Chapter 56: Farewell, Romulus

A/N: Romulanlover, thanks for your comment! Yes, the Tal Shiar are completely insane but of the opinion that they are the only ones who are sane. Asha is just one of many who they are hunting down. And yes, the Federation will be involved soon! I'm also glad that I was able to re-introduce Kimara Cretak to this story :-)

Alaya Karangalan, many thanks for your review! All is well here, hope things are fine with you, too. The news of the virus is alarming.
I was able to read the recaps of the first episode of Star Trek: Picard. Seems to be off to a good start, and Romulans seem to play a big role, too! Yes, Asha, Vreenak, her loved ones and friends are all in serious danger. Letant will play an important role, too.
He'll get his true love in a separate story :-)
And yes, Rovuxo is not quite the meek aide he comes across as. One thing is certain, though: Lilou recognised his true colours. She didn't only attack him because he had been sent to spy on Asha. Rovuxo doesn't care about his life debt to Asha. His actual service is, as you correctly guessed, to the Tal Shiar.
I would have liked to write more about the unification movement on Romulus, but I think this side plot would have detracted from the main storyline.

Note: Kira Nerys is a Bajoran who served on Deep Space Nine, first as a colonel, then as a major, and finally as a commander when Sisko leaves at the end of the series.

And a personal note: this chapter was quite something to write. It was so emotional. I wrote it in chunks and pieces over the last months (yes, it took that long!).

Asha and her friends waited nervously with the young Romulan man who had driven them through the maze of underground passages. Finally, the door opened and Senator Kimara Cretak stepped inside. She was alone and dressed in a simple dark-green tunic, trousers and boots. She was not wearing the badge which attested to her position as a Senator. Simple as her dress was, the disruptor in its belt around her waist didn't go unnoticed.

Her face was grave, but her manner was kind. The group exchanged greetings. Letant and Kretak wished each other cordially and Asha stepped forward, pressing her hand to her heart.

"Senator, I don't know how to thank you for saving our lives," she said, her voice shaking.

"Kimara. Please call me Kimara. Our government is crumbling before the Tal Shiar, but many Romulans would rather die than suffer the disgrace of betraying our own people as the Tal Shiar have done; and you, Ihhei t'Darak, are Romulan with the heart of a raptor." She inclined her head briefly towards her, and Asha did the same.

"I am happy to return the honour of being on a first name basis. I am Asha to you."

"Have you and your friends eaten, Asha?"

"Eaten…? No, we haven't even thought of food, and I am so worried about my husband and Merken and my friends."

Kimara looked at her shrewdly. "Merken? As in Merken tr'Vreenak?"

Asha began to panic. Senator Cretak would know that she had lied to her, Tal'aura and Hiren during the exam. She decided to be honest. "Yes. As in Merken tr'Vreenak." She felt the colour rise to her cheeks, but she raised her chin proudly.

Kimara smiled calmly. "Don't worry. I know you lied out of love for him."

"How…?"

"You are not a good liar, and Delon told me. As I mentioned, you have the heart of a raptor."

"Thank you," Asha said, blushing harder. Lilou rubbed her fluffy ears reassuringly against Asha's leg.

"Ah, I see that your set'leth is with you," Cretak remarked, stretching out her hand. Lilou immediately sat down and let herself be patted. The whole group was ushered into the house. It was arranged simply and in the typical Romulan spartan manner. Nothing stuck out in an irritating or garish manner. The furnishings, decorations and ornaments were simple and unobtrusive.

Dinner was soon provided, though Asha didn't have much of an appetite. She was thinking of Thorek, and she hoped he had read her message and found her bangle, or that he was in a safe place. She could see the Tal Shiar agents overrunning their home. She thought of Vreenak, of Christine and Vekal, of her tutor Rhian and other friends and people who had come to enrich her life on Romulus.

"Worry is poor nourishment for body and mind," Cretak said gently. "Do eat."

Asha smiled and thanked her. She focused on her food and was able to eat more easily. Cretak, however mild her voice and manner were, had an air of subtle leadership about her. It was reflected in the way she spoke, moved and in her bearing. Her presence soothed Asha, and Lilou, for whom a plate had been put on the pristine floor, was content.

After supper, Cretak and Letant retired to the former's study. Asha, Lilou, Kihika and Vereth were led to their quarters. Asha sat up a little with the two Romulan women, checking the PADD Letant had given her; but there were no responses from any of her loved ones and friends, and she became afraid again.

They stayed with Cretak for a week. Asha tried to help and make herself useful, but she was kindly rebuffed, though Cretak took a genuine interest in her and spoke a lot with her. She was very reticent as to why Asha was not receiving any response from the people she loved, and Letant was equally tight-lipped on the subject. Cretak seemed to be a person with many acquaintances and a wide correspondence. On one occasion, she came out of her study and said: "I was writing a letter to Commander Kira Nerys, an old friend of mine on Deep Space Nine. That's where I served during the Dominion War. If it were not for the situation on Romulus, I would have been glad to host her and show her the sights of our beautiful planet."

As much as Cretak was critical of Romulus's politics, she was proud of her planet's culture and beauty.

Finally, the day arrived when both Senators told Asha that she would be placed on a vessel and flown away from Romulus to a safer destination.

"Safer destination? Where is this safer destination? For how long? What about my husband and friends? Will they join me or will I join them? What-"

"Delon will explain everything later once you are on the vessel, Asha," Cretak interrupted her. "It is time for us to say goodbye."

Asha was unsatisfied, but Cretak was putting her own life in danger by hosting her in her villa, and she refused to prod her host for further information and come across as ungrateful or impatient.

She bowed her head deeply as per Romulan protocol.

"Kimara, thank you. You saved all our lives. Please take this as a keepsake." She gave her a silver bangle. Cretak tried it on, and it fitted. She, too, bowed her head deeply in thanks. " "Khnai'ra, Asha, and jolan'tru. Be safe, and know that I have found great delight in your poetry."

Just like they had arrived at Cretak's place in secrecy, so they left, with Letant once more leading them. Asha was in fact given a mask to wear to hide her Human features as they were flown to the space port where their vessel was waiting, cloaked and ready. They were driven by the young man who had guided them to Cretak. He was not only in her employ, but also a member of the unification movement and went by the name of Kureth, which he hinted was not his real name.

Asha, Kihika, Vereth and Lilou stepped onto the vessel. The first time Asha had been on a Romulan vessel – a Warbird of the Valdore type, no less – she had been a prisoner and had hardly seen anything of the spaceship as she had not been allowed to step out of her quarters. Now that she was entering a Romulan vessel for the second time and although she could move around freely, it was as a refugee. She smiled somewhat bitterly and muttered softly to herself, "Be careful what you wish for."

She didn't even know where she was going. All her trust was now in Letant, whether she wanted it or not. Kureth, it turned out, would also be piloting the vessel, an old D'deridex, but still in functioning order, though Kureth muttered some profanity as he studied the console. The rest of the crew, too, was from anti-government circles, and that was all Letant would say when he led Asha and her friends to their quarters on board and gave her the green light to remove her disguise.

Asha was impressed by the starship and she smiled sadly at the thought that she now had insight into a Romulan vessel but no means of sharing it with André to finish up their novel. Their novel! And André! Her parents, her friends, Thorek, Vreenak…Tears ran down her cheeks as her mind went back to the last times she had seen the people she loved, the sweet times she had spent in Thorek and Vreenak's arms…

A signal went off in her room, and she turned to the console to open the door. Kihika and Vereth came inside with Lilou.

"We can join the others on board, they've all gathered in the mess hall for take-off," Kihika said. Together, they left.

When she arrived, Asha noticed that her fellow travelers all looked tense and frightened. She didn't know anyone in the group, and her heart plummeted. She had been hoping so badly to see her loved ones. However, some of the others recognised her:

"Aren't you the author of Eijir u'sahe nnea ch'rihan?" a silver-haired Romulan man inquired.

"Do you know why we're here or where we're going?" a woman with her family asked her.

"I wish I knew. I am just as confused. Probably far from Romulus as our luggage and belongings are on board, too. I don't even know where my deyhhan is," Asha said nervously.

Two officers entered the room, and everyone fell quiet and whoever was standing sat down. Kihika pressed Asha and Vereth's hands as the two men went around and checked everyone to make sure they were ready for take-off.

A few minutes later, Asha felt the vessel shudder slightly as it lifted off into space. They were facing the windows, and she watched Romulus slide away from underneath her, and she felt a sharp tug at her heart as her second home grew smaller and smaller. All the Romulans were pressing their left hands against their chests, and she did the same. Even Lilou looked solemn, her eyes glued to the window.

Finally, one of the officers approached Asha. "Deihu tr'Letant wishes to speak with you. Please follow me with your friends and set'leth."

She was led to the Senator's conference room, where Letant was waiting. The officer left. Letant looked tired, grim and sad.

"Asha, we are leaving Romulus as refugees. I have made sure to transfer all your funds to Earth, because that is where we are going. The Federation is aware of our flight and will escort us after we leave the Neutral Zone and enter Federation Space. I wish this were a happy occasion for you."

A sick feeling was building up in Asha's chest.

"Delon, what is going on? Where's Thorek? Where's Merken? And my other friends? Will I be seeing my family on Earth?"

Letant steeled himself. "You will be seeing your family on Earth again. But..." he stopped, his chest constricting.

"Delon?" Asha said. Her hands began to tremble as adrenaline poured into her bloodstream.

"Asha, many dissidents have been arrested by the Tal Shiar. Merken tr'Vreenak and your husband Thorek are going to be executed, as is your friend, Christine-"

"NO!" Asha's voice was a shriek.

Letant bit his lip and stared at the floor.

"Fly me back to Romulus! Please!"

"We're taking you to Earth for your own safety, Asha-"

"No! You don't understand! I would give my life for them! I have to be there with them! Surely something can be done-" her voice was rising again.

"I have tried everything. I am defecting now as a result," Letant said gently, taking her clenched hands in his. He paused to control his emotions. She was shivering from head to foot. Tears poured down her cheeks. "And Vekal? What about my eneh?"

"I sent out my aides to help him. They reported back saying they had escorted him to the shuttle I had prepared for him. That is all I know about him." He paused, then continued with an effort. "This was given to me by Kimara. It contains messages from Merken, Thorek and Christine to you."

He removed a box from his tunic and placed it in her shaking hands, and she opened it, revealing Thorek's wedding bracelet, Merken's ring, Christine's necklace and three signed letters addressed to her. She sat down, clutching the jewellery in one hand and the letters in the other. Lilou immediately came to her side and nuzzled her lovingly. Kihika and Vereth wept together silently. Letant stared at his feet, unsure what to do, wishing to give her as much privacy as he could for her grief, and feeling guilty for being the messenger of such cruel news.

Asha cried bitterly as she read the letters. They were full of love and tenderness, and there was not the slightest word of reproach in any of them. When she had finished, she pressed them to her heart, buried her face into her set'leth's soft fur and sobbed. Letant sat down next to her, pressed her against his chest and stroked her hair, struggling against his own tears. Letant's own family, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces – all of them had been executed on Romulus together with Vreenak's family, and he was choking back his own grief. His clan had been murdered out of existence. Kihika and Vereth sat down on Asha's other side, both of them looking miserable. They had no idea how their own families, who had gone into hiding, were doing; but they regarded Asha as part of their common family and were devoted to her.