Chapter 9

"The humans in our brig are Tamara Renel and David Sullivan. Both were former Maquis, held at the penal colony on Jaros II," Commander Rodgers reported. "They were both released following the war, but what they're doing working with Cardassians," he shrugged. That would be anyone's guess, and seemed quite a bit out place, considering their history.

The briefing was being held aboard Cerberus. Chakotay had beamed over, and along with Captain Caldwell and her First Officer, they were discussing the matter of the captured fighters and their crews via subspace with the rest of the fleet. The remaining prisoners had been moved to the Cerberus brig, and now all nine were under guard, in separate cells of the ship's two primary holding areas.

Holographic projections of the other captains, Commander Troi, and Admiral Janeway filled the briefing room. It was an odd way to communicate, Chakotay thought, but he supposed it was better than the headache of staring at a large split-screen display. He sat forward in his chair and folded his hands against the surface of the table. "Some of the cells were less discriminatory of the recruits they allowed to join their ranks," he explained. "We had a good number of mercenaries. The Orion Syndicate was known for placing people with cells because it gave them an idea of where and when they might have a good chance running weapons through the DMZ. While many of us were fighting for our homes, or against the immorality of what was happening to the colonies in the Demilitarized Zone, others were looking for a place to profit, or express their anger. Then there were the spies…" He cast a hard, knowing look at the Admiral.

Her lips thinned. Her mind had gone to Seska, too. "What about the others?" Kathryn asked, "Are we any closer to identifying them?"

"No, Admiral," Captain Caldwell reported. "We've compared the medical data we gathered to the Federation database, but there was no match. We didn't expect there would be, at least where the Romulans were concerned. As to the Cardassians, we don't have genetic profiles for our guests, but we're doing a facial recognition search. We have almost thirty-five years of historical data for the computer to search through. If there is anything there, it may be another hour or two before we find a match."

"What about the fighters?" Captain Riker asked. "Did your investigation turn up anything out of the ordinary?"

"The registry numbers matched ships that were stolen from salvage yards after the war," Rodgers told them. "We had a number of similar thefts across the quadrant," he explained for the Admiral and Captain Chakotay's benefit. "Security was tightened and the situation was stopped, but most of the stolen vessels, many of them small craft like the fighters, were never recovered. The majority of them were scavenged for parts and materials."

"Or sold to mercenary groups," Captain Paris stated. He shook his head. They had seen an increase in that kind of activity during and after the war. The Orion Syndicate had a stronger foothold in several sectors than they had ever managed to gain before. He cast a look at the holographic image of the Admiral that was being projected into his own briefing room. "You were right about the attacks being an inside job. Most likely what we're dealing with is a group of Romulan operatives that have outsourced the job to a mercenary group so it would look like the Federation was responsible."

"Most likely," she agreed. "I would like more information before we present that theory to the Praetor and the other representatives. It would help to know exactly who we are dealing with, but in the absence of that…" She shrugged. "I agree that we should take a look at Delnak. What do we know about it?"

"Romulan agricultural colony," Captain Grant reported. "Delnak is responsible for the food supplies for many of the outposts in this area of Romulan Space. That would make it a more noticeable target than those previously attacked."

"This is certainly going to add a level of complexity to our talks," Commander Troi said. "It was hard enough getting them to invite the Remans, and now that they have, I can't imagine that it's going to be well received that one of the factions is attacking their own people to undermine the process. Praetor Tal'Aura's position is already tenuous. This could tip the balance in either direction, but it will certainly cause further unrest."

"All the more reason to gather as much information as we can," Janeway replied. "Captain Caldwell, I'd like for you to take Cerberus to Delnak and investigate the colony; I want to make sure that everything is what it appears to be. Aegeus will meet you there for the prisoner exchange and transport them to our location."

As the two captains acknowledged their orders, Riker leaned forward in his chair. "Captain Grant will adjust the patrol routes to accommodate the changes. Odyssey, Hamilton, and Voyager will continue providing a Federation presence along the border. Jamestown and Gryphon are carrying supplies and refugees; we can't divert them at this time."

"I'll convey what we've learned to Starfleet Intelligence," Kathryn continued. "We haven't heard anything from them in a couple of days. I'd like to know if our operatives are any closer to uncovering the identity of those responsible for the attacks before we present any of our findings to the Romulan government." She looked around the table and nodded. "That will be all for now. Dismissed."

Deanna waited until the transmissions with the other ships had ended before turning her chair in the Admiral's direction. "What is it?" She was sensing that the other woman was more pensive and frustrated than concerned.

The Admiral's lips pursed for a moment, and then she sighed. "It's all coming together just a little too predictably. We did a lot of research and gathered a lot of data before embarking on this mission, and while I don't mind understanding an opponent, or even a potential ally, well enough to predict their actions, none of this feels… I'm not sure." She folded her arms across her chest. "The Romulans have always been secretive with outsiders. What we know about their society, though, indicates a people that have a very strict moral compass. There is right and there is wrong, and very little space between the two, at least on the whole. It's the personal ambitions of individuals that have brought the Romulans to where they are today. Rigidity can promote disparate behavior." She crossed her legs and shook her head. "It's all a little too convenient. Why bother with the attacks at all if their operatives are going to be caught a few days after we arrive. It doesn't exactly do any good to weaken any one opponent if it's this easy. I feel like there is something else going on here."

"You may be right. We know that Praetor Tal'Aura is lying to us. So are Representatives Muran and Denel. Each has their own motive, and it hasn't been revealed yet. The Remans aren't willing to trust anyone involved in these talks, and even Commander Donatra, though I believe her intent to protect her people is a genuine one, has secrets that she would rather not reveal." Deanna's head inclined. "It's possible this entire process is a distraction of some kind. While the Federation and Romulan Governments are busy engaging in diplomacy, a faction that hasn't yet revealed itself may be moving in position to claim power for itself."

"But who?" Riker asked. "The Remans want their freedom and the right to control their own interests. Starfleet Intelligence has reached out to their operatives inside Ambassador Spock's unification movement, and they've chosen not to involve themselves at this time. The unrest is in direct opposition of their purpose here."

Kathryn nodded. "Yes, and the Ambassador has agreed to emergency extraction for himself and his group if the situation becomes too volatile. I don't think that's it, either. We don't know enough. I'm not a very big fan of waiting, but I think that is exactly what we're going to have to do."

"I thought patience was supposed to be a virtue," Will quipped.

"Not when I have eight ships and their crews sitting in the middle of Romulan Space while tensions continue to grow," the Admiral shot back. "Besides, I'm a scientist, remember? We don't like unanswered questions."

"Oh yes, I had forgotten." Will smirked at her. "I was beginning to think you were a diplomat."

Kathryn snorted a quiet laugh. "Not by choice, Captain. It's a necessity. I can hardly go gallivanting across the quadrant chasing scientific phenomena while the continued security of that quadrant is in question. One thing at a time, Will."

"Well, might I suggest our next step be preparing for our meeting with Ambassadors Karal and T'Kara," Deanna suggested. "We should discuss the itinerary for today's meetings."

"Right you are." Kathryn straightened. "Proceed, Commander."

Aboard the Cerberus Eva waited until her first officer had left the briefing room before she fixed Chakotay with her gaze. "You don't agree." She had witnessed something flicker across his face when the Admiral relayed their assignments. It was only there for a moment, and then it was gone, but Eva wanted to believe that she was getting to know him rather well.

"Flying back and forth along the border isn't my idea of an interesting time." Chakotay leaned back in his chair and tugged his jacket down. "I don't want to go looking for trouble, and I'll be glad if our little encounter with the Peregrin-class fighters is as much action as we find out here, but…" He sighed. "I don't know. I would rather have something a little less tedious to concentrate on. Or maybe I just expected something else, considering who we're dealing with."

"You didn't think she'd sideline Voyager so thoroughly." Eva nodded. A warm smile that was filled with understanding curved her lips. "For seven years you were right there, ready to provide assistance if the Admiral needed it. Now you aren't. She has you out here babysitting the border while she's in the thick of it. She's relying on other Captains, other crews, but in your mind that's not how it's supposed to be."

"I don't expect Admiral Janeway to show favoritism just because we served together for so long, but she knows what this ship is capable of. It's not entirely the same crew, but for those that are still here, she knows what they can do. I thought she would feel more comfortable having us closer," he replied, and after putting it into words, felt a little foolish for it. "I guess I'm still adjusting to the new normal."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Chakotay." Eva leaned forward and laid a hand on his arm. "Seven years is a long time. This past year is only a drop in the ocean by comparison." She gave his arm a squeeze before letting go of him. "I remember how I felt after I took my first command. It felt odd knowing that my Captain was relying on someone else. I had only served aboard the Potemkin for a couple of years. It isn't the same thing, not even close, but I needed a few months to adjust. I think it's going to take you, all of you really, a lot longer than you imagined to get used to the way things are now."

"You're probably right," he returned her smile.

"Of course I am." Her smile brightened. "Haven't you learned that by now?" Eva pushed back from the table and stood. "I'll walk you to the transporter room. It really is too bad we're leaving for Delnak so soon. I would have enjoyed flying a few more circles around your little ship."

Chakotay laughed as they left the briefing room by way of the secondary exit. They bypassed the bridge and walked toward the deck one turbolift that was located near the XO's office. "From where I was sitting that's not exactly how it went. I seem to remember pulling a few tricks your flight crew hadn't studied yet."

"Depending on what we find on Delnak, that little round trip detour should only take a couple of days. My pilots should have plenty of time to brush up on a few old techniques. Maybe we should finish this conversation when I get back?"

"That sounds like a very good idea, Captain. I wouldn't want your crew to be misinformed about this ship's abilities. It could be dangerous." His dark eyes sparkled at her. "It wouldn't hurt to run a few specialized drills while we're out here, anyway. We really should make sure both crews are ready for anything."

"An excellent point." Eva fixed him with a smirk. "When I get back, we'll do exactly that." Her head tipped to one side and her lips pursed as an idea occurred. "The loser can buy dinner the next time we're parked at Starbase."

"Deal." He nodded. "Be ready, Captain. Voyager hasn't let us down yet." He clasped his hands behind his back while his mouth twisted into a crooked, half grin. "I don't think she's about to start now."

"We'll see, Captain." Eva stepped into the turbolift when they reached it. As long as they were relegated to flying patrols along the border, there was no reason they couldn't have a little fun with it. If nothing else it would help to keep their crews' focus sharp during the more tedious days.

KJKJKJ

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Deanna turned at the sound of the voice. The tone, the very inflection, and the way each word seemed to caress the air, it was not something she was ever likely to forget. Her head inclined in acknowledgement of the woman standing behind her. Her uniform was as imposing as ever, and Troi knew that her disdain could be far more biting than the sting from any disrupter burn.

"There is much that we never knew about your world," Deanna replied. "I am sure we all had assumptions about the places our people came from." She turned back to the glass wall that separated them from the outside world. The sun was shining brightly, the domes and ceilings of the buildings below them shined and sparkled beneath its warm rays. Not far beyond those buildings was the ch'Anath'mre, a Romulan sea. The glitter of the sun off the water was dazzling. "It is very beautiful," Deanna agreed. "It reminds me a little of my home world. That is not a belief I ever thought I would have."

"Not everything is as it seems." The Commander stepped forward and clasped her hands behind her back. "Neither, I believe, are you, Commander Troi." She slanted a look at the other woman from the corner of her eye. "Or should I say, Major Rakal?"

Deanna drew a slow, careful breath. "I sensed you were reflective. When did you put it together?"

"This morning, I think." Commander Toreth turned and met the gaze of the woman who had once impersonated a Tal Shiar agent aboard her ship. "I knew you seemed familiar when we were introduced two days ago. Your disdain toward Vice-Proconsul N'qet made it all too apparent." The Commander had been introduced to the Starfleet Officers as one of Commander Donatra's advisors within the Imperial Fleet. She had worked very hard to regain favor after the incident aboard the Khazara.

"I suppose that would be somewhat familiar," she agreed. From the moment that she met him, Deanna felt as though her skin was crawling every time she was in the same room with the Vice-Proconsul. He was hiding something from them, but his hate of both the Remans and the Federation was too great for her to get beyond those strong surface emotions. N'qet had seemed entirely too unconcerned when it was revealed that morning that ships responsible for the attacks along the border had been captured and there were perpetrators in custody aboard one of their fleet vessels.

"What I have not been able to work out," Toreth continued, "is how a Starfleet Counselor came to be aboard my ship. As I understand it, those of your profession do not seek dangerous assignments. I am," the Commander considered for a moment, "more curious than anything now."

Sensing the truth in her words, Deanna smiled. "You can believe me when I tell you that it was not an assignment I actively sought. Much of that event has been classified to protect the lives of others, but what I can reveal is that a Starfleet Officer was needed to complete the assignment and I was the most convenient choice." She shrugged. "I was in the wrong place at the right time."

"I was sanctioned for that little situation," Toreth revealed. "Had my superiors and the very Tal Shiar that you were pretending to represent not been more concerned about learning your identity, I might have been executed." She sighed and her gaze returned to the vista in front of them. "War, however, has a way of distracting those in positions of power."

"It has a way of distracting their citizens too." Deanna clasped her hands in front of her. "For the first time in a very long time your people are asking for something they had stopped daring to dream of, an end to your government using fear and obedience as a means of control. You once described for me the fear that your people live in under the regime of the Tal Shiar and those they control. Do you believe they would also use an uprising to quell the voices of the people?"

Commander Toreth considered her words carefully. "I believe those who want power more than they want their next breath will do anything to maintain it. We must all tread very carefully, Commander Troi. There are many who would prefer not to see your Federation succeed in forming an alliance between our governments."

Deanna fixed her dark-eyed gaze upon the other woman. "Are you one of them?"

Her eyes narrowed. For a moment, Toreth's lips pressed together in a thin line. She reflected on all the reasons she had decided to give her support to Commander Donatra, despite her initial endorsement of Shinzon. Like most of them, Donatra did what she had to do to protect her ship and her crew, to protect her family, and those she cared for most. Toreth truly believed that if the Romulan Empire were to survive, the old ways would have to become a part of their history. They would have to move forward anew.

"No," she replied at last. "I want my world to become a place where a daughter will no longer have to fear that her father will be dragged from his bed in the middle of the night and shot like an animal because he voiced a different opinion than those in power. For all of our advances my people will not survive if they cannot evolve." Toreth shrugged. "I will not say that I fully trust the Federation, but it is a better solution than what we have now. Our people are dying. Our colonies are attacked. Now, more than ever, the Tal Shiar will want to silence dissonance."

"Evolution takes time," Troi reminded her. "We are not here to build your government in our image. We only wish to facilitate the process of allowing your people to choose the path that is better for them, and we hope that path brings us closer to a lasting peace between the Romulan Empire and the Federation." Deanna sensed the other woman didn't fully believe her, but that was to be expected. "Take my own world as an example. Betazed has, for as long as history has been recorded, been a matriarchal society. Our government is ruled by a small group of elected women from each province, and those women elect from within their ranks a single woman to represent all of Betazed. When my government first considered joining the Federation there were things that we needed to do for that membership to be approved, but it did not take anything away from Betazed. The Federation asked us to make religious involvement a choice of our citizens, rather than part of our government rule. It was not initially an idea that my people were comfortable with. Generations later, we realize that by allowing my planet's religious leaders to tend to the spiritual and philosophical needs of our people, the government has been free to focus on socio-economical needs, security, and the general well-being of every citizen. That does not mean that what worked for Betazed would necessarily work for Romulus," Deanna explained. "Your people need to find their own way, and I think they are capable of doing that. They only need the freedom to feel it's possible."

"It is that very freedom," Toreth said, "that will be the hardest to come by." It was the hardest obstacle in their path. The government had long ruled by forcing strict obedience upon the citizens of the Romulan Empire. Dissent was not tolerated. She believed it was how they had come to be where they were today. "As long as the rule of the Empire is dependent on the power of a few, the people will never be free, and they will never truly be safe."

"Then I hope," Deanna said, "our presence here will help those who mean to change that. We are here to help, Commander. We will not choose any one faction over the other, but we will provide all of the information available to us so that a choice can be made." They believed that Commander Donatra was the better choice, but they had come to provide facts and aid. The path to peace was never a simple one.

"I only hope that those who are intent on keeping their power will not be the downfall of us all in their efforts to circumvent Federation involvement." Toreth turned her attention back to the view in front of them.

On the level above them, hidden in the shadows of a stairwell, Taeg listened quietly. The Federation representatives and Starfleet Officers were proving more problematic all the time. With the capture of the fighters at the border their situation had become far more complicated.

Taeg moved away from his hiding place. He considered the plans and actions that had already been carried out, and those that were still in motion. Something would need to be done soon to remove the Federation influence from their space.

He thought of all the machinations that were in play. The Starfleet presence was too troublesome, and it was time that it ended.

"Proconsul." Taeg entered the man's office and made certain the door was secured behind him. "I believe I know of a way we can ensure that Starfleet withdraws from our territory, and that you might enact your revenge upon the Enterprise officers at the same time."

Tomalak's head tilted in askance. "Do tell me, Taeg. What has your spying uncovered?"

A cold smile curved the aid's lips. "The identity of a Tal Shiar impersonator who once cost the Empire a valuable entity. Vice-Proconsul M'ret. Had the opportunity remained to make an example of his treachery…"

"Other dissidents might have thought better of voicing opposition to the Empire's rule." Tomalak leaned back in his seat and steepled his fingers together in front of him. "Indeed. Very good, Taeg; this is something that I can certainly use to my advantage. We are in no position to challenge the Federation on this crime, but it remains an advantage just the same. My contacts inside the Tal Shiar would appreciate the removal of this disingenuous element. Better still; think of how beneficial it would be to use this information to remove other obstacles from our path. "

"With the Federation influence removed," Taeg pointed out, "and those elements disentitled, you can reassert your control over the Imperial Fleet. With that support…"

"It would not be long before the chaos within the Empire could be silenced. Yes, Taeg. That is exactly what will happen." First they must make certain that the plans that were about to be implemented could not be traced back to them. That would mean removing all trace of their involvement and laying a path that could lead in only one direction. He would have to remain careful to keep himself away from that Enterprise empath, Tomalak's lip curled in distaste, at least until she was no longer capable of discerning his deception.

-TBC-