The ‘Silent Fist’ banked sharply, as Lieutenant Stuart in the pilot’s seat of the sleek Nausicaan pirate ship, battled with the controls.  Seconds later a beam of intense energy sliced past on the starboard side, right were the ship had been, until the abrupt turn.  She continued to twist, turn and roll the ship in an attempt to lose her pursuer.  Ducking behind a large asteroid, the young Orion didn’t need to be told that a torpedo had just slammed into the far side of it.

Continued course changes within the asteroid field, kept the other ship from getting a positive lock; but there had been several near misses along the 15 minute chase.  She took the ship through a gap between two tumbling chunks of rock, knowing the much large vessel behind couldn’t follow and would need to take evasive action.  That bought them valuable seconds in which to seek out their next piece of cover.

Inevitable a shot found its mark; some 3 minutes later the aft shields took a direct hit.  “Shields are down to 87%!”  Shouted Chameleon; from his seat at the rear of the cockpit as the alarms wailed throughout the ship.  Grav merely grunted; he was annoyed that the stupid owner of this vessel had never thought to install adequate rear facing weaponry.  What was the point of having two heavy Plasma Cannons; more commonly fitted to larger vessels and a micro torpedo launcher, if you were going to have s pitifully small cannon at the rear?  To make matters worse; it was mounted between the engines, severely limiting the firing arc.

Stuart took the ‘Silent Fist’ into another corkscrewing turn, narrowly avoiding one of the largest asteroids they’d encountered yet. The whole ship seemed to be screaming at her to stop the madness and the Inertial Dampeners struggled against the immense forces being created with every sudden and elaborate course change.

“Ok, that was close!” The Orion laughed.

The Tellarite next to her only glared; tough and dependable, Grav could handle almost anything; and he’d been involve in some really horrible situations during his career.  But never had he felt so helpless, gripping the arm rests of his chair tightly, as some mad woman performed manoeuvres he was sure should have been beyond the capacity of the ship to undertake.

“You’re enjoying this all, way too much.” He yelled.

“Come on Grav, where’s your sense of fun and adventure?”  She grinned back.

“Spread across several of those asteroids, along with my pride, common sense and probably breakfast, if you keep this up!”

The Lieutenant only laughed again in response and took the ‘Silent Fist’ into a barrel role to avoid another volley of fire. It was just then she noticed a new ‘blip’ on the scanner.  “We’ve got more company.”

Grav carefully yet swiftly checked the reading. “One Orion pirate vessel; currently on an intercept course.”

“At last.” Stuart sighed, swinging the Nausicaan ship around on a new heading. “I was being to think we’d be doing this all day, before they noticed!”

The vessel pursuing them clearly didn’t want to tangle with the Orion’s and made a hasty retreat.  The Lieutenant slowed the ship down as the pirate ship closed in.  A few seconds later, the ship tried to establish contacted with them.

“Now it’s your turn.” The Tellarite announced turning to Chameleon.

The figure that stepped to the front of the cockpit and stood between the Orion and Tellarite was very different from the one that had boarder with them a few days previously.  When the Captain of the Orion pirate ship appeared on the monitor, Chameleon introduced themself.

**********

Previous…

It had taken longer than expected to track down the correct Orion Pirate ship; as there were apparently more of them active in the regions around Eos Station than expected.  This was both a puzzling and worrying development.  Commanders Salan and Anacostia-Bolling had agreed not to inform the station or any of the vessels attached to it.  There was still concern over who could be trusted and how for Ambose Nichols connection spread within the Federation.  There was no indication that the man himself had been spotted recently; so if no one knew his current whereabouts, his apparent appearance somewhere else, wouldn’t flag up any warnings.  The only hope was that Navaar Orci’s people would keep the whole thing quiet and not jeopardise the hunt for the real man.

It was time for Chameleon to do the one thing they’d been created for.  The rear cargo-hold was well away from the rest of the crew aboard the Nausicaan pirate ship.  Few had ever witnessed a transformation; it was traumatic and painful, both to be the one it was happening to and anyone watching.  Even Eglin had been shocked by what he’d seen happen as Chameleon went from one form to another.  It was the main reason he’d finally helped Chameleon escape; the then covert operations office, could see the strain both physically and mentally it was having. Now Chameleon was preparing to do it once more; to step back into the shadowy world of lies and deceit.  Had they ever really left that past behind them?  Their whole life and existence was a lie; a Changeling by another name, and look what chaos and destruction they had created.

So it came as a surprise when Nurse Folland stepped into the compartment.  “This won’t be pleasant.” They informed her as way of warning.

“I know, you told me.” She replied softly. “But you shouldn’t be alone at a time like this.”

“Why do you care?” Chameleon asked.

“Because I don’t think anyone else really has.” Was her honest answer. “Besides that, I’m your nurse.”

There was the hint of a smile, possible the last smile this face would ever make; at least in its current form.  Soon Chameleon would be wearing someone else’s face; thought to be truthful, every face had belonged to someone else.  Chameleon did not know what their true form was; how to become themselves, they would forever be a copy of someone else, living or dead.

Chameleon had studied every image and video that could be tracked down of the Broker or Ambrose Nichols, as had been discovered.  The way the man moved as he walked, moved his hands, greeted people, his voice.  Every little scrap of information and detail that was available.  This had to be as close to perfect as possible; because it wasn’t just a case of pretending to be that man, it was becoming that man.

It was the heat that came first, intense heat; across skin, over muscles, through bone.  It felt like being a living torch.  Every cell, every molecule within the body; ready to change and morph into something new.  Those Changelings had it so easy; they didn’t burn within and scream with agony each time they took on a new form.  And those screams did come; like a banshee from hell or a lost tortured soul.

From a stocky blonde of 5’7” with bluey green eyes; formed a much slimmer man of 6’1”, with black hair, highlighted with grey, beard and moustache to match; eyes now grey and mysterious.

Nurse Folland was shaking; she’d never witnessed a sight like it, but somehow she’d stayed calm enough during the transformation, to administer some pain relief.  She’d also held his hand throughout the whole episode.

Chameleon, now in the form of Ambrose Nichols, leaned forward and kissed Sarah on the forehead.  “Thank you.”

**********

Present…

So it was a few hours later; after a staged engagement between the ‘Silent Fist’ and the USS Jaxartes, that Chameleon introduced himself to the Captain of the Orion vessel as Ambrose Nichols.  Part three of the operation, was now underway.