Talerak Krall shuffled the padds on his desk into two ordered piles for the fifth time in as many minutes, his nervous energy guiding his calloused fingers to organise them arbitrarily into comfortingly equal stacks. He cast his eyes to the clock hanging above the tall oak doors, it’s long hands crawling across the circumference threateningly. Panic gripped the alderman as he noticed the minute hand leaping towards the large red mark that would indicate the shift change in the vast labyrinth of mines beneath the town. Soon the large square outside his office would be filled with five hundred workers making their way home from the mines, making the air thick with minerals dust shaken from their vibrant orange and yellow jumpsuits. A thousand eyes that would be accustomed to peering through these short-lived dust clouds that might spy his secretive visitors. 

Reaching towards the padds once again he instead reached for the small intercom. “Allya, any updates?”

A tinny voice squawked from the small black comms panel, outdated by galactic standards even when it was fitted. “Not yet Mr. Krall sir. You have several message from Supervisor Fennick, Logistics have asked for your sign off on the latest transport orders and…” an inaudible sigh emanated from the secretary’s lips, only noticeable by the break in her stream of updates “… Commander Trudel have requested a meeting. Three times.”

Talerak chewed his bottom lip, hoping the pain might distract from the butterflies that forced to work their out of his stomach. “It seems they must have changed their mind Ms. Grimal, please arrange…” 

A finger reached across the desk and clicked the small mute switch as a voice crept across the dimly lit office. “They will be here, have confidence.”

“I was foolish to think they would be interested in an empty mine.” 

“You have more to offer than the minerals beneath your feet.” Though the hand remained on the mute button, the assertive tone of the voice was sufficient to make Krall reconsider his actions. “A dozen interstellar governments would be glad to have your expert hand leading this new frontier.”

“You mean they’d be glad of the a spy station.” He could feel the bile rising in his throat, what had possessed him to take such a tone with the woman who was offering a new and brighter future?

“You have much to offer Alderman.” The long, slender hand lifted from the mute switch, hovering nearby should he make a foolish choice. “The Federation no longer wants you. They no longer care about your people, they are content to throw you back into the ocean. The great Federation was only interested when you had resources for the taking.” She hovered over the next words, allowing his righteous indignation to begin boiling up. “Now you have nothing to steal, the mighty Federation laughs at you as they take their tools and their supplies and their yokes.”

She had chosen the right words, a wave of red frustration swept up Talerak’s face as his short fat arms began to quiver in anger. Flicking the mute button back to open he sputtered and rumbled like a boiling kettle, his words catching in his grinding teeth. “Tell the Commander I do not care what they want. Starfleet have made it clear they wish to leave. They should do so.”

Silence filled the comm channel for a long moment before the young woman’s voice returned. ‘They’re here sir.” Her voice wavered fearfully.

The dark red colour of Krall’s visage fell away as a cresting wave of pale white rushed across his face. He cast a look towards his companion, she seemed unmoved, like she had just been informed her tea was on its way. “Send them in then please.” he closed the channel with a small beep as he rushed around the desk, brushing evidence of the mine’s omnipresent dust from his shirt. 

The tall oak doors swung silently open, a large, gloved hand pushing it aside just enough for the three bulky shapes to slide through, before quietly closing it with a muted click of the lock. The three figures stood patiently at the door, their tan uniforms creaking in counterpoint to the Alderman’s nervous breath; a low buzz emanating from the long snouts of their mask as the green band of their cybernetic eye flickered back and forth, surveying the small office till their attention landed on the small nervous man. 

From the shadowed corner the woman stepped forward, brushing her long hair over her ears causing her traditional earing to jingle gently. “There’s no need for the disguises here agents.” The Bajoran woman’s voice was silky with authority.  

The three figures reached up to their helmets, a click and hiss of the escaping atmosphere indicating they were now released, exposed. As they lifted the immense helmets from their shoulders Krall caught a glimpse of dark, mottled skin, short hair cut precisely to reveal the peaks of their ears. 

“Alderman Krall, may I introduce Major Noren of the Tal Shiar.”