CHAPTER 11

Captain Picard was standing outside the brig.

"Captain," I said, standing up.

"Commander Riker has informed me that you have a plan regarding the Romulans," he said.

"Yes, sir," I answered. I mentally thanked Will for telling his Captain about it. I knew that he didn't like the idea, and suggesting it must have been hard.

"He seemed to think that it wasn't worth considering, but I'm willing to listen to any options at this point."

"Thank you. Captain, I really think this can work."

"Tell me about it."

I sighed. I had been thinking about the plan for the past fifteen minutes, but I still wasn't sure about some parts.

"Will said that we might be able to get the warp core online and get away if we had more time," I said. "If we could disable the Romulan ships' engine core, they'd be powerless like us, and we could escape to the Federation envoy."

"That is true, but Commander Riker should not have been discussing that information with you."

"I know."

"You think that you can get aboard the Romulan ship and disable these systems?"

"Yes, sir, I do. Getting aboard would be the hard part since they have their shields up, but once I'm over there I should easily be able to get to their essential systems and it wouldn't be very difficult to disable them. I could try to shut down their quantum singularity."

Picard was silent for a minute. "I agree, your plan may work. But you've been hiding out on my ship for one week. Why should I trust you to do this now?"

It hurt, but I knew it was justified. "Captain, I know that you have no reason to trust me or to believe me, but I give you my word that I will not do anything to jeopardize the Enterprise." I paused. Pledges of honor were all well and good, but that didn't mean he'd believe me. I had to make him think there was something in it for me. "You know a lot about Romulans, so you can understand that I'd rather be in the brig here than free on a Romulan Warbird. I won't betray you."

"Hmm," Picard said.

"Captain, I understand your need to be cautious, but we are running out of time."

Picard paused, looking at me. It felt like he was analyzing me.

"Your plan might work, but it needs more specifics," he said. "Come with me to the Observation Lounge. We can discuss it with my senior staff." He nodded to the security officer on duty and the forcefield disappeared.

I followed Picard out of the brig and into a Turbolift.

"Observation Lounge."

We stood in silence for a short time. I thought back over the last week, over all the strange things that had happened. From coming on board to getting to know Riker to saving that man's life. So much had changed.

"Captain, I want to thank you for allowing me to do this," I said.

"Nothing's decided yet," he said.

"I know," I answered. "I just wanted to say that it means a lot that you're even considering it." It did. To have deceived someone and then have them trust me was…unheard of.

The turbolift came to a halt and we crossed the small hallway between the Turbolift and the Observation Lounge. Then, we were inside.

Standing in the doorway, I took in the room. The Observation Lounge was long and curved, with floor to ceiling windows that looked out over the aft of the ship. In the center of the room was an equally long table, around which sat the senior officers. The seat at the head of the table was empty, as was the seat directly to its left.

Picard directed me to the second empty seat, while he sat at the head of the table. Directly across from me was Will, next to whom was Worf and Troi. Data sat on my left. Lt. LaForge, their Chief Engineer, was absent. As was Crusher, but I assumed that she was still in Sickbay.

"This is Tasha," Picard said. "She is the shapeshifter that we discovered on Deck 8. Tasha, this is my senior staff. Lieutenant Commander Data, Lieutenant Worf, Chief of Security, and Counselor Troi. I believe you already know Commander Riker." I thought I heard a hard edge come into Picard's voice as he said that. I knew he was still angry with Will. "I've asked Tasha to join us at this briefing because she may be able to help."

I glanced around at the table. Picard had already briefed them about me, I noticed. I wondered if he had told them about my plan.

"As you know, we have a little over an hour before the Romulans expect an answer. Lt. LaForge, how are the warp engines coming?"

LaForge's voice came across over a com link. "Captain, we're working everyone down here, but it's still going to be another few hours at least before we get warp."

"Geordi, could we get more power if we shut down some nonessential systems?" Will asked.

"Sure, but right now power isn't the problem. Without the warp core, we can't move."

"Engineering will continue to work on the engines," Picard broke in, "but I want to discuss another option. Tasha has a plan to disable the Romulan ships. This will give us the time we need to complete our repairs."

I glanced around the table again. I didn't see the hostility that I had expected. Data looked merely curious, while I could tell that Troi was trying to read my emotions. I had my mental barriers up, so she was bound to be unsuccessful. I didn't enjoy people probing around in my head. Worf was watching me, obviously distrustful. Will merely looked concerned. I knew that he was angry at me for suggesting my idea, but there wasn't anything that I could do about that. I had to do what I could to keep him, and everyone else, safe. That was the only thing that mattered. If he was angry with me, well, it was better than him being dead.

Captain?" It was Data. I looked over at him.

"Yes, Data."

"I am wondering how Tasha is going to disable the Romulan Warbirds when our own ship is without power."

"I can shapeshift," I told him. "If I can get on board the ships, I'll be able to get to their essential systems without anyone noticing. Then, I could find a way to shut down their power. It wouldn't be very difficult, once I'm on board."

"The plan obviously needs to be refined," said Captain Picard, "but I believe it can work. Mr. LaForge, how difficult would it be to overload their warp cores?"

"Well, if she can get to it, it should be pretty easy. Trying to shut down the quantum singularity totally would destroy the ship, but if she could eject it out into space than it could implode in on itself without damaging anything."

"And without their engine, they wouldn't be able to power their weapons," Will finished.

"What do you think, Data?" LaForge asked.

"It should work," he said, tilting his head to one side. "However, in order to eject the singularity we must first be able to transport her to the Romulan ships. With their shields up, we have no way of doing that."

"Yes, that's the problem," Picard said. "Mr. Worf, is there any way we can lower their shields, even for a few seconds?"

"Captain, I think we need to reconsider this entire idea," Will cut in. "Personally, I don't think we should even be considering this option. Sending anyone, let alone Tasha, over to a Romulan ship on her own is reckless."

I looked across at him. He had his whole attention on the Captain, as if willing Picard to agree with him.

"Will, I understand your concern. I share it, and, believe me, if we had any other options I would gladly consider them. But we're running out of time, and right now this is our best option."

"Captain, there has to be another way to just buy time. If we can get Geordi just a few more hours, then he might be able to get us out of here."

"Commander, may I have a word with you?" Picard stood, and Will followed suit. They walked to the far side of the room and out into the hallway. Before they left, I thought I heard the words "personal feelings" and "interfere with command decisions." Then, they were gone, leaving the four of us to sit and wait.

I looked around the table again. It was obvious that most of them didn't approve of my being there, but I knew that they trusted their Captain enough to give me a chance. I was grateful for that. I didn't care very much what they thought about me, but I was tired of being faced with suspicion everywhere I went. I'd started to feel like the Enterprise was the first place that I could feel at home, and I didn't want that to end.

I didn't know what to do about it, either, except to push for this mission and then succeed. I didn't think about what would have had to happen to me if I failed. Weren't the lives of the Enterprise crew worth more than mine?

The door opened, and Will and Picard returned. They took their seats, neither of them looking satisfied. They must have been arguing, or arguing as much as a captain and first officer could.

"Geordi, how do we get Tasha through their shields?" Will asked impatiently. I wondered what he and Picard had been arguing about, though I was more than a little sure that it was me.

"Commander, I'm not sure if we can. With the shields up, we can't transport anything in or out. It'd be like trying to…put three pieces of bread in a toaster. It just can't be done."

"Then we need to find another way to get her over there," Picard said. "Data, I want you to get down to Engineering and work with Mr. LaForge."

"Captain." It was Worf. "There may be a way to beam through the Romulans' shields."

"Explain."

"If we can determine the shield frequency, we may be able to beam someone between the gaps in the shields."

"I see what you mean, Worf," LaForge cut in. "All Romulan shields operate on a certain frequency, with gaps in between each cycle. The gaps only last for a nanosecond, but if we can predict them then we'll be able to beam Tasha through."

"Why has no one ever tried this before?" Will asked.

"Well, it's risky, to say the least," LaForge explained. "We'll have to exactly calculate the shield's frequency. If we're off by even a millisecond, the transporter beam will be deflected and the pattern destroyed. "

"In other words, she'll be killed," Will said.

"That's right."

"Mr. LaForge, how long would it take to find the frequency?" Picard asked.

"I can't be sure. If we can get the main sensory grid on, it shouldn't take more than…five minutes?"

"Make it so. Data, I want you to get down to Engineering and work with Mr. LaForge. Inform me as soon as you make any progress. The rest of will stay here to determine what we will do once we get Tasha on board. Dismissed."

Data stood and exited.

"Number One, I'd like to speak with you in my ready room for a moment."

Picard and Will exited the room. I sighed. I knew that whatever strain was going on between Picard and Will was my fault. I had to make things right.

I looked across at Worf and Troi. I wondered how they felt, knowing that an unknown stowaway was their best, if not their only, chance for survival. I wondered if they had ever been in this type of situation before, facing imminent destruction. I rested my cheek in my hand, facing the view screen at the far end of the room. It showed the Romulan Warbirds, in a holding pattern as they waited for our surrender.

"We have finished recalibrating our sensors and have determined the Romulan's shield frequency," Data said. "It is now possible to beam Tasha directly to the Romulan ship."

"We'll have to beam her into this corridor because of the magnetic distortions from the singularity. Once she gets onboard the Romulan ship, she will go down this corridor to the engine room," LaForge said. He pushed a button on the display, causing the room on the diagram to magnify. "The engine core is located here. To shut it down, Tasha will need to use this panel."

"This is where it gets tricky," Will said. "To access the panel, she'll need to pose as a Romulan. Her best option is to visualize a Romulan as soon as she gets on board, and then take their form when she gets to the engine room."

"To disable the singularity," LaForge continued, moving away from the display and sitting down "she'll need to insert a specific sequence into the panel. If she calibrates it correctly, it should eject the singularity before it has a chance to destabilize and implode."

"And if it's calibrated incorrectly?" Troi asked.

"It will destroy the Romulan ship, as well as us," Will told her.

"Once Tasha has ejected the singularity," Data finished, "the Romulan Warbird's shields will go down and we will beam her back onboard the Enterprise once she gets away from the engine room."

A brief silence fell over the table, but it was broken by Captain Picard.

"We all know what's riding on this mission," he said, "and we all know the consequences if we fail. But regardless of what happens, I want each of you to know that it has been an honor serving with you. You are the finest crew in Starfleet."

It sounded like a goodbye.

"The Romulans will be expecting our answer in a few minutes. We need to get Tasha onboard. Good luck."

We stood. Will was going to escort me to the transporter room, while the rest of the crew took their posts. While we rode in the Turbolift, Will drilled last minute information into me.

"Remember to be in Romulan form for as short a time as possible. You know we can't beam you directly into the engine room because of the magnetic disturbance. Don't shift until you're in the engine room and at the panel."

I already knew all this; I'd been there when we'd discussed it for the first time. But I let Will tell me over again.

"It should take around ten minutes to eject the singularity. Once you've finished, you need to get out of that room as fast as you can so we can beam you back on board."

Eventually, we made it to the transporter room. O'Brien, their transporter operator, stood behind the controls.

"I'm ready whenever you are," he told us. "I've synchronized my panel with the Romulan's shield frequency, so this should work." I nodded. It should work.

"I still wish you hadn't volunteered for this," Will said when I turned back to him one last time.

"It had to be me."

"I know. I just wish it didn't." He paused. "Be careful."

"I will."

As I turned to go, Will pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms tightly around him, basking in the feeling of safety that it gave me. I didn't care that O'Brien was watching or if he knew how deeply Will was involved with my being on board. It didn't really matter now.

I pulled away.

"I'll be back," I told him. I kissed him lightly on the cheek, and then climbed onto the transporter pad.

"Energize."

I felt the blue energy surround me, and then I dematerialized. When I re-appeared, I was standing in the deserted hallway. I immediately shifted into a nearly microscopic fly and flew to the bulkhead. Just as I landed, two Romulans hurried around the corridor.

"Commander T'Pel, I do not see the sense in waiting any longer. The Enterprise is crippled. We could easily take her out with a few photons."

"Lieutenant, I will not debate this any longer with you. The Enterprise is more use to us when it is one piece. Now go to your post."

One, the Lieutenant apparently, went off the way he had come while Commander T'Pel continued down the hallway. After they had left, I started to fly down the hallway towards the engine room. Well, now I knew who I was going to impersonate. The discipline of Romulan ships, regardless of whether they were affiliated with Romulus or not, was such that no one would disobey a Commander, regardless of his actions. The punishments for disobedience were too severe.

I went down the hallway as quickly as I could. I could have made better time in another form, but this one was unlikely to be seen. One of the most important parts of this mission was secrecy.

I stopped flying when I came to the end of the hallway. It had dead-ended, which left me facing a gray bulkhead. The corridor that I was now in ran left to right, and I looked down both ways. It was deserted, as we had predicted it would be. The Warbird had been in attack mode for a long time, which meant that everyone was already at their stations. It was unlikely that any more people would be strolling the hallways.

I mentally envisioned the map that LaForge had supplied of the Warbird. Coupled with my own information, I knew that I was to take two rights and then a left to get to engineering. I turned right.

As I continued on my way to the engine room, I tried not to think of the importance of my mission. I tried not to think that, for some reason, Captain Picard had chosen to place his trust in me and thus to make me responsible for the welfare of the entire crew. That, if I failed, I would most likely be dooming the entire Enterprise to death. I knew that they would never surrender to the Romulans. Like any Klingon ship, they would die fighting.

I took another right, and continued down the hallway. It was difficult to fly the entire way, but I forced myself to keep moving. I couldn't rest, not until I was done. I could fly for a while longer if I had to.

I took a left. Not much further now. My senses were on high alert, as if I was already bracing for the impact that I hoped wouldn't come. Picard and the others would buy me as much time as they could, but they could only do so much. The Romulans would doubtless be impatient after the long wait, and would want an answer immediately. I had to hurry, or the battle would be over before I had a chance to do anything.

Really, my only hope was that the Warbird would try to board the Enterprise. The Commander had said that they wanted to take the Enterprise as a trophy, although for what I didn't know. It was doubtful that they would destroy it if they didn't have to. If they decided to board it, it would give me more time. And time was the very thing I needed.

I stopped, perching on the side of the wall. I was here. I'd arrived at the engine room. I couldn't see inside because of the door, but I knew the layout by heart. Nearby the door on the inside would be panels that controlled, and sometimes housed, the secondary systems of the ship. The engine core would be at the far end of the room.

I took several deep breaths, trying to steady myself. I could do this. Contrary to what Will had told me, I would have to shift before I went in. I couldn't get the door otherwise in; also, I couldn't exactly just appear out of nowhere. The idea was to keep from raising suspicion.

Recalling the exact details of the Commander who I had seen earlier, I prepared to shift. I would have to do this quickly, or else the Romulans in the engine room would suspect something. I knew something of the discipline on Romulan ships, so I should be able to get my "subordinates" to do what I ordered.

I walked through the door, taking in the layout of the room as I moved across it. It looked exactly as I remembered it. There were Romulan engineers at many panels, but none at the one that controlled the engine room.

"Commander T'Pel!" one of the engineers said as I walked across the room. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No," I told the man, continuing to walk. "I am inspecting the engine room to make sure that we are running at maximum capacity. I will not be requiring your assistance."

"Sir, I assure you that we are operating at full capacity," the man said.

"Lieutenant, you are dismissed," I told him, frowning. "Now return to work."

The Romulan was obviously perturbed, but he did as ordered, returning to his post. He had a battle to prepare for.

Swallowing, I continued toward the engine core. I had tried not to show it, but I had been terrified during the encounter. The chances of being discovered were high, and they got higher the longer I stayed. I brought my thoughts back to my mission. I had to complete it.

I gazed at the panel. I had reached the engine core, and now came the last phase of my mission.

It would not take long to eject the singularity. I knew how to do it, knew how to operate a Romulan computer system.

Carefully, I began to set the sequence. It didn't take long, no longer than three or four minutes. It was amazing how easy it was to disable a ship when you knew exactly what you were doing. A few buttons here, a brief sequence from this panel. Almost done.

"Step away from the console." I froze. I knew that voice. Slowly lifting my hands off the panel, I turned around. In front of me, blasters drawn, stood three Romulans. At their head was Commander T'Pel.

"Hands up!" he ordered, stepping toward me, blaster held at waist level. I raised my hands up at my sides, and met the Romulan's eyes. "What was it doing?" T'Pel asked, not looking away from me.

One of the Romulan engineers stepped forward to nearby console and checked it. "He was attempting to eject the quantum singularity," he said.

Still glaring at me, T'Pel asked, "Did it succeed?"

"No, sir. But it will take some time to reset the pathwa—"

"Don't give me excuses, Lieutenant, just get it done!" T'Pel snapped. He tilted his head to one of the officers, apparently security, at his side. "Search him."

I stiffened as the Romulan officer stepped forward and began to search me for weapons, his hands skimming over my body. He found nothing. I couldn't create weapons. When he had finished, he stepped back, nodding at his Commander. T'Pel turned back to me and a slow smile spread across his face. "Well, well, it looks like we have an imposter on board," T'Pel said. He surveyed me. "A shapeshifter, perhaps?"

I didn't answer, keeping my face expressionless. He knew that I was something, the fact that I was in his form was enough for that, but he didn't have to know the extent of my ability of shapeshifting. If I had any chance of getting out of here, I had to be able to shapeshift.

I tried to think. No matter what happened, I had to disable their warp core. Nothing else mattered. I knew that there were just a few more buttons to press, and I would be done. I would take a while for the Romulan to repair what I had done, but if I waited too long then I'd have to restart. I didn't have time for that.

"It seems that our friends on the Enterprise are trickier than we thought," T'Pel said. "They sent a saboteur."

I didn't answer. What was I going to say? I had been captured, and now they would throw me in the brig. I couldn't allow that to happen, obviously, but I still didn't know how I was going to get to the control panel. It would be guarded from now on. I would have to escape form my captors and then try to fight off the guards. Somehow.

Assuming that they didn't kill me right here, of course.

T'Pel nodded at the security officer at his side. "Take him to the brig, and make sure he didn't do any more damage. You," he said to the other, "stay here and guard this panel."

One of the officers, blaster raised, approached me. I automatically stepped back, bumping into the control panel as I did so.

"Come with me, or I will kill you," he said. Kill. Did their blasters only have one setting?

I nodded, and allowed them to lead me out of the engineering room and into the hallway. I inhaled, readying myself. It was either now or never.

Quickly, I shifted into a Terellian fly and beat my wings, pushing myself up until I was sitting on the ceiling. Then, looking down, I surveyed the Romulan. He was looking around, obviously baffled by my disappearance. Knowing that I had only seconds, I darted back down the hallway and, turning into an amoeba, slipped around the edge of the door.

Back in fly form, I looked at the room. T'Pel was still there, as was the other security officer. There were also the four other Romulan engineers.

I flew until I was on the wall close to my panel. I had to figure out how to do this. I had to shift into Sandorian form in order to activate the warp core failure, and that meant I'd been seen. I had to clear engineering of all these people. There was only one option: go on the offensive. The time for hiding was over.