The three Tal Shiar officers left Asfast in the tunnels after further instructing him. He had stood up to say faraway, but the moment they left, he collapsed and sat down on the floor again, and started quivering uncontrolabily. They had given him proof they were the ones to provide him with the set'leth; D'Tan had spoken widely about Unification as only a true member could, but still Asfast was unable to trust them. And then, he had to contemplate their instructions.
D'Tan had said they would meet again. Asfast was supposed to leave his life as an artisant and join his mother's political career. He had even suggested he enroled the military again. Unification had to become powerful, D'Tan had said, they had to take over the key places in Romulan politics, and so they will finally prevail.
But Asfast did not want to become powerful, he disliked the idea of following his mother's footsteps in politics, he loathed the idea of returning to the Imperial fleet, where he had been so miserable.
For a few years, Asfast had been truly happy, working in a job he enjoyed and fulfilled him. He had enjoyed sharing his ideas with a group of people with the same sensibilities. He had talked long about how they could change their world; he had helped with small matters, but even if always a rebel, he had never truly wanted to fight, not in the way D'Tan was asking him, which meant forsaking all he had acomplished for himself.
He cradled himself on the floor and thought of the set'leth D'Tan had known so well, giving him all the keys to open it and speaking of its contents. "I helped you," the misterious man had instisted on. Asfast had read well between the lines: "You are in my debt," he had actually meant. And now he had to pay him back. To help the movement, to help the Romulan people, the three Tal Shiar agents and so called members of Unification, he had explained. And maybe they were right and by joining Romulan politics and becoming a senator he could help. He could change the so unfair society he lived on and make it a better one for everyone else. But to do so, he would have to sacrifice himself, to ruin his life, to give up his own happiness for a dream he now, faced with the consequences, was not sure he believed in anymore.
When he finally composed himself and left the tunnels, when he returned home and looked at the set'leth once more, he saw the sculpture in a different light. He took it and hid it from his sight. He had felt so elated not so long ago. He had been so proud among the other Unification members, his second family, as he considered them. Now he felt sick and wondered if he would be able to attend their next meeting or the dread that was building up inside of him would paralize him.
His mother was coming back at that moment and Asfast forced a smile on his lips. He was surprised of the little effort it took him. Sourly, he realized he had been lying for a very long time.