Will regarded his wife, Deanna with concern. Kestra had asked when Picard and Soji would come back for a visit but Deanna was absorbed in thought. She had been thinking about the little albino child she had worked with.
"Deanna!" he gently touched her arm, "Are you there?"
"I'm sorry, Will," she shook off her train of thought, "What were you saying?"
"Kestra asked if Jean Luc and Soji were coming for a visit?"
"That's right!" Deanna thought. She had mentioned speaking to Picard, "No they are going to a pretty remote colony right now."
"Looked like you were too," Will said, "What's wrong?"
"Oh," Deanna felt foolish, "It's nothing. La Serina is picking up a passenger that I knew once." she tried to deflect.
"Someone important?" Kestra asked.
"Kind of," Deanna explained, "She's become an important composer I hear."
"What's her name?" Kestra was always curious about what the adults around her were doing. She needed more exposure to other children.
"Her name is Enid," Deanna said, "She's very special."
"That's a pretty name," had been Kestra's evaluation. She was disappointed that Soji was not going to visit.
If Deanna noticed the effect the name had on her husband, she didn't say anything. The close family continued as they always did. After Kestra went to bed, Will asked Deanna into his study and closed the door.
"I don't want Kestra to over hear and worry," he began, "She's pretty attached to the crew of La Serina."
"What is it Will?" Riker showed his wife a security briefing he had gotten this morning. Although retired, Starfleet consulted with him often and he received regular briefings. Most of the time it was not of interest but among this morning's briefing was an alert about a composer named Enid. The violet eyed albino had stuck in his head so when Deanna mentioned she was going to be on La Serina…
"Why do you suppose the Orions are interested in a composer?" he asked after Deanna finished reading the notice.
"She's also a telepath. Sometimes they employ telepaths." Deanna had no clue about the motives of criminals.
"I'd better give Jean Luc a heads up," he was pretty sure his old friend did not get Starfleet briefings anymore.
Picard discreetly asked Rios to his office after talking to Will. He explained the communication.
"I knew it was too good to be true," Rios said gesturing expansively while pacing the room, "You'd think we could get one simple fare!"
"We have to re evaluate Narek's interest in her," Picard said.
"You mean he was probably not out stretching his legs." Rios took the seat across from Picard. He remembered how Narek had handled the synths when he needed to create a distraction on Coppelius. He was a dangerous man.
"Her brother has to know something," Picard said, "It's your ship Rios, what do you want to do?" Rios decided he'd talk to A'den and returned to the bridge.
His crew and A'den were watching the arrival of the synths to Kiara Colony on the main viewscreen. The news drones offered a panoramic view of the procession.
"Computer, freeze!" Soji ordered. She backed up the footage and turned to A'den, "You want to tell me what Narek is doing with your sister?" A'den watched in horror as his sister fell in the throng only to be lifted by the Tal Shiar operative and lead to safety.
"Looks like he saved her from being crushed by a mob." A'den offered evenly.
"Because the Tal Shiar have become Space Scouts," Raffe weighed in. Rios watched the exchange trying to take the measure of the young Vulcan.
"Tell me, why are the Orions interested in your sister?" A'den understood that Rios' question was an accusation.
"I'm not aware that they are," Vulcan or not he blanched. Things were moving too fast. He had hoped that he would not have to take the crew of La Serina into his confidence. Rios told him about the Starfleet briefing.
"I think you need to forthcoming, my friend," Rios' tone was congenial but sober. A'den took a few minutes to determine what he could share. That his foster sister was Romulan? No. That he and his father belonged to a Vulcan order that thought his sister was destined to be a Romulan War Lord? Absolutely not. That Enid was telekinetic? Possibly. He had to tell them something.
"Enid is a telekinetic." A'den said staring straight ahead. Rios regarded the man and felt there was more but telekinetics would attract both the Tal Shiar and the Orions. Quite possibly several other shaddy outfits.
"Special needs?" Rios wanted to draw more out of the man.
"Yes, that is true," A'den regained some composure, "She's a born telepath and with that comes some unique challenges. She is also telekinetic."
"So she can move things with her brain?" Agnes chimed in.
"Yes," A'den remembered how many school tablets Enid had smashed against the wall out of frustration when she was younger. "My father is dying, I have to get my sister to safety. My father thought you could help us."
"Telekinetics are valuable," Rios began, "Your sister is indeed in danger."
"I think I know some place safe," Picard announced, "She would have two effective bodyguards as well," He explained that he would have to talk to Laris and Zhaban but offered Enid sanctuary on his vineyard on earth. A'den thought about it. This might work.
"Who are Laris and Zhaban?" A'den asked.
"That's the best part," Picard said, "Who better to protect someone from the Tal Shiar than two ex Tal Shiar?"
"Tal Shiar?" A'den didn't like that.
"Ex," emphasised Picard, "I lived with them for over a decade. They manage my vineyard." A'den agreed to Picard's plan. He wondered how this Narek had gotten so close to his sister. Where was Rynar? What had happened to the Vulcans who were supposed to be protecting Enid in his father's absence?
"I need to contact my sister," he looked at the frozen image of Enid being led by the Tal Shiar operative and excused himself.
After A'den left Agnes asked, "What do we do if Narek has already abducted her?"
The rectory was unusually quiet for a midweek night as there was a meeting taking place in the church basement that night concerning the mine and the O'Dares that were not working were in all in attendance, save Missy, of course. Missy had been leaving the pub to join in when she ran into Enid and Rone. Now she found herself glaring across the bright kitchen at the Romulan while Rone examined Enid. Enid hummed as she batted at some invisible target in the air around her. Her eyes were still vacant but she had stopped trying to hit herself and even had a small smile on her face. Missy didn't recognize the song Enid was humming but Narek did. It was Narek's song, the one Enid had written that day in the church basement. Narek wasn't sure what was going on here but he took it as a good sign.
"Is she," he started his question carefully. It's purpose was twofold, first he genuinely needed to understand what was going on with Enid, and second, he wanted to remind Rone that he had been in Enid's mind. He discerned that the young man considered this an infidelity on Enid's part and he wanted to twist the knife a bit. "Is Enid at her beach?"
"Don't!" Missy shouted, "he's just collecting information."
"Of course I am," Narek scolded, "How else am I going to help her?" His reply took Missy off guard. That was good.
"No," Rone replied, hostility bled from his voice, "She's not at the beach." He finished up with the regenerator and performed a few scans, "And she doesn't need your help."
"Looks like she's doing wonderful without it," Narek smirked.
'You fucked her up!" Rone tensed with restraint, this guy could kill him, in fact he had no motive not to, so Rone had to hold it together, for Enid, "What did you do to her?"
"What did I do?" Narek's upper lip curled, "I've been running around saving hers and your ass! You have no idea!"
Rone shook his head. He heard the Romulan simultaneously scolding him and arguing with Missy. Good, he thought, let the jackass talk. He had to help Enid. Missy called this condition Purgatory. Enid was no longer in this reality and she wasn't in her invented reality either, but he had to get her back, quickly. Missy didn't know but Enid could just blink out of existence from this state. It had happened once and the memory terrified Rone. He didn't know where she went and how she had returned but she had been weak for days afterwards. He had an idea though but he didn't think Missy would like it so if Narek could just keep her occupied while he inconspicuously went into Enid's backpack, retrieved the horgl, and extract the snakeleaf. All he needed to do now was glare at Narek a bit, nod at Missy, make a few adjustments on his medical tricorder, scan the extracted snakeleaf and insert the result into a hypo spray, and…
"What are you doing?" Missy yelled.
"I think it will help Enid," Rone said.
"You're just making shit up now!" Missy whirled around on Rone, "For all we know this state could be caused by the snakeleaf!"
"Or evil Romulan over there and his head games," Rone pointed towards Narek. He pushed past Missy and injected the hypospray in Enid's upper arm, "You've seen the research, it's promising."
"There has never been research on hybrids," Missy knew about the finding but all the tests had been conducted on full Betazoids. Most of them had been lower functioning than Enid. Vulcans and Romulans typically didn't use snakeleaf so there was little information available on how their systems reacted. Medications that were typically safe and effective for full breeds were often ineffective or dangerous for hybrids.
"There is never going to be research on hybrids," Rone pointed out, "because there aren't enough with this condition. Besides, her internal physiology is predominately Betazoid." Rone scanned Enid for signs of a reaction adverse or otherwise. Her eyes brightened, he thought, she stopped batting at the air.
"Then how do you know she's Romulan?" Missy countered.
"I said predominantly," Rone rolled his eyes, "There are markers in her DNA."
"I'm going to be sick," Enid eyes widened as she looked around. The sink! She thought, I can make it to the sink! Rone seeing her intention helped her to the sink where she once again threw up.
"Jesus," Missy examined the green liquid, "What did you eat?"
Enid threw up a few more times. Rone steadied her while Missy cleaned her friend up. They agreed that Enid needed rest so Rone carried her up to Missy's room and laid her on the bed. She was asleep before she hit the pillow. Rone and Missy returned downstairs. Missy took a seat in the living room, Rone remained in the doorway so he could hear if Enid stirred.
"You said you had information," Missy got right to the point. Rone leaned in the doorway, listening in case Enid needed anything, "Who is Enid's father?"
"I'm not authorized to tell you that," Narek began, "But I can tell you, he is a powerful man." Missy looked skeptical. Narek continued, "He will keep her safe."
"Exploit her you mean," Missy pursed her lips.
"She's being exploited now," Narek pulled a device from his coat, "The Vulcans are harming her." He hit a few controls on the device and the molecular reconstruction appeared. He watched as horror washed across first Missy's face, then Rones as the images played.
"How long ago was that?" Rone remembered an incident from a few months ago. Enid had fallen asleep in art class and Jimmy Fisher poured red paint in her hair while she slept. Thinking it was blood, Enid went hysterical. Dr. Hanson had calmed her down but Rone knew that she still had nightmares about it sometimes. Narek confirmed the timeline. "Do you know what their plan is?"
"Well..." Narek measured his words as he described the events of the prior evening. Rone left the doorway and took a seat in a chair near the hearth.
"You were outside the solarium," Rone's stomach turned.
"You didn't even know," Narek let the words do their work. He could see Rone's brain working it all out. After a minute he said, "There's no way she can be kept safe in this remote colony. She can't stay here."
"So she moves to Earth," Missy offered, "The syndicate won't be…"
"And what of the Vulcans?" Narek asked, "Vulcans are well respected, no one is going to believe they are hurting her." Narek hated to think where they might have taken her if they got a hold of her last night. It might have taken months to find her.
"We have that," Rone gestured at the device on the table.
"Molecular reconstruction is illegal in the Federation," Missy felt deflated, "And really, Narek could have created this. It's not like Romulans are known for honesty."
Narek understood that arguing that would not further his cause, "She won't be safe in Federation space," Narek enumerated as he paced, punctuating each point with a stride, "Her father is powerful, he can keep her safe, and she has a family that wants to meet her," He made up the last part. He wondered if Lorlani would see Enid as a rival for her powerful uncle's favor. But Ni'ael was Lorlani's husband. If he were here she probably approved. Narek doubted that Ni'ael could pull off an operation this big without Plutarch's support. No, her family wanted her.
"You make it sound like a fairy tale," Rone leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. He started to wish that he and Enid had run off last night. A loud knock on the front door interrupted them.
Missy looked out the window, "It's Tim. And S'ril! And some other Vulcan, I haven't seen before. Not one of the Dreadful Vulcans."
"Dreadful Vulcans?" Narek asked.
"That's the name that Enid created for S'ril's colleges: T'vel and S'lar."
"It seems even Enid knows she's not safe here on some level," Narek commented.
"Rone," Missy said, "We can let S'ril see Narek."
"Wh-Oh never mind," Rone led Narek to a door down the hall. He looked like he was going to say something but just shook his head and said, "Whatever…" and walked off.
Missy was examining a tablet when Rone returned. She shoved it to Rone then turned to S'ril, "She's asleep right now, why not let her stay the night?"
"She is ill and needs treatment," the strange sandy haired Vulcan said evenly, "I am Rynar, a specialist in her affliction."
"And what is her affliction?" Enid had been acting strangely and she had thrown up multiple times today. Maybe she really was ill. The Romulan could have faked the molecular reconstruction.
"That is a personal matter," Rynar said, "I wish to protect her privacy."
"What does this document mean?" Rone's face had lost all color.
"It means there won't be a wedding," Missy glared coldly at S'ril. He petitioned the courts and had Enid declared incompetent. She was placed in a conservatorship, Rynar was listed as guardian upon S'ril's demise. "Is this really necessary? She's had rough spots before..."
"The girl's condition is regressive. She is deteriorating and eventually she will lose all hold on reality," He looked at Rone, "Vasalation will not help her. We must do what we know is best for the child."
"Papa?" Enid's voice came from the doorway. She rushed to S'ril and threw her arms around him. S'ril returned the embrace, enveloping her delicate pale frame within the folds of his robes, "You're early!" The snakeleaf hadn't worn off and Enid was unaware of the tension in the room. She broke free of the embrace, her face alight with pride.
"I had a vision!" she told S'ril cheerfully bouncing on her toes, "I did what you told me. I counted and breathed and didn't fight it!" She looked up at the tall man. Her news is not having the desired effect. Her Papa wasn't telling her how brave she'd been, "I did it by myself!"
"The girl's talking?' Rynar raised his brow.
"My name's Enid," Enid snapped at Rynar, "Rone figured out snakeleaf lets me talk."
"You drugged her," Rynar regarded Rone with suspicion.
"It's not like that," Missy interjected, "Enid was in a state, he helped."
"Without understanding the girl's condition?" Rynar started.
"Papa why doesn't Rynar use my name?" Enid asked.
"Without access to her medical records?" Rynar glared at Enid, annoyed by the girl's articulance. He turned to Tim, "He should be taken in for malpractice."
"Sir, that is a civil matter," Timothy O'Dare was becoming suspicious of the Vulcans in his childhood home. Enid had a point, why didn't Rynar use her name?
"Then contributing to the delinquency-"
"This is the first anyone has seen of this document," the officer said, "He had no way of knowing that Enid wasn't free-"
"He's a medical professional," Rynar began.
"Listen to me," Tim was not going to arrest one of the settlements' few medical personnel, "These are civil matters."
"We should go," S'ril took Enid's hand but she pulled away.
"We can't Papa!" She didn't understand what everyone was upset about, "I need to finish telling them about my vision."
"She's delusional," Rynar said to the officer, "Her condition is worse than we thought."
"No!" Enid never liked Rynar. She had done what she was supposed to do. She's supposed to tell him about her dreams, but he wasn't around, "Papa, I did like you taught me. I remembered!" She looked from S'ril to Rynar and back to S'ril, "You weren't here! I told Raelyn and Dr. Hanson but I didn't finish."
"Let's go Enid," S'ril said quietly, defeated. If she continued talking she was going to make this worse.
"She thought there was going to be an earthquake," Rone finally found his voice. He had seen that in her mind before she went into purgatory.
"That's what I thought at first!" Enid spun around, excited to finally find someone who was interested in her vision, "The ground is just going to open up."
"That's enough, Enid," S'ril interjected.
"No! Somethings coming," Enid insisted, "We need to evacuate!" Enid didn't understand why no one was listening.
"Enid, you need to go with your father now," Tim O'Dare wanted this to be resolved. Enid did sound unbalanced.
"I don't understand," Enid whined.
"It is precisely because you don't understand that this has become necessary," S'ril kept his voice low and even.
"Enid," Missy felt that Enid needed a better explanation of what was happening, "Your father has had you declared mentally incompetent."
"What does that mean?" Enid's face dissolved into confusion.
"It means that you are not allowed to make your own decisions," Missy continued, "It means that your papa decides what you get to do and who you can hang out with." Would her friend understand this? Enid did, at least she understood enough.
"No papa, no," was all she could say and she said it over and over.
"It's going to be alright Enid," S'ril tried another tactic, "You've given your message and the O'Dares will handle it. It's time to go home," He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, "You've been very clever." S'ril had to show Rynar that he could still control his foster daughter. Enid beamed at the validation. She had done well, she knew that she had gotten lost for a little while but Rone had helped. Papa could see Rone helped. He'd let her be with Rone, surely? S'ril leaned forward and whispered something in her ear then collected her in his arms as she crumpled.
"S'ril!" the officer wasn't sure he could allow this, conservatorship or not, this was intrusive, "She has rights!" Rynar stepped in front of S'ril, affording him an unobstructed path to the door which S'ril took.
"There is not a moment to lose," Rynar stood face to face with the indignant O'Dare, "Her condition is quite dire." He turned and followed S'ril.
Narek had heard the events over his earpiece thanks to Missy's PCD which he had activated. It had been difficult listening to the young woman interact with her abusers, unaware of their ulterior motives. She loved S'ril as a father and he betrayed her. He unclenched his fist to see that he had been digging his nails into his palms. He had not drawn blood but deep angry marks divided his hand.
With Rynar's departure any semblance of composure dissolved from Rone's visage. He had been leaning against the wall. Now to keep himself from slipping down he leaned over and braced himself with his arms on his thighs. A sob escaped his lips. He rushed for the kitchen, leaned over the sink and started the water running. He splashed some on his face. Missy followed him, rubbed his back as he leaned over the sink. Rone turned and embraced Missy, full out sobbing now. Narek had heard sobs like this at the relocation center when people realized that their loved ones hadn't made it to safety. Missy and her brother helped the man to the table. The meeting in the church basement had ended and the rectories residents were filing into the kitchen.
"Oh goodness!" Muriel O'Dare exclaimed. The matriarch surveyed the situation and started a kettle on the stove. She retrieved an assortment of cookies from the cabinet and put them on a plate. She brought cups and placed an assortment of tea bags on the table next to the cookies. She offered Rone a cup, "Some people like chamomile for situations like this but I think lemon balm is the ticket."
"I'm sorry," Rone started taking a sip. He breathed in the aroma and offered a weak smile, "It's just too much." He noticed movement in the hall and groaned, "He's still here." Just the audience for his breakdown he wanted.
Narek had been trying to quietly slip by but now caught, gave a nervous smile, "I can let myself out." There were things he still wanted to know but didn't really want a front row seat to Rone's distress. Three more O'Dares blocked his exit. Narek knew he could overpower the men in this room but decided against it. He would just see where this was going.
Missy and Timothy filled the senior O'Dares on the events of the evening. Narek stood stoically leaning against a doorway.
"They'd have had a hearing?" Muriel asked while studying the document, "Enid should have appeared?"
"Not necessarily," Tim shook his head, "They could have used school records. That and her juvenile record."
"There's nothing serious on her record!" Rone defended Enid.
"It shows a pattern of poor decision making," Tim folded his hands to his chin, "Honestly, there are people in this room with worse records but Enid has a documented developmental disability. They would have easily found a judge to grant them a conservatorship without a hearing with these circumstances."
"She doesn't need this," Missy gestured at the tablet, "She can look after herself with a little help."
"This isn't about helping Enid," Narek interjected, "This is about control."
"I guess you'd be the expert at that," Rone commented..
"Yeah, takes a facist to know one," Missy added.
"Very nice." Narek smirked and rolled his eyes, "I'm talking about the video I showed you. The Vulcans are using her for something."
"And why would the Romulan government be interested in Enid?" Tim asked. It's time to get to the point. What is the Romulan doing here?
"As I explained to Missy and Rone," Narek paused to be sure he had everyone's attention, "I was sent by Enid's biological father."
"Your saying that Enid is Romulan?" Liam O'Dare had been watching Narek. He looked familiar. Liam had many faults but forgetting a face was not one of them. "Do you have proof?"
"Enid is Romulan," Rone pulled some folded drawings from his breast pocket and tossed them on the table, "She drew out all our children, but wanted to see how accurate she was, so I analysed her DNA."
"Why are they burnt?" Muriel asked, studying the crinkly nosed, pointy eared, spoony headed children.
"Because she can't have children," he sighed, "She had a whole notebook dedicated to them. When she learned there would be no children she destroyed it. I saved what I could."
"I'm sorry," Muriel patted his arm. Although a pastor, she didn't offer platitudes about God's plan. She believed in letting people find their own meaning although she would shepard them when needed. She didn't think that Rone was ready for that just now.
"It's more than that," Rone rubbed the back of his neck, "There were ten. She gave them names. She made them a home by her beach."
"The burnt foundation," Narek said almost absently.
"Yeah," Rone was tired and really hated this Romulan, "When they died," he looked at the ceiling, "She set fire to the cottage."
"God, Rone, I had no idea," Missy began.
"Of course you didn't," Rone pushed himself back from the table and poured more hot water from the teapot. He sat back down, collected the images and patted them back into his pocket, "So yeah, Enid is Romulan and this asshole," he gestured to Narek, "says he was sent by her father."
Narek ignored the 'asshole' comment. He had a million questions that good judgement kept him from asking. He assumed that Missy had told her family about Enid's inner world since not one of them questioned Rone's story. He felt pity for the young man who he had certainly experienced the loss of the ten pretend children like they were real. He was sure they had picnics on the beach and took turns riding Boo. Enid, he believed had some kind of dissociative disorder, probably a response to trauma of her mother's murder attempt. The castle is where she puts experiences she can't deal with. He wondered what part of her mind was represented by Boo?
"I've seen you before,' Liam O'Dare regarded Narek, "You were on that transport. What was that? About 15 years ago?" The man in front of him had the same nose, the same mouth.
"It was." Narek thought he saw a chance to control the narrative and possibly enlist the O'Dare clan, Narek let Liam tell the story of how Enid had come to the station. How Narek had stepped in to keep her safe. "She remembers me in her way," he said when the senior O'Dare finished.
"How would you know?" Rone looked suspisious.
"This," Narek indicated that he wanted to take something out of his pocket. He knew the occupants of this room considered him the enemy, best to be cautious. When Liam nodded he removed his handheld and expanded the screen, "This image is one of the original compositions that S'ril sold. It's from the auction site...public information." Narek took it as encouragement that no one asked him to prove his assertion so he continued, "And this," he tapped some controls and superimposed another composition over the first, "Is the composition that Enid wrote yesterday." There were very minor differences between the two compositions but it was clear they were the same, "Missy can attest that Enid wrote this for me." He looked at Missy.
"She wrote a song for Narek," Missy said, noticing the look of horror on Rone's face. Rone didn't know about the song, they must not be as telepathically connected as he first thought. Narek filed that information away for future use. Narek believed that S'ril purposely chose the sheet music he sold to keep her from remembering certain people or events.
"My mission is to bring Enid home to her family."
"How?" Muriel asked.
"Pardon?" Narek turned to the elderly O'Dare. The tell tale signs of youthful beauty still lingered in the woman's face which was well lined by both joy and worry.
"How did she come to be?" Muriel corrected awkwardly, aware that given her own brood of ospring it seemed a silly question.
"I'm not privy to that," Narek responded. It was a question he had wondered too although he figured it had to do with Dinih's husband. Plutarch must have been working for the Zhat Vash and Dinih's husband, a cyberneticist, was the target.
"Why wouldn't the man come for his own daughter?" was Liam's question.
"He's a powerful man," Narek said simply, "And relations between our people are well...have never been very friendly." Narek left it at that. These people could not understand the intricacies involved in Romulan culture.
"He was a spy," Missy concluded. She had done her own research reaching the same conclusion as Narek had except she didn't have a name. "Enid's mother was married to a Cardasian cyberneticist before Enid was born. The man jumped from a 10th floor window after his lab was destroyed."
"So her father murdered Dinih's husband?" Liam narrowed his eyes at the Romulan.
"There is no proof of that," Narek began, "Given Dinih's reputation, she could have killed her husband herself or had him killed." Narek outlined what he knew of Dinih. Her connections to the Orion syndicate, the large sums of money that S'ril had given his ex wife.
"So S'ril paid for Enid?" Rone was woken from his self pity for a moment. "Like chattel?"
"I think that's a bit dramatic," Missy started.
"Well I don't," Narek had reached the same conclusion as Rone, "We have a troupe of Vulcan radicals who purchased a Romulan baby girl. We can't let that stand." It didn't take much effort to project righteous disgust into his tone. As no one stopped him, he continued, "She has a father that wants to be part of her life. She has cousins who are eager to meet her. She needs to be with her family."
"Nice try," Missy said, "She'd have been euthanized on Romulus." Narek cringed.
"You want to exploit her!" Rone exclaimed.
"Unlike the Vulcans," Narek rolled his eyes, "Enid-"
"Deserves better," Muriel's finished Narek's sentence for him. She started organizing in her head what needed to be done. They needed an attorney which would cost money.
"S'ril's not well liked," Liam mused, "It would be easy to get support."
"That's what I was thinking," Muria agreed, "We can get an attorney. Offer her asylum." This wasn't the direction Narek was hoping for but he decided he could work with it.
"I doubt we will see Enid again," Narek wanted to take control, to steer them to his plan, "They could be taking her off world now." Liam pulled up some information on a tablet and verified that there was a transport leaving within the hour to Vulcan. He entered a few commands.
"There," he said, "No one's leaving the system for 24 hours." He had just grounded all traffic due to control system errors.
"Has anyone left since we've been talking?" Narek could kick himself. He should have thought of that sooner.
"No," Liam answered, "Other than the Vulcan ship no one was scheduled to leave tonight anyway. Tomorrow will be a shit show."
"Malack can file an emergency order," Tim suggested referring to one of the settlement's attorneys, "He owes me a favor. He doesn't have the expertise for something like this though." Rone agreed to provide Malack with whatever documentation he needed.
"Well we have 24 hours to figure things out." Liam nodded to Rory, "We're going to have a lot of unhappy people to pacify." Narek excused himself to report to Ni'ael. Thanks to the O'Dares, they'd have a day to get Enid into custody.