Chapter 16

Confrontation

The very sight if her so weighted me that I abandoned hope of ever climbing that mountain slope. Alec was stuck between sheer terror and absolute rage. There was no mistaking what Rene was feeling. It was perfectly clear in her tear swelled eyes. There was nothing but pure, unadulterated fear. Tasmith seemed to feed off it. The same twisted grin was spread across her lips as when he mentioned Rene's 'pretty face' during their brief conversation in the holding cell back on Deep Space Nine.

Resisting the urge to - extreme desire even - to lunge across the cockpit and attack Tasmith stretched his will power to its very limits. The fear in Rene's eyes shot through him and chilled him to the bone. It broke his heart not being able to help her. He could almost hear her thoughts. They were crying out to him. What surprised him was the four bleeding scratch marks that ran down Tasmith's cheek. It appeared that Rene had gotten a few licks in before she was subdued.

I won't let her hurt you.

Tasmith studied his physical reactions. He was borderline ballistic. The current situation was reminiscent of the old human saying 'catch twenty-two.' Having the woman in such a life threatening position was 'pouring fuel on the fire,' and it was currently the only thing preventing him from attacking. However, if it were just the two of them it was likely he wouldn't be so eager to start a confrontation.

Alec spoke first. "Please, let her go."

Reasoning, a typical human response to a hostage situation. They were willing to offer anything and everything, even things they were not able to give, simply to save someone they truly love. He had nothing she needed, or wanted. At least for the moment.

"Soon enough."

"How did you find us?"

"There is nowhere you can go that I won't follow."

Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean. He remembered his phaser, he might be able to work it out of his inner cuff. It was too risky. Tasmith was too fast, and she always seemed to be one step ahead of him. "Okay, you're here. Now what? Do we fight again? We don't have as much space as before but that'll just make it interesting. Whatever it is you want, tell me."

"Very well. Take the helm and plot a course for Vesuvia. Maximum warp."

Alec's will power lapsed for a split second and he flinched. Tasmith saw his movement and pulled the lash of her whip tighter around Rene's neck.

"Oops. Look what I've done." said the sadistic woman.

Unable to breath, Rene's eyes widened. Alec took as many steps back as he could. With his back touching the bulkhead, Tasmith loosened the lash. Rene gasped as she filled her lungs with air. He wanted to hold her and tell her everything would be okay, but he doubted their captor would allow it.

He started towards the helm, meeting eyes with Tasmith when he was at the top of the incline. "If you harm her, I will kill you."

Tasmith ran her fingers through Rene's hair and nuzzled against her cheek once more. "He looks so cute when he threatens, doesn't he?"

Alec's blood was boiling. He continued down the incline to the helm. The force with which his fingers hit the console was almost sufficient to shatter it.

"Oh, and Alec? Don't try to be smart and take us into Federation space. My ship has been programmed to follow yours and will fire if you deviate."

There goes that plan. He wasn't at all surprised that she had prepared for self annihilation. She was naught for lack of insanity.

Once the ship had gone into warp, he turned back to the gut wrenching site of his terrified wife. "Let her go." Alec watched as Tasmith continued to stroke Rene's hair. "Hey!" That got her attention. "You said yourself that we'll be fired upon if we change our course. Not to mention you're on our ship. And there's only so many places we can go in here."

Tasmith tapped her finger against her chin as she considered the request. "All right."

As the pressure on her neck eased, Rene took in all the air she could. Her throat burned with exertion. Once her hands were released she was out of the chair and in Alec's arms halfway down the incline,

Tasmith motioned with her index finger for Ty'brel to come closer. It was the first time she had acknowledged him. As he neared she pointed to the tactical chair. He sat down without so much as a quiver. "Ty'brel, you probably thought that you could hide forever."

Rene lifted her head from its sanctuary and spoke for the first time, albeit with a slight but noticeable rasp. "What are you going to do with us?" The question she chose to ask was irrelevant, all she wanted to do was show she hadn't been scared into submission.

"If I were you, I would not be so eager to know my fate."

"She asked you a question." Alec turned the chair so he could look Tasmith in the eye. "Answer her."

It was a little surprising at first that he'd be talking to her in such a manner. She liked surprises. Normally she had people that knew who she was cowering in fear. But not him. Perhaps it was because he already knew what awaited him back on Vesuvia, or most likely the treatment given to his wife. Whatever the cause, it intrigued her.

"You," she said to Alec. "Will be handed over to the extremists. They won't have nearly as much fun with you as I would have were it up to me to decide your fate. As for him," she motioned to Ty'brel. "He'll be given to Bru'Dan."

"But he'll kill me." said Ty'brel.

"That is of no concern or consequence to me."

"What about me?" asked Rene.

Tasmith looked at her with lingering curiosity. "I have not decided yet."

"That's not much incentive for me to willingly take us back there, is it?" asked Alec.

Tasmith grinned at his rebellious attempt to make her reconsider. "True, but I've been at this long enough that I've become somewhat of an expert when it comes to people in your position." She sidestepped to her left, running her finger along the operations chair before leaning forward on it. "You love her, as much as I have seen any man love his woman. So long as she's alive and you believe there's a chance you can save her, you'll do everything you can to keep her that way until desperation overpowers you. I have seen it countless times, and despite your feelings you are no different. You too will act when that moment comes. And I await your effort. So save your energy with your futile attempts to outsmart me. It worked before, but not again."

Rene put her head in Alec's shoulder once more. Her captor's voice was soft, but she was so cold, and it didn't fool Rene for a second. The word inhuman came across her mind but it was so incredibly obvious that it did not apply. More disturbing than the voice and words was the smile. She had never doubted her husband's abilities, the only times she ever felt truly safe were when she was with him. But she did not see how they would all make it out of this alive.

The helm console started beeping. Alec turned to see what, if anything, was wrong. For the first time since being back on board, things had the potential to get better. A plan spurred in the back of his mind. "Is that little ship of yours going to open fire if we slow down?"

"No."

Good. "I have to take us out of warp. Unless you'd like me to try and maneuver through that debris field while going thousands of times the speed of light. I'm not sure I'd want to trust my reflexes."

"Do it."

"Coming out of warp."

Rene stood from his lap, knowing he'd need free movement of his hands to correctly navigate the sea of ships out there. But she held him by the elbow. She was not ready to let go of him yet.

Derelict upon derelict flew by like before. Rene didn't see them as ships but rather as symbols of the 'countless' people that Tasmith had either turned in or killed. Even her husband would have to admit that the odds were not in their favor. For whatever reason, curiosity took hold and she turned for a glimpse of their captor. On her face was the same smile. She was standing behind the ops station and glancing at the dead ships as best she could through the viewports. Rene shivered and tightened her grip on Alec's arm. Alec touched her hand and squeezed it, keeping his eyes forward and momentarily piloting with one hand.

Ty'brel was jarred by the sound from the console before him. He had only a passing familiarity with Federation technology but he believed it was communications. "Distress calls."

"Deactivate the audio alerts."

"No!" said Tasmith. It was the first time true outburst they had seen from her. She reached down to the ops station and accessed communications.

A plea for help from an unseen body cried out over the comm. "This is the cargo vessel Mapest. We are under attack by an Orion ship. They attacked us without provocation. We have limited defensive capabilities and will not last much longer. Pleeeeease help us! This is the cargo-"

The message repeated itself. Tasmith closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She relished in the death and destruction, feeding off it and craving it like a drug. She was a mayhem junkie, and there was an endless supply of ships out there that she could use for a fix.

She was distracted and Alec knew it. It was time for him to put his plan into action. Luckily for him, Tasmith was unaware that the Travioli had a specially designed auto navigation system - courtesy of the late James Moore - that allowed the ship to navigate debris, asteroid fields, and the like.

Unnoticed by the eyes of his captor, he took control of the life support system. Once accessed, he began to completely vent the atmosphere of the rear section until it was an airless vacuum. When that part of the plan was complete he sent a console to console message to Ty'brel. telling him to hold on tight when the signal was given and that he'd know it when he heard it.

A number of prerecorded distress calls were broadcast over the audio, each one more disturbing than the last. And that only made Tasmith happier.

The shuttle finally exited the debris field. All but Tasmith were relieved to be away from such a senseless waste of life.

"All clear." said Alec. He nudged Rene to loosen her grip on his elbow and he grasped her right hand tightly. "Oh, and Tasmith? Wait's over."

With the push of a button Alec opened the door to the rear compartment. The cabin's air rushed by him with the strength of a windstorm. It tussled his hair and made him close his eyes. His ears popped as the air pressure in the cockpit lowered. He tightened his grip on Rene's hand as she was pulled along with the atmosphere as it was equalizing throughout the ship. He turned just in time to see Rene rise into the air and Tasmith get blown through the open door into the rear.

Once the equalization was complete, Rene came to the floor. Gasping, Alec asked her if she was okay. He was dashing towards the rear as fast as he could a split second after he returned the environmental controls to normal.

He saw her kneeling on the floor. She must have been thrown against the wall by the pressure. The force with which she hit must have been enough to render a human unconscious. There was no holding back this time. He knew what he was up against.

Alec leapt from the top of the short staircase at the speed which he was able to attain, extending his right leg into a drop kick, Tasmith raised her head in time to see him coming. Her Vulcan reflexes allowed her to duck out of the way in time within inches of being hit. Alec quickly tilted his foot upwards to cushion the momentum taking him into the wall. He pushed off the wall and used the leftover momentum to pivot to his left. Once again he resorted to his favorite battle technique and swung a backhanded punch across her head on his way to the floor.

The way with which she wound up in the rear compartment - along with Alec's blow - were not being bore well by her. And he did not hesitate to take advantage of it. He moved in close and landed a combo of blows to her lower torso. Right followed left, left followed right. Her counterblows were blocked and he threw more in retaliation. He straightened his hands so they were rigid and brought them down to chop her shoulders. Her reaction was unexpectedly fast. She swung her arms up and batted his away before throwing a vicious punch to his face.

Alec reeled backward, nose bleeding and eyes watering. His vision was blurry but he saw enough of her left leg coming towards his head to block it with his right arm. Before her leg could drop he wrapped his arm around it, trapping it against his side. With his eyes now clearer he countered with the same move she just tried, only he used his right leg. And his connected. Not wanting to let her recover he propelled her leg to the right, causing her to spin. He pivoted immediately and threw a spinning round kick to the center of her back.

Tasmith stumbled forward before throwing her hands out and stopping herself on the biobed. She turned to face him. Her face was full of a rage unlike any he had seen before. Uh oh, was I being toyed with.

The now furious woman let out a battle cry that would have frightened a wild targ. She lunged at him and threw a left. He ducked to his left to avoid it and raised his hands to his face in order to block her jumping right knee. Her rising left knee caught him in the jaw. Even as he was still reeling from that, her left fist caught him upside the head.

Alec fell to the floor. Lying on his back he looked up and saw the bottom of her foot coming down. With an almost silent gasp he rolled clear and got on all fours. Instead of standing up he stayed down and spun his leg out, sweeping hers from under her. He continued the spin and struck her head with his other leg as she hit the floor.

Back on her feet, Tasmith reached to her side for her weapon and extended the staff. Alec's katana wasn't within reach and he would have been hit with a myriad of blows by the time he reached it. He ducked to avoid a swing to his head and jumped to avoid one to his legs. Her staff was then coming down at him. He held out his hands and caught it, clenching his teeth through the stings like hell pain and doing his best to ignore it.

A realization hit him. As strong as Tasmith was, he was still bigger, weighing roughly two and a half times more than her. Despite her superior strength she was still subject to the laws of physics.

Alec swiftly pulled the staff down. With one hand at the end, he gripped the staff further towards the center with his other and - using his own show of strength for a change - lifted her off the deck. Even as her feet were leaving the floor he started to spin. Once some momentum had been built up he released his grip on the staff and watched as she landed on the biobed and rolled off the side to the floor.

Alec headed right for his katana in the storage cage, feeling much better having it in his hands. He unsheathed it and turned in time to stop her staff, which was coming right at him. A high pitched clang rattled his eyes in unison with the vibrating sword in his hands. They were both under strain, wrenching their weapons together.

Something happened that churned his hope and fueled his fire. He saw a bead of sweat roll down her temple. She didn't seem like she was used to sweating very often. It pleased him to know he was making her work for her prize.

The lower end of her staff struck his right knee. His balance wobbled and he dropped to one knee. Her staff batted against his sword in an attempt to knock it from his hand, but his grip was too firm. He rolled away from another swing which would have caught the top of his head.

The rear of the shuttle was too small for her to use her whip and he was extremely grateful for that.

From a crouch he leapt at her. With his katana held firmly in his right hand he took a horizontal inside slash. She saw him coming and spun away. They stood there facing each other, weapons at the ready. For a moment he thought he had missed her, but a trace of green on the tip of his katana and a steady patter drew his eyes to the deck by her feet. A small puddle of green blood had begun to form. It came from a laceration on her lower torso. The material of her garment had contracted upon being cut, exposing the bleeding wound. The odds favored that he'd draw blood sooner or later.

Alec felt like he was getting a private viewing of the past, a glimpse back into when violent, primeval emotions ruled the Vulcan psyche, before the logical teachings of Surak. Until now, Tasmith had maintained the cool, calm persona of a Vulcan - aside from the war cry. Rage, anger, hatred, wrath, all appeared within her grasp now. Her Klingon half appeared to be emerging. With the war cry, he had gotten just a preview of her Klingon fury, now he was going to get the full show.

She was stronger and faster, but unstable, angry, and bleeding. He was still calm, and his nose had stopped bleeding. He had the edge so far as he was concerned, although he'd have some bruises of his own to show for it later.

Tasmith struck quickly. He parried her staff and pushed it away, taking another one handed inside slash, this time with his right. His own speed surprised him. Tasmith leaned back to avoid the singing blade. Something fluttered through the air, it was some of her hair. Speed was no longer one of her advantages.

He tried his one handed luck once more. Third time was not so lucky. She caught his downswinging arm by the wrist and struck him in the side with her staff. He grit his teeth and took the blow but held his staff there with his arm in the same fashion he held her leg before. Tasmith thrust forward in an attempt to head butt him. Alec sidestepped to the right and pivoted to his left, connecting his elbow with the back of her skull. She released his wrist and dropped her staff.

Tasmith sensed him coming up behind her and used her momentum to approach the wall and flip backwards off it, landing behind him. She reached over and under his arms and locked her fingers behind his neck, planting him against the wall. She put me in a goddamned full nelson!

Alec planted his feet on the wall and pushed as hard as he could. She was forced away from the wall and released him. He landed on his feet and threw a kick backwards into her gut. His katana was slicing down as he turned. Tasmith had a surprise reserve of speed. She ducked and dodged a myriad of his lunges and swipes. He swung downward once more, certain it would be the killing blow. But Tasmith caught the blade between the palms of her hands.

Knows better than the Borg Queen. Alec tried wrenching it free but she was not letting go. Okay. He took one hand off his sword and moved in closer, laying a chop on her still bleeding wound, knowing that if he kept doing it she'd have to let go. By the fourth blow his hand was slick with blood. She let go on the fifth. Even though she had superior endurance she was still tiring, and he wasn't at peak either. His muscles burned with exertion, and he could feel the sweat that soaked through his shirt. He was running on adrenaline.

Tasmith stood near the opening of the storage cage. Alec saw an opportunity to end this fight and he was going to take it. A knowingly futile attempt took the form of a one handed downswing of his katana's butt end. Tasmith caught his arm by the wrist again as he suspected she would. But this time when she grabbed his wrist she bent it backwards. She held it at the point where any more force would result in broken bone. He believed it was her way of saying 'that didn't work before so what makes you think it would work this time?'

Alec wasn't in the mood for a broken wrist so he released his grip on his katana. It clattered on the floor as he threw himself at Tasmith. With all he had left he picked her up and carried her at full speed into the storage cage, slamming her into the wall as hard as he could. He immediately leapt backward and slid the cage shut, engaging the locking mechanism as it closed and smashing the control panel.

Out of relief and exhaustion, Alec fell to the floor. I can't believe she put me in a full nelson! The cage was made of tritanium, there was no way she was getting out unless someone let her out and that would be difficult with the control panel in its current condition.

There was a uniform tunic on an adjacent shelf, she held it against her wound. "Impressive." she said. "You cut me sooner than expected."

"Your confidence in me means so much." he said dryly, and with a touch of venom.

"You should have killed me."

You don't think I tried?! Alec tasted blood, he spat it through the cage at her feet. "What can I say? I'm a man of morals."

Tasmith hopped onto the shelf and leaned back, still holding the tunic to her wound. "Do you think that's enough to keep her alive?"

"I guess we'll find out."

She threw the tunic away and leaned against the cage. "The cell on that space station couldn't hold me, and it had a forcefield. What makes you think this one will?"

Alec picked up his sword and used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the blood off the tip. "I'm willing to bet that was equal parts Jones' stupidity and you. Well... 80/20 in his favor. I understand you left him alive."

"I wouldn't have taken his life for double the price that's on your head." she said with what Alec thought was disgust. "A man like that deserves to live with what he is."

For once he agreed with her. Jones was beneath the junkie that tried to rob him on Farius Prime.

This was probably the closest thing the two of them would come to having a civilized conversation. But he knew the second she was out of that cage the fighting would resume, and she'd recover faster than he would. "You never answered my question."

Her smile never ceased to give him the creeps. "Which one was that?"

"How did you find us?"

She held her chin as thought in thought. "You're right, I didn't answer."

"How?!"

"Testy, aren't you?"

"I'm not in the mood for this."

Tasmith laughed, almost cackling. "And what could you do?"

That's what I'd like to know. "The life support fails back here so easily. It would be such a tragedy if that were to happen while you were trapped in there."

"I'd expect more than such an idle threat coming from a man of your caliber."

"It won't seem so idle when you're suffocating."

"Ooh, better." she said, feigning chills. "You won't kill me in cold blood, your honour won't allow it."

"I'd consider it preemptive self-defense."

"You bore me."

"One last time." he said. "How'd you find us?"

"Run along little rabbit." she said, shooing him with her fingers. "The fox is tired of this game." Tasmith closed her eyes as if meditating.

He wasn't getting any more out of her. When a woman didn't want to talk she wasn't going to say a word. Rene had taught him that several, several times. And if Rene was impossible to break, than Tasmith would be whatever was beyond impossible.

Alec could not let the question go. It was imperative he find out how Tasmith found him. She had found them on Deep Space Nine because Jones decided to 'do his job,' but that didn't explain how she found them this time. He would have to run a diagnostic on the holoprojectors to make sure nothing was showing through. Even if that was the case he wasn't sure what he could do. Repairing Cardassian holoprojectors wasn't exactly one of his talents. And it was unlikely either of his companions had the necessary skill. Even if Tasmith knew how to repair it he could safely rule her out as a willing aide.

He picked up the scabbard and sheathed his katana. An unlikely possibility made him shake his head in dismissal, but he had to consider it. It can't be. He called out to the cockpit. "Ty'brel, can you come back here? And bring my tricorder."

The Vesuvian promptly entered the rear compartment. He smiled when he saw their captor turned prisoner trapped in the cage. A few steps from the small staircase his left foot lost traction and slid forward. Alec helped him stay on his feet. Ty'brel looked back and saw a green liquid on the floor. He saw several more such spots like it, some larger, some smaller.

Alec noticed Ty'brel's ponderous looks. "Blood."

"I don't see much of yours."

"She got the worst of it."

"This time." said Tasmith from her cell.

"Excuse me," said Alec as he turned to face her. Her eyes were still closed. "But we've faced each other twice, and both times you've wound up the prisoner."

"Too much pride can kill a man." she almost sang the words.

"I'm still alive aren't I?"

"I repeat my previous statement. When I get out of here, and I will get out of here, you will learn why it would have been easier for you to come with me when you had the chance."

Whatever. Alec turned back to Ty'brel and pointed at the tricorder in his hand. "Have you ever used one of those before?"

The tricorder opened in Ty'brel's hand with a click as he held it in Alec's direction. "Elevated heartrate and blood pressure, some internal bleeding, endorphin level above average."

"Well done. Anything that can't be guessed just by looking at me?"

Ty'brel chuckled as he closed the scanning device. "I have enough experience with my own technology that I should be able to figure out yours."

"I need you to scan every square inch of this compartment. There might be a tracking device in here."

"How could anyone have put one aboard without your knowledge?"

"I don't know. The only time both Rene and I were off the ship was back on Deep Space Nine. It's not likely there's a mole on board that station but I have to consider the possibility."

"I should hope that's not the case, there's nothing worse than a traitor." Ty'brel had Bru'Dan in mind when he spoke. He turned towards the cage. Tasmith was looking at him with morbid curiosity. "What about in there?"

"We'll come to that later." said Alec as he made his way to the staircase. He heard the electronic humming of the tricorder as Ty'brel opened it again.

Rene sat at the helm, her elbows were on the console and her face was in her hands. He heard no sobbing. She had either just finished crying or was about to. This was one of the reasons he didn't want her to come along. She could do without the worry. But she would have been worrying anyway. Even though she would not have had specifics, she still would have been worried by the 'what if' factor. And although he would rather she be somewhere safe he was glad she was along, he needed the love and support.

Alec stepped to her side and put a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay." The rasp was not as noticeable, but it was still there. She lifted her head from her hands. Her eyes were no longer red, and were less swollen than they had been when he first saw her in Tasmith's hold. She had not cried anymore at all. Maybe she had reached her limit. "Alec, I just sat here for the last few minutes wondering who was going to be coming out from the back. Do you have any idea how long those minutes were?"

"It didn't go any faster for me back there, or when I saw you with that thing wrapped around your neck." His voice almost choked.

"I'm not trying to pick a fight." she said. Her eyes were full of honesty and her voice full of sorrow. "I just want this all to be over! I want to hold my children!"

He rushed to her side and knelt down, taking hold of both her hands in his. They were shaking. "I know, I do too. And it will be soon. I promise."

Rene leaned down and kissed the top of his head - ignoring the sweat - before resting hers on top. "I hope you gave her a good smack for me."

Nobody had the ability to make him laugh like his wife. She could be so random at times whether it be serious one moment and joking the next. It was a welcome release from tension. "I landed a few in your favor."

"Just a few? I mean that little to you?"

"If you want I can let her out and the two of you can have a go."

"You'd like that wouldn't you?"

"Two attractive women fighting each other for dominance. What's not to like?"

Rene pulled her hand free and slapped Alec on top of the head. Even though it was of above average force it was still in a playful manner.

"You could maybe even get an outfit like hers." A slap to the top of his head evolved into a punch to the shoulder. It would have hurt less had he not just been through his recent physical ordeal. "We could have it back at Deep Space Nine. Quark could sell tickets."

Rene pushed him down to the floor. He lay there laughing, not even attempting to right himself. "So," she said. "Is she prettier than me?"

OH MY GOD! "That's what I call a loaded question. Every answer is a phaser set to kill."

"I see." said Rene as she pouted and turned the chair to face the main viewport. "If you think she is just say so."

What's next? Asking me if a dress makes you look fat? Alec took hold of the chair and swiveled it so Rene was facing him again. She was still pouting. It was cute. "Here's what I think. When the universe ends and collapses in on itself it will be remembered for three things. Cockroaches, the name Enterprise, and the beauty of Rene Wilson."

"So I'm third?"

"I...Wha... I just can't win with you."

"Took you long enough to figure that out, honey."

Ty'brel could feel the eyes of the imprisoned woman watching every move he made. The back of his neck burned from her searing stare.

He did not know much about her, only that she was a Vulcan/Klingon bounty hunter, and that she was highly favored by the Romulan woman, Sela. During the conversation he had eavesdropped he had heard Sela say Tasmith owed some kind of blood debt and that until it was fulfilled her twisted sense of honour forced her to serve the Empire. He was going to share this with Alec as soon as he had a chance.

"Has he promised to protect you?" she asked, her voice laden with amusement.

He ignored her, which would have most likely been the best way to irritate her but he didn't care. He just wanted to scan the compartment and get back to the others.

"Because if he did I can assure you that your faith in his is misplaced. In seventy years, I have played this game almost three thousand times. And all of them ended up the same way."

Normally a figure such as three thousand wouldn't have seemed so mind-boggling, but three thousand people subdued by a single individual; it wasn't mind-boggling, it was just short of earth-shattering.

Ty'brel tried his best to seem unaffected by her words but he was sure that his anxiety manifested itself in one way or another.

"Oh, a quiet one. My favourite. You always scream the loudest before you beg for your lives."

"Pardon my saying so," said Ty'brel as he turned his head to her and continued to scan. "But you're still in the cage."

Tasmith looked around the storage locker as if sizing up her confines. "A minor setback."

"Is that what you call being trapped like an animal?" Ty'brel came to the conclusion he was better off not matching gazes with her so he put his eyes back on the tricorder. There was still nothing.

Tasmith was grateful he removed his stare from her. Not that she was worried she couldn't intimidate him, she just needed his attention elsewhere. While he was preoccupied with the tricorder with the tricorder, she reached into her cleavage and removed the decoy. It was small, only a few centimeters in diameter, but it would serve its purpose well. She eyed an area that he hadn't scanned yet and in one fluid motion she flung through the mesh cage watching it cling against the wall. Upon impact the tiny cloaking device inside activated and it disappeared from view.

She hopped off the shelf and held her body against the cage, gripping the mesh in her fingers. "Would he still have your confidence if I told you that the only reason I have wound up imprisoned the two times we faced each other is because he cheated?"

"Cheated, eh?" Ty'brel had almost finished his scan. Nothing yet. "More like improvised. He can think and fight, that makes an excellent combination for a warrior. After seeing what he did back on Farius Prime there's nothing that can break my confidence in him." He hoped that would keep her quiet, but he wouldn't get his hopes up.

The tricorder in his hand moved to the next wall. He was beginning to think it had all been a futile effort, that there was no tracking device and she was simply an incredibly skilled tracker. If not for the faint signal he detected as the tricorder moved along the wall he might have believed it. About halfway up the wall the scanning device picked up a small blip, it came from one spot and one spot alone. He had found the path they had swath in the mud.

"Commander, I think you'll want to see this."

Alec emerged from the doorway and jumped down the short staircase. He stepped around the spots of blood so as not to slip as Ty'brel had done. "What have you got?"

Ty'brel closed his tricorder. "Run your hand down the center of the wall."

Alec shrugged and did as he was told. Starting near the top of the wall he ran his flat palmed hand down the wall. Nothing felt out of the ordinary until his hand reached midway down the wall. It was a small, almost unnoticeable protuberance. He pulled his hand away to make sure he wasn't imagining things. To his relief he saw nothing there. Once more he placed his hand on the wall, feeling the bump.

"Somebody's been working on their cloaking technology." said Alec as he took his katana from the biobed behind him and unsheathed it. He held the very tip of the blade against the wall underneath the invisible tracking device. With a swift push upwards he dislodged it from its holdings. The now visible object now clung to the blade of his sword. He didn't have to look at its internal workings to know it was a sophisticated piece of technology. The fact that such a small device could cloak itself was indicative enough of its sophistication.

"How can she track it from such a distance if the signal is so faint?" asked Ty'brel.

"It's only faint to our tricorder. Whatever she is using to hone in on this thing must be specifically calibrated to track it." Alec pulled the tracker from his sword and held it out to Tasmith. "How'd this get on board?" His question went unanswered, which was not a complete surprise, but it was definitely irritating. "I'm taking your silence to mean you know." He sheathed his sword and replaced it on the biobed before retrieving Tasmith's staff from the floor. "Something's been on my mind."

"And what might that be?" she asked, still seemingly bored.

He placed the tracker on one of the staff's round ends. With a strong thrust he crushed the device against the wall. It ceased functioning with a faint electrical crackle. "Which one of your egos was bruised more?" It was his turn to be smug. "Your Klingon ego because I matched you physically? Or your Vulcan ego because I outsmarted you?"

"The question still remains," said Ty'brel. "How'd it get aboard?"

"Actually," mused Alec. "I have a more interesting question."

"What's that?"

"How did she know you were in hiding?"

Ty'brel's eyes widened as he realize that Alec was right, she had said that.

A jolt throughout the entire ship threw them off balance making both men grab hold of the biobed to maintain their balance.

"Alec!" screamed a frantic Rene from the cockpit.

He was out of the rear compartment and standing next to his wife so fast he was sure there'd be a need for a new time measurement for it. Rene's gaze was frozen on the main viewport. If Alec didn't know better he would have tought she was a statue. In a moment he was doing a fine impersonation as saw for himself what had captured her attention. A massive green form filled the viewport. The giant curved beak and double hulled wings of a Romulan Warbird had frozen them down to their souls. It looked much smaller on the viewscreen of a starship. When Cerberus noticed us, he opened wide his mouths, showed us his fangs; there was no part of him that did not twitch. Level five.