Allensworth knew something was wrong even before Merriell mentioned the fact. Merriell, stood at the tactical console with Lieutenant McKenzie.

"Put it on screen." Allensworth said.

Merriell relayed the data to the viewscreen. A map of the sectors surrounding the Alexandria's current position appeared. Dots of many colors and sizes marked the positions of nearby star systems, icons resembling different powers' national insignias indicated the whereabouts of allied and hostile starships. Allensworth made a rough count of the icons massed on the opposite side of the Breen-Federation border and was dismayed to note that they appeared to have multiplied since his crew's last sensor sweep of the area.

He turned in his chair toward the tactical console. "It looks as if the Alliance is flexing its muscles along the border, doesn't it, Commander?"

"Yes, sir, it does. We're looking at a mixed force of Breen and Romulan warships moving in a staggered formation, shadowing our course."

Johnson looked back from ops. "Is that their oh so subtle way of warning us to stay on our side of the border?" Johnson's Human side clearly coming out. Her Vulcan side would never have let such a "Human" comment to have slipped past her control.

McKenzie spoke up. "Sir, I'm reading more ships on their way. Tholian and Gorn."

"Commander Arious must have pitched a fit after the stunt we pulled on him." Zofchak said. "Could they be getting ready to come after us in force?"

"Doubtful." Allensworth said. "We're back within sensor range of Starbase One Three Seven. Unless the Alliance is itching to turn this cold war into a hot one, they won't attack us in plain sight of the rest of our forces." Allensworth got up and walked over to stand beside Johnson. "Show me a progression from the last three hours, the positions of the ships in the Breen fleet relative to us and the Rakis system."

As soon as the brief sequence played out on the screen, it became obvious to Allensworth what was happening. "They're maneuvering to keep themselves between us and Memchr. That's not an attack fleet, it's a blockade."

"We could blow past them at warp nine." Merriell said.

"I don't think so." Allensworth said. Their fleet is maintaining a steady distance from us. Look at these intervals, here and here." When we moved half a light year closer to the border, they dropped back the same distance. They're giving themselves room, which equals time to react if we try to race through."

Johnson held the sides of her console and leaned forward, her forehead creased with the effort of concentration. "There must be options. Ways to mask our energy signature, or blind their sensors for a few seconds."

"I don't suppose we could run back to Deep Space Nine and ask to borrow the Defiant's cloaking device?" Alex asked rubbing his scruffy chin.

"Wouldn't matter if we did." Zofchak said. "It's Romulan made. Those warbirds would see us coming half a sector away."

McKenzie spoke up. "Sir, there's another matter to consider. This map shows only those vessels we're able to detect. Given the sensor capabilities of the ships in the blockade, their deployment pattern is far from optimal. There are multiple gaps in their sensor net. Some of them are relatively minor but others are substantial."

"They're daring us to run it." Allensworth said, cracking a grin. "Which means that's probably where the cloaked ships are."

"What about sending in the Klingons?" Merriell asked.

Allensworth shook his head. "No, we played that card. The Romulans will be waiting for it. I anticipated their ambush site yesterday and had the Klingons move in and run silent till the warbirds showed themselves. But if we try to sneak a Klingon Bird of Prey into the Rakis system, odds are it will be detected and destroyed."

Merriell thought for a moment. "What if we don't ask the Klingons to break through the blockade but just smoke out the cloaked warbirds? They could get close enough to force the blockade to shift its deployment, it might open a gap that either we or a Klingon ship could exploit."

"I see what you're saying, Commander." Allensworth said. "Force them to pick their battle, the one they can see or the one they can't, and either way they lose." He nodded. "It would take a lot of cloaked ships, but it's worth a try. He turned his attention to McKenzie. "Jules, where is the nearest Klingon battle fleet?"

"Refueling at Starbase One Five One."

"M'Ress, hail Starfleet. We've got a blockade to run."

In spite of Char's preparations and Hoshi's assurances, Liz still felt queasy with anxiety as she and Hoshi approached the checkpoint for the government complex on Level Forty-seven. She was certain the automated screening devices would see through their disguises. If that happened, it would be too late to run. The check point was situated in the midst of an entire platoon of armed Breen soldiers.

Her fear of exposure persisted even after the guards ushered her and Hoshi through the checkpoint with speed and deference. Once their credentials had been scanned and verified, no one dared ask them any questions. All that the soldiers seemed to care about was moving them along to their destination as quickly as possible. As the duo walked away from the soldiers, Hoshi confided to Liz over their private comm channel, "One down, one to go."

They continued on until they arrived at the military comm center. Muttering over the encrypted channel, Liz spoke up. "Now for the real test of these identities." Char had manipulated their armors' insignias to look more authentic.

They stepped through and Liz paused to let the comm center's guards examin her ID chips and access cards. Liz expected the soldier in charge to at least ask what business a member of the civilian government had inside a military facility, but it never came. The guard motioned them to go through.

Neither of the two spies said anything until they were inside the building and away from the guard post. As they passed through the tomb quiet, lead colored lobby of the comm center, Hoshi looked around the room and found what she was looking for.

She walked over to the interactive panel and started tapping on different symbols. The screen showed floor plans, directions and information regarding which personnel were in command of which areas. It wasn't until Hoshi had finished skimming the high points of the intel that she realized that she had done so without the need for her visor's translation interface. While she was marveling at her new grasp of written Breen, Liz pointed at an isolated section of one floor plan.

"That's what were' looking for, on the twenty-first floor."

Following the line implied by her pointed finger, Hoshi eyed the schematic. "Auxiliary systems control?"

"Auxiliary systems tend to be not as heavily guarded." Liz said as she led the way to the nearest turbolift. They were in the elevator only a few seconds when the doors opened, revealing a corridor made of black marble. They reached the door that lead to Auxiliary control. They eyed a sensor pad beside the door.

"Feeling lucky?" Liz asked Hoshi.

"Ask me again in seven seconds." The door slide open and they walked in without hesitation. A lone Breen sat in the room. He stood up to confront Hoshi and Liz.

"Who are you? This area is restricted."

Hoshi spoke up immediately. "I am H'ren Prish and this his H'ren Garr. We have been sent by the Confederate Information Bureau to request your cooperation."

"I need to see confirmation of those orders before you access my console."

The Breen's demand was met by a moment of silence. Hoshi's hand shot forward and struck a blow into the Breen's throat. He gagged and staggered backward as Hoshi launched a jumping snap kick. She slammed her heel into the soldier's chin, which jerked back so hard that Liz thought she heard a snap. His body went limp and collapsed to the floor.

Hoshi then opened an access panel and shoved the body into it as Liz stood in total shock, staring at the body before Hoshi closed the panel. Hoshi could guess the look on Liz's face behind the helmet.

"Being on the run from the Xindi for twelve years as well as fighting Reptillian Xindi hand to hand during those twelve years will give you that sort of reaction time." Hoshi said. "I've killed a lot of Xindi like that, thanks to training by MACOs and Malcolm Reed." Hoshi mentioning her former crewmates on the NX-01 Enterprise caused her to hesitated in her duty for a moment. She did miss them but that was now in the past and her current duty was to sabotage the Breen's slipstream drive project.

After a few moments, Hoshi had found something. "A lot of encrypted files and communication messages, all marked for a special research division in the starship design area here on Memchr. I'll bet that's where the slipstream drive is." She pressed a few more buttons. "I'm downloading the data to a portable unit that we can analyze once we're safely out of here." She got up and stepped away from the interface. "Let's go."