Before Destruction!

by Star Trek

  down a swath in the direction of the stage. He fired again and

  again, exposing himself to the fire of the Klingons, but gaining

  ground towards his target.

  Kirk was nearly in range when a reporter from the 'Galactic

  Press Association.' with multi-cam in hand, interposed himself between

  Jim and his goal. Jim punched him dead in the face and continued.

  Garth was now descending the steps of the platform, still

  shouting Kirk's name and coming for him like a powerful, deadly

  predator stalking his foe. He pointed his disrupter in Jim's

  general direction and pulled a barbed knife from his arm sheath.

  Jim was in range now. He straightened his arm towards the

  image of the Klingon Emperor. Looking upon his enemy's face through

  the sights on his phaser, he saw Garth swiftly react. The Emperor

  grabbed the nearest being, a Tellarite, by the back of the neck,

  pulling it to himself and blocking any clear shot Jim might have.

  It made no difference to Kirk. The stun effect would take them

  both down harmlessly. Then Garth pointed his disrupter at Jim.

  Smiling in smug defiance, he began to strangle his prisoner.

  "Not today, Garth," Jim shouted and began to depress his

  weapon's trigger. Suddenly the weight of four men pushed him to

  the floor with a crash, sending his phaser flying from his hand.

  The Starfleet security team had been able to reach Kirk by the

  same path that he made in the crowd to reach Garth. They pinned

  Jim to the carpet, as he struggled against them.

  The Emperor dropped his unconscious prisoner to the ground and

  slowly walked over to where the men held the Captain. He beamed in

  victory. He gloated with murder still in his eyes. Jim looked up

  to meet his gaze and he grit his teeth against the sight of his foe.

  "I win, my heir apparent," the Emperor spoke, but this time he

  spoke with the voice of Garth of Izar, for Jim's benefit alone.

  Lazily the Emperor pointed his weapon at the Captain, as if merely

  to put a poor injured animal out of his misery. Before he could

  pull the trigger, his Ramjep Avwi grabbed him by the shoulders and

  pulled him backwards toward the beam-down location on the stage.

  Garth allowed them to do so, walking backwards for a moment, just

  smiling at the Captain as he moved away.

  "Garth!" Jim shouted in rage, in desperation, and in complete

  helplessness. He fought to rise from his captors, heaving upwards

  PAGE 142

  with all his strength. He received a fist to the jaw for his

  efforts... and then he knew no more.

  As darkness now engulfed the Captain, so a darkness of another

  kind began to engulf the galaxy. And at it's center... a blackness

  that masqueraded as light.

  * * *

  End of Chapter #19

  To potential "Acting" Agents/Trek Fans:

  You have now read enough to make a decision as to the quality

  of my novel. I now ask you for your assistance in representing

  both of our interests to the Star Trek Editor of Pocket Books.

  If you choose to boldly try what none have tried before... Please

  re-read the file called "README.TXT" and make sure you fully

  understand what I am requesting you to do. Then print the file

  called "ST-AGENT.TXT". Fill out both pages and send the first page

  to the "Star Trek Editor" of Pocket Books and the second page to

  myself.

  I hope to be hearing from you soon and I apologize that I am not

  able to let you know the ending of the story unless both Pocket

  Books and Paramount Pictures gives the go-ahead on publishing it.

  Thank you very much for reading this and considering representing

  me to Pocket.

  Your friend. Mike.

  Hailing frequencies closed.