Two-part sequel to Fenris Nation: Day One...
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.
Seven was joined in her walk to the briefing -- as she was every day -- by the Romulan Elnor, Seven’s old friend and body guard. Elnor was raised by the priestesses of the Qowat Milat, a sect of Romulan warrior nuns that believed in the practice of “Absolute Candor”. Seven’s late partner Rafaela Musiker considered him to be like son. Elnor hailed from this sector of space, and left Starfleet over the Federation’s continued indifference to the plight of the region.
“You look tired,” Elnor said with his typical bluntness.
“Thanks,” Seven said sarcastically. “Don’t spread that around.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Elnor replied with a smirk.
A government could not be run by a single person and Seven had assembled a small cabinet to assist her--
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. Behind 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, PADD in hand, Rilaan juggled multiple responsibilities that would have required three ministers, and yet never appeared flustered. Species and gender aside, their presence projected calm authority and deft coordination.
And then there was T’Nari, the Vulcan diplomatic liaison sent by the Federation to assist Seven in establishing the new frontier government. Cool and aloof, there was something about her that Seven found intriguing. T’Nari was a rising star in the Federation Diplomatic Bureau who had her choice of assignments, but chose to be assigned to a remote frontier posting that most of the people in the Federation Diplomatic Bureau expected to fail within a year.
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.
“So it would seem,” 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. Tell Rell to prep the Revenant, We’re heading out as soon as we can.”
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.”
“I understand, Rilaan,” Seven said, “But I want to see this for myself.”
“I question the logic of bringing the Revenant.” Sahil said. “The ship barely runs. I suggest that you take a scout ship to the location.”
“Shipmaster Vell has assured me that Revenant will perform,” Seven said, “And he is the best there is.” Indeed, Seven’s Bolian Shipmaster, Lorus Vell, had performed seeming miracles with the ancient, re-purposed pirate ship, turning the vessel from a scrap-heap to the Fenris Compact’s flagship in far less time then expected.
“I still don’t think that it’s worth the risk taking the Revenant before she has had a proper shakedown,” Sahil pressed.
“Noted,” Seven said, “I’m still taking the Revenant.”
Sahil was not pleased, but relented.
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 inquired 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,” Elnor replied as he boarded the Revenant.
“Find out all that you can from the Chin-Riley,” Seven said to T’Nari and she prepared enter the ship.
“Chancellor,” T’Nari said her, and Seven turned to face her. After a pause, T’Nari said, “Be careful,” she said. “It would be… regrettable if you were to come to harm.”
This made Seven pause, “Yes,” she finally said, “It would be,” and she looked at T’Nari without trying to look like she was staring into her eyes.
Composing herself, Seven said, “I’ll see you when we get back, and she boarded the ship.
**
The Revenant arrived at the Lekari Nebula with a flotilla of raider-class ships. As the nebula blocked comms, Seven sent several ships into nebula to scout the path ahead to Khedivar and report back.
Soon after the scout party had departed, the ship’s sensors blared to life. “Incoming pirate vessels!” reported Meghi, Revenant’s Bajoran comms officer. “From multiple directions! Their comm traffic indicate that they’ve come for you, Madame Chancellor!"
“They were waiting for us!” Elnor exclaimed.
A trap! Seven thought, And I walked right into it.
The raider-class fighters engaged with the pirate vessels as Elnor attempted to bring Revenant’s weapons on-line.
The battle was fierce as the Fenris raiders were outmatched and outnumbered by the pirate ships, and the trained Rangers held their own, but they would eventually be overpowered.
Seven listened to comm traffic from the battle, voices she didn’t recognize. She wished that she had taken the time to meet them before sending them into battle.
“I’m boxed in!” said one voice over the comm, “I have one on my tail!” said another. “Got you, you pirate piece of shit!” “We lost Jorred.” “There are too many!”
“Elnor?” Seven asked, “Weapons?”
“The system doesn’t want to come on-line,” Elnor replied, and the weapons console went dark.
Seven momentarily regretted her decision to bring the untested battle ship into the action when Elnor suddenly kicked the weapons console, “The system is re-booting! Weapons available.”
Seven looked at him askance, “Why would you think to kick the console?”
“I saw Vell do it,” Elnor replied simply. “It worked for him.”
Whatever works, thought Seven. “Then let’s join the party.” And the Revenant’s weapons were brought to bear on the enemy ships. Ancient phaser systems came to life for the first time in decades to lay down fire for the raider squadron. The increased firepower freed the besieged fighter craft to come to each other’s aid, turning the tide in the battle.
With the addition of the Revenant’s weapons, the pirates were soon routed, and not a moment too soon. “I’m reading a red-line in the ship’s warp manifold.” Said Mehgi. “The phasers are drawing too much power.”
Well, I guess I know what Vell’s next project is going to be, Seven thought to herself.
An hour after the battle, the advance scouts returned with their report from Mehdi, confirming that the colony had been brutally attacked. As they prepared to return to Aegis Station, Seven’s mind was filled with numerous unanswered questions – How did the Shroud know that I was personally responding to Khedivar and when I would arrive?
**
They all reconvened in the briefing room after returning. The news from Khedivar and the surrounding areas was grim. Rilaan began the briefing by addressing Mags. “I’m sorry, Mags,” they said sincerely, “but the Khedivar 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 Raiders were unable to mount a rescue on its own,” Rilaan said, “They weren’t even able to check in until they 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 by 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 quarters as she prepared to retire 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 surrendered 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.”
“Agreed,” T’Nari said.
As T’Nari turned to leave, Seven asked, “Why are you here?”
T’Nari paused, “We’ve discussed the assignment --”
“Not the mission,” Seven interrupted gently. “You,” Seven repeated, “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.
"Would you like to stay for a while and talk?" Seven asked.
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.
*
Elsewhere, in a dark and secluded corner of the station, Sahil communicated on a secure line unknown to anyone but him. “Come in, Blood Team. This is the Shroud,” he said. “Everything is in place for the next phase. Stand by for further instructions.”
Sahil’s plan to kill the Chancellor at Khedivar had been foiled by unforeseen circumstance. He could never have foreseen that the wreck of the Revenant could be restored and brought into play. Sahil’s attempts to get the Chancellor to switch to the smaller scout ship were unsuccessful and the communications blackout near the nebula had rendered Sahil unable to warn his men of the Revenant’s approach.
Nevertheless, this was a minor setback. Sahil smirked derisively as he closed the line. Everything is going exactly as I planned…
Star Trek: Fenris Nation II – 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.
Seven was joined in her walk to the briefing -- as she was every day -- by the Romulan Elnor, Seven’s old friend and body guard. Elnor was raised by the priestesses of the Qowat Milat, a sect of Romulan warrior nuns that believed in the practice of “Absolute Candor”. Seven’s late partner Rafaela Musiker considered him to be like son. Elnor hailed from this sector of space, and left Starfleet over the Federation’s continued indifference to the plight of the region.
“You look tired,” Elnor said with his typical bluntness.
“Thanks,” Seven said sarcastically. “Don’t spread that around.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Elnor replied with a smirk.
A government could not be run by a single person and Seven had assembled a small cabinet to assist her--
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. Behind 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, PADD in hand, Rilaan juggled multiple responsibilities that would have required three ministers, and yet never appeared flustered. Species and gender aside, their presence projected calm authority and deft coordination.
And then there was T’Nari, the Vulcan diplomatic liaison sent by the Federation to assist Seven in establishing the new frontier government. Cool and aloof, there was something about her that Seven found intriguing. T’Nari was a rising star in the Federation Diplomatic Bureau who had her choice of assignments, but chose to be assigned to a remote frontier posting that most of the people in the Federation Diplomatic Bureau expected to fail within a year.
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.
“So it would seem,” 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. Tell Rell to prep the Revenant, We’re heading out as soon as we can.”
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.”
“I understand, Rilaan,” Seven said, “But I want to see this for myself.”
“I question the logic of bringing the Revenant.” Sahil said. “The ship barely runs. I suggest that you take a scout ship to the location.”
“Shipmaster Vell has assured me that Revenant will perform,” Seven said, “And he is the best there is.” Indeed, Seven’s Bolian Shipmaster, Lorus Vell, had performed seeming miracles with the ancient, re-purposed pirate ship, turning the vessel from a scrap-heap to the Fenris Compact’s flagship in far less time then expected.
“I still don’t think that it’s worth the risk taking the Revenant before she has had a proper shakedown,” Sahil pressed.
“Noted,” Seven said, “I’m still taking the Revenant.”
Sahil was not pleased, but relented.
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 inquired 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,” Elnor replied as he boarded the Revenant.
“Find out all that you can from the Chin-Riley,” Seven said to T’Nari and she prepared enter the ship.
“Chancellor,” T’Nari said her, and Seven turned to face her. After a pause, T’Nari said, “Be careful,” she said. “It would be… regrettable if you were to come to harm.”
This made Seven pause, “Yes,” she finally said, “It would be,” and she looked at T’Nari without trying to look like she was staring into her eyes.
Composing herself, Seven said, “I’ll see you when we get back, and she boarded the ship.
**
The Revenant arrived at the Lekari Nebula with a flotilla of raider-class ships. As the nebula blocked comms, Seven sent several ships into nebula to scout the path ahead to Khedivar and report back.
Soon after the scout party had departed, the ship’s sensors blared to life. “Incoming pirate vessels!” reported Meghi, Revenant’s Bajoran comms officer. “From multiple directions! Their comm traffic indicate that they’ve come for you, Madame Chancellor!"
“They were waiting for us!” Elnor exclaimed.
A trap! Seven thought, And I walked right into it.
The raider-class fighters engaged with the pirate vessels as Elnor attempted to bring Revenant’s weapons on-line.
The battle was fierce as the Fenris raiders were outmatched and outnumbered by the pirate ships, and the trained Rangers held their own, but they would eventually be overpowered.
Seven listened to comm traffic from the battle, voices she didn’t recognize. She wished that she had taken the time to meet them before sending them into battle.
“I’m boxed in!” said one voice over the comm, “I have one on my tail!” said another. “Got you, you pirate piece of shit!” “We lost Jorred.” “There are too many!”
“Elnor?” Seven asked, “Weapons?”
“The system doesn’t want to come on-line,” Elnor replied, and the weapons console went dark.
Seven momentarily regretted her decision to bring the untested battle ship into the action when Elnor suddenly kicked the weapons console, “The system is re-booting! Weapons available.”
Seven looked at him askance, “Why would you think to kick the console?”
“I saw Vell do it,” Elnor replied simply. “It worked for him.”
Whatever works, thought Seven. “Then let’s join the party.” And the Revenant’s weapons were brought to bear on the enemy ships. Ancient phaser systems came to life for the first time in decades to lay down fire for the raider squadron. The increased firepower freed the besieged fighter craft to come to each other’s aid, turning the tide in the battle.
With the addition of the Revenant’s weapons, the pirates were soon routed, and not a moment too soon. “I’m reading a red-line in the ship’s warp manifold.” Said Mehgi. “The phasers are drawing too much power.”
Well, I guess I know what Vell’s next project is going to be, Seven thought to herself.
An hour after the battle, the advance scouts returned with their report from Mehdi, confirming that the colony had been brutally attacked. As they prepared to return to Aegis Station, Seven’s mind was filled with numerous unanswered questions – How did the Shroud know that I was personally responding to Khedivar and when I would arrive?
**
They all reconvened in the briefing room after returning. The news from Khedivar and the surrounding areas was grim. Rilaan began the briefing by addressing Mags. “I’m sorry, Mags,” they said sincerely, “but the Khedivar 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 Raiders were unable to mount a rescue on its own,” Rilaan said, “They weren’t even able to check in until they 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 by 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 quarters as she prepared to retire 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 surrendered 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.”
“Agreed,” T’Nari said.
As T’Nari turned to leave, Seven asked, “Why are you here?”
T’Nari paused, “We’ve discussed the assignment --”
“Not the mission,” Seven interrupted gently. “You,” Seven repeated, “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.
"Would you like to stay for a while and talk?" Seven asked.
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.
*
Elsewhere, in a dark and secluded corner of the station, Sahil communicated on a secure line unknown to anyone but him. “Come in, Blood Team. This is the Shroud,” he said. “Everything is in place for the next phase. Stand by for further instructions.”
Sahil’s plan to kill the Chancellor at Khedivar had been foiled by unforeseen circumstance. He could never have foreseen that the wreck of the Revenant could be restored and brought into play. Sahil’s attempts to get the Chancellor to switch to the smaller scout ship were unsuccessful and the communications blackout near the nebula had rendered Sahil unable to warn his men of the Revenant’s approach.
Nevertheless, this was a minor setback. Sahil smirked derisively as he closed the line. Everything is going exactly as I planned…
To Be Continued…
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