Raghnill read once more the message sent by the Firebird requesting help. With a dry smile in her lips, she shook her head and pitied the senders' fate; she realized they did not know what was going on but that did not change the decisions she had to make.

The Tal Shiar had not resisted and the security personnel who had boarded the ship were locking the officers up in the Firebird's brig while they confined the rest of the crew to quarters. Once secure, her chief engineer had beamed up to the ship too with a team to evaluate the bridge's damage. Raghnill wanted to travel as fast as possible back to Romulus and towing the Tal Shiar vessel would slow them. She wanted the ship fixed as soon as possible so an skeleton crew from the Rhian'Unnr could man it and travel alongside them.

Lior had just called her from outside the Firebird's bridge. She had ordered him to take the bridge officers to their ship; however, the people he had arrested were all low ranking Tal Shiar members. He was disappointed. Raghnill was not about to make up her mind because of that; whatever their ranks, they were the ones in command when they assaulted the vessel. She would hold them prisoner until they returned to the Empire and would let justice decide.

She smiled satisfied with the operation's result and allowed herself to rest on the chair's back for a moment. It was time to depart, but she had to say good-by to Saavik first. With her mother in the ready room, she thought of the possibility of taking the call from her quarters, but she realized she could not risk to say anything personal over the comm line, so decided to act just professional in her farewell. Besides, if everything turned out well, maybe she would have the chance to see Saavik again in better circumstances.

Saavik was in the bridge when she answered and she also feigned her relationship was just business, one allied officer talking to another. At least, since their risky enterprise had been a success, part of the tension had dissipated. Raghnill could read the strain behind the formal words and let a smile play in her eyes to try to reach her half-sister as much as the situation allowed her. Saavik replied if only for a brief instant.

Just when they were about to end the communication, a Jem'Hadar stepped into view from behind Saavik.

"Wait, Commander," he said, "I want to speak with Admiral Ajeya."

Raghnill studied the Dominion warrior for a moment. She could not distinguish him from the others, but since he dared to interrupt and since a hopeful glint illuminated his eyes, she concluded it had to be First. She frowned slightly, "For what purpose?"

"I want to thank her," he explained, "and tell her my name."

Raghnill's frown deepened. She remembered her mother telling her the Jem'Hadar leader was an odd specimen of his kind. She doubted Ajeya would have any interest in learning his name and she would very probably laugh at his well-intentioned thanks. But intrigued as she was, she accepted to pass the message at least.

"Very well," she conceded. "I'll inform her of your request." She was almost sure she would dismiss the call.

Ajeya narrowed her eyes while hearing Raghnill. "His name? He wants to tell me his name?" she asked incredously.

In the presence of her officers, she answered formally, "Yes, Admiral."

Ajeya's mind took just that instant to process the new information. Almost to herself, she muttered, "That's outrageous." She had always supposed they did not have names and they had never corrected her. She felt cheated, but contrary to her nature, she was not really angry at First. And she was curious, of course. "Ok," she accepted, "put the little warrior through."

She used a mocking label to name First, but the moment the Jem'Hadar's hologram formed in front of her in the ready room, her scornful smirk turned into a warm smile. In spite of herself, she had grown fond of the creature that with his enthusiasm, idealism and naivety reminded her so much of her own daughter Raghnill.

"So you wanted to say thank you," she said, focusing on him while trying to ignore the figure of Saavik in the background that the communication program projected too.

"Yes. I did not think you will keep your word. I am glad to be mistaken," he explained to her.

An ironic smile played briefly in her lips; she was blunt. "I only kept my word because it suited me. Otherwise, I'd have fired upon that ship with all of you onboard."

First stared at her for a few seconds, mulling over her words, and finally made a decision, "Still, you helped us. You always did."

Ajeya hated to be helpful; that was not really the image she wanted to portray in front of the Federation, and much less in front of her.

"Names are important," the Jem'Hadar kept saying; she already hated that sentence too. "I have a name. People have names."

People. Ajeya realized that was the key word for the alien she only knew as First. He looked squarely at her, proud and self-possessed, with those clean piercing eyes he always had. The living weapon the changelings had created considered himself a person, and he has a name. She remembered reading somewhere that Jem'Hadar actually had two genders but they were all programmed to be born males.

"My name is Ikat'Etan. I give it to you, so you remember me. We may meet again."

She repeated the foreign name in her mind. Itak'Etan. And unwittingly another name formed in her thoughts: Saavik, another one that wasn't supposed to have one. Ajeya shifted her gaze for a single moment to glare at her; resenting once more the impossibility of finally getting rid of her mistake. They may have names, but that did not change what they were, and they were not people. After all, as she had commented the Jem'Hadar soldiers before, even pets had names, but they were no more than pets.

Again, she was sincere with First, "We're not going to meet again, not if you continue with that foolish plan of you."

And there she was, talking with the founders' pet; she wondered if she was not being a fool herself. But a hint of doubt assaulted her when she looked at the Jem'Hadar leader, because he was a living tool she had learn to appreciate in spite of herself.

"I am following it. I must."

He was a stupid property that wanted to be free from his owners and never would be. Itak'Etan. She repeated once more the senseless name and pitied the soldier. She had learnt a long time ago how unfair and cruel the world was and she did not want more examples.

"Good luck," she mockingly replied.

And she did not wait for his possible reply, and obviously she did not address the half-Vulcan behind him. She cut the communication, took a moment to compose herself. She looked at the screens that still showed her the activity in the bridge and focused on them. She crushed the uncomfortable feelings the short conversation had stirred on her and willed herself to forget the Jem'Hadar warriors and their weird views, but still, the new accursed name lingered in her head.