When the Doctor seeks 'The' Doctor Pt 4

Posted on Wed Oct 1st, 2025 @ 12:13am by Commodore Finchley Kerr & Captain Kevin, Lord Kilbane of Sanquhar & Lieutenant Commander Shr'Nesh Karadis & Commander Milani & Lieutenant Commander Dex

Mission: Delivering on the undeliverable.
Location: USS Thall/Eteva
Timeline: Current

"The away team will be you, me and Kilbane" Finchley replied, taking a blanket from a nearby cupboard and draping it over Shon as she lay on the couch. "As for speaking to Pel, I won't lie to her, I'll tell her I'm not 'her' Finchley Kerr, that he's in the alternate universe. I suppose we could use her being transported there to be with him as leverage in her helping us find the Romulan doctor we're looking for."

Shon nodded her thanks as he covered her with the blanket. "I know Pel is not happy with what is happening on Romulus. The Preator is a wilful man who cares only about military prowess and not about the population who live in the underbelly of the nation. I think your idea is a brilliant one." She yawned liking the warmth that was stealing over her. I shall sleep for a little while" she said softly feeling half in and half out of slumber. "You do know I love y....." as she fell asleep.

Finchley smiled as Shon fell asleep. telling him she loved him. He bent down and kissed her head, "And I love you too Shon."

[Bridge]

Milani sipped her spiced coffee on the bridge not wanting to leave it. The slipstream of the stars could be quite soporific, she thought as her well trained eyes ran over the bridge crew, her crew whilst she was in the chair. She was getting to know each and every one of them, the likes, dislikes, fears and, more important their capabilities. For a moment her thoughts dwelt on Karadis and in that moment knew her feelings for the Klingon were more than sexual....

"Commander there is something ahead of us One light year, a Romulan Dederidex class warbird."

Milani pushed her thoughts aside. "Any sign it has noticed us Lieutenant?"

"No Commander," the voice at the Con said.

"Milani to engineering, any problems with the cloak, we may have to pass fairly near to a Warbird shortly?"

"McCrudden here Commander" Jock replied, "No further problems so far with the cloak, but I can't be certain it'll remain like that, this things totally unreliable."

"Very well Mr MCrudden, I am sure you will do your best up to an including a possible meet with a warbird very shortly. Milani out." she sat back and waited hoping he would take the hint.

"Commander warbird will be passing only two thousand meters off the port bow in fifteen minutes."

Milani made her mind up. "Helm one thousand meters to starboard, reduce speed to impulse."

"But Commander...."

"DO IT"

The ship juddered and rocked as it slowed and changed course and Milani had to hold onto the chair her knuckles white. "Disposition of warbird helm?"

"Warbird passing us now Commander, it appears not to have noted us."

Milani let her breath out slowly. Well done helm," she said.

In their quarters, Finchley felt the ship juddering and immediately tapped his COMM badge, "Kerr to Milani, what's happening, why's the ship suddenly juddering?"

"Sorry Commodore, I took the decision to avoid a warbird just off our port bow, I wasn't sure of our cloak. the warbird has passed without noting us. We will continue our course sir."

Shon woke, "what happened?" she breathed.

"It was a Romulan Warbird passing us, Milani took evasive action, looks like the cloak held out which is good" Finchley replied. He looked at Shon and asked, "If I do tell Pel that I'm not her Finchley Kerr, do you think we can trust her that she won't give us up?"

Shon yawned and swung her legs off the couch. "she is an honourable woman and I think she would jump at leaving her life here behind even if it meant living in the alternate universe with her Finchley. I could go ahead and tell her you are not him, in the case you do not feel you can?"

"Oh, I'll have no problem telling Pel I'm not her Finchley" he replied, "What concerns me is that she'll go off the rails when I do. I mean, she may not feel obligated to help us then, but, and I mean this sincerely, I have no problem with using the fact they have a son and using that as leverage. You'll realise I have no scruples when it comes to us fulfilling our mission, whatever it takes."

"you don't need to tell me Finchley. I too have done and said things that have got people killed, I did a lot I was not proud of after I left you, I do know what this work is about. We will just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. If we have to kill her I will." she stood and walked over to the replicator, "large Saurian brandy. you?" she asked him.

"If ever there was a time I needed a drink, it's now" Finchley replied, "A double Romulan ale, better get into the swing of things now. Look, I know I've been very cagy recently, but now that I've heard you say you would kill her if need be, that's put my mind at rest. There is one thing I haven't mentioned up till now...like you, I'm a registered Romulan agent as well...Major R'Nar Kolbeck...Tal Shiar Intelligence."

Shon ordered his drink and handed it to him. Sitting back down she said "Killing is easy it's the aftermath that is the problem." she breathed deeply. I am glad I have my Vulcan half to fall back on during those times." she turned to him. "However it helps to know there is someone so invested in me to say he loves me, you do...still love me don't you?"

"Of course I do" Finchley said, taking the drink from her. "So, how do we persuade her to give up the name and location of the Romulan doctor?"

"Quite simply we offer her the alternate universe and be completely honest about the possibility her Finchley is dead. That would be my preferred way. We could also offer her a place in the Federation, in essence defect with as much information she can give. Then we get darker, kidnap her son. Finchley I think she will offer the information freely. Pel values honesty above all and she has despised the Romulan Senate for a long time and life on Romulus means little to her. I will take responsibility for her if you like?"

"A defection would be a fantastic coup for you and your career if you can persuade her to do so Shon" Finchley replied, "yet at the same time she does have a son with this other Finchley and she obviously loves him very much. I think offering her the chance to go across to the alternate universe with her son to try and find her Finchley is the key because as you say, she has no love of the Romulan Senate and her life on Romulus seems almost secondary. Right, we do that first, we offer her and her son the chance to go across, if that fails, then we use her son."

He finished his drink and placed the empty glass back in the replicator, "You didn't even react when I told you I was a registered agent of the Tal Shiar, I wonder if that would help us in any way with Pel...me being in the Tal Shiar, not you not reacting when I told you?"

"It's a lot to take in and I am mulling it over in my mind. Pel has not really said much about the Tal Shiar, I know her family have had trouble with them and she was offered bribes to send an inclusive weapons bill through the Senate which failed."

"Well, with her having no love for the Senate, and with the Tal Shiar being the same, I think she'll jump at the chance to get one over on them" Finchley said, "The Senate I mean. Anyway, I think we ought to go to Sickbay so you can get me checked over, agreed?"

"Agreed, I want to make sure that 'thing' inside you is stable. Also it is time to turn you, me and Kilbane into Romulans." she stood, folded the blanket set off for sickbay. "Let me see to you first, then i will call Kilbane...." she was silent for a minute. "do you think it is wise to bring him, after all the three of us have a bad history, you know he will never forgive me?"

"The one thing I know about Kilbane is that no matter how angry he is, he never lets it interfere with any mission he's on" Finchley replied, "He's dogged that way, so my thinking is that he'll want to get this done as quickly as possible with the least amount of fuss....well, when I say least, what I really mean is interaction. He'll focus on what needs done, see to it that it is then get back, he's the logical choice for this, don't you think?"

They had reached sickbay, as usual it was quiet. “Can you lie on the bed please Finchley, yes I agree with you,” she smiled. “He is the least explosive.” She ran her tricorder over his abdomen. “Well it’s not moved, not doing anything else, I just want it out of you. How are you feeling anyway?”

"Normally with my hands" he smirked in reply, "Seriously though, I feel ok, a little tired probably due to lack of nutrients as I'm not eating much, but apart from that, I'm fine."

She raised her eyes, “Hveolhaonn mnie iekil'eirh a ionra'edh iudaiht ehdhihss Tal Shiar Finchley. I too have a secret.” She began as she gathered the articles she needed. There is a quicker process to convert into some species now, the process involves the transporter which, when set up will meld you with a Romulan persona. The good thing about this is it will be useful if you are scanned, or caught but it only last seventy two hours so we would need to return to the Thall by then.”

"Yess, tae'jil Riov k'menhai'n q'vvek tr'Llai, thrai'yesh r'T'Metnor" Finchley replied to what Shon had said, then carried on "If seventy two hours is all we have, we'll just have to have ended the away mission by then, it's as simple as that. To be honest, I'd like to end it within forty eight hours at the most, that way we give ourselves some leeway."

“We may have some help, I never told you but when I left here I was full of anger and pain. SFI took that and made it work for them and, at the time me. There is a Major Rynn Tok in the Tal Shiar, he works with the Senate on their over sight committee. He was my first success, I turned him, I seduced him, he likes pain so I gave him what he wanted. So, we might be able to use him?”

"You seduced him?" Finchley asked.

Shon looked abashed. “Yes, I never thought I would see you again and they taught me what I needed to know and I used it. Never again though, It was horrible and for a while I hated myself. Enough to step out an airlock. Strange when we made love I thought of you, it was always you Finchley.”

"I never had one sexual encounter the whole time we were apart, not one, I never even contemplated it" Finchley replied, now looking away. "I suppose we all do what we have to to get the job done, but never once did I think you'd do something like that."

He looked back at Shon with a whole new perspective on her, "I guess it just proves we don't really know the people we're supposed to be close to, eh?"

“As I said I thought you had gone from my life and life didn’t really mean that much….what did you mean by ‘supposed to be close to?”

"It's a generalisation, meaning meant to be but you don't really know because of their actions" Finchley answered, "Don't try and turn this round on me, I wasn't the one who fucked a Tal Shiar Major just to get him to switch sides" he finished angrily.

“Well I’m sorry, it happened but I believe in complete truth between lovers. I can see you’re angry and……oh never mind. “You seem to be in as good a shape as you are going to be until we get that thing out of you. Next is the transporter, Kilbane can meet us there. Ready to go?”

[Bridge]

Kilbane tapped his COMM badge and acknowledged the call to go to the transporter room. Turning to walk towards the turbolift, he passed Karadis and said sarcastically, "This is going to be fun."

"Behave yourself Kilbane, or you'll answer to me when you get back, and you know how much pain I can cause!" Karadis replied.

"I know, I know..." Kilbane answered as he stepped into the 'lift and headed towards the transporter room to meet Shon and Finchley.

[Sickbay]

Finchley got back down off the biobed, "Yes, let's go" he said in a rather stilted tone.

Entering the transporter space Shon smiled. “Right, this is where you get transformed into Romulans. I have already fed what I need to into the transporter, whilst cycling it overlays your human features with Romulan ones. Virtually undetectable but, as I told Finchley it will only last seventy two hours. You will feel nothing, no heavy makeup just you, a Romulan.” Her hands hovered over the controls. “You two go first and then Finchley will do me. Up you go?”

"Finchley will do you...where have I heard that before" Kilbane said as he passed Shon and got up onto the transporter pad. Finchley's fists clenched, but he held himself in check, he wasn't in the right physical shape to beat the living daylights out of Kilbane for his smart Alec remark. He himself walked up onto one of the pads and nodded to Shon, "Energise" he said.

The two disappeared in the cycle as Shon inputted the codes, “just a few more seconds” she said as bringing them out too early well…..she shivered slightly as she brought them back. The cycle finished. “Well how do you feel? She asked. “You certainly look like Romulans."

"I fee..." Finchley began to say then held his hand up to his throat.

"My voice is different, lower in tone, is that meant to happen?" he asked Shon, a puzzled look on his face.

“Yes.” She said, “it’s on a cellular level, the transported imposes the Romulan you would be if you were, if you see what I mean. It will all be gone I assure you in seventy two hours.” She looked at Kilbane ”You’re quiet, everything okay?”

"I'm just getting used to seeing him as a Romulan" Kilbane answered, "It's kind of unreal. Apart from that and the lower voice range, I'm fine. Right, it's your turn, what do we do?"

“It is somewhat different for me, because I am of two heritages it has to overwrite both so I need to stay in the buffer for three minutes and because I am part Vulcan my facial features may be a little…pronounced. Right It’s all prepared just cycle the transporter into the pattern buffer for three minutes.” She stepped onto the transporter. “I’m ready.” She said.

Kilbane took the controls and began the dematerialisation process. The three minutes seemed like an eternity to both Finchley and Kilbane, but on the exact mark of three minutes Kilbane began the materialisation process and slowly but surely Shon was back on the pad, as a female Romulan.

~WOW!~ he said inwardly, Shon looked absolutely stunning as she stood there in her Romulan uniform, big shoulders, square hair cut across the front of her head and short all around the rest. He stood for a moment lost in her beauty, then remembered where he was and who he was with, "How do you feel?" he asked her.

“Sick,” she said as she turned and vomited. “It happened when we tried it at headquarters but I have been assured it is just the genetic mismatch. It’s strange I feel as though I have been in this body forever. She took her pouch off the panel. “Just a few things we might need now we have about two hours before we get near. The only problem is that we do not have Romulan transport until we get to Eteva.”

"Two hours?" Finchley said thoughtfully, "I think it could be a good time to test the crews reactions" he said, a smile on his face.

Shon smiled, "I would not put it past some of the crew to try to execute us!" Shon said "but if you want to visit the bridge I'm up for it?"

The transporter room doors opened and Lieutenant Drey entered with a metal case, "As you ordered Commodore" he said, placing the case down on the top of the console by Finchley.

"Thank you Lieutenant, and remember, not a word to anyone" Finchley said.

"My lips are sealed Sir, I promise" Drey replied, nodding his head then turning and leaving.

Finchley looked at Shon and Kilbane, and as he opened the case he said, "If we're going to look and act like Romulans, we may as well be able to defend ourselves as such" he said, removing three Romulan phasers and handing one to each of them and keeping one for himself.

"Not as effective as our own, but I'd still rather have one than not" Kilbane said, accepting his and holstering it.

"Right, let's see how we're received on the Bridge, shall we?" he said, heading out the transporter room doors. Thankfully they didn't meet anyone on the way to the turbolift, and once inside Finchley ordered to be taken to the bridge. The doors opened and the three of them stormed out, "Stay right where you are, nobody move, this ship is now under the control of the Romulan Star Empire!"

Milani stood and looked round her eyes wide "What the fuck" she said as she fished for the phaser under the chair. The others on the bridge shouted, cried out and began to panic. Milani knew that panic would get them killed. "EVERYBODY STOP" she called out. "Do not do anything. "She turned to Kilbane "How did you get on board?" she said in a measured quiet way all the time her heart thudding wondering if the Commodore and security was aware this was happening. She began to tap quietly on the seat panel an sos throughout the ship.

"Step away from the chair!" Finchley/Romulan leader said to Milani.

"The Commodore is at this moment massing our security to attack, none of us will give or tell you anything."

Kilbane/Second Romulan moved around the bridge and forced everyone on the upper decking to move down to the centre of the bridge. As they moved, he kept his eye on them all for any sudden movements, especially the Klingon officer.

Looking at Shon/Third Romulan, Finchley said, "Remove any phasers from those who have them, then send a message to Romulus we've taken the ship."

Shon was especially checking on Milani and Karadis knowing they would take any chance to turn the tide of this attack. She, of course knew where the weapons were kept on the bridge and she took the phaser that Milani was hoping to reach. for a moment their eyes met and Milani looked hard into Shon's eyes as if seeing something. Shon looked away and removed the weapons from underneath the consoles.

"How did you know where are weapons are kept, you went straight to them?" she said to Shon.

Shon almost giggled but walked over to the comm and gently push Lieutenant Chinn off her chair. "Sending a message to Romulus now Sir."

"Now hold on a damn minute!" Milani said.

Finchley pointed his phaser at Milani, "One more word from you and I'll kill you where you stand" he said, "and as for your precious Commodore coming here with his massed security to attack us, he's already gone, done away with, no longer here with you and you're security aren't coming, we assured that!"

Milani took a guess, "Shon?" she said moving towards her.

"Take one more step, say one more word and I will fire" Finchley said, moving forward two steps. He looked at Kilbane, "If that one moves" and he pointed to Milani, "or speaks without it being something I ask them or order them to do, kill the Klingon!"

"Gladly Subcommander" Kilbane replied, aiming his phaser at Karadis. He purposely kept out of reach of her so that she couldn't suddenly rush him, theatrically moving his arm round and taking aim."

Finchley looked at Milani, "With your Commodore gone, am I to take it you're now the Senior ranking officer on this...barge?" he added, looking disdainfully around the bridge.

Milani now looked very unsure. She was sure it was Shon but she knew she would not take the chance of injury to Karadis. She stood to attention and nodded "Commander Milani, number 2011046554."

"All weapons accounted for." Shon said gruffly.

Finchley nodded to Shon, then turned back to Milani, "Well Commander Milani, number two zero one one zero four six five five four, at least you've now remembered your manners. Being a good Set'Leth, tell me, this pigsty you call a ship, where is it going and why?"

"Commander Milani 2011046554." she answered, her eyes on Karadis.

Finchley lowered his phaser and smiled evilly, "Good...good, I've not had an decent interrogation in a while, this will be fun." He looked at Kilbane, "Kill the Klingon" he said calmly.

"Yes Subcommander" Kilbane answered, firing at Karadis and watching her drop like a stone.

Finchley turned back to Milani, "Now, shall we try that again, where are you going, and why?"

For a moment Milani could only stifle a moan as Karadis dropped and the bottom fell out of her world. She made a vow then that if they got out of this she would kill then if she had to overturn the whole of Romulus. "Subcommander I am the only one on the ship now who knows our orders but I will not tell you. We are all prepared to die. you may kill us all but I will not tell you." Milani's jaw set like stone. "Commander Milani 2011046554."

Finchley looked around the bridge, "Let me see, there are ten other crew here, and yourself making eleven. Let's out your resolve to the test, shall we?"

He pointed his phaser at the nearest crew member and fired, watching as they crumpled to the floor, "...and then there were ten. I can do this all day Commander, even if you refuse when all the crew here are dead, I'll just have more of the crew brought up here and killed till you tell me what I want to know. So, again, where are you going and why?"

"Commander Milani 2011046554." she closed her eyes not wanting to see the next death but she knew the mission was all.

"Open your eyes Commander!" Finchley spoke harshly, "Otherwise I kill the next one slowly and painfully."

Milani opened her eyes wondering who it was to be but her eyes were on the still figure of Karadis and all she could think about was her loss.

"Good, now, let me see, eeny meeny minny mo...as you Federation types say when you're choosing something" Finchley said, as he finally picked the furthest away crew member from him and fired. He watched them sink slowly to the floor, "...and then there were nine. Is your conscience bothering you, watching your crew mates die one by one because of your stubbornness? We have over sixty others we can bring up here you know...tic toc...where and why?"

"Commander Milani 2011046554." it was almost becoming a mantra of death but she was proud of the crew, they way they received their death standing to attention. The finest in the Fleet, she laughed inwardly. 'Pity no one will even know' she thought as she looked at the Romulan Subcommander.

Finchley picked out the next one, aimed and fired, "...that's eight now" he said, then he turned to Kilbane, "You have your blade on you?" he asked him.

"Yes Subcommander" Kilbane replied.

"Good" Finchley replied, and he turned back to Milani, "I saw that you have some special affinity for that Klingon earlier, an emotional tie perhaps. Let's put it to the test."

He turned back to Kilbane and pointed to Karadis, "Start cutting her head off, I know she's already dead, but some races don't like seeing bodies of loved one's desecrated, even when they're dead."

Kilbane removed his blade and started to move towards Karadis. Finchley turned back to Milani, "Where and why Commander?"

She is dead, thought Milani, she can suffer no more. She looked at the Subcommander hate in her eyes but, also something else, pity. "Commander Milani 2011046554.

Kilbane placed the blade on Karadis' neck, then noticed something, "Subcommander, this one isn't dead, she still breathes" he said, looking round at Finchley.

Finchley in turn, "Now isn't that interesting, that one must be incredibly strong to withhold a phaser hit as she did and still live. Her fate is now in your hands Commander. She can live if you tell me what I want to know, or she can die slowly and in agony if you don't...where and why? Oh, and I'll make sure that the death is incredibly slow and intensely painful, it will drag on and on and on...you're choice."

"We are going to a planet named Calon in the Suta system. We are picking up a defector. That is all you get you Romulan bastard, we knew you had no honour but I did not realise there was none in your soul."

"Oh my...and you were doing so well Milani..." Finchley said, holstering his phaser. He looked at Shon and said, "You'd better revive the one's we stunned Shon" and then he looked at Kilbane, "I woudl stand back from there if I were you Kilbane, when Karadis wakes up, she'll be like a bull in a China shop."

Kilbane hastily stood up and backed off away from Karadis. He'd been on the end of her anger before and it wasn't a pleasant experience, he had now wish to repeat it.

"Finchley looked at Milani again, "Kudos on your bravery Commander, but you have something to learn still. Even a lie trying to save a crew members life has to be put to the side, nothing is more important than the mission, not even our own lives."

Milani nodded not really knowing what she was hearing. "YOU BASTARD!" she screamed heading for Finchley, as she tripped and went down splitting her head open her last thought was Karadis, my love is alive.

"Oh, now that was a silly thing to do" Finchley said nonchalantly, "Shon, can you deal with this" he pointed at Milani's head wound, "I need to check on how we're doing time wise for the meeting with our Romulan counterpart."

Shon was already on her way to where Milani lay bleeding, the bridge crew were silent, stunned by what had just happened and that their 'Romulans' were Shon, the Commodore and Kilbane. "Commodore, Milani will have to go to sickbay she has brain swelling. This will delay our departure." she tapped her Comm, "Two to beam to sickbay." She put her hand on Milani's arm. "It's going to be okay Mil." she said as they disappeared in the beam.

Finchley tapped his COMM badge, "Shon, get back here now, have Doctor Mora deal with Milani, the mission comes first. We have five minutes before we're at the rendez vous point. We can't delay, this is more important, I'm sure your medical team can deal with the Commander."

"Yes, I am just handing over. I will meet you in the shuttle bay in a couple of minutes. Dex out." Milani needed surgery and Shon wished she could stay although Doctor Mora was already prepping her. "Mora, when she wakes up tell her.... tell her sorry." then she was off and running reaching the shuttle bay within minutes. she was the first there so she climbed in and began the pre launch sequence. she was so annoyed with the way things went that she needed to spend a minute with the V'ahara En meditation.

Finchley arrived in the shuttle with Kilbane and saw that Shon was meditating, "Enough with your Vulcan mysticisms Shon, get back there if you want to practice that nonsense."

He looked at Kilbane, "Right, Shon's begun the pre-launch sequence, get us out of the shuttle bay and head for Eteva and the pre-selected landing site. Have you configured our shuttle so it emits a Romulan shuttle signature?"

"I had McCrudden do it earlier, he said it should fool the scanners no problem" Kilbane replied.

"Good, then let's go!" Finchley said.

Kilbane lifted the shuttle off the bay floor and guided it out into open space. Soon they were heading towards Eteva and the meeting with Pel at the bar she'd said she would be in. The journey was uneventful in the main, bar a communication request from the local Romulan outpost asking who they were and where they were heading. Finchley convinced them that they were on a routine run with goods for the General on the planet and this seemed to appease the outpost who let them carry on. Soon they had landed and Finchley looked at Shon, "You know this Pel and what she looks like, we have directions to this bar, let's go, you lead the way, Kilbane will cover the rear."

[Eteva]

Shon pulled her hood up over her head and forced her way through the biting wind and the thick dust swirling on the planet's surface. Through the dark there was just one light which she headed for. The ritual she performed on the shuttle had grounded her once more and she was settled in her Romulan persona. She touched the disruptor on her hip. As they approached the less than stellar building she put her guidance away and looked behind to check for Finchley and Kilbane. A couple of men fell out of, rather than walked out of the bar and, complaining bitterly about the wind walked off into the darkness.

Opening the door slowly she went in. She was hit with the smell of roasting meat and dubious alcohol in the dimly lit bar. Then she saw Pel sitting in a corner booth, smaller and more vulnerable than she had last been. The woman looked up as she approached. "Shon," she asked.

"Yes Pel, it's me." Shon said hugging her.

Finchley and Kilbane entered the bar and watched as Shon approached, spoke and then hugged a Romulan woman who was seated in one of the booths. As they parted and sat down, Finchley stood to one side and said to Kilbane, "Keep your hand on your disruptor, if anyone tries to interfere, take them down as quietly as you can."

Kilbane nodded but said nothing, instead, immediately beginning to scan the bar and take in everyone and everything that was there. Finchley himself sat down next to Shon and looked at Pel, "Start talking, where's this Romulan doctor?"

Shon shot him a look, this was not the way to treat Pel, not the way to get information, she needed care. Pel looked at him, "that is an excellent disguise but I can see my husband behind it yet you are not him. Explain?"

"It's a bit difficult to understand, but believe me when I say this, he's in an alternative universe" Finchley replied, "one where the Terran Federation rule, and he was a part of that. He...came to this side and well...I went to his...some kind of swap during 'our' last mission. We managed to figure out how it was done, went there, grabbed him, came back, then he returned to his side. That's the basics, I'm not going to go into anymore detail than that as it would compromise our mission. Now, where's this damned doctor Pel, I'm growing impatient?"

She nodded, very well I will trust you because I know Shon does. Doctor Nelmek works for the Commission for the growth of knowledge. He is very old and dying but still insists on working. He has been a part of the Redition movement for many years working behind the scenes for re unification. It is said he once met Spock....." for a moment she paused then continued. "The Senate know of him but he is left alone, viewed as a harmless old man. I will be able to take you to him in two days now, if you are ready we need to get out of here, my shuttle is in the bay outside."

"Why a day or two, why not now?" Finchley demanded to know.

"Your Commodore will not get his information any quicker this way." she said as she turned to Shon.

"He is not himself Pel, please forgive us, it is just that we are in a great hurry."

"Very will then, I will invite him to dinner tomorrow night. Now we need to go before the unsavoury mine guards come in. "

Shon stood, "After you Pel." she said.

Finchley stood up, still angry at the delay to getting to meet the Romulan doctor. His rage was barely contained and he was about to say something when Kilbane grabbed his arm, "Not her and not now Bird, control, yourself, hard as it must be, you have to control yourself."

Finchley shot a look at him and jerked his arm away, "You have no idea how this feels Kilbane, none, I'm the one this is happening to and that...creature is stalling and I want to know why!"

"Getting on her bad side won't help!" Kilbane hissed.

"Oh really, then watch and learn" Finchley answered, storming after Shon and Pel. Once outside he looked around to see if anyone was within earshot, but they were by themselves. He took out his tricorder and scanned the area around them and the shuttle bay, and closed it with a satisfying snap.

"Pel, get the doctor to meet you tonight, or your son...'his' son dies...I'm not waiting around till tomorrow" Finchley said, drawing his disruptor. "I've scanned the shuttle bay and I know he's in there in your shuttle. I don't care how you do it, but the meeting happens tonight or else!"

Pel looked at him with distaste. It will take us two hours to get to my house on Romulus. Nelmek lives out in the Rakarian desert. He does not have any transport capability and he has a scattering net over his home. It will take him the day to get to my home. The Tal' Shiar knows I have him over to dinner once in a while so it will not arouse their suspicion. anything out of the ordinary will mean excessive intrusion and the possibility of discovery." Pel climbed into the shuttle and Shon pulled Finchley back as Kilbane climbed in with her.

"Finchley what in Surak's name are you doing! you will ruin everything. You cannot always go in guns blazing. Let us get there at least get off this rock. Please trust me and let me have a quick look at you." She brought out her medical scanner. "You're in adrenaline overload, no wonder you are behaving like this. I need to give you something to lower it or you will need a new heart and brain?"

"This isn't happening to you Shon, it's happening to me!" Finchley replied, "and I've had enough of delays. No more injections, no more scans, no more delays, either Pel get's the doctor to come ASAP, or I follow through on what I just said. Now, we're not on the ship, we're on an away team, and here, I make the calls. I'm fading away, my bodies eating itself to stay alive and I don't know how much more I can take!"

Finchley did you not hear what she said, it is impossible, I know you will hate me and probably shoot me or worse but," she leant over and pressed the injection into his neck. "Now you will feel better, you may be making the calls but I am your doctor and I make the medical calls. now, get in the bloody shuttle! Kilbane help me" Shon called.

Kilbane got back out having seen what Shon had done and what she'd said, "You do realise that he'll be madder than hell now, I wouldn't want to be you" he answered, shoving Finchley into the shuttle.

Inside and now in a seat, Finchley's head was swimming with the after effects of the injection. However, he was compos mentis enough to realise what had just happened and what he was saying. "Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T'ghann-Dex, you're...hereby...relieved off your...duties as Chief Medical...Officer...with imm...ediate effect. I told you...no...more injections and...you diso...beyed...me. As of now...you're...a...an...observer...only", and he passed out.

Kilbane looked at him, then at Shon, "When will you learn Dex, when he says no to something, no matter how wrong you think it is, he means just that, no. Now, we need to get out of here so I suggest you go and help your Romulan friend up there and just stay out the way. I think I'll be able to talk him round when he wakes up, but I can't guarantee that."

Kilbane you have to, it is him who is endangering himself, if I had not given him that injection he would not have lasted an hour. He would be dead and as his doctor must preserve his life. Also Pel is my informant and......." she looked onto the seat behind Pel and gasped. A six year old Finchley Kerr sat looking at them his eyes round.

"Is that my daddy?" he asked, pointing to Finchley, but my daddy does not have a face like my mother." Pel stood and kissed the top of his head.

No Finch, he is not but we are going to help him so we can go live with your father, now sit down so we can lift off."

Shon sat on the seat next to him and smiled as Pel took off and headed for home. "It will take about two hours and once we are home I will see what I can do about getting Nelmek to us sooner. To be honest your Finchley seems very unwell?"

"Yes he is Pel, very ill, very ill indeed." Shon sat back as they exited the atmosphere into space.

We should not meet any patrols but, if we do let me do the talking."

Kilbane sighed, "Doctor, as much as I appreciate what you've done for the Commodore, I have to insist that his last orders are followed out. From now on, you're no longer his Doctor as you're no longer Chief Medical Officer, you're now an observer. I realise that is hard for you to take onboard, but I must respect his decision and his order."

"Very well Kilbane but he will die without my medical care and if, indeed we get home I will relieve him of Command and make my report to SFI. Here..." she threw her tricorder and hypospray at him. I will observe only, I will do nothing, I will not talk, I will not care.' she walked to the back of the shuttle and sat down.

Pel, who had been listening to all this stopped the forward motion of the shuttle. "So you are stupid enough to not realise how ill your commanding officer is? I saw it the moment we met, I have seen it before and, sadly no one has yet survived the removal of the Sabeth. It turns the mind, turns the sufferer into someone who becomes careless of life and the lives of others. You have to decide what your next move is. Protect Shon and let her take care of him or watch him die. Decide before he wakes human." she returned to her seat and the journey continued.

Kilbane walked up to the cockpit and swivelled Pel's chair round, "Listen you Romulan bastard, hard as this may seem for you to understand, stupid I'm not, and I do realise he'll die unless Shon gives him medical care, but hear this and hear it well...you can't possibly fail to with those massive bloody flaps on the side of your head...HE is my commanding officer, and if HE gives an order, then it's followed to the letter. You're a Romulan, you should be used to that idea seeing as you're a slave to order. I'll talk to him, but for the sake of saving his life, not because of you're outburst!"

He shoved her chair back round to face forward again, "I suggest you deal with getting us to where we're going and leave us to our situation, it's got fuck all to do with you, you're just a means to an end, nothing more, nothing less!" and he went back to his seat.

After a while the boy crept up to Kilbane. "Are you a spy?" he said his eyes wide.

"Yes, I am, but I'm the good kind" Kilbane winked at him.

After a few moments he looked over at Shon, "For you're information, currently, you're not the CMO so you can't relieve Kerr of his command. By all means, make your report to SFI, it won't make any difference, unless I can persuade him to change his mind, you still won't be CMO so you're report will be mute."

It was at that point that Finchley began to stir, so Kilbane moved over to him. "Bird...Bird...can you hear me?"

Finchley opened his eyes and looked at Kilbane, "What happened?"

"Shon gave you an injection to...calm you down I think..." Kilbane replied, "you weren't happy about her doing that as you'd told her no more injections, so before you passed out you relieved her from her position as Chief Medical Officer."

"I did?" Finchley answered, "I don't remember doing that, the last thing I remember is us being in the bar and speaking to Pel."

"Well, I would suggest you speak to Shon and straighten this out, she's mightily upset with you for doing it."

The confusion on Finchley's face was clear to see, and he looked at Shon, "Ask her to come over here Kilbane, I want to speak to her."

Kilbane nodded his head and moved over towards Shon, "The Commodore wants to speak to you."

Shon moved over to him her voice soft and whispered, "Finchley, thank Surak, how are you feeling?" she took his hand. "I am so very sorry I did that to you but as your doctor....well not any more i know but all I care about is you and your well being. You are the only one I have ever really loved and I want you to stay that way." for a minute she looked abashed as she knew forcing treatment on anyone was not appropriate.

Finchley looked at Shon and reached his hand out to her, "I'm feeling more me" he replied, "as for the injection, you did what you thought best and I'm not going to judge you for that...as for you not being the Chief Medical Officer any longer, that wasn't me...well it was me, but it wasn't if you know what I mean. Of course you are, you're hereby reinstated as the USS Thall Chief Medical Officer, not matter what that other me said. Where are we at just now, what's happening?"

Shon nodded grateful to know his rage was less. "We are on our way to Pel's home, about forty minutes out. We have not encountered any other craft. Pel says when she gets home she might be able to persuade Nelmek to use his transporter so....."

The strident tone of an alarm sounded within the shuttle. "Shit," Pel said. It is a trader I know, Kupek nosey little bastard, always looking into things that do not concern him. But if I do not respond to his hail he will get suspicious."

"Mamma I'm scared." little Fin said holding on to her.

Kilbane walked over to the boy and handed him his COMM badge, "Here" he said, "wear this, it's a good luck charm, it'll stop this...Kupek...from being so nosey and asking a lot of questions of your Mother so we can be on our way."

Fin held out his hand for Kilbane to shake. "I wish you could be my father." he said.

Kilbane looked at Fin and it occurred to him at that moment that he'd never considered having children, "You're Father is waiting on you and your Mother."

Finchley was surprised that Shon hadn't thanked him for what his alter ego had done earlier to her, but he decided it wasn't worth it to mention it so instead said, "Tell Pel it's imperative that she does persuade this Nelmek to use his transporter ASAP when we get to her home."

It was at that point that Finchley spoke up regarding the trader who had suddenly appeared. He looked across at Kilbane, "If this trader starts causing trouble, see that he doesn't make it away from here to alert the local authorities."

Kilbane nodded in reply, knowing exactly what Finchley meant.

Pel was already trying not to get caught up in conversation with Kupek and, although they spoke in Romulan they could all understand what they said. "Where are you coming from Pel you old witch?" Kupek said with a little more than a hint of her being up to something.

Pel sighed "where do you think I have been, where you always know I've been you old bastard. the bar on Eteva, the one you got barred from." she laughed.

Kupek laughed an ugly laugh. "you had better take care Pel the T'al Shiar are out and about looking for traitors, why not give me that son of yours to help me in my shop."

Pel spat, "I wouldn't give you the time of day Kupek now get home to your wife before she takes someone better to her bed. Oh yes I forgot she already has. now get gone I'm for home." Pel cut off the communication and looked at Finchley and Kilbane. "the bastard suspects something. I'm going to have to invite him in, Shon will you take Fin to the back please, I don't want him to see this."

Shon nodded and took Fin away telling him stories of adventure.

Pel looked nervously at them, can you ....dispose of him?" she asked.

Kilbane knew that Finchley wasn't in any fit state to do anything, so it was going to be down to him. He moved up to the other chair on the small command deck and sat in the seat next to Pel, "Invite him onboard, then once he's beamed here, switch the transporter controls to my console."

Pel felt sick but nodded, she knew what had to be done. "Hey old goat, before you go why don't you transport over here for some Romulan ale and a bite to eat?

Kupek smiled, "sounds good old woman."

She pressed her controls for a minute and the shimmered beam dissolved into an elderly downtrodden looking man with eyes that immediately took in the situation.

"I'm sorry Kupek you should not have come this way." Pel said as she turned away and switched the controls to Kilbane.

"I apologise for this, but we can't afford to have anyone discover us" Kilbane said to Kupek, and he then changed the targeting transporter coordinates and beamed the trader off the shuttle into space. He watched as the trader rematerialized and suddenly began thrashing and kicking for a number of seconds before becoming still, he was dead.

"It's done" Kilbane said, "Transport me over to his ship and I'll set it on a course out of here and into deep space, once it's started off, beam me back."

Pel nodded, "Stupid old man," she said in Romulan, co ordinates set beaming you over now." The beam dissolved Kilbane and a few minutes later the old man's shuttle began the course that Kilbane had entered. Pel beamed him back. "thank you, I am sorry about that. "Let's get back, not long now." she said as her shuttle continued on its course.

Shon had taken Fin and held him so he could not see what had happened. Letting him go he ran to Finchley. "Are you my dad?" he asked.

Finchley looked at the boy and said, "No, I'm not, sorry" and he looked at Shon to come back and fetch him.

"Don't worry him now Fin, leave him alone." Shon returned to Finchley. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"Anxious to get to meet this Romulan doctor" Finchley replied, "and ask him what reason he had to do what he did to me. You do realise that neither myself of Kilbane will allow him to live once he's operated on me and removed this accursed object. I make no apologise for that, I want to make sure he can't do this or anything else like it to anyone again."

Meantime, Kilbane answered Pel, "He chose the wrong time to begin to get nosey, but we're not finished with him yet." He leaned over Pel and used her targeting scanners on her weapons and fired, evaporating Kupek's body. "Let's get out of here" he said.

"Continuing our course, I've set the shuttle for its top speed, we will be there in an hour and I will do all I can to get Nelmek there as soon as possible." She turned round and the shuttle sped off.

Kilbane looked a scant at her, he didn't trust Pel, not one little bit. He would bide his time though, but his hand would never be far from his disruptor, she was after all a Romulan and couldn't be trusted.

Shon nodded her head, "I agree with you, he should never be able to do this again but first we must make sure he has removed it completely and for Surak's sake why and when he did it to you." she moved closer to him looking over to the controls making sure they were not being watched. She kissed him gently and whispered, "I love you so much Finchley, everything I do is for you, you have to believe me. If you want me to kill this Romulan I will without a backward glance for what he has done to you?"

He kissed her back as gently as she'd kissed him, "I appreciate the offer Shon" Finchley replied, "but I want to do it myself, I want to squeeze the life out of him and I want the last thing for him to see is me smiling in gratification as I do. It won't be quick either, I'm going to make him suffer just like he made me suffer, it will be a long protracted death, perhaps beginning with me removing his fingers, then hands, then arms, his tongue, his ears, one eye then finally slowly strangling him over and over again till I decide to end him once and for all."

She nodded, "I understand and, believe me I will be watching him like a Tilesian hawk whilst he is operating on you, but why did he do this, why does he want you here? I wish we had had longer to plan this." She sat next to him as she watched Kilbane watching Pel and Fin watching them all.

"If you wish, we can kidnap him and torture him till her tells us" Finchley replied, "I mean, whether I kill him in Pels house or whether we kill him onboard the Thall makes no difference to me, so long as I exact my revenge on him. There are bigger questions though, who gave him the order to operate on me, and why, to what end?"

"I just want you well, back to your old self and us back home on the Thall undertaking an ordinary mission, the last two were...unusual to say the least. Look, here we are."

On the viewscreen a planet came into view it's grey blue corona dazzling in its simplicity. "We're here," called Pel as the shuttle broke through into the atmosphere. and began to speed along the shore of an ocean underneath a lowering sky.

"It rains a lot here." Said Fin as his arms went around Pel's neck.

Finchley thought on what Shon had said, he couldn't remember the last time the Thall crew had had what could be called an ordinary mission.

The shuttle set down on a pad just in front of, what looked like a grand house. Built of stone its proportions were gracious and wide. A well dressed woman waited by the door. Pel entered Fin behind her who ran off. "Mistress your guests must be tired, their chambers are ready and the food is hot. If everything is to your liking I will take myself home?"

Pel nodded, "Yes, thank you." she said to the woman who covered her head and walked into the night. "Please come in, that woman is my housekeeper." Pel led them into a large room with a huge fire burning in the hearth. Shon took Finchley by the arm and sat him down by the fire. "Get warm love, it feels like the nights are cold here."

Finchley gladly sat down on the seat by the fire. Kilbane entered the room and began looking around, taking out a tricorder and scanning, "I don't want any surprises, this is a Romulan house, you never know who's looking or listening in" he said.

Pel nodded, "do what you need to do and I will contact Nelmek. "you will find there is a dampening field around this house no message gets out unless I approve it." she walked over to a desk and raised a panel and tapped something. Shon looked at Finchley and walked over to Pel. "checking up on me Shon?" Pel said half laughing.

Shon nodded, "Yes Pel, I am" Shon said. "Nothing, do you understand me, nothing is going to go wrong."

Pel nodded. "Nelmek, Nelmek it's Pel are you there?" For a while nothing happened and then a burst of sub space static.

"Pel, is that you, I thought you were calling tomorrow?" Pel looked at Shon who nodded. "That's now changed we need you here now, right away, you are going to have to use your transporter. I know you don't like it but I need you here now." Shon moved into view a disruptor at Pel's head. "Get here now or I will kill her and the boy, and bring your surgery kit, do it now!"

Nelmek nodded frightened, "I'll be right there."

Finchley smiled and nodded, Shon had indeed taken the final step to the 'dark side' of SFI, and he was peculiarly happy in that knowledge. "Tell him to bring the schematic and all other information regarding the digestion inhibitor, we don't want any trace of it left for someone else to copy and use" he told Shon.

Shon passed on the information feeling a little bad that she had said what she did but, nothing else mattered than getting Finchley well and she knew she would kill for that. "How long will he be?" Shon asked.

"Probably just a few minutes." Pel said as Fin rushed into the room.

"I'm all packed." he said. "I can't wait to see Dad."

"Go back to your room now Fin, we are going to be busy. I will come for you when it is time." The boy nodded and skipped off.

"What we promised all depends on what happens next Pel." Shon said. "so you need to make sure everything goes well."

Pel nodded. "I have prepped a surgical suite with everything we sh....." A sharp whine filled the room as a beam shimmered delivering a tall elderly Romulan man.

Kilbane walked over and grabbed the Romulan by the arm and dragged him over to Finchley, "Operate on the Commodore now and remove the digestion inhibitor you put in him!"

Nelmek shivered and shook. "I have no idea what you are talking about. Let me go!" he exclaimed.

Shon walked up to him and grabbed the case he was carrying from him. Opening it she rifled through the surgical instruments. "What is this, and this, and this?" She took him by the scruff of the neck. "I am Yehlina Tamar from the T'al Shiar Council..." Nelmek stopped shaking his eyes wide with fear. "I see you know who I am, death would be something you would wish for, beg for. I would strip your skin inch by inch and make you eat it, now remove this thing you implanted into him, I will watch you every second I am a surgeon so I will know if you do anything to jeopardise his health then we will see...." a slow stream of urine trailed down Nelmek's leg as he nodded.

Finchley began groaning in pain, his body now near the point of no return. Kilbane hurried over to him and knelt down, "Don't you dare die on me you bastard, I need to get even with you on Shon and I'll be damned if I'll have that taken away from me like you did her."

He looked across at Pel, "Get that surgical suite up and running now!"

He then stood up and looked deep into Nelmek's eyes, "You'll remove that implant, if you don't, you won't have to worry about what the Tal Shiar will do to you. all they'll have left are your remains after I'm finished with you should you let him die."

Shon shouted at Pel, "Help him get changed, clean and into the surgical suite. Kilbane bring him in here, help me take his clothes off?" Whilst she was waiting she familiarised herself with the Romulan surgical suite. She had spent many hours in one so she felt competent. "don't you dare die Finchley Kerr. Kilbane where the hell are you?"

"I'm fucking here, I'm trying to make sure he doesn't suddenly die on the way to the table. so hud yer wheesht or else!" Kilbane, replied, gingerly placing Finchley on the table. He looked at Shon and said, "I don't want that bastard dying before I get my revenge on both of you, and know this, if he does die, it changes fuck all, I'll still reek my revenge on you!"

He looked at Nelmek next, "And you, if he does die during this procedure, I'll make sure you pay dearly."

He stood back, knowing that he was no longer needed as this was now a medical matter, but he was going nowhere, he took out his disruptor and kept it in his hand.

"I don't care Kilbane, if he dies...I just don't care. Shon looked at the pale gaunt man on the table. "I'm going to get you out of this Finchley! I don't know if you can hear me but you are going to sleep now. Kilbane and I have everything under control." She kissed him and injected him with anaesthetic. "Pel, keep an eye on this if the number falls below six I want you to give him this injection, into his neck here....okay?"

Pel nodded. "Nelmeck stood looking dispassionately at Finchley on the table as Shon laid out the instruments she knew. There were quite a few things she did not know. "Let's make a start!" she said tersely as she watched Nelmek make his first incision. She used the instrument to retract his peritoneum and wanted to vomit. His abdominal cavity was black, he was slowly being poisoned. She wanted to kill Nelmek there and then, did not want his hands touching him. She looked at Kilbane shaking her head.

Kilbane's head dropped, and he drew in a deep breath. Letting it our slowly, he raised his head again, accepting that Finchley was on the point of death. He started to hum Bach's 'Come sweet death' tune quietly to himself.

Shon watched grimly as Nelmek began to get near the bezoar. "you tied it into his pelvic artery where you knew it would do the most damage you bastard."

"It contains a message." Nelmek said as he used something that looked like a probe to slip under it. "Be very careful" Shon said softly her voice dripping venom.

Pel spoke, "the number has dropped to five so I gave him the injection."

Shon nodded, she knew he could only have three injections. "one down" she said. Nelmek's hand began to shake and Shon put her's over it. "Breathe Nelmek, breathe." she said not unkindly. He nodded and began to loosen the artery. She noted there appeared to be a probe leading from the article into the artery and she suddenly had an idea. "Kilbane, what blood type are you?"

"I'm 'O' negative, why?" Kilbane asked

"Because I think a transfusion would help him, give him strength. If you agree?"

"Just tell me what I have to do" Kilbane replied, moving over to the table, "and besides, if this works, I can lord it over both of you from now till the end of time" he smirked.

Shon could have kissed him but she pulled what looked like a gurney up next to him. "Lie on that and just relax. Pel do you know what to do?"

Pel nodded, "I had to give Fin transfusions once, if Kilbane does not mind a Romulan touching him?"

Kilbane lay on the bed indicated to him by Shon then looked at Pel. Raising the disruptor up and placing it under her ribs he said, "If you hurt me, or something goes wrong, you'll pay for it with your life, understand?"

"No." Shon said as she gently took the disruptor from him and laid it beside him. Pel collected her requisites as Shon once again watched Nelmek.

"I will prep your arm with this, it will feel cold." Pel said as she swabbed the site. Then I will inject the needle into your vein, Shon will prepare Finchley." She injected him and the blood began to flow slowly.

Shon said, "You might feel a little dizzy that is normal. I can give you something for that if needed. There, Kilbane's blood began to flow into Finchley just as Pel advised that the number had dropped once again and she had injected him. Shon nodded fear curdling in her abdomen.

"This is the tricky part," Nelmek said as he removed one side of the bezoar from the black flesh. "Half of it is out," she told Kilbane. After a few minutes Finchley's life signs became stronger. "your blood is doing the trick." she said to him.

Nelmek looked at her, "I am worried about this part. It is necessary to dissect the artery...." Shon took a surgical blade and drew it across his arm. Nelmek screamed. "now you really do have something to worry about, whether you will remove it before you bleed out.' Nelmek nodded and carefully began his dissection as his blood flowed. "Kilbane how do you feel?" Shon asked.

"Like I just finished a bottle of whiskey but without the drunk feeling" Kilbane replied, "I wish I could bottle this feeling, I'd be rich beyond the dreams of avarice..."

"You are saving him, thank you.....Kilbane," Shon said rather more softly than she had intended too. then, with a slight sucking, pop the bezoar came out. Shon held her breath, it had now been two hours and the end was in sight.

"Now," said Nelmek laying it carefully down. This has a Yridium core so if it explodes it will take half the planet with it."

Shon took a deep breath, the black inside Finchley was beginning to recede leaving pink omentum behind. "I will take it from here," she said as she began to close the resected artery. "He will need a little more blood from you Kilbane," she said just as the alarm sounded once more. Shon looked at the charting on the screen. "his heart is failing, Pel bring your resuscitation kit!" It was different than the one in the Thall's sickbay but Shon learned fast.
Two kilojoules" she said as she pressed the pad. Finchley's body jumped but his heart did not restart. "Five kilojoules" she said as his body once again left the bed. "Give me my pouch!" she demanded as she fished what she was looking for out of it. "Twelve cc's dilamidon she said injecting it straight into his heart. Again and again she caused his body to raise. The fifth time she increased the dosage to twenty cc's. Something she had never done before but, still his heart would not beat. She turned away. "Take Kilbane off the transfusion now Pel. There is nothing more we can do for him." she did not want to say the words as she leant over him her tears running onto his face. "Please come back to me," she whispered.

~Finchley found himself looking up a familiar dirt track road. Looking around, the fields were a shiny brown colour, wheat was growing in vast swathes of land, the sky was a brilliant blue and the air...oh the air, it smelt so sweet. "It's a wonderful sight isn't it?" a voice beside him suddenly said.

Finchley turned and automatically reached for his phaser, but it wasn't there. He stepped back and looked at the person who spoke, "Dad?" he asked questioningly.

"You seem surprised Finchley" the man answered.

"Why are we here, this is..." he began to say.

"Yes, this is your Grandfathers farm" his Dad replied, "and I think we're here because this is the one place you felt at ease with yourself, calm, almost normal" he laughed at the last part.

Finchley again looked around at the brown, Wheat laden fields, his face now smiling, "Yes, you're right, I was always at ease here."

"You shouldn't be here, at least, not now, it's to soon" his Dad replied.

"I was...ill, I had some kind of object inside me, I was getting operated on to have it removed" Finchley said.

"Do you remember why your Grandfather grew wheat?" his Dad asked him.

"No, I never asked him" Finchley replied.

"Because it's the foundation of a lot of food types, and it feeds people" his Dad continued.

"But that doesn't explain why I'm here" Finchley answered.

"You're here because it reminds you of a time when you enjoyed the simple food pleasures in life...and now it's time for you to do so again" his Dad said, reaching out and touching his shoulder. A violent jolt passed between them, and Finchley arched and began falling to the ground, "I'll be here again when it's your time son..."

As Finchley hit the ground, he reached up and called out to his Dad, "Dad..."~

Back in the room where he'd been operated on, Finchley's eyes opened wide and he reached out his hand, "Dad!!!" he shouted.

"What in Surak's name and another Vulcan expletive shot from Shon's mouth as Finchley's heart began beating once again. For the life of her she had no idea why but she was not going to question it. She checked Pel had finished up with Kilbane.

"Finchley, it's all over, the bloody thing is out of you, your body is already healing thanks to Kilbane and Pel. It's going to be several hours before you get to be up and about so Pel says we can use one of her bedrooms."

"What will happen to me?" Nelmek asked.

"That will be up to Finchley and Kilbane Nelmek." she said harshly. Shon was exhausted and just wanted to lie down with Finchley.

"It's actually pretty easy to answer" Kilbane replied, now pointing the disruptor he still had on his bed at Nelmek.

“No Kilbane, we need to know why he did this and how this ‘thing’ needs to be disposed of?” Shon said as she constantly monitored Finchley. She looked at Pel, “please help me get him into a bed?” Pel nodded and together they moved him slowly into bed. The soft mattress called to Shon but she busied herself setting up monitoring of Finchley’s condition.

“I will get us some food Shon” Pel said and left the room. Shon exhausted nodded as quiet surrounded them. She looked at him, his face seemed a little less lined and he no longer moaned in his sleep. At last ready, she depressed the hypo into his neck to wake him up and waited.

Finchley, who had passed out again after having called out for his Dad, slowly began to wake up. His eyelids flickered and he opened his eyes and blinked a few times, looking from side to side, "What happened...where's my Dad...he was with me...I was speaking to him and..."

Finchley it's Shon, you are in Pel's home. You collapsed just as Nelmek arrived. We forced him to remove it then ...... then ......you died for thirty minutes, I called you back yet again my love. Your body has already begun to heal but we still do not know the reason the bezoar was implanted inside you."

"You and Kilbane have to question him about that...he'll have information, even if he doesn't know the reason why he had to do it, he'll definitely know who gave the order and why" Finchley replied.

"We will, we will, so long as you rest.....Finchley did you really see your father?"

"Yes" Finchley replied, "we were on the dirt track road that lead up to my Grandfathers farm. I was looking at the wheat fields, remembering how the swaying of the wheat in the breeze used to keep me calm because it was so hypnotic. My Dad said as much to me, but then he told me it wasn't my time. This now the second time I've been near death and had dreams or visions like this, meeting people I know and them telling me it's not my time yet. As morbid as it sounds, I just wish that if it happens again that the person or people I'm speaking to tell me it 'is' my time this time. Not that I want it to be any time soon, but hopefully you get what I mean, means I can finally rest and be happy with my lot."

"That sounds lovely, you know my people also tell of 'vision quests' where they met there ancestors. Then there are many reports of what they used to call 'near death experiences' in the twentieth and twenty first century. It was all supposedly disproved." she looked at him. "anyway you need to sleep. I will go to Kilbane. Pel will sit with you."

"No, these things happened to me, I saw my Dad in this one, and people I'd served with but had died in service" Finchley replied, "Those who disproved it have obviously never had the experience themselves, so how can they say anything."

He reached out and took hold of Shon's arm a firmly as he could, "I'm not mad, nor was I hallucinating, I saw them, all of them, I spoke to them as well, how can that be if it's not a dream. Truth be told, even in this day and age, nobody knows everything about the brain, perhaps it's something we just can't tell, but I'm not mad."

She smiled, "I never said you were mad, I would hope to see the people I love, my grandfather especially. I miss his wise counsel. No you have been given a great gift my love now sleep, when you wake you can eat! I cannot remember how long it has been since you had a good meal so now you can but start small. Finchley I don't know what I would do if I lost you, you are my life, my love, everything I live for."

He let go her arm and looked up at the ceiling, "I love you to Shon, somehow I feel different after all this. I can't tell you how I know, but somethings changed, a part of me can...oh, it doesn't matter. I'll try my best to eat some of what Pel's made, you best go with Kilbane a question Nelmek, find out what you can from him, just don't kill him till you do."

Shon laughed, "I would find no difficulty at all in killing that man now, sleep. she kissed him and left closing the door gently. Pel was clearing up and Kilbane sat, phaser still trained on Nelmek.
"Pel, I think you should go look after Fin, make sure he has not packed all his things. I don't think the shuttle would hold them all. After about an hour can you please make something for Finchley to eat, something bland." Shon smiled "thank you Pel".

She watched as Pel left and she walked over and shut the door. "The Commodore will be fine, he is sleeping now and wishes us to find out as much as we can where, why? from this bastard. "she smiled at Nelmek," by ANY means necessary." She looked at the small egg shaped bezoar lying in the tray. Why is this explosive? why was he implanted and by whom? so many questions, so many body parts."

Kilbane had to admit inwardly that he was rather impressed at this new Shon, she wasn't the timid woman he remembered, he was even a little turned on by it...but that thought got firmly pushed to the back of his mind. He stood up and walked across to Nelmek, "You're a surgeon, and the one thing surgeons require, apart from a steady hand, are fingers to be able to carry out the work. So, you have a lot of explaining to do bucko, let's start with why was the Commodore chosen to have the surgery on?"

Nelmek was silent, although he was very scared. He knew he was going to die but he knew about torture, hell even taken part in it sometimes but faced by these two with Romulan faces. He cleared his throat but remained silent.

"As much as I enjoy your silence I fear we must get on." Shon took a large scalpel and walked over to him. Suddenly she took his hand and slammed it, palm down onto the metal table. Without further ado she pushed the scalpel as slowly as she could into the back of his hand. Blood well as Nelmek gave a high scream of pain and fear. "Well?" Shon said.

Nelmek was hyperventilating badly, "my hand!" he exclaimed. "I don't know, I was asked to invent something......a message to....."

Exasperated Shon turned the scalpel opening a larger wound as Nelmek's knees buckled. "Maybe we should try a finger eh Kilbane?"

"Gladly" Kilbane replied, turning his disruptor around and smashing it into Nelmek's middle finger, instantly breaking it. Nelmek screamed louder than before, and as it dissipated he said "...a message to the Imperial Overlord...that's all I can tell you!!!"

"No" said Shon, that is not all you can tell us." she smiled, " you have lovely blue eyes Nelmek, let me see....." She picked up an injector and brought it up slowly towards his right eye. "As a doctor Nelmeck you must be aware of all the pain fibres in the back of the eye. Let's see if we can find yours." She pushed the injector slowly into the globe of his eye the further. Nelmek screamed a high pitched sound and fell to the floor. "No more, no...."

"Then tell us what we want to know, now!" Kilbane shouted.

Nelmek squirmed on the floor, blood seeping down his face, from his hand and from his finger, "The Senate...they wanted the Imperial Overlord dead. I was approached by them to kill him, slowly, so I invented the digestion inhibitor device. I was given scant information on how to find him, but I knew he was at a portal on Drevis so I went there. When I arrived, your Finchley Kerr was brought through the portal and they fought. By the time they were to exhausted to carry on and they passed out, I didn't know which was which, so I grabbed the nearest one to me and took him back to my shuttle and operated on him. I returned him back to the portal room and shoved the one I thought was the Overlord through the portal and never saw him again. I didn't know I had actually operated on 'your' Finchley Kerr. I left the portal room after that, I never looked back, I just returned to my work and nothing more was said or done about it till now."

"Stand up," said Shon roughly.

Nelmek stood slowly his good hand over his eye, shaking he said, "no more, no more please."

"What else do we need to know?" she said beginning to feel nauseated as she pulled the injector from his eye.

"Which Senator approached you and where are the blueprints to the device?" Kilbane asked.

Nelmek was silent breathing hard.

"Nelmek, please," Shon said. "Let's end this, let's stop this pain, tell us what we want to know?"

Nelmek looked at her....."You do not like doing this do you?"

"No" not really she said. "But don't take it that I will not. There are some things, some people that deserve answers and protection. No one deserves what you have done. you know this.

Nelmek nodded and whispered something low and ragged. "I...Senator Dreman......he took the blueprints."

"Finchley's going to be mad about that" Kilbane said, "He's going to want to go after this Senator Dreman, get the blueprints. I thought that if Nelmek had brought them with him, this would all be over and we'd be able to get back and this would be over. I guess that won't be happening then, and it's all thanks to this dolt. So, he's that last link to the surgical side of this" he carried on, pointing at Nelmek, "I see no further use for him...or is there?"

"Tell me Nelmek, are there any uninhabited moons in this sector?" he asked.

Nelmek nodded speaking through his pain, "Just.....one Neo, a... light year from....here. It's....used for weapons sto..." he fainted dead away once again.

"Now that was a lucky piece of information to come across, I wasn't expecting that" Kilbane said to Shon, "What I was going to say was that if there was an uninhabited moon nearby, you could operate on Nelmek, put that damned inhibitor in him and we could drop him off there and let him starve to death."

"No," Shon said "I have no idea how to do it and I would rather torture and kill someone than do that, but, weapons storage now that is something we could do about that?" she smiled.

"You know, that's the fourth time you've said 'no' to me when I'm wanting to do something, one of these times you'll stun me by saying yes!"

Shon smiled to herself. "If you want to do it so badly you can always do it yourself and yes, maybe I will stun you. I think we should blow up Neo?"

"That's an option" Kilbane replied, "or...we could go there and find out what weapons are there and if there's anything worth taking we could do that, also download their mainframe and send it to SFIHQ, see if there's anything useful they could find?"

"We should ask Finchley, I don't suppose we are going to get any more information out of Nemlek so we should end him, or maybe Finchley wants to do it?" And we should discuss Pel and Fin, they deserve a new start. come on." After securing Nemlek. they walked to the bedroom where Finchley was recovering and entered. Shon immediately went over with her tricorder to scan his vital signs. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"A little better" Finchley replied, "and I do believe my stomach growled for the first time in quite a while" he laughed weakly. With considerable effort, he sat up a bit and asked, "So what did the Romulan tell you when you questioned him?"

'Well the whole thing was the idea of a Romulan Senator named Dreman, I've heard of him, he is a hardliner who believes Romulus and all worlds controlled by Romulus for Romulans. He has most of the Senate eating out of his hands...." suddenly Shon felt dizzy. "I have to sit...." she said as Finchley looked a long way off. "I think I am going....." she fell forward onto the floor.

Finchley looked at Kilbane, "Pick her up and put her in this bed" he said, moving forward and dragging himself up and off the mattress. Kilbane nodded and moved forward, picking Shon up and placing her in the now empty bed and pulling the sheets up over her. Standing back, he looked at Finchley, "You owe your life to me Bird, I saved you by giving you a blood transplant when you were dying. I'll be calling that chip in and on that day you'll not deny me what I ask...because if you do, I'll finish what the Grim Reaper didn't!"

Finchley looked him in the eye, "If the Grim Reaper couldn't manage the job, what makes you think you can?" he asked.

"Because I'm not as forgiving..." Kilbane replied, a steely look in his eye.

Shon woke quickly and sat up. "I'm sorry about that gentlemen, I need to eat and meditate for a short while. Finchley did you eat anything?"

"Pel hasn't returned with any food yet" Finchley replied, not taking his eyes off of Kilbane. Kilbane finally looked away and walked back over to Nelmek, "And what about this one?" he asked, "he gave the blueprints of the device to Senator Dreman."

"I didn't give them to him, he took them, him and the soldiers he had with him" Nelmek hurriedly replied.

Finchley waved his hand, "That's a fight for another day, right now all I'm concerned with is what to do with you."

"Well he can't live obviously, not after what he did to you!" Kilbane answered vehemently.

Finchley looked at Nelmek, "You're part of the Romulan Medical Division?" he asked.

"Yes, specialising in gastroenterology and neurological studies" Nelmek replied.

"A body and mind specialist, that's interesting" Finchley replied, "I think I have a solution to this problem, but one our own Chief Medical Officer would need to approve of."

He turned to face Shon, "What if we were to take him back to the Thall and 'bleed' him off all his knowledge, do you think it would be helpful to you?" he asked her.

"Yes, very much so, I am sure there are things I do not know although I was pretty much clued up on my last solo mission. Do you think it would be safe to take him back? after all we have to keep our promise to Pel and Fin, to send them back."

"We can do both from the Thall, and let's face it, nobody but us knows where he is...and you never know, it could lead to the Romulan Senate sending someone to try and find him."

Shon nodded, "well you have some healing to do and that would best be done back on the Thall. We should go."

"Yes, tell Pel to pack for her and Finch, get Kilbane to secure Nelmek and bring some food along for the journey, I could probably eat a little now" Finchley replied.

Shon smiled, she had heard his stomach rumbling. Leaving the room she found Kilbane first. "The Commodore feels he is ready to leave, can you make sure Nelmek is secured in the shuttle, oh and gag him. I don't want to hear him plead for his miserable life."

Making her way to the kitchen she found Pel preparing some food for Finchley. "Can you pack that to go, we are leaving. I take it you and Fin want to do so, anyway it's not safe here for you now. Pack quickly and be at the shuttle as soon as you can." Shon frowned, "unfortunately Nelmek will be coming with us, he has information that would be of use to us."

Pel nodded, "I will pack some food for the Commodore, Fin and I are packed as for Nelmek!" Pel spat on the ground. "I hope he ends up dying. "

Shon smiled, "I am pretty sure of that Pel....now, hurry."

Kilbane looked around him for what to use to secure Nelmek in the shuttle and saw a few curtain sash cords, "They'll do" he said quietly to himself. Taking them, he then noticed a few silk scarves hanging on a nearby peg and took them as well. He grabbed Nelmek by the arm and said, "Right start walking to the shuttle, and please, do try and struggle to protest because I want to hurt you so badly that would give me the reason to!"

Nelmek saw that it was futile to resist or protest, so shoulders hunched, he began walking towards the front door. Soon enough, both he and Kilbane entered Pel's shuttle and Kilbane dragged Nelmek over to one of the seats and tied him to it tightly, tighter than was necessary but being in an angry bad mood, Kilbane wanted someone to blame and Nelmek was to be the one to suffer his ire. Taking one of the silk scarves, he stuffed it not to gently into Nelmeks mouth and wrapped a second around it and secured it at the back harshly.

Nelmek screwed his eyes up in pain but didn't utter a sound as he knew it would be the excuse Kilbane needed to hurt him. Kilbane, seeing that the Romulan was secure, walked back to the house and went back to Finchley, "The Romulan's secured in the shuttle, let's go."

Finchley stood up and with Kilbane's help started for the door. As they got there, he saw Shon, Pel and Finch waiting for them, then they all headed to the shuttle.

Shon thought it would be good to address Finchley by his title. Commodore please sit behind me. Pel please supply him with some food then watch Nelmek?" Pel began to plate up and offer the food she had made to Finchley. "Are you sure you want me to watch him? you might find him dead." she said a look of distaste and hatred on her face.

"Fin, sit down and buckle up and prepare for the flight." Kilbane, please help me." Shon began a quick pre flight check as Fin said excitedly, "Mr Kilbane can I watch you please, my father..." he shot a quick look at Finchley, "My father was teaching me how to fly and I bet I could learn from you?"

"Once we're out into open space and are a safe distance out, I 'might' let you come up to the cockpit...I might even let you sit in my chair" Kilbane replied, giving Finch a wink.

Shon looked at Finchley, he looked so tired and vulnerable and all she wanted to do was hold him. "You ready Commodore?" she said.

Having had a few spoonful's of the food Pel had given him, Finchley nodded to Shon, "Yes, let's get out of here and back home again Commander."

Forgoing the pre flight she said, "Pel this is your last chance to stay, we won't be coming back and you and Fin will have to face whatever the consequences are?"

"We have waited for this day a long time. Romulus feels like a dead place fed by self satisfied Senators shafting the people. Oh, I have also brought with me a list of the personal codes of some of the highest in the Senate. Of course once they know I have defected they will change everything but It will take the T'al Shiar a while to discover that. I have left a trail that Fin and I have decided to take a holiday in the Marcuse system."

Shon lifted off and piloted the shuttle through the atmosphere and into space. "Anyone around Captain?" she asked Kilbane.

Kilbane checked the sensors, "No-one within scanner range, but the range of the shuttle isn't as far as any of ours so we'll need to be vigilant. I've no idea if there may be patrols out and about, if there are, I doubt we'll be able to outrun them. On the plus side though, we have Pel and Nelmek who can try and persuade them to let us through."

He looked at Nelmek and made a cut across his throat gesture to indicate to the Romulan what would happen to him if he didn't agree to help.

Nelmek's eyes showed hatred towards him but, when he looked at Pel his visage changed, he was in love with her, had always been and he would do anything to keep her with him.

The moon was soon far behind as the shuttle continued through Romulan space. "Where are we?" asked Pel.

Shon checked her instruments, "Just passed the second moon Pel, hopefully w....." A proximity alarm sounded and Shon looked at Kilbane. Before he could answer the shuttle was rocked by an explosion off their starboard bow. "That was a warning shot." Shon said.

"Oohh, The Damarain," Pel gasped looking out at the huge warbird following them. "She is armed to the teeth."

"Kilbane, any ideas?" Shon asked in a quiet voice.

Kilbane looked at Shon and said, "I have one, but you're not going to like it." He looked at Finchley, he in turn looked back, realising what Kilbane had in mind, and nodded slowly.

Kilbane looked back at Shon, "I don't know if he's told you, but Kerr is a registered Tal Shiar agent. If anyone has a chance of getting us out of this, it's him. I'm not getting involved, this is between you and him, but if you want my tuppence worth, I think it's worth a shot."

Shon turned and looked at Finchley, "If you're up to it you're on" she said. Fin ran to Pel and buried his head in her lap. Nelmak smiled as much as he could gagged.

Finchley nodded, put his plate off food to one side and stood up slowly, Kilbane also stood up and let Finchley take his place at the controls. Finchley sat down gingerly and opened up a channel to the Romulan ship, "This is Colonel Shannara of the Tal Shiar to the attacking ship, cease fire immediately!"

The COMM link on the small panel in front of flickered into life as a Romulan face appeared onscreen. "This is Commander ShPrel of the Damarain, state the purpose of your entry into restricted space.

Finchley now had his poker face on, "Commander ShPrel, code Zena two two Lassa one six two Kama...check in with your superiors and get back to me very quickly. Failure to do so will see you executed, along with your senior staff, and crew" then he closed the link.

Looking at Shon, he shrugged his shoulders, "It's now just a case of waiting to see if my Tal Shiar codes are still valid."

Shon realised she had been holding her breath and let it out. "You don't look good," she said as she took her med tricorder out and scanned him. "You need sleep as soon as possible Sir.....if we get out of this."

Nelmek had been working on his gag and suddenly he was free. "N'hive Nelmek jheel kidnapped K'ihge Federation" he began to shout. Shon went back to him, "shutup" she said in a voice she had never heard herself speak. Nelmek took another breath and she hit him squarely across the face. Once she had begun she found she could not stop, everything that had happened over the last few days flowed in and out of her. Again and again she beat him breaking his jaw. fracturing his orbit and his nose.

Fin began to cry as she continued.

After five or six punches, Kilbane decided that it was enough and walked over and took hold of Shon's drawn back arm, "Ok, ok, remember we want him alive so we can bleed him dry of medical information. As much as I'd have no problem with you carrying on with dishing out punches to this dog, he can't tell us anything if he's dead.

Shon nodded, "Sorry, I got carried away.

"Besides" Finchley called back to the nearly comatose Nelmek, the COMM link was severed before you could speak to the Commander of the Romulan ship, all you succeeded in doing was getting yourself a beating."

Looking at Kilbane he said, "Gag him again, and make sure he can't get it off this time."

"Right..." Kilbane replied. He walked across to the medical box on the wall, opened it and looked inside. "A, surgical tape, perfect." Closing the box and replacing it back in it's holder, he turned and walked back to Nelmek. He wound the surgical tape round and round and round his mouth and head, ensuring there was no chance of the Romulan calling out again.

The COMM link on Finchley's console pinged and he saw it was the Damarain and opened it up. "Commander ShPrel, what have you found out?" Finchley asked.

ShPrel shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and looking ill at ease he replied, "Colonel Shannara, we weren't told of your flight plans to cross this region of space, my superiors have confirmed your code and have ordered us to see you have safe passage to your destination. I apologise for the misunderstanding and for having fired a warning shot at your shuttle."

"Thank you Commander, but that's not necessary, so long as you message your other ships to allow us to pass through this region safely that will suffice" Finchley replied. "Is your second in command with you?"

"Yes Colonel" ShPrel said, looking to his left and motioning for someone to come to the screen. Another Romulan appeared onscreen, "Sub-Commander Laisk, Colonel, how can I be of service?"

"Arrest Commander ShPrel, Sub-Commander, see to it he's put on trial for endangering the life of a Tal Shiar Officer" Finchley replied.

"Yes Colonel" Laisk replied, motioning Uhlan guards to follow Finchley's orders. As they grabbed ShPrel, he started to shout, "Colonel, I protest, I wasn't informed of your shuttle being he...", and he was dragged off.

Finchley looked at Laisk, "Congratulations Commander Laisk, I trust you will follow the order I just gave to message your other ships to allow us to pass through this region of space?"

"Yes Colonel, I will see to it, and thank you Sir" Laisk replied.

Finchley nodded and cut the link. Once it was closed he let out a sigh of relief that the situation was now over. He looked at Kilbane and said, "Take your seat back and get us out of here, but not to quickly, we don't want it to appear like we're being hasty."

Kilbane nodded as he took Finchley's place back at the console. He set the shuttle off again and prayed this was the last encounter they had before they made it out into open space and back to the Thall.

Shon waited until Finchley had taken his seat. "Do you want to lie down?" she asked.

"I'm not quite up to doing that just yet Shon, give me a few hours before you get 'handsy'" Finchley laughed weakly, "but yes, a lie down seems like a good plan to me right now."

Shon laughed, "I cannot wait, I made you up a bed in the back." She helped him up and over to the bed. I will soon be able to put you in our bed." she said smiling. "do you need anything to help you sleep?"

"Little Finchley would enjoy a back and front rub...." he smiled.

"Oh you do not know how I would love to do that but we would have an audience and I'm not for show. When we get home I promise you the rub of a lifetime." she whispered tucking him in. We should be home in a couple of hours." she turned her head to see if anyone one was looking then, turned back and kissed him gently on the lips. Now, sleep." she said standing up and walking back to her seat.

"The Commodore did good," she said to Kilbane who was being bothered by Fin.

"It's his duty to do the best he can, he was adequate enough to deal with the situation" Kilbane replied, then told Fin he had to go back to his mother and he'd call on him when the time was right for a look at the shuttles controls. Kilbane looked at Shon dead eyed, "I told him, now I'm going to tell you, you both owe me big time, I saved his life with the blood transfusion. I could have said no and watched him snuff it, but I knew it would work to my advantage if I did give him what he needed. At some point, I'll want payback for that, and when I do come for it, you won't refuse me otherwise all of this comes out. Now, it's four hours back to the Thall if we don't have anymore interruptions, all I want is some peace and quiet, then get your cohort and her son into the alternate dimension so she can be with her traitorous husband. Unless you've got something to say that's mission orientated, I'd like to be left alone."

"Why are you being like this?" Shon said, "you have so much hatred in your heart and you think the worst of everybody. I know how much we owe you but, you know we would have done it for you. When will you forgive me Kilbane?"

"Listen here missy, I gave you everything I had, heart and soul, and you trampled that into the ground for him" Kilbane replied, jabbing his thumb in Finchley's direction. "You dropped me quicker than a hot pebble and that bloody well hurt, and now you both parade that sickening love in front of everyone, no, I'll never forgive you...or him."

"You selfish bastard." Shon said, "and you think I didn't love you? When we began our relationship I truly wanted it to be us and I loved, still love you, but I knew I had to make a choice and I wanted to spare you months of making a life together. I cherished all we had, what we did together, every minute of you and me and, I am sorry I will be more professional from now on. Oh Kilbane I am sorry." She went back to her seat and looked out at the stars wishing they could get back to the Thall as soon as possible.

"Sure, you loved me so much you went running back to Kerr at the first opportunity that presented itself..." Kilbane said to himself.

The four hours back to the USS Thall were uneventful, and as soon as they were in communications range Kilbane contacted the ship to say they would arrive back shortly. Pel's shuttle touched down gently in the shuttle bay and a medical team were waiting for the doors to open so they could come in and help Shon assess Finchley.

Shon was so glad to see the familiar sight of the Thall but there was so much to do .Her medical team were there to receive the Commodore and Shon was barking out orders. "Dr M'diq run full scans of the Commodore including deep cellular penetration and gradia scans. We need to know every organ in the Commodore's body is working at one hundred percent or at least is heading that way, pay particular notice to the abdominal cavity. Mahler, very important get the Commodore something good to eat, lots of protein." she knew her team would do their very best for Finchley but she was still uneasy to let him out of her sight.

She looked around the bay for Kilbane but he was nowhere in sight. "Ensign J'Tall please ensure quarters are found for our guests and that they get some food." When they had gone she spoke to security. "I want a twenty four hour watch on our guests but do it gently, I do not want them to feel uneasy. Take the prisoner to the brig, tend to his injuries and feed him.The shuttle bay was emptying out and she knew McRudden would be poking around the Romulan shuttle at some stage.

Heading to the Bridge she felt gritty and dirty and could not remember the last time she showered. entering the bridge Milani gave her a smile. "Any problems whilst we were away Commander?" she asked.

Milani said, "No, all quiet at this end." Shon nodded." I want us to head out of Romulan space then park it. The Commodore is in sickbay but he will be fine. We will have a debrief at 0200, all senior staff. I am going to get a shower and something to eat then will be heading to sickbay." She looked around at the familiar presences on the bridge, the quiet humming of the consoles and the occasional beeps of information flowing to and from the crew. Smiling she left the bridge for their quarters.

As soon as the shuttle had landed and the doors were opened, Kilbane had left it and made his way to his office. He logged onto his computer and began his report of the mission. Part way through, about an hour in, he stopped his report, logged off and made his way to Sickbay and on entry made his way over to Finchley.

Sensing a presence, Finchley opened his eyes to see Kilbane standing next ti his biobed, "Something on your mind Kilbane?" he asked.

"Yes" Kilbane replied succinctly.

"The spill it out, I can't read your mind" Finchley went on.

Knowing there were medical staff around, Kilbane leant over and began whispering in Finchley's ear. It took about twenty seconds to say what he had to say, then Kilbane stood up again.

"You're absolutely sure about this?" Finchley asked.

Kilbane said nothing, just slowly nodded his head.

"Alright, it may take a little while, but consider it done" Finchley said, "now leave me be, I'm tired and want to sleep."

Kilbane then spoke up, "You'll have plenty of time to sleep when you're..." but didn't finish the sentence, instead just stared at Finchley, then turned and walked away.

Finchley watched him go, slowly shaking his head, wondering how it had come to this point.

Shon entered sickbay showered and clean her long hair bound loosely in a French plait. Looking around at the familiar sights and sounds she smiled. People were crowded round Finchley but it looked as though he were asleep. "Report?" she asked Doctor M'diq.

"The deep tissue scans of the Commodore show some signs of necrosis however nothing else of note. His brain scans show mild autonomic excitation which a good sleep will help. Captain Kilbane was here a while ago, talked to the Commodore then left." Shon nodded, "Thank you." she said walking over to him. "Commodore, are you awake?"

"Not anymore" Finchley answered a little sleepily, opening his eyes to see Shon looking down on him. "You know Doctor, you ought to come with a health warning, 'beautiful, may cause heart rate to heighten and pulse rate to race'."

She raised her eyebrows, "I'm glad to see you are recovering Commodore." she smiled. "You, my good sir would be better off in your own bed. I noticed Kilbane was here, can I ask what he wanted, I am sure it was not to wish you good health?"

"Being in our bed sounds like a good idea to me, so long as you're happy to discharge me from Sickbay Doctor" Finchley replied, "As for Kilbane's visit and why he was here, no, it wasn't to wish me good health, quite literally the opposite, but I'm afraid that for the moment I can't discuss it. Now, what's happening with getting Pel and her son over to the alternate universe?"

Shut out once again, she thought. "for the moment Pel and Fin are in quarters with a guard. Nelmek is in the brig also guarded. I have been with you for the last couple of hours so I don't know. I don't know how we will do it but once you get to bed I will think about it. Finchley......oh never mind I will give your results another lookover but I think you would be better in your own bed." Shon walked away feeling bitter. "Damn you Kilbane." she whispered.

"No, getting me to our bed can wait, we deal with the situation regarding Pel and her son now, right now!" Finchley said loudly, clawing at the side of his biobed to get himself upright. "The longer we wait, the more that can go wrong on either side, so we're not delaying this any longer. We'll do the same thing we did in Main Engineering when 'we' crossed over, but this time it'll be Pel and Fin going. What happens to them when they get there is none of our concern, 'our' concern is to get them there in the first place, after that it's up to the other Finchley Kerr. Please have one of your staff help me get to Main Engineering, you meanwhile go and fetch Pel and Fin and meet me there, no arguments please just hurry."

Shon nodded realising that this was an order that could not be disobeyed. She spoke to two of the staff that were able to help him and she noted they managed to get him up and walking. Running out she found Fin playing on the floor with his shuttle and Pel reading. "The Commodore wants you to go now, we will get you across to the alternate universe but after that you will be on our own." Pel nodded and Fin jumped with excitement. Taking their bag Shon dismissed their security and handed Pel a phaser. "Hide this, you may need it." Shon hugged Pel, "Thank you for what you have done for us, I am sure my Finchley will not thank you so I do. Try to let us know if you find him?" Pel nodded emotion in her eyes as Shon bent down and hugged Fin, "be a good boy." Fin kissed her on the cheek. "Let's go" he said excitedly then she led them to engineering.

In Main Engineering, Finchley was now waiting on Shon, Pel and Fin to arrive. When they came through the doors he was relieved, they could now get on with the cross over. He was standing at the same console that had helped him and his team to cross over, and had already pre-set the controls that had successfully taken them across.

"Pel, Fin, stand here please" Finchley said, moving back a safe distance so as not to be caught up in their beam over. "You'll feel a little disorientated as the beam over begins, but don't worry, it'll pass once you get across." He watched as Pel and Fin made themselves ready, and nodded to them that he was about to begin the process. As the blue transport hue began surrounding them, Finchley said, "Pel, thank you for your help, and Fin, look after your Mother and Father."

The blue hue now completely surrounded them both and when it dissipated, they were gone. A sigh of relief came out of Finchley and he leaned back onto the console behind him. Looking at Shon he said, "Right, I think I'd like to get to bed now and get some sleep, this has taken rather a lot out of me."

She nodded, "yes Commodore, lean on me". With a quick glance to where the pair had stood she realised that she would miss them. Taking his arm over her they walked, slowly to their quarters. "time for you to have a good long sleep and them a large breakfast. The big bed waited for them as she slowly undressed him noting his thinness and muscle wastage but, she knew they would quickly change with good diet and medical intervention. She helped him in and covered him with their deep filled quilt. Anything I need to get you before you sleep?"

Finchley was exhausted, the mixture of lack of eating, sleep deprivation, physical and psychological effort had taken it's toll on him. As he lay there and felt Shon put the quilt on him and ask her question, he replied, "Yes, you could...get...me...tomorrows...duty...rost..." and he drifted off.

Shon laughed to herself and undressed, then, a slight chirrup on her comm panel alerted her. She padded over and on the screen she saw Pel.

"We are here, he is here and we are a family again. Thank you and goodbye. Pel."

Then the communication left the screen and she climbed in to bed beside him extending her arm out over him protectively. "Lights off" she whispered and then she slept.