SERVING THE CHAIN
By Ke'reth

The red light filtered down through high windows which shed their blood coloured gloom down and across Arizhel's desk. The usually pristine surface was littered with padds and a mixture of handwritten and typed reports from various field agents. Arizhel sat there, her head cupped in her hands as her eyes gazed blankly into her rapidly cooling raktajino. According to her chronometer, she'd already been up two hours later than she'd intended. Two agents dead, K'reik and Qam'eS, They were both excellent agents. Either one she'd have almost trusted with her own life. The reports had said that both had been found dead within hours of each other. The screen before her displayed the profiles of her agents currently unassigned. She sipped her coffee, and sighed. Was it just her, or had things really been easier a few years back?

Both agents had been assigned to watch Councillor M'kreq, a man Arizhel had personally never liked. He was smug, and brash, and rich. None of these things was a crime in itself, but Arizhel had always wondered what it would be like to have him dealt with. Then out of the blue, he started calling for the number of heavy cruisers to be decreased in favour of smaller multi role combat vessels. Then he called for a retreat from Sector 219, an area of the Cadassian/Federation border patrolled by Klingon vessels. He'd stirred up the old 'Help the Universe or Protect the Empire Debate.' He'd even petitioned Gowron to recall the Imperial Fleet. Odd behaviour from Councillors, or even from men in general. Was nothing new? But when it got her agents killed she wanted to know why.

She pulled her blond hair back from her face as she reached for her computer, and contacted the Imperial News network. A list of options appeared; the usual war, fashion, politics, off world news, on this day in history, travel, lifestyle. The usual magazine trash. She selected 'On this day in History.' She then looked at pictures and articles; Gowron's rise to power; the opening of a new synthfuel production plant; the collapse of the Cardassian Union; some nonsense about a Vulcan artifact being uncovered; the launch of the Negh Var; the closing and relocation of the Kloqcha Armoury to Klinzhai. Then something caught her eye. PIRATE AWARDED COMMENDATION. She tapped the screen as a picture of Ty'Gokor appeared. A rusty looking brown planet, surrounded by a number of orbital support and maintenance stations. There had been an attack there about two years back. Of course, it had all been covered up. Something about a Jem'Hadar strike team attempting to kill Gowron. A couple of crew members from a privateer vessel had invited themselves to the party and had almost slaughtered the entire Jem'Hadar strike team before Gowron's personal bodyguards had even pulled their weapons. 'No wonder they kept that quiet.' she thought to herself as she watched the ceremony. She almost jumped as the image of one of the warriors appeared in close-up.

"Was that Ke'reth?" she found herself asking as she hit the reverse and play buttons in quick succession. "Surely It couldn't be?" she asked herself. But it was! After all how many warriors have black streaks in their copper red hair and routinely carry a pair of matched meQ'leHmey? And how many warriors have the skill to take care of a dozen or more Jem'Hadar soldiers? The answer was the same, each time. Ke'reth.

Arizhel tapped another key. The next screen asked her who she wished to trace. "I want the last known whereabouts of Ke'reth Zantai Makura of the Imperial Privateer Vessel Deviant." The screen darkened then lit up red. "Last known reference to Ke'reth Zantai Makura of the Imperial Privateer Vessel Deviant in Imperial Intelligence files is as the purchaser of a small fortress on Klinzhai." the computer said in its usual dull monotone. She checked the date. "That was only two weeks ago," Arizhel thought to herself as she opened her desktop communications terminal. "This is Arizhel. I need to book passage on the next vessel to leave for Klinzhai!" A female voice, heavily lacing the reply with honorific, answered her. "We have the Bird of Prey qulchIS (White-Fire) departing at O eight hundred hours for Klinzhai. It's due to arrive there four days from now. I'm afraid it's the only vessel we have here currently unassigned. No other Imperial vessel will be free for the next ten days. They're all on extended patrol duties, sir!"

Four days later Arizhel beamed down. The sky held its purple haze of early evening. Twin suns sank slowly towards the horizon. Arizhel found herself on a path made from irregularly shaped paving stones. The door opened. Arizhel entered the hallway and was looking around when a female voice called out. "Can I help you?" It came from a young Orion girl. Arizhel turned slowly and spoke in soft Terran. "I'm looking for a friend of mine. I believe he lives here." The young woman paused before answering. "He's not here. He's in the town buying supplies."

"Then who are you?" Arizhel asked as she was led into a small dining-room. On the wall was a pair of crossed meQ'leHmey. "My name's Ora. What's yours?" Arizhel sat down in a chair of obvious Klingon design. She was about to answer the Orion girl's question when a light flickered. Ora took down a disruptor rifle from the wall display and checked it as she touched a painting. It lit up revealing the arrival of a sleek black skimmer. Ke'reth opened its door and stepped out. At first she thought Ke'reth looked different. Then she realised what was different. He wasn't wearing his armour. He'd forsaken it in favour of a black Tholian silk shirt over a pair of black combat trousers. A gold coloured lanyard supported his holster and its disruptor. He was happily whistling an aria from a Klingon Opera.

She watched those calculating green eyes; eyes that glowed with an almost animal cunning, Ke'reth stopped and put down the box he was carrying. He sniffed the air. His hand fell instinctively upon the handle of his disruptor. It was a scent which, though distant in his memories, rang alarm bells. Then he smiled as he recognised the subtle scent of Chenepkra flowers. He didn't even look at her as he entered. "Good evening Arizhel. How may I help you?"

"I was looking for an intelleg-" Ke'reth looked at Ora. Arizhel smiled as she picked up on his warning glance. "An intelligent trader to help me acquire some.... Well, some hard to acquire stock." Ora smiled as she took a pot of raktajino from a hot plate and placed it on a mat in the centre of the table. "So Arizhel, what do you trade in?" she asked. Arizhel nodded to Ke'reth. "He used to work for me until he left to work for himself. It quite upset me at the time. I lost a real star when he went solo." Ke'reth looked up at the Orion girl. "Ora, can you make up the spare room. We have a guest." The girl left the room. Riz watched her leave.

"What's with the girl Ke'reth?" she asked. She poured herself a cup of coffee. "It's a long story. Let's just say, that I purchased her!" Arizhel looked shocked. Ke'reth scowled. "It's not like that. She was regularly being beaten by a Ferengi slave trader so I purchased her and set her up as my house servant for when I'm away. I wouldn't want the place to look messy." He joked.

"What brings you here Riz?" he asked. "And the truth please" he added. Arizhel took a padd from her bag and pushed it across the table to him. "I think we have a problem!" Ke'reth read the first few lines. "We?" he asked. "Ke'reth I need your help." He grinned. "And!" he said. She continued. "It upsets me to have you think that I have a hidden agenda." He stood up and turning his back on her, glanced out of the window. "So what's changed to have me brought out of retirement?" Arizhel moved to stand beside him. She reached out to touch his shoulder. His hand became a blur and caught her wrist. "Perhaps you still have your reflexes." she said, as she turned and left the room. "With what I've got planned commander, you'll need them!"
The next morning Arizhel awoke. Sitting up on her sleep shelf she took a deep breath. Ora was standing in the doorway. "Arizhel! Ke'reth said, you might like toast and Jek'raberry jam for breakfast." Arizhel picked up her vambrace and checked its in built chronometer. 07:14. Ora smiled. "Would you prefer coffee or juice with your breakfast?" Arizhel looked up. "Coffee please." Ora left the room. Arizhel rolled off the shelf and made her way to the sonic shower. Thanks in part to her military training, and perhaps due to her thinking about the breakfast she'd left on her sleep shelf, she was in and out within five minutes. She took a clean uniform from her travel case and slipped quickly into her armour. As Ora entered the room with a blue stone pot on a tray. Arizhel wiped the jam from her lips. The sweet taste mixed with the scent of fresh raktajino. "I trust you slept well!" Ora said. "Fine!" Arizhel smiled. "Where's Ke'reth?" Ora looked back over her shoulder towards a door Arizhel recognised as belonging to a Ferengi-made holosuite. Ora swallowed hard. "The master spends two hours in there every morning. He gets kinda cranky if he's disturbed!" "I don't think he'll mind me; we're old friends."

The doors opened and thick blue smoke collected around her ankles. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see through the smog. Then she heard a noise. The sound of something sharp being drawn from its scabbard. Then a hooded figure dressed in a tight black outfit appeared beside her, its blade, a razor sharp katana, swept towards her. Then something flashed past her right shoulder. The figure fell to the floor, its hands upon the handle of a D' k' tahg, that stuck out from its chest. Other similar figures moved through the smoke. There came a scream as a figure landed beside her. Then another. Judging from the way it lay, its neck had been broken. Then she saw Ke'reth. Other shadowy forms moved around him. His hands blurred in movement, stirring up the smoke. Then he struck out, his fingertips striking the neck of his nearest assailant. The figure fell backwards, holding its throat, making a sickening gurgling noise as it fought to catch its breath. Another struck out at him with a fighting staff. Ke'reth punched the staff clean in two. He then pushed his opponent backwards and struck him with a double roundhouse kick. A loud thwack rang out as Ke'reth reverse punched another. Then turning to the one he'd kicked, he punched its stomach causing his assailant to fall face first upon the rocky floor. Then hopping on to one foot, he brought his heal down swiftly upon the prostrate figure's neck. Ke'reth smiled as he heard it snap.

He then gestured for the remaining guards to attack. The first attacked him with a blade tipped fighting staff. Ke'reth snatched it from him and slapped him left then right before spinning on the spot and catching him in the throat with the blade, the force of the blow snapping off the handle. He then heard the sound of a chain being spun. So he turned on the spot and twirled the remaining piece of staff. Then as the chain streaked towards him, he thrust it out so that the chain wrapped tightly around it. With a flick of his wrists, the chain was torn from his enemy's grasp. Ke'reth dropped to his knees mid turn as the man behind him took a length of chain to the face. Standing up, Ke'reth spun him around and kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to drop to the floor. He then garroted him with the chain. The last opponent tried to move away from him. Ke'reth ran at the man and took him to the ground with a forearm smash to the neck. Ke'reth then punched downwards into his throat, killing him instantly. It took only a matter of seconds after this before the lighting returned to normal and the scenery vanished taking the smoke and grisly corpses with it and leaving only two figures standing alone in an empty room, its walls painted with a familiar grid pattern.

Arizhel slow clapped him. He looked at her. "With all due respect, you were almost killed." he said as she stepped ahead then turned to face him. "Don't tell me that you're not using the 'Safeties'. Only an idiot would train without the 'Safeties' on!" He glared as he took a towel from a rail and mopped his ridges. "First, you ask for my help, then you insult me!" he growled. "And you almost got yourself killed into the bargain." "I never knew you cared!" she scowled, bearing her teeth. He laughed. "That's why I don't let people in here while I'm training! Over the years I've learned to care for others."
"Did you read the padd?" she asked. He nodded. "I read it! A couple of your agents took a swim together! And you want me to find out why." Arizhel took a deep breath. "Hardly going for a swim, Commander! Both had been severely beaten up and had their throats slit. Then someone took them to Empire Bridge and threw them off." She started to pace. "Ke'reth!" she said changing tack. He looked up. "These agents were trained to the same standard you were and someone got to them both. Left them looking like a couple of bloody rag dolls."

Ke'reth picked up the padd again. "When do we leave?" he asked. "We?" she asked. He smiled. "Let's just say I could do with the company. I haven't been back to the First City in more than three years. I hear things have changed." She slapped him on the back. He smiled.

Ke'reth led her to his private study. She smiled as he tapped on the oak panelling. Four large panels revolved revealing an awesome armoury, a collection that any warrior would be proud of. He stood back as Arizhel's fingers moved slowly from one weapon to the next. "Breen CRM. 1-14, nice choice. Klingon multi-barrelled quad cannon. Romulan disruptor. Federation phaser rifle, current model. Ferengi locator bombs. Gravetic mines and energy whip. Cardassian shoulder mounted heavy infantry cannon. And last but not least a Jem'Hadar rifle." she said as she ran her fingers admiringly over each one. Ke'reth then twisted the head of a small figure of Kahless which graced his desk. She heard a click as a large map of Klinzhai slid back about an inch into the wall then dropped smoothly revealing an almost dazzling collection of blade weapons. "I'm impressed!" she said. He smiled. "Then you should see my latest toy. I think you'll like her."

"I take it that we're not talking about your Orion girl." Arizhel teased. Ke'reth twisted the Mek'leth that hung above his desk then the mosaic floor clicked beneath her. She looked worried at first, then Ke'reth joined her as a metre square of tiled floor sank slowly into a concealed basement. The lights came on as the elevator platform returned to the floor above. Ke'reth pulled back a large black plastic sheet to reveal a gleaming black Federation Type 9 Shuttle. Arizhel smiled. "Nice spray job. Do the Federation know you've got it? Ke'reth laughed as he tapped his finger on its side. "Read the registry. It's privately owned. A Ferengi merchant sold it to me when I bought this house. He was using it to smuggle stuff past Federation vessels. And this house is full of places to conceal contraband. I got it for next to nothing."

"You mean you killed him?" she asked. Ke'reth tutted. "Oh Arizhel, you wound me deeply old friend! I don't kill unless ordered to, or as a last resort. You should know that!" She took a deep breath. "You're still a rogue, Ke'reth." He laughed as he opened the shuttle's door. "A rogue? Is that your personal view of me? Or the Empire's?" She put her hands on her hips as she approached him. "Mine alone! And you'll find that I'm still immune to your charm as I 'Old Friend.' am working for the good of the Empire." she said.

Ke'reth nodded. "Can't blame a guy for trying to be friendly" he said. "I tell you what. I'll go and get the equipment I think we'll need. You can contact your ship from here." he said pointing to the shuttle. "And tell them you won't be coming home tonight." Arizhel scowled at him as she tried to make herself comfortable on the red tinted Targ leather upholstery.

Kronos was a massive dirty green golf ball of a planet, not the cool blue of Earth, or the fiery red of Vulcan. The Homeworld was green with heavy purplish streaks of cloud, looking as if someone had bruised the sky. Ke'reth tapped a switch as a blue glow momentarily passed through the shuttle. "You have a cloaking device?" she asked with surprise. Ke'reth smiled. "It's Ferengi made, and more than a little temperamental. So tell me where you want me to land this thing before it decides to switch itself off." Arizhel leant forwards and tapped some surface coordinates into the navi-comp. Ke'reth looked at them. "Are you sure that's where you want me to land?" he asked "As by my reckoning, these coordinates will put us slap bang on top of the High Council Building." "That's exactly where we're going!" she said, in a matter-of-fact manner. "Riz, I don't think Gowron has ever had anyone killed for landing atop the High Council building. But I can't see him being too pleased to find a Federation Shuttlecraft up on the roof."

The High Council had just finished their morning session when a small black shape dropped unseen slowly through the clouds. Ke'reth landed the shuttle then took his command cloak from his travel case and placed it around his shoulders. He then took out a small box which contained his yahn 'Isleth medal and pinned it to his command cloak to act as a clasp. "With this on, at least Gowron's bodyguards will ask who we are before shooting us!"

Arizhel smiled. "I don't think we'll have any problems. Gowron's expecting me." As she spoke two guards appeared in a doorway, their disruptors drawn. Arizhel stepped forward and flashed her identi-card. The guards looked confused. "Sorry sir! I thought you were with Chancellor Gowron." one said. Arizhel snarled as she grabbed the guard's collar. "I don't have time to explain. Take me to Gowron at once!" The guards looked at one another. Ke'reth shot the ground an inch from the man's feet. "You heard the lady, lieutenant. Move it!" They walked quickly through a maze of corridors then into the High Council chambers where they came to a heavily guarded door. These guards were no more helpful than the first two, so Arizhel ordered Ke'reth to shoot them. Ke'reth switched his disruptor to its stun setting and fired. "Damn!" she cursed as she found the door sealed. Ke'reth took off his cloak and handing it to her, pulled a small blue tube from his belt. Arizhel stared at it. "An Imperial Intelligence multi-purpose lock pick. You should have returned that to me when you left my employment." Ke'reth smiled over his shoulder at her. "I always intended to, but you know how it is. With all the fuss of leaving and such, I must have forgotten" A light flickered on the panel and the door opened. "Gowron stood up and looked from one Arizhel to the other. "What is the meaning of this interruption?" He yelled.

Arizhel pointed at the woman beside Gowron. "She's a changeling! Quick, shoot her!" Ke'reth pushed the slider on his disruptor to full power and shot the Arizhel standing behind him at point blank range. Her body wavered, twisted and turning in the glow from his custom hand cannon. She screamed and turned orange then white as suddenly she exploded in a shower of hot slime. "Well, well, well! Ke'reth Makura. Look what the Targs have dragged in." the other Arizhel said, standing up. Ke'reth pushed a lock of long copper coloured hair from his face, and grinned. Arizhel spoke as she approached him. "I was going to come and see you but the ship I requested passage on for some reason departed without me. I was just requesting the use of another vessel." Ke'reth smiled again as he saluted Gowron.

Arizhel knelt down and inspected what was left of the Changeling. "How did you know which one to shoot? she asked. Ke'reth gave a wolfish grin. "I could mention the fact that back in my holosuite on Klinzhai the Changeling impersonating you almost got itself killed by a holographic Ninja. I'm sure you would have been more than able to take care of a single opponent. Then the Changeling had a go at me for not using the 'Safeties' in my holosuite when you always taught me to train without them. You always told me that real life has no 'Safeties'. No second chances." Arizhel smiled and stood up to leave, then stopped and turned back to face him. "Thanks for saving me the trip." She paused. "And for getting rid of that Changeling. Imagine what the Dominion could have achieved with an assassin of your talents working for them." Gowron stared hard at Ke'reth. "No one in the Empire would have been safe!" Gowron snarled.

"It would have mislead you into doing its bidding. These Dominion scum have no honour!" said Arizhel. Gowron nodded in agreement.

"It must have overheard my plans to bring in outside help and decided to replace me. That probably explains where my missing padd went. Thankfully, it failed to fool Ke'reth here." she said as she saluted Gowron, then turned and left the room.

As the doors closed, Gowron put his arm on Ke'reth's shoulder and spoke in a conspiratorial whisper. "Tell me the truth, son of Ton'Arg. What really tipped you off?" Ke'reth grinned. "The truth?" he asked. "The truth!" Gowron, repeated. "Would you believe a lucky guess?" Gowron rolled his eyes.

"Then you're lucky you picked the right one. If you had shot Riz, she'd have killed you." Ke'reth smiled. "I still don't believe we're safe. I still think there's a viper at the Empire's bosom waiting to strike." Gowron snarled. "Where?" "I'm not sure yet. Let's just say I don't like lose ends. This isn't over!"

Ke'reth opened the window of his quarters and took a lung full of cool morning air. He smiled to himself as he set up a miniature trip wire laser across the doorway, then turned and placed a pair of motion sensors on the window. Then taking hold of his tricorder he slowly scanned the shower cubicle before removing his armour and stepping cautiously in. Arizhel had taught him well. He'd learned not to trust his eyes, and even to be suspicious of sensors.

Ke'reth dressed down. After all he thought, as he put a battered command cloak over his black light absorbing armour, 'Why advertise?' He left his room and took the monorail to platform C - twenty two. A quick flash of his military I-D and the guard nodded, and let him pass. He travelled for about twenty minutes. He kept his eyes low, so as not to draw attention to himself. After a non eventful journey the train slowed to a halt. He stepped off and moved swiftly into the shadows. After passing a couple of bars and an armoury he paused by a cake shop window pretending to look at the prices. But he was actually using the window to check if he was being followed. Pulling his cloak tightly around himself, he entered a small restaurant. An old woman approached him. "What do you want?" she snarled. Ke'reth kept his face carefully neutral as the woman stared at him. "It's cold outside, and I'd like to make use of your communications booth." She scowled at him as he spoke a code phrase.

"I suppose you're calling your father." she responded with the next piece of the code. Ke'reth smiled. "No, It's my mother I wish to speak to. She's new in town." The old woman pointed a bony finger to a curtained-off com-booth on the far wall. Ke'reth place a couple of darseks in her hand and walked towards the booth. Once inside he drew its stained curtain across and dialled six zeros into the keypad. There was a click as the back wall of the booth revolved and Ke'reth stepped out into the lobby of a plush military style suite of offices. He grinned as he was approached by an attractive female lieutenant. She held her disruptor on him. Ke'reth smiled as he surveyed the pristine entrance hall as it existed in stark contrast to the shabby looking restaurant he'd first entered. He moved his hand to open his cloak. She snarled a warning then gestured with her gun for him to raise his hands. Ke'reth slowly lifted his arms. She stepped forward and roughly pulled open his cloak to search him, revealing his black armour. A look of shock came to her eyes as her hand brushed across the Yan' Isleth Medal that hung at his throat.

He handed the lieutenant his cloak as he discreetly took a black folder from the desk behind him. He then saw Arizhel watching him from the door of a small office. "You're very lucky to be here Commander." she said coldly. "The codes you used are old. It's only because I'm here that the booth revolved rather than dropping you down into the holding cells." He held out the file. Arizhel's guard stepped forward. Ke'reth reached out and handed Arizhel's bodyguard the black folder. As the young man's fingers touched it Ke'reth grabbed his wrist and hip tossed him, dropping him hard to the floor. Arizhel scowled at her guard. "Careful K'Ruq! Ke'reth here is quite capable of killing you. He used to work for me." Ke'reth reached out and helped the stunned guard to his feet. "Arizhel!" Ke'reth tutted. "Don't you teach that maneuver anymore?"

"All guards, stand down." Arizhel commanded as she led Ke'reth over to a black computer console and placed a hypospray hard against his arm. "Procedure I'm afraid." She took his disrupter from his holster and studied it with a critical eye. "I see you're using a custom made Re'mekra Industries Model 702. I approve! Though I feel that the Baakonite, and Latinum inlays are perhaps a touch ostentatious." Ke'reth sat down on the edge of a small desk. "I also notice that it's set with a wide beam emitter head. Don't tell me you're losing your touch." Ke'reth placed his hand on the disrupter's barrel and twisted it. "It's adjustable for pinpoint accuracy." he said smugly.

Arizhel led Ke'reth into her office and poured him some blood red liqueur into a glass. Ke'reth sniffed it then looked down into the small scanner screen built into his chronometer. Arizhel caught him. "You're a little over cautious, Commander!" Ke'reth smiled politely. "Yes! I find I live longer that way!" He then reached out and sipped his drink. Arizhel eyed him the way a cat watches a mouse. "It's only chechtlhutlh mixed with a little qelitlh then warmed over hot coals. An indulgence, I know! But It's not every day that I get my favourite agent back." Ke'reth stood up and looked out of a small window over the First City's towers, domes and multilayered walkways. He then turned slowly to face her. "I have a little confession to make." Her lips twitched, almost forming a smile. "Well, do tell." she said. "Terrans say that confession is good for the soul." Ke'reth nodded.

"I didn't tell Gowron everything." She switched her log recorder on. Ke'reth took a deep breath. "I'm sure that Councillor M'kreq is either a changeling or that he's working with others to draw the Empire into the Dominion's web." He paused. She gestured for him to continue. "We both know that Imperial Intelligence has always been the power behind the Empire, since its inception." She nodded in agreement. "Politicians come and go, but the Empire is eternal." A slight smile of recognition came to his lips. "That's what you told me the first time we met. The first time I worked for you." She poured him a second glass and then carefully placed the decanter back on its tray. "You're right, of course!"

Arizhel stood up. "I'm glad you brought this to my attention rather than worrying the High Chancellor." She then reached into her desk and pulled a black leather wallet from her drawer. "Ke'reth, son of Ton'Arg of the Clan Makura, as of this moment you are hereby reinstated into the Imperial Intelligence Service." She handed him the wallet, containing a latinum shield. "May Kahless watch over you, son of Ton'Arg."

Ke'reth shook Arizhel's hand. "I promise as Kahless is my witness that I'll take your vengeance on the Dominion and honour the memory of your two dead agents, K'reik and Qam'eS." He then gave her a predatory smile. "I'll be back!" And with that he picked up his cloak and left.

Two Days later, In Councillor M'kreq's office.

A large heavy set and greying warrior sat behind a large ornate desk. On the wall behind him hung a floor length Imperial war banner, fluttered in the breeze from an overhead air conditioning fan. The lights flickered and went out. M'kreq panicked and reached into his top drawer for his disrupter. It wasn't there. He placed his hand under his desk, reaching blindly for his panic button only to feel that the wires had been cut. Then he sensed an unseen presence. "Who's there?" he almost screamed, his throat becoming dry. "Is that fear I see in your eyes M'kreq?" said a voice. The big man moved his chair back and tried to stand but something heavy struck his shoulder, forcing him back to his seat. "Did I say you could leave?" The voice said from the blackness. "I don't think so!"

"If it's money you want....." M'kreq said in his panicked state. The voice tutted. "I could make you a very powerful man!" Ke'reth adjusted his night vision visor. "I'm already a very powerful man." Then Ke'reth activated his belt buckle voice recorder. "The Dominion think you've been careless. We have a person within Imperial Intelligence. He tells me that you had two agents killed." The warrior reached out for the weapons display that hung on his office wall. It was empty. "They were getting too close to me. I think they know that I'm working for you."

Ke'reth smiled. "Tell me who you think I am?"

"You're the Founder, the shape shifter sent to control the Empire."

Ke'reth touched a panel he'd installed in the small office. The lights came up to full illumination. The old Klingon blinked. "You're not the Founder!" Ke'reth pulled his hand cannon. "No I'm not." he said coldly. "Look upon your executioner, traitor! You have betrayed your people. There can be only one place for you." Shading his eyes, the man charged at Ke'reth. "Give the Fek'lhr my regards!" Ke'reth snarled. And with that, he pushed the firing stud. There was a green flash, and the traitor hit the floor.

Ke'reth carefully reset the man's weapons display. Minutes later he'd rewired the alarm. Then Ke'reth sat M'kreq in his chair, leaning his grey haired head on the desk. He dropped Mkreq's disrupter beside the chair,. then reached into his belt, and pulled on a plastic glove. It didn't take him long to type a suicide note into the Councillor's computer.

The next morning Arizhel accessed the days news from her desk computer. Her finger selected the obituaries column from her onscreen menu. She smiled as she read of Councillor M'kreq's apparent suicide. She then raised her first cup of tea of the morning to Ke'reth's health.

Ke'reth left a small armoury via a side door, a large black case in his hand. He'd figured that the Founder would need to kill, then imitate, another victim. A few minutes chatting to a security officer at the High Council Building had revealed that a meeting of the Imperial Security Council was to take place that afternoon. Ke'reth lent against a wall and waited. Arizhel would already have her people inside he thought to himself. All the people entering would be blood screened. The room would be swept. Ke'reth removed a miniaturised site-to-site transporter from his belt and studied its controls. A few seconds later he was Inside. If he could do it a changeling could. This wasn't getting him anywhere. Ke'reth allowed his eyes to close. Detectives in books always had something to go on. He wished real life was as simple. Real life, rarely threw up such obvious clues. Unfortunately wiping out the entire High Council wasn't an option. He cursed himself even for contemplating such treason. He had to force the changeling's hand.

Then the idea struck him like a bolt from the blue. He tapped his com-pin and whistled a short tune into it. There was an audible click as a female voice came on line. Ke'reth identified himself. "Arizhel. From Ke'reth." A few minutes passed. Then he heard the send signal. "I think I know how to out our Founder." He could almost see her interest being piqued. "But I'll need some help. I need to move the entire High Council to a new site." He heard her take a deep breath. "Do you understand what you're asking commander?" she asked.

"More than you think. If you declare a state of emergency, the High Council would be beamed to a secret site in somewhere below the southern desert. Am I right?"

"You might be right, but where did you get that information?"

"My Uncle Korsh served on the High Council. He may have once mentioned it. All I'm asking is,. can the mighty Riz move the entire High Council?"

"Do I detect a challenge in your tone, Ke'reth?" she asked

"All I ask is that they be transported site to site. We should be able to scan each of them for being a changeling in mid-transit."

Riz smiled. "Now I'm with you!" she said, pausing before speaking again. "I like the way you think, son of Ton'Arg! A grand unmasking." Ke'reth grinned. If he pulled this off, he'd probably never be officially recognised. His kind rarely got medals. No one liked to think they even existed. Arizhel's voice broke his train of thought. "Do you have all you require?" Ke'reth tapped his case. "All here. Unless you can send me the High Council's transporter logs from the last month or so. I'd really like to have these before I'm transported."

He overheard Arizhel, speaking to someone else. "Standby Ke'reth. There's a D-Seven Battlecruiser in high orbit preparing a transport lock-on." Ke'reth felt the hair on the back of his neck stand to attention as the air shimmered and swirled. Red light filled his vision as he disappeared.

The air was cool as he found himself in what he guessed to be an air conditioned underground bunker. Riz hadn't let him see the outside. His com-pin bleeped. He tapped it, more out of habit than intention. He could have just spoken. "Ke'reth here. Transport successful. Give me twenty minutes to get settled." Then a thought crossed his mind. "Oh and Riz." he said using the shortened form of her name. "Yes!" came her voice. "Please warn your personal guards not to scan for me. I really don't want to get shot as an intruder. Also tell them not to move till I've outed our Founder." Ke'reth glanced around the room, his expert eye seeking a vantage point. Then he saw a ledge. He guessed that it was about six metres high and would afford him the best available shot. A statue of Kahless stood nearby. The platform ran behind its head. Ke'reth removed a length of black cord from his belt, then tied it securely to the case's handle. The other end he tied to a loop in his belt. It didn't take him long to scale the statue. Soon he was lying flat upon the ledge. Ke'reth pulled on the cord raising his case slowly until it lay beside him on the precipice.

He opened the case. A metal tripod automatically opened raising his rifle into firing position. His hands moved quickly as he activated a tricorder and connected an optical scanner to its visual port. It flickered into life, revealing the floor beneath him. A bright red series of triangles formed his sight. He smiled to himself as he checked his chronometer. Five minutes left. His fingers opened a concealed panel allowing him to fire through the case's lid. His nimble fingers attached the weapon's barrel and sighting scanner. He then placed a weighted stock to the other end. Two minutes to go.

Ke'reth then removed a single silver dart and loaded it into a weapon magazine, following it with a second and a third, one after the other. He'd never really needed a second shot but a professional like him was always prepared for any eventuality. The scanner told him the gun was ready for firing. He removed the safety catch and carefully calibrated the targeting site until the words 'Sight ready.' appeared on his screen.

There was a noise as the Yan 'Isleth, the elite bodyguard to the High Council, appeared below him. He silently watched them search the room scanning every part of the room. If they saw him at all they didn't let it show. "Thank you Arizhel." he said under his breath. Then as the guards moved to secure the perimeter, the first members of the High Council materialised. As each appeared, Ke'reth checked his tricorder readings with the transporter logs. Then he saw something, a thing some would have missed but his tricorder was preset with two months worth of transporter logs from the High Council's records. He chuckled silently in appreciation of Arizhel sending him the information he needed.

There it was again. Councillor M'qesh, of the House of Jor'meQ, the Minister for Off-world Affairs. His biorhythms were all wrong. He was also a little warm, unless he was suffering from the mother of all fevers. Ke'reth moved the sensor sight to the centre of M'qesh's chest then rechecked his scans. He didn't want to make a mistake. This was his changeling. It had even fluctuated point zero seven degrees in transit. Ke'reth took hold of the rifle's grip, and squeezed the dart launcher's trigger. There was a whistle that made some of the Councillors look up as M'qesh howled in pain. Ke'reth smiled as he saw the Councillor fall to his knees and start to lose molecular cohesion. He looked as if he was melting as the genetic drug ran rampant through his system. It didn't take long for the members of the High Council to draw their weapons. The Yan 'Isleth moved quickly into position as M'qesh became an amber coloured living jelly. His body flailed and changed shape like some ever-mutating living sculpture. Then it stopped and the colour seemed to leave it as became a dull colourless liquid.

Gowron stepped forward and bellowed. "What is this? Who is responsible? Ke'reth reactivated his site-to-site transport and appeared beside Gowron. "Ke'reth, but how?" he gasped.

"Sorry for the interruption, gentlemen! Ke'reth said coolly "But it seems you had an infiltrator in your midst." The council members had started talking loudly amongst themselves and didn't see Arizhel beam into the room flanked by four large bodyguards. She smiled as some of the Councillors whispered her name to each other in conspiratorial tones. Her eyes fell upon the puddle of sticky liquid that lay upon the floor. Then looking at Ke'reth she smiled. "Nice shooting, Commander!" And with that she saluted Gowron then turned to her operative. "I'll take the tricorder's video-log Commander. I'm sure I'll enjoy it!" Gowron pulled his cloak around him as he stepped forward. "I'd like to know what happened here?" He demanded.

"A Founder is dead, sir!" Ke'reth winked as he handed Arizhel his tricorder's log. "I used a poison dart containing a fast acting genetic virus that prevents chemical cohesion. As a changeling's natural state is a liquid. I attacked it as a liquid." Gowron turned slowly to face Arizhel. "And you had us all moved here just to reveal this changeling?" he asked. Arizhel just glanced at Ke'reth who was looking hard at the dead changeling at his feet. She smiled. "Credit where credit's due, Gowron. Ke'reth told me that he believed that a Founder had again infected the Heart of the Empire. So I gave him a little assistance with his investigation. You see he wasn't sure which one of you to kill." The Councillors looked shocked. Arizhel suppressed a wicked smile. And with that, Ke'reth picked up his case and turned to leave. Gowron caught his arm. "I demand to know in detail exactly what happened here!"

"It's all a rather a long story!" Ke'reth said, with a smile. "I'll file a report sometime. But I know one thing for sure. I'm still serving the Chain."

------------End-----------