MISSION 05

Mind WarPrologue

"Huh." he grunted as he through himself at the target managing to hit it before sprawling on the ground. His opponent immediately retaliated with a shot he couldn't possibly defend against. The ball hit just within the court at the opposite side to where he lay."Game, Set and Match. 6-3, 4-6, 6-4." the computer relayed as he pushed himself   off the grass."Thanks for the game." said Arkin Jora as she held out her to help him up."Where did you learn to play like that?" replied James Dulmis when he was back on his feet."The Academy." she smiled, "I managed to get in the first team the year before I left.""Ah that explains it." He said rubbing the back of his neck, attempting to cool it down in the virtual midday heat."Explains what.""How I never heard of your tennis prowess."She looked around the reproduction Wimbledon's famous center court. It was a perfect replica of one of earth's finest sporting grounds in the late twentieth century."This is an amassing reproduction." she said.He followed her gaze to the blue cloudless sky. "Lovely isn't it. I created it to practice while I was at the academy, it helped take my mind off the death of my family."A pain crossed his face that Jora had seen once before. She had seen on the faces of friends during the occupation, on crew members while the ship had been at wolf 359 and when the report of the decimation of several of Starfleet's fleets inn the early days of the dominion war.Not really knowing how to reply she said, "Your part of another family now, James.""I know." he replied, wrapping his arm around her, "Come on we're on duty in an hour."Lex relaxed in the command chair of the Argus' bridge. Some how he found it a more relaxing place to read the padd in his hand than in his read room. On the normally deactivated viewscreen was an image that would impressed anyone. Over a sixty federation and Klingon ships hung in space, the ships that made up the new seventh fleet. Lex looked up to take in the view."Wonderful, isn't it." said Thomas Patel from the first officers chair."It is." replied Lex, "Federation ship design has always intrigued me. The flowing hulls have an in built grace about them." A nebula class ship, the USS Manta, drifted across the viewscreen and Lex lost himself in it."What's you're favorite class?" "Uh...Oh..." said Lex returning to reality, "Well I suppose, the Ambassador class." he replied, thinking of the last ship Lex commanded although it was his previous host. "Your?""Galaxy." the commander replied."Ah. The Discovery." Lex understood his first officers love of his last ship."One of the finest ships I've ever served on."The turbolift door behind then opened and Arkin Jora, James Dulmis and Kate Sheridan entered the bridge and took their stations. "Captain, the fleet's almost assembled." said Kate Sheridan when the bridge had settled down."Thank you, Commander." he said rising from his chair, "You have the bridge. Number one you're with me."

Kate Sheridan watched as the captain and the first officer entered the ready room, but she stayed at her post rather than taking the center chair. The turbolift doors opened and Kate turned to she who was entering the bridge. Counselor Cassaria stood in the doorway and slowly scanned the bridge. Kate felt his gaze focus on her and as it did she felt his mind brush against hers. However it disappeared as he moved to the next person and the tactical officer dismissed it as being her imagination."Vulcan?""Starfleet intelligence thinks so." explained Lex, "They think the dominion is attempting to create a supply line through Betazoid space to the Argolis cluster.""The Dominion seems to be attacking the federation Telepathic members." replied Patel and then he noticed a change in the Captain's expression, "You think there's a connection.""There's been an experiment to test its effectiveness of testing for changelings using telepaths for the past year and a half, but the results have been inconclusive." answered the Captain, "In fact it has tended to attract some unwanted attention to the alpha quadrants telepaths. Just over a year ago they attempted to introduce a virus that would have wiped them out.""And Betazed is home to one of the alpha quadrants most powerful telepathic races," reasoned the Commander. "As well as it being  is strategically advantageous to attack some of the federations strongest members. Must have seemed quite a tempting target.""Indeed." replied Lex "That's why Starfleet's adamant about defending Vulcan.""That explains why the fleet looks ready to leave.""Ah you noticed that." said Lex smiling, "Starfleet's given me command of part of the fleet. Galaxy wing two, Fighter wings six and eight and medium cruiser wings one and four.""That's nearly a quarter of the fleet, over twenty five ships. With all due respect captain aren't you a little..." he trailed off as he attempted to find the right word."Young?" completed the Captain."Frankly, yes.""I voiced the same concerns to Admiral Chase," replied the Captain, "but he seemed adamant that I command the mission.""And the mission is?""We've got to take the fleet around the back of the Tabor nebula, and catch the Dominion in a crossfire.""That a dangerous gamble," replied the First officer, "that doesn't leave enough ships to stop them if it doesn't work.""There aren't enough ships for a direct confrontation anyway." explained Lex, "Starfleet Intelligence rates the chance of success at 55%.""That's not very encouraging.""Its better than 32% for a direct assault.""I suppose it is at that.""I want you to command the Discovery." said Lex changing the subject."The Discovery? You need me here Captain.""I need you on the Discovery more. She's been without a captain for several months now and the Admiral asked me to fill the post.""What about Commander Lisley?" asked Patel."Commander Lisley is still recovering from her ordeal in the past. The Discovery's Counselor requested that she not be given command because of her current mental instability." replied Lex, "however she is well enough to act as your first officer.""Very well Captain, I accept.""In that case, I promote you to the field commission of Captain." said Lex in a official tone, "The Discovery is your ship now, good luck.""Thank you Captain."

"Dismissed."

Act 1Captains Log: Supplemental 

        The fleet is now well underway and the senior officers have all been briefed on our mission. The main bulk of the fleet is expected to arrive at the Tabor nebula in six hours and our ETA is a little over this, about six and a half. In the meantime we are running battle drills and preparing the ship for combat, a task that Commander Sheridan is having to accomplish while integrating her new position of acting first officer.

 Bimitri Cassaria sat in the Recreation lounge turning the liquid in his glass idly. The lounge was pretty much empty with most of the crew preparing the ship for the coming battle and the civilian population had either remain on the starbase or were restricted to quarters. He turned his head to look out the large windows next to him, taking gin the view of the ships long, slender nacelles stretching out over the aft of the ship towards the stars beyond. In was the main feature that gave the ship such a sleek look.He turned away from them again, finding no comfort in the great void of space. His home world was lost and he was unable to do anything about it, he had to trust in the Captain, and many like him, to it for him. He was about to start rolling the liquid about in his glass again when he realised someone was standing opposite him. He looked up enough to recognise that it was the ships science officer, Sara Parker."May I?" she asked referring to the chair."Certainly," replied the Counsellor, "Be my guest."She sat down opposite him but he still didn't attempt to look her in the face."Aren't you supposed to be on the bridge?" he asked after a few seconds."There isn't much for the science officer to do while the ship is preparing for battle.""I suppose not." he replied looking up. For the first time since she had arrived at his table he looked her straight in the face. What he saw nearly made him gasp, a mistake which would no doubt have been fatal. The person opposite him looked like Sara Parker, in fact to anyone other the counsellor and, possibly, the captain would have been able to tell the difference. The person sitting opposite him was most defiantly not the ship science officer. Her mind was just too alien, too non-human and it was visible just by looking into her eyes."Is something wrong Counsellor?" she asked. If she'd noticed the counsellor had discovered her secret than she didn't show it."I..." replied the Counsellor, attempting to come up with an excuse to part company as soon as possible, "I'm not feeling so good. I'd better go to sickbay."Her expression changed at this, "I'll accompany you.""That's quite alright lieutenant.""I insist." she replied. He didn't want her to know he had discovered her secret until he had had a chance to warn the Captain or at the very least Kate Sheridan, so he decided it was best not to arouse her suspicions anymore than they already were and left the lounge closely followed by the being posing and Sara Parker. He never arrived at Sickbay.

Kate Sheridan looked up from her tactical display at Sara Parker. The ship's science officer had been made temporally second officer in Thomas Patel's absence and was now co-ordinating the various ships departments. Kate herself was checking the ships battle readiness and co-ordinating with the rest of the fleet. Reports from the tactical officers of the Discovery, Stargazer and New Orleans, as well as the reports from the commanders of the two fighter wings, showed each of the starship wings battle readiness, a good thing considering that they were now only minuets from the nebula, which was now clearly visible in the main view screen. It was a great swirling blue mist, impenetrable to federation sensors and positioned only a few light years from the home star system of the betazoid race. Kate ran sensor sweep of the nebula, something she had done several times in the past half hour, which, as expected, returned the same results as the others. She had expected it but her time on Voyager had taught her it was often worth giving something several attempts and, as it had before, it paid off. She hadn't noticed it before but now it proved to be the single most important discovery of the past half hour, a single Jem'hadar ship emerging from the nebula. Running another scan see found a fleet emerging to intercept them."Shields up, Red alert. Captain Lex to the Bridge." As she gave the command the bridge lights dimmed and were replaced by the red lights in the bulkheads. Lex exited his read room and took the centre seat and Kate noticed the shield of the other federation ships raising as the two fleets began to converge.

Act 2His eyes opened as the first weapon rocked the ship. He looked around attempting to get his bearings, work out where he was and how he had got here. However at the moment he was having trouble just remembering who he was.He lifted himself off what seemed to be some kind of bed, but the sides arched up slightly and he reasoned that it must be some piece of medical or scientific research apparatus. The small tray of instruments beside it strengthened this. The proximity of these and the fact that he wasn't restrained lead him to further conclude that he must be in a Hospital or Sickbay. This was quite a remarkable feat as his mind was still groggy, but his memory was beginning to return to him. Whatever had incapacitated him was now wearing off. His memory now came now came flooding back. Bimitri Cassaria could now remember his name, where he was and what he was doing there. In fact he could remember everything right up to the moment he was attacked several hours ago by… He couldn't quite recall his attacker, that was until he realised that there was nothing to recall. A changeling posing as the ship's science officer had attacked him. The deck rocked from another weapons hit.The Counsellor sat up and took a good look at his surroundings. He was most definitely in sickbay, which meant he must be onboard a starship, question was which one?"Computer, state name and registry of this vessel.""This is the federation starship USS Argus, Starfleet registry NCC 75124."Good, I'm still aboard my own ship, he thought as he lowered himself of the bio bed, Looking around sickbay he suddenly realised that there was no body else present, which was very odd during a battle. The deck rocked again and he had to grab the edge of the bed to stabilise himself realising that what ever the Founder had used to knock him out still hadn't worn off completely. In fact it was at this point that he realised that there was none of the background noise that a telepath learns to live with. This could only mean one of two things, either that his

abilities were affected by the method he was incapacitated or there was no one else on the ship. In fact with a changeling on board he suspected it to be both. He ran out of sickbay praying to his native god that it was the first and not the second.The Bridge rocked again from another direct hit on the Argus' shields, throwing several crewmembers to the ground including both Sheridan and Parker. Kate pulled herself off the floor quickly and returned to the tactical console."Shields down to 65% and holding, Captain." She said looking up. What she saw baffled her. Sara Parker had cut her self on her trip to the deck and was now being attended to by the nurse Dr. McDonald had assigned to the bridge. Lex however was not taking an interest in her well being at all, something Kate found unusual from the Captain she had got to know over the past couple of years. "Keep them that way." The Captain replied forcefully."Aye sir.""What are the fleets Casualties?""We've lost 10 fighters out of 30 and the Hibbert and Lisbon have been destroyed. The rest of the fleet seems to be fairing well although the Scott's shields are down to 25%.""Assign two of the Galaxy class ships to defend the Scott." Replied the captain, "What's the status of the enemy.""We've taken out twelve ships from forty, we're evening up the odds.""This isn't right.""What isn't Captain?" asked Lisley"There aren't enough Jem'hadar ships out there commander. The Dominion would send a larger force." Replied Thomas Patel"Maybe this is a holding force so that their main fleet can attack without getting caught in the crossfire.""But that would require a fore knowledge of the battle plans… oh no." said the Captain of the Discovery as the situation dawned on him. "Contact the Argus, tell them this is a diversion, an attempt to divert us from the rest of the fleet.""No response from the Argus Captain." The operations officer replied after a few seconds."Hail them again.""The Discovery is hailing us again Captain.""Ignore it Commander." Replied Lex, " Lex to the fleet, take out those ships and enter the nebula.""The fleets responded. The Discovery has again requested that they speak with you." Informed James Dulmis, "I think it maybe important.""That's why you're not Captain!" barked Lex.Kate Sheridan took a physical step back. She had never seen the captain like this. He was like a being possessed, (which in one way she realised he was) his open anger on the bridge was something she never witnessed before, from any Captain. Something was most defiantly not right here. She made the decision that in the interest of the ship's security she needed to check this out. "Permission to leave the bridge." She suddenly stated to the Captain."In the middle of a battle? No Commander." Replied Lex with a barely contained anger. However as he uttered the last word he heard the turbolift doors close, she'd gone without his permission anyway. Lex looked a Lieutenant Fleck who had taken her place, "Lieutenant, contact security. I want Commander Sheridan captured and detained.""Aye Sir."Bimitri Cassaria Burst onto the bridge to find it completely deserted. He hadn't come across a single person in his trip from sickbay but thought that if there was going to be anyone on the ship they were going to be on the bridge, he was wrong. He moved on to the observation

lounge, which was as empty as the bridge, but that was when he felt it, a slight twinge at the edge of his consciousness, as if someone was waking up. He immediately exited the ready room, crossed the bridge and entered the captain's ready room.The room was dark, the only light coming from the tall window behind the captains desk and the open doorway the counsellor had just stepped through. The doors closed behind him and it took a couple of seconds for his eyes to adjust to the absence of light. That was all his attacker needed.Kate Sheridan ran down the ships corridors as fast as she could. She knew that within seconds of her abandoning the bridge that her security teams would be after her, but she did have an advantage in that she'd been training them and therefore knew how to avoid their search for her. She just needed to make it to main engineering.Simok checked the reading for the weapons as another bolt of energy hit the ship and sent crew members flying on all twenty-four decks. Steadying himself he checked the shields, transferring some emergency power to boost them back up to fifty percent. Checking the weapons were still fully charged he then walked back to the main area of engineering just as Kate Sheridan burst through the doors."Simok!" she screamed, startling most of the engineering staff, "We need to talk in your office now." And she pulled him inside closing the door."What is it Commander?" asked the chief engineer with a Vulcan calmness that didn't seem appropriate considering that he had just been pulled into here by the Security Chief. "We have a problem." She replied opening the hatch to the Jeffries tubes as a security force entered main engineering, "I think the Captains been replaced by a changeling." And she bundled the chief engineer into the network of tunnels following closely behind.

Act 3Bimitri Cassaria rolled throwing his attacker off his back and to the deck in front of him. Regaining his composure he stood up and before the attacker could strike again her ordered, "Computer Lights." And the room's lights came up to full causing both the counsellor and his assailant to shield their eyes. After a few seconds the Betazoids vision cleared and he looked to see who had attacked him."Captain?" he said in shock."Yes, but who are you?""The ship's Counsellor, Bimitri Cassaria. Don't you recognise me Captain Lex?" he replied a little puzzled, and then it dawned on him, "Yes think I'm a changeling?""Prove your not." Lex replied."Ok." An expression of concentration crossed the counsellor's face. Lex mind flooded with images from events of the past couple of hours as the Betazoid proved his point."Ok point taken. I believe you.""So where is every else.""Aboard the Argus.""So are we.""Not quite." Explained Lex, "We're on the holodeck. I got trapped here shortly after I assigned Commander Patel to the Discovery. I trusted the having him separated from the command ship would give us a change of it was taken but the dominion.""Which has happened." Reminded Cassaria

"Which has happened. "Agreed Lex. "Captain Patel is under orders to take command of the fleet should anything happen that's deemed out of the ordinary.""Can we contact anyone outside the holodeck?" asked the Counsellor, "For that matter how do you know we're on the holodeck?""This." Said Lex removing his commbadge and throwing it at the view screen. When it hit it shimmered slightly and then returned to normal. "Holodecks still aren’t perfect. They don't handle matter that comes from outside the room very well." He picked up the badge and attached it to his jacket."Dampening field?" asked the counsellor indicating to the commbadges."No, they seem to have been routed through the holodeck.""So we can't contact anyone outside by conventional means, maybe…""Maybe you can contact someone telepathically." Completed Lex."It's worth a shot." Replied the counsellor, "I'll attempt to contact Simok. As a member of a telepathic race himself he should be easier to reach and is less likely to dismiss it as just hearing things." On the bridge Sara Parker looked up from her console. At the edge of her consciousness she felt something but couldn't quite make it out. She turned back to her console dismissing it as just a figment of her imagination, she never noticed the Captain suddenly sit up, his attention suddenly aroused.Simok stopped suddenly and Kate Sheridan ran into the back of him. He turned to the security chief once she had removed herself from his person."I believe you may have been correct.""About what?""I have just a telepathic exchange with Counsellor Cassaria. It seems that he is trapped on the holodeck with the Captain. A changeling attacked them both and sealed them in a recreation of the ship."The two officers were thrown against the side of the Jeffries tube as another weapons discharge hit the ship."They don't seem to be hitting the ship much." Said Sheridan."Would you want to attack a god Commander?" asked Simok rhetorically."They're in retreat Captain." reported the operations officer. "Break off attack.""Captain, our orders were to continue on to the nebula." Reminded Lisley."I know, but I want to know what we are running into first." Replied Patel, "Launch a high speed probe into the nebula. Let's see what's in there.""Aye sir." Replied McKnight, "Probe Launched.""Captain, the probe is being targeted.""Who by?""The Argus?" replied the tactical officer, "They're firing. Probe Destroyed.""Ok, " said Patel rising from his seat, "Sent this to the fleet. This is Captain Patel of the USS Discovery to all federation and Klingon ships. The Argus currently seems to be under the control of the dominion. I am therefore taking command of the fleet as per order 372. Break off your attack and hold your position.""The fleets responded. They're breaking of their advance." Reported the tactical officer, "Captain the Argus is continuing towards the nebula.""Follow them.""Aye Sir."Lieutenant Fleck read the report from the Discovery, "Captain the fleets stopped its advance toward the nebula. Captain Patel has taken command of the fleet believing that a…" he never got the last statement out as a tendril reached out a broke his neck. Sara Parker dived into the

turbolift as another tendril just missing her. Taking the chance to escape James Dulmis dived for the Jeffries tube entrance just below the viewscreen swiftly followed by Arkin Jora. The remaining bridge crew either dived into the observation lounge or died at the hands of the exposed changeling. When the bridge was cleared of all life forms except the Founder he reverted back to the shape of the captain."Computer, seal off main bridge, contamination protocol 6. Authorisation: Lex, Twelve, Charlie, Beta.""Authorisation confirmed, main bridge sealed."Kate Sheridan had chosen her accomplice well. Between her and Simok there wasn't a system on the ship that they couldn't bypass, gain control of or hack into and the holodeck was included in this. Within ten minuets of arriving at holodeck 2 they'd bypassed the lockout and the doors were opening. Before them was a perfect recreation of the Argus' bridge with Captain Lex and Counsellor Cassaria standing in the middle. They didn't move for a second and Kate Sheridan felt the Counsellors mind touched hers. "They're clear.""Our best chance is if we get to the battle bridge, we'll never gain control by a frontal assault.""Especially as he now has complete control of the bridge." Completed Sara Parker as she came around the corner. Lex motioned to the counsellor who dually scanned her."She's clean.""What do you mean clean?""I'll explain it to you on the way to the Battle Bridge.""Captain we're within firing distance of the Argus'.""Hold your fire until the last moment. I want to give the crew a chance to retake the ship.""If there are any crew alive.""That's why we're giving them a chance.""Damn." Said James Dulmis."What is it?" asked Arkin Jora."Another forcefield, we're completely sealed in.""Great." Said Arkin, "where do you think lieutenant Parker will head for?""The Battle Bridge I suspect. They'll separate the ship and destroy the saucer section before they allow the ship to fall into Dominion hands.""And us with it." Completed Dulmis, "We need to let them know that we're still here, we might end up being of some use.""How? We can't use the commbadges, the changeling will be monitoring them.""How about that panel." Suggested James pointing to an engineering panel next to the conn officers right arm."That's up to you." She replied, "you’re the communications expert."He leaned over and began work on the panel, "We'll have contacted the BB in no time."The five officers piled onto the Battle Bridge and took their respective places. Sara Parker took the conn station in the absence of both a science station and a conn officer."Prepare for emergency saucer separation. Computer transfer command to the battle bridge, Authorisation: Lex, Twelve, Charlie, Beta.""Acknowledged, all engineering section command protocols transferred to this location." Replied the computer."Separate on my mark." Said Lex, "Mark.""Saucer separation in progress." Reported Sara Parker.

Act 4"Separation complete, we've got control of the helm again Captain. Dropping out of warp." Reported Sara Parker.The engineer section collapsed the warp bubble that surrounded the two parts of the sovereign class ship dropped back into normal space closely followed by the Discovery."Captain, I've received messages from both the Discovery and from James Dulmis in the saucer section.""Lets here them.""Captain Patel says that he's ready to back you in whatever activity you decide to take. James Dulmis reports that he and Arkin Jora are trapped within the force-field surrounding the Bridge of the saucer section and would like to help in anyway possible. The Saucer section is beginning to move away at full impulse.""Stay with it." Ordered Lex, "Ok any ideas. I don't want to destroy the saucer unless absolutely necessary. There are still civilians trapped there.""How about taking out the bridge dome, exposing it to space. It'll take some accurate phaser targeting but I think I can do it." Suggested Kate Sheridan."What about the emergency breach force-field." Replied Simok"It won't matter. We could take out the whole bridge module." Retorted Sheridan."What about Ensign Arkin and Lieutenant Dulmis." Reminded Sara Parker, "They'll be killed too.""The needs of the many out-way the needs of the few." Quoted Simok."That's cold." Replied Sara."All the door ways and hatches are airtight on the bridge." Said Sheridan, "As long as they stay in the jefferies tube they be protected, but we'll need to get to them quickly. It'll get very cold in there in a very short period if time.""I think we've a workable plan." Said Lex, "Commander Sheridan Contact the Discovery and inform them of our plan.""Aye sir.""As soon as the shields drop, I want you to try to beam Ensign Arkin and Lieutenant Dulmis out of there," said Lex talking to Simok, "you'll have very little time before Commander Sheridan starts to fire.""Aye Captain.""Captain, the Discovery reports that they're ready." "Lets get underway.""My god." Said James Dulmis looking at the message he had just received from the stardrive section. "What is it.""They're going to slice the top off the Bridge.""What?""I know." Said James understanding her shock, "They'll beam us out when the shields drop before they take the top off. If it fails we've got to stay put. These jefferies tubes are airtight under these conditions and we'll be protected long enough to be rescued." I hope. "We'll make it James." The Deck shook under them, it had begun.The Discovery was relentless in its attempts to lower the Argus' shields around the Saucers Bridge. Using the lower yield torpedoes and phasers she could take out the shields without damaging the hull, that was Kate Sheridan's job. A phaser beam lanced out from the saucer narrowly missing the galaxy class ship."Avoid those phaser beams Lieutenant McKnight.""Aye Captain."

The Discovery entered evasive maneuvers avoiding the phaser beams as they shot out at her."Status of shields?""24% and falling. " Replied the tactical officer, "I suggest one more spread of torpedoes and phasers.""Make it so.""Aye Captain."Another spread of torpedoes sprayed forth from the ship followed by the phasers."The Saucers shields are gone Captain." reported Kate Sheridan."Target the Bridge and Fire at will." Replied Lex."Aye Sir."The phasers streaked across space and missed the Saucers Bridge by one a few centimeters. "Firing again."This time they hit their target and the top of the bridge was sliced clean off.Panels exploded all around him as the shields fell. He immediately sent his molecules into a state of flux to prevent himself being beamed into a holding cell and then realized, to his horror, the mistake he had made as the top of the bridge disappeared and he was looking into the vacuum of space. With the whole of the ceiling missing the emergency force-fields couldn't compensate and like everything else that wasn't bolted down he flew out into the vacuum of space. James Dulmis heard the sound of the bridge roof being torn away from the rest of the ship and the sound of everything exploding out into space and it attempted to fill the vacuum. Then the jefferies tube began to dissolve away as they were transported out.The Discovery held the saucer section steady as the stardrive reconnected. With no one at the helm in the bridge the impulse engines continued on course and so the reconnection took place at full impulse, a maneuver that was now well documented since the first galaxy class ship had separated its primary and secondary hulls. The two hulls docked and Lex took control of the complete ship from the Battle Bridge.Lex looked at Captain Patel's Face on the viewscreen."Good luck Captain, the missions success in in your hands now.""We'll miss you at the party.""Bag a couple for me." replied Lex, "See ya back at the Starbase. Argus out."

EpilogueCaptains Log: Supplemental  

The flee was victorious, giving the federation a much needed victory since the lost of Betazed. There was an added bonus to our victory. In their attempt to make us fail, two changelings were exposed in the fleet, aboard the Argus and posing as Admiral Chase, both of which tried to lead us away from the main Dominion fleet. 

On a more somber note, Counselor Cassaria has taken an extended leave of absence until the time he feels that he is ready to return to duty. He blames his preoccupation with his home planet for his inability to detect the traitor within our midst. I pray for the people of Betazed that their time under Dominion rule is short and that we can end this war quickly.

 Created on Stardate: 98041.4 ©1997 A H Thompson