Asani remembered every detail of when he last saw Admiral Riker. His office was decorated with all the memorabilia that he had collected over his time in the Federation. The walls showed a museum of the many different awards, medals, statues, and pictures of his courageous and astonishing career. The items that were most important to him, sat on his large mahogany desk. Hologram pictures of his families told the story of the happiest moments of his life. One family was the crew on the Enterprise. Countless smiles of closest crew members were seen. Another family was when he was a young child growing up in Valdez, Alaska. Moving pictures of his mother were all showing her young face because she died when he was only two. The last family took up the most space. Deanna Troi’s face was in all of them, along with his now departed son, Thad and daughter Kestra. Two single hologram pictures showed the face of a very young girl with long brunette hair and eyes that Asani will never forget.

“You are responsible for the lives of your Away Team!” yelled Admiral Riker. His face was blushed. His eyes narrowed and his jaw was clenched. “Do not give me your damn excuses! Their safety is your first priority! And if the leader of the Away Team is the sole survivor…” His eyes began to slightly water which seemed to enrage him more. “If you’re the sole survivor…then you have failed at your mission!” The Admiral corrected his uniform and gave a heavy sigh as his eyes never left those of Asani’s. “You have failed at everything.” Asani could only stare, not knowing what to say. “Lieutenant Nasos, you are hereby dishonorably discharged from the Federation.” Asani’s heart was pounding though his chest. “And I hope I never see your face again.”

“What evidence do you have to support this statement, Admiral Riker?” Colonel Hakeev said as he gave Asani a quick glance. The question took Asani out of his daydream. He gave Admiral Riker a quick look and saw the same angry face when he last saw him. Asani quickly looked down and gave a heavy sigh.

Admiral Riker never looked away from Asani as he took from his pocket a PADD. He pointed the PADD in the direction of the hologram of information spinning above the table and with two fingers, he slid a file from the PADD to the hologram above. The file magically appeared above them and was separated out to show all pages of the file. “These documents show Mister Nasos involvement.”

Asani and the rest of the group began to scan the documents. He knew right away what they contained. His handwritten notes, logs, diagrams, and drawings were plastered on every page. All describing how to make the perfect hidden bomb. Asani saw the Senator’s smile widen. Jajot gave him a shrug. Colonel Hakeev lightly scratched his forehead. Asani had already told this story to Jajot and the Colonel. He knew that they were not the source of these documents.

“We are certain these documents are authentic?” the Colonel asked while scanning each document.

“I would not share them unless I knew they were,” answered Riker as he scratched his beard.

“The best way to find that out is to ask Lieutenant Nasos himself,” the Senator said with another large smile as he looked at Asani.

Asani nervously looked around the room and could easily see who was for him and against him. “They are authentic,” whispered Asani. “I built the bomb.” More whispers and voices were heard though out the room. Asani heard Harry and Thomas give comments asking why he did not listen to them.

“Then that proves that Lieutenant Nasos is conspiring with the Cardassians,” Senator Jetos stated as he looked around the room with his hands held high. The whispers and voices increased. “What more evidence do we need?”

“Why don’t you tell them who asked you to build the bomb!?” Jajot yelled over the voices in the room. The room became silent as all eyes looked back towards Asani.

Asani sat back in his chair with his hands folded across his chest. He saw many confused faces desperately wanting an answer. Riker’s face never changed. Asani looked down, hoping he was back on that “miserable planet”. He then looked at Jajot, who smiled back. “I was asked by members of the United Council.” Admiral Riker’s eyes narrowed like most of the others. Other faces showed wide eyes and open mouths.

“This is becoming more intense,” Harry said in Asani’s ear while Thomas nodded his head.

“Why would the United Council ask you to build a bomb?” the Senator asked with his head shaking back and forth. “They are not in the business of destroying planets. They seek peace, which is why they were created.”

“Which members asked this of you?” asked the Colonel. His tone showed he already knew the answer.

Asani gave a sigh. “Admiral Richards and Commander Kilo.” Admiral Riker’s eyes widen as he slowly scratched his chin. More voices and whispers were heard everywhere around the room.

“I think we have their attention now,” Thomas said to Asani through his earpiece.

“That bastard Klingon Commander should not be a part of the United Council!” yelled Senator Jetos. His eyes were narrowed, and lips pursed. He gave a heavy sigh and looked at Asani. “Do you have evidence to proof your accusations?”

Asani gave a quick glance at the Admiral which made his jaw tighten. Then Asani looked at Jajot and then at Hakeev. Both gave him a nod. He pulled from his pocket a PADD and sent the documents into the spinning vortex of information above.

Senator Jetos was first to begin to scan the documents. His eyes widen as he read the first page. “These are official United Council documents, or we have a master forger.” He continued to read as Jajot, and the Colonel began to sort through the documents. “It explains many classified meetings where all agreed that peace talks were not working and that the Xiezios were becoming increasingly lethal.”

“It gives a detail plan of how to ‘neutralize’ the threat, making the Xiezios people dependent on others,” stated Jajot. “Destroying the mining operations would annihilate their power source leaving them vulnerable.”

“The entire UC signed off on the plan,” explained Hakeev. “Orders were given to speak with an expert on how to assemble an explosive device that would be completely hidden.” He continued to scan the documents. “Top leaders from all species were informed. The Romulan Ambassador and High Commander, Klingon Ambassador and top Generals, Ferengis, and even the Vulcan leaders. Plus…” The Colonel turned slowly and looked at Admiral Riker. Asani could see that the Admiral’s eyes were twice their size, but now narrowed. Riker looked at the Colonel with a sideways glance. “Leaders of the Federation have given their recommendations including…you.”

Asani saw the Admiral immediately stand and walk over and stood by the Colonel. His mouth hung wide open as he read. “I promise you that I have never seen these documents before.”

“Is that your signature, along with your encrypted authorization codes?” asked Senator Jetos in a high pitch tone.

“Yes…they are,” answered Admiral Riker. “I am as shocked as you are.” He began to scratch his white beard. “Those codes are impossible to forge.”

“It appears to me, that the United Council has gone rouge,” Jajot said with large hazel eyes narrowed. Her thin lips showing a crooked smile.

Senator Jetos shook his head. His lips pursed. “The United Council was developed has a beacon of peace to all those in the Universe that could not fight for themselves.” Asani felt the Senator’s tone made him feel like he was listening to a campaign speech. “It was to root out evil and bring hope to those that had none. Every member of the United Council was rightly elected by their own people. There is no way that the United Council could be behind this…this madness.”

“But here you have evidence saying exactly the opposite,” Colonel Hakeev stated while continuing to look at the documents. The Senator looked down shaking his head. His lips still pursed. “It appears that they have been working in the shadows. Finding ways to push their own plan while pretending to be this beacon you say they are.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“You cannot go off evidence that this ex-Federation…officer is saying!” yelled the Senator. Asani saw the Admiral Riker continue to scratch his beard while looking through the documents. He would glance toward Asani with his eyes narrowed. Jajot, on the other hand, would give him a smile every time she met his eyes. “He has admitted to building the bomb! He was seen on Loval in Cardassian space! He is not to be trusted!”

“Then explain the documents!” yelled Hakeev as he quickly turned towards the Senator while motioning to the spinning hologram of information above. Admiral Riker had grabbed one of the documents and pulled it closer to exam. “These are official documents of the United Council! They have all the marks and encryptions that tells us they are real! Actual Signatures with encryption codes from high-ranking officers of all species! These are not something that you can forge or copy or steal! The security is too advanced for anyone!”

“Then he must be working with someone…”

“Why were you on Loval?” Admiral Riker asked to Asani with his chin held high and eyes narrowed. The room went silent.

“Oh my,” Harry commented in Asani’s ear.

“He will not like the answer,” stated Thomas.

Asani eyes grew twice their size. His mouth felt very dry. Both Jajot and Hakeev looked at the Admiral and then smiled at Asani. He looked at the Admiral and then cleared his throat. “I was…I was there looking for…someone.”

Admiral’s eyes narrowed even more. “Who on Loval would you be searching for?”

Asani shrugged. “Ensign Harris Byers.”

Riker looked at Asani with a sideways glance. “Ensign Byers is dead. You of all people know this.”

“We found evidence that showed he is very much alive,” stated a smiling Hakeev. Admiral Riker turned to the Colonel. “My people in the Tal-Shiar discovered a human among the Cardassians. Very well guarded and seeming to be helping them out.”

The Admiral turned to Asani. His jaw clenched. He then looked back to the Colonel. “I take it that you shared this information with him, but not with me.”

Jajot walked forward and placed a hand on the Admiral’s shoulder. “You were still being checked out.” She gave Riker her smile. “We only shared the information with As…Lieutenant Nasos to help identify who this human is.” She gave a smile to Asani. “He gave us the answers we were looking for and then was quite insistent on us sharing where this Ensign Byers was located.”

The Admiral smiled. “We sent a search crew and found remains of Ensign Byers and…others.” He looked at Asani with narrowed eyes and then back at Jajot. “Are you telling me that Byers faked his death?”

“He not only faked his death,” Asani stated with a deep tone, almost whispering. The Admiral quickly turned. “He helped killed everyone else on my away team.”

“And you know this how?” asked the Admiral with a clenched jaw. His eyes narrowed.

“Because he told me.”

The Admiral stepped forward. “You have proof of this?”

“I have our conversation recorded.”

“It was a little more than a conversation,” stated Harry into Asani’s earpiece.

“And you had nothing to do with it?” The Admiral cracked his neck and narrowed his eyes. Asani leaned back in his chair and gave a heavy sigh. “You are telling me that you were able to land on Loval and find Ensign Byers and get him to admit to this whole thing.” His tone had risen. “Sounds too convenient.”

“I disguised myself as a Cardassian, infiltrated their base and found Byers,” Asani stated in an elevated tone. “I tied him to a chair and sent thirty volts of electricity through his body until he told me everything.”

“Maybe we should do the same to you and see what you say,” Riker yelled while taking another step forward.

Asani stood. “Do whatever the hell you want to me. He took everything away from me that day.” Asani’s jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. Tears were seen on his cheeks. “If his Cardassian patrol…did not stop me, Byers would be dead right now…and me with him.”

Riker could only stare. Jajot stepped forward and placed her hand on the Admiral’s shoulder. The Admiral sighed and turned away. Jajot looked at Asani and gave a huge smile. “I think there is new evidence that I would like to add. Someone who can give us a perfect understanding of Asani’s character.” Jajot looked at Riker. “Let us hope the Admiral does not charge us with a crime for hacking Federation files.” She gave Riker a wink as she walked to the table and placed a small disc on a control console. A small light was seen and then a familiar face appeared in the hologram above. Both Admiral Riker and Asani’s eyes grew twice their size.

“Stardate 78293.20. This is day three-hundred and sixty-one on the away mission to Xiexath. I am Lieutenant Faye Riker, and the mission is going…” The face in the hologram looked away from the camera and a large smile appeared across her face. Her hazel eyes appeared moisten. She then looked back at the camera. “This is the first for me on recording these stupid daily logs. I am at a lost for words.” The face looked down and she began to play with her long brunette hair. She then looked at the camera and sighed. “I guess for the first time in my life…I am actually in love.” Asani saw the Admiral quickly glance in his direction. He did not care that tears were streaming down his cheeks. “Listen. I am more surprised than anyone. I mean Asani can be this rule dictator. We have to follow orders. Trust your command. Don’t put others in the away mission in danger with your actions.” A smile appeared across her red lips. “Let was one that he hounded on forever because of…me hacking the system. He kept saying what could have happen to me.” She played with her hair again. Her eyes widen. “He told me yesterday…and my heart jumped. I mean…you never know until you hear someone say it. Of course, we both know what we are doing is against regulations. He is being very hard on himself, and if my father found out…” Asani saw Riker give a quick grin. “My mother on the other hand would be delighted. ‘Finally!’, she would say. ‘Love is most important’ and ‘now I might have grandchildren.’” She shook her head and gave a quick sigh. “Ok back to business. Asa…Lieutenant Nasos told me about the work that has been done on this mineral that the Xiezios people are mining. A lot of scary…stuff is happening with this rock. It’s surprising how big this is getting. I mean…it appears that everyone is wanting this mineral.” She again played with her hair and then stares off camera. Her eyes narrowed and then another sigh. She then looked back at the camera. “Asani…I mean Lieutenant Nasos…He is giving details that is scaring me. Saying things such as ‘world killer’ or ‘unstoppable power’. I don’t know what to think. Him and Byers have been doing the studies and now he wants to erase it all. He is saying that they can never get this rock stabilized, or it will cause ‘chaos’.” She gave another smile. “He is just a great person. He actually cares so much about these people but does not know how to reach them.” She tilted her head and sighed. “He does not know, but I have seen how he is giving our food supply to the locals. He is also helping families with their houses. Helping them do repair work.” She shook her head and smiled. Asani saw that a few of the people that were in the room were beginning to walk on to the stage and sit at the table. All were memorized by the face in the hologram. “It is so difficult not to use technology to help these people. We have to fit in and seeing Asani…up on the roofs with ancient tools, helping to repair the houses, knowing that he help built starships…he just wants to help.” A frown appeared on her lips. “Others don’t give a damn. Feel they are superior. That we have a right to take what we want. That Byers is an ass.” Another large sigh. “The thing is…I sometimes think the same. Then when I talk to Asani…he makes me understand our purpose here.” Tears are flowing down her cheeks. Asani has to look away. More people are gathered around the table. “I hope my father never sees these logs. I don’t know what he would do. Hard to say, but I know that Asani is much like him. He always wants to do what is right.” Another heavy sigh. “Ok that is enough. Man, these logs are becoming brutal.” She wiped her eyes and gave a large smile. “Last thing I am going to say. Asani is taking me to Nexus point tomorrow. The sunsets are amazing on this planet. Plus, there is this ‘hole in the wall’ restaurant that cooks this amazing food. It is so good.” A large smile. “The food and the people here are wonderful. Only wish their leaders like Diavol Cain felt the same way about them. I hope he burns in hell.” Another head shake. “Ok that is enough. Lieutenant Riker signing off.” Her contagious smile was seen and then the log closed.

Asani heard both Harry and Thomas make sniffing sounds as Jajot grabbed the disc from the console. She walked over, placed a hand on Asani’s shoulder and then placed the disc in his hand. He immediately grasped it and gave a small smile.

Every chair at the table was now filled except one. Species of all types were now giving Asani the same face of a warm smile and glistening eyes. Asani saw Jajot give Admiral Riker a smile with narrowed eyes. He returned a simple smile and reluctantly took a seat at the table.

“We have now heard the evidence from both sides,” Jajot said as she walked around the table. “We know that Asani or Lieutenant Nasos as done things that all of us would feel were…bad choices. He would be the first to say so.” She stopped at the head of the table and looked at all faces seated. She stopped when she came to Asani. “But he was ordered to do what he did. No matter what you think of the circumstances…the documents show complete information of a working plan to destroy the mining facilities on Xiexath. ‘Xiezios were not to be trusted’. ‘They were becoming lethal and aggressive’. They were destroying ships and taking over border worlds. That ‘death’ rock had made them powerful.” She placed her hands together and touched her lips. “These documents from the United Council look to be brilliantly forged and other evidence that has been put out by the Cardassians, has been manipulated in a way to blame Lieutenant Nasos as part of this…evil plan.” She gave a light sigh. “There is much that we don’t know, but what we must decide here…is if we can trust Lieutenant Nasos.” Jajot gave a quick smile and wink to Asani. “We will now vote. You all know the rules. It must be unanimous.” She looked around the room. Asani saw that many were giving Admiral Riker quick glances then back to Jajot. “All in favor of trusting Lieutenant Nasos and allowing him to be a part of our circle.” Jajot raised her hand. Hakeev quickly raised his. Many others followed. A few hands began to slowly raise. Four were left. Another hand rose and then another. Senator Jetos gave a heavy sigh and then rose his hand. Admiral Riker looked around the room and saw all eyes looking at him. His eyes then found Asani’s. His jaw clenched. His eyes narrowed. Then a heavy sigh. He adjusted his uniform and slowly raised his hand.