Honoka scrambled through the brush, disruptor fire covering the noise of her movement. Kotori kept close behind, showing surprising stealth abilities. Hanayo was struggling, clutching her bag like a plushie and stumbling every three steps. This wasn't going to work. Honoka reached behind her, grabbed Kotori's arm and dragged her forward, "Can you 'find' a safe space?"
Kotori was pale, "What do you mean?"
"Don't be coy. You're talking to someone...do they…"
Kotori shook her head.
"They're being chased."
A nod.
"All right. You take Hanayo and go that way." Honoka pointed back towards the beacon. "Find someplace near the beacon to hide. I'll see if I can help your 'friends.'"
"Honoka-chan…"
"Explain later." Honoka let go and started crawling forward, "I'm going to make a big fuss in about a minute. You run for it then." When she reached the edge of the brush, Honoka rose up like a sprinter and ran toward the firefight.
Kotori wasted no time, pushing Hanayo forward, "We have to hurry."
"Yes, ma'am."
###
Honoka crouched in the brush, watching through night vision binoculars, spotted a small group evading a uniformed Romulan security team laying down disruptor fire. One of them, the shortest, spoke to a taller figure, who unslung what looked like a disruptor rifle and once in a prone position, braced it against their shoulder. The shorter figure returned to the group, hurrying them in the same direction as Kotori was going. Honoka made a quick calculation, backing up quietly, then sprinting after the group. At a distance Honoka estimated to be 15 meters away from the disruptor rifle wielder, Honoka reached into her bag for one of her gifts from Lt. Commander Yazawa, remote trigger photon grenades and placed it, then moving to place a second one about 5 meters to the left. If any members of the security team got past the sniper, Honoka would activate these. They were set for maximum yield so Honoka knew she had to be out of range. A blast of disruptor fire and shouting, some movement through trees sent Honoka running as a Romulan security team broke into the clearing, heading into range of the grenades sooner than Honoka wanted. But she had to protect Kotori and the mission. Five seconds. Dropping her bag and anything that would weight her down, Honoka sprinted for a rock outcropping, leaping up as she pressed the trigger, the concussive force of the twin explosions adding a painful velocity to her collision with the mountain.
###
Honoka barely opened her eyes at the sound of voices...Romulan? Had she been captured. Squinting, she tried to make sense of the shadows around her. Was this another cave? A hand to the floor. Honoka was laying on some manufactured material, not dirt. Lighting low, emergency generator? Where were Kotori and Hanayo?
Honoka could feel someone close to her, watching her, and then hurried speaking. She tensed for a move, she didn't seem to be restrained but an engulfing wave of pain from her right leg forced a cry out of her.
"Honoka-chan!" Kotori's voice and then a familiar touch on her arm. Honoka opened her eyes. Kotori seemed to have freedom of movement, although there was a sharp featured Romulan with light green eyes hovering behind her.
"Are we prisoners? You can't tell them anything." Honoka pulled Kotori close enough to whisper, but Kotori brushed against Honoka's injured leg and Honoka had to force her jaw shut to not scream in her oldest friend's face.W
"No, it's all right, Honoka." Kotori half turned to point to the Romulan behind her, dressed in a simple gray cloak, "This is K'ira. She and her friends found you after you took out the security team."
Honoka relaxed slightly, if the grenade had done its job, their immediate problem had been taken care of.
"Where are we?"
"A warehouse at the spaceport. K'ira thought the next team of Romulans would be more likely to search the woods."
"Because no one sensible would run toward Romulans." Honoka glanced at K'ira, whose face remained impassive. "Clever."
"K'ira is very good at avoiding scrutiny."
K'ira leaned over to whisper something in Kotori's ear.
"I have to go back to my meeting, Honoka. My contact doesn't have much time."
K'ira handed Honoka a disruptor pistol.
Kotori smiled at her oldest friend. "That's for defense, if someone should find us."
Kotori might be comfortable with these new acquaintances, but Honoka's mood hadn't improved until she felt the weight of the disruptor in her grasp. Now where had Koizumi gone?
###
Kotori followed K'ira as the Romulan stealthily moved back toward where they had left the central figure of the Followers of Surak, Anju and her bodyguard, Erena. Koizumi had remained, as a check against private conversations, but with Anju's outlier telepathic ability, a private conversation could be happening now. Koizumi was much more observant than any who didn't know her guessed, making her a valuable ally for Kotori.
"SHE senses your doubt and forgives you." K'ira whispered.
SHE...Kotori had immediately recognized her guide, the daughter of a Proconsul who had yet to officially reveal her identity. That made this a very important, very difficult negotiation to navigate. And Kotori was unable to get a real read on K'ira. She didn't seem like a believer, not like Erena, who followed Anju's every step with fanatic care. Were the Followers of Surak a political ploy? Or a way to get out of a life that strangled any individuality with protocol? Even without a defection, boosting the Followers' message of peace might help destabilize the Romulan threat to the Federation. If K'ira was a legitimate follower of the philosophy, perhaps she could influence her father, or his staff.
But right now, the only thing Kotori was really sure of was Anju was a Romulan with telepathy and in her violet eyes madness gleamed.
"Welcome back, friend. How is your pilot?" The touch on her mind was as gentle as the touch on her arm that pulled Kotori into an embrace.
Surely Anju would know, so Kotori guessed the question was a formality. Or did telepathy take energy so Anju's abilities were limited? Messages came through stronger with touch and proximity.
"Lt. Kosaka." Very professional thoughts, Kotori forced herself to drain her feelings out of references to Honoka. Koizumi's face showed no expression. K'ira had tilted her head, watching Kotori closely, Erena hovered next to Anju, her glare a barricade. Kotori stepped back, away from the physical contact.
Kotori nodded to Hanayo, 'We have a secure way to communicate. It will send encrypted messages out at randomized intervals, after either of us enters one."
Hanayo opened an envelope, sliding out a box. "We modified a Ferengai device. If it's found, there should be no link to Starfleet."
K'ira was lounging, seeming relaxed, but Kotori got a strong sense of a predator waiting to pounce. "Diplomacy is erasing footprints."
Kotori shrugged. "Sometimes."
"Good." K'ira stood, grabbing the box from Hanayo, "then we might be able to work together."
"We have to go." Erena spoke, her arm out to act as a guide for Anju.
Anju raised a hand and Erena stilled. Sweeping forward, Anju grasped Kotori's hand, her voice ringing in Kotori's mind. "We will reach out again but you must be patient. As Surak states, "There is nothing to gain from haste but error.""
From the wide eyes of Hanyo and K'ira's head lowering in a reverent bow, Kotori guessed that Anju had broadcast her thoughts to everyone in the room. She would have to confirm that Hanayo had heard the same words, but this was another piece of information to judge their situation.
"May your travels be safe." Kotori whispered as she bowed, the Romulans scurrying behind another stack of storage containers.
"How is Honoka?" Koizumi squeaked.
"Lt. Kosaka." Kotori stated, a firm, dispassionate emphasis on Honoka's rank, "will be fine. Let's rejoin her. We fail if we can't get off planet."
"Yes, ma'am."
