Savar raises his eyebrow to take in his surroundings.  Keely sets the girl down and whispers in her ear, then stands back up again.  The little girl looks up at them, confused, then walks back to the game she was playing.  She glances over her shoulder once at Keely, then ignored the pair.
	“Someone you know?” Savar asks.
	Keely looks around, and begins walking, motioning for him to follow.  “We’re being watched.”
	Savar nods, understanding, and follows Keely outside and into a grove of trees.  She turns around to face the Vulcan.  She sighs.  “That was A’Quira’s daughter, Al’Cora.  I had to make sure Jepoth had not got to her yet.  I know he’s made strikes at A’Quira, but if he had touched her...”  She shakes her head as she trails off.
	“I see.  What is the plan now?”
	“We need to go talk with A’Quira.  More than likely, she has information about Jepoth.”
	Savar instructs Keely to lead the way, and she nods.  They walk back to the building, then follow the street.  It’s amazing how much Keely blends in - if it weren’t for the fire red hair.  Soon they reach a house and they stop outside of it.
	“A’Quira’s?” Savar questions.
	Keely nods.  “Please try to say nothing.  I don’t know what to expect.  Just follow my lead.  We may have to play down the fact that you’re my Counselor.”  She chuckles a little, then steps forward to knock on the door.
	Savar whispers to himself that since he doesn’t know what he’s doing here right now, he’ll have to problems staying silent.
	A few moments later, the door opens to reveal a Klingon woman who looks at Savar, then at Keely.  Her serious expression changes to a smirk when Keely mutters something in Klingon to her.  She then steps aside so that the two may enter.
	Keely smiles, and begins speaking in Klingon to the woman.  “Quira!  It is very pleasing to see you again.  Unfortunately, our visit here will be brief.  I come for information on Jepoth.  If you have any to give me.”
	A’Quira thinks for a moment, then motions the two into a living room, indicating they should sit.  She speaks in Klingon as well.  “So you have come for your revenge.  Have you kept up on everything we’ve taught you?”
	“Yes, I have.  I was on Vulcan, and I was attacked there.  I got two out of the three.  The last one followed me here.  That’s why I cannot stay long.  I had to make sure he hadn’t come after you.  Tell me you have information that can assist me.”
	A’Quira nods.  “I do have information to give to you, but you must promise me that you’ll come back alive.”  She retrieves a Klingon PADD, and hands it to Keely.  “This is the layout of his grounds, and other observations.  Use it wisely, my friend.”
	Keely takes the PADD and looks over it briefly before handing it to Savar.   She lifts her eyes to meet A’Quira’s.  “I will come back, that I promise you.  And Jepoth will go to Gre’thor, have no fear.”  She smiles slightly, then indicates to Savar that they will be leaving now.
	Savar tucks the PADD away, and nods to A’Quira.
	A’Quira stands with them, placing a hand on Keely’s arm.  “And when was the last time you ate?  You will need strength for your battle.  Your friend will too, if he is going with you.”  A’Quira glances at Savar as if not believing that he is.
	Keely glances at Savar, holding his gaze.  “Thank-you, but we really should be going.  Our stalker could be watching us, and we should go to keep you and your famliy out of danger.”  She glances out the window, as if looking for the man.
	“Very well, if you insist.  But you must eat something.  Make sure you do before the battle.  One more thing.  I would suggest attacking his house at night.  Most of his guards are drunk by then, or so tired their reflexes are slow.  Farewell for now, and may your blood scream.  Qa’pla!”
	Keely nods to A’Quira, then leads Savar and herself out of the door.  They walk a few steps out of the house.  “This diagram is very thorough,” Savar comments.  “It shows guard patrol movements and times, as well.  I have memorized the floor plan.”
	“Yes, A’Quira is very good at gathering this kind of data.  It will be very helpful.”  She begins walking again.  “What do you think?  Should we wait until dusk or go now?  I’m not sure.”
	“It seems logical to wait until dusk, if all that A’Quira told us is true.”
	Keely nods.  “Yes, but it’s so hard to wait when I’m this close.”  She gives a frustrated sigh.  “Yes, we should wait.  But what until then?”
	“Return to the runabout and eat.”
	Keely raises an eyebrow, wondering why everyone gangs up on her.  “If you are hungry, be my guest.  My back is still a little sore.  I should rest it.”
	“And eat?” Savar prompts.
	Keely acts as though she didn’t hear the Counselor, and taps her commbadge.  “Runabout Nexia, two to beam up.”
	The transporters take hold of the two, and they rematerialize on the Nexia.  The lights come on, and Keely disarms herself before sitting down.  She begins running all sorts of system checks, hoping that Savar will leave her alone.
	Savar places his bat’leth aside, then walks to the replicator.  “Steamed vegetables over Terran white rice.”  He turns to Keely.  “You?”
	“Cappuccino would be nice,” she answers.
	He puts Keely’s order in, then brings it over to her.  He sits down in the copilot’s seat, placing the plate on the console and eating.
	Keely takes the cappuccino, then props her feet up on her console.  She closes her eyes, enjoying the relaxing effects of the drink.  “The calm before the storm,” she mutters to herself.  She looks out at the stars.
	Savar looks at his console.  “It should be getting close to dusk now.  We should be ready to go soon.  Have you looked over the layout, and the other information on the PADD?”
	Keely looks over at Savar, then picks up the PADD, scanning it.  “Guard rotations and things Jepoth had been up to recently.”
	“Anything we should be aware of?”
	Keely shrugs.  “I looked over the layout, but if you know it, you’ll be fine.  He has had a lot of medical officers recently, both Klingon and non-Klingon.  I’m not sure what that means.  Now that I think about it, he didn’t look well on that recording on Vulcan did he?”
	“No, he did not,” Savar confirms.
	“He coughed, but talked eaasily enough it appeared.  Probably a terminal illness.  That’s why he would need my assistance.  Even though he probably wants me to... nevermind.”  She looks out at the stars.  “Don’t worry about it.  We can get in easily enough.  I plan not to fight if I can help it.  I can get us in without violence, if you don’t object.”  She turns to watch Savar’s reaction.
	“Can we beam in?”
	“No.  We’ll have to walk up to the doors.  And, well... don’t worry about it.  I can get us in.”  She smiles, almost evilly, then gets up to recycle her cup.
	“If you say so,” Savar answers as he finishes his rice.
	Keely rolls her shoulders again.  “You’d better take something for the pain in my back.  Just in case.”
	“Already taken care of.  There are two medical hyposprays in this pocket.”  He points.
	Keely rearms herself. and does a final check.  She also adds a phaser to her gear, unseen by Savar.  “You’re prepared for everything, almost.”  She sets up the Nexia to beam them down.  “Ready?  Oh, please keep your mind open so I can talk to you if I need to.”
	“I will try.”  He picks up his bat’leth and steps up onto the transporter pad with Keely.  “Ready.”
	They are transported down to the surface and rematerialize in a forest.  Keely immediately drops down, crouched, silent, listening.  Her face shows total concentration, and all other thoughts are gone from her mind.  Keep Savar out of danger, get Jepoth, and keep herself alive.  She silently moves off, motioning to Savar.  The faint light that signifies dusk makes her overly careful.  She stops and points.  She contacts him telepathically.  ~A sensor grid, correct?  Tell me my eyes are not playing tricks on me.~
	Savar confirms the grid, and they determine they are still well out of it.  ~Can you scan it to see how far it goes or look for weaknesses?  Perhaps a way to disarm it?  That would be nice,~ Keely comments.
	Savar pulls out his tricorder and sets it for a low-level scan, in order to not be detected, if it can scan out this far.  Keely indicates that she is going to scout the surrounding area.  She stands with her back to a tree, pulling a dagger.  She scans with her eyes, ready to throw the dagger or beam them out.
	~Keely, it extends over the house proper.  And it is very sensitive.  A phased energy blast here,~ he says as he points to a blinking dot on his tricorder schematic, ~would disable it.  However, it would require the power of two hand phasers on high settings, and I only brought one.~
	Keely winces as she sits down again, crouching next to the Vulcan.  ~I have my phaser, Savar, no worries.  I may prefer my Klingon weapons for this, but I can’t forget my Starfleet training.~  She continues to look around.  She indicates all clear.
	~If you see no one, it may be possible to disable the net now.~
	Keely nods agreement, then freezes.  She focuses on a bush fairly near to their position, not blinking, readying her dagger.  ~Someone is in that bush.  Check with the tricorder.~  She tenses, focusing her energy on the bush.
	Savar changes tricorder functions, scanning the area around them.  Sure enough, a blip appears on Savar’s screen. He nods and points in the direction Keely is looking.  She brings up her dagger and, in one swift motion, throws it.  The two hear a muffled noise, then the sound of a large mass hitting the earth.  Keely relaxes, and moves to check the bush.
	Savar’s eyes flick back to his tricorder as soon as Keely begins moving.  He draws his phaser, firing a blast above Keely’s back.  A body falls on Keely.  ~I was going to say, there is two.~
	~Thanks for the warning,~ she replies as she kicks the body off of her.
	~You moved too quickly.~
	Keely sighs softly, and moves back to Savar’s side.  She glances up at the grid.  Suddenly, the grid dissapears as though disengaged.  This surprises both of them, and now Savar’s tricorder reads perfectly within the area previously covered by the grid.  ~Things are as A’Quira said,~ Savar comments.  ~Some guards appear to not be moving, most likely passed out.  But the guards at the door are alert.  Things will be clear from here to the door.~
	~It’s time.  Let’s go.~  She nods again, and tenses up.  She leads the way to the front door of the house.  Savar manages to keep up while maintaining a constant scan and patrol.  They reach the path to the door without incident, and Keely straightens up, motioning Savar to put away his equipment.  He complies.  She nods, then falls into a position behind Savar, pulling her phaser and training it on him.
	When they reach the stairs, two guards stumble out of the doorway, obviously drunk.  ~Don’t move,~ Keely instructs.  They growl anda stare coldly.  The one speaks first, favoring his native tounge.  “Well, if it isn’t Calahan.  Come back to be beaten in battle?  We were told to expect you soon.”  He laughs.  “And who is your prisoner?”
	Keely hopes that the Counselor trusts her and will do nothing drastic.  She replies in Klingon.  “Well, Jepoth wants the information, doesn’t he?  Well, my little Vulcan friend here has it, and I know Jepoth will have fun getting it out of him.  So are you going to let us pass or not?”  ~Just trust me,~ she adds to the Vulcan.
	The guards begin consulting with each other and drinking as Keely stands without breaking.  ~When I tell you to, run,~ she instructs Savar.
	~Run where?~
	~Out of here.~
	Keely becomes annoyed with the guards and yells again in tlhIngan Hol.  “Well?  I imagine that Jepoth won’t be too happy if you fall over drunk, and he doesn’t get the information he needs!”
	The guard growls at Keely, then opens the door, leading them inside.  After a few minutes, they are in a hallway with doors on both sides.  They are approaching stairs, and they have to remove a drunken and passed out guard from them.  Savar cannot help but wonder how the bad guards and the highly efficient assasins are hired by the same person.  Suddenly he is pushed aside by Keely.
	Taking her chance, she stabs the guard in front of them.  All of a sudden, guards leap from several places, surrounding the pair.  Keely attempts to protect Savar, by pushing him against a wall and placing herself between him and the guards.  The guards look at their fallen, then up at Keely.
	The second door guard launches at Keely, managing to get a solid blow in before she knocks him off balance, throwing him into the stairs and breaking his neck.  The guards then begin the assault as Savar pulls his own weapons.  Keely kicks a guard several times in the side before plunging her blade in.  She pulls it out, the warrior falling, before stabbing the next.  Savar is also engaged by several guards who are too close to allow him to use his phaser.  He blocks several attacks with Vulcan martial arts techniques, then nerve pinches one guard and knocking another out with the blunt handle of his blade.  Keely goes after the last standing guard, exchanging blows before she finds an opportunity to bury her blade once more.  This time, she leaves it in as he falls.
	Savar looks over at Keely.  “Now what?”
	She turns to look at him, then pulls a blade from her belt.  She flings it, barely missing Savar, and it imbeds in a warrior sneaking up on Savar.  “We’re even now.  And now we find Jepoth.”
	Keely and Savar pull their phasers, then head up the stairs.  They fall silent as they climb.  At the top, they see another hallway.  Around a corner, they come to a open area, where a man in a robe stands with his back to the approaching pair.  She indicates that he should cover her.
	She walks until she is directly behind the robed figure, then addresses him.  “Remember me?”  As he turns, she launches a quick blow to his jaw, sending him crashing into the wall.  His pale face distracts her as a shadow barely catches Savar’s eye.  He pulls his tricorder.
	Before he can open it, the robed figure leaps with sudden energy, grabbing Keely with a knife at her neck.  She is between Savar and the assassin now.
	“Drop her.”
	“Ha, no.  Thought you had me, didn’t you?  Foolish girl.”  He again addresses Savar.  “This does not involve you, unless you want it to.”
	Savar will not be threatened.  “I said drop her.  This phaser is set on wide angle stun.  Both of you will drop to the floor and nothing will be accomplished.”
	While his attention is on Savar, he does not see Keely draw a dagger, plunging it into his abdomen.  The man makes a painful sound and releases her.  “You know, I’d love to watch you suffer, but I am a doctor, and I can’t forget that, even now.  So I just hope you die while you’re unconscious.”  She hits the man over the head, knocking him out.
	She stands up as Savar walks over to her.  “Why did you hesitate to shoot?”
	“To shoot both of you, you mean?”
	“Yes.  I figured you would have.”
	“To be honest, I had the phaser set to tight heavy stun.  Had I moved to adjust the settings, I wasn’t sure what he would have done.  Also, I figured you had some plan and wanted a moment’s distraction.”
	She shakes her head.  “Good thought, but next time, just shoot.  We need to find Jepoth.”
	Savar indicates his tricorder, but Keely shakes her head, simply indicating the door at the end of the hallway.  Savar nods, and brings his phaser to bear.  Keely leads the way as they close the distance, then enter the room.
	When they enter, it takes a moment to adjust to the low lighting.  When they can see better, then do they notice Jepoth in a bed against a wall, breathing raspily.
	Savar scans as guards or traps as a simple precaution as Keely walks towards the bed with a knife at the ready.  She fights hard to contain her medical training.  It becomes even harder as Savar shows her the tricorder with his biological readings on it.  She becomes sick as all wanting to kill dissapears, being replaced by a sorrow that she didn’t come quicker to help.  The knife falls as she drops to her knees.
	“Jepoth, why didn’t you tell me you were in this condition?”  Kill him now, her mind screams at her.  But her medical side and the help from the Vulcan Masters takes over.  “I’m a doctor, I could have helped.”
	Jepoth opens his eyes, looking at her, speaking Klingon.  “I thought I would be able to fight you when this day came, but that is not how it is to be.  I know you would have helped, but it was the wrong time.  I have np family left, and you are the closest thing.”
	Savar raises his eyebrow as he continues.  “You know why I have asked you here, and I know you don’t want to.”  He pushes a dagger towards her.  “Kill me.  It’s what you want, and I’m not going to stop you.  You know how - it’s what you were trained to do.”
	Savar walks over to stand next to Keely.  She shakes her head at Jepoth’s words, throwing the dagger across the room.  She speaks to him.  “Tell me where it is, and I’ll get it.”
	Jepoth coughs violently.  “They are in the case... over there.”
	Keely walks quickly, retrieving the container, setting it on the edge of the bed and removing the contents.  She drapes the cloak over his body, then hands him the ceremonial dagger.  He nods, takes the dagger, and moves his arms up above him.  She kneels, placing a hand on the bed again.  She winces as he impales himself, then pulls it out again, dripping with blood.  Keely mutters something.  Then Jepoth pulls her close, whispering something to her.
	As his last breath rattles out of his body, she stands, whispering, “It’s over.”  She pulls the cloak over his head, and the two Starfleet officers walk out of the room into the hallway.  Keely stops only to look at the Trill.
	“Keely?  Keely, let’s go home.”  She nods in reply as he taps his commbadge.  “Runabout Nexia, two to beam up.”
To be continued...