Captain Picard would have to beam down to see what he could do to solve this problem. Riker as ever tried to hog the glory and warn the captain against going.
However, Jean-Luc thought it was important, a show of good faith, to go down himself. Although he did allow Commander Worf to accompany him, as a token gesture to placate his number one.
As they walked to transporter room, he allowed Worf to fall behind. Commander Riker always liked to remind Worf of his role in this situation. It drew a rare brief smile on Jean-Luc's face. He would be hard pressed to find anyone who knew more about responsibility and honour than his Klingon friend.
He refused to carry a phaser himself, but couldn't really bind Worf's hands in such a manner. Riker dismissed the transporter technician and took the controls himself. He wishes the captain good luck, and fired a meaningful stare to Worf.
As their atoms were ripped apart on the Enterprise. They rematerialised down on the planet, just 10 yards away from the rear of the Shuttle.
Worf looked around for danger, his hand near but not touching his phaser. Captain Picard was in diplomatic mode, and offered a friendly hand to ... well it had to be Captain Phillips.
The friendly atmosphere didn't last long.
"Ah.. the organ grinder and not the monkey..."
He saluted the captain. Jean-Luc bristled at the insult to Data, it oddly was more offensive as Data would be entirely unphased by it.
Even Worf knew it for an insult, and tension filled his muscles anew.
"I'm Sorry, Captain Picard, but my personal oversight is not negotiable."
"We can arrange another shuttle to fly in parallel, if you wish..."
A shake of the head dismissed that before Jean-Luc had finished talking.
"It is for everybody's safety, Mr. Data is an android, and so can safely fly the shuttle without any atmosphere inside the shuttle. It is safer all around."
"This really isn't negotiable, I need to be in constant sight of The Package, to avoid any risk of tampering, swapping, transport or some other trickery."
With a sigh, Captain Picard waved him onboard the shuttle. He didn't hate many things, but a hide-bound rule-follower was something that he found difficult to deal with.
"I didn't catch your first name?"
From the other side of the cargo, "John Phillips. Captain John Phillips."
Jean Luc took a seat on the opposite side. While Worf stood guard keeping an eye open as the loading door closed.
Only when the door hissed closed and the locks engaged, did he find himself a seat. He sat with his back to the pilot's seat, overseeing the cargo, Captain Picard and Captain Phillips.
"Take us up now, please, Mr. Data."
"As smooth as you can." he added a little redundantly.
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