"So how are things in the capital?"
"Fine so far, the few officials that have disappeared are safe and those that haven't are being watched closely just in case they will need to disappear"
"Okay, by the way if things continue the way they are we might have to reveal ourselves leader including you and even we don't know your true identity"
"I know, and I am ready for it but hopefully it won't have to happen until things have settled and everyone can return to their lives but if need be I will reveal myself sooner"
"Why have you hidden yourself away anyways?"
"I can't explain that right now, but do know that I have my reasons, by the way I thought I heard rumors of rallies happening this week what's all that about?"
"Oh it's not so much rallies as it is an annual celebration on the latest peace treaty that ended the last civil war, but from what I hear this year will be extra special"
"What for?"
"Don't know that's only known by the highest officials, oh and just so you know it appears that more people have been talking about their fears in regards to telepathic and empathic races and are starting to realize that while they may inadvertently use their abilities at times they do their best not to so as to allow people their privacy, and also when they do use their abilities it is always with the permission of those they are doing it to"
"Except in Starfleet where they are asked to do so by their commanding officers but even that is being accepted because orders are orders"
Unfortunately what was supposed to be a good day turned out to be a day of sorrow at the announcement that within the next six months the planet would officially be part of the Federation due to a bombing that killed several Federation delegates and their own leaders
"We take down the people doing this now I don't care how long it takes us they are going down, we are no longer passive observers we are now an active resistance against those who would disturb our peace and we will stop them with the help of the planets government"
"But how, most of us don't know how to fight and the few that do know won't be enough to be effective against these people"
"Oh don't worry we have our ways"
"By the way, when are you going to take off your bracelet, you don't seem to need it and no one else on this planet has one"
"Oh I actually do need it as do a few others on this planet but they can't right now, and unfortunately I can't do anything for them until they themselves reveal they need our help, for now we are simply observers in those situations however I think everyone will have to know at least basic fighting skills if we are to stop these terrorists"
"Is that how you're going to supplement the few fighters we do have?"
"Exactly though I do have a request, I need to learn your weapons seeing as how I have not had the chance until now"
"Fine by us, but we will warn you that using the weapons will be difficult"
"I understand don't worry, now then I also have a request that will seem odd but in time will actually make sense, I need someone to find a scrap piece of cloth for me"
"What for?"
"I will tell you at a later date, but I do want it to be as clean as possible"
"Don't worry it will be, and besides if it gets soiled we have a means of cleaning our clothes anyways"
"Good point"
They soon start the self defense and weapons training while at the same time doing whatever they could to interrupt the terrorists. Two months after they started fighting back they learned what the piece of cloth was intended for because it was declared that Ashland was now a competent fighter with said weapons and could use them in the fights that they were now getting into
"Actually I need to make sure I am as good as you say I am with the weapon, so where's the piece of cloth I asked for months ago?"
"Right here"
She is handed the piece of cloth and shocks everyone when she covers her eyes with it
"Now then if I can't fight as well with my eyes open with this blindfold on I am not competent enough to use this weapon in the field"
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because you never know what can happen, if the terrorists use dirty tricks they could blind any one of us and that means we may be forced to fight blind, I want to make sure I can do that with this weapon before I use it on the battlefield"
She passes her self made test and is quickly shown to be very effective in battle with said weapon which shocked many of the terrorists because they weren't expecting an obvious stranger to be so good. When she saved several people at once who were all officials she was thanked at the end of battle
"Thank you for saving us, but who are you?"
"Sorry but I can't reveal myself right now, just know that I am an ally, one who has been around long enough to know the changes that have been happening on this planet lately"
"Will you ever reveal yourself?"
"When the time is right I will reveal myself, but for now it is still too dangerous"
"I understand good luck, and we are supporting you even if it may not seem like it"
"I know you are, don't worry we should be able to fight more openly soon, soon I think everything will end and we can stop the fighting that everyone hates so much"
Just as they were about to leave though there was another attack and this time the attackers used acid, which got into Ashland's eyes blinding her, but she quickly adapted and started fighting like she had been blind her whole life forcing the enemy to retreat
"That's what you get for underestimating me creeps!"
"Leader you're blind"
"Don't worry I will adapt easily enough, beside if I recall correctly we have equipment to restore my eyesight since it was taken from me by acid"
"If you're sure"
"I'm positive"
"Leader is what happened today why you insisted on making sure you could fight with our weapons even blindfolded?"
"Exactly I knew the risks of being blinded and I knew it was best that I could fight blind then suddenly lose my eyesight and be unable to fight"
"Well we have your eyesight to take care of and honestly I think it best we go back to base so that everyone can calm down from today's events"
"Yes but I also think we're going to have to accelerate our plans to stop the terrorists once and for all"
"That may be so but let's not do anything rash leader how many times did you reprimand us in the early days of the situation not to do so?"
"You're right, but maybe it might help if one of our number actually rejoins society, albeit in a secret manner so that we're not busted that easily"
"What do you have in mind sir?"
"Oh I'm female and what I have in mind is one of our number as one of the guards that helps protect the leaders of the planet, that ways we can be informed of things we might not find out otherwise and yet be inconspicuous due to their position"
"That might actually work"
They talk and it's decided one of the more recent people who disappeared would rejoin as a guard and that would ultimately be a lifesaver because six months after everything started coming to a head they alerted the resistance to some major terrorist activity in regards to threats when beforehand they weren't that active in threatening people