Chapter Text
To all true Terrans,
This ship, much like the Terran Empire itself, has been corrupted into something unrecognizable and unsustainable. Over and over we see Terrans, the rightful rulers of the galaxy, replaced and pushed aside by inferior outworlders. This injustice will not be tolerated. Any friends of the Terran Empire who wish to take action are invited to a meeting tonight in cargo bay 3 at 2100 hours. Of course, secrecy and discretion are highly advised.
While Elias Reese didn’t go so far as to invite every Terran on the ship, he did cast a wide net. He felt as though it was hardly a risk, sure that most would either agree with him or not care enough to make a fuss about it.
He had arrived early and spent those few solitary minutes pacing with his hands clasped behind his back. In his mind he speculated as to who he might see at this meeting. Soon, they began to trickle in, most arriving a minute or two early but a few arrived just in time. Before he began, he took a moment to count the heads of everyone gathered. Fifteen altogether, most of whom were people he recognized and respected, but there were a few new faces too. It was a smaller turnout than he expected, but enough to get the job done.
“Thank you, everyone, for gathering here tonight,” Reese began as the group formed a semi-circle around him. “It gives me hope to see that you all support the true glory of the Terran Empire, even if our numbers are lower than I would like.”
“To be fair, you don’t need this many people to kill a captain.” An ensign spoke up. Reese did not recognize her. “Conroy and T”Ralia did it with only one accomplice each.”
Reese narrowed his eyes. “Know your place, Ensign….?”
“Fitzpatrick.” She slumped her shoulders, gone was the cavalier attitude she had only moments ago.
“I’ve seen more assassinations and many, many more failed assassination attempts than you have, Ensign Fitzpatrick. I know what must be done to ensure success. Besides, this is about more than removing the Vulcan captain.” He paused to survey the small crowd, sure to address them as a whole. “This is about removing every member of this crew who does not share our beliefs, even if that means that the fifteen of us are the only remaining crew. Albrecht made that mistake. She didn’t purge the pro-reforms, and she got killed by the Vulcan she used to fuck.”
“And what about Admiral Noonien-Singh?” Lieutenant Burton spoke up this time. He was a science officer, Reese often sparred with him. “She seems to be on the captain’s side.”
“If the admiral needs to be removed, she will be removed. For now I'm uncertain of her motives, but I think her own ambitions are her priority. Her goals align with our own. She seems to be on good terms with the captain, but I imagine that’s only because the captain is cooperating for now and that she isn’t picky about her allies. If that were to change, I imagine the admiral would stand beside us.”
“Then shouldn’t we wait until after the coup?” Burton asked again. “See that through, then take back the ship?
“Oh no.” Reese took a step closer to Burton. “I don’t trust T’Ralia no matter how she acts with the admiral, and I have a feeling that if something goes wrong it will be solely her fault. We have four days to take back the ship. Whoever kills the Vulcan will be a hero of the Terran Empire.”
“Stupid decisions my ass,” Maya muttered. She rolled to the side and began to sit up, moving slowly, careful as to not trigger another dizzy spell. La’an’s harsh words had the opposite of their intended effect. Instead of forcing her to calm down and think before acting, Maya felt agitated, eager to jump into action and prove herself to be useful. Just like before, always feeling the need to prove herself because she was always pushed to the side.
She went to the computer console again, trying to find something worthwhile to do that would keep her mind busy. The uncomfortable thoughts were quieter when her mind was too occupied to give them room to grow. However, without La’an’s credentials her access was frustratingly limited. The information she needed was blocked, but that had never stopped her before. Shew knew these systems well enough, the technology was identical to what she had learned in her universe. The first time, months ago, learning how to bypass Starfleet computer security took hours of careful concentration, but with so much more knowledge and experience she broke through after only a few minutes.
There it was, the information she needed. Katya’s quarters were nearby. While it had been odd to learn that the other La’an and Maya had been just around the corner from them all along, it was even stranger to think that Katya had been just as close as well. No matter what La’an had said, not matter what she tried to tell herself, Maya still couldn’t quite separate this woman from her old lover, the one who she had watched die. That made it sting all the more when, each time they interacted, Katya spoke cruelly to her. It was a painful inversion of one of the only kind people from Ceti Alpha V.
Maya stood up straight and clasped her hands behind her head. La’an would say this was a stupid idea. If her half brother was still alive, he’d call it a stupid idea too. But was it? Maybe it was just moving to action when no one else would…when no one else could. Who else had the same kind of advantage when dealing with Katya? Ideally, Katya would mistake her for the Terran Maya, her own lover, but even if that failed she still had expressed an interest in her.
She sat back on the edge of the bed. That was what gave her pause, thinking about enduring unwelcome advances from the Terran Katya. She took a few deep breaths. Stopping this coup wasn’t going to be easy for anyone, she could make a few sacrifices. Maya stretched her back as she got back on her feet. She went to the closet and put on a jacket that La’an had left behind. Suzette had been able to easily tell her apart from the Terran Maya, so Katya might be able to do the same, so Maya chose to hide the shape of her body.
She paused at the door, taking one final moment to consider her actions. It was risky, but the potential reward was massive, and no one else could do it. It wasn’t stupid. She stepped through the doors and out into the corridor once again. Katya’s quarters were a short walk away, in the other direction from where the Terran Maya stayed. It sent a shiver down her spine to think about how many times one or the other must have walked past her very door to see one another.
Maya paused again outside the door. It wasn’t yet too late to change her mind and turn back. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that she was strong enough and capable enough to see this through before she rang the chime on the door.
“Katya,” she called, already questioning if she sounded the part. “It’s Maya, I’ve been dying to see you.”
Hardly a moment passed before the door slid open and Katya stood just inside the frame. It seemed that the Terran La’an had already found little ways to show the augments that she meant to make them an elite class. The Katya that Maya had known looked just as rough and raw as anyone trying to survive on Ceti Alpha V, but this version, even in her short stint aboard the Portland, was polished like a gem: Fine clothes, neatly styled hair…everything enhanced the elegance and grace that Katya had always had.
Katya grabbed Maya by the wrist and dragged her into the room. The door closed behind her.
“It’s about time. You’ve been neglecting me terribly.” Katya placed a gentle hand on Maya’s cheek, closed her eyes, and leaned in to kiss her. Maya closed her own eyes and tilted her head to accept and wrapped her arms around Katya’s waist. On the outside she seemed eager, but on the inside she was conflicted, feeling a swirl of conflicting emotions. Everything reminded her of her Katya and made her want to cling desperately to this moment and any other moments they might share together before she went back to her own universe. At the same time, the woman frightened her and seemed just as eager and capable to hurt her in the way the Terran Maya had.
Maya pulled away just enough for their lips to separate. “I am so sorry. I’ve been busy.”
“Busy playing, quite literally, with yourself?” Katya teased.
Maya’s heart jumped, and she felt a wave of nausea, but she tried to keep her composure. “Busy planning to take over an Empire. We only have four days.”
Katya kissed her again, just a quick peck. “Every time I come to your quarters you aren’t there. I’ve been worried.”
“La’an has been taking every moment of my time, teaching me about the Terran Empire, formulating plans.”
“And when will the rest of us be able to hear those plans?”
“Soon. Once everything is finalized.” Maya pulled Katya in closer and kissed her again. “And I’ll be able to give you the attention you deserve again soon too. For now, regrettably, I have to ask you a practical question.”
“Oh? Can’t it wait a bit?”
“I’m afraid not.” She kissed Katya again, conflicted as to whether she was enjoying herself or thought the whole thing was horribly wrong. “Whatever happened to the Ceti eels?”
“You don’t remember?” Katya pulled away. “You went with me when we surrendered them to the lab.”
Dammit. Caught in her lie. Maya couldn’t keep a nervous smile from creeping on her face as she quickly planned her recovery. “I know…I know, I just hadn’t thought about them in so long. I wanted to be sure.”
“Why such sudden interest in the Ceti eels?” Katya crossed her arms. All traces of flirty playfulness were gone from her voice. This question was a serious one.
“”I’m asking on La’an’s behalf. She’s concerned about the crew, Some key officers are suspected to be working against us and need to be controlled.” Maya was uncomfortably aware of how her voice sounded. When she had leaned too hard into imitating her Terran counterpart, she was called out by Suzette, but her own natural way of speaking lacked the gravity she needed.
“Oh?” Katya narrowed her eyes. “I thought torture and assassination were more her style.”
Maya’s heart began to race. Katya was beginning to suspect her. “She thought this way seemed cleaner and was curious to see what they are capable of before we reach Terra Prime.”’
Katya gave her a hard look before she answered, and she crossed her arms. “Very well. Tell La’an that she can find the Ceti eels in containment in the lab. She’s an admiral, she can use the ship’s resources as she sees fit.”
“And she’s going to be emperor.”
“Not for long if we have anything to do about it,” Katya added with a sly half smile.
“But of course. I’d like to stay, but…”
“...But you’ve got an empire to claim,” Katya answered with a sigh.
Maya nodded and turned to leave. Just before she went through the door, she turned around and went back to Katya, giving her a kiss on the cheek to say goodbye.
Katya stood frozen once the door closed behind Maya. Damn girl had nearly fooled her until she started asking about the Ceti eels. The content of her alibi almost sounded plausible, but the delivery was poor: the pauses, the way her eyes darted around as if she was scrambling to think up a story on the spot. Katya had let her go, she wouldn’t have the chance to do much more harm, not if Katya acted quickly.
She waited a few more minutes, as crossing paths with the other Maya would complicate her plans, but once she chose to act she moved with purpose, taking quick, long strides. First, she went to her Maya’s quarters, just to check on more time, but there was no answer when she rang the chime. She checked La’an’s quarters too, and just as expected there was no reply. The admiral had good reason to be anywhere on the ship, but where else might Maya be?
Still walking with her purposeful pace, Katya turned and went back toward her quarters, thinking through who she could ask or where she could go to find out where her Maya was or if she was still alive. A possible solution presented itself as an Imperial Starfleet officer–an ensign who looked to be close to her age–crossed paths with her.
Katya grabbed the ensign by the collar and pulled her in close. “Tell me, are there prisoners in the brig?”
“There are always prisoners in the brig.” For someone who was being threatened, the ensign remained remarkably calm.
“A woman my age. Tan skin, long wavy black hair.”
“I wouldn’t know, I’m not in security!” Now the signs of fear began to settle in. The ensign’s eyes grew wider, and she spoke through a clenched jaw.
“Can you take me there?”
“I’m on duty, I have other places to be.”
“I’ll speak to Admiral Noonien-Singh myself, you won’t suffer any consequences. Tell me your name.”
“Corin Fitzpatrick.”
Katya let go of Fitzpatrick’s collar. “Forgive my outburst.” She tried to calm herself, but her tone was still sharp and acidic. “I hope we can work together with a bit more civility.”
“It’s fine. I’m not out here trying to piss off any augments.”
Fitzpatrick led her to the brig. The dimly lit hall was lined with tiny cells. Most were empty, but a handful held members of the crew who were being disciplined. They each sat meekly on the floor: bruised, bloody, and with a dull look in their eyes. La’an must have gone easy on the other Maya for her to recover so quickly.
“Try not to touch the force fields,” Fitzpatrick warned. “They’re lethal.”
In the last cell in the row, Katya saw who she was looking for.
“Maya!” Katya sprinted over and knelt on the floor in front of Maya’s cell. Her lover laid in a heap on the floor, her dark hair spread around her. She turned her head to look up at the security officer who guarded the prisoners.
“What have you done to her?” She demanded.
“Only sedated her. Had to be done, she’s like a wild animal.” The officer answered with a shrug.
“I command you to release her!”
“And just who are you to be giving orders?”
“An augment, an improved Terran who has been promised a place of honor in your society!”
“So, nobody." The guard crossed his arms
“I will be back with Admiral Noonien-Singh, and you will regret defying me.”
The officer stepped closer and leaned forward to tower over Katya. “I’ll take my chances.”
Fitzpatrick walked toward Katya to stand beside her. She extended a hand to help Katya get back to her feet. “Come on. We can come back with the admiral.”
Katya ignored Fitizpatrick’s extended hand and rose back up to her feet on her own. She didn’t look back at the guard or at Fitzpatrick as she turned and walked past them without another word. Fitpatrick took a few quick steps to catch up.
“"Can I ask you a question?” Fitzpatrick asked in a hushed voice.
“You just did.” Katya mirrored her soft tone, but didn’t look at the ensign as she answered. “But go ahead.”
“Some of us worry that the new captain might not be working in the Terran Empire’s best orders. We’d appreciate having the allegiance of an augment. Your goals might be compatible with ours. It’s awfully suspicious, what happened to your friend.”
“Awfully suspicious indeed.”