard that they would cause no more trouble, and thanked
the Enterprise for showing them the error of their ways.
     Meanwhile, in sickbay, Counselor Troi had nearly fully
recovered.

     "Whatever Alkar did to you, seems to have been healed
since his death."  Doctor Crusher informed her patient.
"You are fit to return to duty."

     "Yes, doctor."  Troi replied, leaving the room.
Walking down the hall, she wondered what Alkar did.  It
almost seemed like he was channeling all of his negative
emotions into her.  She wasn't sure why this caused the
temporary aging effect...but it was a ridiculous idea
anyway.  After all, with all those emotions like rage,
jealousy, and desire for revenge gone, what would be left
in him that he could use, especially at a negotiating
table?  Anyway, it mattered very little now.  What _was_
important was that she must persuade Riker to forgive
her.  Luckilly, she could be very persuasive.

     He was waiting for her when she entered.

     "Will, I..."

     "Don't worry, Deanna, I know it was Alkar's fault,
and just like every other man who tried to take you from
me, he's paid the price."  Riker said pulling her to him.
"You'll be my woman...even when you're old and grey."

                   Mirrored by the mind of Ben Stone