The next morning, Thyrian attitudes change, which did not bring much to the table. After some arguments, the Thyrians claimed that they needed time alone to reflect what was discussed and declared a two-day recess. This annoyed the Federation delegates, but they obliged the request to keep the peace, even though it gave way to rumors. With a grateful bow, the Thyrians filed out.

Some in the Federation and Starfleet parties whispered in the hallways that it gave them time to think of new strategies to have the upper hand. Other mentioned that they had to attend to their harems. Better yet, the Thyrians had a strategy to go behind the Federation's back and enact their battle plans. Nonetheless, the gossip grew juicier as the daylight brighten. Cartwright easily stomped down anything he heard and dismissed the scuttlebutt through memos.

This left Kirk happily alone with his thoughts and back in his office, breakfast eaten and the gossip behind him. It was almost a relief to have the day to himself, but it also gave him the opportunity to ponder many more opportunities. He sat at his desk and rubbed his tired eyes. He had not slept. Seeing Alyssa before dawn had unnerved him. He had never felt so helpless in his life, especially for the only woman he truly loved.

Needing to redirect his mind elsewhere, Kirk decided to put this unusual spell to good use. Not knowing much of the situation with the Thyrians other than they had resisted Federation membership for decades (and that was from initial research), he commanded his computer and started examining from another angle. While Riley worked around him and begged for some paperwork to be signed (and all of it about inspections next month or the month after), the admiral concentrated his efforts on his research and constantly waved him away as the screen decorated his eyes with information he hardly found useful.

There was little information. The planet Thyria, settled thousands of years ago by unknown colonists, had not been identified by any sources until about twenty years ago. Even then, nobody had wanted to extend a hand in friendship and neither did the Thyrians. Each time a ship passed by, they were firing at it and none of it was traceable. Much like Talos IV, it had been a Starfleet order to avoid the planet at all costs or to face the death penalty. However, unlike the illusionists, the Thyrians kept to themselves – culture, politics and all – and away from Federation eyes. There reasons were stated yet, but conspiracies were always rampant.

It wasn't until two years ago that the Thyrians communicated and offered an olive branch. The Federation was hesitant at first and took precautions. Because of this and the lack of seriousness, it took until now for everyone to agree where to meet, who was coming and what was supposed to be discussed. It was long drawn-out and very much a pain in the ass, Kirk found.

Otherwise, Kirk found no other information was provided except for their physical appearances and some sort of social class system. The alien race was characterized by their humanoid body and different colored skin (ranging from a light to dark blue or green) and greasy onyx black hair. Depending on the skin color is what career is offered, salaries and promotions and what kind of housing is given. Kirk found it practically racist.

Kirk followed as many links as he could before exhaustion settled. In the afternoon, his eyes started watering and his stomach was growling. He had not risen from his seat since early morning and was soon seeing two screens instead of one. As he rubbed them again and sighed, he heard the bell ring outside. He didn't bother answering, allowing the security device outside to scan the person. When McCoy's name popped up, Kirk had the door unlocked. He swore under his breath.

"Haven't you heard of stretching? Walking around? Getting away from that damned death contraption?" McCoy was visibly annoyed. "I've been trying to get in touch with you since last night. Where the hell have you been?"

"Kicking myself in the ass," Kirk replied. "Anything else?"

McCoy studied him for a moment. "You saw Alyssa, didn't you?"

"Twice yesterday. Once at the conference and the last here, late last night."

"She talk to you yet?"

"Last night, she came here. Earlier, Riley, well…he pushed me towards her after the initial meeting." Kirk smirked, remembering their last farewell kiss, and soon hid behind a stoic stance.

McCoy swore, finding a seat before the desk like a subordinate. "You think someone higher up knows something you don't?"

"If they did, someone would have said something by now. I doubt anyone will care after so much time except for maybe Lance Cartwright. What difference does an incident from eleven and twelve years ago make? The relationship is over, Bones."

"Well, she's here now. And it should make a hell of a difference because she has value to more than just you. The relationship isn't over, Jim. But she has another she's dealing with. Alyssa is also the best at what she does, damn you. That's why Starfleet transferred her here."

"What are you talking about, Doctor? Starfleet is not a marriage."

"A career is a marriage and you damned well now it. Alyssa was originally stationed in Louisiana. It would have given her space between Starfleet and Synprilox. Promotion came through without her consent."

"Doctor, I'm jealous. Alyssa been communicating with you more than her former commanding officer?"

"No. I've been visiting her since last month. She moved to San Francisco to be near her son and work this new-fangled conference. Starfleet also threatened to drum her out dishonorably if she did not comply."

"What a deal."

"You're telling me! Alyssa is pretty distraught and not thinking clearly. That will endanger your sued peace. I offered to send her a referral for a vacation, but she declined. Told me I was too close to her and Starfleet will not accept it."

"She's doing her job, Bones. You can't blame her for following orders and rising through the chain."

"Jim, you don't understand. Now, how secure are we in this office?"

Kirk rolled his eyes. He wasn't getting anywhere with this conversation. "Usual security. Now, what do you mean? What am I supposed to understand?"

McCoy leaned forward, ready to reveal some secret. "Don't you remember your inspection tour, Admiral? Or does forgetting about Synprilox's problems hide your past? In the years you two decided to call it quits, Alyssa has been infected with so much radiation that it's slowly killing her. She's undergoing treatments, but that can go so far. She's slowing down, Jim."

"That's your big mystery?" Kirk was annoyed that something as trivial as radiation poisoning was affecting Alyssa's work. He dimly recalled it, but had not realized it progressed so far. "And you suggest that she quit her job?"

"I suggested a desk job like you," McCoy replied carefully to continue his point. An undertone of pessimism remained. "Being an aide or some kind of so-called paper pusher would be ideal for her before her retirement. Even heading a ship and hardly lifting a finger would be ideal. Running around like a cadet? Please, Jim. She isn't twenty-three years old anymore. She's forty. Another twenty years and she'll possibly enjoy years with her grandchildren if it's allowed to her. She keeps going the rate she is, she'll be dead in less than five years."

The admiral's blood turned cold. He had not realized how far the illness had developed and the events that led to its destruction. "What happened?"

"When Synprilox had been battling for independence back in the day, the Federation had to pull officers in and out faster than I put socks on," McCoy explained. He thought Kirk knew, but dismissed it since the admiral distanced himself from Alyssa and Synprilox. "Rebels who liked Mycoff decided to defend the family name and held all those advisors hostage while under attack. The chancellor was who-the-hell-knows where. I will let your imagination run on what the Federation ordered."

"Did Synprilox call for help? Did anybody answer?"

"Official accounts say yes. People like me have their suspicions."

It was the most neutral answer McCoy could give. Kirk nodded. "I take it Starfleet wanted Alyssa to stay?"

"She still fought to leave, Jim. No doubt about it. After six years, she got her way and moved to Earth. It was a long fight. She protected Starfleet party for far too long."

"I would assume it was the legitimate government and not the rebels."

"God, I can't believe I'm gossiping about a woman like a crone."

"You'll be one if you don't stop complaining. Now, continue. I'd like this briefing to be finished."

"Is that an order?"

"I can make it one if you wish."

"Admirals."

"Doctors can be just as difficult. Now, please, I'd like to hear the rest of the story."

McCoy never liked talking a lot about Alyssa. She was a special friend and always had his back when it was needed. Like few others, she also never hesitated in telling him the truth if he was an asshole (usually when he was drunk). But she was a secretive person. There were instances where she never revealed the whole story and that aggravated McCoy. It took a lot to get this last story from her.

On the other hand, Alyssa did not care about what Starfleet did to her. The wrongs of the past were righted and she was content being a security officer. Whether it was on a ship or on a planet, she was happy stalking her domain and reporting back to her superiors. However, when the Synprilox civil wars started, she had no choice but to remain behind and take control and to protect her children and her charges. That alone earned some merit from Starfleet, but it wasn't enough to give her power over her own destiny except a promotion to captain and a new position.

McCoy saw through the façade. Starfleet was once more trying to sweep their mistakes under a rug and put Alyssa in a position where they feel is convenient, although giving her so much responsibility that she almost could not shoulder it. After all, being the tool of their propaganda department was for the best anyway, he mused sarcastically. Alyssa Elma had been labeled a hero despite what happened to Synprilox.

"That planet that was shooting at them went into overtime," McCoy continued, trying to get off Alyssa's tail, "and they started throwing more than just radiation at Synprilox. It was a full-scale war. Because of how weak Synprilox was, there was no defense. Federation ships could not fight something they cannot see."

"I see." Kirk tapped his fingers against each other impatiently. He knew McCoy was protecting Alyssa and waited for the tale to end.

The doctor was oddly quiet. "Alyssa took control of the weapons console and directed ships if she couldn't. She remained at her post until she was flagged for help. That was after she took more hits. The other planet there…they used unorthodox methods to attack Synprilox."

"And that was what destroyed it?"

"I would assume so. I'm a doctor, Jim, not a strategist. I'll leave that to you."

The pieces of this puzzle were beginning to fit together. It did not make Kirk any better though. His mind raced. He was inspired to join Starfleet because of his father in order to find structure and adventure in his life. However, he was finding once more that the institution was literally trying to hide its misdeeds under any pretext and forgetting about it. It hurt him to think that what he stood for and everything that he had to represent was just a masquerade.

Corruption is everywhere.

"Do you have a report about Synprilox's wars?" he asked McCoy.

The doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't know where to start since official reports are bullshit."

Kirk agreed, understanding that a sanctioned series of events would not give him the information he craved. "Any way you can get Alyssa to skip her duties today? I know she's supposed to be walking the perimeter today."

"Well, I have some magic up my sleeve, but not a lot. If what I think is happening, then Starfleet might just drum me out for interfering."

"I'll take care of that. You get her off of her feet. I think we have some other business to conduct, just the three of us."

McCoy grinned. "If this is what I think it is, you've got some cards even I'm not sure. Just don't tell me until the end, will you? I don't want that ace of spades."

~00~

Walking through the green-marbled palace, Kirk could not remember the pleasantries that followed his tour. He hardly paid attention anyway and only nodded here and there. Everyone seemed too fake and he did not care for them. He also found it politic to keep his mouth shut. He'll find out more about the people outside later.

Eventually, some hours later, they reached the dining hall. The chancellor seated him on her right-hand side as they sat for dinner. Within seconds, servers came out from a side door and began offering food from one end of the table to the other. The affair itself was unremarkable, Kirk found, and he stifled a yawn. However, the entry of a certain security officer was quite surprising and very much appreciated.

Alyssa gently glided to her chair two seats to the left of Kirk, making her on an honored guest on the chancellor's other side. Quietly, she waited for the servers to scoop food on her plate and did not move her utensils until Amelia Synprilox did. Once the meal commenced with an uneasy silence, she copied everyone's movements in a slower fashion, picking at her food and nibbling like a bird. She did not speak. Much like the start of the meal, it was customary to wait for the leader to initiate conversation.

Once the chancellor signaled for some music and motioned for a chat, the mood relaxed. Whispers went around the table, most of it gossip and all of it things Kirk could not understand since he did not keep track of Synprilox's development. He did catch that Mycoff's family had been eliminated after the grim executions he witnessed except for a few selected members and that some people were not pleased with it. His son and nephew shortly followed him to the grave, an event that Kirk could not forget. It was a scene that he wished he did not witness, so gruesome had it been.

The admiral needed a distraction and aimed his observations at the security officer instead. Alyssa ate sparingly, he noticed. Mostly, she whirled the food with her fork enough to make it seem like she took a few bites. Her eyes darted everywhere, noting each person's position, what they said and how they reacted to their neighbors and why. Certainly, they were a lot of people in attendance since Synprilox opened itself to other leaders and curious visitors. As a security officer, Alyssa most likely was evaluating and anticipating.

But to what purpose? What does she know?

Kirk always wondered why Alyssa remained here. It had been five years since Starfleet's decision to keep her. He understood that a Starfleet presence would ensure peace and that the agreement with the Federation would be reached amicably. But it had been too long since she was stationed on Synprilox. She should of her pick of any ship, starbase or desk job by now.

Kirk chided himself. He hardly knew the security officer and shouldn't have made assumptions and insinuations. Other than McCoy's stories and his brief encounters, he did not give a second thought to the petite woman who saved his life after that mission ended. Time had passed and their lives collided in such a way that interested Kirk. She was alluring, even in face of the tragedies she endured, and that shaped her into a figure he hardly recognized.

All those years ago, she asked him to trust her and to put faith in her, although she hardly had it in herself. Kirk had taken the plunge and did not regret it since she had done the same with him. At that dinner table, he asked himself to do the same with her once more. The older and mature woman before him was quite a catch. He longed to reach out and to caress her cares away, but stopped himself. He had better things to worry about.

As the crowds talked and the atmosphere became more casual and most of its members quite drunk, Kirk studied each of them as Alyssa did. She was right to be so cautious. All of them had an agenda and none of them wanted the other to know it. It was obvious the way some tongues slipped words about monetary gain or planetary losses or the trades commissioned and continuing. There was also the occasional threat here and there too, but that was nothing new in this game.

Kirk listened to a few new arguments. Once he began to understand a little of what was happening, he eagerly turned to his other neighbor and discussed their woes. Kirk didn't realize that he was talking with a Freedom Rider until the man talked about how the food production and distribution was running. The admiral nodded and smiled. But the more drunk his partner was, the worse the discussion went. Kirk ended it when his companion slipped to the floor, unconscious.

An hour later, the chancellor departed, finished with her meal and announcing her retirement. The remaining company stayed, asleep or swaying. It was an old Synprilox custom that everyone lingered in the dining hall and celebrated until dawn anyway. As she left, Amelia Synprilox even gave Kirk a smile and a wink. Her maids fluttered and fussed around her as they exited.

This left Kirk alone with Alyssa, the only other person in the room who was not horribly intoxicated. He leaned forward and flashed his own infamous grin to gain her attention. "So, how are things?" he asked her.

Corny, Jim, simply corny. What are you doing to yourself?

"Busy, Admiral," Alyssa answered carefully. She saw the flirtatious tactic and ignored it. "I do not think you'd like to hear any boring details. My personal responsibility is for you and your party. You will be following me home tonight."

Kirk chuckled nervously, thinking her too serious. "Commander, I hardly brought anyone with me. I'm sure they will take care of me."

"Has nobody told you that I am in charge? That I am ordering your party around?"

"No, they have not. Admiral Ciana informed me of the housing situation and nothing more."

"She also ordered me to see to all of your needs, Sir. Whenever are you ready, I will escort you and your men to my home."

"Oh? And where are those?"

Alyssa was clearly embarrassed to be telling Kirk this since she thought Lori Ciana complete with her details. She managed to answer without stuttering. "We have a neighborhood for Starfleet officers a few miles away, Admiral. I usually walk to and from the palace from there. I hope that will suffice."

Kirk saw the uneasiness and uncertainty in Alyssa's hazel eyes. He felt so sorry for bothering her and backed down immediately. He thought of what to say that would smooth the situation out, trying to recall McCoy's words a few years ago. Overbearing and charming were not ways to interest Alyssa. She needed honesty and respect. For the time being, he will have to back off and show that he was grateful for her efforts.

"Whatever you feel is comfortable is perfect," Kirk finally replied. "I'm sure you did your best, Commander."

The admiral was rewarded with a warm smile. Alyssa also blushed like a schoolgirl. She hid the redness by putting her napkin to her face. When one of her men called out of her, she immediately hid the discomfort behind a mask and answered. She excused herself and left the admiral, calling out that she will be back in a few minutes.

Kirk was amazed. That was a victory, he thought. It was also the first step towards a friendship that will last them these five months. He also saw a hint of interest and intrigue in those eyes. Alyssa was reaching out too. She just needed the time to figure it out.