Chapter 5

Aftermath

The silhouette fell. For a brief moment the light from Alec's phaser beam illuminated the cave but not enough for him to see his target. Even though he head beaten his adversary to the draw he did not holster his phaser. He did not know how many more there were in the caverns but he was fairly confident this was not the only one. To get Sha'Gra's guards down here would have required more muscle and firepower than one soldier could muster. He doubted the guards were killed topside and placed here, weapons fire would have been detected.

Alec paced slowly towards the fallen figure. What he was able to see when he got close chilled his soul. He hoped he was wrong. For the first time he was desperate for his eyes to be playing tricks on him. No. Please, God. No. He closed his eyes, hoping the body before him would change shape. But it didn't. There was no scaly grey skin, no battle uniform, no tubes for ketracel-white. Lying there before him, with a fatal phaser wound right where her Vesuvian heart beat just seconds before, was Sha'Gra. His grip on his phaser relaxed and it fell to the dirt, the echo as loud as any explosion he heard during the war.

Alec rushed to her side. As he checked her vital signs he was not surprised but still dismayed to see there were none. "Commander Wilson to Enterprise!" There was no answer. Which meant the dampening field was still up. He couldn't understand how he could have made such a horrible mistake. He would have bet all the latinum in the Ferengi Alliance that the person he fired upon had been a Jem'Hadar soldier. All the evidence, what little there was, had led him to that conclusion. The shape of the silhouette, the sound of a polaron disruptor charging, and what Alec had perceived as the weapon itself. Her hand held nothing that resembled the weapon of the Dominion's deadliest warrior.

Her lifeless eyes stared up at him, black as the darkest, starless night. They peered into his soul, intensifying the guilt that was already tormenting him. It was as if her eyes were their own separate entity. They were judging him, tearing him down. He could not bear to peer into those eyes any longer, yet he could not look away. He reached out and closed her eyelids.

Alec didn't know how long he knelt there over her empty body but he thought it had to be at least twenty minutes. The silence seemed to be judging him as well, total isolation felt like an appropriate punishment. A comchannel opening freed him from the deafening silence. "...terprise to Commander Wilson. This is Captain Picard. Can you hear me?"

He hit his combadge with enough force to crack diamond. "Wilson here, Captain."

"Good to hear your voice, Commander. Jobra managed to convince Vesuvian security to lower the dampening field. What is your status? Have you found President Sha'Gra?"

And there it was. The lowest point his career could ever reach. "Yes, Captain." said Alec. "I found her."

Alec was soon joined by Captain Picard, Ambassador Jobra and several members of the Vesuvian security force. Several floodlights had been brought into the cavern to assist in the investigation. He saw the guard that had been his partner in the observation room, no doubt looking forward to backing up his claim of vengeance. The security force would no doubt be taking him into custody in the coming minutes.

He knew telling his captain what happened would be the hardest thing Alec would ever have to do. He felt like he was giving a final confession before facing a firing squad.

"What exactly happened, Commander?"

Alec's mouth wouldn't work right away. He was still in shock over what had transpired. With everyone standing over him, as Sha'Gra's body was taken away, he found his voice. "My security team and I separated. With the dampening field in place there was no way for us to communicate. About ten minutes after we divided I came across the bodies of Sha'Gra's personal guards. They both had wounds from a particle weapon. Without a fully functional tricorder I was unable to get specifics. But my instincts tell me it will turn out to be a Romulan disruptor. After venturing into another cavern I stopped when I heard footsteps. It was too dark to see anything clearly but I thought I saw the form of a Jem'Hadar soldier."

"Jem'Hadar soldier? Are you sure, Commander?" Picard had his doubts about Alec's proclamation. There was no reason for a Jem'Hadar soldier to be in the Alpha Quadrant. He had no doubt about Alec's sincerity of what he thought he saw, he just didn't see how it was possible.

"I'm positive, Captain. I then heard the sound of a polaron disruptor charging. After my time on the front line during the Dominion War that sound is unmistakable. I then saw what appeared to be the weapon itself. It was then that I fired my phaser."

Alec's former partner and new enemy stepped forward. He appeared to be in charge down there. "So you admit to murdering our president."

Alec looked his counterpart straight in the eyes. "No, I admit to doing what I thought was necessary to ensure my survival."

The guard took another step towards Alec and hardened his gaze. "The end result is the same. Our president is dead at your hand."

Alec was unable to dispute that. There was no response he could think of to adequately defend himself, and he doubted intent would work very well. Not very many things were in his favor.

Two Vesuvian guards entered the small cavern from where Alec first came through. They had just come form the tunnel where he had found the bodies of Sha'Gra's guards. One of them held what Alec presumed was the Vesuvian equivalent of a tricorder. The guard looked angrily at Alec.

The guard that Alec referred to as The Warden approached them. It was the security officer that he had attempted to converse with in the observation room. Alec had assumed he was just a guard, but he turned out to be the head of Vesuvian security. It was no wonder he had held such contempt for Alec. His personal authority had been usurped. And he was now asserting it once more, no doubt with some enjoyment. "What have you discovered?"

"The results are irrefutable." said the guard holding the scanner. "The president's guards were killed by a Starfleet phaser."

"That's impossible!" Alec rose in a flash and was immediately grabbed at the arms by Vesuvian guards. He threw off the guard on his right and was about to do the same to the other when Picard objected to his reaction. Alec knew his captain was right, he could have made a bad situation worse. The fallen guard grabbed his arm once again and was assisted by two more.

"I want to see the results of those scans." said Picard.

"And you may do so." said The Warden. "If you wish to be present at his interrogation." He nodded at the guards holding Alec. His arms were held behind him as he was put in shackles. "Your chief of security is under arrest for the murder of our President, and the suspected murder of her guards."

Picard was silent. He wanted to tell his officer that everything would be alright, that they would sort it out, that it was just a misunderstanding. But Alec had already said that he had fired. There wasn't much Picard could do to protect him. He never felt so helpless as he did right now, when one of his officers was going to take a fall.

The senior staff of the Enterprise awaited the arrival of their captain in the observation lounge. They had received the news about Alec and were all curious as to what Picard intended to do about the situation. The problem lied in the fact that the incident took place on Vesuvian soil, therefore it fell under their jurisdiction. As a result, Alec was subject to their laws and punishments.

Captain Picard, President Ross, and Ambassador Neelix entered the room. At the sight of those rising at the table in response to his presence Ross raised his arm, signaling them to be at ease. He wasn't much of a stickler for presidential etiquette, he just wanted to do the best job he could with his position.

Picard wasted no time in getting started when he sat down. "By now you're all aware of what has transpired down on the surface. I don't need to tell you that an international incident like this could have massive repercussions."

"What's going to happen to Alec, Captain?" Riker was slightly hunched forward at the table, the displeasure in his voice was as apparent as his beard.

"At the moment he is in the custody of Vesuvian security. His interrogation is scheduled for an hour from now. I will be present during the process."

"Captain, I would also like to be there. As president of the union I think it would be a sign of good faith."

"I understand your viewpoint, Mr. President, but I feel I must advise against it."

"I agree with Captain Picard." said Data. "There are numerous extremist cells that oppose Federation membership. They may decide to use this incident as an excuse to retaliate. Your life could be in danger if you choose to beam to the planet."

Troi paid only half attention to the meeting. The other half was towards a nearing presence. She felt someone's strong anger and pain. It was close to the observation lounge and getting closer by the second. The doors opened and Alec's frantic wife, Rene, entered the room. She was followed closely by an ensign.

"...I don't care. I'm going in." said Rene in midsentence.

Picard held up a hand to her follower. "It's alright, Ensign."

Rene glared at her unwanted escort as he left her side. She then turned her attention to the meeting. Her frustration radiated outward as if it were a visible aura. "Captain Picard, what's going on? Nobody will tell me anything. Where is my husband?"

Picard had to handle this delicately. The wrong thing could set her off like an unstable warp core. "Rene, perhaps if you'd like to go wait in my ready room I can be with you shor-"

She didn't let him to finish. "I don't want to wait, Captain. I'd like to be included now. It's a safe bet that this meeting is about Alec and as his wife I think I deserve to be told."

The veteran captain sighed. He knew she wasn't going without a fight. And there was a good chance ship's security would be more than hesitant to haul away the wife of their department head. In fact, they might be more afraid of her than him. The easiest and morally right thing to do would be to let her stay. "Please sit, Rene."

"Thank you." She was relieved that she did not have to cause a scene. Troi indicated the empty seat next to her and Rene sat in it. There was one of two reasons for it: Either Troi was just giving her friend a seat, or the news was bad and the counselor knew Rene would need consoling. Considering the hush hush treatment she had been coming across, Rene was convinced it was the latter.

"Rene, a short while ago your husband was placed under arrest for the murder of President Sha'Gra and the suspected murder of her guards."

She felt as if she had just been dealt a great blow. The very thought that her husband was capable of such a cold blooded, evil act was not only ridiculous to her, but insulting. "Somebody's made a mistake! Alec would never-"

"Rene, try to stay calm." said Troi. She placed her hand on Rene's shoulder. The fear she sensed was twice as strong and was growing.

"What proof do they have?"

"I'm afraid that's where the trouble lies. Alec has admitted to firing the phaser that killed Sha'Gra. And while the evidence against him regarding her guards is circumstantial that is the lesser problem." Even while he was still talking, Picard saw her eyes widen with shock.

"A mistake has been made! Alec would only kill in self defense and Sha'Gra did not seem like the kind of person that would force him to make that choice."

Riker took some of the pressure off of his captain. "Alec claims that he was firing on what appeared to be a Jem'Hadar soldier."

"That that's what happened. My husband doesn't not hallucinate and he does not make up stories to cover his ass. If he says he saw a Jem'Hadar, he saw one."

"Unfortunately, the lack of evidence seems to disprove that defence." said Data, adding to the bad news. "Further searches of the underground caverns have revealed no sign of any Jem'Hadar nor the weapon Commander Wilson claims he heard."

Rene exhaled a breath of frustration. "So what happens now?"

"Rest assured, we're going to do everything we can." Picard felt pathetic with that answer but he could think of no other reply. He would have to wait until after Alec was interrogated to have an accurate idea of what was going to happen. He was just thankful to learn that Vesuvian interrogations involved no other worldly technology, no torture, no injections with a truth serum, just question and answer. The way he felt it should be.

Rene wished her children were on board. Although she did not enjoy the idea of telling them that Daddy was in trouble she would rather tell them herself. And she could just picture the smug 'I told you so' attitude her father would present her with upon hearing the news which would no doubt make its way across the Federation in the coming days. "I think I'll return to my quarters."

"By all means." said Picard. "Counselor, if you will."

Troi rose from her chair to take Rene home. "Of course."

The interrogation room was relatively simple. As two guards escorted him in, Alec found that the most interesting thing to look at was the table. He was taken to the table and forced into the chair a little rougher than he cared for. His shackled hands were held in front of him on the table surfaced and then released. He found that even though his arm muscles had relaxed his arms themselves would not retract. The conclusion being there must be some sort of EM field emanating from the table. Good idea.

The Warden came into the room. A smug look of superiority spread across his face. Coming in behind him before the doors closed were the two investigators that proclaimed Sha'Gra's guards dead by Starfleet phaser. One of them carried a small case in his hand. Witnesses and evidence probably. The Warden sat down directly across from Alec. The look in his Vesuvian eyes was unmistakable. It said 'I've got you.' Alec contemplated sticking his tongue out at his interrogator, or maybe even giving him an ancient Earth gesture known as 'flipping the bird' but The Warden was unlikely to know the meaning of either. Plus, he considered it wise not to antagonize these people any further.

Alec was being given the stare treatment. No doubt The Warden's attempt to intimidate him. Nice try, I perfected the stare treatment. Alec just stared right back. "You really think that's going to work on me?"

The Warden feigned ignorance for a moment before the realization sank in that he was dealing with a professional. "My usual tactics will probably have less effect on you, but I know a few things that may surprise you."

Alec almost laughed. "I think you'll end up being the surprised one. Starfleet officers are better trained in practically every field than any other institution."

"Do those fields include conspiracy and assassination?"

Alec had to resist the urge to lash out. That one stung hard. The Warden smiled, probably noting the anger on Alec's face. He hadn't been prepared for that. "Not as a rule, no."

"From the moment I heard that we were joining the Federation I was opposed to it. The Federation is nothing but a magnet for attack. The Xindi, the Klingons, the Cardassians, the Borg, the Dominion. The Federation's list of enemies is endless. I can't understand why Sha'Gra would have wanted to ally us with you."

"You need a history lesson." Alec laughed to himself at The Warden's ignorance of the facts. "The Federation didn't even exist when the Xindi attacked humanity. They only attacked us out of fear and misinformation. Sound familiar?"

"No doubt they would have attacked you anyway had they known what a pestilence on the galaxy you were to become."

Again Alec refused to take the bait. However if his hands hadn't been secured to the table he imagined he'd be pummeling the racist Vesuvian that sat across from him. "You fail to realize the Dominion and the Borg would have ravaged your world long ago had we not stopped them."

"From what I understand, the Dominion attacked the Federation in response to your repeated violation of their space. And the Borg would have stayed in the Delta Quadrant had you again stayed where you belong. The Federation has a habit of attracting enemies, wouldn't you say?"

Alec wasn't even going to dignify the bigot that he was beginning to loath. Through his life he had encountered several people who disliked the Federation or humanity itself for one reason or another, but never one so ignorant of the facts. He simply leaned forward, and spoke with his own hint of superiority. "You know, you people make me sick. And when I say 'you people' I don't mean Vesuvians. I like your people, you have one of the most beautiful cultures I've ever seen. When I say 'you people' I mean arrogant, ignorant, close minded idiots who are so focused on their own points of view that they won't examine others. You're locked on the propaganda coming from others like you it's blinded you. The ignorant always take the biggest fall when they're shown the light, and I'm going to be there when you learn that. So spare me the smug, self righteous attitude you stupid, arrogant bastard."

The Warden was probably unaccustomed to people speaking to him in such a disrespectful way that he was not sure how to deal with it. He seemed to be deciding between lashing out physically or with speech. His lower lip trembled with a fury that Alec was pleased to have stirred. When his enemies chose to get dirty Alec was more than happy to get his hands in the muck and fight back.

Captain Picard was led into the interrogation room. Upon his entry he saw Alec sitting at a table in the center with a guard sitting opposite him. He knew the guard to also be the head of security for the city. He name was Bru'Dan, and Picard could tell immediately that he had an extreme dislike for Alec, not surprising however. Picard looked at the shackles which held Alec's hands to the table. He found it amusing that Alec could get out of them if he truly wished it, and he was glad that such a thing had not happened.

"Captain," said Alec upon noticing his captain. "Glad you could join us. The Warden and I were running out of things to say."

Picard might have smiled had the situation not been so serious. He took a seat next to Alec and put his hands together on the surface of the table. "I trust he's been well treated, Bru'Dan."

"He has suffered far less than he deserves."

"They could at least learn to let me sit myself down. Apparently they seem to think I like to be thrown into my chair."

The interrogation proceeded. Most of what was suggested made Picard shake his head. Bru'Dan appeared to be under the impression that Alec was behind a conspiracy to obtain Vesuvia's dilithium planets. All of what Bru'Dan presented was purely speculative with no solid proof. Picard was aware of the tactic. Bru'Dan was trying to trick Alec into revealing something tangible and incriminating. But he knew that even if Alec was guilty of the conspiracy with which he was accused he would be too smart to fall for such a ploy.

"This is the part I have been looking forward to." Bru'Dan motioned for the guard holding the case to approach the table. The case was placed on the table and Bru'Dan moved it closer to himself. "Commander, do you consider yourself a peaceful man?"

Alec looked at his captain with a look of puzzlement which Picard shared. "You've already made up your mind about that subject so what bearing does my answer have?"

"Humor me."

Alec was only answering because he wanted to know where this question was going. "Yes, I do. There have been times where I've been required to use violence, it comes with the job. And I won't deny that a certain excitement comes too, but I'd like to think that everyone in the Federation wants peace."

"Typical Federation answer." Bru'Dan acted as if he expected the response word for word. He was tapping his fingers on the case, seemingly relishing the moment. The tapping stopped and he opened the case, but at an angle which Picard and Alec could not see the contents. "Commander, isn't it true that when they are put in storage, Starfleet phasers are set to a default of level 1?"

"Yes, low stun." Alec realized the case contained his phaser, the one he dropped in the cave after he saw Sha'Gra's body.

"Why is that?"

"Safety precaution."

"Accidents happen, correct?"

"On occasion, yes." Alec sensed the point was near.

"Did you at any time during your search of the underground caverns change the setting of your phaser?

"Yes. Just before my officers and I entered the caverns I told them to set their phasers on medium stun, which is level 2." After Alec said those words a revelation hit him that should have occurred to him sooner but he had been so preoccupied with the severity of what happened. Medium stun could not account for the fatal damage caused to Sha'Gra, unless Vesuvians were more susceptible to damage from Starfleet phasers. It was possibly, but he had his doubts. For the first time, he realized how very wrong things were.

Bru'Dan reached into the case and removed a type II phaser into view of Alec and Captain Picard. "Then perhaps, as a man of peace, who must occasionally resort to violence, you can tell me why your phaser is set to level 7."

Alec's eyes went wide as the phaser was slid across the table towards him. Picard picked up the phaser and examined the display, verifying that it was indeed on level 7. Such a setting would cause severe dermal damage and cellular disruption much like the wounds inflicted upon Sha'Gra and her guards.

He was furious. Someone was setting him up for a fall, and he intended to find out who. He considered for a moment that the setting might have been changed when it flew from his grip after he tripped over the body of her guard, but he discarded that thought. The setting controls are pressure sensitive and cannot be changed by a jarring impact. Alec looked at his captain. His face was grim.

"It seems to me," continued Bru'Dan. "That a person would not have his weapon on that setting unless he had something other than peace on his mind. Wouldn't you agree, Captain?"

Picard said nothing, he just pushed the phaser back across the table to Bru'Dan, whose demeanor was getting smugger by the minute. The Vesuvian took the weapon and placed it once more in the case. "For the sake of diplomatic relations. I've going to allow you to return to your ship. Until we decide how we're going to proceed with this atrocity."

The shackles restraining Alec opened and he drew his hands back towards his chest. He rubbed his tender wrists until some of the soreness was alleviated. I bet I could jump out of my chair and have Bru'Dan on the floor before either of the guards knew what was going on.

"Ambassador Jobra will contact you shortly." said Bru'Dan.

"Picard to Enterprise. Two to beam up."

Bru'Dan watched the Starfleet officers disappear before him. He then turned to the guards still in the room. "Leave" he said. They obeyed, exiting the room immediately. He removed a p.a.d.d. from the case that held the phaser and pressed a switch on the underside of table. In the back of the room on the right side a wall segment raised into the ceiling, revealing darkness. A silhouette was visible. Bru'Dan left the table and approached the figure, handing over the p.a.d.d. "Here's the update you asked for, mistress."

A hand reached out for the darkness, the gray sleeve of her uniform came down to her wrist. "Thank you, Bru'Dan. Your assistance has been most appreciated." Her voice was full and soothing, yet sinister at the same time. "A day of reckoning for the Federation will soon be at hand."