Katianna was exhausted from the roundabout trip they'd made to get to Tanzaria. While en route, Troy had removed the Federation markings from the ship and changed the frequency of its IFF transponder to that of a Ferengi yacht last seen in the vicinity of the Hygar system. To complete the illusion, Jarrod shifted into a Ferengi as he contacted Orbital Traffic Control upon reaching Tanzaria.
They approached the city of Dekrese late at night, and Jarrod beamed Katianna, Laurissa, and Kara Lac to a public transporter platform while he landed the Seth in a mine shaft that had been abandonned for more than a century on the outskirts of town. Jarrod, in his Ferengi persona, would follow later.
From the transporter platform, Katianna found the underground station, so similar to the one where Troy had been nearly killed over a century earlier. She fought a distinct wave of nausea that may have been the result of either post-traumatic stress or pregnancy as she boarded the tube. There was only one place she felt even remotely safe on this planet. Or in this galaxy...
Troy opened the door of his apartment and found a cloaked female figure outside. "How may I help you?" he asked.
"May I come in?" the woman asked.
Troy was uncertain at first, but his mind probed the visitor. There was something familiar about her. "Certainly. Come in. It's cold outside!"
She entered. As the door closed behind her, she pulled the hood down to reveal her face. "Hello, Troy," she said, as she looked into his green eyes.
Troy did a double-take. "Who are you really?" he asked, suspicious that someone may have decided to take the form of his sister as a sick joke. Then he probed her mind more deeply. It wasn't. "Katianna? Is it really you?"
She smiled softly. "We have a lot to talk about..." she said. "Troy, it's me, but it's not me... It's hard to explain..."
Troy went to the kitchen and prepared them both a cup of tea, then returned to the living room of his small flat. "This I've got to hear. I gave you up for dead after that mission to the Denobulan Sector three years ago!"
"Well... that wasn't me," Katianna said, as she sipped the tea. "That Katianna was your sister."
"And who are you? Why is your mind so similar to hers?"
"Because I am Katianna... Only... I'm from another dimension. I've been here in this dimension since March of last year. It can be verified if you don't believe me. I was aboard the USS Virgo, and I have since been transfered to Starbase 901..." she tried to explain, feeling that she sounded a bit crazy.
"I'll have to do that, but for now I'll accept your proposition as true," Troy said after a moment of thought. "Quite frankly, I've wanted Katianna--the Katianna of this universe--back. She was not only my sister, but my dearest friend. I miss her and her son."
"She had a son?" Katianna asked. "I have a daughter... But..." she then pulled the cloak from around her to reveal her abdomen. "I am going to have a son in month's time... One of the reasons I'm here" she took a breath to steady herself. She could feel the memories resurfacing of the attack. "Is that there are people who want to kill my baby and me with it. This was the only place I could think to come where I might be safe..."
Troy took a deep drink of his tea. "Tell me more," he said.
Her cheeks tinted slightly as she looked at him with a smirk, "Did your sister also tell you about her love life?"
He blushed. "I was too much of a gentleman to ask," he replied.
"That's all right," she smiled with a gentle laugh. "Basically, my significant other used to be a "Q". Then he was human and Bajoran, then was melded with what was called the Orb of Kalimar... We had thought Kalimar was a Prophet of Bajor... But as it turned out he was a Pah-Wraith. So basically, I have a secret Bajoran order after me called The Order of the Light, I have Section 31 after me and a group of Klingons called The Sons of Kahless..." She sighed and looked down.
"One thing you and your alter-ego in this universe have in common, you sure know how to get yourselves in trouble!" Troy laughed nervously. "If you'd like, I'll notify Planetary Security."
"The less people that know I'm here, the better. I have my own protection anyway..." she smiled. "My Captain insisted that I come here with someone other than my daughter and her nanny."
Troy could sense this Katianna's apprehension about returning to her homeworld. That much they had in common. It was almost as powerful as her apprehension about the enemies who were pursuing her. That much they have in common, he thought. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Well, I do need to set up decent lodging for my family and I, and... seeing as you are a Starfleet Doctor, I can assume you'll look after me and my pregnancy? Of course, you'll have to keep it quiet... If you forward reports to anyone, maybe to Captain Mallory..." She looked around at the room, as if she could see beyond the walls. "I just can't believe I'm back..." She suppressed a shudder as she saw the dead bodies flash through her mind.
"That was a long time ago now, Kat," Troy said, touching her cheek gently. "We've cleaned up and rebuilt. The Klingons and the Federation helped us a great deal in the early days after the attack, then we stood on our own. We're better than we were before!" Troy said, as much to allay his own fears as to comfort hers. "And yes, I'll do what I can for you. Truth be told, we should probably stay completely incognito. Comm signals can be intercepted and decrypted, mail can be intercepted, and messengers can be captured or bought. Let's not say anything to anyone right now."
"Of course," she replied, still trying to fight the memories which had growing stronger since they had reached Tanzaria. They had started with the nightmare. As she looked at him she met his green stare. "Did you also get hurt in a grenade blast and almost die... ? I know this happened a long time ago, but... when the memories come they're like yesterday. I remember sitting by your bed aboard that Federation ship that took us to Earth. You almost died... . Or well... Did that happen to you too?"
"No, I almost died of radiation poisoning. We weren't able to make it to the underground entrance. There was too much enemy fire. We had to take cover on the surface while the fallout from Elekon City deposited itself on us. About six weeks of regular hyronalyn injections and I was cured of the radiation poisoning, for the most part. But I remember you--or the Katianna of my universe--there by my bed the whole time.
She breathed in deeply as she remember the way Troy's body had looked after the grenade had gone off... Had Starfleet not arrived he would have died shortly thereafter... "I have been without my brother for almost a year now... I can't imagine what its been like not having heard from her for three years... All I know is that maybe we can take some comfort from each other... God knows I could use it being here..." She shook her head and hid her face in her hands.
Troy put his arm around his 'sister's shoulders. "It's been lonely for me too. I didn't want to come back here, especially after you--I mean your double--disappeared. Just too painful. I wanted to stay on Earth or even Vulcan, but Starfleet Medical assigned me here."
"So maybe this is fate?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Or destiny," Troy said.
"Maybe..." she replied, with a gentle smile. "So what do you suggest for lodgings for two adult females, one adult male and one child? Any houses for rent nearby?"
"There's always something. It might even be better if you split up,just to avoid drawing attention. Who'd you bring with you?" Troy asked.
"We can't split up. The child is my daughter. The woman is her nanny and my very good friend and the man is my protector sent specifically with me by Captain Mallory... He can't protect me if he isn't there... And he and I can always pretend to be a married couple..."
"Then you'll want to alter your appearance. Find jobs in the community. I can set you up with identity papers, and the community job bank can have you employed in a week. Until then, it might be cramped, but you can stay here. You'll be my cousin and her family, from Salko Province. Your accent sounds a little Salkonian these days."
"Well, there might be one more problem..." she said, "My daughter has spots... If you're going to alter my appearance I'm afraid its going to be having to add spots to me... At least maybe by looking alien I'll be overlooked."
"A little theater make-up should do the job. I'll probably have to special-order it, but one of the merchants in the Alien Quarter is likely to have it available," Troy said. "And you're due in a month, so you won't have to keep the pretense up long."
"Yeah... Would you believe I'm only two months along?" She said sadly as she thought of Jovo. She missed him so much...
"He meant a lot to you, didn't he?" Troy asked.
A lump formed in her throat as tears misted her eyes. "Yes, he does. . . I love him very much..." she replied.
"Maybe he's still there. You never know. But at least you can hope," Troy said, drawing her into an embrace.
"I hope so... I hope I haven't lost him..." she said. So many images battled for supremacy in her mind. Each wanting to gain her attention. Memories from the attack on Tanzaria, memories of Jovo . . .Memories of almost having to kill him... memories of The Order of the Light... Her mind was a jumble. She stayed in the comfort of his embrace trying to sort out her own thoughts.
Troy picked up on her thoughts. "Maybe if we fed the Order of the Light to the invaders that might solve two problems at once," he said in a futile attempt to make a joke.
She smiled at the joke. "Maybe... The sad thing is they thing they're doing what's right... At least I know why they want the baby and I know why the Sons of Kahless want the baby. But I have no idea why Section 31 wants the baby..." She shook her head. "And coming here, I have to deal with new threats and old ghosts that never got put to rest... That I don't know how to put to rest..."
"Section 31 probably wants the baby simply because everyone else wants the baby. They've never been one to miss a trick," Troy said. "But I think coming here was the right decision. At least you know the demons that are here. And it's better to face the enemy you know than the one you don't."
"You're right," she nodded. "And I found you..." She smile.
Troy returned her smile. "Just hang in there. Everything will be fine. I'll make a few calls and we'll get you and your entourage set up."
"Then you can meet your niece," she said. "Her name is Laurissa..."
"I'm looking forward to that!" Troy said, with a sharp pang of regret over the loss of his nephew.
"I know she can't replace him," Katianna replied immediately sensing what he felt. "But maybe she can help you through the loss of him a little bit... ?"
"She'll be special in her own right," Troy answered firmly. He wasn't about to play the game of looking for a substitute for what could never be. And yet, what are you doing here? he asked himself in the dark recesses of his mind where no one could penetrate.
She smiled. "There are never substitues for the children we love," she said. "And you'll see just how special Laurissa is. Of course, she's a bit too much like her mother sometimes..."
"Oh really? How so?" Troy asked.
"Well, on the station we had an incident a month ago where there was a little boy from another dimension on the station. He was doing something that caused him to be picked up by Security and detained. Laurissa and another little boy on the station thought this was not right and took it upon themselves to break him out. They managed to do it too... They took down Security and got the boy out..." Katianna laughed at the memory. "Who would have thought and eight year old and a four year old could outwit Starfleet Security..."
Troy laughed. "They're getting sloppy in their old age!" He thought for a moment. "There seems to be a lot of interdimensional activity lately, doesn't there?"
"Oh yes... More than you know," she said.
"I should introduce you to Academician Farrango, of the Tanzaran Science Institute. He has made interdimensional travel the focus of his research. Maybe he might have some ideas on how to sort all of this out."
"What do you mean by sort it out?" she asked curiously.
"You know what I mean. Perhaps find a way to deal with the Order of Light on a level footing."
"Well, the Order of the Light have nothing to do with Interdimensional activity. Believe me... They are more interested in their sacred text, which I have someone translating as we speak... They say my baby is suppose to be some great evil born into the universe and must be killed before it can be born. They say its in the text... I say, we'll see..." A hard look went into her green eyes.
"This is where the research would come in handy," Troy explained. "If there's an organization that believes your baby is the incarnation of evil, there's probably an alternate universe with an equivalent organization that sees your baby as an incarnation of good. Perhaps we can set up an alliance."
"Perhaps, but finding that other dimension would not be easy, would it?" she asked.
"I've been reading the literature ever since I met Farrango at the All-Sciences Conference six months ago. Interesting stuff. Apparently someone at the Vulcan Science Academy has a theory on how to map alternate universes."
"Really? Map them? All of them? But there are so many of them..." she said a bit astounded.
"Actually some of Academician Sapek's work was done at SB901...apparently just before you arrived. He was successfully able to navigate a Norway-class light cruiser and a runabout between dimensions."
"Yes, I read the report about how he came into this dimension," she said. "I also used the Seth to go back and find out what happened to my significant other when he had gone to retrieve my daughter from my dimension..." The memories of facing Kalimar shot to the forefront of her mind. The vile things he'd said to her. But being torn knowing Jovo was in there... And then having to almost kill him with the dark matter weapon. "So yes, his theory did work... I was there for it and did it..."
"So maybe we can get this dimensional transfer to work for us," Troy said. "It's the slimmest thread of a chance, but a chance nonetheless!"
"What if it backfires and I face another Kalimar?" she said. "I don't know if I could handle that..."
"There's always a risk. You could have come back to Tanzaria and found it occupied by the invaders. You could have looked me up and found a complete psychopath in my place. The very act of living entails risk, Kat."
"I know that, but unless you have the right weapon you can't kill a god... and... Jovo is Kalimar... I almost had to kill him once. I don't want to have to do that again..." her green eyes misted. "You don't know what its like to have to hold a gun up to the one you love and pull the trigger... You don't know what it's like..."
"Hence the need to see Farrango. He could help us find the right weapon. Or better still, something that will make Kalimar slow down and reconsider his actions. Who knows what's out there? We won't, unless we try!"
"Right now, Kalimar isn't our problem in this dimension... He's unconscious in sickbay on SB901... But we'll talk to Farrango and see what he says..." she relented.
"Okay, but first things first--we need to get you set up in your new home!"
"That sounds like a plan," she replied with a soft smile.
Troy immediately consulted the city directory. By that afternoon they'd secured lodgings for Katianna and her party, and Jarrod and Katianna had been entered into the community job bank under assumed names.
And so began their new temporary lives. Katianna was not happy to be back on Tanzaria, but she was grateful to have Troy... She felt as though she had a brother again, and perhaps that was worth facing the nightmare that came with being back on her homeworld.