Chapter 17

Answers

What Alec had thought was weapons fire was actually the tractor beam of the Warbird, holding them like a dog on a leash. They were immobilized, helpless. Their shields could not be raised and their weapons were no match for the shields of the Romulan ship. The one saving grace was that they were wanted alive, for now anyway. If the Romulan commander wanted to destroy them, he or she would not have engaged the tractor beam but rather opened fire.

According to the secondary console on Alec's left, the tractor beam was destabilizing the holoprojection. In a matter of moments it failed completely and any doubts as to their identities in the minds of the Romulans would have disappeared like their cover.

His progress in the command post back on Vesuvia must have been monitored, or his crewmates found his presents to them.

Alec felt a tingling sensation throughout his entire body. Oh no. He wished he could have blamed it on anxiety, but he knew it was because the Romulans had engaged their transporter. He reached out to Rene but took hold of nothing but air.

He materialized in a dimly lit room. He couldn't see much, but he did see three chairs. Also present were Ty'brel and Rene. Three chairs, three prisoners. "Everyone alright?"

"I think you know my answer." said Rene.

"I could venture a guess. Ty'brel?"

"I'll be better when they turn up the lights."

As if on cue the lights grew brighter. But it was not what they had hoped for. A set of doors had opened behind them and the light from the corridor and cast in. Two humanoid shaped shadows appeared with the light. Alec about faced and saw two Romulan officers in the typical garb of those in the Guard. They were fast approaching.

Alec did not move as quickly as he had hoped. He had not fully recovered from his fight with Tasmith and it showed. As he rushed the Romulans he was quickly turned around and clubbed in the back with the butt of a disruptor. His body went numb for a moment and he was placed in one of the chairs. The feeling came back in his hands as they were being put in shackles. The others were seated and shackled as well, neither offered a struggle. In fact, Rene sat herself.

In and out of consciousness he drifted. Each time he grew cognizant enough to realize where he was the cloud of unconsciousness floated back in. His eyes finally opened and stayed open.

He made no effort to free himself from his restraints. Romulans built their equipment to last. All this way. I've gotten this far to be captured by the Romulans.

"Where's my Romulan buddy that hit me? I'd like to have a four letter word with him."

"Alec!" exclaimed Rene in the chair to his immediate right. "You've been in and out of consciousness for about an hour."

"Glad to see you awake, my friend." said Ty'brel, who was seated on Alec's far right.

"And I'm glad to see they haven't taken either of you anywhere."

"Yet." said a grim Ty'brel.

"I won't let them."

"And how will you stop them?"

"Chair fu." Alec heard no laughter from his joke.

He forced his mind to focus. He wanted to be as clear headed as possible for whatever the Romulans had in store for him. A specific thing was needed to focus his thoughts. He chose his children. Seeing them grow up, make friends, quarrel with each other for parental attention, going on dates, asking advice about girls or boys, possibly entering Starfleet, getting married, having children of their own. I'm awake.

The door opened and a single figure walked in. The light from the corridor hurt Alec's eyes. He winced until the doors closed and the darkness was restored. He opened his eyes and focused them on the figure that stood before him in the dim overhead light. Her nature is so squalid, so malicious that she can never sate her greedy will; when she has fed, she's hungrier than ever. She mates with many living souls and shall yet mate with meny more, until the Greyhound arrives, inflicting painful death on her.

"What would you be smiling at?" he asked.

"You." she said, circling the chair. "Our positions are reversed, as I knew they would be."

He felt like a hawk was circling over his head. It was reminiscent of his experience with the Borg Queen, only Tasmith was much more intimidating. "I must admit, I thought that you'd be in there a little longer. And I'm a little curious as to why you're walking freely on a Romulan ship."

Ty'brel wanted to respond but he felt it best to stay out of it. He was sure the answers would all be forthcoming.

Tasmith completed one last circle of Alec's chair before stopping to face him. The dim light combined with her cold features, cruel smile and calculating stare made her appear that much more threatening. "You have no idea what's going on here, do you?"

"If there's much more I just might have to write a book about it."

Tasmith did not reply. She just paced back and forth in front of him. When she opened her mouth as if to speak she closed it just as quickly. And in an unexpected move she sat herself in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. Rene won't pleased. This is her favourite.

"Take your hands off of my husband, right now."

"You can have him back when I'm through." said Tasmith. She then leaned forward and whispered into his ear. He found what she had to say more disconcerting than informative. "What you think you know, is only a shred."

She placed her left hand on his face and spread her fingers at equidistant points below his eye. He knew what she was doing and he was not eager to experience it. He jerked away but she reached to the back of his head with her right and grabbed a handful of his hair, wrenching his head back. There was no way out of it.

He looked into her eyes, and she looked back. She was enjoying every second of it.

"Your mind to my mind. Your thoughts to my thoughts. Our minds are merging, our minds are becoming one."

When she spoke the word 'merging' he could begin to hear the rest inside his head. If he had not been forced into it he might have found it a pleasurable experience, but instead he felt violated. There were things inside his head he would rather not share with anyone, especially a psychotic killing machine.

It was almost overwhelming at first. The flood of images that flashed before his mind's eye was something he couldn't even begin to describe. The only way he could ever express what it was even remotely like was if he was able to transmit his thoughts to others. He saw faces he'd never seen, places he'd never been, but he knew who and where they all were. He could recite each and every one of their names, their places of birth, next of kin, and the bounties on their heads.

His inkling to take a look inside the mind of a maniac didn't extend this far.

"Remember back," said Tasmith, her words echoing inside his head. "Go back to the cave, when you fired on her."

It was almost a reflex action. He was back in the cave on Vesuvia. But he wasn't seeing it through his eyes as the event repeated itself. He stood there in the darkness watching himself enter the cavern with a phaser in hand. It was almost as if he had stepped through a doorway to the past. His first instinct was to call out to himself, but he fought it.

Although he did not see the cave in this detail during his initial journey, he did see it in subsequent return visits. His mind did the rest.

History played itself out once more. He heard the crunching of footsteps in the dirt and faced the entrance from where the impostor would appear. The crunch of the dirt ceased as the figure stopped at the threshold. Alec stepped closer to the figure as his past self told it to stop. Going nearer did not have the desired effect. Instead of getting a clearer image of the person, it became more out of focus. It felt like he was zooming in on a picture without computer enhancement. Unpixelated was the appropriate term to him.

Alec swore at himself for not thinking about it. Because he never got a better look at the figure until after he opened fire his mind couldn't fill in the pieces. He backed up to what he thought was a good median position and stayed there.

But it came as no surprise as he was simply watching his own memory of what happened. If the hallucinogen that he had been subject to had caused him to see a group of Ferengi performing the Nutcracker ballet, he would see it again here.

From the distance he stood there was enough detail for him to see that it was in fact a Jem'Hadar soldier. His eyes had not played tricks in him, but the question of whether or not he had taken in some kind of hallucinogen was raised again. If he had there was no way to tell now as anything that had once been administered or ingested would have long since passed from his system.

The Jem'Hadar reached to his side. Alec heard his past self shout an order for identification. The echo of his voice was supplanted by the soldier's polaron disruptor charging. From that point on, everything moved in slow motion, literally. His past self moved at roughly on quarter normal speed. He fired his phaser and Alec tracked the movement of the beam. He followed it, and followed it. When it neared the Jem'Hadar time slowed once more, and what Alec saw next was shocking enough that even if Tasmith hadn't joined their minds she would have been able to feel it.

The mind remembers everything it witnesses but doesn't always process what it sees. Sometimes it just needs a little coaxing to release what it holds.

Instead of impacting with the soldier's body, the beam passed through an opening that had formed in the torso. Alec could see the wall behind the soldier before the hole closed in on itself. Time sped back up to its normal flow as the soldier fell. Alec walked next to his past self in approaching the body. He heard something he did not hear the first time. Maybe it was because he had been focused on other things originally, or it might have been Tasmith falsifying it in his mind, either one was possible. As much as he hated to admit it, he suspected it was the former. As maniacal as she was, she had not deceived him thus far and had nothing to gain by misleading him. He heard the oozing sound which he had previously associated with the underground stream, but he now related it to a much more convincing and revelatory conclusion. One which everything else should have led him to. There was never a hallucinogen in his system. Everything he saw was exactly as it had been. The cold, hard truth disturbing sometimes.

The meld was broken. Alec leaned his head back and gasped. His mind felt empty now, so quiet. He longed for contact once again, but it faded quickly, and he was glad. He had a feeling it would have had the same effect as a drug addiction.

"A changeling." he gasped. His mental exhaustion gave way to physical manifestations. "They used a changeling."

"Very impressive." said a smug, booming voice from the entrance of the room.

Alec looked around the person on his lap at the voice addressing him. He saw that the archway was occupied by not one, but two Romulans. He had never seen the woman before, but he knew by her appearance that she was Sela. He knew the man who addressed him, by his reputation and by his face, which he had seen only on a viewscreen two years before. The two of them together could only mean one thing: Bad news for the Federation.

Captain Anderson paced nervously on the bridge of his ship. The Akira-Class was more than adequate when it came to combat capability, but no captain, regardless of starship class, would be eager to intercept a cloaked Romulan ship on the Neutral Zone alone.

At thirty-eight years of age, Anderson believed himself to be roughly halfway through his Starfleet career. His time in the Dominion War had been as hard as anybody's, and it bestowed him some prematurely gray hair around the ears. In his mind it made him look distinguished.

His ship had been among those that made the final push to defeat the Dominion at Cardassia Prime. Before repairs and refits all that had been left of her were a few photon torpedoes, some tattered bulkheads, and a very tired crew.

With the ship at yellow alert he ordered his helmsman, a junior lieutenant by the name of Joseph Roth, to drop out of warp and maintain a speed of one quarter impulse along the border.

Roth was one of the many young officers that were rushed out of the academy and into service when the Dominion threat required every able bodied person behind the console of a starship. The Falcon was his first posting, and he didn't want any other, even the service-wide coveted Enterprise. He had a reputation as a bit of a hothead at first but he was cut some slack due to the fact that he hadn't fully completed his Academy training. There was nobody else Captain Anderson would rather have piloting his ship.

Commander Jeffrey Watson sat at Anderson's immediate right. He ordered a system status report as the ship dropped to impulse. As first officer, he had nothing but the highest standards by which he expected the crew to meet. He was not the most social man off duty, despite the Captain's request that he get to know the crew better. His reasoning was that he was preparing himself for the distance required when he attained captaincy.

Lieutenant Commander Allison Harris stood behind Captain Anderson and Commander Watson at the tactical station. She inherited the chief of security position when her predecessor was killed during the Federation invasion of the Chin'Toka system. She didn't feel quite ready to assume the position at first but neglected to mention anything to her superiors because she feared it would hold back her career. But thanks to the efficiency of those she worked with on the bridge she was able to weather through it and subsequently erased any doubts she had of her own abilities.

"We are holding steady at one quarter impulse, per captain's orders." said Roth.

"Distance and time to intercept with the anomaly."

"1.5 million kilometers," answered Harris. "Approximately eighty seconds until we reach it."

"Maintain course and speed." said Anderson. "I want to know the second sensor readings change."

An interstellar dust cloud stood in her path. She pushed through it and the particles fluttered away like spacial confetti. The ship emerged on the other side with her deuterium tanks slightly refilled by the amount of matter taken in by the Bussard collectors.

The Falcon reached her destination with a considerable amount of space dust close behind, dragged and pushed along by inertia.

"Pardon my asking, Captain," said Ensign Valek, the Vulcan science officer. "But why did you take the ship through the dust cloud rather than around it?"

"Two reasons. It was quicker, and I wanted to perform a little test."

Rather than inquire further, the Vulcan heeded the advice of his father, who was a Starfleet captain. He was told that human captains had a tendency to be annoyed when their decisions were questioned. He did not want his commanding officer to be agitated with him so early in his career.

"What kind of test, sir?" asked Watson.

"Patience, Commander." said Anderson. "I'd like to hold off making myself look like a fool in case the test fails."

Harris looked at her sensor display. Her proximity scans registered a distortion off the bow. "Anomaly is directly ahead, Captain. Three hundred kilometers."

"On screen."

The viewscreen clicked on and the infinite field of stars appeared. Nothing was out of the ordinary that they could see, but the eyes couldn't always be trusted.

"Sensor scan, sir?" asked Valek.

"Not just yet, Ensign. But keep a fix on the anomaly."

The bridge crew sat there in anticipation of whatever their commanding officer intended. They knew from experience that while some of his methods were unorthodox they also had the tendency to work more often than not. As a result they found themselves supporting rather than doubting.

A portion of the dust cloud they passed through came into view on the screen as the inertia carried it past the ship.

"Dust cloud moving at a rate of approximately nine kilometers per second." said Valek.

"We'll give my test another thirty seconds or so."

"And then what, sir?" asked Watson.

Anderson turned to his first officer and grinned. "And then we'll know if I'm a fool or not."

Everyone counted down the seconds in their heads. It was a little exciting. Even Valek was curious, though not necessarily excited.

The thirty seconds expired with everyone but Valek on the edge of their seats. There were a few groans of disappointment as nothing happened, but Captain Anderson simply kept his eyes on the viewscreen. He was often a quiet man, one who didn't express much pride when he was right, but they knew he was loving it inside.

"Captain," said Harris, her eyes on her proximity sensors. "It moved."

"Confirmed." said Valek, watching his own sensors. "The anomaly has moved fifty kilometers to starboard."

Anderson chuckled and stood from his chair. "Open a channel."

"Hailing frequencies open, sir."

"Romulan vessel. This is Captain Charles Anderson of the Federation starship Falcon. You are on the Federation side of the Neutral Zone. As you are aware, this could be considered a hostile act, especially because you are cloaked. It is my assumption that you have simply suffered a navigational error. If you decloak your ship perhaps we can assist you in being on your way. End transmission."

Roth was more preoccupied with the way his captain uncovered the cloaked ship than with the actual discovery of it. By using the dust cloud to their advantage, Captain Anderson put the Romulans in a no win situation. If they had stayed still, the dust cloud would have partially covered their ship and they would have been spotted. If they moved, they were taking a chance they'd be discovered when their signature changed positions as well. He hoped one day to posses cunning such as that.

"Captain," said a puzzled Watson. "I don't understand. We caught them on our side and you just gave them a way out of it."

"Exactly, Commander." Anderson reseated himself, keeping his eyes on the viewscreen. "By doing that I made it so they didn't have to feel like they had their backs to the wall. With diplomacy I may have just avoided the dogs of war. They're not stupid, and they know we're not either. In most cases I think you'll find they know what we're doing."

"Captain," said Harris. "I'm detecting a chroniton surge directly ahead. They're decloaking."

Anderson watched a small distortion flicker in the center of the viewscreen. Within moments, the Romulan ship became fully visible as its cloaking device was deactivated. "Any response to our hails?"

"No, si... Cancel that." she said with a smile. "They're responding now. Audio only."

"On speakers."

"Federation starship. This is Commander Kardan. We must apologize for our lateness in replying. Our communications system as well as our navigational array were damaged in an ion storm. We thank you for your offering of assistance. My engineer will contact you shortly."

"Message ends." said Harris. She took the opportunity to tie her hair back in a ponytail so it wasn't obstructing.

"Now they're probably sabotaging their equipment." grumbled Watson.

"It would not be the first time the Romulans have partaken in such a deception." offered Valek.

"If it helps avoid a war," said Roth. "Let them sabotage their ship as much as they want."

Commander Kardan was furious at Subcenturion Nolak, his bridge engineer. It was him who was responsible for the engine imbalance that caused them to be discovered. The young officer did not dare say that the error was not his fault and that it simply came out of nowhere. That was a surefire way to get shipped back to Romulus, and he did not want to go through the training process again.

Kardan had to give his counterpart credit for the tactic he employed with the dust cloud. Even as they detected the Starfleet ship passing through the dust cloud he did not understand. Not until the cloud was almost upon them did he realize that they had no other choice but to risk moving the ship.

Kardan ordered the cloak disengaged. The best way to proceed at the current time was to make it seem like everything was in fact a complete accident, despite the fact that the tone of the Starfleet captain's voice indicated he believed the contrary.

"If this problem isn't fixed soon, it will be you who answers to the Sela, not I."

"Yes, Commander." said Nolak as he nervously tried to fix the engine imbalance. He couldn't understand it. The engines were working perfectly. They just started increasing emissions.

Kardan glared at the ship on the viewscreen. The main deflector dish on the underside of the Starfleet vessel glared back at him like an ominous eye.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Subcommander Stoval, the first officer. "We should destroy them."

"Know your place. Even if we were capable of destroying them, Starfleet takes the destruction of one of its ships very seriously, no matter how insignificant. They would send another ship, and another, and another, until they found out why this one was lost right on the Neutral Zone. Their search would lead them inexorably to us."

Stoval clenched his fist. He had held the same rank in the chain of command for several years. He wanted a ship of his own, but his commanding officer told the Romulan Guard that he was not ready. "The fact remains that we cannot allow any of them to come on board. They might find the weapon if they do."

It was not the first time Kardan and his first officer clashed. The only reason Kardan kept him on board was that in spite of his often insubordinate attitude, he would make a good commanding officer. Occasionally, they even saw eye to eye. "On that we agree, I have no intention of letting Starfleet step one foot on my ship. As soon as the engine emissions are reduced to standard we will rid ourselves of that ship out there and cross the border somewhere else."

Nolak would have been able to do his job quicker if it were possible to shut down the engine core, but the artificial quantum singularity that powered the ship was on to stay.

He was in the middle of performing his duty when a jolt sent his hand to the adjacent panel. He watched as the activation process for the dilithium weapon went through the motions.

Kardan eased his grip on the armrest of his chair. "What was that?"

Nolak brought up a systems report on his console. What happened to the ship was non-threatening. "The inertial dampers lapsed for an instant. The ship was momentarily susceptible to the force of our thrusters."

"Is this another one of your blunders, Subcenturion?"

"It was my doing." answered Stoval. He was clearly proud of himself. "To make our false predicament more believable."

Kardan rubbed his thumb along the disruptor the disruptor in his side holster. "You did that without my authorization."

Stoval saw his commanding officer stroking his sidearm. Commander Kardan wouldn't kill him. Or would he? "Commander, my intentions were-"

"I know what your intentions are, Stoval." Kardan stood from the command chair and moved towards his defiant first officer. His hand now simply rested atop the disruptor. "And if you ever do anything like that without my authorization again I will use every personal connection I have in the Guard to make sure you remain a Junior Subcenturion for the rest of your career. You will serve on the lowliest ship in the lowliest sector of the Empire and will never command a ship of your own. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Commander." Stoval was tempted to reach for his own weapon, but he knew Kardan would shoot him in an instant if he made such an action.

"Good. Go down to the engine room. I want an update report."

"But, Commander, Nolak is the bridge engineer."

"I said you."

Stoval muttered a Klingon curse word he picked up under his breath and left the bridge. He didn't like being talked down to by anyone, even his commanding officer.

Nolak watched as the dilithium weapon gradually came online. In minutes it would reach full power. And although it would not do anything to the Starfleet vessel, with the cloaking device deactivated the power readings would soon be detectable.

"They're sure taking their sweet time over there." said Commander Watson. He had tried several times to get comfortable in his chair but he had been less than successful.

"Makes you wonder what they're doing over there." said Roth as he turned his chair to face the rest of the bridge. It was such a different view for him that he was not used to it. "Maybe they're getting ready to warp out of the area and run away with their tails between their legs."

"I have never understood the human fascination with colourful metaphors." said Valek. "Or idle speculation."

"Or," said Harris. "Maybe they're testing some new kind of weapon system. One that would light up the darkness of space like a Christmas tree. That surge I detected in their inertial dampers could be a related malfunction."

"Or maybe they're doing exactly what you two are, wondering what we're upto." said Anderson.

"A logical assumption, Captain." said Valek. The Vulcan highly respected his captain. Captain Anderson possessed an insight and maturity of a man far beyond his years. He would have made an ideal Vulcan.

Roth rotated his chair until it faced the viewscreen. "Suck up." he mumbled under his breath.

"Romulans are just as mistrusting of us as we are of them." said Anderson. "That's what a couple hundred years of propaganda gets you."

"But, sir," said Harris. "Propaganda requires a source to stem from. I doubt everything we've heard about the Romulans wouldn't have been spread unless there was a certain element of truth."

"Truth gets different with each person, Commander. Eventually it gets to the point where it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to separate the real truth from that which has been implanted in the minds of those that have believed it for so long. And then there's the more fundamental truth."

"Which is?"

"People change too."

Lieutenant Commander Douglas Gordon crossed his arms and smiled at the warp core as any proud chief engineer would. It had been over a week since the warp drive had given his staff any kind of problem, and bugs had usually reared their heads every couple of days since the engine refit. Now it seemed their hard work and perseverance had paid off. He hoped he had done his previous commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge, proud.

The engineering section itself was smaller than he had grown accustomed to. He had spent his earlier years on the Enterprise-E and her predecessor, each had a much larger warp core. The cylindrical core on the Falcon, while compact, was surprisingly powerful. She was capable of warp 9.5, just shy of keeping up with a Galaxy-Class ship. The dilithium chamber was housed midway up from the visible section of the core. A gangway extended to the core from adjacent sides of the compartment before forming a semicircular arc around it, allowing easy access to the chamber. The two glowing red plasma conduits extended from the rear of the dilithium chamber into the bulkhead and continued all the way to the warp nacelles.

Once a day, Gordon walked around the entire compartment while he was on duty. His favourite spot was the gangway around the warp core. It was a pride thing. He liked his job and he liked to be reminded of how well he performed it. Even when he was off duty he would sometimes stand on the gangway and lean forward on the railing with his back to the core. It's pulsing was incredibly relaxing.

"You always start your shift off like that, sir." said one of his lieutenants. "Like it's some sort of obelisk."

"Got to pray to the right gods, Lieutenant."

"And what religion might that be, Commander?" asked a passing ensign. "Dilithianism?"

"Pagan." scoffed Gordon jokingly as he made his way to a nearby ladder. "I'm a Cochranite through and through." An unusual noise drew his attention to the dilithium chamber. It was unusual to him as he was aware of every sound in engineering and could easily pick out anything out of the ordinary. Perhaps there was going to be a bug today.

"What's wrong, sir?"

"Lieutenant Chalmers." said Gordon to the senior most engineer, aside from himself. "Check the plasma flow, make sure there's no backwash. The last thing the Captain needs is a blown out conduit."

"Aye, sir." acknowledged Chalmers as she rushed quickly to her console. She had no intention of letting something go wrong with the engines, especially when they had been running so smoothly. Chalmers knew Gordon had a sixth sense when it came to his engines, it was fascinating to see him work, even when his sense was off. "Commander, plasma levels are nominal. Maybe you're getting rusty in your old age, Grandpa...I mean, sir."

"I think I just decided who's going to clean the plasma conduits. It must be something else then." Gordon moved along the gangway and stood in front of the hatch to the dilithium chamber. The sound he had heard before had changed pitch. It was at least an octave higher now. "What the hell is that?" He'd never heard anything like it before.

Chalmers heard the sound now too. Once again, Gordon's sixth sense found something before the sensors did.

Her console sounded an alarm. Gordon's sixth sense was a little late this time. "Commander! Get away from there!"

The dilithium chamber hatch blew off its housings and hit Gordon square in the chest. It would have flung him clear across the room had the compartment not been completely engulfed in flames a split second after the explosion.

A rumbling shook the bridge. Captain Anderson looked around curiously. He was about to ask for a status report when he felt the heat. He was standing from his chair even as every console on the bridge flickered and the deck beneath him grew hot and erupted in flames that encompassed the entire bridge.

"Shields up!" exclaimed Kardan as a piece of the Starfleet vessel's saucer section headed toward them. There was a jolt and an eruption of sparks on the bridge as the debris bounced off their shields. "What happened?" he asked. It was more out of curiosity than compassion for lives lost.

Nobody on the bridge had seen it coming. Kardan had been sitting in his chair, awaiting word for the engines to be repaired and watching the viewscreen when a column of flame shot up from the rear of the Starfleet ship's saucer section. The explosion expanded and pieces of debris scattered out into space in every direction.

Stoval pushed the centurion science officer away from the sensor display for not answering quickly enough. "They suffered a warp core breach. Sensors indicate no causal factor." Stoval grabbed hold of the console as another piece of debris hit their shields. "They just, exploded. Possibly a design flaw." he said with a wicked smile before concern erased it. "It could have been an environmental anomaly. We should leave the area immediately."

"There's no need." said Kardan, voice laden with anticipation. "It was neither. Isn't that correct, Nolak?" He eyed the engineer, who was looking rather obsequious.

"It was accidental, Commander. When the inertial dampers failed, my hand hit the weapon panel. It activated."

Kardan glared at Stoval. Partially because he knew his first officer was going to be smug, but mostly because Stoval's smugness would be justified. If not for his insubordinate action, they would not have discovered this important piece of information.

He took his gaze off of Stoval and concentrated on the greater issue. The scope of it was a thrill to him. They were now in possession of an unstoppable weapon, it was intoxicating. This discovery was going to save the Romulan Empire a great deal of time and effort. "Tomalak and Sela will be pleased with this development."

Alec didn't expect to come face to face with Sela, and he certainly did not expect her to be teamed with another adversary from Captain Picard's past. Tomalak stood next to Sela. While neither of them smiled, the two Romulans appeared to be on the verge of a laughter like none he had ever seen. He found nothing funny about the two of them working together. Even if he could read their faces, their eyes said it all. They had him, and he knew it.

"So," said Tomalak. "This is the human that has caused us so much trouble."

"Tomalak," said a stone-faced Alec. "I didn't recognize you without the stern of your ship on fire."

Confusion flashed across Tomalak's face, followed by a hint of anger. "We have met before, human?"

"No, but I seem to recall firing a volley of torpedoes into a Warbird of yours two years ago."

"Ah, yes." said Tomalak with a grin. He was smiling for a reason other than Alec's humourous comment. "I owe you a debt of gratitude for that day. If it were not for you I would not have been able to accomplish so easily what was necessary to destroy your beloved Federation."

Here comes the James Bond moment. "Oh, don't mention it. Was my pleasure. Anytime you need me to blast the hell our of one of your ships you just let me know because I'll be more than happy to-"

A backhand across Alec's face from one of the guards came at the nod of Tomalak. "You aren't on your ship now, Commander. I remind you that you aren't needed alive."

"Your compassion is a testament to the Romulan heart."

"It was our hope that you would leave the safety of the Enterprise." said Sela, her arms crossed and hand on her chin. "We didn't expect you to make it so far. Humans, your quest for knowledge gives you the annoying tendency of sticking your noses where they don't belong. But never again."

"Right, this weapon of yours."

The smiles on Tomalak and Sela's faces faded away, while one formed on Alec's. I was hoping that would shut them up.

"I suppose we have Ty'brel to thank for revealing it to you." Sela approached the captive Vesuvian. "You hid from us quite well. I must confess I wasn't expecting to ever find you."

"How much do you know?" said Tomalak to Alec.

"Enough to stop you from succeeding."

The smile returned to Tomalak's face. "Things are too far along for you to stop us, even with what you know."

"As long as you haven't distributed the dilithium, you haven't succeeded."

"I'm afraid you're in no position to make such a statement." said Sela. She noticed Tasmith's lingering stare. It was pointed at Alec. "Thank you for delivering them to us. I trust he didn't give you too much trouble."

"More than you thought but less than I'd hoped."

"So sorry to disappoint you." said Alec dryly. "So how'd you get the help of the Founders?"

"The Founders had no part in this." said Tomalak with a laugh. The man's belief in his own superiority radiated off of him. "This victory over the galaxy will be remembered as one of the Romulan Empire alone."

"Then you used one of the changelings the Founders spread across the galaxy."

Even though he was a prisoner, Alec felt a huge surge of relief upon finally finding out the truth. He had to take the good with the bad, for if he had not set out on his own, he wouldn't have found out, but he would also not be in the hands of such dangerous people.

Several years ago, the crew of Deep Space Nine took the Defiant on her maiden cruise and ventured into the Gamma Quadrant to seek out the Dominion. They were attacked by a wave of Jem'Hadar Attack Ships that managed to scan through the cloaking device. Feeling there was no other option. Constable Odo took an unconscious Major Kira and fled the area in a shuttlepod. The shapeshifter set a course for the Omarion Nebula. It was a place that upon seeing on a viewscreen starmap he felt an unexplainable but irresistible urge to go to. Once there, he and Major Kira found a rogue planet. It turned out to be the homeworld of his people, the home of the Founders. They later learned the Founders were the leaders of the Dominion. The Founder in charge told Odo that they sent one hundred of their infants into the far reaches of space in the hopes they would one day return with knowledge of the universe. Odo had been one of them.

To Alec's knowledge that made this fully grown changeling only one of three known to be found. The other two being Odo, and another that went by the name of Laas, who had been found in the form of a spacefaring creature by Odo and Chief Miles O'Brien while in a runabout.

Tomalak eyed him with what seemed like a newformed respect. "That's not common knowledge even in Starfleet."

Alec hinted at Sela with his head. "As she pointed out, I like sticking my nose where it doesn't belong."

"It was Sela who originally found the changeling." said Tomalak. "After our encounter in orbit of Lorna Prime, my ship set course for Romulus. The warp engines malfunctioned due to damage sustained. We came out of warp to make repairs and entered orbit around a barely habitable planet."

"The planet I was exiled to because of your Captain Picard!" spat Sela.

"Aside from her it was void of sentient life. Or so we thought."

Alec managed a smirk at the thought of Sela fending for her life all alone on some wasteland of a world.

"Imagine our surprise when we discovered a Romulan lifesign on the surface. When we transported down to her location we were attacked by some kind of beast. It killed three of my men before she told it to stop."

Sela took over. "When I was exiled on that planet thirteen years ago," She paused, seemingly choked with emotion. Being left in an alien environment like that would have gotten to anybody. "I was left with nothing but my uniform and a disruptor. I had no food, no water. I had to fend for myself. One day when I was hunting one of the native animals, I noticed it acted differently than the others. When I fired on the animal, it changed into something else and attacked me. Another burst from my disruptor convinced it to stop its attack. When it took a step back and assumed my form I knew what I was dealing with. I spent the years teaching it."

Alec scoffed. "I can't wait to get a look at that lesson plan." His comment was rewarded with another backhand from the guard. Even though that's technically strike two, I'm going to give you a break. Strike one.

Sela continued. "It kept me safe over the years from the dangerous creatures on the planet after my disruptor ran out of power."

"When we found her," said Tomalak. "She convinced it to come with us. We've been feeding it bits and pieces about its people ever since."

"Normally I wouldn't be one to argue against someone learning about their heritage." said Alec. "But do you think that was such a good idea?"

"We have been very selective in what we have told it." informed Tomalak. "We do not want a war any more than you do."

"Then what the hell is it you're planning against the Alpha Quadrant?! Afternoon tea?" Alec regretted losing his cool. It showed everyone that Tomalak was getting to him.

"It's only a war if the other side fires back." Tomalak's superior grin once again asserted itself. "Your people will not have the chance."

Sela, Tomalak, and Tasmith all joined in a collective laugh, while the guards just stood with their hands behind their backs. Tasmith's was the most chilling as it contained nothing but conviction. He looked over at Rene and Ty'brel, they were composing themselves extremely well considering the circumstances.

Tasmith's laugh was also the most confusing. Her presence in itself was ponderous. What was she doing there? What did she have to gain - aside from a bounty - by joining with Tomalak and Sela?

"I only have one question," said Alec. "What part does she play in all of this?"

Sela stepped behind Tasmith and put her hands on her shoulders. "She is the ultimate warrior."

"I've never heard of a Vulcan and a Klingon mating before."

"She is the only such specimen in existence." said Tomalak. He used the word 'specimen' without any hesitation at all. And Tasmith didn't even twitch an eyebrow when he did. "It makes her that much more precious."

"How much do you know about Khitomer?" asked Sela.

"You mean the outpost your people massacred?" Alec half expected a backhand. But the Romulans wore that incident as a badge of honour. He had simply boosted their pride.

Khitomer was a planet near the Klingon/Romulan border. With the help of a traitor named Ja'rod, the Romulans were able to slaughter over four thousand Klingons. There were only two survivors of the attack, future Enterprise-D crewmember Worf, who lost both his parents, and his nursemaid. It was that incident that forever made Romulans the blood enemy of the Klingon empire.

"You know your history, human." said Sela, circling his chair as Tasmith had done before. "Let's see how well. Can you recall an incident at Camp Khitomer that occurred in the year 2293 of your calendar?"

He did recall. Sela was referring to the beginnings of peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. An ecological disaster on the moon, Praxis, crippled the atmosphere of the Klingon homeworld, Q'onos. The damage to their ozone layer was such to the point that the Klingon economy could no longer afford any further conflict with the Federation. The then Captain Spock opened relations with Chancellor Gorkon, leader of the Klingon race. Negotiations called for an end to all hostilities, the dismantling of starbases along the border, and the dissolving of the Federation/Klingon Neutral Zone. While escorting Gorkon's ship to Earth, Captain James T. Kirk and Dr. Leonard McCoy of the U.S.S. Enterprise-A were framed for the murder of Gorkon and several members of the crew. The number of those opposed to the treaty were such that it was impossible to discern who was a traitor. They were sent to the prison asteroid, Rura Penthe, and subsequently escaped. One of the conspirators was flushed out on the Enterprise, who revealed the identities of several others involved as well as a plot to assassinate the Federation president. The Enterprise arrived at the reconvened conference in time to stop the attempt. The reconvened conference was held at Camp Khitomer, and the subsequent treaty became known as the Khitomer Accords.

"What does that have to do with her?"

Sela completed a full circle around him and stood next to Tomalak once again. She looked him down like she was an iconoclast. "Are you familiar with the names Valeris and General Chang?"

He recognized the latter immediately. General Chang was the Chief of Staff to Chancellor Gorkon, and one of the figureheads of the conspiracy. He and several others feared the changes peace would bring. Some were thought to have eluded capture. Key names included Admiral Cartwright of Starfleet, Colonel West, and Nanclus, who was the Romulan Ambassador to the Federation.

It took him a moment to recall the name Valeris. That had been the name of the Starfleet traitor that revealed the identities of others in the conspiracy. She had been forced into a mind meld by Captain Spock. And she had been Vulcan.

"That's impossible." said Alec, shaking his head. "There was no way, no way that Valeris and General Chang could have come in contact with each other before Gorkon went about the Enterprise-A. And even then, a Vulcan's pregnancy gestation is the same as a human's, nine months. There is no record of a Vulcan ever giving birth in a Federation prison camp or otherwise. And there would be a record if such a thing happened."

"It is true that they never mated." said Tomalak, his eyes narrowed. The Starfleet captive was not one to be underestimated. "But that didn't stop them from leaving samples of their DNA in the care of someone that shared their agenda."

"For what purpose?"

"So that in the event they failed there would be someone to finish what they started."

"Luckily," said Sela. "Their DNA ended up in the hands of an old family friend, a senator by the name of Pardek. He raised her under the right ideals."

"You mean Romulan ideals."

"You know nothing." said Tomalak, moving next to the huntress. "You are looking at the architect of your destruction. It was she who originated idea for the end of the Federation. It took seventy years to come to fruition, but an operable solution was reached for this problem."

"What about bounty hunting?" asked Alec, spitting blood.

"Biding my time." said Tasmith. "I didn't know how long I would have to wait before an opportunity arose. In short, I needed a hobby."

"Gee, Mom and Dad would be so proud."

Alec knew this woman, the entire trio in fact, was not to be trifled with. But being defiant was the only way he knew of to prevent himself from caving in.

The entire truth had been uncovered, and it didn't sit well with him. This 'prodigal child' had been devising the end of his society and all others since before he was born. It diminished his hope of being able to stop them. The only thing that kept his hope alive for the most part was that she only had the past few years to truly act on her initiative. And there was Rene. They were both in weak positions, but she brought to him an unrelenting strength. As long as he had her, he knew things would be alright.

The doors opened again, closing behind the figure that entered. Alec recognized Bru'Dan. The Vesuvian's eyes changed colour as he came closer to the light, and narrowed as he approached Alec. Bru'Dan used the element of surprise to throw a punch into Alec's gut.

"Have I done something wrong, Bru'Dan?" asked Alec, sucking air.

"That was for all the grief you've caused."

"Does this mean we're not friends anymore?" asked Alec, feigning hurt feelings.

Bru'Dan wound up for another blow but stopped upon hearing Sela's protest. "Don't let him get to you. Once he's back on your world you can do whatever you wish. But as long as he's on this ship you will not lay a hand on him."

"Yes, mistress." Bru'Dan's fist was shaking with restraint. He lowered it and moved on to Ty'brel. "Two years have come down to this. Did you think you could hide from us forever?"

"I hid long enough."

"It was all in vain. Despite what you may have told him, out people will learn why it was a mistake to follow our late president."

"Cut the act, Bru'Dan." said Alec. "You and I both know she's not dead."

The look of confusion and surprise on Bru'Dan's face was utterly priceless. It was not surprise from being found out, it was surprise at learning she was still alive. He truly did not know.

"Hmmm, looks like someone's a little late joining the party." said Alec. It was the closest he'd been to laughing since being aboard the Romulan ship. "Why didn't you let him in on your little secret?"

"This is true?!" Bru'Dan leered at Sela, who maintained indifference. "How could you do this?"

"Something had to be done in the event you failed to take power. Don't get angry because I chose to think ahead when you didn't. And before you ask why, your reaction now explains it all. Finally, Tomalak and I make the decisions, not you. You're just a facilitator."

"What good will keeping her-"

"Is there a reason you came down here?" asked an impatient Tomalak.

It seemed to Alec that Bru'Dan was going to utter an obscenity, but instead composed himself in an impressive manner. "I was asked to give this to you." he said, holding out a padd.

Sela took it from him and expected him to leave afterwards. But he stood there, glaring at the prisoners. "You may leave." Bru'Dan again did nothing, further trying Sela's patience. "I won't say it again."

Bru'Dan reluctantly proceeded to leave. Tomalak's watchful eye followed him until the doors closed. "He is becoming a nuisance."

Sela activated the padd. "He always has been."

"Would you like me to take care of him?" asked Tasmith.

A smirk appeared on Sela's face as she read. "Not just yet, we still need his cooperation."

"I don't get it." said Alec. "You'll kill someone like Bru'Dan, but you'll leave someone like Eric Jones alive."

"Bru'Dan has fire." said Tasmith. "He has passion, conviction, he believes in something. That is something I respect."

"He's also a traitor." added Ty'brel.

"Stop it." said Tasmith, rubbing her arms. "You're making me tingle."

Sela held out her flat palm, indicating she wanted silence. She then activated the communicator on her arm. "Bru'Dan, come back to the interrogation room." The Vesuvian man entered not even fifteen seconds after being summoned. He must have been brooding somewhere nearby. "Bru'Dan, the Romulan Empire appreciates all of your help over the past few years. Your services are no longer required. Tasmith."

Bru'Dan had barely registered a protest when Tasmith had him on his back with her hands clamped over his mouth and nose. If he had simply tried to remove her from on top of him he might have had a chance. But all he did was try to move her hands from his face. An impossible act against someone of her strength.

"Try and die with some dignity." she said over his muffled cries.

His grip around her wrists became weaker. It was at that point that it finally dawned on him to move her instead of her arms, but by then he was too weak. There they lay in front of Alec, Bru'Dan struggling for his life. Then it was over. Alec watched as the colour drained from his eyes. In an instant they were no longer yellow. They were white.

"Remove him." said Tomalak. He showed no regard for Bru'Dan. He was as indifferent as if he had just swatted a fly. "What has happened?"

She held up the padd she was given. "It appears the Commander will live to see the annihilation of his Federation after all."