Hidden Child

Chapter 6: Pursuit of Dreams

Once Shinzon was sure that Donatra was safely aboard Voyager, he decided to prepare to avenge her at the cost of his friend and viceroy. He thought back on all he had learned of humanity and knew he was no longer Reman. He tried to remember the lessons he had learned from Lee's past, and his own with the programmed Deanna Troi, but the most influential lesson he had learned was from his personal relationship with Donatra.

His biological mother Rose could have disposed of him and instead she'd given him birth. This was an important human belief--life has meaning.

The second lesson was humility. Kathryn Janeway and Chakotay made sure he had learned the lesson of obeying commands and rules instead of having his own way.

The third lesson was with Deanna Troi. Having what you've always wanted doesn't mean you will be satisfied with it. He found Deanna too docile, she didn't fight him once he told her not too. There wasn't the independent spark there should have been. He also realized that she was merely a computer program, maybe he wasn't giving human women a fair chance based on this holodeck simulation.

His last lesson had been the most influential in his decision of denouncing his humanity, or becoming completely human. Donatra started out his enemy--he'd thought by demeaning her as slave to his sexual needs, she would decide to betray him to gain power with her government, then he would get to kill her with his bare hands. He knew Donatra had found Lee fascinating, that was why he decided on her as a target, she had always had a fascination for humans. What he hadn't counted on was her gentleness.

He brutally beat her the first night to show her dominance in the Romulan way. She had shown true fear and bothered Shinzon to think she would be like Deanna in the end. When he gave her pleasure for finding Vkruk, she returned his caresses with her own and showed him how to be a man. He had finally found what was lacking in his encounters with Deanna.

They had several such love making experiences which had been pleasurable for both of them, but Shinzon didn't trust her--she was after all a Romulan. He did find the sexual encounters more enjoyable with Donatra because of the risk of being killed each time they were together, but he also found the lack of trust a distraction from what could have been true happiness.

When Donatra had told him they were with child, he felt elated, heartsick, and frightened. He didn't know how they would be able to raise a child with his world and hers being against one another. Having her as a sex slave was accepted, after all he and his fellow Remans had been the butt of amusement for the Romulans for centuries. What would his Reman followers think of a half human, half Romulan child?

Shinzon was never able to find out what they would have thought. Vkruk had decided to take matters into his own hands and had ordered Donatra's destruction. Shinzon had watched her crumple like a doll in front of his own eyes and the emotions tore at him as though someone had slashed him several times with a dull knife. He wasn't sure if Donatra or the child were still alive, but as he transported her still body to Voyager, he knew what they had shared was true human love and compassion.

Once he had relived all of these lessons, Shinzon found new determination. He brought Lee forth from the depths of his memory and spoke with him. They decided the only way to live through this betrayal would be to work together. Shinzon while he was with the Remans would play along with their ploy, and Lee would take over negotiations with the Federation once they could escape.

Shinzon went to the Bridge in his Reman uniform. This would signify to Vkruk that he was completely over his emotional ties with Donatra and prepared to go ahead with their mission. To further ensure Voyager's safety and that of Donatra and his child--if they were able to be saved--he told the helmsmen to plot a course for Earth at maximum speed.

Three months later, they entered the Terran galaxy. The ship was cloaked and they were still speeding towards Earth when the most impressive sight Shinzon had ever seen laid open before his eyes.

There were Federation ships encircling Earth with no gaps to get through. Ahead of the encirclement was a lone star ship. As they got closer, Shinzon realized it was the Enterprise. He turned to Vkruk with a knowing grin and decided to open a channel for negotiations of the entire Federation's surrender.

"Jean Luc, how wonderful to see you again." Shinzon said sarcastically. "Do I look different than before? Perhaps healthier to you?"

Jean Luc had been warned by Admiral Janeway that this could happen. He had prepared for this day since their last communication and although he could not see the Reman war bird, he knew it was close--almost as if he could smell her. "I understand you have decided to destroy Earth." Picard said nonchalantly. "Please don't be deceived, we are prepared to destroy you, no mercy this time Shinzon, no subterfuge."

Shinzon started to panic, this Picard was more hardened than the one he remembered. Lee communicated frantically to Shinzon to play this game, it was their only means of getting aboard Enterprise. It was their only hope of escape. Shinzon wasn't so sure Lee was right, but he had no other plan of his own so he requested a meeting with Picard to discuss the Federation's surrender. The viceroy looked at Shinzon warily, but decided that the old Shinzon wanted to kill Picard with his bare hands for causing him failure before.

Picard agreed to meet with Shinzon, because he had an agenda of his own. When Shinzon was brought aboard, he was taken directly to Picard's office. Picard told the replicator to give him two cups of Earl Grey--hot. Shinzon smiled at Picard and told him there was something he needed to let Picard know. Picard waited for Shinzon to continue, and what followed pleasantly surprised Picard.

Shinzon looked directly into Picard's eyes and told him that he and Lee had agreed to co-exist for the betterment of them both. He wanted to still use the name Shinzon, but Lee would be his new middle name, he said Lee was in agreement, but knew this would cause them to have a hard time in Terran society. Picard asked him how he could prove that Lee was unharmed and compliant with this arrangement, and Shinzon said "Wait, I'll let Lee tell you." He closed his eyes and Lee surfaced to confront Picard.

Lee emerged, smiled innocently at Picard and told him what he remembered of being inside Shinzon and visa versa. He told him how everything began when he had read the mandatory briefing on Shinzon. How he could hear Shinzon's voice, and see him in the mirror. He also told Picard that he wasn't the stronger of the two personalities, but they had to have each other in order to survive.

Shinzon came back to the surface after Picard was complacent with the answers Lee had given him. He told Picard of the Viceroy's destruction of the woman he had grown to love, and his child. Picard listened carefully to the story and asked Shinzon what his intentions really were.

"I want total annihilation of the Remans on that ship and Vkruk. They have destroyed all I loved and they will destroy more if I don't help you.

Shinzon described the war birds cloaking capabilities and its weaknesses. He told Picard of a way to pin point the ship's location without an empath. He told Picard that this war bird had more fire power than the Scimitar. As he was describing the torpedo bays and disruptor locations, they felt a strong vibration go through the whole ship.

Picard strode out of his ready room with Shinzon in tow and asked Commander Madden for a report. "Sir, we have sustained weapons fire to engineering, decks 7 through 10 and our shields are down to 40%." Picard did not like what he was hearing and looked to Shinzon for help with these new developments.

Shinzon turned to Picard and said "Get the rest of the fleet ready, Vkruk must have been reading our minds and knows I have defected!" Shinzon didn't like showing this much emotion, but he didn't want anything to happen to his mother, or to Earth. "If you can have at least three more vessels flank all sides, they will not stand a chance." He told Picard the best locations for each ship to be. Once they iwere in position, Picard had them open fire

The Reman war bird Tee Luc glittered in space and shimmered away at the onslaught of weaponry which had targeted it. Shinzon knew Vkruk well enough to know he was leaving Terran space--he knew he was out gunned. Shinzon told Picard this and Picard told his helmsman to set a course for Romulus--Warp 9.

Picard alerted Janeway to the development and requested she talk with the Romulan government to see if they could get assistance. He told her he was only able to procure three other intrepid class vessels, and they would be in Romulan space in 3 months unless the Tee Luc decided to turn back and fire on them.

Janeway said she understood, and closed their communication channel. She looked up to Chakotay and said , "The fun is about to begin, set your people at battle stations." Then she grinned and sipped her cup of coffee.