Copyright ©1999, Lyta All rights reserved.  No part of this story may be re-posted in part or in full without written permission from me(That includes mailing lists).
Disclaimer: Gene Roddenberry's Earth: Final Conflict is copyright 1998, Tribune Entertainment Co.
Rating: PG.
Title: The Face of an Enemy, The Face of a Friend, Part I
Author: Lyta
Author's Notes: This is a sort of sequel to my previous fanfic "Cat and Mouse". I suggest you read that before preceding or this won't make much sense. This is a very dark story.

The Face of an Enemy, The Face of a Friend
Part I

        Ronald Sandoval waited with Liam Kincaid as the Jaridian probe approached. As soon as it came in range Kincaid hit it with a double shaquarava blast while Sandoval fired his skrill. The combined firepower caused the probe to explode into a collection of small and broken pieces.
        Kincaid surveyed the wreckage dispassionately for a moment before pulling out his global to inform Zo'or of their success. Predictably the Synod leader was pleased at the destruction of more Jaridian hardware.
        "Zo'or wants us to return to the mothership." Liam said, returning the global to its usual place and walking toward their shuttle. Sandoval soon followed. Both were unaware that they were being observed.
        The videofeed from Julia was displayed at the makeshift new Resistance headquarters. Currently only Augur and Da'an were present. Doors was making contact with other surviving cells and Lili was at a lab helping Resistance scientists develop their own brand of Taelon shuttle.
        Da'an was troubled by the hard expression on Liam's face. Even Sandoval looked uneasy about Liam. The former North American Companion suspected it was the FBI agent who was their mysterious new source. Thanks to that source, they all knew what had been done to the former resistance leader and the outrage surviving Liberation members felt at Liam's fate easily overwhelmed the deception regarding his heritage.
        Doctors Belman and Park were putting their time underground to good use: perfecting a way to remove a CVI without causing the patient's death. In the months since the Taelon purge of Resistance members the implantation of partial CVI's into unsuspecting people had increased threefold.
        All in all it was a bad time to be a freedom fighter.
Liam walked to his room on the mothership after making his report to Zo'or. He shucked his shoes and tie as soon as he closed the door. After a shower he changed into sleepwear and laid down on the bed to reflect before going to sleep.
        In his dreams, the Liam could not escape his true self. Every time he tried to stop himself the MI hit him like an impenetrable wall. He was thankful, however that this only occurred at night and that like most humans he did not remember what he saw in dreams.
        When he woke up he went to the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face. He was surprised at how much older he looked. He shrugged the though off and pulled a white shirt, black pants and jacket on. The choice of an appropriate tie took him a moment. Time to go see how he could serve the Synod leader today.
        When he reported to Zo'or, the Synod leader gave his new implant a strange proprietary smirk. Ever since the revelations about his past, Zo'or had been keeping Liam close. After all Kincaid was the only one proven to be able to eliminate a replicant.
        The bridge crew, however, was unnerved by the sudden change. Kincaid had been one of the more popular Companion Protectors, now the gossip went that ice cubes could be stacked on his head and not melt. Sandoval was positively warm and fuzzy in comparison.
        "I have an assignment for you." Zo'or told Liam.
        "What is it Zo'or." Liam asked.
        "Tell me, can you access the Taelon Commonality?"
        "Yes."
        Zo'or was pleased. "Excellent. You will use your connection to the Commonality to ferret out Da'an. Once you've found him...dispose of him."
        "Of course Zo'or." Liam saluted and left the bridge heading for the shuttle bay. He absently began to rub his palms together to quell the familiar tingle of his shaquarava. Once on Earth, Liam sat in the shuttle and gentry eased his connection to the Commonality open.
        A minute later his eyes flew open and he smiled coldly. Zo'or would be pleased.
Da'an suddenly jerked in his chair, causing Augur to jump as well.
        "What is it?" He asked as a thousand scenarios, all of them unpleasant flitted through his mind.
        "Liam." Da'an said.
        Augur winced, that name was of the number one unpleasant possibility. He fingered the Taelon puzzle he and Lili had given Liam when he was small.

To Be Continued...