"Where Trust Lies" - TGG Multiverse

[Steve]

For the last year, I've been working on this one. Unlike other stories, however, I resolved not to post this broadly until I actually finished it, thus sparing the readers long waits whenever I had other projects or heavy work loads cropping up.

In the last few weeks I have blitzed through to finish this 65k word story, and with final content checks done it is now ready for posting. I hope you enjoy this new and unique story in the TGG Multiverse.


Prologue


"By the beginning of 2156, the society of New Liberty had changed radically from what it had been in 2152 when the Federation had sold it and the surrounding sector to the Alliance. At that time, a mere 15,000 people lived in the environs of Liberty Landing in the western section of the main continent, all of them libertarian settlers from Federation mid-range colonies seeking to escape the onerous dues system and high taxation. Their little world was now to become the focal point of a massive immigration from the rest of the Multiverse.

While the initial surge of settlement was primarily from the British and Commonwealth settlers sent by the United Kingdom of SE-1 and followed up by people across the Multiverse seeking economic opportunity in the freewheeling markets of ST-3, the passing of the maligned Rearmament Acts in the Federation following the horror of Wolf 359 saw a surge of immigration from the Federation as more and more businesses were nationalized or bought out by the Federation government's ravenous appetite for material with which to rearm. Throughout the course of 2153 the population of New Liberty skyrocketed from Federation immigration and Bajoran refugee settlement, going from the 63,000 people who had been counted in the January 2153 Census to 3.5 million in January 2154, a fiftyfold increase that only the most modern technology made practical. The majority had settled around Wexford, the British-founded capital that was to become the economic heart of the planet, while Parker City and the East Landing-Port Victor region were to gain substantial populations as well. And while many Bajorans emigrated to Bajor after its liberation, that outflow was more than compensated for by the expanding tide of Federation emigres. Another four million emigres settled on New Liberty in 2154, bringing the estimated settled population to just shy of eight million in January 2155.

A majority of these residents were Federation races, and New Liberty gained a reputation for its racial and cultural diversity. The city of Wexford, its population now into the millions, saw English pubs sitting just around the corner from Trill communal baths and Tellarite debating clubs. Football and Parisee's Squares were being played in the public gyms and holoparlors, the broadcasting stations were airing Andorian docudramas and Trill comedies alongside the latest of Multiversal British and American shows, 3D and 4D Chess were all the rage in the Anglo-Libertian Settlers' Club, and Wexford's fledgling Philharmonic company was as likely to play the sublime tones of the Vulcan masters as they were the post-space age masters like Skobelov or Uematsu.

But just as the social and cultural fabric of New Liberty changed, so too did the political. The British style of colony governance, with its requirements for affirming citizenship or permanent residency, could not cope with the sheer quantity of immigrants; nor could the Iranians or East Africans of FHI-8 on their worlds in the Zone. The planetary government was eventually to become unbalanced toward the initial settlers in representation and influence. It was clear, by the dawn of 2155, that the political arrangement of the Colonial Zone was going to have to change. The population of many worlds was now such that the nations that had been granted them by the Alliance government saw their settlement efforts overwhelmed and their own populations reduced to minorities. Trying to integrate these vast populations into their national systems was one way to deal with it, even if it meant rewriting citizenship and residence laws, but some believed it more appropriate to let the worlds of the Colonial Zone organize themselves as their occupants saw fit, including an option for political independence and status as an Alliance member nation; a position that was widely popular in the Colonial Zone itself.

The debates for such took up months, growing nasty, with lawsuits and counter-suits threatened on all sides. The eventual compromise, put forward by Alliance Minister of Internal Affairs Yevgeny Samsonov, provided for a plebiscite to be held in February 2156, in which anyone who could prove residence for at least a year prior to the vote would be eligible. While this would prevent the extra forty-three million emigres to the Colonial Zone after February 2155 from voting, it was still a remarkable concession by the governments who had been granted the systems originally.

Thus, as 2156 dawned, New Liberty was on the cusp of another great milestone in its sometimes turbulent, always vibrant, rise as a unique society."

-Excerpt from "An Examination of Working Multiculturalism: The History of the New Liberty Republic" by Dr. Ernst von Sänger, University of Hamburg GS-42






Chapter 1


East Landing
New Liberty, ADN Colonial Zone
Universe Designate ST-3
12 January 2156 AST


A sea of red and blue lights flashed around the easternmost hanger of Group A in the East Landing Spaceport, all mounted onto sleek patrol vehicles bearing the insignia of the East Landing Police. The inside was fully-lit even with the dawning sun coming up over the ocean and horizon beyond.

A lone Daimler-Chrysler Interceptor pulled up to join the group, a red light flashing on the dashboard. Some of the police noticed them, others were too busy looking to the building and the dangerous prospects inside. This was made clear when the yellow bolt of a Cardassian phaser rifle lashed out from one of the open windows, only to be stopped by the defensive screens set up to protect the besieging police.

"Oh, they must be happy to see us," came a sarcastic remark from the passenger side. The man who stepped out of it, clad in a button down blue dress shirt and tie with matching pants, had combed his dark blond hair back. The agent jacket he was wearing over his shirt bore the initials "CID" in white. He reached a hand over to the Glock-Hollings charge pistol as if to reassure himself that it was there. "Any reason they picked such a horrible hour to mount this raid?"

"Probably afraid the perps would take off if they didn't," was the tired reply from the driver. Mayuko Burley was wearing a full-sleeved red blouse and black trousers under her own coat. "And I would bet the LEOs are just as happy to see us, Danno."

Agent Daniel Scott openly winced. "Seriously? Are you seriously going to play up the Hawaii Five-O thing?"

"You're an Earth boy from Hawaii. The joke practically tells itself," Mayuko answered, grinning in, yes, a very tired fashion.

"Now I'm beginning to see why your last three partners put in for transfers," Daniel retorted.

Mayuko had no reply to that. The truth was, the New Liberty Criminal Investigation Department had never had the funding to expand her East Landing field office beyond giving her a partner and a secretary. She'd gone through three of each since then, as the work load in East Landing was almost crushing. The swamped EL Police had a love-hate relationship with her office and frequently foisted hard-to-solve heavy duty cases onto CID's shoulders even as they complained whenever CID asserted jurisdiction on important cases within the city limits.

She spotted the ELP SWAT captain as he and his squad were going over digital plans to the hanger. Ran Antos was a ruddy-faced and light-haired Bajoran, an immigrant from the pre-war days who had laid too many roots with his family to move back to Bajor. He'd initially been trained in the Federation border colonies with the Cardassians, where police forces were often given paramilitary training due to the challenges they faced. It was therefore unsurprising that upon immigrating, Captain Ran had ended up in SWAT. He showed no particular emotion toward Mayuko and Daniel arriving, barely bothering to glance up. "Glad you could make it, Agents. Good to know we've got planetary police covering our backsides."

Mayuko ignored the snickering from the others. "So, the Lokthar?", she asked, giving Daniel a knowing look.

"According to the warrant, yeah. Registry's Yridian, but her crew's an assortment of races. Human, Orion, Yridian, and Nausicaan." Another energy blast erupted from the building and dissipated against the shield. "We barely got the field up in time. They tried to hack the safety containment system, but whatever software they're running isn't up to getting around the semi-AI systems that protect it."

That prompted a nod. Safety containment was the only thing that made planet-based starports in populated areas viable; otherwise you were one bad engine failure or fuel leak away from a multi-megaton detonation that could kill thousands.

"We're preparing to make an armed entry, but you have to know that these aren't the kinds of criminals you extraversals are used to dealing with," Captain Ran continued. "They carry heavy firepower and they have more gall than brain. They'll fight rather than accept arrest, even if it means turning a small prison sentence into a lifetime one."

"So they're basically dumber than the career criminals I dealt with back on Pacifica." Mayuko almost used "home" in that sentence, but she'd stopped herself. More and more, East Landing was becoming her home. "You know, if CID had been informed, I could have brought a tactical team from Wexford."

"Didn't have time. Our source got our evidence just last night, had to wake up a judge to get the warrant."

"And you might have well as called them to tell them you were coming by putting together a group as big as this," Daniel remarked. Before Ran could protest or reply, he changed the subject. "I see you've got sniper perches set up. Any thought of getting a shot in?"

"They're being held back. Their ship's using some kind of scrambler field that prevents METter rounds from being employed, and I don't want my snipers giving away their positions until we've got them occupied." Ran hefted a weapon up. "We'll clear the place. You can come in behind us and help secure the evidence."

Mayuko and Daniel exchanged knowing looks and watched as Ran laid out the multiple point entry plan to his people. Stun field grenades and flashbangs would disorient the smugglers inside, it was believed, and ensure minimal casualties. Neither contributed to the briefing in any way; Ran and his people were competent and had put together a textbook operation.

Instead they grabbed portable defense shield generators, strapped them to their holsters, and waited to join the second wave. "So, what do you think they're carrying?", Daniel asked her. "Weapons? I can see them fighting like hell if they thought they'd face a weapons smuggling charge."

"Could be. Or illegal bio-mimetic material. Dirty GPL bars that haven't been laundered. Won't know until we see."

They remained quiet as the SWAT units moved in. Rocket-propelled flashbangs and stun-grenades were launched into the windows that hadn't been blocked while breaching charges were used on the ground-level entry points. A roof-top team went in simultaneously through the roof after lobbing in stun grenades.

For three tense minutes there were demands along the lines of "Hands up!" and "Put down the weapon!". A few bursts of gunfire were heard, though there was no accompanying whine of ST-3 energy weapons. Finally, with everything seemingly settled, May and Daniel entered alongside other East Landing police, pistols drawn.

The hanger was a mess. The Lokthar's small, ugly frame belied its possession of a high-quality Yridian-make Cochrane drive, capable of both high speeds at efficient fuel rates and reduced risk of detection. May and Daniel looked around at the various people being restrained with zip-tie cords, as well as the remains of the Nausicaan crew who had decided to fight to the death after all. Ran was busy reading rights to all the prisoners, leaving Mayuko and Daniel to enter the ship from its starboard airlock.

The four-deck ship was only able to crew about 12 people comfortably. Phaser emitters were hidden in the bow behind what looked to be a redundant scanner, a bee-sting weapon that could still hurt a much larger ship if it landed a solid blow on unshielded hull. Most of the ship's internal volume was devoted to its engine plant - the one drawback of its smuggler-friendly design - and cargo spaces, hidden and open. "You know it's going to take us hours to go through this rustbucket?", Daniel groaned. "I doubt Wexford will fly over a forensic crew."

"Stop complaining and start looking," Mayuko retorted.

They had spent about half an hour on their search of the ship when Captain Ran's voice called out from the port. When they got there, he had a short Yridian with a self-important look about him at his side. For all that he carried himself, however, there was a clear sense of panic that went far beyond being under arrest and facing criminal charges. "Captain Lothwaai here wants to make a deal."

"You force us to go SWAT on your ass and you think you've got a deal to make?", Daniel said, pointing a finger at the Yridian.

"If I had tried to surrender, I would be dead," Lothwaai answered. "The Syndicate's men are loyal to it."

Mayuko and Daniel exchanged looks. For an ST-3 native to invoke "the Syndicate", it meant only one thing. "You're working for the Orion Syndicate?", Mayuko asked.

"Contract work. I try not to get involved with them, but I owed a favor to one of their chiefs," Lothwaai answered. "Please, I need protection... you must take me to one of your universes. Far from your gates. Far from the Syndicate's influence! I am a dead man otherwise."

"We'd have to talk to the prosecutors," Mayuko said. "For the moment this planet is still officially a part of the United Kingdom, Universe SE-1.... so the Crown might agree to moving you to a penal colony in that universe."

"Get me the deal, and I will tell you anything you want to know!"

"I have a better idea," Daniel spoke up. "To make sure you're not playing anything over us... show us all of your hidden cargo compartments. Let us see what you're carrying. We tell the DAs you are legit, and you get shipped to London SE-1 to sing like a canary to the authorities on whatever you know."

"But if I tell you..."

"If you don't tell us, then you make us simply take the ship apart to find it anyway," Daniel continued for him. His expression darkened. "And this wastes our time. It makes us really, really cranky. And we tell the DAs you're a little twerp who wasted our time and resisted arrest. Then we maybe go and imply to your friends out there that you actually did help us...."

Lothwaai's expression was not pale - Yridians being incapable of that sort of thing - but it did betray what he thought that would cause. Sullen and defeated, he nodded and allowed Ran to take him over to the first compartment.

"Say, do you ever forget to refer to the DAs as 'the Crown'?", Daniel asked.

"Yeah, a lot," Mayuko sighed, turning to follow.

Lothwaai's cooperation proved sincere. They didn't allow him to use any of the ship's controls - who knew what little tricks there might be there - but all of his secret smuggling spaces proved to have manual, mechanical opening methods anyway. Daniel ended up doing most of the heavy lifting, much to his chagrin and Mayuko's amusement.

The biggest surprise of all was what they found in the cargo spaces, which Mayuko finally brought up as they looked over the final one. "So this was all for nothing?!", she growled, glaring at Lothwaai and Ran. "Your ship isn't carrying a damned thing!"

Daniel was resting his face in his palm. "All that for nothing. You..." He looked to Ran, who was incredulous as well. "You came out here and went Gangbusters over an empty cargo ship!"

"Wait!" Lothwaai shook his head fiercely. "We weren't sent to smuggle anything in. We're here to smuggle something out."

Mayuko and Daniel looked to him. "Do you know what?"

"The Syndicate did not say. They never say," Lothwaai answered. "They will surely know by now what has happened. They will blame me. Please... speak to your superiors. Get me sent away! If you keep me here, I am a dead man!"

"I'll call up the Prosecutors," Mayuko sighed. She gestured toward the zip-cuffed Yridian. "Get him out of here."

Ran led Lothwaai away. As he did so, Daniel drew in a sigh. "So... the Orion Syndicate. When I signed on with CID, they briefed me. Nasty people and notoriously hard to crack."

"And now they're here, and we just had our best chance to find out what they're doing go poof. They won't touch this ship now." Mayuko rubbed her forehead. Lack of sleep was getting to her, and she was maxed out on the safe dosage of stimulants. Take any more, and she'd risk building dependency.... and there was still so much work to do. "I'll get the report written up. You coordinate with the LEOs on interrogations and examination of the hanger. We'll see what leads pop up."

"And maybe even find out what Ol' Wrinkly was sent here to pick up."

The sun was already well into the morning sky when they finally emerged from the hanger. Armored carriers were present to carry away the crew of 16 that had surrendered, with the coroners scooping up the dead Nausicaans. Mayuko stifled a yawn as she looked down the rows of hangers to one in particular. One which, by her long experience, she knew to be marked very simply and humbly on the door with "Ogawa Transport". As she watched, the transport Denmark Vesey was quietly slipping into its hanger, another transport run done.

Two years I've been watching those people. Two years and not a single shred of evidence on them. But I know there's more to Yumiko Ogawa and her crew.... Something that doesn't feel right. Yawning once more, she slipped into her car and waited for Daniel to get in before she started the engine and drove off.




SS Denmark Vesey



On the bridge of Denmark Vesey, the woman known as Yumiko Ogawa on paperwork sat still in the command chair of her transport. Yumiko was, to those who saw her paperwork and official history, just another expatriate from the Federation, a half-Romulan half-Human orphan girl from a wrecked world in the Triangle which conveniently explained the lack of birth records and early schooling records. Her small private transport company had suffered under the economic regulations of the Federation and the former instability of the Triangle Region, and her relocation to New Liberty and emigration to the Alliance was thus the same story for thousands of others.

It was, all in all, a convenient cover story for Asako t'Prinn, co-founder and leader of ARAL - the Anti-Racist Action League. The daughter of a prostitute and her Romulan client, Asako had found that Federation society was intolerable toward her for a simple reason; it had expected her to act like a Vulcan (since few knew of her Romulan heritage). Even though she was raised in her mother's family, her schoolmates always treated her like she was Vulcan. Even her teachers did, such to the point that she'd gotten in trouble in school as a child simply because she didn't act unemotional and logical. And then when her DNA testing proved she was Romulan... that opened a whole new can of worms for her.

Asako was not musing on these things so much as she was on the current state of her movement. ARAL opposed the genetic determinists in the galaxy, those who believed that one's race defined one's proper culture and behavior. And they had done so with violence. Asako, honestly, did not even shy away from the title "terrorist" for herself; she believed that causing terror to the racists that had tormented her and her supporters was simply a necessary form of justice - she was not above assassinations or robbery to strike at her foes (though she tried to avoid innocent casualties).

The move to the Alliance had just been a way of laying low and rebuilding her group's depleted funds. But after two years of living in and around East Landing, Asako found her crew was increasingly restless with the idea of going back to living on replicator rations in the middle of the Triangle and dodging Starfleet patrols. Even she sometimes felt the slight pull of temptation... but whenever she did, she thought of the poor children in the Federation being yanked away from parents or subjected to "cultural education" regardless of what they or their guardians wanted.

The ship glided along almost effortlessly. Normally Thadoc would be at the helm, but he had been at the helm for 20 hours during their dangerous run through the Badlands and had been sent to bed by Asako. In his place, Larrisa - her sensor officer, a blonde-haired buxom beauty from Rubicun IV that she and her crew had rescued from Orion Syndicate slavers - was making her first planetary landing try. But she'd practiced hard over the prior few months and it showed; the landing was just as smooth as Thadoc would've made it.

The Vesey was just within size limitations for being capable of having a planet-based berth. Asako had considered renting an orbital stall instead, but they weren't much cheaper given the sheer explosion in commercial activity that the Alliance Colonial Zone was undergoing. And there was something to be said for having the ship planetside.

When they were snugly fit into Yumiko Ogawa's hanger, Larrisa killed all the drives. Two decks down and half the ship away, Yevem Raelim would be finishing his powerdown of their warp core, started even before they began their descent, and would follow up by reducing their fusion plants to standby status. As Asako stood up, she heard one of her bridge crew, T'Pek, inform her, "Mister Carrey's here. He's waiting in your office."

Looking to her Vulcan friend - raised human and nearly another victim of the determinists - Asako tried to hide her concern. This job had, granted, been one of his occasional ones. The pay was always decent too... but having to go to the shadowy areas of the Sphere or delivering unmarked supplies to a "company facility" in the Badlands always caused her tension. She sometimes wished she could end their "contract".

But he knows who I am. That thought always held her back. She hated not knowing just whom she was being played by. She suspected Carrey's employers from "Security Concept Enterprises" were just a front for Alliance Intelligence, but for all she knew this was some long-term Starfleet Intelligence operation, or a private interest in the Alliance that would throw her under the bus as soon as it became opportune.

"All I know is that after that run, I need some time on the beach," Larrisa remarked from the helm. She tapped a couple keys to finish securing the station and began to get up. "Rachel and I have talked about renting a room in one of those resorts..."

Asako gave a slight shake of the head. "Ridiculous decadence is all that is. You can get the same enjoyment out of one of the cheaper coastal hotels." She cracked a slight smile toward her Edo crewwoman, knowing full well this was particularly true for Larrisa and Rachel. I am not going to put this off any longer. She turned to exit. "I will go see what our contractor wants. Finish the landing checks."

As she moved through the ship, she came across some of her crew. She'd certainly put together a wide assortment; a Human raised as a Vulcan, a whole family of sibling Cardassian-Bajorans who had nowhere else to go, people of all forms of compatible racial mixtures. And they all looked up to her, a profound responsibility that constantly weighed on Asako's shoulders. It made her think of all those she had lost over the years, fighting with the Orions or on botched operations, not to mention when her ship had gotten hammered by the Cardassians in the leadup to the war. So many of them had trust in her to do what was good for them and their cause. And she wasn't sure her violent activities were quite what was needed anymore.

A retractable plank allowed her to walk down effortlessly from the Deck 4 airlock to the hanger floor. She met a fellow half-Human half-Romulan, a younger man named Rhiall, and exchanged a handshake with him. "No new contracts?"

"The East Region Agricultural Cooperative says they might have a new shipment of high quality produce for us to ship to New Norwich in a month, but that's it," Rhiall answered. "And Mister Carrey..."

"...wants to speak with me," Asako finished for him. "Go back to seeing over the external checkup. You can coordinate with Larrisa."

"I thought that approach was a little too slow for Thadoc," Rhiall remarked, a slight smile on his face. "She's serious about becoming your new XO, isn't she?"

Asako replied with a nod. She tried not to think about why Larrisa was open for that spot as she went toward her office. Certainly enough, there was no sign of her partner and co-founder there either. There was only Mr. Carrey, dressed in a business suit. "Back so soon?", he inquired flippantly. "I would have thought you'd need another 12 hours."

"My helmsman is almost at home in the Badlands," Asako replied stiffly. She went to her desk and looked over at Carrey. She half-expected him to try to flirt. He sometimes did that when they had a deal complete.

But all that happened was the delivery of a disposable data card. Asako slipped it into her computer annd saw it display financial information. Another payment from the Bank of England SE-1, in British pounds, to her account in the Wexford Municipal Bank. She selected the option to auto-convert the payment into Alliance dollars. "I see the SE-1 pound regained some strength," she remarked quietly, as if financial news was all she cared about. "I'm almost disappointed you didn't use the AR-12 francs again."

"Security Concept Enterprises is a multi-national company with varied expense accounts to draw from," Carrey answered. "I'm afraid we're rather low on francs these days, though."

And it wouldn't have to do at all with that scandal in France over AID evading French banking laws in setting up expense accounts, would it? Asako showed no emotion as she printed out an invoice. The printer was really just a low-tech replicator, creating a paper with information on it out of scratch materials. She took the invoice, signed her alias to it, and gave a glance at her company letterhead before handing it to Carrey. "Your receipt, sir."

He took it up and placed it into a case he had set on the nearby table. "So, did you see the commotion on the way down?"

"What commotion?"

"Hanger D-20. East Landing police raided it, some Yridian smugglers or something," Carrey continued, snapping the case shut. "I'm sure Miss t'Prinn has plenty of connections in that world."

And what, you want me to fish for information for you? No thank you. "Most of her connections are over in the Triangle Region. I'm afraid ARAL hasn't connected with any of the local underworld."

"Good, good," Carrey remarked. He went to the office exit. "You should see that it stays that way."

Asako watched him go with a cold look. Once she was sure he was gone, she turned her attention to the paperwork that running a business inevitably generated.

About twenty minutes later the door opened again. Without even looking up, Asako called out, "Late again, Sophia?"

She got a sigh in response, and only then did she look up. Like her, Sophia Razmara was half-Vulcanoid. The product of a Bendii-afflicted Vulcan attacking his pretty human assistant, she and her mother Mitra had spent years underground due to a Federation court awarding custody to her father's Vulcan family. Mitra's arrest by Federation authorities when Sophia was a teenager had left her to fend for herself, which is how Asako had found her dancing naked in an Orion-owned club near the Triangle, one debt away from sexual slavery. They were polar opposites in so many ways that it was surprising that they had become platonic soulmates.

Where Asako was reserved, Sophia was outgoing. Where she was conservative, Sophia was flamboyant. Asako hated holovids and loved to read; Sophia had fallen in love with the Alliance's myriad libraries of movies and television/holovision series and thought books outdated. Asako had to be cajoled and prodded and bargained into putting on even a one-piece swimsuit while Sophia had a wardrobe of revealing bikinis that she put on whenever she had justification. Even here, while Asako had her modest coat, blouse, and pants, Sophia had donned a sleeveless blouse that looked too tight and accentuated her greater curves and a pair of blue jean shorts that ended midway down her thighs. The sight made Asako breathe in a little sigh.

"Late night at the bar," Sophia answered, settling into the chair at her desk. "Plus I didn't expect you back so soon. Thadoc?"

"Of course," Asako answered. "You know, that job at the bar was only supposed to be until we got the transport jobs going..."

"It's good pay, Yumiko," Sophia answered. It was only on board the Vesey that Asako heard her birth name anymore, as everyone was rightly paranoid that police or intelligence services might be listening in. "And we can always use extra spending money."

"It's also a constant source of one-night stands for you, I imagine," Asako said. Her tone was half joking but also genuinely accusatory. "You know... by now I would think Yevem had become genuinely jealous."

"Yevem and I haven't had a fling in sixteen months."

That made Asako look up. "Impossible," she insisted. "You two always end up breaking a bed after six months at the most."

"Honestly, we talked about it and decided this was it. Yevem's hooking up with this half-Vulcan girl who works at the Palm Beach - no, she's not one of our's - and I... well..." Sophia sighed. "Honestly, Yumiko..." She gave a look, and it told Asako this conversation would only continue if they were safely on the Vesey.

"You want to settle down," Asako answered for her friend. "No more adventures."

"That's a good way of putting it. I'm not giving up on everything, I just think that really setting down roots here in the Alliance is the way to go for all of us."

Asako tried not to respond. She could only think of those who had fallen for their cause, and what they would think if Asako and the others gave up. Even if so many of the others probably wanted to do as Sophia was now suggesting. And scowling... that would just result in Sophia pressing on even more.

Everything seemed so much simpler before. We fought for what we believed in or to survive. Now we have this place tempting us to give up the fight. Asako had the term "Lotus-Eater" in her head.

"The Multiverse has made everything different," Sophia continued. She knew Asako well enough to know what the expression on her face was hiding. "Just because we settle down doesn't mean we give up what we believe in, or stop supporting it. We just... change how we do it."

"We can talk about it later," Asako said softly. "For now, let's just keep this company afloat by doing our paperwork."




CID East Landing Field Office


The Field Office was not what one would expect for a police agency office, primarily due to its dimunitive size. CID's budget had its limits, and a field office of just two agents and an administrative assistant was not going to get prize real estate. They had to make due with a partition from a local strip mall at the corner of Wyatt and 12th Street, with internal partitions giving them a small holding and interrogation area and their armory closet (and, sadly enough, it was a closet). And even with active defensive sensors in place, Mayuko found she never felt entirely safe here.

The report to Wexford was finished and on its way. With Dan off observing the interrogations of the Lokthar crew Mayuko was only in the company of Claire Smithson, the willowy administrative assistant seated near the door ready to greet arrivals while she organized their paperwork and other sundry things. She kept her strawberry-blond hair back in a pony tail that went midway down her back and typically wore modest blouses and skirts of dull colors. Or at least they would be dull if not for the fact that large numbers of Federation emigrees still wore the utterly bland, horrific jumpsuits and one-piecers that they had in the Federation.

Mayuko busied herself with other case work she had left until lunchtime. Just as she was about to get up and walk down the strip mall to the Jaffers' family eatery - her usual choice - the door opened. A young man entered, in a button down shirt and dark trousers, his complexion mostly African (though Mayuko thought his facial structure was a bit Native American). He was soft-spoken and May, even with her good hearing, couldn't quite tell what he was saying to Claire. She, on the other hand, spoke loudly, greeting him as "Agent Henley".

The name clicked in Mayuko's mind. CID had finally responded to her request for more personnel... by sending her a probationary agent. She stood up and took a long look at the young man. While age-delay gene treatments ensured he could be anywhere from 21 to 75 or so years of age, his posture and look was undeniably that of a very young man, no more than mid-20s. "Agent Sam Henley," Mayuko said aloud. "Good to have you back in. I hope you've gotten settled in?"

"Yeah, uh, apartment's all set up now. Holo, net, and replicators turned on..." Sam's voice betrayed some of his anxiety. He stepped around Claire's desk to walk up to Mayuko, hand extended carefully. "I know we didn't get to talk much my first day here. I heard a lot about you back in Wexford. Nick Hartford said you'd enjoy seeing another Yank."

Mayuko smirked, thinking of her old partner. She put her hand forward and accepted his in a formal handshake. "Does Nick still eat exclusively from the office replicator?"

"Always," Henley sighed. "Say, um, do you know if they have a Starbucks..."

Mayuko rolled her eyes. "No. No Starbucks here, I don't think there's one anywhere on the planet. But the Jaffers know how to make a good cup. Just don't order the raktajino."

"Rakta-what?"

"Raktajino. Coffee made Klingon style. No amount of cream or sweeteners in the world will keep the bitter taste off your tongue for the rest of the day. I only drink it when I'm pulling all-nighters." At that, Mayuko looked over and sighed at the cup of half-finished raktajino on her desk. "And you had better be ready for those."

"I'd heard this was one of the busiest offices CID has," Sam said. He got into the chair at his desk, which was so empty it was clear that no one had occupied it yet.

Mayuko returned to her desk. "Some math for you. The Wexford Borough has about three million people living in it. It also has two distinct police forces with personnel numbering in the thousands to tend to it, not to mention CID's main office. East Landing had a population of about 50,000 when this office opened. The current population is now 135,000 as of last month's census estimates, and that doesn't count the populations of the towns that have sprouted up in the area nor the estimated 75,000 who live in Port Victor. Now, on top of the East Landing and Port Victor police forces and the very widespread, stretched out East Shore Borough Police... do you want to guess who CID has covering this area?"

"Just us," Sam answered.

"Exactly. And now you know why I've had four partners in two years. And I'm not even sure how long number 4 will last." Seeing movement at the door, she added, "And speaking of him..."

Dan entered, carrying a bag that presumably carried his lunch. He saw Henley standing beside Mayuko. "Ah, the probie's finally ready to start work. Good. We'll need the extra set of hands." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a data disk. "Got it copied from a chat with our good friend Captain Lothwaai. Account numbers, banks, previous shipping runs. Everything he can give us on the Orions."

"The Orions." Sam looked to Mayuko. "As in the Orion Syndicate?"

"The one and the same," May said, taking the disc from Dan and looking over it.

"The same Syndicate believed responsible for the killing of two police agents on Corwich in a hanger bombing? Killed a witness protection agent and the entire family she was protecting on Krellor because the mother had seen their people disposing of a body?"

"Getting goosebumps, probie?" Dan made a clucking sound with his tongue. "Hey, gotta go where the leads take us."

"If the Syndicate's setting up shop here on New Liberty, CID needs to know." Mayuko handed Sam the disk. "MIT grad, right? And your file said you worked in the netcrimes division?"

"Yeah." Sam took the disk.

"Good. I want you following the money trail. I want to know everything about where Lothwaai and his crew got their money and how." She allowed herself a friendly smirk. "First official day of duty, probie. Get to work."




Syndicate Special Facility


Two figures stood in the chamber. One looked darkly at the other, who tried not to wince. "Have we determined the source of the leak?"

"We believe it to be an extraversal source, most likely a rival who recognized the ship."

"Call our agent and have him find out who tipped off the East Landing Police. And then have them dealt with." The leader frowned. "In the meantime we will have to secure an alternative mode of transportation. Talk to our local contact."

"Are you sure?"

"I have already promised one of the alien girls to the Kunar of Tanar. He put a thousand bars down after seeing the holos. To have to return the money would be too much of a disgrace."

"Very well. I already have a team ready to lure the first one away tonight. Grabbing them all at the same time would be preferable, but they do not stay together long enough."

"Just remember that we are running out of time," the leader growled. "And if we don't have all four..."

"We will have them all," the other figure vowed. "I just hope that we can get them off-planet."




Oceanside Plaza Resort


Oceanside Plaza was one of the most expensive and well-paying resorts along the entire eastern seaboard of New Liberty's main continent. Twenty stories high and with rooms ranging from classic hotel rooms to oceanside balcony suites, the bottom floor also contained ballrooms and convention halls and no less than three restaurants, not to mention amenities like an indoor pool and a massage parlor.

With so many people coming and going, nobody noticed the two Human-looking men who came in through a side entrance. They made their way to the sauna, where a woman - also Human in appearance - nodded to them and entered one of the women-only rooms.

Inside was a young woman, her age the Human equivalent of 21, lounging back half-asleep with a towel wrapped around her waist and a discarded one beside her to cover her chest when she eventually left. She had a purple skin complexion marked by teal-colored spots that framed her face and traveled down her body, much like a Trill's. Ears longer than any Vulcanoid's pointed toward the back of her cranium, twitching slightly as the young woman barely comprehended the new arrival.

The woman acted with astonishing swiftness. Before this alien girl could react, a hypospray with a strong sedative had been pressed against her neck, right on the artery leading to her brain. She sat up with a start and began to cry out in surprise just to find a hand over her lips. She struggled weakly for a moment before the sedative entered her brain. Consciousness faded and she slumped against her attacker.

The woman bound the girl's chest with a towel for appearance's sake and then brought her out to the waiting men, who had set up in a corner of the locker room out of immediate sight of the door. A large carrying bag smuggled in earlier was laid out, the inside laced with a reflective material to defy life-sign scanners. While the men opened it up completely the woman pulled the unconscious girl's arms behind her back and placed a metal restraint on her wrists, following up with the girl's ankles. She pulled the towels free and put them into a nearby used towel receptacle. Moments later, the nude girl was secured into the carry bag, and the two males walked out without a word. The woman abductor merely returned to the sauna, as if nothing had happened.




Halloway Park Apartments, East Landing


Mayuko made a tired sigh as the biometric lock on her apartment door went green and gave her admittance. After another twenty hour day all she could think of was a warm shower and her bed.

She barely had time to secure her sidearm in a lock box, her holster and harness placed above it, when a powerful set of arms snaked around her waist. She felt warmth on her back and smiled despite her fatigue. "Karizan," she said simply. "I told you to be careful about surprising me. I don't want to kick you somewhere sensitive again."

"The risk is well worth it," came the reply, as one of the hands made a very quick trip up to Mayuko's chest. She swatted the hand away in playful irritation and turned to face Karizan Dalmana. His light brown eyes were full of mischief and his sandy brown hair was still cut too short. As for the spots that framed his face and continued down to his muscled chest... well, "count the spots" was a game Mayuko had once spent an entire day off playing. "Long day?", he asked.

"I had to get up early because the local police just had to launch a predawn raid that involved a ship on our watch list," Mayuko sighed. She tried not to be distracted by the sight of Karizan shirtless and wearing only boxers, even if she found it an enjoyable one. "And how was your day?"

"Oh, I had the usual one. Wealthy clients to give massages too, even if you look to be in far greater need for it." Karizan used his thumbs to knead the back of Mayuko's shoulders. "I've had an easier time massaging Vulcans, and they have the thickest muscles you can imagine."

"Well, I did finally get a second agent, even if he's just a rookie and probie." May went past the entrance to her kitchen and dining area and across the living room toward the kitchen. "Someone who can handle the electronic elements at least."

"That's good to hear." Karizan followed her closely. "So, are you hungry?"

"Too tired to eat, I think. No, I just need a shower and some time in bed." May pulled her blouse off over her head. She noticed Karizan looking at her with very clear intentions and smiled thinly. "Sorry, lover, but there won't be any shower games tonight. I'm too tired."

"What about the dinner? You don't know what I had to do to get those reservations..."

"That's tomorrow, right?" Mayuko sighed. "Yeah, I'll make it. The cases I've got aren't that hot. And we'll probably need a couple days to go over everything involving the raid."

"It's a date, then." Karizan went over and sat on the bed, leering at her as she finished undressing. "And after your shower...?"

"After my shower, I'm laying down. Working twenty hours after three hours of sleep does a number on my libido." May winked at him. "But maybe tomorrow night..." With that promise, she stepped into the bathroom.




Venetian Village Apartments


Asako sometimes couldn't help her tastes. When picking out apartments for her and her people, she couldn't just take any cheap block structure prefab apartment complexes like, well, the vast majority of those in East Landing. On the other hand, she was a very frugal person, and didn't see the point in wasting money for luxuries she didn't need.

Venetian Village had been the compromise. It was cheap for its elegant design because it was in the outskirts of East Landing, far from the beach, along the H2 that criss-crossed the continent all the way to Wexford and beyond to Liville Bay in the frigid north. It had a small holoparlor that residents could reserve, a very small swimming pool that Asako still found useful for exercise, and an exercise gym that was not quite so liked because half the devices in it were broken down and hadn't been replaced. The apartments themselves were cozy enough, and Asako had kept her's spartan as she preferred it, with no TVs or HVs but every available bit of wallspace kept for books in both digital and traditional formats.

She was permitting herself one luxury right now; a meal of fine kheia and a side of very, very finely-made Romulan ale. They were "naming" gifts from her father, meant to commemorate the day she had formally named herself in Rihannsu fashion and taken up her father's family name of Prinn. Even though hundreds of light years separated them, not to mention his existing Romulan family and his request that she not make her existence too prominent to them, the bonds of blood and mnhei'sahe still held them together.

Asako smiled to herself as she sipped at the light blue liquid. Foolish Starfleeters and others in the Federation believed Romulan ale to be the ultimate in enjoyable intoxicants and despite its legal status as contraband it was consumed across the Federation. But the joke was on them: the Rihannsu who sold ale to the Federation often sold the bad ale, the stuff that had not been properly made, that was so intoxicating precisely because of its poor quality and which even the poorest Rihannsu shied away from drinking. Good Romulan ale involved a fine mix of ingredients that made it powerful and far better-tasting. Her father had let her in on the secret and she had kept it from, well, most everyone.

Still half-sober, Asako's thoughts drifted back to her talk with Sophia. Again the demands of honor and loyalty pulled at her. She wanted her cause to prevail, even if it took a lifetime (for a Rihannsu at that) to see the determinists relegated to the dustbin of history like the racist trash they were. And there was lost blood, people who had given their lives for a cause she'd talked them into joining. To abandon the fight was to spit on their memories, to make their sacrifices in vain.

And there was still the living. Her charges who could, indeed, build new lives here in the Alliance. And who said that such would actually mean giving up the fight instead of changing the strategies being employed? Sophia had argued again today that they could be far more effective if they publicized the plight of their people in the Federation. There was a vast, untapped reservoir of contributions and supporters in the Multiverse by her argument, people who could be disgusted by the determinists' rhetoric and behavior and who could provide the political, financial, and moral backing to combat them and to help their victims. Why rob banks when we can get them, or at least their customers, to give us money as charitable contributions for the cause?

She sipped at the ale again and savored its taste. This was a problem that could decide the fate of ARAL and the fight against racial determinism. She wouldn't solve it in an evening. All she could do was think some more on it and wonder if a solution would present itself.

[Steve]

Chapter 2


East Landing CID Office
13 January 2156 AST


Mayuko cursed under her breath as she opened the door and found Claire and Sam already present. The timepiece facing the door flashed "0912" as if to taunt the fact that she was over an hour late, and her hastily-brushed hair and wrinkled blouse and business skirt went further to confirm this. "Not a word," she mumbled to Claire, who was grinning brightly at her. At least Dan hadn't gotten in yet. He'd be teasing her all day if so.

"That handsome, strapping Trill fellow you're romancing must have given you quite an enjoyable morning," Claire teased, defying Mayuko's order.

"Oh, he did, just not the way you're thinking. One of the advantages of dating a professional, highly-trained masseuse." Mayuko left it at that, mostly because she didn't want to dwell on the fact that she wanted to be back home on her bed with Karizan and those strong hands...

Seeing Claire's wide grin, Mayuko smirked and continued on into the office proper. She put her purse and harness on the desk and sat down. With a tap of a key she brought up her work computer. She already had four messages from three different prosecutors wanting this evidence summary or that statement form, and for the next hour she went sorting through her caseload to get the materials marked for Claire to send off. She would occasionally glance at the young probie she'd been saddled with. Sam was hard at work still and the bags forming under his eyes told her he'd been working much of the night. "Did you go home last night?", Mayuko asked pointedly.

"Uh... yeah. I did. I left just before midnight and came back at 6," he answered. "Tracking these transaction histories is getting tricky. I've already had to route into the Ferengi banking system."

Mayuko looked at him with irritation. "So we hit a dead end?"

"Uh, no. I followed the account information back out. The Syndicate only used the Ferengi for laundering their funds, I think."

"Wait." Mayuko blinked and stared at him. "Just... just how did you get a Ferengi banker to let you look at the books? They're worse than the Freeholders."

"I, well... that's why I had to be up so late last night. We were negotiating."

"Negotiating." Mayuko frowned now. The last thing she needed was an ethics violation or suspicion of bribery in her office. "And just what did you negotiate over?"

Sam coughed. "Over, well... over my bluff that if they didn't cooperate, CID would have their accounts here frozen. The bank in question has put a lot of money into funding interuniversal trade..."

That made Mayuko stare - actually, gawk - in utter astonishment. She found herself re-evaluating the first impression she'd gotten of Sam from his record and the prior day. "And they bought it?"

"Yes. I can, uh, be very persuasive," Sam answered.

"Good to know." She was beginning to like the probie, even as she hoped he wouldn't overstep himself and get them all in trouble. "But still nothing?"

"Honestly, ma'am, the Syndicate transactions I've tracked are all over the map. It's going to take me another day or so to get a better picture of their recent spending."

"Keep at it, then."

Mayuko went back to work. It was just past 1030 when the door opened and Dan entered, scruffy-looking as always. "Still nothing from the other perps," he announced.

"And Lothwaai?"

"Convinced the Syndicate's going to kill him if we don't get him off-world and through the Gate now," Dan said. "And he still insists that he doesn't know what the Syndicate brought him in to transport. He does think that they weren't going to have him go far, though. They didn't want him landing anywhere else but here."

"Guess we should check his ship's range, see where their facility might be. The Navy might be able to do something about it." Mayuko sighed. "If it isn't in Cardassian or Federation space, at least."

"Yeah, well... how goes the probie's hunt?" Dan looked to Sam. "Find anything good?"

"Tracked them through various transactions centered around a Ferengi bank..."

"Wait, a Ferengi bank? And you got them to help?" Dan whistled. "That's impressive, probie. I'm stunned."

"Yeah, don't give him too big of a head yet," May cut in. "He still has to finish that work." She looked to the screen and frowned. She didn't like this feeling that there was something major going on. The Syndicate was the undisputed center of the criminal underworld of ST-3. If they were up to something in her jurisdiction... that thought chilled her to the bone.




Hanger A-2, East Landing Spaceport


Sophia leaned against the ship and tried not to laugh as Yevem and Thadoc argued over the Vesey's impulse drives. Yevem's post-flight checks had found molecular degradation of the impulse manifolds, the result of exposure to the charged energy fields of the Badlands with the impulse drive set too high. This was something he had to repair, a repair that was very delicate, very annoying work. And he was letting Thadoc, who had gone entirely too fast in those plasma fields, know it.

She tried, and somewhat failed, to resist the little tingle that went through her whenever she dwelled on Yevem. He was handsome in his own way, a real tease, incredibly funny, and on top of all that was one of the few men she'd known who was capable of fulfilling her needs. That they had decided to have no more flings was something she was going to keep... but sometimes she couldn't help but wish it was otherwise.

But it was more than that. Sophia was... tired. After over a decade of this adventuring, violent lifestyle the years of peace on New Liberty had been a dream come true. She felt an attachment to the society being built here that she'd never felt anywhere else. The Alliance core merged with the ethics and can-do spirit of emigrants from across the Federation seeking to get away from spiritual stagnation and hypocrisy had turned New Liberty into a unique world to live on.

"So, Sophia, going to vote?"

Rachel MacTaggart's words knocked Sophia out of her thoughts. The half-Orion woman had a light shade of green to her skin. She was lovely, if a bit on the thin side, wearing a sleeveless blouse and high skirt that fit her bon vivant personality so well. Larrisa was standing beside her, wearing a midriff-bearing halter top and high shorts that was even more flattering, their hands holding as a visible reminder of their relationship. "It's still a few weeks away," Sophia said. "I haven't decided yet." Besides, it would require me getting a permanent ID. And Asako really, really doesn't want us getting on the grid too much. "Honestly, I'm not sure Yumiko..."

"We're still thinking it over ourselves," Larrisa said. "I'm up to be XO since you don't want the post anymore, but I'm not sure she'll let me have it if I get an ID."

And Rachel clearly wants one. "Have you talked to the others?"

"Thadoc's saying no. But I think T'Pek and Dennis are going to go for it. And the Nevas." Rachel gave Sophia a pleading look. "Sophia... honestly, I think we have a good cause, but these two years... this place is marvelous. And I don't want to lose it. Please, talk to her? Talk to Yumiko?"

Sophia felt a lump in her throat as she nodded. "I'll see what she thinks," Sophia promised. As the two lovers walked away, Sophia found herself wondering what to do if Asako insisted on keeping their options open. Having an ADN ID, and ending up a registered citizen of New Liberty when (not if, given the poll numbers) the plebiscite was done, might give a layer of protection against being stateless as they were before, but it also meant the possibility of tighter scrutiny from the ADN-based authorities. They already had that one CID agent coming around from time to time, after all. How much worse would it get if they had ADN citizenship but then Asako decided to hit a determinist-run bank in Fed space? Or raid a ship belonging to a determinist to snatch his or her cargo? The risk of going to prison was not one to be taken lightly. Being only residents, with temporary visas, meant that if they needed to they could vanish. Or so Sophia thought.

A tone went off through the hanger; their security system was set to tell them when someone was at the door, giving time for any... questionable discussions to be silenced and items to be hidden. Sophia headed toward the door but was beaten to it by Neva Pala, a lightly-built teenage girl of Bajoran-Cardassian parentage who had joined ARAL alongside her brothers and sister. With great enthusiasm she opened the door, probably hoping it was a customer and she could make a good first impression with a nice greeting.

When her polite expression froze, Sophia knew whomever was there wasn't what was expected... or desired.

Soon she saw why, as Pala moved back and allowed their guest to enter. It was a Ferengi, one she'd noticed hanging around the spaceport before, wearing the usual garish Ferengi clothes and with the eternally lecherous smile of a Ferengi male around females of other species. The look he gave Sophia made her skin crawl from disgust. It was that look of their's that went beyond mere "undressing with their eyes" to more disgusting activities. "And what can we do for you, sir?", Pala asked with forced politeness.

"I need to speak to Ogawa," he said. "I'm Quivek, and I have a lucrative business venture to offer him."

"Her," Sophia couldn't help but correct, feeling revulsion at the nonchalant sexism of Quivek. "I'm her business partner. Follow me." She turned and led him to the office, cringing as she imagined him leering at her the entire way.

She entered the door and found Asako seated at her desk, taking a break and reading - what else - a philosophy book, the cover marked with alien characters as well as English lettering and with the visage of a unique-looking alien with leathery brown skin mottled with black spots on the back. "We have a potential customer, Yumiko," Sophia said aloud before moving to her desk.

Quivek slipped in behind her, and Pala behind him, as Asako closed her book and looked up. She showed no emotion at seeing Quivek. "So, Mister...?"

"I am Quivek. You are Ogawa?"

"I am."

"I am a transport broker with a very lucrative list of special clients," he said. "Clients who prefer to keep their transport concerns private, so they avoid the large transport corporations that make life so hard for entrepreneurs like you and I."

Sophia couldn't help but frown. Quivek had just basically admitted he was a middleman who arranged for illegal shipments. It was something they were familiar with, but this kind of thing was not what Sophia wanted to get involved in anymore.

"Well, I have certainly had experience with such matters," Asako said in a guarded tone, not admitting too much. "Though I have to consider the safety of my crew. What can you tell me about the shipment?"

"Oh, very light. Just a few canisters of high-grade biological material," Quivek said in a reassuring tone.

Bio-mimetic gel was the first thought in Sophia's mind. A oneway stop to a Cardassian labor camp, Alliance penitentiary, or Federation penal colony for anyone shipping it without a very exhaustive list of government approvals and credentials.

"And no, it's not bio-mimetics, I can assure you," Quivek added hastily, undoubtedly realizing how he'd sounded. "No, it's just some... biological material that needs very careful, discreet transport. It's not a bioweapon either!"

Asako pursed her lips. "Your protests aside, Quivek, I am reluctant to accept such a... special contract without some idea as to the compensation."

"Oh, of course, of course! Rule of Acquisition Number 205, 'Always check the price before making the deal!'" Quivek pulled a Ferengi-make PADD out of his suit and handed it to Asako. She looked it over. "My clients are prepared to be very, very generous toward you. Just a few containers and a quick transport run and you'll have earned quite a payday! I envy you, actually... it makes my broker's fee look like a bad joke."

After several moments, Asako made a chuckle. "Why, Quivek, you are being too modest. This is an extraordinarily generous contract. Why, I could probably finally afford a second ship with this."

"Excellent! I'll just need you to sign..."

"That's my problem with it, Quivek," Asako continued, her voice becoming low. "It's too generous. Whatever is being shipped is highly questionable. I'm not getting involved in this kind of thing, not for a Ferengi broker and his unseen clients."

Quivek's smile turned into a frown. "But..." He almost didn't catch the PADD when Asako lobbed it back at him. "All that money! They're offering you one and a half thousand bars..."

"Which is far, far too much for such a light cargo, if it were a legitimate one." Asako shook her heard sternly. "I'm not interested, Quivek. We will not do business with any of your clients. Please leave and don't come back."

Quivek stared, stunned, for several more moments. His greedy, money-obsessed brain seemed incapable of understanding Asako's refusal. Sophia audibly grumbled and began to get up to show him the door, which finally seemed to snap him out of it and cause him to leave. Pala, who had seen the entire thing, didn't follow either, but went the other way.

"Stupid of him to offer too much," Sophia sighed. She'd, for a moment, allowed the pernicious thoughts of "Ferengi = Greedy Sexist Pig", but such were the same things like the "All Vulcans must be Logical Surakists" and "All Klingons must be violent warriors" which ARAL had been founded to resist. Lord knows how upset Asako would get if she verbalized those thoughts.

"It wasn't the money," Asako said. "Despite what I said, there are legitimate cargos that small that would warrant that much money, mostly due to their value for research needs and a short life that necessitates swift shipment. It was the other terms of the contract, enforcing secrecy of the entire transaction and even where it occurs, and the unstated penalties for failing to fulfill it, that got my attention." Her look turned sour, with a frown that was never a good sign. "It was a Syndicate contract, Sophia."

Sophia thought she could feel her blood literally chill. The Syndicate being here wasn't surprising; they expanded everywhere they could, leaving broken victims in their wake. ARAL had faced its own run-ins with the Syndicate before, back in the Triangle. It was one of the main reasons they'd eventually decided to cut their losses and take off for the Alliance Colonial Zone. "Well, at least the local Syndicate chiefs don't know who we are?"

"I believe so. They're a compartimentalized organization. It's what makes them so pernicious." Asako picked her book back up. "Still, to be safe, tell the others about Quivek. Make sure they know not to talk with him or go around him. There's no way that bastard doesn't know who he's working for."




Sea Coast Grill, Oceanside Plaza Resort


After a day of paperwork and conferring with the prosecutors over her testimony and statements in a couple of cases, Mayuko had been grateful to see the clock hit five. She'd taken all the backroads to avoid evening traffic and changed clothes in her apartment, all to make this 7:15 dinner reservation.

Karizan had come wearing what he called an "Alliance suit", which meant the kind of black dinner jacket and white shirt with pants that was normal outside of the Federation. Mayuko had decided to use her birthday gift to good effect, wearing the backless spaghetti-strap evening gown he'd bought for her, its pattern of blue top and green bottom matching the colors of her eyes.

A waiter brought them to a seat and gave them menus. The restaurant served fine seafood and meals from a variety of cultures and not a single dish was replicated. Karizan ordered a spring wine from one of the Federation racial homeworlds and both opted for seafood dishes utilizing local New Liberty-caught seafood. "This is actually somewhat taboo in the Federation," Karizan admitted to her as the waiter took their digital menus, leaving them alone for the moment.

"What is? Having a date?", Mayuko teased.

Karizan laughed. "Oh, in some cultures, that too. But a lot of people in the Federation, in many races, think it barbaric to actually kill creatures to eat their meat."

"I heard something about that." May had a little smile at that. There were similar movements on Pacifica, and in school she'd had vegan classmates. "So no one eats meat?"

"Oh, some people still do. It tends to be a core world attitude, and most of what they eat is replicator-made anyway." Karizan smiled at her. "I had classmates myself who would be horrified to know I'm about to eat food that was recently alive."

"Oh, you bad bad boy," Mayuko cooed. "I'm corrupting you with my sexy barbarian wiles."

"Oh, sexy is right..." Karizan winked at her. "Honestly, I do wonder why we kill animals when we can get meat that is just as good by growing cloned non-living material in vats."

"Vat meat, you mean? Like spacenoids?" That idea made May laugh. "If you want that so much, well, I'm sure there are space habitats that could use such a fine masseuse as yourself... though I don't think I want to give you up."

At that, Karizan cracked a grin. "Nor would I want to go." He looked at her intently. "Honestly, Mayuko, when I first came here I didn't know what life was going to be like. East Landing, Wexford, this entire planet is just a bizarre melting pot, there are very few places in the Federation like it. Then I met you and realized... coming here was the smartest thing I'd ever done in my life."

May felt her cheeks get hot from a blush. He was flattering her, yes... and it was flattery she enjoyed hearing. "Thank you," she answered, her tone serious. "Karizan... this job would be unbearable if I didn't have someone like you around to remind me what it's like to have a life."

"I don't envy your work." Karizan gave a sigh. "And between your being overworked and the nature of the job... I am genuinely worried for your safety, Mayuko. I know I can't ask you to give it up anymore than my parents could have given up Starfleet..."

Mayuko answered with a nod that she hoped was understanding. "I'm still going to try to get more of a life for us, regardless," she promised. "Once this plebiscite is done and the government gets restructured, CID's funding should improve. And then I'll get more agents and more free time, maybe we can see if that gaming arcade down at the boardwalk finally opened..."

Their wine arrived at that moment. Karizan waited until their glasses were full and brought his up. "To the ballot and independence then."

"To independence," Mayuko agreed, after which they clinked glasses. They enjoyed their wine first in anticipation of the meal to come, and the night that awaited them after that.




Cornerstone Bar


With a sigh Sophia looked away from the clock, which taunted her with the mark 2303, and back toward the emptying bar. It was a week night, so even though they were open until midnight people cleared out by ten, leaving only a few latecomers or, unfortunately, people with drinking problems. She went back to wiping down the bar.

The door opened and Sophia looked up. She showed surprise when Mr. Carrey walked in, which turned into a bit of a frown. She said nothing to him and ignored him as he strutted up to the bar, looking not a bit out of place with his plain button-down shirt and blue jeans. "You certainly look nice tonight," he said to her upon finding a seat.

She didn't return his compliment. She was in a sleeveless dark green blouse and a pair of blue slacks that she thought was a size too big for her now - though at least it showed she had lost weight since she had bought it - and in no way looked prettied up. Instead of replying at all, she simply kept her attention on wiping the bar.

"I think it's clean," Carrey remarked, sarcastically.

"Just what do you want? I told you the last time you were here that I want nothing to do with you." Sophia tried not to look at him. Asako had told her, and just a couple others, about Carrey's approach two years ago. About what he clearly knew. Like Asako, Sophia was certain he was an Alliance spy or agent, and she didn't like the thought of the Alliance's intelligence agencies using her and her friends as couriers or operatives. Or the fact that he could, with a call, possibly wreck everything for them.

"Going to vote? Ah, I guess not." When Sophia glanced over, Carrey was giving her a look that showed, surprisingly, some concern. "That would mean affirming your residence. It would mean a paper trail."

Sophia grunted, but gave no immediate reply.

"Can I have a shot? Tequila, I think," Carrey said, putting five one pound coins on the table. "Mixed with club soda?"

Sophia wordlessly went to a bottle of tequila. She intentionally took the Mariachi brand bottle since she knew, from experience, that the tequila from Nuevo Tamaulipas was far better.

Carrey watched her quietly as she made his drink. She slammed the shotglass down in front of him and went to turn when his arm went forward and took her forearm. "I'm not the bad guy you think I am."

"Let go of me or I swear to God and the Elements that I'm going to smash every bone in your body," Sophia hissed in reply. She looked around. As expected, the patrons were mostly too absorbed in their drink to care about her getting accosted... but then again, they'd seen her get accosted before and knew it was best to stay out of the way when her half-Vulcan strength started getting applied.

"You want to settle down here, and I can help you. Sophia, I can help you and your friends start a new life, you won't have to worry about someone like me coming in and causing it to crash down around you." Just before Sophia could lash out at him, Carrey let go. "Please? I'm not coming to you as a contractor. I'm coming to you as someone who wants to be your friend."

"You don't know anything about me," Sophia hissed back. "You don't know about what I went through, what we all went through..."

"I know more than you realize," he replied. "I know about your mother Mitra, about how you had to run to escape an unfair ruling of a biased court, and what the Orions did to her...."

Sophia immediately saw red. She grabbed the shotglass she'd just poured for him and threw the contents out onto his face. "All you know is whatever Goddamned stories you've read!", she screamed at him. "Now get the hell out or I'm going to toss you out of the Goddamned door!"

For a moment Carrey didn't move. He just looked at her closely, and with a look that showed pity more than anything. Sophia would have preferred outrage or anger or anything but that look, and it made her want to punch him. She almost did, pulling her arm back, just for him to get off the stool and move back enough to avoid an easy hit. He glanced around as she did, but in her rage and anguish Sophia didn't quite care. She could only glare intently at Carrey as he backed away and went toward the door, pretending like she hadn't just humiliated him.

Sophia looked down and saw the coins he'd left, almost taunting her with their presence. Her anger turned inward at how she'd reacted, how visceral and uncontrollable she'd allowed her emotions to become. Behavior that, twenty-five years ago, would have been seen as justification for the court decision that ruined her life and destroyed her mother's family. Feelings of shame began to filter in, intermingling with the agonizing memories of her mother's tortured body and the laughter of her murderers...

With tears streaming down her face, Sophia barely managed to retreat to the backroom before she broke down into wracking, agonized sobs.




It was a five minute drive back to the apartment for Zack Carrey. His clothes and parts of his hair was still wet from the tequila and soda mix, and he was quick to remove them once he was in his apartment. After getting ready for bed, Zack sat down at his personal computer and keyed up a comm line. Special systems within activated encryption that it would take whole computer banks to successfully crack. On the other end, someone typed a message: Update on the ARAL crew?

He quickly typed his own reply. He felt they were a valuable asset, but was concerned that their inherent fear of remaining stationary might cause them to leave one day. He had done his best to observe Asako's crew over the two years, and what he'd seen told him there was a growing tension amongst them. They were loyal to Asako - this he was certain of - but a number of them, a growing number, were adjusting to life on New Liberty and showing signs of wanting to settle permanently. Which was, understandably, not an easy thing for a crew of outlaws and terrorists.

He then took the time to stump, once more, his proposed solution; give them security. Help them to settle in such a way that they didn't have to fear being suddenly outed and potentially subjected to extradition attempts. Convincing them to set roots would only enhance their worth as transport assets for the Department. As he awaited the reply, he began to think again of Sophia.

That she was drop-dead gorgeous was obvious, and he had interest there... but there was a part of him that just wanted to give her a hug and let her pour out that lifetime of terror and fear and pain on his shoulders. He sympathized with her, in a way that most of his instructors back in the Agency would have disapproved of.

Maybe the job was finally getting to him. Maybe he'd seen so much pain and anguish, suffering and death, working in the shadows of the grimy Multiverse that he couldn't just sit by anymore. He couldn't content himself with semantics of what he was doing lessening such, etc etc. It was too impersonal. He remembered one of his favored instructors giving a lecture, once, on how an agent's mental health sometimes required him or her to get into an environment where they could make those personal connections, without risking the integrity of their covers or their standing operations.

All he knew was that he wanted to do something for Sophia Razmara and for her friends. Something to make them feel better, some act that would be immediately personal and would give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd improved their lives. And the damnedest thing was, of course, that his job was likely going to prevent him from doing so.

In the end, he got a reply. It was a non-committal Consideration is being made. Sighing, Carrey powered down the system and went to his bed. As he laid trying to sleep, he found himself thinking of what he knew about Sophia again, and found he did envy her for one thing: her camaraderie and closeness with Asako and the others. He... had no such attachments any more. He couldn't have them.

Such was the life of an intelligence operative.

[Steve]

Chapter 3


Halloway Park Apartments
14 January 2156 AST


Dawn light was coming in through the blinds covering Mayuko's bedroom window. An incoherent mumble came from her throat as she resisted the idea of waking up.

Hands went up her bare back a moment later, one moving back down to her thigh and rear while the other gripped her shoulder. "It's time to wake up," Karizan softly reminded her.

"Mmmm..." Mayuko let her eyes flutter open and enjoyed the sensation of Karizan's touch, his fingers kneading the muscles in her shoulders and back. She moaned lowly at the pleasure of his massage. "Is this your way of buttering me up for morning sex?", she yawned.

"Well, since you brought it up." He kissed her on the back of the head. "I think I've recovered from last night's romp..."

Grinning, Mayuko turned and allowed him to kiss her warmly. Her hands came up and reached out for him. Even with his superior body weight, she easily pushed him over and got on top of him.

Just as his hand reached for her breast, the promise of the morning was wrecked by the tone of her cell. Mayuko grumbled irritably and rolled off her sighing lover to reach the phone. "Yes?", she said drearily into it.

"Well good morning, partner," Dan answered on the other end. "Hope I didn't wake you up."

"No, you didn't," she sighed. "It's only seven o'clock. Is something up?"

"Oh, just came in early because, well, I have no damned life anyway. But then I saw that we got a call from Wexford over the night. Inspector Captain Morse is wishing to see you in the office this morning. At eight sharp."

Mayuko let out a loud groan at that. "God, that means we've got a big one coming in. Get a hold of the probie, assuming he didn't stay the night. If we've got what I think this means, we'll need to put all our resources into that. See you in the office." She turned the cell off and took a moment to just lay against Karizan slantwise, somewhat awkward. "Call from the main office. This will be a big one."

"Well, I'll be here to get the knots out of your shoulders when it's over," Karizan said to her. He shifted his weight out from under her and put his hands on her shoulders, delivering a little peck of a kiss between her shoulder blades. "Go on and shower. I'll get you some breakfast started."

She turned and gave him a weak smile, followed by a full kiss for several seconds. "Thanks, lover."




Venetian Apartments


The smell of slightly burnt eggs and toast was the main aroma in the kitchen of Rachel and Larrisa's apartment, an enjoyable repast to regain the calories burned by the customary bouts of raunchy morning sex that Larrisa's hyperactive libido made almost obligatory for them. They sat, half-clothed, enjoying orange juice, milk, and the breakfast meal that Rachel as always cooked. She had a sad look at the burnt eggs, but Larrisa patted her on the head and ate them greedily, the taste far less painful than Rachel's sadness at her cooking mistakes.

"What will you do if Yumiko says no?", Rachel asked her lover. "I mean... we owe her so much, but..."

"That's the key there, Rachel. We owe her. I owe her everything." Larrisa looked out the window at the sun. "I'd be a sex slave in the Triangle if not for her."

"I know, I know," Rachel said sadly. "I... I just don't want this to end. The Triangle was horrible, and we always had to be so violent. But it's safe here. We don't even have to carry guns here!"

"Actually, Sophia gave me another lecture about that recently," Larrisa remarked. "Yumiko is not convinced we're entirely safe."

"I don't see the point. And... can't we bring our plight to the people here in the Alliance? Oh..." Rachel frowned and put her head in her hand. "I don't know what to do, but I do know I don't want to leave, ever."

"Have faith, Rachel," Larrisa urged. "She'll do right by us, don't worry. I know she will. Her sense of honor will lead her to do the right thing."

"I hope you're right." Rachel ate her last bite of egg. "I'm sorry about the eggs."

"Don't be, they were delicious."

"Liar," Rachel giggled. She knew damned well the eggs were horrible. But it warmed her heart that Larrisa was trying to make her feel better. "Do you think that holo-arcade on the boardwalk opened up yet?"

"Not the last time I checked." Larrisa looked at their apartment clock. "And we should shower and get ready. You know how Yevem's been since we got back, we'll all be working on the ship for days the way things are."

"Yevem and his tantrums," Rachel giggled.




East Landing CID Office


Mayuko barely arrived in time for Morse's call. Her stern expression came over clearly on the plasma screen set into the wall, though it was not so much stern at her as it was at, well, just about everything really. "Good morning Agent Burley," she greeted May, her English accent firm and polished. "I trust you have put Mr. Henley to good use?"

"Oh, yes," Mayuko answered, seeing Sam sitting to the side still partly studying the financial records from Lothwaai. "He's quite good at getting Ferengi to cooperate with financial tracking."

Morse's eyebrows went up. "Really? That's interesting. Hopefully that will come in handy for the case I've been ordered to give you. Given you are a GS-42 native, I imagine you are fairly familiar with the Dorei?"

Mayuko responded by smiling and nodding. "Yes. We had a small Dorei enclave back in Schwarzeneggarburg. I even dated one."

"I see." Morse showed no overt reaction, but it was clear that Mayuko's admission has perturbed her slightly. For some people, the issue of interspecies romance was still a... prickly one, even with species that were "compatible" with Humans. "He must have been an interesting fellow."

"Oh, she was very interesting." Mayuko allowed her smile to grow.

"Ah, yes, that notorious flexibility of you GS-42ers," Morse responded with a hint of a grin. "Well, we have an issue. There's a small group of young Dorei ladies vacationing in East Landing right now. One of them hasn't been seen since the night before last, a young lady named Triande Nesay." Morse was clearly reading from a file, pronouncing the name "Tree-andee". The contents of said file appeared beside her on the screen, showing four Dorei women. Teal spots framed the purple face and hair of the first portrait. One of the other girls was blue-skinned with light teal spots and dark blue hair; the other two had teal complexions of varying shade, though their hair colors and spot colors were different.

"Try-and-ey," Mayuko softly corrected. "She looks like a Sindai."

"She and the others... Saina Pela, Namiri Panta, and Druni Jestani... have been staying at the Oceanside Plaza Resort over there. They've been there for the past two months according to their statements. Now Miss Nesay has been reported missing. East Landing Police were notified and reported that they would put Missing Persons investigators in touch."

"Given this city, they're probably dismissing this as a case of a young girl finding some hunk and spending a few days in his bedroom," Dan pitched in. "These guys could give Honolulu PD lessons."

"Well, Miss Panta dialed the Dorei Federation consulate that just opened here in Wexford. I spent my evening being pressed by the Dorei Consul and two Planetary Councilmen to assign CID to the case." Morse put her hands together. "ELP was kind enough to respond to my request for the case file drawn up, and I have sent it to your system. Consider this your highest priority case. Even if the girl is just staying with some chap who's wooed her and forgot to call her friends, treat this like an abduction case."

"Understood. Give Nick my regards?"

"Of course. Good luck, Agent Burley." Morse reached for something offscreen and disappeared from the display, which went back to the string of transactions Sam was viewing on his own screen.

"So, odds that this is all a big fuss for nothing?", Dan asked, reaching for his shoulder holster.

"Well, she's from a Sindai nation," May said. "So was my girlfriend. They can be passionate, but for most of them it's not to the point of being reckless or thoughtless. If she were staying somewhere, I would think she'd tell one of her friends." She put her own harness on and reached for her coat. "So, we go with the standard handling. Each of us interviews one of Triande's friends. We compare notes afterward to see if anything hinky is going on with them. Afterward, Sam, you come back and start following their financials. Dorei use credit and debit accounts the same as we do, and party girl vacationers would probably keep their transactions electronic."

Sam got his sidearm and coat. They filed out of the office with May in the lead.




Venetian Village Apartments


It was well after dawn when Sophia woke up. Her pillow was drenched with tears from the nightmare that had interrupted her sleep. Her fight with Carrey had let all those horrible memories out again. She could remember the agony on her mother's face, all of the bruises and blood from what the Syndicate thugs had done to her. And then the glint of the blade that slid across her throat and the thick streams of crimson that came from it...

Having cried herself to sleep, she felt them again upon waking up. A look at the clock told her she was running late, so she raced to the shower. When she left it, she stood looking at herself in the mirror for a moment. It was not vanity at her beauty and attractiveness (as it was sometimes, admittedly), but rather from her eyes being fixed on her right ear and the scar that remained there, partway across the tip. Pain went through the scar, a memory of the blade that she'd taken to it as a panicked seven year old terrified of losing her family and convinced that if only her ears were Human, those mean pointy-eared Vulcan people would leave her and her mother alone...

She was already running her fingers over the rough flesh of the scar when thoughts of the time made her stop. She quickly dressed, grabbing a plain blouse and skirt, and was soon to the door. She opened it and looked down to see the gift awaiting her.

The bouquet of wild roses smelled great, their genetically-enhanced fragrance already gracing her senses. She reached down and picked them up, studying them and wondering who...

A dark look came over her face as she figured it out, but she still checked the card.

I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to hurt you.

Zachary

"Wild roses as an apology," Sophia muttered. "He really is hopeless." She brought them in, momentarily forgetting her rush, and almost tossed them in the waste bin.

But she didn't. A part of her held back, knowing this was a genuine gesture of affection and apology, and instead she found a place to put the flowers. She'd have to buy a vase later, but gene-engineered roses like this would be capable of staying fresh without direct water intake for a day or so if kept properly, so she found a space in her refrigerator and slipped them in. A quick glance at the clock told her she had to get going if she wanted to avoid having an argument with Asako, so without further delay Sophia rushed out of the door.




Oceanside Plaza Resort


The Dorei girls had two fairly cheap suites on the middle floors, with an interconnection between them. Mayuko, Dan, and Sam found them having the usual Dorei breakfast, intermixed with what looked to be Bolian food from an eatery down the road.

Mayuko was quick to realize their nationalities, or at least their macro-ethnicities. The teal girls were Lilani Dorei, Saina's blue spotting indicating she was probably from Parla while Namiri's purple spotting was, well, Mayuko wasn't sure there. Druni was clearly Tryni, a northern nation of the Astra group, given her more conservative wardrobe choice. She was also the most clearly distraught of the three.

"Triande wouldn't have run off with a male of any species," Saina insisted emphatically when Sam blundered by putting forth the suggestion.

"Oh?" The question was from Dan.

Before Saina or Namiri could speak, Mayuko figured it out and said, "Because Triande and Druni are a couple." Seeing her partners look toward her, she kept her attention on the others. "As are you two, I imagine?"

"Yes." Saina gave a look to Dan. "We know how uptight and ridiculous some of you Humans get..."

"Oh, don't worry about us," Mayuko said. "We're fine with it. Especially them. For Human males, at least the straight ones, it's a simple matter of arithmetic." Mayuko tapped a key on her digital reader to set up an encrypted link to their main computer at the office, allowing the interview to be recorded. "And if Miss Jestani is Tryni... I'm betting she doesn't have a neuro-translator implant?"

"No, she doesn't," Saina said.

"Ah." She looked directly to Druni and switched to Hargani. "But you and I know the Hargani tongue in more ways than one, of course."

Violet appeared on Druni's cheeks, but everyone else looked surprised. Druni seemed to struggle to find her voice for a moment. "You know Hargani? You've loved a Hargani?"

"Her name was Lunila. It was back on my homeworld of Pacifica in our home universe," Mayuko answered, again in Hargani. She switched to English. "I'm going to interview Druni here. Dan, you take Saina into the other suite. Sam... escort Miss Panta into the kitchen."

The two agents nodded and guided the girls away. Mayuko followed Druni over to the single bed and brought up a chair to sit in across from her. "I've never met a Tryni," she said. "But Lunila and her family told me about you. I'm guessing your parents don't approve?"

"They disowned me," Druni whimpered. "Because I wouldn't leave Triande."

Mayuko nodded. The Tryni had one of the most conservative cultures of all the Dorei, and followed a monotheist religion that was resolutely opposed to the paganism of the Sindai. Their reputation among the more outgoing Dorei nations was something like what the Schwarzers like Mayuko thought of the Mormons who had colonized the western reaches of Pacifica's main continent. "When did you last see her?"

"The day before last. We... spent the day in our room, mostly," Druni explained with her pink blush showing up again. "She wanted to enjoy the steam rooms, so we split up after dinner. When she was late I went down to look for her, but she was not around. I couldn't find her at all. I.. came back to Saina and Namiri..."

As Mayuko took her statement her instincts immediately told her that if there was anything hinky here, Druni wasn't involved. And she highly doubted any of them were. More than that, the most logical theory of the case - that Triande had simply run off with someone and forgot to tell her friends - was dead in the water. Having dated a Hargani, she couldn't see one walking out on a lover who gave up her entire family for her love. It was something of a generalization, but until she had evidence to the contrary...

Druni was breaking down into tears by the time she finished spelling out all of her frantic efforts to find Triande. Mayuko very carefully reached forward and took her hand. Druni looked at her in surprise, sniffling, while the tumult of her emotions filled Mayuko. Tears appeared in her eyes.

"I'll find Triande," Mayuko told her softly. "I promise."




With the interviews over, the agents left the Dorei girls back in their rooms and headed down to the resort's security office. "So we've got all three saying she was heading to the sauna." Dan looked back at his recorder. "Seems to have been a regular thing for her."

"So the next question is if she got there. Which we're going to find out now." Mayuko led them into the elevator and hit the button for the ground floor. As she did, she sniffled. Druni's emotions were fading, but she'd been teary-eyed since.

"Disappearance cases get to you, boss?", Sam asked, noticing.

She looked to him and then to Dan and drew in a sigh. "Neither of you know much about Dorei, I take it?"

Dan shrugged. "GS-42 aliens. Look like elves. Purple or blue or teal skin. That's about it?"

"They're slightly psionic," Mayuko explained. "It requires touch, though, and it only really works with other Dorei. But I dated a Dorei girl for a year."

"And so you two did a lot of... touching," Dan remarked, a slight smirk on his face and his voice full of humor.

Mayuko blushed slightly. "Keep it up, Danno, and I'll make you do all the paperwork," she threatened in a deadpan tone. "But yeah, over time I developed a bit of sensitivity to it. But only if the Dorei isn't doing the slightest thing to hold back his or her emotions. Druni's lost the love of her life, someone she gave up her home and family for. Her emotions are going haywire now, I couldn't help but feel them when I tried to take her hand."

The elevator stopped. They all stepped out and continued their way into the lobby. It was vast and high, containing multiple stories, with holo-signs in several languages as well as displays meant to reinforce that yes, this was a subtropical coastal paradise their guests were staying at.

"Well, I'm not sure about just dismissing the 'ran off with someone' theory," Dan said as they made their way across the carpeted floor. "But either way, hopefully their security holos will tell us when she left the sauna area and where she went."

At the security office, a single guard checked their CID badges. He nodded and hit a couple keys on his system. "The sauna entrances Friday night, got it."

"No recordings inside, I imagine?"

The guard smirked. "Of course not."

Sam accepted the disks they handed over and immediately began uploading them wirelessly into their field office's system. "Sam, you head back to the office," Mayuko said. "Watch the holos, run them through our screeners and such, and see if you get anything. Dan and I are going to stay and interview the employees, see if anything was odd Monday night."

Sam nodded and left them. "Think we'll find anything from the employee interviews?", Dan asked.

"Not for now," Mayuko answered. "But I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this case. And you never know what they might let slip."




East Landing Spaceport


Carrey looked again at the dispatch he'd gotten this morning, after he'd arranged the flower delivery to Sophia. It was a simple order; monitor the movements of some Ferengi who had come up on Department radar following encrypted comm intercepts. He was operating out of an office at the spaceport that had been leased out in the name of "Quivek's Shipping Brokerage" and what data Carrey had been given had him as a Ferengi national and transport broker, a time-honored Ferengi occupation that basically boiled down to middleman for smugglers and those who had things to smuggle.

Carrey tried not to look toward Hanger A-2 while he was going through the spaceport. Asako and her crew were jumpy enough. The last thing he needed was for them to think he was suddenly monitoring them. Especially if Sophia shared their exchange with Asako, as he imagined she would.

The Ferengi - presumably Quivek - was leaving his office when Carrey pulled up from the distance. An anti-grav scooter was his mode of transportation, something that made Carrey snicker to himself. If he had to, he'd keep up with Quivek on foot. But for now, he'd check out the office.

Nobody questioned Carrey inside; he had his own "office" after all, complete with a logo for Security Concept Enterprises. Ostensibly he was there providing security consultation service to ship owners. That he had no clients was something nobody would find out without deliberately digging in, and if someone tried he'd know and would very quickly have a list of clients to reveal. He moved down a corridor heading to his office and then ducked down into the next. Quivek's little office was here. He looked up toward the small nodule in the roof that he knew was a security recorder. A touch of a button on his noteputer and his remote access into building security shifted the recorder over to receiving an "empty hall" recording he'd made earlier, overwriting any visuals it would record of him. Nobody would be able to see he had entered.

The lock was a biometric, and since it was set to look for a Ferengi bio reading here was no way Carrey could fool it that way. He took out a small gadget for such systems and after bringing it online placed it against the lock. Instead of getting a Ferengi fingerprint and the touch contact that would permit the internal sensors to determine the subject's biological signatures, the plate found itself being used to propagate an overrride program that would erase itself, and its entry, as soon as he touched the plate again. For now, it simply unlocked the door and permitted Carrey entry.

One look told Carrey that he hated Quivek's sense of internal decorations. Gaudy sculptures of naked alien women (of varying species) lined one wall. An active hologram of a nude Ferengi woman flashed to life repeatedly on the ceiling and brought a shiver of revulsion to Carrey. So what, this Quivek guy actually lives to fulfill every stereotype about lecherous, sex-crazed Ferengi males?

Trying to not get distracted by a golden sculpture of a Vulcanoid woman that looked too much like Sophia and was in a rather... provocative pose, Carrey went up to the computer and took out a Ferengi-model isolinear data chip. He slipped it into the computer and allowed the program within to work its magic. While doing so he glanced around and looked at a PADD. It was in Ferengi and wasn't possible for him to read, so Carrey took out his own digital pad and held it over Quivek's. A press of a button and the display was loaded into his. He could get it translated later.

A light at the end of his chip changed to green and told him he'd finished loading the contents of Quivek's system. He slipped the chip out and put it back into its container, returning both to his jacket pocket. It was with great pleasure that he left Quivek's horrible office, securing the biometric scanner behind him.




East Landing CID Office


Mayuko was at her desk, frowning in thought, while Dan continued to watch the security holos along with Sam, who had put them up on the main screen. May glanced up at it again to see the sight of Triande entering the sauna area. "But we have no footage of her leaving?"

"None. She never shows up again," Sam answered. "The sauna wasn't being used much at that time anyway. We only had a few entrances and exits." He brought up pre-selected clips from the footage. Most of those going in and out were human, though one Bolian male could be seen entering and exiting as well.

"Wait." Mayuko saw something in a couple of the clips. Two dark-haired men, Human-looking, entering in one clip and leaving in the other. "These are the same guys. But when they're leaving..." She got up out of her chair, but Sam was already zooming in the display. On their departure, the two men were carrying a large bag. "That looks big enough, doesn't it?"

Dan stood as well. "What, you think they subdued her somehow and threw her in there? You'd think there'd be signs of a struggle..."

"I don't know, Agent Scott," Sam piped in. "Lots of ways to knock someone out without leaving clues. There are something like fifty instant sedative compounds on the market here in ST-3 alone, and they've been used for everything from assassinations to abductions to subduing..."

"Where do you learn all of this stuff, probie?", Dan suddenly asked.

Mayuko ignored Sam's reply. She could feel a twist in her gut that told her that all her worries about this case were coming true. "Okay, I'm going to put a call in to Captain Morse," she said. "You two get back to the resort, I'll join you later. I want everyone on this video identified and, if they can be found, interviewed." She looked back toward them. "We've got a kidnapping case on our hands."

[Steve]

Chapter 4


Oceanside Plaza Resort


Back in the security office for the Plaza Resort, Dan readily assumed an air of impatience as he waited for the chief of security to finish putting their search into the system. George Smythe had the "unlikeable English snob" act down pat, looking for all the world like he was mortally offended at having to stoop so low as to provide assistance to the authorities. "Between our employees and many guests I hope you understand this will take quite a while," he said.

"You made that clear before," Dan answered drolly. "But it still needs to get done."

"This abduction story sounds silly to me," Smythe continued. "Girls like that can run off on the flimsiest of desires. And you think she was taken because someone left with a bag?"

Dan rolled his eyes. He wanted to get this part over with, even if it meant joining the probie in screening the sauna lockers.




When Mayuko got to the resort, she headed toward the sauna locker area to help with the screening work there. Her call to Morse still sounded in her head. CID was still too strung out for her to send agents willy-nilly, and she wanted more proof of an abduction than "circumstantial evidence". The expression on her face told Mayuko that Morse was inclined to believe Mayuko's instincts... but the higher ups were not.

It didn't surprise her that she ran into Karizan in the main hallway. He would be at work right now, and the massage parlor was just down from the sauna. "Woh, May, what are you doing here?", he asked.

She breathed in a sigh and stopped, only for a moment. "The big case I have is here," was her answer. "And this one's going to be a bad one, I can already tell."

"This is about that Dorei girl who went missing?"

May had been about to turn away from him when he said that. She instead took a step back toward him. "What do you know about that?"

"Nothing much," he confessed. "I mean, I've seen the Dorei myself. The teal-skinned girls came down for massages a few times. Brought the other couple with them once. But the story's been going around the hotel ever since the one girl went missing." Karizan blushed, seeing the look on Mayuko's face. "Everyone kind of figured she ran off for a few days to fling with someone. Wouldn't be the first time."

"Guess not," Mayuko answered. "Anyway, we've both got work to do." At seeing him nod and turn, she did likewise.

Moving through the finely-crafted wooden panel halls to the saunas, Mayuko entered the locker area to find Sam fussing with a woman in a hotel uniform. "....criminal investigation," Sam had been saying.

"How's it coming, Agent Henley?", Mayuko asked loudly.

Sam, seeing her, let out a sigh of what seemed to be relief. "They're not letting me in to examine the room."

"Hotel policy is strict. No men in the women's changing area and sauna," the brunette insisted.

"Fine." Mayuko took the container of equipment from Sam. "I'll do it. Probie, go join Danno in the security office."

Contented by the preservation of what was either hotel rules or her own fierce concepts of privacy, the woman relented and left alongside Sam. Mayuko breathed in a sigh and looked over the instruments within. Say what you would about CID's manpower issues, but they didn't want for gear.

It only took a couple minutes and Mayuko had the entire locker area covered. Every surface was scanned for remnants of biological material or anything else that was anomalous. As this scan was occurring, Mayuko checked the waste bins while studiously avoiding the lockers - their search was entirely on the permission of the hotel establishment, and even if that might extend to lockers May's training was to always consider such as liable to being declared an illegal search without a full warrant.

The waste bins gave her nothing, but she found that the towel bin was nearly full. The date on the bin was the 11th, telling her this hadn't been cleared out since Triande's disappearance. Mayuko pulled the pile out and used a portable scanner on each of them, taking care to record which was around which. Remnants of sweat were almost always present, giving genetic samples. A couple near the bottom had Dorei genetic material that the CID database confirmed to Triande's, and then a couple more a bit above in what was clearly the next day's batch.

Her cell beeped and Mayuko was quick to answer it. "Danno?"

"I really hate that name. I just thought you should know that we've found the woman who entered the sauna right after Miss Nesay did. She's a guest staying on the sixth floor, registered as Diana White."

"Take the probie and go interview Miss....." Mayuko stopped as she finished looking over her scan of the most recent towels Triande had used. "Did we have any Orions on that holo?"

"I didn't notice any. One second." There was hushed murmuring on the other end. "Hotel doesn't have any Orion staff or guests recorded."

"Okay, Dan, do not approach Miss White yet. Monitor only. I'll join you as soon as I secure this evidence."

"Is something going on?"

"Yeah." Mayuko frowned and looked at the small screen again. "I've found Triande's genetic material on some towels down here, and there are Orion samples with them." This case just gets worse and worse, she thought to herself as she gathered the suspect towels and put them into stasis bags as evidence.




Dan was leading Sam to the elevators when they were met in the lobby by a guy flashing a badge. One quick look told Dan he was a Bajoran with East Landing Police, his dark blond hair combed closely with fairly common brown eyes. "So, I was surprised to see CID messing around with a Missing Person case."

A holo-display came off the badge, showing the official ID of the ELP detective. "Well, Detective Rayla, I would have imagined a branch like your's appreciating the help," Dan answered, reading said ID. He gave Sam a look that was meant to say "Keep your trap shut and go to the elevator" and looked back toward Rayla. "Or are you really upset we took the case off your hand?"

"Eh, I figure the girl's out in the East Isles, enjoying fun and sun with some boyfriend she picked up." Rayla shrugged. "Just what are you CID types wasting time here for? I heard you got involved with that big bust over at the spaceport."

"Well, we get shuffled around as we're needed."

"Looks like what I heard about you CID types is right." Rayla frowned. "You really are pretentious and arrogant. Listen, this is my case too..."

"Hey, you have anything to give beyond pet theories of the girl being on a pleasure cruise, I'm willing to share," Dan said, not entirely truthfully, "but it sounds more like you're covering your own ass, wondering if you were so quick to consider the case a no-brainer that you overlooked key details and fishing to see if we found anything. Now, I have to go work on my case, why don't you go think about it?" He went past Rayla. When the Bajoran man set his hand on Dan's shoulder he shrugged him off angrily. "And get your damn hand off me."

Sam was waiting for Dan, having seen much of everything from the distance. "He's fishing?"

"Yeah. But I'm wondering if I should throw him a lure, see what he knows," Dan answered. "ELP talk with each other, never know what little thing might pop up if we get on the guy's good side."

"You'd have to give him something, though."

Dan smirked. "Yeah, I would. Wouldn't necessarily have to be something useful though."

Once they were inside the elevator Sam hit the key for six. Mellow music flowed over the speakers, keyed specifically to what the systems considered "Human" taste but which was certainly not "Dan" taste. They emerged onto the sixth floor and went toward the westward facing suites. "Probably saves sixty bucks a night just flipping sides," Dan mused. "So, room 645?"

"665," Sam corrected.

"Ah, good probie."

They followed the signs until they got to the room, after which they remained around a corner to avoid being in clear sight from the door. "And we just wait here until the boss gets here?", Sam asked.

"That's the plan, Sam," Dan answered, emphasizing the lyrical rhyme. "We've got Orion DNA on the same towel as our missing girl."

"Orion." Sam seemed to go into thought. "An abduction team from the Syndicate?"

"Possible. Don't know what these alien girls did to piss them off. And I'm pretty sure we don't want this to become another of those cases that goes kaboom from people saying we're using racial profiling, you know?" He was answered with silence.

They kept a silent vigil on the room in question for about fifteen more minutes before Mayuko finally showed up, looking very apprehensive. "Hotel security has Miss White in the room going by the security monitors. Short of her METting out, I can't think of any way they'd be wrong."

"So all we have left to do is knock on the door," Dan said. "We play it cool, simply say she's a potential witness, and see what happens."

"About all we can do." Mayuko walked up to the door and knocked firmly on it. After there was no response for about ten seconds she did so again and looked directly at what she figured to be the security viewer. She held her ID up to it and knocked again. "Miss White, we need to ask you a few questions, won't take more than a few minutes..."




This isn't how it's supposed to be!

The individual known as Miss White sat quietly in her chair, considering the Orion blaster she'd slipped out of her bags to clean up. The knock on the door had startled her, and upon seeing an Alliance police agent...

No no no! Everything had gone so simple! And there were only three left! In a panic, White thought of the family that would suffer if she failed the Syndicate. She couldn't be arrested, couldn't be caught.... if they made her talk it'd ruin everything!

In her wild panic, assuming the worst about police agents she'd never dealt with given all prior experiences with those on other worlds, Miss White came to her fatal decision and carried it out.

She brought up the blaster pistol, put it in her mouth, and hit the trigger.




May was about to knock again when she heard the faint sound of an energy weapon discharge. She unholstered her weapon in tandem with the others. Dan was already on the phone with security. "This is CID, we heard a weapons discharge in 665, we need it open now."

"We are engaging overrides," an English voice answered.

The door lock unlatched a moment later. Sam opened it and stood away to permit May and Dan to enter, guns at the ready. The hotel room was a basic suite, with a small kitchenette and bathroom near to the door. Dan swept the bathroom and shouted "Clear!" while Mayuko advanced further into the room.

Some bags were evident, and a few pieces of clothing out. The base for a holoprojector was present on the nightstand by the bed. And on the bed... was the presumed Miss White, laid out on the bed. Above the window was a black mark from an energy weapon discharge. Her hand was holding an alien energy pistol of some kind and smoke rose from her open mouth.

"Clear," Mayuko said, irritation clear in her voice. Their one lead in the abduction of Triande Nesay was gone.




Uptown Apartments


Carrey was waiting when the translation of Quivek's PADD came back. It was a note to an unnamed employer, informing them that his first choice of shipper had turned down a "contract"
and he needed an "alternative" transport arranged as a precautionary measure. So, the little perv is involved in smuggling. Carrey stared at the screen a bit, thinking things over. He'd been alerted to a possible security threat posed by Quivek, but Bowie was being tight-fisted with details.

He found himself needing to flex and stretch a bit, so he stepped into his living rooms and began some stretching exercises. When he was done and had fetched a soda and sandwhich from the kitchen as a late dinner, he returned to his work station. His data-mining VI was still examining Quivek's data, but it had flagged an entry.

Carrey brought it up. It was an examination of the contracts of Ogawa Transport. Quivek had noted in the file a "sufficient payment" to employ them. A cold feeling came to his stomach. Even if it was logical that Asako and her people would still sometimes deal with the criminal underworld, he didn't like the sound of Quivek being involved with them. That was a potential security risk, not to mention threatening the usefulness of Asako's group as assets for AID.

He already knew Asako and Sophia wouldn't take it well. But he'd have to ask them about Quivek, and find out how deep they were getting with the Ferengi broker.




Oceanside Plaza Resort


The ELP had responded quickly to Mayuko's call, and now two of their homicide detectives were present in the room along with forensic analysts and other crime scene processors. The detectives had been willing to let her take first crack at the evidence, though they remained adamant that if murder was involved it'd be an ELP case.

Like hell it would.

But it was rather clear what happened. The unknown Miss White had committed suicide. A genetic sample already taken had confirmed the towel Mayuko had found had her DNA on it as well as Triande's; more to the point, her DNA confirmed her as an Orion, not a Human.

"I don't get it. Why?"

Mayuko looked over at Sam, who seemed a few shades lighter as he stared at the dead woman's body. "Some people just can't handle the pressure, Sam. I've seen perps commit suicide before. The real tough bit is when they pull Suicide By Cop."

"No, what I mean is... she had no reason to do this. I mean, her involvement was so slight she had to know we couldn't prove much. We couldn't have even held her on what we had."

"Maybe she didn't know that. Maybe she thought she slipped up."

"Or maybe she was protecting something." Dan's voice prompted them to turn to the nightstand. He had activated the holo sitting there. Miss White appeared on it, in her natural green coloring, holding a small child with a large, muscular Orion man smiling beside her, an arm around her hips. "People kill for family. And some will even die for family."

"So what, she was involved against her will? The kidnappers were holding her family against her and she killed herself when she thought we were busting her?" Sam shook his head. "That sounds drastic."

"Yeah, well, this situation is starting to feel like it has Syndicate written all over it, probie," Dan answered. "And given what the Syndicate can do to people... I can see a loving mom eating her own gun to protect her kid."

"Dammit," Mayuko growled, staring out the window. "I just hope she was sloppy. We don't have much to go on right now, and time's running out for Triande."




North Strand, East Landing Beach


A few miles from the Oceanside Plaza Resort, the North Strand was the center of nightlife for the northern reach of the city. A beachside boardwalk housed small holo-arcades, shops and boutiques, specialty restaurants and cafès, massage parlors, and other assorted stores.

Namiri and Saina stepped out of a beachside bar. They'd been careful not to drink too much, but neither was very sober, and they had a long walk back. They walked along, hand-in-hand, looking the part of tourists with their drani dresses (similar to a Human tube top combined with a knee-length skirt) and their hair kept back in pony tails. Some people looked at them, some didn't seem to notice, and in general they merged with the throngs of partygoers and young lovers and beach-side walkers.

They came up on a side alley between two of the boardwalk buildings. As they walked past it, they heard a voice cry out from the alley, very faintly. Most of those around them didn't hear; their sensitive ears seemed to be the only ones who could pick it up. "Triande?", Namiri whispered hoarsely, looking down the alley and its trash dumpsters.

The voice was her's. And it cried out for help, very faintly.

Saina grabbed her comm unit and both rushed into the alley, trying to find the source of the sound. Triande's cries led them toward one of the dumpsters. "We're here, Tri!", Namiri cried out in Hargani. She grabbed the lid and opened it.

There was trash within, but no sign of Triande. What did stand out was a small device with what looked to be a speaker.

Saina's fingers went to her comm and began to trigger the line to the police. Before she could finish, she felt pressure against her neck. Everything went black.

Namiri turned to see Saina in the grip of a large man, of green complexion, a serum-device pressed against Saina's neck. She cried out in surprise, but her scream was cut off by a thick and powerful hand before it could reach a crescendo. She felt something press to her neck and her sight faded away.




Chapter 5



East Landing CID Office
15 January 2156 AST


After a night of taking inventory on evidence, pleading with the East Landing Coroner's Office to make "Mrs. White" a priority, and some sleep, Mayuko had hoped that the three of them would have come up with some thought that would lead them to the abducted Triande Nesay.

"Okay, we need to approach this another way." Sam sat up in his chair. "My network engineering prof always said the best way to beat a block was to change how you approached your problem."

"Well, probie, by all means,." Dan sipped at some coffee. "Change our approach."

Sam looked to May, who gave a tired nod. "Okay, we have an Orion connection to Miss Nesay's disappearance. And before that we have a smuggler ship hired by the Orion Syndicate that lands planetside to pick up a cargo, but someone tips off the authorities and the ELP grab the ship the day that Nesay disappeared."

"So, you're thinking a connection." Mayuko pointed her pen at him. "The problem is the Orion Syndicate is into all sorts of things."

"One of their big games is slave-trading, though," Sam pointed out. "And going by the reports we have, the vast majority of it is for forced prostitution."

"Or forced labor back on their homeworld," Dan added. "Read about that in National Geographic. Some of those Orion nations are pretty backward. They use starships and ray guns but think their gods prefer they stay away from any building that doesn't involve a lot of muscle power."

"Well, what we have here is the abduction of a young woman from an alien race of another universe. Her family is fairly wealthy, but it's Miss Panta who's been paying for the trip and who has the billionaire father. You'd think if it was ransom they'd target her first."

"And the family hasn't gotten any ransom notice either, and it's been long enough." Mayuko drew in a breath, trying to deal with the sick feeling in her gut. "Okay, so we figure that they picked up Nesay to sell her into slavery, maybe she'll make one of their traders a lot of money for being 'exotic' or whatever."

Dan pitched in now. "They send Lothwaai in, since they want a good smuggler to get the girl out. We bust him. But it doesn't matter, because maybe they think they're going to make a fortune off Triande, or..."

"...or someone already pre-bought her and they don't want to back out," Sam continued. "Either way, they order their kidnappers in. And Miss White's been there for a bit, so this is a pretty set up operation."

"But they don't expect we get called in that quickly. White's not prepared to face police agents, or has a family threatened with death if she talks or something. So she eats a round." Dan mimicked shooting himself in the mouth.

"That's a lot of effort for just one chick, though. I mean, pre-positioning a kidnapping team? Sending in a well-paid smuggler? That's got to cost a lot, and there's quite a bit of risk."

At that moment, a horrified feeling rippled through Mayuko as she followed the thought to its conclusion. "So they weren't here for Triande. Not her alone." She reached for her phone. "They're here for all of them."

Dan and Sam exchanged looks. Dan grabbed his phone too. "I'll call ELP. We need to get them a protection detail."

"Maybe if we follow the money we can find hints of who they're hiring to get Triande and her friends off-planet," Sam said, even as he brought up his ongoing money trace from Lothwaai's evidence.

"Pick up, pick up..." As soon as the call was accepted, Mayuko quickly switched to Hargani. "Druni, listen to me. You and your friends need to stay in your rooms until I get there. You're all in danger.... Druni?"

Sam looked up, seeing the look on May's face. "What?"

Mayuko looked to her two agents. "Namiri and Saina didn't come home last night," she answered.




Hanger A-2, East Landing Spaceport


Asako and Sophia had been finalizing their corporate expense report for official filing when Pala knocked at the door. "Mister Carrey is here to see you," she told them.

Asako gave Pala a non-chalant look that Sophia knew was hiding some appprehension. "Send him in."

Pala retreated from the door. Carrey was in business casual dress as usual, but instead of the upbeat and flirty demeanor he usually showed he seemed perturbed, even grave. Sophia wondered just what had him so upset.

"Miss Ogawa," he said respectfully, taking a seat.

"Another contract you need to have fulfilled, Mister Carrey?" Asako's question was put in a cold, neutral tone.

"We have to talk. Somewhere private. Highly private." At that, Carrey took out a small device and set it on the table. His thumb pressed near the base. "And if you have intel agents or police listening to your office conversations, this should give them a headache while I'm here."

Sophia and Asako exchanged very concerned glances. "Just what is going on?"

"Miss t'Prinn." Carrey put his hands together on his lap. His use of Asako's real surname made Sophia glare at him, even if he was apparently blocking any listening devices in the room. "I've been doing some private investigating for my employers at SCE. An individual has come to our attention who's business dealings concern us from a security standpoint." He looked straight at Asako, not blinking an eye. "Have you had any dealings with a Ferengi named Quivek?"

He is an intelligence agent, Asako thought. Not that she hadn't already guessed, but the way he'd shed his philanderer playboy persona and went right on the attack made her certain of it. He was her handler, he'd gotten wind somehow of Quivek's visit - one of her people? Doubtful. Maybe surveillance of his own? - and had come to confront her.

And given just how much Carrey could hurt her and her people if he chose to, Asako decided to play things straight.

"He visited us the day before yesterday." Asako put her hands together non-chalantly on her desk. "Mister Quivek claimed to be a shipping broker, matching special cargoes to carriers. He offered us a very lucrative transport contract for what he termed 'high-grade biological material'. But the contract he offered was suspect, and I turned him down. Much to his surprise."

"You'd think a slug like that would get used to being turned down by women," Sophia added, trying to inject some levity into the tension while feeling very agitated at Carrey for bringing that tension in.

Carrey showed no emotional reaction to Asako's explanation. "Just what was suspect about the contract?"

"The secrecy clauses," Asako answered. "They're the standard secrecy clauses employed by agents of the Orion Syndicate when employing legitimate, non-Syndicate contractors."

"I see." With that, Carrey seemed to actually breathe a sigh of relief. "I appreciate your turning Quivek away. My investigation was already hinting at the Syndicate connection, and the last thing my employers need is for you to get mixed up with them."

"The last thing I want is to have that happen, Mister Carrey," Asako pointed out. "They've taken the blood of some of my people, and cost our families terrible loss. Even without this, I've boarded too many Orion slave carriers to ever want to work with the Syndicate."

"Understandable." Carrey glanced briefly over to Sophia, who glowered at him. "If you hear anything more about Quivek, please give me a call?"

"I'll consider it," Asako replied.

Carrey promptly turned off his dampening device and pocketed it. He gave a nod to Sophia and went out the door.

"Well, that was a disaster we've avoided," Sophia sighed.

"Agreed." Asako stared at the door for a moment. "Remind everyone to stay clear of Quivek. I've got some calls to make."

"Yumiko?"

"If Mr. Carrey's employers are getting involved with whatever Quivek's mixed up in, I want to know what's going on. I need to know."




Oceanside Plaza Resort


Druni was hysterical by the time Mayuko got to her. With her agents off doing the other investigative work, Mayuko was trying to interview Druni and calm her down.

It wasn't working too well.

For the most part Druni did her crying in Tryni. Mayuko didn't know a word of it, though she noticed the generic word for the Supreme Being and thought she heard a few terms that her basic knowledge of Astra told her implied sin and punishment. She felt overwhelming terror and guilt whenever she made skin contact by touching Druni's shoulder. The guilt put her on edge... could Druni have done something, even innocuous, that had hurt her friends? Or was it just the guilt of a lesbian Tryni brought up in a religiously-stringent culture who had seen her life melt away in a matter of days, such that she believed God Himself (or Herself.... or Itself, the Dorei monotheists were a lot less settled on their Supreme Deity's gender or even having one) was punishing her for her sins.

Mayuko found herself treading dangerously on the line of professional courtesy and unprofessional behavior. She was supposed to sustain some detachment from Druni, some distance toward a subject in an ongoing investigation. But seeing the young woman's anguish was making that impossible. She wanted to soothe her, to promise her that she would get her beloved Triande back.

Even if it was likely to be a damned lie.

Druni was exhausted to the point of sniffles when May's phone beeped. She took it up from her belt and accepted the call. "Tell me you have something, Danno."

"A list of bars on the North Strand was their last net page. I already told the probie, he's getting access to the local CCTV systems from ELP right now."

"Okay. Nothing else though?"

"Nada."

"Alright. Go down to ELP then, we need to arrange a protective detail."

"I heard the crying through the wall. Sounds like your interview's going nowhere."

"Still conducting it." Mayuko rubbed at her brow before giving a customary goodbye. She returned the phone to her belt. Druni was laying out on her bed. The only sound she was making was her breathing, indicating she had fallen asleep.

The police officer in Mayuko wanted to wake Druni up and resume the interview. The woman in Mayuko decided instead that the best thing was to let her sleep, and hope she was better off after some rest.




Syndicate Special Facility


"Only one remains. Have you arranged transport?"

"The Ferengi has proven disappointing in his efforts to find a suitable vessel. We may have to send one of our own."

That led to the speaker getting smacked. "Idiot! We would be too open to do so!"

"We have no choice. If we want the girls off world in the next couple of days, we've got to send in an interceptor. It can outrun their border cutters that way."

There was silence. "Very well. Take Otopathos' ship. I entrust this operation to you. You know what failure means."

"I do indeed. I will keep contact with our agents planetside to make sure their police do not interfere."

And with that, the lieutenant left.




Oceanside Plaza Resort


A knock at the door prompted Mayuko to look up from her PDA. With one hand on her gun she crept up to it and looked out the peephole. She pulled the hand away and let out a sigh before opening the door. "Thanks for coming so quickly."

Karizan stepped in. He saw the sleeping Druni and looked to Mayuko. "Everything okay?"

"I've got an emotionally devastated subject who's convinced that God is punishing her for her sins on my hands, three abducted young women, and almost no clue on where to actually go looking for them." Mayuko sighed and led him to the small dining table. "I can't stay here all the time and I'm still waiting fo hear on whether I can get a protective detail assigned by Wexford. I need someone to watch Druni while I try to find her girlfriends."

"Well, I don't mind being here when I'm off," Karizan offered. "But that's only in the evening."

"During the day one of my agents will be here, but if you can be here during the evenings that gives us time in which everyone can be in the field."

"I'll do it then," Karizan said. "No repayment necessary."

"A shame." Mayuko's expression became mischievous. "I had some fun ideas on how to repay you..."

"Well, in that case..." He grinned. "I'll make sure to bill you."

"Of course. And just so you don't think I'm going to leave you alone, I'll be back later to stay the night as well." Mayuko scooped up her phone. "But I have to head back to the office for now. Keep the doors locked and call me at the slightest trouble."



East Landing Police Main Office


Dan exchanged the occasional glare with the uniformed cops as he went through the main precinct. It seemed that all law enforcement agencies were doomed to vitriolic rivalry. Local cops hated the federal agents coming in, swiping their cases, and lecturing them; federal agents hated local cops that seemed stupid, lazy, and often over their heads when up against major criminal cases. These rivalries struck him as completely ridiculous, and only helping the bad guys.

Unfortunately, he doubted the ELPD would care about his thoughts. The looks he was getting were far too venomous and disdainful.

Lothwaai was part of this abduction case. The timing was simply too obvious to think otherwise. And he might have answers to some very important questions, if he could be persuaded to talk.

Dan walked up to the holding area officer. "I'm here to see..." Dan checked his phone and read off the ID assigned to Lothwaai.. "The wrinkly..."

"I'm from Minos Korva, Agent, I'm well aware of what a Yridian looks like," the officer replied snidely. He stood up and led Dan into the holding area while Dan was grumbling at himself for not thinking of just how many ST-3ers were around in the ELP and other organizations.

They came up to the isolated cell that Lothwaai was in. The custody officer pressed his right hand to the panel beside the door while using the left to tap in a key sequence. A light ran over his face. The light turned green and the cell door opened. The officer entered and stood to the side, barking, "You've got a visitor, Lothwaai. Wake up!"

Weird time of the day to be sleeping, Dan thought as he entered, seeing the Yridian laying out on his cot. "It's me, your best bud, Lothy. I'm here to ask... C'mon, would you get up already?!' He went and pulled Lothwaai over. The chill on his body and stiffness of the muscle made Dan's stomach turn in realization.

When Lothwaai's eyes met his, Dan saw only emptiness and death.




East Landing CID Office



Mayuko barely had time to put her gear onto her desk before Claire looked up from her desk. "Call coming in from Wexford, Agent Burley."

"Put them on." Mayuko looked to the projector. Morse was there, of course, but she had co-callers this time; a stocky old gentleman that Mayuko thought she recognized, and a well-dressed Dorei male of blue complexion and teal spotting. "Agent Burley here."

"Agent, this is the Secretary of Planetary Security," Morse said. "Mister Donald Rathwell. And Jaris Dulano, the Dorei Federation consul on New Liberty."

"Mister Secretary, Consul," Mayuko answered politely.

"Let's cut to the matter at hand, Agent," Rathwell said, his accent unsurprisingly English. "Three Dorei nationals have disappeared in your jurisdiction in the past three days. The Dorei government has been informed of the situation and is demanding to know what you are doing to learn what has happened to their people and ensure their safe return."

"Understood Mister Secretary." Mayuko gave a nod, knowing she had to handle this right to get out of this with her career intact. "We are currently pursuing several avenues of investigation into those responsible for the other abductions. Every agent in my office is hard at work on this."

"Do you have any leads on who is responsible?"

That question made Mayuko nearly bite into her lip. The last thing she needed was for the details of her case to leak to the media. "Some preliminary evidence indicates Orion Syndicate involvement."

Morse and Rathwell glowered, though it was clear Dulano didn't know what the Syndicate was. "I am unfamiliar with this institution you speak of," the Dorei diplomat asked. "Why would they abduct my people?"

"It is our theory that they were taken because of the rarity of the Dorei in this galaxy and a higher value as, well...." Mayuko took a breath. "...slaves."

Dulano's expression turned dark. "Are you telling me, Agent, that your bungling police have permitted my people to be enslaved?! Do you know what a failing that is in our eyes?!"

"I'm aware of how touchy your people are about alien slavery, Sir," Mayuko answered. "And I'm doing everything possible to get them back."

"Nothing will suffice but their recovery, Agent. Nothing. Gentlemen, peyan." The consul disappeared in a flicker.

"We have an interstellar incident on our hands if you don't find those young women, Agent," Rathwell declared. "I don't care how you do it, get it done. Locate the Dorei girls and recover them.."

"I intend to, Sir," Mayuko vowed.

The call ended shortly afterward, but before May could even begin to get on with things, another call came through, this one from Dan. "Tell me you got something, Danno," she said into the phone.

"Nothing good," There was no playful irritation with his nickname, not a good sign at all. "Someone got to Lothwaai. He's dead."

"WHAT?!", Mayuko screamed. "How is that.... he's in ELP cust..." The thought stopped there as the horrible likelihood crossed her mind.

The Syndicate has someone inside the ELP.

[Steve]

Chapter 6


Oceanside Plaza Resort
16 January 2156 AST


Karizan and Druni were jolted out of their sleep when the knck at the door grew loud and frantic. Mumbling, Karizan slipped out of the sleeping chair and went up to the door while Druni curled up in the bed, terror in her expression. "It'll be okay," Karizan said softly, looking through the peephole. He could see Mayuko was on the other end. He reached over and opened the door. "Getting late, lover..."

"No time, lover, no time now," Mayuko said, almost breathless. "We've got to go, now. Get everything."

Druni sat up in the bed, looking very confused and still very agitated and fearful.

"There's a place a few streets down where we'll put you, Druni. It's for your own protection." Mayuko gestured toward her bags. "Get some of your clothes packed. Don't takke everything, just enough for a couple days."

"Which place?", Karizan asked.

"Already made the call. A suite at the Hallis Palms."

He frowned. "They're rivals of my hotel, Mayuko. If my boss finds out..."

"You're cooperating with a police investigation, Karizan. Besides..." She grinned at him. "Now I owe you even more."

He smirked at that. "So you do..."




East Landing CID Office


The next morning Mayuko was hopped up on raktajino and stims... as was everyone else. They had pored over every bit of evidence, every lead from Lothwaai's records. The accounts the Syndicate used were spread across the Alpha Quadrant.

There were so many unanswered questions. Who had tipped off the ELP about Lothwaai? Why hadn't the Syndicate's spy in the Police warned them that their transport man was compromised? Where were the Dorei girls now and how did the Syndicate plan to get them off world?

"Could they be planning to just meet a shuttle in the forest?" Sam was on that question now. "No need to use the spaceport if they can just lift off from the middle of nowhere."

"Planetary sensors would read them coming in, even if they're cloaked. Any ship heading for the middle of nowhere is going to get checked by Planetary Traffic Control," Dan pointed out. "Besides, that requires a lot of effort to hike out to some clearing. A lot easier to just smuggle them."

"The spaceports are on alert..."

"Smugglers can get crafty. Once had the Indonesian Mafia try to bring in a whole load of workers into Honolulu that went right through port security without a blip. And you know how these ST-3ers are with their technical weirdness." Dan thumped a pencil against his desk. "I figure that's how they'll do it. Just throw the girls into a smuggling compartment, use some sensor shielding or something so Dorei life signs don't get detected."

"So let's say they're at the spaceport. East Landing has the largest in the region." Mayuko shook her head. "And any of the transport companies that have popped up can be a front..."

As Sam and Daniel nodded a thought came to Mayuko. She knew for damn certain there was at least one shady transport outfit at the Spaceport. She'd been keeping an eye on Yumiko Ogawa and her gang for two years now, waiting for them to make a move. A good place to start... Mayuko stood up. "Okay, Dan, I know where I want to start. You're coming with me. Sam, you check all those accounts that Lothwaai's money went through again. See if you can find that origin point. And while you're at it, see if they've been used for any other local transactions recently." Mayuko slipped her holster on her belt as Dan stood up and reached for his own. "I'll call Karizan on the way and let him know it'll be a bit before we can get there."

"You're going to owe your boyfriend big time, you know," Dan remarked as they stepped around their desks and went toward the door.

"Oh, don't worry." Mayuko smirked. "I'll probably enjoy him collecting on it as much as he does."




The drive to the spaceport wasn't too far in non-rush traffic, but it was still long enough that Dan and Mayuko had time to talk. "Do you know they don't all call themselves 'Dorei'?", Mayuko said.

"Really? Wouldn't have guessed."

"Well, it's not like every Human language uses the word 'human' or something like it," Mayuko pointed out. "People forget that not all aliens are one-note cultures. There are over a hundred major Dorei nations, and they divide ethnically lower than that. The Hargani call their race Ja'rela instead of Dorei. 'Chosen of the Gods.'"

"Really?" Dan tried to show interest.

Mayuko, of course, could tell he didn't give much of a damn, but she continued just to have something to talk about. "Lunila thought it was hilarious when I told her what 'Dorei' meant in Japanese."

"Servant, right?"

"Somewhat.... but the connotation is closer to slave. Lunila's reply was 'leave it to the stupid Lushan to have all your people calling us a word for slave'." Mayuko drew in a sigh. "Guess that story has popped back in my head thanks to this mess."

"Everyone likes to think slavery's part of the dirty old past," Dan remarked. "We throw around words like 'forced prostitution' or 'illegal wage labor' to get around the fact that it's the same old shit, just with a new shiny label."

"Tell me about it." Mayuko's hands gripped the steering wheel tighter. I'm not going to let Druni and her friends go through that. No way in Hell!

"I'm still trying to think of this situation with ELP. Lots of them would've had access to Lothwaai." Dan leaned his head against the window. "So which of them is it? And who do we talk to when we're not sure who in the hell we can trust?"

"I'll bring it up with Inspector Morse when we get back. For now, let's focus on the transport issue."




Hanger A-2, East Landing Spaceport


The crew was coming and going from the hanger, assisting in the overhaul that Yevem had ordered on the Vesey after a long haranguing of the crew over their "laxity" in dealing with the Badlands. Sophia and Asako had watched quietly and with exchanged smirks. Yevem was quite passionate about keeping his ship in running order...

They had just returned to their office when Pala came running up, a worried look on her face. "There are police agents here. They insist on speaking to you immediately."

Asako drew in a breath and went to her desk. "Well, send them in, then. We've done nothing illegal."

Pala nodded and left. A few minutes later she returned with the police agents. The scruffy blond man was not someone Asako knew, but the other.... yes, she'd seen the woman with heterochromia before. "Agent... Burley, isn't it? I don't forget faces, and I especially don't forget such a unique eye condition."

"Miss Ogawa," Mayuko said matter-of-factly. "And Miss Razmara. This is my partner, Agent Daniel Scott. We're here investigating the abduction of three young women."

"And you believe I can assist you with this?", Asako asked.

"We believe they've been abducted to be sold into the Orion slave markets," Mayuko replied. "They'd have to be smuggled off-world."

Asako and Sophia exchanged looks. They knew each other's thoughts;"high-grade biological material" indeed! "We heard of such things in the Triangle," Sophia said. "Didn't know they were happening here."

"Of course." Mayuko nodded. "I'm trying to find them before they're smuggled off-world."

"And you came to us? I understand you were concerned over us regarding the Styrian heist two years ago...."

"Let's not pretend you're as clean as the driven snow.. Not with that Romulan disruptor built into your ship's bow," Mayuko said testily. "If I find out you're working with the Syndicate I'm going to come down on you hard. But I know it's likely you're not, not when you risked yourselves to bring Bajoran refugees here through the Cardassian patrols. So I'm asking you..." Mayuko brought out a holoprojector and showed images of four alien girls, all of them no more than early 20s Human equivalent and rather comely in ttheir own way. "Help me save these young women."

Asako's jaw tightened. Sophia said nothing, simply looking to her friend to let her make the decision. Asako's gaze focused on the four alien women, all young-looking, all of them facing the violations and brutality she had seen at work in the Orion sex-slave rings. Drawing in a breath, Asako leaned forward. "A gentleman approached me a few days ago. He was shopping for a private transport to ship something off-world. I felt the contract suspect and turned him down."

"Does this gentleman have a name?", Mayuko asked pointedly.

"Quivek. A Ferengi. He has an office here in the Spaceport." Asako put her hands together. 'That is all I know to tell you."

"I'll hold you to that," Mayuko answered. "Thank you for your assistance. If you remember anything else you feel I need to know..." She put a card on the table. "My numbers. Give me a call."

Asako nodded. "Good luck, Agent Burley. And be careful."

"Thank you." Mayuko turned and left, Dan following her.

"That little weasel," Sophia breathed in anger. "I should go break every bone in his body."

"Now now, that would be assault, my dear Sophia," Asako clucked. "There are other ways we can deal with this. Time for me to make a call I'd hoped to never make again."

Sophia made a face. "You don't mean..."

"I do." Asako reached over to her comms. "While you go let Mister Carrey know about this development so he doesn't think we're keeping him in the dark, I'll be calling dear Gaila."

"Ugh. He's going to hit on you. He always seems to think bragging about owning a moon will get him a woman."

"It's undoubtedly effective on others. But if the Syndicate has holdings in this area, they'll be buying from Hargath. And that means Gaila will be involved."

"He'll demand something in exchange, Asako," Sophia warned her. "He's not stupid."

"I know. But for the Syndicate to start kidnapping on an Alliance world? It means they're setting up here, Sophia. And if you want to be able to settle here safely, we have to keep them out before they realize who we are."

To that, all Sophia could do was nod and reach for her phone to begin making calls.




Mayuko pulled her car into an open spot at the spaceport office complex. She stood up, looking at her PDA. "Looks like this Quivek has an office here. Hopefully he's in."

"So..." Dan stepped around from his side of the car. "You seem to have met Miss Ogawa and her hot partner before. Former case?"

"Remember back when the Winter War started, when the Cardies attacked an Alliance cargo transport in Feddie space a day or so after Gytep?"

"Was still in Honolulu then... but yeah. It was all over the news as part of the talking heads' war watching."

"Ogawa's ship was the one they hit. She ferried a couple hundred Bajoran refugees through the Cardie patrols. But she had also just left a Feddie world, New Styria, where about fifteen million bucks worth of gold-pressed latinum had been snatched from a government armed convoy." Mayuko opened the door into the building. Quivek's office wouldn't be far, as it was a first floor one from the listing. "The Feddies flagged them as suspects. So Nick and I investigated, well, until the politicians yanked us off the case."

"Ah. Probably didn't want to hand the Cardies and Feddies something to whack us with," Dan remarked.

"Possibly." But there was more to it. Morse thinks MI-5 was involved. Which means Allliance Intelligence. Nothing I want to get mixed up with. "Anyway, I've been keeping an eye on them since coming here. Just in case there was something to them being bank robbers."

"And if they're crooks, you figured they might work for the Syndicate."

"Yeah. Except their reaction was pretty genuine. No touchiness, just straight up truth. And here we are." Mayuko knocked on a door bearing the sign "Quivek's Shipping Brokerage". "Mister Quivek? New Liberty Criminal Investigation Department, we have some questions."

There was no answer immediately. But after a short time the door opened and a Ferengi who looked really ugly poked his head out. "Ah, the local constabulary. And with such a lovely female too! Please, come in!" He led them in. Dan whistled at the sight of all the nude women statues and displays in the room. Mayuko hid a smile, even with the clear sensation of Quivek staring at her and undressing her with his eyes. "What might I do for you, constables?

"Agents Mayuko Burley..." Mayuko flashed her ID. "...and Daniel Scott. We're here investigating if any sudden transport requests have come through."

"Define strange, please. You won't believe the business I do in specialty items. Why, there's this developer of erotic material on the CON-5 world of Gilead who's selling well on Ferenginar... Berglund's recordings are going for bars, whole bars, while....."

"Please focus on the question," Mayuko asked.

"Well, nothing truly strange, ma'am," Quivek answered. "Perhaps if your partner is willing to wait outside you and I could... discuss the definitions of strange?"

That'll be the day, Mayuko thought. As much as she'd like to tear apart the office, though, even lecherous Ferengi had rights, and she had no justification at the moment to search anything. "Well, should you get any suspicious requests for brokering a shipment off-world, please call. There are rewards leading to the capture of criminals, especially kidnappers."

Dropping that note clearly got Quivek's attention. For the briefest moment he looked apprehensive before he brought the mask back. "Oh, yes... yes, I will! Anything for the fine law enforcers of the Alliance, keeping entrepreneurs like myself safe!"

After they walked out into the hall, Dan cocked a thumb back toward the office. "Now, that guy was a little too eager to get us out, wasn't he? Especially after you dropped kidnapping into the conversation."

"Agreed. And now..." Mayuko checked the clock. "Let's get to the Palms. Karizan's shift started an hour ago and I can't ask for any more of his time."

"Yeah, I imagine." Dan smirked in a way that was entirely too suggestive of his thoughts, causing Mayuko to groan.




Back in Asako's office, patient subspace calls finally paid off as Gaila's ugly mug popped into view on her monitor. "Ah... Miss... Ogawa is it now?" Gaila smiled a toothy smile. "It's been too long."

"Yes," Asako lied. She looked over and made sure her data encryption was on and the anti-bug device her people had cobbled together was active. Within minutes the latter would burn out... but she couldn't take chances. "Your servants have relayed my inquiry?"

"Yes. It is very... lucrative information. I'm afraid some kind of payment up front will be necessary."

Asako showed no sign of emotion. "What sort?"

"Information for information, as they say. Due to the successes of the Bajoran Resistance in the final months of the Occupation, many of my clients are very interested in the extrauniversal weaponry. But, alas, I am... short on the contacts that would give me the ability to import such impressive items. But you... you have been living on an Alliance world for two years now. I'm quite confident you have such... connections."

Indeed I do... "I have a few names. There are individuals who are just as interested in exploring the markets here in ST-3. I believe you will find them to be very profitable partners."

"Very well. As a sign of good faith, I will tell you now that the Syndicate has been expanding its operations in the Alliance Colonial Zone for some time now. They have a base in nearby neutral space. I'm not sure where yet... but I have ways of finding out."

"The names should be there for you by the time you discover their location, Gaila," Asako assured him.

"Very well. A pleasure doing business with you, Miss... Ogawa. Hopefully we might meet again some time. My cousin Quark runs a very profitable drinking establishment on Deep Space Nine, complete with holosuites. I'm sure we could find a holoprogram of his that would be mutually agreeable."

"Perhaps." Not at all likely, Gaila, not at all. "I have work to do now, Gaila, so I'll be transmitting that list shortly."

"I look forward to it, Ogawa." Gaila pressed something off-screen and the call ended.

Asako looked up to look for Sophia, just to see she was gone. She went out into the hanger and saw T'Pek taking a drink and leaning against the wall. "T'Pek, have you seen Sophia?"

"She left a short time ago, Yumiko," T'Pek answered. "Said something about having to find 'that lecherous jerk'."

And just how does Sophia know where to find Carrey?', Asako wondered, returning to her office.




Uptown Apartments


Zack Carrey was returning from an interview with an asset to find that there was someone at his door. Someone he hadn't expected quite so early. "Did you like the roses?"

"You're a hopeless man, Carrey," Sophia answered with a smirk. "So, were you being sloppy when you left this address with the florist, or did you want me to find you?"

"Oh, the latter of course." Besides, not like the florist knows about my other safe houses... Carrey smiled courteously at her. "The apology was genuine, yes."

"I'd think so. Step one to seducing me."

"Is it working?"

"I've worn out better men than you, Carrey," Sophia said, her grin becoming a smirk. "And I really wouldn't want to hurt you, even if you deserve it."

Carrey alllowed himself a laugh. "Well, now that we have the sexual tension aired out, I know you're not here for pleasure. What do you need?"

"You asked about that weasel Quivek. Now CID is doing the same." Sophia frowned. "They say they're investigating the disappearance of three young alien women. They wanted to know if we were contracted to transport them off world."

For a moment there was silence. Carrey had seen Quivek's records remark about four packages. "There wouldn't happen to be a fourth girl involved, would there?"

"The police agent showed us four."

"Then... thank you for coming to me." Carrey walked past Sophia and took out his door opener. "I'll look into this."

"I want to help," Sophia said to him. "We all do."

"Best to stay out of it, Miss Razmara," Carrey answered non-chalantly, opening his door. "The authorities will be involved. And I think that both you, your people, and my employers would like to see you kept off the scanners, so to speak. Give Miss Ogawa and your friends my warmest regards." Carrey closed the door behind him before Sophia could say anything else.




Hallis Palms Resort


Karizan looked with irritation at the clock. He glanced at his comm unit. His boss had cleared him having the day off "if necessary", but he knew he'd be in for it if he didn't try to show.

Druni was still in bed. The tension of moving hotels had left her insomniac and upset, with every bit of sleep she had ending with her sitting up screaming her girlfriend's name. The fact that he felt her pain, her sadness, every time he tried to put a sympathetic hand on her was the really off-putting part.

There was a knock at the door. Karizan went up to it to look in the peephole. He saw a familiar face on the other end and drew in a breath. Finally..., he thought.

He opened the door... and the world exploded in light.




2nd Street


Traffic was irritating enough for Mayuko and Dan as they made their way back to Hallis Palms. "It's a good thing you're driving," Dan noted as they made a turn. "I still haven't gotten used to this "driving on the left side" thing.

"Took me over a year to," Mayuko answered. "I had to have Nick driving when I was in Wexford."

"God, I hope the independence vote wins, then we can have the new government vote to put the roads right. Literally."

"You get used to it. And don't let Nick hear you complain if he comes by, you'll get bellyaching about 'bloody Yanks'," Mayuko cackled. She heard a tone and looked down to see her phone. It was Karizan. "Shit, he's late."

"You're going to owe him big time," Dan chuckled. "I have a spare set of handcuffs...."

Mayuko gave him an annoyed glance before hitting the call receive button. Her phone went to driver mode immediately. "I'm coming, I'm...."

"May..."

Mayuko's face whitened. There was something wrong with Karizan's voice. Something very wrong.

"May... they just took her.... they took her...!"

"Who?!"

"Heard 'em... spaceport...."

Mayuko looked to Dan, who was reaching for his phone. "We're on our way, Karizan. We're coming! Karizan?!"

There was no answer from the other side of the line.

[Steve]

Chapter 7


Hallis Palms, East Landing


Mayuko pulled into the resort and looked to Dan. Before she could say anything Karizan stumbled out from the door, a crowd staring at him as he staggered toward them. Mayuko jumped out of the door and ran up to him. He began to stumble as she got to him. His shirt was blackened from an energy weapon discharge. When he looked to her his eyes were almost distant, showing he was in pain. "Karizan, we're getting you help." She looked back to where Dan was on the comm. "It'll be alright."

"Took her. Saw them.... blue vehicle, four-door. Wheeled car." He swallowed. "Thought I was unconscious. Taking her to the spaceport. Ship is here."

Mayuko already had her phone out. "Sam, get ELP to the Spaceport, now, and put out an APB for a four door blue car, wheeled. They've got Druni." She didn't bothered to hear Sam's reply. She looked up and saw a security guard from the resort standing nearby. "You, watch him and assist the paramedics when they arrive." Mayuko stood up and went back to the car. "Let's go, Dan!"




Hanger A-2, East Landing Spaceport


It was a gorgeous day outside, making it all the more tempting for Larrisa and Rachel to step out after the morning work was done. They were in blouses and skirts, professional looking according to the dress code Asako and Sophia had written up when they started to get serious about having a legit front, with their hair pulled into pony tails.

"She still won't say yes," Rachel sighed as they walked along. "Could she really be thinking about it?"

"About going back out?" Larrisa looked over to Rachel. "I... I think she does miss it sometimes. But remember she cares for us too. She knows we'd be happy here."

"I think it'd tear me apart if she asked us to give all this up. I'd be so tempted to leave, to just stay here..." Rachel raised an arm. "I mean, sure, some of the extrauniversals give me a bit of a look, but I think that's just because they don't have green-skinned races out there and I look so Human. But they don't care. They don't ask why I don't have the enhanced pheremones, or why I don't believe in slavery likr all those idiots who think that's all my father's people were about." Rachel smirked. "True, my mother was one... but Father let the abolitionists buy her freedom. To the Ijuvi it's... it's not... oh by the Maker, Larrisa, listen to me."

"I love listening to you," Larrisa answered, clasping Rachel's hand tighter.

"Orions aren't just one nation. Nobody understands that. It's not the fault of the Ropakaoi or the Pathivi that the Southerners and Easterners dominate Orion!" She let our a harsh laugh. "Yes, listen to me rant."

"You always make the cutest rants."

"I'm not the one who came from a world that would put a syringe of killing drugs in your arm for stepping on the grass." Rachel pressed her head against Larrisa's arm. "I'm just... scared. I don't want to leave here, Larrisa. I want to settle down here. Have a life that doesn't involve... the crazy stuff we used to do."

"I understand... watch out!"

Larrisa had spotted the vehicle careening around the corner right on time. The driver didn't seem to care about their presence as he raced so close he nearly hit Rachel, and would have done so if Larrisa hadn't pulled her out of the way. She embraced Rachel tightly and looked toward the blue vehicle as it headed on to the B hangers. "That stupid jerk!" Larrisa began to jog ahead.

"Wait, Larrisa... come on, you don't need to...!"

"I didn't get its license and he almost hit you!," she called back. "I'm going to report him to the Spaceport Authority!"

Rachel took off after her. For all that Larrisa looked like a soft and curvy supermodel, she was a hell of a jogger and Rachel could barely keep up with her. They found the car pulling into Hanger B-6 and headed up toward the entrance of it. "Just one look at the license plate, then...."

They looked inside at the blue vehicle. Just as Larrisa's eyes went toward the plate, there was a shrill scream in the air from what seemed to be a feminine voice, and her eyes tracked to see three hooded males dragging a blue-skinned alien girl out of the back seat.

In that split second some eyes turned toward them. A cry went up from the men in the hanger. Thinking quicker than Larrisa, Rachel grabbed her arm and pulled her away just as they pulled out guns.




At the road entrance to the spaceport Mayuko had her ID out already. She flashed it at the guard and shouted, "I'm looking for a blue car, wheeled, four door!"

The guard, a young Tellarite immigrant, gave her a weird look and opened his mouth to protest... and decided it best to not tick off a planetary police agent. He looked to his log. "Yes, we just had one come in."

"Get your armed security, now. We have suspected kidnappers attempting to flee. And contact ASTC and have them bring up the restraint field!"

"But, that's...."

"Now!"

The Tellarite boy wizened up and did what he was told. The gate ahead opened and Mayuko hit the gas. They had their windows down and began looking around.

Both heard the sound of energy weapon fire.




Larrisa and Rachel jumped into the alleyway between C-5 and C-4 to avoid the shots coming from the men trailing them. "Keep going!", Larrisa screamed, pulling Rachel up. She looked ahead and saw the frame of the side door into C-4. It would provide momentary cover, but only momentary. She pulled Rachel into it and fumbled for her phone. "We've got to call Asako!" In her panic she forgot to use Asako's alias. Oh by God I should've brought my pistol. Stupid Larrisa! Stupid! You've been too safe for too long!

Rachel was trying to get hers out too, and as they did the yellow beams of Orion blaster guns streaked by. It was suppression fire. In their haste to get out of open air, they'd not realized they had given the Orions the chance to pin them in. Out of desperation and hope Larrisa turned to try the door, but the owner of C-4 had locked it with a biometric system.

Just as Rachel got to her phone the first Orion approached them, gun raised. Larrisa acted instinctively, recalling the self-defense she'd been taught by Sophia and the others, and landed a punch that stunned him. Rachel grabbed for the gun to wrench it out of his hand. The Orion was a tough one, though. He recovered enough from the punch to throw one toward Rachel that broke her nose and sent her flying. Larrisa tried to punch him again and got a back handed slap that made her dizzy. But Rachel was down and had to be protected, so Larrisa pulled back her fist to throw another punch.

The Orion brought the gun over and fired. It was a shot from the hip. And such was the only reason that Larrisa survived the yellow beam as it drilled into her belly, missing all vital organs while sending white hot pain through her torso. She cried out and crumbled against the door. The pain kept her down for the moment.

A moment too long.




Rachel was recovering. Blood oozed from her nostrils as she got to her knees and prepared to launch herself in a low tackle against the Orion. She was not a trainer fighter, but a youth spent on the streets of horrible dives across Triangle space had made her a scrapper when it had to be done. Having a gun pointed at her lover was more than enough to make her focus.

Suddenly the gun wasn't pointed at Larrisa anymore. It was pointed at her. Rachel willed her muscles to throw herself into her foe.

The weapon fired.




The beam from the blaster went right through Rachel's forehead. The light green complexion became blackened and charred around the wound, bone and brain beneath vaporizing in intense energy until the beam lost its cohesion enough that the back of Rachel's skull survived it. The back of her head turned black even without an exit wound.

Rachel's body collapsed lifelessly in front of Larrisa's horrified vision. "RACHEL!" Her scream was full of pain, but it was with hate that she looked at her lover's murderer as he brought his blaster back over toward her.

Rachel was dead. And now she was going to die too. "Burn in Hell," she said to her murderer.

He never heard it, not over the shout that came from the other end of the alleyway.




"CID! Put down the weapon!" Mayuko brought her Glock-Hollings up, Dan standing beside her with his weapon raised too. They could see the girl with light green skin sprawled out on the ground, most likely dead, and the wounded blonde. Mayuko thought she recognized them, but she had more pressing concerns. "Put down the weapon and put your arms...!"

The Orion turned away from his fallen victim and was bringing his gun over. He was keeping it level, which to Mayuko was sufficient justification to pull the trigger. Short bursts of blue light erupted from her particle pistol, a sharp "whiff-whiff" coming from it. At that range, her shots at center of mass were dead on target, a fitting term as the Orion was dead the moment his body hit the floor.

His buddies behind him weren't too happy. They opened up and forced Mayuko and Dan to take cover at the sides of the two hangers. Mayuko looked to Dan. "Cover me, I'll go around!"

"Got you!" Dan leaned out from the side of the building and squeezed off shots. Yellow beams answered him as he took cover again.

Mayuko went around the hanger - C-4 emblazoned on its doors - with her phone raised to her mouth, her thumb having already hit the emergency line button. "CID agents under fire at East Landing Spaceport, hanger C-4, requesting backup and emergency services! Two civilians down, one probable fatality and one wounded!"

There should have been a response. But there wasn't. Mayuko repeated the request as she rounded C-4's alley with C-3.

Still no answer.

A hell of a time for the network to fail!, she thought. But in the back of her mind she knew this was no incident. She knew the Syndicate had someone in the ELP. Someone who might have sabotaged the East Landing section of the planet's emergency services channel, when it came down to it.

It'd be something to look at when she was done rescuing Druni.

She rounded Hanger C-4 and looked down toward B-6. When she saw there was no one there and that she was clear Mayuko stepped out into the pathway and raised her gun. There were two Orions there, one standing and one kneeling, pouring yellow energy fire into the alley. Occasional bursts of blue flew over their head from Dan's high shots.

The rules of calling out warnings were out the window now; lethal force was justified by the clear intent of the Orions. She raised her pistol and pulled off a pair of shots before they saw her coming. One shot barely missed, singing the back of the further Orion. The other one wasn't so lucky. The particle burst went into his skill like a bullet, dissipating inside his brain.

The last one turned to face her now, but a flurry of shots from Dan made him pull back from the alleyway. Mayuko took another step forward and squeezed the trigger twice with mechanical precision. It was a double tap to his center of mass that put the giant down for good.

She lowered her arms to point her gun toward the ground and moved forward to secure their attackers. She took one step, then another.... and then a sudden spasm filled her body with stiffness and pain. The world dissolved into black.




Dan moved into the alley and checked on the girls. The cute green chick had a black hole in her forehead; he didn't need to look into her vacant brown eyes to know she was gone. The blonde was alive, though, with a wound on the belly that didn't look bad (relatively speaking) but certainly looked painful. She looked at him with blue eyes full of pain. "Get them," she groaned. "They took my Rachel... kill them..."

Getting closer, Dan realized he'd just seen her earlier that day. Ogawa's people, he thought. "What happened?"

"They... they almost ran us over. I followed... wanted their license plate. They pulled out this blue-skinned alien girl who was screaming. Hanger B-6." Larrisa's eyes focused on her dead girlfriend. "By God, I did this. She's dead because of me. She's dead because of me!"

"Mayuko, Hanger B-6!", Dan called out. He looked down at his phone and hit the emergency call button. The system would patch him in to East Landing's emergency services dispatch so he could call for ELP and the paramedics.

At least, it should have, but instead his phone rejected the call as not answered. What the hell?! Dan hit the button a second time and it didn't work. "May, my phone can't get services!" He tapped the button for the office. The call still didn't go through. "May?! Is your phone working?!" He looked up, expecting to see her at the end of the alley. "May?!"

Still no answer. He realized she hadn't said anything since taking down those Orions. He almost went to the other end of the alley but stopped himself. An injured civilian took precedence, at least until he knew she'd be okay. He examined the wound. "Looks like nothing bad was hit. Do you have a phone?"

Larrisa nodded. The pain in her belly was still hot and sharp. She grimaced and brought her left hand up. Dan took it and looked at it. It was a basic model, nothing fancy. He hit the key and punched in the number to their office. Immediately the phone insisted it had no signal.

There was a sudden roar in the air. Dan looked up in time to see a starship with a brown-orange hull moving overhead. Its engines lit up and it began to disappear into the blue sky.




Laktos


A number of figures were working on the bridge of the Laktos as it broke free of New Liberty's atmosphere. "Planetary Traffic Control is ordering us to land," the communication man reported.

"Ignore them. Set course for our entry into the Badlands, Warp 9.65," was the reply.

"9.65? But at that speed..."

The Syndicate lieutenant commanding the ship stepped forward and belted the helmsman across the face. "9.65. At that speed even their fastest ships cannot catch us."

"9.65 then."

After a few button presses, the Laktos was at warp. The lieutenant tapped keys and brought up his chief on his personal viewscreen. Interference from the Badlands made the image crackly and distorted, but the audio was clear enough. "We have the packages. All four. And a special present for you."

"Oh?"

"One of their police agents. Since our agent has been unable to determine how the Yridian and his ship were compromised to their planetary police, I figured you would appreciate the chance to learn it for yourself. You've yet to break a woman of the Alliance, after all."

"Ah. Well then..." The smile on the Syndicate chief's face was malicious. "I look forward to that opportunity."

[Morningstar]

Enjoying all the posts! Hopefully Mayuko will make it out of this alive.

[Steve]

Chapter 8


East Landing Spaceport


Sam pulled his car up to Hanger B-6 and looked over at the taped entrance. He pulled the shoulder strap for his kit up toward his neck and walked into the large hanger. There was still the debris of activity present, showing how rushed the departure h ad been. East Landing Police were going over the inside while, in the middle, Dan was facing down a group of ELP detectives, including Detective Rayla. "....one of us!," Dan finished shouting.,

"Maybe if you'd brought us into the loop we could have stopped them!", one of the ELP detectives, a tan-skinned Human, retorted. "This is your mess, not our's!"

"Maybe if you idiots hadn't written off the first disappearance we wouldn't have a damned mess! Maybe if you had responded to our APB! Hell, maybe if you could keep a high-value suspect alive instead of letting someone walk into your lockup and....!"

"Agent Scott!" Sam made the decision that he didn't want to see a fight break out. Seeing how purple Dan was becoming, he was afraid that he'd throw the first punch.

"Probie!" Dan turned away from the ELP detectives. "They've got their panties in a bunch that we didn't let them in on where we were keeping Druni. It makes me wonder how in the Hell the Orions knew where to...." He stopped himself. Second-guessing things wasn't going to help Mayuko. "Listen, the ELPs are securing the scene, but I want you to go through their computer records. Get everything, look at everything. Leave nothing to chance on this!"

"Sure." Sam drew in a breath. He'd just gotten to know these people and was still the odd men out, but to think of losing one of their own... "Agent... have they confirmed... I mean, the energy weapons ST-3ers use, there'd be nothing left if they...."

"...they've got her. I know they took her," Dan insisted. "She's going to be counting on us to help find her."

"But they might have just vaporized..." Sam stopped when Dan's finger came a quarter of an inch from his nose. "I'm just saying..."

"I won't hear of it, alright, I won't. The ELPers are doing the tests, but I know that's not what happened. Now hop to it, probie. Hop to it!"

Sam nodded and went to the hanger office.




There were tears in Sophia's eyes when the paramedic pulled away the sheet and revealed the lifeless face of Rachel MacTaggert. She was one of their best, one of their nicest... and she was gone now. It wasn't the first time Sophia had lost a comrade... but then again, this was the first one they'd lost since moving their base to East Landing.

This was supposed to be a safe haven. A place we could be at peace. This wasn't supposed to happen here!

She looked over to where Asako was talking with Larrisa. The paramedics had finished securing her to a stretcher. She had life sign monitors on and a pain-suppressor IV was being run into her arm. The wound looked survivable, if painful.

Had they been on one of the sleazeworlds of the Triangle, things would've been different. They would've been armed. They could've held out until help came. But here, living had gotten so comfortable, so... quiet... that they hadn't seen the need to carry their firearms.

So much for the benefit of a quiet, peaceful life.

Sophia was trying to hold back the tears flowing from her eyes as she stepped up to them. The paramedics had just finished securing everything so they waved off Asako just as Sophia stepped up. She got one last look at Larrisa's red eyes and tear-streaked face as she was pulled into the hanger. "Do they know how to treat her?"

"Shrati is delivering her medical reports to the hospital now," Asako answered. They watched the door close and the ambulance begin to drive away. "They were Orions, abducting a non-Human girl. Larrisa could only see she had blue skin and she thought spots."

Sophia recognized the description. "Those young women that the CID Agents showed us?"

"It would appear so." There was something quiet in Asako's voice. Something only Sophia and a few of the most veteran ARAL members would recognize, and which made Sophia's stomach churn a little. It was a clear sign that Asako wasn't mad at what happened.

She was bloody furious.

They returned to the hanger and office within. Pala was looking at her with nervous eyes. They all knew something had happened. "Larrisa and Rachel....?"

Sophia looked at her. "Larrisa's in the hospital. Rachel... they... I'm sorry, Pala, they shot her."

The young Bajoran-Cardassian girl looked at her wide-eyed for a moment. Her face began to contort as she began weeping. "By the Prophets... oh, no...!"

Sophia put an arm around Pala's shoulders. She looked up to see her older brother, Alim. After she nodded he came up and took his crying sister to comfort her. This was important since Asako had emerged from the office, that same expression of quiet raging fury present on her face. Sophia began walking to follow her. "Asako, where are you...?"

"I'm going to go talk to Quivek," Asako said, barely slowing down to answer.




Zachary Carrey's day had been framed by his meeting with Sophia Razmara. He'd called his handlers and they were, in fact, very interested in the issue. A quick glance at the Dorei Federation material in his files was more than sufficient; though they were divided into dozens of distinct nations and weren't always in unity on subjects, one thing they took very seriously was the abduction of their people for enslavement of any kind. And the Alliance couldn't afford a fuss with them at this time.

Then he found out about the incident at Hanger B-6. With his systems set to the emergency bands he overheard the response and the issue with the jamming that had knocked out all communications. By the time he got to the Spaceport Offices he had already passed a few emergency vehicles, including an ambulance and a medical examiner's vehicle. "So someone died," he muttered to himself as it went past.

No sooner did he get out of his vehicle and toward the door that he saw Asako and Sophia walking into the building. There was an angry, concerned expression on Sophia's face while Asako's had become a frozen mask of stoicism. On the other hand, her body language left Carrey inclined to thinking she was about to go "boom".

"Miss Ogawa, Miss Razmara, can I help...?" Asako went right by him with barely a nod. Sophia looked at him and shrugged. "What's going on?"

"They killed Rachel," Sophia answered. She was keeping pace with Asako, forcing Carrey to follow. "She and Larrisa stumbled into the Orion Syndicate and they killed her for it."

Carrey knew the two names. The sweet, cute Half-Orion girl and the lovely super-model-esque blonde, both lesbian and quite a happy couple. "My condolences," he breathed.

"Condolences aren't what we want. We want answers and right now we're not picky on how we get them."

Carrey almost spoke but stopped. They'd be after Quivek. It was easy to realize. But his own orders were to get information out of the Ferengi now that the Syndicate's kidnapping plot was of official interest. "I'd like to hear those answers."

"Then stay the hell out of our way," Asako said starkly. She'd glanced and seen Quivek's entry on the directory. Her hand gripped the pen in her hand very tightly as she thought about what she was about to do. It might not work well doing it here, in the open...

But then it didn't matter. They'd just be on the run again. She had contingencies for events like these if they went bad. Some very key contingencies...

Quivek's door was in front of them. There was a marker on saying it was occupied. Asako tested the knob and found the door wouldn't open. She began beating on the door, ready to ram it down if she had to.

Just as she looked to Sophia and began to brace herself, the door opened. Quivek looked out with a face showing curiosity and irritation in one weird package. "By the Great Treasury, what is going....?!"

Before he could finish the sentence, Asako grabbed him by his shirt and lifted him into the air with her arms. She carried him back in this way, with Quivek squirming in her grip, while Sophia and Carrey followed behind them. The operative carefully closed the door and pulled out one of his more mundane tools for the security system. When he slipped it in, it killed all security outputs in the room. Hopefully they wouldn't be interrupted.

Sophia had her nose curled at all the naked images and statues. Asako was ignoring them. She threw Quivek back into his desk. He cried out in fright and pain as he hit it, hard, and fell on his butt. "What...what are you..."

"You work for the Orion Syndicate," Asako stated. It was both accusation and statement of fact, though Quivek naturally tried to deny it. She pointed her pin at him. A focused green beam came from the end and began to move over his arm. Quivek's clothes scorched into black ash where it touched and he let out an ear-splitting screech. "Your clients just took off with four innocent young women to sell into slavery. That is enough reason for me to kill you. The fact that they killed one of my people and wounded another means I'll kill you very, very slowly. You will suffer unless you cooperate."

"Please... please... I don't know what you're talking...." He squealed when Asako moved her steel-toed boot to a very uncomfortable position between his legs. The squeal became a wail when the pen thing fired again. The green beam started moving up his neck toward his ear. He looked at it and his eyes widened. "You... You're...."

Carrey watched what was happening dispassionately, but he knew what Asako was carrying. He had never seen her with it before, but it didn't surprise him that she had it. It was a "Type 3" Covert Romulan Disruptor... a weapon used exclusively by the Tal'Shiar. Romulan Intelligence and Secret Police Services.

Quivek clearly knew what it was too. "Please, I... I never meant to cross...."

"I want you to tell me everything. Where is that ship heading?"

"The... the Badlands! A station at the Torvis Asteroid Field! Please don't kill me! Listen! The Orions are making thousands of bars on those alien women, they've already sold two to some of the richest rulers on Orion and a third to some DaiMon! They... they were insistant on taking them! They even brought in their own ship when I couldn't get them transport!"

"How can we get into the base?"

"it's got some old Romulan cloaking device, you have to give them the code before it'll drop the cloak. Then you have to fight about a hundred of the Syndicate's best plus all their other crew! Can't be done, not without major military support. If they see that coming they'll just run with every slave they can pack up!"

"Then give me your code," Asako demanded.

"I can't! They'll....they'll kill.... YAAAAAGGGH!" The green beam appeared again, this time right at the edge of his lobe. Carrey winced. It was like getting burned at the edge of the testicles.

"I will kill you, Quivek. Right here and now. There's a chance you'll escape the Syndicate but no chance you'll get away from me."

Quivek was blubbering. "Please.... I'll... I'll pay you! I have ten thousand bars of gold-pressed latinum in my accounts, you can have it all if you'll just..." He squealed again as Asako applied pressure with her foot.

"The code to enter the base. You know what I'll do if I don't get it."

"Okay, okay! It's... it's in my computers."

Sophia was already getting into them. Asako waited for her to confirm them. "I'm bringing you along, Quivek. Under guard. If this doesn't pan out, if you have lied to me in any way, you die."

"Yes, yes!"

Sophia looked to Carrey. "Are you sure you should be here? You'll be an accessory to assault and kidnapping."

"I'll be fine. Better than either of you would be if I wasn't here," Carrey answered. He opened the door. "Let's get our friend to your hanger. I have some calls to make before we leave."

"As do I." Asako pulled Quivek to his feet. She jabbed the pen-disruptor into the small of his back. "I don't want to hear a word out of you if I don't ask for it, do you understand?"

"As clear as the reflection of polished latinum," Quivek answered, still in pain and very, very afraid.




CID East Landing Office


Inspector Morse's expression was stern as she listened to Dan inform her of what happened. "I've spoken with Planetary Traffic Control and the Navy. The Orion vessel is on its way into the Badlands. There is no chance of intercepting it in time."

Dan frowned deeply and drew in a breath. "So where does that leave us? Any way of figuring out where they went?"

"None. Agent Burley will have to be listed as missing and presumed lost in the line of duty. You are now the Senior Agent for that region, Agent Scott." Morse drew in a sigh. "Agent Hartford and a team were ordered out this morning, they should be there in an hour. It'll be your job to tell them where they can be of use. Have you gotten anything of use from the Orion computers?"

"They fried them pretty good," Sam spoke up from his desk, looking over his display. "There are probably intelligence agencies that are less thorough and technical in how they wipe data. I'm trying recovery but I don't have any expectations."

"We've still got the financial data from Lothwaai," Dan pointed out. "That might direct us somewhere. Focus on that."

"Do what you have to, Agent. If we're fortunate, we'll find some evidence of where in the Badlands the Orions have taken their captives." Morse reached forward and her image disappeared.

Okay, Dan, let's think about how to handle this. You know someone in ELP is dirty and working for the Syndicate. They might know. "Probie, you've found some of the Syndicate accounts with that trace, right?"

"Yeah."

"Cross-check those accounts with purchases or transfers to banks on New Liberty, specifically in this area. Send me what you get, I'll help you go through it."

"Yes, Agent," Sam answered dutifully. He began working his system.

"Claire...."

Dan looked up toward the secretary as she looked to him, worry on her face. "Yes, Agent?"

"Do you mind doing dinner runs?"

Claire looked back. There was something strange in her eyes. "If it'll save Mayuko from these bloody bastards, a dinner run isn't much at all."

"Good."




Hanger A-2, East Landing Spaceport



The crew had all gathered at Hanger A-2 as summoned, but they weren't alone. Vehicles had pulled up and were dropping boxes that Asako's crew were busy piling aboard. In her office, Carrey stood off to the side as Asako was watching the figure on her screen. Gaila was showing a toothy smile. "It pleases me that even with the information not being required after all, I am able to repay you for giving me such profitable contacts. Why, not a cycle has passed and I'm already looking at great profits!"

"The weapons will be useful," Asako answered. "Though I wouldn't mind knowing what I'm going up against. What has the Syndicate been buying?"

"Oh, the usual. Small arms and light anti-vehicle weaponry. They did make one special purchase..." Gaila checked something on his PADD. "A contact with Cardassian research and development helped us sell them salvage from the Winter War. An Alliance model pulse phaser cannon recovered intact from a Federated Commonwealth ship, I believe."

Carrey's attention was caught. Asako's hairs stood on end. That was some very heavy duty firepower indeed. "Thank you, Gaila."

"We are even then, Miss Ogawa," Gaila answered. "I do hope you'll join me at Quark's sometime. I recently picked up a very... interesting special version of Vulcan Love Slave IV. Made for the pleasure of women with exotic tastes, or so they say, and there are so many stories of you and your partner..."

"None of them true, Gaila," Asako snapped. "Perhaps we'll see about the meeting at your cousin's, but for now I have work to do."

"I look forward to another profitable deal with you, Miss Ogawa. May the Great Treasury bring fortune to you." Gaila cut the line on his end.

"Now that is interesting," Carrey said. "The Cardassians getting their hands on our weapon technology..."

"A problem you can deal wiith later. Right now it simply warns me that this mission is all the more dangerous," Asako answered. She thought about her contingency plan, her package hidden on Trivas.... but even that might not be enough and she sure as hell didn't want Carrey to see it. No, she'd have to talk to Yevem about strengthening the shields and hope they didn't face off with a ship equipped with such a thing. And about making sure the probes were... properly prepared.

"And these weapons are for...?"

Asako looked up at him. "For the slaves on the station. We get to them, we arm them, and we let them have their revenge. Fitting and it fulfills mnhei'sahei."

Carrey gave her a look. "The Ruling Passion, you mean?"

"Ah, you have read up on the Rihannsu people," Asako noted.

"My company has contacts on New Ivers now. It was in our quarterly update brief." Carrey moved toward the door. "I'm going to go make sure our new friend is all safe and secure on the ship. I'll be ready when you want to leave."

"And what makes you think I'm taking you with me?", Asako asked pointedly. "Let's not have word games, Mister Carrey. You are a spy. Most likely one in Alliance employ, but you could be a Federation agent as well or one for any myriad number of states. I do not trust you, I tolerate you."

"Understandable," Carrey replied. "But I should point out that you will need someone who can give you the proper codes to enter and exit Alliance territory from the Badlands. Those codes change almost hourly and if you try to use an old code you'll be presumed to have broken our security, and then you'll have an entire border squadron trailing you. That won't help with your proposed mission."

"That it won't," Asako conceded. "I'll let you come, but you'll be under Sophia's watch at all times. Try not to flirt with her too much. I simply ignore pickup lines. Sophia breaks fingers over them."

"I'll make sure to make my attractions more subtle and tolerable."

Of course you will.... "Then go. Get ready. We leave as soon as the ship is ready."




CID East Landing Office


Claire's handiwork of arranging dinner was sadly going to waste while Sam and Dan combed through the records. "Some property rental transactions... should check those out if we can get a warrant," Dan remarked. He looked at the clock. Where in the hell was Nick Hartford?

"I still can't stop thinking about what might happen to Agent Burley. I mean... why did they kidnap her?"

To torture her for information about CID, Dan thought. Then if she's lucky, they shoot her in the head and space her. If she's unlucky, they take her and.... He forced himself to stop thinking about that. He was still haunted by the memories of what the forced prostitution rings had done to the girls he'd rescued in Honolulu. "They probably figure they can hold something over her. Maybe they think we know how Lothwaai got compromised." Dan thumped his hand on the table, using his other hand to rub his temple. "Dammit, how did they know to jam our phones at the spaceport?!"

Sam looked up. "What?"

"Why? Why would they jam unless they knew we were coming? Would they have done that over those girls that their guys were trying to shoot?"

"Not sure why, there's no way they could've gotten help before the Orions launched," Sam pointed out. "Not unless they knew you and May were on the way...."

The two looked at each other. The answer came at about the same time. Sam jumped up and grabbed a signal scanner from his desk. He turned it on. "Why didn't we think about that?"

"Let's go and scan the car."

"Yes.... wait." Sam walked over to Dan, eyeing the scanner closely. "There's a faint signal in here. Not a cell wavelength..."

Dan stood still as Sam approached. "They bugged our office? That doesn't make sense, they wouldn't know..." He stopped as he realized what had happened. "They planted one on me?!"

Sam had the scanner pointed toward Dan. "Looks like it. Let's see if we can pinpoint....it's coming from here." Sam pressed a finger to Dan's neck. "Probably some kind of nanoprobe."

"Can you jam the damn thing?"

"It'll take me a bit to whip up something you can wear to do so," Sam answered. "But the real question is how someone got it on your neck. I mean, have you had any injections?"

"No! What kind of quest...." Dan stopped as a memory came to him. A memory of someone touching him on the shoulder when he shouldn't have. Someone who deliberately laid a hand on him.

"Rayla."

There wasn't time to say anything else. Not when the explosion came from outside.




Hanger A-2



Carrey was using the one guest seat on Vesey's bridge as the crew settled in. "Reactors online, power is nominal," Sophia said from her control station. "We're ready."

"Thadoc, if you'd please." Asako was in the center seat, looking like a queen in her proper throne as she swiveled it around to T'Pek. "Make sure PTC has cleared us."

"We're cleared, Captain," T'Pek answered.

"Tactical control is mine," Sophia added.

"Only when we need it, Sophia, only when we need it," Asako said.

Everyone was silent, save Thadoc, as they moved to a launch point. The engines fired and the Vesey lifted off on maneuvering thrusters. When it reached a hundred feet Thadoc fired the atmospheric drives and the ship raced ahead and up, gaining altitude quickly. In the upper atmosphere he kicked the impulse drives into operation, taking them into the void.

It took about ten minutes to clear the exclusion zone, but when they did Thadoc had finished his navigational calculations. The Vesey's warp drive flashed and it went to warp.




Syndicate Special Facility


The room was well-lit, the light almost coming through Mayuko's eyelids as she regained consciousness. Her arms were suspended above her head, locked into metal manacles. Her ankles were fit into metal manacles set into the floor. Lunila used to give me dreams like this, There was a chair in front of her. It was occupied. A pair of brown eyes looked at her with interest. The figure was clad in fine silken clothes of violet and blue and gave off an air of command. Dark green skin made clear the figure was an Orion.

To Mayuko's surprise, it was a woman.

"You are CID Agent Burley." It was not a question. Her voice had a husky, low tone to it, the accent unfamiliar. "I have questions for you."

"Who are you?", Mayuko asked.

"Me?" The woman smiled. "I am Chief Tabri Losji. I oversee Syndicate operations in this region of space."

"I thought the Orion Syndicate was run by men?"

"A fiction, in most respects. I do have male counterparts for those cells drawn from Southerners... but there will be time later for me to explain Orion society to you, after you're properly broken in and ready to be sold." A malicious smile came across Tabri's face. "You will answer my questions, Mayuko Burley, and if you do I might even be lenient and kill you. If you don't.... well...." She stood up and looked intently into Mayuko's eyes. "I've always prided myself on breaking the most determined of slaves."

"I'm no slave," Mayuko answered.

"Not yet, my pet," Tabri cooed. "Not yet. Let us begin, then....."

[lord Martiya]

A good story as always. I hope the slavers will receive the deserved punishment.

[Steve]

Chapter 9



Syndicate Special Facility


As torture went, Tabri's methods were... surprising.

Mayuko had felt a mix of terror and defiance at the thought of what she'd endure. She thought of the accounts from Cardassian camp survivors and people who had been subjected to military torture. She expected something similar; agonizer implants, beatings, something like that.

She hadn't expected a kiss.

Tabri's lips brushed her's gently. She didn't press her tongue into Mayuko's mouth for a deep kiss, it was simply lip-to-lip contact. After a few such pecks Tabri began moving down to her neck. Mayuko drew in an expectant breath at the touch. Tabri's hands went to her waist and gripped the end of Mayuko's blouse. It was a pull-on blouse, so it ended up being pulled up and over Mayuko's head to bare the front of her torso. Tabri's hands moved over the blue fabric bra Mayuko wore beneath. The touch was as exciting as it was unexpected.

WIth every passing moment Mayuko's heart was speeding up. Her breathing quickened and her chest heaved. "Ah, you feel it," Tabri remarked. She put her hands on Mayuko's belly and moved them up to slip her fingers under the bra. "It's part of our reproduction system, you see. Our bodies give off pheremones. The more excited we are, the stronger. And when we ovulate they reach a pinnacle, to excite our males and make it more likely we have children."

Mayuko let out a moan. She tried to fight the growing sensation in her body, the growing need for sex in general and sex with Tabri in particular.

"Some of us... we get engineering to enhance these pheremones. And to alter them chemically so that other species feel them too." Tabri smiled at her. "We've perfected it enough that even women feel its effects... as you do now."

Mayuko let out a gasp and tried to swallow. Having Tabri's hands on her chest was making the sensation harder to fight. Her body began to tingle with desire. Beg her, a part of Mayuko's mind said. Beg her to fuck you. You need it. You want it. Ask her to eat you out!

It was like being a horny teenager again. And nothing her brain was trying to say otherwise would stop it. Whatever Tabri was doing to her, it made it impossible for her to resist the impulses, the need that her body was insisting be met.

"I'll take you," Tabri cooed, licking Mayuko's ear afterward. "I can smell it on you. The pheremones are in control. You need the release, and I can give it to you. I can bring you pleasure like you've never experienced. Just cooperate with me, Mayuko Burley, and I'll take you for myself. Every day you will squirm on my bed, experiencing this. Unending pleasure."

"Oh God," Mayuko whispered. It hurt. The raw need was overwhelming. She'd give anything for Karizan to be here, to feel him take her.

No. She'd give anything for anyone to fuck her right now.

"But I don't want..." Mayuko began.

"What you want is immaterial. Your body doesn't care anymore. It wants pleasure. It wants me. It wants to be my slave. The rest of you will have no choice but to follow." Tabri kissed her on the mouth again. This time Mayuko couldn't stop herself. She opened her mouth and pressed her tongue against Tabri's. The energy in her body grew stronger as they kissed deeply. "You're mine now," Tabri said, smiling, after ending the kiss. "So, I must know.... how did you know to seize the Yridian and his ship? How was Lothwaai compromised to your agency?"

Mayuko felt shame at what was happening, humiliation that this thug was so easily able to use her and manipulate her body like it wasn't even her's. The pheremones were too powerful, too strong, for her to resist. Her entire body ached with the need for sex. She actually screamed in anticipation when Tabri pulled the bra up and set her lips against the bare flesh of Mayuko's breast. No, not there, lower, lower!

"The East Landing Police," Mayuko rasped. She wanted to stop. She wanted to say nothing. But it was too much. "Oh God," she moaned. "They called us in."

"So sad," Tabri said, pulling the bra back over Mayuko's chest. "I was looking forward to finishing you and seeing how you deal with the height of pleasure. But if you won't cooperate..."

"They called us," Mayuko insisted. She drew in a breath with her heart beating like a piston. With effort she resisted begging for Tabri to continue touching her.

"I know better," Tabri answered. "Surely you know we penetrated the local police. Our agent in the East Landing police confirmed CID was the source of the tip."

But I... "We weren't. My office didn't know about Lothwaai until ELP called us."

"Your will is magnificent," Tabri replied. "You resist me. And to think I believe you, the local senior agent of CID, wouldn't know if your own agency had discovered Lothwaai's connections to us?" Tabri shook her head. "It feels painful, doesn't it? All that arousal, that desire, built up in your body..."

Mayuko didn't answer. She didn't have to of course, as it was pretty obvious she was getting frustrated. Her body was full of energy that needed release.

"Well, I'll give you some time to stew on your defiance," Tabri stated. She took the blouse and pulled it back over Mayuko's chest. "When I get back... well, I have other methods. And they won't be as pleasurable as this one." She turned and walked out.

Mayuko groaned. Her body was hurting, but at least she was regaining control. The pheremones died down and let her recover her senses.

The fact that Tabri had touched her in that way and worked her up like that burned as humiliation. As sexual assault went, it hadn't been as painful as someone forcefully groping her or touching her without consent.... but that actually made the violation worse. Tabri hadn't just touched her against her consent, she had turned Mayuko's body against her and taken away her ability to consent. She had made Mayuko enjoy being sexually assaulted.

It made Mayuko's stomach turn. And her heart, now that it had slowed down, felt cold. This was what the Orions would do to her. String her up and violate her, in more ways than one, until she couldn't resist anymore, until all she could do was consent to whatever they wanted to do to her. To take away all freedom and make her as Tabri had called her; a slave, meant only to fulfill their whims.

Besides being assaulted, something else was gnawing at Mayuko. Why did the Orions think CID had compromised Lokthar? A cold feeling came over Mayuko. She hadn't had much time to think about it... but how had the Orions known where to capture Druni?

They couldn't have had someone in the CID. It didn't make any sense. If they had one they'd know ELP called her in to the Lokthar raid.

So.... what was going on?

Given her current situation, Mayuko would have quite a long time to consider the question.




CID East Landing Office


Dan and Sam had their guns drawn as they rushed out the door. A burning vehicle was lighting up the lot in twilight. They ran up to it and came across a man laying on his back. "Nick Hartford," Sam breathed. He leaned over and checked the man's pulse. "Alive."

"Better than I can say for them," Dan remarked, looking at the vehicle and the charred forms within. "This is becoming a clusterfuck. Dammit... Dammit!"

Sam had his phone on. "CID Agent Henley here, I need paramedics to 1292 4th Street, Officer Down, I repeat, Officer Down."

"It'll take another day to get a crime scene crew out from Wexford," Dan grumbled. "This.... who the hell?!"

"I'll start the crime scene processing, you should go call Inspector Morse," Sam offered.

"Taking the easy job, probie?" Dan gave him an annoyed smirk before walking toward the office. "I'll go get the bags."

Dan grabbed the glass door and pulled it open. Claire wasn't at her desk, but he wasn't as concerned about that as he was about calling Morse. He went to his desk and reached for the controls for the office call system.

"Don't move, Agent."

The voice came from the back. Dan looked up, recognizing it... and found Detective Rayla looking at him, his eyes turning bloodshot.

In one arm, he had Claire clasped to him. In the other arm his hand had his gun.

Pointed at Claire's temple.

"You put a bug on me," Dan remarked.

"Yeah, had to. I had to let them know what you CIDers were up to." Rayla pressed the gun to Claire's temple. "Okay, your gun. Get rid of it and kick it to me. Slowly!"

Dan swallowed and pulled his Glock-Hollings out. He slowly ducked over and put it on the ground before kicking it with his foot. "Must have taken a lot of time to get into Missing Persons just for this. Or did you just suddenly decide to help abduct girls into sex-slavery?"

"Shut up!" Rayla stepped forward. "God, you CIDers couldn't just leave it alone. Do you know how close I was? How close to finishing my debt? Now... they'll blame me for the fuss. I'll have to start over again from scratch!"

"What are you talking about? What kind of debt means helping the god damned Syndicate of all people?! And really, you think you're going to get away? We've got active security readers, Rayla. We'll have witnesses. Forensics. You've ruined yourself."

"Doesn't matter," Rayla muttered. "Doesn't matter. I die doing a service for them, they consider the debt filled. They'll consider the debt filled and that's all that matters."

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!", Dan shouted. "You'll be dead!"

"Doesn't matter..." Rayla pulled the gun away from Claire's temple and pointed it toward Dan. "Doesn't matter."

"Rayla... listen, whatever the Syndicate has over you..."

"You can't help, you don't know what you're dealing with." Rayla sucked in a breath. "I'm sorry."

Dan could do nothing as Rayla's finger went to the trigger.

Claire struck first. She grabbed Rayla's arm and threw it off, causing his shot to go wide. She bit him on the hand in a desperate attempt to get him to drop the gun, drawing a cry of pain from Rayla. His free arm came over and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head back. He brought the gun over and pistol-whipped her in the forehead, sending Claire down. "Bitch!", he screamed, blood pooling on his hand. He pointed the gun at her.

Dan slammed into him at waist level, throwing Rayla to the ground. He jumped on him and punched Rayla across the jaw, nearly knocking him out. "Stay down!", he screamed.

Rayla tried to get back up again, driven by manic desperation. Dan pinned his arms to the ground with his knees and threw another punch. His own fear turned to power in the blow, knocking Rayla out completely and making pain tremor through Dan's hand. He grimaced and moved his hand. Great. A broken knuckle now.

The door chime sounded. Dan turned back to see Sam enter. He looked from where Claire was starting to get back up to where Dan was laying over Rayla's unconscious body. "ELP is here."

"Great. Time to let them know about their buddy." Dan reached for his handcuffs and put it on Rayla's wrists. "I've got questions."




SS Denmark Vesey, The Badlands


The plasma storms of the Badlands were filling the viewscreen of the Vesey when Carrey finally walked in. Asako and Sophia looked toward him as he did so. "Did you enjoy your tour, Mister Carrey?", Asako asked non-chalantly.

Carrey pointed behind him to his chaperones, a half-Romulan half-Klingon man and a half-Romulan half-Betazoid woman with sidearms prominent on their belts. "I think you have some trust issues, ma'am."

Asako gave him a thin smile. "It comes with the occupation." She looked to the helm. "Thadoc, are we in the fields yet?"

"Yes," he answered. "We're free to cloak."

"Then do so."

"So how are we going to approach?", Carrey asked.

Asako and Sophia exchanged glances. Sophia stood up and walked up to him. "We're going in cloaked. You and I are going to go drain the anti-matter from one of our shuttles and we'll put Quivek in it. He won't be able to run and we'll have him send the code."

"How do you guarantee he won't warn them?"

"He won't," Asako remarked. "He knows he's dead if he does. Either I'll kill him or the Syndicate will. His only chance to live is by keeping me happy."

And you're the picture of sunshine as usual, Carrey thought. "You realize I'm not exactly an expert in moving anti-matter?"

"Of course not," Sophia answered. Her smile turned crooked. "I'm doing the real work, you get to be my extra muscle."

"I think the term is just 'muscle'," Carrey corrected her.

"Not in my case," Sophia chuckled. "Follow me, wimp."

They traveled back through the ship's corridors to the shuttle bay, facing the rear of the vessel. Along the way Carrey continued to look over the confined corridors. The ship, despite its name, felt more like a Romulan vessel. He wasn't surprised by this, knowing Asako's connections back in the Triangle and just who she would have been buying from. Sophia went over to a mag-bottle canister, lifted with an arm, and used her free hand to turn it on. "Here." She tossed it to him.

It nearly knocked him over.

Carrey was no hyper-muscled bodybuilder, granted, but he was still fit and strong. Stronger than he looked, in actuality, given his enhancements. But the item she had casually lifted with one-arm required both of his arms to hold steady. He recovered quickly, but the mischievous grin on Sophia's face made it clear she knew what she had done. "You might want to rethink seducing me."

"I like strong women," Carrey replied.

"All guys say that until they meet one." Sophia led him up to a generic Federation-make shuttle. They entered the rear hatch. Sophia got on one knee and opened a hatch in the floor. She pulled the bottle out of Carrey's arms and hooked it into the hatch. A couple of button presses later and a tone filled the shuttle. A meter in the ground compartment began to go down.

"I'm not like all guys." Carrey knelt down beside her. "But on the other hand, I bet you make it hard on every guy who approaches you. Especially the ones you actually accept."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Because they have to compete with Asako."

Sophia looked over at Carrey. Her smile vanished. "Do you know how many times I've heard that stupid idea? Asako and I..."

"Oh, you're not lovers, I know that," Carrey replied. "But everyone can see how close you are. That'll complicate any relationship."

"Asako and I have been through a lot together." Sophia watched the meter continue to go down, not looking at Carrey's face.

"I've heard. And when it comes down to it... why run the risk with someone else when you know you can confide in her? Trust her? And no matter what the young and stupid say, relationships will always go past the sex and to more personal matters, the kind you share with a soulmate. And, well... you've already got one."

"Ah." Sophia crossed her arms and began to look back up at him. "So I guess the seduction attempts end here, then?" When she saw him smile and shake his head, she asked, "If not, then what?"

"In my line of work, soulmates are.... tricky. Sometimes they can help you deal with the work, but just as often having to be away from them, keeping secrets from them, can be taxing. It undermines the trust."

"So you can't be with anyone because you're a spy and have to hide things, even your deepest thoughts, from them?", Sophia asked.

Carrey gave her a small smile. He knew they weren't stupid and had guessed his occupation, but of course he wasn't going to say that. "I certainly can't bring my work home. And eventually most people would ask questions I'm not allowed to answer."

"Of course. But one thing helps." Sophia gave him a sarcastic smile. "You're a guy who can pull off the mysterious dark stranger air. It's perfectly fine for you to pick up women... and they'll come for you. Men get intimidated by a half-Vulcan woman who is friends with another half-Vulcanoid woman and spends almost all her time with her."

"Well, most men can get... possessive. Even if they don't mean to." Carrey looked down at the meter. "This thing is pretty slow..."

"Well, it's transferring antimatter from one magnetic containment bottle to another, and if even one atom gets out you and I will have our soul-searching discussion ended by a bright flash of light and energy. So, yeah, it's going to be slow. It's safer that way."

"You don't strike me as the safety-conscious type," Carrey remarked.

"It's important in some things." A grin appeared on Sophia's face, growing wider as she added, "Safe words are of particular importance to me." When she saw the look on Carrey's face, she giggled. "What can I say? Men have a hard time dealing with me if I'm not.... subdued."

"I think this conversation made a wrong turn somewhere."

"Hey, I'm just trying to warn you, Mister Sexy Secret Agent," Sophia laughed. "If you want me, you'll need to learn more about how I do things. Don't worry, I'm not the whips and chains type.... well, not whips. Riding crops are usually enough..."

Carrey swallowed. "Uh... really?"

Sophia cackled and looked down. "Ah, it's done." She tapped the fuel meter and touched a couple buttons on the mag-bottle before unhooking it from the shuttle. "Make yourself useful, Carrey, and carry that."

Carrey bent over and began to lift it. It was not much heavier than before, though that didn't change much because it was already, well... "God-damned heavy," he muttered to himself.

Sophia smirked at him and leaned up. Her lips gently pressed against his chin. "Don't worry if you pull a muscle, Aidoann is an excellent masseuse. By the way... she's full Romulan, so don't even bother flirting. You don't have a hope in all of the hells." She walked away from him, swinging her hips a little more than usual and prompting him to follow.

Carrey let out a strained chuckle and followed her.




Dan and Sam were ready when Rayla woke up, handcuffed to the interrogation room table. Seated at another side of the table was a Human man, light-skinned, with a good haircut and a business-like demeanor. "Detective Rayla, it's good to see you awake again," Dan remarked. "I'd like to introduce you to Mister Harold Lankin, here from the New Liberty Policeman's Union. He'll be your union rep and legal counsel."

Rayla looked around as he got his bearings. He tested the handcuffs. "What...?"

"We've arrested you on three counts of murder, against CID agents to boot, and another three counts of attempted murder," Dan continued. "It's pretty important we do these things by the book. So...." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "Sorry, but I know the Brit courts get finicky if I read you the Miranda version and not their version. Anyway..." Dan read the text of the card. "You have the right to remain silent, and anything you do say may, and will, be given in evidence. You have the right to legal counsel." Dan gestured to Mr. Lankin. "If you cannot afford counsel it will be provided to you. Do you understand these rights?"

"To hell with them," Rayla said. He looked blankly toward the roof. Sounds began coming from his throat, quickly identified as sobbing. "By the Prophets, no... no..."

Dan and Sam exchanged looks. "Uh, well, do you mind if we..."

"It was my family!", Rayla screamed. "Prophets damn you, Prophets damn me!"

Sam had a bewildered look on his face, but Dan felt his stomach turn a little and his heart sink. "That's the debt," he said.

"You don't know what it was like three years ago," Rayla wept. "I... I was working as volunteer police on a Federation colony world. And the Cardies... they were starting to go after us all. My brother was an agent of the Kohn Ma. I... I didn't approve, but the Cardies wouldn't have cared! They'd have taken us! They'd have taken my family and tortured and executed them because of my asshole brother!"

Dan sat impassively. He briefly looked at Lankin, who leaned over and began to whisper into Rayla's ears a warning about admitting anything.

"Who asked you anything?! It doesn't matter!", Rayla roared at the man. "Send me to one of your prisons! Put me in one of the worst! I know what criminals do to cops on the inside, and I want it! I want one of them to stab me in the heart!"

Someone's going on suicide watch, Dan thought.

"I should've waited... everyone said there was a sympathetic captain coming. But... but the Cardassians raided a settlement on our world. They didn't come for us, but I... I thought for sure.... I got passage for my family on a ship. I didn't care if the Cardies came to take me, but not my..." Rayla continued to cry. "Oh Prophets... They knew we were desperate. Knew it and used it. I got the call a week later. My family in an Orion slave pen. And they said if I didn't pay a ransom they'd be sold to the Cardassians."

Dan looked at him impassively.

"I couldn't pay," Rayla continued, having the look of a man who'd lost everything and just didn't give a damn anymore. "Couldn't pay. So they said for me to come here, become a cop. Join the police and leak info to the Syndicate, do anything I was told. Do it for three years and my family would be allowed to join me. The Syndicate would consider the debt cleared. Just three years!"

The feeling in Dan's stomach became sicker. "They had you go into Missing Persons, didn't they? It'd put you in a perfect position to cover up abductions."

"Yeah... yeah they did. And I get to see my family now... they said I'd earned it. But now... now..." Rayla's crying grew worse. "My beautiful Drina... my darling little ones.... they'll be..."

"Killed?"

"No, worse. Prophets will that they just be killed."

Sold into slavery too, then. Dan looked into the small box to his side containing Rayla's effects. He opened Rayla's wallet and saw the picture of him with a family... a beautiful Bajoran brunette, a daughter who looked about twelve clutching his waist and smiling, two sons holding his wife's hands.

He could see a datascreen in the background. Dan handed the picture to Sam. "Sam, go put this into our systems. Magnify it."

"I'll do what I can." Sam accepted the picture and went out the door.

"Oh Prophets, help me," Rayla wept. "Why why why..."

"Rayla." Dan looked at him. "The Syndicate was never going to let them go totally free, you know that. But if you help us... maybe we can find them."

"Nobody can stop the Syndicate," Rayla muttered. "Police agencies across the Alpha Quadrant have tried. You take out one cell, the others come in and replace them. Then your families pay the price."

"How long has this been going on, Rayla? The Syndicate couldn't have known those Dorei girls were coming. They sent you here for something else."

"Over two years," he answered. "Humans aren't worth as much anymore, too plentiful.... but Humans from other universes? The Orions figured they'd be worth more. And then aliens from other universes too?"

Dan felt his spine go cold. "You're telling me the Orion Syndicate has been kidnapping people from East Landing for two years?"

"Yeah. Test run." Rayla's tear-reddened eyes looked at him directly. "You don't realize how widespread this stuff is, Agent. Slave markets don't dry up. Not when the owners routinely kill their slaves as punishment or for rebellion. Not when they get killed in feuds and wars between Orion warlords. And there are so many types of Humans in the Multiverse... And that's not just it. Drugs, weapons, the Syndicate's into all of it. And they want to expand. A Multiverse full of criminal underworlds that don't have their advantages." Rayla began to cackle. "My family won't be the first. They'll come for all of you in time. They can't be stopped."

"I'll damned sure see to it they are," Dan growled in reply. "Rayla, if your family is here on New Liberty, we can find them."

"You never will. They'll be shutting down things here now, especially since I failed. All of their captives will be taken out."

"Taken where?"

"I don't know. Rymorta. Kithvin. Maybe some corrupt Gul lets them use a facility in Cardassian space."

"Dammit man, cooperate with me!"

"There's no point, you idiot! It's over for me! Over for my family!" Rayla's sobbing resumed. "Prophets, Scott, why couldn't you have just shot me?! Why didn't you just shoot me?!"

Dan looked to Lankin, who shrugged. "Watch over your client, sir, I'm done with him." Dan got out of the seat and went to the door. He gave one last look to the broken man who had just tried to kill him before going through the door.

The Office was back to normal, somewhat. Claire was sporting bandaging over the black on her face where she got pistol-whipped, but the paramedics had cleared her to stay and work. Sam was sitting at his desk operating the computer systems. Dan looked at their plasma screen to see that Rayla's family picture was on it. At a press of a button Sam zoomed in at the data display and ran image-enhancement software to sharpen it. The image began to refine itself and the data display proved to be a dormant 'net reader. "January 10th," Dan said, reading the date. "So the family was still here as of a week ago." He looked to Sam. "Any launches from Hanger B-6 since then?"

"Checking now." Sam was looking at his personal screen. "Nothing." He popped up the list. "They had a ship arrive on the 8th. It transferred to Hanger E-12 the next day."

"And Lothwaai was in A-12. That's three hangers these people have, at least." Dan tapped a pen on the desk. "Given what Rayla's said, these Dorei girls weren't the first."

Sam was silent for a moment. "Well, he is, or was, Missing Persons."

"Yeah, excellent place if you're covering up for abductions by slavers." Dan rubbed at his forehead. "My God, Sam.... how many people have been taken? It's not like New Liberty is a shithole. Usually this thing happens in shitholes."

"The Syndicate's very sophisticated," Sam replied.

"Something's got to be done. Okay..." Dan took in a breath. "Whatever ship is in E-12 they didn't want to use for the Dorei mission. Why? Why not? What's so special about it? What kind of ship was it?"

"Checking the records." Sam tapped his keyboard several times. An image popped up on the screen of a fairly large starship of yellow sheen. "Looks like she's a light transport. Federation design, built for the market. Meant for sealed cargoes."

"Sealed cargoes like people." Dan almost, almost, grabbed his gun, intending to go to E-12 and tear it apart. But he stopped himself. No, they won't do it like that. Those hangers at the Spaceport aren't big enough, and all of the anti-fallout safety layering beneath it prevents expanding underground. They'll have a warehouse. "Those accounts Lothwaai provided us. Find something in them, a holding company or anyone with property in or around East Landing. A warehouse or something."

Sam looked at him a moment before seeing where he was going. "You think they have a warehouse for holding abductees."

"Not just think, Sam, I know they do. It's how these scumbags would think." Dan picked up the phone. "I'm calling Morse too. No bullshit with driving, I'm going to get a full tactical team by suborbit shuttle if I need it."




Syndicate Special Facility



Tabri was in her private office looking over reports when her lieutenant arrived. Oloani Gesti was not the usual command advisor in the Syndicate; she was a Northerner. Northern Orions tended to have these funny ideas about criminality, freedom, and society that ran counter to the Syndicate, which was why the Eastern and Southern nations had banded together to put the Northern Orions down earlier in the century once the Federation began imposing Prime Directive restrictions on aid more strenuously than in the past. "So, we are liquidating the East Landing assets?"

"The Restivi will leave in the morning with our final load," Oloani confirmed. "I've spoken with our local chief to ensure it."

"And our man in the Police?"

"He's supposed to deal with the local CID office. If he succeeds, his family will be left. If he doesn't..." Oloani shrugged. "Well, his wife is pretty, and nostalgic Cardassians are paying extravagantly for Bajorans."

"Too risky. Better to sell her back home." Tabri looked over the last of the reports and stood up. "As for Agent Burley, do you have any suggestions?"

"Having seen her? A blaster shot to the forehead."

"Oh, Oloani, you have never been one for enjoying the pleasures of the Syndicate, have you?", Tabri remarked. "Killing her seems so... wasteful."

"She's not worth much on the markets, even as an extraversal Human," Oloani pointed out. "And unless you actually intend to build yourself a harem..."

"I've thought of it. She's good-looking and so sensual. Breaking her in will be fun."

"It's stupid. She's a trained police agent," Oloani reminded her superior. "Even if your pheremones control her now, eventually she'll build up resistance. And then you'll have a potential rebel on your hand."

"You underestimate me, Oloani, and my ability to ensure that by the time the pheremones lose their power she'll not be in any mental condition to rebel." Tabri's grin turned sinister. "Speaking of the Agent.... I think it's time I resumed the interrogation."

"I hope you mean an actual interrogation than just going in and sexing her up."

"Oh, this time I have something else in mind. And no, don't bother with the pain techs." Tabri went to the door. "I have... other methods in mind."




Hours had passed. Mayuko's wrists chafed in the manacles and she wondered if they were ever going to come back. She was still trying to think her way through the mysteries presented by their questions, by what happened.

The door opened and she saw Tabri enter. "Ah, enjoy your time alone, slave?", Tabri asked. "I still have that question for you, and this time I brought something to encourage you to cooperate."

There was crying from behind her, accompanied by chuckles. Tabri moved out of the way and allowed Mayuko to see her men following her in.

They dragged Druni in with them.

"You will tell me what I want to know, Agent Burley." Tabri pointed to Druni. "If you do not, this girl will pay the consequences."

[Steve]

Posting Chapter 10 now. The first scene is perhaps the most troubling one I've ever written (and if anyone remembers Anatomy, I've written some nasty stuff if it fit the story)... but given the material at hand and what happens in real life with this particular brand of criminal activity, it's horrifically accurate, and I try to capture it with only the barest detail to avoid making it too uncomfortable.

Anyway, here we go.

Chapter 10


Syndicate Special Facility


Mayuko watched Tabri walk up to her and briefly looked to Druni. She was whimpering in terror, a bruise already marking a slap to her left cheek earlier. There was a gray collar around her neck with a blinking yellow light.

A similar collar was in Tabri's hand. She brought it up and put it over Mayuko's throat. "This collar will stay on you for the rest of your existence," Tabri explained. She brought up a small control and pressed a couple keys on it. Then she tapped another key. A powerful shock went straight into Mayuko's spine, causing her to scream as pain rippled through her. "That is for disobedient slaves. For talkative slaves..." At the next button press, Mayuko felt a tightening of her throat. She tried to speak but couldn't form words. "Watch out with that one, the most mouthy slaves end up losing their voices from this being left on." Tabri walked back over toward Druni. "Now... again, Agent Burley, who told CID about the Lokthar and Captain Lothwaai?"

"East Landing Police called us in. I don't care what your spy said."

"Alright then, that is your answer. It displeases me. And every time you say something that displeases me, your friend here will be punished." Tabri turned to her men. "You, Ligvatho. You can go first."

The Orion man nodded. As he did so, two of his compatriots began to rip Druni's blouse and clothes off. He walked up to her and used his blade to cut off her undergarments while two of the others took Druni by the arms.

"What...?" Mayuko's voice failed as the collar was turned on again. What are... no.... NO!

The man ran his hand below his waist, in the universal motion of unzipping a pair of pants. Druni screamed and wailed, struggling against the men holding her, as the Orion man Tabri had called Ligvatho grabbed her hips.

And all Mayuko could do was watch and listen as Druni's screams became agonized crying. Her stomach twisted painfully. The two Orions holding Druni were almost expressionless as their compatriot forced himself on her. It made the brutality even more horrible. Oh God no, Druni! Her face twisted into anger as she looked toward Tabri, who was barely paying attention. The casual cruelty being presented was like nothing she'd seen before, and Mayuko had seen plenty of terrible things.

When Ligvatho stepped back, leaving dark violet bruising on Druni's body, Tabri raised the control and deactivated Mayuko's collar. The first thing out of Mayuko's throat was a rage-filled, "YOU BITCH!"

Tabri shook her head and turned the collar back on, preventing Mayuko from speaking. "Ropatho, your turn."

The first man took Druni's right arm, allowing the man he replaced to repeat his action. Druni's whimpers and sobs became agonized screams once more. Tears filled Mayuko's eyes as she watched. God no God no!

When "Ropatho" was done, Mayuko felt the pressure on her throat disappear. This time she said nothing. Tabri looked to her again with expectation. Gone was the flirting and teasing of their first interview. Instead she looked....

She looked like she was bored.

Mayuko's heart froze from the implications.

Her mind raced, trying to think of something, anything, to say that might convince Tabri she was telling the truth. She looked to Druni, who was looking at her with pleading, tear-filled eyes as she sobbed, held up by her arms. Violet-tinted blood was trickling down the inside of her left thigh and leg. She cried out, "Make them stop!" in Hargani, knowing Mayuko would understand her.

It was like having a knife twist in Mayuko's heart. She had to say something! She had to do something.

Before she could open her mouth, her throat tightened again. Tabri drew in a sigh. "Kavatho. Enjoy her."

Despite the collar Mayuko tried to scream, "NO!". But it only came out as a strangled sound and made her throat hurt terribly.

The third Orion man switched places with the second. Mayuko tried to scream again, just for the collar's restriction of her vocal cords to make it another unintelligible sound from her throat. Druni's scream was far louder anyway.

While the Orion man ignored Druni's cries and pleas, choosing instead to grunt from effort, Mayuko's mind raced. Rage and horror were pushed to the periphery of her thoughts. The only thing that mattered was stopping this. She had to think of something. Anything! Even if it was a lie it might be something to buy time for something else to come along.

You know she won't take it well if you lie. She'll just hurt Druni more. And you too. The voice of doubt crept in, but Mayuko ignored it. She would rather do something and risk savage retaliation later than to stand helpless and watch the Orions continue to rape Druni.

When the third man was done Tabri spoke Orion into her comm. "I have more men interested in having the Dorei girl while my friends here... recuperate. Are you ready to cooperate, Agent Burley? Or shall I bring them in?"

"Quivek," Mayuko rasped.

Tabri narrowed her eyes and looked at her. "What did you say?"

"Quivek, the Ferengi broker at the Spaceport, was our source. He... he reported it."

If not for Druni's continued weeping, there would have been dead silence. Tabri seemed to be thinking about it. "You are lying," she said.

"No. He's been providing CID information. Not sure why, figured it was the standing reward." Mayuko swallowed. "How else do you think I knew about Yumiko Ogawa being offered the transport contract?"

Tabri stared at her for several seconds. "If I find you're lying, Agent Burley, you'll suffer right alongside your friend here," she said succinctly. Tabri looked to her men and said something in Orion. They took the crying Druni over to Mayuko's side. She spied a set of manacles built into the far wall, parallel to a neck brace. Druni was fit into them. Once she was secure all four Orions stomped out.

"I'm sorry Druni, I'm so sorry," Mayuko cried in broken Hargani, tears coming down her cheeks. She had bought them some time.... but would it do them any good?




Tabri found Oloani waiting for her at her office. "What can I do for you?"

"We might have still found a buyer for the fourth girl," Oloani remarked dispassionately. "Spoiling her narrows potential buyers."

"We'll make more than enough on the other three," Tabri remarked dismissively. "Losing the East Landing holdings is worth it. We'll just set up somewhere else in the Alliance Zone."

"Given the Alliance's expanding influence in the Triangle, providing them potential provocations to come after us isn't wise, and I can imagine the High Committee will agree."

Tabri let out a laugh. "You let the Alliance's victory over Cardassia weigh too much on your mind, Oloani. The Syndicate is not a military power, the Alliance can't just use military force against us. And their love of freedom makes it easier for us to operate in their territory."

"They can use their military on Orion itself," Oloani pointed out. "They could devastate our biggest supporters and some of the High Committee's most influential chiefs."

"With what? Their small patrol groups of minor cruisers and light vessels in the Triangle? The Orion military alone could defeat them if it came to a full battle. If they send greater forces, the Federation and Romulans will oppose them. Miller's hatred of them is so volatile I even think the stupid cow would authorize Starfleet to act, and the Romulans.... the Romulans lost enough face over New Ivers. If the Alliance moved powerful military forces into the Triangle it would mean war." Tabri let out a cackle. "Perish such thoughts, Oloani. There's a Multiverse of opportunity out there. And when the Syndicate reaches out to grab it, I intend to be the hand doing the grabbing."

Oloani shrugged. Changing the subject, she asked, "So what lie did Agent Burley give you in order for you to stop our men enjoying the girl?

"She says Quivek was the leak." Tabri looked up. "Not quite what you claimed."

"What I speculated you mean, and that presumes she didn't tell you something she thought you would want her to hear." Oloani looked to the wall. "Give me an hour with Agent Burley and I'll get the truth."

"Quivek has disappeared from East Landing," Tabri said to her. "Our people checked his office during the night. Suspicious."

"He knows that the attention is too great. Fleeing is reasonable."

"Nevertheless, I want it investigated thoroughly. Quivek will die either way, we have no more need of him and he knows too much. And if what we find shows it was all a lie, well, poor.... 'Druli' will suffer the consequences, as will Agent Burley."

"Druni," Oloani corrected.

"Whatever."



CID East Landing Office


Dan gulped down another cup of raktajino and grimaced. He considered his introduction to it as at the top, or at least damned close to it, on the list of Things To Get Revenge Against Mayuko Over.

The fact that he might never get to exercise the list of Ways To Get Revenge Against Mayuko was something he wasn't dwelling on.

"These records are everywhere. The Syndicate must have used these bank accounts for transactions halfway to the Thallonian Empire," Sam muttered.

"The Thallowhat Empire?"

Sam leveled a look at him. "You haven't studied up on ST-3, have you?"

Dan chuckled and shook his head. "Read the CID info packet for extraversal immigrants, figured that was enough. That and the Orion lesbian porn."

Sam scowled. "You realize that stuff is filmed using slaves, right?"

"No way they were fak..."

"They don't have a choice when they've been pumped up full of drugs and pheremones," Sam pointed out.

There was silence for a moment. "God I hate this universe," Dan mumbled. He looked back to his screen. "Well well..... some account from the Rymorta Mercantile Bank seems to have local charges. Utilities and property taxes for something in the northern warehouse district."

"That's not far from the spaceport," Sam remarked, looking up from his screen.

"Bringing up the address now...." Dan and Sam looked to the screen. The building was in the middle of a park area. "They own that whole block. The park was proposed by the holding company, EverGreen Consolidated, to the city on the grounds that it'd provide a place for workers in the area to have enjoyable lunches and 'beautify the warehouse district'." Dan laughed harshly. "Oh, 'EverGreen'. I want to shoot these slaving bastards just for their puns."

"I'll contact the DA and try to get a warrant."

"Hurry on that, probie. Make it clear to them what we think we've got. I don't want these bastards flying off with more victims because some Limey judge has his fancy wig in a twist."

Sam gave Dan a bemused look and went back to work.




SS Denmark Vesey, Alliance-Claimed Territory
The Outback


There was quiet on the bridge as Thadoc brought them out of warp at the coordinates Quivek provided. The Ferengi had been led up to observe as they came to within shuttle flight distance of the Torvis Field. "So you will have me hail them from here?", he asked.

"No." Asako stood up. "I have a shuttle for you. We will remain cloaked while you signal your arrival. Then when everything is settled it will land."

Quivek was clearly unpleased with that. "How do I know you won't get me blown up?"

"You don't. Though I am not Starfleet. I can't pull shuttles out of my..." Asako seemed to stop, mostly from deciding whether to use the Human version of the statement or the female-specific Rihannsu one. "I'll bring you back in just to get my shuttle back."

That didn't seem to relieve Quivek too much, since it didn't indicate what horrible state she might tolerate the shuttle to be in when retrieved and whether or not he'd be alive inside. But for Quivek he had few choices and none good, this being the most likely to see him alive at the end of all this and without more horrible disruptor burns to his lobes.

"Keep us a distance from the Field," Asako said to Thadoc. She stood up. "I'll be escorting our friend to his shuttle."

There were some smirks on the bridge as they left.




Sophia met Asako at shuttle bay control as they watched Quivek take the shutle out. Sophia crossed her arms. "I'd feel better if he had someone aboard."

"We can't risk them scanning for life signs before decloaking," Asako replied. "Though I understand your concerns."

"This won't be the first Orion facility we've boarded," Sophia remarked. "Do you want me to lead it?"

"No." Asako shook her head. "I'll be taking the lead. I'll show the sniveling coward that leads them how real leaders behave."

"Just be careful," Sophia cautioned.

"Oh, you can be certain I will. I intend to show my contempt for their leader by challenging her to an honor duel. I will be bringing my sword."

Sophia sighed. She preferred more practical methods like shooting the bitch or son of a bitch in the head. But Asako had her beliefs and valued the honor rites and concepts of mnhei'sahe greatly. "Just bring a gun with you just in case?"

"Don't worry, I shall." Asako turned to leave. "Let's go to the bridge to monitor Quivek's call."

When they got out into the accessway leading to the main turbolift, Sophia brought up her next question. "And just what will we do if the Orions suspect Quivek and blow him up before we can hit them? Do we have the spare latinum for more shuttles?"

Asako permitted herself a grin. "Thanks to Quivek, we have ten thousand more bars to buy as many shuttles as we need."

Sophia gave Asako an amused look. "You took his money too?"

"It might be the money of a man assisting slavers, but at least this way it gets put to a nobler use," Asako answered.

"Like most of the money we take this way," Sophia noted.

"Yes, but this time we didn't need weapons to take it, just Quivek's official business transaction codes. As far as the banks are concerned.... he paid 10,000 bars for a business expense. And I have already set aside a portion for Rachel's mother. Weregilds don't bring back the dead, but it is something small to let her know that Rachel's killers were dealt with."

Sophia said nothing as they went up to the bridge. When they got there T'Pek looked back from communications. "The shuttle's sending out an automatic hail. Quivek is transmitting some kind of code."



Orion Special Facility


Tabri stepped onto the station command deck at the instigation of Ruthapo, the Southern Orion who acted as her chief of security. "We have a shutle coming in?"

"Yes. A shuttle, generic make. They're sending us a recognized code." The burly male looked to his instruments. "It appears to be Quivek."

Tabri leaned against a rail. "Curious that he came out here. And that shuttle... is that his..?"

"No, it is not the usual Ferengi vessel he comes in." Ruthapo looked up. "What is it you desire Mistress?"

Tabri weighed her options for the moment. After several seconds she reached over and pressed the intercom button. "Oloani, have them take the agent and the girl to the slave pens. I'll have need of the room shortly."

"Acknowledged."

"Tell him to come in," Tabri purred. "I look forward to making that worm scream."



SS Denmark Vesey


On the bridge Sophia was already at tactical. "The disruptor has a full charge in the capacitors," she said.

Asako nodded. Carrey asked, "And that means?"

"I have a backup capacitor for our main weapon in case of emergencies. Thanks to it, we can fire one shot under cloak. You would be surprised how many people take the 'can't fire while cloaked' issue as some kind of technological dogma and not just an issue of energy needs." She focused her attention toward the viewscreen and the shuttle moving along. T'Pek had them patched in. "The Orions have acknowledged," she spoke up.

"Get ready, Sophia...."

"They're decloaking!," Pala squealed at sensors.

"It's a Type 3," Sophia added, seeing it on her tactical systems. It was one structure, shaped a bit like a top, with the rim of the dorsal area having docking ports that were now used by an inerceptor and several light vessels. And the top had the main arrays for the shields, communications....

"Any time, Sophia...."

Sophia entered her commands into her station. These fed desired angles of attack to Thadoc, who manevered the Vesey for the clear shot she needed. "I've got a lock on their shield emitters," Sophia called out. "Think I can get the cloak emitter in the shot too."

Asako nodded grimly. "Fire."




Mayuko said nothing when the Orion men came into the chamber. Two wordlessly slipped Druni out of the manacles and put some kind of cuffs on her wrists. She did nothing to resist, still weeping.

They secured her completely before moving on to Mayuko. She looked at each and the third, now standing over Druni, with his weapon drawn. It was a foolhardy risk, but Mayuko didn't think she'd get another. She tried not to make eye contact with the Orion man standing right of her, reaching up to release her shackles.

As soon as she felt her wrists free, Mayuko brought her knee up in an attack that would have made most men cringe in sympathy. She turned and brought her hands down in time to block an attack by the other Orion, knowing she only had seconds before the third pulled his gun. His punch hurt like hell on her arm, but it opened him up to a blow to the belly from Mayuko's fist. He doubled over and opened himself to having his forehead smashed into Mayuko's knee.

She turned back to the third in time to see him level his blaster. She'd never get to him in time....

The station shuddered violently beneath their feet. The shot from the Orion went over Mayuko's head, allowing her the necessary moments to close the distance She grabbed the Orion's arm to break his aim and jammed her elbow into his throat. It nearly crushed his windpipe, causing him to gasp for air. Mayuko twisted the gun out of his hand and took it for herself. She brought the butt of the weapon up and slammed it into the Orion's head, knocking him unconscious.

Mayuko stopped only a second to draw breath. She looked to Druni. "Druni! Do you know the way to the others?!"

Druni noddded. She watched Mayuko pull the guns off the three men. She found a device on one of them and applied it to the collar on her neck, causing it to fall away. Druni didn't resist when Mayuko pulled her to her feet, using the device to remove the collar from her neck as well.

"I need you to lead me to them, okay?

"Dja," was the reply; the Hargani for a simple yes.



Tabri had been toying with the thought of just blowing Quivek to bits when she found the deck coming out from under her feet. Alarms blared around them. "What was that?!"

"Heavy disruptor, Romulan energy signature!", Rothapo cried from his station. "We've lost shields and the cloak!" There was a sharp beep. "Ship decloaking!"

Behind and above Quivek's innocent-looking shuttle, a green-skinned vessel appeared. It was definitely Romulan in origin, though the make of the ship wasn't straightforward given the Romulan talent for making even their transports look like warbirds. "Lock weapons and fire!", Tabri screamed.



At the same moment on the other ship, Asako barked, "Trigger probe, Sophia!"

Carrey almost asked what they intended to do with a probe when he saw it appear on screen. The probe was coovered in a sparkly red field, one he instantly recognized. "You have photon torpedoes?!, t'Prinn?!"

Before Asako could respond, the torpedo hit home on the main disruptor array of the station. The resulting explosion blasted debris and atmosphere away. "They're really just probes with anti-matter warheads," she remarked matter-of-factly... but of course in most respects that was what a photon torpedo was.

"The Orions are launching their interceptor and attack ships," Sophia said. "Locking on the interceptor." The Vesey shuddered as a phaser blast struck its shields.

"If you have torpedoes this fight won't take long," Carrey remarked.

"Presuming they don't kill us between our manual reloads, yes," Asako noted stiffly.

"I would, frankly, recommend you use all of them before we go back."

"If we need to..." The ship rocked again. "Now keep quiet, Mister Carrey, and let us get to work."



Klaxons were blaring through the station around Druni and Mayuko. Mayuko had a gun in one hand, her other gripping Druni's hand, while her belt was now full of the weapons of the four Orions she had already taken out. She wished she had her Glock-Hollings, though; she knew how that gun handled.

They almost ran into a pair of Orion men coming around a corner, rushing to battle stations one imagined. Mayuko pistol-whipped one and with a fluid movement struck the airpipe of the other with the butt of the gun.. This was beyond dirty fighting; if she'd hit them too hard the blows could be fatal. But she didn't have the luxury of taking the time and risk to give them a more gentle beating.

Mayuko was not very familiar with space station design, but she'd been on a few, and she could recognize the thick bulkheads that represented where a station's compartments were split up. It made sense; slave revolts could be dealt with simply by sealing the compartment and venting atmosphere. She had to get everyone out quickly.

Mayuko's expectation had been something like cages, every person trapped in one. Instead she found two Orions monitoring what appeared to be one huge pen area with a single forcefield holding them all in. It was fairly lax as security, but she suspected the Orions made sure to deal with potential trouble-makers. She recognized the faces of Triande, Namiri, and Saina looking out one of the field-sustained walls with worry.

The two Orion men each went for a weapon. Mayuko brought her gun up and shot one in the chest just as his hand went to his weapon. The other drew, but his shot hit empty air from Mayuko tumbling out of the way. She fired a snapshot from the ground that made the Orion fall too. He went to get to the cover of his table, but Mayuko was too fast a shot. Her next shot sent a yellow beam into the Orion's ankle, making him cry out and reach for his wounded body part. Before he could recover Mayuko put another bolt into him, putting him down for good.

Druni was at the control station. She'd seen it operated, clearly, as without effort she brought down the main entry port. "Everyone out!", Mayuko shouted. "Get down the hall and into the next compartment, now!"

The people who came flooding out were from everywhere. She saw a Bolian, a pair of... whatever those blue-skinned aliens from the FedCom Cardassian March were, an actual group of Cardassians, a few Bajorans...

Humans, too. Quite a few of them.

And of course there were the Dorei. Triande went right to Druni, asking her where her clothes were. Druni's sobbed replies told Triande all she needed to know. She looked over to Mayuko and spoke in accented English. "You let them do this to my love?"

"I would rather they had done it to me," Mayuko said, even as the thought of suffering that still horrified her. She didn't flinch when Triande grabbed her hand roughly.

"You say you would have done anything to save Druni from what they did?"

"Yes!"

Triande looked at her through narrowed eyes. And Mayuko realized she was gauging her honesty with the touch empathy. Even if Mayuko hadn't already had some sensitivity simple things like falsehood could be sensed. As it was Mayuko could feel how Triande was taking it. She felt pain and rage and hatred mixed with horror and worry. With these feelings rolling into her Mayuko concentrated and forced her arms to take the release device to Triande's collar.

A curious look crossed Triande's face. "You've been with my people before."

"Her name was Lunila."

"Well, of course," Triande answered with a grin. "We Hargani are the only ones open-minded enough to want to be with aliens and your dull colorings." As people filed through around them, she added, "I am a studied systems engineer. And Namiri knows computer security. We can help you if your goal is to take over this station."

"First things first, we get out of here before they realize what happened and suffocate us all."

The station rocked again, hard. "And hopefully in time to deal with whatever's going on," Mayuko added. She handed Saina the three release devices she'd taken after using it on Saina's collar. "Let's get everyone out of those collars on the way, otherwise this will be a very short fight."

"Agreed."

[Steve]

Chapter 11


SS Denmark Vesey


The station's visible weapons were now offline, but the fight wasn't yet over. The damned interceptor swooped out of Vesey's bow arc again while its fighters continued to pelt the ship with energy blasts. The Vyshinsky Particle Interceptor mounts that she had spent thousands of Alliance dollars to buy were proving their worth at least, sweeping space around Vesey and forcing the Orion fighters to be cautious with attack runs.

The ship shuttered under another phaser blast while Thadoc struggled to bring her around to get the Orion in Sophia's sights. "She's damned fast," he muttered. "We're too bulky to keep up with her."

Carrey was watching in silence from his station. Thadoc would twist the ship, but the interceptor's maneuverability let her turn and move faster than Vesey could. "Why can't we re-cloak? Make them guess where we are?"

"Because they might still hit us as we cloak, with no shields to protect us. That would not do well for us."

The fighters appeared on the viewscreen, moving into a formation for an attack run and not quite aware of the Vesey's orientation. This turned bad for them when Sophia let loose with the disruptor and another torpedo. The former speared one light craft and blew it apart, then a second, and then the beam pierced a third and shot through to the fourth, crippling it. The other wing was not touched... until the photon torpedo detonated inside their formation, destroying two.

The ship rocked hard again with the interceptor putting a torpedo into their shields. "Shields at sixty percent," Sophia reported from tactical. "The particle interceptor mounts aren't even denting that thing's shields. I need a bow arc shot."

"Unfortunately, it seems they know you do," Thadoc muttered. "We just don't have the maneuverability!"

"Then we out think them!" Asako gripped her chair and felt another hit throw her against the harness. "Thadoc, full impulse, bearing 035 mark 020!"

The Vesey turned and began to accelerate away from the station.




Orion Special Facility


"The enemy ship is moving out of range," the tactical officer reported. "Damage control estimates two minutes until we restore power to the cannon."

"Tell Rekthan to drive that vessel back to us at that time," Tabri ordered. "We will blow it out of the...."

There was a beep from operations. "Check-in from the slave pens has not been answered," he reported. He checked sensors very quickly. "Sir! We have a full security breach in the pens!"

Tabri's face twisted with rage. "Trigger their collars!"




Cries of pain and surprise erupted from the throngs of sentientkind behind Mayuko. She turned to see those with their collars still on topple over, twitching and convulsing. Saina and two Humans she had dragooned into assisting her had freed about twenty by this point. When Saina reached to release another collar, she squealed in pain and fell back.

"You three, stay!" Mayuko pointed to two men and a woman she had armed. "Protect them. We're going to see about getting these damned things turned off!" She looked over to Triande and Namiri. Druni was standing between them, naked still, clinging to Triande like she might at any moment vanish into nothingness. "Triande, we need to break into their systems, now. Any idea where we can?"

"The section control station possibly." Triande pointed back toward the slave pens compartment. "But aside from that one I haven't seen any around."

"And we don't have time to find another..." Mayuko gritted her teeth. "They'll expose that entire section to space as soon as they realize what we're doing."

"Then I'll just have to be quick," Namiri answered. "Better any death than to be some alien's slave."

"And better to die together than apart," Saina added. She handed her restraint release to Mayuko. "We'll get the system shut down immediately."

There was nothing Mayuko could say otherwise. As much as she didn't want the young women to risk themselves.... that was too late. Their choices were risk and a hope of escape or a lifetime of suffering as sex-slaves. "Triande..." She turned to where Triande was softly stroking Druni's disheveled hair, murmuring in her ear. "We need to keep moving. If we can get to some kind of control deck..."

"Yes."

"But the way Druni is.... she's in no shape to fight, Triande. But the others can watch her."

Triande shook her head. "I don't want to leave her."

"If we fail, she'll die. Or worse, they'll take her. She'll suffer again. And they'll sell her to someone who will make her do whatever they want."

Triande's expression showed she knew Mayuko was right. She clasped onto the weeping Druni tighter. Finally, she gave her a kiss on the forehead and spoke to her in Hargani. "Stay with these people, my love. I have to make sure we can escape."

Druni let out a whimper. After Triande whispered to her again she unclasped her arms from Triande's waist and sat on the ground. She looked at Mayuko. Her tears and eyes were such that Mayuko knew what she was being asked without it having to be said. "I'll keep Triande alive, don't worry," Mayuko assured her.

"Let's hurry, Namiri and Saina are counting on us!", Triande shouted.

Mayuko nodded and led Triande and a few other escapees down the corridor.




SS Denmark Vesey


The ship rocked from another torpedo hit. "Shields at thirty percent!", Sophia shouted. "Asako, whatever you've got planned...!"

Asako barely heard Sophia. She was entirely focused on her tactical display and the listed velocities of her ship and the Orion vessel. We're about there... it's now or never. "Thadoc! Reverse engines, put all power into the drives!"

Thadoc didn't ask. He just reacted.

Subspace was a bit of a tricky thing. It had bizarre effects on the "real world" and a relationship with proper Newtonian physics that was completely dysfunctional. Sir Isaac's ground rules on physics would've resulted in the ship merely decelerating at the same rate it accelerated, which would have ruined Asako's maneuver. But subspace, being weird, saw the ship's forward speed siphoned away as its drives pushed it in the other direction.

The Orion interceptor should have enjoyed the same advantage, and would have if the pilot had seen it coming in time. But he didn't. And his ship had built up so much speed by this point that in the mere seconds when it was going much, much faster than the Vesey.... well, it was a good thing he hadn't been exactly behind the larger ship. Instead he overshot her.

And wound up right in Sophia's gunsights.

An angry beam of emerald energy lashed out from Vesey's prow, spearing the Orion vessel in the engine. Had the weapon been of more appropriate power for a ship of Vesey's size the shields would have held it, but the heavy disruptor punched right through them and struck the main engine. A blast of energy erupted, destroying the main drive of the Orion interceptor.

A single photon torpedo erupted from Sophia's launcher. It raced across the distance and slammed into the wound left by the destroyed engine. The entire rear of the ship came apart under the blast, to be outdone when a massive eruption of gamma rays and a brilliant white flash consumed the interceptor and vaporized much of it. "Direct hit on their warp core," Sophia said confidently.

"Good. Now back to business." Asako drew in a breath. "Bring us back to the space station."




CID East Landing Office
17 January 2156 AST


Captain Ran was listening quietly as Sam and Dan explained things to him. Sam had the printed warrant in his pocket, a judge's signature affixed to it. "We'll go in first, no lights," Dan explained. "These people are already planning a pullout, if SWAT goes in full barrel they'll see us coming and either scatter or kill whoever they've got."

"Agreed," Ran replied. He showed no hostility either. No doubt Rayla had convinced many he was a good cop. Dan pondered whether he really was just a good cop put into an impossible situation.

"We call, you come in fast," Dan continued.

"We'll have your back, Agent, don't worry," Ran assured him. "I'm no fan of these Orion bastards. That Rayla was working for them... Prophets above, if only he'd trusted someone..."

"Easy for someone in that position to not bring in others," Dan answered sympathetically. "Now let's get going, I want to get out there before dawn."




Orion Special Facility


A scream of rage echoed in the command chamber of the station. Tabri slammed her fist into a station and drew in a breath. There were good people on the Laktos, loyal members of the Syndicate. "Do we have power back to the cannon?"

"One minute, sir."

No sooner had the operations officer remarked this that the security overseer began speaking up. "It appears several of the slaves got their collars off, we still have them moving around."

"Send our suppression teams." Tabri took in a breath and tried to hold her emotions in check. It was that damned police woman, she thought to herself. "They may be trying to access the computer systems to disable the collar control network. Are any of them at the control station in the pens compartment?"

The officer checked his readouts. "Reading two life signs. I'm not familiar.... but our systems identify them as the Dorei women."

I'll barely break even on my margins if I kill two... but better than losing the station. Tabri nodded to him. "Vent the atmosphere."



Namiri tried not to show her nervousness. The control systems were unfamiliar and she had to be thankful that the ST-3 download package for her neuro-translator had included normative Orion. She tapped keys to go through the systems, calling up the network commands and mucking with the protocols. She didn't have time to guess passwords, but that just meant she couldn't access the main systems. There were other ways into computer systems...

"You don't have any passwords or access to your programs, love, how precisely is this going to work?", Saina asked.

"Their computer security stinks," Namiri cackled. "I just got into temperature control. Sure, much of climate control is secured but they're linked systems, so...." Using her access to the climate control, Namiri quickly wrote a few lines of code. It wasn't a very complicated program, and any security dumb-AI could have easily blocked it.... but the Orions didn't seem to have such systems. Therefore the simple command lines of her little virus were sufficient to bypass the security on all climate control. And climate control was connected to the station's energy distribution controls....

There was a loud thunk in the distance. Seconds later a hissing sound filled in the slave pens chamber. Namiri felt the air coming out of her lungs. She grimaced and continued hitting keys. There, access to energy distribution. Now to unlock all the security protocols on it and let Triande do her magic.

"Namiri..." Saina's voice was down to a wheeze. Her hand touched Namiri's neck gently... weakly. They shared the sensations of having all sources of air cut off together.

WIth her body starting to fail, Namiri hit one last set of keys. Saina's weight slumped against her and, with one final set of effort, Namiri hit her final command.

Next was the sensation of the cold floor.... and blackness.




In the main control station, the Vesey loomed on the viewscreen as it came back in. "They are coming into transporter range, Chief," the operation officer said.

"Our cannons! I want them active now!"

"Power is coming back online!" The tactical station officer ran his fingers over his control screen. "Targeting!"

"Fire!"




SS Denmark Vesey


"Coming into transporter range, Asako," Thadoc remarked. The station loomed on their screen. "Their shields are still down, disruptor cannons offline."

Asako nodded. She looked to Sophia. "Sophia, shoot anything that begins to charge."

"Disruptor and torpedoes ready."

"Lower shields. Beam Hargen and his people..."

One of the deckplates on the Orion station suddenly blew open and an emplacement emerged. Even as it finished extending pulses of ruby energy erupted from its end. The blasts slammed into Vesey with a fury rivaling a direct torpedo hit, rocking the Vesey so violently that only their harnesses kept them in their chairs. Lights flickered. "Shields down to fifteen percent!", Sophia shouted.

The pulse phaser cannon Gaila told me about. Asako glared at the viewscreen. I should have cloaked. Sloppy.

"Thadoc, evasive maneuvers! Re-engage the cloaking device!" Asako gripped the ends of her chair as the Vesey began to move, but not before Sophia sent a photon torpedo toward the weapon. A burst of fire from the cannon struck the torpedo directly and destroyed it. The remnants of the burst barely missed Vesey. Before Thadoc could maneuver again, the cannon let loose another burst and struck the Vesey directly along the starboard side. The ship shook violently again. A shower of sparks exploded from the rear engineering station, sending one of her people flying with electrical burns on his hands.

"Shields down! We've lost the forward ventral power conduit! We've got no power going to the cloaking device or the cannon!" Sophia looked back to Asako. "The disruptor capacitor is charged.. We've got one shot and then all I have are the remaining torpedoes!"

"Thadoc!"

"I'm trying, sir!", he shouted back. With the kind of calm that only a panicked professional can manage, Thadoc worked his helm controls and maneuvered Vesey around. The next burst blasted hull plating off their dorsal section, making the ship shudder.

If we take a direct hit, we're dead, was the thought in Asako's head. And given the range and their speed, the likelihood of getting out of the emplacement's arc before that hit happened...

The ship rocked hard again, a partial hit blasting through a compartment. A compartment, as it turned out, that was just forward of the starboard impulse drive. The ship's change in velocity was noticable as the drive lost power.

"Losing speed, I can't maneuver fast enough!"

And that is it. They had time for one, maybe two beamouts, and then they'd take a direct hit. The Vesey was built fairly tough, but a cruiser-grade pulse phaser cannon landing a direct hit without any shields would be crippling, and after that there was no hope for them. Then we join the Elements. I can honestly say we were fighting nobly when the time came. "Use what power we have left and beam our team over with the weapons," Asako said calmly. "They will be our avengers."




Orion Special Facility


Mayuko and Triande had frantically searched the entire compartment. "If I knew this station's design I could easily find something," Triande muttered angrily.

They went in another room. It was, apparently, a monitoring station for the ship's climate control. Seeing a red light on the diagram of the station in the room, Triande ran up to it. "By Laga, no...", she murmured.

Mayuko watched the door with her firearm at the ready. Even Lunila didn't invoke that deity unless it was really bad, she pondered to herself.

"They've cut off atmosphere to the slave pen compartment," Triande explained, working the controls with the help of her own neuro-translator implant. "The life signs left inside are fading quickly.... dammit, there has to be a way to get into...."

Triande continued talking, but Mayuko barely heard her over the whine of the blaster shot from the hall. She barely ducked back in the door in time to avoid getting hit. When she peaked around a second Orion leveled his gun and fired. Mayuko brought her gun back up and leaned over just enough to squeeze off a shot, one that missed both. "Whatever you're going to do, Triande, do it now!"

[Steve]

Chapter 12


Orion Special Facility


Triande's friends were dying. She frantically worked to patch into the atmosphere control system. Namiri had left her a backdoor into the power controls; all she had to do was initialize the right generators...

But her screen showed something else. It showed the station's targeting systems active, a wounded starship being lined up for a killing shot. She didn't know who the green ship belonged to, but if the Orions were shooting at it then it was likely friendly. It didn't look like it could take much more damage.

She could stop the shot. But it would take precious seconds, seconds that could kill Namiri and Saina. After spending so much time as friends, she couldn't bear to think of losing them.

There was the sound of firing outside the room. "Triande!", Mayuko called out. "Do something!"

Triande whispered a prayer to Laga. Laga, the Highest, the Mother of All, who's Name was so powerful and holy that you could never invoke her unless you meant it, unless your situation was so difficult, so desperate,that only the Mother of Creation could aid you.

Triande accessed the power systems for the station. She couldn't take over the weapon... but she could deprive it of power. She typed in the command, re-routing power from the weapon to the station's excess batteries.

On her screen the cannon lashed out. She hoped she'd acted in time.




The Vesey shook... but barely. Asako gave a quizzing look to Sophia, but it was Pala who squealed, "The weapon's power is out!"

"Minor hull damage confirmed," Sophia said in amazement.

"Thadoc!"

Another burst of energy struck the Vesey, but again it was so weak that it did almost no damage. Thadoc brought the ship about enough that Sophia didn't wait for her disruptor to line up. They had only a couple torpedoes left, and she let one loose. The red sparkling projectile flew across the distance.

There was a sudden releasing of breath on Vesey's bridge as the torpedo crashed into the cannon, destroying it in a large matter-antimatter detonation.

"It appears our prayers were heard," Asako sighed softly. It was thrilling and terrifying to expect death like that. "Thank the Elements."

"Ready to start beaming."

"Asako...." Pala looked back. "Asako, I was scanning their slave pen compartment. There's only two people in it. The life signs are fading... I think they're dying."

"Only two?" Asako turned to face the young girl. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. And there's lots of life signs in one compartment. Some are fluctuating.... and I think that's weapon fire?"

"Beam Hargen to the fighting, then," Asako ordered. "But only after you beam those two life signs to the infirmary!"

Carrey stood at that moment. "I'll be joining your boarding team," he said to them.

That got him some curious looks. But Asako nodded. "I believe you've been to the transporter room. We'll beam you over as soon as you get there."

"Thank you." Carrey stepped out.




Orion Special Facility


Tabri saw her last hope get annihilated in a photon torpedo blast and felt herself sag against thhe wall. They were defenseless against a raid and, it seemed, a coincidental slave uprising that was being aided by the hacking of their systems. All of her careful plans... ruined!

"Send a message to our agents on New Liberty," she said coldly. The comm officer quickly prepared the channel. "Consider themselves compromised. Destroy all evidence and be ready for imprisonment."

"Sending the signal out now, full encryption."

"Ready all of our crews." Tabri reached for her sidearm. "Be prepared to repel boarders and deal with the revolting slaves." As she gave the orders Tabri quietly checked a nearby console. Her personal ship was still docked, still available for her to flee in. Come what may, she would be safe.




Mayuko knew they were massing for a charge on the door. She and Triande only had a minute, maybe less. "Triande, any luck?!"

Seeing her friends had been transported out, Triande was turning her attention to bringing down the slave collar system. The protection on it was better than anything else, it seemed, taking every bit of skill she had to penetrate. But Namiri had laid the groundwork well. With a final, triumphant tap of the key, she sent the release command. "I released the collars!"

"Good."

And that's when they came in. Mayuko tackled Triande to the ground and pulled her behind a console for cover as energy blasts went off around them. She fired blindly around it, only having time to take snapshots.

When a pair came around the side, guns leveled, Triande let out a fierce battle cry and kicked one in the knee with all her strength. The Orion screamed and toppled. His buddy took worse as Triande's fist slammed into what seemed to be a universal male weak spot between the legs. He doubled over with a cry of pain, allowing Triande to punch him in the jaw. She grabbed his blaster gun and took cover just before more yellow beams lashed out. "Are you trained in firearms?", Mayuko asked.

"My parents have taken me on hunting trips since I was ten years old," Triande bragged. She briefly peeked around the table and squeezed off a shot that caused a yowl of pain. "I will take as many of them with me as I can."

They waited for the shooting to die down, but it didn't. Instead it seemed to be coming from the hallway. When it finally ceased Mayuko peered over the table and saw their attackers laid out on the ground. As she stood up a figure stepped in, a handsome blond-haired man. One she had seen around New Liberty during her observations of Yumiko Ogawa.

"Agent Mayuko Burley." Carrey nodded. "A pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."

Mayuko looked behind Carrey to see figures entering. One had Vulcanoid ears. The other had slight ridges in her brow, the ridges of a Klingon. She didn't quite recognize them, but with Carrey there she didn't have to. "So, just what is Ogawa Transport doing at an Orion station?", Mayuko asked pointedly.

"Nothing much, Agent, other than saving your life and the lives of the captives here," Carrey remarked. "I'm Zachary Carrey, Security Concept Enterprises."

"Never heard of them," Mayuko said. She glowered at him. "And that doesn't answer me in any meaningful way. How do I know Ogawa wasn't involved in some way?"

"You can ask her later, but for now I suggest we split up. I'll take a team to station engineering, you take one to station operations. We take the place over and call for help."

"Sounds like a plan, then..." Mayuko narrowed her eyes as she said so. She wasn't sure what was going on, but her suspicions were raised. "You take Triande, then."

Carrey nodded. Before they could disperse, though, a call came over his communicator. He pulled it off his belt. "Carrey here."

"You should ask the other Dorei girls if they have any medical knowledge," T'Pek said. "Their friends are dying, and Shrati doesn't know a thing about their anatomy."

Triande's face lost some color. "By the Gods..." She swallowed. "I am an engineer. Druni studied as a medical student for several years, though."

"Is she in any shape to do something like this?", Mayuko asked.

"I don't know," Triande admitted. "But I will ask her."




"All the weapons are beamed over, Asako," Sophia reported. "What next?"

"Find us a docking port," Asako answered. She stood up. "I'll lead another team into the station. Sophia?"

"I'll run things while you're gone," Sophia replied. "Be careful."

"Don't worry, I won't be doing anything foolish. But honor must be satisfied." With that said Asako left the bridge.




The freed prisoners had gotten the collars off by the time Mayuko, Triande, and Carrey had returned to them. Asako's teams had secured the perimeter, as told by the five Orion corpses they ran into. "We're splitting up into three groups," Carrey said to them. "One armed group goes with Agent Burley to station ops. One goes to engineering with me and Miss Nesay. And the bulk of you, the ones who can't fight, are heading to an internal section where you can be protected until rescue comes."

As he set up the teams with the help of Hargen, the quarter-Romulan quarter-Human half-Betazoid combat specialists, Triande found Druni huddled in the corner. She was wearing a shirt a couple sizes too big, meaning it covered her down to her hips. Her eyes were violet-tinted from crying. "Love.... the others need you."

Druni looked at Triande wordlessly. "What do you mean?", she asked with a broken voice.

"Saina and Namiri are dying. The doctor of our rescuers doesn't know enough about our people to heal them." Triande knelt over and held her beloved close. "You do. You can save them."

Druni sniffled and drew in several breaths. "I... I...."

"You can do this, love. I know you're strong enough."

There was a look from Druni that betrayed she didn't share that assessment of her strength. But seeing her love's determined face, thinking of her close friends on death's door and needing her, made the pain and anguish loosen its grip. She needed to help them. She couldn't let them down. "I'll go help then," Druni promised.

Triande smiled at her and helped her to her feet. Their lips met in a soft kiss that ended with Triande gesturing to Carrey. "She is ready."

Carrey nodded. He brought up his communicator. "Carrey here. Lock on to my communicator and beam Druni directly to the infirmary." He handed the device to Druni. She barely had time to react before the transporter on the Vesey whisked her away. "As for everyone else... let's get to work!"




Druni found a strange female alien, with antennae on her head, waiting for her. "I'm Shrati sh'Tiletev, ship's surgeon," the woman said. But to Druni it was alien noises, gibberish. She shook her head and the woman realized what was wrong; without any translators Druni could not understand her. She tapped her ear, as if to say she could hear Druni, so Druni said, "Do you understand me?"

Thankfully, the last year had seen the basic Dorei languages added to the Universal Translator databases of ST-3. There was no need to wait for the Translator to work for Shrati; she could understand Druni perfectly. She nodded.

"Okay. Let me see them." Druni took in a breath and let herself be led to where Namiri and Saina were on beds, unconscious. Their vitals were dangerously low, but EEGs looked good. No brain damage had yet set in. "They need more oxygen in their bodies," Druni said, remembering her training on space-related medical issues. "Our bodies devote everything to the brain when oxygen starved, their lungs aren't working well enough. I need you to get me these treatments..."

Shrati nodded as Druni listed what needed to be done. As she did so, she couldn't help but see the dried blood on Druni's leg, and where it had trickled from. She knew immediately what that meant, and it filled her with some admiration that the young alien was holding it together for her friends when she had just suffered such horrible treatment. Shrati nodded to Neva Jeva, of the Nevas adopted into their group, who acting as nurse prepared the equipment. Druni was looking over her friends' vitals and gave orders as needed, Shrati confirming them and thankful she wasn't going to have two more young people die despite her best efforts. She kept an eye on Druni through this, but the alien girl showed nothing but determination to preserve her friends' lives.

As the treatments took effect the two women showed improvement in their vital signs. Shrati smiled to Jeva. "Looks like they're going to pull through."

"Yes, Doctor." The Cardassian-Bajoran man smiled at her, but something beyond his vision made his expression change. "Doctor!"

A moment later there was a scream of rage and pain. Shrati turned to see Druni collapse to the floor, shrieking, tears rolling down her eyes. She pounded her fists against the deck. "By God why?! Why did it have to be me?! Why do you hate me, Highest?!" Her anguished sobs filled the infirmary of Vesey. With her friends safe, there were no further distractions for Druni, and her thoughts turned to what had been done to her. She felt filthy, like a thousand baths could not clean it of the memories of the Orion men and what they had done to her body.

Shrati went over and kneeled down beside her. She touched a hand to Druni's shoulder. A feeling of hurt, of self-hatred, of pure violation rippled into Shrati, causing her to pull the hand away and cut off the feeling. "Oh dear..."

"I just fell in love," Druni wept. "I didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve what they did to me! It's not fair! It's not fair!"

"It's never fair," Shrati said gently.

She could say nothing more. All Shrati could do was pull the weeping young woman into her arms and try to console her.




East Landing Warehouse District


EverGreen's building looked quiet when Dan and Sam walked up to it. There were only a couple lights on inside, but nothing to indicate the place had anyone operating it at this hour. Not that this was surprising; Dan was sure the internal rooms were probably bustling with people. "Wish we had life-sensing gear," he muttered as they got to the door.

Sam rapped his knuckles on the door repeatedly. One hand remained close to his particle pistol. "Lots of ways to beat those, Agent Scott."

When there was no answer at the door, Dan slammed his fist against it. "This is CID, we have a warrant!" After several seconds of no answering he got on his radio. "Come on in, Captain Ran." As he did so, Sam looked over the biometric lock. He pulled out a small device and ran it over the lock, giving it a remote override command to open. The door lock retracted and allowed Dan to pull it open, though he waited until Sam had drawn his firearm. He pulled his own out as Sam quietly slipped into the building.

The warehouse area was to the north; this side was all offices. Indeed, by floor plan the warehouse sides were all offices, with large halls leading to the warehouse area in the center. Not entirely a normal warehouse, but while uncommon it wasn't unheard of. Of course, such a design was beneficial if your warehouse was made up of slave pens for abductees.

"Clear." Sam moved down to the next room. "Clear here too."

"Clear," Dan said, checking another vacant office room.

They moved methodically until they came to a crossing hallway. They moved carefully along it, Sam in the rear and the two back to back, weapons drawn. There were no rooms here, just bland green walls. In the next corridor were more offices, this time on the south wall, and they sweeped them methodically while coming to the main hall leading to the warehouse area. A set of locked double doors awaited them there, but this door was kept by a mechanical lock in the push bar that kept the door from opening. This time it was Dan who fished a couple of items from his pockets and knelt over while Sam kept a lookout, weapon out. Crappy locks, Dan thought as he successfully undid the mechanical lock, causing the push-bar to pop out. He put the items out, retrieved his gun from the belt holster, and looked to Sam.

Sam nodded, and waited as Dan counted down from 3 with his fingers. When his free hand became a ball and moved back to his pistol grip, Sam pushed into the door and forced it open.

Inside was a large cargo truck, a group of light and tan-skinned humanoid figures standing around or loading gray... coffins? Dan thought they looked like gray coffins, but there were blinking lights on them. Storage pods for people? If they were cryo sleep containers... that would explain how their ships didn't register extra life signs, wouldn't it?

The sound of the door opening got the attention of the men there, who looked toward Dan and Sam. "CID!," Dan barked loudly. "Everyone on the ground, now!"

As one would expect, the numerically larger warehouse men responded by reaching for their belts and producing blaster guns. Dan and Sam fired first, taking out two, but before either could get a bead on new targets deadly yellow beams were streaking toward Dan and Sam. They hit the deck, moving in opposite directions. Dan brought his weapon up, brought the sight over one of the men, and squeezed the trigger. He was a decent shot and was rewarded for his care with a double tap to the chest, sending the man down. Beams converged on him and forced Dan to move again to take cover behind a tower of crates.

Sam sought cover beside an anti-grav lifter. He ducked behind it and tried to get a clean shot by peeking around the corner, but the Syndicate people were keeping him pinned in well. He reached for his phone to call Ran, but found it was giving him a no signal warning. "They're jamming all the normal phone frequencies!", he called out.

"Figured they'd do that again," Dan answered. He brought up the radio again. Unlike the others this used a powerful battery to send a tight-beam transmission to the nearest call tower, a beam powerful enough to break through interference from any sane jamming field. "Ran?!"

"We're moving in, Agent."

Dan put the radio up and brought his gun back up. An Orion trying to pin him in from the side came into his sights and took a shot to the forehead before he could fire his blaster. But despite that loss they still had the disadvantage. Dan felt irritation as aire still converged on him whenever he came out of cover to squeeze off shots,

Sam, on the other hand, was crouched beside the anti-grav lift and using the gap for the footspace to get off shots. His first two shots missed, but the third hit home, getting an enemy in the belly. The others fired at him to no effect; it was too easy for him to take cover and their shots were taken by the lifter. It was, admittedly, beginning to look worse for the wear, but as he downed another Orion by re-assuming his firing position, it was clearly worth it.

Dan whistled at him, seeing his tactic. "Good job, probie!", he shouted. He looked around the corner and squeezed off another shot, nailing an attacker in the hip. He pulled the gun back in and checked his clip load. He still had a couple spares....

And that was when it hit him. A wave of energy that came from the air and went right into his blood. He looked over, his breathing actually picking up despite already being heavy, and found a green-skinned woman with a sultry look about her leering at him. She pressed emerald lips to his forehead and gave him a very, very good view of her ample cleavage. Given she was wearing something that was little better than a leather bra, it was especially visible. Dan felt red flush to his face as he suddenly couldn't think of anything but this woman, and a growing and raw need for her that went beyond mere lust to sexual frenzy.

"Men," she cackled. "Now, policeman.... you will do as I say, and you will start by shooting your friend over there."




Orion Special Facility


From station operations Tabri watched the enemy life forms spread through her station at will. Her crew had already suffered losses, with those who had crewed the lost ships and the ones disabled or killed by the revolting slaves and the attackers. Now it was clear the station would be lost.

The teams protecting operations reported contact. The sounds of battle would come over the comm, and then nothing. The contacts moved on until they reached another defense point where Tabri's armed teams would hold, to be inevitably outflanked.

"Get your weapons," she ordered the others. "We fight for the Syndicate!"

They obeyed, of course. They had no choice, not with her control over them with her pheremones. But they each knew that she was throwing their lives away to secure her own escape. She double-checked that the police agent's things were in her bag and headed toward a shuttle bay. It was time to flee.

She pondered, briefly, where Oloani had gotten off to, but decided it was irrelevant. Let the stuck up Northern bitch do what she wanted, Tabri intended to get out.




In the station's engineering deck, the crew was armed and ready to fight back against the boarders. The chief engineer, a male Orion from the East named Ritigar, was looking over the reactor beside Oloani. "We can hold them here," he bragged. "No need for desperate measures."

"So you say. I am unconvinced. We must be prepared should the worse happen," Oloani insisted.

"I can wipe the computer core easy," Ritigar promised.

"That won't be enough...." Oloani frowned. "I want to blow up the station."

Ritigar looked at her with a horrified expression. "What?! That's ludicrous! We don't fear imprisonment, dying is a bit...."

Before he could say more, Oloani pulled a hypospray out and pressed it to his equivalent of a carotid artery. His face twisted into a rictus of shock, then agony as poison entered his brain and began destroying it. He toppled over, dying. She looked back to the rest of the crew, who only now heard his body hit the floor. "Chief Ritigar has fallen ill, I don't know what's wrong," she said to them. "Prepare to repel boarders, I have work to do."

With that said, she slipped further away from them. The reactors couldn't just be shot, no, she would have to sabotage them. But that was her mission, and even the likelihood of dying as a result did not stop her. That was why she was here. Above all else.... no one could leave this station alive.




Mayuko and a team of rebelling slaves and people from the Vesey stormed into the station's operations center with surprising precision, given the captives were not trained personnel. The Orion defenders let loose with fire just to have the personal forcefields of the advance party take the first hits, revealing the firing positions of the Orions for the second team to take out with grenades. In just a few seconds station operations was their's. Mayuko walked around, looking for Tabri, and soon looked to the Human from Vesey who'd led them. He was, to her, a bit strange, calling on the "Elements" instead of "God" and often speaking in a language she was sure was alien. That he was named Ffaival was additionally perplexing. "She's not here," Mayuko grumbled.

One of Ffaival's people had gone to a station. "There's a pre-launch operation going on in one of the upper shuttlebays." Mayuko walked over to his post and looked at the screen and which bay was lit up. "Reading a life sign heading there."

"What about the others?', Ffaival asked.

"Scattered life signs throughout the station, some of them are the ones we've left alive," the man answered. Mayuko had thought he was Human, but now she noticed his eyes were dark black and definitely not Human. "A lot around engineering. Looks like they're making a final stand there."

"Are there any people in position to stop me from getting to the person escaping?", Mayuko asked.

"No ma'am," came the answer.

"Okay. Begin transmitting a signal back to the Colonial Zone, asking for help." Mayuko went toward the door. "I'm going after our escapee."

[Steve]

Chapter 13



EverGreen Consolidated Warehouse
East Landing


The Orion woman let out a cackle, but Dan couldn't hear it over his beating heart. Every fiber of his being was ready to follow whatever she said if it meant having her. Thought dissolved in a haze of arousal and raw need that kept him from resisting. He brought his gun up and began to turn to shoot Sam.

The large east-side bay doors crashed inward. A large armored truck, dark blue with East Landing Police decals on the hood and sides, came to a stop just inside the warehouse, and armed men jumped out.

The cacophany of shouted orders to "Lower your weapons!" and "Hands in the air!" pierced the veil of sexual need that had seized Dan's head. The Orion woman was looking up, an angry expression on her face. She began to look back toward him.

Dan liked to think himself as a good guy. A guy who was nice to women, even if he had trouble understanding them or hiding his desire for them. He was not the kind of man who would hit a girl, all things told, and the cases that had always got him in trouble when he was a beat cop usually involved abusive fathers and boyfriends and husbands using their daughters and girlfriends and wives as punching bags for whatever reason. As far as he usually thought, hitting a girl just wasn't done. Tackling a girl? Sure, if she was a perp. Shooting a girl? Regrettable but sometimes necessary. Punching a girl? That was for pencil-dicked cowards and assholes with anger management problems.

On the other hand, Dan wasn't a fan of having his head (either one) turned against him, and when it came down to it... he was also, as a cop, very practical minded. And as those eyes turned back to him, with only seconds before the woman might use those crazy alien pheremones to take away his free will again, he knew that sometimes, well... you did what you had to do.

The Orion woman let out a scream of pain as Dan's fist smashed into her face. Not just his fist, but the gun he was holding too, which caused a painful impact of metal against flesh and bone that tore flesh and broke the cartilage of her nose. Thick red blood oozed from her nostrils as she fell onto her rump, a shocked look on her face.

"Stay down!", Dan shouted. "If you try any of that weirdo pheremone crap again I'll shoot." She glared hate at him, but looking down the barrel of the Glock in Dan's steady hands told all the automatic instinct bits in her that if she didn't obey her head was going to get drafty in short order.

The Syndicate men had fanaticism, but Sam had taken down a couple more, and Ran's SWAT team was now facing them with military small arms that made further resistance suicidal, causing many to submit. Sam walked up, breathing hard from effort, and looked down at the woman. "Wow, you gave her a good pop."

"Only way to keep her from screwing with my head," Dan responded. "Cuff her."

Sam did so with Dan covering. By this point a couple of SWAT officers, one Human and a Vulcan immigrant, had arrived and took custody of her. She spat a curse (and a bloody tooth) at Dan as she was led away.

"Agent Scott! Agent Henley!" Ran's voice was loud and clear. "Get over here!"

They walked up to where Ran and some SWAT people were going through the lit up metal coffins being put into the truck. Ran and his people had opened one. By the time Sam and Dan had walked over, a figure was already sitting up inside of it. The ridge on the face and scalp and blue skin had already confirmed the figure as a Bolian. He looked up with a quizzical expression.

"Looks like we got here just in time," Sam remarked. "What next?"

"Go through the offices, get their jamming field down, and see if that tacteam Morse said she was sending hit their last hanger yet," Dan answered. "I'll work with Ran here and get all these people out."

"Hope you have lots of notepad space, Agent," Ran remarked. "Though... do you think we'll find Rayla's family?"

Dan nodded briskly. "I hope to, sir. He might've done bad, but they don't deserve to suffer."

"Then let's get to work."




Orion Special Facility


Carrey had Triande by his side when they got to the engineering area. Energy beams started flying, with Hargen's people returning fire as they took cover. Grenades were pulled out and used as needed, but even Asako's people weren't ready to die needlessly by charging into the fire zone, and the freed captives who'd taken up weapons and joined them were showing their lack of combat knowledge by taking cover and clearly letting terror hold them in place.

"Did you see the map for this area?", Carrey asked Triande.

"Yes. There are side entrances. But they are very confined," Triande warned him.

"Let's go that way, then."




Oloani had already set the station reactors to ignore safety overrides and overload when she saw the signs of rescue parties heading toward the freed captives in the station's living areas. The Romulan-make ship had even docked with them. She wondered briefly who was controlling it, but it didn't matter. She moved stations and began inputting overrides into the system as well as total system lockdowns; across the living areas and the path to that airlock, emergency forcefields and physical bulkhead seals went into place, cutting them off from one another and from escape. Another press of a button turned the station's internal emitters into an anti-beaming field to ensure the ship couldn't beam anyone to safety. With a final series of commands she made sure the boarding teams in station operations couldn't undo these security measures. And for good measure, she cut power to the comm transceivers to kill their distress signal.

And then, just to be sure, she also made sure to disengage the docking port's "manual" override and all capability for the ship to undock. She would be taking them with her as well. Above all else, nobody could be allowed to leave, not when they could have evidence of what was here.

As she did so, Oloani noticed on the life sign systems an Orion life sign moving to the command deck shuttle bay, a Human one following shortly behind. Trying to get away, aren't you Tabri? Well, you have someone following, and it wouldn't surprise me if it is our guest the police agent. I can't allow her to be the one to escape, so you won't either. Oloani had to admit some satisfaction to ensuring Tabri's death when she input the commands to undo the prelaunch sequence and overrode all controls on the shuttlebay, meaning the forcefield couldn't be lowered.

Confident she had cut off all escape, Oloani returned to her work, ready to bring the end.




With Vesey locked into an airlock port, there wasn't much going on for Sophia and the remaining bridge crew. Their people had Station Operations and control of the station systems from there. Asako was already on her way to secure the majority of the escapees and get them to the Vesey.

There was a chime on the PA and one of the crew on transporters began speaking. "Sophia, we've lost transporter lock on everyone."

Sophia looked up. "How? Their shield emitters are out!"

"It's being generated from within the station, some kind of EM field that's messing up my transporter locks."

"Cut through the field then!"

"If you want everyone turned into an organic lump of bone and flesh, I can try!"

As Sophia's mouth opened to speak further, Pala began crying out. "There's a surge in the station reactors! Power spike!"

This time Sophia, knowing Pala's relative inexperience, got out of the chair and went over to her station. She saw for herself the signature on the station and realized what it was; someone was intentionally driving the reactors beyond max output, generating excess energy that would overload the station batteries and cause a meltdown that, when all was said and done, would destroy the station and kill everything aboard. "My God, whoever is in there is insane!" She went over to T'Pek's station; T'Pek was already getting Asako on the comms. "Asako, you've got to hurry! Someone's overloading the station reactors!"

"Can you begin beam outs? Someone has cut us off from the captives."

"Negative, there's a field interfering in our transporters," Sophia answered.

"I see." There was faint resignation in Asako's voice. "Then we will try to find a way to undo that. I need you to get the ship clear."

"I won't leave you."

"Stand by to beam us up. But I won't let the rest of you die with us."

Sophia drew in a breath and nodded to Thadoc, certain she was leaving Asako to her death. Thadoc operated his controls. He received a negative beep in reply. "The station's docking mechanism isn't releasing us."

Sophia hit her comm device on her wrist. "Sophia to Regail, I need you to release the dock manually!"

After several moments, the half-Betazoid half-Trill who was manning the dock replied in the negative. "They've disabled all the overrides. I can't free the ship!"

Oh no.




Mayuko saw Tabri jogging ahead of her and got close before Tabri turned, undoubtedly hearing Mayuko's footfalls on the deckplate. She brought a gun up and barely gave Mayuko time to get down before she heard the weapon fire. Instead of a yellow beam it was a burst of energy that Mayuko recognized easily; it was from her Glock-Hollings.

Tabri didn't stay to say anything, she kept running, and Mayuko scrambled back to her feet in pursuit, firing one handed and without proper aim to try and get Tabri to take cover. But they were too close to Tabri's destination, and her aim was off due to her running. Tabri went through a sliding door into the shuttle bay, the door closing on Mayuko as she forced herself through it.

The shuttle bay was an open room, colored in the dark yellow-orange hues of the station. A single bird-like Orion light interceptor was sitting alone in it. Outside the asteroids and distant plasma storms of the Badlands were visible through a protective forcefield. A forcefield that, Mayuko was forced to realize, was the only thing keeping her from getting sucked out into space.

Tabri scrambled for the shuttle. "Get to the ground!", Mayuko shouted, leveling her gun. She fired when Tabri didn't obey, shooting over her head and making her hit the deck. Tabri looked up and leveled the gun again, forcing Mayuko to get behind some colored barrels before the shots could hit. She looked over them and took a couple wild shots. Seeing the barrels had given her an idea...




Carrey grumbled in irritation when his forward progress through the tube was stopped by an energy field, one that stung terribly when he smacked his head into it unintentionally. "Someone's cutting us off," he grumbled.

"Let me." Triande squeezed up beside him, which given the size of the tube and their sizes was not easy. She was, in fact, close enough that they might as well have been embracing. Carrey sucked in a breath; he wasn't unfamiliar with having a cute young woman in such close proximity, but it was a bit distracting given the situation. He heard Triande mutter something under her breath, but not loud enough for his neuro-translator to understand it. "Get out of my way. I'm wearing trousers, you can't peek," she grumbled at him aloud. "Stupid Human males."

"Not remotely what I'm worried about," Carrey replied. He twisted around to try and give her some room.

Triande, meanwhile, had pulled out a tool she'd found in the control room from earlier, and was busy using it on the wiring near the forcefield. "This universe's designers are all idiots. My people could teach them so much."

"They love their computer-controlled systems."

"Computers are machines, they shouldn't be relied upon entirely." Triande hissed a curse as a painful sensation came to her, also trying to push Carrey's leg out of her way. "Now stop jabbing my breast with your knee and let me work!"

"Sorry, a bit cramped in here..."




After another shot from Tabri Mayuko acted. She used all her strength and knocked a barrel over, then pushed it to roll along the floor toward Tabri as she tried to get moving again. Tabri saw it coming too late to react and the barrel caught her legs and brought her down. She dropped Mayuko's gun.

By instinct the gun was the first thing Mayuko took, but as she did Tabri's foot lashed out and hit her in the shin. Mayuko cried out and toppled as well. But she had enough sense of mind not to let go of her weapon. Upon seeing this Tabri got back to her feet and lunged at the Orion blaster pistol in Mayuko's right hand, sending both women down again. Tabri hit Mayuko across the cheek and mouth, drawing blood from her lip, and tried to wrest the weapon away.

Mayuko grunted with effort and shifted her weight, removing Tabri's leverage and allowing her to twist herself out from under her. Tabri's fingers were still clawing for the blaster, her nails cutting into Mayuko's right hand, but she wouldn't let go. She used her free hand up to punch Tabri across the face, forcing her back and letting Mayuko get her right arm free.

Before she could belt Tabri again, Tabri's eyes focused on her. And the need began to return, pheremones slamming through Mayuko's brain with greater intensity than they had before. "Did you forget, bitch? I can control you whenever I want," Tabri rasped. "You are my slave. Now let go of the gun."

Mayuko tried to resist, but the impulse was stronger this time, like Tabri had supercharged the effect. She felt her hand grow limp and let the pistols in her hands drop. Her heart raced. She looked at Tabri and felt want and need all in one continuing loop.

"Good slave," Tabri cooed. She picked up the blaster. "You have cost me so much. I wonder what my best revenge would be? To kill you now... or to take you with me to be my whore for the rest of your miserable life. The pain I would inflict on you would be exquisite, and best of all, you wouldn't be able to help enjoying it." Tabri brushed her lips against Mayuko's panting mouth. "I would give you to men like I did that cute alien girl too. Just because I could. Because that is what you are to me; a pussy for fucking and nothing more, to be used as I see...."

The haze of need almost suffocated Mayuko as it had done before... but things were different now. She had been fighting to live and that had a powerful effect on someone.

With every last erg of her remaining will, Mayuko brought her left hand up and punched Tabri in the face.

A squeal of pain and shock came from the Orion woman, and most importantly it ended her concentration. Mayuko was still feeling a raw need like she'd never known before, but it was no longer concentrated on Tabri. She hit Tabri again as the Orion woman recovered. "You. BITCH.," Mayuko rasped. She grabbed Tabri, twisted her right arm around, and forced Tabri to the ground on her belly.

"Take me, Agent Burley. I can smell the need on your body. Take pleasure from me." Tabri laughed. "Take me like I let Druli get taken. It wouldn't be the first time. I grew to enjoy it in my youth. It is what life is about. Those who take and those who are taken."

Mayuko grabbed the pouch Tabri had fixed to her belt. The rest of her things were there; her badge, her phone, and most importantly, her handcuffs. She grabbed them.

"Why did it take you so long to answer me back in our interview? I mean... three times! Three times the Dorei whore got fucked by my men and you did nothing to stop it!"

"Shut the fuck up, bitch," Mayuko growled. She got up and picked her gun off the ground. It felt good having a proper gun again.

"She was just another pussy, you know," Tabri remarked. "The Dorei girl. That's all they are. Pussies to be fucked. So many...."

Just shoot the bitch. The voice was loud in Mayuko's brain as the pheremones began to fade. There's nobody here. You could say she resisted. That she tried to take you over again. A justified shoot. Self-defense. Nobody would question. After they find out what she did, nobody would want to. The raping bitch needs to die.

She pressed the gun up against Tabri's head.

"Are you going to kill me?", Tabri asked. "Are you, Miss Policewoman? Miss Civilization? Miss Law and Order? Are you going to show me your vaunted Alliance justice and shoot me down while I'm at your mercy?"

Do it. Pull the trigger. Druni deserves justice.

Mayuko's finger tensed on the trigger. She drew in a breath. Rage was making her finger twitch. So easy.

So did Tabri, if only to give her enough breath to laugh. "Do it then, you Alliance whore. Shoot me. Prove how superior you are."

Another breath. Another roar in her head. She could do it, so easily. So easily.

Tabri heard her draw another breath. Then she felt the metal on her wrists as Mayuko fit the handcuffs on. "Oh yes! Bind me further! Bind me and execute me, Miss Law and Order! Alliance justice at its best!" Tabri laughed as Mayuko pulled her to her feet. "Are you letting me die on my feet? Maybe I'll die while trying to escape! We in the Syndicate use it all the time!"

"You have the right to remain silent," Mayuko said calmly. Very calmly. Her breath was forced to a normal pace while she could feel the roaring in her head urging her to just shoot. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"A court of law?!" Tabri laughed. "Come now, surely you want to find out how many of your people I've sent to the slave markets! Beat it out of me, Miss Policewoman! I want to see how creative you can get!"

"You have the right to an attorney," Mayuko continued. "If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided to you before questioning."

"An attorney! Legal counsel! Oh, what people you outsiders are! We in the Syndicate love attorneys! They make things so much easier for us!"

"Do you understand these rights?"

"Oh yes, yes I have. How amusing." Tabri cackled. "You didn't have it in you to kill me, did you? Miss Civilization? Miss Policewoman? Maybe I should have had you raped as well, it would have made this more fun!"

Mayuko said nothing. She was thinking a lot though. Thinking about how easy it would have been to just pull the trigger.

But that's why she couldn't do it. Because it was easy. It was easy to just kill someone if you felt it was right. She had seen that her whole adult life. It was usually her responsibility to catch the people who thought that because the law said otherwise. Just as she had now caught someone who thought it was perfectly okay to kill and torture and rape people.

She remembered her academy class on the use of force back in the Schwarz PD, and how Officer Terrence had explained the use of force deadly or otherwise. That a good cop couldn't just use force because it was easy to do, or because they were annoyed, or because someone had it coming. You had to be above that. Otherwise you were just another thug with a gun, just you would have a shiny badge and they wouldn't.

If Mayuko had pulled the trigger, she would have been no better. She wouldn't be a cop anymore. She'd just be a perp with a badge.

The Beast is in all of us, and you've got to learn when to call it in and when to throw it back in the cage. I call it the Vimes Rule. You've got to be like Vimes and keep that part of you in check. Mayuko remembered asking who the hell "Vimes" was, but Terrence had only grinned and continued his instruction.

Tabri laughed. "Oh, my dear. You are so precocious. Do you think your system perfect? That I will face justice? Are you blind, my dear, to your own corruption?"

Mayuko said nothing.

"Haven't you wondered how we found the fourth girl yet?", Tabri purred. "How we knew where to get her? How we knew you were coming to the spaceport, allowing my people to jam your calls and capture you as well? And, of course, there was your office being the source for Lothwaai and his ship being compromised. I had thought you resistant and lying.... but it occurs to me that the far simpler answer is that you're just a blind idiot, trusting naively in those around you, while someone played you as they played us."

Mayuko still said nothing. But she was thinking of things. She was thinking of how ELP had been compromised. But.... they never told ELP where she had hidden Druni and Karizan.

Karizan. Had he survived? She didn't know. All this time and she'd barely thought about him.

"Maybe your source in East Landing Police was just lying to cover his own ass," Mayuko retorted. "Maybe someone was using him."

"No, oh no, not with our leverage over him," Tabri cooed. "And he showed our people the evidence. The call was from one of your office numbers. One of your's. Or someone who learned to remotely access them perhaps? You never know with some people. What about that handsome Trill man our people said you were constantly rutting with?" Her smile was sinister. "How much about him do you really know? Or your own people, for that matter?"

"Remember your right to remain silent," Mayuko hissed in response. Not that she'd make her shut up. Though she could, but that would be police brutality. A tempting thing, but one minute you were "just" shutting someone up and the next minute you'd figure it is actually okay to shoot them after all....

"My dear my dear! How charming your trust is! But my people have a saying, and it applies oh so well to you." Tabri let out a laugh. "Beware where your trust lies, for trust can lie!"

She continued to laugh, but Mayuko said nothing. She wouldn't even think about it. She had a prisoner to keep control of. There'd be time for that later.




Oloani was busy monitoring the reactors when movement came from the tube above her. She thought she had heard something, and a quick glance at the systems told her someone had turned her field off. She quietly reached for her blaster and, with surprising swiftness, twirled around and fired a beam point blank.

Carrey had already gotten out and jumped to the floor when the beam went past him, almost hitting Triande as she came out. She shrieked and recoiled back into the tube. Carrey leveled his gun and fired, forcing Oloani into cover beside a control console. He slipped behind another console before she could shoot back. "I'll cover you!", Carrey shouted.

As Triande began to slip out of the tube, Oloani raised her gun to fire again, just to be driven back into cover by Carrey's fire. Triande jumped out and rolled onto the ground. She looked over the blinking lights and warning signs and shouted, "She's overloading the reactor! We'll all be blown apart!"

"Get to a station!" Carrey kept his gun pulled out. He opened fire again on the woman in cover, hoping to keep her pinned down while Triande went to work. Triande found a work station and began tapping controls.

Wordlessly the Orion woman slipped out of cover and began firing at Triande. Carrey's shouted warning as he returned fire saved her, though when she let out a pained cry Carrey knew she'd been hit. He slipped back into cover as Oloani fired at him again and looked over to see Triande favoring her hip. "Are you alright?"

"Glancing shot," Triande muttered. "It hurts but the Gods favored me. I can still work. Just... just keep her from shooting me again, please!"

Carrey nodded and turned again, firing once more on the Orion woman as Triande forced herself up and began working on the console. When she popped back out, he fired to force her back in, but again she refused to be cowed and started spraying fire at Triande. This time Triande was ready for it, though, and ducked below her console to avoid the shots.

She's nuts. She doesn't care if I hit her, she's trying to stop Triande and that's all that matters to her. He kept his gun level and waited for the Orion to pop back out. When she did he fired a careful shot that hit her in the arm, causing her to drop the gun. She screamed.

But then, instead of returning to cover, she scrambled to her feet and lunged at Triande. Carrey scrambled to get out of his cover, but he couldn't stop her before she plowed into Triande and tackled her, knocking her away from the console. He ran up and grabbed her as she tried to wrap her arms around Triande's neck, in a way that Carrey recognized easily as a neck snapping move. She tried to hold on to Triande's neck, but Carrey had the superior position and pulled her away. For this he took an elbow to the chest, and it hurt. It hurt far more than it should have. He could feel a pain in his ribs that told him he'd suffered a bruised rib, maybe a broken one.

"We don't have time," Triande rasped. "Don't let her interrupt me again!"

Easier said than done was the one thought he allowed himself as his arms took a punch from the Orion who, as expected, immediately returned her attention back to Triande. He wrapped his arms around her neck and head and forced her to the ground, using his superior body mass to hold her down...

Or not, as she grunted with effort and forced herself up despite his full weight on her. Despite his grip, her head snapped back and smashed into Carrey's chin with enough force that he wondered if his jaw nearly broke. He fell back with enough force to rip a chunk of hair from her scalp, but despite the pain the Orion ignored it and continued on toward Triande.

How the hell is she so strong?! It was like the time he'd tried to wrestle a Vulcan; Orion females weren't supposed to be that powerful.

As she went to bring her fists down on Triande's head, Carrey grabbed his gun and fired off a hip shot. It struck the woman in the lower back. She let out a cry of frustration and crumbled to the ground. After a couple moments, she swung out with her arms and grabbed Triande by the legs.

Carrey took aim again and fired. This time he was right on target. The bolt from his gun went into the Orion woman's head, blackening her hair and scalp. She fell lifeless, her arms still around Triande's legs.

"Thank Laga," Triande murmured. "Now be quiet and let me work!"




Sophia had left the bridge and gone to the airlock to see if she could force the docking clamps open manually. But minutes of effort had only given her strained muscles and pain. The Orions had designed their docks to require the station's systems to permit ships to leave; undoubtedly due to Syndicate paranoia. She hit her comm. "Asako, I can't get the docks to detach."

"Then we have no choice. Sophia, have Thadoc run the engines to full."

Sophia's eyes widened. "You... you're trying to repeat that incident at Largis Station?"

"It's your only hope, Sophia. Rip the dock off with the ship."

"Or rip our ship's airlock compartment out." But Sophia knew she was right. It was their only hope. She took off for the bridge to get it done, sprinting as fast as her legs could carry her and using the tube ladders instead of waiting for a turbolift back to the command deck.

When she got to the bridge, she shouted, "Thadoc! Impulse engines to full! We're ripping free!"

Thadoc looked at her like she was insane, but after sighing he turned back to his control board and began firing the engine. The ship began tremoring violently from feedback vibration. "Engines at max," he told her.

Sophia didn't return to the command chair but took the weapon and operations console she usually favored. The internal sensors were reading growing stress levels on the ship structure. Any one of three things would give first; their engines, the station's dock structure, or the ship's structure around the airlock. As long as it was one of the latter two, they'd live, but if it was the former, they were doomed. She keyed the comm. "Yevem! More power to engines, and every spare joule needs to go to the SIF!"

"I'm trying, Sophia, I'm trying! But if I put any more in I'll burn out the impulse manifolds!"

And then we'd be screwed. Sophia gritted her teeth and waited to see what would happen.

And when that something did happen, all she could do was gape in awe.




Carrey was standing at another console, watching Triande try to stop the sabotage and looking at the station systems. Warnings were coming from the dock that Vesey occupied. A quick look confirmed the ship was at full impulse, trying to break free.

At least they would live. That's the important thing.

Triande, for her part, was focused on the systems. Stopping the meltdown was a multi-stage process. Even dialing down the reactors still required her to expend the energy that had been built up and which threatened to blow power conduits and rupture fuel lines across the station. And rupturing anti-matter fuel was always going to be a big issue. What kind of idiots put anti-matter on a space station anyway? She looked through the systems, trying to find a good outlet for the energy. Weapons were out, shields out, cloak out....

And then she saw them. The station had engines. Relatively small and weak, yes, but perfect for power release. Her hands flew over the board, the implant in her head translating the Orion Basic that flashed from the displays, as she routed all power to these engines, shunting power as well into the remaining transceivers. Every little joule helped, after all. "Carrey, get on the comm to whoever's in operations, have them begin transmitting our help call," she ordered. "I'm going to try to save our skins!"

Carrey nodded briskly and did so. As he talked, Triande keyed the final commands and whispered a soft prayer to Laga, begging the Mother of Creation's aid. With a look of finality she hit the key.

Along the lower structure of the station, long dormant ports lit up and ion flame erupted from them. The station shuddered violently under them as it began to move. Triande quickly diverted more power into the station's emitters, this time it's weak structural integrity field; helpful as yet more of the excess power built up was burned off in the energy fields that helped hold the structure together against the force of acceleration. The station began flying away from the asteroid field it was situated near.

"Triande! Is it working?!"

"I think so!" Laga, I hope so! Triande monitored the energy readings. "The engines are drawing the excess power and stopping the overload!"

Carrey hit his comm. "Sophia! Cut your engines! We've almost got it!" When there was no answer, he shouted the order again. "Sophia! You're going to tear your ship apart! Please stop!"

Still no response.

And then, like that, Triande let out a whoop of joy. "Laga, Great Mother, be praised!", she shrieked.

"Huh?" Carrey answered his own questions when he looked to the readouts and saw the energy levels dip below yellow. The overload had been averted.




Pala's voice filled the bridge with a happy shriek. "The station's reactors are returning to normal! There won't be an overload!"

"All stop! All stop Thadoc!"

Thadoc's hands had already been moving when Sophia gave the order. The engines on Vesey quieted and the rumble stopped. Everyone on the bridge drew in a breath.

"Prophets thank whoever caused that," Pala sighed.

"Agreed. Oh God, do I agree." Sophia slumped back in the chair.




Carrey sighed with relief as the warning lights went down. He had no chance to do anything afterward, though, as Triande threw her arms around him in a joyful hug. He grimaced. "Woh! Ribs! Ribs!"

"You did well, Human," Triande remarked. "Thank you for helping me save my friends and my Druni."

"Hey, you saved my life too, and the lives of people I call friends." Or want to call friends. Carrey grinned at her. "And I have the feeling there will be plenty of thanks to go around."

"Yes. Now help me again, we don't want this station to plow into a planetary body after all." Triande smiled at him and turned back to the controls.




An hour later, Asako was in what looked to be an old address chamber, surrounded by crying, gleeful captives and, in one corner under guard, the surviving Orion crews. They cheered her and her crew for rescuing them, and she couldn't help but bask in it. For all the dark things she did, the agreements made in the shadows and the blood she had shed, to know that she was doing things that could not be denied as right was a relief.

Everyone watched as Druni walked in, accompanied by Shrati, and the Andorian doctor patted her new charge on the shoulder as Druni scanned the crowd. When her eyes found Triande, who was standing beside Carrey, she shrieked with joy and ran up to her. Triande accepted the embrace and the kiss with gusto, and to the cheers of the crowd and the Vesey crew. Druni was crying, and she was still clearly full of pain from what happened, but her relief and happiness at seeing Triande had lived was evident, all the moreso when she gave Carrey a hug that made him smile and wince. Asako applauded. For all she still mistrusted Carrey and felt irritable at what he represented to her.... He is Wind, Earth, and Fire in one package. Mnhei'sahe requires me to honor what he has done. Maybe we can work together more closely after all.

"So, what is our plan?", she asked Carrey aloud. "I believe you wanted to keep me and my crew 'under the radar'?"

"Yes." Carrey looked to Triande and Druni. "We're going to leave on Vesey. Your signal should already be breaking out of the Badlands and getting to Alliance patrols, so I imagine in a couple of hours a border cutter will investigate. And after that, they'll bring in a navy destroyer or a cruiser. You'll be heading home soon enough."

"You should stay and be recognized for your heroism," Triande answered.

"Sorry, but my job requires otherwise. The same for Miss Ogawa and her people." Carrey nodded to Asako. "Please.... keep our part a secret. You'll get full credit. You and Miss Burley.... and where is our police agent anyway?"

There were looks around. When it seemed there was no answer, the other entrance opened and Tabri walked in, handcuffed, with Mayuko behind her. One arm was used to control Tabri's walking, the other arm was used with Mayuko's gun pressed to Tabri's neck. "She was getting resistant," Mayuko explained to the gathered. "So it took a while."

There were more cheers, but also a very clear air of anger. The captives glared at Tabri and those with weapons began to bring them back out. Mayuko saw this and frowned. "This woman is under arrest. I can't let anything happen to her now."

Asako frowned and stepped up, the people parting around her. She took out one of the two swords fixed to her hip and tossed it to Tabri's feet. "No," she growled, drawing her wakizashi.

Mayuko looked to Asako. "What are you doing?"

"This woman caused the death of one of my people," Asako proclaimed. "Mnhei'sahe demands I avenge Rachel's death with her blood. Let her go, Agent Burley, so that she can defend herself from me before I kill her."

Tabri stared at Asako, wide-eyed. "But... but you're Romulan. The Romulans have always..."

"No," Mayuko replied in a low tone. "That would be murder, Miss Ogawa." She pulled the gun from Tabri's neck and pointed it to Asako. "Put your weapon down, now."

Asako's people raised their firearms. Druni began to whimper "No", and all of the joy in the room gave way to the sudden tension.

"You will have to shoot me, Agent Burley," Asako replied coldly. "And if you do so, my people will shoot in turn. You and your prisoner will die."

"I'm not letting you murder her," Mayuko insisted. "That's not how things are done. That's not justice. If she killed one of your people, she'll answer for that too."

"You mean she will make deals with your prosecutors for lesser sentences," Asako hissed. "She will escape the death she has long earned with her evil deeds and live the rest of her life in an Alliance prison, surrounded no doubt by some small creature comforts, with other women she can dominate. No, that is not right. Her life is mine. And you owe me your life as well."

"I am an officer of the law, I will not let you harm my prisoner," Mayuko insisted.

Everything went quiet again. Asako's eyes narrowed, as did Mayuko's, and each waited for the other to blink first.

And that was when the shot rang out.

[Esquire]

You sure do know how to write a cliffhanger. This is fantastic!

[Steve]

Chapter 14



Orion Special Facility


Mayuko's body tensed up and then collapsed wordlessly, knocking Tabri over as she hit the ground. Behind her an Orion crewman prisoner was down on his back, unconscious, and what was apparently his blaster pistol was in Carrey's hand.

He looked to everyone. Nobody had seen what happened, since everyone was focused on Asako and Mayuko. "Looks like we missed one," he said aloud. "Thankfully it looks like his weapon was set to stun, so we won't be mourning Agent Burley."

Asako looked to Carrey and made an almost imperceptible smile. She walked up to Mayuko, pulled the handcuff keys off her belt, and then used them on Tabri's handcuffs. "Take up the sword," she commanded Tabri, stepping back several paces and lifting her own again.

Tabri looked to the weapon and back to Asako. "No," she said. "I won't give you an excuse to kill me."

"Take up the sword and fight, and I'll kill you cleanly. Refuse to, and I'll hand you over to your victims," Asako replied coldly. "If you think your pheremones will affect me, try them as well. You'll still have defended yourself and proven inadequate. Honor will be satisfied."

There were angry cackles and cold looks in the assembled. Tabri swallowed. And having worked some of them over, she knew they were already familiar with ways to torment someone slowly. Nor did she think the pheremones would work. Too many people, and some of them from races that the gene-modifications didn't effect as greatly.

"No!"

The shout broke through Tabri's quiet thoughts. Triande stepped up and looked to Asako. "She had my beloved raped," Triande proclaimed. "I have the stronger wrong to avenge."

"One of my crew is dead because of her," Asako replied. "Do your people hold the death of a kind young woman who harbored no ill will to the cosmos as a lesser wrong?"

"Did she stand there and pull the trigger? Was she present to give the order?" Triande did not waver in staring Asako down. "She gave the order herself. She watched them rape Druni and pretended it was nothing. I mourn the death of your retainer, but she was not directly involved in that. She was in my beloved's suffering. Again, the Gods see my cause as the greater."

Asako remained quiet for a moment. Tabri stared at them wide-eyed, like both were insane. Asako looked from Triande to Druni, who was looking miserable again, and was clearly suffering from what had been done to her. "Mnhei'sahe will permit me to accept this, Triande Nesay, if you in turn permit us the honor of helping to care for Druni." Asako looked to Triande. "My people are familiar with the victims of Orion sex-slavery and we are experienced in helping them cope. Let us care for her and I will accept your claim."

Triande looked to Druni. A tear went down her cheek as she did so, and then she turned back to Asako. "Very well. Druni and I will remain with your people for the time being, Miss Ogawa."

Asako nodded and brought her sword up, offering it to Triande.

Triande, however, had no desire to use it. She turned to Tabri and punched her across the face. She howled enraged curses at her in Hargani as blow after blow pummeled the Orion woman's lovely face. Her lip bloated and bled, her nose crunched out of shape, her eyes were swollen shut. Her cries of agony and pleas for mercy met only silence from those assembled. She tried to defend herself, swinging wildly, but Triande simply grabbed Tabri's right arm, twisted it around, and then jerked it hard. A crack filled the air, followed by another scream. Triande grabbed the other arm and repeated the process.

With Tabri's arms broken and her face beaten to a pulp, she was defenseless, but Triande did not throw another punch. She reached down, took up the sword Asako had offered Tabri, and unsheathed it. She knelt down over the sobbing, crying Tabri and brought her mouth up to the woman's ear. "I show you some mercy, you evil bitch, because we are surrounded by decent people. I will not make them watch me push this sword up your pus-filled cunt and twist it."

She brought the blade up and plunged it up through Tabri's belly and into her lung.

Druni started crying. Triande had been planning to stab Tabri again, but hearing her beloved's sobs, and knowing it was because her delicate sensibilities could not stand violence, stayed her hand finally. Triande tossed the wakizashi to the ground and walked over to Druni, who she took into her arms. "I'm sorry," she whispered to her in Tryni. "Forgive me, my love, for making you watch that."

Asako looked down to where Tabri was choking on her own blood. Bubbles of air erupted from the wound in her chest. Asako looked detached for a moment, like she was deeply withdrawn into herself, thinking. But the situation demanded action, and without a word, Asako pulled her old-style Romulan hand disruptor, flipped a toggle on it, and shot Tabri in the head with it. It was a full power shot, and the woman's body glowed green for a single moment of burning heat, and then vanished into a few traces of ash.

"Let's be clear on what happened here," Carrey called out, getting everyone's attention. "This woman, after her compatriot shot Agent Burley, found the handcuff keys and freed herself. She attacked Miss Nesay, they landed several blows on each other, and then Miss Nesay got her hands on a weapon and fired it in self defense. The Orion chieftess was vaporized."

There were quiet nods. The people present were good, law-abiding citizens. But the thought present, unspoken of, was "let the law mind its own damned business".

"Thank you, good people. Now sit tight, rescue will be on the way." He looked to Asako. "When you're ready."

"I will see you two at East Landing," Asako said to Triande and Druni. She brought up her comm. "Beam us up." Asako, Carrey, and four of Asako's people disappeared in green energy, then more of the Vesey crew, until finally only the escaped captives were left. Some tended to the stunned Agent Burley, others kept watch on the Orions still alive, and others simply wept with joy and pain, still remembering their suffering but thankful to what deities they worshipped that they had been saved from the slave pens.




SS Denmark Vesey


The Orion station was a speck on the screen. Asako was back in her seat, Sophia was at her station, and down below Carrey was in the tender care of Dr. sh'Tiletev for a severe beating. "We've recovered Quivek and the shuttle," Sophia reported. "Hargen is confining him to quarters until we get somewhere to drop him off."

"Good. I'm pleased enough that I'll spare the little bastard's life," Asako responded. She seemed deep in thought. "It was strange, was it not, that the Orion woman Mister Carrey killed was so fanatical as to try and blow herself up with the rest of us."

"She was a bit more hardcore than the usual Syndicate flunky," Sophia agreed. "But do you remember that pirate at Alpha Regina?"

"Ah, yes, I do. A good point." Asako drew in a sigh. "You should keep an eye on Mister Carrey. For a spy, he is not without honor."

"Oh?"

"He shot Agent Burley to end our impasse," Asako continued. "That might sound dishonorable.... but by rendering her unconscious, he also rendered her blameless. Her honor as an agent of the law is upheld. She did her duty until incapacitated. And it saved the both of us."

"I'm not sure she'll see it that way, Asako," Sophia pointed out.

Asako grinned. "Most likely not. She is an admirable woman, a solid mix of Earth and Fire. We would both have died, I'm sure of it. We have been very fortunate that most of our police foes are lacking in comparison."

"I just hope she doesn't keep trying to snoop around," Sophia sighed.

"Yes. She has been relentless, if very circumspect about our rights," Asako agreed. "How go the repairs? It will be very suspicious if we arrive back at the Spaceport with such severe damage."

"They're going to take a while, and honestly I'm not sure what else we can do without a spacedock."

"True. On the other hand, if needed, there are other stations we could visit first." Asako grinned. "Perhaps... it is time to see if Gaila's cousin is as claimed. Thadoc, come about. Set a course for Deep Space Nine."




Carrey drew in a pained breath and looked down at the wrapping around his chest. He'd gotten the shit kicked out of him before, and it never felt good afterward. Great, weeks of feeling like a pinata, he thought to himself.

Shrati walked up to him with a look on her face. "Mister Carrey, about that body you had beamed aboard?"

"What?" Carrey sat up. He'd arranged to have the woman who kicked the shit out of him beamed to the infirmary so that an examination could be done to see what kind of modifications she had.

"Come and see for yourself."

Carrey followed Shrati, who was clearly agitated, up to the remains. Or rather, what was left of them.

Where once there had been the body of an Orion woman, now there was.... ash. Just a pile of ash.

"There was an energy surge," Shrati explained. "Some kind of implants at points in her body. They triggered and now... now there's nothing. I can't even get a DNA trace."

Carrey nodded. And then, thinking on it, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a fistful of dark hair. "Good thing I have these?"

Shrati looked at him. "Her hair?"

"Yanked it out of her head. Or rather it came out while trying to hold her back." Carrey took another pained breath. "So, do you have any testing equipment?"

There was an impatient look on the Andorian shen's face, as if to say "Of course, you idiot". She led him over to a machine and accepted a strand of hair. The system scanned it and a DNA model appeared on the display. "Looks normal. Orion genetic material...." Shrati's face seemed to curve into bewilderment. "Something off about the chromosones, though."

"Oh?"

"On first glance I'd think it was a genetic disorder, but it doesn't look quite right. It looks like..." She drew in a breath. "It looks like... someone rewrote the DNA's genetic code."

That didn't surprise Carrey too greatly. "So she was gene-modded for strength?"

"No, that's not it. That's completely different. This... this is beyond that. This is a genetic modification at the very cutting edge of medical science. Like what I used." When she saw Carrey's look, she continued, "I'm wanted in the Federation, Mister Carrey, for gene-modding a Human-Bolian woman so she could have children. I had to partially rewrite part of her DNA to make her capable of conceiving. A process illegal under Federation law, I'll add."

"So I've heard."

"But this.... this is so sophisticated, I'm not sure who could have arranged it."

Carrey remained impassive. This was something he'd have to take to higher authority, he already knew. But for now he said nothing. "A mystery for another time, Doc. If you don't mind, I'd like a stasis container for the rest of the hair. I have people who can examine it further."

Shrati nodded and went to her supply cabinet. Carrey turned his attention back to the display and drew in another pained breath. After all this time, it seemed, his job was getting dangerously interesting.




CID East Landing Office


It was dawn, and bizarrely Dan felt like a million bucks and like crap at the same time. His ears still buzzed with the thanks of the people they'd rescued at the warehouse.... but he'd also been up all night and seriously needed to rest.

There was still more business to attend to first, though. Thankfully, Inspector Morse was here to help him finish it. "The tactical team I sent took the hanger without casualties," Morse informed him. "They found another hundred people who have been on missing person lists across the planet going back two months. This case has already garnered attention from the Governor's Office, and I'm getting requests for information from Her Majesty's Government and the Alliance Government. You've done well."

"Yeah... yeah I guess so," Dan said darkly. But it felt hollow. Mayuko was still out there, still in need of...

"By the way, I have received further news. An Iranian border cutter received a distress signal from within the Badlands, just within the unclaimed section. It appears to have been an Orion space station, but there was a revolt of the captives aboard and they are now being rescued by a Stellar Navy carrier," Morse informed him. "Agent Burley was given credit by the people for the successful uprising."

Oh God, thank you, Dan thought, breathing a sigh of relief. "Do we know if she's okay?"

"A little shaken, I'm told. Shot by an Orion weapon on stun. But she succeeded." Morse had a thin grin on her face. "This case is going to be a major media frenzy, Agent, I needn't tell you. Please remember you represent the CID when you talk to the journalists. I know how you Yank coppers can get."

Dan flashed a weak grin. "I'll try, ma'am."

"Good. Now go home and get your arse to bed, Agent. You've done enough." Morse reached off-viewer and disappeared from the holo.

Sam looked up from his computer. "It's going to take weeks to go through all this data, Dan."

"It'll still be there tomorrow, probie," Dan replied. "Now, I've got one more thing to do."

Moments later, Dan was opening the door to the holding room, where Rayla remained in his cell. He saw Dan enter. "You're alive," he said quietly.

"Yep." Dan moved into the door and up to the cell door. "I have some people who wanted to talk to you, Rayla. They said it couldn't wait."

There was a look of hope in Rayla's eyes, hope that burned brightly. And more figures entered the room.

"DADDY!"

The word was squealed repeatedly as an adolescent girl and two little boys rushed into the room. By the time they got to the cell Dan had opened it, and tears were falling down Rayla's cheeks as his daughter and sons slammed into him and hugged him tightly. As he held onto him his wife entered the cell, tears flowing down her eyes, a smile on her cheeks, and he took her in his arms too.

Dan watched, quietly, as the Rayla family had a happy reunion, the first true one since this three year nightmare had begun for them. Rayla cried as he held his family close. He looked past his wife and kids to Dan. "May the Prophets bless you, Agent Scott," he said, sobbing. "May they always keep you healthy and happy."

"Thanks," was all Dan could say. He looked to the other end of the door and to Sam, who was standing there with a grin on his face. "What?"

"You're starting to cry, sir," Sam said.

"Just something in my eye," Dan lied. He looked back to the Rayla family. Odds were that Rayla would be in prison for years anyway, his kids growing up without him. But he'd still have them, and they'd have their dad, and no matter what Rayla had done, Dan couldn't begrudge him his family. The Multiverse had enough pain as it was.

And as the saying went, sins could be forgiven.




Later that day, there was only one figure in the office, seated at a desk, going over the data on the Orion computer drives.

And hitting the delete key.

There was a call from a phone in the figure's pocket. The figure pulled it out and answered. "Yes?"

"We have received confirmation. Oloani failed. The station has been successfully seized by the Alliance and the captives are being brought home. We suspect the same happened on your end?"

"Yes. Despite my warning, CID and the police got to the warehouse. The captives were recovered."

"The operation was a failure, then. Begin failure cleanup."

"I have already started. Liquidation of local assets has begun. And I've been carefully screening indication of our involvement from the Orion data. I can do no more, they would suspect."

"Yes. Especially someone like Agent Burley. The reports on her from our people have proven highly accurate. Though we have cause to disbelieve that she alone ensured the failure of Agent Oloani's operation. Investigate this."

"It will be done, Director."

"Excellent. Continue your work. Orders will be given to you by special contact means for now on."

"Understood."

[Steve]

Chapter 15



St. Dominic's Hospital of East Landing
19 January 2156 AST


Mayuko felt a cold dread in her heart as she was led into the morgue. Even with all the accolades she'd gotten upon her triumphant return, the calls from the Governor and Director Larkin and Morse and everyone else, this news had jolted her.... even as she heard Tabri's taunting words echo in her head.

The body was already prepared. The ME, a Vulcan, showed some surprising traces of emotion as she murmured, "My apologies", and pulled the sheet off to reveal Karizan. His eyes were closed, which was good because if they'd been open Mayuko would have fallen apart upon looking into them. His body was long cold, a vacant look on his face. His torso was one big grotesque burn.

"From what we can tell, it was a stun weapon at point blank range," the Vulcan woman explained. "Unfortunately at those ranges they can still be fatal. He died in the OR before our medical staff could solve the organ failures. There was no time to effectively rescucitate."

Mayuko drew in a breath and closed her eyes, feeling hot tears of grief roll down her cheeks. After everything, after all her suffering and terror and fighting, she had still lost. She was alone again, and Karizan had been taken from her. She would never know if he really loved her....

And a voice, sounding almost like Tabri's, whispered, And you'll never know if he was betraying you.

She shook the feeling out. It was Tabri being a malevolent bitch, that she was certain of. Rayla must have seen her around with him. Or maybe another of their people. That's how Tabri knew, yes. "Goodbye, Karizan," she sobbed quietly. The sobs died down, though, as she asserted control here and now.

"Thank you," Mayuko murmured to the Vulcan, who nodded and pulled the sheet back up over Karizan. "You have been kind."

"I was told he was your mate. You deserved to say goodbye." The Vulcan woman nodded to her and brought her hand up in a split-finger gesture. "Live long and prosper, Agent Burley."

Mayuko muttered a response. She went back up the elevator and out to her car and drove back to her apartment, remaining quiet, not even thinking. Then she parked and walked up and opened the door and entered her apartment and there everything was, including Karizan's stay-over clothes and the flowers he'd given her and the picture of them on her birthday getaway....

And then she couldn't hold it back anymore. The grief crashed through Mayuko's defenses with all the power of a tsunami. She broke out crying hysterically, walking to her room to grab his favorite pillow, one that still smelled of his cologne, and hold it tightly. She simply laid there for the rest of the day, crying in grief from what she had lost.




East Landing Police Headquarters
21 January 2156


Detective Rayla, soon to be former Detective when ELP's termination paperwork was finished, sat quietly in the jail cell. Mayuko stood outside of it, a chair pulled up for her to sit in. She looked through the bars at him. "Dan told me about your family," she said.

"Yeah." Rayla drew in a sigh. "My kids are going to grow up with me in prison. My daughter will probably be married before I get out."

"The Crown Prosecutors are considering leniency due to your circumstances and eventual cooperation," Mayuko pointed out to him.

Rayla shrugged. "Means ten years instead of twenty-five to life. And assumes I don't get shivved after someone eventually outs me as a cop." Despite this he smiled. "Doesn't matter, Agent. My family is safe. That's all that matters. I'm ready to pay the price for the crimes I did to protect them. It's justice, just as the Prophets proscribe. I took the lives of good men; my life is forfeit at their discretion."

Mayuko said nothing about that. "Dan says you put a transceiver on him."

"Yeah, fun little piece of work the Syndicate gave me. I overheard eveyrthing you two talked about. I was able to track you both a bit too."

"So that's how you found out where we were keeping Druni Jestani," Mayuko said. "To tell your Syndicate bosses."

Rayla looked at her. "Uh, what?"

In a fit of rage Mayuko stood up and threw her metal chair at the cell bars. "Don't pretend to be an idiot, Rayla!", she screamed. "They found them! They killed my lover taking Druni you bastard!"

Rayla looked at her with... sympathy? But also bewilderment. "The Prophets strike me down if I lie, Agent.... but I have no idea what you're talking about. I spent that morning at the office in meetings with my department detectives. I... I didn't even get back on watching the tracker until after the Orions had left with you."

Mayuko drew in a breath. "You're lying," she murmured.

"I'm not," Rayla insisted. "Prophets no, Agent. I... I've got no reason to now. My family's safe. And on their freedom, their lives, I didn't update the Syndicate on Agent Scott's tracker that morning. I updated it the night before and not again until I went to confront him."

Without the chair to catch her, Mayuko fell on her rump in horror. She believed Rayla. And that meant....

"Why did the Orions think CID warned ELP of Lothwaai's ship?", Mayuko asked, her voice hoarse.

Rayla was looking at her like she was about to go mad, which was somewhat accurate. He blinked. "Because that's what happened, Agent. I got my hands on the report. The number was assigned to your local office. Someone with access to East Landing CID comm-lines called in the tip that caused Captain Ran to seize Lokthar. You can look up the data yourself, I'm sure they'll show you."

Mayuko almost stopped breathing. Tabri hadn't been lying. Oh God, she hadn't been lying.

She had a traitor in CID.




St. Dominic's Hospital of East Landing


Larrisa was sobbing when Asako and Sophia entered her room. She looked at them and sniffled. Her body was mostly recovered now and she would be coming home today. Home to their apartment at Venetian, where Rachel's things awaited to remind her of what she had lost.

"I wish I had died," Larrisa finally said.

"It always hurts, Larrisa, but Rachel would have wanted you to live happily," Sophia reminded her, holding her hand while Asako looked out the window.

"I can't.... she was my gy'doma," Larrisa wept.

"It will hurt forever," Asako said. "I can't lie. But there will be joy again, and love, in its due time."

Larrisa didn't answer, simply continuing to weep, and she did so until they returned her home. Sophia remained with her the whole day, standing vigil as Larrisa cried to herself the entire day.




CID East Landing Office


Mayuko entered the office and was greeted to the sound of party blowers and shouts of "Surprise!" Dan, Sam, Claire, and Inspector Morse were all present, applauding her. Seeing Morse in particular acting so... loose was a shock.

"It's good to have you back, boss," Sam spoke up. He indicated a cake on her desk. "We got you a cake."

Mayuko allowed herself a smile and let them begin the party in earnest. But she found herself unable to enjoy it. Not when she couldn't figure out which person here had betrayed her. It... it just didn't.... Claire was an angel, a hard worker, Dan was too flippant and loyal, Sam too new.

But even Sam had been given access to their commlines before the Lokthar came in. All three of them were potential suspects. So, come to think of it, was Morse.... no! She was not going to twist herself in knots wondering who to trust. It'd just get her killed out in the field.

"I'm sorry about not bringing in the Orion chief," Mayuko said to Morse. "The others say some Orion shot me in the back, and that she tried to kill one of the Dorei and was vaporized in self-defense."

"Yes, I read the report. You did everything by the book, though, so it is no fuss," Morse assured her.

Yeah... I just lied about who was there, Mayuko thought. That and I have my suspicions about what really happened....

"Agent, before I return to Wexford..." Morse stood up and looked to Mayuko. "I might as well warn you what the Governor has done."

"What has he done?", Mayuko asked.

"Your name was submitted to the Home Office, for, well.... we might have an independent republic being formed in a month, but right now you're still a police agent ultimately answerable to Her Majesty's Government, Agent, and you are to receive the George Cross."

Sam whistled. Claire, beaming with happiness, looked to Mayuko and said, "Congratulations Mayuko! What an honor!"

Dan, who was oblivious, still smirked. "Congratulations, boss."

"The entire office is to receive further rewards," Morse continued. "And you will soon be expanded to six agents, so your work load becomes more managable."

"Finally," Dan sighed. "I live in a beautiful beach city and I never get time to go to the beach."

That prompted laughter and the continuation of the celebration, Mayuko forcing her growing paranoia into recession to enjoy it more fully.




Alliance Intelligence Department Building
Bowie, Earth
Universe Designate HE-1
23 January 2156 AST


Zachary Carrey was quiet as he waited for his appointment. His ribs felt better, at least, though that smartass English-accented Starfleet doctor on DS9 had left him irritated after Shrati had insisted he visit the station infirmary to get his ribs reset with the better equipment on DS9. Though visiting one of the Multiverse's most interesting ports of call had been an enjoyable and eye-opening experience, he was happy to have gotten back to East Landing and now, after a summons, here to Bowie.

Finally the secretary called him in. He stepped into the office and waited respectfully until an English-accented voice invited him to sit. "Mister Director, a pleasure," Carrey said aloud.

Sir James Bronson looked up from his paperwork with a blank expression. "Ah, Mister Carrey. Station Chief Gogol has been very impressed with your activities in ST-3. Your work with our SCE branch has been exceptional, especially this new situation with the Orions."

"I heard it's caused a fuss, sir," Carrey answered.

"Oh indeed! The Orion Syndicate was found abducting people, including Alliance citizens, off the streets of an Alliance world to sell into slavery. The population is livid." Sir James allowed himself a little grin. "We should only be thankful that this has come only after our ceasefire with the Plymouthites was signed. The prospect of a conflict in ST-3 would undoubtedly have inspired Presiding Bishop Mather to insist on more lenient terms."

"Of course, sir."

Sir James remained quiet for several seconds. "I hear you have been asking Chief Gogol to have AID offer direct aid to Ms. t'Prinn and her cohorts to settle in Alliance territory?"

"I have, Director," Carrey answered.

"You think this is advisable in terms of sustaining them as Department assets?"

"I do, sir. It will give Ms. t'Prinn security that will make her less prone to run."

"So you say." Director Bronson stood up and walked over to his window, looking out at the commercial and residential areas beyond and, in the distance, the capital of the Alliance. "She is a terrorist, Mister Carrey."

"I know, sir."

"Very violent when provoked. Prone to passionate acts when provoked. She could cause us issues if she acts out in a way that can be linked to AID."

"I know, but I feel it is an acceptable risk considering her value as an asset. Her movement has ties to other forces in the Triangle, and the Tal'Shiar as well."

"Yet you do not believe her first loyalty is to Romulan intelligence?"

"I believe her first loyalty is to her cause and her people, Director," Carrey answered. "Her ties to the Tal'Shiar are for convenience, nothing more."

"I see." Sir James turned back to look at him. "I read your report on the Orion woman who tried to blow up the station, and how her body dissolved after death. Our people went over the hair samples you recovered. I trust you can keep this between us?"

"Of course, sir," Carrey assured him.

"Very well." Sir James handed Carrey an folder. Carrey opened it. The photo was of the woman he had fought, visuals recovered from the Orion station.

Another photo was in the folder. The same woman, but....

"She was a Vulcan?", Carrey asked, incredulous.

"Vulcanoid," Sir James corrected. "Possibly Rigelian, since she showed no knowledge of the nerve pinch technique by your reports, and one suspects any Vulcan trained as a deep cover agent would know how to do such a thing."

"So you don't think she was working for the Syndicate," Carrey said.

"I know she wasn't, Mister Carrey," Sir James answered. "For some time, AID has been aware that there is a covert organization operating in the margins of ST-3, manipulating events in minor states, usually to the promotion of Federation long-term interests and the detriment of rivals. You may think of the failed operation on Rymorta, for instance..."

"Yes." That operation had claimed several lives, including a couple of people Carrey remembered from his time here. "I had set up the preliminaries before re-assignment. I didn't think things could go so badly, we seemed to have a real shot at effecting a government change."

"That we did. Instead the new government is staunchly friendly to Federation interests and opposed to Alliance influence in the Sphere," Sir James noted. "That is only one such sign. And so far, our efforts to learn of this force have been unsuccessful. Indeed, we have only garnered a designation."

Carrey looked back at the folder. He found the line.

"Section 31?"

"Yes." Sir James accepted the folder back. "We have good reason to suspect this Vulcanoid woman, this 'Oloani' as the Orions called her, was one of their's. A deep cover agent in the Syndicate who attempted to cover up the Syndicate's bold operations in the Alliance by killing everyone involved, and who by your own reports fought ferociously and suicidally to complete her mission."

Carrey nodded. "And you're telling me this, sir, for what reason?"

Sir James didn't answer. He didn't need to, because the look on Carrey's face made it clear he had put it together.

"Talk to Miss Ogawa, Agent Carrey," Sir James instructed. "I will personally make whatever arrangements you see fit to request to keep her in East Landing. We will have need of her as an asset in the coming months, I think."

"I understand, Director. I'll do so."

"Thank you. You are dismissed now, Mister Carrey."




After Carrey had left the room, Sir James remained to himself for several minutes. There was a beep on his intercom. "Director, your appointment is here."

He reached over and held down the button. "Send them in, Miss Laverly."

The door opened. Sir James remained quiet as the three figures walked up and stood in a solid line. Mostly identical sisters, primarily human, but with ears and features that most Humans would call "elvish". "Ladies, thank you for coming. I believe you have found your work on retainer to have been satisfactory so far?"

"You mean having us slip into Cardassian space and deliver a bottle of kanar to Enabrin Tain's retirement safehouse, Director?", Anne asked. As always, she was their spokeswoman, while Alicia and Annika remained quiet.

"He was very pleased. I may have to send you on another such run with my thanks for the bottle of fine brandy he had delivered to me two weeks afterward," Sir James responded. It had, all things told, been a marvelous test run for the Triplets. Getting Tain to tip his hand on sleeper agents in the Alliance's capital had simply been a bonus. And he suspected Tain knew that, but was probably thrilled to have the competition; he knew he was. "But now things have grown more serious, ladies. Our nemesis in ST-3 has made their first move."

"Something to do with the Orion business, sir?"

"Yes. Mister Carrey was lucky to survive. And he may have become a target." Sir James steepled his fingers together. "I'm arranging Alpha Priority resources to you. You will establish cover identities in East Landing. It won't be hard to blend in, as between the ST-3 immigrants and those coming there to do business with them the city is expanding greatly. You will keep an eye on Mister Carrey, and you will thoroughly investigate to see if the hand of Section 31 can be found in East Landing. I have... suspicions that the operative Mister Carrey killed was not their only one involved in this mess. You report directly to me, not Chief Gogol, of course, and the channel I have arranged will remain open as long as it remains uncompromised. I imagine if worse comes to worse, you will manage to re-open a new channel with your customary ingenuity."

"Understood, sir," Anne answered. "By your leave?"

Sir James nodded and watched them leave. His pieces were now in play and he could count on the Triplets to provide a formidable obstacle to his enemies. It was now Section 31's turn, to see if they were serious about taking this little conflict another level.




Hanger A-2, East Landing Spaceport
East Landing, New Liberty, Alliance Colonial Zone
Universe Designate ST-3


Asako remained quiet until the others stopped speaking. "So you are certain?"

"We are." Namiri had Saina's hand in her own. "You helped save us, and you are helping our friend Druni cope. Saina and I have been thinking of what to do with our lives for a while, and we think your cause is worth supporting."

"It is a very violent life, ladies," Asako pointed out.

"Yes. But you need more than that part," Saina pointed out. "You need people to be your public face. You need people who can go to the Multiverse, and all the varieties of intelligent life, and gather support for you. Namiri and I can do that. We have the education and the connections."

"I see. So you're not talking of joining my crew as your friends have, but of being my.... lobbyists?" A crooked grin crossed Asako's face. "I am humbled by such noble mnhei'sahe, ladies. I accept."

"We will begin arrangements immediately," Namiri assured her, after which both walked out.

Sophia walked in as they left. "They're not joining too, are they?"

"Not the crew, but.... they will be useful." Asako drew in a breath. "How are they settling in?"

"I believe Triande will give Yevem fits. And unlike with me he can't get even with a good hard fucking," Sophia joked. "But she has some ideas on improving our systems. The Dorei have some... interesting technological concepts. And Shrati thinks Druni will make a marvelous assistant surgeon. She's not a full doctor but she's apparently got better talent and knowledge than a nurse."

"Maybe so, but our goal with her isn't finding work, but giving her consolation," Asako pointed out. "I saw her face when Triande was avenging her. She is not cut out for this work."

"Not all of us are," Sophia remarked. "Larrisa and Rachel, the Nevas...."

"Yes." Asako seemed to look into the distance. "Sophia, I have been thinking."

"Yes?"

"Perhaps.... perhaps it is time I change our approach." Asako stood and walked around her desk. "We have made much in the way of compensation, and I have been husbanding it carefully. But I believe I now have the necessary funds and contacts to.... obtain a new ship."

"Oh?" Sophia shook her head. "Can we afford another hanger?"

"Maybe. With two ships we can take more contracts. One ship for more... particular jobs, like Mister Carrey's contracts. Another for the more mundane ones. Ones that people like Larrisa can do more easily, with a clearer conscious, and with minimal risk of violence."

"It's an idea, that's for sure." Sophia leaned against her desk. "I kind of like it. But it'll make hightailing it harder if you ever want to leave."

"I know. Which..." Asako sighed. She looked to Sophia. "Marry me."

Sophia stared at Asako blankly. "What?"

"Marry me," Asako replied, grinning lightly. "Half of the underworld thinks we are lovers, after all, and under the common law of New Liberty we can marry. Then you can register as a resident and vote, becoming a citizen of New Liberty. We can still leave if we need to. Alliance citizens are free to, after all."

"Yes," Sophia agreed. "But.... why not just register as Yumiko Ogawa?"

"Because she is a ghost," Asako pointed out. "Nothing but a shell I constructed so we could operate here. I'm not above having her pretend to be your wife for legal reasons but it would be wrong to make her a citizen, with rights and responsibilities. I would only do so as Asako t'Prinn. And that would.... complicate things unacceptably. It is easier if I am not bound to the Alliance."

"I see." Sitting on the edge of her desk, Sophia seemed deep in thought. It was... weird, but completely understandable as a ruse. "Though it'll only make the rumors even stronger, you know."

"I do."

"You might chase away guys," Sophia teased.

Asako let out a laugh. "I already do. And I suspect many a male would be more interested if he thought he would get to have both of us." They both laughed hard for several seconds. "I would not do this ordinarily. But honor demands I do what's right for everyone, as best as I can, Sophia," Asako explained. "And for some of our people, life on the run isn't the right thing. They deserve better while getting to fulfill their loyalty to their cause."

"Mnhei'sahe again."

"Yes. It's such a strange and wonderful thing, the Ruling Passion. Is it not?" Asako put a hand on her shoulder. "You have been my dearest friend, Sophia, and I thank you. Without you as my ballast I.... I might have become a monster every bit as cruel as an Orion chieftain. Perhaps worse."

"Without you, I would have destroyed myself," Sophia answered. "I owe you just as much."

"Agreed. So." The smile on Asako was warm, as warm as any she had ever given. "Let's go get you registered to vote, Sophia. Then, if anything, you can make sure we get a real govenrment and not some silly monarchy. And you can then file for the marriage license."

"Oh, I have to? I'm so getting revenge when we go on our honeymoon."

Giggles and laughter filled the room again.

[Steve]

Epilogue


North Area Civic Center, East Landing
16 February 2156 AST


It was a nice day and with the case loads light Mayuko had decided to take a day out of the office. Paperwork for those cases being followed could be done via tablet, letting her enjoy the sunny weather and cool ocean breeze.

But first things first.

The Plebiscite was active on all ten settled worlds of the Alliance Colonial Zone, as they voted whether to retain their ties to the nations granted them (The UK of SE-1, Iran of FHI-8, and the League of East Africa FHI-8) or to become an independent state and Alliance member nation. Though some talking heads had grumbled about the cynicism that both terms predetermined Alliance membership, for the most part people were ecstatic to have the vote come. Some worlds were projected to stay with the other nations, but New Liberty had Independence a whopping forty points in the lead.

Mayuko pulled a respectable blue blouse over her bikini top and buttoned it up as she stepped out of her car. A walk under warm sunlight brought her to the door, where she showed her ID to the election official. He checked the records and smiled at her, handing her a ballot and motioning to a booth.

Paper ballots! Word was some of the Federation emigres were utterly flummoxed by them, but Mayuko considered them, well, right and proper. A paper with her fingerprint and geneprint on it, showing she'd voted and how, and an electronic record for counting as well. She didn't even wait; she bubbled yes under the independence option, and then another yes under the option of "constitutional federal republic" for government formation (for some reason some jackass in the Alliance's Ministry of Internal Affairs had insisted on inane options like 'unitary socialist republic' and "constitutional monarchy', even 'traditional monarchy', the latter of which seemed particularly ridiculous and anti-democratic).

Once she'd voted, Mayuko began walking out; civic duty was done and now the beach, alcohol, and a tan awaited.

Especially the alcohol, given how much she missed Karizan.... but life would move on, as always. Nothing would let that change.




Hanger A-2, East Landing Spaceport


"So, how did it go, love?"

There was a rare mischievous look on Asako's face when she said the term of endearment. Sophia smirked at her. "They had paper ballots, how quaint," Sophia joked. "I voted for independence of course and for a republic...."

"I was looking at the sample ballot. So many government forms. Like the majority won't vote for a federal republic," Asako noted. "Socialist unitary republic does sound nice."

"Yumiko, you're letting your economic politics show again," Sophia needled. "I think the federal republic was the best choice."

"Well, part of the whole point of voting in secret ballot is to not let others interfere with your choices. I'll set an example with that." She smiled tightly and shook her head. "Oh well. So how is everyone doing today?"

"The others will be coming and going all day, given the ship overhauls," Sophia noted. "Have you made any progress...?"

"I've written my contacts. We should get another ship soon enough," Asako replied. "But for now, the day is sunny, and I believe it is a good one to sit out on the beach with a book. I received a recommendation form a member of my book club, one Marina Lenarova, on a marvelous account of the Gilean Slave Scandal of CON-5 over thirty years ago, and given current events, it would certainly be fitting..."




Ra'tleihfi, ch'Rihan (Romulus)
Romulan Star Empire
18 February 2156 AST

Honor and mnhei'sahe, t'Llanel. I hope this message finds you well. As you know, I have become quite settled now in Alliance territory, and my crew does well. I'm certain you have already ascertained my peripheral involvement with this Orion situation, and I tell you I only acted due to the demands of the Ruling Passion; one of mine had been killed by the Syndicate operating here in New Liberty, and that demanded a response.

I write to you now to thank you for your support over these years. I was pleased to hear you recovered from your recent troubles, and with the Eloh negotiations firmly ended your name is again filled with honor. But mnhei'sahe demands I give you this warning, t'Llanel. Do not provoke the Alliance, for their wrath is waxing as hot as Eisn. Their citizens have been abducted and their police agents murdered by the Orion Syndicate and your idiotic clients amongst the Orion Confederation have failed to properly disassociate themselves from these acts. Their foolish defiance will not avail them, and if the Rihannsu try to stand in their way the Alliance's wrath will be terrible. Attached are the public terms of this new "Foquet-Erzburger Act" that the Alliance Council passed the other day. As its text makes clear, the Alliance of Democratic Nations is bent upon war with Orion, and the Elements will, I think, be pleased anyway to see the hubris of the more barbarous Orions punished by the shot and shell of Alliance weaponry. As Cardassia has burned, so must Orion now, and it will be another harsh lesson to the Alpha and Beta Quadrants that the Alliance must never be trifled with, but confronted only with great care mixed with stoic strength. The Elements forbid the Senate make any foolish moves that will see ch'Rihan punished similarly.

May your name remain high, t'Llanel.

Asako ir-Rhanea t'Prinn

Commander-General Sela t'Llanel put the PADD down and glanced around her office. It was good to be back in the seat of power of the Romulan Empire, and her recent diplomatic victory over Jean-Luc Picard tasted as sweet as ever. Her thoughts, though, remained focus on the letter from one of her more shadowy acquaintances.

She liked Asako t'Prinn, to some extent, since t'Prinn now identified herself as more Rihannsu than Human. But she was also still a little displeased that t'Prinn had turned down Sela's offer of a commission in the Romulan military, and a Commander rate at that. She might have helped me turn the tide of that whole fiasco with the Duras, Sela ruminated, though of course she wouldn't have even gotten that alliance formalized without Asako's web of contacts in the Triangle and Klingon Empire. Asako's excuse of not wanting to break her bond of honor with her father by making her existence prominent in the Empire was an acceptable one even if Sela suspected Asako's true motives had to do with political motivaitons and opposition to the strong central authority of the Romulan Empire.

An aide came in the door. "Khre'Riov," he said respectfully, offering Sela a PADD.

"Mnekha," she said simply, taking it. She ignored the aide's leering at her hair of Human-colored yellow hair, content to consider a more suitable punishment for him later. Her eyes read over the PADD.

Asako's message had proven prophetic. Her sources in the Triangle had confirmed a massive influx of Alliance military forces into the Triangle via that accursed New Ivers Gate Assembly. Carriers, battleships, hundreds of thousands of troops. The Alliance was going to invade the Orion territory. Likely, Sela pondered, with tacit Klingon approval.

She knew the Praetor and Proconsul would want her office to weigh in. There would be voices in the Senate calling to protect the Orions. But she knew, deep down, that Asako was right. It was not the time for the Rihannsu to challenge the Alliance. The rise of the Star Empire to leadership was going to be the work of decades, and she could not let it be threatened by rash action. She typed out a message to her friends on the Senate, laying out her views on the military situation, and an emphasized point; do not let the actions of the Senate go past protests. The Orions had acted foolishly; let them be punished for their idiocy.

With this done, Sela quietly brought up her word processor and began writing a friendly reply to Asako, thanking her for giving such wise advice and for showing concern for the Star Empire's health and future. Then she would go on to other plans.




Cornerstone Bar, East Landing
New Liberty, Alliance Colonial Zone, Alliance of Democratic Nations
21 February 2156 AST



The TV in the bar was showing CNN and war footage from the invasion of Orion. The bar patrons were cheering; the fact that East Landing had been the focal point for the scandal meant the locals were up in arms to see the Alliance savagely punish the Orion.

For the moment, Sophia wasn't paying much attention but wiping down the bar. She was wearing a short-sleeved black blouse that was perhaps a size too small and emphasized the curves of her breasts a bit more than modesty would have permitted, but which certainly made her feel better, and a pair of blue jeans that was the proper size because she was very good at keeping herself, well, if not slender, at least solid.

The door opened and she looked up to see Carrey enter, still ruggedly handsome, a plain polo shirt, jean-material jacket, and jeans as his chosen wear. She flashed him only the slightest smile, shaking her head as he sauntered up to the bar. "Barkeep!", he called out. "I'm just a lonely traveler in need of good drink!"

"You've been gone for a while," Sophia remarked. "Come back to bug me again?"

"Business at SCE takes me everywhere, you know," Carrey remarked. "And as for bugging you, I was kind of hoping you'd seduce me."

"Keep dreaming, Romeo, I'm technically married now," Sophia retorted with a smile.

"I heard. Mrs. Ogawa is a very lucky woman." Carrey's smile showed he damned well knew the arrangement.

"So, tequila?"

"Yeah. Mariachi stuff, right?"

"Oh no, that's crap." Sophia pulled the bottle from Nuevo Tamaulipas off the shelf. "This is the good stuff."

"Oh?" Carrey smiled at her. "Thanks."

Sophia went back to cleaning up and attending her other customers. When she turned back to see if Carrey wanted another glass, he was gone, a $10 Alliance note tucked under the empty glass and a piece of paper... and another dozen wild roses. When she walked up and read the paper, it had a phone number and the words "Call me some time. I can't compete with Asako anyway, but surely she will forgive your infidelity".

Had he done that a month ago, she would have thrown the paper away contemptfully. But now.... now all she could do was laugh heartily.

And, well, in due time.... maybe she would call.

Stranger things had happened, after all.




Venetian Apartments


The apartment was a cozy one, and filled with boxes that had alien writing on them. Not surprising given its new residents.

Druni and Triande were laying in the bed, a thin sheen of sweat on each glistening in the low light, and contentment on their faces. No words were spoken; with their bodies intermingled so closely they were engaging empathically in what a Human might call "cuddle-talk". They didn't need words for that, of course, as their emotions and thoughts moved between each other by the sheer amount of skin contact.

For the first time since their ordeal, they felt truly and fully happy. It wasn't that they got over it, of course. Both would have nightmares every week, Druni especially. And she could never forget what happened to her. But they still had each other. That was, in the end, what mattered.

The thoughts crossed between them: I love you so much. And, with contented sighs and murmurs, they fell asleep to a night without nightmares, only wonderous dreams.




Ellen's Hangout


Mayuko had stayed away from the Hangout for almost a year now. At the time she had a good reason, and his name had been Karizan.... but that was then, this was now.

A clue as to whom the bar catered to was in the fact that, frankly, there was only one guy in it, a peculiar Scotsman from Universe SE-1 who thought the barkeeper made the best Scotch mixes in East Landing, which was frankly far more important than little things like Ellen's being a lesbian bar. Social embarrassment was for people who didn't appreciate good Scotch drinks, after all. Nor was his presence begrudged as the regular clientele actually liked Scotch Dave, as they called him, since he was also a cop from East Landing Police who would deal with any other males who came in looking for trouble (since trouble meant no peace to go with that excellent Scotch).

Mayuko sat down a few stools from Scotch Dave. "Ah havnae seen ye in a while, Agent," Dave said with a bit of a slur. There were two glasses empty in front of him to explain why.

"I haven't felt like coming in, Scotch," Mayuko answered. "How's the beat?"

"Lousy damn Tellarite kids always screamin' at each other," Scotch Dave grumbled. "Ye?"

"Easy, now that I have more agents to work cases," Mayuko answered. She motioned to the lovely barkeeper, a woman she knew as Jordan. She ordered a bourbon and got a nod in reply. As she waited, she scanned the bar to see if she recognized anyone. And, to her surprise, she did, prompting her to move further down the bar. "Larrisa, isn't it?"

Larrisa looked up from her drink, still partially sober, her eyes reddened from crying. A bottle of Orion firewater was on the bar. "Agent Burley?", she asked quietly

"Yes." Mayuko slipped onto the stool beside Larrisa. "Your girlfriend was the one killed at the spaceport? I'm sorry I couldn't get there sooner."

"It was my fault. I... I shouldn't have chased down that car," Larrisa said weakly. "I.... I got my Rachel killed."

Just as I got Karizan killed by pulling him into my world, Mayuko thought to herself. "You have my condolences, Larrisa."

"I miss her so much," Larrisa said softly. "Oh God do I miss her. She.. she would've been so happy to join the vote..."

Mayuko nodded. "It can take a while to get over something like this," she admitted. She thought of Karizan and Lunila. "I... came to New Liberty because I lost my girlfriend. Her name was Lunila. She was shot trying to arrest a drug dealer." Mayuko accepted the glass of bourbon from Jordan, gave her a $5 ADN note, and drank half of it on one gulp. The feel of alcohol burning down her throat was a good one. "It's why I don't date fellow police anymore. So I dated a masseuse. Then I put him in harm's way and got him killed."

Larrisa was silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "Will it never get easier?"

"Never. At all," Mayuko answered. "But.... you get used to it. The hurt starts to fade a bit, it becomes this sore you feel inside, and some things make it hurt more. Unless you find something good to heal it."

"Like?"

"Like.... someone who understands you like they did. Someone who wants you like they did. Someone to be with." Mayuko allowed herself a thin smile. "Someone who loves you."

Larrisa nodded and looked over at her. "So you just fall in love again?"

"Sure, probably. Love's crazy." Mayuko met Larrisa's eyes with her own. The pain in those blue eyes was strong... but Mayuko thought she could see something else there. Compassion, spirit, passion. It was... attractive, yes. "And, hell, half the women in this bar probably want to ask you out, and that includes some of those already involved. You're gorgeous."

"You're rather good looking too." Larrisa took her last drink. "Are you going to stay here all night?"

"Maybe. Unless I find someone who wants to go do something else," Mayuko answered. "They're showing a new romantic comedy at that theater up the street."

"You mean one of those movies about dumb guys and dumb women trying to get together and only succeeding in the end?"

"It's a Reilly movie," Mayuko pointed out. "So it usually means two young women meet, hook up, and have crazy hijinks while making bad lesbian jokes."

"I haven't seen one of those." Larrisa pulled a bill note out of her purse. She was clearly done drinking for the night. "Would you mind taking me?"

At that, Mayuko took another small drink of bourbon. "There should be a couple showtimes before the night is over," she said, checking the clock and seeing it was still not too late in the evening. "So sure, we'll go."

"And then... I hear the boardwalk has this gaming holo-arcade open until 2 in the morning," Larrisa continued. "Rachel and I talked about going all the time, but they still hadn't opened."

So did Karizan and I, Mayuko thought. She gave a nod and answered yes. With that said, they both got up and walked out, Mayuko taking the time to wave happily to Scotch Dave and ignoring the jealous eyes watching them.

And, just like that, the night seemed like it was going to be a little more happy, a little more fun, and who knew how it would end?

After all, she was still here after everything. And no matter what else.... life went on.

Life always went on.



FINIS

Mayuko Burley, Zachary Carrey, and Asako t'Prinn will return
in
Where Shadows Fall

[Morningstar]

Really enjoyed this story! Especially the speed of updates Looking forward to more works from the TGG.

[Borgholio]

As far as the rest of the TGG stories, I've always wanted to hear about that "Borg scare" that's been mentioned a few times.

[Steve]

It's the one from the show, the time period from "Q Who?" to the Battle of Wolf 359.

[Simon_Jester]

What happened after that?

[Steve]

The post-Wolf 359 Federation, pretty much. Save that they did it in ways that drove entrepreneurs to emigrate in some cases.

[Borgholio]

Oh ok so the Borg scare was just the Wolf 359 thing. I wonder if we'll ever get to see Vesuvius in action against her intended enemy.