The captain, who still faced away from Trip, nodded. “Retreat to a safe distance, Decurion.

I know that voice,Trip thought, startled.

A moment later the image of the Drolaevanished, replaced first by a brilliant if short‑lived bloom of orange molecular fire, which quickly gave way to a rapidly expanding sphere of sun‑dappled metal shards. Within a few seconds, the debris cloud grew nearly as diffuse as the vacuum surrounding it. The Drolaedisappeared, as though it had never existed in the first place.

“Put us back on our original course, the captain said, still staring straight ahead.

“Yes, Commander, said the young male officer who was posted at what Trip assumed to be the helm panel. The star field displayed on the viewer smeared into multicolored streaks as the warp drive engaged. The subaural vibrations transmitted into Trips boots via the deck plates increased sharply in frequency, marking the vessels quick transition from station‑keeping velocity to warp five or thereabouts. And the brief sensation of lateral acceleration Trip felt before the inertial dampers fully engaged told him that they were headed awayfrom Romulus.

Trip could barely contain his astonishment. Theyre not going to take me the rest of the way to Romulus? This is definitely not going according to Hoyle.

When the man seated at the rooms center turned his chair toward the bridges aft section, Trip finally had an inkling as to why.

He also had about a thousand new questions.

“Take the prisoner to my office, the captain said, apparently in anticipation of those very questions.

“Sopek! Trip said after the guards had finally left him alone with the man in charge.

“I prefer Chuihv, if you please, Commander Tucker, said the erstwhile Vulcan captain. “At least while Im operating in Romulan space.

Trip sat heavily in the chair that his captor had offered, gently flexing his sore, badly manhandled shoulders. “This galaxy is getting waytoo small, he said, his mind still reeling.

“You are no doubt referring to the apparent element of coincidence underlying our present meeting, the other man said, steepling his fingers before him and planting his elbows atop the small transparent desk behind which he had seated himself. “But people in our profession are frequently drawn together by common circumstances, Commander. Particularly when their mission objectives overlap as much as ours do.

Trip knew that even if he lived to be a hundred, he would never rid himself of a few truly ghastly memories. One such indelible recollection was the swath of indiscriminate devastation that an experimental Xindi particle weapon had wrought upon his Florida hometown, where his little sister Lizzie had died a little over two years ago.

Another equally ineradicable mark on his psyche was the image of Sopek, or Chuihv, murdering Trips original bureau partner, Tinh Hoc Phuong, in cold blood. With a single disruptor blast, Sopek had reduced a brave but helpless human being into a smoldering pile of ash and gristle.

“What the hell makes you think you and I have anythingin common? Trip said, glowering.

Either unaware of or unconcerned by Trips hostility, the other man said, “I know that you are conducting espionage on behalf of the Coalition of Planets. I am conducting similar operations under the auspices of the principal intelligence agency of one of the founding members of that body: Vulcan.

Trip frowned, incredulous. “ Youwork for the Vulcan Security Directorate?

“I have been a VShar agent for many years, the older man said, nodding. “Among my numerous ongoing directives is the task of continuously monitoring the evolution of the Romulan Star Empires military posture in order to accurately assess its threat potential to Vulcan. To perform these duties successfully, I must keep certain key individuals within the Empire convinced that I am, in fact, a loyal Romulan. Simultaneously, others must believe that I am leading an insurgency of sorts against the Romulan military.

Trip involuntarily displayed his teeth. “So which of those audiences were you playing to when you murdered Tinh Phuong?

The man on the other side of the desk released a sigh, an almost haunted expression momentarily displacing his usually dour demeanor.

“Suppose I were to tell you that the VShar had obtained proof that Mister Phuong had become a grave threat to Vulcan security? he said at length. “His death may well have saved a hundred other lives, both on Vulcan and elsewhere in the Coalition.

“Thats a damned convenient charge for you to make, Trip said, “especially now that Phuongs not around anymore to defend himself. I suppose I should expect you to pass that same sort of judgment on menow that I know way more about you than you ever wanted me to. Unless Valdore catches up to this ship in the meantime and serves up a little fire and brimstone to the both of us, that is.

“I assure you, Commander, that I have taken great care to remain several steps ahead of Admiral Valdore, Sopek/Chuihv said. “Particularly after the unpleasantnessyou and I experienced on Rator II.

Anger and astonishment wrestled one another to a standstill within Trips chest; whatever “unpleasantness the dissident leader had endured while fleeing from Valdores assault force, what Phuong had suffered was infinitely worse.

Easy, Charles,he told himself. Calm down. Try to make it look like you wereborn with these ears, even if this guy really knows better.

“How do I know youre not secretly working for Valdore? he said aloud. Making a broad gesture that encompassed the entire small office chamber, he added, “After all, it cant be easy to pinch a bird‑of‑prey right out from under the admirals nose.

“No, it isnt, Sopek/Chuihv said. “It was extraordinarily difficult, in fact. But we had an advantage of which Valdore is unaware.

“And that is?

Sopek/Chuihv leaned forward, the fingers of both hands interlaced atop his desk. “Some of my Ejhoi Ormiincompatriots recently learned about a secret Romulan military weapon capable of usurping the command and control computers of Vulcan vessels. This weapon may also be able to usurp the technology of other Coalition worlds as well, which is why I have decided to share this knowledge with you.

Huh,Trip thought. So hesnot gonna kill me. I think.

The other man continued: “My people applied what knowledge we could gain of the principles behind this new weapon to the task of liberating thisvesselhe paused to gesture broadly at the walls that surrounded them“from a repair dock located in the Taugus sector.

This ship would have come in really handy when he needed to make his quick vanishing act from Taugus III,Trip thought. And it also probably explains those sensor ghosts TPol and I saw when we were on the shuttlepod.

It occurred to Trip then that one very prominent loose end remained from that incident. “What did you do with Terix? he asked.

“The centurion who accompanied you to Taugus III, the other man said, his expression emotionless even by Trips notions of Vulcan standards.

Trip did what he could to restrain his impatience. “Yeah. Him.

“Unfortunately, Centurion Terixsuccumbed during debriefing.

Debriefing,Trip thought, parsing the gentle euphemism for its real, less benign meaning. Interrogation.Terix might have been an adversary, but he didnt deserve to die screaming on the rack.

“So when are you going to bring the thumbscrews out for me?Trip said.

Sopek/Chuihv favored him with a blank, bewildered stare. “Excuse me, Commander?

“Whether youre working for Valdore or the Ejhoi Ormiinor the Vulcan Spook Bureauor all three at onceI cant see you just letting me go without first trying to pick mybrain the way you picked Terixs.