Narissa looked at the screen in front of her. It was a message sent to Vulcan Intelligence from Kiara Colony. It was a detailed summary of events that were taking place on Kiara. The transmission had been disrupted by someone on the surface, probably this Rynar character mentioned in the memo. If Narissa had not been monitoring Kiara/Vulcan communications, the transmission would have died, without anyone being aware of it. She didn't have authority to decide what to do about the message so she contacted Oh. This might just be what she was looking for to ingratiate herself back into Oh's confidence. She was rewarded when Oh herself followed up on her query.
"I think we need to determine the extent of this organization," Oh concluded, "Make sure the message gets to its recipient and see what comes of it. Expand our efforts to monitor Vulcan for the time being, pull personnel as you need." This pleased Narissa. She was back in charge of something.
"Should I forward the message on to Narek?" she asked. Oh weighed the consequences and decided against it for now much to Narissa's disappointment. She didn't just want to be back in Oh's good graces but also wanted to have leverage over Narek again. She missed her little brother.
Narissa wasn't the only one who intercepted T'vel's communication. Raffi was diligently searching for more information on A'den, S'ril and Enid. She had uncovered T'vel's connection to the trio so she researched him as well. After skimming the communication she grabbed Rios and barged into Picard's quarters.
"JL you have to see this!" Raffe burst out when they were alone. Rios looked over Picard's shoulder as he read from the tablet.
"This is the most messed up thing I have ever seen," was Rios's conclusion. In the communication, the Vulcan named T'vel confessed to belonging to an ancient order that had existed since The Diaspora but outlawed after The Time of Awakening. The order called Enid the Lanka-gar and alluded to several prophecies that must be familiar to the message's recipient. Rynar was the leader of the order and was torturing Enid. "I've never heard of The Diaspora, but isn't a lanka-gar a type of raptor?"
Picark acknowledged the latter but had also never heard of the Diaspora. "They have an ancient civilization," he considered it for a moment, "The Vulcans call the Romulans the people who walked under the raptors' wings," he wondered what implications did this have for the young telekinetic?
"That poor girl," Raffe felt ill. The memo included a brief video of Rynar smashing trinkets in the girl's room hurling them at her as she screamed in protest, restrained by what appeared to be another Vulcan. She appeared to be already quiet battered.
"That's no Vulcan," Picard said, freezing the video, "Look here," he pointed to a spot in the video where a trinket passed through the head of the man restraining her.
"They are using a hologram," Rios watched in horror, "Exactly how do you fight a hologram?"
"Do we think A'den knows what is happening to his sister?" Raffe asked.
"According to this, she is not even his sister," Picard pointed out, "That casts doubts on whether we can trust him at all."
"We need to get this to Vulcan security," Raffe said.
"Shouldn't this go to Starfleet as well?" Rios asked, "S'ril's daughter or not, Enid is a Federation citizen."
"Yes!" Picard agreed, "We should also make the authorities on Kiara Station aware of the situation." Rios opened a channel to the magistrate on Kiera and asked for a supervisor. Tim O'Dare took the call.
"O'Dare?" Rios asked, "Any relation to Rory?" The officer confirmed that Rory was his brother. Rios secured the connection and transmitted the communication. He watched the man's face whiten as he read through the file. After watching the video, Tim O'Dare put his elbows on his desk and rubbed his temples.
"I knew it!" the officer smacked the desk in front of him, "You have A'den on board?"
"Yes," Rios replied, "Do you think he is dangerous?"
"I don't know," Tim answered, "Up until last night I would have said no," he shook his head, "I don't know anymore."
"Do you think Enid knows anything about this?" Picard asked. The officer was sure the girl didn't. He thanked Picard for the notice and terminated the connection leaving Rios and Picard dumbfounded.
"Are there any Federation starships in the area?" Picard asked Rios. Rios confirmed that the Enterprise was not too far away. Picard smiled and opened a hail to Captain Worf.
After Narek had left, Enid weighed her options. Without Boo, heading towards the mountains wasn't feasible. Rynar knew how to kill Boo so there wasn't much point in resurrecting her friend since she knew she couldn't bear to lose her again. She looked towards the ocean. Rynar had burned the boat that Papa helped her create. The boat had no rudder or means of propulsion, Enid thought, It was more of an ark anyway. The ocean terrified Enid. Papa would take his little family to the beach several times a season, but Enid spent most of those trips clutching A'den's arm and crying while her brother tried to amuse her by either collecting shells or burying her in the sand. Then last year, Papa compelled her to compete in the triathlon. Swimming in a real ocean was different from what she contemplated now. Still, she didn't think she really had to swim in the ocean to accomplish what she wanted to do.
Narek had implied that Enid was Romulan. The thought frightened her but she needed an army to go with her castle. If she were Romulan, she should have nothing to fear from the beings that dwelled in her ocean she reasoned. Had she spent more time with the occupants that shared her internal world she would probably have a different understanding but that was the theory she was going with right now. Taking a deep breath, she waked knee deep into the waves and waited. Within moments, the water started to bubble and foam. Forms emerged from the deep, filing past her up the path and over the dune. Enid followed after them, smiling.
Rynar entered Enid's room and glowered at the sleeping girl with crossed arms. She was in her bed with a blanket pulled up over her shoulders. He should have removed the bedding, he mused although how the girl had managed to climb into the bed was beyond him. Perhaps she was developing a tolerance to the drug? He fiddled with the hypospray in his pocket.
The girl had mounted an admirable defense at first. Without the drug, he would have never invaded her mind. S'ril's journals did not do the girl's internal world justice, the alicorn had been a formidable foe. He smiled at the memory and shifted his position. Who knew how connected violence and arousal would be? His people had long ago given up such barbary but instead of being repulsed by his urges he found himself intoxicated. He had just made up his mind to continue his work when S'lar entered.
"T'vel's message made it through," the other man informed him.
Rynar pursed his lips, "Are the transports moving yet?"
"No," S'lar stated, "O'Dare no doubt won't resume operations at the station until they have the girl."
"What are you suggesting?" Rynar didn't want to kill the girl. He wanted her power. He knew he could force a bonding given enough time. Then, if legend were true, he would have her abilities. They would have to keep the girl alive, but she wouldn't need to function. They had laid the groundwork. The girl had a degenerative condition so if she were to fall out of public life, no one would say anything. They could keep the girl drugged and institutionalized for years. That had been the plan until T'vel had defected.
"I think we need to move her," S'lar suggested the secret room in the ruins, "No one knows about the chamber. It's soundproof and no one can access it without Enid. We can keep her there until her friends give up looking for her." S'lar had done extensive analysis of the chamber and knew that it would not be detectable by sensors unless someone knew what to look for. There was an added bonus that transport was rendered impossible by mineral deposits in the ruins. S'lar reasoned they could hold out in the ruins for some time then they'd figure out a way to get the girl off the planet once the Federation News Service was gone.
"That may take a while," Rynar commented, "We will need supplies." He directed S'lar to assemble what would be needed. Rynar decided he had time for another session.
As he walked to the bed he stepped on a broken hoof from the girl's figurine collection. He picked it up and sat on the bed. He stroked the girl's hair then caressed her cheek with the sharp shard drawing a red line from her ear to her chin. Admiring his handy work, he drew another line from her ear down her neck ending just between her breasts. When she didn't stir it occurred to him that maybe they had administered too strong a dose of the drug. Maybe they had killed the child? He felt her neck for a pulse; no she was alive. He took a handful of the girl's white hair in his fist and pulled her up. Her eyes parted slightly. Good, he thought, the drug was still working. He placed his fingers on her face and slid into her mind. It was much as he left it but dark. In the moonlight he could see the bloodied body of the alicorn on the beach. He looked out to sea and saw nothing but black after a few meters. He walked up the path that led over the dune. She wasn't under her tree. He didn't want to take time for this. Reaching out his hand he set fire to the meadow thinking that would flush out the girl. When the fire burned out and the girl hadn't emerged Rynar considered the mountains. Could she have made for the mountains? He turned towards the castle; there were lights on in the keep. He set off for the castle.
Rynar burned a path through the dense thorny growth that surrounded the castle's moat. The drawbridge was up so Rynar extended his arm. The massive wood structure groaned as it fell forward until it landed with a loud boom. He walked unhampered through the gatehouse into the courtyard. The keep was a rectangular building with a large oak door. Several stories up, above the door was a large window. Light flickered from the window as a shadow passed in front of it. Rynar couldn't help but muse about the utility of the fortress, both within the girl's mind and if it were real. He decided the structure would have merits in the feudal system from which the design was taken. Given the girl's propensity for fantasy he would have thought there would be more magical creatures in the moat. The moon hid behind a cloud so the only light was from the window of the keep which sliced a yellow swath through the grass. As he started down the path he noticed a mass of shadows moving along the curtain wall. He quickened his pace, the shadows shifted and swarmed until they filled in the space between him and the keep. He paused, what manner of creature had she dreamed up? He didn't have to wait long for the answer as the black mass rushed towards him. He found himself on his back staring at the ceiling of Enid's room.
The girl remained lifeless as Rynar approached the bed. She had repelled him! Even in this state, she expelled him from her consciousness! S'lar entered the room to inform him that everything was ready. Rynar pulled the girl towards him, planning to toss her over his shoulder. As she turned she shoved a sharp object deep into his upper arm. He dropped her and she bounced off the bed. Rolling to the floor she sprung for the door weapon still in hand.
Enid had been aiming for Rynar's neck or at least his upper chest but was disoriented from the drug that had been given to her. She stumbled on wobbly legs towards S'lar who easily caught her wrist, twisted her arm back before pivoting sideways. He then planted his other hand between her shoulder blades and pressed her against the wall, leaning in with his body to pin her. He applied pressure to her wrist until she dropped her weapon. Frantic, Enid did the only other thing she could think of. With a snap, she was freed to barrel frantically down the hallway with Rynar in pursuit. Rynar stopped to examine S'lar giving Enid a head start however it didn't take him long to determine the man was beyond help. Unwittingly she provided obstacles for her pursuer as she staggered into and overturned furniture or knocked pictures off the walls. She gained the door faster then bolted down the path, unaware of the sting of frozen stones on her bare feet. She fell several times earning her scapes on her arms and knees until she reached the old tree where the small path met the main road. She stopped to look back. She squinted through double vision but couldn't find Rynar. Perhaps he had given up pursuit?
She whirled around and smacked head on into a solidly built man with pointed ears. Not caring if he were Romulan or Vulcan she tried to shove him out of the way. The man caught her and held her by the shoulders. Fank had seen Enid bolt from the house. When Rynar emerged in pursuit, he let fly a round of disrupter fire that drove the Vulcan back into the house. Calming down shivering, battered, frightened little girls was not his area of expertise but he had attended Narek's briefing outlining how agents might need to respond in such an event. It just seemed easier in theory than he was finding it now.
Step one, don't appear threatening. He released her, extending his arms out exposing his chest.
Step two, reassure her. "I'm not going to hurt you!" he called loudly. She's not deaf, he corrected himself.
Step three, attend to her physical needs. Fank could see the outline of her body through the thin, white, sleeveless shift. He took off his jacket and slipped it over her shoulders then he carefully backed away keeping his arms extended. It was comically large on her.
Step four, build rapport. He smiled, "There, that's better, right?" He was encouraged when she nodded.
Step five, suggest a course of action. "Come on...We need to get you inside…"
Step six...Really this was ridiculous, he thought, I'm fucking Tal Shiar! Not a... He was flung backwards about five meters into a ditch alongside the path before he could finish the thought. By the time he caught his breath and climbed out of the ditch, Enid was gone.