A sequel to Fenris Nation: Day One. The year is 2412, Ten years after the everts of Picard Season 3 and Seven of Nine has left Starfleet following the tragic death of Raffi Musikeer. Returning to Fenris space, Seven returns to the unclaimed space of the lawless former Romulan Neutral Zone where the Fenris Rangers, a highly organized militia, attempted to protect the space lanes.
Seven soon has an encounter with the Federation and the Free Romulan State over a planet in unclaimed space over a newly discovered dilithium deposit on a planet with a small settlement that does not want either side there. After both sides claim that the Fenris Rangers have no authority to interfere, Seven unilaterally decides that they do, and established the Fenris nation, a new independent state in-between Federation and Romulan space.
The Federation Captain on the scene, Captain Chakotay of the USS Voyager-A, ultimately sides with Seven, and drives the Romulans away. This leaves Seven with the monumental task of establishing and governing a new galactic state. Federation President Kathyn Janeway is supportive, but the Federation Council is doubtful that the new state will last a year.
To assist Seven, the Federation Diplomatic Corp assign Vulcan diplomatic Councilor T'Nara of Vulcan to be an official Federation representative. Seven and T'Nara felt an immediate connection upon their first meeting.
***
Star Trek Fenris Nation: Deceptions
2412
Chancellor Seven of Nine of new Fenris Nation hadn’t counted on the briefings. She had expected bureaucracy, but not the endless, grinding briefings that filled every waking hour. Space lane security, emergency aid logistics, power grid stabilization, pirate incursions, commerce flow, mineral disputes, crew rotations, medical shipments, long-haul data infrastructure. It was relentless maintenance disguised as governance. Running a nation, especially one born from the wreckage of chaos, was less about grand strategy and inspiring speeches than about ceaseless, exhausting upkeep.
On the agenda this week was the return of the USS Voyager-A to Thalorin V, the flashpoint where the Fenris Nation was recently formed during a tense confrontation between Voyager, the Romulan Free State and the Fenris Rangers over the mining rights to a large dilithium deposit on the world. However, this time Voyager was here to negotiate for a share of the dilithium rather than claim it unilaterally.
However, this morning her thoughts lingered on things more pleasant.
T’Nari. The liaison to the Federation diplomat sent by President Janeway to help Seven establish this new frontier government and maintain diplomatic ties to the Federation. The attraction between them had been mutual from the beginning but they maintained professional distance.
However, one night T’Nari arrived at Seven’s quarters for an informal meeting about Federation support in restoring infrastructure on neglected Fenris worlds, Seven asked the question that she wanted to ask from the moment they has met…
*
“Why are you here?” Seven asked.
T’Nari paused, “We’ve discussed the assignment --”
“Not the mission,” Seven interrupted gently. “You. Why are you out here? Fenris. The Compact. All of this. It’s not exactly the logical posting for someone on your career path.”
That made T’Nari turn. Her face remained calm, but there was something softer behind her eyes now --something almost unguarded.
“I admired your record,” she said. “Both on Voyager and during your seven years commanding the Enterprise-G. You never conformed, but you always led. And you’re trying to build something here… something that shouldn’t work, and yet still might.”
She took a slow breath. “I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to make a difference -- where it’s hardest to.”
Seven studied her. “You came all the way out here… because of me?”
“I came out here because of what you represent.”
Silence followed, thick and unspoken. Seven gestured toward the seating area just behind her, the small alcove with a low table and two curved chairs by the viewport.
“Then stay,” she said. “Tell me about yourself. The real you. Not the file Starfleet sent me.”
T’Nari raised an eyebrow. A flicker of a smile ghosted across her lips.
“Only if you go first.”
Seven nodded. “Fair warning -- my story has Borg in it.”
“I suspected as much.”
And they talked through the night and, unexpectedly for them both, it soon became a nightly appointment.
They had been discreet, and it blossomed into the first real romance Seven had allowed herself since Raffi’s death.
And it was nice.
More than that, it was something that belonged entirely to her.
Elnor joined her for the final portion of her walk as he did every day. “Are you two deliberately arriving separately now?”, Elnor asked without preamble and true to his philosophy of “absolute candor”.
Seven was taken aback, “What are you talking about?”
“As your bodyguard, it’s my duty to know your whereabouts and who you’re with,” replied Elnor. “Last night at 10:30 hours, T’Nari entered your quarters. She left this morning at 6:37. You waited half an hour before leaving your quarters. This pattern has repeated for four nights.”
Seven shot him a half-annoyed look. “Must you keep doing that?”
“Yes. I was raised in the way of absolute candor.” replied Elnor. “Also, it’s my duty as your personal bodyguard to be aware of your activities. “Also,” he smirked, “it’s fun.”
They took a few more steps, the silence between them comfortable.
“Everybody knows,” Elnor said.
Seven stopped short, turning to him. “Oh? And who exactly is ‘everybody’?”
“It’s a small station,” Elnor replied and then added with affection, "Raffi would approve.”
Seven smiled warmly, their easy camaraderie born of years of friendship filling the space between them.
The conference room door slid open, and they stepped inside together. Seven caught a brief, knowing glance from T’Nari across the table.
Mags Quarn leaned forward, voice warm and relieved. “Well, now that we’re finally all here…”
Before he could finish, Elnor interrupted with a grin, “Well, they are arriving separately now.”
Laughter rippled through the room, breaking the tension, and Seven allowed herself a brief moment of ease.
T’Nari raised an eyebrow and did not quite manage to suppress her smirk.
"Ha! By the stars, that’s better than the raktajino!" exclaimed Mags Quarn, a grizzled, sharp-eyed Tellarite as rooted in Fenris’ gray zones as anyone alive. He was the newly appointed liaison to the Free Sectors, the term Fenris used for its uneasy patchwork of former pirates, smugglers, raiders, and operatives now working under the Compact banner, seeking to transition to safer and more legitimate business concerns. No one understood them better. Mags had been one of them, and unlike many, he hadn’t tried to forget it. Mags was determined to build something worth defending rather than running from his past. Mags was the rare Tellarite who realized that cooperation often paid more than arguing, even it wasn’t as satisfying. Behing Quarn was his inscrutable aide, a half Romulan / half Orion hybrid named Sahil, who had been the Tellarite’s aide-de-camp for many years.
Seven’s Rigellian chief of staff, Rilaan, made efficiency an art form. At any moment, Rilaan juggled responsibilities that would have required three ministers, and yet never appeared flustered. Species and gender aside, their presence projected calm authority and deft coordination.
Once everyone had assembled, Rilaan began the morning briefing. “The Khedivar system,” they began, gesturing to a flickering holomap, “a Pergium mining colony, has suffered a series of escalating raids at the hands of The Shroud and his forces. Harassment, sabotage, armed assaults. But as of this morning, it’s gone completely dark.”
The Shroud was the name given to the pirate lord that had consolidated the pirate, smugglers and traffickers who had decided not to acquiesce to Fenris authority. The mysterious pirate leader started to organize his forces from the shadows before the Compact was even signed and ratified in order to keep the space lanes of the sector lawless and unprotected by authority.
Mags leaned forward, voice low. “The communications relays are offline. They’re the only way to reach them. The system sits near the edge of the Lekari Nebula. Direct signals bounce and scatter, only the relays let anything through.”
T’Nari nodded. “Federation monitors confirm the silence. Whatever happened, it was swift, deliberate and hit all of the communications relays at once.”
“A coordinated attack?” asked Seven.
“Indeed,” replied T’Nari.
“Some sort of invasive code or virus?” Seven speculated.
“Indeed,” said T’Nari. “I shall look into what the Federation scans have recorded to determine the origin of the code. The USS Chin-Riley is near the border and was scanning the sector at that time.” T’Nari began and looked at Seven. “With the Chancellor’s permission, I can request access to their scans and assistance in determining he cause of the malfunctions..”
“Consider it granted.” Seven said, “And send Captain LaForge my regards.”
T’Nari nodded.
Mags’ jaw tightened. “Kaden Rel runs that colony. I've known him two decades. Hell of a mouth on him. He used to argue politics while fixing his own warp injectors. But his heart’s better than his temper. Always took in people with nowhere else to go. Struggling families, syndicate runaways, people trying to live clean. He built that colony into something worth protecting.” He exhaled. “If they’re not responding, something is very, very wrong.” Mags leaned back, arms crossed. “If it’s the Shroud, he’s sending a message. ‘We take what we want, whenever we want.’”
Seven’s voice turned cold. “Then we find out what’s happening there.”
T’Nari, ever measured, spoke next. “The Federation supports a fact-finding mission. However, any response that escalates beyond Fenris’ borders…”
“Could jeopardize that support,” Mags finished, tone sharp. “Yeah. Got it.” He half-smirked. “Support with strings attached hardly feels like support.”
“Strings prevent collapse,” T’Nari replied coolly. “Not restriction. Scaffolding. Scaffolding is not shackles.”
“That sounds like something that the person holding the strings would say.” Mags said. “I’ll contact some of the old crews near that corridor.” Mags added, “They hear things.”
Sahil stepped forward, measured and smooth. “If I may… the nebula’s proximity also creates sensor occlusion. Once we enter, we’ll lose real-time contact with Fenris, with the Federation, with everyone. It’s a communications dead zone. That, more than the colony itself, may be the real vulnerability here.”
T’Nari considered this. “Then we must be cautious. Entering without full visibility increases the risk of provocation.”
“Or makes us look weak,” Sahil countered. “The Shroud has grown bolder. If he senses hesitation, he may test our resolve.”
Seven turned to Rilaan. “Draft a support fleet. Defensive posture. No weapons hot unless fired upon, but I want to be prepared for whatever the Shroud has in mind for us.” After a pause, she added, “Could the Revenant be prepped in time…?”, referring to her heavily armed flagship.
Rilaan didn’t glance up from their pad. “Already working on it, but…” Then, after a brief pause, they looked up. “With respect, Chancellor… you don’t need to be in the field. Not in a communications dead zone. You shouldn’t put yourself at risk.”
Seven met Rilaan’s gaze evenly. “I never wanted to be that kind of Chancellor.”
Rilaan looked at her with sympathy. “You can’t put out all of the brushfires yourself. You have larger responsibilities.”
The meeting adjourned, and the assembled personnel filtered out of the briefing room and into the hall, with its spectacular viewport overlooking Aegis Station’s main spire backdropped against Fenris Prime. The sleek Revenant gleamed against the amber sky. Seven, T’Nari, Mags, Elnor and Sahil, the latter always half a step behind, walked down the hall.
Mags grumbled, “I’m just saying, we don’t need a damn escort ship with guns bigger than its engines. Show of force is one thing, but we’re not trying to start a war out there. All these heavy cruisers, they make people nervous.”
Seven didn’t turn. “If someone starts shooting, I’d rather they be nervous than confident.”
Mags half-smirked. “Yeah, yeah. ‘Peace through superior firepower.’ That always sounded like a sales pitch before a massacre,” he said as he arrived at his destination of the station’s communications hub. “I’ll let you know what I can find out, Madame Chancellor. If you’ll excuse me.”
“We’ll reconvene when we all have something to report.” Seven replied.
Then Elnor asked bluntly but not unkindly to Sahil. “You’re half-Romulan, half-Orion, aren’t you?” He looked at Sahil’s pointed ears and green complexion with the candid directness that made people uncomfortable.
Sahil blinked once, unoffended. “I’m neither.”
“That does not seem like an honest answer.” Elnor said with his typical directness.
Sahil’s voice was smooth, unreadable. “Romulan politics are built on mistrust and misdirection. Orion syndicates operate on manipulation, threat, and transactional loyalty. Both rely on drama, mistrust, and double-blind threats. They are inherently wasteful. Waste creates inefficiency. I chose not to inherit any of it.”
Sahil continued, “Neither system is logical in how it wields power. Their inefficiencies slow progress and breed instability. I saw no reason to model myself after either.”
“Do you have an identity that you claim as your own?” Elnor asked.
“I am the man who I see in the mirror,” Sahil said evasively. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have duties.” He walked away.
Seven glanced sideways at Elnor. “Something on your mind?”
“There is something paradoxical about him.” Elnor replied, “As if he’s speaking two truths at once.”
T’Nari took this in with a tilt of head and a raised eyebrow. “You have reason to suspicious?”
Elnor replied. “He speaks with conviction, but everything about him feels... rehearsed. As if he’s split between who he is and what he performs. It’s like watching a paradox play out in real time.”
“That’s not exactly comforting,” Seven responded.
“It’s not meant to be.”
**
They reconvened in the briefing room four hours later. The news from Khedivar and the surrounding areas was grim.
Rilaan had diverted two teams of Raider-class vessels, the most common of the ships used in Compact’s rag-tag fleet, from space-lane patrol to Khedivar to respond to the situation. “Just prior to entering they Rift, the Raider squadron encountered the pirate fleet, which was departing the sector after completing their raid.” Rilaan began, “The pirate fleet outnumbered our Raiders and they were immediately overwhelmed. One of our ships was destroyed and two others damaged. The undamaged ship continued on to Khedivar.”
They paused and looked at Mags. “I’m sorry, Mags, the colony was a total loss.”
Mags eyes darkened and the room seemed to grow darker, “What do you mean, ‘total loss’?”
Rilaan continued, “Our reconnaissance indicates that the Shroud’s forces went far beyond their normal harassment plays this time.” They paused briefly, clearly affected by what they were conveying, “They raided the Pergium tanks and destroyed the facility and razed the residential district.”
Mags gasped. “That piece of shit… There were families there!”
“The scans indicated survivors, but the Raider was unable to mount a rescue on its own,” Rilaan said, “It wasn’t even able to check in until it cleared the nebula.” Rilaan looked at Seven, “I took the liberty of calling a general alert in that sector and diverted several Fenris ships and some civilian vessels to help in the evacuation of the survivors. However,” Rilaan continued, “that brings us to another matter.” And she gestured to Mags.
Mags, still stunned by the fate of the Khedivar colony, managed to compose himself. “Right. As soon as the Raiders were diverted from their assigned space-lanes, vessels in both were attacked pirate raids as well.
“A two-pronged attack.” Seven said, shaking her head. “Always two steps ahead…”
“Why would someone do this?, asked Elnor. Although he had seen his share of atrocities while serving in Starfleet, he never could get past the sheer waste of it.
“To deprive people of hope.” Sahil interjected. ”To destroy the confidence of the people in the governing body.”
T’Nari broke in, “Might I suggest that we solicit the assistance of the USS Chin-Riley in the rescue effort? and she gave Seven a look.
Mags broke in, “Typical. You want us to feel as if we can’t take care of our own matters. We can handle this ourselves”
Normally, Seven would agree with Mags, but there was something about the look T’Nari gave her. “I’ll allow it this time” she looked at Mags, “Argue with me about it later.”, cutting off his expected response.
She looked at assembled and said, “There’s nothing more we can do until we know more. Rilaan, see what ships can be spared to cover the space-lanes until we can figure out the Shroud’s plan. Until then everyone return to your stations. Dismissed.”
*
Two hours later, Seven sat at the small desk in her office as she prepared to return to her quarters for the evening , the glow of the stars beyond the viewport doing little to quiet her thoughts. A strategic map hovered above the surface in holographic overlay, but her eyes weren’t on it. They were distant, frustrated. For every move they made, the Shroud seemed two steps ahead.
The door chimed.
“Enter,” she said.
T’Nari stepped inside, composed as ever, though her posture betrayed a hint of unease. “There was something I wanted to discuss… in private.”
Seven motioned to the seat opposite her. “Is this about the Chin-Riley?”
“Indeed, T’Nari said. “The Chin-Riley’s scans of the Rift indicated that one of the relays failed to self-destruct.” Seven raised an eyebrow in a very Vulcan fashion as T’Nari continued, “It ceased function, but the auto-destruct did not activate.”
“And my allowing the Chin-Riley to cross the border allowed them to retrieve it without alerting the Shroud.” Seven finished.
T’Nari nodded in the affirmative. “The Chin-Riley recovered the relay and thoroughly examined it. They now know why the relays malfunctioned. A highly advanced invasive code that surrounded all control of its functions to another user. It seems to be compatible with many different technologies and be able to circumvent complex security systems. Once integrated in a computer system, it introduces a virus that totally surrenders control to outside parties.”
Seven read the PADD that T’Nari handed and whistled with appreciation. “ Yeah, this is advanced code. It almost makes Borg code look decorative.” her jaw tightened. “The kind of good that doesn’t get caught unless you know what to look for.”
T’Nari nodded. “There’s more. There was another algorithm buried in the quantum fractal code. I decrypted it. I can’t determine its purpose exactly, but… it’s a key. A handshake protocol designed to connect to another system.”
“What system?” Seven asked.
T’Nari frowned and said, “That, I cannot determine. However, now that we have the code, we have a footprint to look for in future attacks.”
T’Nari almost smiled. “It’s not much. But it’s the first advantage we’ve had.”
Seven stood, walking to the viewport. “Then we don’t tell anyone. Not yet. If the Shroud thinks we’re still in the dark, he won’t cover his tracks as carefully next time.”
T’Nari joined her. “Agreed.”
*
Several days passed without incident and people were beginning to let their guard down. Normally Seven would prefer the peace, but she couldn’t stop feeling as if the other shoe were about to drop. In fact, the quiet was pronounced, as the space lanes had been totally free of incident since Khedivar.
Too quiet, Seven thought.
The morning briefing was just wrapping up and Rilaan was detailing the arrival at Thalorin V of the USS Voyager. Captain Chakotay was set to negotiate with Governor Cassia Malan for rights to mine the dilithium deposits that had been discovered. Governor Malan was the leader of a small colony of 240 settlers that had lived on Thalaron for decades, leaving behind the bureaucratic indifference of the Federation.
After the establishment of the Compact, the Federation, through T’Nari, officially opened negotiations with the colony for a share of the dilithium supply. Malan was not fond of the Federation, but respected how Chakotay handled the previous crisis and was willing to hear him out. Seven, Elnor and T’Nari were set to join them at Thalorin where Seven was to ensure that the colony was appropriately compensated and to ensure that the Compact’s needs for dilithium were included in the negotiation.
As they were all leaving the room, an alert sounded, stopping them in their tracks. Rilaan viewed the incoming data. “We’re getting an incoming alert from Vandros,” they said,” All of their defense satellites went down at once. They are blind and fear attack.”
T’Nari’s raised an eyebrow, and she consulted her PADD
Interesting timing. So much for quiet, Seven thought.
“If I may, Madame Chancellor," said Sahil, "clearly, you will be needed here to spearhead the response. I suggest that you allow Mr. Quarn and I to take over this duty?”
This seemed to surprise Mags. “Eh? Yeah, sure. Not how I planned to spend the day.”
“Alright, it’s settled,” Seven said. “You need to get to the shuttle, it’s scheduled to depart soon.”
As everyone filed out, T’Nari stayed behind to speak with Seven. Consulting her PADD, T’Nari said, “I can confirm that the Vandros security satellites are being affected by the same fractal code that was used at Khedivar.”
“So, it’s definitely the Shroud.” Seven said.
“It would seem so.” T’Nari said, handing Seven a computer chip. “The Chin-Riley developed what they believe to be a counter-measure to the code. Hopefully, you will be able to find a way to apply it.”
“I wish you could stay.” Seven said.
“As do I.” T’Nari replied. “The timing of this event does not sit well with me.”
“Agreed.” Seven said, and T’Nari boarded the shuttle.
*
T’Nari, Mags and Sahil rendezvoused with Voyager midway to Thalorin and they were met in the shuttle bay by Captain Chakotay, who led them to their quarters. “A pleasure to have you onboard, Mr. Quarn.”
“I’m sure it is, Captain”, Quarn said with what was considered charm by the Tellarite people. “The Chancellor sends her regrets. She was apparently looking forward to seeing you. For some reason.”
“As I was her,” Chakotay said, well aware of Tellarite diplomatic techniques, “but I see no reason that you and I can’t come to a mutually beneficial accord.”
Mags grunted.
Chakotay then turned to T’Nari, “A pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Councilor T’Nari.”
“Likewise, Captain Chakotay.” T’Nari responded, “The Chancellor has told me much about you.”
“Has she?” Chakotay said, surprised.
They arrived at the guest quarters, and as Chakotay was answering Mags numerous questions about the room, Sahil inspected the room’s computer station. When he was sure that he was being unobserved, he used Mags’ diplomatic code to gain access to the main computer. He then slipped a data chip into the unit’s data port. He then entered a command into the interface.
The lights went down and came back up.
“What was that?” asked a startled Chakotay.
Then without warning, everyone in the room except Mags and Sahil was transported away.
“What the hell…?” Mags exclaimed in confusion, but before any answers were forthcoming, Sahil plunged a dagger deep into his back. Mags screamed in pain and fell to his knees. “What? The hell! You son of a bitch!” Mags snarled at Sahil. “Why? After all of these years, why?”
“I just really wanted to.” Sahil said coldly as Mags fell to the floor bleeding.
He then pulled out a communicator and transmitted, “This is the Shroud, calling Blood Team. The fractal code is in place. Tell P’lof that his handshake protocol worked perfectly. Voyager is now under our control! The entire crew has been transported to the cargo bays and holding cells. Prepared to be beamed directly to the bridge.”
Sahil took one last look at Mags, wheezing heavily on the floor, before departing for the bridge.
That was cathartic, he thought to himself.
*
Seven soon has an encounter with the Federation and the Free Romulan State over a planet in unclaimed space over a newly discovered dilithium deposit on a planet with a small settlement that does not want either side there. After both sides claim that the Fenris Rangers have no authority to interfere, Seven unilaterally decides that they do, and established the Fenris nation, a new independent state in-between Federation and Romulan space.
The Federation Captain on the scene, Captain Chakotay of the USS Voyager-A, ultimately sides with Seven, and drives the Romulans away. This leaves Seven with the monumental task of establishing and governing a new galactic state. Federation President Kathyn Janeway is supportive, but the Federation Council is doubtful that the new state will last a year.
To assist Seven, the Federation Diplomatic Corp assign Vulcan diplomatic Councilor T'Nara of Vulcan to be an official Federation representative. Seven and T'Nara felt an immediate connection upon their first meeting.
***
Star Trek Fenris Nation: Deceptions
Chancellor Seven of Nine of new Fenris Nation hadn’t counted on the briefings. She had expected bureaucracy, but not the endless, grinding briefings that filled every waking hour. Space lane security, emergency aid logistics, power grid stabilization, pirate incursions, commerce flow, mineral disputes, crew rotations, medical shipments, long-haul data infrastructure. It was relentless maintenance disguised as governance. Running a nation, especially one born from the wreckage of chaos, was less about grand strategy and inspiring speeches than about ceaseless, exhausting upkeep.
On the agenda this week was the return of the USS Voyager-A to Thalorin V, the flashpoint where the Fenris Nation was recently formed during a tense confrontation between Voyager, the Romulan Free State and the Fenris Rangers over the mining rights to a large dilithium deposit on the world. However, this time Voyager was here to negotiate for a share of the dilithium rather than claim it unilaterally.
However, this morning her thoughts lingered on things more pleasant.
T’Nari. The liaison to the Federation diplomat sent by President Janeway to help Seven establish this new frontier government and maintain diplomatic ties to the Federation. The attraction between them had been mutual from the beginning but they maintained professional distance.
However, one night T’Nari arrived at Seven’s quarters for an informal meeting about Federation support in restoring infrastructure on neglected Fenris worlds, Seven asked the question that she wanted to ask from the moment they has met…
*
“Why are you here?” Seven asked.
T’Nari paused, “We’ve discussed the assignment --”
“Not the mission,” Seven interrupted gently. “You. Why are you out here? Fenris. The Compact. All of this. It’s not exactly the logical posting for someone on your career path.”
That made T’Nari turn. Her face remained calm, but there was something softer behind her eyes now --something almost unguarded.
“I admired your record,” she said. “Both on Voyager and during your seven years commanding the Enterprise-G. You never conformed, but you always led. And you’re trying to build something here… something that shouldn’t work, and yet still might.”
She took a slow breath. “I wanted to be part of that. I wanted to make a difference -- where it’s hardest to.”
Seven studied her. “You came all the way out here… because of me?”
“I came out here because of what you represent.”
Silence followed, thick and unspoken. Seven gestured toward the seating area just behind her, the small alcove with a low table and two curved chairs by the viewport.
“Then stay,” she said. “Tell me about yourself. The real you. Not the file Starfleet sent me.”
T’Nari raised an eyebrow. A flicker of a smile ghosted across her lips.
“Only if you go first.”
Seven nodded. “Fair warning -- my story has Borg in it.”
“I suspected as much.”
And they talked through the night and, unexpectedly for them both, it soon became a nightly appointment.
They had been discreet, and it blossomed into the first real romance Seven had allowed herself since Raffi’s death.
And it was nice.
More than that, it was something that belonged entirely to her.
Elnor joined her for the final portion of her walk as he did every day. “Are you two deliberately arriving separately now?”, Elnor asked without preamble and true to his philosophy of “absolute candor”.
Seven was taken aback, “What are you talking about?”
“As your bodyguard, it’s my duty to know your whereabouts and who you’re with,” replied Elnor. “Last night at 10:30 hours, T’Nari entered your quarters. She left this morning at 6:37. You waited half an hour before leaving your quarters. This pattern has repeated for four nights.”
Seven shot him a half-annoyed look. “Must you keep doing that?”
“Yes. I was raised in the way of absolute candor.” replied Elnor. “Also, it’s my duty as your personal bodyguard to be aware of your activities. “Also,” he smirked, “it’s fun.”
They took a few more steps, the silence between them comfortable.
“Everybody knows,” Elnor said.
Seven stopped short, turning to him. “Oh? And who exactly is ‘everybody’?”
“It’s a small station,” Elnor replied and then added with affection, "Raffi would approve.”
Seven smiled warmly, their easy camaraderie born of years of friendship filling the space between them.
The conference room door slid open, and they stepped inside together. Seven caught a brief, knowing glance from T’Nari across the table.
Mags Quarn leaned forward, voice warm and relieved. “Well, now that we’re finally all here…”
Before he could finish, Elnor interrupted with a grin, “Well, they are arriving separately now.”
Laughter rippled through the room, breaking the tension, and Seven allowed herself a brief moment of ease.
T’Nari raised an eyebrow and did not quite manage to suppress her smirk.
"Ha! By the stars, that’s better than the raktajino!" exclaimed Mags Quarn, a grizzled, sharp-eyed Tellarite as rooted in Fenris’ gray zones as anyone alive. He was the newly appointed liaison to the Free Sectors, the term Fenris used for its uneasy patchwork of former pirates, smugglers, raiders, and operatives now working under the Compact banner, seeking to transition to safer and more legitimate business concerns. No one understood them better. Mags had been one of them, and unlike many, he hadn’t tried to forget it. Mags was determined to build something worth defending rather than running from his past. Mags was the rare Tellarite who realized that cooperation often paid more than arguing, even it wasn’t as satisfying. Behing Quarn was his inscrutable aide, a half Romulan / half Orion hybrid named Sahil, who had been the Tellarite’s aide-de-camp for many years.
Seven’s Rigellian chief of staff, Rilaan, made efficiency an art form. At any moment, Rilaan juggled responsibilities that would have required three ministers, and yet never appeared flustered. Species and gender aside, their presence projected calm authority and deft coordination.
Once everyone had assembled, Rilaan began the morning briefing. “The Khedivar system,” they began, gesturing to a flickering holomap, “a Pergium mining colony, has suffered a series of escalating raids at the hands of The Shroud and his forces. Harassment, sabotage, armed assaults. But as of this morning, it’s gone completely dark.”
The Shroud was the name given to the pirate lord that had consolidated the pirate, smugglers and traffickers who had decided not to acquiesce to Fenris authority. The mysterious pirate leader started to organize his forces from the shadows before the Compact was even signed and ratified in order to keep the space lanes of the sector lawless and unprotected by authority.
Mags leaned forward, voice low. “The communications relays are offline. They’re the only way to reach them. The system sits near the edge of the Lekari Nebula. Direct signals bounce and scatter, only the relays let anything through.”
T’Nari nodded. “Federation monitors confirm the silence. Whatever happened, it was swift, deliberate and hit all of the communications relays at once.”
“A coordinated attack?” asked Seven.
“Indeed,” replied T’Nari.
“Some sort of invasive code or virus?” Seven speculated.
“Indeed,” said T’Nari. “I shall look into what the Federation scans have recorded to determine the origin of the code. The USS Chin-Riley is near the border and was scanning the sector at that time.” T’Nari began and looked at Seven. “With the Chancellor’s permission, I can request access to their scans and assistance in determining he cause of the malfunctions..”
“Consider it granted.” Seven said, “And send Captain LaForge my regards.”
T’Nari nodded.
Mags’ jaw tightened. “Kaden Rel runs that colony. I've known him two decades. Hell of a mouth on him. He used to argue politics while fixing his own warp injectors. But his heart’s better than his temper. Always took in people with nowhere else to go. Struggling families, syndicate runaways, people trying to live clean. He built that colony into something worth protecting.” He exhaled. “If they’re not responding, something is very, very wrong.” Mags leaned back, arms crossed. “If it’s the Shroud, he’s sending a message. ‘We take what we want, whenever we want.’”
Seven’s voice turned cold. “Then we find out what’s happening there.”
T’Nari, ever measured, spoke next. “The Federation supports a fact-finding mission. However, any response that escalates beyond Fenris’ borders…”
“Could jeopardize that support,” Mags finished, tone sharp. “Yeah. Got it.” He half-smirked. “Support with strings attached hardly feels like support.”
“Strings prevent collapse,” T’Nari replied coolly. “Not restriction. Scaffolding. Scaffolding is not shackles.”
“That sounds like something that the person holding the strings would say.” Mags said. “I’ll contact some of the old crews near that corridor.” Mags added, “They hear things.”
Sahil stepped forward, measured and smooth. “If I may… the nebula’s proximity also creates sensor occlusion. Once we enter, we’ll lose real-time contact with Fenris, with the Federation, with everyone. It’s a communications dead zone. That, more than the colony itself, may be the real vulnerability here.”
T’Nari considered this. “Then we must be cautious. Entering without full visibility increases the risk of provocation.”
“Or makes us look weak,” Sahil countered. “The Shroud has grown bolder. If he senses hesitation, he may test our resolve.”
Seven turned to Rilaan. “Draft a support fleet. Defensive posture. No weapons hot unless fired upon, but I want to be prepared for whatever the Shroud has in mind for us.” After a pause, she added, “Could the Revenant be prepped in time…?”, referring to her heavily armed flagship.
Rilaan didn’t glance up from their pad. “Already working on it, but…” Then, after a brief pause, they looked up. “With respect, Chancellor… you don’t need to be in the field. Not in a communications dead zone. You shouldn’t put yourself at risk.”
Seven met Rilaan’s gaze evenly. “I never wanted to be that kind of Chancellor.”
Rilaan looked at her with sympathy. “You can’t put out all of the brushfires yourself. You have larger responsibilities.”
The meeting adjourned, and the assembled personnel filtered out of the briefing room and into the hall, with its spectacular viewport overlooking Aegis Station’s main spire backdropped against Fenris Prime. The sleek Revenant gleamed against the amber sky. Seven, T’Nari, Mags, Elnor and Sahil, the latter always half a step behind, walked down the hall.
Mags grumbled, “I’m just saying, we don’t need a damn escort ship with guns bigger than its engines. Show of force is one thing, but we’re not trying to start a war out there. All these heavy cruisers, they make people nervous.”
Seven didn’t turn. “If someone starts shooting, I’d rather they be nervous than confident.”
Mags half-smirked. “Yeah, yeah. ‘Peace through superior firepower.’ That always sounded like a sales pitch before a massacre,” he said as he arrived at his destination of the station’s communications hub. “I’ll let you know what I can find out, Madame Chancellor. If you’ll excuse me.”
“We’ll reconvene when we all have something to report.” Seven replied.
Then Elnor asked bluntly but not unkindly to Sahil. “You’re half-Romulan, half-Orion, aren’t you?” He looked at Sahil’s pointed ears and green complexion with the candid directness that made people uncomfortable.
Sahil blinked once, unoffended. “I’m neither.”
“That does not seem like an honest answer.” Elnor said with his typical directness.
Sahil’s voice was smooth, unreadable. “Romulan politics are built on mistrust and misdirection. Orion syndicates operate on manipulation, threat, and transactional loyalty. Both rely on drama, mistrust, and double-blind threats. They are inherently wasteful. Waste creates inefficiency. I chose not to inherit any of it.”
Sahil continued, “Neither system is logical in how it wields power. Their inefficiencies slow progress and breed instability. I saw no reason to model myself after either.”
“Do you have an identity that you claim as your own?” Elnor asked.
“I am the man who I see in the mirror,” Sahil said evasively. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have duties.” He walked away.
Seven glanced sideways at Elnor. “Something on your mind?”
“There is something paradoxical about him.” Elnor replied, “As if he’s speaking two truths at once.”
T’Nari took this in with a tilt of head and a raised eyebrow. “You have reason to suspicious?”
Elnor replied. “He speaks with conviction, but everything about him feels... rehearsed. As if he’s split between who he is and what he performs. It’s like watching a paradox play out in real time.”
“That’s not exactly comforting,” Seven responded.
“It’s not meant to be.”
**
They reconvened in the briefing room four hours later. The news from Khedivar and the surrounding areas was grim.
Rilaan had diverted two teams of Raider-class vessels, the most common of the ships used in Compact’s rag-tag fleet, from space-lane patrol to Khedivar to respond to the situation. “Just prior to entering they Rift, the Raider squadron encountered the pirate fleet, which was departing the sector after completing their raid.” Rilaan began, “The pirate fleet outnumbered our Raiders and they were immediately overwhelmed. One of our ships was destroyed and two others damaged. The undamaged ship continued on to Khedivar.”
They paused and looked at Mags. “I’m sorry, Mags, the colony was a total loss.”
Mags eyes darkened and the room seemed to grow darker, “What do you mean, ‘total loss’?”
Rilaan continued, “Our reconnaissance indicates that the Shroud’s forces went far beyond their normal harassment plays this time.” They paused briefly, clearly affected by what they were conveying, “They raided the Pergium tanks and destroyed the facility and razed the residential district.”
Mags gasped. “That piece of shit… There were families there!”
“The scans indicated survivors, but the Raider was unable to mount a rescue on its own,” Rilaan said, “It wasn’t even able to check in until it cleared the nebula.” Rilaan looked at Seven, “I took the liberty of calling a general alert in that sector and diverted several Fenris ships and some civilian vessels to help in the evacuation of the survivors. However,” Rilaan continued, “that brings us to another matter.” And she gestured to Mags.
Mags, still stunned by the fate of the Khedivar colony, managed to compose himself. “Right. As soon as the Raiders were diverted from their assigned space-lanes, vessels in both were attacked pirate raids as well.
“A two-pronged attack.” Seven said, shaking her head. “Always two steps ahead…”
“Why would someone do this?, asked Elnor. Although he had seen his share of atrocities while serving in Starfleet, he never could get past the sheer waste of it.
“To deprive people of hope.” Sahil interjected. ”To destroy the confidence of the people in the governing body.”
T’Nari broke in, “Might I suggest that we solicit the assistance of the USS Chin-Riley in the rescue effort? and she gave Seven a look.
Mags broke in, “Typical. You want us to feel as if we can’t take care of our own matters. We can handle this ourselves”
Normally, Seven would agree with Mags, but there was something about the look T’Nari gave her. “I’ll allow it this time” she looked at Mags, “Argue with me about it later.”, cutting off his expected response.
She looked at assembled and said, “There’s nothing more we can do until we know more. Rilaan, see what ships can be spared to cover the space-lanes until we can figure out the Shroud’s plan. Until then everyone return to your stations. Dismissed.”
*
Two hours later, Seven sat at the small desk in her office as she prepared to return to her quarters for the evening , the glow of the stars beyond the viewport doing little to quiet her thoughts. A strategic map hovered above the surface in holographic overlay, but her eyes weren’t on it. They were distant, frustrated. For every move they made, the Shroud seemed two steps ahead.
The door chimed.
“Enter,” she said.
T’Nari stepped inside, composed as ever, though her posture betrayed a hint of unease. “There was something I wanted to discuss… in private.”
Seven motioned to the seat opposite her. “Is this about the Chin-Riley?”
“Indeed, T’Nari said. “The Chin-Riley’s scans of the Rift indicated that one of the relays failed to self-destruct.” Seven raised an eyebrow in a very Vulcan fashion as T’Nari continued, “It ceased function, but the auto-destruct did not activate.”
“And my allowing the Chin-Riley to cross the border allowed them to retrieve it without alerting the Shroud.” Seven finished.
T’Nari nodded in the affirmative. “The Chin-Riley recovered the relay and thoroughly examined it. They now know why the relays malfunctioned. A highly advanced invasive code that surrounded all control of its functions to another user. It seems to be compatible with many different technologies and be able to circumvent complex security systems. Once integrated in a computer system, it introduces a virus that totally surrenders control to outside parties.”
Seven read the PADD that T’Nari handed and whistled with appreciation. “ Yeah, this is advanced code. It almost makes Borg code look decorative.” her jaw tightened. “The kind of good that doesn’t get caught unless you know what to look for.”
T’Nari nodded. “There’s more. There was another algorithm buried in the quantum fractal code. I decrypted it. I can’t determine its purpose exactly, but… it’s a key. A handshake protocol designed to connect to another system.”
“What system?” Seven asked.
T’Nari frowned and said, “That, I cannot determine. However, now that we have the code, we have a footprint to look for in future attacks.”
T’Nari almost smiled. “It’s not much. But it’s the first advantage we’ve had.”
Seven stood, walking to the viewport. “Then we don’t tell anyone. Not yet. If the Shroud thinks we’re still in the dark, he won’t cover his tracks as carefully next time.”
T’Nari joined her. “Agreed.”
*
Several days passed without incident and people were beginning to let their guard down. Normally Seven would prefer the peace, but she couldn’t stop feeling as if the other shoe were about to drop. In fact, the quiet was pronounced, as the space lanes had been totally free of incident since Khedivar.
Too quiet, Seven thought.
The morning briefing was just wrapping up and Rilaan was detailing the arrival at Thalorin V of the USS Voyager. Captain Chakotay was set to negotiate with Governor Cassia Malan for rights to mine the dilithium deposits that had been discovered. Governor Malan was the leader of a small colony of 240 settlers that had lived on Thalaron for decades, leaving behind the bureaucratic indifference of the Federation.
After the establishment of the Compact, the Federation, through T’Nari, officially opened negotiations with the colony for a share of the dilithium supply. Malan was not fond of the Federation, but respected how Chakotay handled the previous crisis and was willing to hear him out. Seven, Elnor and T’Nari were set to join them at Thalorin where Seven was to ensure that the colony was appropriately compensated and to ensure that the Compact’s needs for dilithium were included in the negotiation.
As they were all leaving the room, an alert sounded, stopping them in their tracks. Rilaan viewed the incoming data. “We’re getting an incoming alert from Vandros,” they said,” All of their defense satellites went down at once. They are blind and fear attack.”
T’Nari’s raised an eyebrow, and she consulted her PADD
Interesting timing. So much for quiet, Seven thought.
“If I may, Madame Chancellor," said Sahil, "clearly, you will be needed here to spearhead the response. I suggest that you allow Mr. Quarn and I to take over this duty?”
This seemed to surprise Mags. “Eh? Yeah, sure. Not how I planned to spend the day.”
“Alright, it’s settled,” Seven said. “You need to get to the shuttle, it’s scheduled to depart soon.”
As everyone filed out, T’Nari stayed behind to speak with Seven. Consulting her PADD, T’Nari said, “I can confirm that the Vandros security satellites are being affected by the same fractal code that was used at Khedivar.”
“So, it’s definitely the Shroud.” Seven said.
“It would seem so.” T’Nari said, handing Seven a computer chip. “The Chin-Riley developed what they believe to be a counter-measure to the code. Hopefully, you will be able to find a way to apply it.”
“I wish you could stay.” Seven said.
“As do I.” T’Nari replied. “The timing of this event does not sit well with me.”
“Agreed.” Seven said, and T’Nari boarded the shuttle.
*
T’Nari, Mags and Sahil rendezvoused with Voyager midway to Thalorin and they were met in the shuttle bay by Captain Chakotay, who led them to their quarters. “A pleasure to have you onboard, Mr. Quarn.”
“I’m sure it is, Captain”, Quarn said with what was considered charm by the Tellarite people. “The Chancellor sends her regrets. She was apparently looking forward to seeing you. For some reason.”
“As I was her,” Chakotay said, well aware of Tellarite diplomatic techniques, “but I see no reason that you and I can’t come to a mutually beneficial accord.”
Mags grunted.
Chakotay then turned to T’Nari, “A pleasure to finally meet you face to face, Councilor T’Nari.”
“Likewise, Captain Chakotay.” T’Nari responded, “The Chancellor has told me much about you.”
“Has she?” Chakotay said, surprised.
They arrived at the guest quarters, and as Chakotay was answering Mags numerous questions about the room, Sahil inspected the room’s computer station. When he was sure that he was being unobserved, he used Mags’ diplomatic code to gain access to the main computer. He then slipped a data chip into the unit’s data port. He then entered a command into the interface.
The lights went down and came back up.
“What was that?” asked a startled Chakotay.
Then without warning, everyone in the room except Mags and Sahil was transported away.
“What the hell…?” Mags exclaimed in confusion, but before any answers were forthcoming, Sahil plunged a dagger deep into his back. Mags screamed in pain and fell to his knees. “What? The hell! You son of a bitch!” Mags snarled at Sahil. “Why? After all of these years, why?”
“I just really wanted to.” Sahil said coldly as Mags fell to the floor bleeding.
He then pulled out a communicator and transmitted, “This is the Shroud, calling Blood Team. The fractal code is in place. Tell P’lof that his handshake protocol worked perfectly. Voyager is now under our control! The entire crew has been transported to the cargo bays and holding cells. Prepared to be beamed directly to the bridge.”
Sahil took one last look at Mags, wheezing heavily on the floor, before departing for the bridge.
That was cathartic, he thought to himself.
*
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