T'Lar and Dana walked through the city. The devastation
increased as they neared the center.

"What are we going to do when we find insanity?" T'Lar asked
simply.

"We fight her, and lock it all back up," Dana said without
conviction.

"No," T'Lar stated.

"What, no?" Dana asked.

"Not all of it, just her. I know now what's been eating at you.
You have to deal with it, not lock it up again. If you lock it up
it will only be a matter of time before something like this
happens again," T'Lar explained.

"You lock it up," Dana stated wearily.

"No we don't. We may repress our emotions, but we do deal with
them. We meditate on them, process all of it in the privacy of our
thoughts and when a trauma is too much for us to handle, even we
look up therapists," said T'Lar. "Something like this would
definitely fit in the last description."

"Oh, yes, I can see it now. 'Doctor, I got blown up in a
nuclear fire, woke up without a scratch, went insane and proceeded
to chop of the heads off of a lot Immortals.' I'll be in the loony
bin faster than you can say 'snap, crackle and pop'," Dana
answered her voice laced with sarcasm.

"Your race has no therapists?" T'Lar asked astounded.
Internally she processed Dana's remark. The meld made T'Lar
understand Dana's cultural references easily.

"We're usually busy chopping each other's heads off. That
doesn't leave much room for therapists. 'Sit down my good man.
What seems to be the problem?' 'Well, doc. There can be only one.'
Swipe," Dana answered.

"I see. That would pose a problem," T'Lar said. "I could teach
you the meditation techniques and I could fulfill in a small
manner the role of therapist. I haven't studied it, but know some
of it and I can increase my knowledge in that area."

"You would do that for me?" Dana asked, a bit taken aback.

"Yes," T'Lar answered.

A whimpering sound came from ahead. They saw a little boy
sitting in the middle of the road, his face twisted away from
them.

"Hello, little one," T'Lar began, crouching so as not to appear
threatening. "I'm not going to hurt you." The little boy slowly
turned toward T'Lar. She saw something strange in his eyes. It was
as if he was not a little boy.

Something clicked inside Dana and suddenly understood. "T'Lar
no!" she screamed as she grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled
her away from the boy. The boy lashed out with a sword barely
missing T'Lar's neck. Dana pulled her katana and quickly placed
herself between T'Lar and the boy.

"That was close, Dana," the boy sneered.

"That's Kenny," Dana explained. "He was over 850 years old when
I killed him. Makes people think he's a nice defenseless kid and
then strikes when they least expect it."

"Federal Agent, put down the swords. Now!" a voice ordered from
a side street. Agent Dana Scully appeared from the shadows. Her
gun trained on Dana. "What the hell?!" she blurted out as she
recognized the target. "Who the hell are you?"

"Help me, Agent Scully," Kenny whimpered as he took a few steps
toward her, sword down. "The bad women wanted to hurt me."

"Don't listen to him, he'll kill you," T'Lar stated evenly.

"He's a little boy, you're two grown women. How could he be a
threat to any of us? That makes him a lot more believable," Agent
Dana asked. She quickly trained her gun on Kenny, who was now
within striking distance. "Wait a minute. How do you know my
name?"

Kenny struck, but the bullets were faster. He jerked as the
bullets struck him and dropped to the ground. The wounds
disappeared rapidly and Kenny got back up.

"You, stupid cunt. Bullets can't harm us," Kenny sneered before
striking again.

"That's not possible," Agent Scully muttered in shock as Kenny
came at her. Then a sword flashed in front of her and Kenny's head
came off. Agent Scully turned. With her gun pointing at Dana, she
watched in shock as Kenny's body disappeared and slammed as energy
into Dana's body.

"I take it, she's your sense of Justice," T'Lar stated.

"And my skepticism, among other things," Dana answered. With a
stroke of the katana the gun hand of a too shocked to move Agent
Scully came off. "Sorry about that," Dana said, "but I don't have
time to explain." The next stroke went through Agent Scully's
neck. With a blinding flash of light she disappeared into Dana's
body.

T'Lar picked up the gun and tested it, then nodded to Dana.
"Now I have a weapon, it won't do much good, but every little bit
will help," she said. Dana and T'Lar were about to continue when a
Dana's voice sounded from behind them.

"So you've come to lock me away again. I won't let you. I've
been locked away for too long already," Evil Dana's voice said.
Dana and T'Lar looked around and saw Evil Dana come straight out
of the street. Arms folded across her chest as the asphalt rippled
into Dana's form, before the grey matter turned into more familiar
colors.

"I'm going to put you away, for good this time," Dana answered
grimly. The sky darkened and lightning started flash and thunder.
The city waved and disappeared into flames. Each column of flame
turned into an evilly grinning Immortal all brandishing swords.

"I have an whole army at my side," Evil Dana said.

"And you think I don't?" Dana asked. An army of grim, lighter
Immortals appeared beside her.

"Well, I guess this is it: Light versus Darkness. I should have
known it would come to this," Evil Dana grinned.

"Ready, T'Lar?" Dana whispered. T'Lar nodded. "Get them!" both
Danas yelled and the two armies swept forward and locked in
combat.

Immortals fell left and right in the melee. A loser disappeared
immediately into the victor with a blinding flash of light. T'Lar
shot down enemy Immortals and they were promptly beheaded the
allies. When she was out of bullets she pulled out a new clip from
within her clothes as if by magic and replaced the old one.
Quickly she realized that the other Immortals mattered not. Only
the battle between the two Danas had any meaning. She ran toward
them, shooting any Immortals that got in her way not caring
whether they were on her side or not. T'Lar saw good Dana losing
badly. She couldn't keep up with her stronger and faster
counterpart. T'Lar aimed and fired. Evil Dana staggered back as a
few bullets impacted in her body. Dana's sword went through Evil
Dana's chest.

"No! Not fair!" Evil Dana screamed with horror as T'Lar
constructed a steel cage out of thin air. "Not again, I will not
be locked away again!"

"Quick!" T'Lar yelled at Dana. "Throw her in here!"

Dana grabbed Evil Dana and threw her into the cage. Then T'Lar
locked it, picked it up as if it weighed nothing and threw it in
the air where it disappeared inside the lightning storm, which did
the same not long after. Dana sighed in relief, before looking
around at the melee that continued around her.

"This ends now," Dana said, raising her arms. Then all the
Immortals turned into energy and merged with her.

*****

T'Lar opened her eyes and saw a starry night. She looked over
at Dana, sweaty and slumped forward in exhaustion. T'Lar gently
laid her down.

When Dana woke up, she saw a gentle fire crackling keeping the
freezing cold of the desert night at bay. Dana looked at T'Lar
with distrust in her eyes.

"I am sorry," T'Lar said. "But I saw no other alternative. You
would not talk to me about it."

"Now you know what 'it' is," Dana said with resentment.

"Indeed, I do," T'Lar said ever logical. "You understand this
was necessary, do you not? You have been extremely agitated
recently. It would have come out sooner or later. You were not
dealing with your problem."

"Yes, I know," Dana whispered as a tear left her eye.

"Your mind is very powerful, albeit undisciplined. I could
teach you a lot about using it, including those meditation
techniques I talked about. I might even be able to teach you
things that to my knowledge no non-Vulcan has ever performed, like
the mind meld," T'Lar repressed the feeling the excitement she
felt at the prospect.

"Won't you need permission for that, from religious as well as
secular leaders?" Dana asked tiredly. The ordeal had worn her out.

"True. But I foresee no insurmountable obstacles."

~~X~~

Sela's mind was practically empty. There was nothing there but
barren landscape. It was almost completely destroyed, when Selar
and Soleta melded with her to obtain the knowledge they needed to
stop Thul. Sela had burned out her own mind in order to keep them
from obtaining it.

Dana decided the best way to wake her up, was to shock whatever
was left of Sela's mind to such a degree that it had no choice but
to wake up. She started pouring the most horrifying images she
could find. Images of death and destruction on an unimaginable
scale; bows, arrows and pierced hearts, swords and people cut limb
from limb, muskets and men perforated with leaden balls, men and
women ripped apart by cannon balls, land mines shredding men's,
women's and little children's legs into pieces, nuclear weapons
going off burning down whole cities, her own memories of such a
destruction and her insane actions following it, and finally, a
few visions of survivors, luckily or deliberate, of the Four
Horsemen.

Had Sela been solely Romulan, she would have been dead a long
time ago. But she was not, she was part Human. That part was
programmed for survival at any cost. It would not except death
easily, and so she had held on by a fragile thread. Humanity has
evolved under the harshest of circumstances. Several asteroid
impacts drove the Human species almost to extinction, indeed
several lesser primate species had not survived at all. The final
one happening around 9.500 BC meant the end of what is known as
the Ice Age. Massive floods happened practically everywhere, as
water levels rose one hundred and twenty meters. In other parts
much needed water reservoirs dried up instantly, other parts of
the world froze over just as quickly. Storms, the likes of which
has never been seen since raged all over the world. Volcanic
eruptions that made every eruption that came after look like small
puffs in comparison, destroyed and created whole regions. In the
midst of this hell hole the Human species evolved the ability to
kill indiscriminately. They would happily roast a vanquished foe's
baby on a nice crackling fire and eat it afterwards.

It was this human part of Sela that responded first. The
predator bred to survive at all costs, subdued by a mere few
millennia of civilization, morals and ethics. It lashed out,
wanting to join the carnage, to join in the killing and survive.
It ignited a furnace of nuclear proportions inside her mind. It
was a fire that outshone any her Romulan heritage could produce. A
flame that could only be rivaled by the Vulcans. For the tiniest
of moments the predator raged. It was long enough to force the
rest of Sela's mind back into the realm of the living. And where
the predator relished in death, Sela's higher, more sensitive
parts could do but one thing: scream in utter horror and terror.

In her weakened condition Sela had no defense against Dana's
probe. She struggled, but Dana pushed her back down easily.
*Looking for someone,* Dana blasted in Sela's mind. *An associate
of Thul's, but always in the background, never assuming much, but
always there.* Sela could not keep herself from remembering, Dana
reviewed them all and zeroed in on a man always in the shadows,
wearing a long hooded cloak that obscured his face. *Him, where
can I find him?* Dana asked.

*I won't tell!* Sela screamed trying to muster a defense.

*Don't bother trying, girl. You don't stand a chance, but I'd
much rather you cooperated. I have no interest in killing you,
while getting the information,* Dana told Sela. Then she showed
rather than told her what had happened and was happening all over
the Alpha Quadrant, and the virus that was responsible. *If I
don't find him, he gets to try again. And next time we might not
find a cure in time, and then, all of us, including you and your
precious Romulans will die. Where is he?!* Dana forced into Sela's
mind.

*Don't know,* Sela managed, despite her shock and weakened
condition. *But I know who does. Guy owns a bar on Tritia, sector
221-G.* The name of the city, that of the bar, their locations, a
picture and name of the man flashed through Dana's mind.

*****

"Thank you," Dana said as she disengaged the mind meld. Sela
gasped as she sat up with difficulty. "Can you walk?"

Sela got off the bio bed and stood up. "Yes, it seems they've
been taking good care of me. Just let me rest for a few moment."

"Fine," Dana said, walked to the exit and tapped on the door.
"You can open the door, I'm done."

The nurse opened the door. As he looked at the standing Sela he
muttered, "Wow, how did you manage that?"

"You have no idea how good death is at bringing somebody back
to life," Dana answered. When the nurse looked puzzled, she just
gave him an enigmatic smile. "Get her some clothes, she's coming
with me."

"Uh, ma'am. I don't think she's allowed to leave. She has to
stand trial and such."

"You know about this virus that's going through the alpha
quadrant?" Dana asked.

"I've seen the news broadcasts," the man confirmed.

"Well, then. Sela here can lead me to the guy who created the
virus. If she's not with me, I might not reach him before he goes
into hiding, and then he gets to try again," Dana said.

"I'll get her some clothes," the nurse answered quickly, and
turned around.

"Well . . ." Dana began, but was interrupted. Now that there
was only one person she had to get past, Sela decided to make a
break for it. Dana grabbed her by her throat and kept her from
going any further. "What the hell do you think your doing?" she
asked.

"What does it look like?" Sela spat.

Dana sighed and muttered, "Romulans, far too impulsive for
their own good." She pulled Sela out of the room and placed her
face against the window in the corridor. A nice view of the stars
greeted her. "What were you going to do, huh? Jump out, completely
naked and hope your momentum carries you over light years of
distance before you freeze to death?" Sela gulped. "I didn't think
so," Dana said exasperated, and let go of Sela.

The nurse returned with clothes. They were light brown with
blue lines. He handed them to Sela, who started towards the room
she had just come from. Dana held her back with her left hand. "No
time, change right here."

Sela looked at the nurse for a moment, before he turned around.

*****

The Enterprise
In pursuit of virus distributer

"The ship has rendez-voused with a larger one, sir," Data said.

"All stop," Picard ordered. "Data, what can you make of this
ship?"

"It reads as a Thallonian light cruiser. One hundred twenty-one
meters in length, thirty-three meters in width, medium shields and
armament. No threat to the Enterprise, sir."

"The Thallonian Empire is gone, they must have bought, or
stolen one of their ships. Any sign of the virus?" Picard asked.

"There are quantities of the virus concentrated in the back of
the ship, most likely in the cargo bay. There are signs that there
was a lot more until recently," Data said.

"Do you think this is their main ship?" Picard asked.

"Highly unlikely, sir," Data answered. "I would guess this is
ship was also used for distribution of the virus."

"Understood, Data. I guess now we wait," Picard said.

"Sir, the ship just went into high warp on a course heading
toward sector 221-G," Data stated.

"Helm, follow that ship, match it's course and speed. Keep us
at a good distance," Picard ordered.

"Aye, sir."

*****

The Golden Eagle
On route toward Tritia

"So," Dana began, looking at Sela, while trying to figure her
out. "You didn't like my images of death, or did you? Especially
not those of children dying."

"Of course not. Who would?" Sela answered defensively.

"Yet, you joined a conspiracy to kill every living being in the
Federation: old, young, children and babies would have died if
Thul and you had succeeded," Dana said, studying Sela's
expressions.

Sela closed her eyes. Guilt, that she couldn't understand,
suddenly washed over her. She pushed it away and said nothing.

"Which is strange considering that most Romulans would balk at
the mere thought of doing what you were involved in. They wouldn't
just consider it a highly dishonorable act, they would be
disgusted by it. Strange that your Romulan bred honor would go
along with such a plan," Dana said to Sela, seeing her expression
jump from rage, to guilt, to pride and back. Dana continued before
Sela could reply. "Oh, I forgot. Honor, regrettably, is something
that only the common man in the Romulan Empire still considers
important . . . and since your father is one of those in power,
you were never taught honor, right?"

"I have honor," Sela spat in rage.

"Then why did you do it? Why go along with a plan, that would
make three quarters of the Romulan population demand you'd be
executed? I mean, what you and the rest of that rogue faction were
party to was evil. Even most of the dishonorable bastards in
command of the Romulan Empire thought it was too disgusting to be
party to. So only the most evil ones had to do it in secret," Dana
said.

Sela averted her eyes.

"I think, I know why you did it. Would you like to hear my
theory?" Dana asked sweetly.

"No," Sela answered forceful.

"All right then. I think you wanted to wipe out every last
remaining reminder of your mother," Dana said calmly.

"My mother has nothing to do with it! My mother means nothing
to me. I consider her as noting more than the womb that carried
me, a walking breeding tank, nothing more!" Sela screamed in
anger.

"Yes, I know. Every Federation Ambassador is given a psyche
profile on anyone Starfleet considers a threat in a diplomatic
crisis. That includes you," Dana answered with a small, wicked
smile. "But if she really meant nothing to you; why are you so
angry?"

"My mother spit on my father's benevolence. He saved her life
and that of her crew and she betrayed him. I hate her for that!"
Sela spat at Dana.

"Oh, so she is important to you. Very important indeed, if
you hate her," Dana grinned, then continued as she saw Sela's
angry, but surprised look. "But do you really believe your father
was benevolent? 'Hey, babe, you're hot. You marry me and become my
obedient concubine and I'll spare your crew and yourself. If not
I'll kill you all. What do you say?' If you consider that
benevolent, you've got a strange definition of that word. And if
you think that your mother married your father of her own free
will, after falling in love with him, because he blew up her ship
and told them, 'I'll spare your lives no matter what', and then
betrayed your oh so good father to the Federation, you're sadly
mistaken."

Sela grimaced as Dana hit a nerve.

"You said everything Human inside you died the moment you
realized she was taking you away from your father. Are you certain
about that, or is that just what you grew into remembering? Is it
something you fabricated to fill in the gaps in your memory, long
after your upbringing colored the perception of your memories?"
Dana asked. Sela said nothing as she mulled over Dana's words.
When no answer came, Dana continued, "You see I find it rather
strange, that a child has such clear and correct memories of such
a confusing time. Your mother pulls you out of your bed in the
middle of the night, you cry and scream that you don't want to
leave your father. Your mother is killed. So much confusion in
such a short period of time."

"Trust me, that's the way it was," Sela answered..

"Trust a wily Romulan? I think not," Dana said. "Now I think
this is what happened: your mother pulls you out of your bed and
takes you away. You realize you're not coming back. Your lovely
house, your friends, as well as your father will all be gone. So
you do what most small children do. First you whine. 'Mommy, why
do we have to go?' Your mother tells you to close your mouth and
that you'll understand soon enough. You don't understand and so
you throw a tantrum and scream. Your mother and you are captured
and brought to your father. You're locked inside your room and
hear your father beat and yell at your mother, and you feel
extremely guilty, if you hadn't thrown your tantrum, your father
would not be hurting your mother. You wake up the next morning
only to watch your mother get executed. You cry and cry, guilt
overwhelms you. Your father yells and screams at you to shut up.
So you shut up. The only way to do that though is to shut down.
The overwhelming guilt kills your Human side, burying part of your
memories with it."

Sela had never felt anything like what she was feeling now. The
mix of emotions was barely distinguishable. Guilt, fear, anger,
and sadness were the most pronounced. Flashes of memory than she
didn't think she had, had shot through her mind, triggered by
Dana's reconstruction. With extreme difficulty she managed to
suppress them, not wanting to deal with them or even know where
they came from. Dana looked on in sympathy but did nothing. What
was important was that Sela regain her Humanity.

"That's not what happened," Sela stated, but not very
convincingly. "Besides that's irrelevant now. My Human side is
dead, and once something is dead, it'll stay that way."

"Are you certain about that?" Dana asked her with an enigmatic
grin. "I've got this nasty experience, that just when you're
positive they're dead, Humans tend to come back to life."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sela asked confused.

*If you'd only knew,* Dana grinned to herself. "It's in our
legends and myths you see. Zombies, Vampires and eaters of the
golden apples, just a quick pick from a list that goes on and on.
Myths that seem to be based on certain truths, more than once
someone wakes up in his own coffin, just about to be lowered in
their grave. Humans who died of a drug overdose, and were already
blue in the face, opening their eyes on the autopsy table, just as
the mortician was about to perform the autopsy. Humans in comas,
that by all rights should be dead, waking up. And even in
extremely rare cases a Human that was brain dead, coming back to
life without aid. Humans have this uncanny ability to come back
from the dead, when you least expect them to. Resurrect themselves
from even the most impossible situations. I've got a feeling that
that's what your Human side is doing now, busy resurrecting
itself. In the last couple of hours, haven't you felt strange,
conflicted, emotionally unstable?"

"I woke up from a coma," Sela said as explanation after a
pause. She sounded as if trying to convince herself more than
Dana.

"You just keep telling yourself that, but you'll never believe
it," Dana said. "Aren't you wondering why you aren't dead yet? Why
you survived your burn out technique?"

"No," Sela said.

"Too bad, because I'm going to tell you anyway," Dana grinned
at Sela. "You see I was there when you were practically brain dead
and I felt what dragged your mind out of the abyss. It was
primitive, deadly, a predator and it wanted to join in the
violence I showed you . . . it was Human. It's the remnant of a
time, when Humans evolved under the most deadly of circumstances.
Something conditioned to survive at all costs. It'll kill anything
that it considers a threat or food. It's inside of every Human,
veiled beneath several millennia of evolution and layers of moral
and ethical codes it lies dormant, waiting to be released. If you
push the right buttons on a Human, force him or her to a point
where survival becomes critical, that predator will be released .
. . and the Human will turn into your worst nightmare. It will
kill until it's satisfied and sometimes it never gets satisfied.
That part I felt stirring, that part kept your mind on the edge,
that part woke up and it dragged the rest of your mind, Romulan
and Human out into the open. Now that your human side has been
stirred, I've got a feeling it will resurrect itself. It is doing
that as we speak, and it will not be denied."

"I don't believe you," Sela said. Disbelief coloured her voice.
She had felt it. It was stirring inside her. It scared her
witless.

"Oh? Why again did you help an insane man wipe out the entire
Federation population? An act considered dishonorable by virtually
all Romulans?" Dana needled. "Perhaps you should think about
everything I said, and everything you've done in the past years."

"I know why I did it. I was doing it so you wouldn't do it
first," Sela grinned, thinking she had her.

"We would never do such a thing," Dana said with conviction.

"You did before, you tried to wipe us out," Sela said smugly.

"No we did not. I realize that that is a half-truth that's been
sold to you," Dana said, thinking how best to proceed. "Although
it was humans that tried to wipe you out, they were not us. They
were our enemies, and we thought we had destroyed them all. Sadly
we were mistaken and they found the Romulans."

"I don't believe you," Sela said.

"Really? Why do you think the common Romulan and Human knows
nothing of this attack, hmm? Why do only those in Romulan
intelligence know about it? And even then, just that we attacked
first, no details other than that we used a virus? Why haven't the
Romulan authorities ever used that fact against us, hmm? And if we
had such a deadly virus, why haven't we used it again? Why did the
Romulans vie for peace when we were so dangerous, why didn't you
fight to the bitter end, especially since you were anything but
beaten? And why did you use a strategy of faking that you had no
warp drive, a strategy that could only have worked against a
little less, advanced enemy? Answer those questions," Dana said,
making sure not to reveal to much.

Sela was frustrated. First Ambassador Scully, as she had
introduced herself, questioned Sela's nature with arguments that
she could not dismiss. Now the ambassador was shattering her sense
of what was real and what not. "I can't answer them," Sela
reluctantly admitted. "But I don't believe you."

"I can't give you the answers, I don't know you well enough to
trust you with this secret. And, quite frankly, I don't know
whether you're worthy of knowing it," Dana said. "But," Dana
decided to add, "I can send you to someone. Someone, who is a
better judge of your character."

"Ha! Like who, a Starfleet Admiral?" Sela asked sarcastically.

"No, his name is Palek."

Sela looked at Dana startled. Could she have guessed and got
lucky on the name. Somehow Sela doubted it. "What has the first
head of the Tal Shiar got to do with anything?"

"I see they haven't told you everything. How long has the Tal
Shiar existed?"

"Thirty years," Sela answered without hesitation.

"No, the Tal Shiar has existed for about two hundred and eighty
years. Palek was not the first head either, he was the third,"
Dana answered simply.

"You're lying!"

"Am I? Go ask Palek, he'll tell you that I told you the truth,"
Dana said without any hint of irritation. It bothered Sela. Dana
was too calm for such an elaborate lie.

"I don't know where he is, hardly anyone does," Sela answered
befuddled.

"Room 156 of the Imperial Hospital in Shavrak. He's about ready
to die of old age, but he still manages to hold on. I doubt he'll
survive the next year, so if you're planning to go ask him, you
better be quick . . . Oh, one more thing, if you want him to tell
you anything make sure you say to him this word: 'Purity'," Dana
said, stressing the last sentence. "You got that?"

"Yes," Sela answered.

"Repeat it, 'Purity'," Dana said in a stern voice.

"'Purity'," Sela repeated, shocked at the turn of events.

"Good, remember it," Dana mused, dropping the Golden Eagle out
of warp. "Tritia," Dana stated. "We're here. I take it you can
arrange passage for yourself to wherever you want to go?"

Sela looked at Dana astounded. How could she know where Palek
lay? Was she indeed telling the truth? Sela had a feeling she was.
To top it off, the Ambassador was now simply letting her go.
"You're letting me go?" she asked in confusion.

"Why not? Should you stand trial? I don't think so. You have no
idea of your potential, but I've got a feeling you soon will,"
Dana answered.

*****

The Enterprise
On the border of sector 221-G

"The ship has entered a small nebula. The sensors no longer
pick up the ship or the homing device, sir," Data said. "They
effectively went inside the rabbit hole," Data added with smile.

Riker and Deanna shared a smile while Picard asked, "Is it
possible they know we're following it?"

"The ship does have better sensors, they could have detected
the homing signal," Data said. "They might have thought the
release of the smuggler's ship from a planet in quarantine
suspicious."

"This could also be their standard operating procedure to make
sure no one is following them," Riker suggested.

"Or the nebula could be their base of operations," Data
speculated.

"If we get any closer they'll be certain someone is following
them, sir," Deanna supplied.

"Yes," Picard nodded, thinking it over. "Mr. Fowley, contact
the Excalibur."

"Aye, sir," Mr. Fowley stated.

A few moments later the screen showed the bridge of the
Ambassador class USS Excalibur and a haggard looking captain
MacKenzie Calhoun. Sweat poured down his brow, and sores covered
his hands and face. "What is it, Picard? We're busy trying to save
all our lives, I don't have much time . . . Wait a minute, you
seem rather healthy," Calhoun answered a bit annoyed.

"We've been inoculated," Picard answered, tapping his
communicator. "Sickbay, can you transmit the cure to the
Excalibur."

"Yes, sir," came nurse Ogawa's reply.

"You already have the cure?" Calhoun said with angry
astonishment. "Why haven't we been given it."

"Because this won't work very well, we can hardly start
inoculating billions of people one by one," Picard explained while
he stood up and walked a little closer to the view screen. "The
doctors are now busy making it suitable for mass distribution."

"Understood," Calhoun said. He turned to look at Lieutenant
Lefler for confirmation of transmission. She nodded and relayed
the message to their sickbay.

"I see you have two new, passengers," Picard said, nodding
toward a relatively young woman and equally young man standing on
the bridge. They seemed worried. They had the distinctive edge of
people who wanted to help, but could do nothing to them.

"Yes, that would be my son, Xion and Si Cwan's former missing
sister Kalinda," Calhoun said turning back to face the view
screen, keeping his emotions carefully concealed.

"I didn't know you had a son," Picard blurted out surprised.

"Well, I have. So why did you contact me?" Calhoun asked.
"You're not going to tell me this is a social call, is it?"

"We're in pursuit of a ship responsible for distributing the
virus, we think it may lead us to the person responsible for
creating this virus," Picard said. "If we want to keep them from
trying again; we must catch them now."

"I see," Calhoun said, stroking his chin in thought.

"They're going for Sector 221-G. We placed a homing beacon on
the ship, but they've entered a nebula that our sensors cannot
penetrate. They already know we're following them, suspect
somebody is following them, this is their standard procedure to
ensure nobody is following them, or this is their base of
operations," Picard explained quickly.

"If you go in you'll be detected. I take it since my ship
belongs in 221-G you want me to check if they're coming out on my
side?" Calhoun asked with a bloodthirsty smile. "All right, send
me the frequency of the homing signal, and we'll get too it."

Picard turned to Fowley. Fowley nodded and started transmitting
the information. Picard turned back to the main screen and said,
"Captain, if the ship hasn't left the nebula in half an hour on
either of our sides I'm taking the Enterprise inside."

"I'll be right there beside you, Picard," Calhoun answered,
then turned around and looked at Lefler. She nodded when she
received the data. The door opened and someone from medical
entered carrying a hypospray. Calhoun turned back around.
"Captain, wherever the ship is going, I'm accompanying you 'cause
I want this bastard. If get my hands on him . . ." Calhoun let his
sentence hang.

"Understood, Calhoun," Picard said, returning Calhoun's grim
smile. "I'm looking forward to working with you again. Picard
out."

*****

Tritia
The Laughing Korka Bar

Dana and Sela walked through the entrance. "OK, so where is
he?" Dana asked, Looking around the three-quarters-full, sleazy
bar. A large stage occupied a portion of the room. It was
obviously for the stripteases advertized outside. Individuals from
many species were inside; some playing cards at one table, others
conversing in shadowy corners, and others just sitting at one of
two bars sipping their drinks. Here and there a skimpy clad female
waited on the mostly male clientele.

"That one, the Kriak, his name is Chalook," Sela said, pointing
to a huge individual with grey skin and spikes on the contours of
his face.

"Good, now you can leave if you want," said Dana, her eyes
narrowed dangerously.

"I think I'll stick around, I'd like to see what you're going
to do against his guards," Sela said, grinning a sadistic smile as
she folded her hands in front of her. Dana ignored her comment and
walked purposefully toward her target.

Chalook, recognized Sela and knew what the human female had
come for. While the small human woman was not a threat he sent his
two best guards to deal with her; a huge half-naked purple horn
covered creature with a couple of vicious canines and a slow
menacing Gorn unbreakable and strong.

"That's far enough, little girl," the purple alien said, as he
placed an enormous hand on Dana's chest in warning.

Dana let her gaze move upward to his face, then slowly, but
deliberately said, "Take your hand off of me . . ."

The purple alien laughed, interrupting Dana and said, "Or what?
You're going to beat me?"

"No," Dana said with a steel voice, her eyes boring into the
beast's skull. "You're going to take your hand off of me . . . or
I'm going to take your hand off of you."

The alien looked at her for a moment then a grin spread across
his face. "Listen to this," he said, turning his head to look at
his Gorn companion that was only now arriving at his companion's
position, "She's goi . . ."

He didn't get any further than that. He felt his arm being
twist and the little woman moving underneath it. He screamed as he
felt something sharp move through his wrist. The pain forced him
to his knees, and felt his arm being let go. After turning his arm
in his field of vision he stared in horror at his severed wrist.
Turning around he saw his hand lying on the floor. He picked it up
in shock and started to sob. He heard his companion emit an ear
splitting roar that quickly dissipated into a gurgle. Turning the
purple alien saw his companion grab his slit throat and in true to
Gorn form, slowly keeling over and land in his own blood. The
small woman, now holding a frightening, gleaming, gently curved
sword, didn't even give his dead Gorn friend a glance. Through his
tears the purple, former menacing alien saw the patrons start to
get up and leave. Some of them in fear, others calmly, just to
make sure they weren't around when the police arrived.

Reacting to their companions' quick dispatch other guards
sprung into action. Dana sliced her sword through an Orion's
abdomen, spilling his guts on the floor. She picked his pistol
from its holster before he even hit the floor. The thug tried to
put his intestines back into his body before landing in them. Two
more guards fired there disrupters at her, but in their haste at
the sudden situation missed. They got partially vaporized for
their troubles, leaving a few pieces -- half an arm here, a foot
there, a piece of their torso's next to those covered in molten
sludge that had been their bodies mere seconds earlier on the
floor.

The final guard that put up resistence was a another purple
alien. "You hurt my brother, you bitch," he yelled and fired his
pistol at her. After ducking beneath the shot, she kicked the
disrupter from his hand, then with a slice his left hand came of.

"There," Dana said, friendly. "Now you've got a matching pair."

The five bouncers that were left, strewn over the bar to guard
it against bad clients, looked at each other for a moment, then
started walking off. "Come back here, you cowards!" Chalook yelled
as he saw them leave, starting to get nervous, when he realized
the only thing standing between him and the psycho bitch was a one
handed unarmed guard.

Unlike his brother, the severing of his hand only enraged this
guard and he charged at Dana. She jumped aside and up on a table,
which caused the patron that had decided to stay and loot the
chips still left on tables to startle. He held onto his loot as
best as he could as he ran toward one of the exits. Now that Dana
was high enough, she let her sword slice through purple alien's
neck. Yellow, almost fluorescent blood spurted up from the
headless corpse as it dropped to the floor. The severed head
joined it a few moments later.

Chalook looked on in terror as the small human woman
effortlessly bested his guards. He decided not to use the
disrupter in his trembling hands but to follow his surviving
employees example and flee. Dana caught his movement out of the
corner of her eye and jumped over a table towards the fleeing
Chalook. She kicked both her feet against his cheek sending him
crashing to the floor. He struggled to get away succeeding only to
find himself pinned up against a wall.

"So, you're Chalook," Dana said, standing above him. Chalook
looked up at her. He could not help but wonder why she suddenly
seemed so much bigger. "There's a man you know, always in robes
and a hood. The faceless one, I want to know where he is."

"I can't tell, he'll kill me," Chalook answered shivering in
fear.

"And what do you think I'm going to do?" Dana asked, then bent
forward placing her face mere inches from his. In a deadly low
voice she added, "Give you a blowjob?"

"Eh, no," Chalook trembled.

"That's a start. Now what did he promise you, huh? You can rule
this planet? Or even part of the Alpha Quadrant? Hmm?" A flicker
in his eyes betrayed that she had guessed right. "Too bad for you
the only place your going to rule it from is the after life,
because, dickweed, he lied to you; he's not interested in
conquering anything. The only thing he wants, is to kill every
living thing in the Galaxy. You and all your loved ones included,
if you have any."

"I don't believe you."

"Believe her," Sela cut in. Dana turned her head to look at
Sela. Sela seemed a bit ill at ease. "I didn't believe her at
first either, I thought it was just a ploy to get me to roll over
on Thul. But when she gave me free access to communications and
the news broadcasts . . . Trust me, this guy wants to kill
everything."

Chalook looked at Sela for a moment, not sure what to say. He
felt a hand grab his collar and push him against the wall.
Something cold and metallic touched his throat. His eyes shifted
back to focus on the deadly human.

"Listen, I'm going to make this easy for you. You tell me where
he is, and you, one, get to live, two get to stop a mad man from
killing you, your children . . . nah, any family you may have, and
everyone else in the galaxy. And finally, three, you get to avoid
me torturing you to death or until you give me the information. I
think I'll start by slicing your toes in half, and then removing
whatever remains, after which I'll start cutting off the genitalia
you've got on your knees, slice by millimeter thin slice. Now,
what will it be?" Once she finished, Dana removed her katana from
his throat and placed it near his feet before starting to untie
his shoes.

"I'll tell, I'll tell. Don't. OK?" Chalook blurted out. His
hands clenched his shoes in an effort to keep them on.

Dana stopped and smiled. "Good boy," she said.

*****

Captain Jacko Kilari, an Orion pirate and all around criminal,
sat in his command chair looking pensive at the stars shooting by.
His lips pressed together as he willed the ship to move even
faster. It had been bad when Jarro arrived on his ship infected
with the disease. It had been worse locking him in a room and
letting him die as they waited inside the nebula to check if any
Starfleet vessels were following. He had been suspicious when they
had let him break quarantine, but when no Starfleet vessel arrived
he figured they were letting everybody go since everybody was
already infected.

What went wrong Jacko thought? Was the vaccine dose not high
enough? They all should be immune, yet his crew was sick and so
was he. Sweat poured off his body, while he shivered with cold His
limbs ached, his bones hurt, and sores covered his skin. He
coughed repeatedly.

Up ahead he saw a ship. He teeth clenched in a macabre grin.
Finally he thought, the ship of The Hood. That was the only way
they knew him, no one had even seen his face, it was always
covered by a hood. Relief washed through him as he saw the ship.
It was six times the size of Jacko's, it's jagged edges and
sloping belly gave it a menacing air. Almost in trance he ordered
his crew to pull his ship along side. He got up and walked towards
his transporter room.

He beamed over and started navigating the winding corridors of
the ship as fast as he possibly could with the pain lancing
through his body. He went straight towards The Hood's room. He was
apprehensive about the meeting. He was tried to formulate
questions to ask that did not sound to critical.'Was the dose not
high enough, sir?' 'Did the virus mutate, sir?' 'Were we injected
with the wrong substance, sir?' 'Have you any idea why the cure
isn't working on us, sir?' He had no desire to anger The Hood. He
still remembered The Hood's little demonstration of superiority. A
few of the crew had decided to mutiny, to take over the whole
operation by themselves. They had attacked The Hood from behind
and stuck a knife in his ribs. Then, when everyone thought he was
dead, he had proven that he was always one step ahead of everybody
else by simply pulling out the knife from some protective piece of
clothing or armor - The Hood had never bothered to show them what
it was exactly - and then killing the conspirators with their own
weapon. Afterwards he had stated that no one would defy him and
live to tell about it.

When Jacko reached the door to The Hood's inner sanctum, he
paused to catch his breath and steady himself. He squared his
shoulders and stepped through the door. The inner sanctum was
large. The doors in the far wall lead to more private quarters and
a bedroom. The sanctum was cave-like. Its walls were lined with
computers and screens, allowing The Hood to operate his empire and
the distribution of the virus from this single room. The room
contained nothing else but a desk and a chair. There was nowhere
to hide. The Hood could always see you. The Hood stood in front of
his desk, back turned towards Jacko.

"Sir," Jacko said accompanied by a groan of pain. "The cure
does not seem to work."

The Hood laughed and slowly turned around. He pulled his hood
back, revealing a human face with Mediterranean features and said,
"What cure?"

"I don't understand," Jacko asked.

"All right. Let's put it this way. There never has been and
never will be a cure. And I must thank you for coming on board,
this means I don't have to bother releasing the virus here," the
Hood said with an eery laugh.

"You god-damned bastard, you betrayed us!" Jacko yelled. He
pulled his phaser in reflex and fired.

The phaser blast hit The Hood, but it only made him laugh
harder. "You can't kill me!" he screamed. "I'm indestructible! But
you will all die! The virus will kill every living thing in the
galaxy!" He cackled.

Suddenly everything became clear to Jacko. The Hood had not
been wearing protective gear. The knife had really gone into The
Hood's body. It just could not kill him. "Except you, and others
like you . . . if there are," Jacko stammered in understanding.

"Exactly!" The Hood screamed happily. Pain lanced through
Jacko's body and he dropped to his hands and knees. He became
angry.

"Well, little man, it's time to die," the Hood said, grinning.

Jacko pushed the phaser to maximum. "If I'm going to die, I'm
going to take you with me!" he screamed. With all the strength he
could muster he raised the phaser, and fired it continuously. The
Hood winced at the hit, but then straightened and laughed. *You're
going to die!* Jacko thought determined. The pains became worse.
He felt like he was falling apart, but he resisted the urge to lie
down. He kept the phaser trained on the laughing Hood and with
every ounce of strength he could drag up out of his tortured body
he kept firing. With satisfaction he saw how The Hood stop
laughing and start to groan in pain. Then after a few more seconds
he saw The Hood's robes ignite, leaving a large gaping hole and
melted flesh beneath. Jacko released the trigger. A contented grin
graced his features as he watched The Hood drop dead to the floor.
A spasm of pain caused Jacko to convulse. He fell convulsing to
the floor. He screamed again and again, while the sores burst open
and showered him in his own blood.
 Chapter 4: Death and Life

"It seems you found him," Dana said through the commlink.

"Indeed, we did. One of the distributors was still on Rania, we
followed him," Picard explained.

Before he could continue, Dana asked, "Where is he?"

"In our morgue. It seems once one of his captains found out he
had no interest in letting anyone live, the captain killed him."
Picard wondered how the Ambassador managed to get here so fast.
"How did you find this place anyway?"

"I've got a feeling you don't want know. You don't mind if I
take a look at him, do you?" Dana asked.

"You afraid he's coming back from the dead," Picard asked
bemused.

"I just want to see him," Dana said.

*****

The buzz was unmistakable, if subdued as a result of his
'death'. Nurse Ogawa opened the drawer and removed the sheet that
covered the man's face. "Diego," Dana whispered in recognition to
soft for Ogawa to hear.

~~X~~

2246
USS Spartacus
Standard Orbit around Garca III

Captain's Log Supplemental: We've arrived at Garca III, the
origin of the strange sub-space signals. It is as if someone built
half a transmitter. From orbital scans it seems the inhabitants
have a primitive agrarian society, which means that the signal is
not native to the planet. Minerals in the nearby mountain range
are keeping us from pinpointing the exact position from which the
signal is originating. An investigation is underway.

*****

The golden sparkles slowly disappeared as four humans in native
clothing appeared. The humans used hoods and bulky clothing to
hide their faces in hopes of blending in with the local
population.

"That way," said the woman in the lead position while pointing
to their right after consulting her black tricorder. The group
started moving. The dense foliage of forest made for slow
progress. After half an hour they arrived at a crash site of a
warp capable shuttle craft. Most of it was mangled against a
mountain side.

"You think it's repairable?" Dana asked the engineer of the
away team.

"Nah, this one is ready for the scrapheap," replied Chief
Engineer Machnemerra.

Lieutenant Iesaian went into the craft with some difficulty.
"No wonder we received these strange signals. Whoever made this,
must have cannibalized every system onboard the shuttle. The only
thing that's operating here is this transmitter and some
rudimentary sensors, just enough to detect something in orbit . .
. I think it's radar."

Dana put hand against the shuttle and leaned into the craft and
scanned the blinking lights. She stepped back and looked at the
roof of the shuttle. A cable went all the way up the mountain
slope. She consulted her tricorder again and said, "Yep, radar."

"Captain," Lieutenant Commander Jarod Barsby said. "This ship
must have been lying here for at least fifty years. If whoever
crash landed here is human, he's ready to keel over from old age,
if he hasn't already."

"Understood," Dana answered, looking around for a moment. "Find
anything else?" she asked. When no one answered she ordered,
"Sahak, turn off that equipment."

"Aye, sir," Iesian answered from inside the craft. A couple of
seconds later he came crawling out of the craft.

"Let's go check out the nearest village, shall we?" Dana asked.
The men agreed and started walking in the direction of the
village.

*****

"What do you think?" Dana asked, peering through the bushes
down into the village. "Can we pass for these people or do we need
to beam back up and improve our disguise?"

"I think we can pull it off," Jarod said.

"Good, let's go then," Dana said, stood up, and started walking
toward the small village.

The first person who saw them in the village hurried by without
interest. The second looked at them but quickly continued on his
way and ducked into a house.

"Is it just me, or is something seriously wrong here?" Chief
Brian Machnemerra asked in apprehension.

"It isn't you," Dana said. Suddenly she froze as totally
unexpected the buzz that signaled a nearby Immortal assaulted her
senses. She looked around and saw a man with a Spanish complexion
step out of a house. His face lid up. It was as if a whole world
had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Oh, thank god!" he exclaimed running towards them. "You've
arrived just in time!"

"Just in time for what?" Barsby asked.

"To help save these people. They're dying of a disease. I've
tried everything I could think of, but I can't stop it," the man
said.

"Shall we discuss this in some privacy?" Dana suggested.

"Of course, of course," the man answered, hastily turned and
gestured them towards the house he had just come out of. "Come
into my home."

Once in the privacy of the man's home Dana said, "I'm Captain
Anna Drury of the Federation Starship Spartacus. This is my second
officer Lieutenant Commander Jarod Barsby, Chief Engineer Brian
Machnemerra and Lieutenant Sahak Iesaien."

"I'm Diego Rivadeneira and among others my wife is sick," Diego
said pointing at the door to the bedroom. "You will help her?
Yes?"

Dana and her crew shared a look.

*****

Two hours later
Dana's Ready Room

"Why will you not help!?" Diego screamed in rage, smashing his
fist on the small desk that separated him and Dana.

"I've explained to you the Prime Directive . . ." Dana started.

"They are the laws of mortals, they have no bearing on us. It's
your duty as a fellow Immortal. We should stick together,"
exclaimed Diego. He had put all his hopes on the woman in front of
him. He felt caged in her small office.

Dana snorted, "We have no loyalties to each other, except
taking each other's head! 'There can be only one', is the only
thing between Immortals and you know it. Now keep your damn voice
down before people start to wonder about our vocabulary."

"It's still just a law created by mortals, nothing you should
be concerned with," Diego hissed.

"I also happen to believe in it. What if this is a crucial part
of their evolution? What if when I break off the virus with
antibiotics they don't gain the full immunity they need the fight
off a deadlier version of the virus that comes fifty years down
the line and they all die? You cannot expect me to gamble with the
lives of an entire species for the life of but one woman. On top
off that she's forty-one years old, in the harsh circumstances of
their life she's elderly. In max two years she'll be dead anyway,"
Dana answered sternly, but with compassion. She wished she could
do something, she remembered past love ones and how painful it was
to watch them die.

"It'll be two more years I can spend with her," Diego answered
vehemently.

"Diego . . . they're all going to die sooner or later. You
cannot protect them from death. That is the way of things. There's
nothing I can do," Dana said with sorrow.

Diego spat on her small desk and stormed out of her small
office.

*****

Two days later

Tears streamed down Diego's cheeks as he knelt at his wife's
grave. He hadn't moved from this position in thirty-three hours.

"I'm sorry," Dana said, stopping a few meters behind Diego.
"I've buried loved ones myself. The only thing you can do is
cherish their memory and visit their graves once in a while. I've
got several graves I keep intact scattered across space."

Diego did not say anything.

"Come. I'll drop you off at the nearest Starbase," Dana almost
whispered. Diego nodded and slowly got up.

~~X~~

"Leave me alone for a while, will you?" Dana asked nurse Ogawa.

"Why?" Ogawa asked, confused at the question.

"Just do it," said Dana. Ogawa nodded and left the morgue.

Dana pulled the sheet further away and saw the large hole in
Diego's chest. Small electric sparks flew around its edges as it
closed itself back up. Dana gave him an hour, perhaps two before
he woke up. Dana ordered the computer to play a message when Diego
would get up and delete it and all references to the message once
it had been played. Once she was finished Dana went back to her
ship and left the immediate area.

*****

With a gasp Diego sat up, and smashed his head into steel plate
above. "Damn!" he cursed. He struggled to move his body back, and
forth. Finally the drawer rolled open, and he got off. He looked
around the small office. Through the window in the right wall he
saw people in Starfleet uniforms mulling about. He grinned,
*You're all dead sooner or later.*

A chirp distracted him. He walked over to the small desk from
which it came. The computer on it blinked and he pushed the 'play'
button. Diego listened to the familiar voice that came from the
machine and that he couldn't place.

"Hello, Diego," it said. "Welcome back to life. This is the
armory, you will find your sword there." A blue print of the star
ship appeared on the computer screen. Diego grabbed one of the
PADDs that were lying on the table, and with a grin on his face
downloaded the information into it. "This is how you get to the
shuttle bay. Get a shuttle and meet me on the second moon of Beta
Alpha III. This is a challenge. There can be only one."

Diego grinned again, and as he walked out the back he
whispered, "That there can be."

*****

Second moon of Beta Alpha III

All around her life was dying. The trees, the grass, the
animals all of them were ready to die. A few days ago a shuttle
craft carrying a dead crew, infected with Double Helix, had
crashed on this moon. And now its primitive agricultural society
was infected and dying along with practically every other life
form in a sphere several thousand light years in diameter.

Dana sat in a lotus position with her eyes closed beneath a
half dead tree on top of a low hill forming a wide clearing
waiting. A small light streaked across the sky and quickly dimmed.
But then it became visible. A shuttle craft landed a few hundred
meters away from her. The door opened and a man exited the craft
and walked towards her.

When the buzz hit her Dana said, "Hello, Diego."

"Well, well, well," Diego said, grinning. "If it isn't Dana
Scully. How perfect. Not only do I get my revenge on all mortal
life, but I get my revenge on you as well."

Only then did Dana open her eyes. As she stood up, she asked
barely able to contain her anger, "That's what this is all about
huh? The death of your wife?"

"Absolutely," Diego grinned.

"So you're going to kill everybody else's wife, because yours
died?! Look around you Diego. Same place on the evolutionary scale
as your late wife's society. How would you feel if your home was
dying around you?" Dana asked, angry now.

"I don't care. Wasn't it you that told me: 'They're all going
to die'? . . . You're right, so I figured why not let them die all
at the same time. Bring forth the Gathering," Diego said in a
hungry voice, before bursting out into laughter.


"The gathering? You want the gathering?" Dana asked
incrediously.

"Yep. And as long as there are humans Immortals can be born
among, the Gathering can never come. But now . . . It will be
glorious," Diego said in an eery awed voice.

"You want the Prize so you can bring her back to life," Dana
whispered shocked.

"Exactly. The Prize, enough power to rule the universe. Enough
power to do anything you want, beyond the Q or the Organians. I'll
rule them all . . . with Santi at my side, alive once more. . .
even if everybody else has to die!" Diego said, his laugh evil.
"And if I'm not the winner . . . without Santi I don't want to
live anyway."

Dana just stood looking at him. Barely able to control herself
from screaming. She wanted to chop his head off more then anything
in the Galaxy. Never had she heard of something this evil. Even
her own past insanity paled in comparison.

"I think it is rather poetic justice, don't you think? Santi
died of a disease in order to let the rest live . . . now the rest
is going to die of a disease in order to let Santi live," Diego
said, grinning evilly.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Dana grinned back at him. "I
injected myself with the virus and my body has already generated
the appropriate anti-bodies. As we speak doctors are using your
very virus as blue print for a mass distributable cure that'll
follow the very path of your virus and cure everybody. The deaths
you cause won't be omega, it'll be a couple of trillion at most."

Diego's smile disappeared of his face distorted with rage. "You
filthy, bitch!!!" Diego roared. Then a little of his anger
dissipated and he said, "No matter. Once your head is off, I'll
build myself a new virus, a better one, a deadlier one, they
will all die!" Diego pulled his sword and charged at Dana.

Dana blocked his first blow with her sword. She swung his sword
aside, sliced through his belly, stepped past him and skewered him
through his back out his chest all in one fluent motion. "You
should have kept up your training instead of obsessing about your
dead wife's resurrection," Dana said. She pulled her sword out of
his back and with a violent arc, cut off his head.

Wind started to pick up, small tendrils of electricity arched
across Diego's dead body. A small tornado of plasma formed over
his body, and slowly whirled into Dana's direction. Clouds
gathered. Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled from them. The sky
turned pitch black, then with a violent crack the first lightning
blasts from the Quickening entered Scully. She screamed in pain
and sank to her knees. The tornado of plasma expanded. It
enveloped Dana, then the half-dead tree and eventually forming a
circle several hundred meters in diameter. Lightning arched inside
it, blasting into Dana and out of it, smashing into the tree.
Parts of it blew apart, but the rest of it started to bloom. The
signs of the disease disappeared. The grass became green again as
the whirlwind of electric energy blasted the energy into it.
Flowers started to bloom as lightning arched into them. The
whirlwind grew in height and reached the upper atmosphere,
energizing it. The lightning storm grew, spreading its life-giving
essence around the whole moon.

Dana screamed in pleasure as Diego's essence blasted into her.
His pain and insanity overwhelmed her, and for a time there was
nothing else. She did not notice her sword floating through the
air. Lightning blast after lightning blast rocked her body and
gave back life to the land. The virus tried to flee the on coming
wave of the Quickening's distinctive energy field as it was
designed to do, but failed as they were trapped inside the life
forms they infected. The Quickening blasted Dana's anti-bodies
free and they rode the waves of energy coming from the Quickening,
destroying the virus wherever it went. As life and death became
tangible the whirlwind shrunk, centered on Dana Scully and
disappeared inside of her.

Dana fell back and lay there catching her breath as the
lightning storm raged across the moon and delivered the cure
everywhere.

*****

Bridge of the Excalibur

Calhoun pondered the situation. The message received from the
Enterprise an hour earlier had been surprising. The dead man who
had created the virus had apparently disappeared from the morgue.
Then a man resembling him had killed several guards, retrieved the
virus creator's sword from the armory and subsequently stole a
shuttle craft, killing several more guards in the process.
Apparently the men stepped through force fields as if they weren't
even there.

The looks from his command crew said the same thing he had been
thinking: 'An Immortal.' The shuttle craft had gone into warp
moments after leaving the Enterprise's shuttle bay. It hadn't even
taken the time to clear the warp nacelles. The craft's behaviour
had stopped puzzling him the moment he had read the message. The
same thing held true for Dana's abrupt appearance and
disappearance. He had ordered McHenry to follow the shuttle
immediately, not bothering to wait to see if the Enterprise needed
repairs. The warp signature had led to a solar system where the
man, correction monster, had used the gravitational forces of the
planet to mask his warp signature. They had lost him since they
were not in the right position for McHenry to see the bastard warp
out and with his remarkable abilities determine his course.

His had suggested that they follow the warp trail left by
Dana's Ambassadorial ship. McHenry had informed him that it was
untraceable as it had already dissipated. That had left them and
the Enterprise with nothing but search for the warp signature out
side the solar system's gravitational influence. Just as they were
about to proceed they noticed a planet's electrical and
gravitational fields fluctuating rapidly resulting in several
bursts of energy in subspace. It had acted to them as a big neon
sign saying, 'Here I am, come get me!' When they had gotten closer
they realized it was not a planet, but a moon circling a planet
that had the fluctuations.

Sensors picked up Dana's ship coming toward them. Not from the
moon though. She had made sure to make it look like she had not
been near the moon at all. Calhoun already knew what they would
find when they got to the moon's surface: a decapitated body and a
lot of electrical damage.

Dana's ship pulled along side the Excalibur as it and the
Enterprise assumed standard orbit around the M-class moon. "The
ambassador is hailing us, sir," Lefler said.

"On screen," Calhoun said.

"Hello, Captain. Mind if I come aboard?" Dana asked with a
grin.

"I'll meet you in the transporter room," Calhoun said as he
stood up.

"See you soon," Dana said and terminated the connection.

Calhoun stood up and started to leave. "Captain," Shelby
stated, "Don't we have to investigate what happened?"

"Do we really have to?" Calhoun asked and continued on his way.

*****

The surface of the moon.

Three people appeared in a column of blue shimmering light.
Commander Riker looked around and was astonished to see the circle
filled with life. Shock set in as he saw the decapitated body.

He walked over to it, squatted, and said, "This is the second
time today I find you like this."

"Sir, this is very strange," nurse Ogawa interrupted.

"What?" Riker asked, getting back up.

"There are anti-bodies to the virus here, sir. And they've
cured these plants, and I have no idea how they could have past
across so great an area," Ogawa explained.

"I may have an answer to that," Data said.

"Yes?" Riker asked, while he looked around. How could the place
where one person died be the place where life is returned to a
dying world.

"There is a powerful, electromagnetic field centered around the
body," Data started to explain, looking at his tricorder. "It
extends up into atmosphere. Its configuration seems to push both
the virus and the anti-bodies away from this place. The field is
propagating through the magnetic field of the planet. The virus
and the anti-bodies are riding it like a surfer does a wave. In
approximately twelve hours and twenty three minutes this moon will
be virus free."

"Where did it originate, Data?" Riker asked intrigued.

"Here, sir," Data said a little surprised. "Or more accurately
the corpse. It seems that the energy field first shot up from the
corpse into the atmosphere where it changed and propagated around
the moon."

"How can such an electrical field originate from a dead man?"
Riker asked, looking once more at the blooming plants and small
animals scurrying about in astonishment.

"I have no idea, sir," Data answered with a apologetic
expression.

"Lieutenant?" Riker said turning towards Ogawa.

Ogawa looked around in astonishment before standing up from her
squat and answering, "It would require examining him while he was
still alive, sir. But perhaps the autopsy will reveal something."

Riker nodded. "Need anything more?" he asked. When they didn't
answer he tapped his commbadge and said, "Riker to transporter
room. Three and a decapitated body to beam up. Energize."

*****

Dana and Calhoun walked along one of the corridors on the
Excalibur. They chatted about little things, shared jokes and
enjoyed each other's company. Then stopped as they heard a loud
noise and ran toward it.

"You take that back!" Si Cwan roared at Kebron. Dana and
Calhoun looked at each other as they watched the massive Brikar
and the smaller Thallonian square off in the hall way.

"I will not," Kebron said with the finality of one who had an
overwhelming advantage. Cwan who seemed a mere insect compared to
Kebron did not seem daunted by the difference in size at all. Cwan
kicked out his foot and hit Kebron barely half way up his torso,
who barely swayed at the impact.

"What's going on!?" Calhoun demanded from them.

Cwan turned his head and saw Calhoun standing there. "This is
something between him and me!" he exclaimed.

"Not if it results in you two tearing apart my ship. Now what's
going on?" Calhoun demanded once more.

"I merely suggested that his sister is not all that he has
cracked her up to be," Kebron rumbled, sounding like an avalanche.

"You merely suggested, that my sister couldn't see the
difference between a pig and a cow!" Si Cwan yelled, pointing a
quivering finger at him in range.

"I did?" Zak Kebron the mountainous Brikar rumbled on.

"Yes, you did," Si Cwan screamed. Kebron just raised his torso
up and back down in what for him was a shrug.

"That's it," Cwan screamed and started attacking Kebron in
earnest. Kebron gave Cwan a slap. Cwan flew a few meters through
the air and crashed. He immediately got up and attacked Kebron
again.

"Stop it! I said . . . Oh, who am I kidding? They can't even
hear me with that noise," Calhoun said, as he strained to even
here his own voice above the noise Kebron's body made as it moved
around to fight Cwan.

"Let's break this up, I'll handle Kebron. You take Cwan," Dana
said.

"I think I better take . . ." Calhoun started.

"This is no time for being macho. You're mortal, I am not and
that can come in handy when you go up against a guy that can
squash you like a bug," Dana interrupted Calhoun's counter offer.

Calhoun considered it for a moment, and agreed. They walked
towards the two combatants. Cwan tried to out maneuver the massive
Brikar, and not was not succeeding.

Calhoun grabbed Cwan and whirled him around, "I said, stop it!"
Cwan threw a punch that Calhoun easily blocked. Then Cwan tried to
swipe Calhoun's legs from under him, but succeeded only in
tumbling them both to the floor.

"This far and no further," Dana said as she placed herself
between Calhoun and Cwan on one side and Kebron on the other.

"I'm going to squash Cwan's neck like a grape fruit," Kebron
threatened as he walked towards Dana.

"Then you leave me no choice," Dana said and promptly walked up
the wall and right past Kebron who was too astonished to do
anything about it. Once Dana was past him she twisted herself
around and smashed her foot on the bottom of what passed for
Kebron's neck. A loud crack was heard when her foot connected.
Dana let the momentum twist her around full circle, bouncing of
the wall on the other side of the wall lightly before landing on
the floor.

The sound of the crack snapped Calhoun and Cwan out of their
fight. They looked at Kebron as his looming figure swayed
precariously back and forth. They scattered backwards as fast as
they could when he started falling forward. They managed to get
out of range just in time as the massive body of Zak Kebron
smashed to the floor shaking the whole deck.

"That's impossible," the two of them heard Shelby's voice
behind them.

"How did you get here," Calhoun asked as he looked back and saw
a security detail behind Shelby holster their phasers.

Shelby looked down and said, "If there wasn't a vacuum out
there, they could've heard Kebron and Cwan -- I take it fight it
out on Earth."

Then the three of them turned their attention back to Dana who
by now had managed to climb past Kebron to join them. "How did you
that?" Cwan asked stunned.

"Yes, I thought that was impossible. Beating a Brikar with just
one kick?" Calhoun asked.

"You'd be surprised what you can do if you know someone's
physiology," Dana answered smoothly, dismissing what she did with
an air of superiority. "I just hit him on his central nerve-
plexus. If you hit it hard enough it overloads. Kinda like the
Brikar version of the Vulcan nerve pinch."

"However," Dana added while her face slowly turned into agony.
"One should never try that without super fast healing, or a very
good doctor nearby."

"Why not?" Shelby asked confused.

"Because," Dana started, pulling up her right foot and starting
to hop on her left. She started stroking her right foot trying to
alleviate the pain, "that crack was me shattering every bone in my
foot! Auwie! My sweet little footsie! Au, au, au!"

Calhoun, Cwan and Shelby started laughing at the comical scene
of Dana hopping around like a mad woman. The security detail soon
joined in after unsuccessfully stifling their chuckles.

"That's not funny," Dana stated sternly as she stopped hopping
around.

"Yes, it is," Cwan blurted out, and they all started laughing
louder.

"Really?" Dana said, without any humor in her voice as she
gently put her foot down upon the floor. "Do you think it's still
funny if I shatter the bones in my left foot on your face Cwan?"

Something in her voice told Cwan he better stop laughing or she
might just do it, and he didn't have impenetrable hide to protect
him.

"How about the bones in my right fist on your face, Calhoun?"
Dana said to the still laughing Calhoun. Calhoun coughed as he
struggled to stop laughing. The scar on his face stood out in his
reddened face.

"Shelby, I still have a left hand," Dana said and she saw
Shelby trying to stifle her laughs and barely succeeding. "As for
the security personnel, by then my right foot would be healed.
Like right about now," Dana added and walked a few steps forward
in threat without any hint of a broken foot. With extreme
difficulty they managed to put on a straight face. Offended, Dana
stalked off.

With a groan that seemed to come as much from the floor he was
lying on as himself, Kebron began to stir.

*****

"What have you got?" Picard asked as he sat down at the
conference table.

"We have investigated the magnetic fluctuations, and determined
without a doubt that they originated from our mysterious,
decapitated individual, or from the place he was lying, however,
we cannot explain how or why," Data said with intrigue.

"Lieutenant," Picard said, looking at Ogawa.

"Apart from organs that seem in too perfect condition for man
his age, I could find nothing out of the ordinary. If there was
ever anything out of the ordinary with him, any evidence of it
disappeared when he died. I've tried to match his records, finger
prints, DNA pattern, etc. to anyone in our database in the last
fifty years. Nothing, I want further back, as far as two hundred
years; still nothing. Which leads me to conclude that he was not
born on a federation world," Lieutenant Ogawa explained.

"How about how he could disappear from the morgue?" Picard
asked.

"I have no idea," Ogawa said, apologetically. "Nobody comes
back from the dead after having that size a hole in your chest. By
all that I know, the only possibility that comes to mind is that
somehow that corpse was a clone and that the original came in,
destroyed it, vaporized it possibly, and left again. And that our
decapitated friend, is the actual original . . . or another clone
and the real creator of the virus is still out there."

"But why would you destroy your clone?" Riker asked
dumbfounded. "I think if you had a dead clone to take your place
and your home free to go wherever you wanted to go, you wouldn't
come back to destroy the very thing that allows you your freedom."

"Perhaps he came for the sword. Not the clone. There are a lot
of people that value a weapon like that beyond reason," Deanna
suggested, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Then why give it to your clone, and still why destroy the
clone; he could've gotten the sword without destroying it,"
Lieutenant Fowley chimed in. "Plus I have no record of anyone
getting on board the ship. As far as I can tell, he just got up
and left."

"If he's the original and what we had before was a clone, then
their DNA would be the same, the computer probably wouldn't have
picked him up as an intruder, correct?" Picard asked his chief of
security trying to come with something that would make sense.

"Yes," Fowley answered. "But I would still have a record of him
getting on board. A transporter signature, a hole in the hull
where he cut through, but nothing."

"If he uses superior technology . . ." Deanna tried.

Fowley interrupted her, "No, then he would've used the same way
out as he came in, but he stole one of our shuttles."

"Lieutenant Ogawa, any signs of what severed his head?" Picard
asked trying to steer the conversation to something useful.

"It was a sword, a razor sharp one, I can get that from the
type, and amount of lacerations, it was cut in one fluent motion,"
Agawa answered.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing, I have checked several times. There is not even a
molecule of material left from the sword," said Ogawa answered
with an apologetic tone.

"How would that be possible, Data?" Picard asked.

"Three possibilities, sir. One, the sword was of such good
quality and material that it doesn't leave residue. Two, whoever
killed him beamed off any residue to make sure it couldn't be
proven that he or she committed the murder. Three, the magnetic
storm that originated at the man's position or even from him,
removed any of the lingering material," Data stated neutrally.

Picard nodded. "So basically we've got a lot of theories and
possibilities, but when we get right down to it, we have an
unsolved mystery?" Picard said . He nodded when his crew said
nothing.

"Since the only suspect and a weak one at that is our lovely
Ambassador Scully, I think I'll go have a word with her.
Dismissed," Picard said, feeling depressed. For some reason he did
not know, he had the impression that he would not be able to catch
the Ambassador.

"I'll join you, sir," Deanna said even more curious about Dana.

*****

Calhoun's personal quarters

"I've been meaning to ask you something," Dana said, sitting on
a couch across from Calhoun, a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Go ahead," Calhoun said, taking a sip from his coffee.

"How many people have you killed while you were fighting for
the freedom of your people? Innocents, I mean, women and
children," Dana asked her voice heavy.

"It was war, sometimes you cannot avoid killing them," Calhoun
answered, coldly. "A few thousand at least."

Dana sighed and started telling her story, while remembering
better days with Calhoun.

~~X~~

2373
In orbit over Klamish
Calhoun's bedroom

Dana dragged herself out of Calhoun's bed. She was exhausted,
but she needed to get out, both of them did. The final process of
signing the agreements would start that afternoon and she still
needed to address the Klamish Council of Government. Calhoun had
his own duties.

The sex with him helped center her after the Quickening, but
exhaustion on top of the most powerful Quickening she had ever
experienced had left her drained. She pulled the shirt over her
head and down over her torso.

Calhoun stepped out the bathroom half dressed. "That was very
nice," Calhoun said.

"Nice?" Dana asked incredulous.

"Ok, it was fantastic," he said with a grin. "You're the kind
of woman I'd like to marry."

"Perhaps, but I'm not the woman you're going to marry," Dana
flashed him a grin, before putting her foot through one pipe of
her trousers.

"Huh?" Calhoun said as he pulled a red sweater over his head.

"You're in love with another woman," Dana spelled it out for
him while putting her left foot through the other pipe.

"Oh, really? Who, if I may ask?" Calhoun asked with a sarcastic
tone as he started putting on his pants.

"Oh, please. As if you don't know," Dana said, putting on the
next piece of clothing. "And if you really don't know, you'll find
out soon enough."

"How do you know?" Calhoun asked a bit angry at her suggestion.

"I've had four hundred years of life behind me. Trust me, if it
isn't the way your eyes change when you look at her, it's the way
you're making love, or should I say, lack there of and the way you
have sex. Angry sex, like 'Why isn't she in here with me?'," Dana
said, giving him a silly smile.

*****

"This is a Klingon book," Dana said to the Council. "It will
tell you about Honor. It is something your God neglected to
mention."

"Are the Gods not always correct?" one of the members of the
Council asked.

"Oh, yes," Dana answered, she needed to get them on there feet,
without destroying there religion and causing massive chaos. "The
Gods are always correct, but one God can be wrong. It's the reason
for you democracy, more heads know more than one. And the Gods
together know everything.

"The treaty as it stands now is best for you all. You should
sign it this afternoon, and abide by it," Dana stated, looking
each of them in the eye one by one.

They nodded. "You will not stay?" Kulon asked a bit
disappointed. He had been acting strange. Ever since yesterday
afternoon Kulon had been avoiding her as best as he could.

"No, you must find your own path and follow it. You must evolve
on your own, that is best for any society. You must learn to be
independent and think for yourselves. Do not take everything any
God ever says for granted. We too have criminals among ourselves,
weigh what they say off against what has been said before, and
defy them if they try to trick you!" Dana explained.

*****

Later that day

Duncan MacLeod and Dana Scully looked around the area the
holodeck had conjured up. A lush foliage forest with a beautiful
clearing with green gras.

"So how do we do this?" MacLeod asked a little apprehensive,
almost certain of the answer.

"The fastest way to teach each other would be through a mind
meld," Dana answered a little apprehensive herself.

"Well," MacLeod said as he sat down in a lotus position.
"Better get to it then."

Dana joined then gently placed her hands on MacLeod face. "Wait
a moment," MacLeod said a bit nervous. "You certain you can do
this?"

"It's been almost three hundred years. I've never had much use
for it. So I think my training is a bit watered down, I might kill
us, but that won't bother us much now would it?" Dana explained.

"You don't know that. We never died from a mind meld," MacLeod
said, getting more nervous.

"We'll never find out unless we try, will we?" Dana told him
with a grin.

MacLeod sighed. "Get on with it."

Dana replaced her fingers on his face and said, "My mind to
your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts."

The world around them disappeared and was replaced with a
desert.

"Why a desert?" Duncan asked as he appeared in front of Dana.

Dana felt his power. It was almost frightening. Millennia of
memories flashed through her mind, only a few of them were his.
She clamped down upon them, making sure they wouldn't overwhelm
her. She was beginning to understand how T'Lar must have been
feeling.

"I think because Nakano kept making an illusion of a desert
when he was training Connor," Dana said with a bit of a guilty
tone.

"Oh," MacLeod just said. Kronos was there too. Dana felt him,
dead, but never buried. His presence was frightening as well
thrilling. Dana decided to ignore it as best as she could. She
still remembered the time he took over MacLeod, not something she
would ever want to relive again.

"I guess we begin," said Dana and a wall appeared in the
desert. "This is what one basically needs to make in order to
build complete mental blocks."

*****

"It's that easy, huh?" MacLeod asked as he mastered the art.

"Yep," Dana answered, grinning in the heat of the desert that
didn't bother any of them. "It's that easy."

"I guess now it's my turn," MacLeod said, and placed his sword
on the ground. Then it slowly levitated off the ground. Duncan
grabbed it, and then threw it away. It landed in the sand, MacLeod
stretched out his hand and sword flew across the desert directly
into Duncan's hand.

"That's impressive," Dana said a bit astonished.

"Yep, although I don't know whether this is telekinesis the way
mortals do it. I'll teach you, now. Place your sword on the
ground," Duncan ordered friendly.

Dana did as she was told. "Now," Duncan said, stretching out
his mind a bit as Dana had shown him the techniques of the mind
meld minutes before, adjusting her control whenever needed. "Close
your eyes. Stretch your Quickening outward . . . that's right, let
it envelope the sword . . . let the swords magnetic field
interlock with the Quickening . . . feel the metal's magnetic
properties interact with your own . . . tie them together, let
them entangle each other . . . very good . . . now raise the sword
. . . open your eyes."

Dana looked and saw the sword floating in mid air at chest
height. "Very good, let go of it."

The sword clanged softly back into the sand. "Raise it again,
don't think about it, just do it." The sword floated back up.
"Good," Duncan said, then with a swipe the sword went flying to
Dana's right and kept standing in the sand with the blade a few
centimeters in it.

"Now get it back," Duncan said. Dana tried, strained,
struggled, but the sword stayed where it was. "Don't force it,"
Duncan said. "Just feel the sword, feel the connection you have
between it, and pull!" The sword flew at her and she caught it
deftly with her right hand.

"See, it's that easy, now only doing it out there, in reality,"
Duncan told her.

The desert disappeared and they were once again in the forest
generated by the holodeck. Dana and Duncan pulled out their swords
and threw them in opposite directions. They landed in the soil.
"Now bring it back," Duncan said, as he pulled on his own sword.

Dana pulled on her sword, it didn't work. Duncan already had
his own back in his hand. She relaxed, then tried again, this time
the sword flew through the air and she caught it with her left
hand.

"It's working. I can do it!" Dana exclaimed with joy.

"Again," Duncan said. Dana spent fifteen minutes improving her
ability to retrieve her sword.

"All right, I think I got it," Dana said, admiring her sword
with a grin. "Your turn. Let's see if you can suggest something to
me."

Duncan thought for a moment, then grinned. *Pee your pants,* he
forced into her mind with maximum effort.

Dana's jaw dropped, she felt some pee escape into her panties.
With extreme effort she forced the suggestion out of her head, and
kept the rest of her urine inside. "You bastard!" she exclaimed in
indignation.

"Well, now we know I can do it," Duncan grinned mischievously.

"Ok, suggest something again," Dana said sulking, mentally
preparing herself for it.

"Why?" Duncan asked.

"To build up my defenses of course, it seems my regular blocks
aren't enough. If someone else ever learns the skill I don't want
to be caught unprepared," Dana answered him with a face that said,
'Are you slow, or is it just me?'

"Of course," Duncan said and with a grin he suggested to her to
do a strip tease.

"God damn it! Can't you think of something more normal? Men!"
Dana complained. Duncan just grinned. "Ok, my turn," Dana said.
*Lift your right leg, jump on your left, put your right index
finger on your nose and take off your pants with your left.*

Duncan began to hop on his left leg, placed his right index
finger on his nose and as he tried to unbutton his pants he
dropped to the ground. "Aaargh!" he roared. Dana started giggling.
Duncan shook his head, got rid of the annoying suggestion and got
up. Dana laughed at his indignant look.

"Oh, that was funny," she managed through her giggles. *Do it
again,* she suggested.

Duncan started hopping then stopped before he put his finger to
his nose. "You're getting better at blocking a suggestion," Dana
observed.

*Smash your head in that tree,* MacLeod tried without warning
Dana first. Dana turned towards the tree, after two steps she
stopped.

"Oah!" Dana exclaimed, "You almost had me!" MacLeod grinned.
*Hit yourself in your balls!* Dana grinned evilly as she made the
suggestion.

"You little!" MacLeod exclaimed as he stopped himself just in
time. They spent several more minutes trading suggestions, both
getting better at deflecting them with every suggestion.

"All right," Dana said, "I think we mastered that as good as we
can in one session. Time for defense against illusions."

Several Danas appeared beside her and they attacked. MacLeod
started deflecting their blows, trying to figure out who was the
real one. Suddenly he felt a hard slap to his ass of a cold
material. "Ow!" he exclaimed.

"Got ya," Dana grinned as the fake Danas disappeared. MacLeod
turned around and saw Dana standing there. The flat of her katana
in the position to slap his ass.

"That hurt," he said and conjured up a whole army of mad men
running at Dana. She tried to avoid them, but only succeeding in
receiving a slap to her own ass from Duncan.

"Damn it," Dana said and turned the area into the blistering
hot desert of Vulcan for MacLeod. She attacked, and she saw him
sweating profusely. He tired quickly and stumbled in the desert
sands. Soon he was on the ground and she removed the illusion, her
sword at his neck. She grinned for a moment then, offered her hand
and pulled him up.

Dana heard something cracking, as she turned around she saw a
tree falling over, and coming directly at her. "Whoa," she said as
she ducked to floor and rolled aside. She got a violent kick to
her stomach from MacLeod for her troubles. He followed up with one
to her head and Dana got angry. She swiped his legs from under
him, at least she planned to, because instead of him falling over,
her leg past right through his legs and he disappeared.

"Huh?" Dana exclaimed.

"Right here," he heard Duncan's voice. She turned around and
saw him grinning and leaning comfortably against the tree that had
only just fallen over. "So you actually feel the pain, huh?"

"Yeah, speaking of pain," Dana said, and created a man holding
a red hot poker directly in front of Duncan and let him stab it
through his head. Duncan winced at first, then relaxed.

"It isn't real," he said, the poker past through his skull
harmlessly, and he stepped toward Dana, straight through the man.
Dana grinned.

"Time to die!" Methos, half his face painted blue, roared and
swiped his sword at Dana's neck. Dana's reflex was to bring up her
sword, but she was starting to notice the difference between real
and illusion. She let the sword harmlessly pass through her neck.
Methos disappeared.

Dana turned the world in a frozen waste land, and stripped
Duncan naked. She herself still saw him clothed of course, but to
MacLeod it was as if he was naked. Dana attacked as she saw him
start to shiver in the freezing cold. Several blows were exchanged
before he stopped shivering and parry every one of her blows with
ease.

Dana felt hot, sweat started pouring from her face. As she
looked around she was in a desert. It wasn't real. Now to breach
the illusion. She focused and the desert disappeared.

"Final one," Dana said and twenty more Danas appeared around
her. She changed her position in the mass of Danas, and watched as
MacLeod did the same. The groups attacked each other and MacLeod
and Dana clanged their katanas together and locked position. The
extra MacLeods and Danas disappeared and they grinned at each
other.

"I guess anyone who has managed to learn that ability will find
it's useless against us," Duncan said grinning a bit.

"Yeah, that's good for us, bad for them," Dana said as they
sheathed their swords.

*****

Several days later

The treaties had been signed, the agreements made, the first
friendships were starting to build and she and MacLeod were ready
to leave. They were standing before the Klamish governmental
building. Both diplomatic parties were present. The green
Hondarians were already looking around for the place to build
their embassy.

"Well, people," MacLeod said. "This is where our ways part. It
has been a pleasure working with you all."

"Same here," said Scully. "And I hope that next time I come to
Klamar and Hondar it's as a tourist. Don't break these agreements,
you'll be surprised how much you can learn from each other, and
how much you start to like each other. We learned that with the
Klingons."

The parties exchanged goodbyes with MacLeod and Dana. Dana
decided to go check up on Kulon personally. After Dana had found
out about Calhoun's other love, and knew something long term was
out of the question, she had tried to come into contact with Kulon
to see if it could work, but he had been avoiding her and now
sadly it was too late.

"Why have you been avoiding me? I thought you had an interest
in me?" Dana asked him softly.

"But you are a God," he answered her just as softly and
surprised.

"As opposed to you being a 'lowly mortal'?" Dana asked a bit
mocking. An intimidated nod was her answer. "You have no idea how
many 'lowly mortals' I took into my bed. And the legends and myths
about gods bedding mortals . . . you had a pretty good chance."

"I did?" Kulon asked dumbfounded.

"Now it's too late though. Why were you attracted to me
actually?" Dana asked with curiosity.

"You weren't submissive. Our women all demure in the extreme.
Such weakness disgusts me," Kulon stated, still with a soft voice.

"I've seen Marloua take a rather big interest in you," Dana
said, pointing covertly to the female attache to one of the
Hondarian ambassadors.

"She has?" Kulon asked neutrally.

"Yes, and trust me. Hondarian women are anything but
submissive. In fact what I've read and heard they are down right
obstinate," Dana said, grinning at him. She added
conspiratorially, "Plus she seems to enjoy wearing revealing
clothing, I've got a feeling you'd enjoy her company."

"Hmm, perhaps I will go find out," Kulon answer and slowly
stalked over to the woman Dana pointed out.

"Ready to leave, Mac?" Dana asked.

"Yes. Ambassador MacLeod to Excalibur. Two to beam up.
Energize," Duncan said. A few seconds later they disappeared in a
sparkling light.

~~X~~

"So in one night, with one order I killed 1.2 billion people of
which 920 million were innocent, in order to save billions more,"
Dana finished.

"That's some story," Calhoun said, pondering it. "I can see the
resemblance with me. You wanted someone like you to talk to?"

"Yes," Dana said. She sighed. "Are you afraid you'll ever kill
innocents again?"

"No. Not when it's not necessary. When it's necessary I will of
course," Calhoun said as he looked at Dana staring out the window
into the stars.

"I am afraid. I'm afraid that next time when I'm faced with
such a situation, that I will miss other options, that I'll kill
millions, billions, or even trillions of innocents when I don't
have to," Dana said looking out into nothingness.

"I think the fact that you're afraid of it, will keep you from
actually doing it," Calhoun said softly.

"I'm not so sure, but I hope you're right," said Dana softly.

The door chimed. "Who's there?" Calhoun asked.

"It's Picard. I heard Ambassador Scully is here. I'd like to
have a word with her," Picard said.

Calhoun looked at Scully to check to see whether she wanted to
see Picard or not. She turned around, and he was impressed by the
steel gaze. Only minutes before the Immortal had looked fragile,
now she seemed virtually indestructible. For a moment Calhoun
wondered whether it was just an act, or whether she really changed
moods. Calhoun decided to leave it be. Dana gave him a nod and he
walked to the door and let Picard in.

"Hello, Captain, Counselor," Dana said with a disarming smile.

"Please make yourself comfortable," Calhoun offered, smiling
inwardly. Dana wouldn't leave a piece of them intact. "Want
something to drink."

"Don't mind if I do. No drink though," Picard said as he sat
down. Deanna sat across from him.

"I prefer to stand," Dana said with a small smile.

*Tactical advantage,* Calhoun thought, grinning seductively as
he sat down next to the lovely Counselor Troi. He placed his hand
on the back support of the couch behind her. Deanna looked
uncomfortable at him for a moment. She felt like a predator had
just sat down next to her and she was the prey. It did not help
that Captain Calhoun's scar and the deep purple eyes made him very
attractive. Dana grinned inward at the sight.

"There are a few things that aren't entirely clear to us,"
Picard started.

"Aah, yes. The great mysteries of the universe, life and death
and such. Ask the Ambassador Dana Scully she'll answer all of your
questions. Not! Go talk to a priest, or a vedek or something.
Don't bother me," Dana interrupted him vehemently. "Cut to the
chase will you, you're here for one thing only, trying to get me
to admit I murdered that man."

"You are the only one I know with a sword," Picard accused.

"Calhoun's got a sword," Dana started. Calhoun smiled and waved
at Picard and Deanna, then with a shrug and an extra smile to
Deanna settled back into the couch.

"He was on the bridge of the Excalibur, and the ship as close
to us all the time," Picard said.

"Can you prove he was on the bridge all that time? Or perhaps
he has an exceptionally good transporter and transported away for
a couple of minutes?" Dana commented dryly.

"That's beside the point," Picard started, getting exasperated.

Dana interrupted him again, "Oh, really? Why is that beside the
point? Oh right, that's it. I'm human and I carry a sword. Humans
aren't supposed to carry a sword, therefor I must be an evil,
murdering bitch." Dana suddenly stepped forward, placed one hand
on the armrest of the two-seat couch and the other on the table in
front of it. She placed her face close to Picard and with
carefully controlled anger she said, "Listen to me, Picard. I did
not murder that man!"

"I'm not so sure about that," said Picard as Dana slowly
straightened back up and a bit intimidated by Scully's attack.
"But even then there's always the instance of you shutting down
the Enterprise. I can lock you away for that."

Dana smiled a playful smile, like a cat playing with a mouse.
"First of all you can't prove I'm the one who sent the commandos
to shut down the Enterprise, so you can't place me under arrest.
But if you could and you would lock me away in your brig, you'd
get a call from the admiralty which will basically entail, 'You're
fired'. And then I'd be released."

"You can't seriously believe . . ."

"No, I don't believe. I know," Dana said and walked out of
Calhoun's quarters. Deanna got up and quickly followed her.

*Ouch, that's telling 'em,* Calhoun thought.

"Damn, that woman," Picard muttered and wondering how she had
managed to change an informal round of questioning into a trial
where he was the defendant.

"Oh, I don't know. I kind of like her," Calhoun said.

"But she killed that man. You know it as well as I do, even if
I can't prove it," said Picard with conviction.

"Listen, Picard. Leave it be," said Calhoun gravely. "The
creator of the virus has been stopped, soon everybody within and
beyond the Federation will be cured. What more do you want?"

"The solution to a mystery," Picard answered without thinking.

"Trust me, Picard," Calhoun said, this time deadly serious.
"Some mysteries aren't meant for lowly mortals. Perhaps in a
thousand years or so, when we're no longer lowly mortals. Leave
this one alone. You'll only get burned, and besides once you have
the answer there's nothing you can do with anyway."

"You know something?" Picard asked.

"Just leave it be, Picard," Calhoun said, then got up and
headed to the bridge.

*****

"What is it that you hide? Are you a human with an extreme life
span? Genetically Engineered perhaps? Or not even human? An El
Aurian perhaps?" Deanna asked as she caught up with Dana. "And why
do you hide it?"

"Why should I tell you?" Dana said, keeping up a brisk pace.

"I'll keep the secret," she offered as she tried to keep up.

"Even from your captain?" Dana asked her.

Deanna hesitated for a moment. "That depends . . ."

". . . On what it is? Sorry, not good enough," Dana said
without slowing down.

"Aging slower, or not being human is not that much of secret?
What is such a grand secret that you'll go through such great
lengths to hide it?" Deanna asked breathing.

"No secret," Dana said dismissively.

Deanna thought for a second, and said, "'It begins where it
ends: in nothingness.'"

Dana stopped walking abruptly and whipped her head around to
look directly at Deanna.

Deanna smiled. She had loved the poem when she had found it.
The possibility that the Ambassador may have written it intrigued
her. She continued to recite the poem,

"'A nightmare born from deepest fears, coming to me unguarded,
Whispering images unlocked from time and distance,
A soul unbound, touched by others, but never held,
On a course charted by some unseen hand,
The journey ahead promising no more than my past reflected back
upon me,
Until at last I reach the end, facing a truth I can no longer deny
. . .
Alone . . . as ever.'"

Dana had an angry look on her face. Deanna faced her, hands
across her chest in satisfaction, "You wrote this didn't you? In
2209 to be exact. You wrote it, along with a few others. I must
say they are very good, filled with symbolism."

Dana looked at Deanna, her head spun a bit, the poem had so
much meaning for her. She had written it just after Connor's
death. It touched her deepest core. That Deanna would you use it
for something this low, to draw her out, made her angry, extremely
angry. Suddenly her hand shot out, too fast for Deanna to react.
Dana closed it around Deanna's throat and pushed her up against
the wall. Deanna's feet dangled a few centimeters above the floor.

"Don't be smug, Counselor. Knowing things does not make
things better, it might make things worse," Dana hissed. Just then
a big ball of fur rounded the corridor. Something vaguely
resembling a Starfleet uniform clung to the creature. It seemed
ape-like, but with the snout resembling a dog's.

It halted and cheerfully greeted, "Ah, hello, Ambassador."

Deanna couldn't believe it. The woman was holding her in a way
that barely allowed her to breathe, but the person - Beast?
Whatever it was - didn't seem to notice her. She tried to scream
for help, but the Ambassador's hand squeezed a little harder and
made sure she couldn't get out a single syllable.

"Hello, Janos," said Dana friendly.

"Will you be joining Burgy and me in holodeck for our sparring
again? After that awful flue that went around, we could all use a
good workout, get all the bat particles out of our system, you
know? You do remember when we workout, don't you?" Janos asked
with a feral grin.

"Of course. It will be difficult to attend though but I'll see
what I can do," Dana grinned at the giant talking ball of fur.

"Good. Perhaps you can ask the captain to join us, he's over
due," Janos happily suggested.

"If I can make it, I'll be sure to ask him," Dana answered.

"OK. Have a good day, Ambassador," Janos said, and started
bounding through the corridor again.

"Same to you, Janos," Dana called after him. She turned back to
Deanna. She loosened her grip and said, "Now, where were we? Ah,
yes, knowing things. I know you have that picture that resembles
me so much. Don't think it'll do you any good, little girl! I've
killed more people than you could ever imagine. One more won't
matter!"

"You won't kill me. You can't kill me. Not without being locked
up in prison, where they'll be sure to find your secret, sooner or
later," Deanna choked out.

Dana let her go. Deanna dropped to her knees gasping for air.
"You think so, huh? Then you need to check your clues again,
girly." Deanna watched as Dana walked away with a fear in her
eyes.

*****

"Kebron, my ready room, now," Calhoun ordered, pissed off as he
entered the bridge. He walked across the bridge.

"Yes, sir," Kebron said, and started following Calhoun with
massive steps.

Calhoun sat down in his chair and said, "Why did you provoke,
Si Cwan."

"Cheering him up, sir," Kebron said, in his trade mark
avalanche voice.

"Cheering him up? I wasn't aware he needed cheering up. He's
got his sister back," Calhoun asked in astonishment.

"That's the problem, sir. Or rather who she brought with her,"
Kebron said.

"What has Xion got to do with it?" Calhoun asked confused.

"First it brings him in your debt even more than he already is,
sir. Your son saving her life. Second, no offense, but your son
isn't exactly marriage material," Kebron rumbled. He didn't like
to speak in long sentences. It suited his style better to give
answers of only a few words, but this was something that required
long sentences.

"Aah, so you thought you'd let him beat his frustrations away
on your untouchable hide? But I didn't think you'd be the one to
want to cheer him up," Calhoun said with a frown.

"He knows more about this area of space than all of us
combined," Kebron simply stated, not bothering to explain further.

"Aah, don't want him distracted when things get critical, eh?"
Calhoun answered, than added with a grin. "You just weren't
expecting the one-kick Ambassador, were you?"

"My hide still saved the day and Cwan's mood, sir," Kebron
rumbled, a flicker of unease passed through him.

"Yes, when one-kick Ambassador, turned into hopping-on-one-foot
Ambassador. That would cheer up almost anybody. It must've hurt
your pride. If it makes you feel any better, let me remind you
that she has four hundred years of experience in kicking people's
butts," Calhoun said, grinning an insightful grin.

"No, my pride is not hurt, sir," Kebron rumbled with
indignation. "But thank you none the less."

"Off course not. What was I thinking. You're dismissed,"
Calhoun said. The room vibrated as Kebron stomped out of his ready
room.

*****

"Captain," Fowley said. "We've got a communique from the
doctors. They have succeeded, sir. A mass distributable cure has
been completed. A data transmission is imbedded in the audio."

"Transmit it to sickbay, Mr. Fowley. I take it the Excalibur is
receiving a transmission as well?" Picard asked.

"Yes, sir," Fowley answered.

"All right then. Sickbay?" said Picard. His thoughts were still
mulling over the mystery they were facing here in Sector 221-G and
whether he should take Calhoun's advice. "How long until you have
enough synthesized to seed a planet?"

"Approximately forty-five minutes, Captain," Lieutenant Ogawa
answered.

"Helm, can we pick up Dr. Crusher within that time without
losing any precious minutes needed for spreading the cure?" Picard
asked.

"At warp 9.7, we can get to Rania III in twenty-five minutes.
Enough time for us to pick up Dr. Crusher, find out if Rania III
can distribute the cure themselves or if they need help, and still
get to the nearest inhabited world in time, sir," the helm officer
responded.

"Set course and speed, helm. Mr. Fowley, contact the
Ambassador," Picard ordered.

"Yes, Captain?" Dana answered from the bridge of the Golden
Eagle. There was no hint of what had transpired in Calhoun's
quarters earlier.

"The cure is complete. We'll be heading to Rania III to pick up
the doctor and then distribute it," Picard said with an authority
he didn't feel whenever he addressed Ambassador Scully. She had an
illusive quality to her that she didn't like.

"I heard from the Excalibur, Captain. They're preparing to
leave themselves. I'll be going back Rania III. I won't be
arriving there as fast as you, but I will get there," Dana
answered Picard in an all business tone.

"Understood. Picard out," Picard said, glad he did not have to
deal with her anymore. "Well, number One. It seems we're leaving
this mystery unsolved," Picard said with regret.

"It seems that way, sir. But we've good more pressing matters
to attend to," Riker answered. He shifted in his chair in
anticipation.

"Indeed we do, Number One. Indeed we do. Helm, engage," said
Picard.
 Epilogue 1: The Story Ends

". . . And so the cure to the virus was released, and it
spread across the Galaxy, curing anyone it came in contact with,
thanks to the willingness of one Immortal to sacrifice herself.
The monster who created the virus was destroyed once and for all.
Everybody lived happily ever after . . . until the next virus, or
war," Dana said. She grinned as she looked around the group of
attentive listeners. She had omitted some of the flashbacks she
had and juiced up the sexual part for the benefit of Frianne.
Instead of threatening to torture Chalook, she had fucked the
answer out of him, but other than that the story had been faithful
to what had really happened.

They sat there stunned at what she claimed to be a true story.
Then Fox piped in, "Wait a minute, wait a minute. This story is as
fantastic, if not more fantastic, than Djixion's story over here.
How do we know yours isn't as bogus as his?"

"Yeah," Djixion agreed in indignation. The others soon agreed.

Dana smiled at them enigmatically and slowly got up. She picked
up her coat and her backpack and put them on. "Well, aren't you
going to tell?" Frianne purred.

Dana just smiled, then walked around the group.

"Yours is bogus. Or else you would tell. Well? Why is your
story real," Fox asked his gaze focused on her in curiosity.

"All right," Dana said, giving them a wider grin. She walked
directly behind Fox and squatted down. She let her eyes slide over
the people in the circle. She bent forward, placing her mouth
close to Fox's left ear. Softly, just loud enough for them all to
hear, she said, "Because the name of your family's guardian angel
is not Tara Kelly. . ." Dana then switched to Fox's right ear and
continued, ". . . But Dana Katherine Scully and. . ." Dana paused
for a moment to build up tension, and then continued, ". . . so is
mine."

By the time Fox had whipped his head around in astonishment she
was nowhere to be seen.
 Epilogue 2: Sela

Room 156
Imperial Hospital in Shavrak
Romulus
2376

"Sir, she says a human Ambassador sent her to you. We shouldn't
trust her," the man said in respect.

Palek waived him aside and croaked out, "Send her in."

Sela was held tightly by two armed guards and was pushed to her
knees in front of Palek.

"Well, Sela. How is it going?" Palek asked with a squeaking
voice.

"Bad," Sela answered annoyed

"You're honest; that's a good start," he said with difficulty.
"What brings you here?"

"A female, Human ambassador told me some remarkable things. She
said you could verify them for me. I want to find out, whether she
speaks the truth or not," Sela answered with hostility.

"Hmm. What is this ambassador's name?"

"Dana Scully. Oh, she said to tell you something: 'Purity',"
Sela said calming down. A sudden silence filled the room,
indicating to Sela she had pushed the right button.

"Really," Palek managed. "How's your mother, Sela?"

Sela spit on the floor in disgust. "My mother is dead. And I
will have nothing to do with her!" she exclaimed with bitterness.

"Too bad," Palek stated. "I knew your mother, remarkable woman.
Sacrificed herself so her crew could live. Than you throw a
tantrum when she tried to escape with you, and she was executed.
Must have been tough on you; knowing that you're partially
responsible for her death."

"No, I was glad when they killed her. Never wanted to have
anything to do with her and anything Human ever again," Sela said,
vehemently.

"I wonder," Palek croaked. "Whether that's real, or just
something you made up to believe in later in your life."

Sela was shocked again as flashes of memories she didn't want
entered her mind. "That's what she said," Sela blurted out
shocked, but regained control quickly.

"What did she tell you?" Palek managed, it became more
difficult to talk by the minute for him. Occasionally his strength
would return to him, only to slip away again soon after.

"That the humans who created the virus and attacked us were
bitter enemies of today's humans. That they thought they had all
been dead, but that they were wrong. And thus we ended the war
with them," Sela said intimidated.

"That is true," Palek answered as he sunk himself deep in
thought. Sela's face filled with shock, reality threatened to be
pulled away from her. "Now comes the question about what to do
with you."

"We can't let her join us, sir. We cannot risk it, her past is
too dubious," the man directly below Palek in the hierarchy stated
powerfully.

"I know, I'm not senile you know," Palek said a bit angry.
"Sela, I am not in the position to find out if you're worthy, so
give me a good reason why you think you are."

"I am loyal. I have proven that, I think," Sela answered him.

"Loyal to the Romulan people or to the military?" Palek croaked
out once more.

"The people, of course," Sela said without hesitation.

"Are you certain about that?" Palek asked with a grin.

"Yes," Sela answered convinced.

"Sharvuta, leave us, this is not for your ears," Palek ordered
weakly.

"But . . ."

"Leave," Palek said, and the group left. "The Tal Shiar was set
up to protect Romulans from a terrible secret and the virus that
the Humans used to attack us. I'm setting up a new group to carry
on those goals, as you can see. The Tal Shiar is corrupt, like
most of the Romulan government. Luckily I have been able to keep
this knowledge from them. The Humans have built a similar
organization, even now they protect us all from the virus."

"Sela, I see in you great potential, but I do not know if you
will ever let it out," Palek groaned. "I cannot make that
judgement, but I can send you to people who can. Which leads to
the question; how far are you willing to go?"

"If Romulus needs to be protected against this virus that's
still around, all the way," Sela answered with utmost certainty.

"Are you certain about that?" Palek asked voice cracking. "You
will be submitted to a grueling training regime, and tested
psychologically, by the very people you hate: Humans. And if they
decide you're not good enough or not worthy enough they won't let
you go; they will kill you."

"I understand, but if that what it takes to help protect
Romulus, I will do it," Sela answered solemnly.

"Good, then," Palek said, looking into her eyes. "Find the
organization called Section 31. How someone goes about doing that,
I have no idea. Perhaps use the number, or the code word the
ambassador gave you. You see, the problem is that the organization
does not exist."

"Ok," Sela answered confused. She thought at first that the old
man really had become senile, but changed her mind when she saw
the strength in his eyes.

"Now, go," Palek said. "And don't forget the code word. It's
probably the only thing that will keep you from getting killed as
soon as they find you."

"Yes, sir," she answered, not entirely sure what to do now.

*****

Dreamland 2
Section 31 Headquarters

Section 31 needed to be expanded and reorganized, thought
Admiral Brand as he read the report about the incident. The
Ambassador had saved them all from destruction. But it should
never have come this far. Section should have found the bastard
and stopped him a long time ago. Yes, the reorganizing he had been
vying for would begin once he submitted his recommendation and
report to Starfleet.

The door chimed and as he looked up from PADD he said, "Come."

Ensign Tarka entered and said, "Sir. We have her."

"Send her in," Brand ordered. Two men pushed a a blonde woman
into his office and sat her down in the chair. Brand waved and
they left.

*This is getting tiresome,* Sela thought about her rough entry.
When Brand didn't say a word, she said, "I'm supposed to tell you,
'Purity'." When he still didn't say a word, she began to fidget.

"So, how much do you exactly know?" Brand finally asked.

"Not very much, bits and pieces. The relationship between
Romulus and the Federation isn't what it seems to be, due to the
fact that you are enemies of the Humans that initially attacked
Romulus with a deadly virus. You keep all of us safe from said
virus, but that is all, I don't even know a drop more," Sela
answered, glad he finally spoke.

"You would like to know more, I take it. And help protect?
Hmm?" Brand asked, as gently turned the seat of his chair from
left to right in a hypnotic fashion. Brand placed his hands
together and regarded Sela for a moment as she answered
affirmative.

"Fine," Brand decided. "We'll check whether you have the goods
to become a productive member of our organization. I'll send you
to our training camp." Brand tapped his commbadge and said,
"Somebody get her, and send her to Japan. We'll see where training
her leads."

The door opened and an Andorian entered. "Follow me," he said.
Sela got up and followed him, relieved things were finally moving
on.

When Brand was alone once more he pushed a button on his
computer. A Japanese middle aged woman appeared on screen. "Did
you follow all that, Mai?" Brand asked.

"Yes, I did," she answered.

"Agree with my decision," Brand asked curiously.

"On training Sela and the reorganization I agree with you on
both," Mai answered.

"Remarkable woman, isn't she?" Brand asked with serious
expression.

"The ambassador, you mean? Absolutely, she's Ninja, you know.
Trained with us, trained her partially myself even, and she in
turn trained all of us in things we didn't know. It got us to
understand we were a bit too isolated, and then when we decided
to come out of that isolation she introduced us to Section 31,
and, as you know, we became trainers Section 31 operatives," Mai
explained to Brand.

"Really? I didn't know she trained with you," Brand said,
filing the information away. "How long ago was that?"

"Over thirty-five years ago. She hasn't aged a day, as you well
know. But I have no desire to know her secret," Mai said without
humor.

"Well, keep me posted on Sela's progress, or lack thereof
should it prove to be the case. Brand out," the Admiral said and
turned off the transmission. He leaned back in his chair,
stretched himself, yawned, and decided he had been up for too long
and went to bed.

The End

More notes: Well, that's it. If you've read my earlier stories
you're starting to notice a pattern in the Epilogues, aren't you?
Well, let me keep you guessing. (Heh, heh. Bastard aren't I?)
Anyway next up is the actual sequel to 'Wormhole Dead Ahead'
called 'Two Little Ships, Far Far Away.' Once that's finished I'll
start the Ezri Quadrology, chronologing Dax's brush with
Immortals, and the answer to why Dana knew about Dax all the way
back in the 23rd century.

Want to sent me feedback? Want to sent me unrelenting praise? Or
just bug the hell out of me, write me at: [email protected]