Kobayashi Maru ste-12

by Andy Mangels

  “Taugus will not be our only stop on this voyage, Terix said.

  Thats assuming we dont smithereenize ourselves en route,Trip thought. Or get killed by Chuihvs people once we reach Taugus.

  Aloud, he said only, “Oh?

  The centurion offered a grim nod. “Once we put an end to the dissidents in the Taugus system, we shall head directly to the Sei Paehhosaehallh sector.

  It took Trip a beat or two to translate the Romulan place name into the words that appeared on the star maps with which he was most familiar. Sei Paehhosaehallh. Thats what the Romulans call the Gamma Hydra sector.

  “Why arent we heading back to Romulus? Trip wanted to know, almost as much as he wanted to know why Terix hadnt seen fit to mention this little detour before now.

  “Our intelligence operatives have uncovered evidence that the Coalition has recently set up a small surveillance station near the Tezel-Oroko star system. We must find that listening post and take it out.

  “Oh, Trip said, still suspicious. “Well, I suppose wed better get on with Taugus, then. Pedal to the metal,he thought as he faced forward again and stared out into the relentlessly approaching cosmos.

  Since the bureau wasnt in the habit of deliberately giving itself vulnerabilities by briefing its operatives beyond what they needed to know for a given assignment, Trip knew he could neither confirm Terixs intel about a Coalition spy base in the Gamma Hydra sector nor dismiss it out of hand. He desperately wished for enough time alone with the Drolaes subspace transmitter to allow himself to touch base even briefly with his superiors, or at least to send a burst transmission to warn them to take precautions at Tezel-Oroko. That might not only protect anyone who was stationed there monitoring the Romulans, but could also keep him from being killed by friendly fire coming from the alleged listening posts defenders.

  It occurred to him then that he was already more than six hours late for his regularly scheduled check-in with what he liked to think of as “the home office. Unfortunately, that couldnt be helped. At least not so long as circumstances forced him into close quarters with a Romulan soldier who probably already harbored enough suspicion about him right now to justify blowing him right out the nearest airlockand at warp six-point-five, no less.

  Okay, so I dont get to check in with Stillwell or Harris while this guys looking over my shoulder,Trip thought, hoping, as always, to make the best of a bad situation. But at least he cant file any reports aboutme tohis home office without my knowing about it.

  Nevertheless, the continued inescapable presence of Centurion Terix gave Trip an intermittent but highly uncomfortable sensation.

  He kept imagining he could feel Admiral Valdores hard, vigilant stare drilling into the back of his neck like a pair of white-hot mining lasers.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Sunday, July 20, 2155 EnterpriseNX-01

  A RCHER COULDNT QUITE BELIEVEwhat Admiral Gardner was asking him to do. “You do realize that the only reason I was able to help with the crisis on QuVat was because I was used as a guinea pig for the cure, and my ships doctor blackmailed the fleet admiral?

  The image of Gardner on the ready-room viewer nodded. “Nevertheless, the best xenoanthropological minds of the Coalition scientific community feel that you may be the one human to whom the Klingons are most likely to listen. On QuVat, after all, youdid become partly Klingon.

  Archer shook his head, still incredulous even though the admirals reasoning made a crazy sort of sense. “Sure, the therapeutic retrovirus Phlox injected me with left some Klingon genes in my DNA. But I also spread the infection to the fleet admiral himself, not to mention several dozen of his crew. Admiral Krell has, by the way, practically sworn a blood oath on Doctor Phlox over the whole damned thing, and I suspect hed cook and eat me in a heartbeat if he could. Or maybe hed even skip the cooking, take me straight to his dining room, and do the deed raw.

  “I never tire of your flair for the dramatic, Archer,Gardner said, traces of both bemusement and condescension mixing in his voice. “The Klingon High Council has agreed to grant you an audience, authorized by Chancellor MRek himself.

  “This is the same chancellor who sent Duras to kill me for busting out of Rura Penthe. Just so were clear that youreaware youre sending me to face an extremely unfriendly crowd.

  Gardner sighed. “Among many warrior societies, opposing leaders would often meet on neutral ground, setting aside their hostilities in order to discuss terms. Our xenoanthro experts believe that the Klingons will be much too honorable to do anything to you while under a flag of truce.

  “Permission to speak freely, sir? Archer said, struggling to keep calm.

  “Of course,Gardner said, nodding.

  “Admiral, youre already talking as if we areat war.

  “ Wewill be at war if the Klingons ignore this message, Captain,Gardner said, his voice grave. “Our formal cessation of hostilities ultimatum will be better receivedand discussedif one of our own is there to hand it to them personally.

  “Have you ever heard the phrase shoot the messenger, Admiral?

  Gardner offered a slight smile. “Archer, from what Ive been told, the Klingon High Council holds you in much higher regard than you think. Although the resolution that you and your CMO brought to QuVats metagenic virus crisis didnt make those affected by the cure terribly happy, the virus you helped cure would have decimated the Empire, and perhaps even destroyed it if youd left it unchecked. According to some intelligence weve gathered, a few influential Klingons have stopped just short of calling you a hero.

  “Joy, Archer said under his breath. It wasnt that he minded having these people regard him as a heroit would be far preferable to being one of their targetsbut Klingon warriors were tremendously mercurial and unpredictable. And, as he had learned from Enterprises very first mission, it was a mistake to assume that members of an alien society would think, act, or react the way that humans did.

  “Have you reviewed the security recording I transmitted of the Klingon woman we recovered from the wreckage here at Draylax? Archer asked.

  Gardner nodded. “We did. All of us at Starfleet Command did. And we cannot support your theory that the Romulans were really behind the attack on Draylax. Just because one dying Klingon suspects it does not make it so. Your scans of the ships before they were destroyed showed Klingon crewslive Klingon crewsand despite the actions of the second cadre of battle cruisers, it is more likely that there have been intramilitary squabbles about hostilities related to the Coalition than it is that they were covering up Romulan involvement. Why would theynot want to expose the Romulans? Or are you suggesting that the Klingons are also somehow in league with the Romulans?

  Archer clenched and unclenched his fists under his desk, wanting so badly to strike at something. “The Klingon woman specificallysaid that the crew on the ships that struck at Draylax were kept barely alive, but unable to act. That would explain our sensor readings. And the second wave of Klingon ships may indeed have been trying to eradicate any trace of Romulan involvement. Whether thats because they suspect it, or because they dont want to be framed for the actions of those ships

  “Exactly,Gardner said, interrupting him. “The second wave of vesselsships whose actions Krell apparently authorizedwas acting inour favor. For whatever reason, they were trying tostop further attacks against Draylax,Enterprise, andColumbia.

  “Or they were trying to cover up the initial attacks.

  Gardner shook his head. “If they wanted to cover this thing upif they didnt care about how their actions would be interpretedthen they probably would have destroyedyou as well.He held up a hand, palm facing the screen. “Enough, Captain. The formal message you are to deliver to QonoS has been transmitted toEnterprise via subspace radio already. It is now your duty to bring it before the High Council and present it.

  “What about Columbia? Archer said, squaring his jaw while trying not to look defensive.

  “ TwoDaedalus- class shipstheEssex and theArchon will arrive at Draylax within the next
few hours. They will continue to assistColumbia with her repairs, and render assistance on Draylax as well.

  Gardners look softened a bit as he leaned forward. “Archer, whether you want to believe it or not, I do listen to what you have to say,and weigh your concerns,and present your arguments tomy superiors. But you are just a part of this organization. So am I. Starfleet is bigger than either of us. And the Coalition of Planets isimmensely bigger, even though its only been around for a few months now. You have been on the edge of discovery, have encountered new civilizations and seen things that most humans would never dream of outside of fiction. I have no doubt that history will record great things about you. Probably a hell of a lot greater than whatever it might say about me eventually.

  “But for now, you have your orders, and you will carry them out. Go to QonoS. Impress the High Council. Make certain that wedont go to war. And down the road, when and if the Romulan threat really does become more apparent, you will be able to use all the experience youve gained out there on the edge of the unknownas well as the strength of a more unified Coalitionto stand up to it.

  Archer saw Gardner move his hand toward the switch on his desk as he prepared to end the transmission. “Good luck, Captain. And Godspeed.

  The computer screen went black

  With a roar, Archer smashed his fist into the screen, sending it tumbling off his desk in a short-lived shower of sparks. It crashed into the wall before falling to the floor, where it lay broken and dead.

  Archer knew it was a stupid, brutish gesture that TPol would have found appalling. Nevertheless, it made him feel better, at least for the moment. Still, he realized that the isolation and anger he felt now would be nothing compared to what he would experience when he entered the lions den on QonoS to deliver the Coalitions ultimatum.

  When he faced thatchallenge, he would be utterly and terrifyingly alone.

  TWENTY-THREE

  Monday, July 21, 2155 Qam-Chee, the First City, QonoS

  T HE OTHER TWO TIMESthat Jonathan Archer had visited the Klingon homeworld had taught him little about the civilization other than the fact that their architecture looked as foreboding and militaristic as nearly every Klingon he had ever encountered. He wondered if there was any room for nonmartial culture and beauty among these severe, warlike aliens. But although high art here seemed largely confined to the production of elaborate edged weapons, he knew there had to be more to the Klingon people than that; even the savage Hun tribes of ancient Earth werent complete strangers to art and culture. When discussing this very matter once with Trip, the engineer had said with his understated Southern humor, “Hell, even cannibals can make some beautiful bone necklaces.

  Archer had left Enterpriseunder the watchful eyes of Lieutenant Donna ONeill. She didnt ask why he was not taking Commander TPol or Lieutenant Reed along, he noticed. By now, the missing shuttlepod had been noted, though Archer had yet to log the incident officially. D.O. wasnt stupid, nor were any of the other bridge personnel; they probably figured that Malcolm and TPol were off on some secret missionwhich, in truth, they were. Its just not a mission that anybody authorized,Archer thought glumly.

  He had also decided to leave Phlox behind, given the threats Krell had made. It was better to know that the Denobulan was safe aboard Enterprisethan potentially imperiled on the surface of the Klingon homeworld. Archer had left a grateful Hoshi Sato at her post as well; a small, communicator-sized translator unit clipped to his uniform jacket would ensure that he got his point across, and that he wouldnt misunderstand the Klingons when they made theirs. He hoped they wouldnt succumb to the temptation to communicate via their cutlery.

  Which left Archer alone except for the two MACO troopers who had accompanied him, Corporals OMalley and Ryan, both of whom had been trained in multiple unarmed fighting techniques, including the Vulcan disciplines of Suus Mahnaand VShan. Even though all three humans had been disarmed immediately upon entering the outer foyer of the Klingon High Council citadel, Archer knew he could count on the two MACOs to give a good accounting of themselves if it came down to a fight.

  They had not been able to offer much in the way of moral support during the interminable shuttlepod ride down from orbit, however. Archer knew he was on his own in the Great Hall, for better or worse. As the huge iron doors before him opened with a groan and a clang, Archer stepped into the expansive inner sanctum. This wasnt the same High Council Chamber he had visited on Enterprises first mission, during which he had returned an injured Klingon named Klaang to his homeworld. He was thankful as well that it was not the forbidding multilevel courtroom on Narendra III, where a Klingon magistrate had once sentenced him to a year mining dilithium in the frozen depths of the asteroid penal colony Rura Penthe.

  Just because this place wasnt that hellish chamber of summary judgment, however, didnt make it any less intimidating, and Archer felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise like a phalanx of fighters adopting a defensive stance. Seated around the deeply shadowed, torch-lit room in a semicircular, two-level observers arena were some two dozen Klingonsall but one were malenone of whom looked particularly pleased to be present. At the apex of the semicircle sat the man whom Archer recognized as having thanked himthough Hoshi had implied it was more of a threatwhen he had returned Klaang to his people. The Klingon chancellors hair and beard had become even whiter than they had been four years ago, but the form underneath the august warrior-leaders bulky leather and armor seemed as formidable now as it had then.

  Archer stepped forward, holding out a data module in one open hand. “Chancellor MRek, honorable High Council members and warriors of the great Klingon Houses, I bring you an urgent message from the Coalition of Planets.

  MRek gestured to one of his guards, who strode forward and snatched the data module from Archers hand. The soldier handed it to the chancellor, who held it out, then closed his hand around it, crushing it.

  “Starfleet sent youto deliver the message, human, MRek said, his voice a low snarl. “It is only because you have aided the Empire in the past that you were not executed on arrival. Deliver the message yourself,and we shall see if your stay of execution merits an extension.

  Having half expected such a response, Archer had already rehearsed his answer. He stepped forward, keeping his hands at his sides in a simultaneous show of defiance and submission; he hoped his body language wouldnt distract the Klingons from the importance of his words.

  “Three days ago, three Klingon battle cruisers attacked the planet Draylax, crippling its defenses and causing thousands of casualties on that worlds surface. The aggressor ships did not respond to warnings from the Starfleet ship Columbia,or from my vessel, the Enterprise. They opened fire on ourships when we drew close enough for a confrontation. Our ships defeated two of the attackers, but the third was destroyed by a secondtrio of Klingon ships that arrived during the battle. These vessels did not engage either our ships or the colony. Afterward, Admiral Krell told me that the original three attacking Klingon ships were manned by rogue captains and crews.

  “And your Coalition leaders do not believe his words? They think we are trying to incite war with them? MRek said, his voice rising in both pitch and volume.

  “Not all of them do, Chancellor. But the Coalition Council is a democratic parliamentary body. Archer wasnt used to apologizing for democracy, but as hed learned over the last four years, human cultures and mores were not predominant in the galaxy.

  Another older Klingon stood and shouted. “Draylax is not a member of your so-called Coalition, is it?

  “Not currently, no, Archer said, addressing him for a moment, before turning his gaze back to the chancellor. “However, Draylax is one of Earths allies, and is a signatory, along with Earth and Alpha Centauri, to a mutual defense pact. Draylax is therefore under Earths protection.

  “Under Earths protection? another Klingon snarled. “Were you not barely able to begininterstellar travel only a few short years ago?

  Archer ignored the mans hyperbolic comment,
concentrating instead on addressing the High Councils leader. “Chancellor, the Coalition does notwish to jeopardize the relative peace this part of the galaxy has enjoyed for so long. But understand that some in the Coalition maychoose to authorize retaliationif the Klingon Empire initiates any further unprovoked attacks against

  “You accusethe Empire? Do you think us a race of honorless taHqeq?MRek stood and stalked toward the captain. “If we were going to attack,you would know it from the screams of your dying, from the rivers of blood that would drown your cities, from the stench of charred and burning flesh.

  He glowered, lowering his voice as he neared Archer. Archer could feel the tension in the MACOs flanking him, and was grateful that they were trained well enough to know to avoid making any overtly threatening gestures.

  “What happened over Draylax was directed neither against that world nor yours, Captain, the chancellor said after his face came to a stop only a few centimeters away from Archers. “Apart from a few minor Klingon-human skirmishesincluding those in which you and your crew were involved, Captainthe Empire has spilled no Teranganor Draylaxian blood. At least, not in sufficient quantities to merit a declaration of war.

  Archer nodded, hoping that the sweat beading on his forehead wouldnt be visible in the firelight of the chamberand wishing that MReks most recent meal had been less aromatic. “I believe that, Chancellor, and have tried to convince my superiors of that. However, the Coalition Council requires He stopped himself for a moment, then quickly regrouped. “The Coalition Council requestsassurances that the Klingon Empire understands its warning that any further hostilities will be treated as cause for war. We also ask you to furnish objective proof that your government neither planned nor ordered the assault on Draylax.

  “You request assurances?You require proof?MRek turned his back on Archer. He laughed loudly, as did most of the other Klingons in the room. “And what is it weare getting in return? Other than your Coalitions promise not to initiate a suicidal war with us?