"Hold it right there."

The sheer joy of the moment - finally having her sister home safe - was brought crashing down as Tw'eak recognized the voice of Doc from somewhere behind her as they exited the turbolift and walked down the corridor. She turned, caught out by it, and saw the good doctor with a hand on her hip.

"Doc. Didn't expect to find you here."

"And it's lucky for me I found you." She nodded to Dashii. "Hello."

Tw'eak looked over at Dashii. "My chief medical officer, Doctor Shirley Ellington. Doc and I have served together for a very long time. I'm sure you two will have... lots of time to get acquainted."

"I'm taking her to sickbay. If she needs quarantine or anything else, I'll let you know."

"There are probably more wounded from the Meitner still to make their way over."

"I'm not surprised. We'll be ready for them, don't you worry."

Dashii gave Tw'eak a forlorn look as they separated, then followed the doctor, leaving Tw'eak alone for the first time in many, many days. She was struck by the weariness that overcame her every joint and muscle as she tried to move. Struggling to keep her eyes open, she realized she probably hadn't eaten anything in the better part of a day. She took a deep breath, resolved to fight her way through it, and put herself in motion towards the turbolift, and the bridge.

Lieutenant Aewon came into the corridor as she turned. "Good work over there, ma'am," he said as he moved into stride next to Tw'eak, going a little too fast for her liking.

"Yeah, same to you. Thanks for keeping a close eye on us."

"Oh, I figured you had it all under control. Always do."

Tw'eak smiled as the turbolift arrived. She and her lieutenant stepped through the portal and she said, "bridge," without a second thought.

"Deck four," Aewon requested. After a few moments of the turbolift whirring to life towards its destination, he turned his head slightly towards her. "I wanted you to know that whatever happens next, pretty much the whole crew is with you. We all recognize that you did what you had to do, and even if Starfleet didn't order it, what you did on Nimbus, and for the Meitner... well, we're all glad you're on your side."

"Let's hope Starfleet sees it that way," Tw'eak replied.

"Oh, they'd be stupid not to. With the war? With everything else that's going on? They shouldn't discipline you, they should clone you." Aewon laughed.

Tw'eak smiled. "I appreciate that, Lieutenant." Then she raised a hand. "Except for the cloning part. Let's... let's hope Starfleet doesn't start putting a race of Andorian clones in charge, like the Dominion does with the Vorta."

"Point taken. Couldn't stand that Vorta - I was monitoring channels, couldn't believe he'd go from threatening you to requesting asylum, just like that."

"That's Vorta for you," Tw'eak acknowledged. The turbolift came to a stop, and Aewon took a step out. "But really, thank you for everything."

"Same to you, ma'am. Always an honour." He saluted cleanly, and walked away before Tw'eak could fully return the gesture. The doors closed, the turbolift resumed along its path, and the motion of it nearly made Tw'eak's knees give out. She felt quite frail - unusually so. Perhaps she should have gone with her sister to sickbay.

The doors opened, revealing Warspite's bridge before her. From the captain's chair, Octavia rose to her feet with a slight pirouette towards the opened door, Tw'eak proving to be a welcome sight. Such was the case, too, for Aurora, standing at the engineering station adjacent to the turbolift door. "Admiral on deck!" she shouted.

Tw'eak took a few steps forward, tentatively, desperate not to faint upon her first appearance here in nearly two weeks. "As you were," she ordered. She gave a smile, and a nod, to Aurora, then stepped past her to grip the edge of the tactical console. "Status report, please?"

"All systems functioning normally. We took minor damage fighting the True Way, nothing we can't handle."

Tw'eak looked over at Centurion Oulius. "Good fight?" she asked.

Oulius gestured towards his displays. "Not bad. Our dual beam bank's accuracy needs re-aligning, I'm not happy with its performance. I nearly missed."

Tw'eak smiled. "The mark of a good tactical officer." She looked down at the console. "Not happy with ninety-two percent accuracy."

"Well, why should I be?"

"Exactly." Tw'eak looked over to Octavia. "You have the bridge, Oulius. I'd like to get filled in on everything I've missed."

"Shall I maintain course and heading?" This question was directed to Octavia from an ensign at the helm whom Tw'eak did not recognize.

"Yes. Advise me-" Octavia cut herself off, looking over towards Tw'eak. "Please advise the admiral should the situation change."

"Yes, ma'am."

Tw'eak nodded towards Octavia, who followed the admiral to her ready room. The doors closed behind them, then quickly opened to admit Aurora. Tw'eak and Octavia turned to see the chief engineer looking sort of disappointed. "Where is she?"

"Sickbay. Doc wanted to give her a full checkup. She's been through a lot."

"But she's alive. Wow!"

"I was contacted by Commander T'uni," Octavia added. "She was able to advise me that the children whom you liberated are all being returned to their families."

"Yeah!" Aurora exclaimed. "What was all that about?"

"According to T'uni, many of the children belonged to families of prominent individuals in the Klingon Empire, the Federation, and both the Romulan Republic and Star Empire."

"Leverage," Tw'eak added. "Give us what we want or your children get it."

Aurora gasped. "That's horrible!"

"That's the Syndicate. They do horrible like no one else."

Octavia brushed her hair aside from her optical implant. "In utilizing your console, I also noted that you have a series of private communication attempts from various individuals at Starfleet Command. I think it safe to say that our secret is well and truly out."

Tw'eak sighed. "I expected as much."

"One would hope that your actions on Nimbus, coupled with your recent conduct in bringing home the Meitner and her crew, will be considered successful actions, if unorthodox."

"I don't know. They make you believe that every command officer is a James Kirk, or a Kathryn Janeway, out there on the edge of the known galaxy making the hard calls and taking risks. But that's not really what they're after when they call you captain, or admiral. They want someone who does as they're expected, just as they're told - no less, and certainly not anything more. This time, I just couldn't let those orders dictate my actions. It wasn't a decision I was prepared to live with, to abide by Starfleet's will and let my sister suffer and die. The fact that we did all right by a lot of people in the process simply tells me I was right all along."

Both Octavia and Aurora sat in silence for a moment after listening to Tw'eak. It was then that Tw'eak saw Aurora brush a tear from her eye. "I'm sorry," she said suddenly. "I- I couldn't do it either."

"It's okay. She's all right now."

"I know-" Aurora sobbed, "but still- my mom always... I would walk with her to school, and now- she's out there someplace... and I just want to call her up on subspace and say hello- make sure that -that she's okay!"

"She is," Octavia added.

Aurora looked up sharply. "She is?"

"She is." Octavia looked up nervously at Tw'eak. "I made a point of reviewing the personnel status of family members of certain officers aboard." Octavia glanced at Aurora. "Yesterday. She is fine."

Aurora's teary expression was radiant with joy. "Oh! Oh, I could - thank you, Octavia!"

Octavia merely nodded. There was something in her expression which Tw'eak found unfamiliar, but she brushed it off for the moment.

"I'm gonna go call her anyway!" Aurora leapt from her seat, then quickly turned about. "I mean, can I go?" She cleared her throat and straightened her uniform. "Permission to return to quarters, Admiral."

"Granted." Tw'eak smiled appreciatively at her engineer's departure. After she had left, nearly walking through the doors before they had fully opened, Tw'eak took a deep breath. "Was she like this the entire time I was gone?"

"Fortunately, no."

"Good." Tw'eak settled back in. "That's more anxiety than I can deal with right now. I haven't been this tired since Academy finals."

"I can imagine it was incredibly difficult for you."

"Not particularly. I mean, you get to a point where your training kind of does the hard part for you. That's the best way I can explain it. People start shooting at me, and I figure out their firing pattern, their plan, their angles, all that sort of stuff. It happens really quickly. If I'm lucky, I figure them out before they figure me out. And once they're dead... I can relax. But this was different. A real command challenge - both on Nimbus and once we found the Meitner. Not a fight I'd wanted to get myself into. Fortunately, we had good people. Improves the odds against the bad guys that way."

"Indeed. I've read your report. Selkirk Rex and his people played a vital role in the rescue, as did representatives of the Republic?"

"A few friends of your old Romulan admirer, perhaps? Doesn't matter - believe me, it was all appreciated. We needed all the help we could get. There were Klingon kids, Reman kids, Cardassian kids - even a young Breen - all in there with others from across the Federation. And so many kids - almost every Federation member I could recognize had a young representative." Tw'eak paused for a moment. "Now that - that was scary. That many kids in one place. It's funny, you know - I can knock 'em down, but don't ask me to raise one of my own." She laughed, but only briefly. "Some times, I wonder, you know. How motherhood would've changed me, if I'd been able."

"I know what you mean." Octavia shrugged her shoulders. "It is an ability neither of us possess."

"Because of the Borg, in your case, I presume."

"Yes. But also personal choice. I suspect I would be a difficult mother to have. The requisite bonding experiences would be very different for a liberated Borg."

"All of those kids... they all have at least one parent who's been out there, waiting to resume that bond, wondering if they ever would. There were thousands of those kids. Thousands. I guess you add up all the kids all those important functionaries and commanders from across the universe would have among them, and it's not even a fraction of their number. But it was enough for the Orions to keep their hands on the throats of every major power across the galaxy."

"The familial bonds are a critical component of all sentient species, to be certain. It represents their continued genetic survival, along with that of their civilization. For the Orions to exploit those bonds like this is only surprising in that it took this long for them to consider it."

"Or perhaps only now they've become this desperate as to consider it," Tw'eak thought aloud. "After all, they had a good thing going for a while before T'uni foiled their last effort, infiltrating so effectively as they had. Perhaps they escalated their abductions after we ruined their efforts last time."

"That makes sense."

Tw'eak looked up bemusedly at her first officer and friend. "You didn't actually contact her, did you?"

"Pardon?"

"About Bianca duBois, I mean."

Octavia looked up, reviewing. "Lieutenant duBois - sister of..." Her head came down. "No."

"Ha! I knew it."

"I consider myself fortunate that she did not challenge me for the name of her sister's ship, or current assignment, as I knew nothing of her beyond that the commander had a sister."

"So why'd you tell her that?"

"I have learned many things while serving under your command, and most notable among these is the distinct disadvantage I possess in not having an appropriate balance between my rational side and my emotional self. I have learned several methods, which I have mostly adapted from your command style, to support me in overcoming this weakness."

"But lying to Aurora about her sister's well-being? Kind of... cold, no?"

Octavia tilted her head and lowered her eyebrows. "Perhaps, but necessary. She was in a state of self-inflicted distress. I knew that assuring her of what was doubtless an established fact in the record would set her mind at ease, and propel her to an action which she surely would have undertaken anyway. Instead of contacting her sister in uncertainty, I provided her a certainty, which her contact has by now hopefully confirmed."

Tw'eak smiled. "I hope you're right. Now." She made an effort to stand, but felt her head spin.

"Are you unwell?"

"Just a bit tired. I haven't had much to eat lately."

"Shall I retrieve a meal for you from the replicator?"

"No, that won't be necessary. You've got things you need to do, I'm sure."

"Were you a drone, I would direct you to regenerate immediately."

Tw'eak looked up, amused. "And I'd say that resistance is futile, then."

"As you are my commanding officer, however, I will request that you consider returning to your quarters. I can look after the bridge for the time being."

Tw'eak relented. "All right." She moved to stand again, but the dizzy sensation refused to permit it. "You know, maybe I'll eat here first. With your help, if you don't mind."

Octavia merely smiled. "Of course." She walked over to the replicator, and Tw'eak let herself fully collapse into the chair.

The sustaining force of the drumbeat in Tw'eak's head had finally started to subside by the time she finished her bowl of plomeek soup. The katheka she had made was also now sadly room-temperature, and she took a sip largely out of regret that she hadn't enjoyed it while it was fresh. There was less of an urgency about Tw'eak now, and she felt herself start to drift off to sleep, but she knew full well that there were immediate matters of command which required her attention. Still, they could wait. Perhaps until after another cup of katheka.

As she stood in order to walk over to the replicator, the door chime sounded. "Come in, "she called.

Through the door, hesitantly, came Lieutenant Shar, formerly of the Meitner. The Bajoran who had been Tw'eak's bridge science officer stopped quickly on the other side of the door. "Is this a bad time, ma'am?"

"Not at all, Lieutenant." Tw'eak sat back down, brushing the bowls and mug onto an adjacent part of her ready room desk. "I didn't realize you were aboard. How can I be of assistance?"

"I... just wanted to ask if you'd heard anything about the Meitner."

"She's a good ship, isn't she?"

"I don't know. I mean, I've only served on two starships, and the other one - the Donetsk - was destroyed about a month into my tour."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Me too. I was lucky to escape. We all were, really. We were on our way to the front lines, just a few hours out of Station K7, when they ambushed us. It was the Enterprise that came to rescue us. Sounds so cliche, but they showed up just in time."

"The Enterprise-F?"

"Yes, ma'am. It was one of her first actions, or so I found out once they brought me aboard. Their captain was from your world, too, if I remember."

"Yes, Va'Kel Shon." Tw'eak smiled at the mention of her old friend. "He and I have known each other for... forever."

"I don't know if it's appropriate to admit, but I'm kind of jealous of your people."

Tw'eak tilted her head. "Really? Why is that?"

"You've been fortunate enough to be part of the Federation from the beginning. My people weren't so fortunate - we put our faith in the Prophets, and while it certainly sustained us throughout the Occupation, having corporeal allies might have counted for something more against the Cardassians."

"I seem to recall Bajor's neutrality being a major reason why it wasn't occupied by the Cardassians, or the Dominion, during the War."

"No, you're right, but... I don't know, I just wonder how much more we might have achieved otherwise. There aren't any Bajoran admirals or even many captains yet, so it's a bit daunting." Shar laughed. "Not that I should imply that having a Bajoran commander would be better somehow - Prophets know we barely understand ourselves sometimes!"

Tw'eak nodded. "That's the wonderful thing about the Federation. It doesn't consider itself a closed room, where only so many people - or so many types of people - are allowed. There's a space for everyone, because we all have something to offer."

Shar stared intently at Tw'eak, as if she had long awaited someone to say such things. Then she caught herself, and shook her head. "Anyway, I just wondered if I would be reassigned."

"If you'd like to be, then I'd be happy to help."

"No! No, ma'am. I..." Shar shook her head. "It's complicated." She sat silently, shifting in place.

After a few moments, Tw'eak said, "You're not under any obligation to explain, but I'm willing to hear you out."

Shar took a deep breath. "I'm sure you figured out that things ran... a bit differently aboard the Meitner. We had a much more casual approach than many other ships. When I served aboard the Donetsk, I wouldn't even dream of speaking to a lieutenant, or a commander, after my shift was done, but the Meitner had these communal sort of areas where rank held no privilege. It was Captain Flint's idea. Some people really liked it, but I rarely ever went. It probably held me back, but I rarely drew much notice either way. There was a better sense of community since people felt they could be free, be a part of the family, no matter who they were. So that's what they did."

Tw'eak's eyes became increasingly inflamed as the lieutenant spoke. "I... see," she stammered out before becoming locked in a battle between a sense of embarrassment and absolute, unbridled rage at the abuse of power that Shar so casually discussed.

"It was good, in the sense that it gave people the opportunity to relax, maybe have a little fun, even. But that was only because the commanders really meant it to be that way. We all knew that it wasn't really appropriate - it's not like they'd forget, or really mean it when they said rank held no privilege. I know Commander Wakza was never a fan of it. I don't remember ever seeing him in there, in fact. But for some of the crew, it was a chance to get to know their commanders a little better, and vice-versa. And we all lived and worked in close contact with each other so it was no big deal. At least, until we came under attack."

"I wondered how that affected the events of that attack. Were you on the bridge at the time?"

"No, ma'am. Wouldn't be sitting here if I'd been."

"Right." Tw'eak nodded, remembering that the uppermost decks of the ship had been decompressed in the attack. "Still. Was it common for Commander... Holnat, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Was it common for her to be able to persuade the captain to set aside procedure like that?"

"Well... I mean, you know about the captain and her."

Tw'eak nodded again. "It seemed to have been an open secret."

"Wouldn't even call it a secret, ma'am. They shared quarters, in fact."

"Really." Tw'eak pursed her lips, furious.

"No sense keeping it from you now - they're both dead. But the commander got anything she wanted. A lot of us, in science, we're not exactly the most... assertive people. We really admired that she could always come through for whatever we needed. We'd go to her, and she'd get it done. It was one of the reasons I appreciated her. On a sci-boat that's just what we need, to do our research and get the results. But I wasn't the only one who was uncomfortable with how she gained her ...influence, I guess?"

"I'd say 'influence' is an understatement."

"Exactly. There was just this attitude on board, like if you were a female crew member, you should be using that influence - and if you were a male officer..."

"Then you should be open to being influenced?"

Shar nodded. "Yeah." She adjusted her hair. "I didn't get anywhere with that - I mean, maybe it was because I was Bajoran or whatever, but there was definitely a sense ...like certain things were settled in other ways. I can't prove any of it, but... resource access, shift scheduling, even promotions... all of it was open to influence."

Tw'eak leaned back in her chair and adjusted her uniform tunic. "You're aware of the gravity of what you're telling me."

"Yes, ma'am."

"And I should advise you, this conversation will be on the record."

"I don't really care, ma'am. I'd testify to this in public. Most of the people that could've hurt me for telling you... they were on the bridge that day."

Tw'eak raised a hand. "Hold on a second. Firstly, let me deal with how felt like you were being held back on account of being Bajoran."

"As I said, I can't prove it-"

Tw'eak jabbed the desk with her hand as she spoke. "You should never, ever be made to feel that way aboard a Federation starship. Matters of species membership, even if you're two-thirds Tholian and one part Gorn, should never impact upon either command decisions or personnel assignments. That's against your rights as a Starfleet officer, and as a citizen of the Federation. I'm astonished to think that such a situation existed on a ship under my command."

"So you had no idea?"

"None. Captain Flint did a masterful job of covering this all - I'd imagine that even if I'd gone looking for it, I would've been none the wiser. But that's another thing. No one aboard your vessel, neither officer nor enlisted personnel alike, brought any of this to the attention of myself or anyone else in a position to investigate."

"I don't think anyone felt you'd listen, to be perfectly honest. 'Nobody cares about sci-boats', right? The war takes priority."

"Doesn't matter if you're a top-secret experimental vessel or a two-hundred-year-old patrol cruiser restricted to Warp 2. All Starfleet ships have their place on duty. And all officers have an equal commitment to uphold that duty regardless of their orders. This sort of thing undermines confidence in the uniform, and keeps people from doing their duty. It shouldn't ever happen aboard a starship, anywhere, at any time."

Shar nodded. "I know S'riss - you remember S'riss - he struggled with it a lot, too, but I think he had a sense that the whole command structure was affected, no point fighting it. Same with Littrell - I think he liked it, actually, tried to fit in with them. No idea what Lieutenant Nikau felt. I don't know him very well."

"I wouldn't worry about the others. I can see that re-assigning the crew of this ship will be a bigger task than I had originally envisioned."

"I understand. And I'm sorry."

Tw'eak looked up, her antennae nearly touching with rage and embarrassment. "This really isn't your fault at all, Lieutenant. I wish you'd brought it to my attention a month ago, when I could've done something about it and kept the Meitner's whole crew alive. But again, not your fault - I was willing to trust the captains under my command to exercise their prerogative within Starfleet regulations. These... off-rank meeting areas would definitely never be permitted, and there's a reason for that. Each cadre of officers in Starfleet has its ranks and divisions precisely because what we do is too important to allow the personal to interfere with the professional. We have to separate the two. It's how we do the job."

"I guess Captain Flint just felt that - I don't know."

"He was trying to bring in a more open, democratic feeling to a place where, under duress, no such feeling can be permitted. There's a big difference between, say, what I would do in getting to know my immediate subordinates, and in having a sort of shipboard house party every night once the work is done." Tw'eak stood up. "I'm afraid that your life may be a lot more complicated in the coming months, Lieutenant."

"I understand, ma'am. I knew it wouldn't be easy for you to hear."

"And it mustn't have been easy for you to tell. That much I can figure out myself. But there would have been an investigation regardless. Having this already on the record may preclude a cover-up, and prevent complications for other officers' careers."

"Oh, that much I know. S'riss was already telling me how he couldn't see himself coming forward, since he feels like his service record would be tarnished by it."

"The truth never tarnishes, Lieutenant, it shines through."

Shar stood and leaned towards the door. "Thank you for your time."

"I'll let you know if I hear anything. But, to be honest, an officer of sincerity, of conviction... is the kind of person I'd want serving aboard one of my ships. You, Nikau, S'riss... your conduct really impressed me in the fight we had back there. Littrell, too, after a fashion. I hope the three of you won't be so bound to the memories of those who let you down in the past, that you aren't looking forward to your future service."

"Far from it, ma'am. I'm very proud to be in Starfleet. I just hope this won't reflect badly upon me, going forward."

"Only one way to find out. Keep going forward. As I said, there'll probably be a board of inquiry. I can safely guess at how that one turns out. But when it all shakes out, whatever happens, I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you, ma'am." Shar snapped to attention in a salute.

To her astonishment, Tw'eak extended a hand and gently shook with her. "I appreciate you taking the time to come and see me."

Shar gushed slightly. "I might actually sleep tonight," she said as she did. "Thanks again, Admiral." And she turned and went, leaving Tw'eak to amend her report on the destruction of the Meitner with this new information. Closing her eyes and shaking her head at the idiocy which had been described to her, Tw'eak took her dishes to the replicator and ordered up another cup of katheka.