The next morning, the Averrek's senior officers gathered once again for their morning briefing. Arex reported the ship continuing on course for L-52327 at warp eight, with an estimated arrival time of 14.2 hours.

"Lieutenant, I believe you have an intelligence report for us?" Zhem said to Shonna.

Shonna nodded. "L-52327 is an unremarkable red dwarf star, stellar class M4 on the Federation scale, which is approximately class 3.3 on the Romulan scale. It is mildly and irregularly variable, approximately 8.2 billion years old, with no planets and two fairly dense asteroid belts. It is in neutral space, but less than a quarter light year from the Klingon border. The first comprehensive survey of the system was in the year 2233 by the USS Kelvin, which reported a mild subspace distortion that was not reported on any subsequent system survey. There was an inconclusive minor skirmish in the system in 2256 during the first Federation-Klingon war, between the USS Constellation and a pair of unidentified Klingon D-3 class warships. The system was assigned to the neutral zone between the Federation and the Klingons by the Treaty of Organia in 2267, and neither side laid claim to it under the terms of that treaty. And it was not claimed by either side at the Khitomer Conference in 2293." She shrugged. "And that is about all the information I was able to dredge up on it. It's a backwater system that neither the Federation nor the Klingon Empire cares much about."

"So the obvious question," Khoal said, "is why do we care about it? Why are we headed there, Commander?"

"Because four days ago, a Federation starship, the USS Nantucket, was driven out of the system by a Faeht-class warbird," Zhem said, "after detecting a surge of chronitron radiation."

"Faeht-class," Khoal muttered. "Tal Shiar, then?"

"Apparently," Zhem agreed. "And they are, apparently, experimenting with temporal mechanics, and they don't want anyone disturbing them while they do it."

"But why there?" Khoal asked. "That's awfully close to the Klingon border. They wouldn't do it there unless they had to."

"I wonder," N'alae said. "That subspace distortion that the Kelvin detected. Was it temporal in nature?"

"There's no way to tell," Shonna said. "Starfleet sensors of that era couldn't detect chronitron radiation."

Zhem tapped the table absently, lost in thought. "Kelvin," he said. "Why does that ring a bell?"

"One moment while I look it up, Commander," Shonna said. "Here we are... USS Kelvin, Starfleet registry NCC-0514, an Einstein-class survey vessel. Commissioned in 2219, primarily employed as a long-range exploration vessel. In the years 2232 through 2233 it surveyed systems along the Klingon border, including L-52327 as well as most of the ones that are on our list of potential colonization targets. It was heavily damaged defending Starbase One from Klingon attack in 2256, and was scrapped the following year."

Zhem shook his head. "I know I've heard of it somewhere before... Who was in command of it when it surveyed L-52327?"

"Captain Richard Robau," Shonna said. "And the survey report was written by his first officer, Lieutenant Commander George Kirk."

Zhem snapped his fingers. "That's it. Kirk."

"Not that Kirk, Commander," Shonna said.

Zhem smiled. "No, not James T. Kirk. George Kirk was his father. I read Kirk's autobiography about ten years ago, and that's why I remembered it. Probably irrelevant, though."

N'alae looked thoughtful. "Perhaps not, Commander. If we are dealing with temporal mechanics, then any detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant, might prove to be relevant."

"All right then," Zhem said with a shrug. "Computer, access autobiography of James T. Kirk. Search for references to USS Kelvin."

The computer console chimed in acknowledgment. "Ah, here it is," Zhem said. "Right in the first chapter."

He pressed a button on the screen, and the computer voice said, "Accessing My Life in Space: The Autobiography of Captain James T. Kirk." And then a male voice filled the room:

"I have lived most of my life in space. In fact, since my parents were both Starfleet officers, it's highly likely that I was conceived aboard a Starfleet vessel, and was very nearly born aboard one. My father was first officer of the USS Kelvin, and my mother was a science officer, in early 2233 when my mother went into premature labor two and a half months before I was due. Intervention by the Kelvin's medical team managed to stabilize her pregnancy, though, and the Kelvin completed its mission and returned to Earth eleven days before my birth. So it was that I was born in a hospital in Riverside, Iowa on the 22nd day of March 2233."

"All right, so the most famous captain in Starfleet history was almost, but not quite, born somewhere in this sector," Khoal said. "So what?"

Zhem shrugged. "As I said, probably irrelevant. So let's move on. A Tal Shiar vessel was in the system a few days ago, doing something that seemed to involve chronitron radiation. So very likely something that involves temporal mechanics. So what were they doing, and why, and why there?"

"If we can get close enough," N'alae said, "we should be able to covertly observe what they are doing. Chronitron radiation cannot be disguised by a cloaking device, so we should be able to detect the vessel even if it is cloaked."

"So we go have a look," Khoal said, "and then figure out what we need to do about it. N'alae, do you have anyone on your staff with expertise in temporal mechanics?"

"I do since yesterday," N'alae said. "Ensign T'res is knowledgeable in many fields of theoretical physics, including temporal mechanics."

"Then she should be on the bridge when we enter the system," Zhem said.

Khoal nodded. "And if we board the vessel, she should be in the boarding party."

"Agreed," Zhem said. "If that becomes necessary."

"Of course, Commander," Khoal replied. "If it turns out that they're doing innocent scientific research, then we'll let them go about their business." Khoal's expression showed what he thought of that possibility.

Zhem chuckled. "But yes, we should be prepared, just in case. Coordinate with Security to come up with a plan to board and seize control of the vessel."

"About that, Subcommander," Shonna said. "Do you have deck plans for a typical Faeht-class vessel? If we have to board, I'd like to know the layout."

Khoal nodded. "I'll send them to you. Meet me in Tactical at 10.0 hours with your team, and we can plan a boarding action. Eviess, we'll probably need an engineering team for that as well."

"All right," Eviess said. "10.0 hours it is."

The meeting in Tactical was crowded, but Khoal kept it moving along at a brisk pace. Whatever else she thought of him, Shonna had to admit that the man knew how to plan a boarding action. He took input from the rest of the officers present, listened and responded to the points made, and developed a plan of attack accordingly. After two hours, the plan was in place.

"Tactical will beam aboard in two groups," Khoal summarized. He had a holographic deck plan for the target vessel displayed with multiple colored arrows and notations. "My team will beam in here, and cut off access to main engineering from the starboard side while seizing the armory, here. Lieutenant Rileimo's team will beam in here, and cut off access from the port side, while advancing towards the main computer core, here. Ensign Markhon will accompany them, and once we have gained control of the computer core, will download all the data that he can about their mission."

The two Starfleet officers nodded. Rileimo was a Rigelian tactical officer, and at more than two meters in height he towered over everyone else in the room. He had long black hair that reached the middle of his back, and intelligent eyes in a broad, strikingly handsome face. Markhon was Klingon, dark and broad-shouldered, with a neatly-trimmed beard; he was a security officer with training in data security - including ways to compromise and gain access to enemy computer systems.

"Ensign T'res, you will beam in with Rileimo's team, and assist Ensign Markhon with identifying the relevant data," Khoal continued. "But be prepared to assist the other teams as needed. We don't know what else we might run into over there, and any team may need your expertise."

"Understood, Subcommander," T'res acknowledged. She was tall and athletically built, darker-skinned than most Vulcans, in a blue Science division uniform.

"Shonna, your team will beam in here, and seize and maintain control of the engine room," Khoal said. At some point during the briefing, Khoal had transitioned from calling her by her rank to her first name; she assumed that it was a mark of increasing trust. "Eviess, your team will beam in with Shonna and gain control of critical systems from engineering, particularly the singularity core. If the Tal Shiar attempt to initiate an implosion, you are to eject the core immediately."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Eviess said.

"And everyone, remember that your weapons are to be set to heavy stun," Khoal said. "Commander's orders. These people may be the enemy, but they are still Romulans, and our overall population is still too low to simply eliminate them without need." Shonna nodded; the Federation still officially listed both Romulans and Remans as endangered species.

"Shonna, do we know the disposition of the Starfleet supplies yet? You'll need to draw weapons and other gear."

"Ensign Riig is responsible for all Starfleet stores," Shonna said. "He reported everything squared away and stowed yesterday evening. So Starfleet personnel, see Riig for anything you need."

"Questions?" Khoal waited a moment, and then said. "Very well. And remember, we'll need some flexibility in our response. We still don't know precisely what we're heading into, so you have permission to deviate from the plan according to the circumstances. Just keep me informed of what you're doing. Now, everyone go get some lunch. Shonna and T'res, report to the bridge by 14.0 hours. Everyone else, assemble in the transporter rooms by 14.0 hours. Dismissed."

"Well, that went better than I expected," Shonna said to Eviess as they entered the officers' mess together.

"Khoal does know his job," Eviess said. "And he's not always the tail end of a verrul. Last night was out of character for him. Give him a chance. He's pulled my ass out of the fire plenty of times, in one case literally."

"Fair enough," Shonna said.

They went up to the replicators, and Eviess said, "U'trehnilliaumn, spicy." A bowl of something that looked like linguine with vegetables materialized.

"That smells delicious," Shonna said. "How do you say that, again?"

"You sure?" Eviess' eyes gleamed with humor. "It's spicier than most people can handle."

"Sounds like a challenge," Shonna said, grinning back. "Replicator, repeat last order." There was a low hum, and another bowl of the unpronounceable dish appeared.

"Better get plenty of water," Eviess told her. The water, it turned out, wasn't replicated but dispensed from a nozzle in the wall.

One bite, and Shonna's tongue burned slightly, but it was no worse than habanero peppers, which she enjoyed. "Good stuff," she said.

"Really? Guess humans are made of sterner stuff than I thought." The Reman smiled broadly. "Romulans like their food depressingly bland."

"I'm going to have to introduce you to Thai food," Shonna said.

"Thai? Don't think I know that species."

"Not species," Shonna explained. "A human ethnicity. From Earth."

"All right," Eviess answered. "You're on for dinner. Assuming Khoal doesn't get us all killed boarding that Tal Shiar ship."

Then the Reman started laughing when she saw the expression on Shonna's face. "Relax, girl. I have a terrible sense of humor, that's all. Khoal will do all right. I mean, he can get a little aggressive where the Tal Shiar are involved, but the Commander knows how to keep him in check. He'll do fine. Long as he doesn't get too distracted by that Vulcan ensign's legs."

"T'res?"

"Sure, didn't you see him ogling her in the meeting? Not that she isn't worthy of a good long look, but there's a time and a place."

"Well, that's true enough," Shonna acknowledged. T'res had been wearing a miniskirt in the meeting, which was an approved Starfleet uniform variant, but one Shonna couldn't recall seeing on a Vulcan before. And the woman was gorgeous, no question; Shonna had taken a moment to surreptitiously check out the ensign's legs herself. But she hadn't noticed Khoal being obvious about it. "You don't think it's going to become a problem, do you?"

"No, not really," Eviess assured her. "I know Starfleet is a little more relaxed about things like this, but we have regulations - no romantic relationships with anyone who's directly under your command. Which, for Khoal, is everyone on the ship, poor guy. Probably why he's so grumpy. But he knows the rules, and that's a line I've never known him to cross."

"All right then," Shonna said, spooning the last of the Reman dish out of the bowl. "So, Thai food for dinner, assuming we're not dead or captured?"

"You're on, girl," Eviess answered.

Fourteen hours (by the New Romulan clock, which counted twenty of them) and Shonna was on the bridge, waiting to see what lay in store.

Averrek was running cloaked at condition blue, high alert, at warp eight. Zhem was in the center chair, with Khoal at tactical. N'alae was on primary sensors, T'res at the secondary sensor console, Arex at operations, a sublieutenant she didn't know at helm, and a Starfleet ensign named Alexander Tesfemarium on communications. Shonna found a seat at a secondary operations console that was configured to monitor shipwide power distribution.

"Entering system L-52327," the young woman at helm announced.

"Reduce to warp four," Zhem ordered. "Sensors, report."

"Sensors are showing strong chronitron emissions from the inner system, approximately thirty million kilometers from L-52327, Commander," N'alae reported. "Additionally, we are detecting... readings are extremely distorted, but we are detecting what I interpret as at least one uncloaked Romulan warbird near the center of the chronitron emissions."

"At least one?" Khoal sounded unhappy.

"Affirmative," N'alae responded. "Though the reading is fluctuating erratically. T'res, can you confirm?"

"Confirmed," T'res said calmly. "Sensors are detecting approximately three point seven Romulan warbirds, plus or minus one point two. And yes, I am aware that that reading makes no sense. I believe, based on the engine signature, that our readings indicate a single vessel subject to extreme temporal distortion, such that we are getting multiple partial signatures."

"Very good," Zhem said. "Helm, take us to within twenty thousand kilometers of the readings, and then go to impulse speed."

"Aye, Commander. Going to impulse, now."

"Put the vessel on screen."

They all looked at what was displayed on the main viewscreen for a long minute, and then Khoal let out a string of obscenities in Rihannsu.

The screen showed an area of distorted space surrounding an odd red glow. And surrounding that were what appeared to be around thirty Romulan warbirds arrayed in a ring, each of which appeared to be flickering in and out of existence erratically.

"I guess this changes our plans for boarding," Shonna said quietly.