The aft section of the Formidable’s bridge hummed quietly as Horin, Levy, and Sturok gathered around the illuminated display. Anizza Horin stood beside Fitzgerald. The two new arrivals had travelled from Deep Space Ninteen via a shuttle to deliver their countermeasure against Briasyraa’s subspace communication jamming device. Now, they were briefing the others on how it worked. 

Anizza adjusted the holographic display, which shifted to show the intricate schematics of the jamming device. Her voice was clear as she began. “From what we know, thanks to files finally shared with us from Daystrom Station, the device operates by manipulating subspace harmonics to create a localised disruption field. This prevents standard communication signals from propagating. It’s sophisticated but has a flaw, one we think we can exploit.”

Fitzgerald stepped in, gesturing to a highlighted section of the hologram. “We’ve developed a countermeasure that generates a targeted feedback loop. This disrupts the device’s harmonics, temporarily neutralising its effect.”

Levy, who had her arms crossed as she listened intently, asked, “How temporary is ‘temporary’? And will it hold up in a live scenario?”

Anizza exchanged a glance with Fitzgerald before answering. “In simulations, the countermeasure held for just over an hour. That’s our best-case scenario. Once activated, the device’s operators might adapt, so we’ll need to act quickly.”

“It’s untested in the field,” Fitzgerald admitted, “but we’re confident it’ll work. If we can get within range of the jamming device, we’ll have a window to act.”

Horin focused on the display, tapping his fingers against the table’s edge in thought. “Good work. Begin integrating the countermeasure into our systems immediately. We may not have much time.”

Sturok stood with his hands behind his back, interjected. “The probability of success increases if the countermeasure is deployed from an optimal range. However, Starfleet Intelligence believes Briasyraa’s ship and possibly others under her control are equipped with advanced cloaking technology. We may not be able to detect them until it is too late. We should start tachyon scans and anti-proton sweeps immediately.”

“Agreed,” Horin said. He turned to Anizza and Fitzgerald. “How soon can it be operational?”

“Within an hour,” Anizza replied confidently.

“Make it happen,” Horin said, smiling at his wife and her incredible expertise in being able to fathom a working plan.

Just as Anizza and Fitzgerald prepared to leave, Tate called out from the forward section of the bridge. “Captain, we’re receiving a priority transmission from Colonel Tamalath.”

Horin led the group to the bridge’s centre as the viewscreen activated, revealing Colonel Tamalath of the Romulan Free State. His expression was severe, his voice clipped and urgent.

“Captain Horin, our tachyon sensors have detected a cloaked vessel on an intercept course. It’s not Romulan. We suspect—”

The transmission abruptly cut to static.

“Connection lost,” Levy said from her station, her tone sharp. “No response on any channel.”

“Status on Tamalath’s ships?” Horin asked, his voice calm but commanding as he sat on his chair.

“Unable to determine,” Sturok replied, stepping to the tactical console. “There is  interference in the local area affecting our long-range sensors.”

That warning was enough to make everyone realise that Briasyraa could be making her next move. With that in mind, Horin sat up straight in his chair. 

“Tate,” Horin said, addressing his son at the helm. “Set a course for Tamalath’s last known coordinates and engage at maximum warp.”

“Aye, Captain,” Tate replied, his hands deftly working the controls. The stars on the viewscreen streaked into warp lines as the Formidable surged forward.

“Red alert, all hands to battle stations,” Horin commanded over the intercom after pressing the side button on the left-hand command console. 

Straight away, everyone moved to their positions, and the ship’s small security forces started to take up positions in key areas. 

“Dawn,” Horin continued issuing orders, “send a priority alert to Deep Space Nineteen. Inform them of the situation and our destination. We may need backup.”

“Understood,” Levy said, swiftly composing the message.

Sturok looked to Horin. “It is logical to assume the detected vessel is under Briasyraa’s command. If so, her intentions may extend beyond the jamming device. And without any further contact with our asset, we are not prepared for what may await us, sir.”

Horin nodded grimly. “If she plans to escalate tensions between the Federation and the Romulan Free State, we’ll need to move fast. Anizza, Layla—get the countermeasure ready for immediate deployment. If there’s a cloaked vessel out there, we’ll find it.”

“Yes, Captain,” Anizza said, already heading toward the aft starboard hatch with Fitzgerald.

After watching his wife leave the bridge, Horin wondered where Hawkins was and if he knew about the trap they were just about to enter. 

Emerald Delight

The Emerald Delight groaned under the strain of internal explosions, its corridors dimly lit by flickering emergency lights. Smoke wafted through the air, carrying the acrid stench of burning circuits and scorched metal. Hawkins and Radcliffe moved cautiously; disruptors raised, every step measured as they navigated the chaos.

“We’re getting close,” Radcliffe whispered, glancing down at a stolen PADD showing the ship’s schematics. “Two paths ahead. One to the cloaking device, the other to the jamming system.”

Hawkins peered down the intersecting corridors, sweat beading on his dirty brow. Both of their suits from the wedding were now ruined. Either covered in dirt, blood or cut from the hand-to-hand combat they had undertaken since their cover had been blown. Briasyraa’s minions had made their escape challenging, but both were still going. 

Hawkins took a deep breath. “Both devices need to go if we want to stop Briasyraa from being able to affect anyone. We’ll have to split up.” 

Radcliffe hesitated, his lips tightening into a thin line. “I don’t like it, Tom. This ship’s crawling with guards, and Briasyraa’s unpredictable. If something goes wrong—”

Hawkins cut him off, gripping his shoulder firmly. “Hey, we’ve been through worse. We’ve got this, Orlando. Just take out that cloaking device. I’ll handle the jammer.”

Radcliffe stared into Hawkins’s bright blue eyes for a long moment before a slight smirk broke across his face. “You better not get yourself killed. I know we took vows only a few hours ago, but till death do us part does not count right now. I don’t plan on kissing your corpse.”

Hawkins stepped closer, pulling Radcliffe into a long and passionate kiss. “You’ll get another kiss when this is over. Count on it.” He said after letting go. 

Radcliffe chuckled, his voice tinged with determination. “Deal. See you soon.”

With one final look, they split up, Radcliffe heading left toward the cloaking device and Hawkins going right toward the jamming system.

After jogging down a deserted corridor, Hawkins climbed through a narrow access tunnel, the confined space pressing against his lean frame. The hum of the ship’s systems grew louder, accompanied by faint vibrations from distant explosions. Reaching the end of the tunnel, he peered through the grate into the corridor below.

Two Orion guards stood by the entrance to the jamming device’s control room, their hulking frames illuminated by the sickly green glow of emergency lighting. Hawkins inhaled sharply, gripping his disruptor tightly. Usually, he would be a bit more cautious in throwing himself into danger when the odds were against him, but he couldn’t worry about that right now. He needed to move quickly while the element of surprise was on his side.

He kicked the grate loose and dropped behind the guards with cat-like precision. Before they could react, Hawkins fired two quick shots, instantly dropping them.

Stepping over their unconscious bodies, he entered the control room. The subspace jamming device loomed before him, its core pulsing with an ominous blue light as it powered up. Hawkins approached it cautiously, scanning it with his tricorder. The Starfleet design was evident, and its various connections into the ship’s system looked like a tangled web. If he had the time, he would have found a way to disable it, but he didn’t.

“It’s already active,” he muttered as he glanced over its system. He quickly accessed a nearby terminal, pulling up the ship’s external sensor logs. The display revealed the Emerald Delight closing in on two Romulan vessels, with the Formidable visible at the edge of the sensor range.

Knowing that whatever Briasyraa was planning, she was close to doing it. Hawkins felt his heart racing more as he considered his choices. Instinctively, he knew what he could do. Pulling a disruptor from his belt, he adjusted its power cell to overload. The device whined as it built toward critical mass. Hawkins placed it against the jamming system’s core and sprinted back to the access tunnel.

The explosion shook the ship, sending sparks and debris flying. Hawkins shielded his face as smoke filled the room. Coughing, he tapped his subdermal communicator.

“Orlando, I’ve taken out the jammer. How’s the cloaking device?”

Radcliffe’s voice came through over some static. “Cloaking device’s generator and tetryon compositor are down. Heading back—”

A sharp scream cut him off, followed by more static.

“Orlando? Orlando, respond!” Hawkins shouted, panic creeping into his voice.

Hawkins raced through the corridors, his heart pounding more. He had never heard Radcliffe scream like that before. He was always the calmer one out of the two of them. So when Hawkins rounded a corner, he froze.

Briasyraa stood in the centre of the corridor, her once-beautiful Orion features melting into a Changeling’s golden, liquid form. Her face twisted into a cruel smile, and her eyes gleamed with malice. In her elongated, tentacle-like arm, Radcliffe was held above Briasyraa by his neck. His face was red, and his hands clawed at the appendage wrapped tightly around his neck.

“You’ve caused me quite enough trouble, Thomas,” Briasyraa hissed, her voice resonating with an unnatural echo. “Surrender now, or I’ll crush the life out of your beloved.”

Radcliffe gasped, struggling to speak. “Don’t… do it, Tom! Leave me!”

Hawkins stepped forward, raising his disruptor. “I’m not leaving you, Orlando. Let him go!”

Briasyraa laughed, a low, menacing sound. “So noble. So predictable. It’s so typical of Starfleet to send the one spy who can’t keep his head out of the clouds of romance. It’s your downfall, solid!”

At that moment, several Orion guards arrived, their expressions shifting from confusion to horror as they saw Briasyraa’s proper form.

“What… what are you?” one of them stammered.

Briasyraa didn’t answer. Instead, she morphed her free arm into a massive blade, slicing through the guards with a single, brutal motion. She had enough of those defying her. 

As their bodies fell, Hawkins seized the distraction, firing at her tentacle. The energy blast caused her to shriek and drop Radcliffe, who collapsed to the floor, coughing.

Briasyraa turned her attention to Hawkins, her form rippling with rage. “You’ll pay for that!” she screamed, extending another tentacle to wrap around his neck.

Disruptor fire erupted from behind Briasyraa. Torvak strode into view, her face set in a determined scowl as she fired shot after shot with the rifle she clutched tightly in both hands.

Briasyraa howled, her form destabilising under the onslaught. She dropped Hawkins, who scrambled to his feet and grabbed Radcliffe.

“Get up, Orlando!” Hawkins urged, pulling him toward the fallen disruptors on the deck.

Both men opened fire, their blasts striking Briasyraa repeatedly. Her form twisted and shuddered, unable to maintain its shape.

“You… will… never… win!” Briasyraa screeched before her body exploded into a spray of golden goo, covering the walls, floor, and the two men.

Hawkins and Radcliffe stared at each other, goo dripping from their faces and down their bodies.

Radcliffe broke the silence first, laughing. “I think this honeymoon isn’t going the way I expected.”

Hawkins snorted, his crooked smile breaking through. “I think you’re right.”

Torvak rolled her eyes. “If you’re done, gentlemen, we need to move. I’ve set a bomb on the warp core. Two minutes until this ship is space dust.”

At hearing that, both Hawkins and Radcliffe helped each other get up. 

The trio sprinted through the corridors, alarms blaring and smoke thickening around them. Reaching the escape pods, they found only two single-occupant pods remaining.

“What do we do?” Radcliffe asked.

Torvak sighed heavily at their predicament. “There’s only room for two of us to escape.”

Hawkins shoved Torvak into one without hesitation, slamming the hatch shut and hitting the launch button.

“Tom, what the hell are you doing?!” Torvak’s voice echoed angrily before her pod launched.

Hawkins turned to Radcliffe. “Guess we’re sharing.” He said before taking Radcliffe’s hand and pulling him into the pod. The two squeezed into the remaining pod; their bodies pressed tightly together as Hawkins activated the launch. The pod rocketed away, the Emerald Delight erupting into a massive fireball behind them as Torvak’s bomb ignited the warp core.

Radcliffe wrapped his arms around Hawkins in the cramped space, his voice soft. “You’re insane, you know that?”

Hawkins grinned. “You love it.”

Radcliffe chuckled. “Damn right, I do.”

“This wasn’t what I was expecting from this mission. Finding you like this, fighting a Changeling and stopping a war.” Hawkins remarked as he smiled down at Radcliffe. Their cramped situation was making their environment get hotter. 

“I didn’t think when I asked for Starfleet to send you, we would be here either,” Radcliffe shared, grinning more. “But’s it perfect.”

As the Formidable swept into view, its majestic hull gleaming against the wreckage, a signal crackled to life.

“This is Captain Horin. Tom, stand by for transport.”

Hawkins turned to Radcliffe with a mischievous grin as the transporter beam enveloped them. “Told you I’d get that kiss.” Hawkins leaned in, their lips meeting just as the shimmering blue light of the transporter pulled them to safety.

USS Formidable (NCC-74207)

“Colonel Tamalath, it seems our combined efforts have neutralised a significant threat to both our peoples,” Captain Horin declared with calm authority, his dark eyes steady as they locked onto the screen.

Seated on the bridge of his Romulan vessel, Colonel Tamalath nodded gravely. His expression remained stern, but there was a flicker of something softer—a glimmer of respect. “Indeed. It is reassuring to see cooperation bear fruit.”

Horin allowed himself a small, diplomatic smile. “Perhaps a sign of greater possibilities ahead. Safe travels to you and your crew, Colonel.”

Tamalath inclined his head slightly, his tone crisp but not without warmth. “Safe travels, Captain. Until next time.” With that, the channel closed, and the screen reverted to the swirling stars of space.

“Not exactly a chatterbox,” Captain Levy muttered beside Horin, arms crossed but wearing a wry smirk.

Horin chuckled, the sound lightening the tense atmosphere on the bridge. “No, but at least they’re not shooting at us. Let’s take our victories where we can.”

From the tactical console, Sturok spoke up. “Captain, the U-S-S Penshurst has signalled that they will arrive shortly to commence recovery operations of the Emerald Delight.”

Horin turned toward him, his tone brisk. “Acknowledged, Commander. Once they’ve secured the area, we’ll return to the station. For now—” he glanced at Levy “—it’s time to speak to our two agents.”

Levy nodded, her demeanour turning serious. “Agreed. Let’s find out what happened with our operative.”

Horin gestured toward Sturok. “You have the bridge, Commander.”

“Yes, Captain,” Sturok replied coolly, moving to the command chair as the two senior officers exited the bridge.

Doctor Parin stood beside a biobed, his tricorder in hand, as he finished scanning Hawkins. The sandy-haired officer sat on the edge of the bed, his suit and skin still streaked with remnants of viscous Changeling goo.

“Well, Tom,” Parin began, closing the tricorder with a sharp snap, “I’m pleased to report that aside from some bruising, cuts, and an unfortunately lingering slime issue, you’re in good health.”

Hawkins wrinkled his nose, tugging at his collar to emphasise the unpleasant sensation. “Good to know, Jowain. Because I really need to hit the showers. I swear, this stuff is in places it absolutely should not be. Places even I might not be able to reach.”

Sitting next to him on the biobed, Radcliffe smirked, leaning closer with an air of playful mischief. “Don’t worry, Tommy. I can help with those hard-to-reach spots.” He gave a cheeky wink.

Parin’s brow furrowed, his sharp eyes flicking between the two men. The proximity, the casual teasing—it all raised alarms in the protective doctor’s mind. “Tom,” he began slowly, his voice laced with suspicion, “do I need to call security?”

Hawkins sighed, recognising the concern in his friend’s tone. “Stand down, Jowain. It’s fine.” He reached out, taking Radcliffe’s goo-slicked hand in his own and holding it firmly.

“We’re fine. I’m fine.”

Parin’s mouth opened, ready to protest, but the arrival of Captains Horin and Levy forestalled any further comment. The doors hissed open, and both senior officers stepped inside with purpose.

“How are they, Doctor?” Horin asked, his sharp gaze sweeping over the scene.

Parin straightened. “Besides being coated in Changeling remains, they’re both unharmed.”

“Good,” Horin replied before turning his attention to the stranger. His eyes settled on Radcliffe, studying him with quiet intensity. “Mister Radcliffe, I presume?”

Hawkins rose, still gripping Radcliffe’s hand. “Captain Horin, this is Lieutenant Orlando Radcliffe. Orlando, meet Captain Jaxxon Horin. And you already know Captain Levy.”

Radcliffe offered a small, self-deprecating smile. “I’d shake your hand, Captain, but I wouldn’t want to risk covering you in… well, this.” He gestured to the goo still clinging to him.

Horin arched a single eyebrow, his expression cool but not unkind. “Your consideration is appreciated, Lieutenant.”

Turning to Levy, Radcliffe’s demeanour softened. “It’s good to see you again, ma’am.”

Levy’s lips curved into a rare smile. “Likewise, Orlando. Though it seems we’ve got a lot to catch up on.”

Horin spoke again, his tone direct. “Lieutenant Radcliffe, I’ve just received confirmation from Starfleet Intelligence. Your mission is officially concluded. As of now, you are relieved of your covert assignment.”

Radcliffe’s shoulders visibly relaxed, the weight of years undercover seemingly lifting in an instant. “Thank you, Captain.”

“We’ll need to debrief both of you in detail,” Horin continued, his gaze flicking between the two men, “but for now, I have only one request.”

“What’s that, Captain?” Hawkins asked.

Horin’s lips quirked upward in a rare moment of levity. “Take a shower. The last thing my ship needs is more Changeling goo.”

Both men chuckled, nodding in agreement. Still, hand in hand, they stood and began to leave, and Levy watched them with a thoughtful expression.

Parin, however, remained sceptical, turning to Levy with a furrowed brow. “I assume there’s a lot we weren’t told about Mister Radcliffe.”

Levy sighed her tone a mix of exasperation and understanding. “Starfleet Intelligence never tells us everything. Orlando’s apparent ‘departure’ years ago was all part of this operation. Only a few people knew.”

Parin crossed his arms, his voice quieter but no less concerned. “I just hope Tom knows what he’s doing.”

Levy’s gaze followed the pair as they exited sickbay, pausing at the door’s threshold to exchange a tender kiss before disappearing down the corridor.

“I think he does,” she said softly.

Warbird Vemtoo 

“Father, it is agreeable to see you,” Torvak said as she rose from her chair.

Walking into his wardroom, Colonel Tamalath approached the younger woman. “Indeed, it is my daughter. Tell me, how did the mission go with the humans?”

“All to plan, father. All to plan.” She answered simply.