“You will both be handed over to Starfleet security upon our return to Federation space.”  Captain Helena Dread sat in a chair facing two of the heavy security cells in the brig of the Douglas.  Pandora Crawford stared at her through the reinforced window while the alternate universe Peter Crawford kept his eyes glued to the wall as if to stare into the cell that held his daughter.  Dread continued, “You’ve both been made aware of the charges at length.  I’ve also noted in the log that neither of you has requested representation.”

Pandora rolled her eyes, “I’ll escape like I always have.  I’ll make you pay.”

There was an audible sigh from Peter, and he pushed off the bench, “Carolyn…it’s not worth it.”  He turned to Dread, “You’ve spoken with Captain Parsons?”  Dread replied with a nod.  “I’m through running from my past.”

Pandora’s head snapped up, “What?”  She marched to the wall, slamming her hands against it, “What did you say?”

Peter kept his eyes locked with Helena, “I spent the six months out there plotting, planning…did a few awful things to my crew. Then we met The Wrath.”  His eyes grew cloudy as memories of those they had lost drifted out from his memory.  “It didn’t take long to realize that I needed to change where I was putting my spite and rage dramatically.”  Peter played with his hands, which were worn and rough.  He continued, “I told Parsons my story.  He didn’t throw me out of an airlock.  He used me to help fight The Wrath.”  A sad smile filtered over his face, “I’ve spent thirty years in that hell hole learning how to live…you forget what came before and why…. It seems meaningless when you compare.”

Pandora’s eyes were wild.  Who was this man?  She marched to the window facing Dread, “That is not my father.  You’ve played a cruel trick on me!”

A dry chuckle was Peter’s reply.  He sat back down on his bench in the cell, “I gave you your first gun when you were five.  You killed three Orions with it when we went to steal their ship.  You stole your first shipment of latinum when you were ten, and you made them remember your name.  You earned a few nicknames.  Tornado.  The Terrible.  The Crusher.  Impending Doom.”  He looked at the wall, “It’s me, Carolyn.  Or Pandora…or whatever the hell you’re calling yourself these days.  That fire that got me to this universe and had me doing all those things – it’s gone out.  My war is over, Carolyn…it should have been over long ago.”

Pandora’s rage-filled warp core had abruptly shut down.  Her eyes had gone distant as if seeing something far off beyond the moment.  “You…you’ve changed.”

“I did, kid.  Thirty years scraping along with The Wrath hunting, you adjust your paradigm.  I can’t tell you how to live your life or what to do with what you’ve got left…you’ll have to face justice for what you’ve done.  Never thought those words would come out of my mouth, but here we are.”  He turned his attention to Douglas’s CO.  “I don’t want any special favors, Captain Dread.”

Helena glanced at her PADD. “I’ll make sure that’s included in the full report we include once they take custody. There will be concerns you’re merely putting on an act to cause more damage and destruction.”  She watched Pandora’s smirk grow and ignored it.

Peter leaned against the bland wall, “I do not wish for any freedom, Captain.  My life and the acts that have brought me to this point…there must be an answer for it all.”

Dread stood, “Saying it is one thing, Mr. Crawford.  Believing is another.  We’ll be departing for Federation space within the hour.” She turned to Pandora, “There are no changelings and no Patra to give you a chance at deception.  This is the end for you.”

She spat, “I still have friends in the Alpha Quadrant.”

“That may be true…but they won’t want to tangle with a Klingon escort group with Dragonfly at the lead.  Your kind of friends may have an overabundance of courage and arrogance…but they’re not fools.  Best of luck.”  She turned and walked out, hearing the ravings of Pandora start up again.