“Spock.”
Instantly, Spock drew his tricorder from the lip of the console where he’d set it down. He began scanning and pulled his own communicator out to watch what happened when it tried to open a frequency. “Jammed.”
Kirk knew it, but needed the science officer to confirm. “Try to find the source, Spock. We have very little time.” He turned to Pippenge. “I need to see those containers.”
The ambassador nervously stroked his hair. “Tainler can escort you.”
“I have the plans to the site.” Tainler moved toward one of the hatchways. “Follow me, please.”
Kirk ordered Palamas, “Recall the elevator. Let Kaalburg and Ottenbrite know to be on their guard.”
“Aye, sir.” She walked toward the elevator.
The captain turned to follow Tainler.
McCoy called after him. “Jim, what’s going on?”
His useless communicator held tightly in his right hand, the captain looked solemnly at his friend. “A fable is coming true.”
“Captain Kirk, wait.” Pippenge ran after him. “Please explain. A fable?”
On his way through the hatch Tainler had opened, Kirk stopped to meet the ambassador’s eyes. “The demons are coming, Mister Ambassador.”
THE CAPTAIN AND TAINLER returned to the central control room after only two minutes. They found Pippenge nervously pacing, shedding hair into his hand and onto his robes: loose strands of both dark and white had fallen and were laying oddly across his breast.
A bit out of breath, Kirk huffed to Spock, “What about the jamming? Can you tell where it’s coming from?”
“From here.”
They all looked toward the elevator, its doors now open. Zhatan stood inside, flanked by two heavily armed soldiers. A third hulking soldier held a squirming Palamas. He pointed a weapon to the A&A officer’s head. It looked like a cross between a Romulan disruptor and an ancient Vulcan laser pistol, which suggested some cultural designs were deep-seeded.
“My men.” Kirk instantly thought of Kaalburg and Ottenbrite.
“You might say they, too, are ‘jammed.’ ” Zhatan didn’t smile. She didn’t seem to be enjoying this as much as her words might suggest.
Kirk hoped his men weren’t dead. Perhaps there was a Kenisian neck pinch. They had a weapon to Palamas’s head but hadn’t shot her. So there was a chance.
“I knew you weren’t gone.” Kirk wouldn’t play games by asking Zhatan what she wanted. They all knew. He only hoped to delay her long enough that Scott would return, get no answer to his hails, and beam down a security team.
“You’re an insightful commander,” Zhatan said. She motioned in a way that encompassed them all. “Remove your weapons and communications devices, please.”
With Kirk’s nod, the landing party removed their equipment and placed everything on the lip of the console. As the captain lay down his phaser, he pulled Palamas away from the Kenisians and moved her behind him.
“As proficient as you are,” Zhatan continued, “we are better. Collectively we have hundreds of years more experience than you.”
“Experience, but not wisdom,” Kirk said, hoping to engage her in debate now that Palamas was out of direct danger. “Why do this to the Maabas? You could have a home here. With them. In peace.”
“Peace,” Zhatan said bitterly, “no longer interests us.”
SIX
Ordering them to lead the way, the Kenisian commander directed the Enterprise officers and the Maabas to move through the hatchway that led to the ancient facility. For reasons she didn’t care to divulge, Zhatan needed the original computer banks.
In an attempt to stall until the Enterprise returned, Kirk was happy enough to go along.
“How did you manage to return to the system without my ship detecting you?” he asked her.
“We’re more clever than you may credit us, Captain.”
“Oh, I credit you quite a lot.”
“We sense some disdain in your tone.”
“Do you?” Kirk tried to slacken his pace so he could hang back and get
Instantly, Spock drew his tricorder from the lip of the console where he’d set it down. He began scanning and pulled his own communicator out to watch what happened when it tried to open a frequency. “Jammed.”
Kirk knew it, but needed the science officer to confirm. “Try to find the source, Spock. We have very little time.” He turned to Pippenge. “I need to see those containers.”
The ambassador nervously stroked his hair. “Tainler can escort you.”
“I have the plans to the site.” Tainler moved toward one of the hatchways. “Follow me, please.”
Kirk ordered Palamas, “Recall the elevator. Let Kaalburg and Ottenbrite know to be on their guard.”
“Aye, sir.” She walked toward the elevator.
The captain turned to follow Tainler.
McCoy called after him. “Jim, what’s going on?”
His useless communicator held tightly in his right hand, the captain looked solemnly at his friend. “A fable is coming true.”
“Captain Kirk, wait.” Pippenge ran after him. “Please explain. A fable?”
On his way through the hatch Tainler had opened, Kirk stopped to meet the ambassador’s eyes. “The demons are coming, Mister Ambassador.”
THE CAPTAIN AND TAINLER returned to the central control room after only two minutes. They found Pippenge nervously pacing, shedding hair into his hand and onto his robes: loose strands of both dark and white had fallen and were laying oddly across his breast.
A bit out of breath, Kirk huffed to Spock, “What about the jamming? Can you tell where it’s coming from?”
“From here.”
They all looked toward the elevator, its doors now open. Zhatan stood inside, flanked by two heavily armed soldiers. A third hulking soldier held a squirming Palamas. He pointed a weapon to the A&A officer’s head. It looked like a cross between a Romulan disruptor and an ancient Vulcan laser pistol, which suggested some cultural designs were deep-seeded.
“My men.” Kirk instantly thought of Kaalburg and Ottenbrite.
“You might say they, too, are ‘jammed.’ ” Zhatan didn’t smile. She didn’t seem to be enjoying this as much as her words might suggest.
Kirk hoped his men weren’t dead. Perhaps there was a Kenisian neck pinch. They had a weapon to Palamas’s head but hadn’t shot her. So there was a chance.
“I knew you weren’t gone.” Kirk wouldn’t play games by asking Zhatan what she wanted. They all knew. He only hoped to delay her long enough that Scott would return, get no answer to his hails, and beam down a security team.
“You’re an insightful commander,” Zhatan said. She motioned in a way that encompassed them all. “Remove your weapons and communications devices, please.”
With Kirk’s nod, the landing party removed their equipment and placed everything on the lip of the console. As the captain lay down his phaser, he pulled Palamas away from the Kenisians and moved her behind him.
“As proficient as you are,” Zhatan continued, “we are better. Collectively we have hundreds of years more experience than you.”
“Experience, but not wisdom,” Kirk said, hoping to engage her in debate now that Palamas was out of direct danger. “Why do this to the Maabas? You could have a home here. With them. In peace.”
“Peace,” Zhatan said bitterly, “no longer interests us.”
SIX
Ordering them to lead the way, the Kenisian commander directed the Enterprise officers and the Maabas to move through the hatchway that led to the ancient facility. For reasons she didn’t care to divulge, Zhatan needed the original computer banks.
In an attempt to stall until the Enterprise returned, Kirk was happy enough to go along.
“How did you manage to return to the system without my ship detecting you?” he asked her.
“We’re more clever than you may credit us, Captain.”
“Oh, I credit you quite a lot.”
“We sense some disdain in your tone.”
“Do you?” Kirk tried to slacken his pace so he could hang back and get
Similar Books
