The next afternoon, Spock arrived right on time, ringing the doorbell and entering without a word. He brought nothing with him except McCoy, who lingered behind the Vulcan in an attempt to instigate an argument. Kirk smiled, inviting the pair in and motioning for them to sit. He then went to his bedroom, pulling out one of the small computer consoles that Lori used to carry around with her, only labeled "Synprilox". He lingered for a moment, allowing the better memories with Lori to wash over him, before exiting.

Kirk joined Spock and McCoy in his living room, handing the former the device. The Vulcan stared at it for a few minutes, switching it on and immediately coming upon several complex security steps to access the information. He opted to close out of it, shutting it down and looking at the admiral with a raised eyebrow. Spock did not need to ask who it belonged to. His questions most likely involved why it had to be done now.

"The Thyrian counselors have been mysterious lately," Kirk began. "There has been some suspicions that they are responsible for some events of the past and present."

"More than that," McCoy interjected. "Just plain nosy, sneaky –"

"That will be enough, Bones." Kirk did not appreciate the interruption. He turned to Spock. "Admiral Ciana had kept…excessive notes on Synprilox and its war between a faraway neighbor years ago, I believe. Since joining the Federation, she had been monitoring its development and how it erupted into not only civil war, but also into a galactic one that eventually destroyed it. It's coming to a head now. I am beginning to conjecture that the Thyrians were the ones that Synprilox had been fighting with and that they are looking for survivors of the explosion."

"I could not say if your assumptions are correct, Admiral, since it is not logical," Spock said, "but I can say for sure that Admiral Ciana's computer has been locked down in such a manner that she thought someone might break in and reveal secrets. She secured it very well."

"Yes, but what kind of secrets could she be hiding?" McCoy was impatient and quite curious too.

"If this has to do with the Thyrians, then the information might affect the conference in ways we cannot imagine." Spock appeared thoughtful for a Vulcan. "It begs the question of if it is best to break into a private computer to seek this information. Of course, that would be the logical course."

"If Thyria was the planet that truly destroyed Synprilox, then there's a chance that it will change the terms of their joining the Federation," Kirk mentioned. "We need to know."

"It's going to take some concentration to access it though, Admiral," the Vulcan said. "Admiral Ciana placed numerous layers of security on this in order to keep the inquisitive out and the admitted in. If she could not trust you, then we too might be of the former."

Kirk refused to believe it. Lori would have wanted him to have the information, especially if it meant peace somewhere. "Can it be done?" That was all he needed to know.

"It can," Spock conceded, "but it might take some time."

"We don't have much of that."

"I would need it, Admiral. However, under the correct circumstances, I could decipher this within the day. If I were to take this to the Vulcan Embassy, it would mean security, quiet and discretion. Would that be enough?"

Kirk did not feel comfortable parting with the computer, even if it was going with a trusted friend and colleague to a place that most likely will not be infiltrated or attacked. On the other side, it would mean that Spock would have the space to work. If it would take a day, the admiral was patient enough. He could wait…and so can Alyssa. She would be anxious to hear more too, especially since if his theory was correct. If so, then she would be amongst the few hundred that had been rescued the year before now targeted by the Thyrians.

It would not just be her that Kirk was worried about. His own daughter would be part of this conspiracy as well. Ali was also a survivor of the massacre.

"Yes," Kirk conceded. "I think it best anyway."

Spock nodded. He considered the meeting over. Rising, he bid Kirk and McCoy farewell and departed, hiding the item in his uniform in order to avoid detection. This left the two remaining behind to finally discuss it further in detail. The doctor had been unusually quiet during the visit after the initial entry. However, this too left him thinking. He connected the dots to what Kirk had said and would have exclaimed in outrage had the admiral not raised a hand for silence.

"I don't want to hear it," he told McCoy when he lowered his hand. "I know what this entails to."

"It could mean nothing, Jim," the doctor tartly said. "You might be chasing ghosts."

"I could be. I doubt that I am pursuing literal ones though."

"Who knows what Spock might find? It could be old files from Ciana's tenure, pictures of you and her…"

Kirk waved that away. "We had no pictures together."

"Howe strange for a couple who claimed to love each other not have memories of their time together."

"It's not the same as the others, Bones. Lori…Lori was the replacement of my ship. She held me together when I felt like falling apart."

McCoy snorted out what was cross between a laugh and a sigh. "What an understatement. What about Alyssa? What does she have to do with this?"

"Some…relationships don't change over time. I am finding that true with Alyssa."

"She's also the mother of your daughter, Jim. That makes a huge difference. Now, they might be involved in a plot that is a figment of our imagination. How do you feel about that?"

"The situation will affect all of them. Already, Magda is suspected of being a danger and has been removed after an assassination attempt that does not make sense. Two factors have been eliminated. Who is next? Alyssa, Ali or Ryder?"

"If you think about it, you would be next too."

Kirk was startled for a moment. "W-what?" He recovered enough to keep his composure, listening to the doctor explain.

McCoy counted the instances on his fingers. "Didn't you spend six months on Synprilox? Witness its wars first-hand? Tried to get Starfleet to remove half of the population to another colony before it became worse? Negotiate a peace with an unknown force? Made a big fuss over what the Federation thought was nothing?"

"I hardly succeeded. I managed to get a few thousand of the poorest to the nearest planet out of range. The exodus afterward was not of my doing. And there was no peace when there was no opponent."

"If you were the named peacemaker, Jim, then don't you think that anyone bent on destroying all survivors related to Synprilox would also tag you?"

"If I were someone high up who didn't like trails, I would leave no loose ends."

The doctor decided to leave it there, thinking that he gave his friend enough to ponder about for the time being. He rose to leave, bidding the admiral a good rest of his day, although he had doubts that Kirk would. Besides, he had a date at the bar downtown with the waitresses. They would be wondering where he is.

Outside, McCoy talked himself into a rational state and chided himself for acting so much like Spock. He did believe that he was covering his tracks enough to save his own hide. He was a known drinker. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary to sit at his usual spot and play the pessimistic asshole. That was part of his beaming personality. He only hoped that the same could be applied to Kirk.

However, with McCoy gone, the admiral knew that he had some things to do. Getting up, he went into his office and sat before his video communicator. He turned it on, deciding to hail Federation Headquarters on his personal line and hope that Alyssa was in. Her office was closed and redirected itself. Eventually, he managed to reach the general security office instead when she did not answer. Whoever took his call stated that the captain was out and would return in half an hour. Can the admiral leave a message?

"Yes," Kirk decided. "Please inform the captain to meet me at my personal address. It is imperative. Kirk out."

It didn't even take an hour for a reply. The doorbell rang loudly several times, most of it in a frantic manner. Kirk rose from his seat and answered it, seeing Alyssa on the other side. He allowed her in, guiding her to a seat by the fireplace and taking her backpack. He joined her, figuring out what to say to her. He could not tell her there was a conspiracy because there was no definite evidence of it yet. What was certain though was that the Thyrians were up to something and that whatever Lori stored was its key. Kirk had other thoughts about Cartwright, but he'll keep them to himself for the moment.

"All right, what did you need to tell me that was so urgent?" Alyssa asked. "You left much to be desired in your message."

Kirk chuckled, relaxing for the first time in a few hours. "We're still digging."

"We? Who else did you ring in our circle?"

"Oh, the usual."

"You employed Captain Spock, didn't you?"

Kirk was amazed by her guess. "How did you know?"

"I did some digging myself," Alyssa revealed. "Now that you said something, it all makes sense."

"Why? Did you have to see Spock arrive?"

"No, not personally." She sounded smug. "The Vulcan Embassy sent messages to us this morning before docking. They needed an escort for the ambassador and his son, the former who was said was on an important conference before today. I sent some of my men out there to greet them."

"What was so different about it? Ambassadors come to Earth often."

"Very true, Jim, but not when an ambassador was already known to be in a different galaxy and then comes without a reason. What was stranger was that there was no known duty roster for Spock. He either came here on pleasure or business. Since he does not use shore leave often and it's usually on his home planet when he does, then this is all for work."

Kirk was amazed by her deductions. "He's helping with our investigation. Ambassador Sarek has nothing to do with it. He came here by chance."

Alyssa sat up. "What kind of investigation? Is this what you were telling me about yesterday?"

"Lori had locked up a computer with information about Synprilox. I…I think she has something in there about Thyria as well."

"I see."

"We would also need to do our own searches before Spock finishes. There is the assassination attempt, why Magda is missing and Jason Lattimer's importance to the Thyrians."

"How much time do we have?"

"Depends. What were you doing before I called?"

The security officer shrugged her shoulders. "I had a few cadets I was training. They're relieved to have the afternoon off."

"You cancelled your training?" The admiral was once more holding back the laughter.

"I was getting tired of them beating me up anyway," Alyssa confessed, stretching. "However, I think that we can spare some time and explore San Diego some more. Come on, Jim. I think the transport leaves in an hour."

~00~

Kirk crept carefully into the luscious backyard, careful not to step on any of Ryder's toys, and soon came upon the pair. Magda and Alyssa both saw the shadow across their domain and simultaneously looked the same way. They stood when they saw the admiral approach them, out of respect more than anything else. The two had opposite emotions churning inside of them though, albeit with the similar hope that Kirk did not notice them and with good reasons.

The nursemaid kept her scowl to herself, feeling protective of Alyssa. She was beginning to feel Kirk was more of a threat than anything else. It was not because he was a Starfleet officer and one of many that aimed to control Synprilox. Magda doubted that. No, she thought he was aiming to be in Alyssa's bed and she was falling for it too fast. After all, it was only five years since Alyssa's husband had been killed. Any man paying her heed would grab her attention, especially one that had identical charms and smarts as her.

Alyssa felt her heart beating faster. She didn't expect Kirk to come out so soon. She only joked about having time to himself to be himself. And the mention about him sneaking around and speaking with the people of Synprilox was to let him know that she was watching him too. She was frightened for him. While the attempted murder was not the direct result of Kirk asking too many questions, it still painted a bigger target on him than anything else. If someone could shoot a phaser set to kill, who else had plans to kill him?

"Can we talk?" Kirk directed this at Alyssa.

"Alone?" the security officer inquired.

"If possible please, Commander. This is important."

Alyssa nodded at Magda. The older woman displayed her displeasure openly, walking past the pair in a huff. While inside, she was banging items around. Alyssa frowned. She found the tantrum quite annoying and will have words with the nursemaid later. However, the admiral was more significant. The way his face was chiseled gave the impression that he had been in deep thought and wanted to include her in this process.

The security officer sat down again, offering the empty seat by the fire to Kirk. He took it, warming himself by the flames. He did not want to say it was cold, although the night almost felt like an autumn in Iowa. The bubble in the underwater world offered protection and heat during the day, but it felt much to be desired when darkness fell.

Rubbing his hands, he began. "It has come to my attention that Synprilox is under attack."

"What gave you the impression?" Alyssa did not want to admit anything without hearing the evidence from Kirk. She concluded some days ago that the admiral knew something was wrong and did not want to lead him along, especially in the mood he was in.

"I have my sources," Kirk said vaguely. "Now, the more imperative issue at hand is how and why. What planetary power can shoot through a defensive and life-supporting shield? What kind of enemies does Synprilox have? I've heard of a faraway planet that might be to the cause."

"Synprilox has itself and this neighbor to blame."

"What neighbor?" Kirk played stupid, to see what Alyssa knew. He hoped he would match up to what Lori told him.

"Some planet…I don't know where or how…they found a way to send radiation blasts through the wall and destroy the cities and towns of Synprilox. Thousands are homeless. Many more are ill from the poisoning."

"Alyssa, why wasn't the Federation informed?"

"They have been, Admiral. I can show you all of my logs."

"Who did you contact?"

"The Federation referred me to Captain Lance Cartwright."

It sounded fishy to Kirk. He remembered the captain was interested in weapons, especially the Romulan cloaking device, and used his crew many times over to gain more for the Federation. "What did he say?"

"To continue to monitor the occurrences and that he would send back-up assistance," Alyssa recounted in an annoyed manner. "He said he'll organize the inhabitants to move to another planet similar to their home. Since he did not follow through, I took the initiative and have been reporting to the Federation and Starfleet on its results. It has been a success so far. Some have been evacuated to a world just a lightyear away, Kepler III. Others have refused to leave their home and are continuing to soldier on."

"I cannot blame them." A tree branch dipped low with the breeze. Kirk fingered the flowers above his head, pulling one off and playing with the petals. "If my family had lived somewhere for decades and it was the only place I knew, I would not want to relocate either."

"At least something is being instituted in order to save those who want it," Alyssa insisted. "I assume that you are planning the same and that was the reason why you were so distracted."

Kirk was somehow not surprised Alyssa knew. "I am. I wonder, how can we expedite the process? How can we persuade more to leave?"

"Picking the neediest and beaming to them a freighter ship for transport can't hurry things." The security officer grinned weakly. "It's the only way, Admiral. But those on Kepler III are already up and running and welcome anyone. The colony is flourishing and is working as well as Synprilox, if not better."

Without realizing it, Kirk reached over and held Alyssa's hand, clasping the flower between them. "Can you show me your transport station? I would like to see it in action."

Gripping tighter, the security officer nodded. "Yes, Jim. I can show it to you. You'll also see Kepler III."