The tall, lanky stranger entered the 'Escape' and walked straight to the bar. "Earth whiskey", he ordered. Leaning his elbow on the bar, he turned and surveyed the room. Crowded, dirty, smelly. Your typical bar, he mused to himself. Picking up his drink he made his way over to a corner table where Armand, the leader of the 'Guardians' sat with Karee, his second in command.

"You are Armand," he stated. It was not a question, but a statement. The man knew who he was after.

"Maybe," said Armand. "Who wants to know?" Armand leaned back in his chair, his boot resting on the table.

The patrons in the bar stopped their chattering and looked at the stranger and Armand. Few came looking for him--at least none with good intentions.

"I have a message for you." The stranger started to reach inside his jacket pocket.

"Hold it! That's not a good idea around here stranger," said Armand, sitting up straight in his chair, his feet flat on the floor, braced for anything.

The stranger glanced around the room spotting three phaser weapons, several knives and certain there were plenty more he could not see. "It's only a padd," he said, smiling.

Armand stood up. "Then you won't mind if I take it out for you."

Still smiling, the stranger put his arms out to his sides. "Fine with me."

Armand carefully reached inside the stranger's pocket and pulled out a padd. He held it up to the crowd who laughed and turned around to continue their own business.

"Sit," said Armand to the stranger. " Your name?"

"My name is of no importance. I am just a messenger. You might want to read that in private," he said. "If you need to reach me, I'll be staying at the local hotel for the next 12 hours. After that time, I will leave your beautiful planet." With a smile and a nod, he turned around and left the bar.

Armand sat back down and flipped the padd over in his hands. "Interesting." He sipped his beer and leaned back in his chair.

"Aren't you going to read it?" asked Karee, always curious and impatient.

"Yeah," said Armand. "In my own time."

"But it could be important."

"Of course it's important!" said Armand. "But anticipation makes it better."

Karee harrumped and got up from her seat. "I don't understand you at times, Armand. Guess I'd better leave you alone to contemplate your interesting news," she quipped. "Call me if you need me."

Armand finished his beer, then turned on the padd. It read:

MR. ARMAND, I AM FAMILIAR WITH YOUR EFFORTS AGAINST THE KHYNAH. I AM IMPRESSED WITH YOUR GUARDIANS AND WHAT YOU HAVE THUS FAR ACCOMPLISHED.

I WANT TO HELP YOU IN YOUR ENDEAVORS AND I HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DO THIS. THIS IS NEITHER A HOAX NOR A TRAP. I HAVE TRANSFERRED 10 THOUSAND CREDITS INTO YOUR PERSONAL ACCOUNT TO SHOW YOU THAT MY INTENTIONS ARE HONORABLE.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH ME, BE AT THE HOTEL WITHIN 12 HOURS. MY ASSISTANT WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH A PRIVATE LINK TO ME AT THAT TIME. YOUMAY BRING ALONG ONE OTHER TO THIS MEETING.

IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO MEET WITH ME, MY ASSISTANT WILL LEAVE LOMO IN 12 HOURS AND YOU WILL NEVER HEAR FROM ME AGAIN. YOU MAY KEEP THE 10 THOUSAND CREDITS EITHER WAY.

END TRANSMISSION

"Hmmm," mumbled Armand getting up and heading to the bar where Karee was seated.

"Well?" she asked.

"Get everyone together immediately and have them meet me in the control center. We have to talk."

"Right," she said, moving from her seat.

"I'll be in the back room," said Armand to the bartender. Armand walked to the back of the bar, pressed his hand against a panel next to the door and disappear through a private doorway.

________________

"This is a trick!" yelled Kra'oth, as he stormed around the small room. The room was equipped with several terminals, holomaps and various other equipment which enabled Armand to keep an eye on the Khynah and his own operatives.

"I don't think so," said Karee. "This feels real to me," she said, sitting at the rectangular conference table.

"Oh, so now you are a Betazoid?" sneered Kra'oth.

"You don't have to be a Betazoid to have intuition, Kra'oth," said Karee. "You ought to try it sometime."

"I don't need---!"

"Stop!" shouted Armand. "We don't need this now!" He stood with his hands on the table. "What do you think, G'lynt?" He turned to the male Vulcan in the room.

"It is not logical to be a trick or trap, Armand. This man obviously knows all about our activities. I can see no reason to try and trap you now."

"Agreed."

"Then you will meet with him?" asked Karee.

"Yes."

"When?"

"Immediately. Karee you and I will go over to the hotel. G'lynt, If we have not returned in two hours, get off the planet. That would mean it was a trap," said Armand. "Notify our other operatives as soon as you are safe that the 'Guardians' are out of business."

"Understood," said G'lynt.

"Let's go," said Armand.

______________

The only hotel in the Central Province was located next to the Escape Bar. Since tourism was not a big commerce on Lomo, it consisted of only 12 rooms--each contained a bed, dresser, table, chair, terminal and shower. Only two had replicators, numbers 11 and 12. The stranger was in number 12.

"Come in Mr. Armand," shouted the stranger, at the buzzing of his door. He was sitting on the bed, holding a tall blue beverage. "The furnishings are a bit sparse, but adequate for my purposes."

"Tell me, Mr. . . . ah", began Armand, coming through the door with Karee close behind.

"Ranger, " he answered.

"Mr. Ranger. Just who is this guy I'm supposed to 'meet'?"

Ranger rose and walked over to the table where a large rectangular box was sitting. "He'll tell you all you need to know." Ranger flipped the box open to reveal a viewer screen and control padd. Ranger entered a few instructions and the screen flared to life. He went back to the bed and sat down. "Sit," he said, pointing to the chair in front of the screen.

Laree stood with her arms folded, directly behind Armand as he sat down.

"Greetings, Mr. Armand," came a voice from the screen. The screen revealed a dark skinned, dark haired Terran, sitting in front of what appeared to be dark blue curtains. "I'm glad to see you have accepted my offer to meet."

"Yes. But before we get further into these talks, I need to know a few things," said Armand, not recognizing the man, but then again, not expecting to.

"Understandable. Proceed with your questions."

"First, who are you?"

"You may call me, Gabriel".

"Okay," said Armand. "Gabriel, then. If you have so much power and credits to throw around, why do you need me? Why not go after the Khynah yourself?"

"A good question. I am a well-known businessman and it would be, let's say unwise for me to be involved with such activities." "I see. So, you want us to do your dirty work for you then?"

"Mr. Armand," he smiled. "My goals and yours are the same. We both want the Khynah extinguished from this universe. We both suffered at their hands. I have the resources to help bring about their end. You have the manpower and the contacts. It's as simple as that. Either you want my help or you don't. If you don't then I will find others who do."

Precise and to the point, thought Armand. A man used to getting his own way. "What else do you want?" he asked. "Surely you don't intend to simply hand over credits without any further involvement on your part?"

"You are a very perceptive man, Mr. Armand. You are correct. For the help I provide you, I expect you to heed my suggestions as to how to proceed in this matter. While I don't expect you to agree with everything I suggest, I do expect you to consider them and to keep me informed of all your activities."

"You want to be in charge of the Guardians, then?"

"No, no, absolutely not. I have neither the time nor incentive for that job. You will remain the leader of the Guardians. I wish, simply to the your partner in crime, so to speak."

"I see. And when I disagree with one of your suggestions, you will pull out all of your support?"

"No, I will not. Not until the Khynah are destroyed. That is my goal and I think yours as well?"

"I want the Khynah threat gone. That is true. I want them hurt badly enough so that they can never hurt others again. That is why I need the Federation's help. We don't have the means to do this alone. And I assume, neither do you?"

"Correct. It would take more resources than even I have, to wage a full-scale war. And that is what it will take to defeat the Khynah. So, do we have a deal?"

"If everything you have told me is true, then yes, we have a deal."

"Excellent. Now we must discuss our next move."

"We have been hitting various freighters, ships and---"

"Yes, yes. I know of your previous activities," said Gabriel, waving his hand. "But they are not having the desired effect, are they? The Federation has still not declared war on the Khynah."

"No they haven't. One of our problems is that we're having trouble keeping a Khynah transponder signal operating on our ships. Everyone must be convinced that our ships are Khynah ships or this ruse will not work. If we get too close, other ships can visually identify our ships as not being Khynah. And we don't have any other way of convincing them that we are. We have done well in stirring up sympathy for our cause however."

"Yes you have. And I understand your limitations. A Khynah ship would be useful to you, would it not?"

"Absolutely. But how can we get our hands on one?"

"You will have one in two days time. It will be delivered to you then."

"What? How did you get your hands on a Khynah ship?" Armand found this hard to believe. The only Khynah ships that he knew of were those on their home planet of Den'a. And to get one off of that planet was… well, practically impossible.

"That is something you do not need to know, Mr. Armand. The ship is equipped with a holoemitter that will identify you as Khynah on anyone's viewscreen. I have provided you with other holoemitters for your other ships as well. People will assume the Khynah have taken possessions of those ships to use against us. Universal translators are also provided, along with a few other surprises. Captain Celeste Knight will be delivering the ship to you. When she arrives, direct her where you want the ship stored. Mr. Ranger will remain in order to provide you with details of the ship."

Armand glanced at Ranger who nodded and saluted.

"And for this ship, you expect, what?"

"I want you to take the ship and attack all the ships in your area. Once this is done, the Federation will have no choice but to declare a state of war between us and the Khynah. The Khynah will protest that it is not their ship of course, but with the many lies they have already perpetrated, they will not be believed this time."

"You want me to attack all ships?" asked a surprised Armand. "Even with a Khynah ship, there is no way we can go up against a Federation ship! We don't have that kind of firepower."

"Relax, Mr. Armand. I don't expect you to fight any large Federation vessels. But I believe there are several smaller ships in your area at this time. A Federation science vessel, a Ferengi trader and a large freighter called, 'Knight's Castle'. In fact, the 'Castle' will be the ship delivering your Khynah ship to you."

"You want me to attack the ship you hired to deliver the Khynah ship to us? You want us to eliminate any witnesses, is that it?" Armand didn't like the turn this meeting had suddenly taken.

Gabriel laughed. "Don't worry, Mr. Armand. I am not asking you to kill innocents civilians. Captain Knight understands that you will attack her vessel. I can assure you, you will not do her ship fatal damage."

"She knows and agrees with this?"

"Credits will buy almost anything, Mr. Armand. Yes, she knows and has agreed for her ship to take minor damage. Do you have any other concerns?"

"Just one. Who is the spy within our midst? To know all of this information, you must have someone on the inside of the Guardians".

Gabriel smiled. "Mr. Armand, like you, I have connections everywhere."

"I see."

"But rest assured, the 'spy' as you put it, is quite loyal to you and your cause, and has not betrayed you by informing me of your presence. But in doing so has only helped your cause."

"I don't like spies."

"Spies are necessary, Mr. Armand. The important thing is that they are our spies. Any other concerns?"

"Oh yeah, plenty. But that is enough for today."

"Excellent. You are to keep this comm unit by which to contact me. It is fully protected and secured and is a direct line to only me. Mr. Ranger will provide you with the password to use. I suggest that you make your contacts with me few and short. Even with a protected comm unit, it is wiser not to take unnecessary risks during war time."

"Understood."

"Good, then this meeting is now over." Abruptly the screen went blank.

"He doesn't believe in long good-byes, does he," said Karee.

Ranger got up from the bed and walked over to the table, closing the comm unit. "You are never to give this password to anyone, he said, handing Armand a small isolinear chip. "Use this to activate the unit. The password is 'Guardian Angel'."

"How appropriate," remarked Karee.

"The password in known only to Mr. Gabriel, myself and the two of you. Give it to no one else."

"I heard you the first time, pal," snapped Armand.

Karee turned to the stranger. "You have a first name?" she asked.

"Yes. It is S.T."

"S T Ranger," said Armand. "Cute."

"I think so," he smiled. "Now, where can I get a good steak on this planet?" -------------

Gabriel was as good as his word. The freighter, Knight's Castle, Captained by Celeste Knight arrived on schedule with a Khynah Ship on board, among other gifts.

Armand had the ship delivered to the opposite side of the planet where there were numerous large caves. Caves that were used to store several Guardian ships and supplies. The area was mountainous, dusty and dry. Not fit for crops or much of anything else which made it perfect for the Guardians' purposes.

The ship was parked on the ground as Armand, Karee, ST, G'lynt and Captain Knight stood around her.

"Ugly, isn't it?" remarked Karee. The ship was about the size of a Starfleet runabout, although not nearly as pleasing to the eye. It was dirty brown in color and had a long narrow front end and plump body.

"Lousha," said G'lynt.

"What?" asked Armand.

"The ship was obviously designed to resemble one of the Khynah's more viscous animals. The Lousha is a small, rodent like creature with poisonous fangs which resides exclusively on Den'a."

"Figures," said Armand.

Captain Knight walked over to Armand. "If I could have your thumbprint on the receipt, I'll go find my crew and I a place to let off a little bit of steam. We've been a long time in space and I think they need a little planet bound excitement for awhile."

"Just what am I signing for?" asked Armand. "A dozen crates of various materials including cloth, metals, wood etc."

"Sound about right," he said pressing his thumb to the padd she held.

"Now, where can my crew and I find some relaxation on this planet?"

"The Escape in the Central Province is the place you're looking for, Captain Knight," said Armand. "And, thank you for your delivery," he said with a smile.

"Anytime, Mr. Armand," smiled Knight. "Knight to KC, beam me up," she spoke into her wrist unit.

Several hours later, Armand and his crew had gone over the Khynah ship and began installing the holoemitters into their other ships and were back inside the back room of the Escape, planning their next move.

___________________

Four days later, it was reported the Khynah had attacked three ships near the Neutral Zone. They were positively identified through visual contact. The Khynah Captain of the lead attacking ship promised more attacks upon the Federation citizens as long as his people were alive.

The Khynah government has denied any knowledge of the attacks.