"You don't have to go. This is not an opportunity, Ace.", Tiara looked at her Bajoran lover.
"You don't have to do it just because Nicole asked you to do it.", Tiara lectured.
"Ace, you are not making an engineering breakthrough, you are turning the clock back and using a primitive and dirty version of the naturally occurring dilithium; a dilithium so dirty that the Federation and Starfleet do not support its use.", Tiara paced back and forth in the engineering room of the Tanmesad.
"Ace, do you know who is going to take the Red Shale? The Klingons are going to use the ruby to power their fleet, to help with their rearmament. You may very well be helping the Klingons arm enough to occupy Betazoid and maybe even Medara. Don't you remember what the occupation was like?", Tiara looked at her former lover.
Acrylos was not amuzed, "Don't you dare lecture me about the occupation! You don't know what us Bajorans went through."
"The Klingons are no better than, hell they may even be worse than the Cardassians and you are going to provide them with the crystals necessary to bring warships lost in wars with Cardassia and the Romulans back on line. You are going to do this.", Tiara looked at Acrylos.
"You think this is a grand engineering fleet but all you are doing is restoring a superpower. You may as well have head ridges instead of nose ones.", Tiara was getting more emotional.
"This is not a success story.", Tiara looked at Acrylos.
On the Observatory, Thua'ra looked at Anora, "I am not a farmer, Anora. I have tried to be the good farmer. I know that Bajorans love this stuff but I am not a Bajoran. I am a Cardassian. We are empire builders. This is a great opportunity. Hell I will even get Bajoran rank working for Colonel Teero."
Anora looked back, "I know one thing for sure. You are not a Bajoran, Varno. This is an opportunity for us. We are feeding the sailors of the King's Fleet real food, not some replicated version. This is real! I enjoy being a part of this. If you go to the mines, you go alone."
Thua'ra looked at Anora, "I need to do this. I need to be a part of something."
Acrylos walked into the factory his industrial replicators had built. Tegan walked across the laboratory floor. She looked at the Bajoran, "Do you think this will really work?"
"You are the expect, Dr. Vasa.", Acrylos smiled, very happy to have the Betazoid specialist here.
"If this works, we can produce a very small quantity of high end Dilithium for the Federation, the Betazoiid Alliance and the King's Fleet and still move the lower grade product to the Klingons. This is win-win!", Tegora smiled.
"I think it will work.", Acrylos started his process.
Tegora watched as low grade dilithium started falling into the conveyors. They all knew this was possible. Nicole walked in, "General Kabarann will be pleased."
"I could care less about Honey.", Acrylos turned around, "I am not here to help the Klingons. I am here to help us."
Acrylos could hear Tiara's speech play over and over again in his mind. This had to work. He did not give up his relationship with Cori, with Tiara and his service aboard the Tanmesad to have this fail.
Acrylos looked at the generation chamber, "Come on, baby."
Tegora put her hands on his shoulders. She had not touched the Bajoran in a very long time. She had been rumored dead. She had been lost. She never thought she would be back here. She whispered, "It will work. It has to."
The tiny silver bars stayed empty. Tegora turned to walk away when the bolt of lighting appeared in the generation chamber. Acrylos screamed, "Yes! You can do it baby!"
Vincent walked into the lab, "Do you have good news, Colonel?"
Acrylos stepped back for Admiral Viceroy to observe the scene. He looked at Tegora, "Does Admiral Laree know of your experiments, Doctor?"
"I have accepted Bajoran rank to work for Colonel Teero. All senior command conversation must go through my superior officer, Admiral.", Captain Tegora Vasa looked at Vincent.
"Thank you, Captain. I will inform the Betazoid Alliance of your successes only when it serves the King's Fleet to do so.", Admiral Viceroy coldly announced.
"Come on, baby!", Acrylos begged.
Suddenly the generation chamber glowed red. Acrylos started to tear up. He was so proud.
Tegora looked at Acrylos and started to cry. She hugged him so tight, "You did it, Colonel."
"Was there ever any doubt?", Acrylos choked on the words. He had as many doubts as anyone.
Vincent looked at Acrylos, "Well done, Acrylos. Energy keeps these colonies relevant. You have done just that. Red Dilithium could made the King's vibrant and important once more."
Nicole walked towards the pair, "I knew you could do it, Acrylos."
Vincent looked at her, "When did you know?"
Nicole looked at Vincent and started to walk away. He grabbed her arm, "You made such a big deal about Libby's betrayal but if you knew that she was after control of the Dilithium, you were using her as much as she thought she was using you. When did you know?"
Nicole walked out of the lab. Her silence spoke volumes. Vincent nashed his teeth. She professes to be so naive and yet she is always around enriched dilithium like the Phoenix Colony and the Omega Sands. She managed to make deals with the Romulans on Cheron VI and now this. She is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Vincent knew by her response that Nicole had to know when she offered the 1000 pieces of Latinum when they first arrived on Medara. The question is how? How did she know?
Posted by:
Colonel Acrylos Teero
Chief Engineer
Red Shale Mines
Northern Medara Mountains
Nicole Branson
Owner - Red Shale Mines
Camelot, Medara
Betazoid Alliance
Special Guest Appearance by
Admiral Vincent Viceroy
Commander in Chief
King's Fleet
