Thanks to paulo-j1983, captainkodak1, whitem, Uru Baen, Commander Argus, campy, Yuri Sisteble, CajunBear73, spectre666, IncrediRaider8, Whisper from the Shadows, Nightwing 509, daywalkr82, Jason Barnett, Zaratan, Classic Cowboy, RealityBreakGirl, TexasDad, zeerak, AtomicFire, Angus Hardie, Matri, Michael Cross, surforst, JPMod, Taechunsa, conan98002, Ezbok58a, Molloy, Brother to Vorlons, Visigoth29527, Kim's 1 fan, Ultimaclock, and Slyfer for reviewing and to everyone for reading!
As always, special thanks to campy for his beta and proof work.
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If you saw it on KP, it belongs to Disney; if you saw it on TNG, it belongs to Paramount.
I.
I'd rather be a fool trying to save the man I love than a coward who hides behind orders and abandons his friend.
Her words stung him, tore at his very being.
Kim Stoppable had called him a coward!
Worf, son of Mogh, was a Klingon Warrior. He was not a coward. He had always been true to his friends, to his crewmates, and to his House.
To Worf, one's commitment to one's House was a matter of honor. Now he was a member of two Houses, owing his loyalty to both the House of Mogh and to the House of Stoppable. It did not matter that the former was known as the 'Traitor's House' and the latter had been disavowed by Gowron. They were his Houses, and his honor, his name, was inextricably tied to them.
Yet he had allowed Kim Stoppable, the Mistress of one of those Houses, to be ambushed. He may not have been the one to fire the phaser; it was, after all, Yori who shot Kim in the back. But it was he, Worf, who had drawn Kim into the trap and allowed her to be taken down like an unsuspecting targ. He had been in charge of the operation. He was the one who denied her a chance to fight like a true warrior.
Kim was wrong. He was not a coward. He was a traitor.
Worf, son of Mogh, was a man without honor.
True, he had in all likelihood saved her life, or at least her freedom: one of Enterprise's shuttlecraft would have been no match for an Orionisi marauder; the small vessel would quickly have been overwhelmed by the Syndicate ship's firepower, and Kim's rescue attempt would have ended in total failure with her either dead or put up for sale in an Orionisi slave market and Ron still Rayna's captive.
But that was not what Kim, now under guard in the brig, would think of when she thought of him. Instead, she would think of Worf as the man who had betrayed her and her husband, who had turned his back on his adopted House when ordered to do so by superiors who prized expediency over all else.
Worf felt the bile rising in his throat.
He felt as if his soul was irredeemably stained and soiled. He knew there was only one way to regain his lost honor. At the very least, it would require him to give up his career in Starfleet. But it would be better to surrender his commission, indeed, even his life, than his good name.
Knowing he would have to act quickly, he set aside his brooding and sprang into action.
II.
"I wish to see the Sword," Fiske said to Picard.
"No," the captain said firmly.
"What do you mean?" Fiske replied, taken aback.
"Ambassador, I believe the Sword should have been left in Ms. Stoppable's care. I only impounded it because I received a direct order from my commanding officer. However, as long as the Sword is in my custody, I, as Arbiter of Succession, will allow no one, including you, access to it without Ms. Stoppable's authorization. Do I make myself clear?"
"Perfectly, Captain," Fiske replied, barely able to hide his fury.
Picard watched as the diplomat turned and left his ready room. The captain, convinced that the English aristocrat was possibly the single least trustworthy man he had ever encountered, concluded it would be wise to have a security officer physically stand guard over the Sword at all times, even though the weapon was already in a secure storage locker. He couldn't say why, but Jean-Luc Picard had concluded that under no circumstances could Lord Montgomery Fiske be allowed to come into possession of the Sword of Kahless.
III.
"Chief, may I speak to you?"
Miles O'Brien turned to see the imposing figure of Enterprise's security chief. "Of course, Lieutenant," he answered in his genial brogue. "What's on your mind?"
"Kim and Ron Stoppable," Worf answered.
A dark look formed on Miles' face. "I heard what happened, Worf. They're a couple of good kids. They didn't deserve that. Either of them."
"I agree," the Klingon said, unable to ignore the slightly accusatory tone with which O'Brien spoke.
"Then, and I'm asking this as one friend to another, why did you stop her?" O'Brien countered.
Word of Kim's escape and attempt to commandeer a shuttle had spread through the ship even faster than word of Ron's abduction or Kim's resignation. Everyone on board knew of Worf and Yori's role in bringing the incident to a close.
"Because," Worf replied, "she would have failed. And, I am ashamed to admit, because the captain ordered me to do so, and I did not challenge him. I plan, however, to make amends."
"Oh," O'Brien asked. "How?"
"I must first ask for you to swear on your honor that you will not divulge a word of what I am about to say to you."
Miles O'Brien looked at the cold, hard gleam in the Klingon's eyes. He knew that if he made such a promise and later betrayed it, he would be facing Worf's wrath. It would be far easier to end the conversation now. But O'Brien didn't want to. While he didn't know Kim all that well, he had always liked her. And though he had only known Ron for less than two weeks, he had come to see the odd young man as a friend – and Miles O'Brien never, ever turned his back on a friend in need. "Okay, Worf, you've got my word. What are you planning?"
Worf described his intentions. O'Brien rubbed his chin as he considered what he had just been told. What the Klingon was suggesting would surely end all of their careers. But that seemed a small price to pay to secure Ron's freedom and redeem Kim's sacrifice.
"We can do that," O'Brien said, "but we're going to need another set of hands to pull this off. And I think I know just the person to help us."
IV.
The great hall was suffused with a gloomy light given off by sputtering fires in rough-hewn braziers. What furniture there was was made of wood and was rude. The walls, formed from large, unpolished stones, were neither decorated nor adorned and reached up into an impenetrable darkness that concealed the ceiling. It was the most imposing space Kim had ever seen.
Kim, however, had no idea where she was. One moment she had been confronting Worf, the next she was … here. Wherever 'here' was.
She found herself sprawled on a bare, flagstone floor, still wearing her olive-colored trousers and black tunic.
"You are seeking something," a voice filled with authority said.
She looked up and found herself facing an imposing Klingon male.
"Where am I?" she asked as she gingerly rose to her feet.
"You are in Sto-Vo-Kor," the man answered.
"The Klingon Afterworld," Kim whispered. "I'm dead?"
The Klingon smiled. "No, you are not dead, Kim Stoppable, though I have been for many centuries."
"You know my name," she said. "Wait. This is so not possible."
"I thought anything was possible for a Possible," the man said, sharing a wry smile with Kim.
Her eyes opened wide at the stranger's use of her family's unofficial motto – and at her recognition of who it was she was speaking with. "You cannot be Kahless."
"But I can," he said reasonably. "And I am."
"Look, I don't have time for this," she replied impatiently. "I –"
"Have to rescue your mate," the Klingon interjected. "Yes, I know. But right now you are unconscious. Do you not remember?"
"I was talking with Worf, then I felt the phaser blast … so I'm having a dream," Kim said. "A ferociously weird dream."
"Perhaps," the Klingon said knowingly. "That is how some have described having visions. You may wish to think of it that way. But humor me, and set aside your doubts. Pretend that I am indeed Kahless the Unforgettable for a moment and listen to what I have to say."
Kim looked around the great chamber, then brushed some stray locks of hair off of her face. "Okay," she said, unable to hide her skepticism. "Sitch me."
"You must protect the Sword," Kahless declared.
"Gee, thanks," Kim said sarcastically. "Too bad you're just a little bit late with that tip," she added in frustration. "They've already taken it away."
"You are wrong. It is not too late," Kahless asserted. "You can – you must – prevent it from falling into the hands of its enemies."
"And just how am I going to do that?" she asked tartly. "I have to assume that when I wake up I'm going to be in the brig."
"The Sword and its bearer have more friends than you imagine. They will present themselves at the right time. And you must remember: You can do anything."
Kim folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow. She was convinced that Kahless was a manifestation of her sub-conscious – which was in the midst of very rudely mocking her. "I so wish," she finally said softly.
Kim turned from the Klingon emperor and looked away, the futility of her situation beginning to overwhelm her. She had never thought of herself as one to give up, but now she didn't know what to do. She'd tried. And she failed. Because of her, Ron was horribly disfigured and condemned to spend the rest of his life as someone's slave.
"Do not doubt yourself," Kahless said sternly.
Kim spun back to Kahless, her eyes brimming with tears. "You don't get it, do you? It's over."
"That is not true, Kim Stoppable. You are a great warrior. You must believe in yourself."
"Why?" she spat back. "I got nuthin'."
"You have the confidence of your mate," Kahless countered. "He believes in you."
"And I let him down," Kim said.
"No, you have not," the Klingon demurred. "You will only let him down if you give up. Ron Stoppable believes in you. He is the Chosen One and you are his Consort. Your strength is his strength and his strength is your strength. Together you can do anything. Remember, there are always … possibilities."
A smoky haze began to fill the hall, slowly enveloping Kahless, who now stood mutely before Kim. The great warrior gradually faded from view. Then everything went black.
When Kim opened her eyes again she was exactly where she told the fabled Klingon leader she would be: in Enterprise's brig. She looked around, but couldn't shake the feeling that moments ago she really had been somewhere else.
V.
Rufus emerged from his network of running tubes to find Worf and O'Brien waiting for him. He ended the simulation, returning the holodeck to its default configuration.
"Mr. Worf, Mr. O'Brien, how may I be of assistance?" the naked mole rat asked as he took a towel and dried himself off.
"We need to discuss a matter of utmost importance with you: Kim and Ron Stoppable," Worf answered.
O'Brien tried not to betray his surprise at just how much alike the two men sounded.
Rufus looked at Worf through narrowed eyes. "The only thing to discuss is how the grave injustice that has been done to them can be undone."
Worf glanced at O'Brien, then allowed himself a smile. "It is good to hear you say that," the Klingon said, "for that is why we are here …"
VI.
The door to the brig slid open; Fiske entered, followed by Yori.
"Great," Kim said acerbically as she looked at her erstwhile roommate. "You really have gone over to the dark side."
"I am merely doing my duty," the security officer noted. "You know that a civilian may not come to the brig unescorted."
"Right," Kim said with a quarter roll of the eyes before looking at Fiske. "What do you want?" she demanded of the Englishman.
"I wish to see the Sword of Kahless," he said. "Picard refuses to grant me access. You can order him to let me see it."
"And I'd do that why?" Kim asked pointedly.
"Because you want to have your sentence reduced," Fiske said. "You do realize that you will, at the very least, be charged with, and given the number of witnesses, convicted of, assault and battery, theft of Starfleet weaponry, grand theft spacecraft, and, most seriously, intent to suborn diplomatic relations?"
"So not the drama," Kim said, refusing to be intimidated or bullied by Fiske. "I've always wanted to live in New Zealand."
"Jest if you wish, Ms. Stoppable," he replied with a predatory grin. "But while you may not care about your own freedom, I know you are very concerned with that of your husband. You would not want him to be in Orionisi custody for too long. I have heard that the effects of extended exposure to the pheromones of the Orionisi female are irreversible. It would be most unfortunate if he were to return, only for you to find that he only wished to go back to his mistress, Rayna …"
Kim's cavalier defiance was instantly replaced by white-hot rage. She balled her hands into fists and bared her teeth at Fiske. "Why you …"
"So, may I see the Sword?" he said nonchalantly.
Kim was about to agree to Fiske's request when the image of Kahless came to mind. Her dream had all seemed so real. And she didn't need a vision to know that Montgomery Fiske was an enemy of the Sword and its bearer; Ron's words, which she herself had repeated, echoed in her memory: his lordship was 500 light years of bad road.
"No," she forced herself to say. As much as she wanted to free Ron, she knew she couldn't afford to accommodate Fiske – who, she suspected, would offer no assistance to her, even if she agreed. "You may not."
"So be it, Ms. Stoppable," the ambassador said. "I hope you are prepared to live with the consequences of your stubbornness."
VII.
A short while later, the door to the brig slid open again.
Kim looked up and saw Worf enter. She watched as he approached the security guard. "I must speak in private with Ms. Stoppable. Leave us."
The young officer looked at his division head, nodded, and left the brig.
Worf walked to the control console and entered a series of commands. Much to Kim's surprise, the force field that confined her to her cell winked out.
"Okay, what's going on?" Kim asked, completely surprised by what was happening.
"There is not much time," Worf replied. "You must come with me. Now."
"And I should trust you why?" she asked, still remembering how the Klingon had set her up to be shot.
"Because you wish to save Ron. My actions from before to the contrary, I am loyal to his House. Now we must go. Are you with me?"
Kim took a deep breath. She was still angry about what had happened in the shuttle bay, but Worf seemed sincere and he looked contrite. She also knew she had no other choice.
She looked him in the eye and said, "I'm in."
"Good," he replied, pressing his comm badge. "Worf to O'Brien. I have taken the brig's dampening field off-line. You may begin transport."
VIII.
"Come," Picard said as he reviewed some personnel files. Among the decisions he realized he would have to make was whether he would appoint a permanent helmsman to succeed Kim.
"Captain."
"Counselor," he said evenly after looking up to see Deanna Troi. "How may I help you?"
"I came to ask you the same question," she said, standing before his desk.
Picard looked at Troi for a long moment before he gestured for her to sit down. After she took her seat, he continued to look at her in silence. Finally, he spoke.
"In all my years in Starfleet, I have never felt more uncomfortable about decisions I have made than I do today. The Stoppables, this security pact, everything just seems profoundly wrong," he said.
"You wish you could do otherwise." Deanna offered that as a statement, not a question.
"Yes," Picard said. "And if we weren't facing the very real prospect of war with the Romulans, I would have done so without hesitation. But to provoke possible hostilities with the Syndicate under these circumstances …"
"You believe they are nothing more than criminals and you don't expect them to keep their side of the bargain, do you? You believe that Ron's freedom and Kim's career have been sacrificed for nothing."
"Yes," he said.
"You are also worried about the crew's morale, aren't you?"
"Yes, I am," Picard admitted. "Counselor, I am acutely aware of the lengths to which Enterprise and her crew went to save me from the Borg. I would be highly surprised if people weren't asking why it was appropriate for Commander Riker to risk this ship and all aboard to retrieve me, but it is not acceptable for me to at least let Ensign Stoppable take a shuttlecraft to try to free her husband."
"Do you think she could have succeeded?" Troi asked.
"No. Not in a shuttlecraft; it would have been no match for an Orionisi marauder. But there was another option available."
"I see," Deanna said. "Sir, it sounds as if you will not be able to live with yourself if you don't explore –"
The captain's comm badge chirped. "Picard here."
"Sir, I am sorry to disturb you," Data said, "But I have just received word from the brig that Ms. Stoppable has gone missing …"
Picard noted with interest that Data didn't use the word 'escape' to describe Kim's unauthorized absence.
"… And that it would appear she has done so with the assistance of Mr. Worf."
IX.
"What's going on?" Kim asked after the materialization process ended.
"Welcome aboard Calypso," Rufus said.
"Calypso? The captain's yacht?" Kim asked incredulously. "I assumed when you came to get me, we were going to rescue Ron, not take a solar cruise!"
"Captain Picard has had us make some … modifications … to the vessel that will make her appropriate for our mission," Worf explained before he hit his comm badge. "Worf to O'Brien."
"O'Brien here."
"We are on board."
"Okay, sir. I have reinstated the dampeners and force fields in the brig and am now taking transporters off-line."
"Thank you," Worf said.
"You're welcome," O'Brien replied. "Kim?" he asked.
"Yes?" she responded.
"Good luck. And tell Ron I'm looking forward to buying him another drink and a new belt when he returns."
Kim smiled, still not sure of what was going on, but filled with a resurgent confidence and hope. "I will, Chief. You rock."
"I try, I think," he answered, not sure what Kim meant. He assumed from her tone of voice that it was something good. Smiling, he said, "O'Brien out."
X.
The decision to equip each Galaxy-class starship with a captain's yacht had been controversial. There were those who thought such craft contravened the egalitarian principles that supposedly defined the age. But others felt that Galaxy-class ships were physical embodiments of the Federation's influence and that the yachts would be a useful way to project the power and prestige of the great ships' captains, who were not only commanders of their vessels but de facto ambassadors-at-large for their government throughout the Alpha Quadrant.
Picard was among those who thought the yachts were unnecessary. In fact, he actually thought them to be absolutely preposterous. He already had a huge cabin and a comfortable ready room, an allocation of space that on a ship even of Enterprise's scale was generous, even profligate, and fully capable of conveying the captain's importance. A space-borne luxury lounge was something Picard felt he really didn't need and was uncomfortable using.
And so, Picard let the luxurious vessel sit idle for many months. But then he began to wonder if the sleek spacecraft might be put to other uses, and conferred with Worf about the possibility of adapting the small ship to other, more dangerous purposes. Worf agreed that Calypso had great potential, but that it would need engineering and propulsion upgrades in addition to weapons.
A proposal was developed and presented to none other than Alynna Nechayev, who, like Picard, had scorned the idea of captain's yachts. She readily gave her approval to the project, but insisted that Picard keep the conversion secret, believing a covert, concealed strike craft could be a very valuable asset to the Federation. As a result, knowledge of what was being done to Calypso was limited to a very small circle of people on board Enterprise: Picard, Riker, Worf, La Forge, O'Brien, and four engineers.
The team had worked quietly, outfitting Calypso with state-of-the-art weaponry including the most advanced phasers and a full complement of photon torpedoes, upgraded warp engines that would allow the small ship to travel at speeds as high as warp 9.7, and robust deflector shields and reinforced hull plating.
Fortunately for Kim, the refitted ship had recently become operational.
XI.
Picard strode out onto the bridge.
"Status report, Mr. Data," he demanded.
"According to Mr. Hernandez, Lieutenant Worf entered the brig approximately ten minutes ago and asked him to leave so he could talk privately with Ms. Stoppable. When he returned to the brig, Mr. Worf and Ms. Stoppable were both gone, though the barrier to her cell was still in place and the transporter dampeners were on-line."
Picard pursed his lips. He was confident that Worf had helped free Kim. And he was sure he knew where Kim and Worf were. Picard was very much disposed to let them go without question or hindrance. Unfortunately, Nechayev was on the bridge and had arrived at conclusions similar to Picard's
"Captain," she said.
Picard turned and looked at her. "Yes, Admiral?"
"Calypso is operational, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is."
"Then that's where they are, don't you think?" she asked in a challenging tone. "I know that's where I would go if I were Mr. Worf and I was going to help Ms. Stoppable launch a raid on Taigus VIII."
Picard knew he was cornered. "I agree." He sighed quietly. "Mr. Data, put me through to –"
"Sir, Calypso has initiated undocking."
Nechayev did not wait for Picard to issue an order. "Mr. Data," she commanded. "Abort undocking now."
Data examined his controls. "I am sorry, Admiral, but that will not be possible. Bridge control has been locked out. Calypso is now free."
"Use the tractor beam," she said.
"Tractor beam has been engaged … and we are being hailed by Calypso."
"Put them on screen, Mr. Data."
Kim's larger-than-life image appeared on the view screen.
"Ms. Stoppable," Picard said, a hint of warmth in his voice. "I see Calypso is about to undergo her space trials."
Kim was at first surprised by Picard's friendly demeanor; then she recalled the dream/vision-Kahless' words: the Sword had many friends.
"Sir," she replied politely, "turn off your tractor beam, please and thank you. I'm in a bit of a hurry, and I'd really rather not have to launch a photon torpedo at Enterprise."
"Sir," Data said, "Calypso's weapons are on-line and locked on the primary hull."
Much to Nechayev's annoyance, Riker was unable to suppress a grin. "She's good, sir," the first officer said. "Calypso's within the deflector shield envelope. A torpedo blast would cause severe damage. We'd be in spacedock for months."
"Assuming, Number One, that we could make our way to one," Picard observed. "Mr. Data, disengage the tractor beam."
"Captain, what do you think you're doing?" Nechayev demanded.
"Protecting Enterprise. It is clear that Ms. Stoppable is prepared to deploy her weapons. Starfleet cannot afford to lose a Galaxy-class starship on the eve of potential hostilities with the Romulans."
Nechayev glared at Picard, knowing she'd lost the argument for the moment.
Picard turned back to the viewscreen and Kim's image, allowing himself a smile. "I would usually not say this to someone who has just committed an act of piracy, Ms. Stoppable. But well done, and good luck."
Kim looked at her former commanding officer and recognized what he had just done. In all likelihood, he had just joined Worf, O'Brien, and Rufus in sacrificing his career for Ron and her. And while Kim wasn't ready to forget what he had done earlier, she was ready to begin forgiving him.
"Thank you, sir. We'll see you at the Neutral Zone."
"Oh?" he asked.
"You bet," Kim replied impishly. "If the Federation is really going to war, you'll need every available ship. After we get Ron back, we'll come help you kick some Romulan biscuit."
"Thank you … Captain," he said. "Enterprise out."
XII.
"Captain Picard, why are we holding station?" Nechayev asked.
"I beg your pardon, Admiral?" he asked.
"You heard me," she said sharply. "Why haven't you ordered Enterprise to pursue Calypso?"
"Because, Admiral, I have direct orders from Starfleet Command to proceed directly to the Romulan Neutral Zone. I thought we agreed that we would wait until the designated rendezvous time for Lieutenants Du and Carter to return before departing."
"Captain," Nechayev said pointedly. "I am ordering you to go after that ship."
"I must respectfully decline, Admiral," Picard responded.
"You wanted her to do this, didn't you?" Nechayev retorted. "You do realize that you are endangering the security of the Federation?"
"Admiral, I am doing no such thing," Picard answered. "Ms. Stoppable helped me realize that by acquiescing to Ambassador Fiske's little deal, we endangered not only the security of the Federation but its very soul. I can no longer be a party to this travesty. The Syndicate is built on deceit and lies and has proven itself untrustworthy again and again. It is my fervent hope that Ms. Stoppable is successful in freeing her husband. Now, if you wish, you may relieve me of my command."
Nechayev stared at Picard, who was standing ramrod straight before her. She arched an eyebrow and offered a small, wry smile. "No, Captain, I won't do that. I know your crew all too well. If I relieve you, I will find myself repeating this scene with Mr. Riker, who will refuse my order …"
The first officer nodded, confirming the admiral's suspicions.
"… Then it will be Mr. Data, and so on. I don't feel a need to precipitate a full-scale mutiny." She shook her head, then said quietly, "Besides, you are right."
"Admiral?" Picard said.
"You heard me, Captain," Nechayev answered, thinking of what Picard had just said, and remembering an idealistic young woman who more than five decades earlier would step out into the cold Russian night to look at the stars and dream of high adventure and doing good in outer space. "You were right. I just hope Kim Stoppable is every bit as good as we think she is."
XIII.
"How long to Taigus VIII?" Kim asked.
"If we maintain our current speed of Warp 9.5, we should be there in two hours, twelve minutes," Rufus replied.
"Spankin'," Kim replied. "However, as much as I want to get there as soon as possible, we should drop down to low warp before we approach the system; they don't need to know what Calypso is capable of."
"I agree," Worf said before returning to a review of the weapons console. "All weapons systems are fully operational."
"Just how many weapons systems does Calypso have?" Kim asked.
"Enough that I would be comfortable taking this ship into battle against a Klingon Bird of Prey," Worf answered.
Kim whistled. "And you did this all in secret?"
"Yes," Worf said. "Admiral Nechayev insisted on it."
"Why am I not surprised?" Kim deadpanned. She shook her head, then turned to Rufus. "So why are you here? Not that I'm not glad and all, but …"
Rufus looked Kim square in the eye. "Ron is my friend. You are his mate. You were in trouble."
"That's it?" Kim asked.
The naked mole rat arched an eyebrow. "Need there be any more reason to act?"
"You're amazing, Rufus," Kim said. "You too, Worf." Chagrined, she added, "Sorry about what I said in the shuttle bay."
"Thank you. But it needed to be said. And I must still ask you for your forgiveness."
"It's no big, Worf. Forget it," Kim said, smiling at the Klingon. Given what he'd just done for Ron and her, and the way he'd helped the two of them come together as a couple, she was more than willing to overlook the fact that he had feet of clay; it only meant he was mortal. To Kim, what truly mattered was that when she and Ron really needed Worf's help, he had come through.
"Kim," Rufus said. "There is one other weapon aboard Calypso you need to be aware of."
"Oh?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. The naked mole rat headed aft, and moments later returned with a portable stasis chamber. "I believe this belongs to you."
Kim's eyes opened wide; then she hugged the startled naked mole rat. "Rufus, thanks. You rock," she said. "I don't know how I can make this up to you."
"I believe that a selection of artisanal cheeses, and perhaps some peanut butter cookies, would be in order."
XIV.
Lieutenant Yori Tanaka took up her position guarding the secure storage locker in which the Sword of Kahless was purportedly being stored, not knowing that a very resourceful naked mole rat had already switched out the portable stasis chamber containing the Klingon weapon.
XV.
"So, Shego," Rayna said disdainfully. "What brings you to this corner of space?"
"You're loving this, aren't you?" Shego retorted.
The two green-hued, raven-haired women sat in Rayna's spacious quarters, sharing a bottle of Romulan ale.
Rayna grinned. "Well, if you must know, yes, I am. Someone has finally outwitted the master criminal!"
"Hey, he was smart," Shego said defensively.
"How smart?" Rayna asked mockingly.
"He was a walking computer …" Shego said as she scowled.
Rayna cast an intrigued glance at her guest; she knew the human was very smart herself.
"… He had a positronic net for a brain, okay? I was played by an android with Einstein's IQ and Al Capone's 'tude." Shego then explained what had happened (she also told a puzzled Rayna who Einstein and Capone were; Rayna was intrigued and decided she'd have to learn more about the twentieth-century crime figure).
The Orionisi diplomat was fascinated by what Shego had told her. If Lore did as he intended, the Syndicate would be able to profit mightily from the ensuing mayhem. Rayna had no interest in being neighbors with a Federation that had been conquered by the Romulans; but she was more than interested in being neighbors with a Federation that was engulfed in chaos. Starfleet would eventually restore order, but not before the Syndicate had a chance to enrich itself beyond anyone's wildest imagination. "Do you think he's actually going to try to hijack Enterprise?"
"I wouldn't put it past him," Shego answered. "Though Drakken's syntho-boy turned on us and there's no reason he won't turn on Lore. And Lore still has to figure out how to hotwire the PDVI into Enterprise's systems …"
XVI.
"We will rendezvous with Enterprise in thirty minutes," Will Du reported to Lore.
"Excellent," the android said. "Looks like it's time to tidy things up," he said to himself as he pulled out a small communications device. He activated the unit, then spoke a series of commands that were radioed across space.
XVII.
Ron was roughly grabbed by the arm and pulled from his cage. He was marched by an armed escort to the Marauder's transporter room. There, he and three Orionisi slavers transported to the surface.
When they materialized on Taigus, Ron's pants, as was their wont after an encounter with a transporter, promptly fell to his ankles, sparking raucous, cruel laughter from his captors. They tripped him, then yanked his trousers off, leaving him in just his boxers. Then they grabbed him by the arm and pulled him to his feet.
As they did this, one of the men saw Ron's wedding band. He grabbed Ron's hand and began to pull the ring off his finger.
"Hey! You can't have that!" Ron protested.
The Orionisi sneered at him. "It's not as if you need it anymore; slaves don't need jewelry."
"It's not jewelry," Ron snapped. "It's my wedding ring."
The man laughed. "Wedding ring? You are no longer married, human! You are a slave, a thing, a piece of property. You cannot be married."
Ron began thrashing and kicking. He was not going to let these bullies take the last physical reminder he had of Kim. Somehow, he managed to place a kick between the legs of the man trying to steal his ring. The slaver howled as he collapsed to his knees.
Ron's moment of triumph, however, was short-lived. Another of the Orionisi used a control device to activate the pain inducer on Ron's neck. He watched as Ron flailed and screamed.
After a few moments, the slaver stopped. Then he and his companions took turns hitting and kicking Ron, who, battered and bruised, curled up into a fetal position to protect himself.
Unfortunately for Ron, there was no escape from his captors' abuse. The party's leader once again activated the pain inducer; this time, however, he didn't release the button until Ron had lost consciousness.
The men dragged Ron from the transporter room and brought him to the holding pens. Before they tossed him in, the man Ron had kicked made sure to take his ring.
XVIII.
Eric was surprised when Stan and Ollie came up from behind and seized him. "Hey, what are you doing?" he demanded.
Neither synthodrone spoke. Instead, Drak Force One's main viewscreen came to life.
"Hello, Eric," Lore said menacingly.
"Lore?" he asked, confused. "What's going on?"
"I have to commend you," the android said with a smile. "You showed so much promise. So much ruthlessness in the way you got rid of Drakken and Shego. I was most impressed."
"Thanks," Synthodrone 901 replied uncertainly.
"In fact, you showed too much promise," Lore explained, his mirthful tone replaced by something cold and dismissive. "If you could betray them, why not me?"
Eric's eyes opened wide. "But I wouldn't do that!"
"No, I'm sure you wouldn't," Lore said evenly. "But I can't take any chances now, can I? I've got a planet to obliterate, and I don't need any distractions."
Stan reached into his tunic and removed a laser scalpel. He powered up the surgeon's device. He then pressed the glowing red tip of the tool against Eric's side, causing the synthodrone to yelp.
"Goodbye, Eric," Lore said jauntily. "It's been a blast!"
Eric wailed plaintively as his synthetic insides began to rush out of his ruptured side.
XIX.
After concluding her meeting with Rayna, Shego, with a despondent Drakken in tow, beamed down to the surface of Taigus VIII.
Though Shego wasn't sure where she next wanted to go or what she next wanted to do, she wasn't interested in remaining with Rayna, who was planning on returning to the Orionisi homeworld. Shego liked her room, and that would be sorely lacking on Orion, where the Syndicate kept a close eye on everyone and everything. Taigus, however, offered Shego the opportunity to tend to her contacts in the slaver community, business contacts she suspected she'd need as she tried to recover from Drakken's latest debacle.
XX.
"Go, Wade," Kim said.
"Do you have anything of Ron's, even a hair? If you do, I can map his genome and include the data in a biogenetic detection program that I've just completed and want to download to the Kimmunicator; you should be able to scan for Ron's DNA from as far away as 100 kilometers."
"That's incredible," Kim said, excited by Wade's unexpected news. "Hold on," she said. "Let me check."
Kim opened her backpack and rummaged through its contents until she found Ron's toiletries pouch. Much to her relief, she found strands of hair tangled in the teeth of his comb. "We've got hair, Wade. What's next?"
"Put them on the scanner," he said as a small paten with a translucent silver disk in its center emerged from the Kimmunicator. Kim complied and watched as the small panel began to glow. "Got it. You're good to go. You can now search for Ron. You can use the Kimmunicator or, if you want, plug this into a data port and you can use Calypso's sensors."
"Wade, remember those autographed schematics I owe you?" Kim asked.
"Sure. No rush," he said, taking a sip of his ever-present drink.
"Remind me to ask Dad to give them to you when he gives you a personal tour of Utopia Planitia," she said.
"Thanks, Kim, but that's really not necessary," Wade responded.
"It is so necessary," she countered.
"No, really, it's not," he said before he shifted uneasily in his chair. "You see, I don't really like to leave my room. I'm kind of agoraphobic …" he explained sheepishly. Then he brightened. "Hey, maybe I could send my Wadebot, version 6.0!"
XXI.
"Do you two boy scouts remember what you're supposed to do once we're on board Enterprise?" Lore asked.
"Yes, Lore," Will Du and Tom Carter said in unison. The two men repeated their instructions.
"Just checking," the android said. "Now remember, boys, time is of the essence, so move quickly. Got it?"
"Yes, Lore," the two mind-controlled officers replied.
As far as Lore was concerned, anything the two men could do for him at this point was a bonus. Will Du had already provided him with all of the secret codes and protocols available to a Section 31 agent. Indeed, Lore suspected that he on his own could do what he intended for Carter and Du to do. However, there was something elegant to his mind about having genuine Starfleet officers help him commandeer the Federation flagship, which they were now approaching.
The shuttle received clearance to land. The great door slid open and the small ship glided through the force field into the bay. The android grinned as the craft gently touched down.
Will Du and Tom Carter emerged from the shuttle, looked around, waved at the officer in the control booth and left the hangar. A few minutes later, Lore, wearing a uniform identical to his brother's, slipped out of the craft and snuck out of the bay undetected.
Lore made his way to the battle bridge to wait for events to unfold. He was looking forward, as Doctor Drakken had once said, to laying down a heap of freak on Picard, Data, and their friends.
XXII.
Tom climbed into a Jefferies tube, wearing a utility belt from which hung a small canister and a few tools. Working quickly, he accessed an environmental control systems panel, opened a conduit, pressed a button on the canister causing the small LED light on its side to change from red to green, and slipped the canister into the conduit. Then he sealed the conduit, closed up the panel, climbed out of the tube and headed to his quarters.
Meanwhile, Will Du found a systems diagnostics workstation and began to insert and remove a series of isolinear data chips, after which he manually entered a series of command codes. Once he was done, he made his way to the bridge.
Moments after Will Du completed his work, an alarm light began to flash on the operations console of the bridge. Simultaneously, Picard's chair-based comm unit chirped.
"Captain, this is Engineering. I don't know why it's happening, but the warp core containment field is destabilizing and the core is going critical. It's going to breach within fifteen minutes."
"Can you stop it, Mr. La Forge?"
A moment later the chief engineer replied. "Negative, sir. We need to evacuate. Now."
"Understood, Mr. La Forge," Picard said before closing the channel and opening another one. "This is the captain. All personnel, I repeat all personnel, are to evacuate the secondary hull immediately." He turned to his executive officer. "Mr. Riker, would you prepare for saucer separation once we're sure the secondary hull has been evacuated?"
"Yes, sir," the first officer replied, as he rose and quickly moved to the helm. He rapidly began working the controls.
"Sir, all personnel have left the secondary hull," Data reported just minutes later as Geordi La Forge exited from the turbolift and made his way to the engineering station.
"Captain," the chief engineer reported, "We have three minutes, twenty-seven seconds until the warp core blows."
"Mr. Riker, complete saucer separation and prepare to engage full impulse engines now."
"Yes, sir," Riker said, acknowledging his captain's orders.
As the giant saucer section gracefully broke free of the crippled secondary hull and began to pull away at full impulse, the door to the bridge slid open and Will Du emerged from the turbolift, perspiration running down his face.
"Sir," he croaked out, looking haggard. "This is for you," he said as he staggered down the ramp to Picard's chair to hand him a padd. Du screamed and collapsed before he was able to hand the padd to the captain. Picard and Riker rushed to the lieutenant's side and saw the parasite exit from Will Du's ear.
"Is that what I think it is?" Riker asked.
Data had joined them. "If you are thinking that is a sand worm from Ceti Alpha V, sir, you are indeed correct. Would you like me to kill it?"
"Yes," Picard said before he hit his comm badge and called for medical assistance. Data, meanwhile, responded by crushing the creature beneath the heel of his boot.
Picard retrieved the padd, which was turned off. He activated the device. Data stood up straight, blinked twice, and fell to the floor.
Geordi rushed down to examine his fallen friend while Picard looked at the padd, which now bore a message, which he read.
Riker couldn't help but notice the expression on Picard's face; it mingled anger and surprise.
"Sir?"
Picard grimaced at his first officer, then handed him the padd.
Riker read the text.
The message was short and chilling:
I could have killed you quickly, but instead I'm going to enjoy knowing you've died a slow, painful death. Lore. p.s. Thanks for the ship.
XXIII.
"We will be in orbit in three minutes," Rufus said.
"Have we located Rayna's ship?" Kim asked.
"Yes," the mole rat replied.
"Prepare to scan for Ron," she ordered.
Moments later, Calypso eased into orbit. As it did, the sleek spacecraft passed within 300 kilometers of the Orionisi ambassador's vessel, earning it a warning from Rayna's escorts, but giving Kim and crew sufficient time to scan for Ron's DNA signature.
Worf frowned. "He is not on board."
"You're sure?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied.
Kim let out a low growl. "Rufus, can you scan the slave market on the surface?"
"No. There is a dampening shield covering the entire complex."
Kim stared through Calypso's viewports. "He's down there. I know it," she said quietly before turning to the naked mole rat. "Rufus, contact the spaceport authorities."
He opened a comm link and an Orionisi male appeared on screen. "Federation vessel," the hulking man demanded. "State your business."
Kim returned the man's steely gaze and uttered six words she never thought she'd say: "I'm here to buy a slave."
"I will need to review your identification," he said curtly. "Transmit your ship codes and crew manifest."
"Of course," Kim replied in a bored tone, trying to sound like she regularly trafficked in sentient beings.
Shortly after departing Enterprise, Kim had spoken with Wade. She was grateful that she had him remove Worf, Rufus and her from the roster of active-duty Starfleet personnel; though Kim had resigned, it would normally have taken weeks for Starfleet Central Records to update their information. Kim also had Wade remove Calypso from the Starfleet ship registry. As a result, Calypso, whose identifying marks had been removed during the refit, now appeared to be an armed civilian vessel used by Kim and her friends, who looked like merchants engaged in unsavory business.
"You are cleared to land," the green-skinned man replied. "You may proceed to the space port adjacent to the central slave market."
TBC …