Star Trek: Picard: Second Self

The thrilling adventure based on the acclaimed TV series Star Trek: Picard!

Following the explosive events seen in season one of Star Trek: Picard, Raffi Musiker finds herself torn between returning to her old life as a Starfleet Intelligence officer or something a little more tame-teaching at the Academy, perhaps. The decision is made for her though when a message from an old contact-a Romulan spy-is received, asking for immediate aid. With the help of Elnor and assistance from Jean-Luc Picard, Raffi decides to take on this critical mission-and quickly learns that past sins never stay buried. Finding the truth will be complicated, and deadly...

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Leseprobe:

Chapter 1 1
Lieutenant Commander Raffaela Musiker was a whole new woman. Clean, poised, ready for action. Ready for something new-although the jury was out on what that something new might be. But history-whether public or private-sometimes has its own designs. Lays traps for the unwary. Guides you back to places you thought you'd long since left behind. Raffi Musiker didn't believe in fate, or destiny, but the upshot of this story is that they might well believe in you.

Raffi was in France. In Paris. She'd been here once before, a lifetime ago, when she had been a completely different woman. Young, and in love, and not yet a wife or a mother. She wasn't young now, nor was she a wife any longer, and she doubted the extent to which she had ever been a mother. But she was, at least, in love, and perhaps this was what allowed Paris to work its charms on her. Stepping out of the public transporter near the Gare du Nord, she clamped down her first impressions-of the pres sing crowds, the noise, the crush-and allowed the city to spend the next couple of days ravishing her. Marveled at the light and the gardens. Felt the weight of history. Saw small trinkets she might get for a grandkid-if such a thing were ever to be allowed to enter this new life of hers-and instead picked up kitsch for Seven. A tiny Eiffel Tower. An "I ? Paris" T-shirt. Boxes of chocolate. She missed Seven, and wished she was here. At the Arc de Triomphe, she walked slowly around, counting off the twelve avenues that radiated outward, almost overcome by the choices that lay ahead. A whole new lease on life.

What do I do now? What do I do next? Where the hell do I go...?

She chose coffee and patisserie, and, for the moment at least, less drama. The whole point of coming on this trip was to make a decision, wasn't it? About what to do next. About the person she was going to be, now that the old one didn't exist any longer.

On the morning of her third day in the city of light, Raffi picked up the flyer she was using for the rest of the trip and began her journey south and east toward La Barre. The summer had been hot and now, in September, the fields were looking yellow and tired. The harvest would soon begin. She arrived at the house midafternoon, stepping out of the cool scrubbed air of her all-new flyer to hit a wall of heat, the kind so heavy you might have thought someone was messing with the gravity. A woman was walking toward her: dark-haired and perhaps a little older than Raffi. Hard to guess, sometimes, with Romulans.

"Hey," said Raffi, uncertainly. They didn't know each other well-although they knew a great deal about each other. Raffi knew that Laris had once been Tal Shiar. With JL, she had helped Laris escape them and get to Earth. Raffi knew, too (and perhaps this could be seen in the lines and shadows that were settling on the other woman's face), that Laris was recently widowed.

"Hello," said Laris, fo lding her arms in front of her. "How was the trip?"

"Fine," said Raffi. "It's hotter than I expected. I thought Europe was meant to be temperate. Know what I mean?"

A small smile flickered over the other woman's face. "It'll rain tonight."

"You sure about that?"

"I'm sure. Let me take your bag."

Laris hoisted up the bag and led her inside.

"Where's JL?" said Raffi.

"The lord of the manor," said Laris, "is out with his dog. His-"

"-damn dog," said Raffi, with her.

"Don't get me wrong," said Laris. "I love the beast. But I might wish he was self-cleaning."

"Robotics," agreed Raffi. "Daystrom's missing a trick there."

Laris's smile almost became a laugh. Almost.