It had been several days, and Eos Station had a quiet sense of finality as crew members moved between their assigned tasks. The recent attack, the Orion assault on the Edison, and the subsequent manhunt for Ambrose Nichols had left its mark on the crew of both the Edison and Eos Station. The combined teams now worked, sorting through data, following up on leads, and piecing together the remnants of the Phoenix Consortium’s underground operations. Yet despite their exhaustive efforts, something still gnawed at the back of Elena’s mind.

She walked through the command center before entering her Ready Room. AJ was already seated at the desk, several PADDs piled in front of him. He looked up as she entered. “Elena,” he greeted her, “I think it’s safe to say we’re missing something. So many things don’t add up.”

Elena nodded, her fingers brushing over the PADD in front of her before leaning against the desk. “Starfleet believes Nichols is no longer a threat. They’re reporting that we’ve successfully shut down his network, including the weapons bunkers and those selling XB parts. The Consortium is supposedly dismantled.”

AI smiled, “Starfleet doesn’t know Ambrose Nichols very well. He’s not someone who just disappears. Not unless he wants to.”

“Exactly.” Elena’s tone was firm. “We’ve found all the key assets; Orion smugglers, weapons caches, black-market dealers, all shut down. But Nichols?” She shook her head. “There’s no way he just vanishes without leaving a trace.”

AJ stared at the report for a moment longer, running his fingers through his hair. “Their operation may have been disrupted, but that doesn’t mean Nichols is finished. If anything, it just means he’s had time to cover his tracks. He never works alone.”

Elena sighed, leaning back in her chair. “I hate the feeling that we’re chasing shadows. Everything points to Nichols being involved with the Romulans, but we can’t make a concrete connection. All we have is suspicion and a handful of encrypted transmissions. What are we missing?”

“Maybe it’s not what we’re missing, but what they’re hiding.” AJ’s eyes narrowed, “We’ve all seen what the Romulans are capable of. But Ambassador Rempeck? He’s always been… slippery.”

Elena’s eyes drifted out the window as she looked out at the stars, “Rempeck’s distancing himself from this whole mess. But we both know that man has too much influence to just step back. He’s playing a deeper game than he’s letting on.”

“Rempeck’s public distancing makes him an even more valuable player,” AJ continued. “If Nichols were working with the Romulans, Rempeck would know exactly how to cover his tracks. He’s good at this. He manipulates the truth, making things look like they’ve ended when they really haven’t.”

“Don’t I know it,” Elena replied. “I’ve worked with Rempeck too long not to see the cracks in his carefully constructed façade.”

The door to the Ready Room slid open, and Doctor Andrews, the Edison’s Chief Medical Officer, stepped in with a PADD of her own. Her expression was grim.

“Captain, Commander,” she greeted them, handing over the PADD. “I’ve been reviewing the medical records from the Edison and cross-referencing them with the intelligence we gathered from the station. There’s something odd in the way Nichols’ associates were treated. Some of the bodies recovered from the Consortium operations—well, it’s as if they were tampered with before they were disposed of.”

Elena took the PADD from her, glancing over the data. “Tampered with? How?”

Andrews hesitated before continuing. “Some of the bodies showed signs of cybernetic augmentations, parts similar to what the Consortium was selling. Some of these people weren’t just criminals but also… experiments. Like they were being changed before they were disposed of.”

“Augmentations?” AJ frowned. “That doesn’t fit the standard Orion mercenary profile. These people… they were someone else.”

Elena looked up from the PADD, “You’re telling me that some of these bodies were possibly Borg?”

“I’m not certain, but it’s possible. We’re talking about a network of underground operations that dealt with illegal interests. Some of these were definitely Borg-derived. But I’ve seen signs of experimentation, unusual implants that don’t match the standard Borg modification protocols.”

AJ stood up, pacing. “This is bigger than just Nichols and his Consortium. If these bodies were… experimented on, what’s the connection? Who’s doing this? The Romulans? The Orions? Someone else?”

Elena shook her head before setting the PADD down. “We need more information, more solid evidence. But if these experiments are tied to a larger operation, it could mean Nichols was just one piece in a much larger conspiracy.”

“Which means someone’s pulling the strings,” AJ muttered, “and that someone might still be out there.”

The next few days brought no new leads, but the conditions at the station grew darker with each passing hour. Crew members worked around the clock, scanning every piece of intel and chasing down every possible connection, but there were no breakthroughs. Rempeck kept his distance, his public statements denying involvement in the Consortium’s activities. He continued to play the role of the innocent diplomat, despite Elena’s suspicions.

On the third day, Starfleet’s final decision came down. Ambrose Nichols was now presumed dead in the last known firefight with the Edison and was officially declared deceased. The Federation quietly celebrated the end of the Phoenix Consortium, but no one on Eos Station felt victorious.

Elena stood in Operations reading over the final report from the Federation. She crossed her arms. Taking deep breath, she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Is it over?” AJ’s voice came from behind her.

“Starfleet says it is,” Elena replied, her eyes scanning the reports one last time. “But I don’t buy it.”

AJ glanced over at her, “We both know that nothing’s ever really over when it comes to the Romulans. Especially not with Rempeck involved.”

“I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Elena laughed. “Nichols might be gone, but I can’t believe he didn’t have a plan to cover his escape. This isn’t over. Not by a long shot.”

Meanwhile, light years away, Rempeck sat alone in his private chambers aboard a Romulan transport, overlooking the several reports. The report on Nichols’ supposed death had reached him hours ago, but he had yet to release a public statement. The only communication he had allowed was a blunt response to the Federation, distancing himself from the man who had once been his ally.

A cold smile tugged at the edges of his lips. Nichols was not dead. He had never been.

The Ambassador knew all too well the lengths to which Ambrose Nichols would go to escape, and he had ensured that any evidence of Nichols’ survival would remain hidden. But this wasn’t about Nichols anymore. It was about protecting his own position now. He had maneuvered too carefully to have his past come to light now.

“It was time to cover my tracks,” Rempeck muttered, looking out the window.