Sulu nodded. "As Mr. Spock would say: Fascinating. "
Vivian laughed. "That it was. And still is, I imagine, to the Klingons. " Even she could hear the bitterness in her voice.
Sulu ignored her comment and moved his tricorder in a wide circle.
She watched for a moment, then bent down and used her own tricorder to study the remains of some of the plants. They had been almost flash-burned with a high-intensity heat source of some type. She picked off a stem and dmelled it. "Plasma," she said.
"Exactly, Commander," Sulu said. "My guess is that this was done with a wide-focus plasma beam."
"Do you know of any ships that use wide-focus plasma beams?" she asked.
"Not a one," Sulu said. "And I can't imagine why any ship would use them unless it wanted to do this kind of damage."
Vivian looked out over the field for patterns, just as she had done when a fungus outbreak threatened the Federation crops. What she saw now was a systematic pattern of destruction that targeted only the Klingon crops.
"Look," she said to Sulu, pointing out a few distant areas. "No natural vegetation has been touched, only the Klingon fields. "
Sulu frowned, focusing his tricorder on where she had pointed.
"You're right. This is strange." Sulu snapped his tricorder shut and turned to face her. "Let's report back to the captain. He is going to want to know this. "
She nodded. "Maybe Captain Kirk can figure out what's going on here. I sure can't. "
Sulu laughed. "Nothing about this seems to make sense, does it?"
"Nothing," she said. 'That much I'll agree with. And I mean that in more ways than one. "
Kirk turned from his work digging a bunker near the western edge of the colony to see Dr. Rathbone and Sulu approaching from the fields and Dr. McCoy coming from the center of the colony.
Kirk stopped and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm. He'd have to make sure all of his people got enough water in this heat. Otherwise they might not survive until the next attack.
Kor and two of the colonists, including Kerdoch, were about twenty paces away, digging another bunker. They'd left him on his own and every so often laughed at him from a distance. But alone Kirk had managed to dig a fairly decent bunker that would provide some protection.
"Jim," McCoy said before he even reached Kirk, "the Klingon doctor has everyone all fixed up."
Kirk could tell that his friend was annoyed. "So that's good, isn't it?"
"Yeah, fine," McCoy said. "But the damn superior Klingon attitude is going to make me mad someday."
"Insulted your ability, did he?" Kirk asked. He managed to hide his grin from McCoy.
McCoy snorted, then said, "He can't insult my ability. He's working with patients who have constitutions like tree trunks. It would take a meteor strike to seriously damage these people. "
Kirk cocked his head. "Are you saying no one was badly injured?"
"Of course not," McCoy said. 'There were several serious inj uries. But, dammit, Jim, the Klingon physique is built to withstand damage. I've never seen anything like it. When one part breaks down, another kicks in. Klingon doctors lack the finesse of human ones."
"Apparently they don't need finesse," Kirk said. "We are fragile creatures. "
"You're telling me. This heat is reminding me with each breath. "
"I thought you grew up in the heat, Doctor."
"And I live in a controlled environment for that reason, Captain," McCoy snapped. "No intelligent creature would subject himself to temperatures like this on a daily basis. And he certainly wouldn't dig ditches in this climate. "
"Bunkers," Kirk said. "I'm digging a bunker. "
"Well, make sure you drink enough water. The last thing I need is a captain with heat stroke. "
"Yes, sir," Kirk said, smiling. "If you're worried, you can stay here and help me dig. "
"Didn't I just say I didn't want to be out in the heat?"
"I don't think you have much choice, Bones." As Kirk finished the sentence, Sulu and Rathbone reached him. "I take it you two have something to report. "
"The destruction," Sulu said, "was caused by a wide-focus plasma beam and focused only on the Klingon crops, leaving the natural brush and plants surrounding the Klingon fields standing."
"Wide focus?" Kirk asked.
Sulu nodded.
Kirk glanced around at the colony's domed buildings. No wonder most of them were still standing. Wide-focus plasma beams had very high heat but very little destructive power. A hand phaser could do more damage than the weapon Sulu was describing.
"It makes no sense, does it, Captain?" Sulu said.
"Not if you're trying to destroy a colony," Kirk said. "But if you just want to burn everything down without doing serious damage to the ground, it would be a good method. Right?"
"That's right," Rathbone said. "Like burning grass off a field. It clears the unwanted stubble , kills the pests, and returns most of the nutrients to the soil."
"I wouldn't let the Klingons hear you call them pests," McCoy said.
Sulu laughed, but Kirk managed to keep focused on what they were talking about. "We need some more answers." He climbed out of the bunker and strode toward Kor and Kerdoch.
"Captain," Kor said, "you seem to be lagging behind in your building. Too much work for you?"
Kirk noticed that Kerdoch didn't laugh with Kor and the other colonists.
Kirk smiled at Kor. "You might want to put a roof over your bunker," Kirk said. "Might save you a few burns in the coming attack. The weapons used the first two times were wide-focus plasma beams."
"What?" Kor said, jumping up from the bunker and facing the humans. "What fools would attack a colony with such a weapon?"
"The fools who attacked your colony," McCoy said.
"And they only targeted your crops," Kirk said. "The natural plants and brush near your fields were not harmed. "
Kor shook his head, obviously puzzled. 'This makes no sense."
Suddenly Kirk's communicator demanded attention. A fraction of a second later so did Kor's. Kirk wanted to laugh, but he was worried about the incoming message. Twice in twenty-four hours he and another ship's commander had been called at the same moment while away from their ships.
He flipped open his communicator. "Kirk here."
Behind him Kor said something in Klingon.
"Captain," Spock's voice came through clear and as calm as always. "Six alien ships are approaching the system at high speed. I do not recognize their type and class."
"Go to red alert," Kirk said. "We'll batten down the hatches here. "
"Yes, sir," Spock said.
"And Spock," Kirk said. "Keep her in one piece. "
"She would not function efficiently any other way, sir," Spock said.
"Good. Kirk out. "
Chapter Six
KELLY BOGLE sat in his captain's chair staring at the stars flashing past in warp. He'd spent the last six hours sleeping, then had a quick breakfast, and was now back on the bridge. Waiting.
He hated these times of waiting. They were the worst part of being a starship captain as far as he was concerned. Especially the times when a starship was covering an incredibly vast expanse of space to reach an emergency. Those times seemed to stretch so that every minute was an hour and every hour a day. He would never get used to it, no matter how long he sat in this chair.
Now they were rushing to be at the side of the Enterprise. Kirk had already had a skirmish with the Klingons, but had managed, in pure James Kirk fashion to get them to work with him. How long that would last Bogle didn't even want to venture to guess. But what worried Bogle even more was the fact that they still didn't know who had attacked the colony.
Behind him his communication officer, Lieutenant Sandy, twisted around in his chair. "Sir, a message from the Enterprise. They, along with the Klingon battle cruiser and the Klingon colony, are under attack by a large unknown force. "
"How long until we rea
ch scene?"
Science Officer Richard Lee said, "Six hours, ten minutes, sir."
Bogle stabbed his finger on his communication button. "Engineering? Projeff, can you get me any more speed?"
The reply came back quick and short: "Not if you want to get there safely. "
"Understood," Bogle said, and clicked off the communication button. That was the third time he'd asked Projeff for higher warp. The first two times Projeff had managed to nudge their speed upward. But clearly not this time. The third time wasn 't the charm.
Bogle turned to Sandy. "Inform the Enterprise of our location and time of arrival. "
"Yes, sir," Sandy said.
"And, Lieutenant," Bogle said, leaning back in his chair and staring at the stars flashing past.
"Yes, sir?" Sandy said.
"Wish them luck. "
Spock stood beside the captain's chair, his attention completely focused on the screen and the image ofthe incoming ships. All six ofthe approaching ships were twice the size of the Enterprise. They seemed to be designed in a wedge, almost winglike, thin and pointed in the front, expanding into two thick structures in the rear. A very efficient and logical design.
The Klingon battle cruiser Klothos, under the command of Subcommander Korath, had turned to face the incoming fleet beside the Enterprise. Both ships had gone to battle-ready status.
"Sir, we have had no response to our hails," Lieutenant Uhura said.
"Keep hailing them on all channels and frequencies, Lieutenant," Spock said.
"Aye, sir."
Spock moved up to his science scope and ran a quick computer check of the approaching ships. Again the computer told him what he already knew: these ships were unknown to the Federation, and-if Korath could be believed-to the Klingon Empire as well.
He stepped back down beside the captain's chair, but did not sit down. As he watched the screen, the six ships broke smoothly into three units oftwo. One unit turned and moved toward a high orbit over the planet while the other two units headed directly for the Enterprise and the Klingon battle cruiser. It would be a logical move if the two ships in high orbit intended to attack the colony on the planet again.
"Lieutenant, have we had any response to our hails?" Spock asked again.
"No, sir," Uhura said.
"Arm photon torpedoes," Spock said. "Mr. Chekov, prepare for evasive maneuver Beta Six."
"Torpedoes armed," Chekov said. "Standing by. "
Spock said nothing, just stared intently at the screen. The four ships seemed to be making a standard attack formation, working to pinch the two defenders between them. Now it would be only moments before their intentions became clear.
At the moment Spock had expected, phaser beams shot out of the four approaching ships. The Enterprise rocked from the impact, but Spock managed to hang on to the captain's chair and keep his feet. There was now clearly no doubt of the ships' hostile intentions.
"Return fire, Mr. Chekov," Spock said. "Then break off and follow the two ships heading for planetary orbit. "
Spock didn't say it, but he was concerned for the captain and the landing party. If Spock's calculations were correct, those two ships carried atmosphere-capable craft, ready for another attack on the colony on the surface.
Four photon torpedoes hit the two attacking ships as they passed by, exploding against their screens. The screens flared bright blue but withstood the force. Spock noted that the new ships were not only efficiently designed but were well armed and protected as well.
The Enterprise turned and moved up and to the left, working to be in a position near the two orbiting ships. The move caught the two attacking ships by surprise as they banked to turn in the wrong direction.
"Screens at eighty-five percent," Chekov said. "We hit them twice, but they sustained no damage. "
Spock had already gathered as much.
The Klingon battle cruiser was taking a different approach. Korath seemed to care nothing of his Commander on the planet. He was dogfighting with
the two ships that had attacked him, taking more punishment than he was handing out.
On the main screen the two orbiting ships seemed to split in halfalong the thick back edge as huge doors opened.
"Docking bay doors, sir, they are opening," Chekov said.
Spock had already identified the doors as part of a docking bay. He didn't need Chekov's help on that. But he did need Chekov's help conserving firepower. He was glad the ensign was a good shot.
Dozens of smaller craft emerged from each alien ship and turned toward the planet's surface.
"Fire on the smaller craft, Mr. Chekov," Spock ordered. "Ignore the larger ones."
"Aye, sir," Chekov said.
The phaser shots streaked across the blackness of space. Four shots fired in rapid succession. Apparently the mother ships had not expected the attack. The smaller ships weren't shielded.
Four of them exploded as the phaser shots found their targets.
"We got them! " Chekov cried.
"Mr. Chekov," Spock said, wishing the ensign's emotions were as well controlled as his aim. "We 'got' nothing. Continue firing."
"Mr. Spock," Chekov said. "I think we have trouble. "
Spock looked at the screen as the two mother ships turned to face the Enterprise.
"I think we have had trouble since we arrived in this sector, Ensign," Spock said.
Two more shots destroyed two more smaller craft. But Spock noted there were still over twenty headed for the colony.
"Sir," Mr. Chekov said, "the other two ships are coming in behind us."
Mr. Spock nodded. There would be no logic in destroying the Enterprise in a fight of four against one. That would not save the captain or the colony below.
'Take us back toward the Klingon ship," Spock ordered as the ship rocked with direct hits from the two mother ships. "Heading 238.72. Half impulse ."
"Screens at sixty percent," Chekov said as the starship turned and sped toward the battle between the Klingon battle cruiser and the two strange craft.
Again the move caught the ships pursuing the Enterprise by surprise. The two orbiting ships stayed in position.
One of the alien craft fighting the Klingon battle cruiser seemed to be damaged, but it was clear that at the moment the Klothos was taking a beating. It was also clear that Subcommander Korath would not retreat. The Klingons needed help.
"Lieutenant," Spock said, "hail Korath. "
Uhura pressed a few buttons on her station, then turned to him. "On-screen, sir."
When Korath's face appeared on the screen Spock gave him no chance to speak. "On my mark focus all your firepower on the ship closest to our position. "
Korath glared at Spock for a moment, then nodded.
"Understood."
"Ensign Chekov," Spock said, "focus our full phaser array on that ship. Fire on my mark. "
"Aye, sir," Chekov said, his fingers dancing on the board.
"Now," Spock said, both to Chekov and Korath.
The full force of weapons fire from the Klingon battle cruiser and the Enterprise knocked the alien ship's screens down almost instantly. In a moment the huge ship exploded in a bright flash of orange and red.
"Got him! " Chekov shouted.
Spock did not admonish him this time. There was no containing the ensign's enthusiasm.
"Take us to a position beside the battle cruiser," Spock said.
"Yes, sir."
As the Enterprise dropped into position, the three attacking alien ships turned away, moving back between the Enterprise and the planet. They took up positions near the other two, forming an effective blockade of the colony on the surface below.
"They're breaking offthe attack," Chekov said, his voice excited.
Spock nodded. It was logical. They had lost a ship. They would guard their ground forces while they took time to assess the battle that had just occurred. He would have done the same thing given the chance. 0 Spock punched the comm button on the captain's chai
r. "Mr. Scott, are we within transporter range of the landing party?"
"No, Mr. Spock," Mr. Scott said.
Spock cut the connection.
"Lieutenant," Spock said. "Hail the captain. "
"Aye, sir," Uhura said.
Within a moment the familiar "Kirk here " rang out on the bridge.
"Captain," Spock said, "twenty small enemy ships are entering the planet's atmosphere. We have destroyed one of their transports, but we are being held outside transporter range by five others. "
"Five?" Kirk said.
"Yes, sir," Spock said.
"Is there damage to the Enterprise, Mr. Spock?"
"No, sir. Our shields have lost some power, but I expect to regain it shortly," Spock said. "The Klingon
battle cruiser will need some repairs, but it is still
functioning. The Farragut will arrive in six hours and
two minutes . "
"Understood," Kirk said. "Do not put the Enterprise in any undue danger, Mr. Spock. That is an order. We will hold out here until the Farragut arrives. Keep me informed. Kirk out. "
Mr, Spock stood beside the command chair, staring at the five ships on the screen and the blue-green planet beyond. The captain's orders were logical, but as the captain had said a number of times, that did not mean there might not be a better, even more logical way. It was j ust up to Spock to find it. He tapped the communications button on the arm ofthe captain's chair. "Mr. Scott, would you report to the bridge. "
"Aye, sir," Scott's voice came back strong.
"Lieutenant," Spock said, turning to Uhura, "inform the Farragut of our situation. Scramble the message. Include in that message full sensor scans on the invading ships. Then tell them speed is of the eSsence."
"Aye, sir," Uhura said.
Spock turned back to face the five ships and the planet beyond. There should be a way to get the captain off that planet.
Or at least help him.
Kirk flipped his communicator closed. Beside him stood McCoy, Sulu, and Dr. Rathbone. All watched him with wide eyes and sweaty faces. Kor and Kerdcoh had stepped a few feet away, and Kor still talked to his ship.
"Well, they're on their way," Kirk said, trying to put some hope in his voice, even though he didn't feel any. "Spock says there are twenty ships. "
Day of Honor - Treaty's Law Page 5
