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After six hours without incident, Worf entered the Defiant mess hall. Though he was there to meet with Eddington and Kira, he noticed Sisko and Scott sitting in a corner, the latter pouring the former an amber liquid from a glass carafe. “Ach, you won’t be wantin’ that syntheholic swill, laddie. This is the good stuff. Captain!” Scott added as he saw Worf approach. “Will you join us in a toast?”

“Klingon tradition holds that one drinks when the battle is over.” Then he allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. “And also on the eve of battle.”

His grin widening, Scott poured a third glass and handed it to Worf.

“To the cloaking device,” Scott said, holding up his glass.

A smile peeked out from under Sisko’s goatee. “To teamwork.”

Per human tradition, the officers clinked their glasses together, then Worf threw back the entire beverage. It tasted a bit smoky, and fairly weak, all told, but tolerable.

Scott was wincing. “You’re supposed to be sippin’ it, Captain.”

“Why?”

Sisko coughed rather raggedly. In a whisper, he said, “Smooth.” Worf assumed he was employing sarcasm. “You drink this on purpose?”

Eddington was already seated at a far table, along with three lieutenants, and Kira had just entered the mess hall to join them. Remembering human custom, Worf said, “Thank you for the drink” rather than throw the glass away, and then proceeded to join the others.

The three lieutenants were serving as Eddington’s deputies on this mission, each commanding a sixteen-person squad. Padraig Daniels was a demolitions expert, Domenica Corsi had served on several ships, most recently as chief of security on the Roosevelt, and George Primmin had run security on Starbase 10-the base closest to Romulan territory-for the last several years.

Eddington glanced down at a padd. “According to the most recent reports from the SI agent on Romulus, Koval spends most of his time either at Tal Shiar headquarters or at his new home.”

“New home?” Corsi asked.

“Believe it or not,” Primmin said, “we were able to learn that from a simple transfer of deed. Anybody in the empire with minimal access to a computer could learn that the mansion that used to belong to Lovok was sold upon his death to Koval by the late colonel’s estate. SI was also able to track down several decorators bidding on contracts with Koval. From all reports, Koval is very fussy about how his home looks.”

Corsi shook her head. “If this guy really is an alien from another quadrant, he’s really throwing himself into the part.”

Kira stared at the blond woman intently. “They wouldn’t have been able to get as far as they have without being good at what they do.”

“Or,” Corsi said, “Koval might be Koval and this is a wild-goose chase.”

Worf could understand Corsi’s skepticism-in truth, right up until the meeting in the Palais, he had harbored doubts-but now was not the time. “What I am about to inform you of is classified information that does not leave this ship.”

All three security personnel nodded immediately. They all understood the old human axiom, “loose lips sink ships,” originally coined regarding Earth’s naval forces, and-like so many human aphorisms-still used long after it ceased to make literal sense.

“Four shapechangers have infiltrated the Alpha Quadrant and replaced important figures in the political landscape. One of them is dead-he replaced President Jaresh-Inyo.”

Corsi, Primmin, and Daniels gasped. Daniels said, “That’s impossible.”

“I was there,” Worf snapped. “In fact, I was the one who killed the creature when the disguise was exposed.”

“Which was done by me,” Kira put in. “I get that you all don’t believe this, but it’s real. And the sooner you wrap your heads around this, the more likely we are to actually accomplish this mission.”

There was a silence for several seconds, finally broken by Primmin. “Okay, so how do we figure out where Koval is?”

Eddington said, “All Tal Shiar operatives have a subcutaneous transponder that allows the praetor and others in the Tal Shiar to find them at any time.”

“Do we know the frequency for Koval’s transponder?”