“We’ve been working here about three months.” Thasaz stood in the bar, the Starfleet officers incognito, and the gathered workers standing and sitting together as the Romulan woman caught up with their new friends to the situation.  “We were assigned to do undercover work from Fourth Fleet, and we’ve managed to stay under the radar.  That won’t last for long.”  She motioned to the outside, where they’d made their theatric entrance.

Juliet Woodward and Oscar Reede stood to the side, eyeing the Klingon they’d run into when they’d made it to the top of the stairs.  He’d stared at them in disbelief and had half-heartedly pulled his blaster.  Shortly after, an old face from Woodward’s start on the USS Edinburgh vaunted up the steps to intervene. Thasaz’s lips had exploded into a joyful smile, and she’d given the chief counselor a running hug.  It was a surreal moment for Woodward.  She still couldn’t believe the old Chief Science Officer was standing before her.  Thasaz continued, “Klasgs here was our first investment.  He’s kept this part of town mostly safe from the upper levels of the Syndicate, but it’s starting to get more complicated.  They will abandon this place…and plan on burning it to the ground.  We have maybe 48 hours.”

Klasgs grunted, “I was thankful they showed up.  I ended up here because I’m supposed to be proving myself to The Syndicate…and so far, it’s working.  I don’t want to end up like the others who failed to succeed.  I just want out of here.”

Henry Wyatt pushed off the wall, “You’re not the first Klingon to tire of the blood.  So what do we do?  The Task Force Flagship is due within minutes to start their part of the mission.”

Thasaz smiled as she answered, “We’ve been looking for ways to push their panic button, and that will do the trick.  As much as Rigilia postures, he still reports to someone.  They don’t have patience for people who kill the bottom line.  Calling attention to their operation out here was his daughter’s first mistake, and threatening the Olympic was his second.  They’re nervous, and when Rigilia gets nervous, he makes mistakes.”  She checked her watch, “Five minutes.  My people will have disposed of the bodies, but we’ll have a patrol here to follow up.  We’ve repositioned the cameras in this area to point away from the bar, and they didn’t seem to notice.  The hotel next door is our safe house – we can put you all up in there overnight.”

Seraphina Pearce raised her hand, “What do we do tomorrow?”

Thasaz gave her a nod, “Once we get settled next door, we’ll plot and plan.  We need to move and reset the bar to keep the illusion.  Three minutes!”  The gathered patrons stood and went to work as the Starfleet crew, in disguise, was led next door.

The sounds of a patrol platoon filtered in through the open windows of each hotel room.  The shouted questions were greeted with equal shouted answers, and a great debate filled the next hour as the conversation and investigation continued.  A belated report on bodies found halfway across the city was handed to the group’s leader. He ordered his group to move and threatened everyone around him with death should they find implications that they were involved.  The streets around the bar and hotel were soon cleared, and Thasaz gathered her new and old friends in the second-floor lobby, comfortable couches and chairs granting them some relief amid the chaos.  She relayed, “They’re going to find the bodies burned to death inside one of our alleged safe houses.  We haven’t used it in months, but it’ll put enough suspicion on them to trigger an investigation into them and not us.  This situation will have resolved itself by the time they talk to us.”  She pointed to the hand-drawn map, “Our plan is to sneak into the castle and stop them from blowing this place up.”

She explained that The Syndicate had two ships capable of torpedo and phaser fire.  They also had smaller shuttles equipped with bomb-dropping mechanisms that they intended to use to create a flash fire scenario that would roll the explosive fire through the crowded alleyways and tight streets.  “Our mission is to sabotage the shuttles to explode when their engines start.”

Wyatt frowned, “What about the two Syndicate ships?”

Thasaz chuckled, “That’s the fun part.  We’re going to replace the launchers with fake replacements.”

Pearce scoffed, “And how…”

The Romulan raised her hand to stop her, “We’re going to use our greatest weapon.  I’m considered somewhat of a trustworthy person in The Syndicate.  Given how our records were modified, the background checks came up with many criminal activities and terrible things attributed to my name…which is how they like it.  I’ve got access to the main compound where the two ships are held.  I will need one of you to accompany me as a new trainee.”

Pearce raised her eyebrows as most of the crew turned their eyes to her, “What…you’re serious.”

Wyatt explained, “Given the history we provided your character, it would make sense that you’d throw in with The Syndicate.  Thasaz offered you a good wage to sell out your crew to the boss…and so you’re on your way to do just that.”

The security chief considered it.  She sighed, “I suppose that works.”  She looked to the Romulan, “You have a plan, I assume?”  Thasaz did.  She related that she’d been put in charge of upgrading the two ship’s weapons systems. She’d recently acquired them from a recent transport.

“It’ll look official to sensors and scans.  There won’t be enough time to test it.  They’ll take off, try and torch the place..only to find out they’ve been had.  Shuttles will explode, and that’ll be the end of it.”  She asked if there were any questions.  There were none.  “Then let’s go to blowing shit up.”