The bunker was supposed to his home and office for the time being, since he was an important officer that could not be spared on a starship. Kirk did not care. His mind whirled around a million different situations. Ryder's revelation had punched him hard in the stomach. He was floored, unable to function like he was supposed to, and only obeyed orders or listened to side conversation without meaning. He carried on, he supposed, but did not feel that he had much heart. Everything seemed to have gone over his head.

He managed to get Ryder exempt from his duties. Without the Thyrians to escort, there wasn't much to do except explain to his captain that his original plans to take time off should be implemented. After dealing with that captain, he settled into a sparse space assigned to him and three other high-ranking officers. He did not see Riley yet, but he was sure that the aide will be along shortly after finding an excuse to escape Sickbay. Kirk was sure that Riley wasn't going to leave him alone for more than he needed to.

What was worse than waiting for Riley was daring himself to keep away from Sickbay. As Kirk went through the motions of preparing for war with his fellow officers who included him on the plans, his mind kept going back to Alyssa and her chances for survival. Just when he thought they had some time together before she died, fate had other plans and took her away faster. That alone burned inside of him fiercely. Life support wasn't something Alyssa was going to agree to. Kirk was sure she wanted McCoy to pull the plug and declare her dead.

Jason Lattimer had mentioned that there was a cure. The Thyrians held it hostage though and that was what bothered Kirk the more than anything else. They held the key to salvation for the innocent people they contaminated. The only way that they can retrieve this antidote was to conquer the dominating race themselves through battle.

Kirk had his ideas about the matter. That was to ponder for later though. He still had one more task to complete before making his move. Alyssa might not be able to be live on, but there were millions more like her that could be. He had to attempt to save them.

The meeting ended. Without a clear solution in sight, the officers decided to take a recess and bring their ideas to Starfleet council when they were called upon. Kirk opted to remain behind in the shared office and was relieved to be alone. Taking a deep breath and exhaling it, he played with the key in his pocket. Alyssa made him promise to do open a box in her bedroom to unlock a secret in case of an emergency. Her death was near. It was time to act upon her wishes.

Kirk waited until the office and hallways were completely clear before calling for Ryder, hoping that he would join him. He waited patiently for the young junior officer to appear. However, Riley arrived instead. He was none the worse for wear, Kirk thought, but the aide was pretty tired. He sighed when he saw the admiral in his agitated state, approaching carefully. The two had been through an ordeal. It was best to remain calm.

"Admiral Cartwright informed me that you requested Lieutenant Elma's presence," Riley began.

Kirk wondering what Cartwright was planning now and sighed. "I wanted the lieutenant, not a lecture from a messenger, Riley. What does Admiral Cartwright want?"

Riley blinked twice before realizing that he had to answer. Kirk's brazenness fazed him. "He is keeping Lieutenant Elma in secured quarters, Sir. He ordered him to remain with his family."

For the moment, Kirk wasn't going to counter anything Cartwright ordered. If he wanted to play this game, then so be it. Kirk had plans to go Alyssa's apartment anyway. He will have to bring along another companion if Ryder could not be spared. The way things were going though, it might have to be Riley or McCoy, if the latter was nearby. Kirk wondered if there was a possibility that the doctor could be spared and doubted it.

Riley did not notice this internal debate. He droned on about the state of affairs above their heads, the newly declared conflict against Thyria and what it means for the Federation to have been stabbed in the back. Kirk listened without interest. He paid more attention to Riley's merits as a partner-in-crime than anything else. Riley was privy to many of Kirk's secrets, almost as much as McCoy, and seemed to keep his mouth shut for the most part.

What was one more?

"Admiral, do you understand?" Riley finished, peering into Kirk's eyes to see if there was any comprehension.

"I am not a child that needs to be disciplined," the admiral reminded him. "I do understand the regulations and orders. I cannot abide by them though."

Riley sputtered something akin to outrage before recovering himself. "Sir, we are under a state of emergency. All major cities have reported attacks, this one most of all. We are barely holding on. You have a procedure that requires signing documents, regulations to follow."

"And I have more important tasks to complete before somebody needs my signature. At this point, I'm here to stand and nod. Starfleet does not require me. I am not the man for the job at hand. Not now, at least."

"But, Sir, Admiral Cartwright just said –"

"Damn what he says!" Kirk stood up. "He's been a part of this conspiracy that has kept us on the edge of war. Who knows how and why the Thyrians were able to get past this and pretend peace."

Riley had never seen the admiral so angry before. He sought to calm him. "Do you have anything else in mind, Admiral?"

"Just leaving," Kirk simply replied. "You can come with me or stay here."

"Sir, you aren't cleared to leave."

"I have a promise to keep. That means more to me than regulations right now."

Kirk got up and grabbed his jacket anyway, walking past dignitaries, guards and other workers to escape his underground prison. Behind him, Riley argued. It worked to his advantage and could not have worked out better. Without Riley realizing it, the two were outside and indifferent to the catastrophe around them. Kirk walked in directions that helped them to avoid necessary personnel so that Riley continued his trek from the rear and distracted himself. It was a long zigzagging process.

By the time he reached Alyssa's apartment building some minutes later, Riley realized what happened. He crept behind the admiral and followed closely behind him. Kirk had a hard time getting past the computer building security due to the attack and had to punch the keypad to pieces before the doors swung open. The alarm system luckily didn't work. The place had been ransacked recently.

"You did this on purpose," Riley accused. "Sir," he added as an afterthought.

"Not exactly," Kirk admitted. He gingerly stepped inside, crunching glass underneath his boots. He used his jacket sleeve to stem the blood from his knuckles. "It worked out pretty well, don't you think?"

Riley advanced ahead and tried the turbolift. "It's not working."

The aide looked around the foyer for a minute before finding a side door. He had to push it aside with a strong force before it budged. He checked the inside and the immediate stairwell before he allowed the admiral through. Kirk was amazed that the aide thought of a manual way. Every off base housing was supposed to have a set of stairs. Lessons had been learned in the distant past reminded them to never rely solely on modern technology.

Kirk remembered that Alyssa's abode was on the fourth floor. It was a tough climb without the lift, he had to confess, and made worse because he was desk-bound for many years. Riley was no better. The two breathed heavily as they ascended, stopping frequently to double over before continuing. Outside the cold corridors, they felt the foundations and walls shaking. The Thyrians were taking a second shot.

When they reached the designated floor, Riley again had to force the entryway open. They followed the small hallway and soon found themselves in front of Alyssa's door. This too had been locked. Kirk hardly recalled her security code, keying in a combination he dimly remembered from Synprilox. After a few awkward tries made by his slippery bloody fingers, the door slid opened slowly and stopped in the middle. The admiral shoved it to one side.

Everything remained the same. Luckily, nothing much had been tampered with. Riley and Kirk entered carefully and scanned the immediate area. The admiral moved through the living room and into the adjacent hallway. His steps echoed loudly as he checked each bedroom to see which one was Alyssa's personal space. Riley remained behind to keep watch.

The first he entered was obviously Ali's. The small bed and random messes on the floor indicated as much. Kirk studied it for a moment and wondered if he could find out more information about his daughter this way. He stepped in and scanned the darkened room. Other than a child's spills, there was a dresser, a desk with a chair, a computer and a few pictures on the walls. There wasn't much else. They were general details could have described any eleven-year-old.

Slightly disappointed, Kirk moved on. The next room (which was more like a closet really) yielded nothing more than sparse furnishings. He deduced it to be Magda's space. The one after that was empty and only had a few items in there (Ryder's if he was home, most likely). The last would be Alyssa's room then. He managed to slip in and ordered the lights on.

While this too yielded the same genetic material in Ali's room, there were some individualistic points that Kirk noted. A few pictures on the wall indicated her frequent travels on Synprilox and Earth. There was some of her past and present life and some private events that she did not like sharing with others, not even with him. A lot of them were of Ryder and Ali. One of them was her wedding to Kurt Hemmingway. Another had been of her and Kirk, long before Ali was born.

It was another punch to the stomach. The admiral gulped. He lifted it from its spot, his eyes glossing the frozen moment in time. Yes, they had been deeply in love. That had never ended when they separated. It seemed to have deepened and was gone in a flash.

Believing time to be short, Kirk put the photo down in its original place. He had to search for the item that Alyssa described. He knew that she did not make it easy. Going through drawers and her closet was revealed nothing and seemed too obvious, even for her. There was a secret spot somewhere. He had to work for it.

The admiral slid his fingers through every nook and cranny he found. Immediately, he did not find anything. Then, he began moving furniture. When he moved her dresser, grunting as he did, he found a few odd floorboards underneath. He kneeled and studied them. There was a pattern to open them, he found out quickly. Each one lit up with a different color and played a tune. When it paused, Kirk moved fast to copy it. After a few minutes of playing the game, a small doorway opened. In the hole was the cedar box.

He grabbed it before the floor closed up again. The cedar box was heavy and covered in heavy dust. Kirk blew on the top and sides. He took the key from his pocket and inserted it in the front hole he found, turning it. It clicked neatly.

Awed, Kirk sat on Alyssa's bed, fingering the prize in his hands. He wasn't sure what he was going to find. Alyssa could have left him anything. But he knew that the only way to find out was to take the plunge. That was had what defined their relationship – chances and living in the moment. This was no different.

Sighing, he pulled the key out and opened the small container.

~00~

Alyssa had already gone ahead and settled Ryder at the palace by the time Kirk showed up with his guards. Immediately, they were escorted by the servants to the main dining hall. There, with his shadows nearby, he was seated amongst the other dignitaries. He found out by introductory conversations that some had been from nearby planets and were visiting for the first time. Others had traveled far and were utterly interested by this isolated planet. All had been fascinated by the customs of Synprilox and sought to work out the mechanics of this first public affair.

Through the small holes of his mask, Kirk also observed the celebrations too. He found it akin to other parties he attended throughout the last three and a half months, but with a little twist. He studied around the dining area and noticed that the so-called priests and priestesses were in attendance. While not very religious, he remembered that Synprilox used these people more for comfort than for guidance. The only time they would be used for directing is when one was near death.

Since this was a ritual for the celebration of death, Kirk did not find it surprising that these people were here. However, something crept up on him unexpectedly. The images of an execution from five years ago came back to him. It was a strange ceremony, Kirk recalled, when he pushed away the pictures of decapitated bodies. These spiritual mortals offered no comfort to the dying then. He could not imagine them doing the same now.

A call for a dance broke the reverie. Kirk politely declined every offer. He remained at his table and took off his mask when it was appropriate (usually, when he had to speak with a leader of another planet). He was also too hot and didn't think dancing would help him.

His eyes wondered instead to those who took the floor. He watched them carefully, aching to pinpoint the security officer he missed terribly. It was not wise to search her out, but in this night of disguises, he did not care because nobody would know who was who anyway. He replaced his mask to keep up this pretense. Excluding those who reached out to him, mobody really knew it was him anyway.

After a few minutes, grew bored of this. He was going to give up on locating Alyssa when he saw something shadowy in a corner – a covered female inching out the back door. Kirk knew that it was the security officer. Ordering his guards to stay put, he got up from his chair and followed the woman out of the dining hall.

There, he saw the mysterious person meet up with an elderly woman. They spoke in hushed tones in the Synprilox language. The older partner pointed to the stairwell and departed company, passing Kirk. The admiral looked the other way and pretended to be doing something else. As soon as the passerby was out of sight, he squinted as the other sprinted up the stairs. He continued his trek and caught up with Alyssa, putting a hand on her wrist.

Alyssa knew it was him. "Jim, what are you doing?" she asked softly when her eyes met his. "You're supposed to be dining downstairs."

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he replied sheepishly. His smile was lopsided. "Aren't you supposed to be enjoying yourself?"

"I'm not the one who is supposed to be with the government big wigs." Alyssa sighed, resigned. "Oh, what the hell? Come on. I'm checking on Ryder."

The music drifted from below. Kirk pulled her the other way. "I was going to ask this lovely lady if she would care for one dance before she visited her son."

"One," Alyssa determined. "You promise?"

"Would this gentleman tell a lie?" Kirk gripped her hand.

Alyssa allowed the admiral to lead her back down to the main floor and hide behind the stairwell. Even though servants milled around them, they were fairly alone as they slowly stepped in time behind the stairs. They only tightened the hold on their masks when some intoxicated groups stumbled out. When the song ended a few minutes later, they separated.

"I think we should leave," Alyssa said.

Kirk agreed and followed her lead. They went to the second floor. They passed through dimmed corridors until they reached a room on the far right, almost in the back of the palace, and pulled off their disguises. Alyssa punched in a code. An affirmative answer was given and the door opened automatically. They entered and it closed behind them.

The same woman Kirk saw before was with Ryder, cleaning the room. The young child was sleeping, his toys scattered all over the bed and floor. Alyssa treaded quietly towards her child and brushed aside some of his dark hair. She kissed his forehead gently and backed away. She spoke to the chaperone one more time before returning to Kirk.

The admiral watched the scene with awe. Mesmerized, he approached the child as well. He felt himself smile with a sort of fatherly pride. He didn't copy the same endearments as Alyssa had, but he did clear off some items from the bed. Ryder was already tossing and turning.

When they left shortly afterward, they found a secluded corner some feet away. They stopped, but did nothing except gaze into each other's eyes. Something had changed between them. Alyssa felt it. Kirk had played with Ryder and never complained about him. He never pushed himself so forward before though. The admiral was now feeling equal responsibility for a child that was not his.

And that was going to make leaving so difficult. Alyssa held onto a secret. She was pregnant. Once she told Kirk the news, the departure and their relationship was going to be twice as hard. It wasn't just Kirk's reaction she was dreading. Admiral Ciana would not forgive her for the transgression once she found out the whole truth. It'll pass easily through Starfleet and she'll get over it. Single parents always dotted the Fleet. If no father was listed on a birth certificate, Starfleet never pursued unless someone wanted responsible parties.

Personally though, it was a nightmare. This made her heart break more. She reached out to Kirk. He took her into his arms. He had no idea why she was so clingy, but that did not matter. The moment itself was special. They would have few of them left.

Soon, they heard footsteps rushing towards them and the security officer's name was being called. Alyssa broke away from Kirk and peeked out to see the trouble. She saw that one of the chancellor's maids was running frantically. She stopped the young girl and demanded an explanation.

The maid was terrified and tried catching her breath. "The chancellor, Commander…the chancellor is asking for you."

"Why?" Alyssa was offended. She was supposed to watch the guests, not cater to Amelia Synprilox. "What does she need?"

The maid noticed the admiral and stared at him for a moment. She had been so shocked by his presence that she was paralyzed. That was when Alyssa noticed the blood on her dress. Something had happened below. It wasn't the surprise catch that got her so scared.

Alyssa grabbed he girl and shook her by the shoulders to get her attention. "What happened?!" she demanded.

The maid regained control of herself and gulped. "There's been a killing," she replied. "Two Starfleet guards have been stabbed. The chancellor herself was also targeted."