Kirk had a lucky break. Spock was finalizing a visit with his mother (the ambassador being away on a mission) and had been monitoring his communications en route to his next assignment when the admiral contacted him. Immediately, Spock accepted the challenge, saying nothing more about the Thyrian council and the recent events he was sure to have heard of. He only promised to be in San Francisco by the next afternoon and to meet Kirk after his arrival. McCoy would also join them if there was a chance.

The next set in his business plans involved Alyssa. After their conversation at the bar, the admiral and the doctor departed and set off for home by foot. Kirk waited until he and McCoy parted far enough to make the next journey, watching as the doctor entered his lodgings. He then took a transport to the Starfleet off-base neighborhood and trekked through the back alleyways until he reached her front door. He rang the bell and waited for permission to come in. When he received it, he entered and sat in a corner chair away from the cameras and waited for Alyssa to retrieve him.

She came a few minutes later. They greeted each other formally and proceeded to the lift, still pretending to be talking official business. This continued until they reached her apartment and the door locked itself behind them. The relative safety of Alyssa's living room offered them privacy. The lights were dimmed and the place was unusually quiet. The curtains were drawn. Ali was most likely in bed.

"How was Ali's first day without Magda?" Kirk asked. He figured that Ali had the nursemaid all to herself after Ryder went to the Academy and it might have devastated her to have to be alone.

"Oh, as well as it should be." Alyssa sighed, showing how much of a chore the day was. "Ali spend two hours debating with Cartwright about why she should have Magda with her. When it was explained that she was a threat to security, Ali countered and said that she had been staying with her the whole time and could vouch for her innocence. It was a damn nightmare."

"That must have given Lance a headache."

"I'm sure it did. I got one hearing about it from him. Cartwright left her with the other children and told her to deal with it. He was not very polite about it and pulled me into his office to complain about it. He and I also discussed Magda. Ali was pretty sullen afterward."

"Got bored afterward?"

"She had no stimulation and was sent home early because she was considered surly. She mouthed off her the headmistress of the daycare and was petulant when asked to do some classwork. I had to leave myself to take her home. We already had a long time and she's been grounded to her room for the week. She's sleeping now."

Kirk was amused and tried keeping a straight face, changing the topic. "And Magda? Do you know where she is?"

Alyssa looked squarely at Kirk. "I was going to ask you the same thing. Do you have any information?"

"I have none," he offered honestly. "Lance informed me that Magda had been removed and you had agreed to Ali being schooled with the other children."

"I authorized no such thing!" Magda was supposed to supplement!" Alyssa was enraged, throwing her hands in the air. "I told the admiral to send her home if he could. Here. There's enough security in this place to keep an eye out on her. Our outbound communications are recorded, cameras are everywhere and she can't leave without someone seeing her."

"Lance might think otherwise," the admiral reminded her. "He's shrewd. He wouldn't do this without just cause."

Alyssa swore under her breath and said something about not trusting high-ranking officers. Kirk agreed with her inwardly, but was not sure about her reasoning because he was unsure himself of what was going on now that a few factor was computed into the equation. First, it was the assassination attempt. What happened to that security officer that drove him to insanity? Kirk did not think it likely that security officers would cover for each other, especially in an offense so serious. And the crime did not fit the offender.

The issue with Cartwright also had to be resolved. If the admiral was directing everyone in a different directions while capturing the innocent, then what was he hiding? Why was he denying Kirk entry into an issue that he was a part of? And if Kirk wasn't allowed business into anything regarding the Thyrians, then why he was at the conference? Was his appearance just a farce?

Kirk took Alyssa into his arms. "We'll find Magda," he promised. "Her name will be cleared."

"I hope so." She sighed once more, returning the favor. "She didn't have anything to do with Synprilox being lost. Her brother was partially to blame."

"The family had participated for generations in the genocide and corruption. Yes, he was partially to blame."

"She denounced it, Jim. Magda washed her hands of the matter years ago. She watched her own son lose his head for this and didn't even blink an eyelash to save him."

"I've heard it myself, Alyssa. Magda said it enough times."

"Jim, what can we –"

Kirk put a finger to Alyssa's lips gently. "Stay here. I'll update you tomorrow."

"I don't feel that Ali is safe in there alone," she complained. Her protest was mostly of a mother who worried for her child, but it also rang with the voice of a security officer who had experienced too much already. "Can you keep an eye out for her please? You don't need to be near her. Just check on her once in a while."

The easy answer was on Kirk's tongue. Yes, he'd do it. He'd do it a million times and never hesitate to stop. However, something inside of him begged him to reconsider the offer. Not only did it seem to indicate favoritism, it also might lead someone on a trail they did not want anyone on. Cartwright suspected something. Who else would?

"I'll do the best I can," the admiral decided.

Alyssa accepted this. She knew his best would always ensure survival. "What now, Jim? You're doing something. But what? What exactly are you planning?"

"Going through old reports. Nothing new. Don't worry about it."

"I am beginning to believe that this means a little more than plain digging. What do you have?"

"It means that the less people who know, the better off we'll all be. I'll update you tomorrow. Get some sleep."

The security officer never liked defeat. She was annoyed at Kirk for not keeping her in the loop this time around. However, she had to trust him. There were so many instances she could to cop out, to give herself a reason not to put faith in the man. He had her best interests at heart. Besides, being Ali's father from a distance, he would try his hardest to protect her. Alyssa never cared about herself. Only her children mattered.

She planted her face in his neck and took a deep breath. "This is beginning to sound like a conspiracy within the Fleet. And you know I can't stand those. Not back then and never now. Let's hope this is just smoke on the water and that our fears are nothing."

Kirk kissed her head. "I hope for the same."

~00~

The next few weeks passed in a relative peace, but one that demanded an awkward routine. It meant a lot of surveying, walking around and even talking. In the end though, plans always fell flat and then rose back up to the drawing board. Regardless, the admiral was never going to give up. He had a scheme in mind and was willing to talk it over with the chancellor and her advisers once he had something more solid. It was more of a matter of timing and seeing the obstacles and factors than anything else.

Kirk had yet to view the damage caused by the mysterious planet that was so far away and was inching closer with their aim. However, he had to slowly work through his plans. Without a way to escape at the moment, he remained in the capital, listening to gossip from a people used to this chaos and continuing his inspection tour when so many of them hated his presence. He did not voice these concerns to anyone yet, pretending that he was only inquisitive about this and that instance. Surely, someone would catch up sometime to his curiosity.

And someone did, only it was someone he expected. Alyssa had caught up with Kirk on his way to the marketplace on a warm, sunny afternoon. Magda and Ryder were some feet behind her, pretending to be interested in some food (well, Ryder was hungry and begging for a treat), and she blended in. When she reached the admiral, she was subtle about it. While her back to the populace who was watching, she was able to face him.

"Watch your back," she warned. She picked up some unknown fruit and sniffed it before bagging it. "There are some wolves that'll like to see you dead."

"Have I made that many waves?" The admiral was highly amused.

"Starfleet has been surfing higher," Alyssa replied, moving away.

Kirk did not think of it until a few days later. He was on yet another excursion, this time in a factory. While manual labor was mostly a thing of the past, some machines cannot do the work a man can. Synprilox showed the way in the most positive manner. For smaller gears and intricate designs for products to be traded, they used artisans to create the patterns and parts, making it more unique.

What made it more interesting was that the metal and precious stones they melted and used for their super weapons was now being redirected to these items. It was a work of art to see the weapons, Kirk recalled. Now, the deadly material winked from the green sunlight in the windows into their eyes. He had to shield his when he watched the production, listening to the monotone voice of the chancellor's new aide. The admiral could not remember his whole name.

Whoever he was, he was a snooze and most certainly an awkward choice. Indeed, this personal assistant could hardly control himself. He was so passionate about the new economy that he lost himself in the lecture, his tone pitching higher when he spoke lovingly about a new item or assembly line. His greatest interest laid in the shelving pieces most of the politicians favored, most of them figurines of animals and sometimes plant life.

Kirk tried the best he could to move forward and appear animated. He hid his yawn behind his hand a few times, politely smiling when someone looked his way. His mind screamed to be released. All he had been doing for a month was checking out the capital and surrounding small towns and observing the best they had to offer. He had yet to see the destruction the so-called war was wrecking on Synprilox. He wanted action and a way to save these people, not how they can stabilize the economy a crumbling planet.

Losing himself to daydreaming, the admiral followed along blindly and narrowly avoided stepping on others' heels, his guide's most of all. When he was abruptly shoved to the cold ground and garbled words named as assassin, he had to see what was happening. He tried standing up, but was immediately covered by his guards and the others in the group with him. From there, he deduced that the situation was being handled, albeit in the Synprilox way. Regardless, his eyes were trained to check out the events.

Yards away, a man was being dragged away, stunned and unconscious. Kirk rose without someone hindering him, assessing the damage. While his tour guide was visibly shaken and talking with the supervisor of the building, all of the workers ceased production and stared at him like he was lucky to be alive. He might have been had not some unknown angel interfered. Whoever that was, the admiral did not notice. When he monitored the rafters above his head, he had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

It was Alyssa. She had put away her phaser and had met Kirk's eye when he noticed her. She saluted him as a superior officer and slinked back into the ceiling's shadows, her footsteps echoing in the rafters. The admiral instantly felt reassured that someone was there watching out. At the same time though, it was creepy to think that she was there at just the right moment. With all of the accusations painting her as a traitor, was it possible that she was involved?

No. It can't be.

Doubt lined the admiral's mind, more so than never before. All of those contradictions and insinuations blended together to create an opinion he could not form solidly until his mind cleared. Alyssa had been firm, friendly and loyal. She had been inviting and wonderful. There was no way she could have been an accomplice to this. For as far as he could remember her, she had been honest and true. She also asked for a lot of faith, but that was another story.

He resolved to tell anyone, Lori included, that Alyssa Elma was a loyal officer and would never commit treason. He stood by this mantra when the smoke cleared and the tour continued as it had before, moving forward like nothing had happened. He did the same, pretending to be involved and always wishing to see the security officer once more. She never obliged this wish though, sticking to the darkness even as the aide ended his display.

Kirk did not think anything of it until he reached her home with his tired guards. By then, he was annoyed, dirty and quite exhausted by the adventure. He sought to shuck off the uniform and to wash off the workmen's trade from head to toe, when he ran into Magda. She was in the doorway, blocking him from coming in.

"Magda, if you'd please –" Kirk began.

"No," she interrupted. "Before you enter, I need to know if you are all right. Did anyone touch you? Shoot you?"

Kirk was confused by the concern. "Of course I am. Nobody hurt me. Why wouldn't I be otherwise?"

Magda glared at him harshly, evaluating him to determine if he was lying. She must have believed him since she moved aside and allowed him and his men inside. The admiral breathed a sigh of relief, walking in and stepping over Ryder and his toys in the living room. He jogged upstairs without his man tailing, locking himself in his bedroom. He needed to be alone. Oddly enough, he was so overwhelmed that he needed to recalculate everything.

Lori would have the answers, but he was still svery angry with her that he was not ready to speak with her. When his emotions calmed, he would use her, all right, and use her well. She had the means and the connections to get a link formed to mass-transport civilians to another planet. There was sure to be colonies around Synprilox that the Federation could use to complete the task. This would keep Lori busy for quite a while.

Towards, evening, there was a knock on his door. "Dinner's ready, Admiral!" Alyssa called out. "Do you want me to save you a place?"

Kirk was mildly amused to hear her cheery voice, especially after a day like this. "Can you bring a tray up here please?"

The security officer replied her assent and left, returning half an hour later with food and a beverage balanced in her arms. Even though it was her home, she still inquired if she could come in. The admiral admitted her, admiring how calm she was, even after an eventful afternoon. He watched her place the tray on a side table and smile brightly, commenting how full his days had been and how a vacation should be in order, even a small one in the evenings.

"With what time?" Kirk was laughing to dispel the worry. He was also thinking of how sneaky she was in the factory and wondered how she held up so strongly. That too was troublesome.

"There's always time," Alyssa answered carefully. "You just have to make it, Admiral. With all that you're doing recently, I think taking small periods of time to yourself is a good idea. Knowing you though, there's more underneath that layer than I can see. You're planning something and it's more than what you've been assigned."

"I could say the same about you," Kirk volleyed.

Alyssa blushed. It was a shade the admiral actually admired, which made her hide it all the more. "Sir, if I may be so bold, I'd say that you're up to your elbows with all of the talking you've been doing with the civilians and the chancellor. Whatever it is, let me know. I think I can help you."

When she left, the admiral had to think about what she said. Kirk did not believe that he was so conspicuous enough that even Alyssa picked up on his snooping. He played his ignorance card very well with the populace. That assassination attempt was possibly resentment towards a Starfleet presence, nothing more. However, with the security officer on his tail and the offer to help was tempting, he had to rethink his strategy. Laying low for a while would be key.

There was also something else. It was also true, he had not taken time for himself ever since accepting the captain's chair over five years ago. The last time he took off save for shore leave had been with Carol, before he was stationed on the Enterprise and after that, a visit to his mother before accepting the position of admiral. With Carol, it had been so bittersweet. They had walked the park, talking about their dwindling relationship and their respective careers, and parted ways. Carol was going one way and Kirk another and there was no way for them to continue their bond.

It was a heartbreaking experience that he did not want to repeat. Trying to dismiss the bad mood and thinking of taking that chance to relax, Kirk ate, waiting until it was fully dark before retreating downstairs to deposit the remains of his dinner. By then, Ryder had been put to bed and Magda and Alyssa were nowhere in sight. Upon further investigation, he found them outside in the backyard, chatting like old friends and relaxing before a fire pit. They did not notice him lingering in the doorway, studying them from a window like an exotic creature on an uncharted planet.

Taking a deep breath, the admiral decided to move forward. It might not be tonight that he revealed anything to Alyssa. However, she requested of him long ago to have some faith in her. He still held onto that. She might be another step and one that would save Synprilox from destruction.

Ordering the entranceway opened, he stepped outside.