Previously….

"Damn." Devore replied, rising from his chair and heading for his ready room. "I want a full damage report within the hour."

Now…

An hour past before Lt. Commander Barker entered the Captain’s ready room. The Captain had his back to the open door, looking out into space.

"Captain ?" Chu enquired.

"Yes Mister Barker." Devore replied, not turning away from the window.

"The reports are finished." Chu replied, they don’t make very good reading I’m afraid."

"Give me the bad news." Devore replied, now turning to face his science chief.

"We have lost twenty five percent of the starboard hull and the main weapons pod has been sheered off completely. Casualty reports are still coming in, but we know of nearly a hundred dead and nearly two hundred injured." Chu started. "Lieutenants Gordon, Grafton and Brady, plus Ensigns Taylor, Fresdin and Murphy are amongst the dead sir. Major Phanan has just reported that an entire Marine Barracks was wiped out including Gunnery Sergeant Sharpe, 2nd Lieutenant J’Lan, Corporal Barnes and Private Patterson."

"Any trace of Morriden or the Interphase ?" Devore enquired.

"Nothing Captain. The Interphase could have been destroyed by the explosion or it could have been thrown out into space, just like we were." Chu replied. "As for the other Leviathan, we seem to have had some luck. The probe we launched is still intact is tracking the vessel. At the moment, it’s heading away from us at half impulse. ASHER’s keeping track of it, as well as trying to gain additional information."

"How long till we get moving ?" Devore enquired.

"Taline says we should have impulse within half an hour, but both the Slipstream drive and the auxiliary warp core are out of commission." Chu answered. "It’s going to be a slow journey home."

"What about sub-space communications." Devore asked.

"Still being worked on, but we’re in Romulan space. Any signal we make would alert them to our presence. We’re only a day away from the neutral zone, then we can get a signal to Starfleet safely." Chu repleid.

"OK. Set a course for the nearest Starbase as soon as possible." Devore ordered.

Chu left the data PADD on the Captain’s desk and headed back out of the ready room.

Moments later, the Captain’s comm badge ‘beeped’.

[Brig to Captain Devore.] Lieutenant Krell announced over the intercom. [I think you should come down to the Brig sir, we have a visitor.]

"What’s the problem ?" Devore asked.

[I think it would be better if you came down sir. And if you could bring Commander T’kul and the Doctor as well.]

"Understood. Devore out."

Devore walked into sickbay fifteen minutes later to find everything in chaos. Then he noticed Commander T’Kul stood talking to Doctor Katts.

"How are you Commander ?" Devore enquired.

"Fine." Rashad replied.

"What brings you down her Captain ?" The Doctor enquired.

"If everything here’s OK, I’d like you to come with me to the Brig, it appears we have a visitor." Devore remarked. "Commander, if you’re feeling up to it, I’d like you along as well."

"I think the Commander is fit enough to leave and my staff seem to be coping." Katts replied. "So I guess I can leave things for an hour or so."

Half an hour later, they finally arrived at the Brig.

"What’s the problem Lieutenant ?" Devore asked.

"She is Captain." Krell replied, pointing to the body of a woman in the far cell. The person in the cell was laying face down, with her back to the door. "She appears to have been severely beaten, almost as if she’d been tortured."

"How did she get here ?" Devore asked.

"I don’t know." Krell replied. "One minute we were being attacked, then there was this explosion and I was knocked unconscious. When I woke up there she was, I checked her over and then called you."

Doctor Katts walked towards the cell and entered. She started to run a medical tri-corder over the body.

"She’s definitely suffered severe internal injuries, but not all of them can be explained by her external injuries. Most of those are to her arms and leg, but her heart looks like it’s been ‘squeezed’. I’ve never seen injuries like this." The Doctor stated.

As she continued to look at the readings she was getting from the tri-corder, the more they amazed her. She then turned the unconscious body over onto her back and everyone saw the woman’s face for the first time.

"What the … ?" Devore remarked.

"This can’t be true." T’kul said.

"It is Commander." Doctor Katts replied. "Commander meet your mirror self."