Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek or any of its characters, only my OC – Kaitlyn Donovan.

This story is the sequel to All's Fair in Love and War.

Query: What sacrifices must be endured by those that secure our freedom?

Chapter 25 – Paying the Piper

The Price of Freedom

Chapter 25 – Paying the Piper

Vulcan Command, Vulcan.

Major Kaitlyn Donovan looked up at the imposing building before she entered it for the last time. Once inside, she was escorted by Sub Commander T'Rel to the lower levels of the building.

Ambassador Soval and T'Pau were waiting for her outside the room. They nodded to her as she approached.

Soval took a deep breath, "Are you sure you wish to go in alone?" She had been through much and the man inside the room had orchestrated the destruction of the United Earth Embassy.

Kaitlyn nodded as she looked through the one-way glass at V'Las, "I think he will be more at ease if it's just me. Is there anything you would like for me to find out for you?"

T'Pau clasped her hands loosely behind her back, "We will be questioning him when you are finished – we wanted you to be able to speak to him first."

V'Las looked up as the door opened. He had not expected her. He smiled, "Are you lost?"

Kaitlyn watched him carefully, "No, but I think you are."

V'Las raised an eyebrow as she walked behind the chair he was restrained in.

Kaitlyn placed her hand on his shoulder and closed her eyes briefly as she reached out to his mind – there, she felt the difference between his mind and other Vulcans. She removed her hand and walked back around him. She nodded, "You don't belong here – you are far from home."

V'Las scowled, "What are you talking about?"

"Tell me – who contacted you from Starfleet Command and sent the bombs here for you to use in the Earth Embassy bombing?" she questioned as she pushed his mind to remember.

He kept his mouth shut, but his mind was recalling the message that was sent to him – the offer of four bombs that he could use to bomb the Earth Embassy. He closed his eyes tight, then they flew open. She was directing him on what to think about. "Who are you?" he yelled. He could not stop the memories that were being sifted by her so quickly.

Kaitlyn crossed her arms and concentrated on seeing everything she could in his mind.

Through the other side of the glass, T'Pau glanced at Soval, "She will not irreparably harm him – will she?"

Soval took a deep breath, "No, but she will get the information she needs."

T'Pau watched the woman, "Do we know what species her Mother was?"

"Not yet, but the Vulcan Priest is checking the records – if he's right, her Mother and a few others may have visited our planet over three hundred years ago." Soval wondered if it could possibly be true.

"Does she know she's not fully Human?" she inquired.

"She suspects that she is not."

T'Pau thought carefully, "I believe she will be a strong ally for us."

"Indeed." Soval agreed as Kaitlyn headed out of the room.

Major Kaitlyn Donovan took a deep breath and released it slowly as she took one last look at the man on the other side of the glass. She turned to the two Vulcans, "You have a bigger problem than just a Vulcan that went power crazy." She watched for their reactions, "He's Romulan. As far as I could ascertain from him, there are at least 14 other Romulans that have infiltrated your government."

Soval's head snapped to the man on the other side of the glass. "How – when? He's been active in our government for a long time."

"When he was a young man – the real V'Las was captured and this man was put in his place." Kaitlyn explained what she had seen from his memories.

"How do you know he's Romulan?" T'Pau questioned as she too, turned to analyze the man behind the glass. She had heard of the ancient sect of Vulcans that had left the home world after Surak's teachings began.

"I saw him training, their ships, their planet – Rom A'losh, and heard his orders." Kaitlyn frowned, "They want Vulcan back and they are preparing to take it."

Soval's nostrils flared – how could this have happened? Then he realized how it had happened – all these years, how Surak's Teachings had been questioned and ideologies such as IDIC had been pushed away by the Vulcan High Command.

T'Pau turned to the MACO Officer, "Thank you, Major Donovan for all you have done to help clear my name and the Vulcan people for the bombing of the Earth Embassy. We request that the knowledge that the Romulans are our distant relatives not be widely revealed – it would be problematic for our relations. We will get the rest of the information we need from V'Las and the others and share it with you through Ambassador Soval."

Donovan nodded in agreement, she understood it would cause irreparable damage to the relationship between Humans and Vulcans.

Soval turned to Donovan, "The Yarahla will be ready to leave in two hours, is there anything else your unit needs before we depart?"

"No – we'll be ready." She turned and went down the hall where Sub Commander T'Rel waited to escort her out of the building.

T'Pau nodded as two other Vulcans approached. "Make sure the Humans understand that she was not at fault for what happened. Make your statement to Starfleet Command Council first."

Soval nodded and left as T'Pau and the other two Vulcans went into the room to question V'Las.

X X X

Major Donovan watched out the window at the streaking stars as she stood waiting in the Captain's Dinning Room on the Yarahla for the others to arrive. Her MACO unit had been working with the Vulcans as they had on their way to Vulcan, she on the other hand, had not. She had been busy detailing out all the necessary reports and intelligence she had gathered for Starfleet Command, the MACOs, Starfleet Intelligence and Harris at Section 31. She had still been working with her unit for a few hours each day, but she had limited her interactions with the Vulcans. She had taken her time to meditate and work through all her anger towards V'Las.

She turned as the doors opened and Ambassador Soval, Captain Tok and Commander Stovok entered. She bowed slightly, "Thank you for allowing me the time to heal."

Captain Tok nodded, "It is wise that you took the time." He indicated for everyone to sit down.

"Ambassador Soval has apprised us of everything that has happened on Vulcan. Our government has many challenges to face in the upcoming months."

"I do not envy the task." She acknowledged. It would take them some time to make sure they apprehended all of the Vulcan imposters, to reorganize their government and to re-teach/clarify the Teachings of Surak, the IDIC and now reveal the Kir' Shara.

The Steward brought in dinner and they ate silently.

Commander Stovok watched the MACO Commander – she was much more contemplative than she had been when they had travelled earlier. He knew she had suffered great loss on Vulcan, but he did not know what he could say to her.

At the end of the meal as they stood to leave, Captain Tok turned to her, "Thank you for your service to Vulcan."

Kaitlyn Donovan nodded, then Tok and Soval left. She glanced at Stovok and raised an eyebrow in question.

Stovok clasped his hands loosely behind his back, "I know you lost much with the bombing, but I do not know how to adequately convey what I want to say."

"I understand your difficulties, sometimes 'I grieve with thee' doesn't seem enough." Kaitlyn glanced out the window again and took another deep breath. "I know the strain between our governments has been tenuous, but I hope we can continue to work together."

"That would be beneficial to both of our worlds." He acknowledged. "Good night, Major Donovan."

Kaitlyn Donovan changed the direction she was heading when she got a message from Ambassador Soval. The door to his quarters opened quickly when she arrived.

Soval indicated for her to sit down at the table as he poured them tea. "I thought it would be wise for you to read the report I will give to the Command Council once we reach Earth."

"That's not necessary, but I appreciate it." She nodded as he handed her a PADD. She read the report quickly as she sipped the tea. It explained how the investigation revealed the plot by V'Las to destroy the Earth Embassy by obtaining four bombs from off world so he could blame the Syrannites and round up and annihilate the group that ran counter to his thinking, and furthermore – the investigation revealed that V'Las was not Vulcan, but was in fact a Romulan that had been disguised and placed on Vulcan more than fifty years ago to subvert the teachings of Surak and lead the Vulcans into a more pragmatic stance against those teachings.

"Thank you for not mentioning that the bombs were taken from Starfleet Command. I will inform those that need to know that information – and until we have proof of who worked with V'Las, we must be cautious not to indicate we know what they did." Kaitlyn frowned. She was ninety percent sure she knew who sent the encrypted message to V'Las, but she needed proof. She handed him the PADD back and took another sip of tea. "I have recommended to General Casey that a small team of MACOs should be assigned to the Vulcan delegates on Earth, to ensure their safety. I have recommended that Corporal Cole oversee your safety."

Soval watched her closely, "Do you think he will approve of your suggestion?"

"I think he will, but you could also offer that the MACOs could train with Vulcan Security – that would sweeten the deal." She gave him a small smile. She once again changed subjects, so as not to linger on one that could cause any embarrassment to the Ambassador. "I am hoping the Romulans will re-evaluate their current plot for Vulcan, but I don't think that is their only scheme – it was the Romulans that wanted V'Las to attack the Andorians."

Soval nodded, "T'Pau has alluded in her report that the Romulans want to destabilize the Quadrant."

Donovan finished her tea, "I thank you for allowing me to read your report and for taking my unit and I to Mount Salaya before we left Vulcan."

Soval stood up with her, "It was my honor. Good night, Major Donovan."

X X X

Starfleet Command, Earth.

Major Donovan sat down at the oval table in Admiral Stevens' office. As the Head of Starfleet Intelligence, he had brought this group together to evaluate the situation.

Admiral Jack Stevens gave them a nod that he was ready to begin, "I thought it was best that we met here together, so this information stays close to home. Let me introduce everyone quickly so we can get started." He turned to the Starfleet Admiral on his left, "This is Admiral Douglas, Starfleet's Liaison to the new United Earth President."

He indicated the next man, "Captain Morrison – newly promoted to Head of Starfleet Security."

"MACO Commandant General Casey."

"Major Donovan was in charge of Security upgrades for the Summit on Vulcan."

"Captain Williams – newly promoted to oversee the completion of the next five Warp 5 ships."

"Admiral Jefferies, Head of Ship Design at Utopia Planitia Shipyards."

"Admiral Davis – Head of our Fleet in the Sol System."

"Admiral Gardner – newly promoted to Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet."

Admiral Stevens sat back in his chair, "I know everyone heard Ambassador Soval's report to the Command Council this morning and has read Donovan's classified brief. Where do we stand now?" he questioned them.

"Columbia will be ready soon. Excalibur will be ready within three months." Williams stated.

"The Constellation, Atlantis, Defiant and Lexington will all be ready within six – nine months." Jefferies added.

"We have eighteen Warp 3 ships and the Mar's Verteron Array within the Sol System." Davis pointed out.

Gardner looked at Stevens, "Are we really worried about them coming into the Sol System?"

Admiral Jack Stevens leaned forward and tapped the table, "It's best to be prepared, then be caught off guard."

Admiral Rafael Douglas took a deep breath, "I know for a fact that President Littlejohn doesn't want another Xindi attack – we didn't even know about their existence before they attacked us. At least we are aware of these Romulans." He looked to Donovan, "I do have a question about them."

Donovan nodded for him to continue.

"They were able to disguise themselves as Vulcans and move up the ranks and infiltrate the Vulcan High Command. If the Vulcans weren't able to pick them out – how were you able to?" Douglas questioned her.

"As I stated in my reports, V'Las met with me twice a week as I was working on the Embassy Security. He was the only one that stood out to me because he was quick to show emotion. During the past few years and especially the past few months, Vulcan citizens were not allowed to speak out against the actions of the Vulcan High Command – which I found out through my search for our missing scientists. If anyone questioned their government's actions, they would be disgraced, removed from office, or even disappear." Donovan explained to the Officers around the table, "When our secured communications were intercepted and V'Las acted upon the information, we knew that he was involved."

Gardner frowned, "So, other than our awareness of them – we really don't know anything about them or where their home world is. How can we possibly prepare for an enemy that is this elusive?"

"We do know more about their technology and territorial reach." Donovan explained as she leaned forward and sent out a package of information she'd gathered from her PADD to theirs. "The Enterprise encountered them a few years ago around Unroth III. They gathered information on the mines around the planet and were able to get some information about the ships that were patrolling the area. From what the Romulans threatened Enterprise with, we can also glean information about their ships' scanner technology. Lt. Sato was able to translate their language – I have had her upload it to the Universal Translators' database here to be distributed."

Admiral Stevens nodded and looked around the table, "Have your departments analyze what we can. They are not an immediate threat – but we need to keep vigil. Get a report to me by 1400 – I'm meeting with President Littlejohn at 1630 and I want to give her the most up to date information." He stood up and dismissed them.

Stevens indicated for General Casey, Captain Morrison and Major Donovan to remain. He waited until the others had left and they sat back down again.

"How are you feeling? How is your unit coping?" Stevens inquired.

"I'm doing fine. My unit is doing fine. We're going to do some individual and group counseling sessions in the next few weeks." Kaitlyn explained and General Casey gave her a nod.

Jack Stevens sighed heavily, "The Embassy bombing was not in the realm of possibility, nor was the infiltration of Vulcan High Command by the Romulans. You and everyone there did the best you could given what you were up against. Doctors Wellington and Russell have the highest praise for you and your team getting them out of that prison – if you hadn't kept digging, it's unlikely they would have been found." He looked at Morrison, "Have we confirmed the bombs that were moved to the Weapon's Complex are missing?"

Morrison nodded, "All four of them are gone. The last time the storage case they were in was accessed was the day they were transferred there." He frowned, "There are only seven people that knew about that transfer."

General Casey shook his head, "It's maddening that someone stole them and managed to get them through Vulcan Security on the shuttle and the ship and then diverted them from the Embassy – they had to be in a diplomatic container. At least one person in Starfleet is involved and at least two Vulcans or Romulans were working with V'Las."

Donovan indicated her PADD and sent them the video feed from Vulcan Security at the transport station on Earth, "We have confirmed there were two diplomatic cases shipped from Earth to the Embassy on Vulcan, but only one arrived and the second one wasn't listed on the shipping confirmation upon arrival to Vulcan."

Admiral Stevens looked between Morrison and Donovan, "Do we know who took the bombs out and was working with V'Las?"

Morrison frowned, "There is no video footage of the theft."

"So, someone with enough clearance to delete the footage and cover their tracks." Casey pointed out.

They all turned to Donovan in question and waited.

"I'm ninety percent sure I know who it is, but I don't have conclusive proof yet." She shrugged, "I will work on obtaining the proof we need – but please do not mention this beyond the four of us. Lt. Reed knows about the bombs, but that's because he recognized the indictor tags I put on them."

Admiral Stevens stood up, "Keep the three of us informed on your investigation and if there's anything we can do to help – please ask."

Kaitlyn Donovan shook his hand in thanks. "I will keep you informed."

X X X

Kaitlyn sat down at an outside table of the restaurant and waited.

Admiral Sam Gardner smiled brightly as he sat down beside her, "I'm so glad you could meet me for lunch today."

Kaitlyn nodded and thanked the waitress as she sat down a glass of water for each of them. They quickly gave her their lunch orders and she left them alone.

"So – what did Stevens want to talk to you about?" he questioned her casually.

Kaitlyn shrugged, "Just wanted to see how my unit was holding up."

"What was Morrison needed for?" He took a long drink of his water.

"We were going over the makeup of the bombs in the Embassy." She turned her attention to the street and watched as people walked by the restaurant – some on their lunch breaks, others were obviously tourists. She closed her eyes as the breeze picked up a bit. She glanced at Gardner as he moved his chair.

"Kaitlyn, I'm glad you're okay – I mean, I'm glad you didn't get hurt in the bombing." He reached for her hand and rubbed it gently.

"I did get hurt Sam. A lot of people died and many more were permanently injured." Kaitlyn frowned as she saw everything he was thinking about. She removed her hand from his as their food was brought out.

He ate a few bites of his grilled chicken, "Thank you for bringing back all of the information that you could about the Romulans. Do you think they'll become a problem?"

"Yes." Kaitlyn answered simply and focused on her salad. She didn't want to be talking to him and she certainly did not want to be eating lunch with him, but she'd been ordered to meet with him. She pushed her plate away and took another sip of water.

"Are you not feeling well?" Sam Gardner questioned quickly, concerned that she was about to get sick.

She took a deep breath and watched him carefully, "I was ordered to come and meet you and break the news to you that things are going to change."

Sam Gardner sat back in his chair, "What are you talking about?"

"You sent the message to V'Las. You offered the bombs that we deactivated to him so he could blame the Syrannites. You took the bombs out of the Weapon's Complex and put them in a diplomatic case so they could be shipped to Vulcan where they were intercepted and passed off to V'Las." Kaitlyn shook her head in disappointment, "I was hoping it wasn't you – but you did it."

Gardner shook his head vehemently, "You have no proof – anyhow why would I do such a thing?"

"V'Las had mentioned to you that he could help you quell Terra Prime, though I don't see how he could have helped." Kaitlyn shrugged and watched as Gardner turned pale.

He leaned closer as his hand shook slightly, "I didn't think that he'd use all of them all at once. He promised me he wouldn't do it during the Summit."

Kaitlyn shrugged, "He didn't use them at the Summit. He despised Ambassador Soval and especially the cooperation that he'd forged with Admiral Forrest and Starfleet. He'd hoped to blame the Syrannites and reset Vulcan's relationship with Earth back about fifty years."

"I didn't know he was a Romulan." Gardner pleaded with her to understand, "I was only trying to better our relationship with the Vulcan High Command and get Terra Prime out of the way. Terra Prime has been stirring up more trouble recently – I'm worried that they are going to do something unconscionable."

"What you did was reprehensible – you knew he was going to use at least one of those bombs in our Embassy!" She swatted his hand away as he tried to reach for hers again.

His eyes narrowed and he leaned back, "If you had any proof of this, I'd already be locked up – Stevens would make sure of that." He watched her, wondering what she was going to do about the situation.

Kaitlyn took a slow, deep breath, "Unfortunately for you, the other organization I work with doesn't require evidence that will hold up in court." She stood up and placed the money on the table to cover both of their meals.

He stood up and looked at her questionably.

She indicated the man in his black uniform across the street, standing in front of an open shuttle door, "Harris is going to explain the situation you're in." She saw him quickly glance around the area to see if he could get away from them. "I would highly suggest that you don't make a scene and that you go with him peacefully. You can't escape the situation you've created – the Section would find you."

Gardner looked forlorn, "Please believe me – I did what I thought needed to be done."

"I know you think that – it makes no difference to me." Kaitlyn indicated Harris again, "He's waiting."

Gardner nodded and took a deep breath, then headed across the street to Harris and the waiting shuttle.

Kaitlyn turned and headed down the street to her apartment to get ready for the memorial service being held later this afternoon.

X X X

Kaitlyn looked around her upscale secondary apartment and tried to remember being here with Malcolm when they were going after Mardock Tal, the Weapon Supplier of Terra Prime.

She couldn't remember much – just snippets here and there.

The knock on the door pulled her out of her reverie.

Malcolm had two to go coffee cups in his hands, "The place looks familiar, but I'm not remembering a lot." He admitted as he came in. She'd wanted to see if this place would shake any more memories loose of that time. They were still blank about what happened at the Yellow Canary, when their memories were wiped and replaced with the horrific ones of each of them being killed.

She accepted one of the cups from him, then sat down on the couch.

"It's a very nice place – you say you own the whole complex?" he questioned as he sat down beside her.

Kaitlyn nodded, "I used some of my inheritance from my Mom so I could move off campus my sophomore year."

"Seems a bit extreme – buying the whole place."

"The real estate market was good, and I got it for a very reasonable price." She watched as he looked around the living room.

"Anything?"

Malcolm shook his head, "I think I remember writing a letter to my parents over there – maybe I really never sent it to them." He remembered his parents saying they never got a letter from him that he was being stationed on the Enterprise. He sighed heavily. "Do you think it was wise to hand Gardner over to Harris?"

"I didn't really have a choice. Without substantial evidence that will hold up in a court martial, Starfleet won't arrest him." Kaitlyn shrugged and plucked at the fluff on the pillow in her lap. "When does the Enterprise ship out?"

"Two days – just enough time for us to resupply." He brushed his fingers though her hair.

"Can you stay the night?"

"I can tonight, not tomorrow though – we leave early the next day."

Kaitlyn smiled, "I'd love to spend some time with you tonight."

They drank their coffees and talked about their upcoming tasks they would be completing over the next few months.

A few hours later they headed into her bedroom. "Do you really think they'll send a team of MACOs to Unroth III?" he questioned her about her last statement before she had disappeared into the other bedroom.

"I found you some shorts and a t-shirt." She tossed them to him as she contemplated what he asked. "Not now, but if things start to heat up with the Romulans – probably. The Romulans were patrolling the planet when you encountered them. Obviously, there is something on that planet they don't want us to find." She pointed out as she came out of the bathroom.

He had already changed and pulled the covers back on the bed. "You'll give me a heads up if they send you?"

She laid down beside him and patted his chest, "If I have time to tell you, I'll do my best to give you a heads up."

He wrapped his arm around her as she laid her head on his chest. He projected calmness and safety to her as much as he could through their connection. He knew that she was running low on her own reserves.

Kaitlyn closed her eyes and sighed heavily. She was tired – not just physically, but emotionally from everything that had happened over the past few months. The Memorial Service today had almost sent her over the edge – that is why she'd come here today after the service and invited Malcolm. She smiled as she could feel him trying to reach out to her, "Thank you for staying with me."

Malcolm kissed the top of her head, "My pleasure." He closed his eyes and tried to soak up the memory of her, of how she made him feel.

X X X

Office of the United Earth President, Paris.

Major Donovan studied the portraits of the past United Earth Presidents as she waited. She'd been requested to meet with the new President and to later go over the current security in place at the United Earth's Offices.

Commander Davison opened the door and indicated they were ready for her.

She hadn't expected the other people that were also in the room, but it wasn't too much of a surprise.

Commander Davison made the introductions, "President Littlejohn, Minister Samuels and Admiral Douglas, this is Major Donovan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you in person." President Lydia Littlejohn smiled as she shook Kaitlyn's hand.

"It's my honor, Ma'am. Thank you for inviting me."

President Littlejohn indicated for them to take a seat at the table. "Admiral Douglas was telling us of a new adversary that could cause problems in the future." She thanked the waiter as the coffees were poured for them.

"Yes, Ma'am. They could become a problem." Donovan nodded as she watched the President glanced at the men at the table.

"What is the biggest problem that you see from them as an adversary?"

"Subterfuge and their patience in planning." Kaitlyn stated. Then elaborated when Littlejohn indicated. "They were able to blend into Vulcan society – I don't know too many people that could suppress their emotions for that long. They also had this plan in place for over fifty years – that's a very long time to wait."

After about twenty more minutes going over the Romulan threat, President Littlejohn looked over the two men, "I'd like to speak to Major Donovan for a little bit – then I'll send her to you, Commander Davison."

The men nodded and shook Donovan's hand, then left the two women alone in the office.

Lydia Littlejohn smiled gently at Kaitlyn, "I don't know if you remember, but I worked with Fritz Galen at Stanford."

"I remember, Ma'am – you were at the presentation I did on Interspecies Cooperation and the Group Dynamics of Social Psychology."

"You made some interesting points – ones which I practice to this day. We were of the thought that you'd go into the diplomatic corps – do you mind telling me why you didn't?" She poured a bit more coffee into to her cup and offered to pour more for Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn declined more coffee, "Humans were vulnerable, they still are. I applaud the efforts of diplomats currently, but we need more than words and paper to keep us safe right now. I choose to protect Humans and if I manage to strengthen our relationships and increase our knowledge of other species along the way – then it can only help our situation. Perhaps when Starfleet and Earth's defenses are shored up, and we have more allies – perhaps I'll make a career change then."

"I've kept up with your career over the years. You have done exactly that. Ambassador Soval was incredibly supportive of the work you've done with the Vulcans." Lydia Littlejohn nodded and took a deep breath, "He doesn't often give any Human high marks. He said you not only represented our people in the best light, but you also showed great compassion and enlightenment when uncovering the Romulan infiltration of the Vulcan High Command."

Kaitlyn watched as the usually composed woman's expression became distraught. Then she remembered that the President was a coworker of Ambassador Galen. "I had quite a few discussions with Ambassador Galen on Vulcan. He liked the challenge of working there and he was looking forward to bringing our two worlds together more with the Summit."

President Littlejohn took in a slow breath, "Did he suffer?" she questioned softly.

Kaitlyn shook her head, "No. He and everyone that was in the conference room died immediately, they were spared the physical and emotional trauma that many others are still dealing with."

President Littlejohn took a deep calming breath, "And we will make sure they get all of the physical and mental support they need to recover." She looked over the younger woman in her military uniform and stood up, "If there is anything you need, please call upon me."

Major Donovan stood up and shook the President's hand, "If you should ever need my assistance, please request it from my superiors."

"Thank you, Major Donovan. Commander Davison should be waiting in the outer office for you."

Kaitlyn Donovan nodded and headed out the door.

X X X

A few weeks later, Earth.

Kaitlyn frowned as she read over the Enterprise's reports on the situation in the Barrens with Emory Erickson as she sat at her computer in her living room. They had lost a crew member during one of the encounters with the anomaly. She knew Malcolm was fiercely protective of the crew, but especially his Security Officers.

She sent out a communique to Commander Tucker on the Enterprise.

Trip nodded as he accepted the comm link. "You doing alright, Kaitlyn?" He questioned as he tugged on a t-shirt.

"I'm the one that called to ask that – everything okay with the transporters now?"

"Yeah – everything's back to normal with the transporters again." Trip ran a hand through his hair tiredly.

Kaitlyn apologized, "Trip, I'm sorry I bothered you. I should have just sent out a message for you to get in touch with me when you could."

"Actually, I'm having a hard time getting to sleep to tell ya the truth." He sighed, "The Captain and I were butting heads when it came to dealing with some of the things Erickson wanted to do. Started to remind me of how things had gone off that rails in the Expanse a few times."

"Trip, I know it's hard when we can't fully understand why people act the way they do – especially when its out of character for how we know them to be. I'm sure Captain Archer was conflicted because he'd grown up with the man." Kaitlyn watched as Trip ran his hands over his face.

"Yeah, I guess." He smiled as Malcolm came in his quarters. "I'm going to go see if I can convince Phlox to give me a hypo. Good night Kaitlyn." Trip headed out as Malcolm sat down in the desk chair that Trip had vacated.

Kaitlyn looked over Malcolm, "Trip's not sleeping so well – had a disagreement with Archer evidently."

Malcolm nodded, "I'll check with him later. You've read over our reports?" he questioned matter-of-factly.

Kaitlyn watched as he crossed his arms. "Malcolm, I'm sorry about Burrows."

"You and me both. It was a senseless loss. Completely preventable if Erickson had told us what was really going on!" He felt his blood pressure rising and took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down. His nerves were on edge. "Is that all you wanted to speak to me about?"

She knew he was trying to contain his anger, but it still stung to be snapped at. "No. I heard that the Enterprise is going to the Conference on Babel One. I sent an updated data package to the Enterprise that includes the information we have on the delegates and the species. I thought it might be helpful."

Malcolm took another deep breath. He should have known that she'd be looking out for them. "Thank you – we'll go over it tomorrow."

Kaitlyn nodded, "I hope everything goes well."

"I really do appreciate it – I'm just not in the best of moods right now." He admitted as he touched her shoulder on the screen, wishing that he could reach out to her in person.

She traced the worry line over his brow on the screen, "I know and it's completely understandable. Try to get some sleep Malcolm." She gave him a small smile, then disconnected the comm link.

X X X

Starfleet Command, a few weeks later.

"The Romulans? The drones were Romulan?" Admiral Jefferies questioned as he looked around the Command Council's members.

Admiral Gardner nodded, "Commander Tucker and Lieutenant Reed are detailing everything out about the drone ship and the Enterprise is also sending us all of the data they collected about the drones' power matrix and capabilities."

"Is it possible that the Romulans have more of these drone ships?" Admiral Davis questioned.

"They seemed to be prototypes and they require a telepath to operate them. The Aenars say they haven't lost any other people – as far as we know, that's whom the Romulans need to operate the drones." Admiral Stevens explained what he knew from the initial reports he had received.

"If they have the ability to mimic the look of other ships and their weapon signatures, we need to get a handle on this quick." Morrison stated and tapped the table.

Gardner stood up, "As soon as the Enterprise gets back, I want you, Jefferies, and Stevens to meet with Archer, Tucker and Reed to go over the latest information about these drone ships. We need to know what direction to go from here."

X X X

End of February, 2155.

So much had happened in the past few months that life had taken on a slightly stilted stride. It seemed like the collective world was just waiting for another event to be thrown at them. Kaitlyn exited the shuttle and headed for the Starfleet Prison facility.

Doctor Phlox had been kidnapped, the Klingons had tried to sabotage the Enterprise's engines – luckily Columbia had been able to assist them and Phlox had helped stop a virus from spreading though out the Klingons worlds – though this whole incident wasn't public knowledge, nor was it public knowledge that the virus started because the Klingons had been trying to make Augments.

What was public knowledge was John Frederick Paxton and Terra Prime's attempt to rid Earth of aliens by taking over the Mars Verteron Array and shooting a beam at San Francisco Bay and that they cloned a baby girl from the genetic material from Commander T'Pol and Commander Tucker.

Trip Tucker had officially died on February 14th, though she knew for a fact that he was alive and working for Section 31 to infiltrate the Romulan Warp Seven Program. Harris had her digging up information about the Romulans through her off-world contacts.

The Coalition Conference had been interrupted, but it had gone on. Unfortunately, Coridan pulled out of the conference because their planet had been attacked by a Romulan suicide ship that rammed into their planet and has caused most of the planet to become uninhabitable and it was still burning. The Romulans had also hired Orions to kidnap more Aenars to fly drone ships, but luckily the Enterprise had rescued the Aenars.

Major Donovan nodded to the guard as she passed through the checkpoint and headed inside. She stopped at the counter, "I've been requested by John Frederick Paxton." She handed the officer her ID.

The Lieutenant behind the desk nodded, "Yes, Ma'am." She waved to another guard and gave her ID back, "Lieutenant Fielding will escort you."

Fielding glanced at the MACO, "Do you have any weapons on you Ma'am, any electronics?" They stopped at the door outside a glass walled room.

Kaitlyn shook her head, "Nothing today."

"Very well, if you'll wait in here, we'll bring him in." Fielding opened the glass door and waved her to the table.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Kaitlyn walked over to one of the metal chairs and sat down.

She took a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself. She was angry at Paxton – just like everyone else that had a beating heart. Shame on him for creating a life, just to end it. They had found out through their research that the Terra Prime doctors had purposefully caused problems in Elizabeth's genes so that she would not survive long. Kaitlyn frowned, she hadn't even gotten to speak to Trip and T'Pol about what had happened though she had been able to send them a message. Even though she knew Trip was alive, she couldn't tell anyone – she suspected that at least Malcolm and Phlox knew, and she was pretty sure that Archer knew.

She looked up as John Frederick Paxton was led into the room. He still looked smug, though not as nicely dressed as he usually was. Gone was his custom-made suits in exchange for a Starfleet Prison red jumpsuit.

Fielding handcuffed Paxton to the bar on the table. "If you need anything Ma'am, I'll be right outside the door."

Kaitlyn nodded, then turned her attention to Paxton. "Why did you want to see me?"

He sat back in his chair and grinned, "So, what did you think of my work?"

Kaitlyn shrugged, "I think you're deplorable and you've shown to the world what a narrow-minded person you are."

Paxton leaned closer to the table, "But I showed them what will happen when species start to mix, when our world is overrun with aliens – Terra Prime will prevail."

His arrogant ass needed to be brought down. Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow, "Obviously, you haven't seen the news lately. My unit and I have been rounding up your terrorist group the past week and thanks to your administrative bookkeeping – we have all their names and addresses."

Paxton narrowed his eyes and sat back. He was angry, he had not been informed.

Kaitlyn watched as a gamut of emotions crossed his features.

Paxton slowly smiled, "Do you know who gave me my first Rigelian gene therapy so long ago?" He leaned closer to the table again. He grinned, "Your mother."

Kaitlyn Donovan clenched her jaw. Why would her mother have been involved? She hadn't been a doctor – how would she have known what treatment he needed, or what to do to him? She took a deep breath, "Why does it matter?"

Paxton leaned back in the chair, "I couldn't have her tell anyone what she'd done, so she had to be gotten rid of."

She stood up slowly, "What did you say?" Her voice was cold.

Fielding was in the room quickly and watched the two of them.

"I had Daniel get rid of your mother. The world was better off with out her." Paxton shrugged. He glanced out the open door and noted two more guards were there now. "You'd better keep your cool, or you'll be in here with me."

Kaitlyn stepped back from the table. She turned and left.

She tried to keep her breathing even as she headed out the prison and walked back to the shuttle. She was so angry that her hands started to shake. She leaned against the shuttle and tried to catch her breath; her throat felt like it was closing. She gasped for air.

She didn't have anyone she could talk to. The Enterprise were taking the Aenar back home, they wouldn't be back to Earth for another few weeks. Her mother's friends had left years ago and were somewhere far away from here. She finally got her breathing under control. There was someone who knew her mother wasn't human. She took another deep breath, then opened the shuttle door. She sat down in the pilots' seat and sent a communique to the Vulcan Embassy.

X X X

Vulcan Embassy, Earth.

Ambassador Soval sat back and watched her. Kaitlyn Donovan had explained what had happened and then they had meditated on the situation outside in the garden.

Kaitlyn glanced at the calming water feature in the garden and sighed softly.

"Your anger was understandable." Soval stated. "What will you do with the information you were given?"

She shook her head, "Nothing. There is nothing I can do. Bringing my mother up will only stir up questions about who she was. I don't even know who she was." Why in the world had her mother gotten involved with Paxton?

Soval watched as she frowned, "Is there anyway you can get a message to Lt. Reed?"

"No. They'll be back in a few weeks for the signing of the Coalition Treaty. I'll be fine. Thank you for listening to me." Kaitlyn gave him a small smile. He'd helped her to calm down and she was grateful.

"Where will your unit be stationed next?" Soval inquired as they stood up and started to head back to the Embassy.

"We will start security on Starbase 1, then Johnson's unit will take over. It will be awhile before we're back to Earth." Kaitlyn explained as they came inside the Embassy.

"The Starbase will be beneficial to all of the Coalition – hopefully, it will be the first of many endeavors." Soval nodded. The Coalition delegates had just agreed to help ferry out needed equipment and supplies to build the Starbase a few days ago in the negotiations of the treaty. It wouldn't be long before the treaty was signed. "Is your unit in charge of the security for the treaty signing?"

Kaitlyn nodded, "We are." She took one more look at the Vulcan Ambassador, "Thank you again."

He held up his hand, "Peace and Long Life."

Kaitlyn returned the gesture, then left quietly.

She started up the shuttle engine. She'd be fine. She and her unit would secure everything for the Coalition Treaty signing. She'd talk to Malcolm after he got back to Earth. She'd keep doing Harris' little side jobs when she had to. She'd get her unit ready to secure the Starbase. She'd be fine – she had to be. She just hoped the Romulans would back off, but if Coridan was any indication – the Romulans were on the path to war and they'd shown they were willing to destroy worlds to get their way.

X X X

I hope you have enjoyed this third installment of the series. The next story will start at the end of the Romulan War.

As always, reviews are appreciated.