A/N: As part of my need to finish up some unfinished stories before my next project gets posted, here is the continuation of BACKLASH! I'll posting all of these today, so that the story will finally be done! please read, comment, whatever you want to do :)
"Excuse me, Admiral Kassai." said a soft voice to Lydana's left and she turned to see a human female science officer in her early thirties, with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail and carrying a small bundle in her hands.
"I'm Councilor Desirae Remington, nice to meet you ma'am. I know it probably wasn't a serious order, but I thought you might be more comfortable in these."
It was then that Lydana saw one of the most beautiful things in the galaxy: a Starfleet Intelligence uniform, including an Intel coat and a skirt instead of pants.
Lydana gave the counsellor a nod of gratitude and a lopsided smile, taking the clothes as she did.
"I was deadly serious, Counsellor," she said with a grin. "Thank you. This was...more important than you realise."
Without wasting time, she set the uniform on the console she was stood at and peeled off the uncomfortable top she'd been wearing.
"Eyes on your work, people," she told the bridge crew as she pulled the Starfleet-issue T-shirt on, pulled on the skirt, dropped the pants. Finally she kicked off the ruined boots she'd been forced into, and slid on the boots Remington had replicated.
At last, she looked like the renowned Admiral Kassai once more, and she scooped up the barely-functional clothing her counterpart had given her.
"Burn these," she said, thrusting them towards Remington, "then let's go find my ship."
"I think I have a pretty good idea, ma'am." Remington said with a bemused grin and a slight blush on her face, giving the rags to a passing ensign. "Disintegrate these, don't recycle them." She told the bewildered ensign before she sat down in the seat next to the Bajoran Admiral.
"I don't mean to pry," Remington said to Lydana with an apologetic smile and a sympathetic look, "but being a shrink I can't help but notice that you're looking a little worn. It must have been...hard going through that." The sympathy in the councilor's eyes was now matched by the sympathetic frown she now wore. "An abduction is hard in an...average situation, but when your attacker is wearing your face, I imagine it is much worse."
"Yes, well, forgive me if I'm not in the mood to discuss the matter," Lydana answered curtly, still focused on her console. "I'll feel better once I shove that bitch out an airlock."
"That's a healthy response." Remington observed, but at a warning glare from the petite Admiral, she held up her hands in surrender. "Like I said, force of habit."
The counselor got up from her seat and gave Lydana a kind smile. "I would suggest, once all this is over, to make an appointment with your ship's counselor. It was nice meeting you Admiral."
"Sir," Said the Caitian at the helm, who Lydana was sure Zevil had called M'Mutt, "we are ten minutes out to the New Romulus system."
"Bring us out of Slipstream, Lieutenant." Zevil ordered, then turned to Six. "Anything on long range sensors?"
"No sir. It seems that Admiral Kassai's counterpart has put up a jamming signal and I am unable to penetrate it," Six told him as she looked back from her small console. "However, I have received word from the Cardinal, DeWinter, and Maleficent. Their ETA is fifteen minutes to New Romulus, but I have lost contact with the other three ships."
"Meaning they've probably arrived and their comms are down due to the jamming field." Zevil surmised grimly. "We'll need to be ready for anything. Admiral Kassai, is the reverse Tachyon Detection Field ready?"
Lydana's fingers danced over the console, ensuring her preparations.
"Ready and waiting," she called back, placing a reassuring hand on Léonie's wrist. The lanky, awkward girl seemed nervous, and Lydana gauged that she hadn't seen combat yet. "On your order, Admiral."
The scene that met them was both anticlimactic and troubling. Three Romulan Warbirds were facing three Federation ships, but there was no sign of the Shadow anywhere.
The Republic ships were all Mogais, but the Federation ships were more varied: there was a Ambassador-class, a Sovereign-class, and even a Presidio-class.
"Sir, both sides are speaking to one another through an established com link," Six informed Zevil, before an alert sounded from her console. "They are also hailing us."
"Onscreen."
The screen changed to show five men - A Latino human, a bald Tellarite, and three Romulan men - and a Benzite woman, all wearing angry or exasperated expressions.
"About time you showed up!" The Tellarite snapped, but the Benzite woman spoke up before he could continue.
"We have been trying with little success to reassure these Republic captains that we are here to assist them with the impending attack you summoned us for, Admiral Zevil," The Benzite captain informed him.
"Thank you, Captain Jirra. I can also surmise that Captain Ghev has been less than helpful," Zevil said with a warning glare toward the Tellarite, who looked like he was about to say something, but chose to remain silent.
"What I would like to know is why you're invading Romulan space, Admiral Zevil," demanded one of the Romulans, and Lydana was surprised to see that she knew him.
She walked around the bridge to stand at Zevil's side, fighting the emotions that warred in her gut.
"Hello, Tovan. It's been a while."
Tovan Khev, former first officer of Lydana's late wife, stared at Lydana in surprise. Since she had spent some on New Romulus coming to terms with the loss of Loraya, she had been too busy to keep in regular contact with her adopted family, a fact she deeply regretted.
"Lyddie!" Tovan's expression and tone showed no surprise - only happiness at seeing his dear friend. "It's been so long, what are you doing here?"
"It's a long story, Tovan, one we don't have time to get into right now," she told him quickly, dropping back into her 'official voice'. "The Shadow has been compromised. My mirror universe counterpart has infiltrated her and taken command, and we have reason to believe she's coming here to do something...terrible. Something catastrophic."
"We don't know exactly what she's going to do," Zevil told them, following Lydana's lead, "but given what Admiral Kassai has told me about their brief exchange, catastrophic is an apt term. Now, we believe we have a way to decloak-"
Zevil was interrupted by the proximity alarm sounding, and whipped around to face the Ops officer.
"Report!"
As if to answer him, the Shadow of Bajor decloaked in the middle of the gathered ships, and the screen switched to show an identical Lydana on the bridge of the Intelligence vessel. All of the bridge officers present looked between the two, unsure which was real.
"Don't listen to her, she's the imposter!" the mirror invader snarled. "Admiral Zevil, I demand you place her under arrest at once!"
"Your demand is noted and denied," Zevil said coldly as his eyes narrowed, and pointed at the Lydana next to him. "I know for a fact this is the real Admiral Kassai Lydana."
The mirror Lydana sighed sadly.
"It's worse than I thought," she said, shaking her head. "She's convinced the Admiral to work for her. Target his ship."
"You know," Prime Lydana said, returning to her console, I learned some interesting facts about the Mirror Universe - specifically, the people from it."
"You didn't need to learn much, I'm sure," her counterpart said, "after all, you are from there."
"So you say," Lydana countered, working at her console quickly. "But there is a way to find out. See, I learned about this sensitivity to light that people from there have. So, a quick question for you..."
Her console beeped at her as she finally gained access to the Shadow's environmental controls, and she made an adjustment.
"...how are your eyes?"
For a moment, nothing happened, but then the lights on the Shadow's bridge began to get brighter. Lydana's counterpart fought her discomfort for as long as she could, until the light got too much and she looked away with a pained curse.
"I think that proves the validity of this Kassai Lydana's claim of being who she claims to be," Zevil said with cold certainty. "Crew of the Shadow of Bajor, I order you to apprehend the infiltrator and confine her to the brig while we send your captain over."
The crew of the Shadow rushed towards Lydana's counterpart, but a few wild shots from her phaser sent them diving for cover. She ran from the bridge, still keeping her eyes covered as best she could.
"Watch for runabout launches, she's trying to run!" Lydana shouted.
"All ships, prepare tractor beams! Captain Ghev, scramble fighters!" Zevil ordered, the captains nodding then signing off.
Turning back to Lydana, he said, "I think it would be best if you returned to your ship, Admiral, unless you think you'd be more help here."
Lydana smiled, and straightened her coat.
"Much as I enjoy your company, Xavius, I think you're right." She grinned, holding her hand out to him. "I hope to see you again when things are...less chaotic."
Despite the situation, Zevil grinned at her.
"It was my honor, Lydana. Now go get your ship back, we'll make sure your counterpart doesn't escape outside the system."
