Changes Pt1

Posted on Tue Mar 12th, 2019 @ 9:26pm by Fleet Admiral Mike K`Wor Bremer & Colonel Danny Lennox & Tom Vercetti & Vito Russo & Lieutenant JG Walter Roebuck & Splendora Sage

4,368 words; about a 22 minute read

Mission: Episode 97 - Cultural Exchange
Location: Cardassia Prime
Timeline: MD3 1000hrs

ON:

Splendora had spent the last few days thinking things over and laying out her plan. She was now at a local food festival on Cardassia. She'd seen many people around and many of the restaurant owners on the Starbase. She hadn't seen Tom since she'd transported on Aiden's ship.

She would spend another hour here and then head back to the hotel she was staying. She wondered how upset at her Vito and Tom where. She wondered what that meant for them but right now it was all about keeping them safe.

When she was certain that Delar was not here she headed to the door. The Food Festival was one that she wanted to go to with Tom before all this. Now she just wanted to get out and continue with her plan to flush the escaped Section 31 agent out of hiding, preferably as far away from Tom and Vito as possible.

She pulled the hood over her head and headed back to the hotel she was temporarily staying at. She had a guard outside who greeted her and she entered the safety of the room. It was then, alone as she was, where she could let the faux strength she'd been showing collapse. She dropped to the sofa and just started to cry out all that she'd been through. She wondered if she was strong enough. Her whole life had been survive one wave and then take a few breaths and then back into the stormy waters. Could she do it one more time? Her heart broke that the two people she cared for most probably hated her. She was just glad Bremer was there for them.

She wiped her tears and headed to the replicator with a few taps on the panel the replicator shimmered dishing out the food that she found gave her the most comfort when her life was going to hell in a hand basket. A double fudge brownie, served warm with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. She added three cherries to boot and took her lifeline to the table where she planned to nurse it until a plan fully formulated for her to lens out Delar.

After a few hours of that she gave up, slipped the guard at her door and headed for a walk. She needed to think. It wasn't that late so she found herself at the local market. Cardassian's selling all manner of things. She stopped by a booth selling shawls and jewelry. As she looked over a shawl she was interested and that looked warm and colourful she couldn't help but feel as if she was being watched. She turned but nothing stood out. She wondered if her life was going to be down to this.

Sighing she made a mental note to try and get some relaxing time down when she got back to the hotel.

“She’s clear.” A non-descript man in the corner of a nearby booth said into a secure communicator. “She slipped the guard where she was staying, and the other she hadn’t seen lost her in the crowd.”

“Thank you Hank, I owe you.” The calm reply came.

“You do.” Hank replied. “Go now.”

Tom walked up to Splendora, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her behind the curtain to the rear of the booth with the shawls. “Don’t speak loud. You’re being followed everywhere you go. I had to call in an old favor just to get five minutes with you.”

The sudden change, the arm grab almost had her reeling. She hadn't realized she'd been followed, she thought she'd slipped the hotel guard. She looked round anxiously and then focused on the man in front of her. "Tom....Where's Vito?" She had so many other questions, she held her words back for now.

“Vito is at our booth, making himself seen. I came down with a rather bad stomach bug yesterday, so I won’t be missed right now. We’re going to get you out of here. Our, other deal was successful before that, so the trip was profitable in that regard. We already have a plan in motion with a few old friends, and believe me, this is what they have done many times before.” His tone was calm, quiet, and confident.

Splendora cupped his face in her hands. "Oh Tom. There is so much I want to say." She studied his face. "So much I want to tell you. I thought you were mad at me." She looked down. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, I am pissed...but it is something we can discuss after this. I'm not going to leave you to these people." Tom replied. "And I'll be better once we have you back aboard the Pegasus."

She gently leaned in and kissed him. "Admiral Bremer should have kept his promise. He should have kept you safe." She sighed, "For the moment the Cardassians are not who I have to fear." She looked around. "The man following me was he human or Cardassian?"

"Trust me, Mike keeps his promises. We don't know much about the second guy, he keeps his face covered, wears dark colors. He's always in the shadows. I wish that little Tralazar Chief of Security hadn't been reassigned, Lokran would have a field day with him. The guy was trying to follow you at distance, but we made sure he would get 'stuck in traffic' for a moment. We don't have long. Are you coming?" Tom held out his hand.

She took his hand, "Tom listen to me. I can't leave. The agent I told you about on the ship, Delar, he's escaped from the Starfleet facility. He is here on Cardassia and he's coming for me." She didn't want to say this next part but..."I have been in contact with the Order and Starfleet Intel. They have made a request of me."

"Then that's probably the guy that's following you. Wait, the order? The Obsidian Order?" Tom asked. "And Starfleet Intelligence? What's going on, what have you not told me?"

She sighed, "Tom this is so complicated." She shook her head. "The gist of it is both the Order and Fleet Intel made a request of me. that request was to be the bait to recapture him. That is why I wanted you safe. If something happened to me I wanted you and Vito safe." She held on to his hand very tight as if wanted to absorb the comfort and heat from it. As if it was her lifeline.

Just as Tom was about to say something a sound drew their attention to the ally. There, in life size, was Delar. He smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Mr. Vercetti. Thank you for well leading me to her and for helping me shake the Section agent sent to protect her. Most helpful."

Splendora covered Tom with her body. "Let him go, he has nothing to do with this."

Tom started to reach for his phaser but could see the other guy was already holding his. He let his eye look past the man as a couple of drunk Pakleds walked into view. He tried to pull Splendora behind him. "Who are you?"

"Delar is the name. I was Section 31's finest yet thanks to your girlfriend and her need to help Starfleet personnel and her pity for the Cardassian I was thrown in the coldest, darkest brig. "

Splendora spoke, "Listen Delar I'll come with you just let me...have one more kiss."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh for the love of Toleg. Alright. I feel generous."

Splendora took Tom's face in her hand and gave him a quick kiss on the lips and one on the cheek taking the opportunity to whisper. "Tom I love you. Tell Bremer to keep you safe." She splayed her hand on his chest pushing the Silver communicator that Roebuck had given her. She tapped it twice and stepped back knowing that Tom would be transported to the Pegasus. She had to get him out of there.

"What the fu...." Tom shimmered away.

A second later he was standing in Transporter Room Three aboard the Pegasus as Lieutenant Roebuck and other security officer rushed in.

"What's going on? Where's the girl?" Roebuck asked.

"That's what I want to know!" He held the commbadge in his hand and squeezed it. He then tapped his own, "Hank, stand down. We've been played."


Surface

Back on the surface Delar turned bright red. "I will not have you make a mockery of me!" He backhanded Splendora sending her to the ground. "I will deal with Vercetti later." He reached down grabbing her arm. "Come along then."

Something inside Splendora broke. She had been pushed around, always tried to do the right thing. Fisting her hand she threw a right hook that had Delar flying back. His eyes wide he jumped to his feet. "You think..."

Splendora turned to the side and kicked her right leg out connecting with his stomach. A surge of unholy strength flooded her as she sent Delar back into the crowded market and onto a market stall. Confused by her strength she turned running for the hotel.

Delar ran after her. He turned down another ally only to be confronted by three Cardassians with large rifles. Within minutes they had him secured and off to their brig.

A pair of Amber black eyes watched from a distance. They blinked and then the man to whom they belonged drew his hood around him and headed back towards the hotel.

"Johnson to Vercetti," one of Hank's team called out.


Pegasus

Tom tapped his commbadge, "Vercetti here."

"Um...First of your girl has mad skills. She damned near kicked the stuffing out of the man who followed you into the ally. She got away but he got caught. Three Cardassians, full black uniform, silver emblems of the Order." He adjusted his scope. "Your girl is being followed, two Cardassians, one man in black with a black Starfleet insignia and two I recognize from Intel. It's more like they are protecting her." He sighed, "What the hell is going on?"

Tom didn't know what to say. 'Mad skills'? He didn't know Splendora could fight like that. "Can you track her from the Bridge?" He asked Roebuck.

"Yeah, have your tag send us coordinates." Walt replied as they headed for the Bridge.

A moment later they walked up to the Mission Ops station on the back wall of the Pegasus's Bridge. Walt typed in a few commands and one of the displays lite up with an over view of the city. It zoomed in and showed Splendora making her way through the crowd followed by three people.

"Those are Obsidian Order agents." Walt commented.

"And that guy is Section 31." Tom added. "What the hell is going on?"


Surface

Splendora looked around wildly. She turned onto the main walk. It wouldn't be long till she reached a place she knew she'd be safe. It was a small abandoned cottage on land that once belonged to her ex husband. She turned down Veli avenue and broke onto a filed only to freeze in her tacks. "Delar..."

He grinned, "You thought your Order friends could hold me?" He lunched at her with a blade he'd taken off of one of the agents he'd downed with a pretty strong dose of sedative.

A wave of nausea hit her as she felt the strength surge through her. She kicked out again. Delar blocked her and delivered a blow to her ribs. Seemingly undeterred she executed a roundhouse kick and two quick blows to his face. Her mind was going in several directions. Was Tom safe, how the hell was she doing this? Would she get out alive to see him again?

Delar, who'd been on the ground, bolted to his feet. "This ends now!" He drew a phaser from a back holster. A bright orange beam flew past Spendora.

She watched Delar drop to the ground. He was fully awake yet seemed to be paralyzed.

Turning quickly she watched as a man in a black cape and hood strode towards her. He took his hood off and walked up to Splendora. Looking over at Delar he smiled, "The Order and Starfleet Intel will be around shortly to collect you." He turned to Splendora, "Hello Doctor Sage." He grabbed her arm and with a shower of silver sparkles they were gone.


Pegasus

"I've lost her signal." Walter Roebuck said as he tapped in a few commands. "I can't track the transporter signal either, but it was clearly Federation."

Tom took a moment to reply, processing what he just watched. "Where's the Admiral?"

"On the surface, should be finishing up a Klingon mok'bara exhibition he was asked to help with." Walt replied.

"Beam me down there." Tom replied as he left the Bridge.

A few minutes later he was back on Cardassia in the eastern edge of the event area. Mike, two Klingons, and Major Lennox were walking out of one of the gymnasiums built for the event.

"Admiral, we need to talk." Tom was clearly disheveled, sweaty, and frustrated.

Mike gave Tom a concerned glance. The Klingons nodded and walked off. Lennox stayed by the Admiral's side. Both were wearing traditional Klingon white gis.

"Tom? What's going on?" Mike asked as he wiped his forehead.

Vercetti explained what had happened with his planned rescue of Splendora. He was angry it had falled, and told Mike "I must be getting too old for this shit, an operation like that never failed during the war." He went on to explain what Hank's man witnessed, then what he saw himself while watching from orbit.

"Admiral." Lennox said in a calm quiet voice as someone walked toward them. All three men turned to look. Lennox placed his hand on his CQC knife while Mike slowly drew his mek'leth from behind his back. Tom drew his phaser and took aim. "That's him."

The man smiled, "Gentlemen let's not get hasty." The older man dressed in black looked over at Tom. "I believe we need to talk. I know where your Doctor Sage is. Jon Florence Starfleet Intelligence. "

"Where is she?" Tom tightened his grip on his phaser.

"Starfleet Intelligence? Or Section 31?" Lennox asked coldly.

"I suggest we go inside before we draw a crowd." Mike said calmly. "Take point Major. Florence you follow him and answer those questions. I suggest you keep your hands in plain site too, the trigger on the Type-2C-A4 Phaser Mister Vercetti is holding is a little twitchy."

Jon threw his head back and laughed. "As you wish." He turned and followed the Major. They walked slowly to a quiet place. Jon was the first to sit down. He allowed the other three time and then he turned towards the Major. "Shall we chat over a drink?" He looked over at Tom then back to Lennox. "To reply to your question Major Lennox I am both yet neither." He stared again at Tom. "Now to answer yours Mr. Vercetti, She is safe for the moment." Suddenly the man before them, clearly in his late forties looked as though he'd aged a decade.

"Who are you, really?" Bremer asked as he took a step forward, studying the man. "And what do you mean, 'safe for the moment'?"

The man sighed. "Relax Admiral all in due time. Tom, can I call you Tom, how much do you know about your girlfriend and what she is?"

Mike glared at the man.

"I know enough. I know she's tender, loving, caring." Tom replied...remembering how he watched Splendora fight earlier. "What do you know that I don't?"

The man regarded Tom. “Yes she is all those things against all the odds.” He leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “A long time ago, Starfleet Intel and Section 31 began a new project called Rebirth through genetic sequencing we corrected all that was wrong with her. By one years old she was operating at a five year old level. By five….she had begun to regress as most of our subjects had so we were making plans to return them to their families and homes.”

He sighed, “By then our project was stopped and we were all looked at as nothing more but mad scientists. The word ‘Eugenics’ came up and all hell was breaking loose. I couldn’t let things go I kept studying the results and regressions and learned she was not regressing but the sequencing, at least some of it, was dormant. I set out to get her back but by then she’d already run away from Betazed. I went to Section heads and Starfleet and we looked at all the subjects. Out of them all only two showed this dormancy while other showed regression, Splendora and one other, a male child a Vulcan, named Michael had been sequenced to perfection. The order was to watch them and see if the sequencing ever kicked in. The Vulcan was easy he joined Starfleet and became, of all things a Section member, one of our finest. At twenty three the sequencing activated and he went through a change he grew in intelligence and strength. Splendora started showing those signs when she was finishing her degree. Delar, the agent that is now back in custody was sent to evaluate her abilities and decide about her future but he was a rotten egg.” He looked at Tom. “Shall I go on?”

Tom didn't know what to say. He just sat down. After a moment, he looked up, "What do you plan to do with her?"

He sighed, "Well we had hoped to take her to Earth. I had retrieved her but when we materialized I was greeted with Aidan, a few members of the Order, and Michael. She is now gone. I assure you they mean her no harm but..." He turned to Lennox. "I am guessing you don't want me reaching in my pocket. If you'd be so kind there is a silver holo box in my right vest pocket. Retrieve it for me."

Lennox glanced at Mike who nodded. Lennox fixed his eyes on Florence's as he reached in. A moment later he slowly pulled the box out and handed it to the man.

Tom was still trying to process everything. He wanted a drink...a large drink. 'Things are so much more simpler running a restaurant' the thought to himself. He looked up again, looked passed Florence and saw a man standing in the doorway, phaser in hand.

Florence looked back at him too.

"Sorry, don't let me interrupt your gloating. Sorry it took a few minutes to get from across town boss." Vito said.

Tom stood up. "I want Splendora, now. If you can't make that happen to tell me who can. If there is something you needs to get better, or to do, tell me what it is and I'll help her, but you're not going to control or use her anymore."

Mike smirked, "I'd think very seriously about doing what he says. Losing has never been an option for these guys."

Lennox eyed Florence, he didn't know what was really going on or how things got to this stage, but he'd know Tom and Mike for years, since the Dominion War, and he had their back in any situation.

"What's on the holo-box?" Lennox asked.

Jon studied them. “Let me explain something to you gentlemen before I show you this. When Splendora was on Cardassia she showed such empathy and caring. She married the Cardassian to save him from Delar and to help him because she believed the implant in his head was causing his issues. She also rescued twenty five Starfleet personnel. Alone. The Order pretends they helped but we know better. In letting the Order take the credit for the rescue she showed humility on top of caring and a sense of duty and loyalty to Starfleet and a diplomacy to try and get us all to get along. The Order wanted her, Section wanted her, Starfleet wanted her. In the interest of peace we all agreed to leave her alone. ”

“That being said she is in stage three of genetic sequence activation. Let me show you what that looks like and why I must find her.” He turned on the holo-box and the air between the men filled with an image of a Vulcan that looked to be in a delirious fever. “He has a temperature that is beyond measurement. His DNA is being torn apart and put back together.”

The Vulcan was in obvious pain. The scene shifted to days later. It was the same Vulcan but his ears looked human and eyes that were ice blue were now black with amber flecks. “Now do you see why she must be found? She will get sick very fast and we need to monitor her to make sure she survives full activation.”

He looked at Bremer. “Now Admiral the Order, Starfleet, and the Section have come up with a compromise seeing is that we all want to study her. None of us gets her she stays on your station.” He looked at Tom, “I know this is not much comfort but you changed her. The sequencing we did would guarantee that she felt no love, no loyalty to any person and yet against all odds she loves you and is extremely loyal to you and to you Vito is it? She would give her life for you and that progress is something all the agencies want to track how she is able to love, and feel humility, and caring. Admiral if you are alright with it I will leave an agent behind on your station to monitor her progression to teach her how to control her abilities whatever they may be. That is what is so special about her. It seems she is putting herself together in a most fascinating order and while I and the others want to study her in a lab we are willing to compromise and allow her to stay on your station pending we can monitor her."

"Do you have to leave someone, or can someone be taught what to look for and how to treat or assist her? The Chief Medical Officer aboard the Station is very talented. We also have an extremely gifted Chief Counselor that can help her with her feelings and emotions. This way, no one can claim one of the other agencies has access and is manipulating her...and no one has access to her without MY approval. Bremer asked seriously, but with concern for her well being.

"Medically yes but at least for the first six months I would like Michael Nivar to be there. He's gone through the sequencing and genetic activation." He slowly held up his hands and reached into the pocket pulling out a PADD. "All parties are in agreement to allow our Vulcan friend to monitor her. He will be under your orders and give you updates. Your doctor may care for her and counseling will he helpful." He looked at Tom. "And you are you willing to take the good and bad to have her back?"

Mike looked over the PADD. He wondered why a Vulcan would be named Michael, maybe after Ambassador Spock's adapted sister? Why he wondered that, with everything else going on, he wasn't sure himself, maybe because it was actually the least weird thing that was going on.

Tom nodded. "I am, and always have been." He took a step forward, "You should have just come to the station and talked to her. It would have saved her a lot of of emotional trauma...and you a broken nose." He punched Florence, breaking his nose and dropped him to the floor on his rear.

"Well you're subtle." He said reaching for a handkerchief in his pocket. He held it to stanch the blood on his nose. Jon got up and sighed, He looked at Vito. "I guess we better find Miss Sage. Gul Aidan will know where she is." He pointed to Vito. "I'll take that man to search for her. He's least likely to push me off a cliff." He looked at Bremer. "You gonna let him get away with hitting a member of Starfleet?"

'That's what he thinks' Vito thought as he holstered his phaser.

"He'll get a talking to." Mike replied. He looked at Tom, "Feel better?"

"A little." Tom replied, looking down at Florence.

"Good. Don't hit him again, right now." Mike replied. He looked back down at Florence. "There, I talked to him about it."

Mike took a step back and glanced out the door as two drunk Pakleds walked by. "We'll leave first. Tom, go to your restaurant's stand, be seen, Florence will keep you updated." He looked at Florence.

Lennox walked out first, followed by Tom...whom kept his eyes on Florence until he was out. Mike then knelt down by Florence. "Let's get one thing straight, you better be on the level and bring that woman home, or by God I'll hunt you down and deliver you to Tom...and all your posturing and gloating won't help you."

Mike stood and walked toward the door, not giving Florence a chance to reply. He nodded to Vito who watched Florence stand up.

Outside, Tom gave a respectful nod to Lennox and Bremer before heading to his stand.

Mike and Lennox started to walk away. "You trust him?" Lennox asked.

"Not in the least. " Mike replied.

"Yamok sauce this, Kanar that. You'd think these Cardassians would want to try something different. They're as bad as Klingons. "

Mike looked over to see a group of four Ferengi talking. Quark saw Bremer, then flashed a toothy grin. "Present company accepted of course."

Mike eyed Quark for a moment, then looked at Zark, then the other two Ferengi before continuing to walk by.

"He's as bad as Odo was." Quark said.

"I told you, he's always around!" Zark added.



TBC....

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