Episode 4.3.14: Yavar Dara

## S4, E3, Act 1: Bearer of Bad News

Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2205.19

Tiri's heart sank when she heard Grop explain that Tajel was dead. All she could think was how devastated Jahkar was going to be and how she wanted to be there for him. She looked around at the rest of the team and wondered what was going through their minds.

Many of them knew Tajel and had since he was a child. This was not going to just be hard on Jahkar, but she worried about the rest of the team.

And then there was Kedanya. She could only imagine how difficult it would be for Jahkar to tell her.

Tiri looked at Will, her face saddened as she sought the words. "Jahkar…he's got to be hurting right now. Mayla was close to him too, wasn't she?"

Lt. Commander William McCulloch

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2205.20

Will silently contemplated Tiri's question…was Vree close to Tajel? He thought Victoria had once mentioned to him that they were close but he couldn't remember. Didn't she say the boy…young man… referred to her as his aunt?

Unfortunately, other than his recent encounter with the ensign in a Resurrection holding cell, McCulloch had very little contact with Tajel as a child.
But he also remembered his recent meeting with Robert Pickering and his wife Ducky just before the mysterious abduction of Daryl Thompson. As they sampled whiskey in the Pickerings' study, the retired sergeant major spoke very fondly of his service with Jahkar. He repeatedly commented how Tajel was a "good kid" who would go far in life. Ducky simply gushed over how sweet the boy was.

The Scot knew Tajel's death was going to devastate the Pickerings. He mulled over who should tell them…perhaps he and Cody should do it. Maybe Ra'yral? Didn't the Pickerings serve with him as well during their time with Marine Ops Force Alpha?

His heart sank at the thought of what Jahkar must be going through. Having no children of his own, he couldn't fathom the pain the marine colonel was feeling.
His own thoughts briefly wandered to Victoria. There was a time when she and Will discussed starting a family ….until the Black Watch ended those plans. Will sighed and looked about the room. Oddly, everyone was staring at him. The Scot looked behind him to see if there was someone or something that they were looking at. There wasn't.

"Sir," Tiri whispered discreetly. "You are the ranking officer in the room right now. Orders?"

"You have to be bloody kidding me." McCulloch muttered underneath his breath. "I am only a provisional —"

"You are the ranking officer sir." Tiri quietly repeated again. There was almost a tone of encouragement in her voice. He studied her momentarily in silence. She was clearly in pain at the news of Tajel yet here she was putting her personal feelings aside to help him. McCulloch nodded in agreement before turning his attention back to the team. He straightened himself up and studied the team. There was an air of authority about him that he hadn't displayed in a long time.

"Stow your gear, get into uniform and report to the war room for a final debrief. Let's get that bloody task over with so we can be with Jahkar. We're family and this family is going to be there for him in his time of need." McCulloch paused briefly before issuing a simple order. "Move."

As the operatives started to undress and remove their gear, Will turned his attention back to the Andorian and bowed slightly. "Thank you Lieutenant. I truly appreciate the encouragement."

Lt. Ryramorl Ra'yral and Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2205.22

Ryramorl and Reepchip were tight-lipped as they followed McCulloch's order to stow their gear; Reepchip almost seemed to hide from the others. Why he tried to be so elusive he refused to say; Ryramorl was particularly silent. It seemed that their mission had not gone particularly well. They quietly stowed their gear, then got ready for the debriefing. Reepchip would have worn a black hood covering his eyes, had Ryramorl not told him otherwise. Still, Reepchip blamed himself not only for the failure to capture a Son of Cardassia, but also the death of Tajel. If only he'd taken the shot!

Lt. Cody Beckett and Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2205.22

The news of Tajel's death fell heavy on the group. Since Cody joined Shadow Ops only recently, he didn't have any earlier experience with the young man. He had only seen him the few times during the briefing before the mission. Yet, he could only guess how Jahkar would feel right now, as he himself never had children himself, let alone lose one in battle, as he never had gotten to that point in a relationship. A thought of having kids with Sarah quickly flashed through his mind. He quickly disposed of the thought, for several reasons. As the rest, he stowed his gear in silence, changed into his standard SO uniform and headed to the ready room for the final debriefing. On his way he fell in line with Tiri.

"My apologies for my initial rude reaction in the transporter room." He looked at the young Andorian woman, awaiting her response.

Her shame over the comment and the reaction she'd received must have been painfully obvious. She lowered her head, "No apology needed. I spoke out of turn. Sometimes my sense of humor gets me into trouble. I apologize to you, lieutenant. Great work back there."

Tiri still felt crashing ships into the station was reckless. They needed to confirm the locations of the Trinity devices and neutralize them. But, she decided she would not press the issue. She needed to try and mend any hard feelings.

Commander Victoria Smith

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2205.22

"Where is he?" The nurse requested of Ensign Hixwir Gace when she arrived at the Union XII's locker area.

The Betazoid gestured to a remote area of the room. "Petty Officer Mendes is in there."

"Alone?"

"I've been with him up until I got word you were en route."

"What happened down there?"

Gace hesitated momentarily before letting out a low, frustrated sigh. "It was bad. There was heavy fighting and several casualties, including three dead. One of them died as Joao Felix was treating him, another died in front of both of us."

"Did anyone die as a result of the treatment we offered?" Victoria pressed cautiously, unsure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"No. The first was killed by a sniper as Joao Felix was treating him. The spoon bastard literally took a head shot and killed the poor man. His brains sprayed all over Mendes. The second was killed in a similar manner."

"Holy s\*\*t." Victoria cursed. She had prepared the team for the possibility of enemy fire targeting the wounded, but she had quietly hoped that the tactic had ended with the Dominion War. "What are you sensing with him?"

Gace paused for a moment. "He's in shock. I sensed terror, shame and regret. His thoughts are torn between blaming himself for the two deaths and his own shortcomings. There is also a sense of shame that he failed you."

"What?" Victoria exclaimed before checking her emotions. Perhaps Mayla was right…maybe she did mother her team too much. "Bring me to him."

The brunette Betazoid with the ice blue eyes gestured for Victoria to follow her into the Union XII locker area. The pair rounded a corner and passed a series of sonic showers. They continued further into the area until they reached an alcove where laundry was stowed. There on the floor was Petty Officer Joao Felix Mendes. He was dressed only in his underwear. The medic had pulled his knees to his chest, was shaking violently and sweating profusely. He was silently muttering to himself in Portuguese.

The youngest member of Union XII was in bad shape. Victoria turned back to Gace. "Retrieve a hypospray from a med kit and load it with a mild sedative."

"Ma'am." The nurse instinctively replied before retiring back to the main locker area.

Smith crouched down and continued to study the Brazilian medic in silence. Joao wouldn't even acknowledge her presence…he just kept muttering about the security officer who died in his arms.

Victoria snapped her fingers twice by his left ear, causing the medic to stop babbling and stare open mouthed at his commanding officer. Slowly he started to sob as he desperately tried to explain to Victoria what happened and how he let her down.

The combat nurse sat down next to Joao, wrapped her arms around him and encouraged him to stop talking. As she comforted the young medic, she gestured to Hixwir to inject him with the sedative.

As Joao started to doze off, Victoria continued to comfort her medic…all the while keenly aware that more likely than not her team would soon to be reduced from ten to nine.

Commander Mayla Vree

USS Resurrection, Infirmary

Stardate 2205.26

A soft chime sounded in her head as her AI gently woke her at the 1-hour mark. She tried to stir, but her muscles were sluggish in moving. She could tell they were healing; they all ached and itched at the same time. Her thoughts veered towards those last few seconds before the explosion as little by little she tested each of her repaired muscles.

The look on Oran Drajal's face of anger and surprise when he realized what had happened just as his tactical officer's head suddenly exploded. He was reaching for his left wrist when she tackled him and jumped over the railing. She searched her peripheral memory as to what she may have seen around the Ops Center when the explosives detonated. She mentally shook her head as she tried to see other options that may have been open to her at that moment that could have resulted with a different outcome. She had only those few seconds between Drajal giving the order to launch Trinity and the tactical officer executing the order. Using the explosives was the quickest way of disabling at the same time the transporter instructions, the officer executing the order, and the person giving the order. And taking out the entire tactical control of the station.

More often than not the missions her Echo Team had been assigned to previously were amongst the most difficult assignments. Starfleet Intelligence took full advantage of their abilities to perform missions that had the highest risk of failure. But also the best chance of success; if they didn't die in the process. Their Linea selected breeding program and genetic engineering made them unique in the galaxy.

She started to take several deep breaths to get her blood moving as her thoughts turned to her mission status watchdogs displayed on the membrane across her eyeballs. And then she saw the preliminary wounded and casualties list Lazarus had entered into the computer before he even came back on board.
Dara Tajel had been killed in action.

Mayla had to read it twice and double checked she was reading the correct report. Tajel was really dead. Body was vaporized. She applied one of Bryce's algorithms that disseminated any communique to its most basic form and meaning. Then she immediately canceled the request. Lazarus had faked Tajel's death, he must have had a good reason. She closed the file and let the truth lie. She then turned to her own after mission report. An ancient Linea star commander once said 'A good soldier is compelled to always evaluate what's happened, so he can apply what he's learned.' Whether it was a mistake or not to detonate the explosives at such close proximity, she will have to run some simulations for alternative outcomes for her actions on Forward Base to look at every possible action and outcome. But at that moment, her choices were severely limited in both time and options.

The chime sounded again. After spending a few minutes building up strength in her newly repaired muscles and tendons, she slowly rolled onto her back. There was no forcefield holding on to her, so she sat up

"Whoa, there, Commander. Not so fast." A nurse hurried over with a hypo spray. She had just about to come over to give her schedule dosage of meds when she saw the patient rolling over. She administered the hypo and Mayla's head began to clear and muscles woke up. "How do you feel?"

Mayla slowly took a deep experimental breath and let it out. She started to work her arms, shoulders and back to stretch out the stiffness. She wasn't 100%, but she was well enough to get out of the Infirmary. "Like new."

"Well, a quarter of you literally is." She said, then stopped Mayla from getting off the biobed.

"I'm fine," Mayla said with an attempt at sounding irritated. It didn't work. It just came out as a whisper of pain.

"Sorry, Commander, I know that's a lie. Monitors show you're only at 70% recovery and have been assigned to light duty only for the next few weeks."

"Few weeks? That's unacceptable."

"Commander Smith's orders."

Mayla started to scoot off the bed. "I outrank her."

"Not where it counts," the nurse said as she helped Mayla onto her feet. "You are still her patient, so she outranks you regardless of rank or seniority."

Mayla stood up on her own getting used to the new muscle tissue. "Is the Captain back yet?"

"He is." The nurse gestured to an assistant who brought over a fresh uniform. "He's been receiving constant updates on your remarkable recovery."

The trill was now standing on her own. "I'm leaving."

The nurse nodded. "As you wish." She took a step back and activated a holographic barrier around her biobed so she could change in private. She needed to go find Jahkar.

Captain Quentin Lazarus

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2205.26

Lazarus stood in his Ready Room, facing the holographic images of Admiral Ian MacLeod, Captain Melphis and Admiral Kirsten Clancy. He was about at the end of his patience with the bureaucracy surrounding the Occupation force and the incident involving the Breen.

Hopefully this would be the end of it.

"So, you took Ensign Dara with you on the mission to Cardassian Prime, hoping he could be of some assistance in dealing with the Sons of Cardassia," Clancy said. "And he was killed in the process?"

Lazarus nodded, "As my report states."

Melphis, a Benzite, puffed on his respirator before casting a cynical gaze upon Lazarus, "A mission he should not have even been sent on in the first place. It was reckless and completely unorthodox. That man should have been in the brig of your ship….no…the detention center here on Cardassia!"

"He wasn't, though," Lazarus said. "I saw him as a potential asset. Although he was unable to offer much assistance, he gave his life to save Elim Garak and I."

"Your report indicates he was killed by a Cardassia hiding in the rocks near the western perimeter of the compound," said Melphis. "That area was swept less than 10 minutes earlier by Captain Rhikal and her squad. It was clear. Where did he come from?"

Lazarus shrugged, "Unknown. He must have been missed on the initial sweep."

"Or, he was never there," Melphis barked, looking at the Clancy hologram. "Admiral, what if Captain Lazarus and Mr. Garak faked Ensign Dara's death so he could avoid prosecution and potential extradition to the Breen."

"Intolerable!" MacLeod bemoaned the situation. "Admiral, really, do we have to sit here and take this nonsense?"

Clancy considered MacLeod a moment, before looking over to Lazarus, "Captain Lazarus, tell me this allegation isn't true?"

"It is not, admiral," Lazarus said. "Ensign Dara Tajel was killed in front of my eyes. Vaporized."

Melphis grunted, "You are lying!"

"Admiral," MacLeod growled. "I'll not have this…weasel speaking in this manner to my officer."

"Weasel?" Melphis spat. "How dare you!"

"Enough!" Clancy demanded. "Captain Melphis, Captain Lazarus, name calling is not permissible here. Melphis, I have read the reports and the accounts from Captain Lazarus and Mr. Garak. I can find no reason to order further investigation of the incident on Cardassia Prime. Ensign Dara's death was unfortunate, but I must consider the matter closed."

Melphis looked at Lazarus and gave him a sour glare. Clancy then excused herself and rezzed out, leaving the two Shadow Ops officers with Melphis.

The Benzite shook his head, "The Breen are unhappy with the death of Dara, but they have accepted the explanation and have ordered their forces to stand down. The matter is closed."

"Well," MacLeod said. "Then I guess that means you can go p\*\*s off. Good day, captain."

The admiral severed the transmission, disconnecting a surprised looking Melphis before he could say another word. He then looked at Lazarus with a smirk, "Took care of that little sh\*t."

"Thanks," Lazarus smiled.

"Now that they're both gone, let me just say this," MacLeod started, his grin fading. "I don't want to know if Tajel is really dead or not. I just hope if he isn't, you know what you're doing. Because if he is hiding somewhere and anyone finds out, all of our asses are on the line."

"Understood sir," Lazarus said. "But I assure you, he died in front of me. It was a quick, painless death."

MacLeod nodded, "Indeed. Wrap up there, captain. You get underway to Bajor in 24 hours. Fearless will return to Earth. I'd like you back here at Umbra Prime within 24 hours after that. I am arranging a briefing with individuals involved in the investigation of Mr. Thompson's disappearance in approximately 48 hours. I'll need you here for that, of course."

"We'll be there," Lazarus told his friend.

"That will be all. Send my condolences to Colonel Jahkar and his family," MacLeod said. "End transmission."

Commander Mayla Vree & Colonel Jahkar

USS Resurrection, above Cardassia Prime
Stardate 2205.26

She found him standing alone at one of the few windows on the ship that provided a view of space. The time was in between shifts, so the mess hall was currently empty, at least for the time being. The rugged father figure stood with his arms locked across his chest staring at the planet below where his son gave his life heroically in the end.

While Jahkar believed in his own mind he'd possibly instilled the notion into Tajel's head that made him give his own life to save Lazarus and Garak, little did he know reality couldn't be further from the truth.

But as far as Jahkar knew, Tajel was gone. He was with his mother now.

Mayla silently walked across the mess hall to him. "I apologize for intruding. I wanted you to see this," she said quietly and handed him a small padd. It was actually an excuse so she can gauge his grief. "It's a list of new Shadow Ops gear released for our usage from SI Section 9."

He just took it, absentmindedly put it into a pocket, and didn't look at her. She turned to leave the man alone when he stopped her.

"Should you be up?"

"I'm healing and up and about. That's good enough for me to get back on duty."

"You can take a few days."

"No. I don't want to." Mayla said with a slight adamant undertone in her voice. She was about to continue towards the door when he spoke again.
"Nice haircut."

Mayla paused in her step for a moment. "I wanted to know what Lazarus feels like. Makes my head colder than I'd like."
"Wear a beanie."

"Aye, Colonel. If that's an order." This time she paused if he wanted to say more. He did.
"It was my fault."

She turned towards him. "You weren't even there."

Jahkar gave a sad smile, "Was I ever? All the discussions and hurtful arguments we had when he was here, I'm not too proud of that. He wasn't like me, but I tried to make him the same."

"And you think that was the last thing he was thinking about when he died?" Mayla walked over to the other side of the window and leaned up against the frame, looking at him and ignoring the view of Cardassia Prime. "I doubt it."

"It had to have contributed to his actions in some way," Jahkar said. "He saw it as a chance to make me proud…and it got him killed. The captain and Garak are old men – he shouldn't have given his life for them."

She shook her head, "You'd have done the same thing."

"I'm old," Jahkar countered. "My sacrifice for the captain and a Cardassian who still can help lead his people? Tajel had his life ahead of him."

"Don't you live with that guilt for the rest of your life," she said almost in a reprimanding tone. "There are no answers that will satisfy that sage question as to why."

"Kedenya is the only family I have now," he said.

"If it makes you feel any better, the rest of us ‘children' still think of you as the Funky Monkey Uncle," she gave the back of her head a slight scratching. For a moment she saw her reflection in the window and was surprised to see her hair was there…at least from the front view. She really did need a hat of some sort. And in the reflection she saw a far away introspective look on Jahkar's face.

Uncle? That was what she thought of him. He'd been considering saying something about him and Tiri - but now that relationship seemed even more inappropriate. Jahkar lowered his head, then returned to the conversation.

"I really thought that tree branch would hold my weight…" he reflected.

"You know we still laugh about it to this day," Mayla said with a grim tone as this was not a joking time. "I'm sorry about Tajel. I will miss him."

Jahkar gave her the slightest of nods and cleared the swelling grief in his throat. "How's your back?"

"They said I'll heal. No permanent damage. Victoria ordered light duty for a few weeks."

"I don't know. Victoria's pretty adamant about it. I just have to get a new hairstyle to accommodate the back of my bald head for a while." To emphasize it, she gave the back of her head another rub.

"You look like a Deltan who's trying to wear half a wig," he snickered. "It looks good on you…from the front." Jahkar's face now became stern. "I told you not to do anything stupid. Victoria told me you set off explosives you didn't get far enough from before the blast overtook you."

"News travels fast. I just told her about an hour ago." She said, now turning her gaze to the planet below.

"I reviewed the visual sensors from the moments before we beamed off the Forward Base. That explosion in their Ops Center had to come from a whole brick. You were damn lucky to survive a blast of that magnitude." Now he rose to his full height and glared down at her. "That was probably the most reckless thing you've ever done, even topping your father."

"I had no choice. Drajal had literally just given the order to launch the Trinity device on the Founders' home planet. I had to act immediately." She said with a shrug.

"Blowing yourself up isn't a good idea," he joked.

"Blowing oneself up is never a good idea."

"Wait till Lazarus hears about what you did," he shook his head.

"Speaking of which, he's going to want our reports," she said. " I hope we'll be well into our next mission before he actually gets around to reading it."
"Don't bet on it."

She gave him a soft look and put her hand on his forearm. "Do you want me to go with you to Bajor to tell Kedenya?"

He looked to her, "So you can avoid the wrath of Lazarus for just that much longer?"

"It did cross my mind as an afterthought, but that's not the reason I'm asking. I'm asking because my Funky Monkey Uncle, and friend, are in pain. And this is a pain I share with him."

Jahkar sighed, "I'm debating what to do. The captain says we'll be able to get underway in 24 hours. The media will possibly be reporting Tajel's involvement in the plot and death much sooner than that. Our friend, Captain Melphis, has been on a little rampage because he'd brokered some sort of deal with the Breen to ease tensions by extraditing Tajel to them."

"Does he have that kind of power?" Mayla asked.

"He has friends in high places, it seems," Jahkar said. "There is also a chance the Bajorans may tell her, as the government there is aware of what has happened here. I'm inclined to contact her via holographic communications. My mother is on Bajor with her right now, so she's not alone and I can tell them both."
Jahkar folded his arms across his chest and looked at the deck, "As soon as we are clear to leave, the captain said we can stop at Bajor and I can have time to hold a memorial service there. He wants to get back to Earth right away, though. He and the crew are eager to go find Daryl."

Mayla let out a sigh. She reached towards the window to put a hand on it as if she could try to feel Tajel's essence blow in the wind across the planet he died on. A quiet settled in between them for a minute, each with their own thoughts. She touched her forehead to the window. Phoenix Squad was still missing a team member. It didn't stray too far from her mind even during this last mission. Her watchdogs had been unable to locate any trace of him, nor had he contacted any of his friends or relatives. Now that their current crisis is over, they can now go look for him. She cleared her throat and brought her gaze back up to find Jahkar looking at her.

"Can you do the holo-comm with me?" he asked. "She's going to take it hard and it might help to hear this from both of us."

"Of course." Mayla gave him a respectful bow. "And I will help with anything you need when we get to Bajor."

Lt. Commander William McCulloch

USS Resurrection, above Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2205.29

After the final briefing, the team left the war room and went their separate ways. Will had ordered the team to regroup in a half hour to find Jahkar to be with him and support him in his time of need.

The Scot gestured for Cody to follow him as he made his way to an access terminal. Will looked around and began tapping the screen in rapid succession. McCulloch studied the menu that appeared before him and began tapping the screen again. Curious, Cody stepped forward and peered closely at the screen.
"You're communicating with someone on the Cardassian surface." The lieutenant noted nervously as he looked about.

"I am. That's why you are here."

"Why?"

"Because I want to do something nice." The Scot replied as he continued to tap the screen.

"Is this a final attempt to help that Cardassian boy who's sitting in a holding cell?" Cody demanded.

McCulloch paused. Ged was scheduled to be handed over to Cardassian authorities within the hour. Will had contemplated speaking with him one last time before the boy left but had chosen not to. It was perhaps best if the Scot didn't muck up the young boy's life any further.

Will reflected in silence for another moment before resuming tapping the screen. "No, it has nothing to do with Ged."

Cody peered at the screen again before glancing back at McCulloch in confusion. "You're ordering a large box of candy?"

Will folded his arms as he studied the Bing Bong menu. After some debate, he selected a large sampler box and purchased it. Afterward he relayed instructions for it to be forwarded to a Starfleet operations post. The Scot sent secondary instructions to the post asking the package be beamed to the Resurrection upon receipt.

"For Victoria?"

"Nope."

Cody eyed McCulloch suspiciously. "Then who? Perhaps one of the Thompson sisters?"

McCulloch laughed softly and shook his head in the negative.

"Ah a pity." Beckett answered with a sigh. "I would have enjoyed another round of drama between the sisters and Commander Smith."

"No Mr. Beckett, we don't need a reminder of that encounter."

"Then who?"

"Maybe I'm ordering it for Sarah Pickering." Will replied with a sly grin.

Cody stammered. Will continued, realizing he was causing his stress for his friend.

"It's not for Sarah, Cody. But I need to make a nice gesture to a teammate in light of my behavior during the last mission."

"You could make a nice gesture and order me some whiskey." Beckett replied as he studied the Scot. after a moment of reflection, he pointed an accusatory finger at McCulloch. "You're going to try and bribe Vree with candy … aren't you?"

"Perhaps."

"You'd probably score more points if you ordered her something sharp and dangerous."

"Perhaps."

"Bing Bong? Really?"

"I have a feeling she'll like the candy."

"Will, you do know no good deed goes unpunished, right?"

Commander Victoria Smith

USS Resurrection, above Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2205.29

After turning Petty Officer Mendes over to Lieutenant Riisos and Ensign Gace for a formal medical discharge, Victoria intended to return to sickbay to check on Vree's progress. However, Ensign Zalir intercepted her en route.

"You have an incoming transmission from Starfleet Medical. Captain Bashir wants a report on our performance so far." The Tellarite reported.
"Wonderful." The commander complained aloud. There was still much to do and the last thing she needed at the moment was Bashir sticking his nose into her business. She sighed and looked up at her ensign. "He's waiting for me?"

"Aye ma'am."

"Fine." She replied with a hint of exasperation. "I'll be in sickbay chatting with the doctor."

A short time later, the nurse stood at attention as a holographic image of Captain Julian Bashir of Starfleet Medical appeared before her.

"Commander Smith." He warmly stated. However, there was almost an air of condescension in the tone of his voice.

F\*\*\*ing doctors, Smith thought to herself. Always putting themselves above other medical personnel.

"Sir," Victoria answered matter-of-factly.

"Commander, the admiral would like an update on Union XII's activities."

"I'm not sure how much I can disclose sir."

"Yes, yes." Bashir replied as he moved his hand in a circular motion, signaling Victoria to get on with it. "Without disclosing anything confidential, give me the rundown of some of the medical services your team has performed to date."

"May I ask why sir? My first quarterly report to Starfleet Medical is not due for another five weeks and my team is still winding down from recent…activity."
"Starfleet is considering forming two more Union teams over the next year, one to be attached to a marine combat unit, the other to a recon unit assigned to the Klingon border. We need initial data to assess needs and logistics."

Victoria nodded in understanding, exhaled and proceeded to give a general rundown of the services her team provided - serving as a combat support hospital, providing medical treatment to those assigned to her care and assisting with surgical procedures.

She purposely omitted who the surgeries were performed on … Vree and Reepchip.

"Any casualties on your team?"

"Warrant Officer Hannigan was banged up pretty badly during recent ship to ship combat but she pulled through," Victoria replied, intentionally omitting that Hannigan's initial injuries were the result of the simulation Vree unexpectedly sprung on the Irish warrant officer. "I also have a petty officer I must temporarily relieve of duty."

"Oh?" Bashir pressed, his curiosity piqued.

"Combat stress sir."

The Doctor paused momentarily as he reflected on the news. "Understood. You do understand we do not have any replacement medics for you at this time."
"Yes sir." Smith answered softly. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Commander, there is another reason I wanted to speak with you," Bashir announced as he clasped his hands behind his back. "I want to be perfectly transparent with you. I believe a medical doctor and not a nurse should be commanding your team."

Victoria bristled at Bashir's comment and felt her face become hot and flush. She wisely chose not to respond and instead, listened to the doctor as he continued.

"However, those whose pay grade is above mine disagree and have crafted a compromise that is intended to resolve my objections. I am transmitting the proposal to you now."

Victoria waited for a nearby padd to load with Bashir's information. Once complete, she retrieved the device and scanned the information. Afterward, she looked up at the holographic image with a look of concern.

"You want me to become a nurse practitioner? I don't have time with everything else —"

"I'm sorry commander," Bashir interrupted. "This is not a request, this is an order. The best solution to our problem is to have a nurse practitioner in command. Given your background commander, this should be a smooth transition."

"How long do I have to take the professional development courses? If you can give me six months, I —"

"You have 60 days to review the training materials we are sending you."

"With all due respect, this is a joke, right?"

"Absolutely not. And we have copied these orders to Commander Vree. She will oversee and sign off on the completion of your training. Are there any final questions?"

"Will I get more pay with the additional credentials?"

"Absolutely not."

The nurse cursed under her breath, soft enough for Bashir not to hear. "You son of a b\*tch."

"Very well, best of luck commander. I look forward to you completing your training sooner rather than later. Bashir out."

Victoria looked down at the padd again and cursed for a second time.

Commander Mayla Vree & Colonel Jahkar

USS Resurrection War Room, above Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2206.01

A short time later, Jahkar and Mayla gathered in the War Room where Jahkar initiated a transmission to Bajor. He was apprehensive as the holographic emitter began to crackle and rez, just before the image of Kedanya appeared.

His heart dropped into his gut as he saw his daughter. She stood there with tears flowing down her cheeks, a look of confusion and pain on her face.
Kedanya already knew.

"Is it true?" she asked.

Jahkar nodded, "I'm sorry, baby. How did you find out?"

"Reporters from the Federation Media showed up a few minutes ago," she said, wiping away her tears. "Grandmother is…dealing with them."

"All I can tell you, Kedae, is he died in the line of duty," Jahkar said. "He was with the captain. I wasn't with him. I'm sorry."

Kedanya looked pained as she nodded, then she continued, "Is it true that he betrayed Starfleet? And the Federation?"

"It was an error in judgment," Jahkar said, trying to define Tajel's actions in a way that didn't sound so bad. "It's complicated. He made some mistakes." His voice broke.

"Kedae," Mayla said, using their childhood nickname for her. "He jumped in front of a Starfleet Captain and saved him from being vaporized. Regardless of whatever mistakes he made, he died a hero. And that is the truth. And in truth, I doubt he did it just to prove he wasn't a traitor. He loved you and Jahkar too much to go that far to end his life and to leave you both. Or to purposefully cause you both pain." It was the most plausible thing she could say without saying too much. Maybe she sugar coated it a bit too much. But Tajel's death had affected her too and she's allowed to feel remorse.

Kedanya looked at Mayla with pleading eyes hoping this was a nightmare and she would tell her Tajel was alive and well and everything was going to be alright. But Mayla did read those eyes, and slowly she shook her head, indicating this was all too real. "But the reporter said-"

"I am requesting Bajoran security to be sent to your home right now to have the reporters removed," Mayla said, interrupting her and doing exactly that in her eyes. Jahkar looked at Mayla with surprise that she would have the authority to do something like that. All the while, Mayla continued. "Don't listen to the speculations they might have. You don't need to know the details. And you don't need to tell the reporters, or anyone, a thing. All you need to know is what we're telling you. And that's from people who love you. Not people who want ratings or a story." Mayla put a hand on Jahkar's shoulder for support.

Kedanya nodded, sadness still obvious in her demeanor. She looked at her father, "Are you coming home?"

"We'll be there in about 24 hours," he said. "We can stay for about a day and then I have to be back at Earth. I'm sorry…I wish it could be longer."

"It's OK. I just want to see you," she said.

"I'd like to hold a memorial service when I get there," Jahkar said.

She nodded, "I was thinking the same. I can start planning it."

"Are you sure you're up to that?" he asked, concerned.

"I am," Kedanya said, bravely. "I don't want to sit here feeling sorry for myself. I want to plan something nice for him. And no offense, dad, but you and grandma-ma will turn this into a feast and party to send him off to Sto-Vo-Kor."

Jahkar managed a smile, "Yeah, that's your grandmother more than me. But you're probably right."

She looked to Mayla, "It's good to see you," Kedanya said. "I've missed you, a lot."

Mayla's face softened further at Kedanya's affection. But she kept a strong demeanor, strength was needed here to continue to forge ahead after a loss. Even one as close as a sibling. "I missed you too. I wish we can spend more time with you on Bajor, even under these circumstances. Twenty four hours is never enough to be with family. You let me know if there's anything you need from me."

Kedanya took a deep breath and gave her friend, and her father, both a brave smile. "Do you have those vids from our camping trip at the Yolja River? I want to put together a looping video of his life here to show to the attendees."

Mayla nodded. "I'll send it to you straight away."

Then the two heard a commotion behind Kedanya. Her grandmother appeared next to her. "Bajoran Security came and expelled the reporters. If they hadn't showed up when they did, I would have taken my bat'leth and ran those information poachers off the property with only half their limbs."

Kedanya turned to Mayla. "How did you get Security here so quickly?"

"I know someone who has some clout with the Ministry." Mayla said vaguely.

That's when the older Klingon woman turned towards the holographic projections of her son and Mayla.

"Mother," Jahkar said.

Mayla gave her a slight nod. "Grandma-ma."

K'nara gave Mayla a slight smile covering her grief stricken eyes. "May-child, you are with Jahkar?"

Mayla didn't react to the…accusation? "Our duty postings are close together. When I heard about Tajel, I immediately came to visit him."

Now K'nara looked at Jahkar. "For a minute I thought you were seeing another younger woman," K'nara laughed. "How is your friend, the Andorian girl? It was so nice to visit with her when you visited Bajor together."

Jahkar was stunned. Was the woman daft? She'd just outed his friendship with Tiri to his commanding officer. The Marine did his best to maintain a poker face, "Oh, my friend Tiri. Yes, she's doing well."

K'nara looked at him with concern, "I'm sorry about Tajel. He is among the honored dead in Sto-vo-Kor now."

Jahkar wasn't sure Tajel was in Sto-Vo-Kor, he'd never taken an interest in all things Klingon and even though his life ended saving people, Jahkar wasn't sure Sto-Vo-Kor would accept someone who had betrayed the military institution they served. Nor a non-Klingon.

"Yes," Jahkar answered. "I suppose he is."

Mayla took note of K'nara's mention of Sh'avelith, and understood her comment when she saw Mayla with Jahkar. "You can talk more about it when we arrive. There are many things we need to think about now, and to plan for. I will have a private security detail dispatched to keep the reporters away for a few weeks."
"Wait, we can't afford that." Kedanya said.

Mayla gave her a dismissive gesture. "I'll take care of it. We'll see you soon."

Jahkar shook himself from his ruminations. "Yes, we should go. I just called to give you the news I will be home soon. Love you both."

Jahkar then ended the transmission in silence.

"You okay?" Mayla asked, looking up at him.

"Going to be a rough few days."

"Aye," Mayla said thoughtfully. "But we'll help each other to get through this."

Jahkar just gave her a nod and a pat on her shoulder. His way of showing his gratitude. She followed him out onto the bridge, ignoring the stolen looks from the crew as the pair left in silence.

Back to top

## S4, E3, Act 2: Take Me Down to Polmak City (extended version)

Commander Mayla Vree & Lt. Commander William McCulloch

USS Resurrection, Above Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2206.07

Mayla and Jahkar went their separate ways after leaving the Bridge. An alarm in her eyes reminded her it was time for her first medication injection. She pulled a hypo from a pocket and injected herself. The meds entered her bloodstream in a rush and disoriented her for a moment. She stopped walking and put a hand out to the wall for support. She stood there like that for a minute while the meds found their equilibrium in her system.

"Do you need help, Commander? Should I call the Infirmary?"

Mayla opened her eyes and saw Lieutenant Darht standing beside her with his hand at her elbow keeping her steady. She stood up straight and brushed his hand away. "I'll be fine, Nick. Thanks for your concern."

"Dat was a hell of a ting yuh did on dat last mission," Darht said in his native accent. "Most of us doan even know how yuh survived dat, let alone wawhkin' and tawhkin' just a few hawhs latuh."

"I was very lucky. I don't suggest anyone ever try it."

Darht let out a scoff. "Yuh got dat right, sistuh." His eyes suddenly became alarmed remembering who he was addressing. "I mean, ma'am."
Mayla gave him a weak smile. She was feeling better now. "On with your duties, Lieutenant."

"Yes, ma'am. Take care."

Mayla straightened her uniform and went to her quarters. Then she remembered there was something she had to do. She tapped her comm badge. "Commander McCulloch, please meet me in my quarters at your convenience."

McCulloch had just received the gift package from the Bing Bong when Vree's transmission came in. Beckett, who was still with the Scot, chuckled slightly.

"Perfect timing, suck up." Cody quipped.

"On our next mission when you are crawling through a mile long tunnel of sh\*t, and I'm being comfortably transported in, you remember this moment." McCulloch retorted.

Beckett shook his head in disapproval, shrugged his shoulders and parted ways. McCulloch stored the gift box under his arm and made his way to Vree's quarters. Once there, he tapped the door chime twice waiting for Vree's permission to enter. A moment later, the door slid open, and Will entered.

He found the Trill hard at work behind the pull-out desk of her large quarters; larger in comparison to all of the regular personnel who share quarters on the small ship. Her head was locked in one position, but her eyes were darting back and forth at screens floating in front of her. She was making precise gestures moving data, screens, and tapping away at virtual terminal panels. Without saying anything, McCulloch advanced across the room and stood at attention, waiting for Vree to either speak or give him permission to sit down.

She continued work on her after-actions report and as he approached, she gestured him to the small chair she had placed in front of her desk.
Will studied the Trill in silence for a moment. He noticed all the hair on the back of her head was missing and she appeared in some discomfort. For a brief, fleeting moment he thought of making a sarcastic comment, but then he quickly reminded himself that she was damn lucky to be alive.

"Really glad to see you're alright," he said, taking the chair. The Scot carefully studied his superior again, this time his eyes narrowing. "What the hell were you thinking of?"

Mayla closed out her files and virtual panels before looking at him straight in the eye. "Will, I've been performing covert missions ever since I left the Academy. But this is the first time I've blown myself up. I came close more times than I'd like to mention. But this time, too much was at stake. I had to absorb the risk."

The comment caught McCulloch off guard. It wasn't just the explanation that surprised him…. Of course, he wasn't expecting her to be so transparent with him. It was Vree's casual use of his first name. Since his arrival, Mayla had typically referred to him only as "Mr. McCulloch", "Lt. Commander" and other formal titles.

McCulloch folded his hands on his lap and looked down at them for a brief moment. Afterward, he continued the conversation. "You and I both know Victoria'll be mighty upset if you died."

"Same thing if you died…again."

"Yeah, but if you died, with my luck I'll probably still be here for her to take it out on."

Mayla paused for just a moment before responding to that comment. "And you'd better be there when she takes that fall."

Will held up both his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it." he said with a frown. "So did you call me here just to give me sage wisdom?"

"Are you still in contact with your company, Inverness?"

"I am," Will said unsteadily, not knowing where this was going. Since joining Vree's team, he had relinquished control of the intelligence firm Admiral Sorvek had helped him found several years earlier. While Inverness operated outside of Starfleet Intelligence, it was considered an expensive ally to the Federation. "I am afraid to ask but what do you want with Inverness?"

"I want to know if they are up for a job I want to hire them for."

Will paused momentarily as Admiral McLeod's warnings about combining his duty to Shadow Ops and ties to Inverness echoed in his head. He eyed Vree cautiously.

"You can't afford Inverness."

"I doubt that." She tapped the side of her head. "I know Inverness' menu of what they charge."

McCulloch was surprised with the answer and his facial expression revealed as much. Mayla smiled slightly as Will continued to press her for information.

"What's the job? For Shadow Operations?"

"No, this is a personal matter."

"You do realize ultimately you're paying me?" Will pressed. "I may not see your money anytime soon, but at some point it will line my pocket. I could use a new yacht."

"So be it." Mayla answered matter-of-factly. "If it'll make you feel any better, donate those proceeds to a worthy cause. Maybe on Bajor. Or Cardassia Prime."

Will reflected on the suggestion. Of course, he planned to donate it to charity, but he slightly hoped the comment would dissuade Vree from approaching Inverness. Her response signaled otherwise. Will continued.

"What is the job?"

"First of all, I need a security detail for a few months at Jahkar's home on Bajor. They need to be invisible and non-intrusive. They are to filter anyone trying to bother Jahkar's daughter and mother while they are there. Especially any of the media asking about Tajel's…actions leading up to and including his death. Media personnel of all types are to be kept out." Mayla gave him a stern look. "And we don't know if anyone may take retribution on his family because of what Tajel had done. So they may need some protection."

"Go on." Will answered simply as he took in her requests.

"Second, I need incoming and outgoing information control on Bajor and Cardassia Prime. All stories relating to Tajel need to be suppressed, or redirected, away from public consumption. All of this has to be done from the shadows."

"You're talking about censorship."

"I'm talking about not making the subject of Dara Tajel a big deal. He needs to be forgotten so the family can mourn and move on. It's difficult enough already for the family to mourn without a body. But that much more difficult when the media is constantly trying to vet out whether Tajel was a traitor or not."

McCulloch exhaled softly as he looked around the room. "I assume you have some sort of dampening field and other bells and whistles installed in these quarters so whatever I say will stay in this room?"

"Why would you make that assumption?" She answered, her eyes widening slightly.

"Because you're a Vree." Will announced. "I wouldn't expect anything else."

Mayla smiled and nodded in the affirmative. Satisfied with her response, McCulloch continued.

"The security detail is not going to be a problem." The Scot paused briefly as he reflected on a possible suggestion. Initially, he thought of recommending the Andorian Shess Ch'taolno, his acting chief executive officer but chose otherwise. "Sarah Pickering, chief of operations. She was promoted after my departure and at my recommendation. She is ruthless but she'll get the job done discreetly and efficiently."

"Pickering? Where have I heard that name before?" Then she remembered. "Right, the Pickering house that was assaulted on Earth."

"And Sarah's brother served with Jahkar in Marine Ops Force Alpha years ago."

"And…not only that." Vree briefly mused before remembering more. She eyed McCulloch carefully. "She's the one Victoria calls the ‘pop tart' and is linked romantically to Cody Beckett?"

McCulloch blushed slightly before nodding in the affirmative. "I believe Victoria is trying to refrain from calling her a ‘pop tart' in an effort to win favor with Cody."

"She's called her a ‘pop tart' on more than one occasion from what I understand." Vree retorted.

"Technically, she calls people a lot of names when she's angry." Will countered.

"Like when she referred to you as a self-absorbed man whore as she throat punched you on Vulcan."

Again, Will held up his hands as a gesture of surrender. After a moment of silence, he continued. "Your second request. There's only one person you'd want from Inverness handling such a task."

"Who?"

"Wenn Hikri, she is Inverness' chief intelligence officer.

"Didn't she serve with the Bajoran resistance?"

"The very one. She was a code cracker, but she also had an uncanny ability for sowing seeds of disinformation and mistrust. She was also an instrumental figure within Bajoran Intelligence."

"Yes, I've heard of her. She learned a few things working with Umbra One's comm specialist Chalan Neela back in the days before Bajor joined the Federation." Mayla gave him a nod of approval. "If you think these are the people to do the job, I'll defer to your experience and knowledge of your personnel. I just want Jahkar's family and Tajel's memory protected."

McCulloch nodded grimly. "Have you talked with Jahkar since coming back?"

"Yes, just now. We'll be jumping to Bajor tomorrow. The family is going to have a memorial service to honor him the day after. In what form, I don't know. Jahkar's mother is already on Bajor, so it's anyone's guess what cultural ritual they will be performing." Mayla folded her hands in front of her on the desk.

"How soon do you want to activate the security detail?"

"As soon as possible. Right now, Bajoran Security is already on site and performing the duties. There was an…incident earlier while we were on the holocomm with them. Jahkar's mother nearly used her bat'leth to chase reporters off the property."

McCulloch nodded. "That sounds a bit serious. An old Klingon woman yelling and screaming Klingon epitaphs while charging at me with a bat'leth is not something I want to encounter."

"Especially not Jahkar's mother." Mayla said with a warm smile of affection. "But she is getting old, and doesn't need this type of aggravation. And with Klingon temper, a real incident may occur with media reporters. I wouldn't want that to happen."

McCulloch nodded again in agreement. "That wouldn't look good."

"No. And it'll put Jahkar in the spotlight too, if he's not already. Starfleet Intelligence has notified me of an unusual sudden increase in inquiries to Jahkar's status and whereabouts. The media is looking for him. You can bet they'll get wind as soon as we're on planet."

"Got it. I'll get right on it. How do you want to handle client relations?"

"I'll open an online mailbox; they can drop messages in there and I'll get them wherever I'm at." Mayla said, doing exactly that in her eyes, creating a set of instructions for her AI to codify the message and set certain priorities.

"Alright." He said smartly. "You sure you can afford this?"

"I can. Sorvek…had made me aware of his experiences with Inverness from the beginning."

McCulloch became wary of the comment. How much did she know? "Alright then." He reached over to the box he had placed on the corner of her desk.

"Is that for Victoria?"

"No, it's for you." Will replied as he pushed the box across the desk towards the Trill.

"Me?"

"Aye. When we were down on Cardassia there was a very brief moment where I got to see a different version of Mayla Vree, the one without the military trappings or air of formality. It was nice. You didn't have to share it with the likes of me, but you did. So, I wanted to thank you for that moment."

Mayla stared at the box and a smirk crossed her face. "Bing Bong gives me very pleasant memories of childhood when we were still all together and played while our parents were out saving the Federation and galaxy. It was the sacrifice of time I was already aware of, but the other children couldn't understand why their fathers and mothers had to be away so often. And sometimes for a long time."

"Now one of them is gone."

The usually stoic Trill commander let out a sad sigh. "Not only Tajel, but my sister Nilani is also gone. As years go by, who knows who else will depart this universe before it's their time. But it's not for us to reason why. Bing Bong is a nice break from life to reminisce about different times."

Will listened in silence as he noted Vree was once again surprisingly open to the Scot. Rather than dwell on the issue, he set his gaze upon the Trill commander and broke the brief silence.

"I am sorry for your losses Mayla. Both Tajel and your sister."

"Do you have any siblings, Will?"

"No. I was an only child." McCulloch paused for a second. "But my first cousin James Crossan was like a little brother to me. He was two years younger than me."

"Was?" Mayla asked cautiously.

Will looked down momentarily before continuing. "James and I did everything together…. and I mean everything. We were a pair of trouble makers."

"Really? I'm shocked." Vree answered sarcastically with a slight smile.

"You have no idea. You name it we did it. We were a wild pair who were always up to no good and the occasional petty crime …oh and the lasses…the lasses adored us."

"Why am I not surprised?" Mayla answered as she rolled her eyes. "How the hell did you ever end up with Commander Smith?"

"Well, she was a rather different person back then. I had a weakness for the quiet nerdy type. And Victoria, well she thought my—"

"Forget it, I don't want to know. The poor nurse." She replied with a casual wave of her hand. "You were saying about James?"

McCulloch softly exhaled before continuing. "James died in a boating accident on Loch Morar the Fall of my first year of the Academy. It came as quite a hard blow and to this day I miss him terribly…one moment someone important is here with you, the next…"

"Gone." Mayla whispered.

"Aye, gone. And over the years I told myself the same thing you just said: ‘As years go by, who knows who else will depart this universe before it's their time.' but…"

"But what?"

"But," McCulloch paused, "But rather than focus on the dread of who may depart us before it's time, shouldn't we cherish the time we have with them now?"

Mayla gave him a bemused look. "What is this I'm hearing? Sage contemplation on the here and now in your old age?"

"Can't say it hasn't crossed my mind in the past few years. There are probably more years behind me than ahead of me."

She gave the Scot a meaningful nod. "To tell you the truth, in my case, the here and now is just an episodic moment along the path of memories I already have." She briefly thought about her sibko when she was able to see them when she visited her father after Sorvek's funeral. When her gaze fell back to McCulloch's eyes, she could tell he was reading her face. "My younger self may have agreed with you. But from my experience, throughout history, not many people realize that until it's too late."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means no matter how much you cherish each moment with someone, it will never be enough when they are suddenly gone." She took the box and opened it. "The Bing Bong sampler."

"Best way to sample everything. And it looked like you wanted to visit the store if Papa Lazarus didn't say no."

She instantly chose one in particular and popped the entire chocolate into her mouth. She knew exactly which one was her favorite. "Thank you for the chocolates. I appreciate it." She closed the box and pushed it back in front of him.

"You're going to eat just one?" McCulloch said, not understanding and hated to admit feeling a bit offended.

"My favorite one. Let Victoria have a piece, and then please share it with the rest of the team and Union XII. I think they all deserve something sweet for a change."

McCulloch suddenly had a moment of deja vu and realized where Vree was going with the request. "You are so much like your father. Always thinking about the team, on and off mission."

"Except the part where he wanted to kill you and destroy your entire clan."

McCulloch sucked in a breath at the reminder of those events that led up to that. He was actually surprised at the shock of the reminder that he was speechless for a few moments. The Scot silently debated with himself whether it was all but certain his efforts to build an amicable relationship with Vree were a complete waste of time as his mistakes of the past would always be hung over his head by her.

But on the other hand, Will knew Vree's comments were understandable…and accurate. Hell, if she knew that at the height of his betrayal he and the upper echelon of the Black Watch were plotting the same fate for Kyril Vree and his loved ones, she probably would have not been so reserved with her choice of words.

His thoughts of his time with the Black Watch faded as Mayla continued.

"There is alot of my father in me, even though we're not biologically family. But I'm destined for a similar path he's taken."

"Have you spoken with him?" McCulloch almost stammered the next question. "Does he still feel the same? Just so I know how fast I need to run if I see him coming." He gave her a weak smile, trying to mask the shame and hurt of Vree's earlier comments..

"I have seen and spoken with him. And the impression I got was that the incident happened long ago, and he feels that you've taken a lesson from it with the hopes it will make you a better person in the future." Mayla said in a slow quiet voice.

McCulloch slowly nodded with a quiet remorse. "Geez. He sounds like my father."

"Well, he does have five lifetimes of memories in him."

"But you sound a lot like him sometimes. How many lifetimes of memories do you have?"

Mayla contemplated as to how much she should reveal to the man. It was a closely kept secret of what her true nature's origins were. "I can't say for sure. But let's say…I've never counted."

"That's not an answer."

"Best one I can give you." She said with a wry smile. "Thanks for the chocolates. Now go share it with the teams."

Will rose from his seat and stood at attention. Once Mayla dismissed him, he spun on his heels and started to make his way towards the exit. As he neared, she called after him.

"Will?"

"Sir?" He replied as he looked over his shoulder.

"The chocolates?" Mayla answered as she pointed towards the box of chocolates still on her desk.

"Of course." McCulloch smiled weakly as he returned to the desk. He picked up the box, and bowed slightly towards Mayla. "Thank you for your time, Commander. I appreciate it. I will ensure Sarah Pickering and Inverness contact you before the end of the day."

"Thank you for the treat. I really do appreciate it."

With that, the Scot again turned around and exited Vree's quarters….feeling confused and unsure exactly where he stood with his commander.

Colonel Jahkar

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2206.10

Admittedly, right now, Jahkar was keeping some distance from Tiri. He was torn about her in many ways and he knew she would be there, at his side to help him through the loss of Tajel. But, the marine officer wasn't sure what he wanted from her right now.

There was an attraction, he knew that, for both of them. But he felt uncomfortable being more than a friend to her. The age difference. The fact he was her commanding officer. None of this played well with Jahkar.

He wasn't sure this was going to work between them, and he knew it was going to be hard for her when he told her.

So, Jahkar had busied himself in going through some old letters Tajel had sent him over the years. Those occasional communications between the two in their relationship that was never quite there…not the way it should have been. Not the way Ilia would have wanted it.

Sorting through the messages, he discovered one letter from Tajel from about ten years earlier in which he talked about a bar on Cardassia, in the city of Polmak, where he'd spent a great deal of time while working with the relief agencies during the occupation.

The bar was known as The Last Call and was founded there after the destruction of Cardassia in the war. It was established by a human named Graham McCall and it had served as a watering hole for workers rebuilding Cardassia during the occupation and members of the civilian relief organizations who were helping out with the refugees.

It had been the official watering hole for the agency Tajel worked for and he and his friends gathered there often. While most of the reconstruction workers were gone, returned back to their homeworlds, a few relief agencies still had a presence on Cardassia Prime.

Perhaps, Jahkar thought, a wake for Tajel at The Last Call would be in order. He composed an invite and sent it to the team – "Join Colonel Jahkar at The Last Call in Polmak City tonight at 2000 hours to celebrate the life of his son, Dara Tajel."

With that, he headed off to follow up with Mayla to make sure she was OK with his plan for a wake.

Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith

Colonel Jahkar

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2206.14

Sh'avelith came out of the medical bay just as Jahkar walked past. She rushed to fall in step with him and instantly sensed his demeanor as being cold, aloof, and distant. Understandable, considering his stepson had just died. She only wanted to be there for him.

"Are you OK?" she asked. "I've been looking all over for you, but you were in meetings and then you weren't responding to calls."

Jahkar looked over at her, "Sorry, there's just been a lot happening all at once."

"I heard the commander is up and about," Tiri said.

"She is," he confirmed. "She and I just spoke with Kedanya. We wanted to get to her with the news before the media did, but we were too late."

Tiri was taken back for a moment. Why hadn't he asked her to join in the call to Bajor? She understood Mayla was a friend of Kedanya's but having just spent time with his daughter on Bajor, she thought he would have wanted to include her in something like that.

"Oh….no, that's terrible," Tiri said. "Is she OK?"

"She will be," he said. "Kedanya is strong. We'll be going there tomorrow for a memorial service before going back to Earth."

Tiri nodded, "I can't wait to see her."

Jahkar stopped at the turbolift and turned to Tiri, "Nor can I." He looked her over. "No injuries? Came out of that in one piece I see."

She offered a smile, "I did. I wish we'd have had more time to complete the mission. Everything went sideways really fast, didn't it?"

"Indeed," he confirmed.

It was quiet for a moment. Tiri looked at Jahkar and a sadness came over her, "Are you OK? I mean, is there something wrong…besides the obvious?"

Jahkar sighed and looked at the Andorian woman, finding her both beautiful and perplexing. He was frustrated and with everything else happening right now, there was no easy resolution.

"Things are just complicated right now, Tiri," he said. "I have a lot on my plate."

"I can help you," Tiri said, taking his hand. "I'm here for you."

Jahkar looked into her eyes and managed a faint smile, "Thank you. I need that right now. I'm having a wake for Tajel on Cardassia this evening. It's a bar called The Last Call. From letters he sent me it was his favorite watering hole when he was with the relief effort here. I sent invitations to the team."

She nodded, "I haven't had a chance to check mine. But I'll be there."

Tiri hugged him and he lingered in the embrace, probably longer than he should have after a couple of crew members passed them by in the corridor. After, they stepped apart and he smiled at her, "See you on the surface in a couple hours."

"I'll be there," Tiri confirmed.

He then stepped onto the lift to go up to the bridge…

Admiral Ian Connor MacLeod

USS Fearless

Stardate 2206.14

Fearless had set out for Earth. Resurrection had stayed behind with a plan to head to Bajor within the next day and then make its way back to Umbra Prime. Admiral MacLeod found himself overwhelmed with work after the mission to Cardassia Prime and a backlog of things he needed to address both aboard Fearless and back on Earth.

He was reviewing some correspondence from the Federation Security Council and their liaison, Councilman Elocin Shea, when new information came to light that caused him to raise one eyebrow.

Immediately, using the holographic communicator, he opened a channel to Earth and contacted Shea, who was in his office in Paris.

"Admiral, what can I do for you?" the Shadow operative turned Federation councilman asked as MacLeod's seated image rezzed into the chair across the desk from him.

"I was reviewing the proposal you sent," MacLeod said. "The Security Council wants to start up a new Shadow Operations training facility?"

Shea smiled and nodded, "A facility of sorts. It will be completely virtual. A holodeck simulation."

"You created a training facility for operatives on a holodeck?" MacLeod asked, a combination of feeling intrigued and insulted. "I would have suggested assigning some of our seasoned team members to train a new breed of operatives."

"We want to keep Phoenix in the field," Shea said. "I'd like to use them for this purpose, but let's face it – I can't see many of them stepping back from active duty to train newbies day in and day out."

MacLeod nodded, "This is true. Surely there are some of the original trainers left?"

"A few, but all retired," Shea admitted. "We have, however, a complete holographic recreation of the camp in Australia and most of the original instructors taken from hours of imagery recorded during the training of the original Shadow Ops teams 25 years ago."

"Fascinating," said MacLeod. "So, what do you require from us?"

Shea steepled his hands on the desk in front of him, "Well, Ian, we want you to consult with Commander Vree and Colonel Jahkar to put together a library of training simulations they've put their team through. This will serve as the nucleus of the training program. We have the classroom material covered with the database, we need the training sims from those who have worked in the field."

MacLeod immediately had his doubts Mayla would want to just offer up hours of training sims…days or weeks really of material. But, it would come as an order and he hoped there would be no resistance.

"I'll talk to them when we get back to Earth," he said. "We have to dispense with some matters involving our missing operative, first."

Shea nodded, "Understood. Speaking of that, I have a briefing planned regarding Lt. Commander Thompson when you all get back here. We should have some intel to report by the time you get here."

MacLeod smiled, "I look forward to hearing more when we reach Earth. Thank you, Elocin. MacLeod out."

Engineering

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2206.15

Lieutenant Commander Carmichael checked on a group of engineers who were fixing a bit of circuitry in the wall. They hadn't quite got everything finished after the pounding the ship had taken over Cardassia. "How's it going, Gentlemen?" he asked.

"Sir. Almost done in this area," said one Engineer. "We've replaced the inductors, got new neural gelpacks in there, and replaced the wiring, and we'll soon have these panels back in." He glanced over at Ensign Lokarchin, who was now doing some diagnostic testing. "Of course we wouldn't have had to remove so many if a certain ZAKDORN! hadn't got the only guy who COULD FIT IN THERE! barred from ENGINEERING!" He turned back to Carmichael. "So we'll be a bit yet."

Carmichael glowered.

"Taking Ensigns to task is my job, not yours," he chided the engineer. "Keep going, let me know when you're finished." He had had to release Tegri Lokarchan from the brig; he simply didn't have enough engineers to keep the Zakdorn incarcerated. Still, Lokarchin was going through a different kind of punishment–he was currently the pariah of engineering, and for someone who had an admiralty as a goal, having both caused a security breach on a top-secret project AND pissed off all his crewmates would be about the worst things that could be on his record at the moment.

Carmichael sighed; still had to report Reepchip's accidental incursion to Admiral Clancy.

Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2206.17

When Ryramorl and Reepchip heard about the wake, the two headed to their quarters to get ready. Reepchip put on his Shaman's robes and trinkets, while Ryramorl got into his traditional garb. He pulled out what looked like an oblong clay ball with holes in it, and blew into it; it made a low, haunting whistling sound. and he covered and uncovered those holes, changing the pitch. "I'd use the Sacred Rawyawron," said Ryramorl, "but humans are so… squeamish."

"Well, it IS made from your youngest brother's skull," said Reepchip.

"Indeed, and thus he is honored, and travels with me." He looked at the Sacred Rawyawron and gently caressed it. "I would rather listen to you sing for hours, rather than play a rawyawron made from you," he said softly to the skull. Then he took the clay common rawyawron and tucked it into a pouch by his side.

"Was he a good singer?" asked Reepchip.

"...Yaranyar was absolutely terrible," admitted Ryramorl "But I would still rather listen to him yelp and warble for hours on end, for he'd still be alive." They double-checked their messages to see when the wake was. When it was time to go, Reepchip also brought along his stringed chikkersaka.

Commander Mayla Vree

USS Resurrection, Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2206.19

She needed a haircut. Or at least a trim to try to complement what was missing. And not make it look like she tried to cut it herself with a spoon and a mirror.

After deciding to respond to Jahkar's invitation to the Last Call that night, she had better do something about her hair. But they weren't at a starbase, and no one on board had the footnote in their profile to indicate they can dress hair.

A hat then? Or a beanie? Or even a holographic projection?

She headed to the holodeck and queried the computer for a hairdresser program from Risa. A bolian appeared along with a hairdressing station. He looked at her hair and shook his head. "My name is Toge. What happened to your hair?"

Mayla didn't answer the accusing question and just sat down in the chair, wondering for just a moment why he wasn't as pleasant as he should be considering he worked on a pleasure planet. Every working on Risa was known to have the best customer service in the Federation. "Give me some options."

The bolian just shook his head again and gestured into the air in front of her. About a dozen images appeared. "From your hair's…current state, I suggest the one from Delta IX. It's modern, sleek, and requires the absolute minimal amount of hair. It is s Deltan style, after all.
It would be better to use the follicle accelerator to grow the hair back quickly and give you a proper haircut...."

She shook her head. "Medical condition. I have to let it grow out naturally."

The bolian nodded and gestured to her choices. "Which miracle would you like me to perform, then?"

She brought up a picture of herself. "This was what my hair used to look like. Style it as if a little bit too much was trimmed off."

He studied the image for a few seconds and nodded. "That is the Kusanagi cut from Nihama. It is simple enough. I just need to cut everything else short."

"Do it," she said. "I have a function to attend tonight. I need to look presentable."

"What type of function will it be?"

"A funeral wake."

"Very well."

Her subvocal activated and a usual heavy gruff voice showed some concern. "What are you doing in the holodeck? Shouldn't you be resting? Your medical report says you almost died."

"Wouldn't be the first time," she said.

"You're not immortal, youngster," Lazarus growled. "And you're not like Jackson Bryce."

"If I was born a few years later, I could have been." She closed her eyes and relaxed as Toge snapped a smock around her. "I'll live. That's all that matters. How did your mission go?"

"I'll send you a copy of my report when I'm done with it. But despite what happened, it went satisfactory."

She paused for a brief moment as Toge started snipping the melted ends of her hair with trimming scissors. That pause gave Lazarus reason to continue to tell her what had happened.

"How did Jahkar handle the news about Tajel when you told him?"

"Accused me of lying to him."

Mayla paused again, and deduced what Jahkar meant with that statement. "Did you?"

"No. Tajel is really dead. I don't know how much more I can do to prove it. It happened right in front of me and Garak."

"I see. I've already talked with him. He's having a wake for Tajel tonight. Are you going?" She asked.

"I will be there. You?"

"Same as you. I'm getting a haircut right now to look presentable for the occasion."

"Do you have enough hair?"

"I may have to wear a beanie or some sort, depending on how good this Risan hairdresser is." Mayla said with a sad smirk, remembering it was a somber occasion. "Do you think Kira knows we're coming to Bajor?"

She could almost hear Lazarus shrugging. "I don't know. I haven't informed her. There's no need to."

Mayla hesitated in saying any more. "At least Kyril won't be there. I don't know if they've reconciled. The subject has never come up. I have a feeling it's not something he wants to talk about."

"It was a long time ago. It may have been forgotten."

"I doubt it. It was surprising that the Council didn't revoke Bajor's Federation membership after what she did."

"Don't bring it up." He said sternly. "The Federation needs Bajor and DS9 to be their allies."

"I won't."

"Get some rest. I'll see you tonight." Lazarus signed off.

Colonel Jahkar

Cardassia Prime, Polmak City

Stardate 2206.18

Jahkar materialized outside the bar known as the Last Call, located in a rebuilt portion of Polmak CIty which was mostly destroyed in the Dominion attack 20 years before. The bar was a little hole in the wall and while there were many Cardassians on the street, people coming and going from the bar were a mix of species – humans, Bolians, Vulcans, Romulans and even a couple of Ferengi who passed by.

Polmak City was known as one of the first places rebuilt after the war and because of this, many of the contracting companies and the relief agencies had set up shop here. Jahkar knew from Tajel's letters this place had once been a booming town which sprung up from the ruins of the original metropolis which once inhabited this space.

Now, however, things had quieted down. The work here was done, though many of the construction companies and relief agencies still used Polmak City as their headquarters. He wondered how long it would stay that way now that the occupation was ending.

The marine walked into the bar and found it to be much as Tajel had described it – dimly lit, filled with a dozen or so patrons, all of whom seemed to know one another from the friendly banter and instant recognition they had of each other as they sat around enjoying an afterwork drink.

Jahkar received a few odd looks, people trying to figure out who he was and where he'd come from. Everyone here knew everyone else, so strangers always stood out.

He sat up at the bar and ordered a Romulan Ale, which was served up by the squat, but friendly Tellerite bartender named Crock. As he sipped his drink, he listened to the conversations around him and waited for the rest of the team to show…

Lt. Commander William McCulloch

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2206.18

Will studied the civilian clothing hanging in the closet of his quarters before grumbling softly to himself. He had no idea whether he should wear civilian clothing, traditional Scottish garb, or his uniform. After some internal deliberation and a desire not to wear something that would be perceived as perhaps garish, McCulloch simply chose to switch into a fresh uniform.

Upon exiting his quarters, he nearly collided with Vree and Smith. The two were also en route to the transporter room.

"No kilt?" Victoria inquired as she looked McCulloch up and down.

"I wasn't sure if it would be appropriate."

"I would have liked to see the kilt."

"I really don't want to see the kilt." Mayla interrupted with a roll of her eyes. The nurse's attempt to immediately flirt with McCulloch was awkward at best … especially in light of the fact the two had been at each other's throats at the height of the mission.

Victoria drifted behind Vree, before stepping between her and McCulloch. She gently hip checked the Trill aside. Mayla and Victoria briefly exchanged words in Trill before the nurse turned her attention back to Will.

"I understand you were handing out candy…expensive candy…to my team earlier." Smith pressed as she looked up at the Scot.

"I was."

"That meant a lot to them. Especially since the gesture came from a member of Phoenix Team."

"I'm glad to hear that. I was looking for you to deliver your…"

"I'll claim my piece of candy tonight after the service." Smith answered with a wink.

Will blushed and looked over Victoria's head towards Mayla. The Trill could only shrug her shoulders in confusion. After a moment she cleared her throat.

"Victoria, Will and I need to discuss a private matter. We'll join you down on the surface."

"I look forward to it." The nurse purred before walking ahead of the pair. As she did, she stumbled slightly, regained her composure and continued advancing down the hallway.

"Please tell me she wasn't this awkward when the two of you were married." Vree asked with a smirk.

"Actually, she was worse." He replied as he watched Victoria round the corner and disappear from sight.

"The implanted Trill memories still have the occasional effect of radical changes in behavior. Tread carefully William McCulloch."

"Aye, Commander." The Scot answered matter of factly. The two resumed walking towards the transporter room. "Nice haircut. You wanted to speak with me?"

"Inverness. Anything to report?" Mayla announced over the sub voc.

McCulloch looked briefly down at the floor. "It's done. Everything will either be in place or commence by nightfall. Secure means of communication will be established with you in the coming hours."

"How did you communicate with Sarah Pickering?"

"Under the guise of a quarterly risk analysis meeting. If anyone…other than you…" Will paused for a moment. There was a heavy emphasis on the word ‘you'. "If anyone other than you listened in to the conversation, they would have heard me reviewing legal protocols to ensure my access to and interests with the company were still on hold."

"But?"

"It was a coded conversation with Sarah Pickering to prepare for a new client. I asked a series of questions which contained instructions for her."

Vree remained silent for a moment as she mulled over Will's report. She eyed the Scot cautiously. "MacLeod requires a third-party present with you during any conversations with Inverness."

Will smiled thinly. "There was … Cody."

"Beckett?"

"I suspect he was too enamored with Ms. Pickering to pick up on the real intent of our conversation."

"But what if he did?" Mayla pressed.

"I am confident he will remain silent. Cody is a good man and fiercely loyal to the team. It's a trait I greatly admire."

"For our sake, I hope so."

Will nodded in agreement as the pair finally entered the transporter room and stepped onto the transport pad.

"We still need to talk about that haircut." McCulloch quipped.

"No, we don't."

The Scot held up his hands in protest. "Fine by me…if you're going for pre-teen goth boy, who am I to judge?"

As the pair started to be enveloped in a blue light, Mayla gave Will an icy stare. Seconds later the duo materialized before a Cardassian bar.
"Sometimes I have to wonder whether I should shoot you out of a torpedo tube." Vree grumbled.

"You should shoot your hairstylist out of that same tube."

"You really are fresh." Vree retorted as the pair entered the Last Call.

There was a brief pause led by Vree as she and McCulloch surveyed the interior of the bar.

"First round on me?" The Scot asked as he cracked a smile.

After a slight delay, the Trill returned the smile but shook her head in disagreement. "I expect all of the team's rounds to be covered by you. That's an order."

"Can I continue to comment on your hair?"

"No."

"Damnit…"

Lt. Commander Daryl Thompson

Penal Colony, Mirror Universe

Stargate 2206.16

Daryl opened his eyes. His vision was blurred. The world was spinning around. He opened and closed his eyes for a few times to get rid of it. It was dark. Then he felt he could barely move. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to get his head clear.

As he reopened them, he still couldn't make anything out of where he was. The room was quite dark, but it appeared as if he was behind a glass wall as there was barely any sound. He breathed deeply in and out a few times. The air he breathed was damp. Daryl tried to get up again, but something was restricting his movement.

A door slid open, and the light blinded him. In the light, a figure was visible. It strode into the room. Ambient light appeared, and as the door closed, Daryl recognized the man immediately.

The man came closer. Now Daryl noticed, he was inside of some kind of booth that restricted his movement. Probably some kind of torture device he thought.

"How does it feel to know you were brought here by a guy who called you his friend, only to have him double-cross you, frame you for killing the emperor and then stick you in this place," said the mysterious man. "On top of that, he gave me orders to get information from you. Information about a special warp drive aboard the ship you serve aboard in your universe. We want to know what this drive does and how well it is protected."

The man stepped closer and stood face to face with Daryl. "Before we get started, my name is Jack Dark. I am the grand inquisitor of the Terran Empire. So, I will give you a chance right now to tell me everything I want to know…before things have to get ugly."

Daryl looked at Dark.

"I killed you in my universe. And I'm going to do the same here," he bluntly stated.

Dark grinned "So much ambition… just like your alter ego… " Dark smirked.

"And look where it got him….. " He continued and shook his head with a quasi-pity expression on his face.

"But let's not squander my time, Mr. Thompson," Dark continued. "I need you to tell me about that new experimental warp drive you have in your little ship. Tell me all you know, and I promise you we can still be friends."

Dark winked while making that last remark.

Daryl knew Dark was lying. He either kept his mouth shut, and he would be in a world of hurt, or he would tell him right away and still be tortured, no matter what. In the end, death awaited him in both cases when he had lost his use for them.

Daryl looked at Dark. "I'm not telling you jack, Jack. "

Dark shrugged and gestured with two fingers above his wristpadd.

A jolt of energy made Daryl's body shudder and shake. Daryl groaned. It hurt like hell, but he grinded his teeth and underwent the pain.
Dark watched as the blue energy arched and crawled over Thompson's body with a thin smile. He seemed to be intrigued by how the energy crawled over the body of Daryl, and intensely watched it, studying it. As an alarm softly sounded, he waited a few more moments. Then he gestured again, and the energy disappeared.

Daryl inhaled, coughed, and tasted blood. Breathing was heavy, and he felt the painful sensation of burn wounds all over his body.

Dark studied Daryl. "Did it hurt? " He asked. Daryl looked at Jack. "No. You should get some… " Dark made another gesture and before Daryl could finish his sentence, a second bolt of energy made Daryl's body lurch and jump as far as the booth he was in gave him space. This bolt was more intense, as was the pain. Daryl tried to resist, groaning, but the pain was too intense, and he lost consciousness within a few seconds…

Days later…

K'Chary was worried. Daryl hadn't returned since the evening he left to visit the catacombs. It had been more than a week since his disappearance. The shift for that day had already finished, and still no sign of him. During the past week she had been asking other inmates if they had seen Daryl or knew where he could be.

So far, no one had. Or kept their mouth shut. She sat outside of her cell when, on the other side of the courtyard Leo and Den appeared. They had been looking for Daryl all week, but so far they had been unable to find him.

As both men arrived, Leo shook his head. Then he asked her to go inside.

Once inside, Den, the other male human spoke. "We didn't find Daryl, but we got some information about his whereabouts. Rumor has it he has been taken to a place deep below the catacombs. It seems to be another prison. They say it's a very dark place. Once you go there, you never come back."

K'Chary looked at Den in disbelief.

"You are kidding right? " She looked at Leo. Leo shook his head. "Kopeng is right sesata."
K'Chary looked at both men. "Where did you get this information? "

Leo and Den looked at each other.

"We had to… persuade… certain people to give that information"

K'Chary was getting impatient. "Spit it out, the both of you! I want to know every detail! "

Den cleared his throat. "We asked Sol. He gave us the information. "

K'Chary raised an eyebrow. "Asked? And he just coughed it up? What did you do to him? "

"We roughed him up a little," Leo said.

K'Chary shook her head. thinking " This is not good. This has to do with something bigger. I can feel it". She sat down. "Is he still alive? "

Den shrugged and nodded. "Yeah he'll survive. "

"I mean Daryl" K'Chary said, a stern look on her face. "I couldn't care less about that Sol type. " Then K'chary frowned as she remembered it was Sol who mentioned that ‘someone' wanted to meet Daryl. Her eyes narrowed. "Sol knows more. " she then said. "He was the one who came and persuaded Daryl to go to the catacombs. He might know more. "

Den pressed his lips together and shook his head.

"I don't think so. If he knew more he would've told us. He's a mean rat, but also a huge coward. We roughed him up pretty good. "

"I still want a word with him, K'Chary said, determined.

Leo sighed and looked at Den. "We need a few more men. Since we roughed up Sol he might try to get even and send a few tough guys to us. Get Lo'n, Dragor and Tumaran'q for backup.

Half an hour later, K'Chary entered the hallway that gave access to the catacombs. A few small groups of inmates were playing card games or gambled with dice. At the entrance a big, overweight Klingon stood guard, his arms crossed over his chest, resting on his belly. Without hesitation, K'Chary walked up to the Klingon and asked if she could enter. The Klingon looked down on her with a look that kept the middle between disgust and lust, then he scoffed hard. "No, you cannot pa…" Without warning, out of nothing, K'Chary kicked the Klingon as hard as she could between his legs, followed by a series of punches in the throat, diaphragm and stomach. The Klingon growled and gasped for breath as he fell on his knees. K'Chary jumped up and finished the Klingon with a knee to his face. His head snapped back and he crashed onto the floor, blood gushing from his shattered nose. K'Chary stepped over him and descended quickly onto the dark, murky stairs that led to the underground catacombs. The rest followed quickly.

The stair ended in another large hallway, where it too was dark and murky, with just a few lights on the walls, barely enough to have a good view of the environment. K'Chary looked around, then turned around to the group of men. "We split up. Leo, you are with me. Den, you pair up with Lo'n. Dragor, Tumaran'q, you check together for any sign of Sol. The Cardassian and the Denobulan nodded.

They split up and the next hours, they spend looking, asking, searching for a trace of Sol. To no avail, it seemed. K'Chary was getting irritated. No one knew where Sol was….

She was sitting at a table in the deeper levels of the catacombs, as suddenly, there it got noisy, and some of the inmates, more drunk than not, gathered around the entrance. The chatter and bustling drew her attention, then she saw Den, pushing people aside, followed by Lo'n, the Nausicaa, who appeared to carry someone over his shoulder.

K'Chary got up, first walked, then ran towards Den and Lo'n.. As she reached her fellow inmates, Lo'n carefully took Daryl off his shoulder. Den helped K'Chary. She was completely in tears. Daryl looked awful. He had burns and wounds all over his body and face. His overall was torn to shreds and here and there she saw glimpses of more wounds, bruises and cuts.

"Who did this? Where did you find him ? " K'Chary demanded.

Lo'n shrugged "I don't know. We found him in a dark corner 2 levels deeper."

"Let's bring him away from here and call the medic" Den said.

Daryl was brought out of the catacombs and carried into the small room of his quarters and laid on the bed. He was drifting in and out of consciousness. When he was awake, the pain was excruciating, his mind racing feverishly, trying to cope with the trauma caused by the torture, resulting in sobbing, gasping and uncontrolled gibberish, then to quickly fade away in a deep sleep. K'Chary didn't move from his side. Daryl barely noticed it. He was mentally in such a shock about what had been done to him the past week. It had ripped open the fragile mental scars from his earlier stay in the penal colony in his own universe. His mind was, once again, shattered.

The medic came immediately but couldn't do much for Daryl. He gave him a few hyposprays to ease the pain and to put him in a deep sleep
"He needs proper treatment in a medbay equipped with a bio bed for permanent treatment. If he doesn't get that within the next 12 hours, the damage done to the brain and his mind will be irreversible. " The medic said. "Physically, he has taken a lot. Apparently, someone wanted information from him, given the kind of damage done. It was not to kill, but to inflict pain. He has a few broken bones in his hands, but I am more worried about is mental state. I see there has been tampering with his memory engrams. I really don't know how his state and behavior will be. His brainwaves are a mess. He probably has been exposed to several huge bursts of energy, but it also seems they tried to probe his mind. I've seen similar damage in all kinds of experiments in war situations. But I don't know what to make of it, I'm sorry. "

The silence was deafening as the words of the medic hit Daryl's friends like a ten-ton hammer.

K'Chary sobbed uncontrollably, trying to keep her composure.

Someone knocked on the door. Den opened the door. It was Krennep, the director of the penal colony. Two armed guards stood behind him with rifles ready. He eyed Den for a few seconds, then he asked if he could come in. Den nodded and stepped aside to let Krennep and his guards in.
Krennep stepped inside the small bedroom and nodded to K'Chary and Leo.

Once Den had joined them, Krennep sighed deep before he spoke. "I am truly sorry for what happened to Mr. Thompson. I was aware of his disappearance. But this was out of my reach. I assure you, I had no part in this. "

In a split second, K'Chary got up, grabbed the glass bottle on the nightstand, smashed it and with a lightning-fast move, she grabbed Krennep and pushed him against the wall, the sharded bottle on his throat. The guards reacted immediately and aimed at K'Chary. Leo, however, was quick and grabbed both barrels of the rifles and pulled them up. His huge strength was no match for the guards, and they struggled to get their rifles out of the grip of the huge African..

"Please, stop this!" Krennep yelled, his hands raised, trying to ease the situation. Then he looked at K'Chary, who was battling inside whether to slit Krennep's throat or not.

"Please Miss K'Chary. I beg you, let me tell my side of the story. I understand where you come from." He continued. He didn't seem to be afraid, as his voice sounded calm.

K'Chary just stared at him with a grim face, tears pouring down her cheeks, then she let him go and stepped back, lowering the knife. Krennep then looked at his guards, who still struggled against the mighty grip of Leo. "Stand down, that's an order" Krennep said. "Leo, please let them go. There has been enough violence. "

He looked at Daryl.

Leo slowly released his grip on the barrels of the weapons, and the guards stepped back, lowering their weapons. Krennep once more exhaled, then continued, "I don't know how this has happened, but I wasn't involved. If one of the guards was, I don't know who it was or why, or how they were able to get in, but investigation has already been started. If you know anything that can help solve this, please say so. Also, I've prepared a medical bay for Daryl's treatment. I might be a prison director, and no one is here for this holiday, but I am not inhuman. We will bring him there so he can be treated properly."

"Holiday?" K'Chary asked. "What holiday?"

"The coronation of the new empress," Director Krennep explained. "All non-essential staff is on leave. But there is still a full regiment of guards, in case anyone gets any ideas of an uprising."

The Orion woman nodded as the medics loaded Daryl onto a stretcher. They then carted him off for treatment, leaving his friends behind.
Once Krennep and the medics, escorted by some guards, reached the medical bay, they went inside and were greeted by a team of soldiers dressed in black. With them was a woman, her rank insignia on her uniform indicating she was Imperial Fleet medical.

"Who are you? What is this all about?" Krennep demanded of the strangers.

"I am Dr. Victoria Smith," the woman stated. "Fleet command sent me. I understand this man is in need of medical assistance?"

Krennep looked perplexed, "He does. But how would you know? I haven't reached out for help."

"You ask too many questions, Director Krennep. All you need to know is I am here with clearance directly from the empress herself," she said, handing him a PADD containing her clearances. "Now, let me take a look at him."

Krennep stepped aside and allowed Smith and her people deal with Daryl.

In an adjoining room, Jack Dark stood behind a two-way mirror watching everything in the medical bay. Behind him, seated in a chair, was Greg Durham, who was puffing on a cigar.

"This Krennep is a piece of work," Dark muttered. "He's soft. He runs this prison like it's a country club. Security is lax and the prisoners act like they run the place. If I didn't know better I'd say we were in the other universe."

Durham snickered, "I'll tell Empress Kane when I get back. She'll have him executed and assign a new director to replace him."

Dark nodded, "I got everything I could from Thompson. This drive aboard the Resurrection is called a coaxial drive. Instantaneous travel from one point in space to another. But he has no knowledge of how the thing works. At least as far as I can tell."

"Yeah, about getting that information, you nearly cracked his mind completely," Greg said, standing up from the chair and walking over to stand beside Dark, both of them watching Victoria treat the mentally damaged Shadow operative. "I told you we wanted him intact."

"I got the information, didn't I?" Dark sneered. "I don't see why he's so important?"

"Trust me, he is," Greg said. "So, once she fixes him, I don't want you messing with his mind again."

Dark sighed, "A deeper probe of his mind might yield more information."

"We've had a couple of nanoprobes down in those catacombs watching him," Durham said. "I have a better way to make him talk."

There was a long pause and Dark turned to Greg with a scowl, "Care to elaborate?"

Durham smiled, "No, not really. Trust me, once she fixes him everything will be set in motion."

Lt. Cody Beckett

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2206.16

Beckett was hanging behind a console in one of the SO labs. After debriefing and stowing his gear he had been analyzing all the data from the mission, especially the behavior of the AI with respect to accessing the ships. He did this to see if the AI could be made even better. He was tired, but he got a message from Jahkar that there would be a wake for Dara Tajel. He rubbed through his eyes and decided to call it a day as a message came in. It was from Sara:

"Dear Cody,

I'm on my way to an appointment with your superior. Maybe we can spend some time together afterwards. Would love that, miss you!

Sara"

Cody smiled, and gave a short reply that he would love to see her and spent some time together.

An alarm chimed, and the computer reminded him of the invite of Jahkar which would start within an hour. He quickly showered and changed into a fresh uniform. Then he made his way to the transporter room and beamed down to the surface, near the location Jahkar had invited them to come. The bar The Last Call was further down the alley. Cody looked around, taking note of the environment. It was the beginning of the evening, most people were on their way home, the street was occupied with a diversity of races, minding their business. Cody made his way to the bar, and as he entered, Jahkar was already there, as were Vree and McCulloch. Jahkar nodded to Cody.

Cody nodded back. "I am sorry for your loss Jahkar. " He said to Jahkar, as he hadn't had the opportunity to talk to the Colonel.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Jahkar said. "It means a lot to me that you could come."

"Well, seemed the only right thing to do," Cody replied. He ordered a Draconian Root beer and waited until the rest of the team to arrive.

Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

The Last Call, Cardassia

Stardate 2206.20

Ryramorl and Reepchip were the next to arrive. Seeing Cody and Jahkar, the two came over. Reepchip's robes did cause him to stand out, even here, but anyone who could read body language would see the relief of one FINALLY back in his accustomed garb. The two both asked for simple water to start with.

"Colonel," said Ryramorl. "I am sorry that your stepson will greet you into the Grey Tribes, rather than the other way around." He sighed. "Captain Lazarus told me they must have missed someone during their sweep."

"Did you believe him?" asked Jahkar.

"Grassfires, -I- could have found hiding places in that terrain, and few Cardassians are as large as my race."

"It's partially my fault," said Reepchip. "If I'd taken my shot sooner, we could have gotten Tirlin out of there, and we'd have Tirlin in interrogation and Tajel still alive."

Commander Victoria Smith

Cardassia Prime, Polmak City

Stardate 2206.20

The nurse materialized outside a Cardassian bar called "The Last Call." She briefly looked around before deciding to enter. Her Trill memories warned her to be cautious as she stepped into the dimly lit and slightly smoky establishment. Off in the corner, she saw Jahkar with some, but not all of Phoenix Team.

"What can I get you, red?" A bartender asked.. Victoria rolled her eyes before turning and smiling at the bartender.

"Whiskey, neat…no rocks."

"I have Pickering Whiskey. Is that fine?"

"That'll do." She answered as she asked herself - just how far into the expanse of space did Pickering Distillery truly reach?
Victoria accepted the glass from the bartender before gesturing to the bottle of Pickering Whiskey in his hand.
"I'll take the bottle as well."

"The bottle?"

"The bottle."

Afterward, she made her way over to where Phoenix Team was hanging out, set her drink and the bottle down on the bar top next to Jahkar, and tried to hop onto a seat next to him. The entire team watched with slight bemusement as the short combat nurse made two attempts before successfully hopping up onto a bar stool.

"I don't like being short." She quipped before taking a sip of her drink. As the other team members resumed their conversations, she took a deep breath, looked down at the bar and addressed Jahkar.

"Colonel, I am so sorry for your loss. I didn't know Tajel as well as I would have liked to, but I am sure he is in a better place. If there is anything I can do for you, please do not hesitate to ask me. I am here for you."

The marine studied Victoria in silence momentarily before responding.

"Thank you, commander. I appreciate the act of kindness."

"I wanted to come immediately to express my condolences for your loss and offer you my support."

Jahkar took the bottle of whiskey Victoria brought and hefted it up. He examined it momentarily before gesturing to the bartender to bring him a glass. When it arrived, he poured the liquid into the glass.

"What should we drink to, commander?"

Victoria reflected briefly before answering. "There is a Trill saying..at least that is what my memories tell me."

"Go on."

"The future holds the promise of new beginnings and better memories. May your future include the honoring of Tajel and the memories of him be better."

Again, the marine studied Victoria in silence. After a few seconds, he spoke.

"Thank you for the kind words. Is your team coming to this gathering?"

"Within the hour, Colonel."

"I hope you will introduce me to each of them. Although I would prefer the circumstances to be better, I would still like the opportunity to get to know each of them."

"Of course Colonel." The nurse replied as her gaze fell upon the Scottish officer conversing with Cody Beckett across the room.

Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

The Last Call

Stardate 2206.25

Ryramorl wanted to honour the late Tajel in his way, so he asked the bartender what Tajel's favourite drink was, and then asked that the bartender serve it in a white cup. The colour white was important.

When everyone had gathered, Ryramorl spoke up. "Amongst our people, there are many ancient customs with which we honour the dead. Amongst the customs most commonly shared amongst the Carnora, we set out a drink in a white cup for the one who has recently joined The Grey Tribes, and then we drink a toast to the dead." He smiled a bit. "When we can, we drink a mixture of the Five Great Waters, but that is rarely available, so we usually drink what we have." With quiet ceremony, he set the white cup at the symbolically empty chair, then raised his own cup. "To Dara Tajel. May the King of Heaven use his bones to build mountains."

Once everyone had drunk their toast, Reepchip spoke up. "We would now like to play a very common song for the Dead amongst our people," he said. The two brought out their instruments and played a tune that on their world was an absolute cliche at funerals–and yet, was one of the few tunes both their cultures shared and was very unlikely to have been heard here. Ryramorl's rawyawron gave a haunting bass to Reepchip's high-pitched chikkersaka. Partway through their song, they started singing, but their singing had no words. Reepchip's voice sounded a bit shrill to some, but who knew that Ryramorl had such a good voice?–well, good for a Carnora that is, a very strange medium between the yowl of a cat and the howl of a wolf that had found a way to be tuneful. Then they went back to playing their instruments, and finished out the song.

Colonel Jahkar

The Last Call, Polmak City

Stardate 2206.27

Jahkar had drank with Victoria, Ryramorl and Reepchip as the others slowly arrived at the bar. During a lull between toasts, Jahkar ordered himself up some synthohol just to slow down his buzz. He wanted to ease the pain he felt, but he knew becoming highly intoxicated wasn't the answer.
So, he was pacing himself, drinking synthohol and water between shots. He'd also decided to swear off the Romulan Ale, knowing it would not be a good thing for him to get drunk on the powerful Romulan drink.

After the toast Ryramorl had given, the Carnora mingled with others at the party and Jahkar turned back to his non-alcoholic drink. He checked the time and wondered when Tiri would arrive. He wanted to see her and to enjoy her company, but he knew at some point they needed to have a true heart-to-heart talk about where this was going.

It was not a conversation to be had here.

As he thought about the Andorian woman, he overheard someone behind him where a group of off-duty Starfleet security officers had gathered, raising his voice.

"...the guy who killed all those Breen?" the man said. "That's who they're holding a wake for? Seriously? I heard he was a traitor."

Jahkar glanced back over his shoulder and quickly studied the group. There were eight of them. Seven humans and a Bolian. He assessed haircuts, stature and the basics of the table conversation and discerned quickly they were part of the peacekeeping force on Cardassia who were wrapping up their final days on the planet before returning home.

"...heard he gave information to those Cardie terrorists," another said. "Helped them attack Breen…also helped them raid some weapons depot. Some of our men and women died."

As he turned back toward Crock, the bartender, Jahkar caught a sideways glare from one of the Starfleet red-shirts, who were all in civilian clothing like the Shadow Ops team.

Crock, the Tellerite, looked at Jahkar and poured him some more synthohol. As he poured, he kept an eye on the Marine, "Hey big guy. Ignore those guys. They're a bunch of idiots."

"I know," Jahkar muttered. "I'll try not to start any trouble."

Crock groaned, "Awww. C'mon man. Please don't bust my place up."

"Crock," Jahkar smiled. "I said I'll try. I won't start anything."

The Tellerite shook his head, "Fine. Just go easy on the place if you have to start something. Like, take it outside."

"Copy that," Jahkar said.

Lt. Cody Beckett

Lt. Commander William McCulloch

Cardassia Prime, Polmak City, Bar "The Last Call"

Stardate 2206.29

"A Draconian Root beer? Really? " Cody looked to the side towards McCulloch, who seemed to have popped up out of nowhere, sipping his glass, probably filled with Pickering Whiskey.

"It's Pickering Whiskey." McCulloch instinctively replied as he nursed his drink. "I swear there is a bottle in every bar throughout the Alpha Quadrant."

"He must be worth more than anyone could imagine." Cody answered with a low whistle. "Do you have any idea…"

"If Sarah Pickering is as wealthy as her brother?" Will interrupted with a slight smirk. "She is very well off my friend but she she is not one of the heiresses to Robert's fortune….that goes to his daffy wife and kids."

"She is nutty." Beckett noted as the pair reflected on Robert Pickering's wife Amanda Düklinqik…call sign "Ducky" when she served with Marine Ops Force Alpha.

"Well, you have to impress her, I don't."

Cody chuckled slightly before taking a sip of his root beer. "Ducky saved you and Daryl's collective bacon that day didn't she?"

Will nodded in agreement as he thought about the firefight at the Pickering Estate. "Daryl and I were pinned down when she came out of no where and laid down suppressive fire. It was pretty impressive."

"Typical marine.": Beckett quipped. "Never turn away from a fight."

There was a brief moment of silence between the pair. McCulloch stared down at his drink and watched the ice shift and settle.

"Do you think we'll see Daryl again Cody?"

Beckett looked into his root beer, as if to find the answer there. He exhaled slowly before taking another sip of his beer.

"I think we will. " He said, confidently, looking at his friend. "Even though that day the Pickering estate was heavily damaged, they didn't kill any of us. They were after Daryl to take him alive. But for what? "

Will shook his head and shrugged. He instinctively touched the scar on his chest… a reminder of when the mysterious operative had plunged a knife into it during the fight.

"I don't know." McCulloch noted in a low whisper. He looked over towards Vree and saw she was engaged in a deep conversation with Victoria and Jahkar. The Scot then leaned towards Cody. "During my last conversation with Sarah, she mentioned Inverness was recently hired to get some information and report on the fight at the Pickering Estate."

"Starfleet?"

"She didn't say but I'm thinking Robert and Ducky actually hired the firm."

"Does Vree know?" Cody asked as he quickly glanced towards the Trill.

"I have no idea but I'm not about to offer up something outside of her wheelhouse…yet."

"What did Inverness discover?" The New Zealander asked. There was a tone of concern in his voice.

"Sarah said one of their reports mentioned scientific stuff about quantum dilation and Planck shifts." There was a dramatic pause before the Scot continued. "An intrusion from another universe. "

Beckett nodded. "Before we went on the mission to Cardassia I was playing with some neural network AI routines. I had them scouring around the network to see if they where useful for gathering and decrypting/decoding information. I got some shards of info about that topic as well. I didn't sent it to Vree, as she probably wouldn't sanction it. In my opinion, I think our next mission is to search for Daryl. "

McCulloch again looked towards Vree. She was still speaking with Victoria and Jahkar. The red-headed nurse glanced over towards McCulloch, smiled nervously, and turned her attention back to her fellow officers.

"Someone has been eying you tonight." Cody chuckled.

"I'm aware of that."

"The last time the three of us were in a bar together, you were covered in vomit and she was flipping you off."

"True." Will replied with a laugh before returning to the conversation at hand. "If Vree finds out we know something she doesn't, we'll be grounded for months to come…if not worse."

"I'll just blame you." Cody answered matter-of-factly. "She hates you."

"She doesn't hate me."

"She's not fond of you."

"We don't know that."

"Then go give her a friendly hug and see what happens."

"You're kidding right?"

"No."

Will seriously contemplated the challenge before again returning to the subject at hand. "A rescue mission to the Mirror Universe? Holy f\*\*\* Cody. What the hell would the Mirror Universe want with Daryl?"

Cody grimaced. "I don't know. There is not much to find about the Mirror Universe. The things I did find where above my clearance level. Publicly available files about the subject are vague and full of assumptions. A few scientific reports, but not more than some theories. Concerning Daryl, I tried digging up his past…"

"And? " McCulloch asked him.

Cody shook his head. "Not much. I did find a few leads, but I don't want to get ahead of things. We shouldn't be hacking our way through to get access to information we aren't supposed to see either way"

McCulloch raised his eyebrow in fake surprise.

"Why not? What the heck Cody, why not? Are you scared? And if, for what? You don't trust your skills? May I remind you that you single handedly hacked a dozen or so Cardassian ships,right under the noses of our spoonheaded friends, took over their systems and rammed them into a station? Without the Cardassians being able to interrupt or intercept the AI you let loose? It was my idea, but execution was near perfection my dear Cody. You blew up most ships AND the station, and incapacitated the rest. And you are afraid you get caught fetching some files and hack your way through? Ha! " McCulloch scoffed and shook his head, murmuring something in Gaelic, followed by emptying the glass of whiskey in one gulp. He ordered another one, then he continued.

"You sir, deserve a medal for your actions in that mission. " His voice sunk to a whisper. "One might suggest, when we get back to the Resurrection, get those files and put your decrypting bots on it so we can see what's inside. Maybe it leads us to something or somewhere."
Cody sighed, and nodded.

"I guess, yeah.. " He emptied his glass of beer, looked at the bartender and nodded for another one. As it was served, he took a few gulps and looked at McCulloch.

"Yeah, that's what I'm gonna do."

McCulloch smiled thinly and nodded.

"Let me know if you need help. I might be able to become creative."

Cody nodded, and drank his beer, while looking around to ensure no one was paying attention to the two operatives or what was being discussed. Then he looked at McCulloch.

"I might take you up on that offer. I need access to compute power. To broaden the search and to crack the encryption. I don't want to be caught because I'm using too many resources from the Resurrection."

"We should be able to do that."

"How?"

"There's got to be a Cardassian financial institution or research site we could break into tonight."

"Perhaps."

"Or we…" Will continued but trailed off as he stared across the bar. Mayla was closely watching the pair as Victoria whispered something in her ear. McCulloch returned the gaze momentarily. Without taking his eyes off Vree, he continued.

"Cody?"

"Will?"

"Can Commander Vree read lips or hear across a room?" Will asked as Mayla studied him cautiously.

"I have no idea." Cody answered as he looked in Vree's direction. "Oh sh\*t."

There was a brief, awkward moment as the trio continued to watch each other. To break the uncertainty, Will held up his glass towards Vree and winked. The action caught the Trill off guard and she quickly turned her attention back to Victoria.

"So much for our plans." Cody muttered in disappointment.

"No, my friend, we're still in the game." McCulloch quietly answered as he watched Ensign Hixwar Gace and Warrant Officer Fiadh Hannigan of Union XII enter the bar and make their way across the room to Victoria. Seconds later, the commander was introducing the pair to Mayla and Jahkar.

"Come again?" Cody asked with a hint of confusion.

"We're taking a couple of nurses on a date tonight."

"Wait, we're what?"

"We're going to take Commander Smith and either Gace or Hannigan out on the town. We wine and dine them and when the opportunity presents itself, we're going to use them as cover so we can find you a computer source large enough to complete your task."

"Why not both Hannigan and Gace?"

Will looked at Cody with mock surprise. "You greedy son of a b\*tch."

"Well, I was only thinking I didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings."

"Fine, we'll bring both."

"Perfect."

As the pair quietly discussed their plans, there was a minor disruption across the room. Will and Cody looked towards the commotion and realized an unknown Starfleet officer was indirectly taunting Jahkar.

"What the hell is that about?" Cody asked under his breath.

"It could be the distraction we're looking for to leave this place." Will countered.

"Aren't we too old for bar fights?"

"We are." McCulloch answered matter-of-factly. "Are you armed?"

"Am I what?!"

"Do you have any weapons on you right now?"

"No, we're at a memorial service. Why do you have any weapons on you?"

"Three" Will vaguely answered.

"Three? I bloody don't want to know where they are located right now."

Beckett studied the room as his eyes darted between Jahkar and the table full of peacekeepers. Finally he continued.

"If Jahkar starts the fight, Phoenix Team has to join. The three members of Union XII will hold back to clean up any bloodied noses."

"You're close." Will corrected.

"What did I miss?"

"If Vree enters into the fight, Victoria will join out of some weird sisterly sense of loyalty."

"They're not sisters though."

"Don't ask."

"So let's assume Victoria joins the fight." Cody conceded.

"Warrant Officer Hannigan will follow into the fray."

"Ensign Gace?"

"She'd be my choice to hang back and help the injured."

"So Smith and Hannigan are our cover?"

"Exactly. At the height of the fight we pull them out and bring them with us to wherever we need to break into. Anybody asks, they can say they were treating us in some back alley."

"Can they keep quiet?" Cody pressed.

"They will. Can you find us a target site with the computer power you need? I'd say we've got about 2 minutes before everyone starts swinging."

Commander Mayla Vree

The Last Call bar, Polmak City

Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2206.29

Mayla ignored McCulloch's wink. Such insolence for the occasion. But she was preoccupied a bit, only half listening to Victoria talk with Gace and Hannigan while Jahkar went back to the bar to get another drink. Her attention waned for just a moment as a few off duty Starfleet officers entered the bar and began to comment on the occasion. But it wasn't only that.

Just as she and McCulloch entered the bar, she had received a cryptically coded text message from an unknown sender. It made her a bit wary, and almost nervous.

The message only had one very short phrase: UP L.

It was a code phrase she had used almost a decade earlier on a mission with Echo Team. But it wasn't with Echo Team this phrase was used. Mayla took a sip of her drink and pondered the cryptic message. 'UP' referred to Utopia Planitia. 'L' was the signature used by someone she had rescued amongst others with the name of Elle. Her eyes continued to scan the room, looking at every person in search of a specific type of familiarity. Victoria knew that look.

"What is it? Those men talking about Tajel?" She asked, with a slowly building alarm in her voice. It almost came out with a tremor as it took her back to the memories of long ago when they traveled together for months in the outer rim. When Mayla had that face, it had always meant she anticipated trouble.

"No, this is something else. I'll let you know when I figure it out." Mayla whispered.

Victoria came in close to her ear and whispered. "Is it time to go?"

Mayla looked at her and shook her head. "No, nothing like that." Her gaze shifted to an alcove window, there was a single hooded figure there alone at a standing table. Even though the bar was filled with locals, this table stood nearly vacant. The figure made a beckoning gesture to her.

"Excuse me, there's something I need to check on. I'll be right back." She left Victoria and made her way towards the figure.

"Hello, Em," the woman said in a whisper barely above the din of the bar when Mayla reached her.

"Hello, Elle. I did not expect to ever see you again." She put her drink on the table. "In fact, no one is supposed to ever see you again."

"I suspected the same; the last time we were all together. But circumstances have changed."

"You were to disperse and make your way to blend in…individually, in the Outer Rim."

"Some of us felt too alone; too afraid. We stayed together. Some have lost their way and ended themselves."

"I'm sorry to hear that. But your kind is banned and you must disappear."

"We need your help again."

Mayla took another sip of her drink. "What will that entail?"

"Ghulion."

"What is that?"

"Where we must go to be safe."

"Why tell me?"

"We can't find it."

Mayla put her drink back down on the table harder than she intended. "What do you mean?"

"Somewhere in or around the Vayt Sector. We have searched extensively, but the name of the planet and the sector doesn't exist in any database."

Mayla immediately did a search of the starcharts in her eyes, but no planet, system, or sector appeared by that name. She even connected to the Federation database's traversal link to other empires in the galaxy and still couldn't find anything.

"Do not attempt to research it. I suspect it had been purged from all records."

"Then how am I supposed to find it if you can't?"

"You must find a way, for the sake of my people. You saved us once from persecution. Now you must save us from extinction."

The figure backed into the shadow of a corner nook beside the window frame and disappeared into a transporter swirl.

Colonel Jahkar

Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith

The Last Call, Polmak City

Stardate 2206.29

Tiri walked into the bar and scanned the room, taking in its occupants and quickly honing in on a few interesting tidbits. First, she saw Jahkar sitting at the bar, having a drink. His body language suggested he was tense, almost brooding.

His mood seemed to have something to do with a nearby table of Federation types – possibly peacekeeping soldiers – who looked annoyed and disgruntled, their glares directed at Jakhar and the other Phoenix Squad members who were celebrating Tajel's life.

The Andorian also caught a glimpse at Mayla in the back, huddled in a corner talking to some hooded figure. She decided to leave that one alone – the commander had her need for privacy and she wasn't about to get herself in the middle of something.

Tiri had already discovered she had a knack for saying and doing the wrong things at the right time.

McCulloch and Beckett seemed to be mulling something over, probably something to do with women, finding Thompson or maybe they were looking to have Jahkar's back if the surly lot of peacekeeping soldiers decided to do something rash.

Tiri sidled up to the bar, sitting on a stool beside Jahkar and she ordered up some Andorian ale from the Tellerite bartender. As she was served, she looked over at Jahkar, who was definitely brooding, and leaned her head over to rest on his shoulder.

"A strip of latinum for your thoughts?" she asked.

Jahkar looked over to her and found himself suddenly comforted by the young woman. He was still angry and sad, but Tiri filled him with a moment of happiness, and he offered her a thin smile.

"I am going to miss him," Jahkar said. "We fought, from the time he was a kid we went around and around. He was stubborn; mule headed really. He rejected almost every attempt I made to be his father. I wish I had done better by him."

Tiri caressed his forearm and looked at him with concern, "You did the best you could. I can't say I knew him, but I think he tried to live up to your standards…and his mother's."

"I was too hard on him," Jahkar lowered his head.

"…I can't get over how they're toasting that spoonhead punk," the loudest of the security officers muttered. "I don't think I can take much more of this."

Jahkar became quiet and stared straight ahead. Tiri looked at him, rubbing his back in a calming gesture, "Now I understand the tension. They don't like that we're here celebrating Tajel."

"No," he said abruptly. "And I am about done listening to them."

Tiri looked over to see Mayla returning to the party. "The commander is here. You don't want to start something when she's around, Jahkar."
Jahkar smirked, "She'd probably already be going at them if she was hearing the filth coming out of their mouths.
"Filthy traitor," another security officer chimed in behind them.

Tiri raised an eyebrow and looked over to Crock, the bartender, "Barkeep! A shot for all of our friends! Romulan ale for everyone!" She tossed some latinum on the bar and stood up, grabbing up her shot as it was poured and stepping up onto the bar where she then called for everyone's attention.

Jahkar was shocked when she got up on the bar. As she prepared to give a toast, it sunk in what she was about to do. He smiled and stood up, shooting a sideway glance at the security officers who were watching with contempt written all over their faces.

The bartender ordered up the shots in mass from the replicator and between the waitresses and the people at the bar, they were passed around to everyone – even the bunch of angry Starfleet redshirts in their little huddle.

"I like to propose a toast to the man we are all here tonight to pay tribute to!" Tiri shouted. "Though I never had the chance to know him, I feel like I did from everything his stepfather, Jahkar has told me. He was a good person, despite his mistakes! He did what he could to make things right and he died a hero, at least as far as I'm concerned! So, let's toast Ensign Dara Tajel! May his memory live on! Cheers!"
She raised the shot glass, then gulped its contents down.

Jahkar called out "cheers!" before taking his own shot, then slammed the glass down and looked directly at the thugs, who were now beginning to stand up out of their seats, looking offended by the toast and itching for a fight.

The marine cast his gaze directly at the instigator of the group as he chose his next words, specifically tailoring them toward the hulking brute. "Won't you drink with us, sir? Or do you have something you'd like to say?"

Beside Jahkar, Tiri tensed up and prepared for what might happen next…

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

The Last Call, Polmak City

Stardate 2206.30

Reepchip only sipped from his shot–not out of disrespect for Tajel, but because alcohol was a hallucinogen to his people, and something as strong as Romulan Ale would send his mind for a total loop. He was not standing far from Jahkar when the Colonel "invited" the brute to drink with them. The big man stepped with challenge towards Jahkar, his fists clenched–and crashed face-first to the floor as the foot he was swinging forwards was suddenly knocked back by an invisible force before he could bring it to the floor. Reepchip, fully clad in his Shaman's robes and bedecked in the charms and trinkets of his race and office, stepped out from behind Jahkar.
Everyone looked down at the diminutive, growling Shaman. "You would start a fight at the ceremony of one who has just joined the Grey Tribes?" snarled Reepchip, his Muran accent thickening. A lock of the man's hair stood straight up, pulling the man's head up to face the Muran. "A brawl? At a holy ritual?" That act of telekinesis removed all doubt who had tripped the man.
This seemed very out of character for the usually quiet, nervous Muran, but Ryramorl was not surprised–Reepchip was a shaman, so rituals for the dead were important to him. To others, a wake might not be a sacred ritual; to any Carnora spiritual leader, though, it would be.
"I give you a choice," Reepchip growled. "You can apologize to my superior officer or…" He bared his claws. "You can apologize to my one-time classmate. You decide."
The other thugs started to get up, but behind Reepchip, Ryramorl set his rawyawron aside, gave them a warning glare and calmly bared his own claws. "Whatever you plan to do… don't," he said calmly.

Commander Mayla Vree

The Last Call bar, Polmak City

Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2206.30

Mayla overheard the Muran's warning to three of the men towering over him as she picked up her glass from the now vacant table. She could see the five others, including a Bolian, ready to back them up. It looked like a standoff to her, and Phoenix Squad did not need this sort of attention. She looked for the Captain, but he wasn't anywhere in sight. Also in that one glance, she took in the positions of every Resurrection crew member's location. McCulloch and Beckett were whispering to each other looking like they were scheming something. But their stance showed they were ready to fight if the men made any signs of more than just taunts.

And by the way the Muran was warning them with his claws bare, this wasn't going to end good. This was somebody else's pond, and they were only guests.

Then the man crashed face first to the floor in front of the ornately dressed Muran. This was getting out of hand. "Ensign, stand down." She said calmly over the subvocal's open channel to the whole team. "We are guests here on this planet. And we don't need to bring unnecessary attention to ourselves."

Mayla had her eyes scan the faces and tried to identify the eight angry men as she sauntered over. Without a word, but with a gesture of authority, handed her glass to one of the men before helping the fallen man to his feet. "You should be more careful, sir."

He pushed her away. "And what's it to you, little girl?" he tried to growl unsuccessfully as it came out sounding nasally.

His address to her took her by surprise, but she just gave him a sweet smile. In her current civilian clothes and her gothic haircut, she did look like a teenager who was barely old enough to have a real drink in a bar like this. All she was missing was a nose ring and tattoo on one side of her face. And black and white makeup.

"Do you not know who this is?" She said, gesturing to the Muran, and giving the SO hand signal to Ra'yral and Jahkar to back off a bit.

"I don't care who this rodent i-"

"He is a 10th level pazu shaman priest of the Ra'okonija nation, and official representative of the Carnora Pentarchy to the Federation Council. I suggest that if you don't want to start a tribal war between the Carnora and Cardassian nations, you should stand down. You look and smell of Federation. And if you are, the Council won't look too highly on your instigation of the feud."

The support of his seven friends behind him shrank back without taking any steps. He stood there with fuming indecision while holding his nose, looking down at the Muran who now held a demeanor of royalty. "You're bluffing."

Mayla just gave him a shrug. "The course of decision is yours. I'm just passing on some friendly advice." She gestured over to Sh'avelith.

"Our friend there has graciously decided to pay for a round of drinks for everyone here. I'm buying the next round. Just allow us to celebrate the life of a friend in peace and we will be on our way."

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral

Last Call, Cardassia

Stardate 2207.01

Reepchip instantly saw his commander's bluff, stood up straighter and used a subtle touch of telepathy to suggest that he was older than he looked and held greater authority than he actually did, and that his robes were of higher quality and his medallions more ornate than they first appeared. Meanwhile, Ryramorl did step aside, but he took a stance that he often took when standing at Shor-Ghan's side, the stance of a bodyguard, further bolstering Mayla's words.

The thugs looked at Reepchip, but the subtle body language of his apparent guardian caught their attention more–this being looked like a one-man army, whatever he was.

Lt. Commander William McCulloch

The Last Call bar, Polmak City

Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2207.01

Will and Cody continued to watch the confrontation from across the room. Both were ready to spring into action should the situation continue to escalate. As Vree exchanged words with the peacekeepers, the Scot noticed one of the Union XII nurses, Warrant Officer Fiadh Hannigan, calmly take off her heels, pick them up and place them on the top of a nearby table. Ensign Gace quickly followed suit. Afterward, the pair walked over and took up a position off of Ryramorl's left flank.

"Sh\*t those two are looking for a fight," Cody whispered as Fiadh cracked her neck, rolled her shoulders, and glared at the peacekeepers.
"I honestly thought Gace would be the type to hang back and watch." Will conceded as he continued to scan the room. He casually studied a table full of Peregrine fighter pilots watching the drama unfold before them.

"Will."

"Eh?"

"Ten o'clock."

McCulloch looked past Vree and the table of peacekeepers to see Victoria backing away from the confrontation. Her eyes were wide and there was a look of sheer panic on her face. McCulloch's heart sank…he had only seen that look twice before. The first was when the pair were transported back to 1776 Earth as part of a bizarre alien experiment. The second…well, the second was the first time he encountered Victoria after she had been injected with a Trill memory analeptic.

"Oh sh\*t" McCulloch cursed softly.

"Will, she doesn't look good."

"I know." The Scot replied as he contacted Vree over the sub voc. "One, Eight. Eyes on Smith."

Commander Victoria Smith

The Last Call bar, Polmak City

Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2207.01

It had started with Victoria remembering the long and very dangerous journey with Mayla through the outer rim and back to Federation territory. The thought of having to relive the experience shook her to the core. Nevertheless, she was able to reign in her emotions and prepared herself for the fight that would certainly break out in the bar at any moment.

After surveying the layout of the room, she made the decision to come up on Tiri's right and attack the closest peacekeeper.
But then something happened… it was the moment Reepchip used his telepathic abilities against the peacekeepers.

At first, she thought it was the result of the whiskey she was drinking, and assumed it was temporary. She assured herself the feelings would fade away. But they didn't.

Victoria realized she could no longer sense Jiarin. The argument between Jahkar, Phoenix Team and the peacekeepers became insignificant as her mind raced in an effort to reconnect with her Trill memories. Her chest became tight and her breathing shallow. She started to feel the room spin as she gasped for air. For a brief moment, Victoria's thoughts drifted back to when she was a child and nearly drowned off the coast of Camden, Maine. Her vision started to tunnel and she looked wildy about for Will or Mayla.

Not seeing either, she desperately looked about for an exit before she lost consciousness.

Back to top

## S4, E3, Act 3: Sudden Illness

Commander Mayla Vree

The Last Call, Polmak City

Cardassia Prime
Stardate 2207.02

While the man holding his damaged nose pondered her suggestion, McCulloch made it a note for Mayla to check in on Victoria. Who she immediately found in her eyes creeping away towards the door.

There was the briefest glimpse of her face and Mayla recognized it for what it was. She'd see it before, the panicked look right before a fight that could have left them for dead.

Or the one time she was kidnapped while venturing into the wrong part of a neighborhood at one of the many ports they transferred to another transport in the outer rim.

Mayla turned and gave Sh'avelith a quick glance. "Phoenix 4, please tend to Commander Smith, she is heading towards the door."

The Andorian had a quick surprise in her face at the order and looked towards the door where she located the nurse. "On it, One."

The Trill woman then made a slow turn to cover for the look she gave to Sh'avelith. It also gave her an update as to everyone's position all marked in her eyes. With that one look, she had a tactical threat layout of the bar.

"There will be no fighting in here," the barkeep now spoke up loudly. "Settle your differences quietly or take it outside."

Mayla gave a respectful nod to Crock. "We wish to cause no trouble." She turned to the thug and his friends. "What say you, Federation?"

Commander Victoria Smith

The Last Call, Polmak City

Cardassia Prime
Stardate 2207.05

Victoria continued to look about wildly as she slowly backed out of the bar. She felt as if all eyes were suddenly on her…watching her with contempt and spite. Worse, with the memories of Jiarin missing, she felt exposed and in great danger.

On her flank she observed a young Andorian woman quickly moving towards her. At first she didn't recognize the woman and quickly backed out of the bar and into the Cardassian night. A few meters beyond the entrance way, the nurse stumbled backwards and landed on her backside. She looked up to see the Andorian still advancing on her. She swung herself onto her knees, leaned her weight onto her left arm and withdrew a combat knife from the small of her back with her right. Holding the blade downward, she waited for Tiri to get within range.

Tir…she suddenly remembered who the Andorian was as the memories of Jiarin again settled in her mind. Victoria sat back on her heels, took the knife and threw it blade first into the ground between her knees. The lieutenant cautiously paused for a moment before continuing her approach.

Victoria still felt confused and frightened… the temporary loss of her Trill memories terrified her. And now, with the Adorian medic looking down at her, she also felt humiliation and shame. She averted her eyes away from Tiri and simply sighed.
"You must think I am insane, Lieutenant."

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

The Last Call, Polmak City

Cardassia Prime 2207.07

The big thug took a deep breath, and finally made his decision. "I think you're bluffing," he said, pulling himself up.

When it looked like he was going to reach for his phaser, Reepchip concentrated. The phaser slid out of its holster, and levitated over to the bar, where it gently landed in easy reach of Crock, who quickly stowed it out of reach. "Have I not already shown myself to have the power of the Hidden Hand, which you call telekinesis?" asked Reepchip. "Now please. The Grey Tribes shall judge whether Dara Tajel has redeemed himself or no. For now, let a father mourn what was, and what might have been." He raised his shot glass again to Jahkar, and drank another sip. The thug looked like he was going to attack anyways, but his friends pulled him back. "She's bluffing about his rank," he insisted. "She–"

"Even if she's bluffing," said the Bolian. "He isn't. Or weren't you paying attention to what he did to your phaser?"

Colonel Jahkar

The Last Call, Polmak City

Stardate 2207.08

The Starfleet security officer looked at the huge Carnora, saw one of the women collapse and then he assessed the situation and made a prudent tactical decision.

"This isn't worth it," the thug muttered. "C'mon, we'll go somewhere else to drink."

The sec officer and his group of colleagues turned their backs on the Shadow Ops team and departed the bar, deciding they'd likely be beaten…badly…if they pursued a fight with the wake attendees.

Jahkar looked over at Ryramorl and smirked, "Anyone ever tell you you should have been a doorman at a bar, Roar?"

The Marine was partly pleased to have avoided a fight, but he was also disappointed he wasn't able to release some of his frustration on the party of belligerent Starfleet officers. It was best he hadn't gotten into a fight, if they were in brig somewhere they couldn't make it to the memorial service on Bajor.

He had noticed Vree glancing towards a figure stumbling towards the door. Then immediately took notice that Tiri had moved to follow. He opened a private subvoc channel to Tiri just as he finished the toast Reepchip had offered.

"Is she OK?" he asked.

Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith

The Last Call

Stardate 2207.09

Tiri was shocked to see the combat knife drawn and thrown, landing between Smith's knees where it stabbed, point first, into the floor and stuck there, the hilt of the dagger quivering as the Andorian watched, wide-eyed.

She looked at Victoria and assessed her intentions, then realizing she'd not meant to draw or throw the knife. Tiri plucked the weapon out of the floor, discreetly slipping it up a sleeve so the bar patrons would not see it and freak out.

"You must think I am insane, lieutenant," Victoria said.

Tiri grinned, "No more than the rest of us."

She carried a pocket medical tricorder, for such occasions, and pulled it out to run a scan of Commander Smith.

"Your neural patterns are completely off," Tiri remarked, studying the tricorder readings. "Anything like this ever happen to you before?"

Before Victoria could answer Jahkar's voice sounded in her ear. "Is she OK?"

Tiri glanced quickly at Victoria, wondering if she could hear the communique, "Not sure," she said. "I'd like to get her back to Resurrection and have her checked out."

She looked to Smith "Agreed, commander?"

Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral

The Last Call, Polmak City

Stardate 2207.09

"I was asked to keep order in a less ruly place," Ryramorl said to Jahkar. "In my last year at Starfleet, I was the Resident Assistant of my section. Few defied the rules." He saw Victoria acting strangely, and watched Tiri follow her out go to her side. He knew something was very wrong with Victoria, and wanted to follow the Andorian to see if he could help.

Lt. Commander William McCulloch

Cardassia Prime, Polmak City, Bar "The Last Call"

Stardate 2207.09

Will watched as the events unfolded before him and Beckett. The pair were ready to enter the fray in the event Vree's bluff failed.

At the same time, McCulloch knew Victoria, for some unknown reason, was in bad shape. She was quickly withdrawing backwards towards the door and was wild with fear. As Tiri closed in on the nurse, it was clear she had no idea who the Andorian was and tried to distance herself from her. Seconds later, Victoria stumbled out of the bar.

Meanwhile, a nearby table full of Federation Peregrine fighter pilots watched the drama play out before them. Cody overheard a pair of the jocks argue if a fight broke out. whether they should join the fight and if so, which side. One wanted to know why the teenage Trill girl with the bad haircut was so mouthy while another wanted to bet on how quickly Warrant Officer Hannigan would wait before taking the first swing.

"Whelp," Will quipped, "I don't think we'll have a better distraction to sneak away."

"What's the plan?" Cody demanded with a low whisper.

"I'll retrieve Victoria, we don't need the other nurses. We'll claim we're helping
Victoria calm down before we return to the Resurrection. Let's go."

Cody and Will quietly crossed the bar towards a side exit. En route, the Scot briefly diverted to the table of Peregrine pilots and tossed three strips of latinum onto the table. Afterward, he snatched an almost full bottle of whiskey and a pair of glasses and quietly followed the New Zealander out the door.
Once outside, Will saw Tiri kneeling next to Victoria. The nurse looked confused and embarrassed. The Scot signaled for Beckett to follow his lead. As the Scot closed on his ex-wife, Jahkar and Ryramorl emerged from another exit and approached Smith to assist.

McCulloch noted a couple of fighter pilots had also exited the bar to see what the commotion was. Cody glanced over at the pair and muttered underneath his breath before nudging Will. The Scot looked over at the two pilots.

"Their shoulder patches." Beckett quietly whispered as Will studied the pilots. Each of the pilots had a skull and crossbone patch affixed to their uniform.
"Bloody Skull Squadron." McCulloch softly noted. The famed Starfleet fighter wing fought along the frontline of the Dominion War and had more kills than any other squadron in Starfleet or the Klingon Empire. There were bad a\*\* pilots and then there was Skull Squadron.

"No time to fangirl over them, McCulloch." Cody quipped as he directed the Scot's attention back towards Victoria. "Time to move."

"Let's do this." Will replied as he gripped the bottle of whiskey and prepared to retrieve Victoria from the circle of operatives who were tending to her.

"Lieutenant Commander!"

Will spun to see Jahkar standing before him. He was eying the Scot and Beckett suspiciously. The marine took another step forward so that he was within inches of McCulloch's face. He quietly continued his conversation with Will, attempting to be discreet.

"Will, we don't know what happened with Commander Smith back there in the bar. She won't tell us and I am very concerned right now."

"I am too sir."

"You and I both know Ms. Smith's sole job is to keep us alive. You also know we could use someone who takes that task as seriously as she does. Am I clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. I am not going to see her shipped off to some random hospital or medical facility so she can be poked and prodded to determine what happened back in that bar. I will not have Victoria sidelined and unavailable to help us when we get hurt. We are going to circle the wagons and protect her, do you understand?"

"Of course, sir."

"Excellent. Then you are going to determine what happened so we can help."

"Sir? I don't think I can diagnose what —"

"She just made it explicitly clear to Tiri she will only tell you what happened." Jahkar interrupted. The marine studied McCulloch cautiously. "She even refused to speak with Vree."

"Sir, I —"

"Whatever antics you and Beckett are up to can wait." Jahkar interjected again. "I need you to speak with Victoria right now to see how we can help her."

"Aye." Will replied with a curt nod. He quietly exhaled and walked over to the nurse. Ryramorl had positioned himself close enough to Smith to create an impression to onlookers that he was closely guarding her. Tiri and Fiadh were crouched next to Victoria and tending to her. The Scot had no idea where the hell Reepchip was but he suspected the Muran was nearby and watching over the team.

Will crouched down next to the Andorian and stared at the Victoria. At first, the nurse avoided eye contact with him. It was clear she was mortified as to what had transpired. She was shaking and her eyes were starting to well with tears.

"Hey," Will consoled as he sat down next to the nurse. "It's ok. Whatever happened it's over. You're ok."

"No, I'm not. It's the second time this has happened. Something is wrong with me." She choked as she tried to keep her emotions in check and nervously pushed her red hair behind her ears.

"Jahkar said you would only tell me what was wrong?"

The nurse quietly nodded in the affirmative as she leaned towards McCulloch and whispered in his ear.

Will pulled back and looked at Victoria with grave concern.

"What?" He exclaimed. There was a hint of disbelief in his voice.

Victoria could only nod again in the affirmative as she wiped tears from her green eyes. She seized the bottle of whiskey McCulloch was holding and took a long, large gulp of the liquid. Afterward she tossed the bottle into the street.

McCulloch softly sighed and took his ex-wife's hand. "It's ok. We'll figure this out."

Again she nodded in agreement.

Will looked back at Beckett who was watching the events unfold. His eyes met the Scot's.

After a brief moment, the Scot shook his head in the negative. Cody immediately understood. Their side operation was canceled for the time being.

Will returned his attention to Victoria. "Lieutentna Sh'avelith and Warrant Officer Hannigan are going to bring you back to the ship to have you checked out. I will join you momentarily."

"You'll be with me?"

"I promise."

"Mayla?"

"She can be there too if you want her there."

"I don't…not yet."

Will cocked his head slightly in confusion. Sensing his concern Victoria again leaned forward and whispered in his ear. McCulloch nodded in understanding.
McCulloch stood up and returned to Jahkar. He looked back at Tiri and Hannigan as they prepared to transport Victoria back to the Resurrection.

"Report." Jahkar inquired.

"Where's Ensign Gace?" The Scot replied, as he looked about his immediate area.

"She's still inside with Mayla."

McCulloch nodded in understanding before returning to the marine's original question. He paused for a moment before speaking.

"Sir, she said she briefly lost her Trill memories just before the fight broke out and she panicked. She thinks it's somehow tied to Reepchip's telepathic abilities." Will looked back at the red headed combat nurse before continuing. "She's terrified her connection to Jiarin will disappear forever. Worse, she's afraid Commander Vree will turn her back on her because of the lost memories."

The marine muttered under his breath. "Is it treatable?"

"I have no idea. Apparently this is the second time this has happened."

"The second time?"

"Aye. I'm hoping Vree can provide some insight into the matter."

"You and I both Will."

McCulloch watched as a male passerby made the mistake of walking too close to Victoria and Tir. Ryramorl quickly stepped forward and softly growled at the civilian, taking a clearly protective stance. The lieutenant watched with satisfaction as the man quickly crossed the street to avoid any potential confrontation.

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

The Last Call, Polmak City

Stardate 2207.09

That trick with the phaser had been mentally taxing for Reepchip; his telekinesis was still weak, the strike to the man's foot had taken quite a bit of effort, and the lifting of the phaser atop that had left him with a mild headache. When Victoria disappeared from the bar, Reepchip followed and saw that the rest of the team was already circling around her. He got a signal from Ryramorl to scout out a wider perimeter to make sure the area was safe, and Reepchip complied.
The Muran was trying not to stew in his frustrations. He was frustrated–he could sense that Victoria was still struggling with the separation from this Jiaran–his fault. They'd just had to have a wake for Dara Tajel–Reepchip's fault he was dead. They'd failed to seize someone important…

As he scouted the street, he heard someone behind him. Glancing back, he saw a couple of pilots with skull-and-crossbones shoulder patches, just watching him. Reepchip chittered warningly at them. He was about to continue when he was accosted by the thug from The Last Call. "Now that you've got none of your friends behind you, I still think that bitch is bluffing."

"Let me be," growled Reepchip. "I do not desire a fight. Go, have your drinks, and let us put this aside."

He turned away to cross the street, but the thug blocked his way. "You think I'm just gonna let that go? You humiliated me, rat! And now? I'm your worst nightmare."

"I said, let me be. I do not want to fight. Leave me alone, or I will show you my nightmares. This is your last warning" Reepchip turned to go back up the street. He saw the two Skull Squadron pilots moving towards the two with purpose. Before he could make his getaway, though, the thug grabbed his arm. "You're going NOWHERE, rat!"

That did it. Reepchip whipped around and grabbed his wrist, his claws drawing blood. All around, the thug could hear the sound of Cardassian voles crawling from every nook and cranny and swarming towards him. Reepchip shoved the man's hand away. The man glared in disgust as he saw the streets filled with Cardassian voles, then that disgust turned to alarm, then terror as he felt them clamber into his clothes and crawl all over him, yelling at them to get off him, and soon started trying to grab them and fling them away, but he couldn't seem to get hold of them, and they just kept piling on, until in his thrashing and kicking he lost his balance and fell down. The horde poured over him, and the shrieking security officer clawed at them to no avail, shrieking in mortal terror as he felt them cover his face, tasted the disgusting feet that slipped into his mouth. Their stench made him gag.. He rolled and scrambled on the ground in a futile attempt to get away, pleading for someone–ANYONE!–to get them off..

Reepchip turned away from him, and let the man flail and thrash, grabbing at nothing but his own uniform, even as the rest of the security officers came from the bar to find out what the hell the commotion was, only to find their squadmate writhing on the ground, tearing at his clothes and screaming "GettemoffgettemoffGettemOffGETTEMOFF!"

"Dude, there's nothing on you!" yelled one of his friends, trying to restrain the human before he hurt himself. As the security officers tried to help their friend, the Bolian saw Reepchip, and he knew that the Muran had something to do with this.

But the two pilots had called for backup, and now Reepchip's path was blocked by the entire Skull Squadron, who had their phasers drawn on him. "Whatever the HELL you're doing to him, stop it RIGHT NOW," said one who seemed to be their leader.

Reepchip growled, but went back to the sobbing, thrashing officer. The Muran grabbed his head, glared into the man's eyes and yanked him back to his senses. The human sat up, finding himself surrounded by his colleagues, Skull Squadron, and other onlookers, and realized that the whole thing had been in his mind. He was bleeding from where he'd clawed himself and his clothes were in tatters, but he was otherwise unharmed.

Reepchip crouched down beside him and stared him straight in the eye, ignoring the smell of urine and feces. "Brag about being my worst nightmare again, and I'll show you what it actually is."

As Reepchip turned to go, the Bolian came up to him. "Sir. I'm sorry for whatever Ensign Skoretz did to you. If there is some way I can…" He paused, unsure of what to say

Reepchip decided that he'd give the Bolian something easy. "Yes. Take him to the Antevas System, make him gaze upon my homeworld of Agavan, and ask him if he still thinks he can compare to my worst nightmares."

As he walked back up to his team, he heard one of the Skull Squadron pilots say, "Shoulda listened to your blue buddy, sh\*\*head. I get the feeling whatever he showed you, he could do a lot worse."

The man's bravado was returning now that Reepchip was walking away. "Yeah, mind tricks, movin' stuff about. Put him in a real fight, and he'd be screwed."
Reepchip stopped, took a deep breath, turned around, and started walking back, mentally calling out. As he reached the group, he knelt down and held out a paw. A Cardassian vole scampered out of the darkness and onto his palm. He held it up for all to see. "Earlier today, my team was under attack from the Relgarin. I called a thousand of these creatures and drove them into a feeding frenzy. They ate the Relgarin alive. If I was forced into a real fight with you, I'd do it all over again.8" He concentrated for a moment–then his cold glare turned to a wicked, toothy grin. "Here. Perhaps having something to care for will make you a wiser human." He set the Cardassian vole on the ground, and it immediately ran over to the human, scrambled up his uniform, and nestled onto his shoulder, squeaking affectionately. "See? He likes you! Take good care of him, now!"

He walked away, grinning. The human pulled the vole off him, and was about to throw it across the road, but Skull Squadron stopped him. "You heard the little guy. That's your pet now. Take good care of him."

Reepchip's grin widened at the howls of laughter behind him

Commander Victoria Smith

Outside The Last Call, Polmak City

Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2207.10

"Would it be ok to take you back to the Resurrection Commander?" Tiri repeated after McCulloch walked away. The nurse stared blankly into space, wondering if what had transpired the first time she lost her Trill memories would repeat itself…the memories of Jiarin would overcompensate and try to crush Victoria's own personality and memories.

"Ma'am?" Fiadh pressed as she took her commanding officer's pulse. "Can we bring you back to the Resurrection?"

Victoria sighed again. "Yes, of course. I want to know what is happening."

"We'll have you beamed up momentarily," Tiri announced as she prepared to pull Smith to her feet.

"Lieutenant and Ms. Hannigan?"

"Sir?" Sh'avelith answered for the pair.

"Please, not a word of this to my team. I don't want Union XII to find out." Victoria softly begged. "I don't know what is wrong with me and I'm so ashamed of what just happened. I should have been at your side if there was a fight."

"Eyes on me Commander." Tiri quietly instructed. "There's nothing to be ashamed about. We know there'd be no judgment from you if the roles were reversed."
For the first time, the nurse looked about her to see most of the team in a protective circle around her. Eventually, her eyes rested on Ryramorl, whose back was to her and looking up and down the street for anyone who might threaten her.

"I'm pretty sure that sod would kill for you if we asked him to." Fiadh gestured towards the Carnora as she and Tiri pulled Victoria to her feet.

"Should you ask me," replied Ryramorl, "I would give you your foes' hides for garments, hearts for meals, and heads for footstools."

"This is really too much." The nurse softly protested. "You're doing too much for me."

About 20 meters away, Ensign Hixwir Gace leaned against the outer wall of the Last Call. She watched as Phoenix Team, minus Vree and Reepchip, formed a protective circle around the nurse as Fiadh and Tiri tended to her.

When Victoria was finally brought up to her feet, Gace cautiously looked about before retrieving a thin, metallic cylindrical device that was tucked up the sleeve of her dress. She discreetly deactivated it before pushing it back up her sleeve.

Colonel Jahkar

Polmak City, Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2207.10

Jahkar saw Smith was finally on her feet, but he decided this was enough to call it an evening. Saluting Tajel was only proving to draw attention they'd be better off avoiding and if it turned into a real fight, no doubt Captain Melphis would seek to hold the Shadow Ops team accountable for any injuries among the peacekeeping soldiers and the fighter pilots.

Smith's mystery illness further decimated the mood and he decided they should return to Resurrection and get some rest before the stop at Bajor tomorrow. He did not plan on them being there long. They would attend the memorial for Tajel and be on their way back to Earth. He hoped Kedanya would understand.

"Enough for one night, we should get back before the angry mob from the bar decides they can take Roar in sheer numbers," Jahkar said.

Nearby, Ryramorl grunted, "Not a fight I would relish," he rumbled. He was strong, fast and a trained warrior–but he knew he was not invincible, and besides, a mob rush could end with an unsettling amount of body parts strewn about.

"Two to Resurrection," he said. "Beam everyone back. Send Smith and Sh'avelith to the medical bay."

"Copy that, Two," the transporter operator on Resurrection responded through his subvoc.

A moment later, the team was enveloped in transporter beams and beamed back to the ship…

Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2207.11

When they arrived in the transporter room, Reepchip told Ryramorl they needed to talk, so Ryramorl let him climb onto his shoulders so they could speak telepathically.

There, the Muran confessed to his superior officer. [Sir. I used my powers with malice,] he said.

[How so?]

Reepchip sent Ryramorl images of what he'd done to the security officer–the vision of being swarmed by Cardassian voles.

Ryramorl was having trouble not laughing. [Commander Vree and Captain Lazerus might say differently, but I say, "Well done!" and I know a lot of older Shamans would say the same thing, especially Muran Shamans. I think you've been sheltered growing up, but if there's anything I know of Murans who end up in miltary positions, they soon learn to fight dirty. Besides, you tried to step away, and when he grabbed you, you took action.] He grinned darkly. [Besides, all he got was a vision of Cardassian Voles. You didn't introduce him to Agavan or the Lonely Worlds–and I'm not sure which would be worse!]

The two went to the medbay to check on Victoria.

Commander Victoria Smith

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2207.16

Victoria materialized in the medical bay of the Resurrection with Tiri and Fiadh . The Andorian quietly led the nurse to the closest biobed and gestured for her to climb up on it as the Irish nurse walked over to the bay entrance, tapped a keypad along the wall and watched as the bay doors slid shut. Seconds later, she activated a security lock on the door.

"We're secure Lieutenant." Fiadh announced as she walked back into sickbay, retrieved a hypospray and tossed it towards Tiri. To the nurse's surprise, the Andorian caught it in midair without taking her attention off of Victoria. Tiri retrieved a cartridge and held it up for Smith to see.

"Commander, it's a sedative. You could probably use one right now as your blood pressure and heart rate are through the roof."

"Do it." Victoria ordered, as her eyes darted nervously about the medical bay as the memories of Jiarin continued to flood her mind..
"This may make you a bit loopy Commander." Tir warned as she loaded the cartridge into the hypospray.

"Where is Will?" She nervously asked.

"Computer," Fiadh announced. "Locate the sod Lt. Commander William McCulloch."

"Warrant Officer!" Victoria chided.

"He is a sod. But apparently, he's your sod."

"Is she always this fresh?" Tir asked as she pressed the hypospray against Smith's neck.

"This is a good day for her." Victoria conceded with a roll of her eyes.

"Lt. Commander McCulloch is en route to the medical bay with Lieutenant Beckett." Fiadh reported.

"See?" The Lieutenant comforted Victoria. "Lt. Commander McCulloch is on his way. He'll be here any moment."

"Commander Vree?" Victoria asked as waited for the sedative started to take hold. "I'm really embarrassed over this incident, and I don't want her to know too much."

"Commander Vree hasn't inquired about you…yet. But you and I know she will." Tiri answered matter-of-factly.

"I know." Smith conceded before leaning back on the bio bed.

"I'm going to start some neuro scans shortly. Is there anything I should know before I start?"

"How long have you been involved with Colonel Jahkar?" Smith asked the Andorian with a slight slur as the sedative kicked in.

"Oh sh\*t," Fiadh blurted, interrupting the nurse. "I bloody forgot she had consumed shots of whiskey tonight."
"I think he'd be lucky with someone like you." Victoria continued with a purr.

"Commander, I think Lieutenant Sh'avelith's personal life is none of our business." Hannigan pressed as she checked Smith's vitals.

"Why?" Victoria slurred. "I am going crazy and the lieutenant is going out of her way to help me. I can't say nice things to her?"

"Why don't we relax and let the nice lieutenant examine you." Fiadh sighed as she heard a chime ring behind her. Someone was attempting to enter the medical bay.

"Company?" Tiri asked as she started to examine Victoria.

"Perhaps. You ok with the Commander while I check who's knocking on our door?"

"I should be."

"If she starts speaking Trill you notify me immediately."

"She speaks Trill?"

"Fluently." Fiadh answered bluntly. "But it could also be a sign that the memories of Jiarin are trying to dominate her personality. Victoria recently confided in me that it is a continuous internal struggle."

"Understood."

The Irish warrant officer left Tiri and made her way towards the medical bay entrance. Once there she checked to see who was trying to gain access and softly cursed. She keyed the pad and watched as the doors slid open. Afterward, she folded her arms across her chest, cocked her right eyebrow and studied Reepchip and Ryramorl carefully. After a moment she spoke.

"Let me guess, you boys are here to check on Commander Smith?" Fiadh asked as she blocked the pair's path. "Now I see why she has a fondness for the two of you."

The nurse paused momentarily as she continued to eye the pair. Eventually she relaxed and gestured towards the interior of the medical bay. "She really is bloody fond of both of you. Just stay out of our damn way or the lot of you will have to deal with me. Understood?"

Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

USS Resurrection, Medical Bay

Stardate 2207.16

"Understood," said Ryramorl, as Reepchip nodded.

"May I touch her? I simply want to listen to her mind, nothing more," the Muran said. "I think this is my fault, initially, and I want to get a read on what's happening. I… I'm the one who wanted to meet Jiaran when we were Dreaming together, and when Jiaran stepped out, Victoria panicked."

"Ghosts living on in memories is the norm amongst the Muran, it is fairly common even to have two souls within one body," said Ryramorl. "But for the soul of the dead to be trying to take over the living–that's strange." [And possibly the sign of a very evil soul,] he said telepathically to Reepchip, who replied with a sense of knowing fear.

Fiadh again cocked her eyebrows and wagged her finger at the pair. "I am not letting either of you touch Commander Smith unless and until Lieutenant Sh'avelith gives permission to do so. The lieutenant is the commanding officer of the bay until Lieutenant Riisos arrives."

"When does he arrive?" Reepchip inquired.

"He won't. He is currently indisposed. So you can ask Sh'avelith but if she defers to me, I am going to tell you bloody hell no."

The Irish nurse directed the pair to a nearby corner before letting loose a string of Gaelic comments and returning to Tiri's side.

"Orders sir?" She quietly asked the Andorian.

Colonel Jahkar

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2207.20

Jahkar returned to Resurrection and abruptly left the transporter room without speaking to anyone. He was angry. He wanted to punch out the Federation peacekeeper he'd heard berating Tajel and the team for honoring him. His Klingon temper flared, but his Romulan composure helped him avoid making a scene.
He just wanted to be alone. Jahkar could not wait until they reached Bajor tomorrow. He wanted to see his daughter and mother, hoping it would perhaps ease some of the pain he was feeling.

Arriving at his quarters, the marine changed into a t-shirt and pajama pants, opened a bottle of Klingon bloodwine and began to sing "Qoy qeylIS puqloD" – also known as the Warrior's Anthem, perhaps the most famous song among Klingon warriors.

Jahkar continued to sing, repeating the song again and again as he drank the bloodwine and remembered his stepson.

Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith

Commander Victoria Smith

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2207.20

Tiri looked around and cringed slightly. The medical bay aboard Resurrection wasn't exactly spacious and Ryramorl himself took up a great deal of space. Still reeling from the question posed by Smith, nearly overheard by the Carnora, she looked the pair over in the corner and gave them a sympathetic smile.

"Guys, I need space and privacy right now to deal with this," Tiri told them. "When she's in a better place, you can see her. Until then, no visitors."

With Ryramorl and Reepchip dismissed, she turned back to Victoria and smiled, "That obvious, huh? Well, I wouldn't call it necessarily ‘involved.' We're still trying to sort out exactly what we are. We visited Bajor together on our last shore leave and became more acquainted.

"Personally, I'm all in," the Andorian said as she ran a tricorder probe over Victoria, checking her brain patterns again. "But he has some issues. Not sure we're going to work through them. It's the age thing, you know? It bothers him. And being my superior officer, it also creates an issue for him."

She finished the scan, "So, your brain is a little scrambled. Based on what I'm seeing, I would have to theorize that you may be experiencing black or gray areas in your memories. Ever had a problem with this before?"

Victoria paused for a moment to reflect upon the question. The sedative Tiri had administered was in full effect, and her anxiety was coming down quickly. She felt a tad loopy but was still lucent enough to answer the question. After another moment of reflection, she nodded in the affirmative.

"Yes…well maybe."

"Maybe?" The Andorian pressed with a hint of curiosity.

"If you mean since I was injected with a memory analeptic, then yes." Victoria replied softly before looking down at the floor. She smirked slightly before returning her attention to Tiri. "Lieutenant, I was a hot mess right after the injection happened. I never asked for it…it was thrust upon me by others to keep me alive. When I eventually came out of my coma, I didn't know which way was up or down. I suddenly had two people inside my head fighting for control of me and who I was. It was an ever-living nightmare that I couldn't control…at first."

"At first?"

"Oh, over time, with the help of Commander Vree and a few others, I was able to control my situation. But it came with a price. Some of my memories began to disappear… those of Victoria, not of Jiarin. Most of it was what others consider small or insignificant memories, but I considered them important."

"Such as?"

"The way my father would let me put my feet on top of his so he could walk me around the room. Going to New York City with my friends." Victoria paused for a moment. "What I ate on my first date with Will. I really can't recall any of those moments. People tell me they happened, but I have no memory of them."
The Andorian didn't respond and instead chose to let Victoria continue.

"Over time, I accepted that these memories had been replaced or pushed aside so Jiarin could co-exist within me. But what happened today and once before was something different. It wasn't just fading memories…it was as if Jiarin had died inside me or my memories of her had been completely erased. The memories of Victoria didn't return with Jiarin's disappearance. It was just emptiness. I felt exposed and threatened."

Tiri looked at Victoria and put away the tricorder. "I recommend rest. We'll be home in a couple days. I think you ought to get a full workup by Starfleet Medical when we return to Earth. I don't have the authority to make that and order, but I will make that my recommendation in the report I'll be filing with Commander Sornax.

"If you feel you require further medical attention, we can bring the EMH online. She would be able to give medical attention as a doctor," Tiri said. "What do you say?"

Victoria contemplated Tiri's answer momentarily. She wondered if she had said too much and if she had just put her career on the line. A report to Sornax would result in questions, and regardless, the incident would warrant a follow-up with Starfleet medical once back on Earth. However, she pushed the concern aside and smiled weakly at the Andorian.

"No, I'll just rest if that's alright with you. Would you mind keeping me company until Will and Cody arrive?"

Tiri nodded, though she wanted to check on Jahkar. He would still be there later and knowing him, he probably didn't want to be bothered right now.
"So, since we're talking and you asked me about Jahkar, I'm curious about something," Tiri said. "Why did you agree to serve aboard Resurrection when your ex-husband, who you fight like cats and dogs with, is stationed aboard this ship?"

Victoria smirked and eyed Tiri cautiously. The Andorian was growing on her. Although Sh'avelith was 18 years Smith's junior, Smith appreciated her direct approach "That's a fair question, especially in light of the fact I was just being nosy about you and Jahkar. May I be completely up front?"
"Of course."

"When Admiral Sorvek asked me to organize and lead Union XII to serve as a medical support unit to Phoenix Team, William McCulloch wasn't even in the equation. He was off doing God knows what. Then, just before I was to transfer my team to the Resurrection, I got word that Will had been asked to return to the Shadow Ops program. Do you know what my reaction was Tiri?"

"What?"

"I was pissed. Really, really pissed off. I refused to assume command of the unit until he was gone. If he didn't leave I was determined to crush him and drive him out of the program as a reminder of what he did to me when he was with Bravo Squad and after."

"But you did assume command".

"I did. I realized made a promise to Sorvek to lead the unit and upon reflection, I was not going to let the traitor William McCulloch change that. But almost overnight, my position towards him softened."

"Why?"

Victoria looked directly at Tiri. "Did anyone ever tell you I've been to 1776 Earth? Like, American Revolutionary War Earth? Will and I were kidnapped and transported there years ago, and I was left behind. I spent six months alone as a laundress to His Majesty's forces before I was rescued. Or perhaps, Mayla has told you about my time on Helios? My captors tortured me to extract intelligence on Starfleet. When that failed, I was cast out to a shanty town called Refuse. For the next year, again alone, I cared for the residents of that town. Between those two instances, I was shot at point-blank range and nearly died protecting an infant from terrorists. That resulted in my being introduced to the memories of Jiarin and witnessing the demise of William McCulloch."
Victoria rubbed her eyes and cursed the sedative as it continued to run through her veins. After a moment of collecting her thoughts, she continued. "Tiri, in the aftermath of Daryl Thompson's abduction, I saw William McCulloch lying on his back with a combat knife sticking out of his chest… Do you know what I did?"
"I heard you twisted the knife before removing it."

Victoria's face turned flush. She laughed nervously before correcting the lieutenant. "I twisted the knife, told him only I get to decide when he dies, and only then removed it. But hours later, I had a moment of clarity….one even I think Jiarin would have approved of. I realized that I had seen enough sh\*t in my life… bad sh\*t that I was often on the receiving end of. And it was time to do something different for myself. I decided to forgive and reconcile with my ex-husband because, for good or bad, I wanted that fool to be a part of my life again. Maybe I want to relive my youth, maybe I want to go back to a time before the Black Watch or Jiarin…I don't know. And yes, we fight. It's been terribly trying and I only hope it gets better. I have no idea if it will…But I decided I still wanted to give it a try."

Victoria and Tiri heard an exaggerated gagging sound from the corner of the medical bay. When the pair looked over, they saw Fiadh rolling her eyes and making a face. "He's a bloody traitorous wanker and a sod. If you are looking for love, I told you I could set you up with someone back home in Cork."

Smith ignored Fiadh, straightened up, and looked back at Tiri.

Tiri nodded and smiled, her antennae bending backwards slightly atop her head as she processed everything the commander told her. "Commander, you and I should get a drink sometime. We can commiserate over men and tell war stories."

Victoria perked up slightly and her green eyes widened. "Yes! I would love to! I know a bar on Earth we could hit sometime. It's a bad, bad place, but it's so much fun and a perfect place to tell war stories…on men or combat."

The doors to the medical bay then whooshed open and McCulloch and Beckett came in. She noticed Jahkar was not with them, causing her a brief moment of concern.
As they approached the biobed, Tiri smiled to Smith, "See you soon, commander."

"I look forward to it, and Lieutenant?"

"Sir?"

"Off duty it's Victoria."

Tiri smiled and gave a nod toward Victoria, "Copy that," she replied. She then turned, nodded to the arriving operators and left to go find Jahkar.

Victoria rhythmically patted her thighs as she watched Tiri leave the medical bay. She noted there was something very empowering about chatting with the Andorian. She made it a point to hold Tiri's offer to get together for drinks.

A moment later, Smith glanced toward Will and Cody as they approached and casually nodded towards them to acknowledge their presence.

"And why are you boys here?" She jokingly asked.

Back to top

## S4, E3, Act 4: Arrival at Outpost Umbra Prime (extended)

Commander Mayla Vree

USS Resurrection, Cardassia Prime

Stardate 2207.31

After receiving a surreptitious report on Victoria's condition which she received as a long text message in Trill, Mayla headed down to the holodeck with the intention of doing a deep dive on the treatment her cousin Meeka and his people administered on Victoria. With the Trill medical knowledge and socio-political environment pertaining to rejected hosts at the time, she hoped the climate has changed since then to provide some assistance in helping those once shunned minority of people.

Also, with her shadow protocol level of authority given to her by Sorvek, she may be able to gain access to classified information. This would be the first time she would be using it and didn't bother to wonder how that access hadn't been revoked by Starfleet Command yet. She was sure Lani had something to do with managing the access by continuously hiding it whenever someone looked for anomalies.

When the holodeck doors closed behind her, she scrolled through a list in her eyes looking for the program she wanted to run. There was always one place Kyril had felt comfortable doing work like this, one place where he knew he wouldn't be interrupted and had all the room in the world to spread out.

She located the file and instructed it to be transferred to the Resurrection holodeck. "Computer, run Bravo Command Ops."

Without any hesitation at processing the millions of processes the program required, the familiar surroundings of Bravo Command on the old Umbra One command post at Science Base 003 appeared around her. Situated in what was originally a large cargo bay on their dedicated deck, it allowed eight raised dais stations for each member of Bravo Squad, with several secondary stations along the wall. All of the dais stations were facing a large viewscreen that could have subscreens displaying various status reports of Umbra One, including one of the USS Intruder.
Although she herself had never worked in Bravo Command, the setting Kyril had designed himself gave her a calm sense of focus and concentration. The dim lighting and holographic displays at the circular console gave her plentiful screens she can surround herself with data and screens if needed. And she can also have the displays on the large main viewscreen.

For a few moments, she basked in memories of who used to sit at those other stations. The nostalgia of the troubled times of the Dominion War and the continued hostilities between empires seemed never ending. Her entire life had been military, and having centuries of implanted memories and skills of Linea legendary warriors from over a millennia sometimes weighed on her.

Mayla ran a hand over the clean console before taking the chair. Her fingers began dancing upon it as if playing a musical instrument with purpose, starting with Kyril's notes on the entire situation that led up to Victoria's coma. Not wanting to overlook anything, she had to read through the painful memories of the mission that led up to Victoria's condition. Which meant she had to re-read the reports on William McCulloch's treasonous actions against Bravo Squad and the Intruder. She often reminded herself that she was researching to help Victoria, and not to dredge up old memories. But memories tend to do that anyway.

She knew everything that specifically happened to Victoria was not written in any records. All that was noted was she had been taken to a safe house only Kyril knew of under the guise of security and safety reasons when Black Watch was becoming a threat to the Bravo Squad families. He of course had all of the records stricken or hidden in several layers of anonymity through parts of unofficial channels of the outer rim to secure transportation to get Victoria to Trill without any trace.

That's when Mayla began digging into the Trill archives, looking for treatment research about what was done to Victoria at the time. Several years after, the experimental research emerged in a small lab that offered medical trials for those anyone desperate enough for help with Trill symbiont rejection syndrome. But as she continued to dig deeper, the lab had already experimented on hundreds of rejected hosts before even making the announcement for trial runs.

It took her several hours with dozens of screens floating around and above her, and on the main viewer, she finally made the connection to many of Meeka's secret Citadel communities who housed Trills afflicted with the syndrome. The Citadel at present was still mentioned in whispers, but the subject was kept quiet since the government still considered them a terrorist organization. She was able to compile a short list of doctors who reached out to those communities to seek subjects for the trial runs. She would indirectly contact each of them with some questions about their research.

The holodeck doors opened to admit a tall man in the dim light, backlit by the light streaming in from the outside hallway. Mayla just gave a quick glance to identify him as Lazarus.

"Sorry I missed the incident in the bar," he said.

"You were nowhere to be seen. I had to do something, or else Admiral Clancey would have a field day grounding us for beating up the local occupational police force."

"It wouldn't have gone that far."

"We've already seen what alcohol can do to them. They would have let off some steam in a violent manner." Mayla ignored his presence and continued working.

"I was called away," he simply said, stepping up to her dais and looking at their surroundings. "Bravo Command? You're kidding."

"It's comfortable."

"You were only in here a handful of times."

"It made Kyril comfortable."

"What are you doing?"

Mayla decided to not tell Lazarus of Victoria's condition. "Just some research on the host rejection treatments on Trill."

He nodded when he noticed several screens of reports of that one Bravo Squad mission. "Hell of a mission."

"Not one many people hoped for, especially on Draconis IV, of all places."

"They've submitted a motion for secession," Lazarus said, walking over to get closer to the screen with the Bravo Squad mission report.
"Yes, I saw that. It seems they are falling in line with the political attitudes of the Sarkonis Protectorate. There are FedNews articles that play it down that the movement was growing. But several underground news outlets have numbered over a dozen planets wanting to leave the Federation."

"With Sarkonis leading the way." Lazarus said with a bit of foreboding.

"Seems so."

"So it's begun."

"The tide could turn." She paused what she was doing and sat back into her chair for the first time in hours. "By this time, Draconis had already seceded years ago. In our current timeline, Draconis is still part of the Federation." Mayla said hopefully. "We're walking a different path now than what has happened before...or what would have happened. It could turn out differently this time…in the end."

Lazarus only gave a slight indication of a shrug. "All that's happened before isn't recorded in any data record."

"I know, but if Thompson's 'resurrection' was any indicator, the future is not set. And things have already been changed. We just have to wait and see what the future beholds for us."

The silence of those memories of the possible future weighed in on them for a few minutes. The enormity of a Federation civil war did not paint an elegant picture. She could tell it hit a chord in Lazarus, who carried scars as a member of the Maquis fighting against his own comrades and friends in Starfleet. It was a fight he didn't want to have to be in again.

"We've jumped just outside Bajor's long range sensors. We're continuing the rest of the way on warp drive."

"Does DS9 know we're coming?"

"They will. We'll arrive in about an hour. Best to get ready."

Mayla started closing down the screens. "Aye."

USS Resurrection

Bajor

Stardate 2207.31

Not wanting to create a panic or to startle their Bajoran allies by having Resurrection blink into orbit above Bajor, Lazarus ordered the ship to appear just inside the limits of long range sensors and the ship completed the remaining leg of the trip at standard warp speed.
Arriving in orbit of Bajor, the ship immediately confirmed its arrival with the planetary command and with Deep Space Nine, located out at the wormhole entrance.

Captain Lazarus immediately ordered all attending the memorial service to gather in the transporter bay to prepare to be beamed down. Dressed in his dress uniform, the captain left Mr. Dahrt in command as he left to join the rest of the group beaming down.

It was a private ceremony, put together hastily by Kedanya and K'nara, so only the Shadow Ops team, Lazarus and Smith, were invited.
Jahkar greeted the guests in the transporter bay and then they beamed down in two groups, both materializing outside the Marine's home on Bajor. At the beam down site, a young woman of obvious Klingon/Romulan/Bajoran heritage and an older Klingon woman awaited their arrival.
For those from the team who knew Jahkar and Dara's daughter Kedanya from when she was a child, the younger woman was immediately recognizable as that girl all grown up. The older woman had similar looks to Jahkar, indicating she was possibly his mother.

The Marine opened his arms and Kedanya fell into them and hugged her father, a faint sob rising from her as she held onto him tightly. The older woman nodded to the others, but particularly maintained eye contact with Mayla and Tiri.

Lazarus stepped up and extended his hand to K'nara, who gave him a curt nod, "I'm Captain Quentin Lazarus. You must be Jahkar's mother? On behalf of my crew, you have our deepest sympathies."

K'nara gave a faint smile to the captain, "There is nothing to be sorry about, captain. Tajel died saving your life…there is no nobler sacrifice than that. He died with honor."

Lazarus felt a sudden knot form in his gut as he absorbed her words and felt ashamed that she and everyone else had been fed a lie. Tajel was not dead…but none of them could know. It was a secret he would take to his grave, no matter how ashamed he felt about his actions.
At a loss for further words, the captain shook K'nara's hand and stepped back with the crew.

Kedanya parted from Jahkar, wiped away her tears and turned her attention to Mayla, moving to embrace the Trill.

Lt. Commander William McCulloch & Commander Victoria Smith

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2207.31

"Stand still." Victoria chided as she inspected Will's dress uniform before pulling roughly on the shoulder seams and brushing away a few specks of lint. She stepped back and inspected the uniform a second time.

Victoria was discharged from the medical bay approximately an hour after Tiri left her. During her wait, McCulloch and Beckett had kept her company, while Reepchip and Ryramorl insisted on checking on her well being several times.

The nurse secretly enjoyed the attention she received from the two Carnora. It comforted her immensely that they insisted on being there for her.
"There, now you make a proper officer." Victoria continued. "The last time you looked to wrinkly and dirty."

"The last time I wore this uniform it became wrinkled and dirty after you beat the snot out of me." Will retorted with a slight smile. "And Sarah Pickering vomited all over me."

Victoria scoffed at the reply as she looked about her ex-husband's quarters. "We need to do something about your living arrangements as well. The state of this room does not convey a message of authority or professionalism."

"What do you mean?"

"Technically you are third in command of the team…technically." The nurse observed before continuing. "You need to convey an air of authority to the others. You were all over the map during this last mission until Beckett kicked you in the arse and Tiri reminded you of the chain of command."

"You're starting to sound like Vree."

"By the time I am done with you, William McCulloch, you are going to wish it was Mayla who was all over your crap instead of me."

"I don't understand."

Victoria gestured to herself with a sweep of her right hand. "If you want ‘this', you are going to start acting like the capable officer I knew before my coma. I know who and what you are and you need to start living up to that potential. Am I clear?"

"Yes."

"Very good."

"I still don't understand what does this have to do with my living area?"

"Your quarters are a mess. This area looks like something between a vacated whore house and a hoarder's worst nightmare. You cannot present yourself like this to the rest of the team."

"I haven't had time to properly clean or decorate my quarters." Will replied weakly.

"Your quarters smell like dirty feet. This entire room is a testament to a high school boy's locker room."

"It's not that bad."

"Your quarters would offend cockroaches."

Will threw up his hands in surrender as he eyed Victoria. She was looking up at him with her arms folded and her right eyebrow cocked. He knew it was a debate he was not going to win.

"You'll help me redecorate and redesign these quarters?"

"I've already submitted a requisition for you. Everything will be waiting for us when we arrive on Earth." Victoria answered as she gestured for McCulloch to leave his quarters. "Now let's get you off to Cody so the two of you can get to the ceremony."

"You're not coming?"

"I wasn't invited." The nurse answered matter-of-factly. "Besides I was ordered to take several professional development courses so I can be classified as a nurse practitioner before the next mission. The last thing I need is Mayla all over my crap for not completing my own training in a timely manner."

As the pair made their way towards the exit, Victoria gestured for Will to stop. She turned her head slightly, leaned in towards him and tapped her right cheek with her finger.

McCulloch was caught off guard. When the pair was married, the nurse would ask for a kiss on the cheek every morning before Will and her would leave for their respective shifts. It was clear she was once again asking for the same gesture. The Scot wondered if the gesture was the result of her Trill memories had been weakened.

Nevertheless, Will immediately complied.

"Thank you." Victoria smiled nervously before shooing him out of his own quarters. "Off you go to meet Mr. Beckett. And no drinking for you either of you boys. I know what happened the last time the two of you consumed alcohol before a memorial service."

Commander Mayla Vree

Jahkar's home, Bajor

Stardate 2207.31

First thing she looked for upon transporting down was Inverness' security detail. There was only one person standing there with K'nara and Kedanya as they materialized. She gave Jahkar and Mayla a nod to proceed and took a step back.

Mayla, dressed in her formal Starfleet uniform, stood patiently until Kedanya embraced her. She could feel her body relax as if with relief that her father and friend were there in her dark time. Kedanya seemed to hang on to her for dear life as Mayla held her firm. "I know you're only here for a day, but I need you to climb a tree with me later."

Mayla nearly smirked at the reference to the times the two would steal off into the woods surrounding the home to be alone together to share secrets and thoughts. Mayla just nodded silently. There was something in the look she gave her that pleaded the moment was needed, and the earnestness in her tone. Maybe she really did need to climb that tree before she had to leave.

K'nara eyed her during the embrace and continued to do so after Kedanya let her go. Mayla stepped up to her with a slight bow of respect. "K'nara, it is good to see you well."

"You and your formalities, May-child. Taking after your father, I see."

Mayla cocked her head to one side. "Some attributes."

"But I am happy you are here to support my son and granddaughter."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Just then the old woman grabbed her shoulder and yanked her a few long strides away from the group. "What are your intentions with Jahkar?" She said in a low growling voice in Klingon.

Mayla shrank away with a surprised frown as she turned to face the woman asking the most inappropriate question at a time like this. Of course, Klingons never had tact.

"That is not a subject to be discussed at your grandson's funeral, Grandma-ma." She said, emphasizing the honorary title.

The old Klingon slapped her on the back. "Then we'll discuss it later over a game of rigobundy."

"Really? You'll just lose again."

"But I am stronger and wiser now," she said with a toothy grin.

"Alright," Mayla said, giving in and placing a delicate hand on her arm. "After we honor Tajel's memory, we'll have a game before I leave. After all, it'll just take a few seconds."

Then the second group transported in, K'nara walked away to greet them staring with Sha'avelith. Jahkar veered towards her on his way into his house. "What was all that about?"

"I think she thinks there's something…romantic…going on between us."

"Whaaat?"

Mayla shrugged. "She wants to talk about it over a game of rigobundy later."

He shook his head. "She just wants to lose again."

"Or maybe there's something in it she needs. I'll humor her and see if there's anything behind her strange question."

Jahkar just nodded and gestured to her to walk with him, keeping his thoughts about Tiri to himself.

Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith

Bajor

Strdate 2207.31

Tiri was happy to see Kedanya and Jahkar hugging each other. They needed each other right now and she could tell Tajel's death was weighing heavily on them both – especially on Kedanya.

K'nara approached and grabbed Tiri up in a bear hug, "It is good to see you again, Tiri. I am glad you are here to celebrate Tajel's life."

"I didn't know him," she said, suddenly realizing she'd never really gotten to talk to him, or to be introduced. Everything had happened so fast, there hadn't been time or opportunity for that sort of thing. "But, I am glad I can be here to support Jahkar and Kedanya."

She knew K'nara did not view Tajel's death as a tragedy or as a loss. Klingons were different about these sorts of things. To her, this was a celebration, not a time to mourn.

Being that she knew K'nara, Tiri proceeded to make introductions between Jahkar's mom and the rest of the team, starting with McCulloch and working her way through the rest…

Lt. Commander William McCulloch

Bajor

Stardate 2207.31

When Tiri introduced Jahkar's mother to him, McCulloch bowed slightly in deference to her.

"K'nara, I wish to offer my deepest sympathies to you. The memory of Tajel will sing in my blood."

The Klingon woman studied the Scot in silence for a brief moment before addressing him. "You are the hero William McCulloch from the Battles of Klingon Imperial Battlestation 21, are you not?"

Will nodding slightly in acknowledgment. "Allegedly, I am."

"Then you honor my family and I with your presence today."

"Tajel honored your family and all of us with his sacrifice during our mission." Will countered.

K'nara smiled slightly before putting her hand on his shoulder and leaning in towards him.

"In the eyes of the Klingon people, William McCulloch is no traitor, he is a man who acted with honor to defend his family." She whispered before leaning back and bowing slightly in deference to him.

"Many would disagree with your assessment, K'nara."

"Let them. I now only ask one thing from the warrior who fought side by side with my people in two of the most glorious battles of the Dominion War."

"Name your request and I shall gladly undertake whatever it is you ask."

"Serve and protect my son with honor William McCulloch … warrior and ally of the Klingon Empire. It is your duty and your fate."

Again, William McCulloch bowed slightly and softly replied with a modified Klingon proverb. "Your enemies and your son's are now mine. May all of them run with fear."

Lt. Cody Beckett

Bajor

Stardate 2208.05

Cody was introduced next to Jahkar's mother K'Nara. He kept the condolences simple and straightforward as he didn't have(nor wanted) McCulloch's sway. Yet, she kept staring at him while she curtly nodded, accepting the condolences. Then she spoke. "For a human, you look like a mighty warrior, Lt. Cody Beckett"

"You should see him with his axe" McCulloch said in a boasting tone, just loud enough for K'Nara to hear.

"You are an axe fighter.. so much I thought already. Hm hm… " She pondered for a moment. "Now is not the moment, but I would love to spar against you, Cody Beckett. Axe against Bath'leth. The invitation stands."

Beckett smiled politely, an bowed his head "it would be a great honor to me "

K'Nara grinned, and nodded as she moved on to be introduced to the rest of the team.

Beckett looked at McCulloch "Can you ever shut up, McCulloch". It was maybe a little too loud, as some of the guests looked into their direction. Cody exhaled and continued in a softer voice. "I surely never hope 'that moment' comes where she decides that she wants to spar against me. I don't want to spar against elder Klingon females, let alone Jahkar's mother. "

McCulloch shrugged while playing with his glass of Pickering whiskey. In his other hand he had another glass if whiskey which he handed to Beckett.

Beckett shook his head "Nope, no alcohol for me today, mate. And you shouldn't drink either Will. " McCulloch grimaced "party pooper".

"This isn't a party, Will. " Beckett stated dryly as he poured himself a glass of juice.

Will rolled his eyes "you should be more of a Klingon in this Cody. Honor the death and drink on them and their deeds."

"I'll just be boring and drink this non-alcoholic juice. " Beckett replied. "cheers" As he raised his glass slightly, and took a sip.

Lt. Ryramorl Ra'yral

Bajor

Stardate 2208.05

Ryramorl and Reepchip had asked for and received permission to wear their traditional funeral clothes, so they were decked out in the same garb as they had been on Cardassia. Ryramorl tensed as the Klingon woman approached him, and everyone could see K'nara's eyes narrow slightly–the Carnora and the Klingons did not get along for the most part. Ryramorl nodded to her as Tiri introduced them. "K'nara, this is Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral. Ryramorl, this is K'nara," said Tiri, though she couldn't miss the slight tension between the two.
Ryramorl nodded to her. "You are as fierce as a mother defending the den," he said. "I greet you, warrior mother of warrior offspring. May the King of Heaven use Tajel's bones to make mountains." He was clearly trying to be complimentary; Lord Agavan had no place at such a gathering.

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet

Bajor

Stardate 2208.05

Reepchip overheard the Klingon woman say, "There is nothing to be sorry about, captain. Tajel died saving your life…there is no nobler sacrifice than that. He died with honor," and sensed something strange from the Captain–was Lazarus hiding something? If so, one important aspect of being a shaman was the ability to keep secrets.

He listened to Ryramorl compare K'nara to a female Olvern defending the den from intruders; if K'nara knew anything about them, she'd know that unwanted intruders rarely left a den in one piece. If not, well K'nara was a Klingon; unwanted intruders likely rarely left her house in one piece either. As K'nara was introduced to Reepchip, he bowed, then concentrated, giving her a polite greeting in Klingon, though it was clear he struggled with the phonemes of the language, even more than he struggled with speaking Federation Standard. Some of his teammates were surprised that Reepchip knew Klingon, though Vree would know from his record he did study it in Starfleet Academy. But Jahkar and K'nara were doubly surprised: WHERE had Reepchip learned such an archaic greeting?!

Colonel Jahkar

Bajor

Stardate 2208.05

Near Jahkar's home on Bajor was a small plot of land where Dara Ilia was buried. He led the team and family to this site, about 100 yards from the house, and there they found several Bajoran friends of Tajel engaged in what was known as the Bajoran funeral chant. This chant would typically last about two hours and it was meant to send the deceased pagh off to be with the Prophets in the Celestial Temple.
Ilia's grave was there, with an arch-shaped marker on it bearing her name written in Bajoran and in Federation common.

Beside it, another marker had been placed bearing the name of DaraTajel, also written in both languages and an additional tongue – Cardassian. Jahkar looked to Kedanya and nodded with his approval.

To further mourn Tajel's death, the Bajorans in attendance had lit duranja lamps, which Kedanya quietly instructed each of the guests to do as well.

As they lit the lanterns, a Bajoran cleric appeared from the direction of the house. It was Vedek Naril, a friend of Ilia's and someone who had been there to help Jahkar with issues involving the children after her death.

Vedek Naril conducted the service, which was short and to the point, just as Tajel would have wanted it. At its conclusion, the chanting ended, having begun hours earlier, and the team was left alone with Jahkar and his family at the graveside as the Bajorans exited and left them to mourn in peace.

When it was over, Jahkar addressed his friends, "Thank you all for being here today. It meant a lot to me that you came to pay your respects to Tajel. If anyone has anything they'd like to say, now would be the time for that and then there is food and refreshments back at the house."

Commander Mayla Vree

Jahkar's home, Bajor

Stardate 2208.05

Mayla didn't hesitate to be the first to step forward. She gave Kedanya and Jahkar a solemn glance and a slight smile.

"Tajel and I used to spar when we were younger. It was always him coming to me, as if to test not his physical abilities, but his courage and resolve. Even though I was older, he knew what he was up against. But it never stopped him from showing time and again that the courage in his heart was greater than his physical abilities. That doesn't stop a man from trying, and it certainly didn't stop him.

"My father knew Dara Ilia, and he told me once the best of what was in Ilia's heart endured in Tajel. His yearning for courage and bravery came from the man who helped raise him. This is what I saw growing up with Dara Tajel.

"I hope he knows that in our eyes, in the end, he took the boldest step of courage any Starfleet officer could have done. He stepped in front of certain death in the name of duty. That is more telling of a truly dedicated Starfleet officer than most Starfleet officers. I will miss my friend." She looked over to Tajel's marker. "May the Prophets guide your path into the Celestrial Temple."

She stepped back into her spot and made note of a nod to her from K'nara.

Commander Mayla Vree

Jahkar's Home, Bajor

Stardate 2208.05

After everyone said their comments, the small crowd dispersed, heading back to the house for the promised refreshments. Mayla waited until most of them had left before stepping over to Ilia's gravesite. She held out a hand just as a bouquet of flowers was transported down from the Resurrection. She knelt down and placed the colorful flowers beside the headstone.

"Did you know Dara Ilia?" A robed figure stepped beside her.

"My father did. I only knew her in passing only before she died." She looked over to the man who presided over the funeral. "Vedek Naril."

"And you are Mayla Vree."

She gave him a questioning look. "How do you know me?"

"I remember the names of all troubled youths on Deep Space Nine."

"I've only been there twice when I was younger."

"Yes, but one time the tailor Garak filed a complaint about you. Something about putting sticky candies in the pockets of the suits on display in his-"

Mayla held up a hand to stop him. "That was on the behest of one station chief medical officer, Vedek."

"Nevertheless, Garak didn't hide his elation when you left the station."

"And why would a vedek on Bajor keep watch over troubled youths on DS9?"

"Some Bajoran runaways wanting to leave Bajor go through the station to find passage away from here. Parents in my province come to me for help to try to persuade them to come back home. And, well, there was a complaint filed through their security office and Captain Kira happened to mention the incident to me-"

"Oh, so I'm the subject of casual conversation." Mayla said wryly, seemingly without a care.

"You are also the daughter of Kyril Vree. And the singer, Linsayla Savien."

Mayla's tone immediately changed after that comment. This man obviously knew more than just her infraction in Garak's shop. Was he fishing for information on the falling out between her father and Kira?

"So, another topic of casual conversation and gossip. Why are you here talking with me?"

The vedek visibly noticed the temperature dropped between them and took a step back from her. "I am here for Jahkar, that's all. I recognized you and just wanted to make casual conversation."

She turned away from him and looked at Tajel's grave. "I am here for my friends. And I am not in the mood for any casual conversation with you. So if you would excuse me, I would like to be left alone."

Lt. Ryramorl Ra'yral

Bajor

Stardate 2208.13

Ryramorl had not known Tajel well, so he remained quiet. After the ceremony, he went to get something to drink. As Jahkar was partially Klingon, there was bloodwine in the house, so he took a cup of it, though he only filled it part way. No need to start hallucinating. As he set the bottle of Bloodwine down, he saw K'nara approach him, and he nodded solemnly to her.

"Tell me what you mean when you said, ‘as fierce as a mother defending the den.' I heard that Carnora do not let their women be warriors."

Ryramorl frowned. "Who ever told you that," he said, then switched to heavily accented Klingon, concentrating on pronouncing it as best he could. "His cup contains water." At the look of surprise in her face, he switched back to Federation Standard and explained. "I only know a few phrases in Klingon. I was stationed on Kazis IX for some time, and anyone who goes where Klingons and Carnora mingle will soon learn their curses, insults, and swear words. As for women warriors, many Carnora women defended Carnor, as it is the den of all our peoples, and they fought fiercely against the Jem'Hadar. Furthermore, a male who defends his territory wants his foe subdued. A female who defends her den wants her foe dead."

K'nara nodded with approval. "As she should."

Ryramorl raised his cup. "To all warriors, whose spirits bear arms as they pass with honor to the next life. For Tajel…" He rumbled, trying to remember how the Klingon phrase he'd heard went; he'd heard it often enough on Kazis IX, then he looked up, and spoke in the same accented Klingon. "It was a good day to die."

Lt. Commander William McCulloch

Bajor

Stardate 2208.13

Will was horrified at Beckett's comments and unsure where the hostility came from. It was one thing to disagree with each other…and they occasionally did, but to be asked, "can you ever shut up?" in front of Klingon and other guests was beyond the pale for McCulloch.

The Scot looked down at his drink…which he had not consumed but was holding to not offend the Klingon guests … and shrugged his shoulders. After a moment of quiet reflection, he placed the drink down on a nearby table and excused himself from Beckett. He quietly retired to a back area of the gathering and waited for the ceremony to conclude.

When it did, McCulloch spun around and walked away from the house. He tapped his comm badge and simply muttered, "Resurrection, one to beam out." Seconds later, he was enveloped in a pale blue light before rematerializing in the transporter room.

As McCulloch exited the transporter room and made his way down the corridor, he loosened the collar of his dress uniform. He wondered to himself whether or not returning to the Shadow Ops program was indeed the wisest decision he had recently made and how difficult would it be to opt out.

Lt. Cody Beckett

Bajor

Stardate 2208.13

Cody looked at McCulloch as he walked away. Will's demeanor had changed, and he wondered why. Cody knew McCulloch was struggling with his life in SO, but during the latest mission, it looked like McCulloch had refound his confidence. While looking around absently, he thought of Thompson and a feeling of guilt came upon him. While he was having a good time with Sarah, the other Pickerings and McCulloch had fought an intense fight along with Thompson before he got kidnapped. It gnawed on him. He decided to have a talk with Will when he got back on the Resurrection. And he decided it was about time to move back to the ship.

Colonel Jahkar

Bajor

Stardate 2208.13

Jahkar was pleased with the service Kedanya had put together, though he noticed not all of the team was celebrating Tajel's life. He sensed dismay in Mayla and McCulloch, the latter who left shortly after a terse discussion with Beckett.

Mayla seemed sad as he noticed her speaking with the vedek. She and Tajel had once been close and the finality of his death was likely painful for her. He, of course, felt it in Kedanya too. She tried to put up a strong front, especially for her grandmother, but he knew this has been a struggle for her.

Jahkar mourned the loss, in his own way. Like his mother, Jahkar celebrated Tajel's crossing over to Sto-vo-Kor, but the practical, rational Federation marine and half-Romulan in him knew Tajel never cared about that sort of thing and Klingons would have never believed a half Bajoran/Cardassian Starfleet officer who betrayed his people would ever go to a place like "Klingon heaven."

When he saw his daughter approaching him when the gathering was at an end, Jahkar finished off a glass of bloodwine and turned to her with a smile.

"Are you OK?" he asked her.

"I will be…in time," she smiled faintly. "How are you?"

"I'm managing. My feelings are mixed, Kedanya," he admitted. "I loved him and I wish I had been closer to him. I am disappointed in what he did, but death was not how I wanted this to end. At the same time I couldn't have seen him spend his life in prison…or turned over to the Breen."

Kedanya's eyes welled with tears, "I thought the same thing…it's almost….better this way."

He lowered his head, "I wish I could have been there, stopped him from making the choice that put him in that situation. If I had been better at listening, if I'd understood him,,,maybe…"

Kedanya took her father's hand, "There was nothing you could do, dad. He was set in his ways and stubborn. He always thought he knew best."
"I'll miss him," Jahkar said in a soft voice.

"Me too," she replied.

He checked the time and frowned, "We have to go. We're needed back on Earth. I'm sorry I can't stay."

Kedanya's eyes brightened, and she smiled, "Actually, I won't be here long. I was going to tell you sooner, but I wanted to wait until the memorial service was over."

Jahkar frowned, "Tell me what?"

"I've joined Starfleet," Kedanya said. "I looked into what kind of credit the academy would give me toward my training for the Bajoran militia and I found out I can enter the academy as a junior. So, I signed up."

Jahkar was shocked. His mouth nearly dropped open and he smiled, giving his daughter a hug, "That's great! I mean, you could have joined the marines, but I understand."

Kedanya laughed and gave her dad a playful push, "I'm leaving in a week. Grandma is going to stay on here at the house and take care of things."

Jahkar looked at her, "What made you decide to do this?"

She shrugged, "Partly mom, partly Tajel. But mostly because I want to see the galaxy. I don't want to be stuck here the rest of my life. I love it here, but there's more out there that I want to see."

"I understand that," he said. "I know you'll do well. You'll have to stay in touch…I want frequent updates from you on how it's going at the academy."

"You'll have it," Kedanya said.

After some words with his mother and hugs for both of them, Jahkar beamed up to the Resurrection. It was time to get back to Earth and to go find Daryl Thompson.

Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2208.05

Tiri had mingled enough at the service and the reception held afterwards. Jahkar was preoccupied, talking to Bajorans he knew, his mother and Kedanya. Tiri had a couple of glasses of bloodwine and then overheard the exchange between Cody and Will.

When McCulloch left, she decided it was time for her to call it a night too. She said goodbye to Jahkar's family and then transported back to the Resurrection. Once aboard, she decided to go check on McCulloch, since they were the first two back from Bajor.

Arriving at his door, she sounded the door chime and waited for a response…

Commander Mayla Vree

Jahkar household, Bajor

Stardate 2208.10

K'nara's had the tact of waiting for the gathering to begin breaking up before calling on Mayla, who was standing in a corner, to fulfill her promise to the rematch game of rigobundy. Mayla put down her small plate of food on the kitchen counter and gave the older Klingon a slight smile.

"Are you ready?"

The woman stood her full height, towering over Mayla and stretching her arms in a circular motion as if warming up. Klingons never needed warming up. The two hearts beating in them always had blood pumping to all of their muscles all the time for instant battle. "It is a good day to win, at the celebration service of my grandson."

"It could be," Mayla simply said as she sat down at a table with an outstretched hand, elbow on the table. Rigobundy may have been a local name for the game, but it was just a simple game of arm wrestling.

K'nara sat down with a loud thump and glared at Mayla with determination. "Are you ready, May-child?" She said clasping her hand to Mayla's hard, who returned the strong grip. "On three," she said with a confident growl.

The two held firm at the arm-wrestling for nearly 30 seconds before Mayla began to break a sweat and give way. With a loud grunt, K'nara pushed Mayla's hand down onto the bar counter.

"After all these years, victory!" K'nara exclaimed.

Mayla rubbed her arm and nodded, acquiescing to the loss. "I stand defeated, Grandma-ma."

The woman laughed and slapped Mayla hard on the shoulder. "One last drink in honor of Tajel."

"I would like that," Mayla said, picking up her glass she had left on the counter.

After downing her entire glass, K'nara then gave her a one-eyed stare. "So, what is your intention with my son?"

Mayla humored her. "In what sense? We are colleagues in Starfleet. I consider him an uncle outside of Starfleet. That is all."

"You conveniently show up just in his time of dire emotional need? That's too much of a coincidence."

Mayla remained tightlipped, thinking briefly what she should say in explanation. The simplest one is always the easiest to support without lying…too much. "Sincerely, Grandma-ma, I was in the sector and heard about what happened to Tajel. I had to come, and it wasn't only for Jahkar. It was for Kedanya, and for you. I wanted to be here for all of you."

K'nara nodded, as if accepting the explanation. "There is something different about Jahkar lately. I thought he had found a woman to share his emotions with."

Mayla held up a hand, feigning slight disgust like a 10-year-old again. "No, eeeew."

K'nara then let out a burst of laughter at the familiar response she remembered from long ago about the little Trill girl. She let out a sigh. "I just want him to be happy."

"I think he is," Mayla said, glancing over to Jahkar who was talking with Kedanya. It looked like he was getting ready to beam back to the ship.

"I'm getting old."

"That is the way of all things," Mayla said, standing up and giving a hard-fisted thump on one of the woman's broad shoulders. "You have had a good enough life. Don't diminish that by hoping for something you wish you had different."

At that moment, Jahkar walked towards them while most of the other guests began to beam out. out with most of the guests. Kedanya caught Mayla's eye and gave her a casual hand signal to meet her in her room.

Mayla gave K'nara a hug from behind and walked away so Jahkar could say his own goodbyes to his mother. Kedanya met up with her in her room and closed the door. There was a glint of relief in her eyes and Mayla deduced what it could mean.

"Did you tell him?"

"I did. I wonder if Tajel was this excited when he joined."

"I wouldn't say excited was the right word," Mayla said cautiously. "How did he take it?"

"He seemed happy for me."
"That's a good thing, right?" Mayla said.

"It is! I'm going to be a junior at the Academy. And in a few years, I'll be a cadet." Kedanya suddenly gave her a hug. "I'm excited for the experience. But Tajel's death is going to be a constant reminder for me of the pain that would be left behind if something were to happen to me."

"Don't think like that. You walk your own path, make your own choices. Jahkar will always be there for you if you need any advice. And I am too. And you are still considered part of the Bravo Squad family, so my father will also be there for you." Mayla gave her a warm smile just as a tone over her subvoc signaled to her it was time to return to the ship. "I have to leave now, but congratulations to you. And good luck at the Academy."

Kedanya gave her another hug, and gave her a wave as Mayla beamed back to the Resurrection.

Lt. Commander William McCulloch, Lt. Tiri Sh'avelith, and Lt. Cody Beckett

USS Resurrection

Stardate 2208.18

Upon reaching his quarters, Will pulled off the outer shell of his dress uniform and tossed it across the room. Afterward, he went to a nearby cabinet and retrieved a bottle of Pickering Whiskey.

The Scot studied the bottle and softly cursed. He wondered if the Pickering family had eradicated all competition and were now the only source of alcohol in the Alpha quadrant.

Will held the bottle in his hands for several seconds before sighing and coming to the conclusion that he had made a terrible mistake by returning to Shadow Ops. From Scot's perspective, Mayla considered him a liability to the team, Jahkar and Beckett probably just humored him out of a sense of pity, and most of Union XII, as well as the crew of the Resurrection, probably considered him a vile traitor who should be shot out of a torpedo tube.

The Scot uncorked the bottle of whiskey. His hands shook, and his breath was short. After some hesitation, he brought the bottle to his lips and let the liquid pour into his mouth. As he prepared to take a large gulp, a chime rang, signaling someone wished to enter his quarters.
"Bloody hell. Who the f\*\*\* wants to see me." He cursed as he spat out the alcohol. He approached the entrance, tapped a console, and watched as the doors slid open to reveal Tiri. The Scot eyed the Andorian suspiciously as she pressed her way past McCulloch and entered his quarters.

Tiri breezed past Will and flopped down on a chair in his quarters. She looked at him with an inquisitive stare and finally said, "So, why did you storm off down on Bajor? I mean, I guess it wasn't really a ‘storm off' but more of a ‘left abruptly' sort of thing."

She looked at the Scot, "You mad about Beckett? He was just running his mouth. Everybody is a little tense. The loss of Tajel, the anticipation of going to find Thompson…I get it. But it's not like you to just…storm off."

Will smirked in response to the Andorian's question and observation.

While in recovery, Victoria had confided to him that she and Tiri had a meaningful conversation and, in turn, she was happy perhaps to have possibly sparked a friendship outside of Vree's shadow. As a result, the Scot made it a point not to do or say anything that would drive the Andorian away. Besides, Tiri had snapped him into line after the last mission and reminded him of the chain of command and his relationship to it.
And once again, here she was in his quarters, ready to offer support to him in his time of need.

McCulloch studied the Andorian in silence momentarily. As he did, she returned the stare and simply asked, "What?"

"What was your question again?" He asked.

"You mad about Beckett? He was just running his mouth. Everybody is a little tense. The loss of Tajel, the anticipation of going to find Thompson…I get it. But it's not like you to just…storm off."

Will smirked again. She had him pegged. "I did storm off, didn't I," Will observed.

"And here you are ready to retreat into the bottle…why?"

McCulloch looked about the mess that was his quarters and weakly shrugged. "I guess I'm feeling sorry for myself."

"Why?"

"Maybe I didn't like being told I talk too much or I didn't like being called out before Klingons." The Scot paused before continuing. "I don't know….maybe I'm too engulfed in a pity party and dwelling over the past. I know Cody didn't mean any harm but since we're being honest here Tiri, I sometimes have to ask what the hell I am doing here and what role, if any, I have with the team in the long run."

Tiri laughed, "Haven't you ever read a good novel, or watched a holoprogram. It's called a redemption arch…a protagonist in a story does something bad…something stupid…and they spend a lot of time after that trying to redeem themselves. I think you've overcome most of the obstacles from what happened. The team, for the most part, has forgiven you and even trusts you. But there's going to be people who only know the backstory of what you did. They don't know what you've done in your personal redemption arch to make up for your past.

"Have you considered asking MacLeod about a full reinstatement?" she asked. "I mean, maybe you don't want that. Or, maybe you do. If you do, you may have to ask the admiral about full reinstatement. They may not just come and hand it to you. I think you've done a lot to redeem yourself and you've proven you are trustworthy. Granted, you don't always follow orders and you piss the brass off occasionally, but overall you're a good man and you've walked through fire to make up for your actions in the past.

"I had my own redemption arch," Tiri continued. "When I came here I had barely avoided court martial and expulsion from Starfleet. On my last mission with Starfleet Intelligence I killed a Ferengi crime boss when he had clearly surrendered. I knew he would be arrested and he find a way to get out of the charges…so when he declared that was what he was going to do and laughed about it, I shot him. Killed him.

"Admiral Sorvek saved me. He wanted to recruit me into Shadow Ops when it was restarted and found out what I'd done and instead of walking away he asked that I be demoted to ensign and given the chance to serve in Shadow Ops. After a couple missions I was restored to lieutenant. Now, maybe not the same as your situation, but I stuck with it and here I am today."

Will listened carefully to Tiri's advice and the recounting of her own experiences. As she spoke, he studied her in silence. Here was a young officer…half his age… offering straightforward advice without judgment or condescension. Better yet, she suggested a path for formal redemption without reservation. It was an option that the Scot had, admittedly, overlooked.

McCulloch felt slightly foolish for missing such an obvious path to closure but quickly brushed the feeling aside. He was more grateful that Tiri had initiated this visit. Will noted that the Andorian seemed to be developing a sense of ease around him. And he appreciated the gesture.
As the two continued to talk, McCulloch watched as Tiri put her feet up on a nearby table, leaned back in her chair, and looked about his quarters. After a moment, she turned her attention back toward him.

"Do you have anything to eat around here?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know…food?"

The Scot smirked as he rose from his chair, and began to navigate around the clutter of his quarters. As he approached the replicator, Will looked over his shoulders. "I've got a feeling you and I are going to get along quite well, Lieutenant."

"Some additional advice?" Sh'avelith continued. "Your quarters need to be cleaned up. I've seen worse, but this is bad, and it smells … wrong."

"It sounds like you're volunteering to help with the task, Lieutenant." Will quipped as he studied the replicator. He always ate his meals in the mess hall, so the device was rarely used.

"Do you need help?" Tiri asked as she watched Will fumble with the replicator's pad.

McCulloch glanced over at the Andorian. He had picked up on the slightly sarcastic tone in her voice and softly snorted in response. He wondered if Tiri was quickly becoming the friend he wouldn't mind having around to keep him on his toes.

"You sure you don't need …help?" She pressed.

The Scot waved away the request and continued to work on the replicator until it finally came online.

"Ha!" Will exclaimed before stepping slightly back and making a wide sweep with his right hand as he gestured towards the replicator. "What would you like?"

She shrugged, "Andorian spice bread and a raktajino."

After he replicated snacks for both of them, he handed the Andorian her food and plopped down in a chair across from her. As he munched on a very unhealthy plate of cheese-smothered nachos, he threw out a question to her.

"So what does Tiri do for fun when she's not saving lieutenant commanders who feel sorry for themselves?"

Tiri looked toward the ceiling as she pondered the question and finally said, "Running, drawing, collecting rare bottles of alcoholic beverages and pursuing hopeless and likely unhealthy relationships. My mother nearly held a funeral for me after I was 23…the age that most Andorians of the female sexes (there are two) are considered what you humans might call a spinster."

"I would have liked a glimpse into the alternative universe of ‘Tiri the spinster.'" McCulloch quipped before he put his plate aside and leaned forward in his chair. "When I was 18, I nearly blew myself up…twice on the same night."

"Twice?"

"Let's just say I acquired too many fireworks, had too many stolen beers, and foolishly lit them somewhere I shouldn't have … and then I did it again an hour later."

The Scot watched as Tiri's eyes narrowed slightly before he continued. "And yes, I spent too much time canoodling with the wrong lasses of Falkirk region of Scotland as well. Definitely the wrong type of girls…the kind that made my mother cry after I stumbled home with them."

"Why am I not surprised?"

McCulloch nodded in agreement before standing up and walking to a locked cabinet across the room. He entered the security code, pulled the doors open and stared at the contents inside.

"So you collect rare bottles of booze huh?"

"I do."

McCulloch retrieved a clear bottle with a dark, reddish liquid inside. He turned around and tossed it towards Tiri. "Catch."

The Andorian seized the bottle mid-air and examined it closely.

"That's almost a 100-year-old bottle of Macallan single cask whiskey from Scotland," Will noted. "It's far superior to that Pickering crap and yours to add to your collection. In recognition of being a badass and avoiding your own funeral Tiri."

The door chimed. "Come" McCulloch said,. As another nacho entered his mouth.

The door swooshed open and Beckett entered, but stopped in his tracks as he saw Tiri and Will sitting there. He raised an eyebrow. For a moment, they all three looked at each other.

"I'll come back later" He said, andstarted to turn around.

"No no, it's ok Cody. " McCulloch said getting up, and putting his plate aside. "Please stay. We need to talk" Beckett looked at the Scot.

"Yeah I think we do. " Beckett replied. He sat down in the chair in between Tiri and Will. He nodded politely to Tiri, not sure why she was here. The Andorian Lieutenant nodded back, while in between eating her snack. Then Beckett turned his attention to Will, who had sat down again, eating his snacks.

"Want some? " Will replied, extending the plate towards Cody. Cody smelled the molten cheese on the spicy nachos. He took one and ate it. It was delicious.

Tiri looked at the plate of nachos and gagged, "Agghh! How do you eat that stuff? Did I ever tell you dairy products are fatal if ingested by Andorians?"

Both men looked at her in shock, "No!" Both exclaimed.

She smiled, "Because…they're not…guys, it's been real but I need to get to bed. Will, thanks for the snack and the chit-chat. Cody, listen to our friend here and be nice. Remember, we're a team, and we need to stick together. We've got to go find Thompson and get his back here so you've both got someone to pick on. Goodnight!"

Tiri walked her plate over to the replicator, put it in, and had it reassimilated into the device, then strolled out the door.

After the young Andorian had left, Beckett looked over at Will with a concerned look on his face.

"Isn't she a tad young for you?"

"Tiri?" Will scoffed. "Oh god, no. She is too young, and at best, I think she's probably little sister material."

"Didn't you once consider Taryn Kane sister material?"

McCulloch paused, knowing where this was going. "I did."

"And then you became romantically involved with Taryn Kane, didn't you."

"I don't recall."

"Really?"

"I'm old and forgetful."

"I doubt that."

"Foolish and easily misled."

"Please tell me you're not going to lead Tiri down a path that ends with her stumbling half naked from your quarters and doing a walk of shame."

"Absolutely not." Will protested. "I assure you, this visit was nothing more than the beginnings of a platonic relationship."

"If Victoria finds out, she'll …"

"If Victoria finds out, she'll probably be thrilled."

"Huh?" Beckett asked in confusion.

"From what Vicky….Victoria…told me the Andorian scored huge points by calming her down following the episode on Bajor. Ms. Smith has just become a big fan of hers."

"Playing the long game with Victoria?" Cody pressed.

"No, it's more than that."

"So what was she doing in your quarters just now?"

"Talking me off the ledge and persuading me from making a stupid decision like quitting."

"Really?"

"Cody, she'd be a nice addition to our circle of trust. She's a good kid with a sarcastic attitude…almost as snarky as ours. I say we give her a shot and bring her into the fold. She should have some friends…and fresh air….that kid needs fresh air."

"The circle of trust?"

"Yeah, that's what I call our cool group."

Beckett snorted while he dipped another nacho in the molten cheese. "Oh, all right then. " Beckett gave in.

"See? That wasn't so hard. And once we have found Thompson, I'm sure he agrees too."

"If you say so" Beckett said, as he ate the last nacho on the plate.

"She may make a good wingman for you, especially with Sarah." Will noted slyly as he took the plate from Cody, walked back to the replicator, and ordered more nachos. He handed the plate back to the New Zealander.

"How?"

"Ms. Pickering has a fondness for Andorians. Nothing on the competition front you need to worry about…but having Tiri around from time to time may score you extra points."

Cody stewed over the suggestion momentarily. "Fine."

"Excellent. Now about my storming off during the service. I …"

"You were acting like a nitwit and being too sensitive." Cody chided with a soft, disarming tone.

Will nodded in agreement. "I know. I was feeling sorry for myself and recently I began toask whether or not I belong with this team."

"Well, that's simply foolish." Cody quickly retorted. "I mean, you're a jackass, but you're our special jackass."

The Scot snorted with mild contempt as he reached over to a nearby end table, retrieved a pair of cigars and handed one to Beckett.

"Cuban?" Cody asked as he inspected his.

"They are," McCulloch replied as he lit his, leaned back in his chair, and blew smoke up towards the ceiling. After a brief pause, he continued. "I wonder if there's a McCulloch in the mirror universe and if so, what's he's like."

"Probably a farmer or a priest."

The Scot eyed Beckett cautiously before a smile spread across his face. "Neither sounds like a viable option."

"McCulloch the Minister does have a terrifying ring to it, though."

"Even the Mirror Universe wouldn't be so cruel."

"Whelp, if I had to guess, I see a couple of scenarios."

"A couple?" Will asked as he examined hit lit cigar.

"Sure. Let's assume at the end of the day our William McCulloch is chaotic good or chaotic neutral…."

"Really? You think I'm chaotic?"

"Do you want me to hack into your files so we can reflect upon some of your past activities?"

"No, we don't need to," McCulloch replied with a wave of his hand.

"Assuming you are chaotic, your mirror universe counterpart is either a terrible tyrant or the McCulloch version of Admiral Picard."

Will chose not to reply as he sucked on his cigar and continued to stare up at the ceiling. After a prolonged moment of silence, the Scot could only mutter, "F\*ck me, Cody. I really hope we don't run into that son of a b\*tch in the mirror universe."

USS Resurrection

Bajor

Stardate 2208.20

Once everyone was back aboard Resurrection, Lazarus ordered the ship to Black Alert. Once the coaxial drive engaged, they left the blue and green orb that was the planet Bajor and in a flash, reappeared outside the rings of Saturn, in the Sol system.
Resurrection then was piloted into the rings of the gas giant world until the structure of Outpost Umbra Prime appeared floating within the rings of ice and rocks encircling the planet. Once the ship docked with the station, Lazarus cleared the crew to depart the ship and then put out a call to the Shadow Ops team.

"Lazarus to Phoenix. You have one hour to disembark, stow your gear and report to the War Room aboard Umbra One for a briefing on the Thompson investigation," said the captain. "Bridge out."

Back to top

## S4, E3, Act 5: Disembarkation

Captain Quentin Lazarus
Admiral Ian MacLeod
Outpost Umbra Prime
Stardate 2208.21

Lazarus was last to depart the ship and as he left the airlock, he found Admiral MacLeod waiting for him. The old man gave him a stern look as they fell in step with one another and began to stroll along the corridor heading into the station.

"Tough mission?" MacLeod asked.

Lazarus gave a curt nod, "I'm glad it's over. How are things here?"

"Just finished with a dozen or so meetings regarding the aftermath of the mission. The attack on the Breen, the loss of Tajel, the destruction of the Sons of Cardassia base. In addition, they are launching a Shadow Ops recruitment and training program and they decided once it was already underway to ask me for my input."

Lazarus turned slightly and looked sideways at MacLeod, "Training program? Like Australia twenty years ago?"

"Not exactly," MacLeod muttered. "They want to recruit from Starfleet intelligence, the Marine Corps and other aspects of Starfleet with specialized training. They want to run a virtual training program utilizing holographic instructors who are composites of former SO instructors, using their lessons and our training simulations."

"Well, Lazarus snorted. "That sounds like an incident waiting to happen."

"Bloody hell," MacLeod muttered. "I've voiced my objections. I explained how a training program should be with live instructors, but they don't want to dedicate the resources?"

"Who exactly is ‘they', Ian?" the captain asked.

"Shea and the Federation Security Council," MacLeod replied.

"So, are they looking to expand Shadow Ops? More than a year ago they were opposed to having more than one operational team," said Lazarus.

"They like the results Phoenix has produced," said MacLeod. "They are concerned, however, that the operators in Phoenix are aging out. Jahkar, McCulloch and Thompson are all pushing 50. Beckett is in his early 40s. That just leaves Vree and Sh'avelith in their 20s."

"And the Carnora?"

"They age differently," MacLeod reminded Quentin. "And Charatetet is practically fresh out of the Academy, right along with the other Madcaps."

Lazarus scoffed, "They must think we're old?"

"Ancient," the admiral chimed in.

They arrived at Lazarus' quarters and the captain turned to MacLeod, "So, if they want instructors, why don't they let our senior people assume those positions? They could be training a new generation of operators for Shadow Ops."

"Oh, they just want to glean our knowledge, use holograms to train the new recruits and then send them into the field," MacLeod said. "I'm still working out the details. I'm hoping we can at least bring some of these new recruits in to work alongside Phoenix. Allow them to learn from our people in the field. We'll see how that goes."

Lazarus gave a sigh and then looked to MacLeod with an expression of concern, "Do you think they plan on putting the older team members and even us out to pasture?"

MacLeod shrugged, "Anything is possible. I suspect they will be looking for me to retire soon. I'm 84 and a constant pain in their collective asses."

"And we both know the only reason I'm still here is because of you and Sorvek," Lazarus said. "Former Maquis who quit Starfleet twice and spent time as a terrorist and mercenary…if you retire, I may as well hang it up."

MacLeod laughed, "Face it, old friend, you and I are going to have to call it quits eventually. We aren't getting any younger."

After a moment of consideration, Lazarus gave MacLeod a knowing look and shook his head, "You're also looking into finding our replacements, aren't you?"

"Would you rather let the Federation Security Council decide who'll be running the bloody teams?" MacLeod asked. "Or captain your ship? I'd like to get some possible replacements in place, have them already working within the organization so when the day comes you and I bow out of Shadow Ops there are people ready to take over and run it in our place."

Lazarus turned to the door and stepped up, so it opened. When the doors slid open, he turned back to MacLeod, "If you've got a minute, come inside, I want to show you something."

MacLeod followed him into the room and once inside Lazarus tossed his bag on the bed and drew a small box out of a side pocket on the duffle.
He turned to MacLeod and opened the box slowly, prompting a grin from the admiral, "You'd better not be bloody proposing to me, Quentin."

Lazarus grinned a little but finished opening the box to reveal a pendant inside. MacLeod looked at it and raised an eyebrow, "Pretty. What's the significance?"

"It was T'Lara's," the captain said, his voice turning dark. "It was with her on Osaka Prime when the colony was destroyed by the Cardassians 40 years ago."

MacLeod's head turned sharply toward the captain, "What? Where did you find this?"

"On my desk at Yuletide," he muttered. "It just turned up there while we were on the mission. No trace of how it got there. I discussed it with Commander Vree after I found it."

"Kyril?" MacLeod asked.

"Possibly. Mayla is looking into it," he told MacLeod.

"Why does it always have to be some bloody cloak and dagger game with him?" MacLeod asked. "He could just tell us what this all means?"

"Her body was never recovered," Lazarus said, eyes down, voice faint. "None of my family was."

"Barely anyone survived Osaka Prime…well, except you and what, a handful of others?" the admiral stated. "Are you sure this is the same pendant?"

"Exactly, down to the inscription on the back," Quentin explained. "I don't know if you have a way of contacting him, Ian. But if you do, tell him I want answers."

MacLeod shook his head, "He doesn't talk to me. I believe he did with Sorvek…he trusted Sorvek. I'm not sure I have the same trust with him. He's a damned enigma, that one."

"Mayla will hopefully get to the bottom of this," he said. "I need to know if she survived…if any of them did."

MacLeod put a hand on his shoulder for a long moment, comforting and reassuring him. Then he cleared his throat, "We have a briefing in one hour. Starfleet is sending a couple of special agents to discuss the Thompson matter. I believe they have information relative to his whereabouts in the Mirror Universe."

"They're coming here?" Lazarus asked. "Isn't this place sort of secret?"

MacLeod smiled, "Long distance transporter. We'll be beaming them in from Earth, they won't know where they are. It's covered."

The captain nodded, "I'm not going to bother unpacking. I'll see you in one hour."

MacLeod turned and started to the door and looked back as he went out the door, "Hang in there, Quentin. Mayla will get answers for you." He then departed, leaving Lazarus on his own.

Commander Mayla Vree
Her Quarters, USS Resurrection above Bajor
Stardate 2208.21

There was a small package waiting for her on her desk when she returned to her quarters. She immediately checked her messages in her eyes for the notification and found one. It was a package delivered by special shuttle courier straight from Deep Space Nine. She continued to eye the small light blue patterned box while she stripped out of her dress uniform and back into her fatigues. When she strapped on her holsters and weapons, only then did she approach her desk.

If there was any danger to it, the transporter chief would have already vetted it safe. She opened the box and inside was a packet of what looked like dried candied jumja fruit. It was one of her favorites from Bajor. Also, inside was a handwritten note in the Bajoran ideographic script.

"Peace offering. Please contact me at your earliest convenience." It was signed by Nerys.

Mayla took a deep breath and let it out, thinking what the offering really meant and speculating, probably accurately, what Kira wanted. It had been over a decade since the falling out between Kyril and Captain Kira Nerys. Ever since that mission while Bravo Squad was on loan to her, she assigned Bravo Squad a mission under the guise of recovering the stolen Orb of Unity from a Cardassian terrorist organization who threatened to destroy it. But in reality, it was to slaughter innocent Cardassians just because they wanted to worship the same Prophets she did.

Kyril made the choice to alter the mission by not only recovering the Orb, but placing the entire Cardassian community into a portable transporter buffer, and leaving it in Kira's office to let her decide on their fate. And to make matters worse, he included it all in his final classified report to ShadowOps command. His mission report caused a strain between the Federation and Bajor, placing a black mark on the latter's membership application. They hadn't spoken to each other ever since Bravo Squad left Deep Space Nine that day.

"Attention, Black Alert. Repeat, Black Alert," the announcement came over the speaker.

Mayla opened the clear packet of dried fruit and took out one long piece of the sugary treat. She stood there and slowly gnawed on it for a minute staring at the intentions behind the handwritten ideograms while the ship translocated to Umbra Prime. After finishing the treat, she wrapped up the bag and put it back into the box with the note. She will have to think on Kira's request.

"Lani." Mayla just said out loud.

"Yes, Mayla."

"Has Kyril responded to my inquiries about his yuletide gift to the Captain?"

"No, Mayla."

"Has he not read my inquiries, or is he just ignoring them?"

"I cannot answer that."

"Of course you can't." Mayla said not expecting the AI to respond. She didn't want to have to make another trip away as she was needed here. "Keep me posted if anything comes through."

"I will."

The comm system chimed again. "Lazarus to Phoenix. You have one hour to disembark, stow your gear and report to the War Room aboard Umbra Prime for a briefing on the Thompson investigation," said the captain. "Bridge out."

She looked around her sparsely decorated quarters and just picked up the box from Kira. It was all she wanted to take back to her quarters on the station since it sounded like they were going to head out again soon.

Commander Mayla Vree and Colonel Jahkar
Habitat Pod 2, Umbra Prime
Stardate 2208.21

Box in hand, she walked through the short docking umbilical onto Deck 3 of Habitat Pod 2, where the Resurrection's hangar bay was located along with everything that supported the ship. With a short walk to the hub in the center spine of the station, she headed to Habitat Pod 3 that was entirely dedicated to Phoenix Squad only. While she waited for the lift to take her down to their quarters on Deck 5, she could see there were several of Resurrection's crew members heading to their own quarters up on Deck 2 of Habitat Pod 1.

A tall man walked over to stand beside her. She took note that it was Jahkar and did not acknowledge him. They remained silent even when the lift doors opened, and they stepped inside.

"I heard you lost rigobundy." He said out loud when the doors closed.

"I think it was about time, don't you think?" She said, hiding a smirk.

"You let her win." Jahkar responded with a slightly amused grunt.

"It's been almost twenty years she's been trying to beat me. I think she needed the win this time. I hope she'll be okay."

"I think so."

"So, what do you really think about Kedanya joining Starfleet rather than staying with the Bajoran militia?"

Jahkar shrugged, "It was something she considered a few years ago, when she joined the Bajoran Defense Force. She strongly considered Starfleet Academy at the time but decided to stay on Bajor."

He sighed, "I want her to do something she enjoys and succeeds at, so if she wants to be in Starfleet I'm good with that decision. The problem is, she's been raised by me and knows the line of work her mother and I are in."

Mayla smiled, "So, you figure she's going to go into intel work? Spec ops?"

Jahkar looked at Vree with a smirk, "You did."

"I'd say I'm an exception as I was engineered for war." She tapped the side of her head. "They didn't put a millennia's worth of former military leader's memories and experiences in me for fun. Unlike my 'brothers and sisters', I was fortunate to have gained all of Kyril's memories to balance out my personality. Whereas they had to be socialized before they could be trusted in public and of their own volition. Jahkar, you know better than most that having family within the same special operations organization is a disaster in the making. As it is with many Starfleet families; it is inherently dangerous work. And it makes a lot of orphans and widows."

The lift doors opened, and they walked down the carpeted hallway with muffled footfalls.

"I didn't say she'd end up here, there are other spec ops units within Starfleet Intelligence," he said. "I'm just saying, she will likely gravitate in that direction. Besides, Mayla, who knows how many more years I'll be doing this…how long any of us will be doing this. A new generation has to step in sometime. I will make sure she knows the risks, but I won't stand in her way if she wants this life."
"May I make a suggestion then?"

"Of course."

"If she does go into our same line of work, give her all of yours and Kyril's training sims. There are hundreds, all organized by levels of difficulty. Even James Doblin's Dragon Palm martial arts sims. Bravo Squad used them all right up to their disbandment. At least she'll know how one of the best teams got to be the best."

"I don't know. They were also considered the Squad of Doom." Jahkar said, half-jokingly.

"Yes, their track record of accomplishments sometimes came at a great cost. On the other hand, Bravo Squad could have been completely wiped out every time they are handed a mission."

They arrived at the door of her quarters. "Speaking of which, the Admiral wants us to start working on setting up the training sims for the new cadre of recruits."

He shook his head. "Holographic instructors. I don't know."

"It is what it is. We will try to give them the best we have. Like you said, they are going to be our next generation of operatives."

"Maybe we really should all just step down and become instructors."

"Think you'll get bored?" Mayla asked. "You've been training marines for over a decade now."

"Whenever I got bored, before Shadow Ops was reactivated, I'd take special assignments," Jahkar explained. "Whatever they had for me – training insurgents, obtaining intel, providing overwatch – whatever they needed, just so I could get some time in the field. But, you're right, I have no desire to go back to training again. When I finish my tour with Shadow Ops, I'll be ready to retire."

"I wonder how many others are wanting to retire," Mayla said thoughtfully. She herself was definitely not ready to retire. If Shadow Ops ended, she would just go back to being an operative for Starfleet Intelligence, and back into the field. Maybe even with her former Echo Team. "With how the political climate is now, we can't know or foresee what's going to happen to us. I just hope we all live to see that day." She made note of the time. "I think we best get ready for the briefing. I hope we're going to go look for Daryl. His absence has made me…apprehensive not knowing where he was at or what he was going through."

"We'll find him," he said reassuringly. "See you in a bit."

A half hour later, she left her quarters and headed up to Deck 3, the Phoenix Squad command center. The layout wasn't as spacious as on a large starbase or space station for that matter. This command center at the very least gave them an overlooking status on all of their functions including the Resurrection. The War Room was a connected room with additional hardware surrounding it in the walls, ceiling, and floors to encrypt, jam, and interfere with anyone trying any sort of eavesdropping on what goes on inside.

When she walked in, Lazarus was already there, standing at the new large deployment table that took up the middle of the room. The entire table was a holographic generator that could give them real time intelligence and surveillance feed from any various sources throughout the Federation. Built throughout the room's walls and ceiling were holographic projectors that allowed each part of the table to have holographic computer access. The table had to be large enough so the team could all stand or sit around it comfortably. And the room being almost like a holodeck, if any of them needed a chair to sit at the table, all they had to do was press a key on their console and a chair would appear to whatever specs they wanted.

Lazarus pressed a key on his master console and a chair appeared at the station next to him. He gestured to her to sit down. Without a word, she did exactly that as they waited for the rest of the team to arrive.

Colonel Jahkar
Lt. Tiri Sh'avleith
Outpost Umbra One
Stardate 2208.26

After speaking with Mayla, Jahkar showed up at the door to Tiri's quarters. She answered almost immediately, and he greeted her with a smile.
"Ready for the meeting?" he asked.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Tiri said, changing the subject immediately. "So far I've literally spent a few minutes with you since we left Cardassia."

Jahkar nodded and lowered his head, "I'm sorry. Guess there's just been a lot going on."

Tiri gave him a knowing look. She then checked the time and sighed, "Looks like a conversation will have to wait. It's almost time for the briefing. But we seriously need to talk."

"Agreed," he said. "We do need to talk."

She knew right away from his response, his tone and his demeanor that she was going to end up heading to the Friend Zone. As much as it pained her, at the same time Tiri knew it was probably for the best.

She closed her door behind her and walked with Jahkar toward the War Room on the station.

"The service was nice," Tiri told him.

"Thanks. I thought Kedanya did a good job," he said. "Poor kid…no one should have to plan their brother's funeral. Not at her age."

Tiri nodded, "She seemed to be taking it well. I talked to her briefly…did she tell you her surprise?"

Jahkar laughed and looked to the Andorian, "About joining Starfleet. Yes, she told me."

"She wasn't sure how'd you react," Tiri said.

"I'm good with it," Jahkar stated.

"That's good, because I don't think she was giving you a choice in the matter," Tiri smiled as they arrived at the War Room. She looked to Jahkar a moment and then opened the door, "After you, sir."

Lieutenant Ryramorl Ra'yral
Umbra Prime
Stardate 2208.26

When Ryramorl disembarked, he went to his quarters, knowing he had a message to send.

"To the Priests of Knowledge:

I, First Elder Name Ryramorl in the La'an Tribe of Ra'yral, request scrolls of knowledge of building in the way of the Ancient Tribes. I ask this on the behalf of those rebuilding from rubble, that they might once again have dens to dwell."

He knew his message would be scrutinized by Federation Intelligence, but that didn't bother him; he really had nothing to hide–building techniques of the Ancient Tribes would be equivalent to Earth's neolithic period at most, and the Federation had yet to see such techniques wholly absent from any world on which buildings of some kind were erected. There were only so many ways for a non- (or weakly) telekinetic race to move a boulder after all.

Once the message was sent, he calmly changed into his uniform and headed to the War Room. As he entered, he saluted both Mayla and Lazarus, and pressed a key on his console and sat down when invited to by Lazarus. He appreciated that his particular chair was contoured for his inhuman shape.

Commander Victoria Smith
Starfleet Medical, Earth
Stardate 2208.26

"Follow the light and stop staring straight ahead, Commander." Captain Bashir chided as he waved a light back and forth while tracking the movement of Victoria's dark green eyes.

After tapping notes onto his padd, he stepped back and eyed the nurse suspiciously. She was seated on an examination table and leaning forward on her palms. She kicked her feet back and forth to mask her heightened level of anxiousness.

"Well?" Victoria asked.

"What do you think, sir?" Fiadh asked from the corner of the examination room. The Irish warrant officer was leaning back in a chair and watching the doctor intently. Commander Smith had asked her to accompany her to the examination to ensure no stone was left unturned.

Bashir sighed before dramatically pausing. "I honestly can't explain the cause of your recent memory loss. I've examined your logs, the past reports of Commander Vree, and the treatment records Lieutenant Sh'avelith submitted after your ‘incident' on Bajor."

"Any thoughts?" Victoria pressed.

"I'm not fully convinced Ensign Charatetet is the cause of this. Yes, he may have influenced Jiarin to appear in a lucid dream sequence, but I have serious reservations that he is the cause of either instance of memory loss."

Smith exhaled slowly and nodded. "I am glad to hear that. The last thing I'd want is to find out he's unintentionally f\*\*\*ing with my brain."
"Interesting choice of words," Bashir frowned. "Your language has become much saltier since our last meeting."

"And?"

"Commander Vree and Ensign Gace tell me you're making overtures to reconnect with your ex-husband William McCulloch. I must be transparent with you. I am not a fan of his."

"Sometimes I wish Ensign Gace and Commander Vree would mind their f\*\*\*ing business." She quickly replied with a slight smirk. She had grown tired of the occasional patronization by the Trill and the doting behavior of the Betazoid.

"What I do or who I socialize with while off duty," She continued as she lowered her head slightly and looked up at the doctor, "is no one's business as long as I meet or exceed the expectations of my current assignment."

Curiously, following her most recent memory loss, Victoria was determined to eradicate any perception that she was a weak and helpless woman overwhelmed or weakened by the memory analeptics injected into her without her consent.

Bashir had first met the nurse during her final year in the Academy when she served as an intern aboard DS9. Her confrontational tone was unusual, even in light of her Trill traits. He made a mental note to himself to further explore the possibility that the memories of Jiarin were not fading but instead serving as a defense mechanism when she felt threatened or exposed.

However, rather than push the issue, he nodded in agreement. "Of course, Commander. I meant no harm or offense."

Smith cocked her head slightly to the left and smiled. "No offense taken…sir."

After a moment of awkward silence, Captain Bashir cleared his throat. "Getting back to the matter at hand, I don't have an explanation. I have a few open-ended theories, but I need to conduct more tests."

"Of course."

"Looking at Lt. Sh'avelith's scan of your brain patterns, I suspect your episodes may have been the result of exposure to high levels of electromagnetic or bioelectrical energy waves."

"How?" Victoria inquired.

"I'm unsure, especially given one of your memory lapses took place in a sick bay," Bashir noted.

"So what is the next step?"

"Do you know when the Resurrection is departing for its next mission? I would like to schedule tests sooner rather than later."

"No, but I suspect we'll be leaving very soon."

"Phoenix Team is in a briefing now as we speak, are they not?"

"They are."

"I've heard rumors about a mission to a mysterious, unknown site."

"So have I."

"Do you think Union XII is up for the mission?"

"Without a doubt."

Bashir paused again to reflect upon Victoria's last answer. He cleared his throat and continued. "Commander Smith, a word of advice?"

"Of course, please."

"Be careful. I know you want to prove the worth of your team, but missions into the unknown are not the place to play fast and loose. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Good. Now let's see about setting up some tests for this afternoon."

"This afternoon is a bit tight for me."

Bashir looked at Victoria with a cocked eyebrow. "Have we scheduled afternoon tea with the Queen of England?"

Smith chuckled slightly as the Doctor gestured for her to hop off the examination table.

"No, Union XII is being issued Type V tactical rifles today. My team is meeting with a pair of sergeants from the 4th Battalion, Starfleet Marines, to train us with the weapons."

"Type V, Commander?" The Captain whispered. "Isn't that a bit much for a combat medical team?"

"Typically, I would agree, but Commander Vree and Colonel Jahkar have been pushing for a full upgrade of our armor, equipment and weapons since we arrived on the Resurrection."

Bashir grunted softly. "Commander, would you join me in my office? There is an unrelated private matter I've been meaning to discuss with you."
"Warrant Officer Hannigan." Victoria announced.

"Ma'am?" Fiadh immediately answered as she sprung up from her chair and came to attention.

"Dismissed. Report to Lieutenant Riisos and inform him I will be by shortly for our training."

"Aye Ma'am."

Bashir watched Hannigan leave before gesturing for Smith to follow him into his office. Once inside, he pointed to a chair across from his desk.

"Command reports from the Resurrection suggest you and your team exceeded expectations. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir." Victoria replied matter-of-factly as she lowered herself into the office chair.

"From the sound of things, your team successfully treated every operative but one during the mission."

"Yes, sir. Everyone but Lt. Sh'avelith."

"And they were able to return to duty without restriction?"

"Aye."

"I understand you participated in a major surgical procedure on a Muran \*and\* successfully gained access to his people's medical scrolls?"

"That is correct."

"Excellent," Bashir replied as he tapped notes into a nearby padd. "Commander, tell me, do you think Union XII would better serve its patients from a stationary site or assigned to a ship."

Victoria cocked her head slightly in confusion. "Captain, I don't understand the question."

The doctor smirked, leaned forward in his chair, and folded his hands. He eyed the nurse carefully. "Victoria, Starfleet Medical is pleased with Union XII's debut performance. So much so there is talk of creating two more Union teams."

"Oh?" She answered with slight excitement.

"Yes. But some inside Starfleet Medical feel that combat medical teams could better serve their patients from a space station instead of continual or extended shipboard assignments."

"How?" Smith scoffed. "I disagree with that position."

"There is the perception in some circles that combat medical teams assigned to a station could be deployed to multiple locations and battlefields instead of being confined to treating patients aboard a single ship."

"But Union XII is charged with treating injured Phoenix Team operatives and getting them back into the field. I see no benefit of a station assignment given our current assignment."

"Union XII is assigned to the Resurrection for now." Bashir countered.

Smith bristled slightly and did away with the formalities. "Julian, could you please cut to the chase?"

The doctor leaned back in his chair and exhaled as he looked about the room. "There is some chatter about reassigning Union XII and the other Union teams, if created, to a station near a hot zone."

"A hot zone?"

"A hot zone."

"You mean somewhere near Klingon or Romulan territories."

"Absolutely."

"Sending medical jump ships from a station into crisis scenarios without support in such a hot zone will not be a walk in the park."

"Who said these rapid response teams would go in solo?"

Smith eyed Bashir cautiously. "Just how far along are these plans, sir?"

"Far enough to be possibly implemented within the next year." He quietly answered. "The 117th Fighter Wing has been proposed to provide escorts during missions."

Victoria's eyes widened when it dawned on her who the 117th was. "Skull Squadron? You've tapped Skull Squadron?"

"The heroes of the Dominion War," Bashir replied. "Their Peregrines would certainly guarantee the safety of Union teams when they deploy."

Victoria sat back in her chair and looked out a window to a courtyard lined with shrubbery and small trees. She recalled that pilots from that famed squadron were in the Cardassian bar where she experienced her most recent memory loss. She blushed lightly with embarrassment.

"Why are you telling me this, sir?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because commander, if this proposal comes to fruition, Starfleet Medical wants you to command the three teams. You would have full operational control, unrestricted field command and greater responsibilities. It's a guaranteed path to a captaincy."

"Away from the Resurrection?"

"You and Union XII would leave the Resurrection."

"If I refuse?"

"I honestly don't think you will, Commander," Bashir answered directly. "But if you did, I suspect either Union XII would be transferred without you, or we would leave Union XII where it is and create three teams from scratch."

Victoria nodded in understanding. As she contemplated the proposal, Bashir continued.

" I know there is your desire to reconnect with your ex-husband. I may not be fond of the man, but I am also no fool. Your decision will be influenced by your relationship with him. Am I correct?"

Smith nodded in agreement. "If we're being fully transparent, then yes. If there is a chance to reconcile, it will influence whether I would accept such a post."

"What if I were to sweeten the pot and persuade Mr. McCulloch to accompany you to a new assignment?"

"How?" Victoria pressed. There was a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"You never asked me where the proposed assignment would be."

"Well?"

"Commander, the proposed assignment would be Klingon Imperial Battlestation 21."

Victoria stammered for a second. "KIB 21? You'd assign us to that station?"

"It's a natural choice. It's close enough to both Romulan and Federation space and within easy striking distance to several other systems."
"I know Will is revered by the Klingons who serve or served aboard KIB 21, and I am sure he would like to return to the station, but I just don't see how he would fall into the giant scheme of things."

"Starfleet's military attache to the station is retiring next year." Doctor Bashir announced in a low whisper. "The post will need to be filled. Assigning the hero of the Battles of KIB 21 would be a very honorable gesture to the Klingon Empire. And admittedly, I am confident that I could convince Starfleet to offer the position to William McCulloch. "

The nurse contemplated the proposal for a moment. "Will could stay with Phoenix Team."

"He could, but I suspect he would ultimately follow you wherever you go."

"Or he could go back to Inverness."

"Even better. I hear Sarah Pickering recently secured an intelligence contract with the Klingon Empire. I'm sure they would be quite happy to set up an Inverness satellite office on KIB 21."

Victoria smirked. "So what you're telling me is you and Starfleet would do anything to convince me to take this assignment if the opportunity presented itself."

"I couldn't agree more, Commander," Bashir replied. There was a warm, inviting tone in his voice.

"I will need some time to mull everything you just told me over."

"This proposal is almost a year away." The doctor answered. "Focus on your upcoming mission with the Resurrection. We'll chat again when you return."

Victoria rose from her chair and stood at attention. Bashir returned the gesture.

"Thank you for your time, Commander. I do hope you will seriously consider what I am offering."

"I will, sir."

"One last thing Ms. Smith."

"Sir?"

"Report to the medical bay on level 37 at 1930 hours. I will perform the tests I need to complete at that time. Dismissed."

Sir." Victoria replied with a curt nod before spinning on her heels and exiting Bashir's office.

Lt. Commander William McCulloch
Lt. Cody Beckett
USS Resurrection
Stardate 2208.26

"Lazarus to Phoenix. You have one hour to disembark, stow your gear and report to the War Room aboard Umbra Prime for a briefing on the Thompson investigation," The order barked over the comm. "Bridge out."

McCulloch sighed quietly as he pulled himself off the couch he had been napping on and stood up. He stretched and yawned before looking at the mess that was his quarters. Victoria and Tiri were both right, his living space needed a deep cleaning and possibly decontamination as soon as possible. The Scot noted to himself to begin work on the area once he returned from the briefing.

He took a quick sonic shower and retrieved a clean uniform. Afterward, he exited his quarters and instantly fell in line with Beckett, who was also en route to the War Room. The lieutenant seemed preoccupied.

"What's on your mind, Cody?" McCulloch pressed

Cody pondered for a moment. "How would my alter ego be in the mirror universe? "

"You would be a gladiator that killed every opponent thrown into the arena by the Emperor."

Beckett pondered again and decided it could be true, thinking of what he had read about the Mirror Universe. Too bad they hadn't got the chance to gather some more info about the MU.

"A penny for your thoughts," McCulloch stated as the pair rounded a corner in the passageway.

"Who knows. Might be true. " He smiled faintly. "I just hope we will find Daryl alive and. Well. He has had enough nightmares behind him. I sometimes wonder if he was able to get ahead of all of his trauma, even to return to the Shadow Ops program, considering what has happened to him. "

McCulloch nodded in silence. After reflecting upon Daryl's troubled past, he finally spoke, "Aye, mate, can't disagree on that," Will replied.

"Let alone how Darva will feel. Second time he disappears on her. It wasn't the same person, but still… "

McCulloch nodded again.

"Let's invite her for a nice dinner" He proposed. "I think she deserves some attention from Daryl's best friends. We still have some time before the briefing."

Beckett perked his eyebrows. "That's a good idea. I could use some food."

Beckett tapped his comm badge. "Beckett to Commander McGuire"

"McGuire here" Came her instant reply.

"Free for a nice dinner with Daryl's best buddies? "

They heard her snicker.

"Yes sure, I just finished my shift. See you in the mess hall in ten."

"Ok, see you there," Beckett replied.

They both hasted themselves to the small mess hall onboard the Resurrection. As they entered, Darva had just sat down.

McCulloch slightly jostled Beckett out of the way and hastened his pace to Darva's table. He quickly sat down next to her. Moments later Beckett followed, shaking his head while he sat down across the table. Admittedly, although Will was determined to reconnect with Victoria, he was slightly enamored with the "other redhead" of the Resurrection … Commander Darva McGuire. Ever since he saw the stunning security chief emerge from Daryl Thompson's shower dripping wet and wrapped only in a towel, Will was determined to flirt with her whenever the opportunity presented itself.

"Hello, Lieutenant Commander," Will announced slyly.

McGuire saw through McCulloch's play a mile away. She calmly put her fork down and looked at him.

"You must be daff man." She announced. "Do I look like that short red-headed nurse you're always chasing about the ship?"

"Um, what?" Will replied, somewhat confused.

"You heard me, Will McCulloch," Darva replied as she started to push him away from sitting next to her. "Move yer bahookie across the table. The last thing I will let happen is you trying to woo me while I'm eating."

Beckett grinned, amused that McCulloch was getting a can of whoopass from Darva.

"Woo? I don't woo." Will replied with a tone of mock sadness.

"Oh, you woo. We all know you woo."

"I don't not."

"You do. And yer aff yer heid if you say otherwise."

Will folded his arms and shook his head. "Yer bum's oot the windae."

Darva's eyes narrowed as she glared at Will. "Do I need to call Commander Smith? Because I might enjoy seeing her beat your wee bony arse in front of Mr. Beckett and myself."

"I would like to see that." Cody conceded, grinning

"Aye, It might be a grander show than the time she took on the Thompson sisters." Darva chimed in. Cody snickered.

"You wouldn't dare." Will challenged as he reached over to Darva's plate, retrieved a muffin and took a bite out of it.

"Did you just bite my muffin?" Darva demanded as she choked back the urge to laugh.

"Did you just bite her muffin? " Cody repeated, exhilarated because of the hilarious conversation.

As Will started to reply, she held up her hand and pointed a finger at him. "Don't answer that!"

The three broke out in laughter. Will stood up, walked over to the replicator, and ordered a plate of french toast and thick bacon. Afterward, he sat back down across from Darva.

"You did all that to cheer me up or take my mind off Daryl." She pressed.

"Perhaps," McCulloch replied with a wink.

"No not perhaps" Beckett said, chewing on a piece of bacon he had grabbed from McCulloch's plate.

McCulloch looked at his plate, then to the New Zealander and back to his plate.

"Get your own bacon! " He replied.

Cody looked at Will with a stern look, grabbed two pieces of bacon and put them demonstratively in his mouth.

"You mean this bacon? " Cody asked, chewing on the meat.

"You animal! " Will exclaimed.

"Can't you behave in front of a lady? Don't they have table manners in New Zealand? " Will said with mock disgust.

"At least I'm not flirting with my best friend's girlfriend" Beckett replied matter of factly, putting yet another piece of bacon in his mouth.
Darva grinned broadly as she watched the two bickering.

Before Will could answer, his comm badge chirped. It was Commander Vree.

"Beckett and McCulloch, report to the war room…preferably some time this week."

"I think that's our cue." Cody announced he popped the last piece of McCulloch's bacon into his mouth, followed by a piece of toast.

"I can't believe you stole my bacon."

"Oh, the poor wee lad doesn't have his bacon." Darva mocked. "Now off you boys go."

Beckett laughed, which sounded funny with his mouth filled with bacon and toast.

McCulloch got up, muttering something under his breath, then took Darva's hand and kissed it. Cody almost choked on his bacon as he tried to say something. Darva just raised her eyebrows and pulled back her hand.

"Aff ye gang ye wooing scoundrel" She said, looking intensely at him

McCulloch winked at her, brushed beside Cody and made his way to the exit.

Seconds later, the pair were en route to the War Room.

Ensign Reepchip Charatetet
Umbra Prime
Stardate 2208.28

The first place Reepchip went when he got the announcement from Lazarus was the mess hall. He was quite hungry, even after what he'd eaten on Bajor. As he entered, he heard Darva, Beckett, and McCulloch bickering, but let them be. As he went to the replicator, he saw Ensign Lokarchin eating alone, and a number of other engineers sitting at another table, all backs to the lone ensign. He flicked an ear as he saw the shunning and pondered what to do–should he go and comfort Lokarchin, join in on the shunning, or simply stay out of the whole mess?
His silent question was answered when the Zakdorn glared at him. "Filthy rat," he grumbled, thinking Reepchip couldn't hear.

"Put a cork in it, Lokarchin," snapped one of the other engineers, turning to glare at him. "Even we're not allowed to work in that section of the ship, what made you think someone not even part of the engineering crew would be authorized to fiddle around in there? This whole mess happened because you were lazy. You're just lucky we were so damned shorthanded, or your Admiral's yap and slacker's ass would still be in the brig. Charatetet, come sit with us."

Reepchip joined them to eat and asked how repairs were going.

"Finally got finished. Man, did we miss you–we were having to totally disassemble paneling that you could do a tap dance behind," joked the engineer who'd put Lokarchin in his place.

Reepchip ate with the engineers, then he flicked an ear, hearing Vree's call to McCulloch. "Apologies, I am needed!" He said. He could have walked out of the mess hall–but Beckett and McCulloch were right there. He tensed himself, then leaped, going right over his superior officers' heads. He landed with the expertise of the arboreal animals he was descended from and scampered down the hall on all fours. Within a couple seconds, he was out of sight. Suddenly, everyone heard a loud, impatient chitter.

Reepchip entered the war room standing upright; he had easily outrun the two humans. He could instantly see where his spot was–the raised platform near a console was impossible to miss. He saluted the officers as he entered the war room, and climbed the steps to the small platform, and pressed the button for the chair when invited to do so by his superiors, which materialized right beside his platform. He sat down in it, quietly. When McCulloch and Beckett entered, he was the very image of innocence.

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