Blue Moon – 21003.01

By Lieutenant Commander Macleod

The pretty Andorian Counsellor laughed unselfconsciously as her fiancé made a joke, completely unaware of the two men observing her from a nearby table.

“Hard to believe she’s a spy.” One of them commented, watching the way her snow white hair fell in curls over her low cut neckline, a stark contrast to her cornflower blue skin. “And a murderer.”

His companion snorted and continued eating his dinner. “Why? Because you’d like to bed her? I just feel sorry for the poor sucker she’s with.”

The first man shrugged, his gaze following the couple as they rose to dance. He leered as their quarry showed her partner how lithe and graceful she could be. “Seems like he’s getting a good deal to me.”

“Not for long.” His surly partner countered. “And it’s not worth it if he ends up dead.”

“Are we sure she killed the old man?” He shifted in his chair and surreptitiously checked that his weapon was still concealed.

The other nodded. “She had a ‘Counselling’ session with him that morning and his secretary remembers that she was present when he was reviewing the missing files.” He shrugged. “The computer shows that she went back there later that day and everyone else has an alibi.”

Not convinced, Philips countered. “What about him, the fiancé? He works at the embassy right?”

“Desk clerk! Couldn’t get near that office!” Again he shrugged as if it was inconsequential. “We’ll find out when we bring them in.”

The younger man still had one question. “When will that be?”

“When we can prove what we know she did, or when she tries to run.” He reapplied himself to his meal with every appearance of enjoyment.

********

Two weeks later as Zhaanatha and Shaun Lowry waited at the port for the transport that would take them on their honeymoon, two men approached and addressed them by name.

“We need you to come with us.” The younger man said.

The Andorian woman eyed them suspiciously. “Who are you?”

“Star Fleet Intelligence.” Was the reply.

Zhaanatha gasped and grabbed her husband’s hand, and he in turn pulled her into a run.

Swearing, the two officers took off in pursuit, dodging through the busy terminal as the couple made their way out onto the launch pad. Even as they ran, it appeared that the newlyweds were arguing.

Disagreeing about their escape plan no doubt! Agent Yaga thought derisively.

At that moment, his over-eager young partner decided to fire a warning shot at the fugitives.

“Anna!” The human called out to his wife, but he was too late.

Startled by the shot, she had pulled herself free of her husbands grasp and into the path of an anti-gravity transporter. The operator swerved immediately to avoid her, causing a couple of his crates to fall. One knocked the Andorian down, the other crushed her leg, ending her dancing days for good.

Guilt coloured the young Agent’s eyes as he saw what his action had caused and he knelt down beside the lovely woman, surprised that she was still conscious, even with her resilient physiology.

Yaga was surprised too, but his was caused by Shaun, who despite everything he had done, stayed at his wife’s side.

“I love you Anna, I never meant for you to be involved.” He was saying as he held her hand.

“I don’t understand.” She was crying.

The older Agent nodded and as Philips was already calling for medical aid, answered the woman’s question for her. “At first we thought it was you that killed Senator Cothine, but it was Lowry… or do you prefer, Serdayitch?”

“Shaun?” Zhaanatha was becoming increasingly distressed but it had nothing to do with her injury.

Yaga continued. “His real name is Andrei Serdayitch, wanted for espionage and murder throughout the Federation. You were just his cover.”

Anna shook her head in disbelief but as she looked up into her husbands eyes, she saw his expression change into one of hatred, one that she would never have associated with the man she married.

“Don’t believe him Anna, I love you, I didn’t need you for cover… all I needed was your ID.” He pulled a weapon out of nowhere and stood, holding it on the Agent. “You’ll pay for what you did to Anna… but right now I’m leaving and you’re not going to stop me.”

Shaun flicked his eyes to his wife. “We’ll see each other again.”

He had begun to squeeze the trigger of his weapon, planning to take out his pursuers, but the Andorians voice stopped him. “No.”

For a moment he stared at her in shock as she lay there, with Philips phaser in her hand, but then the beam it had expelled took effect and he crumpled to the ground.