A thorough Intelligence debriefing takes time, and patience. Starfleet Intelligence officers examine my logs, my ship's computers, all the sensor records... others, steady and calming and unreasonably patient, ask us all to describe our experiences, over and over again, in interview rooms which are designed to be so soothing and relaxing and stress-free that they really, really get on my nerves.
I tell the story, again and again, to Vulcan interrogators alive to every nuance of language, to Betazoids and Deltans who can oh-so-gently read my feelings.... It is all perfectly civilized, and in the end I think I'd prefer a Cardassian with a bright light, a rubber hose and a forcibly administered cranial implant.
It's at the end of one exhausting session that I receive a subspace call. The face on the screen is one I know; the Romulan, T'Laihhae. She favours me with a quick flash of smile. "I'm relieved to see you well," she says, and hesitates. There is something vaguely wrong with her manner.
"What's wrong?" I ask.
"Possibly nothing," says T'Laihhae. "Just.... When you were on Chara V, did you see anything that was like snow?"
"Snow?" That one baffles me. "It was far too hot for snow."
"Something like snow, but not snow."
My head feels like it's been drained of all sensation, but I try to think. "There was a lot of falling dust and ash," I say. "I suppose... well, it fell and drifted a bit like snow. Maybe. The comparison didn't occur to me at the time."
"Hmm." T'Laihhae looks doubtful. "Perhaps it's that... but it seems like a stretch."
"Is it important? Significant?"
"Possibly. I don't really know.... I am working with incomplete information, and I am not entirely sure of the significance of anything. What I can, and will, tell you is that the names of Valikra and Bresar were brought to our attention from another source. When our intelligence services learned that these names had also come to the notice of Starfleet - well, we are pooling our resources. Your account of the Chara V situation is - very complete. It will help, I think."
She'd heard of Valikra and Bresar? Well, knowing about Valikra makes sense, the Republic must have files on every petty warlord in Romulan space. But in the same context as Bresar?... T'Laihhae, as usual, is frighteningly well informed. I might ask how, if I believed for one instant she'd tell me. "So, what is the Republic perspective on all this, then?"
"Power struggles within the remnants of the Imperial state were... expected," T'Laihhae says. "There are at least a dozen - fiefdoms, I suppose is the word - like Valikra's, each with its ambitious warlord, each with contingency plans for revolution and a grab for supreme power. Valikra seems to have activated hers... with a measure of success, so far. Her home system of Porruma has declared itself part of the new Hegemony, as have some other systems - Sarkannis, Peltaur Major, Alpha Mercatoris and Kaljuvena, to name the most significant. She has conducted military strikes on Tal Shiar targets, and aroused support on some of the central Imperial worlds. There is ground fighting on Cirini Prime and even on Rator...."
But she's still looking at me with a strange expression. "What's the problem?" I ask.
"I will admit," she says, "to a level of... personal concern. The source of my incomplete information suggests - I can only say suggests - that an Andorian is in some sort of danger. Obviously, there are many Andorians around -" another millisecond smile, then she turns serious again "- but, when I heard your name mentioned in this context -"
"You were worried about me?"
"As I said. A level of personal concern. I... regret... that I am not able to offer any more concrete information. But I think you should be on your guard. Especially in respect of Valikra, and of... something that looks like snow." And, with that, she cuts the channel.
---
Living in tunnels, on a moon whose primary fills half the nights with light and regularly eclipses the sun in the day, Andorians aren't bound to cyclical sleep patterns like most species. But, when we do sleep, we sleep deeply. So I'm not at my best when the communicator yanks me out of a deep dreamless slumber, some time early the next morning.
"Shohl." I blink, rub my eyes, and wait for the face in the viewer to come into focus.
"Vice Admiral." It's Hengest. "Sorry to disturb you. However, we have a situation arising out of the Bresar business - and, since you are in some sense involved, and your ship is probably the fastest I can readily find - well, I need your help."
I try hard to come fully awake. "Of course, sir. Your orders?"
"Three more colony worlds have aligned themselves with the Hegemony of Bresar. Thy'rallis, Galmur Prime, and Sigma Puppis VII. I need you to take Spirits of Earth out to Sigma Puppis and get... some idea of what's going on there."
"Sigma Puppis?" Evidently I'm not awake yet. "Didn't think that was anywhere near Romulan space...."
"It isn't." Hengest's face is very grim. "It's a Vulcan colony world."
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