Lisea Danan and Tom Riker were walking down the corridors of the Security Alliance Academy. It was within the confines of these halls that Rab Daggit, another former member of Macen's SID team, taught. Riker was sullen and withdrawn. He stopped Danan just shy of Daggit's office.
"I can't let you do it." He declared.
"You don't have a choice." She scoffed, "I'm leaving and that's that. I already resigned from your crew so just face facts and accept the situation."
"But…" Riker tried to protest.
Danan cut him off, "I know you're trying to protect me but it's this overbearing protectiveness that's the problem."
"But going back to Brin…" Riker managed to squeeze out.
"Brin's a known quantity. I won't be in any more danger traipsing after him then I would be with you." Danan declared, "The only major difference is that I'd be free to do my job my way."
"But…" Riker faltered.
Danan shook her head, "Tom, I've made my decision. If we are going to continue to grow you need to respect my wishes."
Riker struggled with the concept for several heartbeats and then released a mournful sigh, "All right but I don't have to like it."
Danan kissed him, "No one said you had to, Darling."
"Now you try to butter me up." Riker rolled his eyes, "That might have worked two days ago when this was first brought up."
"Yeah," a sly grin spread across Danan's face, "but this way we get to have make-up sex."
Riker grinned, "This is sounding better all the time."
"I thought it would." Danan purred, "Now, keep it in your pants. Rab's waiting for us."
Riker sighed, "Always with the interruptions."
Danan grinned, "Comes with the rank, Captain."
"All right." Riker straightened out his shoulders and was suddenly transformed. It was his "command mode". His strength and resolve would not waver. Daggit would need that.
Danan activated the door chime and it opened a moment later. Daggit was rounding his desk with a smile as they entered, "Tom, Lees, come in and sit down."
They went to the offered couch and sat down. Daggit asked them if they wanted anything. Riker declined but Danan asked for some Arquillian tea. Daggit produced her requested item and held a steaming mug of raktajino for himself.
"I'm glad you decided to stop by." Daggit grinned, "You can only do so many performance reviews and grade so many papers before you go buggy."
Danan smiled at his increasing familiarity with human slang. The Daggit that had first joined Starfleet and then the SID had been a taciturn soul. It was good to see him relaxing.
"So," Daggit was all eagerness, "what's brought you by?"
Danan and Riker exchanged a nervous glance. Riker retrieved a padd from his jacket pocket and handed it to Daggit, "This contains a personnel file you need to review. It's about the newest member of Brin's SID team. Everyone's corporate file is included but you need to focus on Celeste Rockford."
"Rockford?" Daggit's eyebrows shot up, "We contacted her agency. They weren't interested in joining the Security Alliance but they are a first rate detective agency."
Daggit glanced from one to the other, "Why do you want me to see this file?"
"The answer's self explanatory." Riker said, "Mind if I replicate a synthale?"
"Help yourself." Daggit said as he activated the padd. He copied the unit's files and transferred the copy to his desk computer. Sorting through the files, he opened Rockford's and began perusing it. His eyes narrowed and a scowl deepened as he read on.
Finally, he returned to Rockford's ID photos and he scrutinised them. Finally he spoke, "What the hell is this? This is Annika Ryst! You mean to tell me the Captain has hired Annika Ryst to join the SID team? He wouldn't do that. Would he?"
They all exchanged glances and then chorused in unison, "He would."
"What I don't understand is why every file on her refers to her as Celeste Rockford. Her real name is listed as a 'known alias'. Why is that?" Riker asked.
Daggit sighed and then shared the secret of the compartmentalisation capabilities of Angosian Infiltrators, "Annika and I were both part of that elite cadre. You became the enemy in order to kill the enemy. In this case, she seems to have become someone respectable. The Heavens know why."
"It may stem from a long suppressed desire for respectability." Danan suggested.
Daggit pondered the notion and then slowly nodded, "It could be. She was pretty idealistic. Coming home and being locked away like an unwanted dog hit her pretty hard. I don't think she ever recovered from that blow."
"Hmm." Danan mused, "I guess it's a good thing that I'm rejoining Brin's team."
"What?" this alarmed Daggit, "You two haven't…?"
Danan softly laughed, "Have no fears, Rab. Tom and I are fine on a personal level. It's the professional element to our relationship that's out of focus. My dear former captain spends all of his time keeping me out of danger."
"Not all of the time." Riker sullenly interjected.
"Most of it, dear." Danan bemusedly pointed out, "And just try to deny that."
Riker's shoulders slumped, "I know when I'm beaten."
"That's nice to know." Danan winked at him.
"Why do you think being on the Captain's team will be good?" Daggit refocused the discussion. Macen would always be the Captain.
"I can observe Ryst and maybe assist her in rejoining her myriad personalities." Danan said.
"Maybe." Daggit conceded, "It certainly can't hurt."
"There's a cheerful thought." Danan grumbled. After a moment's silence, Danan changed the subject, "Do you and Parva have plans for the evening?"
The Corsair plummeted towards the ground. The runabout was a creature of space and was hardly defined as being aerodynamic. It gracelessly fell aft first.
The craft's primary antigrav system had failed thereby sending the Corsair into freefall. Inside, T'Kir had tried to reengage the auxiliary systems and was busy getting them up and running. So far her efforts had met with little success.
T'Kir! Are you all right? Macen's thoughts "shouted" in her mind.
She frowned as she replied in kind, Keep it down, will ya? I'm tryin' to work.
A little sheepishly, Macen asked, Are you all right?
Never better, she happily replied, Course the frinxing ship is busted.
You only have thirty seconds left before you crash. Macen advised her, Transport out while you can!
I've got it, really. T'Kir responded.
T'Kir! Macen desperately thoughtcast, Beam out now!
No, she defiantly projected back, I've really got it!
With that, the auxiliary system flared to life and the antigravs slowed the Corsair's descent. A blast from the RCS thrusters brought the ship to a hover ten metres above the pavement. T'Kir lowered the nose and the runabout sat poised for action.
T'Kir plotted a course towards the Palace. It involved a twisting and turning route through the city streets. She smiled to herself. No one would expect a miniature starship to fly at street level.
With a maniacal laugh she applied the impulse engines and scooted forward. She would fly forward for several blocks and then cut the impulse engines half a block away from an intersection. As friction burned away her momentum she would apply the RCS thrusters to change her vector. As soon as she was in the centre of the desired thoroughfare she would once again apply 1/20th impulse power.
The air friction slowed down the already lessened pace of the runabout. The Corsair paced the traffic below her. Progress was slow but it was steady. That all ended when the ship reached the Palace walls.
Hovertanks surrounded the palace. As she emerged from the cover of the buildings surrounding the avenue she was travelling upon, the tanks began to open fire. Several shots gauged out holes in the nearby buildings. Debris and rubble showered the walkways below.
"Hey, you frinxing shukheads, target me!" T'Kir yelled to no one in particular, "Leave the civilians alone!"
Not believing what she was doing, she targeted the closest tanks and readied herself to defend Cardassian citizens. T'Kir didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It seemed to be a betrayal of everything she'd fought for alongside the Maquis.
T'Kir was awash within a comforting wave of understanding from Macen. She'd known of the tumultuous struggle that he'd undergone before agreeing to this mission. Now she understood why.
The decision to assist the Cardassians was much more than a simple willingness to forgo old hostilities. It was much more profound than that. It was the choice to view them as people rather than monsters. It was a choice that had been over a decade in the making.
T'Kir also thanked her husband for making the decision first. She also knew what that had cost him. Macen's loathing of the Cardassians was almost as intense as his hatred for the Borg. He'd fought the Cardassians for nearly thirty years and such prejudices were easily forged but died slow, lingering deaths.
T'Kir was very precise in selecting her targets. During her time with the Maquis her definition of enemy combatants had been very negotiable. That hadn't changed much but she saw no reason to fire on anyone other than a hovertank.
T'Kir fired a full powered phaser stream at the closest tank. Its shields withstood the first barrage but collapsed under the weight of the second round of sustained fire. An insistent alarm alerted her to the fact that another tank was swiftly approaching her aft quarter. Pivoting the Corsair 180 degrees, she rounded on the encroaching tank. It was swiftly dispatched in a similar manner as the first.
Another round of alarm klaxons prompted T'Kir to check the sensors again. Two Militia soldiers were setting up a shoulder fired photon missile launcher. The loader had just locked the missile into place when T'Kir boosted the antigravs and bobbed high above the Palace walls. The missile, still within its safety range and off target, rocketed harmlessly below the runabout and slammed into the Palace shields.
The Corsair's RCS thrusters flared to life and positioned the ship directly above the Palace's central courtyard. T'Kir cut the antigravs and once again the runabout plummeted towards the ground. The minders in the Crisis Centre deactivated the shields only to reactivate them once the ship was within their envelope.
When the ship was a mere two metres off of the ground the antigravs and thrusters pushed the Corsair away from the ground. Unfortunately the already abused antigravs died and the runabout gracelessly flopped onto the ground. It settled with a crashing thud and silently stood still.
The entire investigative team had gathered in the Crisis Centre. They stood riveted as the plight of the Corsair unfolded. The scene was displayed in a massive holotank that replaced a traditional viewer. As soon as the runabout settled down Macen bolted from the room.
Macen climbed the stairwell leading to the ground floor two steps at a time at a dead run. He exited the stairwell in full flight, colliding with a secretary sending his carefully stacked array of padds that he was carrying flying across the corridor. Macen reached the main foyer and sailed out into the square beyond. He was waiting beside the runabout when the main hatch slid open.
T'Kir saw him and she grinned, "You're silly. There was no need to worry. I had the situation well in hand."
"Bull." Macen retorted. He then lowered her to the ground and tightly embraced her, "Don't ever do that again."
"How's this: we skip the actual argument, pretend we had a knock down drag-out, and then have really spectacular make up sex?" she offered.
It was Macen's turn to grin, "I like the way you think."
"We can start like this." T'Kir drew him in and proceeded to deliver a smouldering kiss. Macen had to come up for air, "Wow."
Grace suddenly arrived, "Don't you two ever stop?"
"No." T'Kir petulantly replied, "So go away."
"Not so fast," Grace warned, "I am but the first of many."
T'Kir gazed past Macen's shoulder and saw the entire SID team coming her way as well as Ghemor and the Presidential Cabinet.
"Great." She groaned, "Talk about frinxed up timing."
"Not to change the subject or anything," Grace wore a wry grin, "but what have you done to my runabout?"
"Your runabout?" T'Kir choked, "When did it become your runabout?"
"When you got shot down." Grace asserted.
Dracas arrived at that moment at a jog, "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Really." T'Kir assured him.
"What have you done to my runabout?" he inquired.
"Your runabout?" Grace yelped, "That runabout is mine, mister!"
"You only fly her." Dracas argued, "Her care is in my charge."
Macen ushered T'Kir away as the debate heated up. He chuckled, "It'll take Hannah awhile to realise she fighting a losing battle. I may hold the title for the Obsidian but Joachim owns her."
Radil, Rockford, and Gantz were the next to arrive. Radil was stoic.
"Glad you're in one piece." She offered.
"I know that was like pulling teeth so thank you." T'Kir replied.
"For what it's worth," Rockford smiled, "I'm really glad you aren't dead."
T'Kir returned the smile, "That actually means quite a bit."
"Hey, it's good you aren't dead." Gantz said, "Life around Macen would be a real bitch if you died."
"That's so sweet and so eloquent too." T'Kir riposted.
Ghemor and his Ministers rounded on T'Kir. They offered platitudes and assurances of safety. Ghemor's wrist communicator sounded.
"Ghemor." He informed the device.
"Legate Macet has arrived with a relief column." A staffer in the Crisis Centre reported, "He's taking up defensive positions."
"Have the… have the rioters responded?" Ghemor had to ask carefully choosing his terminology.
"No, sir." Came the reply, "They appear to be standing by."
"Are there any clues as to why?" Ghemor inquired.
Ghemor was swiftly informed that "Signal intercepts indicate that they are awaiting instructions from Gul Maret."
"We'll be returning directly." Ghemor faced his staff, "Maret's forces are holding position. We must return to the Crisis Centre immediately in order to formulate and implement strategy in response to his next move."
"If you don't mind," Macen spoke up, "I'd like to come along."
"Of course." Ghemor agreed, "You and your entire team are invited."
"Not quite." Macen replied. He gathered his group together, "Hannah and Joachim, you're on the runabout. Find out what's wrong and fix it. Radil and Gantz, make sure nothing happens to them. Celeste, you're with T'Kir and I."
Rockford hesitated for a split second but complied. She curiously accompanied The Captain and T'Kir as they proceeded to the Crisis Centre amongst the Cardassian politicos. Their return was almost as hurried as their departure.
Once there, Ghemor received updates. Macet had been in direct contact with Maret. The Gul had urged his supporters to stand down and obey the legally instituted authorities. Ghemor recognised this for the double edged sword that it was.
The Unionists didn't recognise the Democratic government's legitimacy. They acknowledged Macet's authority since his was a rank duly earned within the Militia's framework and owed nothing to political influence. The Legate's personal politics were largely unknown. He defended the current government but no one knew if he approved of it or not. In short, no one knew where he would stand if shooting actually started.
The watch commander approached Ghemor, "Legate Macet is on the line for you."
Ghemor was ushered to a console. He signalled for Macen's entourage to accompany him. He accepted the call and Macet's grim features filled the screen.
"I've called off the dogs, Mr. President, but it comes at a price." Macet wearily confessed, "I had to reveal that Outbound Ventures was hired by the government. Maret is certain to use that information for his propaganda machine in wake of the recent incidents."
Macet's eyes became sharp, "I have agreed to arrest Macen and his team and hand them over to the Justice Ministry for trial. I estimate that it will take me an hour to settle the situation out here. Will that be enough time for them to relocate off the planet?"
"It will have to be." Ghemor steadily replied, "Thank you for your consideration Legate."
The screen went dark and Ghemor turned to Macen, "It seems your coming here was for nought."
No." Macen firmly insisted, "It wasn't. We'll still find Katreen."
"But you'll have the whole of the military after you." Ghemor warned.
"I've had the Cardassian Militia after me before." Macen grinned, "I've managed to survive so far."
Ghemor shook his head, "You're mad but then I suppose you have to be in your profession. Good luck, for us all."
"Exactly." Macen concurred. Turning to his companions, he said, "I guess we'd better go warn Hannah and Joachim about the time limit and help out wherever and however we can."
"I'm useless then." Rockford complained, "I know diddly about starships."
"Neither does Hannah." T'Kir laughed, "C'mon, you can always hold a spanner."
"Sure." Rockford was less than convinced.
"Trust me." T'Kir said with a cocky grin.
Rockford looked skyward imploringly, "Why do I feel that would be my first mistake?"
"Smart Girl." T'Kir's grin blossomed.