The air around Sigismund shimmered as he activated his Iron Halo, a parting gift from the Primarch Rogal Dorn himself. Specially commissioned, it was mounted inside his gorget, rather than the usual back-pack mount.

Less likely for it to be caught in a ship's architecture during boarding action, and increasing protection for those like Sigismund who forwent a helmet in combat. Sigismund eschewed all ostentation on his armour, and in the eyes of his chapter, the traditional Iron Halo's design was no exception.

To them, he was the purest of all the Black Templars. Never indulging in the pursuit of glory for glory's sake. Loyalty would be its own reward. Service to the Emperor his only desire, faith, his fuel, and devotion Sigismund's armour. So it was for every Black Templar, and so it would be long after Sigismund was gone.

Secretly...it was of Dorn's own design. Sigismund would be offered all technological protection that would be the right of a Chapter Master, however the Iron halo would broadcast none of the prestige that would normally come to its owner. No ostentatious signalling of his valour in service to the Emperor. And so, it was reworked into his gorget.

A bolt pistol was mag locked to his thigh. Jubal Khan joked in an age past that Sigismund was too joyless, too bound to duty. His sword held, chained to his arm. He would sometimes contemplate those words, looking at the chains binding his sword to his arm. Glancing down at them, there was nothing to think about. Sigismund's honor was duty.

Worf had turned at the sound of the elevator opening. The electronic crack emanated from Sigismund's Iron Halo as a small power surge flowed through the complicated electronic circuitry. He felt the metallic taste of burning ozone on his tongue as Sigismund walked past him and towards the Captain's chair where Data was sat.

Commander Data turned from the stream of information on his terminal. He took in the situation in milliseconds, processed at speed unknowable to the organic members of the Enterprise, resolute in the presence of the advancing Black Templar. Sigismund's eyes blazed with a barely controlled rage. It boiled over his gorget, and across the black armour that entombed his hulking frame. Data's ocular sensors took in additional detail of their guest's armour, quickly translating minute, tiny scripts of gold that were inlaid between bundled muscle cables, joints, and gorget.

Each link of chain strained against the other, the sound of metal on metal grinding cut through the normal ambiance of the bridge as Sigismund found another ratchet of strength with which to grip his sword.

The entire bridge started at him. Nobody dared move.

There was a pause, and Sigismund spoke a single word as two. Each syllable dripped with frustration barely held in check, "report."

Picard couldn't believe what was happening.

If the day ever came when he could end Q for good, he might just do it. Since the beginning, Q had done nothing but endanger him and his crew. His fascination with Picard had grown since their first encounter over Daneb IV, where he placed the whole of Humanity on trial. This time, however, the games had gone too far.

If he wasn't so sure of it already, Q had already killed his captors. Letting their ship kidnap him had practically signed and sealed their death warrant. He knew it. Sigismund would kill them all if he didn't do something. Fast.

"You have to beam me back. Please! You don't understand, I cannot control my ship. Not with him onboard," he pleaded with them as he was dragged to the bridge. "Give me a shuttle and I'll be on my way."

The crew continued to drag him deeper into the ship. Picard's vision was obscured by the bag they had thrown over his head. Probably trying to stop him getting a proper layout of the ship. He saw little other than glimpses of ship bulkheads, and the gloved hands that gripped him.

"Put me in a supply crate and blast it out of the airlock, I don't care! You need to hear me."

It was too late. Captain Picard was already in an elevator, and his captors checked in over a com-link to begin hailing the Enterprise - no doubt to demand a ransom for his safe return. They would renege on the deal, he was sure. If they could get something now, chances are they would try and take Picard with them and attempt for an additional payout at a later date

Some of their clothing was ragged, clinging to them almost like a second skin as the low glow of the elevator scattered light across their faces. Beads of moisture dripped from their furled brows glinting in the half-light.

The climate control felt like it was damaged. It was hotter, and more humid than it should ever be on a starship. Sweat was already starting to soak through Picard's uniform. The elevator doors opened and the hood was removed before he was unceremoniously dropped to the neck.

Face to face with the ship's captain, it all made sense. The heat, the humidity, the darker, more industrial look of the bulkheads that he had managed to glimpse. This was a Cardassian ship.

On the command dais sat their Captain, raised higher than the rest of the crew members' stations. So typically Cardassian. A klingon dagger was strapped to his thigh, and an oversized phaser sat in a holster on his chest.

Everyone on the bridge was a Cardassian. Killers all, and still it made Picard pity them. If he couldn't pull this off, all of them were all going to die.

"Captain Picard," Captain Morra said, leaning forward, "welcome aboard the Veklar."

"Captain," Picard began.

"Captain Morra, please"

"Captain Morra, you need to release me back to the Enterprise, there's no time to lose. Whatever your demands, I will do my utmost to meet, however for your own -"

"The great, Picard…" Captain Morra slapped the arm rest of his Captain's Chair, standing in one fluid motion "begging so soon? Captain, the reputation that precedes you is… mismatched." He gestured to the sweating Picard in front of him.

"Are you really the Jean-Luc Picard? Picard, the youngest captain in StarFleet history? I am thoroughly disappointed, and would not be surprised to learn that you are not wanted back on your Enterprise."

Before Picard could speak again, Captain Morra gave a signal, and his mouth was sealed by an industrial adhesive strip.

He fixed Picard with a glare, "now be silent while professionals conduct business, or we will oblige your request and jettison you into space."

"Ready Captain," a Cardassian officer called from the communications station.

"Begin hailing the Enterprise," Captain Morra ordered, leaning back in his Captains chair.

Sigismund stood silently as Commander Data replayed the series of events that had befallen the Enterprise while he and Commander Riker had been on the Holodeck. The android confirmed that the Captain had been abducted from the Enterprise, and that the enemy ship was attempting to hail the Enterprise.

Sigismund turned to look back at Riker, expectantly. Riker did not move.

He spoke softly to Riker, "give the order for an assault."

Riker paused momentarily, drawing in a breath. "Sigismund, we will not become the aggressors here. We will not fire on a Cardassian ship, and we will not take action that might lead to open conflict with their Empire."

"Leave this to us, this isn't our first encounter with this kind of situation, and we have always come out on top. Commander Data, you are relieved," Riker said, as he made a move to walk around the stationary Space Marine and took his place on the Captain's Chair, with Data returning to his normal console.

Sigismund shifted, and blocked Riker's path.

Worf started walking towards Sigismund, but Riker turned bade him stay. He wouldn't have been able to help, Worfs hand was still bandaged from his earlier encounter with the Space Marine. The looming Black Templar lowered himself so that his eyes were exactly level with the StarFleet commander, the move was made all the more menacing by the low snarl of servos and whine of muscle fibers from his armour. Rikers hair stood on end and his uniform tingled with static from the powerful conversion field the Iron Halo emitted. It took all of his willpower not to take a step back. Riker tried to keep eye contact with Sigismund but couldn't hold his piercing gaze for but a moment.

"Resolve this, Commander...or I will resolve it for you."

He stepped aside and let Riker past.

Sigismund did not know how to operate the controls on the bridge, so he could not commandeer the vessel, nor could the Enterprise be flown by a single person in the event that he knew how to operate the controls and sub-systems.

He was a hostage just as Picard was, but that did not mean he would sit idly by and let this abomination of a situation be resolved by the pitiful excuse for naval personnel that was the Enterprise Crew. He needed them to return him back to his timeline, and that fact drew for his ire further.

He made a silent Oath of Moment. Sigismund would observe these negotiations and if the situation did not quickly resolve itself, he would step in.

His armour had already linked in with the Enterprise's communication system, and began pinging Reginald Barclay's communicator issuing a private order to make ready the transporter room.

Sigismund stood next to Riker and watched on.