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 As well traveled as he was, Keren had never been to Klaestron before. It was an interesting planet with a sorted history, which in no small part had to do with its position between two major powers. Still, the nature of Keren’s business was liable to take him to all corners of the quadrant and in the case of Klaestron it was a shipment of rare and not entirely legal biological compounds on behalf of some rather rich medical researcher.  It was an easy run, the pay was good, and Keren had taken the Viridian Expanse to much rougher and more dangerous places.  That, in and of itself, was unusual. It had been a while since the Expanse had a run that didn’t involve political intrigue, gangsters, or otherwise getting shot at.  What was more unusual was what came afterwards.  

Timek, the Expanse’s first mate had mentioned receiving a message from an old contact of his that just happened to be operating on Klaestron. It struck the young Romulan hybrid that a Reman like Timek would have friends on the other side of Federation space but odd was almost an expectation in his line of work. Still, Keren couldn’t help but be curious as he and Timek approached a compound on the outskirts of Klaestron IV’s capital.

“So who is this person we’re meeting again?” Keren asked.

“A Lissepian named Nasir.” Timek responded with his usual curtness. “And since I can anticipate your next question, we met during the Dominon War. My unit stormed a compound where he was being held by the Jem’hadar. He thinks I saved his life and we’ve been in contact ever since.”

Keren arched an eyebrow. “You never struck me as the type to go out of the way to save someone without a good reason.”

Timek shrugged. “I was doing my duty. The fact that he thanked me afterwards and remains friendly is on him. Besides, in our line of work it never hurts to have friends in all sorts of places.”

“What’s his usual business?” Keren inquired.

“All sorts of things,” the Reman answered, “but his family has traditionally been miners and metallurgists.”

Keren looked over to Timek quizzically as they approached the compound’s entrance. “Doesn’t sound like our usual clientele. Why would he need our services?”

“Excellent question.” Timek replied. The Reman then keyed the comm panel at the compound’s gate. After the panel did a brief scan of the pair, the gate opened.

Keren immediately was hit with the smell of acrid smoke from one end of the compound which was dotted with industrial buildings. The distinctive odor of several large smelting furnaces wafted through the air. Nearest the gate was what looked like a combination residence and administrative building. As Timek and Keren approached, a well-dressed, middle-aged Lissepian walked out of the building and greeted the Reman warmly.

“Timek my friend, it is good to see you in person again after all this time. You seem to have done well for yourself.”

The Reman gave a slight smile and nodded. “Indeed it is Nasir. And I see you’ve expanded a bit since we last spoke.”

Nasir chuckled. “Quite a bit, and this is only where we do the rare metals and more delicate alloys. We have a much larger facility in the industrial sector a few kilometers away. Business has been good.”

“That is good to hear,” Timek replied. “May I introduce Keren tr’Serov, my ship’s Captain.”

Keren gave a slight nod. “It is a pleasure to meet you sir.”

Nasir grinned widely as he gestured towards the structure and started walking. “Come, Timek has told me much about you. I’m told you have quite the reputation as transporter of rare and exotic goods with the utmost discretion.” 

Keren nodded as he followed the Lissepian into the building. “So I’ve been told. You buying or selling?”

“We’ll talk inside, come, you must be thirsty after your trip from the city.” Nasir’s voice held a twinge of anxiety in with his outwardly jovial nature, something that was normal with clients who needed a smuggler. Keren simply nodded and followed Nasir into the building, Timek close behind.

The pair were led to a well-appointed office at the rear of the structure. Most notable in the room was a large elliptical desk made of several different metals polished to an intense shine. It was accented more by natural light pouring through the massive windows with a view of the forested hills beyond. Nasir gestured to a pair of opulent metal chairs on one side of the desk while the Lissepian sat down opposite them. As the three sat, a younger male Klaestron brought in a tray with several metal cups and placed one down in front of each man. Keren picked up the cup and smelled the liquid inside before taking a sip.

“Betazed peach nectar.” Keren stated with a slight smile. “You are a man of taste as Timek said.”

Nasir smiled back. “I’ve heard you’re quite fond of it as well.”

“I wonder where you got that idea.” Keren glanced at Timek who simply winked in response.

“So, now that we’re here, to business then.” Nasir took a breath as his face turned to a far more serious expression. “I have what you might refer to as a sensitive consignment that has to go to a rather discerning client that is in need of the utmost discretion and needs the goods delivered to a rather dangerous local. There are not many who have both the skills and the assets you posess.”

Keren’s face also straightened as he chimed in. “So you need a cloaked transport?”

Nasir gave a slight nod. “Such a vessel would be useful for this contract, yes. I’m also told you will operate no questions asked if compensated appropriately.”

Keren tilted his head slightly. “Well, not no questions asked, but essential questions only. Is the cargo hazardous or require special handling?”

“No.” Nasir answered.

“Is the cargo alive?” Keren asked next.

“No, but wouldn’t that be covered by the first question?” Nasir asked.

“You’d be surprised.” Timek responded. “We’re still cleaning one of our holds after someone neglected to mention the crate of Cardassian fighting voles.”

“That would do it.” Nasir responded.

“Last question.” Keren interjected. “How powerful are the people I’ll be pissing off if I’m caught?”

“Quite powerful.” Nasir answered.

Keren nodded. “I can work with that. How much?”

Nasir slid a PADD across the table. “I think you’ll find that quite acceptable for the risk. Forty percent up front, remainder on confirmation of delivery.”

Keren picked up the PADD, looked at it for a moment, and nodded. “It is. Are those the coordinates of the delivery?”

“Yes.” Nasir responded. “Deneb sector between Breen and Ferengi territory.”

Keren didn’t seem to react to the location. He’d heard from various sources that the Breen and Federation were fighting again in that region and that there’d been rumors of Jem’hadar ships seen in the region. It was definitely a dangerous place to be, but that also meant there’d be quite the profit to be had. As the Ferengi said, war is good for business.”

“Pickup instructions are also included. You’ll be given two manifests, the actual one and a cover manifest. The actual manifest will be encrypted by a key provided by the buyer. Please refrain from trying to copy or decrypt the manifest. As I said, the buyer is quite particular.”

“If I’m supposed to be making this delivery cloaked, how will the buyer know to pickup the merchandise?” Keren asked.

“When you arrive at the coordinates, transmit a tightbeam communication to the nearby relay station. The buyer will contact you.”    

“Makes sense. Time frame?” Keren asked.

“As soon as possible, ideally by the end of next week.” The Lissepian responded as Keren sipped his nectar.

“Should be doable.” Timek answered.

“Agreed.” Keren added. “Might have to buy off a couple of Daimons to slip through Ferengi space, but their sensor nets are prone to having exploitable holes. Anything else?”

“Just follow the instructions precisely,” Nasir said. This buyer is liable to get grumpy if there are any hold ups or problems.”

 Keren and Timek nodded in understanding. After Keren took another generous sip of the nectar, he stood up followed shortly thereafter by Timek.

“We should get to it then.” Keren said with smile. “Pleasure meeting you.”

The Lissepian stood and gave a slight bow. “Pleasure meeting you also.”

==Viridian Expanse, Bridge ==

There wasn’t much more boring than transiting deep space. Shiren had always held that opinion, even during his time in the Star Navy. No planets, no nebulae or gas clouds, not even a monochromatic asteroid to look at. Just the infinite expanse of black accented with spots of light. The route they were taking along the Federation border didn’t even present any interesting navigational challenges. So all in all it was an extremely boring transit for the Viridian Expanse’s pilot.

Just the way he wanted it.

The thing was, on a civilian ship that was always operating on the edges of the laws of several governments, even down time was liable to be a bit hectic. You never knew when you’d have to up and leave a place quickly or otherwise have to make your self scarce. The same could have been said about being in the fleet, but Shiren found it much worse on the Expanse. The scum of the universe were much less polite when it came to people’s schedules. If that wasn’t enough, being an older ship, the Expanse could be finnicky at times and develop mechanical and technical issues at any time. Thus, downtime was often interrupted by surprise repairs or having to scrounge for a part, despite the twin Naussican engineers’ best efforts.

Out here in the black though, life was much easier. True the ship could still burst in to flame at any time, but the likelihood of being stabbed in the back by whatever client the captain pissed off this week was much less. Thus, Shiren had time to ponder, be it the most efficient way to get some place, the events going on in the area, or what trouble was waiting for them at the next port.

The last two are what had him worried this time.

While sitting on the bridge, Shiren has been rapping his fingers nervously against the navigation console. This job had him anxious, more so than usual. While it wasn’t odd for the captain to take on an unknown cargo from someone he barely knew, there was something about this particular circumstance that got his attention. While Shiren had been on a couple runs to Bajor and surrounding systems, it was unusual for the ship to be operating on this side of the quadrant. They were used to the area around the Romulan successor states, despite their instabilities. They knew the players there, they knew who be wary of. Same for the systems on the Federation and even Klingon side of the border. Heck, they even knew their way around Orion space. The same couldn’t be said for this side of the galaxy. Cardassian space was a political minefield these days, you never know who you might run afoul of as loyalties shifted. Ferengi space might not be as cutthroat as it used to be, but you never knew who still practiced the old ways. The Breen, to put it mildly, were the Breen. It was hard to tell what you might get out of them, but it was sure to be bad. And that was before current events.

One of the things Shiren had been doing to pass time on the bridge was to listen to the local comm traffic. There wasn’t much good coming out of the Deneb sector, where they were headed, right now. The Breen had been raiding and occupied Federation worlds along the border. Rumors even suggested that Dominion ships were sighted in the area and were supporting the Breen invasion. There were competing theories on what was going on. Some say the Dominion left a stay behind force to strike at the right time. Others say the Breen found a cache of Dominion ships somewhere after the war. The most wild rumors suggested that the Dominion fleet was made up of reinforcements that were sent through the Bajoran wormhole during the war but never reached the Alpha Quadrant. It didn’t really matter what theory you believed though, one thing was clear. The Breen were more dangerous than they had been in decades. And the Viridian Expanse was headed right to their borders.

As he was staring out into the black on the viewscreen, Shiren could hear someone sit down on the bridge behind him. He didn’t react at first, figuring it was probably Timek or the Boss coming in to check something and move on. They did that regularly and Shiren thought it best not to disturb them. He did glance back though when he heard someone speak.

“Well, you look tense.” The voice was that of Livanna, the newest addition to the Expanse’s crew. Shiren hadn’t interacted with her much as she kept to herself most of the time. Still, she seemed capable if a bit naïve at times.

“I guess.” Shiren answered. “Can’t help it I’m afraid.”

The pilot wasn’t really interested in a conversation at the moment and preferred to be alone with his thoughts. Besides, he tended to avoid idle chatter anyway, a habit he’d gained while in the fleet since the wrong talk could get you in trouble. Livanna, on the other hand, did want to talk.

“Me too,” Livanna said.

Shiren turned his chair to look at the younger woman and crossed his arms at the wrist. “First time doing a mystery job for a mystery client?”

Livanna nodded. “Yes, but that’s not what has me worried.”

Shiren looked puzzled for a moment. “Flying into a volatile area without knowing who you’re dealing with or what you’re doing for them doesn’t concern you?”

Livanna plopped down at one of the sensor stations on the other side of the bridge and continued. “Well, it kind of does. But diving into the unknown is what I always did as a scientist. It wasn’t always safe and there were several times I didn’t realize what I was into until it was already getting dangerous. I don’t see this as much different.”

Shiren scoffed. “I think the fact that we’re both here proves that once you add people into the equation things can get far more complicated and chaotic than even the deepest scientific mysteries.”

“What do you mean?” Livanna inquired.

“Did the boss ever tell you how I ended up on his crew?” Shiren asked. When the woman shook her head in the negative, the pilot continued. “It’s not a story I like to tell, but here goes. I once had a promising career in the Imperial Star Navy, well before the latest incarnation of the Star Empire destroyed itself. I was a Centurion on the Warbird Velal and its chief pilot. My commander frequently said I was likely to get my own command in the not to distant future and was actively looking for ships that needed a first officer. Then one day our ship was being reviewed by some Senator and her entourage. One of her staff asked me a question about some political matter and I stupidly gave an honest answer, one the Senator heard and didn’t like. She confronted me, I stubbornly defended my position, and there went my career. A few weeks later I was drummed out of the service on some trumped up charges.”

Livanna simply nodded along with the story, finally commenting at the end. “I wish I could say that was my first time hearing such a story, but sadly, it isn’t. And I do see the parallels to my own life I suppose.”

“Taking a stand and ticking off the wrong people is always dangerous,” Shiren responded. “You did it because it was the right thing to do, I did it because I was young and arrogant. I don’t think either of us knew the consequences of it when we did it, but in the end it bit us back ways we didn’t expect.”

“Thankfully the captain made it hurt less, at least he did for me.” Livanna responded. “But I wonder, what does that have to do with our current situation?”

The pilot thought for a moment as it was a good question. After a few seconds, he responded.

“Well, I guess I worry he’ll make the same mistake.”

“I suppose you have a point there.” Livanna answered.

“Boss only takes contracts like this when he thinks he is confident the profit is worth the risk.” Shiren added.

“The riskier the road, the greater the profit,” Livanna interjected. “That’s what the Ferengi say at least.”

“Never figured you for the type to quote the Rules of Acquisition.” Shiren said with a smile. “You might have a future in this business. What I’m hoping is that the boss also remembers them because the one I’m worried about is Number 125 I think.”

“You can’t make a deal if you’re dead,” Livanna replied quickly. “Good point. This is a particularly volatile situation and being in the dark could put us at a disadvantage.”

Shiren nodded. “People get jittery in a conflict zone, trust me, I know. Everyone is on edge and assumes the worst right off the bat. Even the most logical Vulcan might not think a situation through when they feel threatened. Us being out of place in the area just makes a dicey situation more likely if something goes wrong, even more so if the Breen or even the Dominion are involved. For all we know could be delivering weapons or the like to one side or the other and I think you can science out what happens if the other side catches wind of it.”

The pilot’s voice got increasingly more anxious and agitated as he spoke. This job terrified him more every time he thought about it and he just wanted it to be done. Livanna, on the other hand, seemed remarkably calm as they talked.

“I have to believe the captain knows what he’s doing,” the woman stated. “There’s a good chance he knows more than he’s letting on about the situation.” 

As Livanna spoke, Shiren saw someone enter the bridge and walk up behind Livanna. Shiren was trying to make a motion to interrupt, but Livanna didn’t notice and kept talking.

“He always seems to be one step ahead of a situation. Besides, from what I hear, Timek is the captain’s sitter so to speak. He would never let the captain take a job that was beyond his abilities.”

“And where exactly did you hear that, might I ask?”

Livanna turned around to see the distinctive figure of Keren behind her with a quizzical look on his face. She stopped suddenly and looked up at him with a bit of shock. She stammered a bit before replying.

“Captain, I didn’t mean. I meant you have my full confidence.”

Keren scowled at the young woman. “I heard what you said and know what you meant.”

Livanna started to get a bit flush. “I, I didn’t offend you, did I? If so…”

Keren cut the science officer off, “No, you did not. Your words were totally accurate. Timek would stop me for sure if he thought I was putting the ship and crew in undue harm. That’s a first officer’s job. But ‘sitter’? Where’d you hear that sort of talk from?”

“Not me.” Shiren interjected from the flight control station as he turned around to face the viewscreen again.

“You know better,” the captain answered. “Was it Grokka? I bet it was Grokka.”

Livanna’s eyes darted about in confusion. “Is Grokka the tall one or the taller one? I keep getting the Naussicans mixed up.”

Shiren couldn’t help but chuckle at Livanna’s answer, but the captain wasn’t amused.

“Knock it off up there Shiren, I’m not convinced it wasn’t you anyway.”

“Sorry boss,” Shiren replied, stifling a grin.

Keren then turned his attention back to Livanna. “I know you’re a bit new here and probably a bit nervous about this whole mission. I would be surprised if anyone is feeling good about it. Just stay sharp and we’ll all get through this and get paid, go find a pub somewhere, and wait for this whole mess to blow over.”

Livanna smiled and nodded. “I understand sir.”

Keren returned the nod. “One last thing, on this ship, hear all, trust nothing.”

The woman smiled and turned back to her station. “One hundred and ninetieth rule.”

==Viridian Expanse – Bridge ==

Timek was not the sort that typically showed any level of anxiety. That was pretty normal for a Reman, particularly those that remembered what life was like before the supernova. Showing any sort of weakness was liable to be exploited either by the other Remans or their Romulan overlords. He has also been a Reman Commando and had fought in the Dominion War. Someone like that was expected to have no fear and to charge into any circumstances without a second thought. He’d been in some of the most brutal campaigns of the Dominion War and some of the bloodiest engagements of the post-supernova chaos. One would expect him to be hardened.

That didn’t stop him from being anxious about this job.

Outwardly, the Reman’s anxiety showed itself in barely perceptible ways. A subtle rapping of his fingers on the console, a twitch of an eye, and a tightly clenched jaw were the most observable signs. In his mind though, it would be crystal clear to any telepath that he was quite anxious. Timek was trying to think of every way the mission could go wrong and devise a contingency, and a contingency if that went wrong. His thoughts were racing all over the place and thus he barely heard Shiren call to him from the front of the Bridge.

“Timek,” the pilot shouted. “You with us back there.”

The Reman took a breath and then scowled back at Shiren.

“Of course, what’s going on?” Timek wasn’t exactly lying, but his focus had been elsewhere.

“We’re approaching the range of long-range sensors in the vicinity of our destination. We should probably cloak before, well, anyone figures out we’re out here.”

“Agreed.” Timek entered a series of commands and then keyed his console and replied, “Cloak engaged.”

The tell-tale shimmering sound and dimming of the ambient lights indicated the cloak had engaged properly. Nodding in satisfaction he keyed a couple more commands and then activated the internal comms.

“Oy boss.” Timek stated as he keyed the captain’s communicator.

“Go ahead.” Keren’s voice echoed through the bridge comm station.

“We’ve just gone dark,” Timek said.  “Long range sensors showed no ships in the area, but we’ve been observing multiple comm frequencies and there may be a Ferengi patrol near where we’re planning to cross their border.”

“I’d be sending out extra patrols if I were them, given the circumstances.” Keren responded.

“I concur.” Timek replied. “They shouldn’t pose much of an issue though.”

“Agreed,” Keren answered. “How long to the border?”

“Twelve hours, present speed. Another six to the rendezvous coordinates.” Timek knew Keren would probably ask.

“Good. Could you come to my quarters a moment?”  Keren’s voice seemed perplexed by something.

“Of course, be right there.” The Reman replied before keying off the comms.

Shiren looked back and nodded as Timek started the short walk back from the Bridge to the captain’s cabin. After announcing his presence, Timek was promptly admitted. He noticed Keren’s desk was even more of a mess than usual. PADDs were stacked haphazardly all over the desk and there was a small pool of spilled raktajino right next to the holoprojector. Timek couldn’t quite make out what exactly was being projected above the desk from the door but could once he stepped in and closed the door. Keren, for his part, had an odd look about him, seemingly equal parts exhausted and confused. After a few silent seconds, it was Timek who spoke first.

“Are you still trying to crack that manifest?”

Keren sighed and nodded. “I figured by now I could at least figure out who’s encryption protocols they are. That would at least tell me something about who we’re dealing with. But after looking at samples of every military, corporate, and even criminal protocol in our extensive database, I don’t even have an inkling as to what this is.”

Timek stared at the images and looked for a moment like he might recognize something Keren had missed, but the look vanished just as quickly.

“Not exactly my area of expertise.” As far as Keren knew that was a true statement, but Timek had seen more than a fair few encrypted messages. “Why are you so interested in cracking it anyway? The buyer would almost certainly know if you did.”

Keren breathed deeply before responding. “While this is far from the first time I’ve delivered unknown cargo to an unknown buyer, something about this seems different.”

“Been awhile since we’ve been in the middle of an active conflict.” Timek stopped himself as he answered. “Well, unless you count Psi Valorum.”

“That’s part of it for sure.” Keren responded as he manipulated the holograms some more. “But there’s something else at play here. Part of why I went to the holds.”

Timek glared straight at Keren and his voice turned sharp. “You didn’t open anything down there, did you?”

“Relax Timek.” Keren replied. “Even if I’d wanted to, the seals were too difficult to get around without evidence of tampering a Pakled would notice. It was the crates themselves that interested me. The fact that they were of a Cardassian military model wasn’t that odd, but they were older than I’d expect and had unusually little wear.”

Timek  arched an eyebrow. “That is a bit odd but doesn’t tell us much. Who knows what someone like Nasir could get his hands on.”

“True.” Keren’s voice sounded less than convinced. “Lissepeans were known to deal with the Cardassians, particularly in matters the Central Command would prefer to be off the books. Does seem odd though give his line of business though. Still, a curiosity at most.”

“Agreed,” Timek replied. “Not sure you’re going to learn anything you don’t already know from staring at this much further. You probably should get some sleep”

“Yeah yeah.” Keren let out an exasperated sigh. “You really are becoming my sitter.”

Timek’s face looked confused a moment, but then turned to a wry smile. “I’ll tell Grokka you said that.”

==Klaestron IV – Nasir’s Office==

It had been a long day for Nasir. For starters one of his largest smelters had malfunctioned and he’s been scrambling to get repair parts and calm clients who were awaiting their shipments. He’d just poured a large glass of Saurian brandy as he finished up his day’s paperwork and checked his messages. One of them had given him a slight bit of satisfaction, so maybe the day wasn’t all lost. Just as he was about to turn in for the night, he heard the familiar beeping of the intercom. With an audible sigh, he keyed it and spoke.

“What is it?”

“Sorry boss, but HE is calling.” His assistant’s word’s made Nasir sigh even more deeply. He immediately knew who his assistant was referring to and conversations with the individual were rarely pleasant. Shaking his head, Nasir keyed in some commands and a non-distinct hologram appeared over the ornate metal desk.

“It’s late here, you know that right?” Nasir asked with clear frustration.

The caller was clearly unimpressed. “I’m told you have a report.”

Nasir nodded. “I received word from the courier that your consignment is nearing the destination.”

“Good.” The voice replied sternly. “You used the ones we discussed, the Reman and the Romulan hybrid, right?”

“Yes.” Nasir answered. “I’ll remind you they came highly recommended.”

“We’ll see if they live up to their reputation.” The voice seemed somewhat less sharp, but still stern and serious. “Do you think they suspect what they’re carrying and to whom?”

Nasir shook his head. “I took all the usual precautions and then some. Besides, I’m not sure it would matter if they knew. Both are well known for getting the job done regardless of the circumstances.

“Perhaps.” The voice was growing less agitated. “But this is all too sensitive to take chances. Something going wrong could cause huge problems for everyone.”

Nasir did his best to look and sound unconcerned. “Keren will get the job done, even the Breen don’t scare him.”

“It’s not the Breen I’m worried about.”

==Viridian Expanse – Bridge ==

It was fairly unusual for the bridge of the Expanse to be fully manned. Under normal conditions, only one or two of the command crew would normally be on the deck to make sure things were operating normally. However, as they were approaching their destination and given the surrounding circumstances, Keren thought it best to have all hands available. Shiren and Grokka were seated in front of him at the helm and operations console, the latter fidgeting in the seat as the station was not designed for someone of the Nausicaan engineer’s size. Timek was behind him to the right at the tactical station and Livanna behind to the left at the main sensor console. Keren, for his part, was watching several data streams on holographic displays in front of him with a tactical and sensor display to the side.

As they traveled deeper into the Deneb Sector and neared their destination, they started getting more and more reports of what was going on there. Actual reports, not whatever the media was putting out. Since information had always been a part of his business, Keren paid attention to whatever was going on and had been reading everything he could decrypt. Battle reports, supply requisitions, casualty lists, and more than a few desperate calls for help were streaming across his console on the bridge. While it was still unclear exactly what was going on in the area, it was clearly more than a few isolated raids. Whole colonies were being overrun, fleets being destroyed, and all manner of destruction was occurring.

And there was nothing Keren could do about it.  

That was something that was becoming rather commonplace for him, getting into places where people were dying all around and all he could do was make sure he wasn’t caught up in it.  He’d dodged having to pick a side in Psi Valorum by using a loophole, but in the end, there wasn’t anything he could really do to even make a dent in what was happening, all he could do was make sure he didn’t suffer. He avoided the risk rather than face it. Freecloud, well that was different, but again his actions were more driven by staying out of a bigger situation. It was so much easier when the hardships were distant and when other people were at risk. This time, he was going to be in the line of fire at, if things went as he suspected, there would be staying out of this conflict.

While still watching the data stream on one monitor, he noticed something on the long-range sensors on a nearby monitor. Switching his full attention to the sensor display, Keren stared at the screen and his eyes went wide.

“Shiren, do you see what I’m seeing? Zero-one-five mark fifteen.” The pilot keyed a command and then nodded. “Yes boss, massive debris field at the edge of sensor range, just off our course, though not far from our rendezvous coordinates.”

Keren nodded and responded. “Slow to impulse and check the cloak.”

As the Expanse dropped out of warp, Keren’s fingers rapped against his console for a moment before putting the sensor images on the main viewer and keyed off his holo displays. Keren’s jaw went slack as he surveyed the carnage. Images of scorched metal and broken hulls filled the display. Fires and sparks from damaged power relays added specks of light to that of the surrounding stars. No one on the bridge spoke for several seconds before Timek spoke up.

“Boss, while we can’t use all our sensors under cloak, I have determined that the debris contains both Federation and Breen hull composites. Can’t tell how many ships, but this was a rather large engagement.”

Keren nodded. “That tracks with what I’ve been reading. Both sides are operating near the Vadlox Nebula.”

“But what could they have been fighting over out here?” Livanna asked in a curious but concerned tone. “We’re quite a ways from any major colony or station.”

“General engagement probably,” Shiren chimed in as he deftly maneuvered the Expanse through the debris. “Two patrols spotted each other and engaged most likely. No specific target, just a chance encounter as both sides were scouting.”

“Shiren is probably correct but…” Timek seemed a bit put off by something he was seeing. “Boss, I think there might be…Dominion ships here as well.”

Keren didn’t immediately respond as his eyes were fixed on the screen. He simply took several deep breaths. It had been a long time since he’d been in a situation like this, not since the supernova. He’d done his best to avoid scenes such as these. Sure, he’d run into a wreck every so often in the regular course of business, but not a graveyard like this. The young hybrid was being pulled into a memory he’d rather not be and he was having a hard time shaking it. He could barely hear the talking around him as he processed what he was seeing, but there were words that got his attention.

“Have you all ever seen anything like this?” Livanna asked from her station.

“Once. Last job with Orions.” Grokka said. “Hiding from spoonheads after transport raid. Wasn’t fun, pilot was bad, broke ship.” The Nausicaan didn’t talk much, but she had seen her fair share of unpleasantness.

“Of course.” Timek replied. “It’s not something you readily forget. Chin’toka was the worst. Looked exactly like this, only bigger. Your eyes only see the metal, the inorganic masses, but your mind can’t help but see the spirits of all those who manned those inanimate objects. Was even worse for those who had keener minds.”

Livanna gave an understanding nod. “I can’t imagine. Keren, I know you were too young in to be in the war, but what about you?”

Timek tried to cut off Livanna before she directly asked Keren, but it was too late. Keren for his part tried to remain calm as his mind swirled, his eyes still locked on the screen. It took a moment for him to speak, but when he did, only one word came out.

“Mars.”

Most of the crew, all aside from Timek and maybe Shiren, were not aware that a teenage Keren had seen the attack, or more accurately its aftermath, on the fourth planet of the Sol system. He was just a cadet in the merchant vessel training program at the time. He was among a group of cadets traveling with a diplomatic and technical delegation to review plans for the evacuation of the home system. The goal was to reassure the youth of Romulus that the Federation was helping and that they would have a future. The actual outcome was quite the opposite.

When the actual attack happened, Keren and the other cadets had just finished touring Jupiter Station and were getting ready to head to Utopia Planitia. When word got out as to what was happening above Mars, the cadets were all paying attention to the system’s media feeds and were, like everyone on board the transport, trying to figure out what happened. Keren sat transfixed to the monitors, much like he was now, simply staring at the destruction. His thoughts then and now swirled much like the shattered debris. The difference was that then, in the Sol system, his thoughts weren’t just on the many who had died in the attack but with the millions more that would likely die two years later as a result. It was a thought no mind should ever have to bear, never mind one so young.

Keren was numb the whole trip home, unable to fully comprehend what he’d seen. All he could do was simply watch whatever stories came through to the transport and try to understand. So much death in the present, so much more in the future, and no time to really grieve as the Star Empire had no choice but to resort to other means to try and save their people. It would fall to all Romulans, even the young Keren to pull together without the Federation’s help.

These weren’t memories that were easily shaken loose.

The crew’s reaction to Keren’s words were mixed. Shirren simply gulped at the thought. He was younger than Keren and was just a child when the Mars incident occurred. He still appreciated the gravity of what happened there and didn’t have much difficulty figuring out that Keren was most likely being triggered by what he was seeing. Grokka was still quiet, but whipped around and gave Livanna a steely glare. She didn’t know nor care to know much about Keren’s past, but she could tell Livanna’s question had triggered something in the captain and that it wasn’t good.

It was Timek though that finally broke the silence on the bridge. Standing up to his full height Timek looked right into Livanna’s eyes and spoke sternly.

“The boss has seen more death than even I have, even if his experiences were indirect. I advise you don’t pursue this topic further at this time.” Once he finished, Timek moved to Keren’s side.

“It’s why we no do salvage,” Grokka added.

“But I just, I didn’t,” Livanna responded meekly, but a glare from Timek stopped her cold. “Understood.”

Keren didn’t react to Timek at first, he was still frozen in thought. The Reman simply left one hand on Keren’s shoulder while reaching over to shut off the main viewer. Keren made no move to stop him and an instant later the image of the debris field disappeared. He then looked to Shiren.

“Are we at the coordinates yet?”

Shiren nodded. “Yes. Right where we should be.”

“Breen comm relay detected at zero-four-five mark two-five. Ninety-five thousand kilometers.” Livanna added in.

“Then let’s get this over with. Shiren, station keeping please.” Keren finally snapped out of his trance when Timek touched him. Keren keyed up some commands on his command station and after a confirmatory beep from the comm system, he spoke again.

“Signal sent. Everyone stay alert.”

Keren took the next few moments to regain his composure. His mind still wanted to dwell on what he’d just seen, but there was a job to do, and he needed his focus. There was plenty of time later to dwell on the past. Timek always knew the right way to snap him back into the present, though how he did it was still a bit of a mystery. Keren took a few deep breaths and then keyed back on his holo displays. As he did so, Livanna shouted from the back of the bridge.

“Ships coming out of the nebula boss, big ones.”

Multiple ships were not the expected norm for something like this, but it was a warzone so whoever they were delivering to probably hired escorts. But Keren’s face grimaced a bit when he got a better view of the sensor display.

“Timek, are those what I think they are?”

The Reman seem just as surprised as Keren as he stared at the monitor in front of him. “I believe so. A Dominion battle cruiser and four Jem’hadar fighters headed this way at high impulse. Time to intercept, four minutes twenty-one seconds.”

“Dominon ships? Well that fully confirms the rumors.” Shiren chimed in. “Time to bail?”

As Shiren almost instinctively started plotting a course away from the area, Keren seemed to have a revelation. He’d already begun to suspect that the reason Nasir had been so coy about the client of this delivery had been the Breen had been involved. It wasn’t much of a stretch based on the reports they’d been seeing that the Breen might have been working on the Dominon’s behalf. Keren looked back at Timek with an a look asking for confirmation and the Reman responded with a slight nod. Keren simply sighed. 

“Not necessary Shiren. I get the distinct impression that these are our clients coming to get their merchandise.”

The only way that more air could have been sucked out of the room this quickly is if there had been a massive hull breach. No one spoke for several seconds before Grokka, oddly enough broke the silence.

“A deal is a deal.”

Keren just sighed in response. When a Nausicaan quotes Rules of Acquisition, there really is nothing left to say.

==Viridian Expanse – Bridge ==

No matter what the circumstances, it was rather difficult not to be on edge when there were several warships bearing down on you. It was harder still not to be on edge when those warships were manned by some of the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy. Still, Keren seemed calm on the outside as the Expanse held position and waited. In the meantime, Timek calmly walked to the weapons locker at the rear of the bridge and started distributing disruptors to the bridge crew and instructed the below decks crew to arm themselves as well. 

As the Reman handed Keren his weapon, he just matter-of-factly said,” Just in case”.

Keren nodded. “Never hurts to be ready with the Jem’hadar around.”

“Boss, transmission coming in from the Dominion battlecruiser,” Shiren indicated. “Matches the security call we were told to expect by the Lissepian.”

Keren nodded and then looked to Timek. “Send the response on a tightbeam to the cruiser.”

Timek didn’t verbally respond, but his fingers tapped out the necessary commands. A moment later, he spoke up with a reply. “Response from the cruiser, text only. They’re instructing us to decloak and prepare to be boarded for inspection.”

Keren’s left eye perked up a moment. It was rather unusual for a client in a meeting such as this to want to board to inspect the merchandise. Even on the couple of occasions that he’d delivered to an active conflict zone the buyers just wanted their merchandise and vacate the area with minimal chance to trace. Still, this was the Dominion and when it came to them, the usual protocols could be thrown out an airlock. He could also faintly hear Timek still tapping at his console, though the hybrid didn’t react.

“Do as instructed.” Keren responded. The familiar shimmering of the cloak disengaging could be heard. Grokka, Timek, and Shiren all assumed defensive, but not aggressive postures as they all had a pretty good idea what was going to happen next. The Jem’hadar had a nasty habit of just popping on to your bridge as soon as they got a chance. A moment after the cloak disengaged, five figures materialized on the bridge, four Jem’hadar and a Vorta. A quick glance at a nearby console told Keren another four had beamed to the cargo bay. Both Grokka and the Jem’hadar instinctively leveled their weapons at each other, but the female Vorta spoke quickly thereafter.

“Settle down First. We’re here on business and violence should not be necessary.” The Vorta turned to Keren and gave a slight, but curt smile. “I assume you agree.”

Keren nodded and replied. “Of course. Grokka, stand down.” The Nausicaan and the Jem’hadar glared at each other for a moment before lowering their weapons. Keren then gave a slight bow to the Vorta and said, “I’m Keren tr’Serov, master of this vessel.”

The Vorta returned the gesture. “I am Narris, of the Dominion. I must say, the Breen said to expect a Romulan vessel, but I didn’t expect one of this type.”

“It’s a fairly common design,” Keren answered. “And before you ask, we’re not affiliated with any government.”

The Vorta seemed a bit skeptical but her demeanor remained pleasant. “We figured the Lissepian would use an independent ship, just not one of a type used by the military.”

Keren was a bit surprised by the statement as this particular class was already going out of use before the supernova, but he paid it little mind. “She’s served me well so far. So, I assume you’re not just here to chat.”

“Indeed not,” the Vorta answered. “We just wanted to verify the seals on the cargo and retrieve the manifest before transport.”

Timek, for his part, had anticipated the request and had already downloaded the encrypted manifest that Nasir had provided onto a PADD. The Reman promptly offered it to the Vorta who, after keying some commands on her own device returned it to the Reman. After keying a few more commands she nodded in satisfaction.  

“Well, this seems to be in order,” Narris said with a smile.  “I’m still quite curious where the Lissepian got all this.”

Keren just shrugged. “I was just paid to deliver it, no questions asked.”

Narris’ head twitched a bit at the answer. “That would explain why a Romulan vessel would make such a delivery. You’re just in it for the money.”

“War is good for business.” The 34th Rule of Acquisition was probably one of the most universally true statements of the lot. People fighting makes people like Keren a lot of money.

“Works for me,” the Vorta answered before keying a communicator. “Third, report.”

A distinctly Jem’hadar voice could be heard over the communicator. “Still verifying the seals. The Nausicaan down here has been getting in the way.”

Keren smiled as he knew Throk could be quite protective. Still, the Vorta didn’t seem too concerned.

“Make it quick, Third. We can’t afford to be here too long.”

A couple of moments passed silently. Keren and Narris exchanged pleasant, if a bit curious looks. Timek and Shirren simply returned the stoic looks from the Jem’hadar on the bridge. Grokka gave the Jem’hadar nearest her a slight growl but got no reaction from the Jem’hadar.

Eventually, the silence was broken by a beeping of the Vorta’s communicator. She lowered the eyepiece of her headwear and scowled.

“Third, we need to go. Signal the ship to transport the cargo aboard now.”

“At once.” The Jem’hadar in the hold replied.

The Vorta gave a slight nod. “Well, it’s been lovely meeting you Keren, but I’m afraid we must be going.”

A few seconds later, the Vorta and all the the Jem’hadar dematerialized. Before Keren could react, Throk’s voice came through the comm.

“We’re empty boss.”

“Acknowledged.” Keren answered before looking back to Livanna. “What the heck spooked them like that?”

A moment later, the young Romulan responded. “Additional warships headed this way.”

“Starfleet?” Keren asked.

“Negative.” Livanna answered. “Cardassian. Transponders read Third Order.”

“Cardassians! Here?” Shirren exclaimed.

“Their timing is impeccable.” Grokka half growled.

Keren took a deep breath and then started giving orders. “Shirren, plot a course towards Ferengi space. They’ll ask fewer questions.  Livanna, keep an eye on the Dominion ships as well. Timek, you have some explaining to do.”

“Boss?” The Reman seemed a bit annoyed with his captain’s question.

Keren simply turned around and glared. “As Grokka said, while Cardassians are known for their punctuality, their timing was a bit too good in this case.”

Timek sighed. “It’s not what it seems Boss.”

Keren’s look was still quite stern. “I hope not.”