Title: Star Trek-Infinity: You Always Hurt the Ones You Love(MISC) Author: Greg Reitz (excali5033@aol.com) Series: MISC Rating: [PG] Part: NEW 2/3

---------------------------------------------------Chapter FiveReitz awoke the next morning to the scent of freshly cooked breakfast... which meant that Carol was still around. Not that he minded at all; she must have decided to cook him breakfast for once to ease his mind about this mission. "I'm sorry," he thought to himself, "but I'm afraid I'll never love you today as much as I love you tomorrow." He stretched on the couch and sat up."Good morning," Carol greeted him with a smile. "I thought you might want to 'get the morning off to a healthy start.'"Reitz smiled back as he took her hands in his. "You're wonderful, you know that?" She led him over to a freshly decorated table filled with plates of bacon, toast, eggs... anything and everything he could've wanted. It was a virtual buffet."Go on," she encouraged him, "don't hold yourself on ceremony now, 'Captain.' Grab your plate and start eating."Reitz chuckled and did as she instructed, filling his plate and then sitting down at the table as she did the same. He took a bite of her freshly prepared meal. "Delicious.""If you find the time, I can make you a lunch to go with it," Carol told him with a wink.Reitz sighed. "I wish I could... until we find this changeling, though... everyone's hands are going to be full. Would I sound to much like a worrywart if I asked you to stay here until everything blows over?"Carol smiled at him. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," she said. "And I'll make sure I don't open the door to any strangers too.""And as an extra bonus, you'll get a great view of the Grabnian Nebula from here," Reitz said. "This is the third time we modified our flight plan... first time was because Starfleet was afraid the Klingons had intercepted our orders, and then again because of this changeling business. We'll get the convoy to Dreilon II... we're just going to have to take the roundabout way.""Well, I've always wanted to see the 'Grabnian Nebula,'" Carol said jokingly. "Something else I can check off on my 'to do' list.""Then just keep your eyes trained at the window... we'll be getting so close, you won't be able to miss it." He shoveled in the last bit of food on his plate into his mouth. "Well, I should take a shower and get up to the bridge. Busy day... but with any luck, we can spend some time relaxing tonight."Carol grinned. "You know where to find me!" she exclaimed as she began clearing the plates into the replicator. Reitz kissed her cheek and then went to get a nice, refreshing sonic shower. ----------------------------------"Captain... I've found something bad... very bad," Lieutenant Remley said.Rando sighed and motioned for his security chief to take a seat across the ready room desk. "I figured as much... what have you found, Evan?""A few minutes after Lorin informed me about the changeling, there was a transport from the Infinity to the Moscow in transporter room three," Evan reported.Rando shook his head. "That transporter room was unmanned last night. It should've been locked down.""It was, sir," Remley told him. "This shapeshifter might not be aware of my fine tastes, but I found three of my security codes in the computer's logs... and I wasn't the one who used them.""So the changeling DID transport to the Moscow?" Rando asked. They'd dealt with a changeling before, back when J.W. had taken control of the ship. Of course back then, they'd had the time to run an intensive sweep of the ship for it... now, while accompanying the Cardassian convoy, they needed to find other options."That's not all, sir... the transporter logs indicate that someone beamed off the Infinity... but they never made it to the Moscow."Rando stared at the big security chief. "Are you telling me the changeling transported itself into oblivion?""We don't know yet, sir," Remley replied. "The changeling used another of my codes to scramble the transporter logs... Chris is decoding them, but it'll take a while. All we know so far is that SOMEONE left... but they didn't go anywhere."Rando sighed. "What about other transports yesterday? Did you find any anomalies? Any one who came on the Infinity but didn't leave?""No sir," Remley responded, shaking his head. "This is the only lead we have.""Then keep working at it," Rando ordered. "I want this changeling found... I refuse to let another one run rampant on this ship or on the Moscow. Dismissed." Chapter Six "Latest report from the Infinity, sir." Denolfo flipped Reitz a PADD. He caught it and began scanning over it. He blanched visibly."Beth, have Khaine lock down all transporters until further notice, and get Seph to scan all transporter records since 1900 hours yesterday." He stood up and paced back and forth mumbling to himself. Denolfo placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave him a sympathetic smile."Don't give yourself an ulcer over this. We'll catch him, don't worry. Where else does he have to go?"------------ "The Grabnian Nebula.""You are certain.""Absolutely.""Good. We will be waiting." Martok's image disappeared from the screen. ------------- "Any luck, Khaine?" Reitz asked, his fingers drumming on his chair arm. The Trill shook his head slowly."I can find no trace that anyone unidentified beamed aboard last night." The senior crew had tried to keep things quiet about this, but rumors had started circulating around the ship, and tension was mounting. "Do everything you can possibly get away with short of random blood screenings...I think it's too late to keep this under wraps, but I don't need a thousand panicky people in the middle of a war zone.""Sir? We're approaching the Grabnian Nebula." Reitz gave one last nod to Khaine, who walked off. He then turned his attention to the Conn officer."Thank you, Ensign. Plot us a course as near as you can to the nebula.""Sir? We'd lose a lot of sensor coverage doing that.""I know that, but I have my reasons." Denolfo giggled. Reitz mock-scowled at her. "That's enough outta you!" She smiled innocently. "Aye, sir. Course locked in at bearing 039 mark 2, full impulse." Soon, the Moscow was close enough to the swirling gas clouds that the engines carved drive trails as the ship passed. The Grabnian Nebula was a huge stellar nursery filled with hundreds of new stars. Within a thousand years, the stars would suck up all the gas in the nebula, leaving nothing behind. The deep purple tint of the gas cloud cast an eerie glow on the silver hull of the Federation ships. Soon, Reitz thought, this damned boring escort mission would be over and he and Carol could finish the wedding plans...he startled himself by thinking that. Greg Reitz, the lone wolf of the Ninth Fleet, the maverick in charge of the USS Moscow...married. It put quite a perspective on life. Then, he realized the on-duty tactical officer was speaking to him."Sir, I'm reading what appears to be turbulence inside the nebula, heading roughly in this direction." Reitz frowned."Solar flare?" he asked."Only a slim chance...the nearest star within the nebula is over a light-year away." Now Reitz was really concerned."Put it on screen, go to Yellow Alert, and inform the others." The viewscreen snapped to a view of the nebula, parts of which were spreading, as if cut by something. "What in the hell--" The empty space within the gas was suddenly filled by a large, green vessel. ------------- "Captain!" Remley shouted, "A Klingon Negh'Var-class warship just decloaked inside the nebula and is heading on a direct intercept with us!" Rando whipped around in his command chair."Time until it exits the nebula, Evan?""Two minutes, ten seconds." Rando frowned. They had two minutes to think of something, before the Klingons would be free to fire."What about the Moscow?""They spotted it first, they were transmitting the data when she decloaked.""Let me talk to Reitz." The Moscow bridge appeared on the screen, muted red lights casting shadows all over. Reitz turned over his shoulder after Denolfo pointed towards the screen."Yeah, hey Chuck... we got a problem...I'm trying to get my smaller ships spaceborne to help... I've ordered the Cardassians to back off, so it's just us. I'm taking the Moscow in first, try to hit 'em as they come out... before they can raise their shields... whatever you can do, feel free to do it."Rando wanted to protest. It would be too dangerous for the Moscow to go at the Klingons alone... but he didn't have any better ideas. And short of pulling seniority, Rando knew there'd be no way to keep Reitz away from the fight. "All right, Greg, we'll follow you in, take advantage of any holes you leave, then distract them. Good luck.""You too." The Moscow's bridge disappeared, replaced by the large Klingon vessel breaking out of the nebula. The Moscow then appeared at the bottom of the viewscreen, streaking towards the enemy. Nearly every phaser bank and torpedo launcher lit up, spewing fiery death at the Klingons."He's insane...." Rando heard Remley say from tactical. "Not that there's anything wrong with that." ---------------------- "Direct hit on the port superstructure! Shields at twenty percent, sir!" Some panel on the bridge exploded, causing the dimly lit room to brighten for a second."Reroute emergency power to shields, and keep firing, don't let up!" Reitz shouted over the din. The Negh'Var-class grew ever larger on the viewscreen, returning disruptor fire in a deadly light show of colors."Ten seconds till we're too close to fire..." The Klingon vessel filled the screen, then started to move upwards. Soon, only the port warp nacelle was left to be seen. Then, there was a horrible explosion, the deck buckled violently, sending everyone to the ground. The starfield began spinning around rapidly. Reitz crawled over to the still form of the young Conn officer."Ensign... Dave...." There was no point, the man's neck was bent in an impossible position, at least impossible and still be living. Reitz swore loudly, and pulled himself up to the console, fighting the gravity of the spinning ship. He could hear groans elsewhere on the bridge, but ignored them for the moment. With his last ounce of strength, he hit the RCS override, and the ship began to level out. Flopping to the deck, dizzy from the centrifugal force, he called for a damage report."Shields have failed. Hull breaches reported on Decks Two through Five. Structural Integrity Field at ten percent. Internal Dampening Fields off-line. Major structural failure on Engineering Hull," the tactical officer... Harris his name was... replied."Wha...What?" Reitz shook his head, trying to ward off the growing desire to just go to sleep. "Computer, show me... on screen."The last image Reitz saw, before blacking out, was a view of his ship, looking aft. There was no upper pylon connecting the Nebula's equipment pod. Nor was there a pod itself, or anything aft of the warp nacelles. The Moscow had literally been ripped in half."My God... my... ship." And the darkness took him. Chapter SevenRando just sat, dumbfounded, staring at what had just happened. The Moscow apparently rammed the Klingon vessel, ripping off the enemy ship's port warp nacelle and its core to overload, vaporizing the it. Fearing the loss of the Moscow, the Infinity crew was even more shocked when the flaming shape of the Nebula-class ship was hurled away from the explosion. Nobody spoke for what seemed like an eternity."Damage report," Rando murmured. Nobody heard him, not even Remley. "Damage report!" His voice shattered everyone from their shock, and the bridge was filled with voices all yelling to him at once."Klingon vessel destroyed--""Twenty-four percent of the Moscow's hull has been--""Reading life signs on board--""There's still people alive over there. Get us within transporter range," Rando ordered. "Now!""Sir! There's something happening to the nebula!""What? On screen!" Rando said, swiveling around in his chair. Half a dozen Klingon vessels had appeared just inside the nebula, and were quickly approaching."Damn it! Red Alert--" ------------------------"--tain!? Greg! Wake up!" Reitz felt a cool hand rubbing his cheek."Car..ol?" He tried to open his eyes, but the glare was too much for him."No...it's Beth. Are you ok?" No...he wasn't. His back hurt, there was a burning sensation in his temple, he couldn't see straight, and his uniform felt wet. It was most likely blood."Yeah...I...guess so," he lied. He tried to get up, but a hand held his shoulder down."Captain, I must request that you stay here, you're injured.""Where is...here?" He frowned. His vision was starting to clear up a bit, but nothing was recognizable."You're in Sickbay...you have a fracture in the jaw, a popped vertebrae, and lacerations to the torso. You must stay here.""You're not Doctor Karsagi...""No, I'm this ship's EMH...we have quite a bit of wounded, and since you are out of danger, Dr. Karsagi had to help the more seriously injured." Reitz blinked several times...he thought he could make out the EMH, standing next to Denolfo."Who's in command!? Carol! I've got to find Carol..." Reitz sat up."Sir, please, I can't let you go." He was pushed back down. Reitz growled at the bald hologram hovering over him."Greg," Denolfo said, cutting her captain off before he did anything stupid, "I'll find her. Don't worry, ok? I'll find her and bring her here."Reitz nodded and allowed himself to lie back on the biobed. That's when the call from the bridge came."Tactical alert! There are more Klingon ships in the area...all capable personnel man your stations!" Khaine ordered."What? The Moscow is in pieces...we can't fight!" Denolfo was about to contact Khaine, when Reitz reached up and stopped her."We have to protect the convoy... those are our orders.""I'm not going to risk...what's left of this ship for a bunch of Cardassians!" Denolfo protested."Commander!" Reitz snapped, attracting an annoyed glance from the EMH. "We have our orders! As long as I am in command, I will obey them. And so will you." DeNolfo was taught at attention. "Yes sir," she replied. "I'll make sure Carol's all right and then head up to the bridge.""Yes," the EMH interjected, "my patient needs some rest. Visiting hours are over."Reitz watched Denolfo leave and then closed his eyes. Even though he wasn't seeing anything he could still remember the damage done to his ship. He wondered how many people had died... he wondered how the Klingons had managed to track the convoy... had they been following them the whole time? He was still wondering when he drifted back into a light, drug-induced sleep.-----------------Carol pulled out the phaser Reitz kept in their quarters. She checked the power cells, making sure they were full. And then the door chime rang. "Enter," she called.Denolfo stepped in. "Hi, Carol, it's just me. Greg's been taken to sickbay... he got hit pretty hard on the bridge. I think he was hoping you'd pay him a visit, and I've got to get up to the bridge...." She noticed the phaser in Carol's hand. "Expecting trouble?""Just in case we get boarded," Carol replied. "You never know when it'll come in handy. Anyway, Greg told me to stay here until we were out of danger... I think I should do as he said."Denolfo looked confused. "Yes, but he also said he wanted me to bring you down to sickbay. You'll be safe there, Carol, the EMH will look after both of you. But we do have to get going... Khaine needs me...."The first officer of the Moscow was completely unprepared for what happened next. In an instant, Carol had aimed the phaser at her and fired. Denolfo slumped to the ground, unconscious."I thought this had been set to kill," Carol said to herself as she examined the phaser and then readjusted it to a higher setting. "It would appear that my time here is running out." -----------------"How long was I out for?!"The EMH regarded Reitz with a look of pure aggravation. "You were asleep for fifteen minutes. You require more rest if you're going to make a full recovery."Reitz ignored him. "Where's Carol? Is she here yet?""Commander Denolfo has not yet arrived with your fiance," the EMH replied. "Now would you PLEASE get some rest?""Something's wrong...." Reitz said to himself. It had come out of nowhere, but it was very real. A strange feeling that something wasnt right on his ship. He tapped his comm. badge, taking the risk of using the comm. system even though the ship was in battle and falling apart. "Reitz to DeNolfo. Beth, come in. I know you're there, Beth." There was no response, and Reitz began to sit up."Sir, I don't know what you're doing, but I suggest you lay back down," the EMH told him.Reitz glared at the hologram. "Beth isn't responding. Something must be wrong... something's happened to Carol... I've got to find out.""You're not going anywhere," the doctor said, placing its hand on Reitz's shoulder again and gently easing him back onto the bed. "Computer, deactivate EMH.""Wai--" Instantly, the restraining hand was gone. Reitz sat up again and then tried to stand. He caught himself on the biobed as he stumbled."I've got to get to Carol," Reitz said to motivate himself, and he continued to repeat the mantra as he hobbled towards the door. ------------------Carol exited her quarters and moved down the corridor, phaser still in hand. She moved silently and stealthfully, but as she turned a corner, she couldn't help but bump into Reitz. Reitz latched onto her shoulder... he could hardly stand."Carol... thank God you're all right... where's Beth? Didn't she come to see you?" Carol gave him a vicious glare. She didn't have time for these games anymore. Eventually, someone would find DeNolfo's unconscious form, and it wouldn't be long before they put two and two together. It was time to end the charade so she could get off the ship. "Get out of my way, Solid."Reitz just stood there, dumbfounded."Carol...what...?" Carol raised the phaser, aiming at Reitz. Instinct alone told Reitz to slap the phaser out of her hand. Whoever this was, it wasn't Carol. "Who are you?" he demanded.Reitz watched as Carol's face began to melt... shift... reform... and then suddenly, he was looking at himself. "I'm you, 'Captain Reitz. Don't you recognize yourself?" She laughed. "You Solids are so easily fooled. You insist that you mean so much to each other, but you don't even notice when we've taken the place of a 'loved one.' Pitiful. Now if you'll excuse me, I intend to get off this ship before it is destroyed."Reitz glared at... himself, feeling hatred, pain, anger, guilt, betrayed... he wanted to scream aloud, but he kept his cool for now. "What... what have you done with her? Where's Carol?" he managed to get out."She was dealt with," was the succinct response. Reitz didn't budge. "Dealt with?" he repeated. "Yes, you replaced her... but where is she now?"His double smiled back at him. "The Solid you refer to has been returned to where she came from... your people are little more than dust, it's fitting that you should die that way. Now get out of my way, if you value your life."Reitz's face glowed red with anger. A single tear trickled down his face. "I valued hers, you soulless monster!" Reitz's face contorted with rage. "You killed her! You set us up!" He struck out with his hand and gave the changeling a right hook to the chin. He was letting his anger control him, and so he didn't notice that naturally, the changeling simply shifted out of the way. He swung again, not caring that he wasn't making contact... he just wanted to hurt this creature as much as it had hurt him. The changeling dodged again and then dealt Reitz a blow to the back of the neck. It ran off as Reitz fell to the deck.Reitz seethed. He no longer felt the pain from his disjointed vertebrae or the gash in his chest. He watched himself running away... but it wasn't really him. It was something that had taken his ship, his crew... his love away from him. And it was going to pay. He tapped his comm. badge. "Intruder Alert. Deck Eight."Chapter EightThe Infinity was alive with motion. She cut between two Birds of Prey, phasers firing. The limited defenses the Cardassians had were occupying two of the Vor'cha attack cruisers, while the other Bird of Prey streaked towards the Moscow. Rando held on tightly to his seat, trying to keep from being thrown to the deck, as an explosion rocked the ship."Direct hit to the aft shields! They're down to fifteen percent!" Remley cried. The two K'Vort-class vessels came after them like wolves on the hunt."Fire aft torpedoes, full spread! Try to do as much damage as possible!""Aye, sir!" Remley's fingers flew across the controls, producing an odd symphony of beeps."Time until that K'Vort reaches the Moscow?" The ship continued almost lazily towards the disabled Nebula-class ship."Three minutes..." ----------------- The door to the auxiliary shuttle bay, now the only shuttle bay, cycled open, and the Type Six shuttle streaked towards freedom. The Changeling was pleased. It had completed its mission, sewing further seeds of distrust between the enemies of the Dominion. Divided, the Alpha Quadrent didn't have a chance. The motionless, dark form of the Moscow grew smaller behind the shuttle. Soon the changeling would return to the Great Link and report its success. The comm channel twittered. "Shuttle Darian, return or be destroyed. You have one warning." Amazingly, the Moscow had begun moving, coming after the tiny shuttlecraft. "Shuttle Darian, this is your--" The changeling cut the comm. Twenty more seconds. The Moscow proved no threat, with all of its major systems off-line. Ten seconds.Then, to the Changeling's disbelief, a single opening on the Moscow flashed briefly, and the orange flame of a photon torpedo hurled through the blackness towards the shuttle. A single torpedo impacted with the tritanium hull of the shuttlecraft, overloading the shields and destroying the warp core. The Shuttle Darian flared brilliantly, then dissipated into the night, its atoms joining those of the Grabnian Nebula... flittering away like dust. Captain Reitz gripped the console, staring at the image of the shuttle exploding. Denolfo and a medical team had just arrived on the bridge, but Reitz refused to move. His eyes were transfixed on the tactical reports from the computer. As the explosion faded, he shut his eyes, trying to hold back tears. His lip quivered, and he sunk to the floor, sobbing silently. Denolfo slid over and embraced him, saying nothing. He buried his head into her shoulder and cried as she took him from the bridge. On the bridge of the remaining Klingon vessel, the Negh'Var herself, Martok growled. Two ships. Two ships were taking out his task force. The bridge crew looked to him for guidance."General! Aren't we going to attack!?" Martok sat, growled again, and crossed his arms."No. Remain cloaked. We will monitor what happens. Do not attack.""What!?" As the soldier spoke, the Nebula-class starship, as battered as it was, fired its phasers at one of the Klingon ships, detering it momentarily."You have your orders! Are you questioning them!?" He stood and reached for his knife."No... No sir." Silence returned to the bridge as the crew watched their brothers dying in honorable battle.