Twin moons hung over the city like a pair of oncoming headlights. The lights of the city obstructed the stars leaving the sky a murky black. Thin tendrils of clouds drifted along partially obstructing the moons as they floated upon unseen aircurrents.

The buildings of Lukar City were dark silhouettes against the horizon. A single street light pierced the darkness as a Romulan woman stepped into the light. She wore a loose fitting leather cloak that billowed around her as she walked. The butt of a disruptor briefly poked out from under her cloak as a breeze of the bay caught the opening exposing her belt.

She continued down the dark street, her heels clicking along the stone walk.  The darkness enveloped her once again when she turned right into an alleyway.  Approaching a closed door on the left a man stepped from the shadows. 

“Were you followed?” The man demanded his face concealed in darkness. It was spoken in a soft conversational tone. Whispers were suspicious and carried father than one thought.

“You know me better than that Garok.”

“Yeah, but you’re no longer part of the Tal’shiar senator.”

“My loyalties are to the Empire.  They always have,” Senator Tomarah t’Sei said. “That is why I left the Tal Shiar for the Senate.”

“You were never one of us,” Garok said casually. “But I had never seen someone so good at her job. You could have gone far.”

“I don’t share your ruthlessness,” Tomarah said with an edge to her voice. “Loyalty to the Empire is one thing, but destroying families without a chance of redemption. We all make mistakes Garok. Mine was letting you recruit me out of the Naval Academy.”

Garok sighed, “I misjudged you. I thought you were more like your mom. The nobility tend to look down upon those who are not.”

“My mother and I have few things in common.”

“So I have discovered. Why are we here?  I assume it wasn’t to catch up on the old times and rehash old arguments.”

“No, it is not. It’s about Vreenak.”

“Your old political rival,” Garok said flatly. “What about him?”

“I would not go that far,” Tomarah said with a shrug.  “I have never met him,  and we share no sub-committees together.”

Garok shrugged,  “But, when it comes to the issues, you two are rarely in agreement.”

“We probably wouldn’t agree on much outside the senate chambers either,” she added. “Where is he?”

Garok stared at her for a long time his face expressionless. “Soukara. He’s there for a high-level diplomatic meeting with the Vorta Weyoun. We also believe the Female Changeling will be there as well, but our intelligence that deep into the Dominion is… murky at best. She mostly keeps to herself and acts through Weyoun.”

“Soukara? What is Vreenak doing there? The Empire has already signed the non-aggression pact.”

“Now, that I do have answers for. The Dominion has offered Romulas a formal alliance and acceptance as a member of the Dominion.”

Tomarah swore. “Those fools!  I knew the Praetor was a moron, but I had no idea he was that big of a fool. We have to stop them. The Dominion will never allow us to live as we have.”

“We cannot stop them alone. When the Dominion crushes the Federation/Klingon Alliance they will come for us unless we are a part of them. Our society will change, but at least it will be intact.”

“You are no fool Garok. Tell me you don’t believe that.”

He shook his head, “I do not. We Romulans are a proud race. As we are we are a threat to the security of the Dominion. They must break our spirit like they are doing the to the humans.”

“Then we must join the war with the Federation.”

“That could kill millions,” Garok exclaimed.

“Don’t give me that fake righteous outrage. You have never had a problem killing people. Especially when you thought it would maintain the status quo. This is for the good of the Empire.  It’s this or live under Dominion rule.”

“Very well,” Garok said. “I have never been able to say no to you.”

“It’s because I am right,” Tomarah said. She turned and without a goodbye headed out of the alleyway and disappeared as she turned onto the main street.