While Riley promised a simple route to a transporter, it took longer to get their bearings. There were more side corridors and doors than they realized and the Thyrian language had more variations than Riley realized. Their investigation began with translating their pathway with Riley's device as best as they could. While it worked better when people were talking, he had to program the letting and take pictures in order to figure out their destination. Each doorway they've encountered did not promise them a way to the transporter.

"Do you think you've been misled?" Kirk asked Riley. It wasn't the first time.

"No Sir," the aide replied confidentially. "It just seems there is some miscalculation in the computer's inputting."

Kirk sighed and continued to follow Riley. Eventually, Riley insisted that there was one more hallway, but then he paused at one passageway. He checked his translator again and found that this was the way. He also saw it was locked and eyed the keypad with trepidation. He was afraid of putting in the wrong password and looked to Kirk for some clues.

The admiral shrugged his shoulders. "Are there any prints on the keys?"

"It appears so." Riley saw some sort of indication that somebody had used it recently. "Three keys, Sir. One looks to indicate the Standard 'ed', another 'hon' and the last 'ly' maybe. It could be a number of combinations. The Thyrian language is more complicated than I thought."

The possibilities did seem endless. Kirk was about to give a logical guess when he heard someone approaching them from behind. He and Riley rushed to a corner to hide, waiting for the individual to pass them. Kirk found it strange. Whoever was coming did not sound like the footfall of a Thyrian and was small and cautious. When the shadow came into view, he noted that it was definitely humanoid and female. Kirk knew that nobody else was beamed aboard with them.

Sudden terror struck him. He sprang out. "Ali!"

The girl was easily fingering the code they needed to get into the locked room and didn't seem startled by Kirk's outrageous exclamation. "Hey, Admiral. I thought I'd help."

Riley crept behind Kirk and groaned. "Jesus, how did you get here?"

"It wasn't too hard," Ali admitted. She paused and turned to face the pair. "Doctor McCoy was pretty busy and wasn't paying much attention. He didn't even drop me off with the teacher. And Ryder's captain has been changing his mind about his leave and coming in and out of Sickbay. I was on my own."

"This isn't an excuse," Kirk reprimanded.

"No," she conceded, "but I had to do something. I hacked into the main computer frame of the Federation. From there, I traced the coordinates of the ship you were on. I mean, Captain Styles is so obvious. I beamed myself aboard and waited until I heard information about your whereabouts. Oh, and do you know how easy it is to be a stowaway?"

"You can't be here." Kirk felt foolish saying it. "You need to return to the bunker. This instant."

"I can't." Ali's voice suddenly sounded so small. "Without me, Admiral, you wouldn't be where you are. Ghanstan is after you. You and Commander Riley will die. I know the codes to get through. We can escape and I know the way, better than Commander Riley does. Please let me help. I promise to behave."

The childish pleas were pretty. Kirk wanted it to fall on deaf ears and was prepared to be stern. He heard a speech running through his head that sounded more like a captain than a parent. He stilled it. The way Ali presented her argument wasn't just that of a child who wanted adventure. While she was vague, she had elements of her mother behind her. She was begging Kirk for a leap of faith and wanted to prove herself.

"Go," Kirk said. Regret lined his decision "Stay with me with Riley at all times. He will be next to you. I'll cover him at the rear."

"Sir –" Riley began.

'We don't have much time," Kirk argued. He turned to Ali. "If this is a game, we'll be talking later."

"I can reassure you, it's not," Ali stoutly defended. She returned her attention to her work. "Now, the Thyrian language is based on class, as I've found out. The lower classes, usually the workers, have their own slang, to keep secrets. On a ship like this, it isn't going to be easy. The crew is considered military and not a lower class, so they won't be using some riff-raff all the time. Besides, the more elite and the Honored set the passwords and only give them to one person when it's needed. They change it and give it to the next person, etc., etc. It's easy to believe that one word and one set of the language will be utilized. In this case, I think 'Glory' will suffice as our key in."

Riley checked his translator and adjusted it in sync with Ali's. He looked at her in amazement. "How did you know?"

"Federation Headquarters isn't the only thing I've hacked into since moving to San Francisco," Ali confessed. She wasn't able to lie. "Once you get the hang of the security features of one system, the rest seem about the same and you can get through anything, even the library databanks. I was able to gain access to some Thyrian ship and gained a Standard to Thyrian dictionary."

Kirk was stricken between disturbed, infuriated and proud. He worked his face into something stoic. Then, he motioned Riley to keep watch at the front and stood behind Ali. As she worked the keys to gain access, her nervousness over Kirk's reaction caused her to make mistakes. She slowed down and pressed one button at a time until a green light flashed over their head. They were in!

Immediately, the three entered, two adults between the child. The door quickly closed behind them and the illumination dimmed overhead. They stared in a shocked awestruck. Around them, there were thousands of tall torpedoes, stacked one on top of the other, from floor to ceiling. Small pathways were made, but they were only large enough for entry, exit and inspection only. Ali did not need to translate the words on the tubes. The pictures on the weapons said it all.

Poison. Death.

"Don't touch anything," Kirk ordered sharply. He gazed around. "Riley said there is a leak on this ship. It could be here."

"I don't think so," Ali piped in. "I think it's nearby."

"How can you tell? I don't recall any indicators."

"When you've lived near it for so long, Admiral, it's pretty easy to recognize it. There's a smell and feel to it. It's overwhelming."

Kirk tried to keep the panic out of his voice. "How do you suppose we find this leak?"

"Does it matter now?" Ali challenged. "The best thing we can do is set this ship self-destruct, like Ryder did to the other ship, and beam somewhere else. I think we should be far enough away."

"Self-destruct option is usually on the bridge," Riley said shakily. He didn't like her grim assessment. "We can't bypass the crew."

"Or it's in the captain's quarters," Kirk clarified. He didn't blink an eyelash at the outrageous point. "A captain can use a unique code without other officers. He is supposed to go down with his ship. Traditionally, they remain in their quarters when it sinks."

"I don't think the Thyrians follow the same traditions we do," Riley complained.

"But it's worth a try," the admiral urged. "Besides, we have more at stake." He faced his daughter. "Ali, do you have a layout of the ship?"

She nodded gleefully. "There's a ventilation system here. It leads to the other desks. At the end, it goes to Engineering. There's a ladder that goes between decks."

"Can you tell which one is Ghanstan's room?"

"It's on B deck. That's all I have. I don't know if they label quarters like we do."

There was a lot of risk with the venture, especially when there's a cure somewhere and billions more on other planets were threatened. Kirk knew the one course to take. He had to give death a fighting chance.

"The Thyrians were able to lock onto us by sidestepping a vessel's security and locking onto our coordinates somehow," Kirk worked out. "We might be able to do the same on another ship, instead to beam us back. It's not that we have communicators."

"I do," Ali said in a small voice. She produced it from her back pocket and gave it to Kirk. "I actually took this from Doctor McCoy's office. I'm sorry I couldn't find another one."

Kirk stared at her in disbelief. He didn't know what to say. "I'll…well, we'll talk about this later." He turned to Riley. "What time do we have?"

"Fifteen hundred hours and some minutes," Riley guessed. "I lost track of time, Sir. I'm sorry."

Enough time had been lost in this venture. Kirk directed Ali to show them another way to Ghanstan's room and a transporter. She pointed out a hatchway nearby. Riley popped it open and allowed the admiral to crawl in first. Ali followed and the aide took the rear, closing the doorway behind them. The girl guided Kirk from that point onward.

Luckily, the cramped space did not last long. They reached an open area with a ladder and began a long ascent. Ali motioned to the fifth level (which was a relief to the tired officers). They entered and found themselves in another storage area. It seemed to be a much different direction than what Riley anticipated.

While Riley cursed his translator and Kirk caught his breath, Ali evaluated where they were. She was frustrated. When she was confident before, she was frantic. She kept banging her device against her hand.

"What's the matter?" Kirk asked her.

"It's the signal," Ali complained. "This area is like a dead zone. Systems are kinda…well, they're malfunctioning here. Maybe we're in the right direction? I didn't check too far ahead." She sounded guilty about it.

"But we're just as blind," Riley said, pointing to his computer. "We don't know which direction we need. I can take guesses and remember what our hosts talked about."

"We're going to have to guess, aren't we?" Kirk looked around. He found some service weapon laying around in a crate and immediately gave one to Riley. He kept one for himself. "Set to stun. We'll stick together and split up if we need to."

There were a few known facts. One of them was that there were four choices ahead of them. None of them were locked and opened before them like black holes. All of them most likely will lead them in a different direction and nowhere near Ghanstan's quarters and a transporter. And no matter which way they went, Ali informed him that her computer had no signal.

Kirk sighed. The choice fell on him. The odds were stacked against them, but he was responsibility for their safety. Alyssa wouldn't have forgiven him otherwise.

He picked the second door to the right. "Let's go."

~00~

Kirk was still determined to transfer Alyssa out of Synprilox. Despite what seemed to be jealousy on Lori's part, he knew that Nogura was his best bet. His other passion, regaining the Enterprise, had to wait too. He didn't want to admit that Alyssa was right. He would do anything in his power to take the reins again…after his family was taken care of.

The night after his call with Lori, he left a message with Riley, to give him a list of the best times when the Old Man was available. Almost immediately, the aide communicated back with an hour-by-hour schedule for the next week. Kirk found the best time for him (which was the middle of the night in Synprilox and daytime on Earth) and anxiously waited until his appointment was set in stone. When Riley confirmed it, he hoped Alyssa was sleeping when it was conducted. It was bad enough she knew about Lori.

Luckily, Kirk found Alyssa so tired when she returned that night that she almost fell asleep immediately. When she dozed off in the sonic shower, he had to help her out and dress her. Alyssa drowsily swatted him away, but did not struggle much. She laid on the cot without complaint.

This left Kirk to his schemes. After ensuring that Alyssa was definitely out, he switched on the visual and waited until he was connected to Earth. Then, another operator reached him to Nogura's office. Even though Nogura expected the call, he was still caught off-guard. He set his reports to one side.

Seeing the determination on Kirk's face did not soften Nogura's annoyance. "Listen, Jim, if this has to do with Lori Ciana –"

"No," Kirk interrupted. He cleared his throat and tried to correct his faux pas. "I apologize, Sir."

"I don't want to hear it," Nogura finished. "Lori has been storming the office for the past few days. She has been pushing to have Commander Elma remain on Synprilox for another ten years. I figured it had to do with the call you had with her."

"I am concerned about Commander Elma actually," Kirk corrected. He cursed Lori under his breath.

"I understand," Nogura said slowly. "We are due for a conversation anyway." He folded his hands on his desk. "Right now, I am open to any suggestion."

"How about sending her to Kepler III? The colony is flourishing."

"That can be a temporary solution. Anything else?"

"There are plenty of Federation posts that require security officers. We can place her in the Milky Way."

"Very true. There are plenty of schools for…well, her children."

Kirk's heart pounded in his throat. He knew!

"Is there any way she can come back to Earth with me?" he asked instead. It had been discussed and he hoped Nogura had a positive answer this time.

Nogura tried covering up a laugh by coughing. "Sit on it, Jim. I don't know how many waves this will make. The story of Commander Elma has been making its rounds again. You were also her commanding officer on the Enterprise and that has gained some attention. The inspection tour on Synprilox is becoming a joke."

Kirk was alarmed. "How so? I'd hope the coverage will be more positive."

"Most of it has been. Some of it is not. I was against this inspection from the beginning, but Lori insisted on it. It was good press, she said, and the chancellor requested you."

"She's told me."

"It is true. But Commander Elma in the mix is what makes it tantalizing. The two of you together is a powerhouse even I can't handle the press for. I need the fascination to die down before she can be transported to Earth."

"What benefits have we reaped from this feedback? It seems you have your hands full."

"Well, Lori has been handling most of it. She organized a delegation video conference in the last few Federation meetings. It's been a success and most planets are interested in Synprilox and handling its…political and social quirks. There is support to change their economy and trade has been proposed. This will be presented to the chancellor and her council soon."

Kirk heard the hesitation in Nogura's voice. "But…?"

"Commander Elma has been named as part of the success," Nogura confirmed. "We've been keeping your name out of the equation except to say you're there to inspect and send reports back. With that being said, you both need a few months apart before she can be released. Talking this over with you, I believe that Kepler III is ideal."

Relief lined Kirk's face. "When can she be transported there?"

"Whenever we can get a freighter out that way," Nogura answered. He sent a request in as he continued. "I understand that the Juniper cannot retrieve anyone yet. Commander Elma seems to have bribed a few Federation ships to do her bidding with transporting refugees. Lori has supplied me with the details and, I must say, Commander Elma is a capable officer and has served Starfleet well."

"AI agree, Sir. Kepler III does not have the same political and social problems that Synprilox has and is calmer."

"Now, there is the issue of Lori Ciana. I've been considering what can be done with her, since Commander Elma reports directly to her. You've kept her on a string for some months, Jim. It's going to take her some time to pull herself away once she's been cut. I am thinking of transferring the Synprilox situation to another officer and separating you two."

"What do you mean? Is there something she is accusing me of?"

"I see your commitment to Commander Elma and it's admirable," Nogura said, "but you've been known as a ladies' man, Jim. No doubt about it, Lori will feel like she was used. I do not want any careful negotiations ruined by petty fighting."

"Sir, I've never used her. I work with her. She has been a mentor and a great help during this promotion."

"And you live with her too, Jim. People believe this arrangement is more than a love affair."

"Commander Riley is part of that living arrangement."

"Next door," Nogura reminded him with a sigh. He paused. "Jim, if you want some advice, I'd say to walk carefully. Lori Ciana can be vengeful. Just keep it our of the Fleet. I know she won't, if she can help it."

"I understand, Sir," Kirk replied weakly. He knew Nogura was right. "Whatever the cost, I will."

"Lori will at least concede that Commander Elma can reside on Kepler III," Nogura continued. "She is supposed to be on medical leave anyway and disregards it at every opportunity. If she doesn't take this opportunity, I will personally throw the book at her." He chuckled, then grew serious. "The attacks are serious on Synprilox, Jim. I hope the trade will encourage more military action as well. I am surprised you didn't get caught in any skirmishes."

"I was fortunate," Kirk admitted.

"Indeed," Nogura said. His face lit up when a message came through. "Well Jim, you're going to need to pack your bags and tell Commander Elma and her family to do the same. I have a ship heading your way, fully equipped for battle. The Antigone will be there in two days. Forget the rest of the inspection and enjoy yourself on Kepler III. I'll extend your stay for another week. You deserve it. Nogura out."

Two more days. Two more days!

Kirk felt he won a huge victory. Even though it was not a permanent solution, he knew it was a step in the right direction. Alyssa and their family were going to be safe.

After checking on Alyssa (she was still sound asleep), he next set his tasks for the upcoming days. First, he had to tell Amelia Synprilox and her so-called Freedom Riders that he was leaving and that he concluded his inspection. Next, he had to prepare the household for departure. Then, he was going to find anybody who will help Alyssa and many more affected like her. If medical leave was what Nogura wanted for her, then Kirk was going to make it happen.

Even though he walked a thin line between man and officer, Kirk did not feel like an admiral. He again looked at the napping form behind him, the one that protected him, no matter the cost to her. It was his turn to take on the role of protector. Nogura was ensuring their relationship was kept quiet and was on his side. All anybody needed to know was that Alyssa was going on leave and hopefully will never return to Synprilox again except to pack to move.

I can't leave you like this, Alyssa. Not now, not ever.

This is for Beyondtoday. Thank you for your encouragement and kind words. I hope this new chapter came out fast enough. ;)