S'Chess knew when she heard the shot of a phaser go off from Istak's office that S'Chev was terminated. Istak would not go easily but anyone around her would be the first to go. She waited outside until she came back out appearing to be convinced of some undeniable fact that was going to be true. Which, at all, was fall. Only Nixon went to China. Only a fool goes into the dark distance. S'Chess feared their commander had become a fool. A mad one in fact. She understood the mob lyrics better than before as of this moment from The Beauty and the Beast, the live action movie from the 21st century, that was highly pirated in the empire.

Istak faced the Romulan Centurion.

"You are now a sub-commander," was all Istak said.

"It is my honor," S'Chess said.

"You are to inform the others of this," Istak said. "and make sure they know what happens to those considering."

"I will be sure to remind them," S'Chess said. A smile danced on Istak's face.

"Excellent," Istak said, going past the woman back into her office.

S'Chev should be the one commanding the others not S'Chess. She was the one who rallied others around her. She had this touch about her. S'Chev and S'Chess were best friends in their childhood. They had swore to each other to serve on the same assignments and have each others backs. What was the point of choosing someone who did not get along with everyone? Istak had the reports of the numerous conflicts that resulted in the cafeteria. S'Chess had different ideals than the other men and women. Not because Romulans were known as the noseless even when they did have noses, but she did not have the courage to rebel against the commander. Sure the commander was mad. But that would be rebelling against the empire. The empire had left a void lingering inside. A part of her heart felt like it was dead. S'Chess straightened herself up.

She would be tall in the memory of her friend.

At least in public.

Where no one can see just how destroyed hearing the death of her companion was.

S'Chess walked away from the doorway acting on autopilot. She brushed past by security personnel, not showing a sign of emotion on her face, not a tremble not a shake. She exited her way into her quarters where the door closed behind her. Her back met the wall as tears started to force themselves out of her eyes. She lowered her head and weeped into her hands. Clear, transparent tears rolled down her dark cheeks landing into the palms of her hands. This should never have happened. The commander was incompetent of command. A sound, reasonable commander would never start a war in this manner. Her best friend in the quadrant was gone and she was under the command of a murderer. She raised her head back up with blood shot eyes reeling herself back up onto her feet.

She took her golden helmet off then placed it onto the table.

S'Chess sat down at the desk in a chair.

It felt like the strength she had to face the rest of the crew was gone.

She was miserable.

She needed an hour, at most, alone before going to facing the rest. To inform them that she was not a centurion. She was their sub-commander. The one who had faith and loyalty in her by the rest of the crew. What she did not have at all. She did have others who liked to hang out with her and be her friend but being under command was a entirely different story. She took out a holophotograph of her and S'Chev as little girls together. Her older brother had taken it. The door slid open to reveal two other comrades, Bete and Potax. The doors closed behind the two. They took their helmets off revealing their dark curled hair that had a bowl shaped hair cut similar to the Vulcans. Botax had a long chin while Potax had a short chin and a athletic body. The two had their helmets tucked under their arms. They were Lieutenants.

"Are you okay, Chesss?" Bete asked.

"I am not well. . ." S'Chess said. "and your new sub-commander."

"What?" Potax asked, coming to her side. Potax was joined by Bete. "What happened to S'Chev?"

"Friendly fire," S'Chess said.

"Tushah nash-veh k'du," Potax said.

S'Chess looked up toward Potax.

"What was that?" S'Chess asked.

"Vulcan," Potax said.

"Just the essential Vulcan phrases," Bete said. "otherwise, having to speak in it, well," the two dark women shared a glance with each other then back to the sitting sub-commander. "that is another story for another time."

"You are. . . defecting?" S'Chess asked.

"Us?" Potax said, in disbelief. The idea was unsettling.

"No," Bete said.

"But we are considering it," Potax said. "The last commander that I had wasn't as mad as Istak."

"By far the most mad," Bete agreed.

"The Empire was built to have safegaurds against having a mad leader," Potax said. "they failed."

"I . . ." S'Chess started to say. "I am not happy about this."

"We either," Bete said.

"I am not asking for it but someone has to put her into the criminally insane asylum," S'Chess said.

"Considerably, she would be in heaven," Potax said."It wouldn't be a negative thing at all."

"Not if we do a take over," Bete said.

"That is a offense against the empire," S'Chess said.

"it has to be done," Bete said.

"For what dignity we have left," Potax added. "The fraud,--"

"HE IS NOT A FRAUD!" S'Chess finally shouted, loudly smacking her first on the table. "He is a doctor. From the Enterprise."

The two women shared a long, shocked glance with each other. There was silence in the room. Uncomfortable silence. The realization of who they had in their facility slowly sank in. It also made their hearts sink. Their fates were sealed if they attempted to intervene in the rescue mission. Star Fleet was well known for going back for what it lost even creating a team specifically for it. The Rapid Rescue Squad were not known to be pacifists or be hesitant once one stepped in the way of rescuing officers. The stories of the rescues were terrifying from first hand accounts of those who had survived the rescue attack. They were the elite of the elite made of experienced security officers, medical professional and weapon specialists. Bete gulped. Potax cleared their throat feeling her muscular body tremble. Potax felt sick just as S'Chess felt. Nothing was going to end well if they followed orders. They were ill-advised orders that someone didn't have the right mind to issue. At least, that was the vocal agreement that the two had come to regarding to the mentality of their superior officer.

"We have to do it," Potax said.

"Do it?" S'Chess said, alarmed.

"It is the only logical way out," Bete said.

"Do what?" S'Chess asked, again.

"We will surrender to Star Fleet," Potax finished.

"The Praetor will not be happy," S'Chess said.

"Screw what the Praetor thinks," Potax said.

"If you want to live, this is the next best option," Bete said.

"No one would join us," S'Chess said.

"When there is a will then there is a way," Bete said.

"They may not like you but they can get behind the idea of rebelling against a mad commander," Potax said. "once that is over. . ."

"We can be involved in different activities," Potax said.

"Like say," Bete said.

There was a pause as though they had no idea what to come up with.

"Start over," S'Chess said.

"Exactly," Bete said, placing a hand on the sub-commander's shoulder. "start a new life."

Bete and Potax shared a nod.

"Defect the Romulan empire," Potax said. Reason being, whose to say there are not others like a death wishing commander out there in the empire?

They didn't want to go through that: twice.