A/N: Irekah's adventures continue! Once again, thanks to Kretolus, whose KDF officer Kh'osh appears in this chapter! (Yes, we have a lot of cross-overs. So sue us) If you haven't already, check out his page, and the awesome Command Collapse, featuring the brilliant Eilis O'Neill (and special gues star, Admiral Kassai Lydana!)

Hope you enjoy folks, please review if you like the story!

An explosion rocked the furthest reaches of the Hall of Heroes, and Irekah flattened herself behind a buttress as disruptor fire tore down the hall. She was glad to see Lehnat following her example, the Romulan drawing her own pistol and returning fire.

Irekah was furious – although there was still no concrete proof, the presence of both the Tal Shiar and the aliens that attacked Virinat was too much of a coincidence. They had to be working together, and that made them both culpable.

She reached out with her psychic perception, sensing several Tal Shiar soldiers storming down the hall. She waited for a moment, stepping out just as one of them was about to pass her hiding place, seizing him by the arm and slamming her pistol into his throat. She pulled him close, using him as a shield as she opened fire at the others, grinning in satisfaction as three of them went down, and another two fell to Lehnat's steady fire.

Evidently, their late-night training sessions had paid off.

Finally Irekah put two shots into the belly of her 'shield', turning away from him and snatching up the disruptor rifle he'd dropped. She also grabbed his pistol and tossed it to Lehnat, and the two of them poured plasma and disruptor fire back at the attackers.

A moment later, Irekah picked up the sound of transporter beams behind them, and as she turned to face what she thought was a new threat, she saw a group of Starfleet officers move forwards, taking up positions behind the buttresses and cutting down the Tal Shiar in a withering hail of phaser fire.

Another explosion echoed through the halls, this time behind the position they currently held, and Irekah swore.

"Lehnat, fall back!" she shouted to her companion. "We can't let the Tal Shiar stop these talks!" She then began to head towards the second explosion, aware of Lehnat following close behind, and she swore they would have vengeance for their colony.

"They're using explosives to breach the halls!"

Irekah suppressed the urge to point out that Lehnat was stating the obvious, instead being thankful she was thinking in tactical terms. They ran through a set of immense doors, running into a knot of Klingons attempting to push back the latest Tal Shiar assault.

Immediately, Irekah and Lehnat took up positions among their prospective allies and added their own fire, the Reman snarling in satisfaction at each Romulan that fell.

"Well, well," muttered the Klingon she'd argued with earlier, discharging a volley of shots from his disruptor pistol, "if it isn't the pointy-eared upstart. Are you here to hide behind your people's tragedies again, or are you going to face your enemies like a true warrior?"

"I don't recall hiding, you lump-browed mongrel," Irekah snapped, unleashing a torrent of emerald beams into the invading forces. "And I will be dead before I do. I'm here to prove the worth of the Republic, which I can't do if everyone's dead!"

"Let us see if you'll manage," the warrior responded. "And hope you aren't too blinded by hatred to tell friend from foe."

He continued firing his weapon, years of experience and training allowing him to efficiently thin the Tal Shiar's numbers.

"At least I have both eyes, old man," Irekah shot back, continuing to fire at the Tal Shiar even as they continued to press closer.

As the Romulans continued to push forwards, the front ranks of KDF warriors charged into combat with them, the immense Gorn warriors laying about with their massive claws while the Klingons drew their bat'leths and kut'luch swords.

Without warning, the weapon she held ceased to fire, and she threw it aside in a fit of annoyance. She pulled her pistol, swearing when she found that was similarly stricken, and looked around for a fresh weapon.

Her eyes settled on the body of a fallen Klingon warrior, his bat'leth lying unused next to him, and she seized her opportunity.

She ran forwards, snatching up the bladed weapon as she passed, and then she noticed a large Gorn bending down to pick up a bench, ready to throw at the Tal Shiar. While he was bent over, Irekah leaped up, using his broad back as a platform to give herself a boost, plunging down into the seething mass of enemy Romulans.

Despite not having any training with the weapon, the Tal Shiar were so tightly packed that every swing injured or killed at least three of pushed deeper into the mass of Romulans, letting her rage run hot as she lashed out with the stolen blade, reaping a bloody swathe among their ranks. A plasma shot punched into her shoulder, and she drove the point of the blade into her assailant's throat, channelling her psychic energy to rip the life-force from him and heal the wound.

There was another explosion on the other side of the hall, but Irekah had to believe that the Federation was taking care of that intrusion – there was no way they could give the Tal Shiar any breathing room where they were.

She out her head down, and continued to fight.

It took time, but eventually they pushed back the Tal Shiar assault. After each party had taken stock of the dead and wounded, the delegates began to gather for the peace talks.

The fact that the attackers were Romulan meant that any doubts about the Republic appeared to have foundation, given that Empress Sela herself had denounced the Republic as little more than a terrorist group. It galled Irekah, to think that her people had fought so vehemntly to protect these peace talks, only to have everyone present cast doubt and blame on the Republic as a whole.

She scoffed as the Klingon ambassador droned on about deception and subterfuge, and as she looked around she met the eye of the Klingon she had been disagreeing with. She could see he still remained unconvinced, despite the bloody harvest she had reaped. The blood of a great many Tal Shiar soldiers was spattered over her uniform, and even Lehnat had been forced to fight hand-to-hand.

She, at least, had the manners to ask for a weapon.

Suddenly, a shout of alarm from the crowd snapped her attention back to the ambassador – and the explosive device that had materialised behind him.

Before anyone could do anything, Temer ran forwards, pushing the Klingon out of the way, and projecting his personal shield around himself and the device.

"Remember this!" he shouted, and a moment later the device detonated, the explosion contained within Temer's shield – although the Commander himself stood no chance of survival.

A stunned hush fell over the assembly, and the Ambassador couldn't believe that a Romulan would act with such honour.

Perhaps, he had said, there was worth in allying with the Republic, if Temer was an indicator of their valour.

Irekah marched towards the Klingon she'd argued with, thrusting the bloody bat'leth into the arms of another surprised Klingon without even looking at them, and stood before the one-eyed warrior.

"We are not finished talking," Irekah stated firmly, standing her ground.

The Klingon looked her up and down, scowling.

"Speak, then."

"I won't refute what I said earlier," Irekah said firmly. "I have been given no reason to trust the Federation, and I cannot guarantee that will change. However, the needs of the Republic far outweigh my personal opinions – warranted though they are – and I cannot deny that we would be stronger with both the Federation and the Empire as allies."

"Perhaps you are smarter than you seem," the warrior replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Despite the fact that you think the Federation, or the Klingon Empire for that matter, could have done anything substantial for your people. At least, not without a costly war that would have left both sides in shambles, ripe for the picking by their enemies."

"Maybe so," Irekah answered, "but as I said, my personal issues are second to the needs of the Republic. So, will you help us? Or are you just going to stand around acting self-important?"

"You have earned your chance," the Klingon said with a nod, "and my word carries enough weight in the Empire to sway the High Council to favour this alliance. Just don't expect too much – it will take a long time for us to truly work together." He leaned forward a little, leaning over the Reman. "Also, a piece of advice for you, since you'll likely be meeting more Klingons from now on. Learn to show respect, especially to those that are superior to you, either in skill or experience. Most of my fellow warriors are not as lenient in that matter as I am, and you might just find yourself with a d'k tahg in your heart."

"What can I say?" Irekah asked with a grin. "You tend to develop some attitiude problems when you're born and raised a slave. But I can think of worse role modles than you – if I am to learn your customs, I would be...honoured to learn from one such as you. She extended her hand towards the warrior. "In any case, my name is Irekah. This is my chief engineer, Lehnat."

At her introduction, Lehnat gave a small bow to the Klingon, with a simple "sir" by way of greeting.

The warrior took the offered hand in a firm handshake.

"I am Kh'osh, son of Ush'ok." He nodded to Lehnat, before his eye focussed back on the Reman. "You can be certain that the House of Kh'osh will be monitoring your career with great interest. I hope I will not be disappointed."

"I'll do my best, Kh'osh, son of Ush'ok," Irekah replied, giving him a sweeping bow. "I look forward to fighting at your side again someday. Until next time."

With that, she gave him a short nod, before leading Lehnat away.

A few hours later, they had returned to the Flotilla, and had finally been allowed some time to rest – but not before the Subcommander had asked Irekah which of the two allied forces she wanted to serve with.

"Many of our people will be serving within their allied fleets now," she had explained, gesturing to two high-ranking officers from their allies, "but as someone who helped defend the peace talks so fiercely I wanted to offer you the first choice. Understand, Centurion, I am not like the late Commander – I respected him, but he underestimated your abilities. I will not do the same. You will be treated with the respect due your rank, and given the same opportunities as any Romulan under my command."

That had been a surprise to Irekah, but for once a welcome one.

"So, who will you choose to serve with?" Nadel had asked, and the Reman needed no time to think it over.

"The Klingons," she stated, moving to greet the Brigadier-General who had come to represent the KDF.

Irekah touched the Klingon insignia bound to her upper arm, and smiled. With the support of the Klingons, they could get true vengeance for Virinat and really take the fight to the Tal Shiar.

She keyed the door chime for Lehnat's quarters, stepping through when the Romulan invited her in.

"Centurion," the older woman said, quickly rushing to her feet, "I'm sorry, I-"

Irekah waved her back down, looking around at the small quarters, currently only lit by a handful of candles – a fact Irekah was grateful for.

"Don't worry, Lehnat, I was just coming to see how you were doing," she explained, "that was the first firefight we'd been in since we took the Mereidex, and the most brutal since Virinat. You okay?"

Lehnat nodded, taking a seat by a small table again.

"It was...terrifying," she said eventually, "but less so thanks to your training. Thank you for helping me get through it."

"I didn't help you through it," Irekah replied, "I gave you the skills to get through it yourself, and you did. Be proud of that." She noticed the PADD that Lehnat had been looking at, moving over to her Engineer's shoulder. "What are you reading?"

"I've been reading up on the Klingon customs, since we're going to be working with them more closely now." Lehnat focussed on the small device, not looking at Irekah. "Their views on death and the afterlife are...well, it gives me comfort to believe Temin might have...might have earned his way to the gates of Sto'vo'kor. Or that, through my service, I can earn him a place there. I'm...still getting through it. But it's comforting, all the same. I think...I think I can move on, believing this."

"Glad to hear it," Irekah said softly, squeezing Lehnat's shoulder in an affectionate gesture. "Will you be okay when we deploy again?"

The Romulan looked up, and Irekah saw a renewed fire in the woman's eyes.

"Count on it, sir," she said confidently, and Irekah nodded.

"Good. Take it easy, Lehnat."

She nodded to her chief engineer, then made her way out and back to her own quarters. It looked like things were going to go well from here.