While Captain Bo Donati prepared two glasses of brandy, Vice Admiral Alisha Black decided to take a tour of his quarters. The walls of his living area were garnished with various displays of the wonders of the universe. On a small corner table stood a model of his first command. The USS Diligence, which had been destroyed by the Jirzzaque. Alisha touched the light panel as she entered his bedroom. There she discovered his more personal possessions. Holographs of his children crowed his dressing table. Then she spotted another holograph placed on a table near his bed. She turned it and was delighted to see herself there. It was the holograph she had created for him after their first night together as lovers. They had just finished making love and she wanted to give him something to remind him of the evening... After all, she kept his white duty shirt. A pair of arms circled her slim waist and a warm body pressed against her.

"I see you keep this holograph in a tactically sound position." Alisha smiled as his hands opened her jacket. She leaned back into him letting her head rest against his shoulder. Alisha was rewarded with a long kiss to her neck.

"It's the last thing I see when I sleep and the first when I wake." He said sliding his hands over her shirt and resting them on her breasts. Alisha sighed and closed her eyes thinking, please God, no red alerts tonight...

Captains Log: Stardate: 2311.27.02. Donati recording. The Lexington has arrived at the Cathedral sector and we have immediately begun scanning the shipyards as well as the surrounding sectors of space. The Cathedral station has suffered heavy damage. Our estimate is that one-third of the yards have been destroyed. With the stations communications down, we can only assume their causalities are high... My science officers have been given the task of discerning the ion trail of the prototype battleship Bismarck. Once discovered, we will proceed on that course... The Lexington will rendezvous with the Starship Saratoga within the hour... Donati, commanding USS Lexington, out...

Donati pressed a button on the arm of the command chair ending the entry. To his right stood Admiral Black. She was staring stone-faced at the main view screen which pictured the severely damaged station.

"The Bismarck packs quite a wallop." The Admiral commented.

"It appears so." The Captain replied.

"Captain, I've established communications with the station." Lieutenant Commander Skye reported from her console. "I have a Commander Parson."

"On screen Jena." Donati stood as the viewer dissolved into the face of a very haggard appearing Starfleet officer. "Respond Commander."

"Yes sir." He said. "In a nutshell Captain, a Jirzzaque force commandeered the Bismarck and used her guns against us. You've seen the damage. I don't know what kept the rest of the station together."

"Causalities?" The Captain asked.

'Two-hundred and twenty-one dead and missing... Another one-hundred and eighty three wounded."

"Do you need additional medical personnel?"

"Yes sir." He said with a crack in his voice. "Sick Bay was part of the station that was disintegrated."

"Understood." Donati said. "I'll have a team assembled and beamed over immediately." Then he realized the Commander's confidence could use boost. "You've done a hell of a job over there Commander."

"Thank you sir." He replied appreciating the words of praise. "Parson out. . :'

"Commander Bay." Donati said to his half Klingon first officer. "Coordinate with medical. I want a full triage team over there ASAP... Anyone we can spare."

"Yes Captain." She replied and exited the bridge.

Donati walked to the science station and tried to peer over the shoulder of his science officer. "Anything Cami?" He asked.

"I have a faint ion trail bearing 23(3 mark 10 sir." She replied as she adjusted her instruments. "It could be the Bismarck."

"Stev, lock navigation into the sensors. Ready impulse engines."

"Plotted and laid in Captain," His Vulcan CONN officer said.

"Sir I'm picking up a ship on long range sensors. . ." Sabin interjected. "It's the Saratoga."

"Right on schedule." Donati commented. "Now we can get this show on the road..."

Captain Kit Donaree of the Saratoga and Captain Donati decided to meet aboard the Cathedral station and witness the destruction first hand. After a cursory tour of the damaged sections Commander Parson led them to the detention area saying that he had something unusual to show them. While the Captains believed that all was in order Donati nodded to Donaree while simultaneously touching his phaser... Donaree understood.

"We have a prisoner." Parson explained.

"A prisoner?" Captain Donaree asked. "A Jirzzaque?"

"In a way." He said. "I'm not Doctor but it's as though a Jirzzaque has taken over the body of a Starfleet officer."

"How?" Donati questioned.

"That's all I know sir." He replied. "He was caught sabotaging some of our systems... Ever since then he's been ranting like a madman. Saying things like the Federation will fall and Starfleet will be destroyed."

Captain Donati raised an eyebrow but held his comment...

The force field to the detention cell was lowered and the three officers stepped inside. There secured to a bed was a human Starfleet officer.

This is your spy?" Kit asked.

"I'm no spy!" The man spat. "I am a patriot! Warrior of the Jirzzaque!"

"You're not like any Jirzzaque I've ever met." Donati said.

"There are more of us!" He strained against the bindings. "We're everywhere! You think you're strong! You are weak! It Is the Jirzzaque that will rule the universe!"

Kit eyed Donati. "I think we've seen enough."

"Agreed." Bo said then to Parson. "I'll have someone examine him."

"Of course sir."

Then as they were leaving the cell Captain Donati turned back to the prisoner. "If the Jirzzaque are so strong why do they hide instead of facing us and fighting us like true warriors?" The officer seethed and his bindings bit into his arms and legs. Donati grinned and walked away...

It was the strangest thing." Donaree said. 'While he appeared to be a human, he WAS a Jirzzaque... I just can't explain how they're doing it."

"No holography, no implants." Bo added. "I think we are dealing with a new type of Jirzzaque technology."

"Possibly some type of direct mind control." Kit summarized.

"I believe I have the answer." Admiral Black said. "When I boarded the Lexington I received a priority one dispatch from Fleet Admiral Brannon." Her cat-like eyes moved from one Captain to the next. "The science vessel Einstein has discovered technology whereby the conscience of a Jirzzaque is transplanted into a humanoid... Admiral Brannon explained that the 'hosts' conscience was subdued somehow in the process yet the person’s life experiences and general knowledge are available for the Jirzzaque to call upon."

"The perfect spy," Bo said.

"How do we detect them Admiral?" Kit asked.

"Aside from behavioral aberrations, we don't." Alisha answered. "At least we haven't found any way to detect them at this time... I should point out that anyone has had direct contact with the Jirzzaque is suspect." This time her eyes locked with Bo's. "Anyone could be a Jirzzaque agent,"

"How do we proceed, Admiral?" Donaree asked.

"If you alert your staffs you may start a witch hunt... Your crews will be too busy suspecting each other to do their jobs correctly. . . It may be best to proceed as normal, as if this conversation never took place." The raven haired Admiral replied.

"Then I say we should begin to follow the ion trail our sensors have discovered." Donati said.

"Agreed." Kit replied. 'The Saratoga will launch two fighter squadrons to enhance our long range reconnaissance. . ."

"And may I suggest that both of the ship stay at Yellow alert." Black said.

"Of course." Bo replied.

"Captain Donati and I have discussed possible scenarios of this mission at length." The Admiral said. "The one constant is that the Jirzzaque be denied the Bismarck by any means available to us."

Admiral Black hoped to distract Bo from the disclosure she had made earlier in the conference room. She donned a sexy negligee she had purchased on Aldebaran and wrapped herself in a white silk robe. As she was tying the sash Bo arrived. His expression told her that even If she had been naked he wouldn't have noticed.

'When were you going to tell me about the new Jirzzaque technology?" Bo stiffly asked.

"In due time." Alisha simply said.

"In due time! Don't you think 1 should have been briefed immediately? I have a ship and crew at stake here!"

Alisha answered him with silence. She knew no matter what she said would be taken out of context.

"You suspected me?"

"That is not true." Alisha sighed exasperated. "I was under orders to observe you."

"I suppose Aldebaran was all just an elaborate ruse to gain your trust." He said feeling his temper rising.

"I was doing my job!" The Admiral spat. "If the situation was reversed, you would have done the same!"

Somehow Bo held his tongue. He decided it was time to withdraw before it got any worse.

"I'm due on the bridge." He said as he turned to leave. "Unless you don't think I can be trusted?"

Alisha dismissed him with a wave of her hand. She had not meant to hurt his feelings but orders were orders and their duty to the Fleet came before any personal relationship. At least that is what they agreed on...

"What have I done?" She whispered aloud thinking she had just irreparably damaged their relationship..,

USS Saratoga - Main Bridge

"Saratoga this is Dark Angel Four, do you copy?"

"We copy DA Four." The communications officer said.

"My sensors have picked up the presence of three major Jirzzaque vessels. Coordinates, two, two eight mark zero seven nine."

"Any sign of the Bismarck?" Captain Donaree asked.

"That’s a negative sir... Stand by... Sensors indicated a number of smaller craft, possibly attack vessels."

"Understood DA Four." The Captain said. "Stay out of their sensor range and stand by for further orders."

"Roger that Saratoga." DA Four signed off.

"Captain, the Saratoga is hailing us." Lieutenant Commander Jana Skye said from the monitor on his desk.

"Patch It through." He said.

"Bo, one of my recon ships has discovered a Jirzzaque task force consisting of at least three capital ships and an undermined number of fighters at coordinate 228 mark 079."

"Our welcoming committee." Donati commented as he scanned the local star charts on another screen. "I suggest that the Saratoga deploy all of its remaining embarked craft and attack... The Lexington will be on a parallel course to coordinates 293 mark 079.

"You'll out flank them." Kit said.

"That is my intention."

"Bo, may I remind you that they have three capital ships to our two?"

"That's their problem Kit." Bo grinned.

Captain Donaree didn't know him well enough to be sure if he was being confident or just plain cocky. Her gut Instinct told her that she was lucky to be fighting with him and not against him. A smile slowly grew on her face. . . "Give 'em hell Captain!"

The two Starships went to battle stations and the Saratoga's remaining fighters were launched. The Lexington broke away from the staging area. Its arced course would bring the ship to a position five-thousand kilometers starboard of the Saratoga’s attack thrust.

The Jirzzaque fleet rose to the bait committing all but one of its capital ships. The Nighthawks and Dark Angels rocketed into the fray spewing their deadly ordinance. The Jirzzaque fighters suffered heavily from the initial salvos from their Federation counterparts. The Nighthawks were able to target the Jirzzaque warships uncontested. The Saratoga followed firing at will and it destroyed a handful of fighters and severely damaged a warship. As the Jirzzaque regrouped for a counter attack the Lexington dropped from warp directly behind them. Before the Jirzzaque could target the new threat the Lexington opened fire concentrating on the two warships.

The first Jirzzaque ship, previously damaged by the Saratoga and Nighthawks, staggered under the assault. Another well placed torpedo from a Nighthawk ripped into the ships engineering section and the enemy ship exploded.

"One down, two to go." Tactical officer Chandos announced from his console.

"Sir, we've got company." Lieutenant Commander Smith reported from OPS. "The last Jirzzaque is on an intercept course."

"Mister Stev, one-hundred and eighty degrees about!" Captain Donati ordered. As the Lexington spun to meet the warship head on, the ship took multiple hits to its secondary hull.

"Shields holding at eighty-seven percent, Captain." Commander Wilson announced from damage control.

The third warship opened up with all of its weapons striking the saucer section of the Lexington. A number of the bridge crew was thrown from their seats and communications was flooded with reports of injuries.

"Forward shields down to fifty-eight percent of capacity sir." Wilson said with an edge of fear in her voice.

"Hold your fire Mister Chandos." Donati calmly said.

"Sir, they're preparing another salvo!" Commander Sabin said reading the energy build-up on her sensors.

"Fire phasers!" Donati commanded. "Torpedoes away!"

The Lexington shuddered as the torpedoes left their tubes. On the main view screen the Jirzzaque ship foundered and appeared unable to continue to battle.

"Captain! I have an unauthorized transport!" Smith reported.

"Origin and destination?"