They had hailed Starfleet Headquarters asking for immediate help once they had escaped Romulan space, traversed the Neutral Zone, and returned to Federation space. The Romulans, it seemed, had given up on chasing after them, but if they were not careful there would only be war waiting for them. The Romulans didn't much like engaging in war. They liked to observe it. If they could engage in cold, rather than hot, war, then they would take that option.
Lara bit her fingernails nervously, Jo'rek tapped his foot. Data and Charles, meanwhile, were impassive, but for very different reasons.
"What if Starfleet don't give us clearance?" Lara pondered out loud, eager for his worried mind to be put to rest.
Data furrowed his brows. Hie golden eyes scanned right and left quickly. "I will hazard a guess," he then said, looking at her. "We will most likely be captured by the Romulans, then tortured and executed. I have also heard reports of the Orion Syndicate operating nearby. Even if we do get clearance, we will likely have to return Jo'rek to the authority of his people, unless he requests political asylum. If he does not do that, he likely will be tried and executed for desertion."
At the sound of that, Jo'rek tried not to look concerned. He may have been Romulan, but he was still capable of fear. And he was feeling the harsh truth of that now. He knew of his planet's torture methods; they were some of the most feared in the galaxy. He doubted that even the ruthless Cardassians could have rivalled the Romulans' tactics for information extraction. He believed that he could have coped with the torture, and being the son of a nobleman, his sentence would most likely not have been too severe. Both his friends, and Lara in particular, would not have been so lucky. He would not let Lara be punished, human or not.
"I guess we had better hail Starfleet Command, then," Lara suggested. She cleared her throat and put herself forward. Jo'rek gave her his seat, and then he went to stand at the back of the transport, along with Charles. "I don't mind making the call." She could see that her brother was not – and wouldn't be any time soon – any fit state to talk to anyone about such a serious matter. She looked up at Data, though, and he raised a finger.
"Are you comfortable with that?" Data inquired.
She gave him a nervous smile. "I don't mind. And besides, I don't suppose you could do it because, well, they might not trust you." She read that over in her head and then bit her lip, embarrassed. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that." She sighed, but Data gave her a look which let her know that he understood her meaning.
"Here goes, then," she sighed, as she keyed in the hailing frequency for Starfleet Command. They had just reached Federation airspace, so she knew that there shouldn't be any technical issues with contacting them.
"Hello," she started, almost instantly faltering over her words. "This is Cadet Lara Elizabeth Garfield of Starfleet Academy. My serial number is 0087-1638A2. Do you copy?"
There was a bit of static and then came the monotonous reply. "Confirm: you are a Starfleet cadet?"
Lara cleared her throat. "I am, yes. Would you like me to repeat my serial number?"
"No need," said the voice on the other side, originating from somewhere light-years away in safe space. "We have checked it through our system and it appears genuine."
That's because it is, Lara thought.
"Your vessel is giving off Romulan signatures, I am detecting a Romulan biosignature onboard your shuttle. Are you a prisoner?"
"No. Not as such." She frowned, very unhappy with herself. She wished that she was better under pressure. "I and the rest of my shuttle's complement were involved in a top secret mission for Starfleet." She groaned. "Look, could I speak with Admiral Tucker? He knows all about this."
"I don't-"
She cut in. "Please. This is really important. It concerns planetary and Federation safety. God, even galactic safety!"
The man at the other end of the line was quiet for some time, no doubt thinking this over and consulting with his colleagues and superior. He had reason to do so; Lara's request and reasoning were very strange. Why would an esteemed, distinguished admiral like Tucker trust a group of cadets with a mission as important as this? Finally, he returned, and Lara listened eagerly.
"I will patch you through to Admiral Tucker. Over." The line went dead for a bit, and then Lara heard Admiral Tucker's much-missed voice.
"Cadet Garfield?" came his voice, all the way from his San Francisco office.
Lara breathed a sigh of relief. "Admiral! Thank God! I - we - really need to speak with you. This is a matter of extreme urgency."
"Urgency?" he questioned. Though she could not see it, the admiral had set down his cup of tea and was rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Yes, Sir. I don't know if it's safe to speak what I really need to say on this frequency because who knows might be listening? You sent myself, my brother, Cadet Richards and Cadet Data on this planetary sociology information-gathering mission a few months ago. But we gathered more information than I feel we should have. Well, you see… we weren't entirely honest with you when you contacted us earlier. Please, can we transport down and speak with you in person?"
Throughout that entire exchange, the admiral had been shaking his head in wonder and confusion. He dreaded what his future conversation with this cadet would hold. He coughed. "I'll need to clear this first but I'll see what I can do. You are one of our best cadets, and I trust you. Hang in there." The admiral had not noticed that one cadet was missing, or that there was a real Romulan onboard the shuttle.
The line went dead then. Lara exhaled loudly and sank back in her chair. She glanced round at her passengers. "I am so not looking forward to this," she moaned.
"He did sound sincere, though," Jo'rek opined. "My aims are the same as yours, the same as Starfleet's. I want peace as much as you do."
"Jo'rek's right," Charles piped up, finally lifting his eyes from the floor. "If we hadn't done anything, this conspiracy could have destroyed both the Romulan Star Empire and the Federation's hopes of peace. We could be at war right now, or imminently."
Data nodded in agreement. "A very sensible argument."
Charles glanced over at his sister. "Well done. You spoke well." He offered her a tiny smile.
Lara smiled back at him. "Thanks. We'll just have wait and see now."
Admiral Tucker was pacing furiously, a cup of black coffee in his hand. He was shaking his head, he was muttering under his breath, and he was very confused. And Data, with his acute sense of hearing, could detect the faintest whispers of curses. Finally, the admiral stopped, span on his heel and perched on the end of his desk. The San Francisco sun streamed in through the wide windows, illuminating him.
"Let me get this straight: there is a conspiracy theory which involves both the Romulan Senate and our very own Starfleet Command?" he enquired, pinching the bridge of his nose. He cast a critical gaze over at the Romulan stood before him. "Am I correct?"
Jo'rek just about managed to maintain his outward appearance of being composed. "You are."
"Yes, Sir," Lara intervened, stepping over to appeal to Tucker. "You see, before we were even chosen for this mission, Cadet Data accidentally stumbled across a secretive conversation between the Romulan proconsul, Lekar, and the Starfleet chancellor, Johnson. From what we could understand, it appears that Lekar and Johnson were working together. The proconsul would give Johnson Romulan state secrets, and Johnson would similarly return the favour."
"And what did you actually do when you were installed at this academy on the hidden planet?" Admiral Tucker inquired, still very much trying to take it all in.
"We did try to fulfil the aims that you had given us. We tried to stick to the brief. But, truthfully, we only decided to go on this mission so that we could learn more about the conspiracy," Data added. "If you are to hold anyone responsible, then I advocate for it to be myself, as I was the one who intercepted the transmission and made this aware to the other cadets."
Tucker held up a hand and Data quietened down. "And where do you fit in?" he asked Jo'rek.
"My father is the praetor," Jo'rek said simply. He regarded the admiral sharply. "But it is my opinion, despite whatever misgivings I might have for my father, that he knew nothing of this treason. I had noticed that something was strange with the way that the proconsul was conducting himself, and my concerns were warranted."
Tucker nodded in understanding. "This is very, very serious. The last time that we were at war with the Romulan Star Empire, the repercussions were extremely severe. I'd wager that most human beings alive today lost an ancestor to that conflict." It was then that he wondered if he himself was to blame; after all, he had sent these young cadets on this mission, and one of them had not returned. The admiral knew that he would have to tell Cadet Richards' parents that he had died. Of course, the parents of Starfleet members knew that there was risk, but Sebastian Richards was only a cadet. He was not a commissioned officer, and never should have been in life-threatening danger. But that was what life in Starfleet was all about, and Sebastian had known that.
Eventually, Admiral Tucker dismissed them. Jo'rek was to remain in Starfleet custody, but Lara, Data and Charles had accompanied him to the holding cell.
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" she asked her brother in a hushed voice. Data stood back.
Charles rubbed the back of his neck, sighed, and composed himself just about. "I'm sure I'll be fine, in time."
Lara gave him a sympathetic smile, and then she put her arms around him, looping them around his neck. "If you need me, I'm always here. There'll probably be a trial and we'll all have to speak, even Jo'rek, I suspect. And the chancellor will be court-martialled. I dread to think what sort of horrible punishments awaits the Romulan proconsul." In her mind, she was reminded of the execution methods that were used in Medieval England and Ancient Rome to punish traitors. She shivered. "But do know that Seb didn't die in vain. He prevented a war."
The corners of Charles' mouth curled upwards into a small smile. "And I was wrong about Jo'rek." The Romulan's ears pricked up at the sound of his name. Then Charles turned to Data and approached him, slapping a hand on his shoulder. Data flinched and studied him curiously.
"Let's leave them to it, eh?"
Data apparently understood Charles' point and nodded. "Yes. The next time that we see them may very well be at the trial."
Left alone, Lara looked at the security guard who was standing stoically in the corner. "Is this really necessary, the security field?"
The guard regarded her and nodded. "Orders," he said simply.
"He's hardly going to run away, is he?" She was almost about to let loose and reveal everything to this guard, but she stopped herself. "Look, please."
The guard pursed his lips and then pressed the command panel. The security field buzzed and shimmer out of existence. "Only for a minute or two and then I must put it back up. The prisoner is not to step out of the cell; you must go in."
Lara did not need telling twice. She stepped up and into the cell and was delighted when Jo'rek pulled her into his arms. She kissed him and he soon relaxed into her embrace. Then he groaned and she pulled back, concerned. "What is it?" she asked him, her eyes searching his.
"My leg, it is still causing me trouble," he said honestly, no longer caring to hide his pain.
Lara laughed softly. "That won't be for much longer." She sighed, and he reached up to touch her face. "Will you claim asylum?"
"I should think so."