Disclaimer: Star Trek Voyager belongs to Paramount. No infringement intended.

Summary: The details of the war become clear as Anorha helps bring about a return to impasse between the Union and the Toroyans.

Note: This story begins immediately after “Anorha”

Phoenix (a story in the Belle Colony universe)

by mizvoy

Maraqet made his way slowly through the Toroyan ship, pausing to interact with the crew and assess their morale for himself. They showed evidence of strain, but that was to be expected in the middle of a war. There had been frenetic activity in the last two battles with the Union, battles that had resulted in the destruction of three of the Union’s six cloaked ships. Nothing lessens the impact of superstition faster than the sweet taste of success, he told himself; even his own doubts had been dispelled by the crucial role Anorha had played in their victories.

Frankly, he’d been as upset as the rest of Mystraul’s crew had been when the ship was recalled to the home fleet just days after the war resumed. The first few battles had ended in disastrous failure, with one retreat after another. The cloaked ships appeared in the midst of the Toroyan fleet, weakened their defenses, and then disappeared as their Union compatriots swooped in for the easy kill. Maraqet had the same “never say die” attitude of most Tororyans and wanted to continue to fight to the last ship. He was afraid Mystraul’s recall was the first sign of surrender or his removal from command.

Much to his surprise, Mystraul had been met by the yacht used by the commander-in-chief. They took up a position nearby so that he could attend a private meeting with the admiral himself. They exchanged the usual pleasantries and discussed the miserable progress of the war in great detail, when the admiral sat back to study Maraqet intently. “In your opinion, Captain, we’re going to lose this war. Am I correct?”

“We haven’t come up with a way to solve this new phased cloak, sir, but we’re working on it. Until we do, I’m afraid we won’t have much success.”

“I agree. Our own scientists have made very little progress in the area, to tell the truth.” He sighed and leaned toward Maraqet, lowering his voice. “Extraordinary times require drastic solutions. Don’t you agree?”

Maraqet steeled himself for what he knew was coming-a special assignment, no doubt, and perhaps a noble sacrifice. “Are you suggesting suicide missions, sir? I must say they’ve occurred to me.”

“No, Maraqet, nothing that desperate. But I need a captain with an open mind. I think you and your ship are best suited for this assignment.”

“I live to serve, sir.”

The admiral smiled. “Two members of our engineer team survived the initial battle at the space station. They recovered important information on these damned phased shields in the process.”

“There were survivors?”

“A few. They’ve since died from radiation poisoning.” He shrugged his shoulders in dismay. “The information they found was taken to the nearest Auki research center for closer study. One of the clerics, a master in shielding and sensors, has some ideas we want to implement. I want her to accompany you back to the war zone. She will provide both technical and tactical advice to you and the rest of the fleet.”

“A female?” Maraqet nearly panicked. “My crew will never take a life giver into a battle.”

“Yes, Captain, they will.” His eyes were cold. “Her name is Anorha, and she will remain in seclusion on your ship with her attendants, available only to you and only when she wishes to see you. She is aged and unwell, but is also resolved to help us regain the balance of power we enjoyed before these Utav dogs began their cowardly attack on our ships by hiding behind these cowardly shields.”

Maraqet’s protests had fallen on deaf ears, and for the last two weeks, he’d had Anorha with him like a parrot on his shoulder, whispering advice into his ear at just the right moments. At least, he smiled to himself, she was willing to let him take credit for the success they’d enjoyed since her arrival.

He arrived at Anorha’s quarters, three small rooms which were in the most remote and safest portion of the ship. They had been, at one point, a scientific lab filled with computers and research devices and contained few, if any, comforts of home-a rudimentary bath, two small cots, and a food replicator. Anorha seemed content to live like a lab rat amidst her research tools, and Maraqet was glad to leave her hidden in the bowels of the ship.
When the attendant Petran allowed him into their quarters, he immediately wished he’d left his tunic behind, for the temperature was stiflingly hot and humid compared to the rest of the ship. He wondered, again, if Anorha’s illness required this unusual environment or if she was from an alien species, as many Auki were. In less than a minute, beads of sweat appeared on his upper lip and a red flush discolored his face, and he was surprised to see that the attendant was as uncomfortable as Maraqet was, even though he wore the lightweight clerical robes of deep summer.

“Please take a seat,” Petran said as he disappeared into the next room.

Maraqet perched on a lab stool and waited the arrival of Anorha with a rising sense of trepidation. He had met with her in person only twice before, and both times their meeting had resulted in a battle with cloaked ships that had been so close to Mystraul that he later realized the were about to attack him first. The battles had been extremely tense and had nearly overwhelmed his skills as a leader and a strategist. Without the advice sent to him secretly from these chambers, he was sure that his small fleet would have been defeated just as all the others had been before him. Instead, three cloaked ships had been destroyed, and two had tucked tail for Union space.

His heart began to pound when he realized that another battle was imminent. Anorha must have found a way to discover the third and last ship; there was no other reason she would require his presence.

When Anorha entered the room a few minutes later, he could hardly believe his eyes. He hadn’t seen her in nearly a week, since the last battle ended, yet she seemed to have shrunken to half her size. He peered past her into the inner chamber, hoping to catch a glimpse of the second cleric whom he had never seen. This second female served Anorha privately, he assumed. He shuddered to think how his crew would react if they found out that a second life giver was on board and hoped that the three clerics would leave before that particular fact became public knowledge.

Anorha was swallowed up in the heavy winter robes of the Auki order, and she leaned heavily on Petran’s arm as he loomed over her protectively. She walked slowly across the room before Petran carefully lowered her onto a stool, and Maraqet found himself gazing down at the top of her cloaked head.

“Anorha!” he exclaimed, even as the attendant shook her head to warn him not to over-react to her deteriorated condition. “Are you unwell?”

“I am still among the living,” she replied, her whispered voice distorted, as always, by the breathing device that covered her mouth and nose, “but you knew, when I boarded the ship, sir, that my days were numbered. Petran and Klyn have proven to be an excellent medic and nurse, as you can see. I am blessed by the dedication of my attendants.”

He nodded, repressing his curiosity about the unseen Klyn, and then said, “You requested my presence.”

“Yes.” She pulled the robes around her as if she were freezing. “I know this delay has frustrated you, but it has given me time to study the most recent telemetry with greater care.” She’d brought the ship to a sudden dead stop two days earlier, and he’d been frantic to know why.

“I do your bidding willingly, sister. What have you discovered?”

Petran extended a PADD to him as the cleric explained, “The trail was changing, and I feared that this captain might deactivate the cloak to effect repairs. We tracked the other ships by picking up the chroniton particles released by their interphasic generators. I suspect that this generator was malfunctioning and that he was forced to find cover in order to make extensive repairs.”

Maraqet nodded as he studied the PADD. “You want me to scan for this particle, instead?”

“Yes. Once you see the vector they took, send me the charts of that area of space. Together, we must decide the most likely planet for them to hide upon as they work on the phased cloak.”

“They would most likely hide behind their more reliable static cloak. But we have been able to scan for that for years.” He felt a rise of excitement. This was what the two them had been hoping for. “You want to take the ship intact.”

She nodded. “That’s been our goal from the first, hasn’t it? To capture a phased cloak so that we can prove that the Union was helped by the Federation?”

“I never doubted that you would do it, Anorha.” He stood up, anxious to return to the bridge. “I will send you the vector as soon as I have it.”

“Good. And then, together, we will decide how best to capture our prey,” she agreed, her voice fading as she struggled to speak. “The sooner the better.”

He took his leave and headed for deck one without further ado. In his mind’s eye, he could see Anorha as she’d perched upon the low stool, looking very much the size of a small child as she wasted away from her illness. She had been weak when he’d first met her, but now she was obviously near death. Petran and Klyn, he realized, must be much more than simple attendants, perhaps even doctor and nurse. He imagined that their skills were what had kept Anorha alive until this mission was accomplished. Maraqet knew that the cleric was responsible for their recent success against the Union and wanted very much for her to enjoy the victory with him.

The lift stopped and he burst onto the bridge. “We need to modify our sensors,” he barked as he strode toward the operations officer’s console, looking up at his bridge crew with a wide smile. “The hunt draws to its close, at last.”

“Nuwonga,” Chakotay murmured to himself, remembering his people’s term for the period of mourning after great loss. “My life is nothing now but a recollection of what once was and a vision of what might have been.”
He wanted to believe that Janeway was alive, but the Toroyans had left little doubt of her demise. Following their search of the disintegrating station, they had made a show of returning the commbadges and rank bars of the diplomatic team whose bodies had been found amidst the wreckage, the bodies buried with honor at a religious shrine in the region. He had seen the admiral’s bars and the commbadge clearly marked with her service number; it was doubtful that the Toroyans could have falsified something so randomly personal.

This gesture had been received with gratitude by the Federation, and Chakotay wondered if diplomatic relations couldn’t be far behind. Janeway would be glad to know that her death hadn’t been in vain. If she had failed to exonerate him, at least she had stricken a blow against Section 31 and its illegal phased cloak research.

He’d come to appreciate the cold of the Toroyan ship, even though he continued to wear arctic weight gear even in the privacy of his own quarters. Through the narrow slit of a view port, he could see the unfamiliar stars streaking by as the ship made its way toward an unknown location. He had no idea where they were headed, whether toward the Federation or away from it, and he didn’t care. What good did it do to try to take control of one’s life when fate would have its way no matter what? Better to relax, he told himself as he stretched out on his bunk, and let the winds of providence take you where they will.

A soft rap awakened him from a troubled sleep sometime later. He opened the door to find himself looking into the worried eyes of Captain Vitaris.

“Tyee, I’ve been concerned about you. No one has seen you since our talk the other day, and I am afraid I said something to distress you.”

Chakotay gave him a feeble smile. “I’m fine, as you can see.”

“As far as I can see, you are.” He agreed, but Chakotay sensed his hesitation. “My superiors will be unhappy if anything should happen to you.”

“Come in.” Chakotay stepped aside and brought the lights to normal illumination. “You’ll see that I’m both healthy and sane.”

The two men sat down in the tiny quarters, Chakotay on the edge of his bunk and Vitaris on the single chair that served both the desk and the dining area.

“I see that we’re heading somewhere,” Chakotay said with a nod toward the view port.

“Yes. Your time with us is short, I believe.”

“And where, I wonder, will I be going?”

Vitaris shrugged. “All I have are some coordinates on the star chart, or I’d tell you. I know it must be hard to wonder what is going to happen. For what it’s worth, I hope it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Thanks. I just can’t imagine why the Toroyans would kidnap me. I’m surprised they even know who I am.”

“You underestimate the fame of the Caritas, my friend. Generosity and kindness are rare in these days and times, especially in the midst of an interminable war. You and your people are heroes to many of us who are tired of fighting and hungry for peace.”

“Perhaps.” Chakotay felt his face warm with a blush. He realized that while Section 31 might consider him an enemy, he was also a hero to those he was helping. “But I’m not welcome everywhere.”

“I understand, Tyee. I’m not surprised that you and the others of the Caritas are fugitives from your past, but that’s of no concern to us. I assure you that you will not be turned over for a legal issue. You must have friends in high places.”

“Not that I know of, and certainly not in your government. Who would specifically ask for me from all of the Caritas members?”

“All I can tell you is that the request came from the highest ranks in our government. All will come clear in the passage of time.” He shifted on the chair and leaned forward, his face bright with excitement. “You’ve heard the sound of celebrations on the ship?”

Chakotay nodded. “I imagined that you’ve scored another victory against the cloaked ships.”

“More than a victory, Tyee. We’ve captured one of them.”

Chakotay’s eyes widened in surprise. “In one piece?”

“From what I’ve heard, the cloak is fully functional, although in need of repair. The Utav never thought the war would last this long, and the cloaks have begun to malfunction because of the extended periods of use. Apparently, this ship had landed on a remote moon to effect repairs and was hiding behind a passive cloak. The spirits revealed everything us through a female cleric, Tyee! A female! And she led Mystraul and the rest of the fleet to it like a newborn restic pup finds its mother. Now we can study the cloak ourselves, Tyee, and because they fear that we can use their own cloak against them, the Union will sue for peace.”

“A female cleric?”

“The spirit chooses the proper instrument for his purposes,” Vitaris nodded. “Your culture allows the life givers to participate in all facets of life, correct?”

“Yes, we do. But there was a time in our past when females didn’t have the same rights or responsibilities as the males.”

“And you work beside females in the Caritas?”

“I’ve worked with women all my life, Vitaris. I’ve even worked for them.” He paused, pushing back the sorrow that the thought of Kathryn brought him. “The Federation is quite fair about such things. For example, Admiral Janeway was a female, and she was an important part of the Ambassador’s delegation.”

“She was, indeed. I believe our leaders trusted her, or they would never have chanced the meeting with the Federation ambassador.” He paused, studying his hands. “Perhaps the day has come for our people to rethink our treatment of the life givers. The role this cleric has played will resonate throughout our culture.” He looked up at Chakotay. “Have you heard that we’ve renamed the captured ship in her honor-the Anorha.”

“Anorha?” Chakotay frowned as he pondered the name. “That word has meaning in your language, doesn’t it?”

“It means ‘risen from the ashes’ and is the name of a great bird of mythology.”

“Yes, I remember seeing it when I studied your society. On my home planet, we have a similar myth, but the name of the bird is Phoenix.”

“Truly? I would like to read that myth someday.”

“Perhaps we can remain friends, Vitaris, and continue to talk about these things. I would like that.”

“As would I.”

Chakotay smiled, grateful to know that he’d made a friend among this reclusive species. “How was the Mystraul able to capture the ship? Do you have an account of the battle?”

“The story has not yet been told. But, I am friends with the Mystraul’s captain, Maraqet. I will ask him to send me his account of the battle and share it with you.”

Their talk was interrupted by another shout of celebration from among the crew. “There must be more good news, Vitaris. It sounds like the revelry has escalated.”

The captain grinned. “I should join them, if only to make sure the ship survives.” He stood up and clapped his hand on his hostage’s shoulder. “I have enjoyed getting to know you, Tyee. Perhaps you humans are not all bad.”

“I was thinking the same thing about you Toroyans,” Chakotay replied, an apologetic look on his face.

Later that night, while eating his evening meal, Chakotay heard the soft chirp an incoming message on his communications system and turned to activate it. He found there a portion of a message from Maraqet to Vitaris that described the battle that resulted in the capture of the cloaked ship. Shifting his plate to the space in front of the view screen, Chakotay began to read the story as he finished his meal.

Vitaris, my friend, it will be told that I was a genius for solving the mystery of following the cloaks and plotting to surprise and capture the Hooded Snake (the name of the cloaked ship we captured), but the truth is that the Auki cleric, Anorha, is responsible for it all. She alone interpreted the information that was salvaged from the space station and provided every single scanning and tactical modification that led to our success.

Even so, Anorha is unwilling to take credit for all that we accomplished. She claims that it is only right to “balance the scales” and to help stop the Ulav aggression by sharing her spirit-given knowledge and abilities. She doesn’t mind if I profit from her guidance, for she says that my willingness to listen to and follow the advice of a female earned me the right to whatever benefits I gain. She’s an amazing person, Vitaris, and when we meet, I’ll tell you more about her. In the meantime, since you’ve asked for the details, let me tell you the story.

As you know, we had successfully tracked and engaged in battle with three cloaked ships, each time managing to destroy them before they could escape from our grasp. Each time, we learned a little bit more about the ships, for example, what kind of power drain the cloaks made upon the ship, what kind of delay there was between the dropping of the cloak and the activation of shields, whether there were emissions that we could use to track them more accurately. All of this data was analyzed by Anorha in the privacy of her quarters and shared with me through my console or short, private briefings. During the battles themselves, Anorha suggested tactics to me through an earpiece that I wore on the bridge. From her quarters, she watched the battle unfold, and she often anticipated the response of our enemy with uncanny foresight and skill.

Soon after the third ship was destroyed, Anorha discovered that the cloak on one ship was malfunctioning and would need to be repaired or risk a complete loss of the cloak’s effectiveness. As if to prove her right, the two Union ships closest to Utav territory lost their cloaks and managed to escape from our fleet by the narrowest of margins. That left one of the six cloaked vessels still in Toroyan territory, and Anorha was determined to capture it intact.

By scanning for this anomaly, we were able to follow the Hooded Snake to the surface of a moon in the El Traje system where it was hidden beneath a passive cloak, secure, no doubt, in its safety. Truly, Vitaris, I don’t think we could have captured it in one piece without Anorha’s advice. She had us position three ships just beyond the range of the Union ship’s sensors, and then she had me place Mystraul behind our own passive cloak and let the moon’s rotation bring the enemy ship above the horizon. Before they could detect our presence, we transported an advance team to the edge of the Hooded Snake’s passive cloak where they were able to render the cloak ineffective.

As soon as the cloak dropped, catching the Utav completely by surprise, our other three ships emerged from behind the moon and targeted their weapons with phasers and the advance team boarded their ship. They took control of the bridge and captured the captain before anyone could destroy the phased cloak or implement the self-destruct program. It was all over in a matter of ten minutes, Vitaris. And even better, there wasn’t a single casualty.

Chakotay finished the account and stared blindly at the view screen, trying to imagine how a woman who was a secluded cleric could operate as a flag officer of a fleet of vessels without prior experience. The simplicity and efficiency of the attack on the cloaked ship was too sophisticated for someone who was inexperienced in tactics.

Just exactly who was this Anorha? He called up the computer’s memory file on the Auki sect and refreshed his memory on their purpose and objectives. While they were a religious community that lived in seclusion, they specialized in the study and development of high-tech devices and equipment in all phases of Toroyan life, which would logically include something like a phased cloak and even military weaponry. The Auki sect was also the only one that allowed alien and female scientists to join their ranks.

He realized that Anorha, who had almost single-handedly lifted the Toroyan fleet out of the ashes, must have come from an alien culture that was used to having females in their military. He thought it would be interesting to meet this Anorha and see for himself just what species she was. As this Maraqet had described her, she was simply too good to be true.

Following the capture of the Hooded Snake, Mystraul’s crew celebrated for a couple of days as Maraqet, first officer Sreeden, and most of the Toroyan engineers spent hours examining the new ship design and the phased cloak in order to take the captured ship back to their home system safely. The Utavi crew had been taken from the ship and were, in any event, unwilling to help the enemies learn how to fly the ship or use its technology. The Toroyans soon found that a whole set of essential operating files had been carefully encrypted in order to prevent them from using the ship.
“So much for taking the ship into orbit and proudly decloaking for all to see,” Sreeden sighed as he rubbed his aching head. “I’ve looked at this code for so long my eyes are crossed.”

“Mine, too.” Maraqet slumped in the captain’s chair on the Union ship’s bridge, too tired to think. It was midnight and only the two senior officers remained awake. “The latest suggestion from the admiralty was to tractor it back home and let the big boys work on it. I’m thinking that this is a puzzle worthy of a think tank.”

Sreeden lifted his head as an idea occurred to him. “What about Anorha? Maybe she has some insight into this encryption that we can use?”

“Anorha?” Maraqet felt his heart lurch slightly. “You know that she’s already gone, didn’t you?”

“Gone?” Sreeden, who had spent every waking minute on the Union ship, realized that he had missed some critical developments. “She’s not dead?”

“I’m afraid so. You remember when we beamed the prisoners off of this ship? We beamed the medic to the Mystraul so that he could treat Anorha. We were hoping he could do something to prolong her life, but it was too late.”

“Why would she want the medic from this ship? Why not just use our doctor?”

“I never told you very much about our passenger, did I?” Maraqet groaned slightly as he straightened in the chair. “You were worried enough about the fact that she was a female. I didn’t want to make things worse.”

“You mean that she was an alien?” Sreeden smiled at the surprised look on his captain’s face. “Everyone knows the Auki sect is a magnet for alien scientists who want to find the freedom to focus on their work. And when I saw the settings for environmental control for Anorha’s quarters, I knew she couldn’t be Toroyan.”

“Very observant.” Maraqet chuckled. “But did you think she might be Utavi?”

“You’re kidding! She was a traitor to her people?”

“I’m sure she didn’t see things quite that way. She worked on the development of the phased shields, almost from the beginning, but she thought they would be used for constructive, peaceful purposes, not for warships.”

“You mean for accessing uninhabitable areas? Like engine rooms flooded with radiation? Underwater mines? Stuff like that?”

Maraqet nodded. “Like most pure scientists, she was obsessed with finding the answers to theoretical questions and didn’t worry about what others might want to do with the end product. When she realized that her military planned on using the cloaks so that ships could sneak past their enemy’s perimeters, she was very upset. She didn’t believe that the Utavi should expand their territory by force, and especially not with such devious technology. So, several years ago, she left the Union and joined the Auki sect where she could continue to work on her research in peace.”

“Amazing.” Sreeden walked to the nearest console and ran his fingers over the smooth surface as he thought about their unexpected ally. “Her research helped us find and destroy her own people’s ships. I wonder if we could have used her research to develop the shields, too?”

“You know that the Auki clerics retain the rights to the technology they develop and delineate how they can or cannot be used. She refused to let our military have the cloaking devices, but she was aware of the Union’s study of them and was willing to help us defend ourselves against them.”

Sreeden’s head snapped up in surprise. “But, you said she left the Union years ago, long before the ships were built. How could she know exactly how the cloaks were configured?”

The captain leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I believe that our people acquired the necessary information from the first battle, and not just from their ship’s sensors during the battle. The Starfleet admiral who was going to talk to our leaders about these shields had data with her that we found in the wreckage.” He grinned at Sreeden’s look of disbelief. “At least, that’s what the fleet admiral led me to believe.”

“I doubt that very much, sir. If the Federation was in on the research, why would they suddenly share it with their ally’s enemy? The Starfleet people couldn’t have known that those cloaked ships were following them into our space.”

“You have a point, Sreeden, but, unfortunately, we’ll probably never know the truth.” Maraqet sighed. “But, whatever started this war, Anorha was a good ally, in the end. Did you hear that they plan to this ship the Anorha in her honor?”

“It’s only fitting.” He leaned against the console and said, “And Anorha? What will become of her body?”

“She was taken back to the home world with the first shipload of prisoners. She’s to be buried at the Auki institute where she lived and studied the last years of her life.”

“Thank the spirit that she lived long enough to be of help to us.”

“I think she fought death valiantly with just that in mind, Sreeden. I think that once she knew her work was done, she went to the spirit in relief. She was a frail, wasted specimen, let me tell you. I have never liked the look of an Utavi, but her disease had truly ruined her body.” His mind traveled back to his last visit with Anorha.

Maraqet had seen death before, but always a swift and violent ending, not the long descent brought on by terminal illness. He’d been caught up in the task of replacing the Hooded Snake’s crew with his own men and securing his prisoners in his own ships when Petran, requested that the Utavi medic be allowed to examine the cleric. He’d approved it without a second thought, until, an hour or so later, he was summoned to her quarters for the last time.

He was escorted into her private chamber where Anorha lay on her bunk motionless and pale in spite of the stifling heat, the wrenching smell of death hanging in the air. He’d stared at her alien body as the Utavi doctor explained that her death was imminent and that there was nothing anyone could do to prolong her life. The captain briefly wondered whether he should trust the man’s prognosis, since the Utavi was obviously disgusted by this traitor who had brought his people to defeat. But a second glance at the body convinced him that Anorha’s life was coming to an end.

Once the doctor was escorted from the room, Maraqet stepped closer to the bed. It was the first time he’d actually seen the face of the female who had brought them victory, and he found that the usual hatred he felt for the species that had been his lifelong enemy threatened to boil to the surface.

“What were her wishes?” he asked Petran, tearing his eyes from the dying woman’s face. In spite of all he and his people owed her, he could not bear to look at Anorha again.

“She wished to be buried among the Auki sect that welcomed her,” Petran replied. “If you would request that a diplomatic shuttle be dispatched to carry her remains?”

“Consider it done.” Before he left, Maraqet scanned the room carefully, looking for the personal attendant, Klyn, who had been even more of a recluse than the cleric herself. He saw a small shape, cloaked in Auki robes, in the deep shadows of the room, but she was clearly unwilling to step forward and meet him. He moved toward the door. “We owe Anorha, and all of you, a debt of gratitude.”

“She believed in a higher moral standard than patriotism,” Petran declared as he left. “In time, I hope even her own people will accept what she as done as the wisest course of action.”

“It will take time, Petran, for that to happen, if it ever does.” He was mindful of the hatred he had experienced at the sight of her Utavi features, wishing that he could simply will the feeling away. “I wish it were as easy to stop hating as it is to begin.” His comment elicited an audible gasp from Klyn, and he turned to gaze at her in surprise, seeing only white skin and the flash of blue eyes. Another alien. “I’ll inform you when your transportation arrives.”

Maraqet shivered at the gruesome memory and glanced, once again, at the puzzling encryption that prevented him from flying the Hooded Snake. “Even if Anorha were still alive, my friend, I’m not sure that breaking encryptions was one of her strengths.”

Sreeden watched him study the first of the dozen or so codes that kept them from flying the ship, and then he voiced a question he’d been holding inside for weeks. “Sir, I realize that Anorha had studied cloaks for years, but didn’t she also advise you on tactics? If she had also had a military mind, wouldn’t she have realized the dramatic implications a phased cloak would have if used on warships?”

The captain was silent a long time, toying with the encryption as he pondered his first officer’s question. Finally he looked up and shook his head. “I don’t know the answer to that question, and I wish I did. The voice that advised me during the battles was much stronger than the one I heard when I saw Anorha in person, but I’d always attributed that to the microphone she used. Now, I wonder.”

“A mystery.”

“Yes. Another mystery we’ll probably never solve,” Maraqet stated flatly as he shut down the console and stood up to stretch his aching back. “For tonight, we’ve had mysteries enough to ponder with this damned code. Let’s get a good night’s sleep and start fresh in the morning. I would love to be the first Toroyan to fly a ship with a phased cloak, and I’m not willing to give up and have the Mystral tractor us home just yet.”

Sreeden nodded and summoned the night watch to take the bridge as Maraqet walked slowly toward the turbolift. “Captain, I wish I could’ve thanked Anorha in person for the way she helped us. If there are truly Utavi with a conscience like hers, then maybe we can someday live in peace with them.”

“Let’s hope for that, Sreeden, although I can’t help but be skeptical,” Maraqet said. “At least Anorha died knowing she’d helped us defeat the cloaked ships and bring an end to the fighting.” He boarded the lift and looked back onto the bridge with sad smile. “For her compassion and dedication, I hope she rests in peace.”