Six hours had passed. Six hours of methodical passage through the Briar Patch, conducting a grid-by-grid search of some of the most dangerous territory in Federation space. No sign of Repulse had been uncovered - but no evidence that Repulse had ever been there in the Briar Patch was unveiled by their searching, either. It was something of a relief to Tw'eak to have any proof of Repulse be so resoundingly absent. The ship was neither found nor discovered to have been destroyed. A firm answer had proven elusive, but a firm answer could potentially mean their crewmates were dead. And so, the nebulous nothingness of their search for answers impelled the starship Tecumseh onwards, through the various clouds and gases of the Briar Patch. It was hard to be hopeful, but paradoxically, hope was not lost.

Tw'eak had taken to hovering just over the shoulder of the Tecumseh's tactical officer, a young Vulcan lieutenant named Sonvak, since he seemed the least likely to be annoyed. An Excelsior-class starship was, much like a Steamrunner-class starship, one whose bridge put movable space at a premium. Given that he had nowhere to sit, Commander Torgrove walked back and forth between his operations officer at the forward station and the science station aft, where he was now. There wasn't enough room in that space for two commanders, so Tw'eak made way.

The door to the ready room was located forward, to starboard, and through this door came Captain Dorian Collins. She took one look at Tw'eak, who gave a curt shake of the head, and offered a little smile, seemingly knowing that nothing new was waiting to report. Tw'eak appreciated her quiet, keen intelligence and saw in it something she hoped she would emulate if she ever got the chance to command a starship of her own. Everything she had learned about command stressed the importance of looking competent, level-headed and decisive, even if the ship was on fire and chaos reigned all about. This took practice, and Tw'eak noted Collins' every move, in studious observation.

Torgrove turned at the sound of the door opening, and approached the captain. "We've completed grids thirty-one through thirty-six. There are a few possible emission trails, but with all the metreon gas and everything else in there, it's hard to filter out."

Collins moved past Torgrove to the science station. The Trill lieutenant at that station, Lieutenant Rivan, looked up at her as she approached. "We tried looking for spectography, or evidence of manufactured versus natural emissions..."

"Searching for trace residuals from their impulse engines won't do. What about warp plasma?"

Rivan shook his head. "Inconclusive. The computer can't see anything that looks the part."

Collins grimaced, and she looked at Torgrove. "They're out there." She stepped past, and sat in her chair. "But... where?"

"Captain, if I may?" Tw'eak requested.

"Please. This is your ship we're after, any insight you can provide would be welcome."

Tw'eak stepped around Sonvak and stood before Collins. Torgrove came down to take a similar position on the opposite side, forming a sort of triangle. "We know they were being pursued, by one or more Romulan-designed vessels."

"Romulan-designed?" Torgrove asked, quizzically. "Who else could it be?"

"The Reman resistance uses ex-Imperial vessels. And we don't know enough to rule out the possibility of their being involved. We can probably rule out anyone associated with the Republic."

Collins shook her head. "Definitely not the Republic. Not their style. Whoever it is, they have at least one warbird - that's at least one artificial singularity we can try to scan for."

"Correct. And there would be evidence of their being cloaked. I doubt we'd get very far running an antiproton sweep in here, though. And we're only one ship, so a tachyon detection net is off the table, too."

"We could use shuttles to form a tachyon net," Torgrove suggested, "flying close and carefully."

"I'm not risking it," Collins said. "No way. In here, they'd get swamped - and destroyed, too, before we could respond to save them."

Tw'eak nodded. "Exactly. But my point was, I don't think searching for emissions or particle traces will get us anywhere."

"So how do you propose we conduct this search?"

"Rather than particles, we look for people. The actions Repulse took were undertaken by officers, people I know." She turned to the tactical station. "Lieutenant Sonvak, would you mind putting the map of this region on the main viewer for a moment?"

Sonvak hesitated until Collins nodded her approval - another lesson for Tw'eak, as she recognized the signs of their trust in her as their commander, not just letting anyone give them an order. "One moment," Sonvak said, as he called up the map.

"And overlay our search grids and position," Collins said. She looked at Tw'eak. "The Patch is too turbulent, I want to see what we've covered, so we don't get lost."

"Or found, for that matter," Torgrove added. "We should be careful not to run into the Son'a, if we can avoid it."

"Sonvak, can you add in positions of known Son'a installations or colonies in the Briar Patch as well?"

"Indeed." The map on the viewer now included several bright red areas.

Tw'eak stepped forward. "If I know my crew, the captain will have asked Lieutenant Sagittori, my tactical officer, to direct their response. That's why they would've run this far. Sagittori has a bit of ...flair for the heroic, let's say. Which explains why he'd opt for the Briar Patch. Not the most tactically sound maneuver, to be sure, but certainly dramatic."

"In here, it would be," Torgrove joked. "One wrong move, and..." Collins didn't laugh, however, catching Torgrove by surprise. "Boom," he added quietly.

"That may be what he's counting on, but metreon gas pockets and spatial anomalies are no place for that sort of thing. Still, it also tells me that Sagittori's choice came because he sensed himself at a disadvantage, maybe just a perceived one. He's very fond of playing the underdog. This may be why he's trying to use the Briar Patch as a force-multiplier: he doesn't think Repulse can take their pursuers in a stand-up fight. So, instead, they run for it."

"Which gets us to the Briar Patch," Collins observed. "Then what?"

"At the moment Repulse entered, Sagittori would have had access to the same latest-known information - about the Briar Patch, and everything else around it - that Lieutenant Sonvak just used to put this map together. They wouldn't know anything we don't, other than, of course, where they went. So..." Tw'eak turned back to the map, falling silent.

"Well," Collins said after a moment. "So what?"

"I don't know. But..." Tw'eak reached out with her left hand, placing her fingers in an arc along the map with her hand at the position of the Tecumseh on the map. "We're here. They're going fast - faster than they probably should. They may not adhere to the restriction on impulse speeds, might even overlook them if they're running. Then again, they haven't had time to refit their manifolds like this starship has, so maybe they found out the hard way. It wouldn't surprise me. Still, I doubt they're going to do what you're supposed to do in a close-in engagement in a place like the Briar Patch."

"Which is?" Collins asked. "Might be good for me to know."

"Evasive tactics," Torgrove answered. "Random pathing, not a straight line. Z-axis as well."

"Exactly. If I'm right, Sagittori's inexperience will make him run headlong into this, like a wounded ice vole." She narrowed the arc between her fingers. "And he'll be looking for cover." She followed the lines from her hand, outward. "There are some areas here, and here, where there are anomalies which might be worth a closer look, but they're awful close to Son'a territory."

"And we'd have heard from them if they had sent out a distress signal."

Tw'eak nodded at Torgrove. "We hope we'd hear it. The Briar Patch isn't known to disrupt communications, but then, if they were powered down when they were ambushed, they wouldn't have a chance to call for help."

"Not a chance. Son'a ships are known to carry isolytic weapons," Collins added. "My worst nightmare - I studied isolytic radiation and its effects on subspace in my senior year at the Academy. Wish we had time to take a closer look."

"We don't really have the equipment to do that anymore," Torgrove replied.

Collins nodded sadly. "That, too."

Tw'eak continued along. "They're a long way from Ba'ku, and from the Son'a, if they continue on... before long, they leave the Briar Patch altogether."

"Could they just have been passing through? Using it to snarl the Romulans while they got out the other side?"

"Not likely," Tw'eak replied to the captain's question. "They've been gone over eighteen hours. If they'd gone out the other side, either they'd have reported in, or someone would've reported seeing them. Especially if they've taken damage or are otherwise in distress."

"You think it's likely they were destroyed?" Torgrove asked, quietly.

"I haven't ruled anything out, but it'd be my preference not to rule that in... at least, not prematurely." Tw'eak gave Torgrove a smile. "I'm biased, though."

Torgrove nodded in agreement. "I wouldn't want to give up, either."

From behind the three officers, the tactical officer responded to a notification from his station. "Captain," Lieutenant Sonvak advised, "we are receiving a distress signal."

"From who?" Collins asked.

"The Federation starship Kolibri. They are under attack by two Romulan warbirds."

"Location?"

"Sector 442, section nine." Sonvak raised an eyebrow. "Forty-seven light-years distant."

"That's behind us, though. Helm?"

The helm officer turned slightly. "Already laid in, Captain."

"How long?"

"About twenty minutes to get clear of the anomalies, then it's a short warp jump to get there."

"Let's hope we're in time." Collins turned to Tw'eak. "I'm sorry that we'll have to cut this short."

"Likewise," Tw'eak replied with an exasperated grin. There was never a good time for a distress signal - but to receive one when searching for another lost ship was bad luck indeed.

"Get us underway, helm. Sonvak, take us to red alert as soon as we clear the field."

"Understood."

Collins stood and came over to Tw'eak's side. "We've got a couple minutes. I need to discuss something with you." She nodded to Torgrove, who understood himself to be in command.

Tw'eak followed Collins into the captain's ready room. The decor was furnished in the usual style, carpeted floors and walls. Tw'eak noted a prominently-displayed plaque bearing the insignia of the since-disbanded Academy Red Squad on one wall. She stood in the centre of the room, facing the captain's desk. "What's this about, Captain?"

Collins didn't cross behind her desk, instead choosing to lean up against it. "I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate what you're doing. It must be difficult."

Tw'eak looked confused. Her serious tone didn't indicate appreciation. "Ma'am?"

"The effort you're putting into trying to find your ship."

"You think they've been destroyed," Tw'eak inferred

Collins raised a hand. "I didn't say that. But I'd just like to caution you, all the same."

"Have I offended you or done something wrong?"

"Not to me, no. But I can only speak for myself."

Tw'eak was becoming very anxious. "With all due respect, I'd like to ask what this is about."

"You strike me as an officer who can manage situations, scenarios, crises, better than she can manage her people." Collins crossed her arms. "You need to take greater care with how you speak of junior officers. We set the example," she continued, indicating the door to the bridge with a raised hand. "They're following it."

Tw'eak narrowed her eyes. "So what am I doing wrong?"

"Not wrong, just... I've known a few Andorians in my time, and I know you folks to be passionate, intense... but you, you're something else - and you're forgetting your people in the process."

"What do you mean?"

"Who's this young lieutenant of yours that you're so eager to openly name as being at fault?"

"I didn't say that he was."

"No, not precisely. But is that what Lieutenant Sonvak heard? Is that what Ensign Tarraven or Lieutenant Commander Torgrove heard? How can you be sure? If you asked, they wouldn't dare answer truthfully - but they'll hear what they think they heard, not what you meant to say. There's a... messaging, I've found, that gets put in their heads, regardless of whether you mean it. Sometimes your rank speaks in ways, and with an inflection, that your voice doesn't intend."

Tw'eak realized she had spoken rather harshly about her tactical officer. In truth, she was more upset about his conduct off-duty, specifically with Ensign Koepka, than with anything he had done in the meantime. Indeed, speaking to Ensign Koepka had inadvertently given her reasons to assess Lieutenant Sagittori even more sharply. She closed her eyes in recognizance. "I made it sound like it's all his fault."

"A little, yeah." Collins leaned back. "At the start of my career, I was onboard the starship Valiant. I doubt you've ever heard of it - but that's not what we expected would happen at the time. We expected to be legends - a bunch of Academy kids who stood tall against the Dominion and sent a signal defeat to the Jem'Hadar. And we all got behind our captain, who was one of us, and carried out his orders: to assault and destroy a Jem'Hadar battleship, all on our own." Collins paused. "We never stood a chance."

"I'm sorry that happened to you," Tw'eak offered.

"I survived. I suppose that means I was lucky. But I came to realize how easy it was to get swept up in what someone was saying, just because they were in charge. It's what we do in Starfleet - we come out of the Academy ready to take on the universe and earn our place within it, by following orders, by doing the right thing, for duty, for valour, for the Federation. Thirty-two of my fellow cadets died thinking that was just what they were doing. It was a senseless waste, but it seemed to make perfect sense to me at the time. I was afraid to deny it to myself - that this was my moment, my destiny. I had so much to prove, then. We all did. It's how we lost the Valiant." Collins looked down. "I don't tell this story very often, Commander, and in your case, I'm sharing it because, as I said, I appreciate your intensity. It reminds me of someone I knew then. But when you're the one in command, they're all wishing they were just like you... because to them, you're someone who's earned their place in the universe. "

"I understand," Tw'eak said, nodding. Collins was right. She had been so certain of her officers being a failure - and just like overconfidence, a misinformed appraisal of a situation had led her into a false impression, and a mistaken action. Fortunately, the only thing that had come to harm was her own ego. The question of whether she deserved the place she held in the universe crashed through her mind, shaking her confidence.

"I appreciate that you're trying to find a needle in the proverbial haystack, but you can't give any officer - especially not one of your own - the impression that you'll do anything other than take responsibility for their failings, and reward them when they succeed." Collins pointed at Tw'eak. "And it starts with yourself."

"Me?"

"Can I ask how much rest you've gotten of late?" Collins uncrossed her arms, gesturing to herself. "Personally, if it was me, I'd be a nervous wreck, knowing my ship was out there in harm's way - without me aboard, which is the worst part about it."

"Absolutely, it is." Tw'eak shook her head. "I can't rest until we've returned to the Repulse. There's... just no way to say it otherwise."

"I thought as much." Collins leaned back. "Which is why you're off-duty until I tell you otherwise."

Tw'eak's antennae flared with shock. "You're relieving me of duty?"

"Not as such, no. It's not my place to do so. But we've got a priority distress signal to handle - my crew and I, I mean. As much as I would appreciate an experienced hand at tactical, I have Sonvak and Torgrove for that - two of the best." Collins smiled at Tw'eak. "Besides, you're a guest onboard my ship, with no particular duties to perform... and I would hope I've given you something to think about in the meantime."

Tw'eak nodded. "Definitely."

"That's what makes good commanders. It's not training or experience, and it's certainly not acting impulsively - it's consideration, reflection, and being seen to have things in control, even when half your ship is on fire and the other half's been boarded." Collins took a step forward. "Be sure of yourself, but be sure that your actions help your junior officers to see the potential they have." She paused as she stepped past Tw'eak. "It's the only way they'll achieve it."

Tw'eak looked forlornly at Collins. "That's what you're doing right now, isn't it?"

Collins had a twinkle in her eye. "Was I that obvious?" She continued walking towards the door. "I just try to be the voice of reason that I wish I'd had to listen to, all those years ago. It's the least I can do - call it the legacy of the starship Valiant."

Tw'eak smiled. "I appreciate it."

"That'll be all, Commander. If you need anything, let me know." A swoosh of the automatic open-and-close, and she was gone, leaving Tw'eak with her thoughts. After a moment, she gathered herself and left the ready room, ducking into the adjacent turbolift. Her antennae nearly touched each other in her embarrassment - and yet, despite her blushing shame in her actions, she felt better about herself for having listened to Captain Collins.