The Competition

A/N: "The Competition" is intended to be a fun, buddy fic. Yes, I'm intentionally a little vague about exactly 'what' the crew is up to in the beginning. I'm sorry, it just felt right.

This is an AU adventure set in the same universe as my story "The Complication" taking place during the first season of TNG. However, this story can stand alone.

For context, this story contains elements carried over from the "The Complication." Namely, part of Tasha's backstory includes time spent racing vehicles on Turkana.

Established Data/Tasha. Established Miles/Keiko.

This will be a multi-part story.

-X-

"Welcome back," Chief O'Brien said greeting the away team.

Commander Riker, Geordi, and Data stepped off the transporter pad.

"They're waiting for you in the observation lounge. I take it you had no luck with them negotiations then?" Miles asked as he noted the grim look on Commander Riker's face.

"You can say that again. Captain Picard is not gonna like this," Geordi huffed.

Geordi's predication was an understatement.

-X-

"Completely unacceptable," Captain Picard said sternly.

"Captain, the Benzians have already gifted the device to the Uhgari. We don't have a choice," Commander Riker explained.

"There has to be another way," Captain Picard thought aloud as he leaned forward in his chair at that head of the table.

"The Uhgari believe the device rightfully belongs in their possession," Riker stated.

"The Uhgari people have a complex system of property ownership that is not unlike the feudal system of ancient earth," Data described.

Six days earlier, a device had been stolen from a Federation outpost by a group of aliens known as the Benzians. It was an advanced piece of experimental technology that the Federation had worked for years to develop.

The device was attuned specifically to the atmospheric conditions of the planet from which it had been illegally obtained. It was designed to control the weather patterns and had immense potential for longer growth seasons and the avoidance of dangerous natural weather phenomena.

Unfortunately, the device was not yet fully functional. There were several systemic issues that had yet to be reprogrammed and tested before it could be replicated for use elsewhere.

An initial investigation of the theft had led the Enterprise to the Benzians. They were traders and smugglers, not unlike the Ferengi in their pursuit of wealth.

The Benzians had stolen the device. But they had turned around and sold it to the Uhgari for a large sum. The Uhgari people felt they had paid a fair price for the device technology. And by the laws and customs of their world, they now rightfully owned it.

"The Uhgari are an agrarian society. They are controlled by a ruling council composed of land-owning feudal lords known as jarls. It is likely they have chosen this device under the false perception that it will provide an advantage to the winning jarl," Data stated.

"Captain, they aren't technologically advanced enough to understand the device cannot be localised. We tried to explain it's calibrated for planetwide controls and will only work properly at the Federation outpost. They didn't want hear anything else," Geordi said.