Donatra sat down in her ready room and rubbed her temples. She had glided through the day, having to
many things on her mind already. She didn't care anymore about her crew and her warbird. Nor about the
Empire and the Federation. Why? She asked herself. Why was it so hard to go from day to day now? She
knew the answer. She was alone now. Suran was gone. Her teacher, parent, only true friend. Completely
and totally alone. It felt so horrible to be so helpless. Emotions were a weakness and she always kept
them to herself. But now the pain was to much. In the privacy of her room, she cried.
"Tsk tsk tsk, Donatra. Emotions are like a sickness. They make you weak. You know that."
Donatra raised her head to look in front of her.
"Akela," she spat the name," What are you doing here? You said you wouldn't come back!"
Akela nodded. Then leaned closer to Donatra. She grinned.
"I was lonely."
Donatra's face turned sour. Shinzon had used those words when he had captured Picard. He told her
when she was on the Enterprise. So why did Akela use them now? How did she know?
"I have a present for you," Akela said as she stood up, "It's a sort of Thank You. It will show you how your
work profited me."
She smiled once more and walked slowly behind Donatra's chair and pointed to a darker part of the room.
"Lower the lights Donatra."
She did as she was told. Never taking her eyes of the corner. When she saw Shinzon she tried to jump
out of her chair only to find that Akela held her down by the shoulders.
Shinzon smiled when he say this.
"Commander, you seem unhappy to see me well and alive." He said faking his upset mood.
Donatra's skin turned pale as she looked at him.
"You...You're dead."
"Apparently I have an admierer," he looked at Akela,"She is more than she appears to be."
At this Akela bared her fangs at Donatra.
Donatra spat the Romulan equal of demon spawn. Akela flicked her wrist and a dagger on a spring-
loaded device jumped into her hand. In a single fluid motion she sliced open Donatra's cheek.
Donatra tried to move her hand to the wound but found that even without Akela she could not move.
Akela smiled at this and sat on the corner of Donatra's desk. Then she turned to Shinzon and frowned.
"I'm sorry." She said sincerely, "I couldn't help myself."
Shinzon nodded and turned back to Donatra. He stared at the blood in fascination.
"So, Romulans can bleed. You know what I'm here to do don't you Donatra?"
She nodded. "You're going to kill me."
"Very good," Shinzon replied as though Donatra was a dog that had done a trick. "Now come here."
Donatra would have laughed at him if she had not found herself being pulled towards him. It was Akela.
She was inside her mind willing her to go towards Shinzon. Akela still sat on the desk only now she sat
cross-legged watching the two with great child-like interest. Suddenly she hopped off the desk and
opened a drawer in it. She laughed as she pulled out Shinzon's Reman knife. He smiled back and caught
it as she tossed it to him.
"Commander. I think you missed me more than you let on."
He studied the knife. The familiar weight of it made him smile once more.
Donatra looked at the knife. She wasn't sure why she had kept it. It didn't matter now. Now Shinzon was
going to kill her. Nothing mattered now. Maybe he would make it swift.
"He won't." Akela smirked. Now she was standing next to Shinzon. She had given him another, smaller
knife. She then stepped back as Shinzon spoke.
"You got emotionally involved, Commander. I made that mistake. It turned out to be a fatal one."
Before she could respond, Shinzon took the smaller knife and struck her in the lung. She felt pain rush
through her body and when she took a breath pain went through her whole body. Akela still had a mental
hold on her so she could not double over.
"It seems," He continued, "Yours is too."
He then stabbed the Reman knife into her gut. He twisted it once before he removed it. Only now did
Akela release her mental hold.
Donatra put her hand over the wound and looked at the blood. She fell to the floor as red-hot pain rushed
through her. Blood and intestines were falling through her hand. She wriggled on the floor in pain.
Akela walked back to Shinzon. He nodded. They could leave. Donatra was well beyond repair now. He
put his arm around Akela's waist as she pushed the button in her hand. Shinzon looked once more at
Donatra before they left her there to die.