Trumari continues her suspect tale of woe and finds out why 'Taurik' was so nonplussed in chapter 2. Captain Janeway's perspective.

Kathryn found the Romulan woman unnecessarily long winded, but the story was at least interesting, like Trumari had said.

"Around this time, I also gained an interest in humans. I decided to apply to Starfleet Academy, making my political situation, and possible conflict of loyalties thoroughly clear when I did so. The admission's board and I worked out an agreement that was acceptable to both of us, and I enrolled in the Academy." Trumari paused for breath, her mouth apparently dry.

"I'd still get citizenship, as usual, and I'd agree to not get involved if there was ever a conflict with my loyalties. I hadn't even finished my freshman year at the Academy when Intelligence started trying to recruit me. I gave in eventually. They had me out in the Zone three times before I even graduated. My first official post was as a yeoman in the Diplomatic Corp, but I was actually vetting dissidents in the 'Zone for clandestine meetings with Ambassador Spock."

"I caught a lot of flak when he 'went rogue' and disappeared into the underground on Romulus. It wouldn't have been so bad if I could have found him right away, but no such luck. He wasn't hanging out with the right crowd often enough for that. Possibly on purpose. Anyway, I did manage to convince Intelligence it wasn't my fault, once Picard found him, and kept going. Pulling all the strings that had to be pulled to get Taurik and the other Federation prisoners out of Romulan space was my last big operation that wasn't a bit of a disaster."

Kathryn stopped her. "Who is Taurik?"

Trumari looked confused. "He's one of your engineers. A Vulcan, family name Bret'st. I was really surprised to see him. I didn't think he'd have been ready for a mission like this already, after what the Remans and the Tal Shiar put him through."

Kathryn picked up a PADD and scrolled through a few pages. "I don't have a Taurik on my crew manifest. My only Vulcan engineer is a Bret-test Vorik."

"Oh!" Trumari exclaimed. "That's awkward. No wonder he looked at me like I was crazy when I said hello. Taurik mentioned having a brother named Vorik, but he didn't say anything about being identical twins! I'll have to apologize…" Trumari flushed.

Kathryn raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"Uh…hugging him." Trumari admitted. "Oh, Lord Rumar, why do you play so rough with me?" Trumari groaned.

"Perhaps because you are his namesake?" Tuvok suggested. "Assuming the existence of such a personage."

"Rumar is some kind of god, I take it?" Kathryn asked.

"A trickster god, to be specific." Tuvok answered, "He is your patron?"

"Conceived and born on Rumarie." Trumari confirmed. "My twin was born the day before, so she escaped his attention."

"This is interesting, but it really isn't relevant." Kathryn chided her.

"Right, of course. Well, I got a summons to come back to the Empire and take up my hereditary post for the new Empress, because everybody who'd stayed in the Empire was dead. I informed my superiors and then took a leave of absence, like I was supposed to, to consider my options. My mate and I went to visit my sister and my parents, who'd moved to a colony near the Cardassian border. The Cardassians picked just then to decide that planet was in the territory the Federation had ceded after all and killed my family. Intelligence booted me like a Klingon kicking tribbles as soon as the Cardassians tried to ransom me. I was stripped of my citizenship, convicted of treason in absentia, and left to rot."

"The Cardassians were a bit upset about that, since the reward for a corpse was so much less that political concessions for a valued officer of Starfleet, and took it out on me. That's when the Maquis raided the prison and rescued me. I decided to throw in with them both out of gratitude, and for my own safety. Honor also demands justice for my family's deaths, so fighting Cardassians fit that quite nicely. As for whether some faction in the Federation or the Empire arranged it, I continued using those contacts who would still speak to me to try and find out. That's how Tuvok learned I was 'Rumar'."

Tuvok nodded his agreement. "Of course, it's also how I found out you were still in the good graces of Starfleet Intelligence. I was still trying to work out whether to tell Chakotay, or blackmail you when this whole 'stranded in the Delta Quadrant' thing happened."

Tuvok raised an eyebrow at the woman. "And what might have you hoped to obtain?"

She sighed. "Well, you know, revenge on the Cardassians aside, I'm pretty upset by the treason conviction. What I really want is a one-way ticket to Romulan space. I'm really over the Federation and it's 'superior values' at the moment. I'd just like to go back to that kitchen and pretend the last twenty-five years never happened." "That might have been hard to do, with the habits you've acquired during your time with the Maquis."

"I'd really rather be rid of those, honestly. Not that I'm capable of being anything but honest right now. The last year, actually. Sundered Cardassians."

Kathryn frowned at the woman in front of her. "Is it this bad all the time?"

"No, not all the time. It gets worse when I'm nervous, or in more pain than usual. I don't think they did it on purpose, since they didn't take advantage of it much."

Kathryn considered everything. She wasn't quite sure she believed this Trumari woman. "The other Maquis have agreed to cooperate in exchange for transportation back to the Alpha Quadrant. I've promised to put in a good word for them with the authorities when we get there, if they earn it. I'm not sure I can do that for you. Even if I became comfortable with the idea, I doubt it would do you any good."

Trumari tilted her head. "Could you promise to let me off in the Beta Quadrant near the Empire if we go around that way? And advocate that I be deported from the Federation to the Empire if we don't?"

"Quite possibly. Before I make any promises however, I'd like you to head to Sickbay. There's some tests I want that EMH to run."

"Can I consult with it about some other things, too?"

Kathryn waved a hand. "Ask for whatever it is to be triaged. There's a wait list."

"I understand."