"Energize."

As the three men watched, the transporter floor and ceiling lit up, and a human materialized, along with a bulky metallic tower-like device covered in metal and crystalline tubing. The device was on a small grav-sled, and the man had one hand on the handle of the sled. The man was around Rasmussen's age, but had youthfully bright eyes in contrast to lank graying hair tied in a rough ponytail. He was tall, and wore drab clothes that he had probably bought new half a century ago and never needed to replace.

"Welcome aboard, Sloe."

"Daimon."

"Is the cloak ready to install?"

"It tested fine back on the marauder. Of course, that was with modern power systems, not twenty-second century ones. But I see no reason why it shouldn't work as well here."

"Excellent. I'll need you to install it as quickly as possible."

"It shouldn't take long, really. It's an older model, not such complex connections to deal with." Sloe patted the device as if it were a pet.

"Older, but hopefully no less effective."

"The original model dates from before the Klingon civil war, so it's bound to have been penetrated at some point, but more likely by the Romulans than by Starfleet."

"Then let's hope the Romulans didn't share their data," Rasmussen grumbled.

"Well, just in case they did, I've made a few modifications."

"Modifications?" Barclay asked.

"This is Reg," Rasmussen said to Sloe. "He'll be a.s.sisting you."

"But don't let him touch the cloak itself," Bok warned.

"Oh, right," Sloe said. "Well, I've introduced an automated random modulation to the phase discriminator, and one or two other little tweaks. If anyone does get a peek through the cloak, the modulation should mean it doesn't last very long, and they lose us again straight away."

"Good," said Bok. "Now stop wasting time. Get down to D deck and install it."

La Forge powered up the long-range sensors on the bridge, and quickly scanned for some sign of Challenger, Challenger, or any other Federation ship. There was nothing, and that made him uneasy. or any other Federation ship. There was nothing, and that made him uneasy.

He caught himself wondering whether he ought to have just asked Leah where they stood when he had the chance. It would be ironic if she had been waiting for him to make a move, and he now might never have the chance. He told himself to stop thinking like a lovesick teenager, and concentrate on the situation.

Slowly he looked around the bridge, not just in the visible spectrum, for any sign that the mercenaries might be nervous enough to make mistakes, but everything looked normal. Then, La Forge turned his attention to the sensors, which gave him navigational information, but without the ability to affect the ship's course. They were heading to a system near Ferengi s.p.a.ce, Delta Five Gamma Zeta Alpha. It wasn't one he knew, but the designation was vaguely familiar.

He felt his Klingon guard step closer, and decided it was time to start doing things the Klingon would recognize as engineering. Opening a toolkit, he started reconnecting a damaged monitor screen to a control panel fabricated back on Challenger. Challenger.

Some time later, Bok slid down the short stairway next to the main reactor, and approached the humans who were working there. "Sloe, Barclay," Bok snapped. "How is my cloak progressing?"

"Quite well, actually," Sloe replied, sounding surprised. "That's Klingon workmanship for you. Built to last, which I suppose anything used by a Klingon has to be."

"Good." Bok leaned forward, right into Sloe's face. "Now tell me what the problem is, or I'll be terminating your contract the practical way." It would be a pleasure, Bok decided.

"Why should there be a problem? This is all good solid workmanship, Bok."

"You told me the cloak would be online an hour ago. It isn't."

Sloe managed a crooked smile, and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, that problem. No, it's okay actually, it's all fixed now. No more problems."

"What was it?"

"A compatibility issue. Klingon and Starfleet technology can be cobbled together easily enough, but this ship is ancient. The power subsystems are completely different from anything used in the past hundred years."

"You've solved this?"

"I had to get Reg to adapt a few bits and pieces from-"

"Enough! If it works, it works. That's all that matters."

"Oh, it'll work," Barclay promised.

"Actions speak louder than words," Bok reminded him. "Just do it." Bok climbed back up out of engineering, and returned to the bridge. Grak was there, consulting with the Breen at the helm. "Grak, when you return to the marauder, keep your sensors focused on any pursuit by Challenger." Challenger."

"Do we expect a pursuit?"

Bok grunted. "You can feel free to think that they'll give up, but they'll try hunting us down. These Starfleet types are like a tumor, coming back again and again."

"That's true."

"Besides, the mercenaries we hired are the best available, and they have a formidable vessel, but the Challenger Challenger is a very powerful ship. And Kren has not checked in as agreed." is a very powerful ship. And Kren has not checked in as agreed."

Grak scowled. "I told you we should have tried to acquire a Romulan warbird. The D'Deridex D'Deridex-cla.s.s would be more than able to hold her own against a Galaxy Galaxy-cla.s.s starship."

"The attempt would have got us all killed. The Romulans have always been paranoid."

"Then you're going to need that cloak. Perhaps it's possible to extend our cloaking field over Intrepid-" Intrepid-"

Bok waved the suggestion away. "Sloe a.s.sures me the cloak will be online momentarily. Once that is the case, we needn't fear Challenger Challenger following us." following us."

"a.s.suming they don't penetrate the cloak. Such secrets and technologies are notoriously short-lived."

"Exactly why I have our other ship laying false warp trails across half the sector. Challenger Challenger can follow one of those for as long as it likes." can follow one of those for as long as it likes."

At that moment, Sloe hurried on to the bridge, wiping his hands with a rag. "Daimon Bok, the cloak is ready."

"When you say ready, you had best mean ready to use, not just ready to test."

"It's fully functional and fully powered. Or at least as powered up as anything on a vintage beauty like this can be."

Bok held his gaze for a moment, trying to gauge whether the human was right. He was fairly certain that Sloe wouldn't lie to him, but he was considerably less certain that the man had the talent and ability to perform such a complicated task right. Sloe nodded slowly, and held out a padd displaying graphics of the cloak's power flow and status. Bok was no expert, but it looked good to him.

Bok turned and snapped a finger at the mercenary manning the tactical console. "Engage the cloak."

Sitting in his cabin, comparing one of Challenger Challenger's padds to one from Intrepid, Intrepid, and trying to work out just how to spin the former as a natural development of the latter, Rasmussen felt a sudden shift in his perception, as if everything suddenly felt slightly queasy, and off-balance. It was like being seasick, and he realized that he could use a drink. Rum, maybe, since that used to be issued to sailors. He supposed it must be good against seasickness. and trying to work out just how to spin the former as a natural development of the latter, Rasmussen felt a sudden shift in his perception, as if everything suddenly felt slightly queasy, and off-balance. It was like being seasick, and he realized that he could use a drink. Rum, maybe, since that used to be issued to sailors. He supposed it must be good against seasickness.

He ran to the bridge, as internal communications still weren't working. "What just happened?"

Bok, Sloe, and Grak looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"There was a . . . I just felt this . . ."

"Oh," Sloe said, "you mean the cloak. We got it working, and it's pootling away quite nicely now-"

"Is it always like this?"

"You'll get used to it," he promised.

La Forge had experienced the feeling only a handful of times, but that was often enough to recognize it for what it was. "We've cloaked." Everyone who had been returned to the mess had clearly understood that, even if they hadn't experienced it before.

"Will Challenger Challenger be able to pierce the cloak and find us?" Balis asked. be able to pierce the cloak and find us?" Balis asked.

"If anyone can, it'll be a ship full of engineers."

13.

Challenger hurtled through s.p.a.ce, speeding toward the center of the Agni Cl.u.s.ter at high warp. On the bridge, Scotty could feel the irritation building in his gut, and he couldn't help getting up and pacing around lest he end up sitting there twitching with impatience. "Intercept?" hurtled through s.p.a.ce, speeding toward the center of the Agni Cl.u.s.ter at high warp. On the bridge, Scotty could feel the irritation building in his gut, and he couldn't help getting up and pacing around lest he end up sitting there twitching with impatience. "Intercept?"

"I have the Intrepid Intrepid's position marked," Qat'qa said. "We should be there in a matter of minutes."

"Good," Scotty replied.

"Sir," Nog said, his tone cautious. "I'm not detecting any sign of Intrepid Intrepid . . . There are several indications of possible warp trails." . . . There are several indications of possible warp trails."

"One of them must match Intrepid Intrepid's engines, lad. Pull up the records on the NX-cla.s.s warp signature."

"Checking . . . Yes, sir. There are two warp trails consistent with the NX-cla.s.s."

"And I can't see there having been a visit from another NX ship here, can you?"

"No, sir, I can't."

"So they're trying to fool us. Work out the most probable pursuit course. We need the real NX's trail."

"Aye, sir."

Rasmussen was in the captain's cabin when Geordi found him. The largest cabin on the ship, it was one-quarter the size of the average modern cabin. "What is it, Geordi? Oh, and congratulations on the sensor work."

"Thanks."

"Was there something you wanted to ask me? Or tell me? I can tell from your expression you've got one of those rather boring authoritarian lectures in mind."

La Forge didn't bother to argue. "Please listen, Rasmussen, and let me tell you something about this partner of yours. The first time the Enterprise Enterprise encountered him, he used a mind controlling device to try to force Captain Picard to fight a battle against the encountered him, he used a mind controlling device to try to force Captain Picard to fight a battle against the Enterprise. Enterprise. Bok did that with the help of an old Starfleet ship he'd found, the Bok did that with the help of an old Starfleet ship he'd found, the Star-gazer." Star-gazer."

"He knows something about old ships. That's handy, don't you think?"

"Bok's crew didn't know what he had in mind. They thought he had a straightforward scheme to bring them profit. He was lying to them, not telling them that he really wanted revenge."

"He's pretty unusual for a Ferengi, I'll give you that."

"The point is, he was lying to the rest of his crew."

"He was a daimon then. He didn't have to tell his crew what his motives were. Isn't that the rule even in Starfleet?" Geordi didn't want to reply, but his hesitation spoke for him, much to his annoyance. "See. That's what I thought."

La Forge clenched a fist, but forced himself to unclench it. He wasn't a violent man, and this wasn't a situation where it would do him any good. "The second time Enterprise Enterprise encountered Bok, he had genetically tampered with a boy to make him seem to be Captain Picard's son." encountered Bok, he had genetically tampered with a boy to make him seem to be Captain Picard's son."

Rasmussen looked interested. "Some kind of blackmail scheme?"

"Not exactly. He wanted to kill him, to make the Captain feel what Bok felt when he lost his own son."

"What we're doing here, Geordi, has nothing to do with Picard or Bok's son."

"Everything Bok does has to do with his son! Somewhere, somehow, it'll lead back to his dead son."

Rasmussen tilted his head first one way, and then the other. "Maybe, yeah, actually I can see how it could . . . So?"

"He'd lied to the crew of the ship he was using. He crossed them to try to get what-"

"I think I see a pattern developing."

Geordi gave a curt nod. "It's bound to repeat itself. What makes you think you can trust Bok-?"

"I don't trust Bok. At least, not in the way you mean. But I can trust knowing not to trust him. And he can trust not to trust me."

"The difference is that I doubt you're planning to double cross him in order to hurt someone else. He will be planning to do that to you. You can't trust Bok, and he will cross you."

"I'm flattered that you worry about me, but, really Geordi, you don't have to."

Geordi saw a flicker of something in Rasmussen's eyes. Guilt? Libido? La Forge vaguely recalled that Rasmussen had tried to hit on Deanna, Beverly, and almost every other human female on the ship. "Leah, Guinan, you get on well with them, right? You were making friends?"

"There are plenty more little stars in the galaxy," Rasmussen said with a smile. "Plenty more." He looked at his chronometer, "and plenty more sensors to watch them with. You really should be on duty now." His smile iced slightly. "Really."

Challenger slowed to impulse in a system where a red giant had blossomed, swallowing any planets that had once orbited it in its younger days. slowed to impulse in a system where a red giant had blossomed, swallowing any planets that had once orbited it in its younger days.

"The trail stops here," Qat'qa announced.

Hunt frowned. "How can it stop if Intrepid Intrepid isn't here?" isn't here?"

"It cannot, unless she either entered a wormhole-"