It had started with “Captain to the Bridge!” at three in the morning. Wren Walton had hastily put on a clean uniform and stalked her way down the corridor to the bridge and through the doors into the command center of the USS Mackenzie. She accepted the coffee offer before she asked, “Report.”  Patrick Gehry, the deck officer in charge, gave her the rundown.  They’d detected a three-ship fleet of Raven class ships in the next system.  “What are they doing?”  Her bleary-eyed look was fading as the coffee reached her stomach and mind.

Gehry spoke as he gathered the data on his PADD, “They’re hanging around but don’t register as Starfleet.  They’re reading…well, it’s weird.”

She gave him the sternest look she could muster in the middle of the night, “Weird seems to be our new normal, Lieutenant.”

“They’re broadcasting a Maquis signal.”

That got her attention. “Openly?”  He nodded. Wren thought as her mind caught up, “There was an intelligence update last night from Fourth Fleet regarding an incident a few days ago.”  She had glanced through it before crashing into her comfortable bed. She accepted a spare PADD, and her eyes widened as she took in the full scope of the situation.  Her mistake annoyed her.  She should have read the full report.  “Anything else in that sector?” He glanced at the science officer on duty, who shook her head.  Walton began to understand his phrasing of ‘weird.’  “Good call with the wake-up.  Wake up the rest of our science and tactical teams, including the department heads.  Whatever’s going on out there isn’t going away.  Start the clock.”

Two hours later, Walton was on her third cup of coffee, and most of the senior staff, save for the XO, was on the bridge and working.  Wren had ordered Park back to bed since she’d have to finish her sleep eventually.  She savored the brew amid the chaos, “The Maquis are not known for just sitting around eating…whatever a Maquis crew eats on a lazy day.”  She stood from her chair, “Reede, anything?”

Oscar slipped his earpiece out.  He’d been frowning and fretting over the three ships since the night crew had awakened him.  There were trace communication signals but nothing concrete. They weren’t close enough.  He reported as much in his reply to Walton, adding, “It feels like they want us to get closer.  There’s just enough to interest us.”

Walton grimaced, “It’s a trap any way you slice it.  Let’s keep an eye on them from here.  Update Starfleet.”

Reede said, “Captain, Starfleet has already sent a message…but not about that.”  He tapped at his console, and her PADD beeped.

She read the message and groused, “It just keeps getting better.  Wake up Commander Park and have her meet me in my ready room. Thasaz, you have the CONN.”

“Peter.”

“Wren.”

Peter Crawford sat in the chair opposite his former Squadron Commander and current girlfriend, his face mixed with emotions. He’d been called back to the Mackenzie to assist with the many developing missions around the demilitarized zone. The Maquis had been born again, and the True Way was not losing ground.  He was a captain without a command.  In the words of his reassignment documents, he was “a resource that was needed closer to the front lines,” and while logically it made sense, he had more than enough reasons to be concerned.  They’d assigned Commander Riandri Nalam to assist him in the mission work.  He shifted in his seat, “I need to make you aware of something…that may not be reflected in the records regarding the commander.”

Commander Park rose from her seat on the couch near the windows. “You and her? She doesn’t seem the type.”  She raised her hands in surrender when Wren Walton snapped to glare at her.

Crawford pursed his lips.  “The commander guesses correctly. We had a relationship.  Carolyn Crawford was the result.”  His hands clasped together on the confession, “I’ve never told Carolyn about her mother…and in the confusion of the Dominion War, it wasn’t a part of the official record keeping for whatever reason.  My captain never knew, and we drifted away after her birth. Her life and duties were…too complex for a child then.  We haven’t spoken much since.”

Walton’s eyes were wide open now. “Carolyn Crawford is part El-Aurian? How had this never been discovered?”  She was also grappling with the other side of her, which was attached to him romantically.  Aside from being a private matter, the conversation hadn’t come up or been mentioned.  That it involved a long-serving Starfleet officer made it something larger than it had been.

Peter admitted, “We…I…worked on a modifier to…hide most of her situation from regular medical checks.  The problem is…it wasn’t permanent.  It’s been fading over time…and more than likely, on her next physical, it’ll show up if it hasn’t already.”

Park piped up, “We?”  Walton didn’t shut her down this time and kept her eyes boring into Crawford.

“An old friend.  He’s long dead.”  He sighed, “We’ll have to tell her…and Starfleet.”

Wren shook her head in disbelief, “You’re one of a kind, Crawford.  I understand the why…but why let it go on for so long?  Why not just…explain it?”

He shrugged, “Guilt?  Shame?  I loved her, Wren.  I couldn’t expose our secret, given we were both trying to climb the mountain of Starfleet.”

Walton considered his words.  She could send an immediate report to the Fourth Fleet and let the universe reestablish the natural order of things.  There would be anger, tears, and probably some shouting – some of it at her.  She could also choose to solve it here and now, on her ship.  She would also suddenly have to navigate ‘the other woman’ in his life.  Why did things have to be so complicated, she asked herself.  “You chose to tell me about this at the start, Peter.  I appreciate that.  I’m going to let you solve this here on the Mack.  She’s coming aboard in an hour.  I’m making you her welcoming party.”  She tapped at her console, confirming his assignment, “Welcome back, Captain Crawford.”

Crawford stood at attention and left the room.  Park turned to Walton, who fell back in her chair with a long sigh, “Don’t….just…don’t.  Give me a few hours to process it all.”

“I’ll start the clock.”  That earned her a stare, and Park chuckled.

Riandri sat on her porch staring out over the mountains before her as she sipped on her Peppermint tea. As she sat there she couldn’t help but admit that there were benefits to being based on Earth instead of a ship, being able to return home after her shifts was definitely one of them.

As she mused on the idea, she laughed, “Definitely beats being on that Aerie’s for so many years.”

Her hand reached for her mug but she was interrupted as her when her combadge let out a chime from where it sat beside her mug. Taping the badge, she answered, “Commander Nalam.”

“Commander Nalam,” her CO’s voice came over the com, “Sorry for disturbing you but we have new orders for you.”

Riandri let out a little sigh, “I need to leave right away I assume?”

Her CO let out a little chuckle over the coms, “Would you have it any other way?”

“No, not really. I will be ready in an hour,” Riandri said.

“Excellent, you are to report to the USS Sojourner. Captain Tarken will transport you to the USS Mackenzie where you will be the deputy mission lead with Captain Crawford. The situation in the demilitarized is spiralling out of control, again. Do what you can to calm the situation down and gather whatever intelligence you can as to what is driving it,” her CO paused for a moment then continued. “Good luck. The full details are already on the Sojourner, Captain Tarken is expecting you.”

Riandri paused at the mention of Captain Crawford as her stomach dropped and she inhaled quickly. After a longer-than-normal pause, she exhaled to calm herself and responded, “I will let Captain Tarken know as soon as I am ready to beam up.” 

With that, she ended the call and worked to calm her emotions as they threatened to overwhelm her. She stood slowly before she made her way into her cabin and then her bedroom to start packing. She paused as she walked by one of the cabinets before she turned and withdrew a small wooden box from it. Closing her eyes she put one hand on the top to brush off the dust and push past the pain the box caused. Undoing the metal clasp she opened it and withdrew a small picture of a baby, only a couple of months old, in her arms. As she looked at it she was unable to hold several tears that began to run down her face before she closed the lid and turned back to the bed. “I couldn’t run from this forever,” she muttered to herself 

Riandri sat in the main observation lounge scrolling through all the information available on the current events in the demilitarised zone but nothing stuck. Every time she had tried to dive into the material over the last couple of days her mind lost focus and he found herself looking at the most recent images of both Captain Crawford from their service record. Whenever she did though her stomach tied itself in knots as she thought of seeing Peter again after almost 20 years. To say she was dreading it was an understatement but she knew it was going to happen sooner or later.

She had even gone to see the ship’s rather cantankerous holographic Doctor to give her something to help her focus but he was less than help. “Drugs for a tummy ache, shouldn’t a Commander be able to deal with that…” she muttered under her breath recalling the interaction. She didn’t understand why Captain Tarken put up with him.

Shaking her head she forced herself to continue with the recent reports and focused as best she could. After trying for another couple of hours she was able to digest most of the key information as she saw it in the reports but it was far from what she would normally expect from herself.

She was pulled from her reading at the sound of someone clearing their throat beside her, “Excuse me, Commander Nalam.”

Riandri looked over and saw a female Denobulan crewmember, “Yes?” She quickly glanced at the time on her PADD and realized several hours had passed and that she had missed a couple of comms messages as she was focused on her work.

“The Captain wanted you to know that we are almost at the rendezvous point, we should arrive in the next thirty minutes,” Crewman Floxan said. 

Putting down her PADD she nodded, “Thanks, Crewman?” She left the question hanging for a moment.

“Oh, Trisim Floxan, Commander. The Captain asked that I should get you anything you may need before you leave.”

“I should be fine, my bag is all backed, I just need to grab it from the quarters.”

Trisim nodded in understanding, “Not a problem. The Captain asked if you wanted to join her on the bridge when we arrive. I can take your bag to Transporter Room One for you. It will be ready when you beam over to the Mackenzie if you like.”

Riandri looked out the large viewport for a moment and nodded, “Thank you, I will let Captain Tarken know I will be up shortly.”

“I will see you in transporter room 1 when you are ready,” with a quick nod and smile Trisim turned and left the lounge leaving Riandri alone again.

She leaned back in the chair ran her hands through her hair and exhaled a long breath, “Thirty minutes…”

Riandri found herself sitting on the bridge beside Captain Kirin Tarken waiting for the Sojourner to drop out of warp. As she sat there she looked over the Orion and couldn’t help but see the resemblance to her mother but those were memories for another time

“I hope you found the trip pleasant, Commander,” the Captain said when he noticed Riandri’s attention.

“Very much so. It’s my first time on a Pathfinder, it’s a lovely vessel.”

Before the Captain could respond the young Orion officer at the con spoke up, “Dropping of warp in 5…4…”

A moment later Riandri was able to feel the subtle change as the ship returned to normal space and the view screen’s display changed to show, almost empty, space before them.

“Ma’am the Mackenzie is on station already,” said the con officer.

“Thank you, Ensign Tycon,” Captain Tarken responded. Before she turned to Riandri she spoke to her operations officer, “Let them know that Commander Nalam is on board and ready for transport.”

“Good luck with your mission Commander. Crewmen Floxan is ready to beam you over in transporter room one.” 

Riandri nodded, “Thank you again for the ride, I will be out of your hair now.” With that, she stood up and made her way to the turbo lift.

—

Several minutes later she stood on the transporter pad and looked over at Trisim, “Energize.”

The world before her vanished in a swirl of blue lights before the transporter room on the Mackenize appeared before her. As the transport finished, her eyes found the only person in the room who mattered to her at that moment, “Hello, Captain Crawford.”

Peter had thought through this moment many times over the years. What would he say?  What would she say?  He felt his heart sway as the transporter lights faded.  It had been a long time, but Riandri’s eyes still caught him and held his breath.  “Hello, Commander Nalam.  Welcome aboard the Mackenzie.” He turned to the transporter officer, “Ensign Breakstone, can we have a moment?”  The young man skittered out the door.  Crawford turned to the mother of their child.  “Riandri…I’m sorry.”  He fought for emotional control as he continued, “I…this thing between us is going to take some time…and we don’t have much time before Breakstone has to be back here to his console…we’ve got a stack of work in mission operations…can we talk through this over dinner tonight?”

Riandri blinked a couple of times to clear her vision but was at a loss for words. A wave of mixed feelings washed over her, ranging from excitement at seeing Peter again to outright fear and shame at seeing him again. She went to speak but found that no words left her mouth before she nodded slowly. She had not been sure how he would react, but as soon as she thought about it, this was the only way he would have.  Steeling herself, she took a step forward, standing only a foot from Peter. “Peter,” she said, unable to look him in the eyes, “I am the one who has to apologise for everything. Not you.” 

She exhaled slowly as she fought to regain some measure of control over herself and looked him in the face, “All of this was my doing, it was my choice and my decision.” 

Crawford twitched at the need to hug his child’s mother. He sighed, reached out, and pulled her into his embrace.  He held her in silence before he spoke, “You don’t get to carry this burden alone, Ri.”  He could hear her heartbeat and feel her warmth against him. He heard the door behind him open, and a flustered Breakstone saw what was happening in his transporter room.  Breakstone sighed and left the room, the door sliding closed behind him.  They untangled from each other, the moment holding between them.

Riandri gave him a sad smile and nodded slightly before she glanced at the door and let out a little chuckle, “I think we made Breakstone uncomfortable.” She sighed and looked back at Peter as she regained her composure and pushed her feelings back behind the all too familiar wall, as she had for so many years previously, first with the Borg, then James, and again with Peter and Carolyn.  Breakstone’s appearance reminded her she was here for a mission, “You mentioned we have a stack of work to do?”

Peter watched her face as her eyes clouded, then cleared.  She was complex, and her story was as deep as the Delta Quadrant – literally and figuratively.  “They’ve got us set up in Diplomatic Operations.  And it is a pile.”  They both left the transporter room, and Breakstone’s face was one of relief as he returned to his assignment.

“Probe is functional.”  Commander Thasaz sat at the science console, watching the return data screens.  They’d launched it as a first step to determine what was happening with the three Raven class ships.

Park sat in the center chair, her face scrunching up every few seconds as she watched the view screen.  Walton had needed to catch up on her sleep, so the CONN was hers.  She was annoyed at the Maquis.  There were issues in the demilitarized zone.  That wasn’t up for debate in her mind.  What was up for debate was the annoyance of dealing with The True Way, now further complicated by an old enemy thought to be in remission and suddenly becoming malignant.  And fighty. Very fighty.  She ordered, “Keep an eye out.”

Kondo watched the threat screens as the probe flew through space. He was suspicious of a trap, and he wasn’t a fan of the Maquis or their methods. His screens were showing clear, and that was further evidence of something—of what, he wasn’t sure. Kondo De La Fontaine liked to be sure of most things in his position as Chief Tactical Officer.

Thasaz watched the data stream at the science station as the probe sliced its way through space to the three Ravens.  She didn’t have an emotional reaction to the Maquis returning.  In her career, she’d never had occasion to interact with them and had to rely on the sometimes unreliable narration the Romulan media would provide.  The sensors were picking up more and more as the probe closed in on the ships.  She began to sort through the data that her department was classifying and identifying.  “Readings coming in now, Commander Park.”  She glanced from screen to console and back again, “I’m reading no biological life signs at first glance.  All three ships are registering negative on life signs.”  Another pass of the probe’s sensors as it rumbled closer.  “Reading unusual power levels from all three ships.”

De La Fontaine was also at work on his console, “Commander…those are some old Raven class ships.”  He sent the data to her PADD as he read the details, “These ships have been scraped – I’m not reading a functional computer or command systems.”  He felt the hair on the back of his neck creep up, “Whatever their purpose is, it’s not good.”  He returned to his console as the scans continued to refine.

Park leaned forward, her mind bursting with questions and worries. What were they up to? She asked, “What is the probe’s distance from the ships?”  Kondo reported they were still five minutes from within complete visual range.  She watched the progress on her PADD, her worry climbing the scales.  “Bring the probe to full stop.”

Thasaz tapped in the command and turned to the XO, “Commander?”

Park stood from the chair, “They wanted us good and close.  Most ships, at the probe’s current distance, are scannable.  The only reason we’re not getting concrete information is…,”

The Romulan science officer sighed as she finished her thought. “They wanted us closer—close enough to do some real damage.”  She turned to the screens and said, “Commander Park is right—our sensors and the probe’s sensors should have been giving us a lot more detail…especially with the age of the Raven ships.”

Kondo was in shock. The New Maquis were playing games he hadn’t expected. They had to have known that Mackenzie would be in the sector and nobody else was nearby. The size and force of an Excelsior II class in the area threatened whatever their ongoing plans were. He turned in his chair, “They wanted us damaged and needing repairs. We’d have to leave the sector. They’d redirect Daedalus, but she’s not as much of a threat as we are.”

Park listened to them as they worked out the plot. She suspected something was off but couldn’t completely figure it out. She allowed a thin smile—her doubts about this new crew were being pushed away with each passing moment. “Can we defuse them? See what intel we can get?”

Thasaz examined her readings, “From what I can tell, the shields on the ships are down – all the power is likely being used to power the explosive devices on each Raven.  If we transport a drone aboard, we can test to see if it’ll activate based on that.”

Park tapped her foot in thought.  She suggested, “We’d need to include a biological marker to ensure the testing parameters are complete – if it passes, we know we can step onboard.”

“I’ll get on it right away, Commander.”

A new probe hung next to the original, outfitted with a drone with a biological marker.  Park had returned to the center chair, “Activate transporter.”  After a few taps on Thasaz’s console, they all watched the sensor readings overlayed on the view screen.  A minute passed. Two minutes.

Thasaz confirmed,  “We’re receiving telemetry data and visual feeds from the cameras. There has been no reaction from the Ravens.”

Park sat back in her chair in relief.  “Wake the captain.  We’re going to need to put together a team.”

“This isn’t Maquis work, Commander.”  Deputy Chief Engineer Carolyn Crawford stood on the bare bridge of one of the Ravens.  “I mean, it is…but stuff here doesn’t make sense.  The explosives are not similar to what they’ve used in the past.  It’s as if someone told them what to do and how to do it, and they didn’t care much.”  She accepted a PADD from Lieutenant Barzo, “The other teams are showing a similar setup on the other two ships.  Lieutenant V’luth has completed a workup of the ignition devices, and she has begun to disable the explosive equipment there.  She says she can do have it all completed within the hour.”

On the bridge of the Mackenzie, Commander Park listened to the report.  “Do we know who they partnered with to get this done?”

Crawford glanced at Barzo, who was unhappy.  They had started the forensics work, and early indications suggested someone they were familiar with.  “Commander, we’re looking at some evidence it’s connected to Pandora.”  She wasn’t happy about it either. Pandora had sworn that she would kill Carolyn as a part of her revenge tour.  Living with that threat hanging just out of reach hadn’t been easy.

There was a pause on the channel before Park replied, “Send us what you have.”

“How many groups is she going to partner with?”  Captain Wren Walton stood at the front of the briefing room several hours later as the final details of the reports were shared. “First it was the Syndicate, then The True Way, and now it’s the New Maquis.  She’s not shy about diving into the deep end of our backyard, that’s for sure.”

Park tapped at her PADD, “We’ve still got reports of the New Maquis activity in other areas.”  She looked to the security chief, Pearce.

Seraphina replied by outlining their general security operational process while adding a few items to the list for when they’d be landing onto colonies, “We’ve got the reality of how the Maquis operates and how Pandora operates.  We started exercises and training scenarios a few days ago.  These two bad actors are not known for mercy or grace.  They have a goal, and we’re in their way.  Commander Hargraves has additional details on friendly colonies.”

Charlie’s face told the story he was about to tell.  It wasn’t good news.  “We’ve got a few friendlies, but given the escalation and actions of the New Maquis, we’re not going to have a lot of open ports out there.  My office has received several notices of Port of Entry closures to Federation starships.  We expect that number to climb.  We’ve had some chatter about Pandora’s part in all this…one of our theories is that she paid the New Maquis to target us with some of their older ships.  They will need funding and support to run this long term.”

Walton shook her head, “We have to keep pushing them back.  Any chance of the New Maquis getting more footholds in the demilitarized zone will make our lives harder and impact the few supporting colonies harder.  We’ve been assigned Captain Crawford and Commander Nalam to assist with the mitigation of all this shit.”  She bowed her head in apology, “Sorry, everyone.  We need to remain focused on making friends and influencing those around them.  Dismissed.”

The last senior staff had filed out, leaving Park and her CO.  She asked her friend, “You ok, Wren?”

Walton leaned against the wall, “I…how did we get here?  How did the New Maquis get lucky enough to form up again and spread their brand of chaos?  It feels like we’re stretched farther and longer ever since Frontier Day…and I don’t know how not to drop a curse word or two.  I’m pissed off at the universe, and I get over and through it…and then it goes sideways again.”

Park offered, “It’s always going to be a bit…,”

Wren interrupted, her voice approaching a shout, “This could have been prevented, Park!  Damn it; this was something Starfleet could have managed…we knew the True Way was growing and not being contained.  We knew people here were upset and frustrated.  Hell, the Obena class earned the ‘broken promise’ nickname!  This was all preventable.  All of it.”

“I know.”

Walton accepted her friend’s understanding, but it didn’t make her feel better about the frying pan-in-the-fire situation. “I don’t know if we can win this one, Park. We’ve got two bad batches out of the oven and spreading. People believe in them because they’re doing something.”

The XO repeated, “I know.” Standing at her captain’s side, she said, “You told me once that the universe’s impossibility of resolving conflict was job security for us.”

“I did say that.”

“You did.  We’re out here because we’re needed.  I don’t look forward to the day I’m stuck in a kitchen, at a desk, or watching the sunset from a rocking chair.  I need to be out here, doing…something.  You’re the same way.”

Wren leaned into her friend’s shoulder, “I hate it when you’re right.”  She sighed, “Let’s figure out a way to save the world again.”

Park grinned and kissed her on the cheek, “That’s the spirit!”

“…and they’re still working to dissemble the Raven fleet, but the risk of explosion has been neutralized.”  Commander Charlie Hargraves finished reading from his report in the conference room.  Crawford and Nalam sat, pouring over PADDs with reports, intelligence, and information about what was being intercepted.  He pinched his nose out – mostly out of habit to cope with stressful situations, “Starfleet has asked us to help you with whatever you need.”  Beyond that, Charlie wasn’t sure what to say – the two heavy hitters had been shifted to the Mackenzie as soon as the New Maquis situation had made its startling appearance to the Arcturus.  Commander Riandri Nalam was a mystery to him, and her dossier was heavily redacted.  He knew Craword and her were friends from some time ago, so he had put his trust in the former deputy squadron commander.

Peter thanked him, “We’ll need some time to get our heads around it.”  Hargraves stood at attention and departed, heading for his office, which had a growing list of headaches.  Crawford turned to Riandri as he examined the long list of reports on the PADD, “We’re already behind – reports are slowing as the New Maquis are melting back into the various colonies, outposts, and stations.  Gonna be a hell of a hunt.”

Riandri nodded in agreement. “I wasn’t involved in the counterintelligence work for the Maquis in the early 2370s, but some of the other officers I knew were. They often said, ‘Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier.’ They had a knack for appearing without warning and vanishing.” She looked at Peter and sighed. “If it wasn’t for the war, I am not sure that the problem would have ended…”

Peter scrolled through the reports as she spoke.  There had been a saying in his family and others over the years – ‘Everything happens for a reason’ was the common refrain.  It was clear why the New Maquis had returned – the problems that had brought them about in the first place were still around…and, in some cases, getting worse. “War never changes…and neither do the results of it.  The New Maquis is the same as Old Maquis.”

 She picked up one of the PADDs summarizing the explosives found in the Ravens, “These Ravens have me concerned, it was very clearly a trap and was unlikely to succeed. It makes me wonder if it was a known long shot, poor planning, or something else?” She paused for a moment and picked up another PADD, “Do we have any confirmed reports of Maquis activity in nearby colonies?”

Crawford shook his head, “There’s evidence that the Raven operation wasn’t just a Maquis operation.”  He slid over an additional PADD, “That’s the additional background on a woman known as Pandora Crawford.”  He waited for Riandri to finish reading it.

As she picked up the PADD, she gave Peter a quizzical look. She felt them fall back into their old habits when it came to work: “Crawford? Any relation?” She cast her eyes off the PADD and the background on Pandora as the reality of the situation sank in, “Oh…I had not thought about her, well, both of them really, for a very long time.” She set the PADD down and looked back to Peter, “I guess she does look like Carolyn from what I remember, but does that mean she was ours also, well, theirs?”

Peter shook his head. “They were able to grab her DNA when she was imprisoned, and my doubles—whoever her mother was, she was a human. I think part of her rage against Carolyn is that somehow she knows the secret…and is afraid that she won’t outlive Carolyn.”  He tapped at the table’s console, bringing up a holographic system map and expanding to the sector, “We need to start somewhere.” He scrolled through the reports, “Now, that’s something.”  A smaller system with three planets and a sun had a sensor marking, “There was a sensor report of a transport ship entering the system…but not leaving it.  That was three days ago.  None of those planets have a registered colony.”

Relief washed over Riandri for a moment at Peter’s response, underpinned by the anger she felt knowing that her daughter’s mirror version was trying to kill her, “The way these universes come together is beyond me, but I will be damned if she touches Carolyn.”

Pete agreed, “I do not doubt that between the two of us, she’ll never have to face that possibility.”

She exhaled and let the anger subside before she pulled up the report Peter had mentioned. “That is odd, there are very few reasons for a transport to visit such a system. I think we have our starting point,” she said as a smile crossed her face. “These planets are far from hospitable though the second one is, at a push, a Class L. It would be a good place to start.”

Crawford tapped at the PADD, “I’ll assemble a support team for tomorrow to escort us to investigate.  Dinner still possible?”

Riandri smiled a little at that, “Dinner would be,” she paused for a moment, “Nice.” Looking back down at the PADDs, she couldn’t help but wonder how big of a hornet’s nest they were about to stir up. 

“This is the revised list?’  Captain Wren Walton was in shock.  ”Five colonies that are willing to accept our help?”  She tossed the PADD onto the table, “Goddamn New Maquis.”

Hasara sat across from her in the briefing room. “It is not any better on the Cardassian side, Captain. Despite my exile status, I’ve been contacted by a few old friends. It’s worse for them—the New Maquis are particularly unhappy with the Cardassians. I do not blame them.”

Wren scoffed, “The Federation is not blameless in this scenario…but you can’t think this is the best solution?”  She was frustrated.  They had the power, crew, and equipment of an Excelsior II class starship ready to lend a hand or two.  Out of the numerous colonies scattered around the Demilitarized Zone, they’d had positive responses in the single digits.

Hasara pointed out, “Captain Walton, you forget this part of the universe has never known the Federation for long, and they’ve found out the Cardassians’ mode of operations the hard way.  The best solution to their problems and troubles is neither party.  No matter who they’re told to trust, it’s always broken.  One group has kept their promises.  And it is not the Cardassians or the Federation.”

Commander Park found it hard to argue with their Cardassian advisor.  His experiences in such a colony as a Gul granted him the authority to speak about the issue.  His knowledge of the Maquis years and those that followed helped the crew of the Mackenzie hear a perspective they might not have otherwise.  There was still an issue at hand.  She answered, “We can’t just ignore them.”

The Cardassian pointed at her and said, “Commander Park is correct. They are not unwilling to engage the Federation, but it isn’t their primary goal. They want Cardassians out, and they’re going to do everything they can to make it uncomfortable for them. Ignoring a slow-growing cancer in your body is just as bad as ignoring a fast-moving one.”

The door slid open, and their Chief Diplomatic Officer slid into a chair, “I’ve heard back from a few more colonies.  Four more do not wish to have us darken their doorstep.”  Charlie Hargraves took a long drink from his coffee.  He was coming up empty, even with his lists of inducements at the ready. “At least these were respectful in their reply.”

Park scrolled back through the list of friendly colonies. “Do we think they’ll be willing to give us any information about our new friends?”  She had spent most of her downtime last night reading up on the old Maquis and examining the new details, which still lacked depth.

Hargraves shrugged.  “I haven’t directly asked in any of my conversations.  I sense we won’t be walking into open arms with the friendly list.  There’s enough discontent among the general population in each that we will need to find a way to show them we’re here for the long term.  That they’re willing to let at least us land and talk to us – that’s a win in my book.”

Walton stood from her chair, “Charlie, pick one that’ll get us started.  Park, alert the department heads we’ll be moving within the hour.  Hasara – find out what you can about the ones on the friendly list.  Nobody likes surprises.”

“You don’t understand.”  Marcel Polk stood at the edge of the Fallow Colony, speaking with the Starfleet officers who had landed a few yards away. “We’ve kept to ourselves. We haven’t tried to get involved or put ourselves on the side or the other.”

Hargraves could see the fear and worry in Polk’s eyes.  The rebirth of the Maquis had complicated the situation.  For those in the Fallow Colony, they’d managed to stay outside of The True Way’s interest.  With the addition of another group, there was a greater chance of the sector getting stirred up and the True Way’s eyes casting a wider vision.  “We don’t want to make things harder for you…but we will be around the demilitarized zone for a while.  We’re here to make up for the mistakes of the past.  If nothing else, just let our doctors do some medical care for your people.”

Polk kicked at the ground, “Nobody else comes in. You only ask me questions about anything other than their medical needs.”

Hargraves took the compromise, “I’ll get our teams in motion.  Thank you, Marcel.”  Polk wearily waved his hands as he walked back to the colony.  Charlie sent a message to the Mackenzie.

Park pushed off the side of the shuttle where she’d been observing, arms crossed, “Polk’s scared.” 

The Chief Diplomatic Officer asked, “Wouldn’t you be?  You’re at the mercy of The True Way, The Cardassians, and whoever else decides you need some lesson taught.”  Hargraves scrolled through his PADD as the data came through from Polk, “It’s going to take longer than a day or week’s worth of work…we’re going to have to stand with them in the long term.”

She grimaced.  The New Maquis were an irritation.  They were also getting into the middle of Cardassian and Federation relations, which pushed several of her buttons in rapid succession.  “Sometimes I question being assigned to this part of space.”

Hargraves glanced over as the transporters activated and the arrival of the medical team.  Doctor Longfellow and Hiro, the charge nurse, appeared with a large team of orderlies.  “There are few places in the universe that are straightforward, Commander.  Take it from me – there’s a reason you have me on your ship.”

Longfellow ambled up and accepted Charlie’s PADD, grousing, “Hopefully, our medical outreach will help tip the scales. Looks like they’ve been without modern medicine for a while.”  He shook his head as the details scrolled, revealing how desperate the situation had become. “Admitting you need help with stuff like this is hard.”

Park resisted the urge to interject.  Longfellow had lived long enough to see and live more than she had.  She was working on keeping her less-than-thoughtful ideas to herself.  As if sensing her argument, Hargraves gave her a warning look, “I’ll escort you onto the colony proper to meet with Marcel Polk.  Commander Park, I’ll be back shortly.”

She watched them leave and returned to leaning on the shuttle side.  She wondered how long it would take for them to change the hearts and minds of the colonies.  Good things took time, she reminded herself.

And the work they were doing was certainly a good thing.

“You said it was your fault.”  He placed her plate down in front of her and slid into the set next to her, his plate in his other hand.  “What did you mean?”  They were in his quarters on the Mackenzie; she’d arrived a few minutes ago.  He looked at her with a gentle look.

Riandri was about to thank Peter for the food when his comment caught her off guard, though she knew it was coming. She looked over at him, the pain she felt displayed across her face, and sighed, “What else would you call it? I left both of you because I let my obsession get the better of me.” As she spoke, her voice cracked, and a sob escaped her lips as tears began to well up. “I…I…” she choked as she tried to continue, “I had tried for a decade to get past it, but when Voyager returned, it all came back. The memories of El-Auria falling, watching Wolf 359, the destruction of the Firebrand and James, and then the second incursion. The fear, the questions, the Borg. I let it consume me.”

She stopped as she put her head in her hands, unable to hold back the tears, “I left as if the life I had built meant nothing at all. Why don’t you hate me? I hate myself for what I did.”

Crawford stood and dragged his chair to sit beside her, putting his right arm over her shoulder.  She had to carry so much alone for so long; he couldn’t imagine the grief and sadness that it had bred in her heart and soul over the years.  The weight would have been unbearable.  Yet, here she was, wondering why he didn’t hate her.  He replied, “I won’t lie – there was plenty of time and space to hate you for your decision…but that time is past, Ri.  I had a long time to think about it…and I had to accept that you did what you thought was right at the time.”  He shrugged, “We all make mistakes….and we’ve all regretted decisions.  It’s been a long road getting from there to here.  Carrying hate weighed me down.  I travel light these days, Ri.  I forgave you a long time ago.  You might want to give it a try for yourself.”  He smiled, “It won’t happen overnight…but maybe starting will help you get there.”

Peter’s words hit Riandri like a sledgehammer and she struggled to catch her breath for a moment while they sunk in. After a minute, she looked up and haphazardly brushed her hair from her red eyes. Though tears still ran down her cheeks, she took a deep breath, “I, I don’t think I am ready to forgive myself yet, Peter. I missed so much.”

She sighed and shifted in her seat, “I recorded messages for both of you so many times. Every time I was in range to send them, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. They are all just collecting dust. Then, when I got back, I came so close to reaching out but figured you wouldn’t want to hear from me. I should have.”

Peter remained at her side, his voice soft, “You take it your pace, Ri.”  He gave her a knowing look, “I did the same.  Wondered about reaching out and almost did…then didn’t.”  A moment passed between them, “Regret and shame are powerful things, aren’t they?”

Riandri let out a little laugh followed by a sad smile, “Yeah, you could say that again.” His words, as they had always done, helped her to find her centre and calm the turmoil, on the surface, that she had been struggling with for the last two decades. She stopped for a moment and looked a the table, “I seem to have derailed dinner a bit. It does look lovely, maybe we could speak on more pleasant things? Could you tell me about her?”

He leaned back in his chair, “Carolyn?  She’s the optimist of the family.”  He felt his smile of pride cut across his lips, “She’s never been a girly girl.  Hates dresses.  Takes everything apart, wipes her nose on her sleeve when she thinks I’m not looking…she’s got a brightness in her that didn’t come from me.  She’s got your smile…which she has wears most of the time.”

Riandri let out a little laugh. “My smile was always the nicer of the two of us,” she said with a bit of levity. “She sounds like a wonderful person, and very accomplished given her record. I would love to meet her, if you think that is ok?”

Crawford chewed on his bottom lip.  It was inevitable.  “I think it’s more than ok, Ri.  I think you should meet her.”  He stared into her eyes and felt his heart jump into his throat.  Even after all these years, all the days, all the wondering…she could still shake his soul.  He pulled his plate from his seat at the table and took a bite.  It was as good as he remembered. “We’ll have some time tomorrow.  How do you want to handle it?”

Riandri made an audible gulp, “Tomorrow? That soon? I, well, that works, yeah.”  She took a sip of the water in front of her before continuing, “I have thought about meeting her every day, but I have no idea how to go about it. How do you think she will react? What does she know about me?”

Peter replied, “You can choose the date and time, Ri. I sometimes will get ahead of the shuttle in the shuttle bay.”  He took another, “She knows she has a mother…and that life was complicated…and that you are beautiful, kind, and a little crazy.”  He shared a smile with her at the last mention.  “I never lied to her about you – she’s spent more time recently asking about you and what makes you…well, you.”  He kept his eyes on hers, “About a year ago, she started saying that she loved you, even as mysterious as you were…I didn’t correct her.  She’s a young woman…and I think she’ll welcome you with open arms…she may not let you out of her embrace for a long time.”

Riandri felt tears starting to well in her eyes as she blinked them away; the thought of seeing Carolyn after all these years was almost too much. “I would really like that, Peter.” 

He smiled, “I think she will too.”  He leaned back in the chair, returning to the food in front of them, “Now, maybe you get to eat, and I get to talk about all the life updates.”  He began to tell his story over the last twenty or so years as the evening faded into night, they continued to share pieces of their past with each other.

“You are a very serious doctor,” the young woman observed as Doctor Henry Longfellow scanned her with the medical tricorder. She was visibly pregnant. According to her frustrated mother, getting her here had been an ordeal. She sat outside the makeshift tent, enjoying the fresh water they’d begun to dispense.

He completed his scan and turned to the next battery of tests he had ready for her, “Doctors aren’t the joking kind, Ms. Grayson.  Joking about something that turns serious in the blink of an eye is generally frowned upon.”  He used a hypospray to draw her blood, and she cringed at the pull.  “Pain?”

She didn’t answer him immediately, and he continued his work until she confessed, “I’m not as well as I seem, Doctor Longfellow.”  Alexandra Greyson was eighteen and had fought her mother for most of those years, at least according to Marianne Greyson.  Longfellow’s charge nurse had gently and then assertively pulled her out of the exam room.

“Well, you can’t hide your condition from most tricorders, Ms. Greyson.  Even without this thing,” he hefted it in his right hand, “…I can look at you and know something isn’t going well.”  He put the tricorder down and picked up his PADD, “You’re showing signs of preterm labor, and it’s been accelerating over the last few hours we’ve been here.”  He tapped at the PADD, showing her the details, “We’ve been doing what we can to slow it down…and there is a lot we can still do.”

She stared at him now. “I’m feeling like you’re about to drop a quantum torpedo load of buts.”  Hiro stepped back into the room and sat beside Alexandra, her touch soft and caring.

Henry showed her more details on the PADD, explaining, “I’ve done this a thousand times – births are as natural as they come.  Sometimes they’re on time, sometimes they’re late…and sometimes…they’re early – and once we run out of options to slow the baby down…baby’s coming.  They’re working on bringing down a Neonatal ICU unit, so we’ll be ready.”

Alexandra’s face flushed, “How soon?”  Hiro whispered comfort and instructed her to slow her breathing.

Longfellow: “You keep breathing, keeping your body as calm as you can. We’ll run out the clock on our medical options to slow things down. We’ll stretch as far as we can.”

The young woman nearly shouted as her mind began to understand what the doctor told her, “I’m thirty weeks!”

“We’re going to keep him safe and make sure he survives his early arrival, Ms. Greyson.”  He handed Hiro the PADD and said, “Let’s get started on the remaining options.”

“I never got him his shots.”

Juliet Woodward tapped into the PADD information as she continued her interview with the young father, who held his one-year-old in his arms. The little boy’s sallow face echoed a harsh cough out of his lungs, and tears held at the edge of the father’s eyes. The conditions in the colony had become startlingly clear. Desperate to avoid help from anyone who would paint them a target of the other side, they’d buckled down and kept to themselves.  Woodward understood.  “We’re going to help you and your son, Mr. Young.  Can you bring him over to this biobed?”

The orderly was already working up the first line of hyposprays to drive the child into a more stable condition.  The father gingerly stood and laid his boy on the bed.  Woodward was startled as he started to collapse, his legs giving out.  She caught him, and a nearby orderly rushed to aid them.  His breath became labored as she ran a medical tricorder over him, “Mr. Young…when was the last time you ate?  Or had water?”  He shook his head, his words intelligible as his eyes began to roll back in his head.  “He’s crashing.  Get me another bed in here, STAT!”  The medical team sprang into action, and a bed slid into the room as additional nurses and orderlies scrambled to his side.  The readouts showed his heart going into atrial fibrillation.

“Prep the shock charger, 200.”  Doctor Parson Routh’s voice took charge as he accepted the tossed device and slid it over Young’s heart.  “Clear.”  There was a whine, and then the body jumped, the sensors showing the heart in a-fib after a moment.  Routh tapped at the unit, “Charging to 300.  Clear.”  The body jumped again, and they all watched as the sensors continued in alarm until…the heartbeat returned to a normal signal.  “Run the panel.  Get me an ICU team in here – how’s the boy?”

Woodward checked with the orderly, “Stable.  They’re going to need a procedure team in an hour.”

Routh noted on his PADD, “I’ll check back in ten.  If they’re not here by then, get me.  Father and son will need immediate care – none of those conditions are light work.”  He left as the ICU team flooded the room and took her report.  She stepped out a moment later, her heart racing.  The man had probably given his son his rations of food and water to keep him alive.  It was a heartbreaking choice to make.  She now wondered how many had made such a choice on this colony…and they hadn’t come in time to save them.  Woodward muttered, “Goddamn it.”

Peter Crawford sat in his daughter’s quarters, holding a steaming cup of coffee while his daughter sipped at her own tea.  “I’m….part El-Aurian?”  She blinked and stared at him, “And mom is…alive?”  She sat on her couch, her hands trembling as the realization snaked its way through her mind, “You weren’t kidding when you said it was complicated, Dad…but holy…shit.”  Another sip of her Lady Grey.  Her mind was whirling, and she tried to accept it while understanding it.  It wasn’t easy.  “She wants to meet me, so that’s good.”  She stared down into the browning liquid in her cup.  For her entire life, she had never known her mother’s name or even her face.  She thought she had a sense of the woman.  She’d been mostly wrong – she was mysterious, that was for sure.  Her father slid a PADD across to her.  “That’s her?”  He nodded, eyes full of worry.  She clicked her tongue, “Don’t give me that look.  I’m not going to kill her…or hate her.  I’m just…I do look like her.”  Carolyn rolled her eyes at Peter, “Women always look like their mothers.”

Peter felt some relief.  Her eyes were misty as she cradled the photo of her mother.  “This isn’t going to be easy for either of you…she’s prepared for that.”

Carolyn chuckled, “I never thought I’d see this day, Dad.  Honestly.  I thought she’d always be a mystery…that I’d love a stranger for my all my life, just out of reach.”  She stood, “Where is she?”  He gave her a questioning look, and she groaned, “I just want to see her…and hold her.  Dad, you don’t know what’s banging around in my heart.”

He understood more than she knew.  “Let’s go.”

He walked her to the door of the Wardroom on deck 1.  “She’s just inside.  Do you…?”

She hugged him, startling him, “Thank you, Dad.  I love you for this.”  She looked up at him, “I need to meet Mom alone…on my own.”  She stepped back and straightened her uniform, “I look good, right?”

“You look beautiful.”  She curtseyed, took a breath, and stepped through the open door.

Riandri sat in a chair and stared out the window, lost in thought. The tea she held in her hands had lost most of its heat while she thought about what was about to happen. She struggled to wrap her mind around how Peter had reacted, what he had said. After so many years, she had expected nothing short of anger from him and feared complete rejection from Carolyn, but having found understanding from Peter; something she didn’t know what to do with. Her mind drifted to Carolyn, and the last memory she had of her, holding her when she was only a year old, a memory that seemed to be from a lifetime ago. 

She heard the door slide open behind her, and she froze, terrified to turn around for the moment before she pushed it aside. She turned her chair and stood up before she dared look. Once standing, she laid eyes on Carolyn, and a wave of pure joy washed over her at seeing her daughter, “Hello, Carolyn.”

Carolyn’s smile was frozen for but a moment.  Her eyes searched the face of her mother, her mom, finding all the parts of her that she had imagined, pretended to remember…and now they were real.  She was real.  Carolyn felt her emotions swelling as her eyes misted with the realization that her mother…was here.  She was here.  Mom.  She started walking towards Riandri.  She made it four steps before she began to run, her tears spilling down her face as she raced to be reunited with the woman who had brought her into this world.  Her mom.  Her mother.  Carolyn fell into Riandri’s arms, wrapping her in a firm embrace, sobbing as she sputtered, “Hey, Mom.  You’re real.  You’re here.  Mom.”  She repeated the word as she cried, the sound of it feeling foreign and familiar on her lips.  Carolyn held onto Riandri as if she might vanish into the ether again.  “I’ve missed you, Mom.  So much.”  Her tears continued unabated.  Her mom was real.  And she was here.

Riandri went rigid for a moment as Carolyn wrapped her arms around her but that was short-lived as she embraced her as tightly as she could. Tears rolled down her cheeks and all she could say was, “I have missed you so much.” With that, she tightened her arms around Carolyn, rested her head on her shoulder and just enjoyed the moment. As she did she clutched a small locket in her hand and willed the happiness of the moment to stay with them.

After what seemed like hours, they released each other, and Riandri took a half step back as she held Caroyln by the shoulders. “I…” Riandri began, “I am sorry I wasn’t there for you, Carolyn, but if you would allow it, I would like to be now.” She nodded towards the table, “I thought we could get to know each other over some lunch; I am sure you have lots of questions. Your dad told me what you liked.”

Carolyn wiped her face with her arm, the tears fading while the emotions remained firmly at the top of her throat, a tightness of joy spreading her smile wide.  “Dad and you had your reasons.  I never blamed you.  You had your own battles to fight.”  She eyed the table and the lunch that beckoned, “Dad wanted this to work.”  She turned to her mom, “Thanks for wanting this to work too.”  They walked to the table and slid into the chairs, facing each other.  Carolyn frowned.  She picked up her chair and plate, shifting to sit as close as she could to the side of Riandri, her arms and legs brushing up against her.  Within her had surged a desperate need for her mother’s touch.  She had known it was there in her mind over the years.  Now, it was an ache for the years missed. The hugs not given.  The comfort not felt.  She couldn’t take her eyes off Riandri.  Her mom was real.  She was here.

Riandri smiled as Carolyn pulled the chair beside her. As she did, Riandri reach over and squeezed her hand firmly. “I have always wanted this. Every day I have thought about this and how I want it to work but I let other things get the better of me,” Riandri said as she continued to hold Carolyn’s hand. She looked back to the table not feeling overly hungry, “So…”, a bit at a loss for words, “How about you tell me about your life? What do you like doing? Any Hobbies? How was it growing up?” 

As soon as she finished speaking, Riandri sighed and shook her head, “God, I am making this sound like an interrogation. Guess I have more experience with that than I do speaking to my daughter which doesn’t say much about me.”

Crawford’s smile didn’t falter.  “You probably would have had to employ those tactics when I was a teenager.  I was mostly a good kid, but…I gave my dad a run for his Latinum.”  She picked at her plate, “Let’s start easy.  I’ll tell you about my boyfriends and the drama they brought to my life.”  Carolyn relished the flavors, “Good food always helps.”

Riandri couldn’t help but laugh, “Sounds like you got that from your dad. He knows how to give anyone a run for their Latinum.” She moves to speak again then paused and shook her head, “Not sure starting with boyfriends is easy but I am all ears. They don’t call us good listeners for no reason.”

There was a twinkle in her daughter’s eye, “If you asked my boyfriends…I didn’t make it easy on them.”  She drank from her cup, “Now, first was Theo in 6th grade.  I know, I know.  Young for a boyfriend.  But he was a bad boy…and let me tell you…I liked the bad boys…”  She continued to tell her stories long into the afternoon as they shared laughter and tears about the results of her relationship experiences and experiments.  They remained in the lounge, unwilling to leave each other willingly.

Riandri sat beside Carolyn, her hand resting atop her daughter’s, enthralled by the stories and events that spilled forth from her daughter. She couldn’t believe how much she had missed and the adventures Carolyn had.

“You’ve had quite an adventure since you joined Starfleet. Guess it keeps you on your toes. I take it you are enjoying it, Starfleet, that is?” Riandri asked.

Carolyn chuckled.  “The Zebulon Pike…the Mercy…and now Mackenzie…there’s always something out here that needs the Federation.”  She thought for a moment about her dad’s time on Denver and beyond. She felt a quiet tremor in her heart, “I…I have to ask you about something else.  Dad told me about you being El-Aurien.”  Her smile faded slightly, “I know what we studied in the Academy…but I wanted to ask what it’s like?”  She bit her bottom lip, “I want to know what to…expect.”

Riandri let out a rapid scoff mixed with a light laugh, “For you, I…” she paused and shook her head. “I don’t know. I have never come across another half-human, half-El-Aurien before so I don’t know what has passed on from me to you. It is something we could look into, I would love to help to uncover this with you.”

She gripped Carolyn’s hand firmly as she continued, “For me, there was a lot of, still is, a lot of figuring things out even with having 170 years under my belt.” Riandri paused for a moment as she thought back to her early years and the pain it brought, “My home.” She inhaled sharply as she felt more tears well up, “El-Auria, my home, was destroyed, as I assume you know when I was a bit older than you but by El-Aurian standards, I was little more than a child so many I ended up learning a lot on my own. In general though, long life, centuries, with the ability to control when we age. That is a nice perk I have to say.” A sad smile crossed her face, “We are also empathic, not like a betazoid though, with some telepathy. I can get a good sense of people and their feelings though that didn’t start developing until I was a bit older and I have met a couple who could project an image of themselves into another mind though I have tried myself.”

“In addition to that we can sense the flow of space and time, frustratingly so,  as we can sense changes to it and the timeline. This can manifest in something called the Af-Kelt, or time sickness. This can range from feeling uneasy to severe headaches, vomiting and loss of consciousness. It’s not fun at all. I unfortunately get hit hard by it,” Riandri said with a little laugh as she thought back to the few times it had happened.

“I can also sense the world around me differently from humans, it is almost like music and every action resonates within it. I know some El-Aluriens have been able to help guide those around them by manipulating this though I have never tried,” Riandri made a quizzical face at her remark. “Maybe I should.” She shook her head and then lifted the locket she had been holding since they entered the room, “This though is something I have worked on, we can capture moments, well the essence of them within an object. I wanted to have our first meeting remembered.” With that she held out the locket to Carolyn, “I want you to have this to remember the moment.”

Carolyn accepted it tenderly, gently holding it in her palm. A familiar feeling ebbed and flowed through her hand, connecting with a deep part of her that she felt as if she had forgotten long ago but had been there since she could remember.  A warmth erupted in her chest and spread to her limbs, her face growing hot until it passed and then faded.  She blinked, “I…”  She blinked again, her eyes seeing the world around her in a new light.  She explained what had happened once the locket touched her skin and shook her head as she recounted each moment and sensation.  “I…it’s always been there…but I never felt…connected to it.”  She gave her newfound mother a curious look, “I’m weirdly thankful I only got half a dose of this…this would be hard at full power.”  She put her other hand on her mothers, “I can’t imagine growing into yourself with this…gift?  What would you call it?”  Crawford was curious to hear of her mother’s young adult days, if El-Aurians even had such a thing.

Riandri smiled sadly at that as she thought back to her younger days. “Honestly, it was just there but after El-Auria was destroyed I… I, sort of, shut off for many years. It wasn’t until I came to Earth and started to make it home that I began to think about this stuff. Even then I didn’t figure stuff out until a few years back when I found a small enclave of El-Aurians.” She stopped and looked over her daughter again and squeezed her hand tightly, “I have a lot I want to tell you, lifetimes of stories though some are too painful to think on.”

Crawford smiled reservedly, “You don’t need to share it all today, Mom.  Stories are meant to be read one at a time, not all at once.”  She had a thought, “We do share our gifts coming to us late in life.  We may be separated by years, but we’re alike in ways too.”  She returned to her drink, “You and Dad aren’t here for this reunion…how bad is this New Maquis thing?”  She put a hand up, “I’m not asking for state secrets…I worry about him…and now you.  Space is a dark place sometimes.”

“I wish I had come for a reunion, wish I had the courage to come before orders made me. Glad they did thought,” Riandri said with a smile. “As for the New Maquis, it’s not good, we need to get a handle on things as soon as we can. It wasn’t good the first time. If it hadn’t been for the war I don’t know how it would have gone. There are a lot of moving parts and we don’t know most of them.”

“Guess that’s why I am here to help figure it out,” Riandri continued. “But while I am here I want to get to know you.”

Crawford’s reserved smile broadened, “That makes my heart happy, Mom.”

Throughout the rest of their time together, they traded stories of life growing up on different sides of the universe.  Eventually, they had to return to their respective duties, and they hugged back and forth until both felt like they could handle being apart.  This time it wouldn’t be years, but hours.

The shadow of the New Maquis, The True Way, and Pandora Crawford hung heavy over each of them as they returned to their responsibilities.

The New Atlantic runabout warmed up as Peter Crawford sat in the right-hand seat, loading in the mission parameters.  He’d heard from Riandri that the meeting had gone well, and she was headed his way.  He slipped a paper photo of Carolyn out and taped it to the wall of the Runabout.  Old habits died hard.

Riandri slowly made her way through the MacKenzie as her mind replayed the reunion with Carolyn over and over again. It pained her to have to leave the ship and Carolyn as much now as it did all those years ago even though she knew she would be back as soon as the away mission was over. She was so zoned out she walked right past the shuttle bay and right into an ensign. Shaken from her thoughts, she looked around, “Oh, I am sorry, Ensign. I was lost in my own thoughts. Where is the shuttle bay by chance?”

Several minutes later, the hatch to the runabout opened, and Riandri stepped in, “Sorry I’m late, Captain Crawford. I got turned around. We all set to go?” Riandri looked at the co-pilot seat and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the photo.

He tapped at the console, and the engines began to rumble, “Ready and able, Commander Nalam.”  He gave her a sideways glance as she slipped into her  chair, “I’ve never been much for rank and prestige.”  Another tap as the shuttle bay crew confirmed their departure, “Let’s see what’s out there, Ri.”

She smiled at that, “That is very true. I always liked that about you, Peter.” 

She felt the runabout shift slightly as it was eased out of the bay, the expansive void of space before them. “I assume the ship hasn’t been seen leaving the system since the last check?” She said as she began to pull up the most recent sensory data and the planetary data. 

Peter tapped at his console as the runabout moved into open space, and he set the course, “Our passive scans haven’t shown anything.”  He rechecked the coordinates and tapped the warp engines into gear.  The stars were soon streaming past the cockpit window as he directed the sensors to scan, “The New Maquis think they’re smarter than us or the Cardassians.  That’s not the problem…the problem is they’ve had lots of time to gather fresh recruits from the colonies and beyond.  Plenty of folks out there with a grudge against either party.”  The countdown on the console showed they were a few minutes away from their drop-out destination, “I don’t know if this is going to be Maqui, True Way, or Pandora – intelligence data out here isn’t always a sure thing.  If we run into Pandora, are you going to be able to help me bring her in?”

Riandri nodded in agreement and understanding as Peter spoke about the New Maquis.  At his last question, she turned and looked at Peter for a moment as she mulled over his words, “This Pandora, she was part of the incursion during the war we encountered on Earth, you said, right?” She glanced at her console as the most recent reports were pulled up before she spoke again. “I will do what is needed to ensure she doesn’t harm Carolyn,” she said coldly. Without a hint of emotion, she continued, “Be that bringing her in or putting her down.” 

Peter chewed on her response.  It was challenging for him to answer the question – his emotions were a part of the equation.  Pandora had shown herself capable of terrible acts and had little thought of the impact of her decisions.  She was a sociopath, through and through.  She’d escaped prison by the chance involvement of the Changelings.  The risk of her escaping a second time would be ridiculously low.  And yet…he still pondered about the chances of a second reign of chaos and murder.  The balance of justice and his daughter’s safety were balanced precariously in his mind as the runabout dropped from warp a distance from the system.  “A long time ago, I thought the solution for her was justice…and the system.”  He paused as he adjusted the power levels and the ship’s signature, “I’m more inclined to agree with your thinking these days.”  Crawford glanced at the sensors, “Looks like the transport ship is in orbit above the planet.  No life signs.”  He glanced at her, “Any recent warp signatures?”

Riandri tapped a few commands into her console as she went through the sensor logs. “Hmm…looks like there might be a faint one but it is a couple of days old at least. My guess is they are on the planet. I am getting some interference, but I think there is a power source in the southern hemisphere.”

He tapped at the arm of his chair, “Do we board the transport?  Or do we head down the planet?”  He thought the answer through in his head, eyeing the image of the ship on the console.  There was a risk in either decision.  The security team in the back of the runabout would follow them either way.

Riandri let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair, “Either is a gamble. If it were me I would have rigged the ship with a transporter scrambler or to explode if an unauthorized beam-in occurred.” She trailed off and thought it through a bit more, “But given the way they operate, well how I assume they operate, not every one of their ships would have the correct codes so I think that is unlikely. That said they may have an alarm that will notify them if the ship is boarded. It may be best to have part of the security team secure the ship at the same time we move on the power source and whoever is down there?” She turned and looked over at Peter, “That work for you?”

Crawford nodded, “That ship is too tempting of a target.  Let’s see what we can see on the planet.”  He turned them towards a moon, “That’ll give us cover as we transport down.”  The runabout surged forward.