"So you're telling me it happened right here?" McCoy asked.
"No, not really," Scotty said.
"You aren't telling me anything. Are you afraid I'd go to the captain?"
"We weren't doin' anything wrong," Scotty said with all the dignity he could muster.
"'We?"' McCoy asked.
"Aye, Doc," Scotty said. "Projeff 'n' I."
"Projeff?" McCoy asked. "The ebgineer from the Farragut? "
"The same," Scotty said. "We had a wee wager. "
"A wager," McCoy said. "I suppose it had nothing to do with the thefts. "
"Naw. That's Security's business. And the captain's." Scotty smiled his wide, impish smile, the one that had gotten them into trouble on more than one shore leave. "This was over the lassies. "
'The ships? What about them? " McCoy finished cleaning and sterilizing the wound.
"Projeff claims that he found a way to use the power from hydroponics to enrich the oxygen content of the environmental controls. "
"We don't need more oxygen."
"I didn't say we did. But supposin' she got herselfin a fix, and we were havin' trouble with the environmental controls. We could use…"
Scotty launched into an explanation so technical that McCoy, who prided himself on understanding most things scientific-especially when they touched on fundamentals, like oxygen-couldn't follow a word.
"So you were testing it?"
"Lord, no," Scotty said. "We were building models. The Farragut's environmental system is one of the worst I've ever seen. A pile ofj unk-heap parts that needs to be replaced, if you ask me. 'Twouldna be fair to Projeff to attempt a modification on that scrap heap."
"So you were building computer models. "
"Actually, we were using some of the base's supplies as parts for small scale models. I made some modifications to Projeffs proposal and we wanted to see who could get his model running quicker. "
"I don't see why you had to take the Enterprise apart to do that. "
"I dinna, Doctor," Scotty said. "I was merely
showing Projeff some of the finer points of our environmental system so that he could improve the Farragut's. "
"I see," McCoy said, even though he didn't. "I still don't understand how you wounded yourselfbuilding models."
"I slid me arm up a miniature jeffries tube, " Scotty said. He flushed. "To adj ust the cabling. It got stuck. "
"Why didn't you get help, man?"
"What, and let Projeff see me dilemma? No, sir! Montgomery Scott solves his own engineering problems, he does."
McCoy shook his head. "Next time , get one of the medical staff to help you out, " he said.
"There won't be a next time," Scotty said. He glanced at his arm. There was no sign of the cut. McCoy's healing powers had worked again. "We're heading to the outskirts of Klingon space. There won't be time for models and such. "
"But that won't stop you from working on them, will it, Mr. Scott?"
Scotty grinned. "If I have time ta build models," he said, "then all will be right with the world." He slid off the table and headed for Engineering before McCoy could caution him to keep the arm stable for the next few hours.
McCoy sighed and went to his desk. He doubted all would be right with the world. The captain had asked McCoy to inventory the medical supplies and order up more from storage if need be.
And Jim only did that when he was expecting trouble.
Chapter Two
THE ATTACKING SHIPS had moved on by the time Ketdoch made it into the center of the colony. Most of the dome buildings were damaged. Flames and smoke filled the air. The only newly constructed wood building in the colony, the meeting hall and tavern, had been completely destroyed. Kerdoch could see a number of bodies in the smoking piles of timbers and furniture, all of them far beyond his help.
He took a deep breath of the smoke-filled air, calming himself, as his father had taught him to do. Then he forced himself to really look at the details of what was happening around him. A battle was won in the small details, his father had said. Kerdoch had always remembered those words, both in the battle to grow crops and now.
Smoke billowed out of the house of his friend, Kehma, but Kerdoch could tell the home was in no danger of burning down. Flames also flickered on or near almost every other dome building in the colony. Yet none of the main panels of which the domes were constructed had caught fire. He knew they were designed to withstand almost anything. He was very glad now that they did just that.
Through the smoke Kerdoch could see his neighbors and friends fighting the fires or helping the wounded. He could do nothing to help any ofthem at the moment.
The colony was withstanding the attack fairly well so far. The domes had not been designed with combat in mind, but they had been built to hold against harsh weather and high winds on dozens of planets. There would be dead, but not too many, because of the standard colony construction he had sworn he hated so often in the past. He would never curse it again after today.
He turned and at a full run headed for his own home . It too was one of the standard-issue Klingon domes that the colonists had been using during the five-year test period. Now that the planet's future was ensured, he had been preparing to build his family a real home, outside of town on his own land. Now he would also keep the dome, if they lived through this cowardly attack.
His home showed damage from a direct hit, but it was still standing. There was no sign of his wife and five children. That fact relieved him. If they were still alive they would be inside, door blocked, ready to defend their home as best they could. He would have to be careful going in or they'd fire on him.
He tried the front door and found it securely locked. That meant someone was alive in there. The door didn't lock from the outside.
He moved around to the side, tossing burning roofing away from the walls of his home as he went. The colony living quarters had only one main door, but they were also equipped with a hidden emergency entry that could be opened from the outside.
He yanked open the small hatch and, without putting himself in front of it, shouted, "It is I, Kerdoch ! "
Inside he heard sudden movement; then his wife said, "Kerdoch? Son of whom?" Her voice was full of courage, testing to make sure that no one but her husband would enter her home. She was a solid, stout woman, and Kerdoch could imagine her standing inside, weapon aimed at the emergency door.
Kerdoch smiled. "Kerdoch, son of KaDach, beloved one."
"Enter, my husband," she said.
Inside, in the dark, he hugged his wife and five children as the ground shook.
The enemy ships had returned on another attack run.
Dr. Vivian Rathbone watched as the turbolift doors slid open with a hiss. She slowly stepped through and onto the Enterprise bridge.
She was amazed at how nervous she felt as she smoothed her commander's uniform. This was her first time on any starship bridge, and in the six months she'd been posted to the Enterprise, it had never occurred to her that she would be ordered to any of the officers' areas, let alone the bridge.
She had hoped to see the bridge someday, while in space dock, perhaps, or on a tour. To suddenly be called there during an emergency was not at all what a colonial agronomist would expect. Her job was to study any planets the ship discovered for possible future colonization and food-production ability. During red alerts her most important duty was to report to her lab and stay out of the way of crew members who had important things to do.
Behind her the door hissed closed, and she stopped. Captain Kirk sat in his command chair facing the main screen, seemingly deep in thought. She had seen him from a distance when she was first assigned to the ship. Then he had seemed like any other Starfleet officer, hurrying about his business. Now, though, he seemed larger than before. A man in his element. A man who accepted his power as he accepted the design of the bridge .
A man no one should trifle with.
The stars of warp space flashed past on th
e screen, but nothing else was visible . The slight beeping and clicking sounds of a working bridge were the only sounds around her, but they seemed extra loud to her in her heightened nervousness.
Spock had his head pressed against a scope at his science station. She'd passed the Vulcan science officer a few times in the halls, and every time was impressed by his stern demeanor. This time was no exception.
Lieutenant Sulu and Ensign Chekov were at their stations. She had spoken to both of them before. They had seemed nice enough, but concerned with the business of the day. She'd had a sense she failed to make an impact on any of them, although she was honored just to share the same starship with them.
Lieutenant Uhura swiveled in her chair, put a hand to the device in her ear, and smiled at Vivian, who smiled back. She and the lieutenant had become occasional three-dimensional chess partners. They played when they were both off duty, which rarely happened at the same time. But they did enjoy the games they were able to play. They were evenly matched, and Uhura was cunning. Vivian appreciated cunning; it added surprise to the game.
Uhura's smile helped. At least Vivian didn't feel entirely alone on the bridge. But she did feel vulnerable.
In all of Vivian's forty-two years she couldn't remember a moment this tense. Even finishing her doctoral thesis hadn't been this draining. She smoothed her uniform again and then patted her brown hair to make sure it was in place.
Calm.
Calm. She repeated the word over and over silently. Just stay calm, damm it.
"Captain Kirk," Uhura said, nodding toward Vivian. Uhura obviously understood how nervous Vivian was. "Dr. Rathbone is here. "
Sulu, Chekov, and Captain Kirk all turned to look at Vivian at the same moment. Spock kept his face to his science scope.
Vivian felt as if a dozen spotlights had been turned on her and she was under close inspection. After a short moment Captain Kirk sprang from his chair and moved toward her, smiling. The man's movements were all fluidity and grace.
And energy.
His presence was overwhelming.
"It's good to meet you, Doctor," he said.
She managed to acknowledge his greeting with a nod of her head. Somehow his smile melted her tension, and she managed to smile back. She'd been in the presence of many powerful and famous people over the years, but never one with such charm. Now she understood why there were so many stories about this young captain. Judging from this brief meeting, the stories most likely were true.
Before she could respond, Kirk motioned for her to step down beside his captain's chair.
"Spock," the captain said. "Put our destination on the main screen for Commander Rathbone."
"Aye, Captain," Spock said.
The captain sat in the command chair and indicated that Vivian remain beside him.
After a moment the picture of a green and blue and orange planet flashed on the screen. Vivian stared. The planet was very familiar.
"Signi Beta," she said, shocked. She'd spent over four years of her life on Signi Beta, in the Federation farming community on the southern continent. But that community had been disbanded six months before, and she had been posted to the Enterprise. She had never expected to see Signi Beta again. Or really ever wanted to.
"Correct," Spock said. "Signi Beta, now the Klingon farming planet QI'tu' . Translated, the name means 'Paradise.' "
"I prefer not to remember," Vivian said, obviously not shielding the bitterness from her voice. "But that planet is far from a paradise by any definition. "
Both Kirk and Spock stared at her. Spock's right eyebrow went up, giving his stoic face a questioning look.
"Your personnel file shows that you were a member of the Federation agricultural team stationed on Signi Beta," Kirk said.
Vivian took a deep breath and forced herself to look away from the damned planet framed on the main viewscreen. "I was, Captain," she said, looking into his powerful gaze. "For the first two years I was the colony's assistant chief agronomist, and for the last two years I was the chief. "
"So," Captain Kirk said, his intense gaze very serious. "What happened?"
"The Klingons beat us," Vivian said. "That simple."
She could tell that Kirk didn't much like her statement or the short, curt way she said it.
"There is nothing simple about Klingons, Commander," Kirk said.
She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Spock looked up from his scope.
"Doctor," he said, "it would aid our understanding of the situation if you supply details about the planet. "
Vivian nodded and took a deep breath, forcing her feelings of anger toward what had happened on Signi Beta aside. "I'm sorry Sir," she said. "My time there… it's a touchy subject for me."
"So I understand," Spock said, without sounding understanding at all. "But so far you have told us little more than what our computer records."
"We were hoping," Kirk said, his voice suddenly gentle, "that you could provide us with some insight. "
"Insight?" she said.
"Into Signi Beta. "
Insight. How could she give them insight into years of work followed by intense frustration? How could she let them know that she-that the entire Federation colony-had underestimated the Klingons?
She took a deep breath and decided to start from some sort ofbeginning. "For a number ofyears, Signi Beta was a disputed planet between the Federation and the Klingons. Then, five years ago, a test was set up. Two colonies-one Klingon, one Federation... would work the planet to see who could manage it in the best fashion. "
"Manage?" Spock said.
She nodded. "Manage. Raise crops and plan the future use of the planet's resources. "
"And the Klingons von?" Chekov asked. He had spun in his chair, his eyebrows raised.
"Ensign," Kirk warned.
Vivian nodded. "They won under the terms of the Organian Treaty. Fair and square, according to the judge. "
"And who judged this contest?" Kirk asked. "Certainly not the Organians." Vivian shook her head. "Ambassador Ninties, a Sandpinian, was picked as the final judge by both sides and approved by the Organians. "
"A Sandpinian?" Kirk asked, glancing at Spock.
Spock nodded. "The Sandpinians are relatively new members ofthe Federation. Sandpinia is covered with sand dunes, swamps, and oceans. The Sandpinians' immense agricultural talent helped the race survive there. It is my understanding that their entire culture developed around those dunes. Their transportation system, for example, is made up of small cartlike vehicles that travel on narrow paths at very slow speeds. They have developed a new branch of agriculture called-"
"All right. That's enough, Mr. Spock," Kirk said, holding up his hand to stop the information flow. He seemed to smile slightly as he did so.
"There is one other important fact, Captain," Spock said.
"Yes, Spock?"
"I believe the Sandpinians were chosen as much for their mental development as for their agricultural talents."
"Mental development, Mr. Spock?" Kirk sounded confused, which echoed the way Vivian felt.
"Humans and Klingons cause Organians mental distress. "
"Ah, yes," Kirk said. "I remember that. "
"Sandpinians do not. "
Kirk frowned at his first officer and turned back to Vivian. "Commander, I take it Ambassador Ninties ruled in favor of the Klingon colony?"
"Yes, sir," she said. "Unfortunately. The Federation Colonization Authority underestimated the Klingons' botanical expertise. They beat us soundly. "
"I do not believe Klingons could grow a turnip, let alone farm a colony," Chekov said.
"Even Klingons have to eat, Mr. Chekov," Kirk said.
"Yes, but have you seen their menus? Live worms. Blood pies. This is not the food ofa ciwilized people."
"It may not be," Vivian said, "but they can make barren land fertile in a shorter time than we can. They sustain higher yields, and they lose less to insects and weather-related causes. Th
ey succeeded partly because Klingon agriculture is better suited to Signi Beta's environment and partly because they approach agriculture as they do war-succeed or die; there is no room for failure. "
"Amazing," Kirk said. "I've learned never to underestimate a Klingon, but it never crossed my mind that a warrior race could be so good at farming. "
"To be honest, Captain," Vivian said, "we all felt the same way, right up until the moment Ambassador Ninties presented the plans , findings, and proof from both sides, then ruled in favor of the Klingons. In his place, I would have ruled the same way, I'm afraid. "
"I can see why this is a touchy subject for you," Captain Kirk said, frowning.
"Captain," Sulu said. "We are ten minutes away from the planet."
Kirk seemed to snap to attention. "Shields up. Yellow alert," he ordered.
Vivian started to turn to go to her lab when Captain Kirk said, "Commander?"
She Stopped and turned.
"Stay here on the bridge," the captain said, indicating a position beside his chair. "We might need you."
"Sir?" Vivian said, her stomach twisting even tighter than it had when she first walked onto the bridge. Why in the world would Captain Kirk need her on the bridge of the Enterprise ? And during a yellow alert?
Captain Kirk nodded, seeming to understand her confusion... He turned back to the main viewscreen... Then he said, "The Klingon colony on Signi Beta is under attack and we're responding-"
Under attack? By whom? All Commander Vivian Rathbone could do was stand near the rail, her mouth open, staring at the viewscreen as the Enterprise dropped out of warp near Signi Beta
Chapter Three
KERDOCH LISTENED for a moment. The silence was broken by the crackle of fire , a few distant cries, and nothing else. The attack had ceased, at least for the time being.
He stepped out from behind the makeshift shield of furniture he had built to protect his family from the possibility of the dome collapsing. The dome had taken at least one direct hit but had remained standing. They were lucky, nothing more. They had survived through the night and into the morning. He imagined that was more than many of his neighbors and friends had done this night.
Day of Honor - Treaty's Law Page 2
