"Final Moments"
By: Commander Lyrr Tayla
Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal

Location: MSV Bay, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 03h55

***

The Gate was near, as was their fate, whatever it might be. Lyrr Tayla knew the emotional state of the crew would be a major determinant of exactly what path they chose in the end, and it was her duty now to make certain they chose correctly.

Would they retake their ship, rescue the captain, then sail on home through the spatial gateway? Or would they die trying? There was no doubt in her mind that they would try, at the least, but whether they could do so in an organized, effective manner was not yet certain.

Shyla Moreau's death had struck many hard, and disheartened others, while some derived renewed purpose and determination from the unfortunate loss. All, however, would require close guarding - some restraint, and others encouragement. For Lyrr, it would demand that she perform as a leader, which meant more than dealing out orders and reading reports; this time, Lyrr would need to take charge and be that leader in presence, not simply title. It was more difficult now, with the prevailing illusion of her estrangement from Ben, and her requisite reactions to it; if she didn't allow even a trace of feigned sadness and dispiritedness to show through for the crew to witness, the game would be lost, and Ben would be in T'Briane's bed within moments.

Lyrr bristled at that possibility, and hastened her approach to ensure that had not happened already. She had waited hours for this moment, hours apart from the one man who could provide her with the strength she required to pull the crew together and win back the ship. Just one smile, and her anxieties would be allayed. That smile...

Lyrr tried not to grin or hurry too much as she approached the MSV bay, but the corridors were deserted, and there was no one about to greet calmly or make excuses to. There was only herself, and her goal. As she stepped through the door, she spotted him staring through the viewport with hands clasped at his lower back.

He'd heard the door slide open and close as Tayla entered and yet hadn't turned from the view as she approached.

Lyrr did grin now and rushed up behind him. Her arms slid through his and wrapped across his chest. "Miss me?" she asked, brushing her lips against his neck. He nodded and clasped her hands tighter over his abdomen and then he turned in the circle of her arms; his own lifted up to drop over her back and pull her into him. In answer to her question he drew her into a deep kiss that lasted until they were both flushed and out of breath.

He parted slightly and brushed his cheek against hers. "The crew hate me," he murmured. "I hate this pretence..." He nuzzled her neck, softly kissing her nape and running his hands up her back.

"They hate you for dropping me?" Lyrr chuckled in amusement. "They simply love a scorned woman, don't they? But, we'll make it right again." Her hand stroked his hair soothingly. "We'll make everything right soon enough," she whispered.

"I hope so...." He kissed her again, lifting her easily in his arms and feeling her legs wrap around his waist. "You'd better act the part of scorned woman. I'm sure the crew would spot a fake from you," he said as he kissed her chin, then throat, pushing her up against the bulkhead as he fumbled with her jacket zipper.

"Me?" Lyrr grinned and opened her throat to him as her hands sought Ben's pant fastenings. "And what exactly would they see if they looked at me? A woman who wasn't at all threatened by Ms. Bancroft?" She made a thoughtful sound, then nodded. "They'd be right."

"When will you adopt the skirted uniform?" he teased as he pulled the shirt from her pants and slid his hands beneath to caress her skin. His mouth clamped down on her lobe; she giggled as his fingers tickled her. It turned into a moan as they cupped her heavy breasts.

"I thought we were just going to speak," she told him thickly, then manoeuvred her head until her lips found his once again. The kiss was rushed and greedy, as were her hands as they stole into his pants. In the back of her mind, she knew this might be their last moment of joy together before they arrived at the Gate. After that, she wasn't even certain they would survive to share another kiss, another caress ever again. She hated the thought, and it fuelled her actions with desperation as she roughly tugged at the fastenings of her own pants. In that arduous moment, she whole-heartedly agreed with his comment about skirted variants.

The kiss was fuel for the fire. "We can talk later," he breathed as he pulled the shirt over her head and dropped it. He allowed her to stand as she slid down her pants and he followed, kicking boots off in a rush of kisses and caresses. She stood before him, pressed against the wall and he pressed his body fully against hers, kissing her, devouring her as he too thought of what might happen. It seemed that there was never enough time - that it was running out and the need for her had to be slaked. He was a man possessed. His hunger expressed in the depth of his kisses and urgent caress of his knowing hands.

"We should be arriving soon," she murmured against his cheek as her lips moved downwards to his throat. Her hands, meanwhile, were slipping beneath his tunic. "When we get to the gateway...we might not even see each other again." Lyrr gasped and dug her nails into T'Kal's bare shoulders as he pushed his hips against hers; both legs nearly melted away beneath her, but instead she draped them around his waist and clung fiercely to him. "I hate this," she whispered unsteadily as his kisses found her bare chest. "I hate not knowing what the future will be."

"We'll be together," he breathed and he groaned into her chest as she enveloped him in her heat. His strength held her against the bulkhead as he moved, sighing as his lips sought hers. "I love you, Tay." He shuddered as he felt her moving with him. "Forever and always," he breathed into her mouth as he kissed her deeply.

Lyrr truly believed his declarations, and would have reciprocated had she the voice to do anything other than cry out or moan into the expanse of his mouth. The cold metal of the bulkhead against her naked back was countered by the feverish warmth of her flesh; each moment with T'Kal, and her temperature rose exponentially until both were coated in sheens of sweat.

They might not live through the next day, she knew, and would never be married, but the joining of their bodies sufficed as a union if they could not. Fingernails dragged across the tiger's striped back as Lyrr struggled to pull T'Kal fully into her; she looked past his shoulders, down the plane of his back until her eyes met the beast's. It frightened and enthralled her at once with the intensity of its golden orbs, but most of all there was pride in knowing that their children would be imbued with the spirit of that majestic creature, with its strength and passion. They would be no different from those who conceived them, and that revelation alone infused Lyrr's motions with greater fervour until their cries stirred echoes in their corner of the bay.

Afterward they lay entwined and holding each other as if to do so would forestall the coming parting. Benedict knew that the mission to the station was a high risk venture. With Farrell's involvement he knew it to be verging on suicide, yet it needed the man's style of low cunning. Lyrr would remain with the ship and he would see to it that she got home - no matter what. Even Tebrianne's mission would be fraught with danger - beaming to the Windsor to rescue the captain may well be a folly. They each had a separate part to play and Benedict silently begged the Prophets to allow the Sulu safe passage even if the cost was his own life.

"Be strong for me..." he whispered in Bajoran. She lay with her face buried in the crook of his neck, arms wrapped around him upon the pile of clothing. Stars streaked by outside the large Bay port. "Whatever happens, Tay - you have to be strong for the ship. You have to take her home. No matter what happens to me...if I don't make it back. You'll be Captain of Sulu. We both know there's only a small chance of this working...of getting Salinger and getting out."

"We've both been through worse during the Occupation," she whispered, and with trepidation raised her head to gaze at him. "Right? If we can live through that, we can both make it through this. There is no choice in the matter, Benedict T'Kal." Lyrr kissed him firmly, and grinned. "None at all."

He gave her a smile and ran his fingers through her hair. "I wish, my love, that that were true, but it's up to The Prophets and Fate and Karma." He felt as if Karma was a crushing weight and he was starting to believe that the reason he'd been brought here was to take Tebrianne's place. How many times had he wished to do that...his life for hers, he'd demanded of The Prophets. Now this. It was in his eyes - the violet was shrouded and he looked upon Lyrr with a desperation in his expression. He knew that he wasn't coming back. He just knew it. It was Karma.

She snorted and cradled Ben's face in her delicate hands, forcing him to remain focused upon her. "Karma will not decide your fate, Ben - you do. Besides, what have you done in your past to deserve death? You killed some Cardassians?" Lyrr shook her head wryly. "They deserved it ten times over, Ben. If anything, you should be receiving good fortune for the rest of your life for what you did during the Occupation." Her features softened, and again Lyrr was smiling warmly. "You'll come back," she decided. "You will."

For a moment he hesitated and then he grinned. It was impossible to say no to her, and he chuckled. "Okay then when I come back...promise me you'll wear a dress for me. It'll give me something to focus on." He leaned up and kissed her.

She laughed softly and slipped her arms around his waist as she pressed in closer. "I promise...as long as it's in the confines of our quarters." Sighing happily as she nestled her head into the curve of his neck again, Lyrr whispered, "And if I make it out of this universe alive...what will you give me in return?"

"Anything," he breathed. "I'll give you anything you ask...." And he grinned, "Except wearing a dress."

Lyrr chuckled, and pointed out, "Then that's not everything, now is it?" Glancing up at him skeptically, she asked, "And how did you know that's what I wanted anyway? Is there a little Betazoid blood in you, too?"

"I just know you, Tala." He called her kitten, and smiled affectionately. He pulled her down for a kiss, and the passion of it was intense. It was enough to have them both panting for breath afterwards, and she could tell that he was aroused again. "I love you, Tay," he whispered into her mouth, as he caressed her once again. He wanted to forget what was outside the door, wanted to shut it out and stay with her for as long as he could. There was only her and he wanted her; it was in his violet eyes as he gazed lovingly at Tayla and kissed her lips with an achingly affectionate kiss.

She chuckled and coyly turned a cheek to his probing lips. "I think you've been loving me a little too much lately." As their hips interlocked again, and T'Kal's kisses dropped to her chest instead, Lyrr sighed and decided, "But, that's not exactly a bad thing."

---

"The Good Doctor, Part 1"
by Captain Matthew T. Salinger - Commanding Officer, USS Sulu
and The Doctor - Supreme Inquisitor of the Imperial Fleet

Location: ISS Windsor, Brig and Doctor's Office
Stardate: 57910.22 04h12

***

Matt Salinger sat with his back to the wall. The bunk was hard and uncomfortable, but the floor was worse. Since his first experiences on the bridge, he'd been confined in the brig. T'Briane had stopped by to see him once, but had left him alone in the cell. They would try to break him, but Matt would do his best to foil their every effort. The memories were fuzzy, faded, but he remembered similar scenes. It was far off and distant, like a shadow in the corner of the eye that vanished as soon as you turned to look. But, the memory was there. Somewhere within himself, Matthew Salinger knew he was no stranger to torture. So far, he'd proved more resilient than his captors expected. He'd hold on as long as he could, but he knew he couldn't hold out forever.

Two enforcers he had never seen before ghosted up to the edge of the cell's force field. All of the Windsor's security force had been most intimidating but both of these men had an identical square-jawed, dead-eyed expression and their armor was a glossy black rather than the blood red armor Salinger had seen most of the other guards wearing. They both held sinister-looking painsticks at the ready. Dargrim, a stout Tellarite that served as the Windsor jailer, stood next to the new humanoid blockade.

"Drop to you knees," he ordered, placing one red gauntleted hand on the force field controls. "Place your hands behind your head."

Salinger glared through the shimmering field that marked the barrier that kept him inside the cell, but complied. He went to his knees slowly, the pain of his previous torture still lingering. He then placed his hands behind his head and waited for whatever new torment they'd prepared for him.

The field dropped and one painstick came centimeters from his face, crackling energy. The other black-armored enforcer moved in carefully and twisted one arm behind the Captain's back. He could feel cool metal pressing against his flesh as he clamped binders in place.

"It's amazing," Matt said, "how gentle you are there. I'm impressed. I wouldn't have expected it of someone so--" He let out a bark of pain. "Sorry," he added through clenched teeth. "Mouth just runs off sometimes."

"Enjoy it while you can," Dargrim said as the enforcer hefted Salinger off the deck by his bound wrists. They brought him face-to-face with the short porcine Jailer. "The Doctor has flown out to meet us. To meet you, specifically."

Something in the way the guard said the word sent a chill down Matt's spine. "While I'm gone, hold my calls. And, don't mess up my cell, I'm beginning to get used to the decor."

To Matt's surprise, Dargrim laughed heartily and genuinely at his joke. The two enforcers began moving him towards the door.

"I'm going to miss your sense of humor," the jailor remarked, just as Matt was pushed into the corridor.

***

The room was dark and Salinger couldn't move. He'd been stripped to the waist and his arms and legs had been locked in heavy duranium restraints. He was stretched out on a table of the same metal, forced to focus on a small bit of dim light that looked impossibly distant. It and the footsteps echoing endlessly towards him gave the space a foreboding, cavernous quality.

"You are comfortable, yes?" a voice asked from the darkness in accented Standard. It had a familiar quality and was not unkind but its emergence from shadowy dim gave it a certain menace.

"Oh indeed," Matt answered as he tried to get a better look at the shadowy figure. "I'm certain duranium restraints will soon be everywhere as the height of comfort. I think maybe I should have some installed on my chair back on the Sulu."

"Your jovial nature is a blessing to me," the voice said, growing closer. In his mind, Matt imagined he heard the faint hum of antigrav emitters and the gentle clank of metal on metal. A cart?

"I find humour helps to keep spirits up when the situation appears bleak," Matt said. "So, you must be the Doctor. Is this the part where you begin to torture me with some sort of medieval-looking apparatus?"

"Yes," the voice admitted plainly. It was quite close now and near to the ear but the bracket around his head prevented him from turning to see. "Zere is good news...zere vill be no more painsticks or agonizers for you."

"Oh, but could whatever comes next be worse than painsticks and agonizers? Maybe for whatever you have cooking up in your devious mind, they would be more welcome. So, what torture's next, Doctor? What's up your sleeve that could even hope to replace the more endearing qualities of a painstick?"

"Der painsticks are much more effectiveness for...how you say...information extraction," the voice admitted. The shadow of a tool fell across Salinger's face. "But zey leave no marks and I vas trained to alvays show my vork."

"Just remember," Matt said with a cold, hard look in his eyes, "I'm the one wearing the white hat. I get out of this, I'll teach you what highsticking really is."

"If you valk avay from zis, I vould expect no less," the voice said even as the face that belonged to it drifted into his line of sight. A familiar face that smiled kindly at him and even went so far as to smooth away a bit of his hair with one gloved long-fingered hand. The other held a long thin cylindrical tool with a pear-shaped bell at the top.

"Not a matter of if," Matt said as he stared into the face of Ilan Potts, but this man was nothing like the Potts he knew. "Only when." The features were the same, but more cruel. There was an evil light that seemed to glint from behind the thick, dark goggles he wore. As Matt felt another chill race down his spine, he knew he would encounter few people in this mixed up universe that held a darker malevolence than the man before him bore. "Are those for the light, or do you prefer not to have the blood of your victims splattered into your eyes?"

Doctor Ilan made a face of endearment, as if he'd just been asked a charming question by a curious child. "A bit of both," he admitted, smoothing the same stubborn hair away from Salinger's forehead. "But zey also give sensor visual...so I can see your...or...organs? Zis is der vord, yes?"

"Yes," Matt answered. "That's the word. Just make sure they stay on the inside when you work."

"I make no such assurances," Ilan said simply. He looked at the pear-shaped bell at the top of the wand in his hand. Pressing a control with his thumb, the bell began to slowly spin and open itself up along invisible seams into a jagged-edged, white-hot horror. "Now," Ilan said with a satisfied smile. "Let us begin."

---

"Friends"
By: Crewman Emma Summers
Ensign Amy Reese

Location: Emma's Quarters, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22 04h30

***

Emma Summers was curled on her bed - tears had long since ceased, but the tracks of them were plain and her eyes were puffy and red. The presence of Tebrianne Bancroft had been a shock. Her nemesis had returned from the grave to stop her plan of revenge upon Benedict T'Kal. His Prophets were trying to protect him from Emma.

She needed to change her plan. Now the child she was carrying was superfluous. She needed it gone, but now wasn't a suitable time for that. It would debilitate her and she could feel events reaching a climax. Emma knew that something was happening on the Sulu. Damhnait Sefton was arranging inoculations against Tarkalean Flu - something totally odd, as the crew's normal boosters would prevent them from getting it. So the planned shots were for something else. Could she use that? Of course she'd have to get Lyrr...somehow arrange for the XO's booster shot to contain her tailored virus. She'd probably need Amy's help for that.

The onset of the virus would be twenty-four to forty-eight hours. Then she'd die as her organs literally melted and every blood vessel in her body broke down, causing massive blood loss. That stage would be anything between twenty and sixty hours until expiration. That depended upon Lyrr's own immune system and how well it could fight such a devastating infection.

It would be pleasurable to watch her die. Even more so to watch Benedict as his Betrothed slipped away from him. That left Tebrianne. Something more direct would have to be used. Shirik's dagger? Could she manoeuvre Shirik Lektar into killing the Romulan for her? She doubted it. She needed more preparation time to do that.

Time. She didn't have the time. Could she make a deal with T'Briane? Turn them in and have the Captain of the Windsor deliver the punishment...that was a better idea. She'd just have to find out what was going to happen first. Maybe Amy Reese would know that? Turning them in might even prove advantageous for Emma.

The door to her quarters slid aside with a soft hiss and Amy Reese stepped inside. The room was darkened, the only light coming from the stars outside the view port. Emma was a softly lit silhouette on the bed, laying atop the rumpled sheets, covers tossed aside and clad in only underwear. Her long dark hair was fanned across the pillow that was still wet with her tears.

"Emma?" Amy gasped softly at the sight and rushed to Emma's side. She was hesitant to disturb the bed by sitting upon it, but Amy did so and with trepidation she placed a hand on her friend's bare shoulder. "Emma? What's wrong?" She sighed. "Don't be afraid. We'll get through this - all of us. We'll be alright, I promise!"

At Amy's attempt at comfort, Emma rolled over so that her head rested upon Amy's lap and her arms snaked around her waist. The girl's soft perfume and soothing voice held a wealth of comfort and Emma couldn't help feeling a rush of affection for Amy. She held her tightly, and tears came again. "I'm afraid," she whispered hoarsely. "I can't have a baby here...not in this place, Amy. I couldn't bear it." She sniffled, her face buried in Amy's tunic, pressed against her lap.

"Oh, Emma," she whispered soothingly, and began stroking her long, brown tresses. "We'll get home - we've got a plan, remember? We just have to do our part, and it'll be alright." Emma's warm breath penetrated through the fabric of her pants, and she recalled memories of their night together. Amy sighed unsteadily. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Stay with me?" she asked in a small voice. She looked up at Amy, rolling slightly so that she could see the lovely face above her. Emma's eyes were filled with tears that slid slowly down her cheeks and her lips trembled. She took hold of Amy's hand and twined her fingers in hers, holding it to her chest. "Please, Amy...don't leave me."

"I won't," she assured her ardently. "I'm staying right here, Emma." To give her further confidence, Amy curled up onto her side and pulled Emma into an embrace. "We'll be fine, Emma," she murmured against her friend's forehead. "I'll keep you safe." Amy smiled. "You and little Amy Jr."

Emma nodded, and slid her arms around her friend and lover, pressing herself against Amy and twining her legs with hers. When she was comfortable and could hear Amy's heart beating against her, she sighed. "I love you, Amy," she whispered and felt the girl's hand brush her back comfortingly. It made her shiver. She pressed herself more firmly against Amy's soft curves, feeling the heat from her body against Emma's exposed skin.

"I-I love you, too," Amy breathed, and moved her lips to Emma's cheek, catching the edge of her mouth. The sweetness of her lips enticed Amy, who kissed her fully, then, and slid her hand past the waistband of Emma's thin undergarment. "I don't wanna die," she groaned, and stole her fingers inside Emma's warmth.

The kiss was soft, and Emma fully responded to it, her arms going around Amy's neck and into her hair as she surrendered to her willingly, almost desperately. A sharp intake of breath and a shuddering groan escaped Emma's lips as she felt Amy's deep caress. It was unexpected, but she couldn't help responding to it. "Oh...Amy...." She sighed as she fed from her lips, drawing her into a passionate and utterly sensuous kiss while her hips pushed upward and she allowed Amy to do as she wished.

There was no tentativeness about it. Amy knew what she wanted and Emma gave it; needing it as much as Amy did. Her hands stole inside her uniform, fumbled with zippers and pulled her garments free as she fought the erotic sensations of what Amy was so intent upon doing. All thought of plans and schemes vanished in a fog of instant desire and pleasure. This time she wasn't the predator, she was the object of desire, and Emma responded to it totally.

"Yesss...Amy...please...." Her pleading tone was full of lust and desire and she couldn't get enough of Amy's lips, kissing her as she pushed off the sleeves of her uniform, unhooking her bra, and freeing herself from the confines of her own.

"Not too long," Amy murmured as her fingers tangled in Emma's hair and lips moved to her friend's throat. "I have hypos to prepare...."

She almost missed her words, she was so intent upon the sensations Amy was evoking in her. "I'll...I'll help," she hissed and caught her breath as Amy's lips went lower. "Later... " She closed her eyes and shivered delightfully. Emma wondered if she could just forget everything else and just surrender herself to Amy; to being loved. It was an almost frightening feeling to be able to forget her mission and just allow her feelings to settle upon the girl who was ardently loving her. Could she? Could she forget all the pain, all the things she had forced herself to endure? Just for Amy Reese?

"Ohhhhh, Amy..." she sighed and bit her lower lip, flushed and hot as she clenched her fists in the sheets and struggled to breathe. She let go of all thought and just drifted with it; the tiny bolts of white hot pressure and the tingling, spiralling hunger and reach for oblivion. She reached for Amy's hands and grasped them, twining her fingers and gripping them hard as she arched her back and gasped out her name again and again as she surrendered to the heat and the intimacy of what Amy was doing to her. It was beautiful, rapturous, a ball of lightning in her belly that shot upward and outward and made her whole body spasm and clench in a shaking, shuddering release that seemed to last forever.

It left Emma gasping for breath and lightheaded. Weakly she pulled Amy upward, and kissed her, tenderly and lovingly, until she couldn't stand it anymore and she had her own hunger to sate; and Amy took her own turn being loved.

It was what they both needed to assuage their grief and fears. Holding Emma, and Emma holding her back after both had been spent provided the comfort that would keep them persevering until they either returned home, or died trying. Amy whimpered and buried her face into Emma's damp hair, and twined her legs tighter around her friend's. "We'll get home," she whispered hopefully. "We'll make this work."

For a moment Emma Summers allowed herself to believe it. As she stroked Amy's back and kissed her face with tiny brushes of her lips, she felt an overwhelming desire to stay with her. She smiled and brushed her cheek against Amy's, her eyes closed and her whole awareness centred upon the girl in her arms. What was important? she asked of herself then. Love or revenge?

It was the first time that she truly questioned her desire for revenge. As her lips planted kisses upon Amy Reese's throat and her hands smoothed over warm, soft skin, she realized with trepidation that she did have genuine feelings for Amy. It made her heart skip a beat as she scraped her long fingernails lightly across Amy's thigh. She looked up then, and stared into Amy's eyes, stroking her cheek and brushing a damp lock of hair away from her ear. With a trembling hand she pressed her fingers against Amy's lips, tracing her chin and watching her eyes intently.

"How did you do this to me?" she whispered, as she gazed into Amy's eyes. "How did you make me love you?" A single tear welled in her eye and dropped down her face. Why now? Could she just be Emma Summers and let Cathy Page vanish? She wanted to...looking into Amy Reese's eyes she knew she wanted to.

Amy grinned, her slender nose wrinkling as she stifled a giggle. "You make it sound so horrible!" she exclaimed. Sighing as she nestled her head into the curve of Emma's long neck, Amy mused, "Though, the falling in love part isn't hard. It's the staying in love that is. Look at Kit? He barely even sees me anymore... But," she continued thoughtfully, "no matter what, Emma...I'll always love you, too." Again she gazed up at her, smiling warmly. "You're my best friend."

Emma smiled, and leaned in to kiss her. It was a lingering kiss. "No matter what?" she asked in a throaty whisper. "Do you want Kit?" she asked, her lips brushing Amy's.

Amy shrugged uncertainly. "I love him...and I wish I could be with him.... But it's so hard. It shouldn't be that difficult...." She sighed morosely. "Why can't it be simple, like with you and me? I really like being with you, Emma."

"I really like being with you too," she answered, as she nuzzled her neck. She felt a jab of jealousy that Amy still loved Kit Markham, but Amy wasn't one to spare anyone her love. She had enough for everyone. Even enough for Catherine Page. Why didn't Markham understand that? It was a fundamental part of who Amy Reese was. Amy had a big heart, she could love just as intensely any number of people. She didn't need just one, she couldn't bottle it up for just one. Emma knew that. Perhaps that was why she loved her too. Kit Markham just didn't understand that. "Perhaps...we can make him understand," she whispered as her lips caressed Amy's shoulder.

"Oh, I don't know," she answered with a wan smile. "He'd dump me ten times over if he found out about this." Giggling gently as she pressed in closer to Emma, Amy said, "Let's keep it our secret...and little baby Amy's." She placed a kiss upon Emma's left breast, and felt its lingering warmth. Grinning broadly at her friend, she whispered, "You wanna come do rounds with me? We need to get that vaccine distributed."

Emma laughed softly, a part of her mind turning over ideas and knowing that she really couldn't pass this up. It fit just a little too neatly. She giggled as her breast tingled from the kiss; it seemed to go right to her loins. She sighed. "As long as we finish quickly and steal some more time together." She bent and bit softly at Amy's ample breast, teasing her with a soft flick of her tongue. "Shower with me?" she asked huskily.

Amy couldn't prevent the mischievous smile she now wore from appearing; allowing a boisterous giggle to escape, Amy rolled away from Emma and out of bed. Standing naked and flushed before her, Amy began backing from the bed while sensuously winding a hand from her breasts, along her stomach, and down between her legs. "You promise a shower is all we'll do?" she teased.

"No." Emma smiled and bit her lip as she watched Amy's hand travel until it, and her gaze, settled on one spot. She slid off the bed and followed Amy with a grin, shaking out her long dark tresses and feeling an ache that had started all over again. She followed her into the shower and as the warm water ran down their bodies she teased Amy with kisses and soapy caresses.

"Emma?" Amy asked inquisitively, eyes mesmerized by the silky trail of soap her hand left across Emma's chest. "When the baby's born...can I...well... Can I help raise it?" She beamed with a smile. "Like a sister."

Emma's breath caught in her throat. She closed her eyes, concentrating on Amy's hand and the silken feel of it than on her words or their stark meaning. "Of course," she said automatically, knowing full well that it wasn't going to happen. She couldn't subject her body to the ravages of childbirth. No, it was a dream. It was too far gone. Her wavering resolve firmed as she knew that today she would remove Lyrr. The woman Betrothed to Benedict had to die. She still loved him...but she wanted to live. Amy offered a chance at a life.

She knew what would happen. The virus would kill Lyrr and Benedict would go back to Tebrianne. The question was - did she care? It was only restoring the natural order of things. After all, Cathy Page had destroyed their relationship to begin with, and now she found herself in the position of being the person responsible for putting them back together. It had a certain symmetry. She'd kill Lyrr and mend things. Then she'd have Amy. Would Amy still love her if she miscarried the child?

Emma's eyes opened to look into Amy's. "Vincent wants to marry me," she said. "I said yes...but now...I don't want to. I want you." She pulled Amy closer. "I want you, Amy," she repeated as she kissed her wet lips.

Amy murmured a light-hearted protest, then laughed softly as she separated their lips. "Emma...we can't get married, you know." She held up her hand and waved her fingers at Emma, displaying the ring on her second last knuckle. "I already promised Kit...but," she amended, flattening her hand upon Emma's bosom, "that doesn't mean we can't still be" -- leaning forward, she kissed the hollow of her neck and glanced up-- "friends."

Emma sighed as Amy's lips caused her to shiver even under the warm water. "Are you still going to marry him?" she asked softly. "If you are...I don't mind...I can share." She bit Amy's bottom lip, drawing on it softly. "Maybe you can share too." She smiled suggestively. "Would you like to play with Vincent? I'm sure I can talk him in to it. He is cute...and his stamina is unbelievable." She giggled and slid her hand between Amy's thighs. "He really does know how to please a girl." She made Amy suck in a deep breath and groan.

"Oh, I can't," Amy sighed as her head rolled forward onto Emma's shoulder. "Girls are one thing--" Her breath caught and Amy's hips swayed forward. "Boys are another," she managed barely.

"Then maybe I can share Kitty," she whispered in her ear as she licked the lobe and continued with the rocking of Amy's hips. Her mouth trailed down Amy's neck, pushing her gently against the glass wall as she kissed her way downward. She slid to her knees, allowing the warm water to cascade across Amy's chest. She grinned up at Amy. "I could try and seduce him," she suggested as she leaned forward and replaced her hand with her lips.

Amy yelped and flung her arms back for support against the shower door. The glass squeaked as her fingers dragged across the slippery surface, and there was a thump where her head fell back against it. She sighed into the ceiling overhead. "Y-You could try," she haltingly whispered. "But I don't-- He's prudish that way...." Amy emitted a surprised shout and clenched her eyes shut when a pure, focused spike of ecstasy truly struck her. Emma's name was the only one she cried out.

As Amy recovered her breath, Emma ordered the computer to dry them off. As the warm air surrounded them Emma began brushing the tangles from Amy's hair. "Do you want me to try?" she asked softly. "I'm sure I could...but only if you want me to."

"I-I want you to," Amy answered timorously, remembering how Emma tenaciously took her that first night, and realizing she could do the same with Kit if she wanted. Amy envied her in that respect. She smiled hesitantly over her shoulder, and told her, "You should do it, Emma. You deserve it."

"Deserve it?" Emma giggled. "Is he really that good? You should really try Vincent...all hard body and boundless energy. Okay though...if we get out of this mess the Sulu is in...do they have a plan, Amy? You'd know...being an officer...what's going to happen?" She whispered it, still brushing her hair so that it was shiny.

"We have to go around and distribute the vaccinations for this Tarkalean flu that's going around," she explained. "Though...the Enforcers aren't getting the real thing - it's a placebo, and...and so when they gas the ship, we'll be immune, but they'll all drop unconscious." Amy smiled proudly as if the plan had been her own. "That's why we need to hurry. We have to make sure the very last Enforcer is injected."

"Enforcers being injected? Will they go for it? It sounds to me like we'd be trying to drug them. Surely they wouldn't go for it. Wouldn't it be better to not inject them at all?"

"But the whole crew's getting injected," Amy told her. "If we skip over them, they'll be suspicious. So we at least have to offer." Turning around and gently taking the brush from Emma's hand, Amy added, "So...wanna help?"

"Of course." Emma's face screwed up in distaste. "I don't want you going near those thugs...but I'll go with you for sure. I heard Lieutenant Tagliesh was raped by them...is that true?" She turned so that Amy could brush her long dark hair and she leaned against the glass wall, and playfully brushed her rear against Amy's belly. That made her think another thought entirely. What if she could set T'Kal up to rape someone else...maybe Scott? The drugs would work on both sexes. That would leave her out of it entirely and maybe the punishment meted out to Crix and the other one would be done to Benedict as well...maybe.... She smirked as Amy started brushing her hair.

"I haven't seen the medical records," Amy sighed, shaking her head pitiably. "I heard Captain Bancroft had the guy tossed into the brig for it. But, I try to give them a wide berth, and I never venture out alone. So, if you come with me" --she kissed Emma's shoulder-- "then I won't have to be."

"I'll go with you, baby," she smiled and reached behind her to caress Amy's thigh and the curve of her rear, surrendering to the brushing. "If they touched you...I'd kill them," she whispered.

Amy chuckled. "With your looks?" she teased.

"Don't underestimate me." She grinned as she chuckled. "I know how to defend myself. I had a very good teacher once." She cast a look back at Amy. "I can be very mean when I want to be."

"I bet! I remember that Annika incident in the lounge." Amy snickered. "I like having you as a bodyguard." She smoothed down Emma's newly combed hair, then kissed the back of her head. "We should go, then. Time's running short."

"Okay," Emma murmured. It had been a long, long time since she'd been given the attention that Amy gave her. She turned and kissed her deeply, holding her for a moment before releasing her and smiling. "We can get back to this later." She stepped out of the fresher and sauntered back into her bedroom.

She dressed quickly, a simple Class A uniform and nothing underneath. She smiled at Amy as she pulled on her boots.

The perfume bottle was sitting on her dresser with a few other assorted fragrances. She picked it up and twisted the cap, releasing the small cartridge from its center, while hiding the action with her back to Amy. She picked up another sprayer and dosed herself lightly while pocketing the cartridge. It would neatly fit a medikit's hypospray unit. She smiled grimly, relishing the feeling and the sexual thrill that anticipation of a killing gave her. When she'd done what she had to do, she'd take her appetite out on Amy.

"Let's go then." She turned brightly to Amy, her face once again carefree and happy.

Amy nodded duteously, though with a dazzling smile, and linked arms with Emma. "We'll teach them a lesson," Amy said fervently, and with a light kiss to Emma's cheek.

Emma laughed. Yes, she thought, a lesson was surely going to be taught today.

They stepped out of her quarters. "First stop: Medical to pick up what we need?" she asked Amy as they walked to the turbo-lift.

"We already have what we need," Amy quipped, smiling significantly at her friend. "But yeah...let's go get those hypos." Chuckling, they let the lift doors close behind them.

---

"The Good Doctor, Part 2"
by Captain Matthew T. Salinger - Commanding Officer, USS Sulu
and Doctor Ilan - Supreme Inquisitor of the Imperial Fleet

Location: ISS Windsor, Doctor's Office
Stardate: 57910.22 05h33

***

The screams of Matthew Salinger died with the flick of Doctor Ilan's thumb.

The Captain fell into the swiftly shallow breaths of a dying man. He was bleeding from more than two dozen small stinging cuts along his torso and he'd already spent the bulk of his strength withstanding the smaller tortures of this universe's Doctor Potts, who was hovering over him like some perverse nursemaid tending a child.

Doctor Ilan slowly withdrew the thin wand from Matt's naval, cupping the Captain's face while his victim gnashed his teeth together as the hot metal cauterized the wounds it had just made. A bit of smoke and the disturbingly appetizing stench of burning flesh wisped between the two of them.

"Shhh, Matthew," Doctor Ilan smoothed back his hair. "One more moment."

Salinger nodded as much as the head brace allowed. He only grimaced while the Doctor worked, doing his best not to give any satisfaction by crying out.

"I must ask, Matthew," Ilan said, the work of his tool reflecting in the black surface of his goggles. "Der ship zat exploded in your universe, do you think it managed to varn anyone?"

Matt's eyes grew cold. "Unfortunately, I don't think they did," he rasped.

"You don't think zey did," Ilan paraphrased Salinger's own words. "But you cannot be sure, no?"

"I only know what transpired when we encountered them," Matt said through the pain. He closed his eyes to blot out Potts' visage, but it seemed to be there even with his eyes shut. "We were able to detect no transmissions being sent. Hopefully they got word out before they arrived in our sensor range."

Salinger heard Ilan "hmmm" as if reluctantly satisfied, a shuffling of feet, and then felt something being inserted into his mouth. The Captain instinctively tried to twist away but was surprised by the taste of cool water. He gulped at it greedily and strained at his bonds in an attempt to grab the bottle. He barely heard Ilan laughing.

"Slowly, slowly," the Doctor chided, full of mirth. "You von't be having more for some time."

Salinger looked up at Potts and then slowly nodded. With deliberate effort, he took the straw and began to slowly sip the offered water.

Ilan smiled at his charge sipping water. "Ve take a short break, Matthew. Then ve get back to work, yes?"

"Back to work," Matt echoed. "Of course. A break will be nice."

"You are doing wery vell," Ilan said, taking the water bottle away. "I am proud of you."

"Thank you," Matt said, his exhaustion clear. "I've always tried to excel at dealing well with torture. Haven't had much practice, of course. But, I learn best by doing, I think."

"I am most pleased to be your mentor," Ilan smiled happily, dropping the bottle into his cart's reclamation bin. He crossed his arms and gave his tools a serious scowl. "Vhat next for Matthew?" he asked, speaking to himself.

"Actually, I have a question," Matt said. "Why doesn't the Empire just use telepathic methods of interrogation. It's far more reliable."

"Eh?" Ilan said, broken out of his pondering. "Oh...der humans...in der old days of just der Terran Empire, zey hunted der telepaths. They were very much...afraid? Zis is der vord?"

Matt nodded. "Afraid works, I guess. They feared the telepaths? Sounds familiar."

"Yes, yes," Ilan shook his head in some facade of sadness. "It was all so much foolishness, Matthew. Der Vulcans vere not so fearsome since zey must touch and der Deltans...only some of zem have der strong minds. But species like der Betazoids? Nearly all gone." Ilan seemed to be considering something carefully. "In your reality, zere are still many Betazoids?"

"Yes," Matt said. "They're respected members of the Federation. Many ships in the fleet have crewmembers from Betazed."

"I miss der vomen," Ilan admitted, smiling at his charge. "Beautiful eyes on der Betazoids women with vills of iron. I am much missing zem."

"I've known a few Betazoid women," Matt said. "They're a remarkable species, Betazoids. It's a shame this universe had to eradicate them. But, I imagine that's the way of things here. Destroy that which you fear."

"Yes," Ilan shook his head sadly. "Zat is vhy you must learn to find the beauty in destruction, Matthew. Vhen you destroy a thing, you understand it."

"How much good does it do to understand a people after you've destroyed them? At that point, it's all just theory. And, there's far more beauty in life than death and destruction. But, if you destroy everything you find, you'd never know that."

"On zis thing, ve cannot make agreement," Doctor Ilan said with some finality. He selected a cruel looking instrument something like a riding crop studded all its length with razor sharp bits of metal and swished it in the air. "So...zere are many Betazoids on your ship, Matthew?"

Matt laughed harshly. "Define many."

"In zis reality, a handful would be many," Ilan said, returning to the table with the whip thing in hand. "I personally think der destruction was most tragic."

"The wonton destruction of any entire species is tragic," Matt said. "There is no beauty in that."

"Again, you try to make argument," Ilan chided, smiling. "It is the nature of things in my universe and I have learned to accept it." He hovered over Salinger's prone body, the whip casting a long shadow. "But...I vould very much like to see Betazoids again. I am much missing dem...or at least some of dem."

"How quaint," Matt sneered.

"Quite," Ilan agreed, dragging the whip slowly across Salinger's stomach, the small shards of metal leaving thin slices in their wake. The Captain only allowed a small shiver in response, even when he saw the reflection of his own tormented face in the black lense this Potts kept over his eyes.

"Now, Matthew," Doctor Ilan said, raising the whip over his head. "Vhy don't you tell me about the Betazoids in your ship?" he asked in his kindest tone, before swinging the whip with all his might.

---

"Leave Your Things Behind"
by Ensign Cristobel Sefton - Nurse
and Corran Quezith - Nurse

Location: USS Sulu, Deck 2 Coupled Officer's Quarters
Stardate: 57910.22, 07h42

***

Cristobel Sefton wasn't one to set an alarm an hour ahead of schedule to give himself the time to slowly adjust to rejoining the world of wakefulness. His circadian rhythm was long-practiced in letting him sleep long enough to be rested, and awaken in time to prepare for his shift. Every morning, even on the most fuzzy-headed of mornings, his feet would hit the floor less than a minute after waking up.

On this particular morning, he chose to stare at the ceiling for fifteen minutes after awaking.

When Corran awoke by his side, Cristobel had tugged his duvet completely over his head. He hid in a fetal position on the bed for the entire time it took for Corran to shower and dress. When it had been time for them to report to the mess hall for their scheduled morning meal, Cristobel had finally peeked his head out from the duvet. He didn't get out of bed, though. He remained in bed right through his only opportunity to get food, which didn't particularly bother him.

Somehow he'd seen this coming eventually, them moving back in together now that it wasn't a health risk for him, but recent events had changed that. Corran was happy to return, but he wished it had been under different circumstances. As things stood, not even the sonic shower had managed to get his mind off of why he was here to begin with.

It'd seemed as if time had passed by more slowly than ever before since he'd woken up. Now he was just standing in the door to the bathroom, looking at Cristobel in bed. He didn't remember seeing him like this, not even when he'd been ill.

Cris? Aren't you going to have breakfast?

Replicators still offline, Cristobel telepathically responded sluggishly. The mess hall's too far.

He came over and sat down next to Cristobel on the bed, a hand settling over one of his through the covers. You'll need to eat to have energy through the day.

I don't have the energy to eat, Cris responded after several seconds of consideration.

Can I really afford to let you stay in today? His concern was that Cris could get in trouble, or more than just in trouble...

Mom can cover for me, Sefton pouted.

What if she gets in trouble? His hand slid up to the edge of the sheets so he could pull the covers off of him slowly. He didn't want Cris to just stay home like this... not after losing Shyla.

She's senior staff. She couldn't get in trouble, Cristobel insisted, his mental tone implying just how ridiculous he thought that concept to be. A second later, his eyes went pleadingly wide, and he whimpered, Could she?

Well... Corran sent the mental image of senior officers being called on for not doing their jobs. He hadn't seen it too often, but then, he had seen quite a bit of it at Starfleet Academy when he'd visited Cristobel. They didn't pull out whips, but some said - and he agreed - that a mental whiplash could be ten times worse, or more, than an actual lashing.

Try to remember she's not been long on a starship.

Cristobel gaped at Corran and his words with incredulity. He snappishly asked, What are you talking about? She hasn't been on this starship long, but she spent most of my life on starships. Besides, it's not the senior staff we have to worry about; it's the Enforcers. I know you've been coping by obsessing over your own particular duty, but you do remember the Enforcers, don't you? Cris insistently tapped the metal collar encircling his neck. Although he hadn't given the Enforcers a reason to use even the lowest of pain settings on him yet, it still served as a physical reminder of Shyla's death.

Sitting up to look the Achicarian more directly in the eyes, Cristobel had to immediately ask a final question, Are you okay?

I'm fine. Corran got up from the bed and moved over to the viewport, glancing outwards pensively. Up until now he'd kept a low profile onboard, speaking very little, interacting with the crew just as little, and never even thinking about being troublesome to the Enforcers... however, the more time passed by, the more his discontent grew... the more he considered developing his abilities in order to be able to defend everyone.

Were his own people inherently violent and they just hadn't realized it before now? Or was this an isolated incident?

I'm tempted to break my vows to the Captain, the Federation and to Starfleet, but at the same time I try to put a lid on it. We're almost home, or I keep getting that feeling anyway.

I don't want-- You can't endanger yourself. You shouldn't do anything to the Enforcers. You're not Starfleet. You don't have the training. I can't lose you, Cristobel repeatedly affirmed. The thought of any harm coming to Corran practically burned away the majority of his grief, for the moment at least. Only a dull ache remained, but he couldn't even consider that, as he thought, I just think you need to be more aware of what's going on around us all. If you don't become a part of this community, it could be dangerous for you and your mission here.

I've tried, and I keep trying. There's this small niche where they seem to be comfortable about me existing on this ship, and that's as their gardener... Which admittedly didn't seem so annoying in the beginning, but now... reduced from prestigious studies in one fleet to gardening in another. Wooo-weee.

You're not trying in Medical. You're embarrassed to be a 'just a nurse'. You're not getting to know the staff. It feels like you hardly want to be there, Cristobel admitted bluntly, but with gentle tone.

Corran said nothing in return. He didn't agree with that in the least, but that Cristobel would believe that struck a cord in him. He wrapped his arms around himself and rubbed each one, his eyes shifting quietly to a piercing blue tone.

His thoughts drifted, as they had been doing over the last few days, and suddenly he could feel and see the currents he had shown Cris the other day. He sought a soothing one out and basked in it. Gradually, it made his own current shift.

All Cristobel could see was Corran tilting his head to the side. His breathing quieted, becoming more gentle as very little time actually passed by. Finally, Corran returned to this realm, his eyes turning a deep brown. He turned his head to look at Cristobel and smiled lightly. We'll worry about that later. Get ready, we can still have breakfast.

Right, Cristobel replied, his mind fogged over with confusion. Sefton remembered, We have to administer the anti-knock-out-gas vaccine today, anyway. It's our duty. I should know that.

Rising from the bed, Cristobel moved without precision, clomping about as he struggled to get into his old Class A uniform that was missing the overjacket. He shrugged on a medical smock and eventually meandered into the sonic shower, hoping it would freshen his garments, his body and his mind. Since the latter was doubtful, two out of the three would have to do.

---

"Doing the Rounds"

By: Crewman Emma Summers
Ensign Amy Reese
Commander Lyrr Tayla

Location: Deck 2, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 07h55

***

Two young women offering them a moment of their time to administer a hypospray of inoculant didn't seem too tempting to many of the Enforcers. Most refused to be injected, others grudgingly obliged, if only to get a closer look at their more prominent physical assets. In either case, they would think themselves impervious to the virus, but in the end, with or without the injection, they'd be rendered unconscious once the gas was vented.

Hurrying away from the last Enforcer on Deck two, Amy sighed and leaned her cheek on Emma's shoulder as she stuffed the hypo into her medkit. "I think we're done on this deck," she whispered. "I wish we didn't have to do this anymore. The way they look at us... I can just...feel their hatred!"

"That's not hate, Amy...it's something much more controllable." Emma grinned. "We've the senior officers quarters left. Commander Lyrr is in quarters according to this." She waved her padd that was updating inoculations and crew positions so no one could get missed. "She hasn't been inoculated." Emma sounded casual, but inside she was starting to feel the anticipation. "We may as well finish her off while we're here," she grinned.

"If she'll even let us inoculate her," Amy reminded. "I hear she's as stubborn as they get. Although," she sang, nearly snickering, "I hear she's the complete opposite when it comes to Lt. Commander T'Kal." Amy smiled suggestively at Emma. "Do you really think they...you know... Oh, it just seems so strange to think about our senior officers like that!" She giggled to add, "Strange...but intriguing."

Emma's eyes clouded over and her expression darkened. "I don't even want to think about it," she said. "But I can understand her. I'd love to have him too." She shot Amy a look. "Wouldn't you? All that animal magnetism and that Bajoran spiritualism...." Her eyes shone. "If he wanted me I wouldn't even think about it." She bit her lower lip. "Just thinking about him makes me...well...." She gave Amy a sly smile. "You know."

"Commander T'Kal?" Amy snorted a laugh. "Yeah...he's cute enough. But he always looks so...stern." She sighed dreamily and added, "Though I bet I could loosen him up."

"I bet you could.. I bet we could." Emma giggled and set off to Lyrr's quarters. All the while she was thinking of Lyrr and Benedict together and her desire for revenge. He'd spurned her. She'd loved him so much that she would have gladly given her life for him, but he'd ignored her and gone to Tebrianne. Even after he'd known she was having his child, he'd not lain with her. Now he was with that Bajoran cow! "Maybe we can catch them," Emma suggested darkly.

"Oh, but I thought he was with his lover, Commander Bancroft," Amy gibed, grinning. "Let's go ask." And taking Emma's hand, Amy marched them to Lyrr's door and depressed the chime.

It was moments later that Commander Lyrr appeared before them, regarding the two impassively. "What is it?"

Emma deferred to the ranking officer of the two of them: Amy. She stood slightly back, so that Amy's body shielded Lyrr's perception and she carefully slipped the virus cartridge into the hypo spray. She kept her head slightly down and readied the hypo. She already knew that she'd just hand it to Amy so that Amy gave her the shot. With any luck, Commander Lyrr Tayla wouldn't even notice who'd been with Reese at the time of the shot.

"It's your inoculation, Commander," Amy replied timidly, lowering her eyes. She'd never encountered Lyrr much, and she did stand an inch taller than the commander, but Amy still felt so small and unnerved by the woman. "It won't take a moment, Commander, I promise," she continued, even as she began digging into her kit for a hypo. One spilled over the edge and bounced onto the ground. Amy paled and flicked her nervous gaze up to Lyrr as she bent to retrieve it.

Lyrr sighed, and barely glanced at Emma, now fully in view. "Ensign," Lyrr said gently to Amy, "take your time."

Amy smiled apologetically as she stood upright once more. "Yes, Commander," she answered softly, and resumed wading through the contents of her bag to find another hypo, one with a full cartridge.

"Here, sir," Emma smiled and handed her hypo to Amy. "It's charged." She was careful to only look at Amy, and kept her voice pitched lower.

"Thanks," she whispered gratefully, grinning at her friend. She turned to Lyrr fully and trepidly approached her. "This'll protect you from that nasty Tarkalean flu, Sir." Amy pressed the hypo to Lyrr's upper arm.

The commander watched Emma idly as the contents were injected. "Have you girls much more of the ship to cover?" she asked, still regarding Summers.

"No, ma'am, you're the last person on this deck," Emma answered. It would have been a mistake not to. As the hypo hissed against her arm Emma looked right at her and smiled. Her grey eyes stared straight into Lyrr's, and the smile was genuine. Die, bitch. "You might feel a few symptoms, but don't worry, sir...they won't last very long."

Lyrr tipped her head at the two. "Thank you." She blinked at them, bringing her suddenly blurred vision back into focus and steadying her swaying body against the doorway. "Very potent," she observed absently.

Amy looked inquisitively aside at Emma. "I guess it's just the vaccine interacting with your Bajoran physiology, Sir," Amy surmised, returning her gaze to Lyrr.

"Well...thanks for the warning, at least." Lyrr smiled briefly and stepped away from the opening, allowing her doors to close.

Amy sighed. "Well, that's that... We should probably report back to sickbay to tell Dr. Sefton."

Emma smiled and held out her hand. "My hypo?" she asked and slipped it back into her kit. "You report to Sefton. I forgot, I have to see Lieutenant Scott. I'm still attached to Counselling, remember." She gave Amy a smile and a kiss on the cheek. "Gimmie a half hour...then I'll come to your quarters, okay?"

Amy nodded emphatically. "I'll be waiting for you." Waving briskly, Amy sauntered away from Emma, medkit bouncing with each up-step.

Emma watched her go and when she'd turned the corner she looked at Lyrr's door. The feral grin she directed at the woman within was filled with satisfaction and glee. She giggled as she turned away from the door and sauntered away to rid herself of the incriminating hypo-spray. The virus would start to work on her and by the time she felt its true effects, in a day or two, it would be too late for her.

Emma Summers stepped into the turbolift with the beginnings of the thrill and she was grinning as she stepped out a few decks down.

---

"New Cycle"
By: Lt. Cmdr. Damhnait Sefton - Chief Medical Officer
Ensign Alexia Johnstone - Nurse
and Ensign Annikafiore Szerda - Nurse

Location: USS Sulu, Sickbay
Stardate: 57910.22, 08h33

***

Annikafiore managed to cross her arms behind her head and cross her legs at the ankle in such a way to finally make laying on the biobed comfortable. Only a moment later, she jerked upright with another fit of coughs racking her whole body.

Alexia crossed sickbay, heading towards Annikafiore as she heard her coughing again. In her hand, she held a medical tricorder ready for analysis, but making a judgement by looking at her, Lexi wondered if somehow Annika had come into contact with the Tarkalean Flu that had affected Lt. Natalia Druschev's boy, Domenic, three days ago. Her symptoms appear very similar, thought Lexi. She's running a high temperature, and that dreadful coughing! Annikafiore's breathing was extremely shallow and painful sounding also, as one would expect.

Lexi scanned over Annika, then waited patiently for the beep that would signal the scan was complete. The results indicated as she had expected, that Annika had indeed somehow contracted Tarkalean Flu. She frowned thoughtfully as she spoke to her patient. "Well, the scans indicate exactly what I expected. I need to grab some equipment, then I'll be right back. I hope you're comfortable for a minute or two...I won't be long." Lexi smiled reassuringly at Annika, then walked quickly across sickbay to Doctor Sefton's office in order to make a quick report to her before beginning treatment on her patient.

Lexi knocked on Doctor Sefton's door. "Doctor, excuse me...do you have a minute?"

"Of course," Sefton brightly responded, with a sweep of her hand towards the seat across from her own. It wasn't until Alexia had stepped in and seated herself that Damhnait looked up from her desktop computer, on which instant reports were coming in from the nurses and medical technicians administering the 'vaccine' across the ship.

Lexi shifted in her chair, unconsciously feeling uncomfortable at the thought of interrupting when the Doctor was obviously busy. "Ensign Szerda has become unwell. I've just run a scan on her, which indicates she also has contracted Tarkalean Flu. I'm unsure of where she may have been contaminated as I thought we had controlled the possibility of an outbreak when we treated Lt. Druschev's boy. I was also not sure what tests had been run on Gamma shift, or what treatments had been ordered or begun. I would like to at least commence her nebuliser treatments and also administer a booster shot if you deem it appropriate."

"Annikafiore has already been medicated, but she is due for her next nebuliser treatment. The rest of the nurses," --Sefton gestured to the main ward, which was nearly empty of medical officers-- "have already been assigned to distributing the vaccination. The crew is safe from the Tarkalean Flu. Regardless, it is essential to our mission that our crew receives the... 'vaccination'." Damhnait's generic word selection belied the message she was presenting through the emphases on her words. "Do you understand?"

Lexi's facial expression became thoughtful and she nodded as full comprehension slowly filtered into her mind. She remembered now, hearing about the 'vaccinations' and their extreme importance. Lexi still wasn't sure why or how Annika had become infected with Tarkalean Flu - but decided the details were probably of no great consequence to herself at any rate. If the Doctor decided she needed to know more detail, Lexi knew she would be briefed appropriately. It was simply a case of accepting it had happened, and that there obviously was a reason for it, then getting on with treating it as best she could, as well as obeying any orders given to her by the Doctor.

"What would you like me to do now, Doctor?" Lexi asked.

"I need to attend to some of the vaccinations. While I am gone, I would like to leave you in charge of Sickbay," Damhnait informed her brightly. "In fact, I am running a pilot project to rotate the title of Head Nurse every seven days, as I feel it important that every one of the officers in the nursing staff get an opportunity to experience command - especially while you are all of equal rank. I am naming you as Head Nurse during this next cycle. This isn't the most ideal of situations to be stepping into a new position, but I won't let that be a hindrance."

Lexi instantly paled at the thought of what lay ahead. "You want me to what?" Her voice rose an octave on the last word, and trembled like a leaf in the wind. "Ummmmm...I guess...ummmm...I guess that I...ummmmmm...sort of...understand." She drew a deep breath in, shrugged her shoulders back, and straightened her spine. "Well, Sir, I can't say I'm thrilled with your appointment, especially under the given circumstances, but I can promise you I will give my absolute best effort in proving myself worthy of your decision." She smiled then, even though it was a shaky, lop-sided smile. "You mentioned the other nurses have been assigned to distribute vaccinations...may I enquire which staff will be left in sickbay?"

Sefton handed Johnstone a PADD, and informed her, "That is the duty roster for this particular Alpha shift. I've been personally assigning tasks to the nurses to keep them unpredictable to the Enforcers, but I trust there will be an opportunity for you to take on that responsibility before much longer."

Lexi took the PADD given to her, and cast a quick glance at it. "I'll do my best, Sir. If you would give a quick handover of the duties expected of me, I'll get right on to it."

"Formally, the Head Nurse is responsible for determining task-specific duty rosters for the nursing staff of each shift, improving Sickbay policy and procedures, and ensuring that every area of the ship that needs a nurse has been assigned one. While I have been controlling the assignment of the nurses during this particular mission, I feel that providing inspiration is a Head Nurse's duty of greatest importance. Make sure the morale of the nurses is sound and that they want to be working, which should be easier for you, because of your counseling training. At this particular moment, inspiration is what they'll need most," Damhnait enthused, her brightness almost entirely for Lexi's sake. "A great many nurses believe that the Head Nurse position is about serving out orders, and commanding the nurses to work for you. In truth, an exceptional Head Nurse will work for the nurses to encourage them to excel at their duty."

Lexi paused for a brief moment, looking quickly over the rosters entered into the PADD. "Sir, I'd like to alter the roster slightly - I see Crewman Summers on the Gamma shift. I believe I recognise the name from our 'Fleet Academy days - and I'd like to rotate her to Alpha shift. If it's the Crewman Summers I'm thinking of - she's a very good nurse, and I would be happy to work with her. I know she's usually assigned to counselling, but they're not doing particularly much due to the Enforcers at the moment - I would like to have her assigned back here to Sickbay."

"Permission granted," Damhnait responded in an automatic show of faith, but she did so slowly. Her brow was clearly knit in uncertainty. She wondered if Lexi had even been listening to her speechifying, but that wasn't what unsettled her. Sefton recalled reading very recent reports of Crewman -- or Ensign, according to one mistaken report -- Summers working in Sickbay during Gamma, even though she had never reassigned Crewman Summers to Sickbay for any shift. Sefton eventually supposed it must have been at Amy's discretion, while Reese had been Head Nurse.

"Do you have a particular doctor in mind to be specifically assigned to Sickbay?" Lexi asked.

"I have learned to trust Raina Derrell to handle Alpha shift on her own, if need be," Sefton replied, but like her previous expression, it lacked Damhnait's usual confidence. While Derrell had been completely honest about her involvement in Lieutenant Tagliesh's fake-rape scheme, which had resulted in the death of an Enforcer, it still greatly troubled Damhnait that Derrell had been involved at all. "In most cases, I choose to keep the on-shift doctors in Sickbay, while sending nurses, medtechs and off-shift doctors to attend to shipwide duties."

Lexi nodded in understanding. She was nervous about her appointment as Head Nurse, especially with the Enforcers on board, but was sure she would rise to the occasion and perform her duties to the best of her abilities. So long as she kept out of the Enforcers' way, Lexi didn't envisage too many problems. In fact, if she really thought about it, she was looking forward to the challenge! She hadn't really done a great deal lately, preferring to stay quiet and out of the way of the Enforcers; this would be a good opportunity to increase her skills and improve her work practices.

"I agree. I'm sure we will make a good team. And I am looking forward to the challenge," she said. "Do you have any further orders or instructions for me, Sir?"

"No. You can return to your duties," Sefton allowed.

"Thank you, Sir," Lexi answered before turning to leave Sefton's office. Once outside, she felt like collapsing against the wall, but managed to hold herself in check for the time being. Oh my Sainted Aunt! she thought to herself as she fanned her face with her hand. Imagine Mum's face when she hears about this! Maybe now she'll find a reason to be proud of me.

Pushing her shoulders resolutely back again, she moved swiftly across the floor to gather the supplies she needed for Annika, then returned to the woman's side to begin her nebuliser.

---

"Traitorous"
by Crewman Emma Summers
Captain T'Briane of the Windsor

Location: Emma Summers' Quarters, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22, 09h00

***

Emma Summers paced her quarters and her mind was in overdrive. She'd taken care of Lyrr, the grin still hadn't left her face. The night with Amy Reese had been...beautiful. She was still coming to realise that the girl had her in thrall - just like Benedict used to. She had to finish it off - finish Tebrianne and Benedict and make them go away so that she could start a new life with Amy. She knew it now - that's what she wanted. Emma Summers/Cathy Page was in love again...and it made her feel...wonderful.

But how to get rid of them... She stopped pacing and looked at her terminal. With sudden decision she sat at her desk and requested to speak to the senior Enforcer. She knew that asking Operations for an open channel to the Windsor would be a mistake. A moment later a darkly handsome face filled her viewer. He reminded her of Benedict in some ways - the raven hair and dark features, high cheekbones, but the eyes were black, malevolent. It caused a shiver to run through her...

"Lieutenant Karas," he said severely, and yet she could see his eyes widen slightly at seeing Emma's face filling his own screen. She gave him a smile, and looked downward a little demurely.

"Sir," she said in a soft timorous voice. "Crewman Emma Summers. From Medical. I need to speak to Captain T'Briane on the Windsor. It's a personal matter, and I don't want to go through the Bridge officers...if you catch my meaning, sir. I have to talk to her. I think she will appreciate what I have to tell her." She smiled as she saw his face harden. "Sorry, sir, but I can only speak to Captain T'Briane...it really is a personal matter."

Karas was suspicious. A member of the Sulu's crew - a very minor one at that by the rank bar on her collar, wanted personal access to T'Briane. He was wary but a grin split his face. If T'Briane didn't think it was worth her time, the pretty young thing would feel her wrath soon enough - and Karas wasn't usually the one to deal it out...but with Hadek in the Brig and Tebrianne occupied.... He chuckled. "I understand your desire to not allow your crewmates to know you are conversing with the enemy, yes?"

Emma nodded once, her smile itself a little predatory. "We understand each other, sir. She won't be unhappy with you for allowing me this favor...and I would be so...grateful...and appreciative...sir." Emma's grey eyes showed him a little frank appraisal.

Karas laughed. Rank certainly had privilege and Hadek had been the one to accept most of it until now. He understood completely. This was the first example of Empire behaviour in the Sulu's crew. He knew they would all come around eventually - you either did - or you died. "Very well, Crewman Summers. It had better not make her angry - either way I will be seeing you at some point in the near future."

"Thank you, sir. You won't regret it." The affirmative response brought a genuine grin to Karas' face. Summers was beautiful, and if she was willing....

The terminal blanked with the Empire logo in gold on black. A planet Earth stabbed through with a sword. Very apt for what Emma was about to do.

The logo vanished and a female face appeared.

T'Briane, captain of the Windsor raised a questioning eyebrow as she gazed at the dark-haired woman on the screen. "I am Captain T'Briane," she said. "What is it you need...Crewman?"

"I need to feel appreciated," Emma smiled at the visage she despised, but forced herself to show the proper respect, "Captain. Commander Tebrianne Bancroft is still a Starfleet Officer, and I think Commander T'Kal is having a very strong influence on where her loyalties lie. I thought you might like to know. I thought you might show your appreciation, once things are more settled. Sir." Emma's smile was venomous; it was an expression the other woman would understand.

"Thank you for your information, Crewman," T'Briane said with a smile. "And, if this information proves to be useful, I will most certainly express my appreciation. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Rank has certain privileges, Captain, I'd like to find out what they are." Emma chuckled at her own jest. "I was sure that you would reward loyalty, sir. If I think there's anything else you might need to know...I'd need to be able to contact you without going through...thugs, or other Sulu crew. I'd like a place on the Windsor, sir, once you have a need..."

T'Briane smiled. "I think something can be arranged," she said. "And, I think we can find you a rank much more suitable than crewman. I'll have your security rating uprated on the Sulu. You'll be able to initiate contact on your own."

Emma smiled sweetly. "Thank you, sir. It was a pleasure speaking with you. I look forward to actually meeting you at some point. If there is anything you require, sir...please...just ask." Her tone implied a great deal and so did her smile. She knew Tebrianne had certain tastes in common with herself and her twin would too. It was certainly a pleasurable way to achieve rank and position if she ended up trapped here.

T'Briane's look was appraising. Finally, she smiled a smile that said that she'd agreed with what Emma was implying. "I believe we might be able to find something I require. Perhaps after I deal with Tebrianne and some fleet business, you can meet me in my personal quarters."

Emma's answering smile was demure, and she bit softly against her lower lip in anticipation. She gave her the same look she gave Amy Reese just before she would kiss her. "Yes, sir, I look forward to that...very much." And strangely she felt a thrill as the Romulan twin to Tebrianne looked at her that way. It pleased Emma that she could even seduce her.

"Very well," T'Briane said. "I shall see you very soon."

The screen blanked and Emma took a shuddering breath, suddenly having the need to breathe through the sudden panic attack. Okay, if she comes here to take care of Tebrianne and Ben...she has fleet business, so after that I'm committed to go to the Windsor, but that should be after the gassing attack and the ship is retaken. She doesn't know anything but Tebrianne's loyalties might be suspect, and I didn't tell her anything about Ben that she wouldn't surmise anyway; Ben was Starfleet to the core, he'd never succumb to T'Briane's plans. Neither of them would talk about the plot, so that should still be safe. I've taken care of Lyrr, Tebrianne and Benedict and I'm still okay - and even have a back-door if things go wrong for the crew...and a higher security rating that will definitely be watched, but good for at least one action, like calling for a beam out? Or stealing a shuttle? Damn...I'm bloody pregnant for nothing! She thought of Vincent then...poor little Vincent. Oh well, Amy was more important.

Would Amy leave with her if everything went bad? Maybe she would...in which case she'd keep the baby. It was important to Amy and then they would be a family...and that made Emma smile a little dreamily.

---

"Fancy Meeting You Here!"
By: Ensign Alexia Johnstone - Nurse
Ensign Vincent Chan - Science Officer

Location: USS Sulu, Sickbay
Stardate: 57910.22, 09h30

***

Rubbing his injured collar vigorously, trying to get the blood flowing, Vincent stepped out of his quarters. The little prank he had played the other day with the "acid" bottle outside the mess hall had worked a treat for him. It proved to him that he still had it and it had ended a draught of pranks that had been really eating away at his personality and good humor.

The old pins and needles feeling that replaced the pain greeted Vincent. Although irritating, Vincent did not mind it as much as the searing pain of the dislocated shoulder, which could, at times, be unbearable. Vincent had made the fatal mistake of falling asleep upon it. The fact that he had fallen asleep on his injured arm was an indication, to him at least, of how hard he was working.

Every day that the Enforcers were still aboard made Vincent uneasy. There were rumors flying all over the place, bouncing around the ship at light speed about a resistance and a planned uprising. Vincent had tried to find members of it to offer his services to, but his inquiries had only been met with stern glances and conservative comments. He had the distinct feeling that no one trusted anyone on board.

Unable to take the pain it seemed, his body automatically led Vincent to the sickbay. He had decided to see Ensign Derrell about his collar about a week ago - she being the one having treated it last time. Because of his busy schedule, he had been unable to follow through with this resolution.

Walking briskly into sickbay, Vincent stared around. Enforcers were posted around the place and everyone was, or acted, busy, not wanting to have a painstick on their back to hurry their steps. Some gave Vincent a suspicious look when he entered, but he did not care. Remaining calm he waltzed over to the nearest Medical officer and tapped her on the shoulder.

Lexi was lost in her thoughts when she felt the tap on her shoulder. She swung around to see who was bothering her, startled a little, thinking illogically that maybe it was an Enforcer wanting something. Her mind had, until that point in time, been consumed with the information given to her only one short hour ago by Doctor Sefton. She had been assigned for the next seven days to be Head Nurse!

Vincent's mouth fell open at the exact moment she turned around. Before him stood an old schoolmate of his, Alexia Johnstone. But surely, he thought to himself, it couldn't be. Vincent remembered Alexia as a rather good ice-skater, but could not recall anything more. The two had run with different crowds, but it was surely a great coincidence that the two would meet here, of all places. Vincent decided to make sure. "Lexi? Is that you?"

Lexi's mouth dropped open almost at the same time Vincent's had. It was a voice from the depths of her past. So, too, was the face! "Vincent! Saints preserve us! Fancy meeting you here!" Lexi couldn't believe her eyes. She thought she had left her past behind when she entered Starfleet. She and Vincent had been at high school together many years ago, and now her mind tumbled backwards like a spinning vortex, taking her back to those dreadful years.

She really didn't have very fond memories of her time at high school, unlike a lot of her friends from that time. She had been a few years older than most of her class mates, thanks to the constant interruptions to her schooling caused by the years she had spent skating and being tutored at home. She had entered high school the same year she was in the Melbourne Olympics - the year she had won her Bronze medal, and had then retired from competition skating. Having been a few years older, coupled with a mishmash style of schooling hadn't made it easy for Lexi. Of course, she had made friends - she never had problems making friends - but she had still felt out of place frequently, simply because she was older.

Lexi remembered Vincent as a studious lad, with average marks, but with an absolute passion for anything related to the sciences and mathematics - which she had loathed!

Her mind came back to the present with a thump. "So, tell me all about you. What had you been up to since we last saw each other? And more to the point - what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Vincent said, smiling. "I did science at the academy and..." Noticing Lexi's face Vincent paused. "You never really liked Science did you?"

Lexi cast a quick look around Sickbay, ensuring that all was under control before looking back to Vincent. She was determined to take her appointment as Head Nurse very seriously. A chuckle erupted from her. "You could say that!" Briefly, a brooding look passed fleetingly over her face as she continued. "Well.... I guess you remember I was an iceskater...and you probably remember hearing how much pushing I got from my parents to constantly strive for better skating results...well...I guess I kind of got a little bit sick of it all and when I left school, I decided to get as far away from everything associated with skating as possible - nursing seemed like a great idea - and it is - I love it. My parents still can't understand why I joined the 'Fleet."

She struck a thoughtful pose, as she pondered on the why. "I guess I joined the 'Fleet because it was a certain way out of the boring, mundane life that my parents are still living now. There's never a dull moment here compared to what I had at home. Not only that, but here I have a career...and that's important to me...knowing that I'm doing something worthwhile and helping someone other than myself." She chuckled a little louder now. "What's more...all those years of constantly striving for something better paid off...now I constantly strive to better myself for the good of the 'Fleet."

Vincent nodded. It was a concept all too familiar to him. He had known many people who had done such things and risen up through the fleet. His uncle was one such example. "Well I joined because my uncle was in fleet and I wanted to follow in his footsteps..." he chuckled. Ever since he had been a young boy he had been drawn to the fleet by a childish and naive militarianism that so many boys went through. But when he had grown older, his desire to emulate his uncle as well as the urge to break free from his natural confines had led him to 'Fleet.

Vincent's pain, half-forgotten during the chance reunion, suddenly came back to him. "Uh...AJ? Could you look at this shoulder? Raina fixed it before but I think I damaged it again..."

Lexi grabbed a tricorder, and scanned it over the damaged area. While she waited for the results, she idly asked, "What did you do to it? You weren't hit by one of those horrid painsticks were you?"

Vincent smiled. "No," he replied. "Let's see... first I rammed myself into a steel door, then I fell on it during an attack, then I spent all night sleeping on it..." he said, counting on his fingers. "Um... that's about it I think..."

"Hmm...." said Lexi, with a slight smile. "Isn't that enough? Somehow, I don't think you need anything else to happen to it!" She cast a glance at the results of the tricorder. "Well, it doesn't seem that there's any permanent damage, just some severely strained muscles by the look of it. I think some heat treatment twice a day for a few days will help it...oh, and not ramming yourself into steel doors or falling on it would be a huge help too! I'll just grab the equipment and we can get a start on the first treatment now."

Vincent smiled, relieved. "I fractured it pretty badly when I rammed myself into that door... But if it's just strain, let's get the treatment over and done with." Vincent moved off the bench and followed Lexi as she walked over to pick up a dermal regenerator. "Remember that time during our final year when I got crunched in that football match? Pretty much the same, huh?"

Lexi chuckled as she ran the regenerator over the shoulder. "How could I forget it? I can still 'hear' the crunch now! I thought you were going to pass out that day." She continued moving the regenerator round in small circles, as she said, "I think once this is finished, your shoulder will feel much better, but I'd still like you to get a heat pad on it twice a day for a few days...that'll soothe it, and might also help you sleep. The warmth might remind you not to lay on it!"

"Thanks, Lex," Vincent said, giving her a small smile as he rubbed his newly-repaired shoulder. "Say... How about we get a drink sometime? You know...relive old times..." Vincent was serious about the offer. During his short time on the Sulu, Vincent had been cut off from his old life. He was grateful for the reunion with Lexi.

"Sure! I'd love that.... I think it would be great fun." Lexi smiled at the thought...she'd been a bit lonely and was missing her friends from the Academy.... They had had so many good times. Maybe Vincent would come out of his shell a little and become a really close friend. The thought of having a confidante on board who understood where she had come from could be just what she needed, and she thought maybe Vincent was feeling much the same. "I'll definitely hold you to that offer...when things settle back down around here again." Lexi found herself almost holding her breath in anticipation at the thought. It was a good feeling...something to look forward to after the stresses that everyone on board had been feeling lately.

Vincent laughed and, for a moment, everything was almost back to the way it was. Gone were the thoughts of Enforcers, a missing captain and the like. It was really a hint of normalcy, the first one in a very long time. "I look forward to it," Vincent said, shaking hands with her as he rose. "Well, it's time for me to go. Don't want to get the Enforcers all worried for me now..."

Lexi rose up to meet Vincent at the same time. She grabbed his hand as he shook it, then impulsively leaned in and kissed him briefly on the cheek. "It's so good to have seen you again. We'll see each other soon. Please, look after yourself. And...." She chuckled. "Remember...no more ramming doors!!"

---

"Appearances Can Be Deceptive"
Acting Captain Tebrianne Bancroft
Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal

Location: Bridge and Ready Room, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 09h35

***

They'd arrive soon. It was hours away now, rather than days. Tebrianne could sense Benedict's anxiety and fear as he sat next to her. She could also feel other things from him, and knew he'd met with Lyrr earlier in the morning. He wouldn't stay in her quarters, and she had a feeling he just went back to Lyrr's. She wondered if anyone else noticed. He'd spend time with her during the day, playing the part of lover. And, the entire time, she felt his conflict. He wanted to pull her into his arms and push her away. He wanted to run to her and away from her.

Tebrianne hadn't slept the night before. How could she? She was caught in an emotional tug-o-war. She felt like she was running along the edge of a knife, and at any moment would slip off and plummet into the eternity to either side. She didn't know if others could see the cracks appearing in her resolve. Since hers and Ben's call to T'Briane where things had gone farther than they should have, and not as far as she desired them to, she had been in the center of an emotional maelstrom that would not abate. At least she hadn't taken to crying in front of others, but would occasionally need to disappear into the Ready Room. She had to remain strong, to hold herself and their insurrection together...

Though, she felt she'd put the plan into motion with the revolt, but was barely involved now. She wasn't telepathic or empathic, not any longer, but their distrust of her was clear. She'd set the wheels to turning, but they didn't want her involved. She'd been living with the enemy for five years...in their eyes, no matter where she came from or what her intentions truly were, she was one of them. The crew would see that as deserting them...and singing with the enemy. The words were still a knife in her heart. And, yet he still sat next to her on the bridge, playing his part. But, he wouldn't sing with her, wouldn't spend time off-duty with her. He retreated as soon as it was time to leave the public's eye.

She glanced aside at him and her pulse quickened. Even with all the edginess and distress, she could feel the other feelings as clearly as they were her own. As his eyes met hers, she felt her breath leave her. How could he still affect her that way? You know, silly girl, she told herself. She couldn't help smiling at him, and earned a smile from him as well. She wasn't certain if it was involuntary or not, but she could feel it from him. Without thinking or realizing she'd done it, Tebrianne slipped her hand into his.

Benedict was sitting in the XO's chair and he was well aware of the resentment that was causing. It was a part he had to play - and he had to keep it up. He had to make it real. So Tayla was off the Bridge for the present, and he was stealing her chair, just so that he could sit beside Tebrianne. He could sense her beside him. He didn't even have to look at her to know she was thinking about him. The bond they shared had gotten stronger, and he feared it. Her presence in his mind had returned as it had been so many years ago. The enemy within.

Arthas Hex was standing at the Tactical station. The tall Trill was the only other person Benedict trusted to tell the whole story to. So Hex knew why Benedict and Lyrr were shamming the whole situation with Tebrianne. Benedict trusted him to be able to do his part.

The forward viewer showed the steady pattern of stars at warp and the image of the Windsor ahead of them as the Intrepid Class ship kept pace with the slower Sovereign. Benedict was acutely aware of the weapons on that ship and the certain knowledge that the woman sitting on the Windsor's Bridge would have little concern if she had to make a point in destroying the Sulu.

His thoughts turned to his unlikely situation. Sitting beside her was torture. He wanted to turn his head and just look at her. He could see her profile in his memory, he'd drawn her face so many times. She made his heart race and skip a beat whenever she looked his way and he couldn't help responding to it and it made him even more guilty and determined to keep distance. Only he couldn't keep a distance without ruining everything. So he had to sit beside her and bear it. He loved her so much it tore him in half to not be with her - yet he loved Lyrr just as much. The only difference was that he could feel Tebrianne in his mind all the time, whereas he had to seek out Tayla and be with her to feel their connection. It was wearing him down.

It was killing him slowly. What could he do about it? Nothing. Stay faithful, only he'd already fallen with Tebrianne once. Stay faithful.. to whom? To Tebrianne who he'd asked to marry him before he'd asked Tayla? Or to current promises with Tayla? If his word had meaning then what did it make his promise to Tebrianne? Did it have an end date? Sorry, Love, I thought you'd died so I asked someone else. Your tough luck, huh...sorry about that. I know I'm killing you because I know you love me so much that it feels like a knife in your heart every moment I'm not with you. I know because I can feel it through our blood bond. You know...that bond that was supposed to die when you did, only it didn't because unfortunately you didn't die...and I knew all along that you were still alive, didn't I? It's the only explanation for me hanging on for so damned long and never giving up. Well okay, I gave up when I met Lyrr Tayla.

I gave up, he thought bitterly. It was I and not thee, my love. You stayed true and I failed. He felt desolate. The imagery of Lyrr Tayla in his dream came to him; she'd been ash grey and naked, covered in scars and the image of death itself. Is that what it truly meant? Was that the imagery behind this? Were the Prophets reaching him with a vision? To choose Tayla was to choose death? That his heart would die because of it? It frightened him and dismayed him and turned his insides cold. Yet he loved Tayla. She wasn't that image. She was a living breathing woman who loved him and he loved her.

Betrayed and a betrayer; that was how Benedict saw himself.

And then he felt the softness and warmth of her hand in his. She'd taken it without him really knowing, and he'd turned and smiled in the old familiar way and yet his eyes were haunted. The violet subdued as he'd been torn by the conflict raging every minute inside him.

As he looked upon her face and smiled and knew that he loved her so much, her touch still thrilled him as it always had. He looked into her dark eyes and saw her as she had been painted, her lips slightly parted and her chin tilted a little upward as she carried herself with an unconscious grace and fluidity. The proud cheekbones and the slender face, elfin ears delicately upswept as all Romulans' were. His eyes brimmed with tears as he realized that she was holding his hand and he hadn't moved, hadn't been able to breathe. He looked away, momentarily caught off-guard and vulnerable. Yet still he held her hand and squeezed her fingers.

Tebrianne's arm slipped behind his back as she leaned further into him. She rested her head on his shoulder, and for the briefest moment, no one else existed. She wanted to crawl into his lap and slip into his arms. With everything that was going on, everything that had gone on, she knew she'd feel safe there.

She sat up a little straighter; despite the illusion of their relationship, Tebrianne didn't want to make a scene. She kept her hand in his, however. It was so strange being so close, yet still being unable to express themselves. They couldn't while working, at least not too much. Had she been T'Briane, she would have made certain Ben knew his servile role. Teb could never do that, though. She didn't even want to do that to him or any other. And, she knew her treatment of him here on the bridge could give herself away, but she didn't care. She couldn't help how she loved or expressed that love. If she was too gentle, she would compensate on those who called her on it. She grinned at him. "I almost forgot what your smile looked like," she said. "Almost."

He sighed and blinked away the moisture. "I couldn't forget yours," he whispered. "It hung on my wall while you were absent." His voice sounded a little thick, filled with emotion that threatened to choke him.

"All I've ever had to do was close my eyes and yours was there," Tebrianne whispered.

"That too," he said in return. It was true. He couldn't forget any of her expressions. Her memories wouldn't let him. He was getting tired of the scrutiny, of the tight faces directed at him. He was tired - just plain tired.

"Come on," she said and stood up. She turned to Clarion. "Watch the bridge." Still holding Ben's hand, she led the way into the Ready Room.

He'd followed with a scowl, like being led away subserviently, and he looked back at Clarion who had a smirk on her face. She was appraising him as well and it seemed odd comparing her with the sweet and innocent girl who was the real Remica Clarion. This one had something else in mind by the way she stared.

Once in the Ready Room his heart rate shot up. They were alone again.

She led him over to the couch and pointed to it. "You're tired and you're lying down. No arguments. We both have away missions coming up, and we'll need to be at our best. So, you're going to rest."

He scowled at her. "I don't need rest," he said irritably. It was a lie and she would know because of the damned bond which was why she'd dragged him here in the first place. "Great," he said, "Commander T'Kal needs an afternoon nap." He sighed and couldn't help the smile that twitched on the edge of his lips.

Tebrianne grinned at him. "It's alright, Love," she said. "Commander Bancroft needs one too. But, it's just you and me in here, so no one knows about naptime. They'll just think we're in here tearing each other's clothes off and making wild passionate love to each other." As she stood before him, she found herself wishing she were taller. "I couldn't sleep at all last night. Or the night before. But, you get the couch, and you'd better sleep. I'll be over in the chair."

Yes, he could feel how worn out she was too if he concentrated hard enough on it. He also knew that she would rather be doing exactly what everyone thought that they'd be doing. He smiled. "You know, if anyone comes through the door we'd be screwed." He sat heavily on the sofa. It was the same size as the one in Lyrr's office and pleasant memories came to mind about that.

"There's room," he said, laying down. He motioned with his hand and made space. At least if they were surprised it wouldn't take much time to react.

Tebrianne moved back to him and slid into his arms on the couch. It only took a moment for it to seem like some of the weariness she'd been feeling to drain away. She sighed with contentment and closed her eyes. The smile that lightly curled her lips came without conscious thought. "Let's just hope if anyone comes through the door, it isn't her," she said.

She shifted enough to kiss his cheek. Her brown eyes met his violet and she smiled at him. "We're keeping our clothes on this time," she said. "I'll be 'orny enough this close to you, that'd just drive me over the edge again. And, I definitely don't want to try to go rescue Captain Salinger feeling like I'm ready to burst. And, if I get you too worked up, you will burst your little slave boy outfit." Her tone was teasing, but within it, her love for him was twined.

"Just...don't talk about it," he said, sliding his arms around her and closing his eyes. He wasn't even slightly tempted, he was just too damned tired. "This is the captain's Ready Room. Have a little respect." He smiled, remembering an incident back on the Windsor that Jules had told him about; her and Tebrianne on his desk! He had to stop thinking along those lines. Putting Jules and Teb together in his mind was not a good idea at all. "Go to sleep," he demanded of her and himself.

"Of course, Love," Teb said with a smile, grinning at the memory he'd stirred up. Sleep started pulling at her immediately, but even in her tired state, she managed to say, "I bet Captain St. Claire's desk was more comfortable though...as far as desks go."

He chuckled. Thinking of Jules he smiled. "You missed so much," he said quietly. "Jules did a Fan Dance in Main Engineering. She was almost as wild as you used to be. When you left she was devastated...we both were. She loves you as much as I do, you know." As he spoke his hand curled into her hair, idly brushing it through his fingers.

Teb laughed and tears came instantly to her eyes. "I missed her a lot too," she said. "I missed you both. I still love her, Ben. I know I always will. It's different from our love...but she was there for me in a difficult time, and she gave me so much. When we get back, I want to send her a hundred messages. We can send them to her together if you want." She was quiet for a moment, then giggled. "I wish I could have seen it...and what do you mean used to be!? I'm still just as wild as I've ever been. I just haven't had a chance to show it. When we were in your office that one time, I think both of our secret hope was that you'd catch us. Don't tell her I told you that though."

"She already did," he laughed softly. "That was her favourite fantasy, all three of us...and there was a time when I would have...and I know you love her, and so do I. She was there for me too you know. She certainly had a thing for sex in outrageous places...but she never said that you'd tried St. Claire's Ready Room!" He looked askance at her. "Did you?"

Tebrianne's only answer was a very large grin and a fit of giggles. Finally, she brushed his lips with hers and nodded. "We did," she said. "It was wild, and we were almost caught by Commander Valiant. I'm sure if...if I'd been around longer, we would 'ave tried out all the senior officers' offices. If I'd known you fancied us both, I think we would 'ave tried a little 'arder to get caught. Though, the three of us on the captain's desk may have been too much."

"I don't want to know... Prophets you're as bad as Tay!" He sighed, thinking about the places he'd been with Tayla - their first month of Betrothal had been so...wild. She'd been insatiable with the discovery that making love was pleasurable. "How do I cope with this?" he asked at a loss. "I'm in love with both of you...I've asked the both of you to marry me - and both of you accepted. I love her...and someday we'll have a family together. That's what I really want, Tebrianne. I want children, and I know you can't..."

"But I can," Teb said softly. "I was never ready before. It was such a big step, and I was young. But...but with medical advances...if I had an operation, I could. I can have children... Some nights, I'd lay awake thinking about it, trying to imagine what they'd look like. We'd need 'elp, but doctors do it all the time now. It's not as difficult as it used to be. And, the trouble was always in a human mother. It's possible, Ben."

He remained silent for a long time. It seemed that she had an answer for every one of his objections. The telepathy, her ability to have children, and all it did was make it harder. It came down to a simple choice. Only it wasn't so simple. "There may not be a future to worry about," he finally said. "We don't have that much time..."

"I just found you again," Tebrianne said. "I don't want to lose you. You'd better be careful, Ben. And, you'd better come back. If you don't, I'm coming after you." She gave him a teasing grin. "I'm serious though...you'd better come back." She held him tight, knowing that soon she'd have to let go, but she'd hold on closely until then.

He didn't feel like arguing the point. What did he have to come back to but heartache? "We'll see...it's Karma," he whispered and closed his eyes. His awareness was flooded with her presence. She was in his arms and in his mind and he knew that he'd never escape her. He didn't want to. Being with Tebrianne was as ingrained as breathing. To lose her again would be as devastating as it had been the first time. To lose Lyrr Tayla would be just as crippling. Yet he had to lose one of them, and he'd made his choice. Only it was impossible...he couldn't do it.

He'd made a rational choice - yet Tebrianne was so ingrained, so vital to what made Benedict who he was - that to do so would shatter him. He truly couldn't make a choice, and so he prayed to the Prophets to make the choice for him. He dedicated the mission to them, gave over his life to them as he'd done in the old days - when every mission was as dangerous. He would survive or not. Tebrianne would survive or not. Only Lyrr would remain with the Sulu and be safest...he couldn't do anything else.

Tebrianne shifted around until she was facing him. Her arms slipped around him and her head rested against his chest. She closed her eyes and just allowed herself to feel him: his anxiety, his love, his indecision, and his resolve. "The universe isn't cruel enough to separate us again," she whispered. "There's nothing either of us could have ever done in our lives to deserve that kind of fate a second time. You 'ave to come back, Love, so we can track down Cathy Page and repay 'er for all her kindness."

---

"There It Is"
By: Lieutenant Commander Damhnait Sefton; Chief Medical Officer
Ensign Mason Farrell; Operations Officer

Location: USS Sulu, Sickbay
Stardate: 57910.22 12h00

***

Reading over a report on the near completion of the shipwide 'Tarkalean Flu' vaccinations, Damhnait Sefton took sparing bites from the sandwich that she'd brought back from the mess hall. After every swallow, she vowed to dispose of the vile thing, but found herself craving solid food whenever the aftertaste was gone from her mouth. Hyposprayed meal supplements could keep a body alive, but why would one want to live without the pleasure of food?

At the sound of someone knocking on the viewport next to her office's translucent door, Dav finally brushed the sandwich from her desk, and it landed in the wastebasket she had ordered from Engineering back when the replicators had first been taken offline.

With her desktop cleared and her computer terminal deactivated, Sefton invited that knocking someone, Mason Farrell, to have a seat in her office. Once he did so, she subtly instructed him to turn his chair another ten degrees to the left, to keep his face -- and so his readable lips -- out of the Enforcers' line of sight.

"I've got a bit of a proposition for you, sir," he said, very serious.

"Go ahead," Damhnait tersely requested.

"There's an away mission being planned for when we get to the gateway station. Those planning the mission want you on it. I was going to dress it up in a big sales pitch, but there isn't time, so there it is." His voice was low and earnest.

"I don't require manipulation. I'm a Starfleet Officer," Sefton reminded him - her own voice revealed her irritation. "All I need, to do my duty, is knowledge."

"You may wish I'd manipulated you once you hear the details," Farrell said ruefully. "Here's how it goes: When we arrive at the gateway, the Windsor will probably break off to report in. There are supposed to be a thousand ships at the gate, so the Sulu ought to be able to blend in for at least a day while the bureaucracy works itself out. When that happens, we gas the guards and quietly retake control. A small team will then sneak off the Sulu, disguised as a delegation from this reality's Drokari government. We'll board the station, get the access codes to the gateway, and plant explosives to blow the station. Once the explosives are rigged, Three things have to happen in rapid succession. First, the TAC team and Bancroft board the Windsor to rescue the captain. Second, the TAC team gets off the Windsor and returns to Sulu. Third, the Sulu and Nightingale flee through the gateway, detonating the station and the gate behind us so the invasion armada can't follow." Farrell finished his outline, and sat a moment. "Your thoughts?" he said with a wry smile, putting emphasis on the last word.

Sefton felt no need to comment, or react in any way, to the utter implausibility of the mission's success. Farrell already knew it, he knew she knew it, and so she already knew he knew she knew it. This outline had largely been what Lyrr had already told her, and so Damhnait cut immediately to what affected her personally. With an ambiguous flatness, she simply stated, "You don't need a medical officer on the station."

I need the most experienced telepath on board. The thought was clear and clean, with all the focus Farrell could generate.

"I already know that much. Shirik told me, last night, without getting into details. Didn't she tell you that we had met?" Sefton queried, clearly concerned about the planning of this mission.

"She's out of her room?" Farrell asked, equally concerned.

A hand rose, of its own volition, to Damhnait's left temple in order to meet the incipient headache throbbing in her skull. With her right hand she activated her personal console, accessed the personnel record of Leanne Smythe, and swiveled the terminal towards Farrell. The image of Leanne that appeared on the console was of a Caucasian woman, who looked remarkably similar to Shirik. "Tebrianne insisted that she needed freedom of movement to communicate with her team," Sefton remarked derisively.

Farrell closed his eyes briefly, not allowing his body language to betray his feelings to an observer. Sefton, of course, caught it all, but he said it anyway. Leaning forward with a sigh, he spoke very softly. "Alright, then let's discuss the real reason I want you on board. There are far too many egos going on this mission--people who'd throw away their lives and the lives of others, and by extension the lives of everyone, in pursuit of abstract and unreachable ideals of honor. Nobody's expecting this to succeed--everyone's expecting to die in the attempt. And that's unacceptable to me. I'll die for duty, but not here and not now, and not on the whim of people who are more concerned with being in charge than with being successful. I can get a pretty good read on people, but I need somebody I can trust who can look deep, and help me spot the martyrs before they get us all annihilated."

"How would one respond to a potential martyr?" Damhnait asked in a mood of amused curiosity. The slight smile on her face flickered between displaying a predatory glint and suggesting a prelude to an agreement. "There are no reprimands for thinking disagreeable thoughts."

"Let's just say I'm not going to lay down and die simply because someone else thinks they have to," Farrell said, and changed the subject. "Aside from that, we're going to need to get a picture of how the station runs very quickly. We can do that the old fashioned way, and that'll probably be the front. But we're going to need somebody who can take a deep look around and figure out who knows what. Code access is the goal. Finding the codes is easier when we can just," he shrugged, "take them."

Once Ensign Farrell finally settled upon the operational details that Damhnait had been curious about for days, she began to nod. While the feasibility and processes were still greatly in question, she could understand the necessity for what was being asked of her. Cautiously acceptingly, she stated, "I trust you understand how difficult it will be to manipulate the code-holder into bringing the code to mind?"

"As difficult as can be, I imagine," Farrell answered. "But time's going to be a factor, and your way will be faster than any other way."

"It will," Sefton agreed. "Has anyone even discovered what their computer architecture is like? Is it anything like ours?"

"That's one of many assumptions that's been made going into this thing. I won't lie to you. I can't," he grinned momentarily. "Fact is, the plan's a mess. There's barely anything to plan, except a cover story. Beyond that, we're going to have to work on the fly."

"That is... distressing." Damhnait's particular frown made it unclear if she was referring to the apparent situation or the decision to merely improvise on the station. "It would be senseless for me to suggest areas that could use planning until you've spoken again with Shirik and coordinated your ideas." Sefton frowned in silence for another moment, before boldly asking, "Tell me, Ensign: what qualifies you and Ensign Shirik, over all of our Tactical officers, to be organizing this mission?"

"I can't tell you how many times I've asked myself the same thing over the past few days," Farrell said softly. "The closest I can come to it is this: Operations is invisible. If we're doing our jobs right, nobody even knows we exist. Tactical's too high-profile right now to start circulating around and having quiet conversations in corners. Am I qualified? I don't know. But this is what I got handed, with a simple instruction to 'make it work'. So I'm looking to make it work."

Damhnait's eyes expressed her dissatisfaction with the florid rationalisations, but she knew the most productive response would be to remind him, "Then I strongly suggest that you keep in contact with the entire team to ensure you are all planning the same mission. If meeting in person has its dangers, you won't need a skilled telepath to be able to subtly carry messages along from member to member."

"All I need is your assurance that you're good to go. Once we get control of the ship back, we'll have a full meeting to get everyone onto the same page."

Sefton offered a languid nod, and a simple, "You can rely on me."

He nodded and smiled, thinking a simple thank you as he rose from his chair.

Once Farrell was gone from Damhnait's office, her eyes snapped towards the desktop terminal. Sefton allocated all remaining 'vaccine' recipients away from Cristobel's task list; he would know to return to Sickbay. While Cris was, arguably, the least-skilled telepath on board, he possessed select memories of a quantum double of himself, 'Sefton-Alpha', whose telepathic abilities had far outreached even F'Zal's.

If this slowly coalescing away team feared the risk of sharing all of their knowledge with all involved parties, it was well past time for Damhnait to gather intelligence of her own.

---

"Unexpected Summons"
by Acting Captain Tebrianne Bancroft
Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal
Captain T'Briane
Commander Lyrr Tayla
and Lieutenant Kreiger

Location: Various locations, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 13h10

***

They were still curled together when the chime sounded. It was the third sounding that Tebrianne started awake. As her eyes snapped open and she started to shift around, arms still tangled with Ben's, the door to the Ready Room opened.

"Captain?"

"Bugger off," Teb snarled as Ben came awake. She managed to get one arm free as he started to sit up, and turned to face Briggs at the door. "What is it?"

"Your presence is requested in quarters D273," she said. "Captain T'Briane is there."

Tebrianne frowned. "Captain--?"

"Aye," Briggs answered. "She requested you bring Commander T'Kal with you."

Teb nodded. "We're on our way," she said, then gave Briggs a look that clearly said, 'Now leave.' Once the woman was gone, she looked back at Ben and kissed him. "Something's wrong. T'Briane's on the ship." She managed to get her other arm free and uncoiled herself from him. "You were right, earlier. I think we were fairly convincing when she came in. Would 'ave been better for appearances if we were naked, but this worked well. We'd better not keep 'er waiting, but you want any water before we go?"

He nodded, still groggy. He felt like he'd been hit by a phaser on heavy stun. He sat up and ran his fingers through his long hair, thinking oddly that he needed it cut as he stood and straightened his rumpled jacket. "Why is she here?" he wondered with a feeling of impending doom.

He looked at Tebrianne as she handed him a glass of cold water. "I don't think this is going to be good. What ever happens it's my fault. Remember that. Don't get all soft - we have to keep you in control of the Sulu. If I have to take some punishment let it slide." He drank the water in a greedy long swallow and straightened his shoulders.

Ben had explained the TAC Team to her, and what'd happened with them. The news was bad, but there had to be a way out. They'd find it together. "I'll do my best," Teb said as she set her glass aside. "But if they make me punish you, it'll be like 'itting myself with a painstick. We'll figure this out, Ben." She kissed him then, holding herself to him for a moment before stepping back. "Are you ready?"

He was uneasy at the way she kissed him, and yet he couldn't deny her. It was just reinforcing his situation. He felt trapped as he nodded. "If you have to do it - I expect you to do it with a smile on your face," he said seriously. "All life is pain, and if I have to endure it I will. Don't balk at it. I mean that. I know you don't want to - but if it's not you doing it it'll still happen. I'll be punished anyway you want to look at it. I'd rather you did it, knowing that you hate doing it, than some bastard who gets perverse pleasure out of my pain."

Tebrianne stepped back, hurt at the feelings she felt from him when her lips touched his. With resignation, she nodded. "If I 'ave to, I will, Ben," she said. "We should go...before she gets upset."

He nodded, seeing the look in her eyes and feeling the emotional response to his unease. It wouldn't get any easier he knew, but if he didn't love her so much it would be so simple. What made it so hard was his emotional response to her - he couldn't control it, nor could he deny it, and that made him uneasy with the casual way she expressed her love. Half of him wanted to just take her in his arms and show her just how much he loved her, the other half told him that he shouldn't be feeling that way because he loved Lyrr Tayla. He was like a machine that was programmed with equal but conflicting orders; caught in the middle and not being able to move in either direction.

So far she had kissed him several times, but he had not kissed her back; each time being caught by her spur of the moment affection, but each time the desire to respond grew greater. Each time he wanted the press of her lips to last longer; just that little bit longer. Being so close to her, he was aware of her body, her presence and her emotions in ever increasing increments. He knew that Tayla was not able to compete on a level playing field; she didn't have the benefit of an emotional bond to let her know how he felt, or to have that access to his mind in the way Tebrianne seemed to.

Benedict followed Tebrianne out across the Bridge with a serious expression, and he caught the look from Arthas Hex at Tactical. As he passed Benedict gave him a nod and then for the first time noticed four Enforcers standing post around the Bridge. Four unfamiliar Enforcers in red armour.

They passed into the Turbolift accompanied by Briggs, who wore a worried expression.

"Personal guard," Tebrianne murmured. "She's definitely here." There was a touch of fear in her voice and she slipped her hand into Ben's. It was a nervous reaction, but it helped that they were playing at being lovers again, and he accepted it, wrapping his other hand over hers and giving her a smile of encouragement.

The turbolift stopped, surprising Tebrianne who hadn't really realized it'd been moving. She gave Ben's hand a squeeze, then pulled hers away. It was time to be strong. Just keep telling yourself that, she thought.

He exited right behind her and for a brief moment he touched the small of her back, knowing the mounting fear that gripped her.

It wasn't far down the corridor before they came to the room in question. The door was open and inside voices could be heard. Teb recognized T'Briane's and Hadek's. The third voice sent a chill down her spine and it took every bit of control not to visibly shiver. Commander Jonathan Drake, the executive officer of the Windsor. The fourth voice was unknown to her. She looked up at Ben, her dark eyes wide.

"Oh, 'ere she is at last," came T'Briane's voice from inside as they appeared in the doorway. "I was beginning to think the rumours about you were true, Love. I've told them my dear little Bri would never go traitor on me. She wouldn't do something so bloody stupid. Bri's got brains, I told them. Oh, so this is the man? I approve, most definitely." T'Briane took several steps toward Benedict, her eyes roaming over every centimeter of his body. "I'm most delighted to meet you, Ben."

"I can't say the same," he said calmly. His violet eyes did not waver from hers and his face was carefully neutral.

T'Briane laughed. "Oh, Benedict, you do have a sense of 'umour. Tebrianne always insisted you 'ad one, but I never believed her. Your type never does. I guess I was wrong." She ran a finger across his chest, then turned away. "Well, I'm not 'ere to discuss your merits. I'm 'ere because there appears to be a little problem with some crew who appear to be...missing. Their beds 'ave been slept in, but not since we found you. If you take my meaning." She turned back. "Lieutenant Kreiger was the first to notice this odd little situation. Please elaborate, Lieutenant."

"During my time in engineering under Lieutenant Crix --" Kreiger's eyes drifted meaningfully to Tebrianne. If he was emboldened, it was only by the presence of T'Briane. Otherwise, the huge man might have looked rather sheepish spitting out his story from between his bruised lips and what looked like a broken nose. "-- I became aware of Ensign Hansen among the crew. We had exchanged some pleasantries during the past few days and I was under the impression that she might not be opposed to a sexual encounter."

"He's lying," Benedict accused with a flat toned voice. His expression was disdainful and his violet eyes drilled into the man. "I think he's elaborating to try to place some taint against Tebrianne, simply because she forbade them all to have their pick of the women. It's been a sore point, T'Briane." He looked at the Alternate Teb for a moment. "They're all jealous because Teb is getting it and they aren't. That's all this is. Spite, and the fact that he was probably beaten up by a woman who refused his advances." He sneered at the Enforcer.

"How nice for her, I imagine," T'Briane said. "I don't blame them for being upset. I know I would if I had a little enjoyment denied me." She gave T'Kal a meaningful look. "However, I believe there's more to it than that. Isn't there, Mr. Kreiger?"

"Aye, M'lord," Kreiger said, not flinching from the shorter Bajoran's intent stare. "I intercepted Hansen on the way to her quarters and found her quite out of sorts...almost like a different person, you might say. When she tried to shut me out of her room, I overrode the locking mechanism and she attacked me." He looked down at the deck, pursing his lips and trying to hide behind his reddish-blond beard. "When I regained consciousness, I found this --" he tossed something he had been holding to T'Kal.

It was a small holo-graphic of the Hansen twins laughing it up for the camera. Benedict smiled. "And this is supposed to show what? That a crew member shouldn't have a family? Please..." He looked at the Enforcer. "You got a black eye from a girl and you explain it with this? What did she do? Hit you with it?"

"I scanned the room," Kreiger smirked back at him, refusing to be baited. "There are dead skin cells from a Hansen in both beds as well as some recovered correspondence indicating that his room was shared by somebody from security as recently as a week ago." Kreiger stepped forward, gripping his painstick tightly. "Can you explain to Captain T'Briane what happened to Rachel Hansen's sister?"

Benedict held his eyes. "You found skin cells in both beds in the same room? Honestly, T'Briane, you should reward this man for his intelligence. If you'd found it in different rooms I could understand your excitement - but it's not unusual to find forensic evidence all over the same room. You must be very fixated on Rachel to be so upset that she rejected you. So embarrassed that she gave you that face that only a mother could love..." He smiled coldly. "Did Hadek put you up to this? To come between Tebrianne and the Captain here? You've got balls...really... big..." Benedict looked squarely at T'Briane. "The man is manufacturing computer evidence to frame Rachel and to try to persuade you to distrust your own twin. Who do you believe? Him?" He held T'Briane's gaze levelly.

"M'lord, this creature --" Kreiger spat out the word with contempt while T'Briane shared her gaze with T'Kal "-- would have you believe that Rachel Hansen goes about sleeping in both her beds and leaving two distinctly different sets of fingerprints all over her room. He would have you believe that a mere engineer overpowered an Enforcer of the Empire. They both --" Kreiger's gaze shifted to Tebrianne "-- would have you be a fool."

"Would you like to see what a mere pilot can do to an Enforcer of the Empire?" Tebrianne asked, her voice cool and hard as ice. "You don't need to be a security goon to know how to defend yourself. Besides, you were chasing a skirt...doesn't take much to get rolled when you've got your pr--"

"Tebrianne," T'Briane snapped, cutting Teb off immediately. She focused her attention on Ben. "What reason do I have to believe you, Commander," she continued, stepping forward with a smile leveled at him. "Would you like an opportunity to prove yourself to me, Ben? It just so 'appens that I know both Kate and Rachel 'ansen. They exist in this universe, as well." She ran a languid finger down his chest. "Tell me, Ben, did Katie serve 'ere with 'er sister."

"Yes," he smiled at T'Briane the way he would have smiled at Tebrianne, with a tinge of sadness to his expression. "She did. We encountered the remnants of a dead civilization only a short time ago. Three entities roamed the computer systems of the Sulu and caused havoc. We lost several crew to it. It caused widespread disruptions and caused a lot of damage. We've fixed a great deal of the damage, but the computer records suffered for it. We are still trying to fix the problems - at least we were before being brought here." His eyes flicked from hers to her lips and back, gazing at her as if he was gazing at Tebrianne and trying to see the differences. He stepped slightly closer, his voice becoming softer as his violet gaze held hers. "I'm afraid Kate was lost when deck eight lost life support, but many of our records are still either corrupted or deleted, some have been randomized. The entities were life forms adapted to living in a computer based environment. We were lucky to survive."

He shrugged easily, and cast a glance at the Enforcer. "I think Kate's loss has deeply affected Rachel and she's just hit out at this lout...and he's trying to get even. That's all it is; simple confusion. If Kate were here, how could we hide her without you knowing? What would be the point? You control this ship. Everyone is accounted for, all the weapons are accounted for and locked down. Men like him," Benedict nodded at Kreiger, "chafe when they can't get what they want. They scheme and plot and try to inflict distrust where none should be. Tebrianne has done what you asked of her...and I've done as she's asked of me. Who knows what the future has in store..." He smiled at T'Briane.

"Whatever she asks of you," T'Briane said with a smile that said much more than her words. "Lucky girl. 'ow can I trust you in what you say, Commander Benedict T'Kal? You're part of the enemy...it would be in your best interest to 'ide the truth from me. Perhaps you'd be willing to prove your honesty to me? 'ave you ever been in a threesome, Ben? Why don't you join me and Tebrianne in the bed over there and prove to me you would never lie to me?"

He smiled and even blushed at that. He looked at Tebrianne and then back at T'Briane. "Sorry, Love," he said to T'Briane, "but I won't share her with anyone...even you. As for me...Tebrianne is all the woman I need, and the only woman I want. I belong to her, I always have...since the moment I first saw her." He held T'Briane's gaze and he knew that every word he'd just spoken had the ring of truth to it.

"Well," T'Briane said, "that's too bad, isn't it? I'm not 'appy with the way things are progressing 'ere. Too many of our own people are dead, and too many of this crew knows they can flaunt their defiance, and my men will be punished. She fixed a level gaze on Tebrianne. "I'm placing Commander Drake in charge. He'll command the ship from now on. You 'ad your chance, Tebrianne...you didn't shine as brightly as I expected you to. I think you might be feeling a little...'omesick as well." Her voice turned very cold. "I won't 'ave that, not from someone who's claimed loyalty. 'adek, collar her."

"She'd done as you ordered," Benedict's voice raised as he stepped closer to T'Briane. "It's your men who flaunt defiance. They were told not to interfere with the work being carried out and they have. If it hadn't been for Tebrianne's actions, this crew would have revolted by now! She's done as you asked, there's no need for a damned collar!"

T'Briane leveled her gaze at Benedict. "Perhaps you 'aven't noticed, Ben, but I'm the captain 'ere. Perhaps you'd enjoy a collar too. I don't need your permission or advice on how to deal with my crew. 'adek, the collar now."

"Is this how you treat those who show you loyalty?" Benedict asked softly. "You want loyalty and when it's given your reward is a punishment? She's betrayed her Starfleet oath for you, and this is how well you repay her? She promised me that you'd look after me... that I could gain power and prestige being on your side. Was that a lie? If you'd do that to your twin how would you treat me?"

"My twin would never reject me," T'Briane said. "We are in a dangerous time for her, one where her loyalty will be tested to the breaking point. This mission cannot fail, and this is a risk I do not wish to take with such a critical operation. This will ensure that she acts on no feelings of homesickness." She gave him a sly smile, and then watched as Ben crumpled to the floor. As he fell, her hand slipped away from his neck.

Hadek had closed the gap to Tebrianne. With lightning fast reflexes and a sinister smile, he clamped the collar around her throat and locked it into place. "Just like old times, hm?" Hadek touched a button on his belt and Tebrianne dropped to the floor with a scream, her body writhing pain. "Just like old times..."

"Enough, 'adek," T'Briane snapped. "Take 'er to the brig, but don't 'ave too much fun."

Haden indicated T'Kal. "And, him? Should I have him beamed to your quarters?"

"Not yet," T'Briane answered. "Soon, 'owever. For now, return 'im to his own quarters," T'Briane said. "I'll send for 'im soon. Right now, I don't need the distraction 'e'd be to me." As she gazed at his prone form, her smile was filled with cunning and desire. "See that no permanent 'arm comes to 'im."

"Aye, Captain."

She watched Hadek leave with Tebrianne struggling along with him. Once he was gone, she turned to Commander Drake. "Take command. See that the ship reaches the Gate without incident. 'ave a team begin searching for 'ansen, but see that there is still enough coverage to keep the crew in line. I don't want any more trouble."

Drake gave a nod. "There will be none, Captain."

T'Briane tapped her communicator. "T'Briane to Windsor, prepare to bring me back aboard."

"Aye, Captain," came the reply. "Arriving at the gate in five minutes."

"Confirmed," T'Briane said. She closed the connection and looked to Drake. "Get to the bridge." And, with that, the transporter beam pulled her back to the Windsor.

***

The turbolift stopped at the bridge and Commander John Drake stepped off. He glanced around, then fixed his gaze on the Bajoran woman now occupying the center chair. He strode forward, an air of command spilling off him. He was charismatic and handsome, but there was a dark coldness in his eyes.

"I am Captain Jonathan Drake," he said, his lips curling into a cruel smile. "I am now in command of this ship. We will be arriving at the Gate in two minutes. Helm prepare to drop to impulse on my command." He looked down at Lyrr at the command chair. "You're in my chair, Commander."

"Actually," Lyrr countered with slight confusion, "this is Captain Salinger's chair - and Commander Bancroft's in the meantime." She smirked. "I don't think you'd fit."

"Commander Bancroft's been relieved of duty, and I'm her replacement. I'm in charge now."

Lyrr frowned inwardly, knowing such a move would not have been made if Tebrianne still had the full trust of T'Briane. The heavy pit in her stomach kept Lyrr firmly planted in the captain's seat. She had a feeling recapturing the ship had just become a far more difficult task than initially thought. Rising slowly and eyeing the captain warily, Lyrr said, "I request to remain on the bridge as your first officer, Captain."

"Very well, as long as you don't argue with me and you stay out of my way," Drake said. "But you're still blocking me from my chair."

Lyrr quirked an eyebrow, then obligingly stepped aside. "It's all yours, Captain. I'm sure it'll be to your liking."

Drake turned and sat, as if a king on a throne. He checked the system readouts and status monitors.

"Helm, drop to impulse power and position us one thousand meters off of the Windsor's stern. Now we just need to wait our turn to go through the gate. Glory awaits us."

Lyrr stiffly took her seat beside the imposter captain, and fended off a deathly chill. Whatever Farrell and the others had planned, she hoped they carried it out soon. Time was short and the situation had suddenly changed in a manner that would alter everything they'd plotted for days. If ever she needed to have faith in the crew to see things through, it was now.

---

"Punishment"
by Tebrianne Bancroft
Hadek
Commander John Drake
and Captain T'Briane Bancroft

Location: Brig and Bridge, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22 13h10

***

Pain. Her world had exploded into a wash of pain.

She felt the breath entering her lungs, reviving her. She felt some of the ripples of pain fading. Her muscles loosened enough for her to curl herself into a ball. Her cheek felt as if it were half the size of her head, a painful knot from where he'd struck her. She knew he'd split her lip with one blow, the pooling of green blood a clear indication. The pain was manageable, but it still hurt. She had to endure. It had not been long since Hadek had brought her here. It hadn't been long before she'd been cast down by T'Briane, somehow her treachery discovered. Somehow T'Briane had known what was happening...that had to be it. She'd done everything right, even as she'd been working for the Sulu. Something had to have put T'Briane against her. It couldn't have been her illusory relationship with Benedict. She sobbed into herself as she thought of what might be happening to Ben.

As she tried to roll onto her side, she became aware of a presence at her side. She shied away from it, fearing who or what it would be. It was her first days in the Mirror Universe all over again.

"No," she rasped.

"Ohh yesss." Hadek's voice was a purely malevolent croon close to her ear. His breath was warm against the side of her face and it wasn't that pleasant. "Did you miss me?" he whispered. He knelt beside her on the floor of her cell, a painstick clutched in one hand and a fist-full of Tebrianne's hair in the other. He pulled back on her hair so that her head drew away from her chest. She could now see his leering face in all its dark glittering glee. Hadek was enjoying this turn of events.

Two armed and armoured Enforcers stood by the force-field, one of them held a collar control in his hand and was ready to activate it. The other watched impassively; he was a member of T'Briane's personal guard and wore the black instead of the red.

"Back where you belong, eh?" he laughed. It came out like a gravely growl that wasn't quite right.

"Leave me...alone, 'adek," she managed. "Never 'urt you..." He'd been her first tormentor when she'd arrived in this universe. She'd even spent more time than she cared to remember in his bed, before T'Briane had rescued her. Things had changed since then, and he'd quickly fallen below her in station. But now, T'Briane had pushed her back below his boot. She used every bit of training she'd ever gleaned at the feet of Vulcans met throughout her life to clamp down on her emotions, to not share them with Ben as she had so long ago. I'm sorry, Ben, her mind whispered. "Please..."

"Ohh...please?" He looked down at her with utter scorn. "So, ready to take back your place, bitch? You want to share my bed again? If you show me the proper respect I just might...yes." He grinned and tapped the base of her spine with the pain-stick. A white hot bolt of fire shot through her the instant it connected and he ran it up her back as he stood to his feet.

Her body arched against the touch, a ragged cry was torn from her lips. Her hands clawed at the floor, desperately reaching for something to grasp onto, something that might shield her from the pain. "Bastard," she rasped. "Bloody bastard... Not again...never again..."

"Never say never." He chuckled as his arm withdrew, leaving her gasping with relief until the stick sliced air and connected. This time it was swung with full force and it slammed across her thigh, the discharge arcing into her as the shocking pain of the impact was overwhelmed by the aural pain of the agonizing weapon. "There's no pretty boy standing beside you this time, bitch." He chuckled pure evil. "I can't wait to soften his bones...like any stud animal he'll have to be broken...just like you were my sweet, tasty bitch." He swung the weapon again, this time it cracked down on her shoulder. All the while Hadek laughed.

The pain was intense. Her body convulsed as a spasm of pain wracked her body. She glared up at him. "So this is how it is, 'adek? Getting 'ard as...as you beat up a defenseless...wo-- woman? You never broke me, 'adek, and you never will."

He laughed pitilessly and circled her, his hand gripping the stick and unclenching as he waggled it with suppressed energy. "I didn't need to break you, did I? The job had already been done...someone beat me to it, didn't they? Makes no difference to me. I just want you to feel the pain of a painstick being used properly." He swung it against her chest, catching her wrists as she was curled up but the tip of the weapon discharged against her breast.

She screamed and he swung it again overhand so that it arched over into her back. It crackled energy.

"I'm really looking forward to seeing your boyfriend. I have to break him for T'Briane's bed. She wants him. Did you think she would really let you keep him? Did you think for one second that the Captain would really allow you to have something she wanted?" He prodded her abdomen and the stick discharged again. As she rolled and spasmed he jabbed her between the legs and kept it there, discharging it repeatedly.

Her screams could only grow louder. Tears streamed from her eyes as each choked breath was accompanied by sobs. The leather she wore deadened some of the pain, at least where it covered. But even then, that wasn't enough to keep the agony from reaching her. She heard her voice, pleading, begging. She tried to move away, but he was there. She couldn't escape the torment. She couldn't let Ben feel what she felt...not again. She begged for it to stop, to be free of the pain.

And it stopped. Hadek sat on the small bunk in the cell and looked down at her. She really was quite beautiful. Almost as good looking as the Drokari bitch. He'd spend some time with her later. He relished that idea. Tebrianne Bancroft was sobbing and pleading for a relief from pain. So he allowed it. He was magnanimous. He let her be for a few minutes. Just watching her, taking in the curves of her body and remembering how she could be when she wanted it.

"If you're a good girl I might spare your Pretty Boy some pain." He let the suggestion linger. The painstick tapped lightly on the floor; a tap tap tap that echoed. Hadek looked up at the two Enforcers. "You can leave now, boys."

The one in red grinned and nodded, tossing the remote onto the bed where Hadek could reach it. The red armoured Enforcer looked down on Tebrianne and back to Hadek. "She's still dangerous," he said matter of fact.

"You can leave." Hadek waved him away and he complied reluctantly. When they were alone in the cell the dark featured Hadek leaned down and spoke softly. "You know I can be easy to get along with. You know what I like. What I want. Behave and you might get back into her good graces. What do you say? Eh?"

Her body still shook from the pain she'd endured. She looked up into his eyes, her own wide with fear. She swallowed, it was an effort. "What do you want me to do?" she asked. She reached up and touched a hand to his thigh. Inside, she felt revulsion, but she also knew this path was the path that was free of pain. She mentally berated herself for sliding back to this so quickly. "Like before?"

Hadek's face lost a little of its meanness. His eyes softened. He looked down at Tebrianne Bancroft and lifted a hand under her chin. He smiled. "Just like before," he breathed, his pulse quickening even as he remembered what before had been like. Before she'd left him behind. Before she'd done to him what no other woman had ever managed: broken his heart. But she was easily tamed with a little pain. He was hardened to her now, but still...she had that quality. He lifted her almost gently and she was still trembling.

Tears still slid down her cheeks, but the pain was fading. She moved closer to him until she gently pressed against his chest. His arms slipped around her, holding her close as he had five years ago...after her first breaking at Marco's hands. She hated herself, how pliable it made her. But it stopped the pain...took it away and replaced it with something else. She had found that he did possess a sort of gentleness. She kissed his jaw as her hand moved to caress him. She looked up into his eyes, going to her tiptoes as her lips sought his. "You won't 'urt me again?" she whispered.

His black eyes searched hers for any hint of falseness. All he saw was fear. Pitiable fear. After all this time she still affected him. Her fear was like an aphrodisiac and he shook his head in denial of her question. His hand was curled around the pain-stick and he brought it up and around her back, using it to hold her to him rather than as a weapon. His other hand however curled around the agonizer collar's remote. He was almost like a cobra being mesmerized by a mongoose. He knew she was dangerous, but her lips were waiting; inviting and he couldn't stop himself. His lips met hers and his eyes closed.

Tebrianne slipped her arms around him, holding herself to him even as he held her against his body. She returned the kiss, her hands beginning to work of their own accord against his body. She pressed more tightly against him and felt his arousal pressing back. She hated herself as her own body reacted, a flare of desire. A spear of guilt ran through her as she thought of Ben, but she knew there could be nothing truly wrong with what she was doing here since he had Lyrr, and she knew what the two of them did alone together. She clamped down on her feelings, though, to make sure he wouldn't feel this.

In just a kiss, she could feel the heat between them rising. She hated herself...but it was very difficult to suppress what had happened between them. There had been no love, but he had been there during a difficult time. There had been much pain, but then an almost gentleness. She didn't love him, but deep inside she knew she felt something for him other than hate. It was too confusing, and she felt a sense of relief when the passion building between them now began to dampen the thoughts running through her mind. It would stop her from thinking too much on it, or from hating herself too much. She moaned into his mouth as they kissed, and slid her hands along his chest.

It all came back in a rush of desire. Driven by jealousy and spurned by her for so long and unable to do anything but hate, Hadek had despised her. He had been denied her, and now in a cell she was throwing herself at him to avoid the pain; as she'd done so long ago. Her body pressed against him, her lips on his and her moan, so laced thickly with desire ignited the old feelings. He'd loved her once, but dared not ever give her that knowledge, not to be used against him, by her or anyone else. The Alternate Universe was a cruel place. He dropped the pain-stick. Unable to remain inactive he gripped the corset and twisted it free of its studs in one hard pull.

The silver collar gleamed against her skin as he kissed her deeply, it was a hungry kiss, filled with old passion. Her leather garment fell from his fingers.

As she was bared to him, Tebrianne realized how cool his armour felt against her skin...and with the fire he seemed to be igniting with his touch, it felt good. It all felt far too good. Her hands fumbled to release the various catches and seals that held it in place. For all his harshness, Hadek was talented, and as his hands caressed her she remembered it more fully. She gasped and then growled in frustration. "Bloody hell," she snarled as she pulled away from his lips. "I can understand why they'd make it difficult to get someone out of one, but it's a little bloody inconvenient right now!"

He laughed. It was a dark sound, but he pulled open the neck seal and the hard shell dropped away. It only took a shrug to divest himself of the sleeves and the gauntlets that were a one piece unit. His lips pressed against her bared breast and he knew exactly what she liked, and he knew from experience that pleasing her in certain ways made her far more responsive.

His touch was almost too much, and their times together had allowed him to know her too well. Though, not nearly as well as Benedict knew her. No one could ever excite her the way Ben did. But, she had definitely had to give Hadek's talent credit. As the rest of her clothing disappeared under his practiced hands, she moved her lips to his chest, her hands slipping lower to divest him of the remainder of his armour. Her moans and gasps were loud as he worked at pleasing her. A part of her mind grasped that and wondered, since she was supposed to be pleasing him to avoid the pain. She'd spent so much time trying to avoid the pain, she'd never thought of it before...and she hated the part of her that then sought to return the favour to him. Hadek was the enemy...but she couldn't stop herself. She almost sobbed at the thought that she didn't want to stop. The rest of his armour finally came free and her hands sought him.

It had been over four years since they'd shared a bed as she did everything she could to please him, to stay free of the painsticks and the beatings. And, here she was again...though something had changed in his manner. She cast the thoughts aside as she heard him gasp. She looked up into his eyes, staring back at her with desire. She kissed him again, her own kiss filled with longing and---she hated herself even more for it---desire.

Hadek lifted her with ease. Her eyes held his as he held her against his black-patterned body. The tattoos covering his torso and neck, spiralling down his arms and legs were hypnotic in their intensity and intricacy. He kissed her hungrily, dropping upon the narrow bunk and tearing at her pants. He was in a frenzy of desire, it had been a long time and the forced deprivation while on the Sulu had fueled his need. He was used to taking what he wanted when and where he wanted. She was willing - more than willing by the look in her eyes. It was ethereal to be with her again after so much pain and hatred directed at each other for so long. He tore her garments free and for a moment he just had to look at her, staring up at him with lust in her eyes and willing; so willing.

She held his gaze, but wanted to look away. With each moment, her shame grew. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but the longing and need of her betraying body didn't lessen. Her hands sought his body, knowing that if she failed to do so, he'd punish her again. The arousal he'd managed to ignite sent her thoughts off in a whirl so the only thing that she was consciously aware of, as she had so many years ago, was to please him in any way he wanted. She would do nearly anything to avoid the touch of the painstick again. The brutality was too much, and her body's reaction had been nearly automatic. She just wanted the pain to stay away. She gasped at his touch and felt a rush of pleasure ripple through her. He'd replaced the pain with pleasure, and she was helpless to pull away. She could not deny that she wanted this. "Yes," she whimpered, half out of fear, half out of desire.

Hadek grinned, and it turned into a chuckle as he lowered his lips to her breasts and drove strongly into her. It was so pleasurable it was almost painful and he groaned, as he plunged headlong into carnal pleasure. He could feel her body responding to his touch, to his sheer strength, and he gazed down into her eyes, seeing the tears and uncaring he kissed her hard.

Despite the feelings of disgust she felt for herself, she moaned and felt her body flush even more with pleasure. She couldn't deny his talent, or her own submissive feelings and the desire to avoid his wrath. She kissed him back, meeting the fierceness of his kiss with her own. She tucked a part of herself aside, the part that was repulsed. She gave herself over to him, in giving him pleasure. She couldn't deny that he seemed to enjoy giving her the same. "Oh 'adek," she rasped, then called his name even louder.

He took her, totally. Hadek gripped her arms and held them above her head as he used her. She writhed beneath him, taking pleasure from him as he drove into her with all his strength. It wasn't love-making, it was simple lust and he enjoyed her submission with a rapturous taking. He heard his name being called in her thick accented lust and it drove him over the edge and he fell willingly into it.

When it was over he let her go and stood, looking down at her with a grin that turned into a sneer as he stooped to retrieve the collar remote along with his trousers and began dressing. He watched her intently as he buckled his armour. Naked she was beautiful, flushed and dishevelled, the way he'd always loved her best. He watched her eyes, still wet with tears. He didn't say a word. He didn't need to.

Her eyes were fixed on him, on his eyes. She didn't look away, wouldn't until he was gone. Then she would really cry. She was sore, her entire body. "When will you be back," she asked softly.

He clasped the last buckle at his neck plate and clenched a mailed fist. Stooping slightly he picked up her clothing, bundling it in a wad of leather. The pain stick he hefted and looked at it meaningfully and then back at her. Her question had hung between them and he'd heard the note of pleading in it. She wanted him to come back. He grinned then and chuckled.

"If you're a good girl, I'll have them take you to my quarters," he said darkly. "If." He turned on his heel and shouted for the guard to deactivate the force-field. He stepped through still chuckling, carrying her clothes with him.

She watched him go, and once he was gone she curled in on herself. The tears fell then, and whatever words she spoke were only loud enough for herself to hear. She shivered and wished Ben was there to hold her, to tell her everything would be fine. "Please," she sobbed softly, "just let us get home. Please...no more hurting..."

***

As Hadek strode from Tebrianne Bancroft's cell, Commander John Drake watched out the forward viewer. The fleet was gathered before them, stretching to the edges of the screen and beyond. It was an impressive sight, and one he knew would crush the Dominion on the other side. If the Drokari allied and added their fleet, then they would easily crush the Federation on the other side of the wormhole. Without them it would be difficult, but their victory was still assured.

The android turned from his station. "There is an incoming communiqué from the Windsor for you, Captain Drake." Drake smiled with amusement. Had he noted a tone of dislike in the android's voice.

"Put it onscreen," he said.

T"Briane's face appeared on the screen, nodded to him. "Commander Drake, I trust everything is alright there?"

"Everything is in order," Drake said. "I have a team searching for potential missing crew. Other than that, the Enforcers are keeping the crew in line after Tebrianne's allowances for such lax behaviour."

T'Briane nodded. "Good. I must attend a fleet meeting. The Windsor will be moving away. I want you to maintain your position here, if there is any trouble, I want you to contact me immediately. Even the slightest problem."

Drake nodded. "Of course, Captain. I will ensure there are no problems, however."

T'Briane smiled. "Make me proud, Captain Drake. Windsor out."

Drake settled back into his chair and watched the Windsor move away. Glory was only a short ways away. Soon...very soon.

---

"Bonded & Bound"
By: Senior Lieutenant Hadek
Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal

Location: VIP Quarters, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22 13h10

***

Benedict lay unconscious. The Vulcan nerve pinch had been very effective and he'd been out for a long time. The first stirring of consciousness was triggered by an uneasy sensation of anguish and pain, dulled and diluted through the bond he shared with Tebrianne. As Hadek the senior Enforcer swung his pain stick, Benedict felt only dulled stirrings in the bond that translated into a montage of surfacing memories.

He saw the leering face of Marco Raimus in his nightmare as he cowered from the man's blows. It had been a recurring dream for a long time. The savage beating of a man who took his hatred to physical domination of the young Romulan girl. Benedict had known what it was like to be violated; to be beaten into submission and violated as only a woman could be. He knew what it had been like to feel unclean and numbed; sickened and wretched. He'd known and he'd been reviled by the knowing, and shocked and sickened and devastated that it had happened to the woman who was the other half of his soul. It had been a long time ago. He'd had counselling. Therapy and days of intensive mental help had seen him able to cope with the after-effects of the rape. The after-effects of the death of his fiancée in such a despicable act of terrorism; blown into non-existence on a mining colony five years ago.

Memories were settling like leaves on a still pond...ugly memories. His head turned to mirror the striking of a fist, only it wasn't a memory, it was now. The painstick slamming into Tebrianne made him jerk and groan, yet the pain wasn't his and he wasn't conscious enough to really feel it. As the Romulan girl tried to hold it all in, her control shattered with the pain stick being jammed into her loins. Benedict felt that. He gasped aloud and the pain was a dull throbbing and he awoke feeling the ghost of pain and knowing without a doubt that something was happening to Tebrianne.

He was on the floor. Sprawled where the Enforcers had dropped him. He felt groggy, but it was being replaced by a dread as he lifted his head and felt the dull ache through the blood bond. He'd been through this before. The cold ball of fear in his gut made his limbs move and he dragged himself upward to sit on his heels and stare around at his surroundings. He was in one of the VIP quarters on the Sulu. He drew a shallow breath, feeling the dampness of his hair plastered to his neck. He'd broken out into a sweat and he shivered. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard on the tenuous bond. He hadn't done it in a long time. He used a meditation technique to slow his breathing, and he settled on his heels and relaxed further as he brought all of his concentration on it.

Pain. It doubled him over and his hands hit the carpeted deck, his raven hair was long enough to brush the deck as he gasped for breath but stayed with the emotions that blossomed in the bond. She was being hurt. It made his teeth clench as he thought of someone using an agonizer weapon on her. It was too powerful not to be. He breathed, "No...Teb...not again...." His voice sounded thick. Her presence in his mind was clear for the first time since she'd returned, but this was the first time he'd sought it rather than rejected it. Her presence filled him and he could taste her fear. It was overwhelming. It was just like before...with Marco. The fear of pain. It nearly broke his heart. She needed him like she'd needed him before and like then he was impotent to save her. "Prophets...give her strength," he prayed, "and give me a chance...just one. That's all I need."

The pain vanished. Relief washed through him, but it seemed hollow. The feelings diminished until he could barely feel the bond. He took a ragged breath.

He stared at the carpet, unseeing as he shook from the reaction. For the first time since Tebrianne's return from the dead he was thinking clearly. His whole being was focused on the bond between them, and he knew that it had never gone away; he had simply buried it. He had believed that he could move on. He'd fallen in love with Lyrr Tayla only because Tebrianne was dead. The truth was sharp edged and jagged. She wasn't dead; she'd never been dead and he still loved her. He loved Tebrianne Bancroft.

He knew it by the pain she was feeling that seemed to purge his blood with an inner rage against her tormentor. He loved her so much it hurt. To deny it was a lie. To deny her was a lie and to love Tayla with only half a heart was worse. She deserved better than that. His eyes misted over as his tears fell, splashing to the carpet slowly, as he still remained on hands and knees.

He'd loved her from the first moment he'd seen her. Her intensity as she sat in the helm chair on the Galaxy had been awesome, and he'd seen her at her best as a pilot, but when she played...when she sang, she held his heart in her hands every time. It was why he'd refused to play in the lounge with her. He'd known, just as she'd pierced his heart when she'd sung those words: "I love him / But every day I'm learning / All my life / I've only been pretending / Without me / His world would go on turning / A world that's full of happiness / That I have never known."

But it was a lie. He'd never be happy knowing she was alive and without him. He'd never be happy, no matter how much he loved Tayla. He loved her. He couldn't deny that he loved Lyrr Tayla, but how could he look her in the eyes and tell her that she was the one? He'd tried to make it true. He'd tried to shut Tebrianne out of his heart. He'd tried, only it would never work because she was in his heart, his mind and his soul. She was the music that gave him life. She had been his life, even after she had died. They had been a duet since the moment they had smiled at each other.

She had stolen his heart the day he'd watched her in silence in a turbolift. She hadn't stolen his soul; he'd given it to her freely. She still owned it, because she'd never let it go. She'd never let him go - even in this dark place, he'd been the thought that kept her going, and he had miraculously come into her dark universe to rescue her. It was an answer to a prayer they had both made. Perhaps it was the Will of The Prophets.

Benedict T'Kal had sworn to Lyrr that he would fight the very Prophets to be with her - but he could not fight his own heart. He couldn't fight the truth. To deny Tebrianne was to deny the missing part of himself. He cried then, and tears flowed down his cheeks as he sat up and closed his eyes against the pain of what he would cause for Tayla. To stay with her because she might not cope without him, was to deny her own strength. It was an excuse for weakness. To tell her of his betrayal of her was to admit that he couldn't be faithful - not when Tebrianne was close at hand. It was best to admit the truth no matter how much it would hurt her. To lie to her would be worse in the end. He'd truly believed in what he'd told her; that he wanted her and could see their children. He would truly have been happy with the beautiful Bajoran woman if Tebrianne had remained dead. Karma.

The minutes went by, as his thoughts were consumed by these things, but still the bond remained at the center of his focus. It was a different emotion he felt now, and tenuous as it was he knew it for what it was: desire. In the same way that Tebrianne had known of the times he'd loved Lyrr, now Benedict T'Kal knew. There was no longer pain. Though it was still strangely dulled, half hidden and tenuous as if masked. He was confused, and his own thoughts were disturbed by the stirrings of sensations other than pain; a mixture of desire and loathing. He knew what it meant, only he wanted to deny it. It was a violation of his mind. Another loathsome violation that was being forced upon her and he knew that she responded because of the fear of the pain.

He shuddered and shook his head in a denial as his lips said, "No...." He shut it out, turned away from the bond as if it was a snake that had bitten him. It was filled with poison; a viper whose venom chilled his heart. His fists clenched in silent rage as he said, "No," in a whisper and, "No!" through clenched teeth, and a final agonized, "NOOOO!!" screamed out in torment. He could do nothing but try to shut it out, but the Blood Bond betrayed him as it betrayed her.

Benedict T'Kal covered his face in his hands and shook as he cried, and once again as five years ago he suffered with her, helpless to fight it; torn between loathing of what was being done and loathing of her response to it. She was responding to it; he could feel it!

*** 1345hrs ***

The room was dark. Benedict sat in the easy chair with hands resting on the arms, staring out at the stars. He was filled with a deep sorrow, and felt desolate. He was motionless; eyes barely seeing anything as he was surrounded in a shroud of depression and anxiety. He had been so clear and now he was undone. The silence was deafening.

It was broken by the hiss of the door. A dark silhouette stood within the rectangle of light for a moment before stepping inside, followed by two more armoured figures. Hadek ordered the lights to full illumination and the computer complied. He stood staring at Benedict with a satisfied grin. His black armour gleamed in the light. As Benedict's eyes adjusted to focus upon him he tossed a bundle at the Bajoran Security Chief.

Tebrianne Bancroft's leather pants and corset landed on the floor between the two men. The pain stick in Hadek's hand came up and was clasped like a bar before him in both hands. He chuckled evilly as Benedict recognised the clothing for what they were. Benedict came out of the chair with a feral growl in his throat and stood glaring at the laughing Senior Enforcer.

T'Kal's anger was clearly written on his face, almost beyond self-control. He considered launching himself at the bastard who, by his actions, made it clear who had been with Tebrianne. Hadek watched him for a moment before he said, "She's mine now. Just as you belong to T'Briane, she belongs to me; broken to my bed as you'll be broken to the Captain's. If T'Briane is half as good as little Tebrianne, you should count yourself lucky." Hadek knew he was baiting the Bajoran, and by the look in the man's eyes he was half mad already.

The two Enforcers in black armour belonged to T'Briane's Personal Guard, and they knew the routine for this. The Bajoran would succumb to the pain stick and the collar just like everyone else. Of course they had to be broken to it, like any wild animal required taming. This T'Kal would be no different. The two men watched him for the signs of the fight that was advertised by his eyes and the quivering readiness of his body. They had all been warned about this one. T'Briane had a healthy respect for his prowess and Hadek had warned them to be ready, but allow him the opportunity to take him on. Hadek had his own abilities to prove. It seemed there was something personal in this.

Benedict knew the situation was stacked against him, but Hadek's blatant admission to breaking Tebrianne was more than he could take. He wanted him. Benedict breathed out slowly and purposely relaxed, opening his hands that had almost become cramped into fists. He was unarmed, and they were armoured and carried pain sticks and phasers. He gazed into Hadek's eyes and weighed the man as he began to calm. He struggled to find the void in his emotional turmoil and hatred.

"She screamed out my name when I took her, T'Kal," Hadek grinned. "Just like old times, her and I," he added.

Benedict closed his eyes, feeling again the sensation that he'd experienced in the bond. Her desire...her revulsion and the pain. He wanted to vomit as he'd done when Lyrr Tayla had called out Oresh's name. It was the same, he realized. Lyrr Tayla and Tebrianne Bancroft shared the same Karma and the same pain. He opened his eyes to Hadek and took a steadying breath. Talk sapped energy. Silence unnerved. He could sense the Enforcers giving him space to take on Hadek and he nodded almost imperceptibly that this was how it was going to be. Hadek wanted to prove his worth, he wanted to dominate Tebrianne as well as Benedict. Benedict smiled. He'd asked for one chance. The Prophets provided and The Prophets removed. Today was a good day to die.

"You want me, don't you?" Hadek asked softly, with menace. "Come on then, here's your chance." He opened his arms and the pain stick waved in his right hand. The black rod crackled with energy.

Benedict waited. He remained immobile, silent and relaxed finally. The face he showed Hadek was grief ravaged and haunted, his eyes were a dulled violet that seemed deadened. He entered the void with a spirit that was as empty as the void itself. The place where thought was no thought, action and no action were the same and no predetermined plan of action swayed his reflexes. It was a relief to be without conscious thought, to process only action and reaction as he stepped instinctively to Hadek's left as the man lunged with the pain stick.

The extension of arm and body projected into Benedict's zone of control and his superbly trained body was already moving and anticipating the arc of the stick. There was no thought to what he might do or what he could do, only a pure weapon oriented response from a man honed to perfection as a hand to hand combat specialist. Hadek's feint with the stick drew Benedict into where the Enforcer wanted him, and as T'Kal went for the hand and arm of the weapon, Hadek responded with a vicious stab of extended fingers of his left hand to strike the Bajoran's kidney. The blow missed its mark as Hadek whipped his weapon arm up and away from T'Kal's angle of attack. The arm breaking double strike connected with Hadek's forearm - a glancing blow, but it was powerful enough to stun his arm and the pain stick flew away from the pair of now circling fighters.

They were in a semi crouch and Hadek was surprised that his arm had felt the impact of T'Kal's blow even through the armoured greave. He lost his grin. T'Kal was dangerous. He'd disarmed him in the first exchange and Hadek knew as the two black armoured Enforcers backed away that they would be happy to watch the outcome before stepping in.

Benedict waited. Hadek was the aggressor and had to push the exchange. He had just lost face in front of T'Briane's Personal Guard and he had to redeem himself. Now it was T'Kal's turn to smile. He did it to coax a response, rather than have any direct emotional display. Hadek stepped in swiftly and pivoted on one foot to deliver a smashing back kick aimed at Benedict's abdomen. It was telegraphed by the set of his shoulders and the dropping arms to act as balance for the spin. T'Kal was moving sideways and raising his right arm as Hadek made the turn and snapped his leg out. It brushed T'Kal's uniform and Hadek was staring momentarily at the dropping elbow strike that connected with the knee joint of the extended armoured leg. There was a cracking sound as T'Kal's strike broke the seal connector and the impact dropped the leg and stopped his spinning recovery. T'Kal's other arm was a blur. The knife edge of his hardened palm struck Hadek's neck plate with a stunning blow. If he hadn't been wearing it his neck would have snapped. Instead the blow sent him sprawling onto the deck.

The Enforcer rolled to recover his feet and discovered that his knee joint was frozen. The impact had twisted the joint seal. Hadek was now straight legged and coughing from the blow to his throat. T'Kal was faster than he imagined, and he seemed to move as if he anticipated Hadek's every strike. It was unnerving, and for the first time Hadek realized that he was facing a much better fighter than himself. He was glad that he'd worn the armour. He hadn't even landed a blow on the Bajoran.

Benedict stood back and waited. Hadek climbed to his feet. It was time to finish him. Hadek turned his head to order the Black Armoured figures to shoot T'Kal where he stood.

The gas released into the environmental systems was extremely fast acting. All three Enforcers were unconscious before they started to drop to the floor. Benedict saw their eyes roll back a split second before Hadek's did. They dropped as if their strings were cut. Suddenly he was free. Benedict stared down at the helpless Hadek for a long moment before he stepped over him and gripped his head as he dropped a knee to his chest. He tensed to twist violently and end the man's life, but just as suddenly he let him go and stood with a long exhale of breath. He felt dirty and used, and the last thing he wanted was Hadek's blood on his hands. The inoculation had worked.

He stared at the unmoving bodies for a moment longer before scooping up a phaser rifle and checking the setting. He switched it to heavy stun and shot all three. It would put them out for a long while. Long enough to get them to the Brig.

---

"It's the Little Differences"
By: Ensign Ainsley Chambers - Counselor
Junior Lieutenant Rolf Krieger - Enforcer
Junior Lieutenant Amhas MacEginagh - Enforcer
and Ensign Maya Briggs - Enforcer

Location: Corridor and Counselor Chambers' Office
Stardate: 57910.22, 13h28

***

Krieger stepped off the turbolift, his aggravation steaming off him like sweat on a cold day. Hopefully, he had made a mark with Captain T'Briane with his discoveries in Rachel Hansen's quarters but he found the woman's fascination with the half-breed Bajoran to be more than a little disconcerting. Even though she had seen wisdom in the end, Krieger feared that her eyes were not pointed towards the Empire's common goal. He was mulling over the possible uses for this information as he thoughtfully pursued his split lips and toyed with the idea of taking them to the Sickbay.

Even in his distracted state, Krieger spotted Amhas MacEginagh before the smaller broken man saw him but not quick enough to duck out of sight. MacEginagh had been a junior lieutenant for longer than any of them, often running afoul of the Windsor's leadership for one offense or another. Amhas wasn't terribly bright but he had finally begun to flourish under Hadek, finally able to respect a man who shared his propensity towards cruelty. If Amhas could only arrange the appropriate disappearances, there were few who doubted that Hadek would make the battered Scotsman his second in command. It was a spot that nearly every other Enforcer coveted and for which Amhas was exceptionally ill-suited.

"What happened to yer face, lad?" the older man asked as Krieger walked up. He didn't bother to sound like he cared that Krieger's features looked like they had been mildly rearranged.

"Took a couple blows from a lady admirer," Krieger admitted, after briefly considering a lie. It would be all over the ship soon enough anyway.

Amhas didn't laugh as Krieger would have expected but only began shaking his head. "It's a bleedin' shame," he said, finally, as if to himself.

"What's a shame?" Krieger asked carefully.

"Yer beloved Captain puttin' the stops on the likes o' us enjoying the spoils o' a captured ship," MacEginagh spat out the words, his frown nearly curling on itself. "Meanwhile she's taken 'er pick and wasted no time doin' it."

"Captain's prerogative," Krieger said, a small smile touching his lips. "And she's not beloved...save for maybe by that poor bastard she's bewitched. And you, perhaps."

"Oh, piss off," Amhas said, planting his painstick heavily on the deck. There was silence for only a moment before the Scotsman decided to continue his grumble. "It's jus' the way it's always been."

"I know," Krieger agreed.

"Ye capture a ship." MacEginagh gestured with his painstick and his empty hand, indicating the simple progression of things. "Ye get yer shot at the soft company." He jerked his armored thumb back at his chest. "I dinna make the rules, laddy. It is just the rules that 'ave always been."

"I wouldn't worry myself with Tebrianne," Krieger advised. "Captain T'Briane put her in a collar and stuck Drake in her place."

Amhas shot a surprised look at Krieger. "Yer daft," he spat after a brief study of the younger man's bruised face. "The Captain 'as an unnatural likin' fer her shadow, make no mistake."

"She does," Krieger agreed. "But she stuck her in a collar all the same. Lieutenant Hadek is seeing to her reeducation as we speak."

Amhas was still looking at Krieger skeptically. "I can check that, ye know, lad?" His hand moved towards his combadge.

Krieger only stared at him solidly, clearly conveying the message that he didn't care if Amhas checked the facts. The older enforcer's armored fingers nearly brushed his combadge but stopped short of activating it. MacEginagh looked away from Krieger in surprised delight and let out a low whistle. Then they both fell silent for a few heart throbs.

"So is the restriction lifted?" Amhas asked finally, his eyes frightfully agleam.

"Can't say," Krieger said truthfully, immediately regretting it. "I know that I owe a certain young lady when we get the word."

"Ye better watch yerself, lad," Amhas warned. "From the look o' them dints, ye'll get a dagger in yer back fer that piece o' revenge, more likely than not."

"There are stupider ways to die," Krieger declared. "Just so long as I get a place to stick my dagger, if you get my meaning."

That drew a guffaw from MacEginagh or would have, had not one of the loveliest creatures either had ever seen chose that moment to pass. Flaxen hair fell just beyond her shoulders and when she saw the both of them in their black armor, she startled in such an adorable way, that Amhas immediately felt the urge rise in him and he smiled thinly at her. She attempted to return it but her preternaturally large blue eyes blazed fear like lanterns and instead she hurried past the two of them, painfully aware of their following eyes as she quickened her steps.

"Devils and rectors of darkness, kill me outright!" Amhas swore, staring after Chambers like a man dying of thirst.

"A fine specimen," Krieger said with a little wonder, admiring the view until the blond disappeared behind duranium.

"I know 'er!" MacEginagh exclaimed, prompting a skeptical look from Krieger. "Oh, not 'er, sod! But our version o' 'er. She was a Solicitor on the Ranger, as I remember it."

"You don't say," Krieger remarked, casting an appraising glance back at the door.

"And a bloody good one, as I 'eard it told," MacEginagh said, actually taking a few steps towards that same door and looking at it longingly. "They say that 'er Captain had turned into a bit o' a radge over the lass and claimed 'er fer 'is very own. She practically 'ad the run o' the ship."

"I don't know anyone from the Ranger," Krieger said nonchalantly even as his eyes narrowed. Quick calculations spun about his brain as he weighed Amhas' intrinsic value.

"A fine vessel," MacEginagh mouthed the words, barely making sounds.

"Solicitor, huh?" he asked, the Scotsman's value being finalized. "I wonder how much of that carries over."

Amhas turned back to him like he'd only begun listening. "What are ye wonderin' about now, lad?"

"Only if she's really all that different from our version," Krieger shrugged, donning his carefree attitude like a coat. "This crew may have some table manners but I've seen a murderous glint in more than a few eyes as I walked by. "

MacEginagh looked back at the door again and started nodding. "Aye, I noticed a few o' them got some o' the killer in 'em."

"A few?" Krieger expressed disdain for the speculation. "All of them...think of how the Captain made such short work of Crix. Think about how she managed to fit in here so well for all these years." Krieger turned away from his fellow enforcer. "They only wish they were different."

"Aye," Amhas agreed, sounding like all the breath was leaking out of his body.

"The chance at a Captain's Woman doesn't come along often. I wonder if Commander Drake has the same objection to..." Rolf turned back to Amhas but the smaller man was already stalking towards the counseling offices, his comrade all but forgotten. Krieger allowed a small, malicious smile to touch his cracked lips.

He tapped his combadge. "Lieutenant Krieger to Ensign Briggs."

***

Ainsley rubbed her hands together nervously as she pulled up her schedule for the day. Those two enforces had rattled her real good, she had never had anyone look at her with such outright lust before and she didn't like it at all. Now she was on edge and she wished to hell that she could use her replicator to order herself some tea and maybe a nice fattening donut to calm her nerves.

The doorchime rang, once and then again in quick succession, causing her to jump.

"Come in," she called out nervously and stood up behind her desk.

The door swished and revealed her worst fear; it was one of the enforcers that had ogled her. He was the older of the two with freckles dashed across his broken features and a sinister glint in his bloodshot eyes. He carried his thin smile in from the corridor.

" 'ello, pretty," he said, flashing discolored teeth when he spoke. His tongue, unhealthy red shot with a bit of gray, flicked across pale lips.

"Uh, h-hello." Ainsley answered, moving a little further behind her desk. She wouldn't be able to make it past him and out the door, she realized that as the door slid shut but he stayed in front of it. "Was there something I could, uh, help you with?"

Amhas pointed his staff at her and she froze in place. The end of it crackled with energy just centimeters away from her left breast. "I'll be havin' yer name, pretty. Yer name and yer position aboard this tug."

She swallowed, trying to make her mouth less dry. "Ensign Ainsley Chambers," she tried not to move at all. "I'm a Counselor on board."

The painstick still hovered, rotating her combadge slowly. "And what is it that a counselor does in yer so-called Fleet."

She swallowed again. "We, ah," she watched as the pain stick made a small circle in front of her, "we help the crew with any problems that they have."

"That's the right answer, pretty!" MacEginagh exclaimed before the painstick stopped making circles and jammed into her chest.

Her entire body began to spasm as a scream of pure agony emitted from her mouth. Her knees buckled underneath her as it felt like every cell in her body was trying to break out through her skin. The pain didn't fade when the cruel instrument deactivated but continued to throb through her nervous system until Ainsley became vaguely aware of a hard-armored hand gripping her throat.

MacEginagh heaved her onto the desk by her neck as if she only weighed a few kilos, scattering her PADDs and mementos onto the deck. She saw the painstick fall away and heard it clatter even as the hand that had gripped it groped roughly at her left breast. The image of MacEginagh's leering face swam in front of her eyes as he produced her combadge.

"We can't be interrupted now, can we pretty?" he sneered, the soft metal of the arrowhead crunching in his armored grip. He tossed it away and leaned over her, bringing his face so close that his eyes went Cyclops. "Now then, Counselor, I'll be needin' a little 'elp with a problem I'm 'avin'."

Interestingly enough her first thought was that she wished she'd made love with Mason that night she'd told him she was a virgin. She didn't want this to be the way it happened. She felt weird, her body barely even felt like it was her own, she could see him roughly massaging her breast through her uniform but she felt absolutely nothing.

His other hand fumbled for the zipper on her pants. "Please," she pleaded as fresh tears sprung into her eyes and her vision blurred slightly. "Please don't."

"Yer beggin' is 'elpin' already, love," Amhas said crudely referring to his own rising lust. Ainsley struggled against his clumsy armored hands but she heard the fabric ripping and felt her pants sliding down her legs. Hearing the door slide open and feeling the light on her exposed skin only prompted a long thin screech. To Ainsley's mind, it could only mean some new torment.

Junior Lieutenant Amhas MacEginagh stopped what he was doing and stared at the door in disbelief. In it's frame was the considerate form of Rolf Krieger along with Ensign Briggs. The tall dark female enforcer had one of the confiscated Starfleet phasers leveled at him. He let a bit of the torn uniform slip from his fingers even as he raised his hands.

"Yer a blight on the Galaxy, lad," he said simply, looking to Rolf with a glare.

"And you were one," Rolf said, glaring back. He looked at Briggs briefly and then nodded at MacEginagh.

Briggs pressed the button of the phaser with all the passion she might use at the replicator. The pulsating amber beam passed centimeters over Ainsley's body and took Krieger in the breastplate. It took only microseconds to penetrate the armor's innate energy protection and soon both Krieger and his dying bellow were being erased from the universe.

Ainsley screamed and placed her hands over her face, trying to block out the vision of the screaming man disintegrating right in front of her. She was thankful that he had been stopped, but the idea that someone was capable of killing him in such cold blood made her worry about what they were going to do to her.

She sat up on the desk, her body shaking from the entire ordeal, and slowly lowered her hands to look at the newcomers.

"Thank you, Ensign," Krieger said through bruised lips to the equally imposing female Enforcer. "Wait for me outside."

Briggs arched an eyebrow and gave Chambers a quick appraising glance before she stepped back through the door. The door whisked between her and the other two.

Krieger walked slowly to Ainsley, frowning at her thoughtfully. When he came along the side of her desk, he stooped quickly and came up with the largest bit of her torn pants. He tossed them to her.

"Cover yourself," he advised.

She took the cloth and placed it over her lap and nodded gratefully at him. "Wh-what now?"

Rolf looked at her gravely. "This will happen again," he informed her, blunt though not without some sympathy. "You will ever be a target in this reality and you really have only two choices left to you."

That confused her, why was she going to be a target? Not all the women on the Sulu had been attacked. "What are those choices?"

"Let men like MacEginagh have their way until you are so jaded and spent that no man would want you," Krieger said, stepping closer to her. He looked her right in her blue eyes.

Ainsley shook her head slightly. She couldn't ever imagine allowing anything like that to occur. "What's the second choice?"

"The second," Krieger mused, looking down at her legs. With one armored hand, he slid the cloth up her thigh but stopped short of exposing her again. "Make a friend of someone who can protect you."

She tensed as his hand caressed her leg. "I...uh..." She looked down at his hand on her thigh and then back up at his face. "That's all...I..." She couldn't put any of her thoughts into coherent words.

"You may cease your stammering," Krieger said, stepping away from her. He stopped to pick up Amhas' fallen painstick and looked back at her as he straightened up. "I prefer partners that are willing. Remember that when it comes time to make your choice."

She jumped slightly when she saw him pick up the painstick, but realized quickly that he wasn't going to be using it on her. She watched him leave her office and then she collapsed down on top of her desk, her body shaking uncontrollably. She felt like her mind was going to shut down with all of the stuff it was trying to process. She knew that she needed to talk to someone, she slid off the desk and used the wall mounted communicator and called Bree.

---

"Proposal"
By: Lieutenant Xayella Tagliesh
Lieutenant Mark Thaine
Commander Lyrr Tayla

Location: Engineering, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 13h30

***

Tapping the pad against her palm in a lively beat, Xayella Tagliesh sauntered into main engineering, appearing quite chipper for a woman who had been brutally violated the night before. The enforcers she passed regarded her with a mixture of resentment for the subsequent death of their comrade, and frustration over an inability to so much as sneer at her without receiving the same fate as Corbett at Tebrianne's unforgiving hands. Xayella was protected now, and she flaunted the confidence imbued by that knowledge with a simpering smile for the enforcers.

Tossing her head back, she haughtily proceeded towards the tall engineer gruffly distributing orders, the hem of her skirt bouncing high as she did. She stopped behind him, listening in amusement as he chewed out an officer, using especially colourful phrasing; with a grin, she briskly tapped his shoulder and gleefully sang his name.

Thaine turned around, mid-sentence, and looked her up and down in a most disapproving fashion. Looking back over his shoulder, he dismissed the officer he had been verbally reprimanding, and looked back to Tagliesh with a frown. "You're cheerful," he commented.

"Well, it's better than pouting," she quipped. "Do you have a moment to conjecture with me?" Her subtle wink dropped the hint she intended him to catch. "Hm...Mark, dear?" She chuckled.

The engineer stared at her for a moment, blinked, and then said, "Oh. Of course, darling." The sarcasm in the last word was pitched at just the right level for Xayella, and Xayella alone, to pick up on. "How about my office?"

She smiled attractively and slipped her arm through his. "Lead the way." Leaning in towards him, she whispered softly, "Don't get the wrong idea. This is just insurance. There's something we need to discuss."

"I never thought anything else," Thaine muttered to her, as they crossed Main Engineering and entered the Chief's office.

Xayella sighed cheerfully as she moved to Thaine's desk, perching herself on the corner. She crossed her legs at the knee, drawing her skirt hem higher to reveal an endless length of thigh. "Don't be shy. Have a seat. We're secure in here, aren't we?"

Thaine folded his arms, and glared at her disapprovingly. He also seemed to be keeping his eyes firmly above the science officer's waistline. "We're secure as we can be," he said, as he remained standing.

"Good," she replied cheerfully. "Though...don't stand so far away. If someone barges in here, we have to seem as if we're having a meeting of a...different kind." Smiling, she crooked her finger at him in a summoning gesture. "I want to know about this ship's ability to produce an EM field powerful enough to disable an enemy ship," she sang, "so come closer and tell me all about it."

The glare from Thaine became a little more intense, but he did relent. "An entire ship?" he asked, as he crossed over to her.

"Well...it can't be done?" Xayella pouted and overcame her dislike of the engineer to drag her finger idly down his chest. "You see, I had initially intended to modify some probes to emit an EM pulse strong enough to disable some ships temporarily...but that plan's been aborted." She glanced up at him from beneath her lashes, and smiled sweetly. "Can't you help?"

"That," said Thaine, catching Xay's hand gently but firmly in his own grip, "would probably be best done with the main deflector dish."

"Then you can do it?" She chuckled happily. "Great! When do we get started?"

"Wait a moment...." He released her hand from his grip. "Where're these orders coming from? Where's this supposed to work with the rest of the plan?"

"These aren't orders," Xayella clarified. "This is called planning ahead, Lieutenant. When we get to that gateway, there are going to be thousands of attack ships awaiting us. How the hell do you think we're going to get home with such a large fleet standing in our way?"

"And you think they're gonna overlook a modification the size we're talking?" Thaine shook his head. "They're not stupid. There's no way I could get that done under their noses. Besides that, I've got no way of knowing how well shielded against EMP those ships are. Things are risky enough already, without adding to the suspicion."

"If you had the shield frequencies," Xayella proposed, "you wouldn't need to worry about all that, right?" She sighed and shifted closer to him on the desk. "Look...we've got to at least try. Don't you agree? If we don't...we'll practically be giving them the Alpha Quadrant! And if you won't help...I won't be able to do this."

"I'm not doing this without discussing it with the Commander. Or at least someone who knows what's going on." Thaine met her gaze firmly. "What if this throws the rest of our plans to hell?"

Xayella scowled. "We're already in hell, Thaine. How could this possibly make things worse?"

"We could send the rest of our plans crashing down about our ears, that's how!" Thaine offered a glare in return to the scowl.

"How can stopping a few ships possibly interfere with anything!" she shouted. "You just don't feel like working me. That's it, isn't it? You don't trust me!"

"Damned right I don't!" Thaine growled back at her, angrily. "And even if I did, I wouldn't go with this crazy plan of a science officer who thinks she, and she alone, can save this ship!"

"I didn't say that!" she shrieked. "I'm trying to help, damn you! I came to you with good intentions and--" Xayella's reflexes worked instantaneously as the doors to Thaine's office hissed open. She grabbed his face roughly and mashed her lips against his to allay the suspicions of their impromptu visitor.

Thaine's shock was so great that, for a moment, he didn't respond. And then, the full horror seemed to strike the engineer. To act against his role, now, would cast suspicion over the both of them. There was only one way of getting out of this. Closing his eyes, as if to block out the reality, trying to find something, anything, to focus on other than the current situation, Thaine returned the kiss.

There was no accompanying whoosh to indicate the doors had closed. Their visitor watched in stunned silence, while Xay forced the rising bile back down her throat and infused the kiss with false passion. Finally, their guest snapped, "Lieutenants!"

They both stopped, instantly, recognising the voice. Thaine turned around, slowly, in trepidation. He raised his hands in protest. "Commander..." he managed, though his voice sounded oddly horrified. "This isn't what it looks like..." It struck Thaine that it probably was. "I mean, there's a perfectly good explanation...." The engineer trailed into silence, which at least stopped him digging a larger hole for himself.

Xayella snickered at Lyrr's obvious shock - her brown eyes were still large and mouth slightly agape; Xayella's full amusement came from the detectably red flush of Lyrr's cheeks that alluded to either anger, or utter embarrassment. "Commander Lyrr," she drawled. "Won't you please come in?"

Lyrr's eyes narrowed when they finally shifted away from Thaine. Clearing her throat, she stiffly stepped past the threshold and allowed the doors to close. Her arms crossed tightly over her chest and her features hardened stubbornly.

"Oh, don't be so stern, Commander," Xay chided, and hopped down off the desk, offering the spot to Lyrr. She shook her head adamantly. Xay shrugged and slipped her arm through Thaine's facetiously. "We were just talking...thought you were an Enforcer." She grinned. "Sorry."

Thaine pulled away from Xayella, disentangling his arm. He cleared his throat as he looked at Lyrr. "The Lieutenant has an idea for an EMP burst. I wanted to clear it with you first."

Lyrr chuckled dryly. "Before...or after this" --she waved vaguely-- "charade?"

"Neither," Xay answered brightly. "I hadn't planned on asking you either way."

Lyrr's glare passed from Xay, to Thaine. "Is this true?"

"That was the impression I got." Thaine nodded in affirmation.

Sighing gravely, Lyrr moved to the nearest chair and rigidly seated herself. She watched them both with clear displeasure, though Xayella's good cheer seemed unaffected. "Lieutenant Thaine," she prompted, then regarded him fully. "This EM burst...I gather its main purpose is to affect the ships we will encounter at the gateway and disable them. Will this work?"

"I don't know," the engineer admitted. "It depends on their shield frequency, how well shielded their computer systems are..." He shrugged. "If I had the specs of their ships...maybe."

Lyrr's critical gaze finally dropped away from Thaine as she pensively stared into her lap. "I can get them for you," she told them, again glancing up. "You prepare the modifications...and once I have the shield frequencies, you can input them. Will this suffice?"

"Oh, suitably," Xay volunteered with a brilliant grin.

Lyrr rolled her eyes and settled them on Thaine. "Lieutenant? Do you agree to participate in this? It isn't an order."

Thaine glanced to Tagliesh, his jaw tightening. He looked back to Lyrr. "If it'll help us get home, then yeah. I agree."

"Then it's settled!" Xay announced and sauntered towards the door. "I'll go grab my notes from my quarters and meet you back here in fifteen, Lieutenant." She smiled over her shoulder at Thaine once in the doorway and quipped with feigned sultriness, "Keep those lips warmed up for me. I won't be long." A brief wave preceded her departure, leaving Thaine and Lyrr alone, awkwardly looking anywhere but at one another.

Sighing heavily, she rose and proceeded to smooth out her pants to mask her discomfort. "Well...that was...interesting," she muttered.

Thaine remained silent for a few, uncomfortable moments. "It wasn't my idea," he finally said, as some sort of defence.

"The EM burst?" Lyrr smiled wanly. "It's a good idea."

"I meant...all of it...not just the EMP." Thaine cleared his throat, trying to recover some dignity. "How're things on upper decks?"

Lyrr chuckled weakly. "Frustrating. I'm there...but I have little control. I'd rather be down here with you where I can actually do some good." As an embarrassing afterthought, Lyrr corrected hastily, "You...as in all of you. It would at least give me some sense of purpose. You know?"

Thaine nodded. "Yeah, I know." He paused, and then changed the subject. "We've only just got Crix's blood off the deck."

Lyrr grimaced. "I hope there's no more of that.... We've seen enough death in these past few months - more than we should. I can only imagine how this is affecting all of you." Lyrr turned to regard him face-to-face, to say, "I'm sorry...if that means anything. I wish I could end this for you all right now...but please believe that I'm trying."

"Why're you apologising? This wasn't your fault. Hell, if you should blame anyone, blame me. If I'd got the engines back online sooner..." He shook his head, trailing off. "Nobody's blaming you, Commander. Not for anything."

"And you'd better not even think about blaming yourself again," she warned fondly. "You've been working yourself ragged since this ship left the spacedock. Didn't the counsellors lecture you about just that?" Lyrr smiled slyly. "And that's why I'm down here. I want to help. Any task you have - no matter how menial - I want to do it. I'd rather be working than sitting on that bridge, preoccupied with how I'm incapable of doing anything. So" --she shrugged and watched him with affected piteousness-- "can I, Lieutenant? You can even order me around if you like." She chuckled. "Added incentive."

Thaine rubbed his chin. "I'm sure there's something you could do..." he mused.

Lyrr grinned. "Great! When do I start?"

As Thaine led the way out, Lyrr followed, knowing that despite having intruded upon an uncomfortable scene, she was still glad she had decided to drop in.

---

"This Thing We Do"
By: Lt. Brennyn Scott, RN - Chief Counselor
Tebrianne Bancroft - USS Sulu

Location: Sickbay, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22, 13h40

***

Like a moth to a flame, Bree once again made her way to sickbay to attend to the chaos inflicted by the Enforcers. Angered and yet motivated by her own sense of helplessness, Scott knew she could not shirk her responsibilities just because activity aboard ship had grown to a fever pitch. People's lives depended on the outcome of this mission of which she no longer had direct control, a fact of which she was keenly aware, and so Brennyn did what was expected of all personnel: Carry on business as usual, also known as refuse to let the bastards win.

As soon as she'd finished with Ben, she had made up her mind to go to Tebrianne. In times of crisis, counselors reacted, not caring about the size of the fires burning, simply that they had the skills and the duty to extinguish the flames. It was a humbling lesson for most cadets who had joined Starfleet Counseling to "make a difference"...but only as long as the "making" were central to the mission and in front of the higher ups.

Bree smiled grimly. Most higher ups couldn't stomach what they did, which was why counselors had been placed on starships to begin with...

Scott nodded to the familiar nursing staff, one of whom pointed her in Teb's direction wordlessly. They knew why she had come, and by now they knew the routine. Nothing should have shocked her anymore, but when she came upon Tebrianne, she took an involuntary breath.

Tebrianne looked up from where M'lira was running a regenerator over the discoloured bruising on her left forearm. She nodded to the counsellor, and turned back to watch as the livid green welts faded from view. "Looks worse than it is, now," she said softly.

Bree wasn't sure what to say at first, not wanting to intrude and yet compelled to act on what she knew. "I'm so sorry, Tebrianne," Scott replied, then looked to M'lira as well. "I can help if you like, or I can wait outside if you'd like some privacy."

"I'm alright," Tebrianne said, still wearing the robe M'lira had given her over Ben's duty jacket. "If you'd like to stay... Dr. M'lira's just patching me up."

"If you'd like to begin working at the bruising on her face," M'lira said. "I've got a second dermal regenerator in the kit."

Scott looked at Bancroft. "Would that be ok with you?" Bree did not want to descend upon her if it would make her uncomfortable.

Tebrianne nodded. "Of course," she said.

The counselor nodded and reached for the dermal, stopping short, remembering protocol. "Tebrianne, would you like us to document your injuries? It is protocol, but if you don't want to, we don't have to." She turned to M'lira, questions in her eyes, but clearly wanting Bancroft to decide.

"If it's protocol," Teb answered, "then sure. Most of the damage came from the painstick. 'adek seems to have developed a thrill from using it like a club."

Bree nodded and spoke gently. "Don't worry, we'll fix you up good as new just as soon we're done." She retrieved the holocamera that they used to document such cases and began taking pictures of all of Tebrianne's injuries, beginning with her face and working her way down. Quietly, Scott wondered if Bancroft had reported the rape and if it was something they needed to address medically, but it wasn't something she was prepared to ask outright in front of M'lira, just in case Teb had no intention of mentioning it.

M'lira glanced at Bree. She could see the way she was watching Tebrianne, the expectant look and the holding back. She gave them both a smile. "The powercell on my regenerator is failing. I'm going to go replicate a new one. I will return shortly." With that, she slipped out of the way to give the counsellor the time to ask the questions she needed to ask.

Brennyn turned to Bancroft, still feeling somewhat awkward, but resolved to say what she needed to. "You strike me as a woman who appreciates a straight shooter so I'm not going to beat around the bush, Tebrianne. Am I correct in assuming you took more than a beating from Hadek?"

Tebrianne nodded. " 'e hurt me," she said. "It's what 'e wanted to make the pain stop. So I did..."

Scott put the camera down and put a hand to her forehead, closing her eyes. "I didn't mean to imply you were a willing participant, Tebrianne. This was absolutely not your fault. You complied with his demands to ensure your survival, nothing more... Can you see that?"

"I can," Tebrianne said. "But I don't think other people see it that way. I just didn't want to be 'urt anymore. And, that's how to do it with 'adek. Give 'im what he wants, and 'e won't hurt you."

Bree recalibrated the dermal and began to work on the bruising on her legs, aware of Bancroft's steely calmness. "It doesn't matter what others think. You and I know what he did to you. Compliance is not consent, and you've managed to endure for over five years. As his captive, we can document how he's treated you, but no matter what, my first priority is your well-being. No one is going to force you to report this, but we can get what we need right now should Hadek be forced to answer for his crime."

"Alright," Tebrianne answered. "And, to me, it does matter what some people think. If someone rejects me because of what I did, because of what I've had to do... And, not just Benedict. No one trusts me 'ere because I spent my last five years in this universe. They all suspect me of having shifted my loyalties to the Galactic Empire. From what I know, even when we go through that Gate, we're still a long way from 'ome. I'll 'ave to live on this ship until we get back...I don't want to 'ave to spend that time alone as well."

Bree couldn't argue with Tebrianne on one point. Scott herself had questioned Teb's loyalties knowing what she did about Marco from Ben. Had she done it to protect her crew?

Bree took a seat beside the biobed, placing a hand on her recently healed forearm. "You won't be alone, you'll have me and Ben, and Matt, once he realizes who you are, will understand. You're safe here, Tebrianne, no one is going to hurt you anymore. It's going to take the crew time, and you're going to need time, but you belong with us, and we're going to help you through this."

"Thank you," Teb said softly. "Though, I believe Ben is disgusted because of what I did...and what I felt. He and I share a bond, and I tried to protect him this time. It was too much though, and I couldn't. When I gave myself over to 'adek, I gave myself to 'im...and part of it was pleasurable... I don't think Ben understands what really 'appened."

"Oh, I think he understands more than you think," Bree replied, instantly thinking of Lyrr. She made sure her dark eyes met Bancroft's. "People like Hadek count on the fact that sex is pleasurable to keep their targets confused about the role they played in the assaults. It's their defense mechanism, what allows them to believe they've done nothing wrong. But answer me this, Tebrianne. Did you ever have a choice with Hadek? Did he rape you?"

"I never had a choice," Teb answered. "If I hadn't given myself to him, he would have just taken. In the beginning, he did...but I 'learned' how to avoid the pain. I never 'ad a choice...I never 'ad a chance."

"I know," Bree answered softly, "and Ben will come to feel that in time. His bond with you has left him as confused as you are, but we'll straighten it out, Teb, and in the meantime, it's alright to grieve. For the first time, you're not facing this alone anymore and with it you're going to find yourself feeling things you couldn't feel before."

"I don't have time to grieve," Teb answered. "I've got to lead a mission over to the Windsor to rescue the captain. I don't have time to let myself get hung up on my emotions yet."

Scott sighed, nodding slightly. "But you will need time, and in the meantime, there are some things I must do in order to ensure your physical well-being and proper evidence collection if it's what you want. Do you understand what's required in a standard rape exam, Tebrianne?" Bree made sure to look her in the eyes, unsure of how common such procedures were, and whether or not it was discussed outside of medicine.

"I'm not familiar with the procedure," Tebrianne answered. "Though, I think I have a few guesses. Whatever you need to do for the reports and all..."

Scott patted her on the arm. "Ok, sweetie, just lie back and try to relax..."

Tebrianne nodded and did as she was asked. She hadn't expected this, but if it helped her find closure in this whole mess that much faster, she'd endure. "Thank you, Brennyn," she said softly, and closed her eyes.

---

"The Call To Arms"
By: CPO Calyca Boothroyd, Engineering
Crewman 1st Class Sorg Jurell, Security

Location: USS Sulu, Main Engineering
Stardate: 57910.22, 14h00

***

Caly was aware they'd arrived at the gate. She wasn't aware of all the changes that had occurred in the Enforcer line-up, however. Not that it would have mattered much to her. She would do what she had to do no matter who was in charge and right now she was hip deep in a grid access panel, effecting some minor repair that was keeping her out of the watchful eyes of the goons and afforded her some measure of privacy so that when the word came down, she'd be free to activate the spiders. So she worked while she waited because it beat idly twiddling her thumbs and going nuts.

Sorg Jurell crouched along side of her, the engineering tool kit spread out between them. He watched her without the need to chat. She was working and they traded glances, heavy with smiles, and anticipation. As he studied the girl he knew that his life had taken a very unexpected twist - but it was a very welcome twist. He hadn't realized how alone he'd been before she walked into his life. She was turning out to be a best friend as well as a lover. Not in the classic sense of course; they hadn't even discussed sex. It just hadn't come up. It just hadn't been necessary to what they had. Funny, Jurell considered the fact of the girl - he was extremely attracted to her, more every day, but he felt no need to push anything. He could tell that she would be the one to dictate the speed of their relationship - and he was glad of it. It absolved him of that responsibility, and he was perfectly comfortable with the way things were. He knew that he wanted to make love to Calyca Boothroyd, but he could also sense that it would be inevitable...sometime in the future. He didn't even care how far in the future that would be. Just as long as they had a future. He was in love with her. Oh yes. He was definitely, deeply and completely gone for her, and it amazed him.

The engineer drew up a knee and braced her foot against the deck, using her body for leverage as she put her weight behind the adjustment she was making. "Tighter is not always better," she grumbled, cursing the heavy hand that had tightened the fitting last. "Got it! Stubborn little bugger... Sorg, hand me that hyperspanner, would you?" She extended her hand down to her hip and out of the access panel, blissfully unaware of his thoughts.

It was slapped into her hand. "There you go, Boothroyd." He grinned without her seeing his grin.

"Thanks..." Her small hand closed around the tool and the two disappeared back into the recesses of the access panel as she continued to work. She was dragging out the repair and knew she was. But she felt safe here, out of the watchful eyes of the Enforcers, cocooned in a place she knew better than she knew her own quarters. She almost envied the TAC Team hiding out as they were. She could probably live happily like that... A little Jefferies Tube Rat. The thought made her smile.

"You can call me Jurell you know," he said conversationally.

Caly blinked and looked down her body to where he was crouched. "What?"

"Jurell," he clarified. "My name...Jurell. Sorg is so...impersonal. Like me calling you Boothroyd." He didn't even know why it bothered him all of a sudden, only that he liked the sound of his name when she said it.

Caly blinked again and screwed up her face in slight confusion. After a moment's thought, while the gist of what he was saying sunk in, it cleared. "Oh... We're working," she answered simply, as if that explained everything in a nice little nutshell. "If you want, I can call you Iceman..." she offered.

"I just...like you saying my name," he admitted rather sheepishly.

"You sound like a little kid that wants a sucker." She poked him with the toe of her boot and smiled. "Sixteen hundred hours and one minute," she told him and went back to work.

Sorg's commbadge chirped. "Crewman Sorg, report to Sickbay for your checkup at the end of your shift." It was Lieutenant Casey's voice.

He tapped the badge. "Aye, sir. Sorg Out." That was the signal. "Do it now, Cal," he said calmly.

Caly quirked a brow in his direction and nodded. "Roger that." Her tools were set aside in exchange for her PADD and her link to the spiders.

---

"Execute"

The Spiders

Location: USS Sulu, Various
Stardate: 57910.22, 14h00

***

load self diagnostic, unit 003

run self diagnostic/level 2

>Power System: 94.2%

>Drive: Operational

>Legs: Functional

>Map System/Navigation: Online

>Comsystem: Online

>Web Systems: Online

>Explosive Systems: Offline, unloaded

end self diagnostic/level 2

Command Incoming (Queen):

>'execute canister activation'

load program canister activation

run program canister activation

run subprogram canister location

>Loading schematic protocol

Run Navsystem

>Underway

>Seeking

>Seeking

>Seeking

>Acquisition

run subprogram canister sequencing

>Canister activation complete

Message Outgoing (Queen/Spidey-All):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-001):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-007):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-005):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-006):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-012):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-008):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-009):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-004):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-002):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-011):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-005):

>'Program canister activation executed'

Message Incoming (Spidey-010):

>'Program canister activation executed'

MEANWHILE......

load self diagnostic, unit Watson

run self diagnostic/level 2

>Power System: 64.1%

>>Repairs effected by unit Spidey-007 incomplete

>Drive: Operational: Reduced Capability: 72%

>>Repairs effected by unit Spidey-007 incomplete

>Legs: Functional: Reduced Capability

>>Repairs effected by unit Spidey-007 incomplete

>>Leg 3: nonfunctional

>>Leg 6: 50% range of motion

>Map System/Navigation: Online

>Comsystem: Online

>Web Systems: Offline, unloaded

>Explosive Systems: Offline, unloaded

end self diagnostic/level 2

Command Incoming (Queen):

>'execute canister activation'

load program canister activation

run program canister activation

run subprogram canister location

>Loading schematic protocol

Run Navsystem

>Underway

>Seeking

>Seeking

>Seeking

>Acquisition

run subprogram canister sequencing

!!Failure!!: Leg 2: nonfunctional

!!Failure!!: Drive System: nonfunctional

Abort/Retry/Cancel: Retry

Abort/Retry/Cancel: Retry

Abort/Retry/Cancel: Retry

Abort/Retry/Cancel: Abort

Message Outgoing (Queen/Spidey-All):

>'Failure, unable to execute program canister activation'

---

"Gasless"

by Lt. Cmdr. Damhnait Sefton - Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant j.g. Benjamin Talltree - Medical Officer
Ensign Raina Derrell - Emergency Medical Officer
Ensign Alexia Johnstone - Head Nurse
Ensign Cristobel Sefton - Nurse
and Corran Quezith - Nurse

Location: USS Sulu, Sickbay
Stardate: 57910.22, 14h01

***

For a quarter of a moment, Damhnait Sefton experienced intense satisfaction at the sight of anesthezine gas starting to flood the entrance to the main ward, but it only lasted brief nanoseconds, because the sight was imagined. She could sense that the gas was being released elsewhere. Enforcers all over the ship were losing consciousness. And yet Sickbay's air remained perfectly filtered, and its Enforcers remained conscious. Damhnait had no way to know of Watson's malfunction.

Sefton sent a hurried telepathic alert to Cristobel, and scoured her office for sedatives. The only thing she had on hand was a tricorder and a half-eaten sandwich. Before Damhnait was absolutely conscious of what she was doing, she was tapping the flat screen of her medical tricorder to activate the BIO scan function, and aligning it to Sense Protocol E, to enable the tricorder to locate a patient's brain-wave signature.

She was on her feet, marching through the exit of her office, as she scrolled through the tricorder Library's brain-wave sensor package. The tricorder locked onto Ensign Jotay's brain-wave patterns immediately after Sefton found the function she wanted. Damhnait didn't look up from her tricorder to look Jotay in the eyes until she hit command key Alpha, which initiated the delta wave duplication.

The tricorder's delta waves superseded the electrical impulses of Jotay's brain, inducing brain-wave activity in his cerebral cortex that was reminiscent of Stage 4 sleep. Sefton offered no meaningful quip as Jotay's eyes fluttered and he stumbled, passing out before he dropped to the deckplate. Sefton was too busy speedily backing away from the female Enforcer, while keeping the delta-wave-inducing tricorder trained on Jotay.

The female Enforcer took a threatening step towards the nearest patient, Annikafiore Szerda, and her hand went immediately to her belt, triggering the agonizer collar of the offending Doctor's son. Cristobel Sefton let loose a shriek, and crumpled to the floor much quicker than Jotay had. Although Damhnait Sefton kept her eyes on the female Enforcer, the rest of her consciousness was struggling to experience Cristobel's pain - to act as a barricade between the simple pain that was torturing his physical body and the higher functions of his brain.

Lexi had been deep in thought, replaying her conversation with Damhnait earlier that day where she had been made Head Nurse. Suddenly, she heard a shriek coming from behind her, and her head spun towards the noise. In a quick assessing glance, she saw without comprehending, what had happened. One Enforcer was laying on the ground, and Cris lay nearby shrieking in pain. Her gaze skated over to the female Enforcer standing three feet to her left, noting her hand on her belt. Lexi knew immediately the Enforcer had triggered Cris' agonizer collar, resulting in his collapse.

With the only conscious thought in her head being to help Cris, Lexi took a flying jump towards the Enforcer, unsure even as she jumped what exactly she was hoping to do. She screamed as she leaped, and as the Enforcer turned towards her, Lexi saw her hand come off her belt and reach for her phaser. With a loud thwump, Lexi connected with the armoured woman from one side as Talltree impacted from the other, all three going down in a massive tangle of arms and legs, and the Enforcer's phaser and painstick skittered across the deck. Lexi had no further thought than to continue screaming for help as she lay tangled with the Enforcer, trying her hardest to slap her and keep her distracted away from Cris and the trigger for the agonizer collar.

The Enforcer gripped Lexi around the throat in an attempt to choke her even as Talltree tried to do the same to the armored woman. Lexi continued slapping her and trying to gouge the woman's eyes out.

Raina chose that moment to make her move. Earlier she'd heard quietly from Cris what the plan was, yet the plan apparently failed when the Enforcers in sickbay were still awake. Moving swiftly and quietly with a hypospray tucked out of sight she approached the female Enforcer before anyone knew what was happening. The content of the hypospray tagged the struggling enforcer directly in the face. It certainly wasn't the most graceful method in Raina's book and she hoped it worked. Combined deep inside with her own personal anger at their situation there was no stopping the Emergency Medical Officer once she'd started operating off her additional security training.

Cristobel's uncontrolled spasms stopped, and his cries lowered to heavy breathing, when the female Enforcer's physical resistance halted. The agonizer control was released. Damhnait needed to go to Cris, but she knew that he would be physically unhurt, and that if her tricorder wavered away from Ensign Jotay, the Enforcer would awaken and likely kill her for her actions.

"Get them on beds," Sefton ordered her staff to move the unconscious Enforcers. "Set the biobeds to continue their sedation, and lock them beneath quarantine fields, until Security arrives.

"Get Cris on a bed too," Damhnait ordered more softly, but Cristobel was carefully, though unsteadily, rising to his feet on his own.

It wasn't long before Raina was at Cris' side. Along the way she'd nodded to two of nurses and a med tech to see to the downed female Enforcer as Talltree heaved the woman onto a bed. At the moment her friend needed a familiar face. "Cris, let me take a look at you quickly just to make someone else I know happy. That and confirm for myself you are ok. I promise this won't take long."

His arms hugging his midsection tightly, Cristobel immediately nodded at Raina, although his eye line was somewhere over her shoulder. He couldn't look at any more sympathy. There had been so much doused on him already.

Moments after Tynann Taylforth and Skott Anders lay Jotay down on a biobed, and the Enforcer's sleep was extended with medications, Damhnait excused herself curtly. She made her way to where Cristobel was seated upright on a biobed, and let Derrell attend to medical matters. Damhnait simply wrapped an arm around her son's shoulders.

Raina got to work assessing Cris' condition. This was as much for herself as it was for the two people near her. Quickly she ran through the tricorder scans. "My main prescription here is going to be rest."

"Won't argue there," Cristobel acquiesced, his voice a touch raspy from the screaming. "Almost didn't get out of bed this morning, anyway."

"I can take him back to his quarters..." Corran had evaded the hostilities altogether, but that hadn't been difficult. He'd been lost in thought again, much like he had been this morning, but not even that could keep him from knowing something had happened to Cris.

He came over to Cristobel, glancing at Raina and Damhnait briefly, then looked straight into his eyes. What he saw wasn't just physical exhaustion. Cristobel nodded languorously, and Damhnait held him down long enough to kiss his forehead. She watched every step, as Corran led Cristobel out of sickbay, and then all of the concern that was drawn across her face swiftly drained away to reveal a neutral mask.

Resolutely, Sefton regarded her gathered staff and ordered, "Talltree: watch the Enforcers until Security arrives. The commgrid should be offline, but we can't risk them contacting the Windsor. Reese: go to the bridge, and find out the shipwide status. Everyone else: ready Sickbay and the triage centers. You have performed well already; we have successfully taken back our ship. Our accomplishment comes in the midst of an Empire armada, though. We are about to try sneaking our way back home, but we must be prepared for battle. I want you all to impress me again. Dismissed."

---

"Taking the Reins"
By: Commander Lyrr Tayla
Lieutenant Mark Thaine
Lt. Commander Sam

Location: Main Engineering; Bridge, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 14h01

***

When first handed the phase calibrator, Lyrr had cradled it as one would a delicate n'duna blossom, causing quite the peculiar gaze from Thaine. She'd grinned, then, truly content in believing she was of some use to the ship, even if it was only remodulating the magnetic resonators for the ship's waste management system. It wasn't the menial task she'd had in mind - and she was more than convinced she saw Thaine misaligning the resonators before appointing her to re-align them, just to keep her happily occupied. And she was.

Hunkered down on her knees now, targetting the instrument's optical beam at the offending circuits, Lyrr was transported to her days on DS9. She'd felt truly alive and fulfilled during her time there, though meeting Ben had changed that. With him, she transcended all conceivable bounds of joy and purpose, though she imagined that would be easily surmounted by the elation of their wedding day.

Eager anticipation now fuelled her work and Lyrr's smile was ever larger. In the back of her mind, however, there was the nagging reminder that they might not make it to their nuptial. Ben was but hours away from departing on a dangerous rescue attempt, and the ship from beginning their treacherous fight for freedom. The dark thoughts were enough to dampen her enthusiasm, but there wasn't long enough to dwell.

The vents hissed as the noxious gas was exuded through their grated openings. Thuds, the clatter of falling equipment, and groans of those futilely struggling with consciousness followed. Still on her knees, Lyrr peeked around the corner of her facing wall and delighted in the sight of enforcer after enforcer dropping to the ground. Replacing the circuit panel, Lyrr abandoned her project and marched towards Thaine, who was watching, along with the rest of engineering's occupants, as their enemies crumpled beneath the weight of their armour.

Smiling brightly, she grabbed his wrist, turned over his hand, and slapped the phase calibrator into it. "Thanks for humouring me, Lieutenant," she told him. "You'll take care of things down here? Make certain these enforcers are transported to the brig and bound tightly."

Thaine nodded in understanding. "Stop worrying," he said, his features forming a faint smile. "We've got this covered."

After absentmindedly maintaining her hold on him, Lyrr smiled apologetically and released his hand. "You...just keep working on modifying the deflectors. I'll be on the bridge."

"Aye, Commander," he said, as he watched her hurry out of Main Engineering.

There was much obstacle avoidance required on Lyrr's trek to the bridge - stepping over Enforcers who had fallen in doorways and others sprawled in the corridors; the bridge was no different with those enforcers stationed there already being cleared out. She smiled menacingly at Captain Drake, still slumped over in the captain's chair as she stood before him.

"It would seem," Lyrr drawled, "that you're in my seat, Captain." And practicing little restraint or delicacy, Lyrr gripped him by the shoulder and tossed him forward from the captain's chair. He rolled and landed in a boneless heap onto the ground. With great satisfaction, Lyrr took her rightful place in Matt's seat. "Sam," she called. "Report."

"Reports are still arriving, Commander," Sam stated. "I would estimate that eighty-five percent of the Enforcers on the ship have been neutralized. The other fifteen are currently being dealt with by members of the crew. TAC Team and security forces are spreading throughout the ship to re-establish control. Passive scans indicate that our current situation is unknown to anyone off-ship. At this stage, our insurrection is succeeding."

Lyrr nodded approvingly and tapped her commbadge. "Attention, Crew of the USS Sulu. Our unwelcome guests have been incapacitated. Feel free to make them more comfortable in one of our many brig cells." She paused, savouring the ring of those words. "Report to your department head for further instructions. Lyrr out." Glancing aside, she spotted Rett and a faint twinkle of amusement in his eyes. She inclined her head briefly in his direction and was incapable of withholding a broad grin. "Sam, make certain our comm systems remain secure - I don't want Captain T'Briane eavesdropping and realizing what's happened."

"I have already secured the comm systems, Commander," Sam said. "All communications will be routed through my station. I will continue to monitor all shipboard traffic to ensure our freedom is not detected. What should be done with Lieutenant Commander Bancroft? She is currently occupying brig cell seven-C."

There was a moment of silent deliberation that alluded to Lyrr's distrust of the woman, but she was still their best source of knowledge necessary to succeed in their mission. "Have her released," she answered flatly.

"Of course, Commander," Sam said, and then quickly sent the message off toward security. After a moment, the android looked up. "Commander Bancroft is being taken to sickbay, and Commander T'Kal is seeing to security matters. The other department heads are still reporting in."

"Good." She allowed herself to recline against her chair, and sighing, she muttered, "We're almost there now..." Lyrr just had no idea what would await them when they arrived at their journey's end.

---

"Teamwork"
By: Lieutenant (JG) Nathalie Gui; Security Officer
Ensign Sanat Vijay; Flight Control Officer

Location: USS Sulu, Deck 15
Stardate: 57910.22 14h01

***

If there was one word to describe how Nathalie Gui felt at this particular hour, it was restricted.

Here she was a Security Officer whose sole duty was to protect and defend her ship and crewmates, but ever since those Enforcers came aboard the Sulu, she felt she could do none of that, what with their supposed rule system.

It made Nathalie angry and upset, but she didn't fight back; it was not worth getting a painstick or, worse yet, a collar round her neck. She just quietly hid her rage and true feelings as to what she thought about these people deciding that it would be best to keep a cool head.

In an effort to keep her mind off current events, she resorted to her hobbies. Nathalie now laid on her bed, elbows up and chin resting on her hands. Out of uniform she wore a white tank top and long black sweat pants. A lone DATA PADD sat in front of her containing schematics of her Flight Bike. The ride was safely stowed back at DS9 and yet, though she was not an engineer, she couldn't help but tinker and find ways to better improve her beloved ride.

Joji yawned as she lay next to Nat, leg still bandaged up from having been broken. She couldn't jump up onto the bed by herself so Nathalie, not wanting the small animal to feel lonesome, helped the animal up, allowing her to keep her company. Sighing, Nat scratched Joji behind her ears. She didn't understand: here she was immersing herself in one of her favorite past-times but she couldn't think. Then again she had much on her mind; Joji's injury, the Enforcers, her shipmates, Shyla's death, and Sanat. Letting out a sad sigh Nathalie dropped her head down, resting it on her arms.

Why did these have to be troubled times?

***

Sanat walked slowly through the corridors after his last romp with Kirsha Dublai. Although the plan to seduce her had been successful, he knew a relationship (if it could even be called that) based on sex would never last, plus, it was one he never really wanted to begin with...it was part of an elaborate scheme to glean information for the purposes of their eventual escape. Still, it made him feel diminished somehow, less than what his true mental self-image should look like....

So now he walked the passageways in a runabout way back to the Swamp, letting his feet do the thinking for the moment, and after a while, they brought him right to Nat's door of their own accord. The pilot stood there, numbly looking at her door wondering if she was okay after everything that had happened to everyone recently.

Perhaps it was a silly thing to fret about someone as strong willed and independent as Nathalie Gui, still, he did and for a reason he didn't fully understand yet. He hesitated to press the door chime; it would probably be easier to simply walk away, but his hand decided matters for him by reaching up and activating it anyway.

Nathalie looked up at hearing the chime to her Quarters ring. She hesitated for a moment, asking the Computer to first ID her guest before calling out, "Come!" Sitting up, Nat swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood up as she made her way into the Living Area. She gasped as she took in the sight of Vijay before quickly walking to where he stood.

"Nande kuso! What happened to you?" she asked, touching a hand to his chin as she looked at his weary face. Simply put, the Half Vulcan man looked haggard as though he had spent his entire life in a Dilithium Mine on Praxis.

He flinched at her touch without knowing exactly why. Could be the feral sexual contact with Kirsha that he'd actually enjoyed...or, perhaps the fact he was ashamed of his whoring for information? In an attempt to keep Nat from asking more probing questions, Vijay managed a polite, if tired smile. "It's a long story...perhaps one better saved for another time." The pilot looked at Joji and then back to her. "How are you two holding up?"

"Okay, I guess. To tell you the truth, I'm very much disliking the way things are around the ship now. I'm a security officer but I feel like I'm the one in the Brig..." Dropping her hand from his chin, allowing it to rest on his shoulder she studied Sanat's features for a moment, as though attempting to read his thoughts. "You want to come in? Taylor's out and I could really use some company."

He didn't flinch when Nat moved her arm, but when Sanat started to answer, his sensitive ears detected a slight hiss further down the hall from their position. As his head swiveled around for a better view, someone collapsed down the corridor just outside of his line of sight. The pilot's head snapped back around and he said quickly to her, "Come on! It's time for some payback."

Nathalie nodded before she looked over to Joji who eagerly had stood on all fours and was wagging her tail anxiously. "Arf!"

"Sorry, girl, it'd probably be for the best that you stay here where it's safe. Don't worry I'll be back...I hope." Following after Sanat the two began to make their way down the corridor at a steady pace.

When they arrived, the big mountain of an Enforcer lay on his armored side slightly twitching from the gas' effect. Sanat bent over and scooped up the unconscious man's pain stick, and agonizer controller. Pointing to his phaser, Sanat said quickly, "Grab that, and stun him but good, Nat." He looked both ways to see if there were any surprises coming their way.

Moving quickly, Nat snatched up the phaser and set it to the highest stun setting. Firing the phaser at the Enforcer his body shook as it felt the effects of the stun. "How does it feel to be on the receiving end of pain stick?" she remarked coldly. Turning to Sanat she then asked, "What's the status with the comm net? Don't want anyone calling for help if we get spotted."

"The comm net's down...I'll explain as we search the VIP suites...we have to make sure they're all down before the next phase of our plan can start." Vijay turned and started running towards the nearest turbolift with his newly acquired weapons in hand; pain stick in the right and the agonizer in its opposite number.

Nodding, Nathalie ran alongside Sanat as they hurried to the turbolift. The only one who knew the comm net so well to send it fizzling to its feet was Mouazer. This was probably his handiwork.

Both officers ran inside the opening doors. "Deck 2!" shouted Sanat as he turned to find an unmoving Enforcer lying in a crumpled heap on the other side of the transportation device. As they started moving, he looked to Nat and then back to the Empire's security thug, "That doesn't look natural...you think he's dead?"

Kneeling down Gui touched her fingers to the man's neck finding a steady, but stable pulse; he was still alive. "This man is still alive, he has only lost consciousness."

"Think we should stun him too?" He posed the question because the first Enforcer they found was clearly not human. For that matter, Sanat wasn't even sure what species he was...but this unconscious behemoth was mostly definitely Terran, and should be out for several hours without any additional sedatives, be they electrical in nature or otherwise.

"Just to be safe I think we should." Aiming her phaser at the downed Enforcer, Gui fired her weapon, prompting a jolted shake from the form before it lay still yet moments afterwards. Still as a stone. "What now?"

The pilot nodded as she answered his question. When Nat asked about what they were getting ready to do, Vijay started explaining the basic tenets of Mason's and T'Kal's plan for retaking the Sulu. However, he opted to leave out the part about his seduction of Kirsha...the affair made him feel soiled in a way he'd never felt before.

A ding indicated they had arrived at Deck 2.

As the door parted to reveal an empty passageway, Sanat said while pointing to the first suite on his left, "I'll go in first and you can cover me. Okay?"

Simply nodding, Gui readied her weapon as she followed behind Sanat, eyes and ears alert for anything, as a precaution Nathalie walked backwards so that she could keep an eye out for anyone who would try and ambush them from behind. Satisfied that they were not being followed, she turned as the two of them reached the first of the suites.

Luckily, Mason or Shirik or T'Kal had deactivated the Enforcer's lockdown codes. Sanat really didn't know who deserved the credit, but that it was part of their overall plan to take down the wretched Empire's security forces before they could summon help. He took light steps to the portal. Once Nat was in a covering position, Vijay opened the door and sprang inside.

On the floor and sleeping like a baby was one of the other female Enforcers Kirsha had told him about...Sanat cringed at the thought of finding the Andorian in the bed sleeping so soon after leaving her quarters. He casually walked around inside and took all the weapons in sight. Since this Enforcer was human, he set her phaser to a light stun her like the others and pressed the trigger. "Clear!" Once he was sure she wasn't going to move, the FCO walked back out to where Nat was standing. "One room down, only 20 more to go," he quipped while stashing the other weapons in his top.

"And from there on after? What next?" Nathalie asked as they moved onto to the next suite as she thought over the plans for retaking the Sulu.

The FCO moved to back up Nat as she prepared to enter the next suite. "According to the plan, our security officers are tracking down the other Enforcers that were on duty...once we've secured them all in the Brig, then a team is to try and rescue the Captain and another to attempt to acquire the space station's gate access codes...beyond that I don't have any more information."

Sanat took up a covering position by the door and nodded to Gui indicating he was ready.

Gui sprang inside the room phaser drawn as she landed in a rolling crouch position. Quickly her skilled eyes searched around the room. She found some objects to be of disorder but most notably was the large man who was lying down face first on the floor, out like a light. "Clear!"

They systematically worked their way through the VIP suites until every off-duty Enforcer was accounted for and called into Security. By pure luck or a small dash of fate, the universe spared Sanat further embarrassment; Nat entered Kirsha's room and stunned the Andorian where she lie after their last frenzied tryst. Today, it seemed, the gods were merciful.

Vijay motioned to Gui. "Okay that's the lot of them. I guess we should start securing them until Security comes to relieve us..." The FCO took note of the time. "I can't stay much longer. I'll be needed on the Nightingale for our next phase..." His face looked as if the half Vulcan wanted to say more to Nathalie, but instead, Sanat walked into a room with an unconscious Bolian Enforcer and began looking around for something to bind his hands.

Quietly, Gui stepped inside the room, taking in everything thing in sight before looking back over to Sanat who came back her way with some material to bind the Enforcer's hands with. "Tie his hands behind his back." She watched silently as he worked, studying his seemingly blank expression. Reaching out a hand to touch his wrist Nathalie secured a light grip on the half Vulcan. "Sanat...you're doubting that the plan will work aren't you?"

Her touch made him pause. "Yes...there is so much to do...it could all fall to pieces around our feet..." Vijay kept his face as neutral as possible while maintaining a fixed gaze on the Bolian's hands. He didn't want to look directly into Nat's misty grey eyes, the shameful subterfuge preyed on his sense of self, turning his eyes to her might possibly betray his role in their recapturing of the Sulu. Instead Sanat said, while his hands began working once again to restrain the Enforcer, "We have to coordinate our activities quite closely over the next several hours...two runabouts, one starship, a space station..."

"If we make it through this...somehow...I think I would like to get to know you better, maybe...even become friends?" she asked tentatively to the half Vulcan, not altogether sure what his response to her question would be. Then again would he even consider forging a friendship with her? Given their fiery past together despite having gone through thick and thin?

Sanat answered quietly, "I'd like that..." His face turned slightly towards hers. Vijay smiled so she could see it and then finished tying the final knot. It was a proverbial twin to the one forming in his gut right then. Without much ado or fanfare, the FCO stood up and brushed his trousers off. "Which room is next?"

"The Suite across the hall," Nathalie remarked as she stood to her feet. She wasn't sure but somehow Nathalie had a feeling that there would not only be a chance for them to escape this hellish universe, but a chance for her and Sanat to actually forge a friendship.

"I'm right behind you." He waited for Nat to move ahead as he pondered what she would truly think of him if she knew about the things he'd done in recent days to help the resistance effort... Vijay doubted she would be so willing to form a friendship if the truth were known....

---

"Never Let a Sleeping Dog Lie"
By: Ensign Mason Farrell; Operations Officer
Ensign Kyrel Nakada; Windsor Enforcer

Location: USS Sulu, Turbolift car 3
Stardate: 57910.22 14h01

***

"Which deck?" Farrell asked politely, as he was standing closer to the command panel in the car when the armored form entered.

Enforcer Nakada gave him a sour look. "Fifteen. Someone's been gathering," he sneered. "Hey," he added, "aren't you the guy from that ridiculous party in the auditorium?"

"That would be me," Farrell said with a smile.

"I lost a friend to your party," Nakada growled as he whipped his painstick off his belt. The tip crackled to life, and Farrell braced for impact.

The blow never fell. Nakada's eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped to the floor of the car. Farrell then heard the hissing, and straightened up with a heavy exhale of relief.

Farrell took a second to consider the situation. The problem with sleeping dogs, he decided, was that sooner or later they woke up.

And his mandate was clear. Whatever it took.

He pulled his hand into his sleeve, and used the covered appendage to hit the stop button, kneeling next to the prone Enforcer even as the car came to a halt. He heaved the man's head into his armpit, gave it a good downward thrust, heard a good crack, and rose to press the button for the resuming of the car's movement. As they carried on down the shaft, he lifted Nakada's limp body, and let it fall such that the dead man's head cracked solidly against the side of the car, falling in a more or less natural heap.

The car stopped at deck 15, and the doors opened on the corridor which was, as usual, deserted. He tapped his combadge, but then remembered Sam would have shut down the grid. He looked at Nakada's corpse for a few more moments, then thought of Boothroyd, and Lektar, and Sefton, several dozen other collared crewmates, and most of all Shyla Lynn Moreau, and nodded to himself as he keyed in deck 6.

---

"Dogpile"

Ensign Maya Briggs; Imperial Enforcer
Lieutenant Brennyn Scott; Chief Counselor
Ensign Ainsley Chambers; Counselor
Ensign Galil F'Zal; Counselor
Ensign V'ral; Ship's Tutor

Location: USS Sulu, Lieutenant Scott's Office
Stardate: 57910.22 14h03

***

Krieger had returned to Engineering after the incident with MacEginagh and the Counselor, ordering Briggs to stick close to the blonde. The giant man had shown an uncommon faith that Ensign Briggs would do his bidding and she had decided that she would, for a time. With the beast Amahs out of the way and Tebrianne off somewhere writhing under Hadek's ministrations, Krieger fell high on the chain. It was fairly obvious to the tall dark woman that the Junior Lieutenant had designs of his own on the counselor and that Krieger's failure to take that Engineering slut by force had led him to play a somewhat different game with this new intended conquest. Krieger was not all that different than MacEginagh. Krieger might wrap his fist in velvet before he hit you but you still lost teeth all the same.

The counselor's coworkers were huddled around her, feeling warmed by Ainsley's near tragedy in their own good fortune, Maya cynically surmised. She examined the group with a fair bit of disdain and a small glimmer of envy.

"She is fine," she informed them finally, scornful of Ainsley's tears. She tapped her painstick on the deck to emphasize the point.

"Enough," Bree hissed through clenched teeth. "This woman has been through enough. Leave her alone!"

"Her trials have only begun," Briggs muttered, sounding too bored to be truly menacing. "I suggest you return your attentions to her while you can. She is not long for your ship."

"What?" Ainsley asked, looking at Briggs.

Briggs looked back. "You simply cannot be this stupid," she said, very nearly incredulously.

Bree smiled sweetly. "But you can."

A tense couple heartbeats as the painstick lifted from the deck. "Krieger might not mind if I brand his pet for him," Briggs reminded them, her dark eyes going icy. "Shall I ask?"

None of the counselors answered but only exchanged looks. Briggs gave a satisfied smile and tapped her combadge. "Ensign Briggs to Lieutenant Krieger."

There was no response.

"Briggs to Krieger," she tried again.

Nothing. Briggs frowned.

It was then that the shipcomm came to life, and Commander Lyrr's voice rang through the corridors.

"Attention, Crew of the USS Sulu. Our unwelcome guests have been incapacitated. Feel free to make them more comfortable in one of our many brig cells. Report to your department head for further instructions."

Maya Briggs unconsciously looked up, as most personnel did when the shipcomm was in use. At Lyrr's message, her frown deepened, and she swung her painstick hard at no one in particular.

With a cry, F'zal leapt from his chair. He was on Briggs' off side, and she clubbed him in the head with the butt end of her painstick, as she couldn't bring the business end to bear. F'Zal thudded to one side. V'ral was already coming in from the other side, hand outstretched at Briggs' neck. The enforcer caught the Vulcan with the crackling tip of the rod before the pinch could connect, however, and V'ral gave a very emotional scream of pain as she caromed off Briggs and slammed to the floor.

Briggs was about to snarl something dismissive about the fighting of these counseling sheep, but her sneer turned into a yelp as F'Zal came off the floor and wrapped his arms around her legs. She went down hard, losing her helmet and dropping the painstick underneath her. The helmet rolled away from the fray in a semi-circle and rested against the bulkhead even as Briggs produced a blade from her armored boot and jabbed down at her Betazoid aggressor.

Ainsley kicked at her hand and managed to send the knife flying out of reach. Then she launched herself on top of the other woman with a scream of rage that had been building up since the earlier attack.

Bree grabbed the first thing within reach that she could use as a weapon and waited, poised and ready to strike. Her heart pounded, she was tempted to join the fray, but she was reminded of an old saying about too many cooks in the kitchen, so she watched for an opening.

With Briggs struggling against F'Zal, Ainsley managed to get in a few good punches in on the other woman's head and shoulders. In her mind she saw herself hitting MacEginagh the way she was hitting Briggs and she felt the anger seeping out of her.

With a shriek, Briggs freed a leg and used it to kick down hard into F'Zal's shoulder. He grunted and let go, and she lunged at Ainsley, bearing the smaller woman to the deck. Straddling the counselor, grinning maniacally, she hit the blonde hard in the face. And again.

And with a roar filled with all the frustration and anger that had accumulated over the past few days, Bree brought her weapon to bear squarely on the Enforcer. Her expression was grim as the fern's clay shelter shattered into pieces. She was grateful Ilan wasn't present, for she was sure he would claim to hear the plant's death throes. Scott promised herself she would allow Potts a memorial service if he so desired, but for the moment she enjoyed the sound of their oppressor being knocked out cold.

She hadn't realized she'd been holding her breath until she exhaled in shudders. "Way to run the play, y'all. Now that's what I meant by 'teamwork'."

---

"Snapping Out Of It"
By: Ensign Mason Farrell; Operations Officer

Location: USS Sulu, Turbolift Car 3
Stardate: 57910.22 14h03

***

He keyed in deck 6, and leaned against the wall of the lift, looking at Nakada's peacefully sleeping form.

It had been such a nice fantasy, Farrell thought, kneeling next to Nakada and checking the man's pulse. He could still hear the crack. Enforcer he may be, but helpless he also was, and while Farrell might have been able to kill Thomas Meredith, at least that British son of a bitch would have seen it coming. Nakada, he contemplated, would have been blissfully unaware. And while the thought of killing the man was deeply tempting, it also felt a little petty.

Petty. An interesting concept. These enforcers had abused and terrorized their way across the ship for days. Dozens of crewmates had suffered at their hands. Shyla Moreau was dead.

Shyla. He'd barely known her, but she had intrigued him deeply. Any woman who could love Ethan Storm was an intriguing woman. She hadn't deserved any of the misery she'd been dealt. Not the death of her lover. Not the unexpected child of her dead lover. Not a genetic disease that would have cut her down young anyway. And not a position as target of a murderous rage by a maniac.

And it was Shyla who'd stopped him. He'd stood in this very car a matter of seconds ago and considered killing a man, and Shyla had stopped him. Shyla was, if nothing else, gentle. Even Farrell could tell that much, limited contact or no. Shyla wouldn't have wanted to be the one who caused death. Farrell scratched his chin as he considered that she couldn't even bring herself to dislike Storm's former fiancée. She'd kept the lock of the Andorian girl's hair that had been in Storm's quarters. That had been amazing. And it had stopped him.

He relieved Nakada of his weapons, and checked the man's pulse again. Alive and asleep. Like this whole mirror-world was alive, but asleep; in a waking nightmare. He wondered what it would take to wake them up before they consumed themselves.

He heard the soft sizzle from one side of the car, and reached over, straightening in the car with Nakada's painstick in his hand. Weighing it in his hand a moment, he stared at the tiny amber arcs playing over its tip, then gently turned it off. It felt symbolic somehow.

---

"On The Edge Of The Abyss"
By: Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal
Lt. Brennyn Scott

Location: Scott's Office, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22 14h08

***

T'Kal pressed the chime on her door. His mind was a haze, but he felt disconnected from everything. He'd walked the decks for half an hour. The Sulu was holding position and the Enforcers were no longer a threat. The plan had been executed with precision that he knew had nothing to do with the complete gaps in communication of its planning. But it was mostly thanks to Damhnait; she had taken care of the details with the exactness she was becoming well loved for. T'Kal was learning to trust the woman far more than he'd normally trust a Medical Officer. She was a Starfleet Officer and a damned good one. Benedict had doubts about his own fitness for that title. He felt undone, and unravelling faster as the hours ticked by. He had an away mission to lead, and his emotional overload was killing him.

He had rushed to the Brig after the gas attack and had been with Tebrianne as she woke from the gas' effects. He'd been with her and seen her injuries and known what had happened. He still felt dirty. She had been taken to medical. His headache was splitting his head in two and the sharp throbbing pain was causing its own fragmenting of his thoughts. He needed help - and the only person he could think of was behind the door he pressed his aching skull to.

The doors swished open, and to Bree's surprise, T'Kal nearly fell forward. He most certainly didn't look well. Scott realized this was exactly what she'd been afraid of. "Ben..." She moved out of his way and pointed him toward a chair.

He looked at Brennyn Scott with a mixture of confusion and relief. "I'm sorry, Bree," he started to apologise but he simply lost focus and his voice trailed off as he turned haunted eyes to her. He didn't look like himself. He seemed haggard and drawn, skin stretched tautly and pale. His hands were shaking and he clenched them into fists to stop it. He shook his head, wanting to talk but finding his tongue wouldn't work. He looked completely lost, and in a moment that was complete vulnerability he put his arms around her and pressed his face against her shoulder. He was taller than she and his raven hair fell across her arm in a loose cloak.

The emotions raging within him were a mixture of his own and Tebrianne's and he alternated between grief stricken self-loathing and the despair of the violated. "I didn't know where else to turn," he managed after several shallow breaths. His voice was thick with emotion. "I feel like I'm falling apart, Bree. Tebrianne...."

Scott pulled him to her and wrapped her arms around him for several moments, letting his breathing become more even. He shuddered, and she could feel him trembling. His arms were holding her tightly, as if she were a life preserver, his fists were clenched in the material of her uniform. When he pulled away from her more abruptly than expected, she met his troubled gaze, violet eyes that were red rimmed and glistening with tears. She led him to the couch. Without saying a word, she went to the replicator and requested some cool water, thankful that the Sulu's systems were now fully operational and back to normal. Handing him the glass, Brennyn watched him silently, giving him the time he needed to get the words out. "What happened, Ben?"

He drank, wrapping his hands around the cool of the glass as he leaned both elbows on his knees. He stared at the water, as he fought to put his thoughts in order. "Tebrianne was raped, Bree." His voice was dulled, almost emotionless. "I felt it again. I knew it was happening...I felt her.. respond to it." He looked up at her eyes. "She wanted him," he said, "and she was so afraid...and ashamed...and it was like before...only this time she tried to keep it from me...only she couldn't. We still have this blood bond...and...I love her so much. I can't...I can't marry Tayla, Bree...not like this. It wouldn't be fair."

Those simple words were enough to rock Scott back on her figurative heels, but fortunately she knew how to keep her own emotions under control. It was times like this she was reminded why it was dangerous to counsel both members of a couple separately. If Ben left Lyrr, it would crush her inside. "I think you need to take a deep breath and give yourself some time to consider what you're saying, Ben. You love Tebrianne and you've just gotten her back so it makes sense you'd still have feelings for her, especially a strong desire to protect her from everything that's going on."

Scott took both his hands in hers. "But there's something else to consider, Ben... This bond you share with Tebrianne, it allows you to experience everything through her eyes. Everything she experiences, you also experience. And in that way, you too have been violated. The responses you felt from her were also your own, the shame and the fear you felt included your own. Right now, you want to protect and care for your own needs as much as you want to care for hers. You're in shock and you're in survival mode. You've been raped, Ben, and you're going to have to deal with your own feelings about that before you can consider your feelings for anyone else. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Hadek went down to the brig and used a painstick on her until she broke. He beat her with it and then he made her...he made her have sex. He left her in the brig naked and brought her clothing to me so that he could brag. He was going to prepare me for T'Briane's attentions in the same way. The gas attack stopped him and I almost killed him. I went down to the brig instead and saw to Tebrianne." He felt no warmth from Brennyn's hands, but he held them. "I still love her as much as I always did, Bree...nothing's changed."

He looked up into her eyes and tears fell as he said, "Tayla deserves more than half a heart. I'm only with her because I thought Tebrianne was dead. You know that. So do I. It's the truth. I can't move on from someone who isn't dead, and who loves me as much as she always did. She said it was the thought of me that kept her alive, Bree. She said I came to rescue her. I gave her my word five years ago that I would marry her and I broke it. I know that I love her, and I know that I love Tayla. But I can't marry either of them like this. I can't. I won't. I have to go on this away mission. The Sulu has to get home. That's all I can focus on right now. My duty to the ship and to the captain. Without that...." He trailed off, his voice raspy and broken. "Help me, Bree...please...I have to do my duty."

It was the pleadings of a man who was being pulled in all directions, none of which were in complete focus. Whom he should and shouldn't marry didn't even begin to scratch the surface of what had just happened to him, and yet it didn't surprise her that he would focus his attention on those matters as well as how they impacted the mission. But could she allow him clearance, knowing what she did about his state of mind? Why was it essential that he go along? "This isn't something I can fix in ten minutes, Ben, and as much as I know you need to focus right now, I'm not sure it's fair to ask or expect you to be able to."

He looked up into her eyes, his violet glistened with tears, and she could see the desperation written clearly in them. "If I can't do my duty, then I fail everyone. The crew, the ship...the captain. If I have that failure on top of everything else...then there's nothing left for me. You have to let me do what I have to do. If not, I may as well give up and die. I've already failed Tayla. I can't even keep my vow to her." He looked away, ashamed that he'd been weak. He'd given in momentarily to Tebrianne's need and for his need to make her happy. "I'm so sorry. Tayla will never forgive me...and I have to tell her...but I can't...and now this." His hands tightened on hers almost painfully.

He sounded wretched, a man broken and admitting defeat. All he had left was duty. "I feel numb, Bree...and I had to send Tebrianne off to rescue Matt, knowing what she was going up against. It's just as suicidal as the Station mission, but we have to try. I can't leave him behind. He's my captain, I can't fail him again. I already have Shyla Moreau's blood on my hands. Maybe Tayla had been right - we should have fought the Windsor...instead of surrendering. She died so badly, Bree. It was my duty to look after her...to look after them all. I'm Security Chief...I have to try...to redeem myself. So I have to go." He looked up at her. "I have to go. My life against the ship's. The team knows the score - they're all prepared for what we have to do. The Gate has to be destroyed. If we don't...they will invade our universe and everyone we love will be enslaved."

And that much she couldn't argue with. Had he more time to cope with all of this, she might have argued such a mission might be empowering, redeeming in his eyes, but could she allow him to go like this? Her better judgement said hell no. But what good was mental health if this mission could end with their destruction (a fact whether T'Kal was on the team or not)?

"I understand your feelings, Ben, but under the circumstances, I can't risk putting the team in any more danger, and that's exactly what I'd be doing if I let you go knowing what I know." She shrugged in frustration. "I'm glad you came to me, but I can't just snap my fingers and make this okay. Everything you're feeling right now is normal, and the fact that you can't change it is not your fault or a sign of weakness, but if the situation were reversed, you know you'd have the same concerns. My God, Ben, you look as if you've been struck by a shuttle at high warp, and if you were anyone else, I'd say the same thing."

He nodded, barely moving his head as he stared at their linked hands. His thumb idly stroked hers, a tactile sensation that brought her into focus as another Human being rather than a counsellor; he knew that she cared deeply for the people she counselled, and she was a warm person. He'd sought her out because he felt that she was more a trusted friend than senior counsellor; and he valued her advice. "I have to be able to function, Bree. I have to go on this mission. I know that were it any other time, I'd willingly relieve myself of duty...but I can't. Please, Bree, as my friend...you have to help me get through the next day or so. I have to be able to carry out my duty. I have to see Tayla safe, Bree...and the crew...it's my responsibility. I can give it to no other. Tayla deserves that chance." He looked up into Brennyn's eyes and she could see the desperation there.

Scott indeed saw the desperation there, and she made herself look him in the eyes, although whether it was to convince herself to let him go or to remind herself exactly why it was she should not let him go she wasn't sure. "Damn you, Benedict T'Kal!" She stood abruptly, breaking the link between them, and turned to him with a sigh of pure frustration.

"I need you to know I'm only letting you do this because under the circumstances, I think it's the best thing for your recovery, although the timing bloody sucks! I am not doing this because I believe you're the only one who can save Lyrr and Salinger or because I support your sense of duty over well-being. If you believe you're the only one capable of carrying out this mission, you're as delusional as Casey and even more deserving of a reality check than he is. I'll authorize something for the headaches, but it's not going to be too strong, and anything else would further impair your judgement. I'm letting you go on the condition that you let someone on the team know you're not one-hundred percent. I don't care who you tell or what you tell them, but someone has to watch your back in case your mental bond with Teb causes you more problems. And lastly, the second, and I mean the very second that you return, you are to report to me, at which time we will go to sickbay for evaluation. There will be no reporting to the captain, no making out with either one of the women you love, and no blowing me off, because if you do, I'll come at you with a straight jacket myself. You feel me?"

Benedict nodded. "Aye, sir," he responded. "Report to you and only you, no making out and blowing you off." He stood too. "I'll let Doctor Sefton know. With her telepathic talents she'll be able to watch me. I'll also tell Shirik, we're friends and she's supposed to be playing Princess, so I'll be with her most of the mission. Is that suitable?" He gave her a wan smile. "Thanks, Bree." Though the look in her eyes told him not to push the point and instead of saying more he hugged her.

Scott returned the embrace in kind, wrapping her arms securely around him for a long moment. She had no idea if she would see him again, and the thought of letting him go when he was clearly in pain went against her every fiber. Bree had never seen Ben like this before, and the fact that he was reaching out to her like this was indication enough things weren't well.

She sighed, putting on a brave smile. "For now," she replied. "But I don't want you thinking you can simply tell me what I want to hear either. We will face this when you return, together." Bree released him and went over to her computer terminal. "I'll just authorize these meds and you'll be on your way."

He nodded. "Thank you, Brennyn, I won't let you down."

---

"Duties"
by Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal
Ensign Tristan Percival Finn
Tebrianne Bancroft
and Dr. M'lira

Location: Brig, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 14h10

***

T'Kal strode into the Brig with a Phaser Compression Rifle held loosely in his right hand and the leather bundle under his left arm. As soon as the Enforcers had dropped he'd taken precautions as to their waking, and had hurried through the ship down to the Brig.

The few Enforcers he'd seen were all lying face down with members of the Sulu crew binding them where they'd fallen. He gave hurried orders to have Security officers resume their duties, distribute weapons from the lockers and stand at alert. The Enforcers were to be rounded up and brought to the Brig.

The TAC Team had come out of hiding at key locations and had secured the Bridge, Main Engineering and Computer Cores, fore and aft and the Armoury. Reports were being coordinated from the Bridge Tactical station where Lieutenant Hex was seeing to the distribution of transporter inhibitors and locking down all communications with the aid of Lieutenant Commander Sam.

The taking of the Sulu had been as bloodless as its initial capture, and Benedict had given strict orders to all personnel that phasers were to be set on stun and any fatalities amongst the unconscious Enforcers would be dealt with under Starfleet Codes of Justice. They were officially prisoners of the Federation and as such they had rights. It was still the initial minutes of the insurrection so he hadn't heard from all decks yet.

Ensign Tristan Percival Finn stood outside of the Brig's cell area with three unconscious Enforcers laying on the deck. He'd used thumb cuffs to secure them and had briefly checked the cells. He'd found Tebrianne Bancroft unconscious on a bunk and had left her there. She was undressed and by the livid bruises on her thighs, back and arms she'd been brutalised and by her nakedness, probably received the same care and compassion as Lieutenant Tagliesh had received a few days previously.

Benedict's'face was haggard and his eyes were haunted, his hair hung in straggly cords and he moved as if he was harried. He nodded once to Finn. "Keep everyone out," he ordered as he passed.

"Of course, Commander," Finn answered, and opened the cell for T'Kal to enter. Once T'Kal was through, he enabled the privacy screens that would keep whatever happened on the other side a mystery to anyone but Commanders T'Kal and Bancroft.

He stood inside the cell and stared at her. He found it hard to breathe and he wanted to be sick. He found that he was trembling all over and he put the rifle against the wall. She was curled in a ball, arms loosely around her knees, one hand dangled over the edge of the cot. It was such a delicate hand. The bruise from a pain-stick blow was livid across the inside of her forearm and green blood smeared her chin and the grey Starfleet blanket.

His eyes burned and he stepped toward her but then stepped backward and he found the trembling had reached his knees and he had to sit down, so he almost dropped onto the bunk. Her leather garments fell to the floor and he covered his face in his hands and wept. A moment later he found the courage to look at her face again. She'd been punched in the mouth and her lip was split and swollen. He reached out and almost touched her and was hit by the sudden acid vomit that rose in his throat. He barely made it to the bowl, but he gagged on it and spat the vile taste out of his mouth. He swore then in Bajoran and staggered to his feet. Unzipping his jacket he removed it and draped it across her.

He felt as violated as she looked. It was awful. He didn't know if he could stay and he knew she'd need medical help and knew too that they might not treat her kindly. Except Damhnait. She would. He sat beside her on the narrow bunk then and stroked her face, the memories of the beating and the old pain and the new pain and it all added together to break his heart. He just wept. He couldn't handle this any more. He didn't have the strength to continue. He didn't want to go through it all again. A part of him felt so unclean and he just wanted to shrivel up and die.

Tebrianne shifted slightly from where she lay on the bed. His presence in the room, despite his agitation, was a balm. She reached out to him and found his arm, and suddenly, at the touch, she felt grounded again, less likely to drift off into nothingness. She sat up slowly, making certain to keep his uniform jacket covering her. It was more to protect against the cool air in the cell than to cover her nakedness. Though, she knew of absolutely nothing that could cover the shame she felt. She kept her eyes closed as she curled against him.

"I'm so sorry, Ben," she whispered. "I tried to keep it to myself, so you wouldn't...feel. I tried, Ben, but...but I... I didn't want you to go through it again; I didn't want to hurt you again."

He just slid his arms around her and pulled her face into the crook of his neck, feeling her slight trembling and his own. He felt oddly calmer as soon as she'd whispered his name, but it was a calm that chilled him. Benedict felt numbed now; as if he'd finally reached overload and a large part of him had switched off. He couldn't even speak. He just did what came naturally; he held her and cradled her and rocked her and wept with her. His trembling hand stroked her hair and he kissed her brow, but it was as if the real Benedict had just crawled in a hole and buried himself. His violet eyes were open and the tears still flowed uninterrupted, but he wasn't there.

They held each other in silence for several long minutes before there was a sound at the entrance. A moment later, Lieutenant M'lira stepped inside the cell. She took a look at Tebrianne and her features hardened. She had to force her ears not to flatten or the fur on her neck to rise. After a calming breath, she stepped forward. She held an inactivated tricorder in one hand, her medical kit slung over one shoulder, and a medical robe in her other hand.

"Commander," she said to Benedict. "Dr. Sefton would have come, but things are still a little hectic around the ship. There have been...fatalities." She indicated Tebrianne with the tricorder. "May I?"

He nodded dully. The fatalities reaching his mind as an abstract concept, but he knew that it was his duty to respond to that. He released Tebrianne and stood; he barely comprehended where he was, but he saw Tebrianne's wounds as M'lira opened his jacket to use the medical probe. He wiped his eyes, shifting them to Tebrianne's face and for a moment his eyes met hers. There was barely any emotion in Benedict's eyes. He was in a state of shock. Emotional shock and physical shock; and he was reliving memories that had been buried for a long time. It was almost as if he was back in time.

"Ben," Tebrianne whispered, reaching a hand out to him. Tears filled her eyes as she brushed her fingers against his. "I'm still 'ere this time. I'm not going away."

He took the hand and the tactile sensation reached him and he squeezed her fingers. He remembered running...and he'd been carrying a phaser rifle...how many had he killed then? His eyes blinked. He'd disobeyed orders and gone after them. He'd slaughtered them. Simple miners, and he'd taken them out with extreme prejudice. All except one. Marco. Just like Hadek. He hadn't killed Hadek. His eyes glanced at the phaser rifle sitting against the wall. He hadn't killed the man who'd done this to her. He hadn't killed him. Benedict had had his life in his hands; he could have broken his neck so easily, but that would have been stone cold murder. He wasn't a murderer. He couldn't do that. Different if they were armed. Then he could kill. With extreme prejudice. It wasn't against the rules then. It had been against the rules. He watched the doctor.

M'lira sat down next to Teb and began running the tricorder. She was frowning as she worked, her tail twitching anxiously behind her. "The physical wounds aren't serious and I should be able to repair them in just about twenty minutes. When we're through this, however I'm going to recommend that you see a counsellor. I'm not fully aware of your record, Commander, but I know this isn't the first time this has happened to you." She placed her hand on Tebrianne's and nodded. "We'll help you get through this."

Teb met the Caitian's gaze and nodded. The understanding and concern she saw in M'lira's eyes was almost unsettling. "Thank you," she said.

"Here," M'lira said as she handed her the robe. "I think this will be a better fit."

Tebrianne took the robe and pulled it on over Ben's jacket, not wanting to remove the garment. M'lira smiled.

M'lira looked up at Ben. "I'm sure Dr. Sefton will have a report for you soon on the medical condition of the crew and Enforcers." She then began working with a dermal regenerator to repair the damage Hadek had done to Tebrianne.

Teb looked up at him. "I guess you 'ere means we got the ship back."

He nodded. His eyes met hers again. She wasn't dead this time. It wasn't the same as before. She was still here. Now he'd have to deal with it all over again. "I'm going to have to see to the ship," he said dully. "Take her to medical," he ordered M'lira. "Look after her, Doctor. She's been through...a lot." He looked back at her and his hand brushed her cheek. "I need to go," he whispered. "I'll see you in a little while."

Tebrianne closed her eyes at his touch, savouring it. "I'll see you soon, Ben," she whispered. She opened her eyes again and grinned up at him. "Congratulations on your promotion. You finally caught up to me."

He nodded. It wasn't the time for levity and the humour missed him entirely. He raised his voice. "Ensign Finn!"

Finn appeared at the cell entry. "Sir."

"Clear this area and prepare the cells for occupancy. Get all of them in here. Strip them of armour and make sure they're all medically checked. I want them all accounted for. Drake and Hadek get a separate cell. Give them Starfleet courtesy, Ensign." He looked to M'lira and nodded. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll be on the Bridge." He looked back at Tebrianne. "We still have a job to do. You need to get ready for it. I'll see you before I go."

Tebrianne pulled away from M'lira and picked up her clothing from the bed. "Of course," she said, any trace of humour gone from her voice and eyes, "I'll get right on that. Thank you for your assistance, Doctor."

"I wasn't finished," M'lira said.

"I 'ave a job to get ready for," Teb answered, and started toward the exit.

Benedict put a hand on her arm. "You need to get to medical and get fixed up properly - first. I'll see you later, Teb, right now I have to take care of things. We haven't got the luxury of time. I wish we did. We don't." His eyes for the first time had a spark in them.

"We never have, it seems like," she said. "Maybe after. I'll see you soon, Ben. I'll need to meet with the TAC Team as soon as possible, so we can plan this."

He still held her arm, and stepped close, his hand caressed her cheek as he gazed into her eyes. The violet colour was intense, but they were still haunted. He leaned in and kissed her. There was no need for pretence any longer. He'd already come to terms with loving her, and she needed to know that what had happened didn't change that. So he kissed her; deeply. After a moment he broke free of it and said, "I love you, Tebrianne. Always have. Always will. Nothing can change that. After this is over...then we can sort out what we're going to do..."

"Alright," Tebrianne said with a smile. "I'll see you soon, Ben." She hugged him tight, thanking whatever powers had brought him back into her life. "I love you, Ben. We'll have to have a nice dinner, and you'll have to tell me about everything I've missed."

He hugged her back, and lifted her clear of the floor to hold her, but he put her down. For the first time a smile cracked his visage as he huffed in denial, "I never have any luck with dinners," he said with a shake of his head. "But I'll tell you what you've missed alright." He drew away. "Go with M'lira, get fixed up."

He gave Finn a nod, seeing the intent stare the man was giving them both. Benedict remembered him being a friend of Lyrr's and he also remembered what he'd said of his hair. He nodded to Finn and left, grabbing the rifle before walking out of the brig. He still felt numb, but he couldn't afford to let everything come out right now. He had duty. Duty came first.

---

"We Who Are About to Die"

Lieutenant Commander Damhnait Sefton; Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Commander Benedict T'Kal; Chief of Security
Lieutenant j.g. Taylor Bennett; Security Officer
Ensign Mason Farrell; Operations Officer
Ensign Tristan Finn; Security Officer
Ensign Shirik Lektar; Operations Officer
Ensign Kit Markham; Flight Control Officer
Chief Petty Officer Calyca Boothroyd; Engineering Crewchief

Location: USS Sulu, Upper Shuttlebay
Stardate: 57910.22 14h20

***

"Ensign Finn, how're the pipes?" Farrell quipped, tapping his throat with one hand as he extended the other for a shake.

"The pipes are feeling horribly unused," Finn answered as he and Taylor entered the bay together. "Looks like a party's gathering. I should have brought munchies."

Shirik fidgeted, outwardly composed but still wearing her plain human disguise and eager to be rid of it.

Caly looked up from her PADD at the sound of Farrell's voice and looked over to Finn and Bennett as they entered, acknowledging both with a slight nod of her head. She had been casting glances at "Shirik", the sight of the strange looking woman who was suppose to be her friend, still disturbingly uncomfortable.

"And how is the lovely and talented Lieutenant Bennett?" Farrell bowed slightly, smiling all the way.

"Ready to go home," Taylor said, rolling her eyes at Farrell. She glanced at Finn and then around to the others. The composition of the team appeared to be no more odd than the last Away Mission she'd been on with Farrell.

T'Kal came in. He strode to the group and stood at the rear, glancing at the team members and hardly seeing faces.

"Sir," Farrell nodded pleasantly. "How's the bridge?"

Benedict nodded. "Fine," he replied to the odd question.

Marching into the Shuttlebay shortly after T'Kal, Damhnait Sefton seemed to be of even temperament, and strictly ready for an orderly mission briefing. Though her medical skills could very well be needed, she knew to leave behind both her medical smock and medical kit.

"Doctor, think Sickbay can handle it for a while without you?" Farrell asked with a grin.

Sefton's confidently poised expression didn't change as she considered the mounting acts of violence committed by her staff. While she trusted the medical department with the health of the Sulu's crew, she truly feared for the lives of any invading forces who might come near Sickbay in her absence. She didn't make a verbal response immediately, and then didn't respond at all, once the doors to the shuttlebay opened again.

Kit Markham strode into the bay, glancing behind him as he moved. "Good," he said as he noticed that everyone was still in the before-meeting fidgeting mode, "I'm not late."

"Right on time," Farrell said, offering his hand.

Kit looked at the hand, at the person extending it, and finally accepted the handshake with reluctance.

The group assembled, Farrell got right down to business. "Okay, everybody. We've got a lot to do, and not a lot of time," he twanged into the shuttlebay's expanse. "Most of you have heard parts of this. Here's the whole thing."

Caly had watched the others enter, each of them eliciting a different feeling inside the engineer. Her attention turned to Farrell so she could hear "the plan" as it stood now.

"You're all familiar with the Rio Grande here," Farrell jerked his thumb at the runabout occupying half the bay. "She's our ride. We will disguise ourselves as an ambassadorial delegation from this reality's Drokari government, and use the runabout to get on board the station which sits next to the gateway. Once we're on board, a couple of things have to happen. We need to get access codes to both the gateway and the minefield that surrounds it. Ensign Lektar, myself, and Doctor Sefton," he indicated each in turn, "will spearhead that. We also need to plant explosives; Booter, your spiders get to run the gauntlet again." He gave Boothroyd a grim smile and she gave him a mock, two fingered salute. "Once we're on board, actual deckplans will be task one, and once we've got 'em you can coordinate good bomb placements with the iron triad of Security we'll be bringing with us." He winked at Boothroyd and smiled at Bennett's arched eyebrow.

"That's the guts of it. Let's talk tasklists," Farrell continued. "We'll need disguises to get on board. Doctor Sefton will be surgically altering both Lieutenant Commander T'Kal and Lieutenant Bennett to appear as Rennari accompanying their princess on a diplomatic mission, Bennett as a bodyguard, and T'Kal as," he fought to keep a straight face, and finally shrugged out, "a pillow." He hurried on before anyone could start clearing their throat or making otherwise irritated gestures. T'Kal stared at him, unamused by the man's sense of humour. "Doctor Sefton herself and Boothroyd will be altered to appear as Bajoran guests of Princess Shirik. Finn, you get to be a ranking Imperial officer serving as a diplomatic liaison. You won't need surgery, and neither will Markham or me. "

Caly frowned at the thought of being 'altered' as she didn't really understand the need for it. But she supposed there was.

Shirik frowned slightly as well. Pieces of the plan had been changed, and she wasn't sure she liked the changes.

Damhnait nodded, her tightly pulled ponytail slightly bouncing in the process.

"Kit, you and I stay on board the runabout with the passive sensors turned to maximum and a diplomatic uplink to the station's computers. We'll want to scan as much as we can without tipping the Imperials off to it, and we may need to make a getaway at any time. If we have to run for it, we won't have time for much preflight checklisting."

"I can keep the systems in standby," Kit said. "It'll take about thirty seconds to get everything back online."

"While everyone else is getting surgery, Finn, Markham, and me get to turn this runabout into a Rennari ship. That means paint, insignia, and whatever other little frills we can cook up in the next two hours. Launch is at 1600. Questions?"

Caly for one, held up a hand and when Farrell nodded in her direction, asked a rather curious sounding, "Why is it that we have to go as Bajorans rather than human?"

"Word on Rennari/Human relations says that human slaves are unlikely," Farrell answered, looking to Lektar for a supportive nod.

Caly blinked. "I thought you said guests?"

"Too many humans and it's not a Rennari delegation anymore," Farrell shrugged.

"Ahhh... Thank you, sir. I was just curious.," Caly nodded in understanding.

"Wouldn't it make more sense to say the runabout is an Empire ship dispatched to pick up my delegation?" Shirik asked. "There's nothing to suggest that Drokari ships here look anything like runabouts. And that would explain the humans on board. Anyone in the group not explained as someone from the Empire would be a slave."

"If it's a human ship it can be pressed back into human service at any time with no fear of diplomatic incident, which means we'd have to add 'steal a getaway vehicle' to our list of tasks for the station," Farrell answered. "And if it's a human vehicle, people may question why its crew never gets off," he smiled.

"People may also question why the Drokari allow a human to pilot their precious ship," Taylor added with a glance to Kit. "You've got your high-ranking human official in command of the ship. You've got a Drokari princess who will want a way home. Trying to take her transport away will undoubtedly be the start of a diplomatic incident."

"I agree... You wouldn't think they'd press it back into service if they're trying to get in bed with the Drokari.... One simply does not ferry a Drokari Princess around and then dump her off 'cause they want to take her ride back.... In diplomatic terms, that's pretty much a slap in the face," Caly added her thoughts. "Do we have any idea what the Drokari ships look like in this universe? Or if they even have warp technology?"

"The only information we've got to go on is that the Drokari of this reality use a limited amount of Federation technology gained in diplomatic trades and exchanges," Farrell said. "Thus, the daughter of a royal house may have a private runabout, which she will be using as a signal to the humans she's visiting that she's on their side and wants to have more to do with them. Fact is, using one human lessens our chance of exposure to possible doubles. We've already seen fate deal us a crazy hand by dropping not one, but two Tebrianne Bancrofts into our laps. Putting as few 'humans' as possible into the mix lessens our risk of giving ourselves away immediately."

"If the Empire is half as paranoid as the reports say, they will be running random tricorder or internal sensor sweeps for atypical quantum signatures," Damhnait stated, and held up her tricorder, which displayed her own quantum signature compared with the signature of one of the Enforcers. "Every molecule in all of our bodies resonates at a frequency that is radically different than the frequency of every other bit of matter in this quantum universe. That can't be hidden with cosmetic surgery."

Caly for one, peered at the readouts and frowned a bit, noticing the very blatant differences in the signatures. "We could probably rig something up that would emit the proper frequencies...."

"Then let's do that," Farrell said. "Booter, you can get Engineering working on it? They've got two hours."

Calyca glanced over at Farrell and nodded her understanding. Two hours shouldn't be a problem at all. She was already penning a missive as to what they'd need and getting the specifics from the good doctor's tricorder.

"Listen everybody," Farrell continued, pitching his voice to carry. "This whole mission involves a massive element of risk. There are too many variables in play for us to consider without weeks of discussion, and what little we know indicates that we don't have weeks. This is a shot in the dark, and it'll probably get one or all of us killed. But not giving it a shot guarantees that nobody back home gets any warning about this invasion and none of our friends, families, or other loved ones has any chance. Now concerns are valid, but let's not hammer this into the ground. Booter, get Engineering working on a way to forge a quantum signature."

"Consider it done, sir," Caly casually saluted him with two fingers again and then entered some notations into her PADD.

"Doctor, anything else?"

"What will become of the civilian and crew compliment of Ashak Nor?" Sefton asked, worried for the unwilling lives that could be lost by the extremely destructive nature of their mission. "Can we estimate if our plan will leave time for evacuation prior to the destruction of the station and its Gate?"

"We can estimate, sure," Farrell answered, businesslike, but polite. "But there's no way to guarantee anything. Given the nature of this reality, any civilian compliment on the station will be very small anyway. This is an attack. People are going to die. If we can engage the usual countdown to allow people to get off before we blow the thing, I don't personally have a problem with that. But if engaging the countdown's going to give them the time they need to defeat the sabotage, it can't be allowed. That's a hard truth, but the truth it is."

"The technicians, scientists and workers on the station must be eliminated," Benedict T'Kal spoke in a hard tone. "They developed the science and the technology to build a gate for an invasion. Not only do we have to eliminate the technology, but we have to make sure they don't have the expertise to build another. It's a military base. It's a legitimate target, and so is everyone on it. Their plan is a declaration of war on the Federation. We can end that war right now and end all possibility of them ever waging it in the future. There will be no warning, and certainly no evacuation. The timing will be far too severe for any kind of meaningful warning in any case. Our goal is the complete destruction of the Gate and the Station. Getting the Sulu home is a goal we'll achieve if we can, by any means possible."

Caly looked up from her PADD at T'Kal's statement, frowning as she did. "Pardon me, sir... But surely they don't have every gate technician in this universe right here in the same spot? I can't imagine anything more foolhardy or illogical. And is it really very wise on our part to assume that that's the case? I'm not disagreeing that the station needs to be taken down because I believe it does. I just don't believe taking out every technician onboard her totally eliminates the possibility of them rebuilding. But we'll certainly put a hell of a dent in their time schedule." As for the other part of his statement, she was certainly going to make it home. There was no way she'd go on the mission without believing they could have total success. "We'll get her home. We'll all come home," she added. "I personally refuse to believe anything else."

"There's only this one Gate," he replied. "Apparently this is the one place they can build it because of the gravitic effects of the Black Hole. Perhaps not every technician, but certainly the Empire's leading lights on this technology will be there. We just have to hope it stops them." He smiled. "Yes we'll come home - one way or another."

"Of course, sir..." Booter agreed, hoping he was right and already back to focusing on what she'd been writing.

"Anybody else?" Farrell asked the assembly.

"Do we have access to the Enforcers' communication devices?" Caly asked, looking up from her PADD.

"We've got a couple of dozen communication devices we've liberated from our guests in the brig," Farrell offered.

"Thank you, sir, that should be more than enough," Caly smiled.

Everyone looked at her a moment, expectantly. When it became clear that Boothroyd was lost in her padd, Farrell was the first to decide to move on.

"Okay," he clapped his hands once. "Anybody else? Questions? Comments? Snide remarks?" he added. When no one spoke up, he indicated Doctor Sefton. "Alright. Then let's get workin'."

---

"Fix 'em and Fly 'em"
by: Lieutenant Mark Thaine,
Ensign Marp,
and Crewman Will Pierce (NPC)

Location: Main Engineering
Stardate 57910.22, 14h30

***

The minute the first Enforcer fell asleep Marp made his way down to the engineering section. As he entered engineering he looked around until he found Lieutenant Thaine, busily distributing orders amongst the engineering personnel. Marp introduced himself and said, "I would like to help out wherever you need me, Sir."

Thaine looked down upon the Ferengi, as if mentally assessing him. "Flight control, eh?" He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. "Got a gentle touch?"

"As gentle as it needs to be," replied Marp. He too assessed the Chief Engineer. Something in the tone of Thaine's voice gave Marp the feeling that he was about to get the big brush off.

A box of parts was shoved into Marp's arms. "Follow me, carry those carefully. And whatever you do...don't drop them."

"Whatever you do don't drop them," Marp silently mouthed the words as he followed Thaine out of engineering. Marp had to push his little legs pretty fast to keep up with Thaine as they entered the main shuttle bay.

"Pierce!" Thaine called out, his deep baritone echoing around the shuttle-bay. From behind a shuttle, a man appeared. He was tall, standing higher than the Chief Engineer himself, and was grinning. Crewman Will Pierce always had a grin on his face, and even in midst of this chaos, that fact hadn't changed.

As they drew within speaking distance, Thaine pointed with his thumb, over his shoulder, toward Marp. "Spare parts, and an extra pair of hands," he explained. "Ready to start? I want this shuttle to fly like a whole new ship, by the time we're finished.

Will nodded, grin not faded in the slightest. "All set, sir!" he jovially announced, walking over to meet them. "Need a little help with that?" he asked the Ferengi, unintentionally looming over him.

"Sure," said Marp smiling. "I'm Marp." Marp handed the box of spare parts over to Will.

The tall engineer lifted the case with ease, and walked alongside the Ferengi. "Good to meet you, sir. Red trimmings would make you flight control, yes?"

"Yes, that's right," said Marp. "Nice to meet you." Marp tossed a glance at the shuttle. "Where do we start?"

"The Chief wants us to do a full overhaul before she flies on her mission," explained Will, as they reached the shuttle itself. "If there's a fault, better we find it now than later, yes?" He set the parts down next to the shuttle, and looked over to Thaine, who had already removed a panel on the underside of the shuttle and hooked up his engineering tricorder. "Ready to start the diagnostic, sir," he announced.

Thaine nodded. "Come over here, and check these power readings. Ensign Marp, bring that tool case over. And see if you can find a spare interflux relay in those parts."

"Aye sir," said Marp as he grabbed a tool kit and began rummaging through the spare parts until he found what he was looking for. One brand new interflux relay.

Thaine looked back to Pierce, while Marp searched. "You said the relay was looking a little worn?"

Pierce nodded. "Yes, sir. They are often the first things to go, in a shuttle craft. Since you brought one down, we can sort that problem out before it even starts."

While the two engineers were busy discussing the modifications and repairs to the shuttle Marp opened the tool kit and selected the tools for the job. He went to the shuttle and began removing the existing relay. Before installing the new one Marp looked at the old one. Pierce was right it was very worn.

It had been years since Marp had done this sort of work but he was finding that it came back to him quickly. Marp discarded the old relay and began to insert the new one. Taking out a tricorder he checked the various connections to make sure they were still adequate. Satisfied, Marp began installing the new relay.

A shadow fell across the Ferengi, and his work. "They're still teaching basic shuttlecraft maintenance to flight control at the Academy?" It was impossible to tell what the tone in Thaine's voice hinted at.

Marp stopped what he was doing and looked up at Thaine. "Ah... Yes, sir," said Marp "I... I was able to skip that course because I had already completed my engineering training... Sir." Marp flashed a toothy smile at Thaine.

It wasn't returned, but there was a 'Hmph' of grudging acknowledgement from the Chief Engineer. Briefly, he scanned over Marp's work. "You think you'll be able to handle the rest of these repairs?"

"Yes, sir," replied Marp. Marp continued smiling at the Chief Engineer. "I will be most happy to help out where ever you need me." Marp was not sure if Thaine was annoyed with him or not. He wanted to make a good impression just in case transferring to Engineering might become a possibility in the future.

A brief glance passed between Pierce and Thaine. The crewman spread his hands, and grinned, and the officer diverted his dark gaze back to Marp. "I've got things to check up on. Keep working on this. I'll be back in thirty minutes to check your progress. Understood?"

"Aye, Sir," replied Marp.

Thaine gave a final nod to Pierce of unspoken understanding, and then turned to make long strides out of engineering.

As Thaine's footsteps faded away, Will grinned at the Ferengi. "I think he likes you," he commented, amusement rippling in his voice.

Marp smiled back at Pierce. "How can you tell?" Marp chuckled and turned back to his work.

---

"Look After This For Me"
By: Crewman 1st Class Sorg Jurell
Chief Petty Officer Calyca Boothroyd

Location: USS Sulu, Various
Stardate: 57910.22 14h55

***

Jurell quirked an eyebrow at her new look. Calyca had just walked out of Sickbay sporting her Bajoran image and Jurell grinned after scrutinizing the cute little nose ridges that Doctor Sefton had given her with a little creative use of a dermal regenerator and extra skin tissue. "Wow," he remarked. "You make a very fetching Bajoran...the earring even looks at home now." He indicated the earring he'd had made for her as it dangled enticingly from her right lobe. The thin silver chains and clasps attached at all the correct places and he was very impressed with Sefton's work.

She was wearing a Bajoran styled amber dyed uniform in skin-tight leather that adhered to every curve of her body. She looked stunning and the blonde security officer's eyes were almost bugging out as he surveyed her Alternate-self. "Can I keep her, Doc?" he asked semi humorously, earning a mock scathing look from the object of his scrutiny.

Jurell himself was almost two inches taller than usual and clad in the shiny chitinous black of T'Briane's Personal Guard. His new buzz-cut and ice-blue eyes made him a poster-child for the Evil Empire. The black metal pain-stick dangled from its holster at his hip. He looked dangerous.

Caly looked up at him and made a face. He was a good fifteen inches taller than her now. "The leather chafes and the nose itches," she informed him, scratching her nose and eyeing his look, a frown wrinkling her brow. "You look positively... Evil..." She squirmed and adjusted the uniform... Or tried to. Mostly she just tugged on the leather without doing much of anything but frustrating herself. "Did I ever mention that I was lousy at play acting?"

"Turn around will you, I want to see the whole effect." He spun a finger in the air to mimic her turning. "You look absolutely amazing. You know, I could get used to you wearing that uniform. I wonder if we could talk Commander Lyrr into a change of uniform code." He could really appreciate her figure in the leather, and by the looks from some of the other Security Officers waiting their turn, they could too. Caly was a different girl, the heels made her taller, but accentuated her legs, and the sheer cut of the uniform that followed her every curve just gave her attitude.

Caly blinked. "Turn around? See the whole effect?" She fwapped his chest armor with the backs of her fingers. "I have shit to do, Jurell. You just pray to the Prophets that I don't kill myself on these heels and if you want the whole effect, walk your ass around me... But you better do it while I'm moving and don't you dare trip me up," she warned him and grabbed her pack, the original one that the Enforcers had confiscated. "I have spiders to collect... Are you coming?" she asked him as she turned and had to catch her balance.

Jurell just laughed and tried unsuccessfully to ignore her very tight costume as she walked away with a natural and very unconscious sway to her hips. He shook his head slightly and bit his lip. Where's a damned holoimager when you need one? He walked a little faster to catch up. "What's the hurry?" he managed to ask casually.

"The hurry is that I'm on a time crunch and I just used up thirty minutes of my allotted time getting a nose job and being poured into this damn costume," she pointed out as she headed to where Security was preparing the explosive packets for the spiders to place on the station's reactor core. "And I need to find out if we have any more detailed information about the station now that we're here and have sensor capabilities again... Can you find that out?"

"Station Briefing is in the Conference Room in thirty minutes," Jurell nodded. "Lieutenant Hex said there will be a full intelligence run-down."

"Thirty minutes?" She frowned a little and nodded. "Alright... And see, there's more time taken out of my allotted timeframe with the briefing," she pointed out practically. "And I need some real food. I need to regroup.... And don't forget that I still need to upgrade the cloaking ability of the spiders," she reminded him. "Hmm.... I can do some of that during the briefing..." she mused thoughtfully.

The spiders were even now converging on the Security team that was preparing the explosive packets and should be there when Caly and Jurell arrived.

"We already have the sensor cloaking modules," Jurell smiled. "The TAC Team uses them. Maquis technology. But husssh...no one knows." He grinned.

Caly blinked and looked up at him. "Maquis technology? Show me...." Her suppressed excitement was clear in the depths of her eyes. "How many modules? How big are they?"

Jurell removed the small arm-band from a pocket on the belt of the armour. He held it up to the petite engineer. It was half the size of her palm. "Commander T'Kal used to be in the Maquis. They used these against Cardassian and Federation bases."

Her fingers were all over it the moment he held it out to her. "How much of this do I need for the spiders? I need the specs on this..." They moved into the area where the explosives were being taken and assembled and she looked around for a workspace.

Jurell laughed. "We've replicated more than enough modules, you don't need to play with it." He snatched it back. "Classified. Sorry...orders are orders."

Caly blinked and looked slightly taken aback. "Well then.... I hope you replicated something I can actually incorporate into the spiders.... Or do you have people that will be taking care of that...classified shit so I won't be getting my fingers on it again?" She was unreasonably and probably irrationally irritated.

Jurell grinned and dangled the small device by its arm strap in front on her. "Classified; totally, and it requires a kiss to get your hands on it. " He laughed and waggled his eyebrows.

Caly eyed the device and looked up at him. Then she very deliberately crossed her arms under her breasts and cocked a brow at him. "When pigs fly."

Jurell smiled and turned his head. The TAC Team were assembling the demolitions packs for the spiders from a Mark V torpedo. He grinned. "Lieutenant Casey, sir!" he called out.

Casey looked up and then grinned. He looked Caly up and down before he said, "Yes, Crewman Sorg?"

"How many combat drops have you done, sir? I just need to settle an argument here." Jurell seemed very serious.

"Fifty six," Casey replied. "Is that it, Crewman?"

"Aye, sir. Thank you, sir." Jurell nodded with a smile. He turned back to Calyca and in a soft voice he said, "Well...?"

Caly's brow arched up and she looked from Casey back to Jurell and gave him a look as she tried to bite back the laughter at his little exercise. "Alright, you win. But it's on a technicality," she pointed out logically and then lowered her voice. "And thank you very much for the visual of Casey in a pink pig costume doing a combat drop... I don't think I'll ever forgive you for that," she smirked and couldn't stop the laugh that finally escaped.

He laughed too, which brought Casey to looking at the pair as Sorg leaned in and kissed her. Jurell dropped the arm band into her hand. "I always win." He grinned.

Caly kissed him back and lightly bit his bottom lip to boot, smirking at him when he pulled back and dropped the arm band in her hand. "Uh-huh... But that's just 'cause I let you," she huffed softly. "Now... What kind of monstrosities are your team putting together for my delicate spiders to deal with, huh?"

"Two packets; one anti-matter and one matter and the magnetic bottle controller for the two." He walked over to the Torpedo that lay open in a cradle. The wheat-sheaf design of the small matter/anti-matter packets allowed maximum dispersion of matter and anti-matter when the magnetic containment systems were simultaneously turned off. That was basically the trigger mechanism for a torpedo. Caly knew all this as an engineer. She could see where the five stalks had been removed and were being rigged to very small power systems for the spiders.

Sorg held up a finished casing that had been replicated using Caly's original explosive-egg configuration. "You won't have to change your spider-specs at all," he smiled. "Ensign Hansen whipped them up."

"Well... You all have been busy...." she smiled a little and held her hand out for the "egg", examining it closely once he let her have it. "This'll work..." She nodded and headed over to a work area where the spiders were already congregating, including the malfunctioning Watson the rest of them had carried along. "How many of these are ready?"

"We're just finishing up on five of them," Jurell nodded to Hansen who was in the act of seam-welding casing number four around the small magnetic bottle packets. It was a very delicate operation. If the power sources from any of the packets failed, they would be obliterated before anything could be done. A level ten force field was operational around the Ensign who didn't seem at all nervous about what she was doing. She just winked at Caly and Kate's eyes roved over the uniform she wore, albeit a little more discreetly than Casey had.

Caly gave Hansen a small nod. "I feel almost redundant..." she mused quietly to herself and started weeding through the spiders that were crawling around and on her. "You need some TLC," she told Watson, her eyes softening in concern as she helped the spider up onto her shoulder.

"So... What now?" She turned to Jurell and offered the "egg" back.

"Redundant?" Jurell smiled and placed the case back on the bench. "You'll have to add the sensor shields to the spiders...but messing with torpedoes...that's Tactical's responsibility. No one touches a Mark V but a trained weapons officer." He rubbed her arm and smiled. "We have so much to do and hardly enough time, Cal. We're a team...and you still have to eat. Please...I know how you get when my little Red Tribble doesn't get fed."

Caly arched a brow at him and after a moment of looking rather thin-lipped, nodded and opened her pack, giving the spiders a quiet, "load up, guys," before turning back to Jurell.

"You know what? You are absolutely right. So, if you'll excuse me, I'll just take care of that little problem right now." She shouldered her pack after pulling a piece of gum out, and moved to step away. "Oh," she paused and raised a finger. "And just for the record, I could really give a fat rat's hairy ass about touching your precious torpedoes," she informed him. "And have those sensor shields and the casings ready for me after the briefing." She gave him an over pleasant smile and walked off as she unwrapped her gum and popped it into her mouth.

He stared after her totally confused. What did I say? He frowned and looked at the bench top with the egg casings and sighed. She was keyed up by the mission, that was it. It had to be. What had he said? He looked after her again and decided that he couldn't leave it there. He set off after her with a determined stride. It didn't take him long to catch up and they were in a corridor by then.

He stepped beside her and said, "Mind telling me what the hell I said to make you so pissed at me again?" His voice sounded irritated.

She had pulled off the "heels" as she was walking, and was stocking footed now. She kept on walking even after he joined her. "I didn't need the lecture, Jurell," she told him. "No one touches a Mark V but a trained weapons officer..." she quoted him. "We're a team..." she quoted again. "Well, thank you for telling me those things, because clearly, after being a Starfleet officer for the last thirteen years, I didn't know them and needed you to remind me... There are distinct times when you treat me like a ninny, Jurell. And pardon the hell out of me for taking offense when you do." She was feeling defensive, perhaps irrationally so, and irritated.

He grabbed her arm and stopped cold. It was like being anchored by a tractor beam. He looked down at her. "Don't take every single thing I say to you like a bloody lecture. I didn't mean it like that. I know you're an engineer, I thought you were upset because the weapons officers were working on your project and you said you felt redundant. I was only saying that we were a team because we wanted to help you - not to say you weren't part of one! You said you had a lot to do, and I was only trying to make it easier. Sorry for lecturing you again - but dammit I wasn't lecturing. I was relaying Lieutenant Casey's very strict orders about the weapon. I don't expect you to take everything I say like I'm trying to make you out to be stupid. Prophets, Cal you're smarter than I am! You make me look dumb."

Caly stopped when he grabbed her and looked pointedly at his hand before looking up at him with a defiant glint in the depths of her eyes. She had to draw in a deep breath before responding to him. "I'm not even going to comment on that last bit because you know better," she told him and let out a soft huff of breath. "Look... Explosive weapons design... Bombs... Is one of the things I have a knack for... It would have been nice to be consulted about it is all, since I know the design and specs of the spiders and no one else does. And yes, I was feeling a wee bit redundant. But not because the weapons officers were working on the project, it was because you have people that can do that and didn't need me for that phase. Had I known that, I'd have concentrated my energies on other things rather than the design of the bomb itself."

He let go, but his expression softened a little. "I don't know anything about what you have a knack for, Cal, when it comes to engineering. Commander T'Kal gave orders and we're following them, that's all. Sorry you weren't consulted, senior officers do that. Don't take it out on me...okay?" He frowned. "You seem to take a lot of what I say like I'm supposed to know exactly what you can do and what you know. I don't, Cal. Not unless you tell me."

"Don't be sorry for something that's not under your control, Jurell. And I wasn't taking that out on you, you had nothing to do with it," she pointed out and gave him a look. "You told me you'd read my file," she reminded him. "Of course I think you know...."

"Read your file?" Jurell's eyebrows shot up. "Your security file? The one that tells me everything about you including the fact you fall out of bed every night, you're hyperactive and love ice-cream...that one?" He smiled. "Girl, I'm a crewman. I get to see that you're allowed to work in engineering and your academy grades...anything else...nada!"

Caly blinked. "Well how am I suppose to know that? I'm just an engineer." She lightly twapped the back of her fingers against that red armor of his, frowning when she did, and then turned her hand around and knocked on it. "That looks as uncomfortable as I feel," she told him. "Bet it's a bitch to get in and out of," she added and then drew in a breath, only to let it out again in a soft huff as she adjusted the heeled boots under her arm. "Look... I have a headache and I'm hungry. I probably have low blood sugar, I definitely have cramps, and my PMS cranky meter is growing by leaps and bounds. This is probably one of those times when a good healthy retreat is the wisest course of action for you," she offered.

"Aaahhh," he chuckled and nodded in understanding. "Excellent," he said softly. "You're off on a mission...we should just let you go alone and watch the station blow up from here." He grinned. "I'm sorry. I'm keyed up...I'm scared to death of leaving you alone with Hansen. I think she likes you...and I'm off with six guys to storm a Sovereign Class ship and I... I don't know what to say to you before we go." His ice blue eyes looked into hers. "Except to tell you I love you."

Caly blinked and let out a frustrated huff of breath. "Damn you," she twapped his abdomen again. "First off, Hansen can pound sand because I don't lean that way." She poked him in the chest with her index finger. "Second I'm not the least worried about you being with six guys, just in case you were wondering." Another poke. "Third, the Sovereign is just a ship on the inside, it's the outside you have to worry about." And another. "Fourth, now that you have me in this blasted relationship, you better damn well not let anything happen to you, or I'm gonna get really cranky and make that Klingon you told me about look like a neutered pussy cat." The final poke. "Got it?"

"Is that an I love you too?" he asked, suppressing a smile.

She frowned at him and let out another frustrated huff of breath. "No. I'm still not sure what that is," she told him. "And I'm damn well not going to spout something like that in the middle of a crisis..." She sighed and gave him a look. "I care about you.... Deeply," she admitted. "Probably a whole lot more than's good for me. You just better come back is all."

"That's good enough to instill a passion for returning, my Lady," he bowed as a courtier would and smiled.

Caly made a face at him, wrinkling her nose and briefly drawing attention to her smattering of freckles. "All you need is the horse and you could be a Black Knight," she told him. "No shining armor for you," she couldn't help teasing.

"Not on this mission." He stepped forward and placed a hand against her cheek. "Promise me you'll stay close to Commander T'Kal, and that you'll see me when you get back." He held her eyes with a serious gaze. "Promise me. I'll believe you if you promise me, Cal."

Caly drew in a breath and frowned. "I can't promise you that. T'Kal's gonna be playing love slave to Shirik... And Shirik's going to be trying to get the codes. I'm going to be taking care of the spiders... I won't be anywhere near them...." she told him. "But I will see you when I get back.... That I can promise."

"That's the only promise I want," he breathed as he kissed her. It was a deep loving kiss that he broke softly and whispered, "I will be back for you. I promise."

She should have expected it, should have known he was going to kiss her. But he managed to take her by surprise, causing her to gasp softly and expel a huff of breath as his lips covered hers. She kissed him back, her frustrated fingers managing to find purchase somewhere on his armor. She was breathless when he broke the kiss and stared up at him. "I know you will," she agreed with a surety that surprised even her.

He gave her a nod, as if a bargain had been struck. He reached into his belt and pulled out a slender chain. He looked at it for a moment in his hand and he looked up at her. "I want you to have this," he said softly. "It was...my mother's." He held it out. It was a slender bracelet with three twined metals. "Just until I come back...you can give it back then."

Caly blinked and eyed the bracelet, her breath leaving her in a soft, clearly 'hoh-boy' kind of huff. She didn't touch it, looking up at him instead. "Tell me that's not.... Just what is it...exactly?" she asked. She was irrationally reminded of the bracelet he'd given to Shirik and didn't understand why that suddenly irritated her. "Is this a mate to Shiri's?"

"No," he said with certainty. "That's one you give to a friend...this one...this one you only give to...the woman you're going to marry." He gazed into her wide green eyes. "It's my family's Betrothal Bracelet. I'd like you to look after it for me...so that I know you'll have to give it back.."

"Marry?!" she squeaked in surprise, clearly disconcerted. She'd been afraid of that. But good gods, he said the "M" word!! Her eyes grew huge as she stared up at him and then they snapped downward and she looked at the bracelet like it was a snake that might reach out and strike her. "God damn you, Jurell..." she huffed out a heavy breath and looked back up at him. "Al-alright... I'll take care of it for you... But this doesn't mean anything, right?" she asked pointedly.

"Look after it," he smiled, "when I meet the right girl I'll have to give it to her...and if I don't...ask...for it back, you'll have to find my mother, and give it to her." He clenched her hand over it. "It means that I trust you with it.."

Caly let out a slow, shaky breath. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure he'd be able to hear it. "Okay," she agreed after a moment. "But you are going to ask for it back," she assured him with a small nod. She knew he'd really meant... 'In case I don't come back'. "You damn well better," she added.

"Trust me," he smiled. "Wear it for me...you're a Bajoran now. It can be part of your cover, a married woman is less likely to be hit on." He grinned.

"Wear it?!" she squeaked and looked flustered. "Jurell.... That wouldn't be right," she frowned deeply. "It... It would be...dishonest. It was your mother's...." She worried her bottom lip. "I can't do that... It would dishonour the meaning... The tradition."

"It would honour me." He smiled, thinking that she was the one he'd give it to anyway, but he wasn't going to say that just yet. "It just might protect your virtue...and it's not dishonest. My mother would not be upset if you wore it. When we get back you can ask her yourself," he smiled.

Caly frowned deeply. "I think your logic is flawed," she told him, still frowning. "Backwards or something... Is that a Bajoran trait? Or a you trait?" She looked down at her closed hand. "It is dishonest because it's a lie," she insisted and let her breath out in a heavy sounding huff. "I hate that you're making it an honoring you issue.... That's not fair to me," she told him. "It would be different if it were some generically replicated thing to go with the disguise." She finally looked back up at him. "But this bracelet has a deep traditional and spiritual meaning for you. I...I can't... Don't you see? I would lessen the meaning if you ever.... If we..." She let out another soft huff of breath and looked at him helplessly.

He smiled and nodded. "You mean if I ever did want you to wear it...it would lessen the meaning of it because I'd given it to you now?" His voice was very soft and his tone was gentle. "Then I'll ask you to keep it in your quarters for me. I wouldn't ever want you to feel that way. Not about this...it's too important to me. You are perfectly right. I'm sorry to have asked that. I understand. I'm glad that you see it that way. I would never want it to lose its significance for you." He placed his hand over hers and gazed into her green eyes. "You understand a lot more than you let on. You see a lot more than you think you do, too. It's part of what makes you very special. I don't know how you see through me, or understand me so well...but you do. You're an amazing woman."

Caly drew in a breath and nodded, glad he understood. Glad he wasn't hurt or offended. "Not so amazing... I just see you, even when you're hiding behind the 'roll over and give up' façade," she smiled up at him and pulled in a breath to let out in a soft huff. "I was going to keep it with me... If that's okay," she admitted. "And if you want, I'll even wear something that looks like it to give the illusion that I'm married... Just not this bracelet," she offered.

He chuckled. "Yes that's okay. I'd prefer you kept it with you...and if you want to wear something like it, I'll have it replicated." He'd watched her eyes intently and knew that for whatever reason, they understood one another extremely well. She was so beautiful. "I'll have a replacement for you after the briefing...and I have to go. So go eat something before you implode." He leaned in and hugged her, resting his cheek against hers for a moment before seeking her lips in a tender kiss.

"I will..." she whispered the words against his lips before returning the tender kiss. "And damn you...stay safe," she admonished softly when he pulled his lips from hers. "Will I see you again...before?"

"Yes," he whispered as he kissed her again, a soft caress of lips that sent a shiver down both of their spines. He stood close to her, his hands brushing against hers, only their lips touching for a moment and his azure eyes opened to regard her mist filled green ones. "Just before you go...I'll see you then."

"I'll hold you to that," she murmured softly.

He gave her a parting smile, holding her eyes as he brushed her face once more, absorbing the feel of her skin. With that he was striding away, and he didn't look back.

The soft pop of her gum echoed through the corridor after him.

---

"The Parting Of Friends"
By: Ensign Shirik Lektar
Crewman 1st Class Sorg Jurell

Location: USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22 15h03

***

Sorg Jurell wanted to say his goodbyes. Calyca would be the last, and he dreaded that one. There was so much he wanted to tell her, but he just couldn't. Giving her his Betrothal Bracelet to look after had been difficult for him. Not in the giving, but in the irrational desire to ask her to wear it for real. He'd wanted to drop to his knees and tell her that he loved her and wanted to wed her and he knew that it was wrong. Not wrong in the sense that he would be making a wrong choice for a wife - no. He knew instinctively and certainly that he would ask her, but right now would be a mistake. There was nothing like leaving on a likely one-way mission to bring out the romantic side of a person.

Life was about to end so let's do something life affirming! Usually that was a hurried lovemaking; a coupling to drive out the fear and to feel intimate and to love in a way that might bring forth new life...but that wasn't how he felt about Calyca Boothroyd. He didn't want that just yet. He wanted to make it clear that he loved her beyond any woman he'd ever met. They hadn't even talked about a sexual relationship. Though he knew she was attracted to him in the same way he was with her. He was attracted to her spirit, to her presence, to every little gesture, and look and smile and glance; to her eyes and to her walk and to her voice. Sorg Jurell was completely overwhelmed by her, yet he didn't feel over awed by her...he felt comfortable, relaxed and more content than he'd ever felt about anyone.

He thought about all these things as he sought Shirik Lektar. They were all preparing for their missions, and he knew that it would be sheer luck for both to come off successfully. Either the TAC Team would fail rescuing Salinger or the station team would have to sacrifice themselves to get the Sulu home. Everyone knew it. It was a heavy atmosphere in the Mess Hall where the people going on the missions were being spoken to with a touch of sadness as they all said their farewells. They were risking everything. They all knew what that risk was. Yet they were all prepared to do what had to be done. It made Sorg very proud to be a part of this crew. He knew without a doubt that he would sacrifice himself if he had to; for the good of the many. For the good of his family here on the Sulu. His friends, his colleagues, and the woman he loved.

Shirik was standing alone, arms folded around herself, staring out the viewport. She was alone, and to her that seemed fitting. The solitude would help her to clear her mind, and arrange her thoughts. She sensed someone approach, but didn't take her eyes from the stars outside, letting whoever it was speak.

The blonde visage with blue eyes seemed to float within the starfield as Sorg stepped closer behind her. His black armour didn't reflect light and so his head's reflection was disembodied. He smiled at her. "Hey...nice to see you back in your old body." He watched her in the view port reflection, white hair and vivid eyes floating in space.

Her reflection watched his in the viewport, but the smile that found her lips was faint at best. She thought she knew why he'd come to her. "Don't worry, Jurell... I'll do my best to make sure Caly comes back safely," she said quietly.

"I wanted to make sure you came back safely," he said quietly. He put both hands on her shoulders, his thumbs pressing into the taut flesh at the base of her neck. "You'll make sure she's okay, I know that. I wanted to make sure you didn't think that no one cares about you, because I do."

Her smile grew just a bit, but it seemed sad. "I know. More people care about me now than I ever thought they would." She raised a hand to her shoulder to touch one of his. "It's good to know. Believe me, I do want to come back if at all possible."

He turned her around and put a hand to her cheek. "You better believe it. girl." He grinned and hugged her. "Sorry about the armour...makes a good hug impossible." He lifted her rather easily and playfully swung her from side to side before putting her down.

"I will see you when you get back," he said seriously. "I'd like you to be at our wedding one day...so it's rather important to me."

She hugged him back tightly and a real smile finally found her. "I didn't realize you were that far along already... but it would be my great honor to be at your wedding. So you make sure you get back here."

"We aren't," he said ruefully, "but she's looking after my Betrothal Bracelet for me...she refused to wear it as part of her disguise because she didn't want to diminish its significance for when I did ask her to wear it." He grinned. "So she's not totally against the idea in the future...and who knows...she may not want to give it back." He shrugged and chuckled.

"I don't blame her," she said. "I knew the two of you would make a good couple... I'm so glad it worked out for you." She gave him a soft smile. "I think you'll make each other very happy."

"Either that or she kills me long before we get that far." He grinned. "Don't say I said anything, for Prophets' sake, or she'll take a piece out of me! I think you're right though." He looked at her and his face grew serious. "What were you thinking about?" he asked.

She shrugged, her smile fading. "About getting home. I'm very tired of this place."

"Yeah," he nodded. "So you and T'Kal are playing Princess and Love Slave huh?"

She rolled her eyes. "Indeed." No doubt it would be the joke of the ship once they got home, she thought.

"Watch yourself, Shiri," he said softly. "Don't get in the middle. Don't give Lyrr an excuse to take anything that happens between her and T'Kal and the Bancroft woman out on you."

As if she had any worries about Lyrr, she thought. "Don't worry, Jurell... There's no room in the middle for me anyway, even if I wanted to be there."

He looked into her eyes for a moment and then nodded. "Don't do anything stupid. Don't play the hero. Get in, do what you need to do and get out. I want you back - all of you. I'm relying on you, Shirik - look after my girl."

She nodded. "You know I'll do my best. I'll do whatever needs doing. We all will."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling. "I know." He leaned in and gave her a kiss. "I know," he said, pulling away. "But I care about you."

That brought a small smile back to her lips and a bit of darkness to her cheeks. "I know," she said softly. "I care about you, too. So you make sure you get your butt back here in one piece."

"I want to see your delicious butt back here too." He chuckled.

She rolled her eyes with a grin. "You'd better be keeping your eyes off mine and on Caly's," she teased. The conversation helped her relax, and some of the tension in her shoulders eased. She really did hope they all made it back.

"Oh I try...all the time." He grinned. He made her turn around when he saw her roll her shoulder slightly, unconsciously. He started massaging her shoulders as they faced the stars out the view port. His hands were strong and firm, but applied the exact amount of pressure. He could feel the knots and began to work on them. "You should get something to allow you to relax. You don't want to appear stressed. A Princess isn't stressed, she's completely in control of her environment," he said soothingly. "You own everything you see...am I going to get to see you in your Princess outfit?" he asked with a grin.

She closed her eyes as his hands did their work, letting out a soft sigh. "Gods, I've needed that..." she said quietly. "I haven't been sleeping well since the Enforcers came on board, and ever since Hadek...my sleep hasn't been peaceful, or long. I'm just tired, and there's no way to go on this mission and not be stressed." She smiled a bit as his hands and voice did relax her. "Maybe, I'm not sure. It's going to feel strange walking around like that again..."

"Ohh I can feel the tenseness," he said as he kneaded one side with the knife edge of his hand. "I'm sure Commander T'Kal will appreciate it."

"I guess," she said. "It will be similar to what I wore at the party, only more extravagant."

"Ahhh you mean you're going to give every male a heart attack...or something." He used his thumbs against her neck, and he noted how long and slender her neck was as he draped her regrown hair over her shoulder. He also remembered how it felt to kiss and the memory made him blush. He was glad she was facing the other way.

"Oh, I doubt it, but I'm sure there will be many eyes on me at the station, and not only because of my gown." She leaned back slightly into his hands, and started to feel sleepy as she relaxed.

"Yes, I bet." He chuckled, kneading her neck gently as he worked downward. "You know they will probably have you under very tight surveillance. Don't trust anywhere as not being watched or at least listened to. Your timing to the station is about four hours to their night cycle, so using tiredness is a good cover for some alone time. They'll watch you most likely - perhaps even record you. Have you ever used an interface module before?"

"I'm used to being watched all the time," she said. "Back home we had means of thwarting surveillance when we wanted some privacy, but I don't have those means available to me here." Her eyes opened, looking out at the stars and Jurell's reflection. "I've heard of them, but never used one myself, no. Do we have access to one?"

"Easy enough to replicate. If you can do something in plain sight that isn't taxing, like reading something that allows you to concentrate without much else, you could use one to access their computer through a standard terminal. They could watch you all night doing nothing and you'd be hacking their system. I think that would be a good solution to being constantly under surveillance. I'll get one for you. I think D'Naal actually has one for by-passing computer security systems. I heard her discussing the technical specs and their uses for the TAC Team."

"That would be perfect. I can bring some reading material with me for cover."

Jurell worked continuously at her shoulders, working from one to the other and she was weaving slightly on her feet as she remained standing. He grinned. "You really are a pussy cat aren't you?"

"Shhh...don't tell anyone," she grinned. "I have a reputation to protect."

"I won't...you're secrets are safe with me," he chuckled. "I think I should stop...before I get carried away," he added with a smirk. "I wouldn't want you so relaxed that you sleep through your mission."

She laughed softly. "I wish I could. If I can ever sleep without nightmares, I'll probably sleep for a week."

"You're having bad dreams? What about?" He sounded concerned, but his voice was still gentle; he frowned behind her back as he kept up the pressure on her shoulders.

"Hadek and pain, mostly," she said quietly.

"Well he's stewing in the Brig, and there won't be any more pain...or are you dreaming about Hadek and inflicting the pain yourself?" he grinned. "How is Saavar doing? Has he fully recovered?"

"He's a Vulcan, they're very resilient. I think it will take me a lot longer to recover than him."

"You did the right thing going to him, you know," Jurell pointed out as his thumbs dug out a tight knot under her shoulder blade. "Anyone else probably wouldn't have survived the punishment, and he knew the score didn't he?" The question was largely rhetorical, but Caly had told Jurell that Shirik blamed herself for it, thinking she should not have gone to him.

Her expression darkened and tension began creeping back into her muscles. "For all the good it did, I might as well have stayed in my room alone," she muttered. "Saavar was almost beaten to death, and all for nothing. Nothing was gained, but a lot was almost lost."

"Your life was probably saved, Shirik. You didn't get raped either. Saavar saved you from that indignity." Jurell didn't sound harsh at all, his gentle soothing tone simply continued, as did his hands. "If you'd stayed in your room I bet the three or four thugs that joined Hadek would have joined him in other ways too. Think on that."

She nodded slowly and said nothing. She didn't want to argue, and she didn't want to think about it any more. It was past, as Saavar had said, and better forgotten. The mission hadn't been uncovered, the data hadn't been decrypted, and things worked out so far. She was glad for that. She began to relax once more.

Jurell knew by the silent communication in the set of her shoulders that he'd said enough. He remained silent and continued his ministrations. They didn't have a lot of time, but they were close, and they cared about each other a great deal. He lessened his movements so that they were barely rubbing her shoulders and finally he leaned forward and kissed her shoulder. "I'll see you when you get back, Shiri. I have to go."

She smiled faintly. "Kuta kutan, Jurell," she said softly. "Stay safe."

He turned her around and hugged her close, holding her for a long moment. "Stay safe." He kissed her cheek and smiled, nodding one last time as he turned away and left her standing before the view port.

---

"Wearing Facades"
By: Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal
Commander Lyrr Tayla

Location: Sickbay, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 15h05

***

Benedict felt strange. Not himself. He stared at a reflection that was eerily familiar yet totally alien. He was still in sickbay and had just had his body remodeled after a male Rinnari. His long raven hair was transformed into a mane of silver-white that had a widow's peak and fell in a straight cord bound with a silver ring just behind his neck. It dropped in an intricate braid to his lower-back that held tiny golden beads looking very much like Human skulls. His skin was jet black, matching Shirik's exactly, with the same pointed ears and same vivid violet eyes, only the eyes were natural for Benedict. Lips were a deep shade of indigo that was almost purple. His torso glistened; the black skin making him look chiseled from adamantine metal. The Tiger tattoo had been altered also and it appeared to be a White furred beast with golden stripes, a white tiger instead of black.

He stood in black leather pants that apparently had been chosen for him by Tebrianne and Shirik. They had slashes cut in the outside leg and tucked into knee length boots of soft velvet black. A belt with a silver buckle bedecked with an assortment of throwing blades and a black metal pendant that matched House Lektar hung around his neck. His upper arms bore tribal styled tattoos in bands, reportedly to show his familial relationships.

Benedict T'Kal was supposed to be a Rinnari Bodyguard. The joke he supposed was that he used his name 'T'Kal' and what it stood for in Rinnari. He looked the part. He didn't feel the part though. He felt empty. The drug that Brennyn had prescribed was keeping him level and balanced at the cost of his emotionalism. He felt weary, and she'd said that was a side effect that lasted only a short time. It was enough to get him through the mission.

The mission he couldn't afford to fail on. They had to reach their goal and they had to make sure the Sulu got through the gate. No matter what. It was his sole focus. It had to be. Only his mind kept going back over Tebrianne's rape and how it affected him. He hated himself. What was he going to say to her? What was he going to say to Tayla? Was it worth saying anything at all? Likely as not he wasn't going to return from this mission anyway. It might even be better that way.

His concentration on his strange image was broken by a visage that appeared behind him. Lyrr Tayla. He turned, and stared into her eyes. His held a haunted quality, that hinted at the deep hurt he was feeling.

"Prophets," Lyrr breathed, smiling in awe at the transformation. "I barely recognize you!" She stopped before him with her hand in mid-air, resisting the curious temptation to touch his blackened flesh and see how well Dr. Sefton's work held up. Lyrr chuckled and pulled it away. "I hope you don't get used to this... I sort of liked the other you."

He had to smile at her reaction. "I don't think it's me." He spoke softly, and gazed into her dark eyes, seeing the little golden motes that always fascinated him. The ones that were absent in Tebrianne's dark orbs. He loved Tayla's eyes. It was a grounding realization. Something he held on to and he stepped a little closer to her. "I can get fixed back to me when we get home," he smiled.

"Can we get that light in your eyes gleaming again, too?" she asked softly, brushing a hand against his black cheek. "You're worried...I can tell, Ben. We can get someone else to do this if you don't want to."

"It's all Bajoran technology, and my time in the Maquis and the Resistance makes me the best one to handle the tactical situation on this mission." It was true, but she knew all that anyway. "It's not worry over the mission," he admitted and caught her hand in his, kissing her knuckles, and holding on to it. His eyes instantly misted over and for a moment she could see him fighting for control, his jaw clenching before he released a soft exhale that warmed her fingers. He looked up into her eyes and saw their concern and it was like a shard jabbed into his chest. "Teb.... Tebrianne...she was raped by Hadek today."

He had to clear his throat to continue. "It happened all over again, Tay. I felt it happen...I knew what was happening to her. I could feel the pain and...the bond...again..." She knew all about the first time. She knew how badly it had affected him then. He'd gone through it twice now...and she could see the stark pain in his eyes. "I can't deal with it, Tay...." It was an admission of his weakness.

"Dammit, Ben," she whispered soothingly. Easing her arms around him, she held him to her, despite how rigid and aloof he seemed. His body just didn't conform to hers as easily as it normally did. "I should pull you from this mission right now," Lyrr threatened, nuzzling her lips to his neck. "You and Tebrianne both. I don't know what this is going to do to you...and add the stress of a dangerous mission...." Lyrr sighed. "Ben... please...think about this."

He gave in to the lure of her arms and drew her in to a tight embrace, burying his face in her neck. "You know we have to do it," he said hoarsely. "She's the only one who can impersonate T'Briane. I'm going because I'm needed there, and because I need to make sure you get home." He drew away slightly, and looked once again into her eyes. "I have to make the ship safe...it's my duty." He looked down at her lips. "My fault...." and he pressed his forehead to hers. He was trembling and she felt a little flushed. He tilted her chin up and kissed her, and he melted into the kiss as she responded.

Even with the intensity of their kiss, Lyrr had sense enough not to push her fingers through his neatly woven hair, though she desired to convey her fervour through touch. There was a sadness and finality in his kiss - the way his emotions poured out fiercely as if he knew there would be no chance to express them again. Lyrr sighed when their lips parted for air, and she studied his eyes, wondering about the misery she saw there. "Ben...nothing's your fault," she whispered. "If you're doing this for redemption... I'll have you thrown into the brig right now to keep you from getting off this ship. I don't know what you're liable to do on that station...."

"I'll do whatever I need to, to make sure you get home." He lifted both hands to her face, framing her beautiful face between the blackness of his palms. "I won't let them do that to you again, Love. You're going home. I'll try to get back...but if I can't...I have to know you're safe. I have to."

A tear fell from his eye; it glistened as it traversed his black cheek. He wanted to tell her that he'd failed her. He wanted to make her angry so that she wouldn't care...so that he could be suitably punished for his weakness. He couldn't do it. He gazed into her eyes that held so much love for him and he couldn't do it. How could he be so torn between two women? Why couldn't he just choose and make it easy on all of them? Gazing into her eyes he knew it was because he loved her...he was desperately in love with her...and that feeling ripped his heart out. He deserved to remain in this hell as a just punishment for hurting this girl. When she looked at him like that...he remembered the look on her face the night he'd been so afraid to go back to their quarters...the way she had rushed out to greet him...the love he knew she felt. The emotions raging through him were clear in his eyes, the sadness, the pain, the love he had for her...especially the love. Right at this moment it outweighed everything.

"If I have to die so that you will be safe...I will. Gladly. I'll die for you, Tay...if that's what it takes."

"Well save it for someone who cares," she reproved gently and with a grin. "I can take care of my damn self, Benedict T'Kal, so don't do me any favours." There was a desperation hidden deep in her voice as she half-teased, "If you risk your life for my safety...I'll never forgive you."

He smiled wanly as he leaned in and kissed her again. He didn't want his last moments with her to be hateful ones. As he drew away from the kiss a little breathlessly, he enfolded her in his arms. "I wish we had more time," he whispered. "What ever happens, Tayla, remember how much I love you. If Matthew doesn't return, you'll be a good captain. Make sure the Sulu gets home. Hex will be the best one to replace me."

"Stop talking like that," she admonished feebly, and dug her fingernails into his back as she held him - a manifestation of her separation anxiety, and now mostly anger. He was communicating defeat, his entire demeanour bespeaking hopelessness...and Lyrr hated him for it. He professed love to her, yet he seemed to have accepted he wouldn't be returning. The contradiction enraged her, and with a strangled sob that was almost a growl, Lyrr pulled back, gripping his arms roughly despite her fingers being incapable of encircling the circumference of them. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she whispered harshly. "Ben...if you don't bloody try and come back alive...I swear I'll hate you forever. I swear it!"

He smiled at her and nodded. "Of course I'll try. I'm not going to just go out there to end it all. I have a responsibility to the team I'm leading to get them all back in one piece. Of course I will. I swear I will! I'm sorry, Love, but I'm just being realistic. I don't want to die any more than you do. I'll do my best to come back to you. I will."

Lyrr sighed tautly, and grudgingly nodded. "If Captain Salinger doesn't come back," she told him, "I want you as my first officer. Is that enough incentive to return whole? Or better yet" --Lyrr grinned, and smoothed her hands over his chest-- "when you do return...I'll let you know the name I've decided upon for our first son. How's that?"

His eyes went a little wide at that. In fact he was stunned. The offer of First Officer wasn't important. He had to swallow to get past the instant lump in his throat. He gazed into her eyes and saw that she meant it. She also knew just how much saying that meant to him. It made his guilt even heavier to bear, yet he knew for her to say that had cost her a great deal. She wanted him back. Not just to be a First Officer, but to be a husband and a father to her children. The stakes had risen immeasurably. It was what Benedict T'Kal had always yearned for. It was what he'd give everything for.

He brushed trembling fingers along her cheek, searching her eyes and unable to speak, yet his expression said more than his words could. The light in his eyes spoke volumes. He smiled, a gentle smile that seemed to banish the haunted look for a moment as he leaned in and kissed her with a tenderness and softness that swept away his cares for a little while. It was all the answer she would need, and it was more incentive to return than he needed.

Lyrr smiled serenely, keeping her eyes closed as she savoured the reassurance derived from a kiss expressing only love and affection, and no longer bearing the taint of sorrow. Cracking a single brown eye open Lyrr said, "Much better." Still not completely reconciled to the idea of allowing T'Kal to carry out the mission, Lyrr sighed and stepped back at any rate. "You don't want to miss your ride."

Benedict nodded. "I love you," he said softly. "I'll see you when I get back." He smiled.

"Be good," she reminded him, and cupped his cheek in her hand for one final moment of physical connection. Lyrr refused to display grief and apprehension to him now, not when Ben needed encouragement and strength from her. She kept reminding herself to continue smiling. "I know the Prophets will be guarding you," she whispered. "I'll make sure they do." Her eyes sparkled with the joy she was trying so desperately to keep a hold of, and before it could dissipate among the welling tears, Lyrr retreated from sickbay.

He watched her go, with the be good echoing behind her. He'd tried that. At least Tebrianne was off on another mission entirely. Then he realized why she'd said it. He was supposed to be Lektar's pillow as Farrell had put it. He smiled at that. He doubted that there would be any time at all in which to be other than good. They had a lot to do when the got to where they were going. Her acceptance of his inner-most desire only fuelled his love for Lyrr and yet also made it more painful.

He couldn't shake the feelings and the impressions that had reached him through the bond; Tebrianne had been in pain, she'd been so deathly afraid, and yet he had also felt her desire and her acceptance of the brutal enforcer. Had she been treated like Tayla had in her youth? Had she been used and broken to the pain? It was an agonizing sensation for him to know what she had felt. It placed a distance between them that was widening the more he came to terms with what he had felt. Brennyn Scott had been right - Benedict had been subjected to the same violation as Tebrianne and the bond had subjected him to so much pain now and in the past that it was a feared thing, rather than a welcome attachment.

The deep truth was that Benedict couldn't cope with the unnatural Romulan bond. It was alive again rather than buried, and his damaged psyche was rejecting it.

---

"Keep Your Powder Dry"
By: Lieutenant Mark Thaine, Chief of Engineering
CPO Patrick Riley, Engineering Crewchief
CPO Calyca Boothroyd, Engineering Crewchief

Location: USS Sulu, Diagnostics Section, Engineering
Stardate: 57910.22, 15h10

***

Calyca had sent a missive ahead to Engineering, letting them know what the away team needed... Something to mask their own quantum signatures and to emit the proper ones for this universe. She'd sent along Dr. Sefton's recordings and tagged on a message that she was going to grab something to eat along with some of the Enforcers' communication devices and would be down directly.

She'd been "altered" by the time she strode into Engineering on heeled boots that she loathed. She was also looking very Bajoran. She was wearing a Bajoran styled amber dyed uniform in skin-tight leather that had adhered to every curve of her body. She had on both a Bajoran earring and Betrothal bracelet, and thanks to Doctor Sefton sported some cute little nose ridges. She didn't look especially happy.

She was wearing her ball cap, Bajoran disguise be damned, carrying her own pack, and eating an apple. "I got their comm badges," she announced to Paddy a moment before dumping about a dozen on the workbench in front of him.

The older engineer did a double take. "Booter?"

"Oh, don't you start, Paddy," she wrinkled her now cutely ridged nose at him and exposed that smattering of freckles, all while giving him a long-suffering look. "You wouldn't believe the looks I've gotten..."

"I can only imagine," Riley said with a twitch of his eyebrow. He gave her an appraising look of his own and then stood up to place both hands on his hips. "Well now, Lass...that's quite the makeover Doctor Sefton gave you." Paddy smiled and then looked at the badges Caly had provided. Picking one up, Riley asked, "You think modifying these will reduce the quantum signature?"

"Hope so... Unless you got an idea?" She moved over to his side and looked at the comm badge in his hands. "I thought if we used their equipment there'd be no chance of it giving off some weird signature from our universe." She took a bite of the apple and pointed to the comm badge. "We'll need to alter the transporter transponder to our transporters too," she added as she settled her pack on the workbench beside him and opened it up to let the spiders crawl out.

Paddy carefully opened the comm badge. "We might be able to mask the team's signatures by broadening this badge's frequency range a bit...maybe boost its signal strength too." He laid both halves under an optical enhancer. "But you know as well as I do, the best we can hope for is to dilute your quantum signature so it's not a glaring red flag to their sensors. To do anymore would take more time than we have, Lass." Riley put his face up to the cushioned eyepiece and began to probe the device with a tiny pick-like tool.

"Aye, Paddy," she nodded and slipped up onto a stool, picking up the first spider she needed to modify. "But it's better than nothing," she commented. "And it's all we have... I need to get these spiders done." She settled in to work alongside him, letting him and the other engineers take care of the comm badges. "At least I won't feel like I'm walking in there with my rear end hanging out in the breeze."

His hands stopped working, and then Chief Riley sat back to look over at Calyca. "Eh? What do you mean by that, Booter?"

Caly glanced up from one of her spiders and quirked a brow at him. "Masking our signatures... I won't feel so exposed if they are... And I really feel exposed enough as it is... Why, what'd you think I meant?"

A slight blush rose to his cheeks. "Nothing, Lass, nothing at all..." Paddy refocused his attention back onto the enhancer and the opened comm badge. But mentally speaking, the chief had this picture of Calyca running around the Empire's DS9 with her derrière hanging out for all to see....

He shrugged to himself and went back to work.

His petite sidekick watched him for a moment and then shrugged before going back to her spiders. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wasn't a perfectly acceptable form of dress in this universe... It does seem a rather perverse kind of place if you ask me..." she commented idly and cast another glance in his direction. "Good thing I'm not an exhibitionist," she added with a soft snort. "Cover my figurative butt, Paddy, and the literal one will be forever grateful."

Paddy replied, "Aye, they seem to go for the more...aggressive clothing styles here." The engineer listened as his hands made an adjustment to the comm badge's frequency modulation circuit; he gradually increased its bandwidth range so the device could broadcast a wider signal swath to mask the away team's quantum signature. Riley pulled his eyes away from the machine and gave Calyca a mischievous look. "Consider it done, Lass..."

From seemingly nowhere, the Chief Engineer of the vessel appeared alongside the two engineers. "All set for this, Booter?" Thaine asked, leaning upon the workbench next to her.

Caly blinked in surprise at his sudden appearance, but didn't jump like she had earlier that morning. "Well, if it's all the same to you, sir," she began. The haunted look in her eyes was mostly hidden behind the half-impish 'working' mask she'd adopted. "I'd rather run naked through a room full of drunken Irishmen, swapping their whiskey with bourbon," she deadpanned, not even looking at Paddy. "But since that's probably a 'no-go', this'll do just fine for an evening's entertainment." She didn't have to mention the risks involved, or the real unlikelihood of her returning. They all knew them.

Riley let both eyebrows wrinkle at her deadpan, while trying to figure out if someone would be so bold as to swap perfectly good whiskey for bourbon in a room full of drunken Irishmen...it was simply a horrifying thought to contemplate....

Thaine put a hand to Caly's shoulder. "Do us proud, Booter," he said. "And I'll see you for breakfast when you're back."

She actually laughed a little at that. "Sausages and ice cream, sir?" she couldn't help asking.

"If you really want," said Thaine, giving her a faint smile for a moment, before he turned away, returning to his busy schedule of getting the ship prepared for its escape.

Paddy motioned with his shoulder in Thaine's direction. "That's quite a change for the Chief..."

Caly watched him go and then looked back to Paddy with a curious expression and a brow arched in question. "Oh? You mean because he wants sausages?"

He waggled a finger in response. "No that he'd eat ice cream." The older engineer's face had just a hint of mirth on it. "Think of what the lower decks will say about that."

"Oh! Well shush... He eats ice cream... With toppings," she told him with a crooked smile. "But that was just me being cocky to suggest it with sausage," she added.

With a mock display of incredulity, Paddy put his hand on his chest. "And I thought you were such a good NCO too." The Irishman was trying to keep from smiling when he said (trying to keep up his act), "I will have to report this to the MCPO ya know..."

Caly blinked and quirked a brow at him. "Hmmm... Think she eats ice cream too?" She grinned impishly at him. "Or just sausages? We may have to get more toppings..."

Riley nodded sagely. "Aye, I'm sure she does...for both." He grinned and turned back to the enhancer. "I suppose I better get this adjustment made so that you can be on your way." His hands went back to their machinations.

"Right I have to get this finished too and I still have some personal things to take care of." She smiled a little wryly and got back to work on the spiders. The pair worked quietly side by side until they both looked up about the same time. Caly was starting to put the spiders away in her pack and glanced over to see how he was doing.

After few quiet minutes passed, the Irish engineer offered, "See how this works, Booter..." Paddy's intentions were clear that Caly should perform a test scan to see if his adjustments were adequate for the task at hand.

"Aye, Paddy..." She activated her tricorder and 'scanned' him. "Hmmm... Looks good... You're giving off the same readings as the Enforcers." She looked up and smiled at him. "You got seven of them for me? Or is that the first?" she asked.

Paddy answered matter-of-factly as he snapped the cover back on, "This is the first of seven. I'll instruct my helpers here on how to do the proper modifications, and you'll be on your way in no time at all, Lass." The Irishman turned his head to give instructions to three young crewmen sitting on the other side of him.

Caly propped her chin in her hand and her elbow on the workbench, watching the older Chief and his 'helpers', who she smiled a little at and tried not to look so weird with her Bajoran nose, earring and skin-tight uniform. "Alrighty. What can I do to help?" she asked, her gaze settling on Paddy.

Having relayed the proper instructions, he began modifying another communications device; Riley never looked up from his work. "Take this one," his hand moved to grasp another nearby badge, which was then promptly offered to her, "adjust the upper frequency to 93 Gigahertz, and the lower band to 100 Hertz...then change both modulation circuits to oscillate at 22 micro-pulses per second while making sure the feedback doesn't interfere with reception..."

Caly took the comm badge from him and nodded as he spoke. "Got it." She pulled her tools out and went to work on the badge. "Can you get transporter locks on these? Just in case?" she asked curiously, not looking up from the sensitive adjustments he'd instructed her to do; Boothroyd's deft hands moving quickly to complete her work.

He worked on for several moments not immediately answering her query before closing his modified comm badge. "Aye, I can reprogram the Sulu's transporter parameters to compensate for the unusual signal. You shouldn't have any problems with their transporters though..." Riley took her tricorder and scanned the small device. Satisfied it was working as planned, he grabbed another.

She glanced over at him then. "M'not worried about their transporters...I'm worried about something happening and not being able to get the hell out of there in time," she admitted. "A backup never hurts, right? So... just keep the signal on the back burner? In case?"

The Transporter Chief looked up. "True, but then you may need to remember that if something happens while we're trying to get you lot off that space station...and yes Booter, I'll have our transporters cocked and ready to go when the signal is given..." He gave her a little wink. "I wouldn't want my favorite Irishman to get left behind, now would I?"

Caly laughed softly and wrinkled her nose at him. "Course not. Who you gonna go drinking and singing with then? Especially as you can't carry a tune," she teased. "I won't forget, Paddy."

"Good, good." Riley cocked an eyebrow. "I can't sing? Since when?" Before Calyca could answer, the three crewmen handed Paddy two comm badges apiece. Combined with the one Caly had modified and his two, they now had nine modified communications devices...it was enough for the first team to get started. The chief motioned to his helpers. "Alright, Lads, let's get the others done...we still have another team to outfit...."

Caly grinned at his 'since when?' and then her attention turned to the crewmen and the modified comm badges. "Thanks, Paddy, and you too, guys," she nodded to the crewmen. "I can help you do one more before I have to take off. I still have that personal stuff to take care of before the runabout heads out," she told the older Chief.

There was a round of head nods as the younger crewmen acknowledged her thanks; all three men took a moment to take in Boothroyd's form fitting, leather inspired, Bajoran outfit before returning to their prospective work bench spots. They all wore silly grins as each started back to work.

Paddy smiled to himself and Caly while muttering, "More balls than brains this lot..." He turned and regarded the petite engineer. "That's the second time you've mentioned personal business, Lass...that someone special we talked about in Medical?"

Caly glanced over at the three grinning crewmen and smirked at Paddy's comment, looking up at her cohort and nodded at his question. "Aye. I wanted to say goodbye, and I have some letters to write... You know the ones," she gave him a wry, 'we don't usually talk about that stuff, but it's still there', look.

The Irishman tipped his head slightly to acknowledge Booter's look. He did, in fact, know what she meant...he'd done it a few times in his Starfleet career of 26 years. Paddy smiled warmly and placed a big hand on Calyca's shoulder. Squeezing it softly, the big man said, his face filled with concern, "In the words of my great, great...well...long ago grandpa, 'Keep Your Powder Dry', Lass. Bring everyone back in one piece and alive..."

"Keep my powder dry?" Caly laughed a little and nodded. "Aye, Paddy. I'll keep it dry and bring everyone back kicking and screaming if I have to," she added, smiling warmly and reaching up to squeeze his hand in response. "And you... You just get your Irish butt through the gate and back home in one piece or I'm going to get pretty damned cranky," she mock threatened.

Riley laughed quietly. "I know you will, Booter. So will I." When she squeezed his hand, and then threatened him, albeit mockingly, Paddy winked and riposted, "And we can't have that can we now?" He let his eyes connect with hers for a brief moment. They said silently, You be careful, Lass...that's no cake walk you're in for...

"No we can't because, trust me, you do not want a Italian-French red-head getting cranky on your butt, it's not a pretty sight at all," she gently teased and sighed softly at his look, giving him an encouraging smile meant to reassure him that she would indeed be careful.

"I can just imagine the pain now..." The Irishman smiled and dropped his hand off her shoulder. With a little brushing motion towards the door, he said, "Now you have a shuttle to catch Booter. I'm sure 'Commander T'Kal will not take kindly to a key member of his team being late for a mission..."

Caly kept most of what she was thinking to herself. She gave him a crooked smile and gathered her things. "Keep a glass of whiskey warm for me, Paddy," she told him. "And I'll collect it when I get back." And with a final wave and warm look, she left Engineering and headed to her quarters.

The big Irishman said, "Aye, I'll do that, Lass." He waved back and watched her leave; his face showed the concern of a paternal older brother. Paddy uttered to himself, "You better come back...I'll never be able to handle Paperklip by myself..."

---

"Last Minute Assignment"
By: Commander Lyrr Tayla
Ensign Shirik Lektar

Location: Corridor, Deck 5, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22, 15h15

***

Lyrr was determined not to be seen betraying any trace of sadness, not while in command of the ship and required to lead her crew into certain danger, possibly death. In all the chaos of the past week, the crew needed a clear leader, one they could trust and have faith in. They wouldn't find that in Lyrr if she crumbled before them and fretted incessantly over Ben's safety.

His choice had been made, and as his fiancée, Lyrr disapproved, but as his commanding officer, she had to respect his decision, his willingness to perform his duty. That was her duty, even if it was a trial to execute it when she'd much rather forbid him to go. This was one of the first true tests of their ability to separate personal desires from their obligation as Starfleet officers...and Lyrr was determined not to fail.

She nodded absently to a passing ensign, still absorbed in her thoughts. It was only when the striking, violet eyes struck her perception that Lyrr rejoined reality and achieved recognition. "Ensign Lektar?" she asked in disbelief.

Shirik herself was lost in thought and didn't notice Lyrr until she heard the voice and looked up in surprise. Her expression quickly became neutral. "Commander," she greeted with a nod.

She slowed to a halt, encouraging Shirik to do the same. The two women now faced each other in the deserted corridor, Lyrr smiling tensely and Shirik completely unreadable. It was time to present herself as a competent leader and take charge, not balk when encountering a woman with whom she had an awkward history. She could have been the woman wearing Ben's bracelet now - Lyrr was justified in feeling slightly threatened by her, though in matters relating to duty, she was secure in her authority over Shirik. Her smile came easier, then. "You'll be on the station soon.... I have a request to make."

Shirik folded her hands behind her back, looking completely calm. She nodded. "What request?"

"A mission request," Lyrr clarified. "I'm well aware of your computer skills...and a certain project under development requires use of those talents." Searching her impassive gaze, Lyrr asked, "How successful might you be in acquiring shield frequencies for the ships currently deployed outside the gate?"

"Saavar and I already were able to gain frequencies for the Windsor by using the equipment in the astrometrics lab to study the background stars as the Windsor passed by them. But doing so takes time and is a tedious process. It likely wouldn't be difficult to get them once I'm inside the system, if in fact they are stored there, but you realize they'd only be effective for one volley of weapons fire, before the frequencies are re-modulated?"

"That's all we need," Lyrr replied. "Just one hit."

She nodded. "All right. I can look for them while I'm looking for the codes. I can't guarantee I'll find them, and they won't be my highest priority, but I'll do what I can."

"You will make it one of your priorities," Lyrr declared firmly. "If you can't get them all, focus on those ships who pose the greatest threat."

Shirik regarded her with a raised eyebrow. "I said it wouldn't be my highest priority, but it will be a priority," she reiterated.

Lyrr nodded curtly. "Good. When you acquire them, please have them delivered to Lieutenant Thaine."

"Assuming we make it back, I will. I doubt whether I'll be able to transmit any information to the Sulu while still on board the station."

"We can arrange for a secured frequency...though I'd rather if you delivered them personally, if only to assure that you do return alive." Lyrr smiled, though her discomfort showed through as she said, "I know you'll be working closely with Commander T'Kal on the station.... I trust you'll ensure one another's safety?"

"I have no intention of returning without him," she said. It was clear in her expression that she was ready and willing to do whatever it took to see him safely home.

Lyrr lowered her eyes as she muttered a thank-you. "He's in a bad state," she continued without consciously realizing it. "If he were stable...I wouldn't worry so much, but he's not...." Clearing her throat, Lyrr again met Shirik's gaze. "Don't let him do anything stupid."

Shirik's gaze softened a bit. "I know," she said quietly. "And I won't."

Lyrr's gratitude was obvious in her relieved sigh, and her grateful nod. "Well...good luck, Ensign. And do your best."

"Good luck to you also, Commander," she said.

"I'm relying on more than luck to get us through this," Lyrr commented amiably. "I think Captain T'Briane has underestimated this crew long enough."

"I just hope we haven't underestimated her as well," she said seriously.

For once, she allowed a nearly friendly smile for Shirik. "If you're looking for Ben, I last saw him in sickbay. I imagine his appearance will...surprise you."

She paused for a moment then nodded. "No doubt it will. Did it surprise you?"

"Admittedly...it did," Lyrr confessed with a brief chuckle. "He appears far more intimidating and imposing a figure than he naturally is. I imagine, though, you're used to encountering such men on your world."

"For the most part, the men on my world are not intimidating, the women are." She smiled a bit. "The men are subservient to us. Men such as he... there are none like him where I am from."

"In personality," Lyrr asked with mild amusement, "or appearance?"

"Both."

"You know," Lyrr mused, her smile significant, "I understand completely, Ensign. Though, I'm sure there will be another like him to come along eventually." Realizing the conversation was plummeting quickly into the realm of the hyper-personal, Lyrr reassumed her serious, professional expression and demeanour. "Well...we will speak again soon, no doubt. No matter what, Ensign, you've performed commendably this mission. Congratulations." And sparing no time, Lyrr bowed her head curtly and proceeded past the Drokari woman.

Shirik's expression darkened a fraction before she too put her previously neutral expression back on her face. She inclined her head in acknowledgement of the compliment, and watched Lyrr briefly for a moment before resuming her own way down the corridor.

---

"Always"
By: Ensign Ainsley Chambers; Counselor
Ensign Mason Farrell; Operations Officer

Location: USS Sulu, Shuttlebay
Stardate: 57910.22 15h20

***

Mason was ensconced in his work. Turning a Federation runabout into a more Drokari-looking ship was a chore, but it was almost together now. The parts had been fabricated and tinted properly, and now it was just a matter of reassembly. He was resealing a hull plate, freshly painted a deep glossy black, when he heard the voice from behind him.

"Mason?" Ainsley called as she approached the runabout where he was working. She knew that he was most likely very busy but she really needed to talk to him. Just the sight of him made her feel like she might break down again.

He whipped his head to the voice, smiled, and excused himself to Markham and Finn.

"Hey there," he drawled, smiling genuinely as he hopped off the nacelle and approached her. "How's my lady?"

"Thank you," Ainsley said softly.

"For what?" Mason asked, reaching her.

"For smiling," she managed to get out before her lip quivered away her speech. "Mason," she couldn't hold the tears back, "something awful happened."

His smile faded as he remembered the time he'd thanked her for smiling. Glancing back at the Runabout, he steered her behind the next shuttle over. "What happened?"

"I was walking to my office and I saw these two enforcers in the corridor. They freaked me out a little..." She told him the entire story, in as much detail as she was able. She broke down further when she got to the point where her attacker was killed right before her eyes. "...and he told me to remember that when I make my choice."

Mason stood there, stunned, for a single second, and then enveloped her in his arms. The gesture got her really crying, and she buried her face in his jacket and let it all go. He just held her, behind a shuttle, staring at the ceiling to keep his own tears back, whispering soothing things while Finn and Markham sang to each other about pirates on the other side of the next ship, for a long time.

Finally, when the sobs had died away, he lowered his head and whispered softly, "I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Her fuzzy mind was not able follow what he was saying.

"I wanted to protect you, somehow," his mouth was centimeters from her ear, as he hadn't released her from his embrace. "I. . . I'm sorry."

She shook her head; she didn't want him feeling guilty for any reason. She sniffed slightly. "I beat a woman, after." She was feeling badly about attacking Briggs. "I took out everything on her."

His mind whirling, Mason had a fleeting image of an unconscious enforcer lying on the floor of a turbolift, what he could have done, and what he should have done, but pushed it away, inhaling the scent of her hair and closing his eyes to try and form up his thoughts.

"I love you," he breathed, and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too," she replied, hugging him tighter, wanting to push out all the awful visions and thoughts from the last little while. Wanting to hold on to a small sliver of goodness.

He held her silently long enough to mentally imprint the feel of it so he could remember it later, and then whispered, "Ainsley, I. . . I'm going to be going to the station." The words were slow and measured. "We're hoping to find a way to get the Sulu home. But to do that we may have to. . . stay behind."

"Stay behind?" She leaned back so that she could look in his eyes. "You're..." She took a deep breath, she didn't know if she could handle him talking about leaving her right now. "You're talking about not coming back at all."

"This thing's a longshot on its best day, Ainsley," Mason murmured. "If the team's got to choose, the Sulu gets priority. Good of the many," he added, attempting a cavalier smile.

Ainsley grimaced, "You don't do a very good Vulcan impression, and I've always hated that philosophy."

"I just," Mason paused, "I just need you to consider the possibility. I need you to understand that. . . that if I don't come back--"

She couldn't hear it; she placed a finger to his lips to silence him. "Shh!" she said with a shake of her head.

He kissed her finger, and brought up a hand to hold hers against his chest. "It's got to be said, Ainsley. I love you, and if I can get back to you, I will. Don't doubt that. Please."

"I know," she responded softly.

"So if I don't get back, you've got to let me go," he whispered.

She looked up at him, her eyes wide, questioning.

He kissed her forehead, then looked into her eyes. "If I don't get back, it's because I'm dead, and you'll have to let me go."

"You can't," she paused for a moment to stop her voice from catching, "you can't ask me that now. We haven't even explored everything that we are to each other yet. Mason." She stopped as a soft sob escaped. She gripped him tightly and shivered against his chest silently, fighting to not lose control again.

He'd said what needed to be said, and she'd heard it. Torturing her with it would accomplish nothing, Farrell decided. "If there's any way I can get back, I will," he repeated.

"You'd better," she responded, hitting the palm of her hand against his chest.

"Count on it," he affirmed. "I'll steal a workpod and ride Sulu's wake if I have to."

A small smile came to her lips; she could see him doing exactly that. It was the sort of crazy thing he'd do, after all.

"And above all else, remember that I will always, unfailingly, unflaggingly, unflinchingly, unimpeachably, love you," he said. "Without exception, preamble, or proviso, I will love you," he added, his voice picking up a bit of mock sonorousness, and a smile starting. "As the depths of the ocean, so shall my love be." He paused to think of another one. "Like the mountain is solid, my love shall never fail." He visibly tried to think of another one. "Um--"

"Stop telling me about it and show me," she said, reaching up and placing her hand behind his head as she pulled him down into a kiss.

He kissed her more passionately than he'd ever kissed anyone else, and she kissed him right back; both seeking to lose themselves, if only for a moment, in the pure sensation of closeness to the other. The shuttlebay fell away. The ship disappeared. The pressures of the whole crazy mission and Starfleet and enforcers and threats and violence, all faded, if only for a single glorious moment. All that remained was the longing, the tenderness, the passion, all the love they'd built, and their kiss brought them even more of it all.

Finally their lips parted, Mason straightened up slightly and rested his forehead against hers. Ainsley kept her eyes closed and rested her hands on his shoulders. "I'll never forget you, Mason, no matter what."

"I'll do everything I can to never make you have to," he breathed.

---

"New Faces"
By: Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal, Chief Of Security
Ensign Shirik Lektar, Operations

Location: Sickbay, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22, 15h25

***

Benedict stepped out of Sickbay and made his way to the armoury. He wasn't there long, getting what he needed in a grim gathering of some of his private weapons. By the time he'd finished he was bedecked with a few blades, throwing weapons and his sword, and a few surprises. He left the armoury officers staring at his new visage. He was starting to put his game face on. Getting into the right attitude for the mission was difficult. He was weighted down with thoughts of Tebrianne and Tayla. Tayla's devotion and Tebrianne's betrayal. She'd desired the dark enforcer as much as she'd despised him. Lusted after him as much as shamed. He'd felt it all. Yet he couldn't escape the fact that he loved her beyond that, and he loved Tayla just as much. It was tying him in a Gordian Knot.

He stepped out of the turbo lift with his sheathed katana loosely held in his left hand. He left three female crew members staring after him with bemused smiles and a giggle as the tall, heavily built Rennari stepped into Sickbay. He'd come looking for the medication that Brennyn Scott had prescribed for him, and it was handed over quickly.

Shirik Lektar was the next face to walk through the door, and she saw him for the first time in his guise as a member of her race.

His long raven hair was transformed into a mane of silver-white that had a widow's peak and fell in a straight cord bound with a silver ring just behind his neck. It dropped in an intricate series of braids to his lower-back that held tiny golden beads looking very much like Human skulls. His skin was jet black, matching Shirik's exactly, with the same pointed ears and same vivid violet eyes, only the eyes were natural for Benedict. Lips were a deep shade of indigo that was almost purple. His torso glistened; the black skin making him look chiseled from adamantine metal. The Tiger tattoo had been altered also and it appeared to be a White furred beast with golden stripes, a white tiger instead of black.

He stood in black leather pants that apparently had been chosen for him by Tebrianne and Shirik. They had slashes cut in the outside leg and tucked into knee length boots of soft velvet black. A belt with a silver buckle bedecked with an assortment of throwing blades and a black metal pendant that matched House Lektar hung around his neck. His upper arms bore tribal styled tattoos in bands, reportedly to show his familial relationships.

Shirik strode into sickbay, still in her uniform but back to her normal self, long hair intact once more, and looked around. Even though Lyrr had warned her, and she'd known Ben was now Rennari, unconsciously she still looked for his familiar self, and when her eyes finally caught sight of him she stopped moving, her breath caught in her throat. She couldn't help but stare, her gaze moving slowly over him from top to bottom. He was the most magnificent Rennari male she'd ever laid eyes on, mainly because he was unusually tall and muscular for a Rennari male. It was a moment or two before she started breathing again, and she consciously tried to compose her features once more before moving towards him.

"Well... Dr Sefton did do an admirable job," she said quietly, unable to stop her eyes from moving over him in wonder.

Benedict turned to regard the Drokari Princess. His smile at her obvious reaction to his new image was self-conscious. "I pass then?" he asked with a widening grin at the flush that had crept to her cheeks. He was adept at seeing her blush, although it was barely noticeable. "Do I look right?"

"You look.... Yes," she said. She turned her mind to analyzing the technical aspect of his disguise, and reached to touch the amulet hanging against his chest. "Remove this. Only females wear an Amulet of House," she said quietly. "You're significantly taller and more muscular than most Rennari males, but that will only help to explain why I might have chosen you." She felt the heat in her cheeks and dropped her hand once more.

He raised a slanted brow archly. "What...I wasn't chosen for my intelligence?" His muscular arms bunched as his placed fists on hips. His skin was the black metal of her pendant, and his whole body was smoothly hairless, as Rennari were. His braids made a slight whispering sound as they dangled against his back.

She swallowed and tried not to look like she was staring. "Umm, no." She smiled a bit self-consciously. "One like you would obviously serve as a bodyguard as well as a...bed-mate. Still, you will need to behave like a servant. I'll have to brief you on proper behavior before we leave."

"Yes, Mistress." He bowed, his violet eyes fixing hers, a slight smile gracing his fuller darker lips. As he leaned forward the white tiger with the golden stripes reared across his back.

"You can call me Highness or Princess," she said quietly, as her eyes were drawn to the tiger. "Your tattoo changed color, too?" she asked. "Turn around, let me see...."

He nodded and did as he was told. He swept the longer hair out of the way, the beads clacking at the fifty or so intricate braids that hung to his lower back. Shirik's Kemla was sheathed in his belt behind his back. An S shaped throwing blade rested on his hip in a belt sheath.

Her eyes followed the braids as they were swept aside, liking the sound of the beads. Then they shifted to the now white tiger prowling his back. Her hand moved without her command, her fingers reaching to touch it, tracing the design on his skin with an indrawn breath. She caught sight of the kemla in his belt and her fingers moved down his back before leaving the skin to remove the weapon and examine it, making sure it was hers and undamaged. She was glad for the moment to have something else to look at.

The trail of her fingers down his spine wasn't missed by the several nurses all watching them and it made him involuntarily shiver as it tickled him. The two Drokari were so different that they were the center of attention, especially the way Shirik seemed to be admiring Benedict. Most of them had seen Shirik at the dance, and they were watching her reactions intently, as most of the crew didn't know what to believe about Benedict, Lyrr, Tebrianne and Shirik, except that Benedict seemed to be in the middle. Benedict was self-conscious about the languid way she had trailed her fingers down his back, tracing the tattoo that strangely Tebrianne and Lyrr were wont to do - or had done in the past.

She cleared her throat softly. "Well, it's...interesting. And I see you are armed to the teeth. Thank you for bringing back my kemla." She examined the gleaming black blade and decided it needed sharpening after its encounter with her tabletop.

He tossed the white hair back over his shoulder and turned back to her. "No problem - do I have one? Or does any weapon count for me?" He was trying to put the Game Face back on, and he felt like a piece of meat hanging off a rack in Sickbay. "Shall we go elsewhere to discuss the details? Your quarters? You'll need to show me eating etiquette and the behaviour I'm supposed to know."

"No, males aren't normally allowed to carry any weapons at all, unless they're a bodyguard. Kemlas are a personal item, like the amulet that females carry. Besides, you seem to have plenty of blades already." She smiled, but like him she was also trying to put her neutral face back on. She nodded. "Very well. You can learn walking technique on the way." She turned to head off out of sickbay, speaking once more when he caught up. "Normally the Princess will be surrounded by her bodyguards. Given where we're going, Taylor would walk in front of me, and you behind. Although you are a bodyguard you are also a servant. That means you do not speak to anyone without my leave to do so, and you do not directly meet anyone's eyes for more than a brief moment unless told otherwise."

"What about as a Bodyguard? Not meeting a challenging eye contact can get you killed?" he asked as they walked out of Sickbay. He walked behind her and to her right.

"Indeed. As a bodyguard you would of course have to be alert at all times to any threats to my person. Since we'll be among non-Drokari that won't be a problem. Just remember you can't act too aggressively, since you're supposed to be a servant, and acting that way on Drokar would get you punished swiftly. Any aggression on your part should only be in direct answer to aggression from someone else in my direction." As they stepped into a turbolift she folded her arms, thinking about what else he'd have to know. "Deck 3."

He stood watching her as the lift moved. "Okay, so I follow you around, don't talk unless you tell me to, avoid eye contact as much as possible and only react to threats directed at you. What about threats directed at me? Just ignore them until I have to respond?"

"Nobody should have any reason to attack a servant, it would be considered cowardly and rude unless of course they were doing so to get to me. In which case, yes, defend yourself, because you'd be defending me. Taylor won't have nearly as many restrictions, because she's female. And if she gets violet eyes like yours, all the better, because then she'll be nobility."

"Yes, but we aren't dealing with Drokari. We're in Empire space here and they have their own rules." He crossed his arms, his katana still gripped in a fist so that it lay along his body.

She nodded. "True. But you shouldn't be attacked there either unless they want to attack me, or we're trying to blow them up and escape," she smiled. She kept her gaze on her kemla as she further composed herself from her earlier startlement at his appearance.

The lift stopped and the door opened and they startled a crewmember getting in as they got out. As they walked away from the lift he said, "I've never been stared at as much as this...how do you manage it?"

She smiled at his question. "You get used to it, especially if you're a princess. You get stared at a lot, although since I came on this ship I haven't been stared at much after the first week or so. I got it a lot at the academy." She shrugs. "I never really minded it, it's like being a celebrity. You should be glad to be stared at, not many people are worthy of staring."

"I hate it," he said, meaning it. "I'm used to being inconspicuous." He grinned. "Mostly."

"As an assassin, I imagine you had to be," she said.

They arrived at her quarters and a few seconds later the door closed and he laid his blade on the table. "I could do with a Raktajino...it's been days."

"Are the replicators back online?" she asked as she moved to lay her own blade on her bed.

"Yes, thank The Prophets...real food. Which reminds me I'm hungry. Is there anything special I should know about food requirements; do I taste everything before you do?" he smirked.

"No, that's not very effective, especially if a poison is slow-acting," she smiled faintly. "Normally we scan everything with a tricorder before eating." She paused in thought, and was suddenly shocked to realize how little she'd eaten in the past four days. She'd been living mostly on klaas. Perhaps that might explain her sleep troubles. "I'm hungry too, now that you mention it," she said. "Can you get me a sandwich while I clean up?" She disappeared into the bathroom.

"Yes Highness." He bowed slightly, almost a little irritated that she'd beaten him to the request. He'd been about to ask her to get him something! He complied, busying himself with preparing an assortment of Bajoran sandwich fillers and a couple of long flat loaves of Kaja Bread; a crusty shell and soft flesh that was delicately spiced and mouth watering when served warm with a variety of fillings. He brought them to the dining table and made himself a large snack. A steaming mug of klaas sat by her plate and a Raktajino beside his. He gulped at the Klingon coffee substitute, feeling the effects of it almost instantly. The smell of klaas was pungent in the air, but he put up with it - he'd have to; he was Rennari.

She reappeared from the bathroom a short time later wearing a clean robe, her hair hanging loose. She looked over the assortment curiously as she settled at the table and her nostrils flared at the scent of klaas. As she sat, her stomach growled loudly, causing her cheeks to darken slightly. She started filling a plate. "On the station I'll probably avoid drinking klaas," she said. "It would look suspicious if I did but the other Rennari with me didn't."

"Doctor Sefton gave us a pill to take," he smiled. "It counters the klaas' acidity and works for several hours. So we can drink it without adverse affects. That woman has an eye for detail." He chomped into the sandwich and concentrated on eating. Tebrianne came to mind then. He had to see her before he left. There wasn't a lot of time, and she was heading off to a mission as dangerous as theirs. Part of him dreaded seeing her; but he couldn't not see her. He could still feel her in his mind if he concentrated on it, and she was still hurting, still feeling the shame...the shame of wanting the senior enforcer. That had hurt Benedict more than anything could have. He'd felt it and it made him feel sick just thinking about it. He looked sullen as he ate, almost ripping into the food.

"Ingenious," she smiled. It was a detail she'd been concerned about. She dug into her food like she was starving, and watched Ben as she ate. She knew he had a lot on his mind, a lot to deal with. She started to say something, but thought better of it. She concentrated on the food, and filling herself with it. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until she got some food.

"I promised Bree...Lieutenant Scott, that I'd let someone on the away team know about my...situation. I'm going to tell Sefton too."

She raised an eyebrow at the correction, but turned her attention to what he was about to say.

He seemed uncomfortable, looking at his food rather than at her. "You already know that I told you before about the bond I shared with Tebrianne? It's still there...more than ever. I... feel what she feels." He sighed and put down the remains of the sandwich. "She was raped and beaten, Shirik. I felt all of it... Brennyn didn't want me to go on the mission. I convinced her otherwise." He looked up at her. "I felt all of it, Shirik, but Prophets...I know she wanted it too...and she feels ashamed for that; but she actually wanted that bastard Hadek...after he used the painstick on her." His eyes welled up with tears and he felt a wave of sadness coupled with the revulsion and the violation of that desire she'd had.

She nodded slowly, remembering when she'd asked him about the bond in the arboretum, and whether it was still there. It seemed he now knew the answer. She frowned, her food forgotten and reached across the table for his hand. She now more than ever understood the power behind a bond, and how big an impact it can have. "She was a slave here," she said quietly. "Surrounded by hostile, brutal masters. You do what you can to cope and survive... sometimes that means trying to find something good in a bad experience, to make it easier to bear." The words sounded odd to her from her lips, but after her one encounter with Hadek, she could understand how Tebrianne might have found some pleasure with him to ease an unbearable situation.

She gave his hand a squeeze and felt compelled to ask, "Ben...are you sure you're up to this mission?" She wanted him there, she felt more secure and more confident knowing he'd be with her, but if he wasn't up to it.... The mission was too important to take any chances.

He nodded. "I have no choice," he replied heavily. "The station is Bajoran technology, if there's anything different we have to cope with, I can handle it. My Maquis time...prepared me for this sort of thing. It's also my duty...and I can't send you off to do something I wouldn't do myself. I have to go, Shirik." He thought for a moment on her words about Tebrianne, and knew that it was true. It had been the same thing with Lyrr. It was one thing to discount it for Lyrr and another to experience it with Tebrianne. No matter how he looked at it, the bond had caused him grief. It was an insidious method of torture for him right now; there was no joy in it as there used to be. Nothing but grief, shame and loathing in something that wasn't natural for him. He was Human/Bajoran, not a telepathic Romulan or Vulcan.

She nodded. "I know. But you know why I had to ask," she said softly. "Why did Scott think you should be telling someone on the mission something so personal?" she asked.

"Because she knows that if something happens to Tebrianne...." He left it unfinished, but the look in his eyes said it. He'd feel that too. In his present state of mind there was no knowing what it would do. The last time...he had required a great deal of counselling.

She nodded, understanding. She gave his hand another squeeze. "Don't even think about that, all right?" she said softly.

"I wish I didn't have to," he admitted. "But it's in my mind all the time. It's not as if I can set it aside. I have no control over it at all. I have no chance of not being affected by it, or influenced by it. The only way to sever it is to die." He looked up at her. "I don't know if I can cope with this, Shirik. I'm not equipped to deal with it. It's driving me crazy."

She sighed softly, knowing all too well what he was talking about. It was a situation she shared, although thankfully her bond with Saavar hadn't caused her the same kind of anguish. "I know, Ben," she said quietly. "I'll help you any way I can, you know that."

He gave her a grateful smile, squeezing her hand. "Thanks, Shiri. I know you will...I'll be okay. I know I can rely on you."

She returned his smile. She didn't really know what she could do to help him, but she had given her word that she wouldn't return without him, and she intended to keep it, no matter what. "Try to eat a little more," she suggested softly. She knew they'd both need to keep their strength up.

He grinned. "You'd better follow that advice - your stomach is louder than a Gunthar." He bit into his meal though and forced himself to eat. "I have to go talk to Tebrianne," he said around bites.

She laughed at that, taking her hand back to eat. She nodded. "I know. And I have to get dressed."

He looked up at her and grinned. "Yes...there is that.. I'd better leave then. I can imagine what kind of dress you're almost going to be wearing. If it's anything like the one you wore at the party, it will serve as a distraction at the station. I'll have to beat them off with a pain stick."

"It will be similar," she smiled faintly, having mixed emotions about that party.

"You looked beautiful," he said with a smile.

Her answering smile was almost shy. "I was trying to," she said, and it suddenly occurred to her that they'd never really talked about the party since it happened. "I really enjoyed that evening," she said.

"Hmmm it certainly left an impression." He looked up at her and arched a brow. "However the impression was not lost on Lyrr Tayla either...nor anyone else." He smiled. "It was flattering, and difficult."

"I know, but at the time I wasn't even thinking about...consequences." She lowered her eyes to her food. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you, but I'm not sorry for anything else that evening. I guess it was...sort of my way of saying goodbye. Of..." Her cheeks darkened. ".. of letting you know what you'd be missing."

He smiled. "You think I don't already have an idea of that? Prophets girl, Tayla was apoplectic when she found out that I swam naked with you! I know how you felt...I can't deny that you're a beautiful woman...and that I...felt that attraction." He sighed. "Timing.... Tayla is paranoid about you - you know that, right?"

"Isn't she paranoid about everyone?" She smiled for a moment. "She shouldn't worry. If I wanted to try to take you from her, I'd have done so long before now..."

He sat back and nodded, his grin widened slightly. "Oh is that right? So tell me...what stopped you trying? Right at the start...so what you're really saying is that you never wanted to anyway." He was teasing her, and his eyes held hers.

She hesitated for a moment, not sure whether to respond in a similar teasing way, or seriously. She opted for the former, and smiled as she said, "It was that comment you made about my breath." She lifted her mug of klaas for emphasis as she took a long sip.

"Ahhh I upset you," he nodded. "Sorry." He smiled. "So...why didn't you? That night at dinner - afterwards in the holodeck. You let it go. I've thought about that night...a lot. It was crazy. I couldn't get you out of my mind that night." He grinned. "Not even a cold shower could do it." He admitted it with a slight darkening of his already black skin.

She grinned at his confession, but it soon faded once more as she took a sip of klaas before answering. "I guess... I didn't want to force myself upon you. I did invite something more, but perhaps it was too subtle. I thought... " she sighed. "I thought there would be more time." She paused and added quietly, "It was a mistake I've never quite forgiven myself for."

He watched her and nodded. "Perhaps it was," he said contemplatively. "I kept thinking about Tayla and why I was really with her...why you'd affected me as much as you did. I hadn't expected that. I'm glad though - that we didn't do anything." He held her eyes. "If we had, then Tebrianne's return would have been the same with us as it is with Tayla. I'm conflicted, and torn between them. I don't know what to do. It's not fair on either of them. It wouldn't have been fair on you either. At least now we don't feel that. I don't need another lover, but I sure as hell need friends. People I can trust and be able to open up with. I do trust you, Shirik - and though I wanted to take it further with you that night; and I would have if you'd kissed me, believe it! I'm glad we didn't. I don't have to worry about you on this mission. So I can rely on you a little more than I might have to help me get through this."

"I can't honestly say I'm glad nothing happened that night," she said, "but I am glad I'm not in Tayla's position in this. I know you need friends right now, and I'm glad to be there when you need me."

He smiled at her, their eyes meeting and understanding. "I'm glad too," he nodded. "Now...I'm going to have to go. I have to see Tebrianne." His voice had turned heavy. "I'll let you get organized and see you at the Runabout." He stood, glad that they'd had this talk. They had needed it. "Thanks, Shirik."

She nodded. "Any time, Ben," she smiled.

---

"Misunderstood Partings"
By: CPO Calyca Boothroyd, Engineering
Crewman 1st Class Sorg Jurell, Security

Location: USS Sulu, Boothroyd's Quarters
Stardate: 57910.22, 15h30

***

Jurell sat back from his desk terminal and switched it off. The room he shared with three other security officers was quiet. They had given him privacy and allowed him to do what was customary: the last letter. It had taken him some time to compose and he had said everything he needed to. If he was listed as MIA or KIA the file would automatically be forwarded to the recipient. The girl he was about to face. He dreaded it. She was leaving on her mission first and he would have to await their go signal before the rescue mission to the Windsor went ahead - so there was still time for him, no time for her.

It was Game Time for Calyca Boothroyd and he knew that she was prepared for what the mission meant. It was likely as not a one way affair. She wouldn't be returning to the Sulu unless they could make sure the Station and the Gate were destroyed. The real mission, discussed by the Tactical Team was fairly simple. Get to the station, get the explosives in place, and blow the thing away. That was primary goal. If T'Kal thought he could get the Sulu through the gate he would - but if the Sulu Security Chief had to choose between the Gate and the Sulu, he'd destroy the Gate. The Security Officers all knew that. It was a realistic mission goal that was achievable considering the circumstances. Their mission as Starfleet Security was the defense of the Federation and sometimes that mission came before other considerations. It was extremely hard for Sorg Jurell to think about those other considerations, for they stood for everything he wanted in this life. He'd already come to terms with his own fate. If Caly didn't make it back to the Sulu, if there was even the remotest chance that she could get off the station, then he already had it all worked out. He wouldn't be leaving this universe either. There was no way he was leaving her behind.

The replicated Bajoran Betrothal bracelet he held in his hand contained minute traces of a very rare mineral. He'd be able to trace it across a parsec of space. He'd be able to find her no matter where she was. It was insurance. It matched his own family bracelet perfectly, but an inspection under a microscope would tell the replication from the original, just to be safe.

Caly had been similarly engaged in writing a few "final letters" of her own to be delivered to various people. Her parents.. Jurell.. Even Shirik, despite the fact they were going on the mission together. Anything was possible. And even though she was very confident they'd all return in one piece and as a group, and even get back to their own universe... she still knew the reality and understood the possibilities. She understood exactly what T'Kal had meant by his little 'announcement' -- "Our goal is the complete destruction of the Gate and the Station." That was pretty hard to not understand. Anything else was secondary to that goal. It was a suicide mission. Caly could probably get Sam, or even Saavar to give her the exact numbers on their chances, but she didn't really need them. Slim and None, her mother would have said.

Each of the spiders had been upgraded with the sensor blocking Maquis modules and the ones that were going were ready and loaded into her pack. The others were looking rather lost except for Watson who had been fully repaired and was perched on her pack with his little feet clinging in an 'I'm going too' posture.

"Don't look at me like that. You're going," she assured him again. "Just not with me," she added. "Now remember... Stealth and for hell's sake, don't get lost or separated from him. If you lose him I might never forgive you," she admonished softly. "Run a level-1 diagnostics and include your DNA and bio-recognition target-lockon sub-routines," she instructed the now very black spider. Watson's current coloration would blend in perfectly with Jurell's armour.

Sorg stood in the imposing black armour and picked up the helmet. He said a silent prayer before leaving his quarters behind and seeking out his girl. He didn't want to say goodbye and his footfalls seemed to grow heavier the closer he got to her quarters. He pressed her chime and composed a smile. She wasn't going away seeing Sorg Jurell looking like his heart was missing. That wasn't the image he wanted to leave her with.

Her head snapped up at the sound of the chime and habit had her asking the computer who it was in an 'I am not going to panic' voice. Her sigh of relief was audible when it informed her Jurell was there. The slight leap of her heart and swell of anticipation rather surprised her as she spoke for him to "Enter," and stood up to move to the door and greet him.

The moment he saw her he stopped breathing. Those wide green eyes of hers were luminous and seemed wide enough to dive into. He stepped through the door in one stride but stopped as she stopped; they stood looking at each other and Jurell's throat constricted with emotion. Facing her, he couldn't speak. He wished that he wasn't wearing the armour, that he could hold her against his body and forget everything about her leaving. He wanted to see her safe and not in harm's way, but also a fierce sense of pride accompanied that, for he knew that she would do her duty as he would and he was so proud of her. She had courage; a quality that Jurell admired in her. She also looked almost radiantly beautiful to him right at that moment. He couldn't take his eyes from her face.

She had to draw in a breath at the sight of him, and it escaped her in a soft huff. Damn him anyway. She suddenly and for absolutely no reason she could fathom, felt the tears well up behind her eyes. She attributed it to stress and residual trauma from Shyla's death. That had to be it, right? It couldn't be that she was going to miss him, or was afraid of never seeing him again.

"Damn you for making me care, Sorg Jurell," she admonished in a quiet whisper as she stepped into his space, closing the distance between them and gazing up into the ice blue depths of his eyes as her hands came to rest on his chest. "And damn this armour anyway."

He breathed out in a soft huff of breath that sounded so much like the way she did it that it brought a slight smile to his face and had her blinking when she heard it. He leaned down and kissed her, fully and within a moment it had turned into a desperate kiss that showed her how much he wanted her, how much he cared. They had to break for air, and he breathed fast and shallow against her cheek as he brushed his lips against her soft skin. "I love you so much," he whispered. "I don't want you to go...but I know you have to." He pulled back to look in her eyes. "I'll be waiting for you, Cal...I'll always wait for you." His blue eyes sparkled under the unshed moisture. "I'll pray for you...and I'll see you when we get back home."

Caly wrapped her arms around his neck for the duration of that desperate kiss. One that she'd returned with a matching intensity. She clung to him when the kiss broke, pulling in slightly ragged breaths and drawing in his scent with every one. She had to weed through the other ones there...perhaps the armour... She was definitely smelling more than just him... Even Shirik's scent was there, which gave her slight pause... Did he just come from her? She could recognize his scent easily enough though. It was something she wouldn't ever forget.

"You damn well better be waiting for me." She looked up at him, her own eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Because I am coming back, Jurell... And don't think I don't understand what this mission actually is, because I do," she assured him almost harshly. "You just better be careful and don't do anything foolish because you really don't think I'm coming back.... Besides...you're not going alone," she told him.

"Watson, load up," she commanded the spider without ever taking her eyes from Jurell. The newly repaired and re-colored spider scrambled his way over to the pair of them and climbed up the large security officer's body until he was perched securely on his shoulder. "Now you have to come back. 'Cause you have to bring Watson back to me."

He knew how much she cared about her very first critter, Watson, and he smiled, ignoring the spider's trek up his armour. "I'll bring him home to you," he said, "don't fret about him...and don't fret about me. I'm not going to do anything that would stop me getting back. You can count on that. I have to introduce you to my mother." He grinned. "Don't say I didn't warn you." He kissed her lips softly, and teased her bottom lip with his own as he held her in his arms. "I don't want to say goodbye." He kissed her again.

"And you're not going to say goodbye," she assured him after pulling her lips from the breathless kiss enough to whisper the words. "Don't you have some Bajoran something-or-other that expresses a 'see you later' or 'till we meet again' sort of thing?" she asked as she brushed her lips over his and nipped softly at his top one. "Because I refuse to say 'goodbye' to you at all. Although I may just up and throttle you for addicting me to these damned kisses of yours," she informed him and kissed his lips with a feather-light, heart-stoppingly tender kiss that more eloquently expressed how much he'd come to mean to her than any words ever could.

He smiled through her kisses, finally drawing back and nodding, searching her eyes. There would be no goodbyes, and that suited him. So he took her hands and brought up her right to kiss the tips of her fingers. He turned her wrist so that he could slip the slender bracelet around it, and as custom dictated he fastened the replicated Betrothal Bracelet to her, the catch such that it could only be done up or taken off by another. He sealed it with a kiss to her wrists, and though the jewelry was not the real thing, his sentiment surely was. He did not say the words in Bajoran that followed such an act, but he thought them none the less. As he looked up into her eyes he knew with a certainty that constricted his chest with an ache, that one day he would do and say what was in his eyes. Twining his fingers with hers he smiled. "There...you're a Betrothed woman," he said softly.

Caly couldn't help the deep shiver that accompanied his actions. She trembled slightly and when she could, leaned lightly against him. She saw the look in his eyes and understood that this held a very deep meaning for him. She was glad now that she'd refused to wear his mother's bracelet... And yet, there was a very small part of her that was disappointed she had. The kiss to her wrist had her drawing in a startled breath and releasing it in a soft huff as she gazed up into his eyes. "I thought I was supposed to be a married woman?" She returned his smile with one of her own, her voice equally as soft.

He smiled. "That will be the assumption," he replied, "but without the ceremony, you're not married." He kissed her, thinking that that would be a hurdle for the future; after they got home. She tipped her head back and exposed the length of her throat to him as he nuzzled her neck, planting kisses as he held her, feeling the urge to divest himself of the black armour, but not making a move to. The fleeting desire to make love to her was an urge common to these types of partings - he knew the psychology of it, but the reality of it was strong and desperate. It wasn't something he would give in to - not with Calyca. It was different with her...spiritual. It had to be perfect.

"Jurell..." His name slipped from her lips in a soft huff of breath as she clung to him and shivered from the goosebumps his kisses to her warm flesh left in their wake. She didn't want to let him go and had a sudden, irrational fear that she'd never see him again. "I don't want you to leave," she whispered as she clung to him and pressed her body against his. "And there are definitely more appropriate times for this," she fwapped and tugged at his armour, wanting to feel his warmth and finding the cool hardness of the black breastplate a poor substitute for the feel of him. "We're gonna have to set some pre-mission ground rules for the future," she whispered as she turned her head to brush her lips over his jaw in a rash of feather-light kisses. "No armour... No goodbyes... More time... Lots more time.."

He chuckled softly against her neck. "Reading my mind already..." he breathed as he bit softly on her lobe and drew back for a deeper kiss.

"No... just feeling the s-- Oohh!" A shudder took her by surprise at the bite. "Damn y--" Anything else she was going to say was lost in the soft gasp as his lips consumed hers and she gave in to the kiss, sagging against him as her knees weakened.

His mind swam with her, he breathed her in, absorbed the sensation of her lips and her arms around him. He didn't want her to leave, but there was no more time. He hated that there wasn't time, he feared that he would never see her again.

They were both breathing hard when he finally let go to take her hands and gaze in to her eyes. "It's time," he said, his blue eyes memorizing her face as he squeezed her hands.

She wanted to shout 'NO!! Not yet!!' Because there needed to be more time and she was still frightened that she'd never see him again... She didn't want it to end this way. Not like this. With so much that felt like it was left unsaid. Her fingers clung to his and her green eyes committed every line and every feature to memory... The color of his eyes would haunt her waking moments as well as her dreams... "I want more time," her voice broke on the swell of emotions that threatened to choke her.

"So do I," he replied, his voice a little shaky. "I'll walk you to the shuttle bay." He gave her a smile. "Don't worry I'll see you when you get back. Then we'll have more time."

"Wait!" Her hands released his to grab hold of his armour, her eyes desperately searching his. "You need to know...I want you to know..." She drew in a breath and let it out in a soft huff. "If I could love anyone, Jurell, it would probably be you..." It wasn't a declaration of love, but it was as close as she could honestly get right now. And she wasn't going to admit to anything more than that under the circumstances. But she didn't want to part from him until he knew that much at least... Until she admitted it to both of them.

He chuckled, gazing into her eyes he said, "I know. You don't have to say anything." He kissed her softly, just for a moment. "Come on. You'll be late."

Caly blinked.... That was it? She makes a monumental discovery and declaration and... That's it? ...She blinked again, and after a moment she simply nodded and looked down, watching as her declaration sank to the deck and looked for a place to hide. She found herself wondering if she could find a place to hide and didn't understand why she felt that way... She just didn't think it was supposed to feel like this.

He saw the change in her eyes and the look on her face and stopped. Gazing at her for a moment he said, "The one thing in the world I want to hear is that you love me, Cal...I'm sorry. I know what it took for you to even admit that you probably could love me. I'd rather wait until you know you do. Saying that to me...is like you not wanting to wear my mother's bracelet. Do you understand?" He squeezed her hand. He wanted her to understand that it meant so much to him.

"Of course," she offered automatically. She didn't understand. Not at all. And she wondered if the sudden empty feeling she had inside was what he felt when she refused to wear his mother's bracelet. She didn't think they were the same thing at all, not at all... Wearing his mother's bracelet wouldn't have been real. It would have been dishonest and false... All she'd done was try to be honest with him and herself... Or so she thought... Clearly she'd been wrong and she'd be damned if she'd make any other declarations. Now or ever. Situations like this were why she didn't do relationships. And why hadn't she listened to her better judgment instead of thinking this would be different? For the first time in her life she felt... small... And she didn't like the feeling at all.

He led her out of her room and walked beside her, hand in hand until they came to the shuttle bay. Which was about how long it took for that cool professional mask she relied on to slip firmly into place. ...Hydrogen, atomic number 1, symbol 'H', weight 1.0079.... She looked from the shuttle to him and back again, adjusting her pack and mentally preparing to meet her fate head on.

"Keep safe," she told him quietly, glancing up and offering him a faint smile.

"Prophets be with you," he replied and bent to kiss her slowly and softly. "I'll wait for you," he whispered.

Caly simply nodded. There wasn't anything left inside for her to say. With a final quiet look at him, she turned and walked into the shuttle without looking back.

She hadn't understood. He knew it as he watched her walk away and it made him sad. He didn't want to hear that she probably might if she could maybe love him. She'd simply told him that if ever she could love someone it would probably be him... when he wanted to hear that it was him. That wasn't quite fair, but it was how he felt. He wanted her love. He didn't want a probable outcome. Not now. Not at a time like this. So he watched her leave with a sinking feeling in his gut. She just didn't understand. He didn't move; just watched the runabout as she boarded and it vanished from sight.

---

"The Darkness"
By: Lt. Cmdr. Damhnait Sefton - Chief Medical Officer
Ensign Cristobel Sefton - Nurse

Location: USS Sulu, Sickbay
Stardate: 57910.22, 15h30

***

Medical Log, Supplemental

At 15h00, Lieutenant Commander Damhnait Sefton suffered from a pair of brain aneurysms. The doctor's life was saved by immediately placing her body in stasis. She will only be able to recover with the aid of a Starbase's medical facilities.

At 15h20, Ensign Cristobel Sefton began screaming about Shyla's death, his mother's ailment, and his claim of experiencing a prophetic dream about Corran Quezith's death. He has since entered a catatonic state. The counseling staff will attempt to reach him, but considering his medical history and his family's history, he will likely have to be admitted to the Cataria Institute on Betazed. Because of the lack of long-term care facilities on the Sulu, Cristobel has been made comfortable in his quarters for the duration of the Sulu's stay in the Gamma Quadrant.

End log.

---

"Last Goodbye"
By: Ensign Shirik Lektar, Operations
Lt. Saavar, Science

Location: Lektar's quarters, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22, 15h40

***

After Ben had gone, Shirik got to her feet to clean up the remains of their meal and get ready. As she shed her robe to get her gown on, she reached to her commbadge. "Lektar to Saavar. Can you come to my quarters, please?"

"Saavar here. I will be there shortly." The science officer was leaving Astrometrics after being subjected to a minor tirade by the Chief of Science regarding the correct calibration of the aft sensor platform and his obvious dereliction of duty. He had simply smiled at her the whole time and agreed with everything she said until finally she hadn't been able to stand it anymore and had dismissed him. Of course she had insisted on doing it herself so that he could measure himself against perfection. Saavar had simply allowed her to do the work without argument. It was better that way. He had better things to do anyway than pander to the whims of an annoying Human female who to Saavar's point of view had participated in some very base activities during their capture by the Enforcers.

He made his way to Shirik's quarters and was there in less than two minutes. He walked through the door without the need to press the chime and, proceeding into her room, he stood just within the door.

She had just donned her gown, and was standing in front of the mirror. The gown was glittering silver, and sparkled in the light at every movement she made, drawing the eye to it. It was backless and had a plunging V neck in front, with a round cut-out revealing her navel. The gown hugged her curves to her waist, where the skirt then flowed down around her legs to ankle-length. It was slit up her right side to reveal the thigh where she would strap on her kemla.

She looked over as the door opened and flashed him a smile. "Come zip me up?"

Saavar smiled appreciatively. "You look the part," he said as he approached her. He zipped up the small catch and grazed a finger up the length of her spine. "I am glad to see you back," he said softly, bending to kiss her bared shoulder. His hands held her at the waist, firmly on her hips. "I will miss you."

She shivered as his finger moved along her spine, her eyes falling closed. She let out a breath and opened her eyes again slowly. "I'll miss you, too, but hopefully I won't be gone long," she said. "I don't have much time to get ready, so don't get me too distracted," she smiled. She reached for a golden clasp with rubies set in it, and pulled her hair up in back to secure it with the clasp, letting it flow down her back in a loose tail of silver.

As she did so, Saavar watched her intently. "I will await your return," he said softly. When she had finished with the clasp he turned her slightly so that he could look into her eyes. He smiled; his grey eyes were clear and speculative. "I did not intend to distract you," he pointed out. "I merely implied affection. I find myself oddly seeking physical reassurance."

"I was teasing," she smiled, bringing a hand up to brush his cheek with her fingertips. "That's normal when you're worried about someone. You can help me dress, if you like. I just have the details to add."

He raised a brow, typical Vulcan. "I would rather help you undress," he said straight-faced.

She blinked, then laughed. "You're incorrigible!" she grinned.

His lips quirked a smile. "I also can tease," he said. "This is truly not the time for physical displays of affection."

"You're definitely improving in that area," she smiled. She gestured at the bed, where her blade lay. "My kemla, please?" She reached for a pair of dangly diamond earrings, which she fastened while he retrieved the weapon.

"I truly wish that you refrained from carrying a weapon," he said as he handed it over. "It creates an excuse to harm you when not having one makes you harmless and undeserving of physical retaliation." He looked at her steadily. "One does not need a weapon to show courage, or strength."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I wear it for self defense. All females from my planet wear one; it would be highly irregular if I didn't have one." She proceeded to strap the weapon onto her thigh. "Don't worry, Saavar, I'll have bodyguards with me, and I do know how to use this blade if I have to, it's not just for show." She stood before the mirror once more, applying lipstick, makeup, and a highly fragrant perfume.

"Yes I understand all of that," he said, watching her apply her cosmetics as it seemed to fascinate him for some unknown reason that he could not at the moment fathom. "Simply having a weapon in your possession invites retaliation, and in some circumstances invites conflict. Being unarmed allows a greater range of responses to events without resorting to brute force tactics or threats. In this case, as you are portraying a Princess of the Drokari, it is expected that you appear armed. I am merely raising a point of discussion and illustrating a point of view. I am a pacifist. It is in my nature." He stopped, as he was lecturing again. "You look beautiful," he stated softly.

"I know you're a pacifist," she said evenly to his reflection as she applied her perfume, "and I know why. But I'm not."

She set down the bottle and picked up a sizeable diamond, dabbing it with cosmetic adhesive before tucking it into her navel, and smiled softly at him. "Thank you."

"I particularly appreciate the placement of that stone," he stated matter-of-factly. "I will be on the Bridge shortly." He changed the subject.

She quirked an eyebrow at the subject change. "Indeed?" she said, settling the sparkly silver crown upon her head.

He felt slightly uncomfortable watching her dress for this mission. He realized that he wanted to go with her. "I would go with you if I could," he said softly. "I do not enjoy seeing you leave on a mission such as this. The danger seems unacceptable; the risk too great, yet I am aware that there is no escape from it. I truly did not appreciate the Vulcan perspective of emotional absence until I realized that I may lose you. It is one thing to logically dismiss the emotions and it is another to be harnessed by them and feel this way. My exploration is painful. I have far more to lose than I had imagined. Yet I have gained far more than I anticipated."

She turned from the mirror to face him. "No risk is too great when the fate of our universe is at stake," she said softly. "I'm proud to be going on this mission, whatever the outcome, remember that." She smiled slightly and stepped closer to slip her arms around him. "Don't worry about me while I'm gone, focus on what needs to be done. I'll be back before you know it," she tried to reassure him.

"Of course." He embraced her too and held her against him, breathing in her scent and feeling her warmth.

She laid her cheek against his chest and closed her eyes, for a moment just relaxing and hugging him to her, listening to the bond. She wasn't certain of the outcome of the mission, but she wasn't afraid. She was ready to go and do her job.

"You will succeed," he said softly. The warmth and strength she felt through his mind and the new emotion surrounding it was like a rock. He was totally convinced of her return. There was no fear, and no reservations. He pressed his cheek to hers.

"Yes," she agreed quietly. She soaked up the sensations, letting them wash over her, her own calm washing over him. She took a deep breath of his scent, and let it out slowly. Then reluctantly she pulled away. "One more detail," she said, reaching for a diamond choker on the table beside her and handing it to him. "If you will, please?" she said, turning her back to him once more, reaching to pull her hair out of the way.

He fastened it and smoothed a hand across her shoulder, leaning down to brush his lips upon her neck. "I love you," he said softly, close to her ear.

She blinked, looking in surprise at his reflection in the mirror. The touch of his lips, his warm breath against her ear, and his words combined to send a shiver down her spine and a spark in her gut. She'd known it, of course, she'd felt it in the bond, but she'd never expected him to say it. It warmed her to know it, but she didn't know how to respond. There was still so much to think about, and no time to do it.

A soft smile found her lips without waiting for her brain to order it. "I know, Saavar," was all she said quietly, letting the bond do the rest of her talking for her.

He'd felt her reaction, and it left him without speech for a moment. Instead of reacting to her surprise and her happiness, or the physiological reaction in her gut that sparked a similar and twin reaction in his that reverberated through the bond like a spark of electricity. "You needed to hear me say it," he whispered. "I needed to hear me say it." His hands slid around her waist and he held her closely from behind. He gazed into her eyes in the reflection. "I will be with you," he said softly.

"It seems I was right about you all along," she said softly, remembering his vehement denial that he was capable of such an emotion. "Always," she agreed, laying her hands over his arms and leaning back against him slightly. She was concerned about what the future held for her, for him, for them. But now wasn't the time to think about it. Later...

"Yes, you were," he agreed. "I underestimated the strength and power of basic emotionalism. There are aspects to it that I appreciate, and others I do not. Unfortunately it is not possible to choose which ones one experiences. You have to take the good with the bad. It is not all bad," he said, squeezing her a little.

She nodded with a small smile. "No...not all," she agreed. For a moment she just enjoyed the pleasant warmth of his arms, but time was ticking away. Finally she sighed softly. "It's time," she said quietly. "I have to go."

"Yes," his voice held a definite note of sadness and his grey eyes gazed into hers. He gave her a smile and turned her to face him. "You will be successful. I do not doubt it. You will be in my thoughts until your return." He lifted a hand and grazed the back of his fingers against her cheek, feeling the ripple in the bond they shared. "You have truly awakened my perceptions," he whispered. He kissed her then, a deep embracing kiss that shared his emotions and his strength, and she could feel just how much her presence affected the Vulcan. His steel hard fingers pressed into her back as he held her firmly and kissed her thoroughly. There was no mistaking the desire and the passion that seethed below a surface of thin civility.

Shirik was overwhelmed by his kiss, the force of his emotions crashing into her like a wave, and she was helpless to do anything but be swept along by them as she returned the kiss with the ferocity of one facing almost certain death. Her emotions were a raging storm of chaos inside her, conflicting fears, desires, and feelings. The only solid rock to cling to against the torrent was him, and she hung onto him tightly until she was nearly dizzy from the sensations. Then finally she broke her lips from his, her breath coming quick. "I have to go..." she whispered.

He nodded, still gripping her tightly, bodies pressed together and surrounded by the sheer aura of her. His breath was ragged, and he did not care to exert his control. He just gazed into her violet eyes and felt wholly captured by them. Finally he had to give in to his sense of duty, and he released her slowly, as if he had to pry his arms away from her. "It would be best for us to part here," he whispered. "I...will require some time to...meditate." Her scent was thick in his senses and her body heat was acting upon him like a drug he craved.

She nodded. "Yeah...me too," she breathed. Then she grinned at him. "Make sure to wipe off the lipstick," she whispered, her eyes sparkling with humor. She moved away from him and turned away to take a deep breath and let it out before stooping to pick up her bags. She headed for the door, but paused as it opened to look back at him over her shoulder. "Kuvar len i talam, Saavar," she said softly with a smile, before slipping out into the hall. (Live long and prosper)

The Vulcan looked at himself in the mirror and wiped away the remnants of her cosmetic application from his lips. His concentration shifted to his rampant emotions and as he'd done many times now, he slowly picked them apart; analysing each one, the motivation and the physiological response until as a whole they became abstract rather than imminent.

---

"Gordian Knot"
Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal
Lt. Commander Tebrianne Bancroft

Location: Mess Hall, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57910.22 15h55

***

Tebrianne was feeling better as she approached Benedict. She'd showered. Twice. She'd talked to Brennyn Scott and had M'lira patch up her wounds. She refused to think about what she'd had to go through for Brennyn's examination. Dressed in her regular clothing now, she was almost feeling herself. She smiled at Benedict as she approached. "Hey you," she said. "I hear you're off on a dangerous mission."

He was staring out of the view port in the mess hall. The hundreds of ships surrounding them gave him an eerie feeling, as if they all had eyes and were watching for the move that they would make. He'd come to the Mess Hall to give last minute instructions to Arthas Hex. The Lieutenant would be taking Benedict's position as Chief of Security in his absence, seeing as he was taking Taylor Bennett along for the ride too.

Now as he heard Tebrianne he turned to face her. His new body image was wildly different, but still, he was unmistakable; there were now three Rinnari on the ship and he was the only male. Bennett turned out to make a spectacular Rinnari female as well. He'd been thinking of Tebrianne too. They were departing on different missions and they were likely to be separated again for who knew how long..

He gazed into her eyes for a moment and knew how she felt, and it was disconcerting. He was feeling conflicted as had become the norm for him. He was torn between Lyrr and Tebrianne, between love and violation, and still one look in her eyes was enough to bring forward only the aching loss he'd felt without her. His pulse jumped when he looked upon her, especially at her smile. He almost choked on his "Hey..."

"Brennyn Scott is about as nosy as any counsellor I've ever encountered," Teb said with a grin. "We'll be working together after this is over...to sort out the mess Marco and 'adek left. 'opefully she'll be able to help me find the strength I need. Though, one look in your eyes, and I 'ave all the strength I could ever want." She swallowed hard. "Stay safe, Ben. If you don't come back, I'll kick your arse all the way back to the alpha quadrant." She looked him over. "The disguise suits you...and those ears... I approve."

He cracked a smile at that. "The ears...of course." He shook his head; he should have known. The stab at her mentioning Marco and Hadek was a keen one, fresh pain. "Yes Bree is a good counsellor, and she's a friend. I'm discussing things with her myself... Tayla and I..." He looked away and then back, unwilling to talk about Lyrr suddenly. "I'll be back, Teb. But I can't promise anything. You have to know that." He reached out to touch her cheek, and he thought of Hadek doing it. "I love you just as much as I always have, but we've both changed in some ways. I'm not the man I was when you left, and you're not the woman I loved five years ago. I wanted you to know something before I went...I'm confused, hurting, at a complete loss as to what to do or how to feel. I'm being honest with you and you know that. I need some time. Time to sort it all out by myself.

"I've been living with Tayla," Ben continued. "We've become Betrothed and we were set to be married when we returned to Bajor in four months. We've talked about a family...and now you come back from the dead and throw all that into chaos. It's not fair. Not fair on Tayla and I can't just pretend none of what I feel for her is any less than what we had five years ago. I love her too, Teb. But she deserves more than half a heart too. I can't be true to her if I still love you and I can't be true to you if I'm in love with her. It's one or the other and right now...I can't have the distance or the mind to say which or why. When I get back...I'll be moving to my own quarters again. I think we have to spend time getting to know each other again. I know that right now...I don't know you. All I know is what you felt with him when he..." He shook his head. He couldn't even say it. "We'll have to start again."

"I gave myself to him," Tebrianne said. "It was either that or let him keep beating me, torturing me, and take me by force. I allowed myself to feel because he'd know otherwise. He did before, when I first arrived...just like Marco knew. If you felt how I felt, you should have also felt my guilt, my shame, and the feeling that I just wanted to crawl away and die. I desired, Ben, because I couldn't face the alternative. I couldn't face having my body brutalized. I couldn't deal with the torture. When I gave myself over to him, he stopped hurting me...and I just had to have sex with him. He did his bit, and left. I don't desire him, Ben. But, I allowed myself to...to get by."

She turned away from him so he couldn't see her tears, couldn't see the disgust she felt for herself written so plainly on her face. "I'm broken, Ben. Marco broke me, and 'adek finished it. The pain was so...I just wanted it to end. I'd do anything to make it end, to make it go away. I'm so sorry...I didn't...didn't want to 'urt you, but...but I couldn't... Brennyn thinks she can 'elp me...make me better again. I felt so 'elpless, and..." She turned back to face him. "I gave myself to him, Ben, because...because 'e would have taken it anyway...I didn't want to 'urt anymore."

He nodded as he stepped toward her and his arms went around her. "I know, Love," he said heavily. "I know. I felt it...and that's part of the problem. I can't blame you for what he did, or that you avoided torture. I just can't cope with knowing and feeling... Brennyn said that I have to come to terms with the fact that...I was raped too." He smoothed his hands over her hair and stared out of the view port. "How can I come to terms with that?" he asked softly. "How can I cope with any of this?" He sounded helpless. "I'm just trying to come to terms with the fact that you are alive let alone what that means to my life now. You have to understand that I can't just throw away what I have...not when I love Tayla and she loves me...I just can't. Face the truth, Teb - we've been apart for five years and we've changed. How can it just be like it was when so much has happened? I'm not going to ignore the last five years. I can't. Neither can you. I've been happy with Tayla and we have a future, and I'm not going to throw it away as if she doesn't mean anything to me. You're going to have to give me the time I need to come to terms with this. After the mission we'll talk."

"I know, Ben," Tebrianne said as she trailed her fingers along his arm as he held her. "I know you need time, and I know we need to get to know each other again. I know there are changes, and it's going to take getting used to. I know all that, and I accept it." She looked up at him. "One of us will have to be thrown away, because you can't have both of us." She couldn't help hearing what he was saying. "And, it sounds like you've already chosen. You can't throw what you have with her away, you're happy with her, and you have a future with her. You can't throw away what you have with her, because you love her." She sighed. "Sounds like you've already decided..."

"Yes, I've already decided," he said a little bitterly, "to move out from living with her and go back to single quarters. Does that sound like my mind is anywhere near made up? Don't throw a guilt trip at me, Teb; I'm having to change my whole life just to see if we still have what we had before. Don't be unfair."

"I'm sorry," Teb said softly. "It's just...what you're saying...it sounded like it. We'll see how it goes." She looked up at him and brushed a hand over his cheek. "I'm glad you have your own eyes, that they didn't have to change them." She sang for only him to hear, "I get weak / In a glance." They were part of the first song she ever sang to him, on the night she fell in love. She stopped and leaned up and kissed his chin. "I love you, Ben. I waited five years for you to rescue me...you'd better make sure you come back. You've got to tell me all about Jules." There was so much more to it than that, and while the words were said, everything else was shared in a gaze. "I love you," she whispered.

He gazed into her eyes and knew it to be true. "I love you too, Teb," was all he could say right now. "Be careful, Love. Don't take too many risks. If you can't get Salinger, then get out and get back safe. You can rely on the team, especially Sorg - keep him close."

"I will," Tebrianne said. "It looks like I'll have a good team to work with. Though... Casey's just a little too...too much like...you know. We'll be alright, and we'll get the captain back. I have to do it for the crew, and...and for those people I wasn't able to keep safe like I promised. I made myself the promise I would bring the Sulu's captain back to them...and I don't intend to let them down."

"I think that will go a long way with them," he agreed. "But just be careful - I don't want to find you and then lose you either." He pulled her closer, hugging her and wrapping his arms tightly around her. "For Prophets' sake, Tebrianne, make sure you get to that Gate before it closes."

"Only if you're there with me, Ben," she said, holding him just as tightly. "We're both going through together." She rested her forehead into the crook of his neck and just held him close. "We're going to make it. We have to get out."

"We will," he said softly, though determinedly. "The Prophets have still to tell me what it is I'm supposed to be doing." He knew that she wouldn't know and he felt the urge to tell her. "When you died, I tried to take my own life," he whispered. "But I was stopped by a vision. They told me that I had something to do, but they never told me what it would be. I wanted to join you in the void. Did they do that so that I'd find you again?" His voice was soft, and the thought of the Prophets knowing that where he wanted to go to join her was the wrong place had occurred to him since her reappearance. He would only find the answers by consulting the Prophets' Tears on Bajor. It was also where Tayla and he would have to go to see if they approved of their match. So he would wait until the return to Bajor.

"Maybe they did," Tebrianne said. "It certainly sounds like it. And, even if they didn't for that reason, I'm glad they did for whatever their reason. If they keep this up, they may find themselves with an alien convert."

"I've had another dream since," he said heavily. "A dream vision, though I'm not entirely sure, but I've dreamed it more than once. A lot of dead Starfleet Officers and Lyrr Tayla pale as the moon and covered in scars, and she seemed as cold as death." The imagery evoked a deep disturbance in him which she could clearly feel. Dread and unease. "I don't know what it signifies yet...but there was a Raven on the pile..." He shuddered. It wasn't something he wanted to dwell upon; were they trying to steer him away from Lyrr Tayla? Did she represent death or the death of an old life? He'd chosen to accept the image as the death of his old life and the start of a new one. Now he felt uneasy about that choice. But still he loved her.

"That sounds 'orrid," Teb said softly. "Was it a Prophets dream? Or something else? Maybe it was just your own mind conjuring up images out of fears. I'm not quite a wizard at dreams or anything, but...but I don't want 'er hurt. I love you, Ben, but not at the expense of 'urting Lyrr."

"Prophets' visions have a certain clarity. I think it was one of those. I chose to see it as a good omen rather than a bad one. It took a lot of courage in the dream to give myself to her...but once I had I welcomed it. Like going into the arms of death. There's an old scripture that states that one has to die to themselves to experience the truth of love. I gave up my old self when I did that. Tayla has been through so much. When she was younger, only sixteen, she went through what you went through during the Occupation. She's carried those scars for a long time. We both came to a place of healing when we found each other. It's the first time she's been able to love someone and have that love returned. It's the first time she's allowed someone into her suffering and let them see the real Tayla. If I leave her, Tebrianne, it will be worse than before. You need to understand that there isn't just my selfish needs here. She depends on me. She loves me more than I could have ever asked of her. I'm afraid for what it would do to her. I'm afraid for what it will do to me. For the first time in a very long time I've been happy. I'm in a relationship of trust and faith - and to lay that aside is more than difficult. So...when I get back...and I tell her that I have to move to separate quarters...it will be very hard on her."

"I think this is going to be 'ard on all of us," Tebrianne said. "Whatever 'appens, I think we're going to be keeping Brennyn busy."

He nodded, and simply held her for a while. Finally he knew that their time was at an end. "I have to go," he said.

Tebrianne nodded slowly. "I know," she said. "I 'ave to go meet with my team for rescuing the captain. I'll see you soon, Ben. Stay safe. I love you."

He lifted her chin slightly to look into her eyes and felt the connection between them. He kissed her, a slow deliberate kiss that once again seemed to spread through the bond between them so that they clung to each other. It lasted a while before he broke off and kissed her once more, quickly and walked away, unable to say anything and feeling her love and his as a strong swelling of emotion. He didn't look back, but was well aware of her eyes following him out.

She watched him until he was completely out of sight. Once he was gone, Tebrianne turned away. Out through the view port, she could see the fleet assembled. She could see the gate off in the distance. The odds weren't in their favour, but inside she felt that fate wasn't so cruel that they'd be torn apart so soon. They'd make it through this. They had to.

---

"Life Goes On"
By Dr. Corran Quezith

Location: USS Sulu - Arboretum
Stardate: 57910.22 16h00

***

It was night time in the arboretum. Illumination had been lowered to reflect that, a fake satellite looming over and providing gentle bluish rays to the plants below.

There was no one else this time. For once Corran could be alone with the arboretum, enjoying the currents of energy that swarmed around them, amongst them, for them, and crossed him perceptibly. It calmed him, kept him from going mad over seeing Cris the way he was now, in coma, and not even within his own reach for some strange reason.

If there was anything he couldn't tolerate, it was growing more distant from the one person he loved, especially on this starship. Cris was an anchor to reality, the anchor that kept him from losing himself in the realms of thought and energy that he seemed to be able to dabble into. Perhaps it was an imaginary realm, not even real, but it was pleasant. He wanted to be there, he wanted to be a part of it without the confines of his physical being... alas, he doubted that was possible, without ending up the same way Cristobel was now (even if it weren't for the same reasons).

Perhaps Cris' prophetic dream was true, perhaps he would die soon due to this exposure, but he found himself desiring that tonight. He found himself wishing he could disappear from this existence, from the toxic atmosphere that seemed to flourish. What were the chances he could actually do that?

He opened his eyes to the plants that surrounded him as he lay in the grass quietly. There were no sounds, not even the music program he'd set up a day before that would brighten the arboretum's plants up more. The music he heard was quite different, and wasn't in his ears, it was in his mind.

Suddenly, while he admired the natural beauty of plantlife, a new sound entered his mind. It was almost too quiet, somewhat like a bell or a flute... he wasn't sure... but he concentrated on it. Soon the sound grew louder. It was a beautiful sound that he could see and hear in his mind, but more surprisingly, he could sense more from it as well. There was emotion and thought.

It came closer to him. His curiosity getting the better of him forced him to close his eyes as he lay back in the grass again. He could now see it perfectly. It looked like an angel at first, but as it had come closer he could see that it simply seemed to look like one. It had no form, it was merely there, existing, curious of him as well... but also... concerned.

It communicated with him, expressing this concern. It seemed worried that he had begun delving in a realm that he was not prepared for. He hadn't received the proper training back home to be able to glance into this universe he'd begun enjoying, and he was in danger of losing himself. The separation of spirit and body would be mortal to him, and he would not survive long even in 'spirit' form.

He chuckled, showing his carelessness concerning his own life at this point, but the ethereal...thing...made him realize that Cristobel would be alright eventually, but that he wouldn't be alright if Corran continued this dangerous journey beyond his own boundaries.

What should I do then? Die from closing my mind to the wonders I have seen? He looked around them both, and then showed the entity how he had even reached this juncture in his life. It was inevitable that he would continue to dabble in this great experiment, at least until he had more solid proof of its existence and reality.

The entity offered its equivalence of disapproval, and grew closer to Corran's physical form. Bands of energy unleashed from its center and reached out to Corran's current. Energy seemed to move through his body in both realms, reaching an intensity that felt like it was burning Corran from the inside out. He yelled out in pain as his body was consumed by an intense white light.

Pain faded, as did the light. Corran opened his eyes only to realize they weren't closed... but not only that they weren't closed... he had no eyes! He 'looked' at himself and discovered that he had a similar yet smaller and less fluidic, less glamorous a form than the entity that had done this. He searched around them, trying to see the physical world with his eyes, but unable to. He began panicking. He had no voice, no communicator badge that would allow him to call for help, and he couldn't even recognize his surroundings without being able to catch his bearings physically.

Somehow calm was instilled upon him once more, but this time through the entity. It explained that in order for him to understand, he would have to see this realm of existence for himself, within its company. It showed Corran where he had been laying, just above a frazzled energy current that represented the grass he'd been laying on. He could see that his clothes had been left exactly where he had lay, not quite understanding how it was he could even notice clothes in this realm.

It was time to leave, he knew that, but he was worried about Cristobel, about the arboretum, about the people he wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye to. The entity 'told' him not to worry about that, that he could leave a message in their consciousness. They would not hear him, but they would know, even if they never understood what had happened to him or where he had gone, only that someday he would be a physical entity again, someplace either the Sulu or someplace else depending on what Corran chose.

So he left with the entity, a sense of his saying goodbye left in the minds of people he had known on the Sulu, especially his beloved. Cris might actually hear him, but all that would matter would be that he know he loved him, and would someday return to his side. In the meantime, he would be exploring a frontier he had never imagined truly existed.

---

"The Shuffle"

Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal; Mission Commander
Lieutenant j.g. Taylor Bennett; Security Officer
Ensign Mason Farrell; Operations Officer
Ensign Tristan Finn; Security Officer
Ensign Shirik Lektar; Operations Officer
Ensign Kit Markham; Flight Officer
CPO Calyca Boothroyd; Engineering Crewchief

Location: Runabout Rio Grande
Stardate: 57910.22 16h05

***

T'Kal had come directly from sickbay having been informed of Doctor Sefton's condition. Both of the Seftons were out of the game, and he prayed to the Prophets that the reason that they had wanted them along in the first place was going to be just a precaution and not an absolute necessity. The loss of Sefton was a setback that at present he could not fully appreciate. He was greatly saddened and it had simply added another augury of destruction to their mission. He prayed for her and he prayed for their endeavor. It was all he could do. Now he had a job to do and he would do it. As he strode out to the runabout, sword in hand, he thought of Lyrr Tayla on the Bridge. He wondered if he would ever see her again and the thought of not doing so was simply unacceptable.

Caly was looking rather pensive, thoughtful, and definitely troubled as she sat inside and waited for everyone to assemble and offered a brief nod to each as they showed up. She was also looking very Bajoran. She was wearing a Bajoran styled amber dyed uniform in skin-tight leather that adhered to every curve of her body. She had on both a Bajoran earring and Betrothal bracelet, and thanks to Doctor Sefton sported some cute little nose ridges.

Sefton, or rather her absence and condition along with her son's, was just one of the things at the heart of what had her feeling agitated and troubled. The one that dominated and warred with the loss of the doctor's presence, was her departure from Sorg... It had been nothing short of brutal on the petite engineer's emotions and even now she was neatly burying them in the Periodic Table were she could store them and deal with them later. ...Beryllium is found in some 30 mineral species, the most important of which are bertrandite, beryl, chrysoberyl, and phenacite. Aquamarine and emerald are precious forms of beryl. She liked emeralds... It was the doctor that she let have a foot hold now. She was one of the few senior officers Caly had complete faith and trust in, and she'd planned on sticking as close to the woman as she could. That was impossible now, and she didn't let anyone see just how much the doctor's absence was bothering her.

Shirik's expression was grim, a stark contrast to the costume she was wearing. Her gown was glittering silver, and sparkled in the light at every movement she made, drawing the eye to it. It was backless and had a plunging V neck in front, with a round cutout revealing her navel, in the center of which sat a glittering diamond. The gown hugged her curves to her waist, where the skirt then flowed down around her legs to ankle-length. It was slit up her right side to reveal the kemla strapped to her thigh. Her hair was swept back and held in place by a gold ruby-encrusted clasp, then flowed down her back in gentle waves. There was a single curly tendril of hair that dangled on either side of her face. Atop her head she wore a small crown made of diamonds, with a matching diamond choker around her slender neck. The black Amulet of House that identified her as the Fifth Princess of House Lektar also dangled around her neck, resting just atop the cleft of her breasts. Her eyes, lips, and nails all had a purplish coloring to them, and she left a heady perfumed scent in her wake.

She was too busy being nervous about what had happened to Cris and Dr. Sefton to be self-conscious at the moment, but as she approached the runabout she focused on that and the mission, and composed her thoughts and her expression. She unconsciously sought out Caly, staying near her and causing the petite engineer to quirk a brow and make some soft comment about her friend's appearance, half teasing and half approval.

Taylor Bennett sat in the crew compartment with her eyes closed and thoughts centered. What there was of her outfit was leather and left a good portion of her now-ebony skin exposed. She felt Finn's eyes on her, but she didn't let the little smile seep out. She had to stay focused. Her arms were bare except for the vanbraces that protected her forearms from harm. The vest she wore had plates fitted into it for added protection, but had otherwise molded to her body. She wasn't thrilled about the window cut into the front that showed off her cleavage. Perfect target, she thought, though Finn didn't seem to mind. She also knew it was a silly style adopted by some Klingon women. The boots she wore added several more centimeters to her height, and when she stood next to Kit, she towered over him.

Taylor opened her eyes and reflected on everything that had happened. It's almost over, she told herself. Just a little more and all this will be behind us. She closed her thoughts on all that had happened, all the deaths, and focused on the now, on the moment. If they were to succeed, they would need to focus.

Farrell was subdued, and sat his chair at the companel unobtrusively. Ainsley was on his mind, even though he knew he had other things to be thinking about. But for the moment, he dwelt on her embrace and her kiss, and let the imprint of those things sink even deeper into him.

Benedict T'Kal took his place at the Tactical station and made sure all non-essential systems were powered down. He looked over at Kit Markham. "Take her out, Ensign," he gave the order to depart with a nod.

"Out she goes, sir," Kit replied. Using maneuvering thrusters, the Rio Grande lifted off the bay floor and drifted lazily out into free space. Once they were clear of the ship, Kit altered their course to point them in the direction where they'd decided they'd arrive from. "In position to move out of system, Commander."

Ships stretched as far as visual range would permit. Hundreds. Perhaps a thousand or more. Larger ships, the mirror-versions of the massive Sovereigns and Galaxies. Older Excelsiors and Ambassadors. Stubby Norways and Steamrunners. The space here was filled with them, all at station keeping. Myriad support craft were everywhere. Work pods crawled along the surfaces of the bigger ships, making final preparations for the offensive. Shuttles cruised back and forth as captains visited one another and traveled to and from the starbase to receive their orders.

There were a few configurations among them that were not Federation; Cardassian Galor Class vessels and a wing of the larger Predator Class Attack ships. Two imposing Romulan Warbirds stood slightly apart, their greenish nacelles and hull a contrast to the grey and white Empire ships.

Caly had stopped what she was doing on her PADD to catch a glimpse of the station and the Armada. "Hoh-boy...." After a few minutes of studying it, she made a quiet comment. "There're differences...."

Shirik stared out the viewport, a sinking feeling in her gut. How could they possibly make it home through all that? She frowned slightly as she pushed her doubts away, not willing to give them any foothold on her thoughts now. She nodded at Caly's comment, studying the station closely as they approached.

T'Kal was steadily cataloguing the vessels on the tactical screens, his violet gaze dismayed at the sheer size and composition of the enemy. Long range sensors showed several other fleet arms moving in from other stars, as the massive armada prepared for their beachhead assault on an unsuspecting universe.

The starbase itself could have passed for Deep Space Nine from a distance. Most of the station's docking arms were occupied, making it look a bit like a black hive covered by its grey soldiers. To the trained observer, however, tiny differences began to manifest themselves as observation continued. The lights were in different pattern layouts and color combinations. Weapons turrets studded the length of every surface. Where Deep Space Nine was constructed to facilitate trade, Ashak Nor looked built to interdict it.

Sitting in the docking cradle at the apex of the station sat a Romulan Warbird. It was dwarfed by the defence pylons and truly managed to show the size of the station. Benedict T'Kal focused the sensors onto the lower sections of the station - at the needle-like power generation sections and received the first close inspection scans of the tactical environment they would be operating in.

The backdrop for the station was the Black Hole itself; a sheer volume of space composed of utter blackness from which even light could not escape. The illumination on the Space station was its own lighting array and a soft reflected light, drawing the eye away from there and toward the black sphere was a truly massive construct. It was brightly lit by a ring of exterior nacelles; the gravitic generators that kept it stationary relative to the mighty absence of light that was behind it. The ring was so large that the station was a bare moon caught in its drag. The effort to build such an enterprise dwarfed the capabilities of The Federation. It was a product of an interstellar empire of unknown proportion, and it was truly magnificent.

A ring of bright light that, by itself, cast a glow upon the station. It stood face toward the Black Hole so that its single plane took advantage of the uniform gravitic forces playing upon it. Trailing toward the singularity was a massive conduit that seemed to taper quickly to a thread that vanished toward the blackness. This was the energy generation system that would provide the power for the Gate and for the station-keeping systems. It used the variation in gravitic force to generate the power in sufficient and uninterrupted quantities to keep the massive Gate operational.

The mine field was a glittering sphere of diamonds that encapsulated the ring; a defensive perimeter of depth that would prevent a counter-attack once the Gate was opened. It was clearly planned that this Bridge between universes would remain open as a link to the Empire that would control the expanse of a new Dominion. It was indeed daunting. Sheer size diminishing hope.

"If we manage to get through all this unscathed and without our cover being blown, I'd look at that little feat as one monstrously huge positive sign," Caly commented quietly. "Everything else will be a walk in the park..."

"What is that?" Farrell asked, peering to one side.

At the sound of his question, Booter looked to where he was pointing.. The ship Farrell indicated was huge. Bigger even than a Sovereign, its nacelles swept low, beneath the ship in profile. The saucer was an extremely elongated oval, which came to a flat front rather than a graceful curve. In fact, a dozen meters of the front of the saucer were flat and level, a platform leading into the ship itself. As the Rio Grande floated further along, the front of the saucer could be seen to be open, as though there were a single cavernous bay within.

"Fighter carrier," Finn drawled. "I've heard that in most fleets that have fighter carriers, the carriers have the best food." He glanced over at Taylor and raised an eyebrow. "Gourmet mustards." He glanced back at the carrier, chewing his lip as he studied it. "I bet when that thing launches its fighters, it's like a swarm of angry bees."

Farrell gave a low whistle which Caly echoed. "I would love to get my hands on that," she commented in a hushed, rather awed tone, the fingers of one hand moving lightly in the air.

Shirik smiled faintly at that but added no comment. It was clear to her mind that if they didn't destroy the Gate, their universe was doomed.

---

"In Search of Comfort"
By: Ensign Raina Derrell
Ensign Amy Reese

Location: Sickbay, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 16h08

***

Amy stared numbly at the empty hypo cartridge in one hand, and the storage tube of nitricil ready for dispensation, yet was incapable of linking the two dissociated objects and performing the action of refilling the cartridge. Nothing had made any sense since Cris and Damhnait both succumbed to their respective illnesses - Cris was always there to tell her when her amateurish tendencies were resurfacing, and Damhnait, her mentor, would no longer be present to offer harsh, if not much needed advice. If they were here now, they might tell her what to do with an empty hypo cartridge and some nitricil....

Raina managed to stop behind Amy on her way to another task. It had been rough shifts since she heard about Cris and Damhnait but that just topped off what had already been beyond an extremely difficult mission so far. Slowly she approached the nurse who reminded Ensign Derrell of a zombie. "Amy?"

"Hm?" She slowly turned to face Derrell, cartridge still in hand and dazed look still upon her. "Ensign Derrell?" Amy held out the hypotube, her bottom lip trembling and eyes tearing up. "Help..." she sobbed and released the useless cartridge as she sank against Derrell.

Gently Raina took the med supplies from Amy's hand then placed them back on a tray of other supplies that needed refilling or inventories. "Let someone else handle this. You and I are going to take a short break before we both fall apart." It was the best she could do without falling apart herself. "I know it's hard and things seem so goofed up right now."

"Things have been goofed up for a long while, Raina." Amy sniffled and clung to her associate tighter. "Crissy's catatonic, Dr. Sefton's no better...." She whimpered, burying her running nose into Raina's shoulder. "I just wanna go home."

Raina just held onto Amy. "I know. You know this is one of those times I wish many of the sickbay staff weren't looking for me to be strong. So I understand your desire to just go home."

"But you are strong," Amy insisted, pulling back a touch. "You're holding up this department. I look up to you, Raina. Because you're strong. Please don't doubt that. Y-You're the only one who can hold us all together...."

Those words made her feel better and fueled the silent doubt within at the same time. Raina attempted to smile at Amy. "Thank you." Words failed her simply because she couldn't forget she was an emotional being just like the rest of the staff. "There are very few people on this ship that understand me and those two are among them."

"I hope I can understand you someday, Raina," Amy whispered. "I've got no real friends left... You could be one, Raina. I figure...we all need someone right now, right?" She smiled hopefully, appealing to Raina's empathetic side.

Tears that had threatened to fall for several minutes now finally let loose. "I'd like to think we are good friends, Amy. You're right when you say there's no one left, lately I feel all alone again."

"But you're not," Amy told her gently. She took Raina's hand and squeezed it. "And now...I know that I'm not either. We'll stick by each other...okay? No matter what happens in the next few hours. Promise?"

She hugged Amy tighter. "Yeah, I'll be right here. No matter what happens, I'm not going anywhere, I promise. That's the only thing that makes any sense right now."

"So...you're not too clear either one what I'm supposed to do with that empty cartridge?" she quipped, then snickered. "Maybe we can figure it out together." Amy hopped back lightly, grabbed both of Raina's hands and scampered backwards, pulling her along. "It's our responsibility now, and Dr. Sefton wouldn't be pleased if we let things fall apart." She smiled ruefully. "We'll make her proud, Raina. I know it."

---

"What More Could Possibly Happen Today?"
By: Ensign Alexia Johnstone - Nurse

Location: USS Sulu, Sickbay
Stardate: 57910.22, 16h12

***

Lexi was sitting in the Head Nurse's office, holding her head in her hands. Was it only 30 short minutes ago that life had changed so drastically? At 1500hrs, Doctor Damhnait Sefton had suffered bilateral brain aneurysms and had subsequently been placed into stasis awaiting further treatment. Then, to make matters even worse, less than half an hour later, Cris Sefton had entered a catatonic state, caused by numerous factors. He had simply had too many traumatic events to deal with lately, and his brain had obviously shut down as a coping mechanism. Suddenly, everything familiar had become completely unfamiliar, and Lexi felt like her whole world was in total and utter disarray. As far as she was concerned, today had been the day from hell.

She felt like she was undergoing some kind of horrific baptism by fire, that could not have possibly been dreamed up in anyone's worst nightmare - it was one heck of a way to start her week of being Head Nurse. If truth be known, she was actually finding it all a little bit traumatising herself, but she knew she had to continue on.

The day had started out as every other day had lately, and had slowly deteriorated from there. First, Ensign Szerda had been diagnosed with Tarkalean Flu, then Doctor Sefton had dropped the news on Lexi that she was to begin her rotation as Head Nurse. That had been a scary but amazingly exciting moment in Lexi's life - she had only dreamed that it would ever be anything more than a dream for a promotion such as that!

Just as she had been adapting herself to that juicy little piece of news, and working out exactly what sort of Head Nurse she wanted to be - including coming to the conclusion that she really was going to have to become a little more assertive, along came the fight with the Enforcers in Sickbay, in which for her troubles, Lexi now had a sore throat where she had tried to play hero and had ended up being choked by an Enforcer until Raina Derrell had saved Lexi by dosing the Enforcer full in the face with a hypospray. Thankfully, the Enforcers were now in the Brig and out of Sickbay - that was one less stressor to worry about!

Now this with the Seftons. Oh, my Sainted Aunt, Lexi sighed despondently. There really couldn't possibly be anything else happening today! Lexi's mind continued spinning almost at the speed of light. She wondered where the activities of today would lead her. Would her week of Head Nurse continue on past the week? Who would now be in charge of Sickbay? How would the other staff react to the events of today? What effect would it have on them? How would Amy Reese, in particular, react once she heard the news of the Seftons? Lexi knew Amy had been the last Head Nurse, and she also knew that Amy was extremely good friends with Cris. It worried Lexi just how Amy might cope with the news. With both Seftons incapacitated, the last thing Lexi needed was another nurse losing the plot as a result of hearing about it.

Lexi sighed deeply again. She knew her shift had ended, but really, where did she think she might go? Back to her quarters? For what? To sit and think....and think...and think. Nope, Lexi resolutely decided. That's not an option. She knew she had to get staffing sorted out, and to find out who would now be in charge of Sickbay. She squared her shoulders for what felt like the 984th time that day, rose wearily to her feet, and set off in search of Doctor M'lira. Surely she would be able to give Lexi some indication as to what the immediate future held for the medical team.

As Lexi set off, the one recurring thought that passed through her head was, What more could possibly happen today?

---

"A Little Bit Of Kindness"
By: Ensign Alexia Johnstone - Head Nurse
Crewman 1st Class Kristian LeClair - Security

Location: USS Sulu, Sickbay
Stardate: 57910.22, 16h14

***

As Lexi exited the Head Nurse's office asking herself, What more could possibly happen today?, Crewman LeClair came stumbling into sickbay drained of color. Her hands were clutched to her chest and the front of her uniform was soaked with blood.

"...s-sir..." she managed to croak out before sliding to the floor in a crumpled heap.

Lexi moved swiftly across Sickbay, heading towards the Crewman's crumpled body, grabbing a tricorder and some smelling salts on her way. Lexi was praying the woman had simply fainted, and that there wasn't a more sinister reason for her collapse. She reached her side, and knelt down, waving the smelling salts under her nose as she did. Within a matter of seconds, the Crewman was rousing. "Hey there, you're going to be okay, you're in Sickbay. I'm Lexi and I'm going to take a quick look here. You've got a bit of a mess here, can you tell me what happened?"

"...k-knife slipped...." she responded in a voice that trembled. "I brought t-them..." she held her hand protectively against her chest. "...c-can you put them back on?" When Lexi was finally able to get a look, unwrapping the makeshift bandage to do so, she found that Kristian had managed to sever two of her fingers and a third was just barely hanging on.

With a tone that was meant to be soothing, Lexi said, "I need to grab a few things. Do you think you can stand so we can get you a bit more comfortable over on a bed?" With that, she gently helped the woman to her feet, trying hard not to jostle her as they moved to the nearest biobed. Once Kristian was resting safely on the bed, Lexi went and got a couple of hyposprays, a bone knitter, a sub-dermal regenerator and a dermal regenerator. It would be a lengthy job, but it was possible. "Are you okay there?" she asked and Kristian nodded but didn't speak just yet. The pain she was in was there in her eyes, easy for a trained professional like Lexi to see. The young Security Crewman closed her eyes for a moment and tried to take steadying breaths, her body was trembling in reaction.

Lexi gave a dose of hypospray to ease the pain, then gave a second dose containing a relaxant. Once she was certain Kristian was calmer, she began. Firstly, she applied the bone knitter to one of the fingers, knitting the bones back together. As she was doing this, she continued to talk to the woman. "How on earth did you manage this?"

"We... we were going through the Armoury... Checking the inventory, making sure everything was accounted for after we took it back from the Enforcers," the young Kristian began to explain. Her voice was pale sounding, but definitely more steady than when she'd first arrived. "It was a personal weapon. I don't even remember whose it was now..." she admitted, turning into a regular chatter box now that she wasn't on the verge of being maimed for the rest of her life. "It slipped... and honestly, sir... I didn't know they had knives that sharp. The boss is gonna kill me..."

Lexi's insides flip flopped at the description. She had never understood the fascination for weapons of any description, and usually one way or another, they ended up causing nothing but grief. She nodded reassuringly to the young woman. "It's okay..... I'm sure they'll understand it was just an accident. I mean, no one sets out to deliberately do what happened to you unless they are mentally deranged...which I can see you're not." Lexi smiled as she said this, trying to put the woman lying on the bed at ease by joking lightly.

"No sir, not at all, but you don't know the Chief." She made a face, and then instantly shut up when she realized it might sound like she was complaining about him. "Oh, not that he's mean or anything, because he's not. No, sir. Chief Case is a fair man. He's just stern and expects us to be the best we can... And it was a stupid accident, sir. Really stupid. I should have been paying a lot more attention, sir because it wasn't in a sheath. But my mind was wandering a bit and I wasn't concentrating."

The bone knitter had finished its job on the first finger, and Lexi decided to deal with one finger at a time. If the Crewman could see that finger repaired, she might relax a little more, knowing that she truly would be alright. With that thought in mind, she picked up the subdermal regenerator and began the job of repairing the tendons and underlying tissue before moving on to the dermal regenerator which would repair the top layers of skin.

"Is it working? Will it go back?" the young security officer asked as she glanced down at what Lexi was doing only to look quickly away again. "Will there be awful scars?"

"No problems. It's working beautifully, and yes, it will go back, and no, there won't be any scars. You'll be as good as new." Lexi had finished with the first finger. "Try moving that finger a little for me...then we'll go on to the next one."

Kristian scrunched up her face in concentration and after a moment the finger actually wiggled a bit erratically. "Whoop! It works! Oh thank you, sir!"

Seeing the pleased look on Kristian's face as the finger moved exactly as it should, Lexi moved on to the second finger. "Not too much longer, then we'll fix that last one and you'll be right as rain."

"Right as rain.... That's good. I was so afraid I'd be maimed for life. After all what good is a Security officer if she doesn't have all of her fingers?" she asked Lexi. "None, that's what good. Why I'd have had to retire. Sir...I'm too young to retire. Why I'm just a Crewman First Class!"

Lexi chuckled openly at that. "Oh, yes....far too young to retire...there's life in them old bones yet, my girl!" she said with a grin. The second finger was coming along just as well as the first, and as Lexi worked, she realised with a start that she was enjoying the young woman's company. Considering the accident she had had, she had become remarkably cheery once she realised she would be okay. It had been a horrendous day, and it made a nice change to finally have someone pleased with what was happening. There had been so much trauma; it was heart warming to have something good happening.

"Of course, sir," the young woman half-smiled. "Unless the Chief bites my head off, then that would suck because I'd be dead then. And headless," she observed candidly. "But he'll probably just chew me out and yell at me... But holy cow can he be scary looking... You know?" She looked up at Lexi and gave her another crooked smile. "He's kinda scary looking even when he's not all mad and red." Secretly she had a little case of hero worship going and a crush on the Chief, but she wasn't about to admit that.

As Lexi continued to work on the second finger, she thought about the man Kristian was referring to. She had to agree; Chief Case was scary looking. The facial scar he wore like a badge over his left eye could scare the pants off a blind man in a dark alley at twenty feet! Lexi knew his scars could so easily be removed, but the man chose not to. She guessed he had his reasons, and that was his choice.

"Okay," Lexi motioned to Kristian. "Time to try out that second finger...give it a whirl."

Kristian scrunched up her face again as she concentrated on moving her finger. It was harder than the first, but she managed a bit of erratic movement. "Hey! It works," she grinned up at Lexi. "You're great, sir. Thank you. They don't even really hurt any more. And man I thought they were gonners for sure, you know? It's kind of scary way down in the pit of your stomach to see your fingers someplace other than where they belong..." she admitted. "Way Scary."

Lexi nodded in complete understanding. When she had been skating professionally, Lexi had seen an horrific accident with one skater colliding with a second, and the first skater's fingers had gone under the blades of the second's skate...it had been a gruesome sight also. So she really did have complete understanding. She had never forgotten the picture of complete and utter anguish and despair on the girl's face when she realised what had happened...in fact, she had retired immediately, and Lexi had been boosted up a position in the Federation rankings as a result.

"Right," said Lexi. "Just a few more minutes and we'll be finished. You're holding up really well. How are you feeling?"

"Well," she glanced quickly at her rather bloody and at the moment ugly looking fingers, and then focused back on Lexi. "Kinda queasy, sir... And just a bit light-headed... I can look at other people's blood all day long. But my own kinda makes me awfully ill feeling, you know?" she smiled a bit wanly. "Like my stomach is doing things only a trained professional should be doing..."

"Well, I think a small dose of something to stop the nausea is in order...just sit tight and I'll grab some." Lexi picked up a hypospray filled with an antiemetic and administered a small dose. After all, the crewman wasn't exactly a large woman; in fact she was quite petite. "That'll make you feel a whole lot better by the time we've finished here. Then I suggest you return to your quarters and rest for the remainder of the day. I'll inform Security that you won't be returning to duty this afternoon."

"Uhh... Yes, sir," she nodded her agreement. "And thank you." She indicated the hypospray and offered a small smile. "Uhhh... You sure I can't go back to duty, sir? What with the missions and Security already short handed...." Her voice trailed off and she looked at Lexi expectantly.

Lexi shook her head emphatically. "No, Crewman, I definitely don't want you returning to duty today. I realise we are short staffed in some departments, but you need to rest your body and recuperate, and give that hand time to heal completely. You've been through quite a traumatic time this afternoon; I don't want to have you back here because you came over giddy again and fell and hit your head! Not only that, but you will have a series of limbering exercises that I plan on giving you when we're finished...you'll need to spend a considerable amount of time working those fingers while you're resting tonight in order to return to duty tomorrow. I expect you here after lunch tomorrow for a review of that hand. When you do return to duty, you will be placed on light duties for a few days to ensure complete healing and a return to full functions."

Kristian looked at Lexi, eyes wide. "Yes'um," she answered quietly. Probably the shortest thing she'd said since being there.

She had to admire the crewman's courage and stamina - most people Lexi knew would have fallen into a heap after an ordeal like Kristian had been through...and yet the woman was determined to return to duty! She wasn't quite sure if the other woman was conscientious or just plain pig headed.

The young Security Crewman looked from Lexi to her hand and then back again. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me, sir. Thank you. I'll do whatever you tell me. You're the boss after all." She gave her a little smile. "And I'll be here with bells on," she nodded stubbornly.

Lexi smiled reassuringly at the young woman. "You'll be just fine, Crewman. And I do know how much you appreciate what's been done. I just don't want you to rush things...and the way things have been 'round here lately, you'd do well to take a day's rest where you can get it, no matter what the reason. After all, who knows what lies around the next corner?"

Kristian knew that. It was why she'd wanted to get back to duty. She was afraid the corners were going to come hot and heavy and faster than they expected when they did come... And no one knew when that was going to be exactly. Speculation was rife among the crew, but only the senior officers really knew what was going on, and they didn't usually pass that information on to a Crewman.

"Now...we're all done here. I'll show you the exercises you'll need to be practicing this evening. But I do want you to promise me you'll rest." Lexi laid her hand on the woman's shoulder in a comforting gesture. "Let's get you cleaned up, then I'll call Security and clear you for the night. I'm sure after a good night's sleep you'll be as good as new."

"Yes, sir." Kristian smiled back. "Am I going to get one of those squishy ball things to squeeze?" she asked. "Those are so weird feeling, you know?" the young security officer said and made an 'ewww' face. "Like squishing worms in between your fingers. Except with the ball you don't get worm poop on your hands," she observed practically. "I do look a fright, don't I, sir?" she offered Lexi a wry smile as she glanced down at her blood soaked uniform. She liked the young nurse. She hadn't scolded her and had made her feel tons better. Physically and emotionally. She was nice.

Lexi grimaced at the thought of worm poop being made part of a rehab program - it didn't bear thinking about really...not nice at all. Worms were not one of Lexi's favourite things. "Yes, you're going to get one of those squishy ball things...in fact the one I have in mind is yellow with a happy smiley face on it. You'll know if you've been using it enough if the face wears off." A face splitting grin broke out as Lexi remembered an old flame from her younger days who'd been given a squishy ball as a joke just like the one she was giving the crewman...his smiley face had rubbed off after a night of drinking and constantly playing with it. She could still hear his voice in her mind as he dribbled drunkenly at her about how the face had fallen off his balls.

Kristian gave her a curious look as she explained about the smiley face and she wondered if it could be scrubbed off too. Not that she wouldn't do the exercises because she wanted her hand to get back to normal, but she did wonder if anyone had washed the face off, or drew any other faces on the ball. "Alright, sir. I won't bring it back to you with its face still intact," she grinned a little.

"Right then. These are your exercises, to be done every hour for 5 minutes." Lexi demonstrated to the crewman exactly how she wanted them completed. There was nothing particularly hard about them, it was just going to need some perseverance for a while to regain full strength.

She watched the demonstration intently, repeating the movements with her good hand until she could move her injured one with more precision, wanting to get the movements down pat. "I can do these," Kristian nodded and gave Lexi a thankful smile. "And I'm to come back tomorrow after lunch, correct?"

Lexi nodded. "I'll look forward to seeing you then. But now I think it's time you went and got some rest. You'll do just fine with the exercises, and you'll be as good as new in no time."

"Thank you, sir.," Kristian slid from the bed, standing a moment while any slight dizziness passed and then smiled at Lexi. "I think I do need to go rest," she admitted and with a slight wave she headed out of Sickbay, squeezing the yellow smiley-faced ball as she did.

---

"Keeping Busy"
By: Commander Lyrr Tayla
Lieutenant Saavar
Lt. Commander Sam

Location: Bridge, USS Sulu
Stardate 57910.22, 16h25

***

Drumming her fingers impatiently and compulsively jiggling her left foot as it dangled by her right leg, Lyrr Tayla waited. The away team had departed and the ship was otherwise calm, yet she could hardly keep still. Ben was on the shuttle to the station, and although he'd promised he would, she had no way of knowing if he was going to return alive.

The uncertainty agitated her exceedingly and the inactivity created a helplessness in her she couldn't displace. With a sharp sigh, Lyrr bolted from her seat and paced aimlessly. There was nothing to do from the bridge until the fighting began. The rest was up to the Away Team. Shirik and Farrell would be extracting the codes for the gate's minefield and retrieving shield frequencies - with all their advanced technology, Lyrr couldn't figure why those remaining behind were incapable of participating in the insurrection until the final, decisive moment.

She needed to keep busy before her fear for Ben's safe return drove her to madness. So consumed by her thoughts was she, Lyrr hardly noticed she was standing beside Lieutenant Saavar at his station, peering at his console until his gaze fell upon her, eyebrow cocked curiously. She murmured an apology when she realized he was staring. "I was...just...." Lyrr sighed and smiled tightly. "Anything to report?"

"They will return, Commander," Saavar said quietly. His voice was compassionate, as was the look he gave her. "I too have much to lose," he pointed out. "But they will return." He gave her a smile that was only for her and then indicated his science station. "I have been monitoring communication traffic in the fleet and mapping as much of the deployed mine field as our passive sensors allow. It appears that they have deployed the same self-replicating mines that our own Deep Space Nine used to block the wormhole exit during the Dominion War. They continually update each other on their position and readiness. The transponder code given to us when we joined this fleet allows us to be identified as friendly to the fleet and so we can monitor com traffic."

"Have they been saying anything interesting?" she asked, smiling thinly.

"Mostly readiness reports, positions and deployments. Commander Sam has successfully broken the encryption codes on the Windsor's communications to the Sulu. I have managed to learn that the fleet flagship is the ISS Enterprise, and they are holding a Flag Officers briefing for the section fleet commanders. Tentative fleet operations commence in fourteen hours. Before then we were to prepare for a complete change in crew. Captain Drake's last orders were specific. In nine hours we are to prepare for a complete crew exchange. It seems we were slated for a term in the Dilithium mines on a small colony world close by. A ship will rendezvous with us to remove the crew. It seems Captain T'Briane was not going to allow us to travel through the Gate afterall."

Lyrr smirked grimly. "I never did plan on trusting her, either. In nine hours, I hope to have us away from here, Lieutenant. Though, until then...." She sighed. "There must be something we can do while we wait. I don't enjoy feeling superfluous." Lyrr gazed distantly through the viewport, watching the ominous black hole swirling, summoning them into its gaping maw. Lyrr shuddered imperceptibly. "What about that minefield?" she asked quietly, returning her focus to the Vulcan. "If the team doesn't succeed in retrieving those codes, is there any way to deactivate the mines?"

"We will require the codes before they will acknowledge our transmissions," he said with a slight frown. "Without the codes we will be able to do nothing. However, I have reviewed the DS9 specifications on the mines and they do match exactly. If we secured the codes, we could conceivably alter their control programming. It would take time."

"There wouldn't be enough time," Lyrr told him. "Couldn't we devise a program beforehand that we could implement after the codes have been delivered? Something to buy us more time? If we can pass through that minefield, so can they - it'll have been a futile endeavour if we manage to pass through, yet get blown to pieces shortly after."

"Intriguing." Saavar nodded. "Yes it could be done. Do you have something specific in mind?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "Though, instead of overwriting their programming, could we not just incorporate our own? A virus of sorts that will just attach to their programming and dominate?"

Saavar nodded. "Yes, sir, that is entirely possible. With a fractal encryption algorithm to lock them out of the field we could create a virus that spreads through their own network. As the mines talk to each other they would spread the virus. We could conceivably even alter their safe frequencies, allowing us to pass and their codes to be invalid. That would certainly buy us the time."

"Well, since we're not doing much else...." Lyrr smiled and gestured to Saavar's station. "Shall we get started, then? Sam," she tossed over her shoulder. "Will you join us?"

"Of course, Commander," Sam replied. He stepped away from his station and was replaced by Ensign Sanchez. Once Ops was secure, he strode toward Lt. Saavar's station where Saavar and Lyrr waited for him. "How may I be of assistance, Commander?"

"You'll be working with Lt. Saavar, Commander," she told him. "We have a virus to manufacture."

"Of course, Commander," Sam replied. "What will be the nature and purpose of the virus? With our recent encounters, I have begun a more thorough study of a variety of viral phenomenon."

"This one will be of a technical nature," Lyrr explained and, smiling, stepped back to make room for him at Saavar's console. "We have a minefield to seize, gentlemen. Shall we?"

Sam moved in to replace Lyrr at the console. "Of course, Commander. I will update you on our progress as soon as we have something to report." And, with that, he and the Vulcan began their work.

---

"Old Friends, New Enemies?"
By: Ensign Alexia Johnstone - Head Nurse
Crewman Emma Summers - Nurse

Location: USS Sulu, Sickbay.
Stardate: 57910.22, 16h30

***

Lexi was sitting in her new office, working on staffing rosters for the next week. That was an optimistic projection, as no one knew whether the Sulu would be there for the next week. With the situation as it was, a little normalcy was needed. Projecting a staffing roster for the next week was a mundane thing - but it implied hope. That was important. It was a leadership function that Lexi understood, even though she had never been in a position to put it into practise before. The Starfleet Officer training had prepared her for this though.

She had been made Head Nurse earlier that day, and had made her first decision in requesting Crewman Emma Summers be changed from Gamma shift to Alpha, commencing tomorrow morning. Lexi had sent a message to Emma for when she woke up, and guessed that Emma would have received that message regarding the change of shift by now. She was fully expecting Emma to contact her with regards to reasons for the change some time soon. Emma would also need to be updated with the changes that had occurred during the day while she had been sleeping.

As those thoughts went through Lexi Johnstone's mind, Emma Summers was leaving the Mess Hall with a sense of excitement and anticipation that she hadn't had in a long time. The Mess Hall had been buzzing with news of what had happened that night and morning. The two Seftons being out of action had surprised and pleased her to no end. The telepaths were no longer a problem, and the summons to attend Medical on Alpha shift was indication that the short-fall in nursing staff was more important than her counselling duties at present. That suited Emma just fine.

She was waiting for Lyrr Tayla to start succumbing to the virus that she had been injected with, and being in medical would allow her to be on top of that plot. She hadn't been aware of the undertakings of the command staff though - and the news that Benedict, Tebrianne and Shirik Lektar had gone on a mission that was generally considered a suicide mission, had been a shock - the possible loss of Benedict had caused a stab of grief, yet to have them all dead would leave Emma completely free of any worries. She would be free to take up with Amy too - as Markham was also slotted as pilot for the mission. It was working out as if someone was pulling the strings to give Emma a new life. She found herself looking forward to it!

So it was with an impish smile and a bounce in her step that Emma Summers sauntered into Sickbay to meet her new Head Nurse. She'd had nothing to do with medical from Gamma shift at all, and this Alexia Johnstone had been shuffled just prior to the present situation apparently. Now she had taken Amy's position as Head Nurse, and already the wheels of Emma Summer's mind were turning on how to correct that injustice!

She passed through Sickbay waving at the few staff she knew and ended up smiling widely as she stopped before the Head Nurse's office. "Ensign Johnstone?" Emma grinned as she stood with her hands behind her back, dressed in an immaculate Class A uniform (the first in days after regaining the use of the replicators!). "Hi...I'm Crewman Summers, sir. I wanted to check in with you before I started tomorrow." Emma looked the woman up and down and was surprised at the woman's stunning looks. She was gorgeous! It was a slight shock to Emma's thoughts - she hadn't realised just how strongly she had turned away from men until now. Amy had certainly had an effect on her outlook!

Lexi turned towards the voice. "Good afternoon, Crewman.... I hope you slept well today? I see you got my message. I trust it won't inconvenience you too much to swap shifts like that. I'm glad you stopped in.... I was hoping for a chance to brief you on what has been happening and the reasons behind my decision to change you to Alpha."

"Of course, sir." Emma stepped into the office and took the seat across from Alexia. "I heard about Doctor and Nurse Sefton in the Mess Hall. I assumed that was the reason for the fast swap. I'm more than happy to change shifts and come back into medical. I understand the situation and am glad to do whatever you need me to do." She gave Alexia a demure smile, crossing her legs at the knee and smoothing down the fabric of her pants as she clasped her hands around her knee.

Lexi looked at Emma with an appraising look on her face. "Actually, no, that wasn't the reason. I requested the change this morning when Dr. Sefton first appointed me as Head Nurse. Ultimately, it has proven to be a wise decision, I believe. I actually requested the change as your name was familiar to me. Being that we have both recently been on Gamma shift, and I hadn't come across you in Sickbay, I surmised that you were working in another area until recently. I believe that you have been helping Ensign Reese with the vaccination program - is that correct? Therefore, you must have moved to Sickbay after I commenced Alpha shift myself." Lexi cast a glance down at the PADD on the desktop in front of her. "One thing that confuses me, Crewman.... I don't actually see you on the previous medical rostering. Can you explain to me why, then, you might have been helping Ensign Reese with the vaccinations?"

Emma grinned. "I don't think the Enforcers were very good with paddwork, sir. They obviously forgot to update the new roster they gave me while they were in command." She sat back a little, appraising the woman before her too. "I was assisting Ensign Reese because Ensign Reese ordered me to. I was assigned to Medical because my normal shift as a Counsellor was seen to conflict with the aims of the Enforcers who ran the ship. It seemed that all of the counselling staff were reassigned to the Medical service at that time. Ensign Reese asked me to assist her because she was under instructions to not work alone while giving out the injections under the Enforcers. It seemed a wise precaution to me, sir." She arched a brow and looked her directly in the eyes. She didn't like this woman already and she was questioning Amy's judgement. "Ensign Reese was Head Nurse at the time, sir - why don't you ask her why she chose me to assist her; I'm sure she would clear it up to your satisfaction. Being a crewman, sir - I just follow orders."

Lexi's forehead creased into consternation. The Crewman's attitude grated on her nerves...she wouldn't have dared to speak so forthrightly to a senior officer! It was as if Emma was trying to protect herself, and Lexi couldn't for the life of her figure out what exactly Emma needed protecting from. "I'm sorry, Crewman, I believe maybe we've gotten off on the wrong foot here. I'm not arguing the decision of you being where you've been.... I just didn't understand why I couldn't find you on any previous rosters."

"Oh." Emma smiled and giggled. "I thought I was going to get into trouble. Amy asked me to help her privately that's all...we're...seeing each other." She shrugged. "Sorry, sir. I've been on Counselling staff mostly, on-call counsellor for Gamma shift. I was originally in sickbay on the nursing roster, but Counsellor Scott arranged for me to undertake further application of my Academy secondary in Counselling as a means to upgrade my skills. Doctor Sefton wanted us all to apply ourselves to further study and particularly to being transferrable between departments. I really liked Doctor Sefton, sir. I hope she pulls through this terrible tragedy...and Cris...he was such a nice guy." Emma's face seemed to take on a sad expression as she thought it a pity that Sefton's brain didn't entirely explode; she just hated telepaths.

Lexi's look of consternation deepened. She sensed there possibly wasn't something quite sincere in the other woman's expression. "Hmm.... well, I certainly wouldn't call it trouble at present." Lexi stopped in mid thought. "You do look familiar, Crewman, where do I know you from? When were you at the Academy?"

"Seventy three to seventy six, sir. I don't believe I recognize you - but the academy was a big place," she smiled and behind the smile, a ripple of fear ran through her. If this woman recognized her from the Academy, she would be recognizing the real Emma Summers.

"Hmm...." Lexi's brow knitted into a frown. "I was there from seventy two to seventy six.... I'm sure we were in a few counselling classes together, although you ran with a different group." She still felt uneasy for some reason - call it gut instinct, but Lexi had a feeling that there was something not quite right here.

Emma smiled, keeping her expression light as she screwed up her face to remember. "No." She shook her head. "I don't remember you, sir...sorry. I was very shy back then. I'm sure you would have been more popular than me, sir. I kept mostly to myself." She'd have to check the Starfleet database. This was an added complication and just when things were looking so perfect. She smiled. "Is there anything else I should know, sir? I'd like to be well prepared for shift tomorrow."

Lexi mentally shrugged her shoulders. She thought it rather odd that Emma couldn't remember her...after all, Lexi certainly hadn't been a wall flower back then! Not only had she been popular, but people had still remembered the medal she had won in the Olympics only a few short years before. Now, more than ever, Lexi felt there was something not