Sole Asylum, Part One


Summary

Sole Asylum, Part One
"Captain's log, stardate 48979.1. We are nearing Cardassian space, soon to cross into it as per Starfleet's orders. My mission has been kept secret since I left the station. Too risky for subspace, I have been instructed to view a recorded message at 0700 hours. I am, however, aware of two things… I will be paying a visit to the High Council of Cardassia Prime… and that this mission is of priority one status. The rest I can only speculate on. But there is a nagging feeling in the back of my head that this mission has something to do with… Thomas Riker."

Riker finds himself in a cell surrounded by Cardassian guards and scientists. Strapped into a torture chair of sorts, he has lost all track of time since his imprisonment. Sem Veress is the chief scientist, in charge of Riker. Veress has a dislike of Humans, something he doesn't bother hiding from Riker. Veress' colleague Ker Jaana isn't afraid to show his frustration, but his pride keeps insisting that they will break Riker's spirit soon. He also tells Riker that Dr. Duran Nol, a genetics authority, will be arriving the next day, and she will find his secrets.

On board the , Sisko listens to the recorded message. The message states that an informant has told them that the Cardassians are trying to find out the secret of Riker's duplication so that they can create an army of duplicates. The admiral also informs Sisko that the Federation is willing to cede the planet Delkar Seven in exchange. The planet is currently being used as an observation post, but has an ore that the Cardassians desire, and is right on the border between Federation and Cardassian territory. Just as the message finishes, Sisko is informed that they've arrived in Cardassian space and have been met by two  starships. Gul Amark of the Kenzha greets Sisko, telling him that he and Gul Dracos of the Serron were to be his escorts.

On Cardassia Prime, Dr. Nol and her assistant Gell Terr were shown to the Hall of Science. In the Hall, she greets Dr. Veress and notes that it is good to be back from Rissa IV, where her studies had been getting monotonous. Veress confirms to her that they are attempting to figure out how Riker was duplicated in order to create the perfect army.

Riker, alone in his cell, reminisces about his time on Nervala IV and wonders whether his theft of the Defiant was foolish, due to its costs. The door opens and one of the guards drags Riker to the laboratory. As he does so, Nol amazes at the wonders they can create and shakes her head watching the guard. In the lab, as Nol asks Veress to leave the room, Riker protests that it was a freak accident, but she will have none of it.

"Captain's log, supplemental. We have reached the Cardassian's solar system and have decreased speed. On this journey, I have thought much about the subject of my mission… the man called Thomas Riker. Since my first encounter with him, I've often tried to put myself in his position… tried to imagine what it must be like, not only to have lost eight years of life and career by being stranded alone on an alien world… but to find out that another part of you had lived the life that you were supposed to live. I marvel at the mysteries of this universe."

Sisko asks for a spare combadge, but with its circuitry removed. Amark contacts the Defiant and informs Sisko that he has been asked to escort him to the surface. Sisko tells him to transmit coordinates and that he will transport down in five minutes.

In the lab, Nol discovers that Riker is completely identical to the samples of William T. Riker they have on file, noting that "even clones aren't this identical."  She asks Terr to escort everyone out as she wants to talk with Riker in private. When the room is cleared, she tells Riker that she knows that the reports were true about his creation "less than an Earth decade ago."  She points out that his cellular tissue was only nine years old. As such, whether artificially or intentionally, it is still technology that would be a powerful weapon. She also confides in him that it scares her and that she is uncertain whether she can allow her people to have such a weapon…

Enemies & Allies, Part One
 and  are in the shuttlecraft Runner being chased by two  battle cruisers. They head toward an asteroid belt, and Tuvok contacts their home base, "Northern Star". Little do they know, but the Cardassian-Klingon Alliance ships have cracked their code and they are headed right toward one of their cloaked ships. Commander Mahj'K of the Alliance ship quvSud hails them and, as their shuttlecraft is trapped by a tractor beam, Tuvok and Bashir are beamed over to the newly decloaked starship.

On board the quvSud, the two are thrown into the brig. As the shield comes up, a Mahj'K taunts them with the knowledge that they are now headed toward the rebel Beta Quadrant outpost to destroy it in a hail of photon torpedoes.

Mahj'K contacts Captain Kroll on the ship that captured the shuttlecraft, but they can find no trace of the chip Tuvok claimed to have in his last transmission. Mahj'K delegates his first officer, Tr'anga to interrogate the prisoners. The Bajoran science officer, Nor, scans the two prisoners with a tricorder, quickly finding the chip hidden under Tuvok's skin at the wrist. Tr'anga pulls out a knife and prepares to cut it out…

Background information
 This issue contained two stories, both the first part, both completed in the next issue.

Creators
 Based on Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry and  created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller
 Writers:
 Mark Paniccia
 Mark Paniccia & Tim Russ (Co-Plotters – "Enemies & Allies, Part One")
 Artists: 
 Rod Whigham (Pencil Art – "Sole Asylum, Part One")
 Rob Davis (Pencil Art – "Enemies & Allies, Part One")
 Terry Pallot (Inking – "Sole Asylum, Part One")
 Aubrey Bradford (Inking – "Enemies & Allies, Part One")
 Moose Baumann (Color Design)
 Malibu (Interior Color)
 Dave Lanphear (Letter Art – "Sole Asylum, Part One")
 Teresa Davidson (Letter Art – "Enemies & Allies, Part One")
 Mark Brill (Cover Art)
 Editors:
 Phil Crain

Characters

"Sole Asylum"
 Benjamin Sisko  Captain of Deep Space 9.
 Thomas Riker  Transporter duplicate of William T. Riker, member of the Maquis, and currently prisoner of the Cardassians.
 Sem Veress  Cardassian scientist in charge of discovering the secret of Riker's duplication. Has a strong dislike of Humans and isn't afraid to show it.
 Ker Jaana  Assistant to Dr. Veress.
 Duran Nol  Cardassian genetics authority.
 Amark  Cardassian Gul, and captain of the Kenzha.
 Dracos  Cardassian Gul, and captain of the Serron.

"Enemies & Allies"
   Vulcan rebel.
   Human rebel.
 Mahj'K  Klingon commander, captain of the quvSud.
 Tr'anga  Klingon first officer aboard the quvSud.
 Nor  Bajoran science officer aboard the quvSud.
 Kroll  Klingon captain.

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