The Romulan Courier

By Sirap

"Admiral Rice," Admiral Owen Paris snapped. "What is going on? First two of my kids go missing, maybe involved with a murder and now Kathleen has vanished as well."

Rice sighed and looked at his old friend, "I don't know, Owen. We've got some barkeep on Mars, a Miss Velvet, says Tom came through and get this, he left with a Romulan. Then we've got two eye witnesses who say that Moira shot and killed the Romulan Tal Shair we found. Tom was there to, showed up after the murder and left with Moira."

"And now Kathleen's missing," Owen said. "There's got to be more going on here than we understand. I know my kids tend to get in trouble but I don't believe they'd murder anybody in cold blood, not even a Romulan."

"I know they wouldn't," Rice said. "But we can't help them if we don't find them. Where would they go, Owen? Where would they hide?"

Owen sighed, he knew Rice was right. If he wanted to help his kids he'd have to find them, "They'd be in Moira's ship."

"Do you have the schematics?"

Owen nodded, "I've got them. It won't take long for you to track them down."

* * * *

"Tom, maybe *we* shouldn't do this," Moira said quietly.

Tom looked up, "What are you talking about?"

"I think I should do this by myself."

"No," Tom said firmly. "Moira, I won't let you do alone."

"It's the way I should have handled it from the beginning. Alone. I never should have involved you."

"Moira, it isn't safe…"

"We don't have a choice anyway Tom. The 'past changer' can only send one person through time. I'm going alone. I have too."

"And what about us, Moira? You go alone and me and Kathleen of today will no longer exist."

"But the Kathleen and Tom of 6 days ago will. Trust me, this whole incident would be better forgotten."

"Then I have a last request," Tom said.

Moira rolled her eyes, "You're not dying, Tom."

"Hear me out, will you?" he snapped. "Look, when this is all over just make sure we get back to the point we're at now."

"What do you mean?" Moira asked.

"I want us all to get along," Tom clarified. "The three of us. The way it should be."

Moira nodded, "You've got it, kid."

"We're being hailed," Kathleen called.

"Put it on audio only," Tom ordered.

"This is the Federation ship Maverick. Please shut down your engines and prepare to be boarded."

Tom shut down the transmission and turned to Moira, "You've got to go, now!"

Moira nodded and turned to the 'past changer'. She quickly pressed the button and the lid came up, and without hesitation she placed her hand on the eerie blue light.

Tom and Kathleen shielded their eyes and the ship was engulfed with light.

* * * *

"Moira? Are you listening to me?"

Moira looked up. Neil Blake was sitting across from her on a red and white checkered blanket. Cassie Peters and Josh Mason were making out a few feet away.

The picnic.

"Yes, of course I am, Neil."

He smiled and continued to babble on about something.

Moira looked up towards the fountain. She saw the two Romulans walking towards each other.

Preparing to make the switch.

* * * *

Tom groggily pulled himself off the floor of the ship. Kathleen was sitting up beside him.

"Why are we still here?" she groaned, grabbing her head.

"Moira hasn't changed anything yet," Tom said. "I guess the timeline won't change until Moira takes the 'past changer' without killing the Empresses son."

"And what about us?" Kathleen asked.

"We've got to get away from that Starfleet ship," Tom said sliding into the helm.

"Why can't we just tell them the truth?"

"It's too late for that. We need to keep the 'past changer' safe in case Moira fails and I have to go back and fix that as well."

Kathleen sighed, "Do you really think you can lose this ship?"

"I can try," he replied glibly.

"We should surrender. Dad will defend us."

"He'll defend you. He doesn't give a damn about me. If you want out, fine. I'll transport you to the Maverick. But I'm getting out of here."

"If you're staying, then so am I."

Tom smiled. "Alright," he said tapping at the helm.

"Why are you shutting down the engines?"

"An old trick," he said cryptically. "Paris to the Maverick. We're prepared to be boarded."

"Tom," Kathleen said warningly.

"Hold on, just another moment…"

"What are you doing I thought we were going to-"

The Maverick stopped above them, shutting down their own engines. Tom grinned evilly and pushed thrusters full speed jumping to warp in record time.

"Evade them?" Tom queried to Kathleen's unfinished question.

"Jesus, Tom. How'd you do that? I thought you'd shut down the engines. With this old ship they take at least a minute to boot up."

"I only presented the illusion that we'd shut down out engines, whereas the Maverick actually did. It doesn't give us much of a head start, but hopefully we won't need that much time."

"Time," Kathleen muttered. "What's it even mean anymore? We have the power to bend it to our will."

"We have the power but we've yet to understand it."

Kathleen nodded, "Moira's killing the son of the Empress could have very well started a war with the Romulans. Probably erasing the event will save countless lives but who are we to decide that event should be erased. Maybe Moira was meant to kill that Romulan."

"You're over thinking this, Kathleen."

"I suppose you're right it's just all so confusing. I only wish that we could have gone with her. What's going to happen to us, Tom?"

Tom placed the ship on autopilot and kneeled beside his sister, "We'll be fine, we'll just go back to who we were a week ago."

"But I don't want to be who I was a week ago! That person cared more about herself than her siblings! She cared more about her job than anything!"

"We'll be fine," Tom said again. "I won't allow you to stay that way."

Kathleen smiled, "You really think Moira will do as you asked? Get the three of us together?"

"I know she will."

* * * *

"Neil, sorry but I've got to go early."

Neil gave his date an exasperated look, "We haven't even eaten yet!"

"Sorry," Moira said as she stood.

The two Romulans met in front of the fountain, switching briefcases without stopping.

Moira braced herself and ran after the Empresses son. He went into the ally, just as he had the first time Moira had lived this moment.

Moira cursed when she realized that her phaser was no longer in her waistband, it hadn't survived her passage through time. She didn't have time to get a weapon, she'd just have to be careful.

Peeking into the ally she saw the Romulan get down onto his knees and open the case.

Moira took a deep breath and entered the ally. The Romulan had his back to her, he was obviously inexperienced, he never heard her come up behind him.

The first time Moira had stolen the 'past changer' she had cried out to the Romulan and he'd turned around pulling out a gun.

Last time she'd been stupid.

She was right behind the Romulan now, she knew that his phaser was in his waistband, she could see it through his jacket.

Pushing the Romulan she knocked him off balance and he fell onto his stomach. Moira grabbed the phaser and pressed it to his neck.

"If you want to live," she whispered dangerously. "You will stand up and leave this ally. If you turn around, if you see my face I will kill you."

He was trembling with fear and Moira realized he really wasn't very old. She felt a rush of pity for him but didn't allow it to control her.

"What do you want?" he rasped.

"I already told you. Stand up and leave this ally without turning around."

"And my briefcase?"

Moira snorted as she pulled him to his feet, careful not to let him see her face. "It stays with me," she said, slightly amused that he thought he might be able to leave with it.

"Walk," she ordered. "Go sit at the fountain, count to 300."

"I'll see you leave the ally if I'm sitting at the fountain."

Moira smiled, though her young hostage couldn't see it, "Are you complaining?"

"No, you just seemed smarter than that."

"How do you know I'm not? Now leave."

Moira sighed when he had cleared the ally. She took out the Romulan tricorder she had stolen from the young Romulan agent.

Tom had also taught her how to pick pockets.

Kneeling on the ground she shut the briefcase and transported herself to her apartment two blocks away.

300 seconds later, the Empresses' son and his bodyguards stormed the empty ally.

* * * *

"Something's wrong," Kathleen said. "We shouldn't still be here."

Tom sighed. "Don't count out Moira yet. She'll handle it."

Kathleen nodded, "She'd better do it quickly because I've just picked up the Maverick on sensors."

Tom cursed and reclaimed his spot at the helm.

"You won't be able to lose them again, Tom. Not is this old rust bucket."

"I know, I'm rerouting all power to the shields."

"Are you crazy?" Kathleen yelled. "They'll cut through our shields like butter. We have to surrender."

"We can't. We need to keep the 'past changer safe until Moira completes her mission."

Kathleen was knocked to the floor as the ship was targeted by the Maverick.

"They're firing," Tom said evenly.

"Gee, ya think?" Kathleen snapped.

Tom only smiled.

"Are you really prepared to die for this, Tom?"

"We're not going to die, Moira is six days in our past and she won't allow that to happen."

"And what if she's dead? What if we're stuck in this timeline?"

"Even if Moira was dead then the Romulans would have gained control of the 'past changer'. That would have caused a different timeline too."

"Shields are down, Tom. One more hit and it's over."

Tom smiled at his sister, "Just in case I never get the chance to say this, you are a good sister, Kathleen."

Kathleen smiled back with tears in her eyes, "And you're a good brother."

A bright flash engulfed Tom and Kathleen's galaxy, the Maverick and Moira's rickety old ship disappeared.

Their timeline no longer existed.

* * * *

Moira watched as the 'past changer' was vaporized in her recycler.

A great burden was lifted from her as she sat at her couch. She'd done it.

Kept the Romulans from taking over the quadrant.

But she'd yet to face her biggest challenge.

Keeping her promise to Tom and making up with her sister.

With a sigh she opened her desk console. "Put me through to Kathleen Paris," she told the computer.

There will be one more part, a short epilogue to tie up the loose ends but then I'm done! Yea!