“But you cannot deny the occurrence of a number of recent border skirmishes between Coalition vessels and warships from the Klingon Empire, Thoris said.

Archer nodded. “Of course not, Minister. But the occasional up‑front fight with the Klingons over territorial jurisdiction isnt what Im talking about here. Sneak attacks on dilithium freighters are something else entirely.

Soval raised an eyebrow. “The Klingon Empire is a starfaring civilization, like each of the Coalition worlds. They require dilithium just as we do.

“Blatant piracy just doesnt fit the Klingon Empires profile, Minister Soval, Archer said. Addressing the entire room, he continued. “Youre all aware of the recent attacks on Coalition cargo vessels. Weve found the energy signatures of disruptor fire wherever weve recovered debris after one of these incidents. This is certainly consistent with Romulan technology.

“The Klingons have disruptors as well, Captain, Soval said.

“True enough, Archer said, spreading his hands before him. “But would the Klingons ambush our ships while were still trying to negotiate the boundaries of the Neutral Zone between Coalition space and their own empire? He held up a hand to forestall any interruption. “And again, everything Ive learned firsthand about the Klingons tells me that sneaking up on unarmed freighters just isnt their style.

“I must agree with thatpart of your assessment, Captain, Soval said, stonily calm. “However, ambushes using disruptor weapons are also characteristic of the Orions, as well as a number of other races that you have, so far, been fortunate enough not yet to have encountered. The Breen, for example.

After all weve been through together over the past four years, he still sees us as poor relations,Archer thought, biting back a sharp verbal retort. Even now, he just cant resist rubbing my face in how much more Vulcans know about the rest of the galaxy than we do.

Then, doing his best to emulate Sovals damnable coolness despite the concerted glowers of his superiors, Archer began methodically outlining the facts concerning the so‑called pirate raids of the last several weeks, taking care to reveal nothing that might compromise the secret of Trip Tucker and his present critically important covert activities behind enemy lines, or the secret kinship of the Romulan and Vulcan peoples.

But the impassive demeanor of the assembled delegates immediately told him that only definitive firsthand evidenceinformation that would almost certainly compromise Trips ability to contribute to the continued survival of the Coalition, and maybe even that of Earth itselfwould suffice to persuade the assembled wise heads of four worlds to set aside their many differences.

And to act on something other than the ever‑shifting internal politics of their fractious, fragile new alliance.

Archer wondered, not for the first time, whether he had embarked on a fools errand by coming here.

Archers main recollection an hour after hed presented his case before the Coalition Council was that his audience had listened attentively for the most part, but had nevertheless seemed either unwilling or unable to deal head‑on with the coming Romulan threat. Sitting in the copilots seat of Shuttlepod One beside Travis Mayweather, Archer silently dissected his own performance before the Coalitions massed powers‑that‑be as he watched the fog‑shrouded San Francisco skyline drop over the horizon. He felt almost robotic as he went through the motions of assisting his helmsman in taking the small auxiliary craft back up into the parking orbit where Enterpriseawaited.

Travis checked in with Lieutenant Donna “D.O. ONeill, Enterprises third watch commander, who confirmed the shuttlepods approach vector. Then Archer secured his console and rose from his seat to face the rest of his senior officers, all of whom were seated aft of the cockpit area. TPol regarded him with an all but unreadable expression, while both Phlox and Hoshi watched him as well, their gazes radiating quiet concern. Malcolm stared distractedly out of one of the small portside windows, apparently lost in his own thoughts.

Archer took the empty seat beside his tactical officer. “Looks like my speech must have come off as badly as I think it did.

Reed turned toward him, displaying a bemused expression. “Sir?

“You seem to be brooding, Malcolm. Just like the rest of my audience.

“I wouldnt say Im exactly brooding,Captain, he said in his clipped British accent. “I was just thinking about these Breen that Minister Soval mentioned.

“Ah. Archer nodded. “What about them?

“I just wonder why the hell weve never heard of them before, sir.

Archer had considered that as well, but had already decided that he had to place some limits on his capacity to worry about the future, the unknown, and what might be the unknowable.

“Perhaps the Breen are obscure to humans because so little is known about them, TPol said. “Even the Vulcan Security Directorate possesses very little hard information about that species.

Archer nodded, accepting TPols explanation at face value. “Theres no point in jumping at shadows, Malcolm, he said. “For all we know, the Breen are really just Sovals favorite breed of saber‑toothed Vulcan puppies, and he was just jerking our collective chains. Besides, weve got the annual inspection of the Altair VI outpost ahead of us, and then its back to the commercial freight corridors to prowl for pirates, Romulans, or whatever else turns up. Weve already got enough on our plate without borrowing any moretrouble.

Reed smiled ironically. “Worrying just might be the biggest part of a tactical officers job description, sir.

Sir,he thought, nodding a silent acknowledgment of Malcolms commendable vigilance. Captain.When had his crew begun sounding so excessively formal in his presence?

It started after Trip left,he realized in a rush. Despite the fact that his working relationship with TPol had grown more close, open, and cordial than he had ever imagined possible, there was nobody aboard Enterprisewho could fill the cold void created by Trips open‑ended absence. Though he knew Trips death was merely a ruseas did TPol, Phlox, and Reedit felt real enough to inspire genuine mourning.

Captain. Sir. Captain. Nobody here feels comfortable just calling me Jonathan.Not even TPol, who had to have been grieving over Trips absence even more intensely than Archer was, her Vulcan emotional makeup notwithstanding.

He suddenly felt more disconcertingly alone than he had since hed first accepted command of Enterprise.

THREE

Vulcan Year 8737 (2135 A.C.E.) Trilan (Vulcan outpost settlement)

TP OL FLATTENED HERSELFagainst the moist wall, struggling to keep her ragged inhalations under control. She wasnt certain what had happened to the others. It had been at least a quarter of an hour since she had heard any screams, or anything other than the sound of her own heartbeat and rushing bloodlife‑giving fluid that she felt certain might be betraying her even now.

She had been one of six agents of the VSharthe Vulcan Security Directoratethat had undertaken this mission, but she knew that their prey had already dispatched at least two of the others. Their squads leader, Denak, had disappeared down a hole in the ground; the fact that the hole had sealed itself almost immediately lent credence to the idea that Denak had been takenand had not fallen victim to a simple misstep.

The two other VShar agents had similarly disappeared as theyd made their way through the dank caverns that housed the Frislen, but TPol had nimbly managed to avoid capture. She tried to tamp down the voice inside her that fairly screamed, You havent been takenyet. In this context, the feeling of fear was less an emotion than a primal survival instinct. She allowed it to settle upon her like a warm but ill‑fitting cloak.