Tilana had been sitting in her ready room onboard the Triumph with coffee in one hand and a PADD in the other on the couch by the window. It had been a few weeks since they arrived back at Starbase 93 from Freecloud, and the prisoners had been exchanged. The rescued xBs were relocated to the Starbase and underwent medical and counseling. What happened after that was that she had no idea what would become of them or where they go from there.

She had been avoiding having the conversation with those who were with her during the mission. She wasn’t sure how to even start with such a conversation of the past. She now wanted to put in the past but, unfortunately, is now very much in the now. She took a sip of her coffee and began to read the reports on the PADD she had in her hand, putting the issue aside for the time being.

The door chime had gone off, causing Tilana to groan at the interruption. Taking a deep breath, she set the PADD on her lap and looked up. “Come,” was all that came from her mouth before the doors parted to reveal Commander Ritru and the few who had been part of the away team down on Freecloud. Raising her eyebrows, she had a feeling about why they were there.

They all walked in and took a seat, looking a bit nervous. They seemed unsure if they should be there but needed to know the truth and what she was hiding. “Please take a seat,” she said after they had already done so. “What can I do for all of you?”

Ritru pressed her lips together, thinking of how to approach a topic of someone who wasn’t her commanding officer. “It had been a while since we returned from Freecloud. We gave you space, but I think we deserve an explanation…” she began before being cut off by Tilana with a raised hand.

“You are right, and I do owe some kind of explanation,” Tilana replied with a sigh before standing up and turning towards the window momentarily. She took a moment of silence to view the station below and the ships’ comings and goings from the system. She also used silence to think about how to start the conversation.

The others sat there patiently, waiting for Tilana to start talking. It had been a tricky subject for Tilana to openly discuss, as she had hoped things of the past would remain in the past. Still, unfortunately, it had shown its ugly face again. “As you all know, I left Romulus many years ago and joined Starfleet,” she began as she turned back and faced them.

“I had originally gone the strategic operations route before Starfleet Intelligence contacted me to do undercover operations on Freecloud.” Tilana began, “I spent many years undercover as Riheela, bringing down many black market operations.”

The others continued to listen as she explained what she had done over many years on Freecloud. “Riheela consumed me to the point where I began to lose sense of who I was. I knew I had to get out of it, and it wasn’t until the attack on Mars that they pulled me.” She said before turning to look out the window again, “I was soon on the fast track towards command and haven’t looked back.”

“So, this mission had brought back so many bad memories from your previous time on Freecloud?” Ritru asked as she began to understand Tilana more.

Tilana nodded as she remained silent for a few moments. “I knew this had to be done, as having Borg technology in the wrong hands would be catastrophic. Seeing those I worked alongside many years ago, I still found it hard.”

“At least they are being brought to justice, and you did save all those xBs destined to be…” Llaxia began and paused for a moment. “Killed by Baela for their hardware.”

“Do you think they will remain locked up and answer for their crimes?” Ritru asked curiously.

Tilana pressed her lips together while looking out the window before blowing air out of her cheeks. “Truthfully, I am not sure,” Tilana said with a shrug. Silence filled the room again momentarily before she returned to the chair and sat down. Thoughts filled her mind as she looked locked towards the portrait on the wall above her desk past those who were in the room. 

“Though if they do, I am not sure for how long. I was surprised that Kodrak had been released and was back to his old tricks.” Tilana finally spoke up from the long silence.

“With Baela now out of the picture, do you think someone else will pick up where she left off?” Ritru asked, looking at Tilana and the others in the group.

“More than likely, though it will not happen over time, I am sure someone else will pop up in her stead. It is just a matter of time,” Tilana replied, chilling at the thought. She knew that Freecloud would have that kind of activity going on and that they wouldn’t be able to stop all of the black market activities no matter how hard they all tried. They could only keep an eye on things and act when needed.

Zhayva, who had been silent the whole time, just listening to the conversations. “Thank you for telling us your story,” she said softly while looking at the others. They all stood up as there wasn’t much more that needed to be said.

They all said their goodbyes before leaving Tilana to her thoughts. Tilana stood there for a few moments, looking at the door, which closed behind the last person who had left her office. Moments passed before she sat back down, picking up the PADD she had been reading before the interruption and rereading it like she hadn’t had anyone with her moments ago. She would spend the next few hours catching up on work before turning in for the night.

Tilana, operating under the alias Riheela, had been on Freecloud for several months, her first assignment undercover. The mission had taken a toll, forcing her to delve deeper into the criminal underbelly than anticipated. Her survival hinged on maintaining her cover, not allowing even a hint of her true identity as a Starfleet officer to surface.

She walked into a local shop full of clothes and other items, looking around for the proprietor of the quant establishment. At the same time, she strolled through the racks of clothing. She began to look at them as she listened to conversations around her without seeming to be eavesdropping while still looking for the proprietor.

When people noticed her, they quietly walked out of the establishment as if they had an issue with her. “What do you want? You are driving my patrons away.” Came the voice of a Romulan woman who looked a bit young.

Tilana looked around to see who she might have been talking to, but she didn’t believe she was addressing her. Though it turned out she was, “I don’t know why I am just looking around.” Tilana said with a smile, looking at the woman with a shrug as she stood there.

“I doubt you came here to look at clothing,” Sashara replied with crossed arms.

“You seem certain of my intentions,” Tilana retorted, her voice a careful blend of nonchalance and defiance. She continued her search, her eyes scanning the room for any lingering figures. She was here for a purpose, not to peruse clothing.

“I have never known someone from the Romulan Free State like yourself come to buy clothes. You usually want information or terrorize people to get what you want.” Sashara hissed.

Silence filled the room for a few moments before Tilana let out a laugh that could make anyone cringe. “You are a funny woman,” Tilana replied, looking at the woman standing a few feet away.

“Am I wrong?” Sashara asked as she shifted her body.

“No,” Tilana plainly said, looking at her.

“Then what do you want?”

“Information, what else?” Tilana replied, rolling her eyes as if she was suggesting that the woman was a bit slow. “Can we talk somewhere more,” she started looking around. “A bit more private?”

“Do I have a choice?” she said with a wave at the rhetorical question that didn’t need an answer. She began to lead Tilana to the back room. There, she sat down in her chair next to her small desk. “What do you want to know?”

Tilana seemed to dismiss her attitude and looked around the room momentarily before responding. “I am looking for information on the auction that will be taking place here on Freecloud, which contains Starfleet weapons.” She said nonchalantly as if it weren’t a big deal; as she began to walk around the room, she thought it wasn’t huge. She observed anything she could figure out about this woman while watching her reaction to her question to determine if she could exploit any signs of deception.

Sashara tried to remain calm when the question was asked, but she unknowingly began to fidget with her shirt. Which Tilana had picked up on, “I don’t know what you are talking about,” she replied, keeping her voice level.

Turning around facing Sashara, she began to close the distance between them, sitting at the desk where she was seated. Leaning close to her, she smiled, “I know you are lying. So I suggest you give me the information I came here for the sooner I can be on my way.” Tilana replied.

“I don’t have any information on anything you are asking,” Sashara replied defensively. However, she was trying to keep her composure. This caused Tilana to gently grab her shirt and pull her closer before whispering something in her ear that seemed to scare her. 

Tilana tossed and turned in her bed before suddenly sitting up. She breathed heavily, and sweat rolled down her face. It took a few minutes to catch her bearings before she realized she had a bad dream about a memory she had tried to forget. Rubbing her face, she moved her legs to drape over the edge of the bed, where she sat for a few moments.

A short time later, Tilana stood up and walked to the washroom, where she washed her face, trying to wash away the thoughts running through her mind. Changing into regular clothes, she decided to go for a walk. Still, she decided to go to the Starbase for a change of scenery. Walking out of her quarters, she headed for the transporter room, and a few moments later, she found herself on the Starbase.

After arriving at Starbase 93, she began to make her way to the arboretum, a calming place to unwind and relax. With so much going through her mind, she needed this. Upon arrival, she looked around at the tranquil atmosphere that engulfed her. Though it was holographic, it was so realistic that it felt as if it were the real thing. Birds flying and chirping the subtle sounds of the water from the waterfall hitting the pond below, were even relaxing.

Walking further into the arboretum, she sat on a bench and closed her eyes, taking in the sounds and scents that filled the air, even if they were all illusions. She sat like this for a while before she heard a familiar voice calling to her. Opening her eyes, she looked in the direction the voice was coming from and saw Commodore Azras Dex approaching her.

Tilana had started to stand as the Commodore approached, who had raised her hand to dismiss her from standing. Tilana sat back down as she sat down next to her with a soft smile. “Evening Commodore,” Tilana said after a moment of silence.

Azras smiled for a brief moment, “everything alright?”

Tilana tilted her head for a moment, then let out a sign, “I just had a bad dream.” Tilana replied, looking at her before looking away at the pond for a moment, trying to collect her thoughts.

“Would you like to talk about it?” Azras asked as she sat there looking at the pond, too.

Tilana sat there as silence filled between them, with the only noise coming from people passing by, the birds singing or the sounds of the waterfall hitting the water below. She hesitated to share her past even if it was a necessary evil. She felt Azras place a hand on her shoulder, indicating it was okay. Taking a deep breath. “Ever since our last mission, I have been dreaming about my past undercover missions on Freecloud.” She spoke up, breaking the silence, then began to explain.

Azras listened to what Tilana had to say. After she finished, she squeezed her shoulder as if there was a silent understanding. They sat silently for a moment before Azras decided to change the subject to what she wanted to talk to her about. “I have something I wanted to talk to you about,” Azras said, looking at her.

“What’s that, sir?” She asked as it piqued her interest and distracted her from what was on her mind.

“Commander Rar is being reassigned effective immediately,” Azras said, and Tilana raised an eyebrow, as this was the first she had heard of it. “Commander Atur is transferring over to the Triumph in her stead,” she added.

“Do you know why?” Tilana asked.

“I am not at liberty to disclose,” Azras said, apologetically smiling as if this was not something she wanted to share.

Tilana nodded, understanding that things like this happen constantly and that people are permanently getting reassigned. She knew that Commander Atur was from the Saratoga and that she was a bright young woman. She believed she would settle in on the Triumph just nicely. “Understood,” Tilana replied with a smile as they stood up.

“She will arrive at 0600 hours,” Azras replied with a smile before saying her goodbyes and heading on her way, leaving Tilana to her thoughts. Tilana would spend the next hour in the arboretum before she returned to the Triumph to hopefully get more sleep before her shift in a few hours.