Stardate 75722.0; September 21, 2398
Episode 90
Edited by Peter Bossley
Written by Chris Adamek
ADDITIONAL CHARACTERS
Ambassador Shar
ch’Thane
Ambassador
Taylus Drayge
Admiral William
Grayson
General Marth
Cadet Patrick
McCormick
Cerebrate
Ra’thenn
Lieutenant
Flora Sanders
Captain Keri
Sezala
Underling
Tassadar
Lieutenant
Jamie Waltman
Overseer Xi’Yor
Prologue
“Your father’s blasphemy ran deep.” Xi’Yor stood patiently beside Cerebrate
Ra’thenn, his vivid orange eyes peering through the large windows of the
spaceport in the Hazor Cluster. Looming
just outside, in the spidery clamps of the massive docking facility, was the Inkhezi,
the first Elorg destroyer of the new regime.
Three months ago, however, this immaculate behemoth was little more than
a pile of scrap metal.
Ra’thenn chuckled faintly. “My father was a fool,” he mused, the
disdain in his voice apparent. “We are
fortunate he was unable to completely dismantle the facilities here.”
“Zalsar rarely saw things to completion,”
said Xi’Yor, his voice matching Ra’thenn’s disgusted tone. Before his trip to the Zukara Segment late
last year, Xi’Yor had given Ra’thenn’s father a rather specific list of things
to do: eliminate the Cardassian threat and restore the Elorg military. But now the Cardassians have invaded
Sathratar VII, and the Elorg have no military to speak of. “It is fortunate we terminated your father
when we did…”
“Indeed,” said Ra’thenn agreeably. Just then, the numerous rows of lights along the Inkhezi’s
dark hull flickered into existence. “We
expect to have fifteen additional destroyers by the end of next month.”
A devious grin crossed Xi’Yor’s pallid face. “Excellent,” he whispered, clenching his
excited fists. “You have given us much,
Cerebrate—and I assure you, when the holy month of Zraa’tul is upon us, I shall
honor your generosity appropriately.”
Ra’thenn paused for a moment.
Apparently he had forgotten that, as the divine leader of the Bloc, all
Elorg would honor him with gifts during the holy month. “I suppose I should rescind my tithe,” he
mused. “There is no need for me to
honor myself. Such vanity would be
unbecoming of the Cerebrate, would it not?”
“Perhaps…” As he recounted his numerous interactions with the
Cerebrate Z’danorax, Xi’Yor did not recall seeing her partake in very many
indulgences—but then again, her wardrobe, which consisted primarily of tight,
leathery uniforms, was certainly indulgence enough—but his thoughts lingered
only the Cerebrate for only a moment longer.
She was not worthy of his mental musings.
Instead, Xi’Yor turned his gaze back to the dark, graceful curves
of the Inkhezi. It was a
magnificent sight—one he could gaze upon for many cycles—but with fifteen new
vessels to be commissioned in the near future, he knew there was much work to
be done. He turned back to
Ra’thenn. “Begin searching through the
Conclave. Locate the most competent
Overseers and assign them to these new vessels.”
Ra’thenn’s eyes widened.
“You forget your place, Xi’Yor.
I am the Cerebrate… such menial tasks are generally relegated to the
High Overseer.”
Xi’Yor’s ashen lips immediately parted, but the words he intended
to speak died in his throat at the sound of footsteps echoing throughout the
corridor. Within moments, a
gray-skinned Underling appeared at Ra’thenn’s side. He was of average height and build, and wore a simple black
tunic—but his deep crimson eyes glimmered with incredible brilliance. Xi’Yor was immediately intrigued.
“Cerebrate.” The Underling
knew the routine. After addressing the
Cerebrate, he immediately proffered a padd and waited for acknowledgement.
Ra’thenn regarded the padd for only a moment before plucking it
from the Underling’s hand. “Thank you,
Tassadar.” He immediately perused the
padd’s contents before nodding his firm approval. “Tell Overseer Fel’duin this data will be most helpful.”
Though the padd’s contents were not visible to him, Xi’Yor
nonetheless knew what data resided therein.
He himself had assigned Fel’duin the task of observing the Breen
overseers recently absorbed into the Conclave.
As far as Xi’Yor was concerned, they were not to be trusted—and he
suspected Fel’duin’s report would justify those concerns. Still, such matters could not be discussed
in the presence of the curious underling.
Xi’Yor slowly turned his eyes upon Tassadar, whose glittering
crimson gaze remained fixed upon Ra’thenn.
“I do not believe we have met,” said Xi’Yor to the underling.
Tassadar politely acknowledged Xi’Yor with a nod. “We have not.”
“I am High Overseer Brii’el.”
Xi’Yor had long ago decided his true identity should remain
concealed. Though many within the
Conclave of Overseers favored him, Xi’Yor still had countless nemeses… nemeses
that believed him adrift somewhere in the Zukara Segment—and as long as that
belief was maintained, Xi’Yor could do his work without bother.
“I am honored,” said Tassadar evenly. He was clearly preparing to leave when, suddenly, for the
briefest of moments, his crimson eyes locked with Xi’Yor’s—and in that one,
singular moment, Xi’Yor noted the faintest glimmer of recognition in the
underling’s crimson eyes.
Xi’Yor immediately turned his back to the underling, instead
focusing his attention on the Inkhezi.
“I should commence a search of the Conclave,” he said sternly. “We need to locate the most competent
Overseers, and assign them to the new fleet.”
“A wise decision,” said Ra’thenn, obviously pleased by Xi’Yor’s
sudden change of heart.
Xi’Yor only grunted. The
change, of course, had more to do with Tassadar than anything else, but
Ra’thenn obviously cared not. Within a
few moments, the Underling Tassadar was dismissed, and the conversation
gradually regained its original focus.
“How did Fel’duin judge the Breen?”
Ra’thenn glanced briefly at his padd before joining Xi’Yor in his
reverie of the new Inkhezi. “The
Breen are very receptive to our cause.
They are eager to reclaim the empire forged by Na’zar—but they cannot be
trusted. The eons have poisoned their
minds; their blood may be Elorg, but their souls are entirely Breen…”
Much as Xi’Yor had expected.
“Then we shall exclude the Breen from our plans—keep them at arm’s
length until they can be trusted.”
A faint smile crept across Ra’thenn’s otherwise stoic face. “You have just made your task easier,
Xi’Yor. In one decisive action, you
have eliminated more than thirty candidates from the Conclave of
Overseers. However, you must still act
with haste. The Inkhezi will be
completed in three cycles—and it will need a capable Overseer to command it.”
Xi’Yor had already considered countless Overseers for the
job. None of them showed very much
potential, but it mattered not—he already knew who would be in command during
the Inkhezi’s maiden voyage. “I
know just the man for the job…”
“Who?”
“Me.”