Darkwing Tower, Darkwing's Earth.

Data explained the situation after Sela had finished.  ". . .and the Cardassians are on the verge of causing a war," finished Data.  "Possibly with the Romulans, the Klingons, and the Ferengi, as well as the Federation."

            "I've never trusted those Cardassians further than I could kick them," said Torreth strongly.  "They are despicable.  Why we ever agreed to even think about allying with them, I shall never understand."

            Sela asked, "Have you ever encountered Cardassians, Torreth?"

            "Yes, I have, once," said Torreth.  "And I did not like it.  My own ship was the one sent to Cardassia for treaty negotiations with the Cardassians.  Just when we arrived, a Cardassian warship came at us and started a battle.  That was one of the many times I was thankful for the cloaking device."  She grinned.  "As I recall, my pilot had the honour of choosing the fate of the intelligence officer in charge of the mission.  That intelligence officer was not executed, but he learned the error of trusting the Cardassians so outrightly.  I knew we should have had our shields up as we entered Cardassian space, but the officer did not want us to raise shields.  The truth of the matter was that we should not have even entered Cardassian space in the first place."

            "The Cardassians are getting bolder and bolder," said Picard.  "We all have reasons to distrust them.  I am not the sort to think so, but, in light of recent events, I am willing to bet that they need a lesson in manners.  Everyone bordering on Cardassian territory should place middle-class ships on the border so that the Cardassians will not approach without alerting anyone."

            "Pardon me, Captain," said Wilykit.  "Look at this."  Everyone gathered around her so as to look at her screen.  "Ludwig has just paused at the gate.  I wonder what he is up to."

            Wilykat suggested, "He might have repaired or be close to repairing the cloaking device on his Warbird.  He's waiting until it is fixed so that he may detach Metroid from the Warbird so as not to waste any energy pulling it."

            "If we pushed our engines to the limit," said Torreth, "we might get to him before he moves it."  Wilykit shook her head and sat back in her seat.

            "No," she said.  "He has a trick up his sleeve.  This is our opportunity to nail him, and that's what he wants us to try to do.  No.  His shields are very strong, as are his disruptors.  He could track you coming, even if you were cloaked.  To go after him would be to fall into a trap."  She indicated a point on the galactic map that Tomalak had said was Romulus.  "This point has a better advantage.  Without that hole in the gate, Ludwig can't detect anyone coming.  If some Romulan Warbirds could be re-routed, they could intercept Ludwig. . . here."  She pointed to an area in the Romulan Empire near the Cardassian border.  "You said that D'Deridex Class Warbirds were limited to a top cruising speed of warp 8, right?"

            "Yes," said Torreth.

            "Well, if they came from anywhere between that point and this line,. . ."  She placed her finger a little east of Romulus and drew an imaginary slanted line to the north up to the Q-gate and to the south down to the Cardassian border.  ". . .Romulan Warbirds could go and intercept him by the time he could get there."

            Wilykat thought.  He shook his head.  "That does not make any sense, 'Kit.  Why would he not have already blasted a hole in the Q-gate?  He could wait to enter until he got his cloak fixed and detached Metroid."  Wilykit considered this.

            "You're right," she said.  "His Warbird would slice through the D'Deridex Warbirds like a hot knife through butter."  She sighed.  "But there has to be something he hasn't calculated.  It's always very much a game of chess with him.  He manoeuvres the way he does for a reason.  Everything he does is precisely calculated.  All we have to do is to find out how his calculations work, and we'll be one step closer to stopping him."  She thought.  "He would not expect opposition from the Klingons at this time.  The way I see it, he isn't even taking into account the Klingon Empire.  His mind is more or less two-tracked.  He is thinking of getting through the Q-gate, and he is thinking about getting through the Romulan Empire to Cardassia.  And he has to do it while cloaked.  Therefore,. . ."  She turned to Picard.  "Captain, how is it with the Klingons and the Cardassians?"

            "Not too well," said Picard.

            "All right," she replied.  She tried to make an alteration in the sensing net, but she didn't have the necessary clearance.  "Rats!  I need a Silver Hawk's code to do this."

            "I'll fix that," said Wilykat.  He went over to the central computer and tapped a communications button.  "Darkwing Tower to Hawkhaven.  Come in, please."  Steelheart appeared on the screen.

            "These interruptions, necessary though they may be, are beginning to annoy me slightly," said Steelheart.  "What is it?"

            "Wilykit is reasoning through what Ludwig's plan most possibly is," said Wilykat.

            "I'm sure," said Steelheart.  "What has she deduced?"

            "That Ludwig's mind is on getting through the Q-gate and getting to Cardassia," said Wilykat.  "She said that Ludwig would not expect intervention on the Klingons' part."

            "I see," said Steelheart.

            "The Cardassians are not getting along well with either the Romulans, the Klingons, or the Federation," added Wilykat.  "Wilykit tried to make a small alteration in the sensor net, but she couldn't, in light of the clearance necessary."

            "I see," said Steelheart.  "What exactly does she want to do?"

            "It is rather complicated.  I don't know if I can describe it.  It fits when it registers in my mind, but I can't put it into words.  I think she wants to track any Cardassian warships."

            "Okay," said Steelheart.  "I'll send someone over immediately.  Steelheart out."  The screen blanked.  In a few moments, Moonstriker materialised in the room.

            "What is it that you need, Wilykit?" he asked.

            "I need clearance," she said.  "Don't bother asking for an explanation; it would take far too long."

            Moonstriker said, "All right.  For what do you need clearance?"

            "I need it for a slight alteration I have to make in the sensor net.  It may lead to something keeping Ludwig from allying with the Cardassians."

            "Ugh!  Cardassians!  Certainly!"  He tapped a code in where the computer asked.  The message, 'Authorisation verified.  You have clearance,' showed on the screen.  "You have clearance."

            "Thank you."  She altered the sensitivity in certain areas and changed the scanning field for some.  Soon, she had finished.  "Good.  Now, let's see if it worked."  She pressed a button.  In the Cardassian Union were shown several Cardassian warships.  In the Romulan Empire were a great many Warbirds, both cloaked and decloaked.  In the Federation were shown a few Galaxy-Class starships.  In the Klingon Empire, several Birds of Prey were near the Klingon Homeworld, and these ships were decloaked.

            "That is the precise number of Galaxy-Class starships that are in the Federation," commented Data.

            "Yes," said Wilykit.  "This is set up to show the middle- to upper-class ships.  Hold it!"  She hit a button.  A Ferengi cargo ship was entering the shared space between the Klingons and the Cardassians.  Three Cardassian warships were heading for the inner Klingon border, and another one was headed for the Ferengi ship, which appeared as though it were going to the Romulan Empire without taking benefit of the Neutral Zone.  "Why are the Ferengi taking the route through the shared space between the Klingons and the Cardassians?  They could just skirt over the Neutral Zone."

            "Their ships are not very powerful," said Picard.  "Should a Warbird notice them in the Neutral Zone, it could misinterpret their actions as aggressive and protect Romulan territory by destroying the Ferengi ship."  Wilykit changed the perspective to an overview of the whole galaxy.  Metroid and the Warbird were where they had been being, and the Enterprise and the Kazara were at Darkwing's Earth. . . as expected.  The Mirage was floating in VideoLand somewhere between CastleVania and MegaLand.  The Sprint Hawk and the Space Racer were shown at Hawkhaven, and the Feliner was shown at third-Earth.  The same indications that had been indicated for the Romulans, the Federation, the Klingons, the Ferengi, and the Cardassians were shown here.  "I think that Gowron would appreciate that his Arbiter of Succession inform him that the Cardassians are about to invade his border."

            "I can see why he would have chosen someone from outside the Klingon Empire to arbitrate his succession," said Tomalak.  "He couldn't trust anyone in the Klingon Empire enough for it."

            "Somehow, I regret helping Duras's sisters," said Sela.  "The whole business about being allied with the Duras family made the Romulan government look bad.  Proconsul Narott himself broke the ties with the Duras, and he achieved wide support throughout the Romulan Empire."

            "Of what portion of the Romulan Empire is he proconsul?" inquired Data.

            "The Romulan Solar System," answered Tomalak.  "He is to answer for the welfare of Romulus and Remus, the two inhabited planets within that system."

            "What happened to Proconsul Neral?" asked Picard.

            "He's still a proconsul," said Sela.  "He's just proconsul of Romulus.  There are two levels of Romulan proconsuls:  planetary proconsuls and solar system proconsuls.  The planetary proconsuls answer to the solar system proconsuls, who, in turn, answer to the Prætor, who has the main task in governing the empire.  The Romulan senate governs the lawmaking for the empire and for Romulus.  There are planetary senates, which are the lawmaking bodies of their own worlds.  But I am no real expert on how it all works.  My field is ship command.  And it seems as though someone should call the Klingons soon."

            "Ah, yes," said Picard.  He tapped his communicator.  "Enterprise, one to beam up.  Energise when ready."  He was beamed aboard.  Data motioned for Counsellor Troi to join him in a more secluded area.

            "Counsellor," inquired Data, "how do you feel about the Romulans?"

            Troi said, "I sense no deception from them.  I believe that they really wish for the Romulans and the Federation to establish diplomatic relations.  When she started talking about the Duras, Sela's emotions stated that, in the long run, she hated them.  I think she liked Gowron better."

            "Do you think that the Klingons would support an alliance between the Romulan Empire and the Federation?"

            "I'm not certain.  They might; then again, they might not.  I think that many people in the Romulan Empire are angry that their government supported those who were going to lose politically in the Klingon Empire, anyway.  The Duras have lost much support in the Klingon government since Gowron came to power.  Many people are on Gowron's side, as I understand it.  Judging from their emotions when they talked about the Romulan alliance with the Duras, Sela, Torreth, and Tomalak were disgusted at that family.  They also seemed to dislike the fact that the Romulans did what they did at the Battle of Khitomer."

            Data said, "I see.  Would you support a Romulo-Federation alliance?"  Troi had to think about that.

            "I don't know," said Troi.  "I'd have to judge from the emotions of the negotiators.  However, each time we've dealt with the Cardassians, they've been more and more opposing."

            "Excuse me," called Wilykit's voice.  "I have something."  She activated the central viewer.  It showed Metroid and Ludwig's Warbird.  The former was attached to the head of the latter.  The latter shot out a disruptor blast and smacked a hole into the Q-gate.  Metroid separated from the head of the Warbird and turned back toward where it belonged.  Approaching the hole so as to enter it, the Warbird cloaked.  Everyone in the room knew that the Warbird was entering the Romulan Empire and was going to the Cardassian Union.  The screen switched to its overview of the galaxy.  Ludwig's Warbird's cloaking device had not enough power to hide it from the N-Team's cloak detection grid, and Wilykit tracked where it went.  The entire manner she had predicted.  A straight line for Cardassia.  Metroid remained decloaked as it headed back to its normal position.  "There we have it," said Wilykit.  "-Sigh.-  I hope that Captain Picard reached the Klingon Homeworld.  I. . ."  Something beeped on her instrument cluster.  She examined the map and saw three Klingon Birds of Prey heading for the Klingon border to the 'mutually shared' territory of the Klingon Empire and the Cardassian Union.  The Birds of Prey cloaked, still visible to the N-Team's superior sensors.  She examined the speed of the travelling Cardassian warships, and she found that the Klingons would be the first to enter the territory.  However, the Ferengi ship was very vulnerable.  It was comparatively weak, and it had no cloaking device.  It was slower than the Cardassian vessel.  "Someone needs to stop the Cardassians from getting the Ferengi ship."  Torreth studied the screen.  She recognised the Warbird nearest the Cardassio-Klingon shared zone.

            "I know the Marcus," said Torreth.  "That's the Warbird right here."  She pointed to a cloaked vessel, the one nearest the border to the shared zone.  "Commander Veral commands it.  I know him, too."  Commander Veral was one of her best friends.

            Data asked, "Wouldn't asking him to stop the Cardassian cruiser heading for the Ferengi trade ship pull the Romulans into a Cardassian War?"

            "Yes, but it's inevitable, the way things have been going," said Torreth.  "I'm returning to the Kazara."

            "Very well, Commander," said Tomalak.  Torreth tapped her collar-insignia.

            "Kazara transporter room, transport me back up to the ship," said Torreth.

            "Yes, sir," replied the transporter operator.  Torreth dematerialised into green energy.  Picard rematerialised in the room.

            "I've talked with Gowron," said Picard.  "He said he'd look into stopping the three Cardassian warships."  Wilykit indicated the screen, and Picard saw on it that three Klingon Birds of Prey were cloaked and were heading out to meet the Cardassian warships.  "I see.  What about the Ferengi?"

            "Commander Torreth knows the commander of the Warbird nearest the border to the Cardassio-Klingon shared territory," said Tomalak.  "She left for the Kazara with the intention of calling him and asking him to save the Ferengi ship before the Cardassian warship captures it."

            "Very well," said Picard.  "It seems as though things are in as good a shape as that into which they can get right now."

            "Ludwig has just entered the Romulan Empire," said Wilykat.  "He got rid of Metroid, which is heading back to its accustomed position, and he is heading for Cardassia.  His ship is cloaked, but we can detect it."  Wilykit sighed.

            "I wish there were something we could do about this," said Wilykit.  She checked the chronometer.  "It's 19.30.  Moonstriker, we need you to yank Commander Steelheart away from whatever she's doing and tell her what the devil's going on."

            "Okay," said Moonstriker.  " 'Bye."  He tapped his communicator and ordered the transporter to transport him back to Hawkhaven.

            Wilykit sighed and turned to her map.  The Romulan Warbird that Torreth indicated as the Marcus turned away from its previous course and headed directly into the Cardassio-Klingon shared zone, zipping right to the point where the Cardassian warship and the Ferengi ship would come into contact.  The three would encounter each other at the same time.  Torreth beamed back into the room.

            "Commander Veral has agreed to change course," said Torreth.  She saw that he had on the map.  "He has one of the most powerful D'Deridex Warbirds in the Empire.  He should be able to stop the Cardassians from damaging the Ferengi ship."

            * * *

            Bridge, Romulan Warbird Marcus.

            "Sub-Commander," said Veral, "when shall we intercept the Ferengi and the Cardassians?"

            "In about ten minutes, Commander," reported Veral's subcommander.

            "Very well.  Maintain present course and speed."

            "Yes, sir."  Veral was glad that this was a serious matter.  That Ferengi ship was transporting electronics which the Romulans needed if they were to continue making the enormous D'Kazanak Class Warbirds.  Were Torreth's mission to prove successful in establishing relations with others in the galaxy, Veral's ship would be upgraded to D'Kazanak Class.  Were the Cardassians to capture the Ferengi ship, however, upgrading D'Deridex Warbirds would be extremely difficult.  The electronics carried by the Ferengi were necessary for the machines capable of creating the cloaking device.  It was good that the Ferengi did not know that.  But then, they were stupid little creatures with a nasty attitude toward the way Romulans allowed their women to serve in government and everything else, equal to men.  Veral wondered what the Ferengi did with their women, though he was sure it was quite vulgar.  He was glad that Torreth had told him about the Ferengi ship and the Cardassian warship when she had.  Otherwise, he would have been unable to intercept them.  She and he had always sort of been friends, hardly ever more than that.  He always felt some urge when thinking about her, but he never quite knew what it was.  He was just attracted to her in some way.  Anyway, he flushed it out of his mind for now, for he had duties elsewhere.  He checked the terminal on his station, trying to find any known specifications for Cardassian ships.  What he found was from a year ago, but that would probably suffice.  He saw that their warp engines were capable of generating a speed of only warp 7, so he could chase down the Cardassian warship if it became necessary.  The shield output was also inferior.  In terms of weapons technology, the Romulans had the advantage also, as the Cardassian phasers would not cut through his Warbird's shields before the Romulan disruptors would shoot through the Cardassian warship's shields.  Still, he had to be careful.  A lot of improvement could come within a year.  However, his ship was powerful.  Shields, a cloaking device, disruptors, a maximum speed of warp 9.  What would give him the greatest problem was decloaking.  There was always a moment in there where the Warbird would be completely vulnerable, and the Cardassians could destroy the Warbird while the Warbird was decloaking.  Still, everyone delayed.  The delay always gave the Romulans the advantage.

            Within minutes, the Romulan Warbird, the Cardassian warship, and the Ferengi ship were in close range.  "Sir, the Cardassians are coming out of warp and are nearing the Ferengi ship," said the subcommander.  "The Ferengi have noticed this and are dropping out of warp, too."

            "Very well," said Veral.  "Get near them.  When we are close enough, engage manoeuvring engines at full impulse."

            "Yes, sir."  Soon, the ship came out of warp.  "The Ferengi are in viewing range."

            "On-screen."  A typical Ferengi Marauder appeared at the left side of the screen.  In a moment, the Cardassian warship came into view.

            "The Ferengi attempt to hail the Cardassians, but the Cardassians do not respond," said the subcommander.  "What shall we do?"

            "At my order, decloak the ship and very quickly raise shields," said Veral.  "Meanwhile, ready the ship for battle."

            "Yes, sir."  He tapped in the proper sequences.  "All sections report ready for battle, Commander."

            "Very well," said Veral.  "Wait for my order."

            "Yes, sir."  The Cardassian warship blasted at the Ferengi ship, which fortunately had its shields up.  "The Cardassian ship has fired on the Ferengi ship.  The Ferengi ship's shields are holding, but they are weak."

            "Decloak!" ordered Veral.  "Raise shields!"

            "Yes, sir!"  The subcommander hit a series of buttons, and the Romulan Warbird Marcus faded into view.  The Ferengi blasted at the Cardassian ship, but the Cardassian ship's shields were strong enough for the blast not to faze them.  The shields of the Marcus popped into place.

            Veral said, "Hail the Cardassians."

            "Yes, Commander," said the subcommander, hitting some buttons.  A negative result.  "They are not responding."

            "Hail the Ferengi!"

            "Yes."  This had a response.  "They are responding."

            "On-screen."  A Ferengi, who did not appear too disgusting, appeared on the screen.  Like all Ferengi, he had a partial ring around his forehead above the eyes and that extended to the ears.  The ring was flesh-covered bone.

            "I am DaiMon Rok of the Ferengi Cargo Cruiser Kan."  For the record, the name of the ship is pronounced just like the verb 'can.'

            "I am Commander Veral of the Imperial Warbird Marcus," replied Veral.  "I assure you that the Cardassians shall regret firing on your ship of innocent bystanders."

            "Thank you!  Kan out."  The screen turned to its view of space.

            "Hail the Cardassian vessel once more," said Veral.

            "Yes, sir," said the subcommander.  This time, there was a response.  The Cardassian commander, a female, appeared on the screen.

            "I am Commander Veral of the Romulan Warbird Marcus," said Veral.

            "I am Gul Se Dek of the Cardassian Warcruiser Letal," replied the Cardassian.  "Your presence in Cardassio-Klingon space is a clear act of aggression."  Like others of her race, she had a bony circle on her forehead and visible bones around the veins in the neck, and she had whitish skin.

            "I believe that it is you who have committed the act of aggression," countered Veral.  "The Ferengi are free to travel space in this area, if I understand the Cardassio-Klingon Treaty well enough."  The Cardassian had to think.

            "The Ferengi have no right to fire on a Cardassian ship," said Gul Se Dek.

            "They were merely defending themselves.  As I recall, it was you who fired on them first."

            "Still, that gives the Romulans no right to intervene."

            "You have committed acts of aggression against us.  The Cardassians have no right to enter Romulan space without permission."

            "You had better withdraw immediately, you pointy-eared thing, or my ship will fire at you!"

            "How threatening.  My ship is among the most powerful in the Romulan Fleet."

            "We'll see whose warship is more powerful, Veral.  Then, you'll regret entering Cardassio-Klingon space."  Gul Se Dek disappeared from the screen.  Ugly creatures, those Cardassians, thought Veral.  Imagine the gall of her to call me a pointy-eared thing!

            "Charge forward disruptor array," said Veral.  "Aim so that the Ferengi ship has time to escape."

            "Yes, Commander," replied the subcommander.  He hit several buttons.  A disruptor shot hit the Cardassian Warcruiser back a few kilometres.  The Ferengi Cargo Cruiser slipped by, unnoticed by the Cardassian ship.  "The Ferengi have escaped."

            "Good," said Veral.  "Full power to shields."  The Cardassian Warcruiser hit the Romulan Warbird with a phaser blast.  It was powerful, but the shields held nicely.  "How are their shields holding up?"

            "They have lost more power than ours have."

            Aha! thought Veral.  Too early in the fight to be confident, though.  "Evasive manoeuvres. . . plan A."

            "Yes, sir."  The Warbird slid to avoid the Warcruiser's next shots.

            "Blast them with all possible disruptor arrays," said Veral.  "Twice!  When they've become too confused, lower shields and recloak."

            "Yes, Commander."  Three disruptor arrays shot two disruptor blasts that knocked out the Warcruiser's shields and knocked out their weapons systems.  The subcommander lowered the Warbird's shields and recloaked the ship before the Cardassians made a response.  "We are cloaked."

            "Good," said Veral.  "Let's follow the Ferengi ship and make sure that Gul Se Dek does not follow and create trouble."

            "Yes, sir."  The subcommander changed course for the specified parameters.  "The Cardassian ship is heading back for Cardassia."

            "Hm," said Veral, thinking.  Torreth mentioned that the Cardassians were also heading for Klingon territory, he thought.  "I have a better idea.  Do you detect three Cardassian ships heading for the Klingon Empire?"  The subcommander checked.

            "Yes, sir.  I also detect three faint disruptions heading for the Cardassian ships.  It is highly probable that those disruptions are cloaked Klingon Birds of Prey."

            "Very well.  Head for the interception point between the two trios of ships."

            "Yes, Commander.  At warp 8.6, we will get to them when they get to each other."

            "Go at warp 8.6, then."  The subcommander complied.  Veral hoped that the Ferengi would make it safely to the Romulan Empire.

            * * *

            Darkwing Tower, Darkwing's Earth.

            "The Cardassian warship is heading back for Cardassia," said Wilykit.  "The Ferengi ship is heading for Romulan space, and the Romulan Warbird is heading for the intersection point between the Klingon ships and the Cardassian ships."

            "I see," said Picard, studying the map.

            "I informed Commander Veral that the Cardassians were also heading for the Klingon Empire," said Torreth.  "He has one of the three most powerful D'Deridex Warbirds in the Romulan Fleet."  Wesley Crusher was at a computer near Wilykit's.  He had requested one, and Darkwing had let him use it.  Now, he had found something.

            "Hm," said Wesley.  "Wilykat, it may not be anything, but something is flying toward this galaxy from the Small Magellanic Cloud."

            "How quickly, Wesley?" asked Wilykat, coming up to take a look.

            "Quickly enough to reach the south-centralmost point on the Q-gate in a few hours," said Wesley.

            "Let me see," said Wilykat.  He made some adjustments.  "There.  Now, see if you can get it on the central viewer, please."

            "Okay," said Wesley.  He tapped a button.  Dark space appeared.  There was a dot in the centre.  "That's it.  I'll magnify it."  He magnified it.  The sight on the screen almost horrified the Enterprise crew, except for Data.  "They're coming back now?  Of all the times to do it, why when a war with a major nation is imminent!"  The ship was shaped like a cube, and it was rather greyish.  It appeared harmless, but Wesley, Picard, Troi, and Data knew that it was extremely dangerous, for it housed one of the galaxy's worst enemies, one who would make the threat of the new Cardassian war look as potentially damaging as a paper cut:  the Borg.