Kirina

Holodeck Short Stories
54
Chapter 51: New Beginnings

July 2414

Kirina didn’t know what to feel.

D’Kera Mandukar was here, and posing as a Republic Commander. It didn’t make any sense. But then, it didn’t matter.

Kirina burst into her quarters, and threw herself into the nearest corner, curling up to hide from the galaxy. She could barely process all the information she’d just been given. The voices were gone. Her nanites had gone dormant. She was safe and clear-minded for the first time in months.

But safe was the farthest from what she felt, after hearing what D’Kera had proposed. She felt sick, the things she was contemplating.


Could it really be done?

What about the cost?

Could I live with myself, working with HER?


Could I live with myself if I didn’t try?

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Chapter 52: Direction

August 2414

“I can’t do this.”

Kirina’s words hung in the air for a moment, while she unclipped a small datapad from her belt. “Not alone,” she clarified, handing the device over to D’Kera Mandukar, who sat unconcerned in the next seat over. “We’ll need specialists in each of these fields, and at least six starships.”

“Then you’ll have them,” D’Kera replied confidently. She had little reason not to be confident. She had a promise that few Romulans could refuse, and she was well on her way to having the means to achieve it.

“I’ll also need a full lab, with no time constraints.”

“I know just the place. But we’ll need some help getting there.”

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Chapter 53: Subterfuge

August 2414

“Ahnar, dear, I need a favor.”

Kirina’s tone was light and friendly, as she called from the other room. She had a chemistry set out and was hard at work packaging a number of mixtures into experiment containers. Ahnar responded in the affirmative, though Kirina was far too concentrated to parse his actual words. It didn’t matter though. The poor thing was so smitten, she never had to question whether he’d do as she asked.

“I need the results of this experiment, but I haven’t been able to book a science lab. Could you take it down to yours today and let it run under the sensor for me?” She poured in the final mixture and sealed the final container. She noted the time on her PADD, then stood and strode into the room where Ahnar was working.

She draped her arms around him. “It’s for the University,” she explained, a practiced lie that he never saw coming, “It’s self-contained and on a timer. You won’t have to do a thing.”

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Chapter 54: Betrayal

August 2414

“Oh! I almost forgot,” Kirina spoke as she lingered in the man’s doorway. “I have a surprise for you. Get your shuttle and meet me outside the station, after work.” She smiled, and didn’t give the confused man a chance to reply, “Coordinates are on your desk, see you there!”

“Kir-” was all he had time to say before she gave a little wave and moved out into the hallway, allowing the door to close behind her.



Hours later, everything was ready. Kirina reached the promenade level, and checked the time. She was too early, so she moved to the nearest wall and waited, out of the way. Only a few moments passed before the station was rocked by an explosion, followed quickly by three more. Kirina was ready, and didn’t stumble, even when the lights went out.

The power outage didn’t last long at all, though it was clear that it was the backup systems that had kicked in to relight the room.

Time to go, Kirina thought, as she headed towards the auxiliary control room.



Kirina materialized aboard the Vauthilai, and walked quickly to the bridge. As she stepped off the turbolift, she was surprised to be met with the sight of Starfleet Captain Buchanan and Aev, bloody and held by the ship’s security. Only meters away, Divan - D’Kera had just finished monologuing over the comm.

“Ah, good,” D’Kera said, “Now we can go.” The ship’s crew moved at the words, and the ship briefly shuddered under Federation weaponsfire, though by all indications D’Kera’s fleet had them vastly outmatched and outmaneuvered.

Kirina walked over towards D’Kera, her voice lowering. She indicated a nearby console, “Ahnar’s out there on a shuttle, waiting to be picked up. I can enter the coordinates.”

“That won’t be necessary,” D’Kera responded, her meaning abundantly clear, before the unexpected arrival of a Republic task force necessitated her attention return to the battle.

Kirina knew she wasn’t going to be able to overturn this decision, even less so while the ship was under fire. Even as the prisoners were unexpectedly transported off the bridge, all Kirina could do was stand there, stammering for no one to hear, “…I told him … he was supposed to come with us. I … told him to wait.”

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Chapter 55: Interlude

September 2414

Kirina was sad most of the time, now.

D’Kera’s great plan required a great many things that could not be achieved working within the confines of the Federation and the Republic. They had to relocate. They had to go somewhere with the proper facilities – somewhere they could plan, and stage, and gather allies. They had to take with them, those things that couldn’t be acquired elsewhere. That much made sense.

Sabotaging the station was necessary. She accepted that, and she worked it all out. She was so careful not to hurt anyone in the process. The timing was perfect, down to the second. At precisely the correct moment, Ahnar was exactly where he was supposed to be. Sitting in his shuttle, waiting to be taken aboard. But D’Kera was of a different mind.

So they left him there, to be captured by Starfleet, and to take the blame for the theft and the sabotage.

And to make matters worse, Kirina thought to herself, if he’s not here when the time comes, there’s no going back.

It had been years since Kirina set foot on the planet of her birth. Even after she played a part in saving it from an Elachi invasion, Kirina had never returned.

It wasn’t a homecoming she was able to enjoy.

Time to get back to work.

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Chapter 56: Planning

September 2414

But how?

“How?” was the question that everyone wanted answered. D’Kera Mandukar had managed to gather an impressive number of followers from all three Romulan factions, in such a short amount of time, using nothing but her own charisma and the promise of one thing: the restoration of the Romulus System.

Some assumed she was speaking figuratively: the promise of a new united faction. They were wrong. D’Kera’s plan called for nothing short of the total prevention of the Hobus disaster that spelled the end of the Star Empire. D’Kera made grand promises and spoke of a brighter, more correct future. D’Kera spoke of a timeline in which the Undine infiltrations of the Federation and the Klingon Empire were thwarted in their infancy; of a timeline in which the Iconians were defeated at every turn; a timeline where the galaxy contained 20 billion souls more, lives saved by our intervention. But when the time came to explain how all of this could possibly be achieved, when it was time for science and specifics, rather then rhetoric and promises, the one everyone looked to was Kirina.

And the fact of the matter was, Kirina didn’t know yet. Sure, she had a general idea, taken from D’Kera herself, but implementation would require far more than an idea.

Time travel is a very real thing. Easy, even, if you know what you’re doing. The trouble is in anticipating the effects of your actions. Blindly altering the timeline is a recipe for disaster. No – every variable needs to be accounted for. To achieve the intended goals, the fleet would need to be deposited in exactly the right moment, at the right position in space, with the right people, the right equipment, and the right plan.

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Chapter 57: Step-By-Step

October 2414

Step 1: Travel Plans

A carefully performed slingshot around a meticulously selected star? Crude but effective, if slightly inaccurate. Pulsed Tachyons? Too unstable. Chroniton flux reaction? Too small a scale for a whole fleet.

Controlled chronometric particle emission: the only known method by which to accurately place an entire fleet of ships at exactly the right place at exactly the right moment. Unfortunately, only one species has been known to posses the technology to do that safely.

Getting our hands on Borg transwarp coils won’t be easy.


Step 2: Save The World

When the Hobus Star went supernova it ruptured subspace, allowing the destructive effects to travel far beyond the usual limits of such an event. It was eventually contained by a red matter singularity, but not before Romulus was devastated.

Accelerating the delivery of the red matter device could work, absorbing the supernova’s energy sooner, thereby preventing it from reaching Romulus. But that would require relying on a number of factors, including the interference of Ambassador Spock. Not a good idea.

Altering subspace to prevent the supernova from expanding beyond its own system might work, but there would be no way to be sure until that moment. Far too risky.

Destroying the star ourselves, but in a controlled manner – now that has promise


Step 3: Kill D’Kera, Save the Galaxy

Simply preventing the destruction of Romulus is not enough. The true challenge will be to acquire a position of sufficient power to influence the course of galactic events. Revealing Undine infiltrators will do no good, unless the source is believed and able to provide proof.

D’Kera, herself, was the key. At the time of Hobus, D’Kera Mandukar was a well-respected Commander in the Star Navy. D’Kera would need to take her own place. She would eliminate her past-self and resume her life, from that moment, in order to direct events as required. With her knowledge, and the support brought with her from the future, she would have little trouble installing herself in a position of immense power.

Even beyond all the deaths on Romulus and Remus, and the lives saved in the Federation/Klingon war, the Star Empire would have nearly twenty years to prepare itself - and the galaxy - for the return of the Iconians.

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Chapter 58: Breakthrough

October 2414

“Protomatter!”

“What about it?”

“That’s the answer! That’s how we do it. We build an implosion device.”

“On a scale to have an impact on the Hobus Star? You’d need a weapon of mass destruction. It’s not possible.”

“It IS possible. Some Federation scientists did it a century ago. For terraforming, can you believe that? Look, it’s right here in the database…”

…

“Incredible. Thank The Elements for the Federation, I guess. Let’s get this to Doctor t’Nalah.”

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Chapter 59: Genesis

November 2414

“In position.”

“Drop cloak.” The small Romulan warbird shimmered into existence above a barren-looking world. Kirina stood to the right of the command chair, watching the crew wait with anticipation. This, their first full-scale test, was the result of weeks of hard work. They’d poured through old databases, mined nebulae, made some incredible technological and scientific breakthroughs, all in secret until now.

“Fire.” A single projectile streaked out from the warbird, dropping from orbit and disappearing below the planet’s thin atmosphere. A moment passed. “Status?”

“Scanning.” A small flash of light on the surface made the officer’s report unnecessary. The device had impacted the ground. Before long, the light began to grow in size and intensity. It barely took a few moments to spread across the surface, and only a minute or two later, the wave of energy had engulfed the planet.

As the light faded, alterations to the surface became visible from orbit. Barren, lifeless brown and gray was replaced by lush and fertile blues and greens. Some of the warbird’s crew cheered, but most just stared in awe. A few muttered prayers to the Elements.

Kirina simply moved to sit in the center chair. “Reactive the cloak.”

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Chapter 60: Doza

December 2414

“Make sure the beacon reaches the proper depth. If they reach it too soon, we won’t have time to extract the transwarp coils.”

Twenty-six hundred lives to save three billion. It seemed like decades had passed since Kirina made that decision, to save a single world from the Tal Shiar. The stakes were so much higher this time: eighty thousand lives to save trillions.

Doza IV was a Federation fringe colony. It sat virtually alone at the edge of an unexplored sector. Its population of eighty thousand had only recently colonized, and barely explored beyond their settlement. The colony was modern in every sense of the word. They had the very latest in Federation technology. But they were strategically insignificant; poorly defended, because none of the major powers would have anything to gain by attacking. It was the perfect bait.

“Beacon active.”
“Excellent. Now we wait.”



When the Borg came to Doza, there was no stopping them. They detected something unique below the planet’s surface, and they simply had to have it. The Federation responded more quickly than expected, but they were no match for a full planetary assimilation group. They managed to save a few, but not enough to make any difference. Within the first few hours, the Borg began landing assimilators. The colony never stood a chance.

“It’s time. Signal Mandukar’s fleet, then begin scanning for the coils on the surface. I’ll beam down once the orbital forces are occupied.”
“The fleet is in transit. Away team standing by.”

The plan was not without its flaws. The Federation arrived sooner than was convenient, and more ships were lost than anticipated. For a moment, it seemed as though the the plan might have failed, but somehow, D’Kera managed to convince a group of Republic ships to defect mid-battle, and that really turned the tide.

The ground team fared far better, though. All fifteen coils were recovered successfully, with minimal losses. Even some of the peripheral components were obtained without too much trouble. It was time to go, so Kirina and her team were beamed aboard Mandukar’s flagship. Unfortunately, there was too great a risk that the Borg would be able to follow, or figure out what they planed to use the stolen technology for. They had entered a critical stage, and any potential disruption could be devastating. It was simple enough to stay one step ahead of the Federation, but the Borg are a whole different story.



“Fire,” D’Kera said, just as Kirina was stepping onto the bridge.

Torpedoes streaked out towards the planet on the viewscreen. The Federation fleet tried to intercept them, but it was too late. As Mandukar’s fleet rapidly moved to depart for their next destination, the Genesis Wave swept across the surface of Doza IV.

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Chapter 61: A Moment In Time

December 2414

All was quiet aboard the Vauthilai. The battle of Doza was hours in the past, and several more would pass before the newly acquired components could be installed into the custom-built temporal drive. Kirina sat, still and silent, in the ship’s dimly-lit medical bay. A few meters away, a man in a ruined Starfleet Captain’s uniform laid unconscious and restrained on a biobed. For the first time in months she had something truly interesting to work on, but for some reason she couldn’t find the energy to get out of her chair.



The man on the table slowly began to stir.

The sedative can’t have worn off that quickly, Kirina thought, but she’d lost track of time. How long had she been sitting there? With the newfound urgency of the Captain’s slowly gaining consciousness, she hauled herself out of her chair and walked over to the biobed.

The man, who looked outwardly indistinguishable from a Human, had striking white hair, and looked to be in remarkably good health, considering he’d just survived the destruction of an entire planet. But that was just it: he wasn’t Human at all. In fact, he was nothing that Kirina had ever seen before. He was something new. Her initial scans revealed that he had an absolutely incredible capacity for self-healing. This could have been Kirina’s biggest scientific breakthrough since the control implants. If the abilities held by this man could be duplicated, it could improve billions of lives, all over the galaxy. It could revolutionize modern medicine.


But then, why was it so difficult to concentrate?


Kirina prepared another dose of sedative and lackadaisically put the man under again. I just need to sleep, she thought, as she returned to the nearby desk. Just for a little while. After all, they were on track to return to the past - to change history. There would be plenty of time for experimentation later. She raised the hypo to her own neck and injected the remaining sedative.

I’ll just close my eyes for a moment.

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Chapter 62: Time Marches On

January 2415

“Status?”

“Holding at the incursion point. Drive is charged, deflector is aligned to the test coordinates.”

“Proceed.”

Kirina stood in what had, over the past few weeks, become her default position aboard the Vauthilai. From just beside the command chair, she directed the various officers preparing for the first test of the temporal drive. The lights dimmed as the ship’s systems struggled to meet the demands of the new components. Borg technology isn’t exactly cooperative, after all. After a few moments of anticlimactic waiting, the drive finally kicked in. A temporal vortex formed ahead of the fleet, and they proceeded through.

It was not a smooth ride. The turbulence forced Kirina to brace herself against the chair, and was enough to draw D’Kera out to the bridge. Another few moments passed and the motion settled. The vortex cleared the viewscreen, revealing a small system with a dim yellow star.

“Target acquired,” one of the bridge officers called from his station.

“On screen.” The viewer obligingly snapped to a wide-angle shot of a comet, trailing through the system. D’Kera and Kirina exchanged brief nods and the Commander returned to her ready room. Kirina smiled triumphantly, “Excellent. Begin charging the drive for the return trip, and bring us within tractor range.”


Changing the orbit of a comet may have seemed like a trivial task to many of the crew at the time, but this first test proved that the temporal drive - and proper calculations - would allow Vauthilai to alter small details of the timeline to influence galactic events.

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Chapter 63: Time Flies

3.7 Million Years Ago

On Vulcan and Qo’noS and planets all over the quadrant, the first primitive inhabitants were only just learning to use stones as tools. Human life was still many stages of evolution away, on Earth. Meanwhile, Mandukar’s fleet floated along idly in orbit of a young, bright blue binary star.

Seemingly without warning, the smaller of the two stars pulsed brightly. On the bridge of the Vauthilai, the crew cheered as the weapons officer declared that the device had activated successfully. Soon, large dark spots appeared over the surface of the star, bathing the Romulan fleet in shadow. From there, only a few moments passed before the star went dark completely.

The dark chunk of rock where the smaller star had been would soon fall into the larger, and where once there was a binary system, only a single star would remain.


“Final calibration test complete, Commander.”

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Chapter 64: Time Heals All Wounds

January 2415

To Derri and Tamas of s’Nalah, residing on Artaleirh Colony,

We have never met, but I know you. The story you’re about to hear is going to sound very strange, and I know you have no reason to believe anything I say, but I beg you to read this message to its conclusion.

When I was twelve years old, there was a disaster on my people’s home world. Billions of people died. Every able body and every working ship in the sector was asked to help. It was not a safe thing to do, going back to the site of the disaster, but my parents operated a small civilian transport and felt they had a duty to act. So they chose to return to try to rescue any survivors, and provide whatever assistance they could. I never saw them again.

Years later, I learned that my parents’ ship was destroyed in an accident, while trying to free a group of survivors from the wreckage of an orbital station. I was not entirely neglected for the remainder of my youth, though obviously my teenage years were less than ordinary. As soon as I was old enough, in some misguided search for purpose, I enrolled in my people’s military academy, or what was left of it. Inspired by my parents’ sacrifice for others, I became a doctor. I wanted to help my people. I wanted to heal my people.

But there was little good to be done. The loss of the homeworld was not something easily fixed. Colonies split into factions and fought among themselves. Doctors learned to destroy, scientists became soldiers. Our ‘new’ homeworld was established, only to be devastated again, by invasion. After a time, it seemed as though nothing would ever be right with the universe again. I started to give up hope. I started to resign myself to the fact that I could never fix everything. That I’d simply have to go about my life as best I could.

Then one day, with an insane plan, everything changed. We had a way to fix everything. To make a better world, for ourselves, for our children, for everyone. We found a way to improve countless billions of lives. To do it, we’ve had to make many sacrifices. In recent weeks I’ve found myself wavering, wondering, if we’re doing the right thing.

When I have trouble getting through the day, I find myself thinking about my parents. They were good people. They were hard-working, intelligent, and peaceful. They made their home on a colony, but they never forgot where they came from, and why that’s important. They gave up everything, for their world and for their people.


Kirina looked up from her writing and out towards the window, just in time to catch the change in view as Vauthilai dropped out of warp. She closed her eyes a moment, letting the sounds of the crew moving about the mess hall drone out any other idle thoughts kicking around her head.

“It’s all worth it,” she murmured to herself. “We’re here. Everything is ready. It’s all worth it.”

“Doctor t’Nalah, you’re needed on the Bridge.” Kirina snapped her eyes open at the sound of the intercom. She took a deep breath, then exhaled, before climbing to her feet and carrying her PADD off towards the turbolift.


You are good, hard-working, intelligent, and peaceful people. If you receive this message, then you won’t need to give up everything for your world and your people. You have years ahead. Be who you are. Never forget where you came from, and why that’s important. Teach your daughter these things. Stay with her and treasure that time, for as long as you can.


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Chapter 65: Time's Up

January 2415

“The drive is prepared. The chronometric matrix will begin charging once we reach optimal position.”

The little red-haired Romulan spoke to the crew as she strode out onto the bridge. D’Kera Mandukar sat in the center chair, wearing a mask of contentedness, as her lead scientist began issuing instructions. “Helm,” Kirina said, not so much with authority as an air of simple superiority, “Set your heading 041, proceed 20 thousand meters to the incursion point, and come to a complete stop.” The helm officer, a Star Navy Sublieutenant, looked back to D’Kera for confirmation, even as Kirina circled around to a different station. “Activate the power bypass, and decloak the ship,” she instructed, “Align the deflector to the following temporal coordinates…”

As the bridge crew prepared their stations, there was a buzz of excitement in the air. It wasn’t limited to the Vauthilai; aboard all sixteen warbirds, Romulans waited in quiet anticipation, finally ready to embark on what they believed to be the most important mission in the history of Romulus. Sixteen warbirds - tens of thousands of Romulans, from three different factions, were gathered just a few lightyears away from the ruins of their former homeworld. Changing history and surviving to know about it was to be no small feat. And yet, despite all indications that they had finally reached the eve of their victory… something was off.


“Stop.” D’Kera hadn’t spoken a word in some time. There had been no orders issued; no charismatic speeches; no questions about the progress of the project. She sat in silence for hours, until that moment. “Deactivate the drive. Power down all non-essential systems.”

Only silence followed.

Sudden and awkward silence fell over the bridge of the Vauthilai. The officers looked to each other, confused about the order they were just given. They looked to D’Kera, who offered no explanation. And then they looked to Kirina. Kirina, who had been so intimately involved with the conception of their noble mission. Kirina, who must have known about a planned delay in the activation of the device. Except she didn’t. She was visibly as confused and concerned as the rest of them. “What’s wrong? What do you see?” she asked, assuming she’d missed some flaw or abnormality or nearby threat to the plan.

“It’s over. We can’t win. The Federation will be arriving shortly to take us into custody. If you wish to leave, the time is now.” The officer at tactical shook his head. There were no Federation ships within sensor range.

“… D’Kera, that’s ridiculous,” Kirina said, stepping close enough to lower her voice, “we’re finally ready. We’re here. It’s going to work. We’re going to restore Romulus.”

“We can’t win. I can’t win. It’s over, Kirina. We lost,” D’Kera’s speech was dry, almost monotone. This was not the same voice as the woman who seemed able to convince anyone to flock to her cause. “Deactivate the drive,” she repeated, “Power down non-essential systems. Inform the other ships that we will be surrendering.” Kirina stood in speechless silence. No objections were raised. The bridge crew followed Mandukar’s orders.

“Commander! Enemy fleet just entered sensor range!”

The tactical officer’s report was met only with another quiet utterance of, “I can’t win.” Mandukar’s gaze fixed forwards upon the viewscreen, as she sat motionless. Waiting.


What followed, for Kirina t’Nalah, was a moment of realization. They’d been so close. Literally on the verge of success. There was nothing wrong. Every reading, every test, every system, working exactly as she’d planned. The science was flawless. They were ready and able to return to the past, and she was absolutely certain of it. Months of meticulous work, countless thousands of deaths on her hands, everything she’d worked for; all of it wasted away before her eyes in that single moment. That moment when she figured it out: they’d already done it.

It didn’t work.

They could have done it hundreds of times, and it would have changed nothing.


It never worked.


92080

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Chapter 66: Denial

January 2415

Kirina slowly backpedaled away from the command chair of the Vauthilai. She bumped into a wall before she regained her composure. It was time to leave. There was nothing more to be done here. D’Kera may have given up, but Kirina refused to believe that this was the end.

The little doctor turned and moved swiftly towards the turbolift, without another word. She rode down to the medical deck and proceeded into her lab. She had to pack quickly: a pair of PADDs, a vial of nanoprobes, her collection of hyposprays, and a biofunction monitor from the unconscious Starfleet Captain laying on the surgical bed. She started for the door, and then hesitated. Barely a moment of contemplation passed before she stepped back to the white-haired almost-human and looked down at him.

“Thank you,” she whispered, as she lifted her hand to inject the man with a stimulant. He’d be awake again soon enough, but by then she would be long gone. Kirina’s next stop was the transporter room.



“D’Kera Mandukar. You have committed heinous acts against the people of the galaxy. You have one chance to stand down.”

Kirina listened to the broadcast from the bridge of the IRW Nalae. She stepped purposefully over to a comm station and interrupted the numerous requests for instructions being transmitted from the fleet’s warbirds to the Vauthilai. “Commander Mandukar has decided to surrender. It’s time to leave.”

Retired to her quarters, the hours passed quickly. Soon enough, hours became days, became weeks. She stayed locked away, working on her little problem. Their plan didn’t work. Something must have gone wrong, she thought, something in the past. We didn’t account for everything. Kirina was never the omniscient being that she liked to let people believe her to be. She may have supervised the project, but she and D’Kera had recruited specialists - engineers, archaeologists, temporal theorists. None of them were with her now. She was alone.

It didn’t help, that the few times she emerged from her quarters, the crew looked to her for guidance. As if she had all the answers, as if this was all part of the plan promised to them by Mandukar. She played along. She told them she’d have orders for them soon. More promises of a better future. Part of her even believed it herself. She would figure it all out. She would get the plan back on track. Romulus would be restored. Everyone would see their lost friends and families again, in a better time. Countless billions of lives could be saved, if she could just make everything work.



Six weeks had passed, since the Vauthilai surrendered. Everything continued to exist as it was. The galaxy went on as if nothing ever happened. But the twelve warbirds that didn’t surrender didn’t move on. Kirina didn’t move on. They sat in place. Waiting. It wasn’t long before the crews became restless. They began to question whether success was still possible. If D’Kera were here, Kirina thought, she’d know exactly what to say. She’d open a channel to the fleet and take some time to monologue. She’d keep everyone inspired. She stepped out of her quarters and headed for the bridge. “I can be inspiring too.”

“People of the … Followers of … Fellow Romulans!” She really should have decided what to say before she got on the comm. “I know that many of you have doubts. But our mission is not over. We will continue with the plan to restore Romulus, and we will succeed. Thank you.” Three sentences. Concise. Best speech ever, she thought to herself. Obviously it wasn’t quite as successful as she’d hoped. By the time she returned to her quarters, three warbirds had broken formation and set course for Republic space.

“It doesn’t matter,” Kirina said to herself. “I don’t need them. I don’t need anyone. This isn’t over.”

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Chapter 67: Anger

March 2415

“Kirina t’Nalah, you are under arrest for war crimes against sentients. Please do not attempt to escape.”

Bajor. The central plaza in the city of Hathon was abuzz with life. Residents and visitors, going about their usual evening routines, oblivious of the events taking place on the small path behind the waterfall. The Republic Subcommander didn’t even wait for a response before firing her weapon.

// THREAT DETECTED : BEARING 87.9 : PLASMA IMPACT IN 0.18 SECONDS //
// CONTERMEASURES … ACTIVE : CAPACITOR CHARGE 82% //
// THREAT NEUTRALIZED //

Kirina didn’t even feel it. The disruptor blast was completely absorbed by the green energy barrier that appeared at her side. She slowly stood and turned to face her old friend. “Did the Senator plan this?”

“… I can’t walk away, you know this.”

“Goodbye forever, Aurelia,” It didn’t matter what else Aurelia said, nor was the ranting of the man beside her worth hearing. Kirina heard all she needed to. With a thought, her transponder activated. A swirl of green later, she was back aboard the Nalae. “It’s time to return to the fleet.”



It wasn’t a long trip, as the fleet had opted to stay close. When they regrouped near the Vlugta Asteroid Field, Kirina found herself somewhat shaken by the news that the Celeris had departed on her own while she was gone. She didn’t have much chance to dwell on that, however, as the remaining Commanders of the fleet had gathered to hear the results of her meeting.

“You spoke with a Senator?”
“From the Empire or the Republic?”
“Are they willing to support our cause?”
“Why has the plan changed?”
“Where’s Commander Mandukar?”
“I suggest we set course for…”

“Enough!” Kirina shouted. None of the gathered ship commanders had ever heard her raise her voice before. It was enough to give them pause. Long enough for her to speak again, “She’s not a Senator anymore. She’s with the Republic, and we can expect no support. The plan hasn’t changed, D’Kera Mandukar is exactly where she wants to be, and you. will. follow. my. instructions. Do you understand?” It was a false confidence, of course, but it was enough to elicit reactions from everyone in the room. One Commander stood up and stormed out. Three looked downright terrified, and the remaining two seemed to be deep in thought. “Move us to Position Six,” Kirina continued after a pause, “I have more tests to run.”

There were no tests. Position Six was the location of a Vauthilai drive experiment, from half a year ago. Two weeks away at top speed. It was meant to have been more than enough time for Kirina to come up with a new plan. It wasn’t. The meeting with her oldest friend and ally weighed heavily on her. She spent countless hours replaying it in her head – what could she have said? How could she have convinced her? The remainder of her time was dedicated once more to D’Kera’s failed plan. No matter how many times she went over that, she couldn’t fathom what had gone wrong. Not that it really mattered, anymore.



When the fleet arrived at Position Six, Kirina was notified over the comm. She acknowledged it, but remained in her quarters, working. She had nothing, and now everyone knew it.

Decks above, there was a heated argument taking place between the Commanders of the Nalae and Spock. As it turned out, Commander Emmiad, the man who stormed out of the meeting weeks ago, had come aboard demanding answers. When there were no answers to be had, he declared that he was taking command of the fleet. When the Nalae’s Commander objected, he found himself with a plasma bolt to the chest. A shocked quiet fell over the bridge of the vessel, as their commander slumped to the floor. By the time someone finally sounded an alarm and went to move against the offending Commander, he had already transported back to his own vessel.

The unprepared ship was rocked by weapons fire against an unshielded hull. Three warbirds in the fleet had opened fire on the flagship. The remaining five warbirds puttered around, unaware of the circumstances of the attack. Some raised their own shields, while others moved out of range. Nalae lost shield capability in the first volley. A disadvantage of being the victim of friendly fire, is your ‘enemy’ always knows exactly how to hurt you. She didn’t stand a chance.

Kirina gathered her things. It didn’t take long for her to realize the situation she was in. She packed her bag and slung it over her shoulder. With a moment’s hesitation, she also picked up a small disruptor, before heading off towards the ship’s shuttle bay. She felt more explosions as she hastily passed through the corridors. The hull had been breached. She could feel it. She had to hurry.

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Chapter 68: Bargaining

May 2415

“Two bricks.”

“Bricks? Do we look like a latinum transport?” the young Lieutenant in his neatly pressed Imperial Romulan uniform spoke to the Ferengi on the viewscreen.

“My dear Romulan,” the Ferengi replied with a wicked grin, “you look like someone very far from home, with very specific needs.”

He was right. The rather dated little T’Varo warbird drifted along, largely disabled. The battle in which she received her damage was weeks behind, and her fleet violently disbanded.

To the crew of the IRW Liefvi, the promises of hope and a better future that they’d wagered their very lives on seemed little more than a distant memory, largely replaced by more practical concerns of survival.

“Give it to him.” The third, quiet voice came from the Commander’s chair. Previously eerily still and silent, the source of the instruction was easily distinguished from the rest of the bridge crew by her relaxed civilian attire and faded red hair. The Lieutenant quickly nodded, before moving back to his station and arranging the payment for the vitally needed replacement components.

Once the viewscreen was clear of the smug Ferengi face, and once the ship’s engineering teams were hard at work making repairs, the woman slid down from the command chair and headed off into the ready room without so much as another word. A scowling Centurion, likely Liefvi’s ranking officer, quickly followed.


“Subcommander,” he barked as soon as the door slid shut.

“Not anymore,” she replied immediately as she eased herself down onto the sparsely decorated room’s small couch.

The Centurion’s scowl only intensified, “Regardless. Kirina. We are going to need supplies and latinum if we are to complete the mission. It would not be difficult. My team can have that ship secured and the cargo brought aboard before the drive repairs are complete.”

“No. There’ll be no more death.”

“But for the mission we’ll be re-…”

“There is no mission, Centurion.” The man simply stared as Kirina continued, “Commander Mandukar is going to spend the rest of her life in a Republic prison, and that’s probably a blessing. Once we reach the next sector, you and your crew will use the shuttles to return home. You may tell your superiors that you were forced to abandon your ship and it will be the truth.”

Apparently appalled at the notion, the Centurion scoffed, “We will do no such thing! We stand by our decision to join the cause. Besides. I doubt you could operate the ship alone.”

Kirina smiled at the man’s determination, but shook her head, “No. The cause is not worth all your lives.” She paused, though the Centurion seemed determined not to accept this answer. She milled about the room a bit before formulating her response, “If there are volunteers to stay, I will allow the minimum needed to operate the ship. But you will take the majority back to their homes. And you will see to it that they resume their lives without penalty.”

The Centurion stood for a moment, considering, before bowing his head in acceptance.

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Chapter 69: Depression

July 2415

Her feet were greeted by a pair of cats, darting across her path. Kirina smiled as she stopped just inside, as the door swished closed behind her. The room, clearly Starfleet quarters, clearly Federation decor, was brightly lit and familiar.

The Betazoid in blue stood near the replicator, inhaling the steam from her mug of tea. The Senator and her best friend conversed by the window, each sipping a glass of that blue Romulan beverage that they held in such high regard. On the couch, but not for long, was the ponytail-wearing Romulan man that cared for her more than she could have known. At Kirina’s entrance, he stood and moved towards her.

Kirina smiled reflexively, even as the man threw his arms around her. She gently raised her arms to return the hug, if a bit half-heartedly. “Where have you been?” the man asked, his tone one of relief.

"I … " She could barely speak. The Senator and Aurelia approached, smiles on their faces. Even the Betazoid seemed in good spirits, though she politely kept her distance. “Sorry I’m late,” Kirina finally managed.

“We were starting to think you wouldn’t make it,” Aurelia said with a smirk, “Nethali and Duo were getting worried.” As if on cue, two of the cats meowed in unison.

“Come on,” Ahnar guided Kirina towards the door as he spoke, one arm remaining hooked around her waist, “We shouldn’t keep the transport waiting.” She allowed herself to be led towards the door, with the rest of the group in step behind the couple. The door swooshed open to a bright light and, two by two, they stepped through.

Not a moment later the whole group was standing together near the edge of a large paved platform. Behind them, a recently landed shuttle and a towering metropolis; Kirina’s view was filled by a brilliant and familiar sight. Their somewhat secluded landing pad overlooked a picturesque hillside, down and away, all the way to the point where the land faded into the unending blue of the Lasendt Sea. The wind breezed through her hair and she closed her eyes as the afternoon sunlight warmed her face. She leaned against Ahnar, resting her head against his shoulder.

In that moment, everything made sense and nothing else mattered.



Kirina’s eyes opened to darkness. She blinked. Twice. Three times. Four. Tiny specks of light appeared in her field of view. Distant stars, viewed through the small window adorning the section of corridor in which the Romulan had chosen to sit down, some moments earlier.

The darkened hallway of the tiny T’Varo felt disproportionately large in its emptiness. The buzz of the ship’s crew was long gone, replaced by the deafening hum of the idling singularity drive and the ringing in her ears. The thud of an empty hypospray falling to the ground settled the other sounds into perspective. Surrounded by virtual silence, Kirina slowly stood and lifted her PADD. With her face now bathed in the pale green light of her screen, Kirina continued her writing as she started again down the long corridor.

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Chapter 70: Acceptance

August 2415

Kirina sat alone, quiet, on the darkened bridge of the IRW Liefvi as a battered old transport approached. The turbolift door slid open, though Kirina didn’t even bother looking.

“It’s not too late you know,” a young Romulan officer called to her from within the lift, “you could still come with us.”

“Go,” Kirina replied, closing her eyes, “before they change the price.” The officer didn’t wait very long. Kirina didn’t often change her mind, once she’d made her decisions. The door closed and the lift carrying the last of vessel’s volunteer skeleton crew to the transporter room, departed for the last time.

Kirina daydreamed, as had become a common occurrence, while she waited for the signal that the crew had gone. Obviously preprogrammed, the Liefvi cloaked, and the already-dim consoles around the bridge one by one began to shut off completely. The whole ship was entering a power-save mode. Kirina wasn’t expecting to need to use many systems anyway.



She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, as she sat there in command over her empty ship. Eventually, she decided that she was hungry, and left the inactive bridge unattended as she made her way towards the mess hall. She walked slowly, unmotivated, as she pondered her own existence. In her hand, she carried the PADD that had become her life.


It had started as a letter to an old friend. She wanted to try to explain the events of the last few months, from her own perspective. She wanted there to be someone, anyone, who could understand why she did what she did. She never made it past the first few paragraphs. She wrote and she erased and she wrote and she erased. No matter what she said, it all sounded hollow. How could anything she wrote even begin to explain why she murdered eighty thousand innocent people?

She knew that she would probably never see her friends again. She knew that she would probably never start a family. She knew that she could never have a normal life again, thanks to the things she’s done. These were things she could live with. Even things she could come to accept, because they were things she felt she deserved. What she could not live with was the concept that all those people died for nothing; that everything she’s ever worked for, amounted to nothing more than a body count.

As she sat down at her preferred table, with her replicated dinner-for-one, her mind raced with the same thoughts she’d been having for weeks on end. She thought about turning herself in. She thought about flying blindly into Borg space. She thought about activating her ship’s self-destruct. Now that the last of her accomplices were gone, those options were all within reach. But after a while, something changed. She had a new thought, that hadn’t occurred to her previously. What if she could still make a difference? What if there was some way that some small amount of good could still come from all of this?


So she picked up her PADD again, and erased everything. Then she began to write again. But this time, it was different. This time, she was telling the whole story, from the beginning. She decided to write for the colonists of Doza IV; for the survivors of Ecurai; for everyone who had ever been hurt by her experiments or her inventions. She decided to write for everyone she’d betrayed. And she decided to write for everyone she couldn’t help.

It would be her explanation and her allocution. It would be her life story and the culmination of her life’s work. And one day, it would be available to everyone.

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