“You’re Klingon Intelligence,” K’sal hissed incredulously, her fingers still hovering over the trigger of her phaser pistol.

“What? Not enough cranial ridges for you?” Aspis spat back from behind the hum of the forcefield as she rubbed her forehead. Her golden serpent tattoo writhed in discomfort, its fangs twitching at her pulsing headache.

“But you’re Betazoid, Betazed is part of the Federation.” Eyma interrupted from the small table, her face heavy with a look of confusion. “Why would you serve the Empire?”

“That’s a shockingly narrow-minded view, especially for an Orion serving in Starfleet.” Venom dripped from the woman’s tongue, creeping across the small room to chastise the young Lieutenant. “Not every Betazoid subscribes to the fluffy utopia of the Federation, filled with starry-eyed, naive idiots.”

“That still does not explain why you would be working for Klingon Intelligence,” Bahir added.

Aspis’ eyes narrowed towards the tall coral security chief, a wicked smile tugging at her top lip, “I have a thing for pain sticks.”

An awkward silence hung over the tiny apartment, each party assessing the other. Aspis continued to rub her temples, seemingly attempting to squeeze the headache from her body.

“But the Empire?” Eyma resumed, the confusion on her face undiminished.

“They are as good a boss as anyone else.” Aspis shrugged her shoulders. “They had work and I had skills. Plus it’s never boring being a spy for the most unsubtle people this side of Romulus.”

Bib took a step forward, his face cast into stark shadow by the low streetlights wrestling to peek through the window blinds. His chiselled chin and strong brow producing a predatory silhouette.

“If what you say is true-”

“-And it is.”

“Then we would have no way of proving it.” Bib took another step forward, his nose inches from the static buzz of the barely perceptible forcefield. “It could all be a ploy.”

“You’re right, I could be lying about the whole thing as an elaborate ruse to escape and report you to the Syndicate!” Aspis threw her hands to her slender cheeks in mock surprise. “You’re far too smart for me Starfleet!”

“We should stun her again,” K’sal announced from the window where she kept watch. “She hasn’t got anything useful to say.”

Bahir threw a chastising look toward the Bajoran woman who simply rolled her eyes before resuming her overwatch.

“I’m here because we have a shared interest.”Aspis took a small step towards Bib, the pair now separated by less than a metre and several hundred joules of energy.

“You’re here because Eyma shot you with a phaser pistol,” Bib corrected through the forcefield, it’s surfacing fizzing with potential energy.

“So literal Commander. Oshira said you were direct. She did, however, neglect to inform me you were so handsome, I’ll have to tell her off.” Aspis flicked an eyebrow coyly.

“You know Oshira?” David blurted out, standing suddenly from his seat at the table. The former comrade was thousands of light years away aboard Daedalus, to hear her name here was unexpected.

“Who do you think relayed the tip about your xBs? I couldn’t deliver it through normal channels.”

“Through the Empire?” Bib interrupted, drawing her attention back to the stoic Andorian.

“In case you missed it Toral has made some changes to our relationship. Helping the Federation isn’t quite at the top of the Empire’s priorities anymore.”

“Then why are you helping us here?”

Aspis paused, her previously confident demeanour falling away momentarily as she considered her reply. “The people here are simply looking for a life of their own. Most of them are good people. They all deserve the opportunity to start a new life, regardless of their past.”

“Then why are you here?” K’sal sniped.

As quickly as Aspis’ moment of vulnerability had emerged it disappeared once more, swallowed by the golden maw that framed her face. “Because someone is offering boatloads of Latinum for Borg tech and the Empire doesn’t want that sort of thing in their backyard.”

“They’d rather it in their own armoury,” Bib noted.

“Can you blame them? Or is it only Starfleet that’s allowed a secret weapons locker?”

“Daystrom isn’t a weapons locker.”

“Tell that to all the weapons that were stored there.”

The awkward silence returned to the room as those assembled struggled to justify the recently revealed Daystrom Station, rumours abounded throughout the fleet of its contents. All of them agreed they were dangerous.

Aspis’ smug smile grew wider as she continued, “Someone wants all the Borg stuff they can get their hands on and it seems the Syndicate is happy to facilitate it as long as they get a cut. I was here investigating when I found out that there was an offer for living xBs, that’s when I reached out to Oshira.”

“Out of the goodness of your heart?” Bib asked, his voice still full of disbelief.

“My handlers in the Empire don’t particularly care about the lives of a few former Borg drones. I feel differently.” Her eyes narrowed imperceptibly as she turned her attention momentarily to the young Orion officer on the far side of the room. “Maybe it’s the Betazoid in me,” she teased.

“I can’t accept any of this without some proof.”

Aspis sighed as her eyes rolled in frustration, the whites of her eyeball a stark contrast to the dark olive of her skin in the dim light. “Fine,” she groaned.”Starfleet still have friends in House Koloth, if I give you proof they will be able to confirm it.”

“That depends on the proof.” Bib’s acknowledged with a nod. “But yes, I suppose they could.”

Aspis rang a long finger along the side of her cheek, drawing the sharp talon of her nail down the side of the golden tattoo, a tear of shining liquid forming on its tip. Matter of factly she presented the outstretched finger towards the forcefield and the assembled officers.

“In the genetic base code, you’ll find a signature that your contacts will recognise. It should be sufficient to prove my identity.”

“But not your intent.”

“For that, I can only offer my word. I do not wish to see Borg technology in the hands of the Syndicate any more than you do. It would not end well for anyone.”

Bib glanced towards Bahir, the Saurian’s focus and aim still fixed unfalteringly on the untrustworthy visitor. The raising of Bib’s brow was enough to relay an entire question, the two officers communing in the stuffy silence of the dingy room, a few seconds later Bahir nodded curtly.

“David, please collect the sample and prepare the data for transmission to Helios via K-74. The Captain will be able to confer with our contacts.” Bib took a small control unit from his pocket and with a few button presses caused a small portal to appear in the forcefield.

Mitchell offered up a small vial, accepting the golden droplet from Aspis’s extended hand before rushing back to the counter and slotting it into the small computer terminal fitted to the med kit. The forcefield closed with a boiling fizzle as Aspis took several steps back.

“What will we do in the meantime Commander?” Aspis asked with a smile. “I’m surprisingly good at t’Sang.”

“You’ll stay quiet, or I’ll let K’sal try some target practice.”

Across the room, the Bajoran woman tapped her phaser pistol and smiled.