The Metamorphosis

The debriefing was a very long a grueling process, which took a few hours. Afterwards, Rashad felt exhausted and empty. Naturally, she did not mention anything about her personal hunt for Doctor Adam Drakara and the attack by one of his followers that she had to endure. She still did not trust the institution she served. Even after serving as an officer in Section 31 for almost ten years she felt that their methods were often extreme and unnecessary. Conscience had little place if any within this powerful espionage agency.

Following their separate debriefing, T'Kul and Stefen were re-united and briefed on their new ‘secret' assignment. Once that was over and they received the ‘censored' version of their mission reports, they were transported back to the grounds of the Starfleet Command. After reporting into Starfleet Intel and submitting their reports, Stefen and T'Kul split up and went their separate ways.

Exhausted after the debriefings and at the sudden realization that their expected shore leave on Earth was going to be cut short, T'Kul headed for the nearest transporter pad.

Materializing on the Leviathan , she headed straight for her quarters, and barely strong enough to take off her clothes, collapsed into her bed. Sleep was the only thing she wished for. Little did the Romulan-Bajoran know what was happening to her body, as the consciousness left her.

She did not know how long she had been asleep, but when she woke up she felt awful. Her whole body was screaming with pain and there was nowhere to turn to. She wanted to scream, but her voice would not come. She tried to reach for her communicator, but it was too far away – still attached to her uniform that lay on a chair a couple of meters away.

Minutes passed like centuries as she writhed in agony wishing to get out of her body, but finding no way out of the Hell she was in. Then suddenly, she felt an unusual and unexpected surge of rage. Rage at this pain, rage at Drakara, rage… even at her Section 31 superiors. And with the rage came the sudden and unprecedented surge of strength through her body.

Somehow T'Kul's eyes fell on the reflection in the slightly cracked wall mirror in one of the corners and … a pure Romulan face stared at her in reflection. Gone were the Bajoran ridges from the bridge of her nose. It was as if she was looking at her Mirror Universe self, i-T'Kul t'Rashad, all over again.

With horror she looked around her quarters at the destruction she had just caused.

*I need help.* Thought the Romulan-Bajoran, finding some clothes and hastily getting them on as she felt her strength leave her once more. *But there is only one person who I can trust to help me. Doctor Rahel Kahfre… She is genetically-engineered by Drakara. I just hope that her medical knowledge and skill are enough...*

“Rashad to Kahfre,” Her voice sounded somewhat weak as she tapped her commbadge. “I have a medical emergency in my quarters…”

[I am on my way, Commander!] Came the reply. For some reason, the Doctor did not sound in the least bit surprised.