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M'nia seeing lek come back so soon was concerned. She thought maybe she'd better check on him. She went to his office and asked "may I come in?"

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Lek looked up from his datawork and bit back his initial acid response. M'Nia had done nothing to be treated poorly because his attempt to fix things with Helga had failed. So he took a deep breath and said.

"Actually, I'm quite busy. I would however like you to look at the plasma manifold on the port nacelle of the beta hull. It's been running five degrees hotter than the others and I would like to know why."

[[USS Discovery - Deck Two - Armory]]

PO2 Helga Tragnar
[USS Discovery - Deck Two - Armory]

Helga was surprised.  She hadn't anticipated that Lek would come here during her workshift to ask such a thing.  The Klingon hybrid, looked to her work partner briefly wondering if the new crewman could be convinced to ignore regulation and go take a five-minute coffee break - leaving her and Lek alone to speak privately.  Maybe, but then Helga realized she wasn't prepared to talk - not yet.

She looked back to Lek. "This is not the right time nor place for this discussion, Lek." she stated, avoiding the question.  "I'll find you after my shift."

[Armory - Deck Two - USS Discovery]

Lek stood silent for several long seconds after Helga finished talking and then said.

"I see. Good day to you Petty Officer Tragnar."

Lek then spun on his heel without another word or looking back. He returned to Engineering and though he wanted to lash out, he did not as none of his people had done anything wrong to deserve his ire. He instead went to his office and began catching up on his datawork.

[[USS Discovery - Deck Two - Armory]]

PO2 Helga Tragnar
[USS Discovery - Deck Two - Armory]

The Klingon/Human hybrid had been 'dating' the Ferengi chief engineer for over 4 years (not counting the last year that she'd been off ship for her recovery).  At first their relationship had been purely physical - which had been fine by Helga; but relationships like that were rarely stable, especially for a species as passionate as a Klingon, and she soon developed rather strong feelings for Lek.  All too soon he was her parmaqqay and she had marked him as belonging to her.

Their romance had always ran hot and cold.  Fiery moments of passionate when their schedules synced, and then weeks of neglect while Lek hyper-fixated on his first love, his career.  Helga had struggled at times not to be jealous of the time he spent with the ship's engines (first Challenger's and now Discovery's), but beneath it all she did believe he loved her so she put up with his quirks - even forgiving him for not even thinking of asking her to come with to his best-friends wedding.

This time, however, it was she who had closed herself off and avoided contact, even after she had made her initial recovery in Discovery's Sickbay.  Because of the intensive ship repairs her majority of her rehab had been done off ship and she had requested that go alone.  Some might think she did this so that Lek wouldn't see her weakened state, but that wasn't the real reason.  Helga was ashamed - she had fallen victim to the Borg's influence during the Frontier Day massacre; and if that weren't bad enough, she'd been ordered to hunt down Lek and eliminate him.

To her knowledge, he didn't know that, and she cowardly couldn't bring herself to tell him.

When the ship and crew had returned to duty, Helga had quietly rejoined.  She knew from past experience that following any repair at a Starbase, Lek and his team of engineers would be kept busy running their own checks on the system.  She figured it would be several weeks if not more before Lek realized she was aboard again.  She'd hoped during that time she could come up with some way to reconcile her guilt and cowardice.

However, as she looked up from her inventory list, hearing Lek's distinctive nasal voice greeting her and commenting on her well-being, her rehearsed apologies and explanations fled her.

All she could manage to say was his name. "Lek."

[Armory - Deck 2 - USS Discovery]

Lek could tell Helga was both surprised and deeply disturbed by something, which was not the reaction he expected. He smiled to reassure her and said.

"It's been too long and I'm certain that's probably my fault, so I'm here to see if you have any interest in seeing if we have a future."

[[USS Discovery - Deck Two - Armory]]

PO2 Helga Tragnar
[USS Discovery - Deck Two - Armory]

Helga was unsurprised to find herself assigned to working in the armory when she returned to active duty following her lengthy recovery.  The Armory had been her assigned station prior to her injury... so why wouldn't she return to it upon her return to work?  The fact that it wasn't challenging or at all strenuous physically she shouldn't take as a sign that her chief was coddling her.  She knew this. Yet somehow, Helga found herself now unsatisfied with her job.

[Armory - Deck Two - USS Discovery]

Lek was nervous as he stood outside the armory, no, that wasn't the word. He'd been nervous buying his recommendation to Starfleet. He'd been nervous telling his father he didn't want to go into business. What he felt now had an emotional component far beyond what nervous could cover. Regardless, now was the time and the place was here.

He entered and immediately spotted Helga, his heart fluttered and for a moment he thought he might run. But he managed to stand his ground. He'd tried all night to come up with something witty and suave to say, but could not, so he settled for something simple.

"Hello Helga, you look well."

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Lek was pleased. The last mission hadn't done any damage to the ship beyond the main bridge being shot up in a shoot out between the crew and their clones. He was still trying to figure out why, of all the people in the Federation to clone, the lunatics of Starfleet Intelligence had chosen the crew of the Discovery to clone. Especially as they had gotten away, he was glad there wasn't a corrupted version of himself running around somewhere doing Blessed Exchequer knows what.

All he knew was the ship was running well and he wasn't in hiding from the crew. However, there was one thing that he did need to fix, his relationship with Helga. Ever sense she'd been assimilated, they really hadn't talked. He knew she had been severely injured during that time and he'd visited her multiple times in sickbay, but she was unconscious at the time and he doubted she knew he was there. After she regained consciousness, her injuries were severe enough that she required months and months of intense physical therapy to recover her full strength and agility. She didn't have time for Lek as she was driven to return to full duty in security. That didn't surprise him as he knew her pride would not allow her to accept anything less than being the warrior she'd been before her injury, thus, they had drifted apart. Their relationship had always been on and off, but never off for this long and he'd decided it was time to turn it back on again. If she would have him.

He went into his office and spoke softly to the computer.

"Computer, locate Petty Officer Helga Tragnar."

"Petty Officer Tragnar is in the armory on Deck 2."

Lek exited his office and said.

"Lieutenant M'Nia, Engineering is yours. I have something I need to look into. I will probably not be gone long."

Lek took the short walk to the turbolift and was more nervous than he had been in a long time. When the car arrived, he simply said.

"Deck Two."

Probably relaxed, depends on the mission.

"Umm, well I'm game. Captain, up to you?" M'nia said. She trusted lek and knew they'd be safe in his hands.

[USS Discovery - Deck 11 - Main Engineering]

While he was relieved that Lek seemed okay, the phasers pointed at him was honestly not something he was comfortable with.  But... Lek was smart.  And with his suggestion, the Captain lowered his rifle and laid it on the ground, as well as his phaser.

"I know for a fact that you haven't been captured, Lek, so I'll trust you not to shoot me outright.  Go ahead and test me, but do it quickly.  My other self is currently firing on the ship."

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Since this Captain had shown trust, Lek was inclined to do the same. Whispering to Lieutenant T'Farr. "Cover me." Lek stepped from cover with a tricorder. He stepped up to the two and ran the most extensive scan he could to try and find any signs of genetic drift in their DNA. When he didn't, he shrugged.

"Well, if you aren't the real deal, the fifty kilo head that created you really knows his stuff. What are your orders Captain? We're on the clock because a fake Rayek just cut comms with me. Knowing how conniving Rayek to be, I'm sure he's up to something. Not that he can. The warp and impulse systems are not only rigged to explode, they are disconnected from the ship's computer. Just needs a few connections to reconnect, I didn't get into active sabotage like last time, but he can play jiggery pokery all he wants, the engines are solidly locked down."

M'nia, made her way to engineering alongside the captain, not knowing what she would find, she had grabbed a phaser. She more than likely would need it. The doors opened up and they was fired upon. She followed the captain.  "Sorry captain but looks like right now I'm all you got. Cmdr lek. It's M'nia and the captain. Are you ok?"

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

When to doors to engineering opened, a couple of the more jumpy engineers opened fire. When Lek saw that it wasn't an assault, he began shouting.

"Cease fire! Cease fire! Stop shooting you knuckleheads!"

The shooting did stop and that gave Lek time to see someone that looked like the Captain and someone that looked like M'Nia. Unfortunately, he didn't know either well enough to challenge them like he had with the fake Rayek and he didn't know how he would know if they were the real ones or clones.

"Okay, I know who you look like, but that doesn't mean much. Neither does your voice print or any access codes you might have. However, from what I understand, tricorders can detect traces of genetic drift in clones. If you are willing to drop your weapons and be subjected to a scan, we might have a way forward."

[[USS Discovery - Deck Six - Battle Bridge]]

rRayek tr'Lhoell
[USS Discovery - Deck Six - Battle Bridge]

Lek's praise and another name-drop, this time the Enterprise with an explanation from Lek of his choice suggested to the replicant that this game of cat and mouse was far from over.  Lek wouldn't have needed to provide explanation to original.  For some reason, the Ferengi was still doubting.  Perhaps he'd picked up on the hesitation or it was the lack of actually naming the ship.  Fvadt! It seemed he would have to risk it all on a guess.  The best choice being the ship that they both served on.

"Lek, we don't have time for this.  It wasn't Discovery or Enterprise. It was a model of Challenger.  Now can you please quit being so distrustful and just get the ship moving!" he answered in an exasperated tone.

rRayek silently prayed to the Elements that his guess was right and that he hadn't shown his hand.

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Lek's hearing was acute enough to detect changes in pitch and timbre in a person's voice and Lek knew this was not Rayek. It was frightening how much this clone knew, but despite the fifty kilo head science dunsel that had brewed up this replica, it didn't know every thing.

"Good guess whatever you are, but critical piece of information you are lacking is that I didn't pay ten strips of latinum for the wedding gift I gave to Rayek, I made the ship in a bottle by hand. The ship is moving via thrusters and that's enough to get us away from the station. There will be no impulse and no warp until I hear from the real Rayek or the real Captain Tekin. Both systems are rigged to explode if you try to force your way into engineering or override my personal lock out. So, to quote an expression from a classmate of mine at the Academy. 'you may go bugger yourself with a splintered rake.'" 

[[USS Discovery - Deck One - Main Bridge]]

rRayek tr'Lhoell
[USS Discovery - Deck One - Main Bridge]

The replicant Romulan was all too familiar with being overly suspicious.  Lek had seemingly accepted his answers too readily - this concerned him until the Ferengi name-dropped the ship casually. A-ha! Another test! He knew it! Lek was not that easy to fool.

The clone knew that at the time of Rayek's wedding, his original had only been on Challenger and Katra, so there would be no reason for the Ferengi to gift the original Rayek a model of the Prometheus ship.

While rRayek couldn't be positive of what ship was in the bottle, Lek's test only worked if it wasn't Discovery.

"It's nice to know our friendship is valued so highly,  Lek, but you and I know that it wasn't a model of the Discovery in there."
The false Rayek left his statement at that. Hopefully, catching the lie would be sufficient enough to have the Ferengi lower his guard.

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Lek was listening very closely as the supposed Rayek replied and easily noted that he hadn't actually stated what ship was in the bottle. Lek had been afraid a clone would know what Rayek knew, but while he answered about the holoprogram correctly and without hesitation, he was being cagey about the model. Lek knew he had found weakness and wasn't about to let it slide.

"You were always too smart for your own good. It wasn't a model of Discovery, it was the original Constitution-Class Enterprise. You know how much of a fan I was of the old Connie and I figured it would remind you of me. Should have the engines unlocked soon. You know that after what happened on Frontier Day, if I decide to sabotage something, it stays sabotaged. I've got a work crew on it."

Let's see how good this clone's maker had made his friend.

[[USS Discovery - Deck One - Main Bridge]]

rRayek tr'Lhoell
[USS Discovery - Deck One - Main Bridge]

The replicant Romulan had been designed to infiltrate and replace the First Officer when the inital Thinker plan was underway, as such he had the exact memories of the original up until the moment of the original's capture.  This meant that rRayek did have clear memory of the holoprogram that the two had begun back when both were on Challenger.

Unfortunately, the wedding that the Ferengi spoke of, occurred after the fact, so rRayek didn't have those same memories.  What he did have however was intel from their spy on the station from back then, whose sole purpose was supposed to fill in the blanks for this sort of personal detail.  However the accuracy of their reports was circumspect since the station had discovered the presence of the replicants within just a few days.

rRayek had no choice but to answer as best he could.

"Our holodeck was the Murder on the Orient Express and we never did finish it." That part he was certain of... unless they continued it after both were assigned to the Discovery... oh Fvadt.. he needed to stop second guessing the intel or the Ferengi might pick up on his hesitation.

"And your gift, as I recall was, was a ship in a bottle."  What rRayek hadn't been told by his informant was the 'ship' was specifically a recreation of the USS Challenger that the two had both served on before Rayek's transfer to Katra Station.

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Lek listened to the responses and began to sweat. The person claiming to be Rayek had gotten the first question correct, but in the second question, he saw an opening. Speaking in what he hoped was a reasonable tone he said.

"Oh damn, it is you! That model of Discovery cost me twenty strips of latinum you know. Let me get started on unlocking the warp drive. It will take a bit, as I didn't use the standard methods because I didn't want someone overriding a normal lock out."

Lek then waited to see if this really was Rayek.

[[USS Discovery]]

rRayek tr'Lhoell
[USS Discovery]

[Deck One]
Unknown to Vila, the officers she was firing on were her own crewmates.  Elena from Ops, and the Bolian flight officer, Bok Char.  No one seemed safe from the rampaging Bajoran.  The only ones she didn't seem to be firing on were those who had arrived with her. Everyone else was fair game.
.
.

[Deck 6]
rRayek materialized on the Battle Bridge and was not surprised to find himself facing down a pair of security officers, left behind to secure the location from the rogue Captain.  The pair of ensigns seemed uncertain as to his status, friend or foe, so the rRomulan took advantage of that fact.  "The Bridge is under attack.  See for yourself. Computer, display main Bridge security camera."  When the pair turned their attention towards the activated viewscreen, rRayek fired on the pair with a wide beam from his phaser.  They dropped.

"Computer, activate transporter inhibitors on all three Bridges and initiate a security lockout."  He authorized it using the authorization code that he'd read from his original's mind.  That should give him some breathing room, until the Captain figured out that it was in effect and overrode his First Officer's clearance.

The rRomulan moved to the Ops console and began an assessment of the ship.  Engines were locked out. That would be Lek.  And the Captain's Yacht seemed to be coming about for another strafing run.

Hmmm..

rRayek tapped his comm badge. "tr'Lhoell to Lek.  I need you to release the engine lockout, the station is about to self-destruction, and we need to distance the ship from it."

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Lek heard Rayek's call, but knew nothing and no one was who they seemed. He was on high alert for deception and replied after a pause.

"If you are who you say you are. What did I give you for your wedding and what was the result the extended period holoprogram we were in? We have thrusters and are backing away from the station at 10 KPS, you want anything faster than that, prove who you are."

Given the word was there were clones involved, the person calling might be able to answer his questions. If they could, then things would get complicated.

[Ensign Lilly Hansen - Deck 1 -  USS Discovery]

"tr'Lhoell to Hansen.  I've found the original away team and we're... safe for the moment. Captain included."

Hansen sighed. " Understood Commander, We will work on getting you off the station."

Then the captain's yacht took off and then the Discovery tractor beam began to pull it to the station.

"Hansen to Lek, Can you try to turn off the damn tractor beam, We are being pulled a very pissed off station that is about to blow." 

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

It was times like this Lek wished there was a window in engineering or that he had a better link to the bridge's viewscreen so he could know what was going on. Even though the warp core and impulse engines were solidly locked down, the ship's thrusters were fully operational. Since the request to shut off a tractor beam wasn't necessarily a problem, the information that the station was about to self-destruct was a problem. He didn't respond to Hansen, but he took action.

"T'Farr, see what you can do to kill the power to the tractor beam."

He moved to the pool table and engaged the forward thrusters. Fortunately, they had not docked with the station, so they didn't have to deal with docking clamps. As he only had limited access to the viewscreen network, he backed away at half speed given his limited visibility and hoped he was doing the right thing.

[UUS Discovery - Unknown Location?]

For the first time, Nevir grimaced.  This was supposed to be quick and painless.  Prophets he already told them that he wasn't going to hurt anyone.  Except for some, but they deserved it.  Even if he didn't personally experience the tortures and tests, he was programmed with that knowledge and what they did.

"Transmitting frequency now.  Discovery is locked out so there shouldn't be interference.  I have their Engineer in Engineering securing that section, and I think there is enough confusion to keep the senior officers occupied.  This ship has a lot of interesting perks.

He sighed though... he knew the station would have to be destroyed, but he didn't think they were going to kill the originals. "Rayek, killing the Starfleet officers wasn't part of the plan. The Intelligence torturers yes, and their precious station, but I thought we weren't trying to make an enemy of Starfleet."

Regardless of the answer, they still needed to get ready to finish off that prison.

"Tekin to Lek.  The situation on the station is deteriorating.  Intelligence can hang me later... I think its time we blew that husk into dust.  See if you can restore power to the weapon systems, I think I have the virus purged.  I'm going to get propulsion back online so we can try to get our people before we destroy it."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Station - Cloning Lab]

The Captain's eyes slowly opened, and then fluttered as he regained consciousness.  His body still felt numb, but the familiar pins of needles told him that he was slowly regaining feeling.  He turned his head towards the source of noise, and was surprised to see... his first officer?  If he was here, who was in control of the ship?

"C-commander?"

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Lek wasn't a suspicious person. It took a while to earn his trust, but he didn't actively distrust people until they had given him reason. Being in Engineering, he rarely had a picture of what was going on outside his realm and especially off the ship, the message he just received from the captain confirmed his worst fears. Whatever was going on had compromised the captain. Tekin was a lot of things, but 'blow to dust' was not his way. It looked like the Doctor was right and it was time to take desperate steps. In reply he said.

"Understood Sir. I'm on it."

To the Engineering staff he said.

"Okay, here's how it is. Whatever it is this station was doing has infected the crew. First, We are not going to be working on weapons or unlocking the warp core. I do want teams three and five to set up power relays that mimic that those systems are working, but I want weapons disabled. Nothing permanent, just disconnect a couple power couplings, same with the warp coils. Second, start replicating breathing masks in case they try to flood this compartment with anesthezine gas. I will reroute environmental controls down here so they can't, but just in case think come up with a means to toss canisters of the stuff in here.

"I believe we are on our own. I can't set the self-destruct sequence, but I can set a phaser on overload next to the intermix chamber that will be just as good. I don't want to meet the Blessed Exchequer today, but I will not allow this ship to be taken. Now get to work."

[Engineering | USS Discovery]

Lek's response took Betaika off guard, surprised that he jumped to the conclusions that we did. His communication to the entire ship that the captain was compromised clearly did not reach is enlarged ears. "Mr Lek, the commander revealed to us that the captain is compromised. A clone if you will. You are mistaken in assuming that we are the clones. I relieved the captain of his command some time ago, and he escaped." Betaika took a breath and decided to change tact. "Believe me or remain suspicious, keep engineering secured. And please only overload it as a last resort."

He turned to Hansen, who had been waiting next to him. "Search the ship and find him. We have no luck here." He informed.

[Main Engineering - USS Discovery]

Lek listened and firmly remained skeptical. It was like Frontier Day again, but at least he wasn't alone this time. He called back.

"You don't have to worry about Engineering being safe or me getting trigger happy with any anti-matter. You handle what is going on out there, I will handle what is going on in here."