 
The DrearGyre

Star Trek Universe

by

Leslie R. Lee

Published by Leslie R. Lee at Smashwords

Copyright 2013 Leslie R. Lee

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Foreword from the author

I could not call myself a writer nor a Star Trek fan if I didn't try my hand at some fan fiction. So here is my humble homage to the Universe that is Star Trek and all their creators and contributors, writers and actors, and of course to Gene Roddenberry. I'm grateful for all the joy you've given me. I hope I've not stepped on too many toes nor wandered into the morass of legalities surrounding whatever. Please accept it for what it is. A bit of fun.

Leslie
Trust a Romulan only as long as you can hold a knife to his throat -- Klingon Proverb.

The Human hunkered down in the shadows. A cyclic multibarreled shotgun rested in her hands just in case things got worse. Not yet, though. Not yet. For now, she'd hide in the dark alley, watching the hideous little scene in front of her play out.

One Nausicaan male pinned the Romulan female's arms behind her. The other Nausicaan smashed her in the stomach. The Romulan, already limp from the beating curled up in a ball. She gagged as she tried to drag air into her lungs. Her green blood streamed down her face.

The huge aliens, almost twice her size, towered over the female. Muscles bulged as they beat her. Their faces raged with lust. The Human wondered what the Romulan might have done to provoke them. Then again, with unstable, drugged up Nausicaans, she might have done nothing more than be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Best let the ugliness run its course for now, she decided. Most life forms had the sense to avoid this secluded spot of desolation forged by wrecked buildings and piles of rubbish. No witnesses here except for the slime glowing radioactively on walls corroded with graffiti and stained with blood. No one was coming to help the Romulan female.

The Nausicaans still had their breathers on. The Romulan didn't. She just gasped. The backstreet barely trapped enough atmosphere to sustain life. A Human couldn't survive for more than a few minutes.

The Nausicaan slammed her onto her back then kneeled on her shoulders. The other kicked the female again. Then he ripped her shirt open. The tearing of the material blended with the frantic grunting of the assailants. Their hands clawed at her breasts tearing gashes into her. The Romulan roused herself enough to kick the Nausicaan hulking over her. He just sniggered. Then, he grabbed the leg and tore the fabric of the trousers. He then bit her. Hard. His tusked mouth slashed her flesh. She shrieked and thrashed.

The Human's finger twitched. The safety was on though. She checked the magazine again then settled back down.

He stripped the pants from the Romulan. Then with business like precision, thrust himself into her. They pounded her if she fought back. Just not enough to knock her out. Meaty slaps echoed off the walls. He spat as he climaxed. Then he switched with his partner. The second finished even quicker. They stood up breathing hard. One put his foot on her head grinding her face into the thick muck slathering the ground. The other pulled an energy type weapon. The Human sighted down the six barrels of the shotgun releasing the safety. His partner though slapped at the energy weapon. It still blasted out a bright beam into the wall behind the Romulan.

"Fool!" the other one barked, knocking the weapon down. "What've you done?"

The other shrugged him off then holstered his gun. "Just wanted to give her another keepsake. It's on low. Wouldn't cause a problem."

"You're lucky it didn't explode, idiot. Now it's going to attract that damned fog." His head swiveled around, as he tried to decide which way to run. "We've got to get out of here! Leave her! Let's go! Now!"

The other one kicked her one more time. "And that's for biting me. Alright, let's get out of here. The fog'll kill her."

The Human lowered her weapon and waited until sure they were gone. Then she separated herself from the shadows and sprinted to the Romulan. The alien wheezed out ragged breaths. One of her pointed ears swelled like a balloon. Multiple fractures. Internal injuries. Lacerations emptied her body of blood. She'd lost most of her clothing including her boots. The Human yanked out a spare breather and snapped it around the Romulan's face.

She whispered to the female, "Can you walk, you fucking idiot?"

"Language!" the Romulan coughed.

"We're not in the shiny Federation or pristine Romulan Empire any more, you know. This is Hellsbitch."

She kept as quiet as she could. Attracting attention here was a bad idea. The Nausicaans weren't the worse thing to encounter in this disgusting little town boasting itself as the capital of The DrearGyre. About a hundred other colonies spread throughout the nebula bickered over that claim to fame. Blood attracted bad things. And the Romulan leaked out what looked like buckets of blood.

Sirens started to wail. Fog horns. Someone had spotted the deadly energy clouds heading towards Hellsbitch. Doors and windows slammed shut. Anyone with a shred of intelligence sought shelter indoors.

The Romulan mumbled that she could walk. The Human removed her cloak to cover the Romulan's shivering body then heaved her upright. She immediately doubled over, vomiting again. The Human had arrived late to the party. She didn't want to think about what might have happened before she got there. Using a corner of the cloak, she wiped the Romulan's mouth.

Something skittered out of a corner. The Romulan yanked out the Human's hand gun and fired. The thing squealed as the bullet tore it almost in half. Others of its own kind attacked it. The gunshot reverberated off the walls. No one came to investigate.

"Nice shooting," the Human remarked, leaving the sounds of tearing and crunching behind. She had shot using the hand with the broken fingers. The Romulan needed help re-holstering the weapon.

A faint wisp of mist started to move at one end of the alley. It snaked towards the mark the energy weapon had burned on the wall.

Time to go.

Quickly, the Human dragged and carried the female to the tractor. If the fog caught them out in the open... As carefully as she could, she placed her into the passenger seat of the big six wheeled vehicle.

"You're not going to up and die on me are you, Romulan?" She strapped her in trying, unsuccessfully, to not hurt her further.

"I am considering it, Human." The Romulan moaned, shivering in the cold.

She started the tractor up shoving it into gear. Then cranked up the heat.

"Home," she croaked, twisting in pain. "No hospital."

"You call that shit hole a hospital?"

"Language, Human, language," she complained faintly.

"It's still a whole lot better than what we've got at home."

"Home." Her teeth chattered so hard, the words could hardly come out. "Just get me home."

She nodded. The tractor was already heading there anyway. There'd be too many questions at the hospital. She coaxed the big six wheeler along as fast as the road would let them. The glow of Hellsbitch faded in the rearview mirror. The bright lights of the tractor tried to cut the darkness. Twilight permanently shrouded this planetoid. Above them, the nebula and debris that was The DrearGyre glowed green, orange, and indigo. The auroras crawled over the sky providing just a little light. No suns in this section of space. Not even stars could be seen through the plasma storms. Volcanos spewed lava rivers and ash clouds in the distance, as quakes shook the ground. Large banks of fog roiled over the rocky landscape. Except they weren't fog. Strange energy masses that everyone avoided if they were smart and lucky enough. Running into one would at the very least kill the tractor. If it was a bad one, then it could kill them as well. And unlike the tractor, there'd be no coming back. The problem was that all the fog banks looked identical. Bad one. Not so bad one. Deadly one. All the same.

The Romulan cried out in her daze when they hit bad ruts. The road was nothing but bad ruts. The Human still made sure they weren't followed before heading home. A tricorder would have been useful to make sure no one decided to invite themselves along. That tech hardly worked in The DrearGyre. She made do just scanning with her binoculars. It would have to be good enough. The Romulan was coughing away her life.

The Human drove the tractor into the garage carved out of the cliff and sealed the door behind them. Life support would provide good atmosphere as well as some protection from the fog. She unsealed the tractor quickly and jumped out. She pushed the rolling cart she'd prepared to the passenger side.

"I can walk," the Romulan mumbled.

"Try not to be any more stupid than you've already been, please."

The Human placed her onto the cart she'd padded with a blanket. She rolled the barely conscious Romulan into the tiny living quarters. Before leaving to search for the Romulan, she'd readied the medical equipment in the bathroom. Metal and rocks shielded the living quarters somewhat from The Drear Gyre's strange radiation. Still, things would sometimes just refuse to work.

The Stars of Wisdom were with them. The little med unit warmed up without problems. She laid the Romulan down on the tiled floor. Her knife cut away the few rags still left on the female's body. The bloodied cloak went into the shower. Persistent examination of the Romulan's arm revealed a usable vein. A little water and antiseptic cleansed the spot. The Romulan caught her hand when she reached for a numbing agent.

"We can save that for when we really need it."

The Human kept her face neutral. "No pain killers then?"

"I do not need them."

The Human nodded and pressed the transfuser into the vein. The first time she'd used this primitive equipment, her hands had trembled so badly she was sure she'd rip the Romulan's arm wide open. Now, she felt almost competent. Practice makes perfect. The sensor detected the type of blood needed, replicating the right mixture, then beginning the transfusion.

The color of the Romulan started to return a little. The bone knitter was next. But first, the Human had to set the compound fracture of her arm. A properly equipped hospital could do this in an instant. Painless. Sterile. A decent hospital didn't exist anywhere in The DrearGyre. Probably not for light years around the nebula.

The Romulan looked at her as the Human readied the arm. The bone protruded through the skin, white and jagged. They both took a breath. Then with a shove she thrust the bone back into the arm. The little wet snick of the bones realigning made the Human's uterus clench. The Romulan hardly made a sound. Her control was returning. She did not lose consciousness, though her eyes rolled up into her skull. Now the bone knitter could be used on a first pass. The Human guided the device over the break until the knitter said that was enough for now. The Romulan's body had no other compound fractures. She moved the device over the fingers as she straightened them, then the ribs and her skull. Her body had more slight breaks but they could wait.

Next were the lacerations. And the bites. The Human switched to a healer. She struggled to master her emotions as she passed the healer over the wounds on the Romulan's thighs and breasts. She rolled the Romulan over to heal the gashes on her buttocks and back. The cuts closed and the bleeding ceased. She turned her onto her back so she could access her front. She spread the female's legs then bent her knees gently.

"What's with the spines, I wonder," she said, willing detachment into her voice.

"I believe it to be an evolutionary adaptation probably to ensure the female is not re-impregnated by another male."

"Didn't seem to stop them."

"They only use it now when they want to inflict pain. The last one implanted them."

The Human picked up a pair of pliers and again reached for the painkiller.

"No, we should seek to conserve our supplies."

"Do you want a bullet to bite on?"

The Romulan raised an eyebrow. "What would biting a bullet do for me?"

"Yeah, you'd probably just bite it in half. So here, bite on this instead. It'll protect your teeth."

She went to place a belt between the Romulan's jaws.

"Perhaps this is your idea of dinner?"

The Human almost smiled. "Bon appetit."

The Romulan bit down.

Seven large spines impaled the vulva. She found five more smaller ones in the vaginal canal. Barbed. The healer whirred mending the tears and abrasions around her genitals. The Romulan released the belt with a gasp. The teeth marks cut the leather almost all the way through.

For now, the Human could do no more. The transfuser would decide which antibiotics to pump into her. Slowly, she cleaned the female with a little warm water. Her skin glowed almost the right color, a faint green, and she breathed more freely. The Human examined her face closely.

"You're starting to warm up," she said, placing her palm on the Romulan's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, thank you."

"Not too much pain?"

The Romulan shrugged.

The Human nodded. Then with great deliberation, slapped the Romulan across the face.

"Ouch!" the Romulan protested.

"You stupid bitch," the Human muttered. "What would have happened if I hadn't found you?"

"The same thing as when you did find me. You were watching."

The Human resumed cleaning the filth from the Romulan's jet black hair. Swelling hid the delicate angular features of the alien. The sponge moved along the dark eyebrows sweeping up her forehead. A small swab cleaned the dirt from her ears as she cradled the Romulan's head in her lap. She kept the water a little warmer than comfortable since the Romulan felt so cold. Their favorite perfume scented the basin.

"And if they'd decided to just kill you? What then?" She bathed away all signs of the rapists, changing the water as necessary as they spoke. "I should've killed them right there and then."

She swathed her in bandages and patches. With so much white on her, she looked like a mummy. The blood though stained the dressings green.

"I am glad you did not try. It was not safe."

"Well if you recall the last time I tried to intervene, I ended up fighting it out with whoever those bastards were... Humans? Partial Humans? And you as well, Romulan. Hey, how much fun was that?"

"It will teach you to stay out of my business, Human."

An alarm emitted a low ding from the outer room. The one they called the living room. The Human froze, staring where the noise had come from.

"Help me up," the Romulan demanded, struggling to stand.

"You're not strong enough."

"Just do it." The transfuser complained bitterly when she disconnected herself from it.

She helped the Romulan to stand covering her body with a blanket. They made their way to the console.

The Romulan eased herself down onto a chair then activated the controls. "It is probably just a false reading. You know this equipment hardly works."

The Human snatched up her weapon.

"I'm not going to let them take you," she said. Her breathing was too fast but she couldn't slow it down. "I won't let them."

The Romulan caught her sleeve. "Shh. There is no need to shout. It is most probably like the last time. A ghost. A false alarm. It will turn out to be nothing."

"It's a cloaked ship."

"Even if it is a ship, it might not be a cloaking vessel. Just like that Ferengi freighter, remember? Just a ship."

"It might be Romulans."

"Romulans are not the only ones who have ships that can cloak." She grabbed the edge of the table and hoisted herself to her feet. Then drew the Human close to her. The Human trembled still. "If it is a vessel trying to become undetectable it is most probably a Klingon. They do not seem to comprehend the impossibility of hiding a ship in The DrearGyre with a cloak. More likely though, it is a false alarm. Now what are you going to do with this?" She pried the gun out of the Human's hands. "Will you go outside and start shooting at the sky?"

The Human glared at the ceiling as if she could see through it and all the rock above it. "Maybe."

"Come here. I am tired. Let us rest."

She pulled the Human to the bed holding on to her, keeping the frightened woman against her.

"You're still a little cold," the Human said, her palm moving over the vertical bone constructs of the Romulan's forehead. "Hurry, get under the covers."

She pulled aside the blankets and carefully placed the female in the bed. The Romulan held out her arms to the Human. The Human hesitated, looking at the alarm again, then quickly undressed. She wrapped her body around the shivering Romulan.

"They won't stop searching for us will they?"

"I do not know nor care," the Romulan murmured. "They cannot find us."

"They won't get you. Never." She leaned over and kissed the Romulan on the mouth gently. The alien's lips were cut and swollen. Both eyes were blackened.

"Hush now, darling, hush," the Romulan murmured.

"Why do you keep going out like this, Vain?" She spilled her tears finally. "You will die."

"I had a nightmare. I needed to free myself of it." Vain tried to draw the warmth from the Human. The darkness was passing from her mind but still, she felt so cold.

"By getting people to kick the living crap out of you?"

"I have tortured, murdered, enslaved all of these people..."

"Not these people."

"These species then. I am guilty."

"You can't make amends by offering yourself up as a punching bag. Just doesn't work that way."

Vain snugged herself against the warm Human. "I tortured you. Brainwashed you. Enslaved you. Killed, murdered your friends." She stared into the Human's almond shaped eyes. "I did terrible things to you, Seren. For a very long time."

"You saved me," said Seren.

"Correction, my beautiful Starfleet captain." That finally elicited a smile from the Human. The murderous rage passed from her smooth brow. She stroked Seren's long black hair and touched the silken, faintly tan skin. "You saved me. You should not be here. With me. You should be at your home. Turning me over to the Federation for interrogation."

"We're not going to have this conversation again, Vain," Seren said gently kissing the Romulan's swollen eyes to close them. "Starfleet would never trust someone who's been in Romulan captivity for so long. You know that. My career is over."

"You would be home. A lovely home. Not here in this hole where even Hell is afraid to come."

"Sleep. And if you have any more nightmares, don't go wandering off. Just wake me. That is what Humans do."

"I am not Human," she mumbled, finally letting exhaustion take her away.

"You're getting there."

"Please. Has my day not been arduous enough without you insulting me?"
Any plan with Hope as the first step, is no plan \-- Tal Shiar maxim

Shrieking alarms jerked her out of her sleep. Red Alert! She stumbled out of bed trying to find her Starfleet uniform in the dark.

"Lights!" she yelled.

They blazed on blinding her. The ship shuddered suddenly. The sound of tearing metal ripped through her vessel. Had they hit something? Impossible. She'd just come off the night shift. There was nothing to hit. Just empty space. She was sure of it.

Her fingers refused to work right as she fumbled with the uniform. She stumbled as the power died. Then dim emergency lights flickered on. Boots, where were her damned boots! No time to braid her long black hair. She caught sight of how frightened her narrow face looked. Thinly arched black eyebrows and dark oval eyes made her look even more pale. She pushed away the sudden insane notion that she needed to wear makeup in an emergency. Maybe her charm bracelet would provide some luck. A senior officer would put her on report for wearing something nonstandard. She slipped it on her wrist.

"Intruder alert!" the computer suddenly blared. "Intruder alert! Intruder Alert!"

She scrambled hunting for her weapon. A phaser. She'd used it in practice a few times. Managed to hit something once too. She wished she'd practiced more. Her hands trembled as she checked the setting. She retrieved her tricorder as well. It beeped to life before she could mute it. Too loud. All her Starfleet training wanted to drain away from her. The alarms indicated hull breaches but didn't say where. She didn't hear the screech of escaping air so hopefully nothing had ruptured close by. No sound other than the alarms penetrated her quarters. The engines were offline. Who'd attack a science vessel in the middle of nowhere? The ship was tiny! Another explosion rocked the ship and the gravity lurched for a moment. Her stomach flipped and she retched. The slight hum of the air moving into her cabin made its presence known by suddenly stopping. Life support was down.

"Computer, status!" she shouted into her communicator badge. The computer didn't answer and her console was dead.

"Bridge! This is Ensign Kari Wu!" She hit her communicator hard enough to bruise her chest. Still nothing.

Someone should have contacted her by now. If this was a "normal" disaster, she'd be making her way to her emergency station in case they needed to evacuate. This sounded like a battle. A fight. She wasn't into fighting. And neither were most of this crew of scientists.

"This is Ensign Kari Wu to anyone. Please respond."

The quaver in her voice made her sound like she was scared out of her wits. She hated that because it was true. The ship had phasers. Two to be exact. No torpedoes. Minimal shields. Maybe if another science vessel attacked them, they stood a chance. A battle between competing scientists. That would work for her.

The tricorder indicated life support available on the other side of the door as well as being devoid of life signs. But something was also garbling the readings. Her thumb clicked the phaser to the strongest stun setting. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

Nothing.

She peeked out looking both ways.

No one.

The phaser shook wildly despite her best efforts to stay calm. She could almost hear her drill instructors at Starfleet Academy roaring at her: It's not your damned flashlight, quit waving it around! If she'd been a male cadet, they wouldn't have yelled flashlight. She wished they were here now guiding her.

In the hallway, her hair swirled around her from a stiff breeze. Something had ruptured the hull in this section. Her ship was venting atmosphere. Crouching to make herself small, she crept along the wall toward the source of the breeze. Training told her the air was going to the hull breach. Therefore, go the other way. If she remembered the duty roster correctly, the other crew members on this deck were on station so their quarters should be empty. She was alone here.

The phaser almost fell out of her hand as she lowered the volume on her communicator badge. She used to resent her assignment to this science vessel. This wasn't the Enterprise. That's where she should have been. Everyone wanted to be on Starfleet's flagship. Being under the command of Captain Jean Luc Picard was the ultimate prize for any Academy graduate. Her scores had been good enough. Instead, here she was on the USS T'naarr. Not a bad ship but one assigned far from the borders and far from deep space exploration. Six months after graduating and hardly anything exciting had happened. Until now.

The emergency lights illuminated the corridor poorly. The air smelled bad. Boring looked very good to her right now. The tricorder registered life forms but not who nor where. Something continued to interfere with the sensors. The bridge was probably the best destination. And the safest course was through the Jeffries tubes rather than the lifts. She opened a hatch and crawled into the space between the walls. The tight little tubes made most feel claustrophobic. Luckily, she'd grown up in tight little spaces. Smoke and chemicals polluted the air in the tubes. Life support was still offline she guessed. She retrieved a mask from an emergency panel. Good against contaminants. Not so good against the vacuum of space. It would have to do.

She climbed, following the maps dotted along her path, listening for anything. And anyone. Nothing more exploded. Someone had silenced the alarms. Maybe pirates. Maybe, just maybe, they'd taken what they wanted then left. That didn't sound so bad. If only she could find someone in the senior staff.

Her communicator beeped. She almost fainted with relief. Then almost fainted in terror.

"Ensign Kari Wu." A female. Not anyone from the crew. "Take the closest exit in the Jeffries tube you are in."

Maybe it was a bluff. Maybe they didn't really know where she was. She kept very still.

"Ensign Kari Wu. Are you injured? You are stationary at junction Papa-Juliet-110. Do you wish us to come and retrieve you?"

The sign above her read P-J-110. They knew exactly where she was. However, she didn't move. First rule of hide and seek: Don't give up your own position.

"Ensign Kari Wu. Before you exit the Jeffries tube, please drop both your weapon and the tricorder. We do not wish any misunderstandings. There are many innocents here and we would not want you to be considered a target."

She sighed. They knew everything. No need to be an idiot about it. She headed back the way she had come.

"Where are you going, Ensign Kari Wu?"

Finally she answered back. "You told me to go the closest exit."

She reached the hatch and started to dial the exit code. It didn't work. Too much damage.

The voice turned cold. "Do not take us for fools, Ensign Kari Wu. There is no escape."

"Make up your minds whoever you are," she muttered.

She worked the manual release. It flew open. And she screamed as the air rushed past her. The vacuum tried to suck her out into space. The hatch should have let her out onto part of the ship. Instead, there was just emptiness. She clung desperately to the bulkhead. The noise of the air whooshing past deafened her. A huge ship hulked over the T'naarr. Someone was shouting at her through the communicator. Instructions. Instructions on how to close the hatch. Her freezing hand worked the manual control until it closed.

"You tried to kill me, you bastards!" she gasped into her communicator.

"You have my personal apology. I was unclear in my instructions. Take the next exit in the direction you were going."

"Give me a second would you." It wasn't a request. She could hardly breathe. Her eyeballs felt like the vacuum had sucked them out of her skull. The female voice didn't answer so the ensign just put her head down. She raised it when she heard a hatch open.

Someone appeared through the hole. But she could not identify it in the dim light.

"This way, Ensign Kari Wu." The voice was that of the female.

"Alright. Coming." Her mask was gone and her lungs already raw from the near vacuum burned from the pollution.

She crawled towards the figure who disappeared leaving just the pool of light.

"I don't have a weapon or tricorder any more," she called down.

"We know. Are you able to jump?"

She dangled her feet then jumped, falling over. She recognized this area as one of the cargo holds of the small ship. The Starfleet crew gathered in one corner. Of the thirty that were on board, only four were present. They kneeled with their hands behind their heads. Five now with her. Three scientists of the fifteen huddled together. She nodded at them and they nodded back. One even tried to smile. The senior staff were all absent. Everyone was bloodied, badly injured. Beat.

Then there were the intruders.

Her mind tried to process what she was seeing. Tall aliens. Jet black hair. Grey uniforms. And pointed ears.

"Romulans aren't allowed to be here," she blurted out. The ship was nowhere near the Neutral Zone with the Romulan Empire. Romulans being this deep in Federation territory... Impossible.

A female closed a communicator with a snap and turned to a male.

"That accounts for all surviving members of the ship's complement, Captain Rhel. I believe we have accomplished our objective."

The captain nodded with a small smile. "Yes, a great triumph for the Romulan Empire. Capturing a Starfleet science vessel. Certainly worth threatening the peace treaty."

He seemed to be talking to the female. But another Romulan snapped his head around.

"I was promised Vulcans on board."

There was silence. Then a tall Romulan stepped forward.

"As you have said, sir, the Tal Shiar..." he looked at the female. "Said that it was unlikely but not impossible that there were Vulcans on board."

Kari sucked in her breath. The Tal Shiar? Here? The stories and rumors concerning the Romulan intelligence agency were legion. And all of them were bad. Bad for anyone and everyone, Romulan and non-Romulan alike. And why did they want Vulcans? So similar to their Romulan cousins in appearance, they were still completely different. Kari never understood why people couldn't tell them apart.

The female smiled cooly. "I said that attacking a Federation science vessel for any reason was dangerous. The questionable intelligence or should I say hope that Vulcans were aboard this vessel was as I feared, flawed."

"You were wrong!" the angry Romulan shouted at the tall one.

"The blame belongs to the Tal Shiar. She should have prevented it."

The angry Romulan pulled his disruptor and pointed it at the female. "That is right. You are to blame."

The female said nothing. He dialed the setting of the weapon and then pointed it at the tall Romulan who had been smirking at the female.

"But..."

Too late. A beam of energy hit the tall Romulan. It did not disintegrate but instead tore a hole in his chest. He stumbled, clutching the gaping wound, then collapsed right next to Kari. Blood spewed out. Whatever disruptor setting the angry Romulan had used had not cauterized the injury.

Kari instinctively shoved her hands onto the gaping wound. She staunched the flow but blood seeped from the male's lips. The Romulans merely stared at her as she looked at them.

"Help me!" Kari cried. "He can still be saved."

The captain looked away. "He was incompetent. He got what he deserved. And he has left us with this mess to clean up."

"Yes," the angry Romulan barked. "Clean this up. Make sure the Federation does not suspect us."

He signaled on his communicator and disappeared in a transporter beam.

"The Federation exhibit many weaknesses," the Tal Shiar female said to the captain. "Let us hope that incompetence counts prominently amongst them."

The strange green hued blood pooled on the deck. It soaked Kari. She knew she shouldn't care about this attacker. They had killed her crew mates and friends. Destroyed her ship. But her training, her Starfleet training, stated otherwise. Must hang onto that, she thought. I am a Human, I am a Starfleet officer, not a murderer.

"There is no comfort for you in these words," the captain said to the survivors huddled together. "But I am truly sorry."

He nodded to the Romulans under his command. Their weapons disintegrated the remaining crew and scientists. Kari shrieked. Then closed her eyes, holding her breath, hoping it was not painful. Nothing happened.

She cracked her eyes open a little. The captain was speaking with his crew. The Tal Shiar female loomed over her.

"Why not let him die, Ensign Kari Wu?" she asked. "After all, was it not his fault that your crew is dead, your ship destroyed?"

Kari didn't look at her. "Get it over with. He can die then."

The female placed her disruptor against Kari's temple. "You must let him die. He is your enemy. Look at his eyes. He hates you. Despises everything and everyone that is Federation. Even if you saved him, he would still hate you. Then he would kill you himself."

"Maybe I want him to suffer."

The Romulan's large and dark eyes widened a little in thought. Her face was angular with sharp high cheekbones and thick eyebrows sweeping up her forehead. She almost looked gaunt. Subtle vertical bone constructs ridged her forehead. The skin gleamed verdant, as did her lips. Her short black hair was combed tight over her scalp. And the ears. Pointed. They seemed larger than the males' ears yet more delicate. Kari thought her face possessed a serrated beauty. Long, artistic fingers cradled the ugly disruptor. She seemed taller than Kari though it might've been their positions. She was thin, the uniform cinched at the waist gave her a slight hourglass shape though sharp rather than rounded. The shiny silver uniform's squared off shoulders imposed upon her a look of strength and power. Plain close fitting black pants were tucked into ankle boots. Scuffed well used boots.

"Hmm, there is that. And certainly, he deserves suffering," she mused. "Tell me, Ensign Kari Wu. You opened the other hatch. Why?"

"I was trying to escape."

The Tal Shiar female barked a laugh. "Even for a Human, Ensign Kari Wu, you lie badly. You appear to be someone who is not capable of taking direction well."

Kari summoned up as much courage as she could. "Screw you."

"Such language, Ensign Kari Wu."

The captain strode over. "We're going to make the wreckage look like a core breach destroyed her. It is the best we can do. And then hope Starfleet is too cursory in their inspection."

The female turned her gaze upon the captain.

He sighed. "Yes, I know. Given the circumstances however, I see no better option. I wonder which of the Stars of Wisdom I offended to be given to that fool."

"Serving the Beloved Nephew is an honor and pleasure, Captain Rhel. We are most pleased to do his bidding."

"Yes, well, if he hadn't revealed you as Tal Shiar on our ship and then again here, we may have been able to spare this ship's crew."

The female kept her face impassive.

"No," he said tiredly. "I suppose not." He rubbed his eyes. "Between the Tal Shiar, the Beloved Nephew, and the Federation... I'm doomed. Finish here. Since you saved her, she is your responsibility. We are transporting back to the Darksend. And since you are Tal Shiar, you are now relieved of your duties as first officer."

The Romulan crew disappeared in a transporter beam leaving the three behind. The female's face darkened a little bit as she pressed her lips together. Kari felt the barrel of the weapon push against her forehead. She wondered how the Romulan managed to crush the grip of the weapon without squeezing the trigger. The female's knuckles were white.

"Get your hands off me, Human," the tall Romulan groaned.

The female Romulan returned to the moment and gazed on the Human. "Do as he says and I will spare you."

Kari stared at her hands. Thick greenish blood coated them. His heart beat faintly though not where a Human's heart would be. She kept silent, just hoping it would be quick. The Tal Shiar whispered into her communicator. Then Kari felt the strangeness of the transporter. The surroundings of the cargo hold shimmered away to be replaced by a room. It looked like a sick bay.

The Romulan staff started forward.

"No," the Tal Shiar said. "Leave them."

"First Officer Syll..." a doctor protested.

"I am no longer a member of the Darksend crew. I retain my position in the Tal Shiar." One of the staff gasped. "You may refer to me as Commander Syll."

"We obey, Commander Syll." The doctor grimaced as he inspected the injured Romulan from afar. "This male is mortally wounded. We must not delay."

"The Beloved Nephew himself inflicted that wound." The medical staff drew back. "The Human is the only reason he still lives."

The surroundings shimmered oddly for a moment. The Darksend had cloaked. Detection would be difficult if not impossible. If it was clever enough, lucky enough, bold enough, the ship could navigate freely through Federation space. Invisible and unknown.

Security strode into the medical bay.

The security chief glared at Syll. He stabbed a finger at Kari. "What is that doing on our ship?"

"She is here as the guest of the Tal Shiar."

"Has she been through decontamination? Been searched? Why is she not in the brig?"

"I shall leave the first two questions to be answered competently by yourself. When she is finished here, she can be placed in the brig."

"I always knew you were Tal Shiar," the security chief spat. "Search the Human."

The security team first scanned her then searched her physically. They spoke around her as if she didn't exist.

"Where is Tolan?" a female shrieked running into the sick bay. She was not military. "I heard he was injured."

Syll smiled. "He is here. Go to him."

She started forward.

Then Syll said, "He was injured by the Beloved Nephew himself."

The female froze, her face blanching. "You lie! This... This Human did it!"

Syll raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps. In a way. By somehow ensuring there were no Vulcans on board a Starfleet ship with a Vulcan name."

"Our dear Beloved Nephew would punish her then, not Tolan."

"One might think so. However, it is Tolan who is no longer favored by the Beloved Nephew."

The injured Romulan raised a hand towards the female. She shrank away. Then ran from the room. Tolan's hand flopped to the deck.

The Romulans whispered amongst themselves, some hiding their laughter.

The security chief just sneered. "So, what game are you playing, Syll?"

"No game, security chief. And it is Commander Syll."

He gritted his teeth. "Commander Syll of the Tal Shiar. I meant no disrespect."

Syll bowed.

His hands clenched into fists as he turned to his team. "You two. Watch the Human. Kill her if she so much as moves."

"Wait!" Kari shouted. "What about this... Tolan?"

The security chief looked at Syll.

"The Beloved Nephew has deemed him worthy to die for the quality of his service to him. No Romulan would dare interfere with the wishes of the Beloved Nephew. Saving him would cause him great irritation."

She spun on her heel and exited, followed, after a moment, by the security chief.

Kari looked around. Her ship had fought back. Injured Romulans occupied some of the beds. None had injuries as serious as Tolan's. He moaned, slipping in and out of consciousness. The universal translator on her communicator could not always tell her what he said.

One of the medical staff cleared his throat loudly.

"Sit up," he ordered his patient. "This male has a nasty gash on his arm."

The doctor picked up a device, dialed in a setting, then moved it over the man's wound. The cut, already cleaned, slowly started to close. He placed the device on the edge of the bed. Then turned knocking it to the floor. He turned again and somehow, the device rolled towards Kari.

She stared at the device when it came to rest against her knee. The security team looked at her. No one else did. A towel lay on a table within arm's reach. She took a deep breath then yanked her fingers out of the wound. Blood spurted out soaking the front of her uniform. She grabbed the towel and rammed it over the gash holding it there with one hand. With her free hand, she fumbled with the unfamiliar healer. Her hand slipped from the fresh blood. She flicked it on as she had seen the doctor do, then jerked away the towel to frantically wave the healer over the wound.

"Slowly, fool!" the doctor yelled at his patient. His patient jumped a little. The doctor had another healer. He moved deliberately over another injury.

She slowed her movements over the wound. It was working but not very quickly.

"Your uniform is in the way," the doctor told his patient. The patient pulled his shirt off.

The uniform was thick and padded. She did not see how it was undone. Something clattered to the floor. Then a scalpel like knife was kicked her way. She took one of Tolan's hands and put it on the towel.

He moved it away. "I do not want to live. She does not love me."

"Figured that out did you, you bastard. You murdered my friends."

He spat up some blood. His eyes rolled with delirium. "Our Beloved Nephew wanted to take back a Vulcan... Show his relatives. Proof of his courage to penetrate into Federation space. I merely said... I said a Vulcan would be likely found on a science vessel. Thought it was safe to say since... No ships in this sector." He coughed his laughter. "Until yours dropped out of warp. I am glad to see Federation casualties and to be the source of those deaths. But your choice of place and timing could have been better."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Hold this, moron." She placed the hand on top of the towel again. He held it this time. She picked up the knife, feeling the tension in the security team ramp up a little. She sliced the uniform from him as quickly as she could. "Couldn't you have just scanned us?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Even you would have wondered at Romulan sensors here."

She grunted in agreement as she moved the healer over the wound.

"Move your stupid hand." She leaned forward to inspect her progress and slipped the knife into her sleeve.

Tolan smirked and shook his head a little. One of the guards leaned over and smacked her on the side of her head with his disruptor. The pain brought tears to her eyes but she refused to cry out. She slipped the knife back out and threw it on the table.

She worked on the wound again. With the medical staff accidentally helping her, she was able to stabilize his vitals despite him losing consciousness. She kept her hands on the towels which helped slow the blood still seeping from the wound.

Exhausted. She rested her head on her knee. The gravity here was stronger than she was used to. They also kept it darker than her ship. She surmised it was because of their superior vision. At first, she'd thought they murmured to each other to hide their conversation from her. But then realized their speech didn't need the level of volume to which she was accustomed. The air felt a little thin to her. The few Vulcans she had managed to engage in conversation had stated that Vulcan atmosphere was thinner, the climate warmer and drier than Earth's. Romulans must like that as well. The atmosphere was different. Definitely breathable. A slight odor permeated the air. Cinnamon? Or some other spice. Maybe it was the Romulans themselves. Or just the sick bay though it was starting to fade. How did she smell to them? Probably not good if they were like the Vulcans. Always wanted to meet a Romulan. Now she had a whole ship full of them. Mustn't start giggling. Wouldn't look good at all.

She felt woozy herself when he finally struggled back into consciousness. Images of the Romulans disintegrating her friends plagued her in a never ending loop. Why had she survived when they had died? So many... All dead. Would someone come and rescue her? Had the crew somehow managed to send out a distress call? Would Starfleet even know there was anyone to rescue? And how would they find her? She wanted to be strong. Starfleet would expect it of her. Brave and strong in the face of danger instead of what she knew she was. Weak, alone, and scared. Very scared. Maybe someone would come and rescue her. She didn't want to be alone. She tried to keep the tears hidden.

"I would kill you if I could," he whispered. His voice, still hoarse, sounded a little stronger.

"You're welcome," she said, rousing herself.

"If we, the crew of the Darksend, had captured you, we would imprison you, hurt you very badly, and then send you to a penal colony where perhaps you might escape or be traded. You have fallen into the hands of the Tal Shiar though. It is much worse. Far worse." He gripped her arm with surprising strength considering his injury. "But no matter what, no matter what happens, do all that you can to refuse the care of our Beloved Nephew."
A Romulan will kill you simply out of the need to be hygienic \-- Federation saying

Vain awoke to find herself alone. Her body ached in every way she could imagine. At least the darkness no longer clouded her mind. And she felt warm finally. Seren must have hooked her back up to the transfuser. She had left a small note saying she would return soon.

The Romulan felt relief knowing their tiny home was empty. She could moan and groan all she wanted to. Some believed that Romulans did not feel pain. They were wrong. When she was in control, she could manage her agony. Managing though did not mean her injuries did not torture her. She disconnected herself from the transfuser. After wrapping herself in a blanket, she tottered her way to the cramped bathroom. Seren had cleaned it up. Her reflection gasped at her. About twenty different shades of green, blue and black mottled her face. She felt around in her mouth and found a small spine that Seren had missed. She spat it into the sink. After squeezing toothpaste onto her brush, she cleaned her mouth. Trying to use the electric cleaners just frustrated her so she avoided them. This brush seemed primitive but at least it did not make her want to hurl it against the wall. She dabbed her face carefully with cold water. As she combed her hair, she felt as if even the tips hurt. She arranged it in what Seren rudely called her Romulan helmet style. She paid particular attention to her sideburns so they would curve along her cheeks into the proper points. The Human wanted her to grow her hair longer. Ridiculous. Seren's long hair constantly got in the way. And she paid far too much attention to it.

The Romulan's skin displayed old and faint scars. They'd be joined soon by the new wounds still healing. She picked up the healer and carefully moved it over those that still seeped a little. The bite marks were the worse. And the damage to her genitalia. And her ribs felt as if they were shattered. And her broken arm.

She coughed up some blood. The little overworked and underpowered diagnostic device said one of her lungs was pierced but healing. Not too bad, considering who had attacked her.

A proximity alert beeped out a warning. She walked far too slowly in her opinion to the console to see what had tripped it. The tractor was returning. The ground sensors as useless as they were suggested there was only one life form. A Human.

She dressed carefully trying to master her body. Then she placed her weapons into the holsters. She strapped a breather to her face, wrapped herself in a big fur parka and went to meet the tractor. The garage door rumbled open. The bulky vehicle eased in. Six wheeled. Beat up. The dusty cab was far off the ground. It had cost them a large chunk of gold pressed latinum. But it did work. The garage door closed and life support pumped in air. Seren threw the hatch open and clambered down.

"Vain, you should be in bed," the Human said peering at her angrily. "And yes, I am alone."

The Romulan took her hand off the butt of her weapon. "Where were you?"

"I went to get the skimmer. I didn't want it getting stolen."

Vain nodded. She could see the faint outline of the skimmer under a tarp in the back of the tractor. "I would have gone with you."

"You're in no shape to go traipsing around Hellsbitch."

"Is that all you were doing?"

"Was there anything else I should be doing?" She hefted the multibarrel over her shoulder.

The Romulan withheld any expression.

The Human returned her gaze, then said, "Is the alarm still on?"

Vain caught her as she approached. She took the Humans hands and kissed the palms.

Seren smiled just a little. "Well?"

"You wash with very nice perfume." She kissed each palm again. "I am glad you are home, love, so very glad."

She hugged and kissed the Human, then allowed Seren to support her back inside. They discarded their breathers and coats. Together, they examined the small console which still indicated a cloaked ship in orbit.

"The programmer was probably just a hack," Seren said, twiddling with some knobs. "Didn't know what the hell she was doing."

"I believe you programmed it."

"Told you so. Four alarms since we made it. A Klingon vessel. A comet. A Ferengi freighter. And now this." She tapped the console. "It's not quite like the others."

Seren turned away from the readouts to scrutinize the Romulan's wounds. She adjusted the bandages gently, kissing places that appeared as though they could tolerate the touch.

Vain stroked the Human's long hair. "Its past performance does not instill much confidence. Besides, even if it was working perfectly, it would only detect a bad attempt at cloaking. Let us wait and see."

"You're probably right. Klingons." She sighed. "Do you think we should get ready to leave?"

"Even if they have somehow traced me here..."

"Us."

"As you say. Then the probability of finding us here exactly is quite small. There are many Romulans in The DrearGyre. Even more Humans along with so many other races. Considering the size and nature of the nebula, they would take forever to complete a search."

"How do you know they haven't already been searching the rest of The DrearGyre? A Romulan and a Human traveling together? Tongues wag for the right amount of latinum. And those that won't, can be made to wag."

The Romulan gazed at the Human who scanned the readings of the console trying to force more information out of it through sheer ferocity. Another lifetime ago, she thought she had completely understood Humans. This one was entirely different. But then most of the Humans she had encountered were under duress. Usually caused by her. The beep of the communicator startled them both. They laughed at each other.

"You'd better stand off camera, love," Seren said.

"You have much optimism to believe that the video will function." Still, she moved where she could see the screen though remain off camera.

Seren took a deep breath then answered. "Sheriff. How are you today?"

"Not drunk enough that's for sure." He guffawed. The extremely poor video showed a fat, almost purple rather than blue hued Andorian. "How're my two favorite sweeties doing?"

Seren smiled when Vain, irritated, pressed her lips together. "We're doing fine, sheriff."

"That's good. Real good. Say, were you two in town today or last night or whatever?"

"I was just now," Seren said. "Had to pick up a few things. This mining thing is new to us."

"It's new to everyone here no matter what the hell they're telling you. Ain't no place so crazy as The DrearGyre. You know what they say." Seren did because he never missed a chance to repeat it. "The fools go in, the dead come out."

"You're here to keep us from coming out dead, right?"

He guffawed again. "Yeah, that's my job alright." He took a swig from a large jug of something, and stared off into space.

"Sheriff?"

"Huh? What do you want? Oh. Yeah." He shook his head while the antennae on his head bobbled around. "Say, sweetie, you didn't see anything too crazy while you were mucking about out there did you?"

"Everything's too crazy for me, sheriff. Do you have anything particular in mind?"

"Eh." He picked something off one of the antennas and examined it closely. The two fleshy antennas wobbled to and fro. Most Andorians were fastidious to the extreme about their antennas. The sheriff wasn't. "Just wondering. Couple of Nausicaans ended up real dead like."

"Nausicaans?" Seren raised her eyebrows. "You're kidding. Those guys are pretty damned tough."

"You got that right. Shotgun blasts right up close. And real personal too if you catch my drift. Think these two might've been the dicks griefing the whores too. I was just getting around to talking to them about that sometime or the other. Saved me the trouble that's for sure. Who knows, maybe the whores'd had enough. Solved their own damned problem."

"Maybe strangers did it? Anyone new in town?"

"We're all damned strangers here, hon." He wiped his fingers on his chest and started in on his nose. Vain hid her face in her hands. "And there's some newbies coming in, landing all over the damned place, can't keep track of 'em all. Some've 'em probably died already."

"All kinds coming in I guess. Humans, Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians."

"Yeah, you're right there." He excavated something out of his nostrils. Vain spun around to not watch. Seren tried to stare at something else. "This bunch is mostly Bajorans though. Newbies through and through. Bunch of bounty hunters as usual. Probably, the Nausicaans ran into someone they knew. And it wasn't all hugs and kisses, know what I mean? Oh well. Gotta make sure people say I did my best. Yeah, I gotta make me a couple more calls. You two girls take care of each other okay? Enough nastiness out here for anyone's fill."

"We'll be careful, sheriff. If you need any help looking over the Humans, then you can always give me a call."

"Hmm." The Andorian rolled something between his thumb and finger. "That's not a bad idea. Maybe that sweetie of yours, what's her name, Vain honeybunch? Yeah maybe she wouldn't mind looking over any Romulans?"

"I'll ask her but you're probably not going to get too many here. But hey, you know where to find us if you want."

"Yeah, right, thanks. Still, I'll keep you girls in mind if any show up. Some talk around here that a cloaked ship was seen. Had to ask the obvious. If it was cloaked, how'd you see it? Haw haw haw! Anyways my guess is if it was anything it was Klingon. They're the only ones dumb enough to bring in anything that big into The DrearGyre. It's like hey dumbasses! Cloaks! They're not working!"

They both laughed. "Stay out of their way, sheriff. You take care of yourself."

"You sweeties too."

They cut communications before he did anything with what he'd found in his nose.

"Well, Vain honeybunch." The Romulan rolled her eyes to the Human's smirk. "If there are any Romulans around, maybe that lazy lump of lard will give us a heads up."

"Perhaps," Vain said, looking over the console. She fiddled with the controls. "Unfortunate for those Nausicaans."

Seren shrugged, peering over the Romulan's shoulder. "The DrearGyre is a dangerous place."

"As you say."

"Anything?"

Vain shook her head. The little cobbled together sensor insisted that something was out there but wouldn't say what it was.
A Human can betray you due to sheer stupidity or complete incompetence. Most Humans are stupid. The rest are incompetent \-- Romulan proverb

The guards threw Kari into the cell. Fighting them was pointless. At a little over one point six meters and fifty-four kilos, she was no match for one let alone two. They stripped her of all clothing and jewelry but did strap a plastic band around her wrist. A universal translator. At least she'd be able to understand and be understood. They left her quivering in the near dark. The uniform wasn't much of a loss. It was stiff with the Romulan's blood and smelled bad. She wondered if she'd ever see the charm bracelet that Thomas had given her again. That she would miss. At least the cell possessed a toilet and a small sink. Knowing they were probably watching didn't stop her from relieving herself. Her desire to go outweighed most of her modesty. She washed her hands and face, and as much as of her body as she could. Then drank deeply. Her body ached. She told herself cold and hunger caused her trembling. Certainly not because of the panic shredding her insides.

Security had finally had enough and dragged her away from Tolan. He could've been dead. At the very least, he was near dead. No one moved to aid him. A part of her hoped he'd just go ahead and die. But she tried not to care. Wishing death on an injured enemy was neither Starfleet nor very professional, she told herself. Or kind. She curled up in a corner of the metal shelf that was the bed. She closed her eyes and thought she had just drifted off.

A clang startled her awake. Lights blazed on. The front of the cell was transparent. The two Romulan guards relaxed at a desk. They paid her no attention, chatting with each other. Until Syll burst into the room.

"The captain states the Tal Shiar have no standing here, Commander Syll" one said, as they rose.

"With all due respect," the other one added.

"Respect of the Tal Shiar is all we ask," she remarked.

"What can we do for you, Commander Syll?"

"Open the door so I can deal with the prisoner. Quickly!"

Syll was no longer in the uniform of the Darksend's crew. Her wardrobe consisted of a black tunic and pants. She pulled on black leather gloves.

A guard pushed a control opening a door into the cell. Syll entered. Kari stood just in time to let Syll punch her in the ribs. Kari crumpled into a heap. She put her hands out to protect herself. Syll smashed her in the face hitting her right eye repeatedly. When her right hand contacted the cell floor, Syll stomped on her twice. The fingers broke. The two Romulan guards smiled as blood splattered the glass. Kari tried to fight back. The Tal Shiar wasn't that much taller but she easily surpassed her as a fighter.

Syll wasn't even out of breath. "Get her out of here."

They opened the door again and dragged Kari into the outer room by the hair.

"Break her right leg."

They looked confused.

"Break her right leg below the knee. I will hold her."

Kari thrashed feebly in the grip of the female. She blubbered at them to not do it.

"You are tough, Human," she whispered. "In this particular case, that characteristic is not an asset."

One Romulan held her leg off the ground propping it between two blocks. Syll berated them for their tentativeness.

"It is not in our orders to perform the duties of the Tal Shiar."

"Be quick!"

The other Romulan raised his foot then stomped down. Hard. Kari screamed as her shin broke with a crack that echoed through the room. Her leg took an unnatural turn. Pain rocketed through her brain trying to lead her to unconsciousness.

The door to the brig slid open and the Beloved Nephew and his entourage flowed in.

The Romulan guards snapped to attention. Syll dropped Kari with a thump.

"What are you doing?" the Beloved Nephew demanded.

"Sir?" Syll asked.

"Are you torturing her?"

"Torturing? Torture has very limited practicality in information gathering. This is merely a prelude. A prelude to the gathering of information that will be used to defeat the enemies of the Romulan Empire."

"Yes, of course. But couldn't you have waited?" His voice keened with impatience. His entourage peered around him to look at the twitching Human.

"We could have indeed waited, sir. Was there some reason to?"

"When I heard that you had decided to capture the female Human, I became curious." The Beloved Nephew smiled at her. Very bright teeth. "I have heard stories about Human females and their predilections concerning procreation. I want to investigate their depravity myself."

He was handsome. Symmetrical and pristine. His clothes gleamed and a huge ring adorned one hand. He expected and received respect. His entourage, not military, adored him.

He strutted over to nudge Kari with one of his very shiny boots. His foot flipped her over. He noticed how she whimpered and prodded her again. She was silent this time. With a frown, he kicked her. The Human still did not respond. He tried one more time. Then, he just stood over her.

"Still, she has lovely hair don't you think?" he mused, smiling. "For a Human. Very long. She appears to be in no shape for experimentation though. I had so hoped..."

Syll remained silent. The entourage muttered their disappointment while scowling at her with disapproval.

"Well, be that as it may, I would like to witness Tal Shiar techniques for my own edification." He nodded to a chair which one of the entourage quickly retrieved. He sat. A female Syll recognized as Tolan's former lover, knelt and cleaned the boot of the Beloved Nephew.

"Hold her," Syll ordered the Romulan guards pointing to the Human.

She pummeled Kari until the captain arrived with the doctor in tow. She held Kari upright as the guards once again sprang to attention.

"Commander Syll?" the captain asked looking at the bloodied body of the Human.

"She is showing me the pleasures of Tal Shiar interrogation techniques," the Beloved Nephew yawned, stretching. "Unfortunately it prevents my own investigation of the Human. I am sure I could elicit much information from her."

Syll bowed a little to the Beloved Nephew. "We would be most grateful of your efforts, sir."

He stood and sauntered over to the limp Human, his breathing a little faster. Then he slapped her across her face. Syll didn't let the Human fall.

"I wonder if she liked that. Do you think so?" he mused. He inspected his hand. Blood. Red blood. "And such strange hair. So very long. Perversion. Well, I will retire now. Call me when she is more... more able to appreciate my care."

He wiped his hand on the uniform of one of the guards.

"Of course, sir," Syll said bowing again. "As soon as the prelude is complete."

The Beloved Nephew wasn't listening. He and his entourage had flowed out of the room.

"So, the Tal Shiar have become entertainers for the Beloved Nephew," the captain said.

Syll ignored him, lowering the body to the floor. The doctor brushed by her and examined Kari. She was barely conscious. He scanned her while muttering under his breath. He produced a healer and a hypo spray from his medical kit.

"It is good that you will restore her, doctor," Syll said. "The sooner she is healed the sooner she is in the care of the Beloved Nephew. Something which will please him no end. I am sure it will be in Ensign Kari Wu's best interests as well."

The doctor moved to start his procedure not listening to Syll until the captain placed his hand on the doctor's shoulder.

"I have heard," said Syll thoughtfully. "That our medical knowledge is not as efficient with Human physiology as with Romulan."

The doctor scowled. "Just going to do a little. I'm going to presume if she dies, bad things will come to pass."

He set her broken leg and repaired a few loose teeth. He sprayed something into her neck. Kari almost relaxed, the pain chased away by the medicine.

"Place her in the cell," Syll commanded the two guards. "And I cannot be here all the time to administer the... The interrogations. You two, if you are so inclined, will have to accommodate her."

"Our Beloved Nephew won't be very pleased if you keep this up," the captain noted.

"What a shame," she snapped. "His disappointment will certainly disturb my sleep."
Turning your back on a Romulan is only recommended for those with eyes in the backs of their heads \-- Cardassian Proverb

Vain and Seren took no chances. Even lowering the energy output of their domicile. However, they had to keep the mining machinery drilling or it would seize up. Again. They'd bought the mine for it's location primarily. Approaching it without being detected was difficult. The previous owner had insisted the mine was still good. He'd lied. At first, the shafts produced nothing more than rock. They'd heard how he loved bragging about his clever negotiations. Seren had repaired the abandoned equipment and coaxed it into digging ore out again. At first, what others had told them turned out to be true. The mine would produce nothing of value. But a small adjustment in location and... Latinum. Now they had a very small but steady stream of the extremely valuable substance. The raw latinum ore needed to be processed though and they needed supplies. Hellsbitch awaited them.

They parked the big tractor in the processing plant. A small battalion of overly armed guards patrolled the area. The two females unloaded their hopper into the weighing machine. The Ferengi watched the dial, they watched the Ferengi, the guards watched them, everyone else watched each other. There'd be no cheating today. More tractors and vehicles queued up in a long line of impatience and misery. Some lost souls just pushed wheel barrows of dirt and garbage. Hoping. They'd come to the wrong place for that. At least the long line meant the haggling with the Ferengi was mostly decorative and thankfully brief. Soon they were on their way with gold pressed latinum. Currency. They drove through the dusty, windy, bustling little town stopping every now and then for supplies. Everyone out in the open bundled themselves up in breathers and heavy clothing. In most areas, the atmosphere was barely tolerable for five minutes without a breather. And everyone kept a sharp eye out for fog warnings. Except for the huge amount of dust, today didn't seem too bad.

"Would you like me to drive?" Vain asked. She looked down from the high cab at the pedestrians below them. Her fingers dug into the armrests. The people on the two wheeled skimmers zipped around them endangering their own and the pedestrians' lives. The street looked too narrow for the tractor. Until an even bigger vehicle tried to squeeze by them. If there'd been a sidewalk Seren would have gone up on it. She suspected the Human might go into a building as well if the traffic forced her.

"I'm doing just fine," Seren insisted, adding to the cacophony by hammering the horn repeatedly. "Why is this guy going so slow? Move it, you idiot, move it!"

She nudged the smaller vehicle out of the way. The shrieking of the metal was followed by a stream of curses the communicators seemed embarrassed to translate. They left the wreck behind.

"You might want to look out for that..." Vain gasped.

An alien stumbled into the path of the tractor. It disappeared under the hood of the vehicle. Vain whipped her head around then watched the alien jump up from the street behind and wave a fist or tentacle at them.

"See," Seren said. "He's just fine."

"As you say. I am now just going to close my eyes until we have either arrived home or been strung up by a mob of angry aliens."

Seren laughed and reached over and squeezed the Romulan's thigh. She winced, not having completely healed. However, the Human's ministrations had done wonders. The tractor swerved towards a building before Vain reached out to straighten the tractor out. With a little laugh that the Romulan thought was entirely inappropriate, Seren regained control.

"Where are we going, Seren? Or are you lost? Again?"

"I am not lost!" she scowled. "I think we deserve something special. That's all."

Vain kept her eyes closed until the tractor huffed to a halt.

"Are you sure?" Vain asked when she saw where they'd stopped.

"Absolutely."

They locked their supplies up in the cargo bins, then donned their breathers. Seren started to exit the tractor when Vain touched her arm, stopping her

"I believe someone is about to be visited by some acquaintances." She nodded toward two figures who looked around carefully then separated. One stood at the front of the store, the other stole around back.

Seren swore.

"This is not our concern," Vain pointed out. "We can inform the sheriff."

"That completely useless pile of..."

Vain gave her a warning look.

"Excrement." Seren sighed, squinting at the store. "He has something I need. Let's just see if we can scare them off."

They checked their weapons then slid out into the dust filled gloom.

The male in front burst through the door. It slammed behind him. They couldn't see in. The store had no windows. Vain held up two hands. Then moved one finger down. Nine. They separated. Vain went around the back, Seren stood at the front. The Human counted down to zero, then rushed into the shop. Vain glided in from the back. She swung her two handguns around searching for a target while Seren's multibarrel swept the interior.

"Welcome, welcome!" the Cardassian said holding his arms wide, his smile lighting his face up. "I am so very pleased you choose to grace my humble establishment. Seren and Vain is it not? Is there any greater pleasure and honor, ladies, than returning customers? Yes, it is a pleasure and an honor."

Seren frowned looking around for the two men who had preceded them. The Cardassian seemed totally unconcerned that two females had just burst into his shop with drawn guns.

"I have just the articles of fashion that you'll find to be both most attractive and yet most practical as well. And on this lovely fine day there are an assortment of bargains of which two such lovely young ladies as yourselves can take full advantage."

"The men, tailor," Vain said. "Where are they?"

"Men?" the Cardassian inquired. "Oh, you mean the two who were in here just now. Such wonderful and may I say, loyal customers. They needed just a few minor alterations and I was most happy to oblige them."

"Then where are they?" Seren asked lowering her weapon and looking under a table.

"They left through the back." He smiled and clasped his hands together.

"I came in through the back," Vain said. "I saw no one."

"How very odd. I am completely mystified. You must have just missed them. But rest assured, their minds are completely at ease knowing that their clothing needs are completely taken care of for a lifetime I dare say."

Vain narrowed her eyes. As a tailor should be, he was dressed well, the colors subdued but complementing him. She appreciated his attention to detail in his shop. He'd organized his merchandize down to the last detail. Somehow, he also kept the store spotless. Perhaps he could teach Seren a little about that particular talent.

"We thought that maybe you were in trouble," Seren said, peeking into a small dressing room.

"Oh? Oh! Oh..." His oh's went up and down a musical scale as he held his hands out again. "And you were concerned for me. Truly, I am touched. Please put your minds at rest though. I am but a simple tailor who toils in only the most mundane of activities. Who would want to hurt someone as insignificant as I? And you are such lovely people to care for my well being. As you can see, I am quite fine. Quite fine. Now let's think no more of it."

Seren pulled off her wrappings and breather. She smiled slightly at the beaming Cardassian. Vain twirled her guns into the holsters at her hips. Seren blew her a kiss. She loved it when Vain did that. The Romulan had gone to the other side of the room ostensibly to peer at some gloves. Neither of them completely trusted him. He had outfitted them when they were newbies and had dealt with them fairly. Still, he was a Cardassian. His greyish rough skin and skeletal appearance gave him a dead-ish look. His eyes shone bright with amusement though. He was not like any other Cardassian Seren had ever met. Not that there'd been many. Those were military and always seemed to be in a hurry to go massacre some planet or the other.

"Have you got what I ordered?" Seren asked. Vain frowned and looked at her.

The Cardassian widened his eyes slightly and flicked his gaze over to Vain a little. "I am a little unsure of what you mean."

"It's okay, tailor. Hiding anything from her is impossible."

He laughed merrily. "Then but of course, of course. I made it myself and it is of the highest quality."

"Made what?" Vain said, suspicious.

"You have my unimpeachable guarantee of money returned with no questions asked if you are not both completely and most utterly satisfied." He bustled into the back. Vain moved to where she could watch him, her hand drifting to her sidearm.

"Where'd they go?" Seren said even looking amongst the bolts of fabric stacked on the shelves. Vain shook her head, mystified, inspecting the ceiling.

He bustled back ignoring Vain.

"And here it is. I hope my most inadequate of gift wrapping skills will cause you no offense."

Seren laughed a little as she handed over a few strips of their latinum while Vain feigned disinterest. "Thanks."

He bowed accepting them. "Your generosity is most appreciated. Most appreciated. But before you depart..."

They halted their preparations for leaving.

"An offering for your generous and loyal custom." He reached up and retrieved what looked like a large turban and a poncho. Vain stepped back her hand resting on the butt of her gun as he approached her. Again, he didn't seem to notice. Seren loved the way the handles of Vain's guns pointed forwards instead of backwards like hers. And she'd seen how fast the Romulan could draw them. She hoped the Cardassian displayed prudence. He pulled the Romulan's hat off, then delicately placed the turban over her head.

"And see how the scarf wraps around your face to provide an extra level of protection from the elements. It does have the unfortunate disadvantage of completely hiding your most beautiful visage, your wonderful ears, and forehead constructs. Why, if you look in the mirror here, you would hardly recognize even yourself, wouldn't you say? With this very attractive but subtle poncho about you, like this and these boots, which I will discount very heavily for you, it would make you scarcely noticeable as well. These vestments are somewhat chameleon in their nature so please be careful out there so that you are not overlooked by those trucks and skimmers and tractors. I believe most of them are driven by blind and murderous demons."

His gaze slid towards Seren.

"I drive just fine," she snapped.

Vain slipped out of her old boots and into the ones he gave her and then wrapped the poncho about her. The mirror agreed with the tailor. She did look different. With the poncho thrown over her shoulders draping over her weapons but still allowing easy access, the thigh high boots, the leather trousers, the turban covering most of her head and the scarf wrapping the lower half of her face over the breather so that only her goggles were visible, she could be anyone.

"I look male," she scowled.

"Surely not! Surely not!" he cried, looking at her reflection. "It is true that someone performing only a cursory inspection and possessing a brutish sort of sensibility may indeed mistake you for a more male-ish sort of person but I know that someone with the appropriate sensitivity would not be fooled for even one moment."

"And you make such a lovely male," Seren laughed.

The Romulan glared at her looking as if she was about to slam the turban to the ground.

The Cardassian smiled his eyes blazing at the Human. He tried to soothe the Romulan while struggling with her to keep the turban on her head.

"Your friend's sense of humor is so completely..." He paused for a moment. "So completely flattering to you. You are lovely and beautiful. Only the most foolish and most blind would mistake your true nature."

Vain finally let him readjust the headgear.

"Now, young lady." He turned his critical eye on Seren. "Let's get you situated shall we? And let's keep that sharp little tongue of yours most still, what do we say to that, hmm?"

It was Seren's turn to scowl. "What do you have in mind?"

"Just a coat. Your hat, so reminiscent of that time on Earth called the Old West, is perfect as it is."

"You sold it to me so you should know." She adjusted the brim having grown fond of the headgear.

"Now try on this coat. Sometimes it is referred to as a duster which is most appropriate for our climate. Much better, I think, than a cloak for you."

She shrugged the black garment on. The delicate and small scales hardly reflected any light. "It's a little heavy."

"It is a most robust and long lasting construction. Very fine leather. See how it flatters your figure. A little long, true, but just to mid shin. It will not brush the ground. And the material is most sturdy. A little thick, I admit, but see how well it moves, not constricting at all. But very protective here in Hellsbitch. Very protective. And the breather and goggles and kerchief and very fine leather britches on you..."

"Do you have to keep touching her?" Vain snapped, watching his hands flowing over Seren's legs.

The Cardassian jerked his hands back. "I know. I know. Attracting the unwanted attention of those many many unsavory characters about, for instance those of bounty hunters or mercenaries who seem for some reason to be almost all male, is an unfortunate price to pay for such beauty. That is a strange fact. I for one do not know much about bounty hunters at all but from what I have heard, they do appear to be a rough lot that seem to pay attention to the female body parts far more than they should given their chosen profession and how just a moment of inattention can be a cause of great distress for them. And for some reason there seems to be an abundance of these mercenary types about which one can only wonder at."

Seren twirled in the mirror. She did like the look. And it did remind her of the videos of the Old West that she used to love.

"How much do we owe you, tailor?" she asked.

"A mere five strips of latinum."

Seren handed the strips over. "That's not very much."

The Cardassian had told them when they'd first found him that he did not dicker in prices. He was not a Ferengi. His price or go some place else.

"Your concern for my well being truly touched my heart. Truly. And perhaps if at some future point in time I am concerned for my safety which is so highly unlikely being that I am but a simple tailor, and if the good sheriff is indisposed which unfortunately seems to occur only when he's awake, then perhaps I can call on you to, as they say, watch my back."

"You may call upon us, tailor, though we are but simple miners," Vain nodded as the Cardassian inclined his head, their eyes meeting for a moment.

"And thank you," Seren said looking at her back in the mirror, smoothing the garment over her rear.

"No, thank you, lovely...couple. Oh and one more gift. And it is a gift."

They left the tailor's shop in their new clothes.

"I don't trust that Cardassian," Vain said, then stopped. "My voice."

"It's a little lower that's all," Seren remarked examining the little gift the tailor had put on her throat.

"Male-ish?"

"Not at all." She coughed and was glad Vain couldn't see her laugh. "He seemed genuine enough."

Vain grunted. "I still do not trust him. A Cardassian. And a smart one at that. A dangerous combination."

"What do you think happened to those two men?"

"I have no idea. Maybe they were friends after all and he is hiding them."

"He doesn't appear to be the type to have many friends."

"I concur with your observation. However, he did recommend this place."

They stopped in front of one of the many bars in Hellsbitch. A Ferengi ran this one. It was crowded and smoky and dark. The loudness of the music pummeled their ears. Males and females gyrated on little stages. For the most part, they were ignored by the patrons who either gambled with ferocious intensity or drank with even greater dedication.

They shoved their way to the back.

The Ferengi behind the bar finally gave them his attention. "What can I get you, lady and gentleman?"

Vain pounded the bar with her fist while Seren hid her smile behind her hand.

"Alright, alright," the Ferengi said cringing backwards. "I was busy and didn't see you standing there. What can I serve you?"

"Uh..." Seren said.

"She'll have a Ferengi beer and I'll have Orion Wine," Vain said gruffly. "And a couple of plates of stew."

"Yes sir. And I might add that this beer... It's the real thing. I brewed it myself yesterday. Very fresh. And the stew is, well, stew."

He hurried off.

Vain leaned into her. "I do not like the way the males here stare at your hindquarters."

Seren's mouth dropped open. "My hindquarters? I do not have hindquarters. It's called a butt. And you have a very nice one too."

The Ferengi wiped the bar enough to shove the dirt to one side then served them the drinks and food in exchange for a small latinum slip. "Happy you found my establishment. Your latinum is always welcome here."

"Your tailor friend recommended it," Seren said.

"Tailor? Oh. Yeah. I'll have to thank him for that. You friends of his? No? Anyway, you're still welcome here any time regardless. Much better than my last bar. I've named this one after myself as well."

"I'm Seren and this is Vain. You have an interesting name for a Ferengi. Saloon."

"What? No!" The Ferengi jumped and tried to peer out the window. "Dammit, signage is out again. The last fog attack wrecked almost everything."

He ran off to yell at another Ferengi. People said these aliens could hear a coin drop in a vacuum. With those big ears she didn't doubt it. Ferengis were so short, they had to raise the floor behind the bar so they could be seen. She'd heard that Starfleet Academy had admitted a Ferengi once. Before her time. During the war with the Dominion a while back. Who knows, maybe Starfleet was admitting in more Ferengi these days.

"Are you well?" Vain said touching her lightly on the hand.

"What? Oh, yes." She gave the Romulan's hand a squeeze. "I was just thinking of another life. How did you know?"

"You left for a moment. And it is still your life."

Seren hugged Vain. The Romulan stiffened slightly, still a little uncomfortable with public displays of affection. They moved their bar stools closer together. Just another couple busying themselves with drinking, and eating, not paying attention to anything but each other. Vain though took everything in. Seren scanned as well. Most everyone in the bar looked like they'd lived in The DrearGyre, either in Hellsbitch or someplace else, for a long time. Prospectors mostly. They went about their drinking with grim determination. Some pilots gathered together resting between runs for the miners. Maybe some shopkeepers, or people taking breaks from the brothels. Some bars in the town catered to specific races only. The Ferengi didn't care about that. If a rock had latinum, it would get service here. Seren could not identify most of the races. There were Humans of course, and an Andorian here and there. Many Tellarites. No Vulcans. Some Klingons. Thick greasy smoke from various drugs hovered over the crowd. Seren thought she could get high by just inhaling deeply.

Dust clouded everything. Blowers tried to remove it. They were losing. Every time someone entered more dirt would gust in. Settlers in the past had made half-hearted attempts to terraform the planetoid. As usual, there'd been arguments over who should pay and what the makeup of the atmosphere should be. At least the gravity on Hellsbitch was about right. Just a little heavy, especially for such a small planetoid.

"Bounty hunters," Vain said, leaning close to be heard over the din. "In the corner."

"Got 'em," Seren nodded. She took a couple more bites of the stew. She wondered if she should ask what the mystery meat was. Wherever it came from, it was somewhat edible. "I don't see any Romulans."

"There is an old couple in the middle."

They looked ancient, drinking and smoking, hardly looking at each other.

"How could I have missed them?" Seren wondered.

"You are looking along the edges. Which is a good strategy. However, as we have both observed, one should not overlook the obvious."

Seren smirked then nodded her head towards the door. "Speaking of obvious."

A cloud of dust accompanied two more bounty hunters strolling in. A species of humanoids which Seren could not identify. These two were new to The DrearGyre. And they didn't mind that people knew. Clothes a little too clean. One had a red hat, the other one sported long hair. Both had armed themselves as if they expected a war to break out. Conversations dipped slightly as the men sauntered up to the bar. Everyone had secrets in The DrearGyre.

"Keep looking at them," Vain said. "But someone entered from the back just before they did."

"Seeing if anyone gets nervous?"

Vain nodded. "I am unable to discern his nature. He is covered up quite well."

The noise level returned to normal. The bounty hunters grabbed a couple of beers and watched the crowd, sometimes laughing loudly. The shadowy figure kept to itself, nursing a drink that one of the waitresses had brought. Red Hat separated himself from his partner to sit with the old Romulan couple. They jerked into awareness when he bumped their table.

The bounty hunters in the corner leaned forward. Stealing someone else's meal ticket was SOP for these guys.

Red Hat waved a waitress over who then brought them a pitcher of Romulan Ale. Or what was supposed to be Romulan Ale. Vain said the color was wrong. Probably fake.

Red Hat seemed to be doing most of the talking, laughing and jostling the old Romulan male. The bounty hunter filled their glasses with the fake blue ale. The old female knocked hers back in two swallows. The old male just nursed his not looking at Red Hat. Finally, after what looked like a lot of cajoling, the old male shrugged. He then pointed with his chin toward what could have been the bathroom, or a hotel down the street, or vaguely in the direction of a small Romulan enclave Seren had heard about in The DrearGyre. Red Hat laughed and slapped him on the shoulder then passed something to the old male. Red hat and his buddy exited the saloon. The four bounty hunters who had been watching followed them out.

"Our other interested party has just left as well," Vain said.

Seren burped. "Urgh, that beer is foul."

"Yes, I see you hardly managed to choke down three," Vain noted. Seren smiled at the Romulan, resting her chin on her hand, her face slightly flushed. "We will wait a while. They are probably watching the doors. You can attempt to become sober."

"I'm completely sober, stud," Seren protested, as she tried to climb onto Vain's lap.

"As you say."

She pushed the Human back into her own seat so they could watch the game players. So many flashing lights and moving parts. Neither of them knew what the game was. What they both could see which apparently the players did not or did not care about, was that the house collected most of the money. Still, everyone screamed and groaned as the game doled out a lot of pain and a little of joy. The scantily clad staff dealt out expensive drinks and drugs. The Ferengi beamed happily about it all.

After an hour, Vain and Seren drifted out the door. Moving toward the tractor, they laughed and leaned on each other. They stopped to kiss occasionally but didn't look at each other. Behind their goggles they scanned the relatively quiet streets. Not just for the strange bounty hunters but also for the usual dregs skittering around. The Romulan stopped at an alleyway.

"What?" Seren asked, squinting into the darkness.

Vain flicked on a flashlight. Seren wondered how she had seen anything in the murkiness. The light flicked off hiding the bodies.

"Our resident bounty hunters have apparently run into something they should not have."

"Yeah," Seren agreed, her hand on her multibarrel. "Let's get the hell out of here."

They found the tractor and trundled away.

"What do you think?" Seren said, guiding their vehicle out of Hellsbitch.

Vain smiled at her. "I am wondering what is in the package."

Seren laughed almost having forgotten it. "You'll have to wait until we are home. The people back there. You don't think they are looking for us?"

"Truthfully, Seren, I have no idea. What is in the package?"

"I'll message the sheriff that there are dead bodies to be cleaned up. Maybe he can turn something up. Assuming he's not drowning his head in Romulan Ale."

"The package, Human, what is it?"

"You can have the package now." Vain held out her hand. "But you can't open it until we're home."

"What is the point of me having the package if I cannot open it?"

"Suit yourself."

The tractor juddered along.

"Seren! Give me the package."

"Promise not to open it until I say so."

"You trust me?"

Seren turned to look at her. "With my life."

"Watch the road. And give me my package."

Seren reached into her coat and handed the package over.

Vain shook it, listened to it, then shook it again.

"If I guess will you tell me if I am correct?"

"No."

Vain grimaced and slapped the package on her thigh.

"Careful," Seren cautioned.

"It is fragile?"

"I didn't say that."

"It is dangerous?"

"Just use that famous Tal Shiar training."

Vain tried guessing again, sometimes threatening to open it anyway. Finally, they arrived home. Seren sat on the edge of the bed while Vain scowled at the package, trying to discern something about its contents.

"Don't you always tell me to exercise patience?" Seren said.

"I'm going to open this," Vain warned starting to pull the bow.

"Go on then."

Vain grinned tearing the wrapping off. She pulled the box lid off and peered inside.

She made a face. "You cannot be serious."

"Shoo now into the bathroom. And hurry up. I want to see."

"I object."

"Do it. Come on!"

Taking the box, Vain sighed as she went into the bathroom. Seren undressed quickly and got under the thick comforter. Then waited. And waited.

"What's taking so long?" she yelled.

She got no answer until finally the light went out and the door cracked open.

"You are trying to make a fool of me."

"Let's see!"

"Is the light on?"

"Of course it is. Come on out!"

Vain almost closed the door again, but then sidled into the bedroom.

Seren gasped. "You look lovely!"

"I look like a fool." She stopped in front of a mirror to stare at herself. The baby doll nightie set was almost transparent. The white lace glowed in the dim light. "This is ridiculous."

"Take off your boots. It's sort of ruining the effect."

"My feet are cold."

"Would you take them off already!"

The Romulan removed her boots while trying to pull down the hem of the nightie over her thong. "This is the decadent wear meant solely to enslave our gender."

She stared, hunched over, at the image in the mirror. Then, turning to look at Seren, she straightened and pirouetted to strike a pose.

"Oh by the sweetest Star of Wisdom you're beautiful get over here right now!" Seren pulled back the comforter.

"I am supposed to sleep in this? It is completely impractical."

She crawled in. Seren rolled over on top of her. Vain put her hands on the Human's shoulders.

"Seren. I..."

Seren kissed her. "Shh, not tonight. You can give me the full disclosure tomorrow. I've memorized it."

"I..."

Seren took Vain's wrists and pulled them above her head. Vain made a show of struggling but all it did was make Seren gasp as the two females moved their bodies against each other. Seren slid herself between the other female's thighs. Vain released the moan she could keep captive no longer. Seren's hands slipped over the nightie releasing the Romulan from the soft material.
Left alone with only a mirror for long enough, a Romulan would conspire against his own reflection \-- Earth Proverb

At first, the Romulan guards took pleasure in beating her. In between the abuse though, she was able to get them to teach her some of their language to ease the boredom. Usually by asking what they were going to fracture next.

"We're running out of things to break," one said as she stumbled out of the cell leaning on the other.

"Maybe we can start over?" Kari mumbled. She wanted to walk but the Romulan was mostly carrying her. She fell into the chair and gasped for air.

"The doctor said that it wasn't a good idea."

"Does that matter?" she laughed. Then coughed. The guards had broken most of her ribs at one time or another.

"We can't keep this up. We're going to kill her."

"Why are we not home yet?"

"I heard that the Beloved Nephew wants to take the scenic route."

"In Federation space? Is he mad? If we are detected..." He shook his head. "Let's hope he doesn't want to go sight seeing in Klingon territory."

They looked at the broken body in front of them.

"I'm fine," she told them. "How about my right hip and then my left wrist again?"

"You are becoming resistant to the pain killers."

"Isn't that the point?"

"Alright. If only half the rumors are true about how the Beloved Nephew pleasures himself..." He shook his head. "Let us try the right hip. We're going to need the hammer again."

Kari tried not to shudder. The injuries had to be real. She turned onto her left side. She covered her face and held still. She knew what the hammer looked like. One guard held her onto the chair. The other placed his hand on her hip feeling the point.

"Prepare yourself, Human." They had started saying that. She wasn't sure what they expected her to do but she clung to the arm of the one holding her.

She felt him swing the hammer up.

"Wait!"

The hammer crashed down shattering the armrest of the chair.

The Romulan cursed and flung the hammer down. He glared at Syll. "We are sick of doing the bidding of the Tal Shiar."

"Kill her and be done with it," the other one said. "That will keep her away from the Beloved Nephew."

"Uhm..." Kari said but they ignored her.

"I do not want any of our, excuse me, the Darksend's crew to fall into the care of the Beloved Nephew. Not even you two. And we need the Human somewhat whole for her real interrogation. I see us gaining much valuable intelligence about comets and cosmic dust clouds."

Using the chair, she wheeled Kari into the cell. The Romulan laid out some blankets on the metal shelf that was Kari's bed.

"Wow," said Kari. "Such luxury."

"You are going to need it." She lifted the woman from the chair. Kari put her arms around her and tried to help. "You have lost much weight."

"Thank you."

"That is not a compliment."

"I like your cloth." Kari plucked at the black fabric that made up the sleeve. "This bar has many fine and willing females."

Syll paused to glare at the guards who shrugged.

"Your Romulan accent is improving though the vocabulary is a little rough." Syll pulled out a hypo and pressed it against the Human's neck, releasing the substance into her body. "This will make you extremely ill. You will be in great discomfort."

"Oh no," Kari said smiling. "I wouldn't want that."

"There is no amusement in this, Ensign Kari Wu. You may die."

"I'll make sure not to." She started to shiver. Syll covered her with more blankets.

"The doctor will arrive soon to declare you contagious. If the Beloved Nephew does not interfere any more in the Darksend's operations, it will not be long before we are home. And then you will be under the custody of the Tal Shiar."

"With utmost respect, Commander, but who would have thought?" It was the doctor. "Tal Shiar custody actually being protective."

"We shall gather what information we can from her then it will be done."

"Kill her?"

There was a pause. "We may not. We may use her to trade for something with the Federation."

"After what we did in their space? Is she not evidence that we allow the insane to command us?"

There was silence.

"Yes, it's a fever. She is definitely contagious. A perceptive diagnosis, Commander."

They both sound so far away, thought Kari. She wondered who they were talking about. She reached her hand out from under the blanket to touch that soft fabric again. The skin underneath felt warm too. She wondered who it was.

Kari awoke to find herself in a different cell. Weakness made her think she couldn't move. But her bladder said that she had to. At first she worried they'd provided no toilet, then found the button to make it appear. The walls were shiny enough for her to use as a poor mirror. No glass walls here. Her bones were well knitted together and a little too visible beneath her skin. She touched her face and it was only a little sore. Judging from her hair length, a couple more weeks had elapsed since becoming infected. She listened at the walls. The lack of engine noise allowed her to presume she no longer traveled aboard a ship. She flexed her knees a few times, then jumped. Either she was weaker than she thought or this place had a little stronger gravity than Earth's. The same as the Darksend's. Though she could be anywhere, she suspected she now resided on Romulus.

The cell was bigger than the one on the ship. Very white. Very clean. No escape. The walls, floor, and ceiling displayed no seams. A wash basin carved itself into a wall. Also what might have been a shower nestled in a corner though she could not figure out how to use it. Someone must have bathed her though. Clothing was too much to ask for at this point in her incarceration. At least she wasn't cold, though she still shivered a little. The guards had amused themselves by scaring her with stories of the Tal Shiar as she picked up their language. The plastic band with the universal translator still adorned her wrist. Moving around helped to reacquaint herself with her body. She'd almost become used to her own nudity. Some shorts and a top would be nice though. Her breasts were disappearing, she decided, rueful. Her body needed food.

The door slid open and a Romulan entered. His face was veiled and he wore the black robes she presumed the Tal Shiar, like Syll, preferred. The robes, long and flowing, trimmed with gold, didn't betray gender. However, the figure moved with the brusqueness of a male.

"Hello," she said in Romulan. "Thank you for the medical care."

She waved at her arms and legs.

His eyes, barely visible behind the veil narrowed. He was carrying an input pad.

"You will speak only when a question is asked," he barked out at her.

She reached behind her neck. Yes, there was a slight bump on her vertebra. The punishment module. She nodded.

"You will do only what we ask you to do."

She stood still and waited. She assumed the position the Tal Shiar would eventually demand. Her feet slightly parted, her hands in front clasped, her head bowed.

"What is your name?"

"Kari Wu."

"And your rank?"

"Ensign in Starfleet, the United Federation of Planets."

"Your ship?"

"The T'naarr."

"A science vessel?"

They went through a number of questions which she answered truthfully. He paused and started fidgeting with the pad.

"Permission to speak, master."

"Master?"

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to skip that part of the conditioning and go straight to the titles. I'm sure you will give me my designation soon."

"Uh, yes, of course. It's..." He fumbled again with the pad. "It's 738."

She frowned.

"No, wait. It's 738776."

"Yes, master, 738776."

"Repeat it."

She hesitated then repeated it again.

"You will answer only to that designation. What is your name?"

"My designation is 738766, master. Would you like me to lie now to calibrate your instruments?"

He fidgeted with the pad again. "What was the vessel you were serving upon?"

She slipped to the floor and braced herself against the bed. "The Enterprise."

She breathed deeply waiting. She opened her eyes a little to watch him struggling with the pad once more. He finally hit a button.

She shrieked. Her body seized up and she slammed to the floor. Her entire head was exploding. Finally, he turned it off.

She couldn't help herself and wept.

"Well, 738766, that is the punishment for lying to us."

"Yes, master." She tried to get her limbs to respond.

"There's a punishment module in the base of your neck. It cannot be removed. How did you like your first taste?"

"It was much worse than I was led to believe. And that was just setting one."

"Yes it..." He paused and looked at his pad again. He dialed in something, then again hit the button. She jerked and gasped with pain. But it was just a small jolt.

She struggled to a kneeling position wiping the tears from her face.

"Where are my manners?" he said, reading off the pad.

The silence lengthened.

"Uh," she said carefully. "I do not know?"

He clenched a fist. "I mean where are my manners. You must be hungry."

"Yes, master," she said. Her voice still quavered from the pain rocketing around in her brain from the first jolt.

He clicked on the pad. The door slid open and another veiled interrogator, similar to the Romulan holding her pad, entered. He was perhaps a little paunchier and shorter and slower. Her interrogator straightened up a little at his presence. Kari shifted her position to kneel in his direction and touched her forehead to the ground. Somehow the new interrogator seemed older. He handed her interrogator a bowl.

"Uh, here is some soup for you, 738766," her interrogator said. She maintained her position. "You may arise."

She rose to a standing position.

"Eat the soup, 738766. Now."

She accepted the bowl of soup and took a mouthful. She smiled. "It is quite good, masters. I know it to be poisoned but it is good nonetheless."

"It is not poisoned, 738766."

She continued eating not looking at them.

"It is poisoned," the interrogator said.

She didn't react, just finishing all.

"Soon you will beg for the antidote."

She nodded. Already, she could feel herself becoming lightheaded and nauseous. Her breathing became labored and she felt chilled from the sweat breaking out all over her skin. She knelt before she keeled over.

"If master would be pleased, I would like the antidote. Please master." She wondered if she could make it to the toilet. "I beg you."

The interrogator seemed to vibrate.

"You mock me, Human!" the interrogator screamed.

Kari jerked away from him. She covered up as she realized what he intended. He pounded her with his fist, then kicked her in the side. The pain momentarily stopped the poison from overwhelming her. She spat blood onto the floor then retched.

"Master yourself," the other Tal Shiar ordered sounding almost resigned.

She thought he was talking to her and she struggled to regain her kneeling position. "Yes, master."

But he was looking at her interrogator who was trembling with rage.

"This Human is..." her interrogator yelled.

"Give her the antidote," the other male sighed.

Her interrogator looked as if he were going to argue. Then his shoulders slumped and he reached in his pocket and removed a capsule. He held it out.

Kari's eyes flicked to the other male then started to reach for it.

"She, at least, appears to know the appropriate way to present it to her. Perhaps you would like her to school you on that as well?"

Her interrogator closed his hand into a fist and looked as if he was going to hit her again. But instead dropped the capsule at his feet. She leaned over and scooped it up with her tongue. From what she'd been told, it would take a few moments to work. She curled up and tried to control her bodily functions. It did seem to be counteracting the poison though

"Commander Syll," the experienced male said. "A moment of your time if you can spare it."

Syll entered to stand next to him. She was not veiled.

"You are dismissed," he said to the first interrogator, holding out his hand. "Her pad."

The interrogator handed it to him then turned to go. Kari hurled the empty bowl at Syll then launched herself onto the departing Romulan's back. She wrapped her arms around his neck and locked her legs around his waist. The material of the veil flattened against his head. She clamped her teeth on his pointed ear.

"Ahhhh!!!" he shrieked. He spun her around and slammed her against the wall.

The older Romulan and Syll stepped aside. Syll examined the bowl she'd caught while the older Romulan leaned against the wall reading the pad. The guards stood uncertainly at the door while the interrogator stumbled about the cell until he finally smashed Kari hard enough to force her to let go. He turned, grabbed her by the neck and started to strangle her. She tried to kick but there was no fight left. Her hands fell away from his wrists. She started to turn blue.

"This student appears to have an interesting definition of what mastering oneself means, sir," Syll observed to the older Romulan.

"He will have to thank this prisoner for providing him the opportunity to study many long hours on that subject as well as on the subject of preparation."

The student dropped her and she slumped to the ground. She could hardly see as she coughed.

"I will NOT thank her," the student roared.

The older Romulan straightened and turned towards him.

The student pounded the wall then turned to Kari. "Thank you," he snarled.

"Anytime," she wheezed, waving a hand.

"You turned your back on a prisoner," Syll told the student, her voice soft and neutral. "You are fortunate she is not a Breen."

He stomped out holding his ear.

Kari struggled to her feet as best she could. Her side still ached and her lip was cut. She adopted the pose keeping her eyes lowered though she wobbled a little.

"738766 appears to know our procedures quite well," the older Romulan commented.

Syll raised an eyebrow. "The procedures of the Tal Shiar are forever safe with me, sir."

She turned to Kari. "738766, how did you come by your knowledge?"

"Mistress Syll, it took us almost two months to arrive here."

"I see. You found the crew of the Darksend to be communicative?"

"They taught me a little of your language, Mistress Syll," she coughed out, her voice hoarse. "We had to speak of something. It was of no consequence."

"As you say."

"No one knew or was willing to say what is likely to happen next. Permission to speak, Master and Mistress Syll."

"Permission granted, 738766," he said.

"With respect, don't take my cooperation or inability to withstand your tortures as approval or acquiescence. If I can, I will escape. You killed my friends, destroyed my ship, attacked the Federation. You must pay for that. Master and Mistress Syll."

"And where would you go if you escaped here, 738766?" the Master asked. "To the Beloved Nephew?"

She tried to stifle her gasp, then said. "Maybe if I could bring him to justice for his crimes, then yes."

"The Beloved Nephew is a great man and very busy. We do not want to distract him from his important duties with the knowledge of your whereabouts."

Her head jerked up. "He's looking for me? Why? I'm no one. He's got to have better things to do."

Mistress Syll answered. "He has many better things to do. And one would think the Stars of Wisdom would guide him in attending to them. However, it does not mean his attention is not drawn to that which has proved, thus far, elusive."

Kari tried to hide her bitterness. "I thought he'd just forget about me once you bastards had your hands on me."

"The Tal Shiar are of course always willing and ready to cooperate in assisting the Beloved Nephew," the male said. "It is our duty to always serve Romulus. We are not controlled by the Beloved Nephew. As I am sure he understands, we report to the authority at the very highest of echelons."

"Reassuring, master."

He tossed the pad to Syll. "She is your responsibility, Commander Syll. I don't want another of my students ruined by her. Use your own. Invite her to give up her secrets and then be done."

As he left, he didn't take his eyes off Kari.

Syll handed the bowl to one of the guards. "Bring me another bowl of soup. Unadulterated. And a healer."

They saluted and left, quickly returning with another bowl and the instrument. Syll ordered her to sit on the bed and take the bowl. Kari looked at the soup then sipped the contents carefully. It tasted exactly the same as the first. She finished it though her stomach complained a little.

"Try not to throw it at me this time," Syll said, sitting down. "Now turn."

"It is an ancient Human fighting tradition, Mistress Syll. Soup bowl tossing. I am quite expert."

Syll was glad that the Human's back was turned. "Hold still."

She held the thin shoulder as she moved the healer over the contusions.

"Isn't this a little like putting a nice coat of paint on a target?"

"It is part of the conditioning. To make you pliant and accepting of our mastery of every part of you. You will accept me as your Mistress and you will surrender all your secrets to me."

Kari was starting to fall asleep. The poison, the beating, then finally feeling she had real food inside of her made her feel dopey.

She patted Syll's hand. "Well, Mistress Syll," she mumbled. "You may condition me any time you want."
The more steps a plan has the more likely it is to fail at step one \-- Tal Shiar Proverb

Vain called Seren to join her in the lookout. The Human scrambled up from the mine shaft to where they could observe most approaches to their home.

Nursing the ancient mining machinery consumed their time and energy. Seren came to enjoy it. Vain's time on a Romulan warbird helped her understand the primitive technology though she had no background. However, she had no love for the little creatures in the shafts and refused to go very deep. The best part however was waving at and thanking the man who had sold the mine to them. They loved how his eyes teared up each time.

The alarm had winked off days ago. If it had been a ship trying to cloak, then it had moved off. Or the alarm had simply stopped working. Or as they hoped, there'd been nothing there at all.

Seren observed through the binoculars while Vain just watched the cloud of dust heading in their direction. They both recognized the beat up old speeder.

"Sheriff," Seren greeted, as he stomped in making their small living room look even smaller. "Your first visit to us! We're honored. What brings you all the way out here?"

"Damned fog. Couldn't get through to you. It's all over out there today. Think we're socked in now too," he groused. He beat himself sending dust everywhere. Vain's hands clutched into claws. Seren smiled at her though she wanted to pound the Andorian silly as well. He leaned his weapon against the door. "Anyway. Wanted to make sure my two favorite sweeties were okay."

Seren took out three glasses and filled them from a carafe of the local brew. He shrugged off his cloak and scarf. A big shiny gold star adorned his fine clothes. Sheriff was emblazoned on it. He sat down and grabbed his drink.

"Thanks," she said holding her glass. "We're fine. Busy, but why?"

"Cheers!" he smiled at them. They drank the bitter concoction down. "You know that colony of Romulans over on one of the outer circles?"

Asteroids, planets, debris collected in giant disorganized circles floating around the center of The DrearGyre.

"Yes, we have heard there are some Romulan colonies," Vain said, picking up a dust cloth to clean a table. "We have not visited any."

"Well, you're not going to be visiting this one anytime soon, sweets. Someone took it out."

She stopped. "Your meaning, sheriff?"

"Killed every man jack of them. Children as well."

"They killed children?" Seren gasped.

"Reports said so. Bounty hunters maybe. Or mercenaries. Can't tell the difference myself. Whoever they were they were good. Those Romulan weren't a pushover from what I understand. And they pushed back but good. Just not good enough."

"Bounty hunters wouldn't just wipe out a colony," Seren said. "Doesn't seem their style. Wouldn't be another mining interest? There's enough gangs and syndicates and cartels out there."

"Yeah, hon, could be. Not my jurisdiction but still, need to keep an eye out. Someone did come by the office though. All secret like. Couldn't get a look at him at all. Hunting some damned Romulan chick."

"You setting yourself up as a dating service now?" Seren laughed. "You can always tell him about Vain."

She pushed Seren, chuckling. "Yes, I could welcome a good time for a change."

"Hey!" Seren pouted.

He guffawed letting his antennas dance around. "Probably make way more money than sheriff that's for sure. They're looking for her."

He threw a small device onto the table. Seren picked it up and clicked it on. "Who is it?"

"He didn't say. But they want her real bad. Yeah, I know. That could be a Ferengi. Terrible picture. And hell, I swear all Romulans look alike. No offense, sweets. They want her and they want what she has too. A big reward. Mr. Secrecy wouldn't tell me what the hell it was, the little dumbass."

"Do you know her?" Seren asked Vain handing the device to her.

Vain examined the device closely. "I cannot say she is familiar to me."

"Yeah. The guy said it'd glow green if it detected the right DNA too."

The device stayed quiet.

Vain laughed. "In The DrearGyre, we would be fortunate to get our coffeemaker to work properly."

"Got that right. This works though." A small gun nestled in his hand.

Seren frowned looking at the weapon leaning against the door.

"Yeah, people think that I only got the big one." He winked at her, smirking.

"I do not understand, sheriff," Vain said, watching him pull out two sets of handcuffs. "The device says it is not me."

"No, but he said that this chick is dangerous and clever. Very clever. I'm going to let them figure it out. I get paid either way. And if I have to, I will haul in just a corpse. Nothing personal you understand."

Seren refilled all their glasses.

"Cheers," Vain said.

They all drained their drinks.

"Yes, nothing personal, sheriff." The Romulan did not smile.

He scowled. "Put the cuffs on, sweeties. Think you'll both look real cute in them. Maybe have a little fun first huh? Then we'll head back."

"You should have brought your deputies," Vain said not moving. "Backup as they say."

"Why share the prize? I keep it all. No need to tell anyone else. Now the cuffs." He waved at the shackles as he slumped down a little. "And I know you Romulans think you're such badasses. You just keep an eye on the end of this here gun."

His weapon, waving slightly, stayed on Vain. He didn't look at Seren.

"You could just call whoever it is who will pay you," Vain said. "It would save you time."

"True." His speech slurred a little as his antennae drooped. "There's a little communicator on that device. Not sure it would work in the fog though."

His shaking hand wiped the sweat streaming down his face.

"Klingons possess many good reasons for not drinking with their enemies," Vain said examining her empty glass.

"I'm not a Klingon," he slurred.

"Still, the advice is sound."

He shook his head, then blinked. His fingers clutched at empty air. Confused, he wondered where the weapon had gone. First, he looked at the Romulan who almost appeared neutral. Then spotted it. In Seren's hand. How had that happened? He tried to reach for it. But then it had disappeared.

"Wait... But you drank too. I saw. Both. I saw. You couldn't... Uh... You couldn't know. I mean..."

Seren and Vain donned their outerwear.

"Sheriff," Vain said, adjusting the turban the Cardassian tailor had given her. "The idea of a lazy oaf such as yourself traveling all this way simply to express concern for our well being is as preposterous as one of those mine spiders conveying interest in what we read at bedtime."

She took the little device that the sheriff had brought and put it into a scanner. Then handed it back to Seren who tucked it into her pocket.

"I am sorry, sheriff," said Vain. They pulled him to his feet. He didn't want to but he staggered upright and they propped him up between them. Seren grabbed his belongings and they half carried and half walked him to his vehicle.

"Please, Vain... A chance. I wouldn't have." She was not looking at him. She was looking at Seren. The Human stuffed him into the passenger seat of his speeder.

Vain wrapped her arms around herself, watching. "Seren..."

The Human pointed at their skimmer. Her face was emotionless and pale like a geisha, her movements mechanical in their efficiency. Finally, he understood. And his eyes widened in terror.

"Seren..." Vain pleaded.

Seren got into the sheriff's beat up old speeder. As the sheriff whimpered, they bounced over the rough terrain to a cliff that overlooked a giant gash in the planetoid. The speeder lurched to a stop. Seren donned her goggles and breather. The sheriff looked at her but only saw in her glasses his own reflection. A panicked, horrified, Andorian who knew too much.

"Wait... I didn't mean... Please. I beg you." He tried to fend her off as she pulled him into the driver seat.

Vain approached from the parked skimmer. The Human made sure the sheriff wasn't going anywhere and got out, letting the air escape from the vehicle.

"Seren..." the Romulan began.

The Human gave her a brief hug then guided her back towards the skimmer. Vain hesitated, then spun on her heel and ran to the vehicle, not looking behind her.

The sheriff gasped, his fingers, feeble, scratched for his breather. Seren grabbed his head by his dirty white hair and smashed his face into the steering mechanism. Blue blood squirted from his nose and mouth. She examined the damage then did it twice more before he slumped over. One of his antennae dangled from his head. He cried drooling onto his chest. She wiped his hair off her hand onto his pants. He spat up phlegm, shuddering. She searched his vehicle just in case there was anything that tied them to him. His body spasmed, vomiting. She looked on herself to make sure that nothing belonging to him contaminated her. His blubbering became a harsh whimper. The wind would sweep away any of their tracks, but she made sure they were obscured anyway. His body twitched desperate for any kind of air it could use. She retrieved the device from her pocket and crushed it against the dashboard. The twitching ceased. She tossed the device into the pool of blood at his feet. She stared into his eyes until certain he was dead. Then she started the speeder down over the cliff. When it finally hit the bottom, there was a small explosion, a brief fire, then just faint blue smoke. Seren scuffed away any foot prints even as the wind erased them. Stepping on stones, she made her way back to Vain. The skimmer's tracks were nondescript. And on the hard rock would not be noticeable.

She climbed onto the skimmer and wrapped her arms around the Romulan. Vain kicked the two wheel skimmer into life and they made their way back home. They rode over any tracks the speeder could have made either from or to their home, eliminating them. Seren wanted to take Vain home right away but this had to be done first. She felt the Romulan shivering. It was cold but that was not what was causing her to tremble. She held onto the female and helped guide them home. As carefully as possible, she pulled Vain off the skimmer. She carried her into the domicile. Then redressed her in warm pajamas.

"I can do that," Vain said. "I assure you. I am fine."

Her teeth chattered. Seren tucked her under the blanket and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. She cranked up the heat then went to the table.

She cleaned up the three glasses and removed any trace of the sheriff's presence. Then she examined the bottle of booze. She used a thin tool to reach into the neck of the bottle to remove the now empty capsule. Then using the same thin tool attached a new heat sensitive capsule to the neck of the bottle. As long as they held the carafe normally, the poison would not flow. But held in a certain way, the heat of the hand would melt the capsule and dispense the poison into the glass. She would have to test it later to see if the poison had contaminated the bottle. No need to throw out perfectly good booze.

She undressed down to her underwear then got under the covers to hold Vain against her. She felt like she was embracing an icicle.

"More terrible things that are my fault," the Romulan whimpered.

"Shh, love. He was a bad man. He tried to hurt you. Forget him."

Vain looked up into the Human's eyes. "What have I done to you, Seren?"

"You have saved my life." Seren kissed her. "No one is going to touch you, Vain. No one."

"It is the conditioning. It is not real."

Seren gazed into Vain's eyes. "There is no more conditioning. You have removed it all."

Vain cradled Seren's face searching her eyes. "If only I could believe that."

"Believe it. You must believe it."

"I cannot. If you were truly free, you would kill me and leave my body as easily as you did that sheriff."

She closed her eyes and nestled her head into Seren's breasts. She shivered and moaned as the darkness took her.
Always tell the truth so that the lie is more effective \-- Tal Shiar proverb

Kari swayed, trying to hold her position. She couldn't clear the confusion from her mind. As usual, she stood naked in the pain field. They didn't call it that. But it was the appropriate name. She couldn't move out of the cylindrical containment area which glowed almost warmly about her. Touching it was pure agony. If she fainted as she once had, she would end up pin-balling around inside until she could regain her balance. She'd lost track of the number of times she'd found herself here.

Inside the tube, the pain field itself washed over her. It wasn't torture so much as it was merely to keep her mind unbalanced. As Syll pointed out, torture was the refuge of amateurs. The name of this order of the Tal Shiar was the Information Gatherers. Not the torturers.

Though Syll supervised, she let what Kari had come to believe were her students "practice" on her.

Kari held out as long as she could then lied when that wouldn't work. They punished or tricked her into revealing the truth. Sometimes she wasn't even aware she was speaking. Or what they were asking. It didn't matter. She knew nothing.

Starfleet Academy had made available exactly one session on what to do if captured and interrogated. The major parties in the quadrant had no formal agreements on the treatment of prisoners. Basically, the instructor advised, there existed but one strategy. Hang on until that became impossible. Then tell them what they wanted to know. It shouldn't matter. There was no shame in giving in to them. Do not feel guilty. They would use that against the prisoners. The lecturer seemed almost apologetic. When detainees got back home, they shouldn't feel that they should've done better. The lecturer always used when not if. The psychiatric evaluations for ex-detainees were mandatory. Treatment could not be refused. Assuming anyone got back home. And that was it. No practice, no magic formula for dealing with pain or pressure, no special strategies to free oneself. Just try to keep sane. Then the class ended. Her classmates thought it'd been a waste of time. She caught sight of him later. He wasn't Starfleet. Not anymore. He paused to look at the students milling about the campus, then walked off. His smile, full of sadness, filled her with dread.

The Federation would have changed anything sensitive she knew months ago. So when she could no longer resist, she gave them everything she could. Even her locker number at Starfleet Academy. She realized they must have accessed her personal logs on the T'naarr before destroying the ship.

The field bathed her in its intimate torment. She felt herself vibrate, resonate with the pain. Someone was speaking. Her eyes opened to see who would disturb her in this little private world of suffering.

"Hello, 738766."

"Hello, Mistress Syll."

"You are doing very well, 738766. You have our gratitude."

Kari smiled. Good cop this time. "How may I serve my Mistress today?"

She liked to speak formally to Syll. With that, she felt she could better maintain the distance from the horror she was enduring.

"Tell me about your mother, please."

She hesitated and the pain level incremented a little as did the interference in her mind. "My mother is Human. She lives on Earth. She is retired. She was a librarian."

"Your father?"

"My father is Human. He lives on Earth. He worked... Probably still works as an astronomer."

"You get on well with your parents?"

"Very much so."

"You wish to see them again?"

"Of course."

"Tell me how your mother treats you."

"She is the best. She always takes good care of me."

"Your father as well?"

"Oh yes, We had a small house in a place with trees and flowers and a stream. We had a great time there."

Syll listened but watched the scans as one of her students showed her the levels.

"She is not lying exactly," the student murmured. The three other students gathered around examining the readings. "But she is not precisely telling the truth either. The scans are trying to determine the validity of her statements."

"What do the records show?" asked one of the students.

"Oddly," the student running the scanner said, "Starfleet and the Federation in general are somewhat reticent when it comes to sharing data with us. But from her own ship's journals and what we have managed to find in the public record, her parents were miners on a planet called Newydd Cymru. They were killed in an accident during her second year at Starfleet Academy. From her journal, she suffered tremendously and she almost resigned."

"So, she is lying," the student said.

"Are you saying that I have mis-calibrated the scanners?" Syll asked him.

"No," the student answered quickly. "But perhaps the machine has drifted in its calibration."

"Do you think that can occur?"

He thought a moment. Syll wondered what his face looked like under his veil. His future was bright in the Tal Shiar. "I have not heard of such a thing, Commander Syll. However, machines fail and Humans are an unpleasantly diverse species."

"As you say."

They watched the levels waver between truth and lie. The machine would start to adjust the field on 738766 then readjust as it decided that first she was lying then she was telling the truth. The Human was just relaying useless information about her background. Information contradicting her own logs.

"She knows we have her journals and her history," Syll said to them. "So why is she lying?"

"Perhaps she is actually an agent," one student offered. "She is covering a greater secret. She is a deep mole sent by the Federation to spy on us."

"An interesting hypothesis. What do you think the purpose would be?"

"I confess that it eludes me. The circumstances of her capture appear genuine."

"Appear?" asked Syll. She could almost feel the student flush under her veil.

"I stand corrected. The circumstances are genuine. Only through the greatest of coincidences could a deep cover agent have been captured."

"But not impossible?"

"I would view the probability as extremely low."

"We are faced with an enigma then. Someone who appears capable of both lying and telling the truth at the same time."

"If such a talent could be harnessed," one of the students volunteered, "it could be useful."

"To what end other than to indicate to us that they have this talent? Would we not simply continue to press her for the truth?"

The students had no answer. The Human had trailed off. Syll walked in front of her. She could tell that the Human was looking at her but not seeing.

"738766, did you enjoy your childhood?"

She didn't answer. Syll had seen this before though usually only under extreme duress. They were far from that point. She repeated the question which seemed to refocus the Human.

"Very much so, Mistress Syll."

The Commander looked at her student. He made a gesture which indicated that again it was unclear.

"What did you and your family do when you had a little time off to enjoy yourselves?"

"We would go on a picnic."

"Do you like picnics?"

"Very much so. The sunshine and open skies."

The student whispered that the mining planet had no atmosphere and orbited far from its star.

"What kinds of activities did you do on the picnic?

"All kinds of things. Eat, relax, play."

"Did you like to play games?"

"All kinds."

"Did you like digging in the ground too?

Kari frowned. "Digging in the ground?"

"Did your parents like digging in the ground? They might have enjoyed that game."

"I... I think so. Yes, they liked that game."

"Did you like that game?"

"I liked playing."

"Did you like the digging in the ground game?"

"I liked playing with my mom and dad."

"They liked playing the digging in the ground game. Did they play it often?"

"Yes, they liked that game. Every day they played it."

"They must have loved it. Did you?"

"I..." Kari paused trying to think. The student adjusted the pain level slightly. Kari winced a little. "I... I did not like it as much."

"You liked better games?"

"Yes."

"What kind of better games?"

"I liked looking at the stars."

"You preferred the star games then?"

"Much better," Kari smiled to herself.

"Your parents though, how did they feel about you wanting to play the star game rather than the digging game?"

She frowned. "They wanted me to play the digging game. With them. They thought it was more fun. I was good at it. They said. I wanted to play the star game."

"When you wanted to play the star game away from home, were they happy?"

"Oh yes."

The student noted to Syll that this was a straight lie. The pain field adjusted causing her more discomfort.

"Still, they must have been a little disappointed that you were not there to play the digging game with them."

"They did not mind." The pain shifted again and she gasped. She wondered why she was having such trouble remembering where she was.

"So even though you excelled at the digging game, they loved how accomplished you were at the star game?"

"Yes, very much so." She cried out as the field adjusted. "They came and saw me off."

The field gave her a jolt.

"They were very happy that I was playing the star game."

She gave a small shriek fighting the pain.

"If they were here now, seeing you here, with us, do you think they would be happy?"

"Seeing me here, playing the star game, they'd be happy."

The student made a gesture indicating this statement was neutral again.

"They would not be sad to see you like this?"

"They'd be very happy to see me here. I am Starfleet. They'd ask if I am happy now being Starfleet. They'd laugh. They'd say, see this is what playing with the stars gets you. They'd say see, see, see, you should've stayed with the digging game. They'd say you were better at the digging game. That was all you were good for. We told you that you were no good at the stars game. Playing with stars just leads to trouble. They said I hurt them, I hurt them a lot for not playing the digging game. Yes, so this is right. I should be hurt. I hurt them and I should be hurt. They'd see me here and laugh and not love me any more. They'd say bad Kari! Bad girl! You should be digging in the ground. We told you that you were no good. We do not want to see you play the stars game. We do not love you, Kari. We aren't going to watch you play the stars game. We're going to go away. We don't want to see you any more. We're going to go away. Forever. We will never watch you play in the stars. Bad girl! You're a BAD girl!"

"738766!" Syll shouted finally getting her attention.

She stopped. Her tears were a waterfall.

"Yes, Mistress Syll?" Her voice was normal not the shrill scream just moments before. "How may I help you?"

Syll's head ached from the noise, she felt a little cold. She breathed deeply before continuing on.

"Would you like to go home soon? Perhaps we can arrange for you to be returned to your parents when you are finished with your stay here. Would you welcome that?"

"Yes, I look forward to being home again. We are a very happy family. My mom and dad are wonderful."

"Then after you have fully cooperated with us, we shall see."

"Yes, Mistress Syll."

"You have done well today, 738766. Thank you."

Kari tried not to glow with pleasure. She knew they manipulated her. However, she could not deny the twinge of reward. She tried to remember what she'd been saying. But the memories evaporated, dew in the morning sun.

They lowered the containment field. The cessation of pain left her a little light headed. She rubbed her face then examined her hands wondering why they were so wet. She assumed her pose and waited.

Syll had moved to the other side of the room to stand in the shadows. Kari watched the student preparing his notes on a pad. She gathered herself then dashed off the platform. She elbowed the student into his console and ran for the door. The other students dropped what they were doing and sprinted after her. She almost made it to the control panel but the one who she had elbowed grabbed her hair.

"Bitch," he snarled at her. He lifted her by her hair. She grabbed his arm to take the weight and kicked him in the face. His head hardly moved. She braced herself for the blow he was about to deliver when clarity hit her.

"Wait!" she shrieked. "Wait!"

It startled the Romulan into pausing.

"My hair. Why haven't you cut it? You should have cut it! Shaved my head!"

Syll moved closer. "Calm yourself, 738766."

"He liked my hair," she shrieked. "The Beloved Nephew liked my hair."

The Romulan dropped her and stepped back.

"You lied! You lied!" Kari screamed at Syll. "You said you weren't going to give me to him."

"I do not believe..."

Kari scrambled for the door. The Romulan student seized her. She slammed him with her feet and fists, pounding him. Two more students grabbed her. They could not subdue her frenzy. She kicked and bit and hit. The fourth joined in capturing a leg.

Syll called her designation, even calling her real name. Kari just tried to claw her way free.

The Romulan Commander finally used the pad. The first setting did nothing. She turned it to five, the setting the first interrogator had mistakenly used on her. Kari seized up but as soon as it turned off, she fought on. Finally, Syll used the pad to render her unconscious. Kari collapsed onto the floor.

The students swore as they released her examining their bruises.

"Return the prisoner to her cell. Have the doctor examine her."

They nodded. No one spoke.
A Romulan's word is worth as much as anyone else's: Nothing \-- Ferengi Proverb

When she could no longer avoid it, Syll visited the Human in her prison.

"If you promise not to hurt yourself, Kari, I will release the restraints."

Kari screeched and thrashed in her bonds. She had tried to kill or injure herself multiple times. Her attempts stained the walls crimson. They had confined her to a device that locked her to the bed. It immobilized her almost completely as well as taking care of her bodily functions. Force feeding was the only way to get her to accept nourishment.

Kari slumped.

"Call me by my designation," she sneered, panting. "Syll."

She spat at the Romulan.

"Will you promise me, 738766?"

"You'd accept my promise when you broke yours?"

"I made no promise, 738766," Syll intoned. "I was being optimistic."

"You were supposed to protect me! You promised! You promised!" Kari battered herself against the bonds again until she fell back gasping, futility overwhelming her.

The harshness of her breathing was the only sound as Syll sat, observing and waiting.

Finally the Human said, "I will not hurt myself nor anyone else, Mistress Syll."

"Very well." She pressed the button on the pad and the restraints released her. Syll watched her carefully. The reports of this Human's sudden strength were unlikely but she did not want, as others had learned, to be taken by surprise. A guard hovered at the open door to the cell his baton ready.

Kari jerked upright. The guard took a step, then retreated when she remained seated. Syll made no motion. The Human rubbed the bruises on her wrists and ankles.

"I suppose it's time," she said looking Syll in the eye.

Syll motioned and the guard stepped aside so her students could enter.

"They will help you dress, 738766."

Kari curled her lip, her derision cold. "A Starfleet uniform? Does your Beloved Nephew possess such perverse desires or do all good Romulans secretly fantasize about the Federation?"

She snatched the underwear and uniform from them and dressed herself.

"Have the mighty Tal Shiar become stylists now?" It elicited no response from them.

She drew on the boots.

"Does the Tal Shiar cower before his greatness? Shine his shoes? Kiss his ring?"

One of the students grunted. Syll remained impassive.

Kari smashed the makeup on to the floor and ignored most of the jewelry. She did pin her black hair up. She took a deep breath and inspected herself in a mirror. The uniform was almost perfect. Months had passed since she had worn clothes. They felt strange. The first time she had donned her Starfleet uniform, the real one, not the Academy one, she felt as if she would never take it off.

She turned to face Syll. "Does the pimp approve of 738766?"

Syll slapped her.

It wasn't hard. She was able to hold her hand back at the very last moment so that it just turned Kari's face a little red.

"I will take that as a yes," Kari said, not bothering to touch her cheek. "I suspect this will be the last time you will be able to do that."

"Try to remember what we have taught you, 738766," Syll said finally, looking away. She willed herself to not kill the Human right there. "We have indicated to the Beloved Nephew that we are not finished extracting information from you. So your desire to not see us again will in all probability be in vain."

Kari smoothed a final wrinkle in the faux uniform. She slowed her heart rate down and breathed slowly thinking of the little meditation practices she had learned at the Academy. Mastery of one's self, she thought. For this moment, she'd put aside her fury and fear.

She snapped to attention. "Ensign Kari Wu reporting for duty."

Syll stepped closer and touched the pips along the collar of the Starfleet uniform.

"Ah," said Kari. "I see the Beloved Nephew desires a captain. I had always hoped for my own command."

Kari turned smartly to face the students. "I'm ready."

She marched out with them.

The guards had worked in this facility for decades. Certainly longer than any student. Far longer than any of the faculty or staff. There was nothing they hadn't seen over the many years. They knew to withdraw from the cell before Syll snatched up the chair to hurl it against the wall. After she had destroyed almost everything in the cell, they also knew that this was not the right time to ask whether they should ready the space for another prisoner.

From the modern cellblock to the older section containing the bureaus of the faculty and staff, she stormed to the office of the Seigneur of her Tal Shiar order. He was the same Romulan who had expressed enough curiosity in Kari to observe and take part in her initial processing.

"Welcome, Commander Syll." He rose to greet her. "I was expecting you and am gratified you could fit me into your schedule."

"Sir." She quivered with the effort to master herself. "Sir, I came only to update you on some inconsequential details. My hope is that you can spare a few moments for me."

"There are no unimportant items, Commander. The most minor of details is the one that trips us all. I sense that something troubles you."

"An inessential matter, sir. I just wish to affirm that I am serving the Tal Shiar as well as I could be."

He chuckled. "Your service to the Tal Shiar is beyond my or anyone else's highest expectations."

Breathe, she commanded to herself. Slow your breathing.

"Thank you, sir. I became disturbed when a source was removed from my custody. It would mortify me to think I have displeased you in some way."

The office was sparse. Just a few personal things but nothing to give clues about the occupant. A plant in a pot. A couple of nondescript paintings. Just stone for the floor and an efficient desk. The natural light filtering in through the window revealed him to be a stocky male, slightly paunchy. A greying Romulan who had survived countless wars and more tellingly, the politics of the Tal Shiar. His long dark robes were well used, his veil almost transparent. She was sure he did that on purpose. His appearance was mild, more that of a book keeper who was somewhat surprised to discover himself to be in charge of one of the most powerful Tal Shiar orders. So many enemies rested in their graves for believing that was all he was.

"I understand your concern, Commander Syll. Let it leave your mind. The accommodation was done for the benefit of the Tal Shiar. As with all things, there are tradeoffs to be made and they will only be done for the advancement of our order. When pressure is applied one learns to bend. Especially, when, considering all points of view, it is over some...thing that is hardly worthy of anyone's attention. One sometimes can disagree with the nature of certain decisions but always we are here to serve."

She nodded. Though he was the Seigneur of this Tal Shiar order, even he reported to others. "I am indebted to the Tal Shiar and to you as well for your patience and forbearance."

Eventually quelling her rage, she smiled at him. "You have been a father to me, sir."

He returned the smile a little. "I would hope to be just a humble teacher. You have been a fine student. Dare I say it? The best? The quickest and the brightest, certainly. And as any good 'father' I worry for you." He looked out the window, not meeting her gaze. "There are those who for some reason seem to delve into the personal lives and practices of those around us. I, as you well know, care nothing for such dogma. Such efforts yield nothing useful. I care for results and those who can produce them. You are also an excellent teacher. Warn your students to be careful on what is becoming a treacherous stretch along our journey. The conflict on Romulus is subtle. For now. Perilous always."

Syll couldn't sleep. She eschewed drugs. The meditations did nothing for her. She even tried a Vulcan meditative state. It helped only a little. What the Seigneur of the Tal Shiar had said echoed in her mind. The Tal Shiar had been both bribed and pressured. When it had reached some threshold, the Tal Shiar had decided the opportunity was right. She recalled a Federation saying: The thin edge of the wedge. The thinnest part had been the depraved request about Kari's hair. And now the actual demand, for the Human. The Beloved Nephew was moving against the Tal Shiar. He was like a black hole sucking power into itself at all levels of their civilization. Instead of repelling, his madness seemed to inspire, draw people to him. The media hailed him as if his coronation as Praetor was inevitable. He was backing the Senate into a corner. If what the Seigneur implied was true, then he was also probing the personnel of the Tal Shiar, hunting for weaknesses. The Seigneur of her Tal Shiar order knew about her. She did not know how he knew exactly. She always assumed he would use it against her if he ever had need. Could anyone else know?

The Empire did not tolerate deviants. That knowledge would keep him safe from any ambition she had. He'd never have need to use that knowledge against her. She would have gladly served on the Darksend as first officer forever. Despite hiding the fact that she was Tal Shiar, she had enjoyed almost all of it. Perhaps one day, she would even have become captain. A captain in the Romulan fleet as well as a commander in the Tal Shiar. A dream the Beloved Nephew had destroyed with a few words so that he could hunt Vulcans.

Vulcans. This obsession with those smug and condescending aliens bordered on the insane in her opinion. And they were aliens. Not Romulans. This compulsion amongst some on both sides to join the two cultures was misguided at best and dangerous in the extreme. If it had been up to her, she would have had that meddling Vulcan, Ambassador Spock, assassinated years ago. Right along with that blonde halfbreed who was intent beyond all reason on invading Vulcan. Insanity. Sheer insanity. Maybe being tainted with Human blood had addled their minds. Yet, compared with the Beloved Nephew's completely insane belief that the Federation had embedded Vulcans everywhere in Romulan society, the half breeds both now appeared preferable.

She rubbed her eyes. Being a teacher here fulfilled her though. She was somewhat accomplished at it she thought. Students had sought her out before she took the assignment on the ship and now, did so again. She had missed Romulus but she had loved space.

Was the Seigneur of the Tal Shiar threatening her with his knowledge or warning that her secret was at risk? It had been so long ago. And how could anybody have known? Romulan Ale and hormones rampaging through a body and mind in turmoil. A terrible combination. It didn't matter. The evidence lay in a grave far away. Since then, she had played the role of a proper Romulan female with perfection. Taking male lovers when opportune. Hiding herself in the trappings of appropriateness. Then space became her new love. She had become content. So she told herself.

She paced through the tiny apartment. It still felt new to her. When the Beloved Nephew exposed her as Tal Shiar, she decided to move away from her old quarters. People's distrust surrounded her in overly friendly smiles, in avoidance of her company, in averted eyes. Friends were careful around her, watching what they said, respectful. Just what she needed. People mistaking fear for respect. Someone had sought her out to plead that he had meant nothing by what he had said and he only loved the Empire. She neither remembered him nor what he had said and sent him and his cloud of fear away in disgust.

The isolation this new apartment brought soothed her a little.

She tried to rid herself of one image in her mind. There were so many terrible memories she had suppressed successfully. Ones that she had grown accustomed to. Things had to be done in the profession that had chosen her. Had her performance not been exemplary? Efficient? Everything had been done for a reason. But now this one image. She couldn't rid herself of it. All she could see was how close she had come to the Human to touch the pips along her collar.

Had Kari really leaned ever so slightly towards her? Romulans avoided physical contact. She hated touching anyone. Or being touched. Kari had been so close at that moment. Rage had burned through her at the Human's words. But at that moment, Kari had looked into her eyes.

Exhaustion finally forced some sleep onto the Commander.

In the days following, she drilled herself and the students in every minor thing she could think of. The students though were still distracted. She had to constantly correct them over the simplest of tasks. Alone in her office, she frowned at their scores. They needed to be careful or they'd fail. An outcome that was at best unacceptable, at worst, dangerous.

Someone knocked on her door. Her office, like the Seigneur's, was in the old building. Brick and mortar and stone surrounded her. These old wooden doors that had to be manually opened seemed ancient to her. She loved them.

"Come," she sighed, as she lowered her veil. She was tired and cold. She might have to resort to drugs after all to get some sleep.

"Commander Syll," the young student said hurrying in. "It appears as if 738766 may be causing us more work again."

"Is that so?" Syll said, looking at her screen. She could hear the young student breathing hard. She'd run up here. "A shame."

"She is indeed troublesome. I believe the Beloved Nephew's shuttle will be arriving sometime within the next thirty minutes."

"I suppose we should see that the shuttle is properly off loaded."

The student nodded vigorously.

She typed a few more random things on her screen. Then she stood slowly and adjusted her robes as she walked to the landing pad. The student followed along behind her. Syll was glad she was there. Keeping the student from dashing down the hallways calmed her. And her presence kept her from running as well.

The other students met them at the landing pad.

"What is your purpose for being here?" she demanded.

"We only wish to assist you, Commander."

"You believe I need assistance?"

"Yes, Commander," one said, her voice clear.

She raised her eyebrows. "Very well then. Stay. It may be instructive."

She gripped herself from looking at the time. This building of the compound was old, preserved from the expansion of the modern into the compound. The hands of countless students over the centuries had smoothed the bricks. How many boots had it taken to wear these depressions into the stone. Rumor said that every species known to the Romulan Empire had contributed a stain to the walls. A silly story but one she was proud of nonetheless. Just when she could not abide any more of her students' constant fidgeting, the Beloved Nephew's shuttle arrived. A Romulan from the Beloved Nephew's entourage pushed a hooded stretcher down a ramp. It hovered silently towards them.

Along with the guards, Syll and the students approached the shuttle.

"Make sure she's ready again in four weeks," the Romulan said dismissively. He had no fear of the Tal Shiar. He felt himself untouchable.

"As you wish," Syll said, hiding how much his attitude enraged her.

"As our Beloved Nephew wishes," he corrected. He kicked the stretcher. "Humans are scum. The Federation will bow before us."

"As you say," Syll said.

"This one did more, much more than just bow." He laughed and looked at the guards and the students. They laughed as well when Syll laughed along with him.

They waited for him to leave. He took it as a measure of respect.

Syll murmured into her communicator. "Transport us directly to the hospital."

Transporting into or out of the Tal Shiar compound was impossible. Within the compound's shields, site to site beaming was possible in certain areas.

"What do you have for me today, Commander?" the doctor asked as he approached their group after they had materialized.

The opaque glass hood obscured the contents of the stretcher. He pressed the control revealing the patient.

The doctor crossed his arms appearing neutral. "Your techniques appear to have changed, Commander Syll."

"This is not my doing, doctor. This Human has been in the care of the Beloved Nephew."

He cursed letting his true feelings show. She had always thought that the quickest way to a penal colony was to become a doctor. They seemed genetically predisposed to being unable to hold their tongues. Then again, she had to force her own fists to unclench.

"It's going to die," he said examining the body. "Why should we care? It's a Human."

"The Beloved Nephew has requested that she be his guest again in four weeks."

"He has has he? If it's not going to talk after this abuse, then it simply isn't going to. And anything he gets out of it is likely to be sheer nonsense anyway. Amateur."

"The Beloved Nephew's hospitality does not include the need for information."

He really cursed this time as he scanned the body. "It's a waste of our time and resources, Commander. It is simply not worth it."

"If she is beyond your capabilities, doctor, then there is no shame in lack of expertise."

He glared at her. "Well, I suppose we can't disappoint the Beloved Nephew then can we? Are you going to stay?"

"Yes, my students need to learn."

"Operating room five," he barked at his assistants. He pointed to a gallery. "You lot up there. No fainting."

Syll and the students made their way to a place where they could look down into the operating room. She could see how the students struggled for their personal control.

"Be careful, dammit," the doctor groused, as they transferred her onto the operating table. "Let's not lose any other bits of it. What the hell's this garbage? Some idiot's idea of life support?"

He disconnected some equipment from her and flung it on the floor. An assistant activated the sterile field to surround the patient in a pale blue glow.

The doctor looked up at Syll. "Do you want us to use anesthetic, pain killers on it?"

"Yes."

"Which ones, doctor?" his assistant asked

"All of them. No, wait, use a brain suppressor. An anesthetic will kill it."

He looked over the medical scanners.

"Hmm, where to start. I think everything that can break is broken. Everything that can shut down is shut down. Let's get some blood into it. Put the respirator on it. Its lungs are almost crushed. Okay, let's go after this little fellow first, eh?"

Syll frowned and the students leaned forward. He forced what looked like forceps between the patient's legs, then fished around.

"Got you," he grunted. Using both hands, he struggled with something. Then slowly he extracted a third of a meter long, spined worm.

The students jerked back. One mumbled a curse his hand going to his mouth.

The thick, pink colored worm hissed, spitting red and black blood as it whipped itself around the forceps, mandibles snapping at the doctor.

"What is that?" a student cried.

"It is called a twin worm," Syll imparted, though she too fought for control. "It has a twin which is its mate. In this particular case, one twin is inserted into a subject and the other into another subject. The worms use hormones to control their hosts into performing sexual intercourse in order for them to complete their own reproductive cycle. A form of zombifying somewhat similar to what some insects do to other insects. In this case, though, the twin worms can exercise much control over larger organisms. Some view this process as an aphrodisiac though the hosts themselves find no pleasure. They are completely controlled unable to stop and unable to finish until one or both subjects die to become food for the eggs laid in both hosts. When used in this manner, the worms are sterilized so that the hosts can endure longer."

"What did the other one go into?" one asked. "Can you tell?"

The doctor shook his head. "Somebody kill this damned thing." A nurse reached over and gingerly electrocuted the parasite. "From the looks of these bristles all over it, my guess is the twin was injected into some kind of animal. Maybe one of those Klingon swine things. I've heard that in some parts of our wonderful universe they wager on which of the hosts will die first. They can last for days."

Syll nodded. "Our order dispensed with such crude techniques a long time ago. But you should become aware of all protocols than can yield results. This particular methodology, however, is inefficient and worse, ineffective. Though the subject is completely aware of what is happening, that does not mean they are able to produce credible data. Those who become enamored with technique over purpose are incompetent and have no place in our Order. Remember, our goal is actionable and verifiable information. Anything else just wastes our time."

The doctor looked at the monitors and poked around inside of 783766's body. "Doesn't seem to be any other creatures lurking around down here."

"Are those bite marks from the Klingon swine thing?" a student asked.

The doctor looked up. "Some. The others are humanoid."

"This is a good opportunity to see detailed Human anatomy," Syll said. "Since 738766 is still alive, we are able to observe first hand many things that would otherwise be mere academic exercises."

There was silence from the students. Then one said, "We are grateful, Commander Syll."

"Hmm," said the doctor examining Kari's mouth. "What's this?"

One of the students grabbed her seat. They all leaned back from the window. Even the medical staff drew away. He held Kari's mouth open with a tool while he hunted around. Then, he pulled out a small piece of something. It didn't move.

"Well, well, well. Appears our little Human here has bitten something off. Something... Yes, I would say something Romulan."

"Can you say what it is?" one of the students asked a little relieved.

"Not without further testing, but one can only hope, eh?" He patted his patient on the head, chuckling. "Good girl."

The student winced and crossed his legs.

"We're going to have to regenerate some if not all of her organs. She's as dead as anyone can get without being dead. It's going to be a long night, boys and girls. A long night."

It was closer to two days. The students left when their other duties demanded. Syll stayed to watch the whole time. The students brought her food which she left mostly uneaten. The doctor personally worked on her for the entire operation. He even consulted Federation databanks for guidance. Anyone could access general medical information and it raised no alarms.

He finally leaned on the table and disengaged his mask. The light from the sterile field around the table illuminated the fatigue on his face.

"Damn Humans," he said tiredly. "Fragile creatures. All of them. This one's a little tougher. Pity."

"Will she live?"

"Maybe. She should be dead. You've done her no favors, Commander."

Syll stiffened. "This was not done as a favor, doctor."

"No, I suppose not. My apologies." He wiped his brow exhausted.

"How will she be psychologically?"

"The concussions and skull fractures are fairly well healed. Neurologically, she's in fair condition. But if you're asking me what kind of shape she's going to be in mentally when she wakes up... I'm afraid you're the expert there, Commander."

They transferred her to a ward and kept her in a coma. Syll went home and slept. When she awoke, she exercised and meditated. She needed to keep her thoughts as quiet as she could. Once though, she allowed herself to slam her fist into her desk. Sometimes, the Vulcans' ability to suppress their emotions looked very tempting as she surveyed the wrecked furniture.

The scores of the students improved. She often found one of them in 738766's ward. They said they were doing as she had instructed and were availing themselves of the opportunity to examine her. She said the same thing.

"We're going to try to wake her," the doctor said studying the medical readings again.

"Is she ready?" Syll inquired.

"We'll find out when we wake her."

"Transfer her to her cell, doctor. When she awakes..."

"If she awakes."

"As you say. Then I want her in a secure location."

They used a grav sled to transfer her to the cell. The students had made a real bed for the Human. The medical staff carefully lifted her onto the padding. Syll noted the doctor had equipped the patient with a new universal translator bracelet. The doctor still had hope. The neuro suppressor on her forehead glowed green. A Federation design. They had already decided against using restraints on her. The guards were present and if necessary, they could use the pad to knock her out.

Syll found herself holding her breath when the doctor plucked the suppressor from the Human's forehead.

They waited.

She raised an eyebrow at the doctor.

"There's nothing more I can do, Commander. A stimulant of any efficacy would probably just kill her. She's in your hands now. Try not to let anyone undo what I've just done."

"I recommend, doctor, you spend some time researching Human medical information."

He cursed, then led his team away.

The Human's eyelids remained closed. The eyes didn't move beneath the thin skin. At least she was breathing on her own. Shallow and slow.

"738766," Syll whispered. "738766, wake up."

She watched the pad for changes in her biometrics. Anything that indicated she heard. But the signals remained steady if slightly depressed.

"Her mind may be broken," one of the students said.

"We could use a very low jolt on the pain module to see if it will awaken her," said another.

"Call me if there is any change," she told the guards. "We have class, students."

In the class room, she realized she could hold their attention by having them discuss what they had just seen. How to tell the difference between someone who is faking unconsciousness and who is not. How to keep the body from becoming unconscious as questioning proceeded. They debated the finer points of using primitive interrogation techniques. Why mind probes would be ineffective in this prisoner's case. A properly trained agent would defeat mind probes while imparting false information. Reliance on technology lead to laziness on the interrogator's part. Information that the prisoner willingly gave up was far more credible and therefore more useful.

The next day in the middle of a discussion of what was and was not outright torture, one of the guards stepped into the room. Most everyone in the Tal Shiar complex eschewed using electronics including the communicators. Most suspected that eavesdropping on them was easier. And if the Tal Shiar excelled at one behavior above all others, it was suspicion.

"The prisoner has awoken, Commander."

The students jumped to their feet.

"Are you going somewhere?" she inquired.

They immediately sat back down.

"I suppose you can observe from outside the cell."

They followed the guard to the prison, then waited looking through the window. The other side of the window appeared to be metal to the prisoner.

Syll studied the Human trying to understand what she was seeing. 738766 was sitting up. The soles of her feet were flat on the ground. Her hands rested on her thighs. She stared, her head slightly bowed, as if she could see them clearly through the metal wall. She was still wearing the white hospital gown the doctor had dressed her in. It was too big.

"How long has she been awake?" Syll asked the guard.

"Twelve and a half minutes now, Commander. We came for you as soon as she started to move."

"She has not done anything more?"

"Nothing, Commander."

She wondered why he was speaking in such a hushed tone. But then, so was she. Everyone moved quietly, keeping their eyes on the Human.

"I need a chair," she said composing herself. She tried to speak at a normal volume but it sounded to herself as if she was shouting.

The guards opened the door to the cell and followed her in. They placed the chair in front of 738766. When they just stood there, Syll reluctantly waved them away. They were even more reluctant to go, but obeyed. Carefully, she sat opposite her, perching right on the edge. The Human showed no signs of recognizing where she was or who sat in front of her. The readings on the pad didn't change. Her long black hair framed her face, keeping it in shadow. Syll thought she was being stared at by some strange animal that had carefully hidden itself away in a long dark tunnel.

"738766?" Syll asked. "Can you hear me?"

Nothing.

"Kari? Can you speak?"

She reached forward and moved a lock of hair from the Human's forehead, tucking the strand behind her ear. Human ears were truly strange, she thought. A sort of amputated look rather than the delicate point of a Romulan's ear. She pushed more hair around her other ear revealing Kari's thin pale features. Her eyes seemed even larger. She couldn't tell just by looking at her that she was even breathing. With difficulty, she dismissed the impression that a corpse stared back at her.

"Kari," she tried again, this time in native Federation. "If you can hear me but cannot speak, you can move your hand."

Kari stared straight ahead, her hands stationary on her thighs. Maybe because of the regeneration, she seemed younger than when she had left. Only her eyes seemed aged. Syll moved side to side to see if the Human's eyes would follow her. They did not.

She sighed and looked down at the pad again, concentrating on the readings. Maybe the student was right. A little jolt on the punishment module might induce a response. She would postpone it until tomorrow.

Kari touched her knee.

Syll almost shrieked. Kari was looking directly into her eyes mere centimeters from her face. The Human didn't blink. Her eyes drilled into the Romulan's.

Only the Tal Shiar's intense training kept her from dropping the pad. She hoped that those watching had not seen how badly startled she was. Master yourself, she demanded of her mind and body. She slowed her breathing, willed her heart to stop thumping so furiously.

"Kari?"

The Human retreated slowly never letting her gaze leave Syll. Kari's hand went to the blanket next to her. She moved as if surrounded in thick honey. The hand went up and down on the bed. Up and down. Slowly. Up and down.

"You want me to sit there?" Despite her best efforts, her heart rate elevated again.

The hand kept moving up and down. This was a terrible idea. Every particle of her training told her how dangerous this action would be. Her control wanted to lock her body to the chair. Instead, she rose slowly then sat down next to the Human their eyes never losing lock.

Kari lifted her hand, raising a finger. She twirled the finger around.

Syll almost jerked away at the request. "You want me to turn my back to you?"

The finger didn't stop twirling. Control, she urged herself. Control oneself.

Syll could almost feel the guards straining to rush in. She swallowed and licked her lips, then turned, and as long as she could, did not break eye contact. Her pulse thudded in her ears. But the finger kept twirling. She bit her lip and shifted so that her back was completely to the Human. She stared straight ahead. Kari's feet disappeared from her peripheral vision as the prisoner shifted behind her. Then she felt Kari's knees go on either side of her, then her breasts push against her back. She willed herself to not jerk away. Kari moved slowly but with such efficiency that she seemed quick. The Human's arms traveled over the Commander's shoulders. Strangely, considering the abuse she had sustained, her skin betrayed no blemishes. A light brown that was fresh and new. Kari folded her arms so that she held the Romulan's throat in the crooks of her elbows. Syll wanted to draw her chin into her neck but instead raised her jaw so that it rested upon Kari's arms. A Tal Shiar agent could break a spine in a second. Stay calm, she shrieked to herself in her head.

Kari leaned forward and breathed into Syll's ear. The voice was softer than a whisper, warm, the words hardly discernible, delicate as silk. But what the Human said was perfectly clear to the Romulan Commander.

"I'm now going to kill you."

The guards rushed in their batons crackling out pain as they raised them. Syll signaled them to stop. Kari had made no other motion, said no other words. Everyone stayed frozen, the bee-like buzz of the batons the only sound. Cautiously, she unwrapped Kari's arms from around her neck. The Human provided no resistance. She turned and stared into the Human's eyes. She held Kari's shoulders, as plans sprung into life. A part of her noted the almost skeletal nature of the Human. Despite the almost silence of the words, the guards had heard. The cell was not safe.

"Prepare the interrogation room," she barked to the student at the door.

He disappeared.

"Can you stand?" she asked the Human. "Let me help you."

Kari hung onto her and staggered to her feet. She clung to Syll. They made their way towards the door. The progress to the interrogation room was snail like. Hiding her beneath a blanket, they dispensed with the usual restraints. Not even her feet showed. Kari seemed unaware of the people around her though she shrank away if anyone came too close. Pressing against Syll, the Human gripped the Romulan around her waist.

When they finally arrived at the interrogation room, she seemed to relax again recognizing the familiar surroundings. Syll found that counterintuitive but she would not question the Human's response.

"Set the field on two," Syll commanded.

She hesitated then started to disrobe.

"Commander?" a student asked.

Syll would have laughed the way the student averted her eyes. "I cannot go into the field with metal on."

She stripped down to her underwear and bra and started toward the field. Kari dropped her hospital gown. She mewed at Syll then plucked at her bra. The Romulan Commander tried not to blush.

"Of course." The clasp. She undid the bra and placed it on her folded clothes. With difficulty, she avoided trying to cover herself. And she scowled at the two male students who busied themselves with the controls. She thanked the Stars of Wisdom for there being no metal on her underwear. She jerked a cord out of the base of the platform.

"Without the hardline and with the pain field active, there can be no eavesdropping of any kind, electronic or otherwise. Nothing can be heard or spied upon within the field."

Kari nodded and allowed her to support her on the stand.

Syll signaled the student to activate the containment field. The aura of pain washed over them. Syll gasped. The last time her training had mandated that she experience these effects had been decades ago. The levels had been set higher then but at this level, she still struggled to maintain her concentration and focus on what she needed to do. Kari seemed unaffected, though she cocked her head at Syll's shivering. The Romulan eventually calmed her body. Kari turned in the confined space to face her and wrapped her arms around her neck. Syll moved her arms around the Humans's waist to not let her fall into the containment field. Kari rested her cheek against her shoulder for a moment then moved her mouth to Syll's ear.

"You're so smart," she whispered.

"Thank you." She tried to gather her wits about her. The woman's body, naked against her, the pain, the fact that her students were watching played havoc with her control.

"I hate him." Kari whispered. "I want to torture him until he dies. I want to torture him for years."

"I understand. I hope he dies soon as well." She realized that she should not have said that but there would be no one to hear outside this field.

"If you can kill him for me, I would appreciate it."

"It is not within my power. And unfortunately a man like that does not simply drop dead."

"Too bad." She paused for a breath resting her forehead against Syll's. "He hurt me very badly."

"I know."

"He is going to hurt me again."

Syll gritted her teeth and kept quiet, her body shuddered though.

"Are you alright, Mistress Syll?"

"Yes, we are trained."

"I am glad," she sighed. "Listen. He thinks I am nothing."

She wondered if the Human was going to relay every detail of her torture to her.

"Listen now, for he speaks freely in my presence."

Syll froze.

Then took Kari's face into her hands to look into her eyes. "Freely?"

"He takes the translator." Kari's face slowly broke into a very small smile. "He thinks I cannot understand. He thinks I am nothing."

Syll pulled the woman closer to hide her mouth as she whispered back into the Human's ear. "He is wrong."

Kari laughed. Syll almost dropped her as her body reacted to the warm breath moving over her ear and against her cheek then down her neck. Control, she urged herself, control.

"He is not too far wrong, Mistress Syll."

"I am listening."

"Will you be able to hurt him?"

"We shall see."

Kari began. Once she fell asleep, an almost impossibility in the field. Syll waited for her vibrating with the pain, trying not to feel the woman's body wrapped to her. When Kari awoke, she continued speaking. Most of it was nonsense or useless or required analysis. But at the very least, two items stood out like twin stars at dawn.

Kari stopped. Then said, "That is all. Is it enough to hurt him?"

Syll hugged her fiercely in answer. She could feel Kari smiling into her shoulder. She signaled to the students. They dropped the fields.

"Hold her," she said to one of her students. Kari shrank away clinging to her. "It is alright. She is with me."

Kari allowed Syll to disengage her grip and transfer her to her youngest student. The student was glad the veil hid her grimace as the Human's hands dug into her flesh like talons.

Syll fixed each of the four young Romulans with her gaze. "You have all graduated. You are no longer students except in the eyes of others."

There was a little hesitation. Then they nodded.

"You will protect me?" Kari whispered clinging to the one holding her, staring at the veil. "Will you hurt me?"

She paused. "I cannot protect you. It is beyond me. And I will hurt you. If I must. But only if it is necessary. Never without reason. And if I do hurt you, then I will take no pleasure in doing so. And if there is any protection that I am allowed to give you, you shall have it."

Kari curled herself up into the student's arms.

Syll nodded to her. They were good students. A prisoner will only trust if told the truth, the Romulan maxim said. Her fingers trembled as she dressed herself. The other Romulan female helped her.

"Escort her to her cell. Sit with her. See if she will take some food. And make sure the doctor and only the doctor visits her. No one else is allowed. No one. And children." She looked at each one of them, as tall or taller than she was. "From this point on, you will need to make use of every part of your training. Protect her. She is never to leave the cell unless under my direct supervision. When she does, dress her as one of you. Protect her. Protect her. The very well being of the Beloved Nephew demands it."

"Come, 738766," said one of the students as they lifted her.

"Kari," said Syll. "Her name is Kari."
Success at each step of a plan does not always result in success \-- Tal Shiar maxim

"Did you get any useful information out of that hardware," Seren asked when she returned from checking the mine.

The Romulan, bundled up in a comforter, analyzed the scanned results from the sheriff's little device.

"Someone has gone to great lengths to hide who manufactured it. I would have liked to have kept it."

"Not safe." She looked over the Romulan's shoulder. "How did you fool the DNA detector anyway?"

"Oh, I am sure they are using my DNA signature from the Romulan database. I replaced that with a false one a long time ago. Just precautionary."

"Right, silly me. Doesn't everyone do that?"

"I ignore you. What I have found is that when activated it would signal another device. Someone doesn't know The DrearGyre very well. My supposition is that the person who owns this will eventually check back with the sheriff."

"Maybe we should run," Seren sighed.

"No, I like seeing how filthy you get playing with the mine. You seem to enjoy it."

Seren laughed. "You are a strange Romulan."

"As I said, they may be trying to flush us out into the open. Hoping to make us run. There are thousands of somewhat habitable places in The DrearGyre that are known. Probably ten times that many that are not known. I am guessing that they do not even know with any certainty that we are in The DrearGyre, let alone Hellsbitch. If we started moving around, they may gain an advantage."

"Sitting tight hoping they'll leave may take a while."

"That is true as well. The sheriff said they wanted me for a number of reasons. One of them because I had something. Conceivably, that was a lie for the sheriff's benefit."

"Me?" She touched the Romulan smearing grease onto her arm.

Vain scowled at the stain and used a towel to wipe at the grime. "Thank you. And maybe so. However, I think not."

"Our ship?"

"We've already searched it. Finding something when you do not know what it is can prove to be difficult."

"I love Romulan philosophy."

"You mock me, Human? At least we have philosophy instead of just grubbing about in the dirt like uncivilized savages."

"Hey, if you're going to insult me, I'm going to go take a shower."

"You are ugly."

"What?" Seren's mouth dropped open.

"Well, you need a shower. And if insulting you encourages you to take one then I shall be glad to accommodate you."

Seren had to laugh. "Come join me."

"I do not need a shower."

She came up from behind to wrap her filthy arms around Vain.

"Stupid Human!"

"Come and take a shower, my most beautiful Romulan."

They fit themselves into the tiny shower and turned the water on to full blast and as hot as they both could tolerate. It was a luxury. But one they could not live without.

"Brace yourself against the wall so I can scrub this dirt from you."

Seren did as she was told, loving the feel of the sponge on her skin. Vain knelt washing the Human's legs, moving the sponge upwards.

"Mmm, finding much dirt there?" she asked looking down.

"I need to make sure. Much exploration is needed."

Seren gasped as the Romulan explored.

"We can watch the Sheriff's office for a little while," Syll murmured.

"Uh... You need to...uh...focus."

"Do I?" the Romulan asked. The water poured down Syll's face slicking her hair back. Seren's hands cradled her head. "Like this?"

Seren mumbled what could have been a yes.

"We can perhaps release a rumor that the sheriff has found something and is investigating."

"Stop talking!" Seren moved her hands to guide Vain back.

"I can do both, Human, observe. Not talking."

Seren moaned.

"Now talking." Seren almost shrieked. "We will find out who is behind this."

"Alright alright alright. Now come on!"

Planting a rumor proved surprisingly difficult. The bars were the obvious place to start one. But how to get people to pass it on? Just bringing up the sheriff out of the blue was clumsy and worse, dangerous. Their last stop was at the Ferengi's saloon.

They let a waitress serve them raktajinos as they sat in the back, watching. Inevitably, a fight broke out. The bouncers waded in to make sure no one damaged the interior and more importantly didn't interrupt people gambling or paying for drinks.

The well endowed Bajoran waitress watched shaking her head. "You'd think they'd have something better to do."

Seren laughed. "There's not much law and order here."

"You can say that again, miss." She leaned over giving Vain an eyeful of her cleavage though she didn't seem to be doing it on purpose. "Not like my last job that's for sure. At least we had a constable there. This place is a total loony bin."

"We gotta get some law enforcement around here," Vain growled out. The darkness and her clothes disguised her almost completely. And Seren had to admit that she did a credible job of a Federation accent. The little throat device made her voice gruff. She slouched lazily in the chair, a gloved hand resting on Seren's thigh.

"You got that right, mister. The sheriff has up and run off." The waitress bounced a little. "Fat lazy bastard."

"He's probably out there getting drunk somewhere."

"Yeah. He's a bad one. How'd he get to be sheriff I don't know. Always shaking us down. Swear he has more hands than a Delivian Multipus. Tried to get into my pants too, the gross little turd. He won't try that again."

They laughed when the waitress made a grabbing and twisting motion.

"Well, maybe he's off looking for some bad guys," Seren said, wondering if the waitress would just pop right out of her skimpy top. "Maybe he's found something that's going to pay off big for him."

"Think so? Well, if he keeps ripping off the bounty hunters, he's going to end up in an alleyway. Just like him to think he can go chase latinum all over the place."

"Yeah, if he's found something he's probably never coming back."

The Ferengi trotted over from the bar. "There are other customers here you know."

"I know, Ringo, I know!" she said making a gesture at him.

"Ringo?" Seren said.

"Yes, a friend said I should use that. Wait a minute. It means something bad doesn't it? I knew it!" He slapped the table.

"It means you're a cheapskate," the waitress said, trying a different gesture.

"It's just an interesting name," Seren laughed. "What's your tailor friend's name again?"

"It's John. It means something bad too right?" He looked hopeful.

"No no. It's also interesting. You don't know anyone named Paul or George do you?"

"The doctor is Paul. He chose the names," the waitress said, finally finding a gesture that made the Ferengi's eyes widen. "He said we should change them when we moved here."

"No George that I know of," Ringo said staring up at her. He drummed his fingers on the table. "Those other customers are still waiting, Gina."

She ignored him. "Anyway, mister, you and the missus want anything else?"

"Nah, we're good, thanks." Vain tucked a slip of latinum into Gina's cleavage. She didn't seem to mind. Ringo's eyes lit up though watching the bright metal disappear into Gina's ample bosom.

"Thanks!" she said, straightening up and sticking her tongue out at the Ferengi. "Tips are all mine."

"Is Gina short for anything by the way?" Seren asked.

"Yes, how did you know? They wanted me to use Georgina but that's way too long. Gina's better don't you think?"

She fluttered her fingers at them and sashayed over to another table. Ringo scurried away to berate another waiter.

"You'd think she'd be cold," Seren said.

The waitress turned her hourglass body in profile.

"Appears she is," Vain remarked.

Seren gave her a look.

"I am merely making an observation." Then after a pause. "She is quite cute though. I like the way her nose is wrinkled."

"Maybe I should get myself an earring like hers." Seren pinched the Romulan's thigh.

"Ouch. I am merely playing the part."

Beautiful jewels and delicate chains adorned the Bajoran's right ear. Somehow, they complemented the elegant folds of skin across the bridge of her nose.

"I suppose that includes making suckling noises at her?"

"What?" Vain pinched her back. "I was doing no such thing, terrible Human."

"Ow! Yeah, right. Come on, stud, let's go see if there's any place to watch the sheriff's office. I think your Bajoran waitress is going to be our best bet."

They exited the bar hoping the talkative waitress would spread the word. They wandered along the shops until they stood opposite the sheriff's office. A single deputy snoozed behind the closed sign on the window. All the other deputies had probably quit over the lack of pay. No loss. They were even more useless and from reports even more criminal than the sheriff.

"Feel like a tattoo?" Seren asked.

Vain turned to look at the store they were in front of. "No, I do not. However, I wonder if the room above is for rent."

A furry orange alien of unknown origin sprung to his many feet when they wandered in.

"Whats can I helps you with, mister?" the alien hooted, waving appendages at them. "I gots all kinds of designs and if you gots your owns, then I does that too. Anythings for the ladies too. Cheaps. Real cheaps."

"I can see why." Vain looked at the equipment then jerked her thumb at Seren. "She wants a tattoo."

"I do not!" she snapped. "Is the room above for rent?"

"This ain't no brothels," he sneered.

"We have latinum," Vain said.

"Still ain't no brothels. But heys, I gots an ideas."

They settled down in the room overlooking the street and the sheriff's office. Seren peeked under the dressing despite the strict orders not to mess with it.

"I'd better not get an infection," the Human fumed looking at the tiny tattoo on the top of her foot. A single blue star. "Did you see his equipment? Was it sterile do you think?"

"Probably not," Vain said examining the star in the dim light. They felt safe enough to talk in low tones now that the owner had left.

"And I saw you laughing the whole time. Romulan bitch."

Vain chuckled quietly.

"And it hurt a lot you know."

"Do not be such a baby."

She cursed. "I'm going to kick your ass if my foot falls off."

Vain put her finger against Seren's lips. "There's someone watching the office."

Seren looked out the window. There wasn't anyone in front of the building. She looked down, but only the usual drunks and druggies stumbled about on the street.

Vain pointed up. The building was metal. Probably the remnants of some crashed ship. It was creaking very slightly causing a little dust to dance down on them.

Vain leaned over and whispered, "He just got there."

"How do you know it's a he?"

"Clumsy."

Seren stifled a laugh. "Could be just hanging out up there. Shooting himself up with crap. Seems a little quick to take the bait."

"Impatience is the hallmark of an undisciplined mind."

Seren nodded and wiggled her toes to see if the small star would move a little. "He actually did a pretty good job. Do you like it?"

Vain looked down at Seren's foot then back up at the ceiling. "It suits you since tattoos identify those who are of low quality and dim intellect."

Seren waved her fist at her.

Time was a strange phenomenon in The DrearGyre. The nebula blocked the stars and the radioactive interference disrupted all subspace time signals. Any sophisticated time keeping equipment simply didn't work. In Hellsbitch, there was nothing constant enough to latch time onto. Someone in the distant past had erected a clock tower to try to keep everyone on the same time frame. Sadly, no one maintained it. According to the clock, a day could be five hours or fifty. Morning and night had no meaning. Stores opened and closed without regard to any schedule. Everyone kept their own personal time usually on old fashioned chronographs set to whatever they thought was right. The worse thing for Seren was that time now dragged.

Watching the deputy nap in the office defined tedium. The next few days did not bring the visitor back. All it did was give the furry orange alien more chances to practice his craft. She was examining the latest tattoo, a multicolored three tail dragon crawling along her hip, when Vain touched her arm. The watcher was back.

The deputy slept on until that proved too much for him. He awoke and stumbled outside probably to as Vain theorized, sleep all that hard work off.

The watcher on the roof started to move. Vain held Seren's arm listening to him slither down the outside of the building. He'd changed his pattern. They watched silently as the figure cross the street and walk by the sheriff's office a couple of times. He exhibited some aspects of craft. Seren kept a look out for anyone working with him. But as far as she could tell, he was alone.

Vain started to rise then noticed how still the Human had become.

"We need him alive, Seren."

She didn't answer, her gaze fixated on the male.

"Seren, if we kill him, it will be a sure sign that he has found something. His death will betray us."

Still nothing.

"Seren, if he dies more will come and we will be in greater danger."

Then life crept back into Seren as she smiled. Vain shivered.

"If he makes a move though," Seren murmured. "I shall kill him."

"We control the situation. There is no need for concern." Vain hugged her tightly trying to find the woman she knew somewhere in this body. "Let us delay no further."

And it was gone. Vain breathed relief.

Donning their breathers and goggles, they exited the tattoo parlor out the back. They stayed in the alley to watch.

"I can't see what he's doing," Seren complained.

"Your eyes are feeble, Human. It is why the Romulan Empire will prevail."

"Yes, yes, yes. Now will you just tell me what he's doing?"

"He is searching the office. He looks at maps to see if there is anything there. He goes through drawers, and hunts for hidden panels. He is good and finds the sheriff's stash of liquor and drugs that the deputies have missed. He finds food and latinum and pornography. He becomes angry and gives up. He is about to exit. Remember what I have taught you, Seren."

"Vain, please be careful, okay?"

"You too, darling."

A quick hug, then the Romulan slipped out into the street to stumble along the makeshift sidewalk. In the gloom, she was just another wasted soul. Seren slid out a moment later and walked in the opposite direction. She stopped to examine some mining tools being sure to stay out of the light. He would decide who would be in front of him.

The male exited the office smoothly and headed in the same direction that Vain had gone. Seren watched for any partners who would follow. There were none. She sauntered on the other side of the street. Vain patrolled somewhere in front of the male. He ambled along almost aimlessly stopping every now and then. Seren kept walking sometimes even passing his position. She never looked at him, but always found a reason to drop back behind him again. Fortune favored them by providing many other pedestrians wandering around without purpose. Then he stepped into a well lit casino. Seren cursed. Vain would go around the back. Every building in Hellsbitch had at least one back exit. She stayed in front. If the male was good, he would watch the door to see who would come in after him. Not only would they be well illuminated but blinded by the bright casino lights.

Splitting up scared her. If he left through the back, then Vain would have to follow alone. Anxiety tore at her stomach. She would be here standing in front while anything could be happening to the Romulan. She disciplined herself to stay in darkness, to just wait. The seconds ticked by slow as a dirge. People went in and people came out. He could be having dinner. Or breakfast. Maybe he was going to bed. Or was just gambling. He could have left by any number of secret ways these establishments had. At least he couldn't have transported out. She gripped the big multibarrel constantly checking that it was ready. She hated this. Vain was alone. She checked her knives. Where was the Romulan? She checked her handguns. Come on, Vain, she thought, forget about him, come back to me. Hell with it, she was going to run around back. She took a step. Then realized someone was behind her.

She turned and swept Vain into her arms, crushing her into a fierce embrace.

"Oof," the Romulan said. "I was afraid I was going to startle you and you would just start shooting."

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Seren cried squeezing her, kissing her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes and as much as I like this," she said fumbling back on her breather, "we must hurry. He is going to a skimmer I believe."

They turned and ran through an alley. "We'll never get to our skimmer in time."

"We do not need to," Vain panted, gripping her side. "And it would be foolhardy to follow him that way."

Seren helped her along. The Romulan was struggling.

"Up here," Vain pointed. "This building."

They clambered up a ladder. Seren followed Vain to make sure she didn't fall. The tall building was on the edge of the town. The roof had a clear line of sight out into the wasteland. Vain pulled out a telescope and fumbled with it. Seren took it from the Romulan, expanded it, then gave it back to her.

"There he is," she said.

Seren looked along the telescope and saw nothing. Then she saw a glint and was able to track the skimmer. He disappeared into the terrain. Vain slowly caught her breath though she retched a few times. Seren wiped the alien's mouth and replaced the breather. She kept the Romulan as warm as she could.

"Look there," Vain said handing the telescope to Seren. "Do you see it?"

"Yes." A ship was taking off. "I don't recognize it."

"It is Romulan. They are here."
The likelihood of the Stars of Wisdom guiding your plan to success is directly correlated to how good your plan is \-- Romulan Proverb

"The day is beautiful," the Seigneur remarked to Syll as they strolled in the garden of the Tal Shiar compound.

The garden was deserted, quiet, the scent of the flowers and earth wafted up to them. Supposedly, it was private with no monitoring equipment and no eyes or ears. They both knew what that meant.

"The weather grows more pleasant I trust?" Syll asked.

"Much more pleasant I must say. Though as you well know, storms, very great storms still loom." He paused at a planter to pluck a blue star shaped fruit. "Look at this tree, how it bears us such a wonderful bounty. It is sweet and most nutritious. The Stars of Wisdom have been kind to us."

He pulled it apart and popped a piece into his mouth.

She smiled as he offered her a small segment, but refused. "As you say, this fruit is a bounty that sustains us all."

"The gardener who cares for this tree is indeed skilled to have a reward so precious borne for us. Great honors await her. She is most, most highly regarded."

"I am sure the gardener will be most pleased to hear that, though humbled at such praise from someone who is such a skilled gardener himself."

"I do not know. This tree is unknown to me though I admit that the fruit is most desired. I wonder how much longer we can harvest it."

"Such a tree is incredibly and surprisingly strong. Yet, it does become more fragile as the effort to bear fruit becomes ever more difficult."

"Understood. But see how this manure feeds this tree. Such a pleasure to have a plentiful supply of manure. Though the source itself may be finding it burdensome to find the opportunity to produce so much manure to fertilize our beautiful tree."

She smiled. "That would be a shame."

They walked around the planter silent for a moment.

"There is a danger here for the gardener though, as she cares for this tree, to become so attached to it," he mused. "The tree itself may perish through no fault of anyone. And there must, and I must emphasize this, must come a time when the tree's usefulness will be at an end. As much as we appreciate the tree's divine bounty, there may be no reward truly worthy of its service to us."

"A skilled gardener would be well aware of the dangers of becoming too attached to that which she nurtures."

"Perhaps the greatest danger is that which one is fully aware of yet one proceeds anyway. Such courage is treasured by me. Still, it can be hazardous, very hazardous."

The shadow of the tree shielded them from the bright sun.

She nodded. "I am sure the gardener will tend to her tree to bring honor to the Tal Shiar."

"That is pleasing to all who appreciate the quality of this fruit." He turned to her and smiled, holding her in his arms. "Now be careful, my beautiful Syll. No beast is more dangerous than when his bone is pulled from his jaws."

She placed her arms around his waist. They kissed warmly and passionately as they did at the end of every meeting. To any observer, she could only be his mistress hidden from his wife and family. A Tal Shiar privilege.

The Beloved Nephew had again left for an unknown period of time. Kari healed and strengthened in this lull. The Beloved Nephew could stay away forever as far as she was concerned. The four students instructed her to hone her observational skills. As Syll pointed out to them, mastery of anything lies in watching, doing, then teaching. The students should take full advantage of this unique opportunity. Despite all the instruction and books, however, Kari found too much time on her hands.

She watched Welan and Jhynif picking up their chairs preparing to leave from the lesson. She launched herself at Welan but he was prepared. He caught her easily and tossed her against a wall.

"Foolish, Kari," he laughed. "I wanted to see if you were so easily deceived."

"Master Welan," she gasped out, staggering upright and straightening her tunic. "I was curious to see whether you had grown complacent. I see I was mistaken. My apologies."

"You would not catch me. I am physically and mentally superior to you. Females are no match for males."

Jhynif tapped her fingers on her chair without commenting.

Later, the female Romulan returned to the cell.

"Mistress Jhynif," Kari said standing respectfully.

"I have something to show you, Kari. A little gift for Welan."

The next day, Welan came in alone to continue her lessons. She attacked him immediately but again he was ready for her. So he thought. She carefully disguised the move and when he arrogantly thought he had her, she turned and flipped him sending him crashing to the ground.

Kari exulted holding her arms in the air. The guards peeked in but did nothing.

"How do you like that, Master Welan?" Kari laughed.

He didn't move.

"Uh oh." She rushed over to him. "Master Welan?"

He grabbed her and before she could fight him off, he had twisted her into a pretzel pinning her painfully.

"Who instructed you on that move, Kari?" he demanded.

"No one, Master Welan!" she gasped out, feeling as if her arms were coming out of her sockets.

"You are a terrible liar, Kari. It was Jhynif wasn't it? She thinks she is quite amusing." He released her. "Now let me show you how to do a particular move on her."

When Jhynif was next alone with Kari, the Human waited for a moment of inattention then jumped on the Romulan wrapping her up in the hold.

Jhynif cursed. "He taught you that didn't he, that arrogant bastard."

Kari let her go laughing. "He thought you were the arrogant one."

"He said that? Well, he will expect me to teach you this move next, but also that I will know that and teach you this move instead. In his arrogance, he will also expect that as well. But I shall show you now a move which starts off just as those two do but it is much different."

After a particularly strenuous session with Welan, Kari asked him, "You like her don't you?"

"Who?" he barked out, sitting down. He didn't like the Human tossing him around, even though he eventually always won.

"Mistress Jhynif."

He paused. "It is not a topic for discussion."

"It's against the rules isn't it?"

He straightened his robe making sure he looked presentable. He did not want anyone to even consider the possibility that this little Human barely half his weight could possibly best him. "Tal Shiar relationships are forbidden. We shall speak no more of it."

"Why is it forbidden?"

He refused to answer.

When Jhynif came in alone, Kari asked the same question.

The Romulan just sighed. "Relationships are dangerous at any time, Kari. Relationships within the order doubly so. It provides vulnerabilities that others can exploit. Now I do not want to speak any more of it."

"But you like him."

"Let us concentrate on today's lesson, Kari. My feelings on Welan are irrelevant. He is arrogant, imperious, and condescending. He believes himself superior to the rest of us. He is an oaf."

"It's because there's no place private isn't it. There are spies everywhere."

Jhynif tapped the pad meaningfully at her. "I do not wish to discuss it further, Kari. It is true that there is little privacy but that means nothing since I have no feelings for Welan. The lesson, Kari, let us begin."

She waited for a time when both Romulans were in the cell together.

"There is a move that I am not quite understanding, Master Welan and Mistress Jhynif," she said to them, standing respectfully. "Perhaps you could both assist me?"

"How will you be able to use the move if we both know it?" Welan said, his impatience making him tap his foot.

"Well, if it is too difficult, Master Welan."

"It is not too difficult, Kari. What is it?"

"Okay, here, Mistress Jhynif, you stand here."

Jhynif narrowed her eyes at her. "Why do I have to stand there?"

"How else will I be able to observe? It is merely for my training. And Master Welan, you are not afraid are you?"

He snorted. "No, of course not. Alright. Proceed."

"Okay stand here like this, Mistress Jhynif. And you, Master Welan, stand behind her like this. Now, put your hands here, and you put your hands like this. Okay, just a little higher and not so tense. Is that not what you have taught me? To be relaxed? Now just a little closer that's right."

"She twists your students around her finger like nebby taffy, Commander," remarked one guard to Syll as they observed through the window. The students didn't know she was there.

"They allow themselves to be twisted," she said. "Though they would deny it."

"Are you sure the Human does not have Romulan blood in her?" The guards laughed.

"Okay, no, no," Kari admonished. "You're not going to be throwing each other about."

"Then what kind of a move is this?" Welan said.

"I'll show you. Now just sway a little."

"Sway?" Jhynif said.

"Yes, like this."

Breaking the silence after a while, Jhynif said, "I know what you are doing, Kari."

"What is she doing?" Welan said.

Jhynif didn't answer.

"There is a place so private in the compound that few know about," Kari said.

"And you would know this how?" Welan snorted. "Where?"

"So you are interested?"

Jhynif looked over her shoulder at Welan. "No, not at all."

They swayed slightly.

"Alright, Kari," Jhynif sighed. "I know you are manipulating us. You are not nearly as clever as you think you are."

"She is not manipulating us," Welan retorted. "We are the masters here."

"That is most true, Master Welan. I am merely employing the training you have given me, Mistress Jhynif. "

"Where is this place?" Welan demanded again.

Kari smiled. "Right here. Have you not made this as secure as you can? The pain field is for ultimate safety but there is not much room there and not very conducive."

"Highly unlikely, Kari," Welan said. "We should continue our lesson."

"Yes," Jhynif said, though they continued to sway.

Kari did not find it hard over the ensuing days to leave them alone in the cell and spend time in the outer area with the guards. Then one day, the two students lead her out to the outer area and had the guards turn off the observation window.

"Don't worry," she told Jhynif and Welan. "I will not turn it back on."

As soon as they closed the door of the cell, she asked the guards to turn the window back on so she could look. The people in the cell would still see just a blank wall. When the guards looked at her, she pointed out that she would not be the one turning the window back on. The guards shrugged and complied.

She sat down and with her chin on her hand watched the two Romulan students. The guards for the most part ignored the whole thing. When Syll slipped in one night, Kari stood but kept watching. The guards arose respectfully as well but offered no explanations. Syll indicated they could all be seated.

"They are very cute together, Mistress," Kari said.

"Is that so?" Syll said. "I suppose this is only fair since they have seen me naked more times than I care to count."

Kari smiled a little. "This is quite nice. And there is little entertainment here."

"I see. You believe the Tal Shiar is here to entertain you?"

Kari nodded. Syll slipped away before they came out. And as always, Kari flipped the window to opaque. Myryath came one time. She had decided to find out if what Donle had told her was true. Donle came to watch far more often than he should and Kari chased him away after a while.

Donle's lessons were difficult because they tended to be boring. Not so much for her, but for him. Often he would come and slump into the chair and start reading to her. She amused herself by reading back to him in the most monotonous fashion she could. And within a few minutes he would start nodding off.

"Master Donle," she said.

He jerked awake. "As I was saying..."

"I sometimes grow a little tired of sitting on the bed here and I fear that I am not getting as much as I could from the lesson."

"Well, that is hardly my concern," he grumped.

"I thought that maybe I could sit in the chair, Master Donle. It would help me concentrate a lot better and you could sit on the bed."

"I do not see how that would improve anything, Kari."

"I know, but perhaps we could try."

"Oh alright."

It didn't take long for him to just lie on the bed and start snoozing with each session. This continued on for a few more lessons. She waited until she was sure that Syll and the other students were in the outer cell waiting. Then she carefully lifted his robe and loosened his pants. Then she yanked them down quickly and leapt astride him. He snapped awake with a shout and tried to throw her off.

"What are you doing?" Syll demanded striding in.

Donle blubbered as the other students entered. "Nothing, nothing I wasn't doing anything."

He struggled to stand with Kari wrapped around his legs.

"I wasn't doing anything!"

He tried to drag his pants up even as Kari kept a hold of them at his feet.

"I will help you, master," she cried out pulling them down further.

"Get off! Get off!" he yelled. "I was just sleeping."

"You were sleeping with the prisoner?" Syll thundered.

"Yes, no. I mean not like that. I was just..." He noticed at last Welan and Jhynif laughing so hard they could hardly stand. Even Myryath shook. He let go of his pants and just stood there blushing so green he looked like an Orion Slave Girl.

"I am most sorry, Commander. I was tired."

Kari let go and knelt next to him.

"Stand up, you stupid Human, stand up, stand up!"

Kari kept her face straight as she stood. "It is true that Master Donle has treated me only with respect."

Syll nodded. "We are all tired. We find that this is a good a place for sleeping."

She looked over her shoulder. Jhynif froze. She turned back.

"If you need a safe place then you may, but only after the lessons are complete."

"Thank you for your patience, Commander," said Donle, covering himself. "I will do much better."

Myryath kept her distance from Kari, only performing her duties. The young Romulan taught her how the Tal Shiar observed and remembered all that they saw. As Myryath tutored the Human, Syll watched Kari search for a chink in Myryath's armor. On one occasion, Kari accidentally knocked a piece off the board they were practicing with. The Human automatically picked it up and put it back.

Syll entered the cell and called the other students to her while Myryath and Kari waited.

"These four stones," Syll said picking up four pieces. "Your assignment is to have Kari hand you your stone."

She tossed them into a corner.

The students looked at each other.

"Kari," said Jhynif. "Hand me my stone."

Kari went to the corner, chose a stone, and handed it to her. Jhynif showed the Romulan Commander the stone.

"Very good."

"Well, that hardly presents a problem," said Welan. "Kari, hand me my stone."

"With respect, Master Welan, I refuse."

"Hmm," Donle said. "Not so easy after all."

Welan tried through sheer force. On his fifth try, his superior physical conditioning, manipulated her into picking up a piece and handing it to him. He gasped with the effort but was triumphant.

"And now," he said catching his breath. "You have a few more moves to try out on Jhynif."

She laughed softly trying to get feeling back into her limbs.

Donle seemed to have forgotten about the assignment, just snoring away on the bed on most days after completing the lesson. Then one day, he came in carrying a tray with a cover on it.

"What have you there, Master Donle?" she asked.

"It is a treat. I made it for you." He waved his hand over it and let the smell waft toward her.

Kari's mouth dropped open even as she salivated. He looked towards the corner where two stones remained. She smiled and brought him a stone.

He lifted the cover of the tray. "It is my first attempt that I think is actually worthwhile."

She lifted the little individual pizza, put it into her mouth and took a bite. She sat on the bed and chewed slowly. A tear trickled down her nose.

"That bad is it?" Donle said, chagrined.

"On the contrary, Master Donle. It is excellent."

"It is quite simple but I think the dough is right. Olive oil and garlic and some vegetables. Tomatoes and cheese are a little difficult to find."

"It is perfection. Thank you."

Donle beamed.

Myryath looked at the last stone in the corner not paying attention to the lesson. She knew she would be the last. She had no plan on how to make Kari give her the stone. In despair, she'd even offered her resignation to Commander Syll. The teacher had waved it away saying the assignment had no time limit.

"You are the youngest aren't you?" Kari said, bringing her back.

"That is irrelevant," Myryath said trying to remember what she was supposed to be doing. Fatigue was taking its toll on them.

"You are also the best. Mistress Syll's most prized of pupils."

"You seek to flatter me. It won't work."

"It won't work because it is truth not flattery. You are the most insightful, the most dedicated, the most persistent."

Myryath shook her head. "It has not allowed me to get a stone."

"You are afraid of failure. I know that feeling unfortunately too well. I don't know how but you can do this. I could give just give it to you."

"That would be a terrible failure. Out of pity. How empty a victory that would be."

She shrugged. "Results."

Myryath stared at Kari. "As you say."

A week later, Myryath called Commander Syll and the other students into the cell. Kari stood as well though as puzzled as the others.

"Kari, hand me my stone," said Myryath.

Kari looked at Syll. The Romulan's face was unreadable. Kari looked at the stone then at Myryath. The young Romulan knew that Kari would refuse.

"I am sorry, Mistress Myryath, but I must decline."

Myryath nodded. She pulled off her veil uncovering her head. Kari glanced at Syll to see if she knew what the young Romulan was up to. But her attitude was that she too was very curious. The other students were riveted, especially Donle.

Myryath's hands trembled as she started to disrobe. She didn't look at the other students, as she pulled the last article of clothing off. Then carefully she knelt and held out her hand.

"Mistress, please would..."

"NO!" Kari screamed. She leaped at the Romulan and dragged her to her feet. She slammed her against the wall, then grabbed the robe and shoved it into her hands trying to get her to dress herself. She dashed to the corner, snatched up the stone, and ran back to thrust it into the Romulan's hand. "Do not do that to me! Never do that to me! Never!"

Myryath smiled at her, covering herself with the robe. "As you wish, Kari."

Then she held the stone up. "Commander Syll, I have the stone."

"Well done, Myryath, very well done." Syll said. The others clapped. Donle ogled without shame.

"Results, Kari," Myryath said looking at the quivering Human.

Kari shook her head starting to laugh letting the rage bleed away from her.

"We have all seen each other naked, students," Syll said. "Let us hope we can learn."

"They have not seen us naked."

"Welan!" Jhynif said, shaking her head in disbelief. "You are an embarrassment to the Tal Shiar."

Too soon, the Beloved Nephew came home to his palace. And the nightmare began again. Always, when he returned from some absence, he indulged in greater brutality. Kari's information flowed once more but the cost was overwhelming her. The doctor even assigned a special medical ward ready for when Kari arrived from being in the Beloved Nephew's care. He said he could repair her body for the most part. Even strengthen it. The abuse though bludgeoned her mind. That was obvious.

When Syll informed the Seigneur in their occult garden communications that Kari's struggles were intensifying even as the information increased in importance, he had suggested an idea. The proposal had surprised the Romulan Commander. She had objected as strenuously as she could noting how dangerous what he was proposing would be. He gently reminded her that he too knew a thing or two about these Human creatures. She had no choice and had to relent.

The students entered Kari's cell carrying a few things. She was curled up in bed.

"So soon," she whispered.

"No, Kari," Welan said. "Not today."

"Today," said Jhynif. "Today we have a little surprise for you. It is not much and it is very dangerous. Please stand so we may dress you."

Kari levered herself up off the bed and stood. She examined them with amusement. "You're wearing very fancy new robes, masters and mistresses."

They were still dressed in black but gold threads shone subtly along the edges. The material was finer and less heavy almost like silk. The veils themselves also had more gold and were more opaque.

"You are going to be dressed as we are as well."

Kari just raised her eyebrows. Her face was gaunt. The fierce light in her eyes still burned. However, the students did not need experience to see her diminution. They talked amongst themselves about their concern that an important source of information was threatened. Syll could feel their real worry though.

They pulled dark pants onto her legs. "You know, I can dress myself."

"We are going to add some accessories. Do not be concerned."

They attached some thick leather cuffs to her thighs just above her knees, then attached a short length of chain between them.

"Are you learning a thing or two from the Beloved Nephew?" she inquired.

"The only thing we..." Myryath snarled, then caught herself. She rubbed her eyes. The long hours of poring over Kari's intelligence was highly rewarding but the cost seemed to be sleep and their health.

Kari smiled at her and touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mistress. I mean no disrespect. I hope the things you learn from our Beloved Nephew will bring him only that which is deserved."

"As you say," Myryath said, mastering herself. "Please walk."

Kari shuffled along.

"A little more chain," Welan said, adjusting it. "Try again. Yes. Good. You will not be able to make a dash for any exits."

Kari nodded still unsure of the students' purpose. Donle helped her off with her tunic and she donned a simple black shirt. They then strapped a metal breastplate and backplate to her.

"It is heavy," Donle said. "It will make movement even more difficult."

"You have succeeded." It must have been about fifteen kilos. It flattened her small breasts and filled out her back and front.

"You will not be standing much but it will allow sitting comfortably we hope. Raise your chin a little. Can you hold your hair up?"

She lifted her hair.

"This collar will prevent you from turning your head." The posture collar fit snugly under her chin and around her neck. They locked it on.

"Can you turn your head?"

She tried. "No." Her mouth could hardly open.

"This is a gag that will prevent all sound though you will be able to breathe through this hole here and take a little liquid as well."

"What are you people doing?" she asked.

She opened her mouth a little to let them slip in a small mouth piece. The gag covered most of the lower half of the her face. They connected it to the collar and locked it to the back. She screamed as hard as she could knowing they wanted to test it. Between the breastplate, the collar, and the gag, nothing could be heard except for a faint hum.

"How are things progressing?" asked Syll walking in. She too was dressed in newer more elegant robes.

"Your date is almost ready, Commander," said Donle.

The other students laughed.

"This is not a date!" Syll snapped.

The students quieted their laughter just a little.

"You find amusement in this, do you? The Seigneur has lost his mind to allow this. Kari, have they told you what is happening?"

She stood there trying to decide how to answer that. She couldn't even shrug.

"My apologies. Tap your right foot for yes and left foot for no."

She tapped her left foot.

"Attach the ears."

Kari drew her brows together as the students attached Romulan ears. Then she realized these prosthetics entered her ear canals.

Syll covered her mouth. By the student's reaction, the Romulan Commander was asking a question. But she couldn't hear and without seeing her lips, could not read them.

The Commander touched a control on her pad.

"Tap your foot if you can hear me now."

She tapped her foot and let her smile reach her eyes.

"Her hair."

They pushed her hair into a cap and fitted a wig to her. Then applied a little makeup. They wrapped a scarf around the lower half of her face and her neck. Then crossing them in front of her chest, they strapped her arms and hands to the breast plate. A tunic then a robe like theirs covered all.

"These glasses," Syll said putting what looked like goggles on Kari's face. "They will blank out when we do not want you to see something."

She demonstrated then allowed Kari to see through the goggles.

"The veil now and by the Stars of Wisdom do not allow that to slip. Her forehead is deformed. I do not know how much our cover story will hold for that."

Kari frowned again.

"Yes, Human. Deformed."

The students laughed.

The Commander turned to the guards. "You are dismissed tonight. Be with your families."

They saluted and left.

"You may leave as well," she said to her students "Take turns being with your families but be ready. Thank you."

They departed as well.

"Alright, Kari. I... Wait. Your boots." She looked towards the door as if to call them back. "Never mind, I will do it."

She helped Kari sit. Kneeling, she started putting the boots on. "Your name is Thort. You have been injured that is why you cannot talk. You are male and old. Do you understand?"

Kari wiggled her right foot in Syll's hands.

"Good. Stop wiggling." Kari kept moving her foot around. "Human, stop fidgeting. There. Now the other. Stop wiggling! Yes, now, can you stand?"

Kari tried to bounce up but still needed Syll's assistance.

"Very well. Let us proceed with this madness."

Their progress was slow. Kari shuffled along with Syll's help. Eventually, they approached a door with guards. Syll blanked the Human's vision and hearing. She took Kari's elbow through the robe and nodded towards the guards. The doors opened and she led Kari out onto the patio. She looked around to make sure that anyone who should be veiled was. Even she wore a veil here. Then she allowed Kari to see and hear.

Romulans filled the courtyard. A small group of musicians provided a gentle soundscape. Children scampered after each other. Smells of food wafted around them. Only the members of the Tal Shiar were veiled. The families relaxed together, some laughing, some listening to the music, some eating. The courtyard was alive with people.

She felt Kari startle then attempt to sidle next to her.

"It is alright, Thort," she whispered. "We are all friends here. Friends and their families."

Kari tried to step backwards.

It seemed to Syll that only she saw the danger in this exercise. The danger to Kari. Just in case, she had her pad in her pocket. She hoped she would not need it. Myryath hovered nearby. Donle gravitated slowly towards them as he filled a plate with food.

"Come, Thort. We are so glad you have recuperated from your injuries enough to join us today."

She tried to pull Kari along. But the Human refused to move, shivering violently. A few people looked in their direction. They couldn't afford to make a scene.

"Look, over there, Welan and Jhynif. They have found a quiet corner for us by the fountain. We will be very well taken care of there."

Syll positioned herself in front of Kari then realized that the Human could not see her face. The situation was deteriorating very badly very quickly. Kari's knees began to buckle.

Myryath started to glide towards them. Donle wandered a little closer as he ate from the plate. Welan and Jhynif beckoned. Then slowly, Kari took a step towards them. Syll thanked the Stars of Wisdom and gradually led her to where they were.

"Welcome, Thort," Welan said.

"Yes, welcome," Jhynif repeated. "You are most welcome."

Kari sank down onto the small bench facing the fountain.

"We can enjoy the calmness of the pool and the flowers here," Jhynif said. "So very beautiful. Please, Thort, I hope you will enjoy."

Syll felt the shivering abate. Kari's breathing quieted. Syll felt most of her own tension slip away, relieved her fears had not been realized. They both enjoyed the tranquility here. The music floated from behind them. Most of those present stayed away. If anyone came too close, Syll would attenuate the Human's hearing and vision. The students would bring small drinks to let Kari taste through a straw. Syll wondered when last Kari had experienced the outdoors for any length of time. As far as she could tell, the Beloved Nephew always kept her within his palace. She didn't think Kari would try to escape even without their elaborate precautions. However, the Human had begun exhibiting erratic behavior. And as the Tal Shiar saying went: Hope should be the last step in preparation, not the first.

The afternoon eased into evening. A time that Syll loved. Tonight, the warm transition from light to dark seemed especially beautiful. The stars started to appear one by one. For a moment, as they sat together, everything seemed far away.

Someone approached and she turned off Kari's vision and hearing. The Seigneur and his wife drawing near surprised her. Though the Romulan Commander rose, they didn't greet her. When they took no notice of her nor the figure next to her, she sat again.

"It is an exceptional night to see and hear the wonderful things on Romulus," the Seigneur said to his wife.

Syll raised her eyebrows but did as instructed and flipped the vision and hearing on again for Kari. The Human gave no indication that anything had changed. A thin veil covered the Seigneur's face but no covering veiled the wife.

"Are we safe here, husband?" she asked. She was not Tal Shiar.

"Having all the families here to shelter for a small time while a storm passes is most pleasing."

"By the Stars of Wisdom, speak plainly, old man. Sometimes I feel as if I'm conversing with a jigsaw puzzle! Are we safe from that madman?"

The Seigneur just laughed. "Yes. It is unfortunate that the families shall miss and continue to miss the company of the Beloved Nephew safely within the compound here."

"Well, I wish I knew which of your agents found out. Our children, and those children, and the families there, you know he saved us. That madman has been rounding up other families all over Romulus. He is truly insane. You promised me that I could thank your agent personally. I suppose with all your games and whatnot you would not even tell me he was here. You must give him a medal when this is all over. A good one."

"The agent has graced us with a warning that has saved many of us. We owe a debt of gratitude. Perhaps you would like to pin the medal upon the agent yourself?" He clasped her arm gently. "The Beloved Nephew's plans are unfortunately for him running into difficulties."

"I do not find any pity. He is sounding more and more like he wants to go to war with the Federation. Again. Did we just not defeat the Dominion? Are we to suffer such loss of life once more? Can we not have a generation where we are not warring with someone? And now of all times. Why do people follow him? I do not understand. It is madness." She picked up a stone and hurled it into the fountain.

"War would be catastrophic for both sides," he agreed wiping some of the water from his clothes. "Not just for us. The Federation would endure terrible casualties as well. Billions would die on both sides. Should the plans of the Beloved Nephew be thwarted somehow, countless souls would be saved, Romulan, Federation, and many, many more, everywhere. The people working to avoid such a cataclysm have the thanks not only of us but should also have the gratitude of the Federation as well."

"Yes, yes. But who cares about the Federation? They can all die. I hope they do die. I do not care about them. I just do not want our children to grow up in war. The Federation can all die. Especially those Humans. Peculiar creatures. I would exterminate..." The Seigneur guided his wife out of earshot.

If anyone else approached, Syll explained Thort's injuries and his need to sit quietly. Now that the Seigneur had seen her, she waited for Kari to indicate that she wanted to go back to the cell. It wasn't long.

The students joined them hours later. The odor of Romulan Ale accompanied them but they didn't stagger too much.

"Commander Syll," said Welan. "We should have allowed you to return to the festivities. We are sorry."

"Do not concern yourselves. I tire easily of that kind of activity."

"How are you, Kari?" Jhynif asked. "Did you enjoy this evening?"

Kari lay on the bed next to the seated Commander. She had wrapped her arms around Syll's waist, her face buried against the Romulan's body. Syll slowly combed Kari's hair with her fingers.

The Romulan Commander composed herself. "I know this is a very happy time for you all. You have done very well. Each one of you has excelled in ways that bring honor to yourselves, to me, to Romulus, and to the Tal Shiar. But there are still lessons to be learned."

She carefully turned Kari so they could see her. Weeping had ravaged the Human's face. Her eyes were puffed and red, swollen from her tears.

"Kari, what..." Myryath stopped, confused.

Syll allowed Kari to turn her face away from them.

"We have broken every rule the Tal Shiar have ever made, written or unwritten. I am too long your mentor. I have grown oh so proud of you. You have spent too much time together. You have bonded. And we have stayed with a single prisoner for far, far too long. A leash is attached on both ends. These rules have been honed for many years and for good reasons. Tell me what we, and I stress we, since I could have stopped it, what have we done tonight?"

"With the Seigneur's blessing, we allowed Kari some time outside," said Donle. "Was that not a good thing? To strengthen her? Renew her?"

Syll remained silent. Then they spoke.

"We showed her freedom."

"We showed her family and children and friends."

"All the things we took from her and will keep her from forever."

"To be replaced with these four walls and the care of the Beloved Nephew."

The students were silent. Syll stroked Kari's long hair.

"Kari," Myryath whispered. "I once said I would hurt you only if it was necessary. I have hurt you when it was unnecessary. I am sorry for breaking that vow. I take no pleasure in your pain. We were careless."

"No, just the opposite," Syll said. "We have come to care. There is no greater danger in the paths we have chosen. Especially this path. Yet, we cannot turn away. You have all surpassed my every expectation. And I ask you to endure for as long as this takes. There is no failure here as long as we learn."

Kari untangled herself from Syll and stood.

"Mistress Syll." She wiped her face. "May I administer the punishment?"

"Punishment?" she asked, puzzled.

Kari turned to the students. "I know you hate this, so this is appropriate."

She walked to Welan and hugged him. "Thank you. The night was very special and I enjoyed it."

She moved to Jhynif who almost flinched away. "Thank you," she embraced her. "I shall always remember it."

Donle seemed to enjoy the hug. "Thank you, I have become stronger and more committed because of it."

She pulled Myryath into her arms.

"Thank you. You made me happy. For a few moments, I was happy." She released her. "I do not forget who is responsible for my being here. I will never forget and I shall work to the day that he will receive his reward appropriately."

A few days later Syll returned to the cell. The guards always came from the same group. Despite the rules strictly forbidding it, the guards only rotated from within that small contingent. They had taken to leaving the cell door open so they could converse with the Human sometimes. It seemed to help Kari. Donle was sitting with her. They were playing a child's game which delighted the Human.

Donle rose respectively. Kari stood, smiling, and hugged her though Syll did not respond in kind.

"Are you well, Mistress Syll?" Kari greeted, her voice soft.

"I am. Though I am saddened by some news. I have it on good authority that the Beloved Nephew feels power slipping away for some reason. Unfortunately, almost half his wealth has disappeared. Such a shame."

"Such a shame indeed, Commander," said Donle. "Perhaps the Tal Shiar can be of assistance there."

"We have offered only to be refused from what I understand. I believe he accuses everyone including the Federation, the Klingons, the Cardassians and last I heard, the Ferengi."

Donle snorted then composed herself. "A shame that he has diminished the capacity of the Tal Shiar in favor of his own network. I believe he refers to it as an intelligence network."

"Yes. It does appear that someone somehow found out who his bankers were and where they left their money. A shame." They smiled at Kari. "Let us speak no more on the subject. Have you eaten, Kari?"

"I was waiting for you, Mistress."

"Foolish. You must eat when you are hungry. I know it is difficult."

As the Beloved Nephew had grown ever more desperate, his calls for her presence became more frequent. But his time with her was shorter and physically less damaging.

"I have a request, Mistress Syll."

"If it is within my power," she answered.

"There is another Human here."

Syll felt the ground beneath her grow very thin. Donle who had been putting away the game dropped a piece.

"There are many prisoners here, Kari. It is our, my Romulan, my Tal Shiar honor, to fulfill my duties. That can never and will never change."

"I understand. I would like to speak with the Human."

Syll turned her attention to Donle.

"Your students did not tell me," Kari said, placing a hand on Donle's arm for a moment. "The fault does not lie with them. When we entered the interrogation room a while back, the settings were not in their default position."

Syll clenched a fist in irritation. "They were set for a Human? Someone has been entirely careless. I shall need to speak with them."

"I understand granting my request will be very very difficult if not impossible. But if it can be arranged, I will not allow myself to be identified. I will appear as a Tal Shiar. Veiled. Your kindness the other day made me think it was possible. I will not allow the Human to speak to me about anything of importance. And I promise that what I say to the Human will reveal no secrets. Also, I do not encumber this request. I am committed to what I am doing. But if it can be arranged just one time..."

"I will see what I can do. Now let's see if the kitchen has managed this lo mein dish you wanted."

They continued to school Kari in every Tal Shiar observation method they knew. The students and their Commander had to commend the Starfleet ensign's training. She was a sponge absorbing all they taught. She could remember everything in a room with a single glance. Every conversation she overheard. And if she couldn't hear, then she'd read their lips. Every person she saw. Names if announced. Descriptions without exception. All was relayed to Syll, then if immediately important, to the Seigneur of the order. Always meeting in the garden. Always parting with a kiss.

Details with no immediate importance were imparted to the students. Syll could not help but think of them as her students still. She would tell them stories attempting to keep the facts correct but not reveal what they were truly about in case anyone was listening. They always assumed someone was listening. Through one of those insignificant details, they traced back one of the hiding places of the Beloved Nephew's military supplies. The cache vanished. Someone threw suspicion on one of the Beloved Nephew's staunchest allies. The Beloved Nephew had his ally and all his family slaughtered in the middle of the night.

The toll on Kari, though, grew in intensity. Sometimes the abuse was purely physical. The doctor was able to repair that, saying how he was now trying to strengthen her body to be able to withstand the mistreatment. Other times, Kari walked off the Beloved Nephew's shuttle by herself. In some ways, those were the worst. The doctor had little to do though he always examined her. Kari would tear the clothes from her body and hurl them into a corner to stand naked screaming incoherently until she allowed Syll to take her to the pain field.

On those occasions, they'd stand, forehead to forehead, not speaking. Kari had requested that they intensify the field. The Romulan had never experienced this level of pain before. Despite the students' pleas, Syll allowed it. As the field washed them with agony, they embraced, devoid of any clothing. Syll would wait patiently for her to begin, never pressing her. It would seem like hours before Kari would start transmitting the details that steadily poisoned the Beloved Nephew.

When Kari suffered so much that she couldn't concentrate, Syll would recite nursery rhymes about the Stars of Wisdom that she remembered from her childhood. The pain field helped her remember them. She taught the Human little songs until the tears would stop flowing.

This session seemed no different until Syll suddenly collapsed. Kari signaled wildly to the students. They dropped the field immediately and caught them as Kari tried to support the screaming Romulan.

"What happened?" Welan demanded.

"I don't know," Kari snapped. "She's freezing. Get some blankets and the doctor right now."

Welan muttered quickly into a communicator. Myryath and Jhynif grabbed some emergency blankets and covered them both. Syll was seizing, her eyes rolled up into her skull. She'd stopped screaming though and just frothed at the mouth. Kari hung onto her arms as the others tried to keep her head from banging the floor further.

"Why is she so cold?" Donle asked, gasping with the effort. "What were you doing?"

Kari shook her head, holding her tightly. "I was saying how I thought the Beloved Nephew was polluting my mind. I've been doing things at his behest." Kari bit her lip and would not meet their gazes. "Then she gave me the mantra to repeat. But she kept saying that..."

Myryath touched her arm, warning.

"Saying that she was very glad that she was able to send me to the Beloved Nephew so often. And that I too should be grateful."

"What mantra?" Welan asked.

"My soul is my temple, my heart is my shield, my mind is my weapon, my life will not yield. We were just repeating it over and over."

"I am unfamiliar with it," Jhynif said while the others also shook their heads.

"I am fine," Syll groaned suddenly, struggling to sit up though Kari kept her lying down. "I am sorry. I am just tired. I am fine."

"I'll be the judge of that," the doctor said bustling in. He quickly scanned Syll.

"You're exhausted that is true. All of you. You too my little Human. Why don't you two have any clothes on? Never mind. I don't need to know. She has wounds on her back."

Syll lost consciousness as the doctor administered a mild sedative despite her protests.

"I did that," Kari said. "I dug my nails into her."

The doctor attended to the gouges Kari had inflicted along the Romulan's spine. "Why?"

"She is my tormentor. I hate her."

Myryath picked up Kari's pad and looked at the readings without changing her expression. They looked at her.

"As you say." Her voice was flat as she handed the pad to the other students.

"Mistress Myryath and Mistress Jhynif, please dress her and take her to your hospital," Kari said. "Master Welan and MasterDonle will transport me back to my cell."

They nodded. The doctor could find nothing wrong with Syll but warned her she needed rest. She agreed but rest would have to wait. Events flowed swiftly on Romulus now. Danger and fear were everywhere. Rallies supporting one side or the other intensified, becoming violent at the least provocation. The military splintered into factions that faced off against each other. The colonies were dragged into choosing sides not knowing ramifications until punishment visited them. Always in the capital, the faint odor of burning wafted into the Tal Shiar compound.

In the meetings with the students, Syll sometimes found herself unable to concentrate, letting the four sift through the data relayed to them.

When they discussed how the tree was growing weak, one of the students wondered aloud, "Perhaps if the tree were to become too ill," he said, "then the tree could have a respite as it once had before."

Syll rubbed her temples, feeling the coldness. "The time is not right. Circumstances dictate our course. As much as we might desire to keep the tree healthy, we require the fruit. We..."

She trailed off. Exhaustion rode her like a stone collar.

"The one we study," Myryath said. "He believes that to keep ice from melting, he needs to grip it tighter. If the Stars of Wisdom are with us, then his time draws near."

Syll smiled at her. "As you say. I have become the student. The tree must bear us its stars at this most critical of times or it holds no worth for us."

"The tree is only worth something as long as it is useful?"

"Is that not what I have taught you?" she asked them.

"It is what you have taught us, Commander," they said.

The Seigneur of the Tal Shiar order passed back a message in their regular garden meetings. After decrypting, it had said:

It does not escape my notice that the best intelligence we've ever received from a Starfleet officer concerns our own Romulus. The irony is deep. Let her see one of her own kind once.

They watched the guards bring the Human to Kari's now bare cell. A female. She was strapped to a restraining device. They removed the blindfold and gag.

Syll, the two guards, the four students, and Kari who was indistinguishable from the students stood in the outer cell.

"Mistress Syll, may I have her pad, please." Kari bowed her head.

Syll handed it to her. She had told this Human's handler that they needed her to apply pressure to Kari. He had resisted until she reminded him that his own carelessness had been the reason that Syll even knew about the other Human.

Kari walked in and sat in front of the restrained woman.

"More torture, you bastard?" she snarled at her, straining at the bonds. "And that master mistress thing? You can forget it."

Kari looked at her pad and hit the level two punishment button. The Human gasped and jerked.

"Say nothing, 83988." Kari said.

"You sound..."

Kari pushed the button again. "Say nothing, 83988."

"You're Human! You're Human and you work for these bastards! You traitor!"

Kari upped the level and pressed the button again. "Say nothing, 83988."

This time the Human screamed. Fear leaked through the mask of fury. Syll couldn't help but admire how Kari knew the controls of the pad though it was the first time she had held one. The female prisoner kept quiet this time.

"Listen, 83988."

The Human turned her head away.

"Listen, 83988."

The Human grimaced and turned towards Kari.

"I am Human," Kari admitted. Syll's finger hovered over Kari's pad. She could not allow Kari to say anything that would compromise them. "I cannot tell you who I am. I do not know why you are here. I do not know if they will ever release you. But you may have a chance. I never will be able to return to Federation space. If you are fortunate, you may. Be strong."

The Human laughed out her bitterness but held her tongue.

"When you return to Federation space, you will be debriefed. Please forgive yourself. There is no shame. You did your best. Tell them about me."

Kari rose and started to leave.

"That's it? Tell them about you? I don't know crap about you."

"You know all that is possible." She looked at the pad. "What is your name, your real name?"

The Human thought a moment, suspicion plain. "I suppose it can't hurt. My name is Seren."
An adequate plan is all that is needed. Anything more is extravagance \-- Tal Shair training

The Romulan watched the Human checking her weapons. She had even rigged together explosive devices using the mining supplies.

"I am cold," Vain said. They'd been silent all the way home after watching the Romulan craft take off.

"We need a plan."

"We have a plan. I need you right now."

Seren glared at her. She wiped her hands then sat on the bed.

Vain with difficulty moved the blanket around Seren. She tried to kiss her.

"Don't," Seren said.

Vain pressed her lips together and rested her head on Seren's shoulder.

"We cannot just..." Seren waved her hands. "Just sit here!"

"We can and we must. They are trying to flush us out into the open. If they knew, they would be here already. I know you are afraid, darling, but they are not as strong as they think they are."

Seren sat staring at nothing then finally kissed her on her lips. Her eyes widened. "You're freezing."

"I am sorry but I am feeling unwell."

"Dammit. I'm sorry I should have seen. You're frightened too."

Vain laughed a little. "Look at us. Two frightened females."

"Yes, well I'm tired of feeling frightened. And when I find what's frightening us, I'm going to kill it."

Vain closed her eyes. The darkness descended and her control stole away like a dream she could not quite remember.

Seren dressed the Romulan in warm clothes and tucked her into bed. Then strapped her in. Reluctantly, she locked away the weapons just in case she broke free. When Vain cried out and thrashed, Seren sung Romulan lullabies to her. On occasion, it seemed to help. She hoped that it would not be a long spell. Sometimes it was a few hours, sometimes a few days. If a pattern existed, she could not discern it. Maybe the reminder of the sheriff had triggered this one. Or maybe the threat of the Romulans presence.

Once, when they were in Hellsbitch, Vain had thought she had glimpsed someone she knew from her past. It had sent her into a tail spin that lasted a week. That was the worst one. After that episode, she learned to strap her in. It didn't always work. Seren had tried different things to snap her out of it. Finally, she realized there was no denying these episodes. The darkness would not release her until Vain had endured the punishment.

Seren tried not to take the ranting personally. Often, she seemed to mistake the Human for different people. Bad and good. Sometimes terrified, sometimes insanely happy, she raved.

And when she ran off into Hellsbitch... At least she now knew how to find her. And to leave her alone. Watching Vain letting herself get beat up hurt Seren. The Tal Shiar agent could easily protect herself even against multiple assailants. She just didn't want to. The one time Seren had interfered, things had only been much worse for the Romulan. As well as for her. Her jaw still ached where Vain had broken it. It had taken weeks to get the Romulan to understand that she had forgiven her and not to run away again. When Seren had intervened, the Romulan had tried to save the attackers. Unsuccessfully. After what they'd done to Vain, Seren felt that killing them there instead of hunting them down later was more efficient. And a little more satisfactory as well. But she'd learned the lesson. Leave the Romulan alone during those episodes. She still didn't understand the Romulan's reasoning about leaving the attackers alive. They'd hurt Vain. They deserved to die. Vain shouldn't try to stop her. She knew her behavior was no longer Starfleet. But those days had crumbled to dust a long time ago. They'd blown away never to return.

Neon bright clouds, flashes of lightning, and sudden darkness defined the sky outside the window. The thought of running tempted her. The DrearGyre was immense. Colonies sprouted out everywhere. Warp lanes cut through the nebula usually in great circles. If ships displayed enough care, knew enough tricks, and enough gods were with them, they could use their warp engines. Much slower than in open space but at least with FTL speeds, ships could manage the vastness of The Drear Gyre. She wanted to run so badly it hurt but the Romulan was right. They'd be vulnerable out there. They were vulnerable here too. And there'd be no traveling as long as the darkness gripped Vain.

This episode lasted two days. Seren touched the female's forehead and found her starting to warm. She loosened the straps and disposed of the diaper. She roused the female enough to get her to the toilet then into the shower. Exhaustion gripped her as well. But at least this seizure didn't involve pursuing her all over Hellsbitch. It had also given her a little time to think about who was chasing them. It didn't feel like the Tal Shiar. Too sloppy. She dried the Romulan, grateful to see her skin regain that strange slightly greenish hue. She left her in the bathroom so that she could change the sheets.

"Is being a nursemaid all you had hoped it would be?" Vain said, watching from the doorway.

"At least we'll have a few marketable skills in case the ore runs out," she said smiling at her.

Vain tried to smile back but her lip just trembled. "I am sorry. I am very sorry. My weakness causes you..."

"Hush now. They're becoming rarer."

Vain shook her head. "Still such a bad liar, Human."

Seren helped her back to bed then crawled in beside her. She wrapped her body around the still shivering Romulan.

"Back to our problem," Vain said, snuggling against her. "I think it would be best to find out if at all possible whether any of the bounty hunters this Romulan has hired know something more. Especially this notion that I have something they want. That could be just a story to motivate the bounty hunters to work harder. But if there is something, perhaps a negotiation could be arranged. Assuming it is not some faction more intent on seeing my head on a stick. What are your thoughts?"

Seren snored onto the top of the Romulan's head.

Vain dozed off until she realized that the Human was on top of her slowly licking her ears.

"Seren," she murmured. "Will you never tire of that?"

The Human had her pinned down on the bed. "No."

Her tongue traced the Romulan's ear from the lobe up to the point then down the front to the tragus, on to the lobe once more, then repeated. When Seren felt that she had done one ear enough, she turned the Romulan's head and started on the other.

"You have no idea how erotic your ears are."

"You should be with a Ferengi."

Vain had to admit that the slow movement of the Human's tongue over her ear now excited her far beyond what she thought was possible.

"Are you going to listen to my plan now?"

"Does it involve us escaping through a wormhole to go live far, far, very far away from here?"

"Oh yes. So long, suckers!"

Seren paused. "Where did you learn that?"

"I am well acquainted with the peculiarities of your Human speech."

Seren went back to the gentle lapping of the Romulan's ears.

"There is a brothel in Hellsbitch."

Seren stopped again. "Am I going to like where this is going?"

"Do not worry. We are not needing your depraved Human tendencies just yet."

"Mmm." Seren hummed along the point of the ear. Vain writhed almost throwing her off as the vibrations washed down into her toes and all points in between.

"Many bounty hunters go there. It is possible, in fact likely that they have been boasting and we can, therefore, find information in such a place."

"How? Mmmm."

"Grrg!" She drummed her heels on the bed.

"What?"

"I said we will talk to the employees."

"Mmmmmm."

"GRRRGG!"

They waited outside the Big Red Brothel until a few employees took a break to drink and do drugs by the back exit of the building. After sizing them up, they approached one of the young men standing a little apart from the others. His eyes, bright with drugs, appraised them.

"I'm not freelancing. Services are hired. Yeah. Right at the front desk," he said. "I don't do guys. Unless you know. You're wanting to watch me. Do her. Talk to the front desk. That's if you're into. Anything else."

"Latinum for information," Vain said, her voice coarse.

He looked at the strip of latinum. The glitter lured his consciousness back to him.

"We want in on the big hunt."

"Yeah? Big hunt? What big hunt?"

Vain made the strip disappear. "He doesn't know anything."

They turned away to go talk with the other employees.

"Wait." He tapped on a device embedded into his wrist. It dripped something into his veins. The effect reminded him of happiness. "Lots of people. They're in on. The big hunt. Latinum. Yeah. It's being spread. Around."

"We don't want to share with those dicks inside there." Vain added another strip of latinum to the one in her hand. "We just need to know who's running it and who they're looking for."

The young man eyed the currency, impaled on the shiny hooks of the gold pressed latinum. Despite the thick makeup caking his face, he still looked wan. His body needed drugs. Drugs needed latinum. He raised his eyebrows at Seren. "Know nothing. Not about. Who's running it. Who they're looking for? What I hear. Yeah, she's a Romulan. I'm thinking. A female."

"Huh, that shouldn't be hard," Vain grunted. "Can't be much money in that."

"You'd be. Surprised," he cooed at Seren, his tongue running along rouge stained lips. "Someone's wanting her. Bad. Real real bad. Got something of theirs. Hon."

Seren moved a little behind Vain. He pursed his lips into a soft moue never taking his gaze from the Human as he swung back and forth to some unheard song.

"This sounds like nothing but a stupid waste of time. Treasure hunting's not my thing."

He lowered his lids at Seren, letting his startling blue eyes peer at her through his long lashes. "Suit yourself. Some artifact. Can't be. Too big. That's my guess. But you know. There are far less. Dangerous things. That might be big. Hon." He looked directly at Seren, putting his hands on his hips. "More pleasurable. Much more fun than. This big hunt. Or whatever it is. That is real dangerous. Supposedly."

"They all say that. They don't want you running off with their stuff. Unless it is dangerous. Then it blows your ass off. I hate treasure hunting. See you around." His hand with painted nails accepted the latinum. "Maybe watch you do her next time."

Seren whacked her on the shoulder.

"Anytime, hon." He blew Seren a kiss. "I'll give you. Yeah, a big discount."

When they were far away from the brothel, Seren shuddered, "Urgh. I think I need a shower."

"That was a little on the creepy side I must admit. He did seem to be getting overly excited about you if you noticed."

"How could I not? And no, I absolutely don't want to talk about it."

They walked back to the tractor.

"Does it sound like they want something as much as they want you?"

"I think it is time we go on Vacation," Vain said.
There is no good or evil, no right or wrong, only weakness and strength \- The Beloved Nephew

Kari huddled in the corner. Her shrieks had reached Syll's ears as soon as she had entered the outer cell where the guards usually sat. They along with the four students stood over the prisoner.

"The Beloved Nephew has called for her," Myryath said over Kari's screams.

"What?" Syll said. "He just returned her."

"It's too soon. I can't. It's too soon," Kari wailed. She dug herself into a corner of the room, pulling her knees and arms into her body. There was no more light in her eyes. Only terror. Abject terror.

"Please!" Kari screamed at Syll. "Please, please, please. I can't. I can't. Please, Mistress Syll, I beg of you, I beg you. Please don't make me go."

Syll steeled herself, willing every ounce of control into herself. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Commander Syll," said Myryath. "I will handle this, if you would allow, as this is good training for me."

The other students looked at the young Romulan.

Syll hesitated.

"Dress her!" Myryath barked at the three. "Do it now."

They took the clothes that they always dressed her in, a simple tunic, and dragged her out of the corner. When she fought back, Myryath shocked her into submission.

"Stand up! Do this now, 738766. Stand up now."

Kari couldn't or wouldn't. She sank to her knees whimpering. The young Romulan strode up and punched her.

"You are not our pet!" She slapped the Human. "You are not our friend!" She kicked her. "You are not one of us! You are nothing to us. Nothing. You are a source! Do you understand this, 738766? You will do what we say. Now."

Kari curled up screaming and crying.

"Get her up," Myryath snarled at the three. "Is the Beloved Nephew's shuttle here? Then get her moving."

Welan and Donle heaved her to her feet. Jhynif tried to tell the Human to walk but her feet did not seem capable.

"She is ready, Commander," Myryath said, breathless from her exertion.

Syll nodded and led the way. The guards followed. Sometimes, Kari seemed to gather herself to try to walk. Then the terror seized her again and she'd shriek in panic until Myryath shook her or berated her into submission. They hauled the prisoner out to the landing pad. Two of the Beloved Nephew's entourage waited.

"You have been slow," one whined. He looked worried. "Our Beloved Nephew does not have any patience."

The other grabbed the Human by the hair hammering her again and again with a pain baton. They threw her onto the shuttle and took off. Kari's screams still echoed around the landing pad.

"That one could use a lesson on the proper usage of a pain baton," one of the guards remarked, slapping her own baton into her palm.

"Agreed," the other guard muttered as they walked away.

The three students looked at Myryath.

She turned to the them. "Go to the study room. Find something to hurt him. Anything. Make sure it is something painful."

Syll looked at the young Romulan who stared at the craft receding in the distance. The Commander followed the three students to the study room. The three pored over the data while Syll watched them. Then she left them and returned to the landing pad.

Myryath still stood there. Other Romulans passed by but the evening grew late. Syll waited until the area was empty.

"Self punishment is a vanity, Myryath," Syll said.

After a moment, she asked, "Is that what I am, Commander? Vain?"

"It is an indulgence to believe that you can make up for that which you feel guilty by hurting one self."

"I am unsure of who we are speaking."

Syll flinched. "I am not sure either. However, we do what we must."

"Results."

"As you say. And our path to end this may be in that room where your classmates now study."

Myryath was silent. Then, "They hate me."

"Perhaps so. But importantly, they respect you."

"For making my heart as cold and hard as..." Syll touched her elbow.

Myryath paused, then unclenched her fist and looked at the stone in her palm.

"Myryath," Syll turned to look at her. "Your heart is the strength that we all, Kari included, needed at this time."

The young Romulan fixed her gaze where the shuttle had long ago disappeared.

"I will wait here. When she returns, I will call you."

Myryath took breaks since Syll ordered her to and took her watch. But she always returned though sometimes studying on a pad. They found little things to diminish his power. Syll would have gladly traded this death by a thousand cuts for one good disruptor blast to the Beloved Nephew's head. Only two days passed before the shuttle returned.

The door opened and they shoved Kari out. She fell to her knees. She staggered upright, holding a near empty bottle of Romulan Ale. She was dressed in finery that could have looked beautiful. But blood drenched the clothes. Blood coated her hands. Blood covered her body. She tracked blood along as she lurched towards them. Everywhere, she dripped blood. Red blood.

She drained the bottle before they could get to her. They transported her to the hospital but the doctor found nothing wrong physically other than a near lethal level of alcohol intoxication. The blood was not hers.

"I need the pain field, Mistress Syll," Kari slurred. She leaned on Myryath as they made their way to the interrogation room.

Kari relayed so much information that Syll had to use all her concentration to remember every detail. The Beloved Nephew was now matching his paranoia with sloppiness. He had killed off so many of his top aides that the few remaining ones were too frightened to give any meaningful guidance. But it was the last part that chilled the Romulan Commander.

"Seren will be returning soon," the Human said, her face dead. "Her handler has been one last time, negligent. Seren will call for me."

Syll relayed the immediate information to the Seigneur. Then she and the other students started sifting through the rest of the intelligence. But in a few hours, the doctor called her with the request.

"Kari," Syll said walking with the students into the cell.

She rose a little unsteadily. "Yes, Mistress."

"Seren is in the hospital."

Kari just stood there as if she hadn't heard. She swayed as if she were a broken twig in a very slight breeze. The doctor had recommended letting the intoxication run its course though he gave a little medication to help. She kept wiping her hands on her tunic though none of the Romulans could discern anything on them.

"Seren has been severely injured. She has asked to speak with the Human she had spoken with earlier."

Kari rubbed her face finally comprehending what Syll told her. She nodded to the Romulan Commander.

They dressed her quickly in the robes similar to the Tal Shiar students and made their way to the hospital.

The doctor was ranting. "I am not going to try to save her. This is ridiculous. I will no longer be a party to such wastage of my time. And our resources. He should send her to his own damned hospital."

Seren lay on the operating table. Half her body appeared to be missing. Yet she still breathed. Worse, she was conscious. Barely.

"What in all the Stars of Wisdom did he do to her?" the doctor bellowed throwing an instrument against a wall.

Kari looked at him as if she had willed herself into sobriety.

"I recognize what has been done, doctor, as well as how it was done," said Kari, her voice clear but hushed so the other Human could not hear. "With respect, sir, in this particular case ignorance of the Beloved Nephew's methods is good fortune."

He gritted his teeth. "She won't take medication until she speaks with you."

Kari approached the table. "Hello, Seren."

"Just wanted to say," she coughed out. "That I'm glad. I'm glad I won't return to the Federation to tell them. Traitor. You can die here. Alone. Unknown. Traitor."

Seren gasped, blood bubbling from her mouth, when Kari lifted her veil.

Kari nodded looking into her eyes. "Rest now, Seren, rest now."

Kari picked up the knife usually used to cut away clothes. She slashed quickly through Seren's neck. It almost severed the head from the body. Redness, like what had stained her clothes earlier, gushed out onto the table. The eyes continued to stare at Kari.

She returned the knife to the table. Syll had stood frozen. Kari had moved with speed that she didn't think was possible in a Human. The guards had hardly taken a step before the knife was back where it belonged. Kari did not tremble when she closed Seren's eyes. She efficiently pulled the sheet over the body. Practiced.

"Mistress Syll, retribution will be severe," Kari said, covering herself with the veil. "With your permission, I'd best go prepare."

The students followed her back to her cell.

"She's right, Commander," the doctor said. "Keeping this a secret is going to be impossible. Too many people here."

Syll caught up with Kari at the cell where the Human meditated.

"That was not the first time you have killed, Kari."

Kari didn't open her eyes. "No, Mistress."

"You have killed when you were in Starfleet? Before?"

"Mistress Syll, please, I humbly petition you to pursue this subject no further."

The Romulan clenched her jaw. "Romulans say that all evil is forgiven when we do what we must do."

"As you have taught us. I have a request, Mistress." She kept her eyes closed. "Assuming I survive my engagements with the Beloved Nephew, my usefulness will eventually end."

"We will speak of it then, Kari."

"I may not be capable. I ask this while I still possess my temple, my shield, my weapon, and..." She smiled a little. "And still do not yield. I ask that if I am unable to perform what must be done myself, that it be one of the students. Not you."

"The decision is mine."

"Yes, Mistress Syll. I submit to your wisdom. However, it is Mistress Myryath who should complete my service to the Empire. She is the strongest." Kari opened her eyes. "The strongest of you all."

Syll opened her mouth to argue, then closed it.

"I would like to meditate with you, if I may, Mistress."

They closed their eyes and murmured their mantra.

The Beloved Nephew had retrieved Kari and kept her for days. Syll began to wonder if the Human would ever return. Her students, defying her orders, worked their network for some word about the Human. Chaos, however, had turned the whole sphere around the Beloved Nephew opaque. He balanced on a cusp. Those who supported him were still many and still powerful. But they were starting to slip away. The enemies of the Beloved Nephew were legion and becoming emboldened but still not enough to come out in the open. Alliances were made and broken. People disappeared. Even important people. The drumbeat of war with the Federation thrummed louder trying to drown out the threat of civil war. Violence roiled the populace. Fear ruled.

Finally word came. The Beloved Nephew was returning Kari. They met the shuttle only to have someone shove the stretcher out and leave without speaking. The guards hurried forward to stop the stretcher from floating off. Kari was thrashing inside. Syll ran up and opened it. Then jerked back. It wasn't Kari. It was some alien. A fish type creature gasping.

"They've sent back someone else," one of the students cried.

Syll looked closely and gasped. "Transport to the hospital immediately. It is Kari. He has damaged her."

The doctor swore the moment they materialized.

"What have they done?" Syll sobbed. She grasped Kari's webbed hand. The Romulan's control had fled. "What have they done?"

"Games. Make room, Commander. She's suffocating. She should be in water."

Kari's webbed hands fluttered at Syll. Her mouth gaped but no sound came. The Beloved Nephew had cut her vocal cords. Her nictitating membranes blinked desperately. Finally, the sedative took hold. The medical staff stabilized her by running water over her gills.

"Think they're so damned clever do they?" the doctor thundered. "Think they can beat a Tal Shiar doctor do they? We'll see about that. We'll see."

The doctor and his staff labored to undo the damage and restore her Humanity. Reconstructing her limbs and body, restoring her DNA so that she could heal, they pieced her back together.

The Romulan doctor growled to himself as he worked on the Human. "You think you're so clever do you? Do you? Let me show you a thing or two. You think that's permanent? You're going to be surprised, you damned bastards."

Once, Kari's vitals plummeted. Syll thought the machine displaying her readings simply ceased working. All the numbers plunged towards zero.

"Live, dammit!" he bellowed at her as they worked to resuscitate her. "Just so you can see what a real doctor can do. Then you can die, dammit. Live!"

And slowly, the numbers clawed their way back into the realm of the living.

They regenerated what they could, improvised where they had no option. Days later, the doctor and his team stepped away. The young woman looked almost the same as before. Exhaustion had shredded the students' control. Syll's was hardly better. The doctor, however, exulted, triumphant. Despite fatigue bending their bodies, he and his team reveled in their success.

"Take her back to her cell and by all the Stars of Wisdom, do not let that madman get a hold of her again. She just simply will not survive."

He squeezed Kari's hand. "I'd love to write a paper about you. Put you on display, do a dissection on some of the reconstructions that we've done."

Syll shook her head. "Somehow I do not think she would appreciate it much."

"Yes, but if you can keep her out of the hands of the Beloved Nephew, and when you're done with her yourself, maybe you can turn her over to me. I've continued to upgrade her a bit here and there since the Beloved Nephew started it. I've left behind a few things, so there are some very interesting experiments that could be done."

"I will consider it, doctor." Syll hoped Kari was deep in her coma. "And thank you. You and your team bring honor, profound honor, upon yourselves."

The doctor beamed.

They moved her again to her prison. She stayed in her coma even when the suppressor was removed. Syll understood when the students took turns watching her.

She was in her office combing through the intelligence looking for more ways to hurt the Beloved Nephew when her student came for her. She didn't care who saw them sprinting down the hallways.

"Kari..." she began smiling.

"Run, Mistress Syll," she cried, stopping her pacing. "He suspects."

Though she had trained her students well, they still flinched.

"Then it is good that he only suspects." Syll kept her smile, trying to calm the Human, the students and herself. It wasn't working on any of them. "If he knew, then I would not be here."

"He doesn't need to know." She grabbed her by the shoulders. "He just needs to suspect. Everything he suspects, he kills. Everything. I've been unconscious too long! He is coming. He is coming. Don't wait. Please don't wait. Run."

"It is alright, Kari," she said, softly. "I have done nothing more than protect the Empire."

"Shut up you stupid bitch!" She slammed the wall. "You've got to go. Now. Right now. Hide. Run and hide."

"What did he do to you, Kari?"

She hid her face, collapsing on the bed. "He changed me! He deformed me!"

Syll sat next to her and held the hysterical woman. Syll rocked her as she had done so many times before. Kari shrieked out what the Beloved Nephew had inflicted upon her.

The Beloved Nephew told her of how he knew that she had interfered with his investigations by killing the other Human. And that was murder. As he raved about that crime, his cronies changed her. Turning her into a creature that only could live in water. Then threw her in the tank in a conference room. She swam and watched as the Beloved Nephew hosted the Federation ambassador. A Human. A Human ambassador mere centimeters from her. She could hear them talk but she could not speak, she could do nothing. She tried to signal the ambassador but he ignored her. The Beloved Nephew gave the ambassador a tour of the conference room. Finally coming to stand in front of the tank. The ambassador turned his head away to give the naked mermaid creature some privacy though she knocked desperately on the glass. The Beloved Nephew even reached in and grabbed her by her hair then yanked her out into the air her gills gasping frantically, drowning without the water. He offered her to the ambassador. The Beloved Nephew said he could take her with him if he wanted. That she would make a fine pet, a very capable sex toy for him. The ambassador had refused distaste written all over his face. The Romulan dropped her to let her sink to the bottom of the tank. After the ambassador left, he gloated at her. Saying that he would soon rule the entire quadrant. And his enemies would all be crushed beneath his boots. All his enemies even in the Tal Shiar who he knew were somehow behind this all, would wish they'd died. He recounted their first meeting and how that damned Tal Shiar agent had ruined it all for him. That she was a clever one. And Kari saw his mind twist around that thought even as he entertained himself with her.

"It does not mean..."

"Quiet! It does! He will come for you." She appealed to the four students. "Get her out of here. Now. Take her some place safe! Please!"

They looked at each other but did nothing.

"Shh, if he comes then I best be prepared to show him reason." She rocked the sobbing Human.

"There is one more thing. No, we don't need to go to the pain field." She mastered herself and looked into Syll's eyes. "I think he's preparing a way out. I think he's going to ask the Federation for asylum."

Syll's mouth dropped open. "No. Even the Beloved Nephew cannot think to betray Romulus. Above all, we are Romulans. Despite everything and anything, we are all Romulans. He would never..."

She considered. Why would the Beloved Nephew speak with the Federation ambassador? He despised the Federation. And all Humans. Yet, to invite the ambassador to his palace... A Federation ambassador... A Human Federation ambassador... It was so impossible to think about.

Yet, if he left any trail, any hint of a trail, it would finally tip the power struggle.

"You four." Her students stood at attention. "I accept your resignations from my stewardship. Make sure the record supports your contention that I have become unworthy. Be clear on that as far back as you can. Do this at once."

Without hesitation, they turned as one and left.

She remembered the Tal Shiar maxim: If it's important to do, then it's important to do immediately. Syll took out one of her capsules. She wrote her message with fingers that hardly trembled. A love note to the casual observer. Code to the right person. She placed the tiny note into the capsule and put it in her mouth.

"You must run too, Mistress Syll. Now. Right now. He raves. He thinks he has some special power to rule and destroy."

"Madness owns him." There was no need for circumspection any more. She calmed her heart.

"Mistress Syll." She clung to her desperately. "I cannot go back. Please. If you have even an iota of mercy, kill me first."

Syll breathed struggling for her control. Even as she had warned her students about the perils of being too long with one prisoner, they had warned her as well. The students had become the teachers. She thought about the beautiful tree in the garden. It was time.

She reached into her pocket and withdrew a thin disk no larger than a fingernail.

A guard appeared at the door. He was not one she recognized. Nor was he alone.

She looked at the disk. She had only one.

Then, pressing it into the Kari's hand, she whispered into the Human's ear, "Pull this apart to reveal the answer to your request. Be careful to take all or what you wish for will come slowly. It is irrevocable."

The Human jumped up and shoved Syll behind her to face the guard. "Don't go, Mistress Syll. Please. Stay with me. I'll protect you."

Syll murmured into Kari's ear then moved her aside. She straightened and faced the guard. Another Romulan appeared.

"Commander Syll."

"Sir?" she said startled. It was the Seigneur. "A most pleasant surprise."

"I am pleased to be able to invite you for a very quick meeting if you have the time."

"Of course," she smiled happily. "You always have my best wishes."

She gave him a quick kiss on the mouth. They both smiled again

Kari wailed and tried to keep her. The guards sealed the door out of the cell to leave her.

Alone.

Punishment for the unprepared comes disguised as surprise \- Romulan maxim

She stopped crying. She thought. She stood. She thought for a very long time. Plans. A disciplined mind. It was her weapon. See the path; make the plans.

Finally, when her plans were clear, she spoke to the guards, couching her request in a way that they'd want to and be able to grant it. Soon, a student appeared.

"738766," Donle said, brusquely. To her, fatigue looked like it was flaying the flesh from his body. "You will be dealt with soon enough."

"Is Mistress Syll still here, Master Donle?"

"The whereabouts of Commander Syll are not your concern even if she were here."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "I know the Beloved Nephew will want to see her punishment himself."

"Do not be worried about Commander Syll. She is the guest of a master interrogator and one of the Beloved Nephew's consultants."

"The Beloved Nephew cannot keep himself away. He is an open book to me. When he arrives, make sure I am there."

"Your request is hardly my responsibility."

"And I need these things when I go see him." She snatched the pad out of his hand and scribbled down a few things.

"I do not shop for you,"

"If you need help, by the Stars of Wisdom, go to Mistress Jhynif and Mistress Myryath for advice."

"I do not take orders from you."

"Be quick, Master Donle, be quick."

He spun on his heel and left.

Syll had told her that in the red bricks high above the entrance of the classes of the Tal Shiar someone long ago had carved:

Trust Everyone.

Most ignored these faint words as naiveté, from some different and forgotten time. Syll had told her she had climbed the walls there to find written in small letters hidden from the casual observer the words:

To Be Who They Are.

Kari waited and practiced. Alone. The students did not visit her. The guards brought her meals. They no longer spoke. She meditated as Syll had taught her. One thing she remembered from her days so long ago at Starfleet Academy: When there is only one road left to one's goal, prepare to travel it. As the days passed, she waited. Meditate, practice, strengthen, meditate, practice, strengthen. Oddly, the reconstruction had seemed to toughen her. Probably due to the doctor's DNA repairs, she surmised.

Myryath suddenly appeared at the cell door. "Your presence is required, 738766."

"Do you have the things, Mistress Myryath?" she asked jumping up.

"I have them here, 738766."

With the young Romulan's help, she dressed carefully, applied the makeup, and adorned her body with jewelry. Silver tips gave her exaggerated pointed ears. Her makeup lent her the illusion of large angled eyes, complemented by the long eyelashes. Lipstick blackened her lips into a dark moue. Her face was white, referencing the Kabuki theater. She arranged her hair in the swirls he loved so much. The clothes hardly covered her. The heels elevated her above the height of the student. She surveyed herself, transformed once again.

She raised her eyebrow to the Romulan student. "And do I meet with your approval, Mistress Myryath?"

"You are stunning, 738766."

The Human bowed slightly. For a moment, the Romulan glimpsed someone else under the guise that the Human had adopted. Someone...cruel. But then it was gone with a wry smile.

"Let's hope it is stunning enough."

She surveyed the cell one last time. Then walked to the outer cell. All of her guards from the different shifts had assembled. They were dressed in the gleaming honor robes of the Tal Shiar which she'd first seen at the courtyard. She looked curiously at Myryath.

"You need to be escorted, 738766."

The Human gazed into the dark eyes of the young Romulan. Myryath could not possibly know her plans, yet perhaps the student had somehow projected what Kari would do. She could only hope.

"Mistress Myryath, you would do me great honor, if you again called me Kari. Please."

She was silent a moment. "As you wish, Kari."

Kari turned her attention to the guards. "Accompanying me will put you in tremendous danger."

"The prisoner does not dictate our duties nor our responsibilities," one said.

"As you say. Let the Stars of Wisdom ever watch over you and your families."

Two preceded her as they left the outer cell. She kept her focus between them. The rest of the guards followed. Their synchronized march echoed with the faster click of her heels. Slightly behind the Human, Myryath glided silent as a shadow. The group neither paused nor looked at anyone they met on their approach to the great hall.

"May the Stars of Wisdom always illuminate the paths of Welan, Jhynif, Donle and yours as well, Mistress Myryath," she whispered.

"I shall convey your wishes. May your plans be watched over by every Star of Wisdom."

Kari didn't know whether these Stars of Wisdom existed but if they did, she prayed they were on her side.

Myryath dropped back to trail the Human as they approached the doors. Two of the Beloved Nephew's protectors stood there. An outrage for them to be here.

Kari bore down on them. The fabric adorning her body sighed softly with the sway of her hips. Her steps echoed with strength. She did not smile. She did not look at them. She stood tall and confident.

"I have been summoned."

The Beloved Nephew's protectors stared at the huge guards, then at her. Diaphanous blue cloth flowed around her body. Black painted nails shone their sharpness at them. She did not bow to the Beloved Nephew's protectors. One pulled out a scanning device.

"Our Beloved Nephew himself has summoned me." She gazed, cool and superior, through them.

They made as if to scan her escort. Her guards' helmeted heads turned toward him.

"They are with me."

He looked uncertain. One of the guards tightened her grip on her baton making the sinews of her fist creak.

"Must I help you recall the fate of the last person who kept our Beloved Nephew waiting?" She finally graced him with a look.

He put the scanner away and brought out a device. Argument over this would accomplish nothing. She turned so that he could shackle her hands behind her. Electronic handcuffs. Her hands were useless. Plan A flew away. He opened the door to the great hall.

She stalked in. The hall was large, not the intimacy of the interrogation room. She eliminated some of her plans. Many Romulans stood in a circle. Far more than she had projected. Again, she reordered her schemes. The Romulans turned to watch her enter. She strode a little faster to catch up to the lead guards. She brushed against them to make them halt then left them with the other Tal Shiar. She hoped that Myryath would fade into the background.

Kari saw him. The butterflies, with their razor sharp steel wings, slicing through her stomach, finally alighted, settling down to spectate. Her legs, lengthened by the heels, parted the skirt as she floated towards him. He had taken a center seat as she knew he would, sitting in a pool of light. His entourage stood behind him.

The Beloved Nephew smiled but did not arise when he saw her. She paid no attention to the female in the pain field not too far away. Speakers amplified her screams for all those in attendance. The sound echoed around the large chamber, off the symbols of Tal Shiar power, along the beams of ancient wood, resonated by well worn stone.

She smiled as she reached him, then knelt to touch her lips to his very shiny boot.

"Kari," he said, beaming at her. "I see the doctors have healed you most sufficiently. I cannot tell you how very pleased I am to see you healthy again."

"My lord and my master," she said, rising up. She stared down his entourage. Then looked away, dismissing them from her attention. "It pleases me so greatly to be in your presence once more. By your side, I am your most loyal of objects."

"The pleasure is mine as well. Because as you see," he gestured to the figure writhing in the pain field. "I have solved a most vexing problem."

"My lord." A Romulan from his entourage stepped forward. "This Human should not be allowed in this place. She is an insult to those here."

Kari spun and was on the Romulan in an instant, her face centimeters away from his. "And insulting the Tal Shiar is something we should not do? I can leave if you are worried for the sensibilities of the little spy club."

The male gritted his teeth. "I meant you are not required here, slut. You are an abomination."

"Do you insult our Beloved Nephew by implying that he would tolerate an abomination?"

The male's eyes flicked a little toward the Beloved Nephew.

"She will stay," the Beloved Nephew said. He waved his hand, magnanimous. "She is amusing."

"Thank you, my lord and my master." She bowed her head while sneering at the advisor, and turned to the Beloved Nephew. "I am most pleased to see a solution has presented itself. Hopefully, one that will soothe what troubles your brow."

As usual he was not listening to her. Instead, he was preening for his audience. A gallery of his most trusted advisers. Those that he had not shot yet.

"This creature here," he walked around the pain field. "Do you know her?"

"Her name is Syll. She is the worthless Tal Shiar who betrayed you when you first extracted me from the Federation."

"Yes! Yes, she is! You remember." The thin facade cracked a little. "As you can see, I've used a little encouragement beyond the Tal Shiar methods."

Kari watched the blood drip from the lacerations crisscrossing Syll's body. The green liquid pooled at the Romulan's feet. Parts of her body bore blisters and burns.

"Is she deserving?"

"Oh yes," His face contorted a little more. "Oh but yes. Have you had much contact with her?"

"Contact with a worthless Tal Shiar?"

He pulled out a pad. Kari's pad. He frowned at the readings.

"You said you've not had any contact with her?"

"Little could be gained from contact with one such as she."

He tried again to interpret the readings.

"Is the pad too complicated, my lord and master?" Kari inquired craning a little to look at the device. "Perhaps I can be of help?"

"No, I don't need your help. Yours or anyone's." He threw the pad aside. He glared at the screaming female. "She is a perversion. A criminal. She will soon break and all she knows will be mine."

"Is this pain field not working, my lord and my master?" Kari asked. "Do you wonder if she perhaps has been practicing? Could she have been making herself resistant? Surely not."

He waved what she said away. "Kari, dear sweet Kari. I hope you forgive me for our last meeting. I trust it was not too strenuous."

"The only strain was to be taken from your presence."

"Later, you can entertain me again. Would you like that? I know you will. Your flair for the dramatic shows great skill. First, though, we must get on with this business. This Syll, she has been the one to try to destroy me. She is behind all the schemes and plots trying to thwart me. I am sure of it. And I will find out who is aiding her. And I will destroy them!"

The entourage broke out into applause. No one seemed to notice that Syll had stopped screaming and just stood, vibrating from the pain, watching Kari. The Human stalked around her, locking eyes with the Romulan. The weapons of the Beloved Nephew's protectors followed her as she paced back and forth in front of the prisoner.

"She will tell me now who helped her," the Beloved Nephew snarled. "Who did she tell. How did she find it out. And most of all how I can make every waking moment in her life worse than the one before. She is the bitch who has spread the lies that I would betray Romulus. That I, me of all Romulans, would run to the Federation. It is a lie! I will cut the heart out of whoever is spreading such treachery about me."

"I may be of assistance to you here, my lord." She turned to the person at the controls. "Release her. Do so, for I am the Beloved Nephew's First Whore."

The Beloved Nephew laughed at that and the entourage tittered in response. The field released Syll to let her fall to the floor. The Tal Shiar present stood in silent witness. Despite the fact they were dressed almost identically, the Human identified the four students. None of the Tal Shiar came to Syll's aid. She sprawled on the ground, twitching. Kari stood over her. Syll looked up. Kari stared down.

"Well, First Whore," the Beloved Nephew said impatience stamped on his face. "I am waiting."

"Look at her, cowering before me. At my feet. Within my power. Is she the one who has destroyed you? Could she have had the audacity to bring you down? Would she have spread lies and rumors about you?" Kari lowered herself carefully to face the Romulan. The handcuffs and heels made balance difficult. She smiled at Syll, opening her mouth then ran her tongue over her teeth. "No. She is innocent after all. She bears no responsibility. A simple school teacher. But I know who is responsible."

"You? You know who is responsible? You, my First Whore? You are nothing."

"Yes, you made me nothing. And I am grateful for your attention. Because it helped me. Thank you." She bowed her head.

The Beloved Nephew frowned. He was tiring of the game. His patience was limited "What do you have, First Whore?"

She shook her head to let the pins drop. Her long hair cascaded to her waist. He licked his lips. "You are wondering who knew where your supplies were hidden. How did they know how to plunder your wealth? How did your enemies slip through your fingers?"

Her shiny heels sparked on the stone floor as she circled. She was radiant.

"Who could know your every weakness. Your every flaw. Your every plan. Could it be this Tal Shiar? How would she know? She is not worthy of knowing is she?"

The Beloved Nephew frowned glancing between the two. "Who then?"

"Who indeed. Your enemies are ravening at your door. Your powerful allies. Not so powerful now. And certainly not so many. They disappear like vermin when their stone is tipped over. Yet, it is I who has stood with you every step of the way. They..." She nodded toward the entourage. "They did not like me being with you at your palace. They insisted on throwing me out."

"They betrayed me?" he said enraged. They cringed back.

"Oh, no. They are as loyal as any that money can buy."

"Who?" he thundered. "Who did this? I shall tear them apart."

"Yes, my lord and my master. You will. If you could." She looked at the Beloved Nephew and gave him the coy smile he liked so much. Then looked at Syll. "Tell him who furnished the information to his enemies."

"I cannot tell that which I do not know," Syll said, gazing into her eyes.

Kari smiled to herself, having already guessed that her Romulan mistress would not take the opportunity. So she turned to the Beloved Nephew. "Does she admit to not knowing, my lord and my master? Do we believe her?"

"No, I shall wring the truth from her myself."

"Suppose, though, that she is telling the truth, that she does not know."

"She doesn't know?"

"Look at her. Could a Tal Shiar agent, a simple female no less, bring down one so great as you? I would not believe so."

She walked away from Syll and twirled letting her long hair flow around her. "Do you like my fashion today, my lord and my master? Does the First Whore please you?"

"Tell me! I am tired of this game, slut! Tell me now!"

"But I am concerned." She pouted, fluttering her eyelashes at him. "I fear it will not make you happy."

"It will! It will make me very happy!"

"As you wish then." Kari walked back to Syll. She again locked eyes with the Romulan. Syll used Kari's leg to pull herself into a kneeling position, leaning against the Human.

"I must confess to you, my lord and my master, that it was I who made every plan you ever made crumble before your eyes. I let them know where you could be hurt. And how to hurt you. Even when to hurt you. And I watched you squirm and scream like a little child, then weep like an old woman. You are just my plaything. You danced to my tune. You became my entertainment. I have spent so many hours just laughing at you. You are impotent."

His eyes bulged. His body quivered.

"You do not believe me? Then know that it was I who saw that you were running into the arms of the Federation like a spoiled brat who's had his favorite toy broken. Tut tut tut."

She gazed at him, arching her eyebrows. "Are we happy now?"

She bent down and kissed Syll on her lips, then arose and graced him with a smile.

He screamed. He ran at her. And as he had done every time before when his untrained mind unhinged, he slapped her across her face. She staggered but Syll held her up.

He stepped back, puzzled, and looked at his hand.

Blood. Green blood.

She spat out the half of the disk that contained the needle hoping she had not scratched herself as well. Syll spat out her half.

The entourage roared their approval not realizing yet what had happened.

Then the Beloved Nephew stumbled. He collapsed. The room fell completely silent. Syll released her. Kari's footsteps echoed as she walked up to the struggling male.

She knelt beside him and made sure he could see her. "You once boasted that nothing could kill you. So you are right, my former lord and never my master, for nothing has killed you."

The hall erupted into a fire fight. The Tal Shiar and the entourage blasted away at each other.

His mouth foamed and with a shriek, grabbed her around the throat. She tried to pull away but slipped. The clothes entangled her legs and the heels denied her any traction. Then a single shot blew his head off. She fell back and looked around. Syll, supported by Myryath, held a disruptor.

Someone screamed that Syll had killed the Beloved Nephew.

"Unlock the cuffs, please, Mistress," Kari told Myryath. The student dialed in the code and they fell from her.

Kari took the disruptor from Syll who had shot more holes into the body of the Beloved Nephew. She placed it against Syll's forehead. Syll stared back as Kari held the gun steady. Then Kari turned to the student.

"Help me, Mistress, or I will shoot her."

Myryath didn't hesitate. "The Human has taken Commander Syll hostage! Do as she says."

The other students ran up. One threw a Tal Shiar robe over their Commander.

"She will be seen as responsible for the Beloved Nephew's death," Myryath said. "She needs to hide."

"Fine, let's go." She kicked off her heels letting them hit what was left of the Beloved Nephew. "I can fly the shuttle if that helps, Mistress."

They picked Syll up and ran out of the hall. There was so much disruptor fire that Seren didn't know who shot and who died. She did notice that her former guards were beating someone to death with their batons.

They burst through the door of the great hall and sped towards the landing pad.

"There is a problem," Welan said. "The Beloved Nephew did not come in a shuttle."

"Master?" She almost stopped but Jhynif pulled her along.

"He brought his damned yacht, Kari," the Romulan student said, looking over her shoulder. "That's what he calls it."

"Yes, Mistress, I know it. I didn't think it'd fit here."

"Can you fly it?"

"Yes, I think so, but..."

They burst through the doors to the landing pad. The ship was massive compared to the shuttle. White and shiny, the craft glittered in the sun, sharp and hook nosed. Broad winged like a warbird but much smaller, it still had crushed some of the gardens, even a small building. Like a giant snow owl swooping onto its prey, it looked fierce just sitting there.

"The Beloved Nephew needs your help," Donle yelled. "Protect Romulus if you value your lives."

A score of the Beloved Nephew's protectors stationed by the ship ran by them.

The students carried Syll to the main cabin.

"You must leave now, Kari." Myryath handed her some clothes. "Commander Syll will know where to go."

"But, Mistress... You're not coming? Won't they accuse you?"

"No. He was a fool to come here. The Tal Shiar owns these truths. One for the Beloved Nephew's network. It exists still, like a cancer. The Tal Shiar will make sure the blame falls on Commander Syll. The other will be a public one. I do not know what that is but it will be to avoid civil war. Then there is the truth. Let the Stars of Wisdom guide you."

They ran. Kari sealed the hatch. Syll slumped on a couch, unconscious.

The Human realized that the four Romulans assumed she had a plan from this point on. She didn't. Escape had not been a possibility. And without Syll's guidance what could she do? Where could she go? The Romulan Commander would berate her for being so ill prepared. Romulans always had a plan. All Kari's plans ended in that great hall. Survival had not been any kind of a consideration.

Kari clambered up to the bridge which looked down on the main cabin. The controls were similar to the Beloved Nephew's shuttle. And perhaps they were set up for the Beloved Nephew since they were plainly labeled.

She sat in the main chair, then slid her finger along the activate control. Nothing.

"Computer," Kari said.

"ID unknown." A male voice.

"Do you take orders from the Beloved Nephew?"

"Affirmative."

"Do you take orders from the entourage of the Beloved Nephew?"

"Affirmative."

"Do you recognize me as the First Whore of the Beloved Nephew?"

Time. Paused.

She wanted to faint with terror.

"What are your orders, First Whore?" the computer asked. Kari almost fainted with relief.

"Get us out of here!" she yelled. "Take us to the Neutral Zone. The Federation border!"

"There are a number of courses to that area. Would you like to choose one?"

"The quickest fastest most direct route. Fast! Make it fast."

"Course laid in."

"Engage, engage, engage!"

The white ship folded its wings backwards silently, reconfiguring itself into a crouch. Then it leaped into the sky, blasting out of the Tal Shiar compound.

"We are on route, First Whore."

The inertial dampeners whined as the ship tore through the atmosphere. The turbulence buffeted them until the sky turned indigo then black as they hit space. Warbirds and other ships orbited the planet.

"Why aren't we at warp?" Kari shouted.

"Warp safety protocols due to planet proximity are in place."

"Override!"

"Please confirm override."

"Dammit, make it so right now!"

The engines rumbled then the ship warped out. Kari gasped as the feeling she'd willed herself to forget washed over her. The strange FTL glow outside the windows was something she'd tried to never remember. But here. To be in space. Again. To be on a starship. Again. To be free...

She tore herself away from the window almost afraid the FTL glow would disappear if she took her eyes from it. "Computer, warn me if there are any other ships in pursuit or in the area. How long until the Neutral Zone?"

"At maximum warp, we will arrive at the Neutral Zone in twenty hours, First Whore."

"And from now on just call me... Call me captain!" She laughed.

"We are being hailed, captain."

"Tell anyone contacting us that we're on the business of the Beloved Nephew. No other communication, understood?"

"Affirmative, captain."

"Where is the medical equipment?"

She retrieved the kit and ran to Syll. The Romulan had regained consciousness. She was holding a cloth to one of the wounds seeping blood. Kari opened the kit and located the healer. She pulled the cloth aside and moved the device over the wound. The Romulan pressed the disruptor against Kari's temple. At this range, even the stun setting would kill her.

"Stop that," Syll whispered.

Kari moved to the next wound. Slowly, the edges of the wound knitted together. She would never tire of seeing that magic. She shifted to a burn. The healer adjusted and she had to move even slower.

"I hate you and all that is Federation. Despite everything, I would kill you now. You are the enemy."

Kari concentrated on the wounds. "With respect, Mistress Syll, you are lying like a Human."

Syll's eyes blazed, then she coughed, "You should let me die."

"The Beloved Nephew would have been most irritated to find you amongst the living, Mistress Syll." The ghastly blisters finally faded and the flesh lost some of it's blackness.

"As you say," Syll chuckled. "I feel we have traveled this path before, Ensign Kari Wu."

"Captain, Mistress Syll. Remember? You made me a Starfleet captain."

She stood and went to the replicator. The Romulan let the disruptor fall.

"Cool water," Kari said, and retrieved the glass when it appeared.

She held the Romulan to let her sip the water. "Careful. Slowly, please, Mistress Syll."

"Thank you. Screaming for a week does make one's throat a little raw."

"I wish the doctor was here," Kari muttered returning to healing the lacerations.

"He would try to kill you. He is a good Romulan. As are my students. Make no mistake, Captain Kari Wu. They see you as the enemy. It is only in their interests to have assisted you in helping me escape."

"Bullshit."

"Language, Human!"

She laughed. "They love you, Mistress Syll. They're loyal to you. You"

The Human finished what could be done to the cuts and burns, then transfused new blood into her.

"How strange. I am now your prisoner, Kari."

"I'm still your prisoner, Mistress Syll. You have the disruptor."

Syll pushed the weapon in her direction. "I officially free you from Tal Shiar custody. And I accept you as my captor."

"You are not my prisoner, Mistress Syll. You never will be. But thank you for freeing me. May the Stars of Wisdom forever illuminate your path."

Syll raised her eyebrows. "What a good student you are. I have been fortunate. May the Stars of Wisdom be with you forever as well. Now turn around and lift your hair. How ridiculous it is to wear it as such a length."

Kari turned her back.

"This might hurt a little," Syll said.

"I'll try to manage."

She made an incision, deactivated the module, then removed it from Kari's neck. The healer closed the wound. She handed it to the Human

"I thought these modules could not be removed." Kari examined the device. So small and harmless looking.

"We tell that to all our prisoners. Apparently an error on our part."

Kari laughed. "Thank you...Syll."

She sighed. "Do not forget, Kari, never forget that I gave the order to kill your shipmates those many years ago."

"I've never forgotten who was responsible. I never will."

"Well, assuming we can reach Federation space, I will be in the care of your Starfleet intelligence. Or perhaps they will turn me over to Section 31."

"Section 31?" Kari frowned. "What's that?"

Syll smiled a little.

"Well, whatever this Section 31 is, they won't be torturing you."

Syll patted her on the head. "I am Tal Shiar. They will assume I know many things. They will be correct. They will invite me to share with them what I know as I would do if I had one of them as my guest. There is no evil too great when we believe we must do what we must do."

"No one's going to be touching you," Kari scowled. "Are you hungry?"

"Hmm, I think I am. A little soup perhaps."

She returned from the replicator with a bowl. Sitting down next to her, she spooned a little into the Romulan's mouth. Slowly, she fed her the soup. Syll could only manage half a bowl. Kari gulped down the rest.

"You are dressed differently," Syll observed.

Kari looked at her reflection. Many mirrors adorned the bulkheads in the main cabin. "My assassin's outfit. I think I shall keep it in case I need to kill again. I need new shoes though. Do you think he liked it?"

"As the last thing he saw, I am sure he was most pleased."

Kari nodded. "How much more time, computer?"

"Eighteen hours, captain. I have detected one ship in pursuit. More may be cloaked. They are gaining but will not intercept us before we reach the Neutral Zone. There are ships in front of us."

"How many?"

"Three. There may be more which are cloaked. More ships are moving to intercept us where we will enter the Neutral Zone."

"I think we're kind of doomed," Kari sighed. "Computer, grant Syll command control access equal to my own."

"Access granted, captain. Shall I refer to her as Second Whore?"

Syll jerked awake and pounded the table. "Computer! You shall refer to me as... as... as first officer!"

"Affirmative, first officer."

Kari had collapsed. Her body shook with laughter. "I can't breathe," she wheezed, tears streaming down her face. "I can't breathe."

"Stupid Human! This is no time for laughter!"

Kari rolled on the deck. "Your face... You should've seen your face!"

Syll glowered at her and leaned back onto the couch. "I see no humor in being called Second Whore."

Kari howled. Finally, she was able to join the Romulan on the couch.

"I don't think I've truly laughed in years." She pulled the Romulan against her.

"What are you doing, Human? I am unamused."

"Enjoying the feeling of being the captain of a ship. Doesn't rank have its privileges?"

"I suppose." She flopped her head on to Kari's shoulder.

"I haven't forgotten what you told me in the cell, Romulan."

Kari carefully arranged Syll onto her side. The huge couch accommodated them both. A corridor from the main cabin lead to the bedroom. Then a very large bathroom. Oddly, there were no other accommodations on the ship according to the plans she'd seen on the control console. The Beloved Nephew had furnished the main cabin with garish opulence, at odds with the elegance of the shape and color of most of the ship. She surmised the Beloved Nephew had stolen the craft from someone else.

"I recall only saying that you should not be concerned."

"Not even close." She pulled a comforter over the drowsy female.

"Allow me to sleep no more than two hours. I do not want to miss my execution."

Kari let her drift off then climbed back to the console. She questioned the computer about different options. Most were terrible and the others were worse.

She dropped her head onto her arms. They were so close. And so far away.

She suddenly felt the warm hands of the Romulan massaging her shoulders. "Trying a new form of interrogation?"

Syll laughed. "Is it working?"

"If the purpose is to relax me, then yes. How are you feeling?"

"I am well, and you?"

"Worried."

"Perhaps we should surrender."

Kari spun. "No, they will never get you. Never."

"Perhaps they are after you. I could turn you in for a great reward."

"You think so?"

Syll cocked her head. "I have considered it. Although handing you over to the military has possibilities, I do not believe it would accomplish much. Something about killing the Beloved Nephew will not put the military in a forgiving mode regardless of their true feelings. The students are right. I am as you say, the scapegoat."

"I killed him. Not you. I poisoned him."

"I beg to differ. I shot him while he was still alive."

"That poison made him a dead man."

"That poison was also mine. I killed him."

"I killed him and let's not talk about it any more."

"As you wish since we both agree that I killed him."

Kari stood to look into Syll's eyes. "We have a few hours before we are in range of the warbirds. Do you want to spend it arguing?"

They kissed.

They made love.

They kissed some more.

They held each other as tightly as they could.

"I have just committed a great sin, Captain Kari Wu," Syll murmured, falling back onto the pillows.

"Is that really against Romulan law?" Kari asked a little breathlessly. The bed, as she knew it would be, was immense.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Syll was quiet a moment. "Because Romulans are superior to Humans."

"What? You mean Humans have out evolved Romulans."

She shrugged. "It is against the law, a capital crime, and has been for a very long time."

Kari pulled the blanket around them. "Good thing you're under Federation jurisdiction then. We are not so archaic."

Syll smiled then said, "You risked much with the poison disk."

"I knew you'd know what to do."

"And if you were not able to get to me? How would you have separated the disk?"

Kari fluttered her tongue against the Romulan's ear.

Syll scrunched away trying to protect her ear. "You are fortunate, Human. You would have probably pricked yourself."

"Plan A required my hands. This was Plan B." She fluttered her tongue on her other ear, causing the Romulan to clap her hands over them. "As you can see, I did practice. Plan C was the best though."

Syll looked at her. "You had another plan though did you not?"

"As I have been taught, many." Kari met her gaze. "If I felt that I could not get to him, then I would kill you if I could. My thanks forever and ever to the Stars of Wisdom."

"Our thanks always to the Stars of Wisdom."

Kari clasped Syll's hands into hers then rested her forehead against Syll's. They closed their eyes and meditated.

"I feel this is superior without the pain field," Syll murmured after a moment.

Kari kissed her on the nose in agreement.

"Computer," Kari said. "How long until we are in range of the warbirds?"

"Two hours."

"What kind of weapons do we have?"

"There are small arms and..."

"No, I mean ship's weapons."

"I will not agree to firing on my own people," Syll warned.

"This ship does not possess weapons," the computer said.

"Well, we appear to have avoided our first argument."

"Second."

Kari gave her a look.

"What designation of shields do we have, computer?" asked Syll.

"This ship does not posses shields, first officer."

They both cursed at the same time, eliciting a laugh which did not last long.

"Great. No weapons, no shields. This is going to be a very short fight," Kari sighed. "If only we had a cloak."

Syll shook her head. "This ship is far too small for..."

"This ship is equipped with a cloak," said the computer.

"What?" they both said.

"This ship is equipped with a cloaking device."

"How is that possible, computer? The power generation is far too large."

"First officer, the owner of this vessel installed the appropriate power generators recently. Weapons, shields, all but one transporter, extraneous crew quarters, cargo space have all been sacrificed."

"He was running, that coward," Kari said.

"Computer, how many ships behind us?"

"One. More may be cloaked."

"On the border blocking us?"

"Five. More may be cloaked."

Syll nodded, thoughtful.

"You know their tactics, first officer. Do you have a plan?"

"Always, Starfleet captain," Syll stated. "It may be adequate."

"It had better be more than adequate." Together, they worked on the solution.

"I think we should get dressed if we are to go into battle," Syll said moving slowly. "It seems more appropriate somehow."

Kari found something Syll reluctantly accepted. She combed the Romulan's hair and tried to hide some of the bruises with a little makeup.

"I can dress myself, Human," she grimaced, as she tried to bend and put on some boots. Kari knelt and laced the boots up.

"A cocktail dress," Syll scowled. "And what is the point of a dress being so short?"

"Myryath must've had a lot of hope since she brought those along," she said, pointing to the Tal Shiar garments that the students had thrown over her in the great hall. "You can wear that if you want."

Kari dressed herself in the clothes she came on board with.

Syll looked at the Tal Shiar clothing. "I believe it no longer suits me."

"We are being hailed," the computer said.

They returned to the main cabin to stand before a display.

"Ready?" Kari asked.

Syll tugged at the hem of her dress trying to get it below her knees. "Ridiculous. But proceed."

"Computer, on screen."

A Romulan captain appeared.

"Captain Rhel of the Darksend," Syll answered. "A pleasant coincidence to encounter you out here."

The captain bowed. "Greetings, Commander Syll. It had come to my attention you were in the area. I would not miss the opportunity of enjoying your company again. You appear to be dressed for a pleasant dinner."

"We were about to indulge in a simple repast on our leisurely voyage," Syll said. Kari suddenly put her arm around her. Syll tried to pull away but she was too weak. "We are on vacation."

"A vacation, ahh," his smile faltered a little when he looked at the two females. "We would be honored to have our former first officer join us aboard the Darksend for a pleasurable meal and some idle conversation."

"Your generosity is most kind, captain. If I might digress a moment while there is still time. My being in the Tal Shiar disappointed you those many years ago. I am sorry for that subterfuge. I would like you to know that it was a sincere pleasure to serve with you, sir. Regardless of the outcome of these current events, I am grateful to you, captain."

"You were the finest officer, Commander. I was rude at our parting those many years ago. That was uncalled for. My apologies." He cocked his head. "Now, if you would cut your engines, we can welcome you on board the Darksend with some fine Romulan Ale and some excellent cooking. These many ships in this area would appreciate your cooperation so they may go about their own duties."

"A thoughtful invitation, captain," Syll said. "If you would indulge me another moment. I understand that there was a problem with the prior owner of this ship?"

"We have unfortunate news that the Beloved Nephew was fatally injured by a most sorrowful of accidents. The reports detail how he sacrificed himself to personally with his own bare hands save the lives of many many families from a terrible tragedy."

"You can't be serious," Kari blurted out.

Syll shook her head while glaring at Kari. "Sadness indeed for the Romulan Empire to see the loss of such a personage. His sacrifice which has saved so many must have caused the Stars of Wisdom themselves to weep."

"Yes, weep indeed." The Romulans paused respectfully a moment. "Now, Commander Syll. I look forward to having you on board. The family of the Beloved Nephew has formally requested the military to interrupt your vacation and escort you home."

"You were thoughtful to offer them your assistance, sir. However, I fear we must decline. I know this inconveniences many. I am sorry this rendezvous is likely to be short, captain, but..."

"It need not be, Syll," the captain interrupted, leaning forward. "You have no hope here. None. Syll, take me up on my invitation. Please. Accommodation might still be possible."

Syll looked away a moment. "There is no blame here, Rhel. None at all. My memories of you are and always will be, fond. I will not return to what awaits me. I trust you to be efficient. May the Stars of Wisdom guide each and every one of your plans."

"May you find peace amongst the Stars of Wisdom, Syll." He looked like he wanted to say something more but they were both silent.

"Captain," Kari said, finally.

He frowned at her focusing his attention. "You look familiar, Human."

"I'm afraid we all look alike," she said smiling. "Is that Tolan standing behind you?"

The captain looked over his shoulder. "Why yes. You two are acquainted?"

"Has he chosen more wisely in love?"

Tolan knocked a fist against his thigh.

Captain Rhel laughed as some of the other staff smirked. "You show much optimism, Human. I now remember you. Your Romulan is perfect."

"Thank you," Kari said, bowing her head. "Your attention to duty those many years ago, reluctant or not, brought me great sorrow. Although I still hold that cup, I believe it to be empty. I will no longer drink from it. May the Stars of Wisdom always bring you home."

He nodded. "I understand."

"If you decide to go to the funeral, I would be grateful if you could deliver a personal message to the family and supporters of the Beloved Nephew from me. If it is not too inconvenient."

"I can but hope that I will be invited to what can only be a tremendous outpouring of grief. Your message?"

Kari turned her back, bent over and pulled her pants down.

"Kill communications, computer," Kari said.

"Such eloquence, Human," Syll sniffed.

"Darksend is firing!" Kari yelled, looking at the scanners.

"That cannot be. We are nowhere near in range." Syll examined the console. "Just one burst. Not even in our direction. Interesting."

With the warbirds holding their position in front and the warbird chasing them, their little ship had nowhere to go. They shared a chair, watching the glow outside the windows, and waited, holding each other.

"Our plan is unlikely to work, Human."

"I trust in your plan, Romulan."

"If it works, it is my plan. If it does not, then it is your plan."

"If it doesn't, then we will find each other in the Stars of Wisdom."

Syll kissed her lightly on the mouth.

"We're almost in range," Syll said. "In range now. Our plan is good given the circumstances. Let us hope it is good enough."

"Computer," Kari murmured. "Cloak and full reverse."

Their surroundings glowed a moment as they cloaked. The warbirds around them became visible immediately. The white ship spread its wings to use the deflector profile to help slow them. Their momentum pressed them forward as the inertial dampeners compensated. Three pursuing warbirds zoomed past them so close they could almost feel them. All the Romulan ships started firing in patterns trying to guess where they had gone.

"Computer," Syll said. "Follow that lead ship. Do not encroach on its shields. Stay close on its stern."

The white ship accelerated to catch up with the slowing warbirds. Syll's hands flew over the controls making minor adjustments in their position until satisfied the computer would automatically keep them positioned in what she described as a warbird blind spot.

"Shut down all non-essential services, computer," Kari ordered. "Keep our energy signature to a minimum. Your plan is excellent, first officer. They did not suspect that we would have a cloak. My congratulations."

They saluted each other, laughing, then kissed.

The Romulan warbirds laid down a massive spread of firepower then turned and fired into the Neutral Zone.

"We appear to have attracted Starfleet interest," said Syll.

"A ship?"

"Three. A gathering of warbirds will do that. Especially considering the political climate on Romulus. More Federation starships arriving. We must navigate closer to transport over."

Syll composed herself relaxing as best she could.

"No."

"Do you wish to contact them, captain?"

"No."

Syll frowned. "We have done well to avoid the warbirds thus far. It would be a great shame to be destroyed by someone with a nervous trigger finger on the Federation side."

"Let's go back to bed." Kari got up and pulled on Syll's arms.

"I beg your pardon, captain?"

"That's an order, first officer Syll. We've a little time I believe."

Syll rose and tried to get the dress to cover more of her legs. "As you wish. I should warn you. I am..." She paused to gather herself. "I am still not functioning at full capacity."

"Me neither. We'd best be gentle with each other."

Syll groaned coming fully awake and looked around. Sleep had stolen many hours from her. She gathered a blanket around herself and moved to the main cabin.

"You call that gentle, Human?"

Kari lounged at the console enjoying the view of the stars through the two large round windows of the bridge. The giant warbird beneath them navigated slowly on thrusters. "You call that not functioning at full capacity, Romulan?"

Syll found another dress tossing away the rags that Kari had made of the first one.

"Why is there even female clothing on board?" she scowled at her reflection.

"I am sorry, first officer," Kari called down to her. "But you really don't want to know."

She shuddered and tottered over to sit next to the Human watching the screen and the console.

"They've given up, see," she said pointing out how widespread the ships had become. "The Federation ships are paralleling them but I think everyone is out from crisis mode."

"I confess," said Syll examining the star map. "I had some concern that we would precipitate the very war that we were seeking to avoid. That would have been an irony even the Stars of Wisdom would find painful."

Kari hugged her.

The ship they were shadowing started to move off. Their little space yacht followed along.

"We should disengage from this ship," Syll said.

"Computer, when this warbird goes to warp, disengage. Do not follow. Keep adrift. Minimal systems." She turned to the Romulan. "How's your appetite?"

"I've been tortured, shot at, and had some strange alien inflict her odd sexual rituals upon me. I am now starved."

Kari laughed and hugged her. "I believe that the weird alien sex stuff was being done to me. I think the little bastard has some actual food here."

"Little bastard?"

"I think Beloved Nephew is no longer apropos."

They set out the fine delicacies the little bastard had stocked his yacht with.

The dim interior lights allowed the stars to shine through the windows. The big Romulan ship beneath them maneuvered along, firing randomly.

"The warbird is preparing to go to warp," the computer intoned. "Disengaging."

"Thank you, computer," Kari said.

Their ship drifted when the big ship warped away. A couple more warbirds lingered then they too abandoned the area.

"Woo hoo!" Kari cried. "Computer, fire all torpedoes."

"We have no torpedoes, captain."

"Fire all phasers."

"We have no phasers, captain."

Kari laughed. Then stopped to sit, staring at her half eaten food.

"We should cross while there are still Federation ships in the area," Syll said, putting her cutlery down. "The military probably believe we have crossed already and are now under Federation protection."

Kari neither answered nor looked at her. Syll recognized her behavior. The Human would withdraw into herself when the memories of the little bastard's attentions overwhelmed her.

"Kari, it is all good. Matters will proceed as they should with the Federation. You will be home again. Amongst your friends."

She still didn't answer.

Syll moved closer to her. "I accept this. I am grateful for it. You have saved me. I will always be thankful for that."

The Romulan sighed at the Human's silence. "Computer, plot a course to the nearest Federation starship. Warp one."

"Belay that, computer," Kari barked out.

Syll pulled the Human against her. She rocked the almost limp woman slowly. "It will be fine, Kari, you will see. You can show me all around the Federation. After they realize I will divulge no secrets, they will release me. It will not be long. I promise."

Kari finally looked up and into the Romulan's eyes. The lack of tears surprised Syll. Whatever memory plagued Kari would usually leave her in shreds. But this time, nothing.

Instead, she smiled at Syll her eyes bright, exultant, and asked, "Have you ever heard of The DrearGyre?"

She had not. And neither had the computer. They had to research the name to find the official Romulan designation which were just coordinates. They spent most of the long journey there sleeping, healing and, sometimes, just being silent with each other.

On arriving at The DrearGyre, they found that it negated the cloak. And most of the sensors. They piloted manually.

"Captain, we must decide on a name for the ship," Syll said, guiding them with quick touches of the control panel as Kari kept a visual lookout.

"I'm surprised, first officer," said Kari. "The Great Yacht of the Beloved Nephew does not fill you with joy?"

"No."

"You've already named her I think."

Syll cocked her head. "I did?

"Yes, when you spoke with Captain Rhel. You said we were on vacation. We shall call her Vacation. When we want to take a trip on her we will just say we're going on Vacation."

Syll shook her head. "You are the strangest Human, Kari. Vacation it is."

"Computer, the name of this ship is now Vacation."

"Affirmative, captain. Ship designation has been changed."

"And, computer, do you have a Federation voice, a female voice, called Majel?"

"Affirmative, captain."

"Then please change your voice."

"Is this correct, captain?"

"Perfect."

"You did not like the Romulan male voice?" Syll said, as she went back to fully concentrating on the space around them.

"A beautiful voice for our beautiful ship to match our beautiful first officer."

"How do you know of this place?" Syll asked, shaking her head and smiling. Her piloting skills were rusty but at least she knew the craft generally. Kari had almost crashed trying to fly it.

"Miners know it. My parents spoke of it every now and then."

"Your parents?"

"Yes, you know they were miners right?"

Syll nodded. "I do."

"We didn't get a long so well. You know that?"

Syll nodded again.

"This isn't fair. You know everything about me and I know almost nothing about you."

"That is exactly the way it should be," said Syll.

Kari shook her head. "There are so many stories and lies and dreams and nightmares about The DrearGyre that it is almost mythic. At least among miners. One thing for sure. It's really dangerous. Watch those asteroids on the starboard side. Really strange stuff goes on inside of it. Radiation spikes all over the place. And this stuff."

A faint energy field, like fog, made visual navigating through the debris field difficult. Kari pointed out some smaller asteroids in their path. The spread wings helped maximize the deflector to offset the fact it was hardly working at all. But at least the dust and the smaller particles would not damage the ship.

"I see them. Why do people come here then?"

"Riches is my guess. Did you see that giant ore ship leaving?"

"Something that immense would be difficult to miss. I confess I have never seen such a vessel. It might even have been Romulan."

"Ships that size stay out of The DrearGyre proper. Too big. Too much danger in the nebula. They are filled by small feeder ships." Kari pointed out some more hazards. "My parents and their friends were always going on about it. Who was going to go. Who had gone and never come back. Someone who'd struck it super rich. Some who'd made it out but came back damaged. Physically and mentally. And no, I've never been. From what I remember, that doesn't matter since everything changes from day to day, even minute to minute."

"It is mostly mining colonies?"

"Yes. And the people who support them. And those who want to make it very difficult to be found. And people who want to get rich finding them."

Syll chuckled. "Sounds most interesting. Whose jurisdiction?"

"No one. Everyone. Most of the time no one cares too much. The ore is interesting. Just not interesting enough to the main players. Not for the cost of managing it. Have I mentioned how dangerous this place is, Syll?"

"It is perfect. I believe though, we cannot just float around amongst these rocks."

"There's a place somewhere in the middle my parents told me about," she said as she continued to scan through the windows. "It's called Hellsbitch."

"A charming name."

"Yes, delightful isn't it? I think we're going to have to just hunt for it."

Using the warp lanes when they could, they made slow progress into the center of The DrearGyre. Kari could remember no other details of the location. If it wasn't quite so hazardous, they'd find The DrearGyre fascinating. Kari laughed as her knowledge on comets and nebulas and space dust slowly returned as she imparted it to the Romulan to help navigate. Valuable information indeed, Syll had smiled at her. Brown dwarves, rogue planets, comets, asteroids, debris had all collected here. The strange nebula itself acted as a very weak gravity well. Giant gas planets that dwarfed Jupiter and rings extending far greater than Saturn's wandered with moons bigger than Earth. Some had colonies they could detect. After one particularly close brush with some fiery energy field, Syll said The DrearGyre would be the perfect hideout since no one would ever be so foolhardy to come in to just look for them. Stumbling across remains of wrecked ships on occasion helped maintain their concentration.

"We are going to attract attention being in a Romulan craft," Syll said.

"I doubt it. If they're paying attention to us they're... dammit watch that rock... they're going to end up splattered on the side of something."

Syll gasped jerking the ship around. "The hospitality of the good Captain Rhel is starting to appeal to me."

"There, there it is," Kari said, pointing to a colony on a planetoid.

"I hope you are right. I am not sure how much longer we can keep this up."

"Look. There's some old mining pits over there."

"Where?" Syll searched the planetoid. "Pointing at an entire planet is not helpful."

"There, down, I mean right. See the pits? The big holes? Let's go see if we can find some place to hide. They're not too far from Hellsbitch."

"I see them, I think. Those are quite large."

They navigated slowly down to one of the enormous gouges where Syll spotted a cave. It was large enough to allow her to back the craft deep into the interior. They shut down as much of the ship as they could, then fell into bed exhausted.

Syll awoke to find Kari gathering equipment. She moved around the cabin piling up food and clothes to fit into two backpacks. Some knives lay on the heaps of supplies.

"Do not tell me the little bastard did not supply the ship with weapons," she said.

"Good morning. Or whatever it is. He did. All energy weapons. They either wouldn't work or explode or do other bad things. The DrearGyre does not like energy weapons of any kind from what I've been told."

"What are you looking for?"

"Gold pressed latinum if possible and anything we can safely sell for latinum."

"Kari."

"We're going to need supplies. It's going to cost us."

"Kari."

"I'm going to raid the emergency kit for breathers and real clothes. We're going to have to hike into Hellsbitch from here."

"Kari!"

"Yes, Miss... uh.. Syll?" She turned to face the Romulan. Then realized she stood in the Romulan pose of submission and tried to find some other way to stand.

"Can you sit down please?"

Kari came and sat next to her. "We can't live here, Syll. It's far too dangerous. Even with sensors going crazy, someone might still be able to find the ship. It's much easier to find something this size than just us."

Syll took a deep breath. "There is a word you use. And I am concerned."

Kari looked at her. "What word?"

"The word is we."

"Uhm, okay. What about it?"

"Despite your warnings about The DrearGyre," she said holding Kari's hands, "staying with me is what is truly dangerous. We, or rather they, the Romulans, view you as a criminal but I doubt if they would expend resources to find you. But in their eyes, I am a traitor. I am Tal Shiar. I have assassinated the Beloved Nephew. And they now know that I am a perversion. Which though I am somewhat glad about, I also do not underestimate the zealots of Romulan purity. They are relentless. It is just a matter of time before Romulus concludes I am not in Federation space. Then they will start looking. For you to be safe, you should not be with me."

"You want to leave me?"

"When we get to this Hellsbitch place, you should leave me."

"Why?"

"Pay attention, Human!" She sighed as Kari flinched. "I am sorry, Kari. I apologize for my tone. I have no right to speak in such a manner to you. But please, listen. Try to understand everything I have just explained. These dangers which are too real are on top of everything I have already done to you." Syll's gaze remained steady. She wanted to turn aside. She wanted to run away. Far away. "I have done terrible things to you, Kari. I would have done terrible things to you regardless of the circumstances. I would have executed you then forgotten your existence if things had been even just slightly different. I would have gladly done it if it served Romulus. You may think that I saved your life. I did not. Think of those people that I killed on your ship. You must face the truth. I killed them because they were in the way. You should know, I have done much worse. It was for a purpose. Romulan purpose. My intent was not the same as the Beloved Nephew's. The effects, though, are indistinguishable. I performed my duties, my responsibilities, willingly. You must see me as who I am. You must see that I am the destroyer of everything you were. You must see me as your enemy."

The words had tumbled out of the Romulan faster and faster, until she gasped for breath.

Kari's face was blank.

"I had a friend on the T'naarr. Probably my only friend. I wasn't the easiest person to get along with, Syll. He was very nice. He had many dreams. Such a good man. Older than me. His name was Thomas. Always laughing. A true friend which I badly needed. He had a great family. A nice place to live on Earth. A little house by some stream he said. He showed me photos. Trees and flowers. And a wife, a librarian I think, and a daughter. Always going on picnics he said. They probably mourned him for years. His daughter will never see him again. He will never see her grow up. She will never have him there for when her days are darkest nor when they are brightest."

"Kari, I am...," Syll began until the Human put her fingers on her lips.

"Our ship was investigating a small comet. Something that we had done so many times before. Dull. Mundane. He loved it. He loved comets he said. I don't know why. The shuttle craft he was in was hit by a nano microburst meteor. Slipped right through the shields. Bad luck. But worst luck to hit his port nacelle. His craft exploded. We were able to transport what was left of him back to us. He did not live very long. He did tell me to not be sad. I wasn't sad. I was mad. I was so mad that he died on something so... so ordinary. But he did. Syll, you can be sorry if you wish, but Thomas did not die by your hand. He died doing something he loved. He used to laugh at me when I complained that we were on such a boring mission. That I wanted more excitement. But he always said we're in space, we're exploring out here in space. How much more amazing is that? Then he'd laugh. To be amongst the stars. It is a dangerous thing we do. Dying because of bad luck. Dying because of Romulans. Circumstances were different. But you're right, the effect is the same. I would like to think that we, you and I and everyone else who go to the stars accept that we're not going out for groceries. I wanted to be in Starfleet to do something special. I hate that little bastard for what he did with all my heart and all my soul. But he provided the opportunity for me to make a little dent in the Universe."

Syll's mind spun. Her fists hung onto the bed as fiercely as she could. If she didn't know better, she would have thought the ship was still in space careening out of control.

"Syll, that woman back then, called Kari, who was a Starfleet Ensign, who wanted to have something more exciting. She got her wish. She does not regret it. Not at all. Starfleet taught me that. You taught me that as well. She cannot undo what has happened. Maybe she'd want to in some little parts. But that's not our choice, is it? That Kari would not recognize me now. Five years... More... They've been a lifetime. And here I am. With you. I don't know how that's happened to be truthful. I cannot lie about that. But I'm here. Now. With you. No Federation. No Starfleet. No Romulan Empire. No Tal Shiar. We need a ton of luck to make a new beginning even without people hunting for us. We're going to need new names here. I've decided to call myself Seren."

"Seren?"

Seren nodded.

"I will need time to think of a name then," Syll said. "But we have not addressed the central issue."
A Romulan views your back as an opportunity to add to your knife collection \-- Federation warning

They cleared the dust away from the access control and gestured in the code. Then used their DNA to complete the entrance protocol. The hatch opened up smoothly, shaking some of the dirt from the hull and the Vacation lowered the ramp.

"Computer, lights," Seren said.

Vacation lit up the interior.

"Restore life support, please."

The hatch sealed itself. "Life support has been restored. Welcome back, captain and first officer."

"Thank you, computer. Are sensors still offline?"

"Sensors are still offline."

"Hardly surprising," Vain said.

The interior was as pristine as when they had left it. The ship slowly came back to life as it ran self diagnostics. Almost a year had passed since they'd been here last.

"We could turn on that big whirlpool bath and take a soak." Seren took a quick whiff of the air. It seemed okay and she tossed the breather aside along with her coat.

"We are here to find something. Not indulge in luxuries." Vain removed her turban and breather. "However, I do not believe that to be a luxury."

"You're going soft, Romulan," she said skipping to the bathroom. They searched the ship until the bath was full.

"Oh, oh, ohhh," Seren said, lowering herself into the steaming bubbling bath. "We really should take vacations here. I cannot believe how good this feels."

Vain grinned. Her face glowed a gentle green from the heat. "It is good. A Romulan invention. Stop grunting, it is true. We would invite too much curiosity to come here too often. Perhaps once a month. Or week. Or day."

"Why are you over there?" Seren murmured. "Come over here."

"We have searched this ship from stem to stern," she said, allowing Seren to wash her back. "I do not think there can be anything here. Perhaps it is a trick to fool the bounty hunters after all."

"There is nothing strange about the cloaking device?"

"I have examined it in detail. It and the power generators are standard issue to all our warbirds. The only strange thing is that it fit on this ship. But the little bastard removed massive amounts of the interior to install it. I am certain there is nothing special about it."

Seren moved Vain so that she leaned with her back onto the Human's breasts. Then, she skimmed her hand along the surface of the water as if it were a plane.

"What are you doing, strange Human?" Vain asked, settling against her.

"Shuttle craft coming in to docking bay," she whispered into her ear.

Vain grunted. "Crude, Human, very crude."

She parted her legs and watched the hand dive under the surface.

Seren paused.

"Do not think of him, dear," Vain said turning so she could nuzzle Seren's neck, running a hand along scars the Human kept as if she needed remembrance.

She laughed a little as she came out of her thoughts. "How did you know?"

"I felt you leave a little."

"I'm sorry. The water reminded me of the time he turned me into a fish."

"A mermaid. And you made him pay for that."

"The Federation ambassador made him even crazier. Always with his vision." After a moment, Seren laughed. She enveloped the Romulan into her arms then said, "Vain, I have a confession to make."

"Oh?"

"I was the one who got you to get naked in the pain field with me."

"Preposterous. There were metal fibers in my underwear."

Seren smiled into her neck.

"The students said they were interfering with the equipment, causing gaps in the coverage." Vain paused. "You told them to tell me that. Human! I am going to kill you!"

She could feel herself blushing. The first time she had to take off her panties she had almost called the whole thing off. She had stood there covering her breasts and looking around trying to think of some reason to avoid it. Then finally she had to remove them, hurling them into the pile of clothes and trying to somehow salvage some dignity on her way into the pain field.

"I am going to..." Her face was hot with remembered embarrassment. "I will rip those students into pieces next time I see them."

Seren laughed. "I told them you just needed an excuse to take all your clothes off. They said there was no way under the Stars of Wisdom would you take off your underwear. I won some latinum from them. Those deadbeats never did pay me."

Vain splashed the Human then held her hot face thinking about the vision she must have presented to them.

"Seren..." she said. "The little bastard. Did he say visions? Or vision?"

"It was just lunacy. He was always talking about his vision of the future. Just that he could see what others could not. That he was special that way."

Vain frowned. "You mean taking over this entire quadrant?"

"That too."

"In addition to his rantings about taking over the universe, he would speak about a special vision? To see something when others saw nothing? I think you mentioned that once."

"Yes. He constantly said it. I always assumed it meant he looked into others or saw opportunities that weren't readily apparent. He deluded himself. Obviously."

Vain slowed her breathing, concentrating. "Think back, Seren. Recall our encounter with the warbirds at the Federation border. Confirm my memory with yours."

She turned Seren to face her. They placed their foreheads together as when they meditated together. They held hands beneath the surface of the water. They closed their eyes.

"There were five warbirds at the border." Vain breathed.

Seren breathed with her. "Yes, five. Plus one following.

"Then we cloaked."

"We cloaked as we came into range."

"Then five became ten and one became three."

"They de-cloaked so they could lay down a covering pattern of fire to catch us."

"We cloaked. It took five seconds."

"They de-cloaked. It took five seconds."

"Are you certain, Seren?"

"That is what I recall, Vain. I see it. We cloaked. They detected it then decloaked."

Vain whispered. "Concentrate, Human, recall the time. Five seconds for us to cloak and at the same time, five seconds for them to decloak."

"My mind is clear on it, Romulan."

Vain's hands vibrated in Seren's. "A warbird would detect us starting to cloak. Even if they instantly understood what was happening, decloaked, and starting firing it would have taken at least fifteen seconds."

Seren opened her eyes. "The quickest of the five warbirds who were visible took six seconds to start firing. The first of the five that decloaked took seventeen seconds to fire."

"As we cloaked, the cloaked ships did not decloak. They became visible. Whoever is after us, they do not want the cloak. They want the sensors. Somehow, the little bastard has found a way of using this cloak to feed into the sensors to see other cloaked vessels."

"When we're cloaked, we can see everyone?"

Vain nodded, her eyes wide.

They jumped out of the bath, dried themselves and dressed.

"Isn't that impossible?" Seren said.

"Is there not a Ferengi Law of Acquisition? Everything is possible with the right amount of latinum?"

Seren laughed. "A device that can see a cloaked ship. What a strategic advantage."

"My guess is that is why the Beloved Neph... Excuse me. The little bastard thought he could get Federation asylum and under his conditions."

"He could get anything he wanted from anyone for this kind of tech."

"True. But the Federation, rightly or wrongly, has a reputation for honoring their agreements. It must be both new hardware and new software in the sensors. Not in the cloak."

"But Romulan military must already have their hands on this tech. He'd have backups of blueprints and schematics and software. He'd have engineers and scientists, builders working on the thing. Unless he killed them all and destroyed every single copy. But it'd be insane to have just this one version of it."

Vain raised an eyebrow. "Who would suspect the little bastard of being insane?"

"Who indeed?" Seren chuckled. "Computer, was anything special done to the sensors?"

"Clarify."

"Was anything added to the sensors before we left Romulus?"

"Many additions and modifications have been performed on the ship in the months prior to departing from Romulus, captain."

"We are just going to have to look, Seren."

She shook her head. "Maybe some kind of device on the hull?"

"I have no idea."

"I'll go check."

They donned their breathers, deciding to repressurize once Seren returned. Vain removed the panels to the sensors. What was she looking for? She was no engineer but something should stand out. Her years on a warbird had given a passing familiarity with most of the engineering. Nothing special leaped out at her.

"Mistress Syll!" Seren called through the open hatch. "I think I've found something. Come on out and take a look."

"I am coming!" she yelled back. She got up, dusted off her hands and walked to the hatch, then hit the close button. She was sealed in. And whoever had Seren was sealed out.
A plan is not a prediction \-- Romulan Proverb

When Seren and Syll reached Hellsbitch, they sold items they felt could not be traced back to them. The little bastard had much wealth but apparently not in gold pressed latinum. What they could get was enough to get them started. They bought the mine, providing them with what they hoped sounded like a good cover story and a defensible position. If they were fortunate, then also a source of income.

Seren watched the ancient machinery clanking away. It reminded her of home. Whether that was a good thing or not, she hadn't yet decided. She brushed a few mine spiders off the machinery. They were harmless for the most part. And they kept down the number of critters that would given half a chance chew on their equipment. Syll hated the spiders. But as Seren's parents had told her, leave the spiders alone and they'll leave you alone. She wondered if her mom and dad would have been proud of her. Probably not. She silently repeated the old Romulan saying. Don't drink from an empty cup. She sighed. There was no ore here. People were right. The mine was played out. Syll had used that old saying to get Seren to shift their efforts to this shaft. However, it had turned out no better. She was about to walk away when something caught her eye. A gleam in one of the hoppers. She made her way there and picked up a rock.

She shrieked and ran to their home.

"Syll!" she screamed running inside.

The Romulan appeared both her handguns drawn.

"No no no," Seren said. "Put those away! Look what I have here."

Syll tried to focus on what Seren was showing her. "Good girl. You have found us a rock."

She was tired and she shivered a little. This place, so different from Romulus, seemed to get so cold sometimes.

"No, really look. See that!" She pointed to the vein. "That is raw latinum."

Syll scowled. "Impossible. The mine is finished. Everyone says so. Except for the man who sold it to us. I should find him and kill him for his lies."

"Oh we can do much better than that. We're going to make him regret that he sold it to us."

Syll rubbed her temples. Dark spots kept springing up in front of her eyes.

"Are you alright, love?" Seren asked.

"I'm just a little... Never mind. This place... I get a little confused sometimes."

"Come lie down and let me look you over."

"I am fine!" she snapped at her, shivering. "Do not touch me!"

Seren jerked back. "As you wish, Mistress Syll."

The Romulan screamed, slapping the rock from Seren's grip. Syll smashed her hands against the wall then the counter.

"What? What's wrong?" Seren said shrinking away. "I didn't mean..."

The Romulan shrieked standing over Seren, her fists raised.

The Human covered up but the blows never came. Instead, Syll headed for the door running outside.

Seren shook her head, wondering what had just happened. She started to pick up the rock then gasped. Syll's breather lay right next to hers. She'd run into The DrearGyre without life support.

"Syll!" Seren struggled to put on her own breather, as she ran after the Romulan. A slight fog obscured the terrain. Along with the dust whipping about, she could hardly see. Syll could have gone in any direction. The planetoid sucked the heat from her. She'd left her cloak behind. The Romulan was dressed even more lightly.

"Syll!" she screamed again. She tried not to panic. Stay in a grid, stay high, look around. Calm, stay calm. "Syll! Please, where are you? Syll!

Then she spotted her. Somehow, the Romulan was still stumbling along. The thin and poisonous atmosphere, the freezing temperatures hadn't stopped her. Yet. Seren sprinted towards her willing her body to go faster when she saw Syll collapse.

"Dammit, Syll," she sobbed. She pulled Syll's breather onto the limp body. "Come on!"

Syll's eyes rolled up into her head, her mouth foamed. Kari half dragged half carried the Romulan back to their home. Once inside, life support repressurized the area. The Human took deep breaths and exhaled air into the Romulan's lungs. Finally, Syll coughed and breathed on her own. The Romulan struggled into consciousness only to curl into a ball and weep. Seren rocked her in a tight embrace telling her it was going to be alright that everything was going to be fine. The Romulan wept repeating over and over how she was sorry, so sorry. At one point, she found some lucidity.

"Seren, please," she said, her voice hoarse.

"Shh, it's going to be okay. Just rest, dear, just rest."

"It will never be okay. What have I done to you? What have I done to you? Seren, you must promise me something. You owe me nothing but please. Please."

"What is it, Syll? Anything for you. Anything."

"You must never call me Mistress again. Never. Never call me Mistress Syll ever again. I will adopt a new name. As you have. A new name. Vain. You must call me Vain from now on. One day, I shall tell you why that name. But it is so cold and it is so dark right now."

"Vain, you are lovely and wonderful. I shall never call you Mistress Syll ever again. I promise."
Control, mastery of one self, is the path to perfection \-- Romulan proverb

Vain looked down at the group from the ship's windows. No light escaped the ship's interior that would reveal her position. The group outside had set up a few lamps, primitive enough not to attract the fog. With what looked like far too many guns, the bounty hunters covered Seren. Many bounty hunters. A Romulan male stood in front alone.

She turned on the outside speakers. The gods of The DrearGyre were with them this time. She could hear the bounty hunters and she could talk. She settled her mind. The game had begun.

"Greetings," she said. "It is always good to welcome our neighbors."

"Shut up, traitor!" the Romulan snarled.

Not Tal Shiar after all, Vain noted. Anger was real. An untrained mind. Seren's deception had enraged him. He was all ego, inflated and full of pride.

"I am humbled that you would come visit my friend and me."

"We don't care about your perverted bitch, traitor." The Romulan smacked Seren in the mouth. She slumped. The bounty hunters had already disarmed her, piling her weapons up beside them.

He was probably part of the Beloved Nephew's network. And a zealot. The Beloved Nephew had reached out for support amongst the fringe elements of moral purity. It had taken hold apparently. Seren was faking the seriousness of her injury. She could be counted on.

"I am sure you have been misinformed, my fellow Romulan. Any fantasies concerning us both are those of a deviant mind. Certainly, you would not be entertaining the idea that she and I would be sharing a bed, performing unnatural acts of any kind? These thoughts about us would not enter the mind of someone like you."

His eyes seemed to bulge. "You have conditioned her, we know this. We have called our ship. If you cooperate we will let her stay conditioned and you can both leave unharmed. And we will have what we want. Or we will destroy you both along with the ship."

Vain frowned. What did he know of conditioning? That was a clumsy lie about his ship. And an empty threat about her craft. That was the prize. He had an obvious pressure point in Seren but he was manipulating it strangely. He should have threatened to kill her. Offered a trade, a negotiation. Did he have some other kind of a plan? The Tal Shiar caveat sprung to mind: Do not mistake incompetence for subtlety nor subtlety for incompetence.

"She thinks she loves you, doesn't she?" the Romulan said.

He was relaxing. He thought he had the upper hand. He thought he had a better pressure point than the threat of Seren's death. He thought he knew something of Syll.

"Perhaps you should ask her."

"I don't love her," Seren said tossing her head.

Vain scowled at the overacting. Did this Human learn nothing?

"Your fantasies about us seem misplaced," Vain said. "Perhaps you should turn your thoughts away from such depraved imaginings."

The Romulan zealot took out a device. "Shall we see? You can keep your pet if you must. And we will take the ship."

"No. If you harm her, I will be the one to destroy this ship."

The bounty hunters took a step back looking at each other. They knew what that meant.

"There is no need for that, Commander Syll. We get the ship and you can live out your lives together unmolested by anyone."

"Are we not loose ends?" She dressed and armed herself.

"Loose ends will take care of themselves, I promise." He smiled. He was comfortable. "Here, let me show you what it can do."

The Romulan attached it to the forehead of Seren. The Human froze, then screamed. She held her head. Then suddenly she snatched up a rock and threw it at the ship. She screamed incoherently, struggling in the grip of the mercenaries, her mouth frothing. Finally, Vain understood what she was saying. She was going to kill Vain.

"No!" Vain screamed. "What have you done?"

She ran to the hatch, slammed her hand against the button to open it and ran out. "No, Seren, please. Don't you recognize me?"

The Romulan spat. "Perversion!"

Two bountry hunters hung onto the struggling Human. The Romulan sank to her knees in front of her.

"Please, Seren."

The Human spat and kicked at her glancing her boot off Vain's head. The Romulan fell back. Her gun was in her hand. It fired. The bullet slammed the woman backwards and she crumpled in a heap amongst the men.

The bounty hunters cheered and laughed as Vain sobbed. One put his gun against her head beneath the turban then disarmed her. Three more searched her for weapons tossing them into a heap. They took their time running their hands over her body. She endured their violation.

"Do not kill her," ordered the Romulan male. "It is my privilege. Your death will bring great honor to me, traitor. And yes, alive you would make a greater prize but I am not going to take that chance."

Vain backed away from him.

"You are, after all, still Tal Shiar," the Romulan marveled. "You keep your pet chained and shoot it down when it turns on you."

Vain sobbed falling back towards the craft. The Romulan turned to follow her. The mercenaries gathered to watch.

"You will fly this craft to your ship?"

"The glory should go to the one who found it. No need to involve others. Especially when they're hopelessly thrashing around still looking all over this forsaken nebula. They know nothing. The prize plus the assassin who murdered our Beloved Nephew are mine."

Vain shook her head almost sadly. "You may meet the sheriff soon. The both of you can discuss the similarly poor quality of your plans."

"The sheriff? What ever happened to him?"

"You can ask him yourself."

Seren's multibarrel shrieked as the barrels spun each spitting out an explosive slug. The male Romulan ducked throwing himself aside as one of the hunters took the bullet meant for him. Vain leaped to follow. Then fell backwards as a trace of bullets chased her behind a landing strut. She needed a weapon.

Seren sent a line of slugs at the man firing at Vain. The boulder he hid behind splintered and the bullets shredded him. Spent brass from her ammunition rang out as they bounced along the rock floor. Flame gushed from the barrels and smoke enshrouded her. The bounty hunters yelled as they fired. All it did was make them easy targets for her. The Human shot with an almost serene accuracy as she moved towards Vain's position. Then one of the bounty hunters cut the lights.

Vain watched Seren freeze and crouch down. She silenced the spinning barrels. The area became dead quiet. Seren scanned the area, suddenly unsure. The Human was blind. Vain crept towards her carefully. If Seren thought she was a bounty hunter, she'd just start shooting. No one fired any more. They were smart enough to know it would just give away their position. Vain moved steadily, silently.

She held her breath, creeping up behind the Human. Seren slowly rotated. Vain froze staring right into the multibarrels. The muzzles paused a moment. Then moved on. She waited until Seren's weapon no longer pointed at her then crept forwards again. Ready to duck, she touched her on the back.

"Are you alright?" Seren whispered, not even flinching.

"Yes. You are going to have to tell me sometime how you do that."

"Right pocket." Vain retrieved the weapon. "I can't see a thing."

"Fire where I do."

They shifted their positions. Even with Vain's eyes, the bounty hunters were hard to find. The mercenaries bobbed behind rocks unclear on what to do.

"Do not fire," she whispered to Seren. She picked up a rock and threw it between two hunters. They turned and fired killing each other. It set off a chain reaction of random firing. With Vain pointing the way, they picked off more of the bounty hunters.

The mercenaries weren't well trained but they were well armed. They possessed immense firepower. Vain guessed, however, they had become too reliant on weapons technology that simply didn't work here. Night vision, laser guides, motion detectors, none of it functioned leaving them feeling vulnerable. But it didn't mean they couldn't get lucky. She gasped as a bullet grazed her arm. Seren's multibarrel tore the man apart. Vain led Seren behind a pile of rocks.

The remaining hunters hunkered down behind some boulders. Having pinpointed where they hid, they concentrated their fire on Seren and Vain.

"We're trapped here," Seren said, ducking as stone shards flew around them. The mercenaries' ordinance chipped away at their cover.

"I have this." Vain produced a weapon and let Seren feel it.

"A disruptor? I'm pretty sure that's not a good idea."

"We shall see." She turned it onto a low setting feeling it hum to life. "Can you see the cave entrance? Tell me if any fog appears."

It only took a few moments. A thin mist started to creep in, hardly noticeable against the cave entrance. Then it started to thicken, moving almost snake like. And it was slithering towards them.

"It's here," Seren said.

"Fire now."

Seren moved the multibarrel around one side of the rock and fired at the bounty hunters. Vain set the disruptor to continuous fire, moved to the other side and tossed the disruptor to land close to the group of attackers. The fog turned and darted towards the energy signature. The hunters finally spotted the glow from the fog. Some ran out from their cover. Vain directed Seren in killing them. The others just screamed as the fog engulfed the disruptor and them.

"You know," observed Seren. "That stuff just might stick around."

The fog crackled with lightning, rumbling when the air molecules smashed together.

"No, it is withdrawing now. It has consumed the disruptor's energy. It is almost all gone."

The few bounty hunters remaining saw that as well and broke for the cave entrance. It outlined them against the dim light seeping in. They discovered what a mistake that was. Seren emptied her magazine into them.

"Last one," she whispered, slamming home her remaining ammunition.

"We do not need it," Vain said in a normal voice.

"Where's that damned Romulan?"

Vain walked over to one of the lights and turned it on. "Over here."

They found the Romulan crouched behind a strut.

"No don't shoot me, don't shoot me," he blubbered.

"Coward!" Vain spat. "You shame us in front of a Human!"

"I know you don't I?" Seren murmured. She stepped forward and pushed him with the multibarrel. It burned him. Shrieking, he scrambled to his feet, his hands held high. He left his gun for Vain to pick up. Seren shoved him out into the open.

"Seren..." Vain said.

"You were there while I was being tortured by the Beloved Nephew, weren't you." It wasn't a question. Seren's face was white marble.

He blubbered something but no one was listening.

"You laughed..." She burned him again with the barrels. "You thought what was being done to me was funny."

"Seren..."

"Laughing now?" Her lips hardly moved.

Vain caught her arm. "Seren. No."

Seren didn't look at Vain. "He hurt me. That's okay. I might've let that go. Might've. But he tried to kill you. That's not okay. There can be no forgiveness."

She smiled. The smile was darkness. Faint wisps of smoke wafted from each of the multibarrel's muzzles. He couldn't take his eyes off them as he collapsed to his knees. Words tumbled from his mouth but they were unheard.

"Seren," Vain whispered. "Please. You are Human. This is not you to just gun him down."

"He tried to kill you. I cannot let him go."

Her finger moved to the trigger.

"Seren please. I know you can still find in your self your compassion. It is the Human thing to do. You would spare your enemy's life because it is who you are. To find Mercy."

Seren felt her finger move along the trigger. The metal was warm, smooth. A light click to release the safety. The barrels began to spin emitting a faint whine. They spun faster, then faster, the sound turning into a scream, then a screech. At this rate of fire, the weapon would empty the magazine in seconds. And the target would become nothing more than a vague stain. Her finger balanced on the trigger. Just a little more pressure. Just a little more.

Vain cradled Seren's face and moved the Human's gaze to her eyes.

Seren refocused.

Vain, you are so beautiful. Vain, you are the most beautiful person I've ever seen. Vain, your eyes are windows into beauty. Vain, your lips speak and all I hear is beauty. Vain, your touch upon my skin reaches my heart gifting me your beauty. Vain, you find within me, a beauty I thought destroyed and lost forever. Vain, your beauty discovers me.

And Vain broke the spell. Seren's smile became real rather than a prophecy of a violence so near, it felt as if it had already happened.

She took a deep breath and lowered the weapon. "What are we going to do with him then?"

Vain looked at the male, shot him twice in the side where his heart was, then once in the head.

"Wait," Seren said, puzzled, staring at the corpse. "You said that wasn't the merciful thing to do."

"Mercy is a Human failing. And as I have explained multiple times to you, Seren, I am a Romulan."

Seren hugged her with all her strength then doubled over.

"Ugh, my chest."

Vain held her. "How are you?"

"I feel like a rock is sitting on me. How did you know the coat is bullet proof?"

"The coat is bullet proof?" she asked.

"What?" Seren gasped. "You knew! Didn't you?"

"The tailor likes you. The material is Tholian dragon hide. It can even dissipate a low disruptor or phaser blast. You were quite safe. I think."

"You think? I suppose I should be grateful you didn't hit my boobs." She cradled her chest. "I thought the bounty hunters disarmed you. Where did you hide the disruptor?"

"The tailor apparently likes me as well." Vain lifted her turban. "The mercenaries preferred as he also said, to pay more attention to my body. It does appear that a certain lack of intelligence is a requirement for that career."

"I'm beginning to like him a lot too. Anyway, what the hell's this thing on my head?"

"Let's get back on board and we shall see." Vain detached it from Seren's forehead.

Seren fussed over the graze on Vain's arm as they headed back to the ship.

She examined the device with the ship's console. "The Tal Shiar use this equipment to counter the conditioning we implant in our operatives. That kind of conditioning allows the agents to do our bidding without their knowledge. This device undoes that conditioning. It would not work. Our order does not practice these kinds of procedures. My presumption is they assumed if they found just you then they could use this to deprogram anything I had put in place. It is useless."

"Then why would he think it would work on me?"

"Zealots and the followers of the Beloved Nephew construct a world they can live in based on the way things should be. Reality is discouraged."

Seren poked at it. "We are in the ship. It might work in here. Try it."

Vain looked at her. "As you wish. It will do nothing, however."

She picked up the device and placed it against Seren's forehead. The Human jerked back.

"What..." She frowned.

Vain drew her brows together. "Seren?"

The Human shivered, her eyelids fluttering. Then her face grew blank.

"Seren? Are you..."

"Shut up. To think what you've done to me." She snatched the thing from her forehead and threw it against a bulkhead. "I should kill you right now."

She rubbed her face. "It is like.. like... waking up. From a nightmare that won't end."

Vain frowned.

"Go home, Romulan. Take your ship and get out. You're evil. It's always been the conditioning hasn't it. Always."

Seren spun and stormed out the hatch.

Vain held still and looked around. Her heart felt as if it had forgotten how to beat. Romulus. It waited. She walked out to where Seren crouched.

"Don't bother saying goodbye, Romulan," Seren sneered. She was searching bodies removing things of value. "The bodies I'll dump in that hole back there. You'll be covered."

Vain came to stand beside her. Seren jumped up.

"Go home, Romulan. Go back to Romulus!"

"I am going to go home," Vain said. "And there I will let you play with my ears for five whole minutes."

Seren's pupils dilated just a little more. Vain smiled her triumph.

"Oh, that's cheating!" Seren snarled.

"You are a terrible liar, Seren. Your mind is undisciplined. It is why Romulans will rule the universe."

Seren crushed the Romulan into her embrace. She wept then pushed her away.

"Vain, please, This is your ticket home. Don't you see? With this tech, you can bargain for anything. You could be on the Senate. The Praetor himself would forgive and forget everything."

"I am home. I do not need a ticket. And we have both witnessed the punishment that is greed."

"But Romulus... It's there for you. You want to go back to your life. I feel it."

"Perhaps one day. Under different conditions. But not now. And never without you."

Seren wrapped Vain in her arms. She poured tears onto Vain's. They waited until they no longer cried and no longer laughed and no longer laughed and cried. She was so happy.

Syll put her gun against Kari's breastbone in the opening between her coat lapels and pulled the trigger three times. Kari never knew. That is what Syll told herself. She dropped the body noting how the bullets had not exited from the back. She placed the gun beside the corpse.

"Trust everyone," the Romulan answered the echoes of the gunfire bouncing against the cave walls. "To be who they are."

Kari had been right. The Senate and the Tal Shiar fell all over themselves to reinstate her, to forgive her, and to reward her. The ship was a prize of infinite value.

The many decades that followed brought her even greater recognition. And not a few grey hairs. Time tried to bend her to its will. Living long did have drawbacks. Like this so called celebration which dragged on interminably. All the faux diplomacy with varying degrees of hypocrisy exhausted her. Age had done nothing to make her more tolerant of these thin veneers of civility between the quadrant's major powers. And now her feet hurt. At least this conference was not off-planet. She milled around trying to be pleasant until she found her husband speaking with a Vulcan.

"I am going outside for some fresh air," she smiled at her spouse. He nodded to her.

"Live long and prosper, Senator," the Vulcan said, turning to her, his face unreadable. Eyes, set deep into his dark complexion, bored into her.

They exchanged the Vulcan gesture for peace and she walked outside onto a large balcony overlooking a garden.

The Romulan air was clean here. Crisp. She wished she had brought a wrap. Few stars were bright enough to shine through the ambient light pollution. Eventually, they'd become visible. Romulus was beautiful this night.

"Senator Syll," said a voice behind her. "I apologize for disturbing you."

She turned, nodding. "Ambassador Kim. No apology is necessary from the Federation. I just required a respite from the noise in there."

He took a quick peek over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening. "I don't want to offend our hosts but it is a little loud. I was just speaking with your daughter. A fine officer in your fleet. You must be very proud."

"I am. She is the center of my universe."

The Ambassador chuckled. "Children would have it no other way."

She kept her demeanor quiet, as he fiddled with the corners of his sleeves and shifted from foot to foot.

"There is something you wish, Ambassador?"

"Yes, well, it's not a wish." He laughed with embarrassment looking up at the starless sky. "Senator, I've a question and I will completely understand if you decide not to answer. It's about something both very strange and probably very trivial. I fear to bring it up because I do not want to offend you in any way. This is very personal and neither Federation nor Romulan in nature."

"Have no concerns, Ambassador. My age and my doctor do not allow me to take offense towards anything or anyone anymore."

Still the Ambassador hesitated. Finally, he said. "Senator, have you ever heard of The DrearGyre?"

Syll cocked her head. "I believe I know of the area. Mining is it not?"

"Yes. Yes it is. A while back, I came into possession of a letter. It is very old. It was found near a place called, please forgive me here, Hellsbitch. A colony within The DrearGyre. Actually, close to a mine that was apparently abandoned decades ago. Discovered in a can of coffee of all things."

"I see."

"This letter is addressed to a Syll. We have reason to believe it is to a Romulan."

"My name is not uncommon amongst Romulans. The name is also found in other cultures."

"I agree. And the letter has bounced around in many places. And I'll admit it's been examined by Starfleet even. I took a little interest in it when I heard its history. And when I was assigned to Romulus, I thought here's an opportunity I just can't pass up."

"To perhaps, deliver it to the right person after all these years?"

He laughed trying not to blush. "It would solve many a mystery and satisfy many amateur detectives in the Federation."

"Letters can be important," she said smiling and holding out her hand "I would be happy to see if our ministries can investigate. I am sure that playing post office would be an interesting diversion for them. If they turn up anything, then I will make sure that we inform you. It will be returned to you regardless."

The Ambassador handed a very old envelope to her. He bowed, thanking her, and took his leave.

Syll finally allowed herself to shiver. The envelope trembled in her hands. The outside revealed nothing. Age had yellowed the paper but it still held together. Undoubtedly, the intelligence services had all read it. Maybe they were trying to see what kind of response it would elicit from her.

Opening the envelope carefully, she extracted a single sheet of paper. She considered going back indoors and reading it where it was warm. More private here though, she decided. The scrawl was hardly legible in the light from the weak torches. After all these many decades however, she recognized the handwriting.

Dear Syll

If you are reading this then something must have happened when we went to the ship. I hope it is because I was killed by the bad people hunting you. Or maybe even by an accident. In all probability though, I have died by your hand. Whatever the Romulans want, you can trade to get back home. You know this to be true. And I know that I am a loose end. Romulans do not like loose ends.

I curse you. You are evil. I trusted you and you betrayed me. You turned your back on everything we had built. Murdered me. Abandoned me. You are a terrible creature worthy of nothing more than despise. You betrayed me as you betrayed Vain. No better.

This letter is unlikely to find you but if it does I hope it finds you in very good health. In a position of glory and triumph. At the pinnacle of your success. And it all crashes down on you.

I hate you.

Kari

There was a postscript but she looked up before reading it. Someone stood in the shadows. She shuddered as the wind whipped the heat from her bones.

"Who is there?" she shouted.

The figure inched forward.

"I said, who is there?" she demanded again.

The figure emitted a ghost of a laugh.

"Did you think that I would never find you?"

She cried out stumbling back. "You are dead! I shot you myself."

"You did. Yet here I am. I hope your surprise is not too great."

"No!" Syll's control slipped. "You are DEAD!"

"I do not feel dead. I feel very much alive. Now that I have you at last."

"You are dead! You are dead!"

The figure stepped out into the dimming light.

The Beloved Nephew.

She looked for the guards. There were none. The lights of the party had gone out. The Beloved Nephew had massacred everyone.

He sneered his smile at her. "You are a perversion, a murderer, a traitor. I am going to tear you apart piece by piece. And you shall scream all the way to hell, bitch."

Syll sobbed and clutched the letter to her as she backed up against the stone railing. She had no escape. As he walked towards her, he unsheathed a knife. It was hooked, shiny with its cruelty.

"There is nothing you can do, Syll. You are alone. You yourself made sure of that. You are completely alone. No one can save you." He towered over her, the knife held high. "No one."

Syll glanced at the letter and gasped. She straightened and looked him in the eye. "You are mistaken."

She turned the letter to face the Beloved Nephew. "Do you see what it says here?"

The dagger flashed, stabbing through the letter, burying itself into her chest. She screamed, pain ripping through her body.

"It says," she groaned, her eyes closing. "P. S. Come home."

Darkness gripped her. Dragging her down. She fell. Then...

Seren caught her, cradled her tightly, rocking her gently. The darkness lifted. She was home, in their home, in their bed. Seren was repeating something. Over and over. Softly.

"Our souls are our temple, our hearts are our shield, our minds are our weapon, our lives will not yield. Oh, hello, you're back." She kissed the Romulan on each cheek. "Welcome, beautiful Vain, welcome home."

Vain clung to her, sobbing.

"That was a nasty one," Seren smiled, nuzzling her head. "Short at least though."

"I am so sorry, Seren." Her voice quivered, hoarse with screaming. "I am so sorry."

"Shh, it's alright now. You're here with me."

"I shot you."

"Yes, you did." Seren lifted her shirt to show the fresh bruise on her chest.

"I shot you three times."

"Hmm, I counted one time. Maybe you missed twice?" she asked, chuckling.

"I killed you. I abandoned you. The coffee can." She pointed to the shelf. "You wrote a letter. Bring it to me."

"How do you know about that?" Her hair waved as she shook her head in amazement. "I really can't hide anything from you can I?"

"Of course not. Now please." Her hand trembled like a leaf in a storm as she held it out.

Seren sighed and brought the can over. She let the Romulan's shaking hands open it and retrieve the letter.

"How can you write a letter to me and have it be almost illegible?" Vain scowled.

"My handwriting is fine. You're shivering so hard you can't read it."

"You read it then. Read it for me."

"Ok, we can read it together." She cleared her throat. "Dear Vain..."

"Vain? Not Syll?"

"Yes. Vain. You don't think I'd ID you in a letter that any fool could find do you? You must think I've been a really poor student."

"Read, please."

"Ok, see, it says Vain. Right there. I think. It is pretty bad isn't it. Alright. Ouch! Stop pinching me. Ahem. Dear Vain, if you're reading this then something must have happened when we went to the ship. I want you to know that I love you. Be strong for us both, love, Seren. P. S. This is decaffeinated, the caffeine one is on the other shelf. I thought a little joke..."

Vain pushed her onto the bed falling on her, weeping, her tears a waterfall.

When her eyes would give no more, she said, "Seren, I would never kill you."

Seren kissed her forehead, then each eye, then her lips. "I know. I trust you. I trust you to be who you are."

"I do not know who I am. I do not know at all," she breathed. "You saved me. Again. When the darkness would kill me, you saved me."

"If you say so," Seren kissed her. "Now rest. And don't think that this lets you off the hook for my ten minutes on each of your ears."

"Five." She paused. "He was there too."

Seren nodded. "We killed him. If he keeps showing up, then it would be our pleasure to kill him again."

"The nightmare was truly terrible." She was silent for a moment. "I had a husband."

Seren snorted onto her head, her body shaking with laughter. "You shoot me three times, encounter the little bastard, and the worst thing was having a husband?"

"It was. He was not my type at all."

Seren kissed her smile onto the Romulan's face. "You make me laugh, Vain. You make me so very happy."

"I did have a daughter though. I wonder what she was like."

The quiet surrounded them, allowing their breathing to slow.

"I have no memory of returning here."

"You said I could have an hour on your ears, I told you that you should take the ship and leave, you refused, then sort of collapsed. I got you back here as fast as I could. I didn't feel safe hanging out by the Vacation. I did check and there was a trap that set off a flare when we entered the cave. My guess is they found the ship but couldn't get in. So they just waited for us."

"We may have to move our Vacation. You did well. B plus."

"What? That was excellent work I'll have you know."

"Maybe I shall let you earn a little extra credit. And I would never give you an hour on my ears. You get five minutes. Maximum."

Seren kissed her again. "You know, you really should just take that tech and return home."

The Romulan cocked her head in consideration, then slowly said, "Fuck that."

"Vain!" Seren gasped, shaking her gently.

"You heard me. And be careful. I am delicate."

"Uh huh."

The Romulan buried herself into Seren's embrace. "Have I mentioned Vain during my ravings?"

"A few times." Seren kissed her on her lips. "Should I be jealous?"

She returned her kiss fierce with hunger, then sighed, "No. But I need to tell you about her. Then I think these dark times for me might be over. It is not a happy story. I will not blame you for hating me for it. But you should know of her."

They cradled each other.

"I love you."

"I love you."

###

The story of Vain will be in the next book of The Drear Gyre.

About the Author:

Leslie R. Lee writes fiction, takes photographs, and tries not to spend too much time on the Internet. You can contact him at:

E-mail: LeslieRLee@me.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lrlee

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