Alliance Royal Armada

by Kenshul

After the fall of the Terran Empire the Alliance controlled Mirror Universe finally seemed at peace. Unknown though that while the Alliance was distracted a new foe quietly built up its army and would plunge the quadrant into an even fiercer conflict.

20. Between Ally and Enemy

Chapter Twenty: Between Ally and Enemy

Mission
B'elanna's reunion with her close friend Worf is shattered when he comes onboard with news about an old friend of hers. Worse yet are his orders, as he asks her to try and stop the destruction of the Alliance from within.
Mission Date:
274th day in the 2369th of Molar

For a second she stopped, turning her attention onto the airlock before her. Despite this action everything remained still. Her excitement did not subside by this lack of activity, and instead she merely let out a sigh before resuming her pacing.

Several months had passed since B'elanna had seen her friend Worf in person. The two had managed to keep in contact via subspace during the time, but that hadn't quite been enough for either of them. No matter how much you talked to someone over a distance, it just wasn't as fulfilling as actually being near them. Standing here and knowing that Worf would soon come aboard her vessel and that she would be with him again caused B'elanna to be so excited, that she was unable to hold still for long.

War had a way of straining more than resource stockpiles and soldier headcounts. It was also responsible for pulling people apart. As the leader of the Alliance in a time of war, Worf had been kept very busy. B'elanna herself could understand such a matter, being in charge of the Sol system and one of the Alliance's most valuable assets. Such duties alone made keeping in touch with anyone outside of your chain-of-command trying at best.

The war wasn't going well for the Alliance either. According to a recent status report, the Bajoran Kendra Alpha shipyards were destroyed in a Romulan assault. B'elanna knew Kendra Alpha very well, having used the shipyards as a staging platform before taking the war to the Romulan's doorstep. Those days of commanding and fighting in glorious battle against the Romulans were unfortunately far behind her now.

Sol was deep within Alliance territory, making it far from the frontlines and any concern of the Romulans. Considering how vital the Utopia Planitia shipyards around Mars were, as well as the Jupiter Station research center and the mining in the system's asteroid belt, then for the Romulans to have made no move to invade the system seemed puzzling at best. In reality though, it wasn't so confusing.

Romulans were neither insane, nor stupid. No matter how much she personally hated them, B'elanna had to concede this point. If they didn't have at least some intelligence backing them, they wouldn't have been able to hold the Alliance at bay for so many years. For them to assault the Sol system would take an immense effort on their part, and would certainly be suicidal; despite their cloaking technology. From her own experiences B'elanna knew Romulans didn't like to gamble; especially in war. She was certain that it was this lacking trait that kept them far away from the seat of the former Terran Empire.

Still, the Romulans were hardly in need to pull off any tactics of desperation. Just standing there in wait, B'elanna was sure she could name at least a dozen sectors where the two galactic powers were fighting for dominance as she remained comfortable aboard her own vessel. The front lines were constantly being redrawn as victories were accounted to both sides. Lately though, the tide of war seemed to be favoring their green blooded nemesis. With the loss of Kendra Alpha, the Romulan advancements in the Xenkati sector, as well as the destruction of the Cardassian station of Alderok Nor, the war was seemingly slipping back into their hands.

Pausing again in her movements B'elanna wondered if it was these losses that prompted Worf in coming here to meet with her. Being so far from the war front, she had more or less been given a desk job as she oversaw the Sol operations. It was something she couldn't stand. Being half-Klingon she thrived for battle, and for glory. Ignoring her heritage for a moment, she couldn't help but to feel the need to join her people's fight against the Romulans. Even though she was an Intendant by title, she was a soldier first and foremost. How good of a soldier could she be if she sat back and watched so many die for her freedom while she did nothing?

If the war was really progressing as badly as the reports stated, then they needed her back on the front lines. This thought was hardly ego driven by any accounts. True as the fact might be that she had proven her command abilities invaluable in more than one campaign, she knew that there would come a point when the Alliance would need every soldier it could call upon to stave off the Romulan threat. Ships could be rebuilt. Lost territory could always be reclaimed. Soldiers, however, were not so easily replaced.

While she was half-Klingon, it was her other half that had caused more than one problem to arise during her service in the Alliance. Having to fight a costly war against the Terran Empire had made most of the other races within the Alliance grow to despise the Terran race. Not that they had ever been much liked. Since Terrans had first left their small blue world they had faced each new race with arrogance and hatred. During their empire's initial formation several groups banded together in opposition to their dominance, but a sudden advancement in Terran technology had kept them in power for more than a century. It wasn't until the Cardassians and Klingons had banded together did the decadent Terran civilization finally crumble.

Having a blood tie to such people made many within the Alliance distrust her. B'elanna couldn't fault them entirely for having such attitudes. She herself hated the fact that her mother had allowed herself to be impregnated by a Terran. Forgoing her mother's indiscretions, B'elanna only wished more people would see her Klingon self. That was her dominant self, her true self. Whether or not her being was part Terran didn't diminish her Klingon part in any way, nor did it diminish her loyalty to the Alliance. Still, very few had been accommodating of her because of this part of her heritage.

No doubt it was that heritage, and everyone's mistrust in her because of that heritage, that had caused her current assignment. The Sol system wasn't just far from the war, but far from anyone who might object to having a half-Terran mongrel in power. Also, Worf had felt that her heritage had made B'elanna a fitting choice to oversee the Terran's home sector. He knew that the Terran slaves might give her some empathy and less trouble in their duties to the Alliance. Of course, there was some logic behind her posting. Even B'elanna had to admit to that. It didn't mean she had to be happy about it, however.

Silence made its way into the hallway just outside of the airlock as B'elanna paced in thought. Due to this silence, a sudden rush of noise seemed to be that much louder. A ship had approached B'elanna's flagship, something which she had remained completely unaware of. Being startled back into what was going on around her, she simply refocused her attention onto the airlock as the foreign vessel docked.

Carefully taking in a breath, B'elanna readied herself as her emotions flooded her once more. She knew that in such a position as her title bore, some restraint was needed. Commanding the Sol sector and thousands of soldiers, as well as slaves, wouldn't allow for her to appear too joyous at seeing her friend again. Still, she knew that at least some of her emotions weren't about to be suppressed.

There was a hissing sound for a moment as the airlock pressurized and the final connections between the two vessels were made. Slowly, the doors slid open; almost too slowly for B'elanna's liking. Still, the extra moments gave her the chance to straighten herself and appear as formal as she possibly could, although she knew the gesture would hardly be necessary. In the next moment her waiting finally ended as the door slid open, revealing the powerful and regal leader of the Alliance.

Standing there, the pair just stared at each other, before B'elanna's emotions bubbled over. Rushing up to her friend she just clasped his arms and gave him a wide smile. B'elanna knew that in such a formal setting then an embrace was hardly appropriate, so she managed some restraint as she merely said, "It has been far too long my dear friend."

Worf's attitude was vastly different than B'elanna's. While he too had missed his friend's company, there had been too many things as of late to burden his spirit. Leading an entire race in a war that threatened to bring about that race's end was very difficult for any one man to bear. However, this wasn't the only reason for his apparent lack of excitement.

"Indeed it has been," the stoic Regent simply said in a flat tone as he stared at the woman before him.

Right away B'elanna sensed that something was amiss in her friend. During their relationship's entire history he had never appeared so drained and defeated, save for when Deanna Troi had been murdered. Something had happened to her friend, she knew it. Before she was given the chance to ask Worf about his state, the two were interrupted as a third figure appeared just out of the Regent's shadow.

Noticing that someone was behind Worf, B'elanna craned her neck to try and determine just who the figure was. Looking upon the bulky Klingon soldier that stared back at her with a phaser rifle firmly gripped in his gloved hands, she didn't immediately understand his purpose. Her confusion must have been displayed on her face, as Worf then took it upon himself to explain.

"He's my personal bodyguard, B'elanna," Worf said in response to her confusion.

"Your bodyguard?" Despite her friend's revelation about this man's purpose, B'elanna didn't feel any less confused. "Why do you have a bodyguard Worf?" He had never had one before. Even though he was the most powerful man in the entire Alliance, Worf had never resorted to being guarded. It was something that she knew he strongly detested. As she thought about this, another question rushed into her mind. "Why do you have a bodyguard here, aboard my vessel?"

Letting out a sigh, the mighty Klingon knew that the soldier's presence was not something that could so easily be explained. Still, considering how much B'elanna meant to him, he gave it an effort. "A lot has changed, B'elanna. One of those changes is that I have a guard assigned to me at all times."

"But why? What has happened?" B'elanna couldn't help but to blurt out as a thousand questions ran through her mind.

"We need to talk about something," replied Worf in such a dark and stern tone that it caused a chill to run down B'elanna's body. "If you could lead the way to somewhere a little more private," he added as his gaze turned to stare down the hallway.

"Of course," the Intendant replied. Turning away from the airlock, B'elanna tried her best to not let her shaken manner be visible by her companion, though she was certain she had failed. Nothing about Worf's words or the tone behind them did anything to ease her confusion. In fact, she couldn't help but to feel even more distraught as she lead him to her personal quarters.

The journey was a silent one. When she had heard that Worf was coming aboard to see her, B'elanna had hardly expected this to be how that visit would begin. She and Worf had grown very close over the years, due to them growing up together and the fact that they understood each other so well. Their respective postings helped to strengthen that bond, as they felt very isolated in their surroundings, having only each other to turn to. With so much time apart, she had believed Worf would seem a little more excited at seeing her once again. Since he didn't appear to be, that only left B'elanna's mind to harbor that many more questions.

In orbit of Jupiter and deep within Alliance territory had left B'elanna's flagship only requiring a skeleton crew. Her vessel, the Fek'lehr, served as little more than a transport vessel to ferry her between the various planets that made up her small domain. It also gave her a more permanent place that she could think of as home. Still, the Vor'Cha class vessel was being denied its purpose by staying so far out of combat's reach.

With so few soldiers needed to run the vessel, it gave B'elanna and Worf the chance to travel the Fek'lehr's hallways nearly in private, save for the vigilant bodyguard who traveled a half-step behind the pair. In being virtually alone with her friend, B'elanna wanted so much to talk with him. Not so much about the war or about what was going on behind the Alliance's borders, but about what was going on with each of them, and between them. Several times she decided to make an attempt, despite the fact that whatever was said would surely be overheard by Worf's guard. Each time she turned to look at him though her mouth went dry, and she ultimately decided upon remaining silent until they arrived at her quarters.

When the pair of stoic Klingons finally reached B'elanna's quarters, Worf paused for a moment. Waiting for her friend in further confusion, B'elanna watched on as Worf leaned in to whisper something to his guard, who then took a position just to the left of the sliding doors and became almost statuesque as he took to his assigned duty. Once the guard turned his focus off of the pair, Worf merely gestured to B'elanna, before they entered her quarters.

Inside of B'elanna's quarters was a mood that could only be described as Klingon. The light levels were low, bathing the room in a dark red tint. Set onto the far wall hung a gleaming bat'leth, along with a large placard, displaying her family crest. Despite the fact that Klingon tradition and heritage seemed to resonate from everything that adorned the Intendant's quarters, there was one comfort that she had taken to indulge her Terran side. "Please have a seat," she said as she offered her friend a plush chair.

Moving across the room, Worf took in his surroundings before standing next to the chair. Carefully he sat down, only to prick up at the chair's touch. "This chair is too soft," he muttered, mostly to himself. Seeing his friend take the opposite chair and stare back at him, the mighty warrior resolved to ignore the chair's discomforts. Besides, there were far more important things to discuss than upholstery.

Watching her friend take to the soft Terran furnishings, B'elanna couldn't help but to wonder again as to why he seemed so distant. It wasn't like him, especially with her. Part of her hoped that with his bodyguard now out of their presence then he might open up some. Pushing such sentiments to the back of her mind she sat there for a moment looking at her friend, before she realized how poor of a hostess she was being.

"Care for something to drink?" she kindly asked. "Some bloodwine perhaps?"

For a moment Worf appeared to be considering the offer, as he brought his hand to rest on his chin. "No," he replied in a tone that suggested that he hadn't heard B'elanna at all. "Nothing for me."

Here was another cause for concern within the Intendant. Worf was not one to turn down a free drink, especially if that drink was bloodwine. In his refusal of the drink, B'elanna's concern was only further deepened as she realized the seriousness of his mood.

Sitting in the darkened room, nothing happened between the two at first. There was a still sense to the air as Worf tried to decide where to begin. Ultimately, his mind rested on the fact that some of the lies B'elanna had been told as of recent needed to revealed. "Things are not progressing well for the Alliance," came his stern words.

This admission was no surprise to B'elanna, nor did it help in dispelling her misgivings. While her posting was far from any regions of conflict, she was hardly ignorant of what was going on. "I know all about what is happening on the frontlines," she quietly replied, wondering why her friend would make such a comment.

Letting out a sigh, Worf knew that what he was about to say would not be the easiest to understand, yet still it had to be said. "The reports you have been reading are not entirely accurate," he stated with a heavy tone.

With these words, B'elanna's interest suddenly grew. In a time of war then she felt the most vital thing was honesty; honesty in that those that fought and died knew what was really going on around them. For any Alliance soldier to be led astray by their commanding officer disturbed B'elanna. Knowing that she, as a high ranking officer within the Alliance, was not immune to such deception only further shook her beliefs.

"Go on," was the only thing she could think to say in response to her friend's words.

As the mighty Klingon leader watched his friend take in this news, he was not surprised by her reaction. Having to shield anything from those that made up the Alliance, especially the soldiers that defended the Alliance, had not been something he enjoyed. Still, he knew that keeping this secret from them was ultimately in their best interests.

"In regards to the war with the Romulans," Worf started, "everything you have read is truth. What you don't know, is that there is another threat that is lurking in the shadows of this war. It's a threat that could pull the Alliance apart, or at the very least distract us in our resolve against the Romulans long enough for the Star Empire to overtake us."

Taking this in, the half-Klingon Intendant wasn't sure how to react. Moments ago she had been ready to throw all of her beliefs about the war with the Romulans out the window, only to learn that her assumptions had been premature. If it was not the Romulans that he was referring to, then what was it that happened to cause such distress within her friend?

Knowing that he had his companion's full attention, Worf began to tell her about the threat that had been growing under the Alliance's very nose. Just then however, the pair was interrupted as someone entered the room. Turning his head, a grunt of disapproval came from Worf as his eyes narrowed at the Terran slave.

This reaction was another thing that B'elanna had not been expecting. Though hatred for Terrans could be found within every citizen in the Alliance, including its leader, she had never seen the look that Worf now wore. It was as if he had suddenly come across his worst enemy, and was considering the most painful way that he could end that enemy's life.

Watching the slave as she began to pick up refuse from the floor, B'elanna merely said, "It's only Marlena," in a tone meant to reassure her friend.

At B'elanna's voice, the Klingon leader snapped his head back around to stare at her. "Get rid of her," he said in such a menacing tone that even B'elanna felt uncomfortable.

Despite the fact that she had no clue as to why the slave's presence had so enraged her friend, B'elanna shifted in her chair so that nothing obstructed her view of the Terran. "Marlena," she beckoned, trying to make her tone sound as normal as possible. "Go and busy yourself elsewhere. We are not to be bothered by your presence again." At this some of her Klingon self asserted itself as the sternness of her tone caused the slave to be nervous.

Quickly standing up off of the floor, Marlena nervously replied "Yes, milady," before giving a slight bow and scurrying out of the room.

No longer being in the slave's presence, a more relaxed sense came from Worf as he continued on. "Over the past few weeks there have been reports of Alliance vessels coming under attack by an unknown marauder." Worf paused for a moment and reached into his Regent robe, pulling out a P.A.D.D. and handing it to B'elanna.

"At first nobody thought anything of it," he continued as B'elanna took the P.A.D.D. into her hand and began to look over it. "Marauding is something that is growing more and more common, especially in some of the more annexed regions. As a result, these reports didn't strike anyone as odd. The targets didn't seem to have a pattern either; a cargo vessel here, a few freighters there, but nothing substantial."

Placing the P.A.D.D. aside for a moment, along with her curiosity as to why Worf had handed it to her, B'elanna leaned forward and focused intently on her friend's words. She was intrigued as to how a marauder could be causing such concern for those in power within the Alliance, but rather then interrupt Worf by voicing this concern she merely felt it wise to hold her tongue until he was finished.

"That was until we started piecing things together. It started with a report from the Breen War Command that a convoy of mametic gel was raided. Then the Obsidian Order admitted to losing a supply of coalytic enzyme." No longer able to feel comfortable in his chair, Worf rose up and began to pace across the room. "The Empire itself has recently lost a freighter that was bringing thorazin to a hospital on Kolar IV."

In her mind, B'elanna went over the short list of supplies that Worf had mentioned. None of them seemed to be too big of a concern in her opinion. Each item was used on the frontlines for medical emergencies. For wide spread use they were completely useless, so why anyone would bother stealing them was beyond her.

"Despite this growing list of stolen medical supplies, no one gave it much concern." Stopping in his pacing, there was a pause in Worf's words before he turned to face B'elanna. "But then we took notice of where each of these raids was taking place. All of them were within reach of the Tkruv'Bok nebula."

Mention of this nebula caused B'elanna to recall the exact details about it. Being on the border between Klingon and Cardassian space had made it well catalogued. What made it of special interest was the neutronic radiation that emanated from the cloud's particles. Ships were known to get lost trying to navigate through the nebula because of interference to navigational sensors. Remembering this fact, something came to her mind.

"So you believe that the same group of marauders is responsible for each of the raids?" B'elanna asked of her friend, putting together what she knew of the nebula and what Worf had just told her.

"Indeed," was all Worf chose to say in response.

Assuming that there was an organized band of marauders, then it would make sense for so many vessels to be attacked near Tkruv'Bok. The abnormal radiation would make a perfect hiding place for someone who was looking to attack passing Alliance vessels. They might even be able to set up a base of operations within the nebula. Very little of it had been mapped due to the sensor interference, so it was possible that a planetoid or other stray cosmic fragment could exist deep within the cloud.

Something suddenly occurred to B'elanna as she thought about the situation. Listing the items stolen again in her mind, a dark realization was found. Separately, each of the supplies was innocuous and practically useless for whatever purpose the marauders had in mind. If they were combined together, however, "They could use the supplies to make a bio-weapon," B'elanna suddenly blurted out with a grave tone as she connected the dots.

"That's what we realized as well," replied Worf in a tone similar to B'elanna's.

There was a pause as B'elanna stared at her friend. Though a question rested in her mind, she just couldn't bring herself to ask it. She didn't need to ask it, however, as Worf knew it full well.

"Two days ago," the mighty Klingon warrior started again, "the IKS Ta'Coth received a distress call from our base in the Eirolon system. Only a partial message was received by the Vor'Cha before communications were terminated." In response to this the Intendant's eyes grew wide in dread before Worf added "There were no survivors."

Tightening her hands, a fevered rage took hold of B'elanna. Fighting a war against the Romulans for so long should have made them all immune to the pangs of loss, yet it seemed like that would never happen. Each time a comrade fell in death then those that survived were sure to feel the loss as though it represented so much more than a number on a headcount.

What angered B'elanna even further about the situation was that those aboard Eirolon had not died in glorious battle on the front lines staving off the Romulan onslaught, but rather they had been snuffed out by a few cowards while performing their duties. There was nothing glorious about their deaths. Not in how they died, nor why. "Tell me we know who these pa'tahqs are," she said to her friend as she gritted her teeth in rage.

"When the Ta'Coth arrived at Eirolon to render assistance, they did find an image of the attacker still in the station's memory banks." At this B'elanna stared at her friend, hoping that his next words would reveal the identities of the cowards that had slaughtered without cause. Instead of saying anything though, he merely gestured to the P.A.D.D.

In a fit of blind passion she grabbed the small device from where she had placed it. Tapping in a few commands to access the information it contained, there was a still moment before the P.A.D.D. responded and showed her what it contained. When the image appeared to her, all she could do was stare as her mind tried to process it.

"The attacking ship was Voyager," Worf said, stating aloud what his friend had just realized. "Seven's ship."

Seeing the Terran vessel from Eirolon's records was something that B'elanna just couldn't wrap her mind around. "But how?" was all she could think to say.

Exhaling, the powerful Klingon leader approached his friend as he began to speak. "Five months ago during the Narendra Conference she was placed under suspicion," he said, recounting the events of the fateful conference. "Before we realized her innocence, she managed to escape imprisonment and disappeared with her vessel. Now, we know where she went."

Despite the evidence against Seven, B'elanna still couldn't imagine that the Terran woman would turn on the Alliance. Whether or not she had been ostracized during the Narendra Conference was a moot point. Even if Seven left with a grudge, she had to have seen the utter futility in striking the Alliance. Beyond that, Seven had to know that if the Alliance fell, then no one would be able to stave off the Romulan threat. In attacking then it would only help the Romulans, which was something that B'elanna felt the Terran woman would never do.

Aside from wondering why Seven had attacked an Alliance station, B'elanna had to wonder something else; why Seven had attacked this specific station. Eirolon was almost a full day's travel from Tkruv'Bok, far from the safety that the nebula provided. There was the fact that Eirolon was a more isolated system, but still things didn't add up. "Why would she attack this station?" B'elanna finally voiced.

"That answer is obvious," Worf said gravely before tapping a button on the P.A.D.D. that his friend still clutched in her hands.

Replacing the image of the Terran vessel was a manifest of the station's cargo. Scanning the list before her, B'elanna tried to understand her former friend's reasoning. Almost immediately the attack's intent was revealed. "Eirolon was an armory station for the Alliance," came the Intendant's words as she realized this fact about the facility. "But why would Seven want to steal a bunch of weapons?"

Worf grunted, seeing the answer to that question as being even more obvious than the answer to the previous. Waiting for a moment, he finally decided to clarify things for B'elanna as it became obvious that she wasn't going to figure things out on her own. "She's preparing for war," he said with finality to his tone.

"War?" B'elanna couldn't help but to questioningly blurt.

"Of course." The way in which Worf conveyed these two words made everything seem so obvious, yet for B'elanna, it wasn't. "Seven is a Terran, B'elanna," he put simply, "and Terrans are always looking for war. Since the Alliance conquered them, they have been waiting for the chance to strike back at us and reclaim their dominance. Seven is using her prestige to manipulate them in order to help start a revolution."

"No, that doesn't make any sense." Walking away from her friend, B'elanna began to pace around her room as she shook her head in disbelief. "Seven hates the fact that she's Terran," B'elanna said as she turned to face Worf. "Why would she put everything on the line for something that she despises so much?"

Shrugging, the Klingon before her just replied with, "I don't know, B'elanna, but that's what she is doing. As the Breen say, there is nothing more important to one's self than one's own heritage."

Despite what her friend said, she still just couldn't accept that Seven had turned enemy on her former friends. "There is no way that Seven would betray us like this," came her repeated sentiment.

"Don't forget, she believes we drew first blood by shunning her on Narendra," Worf reminded.

"No, she detests her heritage. She would never help out the Terrans. I know, because she feels the same way about being Terran as I do about being half-Terran. And no one believes I'm about to betray the Alliance." There was a pause as B'elanna looked into her friend's eyes on this sentiment. When he stood there silent, a wave of panic flooded her as she had to ask, "No one does, right?"

Here was something that Worf had hoped to avoid during their conversation, though part of him knew it was inevitable. B'elanna had been such a close friend of his for so long that the last thing he wanted to do was to tell her anything that might cause her pain. "Why do you think he's here?" Worf asked as he gestured towards the sliding doors and out of B'elanna's quarters.

This was something that she couldn't believe. The moment she had seen Worf's trailing bodyguard she had wondered his cause. Finding out that she was that cause, forced her to reconsider a few things. "Your bodyguard's a watchdog?" she asked as she continued to descend further into disbelief.

Sensing how distraught his friend had become, Worf knew that he had to handle things very delicately. "No, not exactly," he said as he searched for the proper words to explain things. "My bodyguard is not here for the sake of spying, but rather for my own safety."

Hearing this, B'elanna grew even more confused about everything. "Safety?" came her confusion in the form of a question. "What do you need to be safe from aboard my vessel?" At this question Worf looked at her intently, and B'elanna couldn't help but to feel offended as his look answered the question she had only a moment ago asked.

"No one is suggesting that you would turn against me, or the Alliance," Worf painfully lied. "There are just a few people that felt that the leader of the Alliance needed some protection in such dangerous times."

B'elanna almost bought this excuse as truth, but looking into her friend's eyes revealed how honest he was being to her. "You're lying," she muttered. "You were always a terrible liar," she added as she turned so that her back faced her friend.

Full of dismay over what was happening, over what others were forcing into his life, the mighty Worf collapsed back into the Terran chair with a sigh. He didn't much care for the chair's soft embrace, but for the moment he didn't mind it. Looking at his friend, frustration over everything began to form inside his being as he drew his gaze to stare deep into his weathered hands.

"You're right, B'elanna," he painfully admitted. "This war with the Romulans…it's gone on so long. It has taken such a toll on everyone. With their treachery, the betrayal from our Andorian allies, and now this Terran insurgency with Seven. No one knows who to trust anymore."

There was a tone that pulled at the edges of Worf's words that B'elanna couldn't shrug off. He sounded so defeated, so downtrodden, that her rage of a moment ago was nearly washed away in forgiveness and concern. Still, she wasn't about to put the matter behind her so easily. "If no one trusts in me anymore, then why keep me around?" she shot back over her shoulder, hoping deep down that she hadn't just revealed the true purpose of Worf's visit.

In this moment Worf couldn't think of anything to say other than the truth. Had it been anyone else, or any other situation, then he would have never admitted such things. Being B'elanna though forced honesty to be the only thing on his tongue. "I need you, B'elanna" he weakly replied.

This admission caused B'elanna to turn back around and return her gaze to the friend that meant so much to her. What she saw was something that she didn't expect to find. Worf, the strong and mighty leader of a quadrant wide Alliance, appeared as weak as any single person could. Slumped into the chair, his eyes gazed at her beyond the edge of his fingers, gazing with such a helpless plea to them. It became too much for B'elanna to bear.

Moving across the room to where her friend sat, B'elanna knelt beside him and looked into his eyes. There was a sense behind his eyes that she had not seen since the murder of Deanna Troi, and for the first time for as far back as the half-Klingon woman could recall, she worried about her friend.

A strong bond had formed between them over the years, and through that bond B'elanna had grown to deeply care for the man before her. It pained her to see him like this, and if there was a chance that she could help relieve him of this burden then she knew she had to try. Placing a hand gently on his shoulder she stared at him and softly asked, "What can I do?"

"This has to stop before it gets out of hand," he quietly replied, though with each word his voice grew stronger and more firm. "Seven is a problem that you and I created, B'elanna. We should have taken care of things better on Narendra, and because of our negligence she has the means to start a war. The Alliance could fight that war, and win, but not without sacrificing ourselves onto the altar of the Romulans."

Taking this in, B'elanna was further unsure of how she could be of some help. She was about to ask again, until Worf decided to answer her question before it was even asked.

"Seven must be stopped before she launches her assault on the Alliance." Worf paused for a second as he gazed at his friend's face for the last innocent moment she would ever be allowed. Swallowing away some saliva, he merely wetted his lips before saying "You have to stop her B'elanna."

"Me?" she forcefully replied as she pulled away from her friend. Looking back upon him, she hoped to reveal more of what was on his mind to suggest such a thing. Unfortunately for her, there was nothing to be found. Instead of trying to sort things out on her own she just asked, "Why?"

Yet again Worf found himself being asked a question that seemed easily answerable. "Because you know her, B'elanna. You know how she thinks, how she acts, how she feels. She worked with you for so long that you know more about her than anyone else in the Alliance." Pausing, Worf could tell how unsure B'elanna was about everything. "Like you said, you two are a lot alike," he added, reminding the woman of how moments ago she had compared herself to the traitorous Terran.

Despite everything that she knew about the Terran woman, B'elanna still felt as though she didn't know a thing. Finding out that Seven had turned against the Alliance shocked the Intendant to the core, leaving only doubt in its wake about how much she really knew her former friend.

Now she was being asked to turn against that friend, by someone who was as close to her as two people could become. All of her time spent with Seven had formed a deep bond between them, a bond that B'elanna wouldn't readily admit to; especially now in the wake of such revelations. Though her rage over the attack on Eirolon still bubbled beneath the surface, everything she had been through with her onetime friend forced her against acting in such a hostile way.

"I….can't…." was her shaky reply to Worf's request.

While he was far from pleased by this response, Worf knew that this task would not be easy for B'elanna. Considering what she was being asked to do caused him to not envy her, as it hurt him even more that he was the one asking it. "You must do something, B'elanna. Imagine all of the people Seven will murder if given the chance. More than that, her treachery could destabilize the whole Alliance until a Romulan flag flies on Q'onos itself!"

There was such a forceful tone to Worf's words that for a moment B'elanna forgot that they were friends. "No, you don't understand!" she shot back. "Seven and I knew each other so well that we…." Her voice faltered at this point and she couldn't help but to look away in shame as she meekly added, "were really close."

When B'elanna turned away from him once more Worf began to get an idea of just how hard this task was. Never before had he felt so pained by what he was doing, but he could see no other way. Rising up from the soft chair, he crossed the room before placing a hand on each of B'elanna's shoulders and quietly said, "Please B'elanna, help me stop this threat before it begins."

Beneath her Klingon veneer, B'elanna could feel her Terran half pushing water to her eyes as the situation took its toll on her emotions. For so long she had wanted this moment to come; for Worf to be with her again, and for her to be given a task more worthwhile than hiding in the former Terran system. Somehow, this wasn't what she had imagined. Now, instead of being asked to kill an enemy, she was being asked to kill a friend.

It didn't take much for her to realize how right Worf was though. In attacking Eirolon Seven had crossed a dangerous line, and it was a move that seldom was taken back. Turning to face her friend, B'elanna somehow managed a nod with her head as she stared into the strong warrior's eyes, and committed herself to stopping someone that had once meant so much to her.

Hours later as she sat on the bridge of the Fek'lehr, B'elanna realized that her mood hadn't changed at all. Having some time pass since Worf had set her to this task hadn't let any part of her grow comfortable about what she would have to do. From within her being was a voice that begged against going after Seven, and it was a voice that she had no clue how to silence.

After B'elanna had agreed that Seven was a threat that needed to be stopped, she and Worf had spent some time discussing strategy. The Terran woman had been in hiding for over five months now. While part of that length of time could be credited to the fact that no one in the Alliance had any clue where she might have gone, both Klingon leaders knew that Seven would be near impossible to find.

Hiding in the Tkruv'Bok nebula gave Seven a literal shroud to wrap around herself. Without the use of their sensor array it would be near impossible for the Fek'lehr to locate any trace of Seven or her vessel, but still B'elanna knew she had to try. Suddenly an ancient Terran saying about haystacks sprang to her mind as she thought about the task at hand. Merely stopping Seven was going to be a challenge sure, but B'elanna knew that finding her would be the first great obstacle that needed to be overcome.

Inside of the Intendant's quarters the Klingon Regent had wanted to devise an exact strategy for how things were to play out. The fact that he felt a need for such a thing alarmed B'elanna, who began to wonder just whom it was in the Alliance that really questioned her loyalties. Still, she had seen no harm in discussing the matter; at least some of the matter.

Working with Seven so closely had given her a unique perspective about the Terran. It was a perspective that she was reluctant to mention, however. Part of her still had aversions to her task, and it was those aversions that held her tongue in discussing the matter with Worf. Despite having a silenced tongue, there was something that she had managed to pass along to her friend; Seven was unconventional.

Though it had never been very apparent about her, there was something within the Terran that had made her thinking unique in the Alliance. Whether it was due to her Terran heritage or her unique upbringing on Cardassia that gave her this quality B'elanna couldn't say, but it was something that B'elanna couldn't help but to admire.

Little was known about Seven's past, and she had never been one to elaborate on the topic. The few bits that B'elanna had known were bits that hardly helped to paint a complete picture about the woman. Instead they had acted as tiny morsels that would whet one's curiosity and do nothing more. That fact in itself was enough to make the Terran woman more than just a slave in the Alliance.

Another thing that fascinated B'elanna about the woman was Seven's dealings just prior to her ascension to the role of Overseer. She had been in the service of the Bajoran Intendant, who was a woman that B'elanna despised with every part of her. When Kira herself held the role of Overseer it had been a time that B'elanna had dreaded. It was simple chance that the Bajoran had inherited the title, as surely it would had gone to Duras had he not been murdered by a filthy street urchin days before the Alliance meeting. Seething for a moment, B'elanna couldn't help but to pray that one day she would be given the chance to choke the life from whomever it had been that had slain her friend.

To the shock of everyone though, Kira had not stayed in her lofty title for long. The role was something that everyone knew the Bajoran woman had coveted, and when she had so quickly vacated it then it sent ripples across the whole Alliance. Naming a Terran slave as her successor left everyone in further shock. There was more to that story than anyone had known. B'elanna's instincts told her as much, especially after she began to work with Seven once the woman had settled into her new role. Unfortunately, that story was one that was still a mystery to her.

Even with everything that she knew, B'elanna still could think of no reason why Seven might attack the Alliance. This sentiment she kept emphasizing to Worf as they discussed the woman and what should be done about her. Terran or not, Seven was far from a revolutionist. Nor did she have any compassion toward the race to whose legacy she was tied to, especially not enough to compel her to take such actions. If both of these facts held true, then what could have possibly been her reason?

The pair of Klingons discussed the matter for some time after she had agreed to it. Not only about Seven herself, but how she was going to be dealt with. They both knew that B'elanna needed a well thought out strategy if she was expected to have any measure of success in this mission.

Considering the radiation disturbances that were found in Tkruv'Bok, neither thought the task of finding Seven would be easy. Over the years there had been many research expeditions sent in an attempt to map Tkruv'Bok extensively, yet very little progress had been made. Such efforts had always been thought of as low priority though, as much of the Alliance's resources were needed for the war.

All of that was assuming Seven was indeed based inside of the deep crimson nebula. Just because she raided near Tkruv'Bok didn't automatically mean that she used the area as her staging platform. Such a thing would make sense, but after fighting for so long against a race such as the Romulans, one tended to disbelieve the obvious answer as being the correct answer.

The rest of Worf's stay had been brief and disjointed, as his thoughts focused heavily on the traitorous Terran woman and the need to stop her. As she had watched her friend, B'elanna grew to understand why the warrior spark had seemingly been drained from him. Seven represented a terrible danger to the Alliance, a danger that he couldn't help but to feel responsible about creating. B'elanna had tried her best to relieve him of this guilt, but he would have no part in it. This left an uncomfortable feeling between them for the rest of his visit.

Wishing she could have spent more time with him, B'elanna tried to push such sentiments aside. What she needed to focus on for the moment was Seven, and how she was to find the woman. This became the central focus of her efforts as she sat in the center of her flagship's bridge, awaiting their arrival at Tkruv'Bok.

Her wait proved to be a very short one. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, B'elanna had pushed her ship to the red line in order to reach Tkruv'Bok as fast as possible. Allowing the vessel to exceed the languid speeds it normally patrolled with, cut the travel time between Sol and Tkruv'Bok from several days to just one.

Though she wasn't anxious to face Seven and end her friend's life, she couldn't help but to charge into such a task as fast as her vessel could take her. She just wanted the whole matter to be put behind her, and for her to be able to move on with her duties. Never before did she imagine that she would actually be looking forward to a return to her dull responsibilities in the former Terran Empire.

A slight humming ran through the ship, before abruptly stopping as the Klingon vessel slowed in its approach. Jarring the Intendant from her thoughts, she watched on as the star blanketed space was replaced by a dark red cloud. Whether she was happy about it or not, the Fek'lehr had arrived at its destination. Tkruv'Bok, the place where she would have to end Seven's life.

"We have arrived," voiced the helm officer, though he only announced it out of formality.

"Take us in. Full impulse," came B'elanna's order. As the Vor'Cha class vessel's engines glowed and it moved towards the nebula's outer edge, she merely said something to herself under her breath and tried to not appear too grimacing at her assigned task.

For the next several hours a dull tedium set into the bridge of the Fek'lehr. While B'elanna had known that they wouldn't find any sign of Seven right away, she steadily grew more and more dismayed as their searching continued to prove fruitless. Quickly, the half-Klingon Intendant lost patience with the situation, as the Fek'lehr continued in its systematic scan of the nebula.

A pattern had developed between B'elanna and her surrounding bridge officers. Nearly at random she would pick out a sector of space for her crew to do a sensor sweep. Running on full impulse they would approach the target coordinates, scan every particle of the nebula they could, and the officer manning the sensor station would have to tell the Intendant that nothing had been found. It was a simple routine, and one that caused those stuck in it to quickly lose interest in their mission.

With the vessel beneath her zooming towards another set of coordinates to scan, B'elanna couldn't help but to let her head fall into her hands. The system of mapping out the nebula that Worf had suggested was getting them no where. Already several hours of time had been lost to them, without so much as a clue as to where Seven might be. Knowing that they could be searching forever without finding the Terran woman, B'elanna simply relented to the fact that something else was needed.

Thinking back to when she had worked with Seven, she tried to discern anything about the woman that might be used to help track her down. Nothing came to her. No, in fact B'elanna soon found her mind occupied not so much by trying to find a weakness, but rather remembering the woman's strengths. There had been a savvy intelligence to her that had been astounding, even if she was but a lowly Terran. That intelligence, and the way she used in to help strengthen the Alliance while serving as Overseer, was what had made having a Terran in such a lofty position tolerable to the rest of those in the Alliance hierarchy.

If Seven indeed had such gifted intelligence, then what had compelled her to turn on the Alliance? This question was one that B'elanna couldn't shake from her mind, no matter how hard she tried. The Terran had been ostracized and persecuted during one of the Alliance's most vital conferences on Narendra III, but had she really been so petty as to declare war on the Alliance just for how she had been treated? Though it was a possibility, it was one that B'elanna could not see Seven fitting.

Her and B'elanna's relationship had been a close one; closer than B'elanna would admit to. There was an upside to this, as it allowed her into the Terran's mind to know things about her that no one else would ever. Due to this reason Worf had chosen her to track down the Terran traitor, though at the moment B'elanna couldn't help but to wish he hadn't.

Over the course of her service to the Alliance B'elanna had never wavered away from her duties, but this was something that she couldn't help but to dislike. Somewhere along the way she had fallen into a choice between a person she cared about, and her own honor. The demands of honor in Klingon society were overwhelming, and even though she was only half-Klingon, she felt them nonetheless.

Aside from honor, Seven had crossed a line. B'elanna knew that, and she felt the need to keep repeating this fact to herself as the Fek'lehr continued its search. Despite whatever had been between the two women was now over. The senseless killings on Eirolon had made that a necessity.

Rising up from her chair, B'elanna approached the view screen with renewed determination. Blindly searching for the Terran woman's location was proving futile. Everyone aboard the Fek'lehr knew as much. What they needed wasn't a way to find Seven, but rather a way for Seven to find them. Racking her brain, the half-Klingon Intendant tried to think what would make for the best lure.

Something obvious came to her as she searched for the answer. Making her way towards one of the rear bridge stations, B'elanna went over her idea once more in her head, as though she needed to confirm that it was indeed something worth exploring. "Does the neutronic radiation affect our comms system?" she asked the corresponding officer on approach.

Looking over his display for a moment to be sure, the soldier shook his head as he spoke. "No, Intendant. We can transmit normally from anywhere inside of the nebula."

"Good," came her simple reply. Turning away from the officer and walking back towards the view screen, she remained silent as she chose a few last words in her mind. If the friendship that she had once shared with the Terran still weighed so heavily on her mind, then there was a chance that it was present on Seven's as well. Trying to reconnect with the woman after so much had happened was a long shot, but in the end it was all that B'elanna had.

Moistening her lips and clearing her throat, she gave a signal to open a channel before speaking. "Seven, I know you're out there. Out there hiding because you think you have an enemy on your doorstep. You don't though, Seven. It's me, B'elanna. I just want to talk to you. Please respond." Gesturing to the comms officer, the channel was closed as B'elanna hoped that enough of her friendship with Seven remained for the woman to reply.

Pacing across the bridge of her vessel made it apparent how agitated B'elanna was about the whole situation. As if things weren't bad enough considering her mission, the fact that no amount of progress had been achieved only worsened things for her. If something didn't happen soon, then she didn't know what would become of her.

The soldiers around the pacing Intendant continued about their duties, unaffected by their commanding officer's actions. None of them felt at ease about B'elanna sending a message to their enemy, as each of them knew it to only be an invitation for their own destruction. Still, she was in charge and they were not. Honor bound to follow whatever order B'elanna gave; they followed those orders as best as anyone could.

For awhile, B'elanna was forced to consider that her plan to lure Seven out had failed. There had been no message from her, nor was there any sign of Voyager or any other vessel. Around her the Fek'lehr bridge officers had continued with their sensor sweeps, not quite believing that the Terran they sought would be so easily drawn from the shadows. It was a sentiment that was proving to be more and more likely with each passing tick of the clock.

After a full hour had gone by in silence, B'elanna started working towards a new plan for bringing Seven out of hiding. She could hardly blame the woman for remaining wherever she was. Facing a Vor'Cha class cruiser was an intimidating experience for any enemy of the Alliance, and from what she could recall then she knew Seven's vessel was hardly equipped to go toe to toe with the Klingon one. Still, the fact that nothing from Seven had been heard made B'elanna all the more frustrated.

This frustration left her unsure of what to do next. If Seven wasn't going to respond to her message, then another strategy was needed. What that strategy was to be, B'elanna hadn't a clue. Staring at the crimson nebula before her, the Intendant awaited as though some divine answer would come from Tkruv'Bok's murky depths. She became lost in the alien haze, and let the rest of the world around her fall away. That was until a shimmering light suddenly enveloped her, and whisked the woman away before anyone had the chance to react.

As soon as the scene before her began to change, B'elanna couldn't help but to wonder what was going on. She was not immediately aware of what had happened to her, but when the surroundings changed from the Fek'lehr's bridge to a dilapidated transporter room, her mind suddenly knew.

"Turn around, slowly!" a voice commanded from behind her.

Following this demand, B'elanna slowly turned, not making any attempt to rid her face of the smug look it bore. This kidnapping was something that B'elanna wasn't impressed by in the least, and it was a fact that she felt the need to express to her captors as she faced them.

Before her were two Terran men. The younger of the pair, a tall man with blonde hair, pointed a phaser rifle at her. From behind the transporter console the second man approached B'elanna. He had dark hair, as well as an odd tattoo just above his left eye. Though she didn't know either of these men's names, she remembered that they were members of Seven's crew.

Carefully the tattooed man approached her, making sure to remain cautious of her movements as he did so. Out of the corner of her eye she could tell that he too was armed, though his weapon remained holstered at his side for the moment.

When he reached her, he immediately grabbed the disruptor from her own belt, as well as a dk'tahg dagger that was strapped to her thigh. "Is that all?" he asked, eyeing the weapons he held then B'elanna.

"Why don't you come a little closer and find out?" B'elanna coyly replied as she toyed with the man.

This response didn't have much affect on the man before her, but his friend was much more easily goaded. "Come on Chakotay, one shot and she'll no longer be a threat to us," the younger man excitedly said.

"Tom!" was the forceful reply as Chakotay turned to face his companion. "Annika wants her alive." With that he turned back to B'elanna before saying, "Move it," as he drew his holstered weapon and pointed it at her.

Stepping off of the transporter platform, B'elanna eyed the two men. When she picked up the name Annika being spoken, her mind couldn't help but to cling to it and find it odd that Seven had decided to revert to her Terran name.

The moment that the Alliance Intendant stepped onto the grav-plated floor then Tom took a step forward, bringing his face close to hers. "You better feel lucky that you're so valuable. If it were up to me, I'd shoot you dead right here," he said with disgust before he spit on her Klingon uniform.

Having such disgrace fall upon the uniform she proudly wore, B'elanna could barely contain the rage inside of her. Visions of snapping him in two flashed through her mind, but she knew that for the moment, she had to give in to their whims. Instead, she settled for baring her teeth and giving a low growl before Chakotay suddenly jabbed her in the back.

"I said move it!" was his stern order as he pointed a disruptor at her.

Softening her features until only a smug smile remained, she silently conveyed to Tom just what she thought of him before she looked over her shoulder at Chakotay. There was a fierce quality to his face as he stared at her, disruptor at the ready. She knew that he wouldn't fire the weapon at her, and yet she still felt no reason to ignore his command. Relaxing, she exited the room with the Terran men in tow.

The hallways that the trio walked were in horrible condition. Everywhere B'elanna looked there were bulkheads loosely hanging, conduits barely flickering with power, and tools left by engineers in complete disarray. Being one of the most wanted people in the Alliance had certainly forced Seven into several battles, with very few supporters to aid in repairs. Considering the state that Voyager was apparently in, B'elanna could hardly believe that this vessel could wage war against the Alliance. Of course, in the shape it was then she was amazed it was working at all; clearly a testament to those few that served aboard.

Guiding her down this hallway and that, the armed men led their prisoner through the bowels of Voyager. Though they had not told her where they were headed, B'elanna had a fair guess that Seven was waiting for her in the captain's ready room.

During the time in which the two powerful women had worked together B'elanna had frequented Voyager many times, gaining an intimate knowledge of its layout along the way. With this in mind, neither of her escorts felt the need to tell her where they were going. They knew that she understood where she was going, and that freed both of them up to watch her closely, making sure she didn't do something to try and sabotage the vessel surrounding them.

B'elanna's assumption proved correct as she was led into a small turbo lift. The whirring noises from the lift provided a nice change of pace from the silence that had enveloped them throughout their journey from the transporter room. Once their brief trip came to a halt, Tom waved his phaser rifle in front of B'elanna before she stepped out of the turbo lift and found herself standing before a door that read: Main Bridge.

Stepping through the sliding doors, B'elanna found a sudden hush come from the soldiers that manned Voyager's systems. There were nearly a dozen scattered throughout the round command center, and all of them instinctively moved a hand to their holstered weapons the moment they saw B'elanna.

"Everyone keep your cool," Chakotay called out as he stepped from behind B'elanna to stand beside her, still pointing his own weapon at the Alliance soldier. "Where's Annika at?"

A woman standing in the center of the room gestured off to her left with her head as she said, "Waiting in her office."

Taking in the woman's face, B'elanna recalled the woman's name to be Kathryn. Most of the rest of soldiers around her wore faces that seemed vaguely familiar as well. There was a young Asian man, as well as a Vulcan woman. In fact, all of the soldiers present were either Terran or Vulcan, and with their worn faces and raggedy clothes none of them appeared to be in the best of conditions. Believing that these things had any bearing on their true states though only betrayed what really coursed through their veins; fierce determination.

Ripping her away from her observations came another jab to the back as Tom tried to push her forward with the barrel of his rifle. Over her shoulder B'elanna looked at the man, once more picturing a gruesome death that she would bring him given the chance. From all around her she sensed rising tension as her actions provoked the war-torn soldiers. Even if she still had her weapons, she wasn't convinced that she would be able to take on so many and still survive. Aside from this, B'elanna was very anxious to come face to face with her old friend, and hopefully gain some answers.

When B'elanna eased her body, the rest of those present quickly followed suit before Chakotay led the Alliance Intendant and her other escort across the bridge towards where Seven awaited. In the lasting moments where B'elanna was led across Voyager's bridge, every pair of eyes in the room stayed fixed on her. Those eyes didn't leave her when the doors to the ready room opened, and even after she stepped inside and they slid close then they couldn't help but to linger for a moment longer before resuming their duties.

A dull gray resonated from the walls, as most of the room lay bare. It wasn't the room's furnishings that B'elanna cared about. No, what she cared about was the blonde haired woman that sat behind a desk. What she cared about was this woman, and the answers that she would strangle from her.

The moment the doors to the ready room slid open then Seven's attention was diverted away from the P.A.D.D. which she had been mulling over. Chakotay was the first to enter the small room, and as the Terran leader's gaze fell upon him she couldn't help but to wonder why he was interrupting her. When he stepped away and revealed the half-Klingon prisoner that was accompanying him, she couldn't help but to smile devilishly.

Behind B'elanna the doors to the room slid close and she now found herself staring face to face with someone who had once been such a valued ally, only now to become the worst of foes. Silence hung in the air as both women considered what should be said next, before Seven took it upon herself to speak.

"Very good work, gentlemen," she addressed B'elanna's escorts. "Now leave us. I wish to speak with the Intendant alone."

"But Annika!" Chakotay started to protest, only to silence himself as Seven's gaze shifted from B'elanna to him, accompanied by a chilling stare. That was all that was needed before both he and Tom scurried out of the room, leaving Seven and B'elanna alone for the first time since before the Narendra conference those many months ago.

"Have a seat," Seven said to B'elanna as she gestured to a tattered piece of furniture across from her. When it became apparent that the half-Klingon woman wasn't going to move, a sigh came from Seven before she shrugged the matter off. "There are some things that we need to talk about."

The obviousness of this statement appalled B'elanna, almost enough for her to react violently towards Seven. Despite the history that these women had once shared, that was far from B'elanna's mind now. En route to Tkruv'Bok she had read over the Eirolon's manifest, as well as the reports concerning the other vessels Seven had recently attacked. There was no room left in B'elanna's heart for sympathy, and the only thing she wanted from the Terran was the answer to one question; "Why, Seven?"

This question was one that Seven expected, though it was one that she wasn't eager to answer. So much had happened, and was going to happen, that it was hard for her to choose a place to begin. Yet it was a question that needed an answer nonetheless. All Seven could hope was that her words would be ones that her one time friend could understand, if not support in some way. After taking a breath, she started out with a simple statement. "I cannot allow my people to be subverted by the Alliance any longer, B'elanna."

Before Seven could continue, something within the half-Klingon forced her to react. "Your people?" was her fierce tone behind this question. "Since when did they become your people?" she emphatically added as she gestured out the door towards the bridge.

"Whether anyone likes it or not, I am Terran. Just because I spent most of my life denying that fact, doesn't make it any less true."

Grunting in disgust B'elanna turned away from Seven. The woman's response was something that the half-Klingon couldn't stand to hear, seeing it as only a pathetic excuse to justify her recent actions.

"B'elanna," Seven said in a calm manner, hoping to coax her one time friend's attention back, "the Terran people can't live in slavery anymore. Even you have to see that."

Instead of breaking the ensuing silence with words, there was a loud creasing noise as B'elanna's leather gloved hand curled into a fist. Tightening it, she said "Not at the cost of loyal Alliance citizens."

The gaze which Seven had so fiercely focused on the Alliance Intendant now fell upon the desk at this statement. "I assume you mean those aboard Eirolon," was her meek reply.

"And others," B'elanna replied through gritted teeth.

Letting these things wash over her Seven sat there, showing hardly any emotion at all. When they finished sinking in, the Terran woman decided to once more try to make the soldier before her understand her reasons.

"I didn't want to kill them. I don't want to kill anyone, B'elanna. But sometimes, sacrifices have to be made."

"Sacrifices?" Contained within this single word was enough emotion to send B'elanna over the edge. Slamming her tightened fists onto Seven's desk, cracking it, she asked "When did the senseless murder of helpless people justify as meaningful sacrifices in your book?"

Having B'elanna's face near her own intensified the situation, and the anger held in the Intendant's tone wasn't helpful either. In response, her own anger started to creep to the surface as she replied.

"Tell me, B'elanna. Tell me, knowing the Alliance as we both do. Do you think the Alliance will just give us the freedom Terrans deserve? Will they end the slavery, the torture, the persecution just because we ask them to?" These questions hung in the air for a moment before Seven added "The only thing the Alliance knows is force, and that is precisely what I will give them."

Beginning to calm down, B'elanna thought over everything in her mind as she said "You're going to start a war Seven; a war that will destroy this entire quadrant. You're going to do it all out of some idealistic vision of freedom that can never be achieved." Looking over Seven, the half-Klingon's words softened as she whispered "And you know it."

"What else can I do?" was all that Seven replied with.

The fierce emotions that B'elanna had a moment ago continued to soften as she stared into her former friend's eyes and asked "Seven, do you honestly believe that you can win the Terrans freedom from the Alliance?"

Here was a question that Seven was familiar with, but in each instance that she had been asked before then she had answered with a lie. For the first time though, she had to be honest. "No, I don't. Not in dealing with what we have and what we are up against, then success for the rebellion is still out of our reach." There was a pause as the two women stood there gazing at each other before Seven muttered, "Unless you help us."

This statement was one that B'elanna was wholly unprepared for, and it showed in her reaction. "What?" was all that she could blurt out.

Rising up from her chair, but still keeping her eyes fixed on the half-Klingon before her, came Seven's next words. "The Terran rebellion is still in its infancy, B'elanna. And it's a very fragile infancy. You and I both know that the rebellion's very survival stands on the edge of collapse. Even those that fight under me know this fact, though they won't admit that they do."

"Then why must you fight at all?" B'elanna implored the Terran woman.

"Because," there was a sigh from Seven before she finished, "we have to. We can no longer live under the heel of the Alliance's boot. They want to be free, B'elanna, and they are willing to do anything to gain that freedom; even if it means their own death."

There was a grim look set upon the Alliance soldier's face as she heard this. Part of her could understand their desperation in this matter, but still to attack the Alliance in the hope for freedom? It was madness.

Noticing the reaction that her companion gave, Seven took a step forward, placing a hand on B'elanna's shoulder. "But if you help us, B'elanna, then we might succeed."

"How?" was all the half-Klingon chose to ask.

"Your presence here in Tkruv'Bok shows just how desperate the Alliance is to quell this rebellion while we are still disorganized. But if you kept our location a secret, and the Alliance a step behind us, then we will have the chance to grow strong enough to withstand anything they send."

"They didn't find you by chance," B'elanna said to Seven. "Your actions raiding vessels in the nearby sectors, and the radiation that Tkruv'Bok naturally creates, made it an obvious place to start any search for you. That is why I was sent here before anywhere else."

"Still, they don't know for certain that I'm here." Even B'elanna had to admit that the Alliance was working mostly on conjecture in tracking down the Terran woman. "You are right though, we will have to move our operation to make certain the Alliance won't turn around and send another vessel here."

If this was to be Seven's plan of action, then B'elanna was confused as to why the woman would mention it. Surely Seven realized that as soon as she returned to the Alliance then she would inform her superiors that the Terran had left the region. Beyond that however, was the question of what exactly Seven wanted of her in leading the Alliance off of her trail.

Looking into B'elanna's eyes the Terran woman saw a flicker of the friendship the two once shared. It was within this flicker that she hoped there would be some compassion for her and her cause. At least have enough compassion to aide her in convincing B'elanna to help her.

"We need supplies, B'elanna; food, clothing, parts for Voyager. All of these are well within the grasp of the Intendant for one of the Alliance's most vital systems." There was a slight pause as B'elanna took this request in. Seven could tell that her words were beginning to have an effect, and so she pulled out one final statement to drive her point home. "If you gave us these things, we wouldn't have to slaughter anymore innocent people to get them."

This fact was something that began to cause B'elanna's entire opposition against Seven to crumble. Part of why she had been so angry with the Terran woman was the fact that she had attacked helpless soldiers aboard Eirolon. If this was a way for Seven to gain what she needed without anymore bloodshed then how could B'elanna so quickly dismiss it? Suddenly something struck her though, and her brief moment of faith towards Seven faded away. "And weapons too, I'd imagine," B'elanna nearly whispered.

Bringing up the matter of armaments was something that Seven had hoped to avoid. True, weapons were what the rebellion was in need of the most, but she had known if she pulled out a request for them so early then the chances for B'elanna's cooperation would be severely diminished. "Yes," was all Seven could say.

In response to this single word B'elanna pulled her shoulder away from Seven's grasp, allowing a new wave of rage to flood over her. "You want me to help you destroy the Alliance!" the half-Klingon yelled. "All of your talk about how if I help you, there won't be any more bloodshed, but you plan on the reverse happening."

Despite these words that were thrown at her, and the fierce tone behind them, Seven was hardly about to lose any ground. Instead of commenting directly on these accusations, she decided to take a slightly different approach to the conversation.

"B'elanna, I'm not just talking about ending the enslavement of the Terran race. No, I'm talking about something much more." The look that B'elanna reflected by these words made her curiosity about them apparent, leading Seven to press further. "I'm talking about ending the discrimination against our race; about giving a place for all Terrans within the Alliance, of equal standing, outside of an ore processing center. The prejudices that the other members of the Alliance have against Terrans shouldn't be tolerated anymore." Pausing to take a breath, she added "Being half-Terran, surely you have grown weary as well about having everyone look at you differently just because of your heritage."

While B'elanna's own issues in dealing with distrust due to her heritage were ones that had painfully followed her, it was something that she had never been vocal about. Never before had the issue come up between her and Seven, and having the Terran woman bring it up now only served to sting B'elanna. Unable to respond, all she did was turn away from the Terran woman and cross the room to gaze out of a small window in thought.

For a second there had been eye contact between the two women, and within that second Seven realized that she had struck a chord with the soldier before her. Watching as B'elanna turned away from her Seven knew that this small notion had imbedded itself deep within B'elanna's psyche; exactly like she wanted.

Moving to stand beside her onetime friend again, Seven's gaze followed B'elanna's into the crimson depths as she caressed "Help me B'elanna, and you won't ever have to feel ashamed of who you really are ever again."

Only a short time ago B'elanna had found herself aboard her vessel in the presence of someone she cared deeply about. But that visit had not at all gone as she had hoped. Instead of rejoicing in once more being with a friend that meant so much to her, she had been left to question so much about herself and her place in the Alliance.

She didn't want to admit it, but the pressures in regards to her Terran half were growing worse day by day, and all she wanted was a way to end having to feel so guilty for the sin committed by her very conception. Turning away from the embrace of the nebula she stared at Seven before speaking. The striking blonde hair, and the soft features that she bore hardly made a hardened image of a revolutionary, but that was exactly what Seven had become.

Slowly B'elanna drew in a breath before simply asking "How Seven? How can you cause the Alliance to change their views on such a thing?"

A smile found its way to Seven's face as she heard this question. Finding her own gaze pulled towards the woman next to her, Seven continued smiling as she stroked away a lock of B'elanna's auburn hair. "Don't worry, B'elanna. I will find a way to do it."

At Seven's touch then a flood of memories came to B'elanna as she suddenly realized just how much she had missed her friend. Before she became too swept away in those memories then she found herself asking "You can't just declare war on the Alliance though, Seven. In starting a war against them, all you will do is invite the Romulans to invade and finish us all off in one fell swoop." There was an emphatic tone behind these words, almost as though B'elanna was pleading to her friend to find a peaceful way to end the animosity between the Alliance and the Terran people.

"The Romulans will be dealt with as well," softly continued Seven. "As soon as I've dispatched the Alliance leadership, then we can hold a newly unified front against the Romulans, and crush them once and for all."

This promise, as well as the tone that Seven laced her words with, began to lull B'elanna into helping this woman for the good of everyone. Something though reached into her mind, and she had to go over the Terran's words once more to be certain that she had heard right. When she realized exactly what Seven had proposed then she found herself again pulling away from the woman's touch as her eyes widened. "You mean to take control of the Alliance then?"

"Of course," Seven stated matter-of-factly, confused as to why B'elanna had suddenly recoiled from her touch.

Pieces then began to take shape and fall into place within the Alliance soldier's mind. "You don't want to end the hostility between the Alliance and the Terrans. You want to end the Alliance itself! You want to control it, so that you can control the entire quadrant!" As she began to realize this, B'elanna suddenly found herself disgusted by Seven, seeing now that even though the woman had not been raised a Terran, she still had their thirst for dominance ingrained into her.

"The Alliance leadership has failed, B'elanna. Surely you can see that." When B'elanna gave no reply to this statement then Seven followed with "If there was any competence to be found within the leadership of the Alliance then they would have defeated the Romulans long ago. For over nine years Alliance soldiers have bled and died in fighting the Romulans, and for what? The war is still at a standstill. Why is that? It's because the bureaucrats don't know how to handle things anymore. Now is the time to get rid of them, for the sake of those few still bold enough to salute the Alliance's banner."

Each word that passed over Seven's lips served as another small betrayal in B'elanna's eyes. She could hardly believe what she was hearing, but through it all only one thing further rested on her mind. "What about Worf? What do you plan to do with him?"

For some reason Seven couldn't help but to sigh at this, feeling as though she still hadn't been able to get B'elanna to understand the true nature of what she was about to do. "He will have to be eliminated of course," was her toneless reply. "The only way to guarantee the stability of the Alliance is to wipe the slate clean, disposing of the defunct leadership that idly watches people die in droves for them."

Worf was to become a martyr for Seven's cause. This was something that B'elanna should have known from the very start of their conversation, but somehow it had eluded her. Now though with it revealed, then B'elanna began to see the true nature of what was going on. Seven didn't care about her, nor did she care about the Terrans that had pledged their devotion to her. Both were merely pawns, dead bodies to be used as stepping stones in her ascension to power. Anger pumped its way through B'elanna's true heart, her Klingon heart, as she reached to clutch something behind her back. Gripping the cold metal in her hands she merely stood there as the last bit of her Terran self faded away in the rush of emotions.

"You have no intention of saving anybody," B'elanna fiercely said to Seven as she planned out her next move. "Worf was right, you're a menace, Seven. At one point I considered you to be my closest friend, but that woman is gone now; consumed by her own petty needs for revenge and power." A heartbeat passed between them as B'elanna gazed at the woman who had meant so much one final time. "But now, it's time to get rid of you."

In a blur of motion B'elanna withdrew the mek'leth that she had concealed beneath her soldier's uniform. Launching towards the Terran woman, B'elanna slashed at her with the weapon. Unfortunately Seven had anticipated this, and dove out of the blade's way.

There was a hard thud as the half-Klingon hit the floor. Struggling to get up she cursed at the fact that she had missed her target, only to be rewarded as a dark red wetness dripped off of the weapon's edge.

Landing on top of her desk, Seven stretched out her arm to retrieve the dk'tahg blade that Chakotay had left when he had herded B'elanna into the room. A sharp pain suddenly pulled at her attention, bringing her hand up to her face. Wincing, there was another wave of pain as she removed her hand to notice it was covered in blood. Spinning on her heel she faced B'elanna and charged the woman.

Vaguely aware of Seven's actions forced B'elanna to duck, causing the Terran woman to topple over her down to the ground. Assessing the situation the Intendant saw this as her opportunity to quickly end the fight in her favor. Before Seven had the chance to react then B'elanna had pounced onto her, knocking the Klingon dagger out of the woman's hands, and pinning her to the ground.

Seven lay flat on her back with B'elanna was on top of her. She struggled futilely to free herself of the woman's grip as B'elanna seethed with anger. No matter how much she tried Seven remained pinned, staring up at the half-Klingon woman as she wondered how she could prevent the next few moments from being her last.

Placing her left hand around Seven's throat B'elanna raised the mek'leth with her opposite. Though she knew it had to be done, something within B'elanna forced her to hesitate. So much had happened between her and the woman she was about to kill, and she had never imagined that things would come to this. A few tears collected in her eyes, and she involuntarily shed them as she stared at the woman pinned beneath her.

From this respite Seven saw one final opportunity to sway favor to her, and to save her life. "B'elanna," she choked. "If you kill me, you kill the only chance to truly save everyone; Terrans and Alliance alike. And…I care for you, B'elanna. Forget the Alliance…their time is over. Join me by my side…help me save our people!"

Beyond the teary gaze that her own eyes produced B'elanna tried to determine how genuine Seven's words truly were. She wanted to believe in Seven, and that together they could change things for the better. But another part of her saw these same words as nothing but an attempt to make her into a pawn, to be used and tossed aside once Seven was assured dominance over the quadrant. It was too much for her in this instance to make a decision.

"NO!" she screamed as she brought the blade down…

"And then how did you manage to escape from Voyager?" came his question in a deep voice.

"One of my engineers had a transponder sewn into my uniform. All I had to do was activate it, and the Fek'lehr was able to track down Voyager," came her sullen reply.

"I can assume then that everyone on board was killed then?"

"They won't bother you again, I promise."

A deep sigh came from Worf as he stared at his friend on the comms screen. Sending her to eliminate Seven had been a decision not easily made, but admittedly there was a part of him that was glad for it. The Terran woman represented a true threat to the Alliance, a threat that had to be eliminated at all costs.

"Good work, B'elanna. Return to Sol, I'll visit shortly so we can have a real reunion." He smiled at this, a smile that was very seldom worn on his face.

"Alright," was all B'elanna quietly said in response. She somehow managed a smile of her own that she bore to her friend before the channel closed and she was alone once more.

Walking away from the comms screen B'elanna collapsed into a nearby chair. No matter what was to happen in the coming times then she knew all she wanted now was to be with Worf and grasp any semblance of joy that she could find in his arms. That was her last hope, along with the hope that he would never find out of how she had just lied to him about what had happened.