Keren waved him across the alley. Avoiding patches of moonlight, Shar chose an irregular path, pausing behind a bin, dropping to his knees and crawling beneath a fence before dashing across a slip of open space. Upon reaching her, Shar followed Keren closely up a narrow set of stairs. At the top, where the stairs ended, she soundlessly pulled herself up and over a balcony railing. Shar joined her a minute later and they sat, catching their breath for a long moment.
“We need to be careful entering my apartment. There’s a chance that enforcers have been sent ahead to take me into custody,” she whispered.
“Why would they do that? What have you done?” At this point, Shar wasn’t even sure she’d tell him the full truth if he asked. There was so much subterfuge surrounding Keren’s life, Shar wondered how she kept track of what was real.
“Because it’s an easy way for them to make a statement, and because I don’t keep my politics a secret. If they want to harass civilians, they’ll want me far away where no one can hear me.”
“I’ll go in first,” Shar volunteered. He unholstered his phaser, double-checked that it was set to stun, and eased up to his knees. Looking out over the edge of the balcony, he saw that the alleyway behind remained empty. He climbed all the way to his feet and moved toward Keren’s quarters a step at a time. As he drew closer, he noticed her window was open, curtains fluttering. He twisted back to check with Keren, whispering, “Is it supposed to be open?”
Keren shook her head.
Replacing his phaser on his hip, Shar took out his tricorder. A quick scan revealed at least one Yrythny inside, hiding in the dark. He put his tricorder away, pausing to focus his senses on any discernable energy. Curious,he thought, his antennae twitching. The energy is charged—intense—but not angry, not so much fearful either. More like…worried?
Shar braced himself on the window ledge and pushed off to get the leverage he needed to throw his leg over. Straddling the frame, Shar shifted to a sitting position and soundlessly dropped to the floor. Gradually, his eyes adjusted to the dark; surveying the cramped quarters, Shar saw no evidence of a break-in. He considered taking another tricorder reading, but he froze where he stood when he heard the intruder shuffle around in the next room.
In a flash, a hooded figure streaked toward the apartment door. Shar lunged to block his escape. A plant-filled urn tripped him, sending him careening over the top of the couch.
The hooded figure unlatched the door, throwing it open, admitting the bright lights of the inner compound. Shar winced, squinting enough to see Keren’s intruder pause, also blinded. Untangling himself from the clutter, Shar lurched for the door, grabbing onto a wrist. He pulled back, dragging the intruder back into the apartment. The intruder brought his forearm and elbow down, the hard blow breaking Shar’s grip. Clutching at the knobby Yrythny fingers proved futile; the intruder eluded him, escaping into the hall. Shar staggered outside, realizing whoever it was had vanished.
Keren came in from the balcony and turned on the lights. She immediately went to a floor tile in one corner of the room and pried it open, revealing a secret compartment. “The datachips are still here,” she said with relief. “Are you all right?”
Shar sat down on the couch. “Whoever it was seemed more interested in escaping than in hurting me,” he said, dropping his head into his hands and rubbing his eyes.
“Did you get a good look at him?”
Shar shook his head. “But I did notice something. There was a mark on his hand. I don’t think I’ve seen it before.”
Eyes wide, Keren sat down beside Shar, draping her arm over the top of the couch and tucking her legs up beneath her. “Describe it.”
“A blue starburst pattern over the palm. A tattoo?”
Keren considered Shar soberly, her lips pressed tightly. She had something to say, he waited—and then the moment passed.
“Let me check the alert status before you leave,” she said. “I’m surprised we haven’t heard anything by now.” She left Shar sitting on the couch, nursing his bruised arm, while she checked her terminal. “This is odd. The alert has been changed. Martial law is still in effect, but patrols—unarmed—won’t be coming in until morning. Questioning is voluntary. That’s unprecedented.”
My turn for secrets. Thank you, Ezri.“The danger seems to have passed. I should be heading back to my quarters.”
“Thank you,” Keren said simply.
Accepting the proferred datachips finished the business between them. They took reluctant leave of each other, Shar knowing that Keren, too, understood that their unusual relationship would end here.
Careful to avoid being seen, he moved swiftly through the Old Quarter. He encountered few Yrythny until he reached the outer neighborhood. As the modules transitioned from the antiquated crude technology to the newer, modern systems, crowds increased. Where he could, Shar looked at the palms of those walking by. Once, he thought he might have seen the mark and he followed the Yrythny for almost a kilometer past his own turnoff before losing him in the crowd. Maybe I’m imagining things,he thought. Darkness can deceive the eye.Becoming conscious of his own exhaustion, he made his way back to his quarters.
He didn’t drift immediately off to sleep. Lying on his back, Shar held his hands in front of him. With a finger, he traced the shape of the mark on his own palm, over and over.
With a satisfied grin, Bowers looked up from his station. “U.S.S. Defiantready to go, sir.”
Vaughn turned in his chair to face forward. “Conn, prepare for launch.”
“Gladly, sir,” Tenmei answered, hands dancing over her console. “Avaril,this is the Federation Starship Defiantrequesting departure clearance.”
“Defiant, this isAvaril. Bay doors opening. You are cleared to depart. Safe travels.”
Like great teeth-lined jaws, the doors groaned open, and Prynn eased the starship through, into open space. “We’ve cleared the Avaril,Captain.”
Cheers exploded from every station; Vaughn savored the moment. “Follow Consortium shipping lane to grid number 8-5-1 delta, Ensign Tenmei.”
“Yes, sir.”
Until the femtobot defense was on-line, Vaughn anticipated taking advantage of the nonaggression treaty that protected the Consortium shipping lane. The Cheka wouldn’t touch them through those sectors unless they wanted to forfeit all their matter rights.
“Leishman to bridge. We’re good to go in engineering.”
“Good work, engineering. Ensign Tenmei, when we’ve cleared the particle fountain perimeter, lay in a course for Vanìmel, warp five.” Vaughn breathed deeply. Tonight, he would sleep. First, he would read—maybe that Klingon romance novel he’d won in the poker game. He would drink a steaming mug of mulled cider and then he would sleep.
“Gordimer to Commander Vaughn. Lieutenant Nog is missing!”
Vaughn smiled. He’d discreetly released Nog to his quarters 45 minutes ago. The chief engineer had been quite convincing in his traitor role. A career in holoacting surely awaited him should he ever find Starfleet not to his liking. Once underway to Vanìmel, Vaughn had intended to explain the ruse to the entire crew. “Nothing to worry about, Ensign. Lieutenant Nog has been released to quarters.”
“Begging your pardon sir, but I checked the brig logs and I already know you used your codes to release Nog. I assumed you’d decided he’d be safe confined to quarters, so I didn’t question it. But on my last pass through the ship, I stopped by Nog’s quarters to see how he was doing and the lieutenant wasn’t there.”
“Computer, locate Lieutenant Nog,” Vaughn ordered.
“Lieutenant Nog is not aboard theDefiant.”
Once again, every eye on the bridge focused on Vaughn.